Border Collies

From staff reports

SBC athletic director Kelly Morrison (left) leads off a tribute to Jennifer Crispen, who has coached at Sweet Briar for more than 30 years, read by the field hockey varsity team during Homecoming 2008. Click here for more Homecoming news. Photo by Ron McManamay.

30 Years of Coaching is a Lot to Talk About

Vixens, friends and colleagues honor Jennifer Crispen during Homecoming ceremony

JENNIFER McMANAMAY
College relations staff writer

Jennifer Crispen thanked the audience for the tribute, saying, "only at Sweet Briar College could this happen."
Photo by Ron McManamay.


Everyone who attended the ceremony to honor Jennifer Crispen gathered for a group photo to be presented to her later in honor of her 30 years coaching at Sweet Briar.
Photo by Kelly Morrison.

Sweet Briar’s varsity field hockey team took care of the first order of business during its Homecoming 2008 game on Sept. 27, beating Hood College 5-1.

Jennifer Crispen, watching from the hill overlooking Boathouse Road Athletic Field, liked what she saw. “I enjoyed the game because it was the first time I had seen the team play this fall,” she said later. “I recruited this group and it was fun to see what an impact they are making.”

When the clock ran out, none of the spectators left the sidelines. In the crowd were several of the College’s senior staff, coaches, faculty, staff and many former Vixens who’d come for Homecoming Weekend. They’d come for another reason, too: To honor Crispen for more than 30 years as a field hockey and lacrosse coach at Sweet Briar.

In a ceremony led by her longtime colleague, Sweet Briar athletic director Kelly Morrison, the 18 hockey players formed a single line on the field facing the audience. Each held a strip of paper from which they read one of Crispen’s professional accomplishments in her 39 years of involvement in collegiate and women’s sports.

The 2004 inductee into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame is ranked sixth in the country for her coaching record. Four times — in 1985, 1992, 1995 and 2000 — her peers in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference named her Coach of the Year. In 2002, Crispen coached her 500th game, posted her 270th win and Sweet Briar won the Virginia Women’s College Championship for the seventh year.

While chair of the U.S. Coaching Committee, she was responsible for the first U.S. Coaching Certification Program. In 1984 and 1996, Crispen worked at the Olympic Games as a media consultant in field hockey. And as a player, she was a member of the U.S. Squad, and played against Germany, Wales, Canada, Holland and England.

The list included some of her contributions on Sweet Briar’s faculty — such as two consecutive terms as chair of the faculty senate. Dean Jonathan Green, who was one of several people to follow the students at the microphone, noted that in the College’s history, no one has ever been elected for back-to-back terms as chair. It confirms the impression she has made on her peers across the faculty, he said.

“Jennifer has been probably the best role model for all of us to understand the importance that coaches have on [students’] learning … about leadership, about how sports shapes their lives,” Green said.

Hillary London, who coaches the 2008 hockey squad, spoke after the team members. She recalled meeting Crispen four years before she applied to coach at Sweet Briar.

“I instantly remembered this woman, and then I did a little bit of research on her and I found out all of these facts, because if you Google Jennifer you get a lot of hits,” London said. “You also get hits about her art and the work that she’s done for cancer awareness and the stuff that she’s done for her athletes over the decades.”

London was rubbing in their age difference, but became serious. “I just wanted to tell you thank you so much for bringing me here because you recruited me just like you recruited these kids and all those up there on the mountain,” she said, indicating the alumnae on the hill.

London opened the floor to anyone with Crispen stories they wanted to share. Katie Hearn ’85 trotted barefoot through the rain-soaked grass to the mike and declared that she and her classmates couldn’t come up with any tales they could repeat in public.

But, she recalled, Crispen really likes pigs and so to honor their friend and mentor for 30 years of coaching, they would donate one through Heifer International. The charitable organization helps impoverished communities become more self-sufficient with the gift of farm animals.

Alice Dixon ’82 had plenty of stories to tell, including one about Crispen’s quick action after she took a blow to the head in a game.

“ … The next thing I hear, she said, ‘Oh my God, her mother’s coming on to the field,’ ” Dixon recalled. “And I guess she wanted to save my pride, because the next thing I feel is she has her hand gripped in my kilt waistband and is lifting me to my feet and walking me off the field.

“I think she knew that having my mother kiss my boo-boo on the field was probably not what I wanted to have happen right then.”

A longtime friend, Lynchburg College field hockey coach Enza Steele, told how Crispen took her on recruiting trips her first year at LC. Once, when she was just 26 years old, her mentor suckered her into pretending to be 30 so she could play in a seniors division game at an annual field hockey festival in Florida.

Steele, figuring she could handle the over-30 crowd, said what she didn’t grasp was Crispen’s feistiness on the field. “The nice person that showed me how to recruit and baked bread before we went out on our road trips and she’d turn around and go ‘Enza, get that damn ball, I just hit it really hard to you.’ ”

Steele couldn’t chase down her friend’s blistering-fast passes, but she says it made her even more competitive than she already was. “So to that, I say thank you for all the road trips we had, all the late-night phone calls. I think they’ve made me successful and I thank you so much,” she told Crispen.

President Elisabeth Muhlenfeld offered some final remarks. At least two
things about Crispen stand out for her, she said. One, having her finger on the pulse of the student body, she has always helped bridge the distance between students, faculty and administration.

The second is her artwork. An avid watercolorist, Crispen’s paintings of Sweet Briar scenes and buildings have been made into Christmas cards and prints and given to countless people over the years. “When people think about Sweet Briar they’re going to see it very much through those eyes and I think that’s very fitting,” Muhlenfeld said.

For more Homecoming 2008 coverage, see these stories:

Muhlenfeld Feted by Sweet Briar Community at Homecoming 2008
President Arrives for Regatta in High Fashion, Sees Snowmobile Cruise to Victory
Spirits Un-dampened at Founders’ Day

Anna Billias (right) and her daughter, Yelena, will perform Oct. 15 at Sweet Briar.

Billias to Perform Oct. 15 at Sweet Briar

Dedicates concert to father

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

Oil paintings by Anna Billias will be on display at her concert Oct. 15.

Anna Billias, vocalist and piano accompanist for Sweet Briar College’s music program, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15 in Memorial Chapel. Admission is free.

The concert is dedicated to Billias’ father, who passed away last December, and was originally intended as a gift for his 61st birthday. He lived in Ukraine, where Billias grew up, and his birthday is on Oct. 16 — or Oct. 15 in the United States.

Billias, 27, will perform piano pieces by Cesar Frank, Sergey Rachmaninov, Cyril Scott and Frederic Chopin, among others. She also will sing songs by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Alexander Dargomyzhsky and other Russian composers.

She will share the stage with her 8-year-old daughter, Yelena, who also will sing and play piano. All of the songs will be sung in Russian.

The program includes “very popular, old-style Russian songs,” Billias said, adding that she hopes the emotions of the songs will transcend the language barrier. “The music is such an international thing that you truly do not need to know the language.”

Billias moved to the United States with her daughter in 2006, and has been working at Sweet Briar as an accompanist and adjunct piano instructor since 2007. She started playing piano when she was 6 years old; Yelena has been playing since age 3.

She also is an accomplished artist. Her oil paintings are on display in local galleries, and some of her recent work will be exhibited at the concert.

For more information, contact Rebecca McCord, professor of music, at mccord@sbc.edu or Ext. 6115.

Alexander to Speak at Wildlife Rehab Conference Nov. 8

From staff reports

Rob Alexander

Rob Alexander, associate professor of environmental studies, will speak Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Wildlife Center of Virginia’s 13th Annual Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference. His talk is titled “The Economics of Wildlife Conservation” and deals with species loss as an economic and not biological problem.

