Phoenix November 9, 2017

Today in OPINIONS: Simran Singh: One year later, an ode to the immigrant A4, Sydney Covitz on D.C. homelessness A4, Editorial: Finding empathy A4

PHOENIX

THE

Athlete of the Week: Sommer Denison

VOL. 144, NO. 8

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Making time to paint in Ireland

November 9, 2017

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The independent campus newspaper of Swarthmore College since 1881

Eboo Patel visit creates dialogue around religious diversity

by Bayliss Wagner News Writer On Nov. 1, Eboo Patel, who founded the Interfaith Youth Core and served on Obama’s inaugural Faith Council, arrived at Swarthmore. During the roughly 24 hours he stayed, he led four workshops, participated in a world religions class, attended a dinner with President Valerie Smith and other faculty members, and delivered a keynote speech, “Building a Healthy Religiously Diverse Democracy: America’s Promise in a Time of Crisis.” The events focused on the benefits of

The week ahead

understanding and acknowledging religious diversity, even in secular spaces.

In his keynote speech, Patel said that hatred of immigrants and other people with different beliefs creates a barrier against their contributions that inhibits societal progression. He then spoke on the history of religious prejudice in America, beginning with the anti-Catholic KnowNothing Party in the 1850s and the movement that pushed against it.

“What is Judeo-Christian?”

Patel asked. “It is a genius civic invention. It is a new narrative for

America that allows us to imagine Jews and Catholics as equal participants in American civilization. I want to say this again — a group of civic activists, as a way of responding to anti-Catholic and anti-Jewish prejudice in the 1920s, invent a new narrative for America that becomes so deeply woven into American DNA that we believe it was present from the beginning. That’s genius.”

Patel, a Muslim, applied this idea of a national narrative to the modern issue of Islamophobia and fear of Muslim immigrants.

“What new civic initiatives do we need now in this moment of

Islamophobia?” he said.

“There’s a new chapter that needs to be written.”

Joyce Tompkins, director of religious and spiritual life at the college, planned Patel’s visit with pastor of Swarthmore Presbyterian Church Joyce Shin and religion professor Mark Wallace, all of whom are members of the Interfaith Council of Southern Delaware County. They aimed to bring together leaders of different faith groups and to strengthen relationships between the Interfaith Center and the Borough.

“When I first heard Eboo Patel speak on the need for interfaith

cooperation in our society, I was struck by two things: first, his ability to speak across many different audiences, by which I mean audiences that consist of different religious backgrounds, different generations, different points of view, and different assumptions; and second, Eboo’s consistently constructive approach to making interfaith cooperation a social norm,” Shin said.

When Shin first pitched the idea over a year ago, Tompkins was doubtful that Patel, a prominent figure in interfaith leadercontinued on page A2

Fall arrives on campus

Thursday 6:00-7:00p.m.

Is there a future for the EU? Join us for a lecture by Paul Zajac, an expert on European politics on the future of the European Union and the resurgence of populism in Europe.

7:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Bernie Saffran Lecture by Nancy Rose, MIT Advancing Competition: The Role of Economics in Merger Policy.

Many journalists, politicians, and academics have argued that the U.S. economy has become less competitive in recent years, pointing to an apparent increase in concentration across many sectors of the economy and an ongoing wave of global mergers. What role does economics play in this outcome? How is economics used in merger analysis, what are some of the recent advances in how economics influences antitrust outcomes, and how can academic researchers contribute to more effective merger enforcement?

Friday 4:00-5:00p.m.

Sager Series: Juliana Huxtable Artist Lecture and DJ Set Juliana Huxtable, a trans based artist based out of New York City, will be giving a lecture on her practice on Friday, November 10 at 4 p.m. in LPAC Cinema, speaking on her as engagement in video, photography, and performance art.

Saturday NCAA Championships First round(field hockey, women’s soccer, volleyball) Putnam county spelling bee musical Sunday 2:00-4:00p.m.

Putnam county spelling bee musical

Shelby Dolch / The Phoenix

The business clubs on campus have seen a great increase in interest with the new incoming class this year.

At the beginning of this semester, students filled up Science Center 199 at the info meeting of Redefine Her Street, a business club on campus that supports women in economics.

“It was like crazy. I was like, this is too good to be true,” said Irene Xiang ’18, one of the co-founders and board members of Redefine Her Street.

The consulting group on campus, 180 Degrees Consulting, has also seen an increase in interested students. They had 39 students who applied to join the group this year, of which they accepted 12.

“This year the acceptance rate is 33 percent. Usually it’s 40 to 50 percent. The acceptance rate is lower this year even though we took a lot more applicants this year,” said president Simran Singh ’19. “Half of new incomings are freshmen, which is pretty rare,” said Singh.

On the Handshake Recruitment System used by the Career Services Office, students need to indicate their career preferences when they first register. A search of the system also shows the interest of first-year students in business.

“Thirty-six of the 99 first-year students who have registered have indicated an interest in business careers, ” said director of career services Nancy Burkett.

180 Degree Consulting started four years ago, while Redefine Her Street started two years ago.

As more and more Redefine Her Street members obtain internships and jobs, their credentials and credibility have grown, and so it has become easier to recruit incoming students.

“Once [we] have more uppercontinued on swarthmorephoenix. com

DiscoSwat provides exposure to classes, campus life

by Aria Parikh News Writer Discover Swarthmore, or DiscoSwat, is an all-expensepaid visit to campus that serves as the primary college access outreach program run by the college. Between Nov. 2 and Nov. 4, the campus was home to over 100 high school seniors, who had been invited by the admissions office to partake in this semester’s second session of Discover Swarthmore.

According to the office of

admissions, this highly competitive program received over 2,200 applications this year for both sessions, out of which only 250 applicants were selected, making its acceptance rate a little over 11 percent. Out of the students invited, 205 attended the program. To be considered for selection, students have to be nominated by school counsellors or college access organization advisors, after which they are invited by the College to complete an application.

Vice President and Dean of

Admissions Jim Bock ’90 commented via email about how the selection process for DiscoSwat differs from the college admissions process.

“Our Discover Swarthmore selection process prioritizes students from traditionally underrepresented groups, students who are the first in their family to attend college, and students from low-income backgrounds or who might not otherwise be able to afford a trip to campus,” said Bock.

However, the admissions

office also specified that an invitation to DiscoSwat is in no way an offer of admission to the college, as the actual college application is far more comprehensive than the one required for DiscoSwat. Actual college applications are also viewed in the context of a far larger applicant pool, often with different criteria in mind. There have been cases of students who haven’t been invited to DiscoSwat, only to ultimately get into the college. Even so, being selected for the program does

have its benefits.

“An invitation to Discover Swarthmore is not an offer of admission to the College, but based on preliminary information, we anticipate Discover Swarthmore students to be competitive if they choose to apply,” said Bock.

As part of the program, students get to attend classes, eat at Sharples, talk to professors and students, and generally experience what it means to continued on page A2

WRC, Title IX host vigil on #metoo campaign

by Trina Paul News Writer

CONTENTS Campus news A1-A2 Arts news A3 Opinions A4 Sports A5-A6

Copyright © 2016 The Phoenix

by Leren Gao News Writer

After a warm October on campus the weather has begun to cool down and the campus has begun to change colors as fall arrives.

Monday 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.

Biological Media: The Poetry of Chemicals and Microbiomes in the Anthropocene.

Canadian poet and ecocritic Adam Dickinson presents Biological Media: The Poetry of Chemicals and Microbiomes in the Anthropocene.

Read more at swarthmorephoenix.com

Student interest in business clubs increases

Shelby Dolch / The Phoenix

On Nov. 3, 2017, the WRC held a silent candlelight vigil followed by a gathering for conversation in order to show solidarity with those who have been affected by sexual assault and sexual harassment. The Women’s Resource Center sought to ensure that the #metoo campaign would extend beyond its influence on social media.

Attendees lit candles in the WRC courtyard before having a moment of silence for victims.

Afterwards, they headed inside to the WRC to engage in a conversation about the effects of the campaign.

