Gloria Smith, 2013 Unsung Heroine, and Sylvester “Bo” Booker, 2013 Unsung Hero

Sweet Briar College’s Office of Human Resources and student organization Sweet Spirits honored staff members at the Unsung Heroes and Employee Recognition Banquet April 26 at the Florence Elston Inn and Conference Center.

“This is a time to honor you…who go above and beyond the call of duty to make Sweet Briar a better place,” said Sweet Spirits member Kelly Winer ’13. “Our campus would not be so beautiful or run so smoothly without you.”

Each year, under the leadership of the Sweet Spirits, the student body votes for non-exempt or hourly staff members to receive the Unsung Hero and Heroine awards. According to Winer, there was more participation by students this year than ever before.

Gloria Smith received the 2013 Unsung Heroine award for her “sincere love for students” and dedication to the College. Honored for his outgoing personality and willingness to help in every situation, Sylvester “Bo” Booker was named the 2013 Unsung Hero.

During the luncheon, the College recognized 12 staff members who have provided 200 cumulative years of service.

Those honored for 10 years of service were Katerina Suntseva, Indhumathy Santhana Sampath, Paulette Porter-Stransky, Toni Hudson, Linda Canode, Martha Campbell and Deborah Beaty. Deborah Powell, Jerry Allen and Tracey Garrett were recognized for 20 years of service to the College, and Elaine Hatter was recognized for 30 years. Mary “Sue” Fauber was lauded for four decades of dedication to Sweet Briar.

Front row, left to right: Paulette Porter-Stransky, Deborah Beaty, Elaine Hatter, Linda Canode and Martha Campbell. Back row, left to right: Toni Hudson, Indhumathy Santhana Sampath, Mary “Sue” Fauber, Deborah Powell, Jerry Allen and Katerina Suntseva. Not pictured: Tracey Garrett.

• Superman (all-around fantastic man): Jerry Allen
• Wonder Woman (all-around fantastic woman): Lelia Johnson
• Batman (individual willing to work nights): Joseph Litchford
• Robin (individual who works behind the scenes): Ronnie Green and Rich Meyer
• Captain America (most school spirited): Martha Campbell
• Joker (class clown): Ronnie Staton
• Green Lantern (individual dedicated to sustainability): Donna Meeks
• Spiderman (individual who always sticks with a task): John Tomlin

Highlights include:

• Tuesday, Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m., Memorial Chapel — Global Café: “A Conversation about Race, Class and Sexual Orientation on Campus.” For more information, contact Amy Payne at (434) 381-6103 or apayne@sbc.edu.

• Sunday, Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m., Memorial Chapel — Open Door Worship: “Maya Angelou as a Soul Shaper.”  For more information, contact Amy Payne at (434) 381-6103 or apayne@sbc.edu.

• Tuesday, Feb. 12, 4 p.m., Florence Elston Inn and Conference Center, Wailes Lounge — Noted author Henry Wiencek will discuss his latest book, “Master of the Mountain: Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves.” For more information, contact Lynn Rainville at (434) 381-6432 or lrainville@sbc.edu.

• Sunday, Feb. 17, 6:30 p.m., Memorial Chapel — Open Door Worship with special guest speaker Rev. Kelvin Brown.  For more information, contact Amy Payne at (434) 381-6103 or apayne@sbc.edu.

• Sunday, Feb. 24, 5 p.m., Memorial Chapel — Gospel Fest, featuring the Sweet Briar College Choir and Drums and other local choirs. For more information, contact Amy Payne at (434) 381-6103 or apayne@sbc.edu.

• Throughout February, Tuesdays 8:30-10 a.m., Thursdays noon-1 p.m., and Sundays 1-3:30 p.m. — Self-guided tours of Sweet Briar’s historic 19th-century slave cabin. Note: A student will be available to answer questions. For more information, contact Lynn Rainville at (434) 381-6432 or lrainville@sbc.edu.

The event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by Sweet Briar’s Lectures and Events Committee, the dean and the Honors Program.

Tatar is the John L. Loeb Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures and chair of the folklore and mythology program at Harvard University. She is the author of numerous critical essays and books, including “The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales.” The recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Tatar has written for the New York Times, the New Republic and the Harvard Crimson. Her work has been featured on the Today Show and in Harvard Magazine and was reviewed by the New York Times. Tatar has also been interviewed by NPR.

