Anne Spurzen is an alum of Smith College. She is not happy with the women attending the school right now. She sent a letter to the editor of the Sophian earlier this week to complain about the type of women the school is admitting, which is a private school just for women. Spurzem graduated in 1984 and has suggested that the school does not value SAT scores correctly because the school has admitted too many minorities and lesbians recently.
“The people who are attending Smith these days are A) lesbians or B) international students who get financial aid or C) low-income women of color who are the first generation in their family to go to college and will go to any school that gives them enough money. Carol emphasizes that this is one of her goals, and so that’s why the school needs more money for scholarships or D) white heterosexual girls who can’t get into Ivy League schools.
Smith no longer looks at SATs because if it did, it would have to report them to U.S. News & World Report. Low-income black and Hispanic students generally have lower SATs than whites or Asians of any income bracket. This is an acknowledged fact because they don’t have access to expensive prep classes or private tutors.”
Spurzem is also in charge of an alumni group for the school, who said that it is unfortunate that the school does not weigh the SAT scores properly.
“I can tell you that the days of white, wealthy, upper-class students from prep schools in cashmere coats and pearls who marry Amherst men are over,” Spurzem said. “This is unfortunate because it is this demographic that puts their name on buildings, donates great art and subsidizes scholarships.”
Various alumni from the school have disagreed with Spurzem’s comments vehemently. A town hall has been scheduled to talk about the letter and all who attend have been asked to wear pearls and cashmere, which were mentioned in the letter by Spurzem. Rabbi Dr. Richard A. Davis left a comment at the bottom of the letter, which was posted on the newspaper’s website. His comment said:
“Smith Dad here, twice. Both daughters heterosexual (mentioned to make a point and not to judge). So, don’t you miss good old-fashioned elitism? The argument given is ad hominem against Smith itself.”
Leigh Peake graduated in 1984 with Spurzem. She expressed disappointment in Spurzem for making the comments she did in her letter.
“The mid ’80s were an incredible time at Smith with deep conversations about lesbians on campus. Reading this letter, I could only feel such deep disappointment-I thought we’d made such progress during those years! And then I read the responses and realized we HAVE made such progress. You young women are the ones who will take Smith forward and who will carry the banner for the education and values imparted to you there.”