The Board is seeking a few volunteers for a subcommittee to recruit new Board members. You’d be making phone calls and attending online meetings, May to mid-August. This is a great chance to get to know other Smithies without a long-term commitment. Interested alums should contact club president Alix Davie at alixdavie@gmail.com.

In May we are reading and discussing The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. More details are available below in our monthly book club recap.

Faculty Speaker: Jen Malkowski, Associate Professor of Film & Media Studies

We are excited to announce our special event: Smith faculty member Jen Malkowski, Associate Professor of Film & Media Studies, will present No Such Thing as Neutral: Racism and Technology Design on Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 1:00 PM California time. The presentation will take place via Zoom.

Alums in the Peninsula Bay Area will receive additional information directly from the college, and details will be posted on our website when they become available at https://www.peninsulasmithclubca.org/upcoming-events.

On April 1st, 15th, and 29th, Donna Dong '13 hosted this recurring event. This month we had a handful of alums join together and discuss networking strategies, job leads, cover letters and more. This opportunity is open to any Smithies in the Peninsula Bay Area. We will continue to offer these this month on May 13th and 27th at 5:30PM. The recurring Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86115648148?pwd=eitCdCtPZFRXS0dpR1hxcHcxK2Fwdz09.

On April 17th for the second time, a small group met in a virtual setting to play board games together. Donna Dong '13 guided us through Lucky Numbers, Can't Stop, and Love Letter. There was no previous experience required to have a great time!

Special Speaker: Lisa Blanchard

On Thursday night, April 22nd, we gathered via zoom to hear from Lisa Blanchard, the founder and Executive Director of the Grateful Garment Project (TGGP), a non-profit organization that provides victims of sexual violence the clothing and other resources they need to reclaim their dignity and begin the healing process. The group works with hospitals, shelters, law enforcement and other nonprofits to meet victims’ immediate needs after a crisis, and support their ongoing needs along their road to recovery.

One project that Lisa educated us about is called Operation Esteem, one of TGGP's newest programs that focuses on the emotional and physical health of youth. Through Operation Esteem young people ages 12-24 who have experienced sexual violence are offered gift cards of $5 to $10 at various restaurants and appealing retailers as an incentive to follow up with medical and counseling appointments. These appointments, which can involve medical treatments, STD testing, therapy, and counseling are crucial in combatting the effects of trauma, ensuring the process of healing is guided by professionals, and facilitating the restoration of dignity. In a pilot program in three local counties, Lisa reported that unaccompanied minors who returned for follow-up services jumped from 32% to 87% when offered a small incentive of a $5 gift card. Find out more at www.operationesteem.org.

Additionally she informed us of a TGGP program called Amplifying Dignity where people can meaningfully contribute virtually. Upon registration, volunteers select three volunteer activities of their choosing to complete over a 30-day period, including reposting social media alerts. The program was developed specifically as an opportunity for young people who need service hours for high school or college programs by offering ten verified service hours upon completion of each 3-activity/30-day period, but this virtual volunteering program is open to anyone seeking to make a difference. Find out more at gratefulgarment.org/amplifyingdignity.

If you are interested in attending our meetings or getting on the mailing list, please contact the Book Club Coordinator, Sally W. Smith '64, via email or by filling out the form on our website at https://www.peninsulasmithclubca.org/book-club.

WEDNESDAY, April 21: The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

For its April book, the book club set a precedent (we believe) by selecting a poem, in

honor of Poetry Month. On April 21, eight of us met to discuss Henry Wadsworth

Longfellow’s “The Song of Hiawatha,” a retelling/reimagining of some Native American

legends. We enjoyed its unusual rhythms (trochaic tetrameter), which propel the lines

forward and also somewhat mimic the beat of an Indian chant. Longfellow’s language is

rich in descriptions of nature, seasonal changes, and a culture in tune with its

environment. We talked of the poet’s place in American literature, and the state of

white/Native relations at the time. We expect to make a tradition of Poetry Month.

