Mawrginaliathe monthly eNewsletter of The Bryn Mawr School

• April 2012 •Mawrginalia [mawr-juh-ney-lee-uh]: Latin, plural noun. Notes, commentary and

similar material about or relating to The Bryn Mawr School.

Table of Contents

In Every Issue

From the Headmistress 3Remawrks 4This Month in Pictures 5Spring Spirit Day, One Love lacrosse tribute, Lower SchoolBake Sale, a life-size game of Life ©, the White House Egg Roll, and eARTh Day.

Under the Porticos: Next Month at Bryn Mawr 9The beloved annual traditions of Bazaar and Gym Drill, upcoming music recitals, and the Spirit Bracelet.

Teachers’ Corner 11Senior Voices: The Class of 2012 in Their Own Words 18

Features

Student Artwork Shines in “Color Wheel” 12The cross-divisional exhibition of student artwork highlights students from age 2 through grade 12.

Going Global 13Upper School students take on Australia, South Africa, the Czech Republic and more through Bryn Mawr’s exchange programs.

Dodge, Dip, Dive, Donate! 14The Student Athletic Association hosts a dodgeball tourneyto raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Dance Company Takes Center Stage 16Upper School Dance Company performs their spring concert, earning rave reviews.

Alumnae News

Alumnae News in Brief 22Serve Where You Are, Bryn Mawr: Baltimore; Bryn Mawr at the BMA; and the Generations Reception.

Upcoming Alumnae Events 23 Bryn Mawr in Boston and Alumnae Weekend 2012.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

Twitter: @BrynMawrSchoolFacebook: The Bryn Mawr School

About Mawrginalia: This newsletter was designed with our parents, alumnae, faculty and staff in mind. If you have comments, we are always eager to hear from you!

Laurel M. O. WeijerAsst. Dir. of Communicationsweijerl@brynmawrschool.org

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From the Headmistress

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Maureen E. WalshHeadmistress

hen The Bryn Mawr School was founded in 1885, women’s roles in American society tended to be limited to marriage, motherhood, and volunteerism. Of course, not all women followed this path, but most

did. Strenuous exercise was considered unhealthy, intellectual engagement was thought to be unnecessary, and pursuing higher education was seen as a potentially charming detour that might help a woman become a useful and accomplished partner to her husband. Dabbling in the arts was a pleasant distraction, perhaps leading to a lifelong hobby that might enrich a home.

The Bryn Mawr School defied those contemporary ideas by insisting that young women could find accomplishment in an academic and intellectual life, and what followed throughout our school’s history was a conscious effort to provide the best teaching and learning experiences possible. Performing and visual arts have moved, happily, from developing a hobby to nurturing a pas-sion for the arts in our students.

Bryn Mawr’s Director of Arts Michael Robinson has led a thoughtful campaign to infuse the arts in annual events as well as to exhibit our students’ and teachers’ work throughout campus. Mr. Robinson has encour-aged his colleagues to do more, to perform often, to raise the bar and create thrilling opportunities for our students to express their creativity and love for a discipline or a medium, and to share that accomplishment with the school community and beyond.

To be accomplished as an artist takes long, hard and serious study. For any parent who has winced through the early years of a daughter’s violin study, the road is a long and hard one! For a costumer preparing intricate garb for a production of Alice in Wonderland, the vision and commitment to detail can be ardu-ous. Our choral groups master difficult material, our dancers perform amazingly musical choreography, our strings musicians cobble together rehearsals before and after school, finding snippets of time to work on a piece before a performance. Like our athletes, they, too, do their “rec league” time outside of school—at Peabody, at dance centers, and in smaller performance groups and community theatre.

I love to hear arts teachers talk about their teaching and their commitment both to the work and to our students. I’ve learned so much from Upper School painting teacher David Little, who talks about the work and discipline required to paint. Lower School art teacher Genie Arnot Titus ’93, herself a working artist, describes with passion her vision for art exploration among our younger girls. I’ve listened with fascination and admiration to our Director of Music Dr. Alyson Shirk talk to the girls about auditioning, vocal strate-gies, and about following the music and finding their own voices. I want to play violin for Matt Horwitz-Lee because I want to earn his smile of appreciation, and because he seems to be so devoted to the musicians he leads. My admiration for Emily Tankersley’s work with our Upper School dancers, and especially for her signature choreography that is just perfect for these girls, has no bounds. Todd Twining gives up free time to work with Middle School girls who just want to drop in and get some help for an upcoming audition. Patricia Tamariz has infused the visual arts in the Upper School with so much energy and creativity; her work is amazing. These are just some of the examples of the magic that our performing and visual arts teachers are making across campus with all of our girls.

A couple of years ago, parents came forward and asked us to look at our arts curriculum, and they asked us to develop more and better performance opportunities for all of our students. I hope that you will take notice of our teachers’ and students’ efforts and accomplishments in the visual and performing arts at Bryn Mawr. And know, too, that we will continue with the “more! better!” philosophy as we move ahead.

RemawrksEach month, one of our division directors offers commentary on Bryn Mawr’s educational philosophy. This month’s author is Little School Director Pat Wells Sheridan.

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Pat Wells Sheridan reads a story to Little School students.

rom an early age, children respond to words and pictures as they begin to put together a story. Often, two children will sit together with a book and tell the story in their own

words. They will recall some parts of the story as it is written, while choosing to embellish other parts to fit their own interpre-tation. As children get older, they can identify letters and words, which allows them to expand their relationships with books.

