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Smith E-News is a periodic newsletter of interest to alumnae and friends of Smith College. The mailing list is neither available nor visible to recipients. To unsubscribe, please e-mail aostemp@smith.edu and write "unsubscribe" in the subject line. Please include your name and class year in the body of the e-mail. For information about this publication, please contact the Alumnae Association at alumnae@smith.edu.
Smith bans investment in Sudan
Citing the Sudanese government's campaign of genocide in the Darfur region, Smith College has banned investment in companies directly or indirectly supporting that regime. The Smith College Board of Trustees voted to take that action at its meeting May 6. "Withholding investment offers the possibility that private organizations in the United States can encourage a policy change in a foreign country, specifically, in this case, the end of the genocidal policies of the Sudanese government," said Mary Patterson McPherson '57, chair of the board of trustees. "While the recent peace accord is grounds for cautious optimism, we still believe that international pressure is necessary and compelling." For more on the board's decision, go to http://www.smith.edu/newsoffice/releases/05-075.html.
Eyes on the earth
Claudia McMurray '80 was sworn in as assistant secretary for oceans, environment, and science on February 21. The Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs is responsible for a broad portfolio of global issues related to environmental protection and climate change, conservation of the earth's resources, and international health issues, among other things. McMurray has served as deputy assistant secretary of state for environment; associate deputy administrator, and chief of staff to the deputy administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; vice president at Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc. (VSA), a leading government relations firm in Washington, D.C.; and several key staff positions in the United States Senate. Until 1996, she served as a senior policy adviser and counsel to three senators, all of whom served as chairmen of major committees. The many activities of the OES are detailed at http://www.state.gov/g/oes/.
Hunger banquet raises awareness of world poverty and genocide
When Beth Schuman '06 arrived in East Africa for a study abroad program in the fall of 2004, the region was heading into its second year of no rain. "Their reserved food supply was about to dry up," she said. "The drought was destroying the country. It was terrible to see all the suffering." When she returned to campus, Schuman, inspired by all the personal connections she had made in Africa, helped galvanize students around the issues of poverty and drought. Recently, the student senate's Disaster and Relief Committee named the drought in East Africa one of the world's worst catastrophes, and in late April Tsedeck, a coalition of seven religious and activist organizations on campus, hosted a hunger banquet to raise awareness--and money--about the drought and the genocide in Sudan. "We wanted to find a way to help," Schuman said. "As students at a place like Smith, it's our job to do as much as we can." During the banquet, participants ate traditional African foods that were prepared by students. The portions, however, were small, as a way of showing how much the average person around the world has to eat. Eric Reeves, professor of English language and literature and an international expert on the situation in Darfur, Sudan, gave the keynote address. Proceeds from the dinner and a silent auction (between $7,000 and $9,000) were donated to charities dedicated to stopping the genocide in Sudan and easing the effects of the drought in East Africa.
Making memories in Madrid
Nine alumnae of the Smith Junior Year Abroad in Madrid program marked its 75th anniversary in March with a Memories of Madrid dinner at the Hotel Wellington there. Present were Julia Sharp Vergara '55, Zoe Chamberlain Suárez '57, Mary Adah Curbera '58, Carolyn Richmond '60, Tracy Eubank Rodríguez de Castro '65, Ingrid Perdew '65, Sheila Klaiber García-Mendoza '68, Vivian Aranyos '70, and Kathy Smith González '70. The guest speaker was Nancy Saporta Sternbach, professor in the Smith College Department of Spanish and Portuguese and the director of the PRESHCO Program in Córdoba this year. Participants celebrated, reminisced, and learned about Smith today. Organizers say that with renewed friendships and renewed vigor, they intend to strengthen their ties to Smith and strongly support its commitment to Spanish and Portuguese studies and the Junior Year Abroad program in Córdoba.
Taking it to the street
In 2005, Alexandra Allen-Lane '08 put her feminist political beliefs into action in a novel way. Her vision, to make social progress a lifestyle, led her to create Grit and Wit, a company that sells long and short-sleeve T-shirts for men, women, and children with her provocative messages aimed at ending patriarchy. All are made with non-sweatshop labor and are sure to start a conversation in any checkout line. Allen-Lane's products are at http://www.gritandwit.com.
Alumnae re-enact the past
