Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine | Vol. 77, No. 2 | Spring/Summer 2006 by Sweet Briar College

A LUM N A E

M A G A Z I N E

The Sweet Briar Student of Today

Volume 77 Number 2 spring/summer 2006 Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Spring/Summer 2006 •

greetings

Louise Swiecki Zingaro ’80, Director of the Alumnae Association

Hats off to the the Class of 2006!: Seniors and faculty enjoy a garden party at The Farm House.

Mark your calendar! Come back to campus this fall to celebrate our second Homecoming Weekend, September 21–24, 2006. There are so many opportunities during Homecoming to interact with our student body and also with the entire on-campus Sweet Briar community.

On Saturday, May 13, 2006, during our Commencement ceremony, Alumnae Association President Linda DeVogt ’86 welcomed the Class of 2006 as the newest members of the Sweet Briar College Alumnae Association. As I watched from the audience, I was both pleased and saddened. While proud of their accomplishments and delighted to have them join our alumnae ranks, I was also painfully aware that I would miss my day-to-day interactions with these remarkably bright young women. During their senior year Linda and I had the good fortune of spending time with the Class of 2006 at dinners and events planned by our Student Relations Committee. Supported by the Alumnae Association Board, our goal was to help bridge the transition from student to alumna. It was a great deal of fun for us to make new friends and discover how diverse and talented the Class of 2006 is. They have added their unique imprint to the tapestry that is Sweet Briar College, and I am confident they will continue to enrich it as involved, supportive alumnae. You would be so proud of them. I am excited to share this issue of our Alumnae Magazine with you as it focuses on what is at the heart of this College: our students. Our editorial committee made the decision

to do this based on what we learned from the alumnae research, carried out last summer by Art & Science Group LLC. We were struck by the answers to the question, “How has the quality of the student body changed in the past four or five years?” While 51% of the group surveyed indicated they felt the quality of the student body had remained the same, somewhat improved, or greatly improved, 45% of the group said they didn’t know. We found this figure unacceptable and decided the Alumnae Magazine could be helpful in better acquainting you with our student body. I hope that you will take the time to read this issue from cover to cover. You will be proud of the accomplishments of Joanna Wood ’06, this year’s Presidential Medalist. Enjoy reading Kristin Chapdelaine’s ’08 overview of her Fundamentals of Management class. Be sure not to miss what Alison Sims ’09 has to say about our Riding Program, and meet Michelle Badger ’06, the newest member of the Development Office staff who has a passion for politics, people, and fundraising. Oh do I wish we could profile the entire student body for you! Since that is not possible, I have another suggestion. Come back to campus this fall to celebrate our second Homecoming Weekend, September 21–24, 2006. There are so many opportunities during Homecoming to interact with our student body and also with the entire on-campus Sweet Briar community. We would love to have you join us. It will be especially exciting this year as we celebrate the successful conclusion of Our Campaign For Her World. There is much in store, including Founders’ Day festivities, lectures by our excellent faculty, athletic events, and the gala celebration. Be sure to mark your calendar and make plans to join us. We look forward to welcoming you home!

contents

Suzanne Ramsey, College Relations Office

Students on Sweet Briar House Balcony

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Spring/Summer 2006 Vol. 77, No. 2 INSIDE FRONT COVER: A Message from Louise Swiecki Zingaro ’80

SWEET BRIAR ALUMNAE MAGAZINE POLICY One of the objectives of the magazine is to present interesting, thought-provoking material. Publication of material does not indicate endorsement of the author’s viewpoint by the magazine, the Alumnae Association, or Sweet Briar College. The Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine reserves the right to edit and, when necessary, revise all material that it accepts for publication. Contact us any time! Boxwood Alumnae House, Box E, Sweet Briar, VA 24595; (434) 381-6131; FAX 434-381-6132; E-Mail: 1) (Ofﬁce) alumnae@sbc.edu; 2) (Magazine) sbcmagazine@sbc.edu Alumnae Association Web site address: www.alumnae.sbc.edu Sweet Briar Web site address: www.sbc.edu THE ALUMNAE OFFICE STAFF www.sbc.edu/alumnae/staff Louise Swiecki Zingaro ’80 Director, Alumnae Association Managing Editor, Alumnae Magazine Melissa Coffey ’98 Assistant Director Melissa Gentry Witherow ’80 Assistant Director Kristin Dane Ewing Assistant Director, Assistant Editor & Class Notes Editor, Alumnae Magazine Paula Kirkland ’06 Assistant Director Bonnie Seitz ’01 Assistant Director Sandra Maddox, AH ’59 Assistant to the Director Nancy Godwin Baldwin ’57 Editor, Alumnae Magazine

THE SWEET BRIAR STUDENT OF TODAY

Promises Matter: Prospective Student/Parent Response to the Sweet Briar Promise

SRC Milestones: 2005–2006

Twenty SBC Students Make the 2006 Who’s Who List

Nicole Basbanes Student Book Collecting Contest Winners

VCCA, Forsyth Fellowships

Giving to SBC: Myth vs. Reality

In The Spotlight

Bulletin Board

Transitions

In Memoriam

Recent Deaths

Class Notes

Letters and E-mails

INSIDE BACK COVER: “In the Sweet Briar Tradition” BACK COVER: Homecoming/Campaign Celebration COVER: Photo of Sweet Briar Students Cover Photo by Suzanne Ramsey, College Relations Office

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Production Graphic design by The Design Group, Lynchburg, VA. Printed by Seckman Printing, Forest, VA.

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Spring/Summer 2006 • 1

Michelle Leigh Badger ’06 MAJOR

T H E S W EET BR I A R ST U DENT OF

today

History and International Affairs HOME TOWN

Plymouth, MA BIRTHDAY

May 13, 1984 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

The Sweet Briar student of today is confident, intelligent, outgoing, talented, and ready to conquer the world—much like the Sweet Briar student of your generation. While it may be easy to

The Opportunity: America’s Moment to Alter History’s Course, by Richard Haass (I know I am a geek, I love foreign policy) FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Spinach Lasagna and Popcorn Shrimp

recognize these common bonds that are created by attending Sweet Briar, it is a little more difficult to feel connected to all the unique qualities of Sweet Briar’s current students. According to research carried out last summer by Art & Science Group LLC, when asked “How has the quality of the student body changed in the past four or five years?” 45% of the alumnae responding said they didn’t know. It is important for alumnae

People would be surprised to learn… I fainted in a Mosque in Spain when I was a junior in high school. It was directly in front of something associated with the Holy Spirit.

to feel connected to the current Sweet Briar; therefore, in this article, 17 students have been “spotlighted” to help you better know the student body—the activities Sweet Briar students are involved in, what they like to do for fun, what internships and classes they experience and even their favorite food in the dining hall—and perhaps most interesting how they plan to change the world. 2 • Spring/Summer 2006

Enjoy!

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Michelle Leigh Badger I MADE MY DECISION TO attend Sweet Briar because it seemed like a place that truly cared about creating wellrounded, empowered young women who could achieve anything on which they set their minds. As a prospective student, I felt the warmth of many professors and saw the connections they had with their students. One example that comes to mind is meeting Professor Key and a current student at an academic fair. I could feel his passion for his field and the wonderful relationship he had with his student. Sweet Briar felt like a place that would help me to achieve my goals. When I came to Sweet Briar, I was shy and quiet (many of my classmates now would probably say “No Way!”, but my high school friends would tell you the truth). I had never considered myself to be a leader outside of my field hockey team in high school. I was involved in one or two clubs and played two sports (field hockey and track), but I never held an office. It did not take me long to realize that in such a supportive environment I could do anything I set my mind to as long as I was willing to work hard. Once I realized

this, I began to join club after club after club. I have played various roles in the Judicial Committee, Circle K, PAWs (Protecting Animal Welfare), Amnesty International, Young Democrats, Unsung Heroes, Student Relations Committees, QVs, and Earphones. I have also worked in the Development and Admissions (as a tour guide) Offices. Each experience, in addition to my academic pursuits, gave me confidence in my potential as a leader as well

as direction for what I wanted to do with my life. As we all know, Sweet Briar students are always busy—going to meetings, class, work and practice—so when I was organizing community service events for my clubs, the best way to involve everyone was through donations. My sophomore year, I began to get my clubs involved with fund-raising. We were able to raise substantial amounts of money to donate to UNICEF, Mercy Corps, and the American Red Cross, as well as many other organizations. Leading fundraising campaigns was a positive experience. This showed me an otherwise unknown interest. My junior year, I was the fund-raiser for the Unsung Heroes Banquet. This event is organized, paid for, and staffed by the students. I was able to get money from all of the offices on campus, as well as many student organizations. Last year, I interned in Senator John F. Kerry’s (D-MA) office on The Hill. It was a Massachusetts’ girl’s dream (well, one who follows politics at least). I worked primarily with the Health Care Legislative Assistant and the Legislative Correspondent, something I had never done before. Health Care was always an interest but now I find it fascinating after hours of attending briefings and hearings, writing memos, and reading up on all of the changes happening to Medicaid. Along with my work in Health Care, I had opportunities to attend many other hearings and to attend the speakers series held for all senate interns. It was such an amazing experience. I met so many politicians. I would walk down the hall as I was running an errand and see Senators Kerry, Kennedy, Biden, or Obama. I was able to meet all of

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Michelle Badger with Office of Development co-worker Terry Nash

these politicians because of the confidence SBC had given me. Most of the other interns would not go up to the Senators, but I would. One day I was walking out of a hearing at the same time as Senator Lincoln. I saw her and, when I got closer, asked her if I could have my picture taken with her. She talked with me for a couple of minutes and when I mentioned that I went to Sweet Briar, she told me she had attended RandolphMacon Woman’s College. We had a long conversation (five minutes probably but it felt like forever) about Sweet Briar and R-MWC, and her memories of them. It was amazing! The best part about working in Senator Kerry’s office was his wonderful staff and the opportunity to learn so much about Kerry and our government. I also enjoyed meeting so many other college students who shared a passion for politics. As we liked to say in D.C. “who needs rock stars when you have politicians.” Back at Sweet Briar, I have continued my passion for politics, people and fund-raising. This semester, I am the student intern for the Annual Fund

Michelle Badger with Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA)

Office. I am responsible for Young Alumnae Giving, Senior Pledge Campaign, and assisting with Phonathon. I am beginning to understand how fund-raising works for an organization as I continue to develop fundraising programs in my own organizations. Sweet Briar has given me opportunities to develop and find the things I enjoy. Sweet Briar has fulfilled its promise to me; I will leave Sweet Briar on graduation day confident and ready to reach all of my goals.

Spring/Summer 2006 • 3

Natalie A. Batman ’08 MAJOR

Economics HOME TOWN

Amherst, VA BIRTHDAY

June 26, 1988 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

Captivating by John and Staci Eldredge FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Fresh Spinach Salad Topped with Grilled Chicken and Asian Sesame Dressing

People would be surprised to learn… I once ate chicken feet and frog legs in a single meal (not exactly voluntarily— as a matter of respect for the host). In ten years I’ll… be running the race of life hand in hand with my soul mate, serving my Savior.

Natalie Batman ’08

4 • Spring/Summer 2006

Natalie Batman IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME years ago that I would pursue an undergraduate degree at Sweet Briar, I think I may have doubted their sanity. After all, isn’t one of the purposes of college to “escape” from home and everything familiar? I was raised within ten miles of campus in nearby Amherst. As a

child, I attended dance classes taught by students in the dance program and participated in recitals held in Sweet Briar’s Murchison Lane Auditorium. My father, a general contractor, has built houses for SBC faculty members and many of my family’s friends are staff members at the College. These things, combined with my desire to explore the unfamiliar, made attending Sweet Briar unlikely. Being home-schooled, I was able to graduate from high school a bit early and I began looking for a “temporary” place to begin my undergraduate career. I say “temporary” because I had planned on transferring after two years. Sweet Briar was suggested to me by Lee Taylor, then a Sweet Briar employee working in Development, who was an old family friend. His words bore a lot of weight in my opinion, and as I began to explore the possibility of attending Sweet Briar, I was surprised to find myself slowly falling in love with the close-knit community atmosphere and dedication to academic excellence that Sweet Briar provided. After careful thought and consideration,

I decided Sweet Briar was my first choice—no longer as a temporary school, but as my Alma mater. One of the most significant reasons for my decision was a series of conversations I had with Chaplain Guy Brewer (or “Chap” as we affectionately call him). He gave me insight into the spiritual life on campus. These conversations, along with the qualities that attracted me in the beginning of my search, ended up securing my interest for the long haul. I am pursuing a B.A. in economics, planning to study in China for the spring semester of 2007, and will graduate with my class in May of 2008. In the big picture of my life, I have one single goal—to seek the Lord and to know Him. While extremely important to me, academic pursuit is secondary to this desire. One of my greatest passions is leading fellow believers in expressing their devotion to Jesus through worship. I began taking piano lessons when I was about four years old and playing with the worship team at a local church ten years later. During my second semester at Sweet Briar, I was privileged to be invited to play the piano at weekly Open Door Services. Playing at the services is such a great way to contribute to the wonderful student community, and I’m sincerely grateful for the chance to be a part of this tradition. These services are held in Sweet Briar’s beautiful chapel and are designed to provide a welcoming atmosphere to any and all who wish to come. This opportunity is an indescribable blessing in my life, and most of all, a chance for me to serve my Savior and sister students who are also seeking Him.

Amy Bebko McCarty ’06 (GRADUATE STUDENT)

MAJOR

Master of Arts in Teaching HOME TOWN

Forest, VA BIRTHDAY

September 17, 1975 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

All the Names by Jose Saramago FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

The Desserts

Amy Bebko McCarty ’06

People would be surprised to learn… I love to play air hockey.

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Amy Bebko McCarty I WENT TO HOLLINS COLLEGE IN ROANOKE, VA AS AN undergraduate. There, I studied physics and upon graduation in 1998 immediately jumped into the IT world, as a software developer. Growing up, I had always thought that I would be a teacher. However, the allure of the booming software industry in the late 1990s got me. I spent seven years as a software developer and project manager. It was challenging work exposing me to the latest technologies, while working with some of the brightest people I have ever encountered. My employer encouraged me to begin studying toward an MBA through Virginia Tech’s distance-learning program. The classes were challenging and enjoyable, but I felt something was missing. I didn’t get excited about economics like my classmates. That led to thoughts that perhaps I needed to consider a career change. Throughout my time in IT, I enjoyed opportunities to train people. In the fall of 2005, I decided to test the waters of teaching by tutoring in Bedford County. I had to relearn much of the content every night before the sessions, but I loved it! That experience convinced me that teaching was what I really wanted to do. At the time I was living in Roanoke; my fiancé was commuting to his job in Lynchburg and thinking of moving there. I started Sweet Briar’s MAT program in the summer of 2005. Before classes started, my fiancé and I came to campus and hiked around the woods. During that time it really sank in that I was about to make a major career change! Initially I was nervous about returning to school. It’s quite a shift to go from the business world to a college campus. I was uncertain about the environment I would step into, not having been part of a college campus for many years, not to mention coming to one as a graduate student. I anticipated that it simply would be a place to take a few classes and then go home. Once classes started I encountered graduate and undergraduate classmates, as well as faculty and staff who made my time on campus seem more like time at home. Prothro and the Bistro became my major food sources—what

they offered was much better than what I had at home. I also found “my” spot on the library balcony where I spent the afternoons studying (and occasionally napping). As the fall semester wrapped up, I was pulling together the foundation of my thesis, while working on the final details of my January wedding. December was a mixture of tracking down articles to support my paper, and finalizing reception details with the caterer. Both efforts came together right on schedule. After the wedding, we were able to take a honeymoon before jumping back into work and school. Just four days after returning home, I started my first day of student teaching. I had taught two lessons at Amherst County High School the semester before, so I had a little exposure to the classroom. It was funny—although I had presented IT proposals to managers and bosses, I was not prepared for the nerves that caught me the first few times I taught high school classes. I think it was the realization that students might say or do anything, at any time, where most managers and bosses generally acted in a predictable manner! Over time I have become better able to predict and understand the students in my classes, and with that familiarity, I am enjoying teaching more and more. Occasionally I have time to chat briefly with fellow Sweet Briar student teachers as we pass in the halls of the high school, and it always strikes me how Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu quickly my year at Sweet Briar is rushing by.

