Smith Quarterly
“Gen Z and millennials are not making informed voting decisions. Most of us get our news from social media—and a lot of that is filled with fake news, but we don’t trust traditional news outlets. Forty percent of Gen Z and millennials report they don’t even complete their ballots.”
“Career readiness is an amplification of the liberal arts because it prepares students with a sense of agency and agility to be creative, to adapt, and to engage in meaningful work in an increasingly complex world.”
Scene
Data Point
Pounds of leftover food recovered from college dining locations and distributed to local homeless shelters during the 2023–24 academic year by Smith's student-led Food Rescue Network.
Favorites: Smithie Stuff We Love
For more Smithie stuff we love this fall, check out the full list.
Archetypes: Exploring Smith College Special Collections
Victorian Hair Book, Circa Mid–Late 1800s
By Cheryl Dellecese
During the Victorian era (1837–1901), it became popular in England—and later in America—to make jewelry and art from the hair of loved ones as a sentimental, though unusual by today’s standards, homage. Another trend was to paste locks of hair into small books, like the Victorian hair book held in Smith College Special Collections. These books often contained hair from family, friends, and even pets, along with handwritten notes recording when the hair was collected, and significant dates in the owners’ lives, such as weddings and deaths.
This particular book belonged to Ellen Wright Garrison (1840–1931), born to Quaker abolitionist parents in central New York. In 1848, Garrison helped her mother organize the Seneca Falls Convention, the first women’s rights convention in the United States. One entry in Garrison’s book is a lock of fiery red hair dated 1860 and labeled “His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales”—Albert Edward at the time. Though little is known about Garrison’s relationship with the prince, she remained a lifelong activist for abolition and women’s rights, and counted Susan B. Anthony among her closest friends.
You Had To Be There
Wearing matching blue T-shirts, class of ’81ers Terri Tierney Clark, left, and Gail Niemitz Fritzinger are longtime travel buddies. Together they’ve explored two European countries and numerous destinations across the United States. Joining them on a recent trip to Peru are Terri’s daughter Hunter, front, and Gail’s daughter Carrie, back. Here, the four sit atop Huayna Picchu, a peak they summited after touring the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu, located 8,000 feet above sea level in a tropical mountain forest. “Getting the shot was a little precarious,” Terri says. “It was one of those one-wrong-step-would-not-be-good situations.” Other highlights of the trip included camping, playing cards, and drinking Peru’s famous coca tea. Terri and Gail hope to embark on more mother-daughter trips soon.
Puzzle: Ms. Smith Goes to Washington
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Past Reads
Check out some articles from past issues of the Smith Quarterly to see how members of the Smith community have been working to push the world forward.