The campaign began shortly after the “New York Times” published an investigative report on sexual misconduct allegations against prominent film

producer Harvey Weinstein in October 2017. The report ignited the national viral #metoo campaign that would give voice to women who were victims of sexual misconduct. Though the #metoo campaign initially began in response to the numerous allegations against Weinstein, other leading men in Hollywood, such as Kevin Spacey and Dustin Hoffman, have found themselves facing similar claims of sexual misconduct.

According to Shá Duncan Smith, dean of diversity inclusion and director of the WRC, the candlelight vigil was organized as a joint project between the WRC and the Title IX office.

“The #metoo vigil came about as an effort by different thought partners such as the WRC associates and the Title IX office.

Together, we [the WRC and the Title IX office] talked about the

#metoo campaign as a whole and how we think about the skill sets that are needed to proactively do a paradigm shift in the culture,” Smith said.

Lucy Jones ’20, a WRC associate, believes that the WRC vigil raised awareness about both the #metoo campaign and about the presence of the center on campus.

“I think for most people there was really a sense of community that was built online from the #metoo campaign. The WRC felt the need to bring that to a physical space because one of our main goals is to make a space on campus that is open to not just women but people of all genders,” Jones said.

The WRC has had a role on campus for nearly 40 years and provides a safe space where continued on page A2

THE PHOENIX NEWS

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November 9, 2017

Events management restructuring reflects college-wide change

by Abby Young News Writer

On Oct. 30, President Valerie Smith sent out an email announcing that the special assistant to the President, Susan Eagar, will have a new role as director of events and programs, effective Nov. 20. This role will be to oversee event planning broadly, and it is part of structural changes to the department of events management.

President Smith’s email outlined the responsibilities of Eagar’s new position.

“In her new role, Susan will be responsible for all event operations and year-round logistical coordination of Swarthmore College events including major campus events, prominent speakers, and presidential events, as needed.”

In her current role as special assistant, Eagar provides highlevel administrative support to

the President and manages the daily operations of the President’s office. The email also outlined that Eagar would collaborate with external clients, oversee booking, and act as the main contact for all scheduling as well as the main point of contact between the event staff, host of the event, and support for events. She will also “implement, execute, and manage” the reservations systems and “provide ongoing training and resources for those scheduling events.” All of these tasks will be done through Swat Central, which is a “new, centralized” online event reservation system.

According to Eagar, Swat Central will replace the current online campus calendar and EMS, the current space reservations system. This new system will put space reservations, setup needs, and events publicity into one place; it will be implemented in spring 2018. Swat Central, like

Eagar’s new role, indicates structural changes in the department of events management.

“It will serve as a one-stop hub for our campus community to learn about and reserve space for College events, classes, and meetings,” Eagar said via email.

The department of events management operates under the executive director of auxiliary services Anthony Coschignano.

Coschignano mentioned via email that Swat Central will “provide more efficient and effective services.”

The Events Management Department was previously known as “Space and Summer Programs,” but since the department underwent restructuring, the name has been changed. The Events Management Department falls under the umbrella of Auxiliary Services. Other departments under Auxiliary Services include Dining and Catering Services, OneCard, The Swarthmore Cam-

Disco Swat, continued from A1 be a Swattie for 72 hours. The program is also deeply beneficial to Admissions. It is through this program that they identify students who would be a good fit for the college who are first in their family to attend college or are traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

Each student nominated for DiscoSwat is sent information regarding the program as well as information about the college, such as need-based financial aid and what makes Swarthmore different from other institutions. However, the admissions office feels that the biggest benefit is familiarizing the liberal arts for people who might not have been exposed to them.

One of the most integral parts of DiscoSwat is hosting. Each prospective student, colloquially referred to as a spec — short for prospective student — is matched up with a current student with whom they stay during DiscoSwat. This allows the spec to build a relationship with an individual who understands the school and can serve as a resource not only for the duration of the program, but also during the application process in general.

“I love hosting specs because explaining to them how much I love Swarthmore makes me fall in love with it all over again. It also helps prospective students

figure out if this is the right school for them,” said Ruth Elias ’20.

Hosts are trained extensively

by Danny Wittels, an assistant dean of admissions, who was not authorized to comment publicly on behalf of the office of admissions. According to Henry Han ’20, the training covers the basics required to make sure that the specs on campus have a safe, inclusive, enjoyable visit on campus. Hosts are also paid for an hour of work for each student and each day that they are hosting.

Liz Braun, in her capacity as dean of students, also sends out an email before DiscoSwat reminding students to be mindful of the minors on campus. In her campus-wide email, she stresses providing a legally sound program for the high-schoolers, reminding students that specs are not allowed access to alcoholic beverages or events with alcohol. No party permits were handed out for the duration of DiscoSwat, with even PubNite being cancelled for the week.

“If any prospective students are found to be drinking their application to the college will be in serious jeopardy, so please do not let anyone be put in this position,” said Dean Braun.

While the office of admissions takes steps make the experience enjoyable so that

pus and Community Store, Office Services, Post Office, and the Inn at Swarthmore.

Regarding the function of her department, Eagar said, “The Events Management Department is responsible for providing quality service to all our customers seeking the use of campus facilities.”

The structure of the Events Management Department includes an events coordinator and setup crew leader. The department plans to hire student workers as well to help with daily planning, particularly relating to summer programs. Coschignano said that this hiring process and structuring will occur over this academic year.

Coschignano noted that the department’s previous structure was similar, the changes are significant.

“The objective is to create an events office that will be best be able to support campus events

in a more holistic, efficient, and creative way,” he said in an email.

This objective is reflected in President Smith’s college-wide email, which mentioned that this particular instance of restructuring relates to the 2016 visioning exercise.

On the Swarthmore College website, the 2016 visioning exercise is said to be “an effort … to help [the college] think more holistically about both the nature of students’ lives beyond the classroom and the types of spaces, services, technologies, activities, and campus culture that might support those experiences, both now and into the future.”

The 2016 visioning exercise is a complement to the Strategic Directions plan from December 2011, during the presidency of Rebecca Chop. Strategic Directions is a 40-page outline of a “strategic plan” to explain core values of the college, evaluate the current environment of the col-

lege, outline recommendations for change, lay out commitments to support the work, and provide implementations and future steps for the plan. Other elements of the plan included a campus facilities master plan as well as a diversity and inclusion plan.

A result of Strategic Directions was the development of a Master Plan for the college, which includes plans for the college’s growth, including the expansion of the number of buildings and students. The Master Plan can be found on the Swarthmore College website.

Eager’s new position as director of events and programs is indicative of the college’s efforts to grow and restructure which have been outlined in the 2016 visioning exercise and the Master Plan.

#MeToo, continued from A1 the prospective students submit applications for admissions, it is interesting to note the views of a DiscoSwat alum and current Swattie Tiye Pulley ’19 on how the program contributes to the narrative of diversity on this campus.

In an op-ed published in November 2015 titled “DiscoSwat or DiscoNot,” Pulley wrote the program serves as a “self-congratulatory pat on the back for the school” for their efforts to bring POC and other underrepresented groups in higher education to the college.

He wrote that while he believes DiscoSwat is a noble effort, it can be misleading for DiscoSwat students who are then accepted to the college and choose to matriculate from here, as over “43% of the students here identify as white.” The article sheds light on what it is like to attend Swarthmore as a student as opposed to as a spec.

However, it is certain that DiscoSwat serves as a resource both to applicants as well as the admissions office in educating people about Swarthmore while ensuring that as many people as possible in the incoming classes are a good fit for the College.

students can study, bake, speak to associates, and attend collegesponsored events. By addressing the #metoo campaign, the WRC promoted the awareness of sexual misconduct on campus and rallied even those who were not involved in the social media movement.

“I don’t know a lot about the campaign but I wanted to come tonight to show up and show my support for anyone who’s dealt with issues like sexual assault, sexual misconduct, or sexual based violence,” Meghan Kelly ’18, an attendee of the vigil, said.

“Specifically, I was thinking about my role as an RA on campus and how it’s important for me to reach out to everyone in the Swarthmore community.”

Keton Kakkar ’19 attended due to the soothing atmosphere that the vigil provided.

“I enjoy candles and vigils and think they are conducive to reflection on serious issues,” Kakkar said. “There is something beautiful and communal about standing in a circle with people and holding a flame.”

