Hi folks,
Sorry about the long haitus. School has been very busy and I haven’t had the time to sit down and actually compose a blog but its 11:00 at night and I’m waiting for my movie to finish loading on Netflix (which by the way is an awesome company and you should get an account). So I love it here, its so amazing and it is truly the right place for me. Everyday I am challenged but at the same time I feel very supported here. Overall, I’m doing fantastic here. So as promised here are 101 interesting facts about Smith.
1. I live in the ugliest but prettiest house on campus and yes everytime I walk up to it I think to myself well here is failed Bauhaus
2. On the other hand, my dorm not only set the standard for college dorms everywhere (the dorms at USC are modeled after it) but it is also the only building to win an architectural prize at Smith. It was built by the world’s foremost architects at the time, and the original drawing was much prettier that was until the alumnae got a hold of it
3. Yes, we are called alumnae not alumns
4. Smith actually has male graduates, we have a graduate program that is coed. Its the school of social work
5. Our alumnae are really very cool! The founder of NOW and Ms. Magazine are both Smithies.
6. The hot chocolate here is amazing even if they shut it off at night (its cool when they forget to)
7. In our charter it states that everytime we build a new building on campus it must be done in the current architectural style which explains why on earth we have so many buildings that don’t match architecturally
8. This being said, the campus melds together very nicely and there is something about it that makes it Smith architecture
9. The word heteronormative, if you don’t know it when you get here you will know it by the first month in. Its kind of like a swear word here
10. We tend to be wayyy into being very inclusive to the point where sometimes its a little insane but hey
11. I watch more t.v. here, on my computer, than I do at home. Yay 30 Rock!
12. The reason that Northampton was originally picked to be the town that Smith was located in was because it had a train station, what don’t we have anymore? Yup, that’s right a train station
13. Smith is really lucky because we have a great relationship with the town and we always try to work on that relationship to make it better
14. That being said, you can always tell a Smithie from someone who actually lives in town because we call it Noho and they don’t
15. We also call the people who live in town townies but they really don’t like it, so say it when your not in town
16. There are shortcuts to get into town take them, or walk up the hill, which is what I normally do
17. You must have rainboots!!!! The more colorful they are the better! You should also be able to walk in them because…
18. You do a lot of walking. If you are like me and are already hard on your shoes you will discover around parents weekend that you are in serious need of some new shoes aka you don’t have any shoes to wear
19. The campus likes macs better than pcs which is unfortunate
20. This also means that sometimes the internet does not work…which is very frustrating
21. The Smith bandwidth also is not the best but ITS does its best to help and they are normally great!
22. The online catalogue is YOUR FRIEND, learn how to use it to your advantage
23. If you need to get a book but it is on reserve go pick it up less than three hours before the library closes and you get to keep it over-night!!! (You do have to turn it in when the library opens which is unfortunate)
24. 8 am classes are no fun especially when it is cold outside
25. 9 am classes are also no fun because that is still early
26. IT IS COLD IN THE MORNINGS and our radiators don’t always work the way we would like them to
27. You can trick your radiator by putting cold water on a something like a napkin/paper towel put it in your fridge then tape it over the thermostat and the radiator will go up
28. Fresh air is a really really nice thing! Even when its a little brisk sometimes it just feels good
29. Make friends with the people who have lived in your house/upperclassmen they know all of the tricks (guess who taught me the trick about the thermostat and also how to turn the radiator on)
30. The free box is your friend
31. Set aside time to be with your house and to hang out, especially on weekends. There is a tendency to get super involved with activities which is great, you can literally be busy every weekend. Then you realize, half way through the semester, that you haven’t spent a weekend at home and you haven’t really hung out with your house
32. PICK ONE OR TWO ACTIVITES AT MOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
33. Brunch is the best meal of the week, don’t skip it!
34. The squirrels here are evil and aggressive, be afraid be very afraid
35. Most of the lecture classes in the evening are lots of fun, you don’t have to take the class (although I recommend it) but just sitting through the lectures is enjoyable
36. The Smith art museum is great and they have a huge collection. Make time to go down there and just walk around even if you aren’t an art person.
37. We have lots of Picassos and Rodins.
38. The first scuplture Smith purchased was a Rodin.
39. We also have a Seurat. Its a study for his masterpiece Sunday Afternoon at the Island of La Grande Jette, its of a woman with her monkey
40. This monkey is thought to perhaps symbolize that she is a prostitute, but its really cute
41. He also didn’t use dots in his study but dashes instead
42. Our museum ranks number two in the U.S. For college museums, we are behind Oberlin but I prefer our museum (having visited both)
43. Our campus was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted who designed Central Park as well
44. He thought it was important to enjoy the journey as much as the destination so none of the paths to anywhere are straight.
