Blue Ridge Heritage: Polly -- growing up in the shadow of Shenandoah National Park

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA26jEw1B1nJ6ThYfFtXYZK-aJ81v6NDVqrg8G2GgzyLL-YrKvU6iAY0s1MBzC9SDuWd_XKtglvqcCSdbTJl63CmZ_UYh2Gdj5UKW3Rv_24blAYXSjcsUZ7SpfycAC0aRqMrK84Gz72xRp/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA26jEw1B1nJ6ThYfFtXYZK-aJ81v6NDVqrg8G2GgzyLL-YrKvU6iAY0s1MBzC9SDuWd_XKtglvqcCSdbTJl63CmZ_UYh2Gdj5UKW3Rv_24blAYXSjcsUZ7SpfycAC0aRqMrK84Gz72xRp/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Polly looks from Big Meadows Lodge over the valley where she grew up</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ9jL6yXvdJa8xx1s0otoLOLmqYNAK6t5a3xy6o_3yfoOdYquWvYVWzSX2Qh8GR2_JsWAVMKSnn_3GD4ZROW_AmXzLMFSnBMUX1psiT2E5l099p497oym6-KE_0JhaqaPoYz4vVLinCBb/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ9jL6yXvdJa8xx1s0otoLOLmqYNAK6t5a3xy6o_3yfoOdYquWvYVWzSX2Qh8GR2_JsWAVMKSnn_3GD4ZROW_AmXzLMFSnBMUX1psiT2E5l099p497oym6-KE_0JhaqaPoYz4vVLinCBb/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It was hazy on the warm September day that we visited Shenandoah National Park.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtiZpKwrH6uMdiQQCHY2pJFm-LGWnEKRAuw9_0sasM0Bdmsef4pb1rcVE0Qsc65GD2PAFco1H5yrts-WMQSUWGQlRWs3XZX5qjTlsC3uwsVQhz_1FUt48kDL6mv-QJXXl8VhkHEGG9JKp/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtiZpKwrH6uMdiQQCHY2pJFm-LGWnEKRAuw9_0sasM0Bdmsef4pb1rcVE0Qsc65GD2PAFco1H5yrts-WMQSUWGQlRWs3XZX5qjTlsC3uwsVQhz_1FUt48kDL6mv-QJXXl8VhkHEGG9JKp/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Great Room of Big Meadows Lodge.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyaoFGMoMWienCVp6cJ7RnhPPeQOvvGaSFZqwD5u9ES83DyS7oG1mUFfibVjoksm-MYAIh06B_G-O6YBNX6Lvss2KBRuiKTBxHzv5eA5w1_Ev_fqX1Eo1VyZt9ShlTQsvT8rx4pP_oPKK/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyaoFGMoMWienCVp6cJ7RnhPPeQOvvGaSFZqwD5u9ES83DyS7oG1mUFfibVjoksm-MYAIh06B_G-O6YBNX6Lvss2KBRuiKTBxHzv5eA5w1_Ev_fqX1Eo1VyZt9ShlTQsvT8rx4pP_oPKK/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9Srbh8zuyuP56XvOTotlkcJUmBJJOOjbbUTvb7MeC0zatnWSWDKWyg3KhyPYGa_NevemgodPeSGKClk2NrSj1qVQ2b-X7YSmi13DAJqLM9rD6EuRArhQXw4mLiAY2ac_NAW0NwKLVi_o/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9Srbh8zuyuP56XvOTotlkcJUmBJJOOjbbUTvb7MeC0zatnWSWDKWyg3KhyPYGa_NevemgodPeSGKClk2NrSj1qVQ2b-X7YSmi13DAJqLM9rD6EuRArhQXw4mLiAY2ac_NAW0NwKLVi_o/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The terrace overlooks the Page Valley and is a good place to sit and enjoy mountain breezes.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionN6aFEsQ37FtdrNAmmO8M7dPuP1CDOSPm8K5v50n9iNprJcZlowK5_k7k3hQ4FmlFsX0eBPYT5n5-RDbCC0yY20cxTKeWz5QhGBMqrrmyZyT5jU4Xx1T12hnb7lBMhOB11MvF49I-vNc/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEionN6aFEsQ37FtdrNAmmO8M7dPuP1CDOSPm8K5v50n9iNprJcZlowK5_k7k3hQ4FmlFsX0eBPYT5n5-RDbCC0yY20cxTKeWz5QhGBMqrrmyZyT5jU4Xx1T12hnb7lBMhOB11MvF49I-vNc/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWj1DruNzI3iSsAMlow7JCbUdFYwSIhDjksZ0iAq53Uuzk3QlSpQLY9hCFWWQ8sX6zFlYx027y-0_CWcJPoq4yy3R7b-2MQ145ERrERO7Z9KpBxUmcII1XCBCU2fmmFhkNKs9PGvwxrYS/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWj1DruNzI3iSsAMlow7JCbUdFYwSIhDjksZ0iAq53Uuzk3QlSpQLY9hCFWWQ8sX6zFlYx027y-0_CWcJPoq4yy3R7b-2MQ145ERrERO7Z9KpBxUmcII1XCBCU2fmmFhkNKs9PGvwxrYS/s400/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRGtghpw8AvTtPMVng_oK_e9NWoVF00ner-byif_WB4JD2TFK2VoQ0Pbh6VFJU21vusw3yDiQlSH9vsARx5TODDE-9j_16-tbAmyPdy9_G_pxhVRMw8HxhJcFV8uixyvd0XpRYC1aJIHu/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRGtghpw8AvTtPMVng_oK_e9NWoVF00ner-byif_WB4JD2TFK2VoQ0Pbh6VFJU21vusw3yDiQlSH9vsARx5TODDE-9j_16-tbAmyPdy9_G_pxhVRMw8HxhJcFV8uixyvd0XpRYC1aJIHu/s400/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The dining room doors were open to let cooling mountain breezes in while we ate lunch.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSE8p3yPm7bHiOkABEOYDiPm6ES_dpSUU1hrBCOgBO4Ud2N-1-0pdjJDVYmN9-oi21NQaZb8OIictTrwG9wNQ6FFgIu1EkFHXO0Q01mRXAxFapwxRxZ7KSfW5KX8FzfxI3QiGkR4OmDpTQ/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSE8p3yPm7bHiOkABEOYDiPm6ES_dpSUU1hrBCOgBO4Ud2N-1-0pdjJDVYmN9-oi21NQaZb8OIictTrwG9wNQ6FFgIu1EkFHXO0Q01mRXAxFapwxRxZ7KSfW5KX8FzfxI3QiGkR4OmDpTQ/s400/9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The white oak basket making class was meeting as we ate lunch. The next class is Thursday, September 26, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., as local basket artisan Clyde Jenkins shares his talent of basket making with techniques handed down through the generations. Beginners to intermediate, price of $50 per person includes all materials to make one basket. Reservations suggested. 877.847-1919. Here's the listing of <a href="http://www.goshenandoah.com/Calendar.aspx">other activities</a> at Big Meadows and Skyland.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAcBRSLm_ph_z2mBkXB7BtKccC3XzkhrRhgEjFrvjAFICx1tiHambljjiJ0Legv8hPKbMUhEN2GiUIEh6kVEQlgGoUagAShEtb8Rhcmf2pgPsEIDQiyUvkeGeezEJtFOQjpxq2QDxsXGr/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAcBRSLm_ph_z2mBkXB7BtKccC3XzkhrRhgEjFrvjAFICx1tiHambljjiJ0Legv8hPKbMUhEN2GiUIEh6kVEQlgGoUagAShEtb8Rhcmf2pgPsEIDQiyUvkeGeezEJtFOQjpxq2QDxsXGr/s400/10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The heat from this fireplace feels good on cold days.