Though some students attended because of the environment the vigil provided, Smith expressed sentiments about how the objectives of the WRC on campus relate to the vigil and the recent movement, noting that the movement also has the potential to positively change the

current culture surrounding the treatment of sexual misconduct victims.

“I was excited about looking at [the #metoo campaign] as a way to change the culture. We’re sort of socialized to accept certain things in relation to language and action,” said Smith. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. It’s not just about us as individuals but about how the ‘me too’ affects everyone collectively.”

Moving forward, the WRC has further plans to create a safe environment and inclusive community on campus. The Title IX Office, in collaboration with the WRC, is introducing a campaign about the value of healthy rela-

tionships on campus.

“One of the things the Title IX office is doing with the WRC is focusing on healthy relationships and healthy communities. As a college, let’s take a look at these unhealthy relationships and how it affects the building of a healthy community,” Smith said. “We can’t have an inclusive community without healthy relationships.”

While the WRC strives to make campus a more safe and inclusive place, the #metoo campaign shows that progress remains to be made. The vigil held by the WRC highlights how students seek to promote awareness by standing in solidarity with the victims of #metoo.

is advocating for.”

Patel mentioned a “circle of dialogue” multiple times, which is the range of people with whom someone is willing to converse about differing beliefs. While Ryan Arazi ’21 agreed with Patel’s concept of a religiously diverse democracy, he found the notion of a “circle of dialogue” idealistic.

“I agreed with the very broad circle of opinions and allowing that circle to exist, and I’m someone who’s advocated for that a lot,” he said. “But in hearing someone else say it, I can understand why that can be too optimistic, especially in a society that’s as polarized as ours and especially with a topic like religion, which goes to your core beliefs, like who you are as a person.”

According to Arazi, Swarthmore students tend to be like-minded and therefore not particularly open to interfaith dialogue.

“This is exactly the type of place where that optimism might fail because you have people of very like-minded beliefs and it’s easy to forget about … the outside world and forget that it’s important to listen to everyone,” Arazi said. “I don’t think that it’s a reflection of the people here or the open-mindedness of the people, but that it’s just a natural product of putting like-minded people in the same place.”

According to Patel, religious diversity is a central tenet of social change.

“What else is it?” he said.

“What else is social change but

dealing with people with whom you disagree and engaging in a conversation in which sometimes, you will change your mind and sometimes they will change their minds?”

De Dios agreed with Patel’s emphasis on willingness to engage others with opposing opinions in conversation, but she felt that Swarthmore students generally identify more with the type of social change represented in the Desmond Tutu quote “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,” which a Swarthmore student brought up during the 30-minute questionand-answer session after the keynote speech.

“I do think, though, that the first step is in dialogue,” she said.

“Not that they have to be mutually exclusive, but the dialogue comes first, more than anything, than the action. I don’t think that people would agree with me that you can be tolerant and not act. I do think that the most important acts of tolerance and respect end up anyway leading to protests and action-based causes.”

Tompkins was very satisfied with the attendance at the workshops and at the keynote speech.

She felt that this event is representative of recent changes that she has worked to enact as director of religious and spiritual life at the college regarding dialogue around religious differences.

“I absolutely resonate with what he had to say, because I’ve been here 14 years [and] we’ve

made huge, huge progress as far as recognizing religious and spiritual identity as important parts of diversity and inclusion,” she said. “When I first came it was … really, nobody talked about religion; it was very marginalized, there was very little support. I see [the event] just as a continuation of the momentum we’ve been working on, but I feel like it gave us kind of a big push.”

For Tompkins, Shin and the Interfaith Council, the success of the event bodes well for similar collaborations between the college and the Swarthmore community in the future.

“I am excited to work with the Interfaith Council of Southern Delaware County, Partners in Ministry, different groups at Swarthmore College, and members of the community in developing ways to cooperate inter-religiously,” Shin said. “By seeing who showed up, we have a better idea of who is interested in this work and with whom we can build more sustainable relationships.”

President Valerie Smith, who introduced Patel’s speech, delivered similar sentiments about religious diversity.

“During these tumultuous times when democratic values are being challenged, by engaging with difference, particularly religious difference, we acknowledge our shared humanity,” Smith said.

Shelby Dolch / The Phoenix

Religious diversity, continued from A1 ship, would want to come to Swarthmore. However, Tompkins feels that Patel saw an opportunity for expanding interfaith collaboration to secular campuses.

“Swarthmore’s well known in higher-ed circles; it’s also a pretty secular school,” she said. “[Patel] and his colleagues at Interfaith Youth Core are particularly interested in broadening the interfaith conversation so that it’s not just faith groups talking to each other, but talking across the faith-secular divide, which seems to really be dividing our country.”

According to Shin, Patel touched on the significance of religious tolerance and sensitivity to religious issues, even for those who do not practice religion themselves.

“My hope is that Eboo’s constructive approach will draw out and make room for other constructive approaches in building cooperation among different religious communities as well as show the significance of interreligious cooperation in the civic sphere,” she said.

During the student workshop before his talk, Patel gave student leaders case studies of religion-related conflicts that have occurred in secular places such as schools and workplaces and asked them to discuss possible approaches. One situation involved an Orthodox Jewish man who refused to sit at his assigned seat on an airplane because it was next to a woman; one was the difference in power if it were a Muslim woman refusing to sit

next to a man.

“We had some pretty interesting conversation,” Tompkins said.

“Some people said, ‘Kick him off the plane,’ some people said, ‘Try to persuade someone to change seats.’ It was interesting.”

Another case study was a group of Muslim women who requested an hour of time at the public pool reserved for women only; another involved Hindu students that protested the dining hall serving beef in the only eating facility on campus as being offensive to them.

“What he said, what actually turned out to be true, was we never actually resolved the question of what should we do,” Tompkins said. “What was important was that we were practicing having this kind of conversation with some sensitivity to the issues that are raised by these different groups.”

Abha Lal ’18, an intern for the Interfaith Center, attended the workshop Patel gave for student leaders. According to Lal, religious literacy and interfaith dialogue can give us insight into everyday interactions.

“I think at Swat and a lot of college campuses religion is treated as a purely private matter, but the fact is that it is really important to how many people understand themselves and conduct public life,” she said. “I think Patel’s workshop encouraged us to see this not as a problem to be dealt with, but a fact of living in heterogenous societies that needs to be engaged with in

meaningful ways.”

Though Lal feels that Patel’s message about interfaith discourse has crucial implications, she stated that she and other Swarthmore students would disagree with Patel’s claims about American excellence.

“My main qualm was that as important as his approach is, it seems to base itself a little bit uncritically on American exceptionalism, something that is hard to be fully on board with for people here for good reason,” Lal said.

Patel also led a workshop on sensitivity to religious differences for Swarthmore faculty, a workshop for students at Strath Haven high school and a workshop for leaders of local congregations.

Cielo de Dios ’21 attended Patel’s keynote speech with her classmates from “Religion and the Meaning of Life,” taught by professor Ellen Ross. The class is currently reading Patel’s book “Acts of Faith,” a memoir about the struggles of being a Muslim in America. She feels that her experience at the college has been in accord with Patel’s ideal for democratic discourse.

“A lot of what he said applies in my religions class specifically because in my religions class, we’re not all from one faith,” she said. “Most of us are Christians, but there’s a Jew and then there’s a Buddhist who was an atheist.

We come from a lot of different backgrounds, and even before the talk, we were all open to talking about our experiences and our faith, which is what I think Patel

ARTS

November 9, 2017 PAGE A3

Exploring counterpoints: Joshua Mundinger presents his senior recital

by Jessica Yang Arts Writer Last Friday, Joshua Mundinger ’18 gave his senior piano recital in Lang Concert Hall. The recital featured Preludes and Fugues of Bach and Shostakovich as well as the Chopin Sonata No. 3 in B minor. In addition to playing the piano, Mundinger also plays the oboe and has participated in chamber music throughout his Swarthmore career. From a young age, Mundinger has been aware of and pursued his innate passion for music.

“Before I came to Swarthmore, I did many of the same performance activities that I do now. I always knew I would play piano the whole time,” said Mundinger.

