Campus celebrates Julia Child Day
 
Smith's annual homage to the woman who forever changed American cuisine has become a campuswide celebration of food and the joy of living, which during her own life Julia McWilliams Child '34 exemplified so vividly. This year's event, held on November 16, featured a panel discussion, titled "Pleasure," during which faculty discussed the "pleasures of a life well lived and loved." The real treat, though, was the scrumptious food--samples of some of Child's favorite recipes available in kitchens and cafes across campus. To see the varied menus for student dining rooms, the Campus Center, and the Smith College Club, as well as recipes with intriguing names like The Queen of Sheba Cake and Molasses-Glazed Duck Salad, visit http://www.smith.edu/news/2005-06/JuliaChildDay.html.
 
  Annual mum show more than pretty blooms
 
Sure, the appeal of Smith's annual mum show might be the welcome swath of color it brings to the area before a New England winter, but the show is also an opportunity for students to showcase their research and demonstrate what they've learned about producing plant hybrids. This year, art and science combined when sculptures by art students were included in the exhibition. To see some of this year's students, their work, and the preparation for the show, visit www.smith.edu/future/next/mumshowgallery06.
 
  Ensuring diversity in advertising
 
Dolores Kunda '77, president and CEO of Lápiz, one of the country's largest Hispanic marketing firms, was recently honored with the Diversity Achievement Award from the American Advertising Federation. The award, which was presented at a luncheon during Advertising Week in September in New York, recognizes a leader who has been instrumental in promoting career opportunities for minorities within a specific industry. "In honoring [Kunda] and others who have done so much to create diversity and multiculturalism in our industry, we are assuring that progress in this area is continuing," said Nick Ferrari, CEO of Erdos & Morgan, Inc. and a member of the award committee. To read more about Kunda, visit http://saqonline.smith.edu/article.epl?issue_id=15&article_id=1379.
 
  Research fellowships awarded to two students
  Talya Davis-Johnson '07 and Nadeera Dawlagala '07 have been awarded the 2006 fellowships by the American Society of Microbiology. The fellowships are offered to highly competitive students who intend to pursue advanced degrees in microbiology. The award includes a research stipend of up to $4,000, a one-year membership in the ASM, and support for the recipient to travel to the annual ASM conference to present her research. Of the 43 fellowships awarded, only nine students were from baccalaureate institutions, which compete with some of the country's largest research universities.
 
  'Environmental justice' one piece of Otelia Cromwell Day celebration
  Vernice Miller-Travis, executive director of Groundwork USA, a nonprofit organization that helps communities improve the environment, gave the keynote address at this year's Otelia Cromwell Day celebration, held November 9. Calling environmental justice the "21st century civil rights challenge of our time," Miller-Travis, a former member of the EPA's National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, detailed how air and water in communities around the country--particularly in poor cities and towns--have been spoiled by landfills, heavy industry, and factory farming. She challenged students who want to make a difference to focus on the most basic civil rights of clean water to drink, decent air to breathe, and bringing an end to the permanent damage inflicted by high lead concentrations in poor neighborhoods. The complete schedule for Otelia Cromwell Day activities is available at http://www.smith.edu/otelia/schedule.php.
 
  Making strides in psychology
  Sherry Wang '06 received the Honorary Undergraduate Scholar Award for 2006-07 from the New England Psychological Association on Oct. 21. Wang, who was nominated by Byron Zamboanga, assistant professor of psychology at Smith, was selected for her achievements in and contributions to psychology as an undergraduate. She is one of only three students from New England colleges who received the award this year during the 46th annual meeting of the association. Currently, Wang is enrolled in the doctoral program in counseling psychology at the University of Nebraska.
 
  Smith 'Elects the World'
  On November 7, faculty and 22 students presented "Smith Elects the World," demonstrations of off-campus learning from their Junior Year Abroad experiences or Praxis internships. Their work took them to places as varied as China, Harlem, Madagascar, and Washington, D.C. From a variety of disciplines, the students addressed the challenges created by poverty, lack of health care, drugs, damaged families, and suspicion of anything American. The students agreed that the ability to solve problems on the fly, in unusual circumstances, was an essential skill and one they believed they had acquired from their liberal arts background. An overview of the five panels appears at
http://www.smith.edu/news/2006-07/SmithElectstheWorld.html.
 
