Crisp fall weather and magnificent foliage welcomed alumni, families, and friends back to campus for Garnet Weekend 2022, Oct. 28–29. For the first time since 2019, visitors enjoyed a full weekend of events — including open houses, tours, Garnet Athletics, and faculty lectures — plus the dedication of Maxine Frank Singer ’52 Hall and a ribbon cutting for the new Dining Center. Perennial favorites such as the Garnet Tailgate and the President’s Reception rounded out a joyful homecoming and family weekend.
Returning after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the ninth Garnet Athletics Hall of Fame Class was inducted over the weekend. On Saturday, Swarthmore Women’s Soccer marked their 40th anniversary with a celebration in the Matchbox. Also on Saturday, Swarthmore College women's swimming team defeated Washington College during their home opener while Swarthmore Volleyball capped off the regular season with a 3-0 victory over Haverford, marking an eight-game winning streak and securing the second seed in the Centennial Tournament.
The weekend also included outstanding lectures from faculty, alumni, and notable experts. President and CEO of Common App Jenny Rickard ’86 gave this year’s McCabe Lecture , “Increasing Equity in the College Admission Process.” In her talk, Rickard discussed how the college admissions process is fraught with systemic inequities. Through the lens of Common App data, she highlighted where those inequities exist and shared some promising approaches to leveling the playing field.
Richter Professor Emerita Carol Nackenoff joined investigative journalist Joshua Prager to discuss his new book, The Family Roe: An American Story during the annual Gilbert Lecture . Prager and Nackenoff examined the five decades of struggle that brought us to where we are today while considering what a post-Roe future might look like.
Daniel Laurison ’99 , associate professor of sociology, discussed his new book Producing Politics: Inside the Exclusive Campaign World Where the Privileged Few Shape Politics for All of Us . During his lecture, Laurison shared research which suggests that U.S. political campaigns are largely run by a set of professionals with virtually the same backgrounds and credentials.