Meagan Bell ’09 MAJOR

Business HOME TOWN

Madison Heights, VA BIRTHDAY

April 5, 1987 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

The Red Hat Club by Heywood Smith FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Salad

People would be surprised to learn… I like Latin.

Meagan Bell

THERE ARE SO MANY different emotions tied in with being the first child in a family to go to college. Encouragement, but also pressure, comes from everyone. One of the greatest rewards I get from being the first in my family to go to college is the recognition I receive from my family.

They are constantly saying, “I am so proud of you.” It makes me feel good to know that I am accomplishing something my mother and father have always wanted for me. My mother, never having gone to college, always wanted me to go farther than a high school diploma because she has seen all of the things in life she could have accomplished with a college degree. She regrets not having gone to college herself. Therefore, I feel like going to college is not only an achievement for me, but also for my mother. All the years that she supported me, and helped me through grade school, junior high, and high school have finally paid off. Hopefully someday soon I will become very successful and be able to stand on my own two feet. Although pleasing my mother and father, as well as the rest of my family, played a large role in my deciding to go to college I also wanted to be a good role model for my younger sister. She and I are two different people but I always try to set a good example. I hope that my sister will follow in my footsteps and go to college. I try to tell her how much fun going to college is. I want her to see not only how happy it makes our family but also how happy it makes me. Although some days are a struggle, I always tell myself that Spring/Summer 2006 • 5

Kristin Chapdelaine ’08 MAJOR

Business Management HOME TOWN

Chester, VA BIRTHDAY

November 11, 1985 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey Meagan Bell ’09 (#14) spikes the ball as teammate Laurel Watts ’08 (#8) watches.

FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

I made the best choice. At Sweet Briar, I am able to get a great education so that I can be happy and successful in the future, while also continuing to play sports and meet many different people. Although there are so many good things that come out of being the first in my family to go to college, there are also many pressures. I feel constant pressure to please my family. I know my family would be disappointed in me if I left college and that would make me feel extremely bad. I also feel constant pressure to overwork myself. If I have too much free time, then I am not doing enough work. This is why I am a college athlete with a job who is taking 18 credit hours. Although being the first in my family to go to college has its positives and negatives, I feel that the positives outweigh the negatives by a landslide. I think that I made a great choice by going to Sweet Briar, and I love the fact that it pleases my family so much!

6 • Spring/Summer 2006

Stir-fry

In ten years I’ll… have my MBA, be working for a marketing firm, and hopefully be happily married.

Kristin Chapdelaine I CAME TO SBC KNOWING I wanted to be a business major, but I did not realize how much I would really enjoy it. Sweet Briar’s business program allows students to learn theories in the classroom and then apply them to real world experiences.

As a first-year student I jumped right into the introductory business classes. The first class I took was Fundamentals of Management. The class consisted of 3 credit hours based on lecture, and an additional hour a week for lab, where we practiced management skills. The class ran a simulation company of OXFAM, an international organization focused on helping world hunger. During my sophomore year, I have been able to participate in the lab as a manager. Due to increased student interest in the business program, the class had to be offered both semesters. So I, along with two other students, with the help of our professor, worked to create a management lab based on Habitat for Humanity. We decided to have four main events for the class to manage during the semester to promote awareness and raise funds—a penny drive, a speaker, a Battle of the Bands, and build days. As a manager of the class I was able to start a completely new project. I oversaw all of the necessary elements needed to ensure the success of the lab. My colleagues and I meet weekly to discuss plans. We also meet with our professor and the Habitat representative. The lab provides management skills that cannot be learned from a textbook. I am very grateful to be able to be in a management position as a

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

sophomore, and I feel confident that I will be able to start new projects in the real world because of this experience. Also as a first-year student, I ran for the position of treasurer of the class of 2008. I was elected and very excited to be representing my class. Holding the position of treasurer my first year allowed me to help generate funds for our class and future events. As a class, we decided to sell ElizaB products and the sale was a huge success. Because the fund-raiser was so successful, we continued it this year. The funds we raised helped us to fund an amazing Fall Mixer. It was a Masquerade Mixer. Our hard work paid off; the dance was well attended and enjoyed by all.

Miriam Choi ’06 MAJOR

Sociology HOME TOWN

Oxnard, CA BIRTHDAY

February 28, 1984 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Salisbury Steak and Rice

People would be surprised to learn… I took Taekwondo when I was younger but quit at a brown belt.

Kristin Chapdelaine ’08, class treasurer

In ten years I’ll… This is horrible to admit, but I’m not much of a planner. I like to take things day-by-day. Idealistically, I’d like to be an editor for a publication and be married, possibly with kids.

Miriam Choi AFTER DISCOVERING THAT I’M FROM CALIFORNIA, people always ask me, “So what made you decide to come to Sweet Briar?” I don’t blame them. Who in her right mind would go to school 3,000 miles away from home? Who would leave year-round 60-80 degree weather and a five-minute drive to the beach for a small, all women’s college in the middle-of-nowhere Virginia with snow in the winter and humidity in the summer? To tell you the truth, the main reason I came here was because Sweet Briar offered me a large amount of merit-based scholarship (hey, just because I live an hour from Hollywood does not mean my family is rich). The money was a self-esteem booster—“If this school is willing to invest in me,” I thought, “I might as well go.” Looking back on my years at Sweet Briar as a senior, I realize just how many beneficial experiences and opportunities this College has given me, one being pursuing my interests and developing professional experience as the editor of the school newspaper for two years. I was editor of the school newspaper in eighth grade and as a senior in high school. When approaching college, I was getting tired of journalism. What if journalism wasn’t really for me? I wanted to explore other possible interests. I was going to stay away from the school newspaper in college, I thought. I was wrong. It all started when I enrolled in a News and Feature Writing class during the fall of my first year. The students in the class acted as the staff writers for The Voice, the campus newspaper. At the end of the year, the editor was having difficulty recruiting an editor for the following year. She divided the position into three areas. As a rising sophomore, I became co-editor of The Voice by default. After much dedication to the newspaper, The Voice was awarded “Comeback Club of the Year” by Inter-Club Council. During the fall of my junior year when I studied away at American University, the school newspaper took a temporary leave of absence because of a lack of interest by students. When I returned in the spring and Co-Curricular Life was once again requesting applications for editor, my thoughts kept fluctuating. On the one hand, I wanted my senior year to be less stressful and I wanted to dedicate more of my time to my senior seminar project and my post-graduation job search. On the other hand, I didn’t want

Miriam Choi ’06, editor, The Voice Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Spring/Summer 2006 • 7

The Voice to die, and I wanted to leave the school with a bang. Guess what? I was the only one who applied. Once again, I became editor by default. If I had gone to a larger school, the chances of me becoming editor of the school newspaper, especially as a sophomore, would probably have been slim. But Sweet Briar has provided me with that experience.

Managing a school newspaper is tough. I’ve learned to work with people with whom I don’t get along. I’ve learned to motivate staff writers to contribute—since submitting articles is completely voluntary—and to be patient with staff writers when they miss deadlines. I’ve learned to work with administrators and to use them for our benefit rather than to work against them. With many long nights and weekends spent in the Publications Office, I’ve learned what commitment takes and how to manage my time effectively. I enjoy being involved with The Voice for three major reasons. One, I’ve always loved to learn and to share that knowledge, especially if it’s interesting, with other people. I value dissemination of information. We all live in a pink bubble. News is important to keep us up-to-date on what is happening in our community, to connect us with other members. The newspaper is also important as a forum to share ideas and express opinions. Two, I love the whole process of working together, as cheesy as that may sound. The Voice staff is like an organism, composed of interrelated parts (being a sociology major, I have to point out that that is the functionalist theory). Without the writers, I don’t have articles to place. Without the distribution manager, the newspaper may be done and ready but it won’t be accessible to the public. Without the layout editor, I’d have to do layout all by myself (and believe me, it’s really tedious). Last but not least, I love the camaraderie between the staff during meetings. There’s also one first-year in particular whom I know I have impacted in some way. By encouraging her with her writing, by delegating her copy editing tasks, I am helping her grow as a person. Although I spend most of my time working for The Voice, I’ve also participated in a variety of other activities on campus. I currently work as a student assistant in the Academic Resource Center, helping students edit their papers. I also act as a representative of the Sociology Department for the Academic Affairs Committee. In the past, I’ve worked as a tour guide and a Phonathon assistant (contacting alumnae for donations is not an easy task!) and performed community service through Circle K (the college and university arm of Kiwanis International).

8 • Spring/Summer 2006

Mercedes Conde ’06 MAJOR

Education (Preschool Education and Educational Counseling) HOME TOWN

Seville, Spain BIRTHDAY

July 30, 1977 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

La Tabla de Flandes by Arturo Perez-Reverte FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Potato Omelette

People would be surprised to learn… I like raw meat. In ten years I’ll… be in a house in the country, growing my own vegetables, working on creative projects, raising kids, enjoying the sunset.

Mercedes Conde THE FIRST TIME I HEARD about Sweet Briar I was in Seville, a beautiful city in the South of Spain. I asked one of the teachers I worked with if she knew any course I could take during the summer in the United States. She told me about the possibility of studying abroad and working as a teaching assistant in the Spanish Department in a college in Virginia. My first reaction was, “Virginia? No way!” The reason was very simple. My boyfriend was living in California and Virginia was too far from him. The next day at work she showed me the Web site and told me more about her experience at Sweet Briar years ago. She also told me I only had one day to decide if I wanted to accept the opportunity. Too many thoughts came to my mind. I had to quit my job, leave the apartment I had bought a few months ago, my family, my dog…After talking with my parents and my boyfriend, it wasn’t such a difficult decision. Coming to Sweet Briar was a once in a lifetime chance that I couldn’t miss. I was very nervous and a little scared at first. This would be the first time I would be out of my country for such a length of time, and although I spoke English fluently I still needed to learn a lot. I was also afraid of being at a college full of girls. I’ve never been the typical girl—feminine and delicate. I’ve never liked to talk about shopping or body lotions. Fortunately, at Sweet Briar I found some girls like me. Although I haven’t been to any parties or many social events, I have met some very interesting girls who have changed the prejudices I had

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

about living in an all-female environment. I am older than most of the girls on campus. Sometimes I have felt too old for certain activities. I have found myself remembering how I used to be when I was 18. This has not only given me the opportunity to analyze how I was and how I have changed through the years, but also to reinforce who I am. Thanks to this experience, I have found the strength to be faithful to my convictions and always to be honest with myself. I also have felt ridiculous and embarrassed at times trying to understand the English language through a thick southern accent. In any case, I have laughed at myself and always tried to be positive. There are times when I am sitting in class, and all I hear are nonsense words. I feel like my eyes are about to pop out of my head because I am trying so hard to understand and catch every sound or movement the professor is making. The professors probably thought I was concentrating, when really my mind was repeating only one word— “WHAT?!”

I have also learned a lot from my professors. I have enjoyed their classes and laughed often. I will never forget Professor Metzidakis gesticulating, the sarcasm of Rosalia Ascari, and the sweetness of Natasha Copeland. I have learned to be more patient—thanks to Professor Monk, and Paige Critcher, my photography professor, has opened my eyes and my heart to a wonderful world full of images in black and white. I’d like to be funny, write something hilarious, but when I think of the days I have lived at Sweet Briar the only words I can write are adorned with gratitude. This year also gave me the opportunity to live closer to my boyfriend and to begin making important decisions about our future. I have accepted the fact that I am going to live in Virginia for the next couple of years. I’ll miss my country, my friends, my family, the language and the food, but I have also found that home is where the heart is, and my heart is with the man I love. Virginia is for lovers, right? A new life has just begun for me thanks to Sweet Briar.

Katherine Anne (KC) Ellis ’08 MAJOR

International Affairs HOME TOWN

Fontana, CA BIRTHDAY

March 15, 1986 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

Ann Veronica by H.G. Wells FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Chicken Strips and Sugar Cookies (but not simultaneously)!!!

People would be surprised to learn… I’m terrified of Steven Spielberg’s E.T. In ten years I’ll… Hopefully be working overseas in an Embassy where I can live in a beach-side condo with my dog Fabian!

My experience at Sweet Briar has taught me not only about academics but also about life. In the time I’ve spent here, I have matured more than the past three years in Spain. I have found I

can do more things than I had ever imagined. Taking a photography course has been one of the best things I have done here. I have always wanted to study photography but never had the chance. Now I have made a dream come true.

Katherine Anne Ellis I’M FROM THE SUNNY suburbs of Southern California and never really expected to leave. So naturally, I stayed in California for my first year of college. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite what I expected, and I was a little disappointed. Ironically, that year I met Victoria Rangel ’06 at a community service event in CA. Without knowing she was a Sweet Briar alumna, I had mentioned how I was unsatisfied with my current university. She suggested I transfer to Sweet Briar. I was familiar with the school because in high school I had actually gotten the paperwork to apply to SBC. I came out to visit that May and fell in love with the College. Some say I haven’t been the same since. Terrified and anxious, I transferred to Sweet Briar in the fall of 2005, not knowing what to expect. I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be to meet people since I had never had that problem before. But everything is different when you’re 3,000 miles away from home. I adjusted to everything and continue to every day. I moved here on my own and as a result developed a profound sense of independence. Yet, the

friends I have made and the resources here have helped me adjust. Transferring to Sweet Briar College quite possibly has been the most difficult thing I have ever done, but I’ve been taught that the only way you can appreciate life is to step outside of your comfort zone and experience things on a totally different level.

Mercedes Conde ’06

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Spring/Summer 2006 • 9

Jessica Hopson ’07 MAJOR

Sociology HOME TOWN

Leesburg, VA BIRTHDAY

October 8, 1985 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld Katherine Ellis ’08

FAVORITE

I have been able to enhance my awareness level and create a sixth sense that allows me to connect with all kinds of people. I thank my roommate for this, actually. She is a Japanese foreignexchange student. I love hearing her opinions on everything, from pop-culture to politics. We are so alike; it is as if we were the same person, only from different sides of the world. As a roommate, she became my best friend and I’ll never forget the things she taught me. Sometimes, I think that I transferred here to meet her. Fate is a funny girl. Sweet Briar gives me the opportunity to be in control of my first priority—my education. Small classes allow my voice to be heard and dedicated professors make learning natural, not a chore. I have come to love the many leadership opportunities that are here, in addition to all of the resources that ensure my happiness and health, not only as a student but also as an athlete and leader. When I’m not living in the library, I’m out on the softball field. I never thought that I would be playing ball in college, but as fate would have it, I made my way out to the field. Now I’m a part of something bigger than just myself. Being on a collegiate athletic team has taught me to be confident in my skills and abilities, both on and off the field. I have made friends that I’m sure I’ll have for life, and that’s just icing on the cake. Transferring to Sweet Briar probably has been the best decision I have made, since I am actually seeing my dreams become reality. I’m becoming the person I’ve always wanted to be. I’m learning about my passions and finding new ones.

