Based in Sydney, Australia, Foundry is a blog by Rebecca Thao. Her posts explore modern architecture through photos and quotes by influential architects, engineers, and artists.

Keep sending ideas to community center

Keep sending ideas to community center

Swarthmore Community Center Board
To The Editor

To the Editor,

The board would like to thank the Swarthmorean for running a survey to help us determine the future of the Swarthmore Community Center (SCC). In case you missed the letter sent previously from our board, the Swarthmore College has informed us that by August SCC must vacate the building that has served as our center for close to 50 years. 

The community center has served Swarthmore and the surrounding area in many ways, through preschool programs, teen dances, after school programs, fundraisers for the Swarthmore Recreation Association, dog shows on Mother’s Day, Halloween haunted houses, New Year’s Eve celebrations for tots, AA meetings, Aikido classes, and private events. The list goes on. Additionally, the center has for years provided space to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts at no cost to those organizations. The center is occupied seven days a week, and one would be hard pressed to find someone from Swarthmore or the surrounding area who has not benefited from the opportunities offered there. SCC celebrates the rich diversity of our community and promotes inclusivity regardless of age, religion, race, gender, or sexual orientation.

Survey respondents had a positive view of the center, with 56 percent calling it either extremely or very important for it to live on, and another 29 percent deeming it moderately important. 

The question now is how do we move forward? Do we pursue a new location for the center or let it disappear into the history of the town? We got some information from the Swarthmorean’s survey, but we are hoping for more. We invite you, therefore, to send your comments and also let us know if you’re interested in volunteering. Please email us at sccmanager@gmail.com.  

We truly hope that we can ensure that this valuable asset continues to be available for the educational, social, and cultural benefit of residents of Swarthmore and the nearby communities.

Sincerely, 

Swarthmore Community Center Board members:
Geoff Anderson, John Kennedy, Jessica Mudrick, Joni O’Conner, Virginia Thompson, and Sheri Whelpley

Of neighbors and hedges

Of neighbors and hedges
Stop signs and sightlines

Stop signs and sightlines