Vespers

The annual Christmas Vespers program, always a much-anticipated event in the Smith community, tells the story of Advent through hymns and other anthems, prayers and scripture readings. The event is a festive time in which the Smith and local communities come together in the spirit of the holiday season.
 

2009 Sherrerd Teaching Prizes

The Kathleen Compton Sherrerd ’54 and John J. F. Sherrerd Prizes for Distinguished Teaching are given annually to Smith faculty members in recognition of their distinguished teaching records and demonstrated enthusiasm and excellence.

Gloria Steinem 75th Commemoration

Smith College celebrated the life, words and work of alumna Gloria Steinem '56, in commemoration of her 75th birthday. For more than 50 years, Steinem has been at the forefront of the movement for women's equality.
 

Mountain Day

Mountain Day is a surprise break from classes. The president chooses a beautiful fall day and announces the holiday by ringing the college bells.
 

Another Year Begins

From Central Check-In to Orientation and Opening Convocation, the annual rituals of fall signal another academic year at Smith. The college welcomed some 780 new students this September - first-years, transfers and Ada Comstock Scholars.

Compost, Activism and Oral History

Students wove together excerpts from their interviews with activist women to tell a larger story. The transcripts and recordings of these oral histories are available to the public at the Sophia Smith Collection.

Ford Hall: First Peek

With just a few months to go until the October 16 dedication, Professor Stylianos Scordilis offers a peek at how the interior of the building is taking shape.

Ivy Day Speech: Shaharzad Akbar '09

Shararzad Akbar '09, who spent her early years in Afghanistan with a steady background of bombs and gunfire, addressed this year's Ivy Day convocation about the journey from her native country to Smith. Available on YouTube in HD.

First Sign of Spring: Annual Bulb Show

A spectacular array of blossoming crocuses, hyacinths, narcissi, irises, lilies and tulips provide an early glimpse of spring at Smith’s annual bulb show. The event is a long-standing tradition of Smith’s Botanic Garden, dating back more than 75 years.

Staying Healthy on Campus

Emily Nagoski discusses her initiatives to
develop a holistic approach to good health on campus. The first initiative is all about sleep, and the second is a program on how to schedule final exams in a way that maximizes success based on personal circadian rhythms.

Discussing Sustainability

Dano Weisbord discusses the development and implementation of the college sustainability plan, goals and standards, and his work with college departments and programs to develop a culture of sustainability and department-specific plans.

A Visit to the Museum’s Restrooms

Two artist-designed restrooms in the Smith College Museum of Art landed in the top five in the 2008 America’s Best Restroom contest. The women's room was created by Ellen Driscoll; the men's room was designed by Sandy Skoglund ’68. Available on YouTube in HD.

Engineering Students Develop Tools for Teaching

Students in Engineering 270, Continuum Mechanics I, worked in small groups to produce short educational videos on how materials behave when subjected
to loading. The videos that EGR270 students produce will be part of a video podcast that K-12 teachers can use to help teach engineering in their courses.

2008 Sherrerd Prize Recipients

Three faculty members were recently named winners of the Kathleen Compton Sherrerd '54 and John J. F. Sherrerd Prize for Distinguished Teaching. They are: Randall Bartlett, professor of economics; John Brady, the Mary Elizabeth Moses Professor of Geology; and Patricia DiBartolo, professor of psychology.

Expert Interviews: The "Endless Campaign"

Smith Professor of Government Howard Gold, a frequent commentator in the media on U.S. elections and voting behavior, offers insight into Election 2008. Gold comments on the polls, independents and what has become an "endless campaign." (4 minutes)
Watch it on YouTube

Watch this in HD!

Opening Convocation Kicks Off New Year

President Carol Christ welcomed students and faculty back to Smith for the 2008-09 academic year at a rousing Opening Convocation on Wednesday, September 3, along with faculty speaker Jay Garfield, philosophy, and Class of 2009 President Marlowe Dieckmann. (10 minutes). Watch it on YouTube.

Smith Students Dive Into Educators' Role

Though the children of Belize know of the money tourism generates for their families, few know how critical it is to preserve their island's pristine coral reef.
Thanks to Smith's Coral Reef Ed-Ventures Team, that is changing. (5 minutes)

Combat Stress Conference Keynote

At the recent "Combat Stress" conference, Jonathan Shay, author of the widely acclaimed "Achilles in Vietnam" and psychiatrist with the Department of Veterans Affairs, argued for removing the word "disorder" from PTSD because of the stigma the word has for veterans.