Most Recent Comments

This page shows the 20 most recent comments on the Gazette. The stories are ordered by most recent comment, and then the comments are in reverse order.


This means that the newest comment is the last comment under the first story.

#1: Comment by (Registered, Swarthmore) 11/6/2009 at 5:26 a.m.

Why does this happen while I am abroad?

#2: Comment by . (Unregistered, Swarthmore) 11/6/2009 at 11:06 a.m.

Harold Blum would make a great snitch.

#3: Comment by - (Unregistered, Swarthmore) 11/6/2009 at 12:14 p.m.

I second Harold Blum being a great snitch

#4: Comment by Argos (Unregistered, Swarthmore) 11/6/2009 at 1:12 p.m.

1) anyone who pays 80 bucks for a broom has a serious problem

2) earnest freshmen aaaaahhhh donotwant

#1: Comment by Kari Olmon (Unregistered, Swarthmore) 11/6/2009 at 10:36 a.m.

Just for clarification, the One Act Festival is Saturday @2 and Sunday @8 (not 2)

#2: Comment by Allie Lee (Editor) 11/6/2009 at 10:57 a.m.

Thanks, will change.

#29: Comment by Louis (Unregistered, Non-Swarthmore) 11/5/2009 at 10:36 a.m.

I still think that funding seminar breaks is a relevant request. One of the major problems I have faced has to do with Burke's suggestion of cultural capital. What you bring for a break, the kinds of foods you deem appropriate for break are major indicators of class themselves. On a fundamental level, someone who thinks chips from Essie Mae's are satisfactory will be seen as really different as the students who bring gourmet food from 320 Market. It all goes back to how we we're raised, the foods that were available to us. Particularly if there is a standard for high quality, expensive seminar breaks, I have certainly felt a tremendous amount of pressure to match that kind of break. Why should some students A)have feel this pressure, B) have to spend money they don't have or C) spend way more time than everyone else in making the food for cheep? Seminar breaks are too closely tied to academics in general to consider them a personal problem, Student Council and the administration should really take it upon themselves to create funds for breaks. And, there needs to be some function to pay "petty cash" up front so students who otherwise couldn't afford this food in the first place aren't faced with another uncomfortable challenge.

#30: Comment by Colin Purrington (Unregistered, Swarthmore) 11/5/2009 at 12:19 p.m.

Reading these posts has made me really hungry.

#31: Comment by Urooj Khan (Editor) 11/5/2009 at 2:41 p.m.

Hey, where can I sign up for the seminar breaks catered by 320 Market?

#32: Comment by . (Unregistered, Swarthmore) 11/5/2009 at 3:20 p.m.

If I recall correctly, some departments already have funds for breaks. In a socanth seminar, the professor payed us two pizzas on the last day and then was reimbursed.

#33: Comment by Not good enough... (Unregistered, Non-Swarthmore) 11/5/2009 at 4:03 p.m.

Like Burke wrote, it's not the school's responsibility to pay for gourmet study breaks because people want to show off. Swat goes out of its way to be fair and provide everyone with equal opportunities. But are you actually suggesting the college pay for seminars to have gourmet food? Because that honestly just seems ridiculous. You can also distinguish someone's class through the clothing he wears, but does that mean Swat should finance buying expensive brands? When it comes to the escalation, it seems like there are three options: 1) either accept that some people are going to try to show everybody up, 2) have the professor set a monetary limit on break prices (much as you have for gift exchanges), or 3) simply stop seminar breaks altogether.
Personally, I know there's no way in hell that I'm buying my seminar wine because I can't afford it, but if someone else wants to get me delicious food, I'm not complaining.

Also, in response to your statement ("Why should some students A)have feel this pressure, B) have to spend money they don't have or C) spend way more time than everyone else in making the food"): A) there's only so much the administration can or should do in combating peer pressure; B) I believe others have pointed out how to get food for free or inexpensively, and that professors probably won't force you to spend money you don't have; and C) with work study, it's an institutionalized policy that Swat will help you financially but you have to put more effort into it than your more privileged peers. Besides, baking chocolate chip cookies is not especially difficult or time consuming. Do it with your friends and it might even be fun!