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0D7dLx2GL7QjpcK1bEF-ejS29fAuEhJjHtnHgxJupcCxSftJn1PeqnsSZ1FPb4tpCk8gFupD4ZhWuypslH3lDBr9zD7CPgBrvOouKh8Im6lqaoyhlkOl_DclTERUrSCz2pJFoWHWo0WdO/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0D7dLx2GL7QjpcK1bEF-ejS29fAuEhJjHtnHgxJupcCxSftJn1PeqnsSZ1FPb4tpCk8gFupD4ZhWuypslH3lDBr9zD7CPgBrvOouKh8Im6lqaoyhlkOl_DclTERUrSCz2pJFoWHWo0WdO/s400/11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GcO5BtRehpUHlCNupF9imeuRVTN6sGbCPHYJpp2CEH44FiWUE6hQSPnoBDvN2bGGJHmB_Cma0ZYv-EU6u-k78xpZRG8ov5sgGJc3SyHfH9RoYOfOdmCVM6Nw_7KMywiMBYJUp58dg6UM/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GcO5BtRehpUHlCNupF9imeuRVTN6sGbCPHYJpp2CEH44FiWUE6hQSPnoBDvN2bGGJHmB_Cma0ZYv-EU6u-k78xpZRG8ov5sgGJc3SyHfH9RoYOfOdmCVM6Nw_7KMywiMBYJUp58dg6UM/s400/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkU28cLNHPIhwV_2SBfwzHFisjd7dhk3Ve3cMz4RHATWWxyT-MPKX3DXCtst08yG3OHMwbkjyPmkkRoO9-I4MVAG1lWb5VPz_l-n1bY1hMZH-3eIMJlxdFfd3Sb3aOkrPUy4_8nlJeiIM/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkU28cLNHPIhwV_2SBfwzHFisjd7dhk3Ve3cMz4RHATWWxyT-MPKX3DXCtst08yG3OHMwbkjyPmkkRoO9-I4MVAG1lWb5VPz_l-n1bY1hMZH-3eIMJlxdFfd3Sb3aOkrPUy4_8nlJeiIM/s400/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The gift shop sells local wines, post cards, SNP clothing, snacks, Christmas ornaments, and more.</i></div><br />I once said of <a href="http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2008/06/talking-over-iced-tea-with-living.html">Paul Galanti</a> that I was talking over iced tea with living history. Recently I broke bread <i>and</i> had iced tea with a walking, talking pint-sized history book.<br /><br />Polly Yager Campbell is a bundle of energy in a small package, and she's no pushover. Youthful for her age with a memory as sharp as a tack, she knows the land around Shenandoah National Park like the back of her hand. She should. She grew up at the foot of the mountain beneath Big Meadows Lodge in Page County. She is a Virginian from a long line of Virginians. The Yager family migrated to Virginia in 1717 and settled in "Germanna Colony," an area on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains. <br /><br />On an exceptionally warm day for September 12th, Polly and I met in Elkton, and drove up Rt. 33 to Skyline Drive. Our destination was lunch at <a href="http://www.goshenandoah.com/Big-Meadows-Lodge.aspx">Big Meadows Lodge</a>. <br /><br />At Milespost 51, we turned left at the field known as Big Meadows and slowly drove the one mile to the lodge's parking lot, scanning the woods and open areas for wildlife and commenting on the lush green of trees and grasses after an exceptionally wet summer. Perhaps it was the warm temperatures that day but we saw no wildlife in the usual places other than birds. <br /><br />There were a few mid-week visitors. We walked across the parking lot to the lodge that was build in 1939 from stones carved and transported from Massanutten Mountain, a lodge Polly's father helped build in the 1930s. In 1997, this mountain getaway was added to the National Register of Historic Places.<br /><br />Polly and I made our way through the lobby area to the Great Room, pausing to look out the large ceiling-to-floor windows overlooking the valley, and then stepped outside onto the flagstone terrace that extends along the entire length of the valley side of the building.<br /><br />A haze caused by the late summer heat partially hid the Page Valley below as Polly and I stood at the terrace railing and gazed over the tree tops, searching for landmarks. Polly smiled as a memory came to mind and shared that, as a child, she could look up the mountain at night and see the lights from the Lodge. Wow, I thought ... can you imagine growing up and being able to see Big Meadows Lodge?<br /><br />The cool mountain breeze rustled her hair as she stared into the valley thinking about her childhood on land in Page County that had been in the Yager family for five generations. As she shared more memories, I couldn't help but wish there was a way to record her thoughts. They are a part of her ... but they are also a part of the history of Virginia, the park, and the mountains. <br /><br />She spoke of her family -- father, grandfather, mother, grandmother, and siblings. She talked about tragic events and family members who had passed on. She remembered the seasons -- October is her favorite time of the year and the month of her birth -- and being caught in a big snowstorm once while at Skyland with her husband, eventually escaping before they became snowed in.<br /><br />She talked of traveling the back mountain roads, and told about a time when her uncle had driven to pick up her dad at Big Meadows. They met a truck approaching from the opposite direction in the middle of the narrow, steep road and, when they tried to pass, their car hit the soft, unstable shoulder, causing the vehicle to tumble over the side of the mountain. Polly was inside with her mother and siblings. With a quiet chuckle, she said two little saplings stopped the free-fall or they would have gone all the way to the bottom. She was calm in the retelling ... no, no one was seriously hurt, she said, although they were shaken and bruised when the backseat came loose, as the car rolled over, and all the tools fell on their heads.  She was holding her baby sister on her lap, and her arms were still wrapped tightly around her when the car came to a stop, and she was able to climb out. Her mother had a broken arm. So there were occasions when vehicles went over the mountainsides, I asked. Oh, yes, she replied, and it sounded like something that was more common than not.<br /><br />I could have stood at that railing all day and listened but, after a while, we went inside and walked around the Great Room of the Main Lodge with its rustic chestnut wall paneling and beams, huge stone fireplace, and the bank of paned ceiling-to-floor windows overlooking the Page Valley. Chestnut trees, valued by early settlers for their durability and used for all the wooden interiors of the main lodge, were plentiful in 1939 but, due to disease, are practically extinct these days.