Smith Club of San Francisco
and Marin
About the SFM Smith Club
Who We Are | The Board | News & Notes
View previous updates from various Committee Chairs to find out what the Board has been up to recently. To get involved in any of these committees, contact Board President, Sarah Cross Mills '66 at sarahcrossmills@cs.com.
Board Meeting Notes, December 2007
Admissions Committee, Spring 2004 Update
Alumnae Association Regional Club Coordinator, Spring 2003 Update
Annual Book Award Program, Spring 2003 Update
Recent E-Newsletters
August 2008
There's a lot more news to share than this, but your E-Newsletter editor is vacationing in Maine without her notes. Below are notices of two alums whose book launchings will be underway next month (right around the corner), with appearances at Marin's favorite independent bookstore. Both authors would love to have fellow Smithies in the audience to support them!
Laura Holmes Haddad '97 will talk about her recently published book, Anything But Chardonnay: A Guide to the OTHER Grapes, at Book Passage on Sunday, Sept 7 at 1pm. Wine will be served! Why not head over there after brunch at one of Marin's great restaurants?
Laura grew up in Marin, attended Redwood High School, and lived in Marin for 4 years after Smith. A graduate of the California Culinary Academy and a former cookbook editor at Simon and Schuster, Laura started her website GourmetGrrl.com in 2004 with a weekly wine and food e-newsletter "GourmetGrrl Bites." She fills it with not only wine and food recommendations but also tips on kitchen tools, places to buy wine and food items, recipes, cocktail ideas - all of the best for busy foodies. Her newsletter has over 5,000 subscribers around the U.S. A freelance writer and editor, Laura currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter but comes back to Marin as often as possible to visit her family, including her sister Lesley Holmes Reidy '94, one of our Marin Alumnae Admissions Coordinators. According to her website, "Laura grew up cooking with her Italian grandmother (she makes a mean gnocchi); her Julia Child-obsessed mother (who taught her how to make the best crème brulee); and tasting vino with her wine-loving father (hence the wine bug). Laura has eaten her way through much of the U.S. and several spots in Europe."
Becky Foust '79 will also be at Book Passage on Saturday, Sept 13 at 7pm to speak about Dark Card, a cycle of 27 poems on themes related to raising a child with Asperger's syndrome, the mild autism disorder featured in the film Rain Man and in the recent bestseller, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. She'll be joined by the book's illustrator, Lorna Stevens. Becky's book has been mentioned in a previous E-Newsletter. It has already been awarded the 2007 Robert Phillips Poetry Chapbook Award and was a finalist in the Black River Poetry Competition. Visit her website to learn more.
May 2008
AIDS/Life Cycle Riders - Seven local alums from ’05 are training for the 545 mile AIDS/LifeCycle bike ride from SF to LA June 1-7. This is the largest fundraiser for the SF AIDS Foundation and LA Gay and Lesbian Center, with 2,500 riders and a projected $11 million in donations. These enthusiastic riders, Milena Milenkovic, Mimi Zhang, Nicole Papincak, Psyche Philips, Sky Chandler, Rachel Katz, and Zucu Bermann will need to raise a minimum of $17,500 in order to participate. Every dollar goes toward the treatment, prevention and awareness of AIDS/HIV. Please visit their websites and donate (to one or all) and/or write a message of support! For a special Smith Alum incentive, they will be giving away a Commemorative "SMITH ALUM" AIDS/Life Cycle bandana to donors at the $100 or more support level.
Website Information:
Milena Milenkovic - www.aidslifecycle.org/3264
Mimi Zhang - www.aidslifecycle.org/6909
Nicole Papincak - www.aidslifecycle.org/1597
Psyche Philips - www.aidslifecycle.org/3261
Sky Chandler - www.aidslifecycle.org/2433
Rachel Katz - www.aidslifecycle.org/1379
Zucu Bermann - www.aidslifecycle.org/6910
Book Release Reminder - Becky Foust ’79, Marin County resident, has a new book of poetry out this month. “Dark Card” is a collection of poems about parenting a son with Asperger’s Syndrome. This book is already a prize-winner, and some of the poems have been published in respected journals. A book release party and reading will take place in San Rafael on May 31 from 4:00-6:00 PM, at the Rebound Bookstore, 1541 Fourth St., between E & F Streets. The book is now available for order from the Texas Review Press; details are on Becky’s website www.rebeccafoust.com.
