Swarthmore Phoenix, May 2, 2019

Today in OPINIONS: Adam Schauer on team sports and self-confidence A5, CAMPUS JOURNAL: Ash Shukla on communities A6, Gidon Kaminer on the Phi Psi sit-in A6

THE

PHOENIX

Athlete of the Week

Meet Nick DiMaio

VOL. 147, NO. 13

’19 of men’s golf

A8

Grapevine Concert Larkin White recaps Grapevine’s spring concert

May 2, 2019

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The independent campus newspaper of Swarthmore College since 1881

2013 DU Minutes, Past Members Provide Window into Culture of Frat Shreya Chattopadhyay & Trina Paul Editor-In-Chief & News Editor CONTENT WARNING: SEXUALLY EXPLICIT LANGUAGE hen individuals pledged to now-disbanded Delta Upsilon fraternity at Swarthmore in 2013, they were required to create a separate Gmail account for internal communications. These communications included “minutes” that would contain statements like ‘Grade A USDA Slut’ and ‘his wife

W

The week ahead Today Let’s Talk: Swarthmore’s Failure in Addressing the Needs of Students of Color Regarding Climate Justice 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Hosted by Tiffany Wang and Tyler White. Part of the Let’s Talk conversation series.

Intercultural Center Big Room Friday Cinema Club Premiere 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Swarthmore Cinema Club is hosting a premiere for all student-made films! Come out to support your fellow filmmakers!

Science Center Room 199-Cuniff Hall Tiered Classroom Saturday Holi 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Come celebrate the festival of color with DESHI! Parrish Lawn - Beach, Parrish Porch Sunday Transnational, Transmedial: Graphic Fiction Across Borders 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The students of “Transnational Graphic Fictions” and “France and the Maghreb” present the exhibit which is based on their sustained engagement with graphic narratives across national borders.

McCabe Library Atrium Monday Trail to Wellness 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Come by to meet various members of the team and talk about topics like nutrition, alcohol, or sexuality. There will be fun freebies and great snacks! Stop by and unwind during the reading period. All are welcome!

Science Center - Eldridge Commons Tuesday Directing II Night of Scenes 9:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Lang Performing Arts Center (LPAC) Room 1-Frear Black Box The Department of Theater will present “not her glass but you/BLEED”, two original devised works from the Advanced Directing Workshop Wednesday Reading by the Spring Fiction Workshop 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, May 8, the students of the spring Fiction Workshop will share their work in the McCabe Atrium at 4 PM. Refreshments will be served.

Everyone is welcome!

McCabe Library 100 Atrium WEATHER Conducive to procrastination CONTENTS News A1-A2 Arts A3-A4 Opinions A5 Campus Journal A6-A7 Sports A8 Read more at swarthmorephoenix.com Copyright © 2019 The Phoenix

had a great rack.’ The Phoenix confirmed that emails of this kind were sent to a Google group of DU members as recently as 2016.

The Phoenix and Voices received unsolicited internal documents with DU minutes that span from February 2013 to August 2013. These minutes include photos, details about fraternity leadership positions, accounts of campus events and fraternity meetings, and descriptions of a regional DU seminar. Some of these minutes contain sexually explicit references of women as

well as racist comments.

DU is an international fraternity with chapters at college campuses across U.S. and Canada.

The DU chapter at Swarthmore was established in 1894 and was a chapter of the international fraternity until two days ago — when it disbanded after student protests calling for the termination of fraternity leases attracted national attention.

The Phoenix reached out to 13 former DU leaders and members present in 2013, 11 of whom did not respond to our requests for

comment and two of whom declined. DU leadership in 2019 also declined to comment.

A PDF of the redacted documents that The Phoenix received can be found here.

Minutes Described Chapter, Regional Events Party like rockstars Pound like pornstars Play like allstars The hardware party: get nailed, hammered and screwed Our brotherhood is tighter than

your little sister You have to be 21 to drink But only 18 to cum Delts in your mouth, not in your hand Giving girls their first pearl necklace since 1834 [Editor’s note: this refers to an explicit sexual act] In an email sent by a DU member to the Google group on February 2, 2013, the member suggests that these phrases were party themes and t-shirt slogans included in a powerpoint at a DU recontinued on page A2

Students Take Over Phi Psi Fraternity House

Atzirir Marquez / The Phoenix

Protesters led by activist groups Coalition Against Fraternity Violence and Organizing for Survivors occupy the on-campus house of Phi Psi fraternity on Saturday, April 27. Phi Psi announced its decision to disband on the night of Tues., April 30, minutes after Delta Upsilon fraternity announced the same decision.

Both Fraternities Disband on Day Four of Ongoing Coalition Sit-In Laura Wagner Managing Editor On Saturday April 27, a student accompanied by two friends called Public Safety claiming to have forgotten her wallet in the basement of the Phi Psi fraternity house.

After an officer let her in, she allowed in dozens more students who had been waiting nearby to enter.

At times, over one hundred students were present at the Phi Psi lodge. The student activists, led by the Coalition to End Fraternity Violence, sang chants, cleaned the space, and put up posters with messages including “this house is ours” and “decades of violence behind this door.” Hours into the protest, President Smith announced an external investigation into the leaked documents in an email to the community.

The Coalition to End Fraternity Violence, which was formed after The Phoenix and Voices reported on over one hundred pages of redacted documents, including meeting minutes, photos, videos and pledging plans.

Three days after the sit-in began, both Phi Psi and Delta Upsilon fraternities each unanimously voted to disband their organizations and return the lodges to the college.

Once protesters entered Phi Psi, Public Safety and fraternity leadership each called the police at different times during the first day of the protest.

“Public Safety called Swarthmore Borough police as a result of the students’ behavior and to ensure that there was no escalation.

One officer responded, assessed the situation, and later left. Public continued on page A2

Crum Regatta Returns After Uncertainty

Bess Markel News Writer

This fall, the future of the Crum Regatta remained uncertain when the alumni office stopped hosting the event and it was removed from the calendar, with no explanation, during Garnet Weekend. However, after OSE took over the event and moved it to the spring, the Regatta successfully took place last weekend.

The Crum Regatta, which has been taking place since the 1970s, involves students creating their own boats or rafts and racing them down Crum Creek. Students are allowed to use Plastic, Rubber, Wood, Rope, and Tape to craft their boats. One student must remain on the boat or raft at all times throughout the race.

The team that gets there first wins. However, teams can also win awards for best Crum Regatta spirit, most innovative use of materials, best thematic approach, and most noble seafarer.

Students sign up for the event through a Google Doc sent out to the entire school in an email.

For the past twenty years Martin Warner, the Registrar, has been the head “Commodore” but Andrew Barclay, Director of Student Activities, officiated the event this year. It was announced this fall that the alumni office would no longer run the event.

The Office of Student Engagement (OSE) took over the event.

While there was some initial worry that the event would not happen this year, OSE expanded the event and put their own spin on the tradition.

OSE Graduate Assistant John Kinsey said that OSE tried to expand the event to focus on larger community goals around sus-

tainability.

“This year, the OSE hopes to expand the scope of the Crum Regatta to include a stronger focus on sustainability and the environmental history of the Crum.

We are teaming up with some ENVS [enviromental studies] students who will speak about our community’s relationship with the surrounding natural spaces,” wrote Kinsey.

Alexa Specht ’22 appreciated the new focus on the environment and believes when building boats for the Regatta, students should be mindful about the waste they are creating. She thinks this speaks to a large effort on campus to be more aware of how our actions affect the environment.

“It’s important to remember that all of our actions affect the environment, for example, how much of these materials [used to build the boats] will be later thrown away, so that we can take sustainability into account in all of our actions,” wrote Specht.

Kinsey said that OSE wanted to better incorporate the event into Swarthmore’s larger community goals of being sustainable.

“This is OSE’s first year hosting the Crum Regatta, so we’re going into it with the hope of creating a more inclusive and broadly appealing event that relates to the strong culture of sustainability at Swarthmore...

We are also shaping parts of the event around creative suggestions from students, who saw the potential in the Crum Regatta to spread awareness and love for the environment,” wrote Kinsey.

Kinsey stated that it was this goal that caused the Crum Regatta to permanently move from the Fall semester to the Spring.

Simona Dwass / The Phoenix

“The Regatta was traditionally a Fall Semester event, but this year we are hoping to build upon the spirit of Earth Day and the glorious arrival of Spring in order to emphasize the message,” wrote Kinsey.

Megan Strachan ’21, an engineering major, participated in the race for the first time this year.

She appreciated the change in time of the event because there were fewer schedule conflicts.

“We [the team she created the boat with] wanted to but we were too busy on Alumni Weekend.

This time it was in the Spring,” said Strachan.

Kira Emmons ’20, who is an engineering major and has participated in the Crum Regatta in the past, felt that spring might be less of an ideal to time hold the event because of the weather.

“I think the biggest downside

of holding the event in the spring instead of the fall is that the water is very cold,” wrote Emmons.

She is happy, however, that the tradition is continuing after some doubt about the event’s future this fall.

“On the whole, though, I’m just relieved that the tradition is continuing, since its future seemed uncertain when it mysteriously disappeared from the Garnet weekend schedule,” wrote Emmons.

Kevin Dee ’22 attend the event for the first time this spring and thought the Regatta was a fun way for students to unwind and express creativity.

“It was a good experience. It was nice to see people working on projects because they wanted to, not because it was part of a lab or a course,” said Dee. Specht echos that sentiment

and says the event was a great experience.

“It was really fun to see the work everyone put in, or didn’t, to their boats. I was there to support a team of my friends, and I think the most fun part was cheering them on,” wrote Specht.

Kinsey stated that OSE also expanded the event to include events after the race.

“The event will also include a Paper Boat Race and marshmallow roasting around the Crum Henge fire as fun options for community members who choose not to participate in the main race event,” wrote Kinsey.

For now, the plan remains for OSE to continue holding the Regatta in the spring.

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THE PHOENIX NEWS

May 2, 2019

DU, continued from A1 gional leadership seminar in 2013.

“There was also a talk on good party themes and T-shirt slogans.

I’m not sure why, I just woke up and this was the topic of discussion up on the projector screen,” the member wrote.

The email contained photos of Powerpoint slides from the seminar.

“Yeah I’m not kidding there’s pictorial evidence if you think we’re making these up. Just thought you all should know about the great things we’ve been learning all day on your behalves.”

The Phoenix has not been able to verify the origin of the photos of the Powerpoint slides and has made the decision to not publish the photos.

In a statement to The Phoenix, Ashley Martin Schowengerdt, Director of Communications at DU international fraternity, wrote “we have not seen the information you have, but we believe the photos are from a risk management presentation that uses examples to explain to chapters what not to do and how to confront those behaviors in their chapter and community. This presentation was given by an award-winning, nationally recognized speaker designed to ‘focus students back on their founding values while explaining the rationale behind all of their excuses for change’.”

The Phoenix requested the Powerpoint slides from the presentation in 2013, but DU International Fraternity declined to share them with The Phoenix.

The DU regional leadership seminar, now known as the DU regional leadership academy, is facilitated by International Headquarters.

The DU regional leadership academy is now held in various locations, based on the province where the chapter is located: West, South, Northeast, Great Plains. or Midwest. Swarthmore’s chapter is located in the Northeast province. For chapters in this region in 2013, the seminar was held in Philadelphia.

According to Rob Losco, current province governor of the Northeast region of DU, the current regional leadership academies bring in staff members and profession-

als in higher education to hold talks and discussions about issues such as Title IX on college campuses, underage drinking, chapter recruitment, and chapter leadership. If students or other speakers presented at DU regional events, their powerpoints were submitted to IHQ. “...they [IHQ] should be able to tell you not only who hosted it [a regional event], but the students who submitted the itineraries because you’re supposed to submit basic information. If you do have a PowerPoint, they would want you to send a copy of it, things like that…” Losco said. “And if there was anything added on later, like something like what you just mentioned, then IHQ wouldn’t have been knowledgeable of it.”

