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parlor talkGiving seems to be on everyone's mind at this time of year. In church lastSunday, we were asked to make a special contribution to UNICEF. Ourminister spoke briefly about the many good works of this internationalorganization and urged us to put an extra check in the offering plate—or, he said,“You can just forget about the IRS and drop in a crisp $100 bill.” For some reason,he always tries to elicit a chuckle from the congregation at offering time—but theneed itself is real.In November, The New York Times published a 42-page special section on philanthropy,covering everything from Katrina relief to new models for attacking poverty.It reported that, according to the Council for Aid to Education, colleges and universitiesreceived more than $25 billion in private philanthropy during fiscal 2005.Stanford University led the way with $604 million—part of a $4.3 billion campaigngoal announced in October.Swarthmore is now concluding a successful campaign with a much more modestgoal of $230 million. The Meaning of Swarthmore has already had an enormousimpact on the College's ability to continueto educate the extraordinary kindsthe meaning ofofAs a fund-raisingcampaign, The Meaningof Swarthmore is over.But Swarthmore willcontinue to have meaningin the lives of studentsand alumni—and increating a better world.people who are often featured in thismagazine. By the campaign's conclusionon Dec. 31, the total amount raised willbe well over $240 million—more than$30 million of which has come fromcontributions to the Annual Fund.On campus, everyone knows that anew campaign for an even largeramount is just over the horizon, butwhy? After you have read the news, features,and Class Notes in this issue, Iurge you to study the report attached topage 9. In this succinct annual statementof the College's financial position,Vice President for Finance and Treasurer Suzanne Welsh shows that, net of financialaid, revenues from student charges provide just 36 percent of the College's totalincome. In recent years, the College's endowment has begun to provide a greaterproportion of total revenue than tuition, fees, room, and board—up to 43 percent infiscal 2006.Another fact: In the same year, again excluding financial aid, the College spent$73,691 to educate one student. With student charges at $41,280 and half of all studentsreceiving College scholarships (the average grant was $22,681), it is clear thatSwarthmore's $1.3 billion endowment is the foundation of its excellence. And wheredid this significant sum come from? Philanthropy has been its constant source, andcareful management over many years has led both to its growth and its continuingability to provide the highest quality education today and into the future. (Readmore about the endowment, investment strategy, and spending policy in Vice PresidentWelsh's report.)As a fund-raising campaign, The Meaning of Swarthmore is over. But Swarthmorewill continue to have meaning in the lives of students and alumni; in leadingAmerican liberal arts education; and—in ways large and small—in creating a betterworld. And without a doubt, it will also continue to pass the collection plate.—Jeffrey Lott2:swarthmore college bulletinswarthmoreSwarthmoreC O L L E G E B U L L E T I NEditor: Jeffrey LottAssociate Editor: Carol Brévart-DemmClass Notes Editor: Susan Cousins BreenStaff Photographer: Eleftherios KostansDesktop Publishing: Audree PennerArt Director: Suzanne DeMott Gaadt,Gaadt Perspectives LLCAdministrative Assistant:Janice Merrill-RossiInterns: Lauren Stokes ’09,Lena Wong ’10Editor Emerita:Maralyn Orbison Gillespie ’49Contacting Swarthmore CollegeCollege Operator: (610) 328-8000www.swarthmore.eduAdmissions: (610) 328-8300admissions@swarthmore.eduAlumni Relations: (610) 328-8402alumni@swarthmore.eduPublications: (610) 328-8568bulletin@swarthmore.eduRegistrar: (610) 328-8297registrar@swarthmore.eduWorld Wide Webwww.swarthmore.eduChanges of AddressSend address label alongwith new address to:Alumni Records OfficeSwarthmore College500 College AvenueSwarthmore PA 19081-1390Phone: (610) 328-8435. Or e-mail:alumnirecords@swarthmore.edu.The Swarthmore College Bulletin (ISSN0888-2126), of which this is volume CIV,number 4, is published in August, September,December, March, and June,with a special issue in September, bySwarthmore College, 500 College Avenue,Swarthmore PA 19081-1390. Periodicalspostage paid at Swarthmore PA andadditional mailing offices. Permit No.0530-620. Postmaster: Send addresschanges to Swarthmore College Bulletin,500 College Avenue, Swarthmore PA19081-1390. © 2006 Swarthmore CollegePrinted in U.S.A.