Booksmiths – Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 3, when we’ll discuss Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love”. Many of you have probably read this and are welcome to join us for what should be a fun evening! Contact Coordinator Liz Farrington ‘00 at 608-239-5499 or lizfarrington@sbcglobal.net
New Young Alumnae Co-Coordinator – A heavy workload prompted the resignation of Leah Palmer ’00 as one of the YA Coordinators, but Liz Farrington ’00 jumped right in to fill the gap, working with her classmate and good friend Hillary Bergmann ’00. Yes, that’s the same Liz Farrington who heads up the Booksmiths book group. Thank you, Liz, for demonstrating the true Smithie ability of multi-tasking!
Local Filmmakers in the News – News that “Oh, Saigon” had its world television premiere on Channel KTEH-54 on April 16 just missed the April E-Newsletter. Produced and directed by Doan Hoang '94, “Oh Saigon" is about her return to Vietnam after being airlifted out with some of her family in 1975 on the last day of the Vietnam War, and her attempt to reunite them after years of separation. Her father, a former South Vietnamese major, meets his brothers again to confront their political differences: one was a Communist, the other a pacifist. Meanwhile, Hoang tries to reconcile her own difficult past with her half-sister, who was mistakenly separated from the family during the escape. “Oh, Saigon” is the Best Feature Documentary winner at the Brooklyn Arts Council International Film Festival. It has been hailed as "the best documentary we've seen in years" by the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, and "a remarkable story" by David Ansen of Newsweek. Already shown on KQED, upcoming local televisions screenings are on KCSM Thurs., May 15 at 8pm, KCSM Sat., May 17 at 1:00am, and KRCB-22 Mon., May 19 at 9pm.
Eva Moss ’03 was associate producer and assistant editor of “Ask Not”, a documentary that premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival in April, news of which also arrived too late for the last E-Newsletter. Eva sent the following description: “Ask Not” is a rare and compelling exploration of the U.S. military's ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell’ policy. The film exposes the tangled political battles that led to the discriminatory law, and profiles charismatic young activists determined to abolish it. As wars in the Middle East rage on, “Ask Not” reveals personal stories of gay Americans who serve in combat under a veil of secrecy. Further detail about the film comes from the Film Festival: November 2008 will mark the 15th anniversary of the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy with very little to celebrate. More than 12,000 service members, from new recruits to senior officers, have been discharged since its inception and, despite the fact that recruitment goals are consistently unmet in this time of war, willing, able and highly qualified men and women are unable to enlist. “Ask Not” approaches the issue from three perspectives, following an upstart group of young gays and lesbians promoting a Right to Serve campaign in which they attempt to enlist as openly homosexual candidates; documenting the efforts of former soldiers to expose the policy’s flaws by sharing their personal experiences with military and civilian audiences; and creating a video diary of one San Francisco soldier’s retreat into the closet as he heads off to Baghdad. Referencing Harry S. Truman’s controversial military desegregation act of 1948, the filmmaker reflects on what many considered to be President Bill Clinton’s failure to do right by the gay community when he signed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” into law, placing the issue squarely back before the American people. Warmly personal, politically incisive and straightforward, “Ask Not” should be required viewing this election season.—Deanna Quinones, SFFF Upcoming screenings are listed for South Florida, Seattle and New York City on the film’s website www.asknotfilm.com
Women and Financial Independence - Allison Clark Brown '87 has offered us the first in a series of articles she's writing on women and financial independence, now in the Resources section on our website. She was a commercial banker for fifteen years and left that career to give back to her community. Now a freelance writer and business consultant, Allison is interested in making the world better for women. She welcomes your emails with any questions about this article or your financial independence at cababyx3@yahoo.com.