By taking academic courses while participating in various musical ensembles at Swarthmore, Mundinger has developed theoretical and historical lenses for examining music. Playing in chamber ensembles has also enabled him to channel his passion for music. But in contrast to collaborative and academic learning, the recital, for Mundinger, is a personal tradition.

“I wanted to give a recital at my senior year partly because I gave one in my high school senior year. The recital is not only a marker of achievement, but also, through the preparation, an opportunity to see how my understanding of music and piano playing has grown,” Mundinger explained.

Mundinger began to plan for his recital this April, hoping to explore different possibilities of counterpoints in music from a new perspective.

“I wanted to incorporate Fugue and Sonata because they are monumental in the history of Western music, forms that composers have continually come back to. But I didn’t want to play just the standard piano repertoire. Even though Bach and Chopin definitely do fall into the standard piano repertoire, the Chopin Sonata is an unusual composition for Chopin,” Mundinger commented.

As the performance date approached, a second goal emerged for the recital: to vindicate Shostakovich.

“I think Shostakovich’s really underserved in a lot of ways — he has been put into narrow boxes by musicians and critics.

I hope to show his relevance to modern piano music,” said Mundinger.

The recital began with Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C Major from “The Well-Tempered Clavier,” followed by Shostakovich’s Prelude and Fugue in B-flat minor, Op. 87. The tension between the counterpoints in the beginning of the Shostakovich Fugue became palpable when the musician, as if holding back a half-spoken sentence, intentionally elongated the note and suspended the phrase. Throughout the piece, each repetition of the melody was performed with

slight variation, subtly defying an audience’s expectation.

Next came Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D Major, juxtaposed with Shostakovich’s Prelude and Fugue in E major. Both pieces illustrated the contrast between melodies. The latter in particular was marked by the quick buildup and release of tension, hidden in the “smallest of swells”, as described by Mundinger.

The recital’s unique theme coupled with Mundinger’s technique left the audiendce members satisfied with their experience: “I think the performance was spectacular! Every piece was performed beautifully and each was a riveting example of Josh’s incredible talent. I especially

loved the selection of pieces that were performed, covering different musical styles and themes.

Josh’s innate knowledge of every nuance of each piece was very impressive,” said attendee Allyson Thrasher ’21.

In addition to classical music lovers in the community, many of Mundinger’s family members and friends attended the recital to show their support. The convivial atmosphere shaped by the audience members certainly lent the recital, a rite of passage for Mundinger, a personal touch.

Lily Wushanley’s lunch hour concert

by Cristopher Alvarado Arts Writer

I was quietly working on my computer in the corner table in the piano parlor room in Parrish waiting in anticipation for another student performance.

Lily Wushanley ’18, standing just in front of her performance stool tuning her cello. Desta Pulley ’17, the concert organizer and a current concert and production intern at the college, set up for a

tripod for the Facebook live feed. he The parlor was still fairly empty; then, sleepily, students and faculty trickled into the room eager for a happy interlude in their day as morning gave way to afternoon.

Just slightly before the clock hit twelve thirty, Wushanley addressed the growing crowd. According to her, not many of her friends had seen her play, so she wanted the opportunity to play a couple of her favorite pieces. For

Shelby Dolch / The Phoenix

this occasion, she had chosen the first three Preludes from Bach’s Suites for unaccompanied cello. Without any hesitation, she set into her performance.

“I’m going to keep it real short,” Wushanley said.

It only took a couple of short practice strides of her bow along the strings of her golden brown cello for her to focus on the music. Within the first couple of notes, the students and teachers gathered inside the parlor room, their eyes glued to the movement of Wushanley’s bow and hands. Gradually, students gathered outside of the piano parlor, unable to enter due to the mass of students already blocking the entrance. Wushanley, with her eyes open, maintained an air of concentrated joy as she continued her performance.

When the first piece came to its conclusion, the room rang with enthusiastic applause.

With only a couple short pauses in between each piece, Wushanley continued this flurry of unaccompanied string for

Shelby Dolch / The Phoenix

little more than 15 minutes, but the intensity that it produced was unmatched. The crowd that grew beyond the entrances unintentionally blocked the hallways.

A couple students within the

parlor rooms closed their eyes, seemingly escaping into the world of Bach. Once Wushanley had concluded her performance, she gave a discreet bow to the audience and received an enor-

Made in Ireland: making time to paint in Ireland

by Lauren Knudson Editor in Chief

While many students spent their summers in bustling cities crammed in public transportation or stuck in traffic, four students spent their summer in rural Ireland painting.

Max Barry ’19, Simona Dwass ’19, Maisie Yixuan Luo 19, and Julie Mizrahi ’19 spent their summer in Ballycastle, County Mayo, Ireland, with Randall Exon, the Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot Professor of Art. This month Barry, Dwass, and Yixuan Luo will be displaying selections of their work at the Kitao Gallery beginning with a reception on Thursday afternoon from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Exon is a continuing fellow at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation and has taken three to five students with him to Ireland for the past several summers to work on their art. Barry, Dwass, and Yixuan Luo are all art majors and have taken a class with Exon, who invited them on the trip.

“The first time I heard him

talk about it was when I took his class freshman spring, and we’d been talking about it during that semester. And then last year, sophomore fall, he officially invited me to go the following summer,” said Barry.

They started their summer with a two-week class taught at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation

by Exon and Jeffrey Reed, associate professor of art at Community College of Philadelphia. The class had students from around the world and the curriculum focused on painting landscapes.

“The class was very specifically en plein air painting, so we would go on field trips and go sit somewhere on the beautiful Irish countryside, and we would have an assignment to paint waves or paint something with a very specific color portfolio.

And then the rest of the time, we were just supposed to build off of what we learned in this class and continue our own work,” said Dwass.

After the course the students spent another four weeks at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation, where they worked in their

Grace Zhang / The Phoenix

own studio space and had more choice in what they wished to paint.

“Ireland was ideal for me in sophomore year because it really gave me the chance to just paint all day every day and experience being an artist going to residency, having a studio, how to manage your time on your own, how to make assignments for yourself, and be productive without the class structure or without a professor who is guiding you closely, so that was a really unique experience for me,” said Yixuan Luo. The loose structure of the remaining time allowed the students to dive into their own work, something that is not always easy to do in a class or academic environment.

“It was the first time I had ever really been given a studio and told go do art, whatever you want, without any assignments, which was super intimidating but also really fun. The hardest part was definitely deciding what to do because I’m not really a painter. I’ve never been super good at very detailed fine arts.

So I had a really hard time with the [landscape] painting because I could not get the texture grass to stick on my page — it just wouldn’t happen. But I think once I landed on a set of paintings that really interested me, it was a lot of fun to go in that vein,” said Dwass. All three of the students eventually settled on a subject to focus on, which will be part of the display in Kitao.

Dwass worked on limiting herself to two colors plus white while painting different chairs around the Foundation.

Barry chose to focus on portraits, specifically self-portraits, and allowed himself the opportunity to experiment with color.

“After [landscapes] I started move into portraiture. I did a lot of self- portraits. … The works that are in the show highlight my work: I had never painted before going here, so after doing landscapes I wanted to experiment more with color, so you will see that a lot in the selfportraits,” said Barry.

Yixuan Luo chose to experiment with the dimensions,

Grace Zhang / The Phoenix

taking inspiration from David Hockney and Picasso. “[Picasso and Hockney] see painting as a challenge of capturing the 3-D world onto the 2-D surface, so I got really into that, and I started experimenting with just environments around me, and then that really got me going,” said Yixuan Luo. Yixuan Luo painted different environments where she spent time while at the Foundation.

All three students saw this as an opportunity to dedicate time to art and grow as artists.

“This was the first time where I totally dedicated myself to just working on my art, and that was very meditative for me. It made me value the time that I spent working on my art a lot more, and … I feel like the choices I’ve made this semester in my artwork have been a lot more decisive and I think a lot more powerful,” said Barry.

Yixuan Luo and Dwass also noted how the experience of working independently in a studio would help them learn to experiment more with their art and in their senior independent

mous response in the form of thunderous applause.

study for the studio art major.