“She is easily one of the world’s foremost authorities on fairy tales, folklore and the sex and violence contained therein,” said Laura Reinert, assistant professor of English at Sweet Briar. Reinert teaches medieval literature and fairy tales and has used one of Tatar’s textbooks in her “Origins of Fairy Tales” class.

Tatar’s talk comes at a time when fairy tales are back in style, with television series like “Once Upon a Time” and “Grimm” drawing large audiences, and two new film adaptations of “Snow White” coming out this year. In the past 15 years, young adult and children’s literature involving fantasy and fairy tale elements, such as “Harry Potter,” “Twilight” and, most recently, “The Hunger Games,” has contributed to this trend.

The lecture came together when one of Reinert’s students, Lauren Babineau, was looking for an outside reader for her senior honors thesis. Babineau will present “Grooming the Bride: Transformations in the ‘Beastly Bridegroom’ Category of Folklore” at 2 p.m. Friday, April 27, in the 1948 Theater.

“I had told Lauren that there was no harm in shooting for the stars and we agreed that Maria Tatar would be our absolute first choice if we could have any scholar in the world,” Reinert said.

She was able to establish contact with Tatar through Sweet Briar’s German professor Ron Horwege, who attended a summer program with Tatar 40 years ago in Berlin.

“We were stunned — and then ecstatic — that she agreed!” Reinert said. “I am thrilled that we have been able to give Lauren this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with the scholar in her field. Words cannot express how pleased and proud I am of Lauren.”

Contact: Janika Carey

Soon, cownose rays will be arriving at their summer breeding ground in the Chesapeake Bay. They swarm into the Bay, by some estimates in the millions, setting up an inevitable clash between man and fish that seems to escalate with each migration.

The rays — big mollusk-eating predators — are blamed for harming commercial oyster and clam fisheries and destroying delicate habitats as they feed. The rays’ presumed dining habits have earned them the ire of nearly every Chesapeake Bay constituency, despite their undisputed place as a native species.

Indeed, the cownose is a historical figure. While exploring the Rappahannock River circa 1608, a ray reputedly stung Captain John Smith as he speared it with his sword. According to lore, he was in such pain his crew feared he was dying and dug his grave. Smith recovered, however, and ate the ray for supper.

That is exactly what many people want to do with the ray today — put it on the dinner menu. There are both grassroots and organized movements under way to control their numbers. One proposed solution, vigorously promoted by the Virginia Marine Products Boards, is to establish a food market for cownose ray meat.

But scientists such as marine biologist John Morrissey of Sweet Briar College say that would be a bad idea.

“Establishing a sustainable fishery would be difficult because of the reproductive strategy used by this species,” Morrissey says. “They produce only one pup each year, and thus they are very vulnerable to overfishing.”

Moreover, Morrissey argues, it’s far from clear what impact the rays’ eating habits actually have on commercial shellfish populations. Since 2010, Morrissey and his students, along with colleagues at Hood College in Maryland, have been investigating the rays’ diet.

“What we and others, such as Bob Fisher at [Virginia Institute of Marine Science], hope to accomplish is to replace assumptions about their diet and impact on the bay with facts. What if their impact is much less damaging than is assumed, or much worse? This should be quantified before we launch an eradication fishery.”

Morrissey’s not in it for the glamour. The work he and his colleagues have chosen is painstaking and odorous, involving analysis of stomach and fecal content. Why do it?

To make us think twice about tampering with Mother Nature, something at which we almost never succeed, he says.

“The truth is, nobody can predict how the bay will respond if these apex predators are removed. The cure could easily be much worse than the curse. For example, we’ve removed mountain lions and coyotes from this area in an effort to make ourselves safer. And what happened? The deer population exploded, and now they are killing us when they crash through our windshields.

“There are many, many such examples, so that’s most important, in my view. I think it trumps whatever we find out about their diets.”

Morrissey is an expert on sharks, having studied them extensively in the wild and in the laboratory. He serves on the board of directors of the American Elasmobranch Society, an organization of professional ichthyologists who specialize in the biology of sharks, skates and rays.

He maintains a reproducing colony of chain catsharks, a small deep-sea shark species, on Sweet Briar’s campus. The live sharks allow him and his students to study the species’ natural history and to cover a broad range of research questions.

Contact: Jennifer McManamay

Sweet Briar College will host the Girls on the Run of Central Virginia Spring Celebration 5K at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 5 on campus. The Lynchburg-based Girls on the Run council has already held one race at Sweet Briar since the two women’s organizations announced a partnership in August 2011.