East Coast Alum Seeks Advice – Liz Leighton Wilson ’77, currently living in a tiny town in upstate New York, has been accepted at Wisdom University here for a PhD program. While the program can be done at a distance, Liz is considering a move here and would love to find a classmate or someone in her general field (teaching, the arts, spirituality) who’s lived here a while and would be willing to help her walk through her decision-making process. Liz will be in Oakland June 9-13 for a Wisdom University intensive, and she’d love to find nearby housing for June 9-12, or even someone to have dinner with one of those evenings. Her phone is 518-963-8633, and her email address is lizleightonw@hotmail.com
Thank You! – The three Smithies finishing their sophomore year who wrote asking for help with finding housing for two months this summer while they pursue internships in the Bay Area are so grateful to have found a place through our network. It is indeed gratifying to know that requests such as this are successfully fulfilled; it perpetuates our experience as alums of the value of our Smith connections. We look forward to welcoming these three to the area during their brief stay.
April 2008
Booksmiths
Our book group welcomes alumnae of all ages to its monthly meetings. There's no such thing as a formal "member", so if a book title appeals to you, come join our lively discussion. We meet at 7:00 PM the first Tuesday of each month, and you can contact Coordinator Liz Farrington '00 at 608-239-5499 or lizfarrington@sbcglobal.net for the location. After two excellent non-fiction reads, The Terror Dream: Fear and Fantasy in Post 9/11 America by Susan Faludi and The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan, we took a delightful walk down memory lane with the popular science fiction/fantasy young adult novel, A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle '41. On May 6 we'll be talking about The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Dominican-American writer Junot Diaz, 2008 fiction winner of the National Book Critics Circle. Other upcoming titles include the very popular Eat, Pray, Love; A Thousand Splendid Suns; Hometown (about Northampton); and the just-published short story collection by Jhumpa Lahiri, Unaccustomed Earth.
On June 26 at 6:30 PM, Jessica Brody '01 will be talking at Book Passage in the Ferry Building about her debut novel, The Fidelity Files. Stay tuned for news about a special Booksmiths gathering with the author while she's here in San Francisco!
Speaking of books
Becky Foust '79, Marin County resident, has a new book of poetry coming out in May. Dark Card is a collection of poems about parenting a son with Asperger's Syndrome. A book release party and reading will take place in San Rafael on May 31 from 4:00-6:00 PM, at the Rebound Bookstore, 1541 Fourth St., between E & F Streets.
New Board Member
Hillary Bergmann '00 answered our call in the last E-Newsletter for a co-coordinator of Young Alumnae events, joining classmate Leah Palmer '00. Thank you, Hillary, and welcome! Hillary is the manager of The Mindful Body yoga and bodywork center in Pacific Heights founded by her father. As a sideline, she's also production coordinator of an internet sitcom called Break A Leg (www.breakaleg.tv). Look for her in a recent episode!
Women and Financial Independence
Allison Clark Brown '87 is writing a series of articles on this important topic and will be posting them soon on our club website! Keep checking the site. Allison was a commercial banker for fifteen years and left that career to give back to her community. Her major interest as a business consultant is in making the world better for women.
Another Guggenheim Fellow at Smith
For the third straight year, a Smith faculty member has been named a Guggenheim Fellow. Daniel Horowitz, Professor of American Studies, has received this prestigious award for 2008. Horowitz is one of 190 Guggenheim Fellowship recipients from among more than 2,600 applicants for the award-one of the top honors in academia. The program's purpose is to support Fellows in having blocks of time to work with as much creative freedom as possible. Last year's average grant amount was about $40,000. Fellows may spend their grant funds in any manner they deem necessary to their work.
