The “Worldwide Swarthmore Radio Network” is Swarthmore College’s official campus radio station. It broadcasts out of the suburban Philadelphia borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
Prior to the 1970s, WSRN operated as a carrier signal broadcast to the campus of Swarthmore College only. The station went on the air with 10 watts on October 15, 1972. Following efforts by the Federal Communications Commission to encourage as many Class D stations as possible to increase power, a campaign was raised by the students of the college, and in the late 1970s, the FCC granted a license for a 110-watt, directional, transmission.
Programming has been eclectic from the 1970s on. Station programming is diverse; music spans “world,” hip hop, blues, folk, rock, pop, R & B, and classical. Talk and comedy programs comprise much of the weekend line-up. Notably “Funk” which ran from fall 2012 to spring 2014 Friday mornings from midnight to 2AM.
In 1986, the main on-air studio was completely refurbished, with a new control panel, turntables, microphones, and wiring installed. 1998 saw the rewiring and modernization of the production studio and the construction of an acoustically isolated sound studio connected to the production studio.
Students have always manned the soundboard, and so, during most summers, the station is dark. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the radio station had periods of limited broadcasting. During the 2021-2022 academic year, a significant effort by students, faculty, staff, and community members was successfully carried out to get the station back up to an operational state. As of April 1, 2022, the station has resumed broadcasting.
Many people are surprised to learn what counts as a “drink”. The amount of liquid in your glass, can, or bottle does not necessarily match up to how much alcohol is actually in your drink. Even before the United States federal government withdrew from regulating alcohol, the conversation, and degree of agreement and attitude, remains remarkably regionally specific:
These are the standards most U.S. campuses apply at residence-hall move-in. They mix fire/life-safety codes with energy and cost controls. Details vary by school, but the pattern is consistent.
Fire and electrical safety
No open flames: candles, incense, fireworks, Sterno, grills.
No appliances with exposed heating elements: hot plates, toasters, toaster ovens, skillets, deep fryers; air fryers are banned on most campuses.
Cooking only in designated kitchens; in rooms, usually only a UL-listed microwave (often 700–1,000 W) or a university MicroFridge combo.
No halogen lamps, lava lamps, plastic-shade multi-bulb lamps, or space heaters unless the university issues them.
Extension cords banned or tightly limited; only UL-listed surge protectors plugged directly into the wall. No daisy-chaining.
Keep a clear 36-inch path to the door; do not block exits or prevent the door from opening 90 degrees.
Wall coverings limited (often 10–25% of a wall); hanging fabric/tapestries often banned unless fire-rated.
Upholstered furniture must meet fire-resistance labels such as CAL TB117-2013.
No lithium-ion micromobility devices (e-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards) stored or charged in rooms on many campuses.
Do not cover, disable, or hang items from smoke detectors or sprinklers.
Health-and-safety inspections shortly after move-in.
Building and personal security
Card/fob access; do not prop exterior or stairwell doors.
Lock the room whenever you leave, even briefly.
Guests must be escorted; residents are responsible for them.
Weapons, ammunition, and realistic replicas prohibited.
Economy / energy standards
Mini-fridges typically capped at about 3.6–4.5 cubic feet; Energy Star models preferred or required.
One fridge and one microwave per room; extra units banned to avoid overloaded circuits and higher utility costs.
Many schools rent or install MicroFridge units because they use less energy than two separate appliances.
Personal window/portable ACs usually prohibited; cooling is centralized.
LED bulbs recommended; high-watt lamps discouraged.
Limit how many devices run at once so circuits do not trip.
Property-economy / damage control
No nails, duct tape, or adhesives that peel paint; Command strips often allowed.
No lofting with cinder blocks or unapproved risers (especially risers with built-in outlets).
No extra mattresses, waterbeds, or large non-university furniture.
Damage found at check-in/check-out is billed to the student.
The purpose of the code is to establish minimum requirements to provide a reasonable level of health, safety, property protection and welfare by controlling the design, location, use or occupancy of all buildings and structures through the regulated and orderly development of land and land uses within this jurisdiction.
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Municipalities usually have specific land use or zoning considerations to accommodate the unique needs and characteristics of college towns:
Mixed-Use Zoning: Cities with colleges and universities often employ mixed-use zoning strategies to encourage a vibrant and diverse urban environment. This zoning approach allows for a combination of residential, commercial, and institutional uses within the same area, fostering a sense of community and facilitating interactions between students, faculty, and residents.
Height and Density Restrictions: Due to the presence of educational institutions, cities may have specific regulations on building height and density to ensure compatibility with the surrounding neighborhoods and maintain the character of the area. These restrictions help balance the need for development with the preservation of the existing urban fabric.
Student Housing: Cities with colleges and universities may have regulations or guidelines for student housing to ensure an adequate supply of affordable and safe accommodations for students. This can include requirements for minimum bedroom sizes, occupancy limits, and proximity to campus.