DINING HALL FARE

Grilled Chicken and Curly Fries

People would be surprised to learn… I love tomatoes—they’re like candy to me. In ten years I’ll… be involved in law....moving up in a city system as an Assistant District Attorney.

Jessica Hopson I FELL IN LOVE WITH SWEET Briar the moment I drove on campus. The beauty of the campus coupled with the friendly attitude of the students and faculty appealed to me from the beginning. I’ve always been shy in new social situations, but once I find my niche I suddenly become an opinionated, rather talkative person. My first semesters at SBC were difficult because I was having a much different experience than my high school friends who attended large, coeducational state schools. As is average behavior for a seventeen-year-old girl, I questioned my decision constantly. I decided to immerse myself in my studies and friends; getting involved around campus was not a priority, but as my sophomore year rolled on, I realized I was bored. Luckily, I lived in a quad with three good friends, two of whom were very involved upperclasswomen. They encouraged me to go out for positions and jobs around campus and to my surprise, I managed to get everything for which I applied. When I came back this year I couldn’t escape the feeling that I’d simply fallen into a very busy schedule. It took some trial and

Jessica Hopson ’07, Culture Shock chairperson 10 • Spring/Summer 2006

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

error but I feel I’ve managed to find the right balance of classes, free time and activities with the help of friends, bosses and some nights of very little sleep (but it has happened to us all!). The best part of getting involved has been discovering what I truly love. CEO (Campus Events Organization) has been one of the greatest experiences I have had and it has everything to do with the people. The

training session was a long, but very fun week with a great mix of bonding and learning how to plan and run an event. I am now the chairperson of a group titled Culture Shock. Culture Shock’s mission is to make people aware that the viewpoints of minorities and international students are different. This is accomplished through movies, forums and different events. Culture Shock is meant to expose SBC to another culture or subculture through art, performances and workshops. The idea for Culture Shock came out of a meeting with other members of CEO at the NACA (National Association of Campus Activities) conference. It began with a conversation about the organization trying to appeal to as diverse a group as possible. The conversation continued and evolved until we came up with the idea to begin Culture Shock to appeal to the ethnic and racial minorities on campus, as well as to raise issues not normally discussed among students. I love being a part of such a great organization that is so inviting to anyone who shows interest. The people in CEO have taught me how easy it is to get involved in anything you choose and that enthusiasm is contagious.

10.

Kate Lydin ’09 MAJOR

Undecided HOME TOWN

Mercer Island, WA BIRTHDAY

June 2, 1987 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Make your own Pizza

People would be surprised to learn… I crochet afghans for fun.

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Kate Lydin

Kate Lydin ’09

WHEN I FIRST GOT TO SWEET BRIAR, I WAS OVERWHELMED because I was in a new place, had new professors who had new ways of conducting class, and didn’t know anyone. However, with all this “newness” around me, there was one familiar thing that made my new environment less intimidating: swimming. Yes, there were new coaches, but the swimming remained the same, and I could draw many parallels to my high school swimming experiences. Swimming forced me to use my time wisely. It, along with my numerous other activities including the Leadership Certificate Program and the tap club, Sweet Tones, kept me very busy during the week, and because I hate turning assignments in late, forced me to do all of my homework for the entire week on the weekends—ensuring everything would be turned in on time. Over this year, I have spent so much time at the pool with fellow swimmers that they have become a second family. We became especially close after a training trip to Florida over winter break. I never wanted that trip to end. Luckily, the swim team took another very similar trip when we went to our championship meet. During this trip, the stakes were much higher. If we didn’t swim well at preliminaries in the morning, we wouldn’t make it back for finals in the evening. In addition to swimming, we had fun cheering our coach on in the coach’s relay, pretending to ride fake roller coasters, and choreographing a routine for the flex-off contest for which we had to wear snorkels, goggles and water wings. The closer we got to the end of the season, the more I wished I could slow down time, or even stop it so that I could still spend every day with my second family. Swimming at Sweet Briar has been a

great experience and helped me adjust to being so far from home.

Spring/Summer 2006 • 11

11.

Renee Modzelewski ’06 MAJOR

Government and Economics HOME TOWN

Virginia Beach, VA BIRTHDAY

September 9, 1983 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince by J.K. Rowling FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Fruit and Cheese Night

People would be surprised to learn… In the future I would like to open my own event planning firm.

12 • Spring/Summer 2006

Renee Modzelewski DURING MY FIRST semester I was not involved with any aspect of campus life. It was during my second semester when I started to attend events and decided to run for vice president of the Campus Events Organization (CEO). I didn’t really know what I was about to get into, but I knew CEO was a great opportunity to get involved in campus life; it is a studentrun organization responsible for planning, promoting, and producing programs in all facets of student life. Last semester CEO planned and executed approximately 32 events— numerous dell parties, comedians, novelty events, trips off-campus, and two Homecoming events. The past two years I have been president of CEO and rebuilt the organization with the help of all the great CEO members. Through this rebuilding process, I faced many adverse situations, and individuals who had very different ideas of campus life. From this I learned how to handle confrontational situations in a mature and professional manner, which has made me a more effective leader. As CEO President, I think delegating has been the most challenging aspect of leadership. I am a very hands-on person. I am a “doing it myself to get it done” type of person. I believe this stems from our family motto, “It doesn’t happen unless you make it happen,” which has been my driving force in life. During my junior year, I realized that the individuals who were involved with CEO were just as passionate about campus events as I was. Their passion gave me incentive to learn how to effectively delegate the organization. This year I have been able to be CEO President instead of chair for each committee.

My recent involvement with the Alumnae Office as Homecoming Intern has also given me experiences that will be helpful in the future. Last summer I spent my time at Sweet Briar, working under Ann Carter, to plan the first-ever SBC Homecoming. My role was to provide the office with ideas on how to make Homecoming a student and alumnae event all would enjoy. I gave my opinions on various events and contributed to the organization of events such as Founders’ Day, the Cardboard Boat Regatta, Pink and Green Tailgate, DJ party, and Karaoke Night. The months spent working with the Alumnae Office helped me better understand their role on campus and what they have to offer seniors and other current students. In a recent job interview with Wachovia I was asked various situational questions regarding leadership positions, confrontations I had to face within those positions, and how past experiences will help me be a success in their firm. Fortunately, I came from a college which gave me the opportunity to pursue my passions in event planning and throughout the interview

I was able to give examples of the various situations I had experienced. I was not sure that I was what they were looking for, due to my math background and government/economics B.A. At the end of the interview, I brought this fear to the interviewer’s attention, and she reassured me that math can be taught, but leadership abilities are something that individuals are born with. Two days later I received a call asking for a second interview in Richmond. Going into the second interview I was more confident about myself and my ability to be a success for Wachovia, due to the leadership skills I learned at Sweet Briar. In December, I was offered the position of Financial Center Manager Associate in the General Banking Group –Capital Region. I have recently accepted a job with Wachovia in the Northern Virginia area and am very excited about becoming a member of the D.C. Alumnae Club. Sweet Briar College has shaped my ideas of leadership, helped me become a more effective leader, and given me experiences that will help me be a success in everything I do.

Renee Modzelewski ’06 Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

12.

Rebecca Helen Penny ’08 MAJOR

Biology, B.S. HOME TOWN

Charlotte, NC BIRTHDAY

October 18, 1986 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

The House of the Spirits by Isabella Allende (for about the 10th time) FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Grilled Sandwiches with Humus and all the Veggies from the Salad Bar

People would be surprised to learn… I’ve never broken a bone. In ten years I’ll… be 29 years old and happy.

Rebecca Helen Penny I THINK I GOT LUCKY WHEN I STUMBLED upon a Sweet Briar brochure in the eighth grade. I know that most people don’t settle on a college that early (especially not one they had never heard of before), but Sweet Briar was my dream from that day forth. I was attracted to every aspect of the College, and it has been the perfect environment for me since I arrived last fall. I’ve always had the inner drive to be a leader in my immediate community, but it took the right environment for me to be able to act on those abilities. At Sweet Briar, I was immediately swept into leadership positions and in the second semester of my sophomore year, I find myself more involved than I ever imagined. I’m an instructor for the Sweet Briar Outdoor Program (SWEBOP). I also am working toward the new Leadership Certificate, am a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Team (IHSA), and the treasurer for Alpha Lambda Delta. It sounds like a lot, and it is, but I enjoy all of my activities and I would never have been able to be so involved at another institution. The Sweet Briar Outdoor Program (SWEBOP) is the main reason I decided to attend SBC. As soon as I got on campus, and even before, I was asking the program director, Laura Staman, how I could become involved, and how I could become an instructor. It turned out that they needed me, and I started in October of my freshman year. I was excited to jump right in, and with this enthusiasm I was given as much responsibility as I was willing to take. It was amazing how quickly I felt a part of the team, and how easy it was to take an active role in the program. SWEBOP really is a studentrun program, and there’s plenty to be done. As an instructor, I have had so many opportunities to learn, lead, and follow. Observing the more seasoned instructors has taught me how to run a trip, teach others, and interact with participants. I have gained confidence in my abilities as a leader in any situation through my involvement in SWEBOP. My skills and abilities have been tested in real situations as well as in intensive training programs; this has shown me that I can do far more than I might have imagined. I have led backpacking, canoeing, and climbing trips, and through each activity, my skills, both in technical pursuits and leadership, have been strengthened. I even led a backpacking and canyoneering trip to Utah for Spring Break. SWEBOP hasn’t simply been about learning how to do things, or even just how to interact with people; it’s learning that I’m capable of almost anything I set my mind to. I can

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Rebecca Penny ’08 repells from a mountain in Goshen Pass, VA on a day trip with SWEBOP

lead, and people will follow, and we’ll all have a great time in the process. Being a member of the class of 2008, I also have the opportunity to be in the first class to earn the new Leadership Certificate. The program focuses our thoughts and efforts on leadership and gives us a framework in which to reflect upon our experiences. The first component I completed was the Leaders Emerging and Achieving Program (LEAP). Over the fall 2005 semester, I met with Kelly Espy, Director of Residential Life and Housing, and the other members of my group to plan a service project for the Amherst community. We organized a holiday event for a nursing home near campus complete with cards, cookies, crafts, and, of course, Bingo. It went fantastically well and was something of which we were all proud. I can’t wait to have more experiences like this during the completion of the last two phases of the Leadership Certificate, and I value the experiences I’ve already had with the program. I feel that every day at Sweet Briar is an opportunity for leadership. There is always the chance to assist others or serve as a positive example. It might be in my job

at SWEBOP, a formal extracurricular activity, or just in a conversation between classes. These experiences have strengthened me beyond anything I’ve ever envisioned, and I am excited for the future. Spring/Summer 2006 • 13

13.

Natalie Pye ’07 MAJOR

Classical Studies HOME TOWN

Atlanta, GA BIRTHDAY

March 3, 1985 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

Perfume by Patrick Suskind FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Breakfast/Brunch—nothing beats a fresh Grapefruit and a Bagel with Chive Cream Cheese...yum!

People would be surprised to learn… I’m trying to teach myself Swahili. In ten years I’ll… hopefully be putting my law degree to good use working with a human rights NGO.

14 • Spring/Summer 2006

Natalie Pye IN MY THREE YEARS AS A SWEET BRIAR student, I’ve been able to take advantage of many fantastic and diverse opportunities. I’ve gotten involved in SGA, I’m a member of tap clubs, I’ve studied abroad, I’ve gone to lectures, concerts, and comedians, and I’ve made some enduring friends. However, one of my favorite experiences is participating in the Summer Honor’s Research Program last summer. At the end of a grueling sophomore year (known rightly by college students everywhere as “the sophomore slump”) I made the trip back to Virginia from Atlanta with some trepidation. Would I get burned out being at Sweet Briar for another two months? Would my project be good enough to measure up to years past? Would I have any human contact during the quiet months on a campus that doesn’t really bustle during the semester? With these questions buzzing in my head I moved into my new home in Carson and waited for the summer to begin. I did not have long to wait before my worries vanished and I knew that I would not be disappointed with my decision to apply for the grant. As a classics major, I had always considered the Summer Honors program to be more for the science students attempting to cure cancer and discover theorems, but at the urging of my advisor, Eric Casey, I began the application process. With the ancient world as my oyster, I made the difficult decision to narrow my research to determining the nature of ‘madness,’ especially as evidenced in the lives of the early Roman Emperors. Luckily this topic was broad enough for me to read both Greek and Roman materials, an ancient history buff’s dream come true. Professor Casey, as well as his inconceivably comprehensive personal library, was invaluable in the research process; each weekly meeting left me scurrying from his office with an armload of books and a list of even more to check out from the library, eventually forcing me to find another bookshelf for my room. As if the material wasn’t enough to make the experience unforgettable, the other participants in the program were the icing on the cake. With two freshly graduated seniors serving as research role models, many of the girls doing humanities research soon bonded together, helping each other find books or get distracted. Taking full advantage of the portable nature of our projects, we would often be found on the Dell surrounded by small mountains of books. Getting carried away by our research, we soon formed a reading group, reading a book by the French philosopher, Michelle Foucault, each week and then gathering

to discuss it with Professors Casey and Gutierrez, usually over a home-cooked meal. These “book club” meetings became a high point, allowing us to take a break from our projects and have a nice discussion with our friends and some of our favorite professors. While the various projects caused a natural split between “humanities” and “Guionite” camps (like the Sharks and Jets, but without the hostility), on Thursday afternoons we all gathered together to hear what two of the advising professors were working on themselves. These meetings not only allowed all the participants to gather for a free meal, but also gave us examples of what was expected of our own final presentations looming at the end of the summer. While I enjoy public speaking and was pleased with the progress of my research, I was certainly nervous about standing before my peers and professors to present my own theories. In the end, however, everything came together and the presentations turned out to be an enjoyable culmination of eight weeks’ hard work. Afterwards we all packed up, sad to leave the cozy academic family we had created, knowing that our idyllic afternoons researching on the Dell were at an end, at least until the following spring. But I

left with a feeling of satisfaction, knowing that I could be proud of the work I had done and happy to add that experience to the many others that I will always look back upon with fondness.

Natalie Pye ’07 in Athens, Greece

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

14.

Alison Sims ’09 MAJOR

Psychology/Classics HOME TOWN

Alpharetta, GA BIRTHDAY

January 16, 1987 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Moose Tracks Ice Cream (haha)

People would be surprised to learn… that while living in Alaska, I accidentally rode my bike underneath a moose. In ten years I’ll… be working in a Children’s Hospital after hopefully attaining my master’s or doctorate in Occupational Therapy.

Alison Sims COMING TO SWEET BRIAR as a first-year rider was a little intimidating, but mostly exciting. Once I arrived, I was eager to finish my placement rides and to meet some of the other riders in the program. Riding placements went well, and soon I was in a regular lesson and schedule. When it came time to decide whether or not I wanted to try out for certain teams, the IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Show Association) team in particular, I thought it would be something I would really enjoy. Having no idea what I was up against, I figured trying out would at least put me on the map for future teams. I was very excited when I learned I had made the team, and to my delight, I have had a fabulous season competing in the Open division.

