Features
Swarthmore Says…
By Fred Shapiro
One of Swarthmore College’s many distinctions is the strong tradition of social and political activism, which can be attributed to the school’s Quaker origins. Swarthmore’s activist tendency has produced alumni who have been notable reformers. It has also combined with the College’s intellectual rigorousness to produce pioneers in the social sciences.Another notable aspect of Swarthmore alumni is the extent of their contribution to the physical and biological sciences and technology, including computer science.
These activist and scientific threads complement Swarthmore’s strength in the arts and media as well as a wide range of achievements in education, law, business, and many other fields, to round out a fascinating roster of accomplishments by alumni.
Features
The Digital Wave
By Audree Penner
In the not too distant past, students required to create a “visual database” in a course like Assistant Professor of Art History Tomoko Sakomura’s Contemporary Japanese Visual Culture, might well have gone scurrying to the library in search of books or slides on contemporary Japan. Perhaps they would even have ventured to an art museum, newsstand, or bookstore.Today, although students still use such physical resources, they can find most of what they need with a click of a computer mouse—often without leaving their rooms.
Related Article
Features
Making Music Together Again
By Heather Shumaker ’91
As a boy, Kenneth Guilmartin ’67 couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. His kindergarten teacher labeled him a “crow” and asked him to mouth the words instead of singing with the other children. It was only in his 20s that he learned to sing, taking remedial voice lessons to keep pace with his burgeoning musical career. Related Article
Features
Sorority Science
By Elizabeth Redden ’05
In July, Carolyn Becker was initiated. Call her a Delta Delta Delta.“One thought that went through my head was, ‘Oh-my-gosh. I’ve become a sorority sister.’ But the next thought was, ‘I’ve never seen an organization put this much effort into eating disorders prevention.’”
It turns out that the Tri Deltas are interested in a lot more than the next fraternity party.
Collection
- New Van De Kamp Observatory
- A Harpist, A Curler, A Juggler—and 371 More—in the Class of 2012
- President Bloom Will Lead NYU Abu Dhabi
More collection articles from this issue
Faculty Expert
The Axis of Evo
By Jeffrey Lott
In addition to course descriptions and information about his research interests, Associate Professor of Biology Colin Purrington’s Web page has a “bonus feature.” Click on an image of Charles Darwin and you arrive at his “Evolution Outreach Projects—Part of the Axis of Evo.”
Books + Arts
A Feast of Quilts
“When people ask me how I got involved with art quilts,” writes Martha Sielman, “I tell them that it all began when I was very little and my mother let me play with the fabric scraps left over from sewing our dresses.
In My Life
Doing Mexican Time
By Gerard Helferich ’76
We first came to San Miguel de Allende six years ago, on a driving vacation through Mexico’s central highlands. My wife, Teresa Nicholas ’76, and I stopped for less than 24 hours on that first visit, but we were sufficiently taken with the picturesque setting, colonial architecture, and vibrant arts scene that we decided to quit our jobs in book publishing and move here.
