Over 75 Strings gathered Saturday morning for a reunion brunch at the home of Wake Forest trustee Donna Boswell (’72). There was a lot of hugging, laughing, reminiscing, and even a few tears when women joined hands to sing the “Sisterhood Song.”
At the event (see photo album), Boswell, along with co-hosts Zenia Raudsepp (’83) and Melanie Harkey (’84), announced an initiative to honor Strings history while helping current and future students.
“The proposal is that donations would be pooled to create an endowed fund called the Strings Wellness Fund to be used by Vice President for Campus Life Penny Rue, at her discretion, to support Wake Forest women,” says Boswell.
Donna Boswell (’72, WFU Trustee) greets guests at her home with a replica of the signs that generations of Strings nailed to their dorm room doors.
“We want to help ensure that, regardless of the financial capability of their family or origin, Wake Forest women will be able to participate in leadership and community opportunities, to have the right interview suit, to have the necessary coaching and even global experience to lead lives that matter and achieve their full potential as Wake Forest graduates.”
As part of the project, donors aspire to name the Johnson Hall Formal Parlor the Strings Parlor: “In honor of the Wake Forest women who, in 1946, founded the first women’s society in fulfillment of their recognition that the fun and fellowship of sisterhood in community activities is integral to collegiate wellness. Allemande!”
Jocelyn Burton (’80, WFU Trustee) and Amy Sanborn Owen (’83, parent).
Johnson Hall has been chosen because the majority of Strings have lived one or more years in Johnson Hall (whether on the old campus or the new campus) and because Lois Johnson was the Dean of Women at Wake Forest when the Strings Society was founded.
I can’t think of a better way to honor my sisters and the fun we had together and also to celebrate the students I worked with during my years as Strings’ faculty adviser than by supporting this effort.
Allemande!
Refreshments included platters of custom donuts iced with the Strings insignia.
