The oldest all-female collegiate
a cappella group in America. Its origins date back to the era when being at a "
Seven Sisters" school meant lots of discreetly chaperoned husband-snagging events co-hosted by the
Ivy League universities. The Poofs were founded in 1936 by a bunch of
Smithies who heard the
Yale Whiffenpoofs sing, at a Yale-Smith picnic, and thought they were
swell.
Back in the day, the Poof repertoire consisted mainly of Sinatraesque tunes like "Softly" and "Manhattan," sung in barbershop-style four part harmony. These days, they do everything from hip-hop to Pat Benatar.
Smith, like many other small Northeastern liberal arts colleges, boasts a rather curious a cappella scene. Along with the rugby team, the Smiffenpoofs and their cohorts seem to fill a void left by the absence of football stars, and to provide a socially acceptable outlet for obsession that crosses all boundaries of sexual preference and rationality.