<br /><br />Polly's eyes took it all in, sweeping across the room, perhaps remembering her dad in that place looking at his handiwork of decorative chestnut touches or special add-ons. Perhaps she was remembering as a child climbing into one of the rockers that faced the windows overlooking the terrace. Perhaps she was just lost in thought. Only one patron was in the room with his laptop taking advantage of the WiFi, a nod toward the realization that, while visitors enjoy the mountain isolation, they still like their modern electronics.<br /><br />On to the Spotswood dining room, named for Governor Alexander Spottswood who led his Knights of the Golden Horseshoe to explore the area in 1716, a large space with walls of windows, chestnut wood paneling, a huge stone fireplace, and tables with ladder-back chairs that added to the rustic feel. A friendly young man seated us at a window table overlooking the terrace and Polly's valley. Perfect! The breeze coming through the screen door had the faint scent of the outdoors, green like the mountains.<br /><br />We sat across from one another and ordered our meal and then, over glasses of iced tea, the conversation turned to politics. Polly has crossed paths with too many politicians to count so there we were, two political junkies, veterans at the game, eagerly discussing the people, places, and activities of politics at all levels.<br /><br />There was a lot to talk about since we had both been Republican volunteers and members together on the State Central Committee. A long-time volunteer in statewide politics, Polly's blue eyes teared up at the memory of the changes in the party; and her service of 44 years as Secretary of the Republican Party. She also served as Young Republican representative for several years before her election as Secretary. It is evident from talking to her that she is profoundly proud of the commitment of her time and means to the building of the Republican Party and honored by the opportunity to have served and be touched by so many lives. <br /><br />And then her eyes flashed as she recalled more than 50 years of hard work that included countless Republican losses in the early years, remembering when the Democratic candidates would win yet another election and call out to the defeated Republicans, "When you going to give up?" Polly would respond, "There's another election next year." Then she and her colleagues would go back to the drawing board, help recruit more candidates, roll up their sleeves, and get back to work.<br /><br />She paused ... and then smiled at the thought of the jubilant victory in 1970 when <a href="http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Holton_A_Linwood_1923-#start_entry" target="_blank">Linwood Holton</a> -- whom she knows and calls Lin -- became the first Republican governor in Virginia in 100 years. That's a long, dry run, and the win whetted Republican appetites for more. It was the beginning of the Republican comeback in Virginia after years of dominance by the Democratic Byrd machine. Those not familiar with Governor Holton may be familiar with his son-in-law ... former Governor and now U.S. Senator Tim Kaine.<br /><br />Polly talked of attending the first ever Republican Advance, as well as subsequent ones, at Ingleside Resort in Augusta County, of seeing George H.W. Bush there when he was running for president, and seeing his sons, George and Jeb, while working of their father's campaign. She smiled at the thought ... they were called the Bushie Boys, she said. We discovered we're both Bush family admirers.<br /><br />I soaked in every word as she shared historical political facts, my brain absorbing it like a sponge. Back in the Byrd days, Republicans were scarce. Polly's family was Republican, and it sometimes affected jobs. Her father was a carpenter, self taught, and worked for the construction company that built Big Meadows and Skyland Lodge. He also helped build the Byrd Visitor Center at the entrance to Big Meadows, a job he was working on in 1965 when, at the age of 59, he died of a heart attack. <br /><br />I shared with Polly that my parents had honeymooned at Big Meadows so, in a sense, our parents' paths had crossed in that historic, rustic resort. Since she had grown up living there, I was all ears, listening, asking questions, and imagining what it must have been like to have Shenandoah National Park right outside your door.<br /><br />For employees of the park who live in the Page Valley, there is a gated gravel road that climbs up the mountain to Skyline Drive just south of Big Meadows. Nowadays, only those with a key can access that shortcut but when Polly was a little girl it was still a public road that ran beside her house. In 1936 when she was about five or six years old, she and her family walked the five miles up that mountain road to attend the dedication of Shenandoah National Park. The ceremony, attended by President Franklin Roosevelt as well as other dignitaries and many visitors and locals, took place in the big meadow. She didn't know it then but President Roosevelt was the first of many high-ranking politicians she would rub elbows with in her lifetime.<br /><br />Spending time with Polly was a reminder of how much things have changed during her 50 years in politics -- from not winning, to that first taste of sweet victory, to today. She was a Republican pioneer at a time when the GOP began to effectively chisel into the long time Democratically-controlled government.<br /><br />We finished our lunch, took one last stroll around the lodge, and finally headed to the car to begin the journey down the Drive and back to Elkton. I left richer for having heard history on several levels, and grateful to know Polly a little better through her window on the world. Her memories are rich and laced with historical facts. They need to be mined -- recorded and heard -- before that generation is gone. <br /><br />Polly and I have a date for lunch at Skyland in October. I can't wait....

