FACULTY SPEAKER: John Berryhill, Director, The Botanic Garden of Smith College

We're thrilled to announce that John Berryhill, Director of the Smith College Botanic Garden will join the Smith College Club of the Peninsula for a presentation illustrating how botanic collections are being reimagined to meet the ecological challenges of the 21st century.

He will highlight how Smith is a leader in this shift through plant conservation, meaningful collaboration, and student-centered innovation.

You’ll also learn how today’s Smithies are gaining hands-on experience addressing urgent environmental questions—giving them a voice as thoughtful leaders in this evolving field—while our cherished plant collections are being reframed as living invitations to engage with the landscapes and ecosystems from which they come.

Please RSVP: https://luma.com/hko6ko9n

Elim Chan '09 is coming to San Francisco Symphony. For those of use lucky enough to catch her at the LA Philharmonic earlier this month, we can tell you, this is a not-to-be-missed opportunity. Elim will be conducting a program that opens with the youthful vigor of Mendelssohn’s Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and closes with Debussy’s sparkling seascape La Mer. In between, experience the elegant passion of Berlioz’s song cycle Les Nuits d’été, sung by Sasha Cooke, and Wagner’s surging Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde.

Purchase your tickets for Saturday, June 6 a.s.a.p. at https://seats.sfsymphony.org/single/23813. We aren't able to procure a block of seats, so please get your own. The club is currently working to make some sort of meet-up before or after the concert with Elim if possible so we can share the Smith love. A meetup with Elim might not work out, so set your expectations appropriately. But let's go to the Symphony!

Currently General Admisssion tickets are available in the tier *behind* the orchestra where we can see Elim do her thing face to face! (ed.note: I had these similar seats at the LA event and I will never sit anywhere else -- it was amazing!)

All are welcome. You don't have to RSVP to the club, but we would love to know if you're going to be there so we can be on the lookout for you and plan some kind of meet-up around this event: https://luma.com/dx7ql26k.

We're nearing the end of the school term; spring is here; and we're ready to party!

​Join us for a laid-back pizza party with your fellow Smithies, with good pizza and easy conversation. Stop by, grab a slice on us, and enjoy a fun gathering at Vina Enoteca.

​We will be seated outside, and excited to see everyone!

Please RSVP: https://luma.com/khdnfbz6

Student Care Packages: Friendship Bracelets!

We will gather at the home of Marylou Cronin in San Mateo where our Student Care Packages chairperson Emily Ng will guide us through the fun of making Smith College friendship bracelets to send to the Peninsula Bay Area students currently on campus in Northampton.

All are welcome. Club members will receive a proactive electronic invitation. If you are not a club member, you can RSVP to the event here: https://luma.com/5avon87s. Upon RSVP you will get the address of the event.

We will gather at the home of Amy Gardner in San Jose where local artist Suzanna Gagnier will lead us through the art project of painting wine glasses! BRING YOUR OWN GLASS(ES) TO PAINT. Brushes and paint will be provided, along with light snacks and wine and other beverages. The paint might be messy so wear clothing you will be okay with getting dirty!

All are welcome. Club members will receive a proactive electronic invitation. If you are not a club member, you can RSVP to the event here: https://luma.com/j4kass49. Upon RSVP you will get the address of the event.

In March, the book club will be reading and discussing "The Granddaughter" by Bernhard Schlink.

In order to join us, please please contact the Book Club Coordinator Sally Smith '64 via email or fill out the form on our website.

In February the book club will be reading and discussing “The Voyage of the Beagle” by Charles Darwin.

In order to join us, please please contact the Book Club Coordinator Sally Smith '64 via email or fill out the form on our website.

Join us for our Annual Galentine's coffee with your fellow Smithies at the Blue Bottle Coffee at 456 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301. Seating will be outside, so dress for the weather!

It’s time for the beloved annual cookie exchange! Bring something to share, and be ready to take some goodies home. If you have a great cookie (or anything else) recipe you would like to give folks, be sure to bring a few copies to distribute. Every year this is a Smith club favorite… don’t miss it!

Join the Smith College Club of the Peninsula for a festive stroll through Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose! What better way to spread holiday cheer than with your fellow Smithies over a hot chocolate and admiring a winter wonderland of lights and decorations? Family friendly. Click for more details…

It’s time for student care packages! Location details are TBD but get this on your calendar! Always a great time to gather for a quick assembly project and a coffee as we send our current Smithies in Northampton a little love.

