Unforgettable Nights of Laughter, Community in Parsons House

I am endlessly proud and honored to be an alum of Smith College. For four years, I was part of an inclusive community where faculty, staff, and my fellow students challenged me academically and intellectually, and as a result, I blossomed and thrived. What I remember most fondly, however, is the learning I experienced outside the classroom with my Parsons housemates.

I remember not being able to tear myself away from Parsons’s dining room because I was engrossed in the stories being told by my fellow housemates. We were often the last ones remaining in the dining room, and the wallpaper and china pattern will forever be imprinted on my brain. I remember the lot of us laughing hysterically during Thursday night must-see TV programming, lingering in Parsons’s TV room well after Friends and ER ended, not wanting the night to end. I remember rushing back to Parsons’s living room for Friday tea, where lemon bars and butter cookies were arranged artfully around the grand piano. The chatter around the room ranged from the weekend’s parties to the politics of sex and gender. To this day, lemon bars and grand pianos evoke feelings of nostalgia for tea. I remember cooking our families’ favorite recipes for one another in the fully stocked Parsons Annex kitchen. We felt so independent and grown up!

We may have earned bachelor’s degrees from Smith College, but in the halls of Parsons House we forged bonds for which I am eternally grateful and thankful.

This is just one of the many love stories we've received in conjunction with Smith's 150th. Submit your own using our love story submission form.