Rallying Support for the Halcyon

The Halcyon, Swarthmore College’s yearbook, has long been a cherished archive, capturing the essence of the college’s history. The last known Halcyon publication was in 2015, disappearing in the following years due to a lack of active student leadership. Nine years later, student leaders have begun exploring the exciting possibility of bringing it back.

The first iteration of the Swarthmore yearbook was published in 1883, two decades after the school was founded. It was originally named “The Eunomian” by the Eunomian Literary Society, a speaking and debate club at Swarthmore. In 1887, the yearbook was rebranded and officially named “Halcyon,” a name evoking the idea of an idyllic past, as it symbolized the start of a new legacy. While each Halcyon differed in its design according to each class’s style and available technology, the overall contents remained similar. From capturing student and faculty life to showcasing sports, clubs, senior portraits, and ads, the yearbook offered a multifaceted view of campus life, growing increasingly inclusive over time. Each individual Halycon publication throughout the college’s timeline is available online here in the library’s Digital Collections.

The revival of this year’s Halcyon is led by Abby Guise ’26, serving as Halcyon president, and Devin Freeman-Robinson ’25, the editor-in-chief. As they work to bring this cherished tradition back to life, one might wonder: what inspired the decision to restart the yearbook after such a long hiatus?

“Abby and I were working on our summer psychology research projects together, and our involvement across campus really inspired us to put together something that will allow ourselves and future generations of Swatties to look back on our unique time at Swarthmore,” Freeman-Robinson shared in an email correspondence with The Phoenix.

Beyond future Swatties, the inspiration also comes from a more personal place: family.

“My grandparents, parents, and older siblings have yearbooks from their colleges, and I would go through them with my family when I was younger,” Guise said. “It seemed like something that was a fun way to look back on college and even show your kids one day.”

After officially announcing the revival effort of the Halcyon in November of 2024, the organizers have been reaching out to prospective student contributors to ensure a smooth creation and publishing process.

“If anyone is interested in any aspects of yearbook production or just wants to shoot us a cool idea, you can email either Abby (aguise1@swarthmore.edu) or me (dfreema3@swarthmore.edu),” Freeman-Robinson said. “Additionally, expect a number of emails in the coming weeks and months as we confirm the launch of the Halcyon and move forward with planning.”

However, after a nine-year hiatus, the Halcyon is not just making a comeback — it is being reimagined.

“This yearbook is going to be a revival, taking inspiration from old yearbooks while also creating a new tradition. We want to have a combination of new and old — not all writing and not all pictures, but a nice mix of both,” Guise said.

“As we have looked through past yearbooks, it has revealed the evolution of Swarthmore as an institution, which continues to see drastic changes from year to year,” Freeman-Robinson said. “We hope to best capture this moment of Swarthmore for times to come.”

In addition to being a peaceful period of the past, a halcyon is also a mythical bird that calms the seas during its nesting period — a symbol of harmony and calmness. While the reasons Swatties chose the word “Halcyon” in 1887 still remain unclear, we now recognize it as an emblem of the golden moments of life, a hope for sustained peace, and a tribute to the treasured memories and milestones of the Swarthmore community.