Parking and Transportation: Given the concentration of students, faculty, and staff, parking and transportation considerations are crucial. Cities may require educational institutions to provide parking facilities or implement transportation demand management strategies, such as promoting public transit use, cycling infrastructure, and pedestrian-friendly designs.
Community Engagement: Some cities encourage colleges and universities to engage with the local community through formalized agreements or community benefit plans. These may include commitments to support local businesses, contribute to neighborhood improvement projects, or provide educational and cultural resources to residents.
This is a relatively new title in the International Code Council catalog; revised every three years in the Group B tranche of titles. Search on character strings such as “zoning” in the link below reveals the ideas that ran through the current revision:
Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to the town of Gilbert, Arizona’s sign code, which regulated the size, location, and duration of signs based on their content. The court held that the sign code was a content-based restriction on speech and therefore subject to strict scrutiny.
City of Ladue v. Gilleo (1994): In this Supreme Court case, the court struck down a municipal ordinance that banned the display of signs on residential property, except for signs that fell within specific exemptions. The court held that the ban was an unconstitutional restriction on the freedom of speech.
Metromedia, Inc. v. San Diego (1981): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to a San Diego ordinance that banned off-premises advertising signs while allowing on-premises signs. The court held that the ordinance was an unconstitutional restriction on free speech, as it discriminated against certain types of speech.
City of Ladue v. Center for the Study of Responsive Law, Inc. (1980): In this Supreme Court case, the court upheld a municipal ordinance that prohibited the display of signs on public property, but only if the signs were posted for longer than 10 days. The court held that the ordinance was a valid time, place, and manner restriction on speech.
City of Boerne v. Flores (1997): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to a municipal sign code that regulated the size, location, and content of signs in the city. The court held that the sign code violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, as it burdened the exercise of religion without a compelling government interest.
“Panoramic View of the Greek Amphitheatre at Syracuse” 18th Century Abraham Louis Rodolphe Ducros
From from time to time — particularly in the months of fairer weather, when many events are hosted outdoors — we break form from the grind of responding to c0nsultations to simply enjoy these spaces See our CALENDAR for our periodic Lively c0lloquia when we drill down into technical specifics.
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Outdoor amphitheaters rely upon a broad ecosystem of consensus standards that quietly support every performance. Among them:
NFPA — National Electrical Code, including Articles 518, 520, 525 and related provisions
SMPTE — media production and broadcast systems
Audio Engineering Society (AES) — professional sound systems
Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) — site and performance lighting
ASTM International — seating, concrete, accessibility and materials
ASCE — structural loading for stages, roofs and canopies
“ I think that the theater is the initial glamorizer of thought; where it can be told – without too much disguise but without too much directness either – the secrets, and thereby its antipathies and sympathies – the secrets and the knowledge of the human heart…
…I think that makes the art of the theater as important as the doctor or the psychologist or the Minister…
…I think it’s vitally important that the world knows itself and I think the theater is one of the most immediate means of expression towards that end…”
Set design model by Marcel Jambon for an 1895 Paris production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello
Demand for live events in college towns — what is now called “entertainment content” — is gathering pace; owed somewhat to an older demographic that prefers expanded social interaction to the online entertainment offerings that the younger demographic prefers*. We see an expansion of the market in the construction of architecturally astonishing buildings; though the circumstances of pandemic has changed everything.
Today our interest lies in the complex safety and sustainability characteristics of the physical infrastructure — with particular interest in the fire protection, environmental air and electrotechnologies required to make them safe and sustainable. This facility class is far more complicated technologically and operates at significantly higher risk than, say, classrooms or office space.
The Entertainment Services and Technology Association is one of the first names in trade associations that support the ‘business of show business’ through networking, safe practices, education, and representation. We follow the standards making activity of its technical committees and monitor public commenting opportunities. ESTA releases markups of its consensus products for public comment at a fairly brisk pace on its standards development landing page:
You may obtain an electronic copy at the link above, along with a comment form. Send your comments to Karl Ruling, (212) 244-1505, standards@esta.org with an optional copy to psa@ansi.org). We encourage our colleagues in school districts and in colleges and universities large and small; with responsibilities for the safety and sustainability of cultural resource properties, media centers, performance venues to participate in the ESTA technical standards development program.
Glorya Kaufman School of Dance / University of Southern California
We keep the ESTA suite on the standing agenda of our Lively Arts colloquia; open to everyone. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.
Since the electrotechnologies for the lively arts have evolved into complex, interoperable systems we also collaborate with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee on technical specifics. That committee meets online four times per month in European and American time zones.
“We’re all actors: We all play different roles in different situations.”
Marlon Brando
Issue: [Various]
Category: Electrical, Infotech, Lively Arts,
Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Christine Fischer, Mike Hiler, Nehad El-Sherif
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