In addition to IHSA, I enjoyed competing as an individual in on- and offcampus events with Sweet Briar horses. I am also fortunate enough to be riding for the ANRC team. If someone had told me that I would make the team as a freshman I probably would not have believed them. Already, I’ve accomplished more than I anticipated in my first semester of riding. When I was looking at

different collegiate programs, I was at a point in my life where I was ready to be taken apart as a rider and put back together. I chose to ride here because I thought I could get the most constructive criticism and focused training from the program and its many options.

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Alison Sims ’09 with SBC’s horse, Renaissance

I have been riding for 12 years. I was never the kid with the natural talent or perfect body type. I did not have the ability to own the perfect made horse or show every weekend. Everything in my riding career has taken intense work, patience, and passion. I am proud of the work I have done so far and now that I am at Sweet Briar, I have so many more opportunities to go even further. Besides riding, I have participated in and enjoyed several on-campus organizations and events. I am a member of the Student Relations Committee and PAWs (People for Animal Welfare). I have recently picked up a job at the barn and am involved in the Honors Program. I owe a lot of my academic success to Professor Eric Casey and Professor Cathy Gutierrez. I have a feeling they will be the kind of teachers and friends I will never forget. I know I will never be able to thank them enough for their patience and guidance during the frantic late night phone calls discussing intense paper topics and mindboggling interpretations. I hope to major in psychology so that I can go on to graduate school. I would like to be an Occupational Therapist in Pediatrics.

My experience at Sweet Briar has been very constructive— even on a personal level. Training in the riding program as well as SBC’s excellent academics and close, personal atmosphere have allowed me to thrive.

Spring/Summer 2006 • 15

15.

Karen L. Summers ’07 OFFICE MANAGER, PRESIDENT’S OFFICE

MAJOR

Sociology (Turning Point student) HOME TOWN

Madison Heights, VA BIRTHDAY

December 2, 1962 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

People would be surprised to learn… I am a self-taught gourmet chef! In ten years I’ll… be working at Sweet Briar, with at least a Master’s Degree, and hopefully grandchildren!

Karen Summers WHEN I BEGAN MY EMPLOYMENT HERE TWELVE years ago, I never thought my position at Sweet Briar would develop into a professional career, nor did I think Sweet Briar would become my Alma mater. With the strong encouragement of my superiors, Deborah Snead Shrader ’78, and President Betsy Muhlenfeld, I decided to become a Turning Point student. A Turning Point student is a student who is at least 24 years of age or who has been out of formal education for at least four years. I began to take one class at Sweet Briar each semester. I explored various disciplines by enrolling in a range of courses before settling on sociology as my major. It’s ironic that I developed a love for the studies I enjoyed least in high school; they now have become my focus in College. I have finished the courses for my sociology major and will graduate in 2007. President Muhlenfeld once told me that my children probably would not remember what I packed them for lunch, or that I ironed their clothing, but rather that I worked a fulltime job, raised a family, and went back to college. Now that they are grown and college students themselves, I believe this to be very true. As the Statement of Support for the College’s Mission identifies: “Sweet Briar continues its commitment as an independent undergraduate women’s college in order to devote its resources to the education of women in the full range of the liberal arts…” I feel that Sweet Briar has indeed fulfilled this commitment in my regard by being flexible with my work hours and providing me with the autonomy I needed in this personal quest. As a Turning Point student, I feel I am able to set an example for Sweet Briar women of today—it is possible to pursue your own career and education and still be there for your family.

Though I am not quite at the finish line, I must say that despite all of the extra work and demands on my time, working toward my degree has been a rewarding journey. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had here and for the support of my superiors.

16.

Olivia Ungerer ’06 MAJOR

Sociology/Spanish HOME TOWN

Lakewood, NY BIRTHDAY

May 3, 1984 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Blueberry Scones

People would be surprised to learn… I still sleep with my baby blanket. In ten years I’ll… be running a charity organization that focuses on helping and improving the lives of underprivileged and neglected children in Latin America, and happily married with a child and a couple more on the way.

Karen Summers ’07, Office Manager, President’s Office 16 • Spring/Summer 2006

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Olivia Ungerer MY TYPICAL RESPONSE when asked why I came to Sweet Briar all the way from western New York is simply, “Well, my older sister went here and I could easily see myself following in her footsteps.” I know it sounds like a rather generic response, but it is the truth. Now that I’m almost ready to leave SBC I realize that while my older sister may have been the reason I came, she was definitely not the reason I stayed. Don’t get me wrong,

having her here helped me to understand the inner-workings of Sweet Briar traditions, Hampden-Sydney boys, dorm life, drinking wine on “school nights,” sleeping until noon on weekends and throughout Christmas break, and the crankiness that comes along with a college workload. Although she graduated right before I got here, her friends weren’t about to leave me to fend for myself; they dragged me out to Hampden-Sydney, Boathouse Parties, introduced me to “secret” clubs, and welcomed me with open arms. Following my sister, who I look just like, sound just like, and walk just like, I worried I would always be known as “Tasha’s little sister.” But it was relatively easy to pave my own path. Now there is another girl on campus, who looks just like me, sounds just like me, even walks just like me, and is going through the same things I once went through as a freshman. Luckily for her, she has her fun older sister on campus to drag her along to all the typical Sweet Briar activities. She gets to decorate my senior robe, walk with me at Founders’ Day, be my driver during the garlic festival, come to the Boathouse parties, and walk beside me for lantern

bearing, wear the robe she once decorated, share my lineages, and show the incoming freshmen where to find the fun Sweet Briar. She may have spent the year being known as “Olivia’s little sister”, just as I was once “Tasha’s sister”, but to anyone who knows both of us, it is apparent how different we are, despite the looks, voices, and walks. I know that Sweet Briar will do for her what it did for me: really let her flourish as her own person and let her leave her own legacy. Sweet Briar, sisters aside, has provided me with the most amazing experiences of my life. I spent my junior year abroad living in Seville, Spain. This experience let me explore the world outside of America and outside of my small-town rural life. I learned how much there is to see in the world and realized that I cannot spend my life stuck in one place—I was meant to travel and live abroad! This year has been filled with anxiety, anticipation, excitement, and curiosity about what is next in my life, but I finally feel that I have some direction and a true passion that will drive me toward my career ambitions. I know that the next two years will be full of adventure, learning, diversity, and unforgettable experiences due to my decision to work and live abroad. I am working my way through the Peace Corps application process as well as applying for teaching positions in Latin America. The mission, ideals and goals of the Peace Corps match my personal ideals and goals to a “T,” and I hope to receive an ideal placement. My interests and current goals

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

revolve around Latin American culture because of my plans to pursue the Spanish language further, but my true passion lies in helping others and working hands-on in the humanities field in different cultural societies, so I won’t be too disappointed if the Peace Corps decides to send me elsewhere. As my time at Sweet Briar draws to a close, I find myself feeling confident that I can approach whatever it is life has in store for me with assurance, an open mind, and confidence because of my experiences and opportunities here at Sweet Briar. I saw how SBC prepared my oldest sister for the “real world,” matured her, and made her nicer to her younger sisters; now I see what all it has done for me; and I have so much confidence that it will do the same amazing things for my younger sister.

(L-r): Olivia Ungerer ’06 with younger sister Mary Ungerer ’09

Spring/Summer 2006 • 17

17.

Joanna Katherine Wood ’06 MAJOR

Philosophy HOME TOWN

Hopkinton, MA BIRTHDAY

November 11, 1983 LAST BOOK READ JUST FOR FUN

100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez FAVORITE DINING HALL FARE

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies!

In ten years I’ll… own a slow foods movement restaurant.

Joanna Wood ’06 with a robe from the University of St. Andrews 18 • Spring/Summer 2006

Joanna Katherine Wood I SPENT MY JUNIOR YEAR Abroad at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, the home of golf and, perhaps, the best scones in the world. St. Andrews is a picturesque and quaint fishing town that retains old world charm; shops and cafés line the streets while the fragmented St. Andrew’s Cathedral and Castle loom over the sea. The Fishmonger, the Cheese store, and the North Point all mesh in aromas and tastes that attract locals, students, and golfers. Looking for a challenge and a way to burn off those extra calories from all of the scones, a friend and I decided to train for the London Marathon. Although injuries prevented us both from completing the marathon, our training gave us a unique perspective of Scotland as well as other European countries in which we traveled. We spent months running through golf courses, down sea-scaped bike trails, and on country roads that wound through sheep pastures and farms. We jogged to nearby Scottish towns, such as Crail, and recovered on bus rides back to St. Andrews. In Vienna and Budapest, we persevered on treadmills in gyms where the women sported white jean shorts,

and red spiral staircases rose up to the locker rooms. We ran on cobblestone streets in Prague and passed the Danube River and the numerous shops that sell amber jewelry. Running proved to be an interesting way to immerse ourselves in the culture of different cities and countries; we were able to encounter culture, literally, off the beaten track. Not surprisingly, many of the highlights of my experience abroad were my travels. I spent a week in Paris with three friends in a flat near the Eiffel Tower, bathed in thermal baths in Budapest, sipped the world’s best coffee in Vienna, and made snow angels in the square in Prague. In London, I shared Thanksgiving dinner with friends from Sweet Briar, and I spent a week in a house in Crete overlooking the Aegean Sea. I danced at balls in St. Andrews, and I saw Michael Douglas and Hugh Grant play golf on the Old Course. In my travels I encountered all different peoples, customs, and foods. I learned to think, to question, to venture, and to thrive outside the traditional academic setting. Recently, I attended a Sweet Briar Day Tea at the Zebra Room in Boston where I met several alumnae who studied abroad at St. Andrews. One woman I met had a mother, Katherine Parker Niles ’36, who went to St. Andrews. A couple of weeks after the event she sent me her mother’s red robe that the students of St. Andrews continue to wear today during the traditional Pier Walks. It never occurred to me that not only would my experience abroad allow me to meet new people overseas but also serve to forge a connection with Sweet

Briar women who have been to St. Andrews in the past. It was a wonderful way to bond with the alumnae of Sweet Briar. From my experiences abroad I have grown in knowledge and understanding of both the world and myself. I experienced a variety of emotions from sheer exuberance to the inevitable questioning of why am I here. I have learned what I don’t know, what I want to know, and how to achieve it. So many

of the European students with whom I spoke understood so much about the world and it was humbling. In particular, being abroad during the 2004 Presidential election made me realize how individuals are increasingly becoming citizens of the world and less citizens of nation states. This insight resonated with me and served in conjunction with a Philosophy and Public Affairs class I took at St. Andrews as a springboard for my Senior Honors Thesis. My thesis examines malnutrition and cosmopolitanism, a global ethic theory, and illustrates the relational aspect of the global food order. The class encouraged me to become much more aware of how interconnected we are and how our choices affect others, in particular those outside the United States. Studying abroad facilitated a new way to question and think about the world. From training for the London marathon, walking down the streets of old European cities, and savoring the cheeses, wines, and national specialties throughout Europe, I have developed a better sense of self and cultural awareness. My passion for adventure has been kindled and I can’t wait to go back.

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Promises Matter

Prospective Student/Parent Response to the Sweet Briar Promise KENNETH T. HUUS, DEAN OF ADMISSIONS

In the fall of 2004, after the various components that make up the Sweet Briar Promise had been approved, we began talking about them loudly and to anyone who would listen. In the Admissions Office, we made it a point to talk about the Promise ideas with every visitor to campus, with every student we saw during our travels, with every high school guidance counselor, and to anyone we passed in an airport, restaurant, or tollbooth (OK, maybe the last three places are an exaggeration, but you get the idea). In addition, we altered slightly the organization of our on-campus open house programs so that we could highlight and showcase the components of the Promise to these large audiences. The response we received was not surprising—all four primary components (advising, leadership program, study abroad, and internships) resonated very well with both students and parents (and guidance counselors!), with the advising system sticking out as the shiniest of the shining stars. I know in my conversations with individual families, parents especially appreciate what the team approach to advising will mean for their daughter and her preparation for life after college.

And the concept of being able to make connections with alumnae working in areas of career interest has literally been icing on the cake—virtually everyone acknowledges the importance of networking, and the fact that the College is intentionally going to help each student build her own network has garnered special interest and excitement. This year, as these concepts are being put into practice and have faces associated with them (testimonials from first-year students involved in the leadership program, for example), we’re able to talk more specifically and concretely about the programs in place and the benefits our students are realizing. And as this first class of students builds advising teams and completes the expanded leadership certificate, we’ll have even more first-hand testimonials at our disposal. Time will tell whether these programs make a noticeable difference in enlarging the size of the incoming class. Because these are not the only changes being made to increase our enrollment, it may be impossible to measure exactly the individual effect of the Promise ideas. However, I know that parents and students are noting with interest the groundbreaking changes taking place at Sweet Briar and recognizing that the College, looking forward, is making a significant commitment to student success.

THE SWEET BRIAR PROMISE outlines Sweet Briar’s distinctive approach for providing meaningful, enduring education for women. It guarantees: ■ Global discovery through summer, semester or year-long international study ■ Resume-building internships and work opportunities ■ Research opportunities with faculty ■ “Customizable majors” to fit the student’s goals and interests ■ Advising teams comprised of faculty, staff and alumnae ■ Extensive opportunities for student leadership through campus organizations and the Leadership Certificate Program

Parents and students are noting with interest the groundbreaking changes taking place at Sweet Briar and recognizing that the College, looking forward, is making a significant commitment to student success. Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Spring/Summer 2006 • 19

SRC Milestones:

he Student Relations Committee (SRC) is a group of students who work toward enhancing communication and interaction between the alumnae and current students. During the past academic year, SRC worked diligently with the Alumnae Office in a number of endeavors that successfully strengthened ties between the student body and the alumnae. SRC kicked off the new school year with two open houses held right before Sweet Briar’s first-ever Homecoming Weekend. The open houses were hosted at The Farm House by SRC and Louise Swiecki Zingaro ’80, director of the Alumnae Association. These competitively-spirited pink (for the even-year classes) and green (for the odd-year classes) occasions offered a wonderful opportunity for students to connect with their sister classes, SRC and alumnae. It was announced at the open houses that whichever group had the most participation at Homecoming (the pink team—seniors and sophomores or the green team—juniors and freshmen) would win a pizza party. Sophomore Diana Simpson noted, “The pink party was an amazing experience! I felt like I understood the

20 • Spring/Summer 2006

2005-2006

BY ERIN ROGERS ‘08 AND KATE DOBIE ‘06

ABOVE SRC more and felt L-r: Andy Zingaro (Louise’s significantly more father-in-law), Michelle Badger ’06, Katie comfortable with the Vaughan ’06, Jill Frier ’06, alumnae after the event.” Meg Hammock ’08, Laura Jahnke ’08, Erin The pink team, Rogers ’08, Liz Killiam ’08 classes of 2006 BELOW and 2008, won the Standing L-r: Sara Coffey ’06, Doreen competition and enjoyed Photo courtesy of Michelle Badger ’06 McVeigh ’09, Ferrell a triumphant Pink Pizza Lyles ’07, Kelly Crist ’06, Jennifer Milby ’08, Kristin Party in celebration Palbicke ’08, Emily of their Homecoming Clifton ’08, Emily Vermilya ’08, Kristin victory. This event was Chapdelaine ’08, Caitlin also hosted by the SRC, Keany ’08, Alison Sims ’09, Katie Beth Ryan ’08, Lelise and greatly enjoyed by Lewis ’09. Kneeling L-r: Michelle Badger ’06, Jill all who attended. The Frier ’06, Kate Dobie ’06 occasion and company Suzanne Ramsey, College Relations Office were so enjoyable that Gentry Witherow ’80, assistant director a number of students and SRC members of the Alumnae Association. The survey did not want to leave! Next year, the SRC provided feedback from the student body hopes to include alumnae participation at regarding opinions about Homecoming. Homecoming in this competition. The committee enjoyed a large response, Homecoming was a great success producing a useful and comprehensive view and SRC members enjoyed assisting of student opinions from the majority of and attending almost every event of the those who attended. weekend while having fun and learning SRC also hosted a series of senior class from the visiting alumnae. dinners at The Farm House. The purpose of Following the weekend-long occasion, these gatherings was to introduce the sooncommittee members created a survey to-be-alumnae to the members of the SRC under the guidance of their adviser, Missy

Students support QVs and SBC athletics during a SRC sponsored Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu event at Homecoming

Special Recognition and Alumnae Association. Hosted over the course of several months, these intimate dinners allowed students and alumnae alike to wine, dine, and discuss life after Sweet Briar. Senior Leigh Darrell said, “I really enjoyed my senior dinner at Louise’s house—the food was wonderful and it was so nice to get to know Louise, Linda DeVogt ’86, Alumnae Association President, and Missy in a relaxed atmosphere.” Overall, those in attendance were pleased with the success of the senior dinners, and hope this new tradition continues for years to come. These dinners were a wonderful example of how the relationships between students, especially seniors, and alumnae, are constantly being given the opportunity to strengthen and grow. As the spring semester began with full force, so did SRC. Taking into account the bittersweet departure of their senior members, SRC welcomed nine new additions to the team and continued to gather at bi-monthly meetings. They also attended monthly events such as the lecture given by Nella Gray Barkley ’55 in October of 2005 and promoted student attendance at the alumnae/student panel during the first Advisory Council meetings held on campus in April. In addition, SRC began perhaps their most challenging work of the Spring Semester: the Senior Class Directory. The task included obtaining contact information and future plans of each member of the Class of 2006 and organizing that information in a directory which was presented to the seniors at a special farewell dinner in April. These directories enable the seniors to stay connected not only with one another, but also with Sweet Briar and the Alumnae Association. SRC’s actions and endeavors throughout the year have been for the purpose of strengthening the student’s relationships with alumnae. The committee worked toward helping students, especially seniors, gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be an SBC alumna. During this past year SRC has experienced landmark transitions with new participation, great enthusiasm and a high interest in membership.