Big Meadows Lodge Blue Ridge Mountains Franklin Roosevelt Germanna Colony National Register of Historic Places Page County Polly Yager Campbell Shenandoah National Park Skyland Lodge Skyline Drive Blue Ridge Heritage: Polly -- growing up in the shadow of Shenandoah National Park

Polly looks from Big Meadows Lodge over the valley where she grew up . It was hazy on the warm September day that we visited Shenandoah Nati...

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UVa summer Young Writers Camp ... exploring the 3200-acre Sweet Briar College campus

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPzkG1PeBaKYNiwAVqyf7yrhGNIjtSDZ6MPStgwl-oMShqR_rhFHzLY4Vuru-d8kuL1Vvlyw1a_mUpIDnauvXvGObqjkt8NIbm3aR4OGOMVqfuK4YADZDoR4Q5HKBG872QPMeMqE7o_fW/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPzkG1PeBaKYNiwAVqyf7yrhGNIjtSDZ6MPStgwl-oMShqR_rhFHzLY4Vuru-d8kuL1Vvlyw1a_mUpIDnauvXvGObqjkt8NIbm3aR4OGOMVqfuK4YADZDoR4Q5HKBG872QPMeMqE7o_fW/s400/26.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">After spending three weeks last summer immersed in the French language and culture when Washington & Lee University hosted the <a href="http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2012/07/2012-governors-school-french-academy.html">Governor's School French Academy</a>, SWAC Niece is enjoying a three-week <a href="http://theyoungwriters.org/">Young Writers Summer Camp</a> this summer sponsored by the University of Virginia but held on the campus of nearby <a href="http://sbc.edu/">Sweet Briar College</a>. This rising high school senior is a writer in all forms of the word, and has been since she was a little girl.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7nOQpldjdm60CEr-L-pzotdkLZE5l8HBJHxmgzZc3Wc6hBOlcImSA8McrHQzzC3AXodToPHI_QEFRqKDnZMR7AjeI1aDX19TosXlS6rEOoXeH1nGYZ0Tt8LZDL4OThxCGVT7UUAMRnRy/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7nOQpldjdm60CEr-L-pzotdkLZE5l8HBJHxmgzZc3Wc6hBOlcImSA8McrHQzzC3AXodToPHI_QEFRqKDnZMR7AjeI1aDX19TosXlS6rEOoXeH1nGYZ0Tt8LZDL4OThxCGVT7UUAMRnRy/s400/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sweet Briar's campus consists of 3,200 rolling acres spread out over the Virginia countryside with room to roam for active young people. From the meandering front wooded drive to the historic brick buildings that are listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic District, it offers nooks and crannies to explore or put pen to paper -- or fingers to keyboard -- to describe the scenery, recall experiences, or record memories.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsw6qsmZ7VaOyxDA7bMaZxTqMPMhAOSEtGniZdRt8cJTLf3VAqFqu_Gd7Q2yP5wDHoeM7Mh9_d2uyTDj7__VSL8IBItVgyVQbFgxs4iE7eZ81ChyphenhyphenGpzbU8CyTww41tY1GMdHMWuBRBoCSk/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsw6qsmZ7VaOyxDA7bMaZxTqMPMhAOSEtGniZdRt8cJTLf3VAqFqu_Gd7Q2yP5wDHoeM7Mh9_d2uyTDj7__VSL8IBItVgyVQbFgxs4iE7eZ81ChyphenhyphenGpzbU8CyTww41tY1GMdHMWuBRBoCSk/s400/19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Part of the African American heritage of Sweet Briar.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mjFpnnnEHgGPvMpCCeyxmKKjbRP2yb9a-GoDcmhBuaP7rssR6NQZhW-BSsg6hGvZgJNqK5oB2a1QD99kLDbm7WPxX3nie43HllhOjzTI6UHBqesoYZm0EApJ4I-du-qVDPoi3QQFsgQJ/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mjFpnnnEHgGPvMpCCeyxmKKjbRP2yb9a-GoDcmhBuaP7rssR6NQZhW-BSsg6hGvZgJNqK5oB2a1QD99kLDbm7WPxX3nie43HllhOjzTI6UHBqesoYZm0EApJ4I-du-qVDPoi3QQFsgQJ/s400/20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZZF_zU1-QLYa-lsGeiEGMjY4rfE7w-CTu6_nB9KW7zlLqCbCThB5a-6eTLz5b8Fp7S3-m8XPDO88ZqjVeUcHSRxzMFTdcTj4AtXL3D_uHMzbSnvZXZdvsVo8p2JPueZqH8ySUE2a6oA7/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZZF_zU1-QLYa-lsGeiEGMjY4rfE7w-CTu6_nB9KW7zlLqCbCThB5a-6eTLz5b8Fp7S3-m8XPDO88ZqjVeUcHSRxzMFTdcTj4AtXL3D_uHMzbSnvZXZdvsVo8p2JPueZqH8ySUE2a6oA7/s400/21.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This imposing yellow structure is Sweet Briar House. Sweet Briar College was founded in <b>1901</b>, the legacy of Indiana Fletcher Williams, who left her entire estate to found an institution in memory of her only daughter, Daisy, who died at the age of 16 in <b>1884</b>. At the time of Mrs. Williams' death in 1900, her estate consisted of more than a million dollars, and over 8,000 acres of land, including the Sweet Briar Plantation.<br /><br />Sweet Briar House has been home to the presidents of the College since its founding in 1901. The former estate residence has been on the Virginia Landmarks Register since the 1970s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<br /><br />The original house was built in the late 18th century by Joseph Crews. Originally known as Locust Ridge, the structure was a two-story, six-room farmhouse of red brick. In 1830 Elijah Fletcher bought the house and 1,000 acres for $7,000 from Penn family relatives of his wife, Maria Antoinette Crawford. Fletcher, a schoolteacher from Vermont who had come to nearby New Glasgow (now Clifton) to teach at an academy there, rose to prominence in the local community and in Lynchburg following his marriage in 1813.