A day in the life: Smithie Edition

Hi there! I'm a Latin American and Latin@ Studies Major & Spanish Minor. I'm class of 2016 and live in the fabulous Cushing House! On this blog you'll spot lots about food, life on campus, and everything you wanted to know about our beautiful NoHo home:) 

[smithiesmithsmith-blog]

Smith is all about learning, liberal arts style, at all times of the year! We are lucky enough to have 50 majors to choose from, and just as many minors, and over 7,000 classes in the entire consortium that we can pick from each semester! But here, learning isn’t just confined to Fall and Spring semesters. J-term, or January term, is optional, of no additional cost, and open to all students who want to be back on campus to relax or take an additional class. I took a non-credit henna class this January, taught by one of my fellow peers, who has been doing henna for 10 years. She was an excellent teacher, and our first couple of days involved us practicing henna patterns with felt tipped marker before we used henna. We also listened to the best Bollywood playlist on repeat, so I’ve included that screenshot here for your listening enjoyment as well! The class had about 10 students or so, and was quite fun:) Other J-term classes include for credit opportunities like an intensive French class, bio-medical ethics, and book-making to name a few. Non-for credit options include becoming familiar with animal tracks and rock climbing. 

[smithiesmithsmith-blog]

HAPPY MIDNIGHT BREAKFAST! Midnight breakfast is a great study break generously hosted by the nearby St. John’s Episcopal church, just before finals start. Smithies pour in from all over campus starting at 10pm for hot pancakes, bacon, and sausage, complemented by fruit platters and plenty of orange juice, milk, and coffee. I’ve gone every reading period so far, and the one year that I was on crutches, I even convinced my friends to carry me over so I could join in on the the fun:) Volunteers hand out trail mix packs that come with little “good luck on finals” notes, and announce every so often how many pancakes they’ve served so far. This year I kept track, and by 10:08 they’d already served 200 pancakes, by 10:36 they’d served 400 pancakes, and apparently rumor has it that by the night’s end, they served pancakes to 738 happy Smithies! And that’s such a precise rumor that I’d believe it any day of the week...especially with how good those pancakes are! Thanks to everyone that made it such a great & yummy study break:)

[smithiesmithsmith-blog]

Happy holidays, Smithies!!! This weekend a couple of my friends and I (Julia, Julia, and Jess) all gathered together to make wreaths in the botanic garden. The air was crisp with a pine scent, and abundant boughs piled high on the countertops and in the hallways outside. We wove in pinecones, berries, pussy willow branches, and holly into our wreaths, and soon they were complete:) Some of us hung our wreaths on our doors, some are bringing them home to family back home, and I made mine for a family in town who I’ve been lucky enough to be friends with since my first year at Smith! This was the best study break I could have imagined, and we were joined by professors and people from the community. During the two hours we spend together, we sang many impromptu Christmas carols, and in the lulls between our song were soft interludes of conversation and light chatter. This was a great continuation of the holiday spirit that has been on campus for a while, as earlier this December our house celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, and Hanukkah together. 

[smithiesmithsmith-blog]

Smith College campus is FULL of hidden gems, from the rare book room, to the botanic garden, to the trail by the Mill River that wraps around Paradise Pond! If you ever want a breath of fresh air and a beautiful study break, I definitely recommend this trail in any season. The day I took this picture of the sun set, it was Spring semester course registration. In a bit of a poetic moment, I was thinking of how the sun was setting on fall semester classes meant the end of another amazing semester, but the sun would rise again, just as my undergraduate education would continue with Spring semester. Being a senior makes me a little nostalgic, but I am definitely living in the present moment and appreciating everything that Smith has to offer, whether it be this view, or any other amazing aspect about being here. 

[smithiesmithsmith-blog]

HAPPY WINTER WEEKEND! Every house at Smith holds a winter and a spring formal at the end of each semester, and it’s a fabulous time to bond with your whole house, get dressed up, and have fun with friends! Usually an a cappella group performs, and this year, we even had 4 groups share their jams with us! Two of the groups were Smith groups, and two of the groups were all male groups from other colleges that they partnered with. These pics are from the beautifully decorated Cushing house living room:) The decorations are thanks to our wonderful housekeeper Linda, and the students who made the little cut out paper snowflakes that are all over the walls during a house-bonding event the Thursday before. It was such a fun night! 

