A man with a past
Swarthout grew up in New York City. The interests of his mother, a social worker, and his father, a high school history teacher, have shaped and continue to shape Swarthout's own interests. "A lot of my interest in history comes from my father," said Swarthout, a history major. The rest of Swarthout's family has also influenced his interests. "My love of the outdoors comes from spending time with my grandparents in northern Minnesota," he said. "My interest in cooking stems from cooking with my mother."
As a student at Hunter College High School in Manhattan, N.Y., Swarthout explored many activities. "I played soccer, wrote for the yearbook, did high school debate, and did some drama," he said. When thinking about college, Swarthout knew that he wanted to go to a school with a student population that was small, like Hunter's; Swarthout also wanted access to the outdoors, which meant something more rural than Hunter's Upper East Side setting. "I knew I wanted a small campus, a small community. I wanted something that was not urban after having grown up in New York City," he said. "So I guess I wanted Amherst."
Environmental politics
Once he arrived at the College, Swarthout thought that he might want to write for The Amherst Student. "However, I chose another direction when I got involved in MassPIRG my freshman year," he said. "I was really engaged by that. It was a combination of my interest in government and politics and my love of the environment."
As Swarthout describes the Massachusetts branch of a set of organizations called Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG), he lights up. The passion he feels toward MassPIRG and the causes for which the organization fights is obvious, not only through his years of service, but also in the expression of joy on his face when he discusses his involvement with it.
Although PIRG may be widely thought of as an environmental organization, it was founded with the hope of addressing broader issues. College students in the 1970s started PIRG hoping to address their unhappiness with issues like corporate fraud and environmental abuse. "They were agitated about issues like corporate fraud so they decided to [have schools in each state] pool their resources statewide so that they could hire advocates to help them work on issues they cared about," said Swarthout. "The whole idea has always been working for issues that are in the public interest, like clean air issues and hidden bank fee rip-offs. The group is for public interest, against special interest." Currently, PIRG boasts 23 chapters in Massachusetts and student chapters in 16 states.
Swarthout immediately became very involved with MassPIRG on campus, at the state level and eventually at the national and international levels. "I became the chapter chair the second semester of my freshman year and worked on state-wide energy policies," he said. In addition, Swarthout has been a member of the Executive Board of the MassPIRG Board of Directors for the past three years. Swarthout was the chair of the board for two of those years. "The Board helps develop the budget, the vision and the plans of the organization," he explained.
As chair of the MassPIRG Board of Directors, Swarthout was also a member of the Board of Directors for USPIRG. "USPIRG is the colloquial name for the national lobbying arm of all state PIRGs," explains Swarthout. Additionally, Swarthout has been a member of the National Student Forum of USPIRG for the past 2.5 years. During his senior year, Swarthout was the chair of the Forum as well as the vice chair and treasurer of USPIRG.
While in England for MassPIRG, working to prevent drilling in the Arctic, Swarthout's history background provided inspiration. Swarthout and his group wanted to showcase their large inflatable caribou, Cara, to represent the animals who would be harmed if the drilling were to occur. However, the group was unsure where they could display Cara. Swarthout had a creative suggestion. "I remembered a history class in which I learned that the Sex Pistols performed on a boat outside of Parliament in the late 1970s as a media stunt, as a way to get attention for their album release," said Swarthout. "I suggested putting Cara in a boat and floating her up the river so that the media can take pictures of her." Swarthout's suggestion may have been a joke, but it worked perfectly. "We floated Cara up the river and the picture made it into the London Financial Times.
Cristina Morales '06, co-president of MassPIRG, emphasizes Swarthout's commitment to the organization and his wonderful character. "Luke is always very professional and very dedicated to the Amherst chapter [of MassPIRG], the larger organization, and the issues that he works on," she said. "As a person, Luke is someone whom I admire and respect for his determination and dedication to whatever mission he takes on. His enthusiasm is contagious, motivating others to challenge themselves as well."
A student representative
In addition to his work with MassPIRG, Swarthout has been an active and influential member of the student government. "I became interested in student government because it seemed like it was an opportunity to provide a voice to the students," said Swarthout. "A lot of what I do with MassPIRG is giving a voice to the students."
During his sophomore year, there was extensive discussion of revamping the student government constitution. Swarthout became part of the Student Government Organization (SGO) by organizing a write-in campaign. "I didn't want to be on the SGO, but I wanted to be part of the committee that was changing the constitution, and I could not be on that committee unless I was a senator," said Swarthout. "So I became a senator and then I forced my way onto the SGO constitution committee."
Several important changes resulted from the work of the constitution committee. Perhaps the most obvious change was in the name of the student government body, from SGO to Association of Amherst Students (AAS). Swarthout explained that AAS was an clear choice. "The idea of association seemed right and you need to say the name of the college and mention the students," he said.
Additionally, Swarthout feels that the changes led to better representation of the student body. "We established the senate as something that is directly elected by students. There is someone to speak for them and represent them," he said. "What I cared about was having an institution that could think about doing things for the student body. We don't need someone to govern us, we need representation." Swarthout's involvement with the student government continued throughout his junior and senior years as well.
Swarthout's involvement in student government will have long-lasting effects. "Luke has been an amazing asset to student government at Amherst and he will be sorely missed," said AAS President Ryan Park '05. "As one of the principle authors of our current constitution and one of the chief visionaries of the current structure of the AAS, Luke has been indispensable to our organization. He's a guy that I looked up to when I started getting involved in AAS and I am indebted to him for all the help and guidance he's given me over the past two years."
Searching for the future
Of his many activities on campus, Swarthout believes that his work with the presidential search committee was one of the most interesting. Swarthout characterizes the experience as "one of the most formative experiences of college." The committee was composed of another student, professors, alumni and trustees. "We were engaged in finding a person who will have the single greatest influence in the years to come at an institution about which we all care," said Swarthout. "I felt like it was a seminar in life with brilliant, fascinating people. I have never been as engaged or respected in any other committee."
Associate Dean of the Faculty Rick Griffiths, also a member of the presidential search committee, raved about Swarthout's dedication and principles. "He's smart, he's diplomatic, he works from an amazingly well-considered value system," said Griffiths. "I got to know him on the presidential search committee, on which he was a pivotal influence. Now that I've gone over to the dark side-the administration-he still takes my calls-though less often."
However, it is through the description given by his friends that Swarthout's true character is revealed. "He is an insufferable Yankees fan and the prototypical uncompromising, breakneck-paced New Yorker," said Eric Gettig '04. "Despite, and maybe even because of all of this, Luke is a genuinely decent, honest, and likeable guy. ... Those of us who are lucky enough to know him well know that he is deep down just a goofball who, by his own considerable effort, has managed to make himself truly respectable."
Having left an indelible mark on the College, Swarthout plans to continue his environmental work after Amherst with the State PIRG. "For the next two years, I am taking a job with the PIRG fellows program," he said. "I am going to be the State PIRGs' higher education associate in Washington D.C., lobbying for more access to and increased affordability of higher education."
"I have been privileged to see the inner workings of Amherst and I think that higher education is incredibly important and under attack-some intentional and some by the forces of increased cost," said Swarthout. "It is a higher problem and we need people to stand up and speak reason and truths about the importance of affordable higher education."
Swarthout is thoughtful and reflective about what he might do after his two years working for State PIRG. "Two years ago I would never have guessed this is where I would be. I have done exceptionally well by just being open to new opportunities," he said. "That is why in five or 10 or 20 or 50 years I know that I will be making social change, but I have no idea what my job title will be."