Posts published in “Uncategorized”

Claudia Olson ’22 | Features Editor

This weekend, I went to UMass Amherst and attended Hack(H)er 2019, the first hackathon exclusively for women and non-binary students in Western Massachusetts. For those unfamiliar, a “hackathon” is what it sounds like: a computation marathon. Teams are expected to create something from scratch using computers, whether their creation takes the shape of hardware, software or a website. The teams are given 24 hours to get their project done, and often teams use all 24 of those hours. Over 300 students attended the hackathon, a signal that the tech world could be becoming more equitable in terms of gender.

Olivia Handoko ’21 | News Staff Writer

Every year, the Pioneer Valley Central Labor Council hosts a “Legislative Breakfast”: an event where community members discuss their concerns over labor issues with legislative leaders and lawmakers. With events like these, the Labor Council strives to become a more inclusive and representative union of all members of the Pioneer Valley.

Emma Stewart ’19 | Contributing Writer

At the Kensington International School in Springfield, Mass., 23 Smith tutors are working with children from nine different countries. Around the classroom you can hear students and tutors speaking several different languages. Tutors are encouraged to learn some basic phrases in Kiswahili and Arabic, such as “osha mikono” (“wash your hands” in Kiswahili) or “ma asmak?” (“what’s your name?” in Arabic).

Emma Kemp ’20 | Assistant News Editor

The Hampshire College Board of Trustees announced Friday, Feb. 1, their decision not to admit a full freshman class for the coming 2019-2020 academic year amidst tensions on campus. The decision came after the announcement Jan. 15 of enormous economic challenges the college faced, causing concern in the Hampshire community.

Jackie Richardson ’21 | Editor-in-Chief

Astrology aspects messing up your schoolwork. It’s here again. The part of the semester where things get hard. Syllabi, once sheets of paper you collected while glibly sampling classes, have turned into lists of assignments you actually have to complete.

Patience Kayira ’20 | Contributing Writer

Prompted by the incident July 31, the College announced new Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Initiatives Jan. 30. College Relations reports: “The college has taken action in policing policies and training, employee training and cross-campus education focused on culture change.”

Claudia Olson ’22 | Features Editor

“An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.” This quote by Nina Simone, an African American singer who became involved in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, formed the first words of Bree Newsome’s keynote address at Smith’s Black Students’ Alliance conference. Like Simone, Newsome is both an artist and an activist.

Rosalie Toupin ’20 | Features Staff Writer

For the past month, I have been living and working in Madrid, Spain as an au pair. I live with a family of four in a small city about 30 minutes outside of downtown Madrid and serve as an English tutor and friend for the two 11- and 12-year-old girls. My days consist of hanging out with the family, playing a lot of card games with the girls, studying and taking Spanish classes in the village and exploring the endless wonders of Madrid. I’ll be here for three more weeks before I begin my 40 hours of travel to Auckland, New Zealand (which is conveniently located on the exact opposite side of the globe).

Patience Kayira ’20 | Editor-In Chief

In December, the college released an update to its Inclement Weather Policy: “As of this academic year, no classes will be held while the college’s administrative offices are closed.” This change was initiated by the Faculty Council, the Office of the Provost and Dean of Faculty.