Thanks to “two Stanford guys,” we now have the next big thing right at our fingertips. If you have not yet heard of Snapchat, let me fill you in. The Snapchat team defines it as “a new way to share photos with friends and family. We’re making “social media” fun again. And we’re totally mobile.” But that doesn’t even begin to cover the half of it. Essentially, it’s an app that allows you to send pictures that can only be viewed for up to ten seconds by the recipient(s). Users are not supposed to be able to take screenshots of the pictures they receive, but technically if you’re fast enough, you can.

My first thought when I learned of Snapchat? SEXTING.

From a geeky perspective, the user interface is less than stellar but nevertheless I gave it a go for some odd reason. I really liked it for the first couple of weeks. I was all up on that Snapchat action but now as a couple of months have gone by my use is slowing down. But it seems the world is still in love with it! Billions of pictures of have been sent across the network. Instagram, who?! What’s even more fascinating? Within weeks FACEBOOK released its stand alone app called Poke. GROSS. I tested it out but it’s no Snapchat — it’s just not as fun.

I am so curious as to the kinds of things people Snapchat. Me? For the first time ever I wasn’t so self-conscious taking a selfie. So I’ll send my friends pictures of my face reacting in certain manners, food, objects, other people, but mostly my face.

Back to sexting. Today, young high school students, even those in middle school, are well equipped with smartphones so having access to apps like Snapchat is just a touch away. That’s a great thing until it’s not! I can imagine that these kids have gotten quite creative with their poses. Snapchat is a great forum through which crude and provocative images can be sent. People, don’t do it. Even though these images may disappear they’re sitting on some server, someplace, that can definitely be accessed by some geek. Just don’t do it.

Send me some of your Snapchats or comments at sbvoice@sbc.edu or @amritsays and I’ll select a few for the next issue.

#Trending Apps

Snapchat [Free]

Instagram [Free]

Vine [Free]

Pictures from: http://visual.ly/state-instagram & technorati.com

Nell Schroer is the new smiling face in Career Services holding the position of Campus Student Employment Coordinator/Office Manager. She is currently training with Tandilyn Phillips and working with students on scoring the perfect intern or discovering their dream job.

Schroer grew up in Douglas, Georgia and later attended Augusta State University in
Augusta, Georgia majoring in Political Science (concentrating in Public Administration) and
minoring in Business Administration. Her most cherished extracurricular while at ASU was participating in the Model African Union for several years. She is also an Alumna of Kappa Kappa Gamma and was an active member at the University of Georgia (Delta Upsilon Chapter).

Prior to beginning her time here at Sweet Briar, she was an Event Planner & Retail Store Manager at VeryVera in Augusta, Georgia. One aspect of her job she found quite entertaining: “I loved interacting with customers and working around food! I was always amazed at the number
of people that would drive all the way to Augusta just to visit the Cafe and perhaps meet Vera herself. Vera Stewart, Owner & CEO, joined Bobby Flay in 2010 on Food Network’s “Throwdown” and beat him with her famous carrot cake! You never knew who was going to walk in the door!”

With such an exciting job, why would someone come to a town and college that had a much slower way of life? “Sweet Briar’s mission of creating an “intensive and supportive” environment really stuck with me. After being on campus for only a short time, it was obvious that the Sweet Briar community actually followed through with all of its promises to every student here,” she explained.

When asked what her best advice for college students would be, she simply stated, “create your own path and be proud of who you are.” As for landing a job, “be sure to really read and understand the nuances of the job description.”

It’s obvious with all the insightful advice she has imparted that she genuinely loves interacting with the student body. “I love being able to relate to students – even if they don’t realize it at the moment – and help them move through whatever obstacle they are facing,” Nell shared. She also loves the “hometown” feel of the campus and how welcoming everyone has been. “Everyone’s door seems to be open and I hear loads of collaborating going on all time. I feel honored to be a part of such a special place,” Schroer added.

Her office is located on second floor Prothro in the career services section.

Photo courtesy of Victoria Daniels

Jessica Barry is a first year from the St. Pete Clearwater area in Florida where she enjoyed participating in the community theater. She graduated Magna Cum Lauda from the Center of Advanced Technologies where she studied computer programming along with other general studies. Upon arriving to Sweet Briar, she declared an Archeology major with a minor in Anthropology.

After going through the whirlwind of move-in day, endless orientation activities, and starting classes, she was offered a job in the Archeological Materials Laboratory. Jessica aids Keith Adams with cataloging artifacts and developing a new computer program to store said artifacts. The very next week, she was offered an opportunity that would ultimately shape her future career: to go to Turkey for forty-five days to work for the Central Lydian Archeological Survey with Keith Adams and Deborah Durham. Barry will mainly be working in the capital of Sardis, which has a royal burial ground.

