A Message to Students About the Election

November 9, 2016

​Dear Students,

In the aftermath of the election, I have heard from many of you via email. As you may know, I am on the west coast for Smith this week. I’ll confess that last night was difficult for me, watching the returns far away from the Smith community, knowing some of us were feeling vulnerable and fearful about the future.

For me, today is a call to action. I will not allow the often ugly rhetoric of this campaign, nor the results, to bring me to a place of despair. Like so many of you, I am more determined than ever to work toward a more “hopeful, inclusive and big-hearted” country, as Hillary Clinton said today, and I look forward to doing this work alongside passionate Smithies. I am eager to hear your thoughts about next steps. For this reason, I am opening my home to Smith students from 6–7:30 p.m. this Sunday evening when I return from traveling. I hope to see many of you there.

Kathleen McCartney
President