The Briar Wire
THE SWEET BRIAR COLLEGE ALUMNAE NEWSLETTER
August 2020 | Volume 6 | Issue 6
My fellow alumnae and friends,
I have been blessed to be marooned here at Sweet Briar on this bucolic campus working day in and day out with President Meredith Woo and my colleagues to prepare the campus for reopening at the beginning of August. You and your family have been in our thoughts throughout this challenging time, when so many of us have not seen our extended family for weeks or months. Even though we have challenges ahead, I feel we must ask ourselves “Where is the joy?” We need to look for it, remark about it and be grateful for it especially for the young women joining us. As I write this letter, Sweet Briar will be the first college reopening in Virginia on August 5 with classes beginning on August 11. We are delighted to see our students again and they say they are so excited to be coming back (see page 3 for an interview with Madeleine McAllister ‘21). As we look around, there is so much to be energized about, including classes that connect the students to our wildflower meadow, greenhouse, apiary and vineyards. The Women’s Leadership Core Curriculum is in its third year and much has happened to make sure that the classrooms and living spaces are clean and meet the new requirements for safety. We’ve included a summary of our reopening plan as well as a link to the full plan on our website. I encourage you to take a look at the extensive plan prepared for our Sweet Briar community and any visitors coming to campus. Despite the difficult environment all colleges have faced since March, we are proud to celebrate the great news that we have not only met, and exceeded, our fundraising goals, but also met our enrollment goals. Sweet Briar is truly distinctive with its healthy and spacious environment and is uniquely suited to deliver a superior education in a small and supportive setting. We are a community that has faced challenges together before and we will adapt and become more resilient together. You have made this remarkable success possible and will help us navigate the future! Take care of yourself and family and keep looking for the joy! Thinking of you, Mary Pope M. Hutson ‘83 Vice President for Alumnae Relations, Development and Communications P.S.: Welcome to the Class of 2024 and our other new students!
There’s a new digital format of The Briar Wire available! If you’re receiving our newsletter by mail, it’s because we do not have an email address on file for you. If you would prefer to receive The Briar Wire by email, please write to alumnae@sbc.edu.
The 2020 Alumnae Directory is here!
If you placed an order for Sweet Briar’s updated Alumnae Directory, the orders have shipped and you will receive your copy by mail very soon!
Looking ahead to the September issue of The Briar Wire: Update on Sweet Briar’s newly-remodeled Health Center More updates about the Stables and Bailey Room renovations (see page 4 of this issue for photos!) A synopsis of Sweet Briar’s Summer Sessions and Summer Alumnae Colleges