Whether you love the Smith Confessional or just love to hate it, there’s no denying that the website occupies an essential place in the Smith social conversation. Last week I caught up with Shibo Xu, the Refersion co-founder who moonlights as the owner and self-proclaimed “janitor” of the Smith Confessional, to talk about the history of the Confessionals, his approach to moderation, and who he thinks the Confessional is a safe space for.
Posts published in “Features”
As you scan the dinner menus after your afternoon class, you may be deciding which options look the tastiest (or at least, whatever is better than the blackened cod). However, in the wake of various climate movements around the world and Smith’s “Year on Climate Change,” you might be wondering how you can lessen your carbon footprint.
As you scan the dinner menus after your afternoon class, you may be deciding which options look the tastiest (or at least, whatever is better than the blackened cod). However, in the wake of various climate movements around the world and Smith’s “Year on Climate Change,” you might be wondering how you can lessen your carbon footprint.
Over the past few weeks, visiting associate professor Loretta Ross hosted two workshops entitled “Calling Out: Holding Ourselves Accountable” and “Calling In: Building Unity Through Love.” These events sought to begin a conversation about ‘call out’ culture, which will culminate in a symposium of the same name. Organized in conjunction with Professor Carrie Baker from the Department for the Study of Women & Gender, the symposium is set to take place on Feb. 22, 2020.
In June of 2019, the Smith College community was profoundly shaken by the passing of the wonderful Marc Steinberg after his year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Our community still feels the reverberations of his loss to this day.
With the beginning of a new year comes another chance to reevaluate Smith’s inclusion and diversity initiatives. However, before we discuss what is to come, we must revisit what came before. First, let me introduce myself: I’m Claudia. I wrote a piece about last year’s Inclusion in Action conference based on my experience on the planning committee. It seemed to me that the conference, in the end, all came down to data.
With the beginning of a new year comes another chance to reevaluate Smith’s inclusion and diversity initiatives. However, before we discuss what is to come, we must revisit what came before. First, let me introduce myself: I’m Claudia. I wrote a piece about last year’s Inclusion in Action conference based on my experience on the planning committee. It seemed to me that the conference, in the end, all came down to data.
On Friday, Sept. 20, various organizations local to Western Massachusetts hosted public events as part of a larger global movement to fight climate change. These events were largely inspired by the work of climate activist Greta Thunberg. Groups including Extinction Rebellion Western Mass., Sunrise Northampton, and Climate Action Now helped organize a march and rally at Northampton City Hall, as well as a Solidarity Strike at Pulaski Park, a Solidarity Vigil in Springfield, a dance benefit at the First Churches in Northampton, and several other events.
Cristina Rodríguez, the Leighton Homer Surbeck Professor of Law at Yale University, gave the first speech in the 2019-2020 Presidential Colloquium Series on Thursday, September 19, 2019. Her lecture, “The President, Immigration Law, and the Politics of Constitutional Structure,” sought to provide greater insight into US immigration law by looking at historic and current tensions between executive and legislative powers.
“I think people should learn a foreign language, period,” Professor Evgeny Dengub said when I ask him why students should study Russian at Smith. “Whether it’s Russian, French, Italian, Japanese or Arabic, it’s good for your brain. It’s good for your overall development and intellectual growth. It’s good for your soul.”