smithiesteph

[smithiesteph]

“A self is not something static, tied up in a pretty parcel and handed to the child, finished and complete. A self is always becoming.” -Madeleine L'Engle ‘41, A Circle of Quiet

[smithiesteph]

Happy 30 day countdown to graduation, seniors! This past Friday, the Alumnae House hosted a special pancake breakfast for seniors to celebrate the fact that we’ll be graduating soon. Not only was there a pancake bar with bacon, whipped cream, and berries but there was also lots of free prizes like these Smithies4life spatulas and Smith foam fingers. If you’re a senior and did not attend the breakfast, don’t worry! The biggest prize of them all is just within your reach. 

[smithiesteph]

Pet-a-Pet Day

It’s that time of the semester again. Counseling Services, Wellness Center and CRSL invites students to de-stress at the end of the semester by holding a cute animal or two. Not into dogs? There’s a baby goat, miniature horses, chickens, and more! There’s a cute creature that fits everyone’s interest on Pet-a-Pet Day.  If you’re like me and like to enjoy animals from afar, there are other fun (and free) activities to participate in such as face painting and caricature drawing. 

Hope y’all can make it to the next Pet-a-Pet Day event!

[smithiesteph]

Congratulations, Agnes Hu, for winning the Student Leadership Award for Outstanding Programming! Wilson House is so appreciative of all the hard work that you have done to make Wilson a welcoming and inclusive space. A special thank you for helping write the Innovation Challenge proposal for POCheese. I don’t think my senior year would have been as special without those weekly hangouts. Best of luck with house programming next year as House President! 

Wilson love, 

Steph

[smithiesteph]

There are a lot of people I want to thank for helping me through this journey that is senior year. I want to first recognize the people who joined me in this weekend’s celebrations.  A special thanks to: -the organizers, participants, and audience of Weaving Voices: Senior Monologues. You all gave me the love and support I needed to share my experience as a POC at Smith. Not only that, but you gave me the opportunity to give my first stand-up comedy sketch. How dope is that! 

-the organizers and participants of Queerceanera. You created a much needed space for queer Latinx folks. The Latin American Student Association (LASO) had some stellar events in the past, but last night y’all really outdid yourselves. 

-my Wilsonite friends. You are a delight to come home to each night. This weekend was not any different. 

-last but not least, my family. You may not physically be here to celebrate with me, but you are always with my spiritually. Everything I do, I do for you. These celebrations are just as much for you as they are for me. Thank you your long-time love and support. 

Abrazos, 

Steph

[smithiesteph]

Happy (belated) Holi!  This past Saturday, EKTA (the South Asian Organization at Smith) hosted its annual Holi celebration on Davis Lawn. I look forward to this celebration every year. It is a festival of colors, food, and dances that observes the coming of spring. We didn’t exactly have spring weather (as it was 40°F) but we had fun nonetheless. 

See goofy smile and dye stained face above.

[smithiesteph]

“It’s been a strange day-- a day when I thought I was on top of the world, planning my life. I planned all of my courses for the rest of the semester at Smith, and talked to my advisor about honoring in History.” -Julie Nixon Eisenhower ‘70 

[smithiesteph]

Last Thursday, I attended the Senior Class’ Crash Course on Mathematics/Art with Professor Pau Atela. Many seniors expressed wanting to learn about subjects they hadn’t been able to study thoroughly (or at all) during their time  at Smith, so the Senior Class created 4 45-minute sessions that would give students a taste of what they missed. All students are welcome, including non-seniors and students who have vast knowledge on the subjects.  I have never had the privilege of taking a class with Pau, but after taking this crash course I wish I had. His enthusiasm for mathematical discoveries is quite contagious. If you have any hesitation about taking a math class or studying math, let go of them and push yourself to see the beauty in these natural patterns! 

[smithiesteph]

Northampton is a small, busting town with 12 coffee shops and 54 restaurants. One of students’ favorite places to visit is Woodstar Cafe. Now, I am not much of a coffee person, but I felt like I had to see if the reviews were true (especially since I am a graduating senior and have been brushing off the opportunity to go for so long.)

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Woodstar offered all sorts of drinks: coffees, teas, smoothies, and juices. I decided to order a hot chocolate (my favorite go-to drink) and got this beautiful masterpiece! I would recommend this place to studious folks, visiting families, and art enthusiasts 10/10. 

[smithiesteph]

I love unbirthdays, don’t you? 

This morning the “birthday fairies” in my house left this sweet gift outside my door. My birthday is actually in August, but birthday fairies recognize half birthdays for residents who can’t celebrate their birthdays during the academic year. As someone who loves to treat themself on a regular basis, I totally dig the concept of half birthdays. It is a good excuse as any to celebrate life and do the things that bring you joy. 