Losco believes that while IHQ exercises oversight over regional events that chapters and IHQ organize, they don’t have control over every aspect of how individuals run these events.

“Unfortunately, IHQ, they run a tight ship, but they’re not all powerful. They can’t be everywhere and know everything. And guys do things, you know, less reputable than we would like, but, you know, we do the best we can.”

Losco emphasized the value that DU places in transparency and not withholding secrets.

“You know, if anybody if you ever confront interview or reach out to someone who is less than forthcoming. If you could let IHQ or myself know someone in official capacity, that would be appreciated, because they’re not representing our organization. And that’s something that we would hold, you know, basically, offense to, because there’s no secrets, no barriers, no walls. So if someone says anything to the effect of ‘mind your own business’, or ‘don’t worry about it’, or ‘we can’t provide that information’, then they do not represent us.”

Aftermath of the Minutes: Alums Reflect on DU Culture After The Phoenix and Voices published internal Phi Psi documents on April 18, Brian*, a DU alum who graduated in 2013, was contacted by a former classmate.

She was distraught about the contents of the Phi Psi minutes.

“It’s easy to just think of the minutes in a vacuum … I wouldn’t say this individual and I were particularly close. But the point was that [the person who reached out to me] just didn’t know what to do. And those minutes were having negative ramifications on people years later, that had nothing to do with drafting them or doing them,” he said. “And I guess it just opened my eyes to all of the other harms the fraternities had imposed on people for years, and even decades in some instances.”

While the conversation with his former classmate upset him, Brian was even more disturbed by his own initial reaction to the documents.

“The minutes by themselves weren’t shocking to me. And I guess that was another big part of it is that I just wasn’t shocked when I saw it. I was like, yep, that sounds about right for Phi Psi. And that realization is what kind of hit me, that the fact that I wasn’t shocked, just disgusted me,” he said.

Soon after, Brian decided to forward the emails containing the Spring 2013 DU minutes to The Phoenix and Voices.

The semester the minutes were written — and Brian’s last semester at Swarthmore — was a time that former President Chopp coined ‘The Spring of our Discontent.’ That Spring, two students, Hope Brinn ’15 and Mia Ferguson ’15, brought federal Title IX complaints against the college, garnering national attention. After much discussion, protest, and accusations against the fraternities on campus, a referendum to eliminate Greek life on campus was eventually voted down by the student body.

Brian advocated for DU against anti-frat activists at the time.

“To my regret, I was probably one of the more active defenders of DU at the time, and I had a number of arguments with some of the anti-frat people,” he said. “ I guess with the time I just had blinders on and my affiliation was with the fraternity rather than necessarily the side of justice or, or trying to do better. And I did not see, I just

didn’t see the problems that they said were there, which I can’t deny anymore.

Looking back on his own experience as a DU brother, Brian believes that he and other brothers believed themselves to be the better fraternity.

“I think it was a fairly positive one on the whole. And this is not intended to be self serving, but at the time and still to this day, at least in part, I believe DU was better than Phi Psi. That’s not to say that we were morally justified in in our existence, but we seemed to be less shitty than Phi Psi was. At least that was the reputation that we held of ourselves and I think was held on campus,” he said.

Within DU itself, Brian described a mixed culture. While some brothers took part in an intense party culture, others were in the fraternity for the relationships.

“So I think, to say that there was one fraternity culture is I think overstating it,” he said. “I think there were definitely people who would get trashed on like a fairly and by trashed I mean belligerently intoxicated on a fairly consistent basis and arguably had an alcohol problem … But there were people who were there more for that. And then I think people who are like me who just enjoy having a group of guys to hang out with that you wouldn’t normally associate with.”

Tom,* another DU alum, also eventually re-evaluated his role in the fraternity. Like Brian, two factors impacted his decision. Unlike Brian, however, Tom’s change of heart was while he was still a student at the college; he became largely inactive at the end of his sophomore year.

“First of all, I had a lot less free time and I found friends outside of the frat. And also, as you get educated at Swat you learn what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable language. And I was definitely beginning to notice that as I interacted with the people there.

But at some point, it just bothered me and I stopped really showing up to most things. I still went to parties sometimes, but I wasn’t very happy with a lot of the stuff that was going on,” Tom said.

Both Tom and Brian reported hearing racist, sexist, and homophobic comments made by members of the fraternity.

“I’d like to say that I did more to tamp [the comments] down,” Brian said. “But I didn’t. At the time I just wrote it off as that’s how guys act in fraternities. It wasn’t constant, I would say in between infrequent and occasional. I wouldn’t say it was like a conscious effort to be misogynistic or racist or homophobic or any of that other stuff. But those kind of remarks I think would happen more casually, which arguably made them worse.”

Both alums also emphasized the role of the baseball team in impacting the culture of the fraternity. Brian felt that the team was a more homogenous group than the rest of the fraternity.

“I think a lot of the guys were baseball, but not not all of them, of course. I think that also added another kind of bond within the society.,” Brian said.

For Tom, DU’s connection to the baseball team meant that members on the team had a very different experience than those not on the team.

“It definitely felt like a lot of the time there was an outer circle and an inner circle,” he said. “If you weren’t on the baseball team, you were not getting a lot of the interactions that the people on the baseball team were getting because obviously they were around each other 24/7.”

In contrast, Tom thought that DU members felt oppositional to the rest of campus.

“It was very much like an us versus them kind of mentality.

Like, the campus wants this. So we need to do this … we need to keep up a good reputation so that we don’t have an adversarial relationship with the campus, as opposed to being part of the campus,” he said. “You know, it’s a boys’ club.”

According to Tom, this mentality served to further isolate the brothers.

“It’s a shame that the culture was the way it was, because a lot of the time, it felt like to me, especially when I first joined, and for a lot of the guys there, it was

the only place where they could be vulnerable about themselves, in terms of their feelings. But at the same time, that was probably something that turned them more inward towards each other than rather than out towards the campus at large.

This dynamic, Tom felt, had adverse effects on both the fraternity brothers and the campus.

“Because it’s, it’s very important to … feel like you’re allowed to, express yourself and talk about things that you’re not necessarily comfortable talking about, with everyone else. But at the same time, it’s important to open yourself up to the general community, and see if the things that you’re saying are hurtful to other people,” he said.

In the years since 2013, the fraternity has been suspended and reopened multiple times. This week, on April 30, Delta Upsilon unanimously voted to disband their chapter.

“Over the last few weeks, Swarthmore Delta Upsilon has listened to the concerns and feelings of the campus community. After much discussion, the members of Delta Upsilon have unanimously decided that disbanding our fraternity is in the best interest of the Swarthmore community. We hope that our former house will provide a space that is inclusive, safe, and promotes healing,” the fraternity wrote on their Facebook.

Phi Psi Protest, continued from A1 Safety works closely with Swarthmore Borough Police to ensure the safety of every member of our community and of visitors to campus,” Director of Public Safety Mike Hill said. “When Phi Psi learned the students planned to stay overnight, Phi Psi leadership independently requested police assistance.”

Fraternity leadership, on behalf of the Phi Psi fraternity said that they were given the option

by Swarthmore Borough Police to have the protesters arrested, but declined to do so.

“We were also informed by the Swarthmore Police Department that it was well within our rights to have the student protestors removed from the leased property and arrest any individuals who did not comply with police. Ultimately, we decided as a fraternity not to move forward with this,” Phi Psi wrote in a statement to The Phoenix.

On Saturday, April 27, members of Phi Psi ridiculed and mocked protesters in the time before they called the police. “[Members of Phi Psi] were mocking the things that we were doing because we were clapping and chanting and protesting and they were laughing at it ... and videotaping it,” Sarah Leonard ’21 said. “It wasn’t one person ‘being stupid.’ It was a group of them.”

When asked to respond to multiple witness reports that members of Phi Psi mocked protest-

ers, a statement on behalf of the fraternity noted that the brothers had been under strain.

“Some of our brothers were shocked to see the protesters inside the leased property. We were told to wait outside the property for college administrators to come address the situation. These past few weeks have taken an incredible mental toll on everyone involved, including us,” the Phi Psi statement said.

The presence of both Phi Psi brothers and police subsided by Sunday.

Hill said that multiple police officers were present after Phi Psi leadership called the police on Saturday but by the early hours of Sunday morning the police were gone.

“Swarthmore Borough Police left the area at approximately 2:00 a.m. [Sunday] and a Swarthmore College Public Safety Officer remained,” Hill said.

Olivia Smith ’20, an O4S core member, said that she feels that the leases are evidence of the college giving the fraternities power.

She also said that Phi Psi called the police on their fellow students against the wishes of the college.

“The police presence, except for the very first time that Public Safety called [which was], as an immediate response … [was] a calculated move by other students on this campus. And the reason that they have the authority to do that was because they have

the space that was given to them by the college,” Smith said. “The college didn’t want Phi Psi to call the cops. So Phi Psi called the cops against our will, and the will of the college.”

One of the central demands of the protesters was for the college to terminate the fraternity leases. Organizing for Survivors has called for the end to the fraternity leases since last spring, when the group formed and released their initial list of demands. The lodges are leased to the fraternities by the college. The annual lease ends on July 30th.

Four days into the protest, both fraternities disbanded and stated that they would be renouncing their leases.

Delta Upsilon was the first fraternity to announce that they were disbanding themselves at 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday April 30.

“Over the last few weeks, Swarthmore Delta Upsilon has listened to the concerns and feelings of the campus community. After much discussion, the members of Delta Upsilon have unanimously decided that disbanding our fraternity is in the best interest of the Swarthmore community.”

Approximately an hour after DU’ s announcement, Phi Psi independently announced that they were also disbanding. The group cited their reaction to the released documents.

“We were appalled and disgusted by the content of these

No People Harmed in Fire at New PPR Jino Chough News Writer On Saturday, April 27, Public Safety responded to a fire alarm at 2:15 on the fourth floor in the PPR apartments.

The fire had originated in an oven and was contained by officers after the alarm was pulled. No injuries were reported and damage was minimal.

Abigail Goodman ‘20, who lives on the same floor down the hall from the kitchen, was close to the fire when it erupted.

“I wasn’t affected much,” said Goodman. “I do not cook often so the loss of the stove and oven is not detrimental to me, but I did end up throwing away some kitchen supplies because toxic chemicals from the fire extinguisher got all over them.”

According to an email to the student body from Michael Hill, PubSafe notified Swarthmore Borough Fire and Po-

lice and worked with members of Facilities, EVS, and the Dean’s office to contain the fire.

“PubSafe did a really great job in this situation; they were there in minutes, helped put out the fire, and handled things well with the girl who caused the fire,” said Goodman. “Luckily, it was not a bad accident.”

In light of the PPR and Alice Paul fires, both occurring in a single month, fire safety habits is strongly encouraged through emails from Hill.

“I very strongly encourage everyone to know where there fire extinguisher,” said Goodman. “Also, know when to call Public Safety and pull the fire alarm. I thought the fire was out of hand so I pulled the alarm; I feared it would become an electrical fire.”

While this instance was not very dangerous, knowing how to handle an emergency situation could be crucial in the outcome of an accident.

Atziri Marquez / The Phoenix

minutes, which led us to question our affiliation with an organization whose former members could write such heinous statements.

We cannot in good conscience be members of an organization with such a painful history,” Phi Psi said in a statement.

The protesters celebrated the dissolution of the fraternities, which occurred on Tuesday night, with cheers, hugging, and crying.

They also chanted.

In a statement to the community late Tuesday, President Valerie Smith called for civility, particularly online.