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Sweet Briar students listed in this year’s edition of Who’s Who are:

(Standing, L-r): Sara Ostrow, Margaret Loebe, Karliana Sakas, Eleanor O’Connor, Suzanne Harvey, Michelle Badger, Jessica Mercier, Renee Modzelewski (Sitting, L-r): Joanna Meade, Carlina Muglia, Miriam Choi, Paula Kirkland, Cara Cherry, Irene Maslanik

Twenty SBC Students Make the 2006 Who’s Who List

wenty Sweet Briar students have been named outstanding national campus leaders in the 2006 edition of Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Students are selected for academic achievement, service to the community, leadership in extracurricular activities and potential for continued success.

Cara Cherry ’06 1st place winner

Kerry Buxton ’06 2nd place winner

Michelle Badger ’06 Nicole Brandt ’06 Cara Cherry ’06 Miriam Choi ’06 Suzanne Harvey ’06 Paula Kirkland ’06 Fatima Lbida ’08 Margaret Loebe ’06 Irene Maslanik ’07 Rebekah McSpadden ’07 Joanna Meade ’06 Jessica Mercier ’06 Renee Modzelewski ’06 Christina Moosa ’06 Carlina Muglia ’07 Eleanor O’Connor ’07 Sara Ostrow ’06 Lea Pyne ’06 Guinevere Reyes ’06 Karliana Sakas ’06

Katherine Vaughan ’06 3rd place winner

Nicole Basbanes Student Book Collecting Contest Winners

ponsored by Mr. Nicholas Basbanes and SBC’s Friends of the Library, the contest is named in honor of Mr. Basbane’s daughter Nicole ’04. Students are asked to state the purpose of their collections and ideas for the collection’s future development, with a bibliography including at least 10 annotated entries describing each volume and its special interest to the collection and/or the collector. Entries are judged on the collector’s stated purpose and goals and how well the collection meets them. The 1st place winner enters the Fine Books & Collections Collegiate Book-Collecting Championship, which will award nearly $6,000 to students and libraries. Spring/Summer 2006 • 21

Photo courtesy of VCCA Fellow Bernard Handzel

The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts is one of the nation’s largest and foremost international working retreats for writers, visual artists, and composers, located on the Mt. San Angelo estate adjacent to the College.

Forsyth Fellowship

at the VCCA AMY RUTH ALLEN, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, VCCA

The Harry D. Forsyth Fellowship for the Visual Arts, awarded to Sweet Briar College alumnae, speaks to the vibrant synergy that has existed between the College and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA) for three decades. Each year the VCCA awards a Forsyth Fellowship to an alumna who has demonstrated exceptional ability and commitment in the area of the visual arts. The award winner receives a two-week residency at the VCCA and up to $100 for transportation expenses to attend one of the nation’s largest and foremost international working retreats for writers, visual artists, and composers, located on the Mt. San Angelo estate adjacent to the College. In this bucolic setting, the VCCA provides meals, private bedrooms with semiprivate baths and private studios to select professional artists from around the world, hosting more than 300 Fellows each year and more than 3,500 since it began in 1971. Fellows may work uninterrupted in their studios, away from the distractions of daily life, often producing more and better work than could be achieved elsewhere. Established in 1999, the Forsyth Fellowship was created by a friend of both institutions to honor his father-in-law and to support the VCCA and Sweet Briar’s Studio Art Department. To date five Forsyth Fellowships have been awarded. In the years since the VCCA moved to Mt. San Angelo, the vision of then College President Harold Whiteman, Jr. and Professor of English William Smart to enrich Sweet Briar’s educational program by establishing a community of artists near campus has remained

vigorous. An integral part of any artist community is the interaction with one’s peers, the lively exchange of ideas and the possibility of collaboration. As one of the few artist residency programs affiliated with an institution of higher learning, the VCCA may offer these experiences and opportunities to Fellows at Mt. San Angelo and on the Sweet Briar campus in the form of readings, lectures, art exhibits and classroom visits. In addition, the VCCA and Sweet Briar have collaborated on many formal programs, enriching the lives of all who come to our communities. VCCA Fellows have received international attention through publications, exhibitions, compositions and performances, and have gone on to receive such major awards as the Pulitzer Prize, Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, plus Academy Award nominations. All Sweet Briar alumnae are eligible to apply for the Forsyth Fellowship. Applicants need not have majored in studio art during their time at Sweet Briar College; however, they should currently be seriously pursuing their own work in the visual arts. The criteria for selection will be achievement or promise of achievement. There is no instruction provided with this Fellowship and the residency must be used within two years of being awarded.

For more information about application procedures and deadlines, write to: Studio Art Department, Attention Laura Pharis, Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, Virginia 24595 or e-mail lpharis@sbc.edu. Additional information about the VCCA may be found online at www.vcca.com. 22 • Spring/Summer 2006

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Susan Crowder ’65

Ideas and imagery developed during my fellowship have continued to percolate through my art and stimulate me in many ways. The Forsyth Fellowship was one of the most meaningful and useful gifts I’ve ever received.

y Forsyth Fellowship brought me back to some of my deepest art roots. I developed as an artist while a student at Sweet Briar. I spent a week at the VCCA earlier in my career and already knew the value of time and energy devoted purely to art. Being recognized by my college and the VCCA as a Forsyth Fellow added an extra measure of psychic support and value to my efforts this time. During the fellowship award of two full weeks of precious time, space and access to Sweet Briar faculty and students, I developed a new body of work and produced a major new piece of sculpture for an upcoming exhibition. The discipline of explaining my work to art students and the feedback I received from other artists expanded the conceptual content of the work. Ideas and imagery developed during my fellowship have continued to percolate through my art and stimulate me in many ways. The Forsyth Fellowship was one of the most meaningful and useful gifts I’ve ever received.

LEFT: Susan Crowder ’65 BELOW: Endangered, 2003 cable, plastics 6" x 180" x 180"

NOTE: For a full listing of Susan Crowder’s sculpture installations; selected one-person exhibitions; selected group exhibitions; public collections; grants/ fellowships/awards, e-mail her: scrowder@adelphia.net

Brienna McLaughlin ’04

he Forsyth Fellowship gave me a chance to work continuously (without interruption or everyday distractions) in an enormous studio, with a peer group that inspired cross-fertilization between disciplines. The VCCA is every artist’s dream and a paradigm for other artist colonies. The work I produced in two weeks (listed under “Medical Paintings” on my Web site: www.brienna.net) was not only a breakthrough for my own artistic development and direction, but also my chance to experiment freely. I explored new media in the quiet solitude of my studio and shared the results of my new discoveries in the comfort of a warm and welcoming artistic community. The Forsyth Fellowship allowed me to share a studio among professional artists and to share memories that I will treasure forever. I hope to return to the VCCA, as my art career unfolds, and to meet the future Forsyth recipients because I know they will be just as ecstatic as I was this summer.

I explored new media in the quiet solitude of my studio and shared the results of my new discoveries in the comfort of a warm and welcoming artistic community. RIGHT: Brienna McLaughlin ’04 BELOW (L-r): Threads of bone tissue, 2005 Oil on canvas, 48" x 36" Carpeted with papillae, 2005 Garnet gel & oil on canvas, 24" x 24" Capillary Network, 2005 Oil on canvas, 48" x 36"

Photos of my VCCA paintings: http://brienna.net/_wsn/page4.html. Article about my current work: http://www.thecampuschronicle.com/lounge/ trivialpursuits/051230.cfm. ED. NOTE: Brienna is a Master of Fine Arts in Painting candidate; degree anticipated in June, 2007

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Spring/Summer 2006 • 23

Jane Rabadi ’95

It’s amazing how much art is created when there are no job obligations, no phones ringing, no homework deadlines—no distractions at all.

wo weeks spent at the VCCA is relaxing, grounding, centering, creative, enjoyable, refreshing and many, many other things. Let me describe a typical day at the VCCA. I wake up early so I can get energy from the gorgeous breakfast prepared by the VCCA kitchen staff. Then, after enough coffee, I take my music for the day and make the walk to my studio. (I decide my working schedule from day to day depending on how much work I need to accomplish.) After I eat lunch that is delivered to the studio kitchen, I like to take a walk to visit the cows across the back road and watch the trains go by. Then, guess what? I get to make more art until dinner! Dinner is a great time for socializing with the other artists in residence. The evening is either spent back at the studio, swimming in the pool, playing ping pong, watching a movie, visiting other artists’ studios or whatever else I’m in the mood for. It’s amazing how much art is created when there are no job obligations, no phones ringing, no homework deadlines—no distractions at all. I have deeply valued my time spent in the creative, nurturing and private environment of the VCCA and have made memories I’ll never forget. Through the partnership of Sweet Briar College and The Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the dedication of Mr. Forsyth, Sweet Briar alumnae are given the incredible opportunity to apply for the Forsyth Fellowship. I encourage you to apply!

Elizabeth Sauder ’84

he things that were most exciting for me about my residency at the VCCA were the unbroken, unscheduled blocks of empty time and the big, bare studio. Those two things allowed me to follow a train of thought in several directions at once, something that I hadn’t been able to do fully in my small studio and busy life. That concentration of thought sent me off into a new and entirely unexpected place and served as a watershed in my painting.

LEFT: Jane Rabadi ’95 BELOW: Jane Rabadi’s studio/ work in progress at VCCA

That concentration of thought sent me off into a new and entirely unexpected place and served as a watershed in my painting. RIGHT: Elizabeth Sauder ’84 BELOW Four Chayotes, 2006, 7 3/4" x 24" oil on 23k gold leaf on panel

Photos of me and my work are on my Web pages at my co-op Web site http:// www.artistsincahoots.com. My very newest of new work (January and February 2006) is up on the Web site http://www.nelsonfineartsgallery.com

24 • Spring/Summer 2006

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

. MythvsReality

GIVING TO SBC: NEW ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SHARES HER INSIGHTS THERE IS GREAT NEWS IN THE ANNUAL FUND! Michelle Badger ’06 joined Sweet Briar’s Annual Giving team as Assistant Director

of Annual Giving June 1, after graduating with a double major in history and international affairs and a minor in government. “This is an important position for me,” she says. “Eventually I want to work in politics, and what better start can I get than in development?” Her areas of responsibility include the Senior Class Campaign, Young Alumnae Giving, Phonathon, and 5th and 10th Reunion Class Giving. She has many ideas for strengthening these programs and will be a tremendous asset to the Annual Giving team and to the College community. Having served as an intern in the Annual Fund since February, Michelle knows what the position has to offer and what she brings to it. “I’m excited about the Senior Class Campaign. I’ll work with the co-chairs and students to help them understand the importance of philanthropy and to encourage them to remain connected to SBC. Because they know me, I think they will receive the message well,” she explains. “The phonathon is another really appealing aspect of the job. It’s a powerful way to directly connect students with alumnae and parents. Alumnae especially want to know what is going on at the College and with current students. Part of the students’ job is to encourage making a gift to SBC, but it’s also about keeping alumnae connected to the College in a very direct way.” Michelle brings plenty of energy and enthusiasm to her work. Here are some of her insights into Young Alumnae Giving.

The myth

WHAT ALUMNAE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT GIVING TO SWEET BRIAR:

Michelle Badger ’06

• “I am just starting out in life and it’s difficult to find the money. Right now I have other priorities.” • “I’ll give when I’m older and I’m earning more. I’m too young to make a big gift and the small amount I could give won’t make a difference.”

Assistant Director of Annual Giving

In this second article in a series addressing alumnae misconceptions about giving, the Annual Fund’s newest staff member, Michelle Badger ’06, focuses on issues faced by young alumnae and offers her insights.

The reality

THE REAL SCOOP FROM MICHELLE:

Being involved in Sweet Briar is the best way to stay connected after graduation and giving to the Annual Fund is one of the best ways to stay involved. By making a gift to Sweet Briar, you are investing in the future of the College and other young women, just as your education was an investment in your own future. The current comprehensive fee at Sweet Briar is $31,460 but the cost per student is $52,560. That means that a student paying full tuition with no assistance still only pays 60 percent of the total cost of her Sweet Briar experience per year. In addition, 93 percent of all students receive some form of aid, with an average award for need-based aid of $21,430.

