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Posts published in “Sports and Wellness”

Trans Athletes Belong in Sports and Staying in the NCAA Helps Us Fight for Them

On Thursday, April 10, at the annual Celebrations event, the organizers referenced Smith’s recent announcement that they are complying with the NCAA Transgender Athlete Ban. The organizers stated that Smith has a responsibility to either pull out of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) or refuse to comply with the policy in protest, demands that were met with cheers from the crowd.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

New Title IX Rollbacks and NCAA Bans: How New Policies Impact Smith Students

On Feb. 4, the Department of Education (ED) sent a “Dear Colleague” letter stating that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will be reverting back to the 2020 Title IX Rule, created by former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos during Trump’s first term. 

An Overwhelming Time of Year: Dealing with Finals, the Holidays and Election Limbo 

This time of year is a perfect pressure cooker for stress. In addition to everyday responsibilities, Smithies are also dealing with the academic term coming to a close, holidays on the horizon and the limbo everyone is stuck in between the presidential election and the inauguration. In short, it’s an overwhelming time of year.