"We Meant To Say Wellesley"

My dear fiance, bless his heart, happened to have a copy of GQ so I scanned the brief interview that they had for y'all to see (click the image to read it):

GQ Takes it Back... kind of

So GQ is apparently taking back their Smith jab only to send it Wellesley's way. I can't wait to see if the Wellesley women respond. In the meantime I'm going to get a copy of GQ to check the interview. Sadly they don't have the story online, but I'll post anything interesting. The tidbit below is from the Smith news feed.

We meant to say Wellesley
GQ MAGAZINE, June 2007

After receiving a flurry of letters from people unhappy with the magazine's inclusion of Smith on a list of places "not to find" attractive women, the magazine published the headline "We Meant to Say Wellesley" along with an interview with letter-writer Caredwen Foley '09.

Happy Memorial Day

In honor of Memorial Day I want to extend best wishes and support to our class members who are currently serving in military service or those who have family and loved ones serving. We support and wish you all health and safety in these tough times.

***

Also, in honor of memorial day I searched the college archives for a little Smith College military history. Smith was the site of a military officer training school during WWII. The first picture below was taken at Smith in 1943. Enjoy the short history from the college archives.


WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service

The United States entered WWII in 1941 and soon faced a serious shortage of manpower in the military. Congress, along with public interest and advocacy from various National organizations, forced the Department of the Navy (over considerable internal resistance) to start accepting women into their service to augment the many thousands of men already active in the war effort. On June 24, 1942, Congress passed an act to create a women's reserve as a branch of the Naval reserve; to be governed by the same rules and privileges and limited in that women could only work non-combat duty in the continental U.S. The idea was to free trained Naval men from desk jobs in order to increase the active fighting force--thus the rallying theme, "Free a man to fight." The new women's Naval Reserve units were called the WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Services) and, with its sister Coast Guard Reserve the SPARS, proceeded to immediately set up training schools at many colleges and universities across the country. Basic training sites were located in Oklahoma (Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College at Stillwater), Iowa (Iowa State Teacher's College at Cedar Falls), Wisconsin (University of Wisconsin at Madison), Indiana (University of Indiana at Bloomington), and New York state (Hunter College in New York City). Officer training sites were established in Massachusetts at Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, and at Smith College in Northampton.

The creation of the WAVES represented a fundamental change that was occurring in American society as the war effort increased. Women were moving from the home into the work force and gaining increasing independence. In WWI, 11,275 women served in the Navy, mainly in secretarial and office positions, but they were not recognized nor was their service publicized, and no formal program existed for their training. In 1942, for the first time women were in uniform, earning the same pay, doing the same work, following the same rules, and receiving the same respect as Navy men. The publicity surrounding the WAVES focused on their independence, intelligence and equality with their male counterparts. However, the naval officers took care to remind everyone of their gender when designing their uniforms. Pants were vetoed in favor of skirts, fitted jackets, and stack heeled shoes that served to emphasize the femininity of the recruits. Women came to the WAVES from all sections of society, bringing a wide variety of skills and experience. Originally, black women were banned from the WAVES, creating a great deal of friction at some of the training schools. The President lifted the ban in 1944 and later that year the first black female officers graduated from the Smith College training school.


By the end of the war over 83,000 women were serving in the Navy, a number significantly over the original estimate of 11,000. They filled positions such as parachute riggers, pharmacist's mates, instrument flying trainers, store keepers, radio dispatchers, clerks, mechanics, lab technicians, mail carriers, decoders, and navigators. Most of the officers were restricted to the rank of lieutenant with the notable exception of Captain Mildred McAfee (the president of Wellesley College) who was the director the WAVES. Soon after peace was declared in 1945, the WAVES and SPARS programs were dismantled and the women who had been in the Navy returned to their homes or civilian jobs.

