A rainy weather forecast didn’t deter alumni and families of current students from returning to campus for the 2018 Garnet Homecoming and Family Weekend, Oct. 26–27. Community members and more than 500 visitors enjoyed a full schedule of events including the Garnet Athletics Hall of Fame dinner and induction; annual Thomas B. McCabe Lecture; tours of campus gardens provided by the Scott Arboretum; a hands-on workshop from the Center for Innovation and Leadership; and perennial favorites such as the Garnet Weekend Tailgate and the President’s Welcome.

Volunteers from Alumni Council, Alumni of Color Steering Committee, Connection Chairs, the Council on Presidential Initiatives, Garnet Club Advancement Council, LGBTQ+ Steering Committee, and the Swarthmore Black Alumni Network Executive Committee were also on campus for the annual Advancement Volunteer Summit.

Dr. Claudia Kawas ’74 gave this year’s McCabe Lecture, “Age Matters: Lessons from the Oldest Old." In her talk, Kawas, a geriatric researcher whose focus is on individuals in their 10th decade and beyond, shared lifestyle and other lessons from people over age 90, who are now the fastest-growing segment of the population.

The seventh class to enter the Garnet Athletics Hall of Fame includes Lee MacPhail Jr. '39 (baseball and football), Liz Gilbert Osterman '77 (field hockey and lacrosse), Michele Fowler-Stewart '86 (basketball and soccer), Robert Ruffin Jr. '92 (basketball and football), Katie Tarr '02 (field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse), and the 1982-85 men's lacrosse teams.

The Swarthmore Black Alumni Network hosted social gatherings, events around the 51st anniversary of the Swarthmore African American Student Association, and an engaging panel discussion and screening of the 2018 blockbuster hit Black Panther, organized by the Black Studies program.