It’s hard to throw a birthday party when everyone’s fighting. But the United States finds itself, uneasily, here. At Swarthmore, the exhibition American Communities 1776-2026, marking the historic milestone for the country, captured some threads on the discourse of democracy. The exhibition, on display through Sept. 3, is curated by Caitlin Goodman, an archivist at the Friends Historical Library, and Laura Melbourne, public service archivist of the Peace Collection.
Swarthmore’s global community is a snapshot of everything that lends to the cause of celebration in the U.S. — our diversity and our commitment to social equity and the pursuit of and access to knowledge. This unfolds in landscapes near and far, as well as in ones more nebulous and evolving, like harnessing rules for AI.
We reflect on Swarthmore’s role in leading the way during a time of disruption with Heather Rigney Shumaker ’91’s story on a Philadelphia hostel that provided shelter for Japanese Americans escaping internment.
We explore a project that traces the history of Swarthmore’s international students and how that cohort enriches the fabric of the College.
And lastly, the beautiful Crum photographed here by newly graduated Howard Wang ’26. Shaping and reshaping the edges of its banks, the waterway meanders through just a 0.3-square-mile portion of the 38-square-mile Crum Creek watershed.
This spring, staff, students, faculty, and citizens volunteered to clean it, amassing approximately 80 bags of garbage and invasive plant species.
“The annual Crum Creek Cleanup is critical to protecting not only Swarthmore College’s portion of the Crum Creek watershed, but also the broader ecosystem downstream,” says Beck Armstrong, assistant horticulture supervisor. By removing pollution, reducing harm to wildlife, and helping preserve the largest cold water fishery and native trout population among three local creeks, this effort has a lasting environmental impact and contributes to the health of our local waterways, she says.
All of our efforts can have an impact, often unseen. In these pages, be inspired by how Swarthmore takes on that challenge daily. That is also a milestone worth celebrating.
Kate Campbell
Editor
