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Posts tagged as “opinions”

The Anti-Doomscroll: Reading Interviews with Black Women Writers as an On-ramp to Liberation

This article was originally published in the November 2023 print edition. As news coverage of the Israel-Hamas War has increased, so has the number of social media posts I see related to the ongoing deaths, injuries and traumas there. I’m coming to accept the value of witnessing these atrocities in close to real time as a person of privilege. Still, there is also a cost when casual consumption becomes doomscrolling.

Smith Wildlife is Sick and Tired of Construction

Smith College has recently announced the construction of a new building for the Lazarus Center for Career Development and the Wurtele Center for Leadership, which is set to be built on a hillside overlooking Paradise Pond. In response to this announcement, many students have taken to social media to discuss the validity of the project. Arguments have been raised, suggesting that the funds for this new building could be more effectively utilized to address internal issues within the college, such as broken elevators and insufficient professor salaries. While there are a multitude of reasons to question the necessity and efficiency of the new Lazarus Center, I would like to introduce an additional critique from a conservation standpoint. 

A Guide to Thoughtful Gifting in Every Relationship Stage

As the holiday season quickly approaches, it’s time to start brainstorming gift ideas. Whether it’s for a loved one or a friend, trying to come up with the perfect present can be stressful. It is always a little challenging for me, but I remember feeling particularly daunted when shopping for my girlfriend for the first time. 

These Don’t Have to Be the ‘Best Years of Your Life’

Before going to college, I was told by many I knew who had already been to college that these years would be the best of my life. Going in, I knew this was not guaranteed, but after COVID-19 canceled my senior year of high school, I was ready to embark on the next leg of my journey and finally experience this pivotal part of  young adulthoodI had heard so much about. 

Reframing Success: Advocating for the Inclusion of Piper Kerman ’92 in Smith College’s Notable Alum List

Smith has a long and robust list of notable alums, a list about which the College frequently boasts. The Campus Center was recently named after Julia Child ’34. Just last year, Gloria Steinem ’56 visited John M. Greene Hall and spoke to students. The list includes CEOs, political figures, advocates, artists, actors and authors. One missing from this list is Piper Kerman ’92, author of the New York Times bestseller Orange is the New Black: My Year In A Women’s Prison

The Autumnal Lovers’ Lament

It’s cuffing season and, at long last, I am cuffed. After struggling through a summer filled with pangs of yearning and many long-distance FaceTime calls, I feel so lucky to be on the same campus as my partner once again. But, as the leaves begin to turn and Smithies start to bring their coziest grandpa sweaters out of hibernation, I am once again reminded that it is, in fact, cuffing season, and I want to be cuffed in the cutest, most domestic, most gay-girl-autumn way possible. 

Responding to Silence

On Feb. 28, 2022, the Smith College Provost Office released a statement titled “Responding to the Invasion of Ukraine.” The letter unequivocally labeled the events of Feb. 24, 2022 an invasion, which was urgently condemned and its “humanitarian consequences” recognized. The statement was clear; there was no potential ambiguity, no room for doubt or misinterpretation. In this case, history didn’t seem complicated and the conversations weren’t difficult. The discourse was not a mere clash or the latest episode in the convoluted conflict between Russia and Ukraine; it was unmistakably an invasion.