The Ireland trip allowed them to focus on their artwork away from the pressures of Swarthmore.

“My favorite part of my Ireland experience is [I got to experience what it would be like to be] a professional artist.

I really got to have a taste of that. It’s really ideal because I can just spend the time to paint without worrying about all the other stuff like how to survive or how to do homework and stuff; I just need to paint, that’s all. So it is really ideal and idealistic in a way because I know that in reality, I need to find balance with work I need to do for school and to get money versus, like, painting. So that was a great experience for me,” said Yixuan Luo. Selections of Barry, Dwass and Yixuan Luo’s work from the summer were installed in Kitao on Saturday and will be on display until Nov. 21. You can see the artwork on Saturday and Sunday afternoons when Kitao is open or during any Kitao event before Nov. 21.

Grace Zhang / The Phoenix

OPINIONS

November 9, 2017 PAGE A4

Finding empathy This Sunday, the country witnessed yet another instance of mass violence. The shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas left 26 people dead and many more injured. Once again, we saw headlines of including the

EDITORIAL

phrase “one of the most deadly attacks.” News publications increasingly use this line to describe massacres, such as the Las Vegas shooting on October 1 leaving 58 people dead or the October 31st New York City attack that killed eight people.

Around campus, however, this line seems to have lost its gut-punch feeling. Monday morning, for most of us, was just another day on campus.

Students, staff, and faculty

followed their regular routines.

Some community members were unaware of the terrible attack that occurred just 24 hours prior, and few lost breath over it. These attacks have turned the lives of thousands upside down and scarred towns. Yet for us, life keeps going.

Anyone who watches the news will be able to tell you that it will often leave you feeling hopeless or depressed.

This has caused many of us to lower our news consumption or compartmentalize the extreme things that we read about. This is dangerous. We cannot let these things become normal.

We cannot let these events paralyze us but we need to recognize the magnitude of what this country, and world, is experiencing. We need to

recognize that the 26 people who died on Sunday and the countless victims of other attacks are more than just a CNN notification that pops up on our phones.

We need to find a balance between pretending these events never happened and letting them control our lives. This may look different for everyone. Some people may choose to get more involved with politics. Others may want to get more involved on a personal level and find some way to support the victims. Both of these options are valid responses to the terrible events that we keep seeing.

We know that it is impossible to give each news story the attention it probably deserves.

You cannot donate to every

PHOENIX

THE

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fund or spend all day calling your congressman. That isn’t reasonable. What is reasonable is to take a few minutes every day to recognize the impact that these events have had on people and think about what you can to do help.

This college prides itself on being a social justice campus.

We hold protests and vigils for many events, yet ignore so many others.

We recognize that, unfortunately, holding a collection or a vigil for every mass death would be impossible. But having a conversation about what happened with a friend at dinner is not. Reading about the stories figuring out what happened humanizing the victims is possible.

Lauren Knudson Ganesh Setty Kwate Quartey Bobby Zipp

Editor-In-Chief Managing Editor Managing Editor Editor Emeritus

NEWS Shreya Chattopadhyay Editor Evangela Shread Editor

SPORTS Ping Promrat Editor Jack Corkery Editor PHOTOGRAPHY Grace Zhang Editor Shelby Dolch Editor LAYOUT Emma Giordano Editor

ARTS NEWS Joe Mariani Editor

COPY Gina Goosby Chief Editor

CAMPUS JOURNAL Jasmine Rashid Editor Emma Walker Editor

BUSINESS Ryan Kennedy Manager DIGITAL OPERATIONS Ellen Liu Editor Matt Parker Editor

OPINIONS Ryan Stanton Editor

D.C. resident Ken Martin’s journey to housing

Housing is something we at Swat take for granted every day.

Most of us wake up in dorms where bathrooms that have been cleaned for us are right down the hall. Most of us don’t wake up each morning grateful for our bed, our window, our floor because we are used to having those things in our lives.

SYDNEY COVITZ COLUMNIST For Ken Martin, a vendor for Street Sense, D.C.’s prominent street newspaper sold on the city’s downtown corners, this is not the case.

After spending 17 years without a stable living situation, Ken moved into his apartment just one week prior to July 4th this past summer. He is incapable of suppressing a grin as he describes that memorable night. Standing in front of a bedroom window belonging

solely to him, Ken listens with pride to the deafening cracks of fireworks erupting over the Washington Monument’s distant form and the soft tones of Joe Sample’s “There Are Many Stops Along the Way” playing fittingly in the background. As he watches, Ken cannot help but look back on the last 17 years, the last 17 Independence Days spent without a window to look out of or a roof over his head.

A diligent worker who, early in his career, helped others as a crisis intervention counselor, Ken never fathomed that homelessness could happen to him.

However, in 2000, a series of bad business ventures left Ken unable to afford his home. After a few years of living on the couches of friends, he landed on the streets.

Ken remembers rotating between parks, hospital courtyards, and an all-night Starbucks; he constantly worried

about where he was going to spend the night.

“You waited for shelter hotline trucks to come bring you blankets in the night, waited for the Salvation Army to bring you plastic bags you make sleeping bags out of,” he recalls.

During this time, he also suffered from a series of heart problems, resulting in three surgeries in the past year and a total of seven during the last 14 years.

“In each case, they had no place to put me after the surgery, so I was actually in the street after having surgery on my heart,” he says.

Ken was told his medical conditions qualified him for immediate placement into housing. He went through three versions of the VI-SPDAT, a form caseworkers fill out for their clients to submit to various housing providers, and applied for Section 8 public

housing in January of 2003.

After 14 years of diligently updating his paperwork with no tangible progress, Ken finally got a call from a caseworker at the D.C. Office on Aging.

“I was a client of one of her colleagues at the time. She called me up and she said, ‘Mr. Martin, there’s some [housing] vouchers that are coming into this office. You qualify, and we’re not gonna let you die out there.’”

Seven weeks later, Ken obtained a voucher, and on June 20, 2017, he opened the door to his own apartment — just in time for a spectacular fireworks show.

Celebrating America’s birthday well into his 37th year of sobriety in a new apartment in Adams Morgan, Ken has a lot to be proud of.

“After a couple minutes of just looking up there and just getting into the moment, it occurred to me, this was my cel-

One year later, an ode to the immigrant I have never been more acutely aware of the color of my skin, the home country of my immigrant parents, or the gender I identify with, as I was on Election Day of last year.

SIMRAN SINGH COLUMNIST Growing up in an all-white town, surrounded by symbols of wealth and privilege, I had spent the bulk of my adolescence attempting to refute the notion that I was brown. As the only Sikh student at my high school, I wanted to flee the stereotypes which colored the lenses of the the students around me. Growing up in the US as a second generation Indian, I wanted to be white more than anything. I dressed like the white girls at my school, hiding behind my sleeping bag of a North Face parka and covering my brown ankles with white high-top Converse sneakers, spending late nights studying at Starbucks, and emphasizing how I was born south of Chicago—not in India, unlike the rest of my family—at every opportunity I got. The students of color at my high school were few and far in between; the handful of Indian students were mostly male and probably just as fearful of acknowledging their brown skin as I was.

I realized, slowly, that I could cheat on my faith, in a way that my turbaned brother and father could not. Dressed in my white-girl camouflage,

I could slide through the halls without drawing attention to myself as a Sikh woman of color; my brother couldn’t, and still cannot, fill up his car’s gas tank without being spit at by a white man as he was told to go back to where he came from. It was easy for me to pretend that I was independent of the immigrant identity of my family members.

It took me years to embrace my culture, faith, and origins with pride. I now feel ashamed of myself and how embarrassed I once used to be during school-wide events, hoping desperately that my turbaned father would not attend and that my mother, with her moderate Indian accent, would not speak up. It pains me deeply to think that I once found the people who I idolize and worship the most so humiliating to my existence. Coming to Swarthmore and finding a community of both international and domestic students who not only took pride in where they came from and what they looked like, but also actively promoted greater opportunity and advancement for the communities and groups that they represented, I gained a greater appreciation for the immigrant story. I started listening more carefully to the stories of my own parents, who left India and arrived to the US with the equivalent of seven US dollars; the retellings of my mother, who worked three jobs

at a time under the table to make extra cash; the narrative of my brother, whose turban was ripped off from his head in middle school, who would go on to preach the values of patience, tolerance, and kindness to me when I’d angrily tell him to fight back with the same level of vitriol.