45. I thought this was really cool until I was running late for class one morning and it was raining and cold…then it was not so cool
46. I still really enjoy it and even when I don’t have a lot of time and I am frustrated with the paths I think about that philosophy and its a good reminder to take time to enjoy the day
47. Trying something new can be really beneficial. I tried yoga and its been one of the best decisions ever. Take advantage of the Get Fit Smith programs they are free and you don’t have to go to all of them. You can meet really cool people and sometimes you even get benefits.
48. If you are trying to go to Awesome Abs you need to go early to get a mat, just saying
49. Each house thinks they are the coolest, but they all know that it is Ziskind who is amazing
50. People may say its Cutter-Z (the duplex where we live) but really they call it Cutter because you have to cut through Cutter to get to Ziskind
51. Learn the secret paths that are shortcuts to different places
52. Don’t walk by the lake by yourself at night, its not dangerous and I always feel safe, but sometimes its a little creepy
53. Pub Safety is your friend, they can give you directions when its raining outside and you aren’t sure where you are going
54. Allow at least 15 minutes to walk anywhere from Center Campus, it may take ten but you never know
55. Beware the cross walk from the Campus Center to Ziskind, drivers sometimes don’t look or slow down and I almost get run over everyday!
56. Read a little about the college’s architecture, at least your house’s, they all have really interesting stories and can make you think about it in a different light. For instance who would ever have described Ziskind as having soaring windows…not me but someone did..and its pretty cool
57. Lots of people have bikes. You don’t need one, you can get around just fine without them and you can’t use them like Mid-Nov to like Feb or March, but they are fun the rest of the year
58. Josten has lots and lots of music
59. Learn where all of the libraries are…they all have cool views
60. The chairs in Hillyer Art Library are red and spin around! You also have a really cool view onto college hall which is nice but you still get work done
61. People hold doors open for each other…its just how it works
62. The opera “Hamlet” by Thomas has a really cool drinking song in it!
63. Taking a genre of class that you have never taken before can be really enlightening
64. No, you are not allowed to take more than 19 credits. You are also not allowed to take five academic, 4 credit, classes…don’t ask your advisor won’t sign off on it
65. Advisers are good people who make sure that you stay sane, use them
66. We have a really cool blog on campus, Smith’d…fun stuff
67. The archives have a blog as well and its a cool place to get cool, old photos of smith
68. Smith has ghosts…most of them are really nice some are not, others are tragic lovers
69. Two types of styles are majorities here
70. Lots and lots of people wear pearls
71. Then there are hipsters…but don’t call them that
72. The campus is really really blue….politically
73. Being afraid to reach out to people is understandable but you can make friends
74. The apline milk chocolate at the campus center is insanely good!
75. No body wears clothes at Convocation…just accept it
76. Take pictures
77. Playing in leaf piles is as fun as it looks in the movies
78. Friends are really cool people
79. Stock up on sugar…even if you try to deny it
80. The pears here are really good…usually they aren’t ripe yet but if you take them up to your room and wait for like three days you normally have really yummy pears
81. Don’t kill your ivy…give it to a friend who can take care of it
82. Naming your Ivy is not weird
83. Yes, its freaky when there are male voices on your hall…we know, its okay
84. Upperclassmen have good advice and are normally cool people to hang out with
85. Staying up too late is a given, even when you have no homework to do
86. Diva’s can be lots of fun….
87. Henna is really fun to do with your friends
88. Yes, most if not the entire campus has an obsession with True Blood…but NOT Twilight…keep it quiet if you do…jk
89. People use I think a lot
90. Sketch is a word…according to the North Eastern people
91. The weather here is crazy and I don’t understand it…apparently no one does
92. Pet-a-Pet day is sooo much fun, but it makes you miss your dogs
93. Fetish and Immorality are big deals on campus…get there early to get in
94. Making an effort to go the CDO’s events is worthwhile you can find awesome opportunities or cross things off your list. For instance…no secretive service but Christies grad school…def
95. Smith has a really pretty campus and lots and lots of trees that have lots and lots and lots of leaves
96. Yes, I am aware that its hard to figure out what is the fastest way to Seeley Hall
97. Seeley is pronounced C LEE…and its spelled with an S
98. PDNWOGIFAGA means Please do not walk on grass if you are going across…yes it took me a couple of minutes
99. Quad riot is messy…do not get involved unless you want to throw your clothes away
100. Friends are important and having people who you can go just go jump on their beds and then collapse in exhaustion are important
101. Learn to drink tea! Even if it is water with honey
