The Dog Days of November

Few things can reduce the typical stresses of college life like the wagging tail and friendly face of a dog. Swarthmore students experienced this joy firsthand during the fall Alumni Council meeting in a “Pet De-stress” event organized by International Connections chair George Telford ’84, P’16. Faculty, staff, and local alums converged on Parrish lawn with their pets to provide students with a welcome break from studying and a chance to enjoy the simple pleasure of interacting with canine companions. The event was an overwhelming success, and Telford hopes to make it an annual event.

Few things can reduce the typical stresses of college life like the wagging tail and friendly face of a dog. Swarthmore students experienced this joy firsthand during the fall Alumni Council meeting in a “Pet De-stress” event organized by International Connections chair George Telford ’84, P’16. Faculty, staff, and local alums converged on Parrish lawn with their pets to provide students with a welcome break from studying and a chance to enjoy the simple pleasure of interacting with canine companions. The event was an overwhelming success, and Telford hopes to make it an annual event.

Another highlight of the fall meeting included a well-attended Women in Leadership Career Café on Friday afternoon in Science Center 199, co-sponsored by Career Services, to discuss the experience of being a female executive and holding leadership positions in various industries. The panel discussion featured several prominent alumnae including Barbara Stubbs Cochran ’67, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute and a former executive producer of NBC’s Meet the Press; Antoinette Monsio Sayeh ’79, director of the African department of the International Monetary Fund; and Ila Shekhar Deshmukh Towery ’99, a senior consultant at Education First.

The weekend’s agenda was packed with other business, including working-group sessions, an update concerning the search for Swarthmore’s next president from Salem Shuchman ’84, P’16, chair of the Search Committee, and a dinner at the newly opened Matchbox with Interim President Constance Cain Hungerford. During the weekend, council members also had several other opportunities to engage with Swarthmore students, including mock interviews to help prospective job applicants polish their interview skills and the annual Alumni-Student Career Networking dinner, co-sponsored by Career Services, on Saturday night. The dinner provided students with the opportunity to network with current Alumni Council members and to learn about a range of career options including law, medicine, higher education, nonprofits, and journalism. The event continues to be a popular draw, with more than 100 students in attendance this year.