Swarthmore, the Police, and the Pursuit of Perfection

Swarthmore, the Police, and the Pursuit of Perfection

Rachel Pastan
Editorial

A few weeks ago, I went to a meeting where the borough council’s Public Safety Committee discussed police-community relations. Chief Stufflet, Mayor Marty Spiegel, and Swarthmore resident and sociologist Virginia Adams O’Connell came to the meeting to report on conversations they’ve been having about Swarthmore police policies, training, and attitudes. I like to think that Swarthmore is small enough and has enough resources and good will that it comes as close as any town could to being perfectible. Doubtless that’s a romantic notion. But I’m guessing I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Scheming to Stay Connected

Scheming to Stay Connected

Jeremy Peyton Jones

While I’m excited about going back to in-person school on October 12, I also know that about half of my class is going to still be going to school virtually, so I won’t be able to see them. I’m bracing myself for it to be tough: We’re going to have to be in a class without any contact, and we’ll always be under strict rules and schedules made by the school. There will be no uncharted time for us to just be kids for a moment.

Chester Children’s Chorus Makes Music Where They Can

Chester Children’s Chorus Makes Music Where They Can

Rachel Pastan

Chester Children’s Chorus director John Alston and six teenaged sopranos are sitting under a canopy outside the chorus’s Park Avenue office in Swarthmore. Their metal folding chairs, draped with jackets and purses, are spaced 6 feet apart. This is only their second in-person rehearsal since COVID-19 shut them down in March. “When we shut down,” Alston recalls, “we were the best choir we’ve ever been. We had never sung with so much polish, understanding, and confidence.”

Back Issues: Out of Their League

Back Issues: Out of Their League

Laurie Bernstein
Back Issues, The Swarthmorean

Retired history professor and former Swarthmore resident Laurie Bernstein has been busying herself during the pandemic by cataloging the articles in back issues of the Swarthmorean. Starting with Volume I, Number 1 from 1929, when the Swarthmore News changed its name to the Swarthmorean, Bernstein is slowly working her way forward. From time to time, we will reprint an article she selects from our archives with her commentary.

Great Flowering Plants for the Fall

Great Flowering Plants for the Fall

Andrew Bunting
In the Garden

Today I thought I would walk around Swarthmore to see what interesting perennials are in flower this time of year in the town’s many great residential gardens. Most years, in the Delaware River Valley, we expect good flowering throughout October. Some years, flowering extends well into November.

The View From Here: Recent College Grads at Home

The View From Here: Recent College Grads at Home

Rachel Carp
Essay

As recent college graduates, my Strath Haven High School classmates and I had very different visions for 2020 than the pandemic-ravaged world we live in now. We pictured ourselves moving into new apartments in new cities, turning over new leaves and sipping the sweet nectar of adult independence. We pictured ourselves heading to Target for professional blazers and slacks to dress-to-impress at our real adult jobs. But, as things have turned out, our “new apartments” look awfully similar to our childhood bedrooms, and we can get by just fine without the slacks.

Market’s Rosen Goes Out a Winner

Market’s Rosen Goes Out a Winner

Rachel Pastan

Market Manager Andy Rosen is thrilled that his team has been able to run the market safely in the midst of the pandemic. Even with vendors and shoppers in masks — and even though lingering to chat is discouraged — people have reported feeling a sense of community at the market.

Former NP Commissioner to Fill Board Vacancy

Former NP Commissioner to Fill Board Vacancy

Rachel Pastan
WSSD School Board

The Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board selected Matthew Sullivan to fill the vacant board position in Region 2 at its September 29 meeting. Four candidates, including a physician and a recent graduate of Strath Haven High School, put themselves forward for the post. Sullivan replaces Damon Orsetti who resigned last month.

Council Looks to Study Attitudes on Swarthmore Police

Council Looks to Study Attitudes on Swarthmore Police

Rachel Pastan

What are the Swarthmore Police Department’s policies and procedures? When are officers permitted to use force? If they do, how do they report it, and to whom? Are officers trained in de-escalation? Swarthmore resident Virginia Adams O’Connell attended borough council’s Public Safety Committee meeting last week to talk about ways to answer these and similar questions for the Swarthmore community.

Something to Watch: ‘The Social Dilemma’

Something to Watch: ‘The Social Dilemma’

Guest User

With so many restrictions on meeting in person, virtual interaction has become a large part of our lives. Zoom calls and social media are how we stay connected. We know that the screen can’t really take the place of sharing space with people. But beyond being a lackluster substitute for time spent together without the aid of technology, are there dangers we should be aware of? The new documentary “The Social Dilemma” explores this question.

Voting Briefing

Voting Briefing

Swarthmorean Staff
Politics

More voting information for the upcoming election. October 19 is the last day to register to vote. Also, if voting by mail, don’t leave your ballot naked. In Pennsylvania, mail-in ballots must be first enclosed in a secrecy envelope to guarantee confidentiality, then in the return mailing [“declaration”] envelope. Ballots missing their secrecy envelopes will not be counted.

Delco Drive-In Movie Weekend

Delco Drive-In Movie Weekend

Swarthmorean Staff

Four drive-in movies will be shown this weekend in Rose Tree Park. Geared to families, the series is “a fun and safe activity for residents of all ages,” according to Delaware County Councilwoman Elaine Paul Schaefer. “We’re excited to offer our residents a fun night out while still keeping them safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Pollinator-Friendly Bulbs at SHS Sale

Pollinator-Friendly Bulbs at SHS Sale

Swarthmorean Staff

On Saturday, October 10, the Swarthmore Horticultural Society will hold its annual Bulb Sale. The variety of beautiful spring-blooming bulbs will add early pops of color and texture to every garden space. This month is the perfect time to plant bulbs: the soil temperature is cooling but freezing temperatures have not set in. This year’s 11 selections offer a wide variety of color and bloom time, and many attract butterflies and bees as part of SHS’s continued mission of encouraging everyone to plant pollinator-friendly flowers and shrubs.

Let the Good Wines Flow

Let the Good Wines Flow

Rachel Pastan
Local Business

Mushroom strudel. Citrus-cured salmon. “Duck duet” risotto. Those were some of the dishes on the menu when Village Vine, Swarthmore’s first-ever wine bar and bistro, celebrated its grand opening last week. On the wine list: selections from Italy, Turkey, Chile, and upstate New York, among many other places. For owners Lori Knauer and Jill Gaieski, opening day was a long time coming.

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