From March 30 through April 2, twenty-eight alumnae were key players in a historical game that brought to life some of the most tumultuous years in English history. The event, "Re-enacting the Past: Henry VIII and the Reformation Parliament," was organized by the Alumnae Association of Smith College and was staged as a role-playing exercise, with alumnae taking on the parts of important figures in the conflict that erupted after King Henry VIII ordered Parliament to find the means to invalidate his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boleyn and father a male heir. Some members of the legislative body took the king's charge as an opportunity to convert the country to Protestantism, throwing Parliament into a fierce battle between Protestants and Catholics. During the game, which was played out in four classes over the weekend and was led by government professor Patrick Coby and English professor William Oram, alumnae, acting as lord chancellors, dukes, bishops, and other spiritual nobles and lords, debated, schemed, and conspired to sway votes in their favor. The purpose was not necessarily for participants to repeat history but to re-examine it and interpret events in their own ways based on the information they received and the strategies that were put into play during the game. For a glimpse at the weekend, view the image gallery at http://alumnae.smith.edu/media/hviii_gallery.php.
A summer of science
Steven Williams, Gates Professor of Biology, has been leading the largest and longest-running molecular biology summer program in the world. In over twenty years, more than 3,000 participants, including at least fifty Smith alumnae, have graduated from the New England Biolabs Molecular Biology Summer Workshops. Participants are mostly scientists and educators, but lawyers, journalists, investment bankers, and others have taken part. Anyone interested in learning about molecular biology is encouraged to apply online. For more information, please visit http://www.science.smith.edu/neb/index.html or download a program synopsis here.
AASC marks its 125th anniversary with yearlong celebration
Beginning this spring, the Alumnae Association of Smith College will mark its 125th anniversary with a yearlong celebration featuring special programs, enhanced services, prize giveaways, and new online initiatives--all meant to bring alumnae closer to Smith, each other, and the association. "This is an exciting time in our history," said Carrie Cadwell Brown, Ed.M. '82, executive director of the Alumnae Association. "This celebration gives us a unique opportunity to honor our past and also look at our future and consider what we can do to best serve the needs of our alumnae. We're looking forward to a fun celebration and a great year." The Alumnae Association was founded in 1881 with forty members from the classes of 1879, 1880, and 1881. It has since grown into an international organization that provides more than 40,000 alumnae with educational symposia, travel and volunteer opportunities, and class and club events, including Reunion. The association also publishes the Smith Alumnae Quarterly. Events for the 125th celebration will continue through Reunion 2007, with on-campus programs, including a symposium titled "Home: A Sense of Space, A Sense of Place," a birthday book club, and prizes, including a Smith Travel trip. For more information about the Alumnae Association and the 125th anniversary, visit the association's newly designed Web site at http://alumnae.smith.edu.
Off to teach in Uganda
In early March, Heather Rice '05 said goodbye to her family and friends and left for Uganda, where she intends to spend the next two years as a primary school resource teacher with the Peace Corps. Before she left, Rice and thirty-six other volunteers were honored in a ceremony at the JFK Library in Boston, during which some of the first Peace Corps volunteers gave a traditional African ceremonial cloth to the new Uganda volunteers. During her stay in Uganda, Rice will work closely with the Ministry of Education and Sports to provide support to primary school teachers and school heads. At Smith, Rice majored in education and worked as a student teacher at the Smith College Campus School.
Memorial planned for Professor Walter Morris-Hale
Walter Morris-Hale, professor emeritus of government and Afro-American studies, died at home on March 30. Smith College will hold a memorial service to honor and remember him on September 30 at 2 p.m. at the Helen Hills Hills Chapel. A reception at the Smith College Club will follow. For more information, please contact Professor Fred H. Leonard at fleonard@email.smith.edu.
Faculty and alumnae to explore concept of 'home'
What is the meaning of "home"? How can we shape our environment to better reflect who we are? How does the space we live in affect us? These are just a few of the questions Smith faculty and alumnae will discuss during a special on-campus event, "Home: A Sense of Space, A Sense of Place," that promises an in-depth examination of our relationship with the space we inhabit. The symposium, sponsored by the Alumnae Association, is scheduled for June 22-25 and will also include visits to the nearby historic homes of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Plus, participants will get an insider's look at how the college's art collection makes a statement about the changing nature of home and space. To register securely for this event, visit http://alumnae.smith.edu/education/home_symposium.php.
Diane Thorndike Kaneb '60 named chair of Massachusetts Eye and Ear
