There are so many places on Swarthmore’s campus to study, eat, drink, power nap (if needed) or hangout with friends. If you’re looking for a space to lock in, McCabe Library might be the spot to go to, or if you want to chat with friends while sipping on an iced chai, Sci Commons has a cafe a few strides away from open tables.
For me, personally, the place to do all of the activities mentioned above, and more, is Singer Hall.
Maxine Frank Singer Hall, coined as Singer by Swatties, is a newly constructed building (only six years old!) home to the biology, engineering and psychology departments.
As a freshman, I dreamed of the little nook on campus that would become my go-to spot the next four years. During my first few weeks, I tried various spaces such as Underhill Library, McCabe Library, and Kohlberg Hall, but the one that stood out the most was Singer.
Singer is a huge building that’s near the majority of academic buildings on campus. It has five floors of classrooms, labs, study rooms, and open lounging areas. I stumbled upon Singer when attending office hours for biology classes and fell in love with its large windows, open spaces and private rooms. It had the combination of everything I wanted: easy access to other academic areas, immense windows where you could feel sunlight shining through a rough study session, and reservable rooms and comfortable seating options.
Thus, I spent a majority of my time freshman year in Singer, specifically on the third floor. It became a place of studying, socialization and relaxation. My friends and I spent hours talking about the meaning of life, deciding what movie to watch on the projector, studying for final exams, and stressing about whether to get Sci food or walk down to the dining center. Pretty much any activity you could have done in your dorm was done at Singer instead.
A few fond memories I have are hosting a surprise birthday party, playing jackbox (an online collection of multiple party minigames) and rewatching a horribly made horror movie with friends. Singer became the place you were guaranteed to see me in at some point in the day.
After freshman year, I continued to explore Singer and try different areas. The progression of Singer spaces I’ve spent time in are representative of my personal growth at Swarthmore. My freshman year I was still figuring things out and getting adjusted to being away from home for so long, so I really cherished private rooms where I could just decompress and enjoy time with friends. I used to joke that I spent more time in Singer than anywhere else on campus. In fact when I called my family, they’d assume I was at Singer. Sophomore year, I gained more confidence in myself as a person and academically so I started to slowly spend my time outside of these private rooms and do work in open lounge areas. My junior year, I was so busy with applying to study abroad programs, I barely spent time in Singer, and instead spent a majority of my time at my dorm. Now as a senior, I’ve come back to Singer, settling into comfortable lounge chairs in front of the biology department offices, out in the open.
I never imagined how important a space could be to me when I first arrived at Swarthmore. Singer has become a place of heartwarming memories and stressful times (I have taken many biology exams there), but I wouldn’t have it another way.