Date: 11/9 
Time: 12 PM
Location: Redwood Place Cafe

Meet at the Carriage House near the edge of the parking lot. Parking is limited, so please consider carpooling and/or arriving a little early. Rumor has it that the parking lot fills up early. (map)

This intermediate hike will take us out via the Bear Gulch Trail into mixed forest, hiking gently uphill through California bay, Douglas fir, tan oak, and madrone for 2.5 miles (elev. change: 956 ft.) and we will return via the Meadow Trail, Wunderlich’s substantial grassland, offering multiple benches and a vista point overlooking the southern half of San Francisco Bay.

This month we're reading and discussing the New York Times bestseller "Your House Will Pay,” by Steph Cha.

Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California

Join us at the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive as we immerse ourselves in the captivating colors, textures, and histories stitched into African American quilts. Routed West is a "dazzling" new exhibition that traces the flow and flourishing of African-American quilt-making traditions that were brought to California during the Second Great Migration. The exhibition features works by nearly 90 quilt artists—predominantly Black women with ties to the Bay Area.

We will have a docent dedicated to our tour. Tickets will be roughly $20 including admission to the museum — exact price to be determined — and money will be collected at the entrance. Space is limited to 25 participants. For those who want to hang out afterwards, we plan to gather for a light lunch in the area and further discuss the exhibition.

Join us at the home of Donna Dong ‘13 for an all-club potluck where we will celebrate and discuss the previous year, and plan for coming year. This is a great opportunity to make suggestions for upcoming events. Prior to the meeting, all members will have a chance to vote on the club’s slate of board execs, and at the gathering we will introduce any new board members. Please bring a dish to share. We have a general spreadsheet available for food planning so we can avoid 37 desserts… unless we really want 37 desserts… there’s nothing wrong with that.

This month we're reading and discussing the New York Times bestseller "All the Beauty in the World,” by Patrick Bringley.

While looking for somewhere to contemplate his life and heal from a tragic, personal loss, Patrick Bringley quit his high-profile journalism career at The New Yorker magazine and sought refuge in the most beautiful place he could think of: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Over his 10-year career as a Museum guard, Patrick fell under the spell of the place and the people he met there.

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.

We're heading to the city to see the San Francisco Dahlia Dell in all its glory and find out more about this amazing flower. We will have a personal tour led by our very own Jennifer Tobiason '92, a leader in the Dahlia Society of California. (Don’t get confused… this is different from our recent visit to the Annual Dahlia Show, a juried competition at the SF County Fair Building.)

Free admission. No tickets necessary. Bring the kids (dogs on leash okay) and your cameras!

What a delight to gather alums, current students, and students headed to Northampton for the first time for this annual event. As in years past, our hostess Joy Silver provided a beautiful tea with sandwiches, scones, and cookies. It is always the best feeling to see our pre-alums connect and exchange phone numbers, and this year even discovering housemates! Thank you, Joy, for another amazing event in your lovely home.

We made the trek to Golden Gate Park's Country Fair Building for the annual dahlia show, where dahlia growers from all over California bring their best blooms to be judged and awarded ribbons. Joining hundreds of visitors, we were treated to a private tour from Smithies Sarah Smith '88 and Jennifer Tobiason '92, learning about dahlias, the official flower of San Francisco! We will follow this up with another visit in September to the Dahlia Dell, the public garden in Golden Gate Park where these gorgeous flowers are grown, and will get another tour from Jennifer Tobiason!

Meet some fellow Smithies at the Donum Estate in Sonoma for an exploration of their impressive sculpture garden, and you can also indulge in a tasting of their excellent wine. It is recommended that you purchase tickets for the 12:00 PM self-guided sculpture tour on the Donum website prior to the day of the event at https://www.exploretock.com/thedonumestate/experience/370433/the-donum-collection-art-tour.

Join the Smith College Club of the Peninsula as we walk the 3.7 mile Stanford Dish loop, enjoy the fresh air, and experience local habitats, wildlife, and spectacular views. The trail is rated as "moderate" and includes an elevation gain of about 574 feet. It generally takes about an hour and a half. Near the end of the loop trail, we will detour to the back patio of Theresa Chung ‘85 for a refreshing tea!

Park in the Stanford Dish Parking Lot on Stanford Avenue, across Junipero Serra Blvd from the trailhead entrance.

Learn more about the Stanford Dish from KQED's Bay Curious segment.