“We cannot tolerate unsubstantiated attacks directed at

individual students or student groups—as too many students have recently endured. Social media posts by members of our community that target individual students or make gross generalizations about student groups are unacceptable. Nor can we tolerate attempts to exclude students from open campus events based on their affiliations.”

Later Tuesday night, some members of Phi Psi posted group photos online of the members at a local bar. The posts showed members of the fraternity drinking and smiling. According to Ben Stern, ’20, the attitude of the posts contradicted the statement that the

fraternity posted.

“The photos and captions basically said that despite being kicked out of their house and ‘disbanding,’ they would forever be members of the frats,” he said.

In an update to the community, the Coalition to End Fraternity Violence said that they planned to remain in the house until administration formally terminates the fraternity leases and bans Phi Psi and DU. The Task Force charged with examining Greek Life is set to release its recommendations at the end of this week.

Max Katz-Balmes / The Phoenix

ARTS

May 2, 2019 PAGE A3

Heard Through the Grapevine: Spring Concert Warms Swarthmore Larkin White Arts Writer

H

i everyone, thanks for coming out. We are Grapevine, Swarthmore’s most fun, most female, most fruity acapella group,” said Emily Uhlmann ’19 warmly during last Saturday’s spring Grapevine concert in an almost-filled Sci 101. The performance was replete with themes of female empowerment and love. More than anything, the performance was characterized by the palpable fun being had by both the performers and audience.

The performers, who affectionately referred to themselves as “grapes,” were laughing, grinning at each other from across their semicircle, and making the enthusiastically awkward yet endearing arm motions that seem to accompany all college acapella performances. The members of the audience were fully engaged and seemed to be enjoying themselves just as much as the singers. Yet it was also bittersweet — the event doubled as a sendoff for the soon-to-be “raisins,” alumni of the group. Grapevine also fully embraced the theme of their name for the show. Wine and other refreshments were served before the event and all the performers wore purple. In addition, the members wore ribbons to promote sexual assault awareness.

The concert consisted of ten songs arranged by various members or alumni, each with a solo singer who sang the full lyrics, while the other singers harmonized in the background. Each soloist would inevitably get so passionately into their singing at moments that they would then self-consciously grin, inadvertently pulling the audience in.

It opened with “Woman” by Kesha, soloed by Shana Herman ’19, a poppy and spirited song de-

claring her female empowerment and independence, dissuading men from encroaching on her time with her “ladies.” “I’m a motherf*ckin woman, baby, alright, / I don’t need a man to be holding me too tight,” she cried out at the peak of the chorus.

The enthusiasm of Herman and her fellow “grapes” made for a forceful and giddy first song that set the energy of the performers for the rest of the show.

This was followed by a series of songs about love, healing, and feminism, soloed by Clare Grundstein ’20, Victoria Kussman ’21, and Ruth Elias ’20. Grundstein repeated the staunch claim that “I will not be afraid of women,” singing an oscillating melody about overcoming internalized misogyny she had used to judge other women while out at night.

This was followed by Kussman’s sweet and soothing plea for peace and reconciliation.

“Come to mama / Tell her who hurt ya / There’s gonna be no future / If we don’t figure this out,” she cooed.

The last of the set was Elias’ slow and touching song about the uplifting power of a significant other. The lyrics repeatedly emphasized the all-healing power of “you,” describing the difficulty of articulating one’s love in a manner that was beautiful yet could be ironically nondescript.

Sharply diverging from the mood of the last two songs, the first half of the show was concluded with “Geek in the Pink” by Jason Mraz, fittingly soloed by Churchill in a pink sweater. Beatbox in the background, Churchill’s singsong rap asked the audience to ignore her dorkiness and give her a chance at a relationship.

Her lighthearted lyrics included lines such as, “I may be skinny at times but I’m at fat fulla rhymes / Pass me the mic and I’m a grab at it.”

Atziri Marquez / The Phoenix

In the middle of the concert came a short intermission during which the three graduating seniors in the group — Elizabeth Balch-Crystal ’19, Uhlmann, and Herman — were appreciated by younger members. A “baby grape” spoke extensively about each one, describing the ways in which they’ve been made to feel welcome, their inspirational qualities, and their friendships.

The appreciations illustrated how clearly close and supportive the group is.

The three graduating seniors triumphantly closed the show.

After an energetic and catchy song about a perplexing girl named Candice, soloed by Maya Plotnick ’22, came Balch-Crystal with the shows stunner, “Work Song,” by Hozier. She had performed the song with the group her freshman fall, so her performance on Saturday appropriately closed her Grapevine career. It was a heart-wrenching, melancholic melody about love’s undying bonds, backed up by the eerie humming of her fellow “grapes.”

Next was “Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch” by Four Tops, soloed by Uhlmann. “I can’t help myself

/ I love you and nobody else,” went the upbeat song, whose lyrics fully embraced cliches about love.

Last of all was “Fuel Up” by Stornoway, soloed by Herman, a sweet, aching song about the difficulty of the journey of life, neatly using the metaphor of a car ride described at different points throughout life. “So fuel up your mind and fire up your heart / And drive on,” she crooned.

After calls for an encore, the group was joined onstage by a raisin from the class of 2017 to sing “Sound of Silence” by Si-

mon and Garfunkel, a traditional Grapevine song. Without a soloist, they stood in a semicircle holding hands, swaying and singing the somber classic.

After the show, much of the audience gathered onstage to congratulate the singers. BalchCrystal told me shortly after, “this group has been a huge part of my time at Swarthmore and it’s really sad to see it come to a close.” You can see the full concert on the Grapevine Facebook — it’s only 45 minutes long.

What Time Is It There?: Let Me Change the Time on Your Watch

Carrie Jiang Arts Writer

The Taiwanese film “What Time Is It There?” (2001, Tsai Ming-Liang) establishes a world of floating time and space with a unique style of minimalist dialogues and still camera angles.

Just like many other of Tsai’s films, it is far from relaxing — it instead builds up a sense of aimlessness and miscommunication in mundane situations that most of us are able to identify with.

Even though his styles is not at-

tractive to all viewers, watching his movies is still an interesting experience. I started the journey of appreciating Tsai’s films long ago, and whenever I pick up a relatively new movie made by him, I know I will find something fascinating.

The story opens with a nameless father who tries to call his son for dinner but receives no response. The son, Hsiao-Kang, later shows up on the streets of Taipei selling watches, and the audience learns that Hsiao-Kang is actually a watch vendor who

does not earn much for a living. After he sells his watch to Shiang-Chyi — a lady who claims that she will visit Paris soon for a vacation — Hsiao-Kang becomes obsessed with clocks, watches and anything that shows the current time. He is weirdly passionate about adjusting the time on every clock that he can find in order to correspond to Paris time.

He even buys French film DVDs and dreams of the foreign country, and Shiang-Chyi becomes the source of his obsession despite the extremely short conver-

sation they have had. Meanwhile, Hsiao-Kang’s mother experiences great grief after the death of her husband. She becomes obsessed with time as well, because she is convinced that the soul of her husband will only return at midnight. She starts to make dinners only at midnight, and turns off every single light in the apartment because her husband does not like brightness. Grappling with the odd behavior of his mother and the unexpected death of his father, Hsiao-Kang is emotionless, holding onto his

craze for time.

This opening scene of the film speaks to the overall style. The miscommunication is prevalent in that all of the characters fail to identify with other people as they converse, or they just simply do not converse at all. Even when Shiang-Chyi arrives at Paris, she experiences the constant failure of being lost in translation. She cannot speak French at all, and because of that, she is not even able to order meals in restaurants. Throughout the film, we always see her wandering around in Paris, walking in the subway without destination, and following the big crowd wherever she goes. On the other hand, HsiaoKang chooses not to talk with his grieving mother and wanders in the city of Taipei, trying to look for clocks that he can adjust time on. The camera travels back and forth between Taipei and Paris, depicting two lonely young people who are lost in modern metropolis and yearning for mutual identification.

Such loneliness is shown more deeply in Tsai’s cinematography as well as cinematic techniques.

The audience consistently faces a static point of view, no matter if it’s in Hsiao-Kang’s apartment or in other locations. This unchanging camera position hints at the stagnant mental state of the characters as well. Until the end of the film, Hsiao-Kang still fails to communicate effectively with his mother, and Shiang-Chyi lingers in the barren graveyard at the end of the movie. Their solitary bodies are so significantly represented that even the viewers feel a sense of isolation.

Another way Tsai shows the incommunicability is through the depiction of unfulfilled sexual desires. Bodies are always important elements in Tsai’s films, and sex as well as other bodily needs have been the highlight of

his representation. When we see Hsiao-Kang’s mother trying to masturbate using her husband’s used pillow, there is no background music to accompany the scene, and we are left with the awkwardly long take of masturbation that is almost silent. However, she is then struck again by the feeling of helplessness after this act, since she becomes obviously even more obsessed with letting her husband’s soul return instead of listening to her son’s needs. On the other hand, Shiang-Chyi meets a Chinese girl in a restaurant in Paris, and the two of them, both outsiders to local culture, decide to share the bed at night when they exchange a kiss. While we expect this kiss to be the signal of developing connections, we see Shiang-Chyi immediately leave the next morning. The failure of the completion of sexual act speaks to the characters’ unwillingness to identify with other people within the relatively confined space — the apartment for mother, the bedroom for Shiang-Chyi.

Tsai is known for his auteurship, which is shown through his consistent representation of isolated bodies, mundane lives, and lack of conversation. His films are bizarre metaphors for modern city life, and although not everyone finds his works pleasing to watch, we can definitely identify with one or two characters. Once we pick up on his series of films, we will be surprised to discover how much similarity they actually share, and how Tsai can represent the same topic with the same actors but using different sets of filmic metaphors. The experience of comparing Tsai’s various films is definitely a delight for me.

PAGE A4

THE PHOENIX ARTS

May 2, 2019

Kitao’s “Lost-n-Found” Reclaims Abandoned Art Rachel Lapides Arts Writer

Atziri Marquez / The Phoenix

This past Friday, April 26, Kitao had yet another gallery exhibition to finish off a strong semester of student work. The captionless showcase was curated on the very basis of this anonymity. “Lost-n-Found,” a collection of works that have been left behind at Kitao over the years, was an eclectic and eerie gallery. For those who have never been, Kitao is situated near Olde Club and the buildings previously leased to the fraternities. The space, in effect a house itself, underlines the potential of such a space to serve entire community, frequently utilizing the first floor as the gallery and providing open studio hours and materials on Fridays. Upstairs, dozens of artworks have been stored and, over the years, many have been forgotten.

Sarah Weinshel ’22, a core member of Kitao, explained the inspiration behind the exhibit.

“We’ve had a lot of old art upstairs where we store our art supplies for a long time, and we thought it would be really cool to display it all since it’s just sitting there.”

Weinshel also explained different aspects of the pieces.

“Most of this was displayed in Kitao at some time, but a lot of times artists don’t pick their work up afterwards.” Despite emails and reminders to artists, each of the pieces was abandoned.

“Some of it is before any of our times there,” continued Weinshel. Kitao members pur-

posefully didn’t display any work that had been on exhibition the past year. This focus on anonymity haunted the gallery, confronting viewers with spectres of Swarthmore art past.

Nearly all of the pieces weren’t signed.

Personally, whenever I visit museums, I can’t help but read identifying documents or clues of explanation. Much of our appreciation of aesthetics comes from context like authorship, which is why an authentic artwork can sell for millions of dollars but its perfect forgery is worthless. “Lost-n-found,” however, simply provides the viewer with the raw material of art to engage with. In the collage of individual pieces, artworks seem purposefully juxtaposed by medium; photographs, prints, and paintings line the walls. Portraits of women peer out, each one melancholy. Landscapes border still lives.