Of course, there is so much to be excited for, but she has to say working along revered archeologist’s is what is making her trip worthwhile. “I’m most excited about working with a professional team for the first time and starting something different,” Barry said about embarking on her summer adventure. She will be working alongside Boston University students and high profile professionals in that field. Jessica hopes to gain ample field experience while on the job and to network with people who share her passion.

On choosing Sweet Briar College, Jessica fondly said, “I would never have had this opportunity if I didn’t go to Sweet Briar. I’m working abroad with my professors the summer after my freshmen year; how many other college students would say that? This is an amazing opportunity, and I’m beyond thankful.” Turkey isn’t her only cultural experience. This wanderlust plans on studying abroad her junior year in Greece, and wants to continue to set her feet on many shores when her schooling is completed. Graduate school at Texas A & M, however is her first stop once she leaves the Pink Bubble.

Photo Courtesy of Victoria Daniels.

Reactions to the inauguration around campus included hope, empowerment,
Obama’s exceptional speaking ability, and Beyonce. Some did not watch it and
others watched it for requirements for classes, but most of those who watched it
said they enjoyed it.

Mary Earnhart said she watched it because “[she] is American” and she said
she thought every American should watch it, whether they are a Democrat or a
Republican. She commented that she thought the speech was pretty good, but that
Obama went a little too much into what he will be saying in the State of the Union.
However, she thought he could go further into depth and be more focused in the
second inaugural address, since he does not have to worry about being re-elected.

Jodi Fritz, who leans Republican and is a member of Sweet Briar’s Students for
Liberty club, said she liked Obama’s inaugural address, but thought it was not as
strong as his first inaugural address. She mentioned that she thought that his speech
was sincere and he meant what he said, but everything he mentioned was unlikely
to happen. Even though she doubted that everything would be carried out, she said
the speech gave her hope.

Many students commented that Obama is a great speaker, and that it showed in his
inaugural address.

Sydney Bolton, who voted Republican, but said her vote was close, watched the
inauguration for fashion. She commented on how great of a speaker he is, but that
she thought the Presidential speech of the inauguration does not matter as much
as it used to, since there is so much more to the inauguration now, including the
after-parties and the Inaugural Ball and people can watch it on television and see
everyone, not just hear them on the radio.

Katie Fleming thought Obama’s inaugural address was “not so great”, but her
favorite part of the speech was when Obama quoted Martin Luther King Jr.
Fleming’s favorite part of the inauguration was Beyonce.

Elizabeth Snyder also said her favorite part of the inauguration was Beyonce.
She said her favorite part of the inaugural address was when Obama mentioned
Newtown.

Belicia DeBose said one of her favorite parts of the inauguration, that she found
particularly cute, was when Obama’s daughter, Sasha, yawned during the speech,
since she said, “many children at home were probably feeling the same way.”

Cara Campbell, a moderate conservative, who ended up voting for Obama, was not
as impressed as others with the inauguration. She said she thought it was boring
and long. She also was annoyed with the traffic since she lives close to Washington,
D.C. and was unable to carry out her travel plans due to the inaugural traffic. She
was also not as impressed with Beyonce, who she said was “getting on [her] nerves.”

Shaniqua Jones thought Obama’s inaugural address was uplifting and empowering
and also thought the themes were similar to those in Obama’s past speeches. Her
least favorite part of the inauguration was the poet, who she thought did not do
Obama justice.

Overall, most of the Sweet Briar students interviewed who watched the
inauguration or the inaugural address enjoyed it and thought Obama did a good job
on his speech.

The State of the Union was on February 12, at 9p.m. Tweet or Facebook
the Sweet Briar Voice with what you thought of the State of the Union and President Obama’s decisions.

Picture courtesy of politico.com

Spencer Beall is a Sweet Briar student currently living in Paris and studying at Paris Sorbonne IV, which is the division of the Sorbonne for History, Art History, Languages, and Literature. She is living independently in a particularly quaint studio on the top floor of an apartment building.

Spencer has a blog about her wondrous adventures and her more trying times due to her nut allergies. Although she has a difficult time finding food that is safe for her to eat, and she has had many tiring issues with technology, she says she would not trade the experience for the world.

Her advice for students thinking about studying abroad is to “go for it!” She said the most important piece of advice she could give would be to be as open-minded and flexible as you can be. She says things will always have their quirks and nothing will seem simple or what you are used to, and there will be ups and downs, but “there are so many good things to be had in studying abroad!” She also advises, “take things as they come, and go with life as it unrolls before you.”

Spencer said her favorite part of being there is simply being there. She has been able to experience much in Paris, since there is “a plethora of spectacular museums, parks, cathedrals and open markets within walking or metro distance.” She has been able to see things that she has dreamed of for years. Her favorite spots include Versailles, La Basilique de Saint, The Luxembourg Garden, The Louvre, The Musee d’Orsay, and Angelina, which she described as, “one of the most beautiful tearooms I have ever seen, on Rue de Rivoli, where you will find hot chocolate that will bring tears to your eyes.”