A '99 Showing at Cannes Short Film Corner

Francesca Nadel (1999) writes that after completing her Master 1 in Political Science at the Sorbonne last year, she decided to remain in Paris and return to cinema. She recently produced her first short film, Dans les règles de l'art, which was presented at the 2007 Cannes Short Film Corner.

Summary of the Film from the Cannes Short Film Corner:
Joshua Sylla, young artist in the underground parisian scene, entertains an adulterous relationship with the wife of an afluent business man. She, on the other hand, flaunts him right under the nose of her unknowning husband by organizing his art exhibit.

Maxime, able and sly accountant, attempts to convince his employer to launder stolen company money.

But, beware as not all will be winners in the end...

A few stills from the movie below:


Congrats on the success Francesca!!!

Commencement Address 2007

Commencement address to the Class of 2007
by Gloria Steinem '56

Feminist leader and Smith alumna Gloria Steinem took the stage to a standing ovation from the audience at the commencement ceremony for the Class of 2007 on May 20 inside the Indoor Track and Tennis (ITT) facility.

To Carol Christ who leads Smith College (and does the most amazing introductions); to the faculty who create its purpose and the staff who give it daily life; to the honorary degree recipients in whose presence I am so very proud to be; to all the families and friends and partners and children who have sustained today's graduates -- especially those of you who have performed the miracle of guiding children through an experience you could not have -- and most of all, to you, the beloved, brave, tired and now headed-for-the-world graduates of the Class of 2007:

The first generation of Facebook and YouTube Smithies; the class to shape and survive the most changes in the way Smith lives; the second class of the Iraq War, and the most diverse class in the history of Smith College, from Adas -- who made sure that Class (economic class) Is Never Dismissed, and to all those who help Smith College look more like the world:

I thank you for including me in your historic day.

It's historic for me, too, because I was sitting where you sit today exactly fifty-one years ago.

I wasn't sure I should bring up this half-century fact. For one thing, I feel connected to you, not distant. For another, I feared you might go into as much age-shock as I did when I woke up after my seventieth birthday, and thought, “There's a 70-year-old woman in my bed! How did this happen?!”

But then I realized that fearing separation by age was probably more my generation's problem than yours. If I conjure up my own graduation day, for instance, even life after thirty seemed a hazy screen to be filled in by the needs of others – and there were not yet even Adas to show us that life and growth continue. In our age ghetto, we pretty much accepted the idea that women were more valued for giving birth to others than for giving birth to ourselves.

Read the Rest of the Speech

Yolanda King '76

Sadly, Yolanda King died Tuesday at age 51. She was a graduate of the class of 1976 and was honored by Smith during our graduation ceremony in 1999.

From the Smith Press Release:
Yolanda King ’76, daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King, died May 15 in California. An author, performer, and activist, King is being remembered for pursuing her father’s dream of racial harmony through her words and performances. Throughout her career, she appeared in numerous television shows and films, including Ghosts of Mississippi, Odessa, and King, in which she played Rosa Parks. King, who majored in theatre and Afro-American studies, had returned to Smith on numerous occasions to meet with students and talk about her father’s legacy. In 1989, she spoke to more than 1,000 students on campus about what her father tried to achieve and the problems related to race and equality that remained. In 1999, the college honored her, along with a group of other "remarkable women," for her commitment to empowering people to lead better lives.

Alumnae reflect on Yolanda King - AASC Website
Ms. King's 1989 address to students - AASC Website
Smith College Press Release - Smith.edu
A Remembrance of Yolanda King '76 by Prof. Len Berkman
Yolanda King Was More Than King's Daughter - BlackNews.com
Mourning a friend and an ally - Good as You
Public Memorial Planned for Yolanda King - Washington Post
Daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. Dies - NY Times
Yolanda King Blazes Her Own Spiritual Path - WSB-TV Atlanta

Wedding of Maxine (McKinney) Royston

The wedding took place in sunny San Juan, PR in June 2006. Those in attendance pictured left to right. Laura Taylor-Kale '00, Dana Brown, Heather Watson, Katrina Gamble, DeKia Henderson, Ine Lolomari, Annisah Jarrett and the bride Maxine ( McKinney) Royston all class of 1999. Shareen Lindquist '01 next to bride in front.