Without any unifying style or markers of intention, authorship, or context, viewers must question the subjectivities of value for themselves. One of my favorite things to do in museums is to analyze the themes and images to find a message to take away, and “Lost-n-Found” shows us that a collection of work does not depend on a meaning or conclusion, but can be enjoyed and valued for its beauty, originality, and composition. Even lost art can speak for itself.

Atziri Marquez / The Phoenix

“Mother”: Bong Joon-ho’s Quietest yet Most Devastating Movie

Shane Jung Arts Writer

Bong Joon-ho is one of Korea’s most prolific and accomplished filmmakers. He is most well known for his big-budget English-language films, e.g., “Snowpiercer” (2013) and “Okja” (2017), but his Koreanlanguage movies are what I consider to be his most interesting and grounded work. In all of his movies, Bong likes to take classic genres like horror and science fiction and infuse them with social commentary, family drama, and a hefty dose of comedy. 2009’s “Mother” is no different. In this film, he tackles the murder mystery genre with a story about an elderly mother (Kim Hye-ja) and her lovably naive son who is accused of murdering a teenage girl. Her 27-year-old son, Do-joon (Won Bin), has intellectual disabilities and is unjustly coerced into a confession by the town’s abusive and incompetent investigators, a political trope that returns from Bong’s other murder mystery “Memories of Murder.”

Only this time, it’s not a pair of bungling detectives but a desperate mother who sets out to solve the crime and prove her son innocent. The result is another tragic and thoroughly engrossing masterpiece.

“Mother” opens with an off-kilter yet beautiful shot of Mother (she is never named) dancing in a field of yellow grass with an eerily empty look on her face, setting the tone for the rest of the film. Much like this opening scene, the entire first act of the movie feels lackadaisical and slice of life. Bong takes his time to introduce the audience to his characters and the sweet relationship between Mother and her childlike son.

For instance, Do-joon and his

jaded friend Jin-tae chase down a car after being involved in a hit and run, which triggers a hilariously chaotic fight, much to his overprotective mother’s concern. That same night, Dojoon goes out to a bar to meet Jin-tae who never shows up and later leaves the bar inebriated. He then drunkenly follows and catcalls a teenage girl who runs and hides in a black alley.

After a heavy rock is hurled at his feet from the alleyway, Dojoon gives up and decides to go home. The next morning, the girl’s body is inexplicably found draped over the railing on the roof of a building, and the defenseless Do-joon is sentenced to jail as an easy target for a much more complicated case.

The series of events leading up to the discovery of her dead body may seem completely irrelevant, but like in any murder mystery, every detail matters.

As Mother sets out to discover the truth, these earlier scenes are recontextualized as new information is revealed.

Bong masterfully guides the audience through his labyrinthine plot, steadily introducing new characters and clues that take the story to places one would not expect. Throughout these big plot moments, Bong shoots his characters and the action in profile and with a telephoto lens which compresses space and makes the audience feel like they are far away from the characters. By only picturing half of his actors’ face, Bong hides the characters’ expressions and distances them from the audience, creating an uncanny effect. The audience is placed into a position of passivity and can do nothing but witness the mystery slowly unfold before their eyes. Therefore, one constantly feels that there is something they don’t know

or being hidden from them; Bong is always more than a step ahead. However, as the audience is allowed to catch up, they not only get closer to the true identity of the killer but also learn more about Mother and her backstory regarding her son. Getting more and more desperate for answers, Mother’s actions become increasingly outrageous as she takes matters into her own hands when no one else wants to help. Inevitably, like in many of Bong’s films, Mother must face her own

ineptitude along with her past before she can reach the end of the long and winding road. Perhaps this elderly woman should never have made the first step on this unpredictable and emotionally devastating journey.

One of Bong’s most distinguishing qualities as a storyteller is his obsession with grotesquely incompetent characters, whom he affectionately likes to call “lovable losers,” and putting them in impossible situations. These exaggerated premises are what fuel

the powerful drama in his typically dark and tragic films, but what is more interesting is how they make his films so funny.

Bong is heralded as a master of tone, not in its consistency but rather in its wild variance.

However, unlike the frustrating results of the joke-a-minute formula that all larger-thanlife Hollywood franchises seem to follow these days, the laughs in Bong’s movies and especially “Mother” never feel like cheap comic relief that undermine the tone of the film but instead feel

authentic and integral to the emotional payoff that the story demands. A part of Bong wants you to laugh at these characters and their ridiculous antics, but another wants you to regret you ever did. And it is this very irony that makes “Mother” so heartbreaking in the end.

OPINIONS

May 2, 2019 PAGE A5

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EDITORIAL

n April 30, the fourth day of the ongoing sit-in by Organizing for Survivors and the Coalition to End Fraternity Violence, both Phi Psi and Delta Upsilon unanimously voted to disband. The votes came nearly two weeks after leaked documents from 2013-2016 revealed racist, sexist, and homophobic attitudes among Phi Psi brothers, as well as depictions of sexual violence. The dissolution of the frats, and the success of the sit-in, mask a deeper, systemic failure by the administration to address the actual concerns of students on this campus.

At a meeting called by members of the administration to “discuss recent events and the ongoing conversations” with core members of O4S eight days after the original release of the minutes, Dean Terhune emphasized that he had asked a member of his staff to investigate the leaked documents. In those eight days, nobody had reached out — not for the original, unredacted

documents from Voices or The Phoenix, not to ask about our investigative process, not to contact any of our sources. The minutes suggested evidence of violations of college policy, both past and present, and presented a likelihood of ongoing violations of college policy. Despite this evidence, and repeated protests by both O4S and the Coalition to End Fraternity Violence, the college allowed fraternity activity to continue for ten days following the leak. No interim measures were taken until students had been in the Phi Psi house sitting in for several hours.

This is not the first time the college has ignored demands to close the frats. Time and again, the administration seems to have done the bare minimum to save face. In 2018, the Ad Hoc Committee on Well-Being and Social Life, in addition to calling for a new task force to examine the continued existence of fraternities on campus, recommended a moratorium on the fraternities for this year. President Smith

rejected the moratorium. At the same meeting between administrators and O4S, students asked President Smith and Dean Terhune to temporarily close the Phi Psi house — a house containing a bedroom the 2013 brothers described in their own minutes as a “rape attic” — pending the committee’s recommendations and a full investigation of the minutes. They declined.

This behavior is part of a larger pattern. According to members of O4S and the Coalition, students had told administrators about the existence of the minutes for years. Conor Clark, the former president of Phi Psi, told Voices that the minutes were hosted on an internal Swarthmore College Computer Society (SCCS) server, a server owned by the college. According to the college’s acceptable use technology policy, “use of the Swarthmore College computer systems and networks is governed by the general norms of responsible community conduct described in the student, faculty, and staff hand-

books,” and the college retains the ability to look through or suspend any account hosted on a college server — in fact, any documents hosted on these servers are the legal property of the college. Yet even after students in 2013 told administrators about the existence of the minutes, the college did nothing. Administrators have not publicly said they have attempted to gain access to the minutes themselves, or to investigate the server for internal communication that span more than the ones originally leaked to The Phoenix.

Swarthmore has made national news in the last two days — no thanks to the administration. While student activists have spent years fighting to reenvision spaces at Swarthmore and elevate the voices of the most marginalized, the administration has responded with neglect and bureaucracy. What the past week has made clear is that, since at least 2013, the administration has turned a blind eye to seemingly-constant allegations

THE

Your Emails Are Not Enough: Swat Administration’s Pattern of Inaction

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PHOENIX

Shreya Chattopadhyay, Editor-in-Chief Bayliss Wagner, Managing Editor Laura Wagner, Managing Editor NEWS Naomi Park, Editor Trina Paul, Editor ARTS Esther Couch, Editor Nicole Liu, Editor CAMPUS JOURNAL Dylan Clairmont, Editor OPINIONS Shelby Dolch, Editor Max Katz-Balmes, Editor SPORTS Jack Corkery, Editor

of violations of college policy, offering empty rhetoric instead of meaningful action. The college brands itself as an institution committed to social justice, touting its students’ storied his-

There is no “I” in Team, but There is One in Win Adam Schauer Op-Ed Contributor

There was only enough time for one more possession when the Portland Trail Blazers’ star, Damian Lillard, got the ball for the final time in their 115-115 nailbiter against the Oklahoma City Thunder this past week. It was game five of a fierce 3-1 series and the Trail Blazers were on the precipice of moving on to the next round. Lillard knew exactly what he wanted to do.

As Lillard made it to midcourt with the ball, he lazily dribbled, making it seem as though he was going to ludicrously burn the clock and take the game to overtime. But suddenly, he made a small jab move and threw up a ridiculous 37-foot shot over the outstretched arms of the defending Paul George.

He nailed it. The entire crowd at the Trail Blazers’s Moda Center erupted as his teammates immediately rushed to mob him on the court.

But as the dust settled after the game, many critics pointed out Lillard’s brazen shot selection in spite of his success.

There was plenty of time to run a play, but Lillard chose to keep the ball himself. These naysayers said that Lillard’s brash naivety risked his team’s hard work throughout the game, the series, and potentially even the

season. Paul George himself even said “That’s a bad shot.

But hey, he made it. That story won’t be told that it was a bad shot. We live with that.”

This wild finish rekindled some questions in my personal relationship with sports. What gave Lillard this inflated sense of self-confidence to take on such high risk for his team? Is a sense of stubborn self-confidence an absolutely essential trait in order to succeed in sports at a high level? Why do we so often vilify self-confidence as arrogance in sports?

I have struggled with this query throughout my athletic career, especially on the baseball field. I have not always found that same sense of selfconfidence in sport that says “I am the best man for the job.

Give me the ball. I will make the play.” I know that I am a good player, I know that I have the accolades and achievements along the way to prove it, but I am also acutely aware that there are some better players around me. Sometimes this awareness is motivating, but sometimes it is paralyzing as well. I am coming to terms with these emotions that are new now that I have better competition and stand out less at a higher level of play. It is my own form of imposter syndrome.

It seems as though so many

successful professional players rely on a heightened selfconfidence. The most obtrusive showboaters, like Chad Ochocinco and Conor McGregor, immediately come to mind, but other great players like Randy Moss, Anthony Davis, and Trevor Bauer all share a certain do-no-wrong mentality. Lebron James and Jerry Rice have even dubbed themselves the greatest players of all time. While we glorify humility in our role models, in reality, a certain stubborn confidence helps these stars overcome the inevitable failures and gives them a more complete sense of confidence in the moment.

Such self-confidence can still manifest itself in many healthy and productive ways.

While Lillard waved goodbye to the heartbroken Thunder players after his shot, another NBA star, Stephen Curry, is widely regarded as one of the most humble players in the game, despite his grandiose celebrations after three pointers. These exhibitions of self-confidence are perceived differently with Lillard portrayed as a scrappy player from a no-name college with a chip on his shoulder, while Curry has become the poster child of good behavior on and off the basketball court.

Both have seen failure, yet they still have that same stubborn

confidence that makes their game more enjoyable.

Even many of my teammates have found it, and I do believe that this sets them up in positions to succeed. Perhaps this is just my incorrect interpretation of their actions or my excuse for my personal disappointment in my career thus far at Swarthmore, but I truly believe that they have a more positive mentality around sports than I do. Obviously, I love my teammates and want success for all of us collectively, but I do not think that I have the track record to back enough self-confidence yet. Their self-confidence should be celebrated and is in no way a bad thing, but it has been hard for me to come by in baseball. Quite frankly, I find myself immensely jealous of their success sometimes; not their success on the field, but their success in finding a sense of satisfaction with their performance.

My mood on a given day has far more of an effect on the baseball field than in the classroom, but my success on the baseball field also has more of an effect on my mood than my performance in the classroom.

Perhaps it is less important or just more natural to me, but my level of self-confidence in other aspects of my life just does not seem to have as much

of an impact on my success. In this way, my baseball career has determined my happiness and experience at Swarthmore more than I expected. I needed help to address this issue.

