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Swarthmore College - Facilities - Facilities - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.24

Facilities

Quick Stats

Service & Maintenance Staff 234
Campus Size 399 acres
Student Centers Parrish Hall
Campus Library? Yes
Main Libraries
  • Cornell Library of Science and Engineering
  • McCabe Library
  • Underhill Music and Dance Library
Popular Places to Chill
  • Alice Paul Lounge
  • Kohlberg Coffee Bar
  • Paces
  • Parrish Beach
  • Parrish Parlors
Bar on Campus None
Bowling on Campus None
Coffeehouse on Campus
  • Kohlberg Coffee Bar
  • Science Center Coffee Bar
Movie Theater on Campus The Lang Performing Arts Center shows relatively new movies on weekends.

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

To be blunt, Swarthmore’s generous endowment makes for an undisputedly beautiful campus. Sometimes students say they feel like they’re walking through a five-star resort in the English countryside instead of a liberal arts college in suburban Philadelphia. The campus is home to the Scott Arboretum, whose employees are constantly working on the upkeep of the carefully manicured landscaping around campus. The College seems to do a good job of utilizing the architecture of the campus buildings, which adds to the beauty of the campus.

A lot has changed in the past few years, including the widening of Clothier Field Stadium to accommodate lacrosse, field hockey, and soccer; the addition of new artificial turf with a base designed to prevent the field from flooding; and the construction of floodlights that will not disturb wildlife in the nearby Crum Woods. Parrish Hall, the official student center, and the most widely used facility, Mullan Tennis Center, have both been renovated. The other places to hang out on campus—Kohlberg Coffee Bar, the new Science Center Beverage Lab, and Tarble—are decent. The main complaint from students is the need for additional campus dining space, but the College continues to adhere to its “Quaker tradition”—a phrase that the administration uses frequently—and insists that there be only one major dining hall on campus. At busy times, Sharples Dining Hall, can be overwhelmed with students, many of whom are tired of eating the same food in the same place every day. However, considering its size, Swarthmore’s facilities are decent and undeniably pleasant to look at, if not always the most functional.

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Swarthmore Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Facilities at Swarthmore College

JuliGrace2010

Biology '13

2.3
C

Need Work

The academic buildings are great. However, the dorms are really dilapidated and in need of major renovations. Among the dorms I have lived in or visited, all of them have moldy bathrooms, filthy carpets, and generally dusty or dirty atmospheres.

Dec 09, 2010

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Facilities at Swarthmore College

rubyredsire

Psychology '14

5.0
A+

Top Notch

All the facilities here are top of the line and they better be considering how much money goes toward each student attending this school.

Nov 04, 2010

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Facilities at Swarthmore College

dnewman1

Psychology '14

4.6
A

The Facilities

As far as studying is concerned, the facilities are great; there are many options. When the weather permits, there are great places outside as well.

Nov 02, 2010

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User rating for Swarthmore College - Facilities is 4.6 out of 5 based on 15 user reviews.

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Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

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Facts

"Green" Initiatives

Every dorm has a Green Associate (GA) who reminds students to practice "green" habits. The GAs put compost buckets in the dorms and remind everyone to recycle.

Favorite Things To Do

Catch a Movie Committee movie; party it up (for free!) at Paces student-run coffeehouse (does not accept campus meal plan); chow on some sushi in student-run café, Qub; or grab a chai in Kohlberg Coffee Bar.

Students can catch a Movie Committee movie, party it up (for free!) at Paces student-run coffeehouse (does not accept campus meal plan), chow on some sushi in student-run Qub, or grab a chai in Kohlberg Coffee Bar. Other things to do include going to lectures galore, watching performances, walking through art exhibits, chilling at a coffee bar, swimming in Ware Pool, sunbathing or playing Frisbee on Parrish Beach, or partying!

Did You Know? Scott Arboretum is a 357-acre arboretum on campus and is open to the public. The arboretum has more than 4,000 types of ornamental plants, and they are all labeled with their common and scientific names. Established in 1929 in honor of Arthur Hoyt Scott (class of 1895), the arboretum was created to allow Swarthmore to acquire and propagate the better kinds of living trees and shrubs, which are hard to cultivate and grow in the eastern Pennsylvania climate.

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Sudarshan Gopaladesikan
Hometown
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Major
Math and Engineering

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