<p>I think shaking hands, eating finger-food with utensils when I'm at a formal event, wearing a bra under tight clothing, and holding my tongue around fundamentalist christians are all a pain in the ass. But I still do all those things, because they don't take too much work, and because I realize those things might be meaningful to other people.</p>
<p>I have a question about STRIDE? If my daughter gets accepted, and if she receives a STRIDE, will she hear about the STRIDE at the time of acceptance?</p>
<p>Either way- I think one of the girls on LiveJournal was accepted ED and got STRIDE at the same time. But then again, they might wait until March to see the overall applicant pool to see where everyone stands a chance for STRIDE. I think it's more geared for RD people since Smith's trying to lure in the brightest and best ones who'd be likely to get into HYS.</p>
<p>Sara- amen to the PC. PC is fine but Smith presents itself as an overwhelming PC user, which turns to negative. PC becomes negative when a person cannot suddenly feel comfortable to use other forms of certain labels that colors the world only one shade of color rather than a rainbow. Also, people don't know if the targeted subject has preferences. For example, people use PC on me by calling me "hard of hearing" or "with hearing disability" instead of calling me "Deaf." They don't know me- I've been profoundly deaf ALL my life, I didn't lose my hearing due to illness! Additionally, if you're talking about some behind their backs, you don't have to use PC, if you can be more specific so that the other person can recognize the target like calling that student of their country's origin rather than "international." As I've stated many posts ago in this forum, the PC at Smith eventually grows into you that you just become miffed and can't find a way to express your own language and feelings that maybe it's better not to talk at all! I also think the level of PC at Smith is unacceptable because the real world is very different and I often worry about my fellow Smithies getting hurt when they go out there because they spent 4 years in a 100% tolerant enivronment.</p>
<p>One of the things in Smith's language that has become part of my life vocabulary is feminism- I always use "She" instead of "he" when referring what one might do... I feel soooo empowered when I make these statements. Teehee! I still adopt the gender-neutral philosophy in appropriate situations. :)</p>
<p>Yeah, makes sense about the Stride. She applied ED II and we're waiting to hear. I liked your statement about feeling empowered when using "she" rather than "he". I noticed you are at Colgate, what made you transfer?</p>
<p>Well, things have gotten interesting on here lately!</p>
<p>I was wondering about meal plans. I have been told that smith doesnt have one. what does this mean? that you have to pay for every meal? or is food included in room and board???</p>
<p>also, someone mentioned houses and exercise rooms or computer rooms? Does each house have something different? Does anyone know if scales has something cool?</p>
<p>Smith doesn't have individual meal plans, but all meals are included in room and board, and you can even go to multiple dining locations in a single meal period (dinner at one place, dessert somewhere else). </p>
<p>In the basement of King there is a small gym and a computer lab, and that's right next to Scales (I think the two are connected by the inside, too). Not every house has one, though.</p>
<p>(I think the two are connected by the inside, too)}}}</p>
<p>They are.</p>
<p>{Smith doesn't have individual meal plans, but all meals are included in room and board,}}</p>
<p>Smith also gives you 25.00 *caf</p>
<p>Dining Dollars are actually $25.00 a year, and it does roll over from the fall to spring semester (but not between academic years).</p>
<p>so..you can eat wherever you want, where ever you want , and how ever much you want?</p>
<p>Not whenever you want. There are dining hours that vary slightly between dining rooms, but for the most part it's 7:30-9:30 for breakfast, 11:30-1:30 for lunch, and 5:30-7:00 for dinner (5:30-9:00 at Tyler from Monday-Thursday). Brunch is 11:00-1:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.</p>
<p>There is no limit on how much you can eat and as I said, you can go to different places in the same meal period! It's convenient when you want what more than one dining hall is offering.</p>
<p>A good resource concerning dining at Smith is <a href="http://www.smith.edu/2eat%5B/url%5D">http://www.smith.edu/2eat</a></p>
<p>{{{Dining Dollars are actually $25.00 a year, and it does roll over from the fall to spring semester}}</p>
<p>My daughter is claiming its once a semester and the web site is wrong. Maybe they changed it or the site isnt explicit enough. Regardless, if youre correct ( and you probably are), wont she be surprised when she exhaust's her of dinning dollars very soon! :)</p>