[smithiesmithsmith-blog]

College App Time!

It’s that time of year! Thanksgiving has come and gone, the holiday season is upon us, and for the students who have opted for the regular-decision round of college applications, the common app is immediately imminent. College apps can feel stressful, and it’s so easy to nudge back that essay, but it’s even better if you start, no matter how ready, or not, you may be feeling. When I was applying for colleges during my senior year of high school, the common app was on my mind in August when it was released, but juggling classes and sports and clubs, I mentally reserved November to dig into the process. And November was still busy. I pushed out polished last drafts in that last month of the year and accomplished what I needed to, but retrospectively, there are a couple tidbits that, had I embraced, would have mitigated the stress commonly associated with the college application process.

Start! Think about the prompt, mentally churn it over and digest it for a little bit of time, and then pluck out a sentence that comes instinctively to you, and commit to writing in a stream of consciousness the words that follow. For me, writing is an exercise in, first, decision-making (what is that first sentence?) and second, patience. You can only follow one string of thought at a time, and you have to slow down your racing mind to the speed you can scrawl words onto a page. Once you begin with a commitment to write (unabashedly) until you have a thought on paper, ideas can start unfurling in a tangible way, and soon, you’ll have an essay.

The idea that you have to have already saved the world, started a company, and gotten straight A+s in order to write a good essay is a myth. You, by the nature of how you think about the world and approach life, are both unique and profound. Many essays take mundane topics and communicate why they are important through a metaphor that develops in the essay.

You can do it! Believe in yourself that once you start and work through it, you will eventually end. And you’ll have an essay. Get messy and hands-on with the process- it’s the only way it will happen.

During my college process, I was primarily interested in small, private, liberal arts colleges. I added in one or two larger universities, just because I hadn’t visited any that big, and wanted to have a couple in my pocket in case I changed my mind from my envisioned small-school. Living in New England, I was lucky enough to be able to visit colleges in the areas, which helped me get the best feel of the schools. I asked questions on my tours, like “What are three adjectives you would use to describe the typical ____ student?” And, “What is your favorite part of the school? Least favorite?” And, of course, “What’s your meal plan like?” (Smith’s is unlimited by the way). Something that I now think would be important to ask would be about the school’s alumni network, and thankfully I feel more than fulfilled with Smith’s, but I know that not every school is that lucky. Now that I’m a tour guide, I LOVE when I get questions about the school’s culture, but I don’t think that they’re asked often enough!

If you have any college application process questions, about Smith or in general, I’m always happy to help! Just post in the ask section.

Good luck:) You can and will be able to do it!

[smithiesmithsmith-blog]

Because, YUM!! Happy Food friday everyone:) Look at these snacks from Dobra, a teahouse downtown. Tea-riffic, am I right? (I borrowed that joke from my sister Jess, who’s also a Smithie, so pun kudos go to her:) Featured above is Green Jasmine bubble tea, which was earthy and only lightly sweetened with a chewier-consistency bubble than most places, and then some coconut butter sticky rice with spices and silvered almonds. Stepping into Dobra is like stepping into another world- it’s atmosphere is so calming, and the decorations are incredibly intricate and full of rich colors. Contributing to the experience is the 80 page menu (literally 80 pages!) of every type of tea imaginable, and more. In some areas of the teahouse, you sit on cushions on the floor, and in others, there is no electronic device use allowed, so people focus on being present with their tea and good company. Definitely worth a visit, or two or three:)

[smithiesmithsmith-blog]

Reasons why I love attending a women’s college:

There are many reasons why I’ve loved my experience at a women’s college. Some of the below I would argue is universally present and persuasive reasoning to attend any women’s college, but my own appreciation of women’s colleges is obviously grounded in my experience at Smith, and is some of the below is particularly unique to this institution.

