The Smith College School for Social Work bids farewell to another summer in Northampton with a reflection on celebrations old and new. Students and faculty from across the country (and globe, for a few!) once again assembled in Western Massachusetts from May to August to learn, live and celebrate with each other over two five-week summer terms. Largely organized by the School’s Anti-Racism Planning Group, here’s a look at some of the most memorable events from SSW Summer 2024.
Opening Ceremony - June 2
All SSW community members were invited to the annual, official kick-off to the summer terms: the Convocation address (delivered this year by Denise McLane-Davidson, an award-winning Afrofuturistic womanist social work leader and educator) and a beautiful Opening Ceremony.
Sprawled out on Seelye Lawn, with SSW student DJs Coco Montellano, M.S.W. ‘24 and Basma Jaber, M.S.W. ‘24 spinning on the front steps next to emcee Lorelei Erisis, community members joyfully reunited after their 9 months away from campus.
Ceremony attendees participated in grounding exercises led by resident faculty member JaLisa Williams M.S.W., L.C.S.W., then turned their ears to the poetry of Jason Montgomery - a friend of SSW and founder of 50 Arrow Gallery, a BIPOC gallery for social equity and inclusion.
Capping off the event were ARPG members Rian Bodner, M.S.W. ‘24 and Devin Duprey, M.S.W. ‘24, sharing the story of Seelye Hall’s namesake and the grassroots effort to have it renamed. To recognize these efforts the building was honorarily called Robinson Hall for the summer after Juanita Dalton Robinson, M.S.S. '51, an influential figure in social justice within the social work community and SSW alum.
Juneteenth BBQ - June 19
Introduced by Wanja Kuria, M.S.W. ‘25, guest speaker Oumou Sylla headlined the Juneteenth celebration. Sylla, the founder of the mental health workshop Radical Mental Health First Aide, used the day as a focus to center and confront systemic injustice through direct action and solidarity. They brought their polycreative side to the afternoon with an exercise in zine-making, asking attendees to answer "why liberation, why now" and "if not now, when?", connecting liberation struggles across the world.
Accompanying the activity was local Afro-funk band The Lost Tribe, with food provided by West African restaurant Naija.
Stories of the Land, Resistance and Solidarities - June 21
This year’s Solstice event celebrated the longest day of the year with a community space for recognition of Indigenous storytelling through the artwork of the Beehive Collective’s Mesoamerica Resiste.
Adjunct faculty Andres Hoyos, M.S., M.S.W., LCSW and Este Orantes Migoya, M.A., Ph.D. student, delivered the presentation of the artwork - meticulously detailed drawings on large canvas. They facilitated an open floor for students, faculty, and staff to share their own stories of land, resistance and solidarity.
Spirit Week Kick Off BBQ - July 1
The Council for Students of Color hosted the first ever SSW Spirit Week in early July. The week created community connection through themed days like “Smith Spirit” and “Halloween in July,” and began with a barbecue dinner and dessert from Hot Oven Cookies. (The Council members who organized Spirit Week are pictured below.)
The day of the barbecue, many students participated in Smith SSW Spirit Day, which asked students to wear colors signifying their year in the program: yellow for first summer M.S.W., blue for second summer M.S.W., red for third summer M.S.W., and purple for Ph.D. students.
Closing Ceremony - August 10
The annual Closing Ceremony was celebrated in multiple ways this year: a workshop on navigating personal and collective grief through ritual in the Julia Childs Campus Center and music, games and art available on Seelye (honorarily Robinson) Lawn.
The workshop was facilitated by Jess Semaan, a queer Lebanese poet, psychedelic psychotherapist and group facilitator, and focused on navigating life and creating healing space as a therapist while also grieving personal, communal and collective losses and harm. Participants thoughtfully and intentionally closed out summer with discussion, collaging, creating grief bouquets and connecting in solidarity.
On Seelye (honorarily Robinson) lawn, DJs Coco Montellano, M.S.W. ‘24 and Basma Jaber, M.S.W. ‘24 played their own farewell set, concluding two summers in which the pair performed at just about every SSW event on campus.
Underneath the beats, SSW house residents Julia Montevechi, M.S.W. ‘24, Zahria Thomas, M.S.W. ‘24 and Antara Anand, M.S.W. ‘24, broke out the lawn games, inviting their peers to some last-Saturday afternoon volleyball. Present but not pictured: spikeball, tug of war, cornhole and bocce.
Commencement… and beyond!
Of course, the very last moments of summer at SSW are shared on the evening of Commencement, in which the highest achievements of the School are celebrated. Sharing in the celebration was Sheila Buchdahl, M.S.W. '64, who celebrated the commencement of her grandchild Reeve Buchdahl, M.S.W. '24.
Aviva Davis, M.S.W. '24, brought exuberant energy as they danced across the stage at John M. Greene Hall to receive their diploma.
On to a new chapter! Read more about commencement here.