<br /><br />Called "Sweetbrier" for the abundance of wild roses on the property, it became the summer home for the Fletchers and their four children, Indiana, Elizabeth, Sidney, and Lucien. In 1841 the family made it their permanent residence, and in 1851-1852 the original T-shaped farmhouse was enlarged with the addition of the tower wings, showing the daughters' attraction to Italianate architecture they had seen during a grand tour of Europe.<br /><br />The house was furnished with pieces bought in New York and Philadelphia. In 1858, upon Elijah's death, his daughter Indiana inherited Sweetbrier, renaming it "Sweet Briar." In 1865 Indiana married a New York clergyman, James Henry Williams, and though the couple traveled back and forth between New York and Sweet Briar, they considered this to be their home.<br /><br />Sweet Briar College's first president, Mary K. Benedict, used Sweet Briar House as her residence. For the first years of the College it also housed faculty members, the post office, and the infirmary. The first floor also served as the administration building for the College until 1926. A 1927 fire damaged the central part of the house and led to the rebuilding and modernization of the central part and east wing of the house.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sweet Briar House is surrounded by gardens restored by The Garden Club of Virginia, and is filled with many of the furnishings original to the Fletcher and Williams families.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwJyFkxZex9tMp5h86a8JsD4hP_vLosOdl2iY21fcD6lbFyvd5oSYdS49Jx1QfpO-7TSfRI6H_ZaUCXwiePmnhBnKfYNU69o8NX49qdNMoEW-bb_kdvjvY-Y2Yq5Ry27Essdt7lCvoUeA/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwJyFkxZex9tMp5h86a8JsD4hP_vLosOdl2iY21fcD6lbFyvd5oSYdS49Jx1QfpO-7TSfRI6H_ZaUCXwiePmnhBnKfYNU69o8NX49qdNMoEW-bb_kdvjvY-Y2Yq5Ry27Essdt7lCvoUeA/s400/22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The campus includes hiking trails, <a href="http://sbc.edu/riding">an equestrian center</a>, boat house with two lakes, and an abundance of <a href="http://sbc.edu/outdoor-programs/sweet-briar-outdoor-program">outdoor activities</a> taking advantage of the surrounding national forests and ski areas.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCO08f8rDGGWTpLdKBSoS7Lj15wqprr5pJbMoE-b6fTPxZk1vT7dOOM1-PRvS44jfH0aRlcHnSAYO-zBXgNYvgsAHRjq6nlcntB7GHpVmFwnZzS9JzW9hNhiXbqshWwxriKzXZH_t09rh/s1600/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCO08f8rDGGWTpLdKBSoS7Lj15wqprr5pJbMoE-b6fTPxZk1vT7dOOM1-PRvS44jfH0aRlcHnSAYO-zBXgNYvgsAHRjq6nlcntB7GHpVmFwnZzS9JzW9hNhiXbqshWwxriKzXZH_t09rh/s400/23.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8k_NhWK_M8tT0Btb4w6ihQOe98rivX4EwxURk_9NO07PXh4NG_xENA6JY-CV5jo_TsMxPYWZDBW65XhoVX_BP_HvsO3M6MMscxeKaAPJXUxy7OWIePplAlg-1_aMnelyIB9AC2taUgix/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8k_NhWK_M8tT0Btb4w6ihQOe98rivX4EwxURk_9NO07PXh4NG_xENA6JY-CV5jo_TsMxPYWZDBW65XhoVX_BP_HvsO3M6MMscxeKaAPJXUxy7OWIePplAlg-1_aMnelyIB9AC2taUgix/s400/24.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The Young Writers Workshop of the University of Virginia, established in 1982 as the nation’s flagship program for young writers, enters its third decade of bringing together a community of young people from across the country and beyond with a common purpose: to create a supportive, non-competitive environment where teenage writers can live and work together as artists. The faculty of authors and residential staff bring professional experience to the development of new talent.  In partnership with Sweet Briar College and its idyllic setting, the Young Writers Workshop has achieved a long-desired goal to welcome its participants to a retreat space where writers can commune with each other, immerse themselves in creative activity, and fuel their imaginations through an innovative arts program. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2GPdI2RjRV2HJ_iuR7pXrU2q_W5hxcfn9yL1Qgzm7orwTNd_q-XUirkQSe_vA3zHWplbAJqyXUE8vv4dpB64ROFbsocYoOHq5vOjphGuYY1TYT5bDNHf7bwclbpU_dw4xf0jTT0bPIrs/s1600/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2GPdI2RjRV2HJ_iuR7pXrU2q_W5hxcfn9yL1Qgzm7orwTNd_q-XUirkQSe_vA3zHWplbAJqyXUE8vv4dpB64ROFbsocYoOHq5vOjphGuYY1TYT5bDNHf7bwclbpU_dw4xf0jTT0bPIrs/s400/27.