Co-sponsored by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the conference will be held Nov. 8 and 9 at the Best Western Inn & Suites Conference Center in Waynesboro. For more information or to register, visit the Wildlife Center’s Web site.

‘Whoa, Baby!’ Revealed

From staff reports

In response to a recent “Whoa, Baby!” photo, Rebecca Girten ’09 wrote, “That sweet little girl just HAS to be Dr. Jill Granger!” The rest of the campus community was either stumped or lacking in curiosity, as Girten’s was the only guess received.

No, Rebecca, it’s not chemistry professor Jill Granger. It’s Karen Davies, college relations graphics artist and wife of Paul Davies, vice president for finance and administration.

Send your baby or childhood photos to newsletter@sbc.edu for future columns.

’35 Alumna Signing Book at Sorghum Festival

From staff reports

Lillian “Alma” Simmons Rountrey, a 1935 graduate of Sweet Briar College, will be signing her book, “Hunting Quarter: Poems by Alma Rountrey” at the 2008 Sorghum Festival in the Clifford community of Amherst County.

Rountrey will be available for book sales and autographs on both days of the festival, and all proceeds from book sales will benefit the Clifford Ruritan Club’s scholarship fund.

The Sorghum Festival will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4 and 5 at the Clifford Ruritan Club on Route 610 in Amherst County. There is a $5 parking fee and the event will go on rain or shine.

Sorghum Festival attractions include the Virginia Jousting Championship from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4 along with antiques and craft vendors, musical entertainment and food. For more information, e-mail sorghumfestival@gmail.com or call 946-2208.

Yiyun Li will lecture and read from her work next week at Sweet Briar.

Writers Series Continues with Yiyun Li

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

Sweet Briar College’s International Writers Series continues Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 8 and 9 with Yiyun Li, author of the award-winning short story collection “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers.”

Li, who won the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award, the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Guardian First Book Award and the California Book Award for first fiction, will lecture on Oct. 8 and read from her most recent work on Oct. 9. Both events begin at 8 p.m. in Memorial Chapel and admission is free.

Li’s latest work is “The Vagrants,” a novel to be published by Random House in February 2009. Set in Li’s homeland of China, it is the story of a community’s reaction to the executions of two political prisoners.

Although fictional, the tale grew out of a story that Li, now 35, heard as a child in Beijing. “There was a case in China in the late seventies about a political prisoner being executed that sparked this protest,” she said. “I took those two executions from history but the rest of the novel all came from my imagination.”

Li’s stories often take inspiration from her life in China, a country she left in 1996 to pursue a graduate degree in immunology at the University of Iowa. While the situations she writes about might contain a grain of truth, her characters are purely imaginary.

“I don’t like to write about people I know in life,” she said. “Your imagination is limited. I more or less take the situation out of real life. [For example,] my mother used to work in the really posh school in Beijing and there was a boy who used to steal girls’ socks. I like to take situations out of life and make up characters.”

In her review of “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers,” Marilynn Robinson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Gilead” and “Housekeeping,” wrote, “… these stories open a world that is culturally removed from us, and at the same time as humanly intimate as if its people were our own family and their thoughts the thoughts that lie nearest our own hearts.”

Elizabeth McCracken, author of “The Giant House” and “Niagara Falls All Over Again,” called Li’s first book “more than wonderful” and “extraordinary,” adding, “She’ll make you laugh out loud, and then she’ll break your heart.”

Li earned a master’s in immunology from the University of Iowa and a master’s in creative writing from the highly regarded Iowa Writers Workshop. She teaches creative writing and literature at the University of California, Davis, and lives in Oakland, Calif., with her husband and two sons.

Following Li in the International Writers Series will be Spanish writer Luis Goytisolo. He will lecture and read from his work, in Spanish, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16. The free event will be held in the Browsing Room of Mary Helen Cochran Library.

For more information on upcoming writers series events, contact John Gregory Brown, director of SBC’s creative writing program, at brown@sbc.edu or Ext. 6434, or visit the International Writers Series Web site. 

Lightning Strike

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

“Little Women” cast members pictured are (seated, left to right) Katy Johnstone ’10 as Beth, Marcia Thom as Marmee, Mary Massie ’10 as Amy and (standing, left to right) Sarah Schofield ’11 as Meg and Mary Susan Sinclair-Kuenning ’09 as Jo. Photo by Kylene Hayslett.

SBC Presents ‘Little Women’ Oct. 16-19

ELIZABETH ZUCKERMAN '09

Sweet Briar College will present its fall musical, “Little Women,” Oct. 16 through 19 in Murchison Lane Auditorium at Babcock Fine Arts Center. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19.

“Little Women” seems calculated to please on a campus of women, but director William Kershner thinks the show has a broader appeal. “It’s a message that will resonate with people,” he said, “and I don’t actually think it will resonate only with women.”

Citing the story’s “universal” appeal, he added, “The message of the play is almost modern — you need to figure out what kind of person you are.”

As in Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel, the musical features four women making that journey. The March sisters — Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy — are played by Mary Susan Sinclair-Kuenning ’09, Sarah Schofield ’11, Katy Johnstone ’10 and Mary Massie ’10.

SBC voice instructor Marcia Thom plays Marmee, and local actors Jared Anderson, Albert Carter, Mark Foreman and Dustin Williams round out the cast. Kershner has nothing but praise for his ensemble. “We have a very strong cast,” he said.

His enthusiasm is shared by Sinclair-Kuenning. “The cast is so much like the four sisters,” she said. Calling her own role “a little daunting,” she added, “The challenge is to make her sincere. I want her to have a purpose.”

In a musical, dance numbers are essential. Loretta Wittman, SBC associate professor of theater, serves as choreographer. “Loretta’s very good with taking dramatic situations and turning them into a dance that expresses that,” Kershner said.

Troy Mearkle as music director is currently guiding the cast through the songs, which Kershner described as “really touching.”

Prior to the opening night performance, there will be a pre-show lecture by SBC associate professor of English Marcia Robertson at 6 p.m. in Johnson Dining Room at Prothro Hall. Regular dinner rates apply. Also, after the Oct. 19 matinee, there will be a question-and-answer session with the cast and crew.

Tickets for “Little Women” should be reserved and are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for students and free for children younger than 12 and members of the Sweet Briar community. Admission for the opening night performance is free for all students and teachers, and the Oct. 19 show will be sign interpreted.

Tickets go on sale Monday, Oct. 6. For reservations, contact the Sweet Briar box office at boxoffice@sbc.edu or Ext. 6120. You also can buy tickets via http://www.lynchburgtickets.com.

There is a special admission offer for area Girl Scouts for the Oct. 19 performance. Girl Scouts can gain admission for $2. For more information, or to obtain tickets, contact Jackie Dawson at jdawson@sbc.edu or Ext. 6262.

“Little Women” is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International.

International Banquet is Oct. 24

College boasts impressive numbers of international students, world travelers

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

The 2008 International Banquet will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 in Johnson Dining Room. Dishes from around the globe will be prepared by students, faculty, staff, the dining hall and other Sweet Briar community members.

Sweet Briar community members and their families are admitted free with a lasagna-sized dish to share. Those lacking culinary skills can partake after paying the regular Prothro dinner rate.

At the banquet, International students will be selling handmade jewelry for Nations United, a club that promotes international culture and issues on campus. Prices range from $5 for earrings to $15 for eyeglass holders, and a $20 purchase gets you a free pair of earrings. Profits from jewelry sales pay for “field trips” that take international students off campus.

This year, Sweet Briar has 18 international students from Afghanistan, France, China, Bulgaria, Tunisia, Bermuda, Italy, Spain, Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Tiffany Cummings, director of the international studies program, also reported that 43 percent of the Class of 2009 — 62 students — studied abroad last year in 26 countries. Nine of those students have participated in more than one study abroad program.

