Month: October 2015

I apologize for taking so long to write. I was out of town helping my ailing father; a couple days after our return, our family dog went missing, so we spent five intensive days searching for him. Thank God we have him back! Then I was sick and exhausted and spent time recovering. Whew! Anyway …

Can you feel it? Fall is definitely in the air — leaves turning colors, cooler nights, less daylight, lots of pumpkin products and frisky horses! There are many things to enjoy about fall, even if those I mentioned don’t rock your world. Our Sweet Briar girls are definitely enjoying the season. My daughter has posted some beautiful photos, once again making me oh-so-happy that she is back at Sweet Briar! One doesn’t show the autumn colors, but it does reflect the beautiful view of Monument Hill on a crisp fall trail ride.

Exciting news! Sweet Briar is hosting a Families’ Day on Saturday, Nov. 7! It will be a day of special events showcasing your student’s Sweet Briar experience. You’ll have the opportunity to see why Sweet Briar women call this place home. Come see where your student lives and eats, the land she explores and the classrooms where she learns. Sit through a presentation with one of her professors and see firsthand the unique interactions between faculty and students that make Sweet Briar a learning community. Families’ Day is for everyone who is part of the Sweet Briar community. Everyone is in this together to support your student’s pursuits.

Details of the day can be found by visiting the Families’ Day website. Registration for Families’ Day is required. A per-person fee of $20 includes breakfast, lunch and access to the scheduled events throughout the day. The schedule provides flexibility so families can spend time exploring aspects of campus life that interest them — be it a lecture on history, exploring an engineering lab or hiking to the Outing Cabin. However you plan to spend your day, Sweet Briar looks forward to having everyone join together over lunch, which will include an address by President Stone.

Here’s how the ticket process works: When you check out, you are linked to a site to complete payment. There is a $20 per ticket fee for registration. There are also four other free tickets that can be claimed. The free tickets are placeholders for programs that have a size limit. The hike to the Outing Cabin can only accommodate 10 people, each canoe session can only accommodate 14 people and the field trip to the weather tower can accommodate 17 people. Once those sessions fill, it will be noted on the registration form and families will know there is no longer space available in those sessions.

Reminder for families that may desire an overnight stay: Please check with the Elston Inn for availability; if they are full, there are many hotels in nearby Lynchburg.

Please do check out the agenda! Sweet Briar has put together a wonderful day with various options for how each family can experience Sweet Briar, and it is well worth your time. Also, feel free to bring friends or prospective students and their families.

On a different note, I have a personal moment of joy on the date I am writing this (Wednesday, Oct. 21) because it is a campus-wide “pink out day” at Sweet Briar in support of breast cancer research. As someone who is in recovery from a recent brutal bout with breast cancer, I am so blessed that years of research mean that I am currently cancer free, able to enjoy life, and able to give back. How wonderful that Sweet Briar chose to support breast cancer research, and in doing so, is reinforcing for our girls the importance of coming together to support important social causes.

Also happening this Sunday — students in the Sweet for Schools business seminar will host the Fall Bucket List Festival to benefit Amherst County Public Schools from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, on campus. Admission is free; game and raffle ticket prices will vary. Activities include hayrides, football toss, ring toss, pumpkin bowling, face painting, pumpkin painting and more. The festival will also feature local vendors That’s Too Cute Boutique and Creative Carmella. Light refreshments will be available. Come and enjoy everything you would like to do on a fall day with family and friends! For more information, please email briarsfallbucketlist@gmail.com or call (434) 381-6296.

Those are just two examples of how Sweet Briar educates our daughters outside the classroom. There are many others that have occurred previously, or will occur in the future. Thank you Sweet Briar!

That’s all for today 🙂 What topics would YOU like me to address? Send them to me at SBCParentToParent@gmail.com, and I’ll address them in upcoming posts, or sooner if needed. Until then, talk to you soon!

Founders Day weekend – what a glorious commemoration! Friday had events small and large that demonstrated Sweet Briar is here to stay, and a dance on Saturday night that was a joyous celebration! While I was disappointed that I could not be there for all of Friday, I was able to watch video of the proceedings I missed (see convocation and President Stone’s investiture here). The whole weekend was uplifting, with feelings of renewal supported by messages of positive motivation with a focus on what’s important for Sweet Briar to flourish.

During my visit, I met more alumnae, and marveled at their warmth and openness toward me. It reminded me of being around my own Theta sisters. When people are comfortable with who they are, they are much more likely to be warm and open and welcoming to others. I was reminded of yet another attribute that Sweet Briar fosters in her women.

There was a superb band, and as the evening wore on, the dance floor was filled with women and men, young and old, having a fun time together. I felt so blessed to be a part of the occasion; it made my heart swell with joy when I looked around and saw Sweet Briar women of all ages enjoying a memorable evening together.

Several people told my husband and me how thrilled they were to see a Founders’ Day dance that was a celebration of generations of Sweet Briar family and friends — attended by students, alumnae, parents, faculty and staff. I could hear the joy in their voices at seeing the resurgence of another wonderful Sweet Briar tradition.

As I talked to various board members, I heard that plans are in the works to reinstate Parents Weekend. Of course, parents are welcome to visit any time. But let’s face it, our daughters don’t want us to just show up on some random weekend to tag after them, with us hoping they will share some meals and some time with us, and wondering what else to do with our time. Parents Weekend is another example of the current administration doing things to show that they expect Sweet Briar to be here to stay.

Traditions are an important part of the Sweet Briar culture, and our president and board get that. Hallelujah!

Switching gears, have you seen Joan Dabney Clickner’s video? It showcases the beauty and diversity of the Sweet Briar campus and student body. Please share it with anyone you know, on social media, etc., and encourage high school students to view it. Just plant the seed in their minds.

In addition to the alumnae, we are the best recruitment for new students — those of us who know the true Sweet Briar story, and have demonstrated our confidence that Sweet Briar is here to stay. Sweet Briar has a focused push to significantly increase enrollment so we can have a balanced budget. Who better to help than those of us who are already part of the Sweet Briar community?!

Alumnae representatives are spreading the word at college fairs, high schools and community colleges. We could really use your help, too! Go to YOUR local high schools and community colleges, and talk to the college counselors. Explain the real story about Sweet Briar, and the amazing women it produced who saved their college in three short months. Talk about why your daughter is going to Sweet Briar. Just talk to your high school counselors — they know their students, and know those for whom Sweet Briar might be a good fit.

Similarly, if there is a community college near you, you can do the same. If you feel you need some talking points or training, feel free to call the admissions office at (434) 381-6142 and ask for Marcia Thom-Kaley. Or maybe that will be my next blog; or it may be too long for a blog, but I’ll see. 🙂

I’ll close today with one more tradition — Step Singing, which was held Monday, Sept 28. Step Singing occurs each fall and spring. The classes gather together, and each class sings a teasing or admiring song for each of the other classes and one bragging song of themselves. My daughter was so happy when she came back from Step Singing, she said, and I quote, “I love my school!” I was so happy that this tradition is alive and well and bringing joy and closeness to the next generation of Sweet Briar sisters.

That’s all for today. 🙂 What topics would YOU like me to address? Send them to me at SBCParentToParent@gmail.com, and I’ll address them in upcoming posts, or sooner if needed. Until then, talk to you soon!