Come Home to Smith

Welcome Center

9–11 a.m., Alumnae House

Begin your day at the Alumnae House with coffee and refreshments. Secure your lunch ticket, pick up a schedule with the full list of campus activities, and grab some commemorative swag.

How to Talk to People You Don’t Know (Yet)

10–11 a.m., Kathleen McCartney Hall 106

Talking to people you don’t know (yet)—whether that’s small talk at a meeting or reception, networking, or getting to know a new group of collaborators—can feel daunting. Yet this skill is essential for both collaborative leadership and career advancement, and it’s generally good for our well-being. Join the Wurtele Center for Collaborative Leadership and the Alum Career Program for a workshop that will help you meet some friendly faces from the larger Smith community and get more comfortable with (and perhaps even enjoy) connecting with new people. Families, alums, students, staff, and faculty welcome. Stick around after the workshop for a free guided tour of Kathleen McCartney Hall at 11:15 a.m.

Mill River Walk with the Outdoor Adventure Program

10–11:30 a.m., Paradise Pond Boat House

Join the outdoor program for a leisurely and informative trail walk up the Mill River. This is a low-stress walk, fairly flat, and not difficult.

Uniquely Smith: Connecting Past, Present, and Future Scholars

10 a.m.–noon, Special Collections Reading Room, Neilson Library Third Floor

How do Smith students use Special Collections? Come engage with the same primary sources students use in their classes—rare books and scrapbooks, women’s health manuals and lesbian pulp fiction, activist photos and Smithie yearbooks, and so much more! Learn about students’ assignments with these unique collections, tour stacks, and staff spaces, and take home Special Collections souvenirs. Note: this event will also be offered from 1–1:45 p.m.

Planting Bulbs in Capen Garden

10 a.m.–1 p.m., Capen Garden, Conway Gazebo

Sign up to help with this annual Smith tradition—planting upward of 2,000 tulips in the beds surrounding the Jill Ker Conway Gazebo in Capen Garden. Tools, gloves, and doughnuts will be on hand!

CEEDS Annual Apple Cider Pressing

10 a.m.–2 p.m., Near Chapin Loading Dock

Experience a family-friendly and tasty New England tradition! Take a turn at the presses to turn fresh, locally grown apples into cider and then enjoy a cup with a Hadley-made cider doughnut. We’ll also have an heirloom apple tasting to showcase the amazing diversity and many flavors of this fascinating fruit.

All the Geothermal You Cannot See

10 a.m.–2 p.m., Near Chapin Loading Dock

Celebrate the campus wide geothermal energy project and buildings coming online this fall! Meet some of the people behind campus sustainability efforts, get your questions answered and pick up some geothermal swag.

Harvest of Hope: Local Food Access Fundraiser

10 a.m.–2 p.m., Chapin Lawn

Come and enjoy some handmade crafts and trinkets in support of the Food Rescue Network and our partner, Manna Community Kitchen. All proceeds go towards feeding the food insecure population of Northampton!

ParKit: Pedaling Parks to People

10 a.m.–2 p.m., Chapin Lawn

The ParKit—a park-making kit—makes small temporary parks mobile. Designed by Smith College landscape studies students to be ridden around a city and quickly assembled, a bike pulls a trailer holding the necessary components for constructing a “parklet,” making previously unused spaces more inviting. Mobile in nature, our vision is to reach out to communities who are less likely to have the time, resources, or political leverage to engage in community design. ParKit team members design and manufacture parts for the park in the many Smith College spaces for making. ParKit team members learn about design, materials, and prototyping by creating and re-creating components for the ParKit. Stop by and see what we’ve made.

Print Workshop with Visiting Artist Melanie Yazzie

10 a.m.–4 p.m., Hillyer Hall L08

The Department of Art will host visiting artist Melanie Yazzie as she completes an edition of prints. The printmaking studio will be open to the public, so Smith students, families, staff, faculty, alums, and the surrounding community can drop in to observe the process, see the studio in action, and speak with the artist.

Applying to Highly Selective Colleges: A Conversation with Joanna May

10:30–11:30 a.m., Klingenstein Browsing Room, Neilson Library 102

Calling all parents of future college students! Join Vice President for Undergraduate and Graduate Enrollment Joanna May for an informative conversation about navigating today’s college admissions landscape. Joanna will share insights into the selective admissions process, offer practical guidance for supporting students as they explore and apply to colleges, and discuss some of the trends shaping admissions today.