She did venture outside of France and visited the Netherlands and Amsterdam, which she has dreamed about visiting and she describes her visit elegantly on her blog in great detail. She says she cannot wait to go back through the Netherlands, especially to Delft, home to Delft pottery. She also recently ventured outside of Paris to see Chartres Cathedral, which she said is “so spectacular!” According to Spencer, it is really easy to travel to different places since everything is so close by. She says finding trains and tickets is not difficult, but sometimes it takes a bit of planning.

The focus of her blog is studying abroad with food allergies, which she says is more difficult than dealing with her allergies at Sweet Briar. Spencer said food allergies “pretty much do not exist at all in France”, especially life-threatening ones like hers, so it is difficult for people in France to understand her allergies, even for paramedics and physicians.

Spencer cooks for herself, besides occasionally being invited to dinner by her host family, and she checks the labels of everything she purchases. She is stunned at how many things have nut contaminants. Flour is one of the most difficult things for her to purchase, since she has only found one type that is safe for her.

Eating out in restaurants can be risky for Spencer, in the United States and in Paris. In Paris, it is popular to use peanut oil to cook food. Even taking the metro can be dangerous for Spencer, since roasted peanuts are popular in parts of Paris and the shells are sometimes left in metro cars. Bars and cafes are dangerous too, since they often serve bowls of mixed nuts with drinks. One of her most recent blog post is also about drinks that have nuts that you might not expect.

Spencer also has to avoid bakeries even though she yearns to go inside due to the aromas and window displays. On the bright side, she has found one little bakery near where she lives where they are extremely careful for her and use clean gloves to handle her bread. She has only had one allergic reaction since she has been there, and she advises that it is totally possible to study abroad with food allergies, just to remember to check food labels and protect yourself.

Nell Schroer is the new smiling face in Career Services holding the position of Campus Student Employment Coordinator/Office Manager. She is currently training with Tandilyn Phillips and working with students on scoring the perfect intern or discovering their dream job. After interviewing Mrs. Schroer, I believe that both faculty and staff will agree, she is a fabulous addition to the Sweet Briar community. Schroer grew up in Douglas, Georgia and later attended Augusta State University in Augusta, Georgia majoring in Political Science (concentrating in Public Administration) and minoring in Business Administration. Her most cherished extracurricular while at ASU was participating in the Model African Union for several years. She is also an Alumna of Kappa Kappa Gamma and was an active member at the University of Georgia (Delta Upsilon Chapter). Prior to beginning her time here at Sweet Briar, she was an Event Planner & Retail Store Manager at VeryVera in Augusta, Georgia. One aspect of her job she found quite entertaining, “I loved interacting with customers and working around food! I was always amazed at the number of people that would drive all the way to Augusta just to visit the Cafe and perhaps meet Vera herself. Vera Stewart, Owner & CEO, joined Bobby Flay in 2010 on Food Network’s “Throwdown” and beat him with her famous carrot cake! You never knew who was going to walk in the door!” With such an exciting job, why would someone come to a town and college that had a much slower way of life? “Sweet Briar’s mission of creating an “intensive and supportive” environment really stuck with me. After being on campus for only a short time, it was obvious that the Sweet Briar community actually followed through with all of its promises to every student here,” she explained. When asked what her best advice for college students would be, she simply stated, “create your own path and be proud of who you are.” As for landing a job, “be sure to really read and understand the nuances of the job description.” It’s obvious with all the insightful advice she has imparted that she genuinely loves interacting with the student body. “I love being able to relate to students – even if they don’t realize it at the moment – and help them move through whatever obstacle they are facing,” Nell shared. She also loves the “hometown” feel of the campus and how welcoming everyone has been. “Everyone’s door seems to be open and I hear loads of collaborating going on all time. I feel honored to be a part of such a special place,” Schroer added. Sweet Briar College is very fortunate to have Nell Schroer as our newest vixen. Friendly, intelligent, and caring, she is definitely quite the Susie Sweet Briar already.

