12 things you may have missed this semester
Posted on December 10, 2015 by Janika Carey
On the first day of Sweet Briar … Well, you know the story. It’s been a whirlwind semester since the College opened its doors to new and returning students on Aug. 27 — or, to be accurate, since our new leadership hit the ground running on July 2. While we were scrambling to keep up, there may have been a few news items that got left behind. Here’s an unofficial list of noteworthy tidbits you may have missed.
1. Wondering where all those food truck goodies came from this semester? You can thank the Vixen Den Task Force, a group of alumnae dedicated to promoting “campus happiness.” The best part? There will be more free treats in the spring. Yum!
2. To be more accessible, President Stone decided to move his office from the second floor of Fletcher to the first floor. Visitors are welcome any time — that is, when he’s not touring the country to meet with alumnae, mingling with students, faculty and staff around campus, or talking to members of the media.
3. Love that pork chop? Let dining services know right from your phone or computer. Comments and suggestions are now paperless! Text your suggestions at (757) 942-5722 (5SBC) or send them by email to diningcomments@sbc.edu.
4. Starting almost from the ground up, admissions hired several new team members, including Steven Nape, Marcia Thom-Kaley, Shannon Beasley, Brittany and Briana Deane, Barbara Phaup, Jacqueline Burke, Gloria Simon and Erin Geiersbach. Many other offices made new hires, as well, and some are still on the hunt. Admissions also engaged PR firm Edelman to help reach prospective students on social media.
5. While making themselves at home in the Boxwood House, the Office of Alumnae Relations and Development discovered an admissions film strip from the College’s early decades. Sweet Briar is now working to digitize the film. We can’t wait to see it!
6. In November, a small group of Sweet Briar students, faculty and staff met over lunch in Prothro with Attorney General Mark Herring. Sweet!
7. Armed with paintbrushes and garden hoes, alumnae volunteers came, saw and conquered during Sweet Work Days in August. Sweet Briar’s campus sparkled, but the work never stopped. Among other facilities, the Development Building on the corner of Elijah and Sweet Briar Road received a much-needed facelift this fall, including new balustrades. Bellissimo!
8. The former Alumnae Association is now the Alumnae Alliance, with Vixen-led working groups in various areas, including networking, recruiting and strategic initiatives. The Alliance also launched its own monthly newsletter, The Briar Wire. If you’re an alumna, it’s probably in your inbox. Take a look!
9. In December, our business students launched a new Facebook page for their department. Check it out!
10. Up to this date, admissions counselors and alumnae volunteers have visited more than 200 college fairs across the U.S. — that’s about 75 more than the office could have handled without alumnae. Applications are looking great, too, says chief enrollment officer Steven Nape. (Sorry, that’s all we can say so far!)
11. Did you know that most of the proceeds from a newly released photographic history of Sweet Briar, written by Lynn Rainville and Lisa Johnston, benefit the College? Even more reason you should tell Santa about it!
12. Author Lisa Birnbach (“The Official Preppy Handbook”) was on campus in December researching a story on women’s colleges she has pitched to Vanity Fair. Stay tuned!
1. Wondering where all those food truck goodies came from this semester? You can thank the Vixen Den Task Force, a group of alumnae dedicated to promoting “campus happiness.” The best part? There will be more free treats in the spring. Yum!
2. To be more accessible, President Stone decided to move his office from the second floor of Fletcher to the first floor. Visitors are welcome any time — that is, when he’s not touring the country to meet with alumnae, mingling with students, faculty and staff around campus, or talking to members of the media.
3. Love that pork chop? Let dining services know right from your phone or computer. Comments and suggestions are now paperless! Text your suggestions at (757) 942-5722 (5SBC) or send them by email to diningcomments@sbc.edu.
4. Starting almost from the ground up, admissions hired several new team members, including Steven Nape, Marcia Thom-Kaley, Shannon Beasley, Brittany and Briana Deane, Barbara Phaup, Jacqueline Burke, Gloria Simon and Erin Geiersbach. Many other offices made new hires, as well, and some are still on the hunt. Admissions also engaged PR firm Edelman to help reach prospective students on social media.
5. While making themselves at home in the Boxwood House, the Office of Alumnae Relations and Development discovered an admissions film strip from the College’s early decades. Sweet Briar is now working to digitize the film. We can’t wait to see it!
6. In November, a small group of Sweet Briar students, faculty and staff met over lunch in Prothro with Attorney General Mark Herring. Sweet!
7. Armed with paintbrushes and garden hoes, alumnae volunteers came, saw and conquered during Sweet Work Days in August. Sweet Briar’s campus sparkled, but the work never stopped. Among other facilities, the Development Building on the corner of Elijah and Sweet Briar Road received a much-needed facelift this fall, including new balustrades. Bellissimo!
8. The former Alumnae Association is now the Alumnae Alliance, with Vixen-led working groups in various areas, including networking, recruiting and strategic initiatives. The Alliance also launched its own monthly newsletter, The Briar Wire. If you’re an alumna, it’s probably in your inbox. Take a look!
9. In December, our business students launched a new Facebook page for their department. Check it out!
10. Up to this date, admissions counselors and alumnae volunteers have visited more than 200 college fairs across the U.S. — that’s about 75 more than the office could have handled without alumnae. Applications are looking great, too, says chief enrollment officer Steven Nape. (Sorry, that’s all we can say so far!)
11. Did you know that most of the proceeds from a newly released photographic history of Sweet Briar, written by Lynn Rainville and Lisa Johnston, benefit the College? Even more reason you should tell Santa about it!
12. Author Lisa Birnbach (“The Official Preppy Handbook”) was on campus in December researching a story on women’s colleges she has pitched to Vanity Fair. Stay tuned!