Smith Rugby vs. Tufts

11 a.m., Hill Field

Ghosts, Vampires, and Skeletons: A Halloween-Themed Tour of the Wonderfull Weird Botanical World

11 a.m.–noon, McConnell Hall 102

Ghost orchids? Vampire plants that drink the blood of their neighbors? This Halloween-themed talk offered by John Berryhill invites you on a botanic tour of the delightful, strange, and stunningly beautiful stories that are hiding in plain sight. And yes, we will be talking about (and eating) chocolate!

Lunch in the Houses

11 a.m.–1 p.m., Various Locations

Registered alums are invited to enjoy lunch in selected Smith dining halls. Secure your lunch ticket at the Alumnae House between 9 and 11 a.m. and present it for entry. Additional dining options, including the Campus Center Café, will also be available, as well as downtown Northampton restaurants.

Tour of Kathleen McCartney Hall

11:15 a.m., Kathleen McCartney Hall Lobby

Join us for a free guided tour of Kathleen McCartney Hall—a sustainable, inclusive, welcoming, and inspiring hub for career development and leadership training. With a “purpose-driven design,” this brand new building enables direct collaboration between The Lazarus Center for Career Development and The Wurtele Center for Collaborative Leadership.

Ada Winter Bazaar

11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., Campus Center 204

The Ada Comstock Scholars Program offers a path for students of nontraditional age to complete a bachelor of arts degree at Smith College. The Ada cabinet and Ada coordinator are fundraising to support anniversary celebrations, upcoming events, and merchandise for the class. Drop by for a sweet treat and to learn more about how this innovative program supports nontraditional-age students. Cash is preferred, but Venmo will also be accepted.

Smith Soccer vs. Salve Regina

Noon, Lower Athletic Fields

Smith Volleyball vs. Trinity College

1 p.m., Ainsworth Gymnasium

NESCAC-NEWMAC Challenge

Uniquely Smith: Connecting Past, Present, and Future Scholars

1–1:45 p.m., Special Collections Reading Room, Neilson Library Third Floor

How do Smith students use Special Collections? Come engage with the same primary sources students use in their classes—rare books and scrapbooks, women’s health manuals and lesbian pulp fiction, activist photos and Smithie yearbooks, and so much more! Learn about students’ assignments with these unique collections, tour stacks, and staff spaces, and take home Special Collections souvenirs.

Smith Office for the Arts (SOFA) Open House

1–3 p.m., Alumnae Gym, Third Floor

Join the Smith Office for the Arts (SOFA) in our new shared space for some artmaking of your own. Activities will include decorating a SmithArts pencil pouch or tote bag, button making, and tiny art. Open to all, while supplies last.

Relaxation Station

1–4 p.m., Klingenstein Browsing Room, Neilson Library 102

Need a place to recharge yourself and your phone? Pull up a chair and take a breather at our relaxation station! Drinks, puzzles, light music, and device chargers will be available to help you feel refreshed for the rest of the afternoon.

Friends of the Smith College Libraries Welcome Table

1–4 p.m., Neilson Library, First Floor

Stop by to chat with Library Development Officer Mary Irwin and learn about all the great benefits available to Smith alums! Stickers, bookmarks, and other fun Libraries swag will be available.

Smith Science Fiction & Fantasy Society (SSFFS) Library Hours

1–4 p.m., SSFFS Library, King House Basement

A repository for contemporary and classic science fiction and fantasy books, comics, and magazines, SSFFS Library has highlighted female and queer stories within these traditionally male-dominated genres since 1987. Join for a tour of our library and discover the secret history of nerds at Smith.

Smith Field Hockey vs. MIT

3 p.m., Astroturf Field
 

Program with President Sarah Willie-LeBreton

3–4 p.m., Weinstein Auditorium, Wright Hall

Join President Sarah Willie-LeBreton for a special program.

Montage: Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

4 p.m., John M. Greene Hall

Take a musical tour around the world with performances by the Glee Club, Chamber Singers, Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Wailing Banshees, Jazz Ensemble, Handbells, and student a cappella groups. Presented by the Smith College Department of Music.

Smith College Bellringers

4–5 p.m., Mendenhall Belltower

All students, family, and alums are welcome. See the tower (one of the most tucked-away spots on campus!), meet the bell ringers, and see a demonstration of the centuries-old art of change ringing.