By; Victoria Daniels

Jessica Barry is a first year from the beautiful St. Pete Clearwater area in Florida where she enjoyed participating in the community theater. She graduated Magna Cum Lauda from the Center of Advanced Technologies where she studied computer programming along with other general studies. Upon arriving to Sweet Briar, she declared an Archeology major with a minor in Anthropology. After going through the whirlwind of move-in day, endless orientation activities, and starting classes, she was offered a job in the Archeological Materials Laboratory. Jessica aids Keith Adams with cataloging artifacts and developing a new computer program to store said artifacts. The very next week, she was offered an opportunity that would ultimately shape her future career: to go to Turkey for forty-five days to work for the Central Lydian Archeological Survey with Keith Adams and Deborah Durham. Barry will mainly be working in the capital of Sardis, which has a royal burial ground! Of course, there is so much to be excited for, but she has to say working along revered Archeologist is what is making her trip worthwhile. “I’m most excited about working with a professional team for the first time and starting something different,” Barry said about embarking on her summer adventure. She will be working alongside Boston University students and high profile professionals in that field. Jessica hopes to gain ample field experience while on the job and to network with people who share her passion. On choosing Sweet Briar College, Jessica fondly said, “I would never have had this opportunity if I didn’t go to Sweet Briar. I’m working abroad with my professors the summer after my freshmen year; how many other college students would say that? This is an amazing opportunity, and I’m beyond thankful.” Turkey isn’t her only cultural experience. This wanderlust plans on studying abroad her junior year in Greece, and wants to continue to set her feet on many shores when her schooling is completed. Graduate school at Texas A & M, however is her first stop once she leaves the Pink Bubble.
By: Victoria Daniels

Tomorrow is voting day! The presidents were able to debate numerous times but there was only one vice presidential debate. On Thursday, October 4th, a diverse group of politically motivated students gathered in Reid Pit at Sweet Briar College, an all women’s college, to watch the Vice Presidential debate.

Sweet Briar students watch the vice presidential debate from Reid Pitt. –Amy Kvien

Vice President Joe Biden and Representative Paul Ryan went head to head on domestic and international issues, including abortion, unemployment, Medicare, Syria and the war in Afghanistan in the only Vice Presidential debate of the election.

Expressing the importance of the debate, Kathryn Drews, a libertarian, said, “The debate is significant to the public in order to not only get a representation of the positions of the Republican and Democratic candidates that are running, [but also] to help reveal the personalities behind the campaigns – how much they know about their own policies, [and] how well they know what they stand for.”

The winner of the debate is unclear, unlike the first Presidential debate. CNN’s post-debate poll showed 48% thought Ryan won while 44% thought Biden won with a 5% margin of error.

Steve Bragaw, Professor of Government, said about Ryan and Biden, “They both had strategic things they needed to get done and they both got those things done.” He said Ryan’s task was to “come across as Vice Presidential”, and Biden’s task was to make up for the first debate, which was “an epic disaster for the President.”

Sweet Briar students noticed the amount of interrupting during the debate. According to the Republican National Committee Chairman, Reince Priebus, Biden interrupted Ryan 82 times during the evening. Ryan, at one point during the debate, said “Mr. Vice President, I know you’re under a lot of duress — to make up for lost ground — but I think people would be better served if we don’t keep interrupting each other.” Of course, Ryan also interrupted Biden, but not to the same extent.

Simone Faas, President of Sweet Briar College Democrats, said about his interrupting, “I think Biden took a page from Romney’s playbook from last week, as he was ready and willing to cut in… and run over his opponent. Unlike Romney, however, he did not appear as an impatient child.”

Hailey Floyd, President of Sweet Briar College Republicans, said about Ryan’s performance, “I liked how he did not interrupt very much whereas Biden did”.

One topic of discussion was Afghanistan and the 2014 timetable for U.S. departure. Raddatz, the moderator, asked the candidates, in regards to Afghanistan, “why not leave now?”

Ryan responded, saying, “We don’t want to lose the gains we’ve gotten” in Afghanistan, but that Romney and he agree on the 2014 transition. He then pointed out disagreements between the current administration’s position and his position: “We would have more likely taken into account the recommendations from our commanders… on troop levels throughout this year’s fighting season. We’ve been skeptical about negotiations with the Taliban.”

Biden pointed out that “We’ve decimated al-Qaeda central.” and “We have eliminated Osama bin Laden.” He then also noted differences between Romney and Ryan’s position and his: “My friend and the governor say [the 2014 timetable is] based on conditions, which means it depends. It does not depend for us.”

Abortion and the role their Catholic beliefs play on their view of abortion was one of the last topics discussed during the debate. Ryan and Biden both agreed that life begins at conception, but there was a difference in their policies.

Ryan said, “the policy of a Romney administration will be to oppose abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.”

Biden said that he refuses to impose his view that life begins at conception on others. Biden also speculated that the Romney administration would appoint someone to the Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade and outlaw abortion.

Overall, student reactions to the debate stayed along party lines.

 “I am pleased with Biden’s energy and how he insisted on calling Ryan out on the false statements and accusations he made” Faas, a Democrat, stated.

Floyd, a Republican, when asked about Ryan, said, “I think he did a really good job … He covered their basic points and I think he did a great job answering the questions and talking about what he really cares about. So that was good.”

Madison Mundy, a libertarian, said, “As far as the points go, they were both equally strong; I disagreed with the majority of what both of them were saying.”

Please follow this link for live student interviews following the debates about the candidates courtesy of SBtele:

 2012 Election Debate Interviews