Our not so typical women's college

Following on the heels of my "Bright-eyed, bushy tailed days" post, I gleefully read this Malaysian student's account of her time at Smith in Malaysiakini. Thanks, Ian and Juliane, for the scoop!

In sharing a snapshot of her life at Smith, the author reminded me of those first times when we broke away to embrace new experiences, to find "freedom" and openness. This was a time when "by going somewhere unknown you might discover who you were, or could be," as this recent IHT article puts it.

WHEN my editor asked me to share my experiences of studying in the US, I had two options - the typical student life in a typical college in New England where alcohol, drugs, parties and sex rule the campus or the not-so-typical student life in a not-so-typical college. I chose the latter.

New England conjures up an image of old elite institutions set in picturesque fall and gloomy winter. The colourful fall foliage on my campus could also be the postcard-perfect portrayal of a typical New England college - but underneath the façade of the breathtaking spectacle, my school is far from being typical.

The founding purpose of the college was to provide the best possible college education for women during a time when most leading universities only admitted men. The original idea may seem irrelevant today after all of these universities started admitting women in the 1970s but fundamentally, the school is still carrying the legacy of promoting the rights of the disadvantaged of all social classes, ethnicity, religions and sexual orientations.

The author is currently interning at Malaysiakini this summer. It'll be interesting if and how her POV evolves as an alumnae. You see, I too reveled in Smith's feminist, activist and occasional eccentric spirit ("outrageous" goes in cycles, evidently). However, what matter's most for me today are: (1) the lasting friendships forged between women who are passionate about their family, careers and causes; and (2) the realisation that while tolerance promotes awareness and understanding, there still is value in wisdom and faith to discern what is RIGHT - even while we acknowledge that our world is changing, along with its fair share of grey.