As sports are just a game, we so often write off the mental health needs of student-athletes on this campus as trivial.

Just recently, however, Sarah Girard ’19 posted a powerful piece in Voices about her own struggles with eating disorders as a student-athlete. Countless Swarthmore students, past and present have shared similar stories. Recently, the athletics department has shown an increased interest in the mental health of its student-athletes with the start of Mental Health Monday talks. The athletics department also hired Dr. Amber Buller to assist with the particular psychological issues that athletes face, on top of C.A.P.S.’ employment of ex-athletes that can sympathize with their student-athlete patients. I am inspired and encouraged, hoping to see more out of these programs and expecting more tangible coordination between C.A.P.S. and the athletics department.

In my own struggles, a sense of solidarity with student-athletes with similar issues has helped immensely in coping methods on the field and com-

Life at Swarthmore is Defined by Uncertainties Runze Wang Op-Ed Contributor

How would you summarize your first-year experience at Swarthmore? Would you say it was too academically intense? Would you say it was boring? I will say my first-year experience can be summarized by the word “uncertainties.” The most important lesson I learned at Swarthmore during my first year was how to accept uncertainties in my college life. Many aspects of our college life are full of uncertainties. We do not always know what courses we will be able to take in the future or which dorm we are going to stay in the next year. As a result, accepting these uncertainties is crucial to overall success.

Course lotteries and scheduling conflicts mean our academic plans are always subject to change. I have heard that some freshmen plan their next four years before entering Swarthmore. They know which courses they should take every semester. Scheduling conflicts, however, often force us to change our plan. When I was pre-registering for this semester, I was sad to learn that three of the courses in my original plan shared the same slot. Furthermore, sometimes we have course lotteries, so we can never predict exactly what we are

going to take next.

I have not been very lucky in terms of course lotteries — I have been lotteried out of two courses plus one P.E. class. In my first semester, I was lotteried out of a firstyear seminar that was not available in the spring semester, and I was just lotteried out of a required course for my future major. These two scenarios are trickier than being lotteried out of a course that is offered every semester and is used solely for fulfilling distribution requirements. If you are lotteried out of a first-year seminar which is not available in the spring term, you cannot take it during your time at Swarthmore. If you are lotteried out of an introductory or intermediate major course early on, you probably will have to take your upper-level courses later in your Swarthmore career. We are often told that we must be flexible about our academic plan, but it is often difficult to reschedule courses after lotteries.

I have several suggestions for course lotteries. First, we should pre-register smartly. We can see how many students have registered for a specific course online. If you are not an upperclassman and the course has an especially high demand, then you are more likely to be lotteried out. In this case, it is often wise for you to switch. Sec-

ondly, it is often helpful to talk to professors and advisors for alternatives. Finally, most often you are just swapping the relative order of the courses you are going to take, but you will take them all in your time here.

Housing is also a major source of uncertainties, especially for first years. The housing process for freshmen is somewhat mysterious. We are required to fill in a housing questionnaire prior to orientation, but we must wait for months to receive our housing assignment. There are no clues about where we will end up for our first year. We do not have lottery numbers like upperclassmen, nor do we know whether students with common traits will be assigned to the same dorm and the same floor.

I once suspected that students who preferred to sleep late would be assigned together, and students who loved studying in the dorm would be assigned together. But the process is a lot more mysterious and uncontrollable than the rising sophomore or junior housing selection processes, which have clearer rules.

I was not very lucky in terms of the housing assignment for my first year. I ended up in Mary Lyon, which was often considered to be the least desirable dorm to live. It is old, not air-conditioned,

and most importantly, remote.

Mary Lyon’s geographical location has brought me a lot of inconveniences, which have resulted in profound implications. Earlier this semester, I suffered from a sleep disorder and found it extremely hard to concentrate in the afternoon. I often wanted to take a short nap in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the remoteness of Mary Lyon prevented me from doing so.

As a result, I was often in a poor mood and inefficient in classes and work every afternoon.

How did I accept such “misfortune?” I do not really know, but for a long time, I believed the future would be brighter. Fortunately, I received an excellent lottery number this semester, and I am optimistic that I will end up in my first-choice dorm next semester. I feel also appreciated the practical benefits, such as the breakfast at Mary Lyon on weekends.

In a world full of uncertainties, a place with more certainties feels safer and more reliable. For me, the place with the least uncertainties is Sharples. The breakfast is always the same. We can expect pasta bar every Wednesday and Sunday dinner. What’s more, we can check the menu in advance online. While we do not know the exact types of pizzas that will be available, most of the time pizzas

will have cheese. A question we might want to ask is: Do we really like such certainties? I have mixed feelings over this question. Sometimes people claim the food here is repetitive and not innovative. On the other hand, such certainties can make it easier to plan everything. I do not like pasta bar. Since I know that Sunday dinner has pasta bar, I can instead go for dinner in Center City or in the Ville.

If I am going for dinner in Center City, I can buy tickets on Friday morning to avoid extra fees.

Finally, I could not have predicted the kinds of historical events I would witness at Swarthmore.

Throughout my first year, I have witnessed multiple reforms, like introducing Curricular Practical Training to international students and changes to computer science major requirements. However, I will say the protests to end fraternity violence were the most memorable events. Fraternities have a rich history at Swarthmore, so I took the existence of fraternities for granted, initially. I did not expect that their internal documents would be available to the public one day. Even after the documents were publicized, I was uncertain how our community would respond to them. Still, I could feel the courage when Swarthmore students organized protests, peti-

PHOTOGRAPHY Atziri Marquez, Editor LAYOUT Sarah Chang, Editor Catherine Zhao, Editor COPY Anatole Shukla, Chief Editor BUSINESS Robert Conner, Manager SOCIAL MEDIA Abby Diebold, Editor DIGITAL OPERATIONS Daniel Chaiken Navdeep Maini EMERITUS Keton Kakkar Ganesh Setty

tory of groundbreaking activism — but its actions speak louder than its words.

ing to terms with my broader career. Furthermore, therapy in C.A.P.S. and a better sense of perspective have certainly helped the most thus far. Ironically, a Damian Lillard quotation has helped me to strive to keep Swarthmore athletics in perspective: “This is just playing ball. Pressure is the homeless man, not knowing where his next meal will come from.

Pressure is the single mom, who is trying to scuffle and pay her rent,” Lillard said.

Although the lack of pressure is foreign to me, the notion that keeping the nerves, the failures, and the journey of collegiate athletics in perspective certainly helps. I hope that it helps others in their own struggles with imposter syndrome and failure here at Swarthmore as well, whether in athletics or otherwise. For if we want the humility that we so often glorify, we must develop a deserved sense of self-confidence.

To find love, we must first love ourselves, or so the saying goes, and this certainly applies to our athletic endeavors as well.

tions, and sit-ins.

No students can predict when these historical events will happen, nor can students predict how will these events evolve. Those in power can control the future of Greek life at Swarthmore, but students are always uncertain about the future before the officials announce their decisions. However, students and many other members of the Swarthmore community are struggling to be more certain that fraternity violence will end in the future, and I hope that I can witness the day when there is no more fraternity violence.

We can never predict what will happen in the future. However, such unpredictability makes our life colorful. Every day we can wake up and expect some things that excite us. Uncertainties make us feel insecure, but we can learn how to handle them. We should be prepared for occasional bad luck or unexpected plan changes, and appreciate the time when we are luckier. My first-year life at Swarthmore has taught me these lessons, and I will apply what I have learned to the future.

Campus Journal

PAGE A6 May 2, 2019

ARTS FASHION FOOD LIVING PHILLY PROFILES ST YLES

The Swarthmore Worth Loving Ash Shukla Chief Copy Editor

W

hen I came to Swatstruck in 2018, I made sure to ask the quintessential Spec question — “Why did you choose Swarthmore?” — to pretty much every student that I encountered. Generally, the answers either revolved around Swat’s specific academic programs or the college’s generous financial aid policies. Even now, nearing the end of my first year here, “Why did you come to Swarthmore?” remains a question ubiquitous in getting-to-know-you type conversations, and the answers are still the same.

To this day, despite the number of times that I’ve conversed with fellow students about why we came to Swat, there’s only one answer that I found worthwhile, or memorable. When I asked a senior from the class of 2018 why he came to Swarthmore, he answered that after four years here, he felt that he wouldn’t have necessarily been happier or less happy anywhere else.

After a year at Swarthmore, I still think about that answer fre-

quently. I love Swarthmore, and at this point, it’s difficult to imagine my life without the college’s physical property and the people that I’ve met here. When push comes to shove, however, Swarthmore is an institution, and being here has forced me over and over again to critically reevaluate what it means to be so closely affiliated with an institution.

While we tend to conflate Swarthmore College with Swarthmore’s disambiguated community, we are perhaps remiss in doing so.

Institutions are formed to fulfill one or more purposes, and while they heavily rely on the people within them, they are inherently separate entities. In the long run, to an institution, all people are dispensable. Institutions cannot change because their existence depends on a status quo, and while a status quo can be flexible over time, the institution’s dependence on it will always remain. Institutions can begin and end, but their rigidity can never fluctuate.

On the other hand, communities, even if they initially form around institutions, are based within people’s minds and hearts.

They are fluid collections of peo-

Why We’re Here Gidon Kaminer CJ Writer

The Phi Psi sit-in was a climactic culmination of student activism that brought together students from different areas of interest around a common cause. Those involved ranged from committed activists who had been pushing this issue for years to newcomers drawn by the prospect of changing the campus for the better.

Kathy Nguyen ’21 has been involved in this movement for over a year. “I was involved in O4S during the sit in last year and was an active part of that movement. But I think something really changed this year now that I’m a sophomore reflecting on my first year here, a year of going to frat parties and seeing that culture and how it literally pervades this community,” she said.

Nguyen experiences in her first year drove her towards activism and to improve the campus for future first years.

“The main reason I’m here is for first years who will be here next year. I think about my cousins who want to go to Swarthmore and the

harm that would come to them if the frats continue to exist. Because when you’re a freshman, it’s so easy to not be aware and to enter these spaces where the power dynamics are so dangerous, especially when you’re younger.”

Like many others, the revelations in the leaked documents and the Tumblr drove Nguyen to act.

“I am here for support and solidarity for future Swarthmore students. It’s just horrific, reading the documents and the Tumblr, I don’t know how you can read that and not be completely repulsed.”

Activism is also a way for her to process and work through difficult feelings about the fraternities.

“Whenever I’m feeling something strongly, I just have to channel it into something else, I can’t let it sit in my body and fester,” Nguyen said. “So joining O4S and being a part of this helps release that in a better and more transformative way.”

Luis Marchese ’20 has been active in Sunrise and in O4S. “I am here as a survivor, as someone who is disappointed and angry by an admin that continually betrays their values even as it emptily ap-

ple seeking to form connections with and to love each other. We define our communities, and in turn, they define us as well. While communities oftentimes form spontaneously, it is deliberately that we find our own places within them. As individuals, we can alter communities and make ourselves indispensable to them in a manner that is fundamentally impossible with institutions.

I don’t love the cold and clinical institution of Swarthmore College, and it definitely doesn’t love me. I don’t even love Swarthmore’s wider community. I love the smaller communities in which I have found a place, because it is when all members of a community are salient to each other that everyone can grow together. And when we form communities centered on growth and love, we can change the status quo.

Like many other students, I spent the majority of my time from Saturday afternoon to Tuesday night huddled on grimy floor of Our House (formerly known as Phi Psi), singing optimistic chants and trying to help further the goals of the sit-in in whichever way possible. In that case, the sit-

in was our institution, and all of us who participated formed a new community centered around the house and the sit-in. We took over the space. We hung up posters, made artwork, and decorated Our House’s yard with flowers and a wishing tree. On Tuesday evening, we spent hours cleaning every inch of the house’s public spaces.

