<p>First, we lucked out as far as weather goes. It rained the night before Ivy Day but Ivy Day itself was clear; it rained the next night, the night before Graduation, and Graduation itself was clear. The second night's rain did wipe out Illumination but if anything had to go, that was probably it. General feeling was that it was actually more important for Ivy Day to be outdoors than for Graduation itself.</p>
<p>--- As mentioned by Pesto in another thread, the connections between faculty and students are amazing and intimate (that's <em>not</em> what I meant!). [One prof did tell D, "now that you're graduating, I can finally give you a hug."] I've been to pro forma parties and the departmental receptions I went to were not pro forma, with many intense conversations between students and profs and in some cases profs and parents. I'd say that I had substantive discussion with at least 10 of D's profs from her two majors and would-be minor and it was clear that they knew her and her work well. </p>
<p>--- The graduation weekend was truly moving. Smith is as tradition bound as any of the service academies, transposed to a different key; cf., the dynamics of a football team vs. a ballet company (a lot closer than the casual observer might think). The procession is headed by a bagpipe band (I'd told the pipes major "'Scotland the Brave' on one" and damned if when the time came he didn't) and the county sheriff wielding a halberd followed by another official bearing a mace; the faculty follow, entering the field between lines of rose-bearing grads. When the grads process out, it is they who leave between lines of the robed faculty. </p>
<p>--- Also present are the alumnae of the various milestone reunions, in this case from 1998, 1983, 1958, and 1943, each wearing a sash denoting their year by color. Best story I heard was someone got up to give a seat in the Campus Center to a member of the Class of '58, who rapped him in the leg with her cane and said, "Stay seated, young man. We have places to go and things to do." Typical Smithie feistiness. </p>
<p>--- The Ada's were a moving sight as they graduated as a group. The visible support and joy they had for each other, dreams of college being deferred but not denied, and finally realized, was inspiring. One of D's Ada classmates in first-year Latin was an Army vet in her mid-20's who took to Smith like the proverbial duck to water.</p>
<p>I note the Ada's cleaned up in the English Department awards; writing poetry and short fiction is something where life experience is an advantage.</p>
<p>--- We were at a small awards ceremony and there was something in the aura of this phalanx of competent high-achieving women that just reinforced the case for women's colleges. The concept of women's colleges was re-validated for me in that moment.</p>
<p>--- Of this year's 17 Fulbright Fellows, 7 were grads of past years: four 07's, and one each 06, 04, and 03. I suspect this pattern is common.</p>
<p>--- The sound of 700+ women singing "Gaudeamus Igitur" gave me a chill, it was so beautiful.</p>
<p>--- There were 704 grads, of whom 141 had double majors, 20 percent.</p>
<p>--- Acting Dean of the College Tom Riddell <em>still</em> is not Lord Voldemort.</p>
<p>--- Parents of future grads be advised: the Saturday before graduation is jam packed with potential events, most of which you will not want to skip or your daughter may not want to skip. I would forgo the college's offer of a boxed lunch (reservation & payment in advance required via a form) but definitely make reservations in advance for wherever you do choose to have lunch. We chose the Viva Fresh Pasta Company and they called me at least three times in the two weeks preceding just to confirm my reservation. Ditto for dinner Saturday evening. Double ditto for hotel rooms for the weekend...I'd book at <em>least</em> three months in advance...if you want the Autumn Inn or Hotel Northampton, make it earlier. Much earlier. I made my reservations at just under a year out.</p>
<p>--- According to Carol Christ, 1/3 of Smith grads each received degrees in Science/Engineering (incl. Psychology), Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities.</p>
<p>--- Carol Christ said that the endowment, under professional management, grew at a 23 percent rate last year and is currently around $1.5 billion.</p>
<p>--- I spoke to her about my concern that the pattern of financial aid was leading to a bi-modal distribution of the student body, squeezing the middle. She said that for this reason it was decided by the Board of Trustees <em>not</em> to eliminate loans for poorer students, because this would only exacerbate the trend by taking money away from the broader financial aid funds.</p>
<p>--- Something (if my memory is correct) like 10 percent of the student body are now internationals.</p>
<p>--- Green Street rocks</p>
<p>I'm sure I've forgotten a couple of other things.</p>