The inauguration of Rebecca Chopp as the 14th president of Swarthmore College took place on May 8, 2010. This photo montage, featuring music from the arts performance on May 7, 2010 and a portion of Rebecca Chopp's inaugural address, takes you through the weekend's events.

During "Leadership, Liberal Arts, and the Common Good," the inaugural symposium held before the installation ceremony on May 8, panels of experts discussed two critical arenas: reimagining civil discourse and developing the policies and practices that will sustain the earth. They explored these topics within the context of defining and affirming the leadership role that Swarthmore College and liberal arts education can, must, and will play in understanding and enhancing the common good.

On the evening of Friday, May 7, a program of arts performances was held featuring Swarthmore alumni and faculty entitled, "A Celebration of Community: Performances in Honor of Rebecca Chopp's Inauguration as 14th President of Swarthmore College." The evening featured, theater, and music performances as well as poetry readings.

The installation ceremony focused on the leadership role that the College should play in an increasingly divided, clamorous, and dysfunctional world. Liberal arts education has never been more relevant nor endowed with such a profound duty to produce students who have developed the capacity to think critically and who will go on to use that skill in all walks of life-whether as scientists, humanists, engineers, or business people. The skill of critical thinking-linked to that of ethical judgment-is essential for leadership and equips graduates to set their own paths as responsible citizens toward shaping a more inclusive, just, and compassionate world.