I don’t know how long it had been since someone last scrubbed the floors properly, but layers of dirt and dried beer came off of the floors when they came into contact with soap and water. That cleaning felt cathartic, as if were physically alleviating the house of its history.

That night, within an hour of each other, Delta Upsilon and Phi Psi both announced their disbanding. There immediately erupted shouts and screams of joy, exhilaration among countless students, and near-universal celebration on campus. Swarthmore College, the institution, played no role in this victory. It was us humans of the sit-in, the community, who had endlessly promoted peace and positive, nonviolent change. The college as an institution did not change, but the status quo upon

peals to them, and I feel very intimately attached to this issue,” he said.

Marchese is motivated both by anger at the current administration, and by hope for a brighter future.

“I am here because I think O4S and the coalition have a vision that is transformative for what this college can be. So I am here both out of anger at what Salem Shuchman and President Smith and Dean Terhune have said and done.”

Jenny Xu ’22 is a core member of O4S. “I am here because all of us are literally physically exerting ourselves in these places so that nobody else will be harmed in this space. I think that by physically occupying this space we are making it a safe space for all students who are excluded and are preventing further harm.”

Not everyone at the sit-in has been heavily involved in O4S. While it is organized by a core group of students that have worked towards passionately for years rectifying mistreatment of survivors and preventing future harm,

“I was encouraged to come to the sit-in because I have friends (particularly on the track team) who are part of O4S and because I have friends on campus who have been harmed by the frats,” said Kayla Camacho ’19. “I haven’t been able to be very involved in a lot of the activism that O4S has done thus far, but I know that the college’s behavior and responses are unacceptable and it is becoming more and more difficult not to respond to that.”

Sierra Sweeny ’21, also a Track & Field athlete, was similarly compelled to join the protests. “As an athletic team on Swarthmore’s campus, I feel as though the track and cross country teams recognize that the actions of the fraternities are wrong and must end immediately,” she said. “I also acknowledge that there is often a toxic culture surrounding athletics that has harmed many. I fully support survivors and their protests to end the fraternities and hope to help the community heal and create safer spaces for students in anyway I can. I joined the protests Saturday night because I believe in the missions of O4S and other

Accosting the Sweaty Palmed Culprit R.L. B*rnard CJ Writer

Well friends, I won’t waste your time with flashy intros. I’m finally ready to lay all the pieces out for the world to see. Let’s start with the details of the deed: The culprit was not an athlete, but has a strict workout regimen and feeds only on meat and spinach, so physique-wise, let’s say this person is masc. A baseball cap and proper attire, and this person would blend right in.

But 22 bats and 36 baseballs is a lot for one person. In early afternoon on December 6, 2016,

our cheeky criminal saw a cart being brought over the baseball field, and as the person pushing it stopped for a moment to chat, 22 bats were placed on the lowest shelf. The bats were carted over and all that was left was for our culprit to carry over was his backpack stuffed to the brim with 36 baseballs.

The deed was done in broad daylight to a playlist of only Charli XCX. Now, how did I come to find all of this out? Well I think I was a bit rushed to assume all Cornell inhabitants were blue Powerade and milk drinking athletes. Some

Cornell inhabitants turn out to be buff nerds who listen to Charli XCX. Something didn’t feel right about some athlete guy thinking he was all smug for doing the bats and never coming forward. I mean, why would he let so many women who were associated with sitting in A1 face the wrath of the baseball team? Is keeping up friendliness in the fieldhouse really that necessary?

Once I narrowed down my list of culprits, I knew I had to make the criminal show me his face.

I had to meet him on his turf, keep him comfortable so I didn’t scare him away. I left a reply hid-

Swat Ed: Point of View

BY P. AFDERSEX ’69

Swat Ed is The Phoenix’s biweekly sex education Q & A. We accept all questions and they are kept completely anonymous. If you’re looking for medical advice or a diagnosis for that weird thing on your genitals, get in touch with a medical professional! For everything else, email swatedquestions@gmail.com. Today’s subject matter is pornography and the effects it has on hookup culture and sexual interactions.

Hi P. I’ve been arguing with my boyfriend for a little while about this and I’m not sure that I have a reason to even be upset with him. He told me that he watches a lot of porn a few

weeks ago. I told him that it didn’t matter to me in the moment, but the more I thought about the more it got under my skin. I really don’t like a lot of what’s in porn, but I’m finding it hard to say exactly why it bothers me. He doesn’t think it’s a big deal. How do I deal with it?

-Porn Adjacent Let’s start by laying out the general concept of pornography and the way it affects our sex lives and our concepts of sexuality. For most people growing up in the Internet age, pornography is where we learn our sexual scripts. The phrase “sexual script” refers to sex acts and the emotions, relationships and dynamics that go along

with them. Essentially, it describes the patterns of our sexual lives.

We rely so heavily on porn to create these scripts because we don’t really learn about pleasure from schools or our parents. There are a lot of misconceptions and generalizations that we absorb from porn, consciously and unconsciously. A few of those misconceptions, summarized: Porn is designed for an audience of straight, frequently white men. This means that patriarchal and discriminatory ideas are rampant. This statement should not be interpreted as a judgment upon people who watch porn. Rather, it helps us identify one of the origins of misogynist sexual behavior: if people grow up from the age of twelve or thirteen viewing porn as

Karin Nakano / The Phoenix

which it relies underwent a massive transformation during those four days.

After everything, and after all of the positive change that communities at Swarthmore have enacted during the past two semesters, I still don’t think that I’m necessarily happier at Swarthmore than I would have been anywhere else.

My skepticism regarding that ambiguity, however, has turned into positivity, because I no longer care whether I would have been happier or less happy anywhere else.

It no longer matters to me why I’m

here; rather, I focus on what I do to ameliorate my communities.

Institutions are roughly the same everywhere, but here, I have found a place in countless communities who not only love about each other, but use the growth resulting from that love to impact the status quo.

Are such communities unique to Swarthmore’s campus? Absolutely not. But I am happy to be a part of loving, forward-looking communities here, at Swarthmore, and that’s all that matters.

Photo courtesy of Jose F Moreno

survivor organizations on campus and want to do my part to change the culture surrounding athletics.”

On Sunday afternoon, Fouad Dakwar ’22, Samantha Ortiz-Clark ’22, and Underboob (a student band consisting of Clay Conley ‘20 and Lauren Savo ‘20) performed in Phi Psi, reinventing the space through art. Wearing his signature “Dissent is Patriotic” ACLU shirt, Dakwar joked, “I never thought I’d perform anywhere grosser than Olde Club. And I never thought I’d see my parents and little brother in a frat,” referring to his family

den away in a puzzle in the back of Cornell and hid waiting for him to find it. It was a good old fashioned stake out. When I saw him approach the puzzle it was like time slowed down. His rugged handsomeness took me by surprise. His face had layers of mystery; a little cheeky, a little squeamish, easily spookable. He looked like the type of guy whose hands were sweaty but dry at the same time. Who would’ve thought the culprit I’d been after for so long would strike me in such a way? But I digress.

The criminal later admitted to me his deed. Good thing he did or

I would’ve had to make some sort of scene at last collection where I hold onto the mic until the culprit revealed himself.

So our mystery has come to a close, and if I’m being honest, I’m surprised another act like this hasn’t happened. Seems like it’d be pretty fun, and also I did some bat research and I don’t think it cost the team thousands of dollars. Maybe these boys can relax a little bit and think for a second why someone would want to mess with them. What would motivate this “improv renaissance man” to venture out to the baseball field and do this just for

their only source of sex education, of course they’ll have skewed ideas of normal sexual behavior.

Porn is addictive. While porn can certainly be an addiction to some people, this statement is most broadly relevant because exposure to porn, like exposure to drugs and alcohol, tends to require a larger and larger “dose” to induce the same effect over time. In porn, this means that people grow bored of “vanilla” sex acts and gravitate to ever more intense or “hardcore” material. When you consider that kids are exposed to porn at a very early age and become sexually active four to ten years later, at that point, their concept of “normal” sex can become extremely skewed in favor of fetishized, niche, or degrading acts.

Porn is designed to be visual.

The best way to illustrate that is the concept of the “cumshot”, which is a sex act that came to be simply because it makes the act of ejaculation visible to the camera.

The positions shown in porn usually maximize genital visibility to the camera and require acrobatics most people don’t need. The normalization of these positions contribute to the pleasure gap in heterosexual couples.

Porn is not sex. Above all, porn is an acted fantasy not consistent with real people or real experiences. It shouldn’t be treated as a how-to or a standard to hold partners against.

Hookup culture is prevalent throughout our world, in and beyond Swarthmore. While every-

that had come to see him debut his new album.

“This album is called ‘Monarchs in Riverbeds,’” announced Dakwar. “It’s about revolutions. And what I think is important is that every revolution needs love too.

And we have love in this movement too, for Swarthmore, for this community and these people that we fell in love with,” he said. “This building isn’t Swarthmore. But we’re getting there.”

a laugh? Seems like the rest of campus is not getting a message spelled out in their equipment, so maybe an attitude adjustment is called for even to keep one man’s sweaty paws off your bats.

Just a thought.

one’s experiences will be different, it’s worth taking a moment to lay out the benefits and pitfalls associated with hookup culture.

These basic concepts should give you a bit of a better idea of how to verbalize your feelings to your partner. What they don’t address, however, is how to go from here. To start, your sense of discomfort with your partner viewing porn is valid and I understand why you feel so bothered by it. To begin, do you notice porn-like behavior from him? If that’s the case, it’s a separate issue from him only viewing it himself. If he is only viewing it himself, as frustrated as you might be, it’s his prerogative continued online at swarthmorephoenix.com

May 2, 2019

THE PHOENIX CAMPUS JOURNAL

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College Moves Phi Psi and DU to BEP* Gidon Kaminer CJ Writer

ing (BEP), she enthusiastically revealed that the fraternities (rejoined by administration behind the scenes) will be relocated to the brand-new building upon its completion.

“I appreciate and celebrate the dedication and effort that student activists put into voicing their concerns and fighting for their beliefs,” said Smith. “They clearly demonstrated how adamant they were that the Phi Psi and DU houses should belong to all students, not just a small privileged group. As a result of their tireless efforts, we have decided to reallocate these spaces for underprivileged and marginalized communities of students. We hope that this demonstration of restorative and transformative justice will serve as a small yet significant step towards making this campus more equitable and safe,” she said.

Smith’s announcement soon turned to the building at hand.

After the nearly week-long Coalition Against Fraternity Violence sit-in garnered widespread news attention and galvanized the campus and the nation, Phi Psi and DU announced on the evening of Tuesday, April 30, their decision to disband. President Smith, in an email to the campus community later that night, emphasized the healing process that the community must go through now in the wake of student action and the bitter strife between anti-frat activists and members of the fraternities and their supporters.

President Smith followed-up this email with an additional announcement a few days later, meant to concretize and jumpstart this healing process. Standing at the entrance of the still under construction Biology Engineering and Psychology build-

“In that same spirit of restorative and transformative justice, directly inspired by these valiant student activists, we have decided to reallocate the BEP for use by fraternities,” Smith said. “Transformative justice is not just about restoring what has been lost, but directly addressing those who have been wronged. This form of justice commands us to investigate closely, to study the areas of deficiency in which lacking or discriminatory circumstances harmed a certain group. We must then establish new spaces that address these issues directly,” she explained.

“The fraternity houses are, in terms of interior design, less than ideal.” Smith said. “The floor is covered in a congealed beer, the walls are covered in dust, the couches are covered in dried semen, and the refrigerators are covered in mold. These facilities are outdated. They have remained

mostly unchanged for over a century. Brothers have been subjected to these poor conditions for far too long. This is clearly a continuing injustice that we had to address,” she said.