Professor Honored for his Advocacy
On March 6, the Smith College Board of Trustees awarded Eric Reeves , professor of English language and literature, an honorary degree for his tireless efforts to bring attention to the genocide in Darfur. For more than a decade, Reeves has integrated advocacy with his academic work, often taking unpaid leaves to visit Sudan and write about the human suffering he witnessed. Samantha Power, a genocide expert at Harvard, once told USA Today , "Not a single person in the world has done as much for Darfur as Eric Reeves." Prior to the honorary degree ceremony, Rebecca Hamilton, a representative from the International Criminal Court, paid tribute to Reeves, saying, "All of us in the advocacy community are more effective, smarter, and better advocates because of him." For his part, Reeves, who has been on the Smith faculty for 28 years, said the degree holds special meaning. "It is a kind of ratification of my work," he said. "It is Smith saying to me, 'We know where you've been.'" (Taken from Notes from Paradise, AASC's March e-newsletter)
San Francisco and Marin Admissions to Class of 2012
Smith accepted 44 percent of applicants this year, which is down from a 52 percent acceptance rate last year. Virada Chatikul '04, San Francisco AAC, reports that of the 32 applicants, 11 were accepted and 14 are wait-listed. Hanne Barnes '94 and Lesley Reidy '94, Marin (and areas north) AAC's, share that there were 15 who applied, 12 were accepted and 3 are wait-listed. We hope that many of these local young women will chose to join the Smith class of 2012.
Are there any architects out there?
Molly Reichert '04 is getting her graduate degree in architecture at UC Berkeley and would love to connect with Bay Area alums who are architects. You can reach her at mollyreichert@gmail.com
How skewed is your news?
Kaamna Bhojwani Dhawan '02 was mentioned in a recent club E-Newsletter as creator of an online community called WomenCo. She has now started her own company with friends, aimed at exposing media bias in online news. The interactive site is www.skewz.com and it should be especially valuable to voters and journalists in the coming months.
Women in Higher Education
This is the monthly newsletter for which our Booksmiths coordinator, Liz Farrington '00, serves as Associate Publisher. In its seventeenth year, each issue is packed with articles, news and job postings that all focus on women in higher education. The mission is "To enlighten, encourage, empower, and enrage women on campus to win acceptance of women's styles and values, improving higher education and society." In the March issue, Liz wrote the lead article which is a detailed review of Arianna Huffington's latest book, On Becoming Fearless.in Love, Work and Life.
Do you blog?
Two alums, Sarah Winawer-Wetzel '05 and Amanda Hanley '06, from Boston and DC, respectively, have embarked on a project of collecting blogs written by Smith alumnae. The list will be annotated with blurbs about each blog. Over 70 blogs already listed cover subjects such as arts and crafts, world travel, and life and mortality. If you write a blog or know an alum who does, contact smithalumblogs@gmail.com.
January 2008
Club Board Members Performing
Rebecca Rufer '03, our Newsletter Editor, will be performing in the 'Women On the Way' Festival with the Pfeifle Dance Project January 20th and 26th at The Garage, 975 Howard St. (5th & 6th Streets) at 8pm. Tickets $15-20. For more information or to buy tickets call Footloose at 415-289-2000 or purchase on the web at www.brownpapertickets.com. You can also e-mail Becca at rebeccarufer@yahoo.com
Named one of the top ten parades in the world, the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade is one of the few remaining night illuminated parades in the country. This year for the first time, Berkeley's Thai Cultural Center classical Thai dance group, with Virada Chatikul '04, our S.F. AAC, will perform in the parade. See it live or watch it on TV
Saturday, Feb. 23, 6:00-8:00, on KTVU Ch. 2 or KTSF Ch. 26.
East Bay and SF Young Alum Happy Hour - Friday, Jan. 25 in San Francisco
Come toast 2008 with your East Bay and SF Smithie friends. Please help spread the word!
When: 6 pm Friday, January 25
Where: Dalva, 3121 16th between Mission & Guerrero, San Francisco
Evite: http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?event=
JJASFWGWRSHZCDMQLNXU&unknownUser=true
Smithies and friends of all ages are welcome at all events.
Annual Tea Huge Success!
Despite stormy skies and lingering power outages throughout the area, about 75 intrepid Smithies and prospective students gathered at our usual spot, sharing the wonderful hospitality of Hanne Barnes '94 (and our 'silent hosts', her parents) around a table filled with a variety of teas and sweets. Homemade persimmon cake, pumpkin cheesecake and toffee squares, delicious tapenades and clotted cream for the scones were special additions offered by board members. We heard from several enthusiastic current students about their fall semester, welcomed an early acceptance member of the class of 2012, and talked up Smith with eight or more prospective students. About 120 alums had RSVP'd as yeses or maybes, so the weather must have kept some at home - hope to see you next year!
