Faculty dressed in full regalia, staff, students and the new chairman of the board gathered Aug. 24 to officially kick-off the academic year with Opening Convocation. The longstanding ceremony, which occurs the day before classes begin, is now in its 100th year. The session provided an opportunity to welcome the class of 2009, 18 new faculty members and two Fulbright Scholars, and to celebrate the scholastic achievements of 18 returning students.
The afternoon’s keynote speaker, Eugene Gotwalt, assistant professor of economics and business, and recipient of the 2005 Excellence in Teaching Award, advised the crowd of students in Murchison Lane Auditorium that their experience at Sweet Briar would depend on their own initiative and encouraged them to be full participants in their classes.
“Ask questions about topics that you hear about in the media; demand that controversial issues be discussed in the classroom. Recognize that Sweet Briar is a liberal arts college, not a trade school. Jobs are important, but you are the leaders of tomorrow. As such, you must be prepared to be a citizen in addition to being a worker,” he said.
“Remember,” Gotwalt added, “true leaders are not motivated to action by others; they find it within themselves.”
In his address, Jonathan Green, dean of the College, echoed this advice.
“Knowledge is good,” he said, referring to the motto of the fictional college from the movie Animal House. “But, the quest for knowledge is far better,” he said. “As you embark on your Sweet Briar education, we won’t give you knowledge, but we do promise to help you to develop the tools for a lifetime of inquiry.”
The “Sweet Briar Promise,” President Elisabeth Muhlenfeld told students, offers other things as well.
“We ensure that you will have access to a strong liberal arts program, and to the experiences that will prepare you for careers, and enhance your individual development,” she said.
The session ended with Muhlenfeld’s charge for the academic year: “We pledge mutually that we will do our utmost to ensure that the opportunities you will have this year at Sweet Briar compel you to aim high, that you will find here the support you need to think deeply and that you will along the way, have a memorable year.”
Academic Prizes:
The Emilie Watts McVea Scholars
(Awarded to the highest-ranking member of each class)
Karliana Brooks Sakas ’06
Jennifer Leigh Summerfield ’07
Natalie Ann Batman ’08
Mary Spears Dance ’08
Rachel E. Gotwalt ’08
The Alumna Daughter Scholarship
(Awarded to an alumna daughter who has demonstrated the traditions of sound learning and social responsibility)
Victoria Alexandra Chappell ’06
The Mary Kendrick Benedict Scholars
(Awarded to an upper-class student in recognition of high academic standing and personal integrity)
Suzanne Marie Harvey ’06
Molly Florence Mitchell ’06
The Laura Buckham Book Award
(Awarded to a rising junior for excellence in French)
Maggie Elizabeth Bell Saylor ’07
The Julia Sadler de Coligny Award
(Awarded to outstanding majors in music or English in alternate years)
Brandy May Stinnette ’06
The Gill Scholars
(Awarded to a rising junior or senior for her achievements in the environmental sciences or studies program and for her interest in protecting the environment)
Anel Avila ’06
Melanie Brooke Stine ’07
The Kenmore Scholars
(Awarded to a student who has maintained a 3.3 grade point average and who is recognized by the faculty of the government program for academic excellence)
Hollylane Riley ’06
Maggie Elizabeth Bell Saylor ’07
The Rebecca Tomlinson Lindblom Award
(Awarded to a student or students who demonstrate academic excellence in philosophy and religion as well as in the application of their principles to daily living)
Christina Shaheen Moosa ’06
The Manson Scholar
(Awarded to an upper-class student of high academic standing who shows qualities of leadership and who makes a constructive contribution to student life)
Guinevere Marie Reyes ’06
Irene Mitchell Moore Scholar
(Awarded to students who intend to pursue careers in public service with a goal of fostering the habits of effective citizenship engagement)
Michelle Leslie Badger ’06
The Rickards Scholars
(Awarded to one or more rising sophomores who best demonstrate potential for leadership, academic excellence, and community involvement)
Tess Drahman ’08
Laura Ann Jahnke ’08
The Mary Mackintosh Sherer Scholar
(Awarded to a rising junior who is a leader and a scholar and who demonstres the outgoing and cheerful qualities associated with Mary MacKintosh Sherer)
Maggie Elizabeth Bell Saylor ’07
The Tomlinson Internship in Law Award
(Awarded to a student who serves as an intern in a law firm; local, state of national court, prosecutor’s office, public defender’s office, or executive branch law-related office or department)
Mary Spears Dance ’08
New Faculty:
John Ashbrook, visiting assistant professor of history
Christina E. Beck, adjunct instructor of chemistry
V. Natasha E. Copeland, visiting assistant professor of modern languages and literatures
Melissa Cusato, adjunct assistant professor of psychology
Dennis Gilbar, adjunct instructor of music
J.C. Hallman, Margaret Banister writer-in-residence
Michael Havens, adjunct instructor of music-guitar
Daniel Lake, visiting assistant professor of government/international affairs
Zackariah C. Long, assistant professor of English
Alice McLean, honors postdoctoral fellow
Noemi Otto, adjunct instructor of music
James Werner Scow, visiting assistant professor of philosophy
Luljeta Shani, adjunct instructor of economics
Krista Steinmetz, riding fellow
Janet C. Steven, assistant professor of biology
Janet Sylvester, assistant professor of English/creative writing
Marcia Thom, adjunct instructor of voice
Margot Weiss, visiting assistant professor of anthropology/sociology
Fulbright Scholars:
Maha Kareem, Arabic instructor
Dongyan Wang, Chinese instructor