  Ann Ostergaard ’58 joins national YMCA board
  Ann Ostergaard ’58, of Pittsburgh, has been appointed to a three-year term on the 25-member board of the YMCA's national office, which oversees the country's 2,617 local chapters. Ostergaard owned and operated a Pittsburgh-based human resources consulting firm from 1986 to 2004. She was named Woman of the Year by the YWCA in 1985.
 
  Stories from alumnae authors
 
Curious how author Jane Yolen '60 has managed to write more than 250 children's books, or how author Ruth Ozeki '80 develops her characters? Check out the Alumnae Association's new series of audio interviews with alumnae authors, "An Author's Voice." Featured so far are interviews with Yolen; Ozeki, author of My Year of Meats; Robin Hathaway '56, who created the Dr. Fenimore mystery series; romance novelist Judith Arnold (Barbara Keiler '74); and Andrea Hairston '74, professor of literature and science fiction author. To start listening, go to http://alumnae.smith.edu and look under the "Audio Transcripts" section. Files are available for download in MP3 format.
 
  'A strong advocate for women in science'
  When Janet Schulte '80 interviewed for the director's job at the Maria Mitchell Association, a scientific research and education institution on Nantucket, she knew almost instinctively that she belonged on the island. "I found the openness of the sky and the beauty of the ocean, so I felt my feet were beginning to get roots," she told the Nantucket Independent. Since beginning her new job last April, Schulte has brought a unique perspective that, according to the association's president, Judith Lee, has strengthened the MMA. "She has a scientific background and has a strong advocacy for women's education and women in science in general," Lee said. "One of the things we found so great is her own professional aspiration to make a positive contribution to the ecology and environment." For more about Schulte's work and the Maria Mitchell Association, visit http://www.mmo.org/.
 
  How would you reinvent the practice of law?
  That's one of the questions to be discussed during the Alumnae Association's on-campus event, "Smith Women and the Practice of Law," scheduled for March 29–30, 2007. The event, which is open to any alumna involved or interested in the practice of law, will feature alumnae lawyers, law professionals, and Smith faculty. Discussion topics include work/life balance, career paths, ethics, and issues related to diversity and discrimination in the profession. For information, contact Betsy Baird, associate director for alumnae education, at 800-526-2023, ext. 4; bbaird@email.smith.edu. Or visit the Alumnae Association's Web site, http://alumnae.smith.edu.
 
  Are you stressed? Are you coping with menopause? The SAQ wants to know
  The Smith Alumnae Quarterly is planning a series of stories related to women's health and well-being, and we're looking for alumnae to share their stories. Among the articles we're considering is a piece on stress and how it affects women's health, and an article on menopause and its treatment. If you have been diagnosed with a stress-related disorder, have experience treating stress-related diseases in women, or want to share your own experiences with menopause, please send a brief paragraph detailing your experience and how you might contribute to John MacMillan, editor of the Quarterly, at jmacmill@smith.edu.
 
  Focus on free speech
  When Smith's student Republican Club posted flyers around campus advertising an upcoming meeting, they had no idea they would raise hackles among some students. But one of their posters was found defaced in the Campus Center, an incident that sparked a series of panel discussions meant to address how students should respond to people who hold different points of view. The first of those discussions--on free speech--was held in mid-October and featured four faculty members who offered an array of perspectives on the topic. To read more, visit http://saqonline.smith.edu/article.epl?issue_id=15&article_id=1487.
 
  New Plath poem discovered
  "Ennui," a previously unpublished poem by the late Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Sylvia Plath '55, was recently published in Blackbird, an online journal of literature and the arts. Plath wrote "Ennui" while an undergraduate at Smith and may have originally intended to publish it. "It is difficult to realize how hard Plath worked to perfect her craft unless you read the poems written before 1956; many of these poems, like 'Ennui,' deserve publication," said Karen Kukil, editor of The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath. Visit Blackbird at http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu.


For daily updates, visit the News and Events section of www.smith.edu.
 