In the wake of the election, with anti-immigrant and xenophobic sentiment at all time highs given Trump’s condonation, I learned to find solidarity between myself and other women of color. I looked to my father, who escaped from the corruption of India’s democracy in progress to come to a country where democratic institutions, values, and principles are still, to this day, upheld, and found solace in the company of other first and second generation students.

He reminded me to not lose faith in the American democracy, or in the institutions that would serve to counteract the potential damage an incompetent and unfit president could inflict. With this being said, he and I both recognize that the US is currently exhibiting the lowest degree of social mobility in all of American history and some of the highest levels of economic inequality in the world; in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory one year ago, it is near impossible to have blind faith in free markets and democratic institutions, the most fundamental underpinnings of

American society.

However, this past Election Day, one year after what I considered to be the D-Day of American democracy, Hoboken, New Jersey elected its first Sikh mayor, Ravi Bhalla. Prince William County, Virginia, elected its first openly transgender state legislator, Danica Roem.

Helena, Montana elected its first black mayor, Wilmot Collins, a refugee from Liberia. A refugee from Vietnam, Kathy Tran, became the first AsianAmerican woman elected to Virginia’s House of Delegates, and the House of Delegates also elected its first two Latina female members, Elizabeth Guzman and Hala Ayala. The elections of 2017 show us that when constituents mobilize at a grassroots level, collectively organize, turn out to the polls, and demand change, we create a government that starts to look more like the

ebration! I was celebrating my independence too. ‘Cause, this is my independent living situation now. I’m free of all the encumbrances of other people’s ideas, other people’s ideologies, other people’s barriers. … This was my independence. And what better way to celebrate it than with fireworks.”

There are a lot of things I know do not cross my mind while I’m here at Swat. As much knowledge and informa-

tion as I am trying to pummel into my head on a daily basis, there is so much that we all take for granted. Sometimes, you need to break the Swat bubble and understand what is going on outside in order to truly appreciate the fact that we are here.

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diverse America that I have come to be so proud of, where individual identities and differences are celebrated. I was disheartened to find that so many of my peers had ignored their civic responsibility by choosing not to vote this past Tuesday, assuming the election was unimportant and didn’t deserve their attention. This lethargy and complacency was precisely what led to poor voter turnout on behalf of Democrat voters in 2016, and contributed to an ultimate Trump victory.

There is true and tremendous promise in the future of the American democracy, but—like my conservatives across the aisle have preached for years— we must pull ourselves up by the bootstraps to create it.

Letters and Op-Ed Policy Letters and opinion pieces represent the views of their writers and not those of the Phoenix staff or Editorial Board. The Phoenix reserves the right to edit all pieces submitted for print publication for length clarity, and factual accuracy. The Phoenix does not edit op-ed or letter submissions for content. The Phoenix also reserves the right to withhold any letters or op-eds from publication.

The Phoenix does not accept anonymous submissions of letters or op-eds. The senior editors may choose to publish submissions without the writer’s name in exceptional circumstances. In no case will the Phoenix publish the name of anyone submitting a letter or op-ed with a request for anonymous publication. Letters may be signed by a maximum of five individuals. Op-eds may be signed by a maximum of two individuals. The Phoenix will not accept pieces exclusively attributed to groups, although individual writers may request that their group affiliation be included.

Please submit letters and report corrections to: editor@swarthmorephonix. com

Ryan Stanton / The Phoenix

HAVE SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND?

The Phoenix is always accepting Op-Ed submissions.

Send your 800-1200 word piece to: editor@swarthmorephoenix.com

SPORTS

November 9, 2017 PAGE A5

Analyzing the first month of the NBA season

by Max Katz-Balmes Sports writer As the 2017-2018 NBA season nears the conclusion of its first month, several unexpected and exciting storylines are emerging. In the Eastern Conference, only three of last year’s NBA Playoffs participants would make the postseason if the season ended today (Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, and Toronto Raptors). In fact, the three-time reigning Eastern Conference champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers, sit 12th in the standings at 4-6, having dropped games to perennial bottom-dwellers such as the Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic. The Cavs have struggled on the defensive end, placing near last in the NBA in several major defensive statistical categories, such as opponent adjusted field goal percentage and opponent three-point percentage. The Cavs have also been sluggish out of the gate in many games, trailing seven of their ten opponents after the first

quarter.

Due to their poor starts, tension is mounting within the team. Following Sunday’s loss to the struggling Atlanta Hawks, shooting guard Dwyane Wade, a 12-time All-Star, called out the Cavs’ starters for their subpar performances. Wade recently bought out the final year of his contract with the Chicago Bulls in order to be reunited with Lebron James, with whom he won back-to-back NBA titles in 2012 and 2013.

“It’s no secret we’re starting games off awful. Terrible.

And [Atlanta] got it going early, and the effort or the focus just wasn’t there to start off, and you try to battle back, you waste a lot of energy trying to come back from 16-18 down, and it’s tough nightly to do this. And we all know this. It’s no secret in this locker room, but our first unit, we got to start off better,” Wade said to reporters in a post-game interview.

On the flip side, the Boston Celtics, despite losing recently signed star forward Gordon

Hayward to a gruesome ankle injury in their season opener, have won eight straight games to sit atop the Eastern Conference standings. Kyrie Irving, acquired from the Cavaliers in a controversial offseason trade in exchange for beloved and hardworking All-star point guard Isaiah Thomas, defensive specialist Jae Crowder, center Ante Zizic, and a 2018 first round pick, has led the balanced charge, averaging 21 points and 5.6 assists per game. Other key contributors include savvy veteran, Al Horford (14.6 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists), rookie Jason Tatum (13.6 points, 6.3 rebounds), and Hayward’s more-than-capable replacement, Jaylen Brown (15.8 points, 6.6 rebounds).

One team in the East that has exceeded expectations up to this point is the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons, a team that finished eight games under .500 last year and missed the NBA Playoffs, currently sit at 7-3, only one game off the pace in the East. Off to their best start

since 2008-2009, the Pistons’ success can be attributed in large part to improved offensive efficiency and the drastic improvement in free throw shooting of their star center, Andre Drummond. Prior to the season, Drummond held the record for the worst free throw percentage in NBA history (38.1%) but through ten games in 20172018, Drummond is shooting a very respectable 75% from the foul line. Even if Drummond’s “hot” free throw shooting cools down, it is still likely that he has improved substantially from his career averages. Drummond is not the Pistons’ only hot offensive performer, however, as the team’s top seven scorers are all averaging point totals above their career averages.

In the Western Conference, after a shaky start, the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors seem to have righted the ship, winning their last three games by an average of 22.3 points. The Warriors’ potent offense, led by All-Stars Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant,

and Klay Thompson, once again tops the league in points per game (120.7). Although still early in the season, all five of the Warriors’ starters are shooting a very impressive 50% or better from the field. NBA General Managers’ overwhelming pick to repeat as NBA champions (93% of GMs selected the Warriors to win in an annual pre-season survey), the Warriors seem to be hitting their stride, and at their best, they are nearly unbeatable.

One team in the West that has failed to meet expectations is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Last season, the Thunder were eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Over the offseason, in an attempt to bolster their roster and improve on last year’s results, the Thunder acquired two superstars, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, to assist reigning MVP Russell Westbrook. However, despite a drastically improved supporting cast, the Thunder are a mediocre 4-5. One would expect the team to improve over the

course of the season as George, Anthony, and Westbrook gain experience playing with one another, but the three superstars have not yet figured out a way to share the ball. The Thunder are averaging barely over 20 assists per game, only good for 13th in the NBA. It is too early to know how the 2017-2018 season will end, but I expect struggling teams like the Cavaliers and the Thunder to finish the season near the top of their respective conferences, while teams lacking stars, such as the Pistons, the Magic, and the Indiana Pacers, will likely cool down from their hot starts.