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Participants learn the dynamic principles of play, invention, response, revision, performance, and publication as well as strategies to invent, develop, and revise material using the writer’s most essential tools—language, imagination, craft, sight, and insight. They conference with instructors and peer writers. They examine contemporary artists’ work. They become more discerning readers. Five workshops are offered. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtDzFp3bRfSDfIR_jxTXkKM_rozAWeeTVswgCzbb1Wv7HS74CWq6e9PaAX93wncB3xmYRGLsqcWZQ-iTqHA60RxoZZktLFJgGKWnzNloNpdEVp2cn4A-KkdqH4q8JFpuwPNK5KDkd9n5a/s1600/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtDzFp3bRfSDfIR_jxTXkKM_rozAWeeTVswgCzbb1Wv7HS74CWq6e9PaAX93wncB3xmYRGLsqcWZQ-iTqHA60RxoZZktLFJgGKWnzNloNpdEVp2cn4A-KkdqH4q8JFpuwPNK5KDkd9n5a/s400/28.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fiction: From the real to the surreal, fiction writers learn how evocative fiction works: the power of provocative story hooks, resonant settings, and plot lines that weave together the lives of complex characters. This workshop also focuses on developing a repertoire of voices, styles, and narrative techniques to intrigue readers and leave them wanting more.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-3ykoIMwjouSXZiI3rWOmGbFzbyETaZlzoa-ZJUSqNBixCUrQIWra-GuGJei_RYFaX30BTaznozlT14yEPRE-XUchOBX6MPbh8nbRnHvjw7BWI5bmM4SKP1nUzwfnrzwEjIveYOZo458/s1600/29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-3ykoIMwjouSXZiI3rWOmGbFzbyETaZlzoa-ZJUSqNBixCUrQIWra-GuGJei_RYFaX30BTaznozlT14yEPRE-XUchOBX6MPbh8nbRnHvjw7BWI5bmM4SKP1nUzwfnrzwEjIveYOZo458/s400/29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="program-video"><div class="video-wrapper"></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Screen and playwriting: F. Scott Fitzgerald said, "Writers aren’t exactly people … they’re a whole bunch of people trying to be one person." Script writers learn the skills needed to unleash their cast of characters onto screen or stage. Dramatic writing is the perfect genre for those whose inspiration exceeds the limits of the page! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUJV6ty7j_rlkzCt3-kuRLk8BEdEEkB4PV3OnO06fqTuAxhiOxt_uAmFnLTVUQ4AZxljYeQn61vpL5eOQ94KG0holIrXqJcG7PTM0uajfaTr8uRgy5slwjWk-XAKBKGUiq2Ef3yYfGI5h/s1600/30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUJV6ty7j_rlkzCt3-kuRLk8BEdEEkB4PV3OnO06fqTuAxhiOxt_uAmFnLTVUQ4AZxljYeQn61vpL5eOQ94KG0holIrXqJcG7PTM0uajfaTr8uRgy5slwjWk-XAKBKGUiq2Ef3yYfGI5h/s400/30.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Creative nonfiction: Creative nonfiction writers deploy the devices of great fiction—riveting description, charged dialogue, strong narrative structure—for telling true stories. They take these literary skills into field assignments to practice the real moves of the nonfiction writer, through humor, memoir, editorial, review, and many others bringing truth to the page with the force of fiction.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwH9H9KYTR31hz6417NoLu0lf9N3TMuEV3aRf52zJaGdRLQ2OmWcspeojMGjkJa6fUAmJyeqWBcYU57sUeLU2XAPFuEVnz_wTwdx8da7rG7KlxGQLwjYXkM4MnGXl6e18hXzwoKeoARix/s1600/31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwH9H9KYTR31hz6417NoLu0lf9N3TMuEV3aRf52zJaGdRLQ2OmWcspeojMGjkJa6fUAmJyeqWBcYU57sUeLU2XAPFuEVnz_wTwdx8da7rG7KlxGQLwjYXkM4MnGXl6e18hXzwoKeoARix/s400/31.jpg" width="341" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Poetry: Poets make the ordinary extraordinary. They experiment with craft and form. They embody whole worlds of experience in just one line or image, distill where they have been and what they know, and give shape to personal truth in luminous detail. This workshop helps young poets discover the ways to tempt the muse to the page and forge what follows into a full blaze.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji08HK3QondNCCU01N-hBd-xjmRePih8uul90usUJEhhijaV0Ux84efzAtg2p-l1UL03l7nVBvnMLLM4NzelfHdZjGHVXCqJ1PsGZuN7rV01zjSfn0xNnAUw-yJnD4bZym_KntVzty9fL2/s1600/32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji08HK3QondNCCU01N-hBd-xjmRePih8uul90usUJEhhijaV0Ux84efzAtg2p-l1UL03l7nVBvnMLLM4NzelfHdZjGHVXCqJ1PsGZuN7rV01zjSfn0xNnAUw-yJnD4bZym_KntVzty9fL2/s400/32.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Song writing: SWAC Niece may enjoy this since she's an accomplished guitar player. Artists in this workshop write songs that give rise to unequivocal statement. They concentrate on lyrics, music, or both. Through improvisation, they enter the kinship of poetry through jazz-poetry fusion. They perform live, go solo, or collaborate with other singer-songwriters. Either way, they create in that unparalleled space where sound and words explode.