I am not one to shy away from good food or good people. What’s more, I love an excuse to break the monotony of cafeteria dining, and the multitude of events Swarthmore facilitates means I’m usually able to find a catered treat when I don’t feel like venturing into the dining hall. One of these events that my friends and I look forward to every year is Sass-giving.

SASS, or the Swarthmore African-American Student Society, was founded in 1968, and it is an amazing affinity group housed in the Black Cultural Center (BCC). They do tons of events throughout the year (town halls, field days, trips, etc.), but my favorite event is SASS-giving. SASS-giving usually takes place on the weekend before Thanksgiving in the BCC. Tons of Thanksgiving food is catered and all the Black students on campus gather together to celebrate and be in community with one another.

In terms of food on campus, SASS-giving has a very special place in my heart. In addition to some staples (greens, turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, chicken, etc.), there are a few major standouts—the first being the mac and cheese. I don’t know where this mac and cheese is catered from and/or if it’s homemade by someone on campus, but I will always run, not walk, to any event it’s being served at. Another standout is the banana pudding. My friend (who’s from Philly) has told me that the pudding comes from a small Black-owned business in Philly near their house, and before I graduate, I NEED to visit this place and buy out their stock because it is simply too good. I had to come to the dinner late because I was working, but my lovely friends saved me a plate, and I was able to feast.

Aside from the delicious food, SASS-giving is also a fantastic way to engage with and connect to my community. Swarthmore is a PWI (predominantly white institution), which has its challenges. However, I feel like student affinity groups like SASS have created a really strong and tight-knit Black community on campus that I really appreciate. And we LOVE to show up and show out for SASS-giving. The BCC is always filled with people playing games (spoons is always huge), listening to great music, and even reading poetry. My favorite part of the night was when one of my friends surrendered their phone to the group to play the game Heads Up. It was actually complete chaos. People were screaming clues, occasionally accidentally screaming answers, but generally having an incredibly fun time together. I love getting to have a space and time that’s cultivated by us and for us on campus.

Going to SASS-giving year after year has been a real highlight for me and my time at Swarthmore. The food, the people, the laughter, and the infectious joy remind me that my community is all around me. It’s so important to have space to feel seen, heard, understood, and perhaps most importantly, well-fed. I feel like SASS-giving is the perfect place for all of those things and more!