1. There is a fullness.

Smith brims with a fullness of holistic support, within the community and institution. It doesn’t feel like there is an absence of guys, but rather a solid and dependable presence of confidence and assuredness (of women). While yes, there aren’t as many males on campus for obvious reasons, Smith does not feel like its’ lacking anything.

2. Students have no inhibitions from pursuing their careers.

This I think especially stands out at Smith compared to other women’s colleges that I have toured. Smith women go out into their fields, take risks, and DO. My peers continually impress and amaze me, and hearing that my friends have had internships in the White House, at Nasa, or at the UN doesn’t surprise me anymore. Just as impressively is the work that other Smithies do around a specific cause, working at grassroots levels instead of big institutions. Smith students are passionate about what they do, and with the help of professors and on-campus resources, push themselves farther than any outside-of-Smith convention would dictate they should or even could, go.

3. Smithies are proud of their intelligence.

I remember my first year fall at Smith, I was talking with a senior. She asked what I was interested in, and reflexively, I prefaced my answer, saying, “I know it’s lame, but I’m really interested in geology”. She looked me in the eyes and ardently said: “That is not lame. If you love something, it’s never lame”. And that message is present throughout all of Smith. It’s cool to be smart, to study hard, and to do what you love. With that, I will mention that in my experience (As a student generally involved in the humanities), I don’t talk about grades with my peers and don’t even know my closest friends grades. For me, the experience has been collaborative, with a high degree of competion against myself.

4. There are a ton of ice cream parties!!

This might sound like I’m kidding, but I’m actually not. Smith has a lot of catered food, and somehow, there’s always delicious ice cream at meetings, which I definitely would take any day of the week.

5. There is a general feeling of trust.

I don’t think it’s possible to draw the typical Smith student (at first profile glance, we all seem so different!), but there is a common set of core values, which leads Smithies to trust each other. This leads the alumnae network to be really tightly-knit!

6. An all women’s environment is both comfortable, but also demands courage.

I say that all women’s environments are comfortable because you have a lot of support here- people are kind and there are an abundance of resources, you just have to seek them out. There is dialogue and awareness that being a woman (and the societal implications that brings) is a distinct position that comes with distinct preconceptions and expectations than being a man, and this effects the shared lived realities of everyone. With this awareness, conversation lines are open, and it feels comfortable. AND, the environment is also literally comfy. I’m totally content grabbing breakfast downstairs in my pajamas, lounging in the living room late night while talking with friends, knocking on anyone’s door to say hi, etc.

I say that an all women’s environment demands courage because when suddenly all limits or preconceived notions on what you can do are lifted, you have a lot of options. And it takes courage to pursue them and seize them. But you can do it, and if you’re ever in doubt, you have a lot of great role models around you.

[smithiesmithsmith-blog]

Hey guys! I wanted to make a "Meet the Smithie" page so you get a sense of what I'm out and about doing on campus and I can share some info about what I love! Wand to learn more about any of the activities I keep active in? Feel free to send me a note:)

SO! My name is Haisley and I'm class of 2016 (a senior!). I'm a Latin American and Latin@ Studies Major, Spanish Minor, and a Community Engagement and Social Change Concentrator. I keep busy with academics, but you'll find a lot of Smithies are involved in majors/minors/concentrations/certificates that cross over disciplines. I'm constantly amazed by how much my peers are involved in studies, clubs, and events that they're passionate about! On campus, I am involved in the Admissions Office (I'm a Senior Interviewer and am a guide as well). I have been a part of Glee Club since my first year, and music is really food for my soul:) I lead some trips for the outing club, which is always quite literally, a breath of fresh air. When I'm not in clubs or classes, you can find me laughing over corny jokes with friends, sipping on tea, and going on adventures to in town or the larger Pioneer Valley. Fortunately, there are no shortage of fun coffee shops and hiking trails! I am from Avon, CT, which is about an hour and twenty minutes away from campus. I love this, because it's wonderful to get to catch up with my family on a weekend!

And now for a little Q & A:) I’ll try to keep this brief, because I’m definitely hoping to expound on each experience during future blog posts!

