The Sophian

Issue date: 4/27/06 Section: Features

Media Credit: Courtesy of Sabrina Marsh Prospective students learn about the various organizations at Smith during the Org Fair on Friday, April 21.

I try to avoid patronizing prospies at all costs, seeing as I myself was one in the not so distant past. But they just look so cute with their little bags that match the daffodils and cups of Herrell's with their dirty little taster spoons in hand. Initially, the somewhat ambitious goal of this article was to rummage for and subsequently expose the true-life real story prospie perceptions of Smith. Unfortunately, most of the little rascals were incredibly hesitant to shed their admissions interview attitudes even long enough to say, "You think you know but you have no idea." These forthcoming Smithies weren't so forthcoming, despite my reassurances that their admission would not be revoked were they to cast any aspect of Smith in a negative light. One art history class was diplomatically described as "a bit dry" and another delightful prospie in a tie-dye shirt and pigtails worried that some extracurriculars might be "kind of competitive" and that there wasn't much social interaction between houses. I'll leave you readers to attribute deeper meaning to these rather vague musings.

One candid future comp-liter did explain that she loved the fact that Smith would allow her to compartmentalize to some extent her academic and social lives-admitting that coming from "cow town" she was fed up with "who's dating who? and "who broke up with whom?" infiltrating the classroom. I neglected to explain to her that most of this is left behind in the transition between high school and college whether or not there are Y chromosomes around as result of not having all of your classes with people whose birth weights and pets' names you have known for 10 years. Yes, I also come from "cow town."

Smith's campus becomes a bit of a circus in catering to eventual tuition-payers. Enter to see the amazing Italian students conjugate the subjunctive blindfolded! One of my dear friends, as a Gold Key, dustbusts her room and puts on an Oxford before every tour she gives, as eager to impress as if she were meeting a boyfriend's parents or a potential investor. I also recently heard of bio students donning lab coats and pretending to enthusiastically analyze data-which I am sure they do authentically on a regular basis-to muster scholastic zeal in the soon-to-be Smithies. Smith is heady, nervy and intellectually exciting and you bet your safety whistle we will give that impression at least one prescheduled weekend a year!

Continued...

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