15th ANNUAL COOKIE EXCHANGE - DECEMBER 4 - 2PM

October and November were full of fun events for your Peninsula Smith Club!

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

October 1, 2022 - Our Young Alums headed out to San Francisco to check out the annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival at Golden Gate Park. It was a beautiful day to picnic and relax. Elvis Costello was the highlight for our club members.

Mountain Day Celebration

October 15, 2022 - A few of us took a long drive and a less-long hike in Portola Redwoods State Park. Our intrepid hikers climbed over downed trees and forded a shallow creek in an exciting day of waterfalls and redwoods.

Book Club - October

October 19, 2022 - On Wednesday the 19th, eight of us discussed “The Last Kings of Shanghai” by Jonathan Kaufman. We found the book interesting and enjoyable, with the research well integrated into the stories of men—and a few women—who contributed significantly to the development of modern China. We viewed the Sassoons and Kadoories as individuals with mixed emotions: admiration for their resourcefulness, ability to survive, willingness to take risks, and good works—including saving some 18,000 Jews during World War II—while deploring their involvement in the opium trade. We felt the writing was journalistic; another writer might have made the book deeper and might have explored some themes more thoroughly. But we were all glad we’d read this account of Chinese history that we were mostly ignorant of. Join the book club »

Care Packages for Students

October 23, 2022 - Twice per school term we put together care packages for the current Smithies from the Peninsula Bay Area. This is a great micro-volunteer opportunity for our local alums who don't have a lot of time for events, but want to be involved with club activities! Our student care package coordinator Trang Le '20 led us through making stenciled Smith notebooks and an enthusiastic letter of support for the students to receive in time for finals!

K-Pop Dance Day

November 6, 2022 - We tried something new, and what a delight! Ellen Dong '22 led us through two separate dance combinations to some excellent music, and the results were... varied. Judge for yourself when you watch the video. We had such fun that we're considering more dance-based events, including salsa, tap, and Texas two-step! Do you have a suggestion? Write to us at thepeninsulasmithclub@gmail.com.

Book Club - November

On Wednesday, November 16, eleven of us gathered at the home of Ann Freeman for a rare in-person meeting. One of the themes of “Intimacies,” by Katie Kitamura, is shifting perceptions, and our discussion illustrated this theme: we held varying views of the protagonist, of the man she is involved with, of their relationship, of the author’s flow-of-consciousness style (many commas, minimal periods), and of the ending. We found the range of intimacies depicted in the book thought-provoking, particularly the way the protagonist, an interpreter, forms a kind of intimacy with a criminal defendant. Thanks so much for hosting us, Ann! We will not have a meeting in December. We will meet on January 18 to discuss a classic to be decided. Join the book club »

DID YOU KNOW? As a club, we have the opportunity to represent Smith College at local high school college fairs. Would you like to participate? Drop us a note at thepeninsulasmithclub@gmail.com and we will add you to the list of alums who love to talk about Smith College to prospective students!

Join the Book Club

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

The book club meets at 7:00 p.m., generally on the third Wednesday of each month.

What are you waiting for? JOIN THE CLUB »