When the College's iconic Parrish Hall was gutted by fire in 1881, it was immediately rebuilt, symbolically rising from the ashes like the bird found in Egyptian and Greek mythology.
Soon after, The Phoenix was established as the campus newspaper of Swarthmore College,[3] publishing its first issue on December 1st, 1881.
[7] With an early staff that often numbered fewer than 10, The Phoenix was first published monthly, then moved to a bi-weekly schedule in 1894; it is now published weekly with a staff of more than 40 editors, reporters, and columnists.
[8] In 2019, documents leaked by The Phoenix helped lead to the disbanding of Greek life at Swarthmore.
[12] Ranked fifth in disability coverage among liberal arts college newspapers in 2023.