Reconnecting and Rejuvenating

Alums from classes ending in 0 and 5 brought renewed energy and warmth to campus as they celebrated their first in-person Reunion since the start of the pandemic. In a time still shaped by uncertainty, alums found strength and joy in being together—catching up with old friends and making new ones, visiting their houses and other favorite spots on campus, and learning about recent developments at the college.

They also reconnected through traditions like Ivy Day, Illumination, class social hours and dinners, and a wide range of speaker programs and activities—all made possible by the dedication of hundreds of students, alum volunteers, faculty, and staff.

This was an ideal moment for alums to reflect on their place in Smith’s story, as the college marks a number of milestones this year, including the 150th anniversary of its first class and the 50th anniversary of the Ada Comstock Scholars Program.

As Provost and Dean of the Faculty Daphne Lamothe noted in a program about Smith and the liberal arts, “face-to-face learning is irreplaceable.” So, too, is face-to-face celebrating.

Here are a few of the many Reunion 2025 highlights.

Smith Today with President Sarah Willie-LeBreton

Addressing the standing-room-only crowd at Weinstein Auditorium on Friday of the first Reunion weekend, the president shared some of the college’s accomplishments and accolades, including the fact that Smith continues to be a leading producer of Fulbright Awards—currently number eight among the top 100 baccalaureate-degree granting institutions in the country—and that it has supported critical faculty research in several fields. She also gave an update on Smith’s progress toward becoming carbon-neutral by 2030.

To close her remarks, Willie-LeBreton sounded a personal note, saying she was lucky “to have found a place—and a community—that I can so easily and happily call home.”

The substantive, heartfelt presentation earned a standing ovation from the packed auditorium.

After the program, Helen Krug von Nidda ’90 joined three classmates to debrief. “None of us had heard her speak before,” said Krug von Nidda. “We were blown away by her strategic approach and, more importantly, by her warmth. President Sarah gave us hope and inspiration and courage.”

“The Smith Experience” with Joanna May and Current Students

Vice President for Enrollment Joanna May opened the panel with a crowd-pleasing observation: “I love seeing alums back and so excited to be with their friends in their favorite place. I rent a faculty house near the quad and reunion weekend is the loudest weekend on campus.” She went on to share impressive enrollment statistics, including a 70% increase in applications over the past decade and a 22% admit rate for the class of 2029. May also noted that prospective students who interview with alums are more likely to enroll, highlighting the importance of alum engagement in the college’s recruitment efforts.

The focus then turned to the four standout student panelists—May playfully remarked that their CVs were already longer than her own—who offered candid and moving reflections on their Smith experiences.

In recalling why they chose Smith, students cited generous financial aid (for both domestic and international students), the Five College Consortium, Smith’s open curriculum, and the strength of the alum network.

Each also had a unique story to tell about how caring professors—and their ingenious teaching styles—helped build their confidence and deepen their intellect.

Favorite traditions like Mountain Day and Quad celebrations were remembered fondly by students and alums alike.

Reflecting on Smith and the Liberal Arts with Daphne Lamothe and Nnamdi Pole

What is the role of the liberal arts in our current economic and political landscape? How have disciplinary boundaries in general, and Smith’s curriculum specifically, changed in recent years?

Exploring these and other questions before an audience of alums during the first Reunion weekend were Nnamdi Pole, Harold and Elsa Israel Professor of Psychology, and Provost Lamothe, who is also a professor of Africana studies. In terms of disciplinary changes, both noted a broader trend toward interdisciplinarity, with Pole offering as an example the recruitment of neuroimaging technology to help answer questions in psychology.

While they acknowledged the influence of trends and technology, they also reaffirmed what remains essential to the liberal arts at Smith: committed scholar-teachers who take seriously the intellectual capacity of every Smith student.

Finally, Lamothe observed that her sense of the purpose of the liberal arts had expanded since becoming provost. In the classroom, students often grapple with the notion that two ideas can be valid and also not reconcilable. Students today must be equipped to negotiate "conflicting truths” in order to “engage in civic life,” she said.

Smith Campus Use Plan with Erinn McGurn ’94

Reuning alums are always delighted to see how the campus has evolved since their time at Smith. At the start of her presentation on the evolving Campus Use Plan (CUP)—a framework for the development of Smith’s built environment—Associate Vice President for Sustainable Capital Programs Erinn McGurn ’94 highlighted the newest buildings on campus when alums were students, such as the Campus Center for the class of 2005 and the Schacht Center for the class of 2015.

McGurn described the CUP planning process as deeply collaborative, noting the many ways the team gathered input from the Smith community. This included more than 20 listening sessions, 16 campus tours, and an astounding 1,900+ survey responses—more than Sasaki, the design firm leading the project, had ever received from a single organization.

Participants consistently identified Chapin Lawn and Neilson Library as the “heart of campus” and the Quad, Chapin Lawn, and John M. Greene Hall as “spaces of tradition.”

The CUP’s final phase—“Implementation and Documentation”—is expected to begin this December.

Dance Party

On the final night of the second Reunion weekend, the music of Sister Sledge, Madonna, Beyoncé, and Chappell Roan—along with hundreds of glow sticks—warmed up a crisp night on Chapin Lawn. The all-ages crowd danced for hours to tunes spun by DJ Jaz Tupelo Dand AC ’14.