We danced all night long and it was a great mini reunion. The 1999ers are looking forward to reuniting this summer over long weekends, or at the Essence Jazz Festival in July. Come one come all!

-submitted by Dana Brown

Congrats Maxine!

Upcoming Deadline for Quarterly Class Notes Submissions

Hi, Class of 1999!

Please be advised that the upcoming deadline for submissions to the Class Notes section of the Alumnae Quarterly is THURSDAY, MAY 17th. That said, if you’re interested in submitting an update to be published in the FALL 2007 ISSUE, please send in your updates to smithcollege99@gmail.com on or before that date.

Also, when composing your emails, please be careful with the use of uncommon abbreviations. It would be helpful if you were to err on the side of caution and disclose the full name corresponding with less familiar abbreviations. Thanks!

Best,
Ingrid A. Howard
Secretary, Class of 1999
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A Few Important Alumnae Quarterly Submissions Guidelines
1. The Alumnae Quarterly will not publish any references to engagements, plans for adoption, pregnancies, etc. or any references to contingent/future events. These notes will be omitted from submissions. Only events that have have already taken place will be published.

2. The Alumnae Quarterly will not publish classmates’ personal or business contact information, including website addresses, unless such information is related to official class business.

Guidelines for Submitting Photographs
1. All people in the photo must be identified by their undergraduate (and married names, if any), as well as their class year.

2. Photo submissions should include a brief caption describing the photo.

3. Should you wish to submit photographs along with your updates, they can either be sent to the smithcollege99@gmail.com address, or directly to the Smith College Alumnae Quarterly Associate Publications Editor, Cherly Dellecese, at cdellece@smith.edu.

4. The Alumnae Quarterly prefers e-mailed photos (JPEGS, ideally at 300 dpi).

Beauty on the Vine Special Ticket Offer

From Jessica Morris and featuring our own class treasurer, Karen "Boots" Marcovici, on the May 16th panel with Jill Ker Conway.

SEE BELOW FOR INFORMATION ON MAY 16 POST-SHOW PANEL with JILL KER CONWAY, JORDIN RUDERMAN, KAREN B MARCOVICI '99, HEATHER ALLISON, and a SPECIAL WOMEN'S COLLEGE & GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL TICKET OFFER

FROM THE PRODUCERS OF NO CHILD...
"Mr. Berkman's Beauty on the Vine provocatively imagines emulative cosmetic surgery taking hold among young women across the country." -- The New York Times

EPIC THEATRE CENTER presents OLIVIA WILDE in
BEAUTY ON THE VINE
A New Play by Zak Berkman and Directed by David Schweizer
Featuring Howard W. Overshown with Helen Coxe, Barbara Garrick, Jessica Richardson, and Victor Slezak

The Clurman Theatre @ Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street
Regular Tickets: $40

LIMITED NUMBER OF FREE TICKETS FOR WOMEN'S COLLEGE AND GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS/ALUMS, FACULTY, & ADMINISTRATION FOR THE WEDNESAY, MAY 16 PERFORMANCE -- panelists include prize-winning author and Smith College's first female President, Jill Ker Conway -- please contact ZakEpic@aol.com to request details

FOR ALL PERFORMANCES:
SPECIAL WOMEN'S COLLEGE $10 OFFER
When ordering use the Code: CU10
*tickets must be purchased before May 18

Box Office: 410 West 42nd Street
By Phone: 212-279-4200
By Web: www.TicketCentral.com

Webcast of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

His Holiness The Dalai Lama spoke yesterday morning at Smith and received an honorary doctor of letters degree. Only students, faculty and staff from Smith and Hampshire were giving access to the live presentation, but they aired a live webcast of the speech. To watch the speech click on the image below.