President Smith continued by explaining how this reallocation of the BEP directly addresses this harm that was done.

“The BEP is our newest, most modern facility. The floors are not sticky from years of alcohol spills, and the refrigerators are not a biohazard. There are huge windows and skylights that let in plenty of natural light, an environment which will aid in the drinking of the beer of the same name,” Smith said. “The location is also much better, being close to Sci Quad and less than a minute’s walk from every academic building.”

Refraining momentarily from lauding the new facilities, Smith questioned the original mission of the activists.

“To be honest, I’m really not sure why they were so passionate and particular with their demands that those two specific houses be reallocated. To be honest, they are probably some of the worst structures on this entire campus. Really seems like they could have done better, like they got the short end of the stick,” she said. “Oh well.”

Other facilities will also be changed to accomodate this process of transformative justice. The

records of the Friends Historical Library will be gutted and replaced with an exhaustive directory of (redacted) Phi Psi minutes.

To make room for the new fraternities in the BEP, the biology, engineering, and psychology departments will be moved to Olde Club. Theatrical productions there will continue on the weekends. *This piece is Satire.

A Love Letter to the Muses of Dance

Hannah Watkins CJ Writer

I learned to think about my body in a way I never had before in my life. I learned that when you focus on what your feet are doing, you tend to forget to move your arms. I learned that the way you hold your fingers changes the tone of your entire body: outstretched, sharp blades, gentle ballet fingers.

I learned about the concept of lines, of imagining the shapes that my limbs were forming. I learned that you have to dance with your head and neck: they can’t just sit there. I learned that you can be corrected over and over on the same thing that you simply cannot fix, and that it doesn’t make you feel bad, just more and more determined. I learned that when you finally nail something you’ve been struggling like mad with, the feeling of accomplishment and the choreographer’s smile carries you through the whole week.

It turns out that standing in the wings waiting to go on stage for your first performance ever is so terrifying that you want to throw up. Even though your fellow dancers gave you all their kindest advice and smiles and did your makeup for you, it’s an intensely personal experience. Standing in the dark on shaky legs, I was sure that I would forget everything. Instead, the opening beat of Believer by Imagine Dragons thudded around me like war drums, so loud that I could feel it in my chest and through the floor under my bare feet. I stepped forward on the beat as I had drilled a hundred times.

A wild exhilaration and fear filled me, so strongly it felt like I would boil over. When we left the stage I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or run until all the adrenaline was gone.

At some point in the semester that followed, the time that we spent together changed. I did three dances and learned that different choreographers teach differently, dance differently, help me grow differently. We became not just group members but friends, and the awkwardness that we had felt at first slowly dissolved (it might have been easier if we weren’t all so damn weird, but I wouldn’t

At the activities fair my freshman fall, I sidled up to the tables for the dance groups on campus.

One group required auditions; the other, Terpsichore, didn’t.

I’ve wanted to dance ever since I was a little kid, but didn’t have many opportunities. I hadn’t danced a step since the Creative Movement class I took when I was six. I had used up all my stores of bravery on a very unsuccessful a capella audition. I was afraid of the posters, really afraid in a way that I was finding difficult to mask with effusive bravado. I’ve already mastered the ability to fail at something I don’t particularly care about (and avoid trying too hard at things to keep my expectations low).

Failing at something that you really, desperately want to be good at is crushing. And I really, really wanted to dance. I came to college needing desperately to convince myself that I could move past the shortcomings that I had struggled with in high school. I needed to know that coming across the continent would be worth it, that I would not hinder my own growth.

I put my name down on the mailing list for Terpsichore and loudly urged my friend to join with me.

At my first rehearsal I gazed bigeyed around a circle of the nine coolest women I had ever seen in my entire life. The choreographer, a lithe gymnast with intimidating poise and perfect posture, had us introduce ourselves. She then demonstrated the first few movements of the combination (A combo, I learned, is not only a type of pizza at Costco but also the word for a phrase of dance movements).

She moved with a liquid grace, a deliberation that felt for each beat in the air and moved keenly to strike it. “See?” she asked when she saw on my face that I absolutely, most definitely did not.

“Your arm is sharp- yes, sudden, when you hear the beat. One, two, three, four.” She snapped her fingers in rhythm. I stayed with the dance.

my best y'all...

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Karin Nakano / The Phoenix

and now both of us are. It’s a real bonding experience.

The identity of the group evolved: we are all friends, but there is space for every sort of commitment. Some of us spend hours on Terp each week, while others choose to do one hour of rehearsal for one dance. All are welcome. I’m involved in a lot of different circles on campus, but Terpsichore for me achieves something that none of the others can.

It’s a precious community, a stress reliever, a reminder that my body is powerful, a connection to the smartest, kindest, funniest people I’ve ever known.

This semester I’ve had the absolute joy of dancing in the final pieces of the two choreographers that have taught me the most, Liz Lanphear ’19 and Ella Small ’19.

Ella, you more than anyone else push me to find my limits. Your commitment to technical perfection, absorption in the music, and acting makes your pieces so stunning and such a powerful learning experience for me. As I walked around campus this semester, I listened to your music and felt the choreography travel across my body, trying to mimic how precisely you dance, the clean sweep of the flowing movement and the resolution of the sharp hit. You gave me a new perspective, a sense of your critical eye. You have a rare

and beautiful quality as a teacher in that you can correct me repeatedly and sharply in a way that never, ever feels negative. A couple of times you’ve told me that my problem is in my head: “You know the choreography. Dance like you know it.” I tell that to myself all the time. I want to have those same qualities as a leader in this group: supportive, encouraging, perfectionist, empowering. I can’t tell you enough how much stronger you have made me as a dancer and a person. Thank you.

Liz, you dance like a celestial body with her own gravity. Your choreography is unique and compelling and so, so beautiful. I can’t decide which of your pieces I love the most. Rain Dance feels to me like walking in the Crum, laughing until your stomach hurts in Mertz, dancing in South Carolina along the windy sand. Big God is digging deep, turned inward, isolation in a crowd, and Dog Days is reaching out, lifting up and being lifted. Joyful noise. The Bell Tower is power, collective and individual, not taking it back but having it all along. You make me think about where the movement comes from, the story we are telling, the power we are embodying. You are kind, clever, independent and loving, and you foster all of those qualities in everyone that you touch.

Thank you.

If you have ever thought about dancing, if you used to and don’t anymore, if you want to deep down and you’re not sure you have the courage, come by our meeting in the fall. Whoever you are, whatever you want to be, whether you’ve danced for years or never in your life, there’s a place for you here. It may be an hour a week to let go of it all, or it may be the place you meet the dearest friends you’ve ever known. Either way, come. You’ll be welcome.

Terpsichore Dance Collective recruits at the beginning of the semester and performs at the end. A sitespecific piece located in the Clothier bell tower, directed by Liz Lanphear ‘19, will be performed on Saturday May 4 at 6 p.m. and Sunday May 5 at 8 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

Crossword by Clay

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trade it for the world.)

Rehearsal was a little island of peace amid the absolute insanity of Swarthmore. It was a time that I could spend with hilarious, talented, clever, kind people that encouraged me, teased me, pushed me, and supported me. It was also a time that I could spend inside myself, not needing to worry about homework or grades. I could take three full minutes to consider the way I swept my leg across the floor, if I could point my toe just a tiny bit more. I could revel in the reverberating thud as I landed a leap, the warm shock diffusing up my leg. I could inch just a tiny bit lower to the floor in my longed-for split.

That spring, Liz Lanphear ’19 taught me the way she took a vision and set it to movement. I realized all over again just how incredible it feels to move in a group of people as one organism, to feel your arm lift in perfect synchronization with the others in your peripheral vision. To feel the beat of the music in the punctuating strike of your foot. To feel powerful. Francesca Rothell ’21 gave me a solo and asked for my thoughts on which movements to include.

Jessica Yang ’21 showed me the beautiful shapes you can achieve with your arms. On the stage that spring, I felt utterly unselfconscious. I was one of the many limbs of a moving mythical creature, and we knew where we were going.

In the fall we expanded. I was incredibly excited about all our new freshmen, but dismayed to learn that they would ask me dance questions and expect that I knew the answer. I took to introducing myself as, “I’m Hannah and I’ve never danced at all before Terp!” I met several freshmen who had never danced before Terp as well, and adopted them as my own (as well as many others who certainly do have dance training, and are simply a delight). I learned what an absolute joy it is to show a move that I have mastered to a newcomer, and work with them on perfecting it. On at least one occasion, it’s turned out that I was doing the move wrong to begin with

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4. NY art museum 5. No, gr.

6. Forbidden fruit 7. Article 8. Game official, for short 9. Propels a boat 10. Exam for a future atty.

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30. Comp. helpers 32. What sponges do 34. Lu Lu Lemon alternative 35. Urine 38. The ones in Willets have it the worst 39. Transition sound in SVU 41. Pterodactyl hunt participant 42. Crocodile _____ 44. Prefix to liberal or Marxist 45. Subject to dispute 46. Tropical fruit 47. Vegetable garden to Luigi 49. See 53-down 50. Place to hike on the E coast 52. Sesame Street resident 53. With 50-down, ex-Dean Braun’s skin 57. Jeremy of the NBA 59. Where Swarthmore is located 61. QB goal

by Clay Conley, edited by Gillie Tillson

SPORTS

May 2, 2019 PAGE A9 A8

Softball Makes a Push for Playoffs Grace Dignazio Sports Writer

S

warthmore softball clinched their first Centennial Conference Tournament playoff berth since 2010 in a doubleheader against Dickinson last Saturday. Softball ended their regular season with a 21-13 overall record and a 9-7 conference record, securing themselves a spot in playoffs which began Tuesday, April 30. After an initial 7-2 loss to No. 1-seed Haverford on Tuesday, the team will have another opportunity to compete against No. 3-seed Ursinus this Friday, May 3 at Haverford.

The softball team has been working diligently both on and off the field in order to prepare for their playoff tournament at Haverford. Right now, their main focus is to improve their mental strength so that they are ready to work together as a team to perform their best in playoffs.

Senior Elizabeth Curcio ’19 recognizes the importance of mental toughness in preparation for playoffs.

“For us it’s really mental,” she said. “We have everything that we need there ability wise, but sometimes mental for us is our problem, so I think it’s realizing how to mentally prepare and going into tomorrow as strong as possible.”

Curcio thinks a strong sense of comradery is vital to the team’s potential playoff success.

“Going in knowing that you support everyone and that everyone supports you is just so important at this point.”

Pitcher Maddie Bowe ’21 also believes that maintaining positive energy and fostering comradery is a common goal that the team can work on going into their first game.

“I think heading into playoffs, we really just want to focus on working together, keeping our energy up throughout the entire game and just make sure we back each other up,” she said. “This year we have been really good at working together and staying really strong as a team.”

This strong sense of team spirit inspires Bowe to focus on her personal performance.

“For me, I really want to make sure that I’m staying strong out there for my team and putting in good pitches so that the hitters hit playable balls so that my team has a chance to make plays,” she said.

“So staying mentally tough while I’m in the field is a big goal for me.”

Bowe is an intimidating force on the field, ranking fifth in the conference with an earned run average of 2.01.

After falling one win short from qualifying for playoffs last year, Bowe and her teammates have been diligently working since preseason to qualify for playoffs this year.

“Last year we were one game away from playoffs, so this year all preseason we were like we are making playoffs. And it wasn’t just kind of like a ‘we want to,’ we were like ‘we are doing this.’”

Curcio is also excited to have qualified for playoffs this year.

This is a unique experience for her as a senior on the team, and she is aware of how meaningful this opportunity is not only for her but for all of her teammates.

“This is the first time I’ve ever

been to playoffs in my four years, and the first time we’ve been as a team for a really long time, so we’re just trying to make the best out of it,” Curcio said.