What did you do this summer? This summer I participated in the Smith-Tuck Business Bridge Program, a three-week crash course in everything from managerial economics, marketing, and accounting, to workshops on working for NGOs and lunchbox series on consulting jobs. Check out my other post on “What did you do this summer?” to learn more!

What's been your favorite class at Smith? This is the absolute best and worst question! Best, because I love nothing more than talking about my classes (my family can attest to this:) And worst, because choosing a singular class is hard. I am a prolific class shopper, and with over 7,000 course offerings in the Pioneer Valley, I love to explore my options, keep in communication with professors, and take time and energy in selecting the courses that I connect best with. Thanks to Smith’s open curriculum, the exploratory factor across disciplines is easy to do. I will note that you cannot get credit for any pre-professional classes (except engineering), so, for instance, I’ve heard accounts of the registrar declining credit applications for business, some agriculture, and journalism classes at UMass. But I’m a huge liberal arts proponent, and the options here are incredible and thought provoking.

One of my favorite classes was definitely my first year seminar, Geology in the Field. I commonly advertise the class as “The class where each student in the class gets to use and keep and iPad for the semester, go on 13 field trips for hands-on learning, and have a legendary and very revered professor!” All of which are true, but I’d be beyond remiss if I didn’t mention how much I loved being outside and looking at rocks. I really learned a different way of thinking about the world. You can learn so much through observing, recording, and synthesizing your own information. Our main project in the class was to put together a geologic history of the Pioneer Valley- through just our observations of what the rocks looked like at the various sites that we visited. We were able to determine how the rocks were created, and then judging by the dip direction of the rock, judge where the layer of the rock must be, relative to the others. We then were able to create a geologic narrative of the valley.

What jobs have you had at Smith? My jobs at Smith have been awesome!!! First years usually work in the dining halls, but my on campus work began my sophomore year in the Botanic Garden. Even though our campus is already an arboretum, we have a beautiful series of indoor greenhouses that house plants grouped by area around the world and type of climate. I helped engrave labels for the plants outside while I worked there, and got to know the wonderful staff very well. I love being in the Botanic Garden- I find sitting on the bench in front of the fountain so peaceful, and a great hidden gem of a study spot! I also love the botanic garden because the different rooms remind me of the vegetation and climate of different places around the world that I’ve been to.

Have you gone abroad? Where? Yes!! I worked for two summers in Peru (one summer was an internship and the next summer was a fellowship) and I spent my junior year abroad. In the Fall, I was in Córdoba, Spain (via the program Preshco), and in the Spring, I was in Cochabamba, Bolivia (via the program SIT). I am positive I’ll be talking about these experiences later on in the blog, and wanna make sure I have the time to do this broad topic justice, so keep looking forward to the details:)

What's your favorite Smith dining hall and meal? Gillette, obviously! Gillette is the vegan/ vegetarian dining hall on campus, and as I learned through my experience meeting with dining services through a project we were working on in Senate, they have the highest budget on campus. They often have local food, and always have natural peanut butter and almond butter- both of which I’m nuts for! The people who work there are so kind, and I enjoy every plate of food- whether it have avocado tempeh panini or pumpkin pie!

[smithiesmithsmith-blog]

Photo cred shout out to Abby and Mallory for documenting some Smith-Tuck moments:)

This summer I participated in the Smith-Tuck Business Bridge Program, a three-week crash course in everything from managerial economics, marketing, and accounting, to workshops on working for NGOs and lunchbox series on consulting jobs.

I really enjoyed the program- and I say this heartily, despite the few hours of sleep we all were (or were not, getting!). I come out of the program with such enthusiasm for it on a couple counts.

1) I learned SO much! I feel well versed in the fundamentals of business, and have a wide introductory basis as my springboard into the future- in whatever field I pursue. I understand different segments of business now and the industries that each sector can tap into. I also feel much more prepared to go into life after Smith. Our team based project was also a great learning experience- in both content matter and in teamwork. We preformed a market assessment on the cutting edge technology of CLIP 3D printing that was released earlier this year, and presented to a panel of experts, faculty, and students. The experience demanded intensive hours collaborating, compiling and analyzing information, and strategizing with 5 other team members, and I learned more about myself and the roles in which I excel in group work. We also learned what it’s like to prepare and give a formal market assessment presentation.

