Hello Roses,
The sad news of the college’s
closing has brought us as close as we have been since graduation on that
beautiful summer day in May, 1972. Back then the world was our oyster and as we
have lived, it has gotten smaller. Through all of these years our class has
distinguished itself with major donors of money and time, including our own Ginger
Upchurch Collier serving as Chair of the Board of Directors. Last year Ginger
was the graduation speaker. Georgie Vairo was the Distinguished Alumna in 1997.
Many others have served the college anonymously and well. Many of us have
contributed where we could. Thank you to each and every one of you for your
contributions over the years.
Standing at this sad gate to
her closing, we cannot but mourn the loss of the college campus we called home
so long ago where we were “formed” in many fine ways to be the citizens,
professionals, writers, mothers, grandmothers, wives and lovers we are and have
been. Our view of the world has been informed by a liberal arts education and I
for one believe it enriched and continues to enrich my life, and those around
me, beyond all measure.
If some predict the demise of a
liberal arts education is what brought SBC low, then my mourning is all the
greater as we become a nation of “citizens” missing a broad grounding in living
well, true and successfully. In watching the exchange of emails in the last
week, I related to the feelings of desperation at the reality we cannot deny,
and cheered at the spirit to think of ways to carry on. The die appears to be
cast as the college we knew and have loved. The future uses of the campus are
still murky and likely undecided.
There is a 1987 graduate who is
an attorney and hired a law firm to assist in monitoring events. She has asked
some others to join her as a support – Georgie, Jill and I are going to be on
that list and will keep you informed of any developments over time…and it will
take time.
Jill and MarySue have devoted much time in working tirelessly to
develop a communication structure for the Class. We now have a majority of our
class emails. We don’t have them all and could use help in searching for the
missing. You do know that Jill and MarySue are not paid and have been giving us their time, effort,
and techno-knowledge to make sure everyone who wants to be included in
information distribution can be. Jill set up the private Sweet Briar
College Class of 1972 Facebook Group some years ago and we now have 63 members.
She and MarySue have quickly developed this blog, as you can now see. (They
also assembled and edited a second set of Notes so we could have more readable and
enjoyable text about our classmates
in the Final Sweet Briar Magazine.) Thank you Jill and MarySue!
If you can make it to Reunion –
the last on the week-end of May 29th-31st – please
come. If you cannot make it, raise your glass with us all who must bid farewell
to a place – that really special place – we have always felt was ours. There
were certainly many causes for the failure of SBC to endure, but we, her legatees,
have and must. How fortunate we were some of those who were able to go to
college there.
Those wonderful memories are
the scent of the rose we bear as Sweet Briar’s legacy. (Yes, I suppose the poor
memories are the thorns…) We must not wilt with disappointment; we need courage
now.
Hopefully you will accept me as
the President of the Class in perpetuity, as Georgie suggested. I accept. (Also
an unpaid position for which I am most grateful!) Stay tuned because we have
not had our 50th Reunion. We will have it – we know not where –
but it must be. Stay healthy!
I don't know exactly where we
are going. But, I do know we will go together.
Cheers for the Class of
’72!
Marion
Marion F. Walker
Of Counsel
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