common good

Top Notch

Construction worker finishing up the forthcoming Dining and Community Commons (DCC) building

The College held a “topping-off” ceremony this fall as the final beam was placed atop the forthcoming Dining and Community Commons (DCC) building. The moment marked a key milestone in the DCC’s ongoing progress. Placing the final, tallest beam “is part of the sequence that will allow us to close the building in, and to move to the next stage of this project,” says Susan Smythe, senior project manager and ADA program coordinator. It is a time to celebrate the efforts of a dedicated construction crew, Smythe adds, and an act that symbolizes good fortune for those who will one day live and work in this space. “I found it both moving and inspiring, and everyone on the site was very excited,” she says. Phase 1 of the project is expected to be completed this summer. See the beam: bit.ly/DCCbeam

Game On

by Holly Leber Simmons

Sam Lebryk ’17 and Steve Sekula ’17 first bonded over gaming — both video and trading-card — as roommates in the Dana Hall basement. “That was a great way for us to build our friendship at Swarthmore,” says Lebryk.

Sekula, the more serious player, introduced Lebryk to competitive gaming like Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon. “I made my own card games growing up,” he says.

After graduation, Sekula, a studio art major with minors in computer science and art history, decided to try his hand at designing a game. He came up with Gem Blenders, an expandable card game inspired by trading-card games like Yu-Gi-Oh! or the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. With Lebryk living in Miami and Sekula in Richboro, Pa., they stayed connected through online games. Lebryk was instrumental in helping Sekula test the early incarnations of Gem Blenders, and they soon decided to team up to move the effort forward.

“Without Sam’s support, creating Gem Blenders wouldn’t have gotten to where it is today,” Sekula says.

“Steve is more of the creative side; I’m more operational,” Lebryk says.

In Gem Blenders, 2-4 players each build a customized deck of cards and face off against each other. Through beta testing, Lebryk and Sekula found that Gem Blenders even appeals to people who are not familiar with trading-card or expandable card games. In November 2019, they launched a Kickstarter, raising just over $8,600, with support from family, friends, and people they met doing demos.

The first inventory shipped in November 2020.

They also added David Wurtele ’17 to the team. With a major in computer science and minors in linguistics and Japanese, Wurtele has been invaluable when it comes to coding.

Sekula and Lebryk have high hopes. Once again roommates, the business partners live in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. They work day jobs — Sekula in a restaurant, Lebryk at an investment firm — but they treat Gem Blenders like a full-time job. “I want to build a community, expand the card game, and continue making cards,” says Sekula. “Then build the brand, maybe make a video game.”

“As Gem Blenders matures, there are different avenues available,” Lebryk says. “Because card games are such a big part of our friendship in general, that’s something I want to continue.

“Swarthmore encourages entrepreneurship. You really do get a strong mix of coursework that challenges how you approach problems. That flexibility lends well to trying to do something on your own.”

laurence kesterson

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