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The Sophian

Smith Moves on to the Sweet 16 After Triumphant Weekend at Home

After back-to-back wins on their home court, Smith basketball will continue on to the next round of the NCAA championship. The pioneers pulled off a triumphant 69-59 win over SUNY Cobleskill on Friday, March 7th, sending them to a Pioneer Valley faceoff against Amherst College on Saturday, where graduate student Ally Landau ’26 scored a buzzer beater in the final seconds of the match to earn Smith a 52-50 win. The pioneers will play at the Sweet 16 this Friday, March 14th.

Saying Goodbye to the Pioneers: Campus-wide Discussion to Decide Smith’s Next Mascot

On March 12, 2025, Smith College released an announcement that they are committed to changing the school mascot from the Pioneers, which have been Smith’s mascot since 1986, to a moniker that better represents the values and interests of the Smith community by the end of the academic year. They sent out a survey where students can submit up to three nominations for the new mascot for a period of two weeks. No current or former mascots can be nominated. 

Jogging for a Cause: Smith Students Take Action to Aid California Wildfires

With 20% of Smith students calling the West Coast home and California being one of the most represented states on campus, the California wildfires have devastated the Smith community. California’s Incident Archive states that in 2025 alone, there have been 359 wildfires, 29 fatalities and 16,248 structures destroyed. Gaby Ayala Becerra ’25 and Hadley Vareschi-Woelfel ’25, with the help of Smith Athletics and the Smith Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), have transformed their grief into action by organizing a campus-wide Jog-a-Thon to raise money for relief efforts.

‘The War on DEI’ and the Systemic Deconstruction of Higher Education  

This article was originally published in the March 2024 print edition.

One week after the 2025 Presidential Inauguration, the United States Office of Management and Budget issued a directive abruptly suspending federal grants, loans and other financial aid programs. The official explanation? A “temporary pause” to reassess fiscal priorities. Though the freeze was lifted within 24 hours, its purpose was clear: to initiate a sweeping overhaul of public funding, focusing on cutting expenditures linked to so-called “woke” ideologies.

Smith Students for Justice in Palestine Continue to Advocate for Divestment Into 2025

Over a year ago, after the Oct. 7 attacks and the beginning of the Gaza war, protests swept across U.S. college campuses as students called for their colleges and universities to divest from military contractors in response to civilian casualties resulting from Israel’s attacks on Gaza. At Smith College, the group Smith Students for Justice in Palestine (SSJP) is active in the divestment effort and broader activism for Palestinian sovereignty. After the inauguration of President Trump and the first phase of a ceasefire agreement in the region, SSJP says their goals remain unwavering as they enter a new semester.

Geothermal Energy Project Cuts Soccer From Their Home Field

Revamping of the “Central District” has closed the athletic fields, as the site is currently being used as a wellfield for the drilling of two drill rigs. The athletic fields affected consist of the soccer field and throwing and jumping spaces for the Track and Field team. A comment from the Geothermal Energy Project shared that construction on these fields will take place from Nov. 12, 2024 to May 15, 2026.

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