2) The teamwork and camaraderie was incredible- and there were instances of people staying up (even when they still had more work to do) to dedicate significant time to helping friends understand the material. In typical women’s college fashion, we were still interested in the material after the exams, and much to the tutor’s pleasant surprise, continued to ask questions even when it wasn’t coming up in the realm of being tested on it again. I didn’t feel a competition, but a feeling of support and solidarity throughout the program. I also enjoyed the diversity of interests that the students represented- there were students who wanted to become coaches after Smith, and students who wanted to pursue investment banking. I appreciate the liberal arts approach and I think that this diversity brought a variety of learning approaches to the table.

3) I met very powerful female leaders and new role models. Tuck offered many networking opportunities- from bringing in speakers during lectures and hosting panels. When I say powerful, I suppose I mean in terms of their professional position, but I first associate the word with how confident and grounded the women we met were. They spoke to the challenges of entering the business world, managing work and families, and how to be an effective leader. I feel much more confident now in reaching out to Tuck and Smith alumnae and asking for advice, especially after seeing the ‘pay it forward attitude’ that so many of our speakers had, and knowing that I hope to give back in that way in the future too.

This program was open to any female students across the country, and was hosted at Smith, and taught completely by the Dartmouth MBA faculty. In my inaugural class, there were 28 or so students, but they anticipate the program to be growing. Both Smith and Dartmouth see this as the beginning of a long-standing partnership, and intend on continuing this program many years into the future. I heard that every Smith student received at least partial funding through the college to participate, and the college has been rallying support, excitement, and funding, around the program.

I highly recommend it, and would be more than happy to speak with anyone who’s interested or has any questions:)

[smithiesmithsmith-blog]

What’s in a Major, Minor, Concentration, Certificate?

Hello! Today I’d like to give you the 411 on academic degree options at Smith. Here we have majors, minors, concentrations, and certificates- and when I came into Smith, I didn’t know what distinguished the non-major degree options from each other so I thought I’d provide a brief run-down on the academic offerings. Students usually have separate advisers for each of the programs, unless the faculty overlap the disciplines, and your existing adviser can take you on for more than one of the programs. On your transcript, you need 1 major, and can have 1 minor. In addition to the required major and optional minor, you can have either 1 concentration or 1 certificate. You cannot have both a concentration and a certificate, and you cannot have 2 minors. You can totally double major here too if you want, I just don’t remember the specifics at the moment on what else you can also put on your transcript with a double major, but I can find out if anyone indicates that they’re interested.

OPEN CURRICULUM- Smith is one of the very few colleges to have an open curriculum, and I can say that as a student, this has expanded my horizons and contributed to classroom dynamic in a really positive way. To graduate from Smith, you need to fulfill the classes for your major, make sure that at least half of your credits are outside of your major, and then take one class (of the many!) that are registered as ‘writing intensive’. That’s it- there are no core classes that every student must take, and there are no distribution requirements. And each student’s advisor will help the student make course selections that are good for staying on track of their major, and good for exploring different disciplines. If you seek a little bit more structure, students can self-elect to fulfill one class from each of about 6 or so disciplines, which makes you eligible to be a Latin Honors student upon gradation, provided that you are also in the top 25% of the class. The writing intensive classes include any first year seminar (FYS, which are open to students in the fall of their first year) or English 118. There are many (MANY!:) topics within each set of course groupings. The Geology in the Field class I mention in my introduction was a FYS, and there are also FYS many other topics, such as Exploring the Global Coffee Trail, and a class about specific 18th century romance novels or so. I think there are about 20 FYS courses offered in the fall, and the popular FYS Reacting to the Past I believe surfaces in the Spring as well, back by demand. Each FYS is capped at 17 students, and they usually deal with a topic the professor is really passionate about, and it shows. Professors are given relative freedom on the courses they teach here at Smith, so students end up getting to choose from a really neat range of topics, that don’t feel “cookie-cutter” at all. Professors are also capped at teaching only 2 classes, so they really give their attention and focus to the students who are in them! The average class size is 19, but intro lectures can be bigger and upper level classes tend to be smaller. Smithies usually take 4 courses a semester at 4 credits each, to graduate with 128 credits.

