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Do you need help landing a job? Are you reluctant to ask for a raise? Do you tend to back-down when you hear a ‘no’? Negotiations are part of everyday life. Do your negotiation skills measure up?

Jamie Lee ’04 from She Negotiates will be in Philadelphia on March 19 to coach local alumnae, parents and friends on effective techniques for negotiating with a win-win attitude. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to use the Power of Your Voice to produce important changes in your life.

In addition, Serena Williams ’81, vice president of the AASC Board of Directors, will bring you the latest news from Smith. We hope you will join us for this special event!

WHEN AND WHERE
Monday, March 19, 2018
6-8:15 p.m.
Christ Church Neighborhood House
20 N. American St.
Philadelphia, PA
215.922.1695

AGENDA
6 p.m.    Registration and reception with light refreshments
7 p.m.    Keynote address: Jamie Lee ’04
College update: Serena Williams ’81

FEE
The fee for this event is $25 for alumnae and parents, $20 for recent graduates (2008-2018J), and $30 for guests.

REGISTRATION
Click here for more information and to register.

QUESTIONS
If you have questions, please email smithevents@smith.edu or call 413-585-2668.

Have you heard about Smith’s Women of Color Conference: Persistence, Possibilities & The Power of Our Voices from April 13-15, 2018?! This two-day event connects distinguished alumnae and faculty of color with dynamic speakers, workshops, and current Smith students for an exciting weekend of personal and professional development.

The Philadelphia Smith Club would like to support Philly area Smithies who wish to attend or already planning to attend! Scholarships are available from the Club to cover the cost of early registration.

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On February 21, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. The Smith College Club of Philadelphia will welcome Joan Countryman as our guest speaker. The meeting will be held at 22 S. Front Street, Philadelphia, PA.

Smith’s long history of graduating women who take leadership positions is particularly timely now as more and more women are speaking out and stepping up to take active roles than ever before. We are fortunate to have an opportunity to listen to and converse with a woman who has been a leader and activist in women’s education, the liberal arts, and civil rights efforts for her extensive professional career.

Joan Countryman was Head of Lincoln School, a Friends School for girls in Providence, Rhode Island from 1993 until her retirement in 2005. From August 2006 until March 2007 she served as a consultant and Founding Head of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. She then led the Atlanta Girls’ School in Atlanta, Georgia. Previously,  Joan had served as Assistant Head for Academic Planning and Director of Studies at Germantown Friends School where she taught mathematics from 1970 to 1993.

Joan grew up in Philadelphia, entered GFS as a third grader in 1948 and was the school’s first African-American graduate. She received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, a Master’s from Yale University, and studied at the London School of Economics as a Fulbright scholar. She has received honorary degrees from Bowdoin College, Moore College of Art, Roger Williams University, and Sarah Lawrence College.

Currently, while Joan maintains an active pursuit of several of her longtime interests, she is a leader in promoting the advantages of city living for older people and in creating communities where residents can age in wise and healthy ways.

Our evening will include hearing some of Joan’s thoughts on her experiences and interests and dialogue with her about topics relevant to the goals of the Smith College Club of Philadelphia. Come ready to listen and share your thoughts and ideas. We’re looking forward to a lively conversation.

Please RSVP to Margie Lord (’73) by Friday, February 16, 2018. Email: lordm144@gmail.com. Landline: 215-923-9059.

Specific directions will be sent  upon receipt of RSVP.

NOTE: Have you heard about Smith’s Women of Color Conference from April 13-15, 2018?

The Philadelphia Smith Club is interested in supporting members who want to attend. Contact the Club at phillysmithclub@gmail.com for information.

The holidays are around the corner! But before the current Smithies can enjoy a relaxing winter break, they have a round of finals to complete. Help us send them a little holiday cheer and exam-time encouragement by joining us Tuesday, December 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. to assemble winter care packages. To RSVP and receive the address of our meeting (in Society Hill), please email phillysmithclub@gmail.com.

Your club dues make this support of current Smithies possible. If you are not already a member and would like to become one, join online at https://phillysmithclub.com/membership/.

Carol Dedov,  Class of 1962.

How long have you lived in Philadelphia?  I am, if you can believe it, a life-long Philadelphian, and, except for Smith, 2 years in New York for nursing school at Columbia U., and six months working in Basingstoke, England, have spent my life here.  I know that isn’t much national and international experience compared to some, but I know many lifelong Philadelphians who have never been much further away than trips to the Jersey shore, so I am grateful that I have been able to broaden my horizons.  That is the first thing Smith did for me – got me out of the Philly mindset, and smoothed some of the rough edges from my accent, although by now the accent has slowly crept back.

What house did you live in on campus and what was your favorite thing about it? I lived in Gillette House on campus and, aside from the wonderful “girls” I lived with, it was good being so close to the main campus.  Being across the street from the John M Green auditorium (or John M as we called it) came in handy when we had early a.m. compulsory assemblies.  We Gilletters keep in touch to this day.

What is your favorite restaurant in the city?  I am hard-pressed to name a favorite Philly restaurant – there are a lot of good ones.  I have friends in the suburbs, and I have recently enjoyed the White Elephant,  in Huntingdon Valley.  I know it is a little out of the way,  but if you are in the area it’s worth a try.  The owner tells us it isn’t authentic Thai,  but is adapted to American tastes.

What are you up to now? When I graduated from Smith I found that my sociology major hadn’t prepared me for much in the way of earning power.  While volunteering at a local hospital I decided I wanted to be a registered nurse, so I enrolled in Columbia University’s Department of Nursing’s 2 year program for college graduates.  I have had a career in nursing and have always been able to find jobs.  I am still working as a per diem visiting nurse.  Someone I know overheard my employer tell somebody that “we have a nurse in her mid-seventies making visits”. We think she must have been talking about me.

Why did you choose Smith?  I chose Smith because I had a high school friend whose sister was a student at Bryn Mawr, so I became very aware of the Seven Sisters and wanted to be part of that tradition.  At Smith I was surrounded by my intellectual peers, which hadn’t been the case at my public high school.

I do regret that I did not take more advantage of the academic opportunities available and spent much too much time and energy worrying about weekends away and Saturday night dates.  I hope young women of the twenty-first century are smarter in this regard than I was.

For this month’s On the 18th, the Philly Smith Club will gather at cafe and local community space in Kensington, Franny Lou’s Porch, for delicious food and coffee, and conversation about our roles in local and global communities. We will gather at 4:30pm, which will give us time to gather and connect before the Poetry Share and Open Mike scheduled at 6pm – – and maybe stay for that, as well!

Franny Lou’s Porch is located at 2400 Coral Street, Philadelphia, 19125.

More about Franny Lou’s Porch (from their website):
Franny Lou’s Porch’s hope is to be a warm space engaging in community activism, cultural awareness, relational business practices, a vehicle for advocacy, and a place of rest. We desire to be intentional when connecting to our neighbors and our products. A place to encourage and foster those that want to live simple, healthy, and aware lives.

Franny Lou’s Menu: http://frannylousporch.org/project/foodmenu/