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQpbXsCfGb9iLS1DV1sxc0-3FLbhJkRAMVJE8qrw9m9hCjugPyKISSG6hEgeMZcBAwyBpveVxYz2aXLA1aU1kdm7Jr1HTzsg_Cxe06R0bWRtOAO54V8wvDi9bZ3iVSWutNHb-eAKjzL4m/s1600/33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQpbXsCfGb9iLS1DV1sxc0-3FLbhJkRAMVJE8qrw9m9hCjugPyKISSG6hEgeMZcBAwyBpveVxYz2aXLA1aU1kdm7Jr1HTzsg_Cxe06R0bWRtOAO54V8wvDi9bZ3iVSWutNHb-eAKjzL4m/s400/33.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Those who wished to attend had to compete for a slot by writing an autobiographical sketch including details reasons for wanting to attend the Workshop and capturing the applicant’s interests and influences as a writer, as well as a recommendation.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s8skTf6iNHeOXoO0y71yJUBmjcKGa2txFM2GBuhgpTc0I3GDq4vzfyiOmTaPK42Osy4K-9DoiUvedt-qxwiqaQm2osrr00FkupyFp7d33ZQr6LXV1tZUHhjoPYLeTWB5DbG-6-bqzgGx/s1600/34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s8skTf6iNHeOXoO0y71yJUBmjcKGa2txFM2GBuhgpTc0I3GDq4vzfyiOmTaPK42Osy4K-9DoiUvedt-qxwiqaQm2osrr00FkupyFp7d33ZQr6LXV1tZUHhjoPYLeTWB5DbG-6-bqzgGx/s400/34.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Applicants also had to submit one one-page writing sample in their first choice of genres, one one-page sample in their second choice of genres, a selective writing portfolio (3-5 page document) in their first choice of genres, and a 2-3 page writing sample in their second choice of genres. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2O6_v1aMvlh1vDqkVSNXM7rS_yNfLDtTIOVQzwhGC2j36HU2pgEU3WgDR5TZ_Lr5WMsly22aZyxu6Skjyc8Ck9Eb5zF5ThcJ2CBnuVE_oZiSQmHNIzt5vFmWwS4wGI5V9W2drD4rMvHi2/s1600/35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2O6_v1aMvlh1vDqkVSNXM7rS_yNfLDtTIOVQzwhGC2j36HU2pgEU3WgDR5TZ_Lr5WMsly22aZyxu6Skjyc8Ck9Eb5zF5ThcJ2CBnuVE_oZiSQmHNIzt5vFmWwS4wGI5V9W2drD4rMvHi2/s400/35.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">It's a <a href="http://theyoungwriters.org/our-story">tremendous opportunity</a> with the chance to work side-by-side with young writers from around the world as well as across the nation. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpl77IE_ZNtgBOAP0FeuFqjj3_pdL4BmiUsEwXEbSgK5ZQPZRXHXxOSFbBK0NmMYetVN9fD7b_G9MaUwEsVjAhID8-86h5k49_3fGFcFZN5HfYJb3pna_aUGHNrm-g7X2O2IQ-rh3cLRqb/s1600/36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpl77IE_ZNtgBOAP0FeuFqjj3_pdL4BmiUsEwXEbSgK5ZQPZRXHXxOSFbBK0NmMYetVN9fD7b_G9MaUwEsVjAhID8-86h5k49_3fGFcFZN5HfYJb3pna_aUGHNrm-g7X2O2IQ-rh3cLRqb/s400/36.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">What inspiration will be found on this sprawling campus? We will know at the end of this session.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOI7_8F2dMWojsA2E3h9uMa6-ydZRsn2cb1kDuxWNOfj2k-Ki3p3nECDBKcukHzqOGhZ2C9BMCTHEHSGlkCvtGDun1bFMpJRlyDP9e9KuYbicIB5gIZ0aguVM81mDMnwzgwAGXmq7SMA8f/s1600/37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOI7_8F2dMWojsA2E3h9uMa6-ydZRsn2cb1kDuxWNOfj2k-Ki3p3nECDBKcukHzqOGhZ2C9BMCTHEHSGlkCvtGDun1bFMpJRlyDP9e9KuYbicIB5gIZ0aguVM81mDMnwzgwAGXmq7SMA8f/s400/37.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabWNsDmBexHLovb2xW4wEY4J0FCy2SkoJO_-sfra7l9EZ064Pb2awnfqxlFrjpIzfwyG7PZ21bhyphenhypheneC8rDjB6CN6u2ruBPSNmFcaJEa9h8LNcg7hDP_xwRcsiew2lURU8nIqkDn6AS4_OY/s1600/38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabWNsDmBexHLovb2xW4wEY4J0FCy2SkoJO_-sfra7l9EZ064Pb2awnfqxlFrjpIzfwyG7PZ21bhyphenhypheneC8rDjB6CN6u2ruBPSNmFcaJEa9h8LNcg7hDP_xwRcsiew2lURU8nIqkDn6AS4_OY/s400/38.jpg" width="385" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6brPqy7-KWK3UKk1FDHteogdF_NbYZ-9qIAdT-3DmwWjHs8S_U78DUQ8ZhlHc9_EdPFTeNGcocxpqmQwuFwNvJ542bwyVg_ewr7Bey4J0NKLBzShuMSCnDV3LcZQdXp5rnSPEMuc0wQKK/s1600/39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6brPqy7-KWK3UKk1FDHteogdF_NbYZ-9qIAdT-3DmwWjHs8S_U78DUQ8ZhlHc9_EdPFTeNGcocxpqmQwuFwNvJ542bwyVg_ewr7Bey4J0NKLBzShuMSCnDV3LcZQdXp5rnSPEMuc0wQKK/s400/39.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2_ercHYIg7fWTPu_dwvQPqLSSzqGc6cMEMt2b0AvFqjhyphenhyphenL8efVFo7g3HFbKq-gvYCcoI8zgc7Dmh7Kdtew1ZTPAY8OVv5w55_TCqCaKxSCtk0qQS4lBcehQRcRZrjc6fAcLBgvpO1jO5/s1600/40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2_ercHYIg7fWTPu_dwvQPqLSSzqGc6cMEMt2b0AvFqjhyphenhyphenL8efVFo7g3HFbKq-gvYCcoI8zgc7Dmh7Kdtew1ZTPAY8OVv5w55_TCqCaKxSCtk0qQS4lBcehQRcRZrjc6fAcLBgvpO1jO5/s400/40.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The equestrian center.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtgNLewRpFee3wfz0a-UgUlWQnRLHEvST2aCEXnu6_780SvriVGbmnPeZtlruMGLZh4DSFr2z6bmQyhvIyjZ2pXVerBEi7KQLi7Hwz4Tr6-asIBgn8TLS7KIVYmt_2HSp0eODaiO0wkPr/s1600/41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtgNLewRpFee3wfz0a-UgUlWQnRLHEvST2aCEXnu6_780SvriVGbmnPeZtlruMGLZh4DSFr2z6bmQyhvIyjZ2pXVerBEi7KQLi7Hwz4Tr6-asIBgn8TLS7KIVYmt_2HSp0eODaiO0wkPr/s400/41.