After serving as a trustee for close to twenty years, Diane Thorndike Kaneb '60 was recently elected chair of the foundation and the board of directors of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI). Kaneb, who graduated from Smith with a degree in economics and from Babson College's Management for Women Program, works as a system service representative for IBM and has extensive volunteer experience, including the board of Hospice at Home of Weston, MA, various positions within the Weston public schools, and the board of Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Kaneb was elected to the board of MEEI in 1989. Of her appointment, Curtis Smith, president of MEEI, said, "Diane's dedication to her work here has been invaluable. We are pleased that she is at the helm as chair."
Calling all former rugby players!
The college's rugby team is chronicling more than twenty-five years of the sport at Smith, and they need the help of alumnae ruggers. The team wants photos, stories, traditions, and anything else you're willing to share. Get on the team's mailing list and they'll let you know when they're playing in a city near you. And don't forget to check out their Web site: http://sophia.smith.edu/rugby. Send your contact info and memorabilia to Kika Gilbert '08, kgilbert@email.smith.edu, or 1 Chapin Way, Box 6324, Northampton, MA 01063-6302.
A moving honor
Ariel Gonzalez-Cohen, a Smith College dance department MFA student, has been nominated for the Dance Magazine Outstanding Choreographer Award. In the fall, she auditioned a solo piece, titled "Waiting to Get In," and was chosen by Smith College faculty to perform at the 2006 New England Regional Dance Conference of the American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA) held at Boston University, February 16-19. The conference was attended by hundreds of dance students and faculty from colleges throughout the Northeast. From the forty-five dance works judged, Cohen's solo was selected for repeat performance in the closing gala concert. She was also chosen to go on to the ACDFA Twelfth National College Dance Festival, where her choreography will be reviewed again for national recognition. The festival is a biannual event that will be held this year at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., May 16-18. Information, schedules, and a list of participating colleges are at http://www.acdfa.org.
Send the SAQ your stories
More women than ever are conceiving children through in-vitro fertilization. It can be a long, expensive process filled with many highs and lows. The Smith Alumnae Quarterly would like to share the stories of alumnae who have gone through this procedure. If you would like to participate and tell us about your experiences, please contact Jennifer Maddox Sergent '91 at jjsergent@verizon.net, or at 703-465-1874.
Supporting tomorrow's scientists and engineers
The Women's Network of employees at Sylvania Osram is supporting two full scholarships for students to attend the 2006 Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program. The SSEP encourages high school girls to pursue studies in science and engineering by bringing them together with peers and faculty mentors in an intensive residential program. Sylvania employees first became aware of Smith's leadership for women in science and engineering at the June 2005 American Women in Science (AWIS) conference held on campus. They then researched the SSEP and discovered its importance in providing access to talented students from less advantaged schools.
Philosophy department tackles tough issues
The philosophy department and the Department of Education and Child Study are jointly sponsoring a series of panels on ethical issues. On April 27, "Ethics and Education: Knowledge, Teaching, and Individual Conscience" focused on the dilemmas K-12 teachers encounter when faced with thorny ethical issues such as teaching evolutionary biology. An alumnae panel of four teachers spoke in the Neilson Browsing Room about their experiences with this and similar challenges. In the evening, Federal District Court Judge John Jones addressed the issues raised by the efforts of the Dover (PA) Township school board to include intelligent design in the science curriculum. Jones, a Republican and 2002 Bush appointee, ruled last December that those efforts violated the constitutional separation of church and state. Other symposia will follow in the next academic year.
New director for key policy institute
Stephanie Jones '82 has been named executive director of the National Urban League's Policy Institute. The institute, located in Washington, D.C., provides research, policy analysis and advocacy to enable African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity and power, and civil rights. Under Jones' leadership, the institute will take a substantially more active role as a key resource on public policy issues related to the National Urban League's Empowerment Agenda. From 2002 until this year, Jones served as chief counsel to Sen. John Edwards. In this capacity, she advised him on judicial nominations, the Constitution, civil rights and liberties, homeland security, labor, and other issues. Jones also was a political and policy adviser to Edwards during his presidential and vice presidential campaigns and worked closely with him in the development of his policies on poverty, civil rights, predatory lending, and urban issues. The goals and activities of the institute are described at http://www.nul.org/policyinstitute.html.
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Get Away With Smith Travel