MAJORS- Smith has about 50 majors in total, and each year, about 4 or 5 students create their own major. I wouldn’t recommend, from anecdotal advice, depending on creating your own major because I’ve heard there can be a lot of hoops to jump through, but there are so many majors (and ways to compliment/tailor your studies with our other options) that you likely won’t feel you need to! The number of courses you need to complete your major depend on the department. Some require about 10, but a BS in engineering for instance, requires 22 of your 32 classes to be engineering. Most majors have their own department, but there are 12 or so ‘interdepartmental majors’ which draw on faculty from other departments to create a unique program. My Latin American and Latin@ Studies major is an interdepartmental one, and I’m happy to field any questions!

MINORS- Minors are another great way to take advantage of having a discipline you love show up on your transcript! If memory serves me correctly, we also have 50 of these:) Most of the major offerings are also minors, but not all. On the flip side, some of the minors are not official majors- for instance, Landscape Studies and Linguistics are minors, but you can try to petition to ‘design’ your own major of those, expanding the minor course load, if you were sure you wanted to make those your majors.

CONCENTRATIONS- Concentrations are about the same course load as minors, are slightly less structured, and require two ‘practical experiences’, or internships, relating to the concentration. Smith will fund your summer internship experiences- Praxis is available to all students, which covers $2400 of an unpaid domestic internship, and $3500 of an unpaid international internship. Concentration members have access to funding for their second experience through Praxis Plus. Technically you apply for concentrations (Which leads me to mention that you do not apply for majors or minors- those you are guaranteed to my knowledge) but I have not heard of someone not being able to do a concentration that they want to. Concentrations have a gateway 2 credit course and a capstone course to be taken during your senior year. The rest of the courses, from my experience as a concentrator, are electives that you choose with your concentration adviser that pertain to the focus of your specific concentration.

CERTIFICATES- And here we come to certificates! Certificates are usually 5 college, which means that you’ll take classes in the handy consortium to complete them. The consortium is a great opportunity and lets students take a free bus that runs about every 20 minutes to each of the colleges, and register in their classes for free, and receive Smith credit! You can also join other campus’s clubs and go to their events:) Certificates, from my understanding, don’t include a gateway two credit course and don’t require practical experiences, but are a bit more structured as to the classes you can take.

Check out the Smith website to learn more about academic offerings!:) There are so many great ways you can customize your education!

[smithiesmithsmith-blog]

“CAKEEEE NIGHT 2NITE!!!” When I saw that email subject line pop into my inbox, I couldn’t help but to grin. Cake night has long been a tradition in the hallowed halls of Cushing, thanks to our one and only, dear housekeeper Linda. Linda is at the heart and soul of Cushing House, and every month, she buys wonderful gourmet cakes (plural) from local bakeries to celebrate all the Cushing birthdays that month. The whole house gathers around to sing happy birthday on the monthly evening of Cake Night and eat yummy cake! It’s especially generous because Linda buys the cakes with her own money- it’s not a college-sponsored event- and does this because she deeply cares. It’s a really sweet tradition because it brings everyone together and we get to recognize as a house the people who have birthdays that month! Cushing also has something called “birthday bunnies”, or several elected house members who decorate the doors of any house member (who chooses to participate) on their special day. Other houses have some variation of “birthday bunnies” as well, coming under the names of “birthday faries”, or “birthday buddies”, etc, which are really fun positions to be a part of! I imagine it can be time consuming- after all, houses at Smith range from about 10 people to almost 110 at the largest, and everyone has a birthday to decorate for!- but I can personally vouch that the spirit and kindness is much appreciated:) There was also a chocolate cake with a heaven-sent ganache, but it was already in my tummy before I’d thought to snap a picture! This post goes out to Linda- an incredibly kind, core part of what makes Cushing home<3