Anticipate the NBA’s “superteams,” such as the Warriors, Cavs, Thunder, Rockets, and Celtics, to battle it out for the NBA crown. That being said, it will be difficult for any team to wrestle the title away from Curry, Durant, and the rest of the Golden State Warriors. I expect the Warriors to once again dominate the NBA and take home their third title in four years.

The hay is in the barn

by Maeve Juday Sports writer With winter season sports beginning their seasons in the upcoming weeks, a few fall sports have had the opportunity to continue their season at NCAA regionals following success in the Centennial Conference championships. While the women’s volleyball team and the women’s soccer team have received much of the attention for their stellar performances at conference championships, the cross country team has largely flown under the radar. Both the men and women’s cross country teams will be among the teams sending competitors to compete in this event, which will be held on Nov. 11 in Carlisle, PA. As the regular season comes to an end and the championship is fast approaching, the team has been reflecting on what has been accomplished this season and their hopes for a successful

postseason.

JJ Zeng ‘19 was the top finisher at the conference championships for the women’s team, and placed fourth overall. She commented on how the regular season has prepared her and her team for NCAA Regionals.

“The regular season has prepared me mentally and physically for competition - mentally in the sense that I am able to stay positive despite tough races, and physically because of our hard workouts and long runs. As for the team, our meets have encouraged us to work together during races. We also now know who to look out for from our rival schools while racing, so hopefully at Regionals we will know what to expect,” said Zheng.

When asked the same question, William Colgan ‘19, a junior on the men’s team and who fared well at conference championships, also spoke about how the tough workouts and races of

regular season helped set him and the team up for a confident and hopefully successful postseason.

“The regular season has built confidence and strength. After three 8k races and many workouts, we know what paces we are capable of. At this point in the season, coach Pete (Carroll) says, ‘the hay is in the barn.’

At Regional[s], we just have to trust our training and race,” said Colgan.

The men’s team finished the Centennial Conference Championship meet in fifth place.

Looking ahead towards Regionals this Saturday in Carlisle, PA, Zheng is optimistic given the team’s historically consistent performance at this meet.

“We have consistently placed top 10 at Regionals as a team, so hopefully we will be able to keep that up for this upcoming year!” said Zheng.

When asked about the team’s

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goals beyond the regular season, William brought up the possibility of some members of the team taking their season even beyond the Regional meet.

“Personally, I don’t have a time goal for Regionals. I just want to run as hard as I can and know I gave everything when I finish. As a team, we are unlikely to qualify for Nationals, but we have sent individuals in the past. Hopefully, someone will have a really good race and qualify this year,” said Colgan.

Launching into the postseason, both the men and women of Garnet cross-country seem to be satisfied with the foundation that their five regular season meets and Conference Championships have given them. They are confident that the “hay is in the barn,” and excited to see how fast their team can race this weekend.

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Photo courtesy of Swarthmore College

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Answer to last week’s puzzle

THE PHOENIX SPORTS

November 9, 2017

PAGE A6

A briefing on the Champions League

by Joseph Barile Sports writer Europe’s top socce Europe’s top soccer tournament, the UEFA Champions League, is well under way. The Champions League puts the best teams from a multitude of different European soccer leagues (England, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, etc.) against each other in one tournament. There are several stages to the Champions League. Teams must first qualify by either winning their domestic league or placing very high in their league table. This is dependent on the quality of the league each team comes from. For example, only the winners of the Belgian league qualify but the top four English teams qualify, due to the competitive nature of the English Premier League. Overall, there are 32 teams divided into eight different groups of four. The teams in these groups will all play one another twice, and the two teams with the highest number of points (3 for a win, 1 for a draw) advance. This leads to the knockout stage, in which the 16 remaining

teams compete the traditional tournament format, with the winner moving on. Currently, the tournament is 75 percent through the group stages.

The groups of the Champions Leagues are extremely influential in the results of the tournament. Since they are randomly chosen after the 32 teams qualify, the quality of teams in each group can vary immensely based on the sorting. This year, a terrifying “Group of Death” is composed of Tottenham Hotspur (England), Real Madrid (Spain), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), and Apoel Niscosia (Greece). The first three teams in this group are world class teams: Tottenham and Dortmund are some of the top teams in their own countries and Real Madrid is arguably one of the best teams in the world, winning three out of the four last Champions Leagues.

Currently, the table has Tottenham in first, Real Madrid in second, Dortmund in third, and Nicosia in fourth.

Another “Group of Death” has AS Roma (Italy), Chelsea (England), Atletico Madrid (Spain), and FK Qarabag

(Azerbaijan). Similar to the irst group of death, three of these teams have been historically very successful in the Champions League. Chelsea and Roma are two of the top teams in their respective leagues and Atletico Madrid has been the tournament’s final twice in the last four years, both times losing to Real Madrid. Roma is on top of this table, with Chelsea in second, Atletico in third, and Qarabag in fourth.

There are six more groups, each riddled with very capable soccer clubs, but there a few names more recognizable than others. Manchester United, one of the most recognizable names in English soccer, is on top of their group, having won all four of the games they’ve played. One Swarthmore student, Oliver Steinglass ’20, is a fan of Manchester United, and was asked a few questions on the English club’s Champions League chances: Obviously, tensions are high with most Manchester fans these days. Both clubs, United and City, are playing exceptionally well. With good play comes high expectations, so

there’s good reason for Oliver’s bold predictions and sensitive nature.

Manchester City is flying high in their group, having won all four of their games. Also in City’s group is Napoli, the top team of the Italian League table. They, however, are struggling in third place with only one win. The English club Liverpool is narrowly in first in their group, with Spain’s Sevilla in hot pursuit. Barcelona, another world famous club, is sitting atop their group through four games. Juventus (Italy), last year’s runner-up, is right behind Barcelona in that same group. Finally, giant clubs Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) (France) and Bayern Munich (Germany) are locked into a tight race for first place in their respective group.

The round of 16 will be finalized in December with the first games of the stage played in February and March. The knockout stage will conclude with the finals on May 26, 2018. As of November 5, 2017, it’s tough to pick out a winner.

Both Manchester clubs have been excellent, but with their

focus also on their own league race back in England, it’ll be tough for the teams to field fresh players for Champions League games. The two Spanish giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid, are always in the running.

However, after Real Madrid’s recent shocking 3-1 loss to Tottenham and lackluster play in the Spanish league, one can wonder how they expect to turn their play around. Meanwhile, Barcelona have been excellent, despite losing their young star Neymar Jr. to PSG, who are also making noise in Europe.

Juventus and Bayern Munich also can’t be ignored: both teams have always been historically successful in European play. Additionally, it’s tough to ignore Tottenham after their defeat of Real Madrid and fantastic play in a “Group of Death”.

As for me, a fan of Tottenham, I would love to see my club win. However, despite their victory over Real Madrid, it’s hard to imagine that other massive clubs won’t pick up their form. I don’t think Manchester United has enough to win the league, and Manchester

City certainly cannot keep up their amazing form. Barcelona will go far, and I’m sure Real Madrid will sort themselves out in time for the knockout stage. I expect Juventus to exit early and for Bayern to go deep into the tournament as well.

However, it is PSG who I think will win the entire tournament.

The team that consistently falls short in the tournament will finally have their dream finish.

It’s tough to liken the Champions League to any other sports tournament. It doesn’t meet the World Cup in terms of passion; nothing does. However, one could argue that the Champions League puts on display the best soccer teams on planet, and that the Champions League Final is the pinnacle of soccer for a given year. After all, the top club teams attract the top players each year: national teams are set from birth.

Either way, it’s guaranteed that true soccer fans will feast their eyes on the tournament over the next seven months.

don’t even go after the opportunity.”

Additionally, both the cultural, and structural problem that we face with American soccer today has to be taken into account. Nick Lusson, the director of the NorCal Premier Soccer Foundation, talks about the ways in which American youth soccer has stripped the creativity of many players, a very skill that is so crucial in a country like Argentina.

“This is a system that has been built with blinders to equality. We are delivering a lot of people who do soccer but not play soccer. We are making little robots. No one seems sure what to do. How do you tell players to be imaginative while at the same time fitting into the more rigid needs laid out by American coaches? No one knows.”

