Wes vs. Swarthmore

circuitrider
Sat, 15 Dec 2012 14:18:34 +0000

The social edge probably goes to Wesleyan. Even though both have their own small college bubbles, the bubble at Wesleyan is a little bigger. In terms of seriousness, it depends on what you mean? I think the average Swattie would be a little put off by the sheer amount of tomfoolery that goes on at Wesleyan: zombie vs. human warfare; an annual Primal Scream that takes place at midnight at the start of finals week; a day during which eveyone strips to their underwear in the main library; an annual April 20th photo-op at which literally half the school shows up at exactly 4:20 in the afternoon, holding joints. I mean, the list goes on, but why torture yourself.

Off campus, neither host town is much to write home about: Philadelphia’s Main Line is about as interesting as a Quaker meeting; and, I think it was John Wesley who once described Middletown as Wesleyan’s answer to Hogwarts’ Forbidden Forest, after dark. Swattie’s decompress by taking the train (conveniently located at the foot of campus) to Philadelphia. Wesleyan students have a jitney service to navigate the Forbidden Forest.