Doreen McVeigh, a senior from the Chicago suburb of Buffalo Grove, studied in England, Scotland and Ireland on three separate study abroad trips. In 2006, she participated in the Virginia Program at Oxford in England; in 2008 she did a semester abroad in St. Andrews, Scotland; and this past summer, the biology major studied in Ireland, developing methods for canine DNA research that may lead to gene therapy for human cancer patients.

The late Karl Tamburr, a longtime English professor at Sweet Briar, suggested she apply for the Virginia Program at Oxford. “He said I would make a good candidate,” McVeigh said, “and I loved it. He was right.”

One of Cummings’ goals is to increase opportunities for students to travel abroad with faculty. “Our greatest need now if for faculty grants to pay for their cost of running a summer program,” she said. “We rarely have enough students on a program to make it possible for a faculty’s expenses to be covered, let alone receive a bit of pay. …

“[Junior Year in Spain] … is working with some faculty to possibly have a faculty-led … program[s] with JYS facilities as the host. Again, the big difficulty is going to be finding enough students or another way to pay for the faculty part of this, but we dream big down here in the garden level [of Memorial Chapel] and eventually things work out.”

In other JYS news, this past summer, Celeste Delgado-Librero, JYS program director, launched an intensive intermediate summer Spanish program in Seville, Spain. Six students participated in the five-week program, including four Sweet Briar students and two from Hampden-Sydney College.

For more information on the international studies program, International Banquet or Nations United club, contact Cummings at tcummings@sbc.edu or Ext. 6362.

Blanchard Walks and Walks and Walks for Breast Cancer

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

Ashley Blanchard

Ashley Blanchard, adjunct instructor of marketing at Sweet Briar, will walk a marathon and a half on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25 and 26 at the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Charlotte, N.C.

Avon Walk events, which are held across the United States between April and October, raise money for breast cancer research. Walkers choose to walk a marathon (26.2 miles) or a marathon and a half (39.3 miles) over the two-day event.

To train for the event, Blanchard started walking 11 miles a week in July. She’s now up to 30 miles a week, which she does on her treadmill and on Peakland Place, Rivermont Avenue and the Blackwater Creek Trail in Lynchburg.

To participate, walkers also must raise $1,800 in donations. Funds raised benefit the Avon Foundation’s Breast Cancer Crusade. Blanchard, who turned 40 Sept. 5, asked friends and family to donate money to the Avon Walk in lieu of birthday gifts.

For more information or to make a donation, visit Blanchard’s personal page on the Avon Walk’s Web site.

Breakfast Revisited

ADAM WHITE
Chaplain

If you are reading the newsletter today, you are the recipient of a gift (no, not the newsletter). I refer to a gift that has been realized by no effort on your part. Before our feet hit the floor and our eyes have shed the weight of slumber, we have already received a great gift. Whether we recognize it as such is yet another matter.

Yet the gift is real and it has been given: it is the gift of a new day. Keep in mind that there are a limited number of days apportioned to us, so each and every one is precious and, quite frankly, sacred.

Since we did nothing to effect or merit our existence, life itself, with its many moments and days, is gift to us — a divine gift, a gift from above. When we live with the mindfulness that every day is a gift, our perspective changes. We are more attune to grace and beauty. We have a renewed appreciation of time, not merely as increments of history which pass us by, but as special dispensations of grace which support our being and thriving.

The mistakes of the past vanish in the face of the new day. The successes of yesterday stand a better chance of being repeated with the gift of a new day. A new day is a fresh start with new energy, new hope and new promise. The sunrise is a powerful metaphor for the inherent optimism that God has sown into the fertile soil of the human heart.

I remember fondly the very first few months as a newly-ordained clergyperson serving my first church. One of my fondest memories was of breakfast. Breakfast was my favorite meal of the day, not because two eggs, hash browns and bacon have your daily allowance of fats and carbohydrates, but because in the few minutes that I spent enjoying that meal, I was free to consider what the day might hold.

I was free to nurture the sense of wonder about the day. Would I visit the sick? Would I stop by to welcome a new family to the community? Would I engage in a project with youth? Would I help a family in need. There were endless possibilities for perpetuating good, and all I had to do was to pick one.

It was a win/win situation. Breakfast was filled with awe and wonder; it was magical. I couldn’t help but wonder: How will I share faith today? How will I inspire hope and demonstrate love today? Just what are those opportunities for goodness God has woven for me into the fabric of the new day awaiting?

All I had to do was embrace the day and I knew those opportunities would be revealed, and they always were. Perhaps you are reading this article over breakfast. If so, I hope it’s the best meal of your day. I hope you catch a glimpse of the magic of the morning that beckons us to consider the ways we might share faith, inspire hope and demonstrate love. Embrace the day, and the rest will be revealed to you.

A version of this column also ran Saturday, Sept. 20 on the News & Advance’s religion page.

Former White House Staffer to Speak at Sweet Briar

JENNIFER McMANAMAY
College relations staff writer

Scott Jennings, who helped President Bush carry the state of New Mexico en route to winning a second term in 2004, will present “The White House Experience and Presidential Politics” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7 at Sweet Briar College. The talk will be in the Wailes Lounge at the Elston Inn & Conference Center.

Following the 2004 race, Jennings was a special assistant to the president and deputy director of political affairs in the Bush White House, where he worked with then-deputy chief of staff Karl Rove. He will talk about his time in the White House, but will focus on his experience during Bush’s re-election bid and how grass-roots campaigning influenced the outcome.

Jennings, then a 26-year-old from Dawson Springs, Ky., was tapped to manage the New Mexico campaign in an effort to move the state from the blue column, where it landed in 2000, to the red column. His team and 15,000 volunteers achieved the goal.

He says without a new technology called “microtargeting” and grass-roots efforts such as the Republican Party’s “72-Hour Task Force” — a final weekend get-out-the-vote push before an election — New Mexico would have gone to Democrat John Kerry. Both tactics arose from lessons learned in 2000, when Bush won the election but lost the popular vote.

These days Jennings is on leave as director of strategic development for Peritus Public Relations to serve as a consultant to the re-election campaign of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and the election campaign of Brett Guthrie, a candidate for Congress representing Kentucky’s 2nd District. He also consults for the Kentucky Republican Party.

Jennings graduated from the University of Louisville’s McConnell Center for Political Leadership and is a great admirer of Sen. McConnell, who founded the center. While in college, he began a career as a journalist but turned to politics in 2000 when McConnell asked him to join the Bush campaign in Kentucky.

“I remember vividly the call: ‘Do you want to stay on the sidelines your whole life or do you want to get in the game?’ ” Jennings wrote in an e-mail. “It was an irresistible question to a competitive guy like me who truly cares about the future of his state and nation.”

As a political operative he helped win Kentucky for Bush in 2000, re-elect McConnell in 2002 and elect Republican Ernie Fletcher governor in 2003. That registered Democrats still vastly outnumber Republicans in the Bluegrass State makes the wins sweeter, says Jennings.

“Turning out your own party is one thing; convincing and turning out people in the opposite party for your candidate is a rather satisfying thing to accomplish,” he said.

If you’ve got a good message and you’re running a strong, close race — like in 2004 — Jennings said, grass roots efforts can garner the few extra points that mean winning or losing. Such a tight contest also ratchets up the determination of people working 14- to 18-hour days.

“We knew we were in a race that would be decided by just a few hundred votes here and there, so the tension and the motivation were extreme,” he said, describing the atmosphere in the closing days of Bush’s race for re-election.

Jennings also found gratification as a White House staffer. “There’s a ‘wow factor’ that never goes away,” he said. “If you work there and you don’t feel it every day you come in, you should resign and go do something else.”

