Kansas State University

December has rolled around, and the house is busy preparing and studying for fall finals. Along with the stress of classes, however, there are events going on in Smurthwaite to alleviate stress and just have fun! Here is what we did during December to de-stress and relax.

The arrival of December means Smurthwaite’s annual semi-formal! This dance is held at Smurthwaite with our brother house, Smith Scholarship House. Semi-formal comes complete with snacks, dancing, DJs (usually Smith guys), and inviting dates and friends to celebrate. It’s a great night to just have fun relax.

Also, everyone gets together during this month to decorate Smurthwaite for the holidays, and there is a warm and cozy atmosphere that makes you want to curl up next to a fire (like our RA, Cass, picured!)

A tradition unique to Smurthwaite during finals week is what we call M&M Fairies. A group of women from the house are picked to become “fairies”. They dress up in silly costumes and go out to neighbors, dining centers, and other public places to sing to students. They also hand out candy to all the women of Smurthwaite and people on campus with encouraging words for finals week. Anyone knows that during finals week, you could use a bit of M&M Fairy magic to get you through.

Although December is hectic with school and responsibilities, it’s always nice to have the Smurthwaite community during these stressful times.

With love,

Your Smurthwaite Sisters

This November was filled with Smurthwaite fun and tradition! One tradition we have at Smurthwaite is called New Member Breakfast. The new member class secretly picks a date and, in the morning, they all wake up early, make breakfast, and wake up and serve the old members. Typically, the breakfast is supposed to be kept secret from the old members, so the old members are always trying to figure out what it is.

New member breakfast has a theme every year, and this year’s theme was country! The food was made around this theme, and the new members wore country ensembles. Although it was early in the morning, New Member Breakfast was a big success and never fails to be a fun part of living in Smurthwaite!

This semester also included Smurthwaite’s first-ever “Walking Taco Bar”, which we held for our philanthropy event. We prepared taco meat, cheese, lettuce, along with bags of Doritos to put the toppings in; this all created a delicious walking taco! Each taco was $1, and the money raised for philanthropy went toward hurricane relief because of the recent storms across the US. It also helped the women of Smurthwaite strengthen the pillar of community service, an integral part of the house’s four pillars (Friendship, Leadership, Scholarship, and Community Service).

This month also included a basket auction fundraising event. This event is open to anyone, and the money raised goes toward Smurthwaite. Women can choose a group to work with and buy items for a themed basket; for example, some baskets contained homemade goods. This event was a great way to raise money for the house while also being able to express creativity!

Smurthwaite had many events during November, but there are more traditions and fun to come!

With love,

Your Smurthwaite Sisters

October at Smurthwaite brought even more events than before! We started out the month with the first annual “Papa Smurth Day”, which is a celebration and bonding day for Smurthwaite women and father figures or leaders in their lives. There was a cookout, and all were encouraged to attend the home K-State football game! This event had previously been called Dad’s Day, but our house made the decision to change the name in order to encourage diversity and include all. We expect that future Papa Smurth Days will be just as great as this one! 

This semester also included another candle passing! Congratulations to Suzanne Huntley and Chris Hall for their engagement. We are all so happy for you both! 

One tradition here at Smurthwaite is called old member sneak. During this event, all of the old/returning women of the house “disappear” without notice for 24 hours. This is a great bonding activity and a way to also have some fun. For this year’s old member sneak, most of the old members went to Kansas City and hung out, watched movies, and ate snacks. We all had a great time! 

Another house tradition is with our brother house, Smith. Every Halloween, the men of Smith hold an auction for their fundraising, and women can “buy” them and have them dress up for Halloween to go trick or treating for cans. One group dressed up as characters from Scooby Doo, and another as the different versions of Taylor Swift. Also, before Halloween, we held a Smith/Smurth social activity for pumpkin carving! Overall, this month was jam packed with many different fun events.

With love,

Your Smurthwaite Sisters

September has begun and fall is upon us here at Smurthwaite. Even though it still feels like summer outside (mainly because of the sorching heat), soon the leaves will change and campus will transform into fall. This month, the women of Smurthwaite were extra busy becoming accustomed to their schedules, getting used to classes, but also working on house requirements, such as programs, events, and more. This month, we had our first successful program, and two programs total, Big/Little Reveal, and two candle passings!

The first program of the year was held by MacKenzie Cline (our secretary) and Piper Robb (our treasurer). These two walked people through how to make various types of origami, and it was an educational and enjoyable program for everyone!  Continue reading “An Amazing Autumn” →