Formerly known as Girls on the Run of Greater Lynchburg, the chapter’s new name reflects its growth and positive impact on its participants across the region. The program serves girls ages 8 to 13. The Central Virginia council holds spring and fall races, which are culminating events at the end of its 12-week programs.

Sweet Briar is proud to be part of that growth and looks forward to continuing its support of the organization’s mission, which is so similar to its own — empowering girls and young women and educating them for success and well-being. It also provides opportunities for Sweet Briar students to volunteer, mentor the younger girls and share some of the benefits they’ve experienced in an all-women’s educational environment.

“I think it’s awesome that we are having this event at Sweet Briar, because we share several of the same values that Girls on the Run does,” says first-year Celia Lee. “Our institution stands behind a strong foundation of people who believe that women can do incredible things when we have the proper support and a strong group of friends who are working right alongside of us.”

Lee was a “running buddy” in the first race in November. Her job was to motivate the girls who were slowing down or walking during the more difficult parts of the race course along Sweet Briar’s hilly Dairy Loop.

Senior Stephanie Prato, also a running buddy, helped a girl named Emily tackle those hills. “We struggled a bit, but didn’t give up. When we rounded the corner and began to run down Quad Road to the finish line, Emily picked up her pace and finished strong.”

About 300 girls will run in the spring race and both Prato and Lee will be back as volunteers. They believe in the Girls on the Run program, which teaches life skills along with physical fitness.

“Showing the girls that they can exercise with their friends and even run a 5k at such a young age gives them the confidence to succeed in other areas of their lives, and to know that they are capable of doing anything they set their minds to,” Lee says.

Girls on the Run has chapters all over the United States and in Canada. Locally, teams meet for lessons at schools and community centers throughout the Central Virginia council’s 23 counties and cities.

Mary Hansen, director and co-founder of the local council, says partnering with Sweet Briar and holding the races on campus are both good moves, so far.

“The College has graciously opened its campus to hundreds of runners, volunteers and spectators while providing additional student, staff and faculty volunteers, security and other amenities to enhance our time on campus,” she says.

“The Dairy Loop provides a safe and scenic run for our young participants and their coaches. This is no easy run, however, and the girls come away with an even greater sense of satisfaction as they navigate the hills and gravel roads.”

It also takes them past the College’s riding center. In the fall, a few of the horses raced alongside the runners until they ran out of pasture — a thrilling distraction for the girls, but a challenge for the coaches to keep the excited youngsters pointed toward the finish line, Hansen says.

The pre-race activities are also popular with the girls. Student volunteers will work at face painting and “happy hair” tables before the 9 a.m. start, which definitely adds to the color and excitement of the day.

For more information, go to girlsontheruncenva.org or call (434) 607-2024.

Contact: Jennifer McManamay

At Sweet Briar College, the month of April promises to end on a musical note, with the Spring Choir Concert taking place at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 23, in Memorial Chapel, followed by the Spring Chamber Orchestra performance at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 26, also in the chapel. Both events are free and open to the public.

Monday’s choir concert showcases Sweet Briar’s Concert Choir, Chamber Choir and Sweet Tones performing a variety of pieces, including Randall Thompson’s “The Place of the Blest,” which they also performed with the Randolph College Choir on April 15 in the chapel at Randolph College. The concert will also feature spirituals and arrangements of American and Irish folk tunes, as well as several selections by the Chamber Choir, a smaller group that is chosen each year by audition. For more information, contact Marcia Thom at (434) 381-6221 or mthom@sbc.edu.

Led by music director Joe Nigro, Sweet Briar’s chamber orchestra will perform Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D minor with Nick Ross on piano and Haydn’s D major Symphony “The Clock.” For more information, contact Rebecca McCord at (434) 381-6115 or mccord@sbc.edu.

Keuffel graduated with a degree in American studies and is the owner and president of Acorn Strategies, a prospect management firm in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. She shares her talent with Sweet Briar and many other organizations in her community, including the Junior League. She began her service to the College immediately after graduating as the at-large member on the Sweet Briar Alumnae Association board.

Keuffel served on the board in several capacities in the following years, including reunion gifts chairman and president. From 2000 to 2008, she served on the College’s board of directors and now has the distinction of emerita trustee. Keuffel has given her time to numerous other Sweet Briar committees over the years, including the Reunion Gifts Committee and the Boxwood Circle Committee, and has helped to recruit students as an alumnae admissions representative.

Keuffel says she was amazed when she found out the College had picked her as one of two recipients for this year. “There are so many Sweet Briar alumnae who serve the College with their time and talents,” she said.