He’ll share why he thinks it’s important for young people from rural areas — such as his hometown — to get involved in public service. Jennings is known as a good communicator with student audiences. His own civic involvement includes serving on the boards of Alice Lloyd College, a private college in Appalachia, and Kids Voting Kentucky, which works to educate children on the importance of voting and civic life.

Jennings also suggested he’ll offer an outlook on what to expect in the final days of the 2008 races. For the moment, though, all he will project is “lots of weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Cosponsors of the lecture include Sweet Briar’s Center for Civic Renewal, the Leadership Certificate Program and the Office of Co-Curricular Life. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, e-mail or call Ext. 6528.

Phi Beta Kappa Presents Lecturer Who Sings Darwin’s Praises

From staff reports

Phi Beta Kappa at Sweet Briar will present its 2008-2009 lecture at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13 in the Boxwood Room at the Elston Inn & Conference Center.

Betty Smocovitis, who has a joint appointment as professor of zoology and professor of history at the University of Florida in Gainesville, will deliver the lecture, “ ‘Singing his Praises’: Darwin and his Theory in Song and Musical Production.”

The lecture will reflect on Darwin, his theory and its expression in popular culture in general, and American culture in particular.

Smocovitis said it explores several “substantive issues in the history of evolution pertaining to controversies over Darwin and the reception of his theory, but it does so in a lighthearted and engaging manner.”

Smocovitis will play and discuss music as part of her presentation. She said it is designed to introduce a general audience to the life of Darwin, to introduce some new insights on his life and work and to provoke thought about the relationship between science and American popular culture.

The lecture is free and open to the general public. A reception will follow.

For more information, please e-mail or call Ext. 6436.

Pat James Plans to Rock in Retirement, Just Not Sitting Down

JENNIFER McMANAMAY
College relations staff writer

Word has it Pat James was a pretty tough lady before she mellowed out.

“I’m told that on Workers’ Compensation, you were not allowed to file a claim unless there was blood,” Paul Davies said, jokingly, at a reception to honor James on Sept. 30.

She is retiring from Sweet Briar on Oct. 10 after 28 years in human resources. Kidding aside, Davies, vice president for finance and administration, said James has been the College’s employees’ greatest advocate. No matter how busy she was as benefits coordinator, James always made time to answer anyone’s questions, he said.

President Elisabeth Muhlenfeld agreed, saying James is the one person who has met and helped every SBC employee. “If anyone on this campus is the conscience and heart of this institution, it’s Pat,” Muhlenfeld said.

Human resources director Barbara Parker said she was too upset at James’ departure to say much for fear of crying. But she did present her with a Sweet Briar chair as a retirement gift. Parker said James unknowingly helped her pick it out. During a contrived shopping trip at the Book Store for retiree gifts, James told Parker not to buy her a rocker.

“I’m too young for a rocking chair,” James said, laughing.

James likely won’t be doing too much sitting around. She and her husband, Downer, plan to travel. They’ve already taken a cross-country bus tour by a southern route and are thinking about a northerly venture next.

James is a scrapbooker, too, and her husband has fixed up a room in the basement “just for me and all my scrapbooking stuff,” she said.

At her daughter Holly’s urging not to make the room boring, she said three walls are lime green and one is coral. “And it’s absolutely adorable. I can’t wait to get in there and play.”

James has other plans, too. Holly and her husband, Jason, are expecting the James’ first grandchild.

“I’ll also be taking care of a grandbaby that’s on the way,” James said.

An artist’s rendering of the Green Village.

Construction to Begin on Green Village

JENNIFER McMANAMAY
College relations staff writer

Running out of living space for residential students was a problem Sweet Briar College was glad to have entering the 2008-2009 academic year. Nonetheless, it will be a relief to College officials — who scrambled to create enough housing to keep pace with increased enrollment — when the first phase of a planned development called the Green Village is complete.

That is expected to happen in the fall of 2009, with construction beginning next month on the project to make room for 60 additional students. The approximately $3.3 million complex is the first new construction for student housing at Sweet Briar in the past half-century.

Plans for the initial phase call for five three-unit buildings consisting of an apartment on the ground level and two adjacent townhouse-style apartments occupying the top two floors. The second floor is used for the townhouses’ living space, with single bedrooms located on the third floor.

Each unit will accommodate four students and include a living room, full kitchen and dining area, two full baths and a shared laundry area. Outdoor seating will be provided on the ground level and a deck is planned for the second floor of the townhouses. Two apartment units will be designated for handicapped residents.

Some of the “green” features — which give the Village its name — include a geothermal heat pump, Energy Star appliances, low-flow showers and toilets, maximum insulation and high R-value windows. The metal Energy Star-rated roofs also will be able to accommodate photovoltaic solar electric panels.

The extra space will ease the tight squeeze in residence halls elsewhere on campus but that’s not all the Village will do for the College. “This has many advantages,” said Cheryl Steele, dean of co-curricular life. “It gives us more independent living options.”

Currently about 25 of the 610 students who live on campus enjoy apartment-style living. Steele noted that the experience is a little closer to life beyond college, making the transition after graduation that much easier.

She also said that the complex makes the College more attractive to prospective students, much like the new Fitness and Athletics Center slated to open in the fall of 2009. Steele said mostly seniors and “maybe some juniors if they’re lucky,” will live in the Green Village. Students make room selections by drawing numbers to determine order, with seniors picking first, then juniors and sophomores.

According to vice president for finance and administration Paul Davies, Sweet Briar also plans to use the residences during the summer to provide additional lodging for conference attendees at the Elston Inn & Conference Center. The fully furnished apartments will supplement the inn’s 38 rooms, allowing it to bring in larger groups and generating more revenue for the College.

Sweet Briar Cross Country Club members pose for a photo before last Saturday's meet at New Market Battlefield. Pictured are Laura McKenna, Britt Schneider, Petra Dacheva, Michelle Anderson and Stephanie Kepner.

Sweet Briar Cross Country Club Runs at W&L, JMU Invitationals

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

Laura McKenna looks strong at the one-mile mark as she overtakes a Randolph College runner.

The Sweet Briar Cross Country Club opened its 2008 season Saturday, Sept. 6 at Washington & Lee University. The 6,000-meter (3.7-mile) race was held at W&L’s Dick Miller Cross Country Course.

Sweet Briar was one of 13 colleges and universities represented at the meet. Other competing schools included Washington & Lee, Emory & Henry, Southern Virginia University, Washington & Jefferson College, West Virginia Tech, Ferrum College, Randolph College, Roanoke College, Catholic University, Guilford College, Salem College and Averett University.

Laura McKenna, a junior from Bristol, Va., led the way for Sweet Briar, finishing the race in 32:34 and 61st place. Lauren Miller ’10 and Melaina Macone ’11 placed 70th and 71st, finishing in 33:30 and 33:35, respectively.

Britt Schneider ’10 ran 37:13, placing 81st, and Alle Taylor ’10 followed a step behind at 37:14 and 82nd place. First-year Stephanie Kepner sprinted to the finish, crossing the line in 40:45 and 88th place, while Petra Dacheva ’09 placed 89th with a time of 40:47.

Michelle Anderson ’11 rounded out Sweet Briar’s squad with a 91st-place finish in 41:24.

The following weekend, Sept. 13, the club traveled to New Market, Va., for the James Madison University Open Cross Country Invitational. The 5,240-meter (3.25-mile) race was held at New Market Battlefield.

In addition to Division I teams from James Madison University and George Mason University, other schools competing included Randolph College, Eastern Mennonite University, George Mason University, Mary Washington University, Virginia Southern University, Lynchburg College and Bridgewater College.

McKenna led Sweet Briar again, placing 36th among the Division III competitors with a time of 28:51. First-year Kepner passed teammates Dacheva and Schneider in the last mile of the race, placing 43rd overall with a time of 33:16. Schneider and Dacheva followed in 45th and 46th places with times of 33:46 and 35:24, respectively. Anderson finished in 47th place with a time of 41:19.

