sweet briar magazine inside - Sweet Briar College

BEL CANTO MEANS BEAuTIFuL
SINGING, and for Sarah Schofield ’11 it was the
pursuit of her summer experience — studying bel
canto opera in Italy. It’s a style first used in the
19th century for an opera that combined powerful
and effortless legato of range and a poetic subject
matter. e idea of contextualizing Italian culture
with the music Sarah performs made the trip worth
her while. “e vocal pieces came much more
naturally being in the place of their original
language,” she says. “I was surrounded by teachers,
coaches and students — all talented and all with
the common goal: bel canto opera. I have never
been in an atmosphere that rivaled this one, and I
was surprised by everyone’s willingness to help and
their level of passion for their art.”
No doubt that her four semesters of Italian
and her major study of music at Sweet Briar
immersed her in the language and culture of Italy
well before her study abroad experience. “My
training and classes in Italy were almost a direct
parallel with those here on campus,” she says.
Sarah plans to continue the music track and
pursue graduate studies in musical performance
next year.
FOuNDED IN 1954, THE HuMANE SOCIETY OF
THE uNITED STATES, “seeks a humane and sustainable
world for all animals — a world that will also benefit
people.” at’s the PR statement, and one that Morgan
Harman ’11 learned the ins and outs of while working in
the public relations office of the HSuS as an intern this
summer.
In researching internships, Morgan was chosen from a
list of 200 to work at the Smithsonian. She also received an
offer for a paid position at a law office in Virginia. She
turned them both down to go to the HSuS.
She spent the summer combing news articles and
compiling clips for the public relations staff to review. She
also proofed press releases and worked closely with senior
executives.
A highlight of her time was writing a 750 word essay
that, “showed why an ‘umbrella’ group like the HSuS was
needed,” she says. “It’s now being featured on the student
outreach page on the HSuS website.” Morgan is the editor
of the Sweet Briar newspaper and an anthropology major
with a minor in English/creative writing. Her goal is to
work in the news industry.
SBC.EDU | SWEET BRIAR MAGAZINE
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