common good

For the first time, they interspersed their songs with, as Freeman Palmer ’79 said during his welcoming remarks, “remembrances of friends who have gone on to sing in the heavenly choir.”

Those remembered: James Batton ’72, Terrence Hicks ’73, Phillip Hayes ’73, Renee Smith Schaffer ’77, Cassandra Thompson Benson ’77, Ruth Diamond Trammel ’77, Eedy Nicholson ’78, Debra Bennett ’79, Kenneth Jackson ’79, Mitchell Chase ’80, Alvin Holt ’80, Leon Jones ’80, Kenneth Reeves ’88, Marguerite Simpkins ’88, Hayley S. Thomas ’93, Renee Gaddie ’93, Sheila Gonzales, and Brenda and Tamika Jones.

Cynthia Hunter Spann ’75 recounted how the choir was founded amid the backdrop of late 1960s Black student activism, the FBI’s notorious efforts to spy on Black students, and the lack of diversity in the College’s arts programs at the time.

The choir grew and more performances followed across the country and then around the world. In 1999, the choir received the Joseph B. Shane ’25 Alumni Service Award, and the choir’s longtime, versatile director Vaneese Thomas ’74, H’14 received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree in 2014.

“For us, the choir provided a place of rejuvenation during our college days,” Spann said, “and has continued to sustain us and provide a sense of family and spiritual fellowship for our members today.”

— ALISA GIARDINELLI

Most recently, she served as vice president for college advancement at Bates College, her alma mater, where she spent more than a decade before retiring in 2022.

During her tenure there, she led a team of 50 and oversaw the successful completion of the largest fundraising campaign in Bates’ history, raising $346 million, surpassing the goal of $300 million.

“I am confident that, under her leadership, and in collaboration with our talented team in Advancement, we will continue to serve our alumni community well and make meaningful progress toward our fundraising goals in support of the College’s mission,” says President Valerie Smith.

That vista is Swarthmore’s signature, regularly pictured in the college’s promotions. But last year, Swarthmore did something that, on first glance, would have horrified its Quaker founders and generations of alumni (not to mention Harry Potter fans). It tore up a big swath of that great lawn and proceeded to carve a checkerboard of 800-foot-deep tunnels into the hillside. The grass will eventually be restored, but only after eight college buildings are connected into a geoexchange loop that can provide heat and air-conditioning without energy from fossil fuels.

The heart of the system is a remarkable, swoop-roofed dining hall constructed with a mass timber frame — a low-carbon alternative to the usual steel skeleton — and equipped with all electric appliances. With these two projects, Swarthmore has taken a giant step toward its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2035. That means no more oil, gas or coal-generated power. Just renewables.

The College knew that its century-old central steam plant was coming to the end of its useful life. The question was whether to replace it with a conventional, gas-powered plant or invest in an expensive, but more sustainable, geoexchange system.

Geoexchange systems have become an increasingly popular way to heat and cool buildings without using carbon fuels. The system, which is essentially a big grid of underground pipes attached to heat pumps, has often been compared to a bank. In the summer, the exchange works like a conventional air conditioner, by sucking heat out of buildings.

But instead of spewing that hot air into the atmosphere — and contributing to global warming — it channels it into the earth, where it is stored in the pipe network. In the winter, the warm air is pumped back into the buildings.

Swarthmore’s decision to go ahead with the project coincided with another big campus initiative, an addition to its ’60s-era dining hall. That building, designed by Philadelphia architect Vincent Kling, used heavy timber in the structure, but more for looks than sustainability. The mass timber frame, which is made by gluing together smaller pieces of wood, allowed the college to preserve the dining hall’s aesthetic, while getting the college closer to its carbon neutrality goal.

She most recently served as the assistant athletic director for compliance and senior woman administrator at Delaware State University, where she had a significant impact on the student-athletes through development and implementation of support programs.

“Christina’s experience in the fields of compliance, DEI, and student-athlete growth and development will positively impact our department in a myriad of ways,” said Brad Koch, director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. “Her vision, leadership style, and understanding of this role aligns directly with similar cross-cutting themes across campus — inclusivity, collaboration, governance, and building community.” —MATT MIZANIN