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

The Annual Fund is vital to making up the difference of the remaining 40 percent and helping to ensure strong financial aid to the best students. Giving to Sweet Briar every year, at any level, is a reminder of the true value—and true cost—of our education. As young alumnae, we have such a great head start in the world by having a Sweet Briar education and we can begin to build our own legacy after graduation by giving to the future of other young women. I definitely understand how overwhelming finances can be after graduation. First jobs, graduate school, student loans, car payments—the list seems to go on forever. However, making Sweet Briar a priority is easier than you think and starting now will help make philanthropy a habit for life. Last year young alumnae gave a total of $53,855 to the Annual Fund and 75 percent of the gifts were $5 to $100. Every gift is important. What is amazing is that out of the 2,624 young alumnae asked to give, only 322 made a gift. That is a participation rate of just over 12 percent. Just think what an amazing impact we would make if even 25 percent of young alumnae participated next year—we could double our impact! Please join me in giving to the Annual Fund. Stay connected to SBC, be involved, make a gift and make a difference! Spring/Summer 2006 • 25

Photograph by Cynthia Locklin, courtesy of Bennington College

spotlight Eileen Scully ’78

Wins Award for her Outstanding Teaching

ow a history professor at Bennington College in Vermont, Eileen Scully reflects on her time at Sweet Briar College with a greater understanding and appreciation of her professors. She believes her most valuable experience at SBC was being taken seriously by her professors. They listened to her, engaged with her, and held her to high expectations—all in a spirit of good humor and positive regard. Becoming a professor herself she has learned how difficult being a good teacher can be. She states, “To teach well is a constant struggle, requiring continual selfreflection and a combination of openness and resistance to student feedback.” It is apparent that Eileen is clearly winning the struggle. She recently was awarded the Eugene Asher Award for Distinguished Teaching. The award was established in 1986 and recognizes outstanding teaching and advocacy for history teaching at twoyear, four-year, and graduate colleges and universities. The award is sponsored by the Society for History Education and the American Historical Association. Eileen was nominated for the award by her students. Picturing her students “huddling in front of the computer screen to read through the nomination process, and then working over together what they would write is more valuable to me even than the prize itself,” she exclaims. Although, she admits actually winning the award has been very gratifying and jokes about having the prize certificate laminated in wallet size in order to have it readily available to confront skeptical students at any moment. Almost as if a self-fulfilling prophecy, Eileen listed ‘professor of philosophy’ in the ‘intended career’ section of her high school yearbook. However, her journey from high school student to college professor was filled with many curves, speed bumps and foreign countries! Her journey also was peppered with many influential experiences at Sweet Briar. She 26 • Spring/Summer 2006

recollects a presentation she did for the late Harold Whiteman, president of the College, in which she states, “the singular experience of Eileen Scully ’78 explaining something complicated and seeing classmates not only getting what I was saying, but genuinely interested, stayed with me.” Another memorable experience for her was during her junior year when she studied abroad at Exeter University in Devon, England. She felt this experience, “transformed me, giving me a totally different perspective on life and its possibilities.” After that trip, studying abroad became a part of her life and not long after graduation from Sweet Briar she went to Hong Kong through the Yale-inChina program. She then went to Taiwan to teach English language classes. While she may not have realized its impact at the time, a very potent SBC memory sticks with her affecting her everyday teaching. Eileen states, “Sometimes, when I’m wondering what I’m going to say in response to the comments of a student who either doesn’t understand the material or only gave it a look-see at breakfast, the vivid image of Ms. Muncy comes to mind. Unblinking, fixed gaze, taking in my analysis of Hitler and Stalin. Then: ‘No, Eileen, that’s quite wrong. Quite wrong indeed.’” While at Sweet Briar, Eileen won the Anne Gary Pannell Taylor Award in History, which gave her the confidence and affirmation necessary to attend graduate school at Georgetown University where she received a master’s degree in 1983 in Russian Area Studies with language training at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. Eileen worked on her senior thesis with the late Milan Hapala, who had arranged for an outside reviewer from UVA for her oral defense. She recalls only being able to remember one book during the defense and continually repeating its title. However, the

experience of writing a thesis and defending it gave her the confidence for the Ph.D. process. Therefore, after several years as a research analyst for the Library of Congress, she went back to Georgetown University to complete her Ph.D. in History in 1993. She then became an assistant professor at Princeton University and has been a professor at Bennington College since 2000. Eileen has designed her courses in a thinking-and-doing model. This format gets her students to commit to a ‘performance’ component, and then puts the history content and capacities in the service of that ‘performance.’ For example, in different courses she has asked her students to create a museum of American slavery; design a political party or non-profit; develop a journey through a particular historical moment; and even create a new world order. Perhaps it is this dedication to continually evolving her classes, making them influential and interesting to her students, which prompted them to nominate her for the Eugene Asher Award. In addition to teaching history, Eileen imparts her insights and perspective on life to her students in a humorous and powerful way. She admits, “It took me a good long decade after college to really comprehend that my life was my responsibility to create, shape and give meaning.” Recently, in a graduation speech she gave at Bennington, Eileen stated, “What is the essence of exhilaration? I think it is being exactly where you are, loving doing what you are doing and those who are in it with you, while feeling truly your ‘self.’” In addition to teaching, she is working on a book entitled, The Map Song of Sarah Sands, which is a biography of an African-

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

spotlight American woman born in 1842 in New York who joined a ship’s crew in 1863, and ended up a decade later as a pauper-lunatic in Hong Kong. Eileen has already authored a book entitled, Bargaining with the State from Afar: American Citizenship in Treaty Port China. She also has published articles and reviews in The Journal of American History, International History Review, Pacific Historical Review, The Journal of Modern History, and The American Historical Review.

must agree in the value of Georgia’s book as he has it sitting out on his coffee table to enjoy in the Governor’s mansion! Her book has had much success, even though she quips that she is perhaps a better story teller than poet. She already has had six book-signings in the area, and has led a literary discussion group at the Richmond County Public Library at the end of May. Her earlier publications include a history of Trinity Episcopal Church (1965), a collection of poems and prose, Of Time and Tide (1966), and, of which she is most proud, a collection of her father’s stories, Georgia Herbert Hart ’40 Life on a Virginia Farm (1968). Publishes Again In addition to writing, Georgia has always had a natural talent for teaching and eorgia Hart graduated from has spent most of her life in some aspect of Sweet Briar in 1940, and as education. Directly after graduating from she looks back at her time Sweet Briar, she was a newspaper writer at SBC she has many warm for a local newspaper. She spent time on memories (some that are quite humorous the side as a math coach—one student she as well!). She attributes much of her taught went on to become a successful success as a writer to the experiences she multi-million dollar businessman. She had and the people she encountered while has also taught courses at the Shepherd’s on campus. Georgia was an English major Center in Richmond and her retirement and music minor at Sweet Briar—even community (which her friend refers to as though Professor Jessie Fraser never a “finishing” school) on poetry, bridge forgave her for not being a history major. and South Carolina wildlife. Georgia Georgia recollects many breakfasts sitting has been very involved with her church with Professor Fraser where she would and was the chairman of their Christian be asked to recite her favorite poetry. She Education for Women program. While often chose John Milton’s, L’Allegro. She she may not always have felt qualified to recollects liking the poem because it was teach these courses, she knew she would positive and encouraging. The optimism be good at it because Sweet Briar gave her of Milton’s poem can not only be seen in the confidence she needed to accomplish Georgia’s poetry but in the way she lives anything. her life. While at Sweet Briar, Georgia was in Georgia recently published her second Paint and Patches, the Glee Club, Tau Phi, book of poetic letters, the Choir and was Head of entitled Lightly Spritely. the Social Committee. She She explains that the title also enjoyed playing golf reflects the uplifting and (in Lynchburg) and riding spirited poetry found in horses, although her family her book. With so many did not have enough money negative things happening for her to bring a horse to in the world and dark campus. She explains that stories on the news, in those days students did Georgia feels that her book not leave campus on the is a good family-oriented weekends, only to go home collection of writings that for Christmas and the end truly can be considered of the semester; instead they a little treasure. The spent time at wonderful governor of South Carolina Georgia Herbert Hart ’40 weekend programs, taking

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walks around campus and having tea and cake after dinner with various faculty and staff members. She recollects going on trips with then president of the College, Meta Glass. Georgia considers President Glass a wonderful guide and an outstanding woman. She feels Meta Glassmade a large impact on her life. Nowadays, in addition to writing, Georgia keeps busy with her three children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She tries to play golf as often as she can, and was inducted into the South Carolina Women’s Golf Association Hall of Fame in 1985. Recently she has been charged with the privilege of writing the foreword to the first-ever cookbook of the Women’s South Carolina Golf Association—a task she is very excited and honored to perform! Information collected from Rachel Haynie, The Columbia Star Susan Scanlan ’69

The Once and Future Feminist Speaks on Campus

weet Briar shaped and changed Susan Scanlan’s life, but in ways neither she nor Sweet Briar’s faculty and administrators likely imagined. The 1969 graduate now wears two hats. She chairs the National Council of Women’s Organizations, an ‘umbrella’ group of 200 progressive organizations— ranging from Girl’s, Inc. to the General Federation of Women’s Clubs to the YWCA and The Feminist Majority—that represents more than 11 million women nationwide. Concurrently, she serves as president of the Women’s Research and Education Institute (WREI), a bipartisan advocacy group she co-founded in 1977. WREI’s mission is to provide timely data and informed policy analysis to the women serving in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. WREI’s flagship program is the Congressional Fellowship on Women & Public Policy, which since 1980 has provided life-changing, career-enhancing opportunities for 275 talented women Spring/Summer 2006 • 27

spotlight

Susan Scanlan ’69

scholars to learn the ins and outs of public policymaking on Capitol Hill. Returning to campus on March 23, 2006 as part of the College’s Women’s History Month activities, Susan urged this generation of Sweet Briar women to become involved in the national issues that will affect them and those who come next. Naturally, this visit led to reminiscences about the Sweet Briar of yesteryear. Susan detailed a few of the changes over the past 37 years, but dwelled on the more important things that remain the same. She found a sense of continuity in the enduring beauty of Sweet Briar’s campus, the energy and enthusiasm of its students and, above all, the way Sweet Briar teaches students to think, engage in the world around them, and to lead. But the differences are stunning. In 1969, jeans were forbidden on campus and tuition—including food, board, and laundry —was only $3,165 a year. Strict social rules required students leaving campus to report their destination and to stay in “approved housing” in Charlottesville and Lexington. In her senior year, Susan helped organize a successful campaign to overturn those antiquated social rules. “It just didn’t make sense to require Sweet Briar women to wear heels and stockings when they trekked into Lynchburg. Or that we had to stay at approved housing at UVA and W&L, but not at Princeton or UNC. In loco parentis was definitely loco in 1969!” 28 • Spring/Summer 2006

Despite her independence and activism at Sweet Briar, Susan shared—or at least paid lip service to—the conventional goals of her generation. Her post-graduation plan—along with just about all her classmates—was to be swept off her feet by that ‘knight on a white charger.’ “I expected to get married, produce 2.6 children, and live happily ever after, fulfilled in my role as wife, mother and accomplished alumna. I soon discovered what often becomes of our best-laid plans— God had a cream pie up His sleeve for me!” Before that cream pie was launched, Susan parlayed her election to Phi Beta Kappa and cum laude degree in modern languages into a National Defense Education Act Fellowship at Tulane University, pursuing a Ph.D. in French and Italian. “I enjoyed my ‘free ride’ to New Orleans, but quickly realized job opportunities for French specialists were few and far between. After the master’s, I bailed out for Barcelona, where Jean McKee Carmichael (’70) was living in the Pyrenees with her professional basketballplaying husband. I home-based in Spain, traveled Europe, and put off growing up for almost a year.” Upon her return, Susan translated a high school friendship into a legislative job with Rep. Charles H. Wilson (D-CA). “In 1972, I ran into Congressman Wilson at his son’s graduation from med school,” she recalled. “When I mentioned I was looking for a job, he invited me to become his legislative assistant the following Monday. This was my first lesson on how ‘who you know’ really works in Washington. And I spent the remainder of that weekend boning up on how a bill becomes a law!” she laughs. Sweet Briar turned out to have been a superb training ground for Susan as she mastered the fight for women’s rights. As features editor of the Sweet Briar News, she discovered both the power of the

press and how to make a persuasive case. Serving as president of the Chung Mungs taught team-building and public speaking. Plus she was picked by TIME Magazine to head “Choice ’68,” a mock presidential election conducted on college campuses across America “The 26th Amendment, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18, was under consideration. The Viet Nam War was raging. College students gave Hubert Humphrey a big win over Richard Nixon. But their parents didn’t.” So Susan was unintentionally prepared when this seemingly random meeting set her life on an entirely unexpected course: a challenging 30-year career in women’s advocacy in Washington. As she had at Sweet Briar, Susan took to the fray in Congress. Elected officials perpetually look over their shoulder for potential political opponents. Rep. Wilson’s worry at the time was a woman mayor back in his Los Angeles District who was making noises about running against him in the Democratic primary. With an eye to shoring up his feminist credentials and primary appeal, Rep. Wilson gave her free rein to work on women’s rights. She used his position on the House Armed Services Committee to write legislation that allowed women into the U.S. military academies. Perhaps the most bitterly opposed bill in Pentagon history— the same arguments against women in uniform are still being raised today—Susan considers its passage in 1976 her most important accomplishment. “It took only five years from the day they were admitted for a woman to graduate as valedictorian of West Point,” she notes with obvious pride. “Today, America’s servicewomen play a critical and courageous role in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world. They have become indispensable to our national defense. Just ask the same Pentagon that tried to keep them out of uniform 30 years ago!”

Find your voice. Discover the issue you care about and fight for it. Don’t settle or second guess. That’s how you build your own place in the world.”—SUSAN SCANLAN ’69 Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

spotlight In 1977, Susan left Rep. Wilson’s office to found the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues with the 18 women in the House and one woman Senator. (By way of contrast, 70 Congresswomen and 14 women Senators serve in Congress today.) Among the Caucus’s legislative victories that Susan helped win: child support enforcement through financial penalties for ‘dead-beat dads;’ survivor’s benefits for spouses of federal workers and military personnel; allowing widows and widowers to remarry without losing their Social Security benefits; the Equal Credit Opportunity Act; increasing the budget for women’s health research at the National Institutes of Health more than twenty-fold; requiring NASA to recruit women into the astronaut program; and establishing Women’s History Month. In 2005, her many achievements were recognized when she was named chair of the National Council of Women’s Organizations. “In the long, hard fight for equality, women have learned that speaking with one voice gets their arguments heard and their views respected in Congress and the White House. My job at the Council is to orchestrate our issues so that policymakers, the press, and the public hear us loud and clear.” Susan’s advice to current SBC students: “Find your voice. Discover the issue you care about and fight for it. Don’t settle or second guess. That’s how you build your own place in the world.” She encouraged students to become “…engage[d] in civic debate, to volunteer for important causes, and to take risks—because wisdom comes more from failure than success.” Oh yes, that knight on a white charger eventually appeared in Susan’s life. She has been married to public affairs executive Jared Cameron since 1979. He’s the one who took her off for the adventure of a lifetime—seven years in China. That’s where Susan learned to speak Mandarin, wrote a popular magazine column, and observed, firsthand, the enormous challenges confronting the women of Asia. The Cameron/Scanlans enjoy gardening, traveling, languages, spoiling their three nieces, and fine cuisine.

Anne Smith Simet ’63

One of the Best Lawyers in America

nne Simet began her career as a high school French teacher; now she is one of the Best Lawyers in America. Anne graduated from Sweet Briar in 1963 with a major in French. She taught at the high school level for 12 years and then became a professor at Franklin College in Franklin, IN. When she relocated to Ohio, because of her husband’s career, she decided to attend law school at Capital University. While there, Anne was the recipient of the Capital University Law School Dean’s Award, and was Managing Editor for the Capital University Law Review and Associate Justice of the Moot Court Board. Anne also received a master’s degree from Yale University. After graduating from law school, Anne began working at Hodgson Russ, LLP. She was only the fifth woman in modern times to be hired by the practice. Hodgson Russ, LLP established in 1817, currently employs 220 attorneys in all major areas of law. It is among the 200 largest law firms headquartered in the United States; Anne works in the Buffalo, NY office. She began in the litigation department of Hodgson Russ, LLP, working there for 11 years. She then made partner, and currently works in the labor and employment department, specifically with employment discrimination and sexual harassment avoidance.

