Reflections on Homecoming 2005:

An Update from Nancy Mortensen Piper `74,
Alumnae Association Board 2nd Vice President
and Homecoming Planning Chair

Nancy Mortensen Piper `74
Nancy Mortensen Piper `74
Alumnae Association Board 2nd Vice President, Homecoming Planning Chair

As many alumnae and friends know, the Alumnae Association has traditionally provided a series of events on campus for alumnae called "Alumnae Council." Alumnae Council each fall had featured Founders' Day festivities, along with training sessions and updates for the many alumnae volunteers who have offered their time and talent to assist the College's efforts of fundraising, student recruitment, and general alumnae engagement in SBC. Alumnae Council has been transformed into Homecoming Weekend; the purpose of Homecoming is to offer the traditional aspects of Alumnae Council, while also welcoming ALL alumnae (not just volunteers!) back to campus to experience a showcasing of the College community and to reconnect with fellow alumnae, as well as students and friends. The Alumnae Association planned and hosted the first Homecoming Weekend in Sweet Briar College’s history September 22-25, 2005. The Alumnae Office partnered with several academic and administrative departments to offer the events of the weekend, and received 230 Homecoming registrations, which did not include students who attended or participated in the events.

The academic focus of Homecoming 2005 was the Sciences at Sweet Briar. The Alumnae College lectures featured science faculty Rebecca Ambers (Environmental Science), Rob Granger (Chemistry), and Scott Hyman (Physics). The science faculty had a presence at the Williams Associate/Silver Rose Society Luncheon, which featured an update by President Elisabeth S. Muhlenfeld and a panel discussion by students in the sciences. Friday evening featured cocktails at an Open House in Guion hosted by the science faculty. Dr. Brian Greene, one of the world's leading theoretical physicists and author of the national bestseller The Elegant Universe, gave a lecture the first evening of Homecoming weekend. The Nature Center was dedicated on Saturday, prior to the Engineering Program’s Cardboard Boat Regatta.

A highlight of Homecoming was Founders’ Day Convocation, where the 2005 Distinguished Alumna Award was presented to engineer Jo Ann Soderquist Kramer `64, who gave the Founders’ Day Address, “A Lady Engineer’s Perspective on Leadership.”

The Development Office offered its annual training sessions for Reunion Giving, Boxwood Circle Giving, and Young Alumnae Giving program volunteers; Kathleen Kavanagh `74 was featured at these sessions, and gave the talk “Stop Asking for Money (Start Talking About Giving).” The Alumnae Association offered alumnae volunteers (Class Officers, Club Officers and Representatives, and AARs) a variety of helpful training workshops, as well. The Visiting Committee on the Riding Program had its fall meeting during this festive time.

The Alumnae Office worked closely with Co-Curricular Life to offer a wide variety of events for the students. Renee Modzelewski, class of 2006, was the Homecoming Intern, and was co-supervised by Ann MacDonald Carter `97 - Associate Director of the Alumnae Association, Director of Alumnae College Programs and Homecoming Coordinator; and James McGhee - Director of Student Activities in Co-Curricular Life. As Chair of Campus Events Organization (CEO) and a member of the Student Government Association and the Alumnae Board Student Relations Committee, Renee assisted with marketing, planning, and executing events for students both Friday and Saturday evenings of Homecoming. The Alumnae Association purchased “mood” cups that listed the Homecoming student schedule of events on them; filled with “candy grams” by CEO and a Founders’ Day flyer, the cups were “dropped” to all students in their dormitories. The Alumnae Office also partnered with the Career Services Center to host an informal networking breakfast for all students, where they could meet casually with alumnae to discuss professional goals and plans.

The Student Relations Committee had a strong presence at Homecoming, and the committee’s support was essential to getting students involved and excited about Homecoming. Committee members assisted with many “behind the scenes” tasks – from blowing up balloons with helium, to marketing Homecoming events. The committee hosted a table at athletic events and gave out SBC megaphones and pink and green pom poms to spectators. The megaphones and pom poms were provided by the Alumnae Association. Prior to Homecoming the committee helped the Association host dinners for each set of student “sister classes” at Louise Zingaro’s home, where the committee and Linda DeVogt `86 marketed Homecoming and other Association events. After Homecoming, the Student Relations Committee will survey the entire student body to receive evaluations of the weekend’s events from a student perspective. The survey will assist the Alumnae Office and Co-Curricular Life with future Homecoming event planning.

Athletics was another focus of Homecoming weekend. The Athletics Department was able to schedule home games for Varsity Field Hockey and Varsity Soccer during the weekend, and worked with the Alumnae Office to host an Alumnae Field Hockey Game. The Friends of Athletics also had a special cocktails and dinner event featuring the presentation, “Sweet Briar Athletics: Connecting the Past with the Future,” by Jennifer Crispen, Associate Professor of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation.