On November 1, 1918, Swarthmorean readers learned that there had been only two influenza deaths in the borough, “a fact which speaks well for the place and its fine force of doctors.” As of this writing (Tuesday morning, March 31, 2020), there are seven confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Swarthmore and no deaths. The Swarthmorean survived the 1918 pandemic, and we plan to survive this one too, with your help.
In November, a friend jokingly told me the apocalypse was coming. Now just a few months later, that joke feels all too real. While there are no zombies, our new normal is unsettling. As we struggle to figure out a new routine for ourselves and our housebound families, the big question floating around is “What now?”
“A fine new roof is going on Mr. F. Sauter’s house on Dickinson Avenue.” That quote comes from the News Notes section of a 1920 issue of the Swarthmorean. Back then, News Notes consisted of seemingly mundane details about the lives of people in Swarthmore. In other words, the “News Notes” section — or the “Personals” as it would be called by the 1940s — looked a bit like a Facebook or Instagram feed does today.
This aspirational edition of the community calendar comprises a collection of events we wish were happening this week.
The Swarthmore Centennial Foundation is extending the deadline for applications for its Edmund Jones Scholarship until April 15. This $6,000 scholarship is awarded every year to a high school senior who resides in Swarthmore. It is awarded based on scholarship, community service, and citizenship.
March 8 seemed to mark the official wake-from-hibernation day for reptiles and amphibians, as Greg Hoy and Marie Koethe, both of Swarthmore, submitted photographs of an eastern ribbon snake and three wood frogs, respectively. Marie reports that her frogs had already deposited egg sacs!
This article was written to coincide with the opening of “Gin Game” at the Hedgerow Theatre — an opening that has been indefinitely postponed because of the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the actors, Penelope Reed and Zoran Kovcic, are still rehearsing. Here is the story of their preparation.