lettersHYSTERIA OR MERE MCGUILT?I wanted to thank Josef Joffe ’65 for “Americathe Ubiquitous” (Sept. Bulletin). He hasconvinced me that they (as in the rest ofthe world) don’t “hate us for our freedom”—it’sjust that they feel guilty aboutloving McDonald’s so much. NothingAmerica does can affect this relationship,so the only rational course is to proceedunilaterally.I also agree that it was perverse whenmillions of people around the worldprotested against our war of preemption.Pure hysteria. These America-haters couldn’tyet have known that the case for warwas based on lies.But imagine my surprise when I discoveredat the end of the article that this moderate,rational voice happens to be a fellowat the Hoover Institute. Could this beanother desperate attempt of the neoconservativesto regain their credibility afterthe disaster(s) that their brief but totalpolitical dominance has brought about?No, that’s probably just the anti-imperialistin me “find[ing] any proof that justifies[my] prejudice.”WILLIAM WANJOHI ’05Brooklyn, N.Y.CONSIDER THE SOURCEJosef Joffe’s insightful article “America theUbiquitous” describes a world fearful andenvious of—and repelled by—the UnitedStates, yet intensely desirous of Americanculture and artifacts. This disconnectresults from a failure to understand thesource of the Levis and McDonalds, of theWindows and Macs, of the jazz and lightbulbs, and of airplanes and televisions.These artifacts can—and indeed do—spread globally. But like the man fed a fishinstead of learning to fish, the continuedcreation of such cultural icons and the fantasticwealth they represent cannot occurin places where people are not politically,spiritually, and economically free. Unfortunately,this describes much of the world,including many of the regions exhibitinganti-Americanism.If, as Joffe writes, “Europe—indeed,most of the world—also wants what Americahas,” it should adopt the fundamentalthings America has: limited government,a bill of rights, the rule of law, sovereigntyof the people. Then, it can enjoy all of theepiphenomena that will result. Infantileenvy may be the psychological explanationof anti-Americanism, but it is still a puerilereflex.Like anti-Semitism and racism, anti-Americanism is an indictment of the hater,not of the object of his hate.STEVEN ADLER ’76SeattleTHE HUMAN FAMILYI was touched by Dahlia Wasfi’s [’93]account of her reactions to the Iraq wars(“For Now, They Struggle,” June 2006 Bulletin).I felt much sympathy with heranguish. I was dismayed to learn that therewas an outbreak of flag waving and prowaratmosphere on Swarthmore’s campusduring the 1990 Gulf War, when Wasfi wasa student. One would expect a morethoughtful and perceptive response. It isexasperating that the human family, towhich every one of us belongs, cannotlearn to resolve its differences nonviolently,and indeed, shows little interest in doingso. Why do we prefer to kill each other?JUDITH INSKEEP ’60White Plains, N.Y.THE ESSENCE OF SWARTHMOREIt was good to read that the current HonorsProgram at Swarthmore pleases manystudents. (“Life in Honors,” SeptemberBulletin). But what was described is a verydifferent experience from what I knew in1950–1952 as a student and again in thelate 1970s as a visiting honors examiner.The essence of Swarthmore blossomedfor me in its Honors Program, which wasthe College's unique contribution to Americanhigher education. President FrankAydelotte, who created it in 1924, thoughtof it as a way of breaking what he called theacademic lockstep. During our junior andsenior years, we studied in small seminars—inmy case, with between six andeight students each. Two seminars persemester was the norm. Although Aydelottehad modeled the program on the Oxfordtutorial system, he wisely prescribed seminarsinstead of individual tutorials. Theyhad room for individual expression anddevelopment, but within a framework ofcollaborative effort. We wrote and distributedpapers that formed the takeoff pointfor our discussions. If you managed youramericathe überpowerschedule carefully, you would write onepaper each week. I wrote more than 50such essays—all of which were analyzed bymy teachers and fellow students.The separation of grading from teachingwas essential to our Honors Program'ssuccess. Professors became our senior partners;we studied because we wanted tolearn, not to meet any external standard orteachers' expectations. That was the lockstepthat Aydelotte broke.In the 1980s, the Honors Program cameunder sharp criticism—in part because itwas not open to all students, but alsobecause some wanted options the programdid not include, such as the study-abroadadventure. I was invited to join a group offaculty members and alumni to evaluate theprogram. I was a stalwart defender ofmaintaining honors as it was, while gettingrid of its elitist taint by making it availableto all who wanted to enter it. This view wasrejected and honors was changed to sixseminars mixed with four graded courses. Ifeared this would lead to the eventual guttingof the system. It did. In 1996, Swarthmorehonors changed again. Seminars—which would be graded—were reduced tofour, mixed with four graded courses.These reforms effectively ended Aydelotte'sdream of breaking the academiclockstep. Swarthmore retains its high rankingamong liberal arts colleges—and westill send our annual contributions—butits distinguishing characteristic has beenfatally compromised. I sorely regret its lossand treasure even more my own Swarthmoreexperience.PAUL GASTON '52Charlottesville, Va.december 2006 : 3
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Page 19 and 20: translationBy Elizabeth Redden ’0
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Page 23 and 24: JEFF BARBEE/BLACK STARHe says he no
Page 25: JEFF BARBEE/BLACK STAR“Last night
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Page 36 and 37: CHARLIE MAYERCHARLIE MAYERLUKE DIST
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Centennial Professor Emerita of Cla
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TRUTH

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