There is a link to download Quicktime at the linked to page if you need it for viewing.

Press Coverage about the Visit:
Dalai Lama eyes retirement - CNN.com
Dalai Lama gives cheery speech at Smith College - boston.com
Dalai Lama brings message of compassion - The Republican
Photos of the Dalai Lama at Smith College - masslive.com
Dalai Lama Speaks At Smith - WBUR Boston
Smith College Welcome Dalai Lama

Students Speaking out about House Community

This past Monday a group of students at Smith held a demonstration on campus and presented a list of issues to the administration concerning the perceived downward slide of housing and house community at Smith. Below is the introductory paragraph to the letter they presented with a link to the full document. If anyone is interested in connecting with these students or has questions for them, please contact Amanda Belden '07, Tamar Malloy '07, or Katie Chase '07.

This is an issue that I have been paying attention to over the last few years since I was sitting on the AASC Board of Directors at the time the changes began. Sadly, it seems that many of the fears concerning house community and tradition that were expressed during those early meetings are happening. There is a lively discussions taking place on the issue at the Alum. Daily Jolt and I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue.

*****

May 7, 2007

Dear Smith Community,

Smith is housing.

We are Gold Key, we are Committee Members, we are House Presidents, Heads of New Students, SGA members, we are singers, writers, we are student workers, and we are organizers. As student leaders, as Smith seniors, and soon to be alumnae, and above all as members of our house communities, we are writing out of our love for Smith.

In the past four years, we have witnessed a transformation. We applied to many colleges that offered strong academics, a diverse community with a commitment to equality, grant funding for internships, alumnae networks and libraries. What set Smith apart was housing. We knew it would give us a community with a natural support network and a sense of home that other top colleges could not offer. Yet even while many of Smith’s other, less unique, programs are poised to receive increased funding and attention, our sense of home has fallen apart.

Rest Of The Letter

YOUR BEST LIFE
A Symposium on Women's Health and Well-Being
June 21 - 24, 2007

The Alumnae Association of Smith College invites you to join Smith faculty and prominent alumnae in the medical and health professions for a comprehensive program that will focus on your most precious asset—you.

Over 3 Days you will Learn
* Strategies for living a more balanced life
* Simple—but effective—ways to exercise your body and mind
* The latest on medical issues important to women’s health

• Full Schedule
• Fee Information
• Online Registration

The event is not cheap, but they are offering scholarships up to $200. If you would like to request financial assistance, please contact Betsy Baird by e-mail.

Beauty On The Vine

Inspired by a chance encounter with rocker Courtney Love, Beauty On The Vine is a modern fable about plastic surgery and the power of the human face. The show features Olivia Wilde, Helen Coxe, Barbara Garrick, Howard W. Overshown, Jessica Richardson and Victor Slezak. Tickets are $40.00 and are available through TicketCentral (212) 279-4200.

As part of the show, on MAY 16th they will be holding a panel discussion on single-sex Education immediately following the show.

Tickets can be purchase at TicketCentral

SPECIAL DISCOUNT: $28 TICKETS
Discount Code: VINE

Jessica Morris is involved in the production and writes: "I would LOVE to fill the audience with Smithies! If we get enough people to come, I might be able to get us a group rate."

UPDATE: Because of increased interest in the topic, a second panel has been added and will meet on May 19th after the matinée showing of Beauty on the Vine.

The organizers are still looking for panelists to speak about Single-Sex Education and beauty culture (either from experience as a student or as a teacher/admin/scholar. If you are interested on either May 16th or May 19th, or if you know someone who might be, please contact Jessica directly.

UPDATE: Jill Ker Conway, the first president of Smith College, has agreed to join the panel on Same-Sex Education for the Epic Theatre Center's Beyond Beauty Initiative on May 16th. The panel will take place immediately following the performance of "Beauty on the Vine".