I stand by my earlier point that class is important, but this particular issue isn't. If you don't have $20 to spare, I'm betting you have bigger concerns at Swat than seminar break. Maybe I'm wrong about this; maybe there's a large, silent minority of people who have serious difficulties under the current policy. But we haven't heard that perspective yet, so I'm disinclined to believe it's true.

#34: Comment by Louis (Unregistered, Non-Swarthmore) 11/5/2009 at 11:35 p.m.

sorry not good enough, but im busy paying for my books with that work study i have.

#35: Comment by R (Unregistered, Swarthmore) 11/6/2009 at 9:08 a.m.

The point of seminar breaks is to be fun. Really. It's not actually because we're hungry and need food. We could all go three hours without eating, and I'm sure we've all done it before.

We just don't want to, because seminar breaks are fun. We like bringing them, we like competing with them (we do; people really like showing off their baking skills/'taste'). I remember distinctly that my professor mentioned reimbursements when we were signing up for break. I am totally, totally not in agreement with the sharples idea. And honestly, bringing chips is probably not an indication of class. I would predict that in the vast, vast majority of the time, it is because that person forgot to go buy seminar break, so they were forced to sprint to Essie Mae's 2 minutes before class to go pick whatever thing up that they could get.
And I still don't judge that person, because I have totally been that person.

Why should we get rid of seminar breaks (or make people 'bring their own' which is a TERRIBLY un-fun idea), or get really lame ones provided by sharples, just because people are afraid of the threat that someone might not be able to write a private e-mail to their professor saying that they would like to be reimbursed for seminar break? We don't even know whether or not they would have trouble writing an e-mail (I guess this is where the 'there should have been reporting in this article' part comes in).

I know, I know, I'm privileged and perhaps a horrible person, blah, blah, but does this issue really have to ruin everyone's fun when it seems like there are already solutions anyway, provided by the department?

#36: Comment by Paula Dale (Unregistered, Swarthmore) 11/6/2009 at 9:41 a.m.

I totally agree with R.
If a student feels uncomfortable telling the professor that s/he doesn't have money for break, how about discussing it confidentially with the departmental Administrative Assistant? AAs can be incredibly creative and helpful, and they will know their department's budget for funding breaks.

#3: Comment by frances (Registered, Non-Swarthmore) 11/6/2009 at 5:05 a.m.

That was good. I do suggest that they give more part of the fund on education. Many families have been hit hard by recession as a result; many students are forced to stop from college. It made them harder to <a rev="vote for" title="Students Use Personal Loans to Fund College as Admission Changes" href="http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/11/02/personal-loans-fund-college/ ">fund college</a> because endowments have shrunk and the amount of financial aid continues to diminish. Add up the revision of the Institution of higher education in college admission policy and accepting fewer students that have greater need than others. Some have gotten job but it isn’t enough. That’s why I arrived suggesting for more fund in education.

#1: Comment by Peter '11 (Unregistered, Swarthmore) 11/5/2009 at 4:21 p.m.

So, what you're saying is that Kolodgy's music is perhaps best described as "experimental."

#2: Comment by Patrick (Unregistered, Non-Swarthmore) 11/5/2009 at 7:04 p.m.

i would describe it as pop punk.

#14: Comment by John Madden (Unregistered, Swarthmore) 11/5/2009 at 3:50 p.m.

“That wasn’t a boom! Al, that was more like a WACK!”

#7: Comment by Suzanne '10 (Unregistered, Swarthmore) 11/5/2009 at 11:14 a.m.

However, for those who did read the bulletin, there was a gem of an article on p8 that was reprinted from our very own Gazette. Apparently, the Easter Pennsylvania Rugby Union banned the Dash for Cash in 2002--think they know about Friday?

And, as always, Will, LOVED this article. Find me later to tell you about my cow-in-the-belltower story.

#8: Comment by :) (Unregistered, Swarthmore) 11/5/2009 at 2:48 p.m.

Love it.