The experience that I had playing with BAFA in Argentina ties right into Lusson’s point.

That 6v6 game was the most freedom I had enjoyed on a soccer field in my fourteen years of playing the sport. It was also the smallest field I had ever played on for a 6v6 game. It encouraged creativity in small spaces; no wonder Argentina has been able to consistently produce some of the world’s best players. In a now viral rant following the U.S’s shocking loss to Trinidad, former MLS soccer player and ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman emphasized that, “we cannot do soccer the American way.” He’s right. The “American way” entails being the biggest, fastest, and strongest to be the

most successful. Sure, we might have the best basketball players, or football players as a result of this methodology of training in their respective youth systems.

However, this has not been a way to achieve any success on the world soccer stage. We have never won the World Cup. The MLS, our professional soccer league, does not come anywhere close to the Premier League in England, or the Bundesliga in Germany. Aside from rising star Christian Pulisic, there is not one world-class American soccer player in any of the major European leagues today.

What about the Argentinian way? The Brazilian way? The German way? These countries have proven to the world that their youth system works, and have consistently impressed on the world stage. We must seriously take a look in the mirror, and realize that something needs to change in order for us to reap the benefits of the millions of dollars that we have put into our youth system. It’s stubborn of us to believe that our youth soccer system is the best in the world. It’s not. As Twellman said in his rant, insanity is repeating the same mistakes you’ve made after they’ve failed.

For all of us who have played, coached, or have been involved in the American youth soccer system, it is time for change.

U.S. youth soccer and our failures

by Ping Promrat Sports editor I spent my fall break in Chile and Argentina with my family, visiting my older sister, a fellow Swattie studying abroad. During our time in Buenos Aires, my dad and I, soccer fanatics, made sure to find a place to play against local Argentinians.

As we wandered the streets of Palermo (the barrio we were staying in) with our TripAdvisor application in hand, we stumbled upon a set of turf fields, in between a street of ritzy restaurants, and a working-class apartment complex.

As organized games were being played, there was a simultaneous grill (reminiscent of an American football tailgate) to the left of the fields, complete with lots of parilla, alcohol, Argentinian pop music, and sweaty soccer players who had just finished their respective games. We received some funny looks as I attempted to navigate my way to the front of the administrative desk, and ask in my broken Spanish when the next game was being played.

The American-ness oozed off of me as I accidentally referred to the campos, as soccer fields, much to the amusement of the stern-faced man behind the desk, whose day to day job did not entail dealing with strangelooking tourists like me and my dad.

We eventually partnered up with the Buenos Aires Football Amigos field (BAFA), who charged a small fee for anyone

to come play 6v6 on the pristine soccer fields. We joined up with four British college students, and went up against a team of six Argentinians. The soccer we played over the next hour was sublime; the small fields and fast-paced nature of the opposing team’s possession play shocked me. The Argentinians would methodically pass the ball around in a way that I had simply never seen before, and eventually put goal after goal past us to win the match.

As we left, it astounded me how at 9 PM on a Friday night, it seemed like everyone in the community was at the field.

There were kids as young as five or six decked out in Boca Juniors gear, all the way up to the older Argentinian men who sat near the grill, whose nights now consisted of cards, cigars, and beer, instead of the beautiful game. I thought to myself, this is precisely the reason why Argentina is one of the best footballing nations in the world.

I grew up in a quintessential American suburb, where practically everyone had the resources to play youth soccer.

Soccer slowly became my sport, and I eventually joined the New England Football Club team, a club soccer team that consists of players from all over the New England region. Club soccer in the United States is expensive, as the yearly fees for my team ranged around $2000, not including the extra money spent on team gear, travel to tournaments, and other costs. To be candid, I didn’t really have any

awareness of the investment that my parents made for me, nor the privilege that I had to be showcased at tournaments in front of top college coaches. My fellow players on my team came from very similar backgrounds as me; largely white, and fairly well off suburbs. While we were an enormously talented team, I can’t help but look back and think; there must have been twenty kids for every one of us that had the talent to be on that team, but not the financial resources. The question never really dawned on me: did I deserve all of this?

Since the United States Men’s Soccer team crashed out of World Cup qualifying for the first time since 1986, everyone who has been a part of our youth soccer system has had to do some serious soul searching.

How is it possible that a country with over 300 million people (that invests billions of dollars in resources for youth sports) cannot produce 11 soccer players that can beat a country like Trinidad and Tobago, population of 1.365 million people?

The truth is we have both a culture and a diversity problem in the American youth soccer system. A couple years ago, Roger Bennett and Greg Kaplan published a study analyzing the “pay-to-play” system of American youth soccer. They found that the U.S Men’s Soccer team came from socio-economic backgrounds that were significantly higher than professional football and basketball players.

As my anecdotal experience as

well the empirical data suggests, our youth soccer system is simply not designed to filter in the best talent, particularly players from the inner cities.

Unique to the United States is the idea of soccer as a white, suburban sport. In comparison with a country like Argentina, our pay-to-play system seems a little ridiculous. For example, the best club in Argentina, Boca Juniors, sends affiliates into neighborhood-barrios like Palermo, and Boca, to try and find talent. When they do, they bring these players into their academy system, where for the most part, all the expenses to live and play at the training ground are completely covered. All of the Boca Juniors “scouts” are normal people; they range from butchers, to teachers, and are in nearly every barrio in Argentina. As a result, Boca Juniors has brought through and sold more than 350 academy players into all of the top leagues in Europe, and South America. That type of program of seeking out the best talent regardless of socioeconomic class simply does not exist in the United States, or when it does, it does not nearly come close to meeting everyone’s needs. Julio Borge, a director of coaching at the primarily Latino Heritage Soccer Club in the Bay Area, talks about this exact problem of cost that he sees play out every day.

“In my area, we are missing a ton of kids. A lot of coaches don’t have time to see everybody. It’s expensive to try out for the big programs, so many

Athlete of the week: Sommer Denison Last weekend the Swarthmore Women’s Soccer team won their second Centennial Conference Championship in four years after beating 10th-ranked Johns Hopkins University. The Garnet held a 2-0 lead at the end of the first half, but Hopkins was able to tie the game up and send it to a penalty shootout, where the Garnet prevailed 3-1.

Crucial in the win was goalkeeper Sommer Denison ʼ18, who made two big saves during penalty kicks for the Garnet to secure the win.

Denison earned Centennial Conference tournament MVP honors for her performance. The Garnet move on to NCAA playoffs, and will face Susquehanna University on Nov. 11 in Geneva, New York.

Jack Corkery: What is your major, and what made you decide to pursue it?

Sommer Denison: I am an Economics and Psychology major. I chose Economics because I think it prepares me to work in business after college, and I chose Psychology because I really enjoyed the classes here at Swarthmore.

JC: What made you decide to attend Swarthmore?

SD: I am from California and wanted to attend college on the East coast, so that led me to look here. Also, Swarthmore is a great institution academically, and it worked out that I could also play soccer here, which meant it basically fit all parts of my checklist for a desired college.

Grace Zhang / The Phoenix

JC: This is your first season in the net. What was the transition from field player to goalie like?

SD: It was definitely very different. It was almost like I was playing a new sport within the sport I had played my whole life! But, it was a lot of fun, and the coaches and Amy [Shmoys], the other goalie, made the transition a lot easier.

JC: Did you know that you would enter the game for penalty kicks before the championship game started?

SD: Yes, I did. Before our game against Haverford, Reba [Magier], our goalie coach, told me that I would be entering the game if it went to penalty kicks if I was up for it. I told her yes, and then it didn’t matter since we won in regulation. Then, against Johns Hopkins, once they tied the game up and we got to the second overtime I realized that I would probably be going in.

JC: What was the team morale like during the game after Johns Hopkins was able to tie the game back up?

SD: Surprisingly, we were still very positive even after we gave up the lead. I think we really showed grit and didn’t put our heads down, which is why we were able to pull out the victory in the end.

JC: What is the team’s outlook going forward as your team moves into the NCAA playoffs?

SD: There is definitely a positive energy that I think we are going to carry over from our finals victory into our first-round matchup. I think we are confident and that we are ready to play our game.