  *************AASC Programs and Services ***************

Get Away With Smith Travel

The Smith Travel Program has a full roster of trips planned for the year. Here are some highlights:
  • TIMBUKTU AND THE RIVERS OF WEST AFRICA, January 26–February 20, 2007. Join Elliot Fratkin, Smith professor of anthropology, and Wayne Mones, National Audubon tour leader, on this exciting trip that combines one week of visiting Timbuktu, Segou, Dejenne, and Mopti with a week aboard the 34-guest yacht Callisto cruising the inland waterways of Senegal and the Gambia.
  • NEW ZEALAND BY LAND AND SEA, February 9–21, 2007. A limited number of cabins are still available on this spectacular trip to New Zealand with Tom Litwin, director of Smith's Clark Science Center.
  • LONDON THEATRE TOUR, March 25–April 1, 2007. Enjoy the best of British theatre with Ellen Kaplan, Smith professor of theatre. The itinerary includes a day in Stratford, where you will see Sir Ian McKellen performing King Lear.
  • GUATEMALA, HOLY WEEK, CULTURAL TRADITIONS, AND THE ANCIENT WORLD OF THE MAYA, March 31–April 9, 2007. Enjoy this vibrant, beautiful country during the celebration of Holy Week. With Karl Donfried, professor emeritus of religion.
  • CRUISING THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI, March 24–31, 2007. Learn about the Civil War and the American South, with Patricia Skarda, professor of English language and literature.
  • BHUTAN: INSIDE THE DRAGON KINGDOM, April 28–May 12, 2007. Don't miss this opportunity to visit the last of the Buddhist kingdoms, with Andy Rotman, assistant professor of religion and PhD in South Asian languages and civilizations.

For full itineraries and prices on the above trips, contact Smith Travel at 800-225-2029 or e-mail alumtrav@smith.edu. For a full listing of trips and slideshows of past trips, visit http://alumnae.smith.edu/travel.

A book club for alumnae
Alumnae share a love of reading and talking about good books. To celebrate this favorite pastime during its 125th anniversary year, the Alumnae Association has developed a unique, worldwide book club for alumnae. Here's how it works: Smith clubs and Smith book clubs are invited to select a book from an online list and then schedule the appropriate faculty member to lead a discussion exclusively for club members. If you don't belong to a club, faculty will be hosting online discussions throughout the year. To select a book and find out more about the reading program, visit http://alumnae.smith.edu and look for the "Read With Us" link.

Benefits for Smith alumnae
Just because you've graduated from Smith doesn't mean you're forgotten. The Alumnae Association offers a variety of services to make your post-Smith life a little easier. Alumnae are eligible for various insurance options, including medical, life, and liability insurances, as well as a credit card that benefits Alumnae Association programs. For information on all Alumnae Association benefits and services, visit http://alumnae.smith.edu and click on a menu item under "Benefit."

Keep in touch
Wondering whatever happened to that Smith housemate who used to keep you company while you studied all night for a midterm? The Alumnae Association's Online Directory makes it easy for you to catch up with your Smith friends. You can search by name, location, profession, and even Smith house. Just visit the Alumnae Association's Web page at http://alumnae.smith.edu, and log in under "Alumnae Directory and E-mail." While you're there, be sure to update your personal information. The directory is most effective when the information is kept up to date. To ensure that your information is correct, log into your alumnae directory account at https://smith.alumnae.net/login.asp and then click on "Personal Information" at the top of the screen.

Life insurance
Looking for a dependable life, liability, or temporary health insurance? The Alumnae Association's insurance program offers reasonable and critical protection for alumnae. Details are available at http://alumnae.smith.edu (click on the "Insurance Benefits" link under "Benefit"). Or for more information, call the AASC's broker, Meyer and Associates, at 800-635-7801. Identify yourself as a Smith alumna.

The Alumnae Association of Smith College promotes association programs and services only.

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For a compendium of the latest news about Smith, press releases, calendar of events, stories, and media coverage, visit Smith College News and Events Web site at http://www.smith.edu/news/
Other useful links:
Smith College Home: www.smith.edu
Alumnae Association of Smith College: http://alumnae.smith.edu
Smith Alumnae Quarterly: www.saqonline.smith.edu
Shaping the Future of Smith: http://www.smith.edu/future/shaping/
Supporting Smith: www.smith.edu/future