February 23 Event Postponed
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are postponing the program on breast cancer with Barbara Brenner '73, Executive Director of Breast Cancer Action in San Francisco, and associate professor of Biology at Smith, Rob Dorit. We hope to get this event back on the calendar later in the year.
Membership dues are now tax-deductible!
Open Board Positions
Jeanette Lewis '99, one of our two Young Alumnae Coordinators, has just landed a wonderful job in Paris, so we need to replace her as a partner for Leah Palmer '00. We also need to fill the Events Coordinator position. If you're interested in joining our great board to help plan future events for our young alums or all alums, contact Sarah Mills at sarahcrossmills@cs.com
Theater Event - Coming Soon
Christina Stephen '89 is organizing another group theater experience,
to see Nikolai Gogol's The Government Inspector on Sunday, April 6,
2:00 pm, at A.C.T. The performance will be followed by an audience
exchange with cast members. Described as "One part political parody,
one part Waiting for Guffman, and scathingly funny through-and-
through," this will be a fun time for any theater-lover. Put this date
on your calendar now if you're interested, and watch for details on
how to get tickets in upcoming emails.
Notable Alumna
Kaamna Bhojwani Dhawan '02 has created a new online community for professional women called WomenCo. (www.womenco.com) Kaamna explains, "I learned first hand at Smith how much women can learn from one another. Living in San Francisco, and being inspired by how web 2.0 was enabling and enhancing human interaction across boundaries, I decided to start WomenCo. to allow like-minded professional women a place to network, learn and even goof off a little! At WomenCo. you can read the latest news, access career tips and jobs, meet women from all over the world, and join in spirited and edgy conversations (would you ditch your wedding ring to make a sale?).
Things to know about WomenCo.:
- We believe women can have it all - Careers, family, fun, dates, shoes. WomenCo. focuses its efforts on harmonizing all those needs and personas.
- Women have come far - WomenCo. recognizes and celebrates that women have made tremendous strides in the workplace.
- The playing field is still not level - WomenCo. provides concrete, actionable ways to help women get where they want to get, from women who have.
- Men are welcome - They are part of our world, whether we like it or not. Let's make the most of it.
- We don't take ourselves too seriously - WomenCo. deals with serious issues and real problems. But we don't have to be miserable doing it.
You can become a member for free at www.womenco.com.
Smith Sophomores Seek Summer Sublet for June-July '08
Three sophomores on Praxis Internships are looking for an apartment to sublet in June and July. One is hoping to work for a non-profit, possibly Literacy for Environmental Justice in Bayview, as well as at a second night job in a restaurant.
This student is already in leadership roles with several campus social/environmental justice groups. If you have any leads or ideas to share, please email Vanessa Shea at vshea@email.smith.edu
December 2007
New Club Website!!
Our web mistress extraordinaire, Laura Marshall '01, has created a beautiful, clear, easily navigable new website for us! Check it out now and bookmark it or add it to your favorites for easy access. Here's the address, and you can always get to it through the AASC website (alumnae.smith.edu - click on the Connect button - go to Club and Group Websites).
http://smithsites.alumnae.net/homepages/clubs/smithclubsfmarin/
The Book Club pages are especially wonderful - a great review by Linda Woo '91, former Book Club coordinator, of the afternoon with Professor Pat Skarda, and lists of books read over the past several years with cover images! You can also check to see if your membership is current by clicking on the Get Involved button. If your name isn't there, or if you haven't just joined, please consider supporting our activities by becoming a member. On the same page as the members list is a link to a form you can print and mail in with your dues.
Membership dues are now tax-deductible!
Seventh Annual January Tea
You should already have received an email Evite to our '08 Tea. (Postcard invitations are being mailed to those without email addresses.) However, Evite reveals large numbers who haven't yet looked at the invitation. If you didn't get it on Sunday, December 2, Evite tells us that it may be your email filter settings. Check your junk/bulk mail folder. From Evite: "Please have your guests check these folders for the invitation, and adjust any email filter settings as necessary. In addition, to further ensure delivery of Evite notifications, your guests may add info@evite.com to their email "safe" list, and make sure that info@evite.com is not on their "blocked users" list. If they are behind a firewall, the settings may need to be adjusted as this can prevent Evite notifications from being delivered." We're hoping this allows you to receive our group emails, because using Evite is still the best way to manage invitation responses that we know of when inviting over 500 people at once!