At Reunion, she’ll get the chance to reconnect with some of them. Aside from catching up on Sweet Briar memories, Keuffel says she’s excited to see some recent additions to the College, especially the Green Village and “smart classrooms.” Both were still in the planning phase when she served on the board of directors.

And then, there’s Sweet Briar’s future.

“My five-year-old granddaughter will be attending Reunion, and it will be interesting to see Sweet Briar through her eyes,” she said.

Keuffel is a member of the Silver Rose Society after giving 25 consecutive years since her graduation, and a member of the Indiana Fletcher Williams Associates, having named Sweet Briar in her will.

Dalton, who is also a member of the Silver Rose Society and the Indiana Fletcher Williams Associates, graduated from Sweet Briar in 1967 with a degree in dramatic literature. She later received a master’s in dramatic arts from Case Western Reserve University. After working for the Milwaukee Repertory Theater for more than 20 years, Dalton recently retired from her position as general manager.

Like Keuffel, Dalton has volunteered extensively for Sweet Briar and other organizations in her community, including the Junior League. In 1994, she began serving on the Alumnae Association board in several capacities for 14 years, including region VII chair for the Midwest, secretary/treasurer, president and nominating chair. She also was an alumnae-nominated member to the College’s board of directors. Dalton has continued to serve as a director since 2005. She has generously served her class as class secretary for 15 years, represented Sweet Briar at an inauguration in her area, served on the Reunion Gifts Committee, and helped to recruit students as an alumnae admissions representative.

Aside from supporting Sweet Briar by attending many events on campus, the Milwaukee resident has traveled on Sweet Briar tours abroad and supported the Alumnae College effort on campus in 2003.

“I am overwhelmed at the honor of receiving the Outstanding Alumna Award,” Dalton said. “It has been held by wonderful and deserving alumnae, and I am honored to receive it with Nancy Keuffel. I just couldn’t believe it — there are so many outstanding alumnae.”

Like Keuffel, Dalton looks forward to catching up with classmates and other Sweet Briar alumnae at Reunion.

“Being back on campus is always a homecoming and an opportunity to recharge my emotional batteries,” she said.

The Outstanding Alumna Award was established in 1968 by President Anne Gary Pannell as “The Sweet Briar College Alumna Award in Honor of the Class of 1910.” Up to three awards per year are given to alumnae who graduated at least 15 years ago to recognize outstanding service to Sweet Briar in a volunteer capacity. Nominations are invited from any member of the Sweet Briar family: students, alumnae, faculty, administration, staff, and members of the alumnae board and the College board of directors. For a list of previous recipients, click here.

Contact: Janika Carey

The 26th annual Arts Day will be held at Sweet Briar College on the morning of Friday, April 20.

Shelbie Filson, who is organizing this year’s event, says the College is expecting 314 Amherst County fifth-grade students. Before attending workshops across campus, the students will eat breakfast in Prothro Dining Hall beginning at 9:15 a.m.

Sweet Briar student and staff volunteers will assist at breakfast, accompany groups to each activity throughout the morning and lead a variety of classes, such as square dancing, music appreciation, the art of chemistry, theater games, drawing sharks, natural art, creative writing, film music and more.

For more information, email sfilson@sbc.edu or call (434) 381-6228.

From June 1 to July 22, the Blue Ridge Summer Theatre Festival, produced annually by Endstation Theatre Company and held at Sweet Briar College near Amherst, Va., is inviting visitors from around the region to “come play” in Central Virginia. Festival audience members will be offered discounts at various local restaurants, wineries, breweries and hotels surrounding the festival.

Getaway packages with even greater discounts will also be available, and will include hotel stays, festival tickets, dinners and more. This program is made possible in partnership with Virginia Commission for the Arts, Virginia Tourism Corporation, Nelson County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Lynchburg Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Bedford Tourism & Welcome Center.

“The areas of Lynchburg, Bedford Amherst and Nelson counties have so much to offer travelers,” said Geoffrey Kershner, artistic director and founder of Endstation Theatre Company. “We have mountains, scenic drives and national forests, but we also have fantastic local wineries, breweries and restaurants. We want our audience members to come to the festival, stay for the weekend, and experience everything that is great about this region. It’s a great reason to explore Central Virginia.”

