<p>“Having Pres. Christ call was obviously an honor. I believe adding the personal touch of the Pres was an attempt to help you and your daughter decide on Smith. They very much wanted her as a student.”</p>
<p>Oh, we know that (although, according to our local alum rep who interviewed her, they had her pegged wrong - they thought they were competing with Harvard, where my d., after visiting, didn’t even apply - they were competing with Williams). What was impressive is that Christ seemed to know all about her inside out (but my d. was out working on a community garden when she called.)</p>
<p>The Z. didn’t actually benefit us financially - it offset need-based aid, though it did protect half the tuition cost against inflationary pressures. The important part, really, was the STRIDE (and the fact that they created a position specifically for her.)</p>
<p>Anyway, here’s the latest report from Italy:</p>
<p>Seemingly blissful in Florence. Lives with a family on the Via D’Serragli (which, I’m told, is NOT the “street of the harems”, but “street of the menageries” close to Sancto Spirito and the Pitti Palace), with a 15-year-old and 17-year-old, and now that she has figured out Florentine accents (hard "c"s are pronounced as "h"s), can get along just fine. There’s no internet in the house, which means even more Italian conversation. She walks (on a bridge) across the Arno every morning. She’s been to Ravenna, and on Sunday went to the west coast north of Livorno. Her program is located literally on the Piazza de Signoria, the historic center of Florence, looking out on the square itself. She’s climbed Giotto’s Tower, found a cheese shop and a cheap lunch place, bought shoes, and had a cooking class, all in Italian (they are forbidden from using any English.) Oh, and a bus tour of how to use all the public transportation. Is getting a voice teacher, and plans to play in the university orchestra. Got into the highest section of language classes (which surprised her a bit), but there are only 24 students total in the program (and a bunch of faculty), so the class sizes must be awfully small. Doesn’t like bread made without salt (a Florentine institution, based on a historic opposition to a salt tax.)</p>
<p>The college is having its 75th anniversary reunion in Florence in October, with folks coming from all over the world.</p>
<p>I am extremely jealous (but I do get to visit!)</p>