May 19: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Remember that we get a discount at keplers.com. You can also order at bookshop.org, which supports local, independent bookstores. To join us, head over to our book club page on the website and sign up! We will send you the Zoom link proactively.

This month our member spotlight falls on Joy Silver class of '96! Joy was the AAC for the Smith Club of Seattle for many years, and now has brought her experience and skills to us, taking over the roll of AAC for the Smith Club of the Peninsula in September 2020.

Graduation Year: 1996

House: Emerson House, Lamont House; JYA at Dartmouth

Major: Government, with a minor in Jewish Studies

Fondest memories of Smith: One of my favorite memories is the annual Quad Riot. It's a night of mayhem and hijinks between quad houses, encompassing buckets of water and gentle misdemeanors, taking place in the Fall when students in the Quad get tired of waiting for Mountain Day (click here for a sneak peak of the chaos). We also played lots of jokes on the president, putting student art on her lawn in the middle of the night.

Choosing Smith: I knew about Smith from a young age. My grandmother grew up in Danbury, CT, and was valedictorian of her high school class. Because she was a girl, her family wouldn't pay for her to go to college, but she knew about Smith and would tell me when I was young, "If my family could have afforded it, I would have gone to Smith." She was very bright and ended up working as a secretary at the FBI.

During the summer between my junior and senior year in high school, my aunt, a trustee at Mount Holyoke, sent me to a summer math program there. That experience solidified my desire to attend a women's college, but South Hadley was too remote. During my senior year I was able to take a separate opportunity to spend a weekend at Smith, staying with a student, and I was hooked on the campus and Northampton, and when I saw afternoon tea in the houses, I knew I was home. (I remain an enormous fan of afternoon tea!)

Studying at Smith: When I got to Smith I figured I would cover my bases by taking economics, biology, government, and French. I quickly realized that I was very bad at econ and that I hated the biology labs, so I was able to weed out my future as an economist or a doctor right away. But my government classes intrigued me and I finished the requirements for my government major early in my Smith career, with an idea of possibly becoming a lawyer. I got an internship in the office of the Secretary of State of Oregon during the summer between my sophomore and junior years, and worked with lots of lawyers who loved the lifestyle that their careers afforded them, but hated their day-to-day boring and detail-oriented work, and I was able to weed out another career path.

After Smith: It took me another long while to get to the point where I had the confidence and financial stability to take the risk of pursuing a career in writing. After graduating in 1996 I moved to the Bay Area and landed a job as a recruiter for the high tech industry. And I was good at it! It turns out that I really like helping people find jobs and companies that suit them. Within a couple of years I started my own recruiting firm along with two partners, focusing on hiring new college graduates for placement at start-ups. I was traveling all over the country, matching up sharp young people with small, fast-moving companies. It was extremely fulfilling until 2000 when one of my partners fell ill and we needed to close our doors. I took a couple of corporate jobs doing internal global staffing and continuing to live out of my suitcase.

In 2012 we moved back to the Bay Area, and I continued to hone my craft. I completed my first novel and, after winning a few unpublished romance writing contests, I feel ready to enter the next phase –pursuing publishing. I'm working on my next two novels, with the goal of self-publishing all three as a continuing series. As my own family continues to deal with considerable hurdles of health issues, I am more convinced than ever that there is a place and a need for disappearing into a happily ever after world.

Additional good stuff: Beyond writing and taking care of myself and my family, I am obsessed with genealogy. I love to crack open family mysteries and histories and find great stories. I have lots of them, and maybe a few of them will appear in one of my novels. Stay tuned!

I'm also really into my garden, and I can hardly wait to travel again when the world is ready. I have a huge appetite for life – throwing parties, sharing meals, high tea adventuring, exploring museums, shopping – and having a smaller life throughout the pandemic has been a difficult challenge. I believe that a cup of tea and a good romance novel can cure almost anything. And maybe cookies and yoga too. I recently got vaccinated and I'm counting the days until we can all gather again and celebrate!