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Anne was named in the 2006 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, regarded as the preeminent referral guide to the legal profession in the United States. The list is compiled through an extensive peer-review survey in which thousands of the top lawyers in the United States confidentially evaluate their professional colleagues. Anne states, “I was enormously pleased to be named in Best Lawyers primarily because it is a vote of my peers in the legal community.” Anne encourages SBC students to think about a career in law. She strongly believes, “Women bring a unique perspective to whatever profession they select.” She also feels the barriers to the advancement of women have been removed, citing that more than 50 percent of law schools’ graduating classes are women. Recently, Anne was appointed by the New York State Bar to the “gender equity task force” which is charged with providing “model policies” for law firms and law departments dealing with work/ life balance issues, maternity/paternity discussions, and sexual harassment avoidance situations. While Anne keeps very busy with her law career she still finds time to enjoy her love of architecture with her husband— specifically the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. They have recently restored one Victorian house and are working on restoring their current Southern Colonial home. She also was past president of the Everywoman Opportunity Center, Inc. and is involved with the Buffalo Urban League advisory and the development committee for The Graycliff Conservancy. Anne enjoys spending time with her many nieces and nephews and her new golden retriever. In addition to studying French at Sweet Briar, Anne played on the SBC field hockey team and spent time bird-watching with Dr. Sprague. She values all that she learned at Sweet Briar—specifically the ability to write clearly and concisely. She also feels the opportunity for her to study abroad in France was extremely beneficial, stating, “The experiences I had in France provided me with knowledge of the culture that proved invaluable in the classroom.” Spring/Summer 2006 • 29

spotlight

Stephanie Stokes

One of America’s Top 100 Interior Designers

tephanie Stokes’ double major in international economics and art history at Sweet Briar was the perfect background for her current career in interior design. Her career path, however, led her in many different directions before interior design. Stephanie also has been an awardwinning international photojournalist and a Wall Street banker. She is fascinated by decorative arts and considers it “endlessly seductive” because one can never learn it all and because decorative objects tell the history and economics of the objects origins. House Beautiful has listed Stephanie as one of America’s top 100 Interior Designers for the past six years. Perhaps her success has come from her constant determination to link beauty and function. Considering herself to be a “full service” interior designer—she is involved from the creation of the architectural design of a room down to the china and linens that complement her designs. Stephanie feels, “Good architectural design and functional layout are essential. Rooms have to work 30 • Spring/Summer 2006

for the lives of the people who live in them. The art of decoration comes next, but decoration should never be overdone as to be conspicuous or pretentious.” A large amount of research is also important in the creation of any room because Stephanie believes design is very closely linked to history. Stephanie also buys artwork for many of the rooms she designs. She has recently assembled collections of photography, African-American contemporary art, 1930–40s American paintings and Arts and Crafts furniture for her various clients. From her world travels and countless visits to other countries’ art galleries and museums, she has developed an unusual vocabulary of color, texture and pattern, as well as an extensive knowledge of fine and decorative arts, which enables her to work easily with her art collector clients. Stephanie has been working on many projects including a townhouse in the Arts and Crafts style (in order to allow the interior to befit the exterior), two family houses in Bronxville, an apartment with world-class English antiques, an apartment for a collector of Asian art, and a bachelor pad for a 30-year old trader. These different projects can take anywhere from six weeks to two years and they provide Stephanie the opportunity to be creative as she watches the visions in her head become a reality. Stephanie began her interior design career at Mark Hampton, Inc. She later became a partner of the late Harrison Cultra and established her own company in 1982. Her work has been reviewed in numerous magazines, including Architectural Digest, British House and Garden, Traditional Home, and HG, as well as many books including “Kitchens,” “Baths” and “Bedrooms” by Chris Madden. She is also in the process of publishing her own book entitled, “Fantasy and Function” which focuses on beautiful apartments and houses that function as well. Stephanie feels blessed to have been able to study both international economics and art history at Sweet Briar and thinks fondly of the trails she rode every day on campus. She loved Virginia’s countryside and considers Sweet Briar one of the “most

beautiful campuses in the world.” Recently she hosted a Sweet Briar Day event in her Manhattan apartment (which has been featured in nine magazines including Architectural Digest, Traditional Home, House and Garden and Quest) and was delighted to meet some of Sweet Briar’s current students and learn how forwardthinking Sweet Briar has become. She feels Sweet Briar is giving women the opportunity to be successful in previously male-dominated professions. In what little spare time she has, Stephanie serves on various boards including the Sir John Soane Foundation. She also reads several foreign language newspapers every Sunday and travels overseas several times a year. Recently she climbed Mt. Olympus! Marion F. Walker ’72

Joins Ford & Harrison as Senior Counsel

weet Briar College prepares her students to be strong women who can go out into the world and accomplish anything they set their mind to accomplishing. Marion F. Walker has done just that over the last 30 years of her law career. Just recently, Marion joined the law firm of Ford & Harrison as senior counsel. Ford & Harrison is one of the nation’s largest labor and employment law firms with 150 lawyers and consultants in 16 different offices across the country. Ford & Harrison represents employers in labor and employment issues, including immigration, employee benefits matters, and litigation involving national and international jurisdictions. Seeing Sweet Briar for the first time as a junior in high school, Marion instantly knew the gorgeous campus and closeknit community was where she would be attending college—even though there were a few things she intended to change when she got to campus! Marion Marion F. Walker ’72 recollects that in

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“

The education I received more than prepared me to attend law school and gave me a curiosity about life that continually enriches me. Importantly, SBC let me have fun and learn.” —MARION F. WALKER ’72

1968 when she arrived on campus there were still many rules requiring Sweet Briar students to wear stockings, gloves and hats to shop in Lynchburg in order to preserve the “Sweet Briar image.” Ironically, being part of a student team to lead the charge against all of these rules at Sweet Briar taught her about solving problems between people who see the same issues from different perspectives—a talent that would serve her well in her future career as a lawyer. Walker learned just as much out of the classroom as she did in the classroom because of her involvement in Student Government, QVs, Sweet Tones and the golf team (of which she was the only freshman member). She loved all of the traditions at Sweet Briar and hopes they are continuing. She states, “SBC taught me a lot about community and its importance to all. The education I received more than prepared me to attend law school and gave me a curiosity about life that continually enriches me. Importantly, SBC let me have fun and learn.” After graduation from SBC with distinction and a degree in government, Marion attended the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, where she was Comments Editor for the Cumberland Law Review and Associate Justice for the Moot Court Board. When she entered the law profession, female lawyers were not welcomed in Birmingham. She was one of only five women who ever went to court for several years. At that time, there were only ten women total who practiced in Birmingham, AL. Marion has been a trial lawyer from the beginning of her career and owned her own firm from 1992–2001. Since 1991, she has been closely involved

spotlight with employment matters both on the plaintiff’s and defendant’s side, and since March of 2001, has represented employers with employment advice and litigation. She has handled hundreds of cases and tried more than 55 cases to verdict in federal and state courts and is sought out as a mediator. As mentioned earlier, Sweet Briar taught Marion about the importance of community, which she clearly still values today. She is involved with several clubs and organizations in her community including: Breast Cancer Research Foundation (Founding Member of Board), The Alabama Solution (Founding Member

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of Board), Arlington School Project (Founding Member of Board), First Light, Inc. (Member of the Board), United Way of Central Alabama, Inc. and the YWCA. She also spends much of her time golfing, sailing, reading, traveling, and with her five nephews and three nieces. If she were to offer any advice to current SBC students it would be, “To make sure they get the best education they can from SBC and they will never be bored; to find their passion and pursue it; to find someone they can live with and learn to love; and to hold on to friends and family even when it gets hard.”

Joanna Wood ’06 Named Presidential Medalist

resident Muhlenfeld presented Joanna Katherine Wood, from Hopkinton, MA, with Sweet Briar College’s 2006 Presidential Medal at the Academic Recognition Dinner March 22nd. The Presidential Medal is the highest all-around honor that Sweet Briar bestows on a student. It honors seniors who have demonstrated exemplary intellectual achievement and distinction in some or all of the following areas: service to the community; contributions to the arts; enlargement of our global perspective; athletic fitness and achievement; leadership, and contributions to the community discourse. Honorees receive a replica of the President’s Medallion given to SBC presidents at their inaugurations. Having spent her junior year at St. Andrews University, Scotland, Joanna was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in May with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a minor in Biology. Her honors include membership in the National Honor Society, recipient of the Betty Bean Black Scholarship, First-Year Honors, and Dean’s List. She is a member and former treasurer of Alpha Lambda Delta and has served on the Judicial Committee since her freshman year as an elected representative and secretary. A QV and an athlete, Joanna is involved in a number of activities on campus. She is a member of the Varsity Lacrosse Team and Golf Club. She serves on the Academic Affairs Committee and is also a participant in LEAP (Leaders Emerging and Achieving Program) and Habitat for Humanity. At Sweet Briar, she not only has distinguished herself intellectually and in service to the community, but also has involved herself with the innermost workings of the broader community of alumnae as the Alumnae Office Intern for Reunion 2006. Joanna, a multifaceted young woman, has made impressive contributions to the Sweet Briar community. Ed. Note: For more about Joanna, see “The Sweet Briar Student of Today” article beginning on page 2 of this issue. President Muhlenfeld with Joanna Wood ’06

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bulletin board

Open Your Doors…

TO ALUMNAE, CURRENT STUDENTS, PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS, AND PARENTS

PACK YOUR BAGS AND JOIN FELLOW SWEET BRIAR TRAVELERS FOR THESE UPCOMING TOURS ABROAD! October 7–24, 2006 China’s Silk Road December 27, 2006– January 5, 2007 New Year’s in Morocco May 4–12, 2007 Village Life along the Waterways of Holland and Belgium October 19–November 3, 2007 Argentina, Chile and Patagonia May 29–June 6, 2007 Village Life Along the Dalmatian Coast August 2–10, 2007 Village Life in the Dordogne Contact Melissa Coffey ’98, Tour Coordinator, Alumnae Office, for details: 800-381-6131; 434-381-6243; mcoffey@sbc.edu

e have learned that alumnae, students and parents love to visit Sweet Briar homes. The very gift of this College came via the doorway of an open home and the belief in higher education for young women: Sweet Briar House. Each fall, President Muhlenfeld welcomes groups of new students to Sweet Briar House for “Brownies with Betsy.” In December she hosts holiday events for faculty, staff, and retirees, and in the Spring honors retiring faculty. At Reunion 2006, Dean Green and his wife Lynn opened the Deanery doors to welcome the Class of 2001 to its first Reunion, Louise Swiecki Zingaro ’80 welcomed the class of1986 to The Farm House for its 20th, and Ivana Pelnar-Zaiko invited alumnae to Red Top. Many alumnae also opened their doors. In December and January, Sweet Briar Alumnae Clubs hosted an unprecedented 31 Sweet Briar Days; 17 of these celebrations were in alumnae homes. This personal touch added to the excitement of the day and truly exemplified Sweet Briar’s closeknit community. Alumnae hostesses included: Jan Huguenin Assmus ’69, Stephanie Stokes ’64, Kimberley McGraw Euston ’92, Elizabeth Wyatt ’69, Kerri Rawlings Burtner ’97, Julie Hildebrand ’96, Betty Phillips Lupton ’58, Sandra Taylor ’74, Linda DeVogt ’86, Sarah Belk Gambrell ’39, Elvira McMillan Tate ’65, Irene Maslanik ’07, Judy Brown Fletcher ’71, Mason Bennett Rummel ’83, Dayna Avery Hulme ’86, Vikki Schroeder ’87, Ellen Sellers McDowell ’77. We ask you to open your doors for a Sweet Briar Day, while the students are home on holiday,

for a Back-to-School event to welcome new students and parents, or for a lecture by a visiting professor. These are opportunities to reunite friends and introduce newcomers to SBC’s lifelong community. Call your club president or the Alumnae Office to open your doors. And please remember: our door is always open at the Alumnae Office!

Alumnae Association President Linda DeVogt ‘86 opens her door

Remember the Honor Roll of Donors is now online… Go to www.giving.sbc.edu and click on “Honor Roll” to view the 2004–2005 edition. If you do not have Internet access and would like a printed copy of the Honor Roll of Donors, please contact the Office of Development toll-free: 888-846-5722. The College thanks you! 32 • Spring/Summer 2006

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

transitions Cheryl was selected from a very strong pool of candidates—a pool developed from more than 500 inquiries, a tribute to the strength of our Co-Curricular Life Program.

Cheryl Steele

Cheryl L. Steele

New Dean of Co-Curricular Life/Vice President for Student Affairs PRESIDENT ELISABETH S. MUHLENFELD

It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Cheryl L. Steele as Sweet Briar’s new Dean of Co-Curricular Life and Vice President for Student Affairs. Cheryl comes to Sweet Briar from Kenyon College in Ohio, where she has been Associate Dean of Students since 1992 and this year served as Acting Dean of Students, the chief student affairs officer. As Associate Dean, she had direct responsibility for student advising (academic and personal); judicial affairs; and more than 100 student organizations including student government and class committees. In addition, she has overseen extracurricular program facilities and a wide range of college services. Cheryl went to Kenyon in 1986 to serve as Assistant Dean of Students from Mary Baldwin

College in Virginia, where she was Director of Student Activities from 1983–1986. She earned both her M.Ed. (major: counseling and guidance) and B.S. (majors: history and social sciences) from the University of Montevallo in Alabama. At Kenyon, Cheryl championed leadership programs as well as encouraged campus programming for women via the Crozier Center for Women. An articulate advocate for all students, and for the value of a diverse student body, Cheryl will bring to Sweet Briar more than 20 years of experience and a deep understanding of residential liberal arts colleges. She believes strongly in institutions like Mary Baldwin, Kenyon, and Sweet Briar, both because of the value of such institutions as settings for student learning and development, and because, in her words, such a setting “offers

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unique opportunities for student life professionals to work closely with faculty and academic administration.” Cheryl was selected from a very strong pool of candidates— a pool developed from more than 500 inquiries, a tribute to the strength of our Co-Curricular Life Program. After accepting the position, Cheryl spent April 27th–30th on campus during the Spring

meetings of the Board of Directors and the Alumnae Association Board, attending meetings and get-togethers with members of both boards and with students. She officially begins her responsibilities July 5th and looks forward to welcoming alumnae to her home on campus—assisted by her three dogs!

