Editor’s Note: Katie Kerman ’26 and James Shelton ’28 are members of The Phoenix’s Editorial Board.
Eli Cogan ’28, Men’s Soccer:
I recognize that some Swarthmore Borough residents have called to “Keep Cunningham Fields Dark.” After reading the op-ed in The Phoenix and reviewing the Fight for the Fields website, I understand and respect the concerns raised about environmental impact and public health. Those considerations deserve serious attention in any campus development project. At the same time, I am confident that the college, the Athletics Department, and the project’s designers have engaged with these issues thoughtfully and responsibly.
As a student and member of the men’s soccer team, I believe the project would meaningfully enhance the experience of students across varsity athletics, club sports, and recreational programs. From my perspective on the soccer team, replacing the existing grass field with turf would create a better athletic experience in a couple of ways. First, it would promote greater equity and consistency in practice and game scheduling, while alleviating uneven and strained access to our current facility, Clothier Field. In addition, the renovation would transform an underutilized space into one that students and members of the broader Swarthmore community could use more regularly and reliably.
It is my hope, and that of the rest of the men’s soccer team, that the Cunningham Fields project can be completed.
Ellie Fermo ’27, Women’s Lacrosse:
There’s a phrase that my parents have always loved: “Dress well, feel well, do well,” and I really do think a similar concept applies in the sports world. Physically, the absence of indoor turf makes it hard to run through necessary practices in bad weather, like the blizzard this year. Mentally, having a good space to get your head in the game, focus on correct nutrition, for the trainers to care for injuries appropriately, and for everyone to participate in athletics (not just varsity athletes) is so important.
Jada Green ’27, Women’s Lacrosse:
The redevelopment of Cunningham Fields would allow for the expansion of not only varsity sport practices, but club and recreational practices as well! All students should have the outdoor space to participate in recreational activities, and more fields mean fewer late practices due to scheduling conflicts.
Katie Kerman ’26, Women’s Soccer:
The Swarthmore College fieldhouse renovation is becoming a highly anticipated, exciting process, although varsity athletes have only been privy to the section of the process right now. As I have heard, the Athletic Department is waiting on the Planning Commission or permit waivers. As a former varsity athlete at Swarthmore, I will provide some insight into how beneficial this renovation could be for student athletes on this campus and the success of our fall to spring athletes both in the conference and nationally. I was a part of the Student-Athlete Planning Committee, so I know a bit about some of the integral goals of this renovation: adding food options like a cafe for early mornings and late-night healthy food for athletes, building a more robust lounge for student athletes to socialize with one another (and mostly do homework), and allowing for more events to be held in the fieldhouse like indoor track, safer basketball and pickleball courts inside. Overall, these renovations will allow for better facilities for all students to use. I also heard talk that they were going to install an indoor rock climbing wall, though I am unsure whether this was just mere speculation. From what little I know, I foresee this renovation positively impacting the lives of all students on our campus, especially the varsity, club, and intramural athletes.
Alex Avanesyan ’26, Luca Campiani ’26, James Shelton ’28, and Thomas Shelton ’28, Men’s Club Rugby:
We, the men’s club rugby team, have called Cunningham Fields our home for many years. Our position on the proposed changes to the fields is multifaceted.
First, we do, in some ways, welcome these changes. The team will certainly benefit from the ability to more easily schedule winter practices, as the club will not be forced to share the Clothier Field Stadium with the many other club and varsity teams, allowing practices to occur earlier than they currently do (8:45 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays). Additionally, the updated complex will have one grass field, which is an essential aspect for the team. Playing on turf is doable, but being tackled and tackling on grass is in every way superior.
These updates do have their drawbacks, however. The current field the team plays on has in-ground rugby posts, which are permanently installed in the field and are the standard for a professional pitch. A new grass field may see those removed, a situation that would force the team to use temporary posts, whose support legs eat into the try-zone, making scoring or tackling in the zone more dangerous.
The fields are also one of the few large green areas in and around Swarthmore, and very few other rugby teams the Evil Buzzards face have grass fields to play on. Every time we have hosted a tournament at Swat, visiting teams have always commented how beautiful Cunningham Fields is and how nice of a space it is to play on. Seeing it altered from its original, beautiful form is a saddening change.
