With a gorgeous spring weekend as a backdrop, alumni, families, and friends gathered on campus from May 30 through June 2 to celebrate Alumni Weekend 2024. The reunion theme, “You Are Here,” asked attendees to ponder how their individual Swarthmore stories and experiences remain a foundational part of Swarthmore, despite significant changes on campus — such as the opening of Sharples Commons and the ambitious projects of To Zero by Thirty Five — and changes in their own lives. Over 1,300 guests filled campus and members of the Classes of 1953 through 2022 took part in the festivities, including the annual Parade of Classes.
Friday kicked off with tours, open houses, and gatherings across campus. In the afternoon, federal judge Jed S. Rakoff ’64, H’03 moderated a panel discussion titled “Distrust of Science in America and What Can Be Done About It.” Panelists included Nobel Prize-winner David Baltimore ’60, H’76, sociologist Arlie Hochschild ’62, computer scientist Peter Weinberger ’64, and Swarthmore Professor and History Department Chair Timothy Burke. Later in the evening, attendees honored one of Swarthmore’s most notable music majors, the late Peter Schickele ’57, H’80 and his alter ego, P.D.Q. Bach, with an all-alumni musical tribute. Guests closed out the evening by celebrating under the stars at the annual all-alumni party.
During Saturday's Alumni Collection, Alumni Council President Ayanna Johnson ’09 began with a moment of silent reflection before awarding this year's alumni service awards. Marking the first day of Pride Month and reflecting on his experiences at Swarthmore and beyond, Richard Sager ’74 gave this year’s collection address, “Pride: A Call to Action.” Closing out the ceremony, alumni joined together to sign the Alma Mater.
Class reunion committees planned a wide range of activities throughout the weekend, including panel discussions, campus tours, receptions, collaborative art projects, wine tastings, memorials, lawn games, singalongs, and performances. Affinity groups, including the Swarthmore Black Alumni Network, LGBTQ+ Alumni Network, and Young Alumni Ambassadors Program organized events for alumni to connect, including the SBAN Town Hall, SBAN Jazz Brunch, Lavender Table Talk, and the “Grow with YAAP” event. A special thank you to all of our reunion committee members this year who worked hard to find fun and accessible ways for classes to reconnect and reunite!
Save the date for Alumni Weekend 2025, May 30–June 1!
