The below message was sent to faculty, staff, and students on September 9, 2026
Dear Campus Community,
The College is again honored to host a range of leading thinkers on campus this semester. We want to draw your attention to a few of these and encourage you to mark your calendars now for the ones you will not want to miss.
The fall semester will include a continuation of the Presidential Speaker Series, which we began last spring to bring influential thought leaders from various fields to campus to offer insights on important issues of our time. We will have two events this fall as part of this series.
- Women Laughing, Oct. 1, 7 to 9 p.m., Goodhart Hall. Join us for the Philadelphia-area premiere of "Women Laughing," a 2025 documentary about women cartoonists at The New Yorker. The screening will be followed by a roundtable discussion with 10 cartoonists, including our own Maggie Larson '10. A hundred years since its founding, the cartoons of The New Yorker remain the benchmark of the form and are beloved around the world. Today, half of the artists identify as female or non-binary. Women Laughing offers a unique look at how women cartoonists, past and present, have used single-panel drawings to express their lived experiences. The film is ultimately a joyful celebration of women, art, and the creative spirit.
- Dr. Beverly Tatum, Nov. 10, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Old Library, Great Hall. Tatum is president emerita of Spelman College and an award-winning psychologist widely known for her expertise on race relations and as a thought leader in higher education. She will participate in a conversation about her most recent book, "Peril and Promise: College Leadership in Turbulent Times," which delivers thought-provoking perspectives on the contemporary challenges and opportunities facing higher education in a time of rapid social change. The first 50 attendees will receive a complimentary copy of the book, and there will be a book signing at the conclusion of the event.
The Creative Writing Department's Reading Series will welcome two authors to campus this fall.
- Dinaw Mengestu, Oct. 7, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Music Room, Goodhart Hall. Mengestu is the author of four novels, all of which became New York Times Notable Books. A native of Ethiopia who came with his family to the United States at the age of two, Mengestu is also a freelance journalist who has reported about life in Darfur, northern Uganda, and eastern Congo. His articles and fiction have appeared in the New York Times, New Yorker, Harper's, Granta, and Rolling Stone. He is a 2012 MacArthur Fellow, and his work has been translated into more than 15 languages. Mengestu is the director of the Written Arts Program at Bard College and the director of the Center for Ethics and Writing.
- Kaitlyn Greenidge, Oct. 28, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Music Room, Goodhart Hall. Greenidge's is the author of two novels, “We Love You, Charlie Freeman” and “Libertie.” Her writing has appeared in Vogue, Glamour, the Wall Street Journal, Elle, Buzzfeed, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Believer, and elsewhere. She is the recipient of fellowships from the Whiting Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University, and the Guggenheim Foundation. She is currently Features Director at Harper's Bazaar. Her third novel is forthcoming.
In addition, there are several other events this fall that warrant a quick mention.
- We will hold a Campus Plan Recommendations Town Hall, Sept 14, 12 to 1 p.m., in Old Library Great Hall. Join us for an update on the Comprehensive Campus Plan project. Representatives from DLR will share recommendations and potential next steps for the 20-year campus vision, informed by feedback gathered from the campus community over the past year. Lunch will be provided. RSVP Now
- We will celebrate the College's 141st Birthday on Sept. 22 from 4 to 5 p.m., on Taylor Drive. Celebrate our community and its empowerment of generations of students with special ice cream pops from the "Lil Pop Shop" food truck.
- Generations of alumnae/i, families, and friends will gather on campus for this year's Owls Fest on Oct. 23-24. The weekend includes visits to classes, a tour of campus architecture, a bird walk, and multiple presentations by faculty and students, among many other activities. Attendees are even invited to join the cross country team for a morning workout! We will honor President Emeritus Kim Cassidy with a portrait unveiling from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, in the Cloisters and Great Hall.
We hope to see you at many of these and other events that highlight the intellectual rigor of the College and celebrate the community that makes it all possible.
Sincerely,
Wendy Cadge
President and Professor of Sociology
Dee Matthews
Provost and Professor of Creative Writing