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_AolPN-qM95Q1o_zbVQWNz3ZLidAFYwXNtOeoqrrsSiXoRoGodFf2rVpVTgT3aMINpeCBvIeHqMbu-7iE0NFVfdssvNJtGsi9FMiwOLVk7leuwvvvx-YSkZIRu6aQSPyo9_E-lKfBL-6/s1600/42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_AolPN-qM95Q1o_zbVQWNz3ZLidAFYwXNtOeoqrrsSiXoRoGodFf2rVpVTgT3aMINpeCBvIeHqMbu-7iE0NFVfdssvNJtGsi9FMiwOLVk7leuwvvvx-YSkZIRu6aQSPyo9_E-lKfBL-6/s400/42.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjLwoGJZpvI6TE0_Pchy0IUMbplcP2MAwwMA0_cjAKNdVy96lc4KCktRrgw18LjubrQvElMi0olyojgs2deqme85Ck_Tw1Y84AG3UWTlAyAH9wxw1mSsx0PrLay8QYmA27HzrufTd-xaK/s1600/43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjLwoGJZpvI6TE0_Pchy0IUMbplcP2MAwwMA0_cjAKNdVy96lc4KCktRrgw18LjubrQvElMi0olyojgs2deqme85Ck_Tw1Y84AG3UWTlAyAH9wxw1mSsx0PrLay8QYmA27HzrufTd-xaK/s400/43.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9OEZer6R5kgdoKKR5LlmBnjdxJe26XkTgTpEeoZjGBngkiN6bU9yq_9erCIP13Aot6Qg8I_PCIvkgHXCQqoP-NbL7wvk3R1Zz-DBRpVqD7CccGsIw2qnacnt1zkPXppnwwdHSuARDNA4/s1600/44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9OEZer6R5kgdoKKR5LlmBnjdxJe26XkTgTpEeoZjGBngkiN6bU9yq_9erCIP13Aot6Qg8I_PCIvkgHXCQqoP-NbL7wvk3R1Zz-DBRpVqD7CccGsIw2qnacnt1zkPXppnwwdHSuARDNA4/s400/44.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHtNRpRu8z51EvCQajEvbaawlAAWkX2FAMNRKYLlJLi5-oOHqV4OGaWglfxdkRTKaE1GYCbHNMiA5aeQS_8vSS4Vut4XCCrtaVGl94xtQNCAMwkPdMbmTK8yqPIWcQz8V5xUNj6JkFfXp/s1600/45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHtNRpRu8z51EvCQajEvbaawlAAWkX2FAMNRKYLlJLi5-oOHqV4OGaWglfxdkRTKaE1GYCbHNMiA5aeQS_8vSS4Vut4XCCrtaVGl94xtQNCAMwkPdMbmTK8yqPIWcQz8V5xUNj6JkFfXp/s400/45.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbVdecc6hKf8Z_EGXC4KD7SNhZrHBnIsXjsojztixMJTjf_F7DoUfnYG32gsEcdDXA1TdaX6vTExPiSp4udLP2yxRkf9PnA3n4xp4QVrYPB-FSN7DWXcWALl8AWqWvcWABHctW2w4RgmB/s1600/46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbVdecc6hKf8Z_EGXC4KD7SNhZrHBnIsXjsojztixMJTjf_F7DoUfnYG32gsEcdDXA1TdaX6vTExPiSp4udLP2yxRkf9PnA3n4xp4QVrYPB-FSN7DWXcWALl8AWqWvcWABHctW2w4RgmB/s400/46.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The boat house.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPfbXeZaP8dkjuTify7Qln_h2DvtNiPmH09wPqB0IpiwQLJXpm335RrxBZz_wmyFOJalc5puWsr46BWSv13BcP8TjpyyzdNdeEYmaCd2pCpJJXXSmUnwORfqTx9P56L8xeGpyrWwcbcG1/s1600/47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPfbXeZaP8dkjuTify7Qln_h2DvtNiPmH09wPqB0IpiwQLJXpm335RrxBZz_wmyFOJalc5puWsr46BWSv13BcP8TjpyyzdNdeEYmaCd2pCpJJXXSmUnwORfqTx9P56L8xeGpyrWwcbcG1/s400/47.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8D6JwnI-T1oY1TGMz5EizjNKYqd6fYEo5Au9P0Gh1GFEW33D_tbCpEwsdNV7XEg5IWEVVBL6flxv1kBqM1W7HqRgwPAk8bp23PfHaW_55Ek1EgR-X22agWaQpiME1-4D47zC9OuVtyKw/s1600/48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8D6JwnI-T1oY1TGMz5EizjNKYqd6fYEo5Au9P0Gh1GFEW33D_tbCpEwsdNV7XEg5IWEVVBL6flxv1kBqM1W7HqRgwPAk8bp23PfHaW_55Ek1EgR-X22agWaQpiME1-4D47zC9OuVtyKw/s640/48.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwM63dOgLKG2HIomfd4s2pZmJ2we6U7rFO7yMdI5TzyK-YZT7vQ5gFejXYg6On7QdT2PRtJprdjejESc7R-KkzjLFIuZ-JdspEVxUz9D3lFdx-OXKKoqxrU3Mib2ce6vOw9sjHGZLlPxZr/s1600/50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwM63dOgLKG2HIomfd4s2pZmJ2we6U7rFO7yMdI5TzyK-YZT7vQ5gFejXYg6On7QdT2PRtJprdjejESc7R-KkzjLFIuZ-JdspEVxUz9D3lFdx-OXKKoqxrU3Mib2ce6vOw9sjHGZLlPxZr/s640/50.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62qMiWiDyOfwVgYfgGPkDVDBRXqevrpBArWwzmRXlMUImVHkOQnvIOs1lMsaxMV9ZsALQIeIM1bR7bLuE9GMTyBcAyXArb9jzz5nStcLcyEm8nmlx71rt5YjT3hL6XH-5sRTHimNdrlCR/s1600/51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62qMiWiDyOfwVgYfgGPkDVDBRXqevrpBArWwzmRXlMUImVHkOQnvIOs1lMsaxMV9ZsALQIeIM1bR7bLuE9GMTyBcAyXArb9jzz5nStcLcyEm8nmlx71rt5YjT3hL6XH-5sRTHimNdrlCR/s400/51.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">From the beginning, Sweet Briar recognized that students who will become "useful members of society" must, as liberally educated women, be well equipped to move into professional life, a goal that continues into the 21st century.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In Staunton, City Councilwoman Andrea Oakes carries on that tradition of being a "useful member of society" as she serves on Staunton City Council and for various organizations while working a full-time job.</div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />July 11, 2013

Andrea Oakes Indiana Fletcher Williams National Register of Historic Places Staunton City Council Sweet Briar College University of Virginia Virginia Landmarks Register Young Writers Camp UVa summer Young Writers Camp ... exploring the 3200-acre Sweet Briar College campus

After spending three weeks last summer immersed in the French language and culture when Washington & Lee University hosted the Governor&...

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