This weekend, the club will travel to Salem, Va., for Roanoke College’s Maroon Invitational. The race will be held at Mowles Spring Park and starts at 10:30 a.m.

Chaplain Adam White (center with ladder) and the Sweet Spirits install vinyl siding on a Habitat house as part of their August retreat.

Sweet Spirits Primed for Service

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

Members of the Sweet Spirits, a service organization that works out of the Sweet Briar College chaplain’s office, recently spent time working with Amherst County Habitat for Humanity. The volunteer effort started during the group’s three-day retreat, held Aug. 17 to 19.

Retreat activities also included a ropes course in Charlottesville, team training sessions and sharing and worship time.

The retreat had two goals — bonding and preparing the Sweet Spirits for the work they’ll do during the school year. In addition to helping organizations like Habitat, the group plans annual events such as the Unsung Heroes Banquet, Gospel Fest and the Religious Life Fair.

They also lead ecumenical services and the weekly Torah study and maintain the interfaith prayer room, located in the College’s Memorial Chapel. The room is stocked with a variety of literature and includes a “prayer mural” on which students can write prayers.

During their retreat, the Sweet Spirits installed vinyl siding on House No. 27, a Habitat house under construction in Madison Heights. A couple of weeks later, they enlisted the help of several first-year students and returned to the house to paint.

On Sept. 6, Sweet Briar Chaplain Adam White, Sweet Spirit Rachel Sullivan ’09 and six first-year students, assisted by local Habitat volunteers, primed the interior walls of the three-bedroom home, completing the job in just over an hour.

On Saturday, Sept. 13, they were at it again — this time to do the final paint job. “They were really happy to paint,” White said prior to the weekend. “They really loved painting and said as much. … They were definitely excited to come back again.”

Leslie Martha Polaski ’10 was with the group that painted this past weekend. “It was a great way to get connected on campus and to meet new people,” she wrote in an e-mail to White. “A lot of times I think Sweet Briar can exist in its own little bubble, and unlike most college towns SBC doesn’t really associate with Amherst all that much, so it was great way to get involved with the local community and get outside ‘the pink bubble.’ ”

Rod Loving, house captain for Habitat House No. 27, was grateful for the help. “Habitat House … 27 is well on its way to becoming a home for a young mother and her twin boys,” he wrote in an e-mail. “Sweet Briar students have been a big help in making this happen. … Through their efforts we have applied over 15 gallons of paint in a matter of a few hours. This effort has allowed Habitat to stay on schedule to complete this home before the end of the year.”

According to the “Sweet Spirits Fact Sheet,” Sweet Spirits are a “community of students who serve as a student leadership team to promote spiritual values and plan campus spirituality programs.” All upperclasswomen in good academic standing are eligible to apply, and students from all faith backgrounds are welcome.

In addition to their work with Habitat, this fall the Sweet Spirits will glean apples from a local orchard for distribution by the Society of St. Andrew, and during the holidays they will recruit bell ringers from the student body for the Salvation Army’s annual fundraiser.

Doing these projects “and inviting the campus to get involved fulfills the Sweet Spirits’ mission to get students involved in service and causes beyond their own concerns,” White said.

This year’s Sweet Spirits are Caity Gladstone ’09, Jessica Gregg ’09, Sarah Hall ’09, Ginny Lightfoot ’09, Stephanie Nance ’09, Rachel Sullivan ’09, Madeline Davis ’10, Caroline Freeman ’11, Sarah Phillips ’11 and Heather McTague ’11.

Welcome, New Faculty!

JONATHAN GREEN
Dean of the college

Mark Alznauer Teresa Boylan Eric Caldwell Padmini Coopamah Martha Faesi Carlos Fagundo Lance Hulme Karol Lawson Anthony Lilly J. Kevin McCoy Yen Hoang Le Nguyen Stefanie Parker Demaree Peck Shawn Schuyler Thomas Scott Jing Wu Ferdaws Halouas

The College is fortunate to welcome an unusually strong new group of tenure-track, visiting and adjunct faculty this year. We all play an important role in their “orientation” to Sweet Briar. Below is a little information about them that may serve as a springboard for conversations.

Mark V. Alznauer, assistant professor of philosophy (B.A. St. John’s College; M.A., Ph.D. The University of Chicago) — Mark and his wife Amy have moved to Farm House Road with their son, John. His professional work focuses on ethics and modern German philosophy, particularly Kant and Hegel.

Rachael D. Black, head athletic trainer (B.S., M.Ed. Jacksonville State University) — Rachael came to us from South Boston where she was serving 32 teams in the public school system. She is an expert in kineseo taping, so if you see students with brightly colored spiderwebs of tape on their shoulders or knees, it is Rachael’s handiwork keeping them safe and healthy.

Teresa A. Boylan, head tennis coach and sports information director (B.S., M.Ed. Cleveland State University) — Teresa was the coach of the Division I program at Cleveland State, and more recently was teaching in one of the largest private racket club programs in Ohio. In addition to coaching, Teresa will be responsible for overseeing our sports information, which includes stats to the ODAC and NCAA and stories about our athletes and teams.

Eric T. Caldwell, adjunct instructor of English (B.A. University of Iowa; M.A. University of Illinois, Chicago; Ph.D. University of Virginia) — Eric is teaching English 104 for us this semester. He is a renaissance scholar whose recent work has focused on subjectivity in early modern English literature.

Padmini D. Coopamah, assistant professor of international affairs (B.A. University of Mauritius; M.A., Ph.D. University of Arizona) — Padmini is from the island nation of Mauritius. Her research combines political science and statistics in cutting-edge ways. She has been studying the effects that political systems have on the treatment and prevention of diseases, particularly AIDS, across a diverse group of African nations.

Martha Faesi, adjunct instructor of ballet (B.F.A., B.A. Southern Methodist University; M.F.A. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) — Martha has danced in major professional companies around the world, including: the National Ballet of Iran, Scapino Ballet of Amsterdam and the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. Most recently, she has been the director of dance at the Virginia School of the Arts.

Carlos Fagundo, adjunct instructor of French (B. Mus. University of Maryland; M.A. University of Virginia) — A native of Cuba, Carlos initially studied music and has for many years worked professionally as a pianist on a number of significant chamber music venues. He recently completed graduate work in French, which he is teaching here.

Lance R. Hulme, visiting assistant professor of music (B. Mus. University of Minnesota; M. Mus. Eastman School of Music; D.M.A. Yale University School of Music) — Lance is an internationally awarded composer who was most recently on the faculty of the University of Oklahoma. His opera singer wife, Clara O’Brien, is newly on the faculty of UNC Greensboro.

Karol A. Lawson, director of galleries and adjunct assistant professor of arts management (A.B. Sweet Briar College; M.A., Ph.D. University of Virginia) — Karol is an outstanding SBC alumna who most recently served as director of the Maier Museum in Lynchburg. She is off to an impressive start as the Interim Director of our art galleries.

Anthony W. Lilly, assistant professor of English (A.A., B.A. Simon’s Rock College; M.A., Ph.D. Tufts University) — Tony is our new early modernist in English. He and his wife, Emily, have moved here with their two daughters, Lorraine and Sylvia. Tony’s research addresses aspects of subjectivity and sexuality in early modern literature. He will be taking a group to Blackfriars Playhouse next week.

J. Kevin McCoy, adjunct instructor of engineering (B.S., M.S., Ph.D. Purdue University) — Kevin is an engineer from Areva who is bringing his on-the-job expertise to our students in materials science.