<p>ticklemepink: I agree that if the target of some PC vocab has a preference, it's best to call them what they themselves want to be called. Trouble is, unless you wait for them to talk about themself first, you can't always know what that is. </p>
<p>And there are SO many other ways in which college is not like the real world. College in the US has a long-standing history of trying to be a leader in creating a more idealized version of real life. I mean, a lot of students think they're working very hard if they spend a total of 40 hours a week studying and in class, and a lot of private colleges have nice housing, food, and even buy booze for their students. In college, professors (your boss) care what you think and tend to be nice to you. A lot of things would change if colleges aimed to toughen students up for the real world, instead of aiming to create visionary future leaders.</p>
<p>I think it's fine you're comfortable with the term "Deaf," but not everyone is comfortable with all terms. I know some friends who prefer being referred to as "black," and I know some other friends who were exposed to that word in a derogatory context at a young age so they prefer African American (and for the record, when I use African American I DO also talk about European Americans -most white Americans these days are only like 3rd generation anyway). I just don't think it hurts to be sensitive. To me, saying there's a problem with PC might be similar to saying minorities (and egalitarian liberals) complain too much, which would DEFINITELY be bogus if you know anything about the current state of our country's subpopulations.</p>
<p>The dining thing seems pretty cool. Do many schools have this? Do you have to swipe a card or anything for meals?</p>
<p>I don't know if many schools have the dining thing, but yes you have to swipe a card. Luckily, students are the people watching the card-swipe and are usually pretty leniant if you want to bring a guest in and don't have enough extra swipes or something.</p>
<p>{{Luckily, students are the people watching the card-swipe and are usually pretty leniant if you want to bring a guest in and don't have enough extra swipes or something.}}</p>
<p>What shes saying is, the students swiping cards and are receiving a generous amount of free money in the form of aid from Smith are the same students who think its ok to steal from the college that has been so generous with them and so people like me who pay full ride can pay for others food without having the courtesy of asking if I would like to donate a free meal.</p>
<p>RLT, the free rider problem is greatly overblown. Though I note there are folks whose prime agenda in public life is based on the fact that somebody somewhere is getting something they don't deserve and that they're going to do something about it. And in the course of pursuing such spend far more in resources that would be otherwise left to "overhead." I would tend to look at unaccounted "guest meals" as part of the PR budget that slid over into the food category. Next case.</p>
<p>{{RLT, the free rider problem is greatly overblown}}</p>
<p>I didn't realize there was a problem. How much money is Smith losing to meals not being paid for?</p>
<p>{{Though I note there are folks whose prime agenda in public life is based on the fact that somebody somewhere is getting something they don't deserve and that they're going to do something about it}}</p>
<p>I dont know what youre insinuating and if I offended your senses by my satirical reply, forgive me.. But I found it humorous ecape would admit students are stealing when Smith prides itself on their honor code. If you witness someone cheating and dont report it, you can theoretically be expelled, but let someone steal and its now called PR. Sorry, but I find that hilarious.</p>
<p>Ive had my fair share of freebies in the days of old lest anyone think I was trying to be holier than thou :)</p>
<p>Next case.</p>
<p>Hmm. I'm relatively tight about the sense of honor code myself and ran some hypotheticals past D in a discussion last week. However, pending a successful appeal to a higher court, I am unruffled by guest meals at Smith, believing the amount to be "down in the [statistical] noise" and presuming that Smithies are offered reciprocal privileges when visiting elsewhere.</p>
<p>Next objective case.</p>
<p>Im up way too late in the morning (price I have to endure to talk to associates in England) to be discussing the worlds problems</p>
<p>{{I am unruffled by guest meals at Smith}}</p>
<p>Good, because for the record Im not as over the top on this issue as you seem to think. On my last visit I swiped a cup of coffee- cup included, although I returned it eventually-- and had my fingers in the deserts at one of the house lunches. Nope, didnt pay.
When eating at McDonalds (yuck) after filling my coke I take a sip and fill it again to bring it back up to the brim. I dont cut in ski lift lines though, so I do have a few redeeming qualities.</p>