Curcio is a valuable outfielder on the team. Her fielding percentage is .931, and she has been working on her range in the outfield in preparation for playoffs.

“We’re taking as many different reps as possible, testing out our range, just making sure we can play together, [and] read the ball right.”

Alongside working on improving their personal skills for playoffs, the softball team spends time strategizing with their Coach Melissa Finley.

Bowe is grateful for Coach Finley’s thorough planning before each game.

“Our coach, before all the conference games, does a lot of scouting,” she said. “She does a lot of preparation going in, which we all really appreciate.”

Curcio is also appreciative of Coach Finley’s positive attitude and constant support leading up to playoffs.

“She’s always pumping us up,” she said. “It’s all mentally being really confident with us and just knowing that she’s there for us.”

The softball team has also spent time in the gym lifting in preparation for qualifying for playoffs.

The team works with strength and conditioning coach Michelle Pifer to improve their power and agility throughout the week in addition to on-field practices.

“Normally we do once a week lift and once a week agilities with Michelle,” Curcio said. “Michelle’s a really big part of it.”

Bowe also attributes much of the team’s success to workouts with Michelle.

“She’s been amazing and definitely has whipped us into the shape that we are so that we’re able to play those two games strongly and go into playoffs in the shape that we are.”

The softball team is excited to qualify for playoffs this week. As the first team to be eligible for playoffs since 2010, everyone is thrilled to have the opportunity to compete and determined to give it their all.

“Whenever we talk about playoffs we’re like “let’s go,” “come on!’” Bowe said. “We’re the first team to make it since our assistant coach graduated in 2010. So we’re really excited to show up there.”

Playoffs also provide a unique opportunity for seniors such as Curcio. With three seniors remaining on the team, this is their last chance to compete alongside the rest of their Garnet teammates.

Curcio hopes to provide support for her teammates as well as to appreciate the last few moments of her college softball career.

“My personal goal is to be a team player and be as supportive as possible to everyone,” she said.

“I want to go up to every at bat and just know it could be my last run or it could be my last play in the field and remember why I play this sport.”

Swarthmore is the No. 4-seed in the playoffs and will play No. 3-seed Ursinus Friday, May 3 at Haverford.

Stephen Moore’s comments about women’s basketball are egregious, to be sure. But they’re just one manifestation of a larger problem: that we need to change the way we talk about women in sports. On the most surface level, this applies to the way we talk about female sports anchors and sports commentators, adopting the rhetoric that, in the words of Stephen Moore, “women are permitted to participate if and only if, they look like Bonnie Bernstein.” Bernstein is a sports reporter. She is also young, attractive, and blonde.

Moore continues, “the fact that Bonnie knows nothing about basketball is entirely irrelevant.”

(To his credit, he said she could continue to commentate as long as she wore halter tops.) Moore’s not alone: just last year, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton laughed outright at a female sports reporter, Jordan Rodrigue, claiming it was “funny to hear a woman talk about routes like that.”

The public — and publicly patronizing — rhetoric around female sports anchors perpetuates the gender disparity within sports and exacerbates the discrepancy in sports coverage.

Moore lamented that if you “turn on ESPN or even the networks these days...you’re as likely to see women playing as men. USA Today devotes nearly half its basketball coverage to the gals.”

Despite his claims, a study shows that women and girls ac-

count for over 40% of athletes but receive less than 4% of the coverage on news shows. Further, the study also found a “stark contrast between the exciting, amplified delivery of stories about men’s sports and the often dull, matter-of-fact delivery of women’s sports stories.”

Even the leagues themselves perpetuate these inequalities.

On March 25, the NCAA tweeted, “when you find out there are no #MarchMadness games until Thursday,” with “a clip of the Parks and Recreation character Ron Swanson throwing his computer in a dumpster.” Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart responded: “Sounds about right, coming from a page that has posted nothing about the women’s tournament. How can we get others to respect us when the NCAA doesn’t?! There was 8 WOmen’S games on the 25th.”

Female athletes, like female sports anchors, are disrespected by both the media and the sports organizations within which they operate. The disparities within both pay and coverage create a situation in which female athletes are treated as insignificant, exacerbating the existing inequalities. By normalizing rhetoric and attitudes like Moore’s, we perpetuate a system in which female athletes — athletes who are often better, and more successful, than their male counterparts — are permanently relegated to second-class status. They deserve better.

We Need Moore Women in Sports Abby Diebold Sports Writer Last week, President Trump announced his intention to nominate two new Federal Reserve Board members: former presidential candidate and pizza chain executive Herman Cain (who has since removed his name from consideration), and Trump campaign economic advisor Stephen Moore. Moore, to be sure, has some controversial economic opinions, including calling for a return to the gold standard. But he has recently come under fire for his scathing critique of, in his view, the greatest issue facing American society: the “feminization of basketball.”

In numerous columns for the National Review, Moore criticized female athletes advocating for pay equality, describing them as demanding “equal pay for inferior work.” In a 2002 reflection on March Madness, Moore opined on one of the game’s female referees. “How outrageous is this? This year they allowed a woman to ref a men’s NCAA game...I see it as an obscenity. Is there no area in life where men can take vacation from women?”

Later, Moore offered his suggestions to make the sport more palatable: “Here’s the rule change I propose: No more women refs, no women announcers, no women beer venders, no women anything.”

Moore has no personal stake in the matter — although he is

well aware that “there’s no joy in dunking over a girl,’ he self-admittedly “can’t dunk (except on the eight-foot baskets).” But his comments reflect a widespread belief, amongst both athletes and sports fans, that women’s sports are just worse. It’s a belief rooted in media coverage, rhetoric of (male) sports commentators, and a deep-rooted pay inequity for athletes. And it’s a belief that needs to change.

The facts are clear: men’s sports are given more clout than women’s. Title IX, originally passed in response to gender inequity in collegiate sports, is often misconstrued as requiring equal funding for men’s and women’s sports. In fact, the law only requires that male and female athletes receive equal “treatment” and “benefits.” And in practice, one of its most significant effects has been a dramatic reduction in the proportion of female head coaches, from over 90% in the 1970s to less than half that (42.6%) in 2010. As coaching positions in women’s sports become higher salaried (and thus more lucrative), they are flooded with additional applicants — jobs that were originally only desired by women now hold appeal for men as well.

This has changed more than the job market: since 1999, 36 (male) coaches have resigned or been banned from the sport following allegations of sexual misconduct or inappropriate sexual behavior, and over 300 (primarily

female) gymnasts have accused (male) coaches, gym owners, and team associates of sexual misconduct.

Okay, sure, so there’s a pay gap. But it’s justified because the men are better, right? Not necessarily. The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team, for example, is the most successful team in FIFA Women’s World Cup history with a total of three championships (including the most recent, in 2014). The team has never finished lower than third.

The men? One top-three finish (third, in 1930), total. And yet, as the lawsuit filed against the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) by all 28 current members of the women’s national team states, the men are taking home more — a lot more. According to the lawsuit, “The pay for advancement through the rounds of the World Cup was so skewed that, in 2014, the USSF provided the (men) with performance bonuses totaling $5,375,000 for losing in the Round of 16, while, in 2015, the USSF provided the (women) with only $1,725,000 for winning the entire tournament.” The women earned less than one third of what the men did, despite performing demonstrably better.

This pay and bonus discrepancy extends beyond soccer.

The average salary for an NBA player, for example, is $6.4 million, while WNBA players make an average of just $71,635. While the number one pick in the 2018

NBA draft made around $9 million in his rookie season, the same pick for the women earns just $52,564. In March Madness, the conferences make $1.6 million in bonuses for each men’s team’s win — and not a cent for the women’s.

Yeah, but that makes sense — aren’t women’s sports just less profitable? According to the USSF lawsuit, not at all; in fact, the net profit for the women’s national team outstripped that of the men because the female prayers “were more successful in competition than the male players on the MNT — while being paid substantially less.” Further, even in sports in which the men’s league makes more than the women’s, the revenue shares are still allocated disproportionately. NBA players, for example, retain about 50 percent of their league’s revenue, while WNBA players get only 25.

This trend — of the continued treatment of female athletes as second-rate — has pushed women out of American sports and onto the international stage. In 2017, for example, three of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s star players chose to play for French and English teams instead of American ones. While they weren’t making significantly more in salary itself, they had access to the same state-of-theart facilities as the men, a strong incentive to move away from their second-rate treatment in U.S. facilities.

Athlete of the Week: Nick DiMaio ’19 Atziri Marquez / The Phoenix

Jack Corkery Sports Editor This past weekend, Swarthmore’s golf team competed in the Centennial Conference Championship. The Garnet were ahead through the first two rounds of play, but could not hold off a late surge by Gettysburg and McDaniel, and finished the tournament in third place.

Swarthmore was led by Nick DiMaio ’19, who finished fifth in the tournament. DiMaio earned All-Conference honors for his performance to cap off a stellar career.

Jack Corkery: What is your major, and why did you choose this field of study?

Nick DiMaio: I am double-majoring in Economics and Chinese. I have always been interested in macroeconomics and how geopolitical events affect market movements. Additionally, I always wanted to pick up another language and decided that college would be the perfect time to do so.

JC: Why did you choose Swarthmore?

ND: Golf played a huge role in my decision to come to Swat. I was in touch with Coach Heller since sophomore year of high school. I immediately viewed him as a mentor to me and will continue to do so for years to come. In terms of Swarthmore’s academics, I also really liked the idea of coming to a school with small class sizes where I could get a lot of face time with my professors.

JC: When did you first start playing golf?

ND: I started playing when I was ten. My dad got me into the game at an early age. I picked golf over baseball

in middle school and started playing on my varsity high school team in seventh grade. I was bullied a lot by my classmates growing up for not playing a “conventional sport,” but I honestly didn’t care. I found something that I was good at and, more than anything in the world, I loved. That’s when I started taking the game more seriously and began competing in tournaments.

JC: What is your favorite Swarthmore golf memory?

ND: This past Sunday, I walked off the eighteenth green and saw my dad. He came over to me, and we both just started hugging and crying. All of the sacrifices that he has made for me and support that he has shown throughout my golf career hit me at that moment. It was a special moment that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.

JC: Do you have any post-graduation plans?

ND: I will be working at Nomura in NYC in its Global Markets Division. I look forward to applying what I’ve learned in the classroom at Swarthmore as well as the intangible skills I have picked up from the game of golf to my professional career.

JC: Talk about your performance at the Centennial Conference Championship.

ND: I really put in a lot of work in the golf room over the two weeks leading up to this tournament. I was really proud of how I kept my composure and managed the course all three days of the championship. Coming down the stretch on the back nine during day three, I knew that I needed to put together a good stretch of holes to give myself and, more importantly, my team

a chance to take home the championship. I ended up playing my last four holes in two-under par, which was a really amazing way to finish off my career.

JC: How did it feel to be named All-Conference?

ND: As a four year starter, this was my first time being named to the All-Conference team. This has always been a goal of mine. I put a lot of pressure on myself this season to improve the weak aspects of my game to make it to this point. I am incredibly honored and proud to have set and achieved this milestone in my career.

JC: Your senior class is likely the greatest class in Swarthmore golf history. What was it like to spend four years with those guys and grow as golfers and as a team?

ND: Dan, Chris, Vamsi, and Hunter are all amazing players and people. I am so honored to have spent four years by their side as a teammate and as a friend. We not only performed on the course, but we also changed the team culture to be more dynamic and inclusive. These people have driven me to become a better player on the course, a better member of our campus community, and a better man as a whole. I can’t wait to see what is next for all of us!

JC: Golf has a large incoming recruiting class next year. Do you have any advice for next year’s freshmen?

ND: Swarthmore Golf is enter a new chapter. You have the unique opportunity to use the new golf room on campus and to make your presence felt on the course right away. Don’t be afraid to work hard, become a leader, and make an impact on this team.