Seven of us gathered on Wednesday, June 18, at the home of Jan Collins to discuss “The Frozen River.” Most of us really enjoyed this novel in which the author builds a murder mystery around a real-life Maine midwife who lived in a small town in the late 1700s. We were interested in the characters—although we thought the model husband was too good to be true—and in the well rendered setting. We talked about the state of both medicine and justice at the time, as well as the role of a midwife. We considered the merits and limitations of first-person narration, and the challenges of pursuing a rape accusation, especially in a society that devalues women. We thought the conclusion was a bit implausible but nonetheless gratifying—a sort of justice.

On Wednesday, May 21, six of us gathered at the home of Nisha Thatte-Potter to discuss “The Associates,” by Richard Rayner. We all felt we’d learned from this account of the four Californians who maneuvered, lied, bribed—and succeeded—in a fantastically determined drive to build the western portion of the transcontinental railroad. We found it a quick but not scintillating read that conveyed the enormous effort required for this achievement, not least by the workers, many of them imported Chinese. We felt the book suffered from not having maps and other visuals to illustrate the history, and also from its business focus—we would have liked fuller biographies of these four men of “astounding ingenuity and boundless energy.” The author’s concluding statements led us to an interesting discussion of capitalism and what is, or is not, quintessentially American about this story. Thanks to Nisha for hosting us.

Join us for a wine tasting at Garrod Farms in Saratoga. This event is in conjunction with an earlier trail ride on the Garrod Farms horses, but if you want to only join us for a wine tasting, we would love to see you there. We do need a headcount. Please email the club at thepeninsulasmithclub@gmail.com to let us know that you will be joining. Dues-paying members of the Smith Club of the Peninsula will receive an Evite.

Cost of this event depends on your wine consumption. The winery also has small plates available for purchase.

Join us for a scenic, slow, beginner-friendly trail ride at Garrod Farms in Saratoga Hills through Fremont Older Preserve. The trail ride will last for about 1 hour, and afterwards those who are interested can take part in a Garrod Farms wine tasting.

At this time, tickets must be purchased directly from Garrod Farms (click here to reserve your space). Cost for the trail ride is $95/person. The wine tasting afterwards is not included in this price. Space for this trail ride event is limited, so please reserve your space as soon as possible.

IMPORTANT CAVEATS:

• No children under 8; no children under 42”

• Weight limit of riders: 225 lbs, including clothing

• Boots or running shoes, long pants are mandatory - no open-toe shoes, no heels, no sandals.

Smithies embrace change: instead of discussing a book on April 16, the Book Club talked about poems we brought to share for National Poetry Month. We had Shakespeare, Khalil Gibran, e.e. cummings and seven others, a varied assortment that led to interesting conversations about language, ideas, hope, gratitude, love, child-rearing—just as poetry should. And often the poems caused us to hearken back to our days at Smith: the ‘60s fascination with Gibran, poetry classes, poets visiting Smith. It was definitely a worthwhile change.

Please note that we will meet 1 week later than usual for March’s book club gathering.

We will be gathering to discuss The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish, the interwoven tale of two women of remarkable intellect: Ester Velasquez, an emigrant from Amsterdam who is permitted to scribe for a blind rabbi, just before the plague hits the city; and Helen Watt, an ailing historian with a love of Jewish history. 

Sweeping in scope and intimate in tone, The Weight of Ink is a sophisticated work of historical fiction about women separated by centuries, and the choices and sacrifices they must make in order to reconcile the life of the heart and mind.

To join the discussion, please fill out our book club form on this website at to get all the meeting details, including location.

Smith College Professor and Chair of Dance Department Chris Aiken presents "The Art of Physical Intelligence”

In this presentation, Professor Aiken will discuss how physical intelligence can be developed throughout life. An essential component of physical intelligence is the ability to solve physical problems using one’s creativity, ingenuity, and through perceptual awareness. Addressing physical problems can include learning how to be more mobile, developing new skills, and building new awareness. Drawing on a forty-year career in dance and the science of movement, Professor Aiken will share insights and invite audience members to work together to have a gentle, embodied experience. All levels of ability are welcome.

Let us know you’re coming by emailing us at thepeninsulasmithclub@gmail.com.

Watch a dance performance of Smith College professors Chris Aiken and Angie Houser: https://vimeo.com/647338277

Smith College Associate Professor of the Study of Women & Gender, author, and activist Loretta J. Ross will be discussing her book "Calling In; How to Start Making Change with Those You'd Rather Cancel" at Calvary Presbyterian in San Francisco. This is a free event. More details are available at https://www.bookpassage.com/event/loretta-j-ross-calling-calvary-presbyterian-sf.