Sweet Briar College - Briar Patch Yearbook (Sweet Briar, VA)

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Briar Battl) .- 1 This afternoon we had our first class meeting. It was called by Henrietta Washburn, the president of the Junior Class. We have nearly forty members. For our president we elected Clare Erck, who is an old girl and who seems to know a lot. Then we decided upon amethyst and gold for our colors and Facta, non verba for our motto. We are going to ask Miss Gascoigne to be our honorary member. She is so attractive, I don ' t wonder every one likes her. I am beginning to feel like a real college girl at last. James sent me a W. L. banner to-day. That makes my 53d, and I have them all up in my room. October. Our first fudge party this evening. We did have such fun. We all wore boudoir caps and kimonos, and after the candy was made we turned out the light and told ghost stories. This must be real college life. I may come back after Cliristmas after all. My Senior (I call her mine, though of course she isn ' t) is so nice. I tliink if I were a man I should fall in love with lier. Elsie ! — tliat is my favorite name, so I call her that even though it isn ' t hers. November. I sent Elsie some flowers to-day witli the words From an unknown admirer. Dear little diary, I can pour out all my .secrets to you! I ' m afraid Elsie doesn ' t even know who I am. February. We had our first real class figlit to-night. Tlie So]iliomores were trying to get our banner from us, but we managed to elude them all right. At the blowing of a whistle by our president we all rushed out to guard the banner which we had put up on the cupola. The Sophs tried to lasso it and pull it down, but were unable to do so and the banner still waves on high. I guess they will realize now that they have foemen wortliy of their steel. March. I took over two examinations to-day — French and Latin. Several members of our class have flunked out. We have had two more class fights and Miss Benedict has had to pass her no-personal-violence regulations. Ours is certainly a fighting class. May. We won the tennis championsliip. How fine it is to be a Freshman ! 26

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Brtar Bate!) VOLUTION KXTHACTS FROM THE DIARY OF 191f! FRESHMAX YEAR September, 1912. Dear little book, how glad I am that I have you to confide all nn- sweet secrets to ! There is no one here to whom I can open my heart as I can to you, my diary, and I am afraid that in the next four years I shall feel the need of unburdening myself more than once, for I realize that I shall experience many sorrows mingled with tjie joys. This is my first year away from home, my Freshman year at Sweet Briar College. At last I am face to face with tiie Great Unknown I How romantic that sounds! I thrill all over as I write it. lother and I just arrived this afternoon and have not yet had time to go over the campus, but everything looks beautiful to me. The scenery really surpasses any I ' ve ever seen before, and the college buildings are lovely. The girls look nice, but, oh, so strange ! If there were only one familiar face among them all. Mother is going early to-morrow. I wish she wouldn ' t. My roommate seems nice, but I ' m afraid that I shall never be very congenial with her. I had hoped that we would be chums , mv roommate and I. lother has gone. I can scarcely see the words for the tears tliat will come into my eyes in spite of my efl ' orts to keep them back. Oh, I shall not come back after Christmas ! I never could stick it out even for a wiiole year. How unhappy I am ! I went to Miss Benedict to-day to see whether or not I could change room- mates. She told me to wait a week, and that if I still wanted to change then I might. There are so many hardships in life. I hope tliat I may face them bravely, but it ' s rather hard to — when, oh, when — oh, I can ' t write it! I have decided not to change roommates after all. Mine improves upon acquaintance. We liave decided to be friends. A Senior spoke to me to-day. Siie didn ' t say much, just, Excuse me, but life seems brighter some way. She is very beautiful and so athletic ! 25

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Briar Batch JrxE. Tlie end of tlie year has really come and I hate to sjo home. I never thouj ht I should. The spring has been so beautiful here and the swimming so nice. Then, May Day and Finals were such a success. Dear old Sweet Briar! Whether or not I return in the fall I shall love to think back upon the joys and sorrows which I have experienced here. Here I have met the Great Unknown and have conquered homesickness, have experienced the pleasures of friendship and the bitterness of vexations. Life is a wonderful teacher after all. SOPHOMORE YEAR September, 1913. Well, here I am back again after all. I knew last June that I should have to come, even though my roommate couldn ' t make it. We ' re all Sophs this year, and I guess we ' ll make those little Freshies sit up and take notice. They look like a pretty scared bunch, even thougli they have almost twice as many members as we. Tlie new girls are nice looking on the whole ; some sad birds, of course — that ' s inevitable in the best-regulated of colleges. I think I shall go in for the cinch courses this year. No more grinding than can be avoided for me. I really don ' t think the sole object in going to college is to learn a lot. I think one should develop in other ways as well. Our class has depreciated somewhat in numbers but not in quality. We are much more unified than last year. Can ' t wait to show the Freshies a tiling or two. ii ' i October. Have decided to go in for basket-ball and tennis. Anyway, there ' s nothing like trying. Had a slight skirmish with the P ' reshies yesterday, but not much success on either side. It was about banners, as usual. NoVEiMBER. Well, the biggest event of the year has transpired. To history it will probably be known as the Affair of the caps and gowns or What happened at the Martin- dales ' . ' The facts of the case are as follows: The Freshmen had stolen the Seniors ' caps and gowns which they were supposed to assume on the 19th of this month. Much agitation among the Seniors and consequently among us, too, followed by stern resolves to find the missing garments. By a telephonic ruse we ascertained that they were hidden down at the Martindales ' — so down there we went. The 27