Yen Hoang Le Nguyen, assistant professor of chemistry (B.S. Sweet Briar College; Ph.D. California Institute of Technology) — Yen was a double major in chemistry and studio art at Sweet Briar, completing a honors thesis in art. Following her Ph.D. at Cal Tech, where she received the Outstanding Teaching Fellow award, she was a post-doctoral fellow in X-ray crystallography at the University of Sydney in Australia.

Stefanie Parker, adjunct instructor of German (M.A. University of Virginia) — Stefanie is a native of Germany. She taught for us a few years ago, and we are glad to welcome her back to teach classes in German and to serve as our German language assistant.

Demaree C. Peck, director of the academic resource center (B.A. Princeton University; M.A., Ph.D. University of Virginia) — Demaree is a resident of Lexington. Having taught at Washington and Lee and the local schools, she brings extensive experience teaching writing. She is the author of an award-winning monograph on Willa Cather. In addition to her duties in the ARC, Demaree will be teaching writing in the English department.

Frances Rees, adjunct instructor of chemistry (B.F.A College of Mt. St. Joseph; Ph.D. University of Virginia) — Frances has been teaching at PVCC. We are pleased to have her join us as a laboratory instructor. Her research emphasizes high resolution molecular spectroscopy.

Shawn K. Schuyler, adjunct instructor of religion (M.A. Miami University; M.A. Syracuse University) — Shawn is completing his Ph.D. at Syracuse. His work addresses cosmology and chaos in indigenous American religious traditions. He will be commuting weekly from Beckley, W.Va.

Thomas B. Scott, assistant professor of business (B.A., Ph.D. University of Cincinnati) — Tom is a well established businessman in the Lynchburg area, most recently as the CEO of New Dominion Packaging. He has served on the business faculties of Lynchburg College and the University of Cincinnati. Tom is establishing partnerships between our students and local entrepreneurs, which will benefit the community annd give our students valuable practical experience.

We are also delighted to welcome the following Fulbright Scholars who will be teaching their languages and cultures to our students as well as taking some classes on campus:

Jing Wu, Chinese instructor (B.A. Qingdao Institute of Chemical Technology; M.A. Nankai University)

Ferdaws Halouas, Arabic instructor (B.A. Institut Superieure de Langues De Tunis; M.A. Faculte de Lettre et des Sciences Humain Manouba)

On your mark, get set, go — or in some cases, sink! Students launch their cardboard crafts at the start of the 2007 Cardboard Boat Regatta. This year’s race, an engineering project that culminates at Homecoming, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Sweet Briar’s Lower Lake.

News from Alumnae

LOUISE SWIECKI ZINGARO '80
Director Alumnae Association

Homecoming 2008 is just around the corner and we are very excited to report that more than 1,000 people are registered to attend. Don’t miss out on what promises to be our best Homecoming yet.

If you have not yet registered, hurry and do so now so you won’t be left out. See the brochure or Web site for details.

During Founders’ Day, we will honor Senator Patricia Smith Ticer ’55, Virginia State Senator of the 30th District, with the 2008 Distinguished Alumna Award for her work in the fields of government and public service.

Unfortunately, our guest speaker, Donna Brazile, is unable to attend. She will be covering the first presidential debate for CNN, which will be held at the University of Mississippi. We are working with her to secure another date for her visit to Sweet Briar.

She is a well-known Democratic political strategist and the first African-American to lead a major presidential campaign. For those who would like to watch it together, the debate will be broadcast in the Wailes Lounge at the conference center. Steve Bragaw, associate professor of government and international affairs, will host the gathering.

This year, two new Saturday offerings include a reception honoring all minority and international students and alumnae, hosted by Dean of Co-curricular Life Cheryl Steele and the Onyx Club, and the dedication of the Government and International Affairs “Hall of Fame” in honor of Thomas Gilpatrick, Milan E. Hapala and Kenneth D. Grimm.

Other offerings include our fifth annual Cardboard Boat Regatta, athletic competitions and meetings of the Alumnae Board, Advisory Councils and Friends of Athletics Steering Committee.

Saturday evening will be a very special time for the College community to honor Betsy. The band Mo Sol will play classic Motown as well as rhythm and blues tunes. It will be a celebration full of surprises.

Don’t miss our two Alumnae Colleges. “The Grand Saga of the Monarch Butterfly” will feature Lincoln Brower, research professor of biology. Lincoln is a preeminent authority on the Monarch’s North American migration. He also will lead the Alumnae Association Tour, “Monarch Migration in Mexico,” Feb. 10-18, 2009.

Barbara Perry, Carter Glass Professor of Government and director of the Center for Civic Renewal, will lecture on “George Washington’s Legacy of Leadership in Today’s Political Environment.”

Sweet Briar is proud to partner with Mount Vernon to present an Alumnae College at Mount Vernon on March 9, 2009. “From George Washington to Washington, D.C.: How Leaders Decide” will feature Barbara along with James C. Rees, executive director of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, and General William Suter, clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court. All alumnae and parents in the greater Washington, D.C., area will be invited to attend.

In addition to Homecoming, the alumnae and development offices are finalizing plans for Betsy’s visits to alumnae clubs around the country. Visits will begin immediately following Homecoming and conclude in April. 

Steve Bragaw talks with WSET reporter Manuel Quinones.

Media Upate

From staff reports

Barbara Perry was quoted recently in an Italian newspaper. We have no idea what she said, but it looks good. Click here for larger view.

The Fletcher family reunion, held on campus Aug. 1 through 3, garnered a lot of media attention from TV stations and newspapers across Virginia and in North Carolina.

The Fletchers, descendants of slaves belonging to the father of Sweet Briar founder Indiana Fletcher Williams, gathered at the College for the first time to discover more about their ancestors.

Government faculty Barbara Perry and Steve Bragaw have been interviewed a lot lately about the 2008 presidential campaign.

What follows is some of the media coverage the College has received recently:

Building on the Past
Waynesboro News Virginian
July 26, 2008
Re: Fletcher family reunion

Historic Reunion
Danville Register & Bee
July 26, 2008
Re: Fletcher family reunion

Slave Family’s Legacy Tied into College
Harrisonburg (Va.) Daily News-Record
July 26, 2008
Re: Fletcher family reunion

Reunion to revisit college’s slave past
Fredericksburg (Va.) Free Lance-Star
July 26, 2008
Re: Fletcher family reunion

Family gathers at Sweet Briar for reunion
Staunton (Va.) News Leader
July 26, 2008
Re: Fletcher family reunion

Family gathers at Sweet Briar for reunion
Petersburg Progress-Index
July 28, 2008
Re: Fletcher family reunion

Sweet Briar to license special ed teachers
Staunton News Leader
July 29, 2008

Sweet Briar Aims for More Special Ed Teachers
Harrisonburg (Va.) Daily News-Record
July 29, 2008

Family will Gather at Sweet Briar for Reunion
Covington Virginian Review
July 29, 2008
Re: Fletcher family reunion

Horses show their stuff
Lynchburg News & Advance
Re: Old Dominion Futurity Benefit Horse Show at Sweet Briar
Aug. 1, 2008

Sweet Briar Program Aims for More Special-Ed Teachers
RedOrbit (Dallas, Texas)
Aug. 1, 2008

Fletcher Family Reunion
WSET/ABC-13
Aug. 2, 2008
Re: Fletcher family reunion

Petrus Bosman Memorial Service
WSET/ABC-13
Aug. 2, 2008
Re: Memorial service for SBC dance instructor

Grants, scholarships for students can be ‘Saving Grace’
Lynchburg News & Advance
Aug. 2, 2008

Family visits sacred spot for ancestors
Lynchburg News & Advance
Aug. 3, 20008
Re: Fletcher family reunion

Remembering Petrus Bosman
Lynchburg News & Advance
Aug. 3, 20008
Re: Memorial service for SBC dance instructor