If you don't get the Evite and still plan to attend, please RSVP by December 28 to Hanne Barnes at hanne@hannebarnes.com or (415) 388-3801.
Here are the details:
When: Sunday, January 6, 2008 2:00-5:00 PM
Where: The home of Andy & Sara Barnes (Hanne's parents)
650 Delancey Street, #204, San Francisco
Who: Smith alumnae (spouses welcome), current students, prospective
students and their families
We look forward to seeing lots of you there!
Moneysmiths Meeting
The next meeting for Moneysmiths is Tuesday, December 11th. Anyone interested in the club's investment group should contact Leila Sarkisian at (415) 831-9071 or LSark123@aol.com
Club Board Member Performing
Rebecca Rufer '03 will be dancing in the 'Women on the Way' Festival with the Pfiefle Dance Project January 10-11th, 20th and 26th at The Garage, 975 Howard, at 8pm. Tickets $15-20. For more information or to buy tickets call Footloose at 415-289-2000 or purchase on the web at www.brownpapertickets.com starting mid-December. You can also e-mail Becca at rebeccarufer@yahoo.com
Events Co-Chairs
Are you interested in joining the board to help plan future events? We're looking for two women to share this fun role. You'll get plenty of support from other board members, and you'll fill a very important position in the club. Contact Club President Sarah Mills at sarahcrossmills@cs.com
Breast Cancer Program - Save the Date
A reminder that on Saturday, February 23, 2008, our club will present an important program on breast cancer with local alumna Barbara Brenner '73, Executive Director of Breast Cancer Action, and Associate Professor of Biology at Smith, Rob Dorit. Rob's class for non-majors called "Biology and Policy of Breast Cancer" gave rise to a new student group on campus, the Breast Health Collective. We are inviting Bay Area alumnae of other women's colleges to join us for this event. Please save the date on your calendars. Space will be limited for this event. If you don't want to miss this valuable experience, keep your eyes open for an invitation sometime in January. And if you want to guarantee your spot, you can volunteer now to help with set-up, sign-in, food, or break-down/clean-up by contacting Sarah Mills at sarahcrossmills@cs.com
Theater Event - Heads Up!
Christina Stephen '89 is organizing another group theater experience, to see Nikolai Gogol's The Government Inspector on Sunday, April 6, 2:00 pm, at A.C.T. The performance will be followed by an audience exchange with cast members. Described as "One part political parody, one part Waiting for Guffman, and scathingly funny through-and-through," this will be a fun time for any theater-lover. Put this date on your calendar now if you're interested, and watch for details on how to get tickets in upcoming emails.
Notable Alumna
Rebecca Foust '79 has written a book of poetry about parenting a son with Asperger's Syndrome that will be published in May '08. Dark Card recently won the 2007 Robert Phillips Poetry Chapbook award and was also a finalist for the Black River Chapbook Competition. Becky comments that autism and AS are quite topical now, with the New Yorker and NPR having done stories in the last year. Many of us are familiar with AS as the mild autism disorder featured in the film "Rain Man," and the recent bestseller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Rebecca's full length manuscript All that Gorgeous, Pitiless Song is a 74 page (full-length) poetry manuscript that has not yet found a publisher, but it was a finalist for Poetry's 2007 Emily Dickinson First Book Award, one of ten finalists chosen from 1600 entries. Two other poems published in literary magazines were nominated for the Pushcart Prize.
Becky lives with her husband and three teenagers in Marin County. Born and raised in a gritty, depressed railroading town in western Pennsylvania, she attended Smith and Stanford Law School on full scholarships and practiced law in San Francisco for ten years until the birth of her third child. She has spent the last decade volunteering in advocacy and grass roots political organization for parents of children with Autism and other learning disorders and is now scaling back this work in order to devote herself to her writing full time. She attended the 2007 Bread Loaf Writer's Conference and is currently in the low residency M.F.A. Writing Program at Warren Wilson College.