[smithiesteph]

“If you can’t be brilliant, at least be memorable.” -Shelly Lazarus ‘68

[smithiesteph]

If you’re a foodie like me, you’ll mark food events on your calendar way in advance. My latest eating spree was on I.S. Day at the Carroll Room. I.S. Day (or International Student Day) is an event where more than 50 students from 20+ countries cook dishes from their respective cultures. Pictured above were some of my favorites: Suzhou savory pork mooncake, “Wentelteefjes” (Dutch style French toast), and “Japchae” (Korean stir-fried sweet potato noodles).

Dishes cost between $1 and $3. Proceeds go to the International Student Organization (ISO). 

Next food event on my calendar: Taste of Latin America (TOLA) 

[smithiesteph]

Activist, writer, and poet Zoe Flowers gave a live reading from her book “From Ashes to Angel’s Dust” on Sunday at Graham Hall, Hillyer Museum.

I stood with you in the garden. We were surrounded by the dead The locusts were the only things that lived. I shuddered. You held my hand. I told myself. This is love. -IamZoe Flowers

She is known for her work around healing from domestic violence and sexual assault. It was such as an honor to have her return to campus. My good friend, Sushmitha, and students from the Black Student Alliance (BSA) helped organize this event. Thanks to their efforts they were also able to organize another visit from her for the spring. Zoe Flowers will bring herself and her actors for a performance of “From Ashes to Angel’s Dust” the choreodrama.

Since I was one of the first five students to arrive at the reading, I received a free signed copy of her book!!! There’s nothing I love more than live readings and free books <3

[smithiesteph]

This past Saturday I attended the Diverse Smithies Series’ second meeting. “Diverse Smithies: Connecting, Coaching, and Celebrating Together” is a new project coordinated by the Office of Alumnae Relations that brings alumnae of color to campus to offer a series of workshops for students. Last month we had three alumna give a talk titled “Authenticity, Activism, and Community Connections,” which focused on ways to build inclusive and just communities. This month we had two alums give respective talks about cultivating personal growth and addressing implicit bias. All of the speakers are such inspiring Smithies! I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to network with them. Networking and connecting with Smithies from diverse backgrounds is my favorite part of the series. All the participants went to the Lazarus Center to get free business cards before the first meeting, so we were on our networking game! It helped that the organizers provided us with business card holders early into the series (see picture above). With these new skills and connections, I truly feel like I am on the path towards professional success. 

[smithiesteph]

Throwback to last week’s celebration of Dia de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead):

I look forward to celebrating this Mexican holiday every November 1st. It is a time to celebrate and pay dues to dead loved ones. Many people create alters like the one pictured above and include photos, food offerings, and cempasuchil (marigolds). Marigolds were a little difficult to acquire, so Nosotr@s  substituted with paper flowers. I thought the results were beautiful! What made the day even more special was the performance by Xochiquetzal (Smith’s Aztec danza group) and the gathering for champurrado (Mexican hot-chocolate) afterwards. 

Only 356 more days until the next celebration!

[smithiesteph]

"Life itself is the proper binge.” -Julia Child ‘34

[smithiesteph]

Steph’s First Virtual 5k 

I am so glad I participated in Pomona’s First Annual 5K Run. Training for this event has been a long process, but luckily I had support from my hometown’s running crew, We Run Pomona , and Smith’s club sport, Fun Run Smith. It was very exciting to run in Northampton while representing my city and fundraising for youth activities back home.  Before this event, I had never heard of (let alone participated in) a Virtual 5K Run. Here are some questions I had and things I learned through this experience:

What is a virtual 5K?

A virtual 5K is similar to a regular 5K but it takes place outside of the designated running areas. In other words, this run takes place where ever you are. As a proud Pomonian and avid runner, I really wanted to participate in Pomona’s First Annual 5K. Thank goodness they had a Virtual 5K option for me and other folks outside of Pomona. I went through the registration process and received a shirt and medal just like everyone else. 

What are some good running spots in Northampton?      

My personal favorite has been the Mill River Trail. This trail takes you through a scenic route through the forest and passes by some popular resting spots such as the Japanese Garden, the Gratitude Line, and the Mill River Swimming Hole. Other good running spots include the Norwottuck Rail Trail and the Manhan Rail Trail. 

What is running in the fall like?

This fall has been surprisingly warm! I was expecting it to be much colder when I signed up to run. When temperatures start to drop, one can still go out to run. The crisp air is what drives some people to run even during the winter. I don’t know how comfortable I feel about running in the snow, but I do know that I want to continue running in the fall. Because there’s nothing like going on a run through New England fall foliage.