You love it but you don’t use it. That’s one way to view the results of Unscientific Survey No. 3, about the Swarthmore Community Center. The SCC’s lease from Swarthmore College is ending as of August, and with the organization’s future uncertain, we asked you about your use of and thoughts about it.

Respondents had a positive view of the center, with 56 percent saying that it is either extremely or very important for it to live on, and another 29 percent deeming it “moderately” important.

Yet the question about use yielded a rather different picture. Nearly two-thirds — 65 percent — said that in the last two years, they had attended two or fewer events or activities at the center. 32 percent said they hadn’t stepped inside its doors at all. One person commented, “I’ve lived in Swarthmore for five years and didn’t know this facility existed!”

If the SCC is to go forward, it would seem that its first mission should be to change those numbers around.

Below, some reader comments:

I think it’s okay to let go of history and really analyze whether or not the events held at the SCC could be repurposed elsewhere. As a relative newcomer to Swarthmore (almost exactly 10 years) I think the borough has a bit of a blind side attempting to hang on to tradition and the past without embracing change and adapting. The values and culture of a Quaker-originated community can be embodied in all sorts of ways besides a physical structure or moniker. Change is hard but good and really all Swarthmore needs are stewards of our community, not stewards of the past.
Community gathering spaces where all are welcome increase social capital and connection. Would renting a space in downtown Swarthmore make sense? I would love to see free lectures (going green, how to build resilience in youth, etc.), yoga, art classes, potlucks, movie nights, and more.
I hope people will engage the college in further discussions about extending the lease of the existing community center. That location has everything: walkability, parking, etc. Might a petition by townspeople help in this effort?
I’ve been going there since I was a teen after it opened in the late ‘70s. Since moving to town over 25 years ago, I have attended, and used it for, numerous events. The community center has been a vital meeting place for our town and I hope we can find another reasonably priced venue to hold community and private events. —Ray Johnston
I am a Swarthmore High School graduate (class of 1974). We have had several reunion events at the community center and nearby surrounding field. There are many memories in that community center, and if we lose it the memories could possibly go away.
It seems that the community center operates more as a rental space. This doesn’t fit with my notion of what a community center should do. In my mind, it should be a space that has regular open hours where residents can gather to be with one another in structured or non-structured programming. In my opinion, the Swarthmore Public Library has acted as Swarthmore’s “community center.” It’s bursting at the seams and I’d rather see an investment made in expanding or relocating the Library so it may have more space to serve the community. As a somewhat new resident (five years), I think the community center would benefit from better social media and marketing. I didn’t even know it existed until enrolling my child in a Creative Living Room program.
Raise the roof on Borough Hall!