With food trucks lined up along DuPont Circle, a DJ spinning tunes from the steps of Parrish Hall, and slacklining and yoga taking over Parrish Beach, Swarthmore's campus was transformed last Saturday when it hosted its annual Welcome Weekend and Student Activities Fair.

An estimated crowd of nearly 500 students attended the events, which included a wide-array of student groups highlighting their diverse offerings to the campus community, as well as specialty vendors from Philadelphia offering free food to students.

"The turnout among the student groups and the student body was fantastic," said Mike Elias, the College's new student activities coordinator. Not surprisingly, Elias notes that the food trucks were extraordinarily popular among the students, as the four trucks combined to give out nearly 250 servings.

The food trucks were on campus and available to students from noon to 2 p.m. Immediately following their departure was the student activities fair, which included approximately 120 student groups lined up all the way from the edges of the Scott Amphitheater to McCabe Library.

One of the goals for Elias and his fellow student events coordinator Allie Emmerich was to make this year's fair more interactive, which was quite evident for anyone in attendance. The day began with interactive yoga on Parrish Beach and included numerous live demonstrations from clubs throughout the afternoon.

"It was great to see how many different clubs and organization this school has to offer, and how they differ in so many ways," said Elias. "It showcased how vibrant and diverse social life at Swarthmore really is."

Photos by Haoyu Wang '17, Elena Ruyter '14, Mike Elias, and Allison Emmerich.

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