Paula Kirkland ’06 Joins SBC Alumnae Office Staff LOUISE SWIECKI ZINGARO ’80 DIRECTOR, ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION

he SBC Alumnae Office is pleased to announce that Paula Kirkland ’06 began working in the Alumnae Office as an Assistant Director on Thursday, June 1, 2006. Paula graduated with a B.A. from Sweet Briar College in May 2006 with a major in English and Creative Writing and a minor in Government. She served as the Admissions Tour Guide Chairwoman, Vice President of the Class of 2006, Senior Week Coordinator, Varsity Field Hockey Team Captain and Secretary of Circle K. She also assisted with the Senior Pledge Campaign. Paula's major areas of responsibility will be coordinating the Alumnae Admissions Representatives Program, working with Alumnae Club Programs and assisting with our Reunion Program. I know that you will join me in welcoming Paula to the Alumnae Office. Paula Kirkland ’06

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transitions RETIREES 2006 William L. Hostetler Associate Professor of Economics & Business MEAGAN BELL ’09 STUDENT ASSISTANT, ALUMNAE OFFICE

Dominique Leveau Professor of French EMILY CLIFTON ’08 STAFF WRITER, SWEET BRIAR VOICE

The Department of Modern Languages and Literature will miss Professor Dominique Leveau, as his official retirement begins this fall. Since his arrival in 1978 as

Allen Huszti at Reunion 2005 with (L-r): Carrington Brown Wise ’76 and Mary Jane Schroder Hubbard ’62

Photo by Catherine Bost, College Relations Office

William L. Hostetler

Visiting Professor of French, he has taught French language, literature and culture at every level. He plans to spend most of each year in Vero Beach, FL, where he and his wife Tanya have many good friends. They also hope to spend every summer in Saint-Tropez, where he was born. Dominique has many plans for his time; he already has taken up riding, golf, figure drawing, and, most recently, ceramics. He intends to stay busy reading, going to the theater, attending concerts, watching movies, playing tennis and golf, sailing, and maybe doing a little pottery. At any rate, his motto is “Carpe Diem!” When asked if he will miss Sweet Briar, he commented, “I will miss the pleasure of teaching, say, a French poem to potential majors and seeing that they are also enjoying the moment and the text.” He also will miss lunches with his colleagues in Prothro Commons, calling it “a good place to unwind and share a few laughs.” As for visiting, he assured the Sweet Briar community that he will return from time to time to visit with old and not-so-old friends. Photo by Nancy Baldwin ’57, Alumnae Office

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In 1972, Dr. Allen Huszti came to Sweet Briar as a sabbatical replacement in the Department of Music. He was a widower with two children, and Sweet Briar was the best place, he says, for a single parent to raise children. If Allen stays in the area, he will continue to teach private voice lessons and conduct Canticum Novum, the Children’s Choir of Central Virginia. In his spare time, he has been involved extensively with the First Presbyterian Church of Lynchburg, where he is the bass section leader, soloist, and substitute organist. He also has given many solo vocal performances in several other churches in the area, and has performed with the Lynchburg Symphony and Opera Roanoke. He has plans to move, in the not too distant future, to a retirement community in Northern Ohio adjacent to Oberlin College (where he did his undergraduate studies) to avail himself of hearing a lot of classical, jazz, contemporary,

and early music at the College’s Conservatory of Music. Allen’s message to the Sweet Briar community is to support the SBC library; he was for many years chair of the Needs Committee of the Friends of the Library. He has donated a thousand or so LP records to the music library, and highly recommends becoming a Friend of the Library. He will miss his students, specifically how they tend to keep faculty young. He enjoys being introduced to the various forms of “our” music, including Bob Marley and alternative rock. He also enjoys NPR and other public radio, and has a huge collection of CDs and DVDs of opera. His favorite opera is entitled, quite aptly, “The Cunning Little Vixen” by a Czech composer, Janacek.

Photo by Larry Peters

Sweet Briar is losing another great professor to retirement: Bill Hostetler, who has taught at SBC for 16 years. When he first arrived on campus in the fall of 1989, there were only six classes offered toward a Business Certificate. Since then, his expertise and enthusiasm have contributed to the creation of our new Business Management major. Bill obtained a B.A. in accounting from Duke and an MBA and a Ph.D. in economics from UNC Chapel Hill. Prior to joining the SBC faculty, he worked as a certified public accountant for a New York accounting firm, and held teaching positions at Duke, UNC Chapel Hill and the University of Kansas. From 1967–1989, he worked in industrial development for the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) in Dharhran, Saudi Arabia. A recognized authority on the Saudi economy, he is listed in Who’s Who in International Business. He received Sweet Briar’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 1994. His students have described him as, “brilliant, useful, and a really cool guy.” Undecided as to what he will do post-retirement, when asked what he will miss about SBC, he said, “Nothing. I live on campus!” He and his wife Mary Ann may be found in the house they built in the ’90s at the end of Faculty Row. Professor Hostetler, you will be missed.

Allen W. Huszti Professor of Music EMILY CLIFTON ’08 STAFF WRITER, SWEET BRIAR VOICE

Dominique Leveau

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

in memoriam Willard A. Speakman III 1939–2006

We are deeply saddened to report the death of Willard A. Speakman III, a member of Sweet Briar’s Board of Directors. Bill died suddenly in Antigua, B.W.I. on April 11th after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was elected to the Board in 2001 and ably served on the Buildings and Grounds and Audit Committees. He will be deeply missed for his invaluable and wise counsel to the Board. Bill and his family have been a part of the Sweet Briar family for many years. His wife, Stephanie du Pont Bredin Speakman, Class of 1968, was also a member of the College’s Board of Directors from 1993– 2001. Bill’s step-daughter, Octavia du Pont Bredin Jones graduated from Sweet Briar in 1996. He is survived by his wife, Stephanie du Pont Bredin Speakman; his daughter, Isabella Pearson Speakman Johnson; his granddaughter, Isabella Speakman Johnson; his sister Susie Speakman Sutch; his nieces Elliot Davis Bernard, Edwina Davis Dutton, Cordelia S. Nickelsen; stepson Samuel Irenée du Pont Hyland; and stepdaughter Octavia du Pont Bredin Jones.

Professor Rudolph Albin Hazucha, 1942–2006

We are saddened to report that Professor Rudolph “Rudy’’ Hazucha died April 14th. Rudy joined the Music Department in 1991 as a violin and viola instructor and later served as conductor of the Sweet Briar College Chamber Orchestra. We will miss The Suzuki Institute, a summer program of long standing: hearing the sound of music drifting across campus and seeing the youngsters on their rounds to-and-from practice, always with violin cases over their shoulders. This became a delightful Summer Tradition through the years. Rudy’s greatest enjoyment in life was to see a child learn to play a musical instrument. The Sweet Briar College Chamber Orchestra performed an All-Mozart Concert in the Sweet Briar Memorial Chapel in his memory on April 20th . Willard A. Speakman III

A memorial service was held on Wednesday, April 19, 2006, at Trinity Episcopal Church, Wilmington, Delaware. A full obituary was published Sunday, April 16th by The News Journal and delawareonline.com: http:// delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs. dll/frontpage

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Excerpted from the full obituary from Lynchburg’s The News and Advance with permission: Rudolph Albin Hazucha, 63, accomplished musician, teacher, avid golfer and great humorist passed away peacefully April 14, 2006. A graduate of Cleveland Institute of Music he received his B.M. and MA degrees from Eastman School of Music. While he was at Eastman School of Music, he studied under Dr. Schinichi Suzuki. Rudy was the musical director for Lynchburg Talent Education Suzuki School; musical director of the Central Virginia Suzuki Institute; instructor of violin at Sweet Briar College; conductor of Sweet Briar College Chamber Orchestra; co-principal second violin of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, a member of the Wintergreen Festival Orchestra, member and registered teacher-trainer of Suzuki Association of the Americas and first violin of Lynchburg Chamber Players. He started the Lynchburg Public Schools String program 34 years ago and also started the Suzuki violin program at Lynchburg College. He was a faculty member/clinician at workshops and Suzuki Institutes across the country, former member of the Board of Directors of Suzuki Association of the Americas, former member of the Violin Committee of Suzuki Association of the Americas; past president of Central Virginia Music Teacher’s Association; former first violin of the James String Quartet, Adamo String Quartet, Phi Mu Alpha String Quartet; participant in the 2001 Starling-Delay Symposium on Teaching the Exceptional Violinist. He was a former member and conductor of the Lynchburg Symphony. Spring/Summer 2006 • 35

in memoriam

Mabel Chipley joined the SBC staff in 1937 as Assistant to the Treasurer; in 1947, she was made Assistant Treasurer of the College. From 1954 until her retirement in 1978, she worked closely with Peter V. Daniel as he rose from Assistant to the President and Treasurer to Vice President/Treasurer. Loved and revered by generations of Sweet Briarites, she will be missed by many classes (dating from the Class of 1939, which named her an Honorary Member, conveyed with the gift of an engraved crystal heart which was kept in full view on her buffet ever after), to classes in the ’70s. Martha Holland ’72 exclaimed with great fondness after a 1996 visit, “She asked me to call her Mabel! A lot of people envy me!” Mabel will be remembered for her enjoyment of life and friends. Her warm hospitality and gourmet food made every gathering an occasion, whether it was a small dinner around the dining room table, a cocktail party–cum-delicious hors d’oeuvres near her beautiful rose garden, or her Labor Day Party, an annual celebration not to be missed. Her appreciation of nature led her to frequent overnight stays through the years at the Peaks of Otter Lodge to enjoy the wild flowers, walk the trails, and listen to evening frog choruses by the lake. This appreciation of nature in all its forms was apparently unshakable: asked the next day what she did when a middleof-the-night storm caused a large pine tree to crash through her bedroom window, she replied with customary spirit, “I got out of bed fast!” Tall, stately, impressive, Mabel was a Sweet Briar icon. Impact: she had it! We are thankful to have had the privilege of knowing her. —Nancy Godwin Baldwin ’57

1972 Briar Patch

Mabel M. Chipley 1911–2006

Mabel Chipley

Adelaide Hapala Remembers Mabel Chipley On January 28, 2006 the Sweet Briar community lost one of its oldest and best friends. Mabel Chipley was loved by many students and was hostess to many of them who returned for Reunion or other special occasions. And from her vantage point in the Treasurer’s Office, she was one of the very first people new faculty met. After Mabel retired, Milan and I discovered that she was the best cook we had ever known. Some of her recipes are included in the MORTERBOARD MENUS series of cookbooks featuring favorite offerings from faculty and staff. A group of faculty members, including a number who were retired, played Scrabble at Mabel’s home, every afternoon, rain, shine or snow, and her swimming pool was open to friends and the families of friends at five o’clock each summer evening. Mabel was a faithful member of the Presbyterian Church, serving as an Elder.

—Adelaide Hapala

36 • Spring/Summer 2006

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

recent deaths 1923

1939

1965

1926

1942

Jean Craver Miss Jean Craver February 7, 2006

1931

1943

Mary Leigh Seaton Mrs. Mary Leigh Marston February 20, 2006

1944

Fitzallen Kendall Mrs. Lamar M. Fearing February 18, 2006 Elizabeth Moore Mrs. Stanley W. Rusk November 19, 2005 Natalie Roberts Mrs. Natalie Roberts Ross April 7, 2006

1932

Hazel Stamps Mrs. Hazel S. Collins March 15, 2006

1933

Margaret Wayland Mrs. Robert E. Taylor March 19, 2006

1935

Janet (Jean) Imbrie Mrs. Donald S. Frey February 12, 2006

1936

Nancy Dicks Mrs. George Blanton, Jr. March 1, 2006 Margaret Lloyd Mrs. William W. Bush February 19, 2006

1937

Jean Gilbert Mrs. Roger W. Moister April 9, 2006 Jessie Rose Mrs. Lucius H. Harvin, Jr. May 29, 2004

1938

Ida Todman Mrs. Stewart W. Pierce March 3, 2006

Helen Rockett Mrs. Seymore Ellis Date unknown Ruth Jacquot Mrs. Rone B. Tempest, Jr. February 23, 2006 Virginia Dewing Mrs. John C. Dorsey, Jr. January 30, 2006 Katherine Mensing Mrs. Ralph Teitgen January 16, 2006

1945

Betsy Smyth Mrs. Ormonde S. Brown February 19, 2006

Nancy Cant Mrs. Robert J. Newman February 8, 2006

1971

Nancy Muller Miss Nancy A. Muller Date unknown

1983

Michelle McSwain Mrs. David D. Williams March 7, 2006

1984

Sharon Pryor Ms. Sharon Lynn Pryor April 13, 2006

1946

Florence Taylor Mrs. Montgomery J. Corse February 18, 2006

1949

Nell Boushall Mrs. M. R. Steed February 27, 2006

1950

Frances Marr Mrs. John H. Dillard April 6, 2006

Alumnae in the ’70s classes will want to know that Bart Whiteman, elder son of his late parents Harold B. Whiteman, Jr. and Edith “Deedie” Whiteman, died March 14 of heart failure at age 58. Full obituaries are carried in the March 20 Chattanooga Times Free Press and the March 24 Washington Post.

1953

Ann Saunders Mrs. Lee F. Miller February 26, 2006

1956

Joan Mossey Mrs. Charles T. Thomas February 27, 2006

If you wish to write to a member of the family of someone recently deceased, please contact the Alumnae Office for name and address.

1958

Susan Davis Mrs. Dick D. Briggs, Jr. March 24, 2006

1962

Macon Winfree Mrs. Robert C. Hilton, Jr. February 6, 2006

Sweet Briar College Alumnae Magazine • www.alumnae.sbc.edu

Spring/Summer 2006 • 37

tradition In the Sweet Briar

Catherine Tift Porter ’44

In order to make her best gift possible to Our Campaign For Her World, Catherine Tift Porter ’44, known to everyone as ‘Tee,’ worked with a creative mixture of assets. She established the Catherine T. Porter Faculty Development Fund, from which the president or the dean can disburse funds to support faculty for travel, sabbatical terms, and curricular developments. In addition to making a cash gift, Tee satisfied this major pledge by giving highly appreciated stock and real property that she owned in her hometown of Tifton, Georgia. She transferred to Sweet Briar College the deed to a lot that the College, as a nonprofit institution, was able to sell tax-free. Tee was inspired to make this gift by her fond memories of the wonderful teachers she had at Sweet Briar. “They walk with me at all times,” says Tee, “whether I go to the opera, read a book set in American history or hear a French phrase.” Professors who are particularly memorable to her are Miss Dora Neill Raymond, professor of history, and Professor Joseph Barker, who taught French and “drilled us on our accents. Dr. Barker prepared me well enough to be able to compete for and be offered a job as a translator for the Office of Strategic Services [later the CIA].” Real estate can be a practical gift to the College: for example, by using highly appreciated property that would be subject to capital gains tax when sold, you can receive a charitable income tax deduction for the full market value of the property and the College can sell it tax-free. There are even ways to give a property and retain it for your lifetime use or set up the donation to provide an income for you later. While charitable gifts of real estate may be somewhat more complex than outright gifts, they can provide substantial benefits to donors and receivers. Tee Porter has had the satisfaction of providing Sweet Briar with a gift of endowment that will benefit faculty now and in future generations.

To learn more about the personal, financial, and charitable advantages of making a gift of real estate to Sweet Briar College, please contact the Office of Development at (434) 381-6161 or toll-free at 888-846-5722.

Campaign Celebration/ Homecoming September 21–24, 2006

Come Home to

Our World Join us on Homecoming Weekend, September 21-24, to celebrate the successful completion of Our Campaign For Her World. The celebration weekend’s theme is “Women Who Go Out and Make a Difference” to honor generations of Sweet Briar graduates and to celebrate the centennial of the first Sweet Briar class enrolled in 1906.

Campaign Celebration Festivities n Campaign Celebration Gala for all Homecoming Attendees n Luncheon honoring the Indiana Fletcher Williams Associates and the Silver Rose Society n Induction of new Keystone Society members at Founders’ Day Convocation

Homecoming Celebration n Traditional Founders’ Day Convocation and Procession to Monument Hill n Alumnae Open House at the newly renovated Arts Barn n Performance of Igor Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale n Alumnae/Student Panel Discussion on Traditions at Sweet Briar College n Alumnae Colleges n Cardboard Boat Regatta, co-sponsored by the Boxwood Circle Society n Student Home Games for Field Hockey and Soccer n Alumnae Pick-up Games n Induction of Charter Class into the Sweet Briar College Athletics Hall of Fame

Alumnae, Parents and Friends Volunteer Leadership Meetings n Fall Alumnae Association Board Meetings n Friends of Athletics Steering Committee Meeting n Visiting Committee on the Riding Program Meeting n Boxwood Circle, Reunion, and Young Alumnae Giving Volunteer Training

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