Descendants of Slaves Reunite
Washington (D.C.) Times
Aug. 4, 2008
Re: Fletcher family reunion

Family pieces together its past
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Aug. 4, 2008
Re: Fletcher family reunion

American Saddlebreds Showing Off
Amherst New Era-Progress
Aug. 7, 2008
Re: Old Dominion Futurity Horse Show Benefit at SBC’s riding center

Fletchers return to Sweet Briar
Amherst New Era-Progress
Aug. 7, 2008

Seeking Their Roots
Eden (N.C.) Daily News
Aug. 7, 2008
Re: Fletcher family reunion

Natural Beauty
Local college’s campus again rated as one of the prettiest in the country
Amherst New Era-Progress
Aug. 7, 2008
Re: Princeton Review rankings

Slowed economy means tough job market for recent college grads
Lynchburg News & Advance
Aug. 11, 2008

SBC grad program could involve some student teaching
Lynchburg News & Advance
Aug. 14, 2008

Permanent collection works show at SBC
Lynchburg News & Advance
Aug. 29, 2008

Area colleges make the effort to find the right match
Lynchburg News & Advance
Aug. 29, 2008

Analysis: The Palin Pick
WSET/ABC-13
Aug. 29, 2008

Pink Stiletto Heel
WSET/ABC-13
Aug. 29, 2008

Nominees’ wives take greater role at conventions
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 2, 2008
Re: Barbara Perry quoted.

Palin Watched at Area Parties
WSET/ABC-13
Sept. 3, 2008
Re: SBC College Republicans and Young Democrats gathered for Palin speech.

Speedy Stiletto
SBC students put best foot forward for soapbox derby
Lynchburg News & Advance (front page)
Sept. 4, 2008

Big Pink Stiletto Rolls
WSET/ABC-13
Sept. 3 and 4, 2008
Re: SBC students to compete in Red Bull soapbox derby.

Palin Impresses Area Residents
WSET/ABC-13
Sept. 4, 2008
Re: Steve Bragaw quoted.

Sweet Briar, Randolph schedule film series
Lynchburg News & Advance
Sept. 5, 2008

Local college leaders debate drinking age
Lynchburg News & Advance (front page)
Sept. 7, 2008
Re: President Muhlenfeld, student quoted.

SBC’s Steve Bragaw Talks about Presidential Election
WSET/ABC-13
Sept. 9, 2008

SBC shoe goes 12 mph
Amherst New Era-Progress
Sept. 11, 2008
Re: SBC students race in Red Bull Soapbox Derby.

Team P.I.N.K.’s giant hot pink stiletto-heeled shoe was one of the crowd favorites. (c) Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Photofiles

P.I.N.K.’s Shoe Tiptoes Unscathed through Mayhem in Philly

JENNIFER McMANAMAY
College relations staff writer

Katelyn James (left) and co-driver Max Emerich piloted the Sweet Briar team’s car on derby day. (c) Francois Portmann/Red Bull Photofiles

Fake Michael Jackson’s fake stolen baby injured both knees in the high-flying crash, but not before the pair won the Red Bull Soap Box Derby on Sept. 6 in Philadelphia with a time of 44.7 seconds.

According to Red Bull’s Web site, a team called Bank on IT ran the fastest of the 30-plus racers, reaching 41 miles per hour. But in this contest, where showmanship and creativity count as much as speed, Deuces Wild ended up in first place. It was the team with the baby carriage piloted by the ill-fated man-baby and the very funny (according to eye-witness accounts) King of Pop impersonator who pretended to kidnap him.

By contrast, the smooth descent of team P.I.N.K.’s giant stiletto-heeled shoe never exceeded 12 miles per hour by brakeman Maxine Emerich’s recollection. Emerich, a junior engineering major, sat behind fellow Sweet Briar College student Katelyn James ’11 who steered the nearly 7-foot-tall wheeled shoe past beer- and rain-soaked spectators at the derby.

The shoe’s ambling pace was no surprise to the team and their faculty advisor Scott Pierce, who had seen to it that no harm came to his students on the treacherously wet track.

They had gotten a good look at the race course beforehand — some 1,785 feet angling downward at an intimidating pitch. Tropical Storm Hanna was coming, but the Red Bull organizers were vowing the race would go on rain or shine. Pierce fretted through a sleepless night on the eve of the derby.

“It was a steep hill,” he said of the incline known as Manayunk Wall.

Pierce switched the shoe’s smooth bicycle tires for knobby mountain bike treads, but after witnessing several wrecks, including a triple roll over, he went a step further.

“I came close to saying [they’re] not going, but instead I rigged it so the brakes really couldn’t let go,” he said after the team’s return to the College.

Despite his dire warnings to ride the brakes the entire way, Emerich confessed she did release them, noting that the slope didn’t seem so bad on the way down.

“It was funny seeing Katelyn on the Jumbotron yelling at Max to ‘go faster, go faster,’ Pierce said.

Red Bull’s Web site reports that eight derby cars smashed into the hay bales short of the finish line and were disqualified, but Pierce and Emerich believe several more than that rolled or plowed into barriers. Some people were taken away in ambulances.

The morning had been less dramatic. P.I.N.K. and the other competitors set up along “Pit Lane,” where they chatted with spectators. The team — including Kate Montemurro ’10, MaryAnne Haslow-Hall ’11 and Lauren Schwartz ’09 — handed out little plastic shoes and pink and green M&Ms to promote both the team and the College. Team members Antionette Williams ’09 and Jessie Waitt ’08 did not make the trip to Philly.

After the all-night build sessions leading up to the race, the students spent the last night baking cupcakes with pink and green icing in hopes of garnering “people’s choice” votes. Spectators were asked to send text messages to indicate their favorites. Emerich said their booth was a popular stop for the fans, and they ended up fourth in voting. First place went to a team called Dr. Strangebox.

The women wore sundresses for the meet and greet. “People were like, ‘OK,’ ” Emerich said, drawing out the last syllable. “Then they realized we were competitors.”

One little girl dressed like a princess gazed in awe at the enormous hot pink pump that was modeled after the shoes that Schwartz, P.I.N.K.’s chief artistic designer, wore on her feet.

Then the rain came. “We should have made an arc instead of a shoe,” Pierce said.

He and Emerich agreed that the event was a lot of fun, and Pierce pointed out that they learned a lot about accomplishing a big project on a tight deadline. But he questioned not moving up the race’s start to avoid the downpour, which arrived around the time of the first derby run.

“But we survived to compete another day,” Pierce said, “unlike Michael Jackson.”

Visit Red Bull’s Web site for event details. For more information on P.I.N.K.’s participation in the derby, see these related stories:

http://www.sbc.edu/news/?id=2660
http://www.sbc.edu/news/?id=2636

FaSt is made up of (from left to right) Steve Wassell, Mark Magruder, Tom Marcais, Adam White and Rob Granger. The group will play the Virginia Garlic Festival next month.

FaSt Plays Garlic Festival Oct. 11 and 12

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

FaSt, a band made up of Sweet Briar College faculty and staff, will perform Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11 and 12 at the Virginia Garlic Festival. The annual festival is held at Rebec Vineyards in Amherst. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., rain or shine.

On both days of the festival, FaSt will play its eclectic mix of blues and rock and roll from 3 to 5 p.m. on the Vineyard Stage.

FaSt is made up of Chaplain Adam White, chemistry professor Rob Granger, dance professor Mark Magruder, math professor Steve Wassell and Tom Marcais, academic technology trainer. The group formed in 2006 and performs at Sweet Briar and in the surrounding area. This is the second time they’ve played the Garlic Festival.

Tickets for the Garlic Festival are available at The Corner in Amherst, The Basket Case in Lynchburg, The Ivy Cottage at the Framery in Lynchburg, Miller’s Jewelry in Altavista, Mill Ridge Gifts in Madison Heights and The Virginia Company in Charlottesville.

