The Spirit of Sweet Briar

The Spirit of Sweet Briar

by Becky Johnston Lambert

March 3, 2015
As I made my way through what seemed like an average workday, I had no idea that lives were being shattered just a half hour
up the road at my beloved Sweet Briar College. Faculty members had gathered in the chapel at Interim President, Jimmy Jones’
request. They were expecting to learn which of the researched initiatives they would be implenting. At 11:58a.m., Mr. Jones
nervously fumbled through his first round of devestation.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for being here. I’m certain all of you can infer from this action of mine to ask you all
to come together in the chapel at noon on this Tuesday, that I have important and unfortunately very difficult news to share with
all of you, the members of the Sweet Briar family. At our board meeting this weekend, the Board of Directors unanimously voted
that due to the insurmountable financial challenges we have faced for a very long time, the class of 2015 will be our final
graduating class and we will not be enrolling a new class in the fall. We are putting plans into place right now to wind down the
academic operations of this year-old school over the course of the next several months. “
The uncontrollable outbursts of gasps and weeping in the chapel would soon be echoed by the students that had gathered in
Babcock. News media waited for the destraught student body to exit the building, and these heartbreaking images would
accompany the news as many alumnae learned of the announcement through social media, prior to the college notifying us via
e-mail.



I left work and drove up to campus to try to let
this all sink in. The cold and gloomy afternoon
mirrored my sorrow and intensified the haunting
silence. I made my way to the boathouse and
noticed nothing out of the ordinary as I walked
down to the far dock and sat down on the edge,
planting my feet on the iced-over lake below.

Something was so incredibly wrong here. How could the college be in such dire shape and why is this is the first we’re hearing
about it? Where were the warning signs? I silently began apologizing to Indiana for failing to ensure her legacy. myself and headed
back to the comfort of my warm car, I turned to notice a snow angel in the lake beside the dock I had been sitting on. Maybe I was
too consumed in thought to notice the remnants of student play earlier...or maybe our playful Daisy was trying to provide me with
a reassuring sign.



March 4, 2015
sStaw"jltacgcewuyhiEhnwtoorrloisYeea'dodwlfnsletrlnateluuweelfodnnscdbciupgcttsroeroeo.easeeBke"rdostiwtvraciloiorWifd!rdnanolminiowwaaldg ngueb.Ayrseeohaeoy,HihiCemnmnts,wanapsogwdroatvaheelwsehblyvieeneeiltweoetgeirsvebhnvguIoscemendeagteeeitrhr,gevnoreroatwiaVn,retgohslsvaaaahtirrdewwleitisrslinaonpigsseahtfbtaeoletifhlulyenolefdhlniwiet-sgrrrinaieeeeiaeensuynsrndd.nropewniwtsbofuIgtdouuiononeachdearltscmnmaelnteatywoteoaddegperyedmcu1eaeldrnsjhauerad1ooeebnsspcd4fliga.oiefndaftounnraTyioftweenrndirsdehldsoiiSgiaanmswcetentayrtehkgrhfvovshiedoe(enee.eobgdiar,nirwTcgeyuern.SIyehhterNdwdvtdcrhoirhyeoohsseeeeonboataiworelwauceylansutoiytenorzaoolnBssjcnoesaugiafearnadfttinsNiuwnMirnggtSaodwlsOdsrhwu"fa.tp.ohtthtsntWTewSaohueeafiedkowasoteareItteimrtnroaaenswBlsaanSldrct,gerlcrih)hwieatolihwiatlehatonnenhcnaornoiogepcuncinamoCstlrcelerg.gaehtrF"Brnoee,scdeabilrealnaeesitnnliewibnhte'adtsgclgedr-s'e,hee-,

I also revisited the Faculty Art show hanging in Panell. John Morgan's
piece, “Sometimes Things Aren't on the Level” stood out to me, as I
couldn't have explained what is going on here any better myself.





March 8, 2015
Easiest way to make friends with extended family: Lend an ear & share your markers!

March 9, 2015
According to Daisy’s diary entry in 1882, today is Indiana’s birthday.

Our gift to her was the fight in our hearts. On this day, Saving Sweet Briar
officially incorparated as a non-profit organization with a board of seven,
the same number of members she requested in her will. I drove to cam-
pus to mail my donation because I wanted to spark a gleam of hope in the
hearts of our postal workers as they went through the routine of their day.



































March 30, 2015
There was an abundance of happy energy on Monument Hill

when I visited Miss Indie, James Henry, and Daisy this afternoon.
I was unaware that there were two major movements taking place
in the world we rested above. Ellen Bowyer filed an official com-
plaint against Sweet Briar Institute AND there was a unanimous
vote of NO CONFIDENCE by our faculty. We ARE saving Sweet
Briar and the Williams know it!