Her book release party will take place in May at a San Rafael bookstore, and she'll be a featured reader at a café in San Francisco next October. We'll provide details in future newsletters before these dates.
Smith Sophomores Seek Summer Sublet for June-July '08
Three sophomores on Praxis Internships are looking for an apartment to sublet in June and July. One is hoping to work for a non-profit, possibly Literacy for Environmental Justice in Bayview, as well as at a second night job in a restaurant.
This student is already in leadership roles with several campus social/environmental justice groups. If you have any leads or ideas to share, please email Vanessa Shea at vshea@email.smith.edu
November 2007
Free ACT tickets!!!
Judy Maxwell '75, Co-President of the Moneysmiths, our club investment group, has very generously gifted us with vouchers for 6 pairs of tickets (12) to any A.C.T. performance from now until Oct. 20, 2008 (next year), excluding Sweeney Todd. If you would like a voucher for one or more pairs, please email Sarah Mills at sarahcrossmills@cs.com with your mailing address. Vouchers may only be redeemed by mail or in person, allowing up to 4 business days for confirmation, so check the A.C.T. schedule at www.act-sf.org and plan ahead. "A Christmas Carol" would be a nice holiday treat for a family!
International Museum of Women Speaker Series - Alice Walker, November 14
As mentioned in our August newsletter, two local alumnae are working with the International Museum of Women: Katie Cardinal '56, VP of the Executive Committee, and Catherine King '89, Program Director for the Museum. On Wednesday, November 14 at 6:00, the Museum Speaker Series presents Alice Walker in conversation with Jewelle Gomez at the Omni San Francisco Hotel. Seating is limited, so reserve your tickets now. Visit imow.org or email events@imow.org or call (415) 487-6447.
New Book Group Coordinator
Liz Farrington '00 has volunteered to be our new Book Group Coordinator. Liz says that she was an English major and just loves to read! It's no surprise that Smith clubs around the country report that their book groups are often the most popular activity on their calendars. We have over fifty local alumnae who have indicated an interest in joining our book group; you can expect to hear from Liz soon about a meeting date. Or contact her at lizfarrington@sbcglobal.net
Moneysmiths Meetings
The next 2 meetings for Moneysmiths areTuesday, November 20th and Tuesday, December 11th. Anyone interested in the club's investment group should contact Leila Sarkisian at (415) 831-9071 or LSark123@aol.com
SAVE THE DATE!!!
We are very excited to announce that on Saturday, February 23, 2008, our club will present an important program on breast cancer with local alumna Barbara Brenner '73, Executive Director of Breast Cancer Action, and associate professor of Biology at Smith, Rob Dorit. Rob's class for nonmajors called "Biology and Policy of Breast Cancer" gave rise to a new student group on campus, the Breast Health Collective. We are inviting Bay Area alumnae of other women's colleges to join us for this event. Please save the date on your calendars and look for more details in upcoming e-newsletters.
Notable Alumnae
Doreen Woo Ho '68 of San Francisco was recently named to U.S. Banking magazine's list of the "25 Most Powerful Women in Banking." Ho was ranked 5th on the list. Her honor comes just as the magazine reports that women held 17.9 percent of executive positions at the 100 largest nationally chartered banks last year, an increase of only 1.9 percent since 2003. One other Smith alumna joins Doreen on this list. Doreen is President of Wells Fargo's Consumer Credit Group.
This October, eleven cities, unfortunately not including San Francisco, screened the critically-acclaimed first feature film by Xandra Maria Castleton '91 and her husband David Munro of San Francisco. Full Grown Men, a dramatic comedy starring Matt McGrath, Judah Friedlander, Alan Cumming, Amy Sedaris & Debbie Harry, has been selected as the closing film of the 2007 IndieWIRE/NYTimes Undiscovered Gems series, which showcases the ten best films of the year still seeking theatrical distribution. The winner of an audience vote gets a distribution deal, so this is a major opportunity for this film. Xandra used her marketing savvy by distributing a flyer that specifically asked Smithies to attend the screenings and spread the word. We hope we'll have a chance to see Full Grown Men here soon! (You might have read some of the filmmakers' weekly diaries, which were published in the SF Chronicle while making the film over the span of a full year.)