Smith Travel has an array of trips to satisfy your urge for adventure. Spaces are still available on these exciting trips:

ENCHANTMENT ALONG THE RHINE AND MOSELLE RIVERS, June 9-24, 2006. Due to a last-minute cancellation we have one double cabin available in category B. Call Smith Travel at 800-225-2029 for details. Join Michael Gorra, professor and chair of Smith's English department, on this delightful riverboat cruise through the heart of Europe. http://alumnae.smith.edu/travel/enchantment2006.php

SECRETS OF THE ADRIATIC RIVIERA, August 1-9, 2006. Enjoy Slovenia's Adriatic Riviera, Croatia, and Venice on this trip that offers a varied educational experience at an unbeatable price. Thomas Derr, professor emeritus of religion, will accompany you on this exciting journey. http://alumnae.smith.edu/travel/adriatic2006.php

SCANDINAVIA: FROM COPENHAGEN TO THE NORTH CAPE, August 10-22, 2006. Enjoy this splendid journey through the stately cities, charming Hanseatic towns, and the sublime Norwegian fjords as the long summer days brighten these northerly latitudes. Craig Davis, Smith professor of English, will share his expertise in medieval literature and his extensive knowledge of this area. http://alumnae.smith.edu/travel/vikings2006.php

TREASURES OF THE PHARAOHS: EGYPT AND THE NILE ABOARD THE SUN BOAT III, October 17-30, 2006. Your itinerary includes behind-the-scenes access to current archaeological research while you enjoy the comfort of a premier riverboat. Travel with Karen Pfeifer, professor of economics and expert on economic development in the Middle East and North Africa. http://alumnae.smith.edu/travel/pharaoh2006.php

COLONIAL CITIES OF MEXICO, November 6-12, 2006. Explore the abundant cultural and artistic heritage of Mexico's Colonial Period with Dana Leibsohn, associate professor of art and director of Smith's interdepartmental program in Latin American and Latino studies. http://alumnae.smith.edu/travel/colonial2006.php

For details, visit our updated Smith Travel Web site, where you will find full descriptions and prices on all of our 2006 trips: http://alumnae.smith.edu/travel/. Questions may be directed to Liz Bigwood at Smith Travel, 800-225-2029, or e-mail alumtravel@email.smith.edu.

SAQ Online
The online version of the Smith Alumnae Quarterly always features a few extras you won't find in the magazine. Visit www.saqonline.smith.edu for coverage of this year's Rally Day ceremony, a student column, and a full interview with free-diving spearfishing champion Granis Stewart AC '93. Just look for the "Web Only" tags. In our "Stories from our Past" section, read an account of the first Smith group to spend its junior year in Florence.

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 browse the drop down menu 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 directly from the home page 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 "Life Insurance Services" 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