Blue skies and sunshine, and one stray shower, provided a perfect setting for 1,400 alumni and their families to celebrate their reunions during Alumni Weekend, June 5–7. Highlights included the annual Parade of Classes; Alumni Collection featuring Collection Speaker Sean Decatur ’90; an alumni choral reading of Mozart’s Requiem, directed by John Alston H’15; and SwatTalks, short faculty lectures by Associate Professor of English Literature Rachel Sagner Buurma ’99, Scheuer Family Professor of Humanities Michael Cothren, and Assistant Professor of Developmental Biology Brad Davidson ’90 on the theme of "What Lies Beneath?" 

During Collection, David Ko ’92 was recognized for his service as president of the Alumni Association with the passing of the gavel to Janet Erlick ’88. Alumni award winners, recognized for their service to the College, their communities, and their fields, included John Harbeson ’60, winner of the Joseph B. Shane Alumni Service Award; Bruce Hahne ’90 and Arlene Zarembka ’70, who both received the Arabella Carter Community Service Award; and David Baltimore ’60 and Andy van Dam ’60, who both received the Eugene Lang ’38 Impact Award. 

Throughout the weekend alumni attended panels, engaged in discussions, and took part in fun activities. Twenty alumni joined Greg Loring-Albright ’10 for Speakeasy, a social-deduction, murder-mystery game. Associate Professor of Political Science Dominic Tierney, Gregg Davis ’80, and Tim Hoyt ’82 comprised a panel to discuss “War, Peace, and Security in the 21st Century.” The Hess Terrace, a beautiful outdoor space at The Matchbox, was dedicated in honor of the late Eleanor Kay “Pete” Hess, professor of physical education at Swarthmore from 1957 to 1990.