South Florida Book Club finds Amidst COVID Chaos
Community
By Katie Small
W
hen the pandemic nearly cancelled their spring Newcomb Alumnae Association (NAA) book club, a group of South Florida women decided to tackle their technology fears and meet virtually instead. The group was scheduled to meet at host Sandra Breiterman’s Miami home on March 14—right when the chaos of COVID was spreading across the nation. After a bit of troubleshooting, their lively virtual discussion of Florida, by Lauren Groff, provided a much-needed distraction from the uncertainty of the moment. The diverse, multigenerational group continued to meet monthly throughout quarantine to discuss an impressive selection of books by renowned women writers. Newcomb Institute Communications Specialist Katie Small (KS) spoke with book club leaders Dori Lynn Neuwirth (NC ’90) and Sandra Breiterman (NC ’77) over Zoom, to discuss how their virtual club took off. KS: Can you tell us about your Newcomb College experience and where life took you after college? Sandra Breiterman (SB): I graduated in 1977 as a bio major. I wasn’t necessarily pre-med because in those days there wasn’t a clear pathway for women to become doctors; most of my colleagues became doctors and eventually I did as well, but in those days, it was not the path for women necessarily. So, I did research first and then I worked at the medical school here in Miami.
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NEWCOMB FALL 2020