For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit the Rebec Vineyard’s Web site. 

White Deer

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

Sweet Baby James Brown

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

Tips for Buying Local Produce

From staff reports

It may seem difficult to find locally grown produce sometimes, but it is important to buy locally for many reasons.

Imported produce is more expensive because it has to be shipped to your grocery. At today’s gas prices, it’s adding up fast. Locally grown produce supports farmers in your area, whether they are retirees who plant a large truck garden or small farmers who cannot compete with the mega-producers.

Also, locally grown produce is usually picked in smaller quantities, so it’s fresher and there are more nutrients intact when they get to your table. Some farmers wisely choose to grow heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables, giving you the option of trying a wider range of fruit and vegetable varieties than you can get in the grocery store.

Organize a group of friends to take turns going to the local farmers’ market or, better yet, carpool and share the enjoyment of a morning out.

Buy organic or pesticide-free produce. It’s not always picture perfect, but you will often be surprised by the exceptional taste of those not-as-pretty vegetables. Organic foods are not only less stressful for your body, because it doesn’t have to filter out the poisons, but organics are less stressful on the body of the world upon which we live.

That excess poison ends up in our rivers and streams, which in turn provide your drinking water. Poisons on your plants mean poisoning our wildlife — and, believe it or not, they are important to the balance of our world and our health.

For more information on green initiatives at Sweet Briar, visit the Presidents Climate Commitment.

Indiana Vocalist to Perform Sept. 19

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

Lindsay Kerrigan

Lindsay Kerrigan, a doctoral candidate from the Indiana University School of Music, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 in Memorial Chapel at Sweet Briar College. Admission is free.

Kerrigan, a soprano, will sing a program titled, “Songs of Love and Loss.” It begins with a three-song set by Amy Beach titled, “Three Browning Songs,” followed by pieces by John Duke, Vittorio Giannini, Edwin Penhorwood and Andre Pevin. The 40-minute recital concludes with Samuel Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915.”

Anna Billias will accompany on piano.

Kerrigan, 23, is a native of Nashville, Tenn., and a former student of Marcia Thom, voice instructor at Sweet Briar. “It is incredibly rewarding to not only see a student grow into such a wonderful vocalist and performer, but to also see them continually raise the bar higher for themselves and be able to meet each challenge,” Thom said. “Lindsay is not only an excellent singer, she also is a wonderful young woman and I’m extremely proud of her.”

In addition to her doctoral studies, Kerrigan is a public high school music teacher in Ellettsville, Ind. When she earns her Ph.D., she plans to perform regionally and continue teaching. “I love music and I love sharing that,” she said. “I love when my students get excited about music … when you see the boost in self confidence. That’s really where I see my joy.”

Prior to the concert, Kerrigan will conduct a master class from 4 to 6 p.m. in Memorial Chapel. Admission is free and the public is invited.

For more information, contact Thom at mthom@sbc.edu or Ext. 6221.

Paintings by Local Artist on Display at Sweet Briar

Carrie Brown is guest curator

SUZANNE RAMSEY
College relations staff writer

The self portrait, “Chemo Curl,” was done after the artist finished chemotherapy for leukemia. “Although I don’t look like Tony Bennett, my hair did for awhile,” he said.


Picnic Peaches

Paintings by local artist Ivar Strand will be on display Sept. 25 through Feb. 8, 2009 in the Benedict Hall Gallery at Sweet Briar College. The exhibit will open at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25 with a reception and gallery talk by the artist.

Strand, a resident of Amherst, is a professor emeritus of agricultural and resource economics at the University of Maryland. He began concentrating on painting after his retirement, shifting his attention from the economics of the Chesapeake Bay and fisheries to the art of agricultural produce — mostly fruit — and other vegetation.

“My focus is on composition in still-life oil painting,” Strand writes in his artist’s statement. “Most of my painting could be classified as naturalism, although I have a definite interest in the more abstract content of compositions. The abstraction arises in the use of shadows.

“Shadows in a still life seem to me to be like death in life. That is, shadows have no existence without the objects of the still life. Yet they can have a profound effect on how a still-life painting performs. The simple geometric shapes introduced by shadows (and light), and their ability to introduce nuances in motion and interpretation, are particularly fascinating to me.”

Rosalie Day White, an Amherst County Public Schools art teacher, has taught Strand in several classes at the Lynchburg Art Club. “I watched his work and technique grow rapidly with each class,” she said.

“He has an amazing feel for color and geometric shapes, and his paintings reflect this feeling. He has an affinity to still life and paints them in an abstract realistic style.”

Carrie Brown, Sweet Briar’s Margaret Banister Writer-in-Residence, serves as guest curator of the exhibition. She has known Strand and his wife, Nancy, for about 10 years.

“Every time I visited their wonderful house in Amherst, I was arrested by Ivar’s paintings, and I’m delighted that before her departure from Sweet Briar [art gallery director] Rebecca Massie Lane arranged for a show of Ivar’s work,” Brown said.

“I’m always amazed by people who seem to be as multitalented as Ivar, who is both an economist and an artist. My judgment about art is entirely instinctual rather than critical, but Ivar’s paintings are the sort I’d want to own myself, beautiful works that make you stop and see the world afresh.”

Gallery hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Monday and Friday and 1 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Admission is free. For more information, contact galleries director Karol Lawson at klawson@sbc.edu or Ext. 6248.

Resident Artists to Perform New Piano Quartet by Green

JENNIFER McMANAMAY
College relations staff writer

The James Piano Quartet will perform the premiere of a quartet written by Jonathan Green, dean of the College, at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26 in Memorial Chapel during Sweet Briar’s Homecoming weekend.

The piano quartet is called “Hagiophony,” which means “sounds of saints.” The title and the main melodies come from an opera Green is working on in which the characters are saints or archangels.

“The majority of the principle themes were taken from passages in the opera,” said Green, who describes the work as mystical rather than religious, despite its use of holy figures.

As for calling the quartet “Hagiophony, “I just thought made a cool title,” he said.

Green adapted “Hagiophony” for the James Piano Quartet, which often combines familiar classics and lesser-known works, including commissioned pieces, in its chamber concerts. The group plans to perform Green’s work at Randolph College on Oct. 4.

Members of the Quartet are violinist Jana Ross, violist Joe Nigro and pianist Nick Ross, all Sweet Briar faculty members, as well as University of Tennessee professor and cellist Wesley Baldwin. The group, which is in residence at Sweet Briar, has been playing to appreciative audiences throughout Virginia.

Nick Ross said the Homecoming concert program is “eclectic, including the ever-popular Mozart G-minor piano quartet and the exciting and relatively unknown Walton ‘Piano Quartet.’ ”

The latter piece he refers to was written by the British composer William Walton.

They also will perform the trio “A Musical Banquet” by composer Nathan Currier, who makes his home in Lynchburg. Ross describes the piece, which Currier wrote in 1988, as a “stimulating avant garde work that combines rock, jazz and stringent atonal writing.”

Faculty and staff are welcome to attend all Homecoming events at no charge, however, registration is required. Please note, the deadline to register was Sept. 2, so those planning to go should do so immediately if they have not already.

To register online, go to http://sbc.edu/alumnae/register_homecoming.html. In lieu of online registration, you may complete the form in the back of the Homecoming 2008 booklet. Please indicate each event you plan to attend. For more information or if you did not receive a booklet, contact the alumnae office at Ext. 6131.

Whoa, Baby!

From staff reports

Who is this?

Who is this adorable little girl in the pink cardigan sweater? If you think you know, send your guess to newsletter@sbc.edu .

Her identity will be revealed in the Oct. 1 issue of @sbc.

Send your childhood and baby photos to