This year, Wine Enthusiast Magazine named Virginia as one of the 10 best wine travel destinations in the world. In partnership with the Blue Ridge Summer Theatre Festival, 14 local wineries are offering free or discounted tastings to all Festival‐goers. Additionally, each outdoor theatrical performance will feature wine or beer from a different local vineyard or brewery to be enjoyed during the show.

The Blue Ridge Summer Theatre Festival, established in 2008, is an annual event that features a variety of productions, including inventive outdoor stagings of classic plays, re‐imagined musical favorites, regionally based original works and innovative theater for young audiences. The 2012 season features three exciting productions: Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” and “Macbeth,” both produced outdoors on the bucolic Sweet Briar College campus, and “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” an adventurous musical perfect for the whole family.

Sweet Briar is annually ranked among the top five or six on the Princeton Review’s “Most Beautiful Campus” list, reflecting both the classical Georgian architecture of its academic village and a natural landscape of mountain views, woods and fields on more than 3,000 acres. Endstation takes advantage of this palette by staging its productions at a different campus location each year. This year’s “The Comedy of Errors” will be set amidst the gardens of the historic Sweet Briar House, originally built in the 19th century and now used as the home of the College president. “Macbeth” will be staged in the dell at the heart of campus beneath the stars. Audience members are encouraged to bring picnics for both shows.

Tickets for the Blue Ridge Summer Theatre Festival are $15-$22 for adults and $7-$15 for students. For festival tickets, package information, and to request a free Festival Guide with discounts at local businesses, visit www.endstationtheatre.org.

More on the 2012 BLUE RIDGE SUMMER FESTIVAL SEASON

“The Comedy of Errors,” by William Shakespeare
Directed by Geoffrey Kershner
7 p.m. June 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 24 and 29 and July 8, 15 and 20
Sweet Briar College grounds

Step into turn-of-the-20th-century Appalachia as a group of roving mountain players perform Shakespeare’s madcap comedy with only six actors and live music. This production will run in repertory through the entire season, allowing visitors from outside the area to see two different productions in one weekend. This production will be sure to have you rolling in the grass with laughter as you enjoy a picnic and wine.

“Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
Music and lyrics by Roger Miller, book by William Hauptman, adapted from the novel by Mark Twain
Directed by Chad Larabee
7 p.m. June 21, 22, 23, 27, 28 and 30; 2 p.m. June 24 and July 1
Murchison Lane Auditorium, Babcock Fine Arts Center, Sweet Briar College

Endstation is excited to produce this classic musical based on Mark Twain’s novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” We follow Huck and Jim as they take their journey down the Mississippi River, filled with adventure, laughter and valuable lessons. This folk‐ and bluegrass‐inspired musical score and Endstation’s exciting new and fresh approach will be sure to wow audiences.

“Macbeth”
Written by William Shakespeare, directed by Geoffrey Kershner
7 p.m. July 6, 7, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 21 and 22
Sweet Briar College grounds

Set in Central Virginia in 1814, this production will investigate the birth of Manifest Destiny in America through Shakespeare’s iconic characters. One of Shakespeare’s most popular tragedies, the story of Macbeth is a morality tale about greed, ambition and the lust for power. The tale of the Macbeths, their rise to power and ultimate self‐destruction remains a timeless story and a tale well suited for Endstation’s brand of adaptation. Endstation will once again be collaborating with the local Lynchburg post‐rock band Virgineola to create a powerful and thrilling night of live outdoor theater.

Phi Beta Lambda, the college and university division of the Future Business Leaders of America, holds state-level competitions annually to test students’ business knowledge and skills in a broad range of career-related areas. The tests were conducted online in March, in advance of the State Leadership Conferences in early April. First- and second-place winners are eligible to compete at the National Leadership Conference in June.

Drake, a business major, said she enjoyed her finance class with assistant professor of business Tom Scott last semester and naturally gravitated to the subject when she was deciding which exam to take in the competition. Keeping the concepts fresh in her mind was the key to success.

“I have used the concepts and ideas in other upper-level financial-rooted business classes, so I was sure that I knew the information,” Drake said.

Cochran is a math major and business minor who credits the “amazing Dr. Bessie Kirkwood” for her performance on the statistical analysis test. Kirkwood, a professor of mathematical sciences, strives to ensure every student truly understands statistics, she said.

“That allowed me to do as well as I did,” Cochran said.

Both students plan to compete at the national level and attend the conference June 24-27 in San Antonio.

Beyond what she learns from the leadership workshops, Cochran looks forward to the “opportunity to network with some incredible people and to promote Sweet Briar as a competitive women’s college.”

Contact: Jennifer McManamay