Teachers at Little School share books with children beginning in the Infant Class. For the youngest children, board books are a total sensory experience and hold up well in young hands. Young children learn about color, shape, texture and everyday objects from early books. They hear the rhyme of nursery stories and are comforted by familiar refrains. Teachers make up stories about the children to solve a problem or highlight a friendship. Children dictate their own stories to the teachers. Classes write group books together, which become part of the classroom collection. The Little School Library includes fiction and non-fiction books; categories range from fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and adventure stories to poetry, science, social studies, art and music.

It is this love of stories that led to the beginning of one of the Little School’s most beloved traditions: the Kindergarten Author’s Tea. In the weeks leading up to this event, each child develops a story that he or she dictates to a teacher, who writes it down word-for-word. Teachers guide the children to think about the ac-tion that is taking place on each page, and how to best represent it pictorially; the child then decides what to draw to illustrate the specific text on each page. The final step is the cover design. Each child chooses a title and designs a cover illustration for his or her book. The pages are then laminated and bound into a finished book.

This year, we celebrated this special event during the third week of April. The children worked on their books for a month beforehand, until finally the day to present the books arrived. The children were very excited that their families were coming to hear their stories read to the entire audience. They dressed in their literary best—hair ribbons and fancy dresses for some of the girls, ties and long pants for some of the boys. The stage was set in Room 2. Families, with cameras in hand, arrived early to get a good seat. Teach-ers Chris Miskiewicz, Suzanne Pugh and Meaghan Johnson were the readers. They called each child to the front of the room, where each book was read and the illustrations held up for everyone to see. At the end of each story, the audience applauded.

The journey that led to the writing of the books was different for each child. A few children developed emerging reading and writing skills this year. Most children can identify individual letters and rhyming sounds, as well as write their name and a few words. In the end, every child learned the most valuable les-sons of all—that everyone has stories to tell, and that books can take us anywhere in the world. Several years ago, Associate Headmistress Peggy Bessent gave me a beautiful poster to hang in the Little School Library. The artwork, which depicts a group of children listening to a story, is captioned by a wonderful phrase: “Share the Glory of the Story.” My wish is that each of us always finds the glory in the stories we hear and the stories we share.

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This Month in Pictures

Spring Spirit Day>With warm weather and sunshine already common in Feb-ruary and March, Spring Spirit Day this year felt like it could have been in the summer! Mawrtian Pride was on colorful display as girls brought out their green and yellow gear. After an exciting assembly in the Katherine Van Bibber Gymnasium that featured performances from both the Middle and Upper School Dance Companies, and an appearance by the Mawrtian (top right), seniors took their last trip through the tunnel of lowerclassmen, smiling as they emerged (top left; below).

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>One Love Lacrosse TributeOn the afternoon of their last home game, varsity lacrosse paid a spe-cial tribute to slain UVA lacrosse player Yeardley Love, who grew up in the area and attended Notre Dame Prep. Players wore “One Love Lacrosse” t-shirts during warm-ups, and gathered before the game for a moment of silence in honor of Yeardley. Coach Kim Simons Tortolani said, “The memory of Yeardley reminds us, in the words of Joe Erhmann, to ‘Stand Up, Speak Up and Show Up.’ Stand up for what is right and for those who are in trouble. Speak up for yourself and others in difficult or potentially threatening situations. And show up—be fully engaged and ‘present’ in your everyday life and the lives of others.”

>From the February issue: click here to read Assistant Athletic Director Kim Simons Tortolani’s reflection on how Yeardley Love’s death impacts the way that we coach girls.

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> Life©, Life-SizeOn April 25, Bryn Mawr hosted a special group of visitors: fourth-graders from Frederick Elementary. For the past several months, club R.E.A. (Respect Encourages Ambi-tion), led by juniors Chinyere Amanze and Porsha Green, has been visiting Frederick Elementary twice a month to mentor the students. Recognizing the importance of developing self-confidence in young women, the club works to spread self-confidence to girls who may have trouble seeing this value in themselves.

The visit included a campus tour, a Q & A with Director of Admission Talia Titus, and a special life-size version of the game of Life©, which R.E.A used to emphasize the importance of setting goals.

>Lower School Bake SaleOn Thursday, April 19, the Lower School held a bake sale and raffle to raise funds for Opera-tion Walk Maryland. This non-profit, led by Lower School parents Paul Khanuja, M.D. and Maria Khanuja, C.R.N.P., parents of Karan ’19 and Tahra ’21, travels to developing countries and performs joint replacements on needy patients.

The bake sale was very successful, raising $1,415 from delicious baked goods and raffle tickets. All of this money will be donated to Operation Walk Maryland! For more information, visit www.op-erationwalkmd.org.

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Lower School Physical Education teacher Mimi Walters and her fam-

Mimi Walters, top right, with her partner Cynthia and their sons at the White House.

ily enjoyed the annual White House Egg Roll this year, held the day after Easter. As a PE teacher, Walters appreciated the theme of the day—physical activity and healthy eating habits, in conjunction with First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” program. “They had so many dif-ferent activities, and the focus was very apparent,” Walters said. “They highlight-ed the many different ways to be active, and to have fun. That was great to see.”

Walter’s sons roll eggs down the White House lawn using wooden spoons.

Annual Fund Updatehe Annual Fund goal is within reach! To date, more than 1,825 donors have committed more than $1,240,000 toward the goal of $1,275,000.

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On a Roll!

If you want to support Bryn Mawr students and teachers and be listed as a donor in this year’s Report on Giving, contribute now! The Annual Fund year closes on May 31.

The Annual Fund is integral to continuing the mission that our five founders set forth more than 125 years ago of providing girls with a quality education. Annu-al Fund donations are used for important purposes like sustaining an excellent athletics program, enabling girls to flourish in the arts and sciences, continuing student initiatives in community service and maintaining the school’s buildings and grounds. Your gift of any size is greatly appreciated and will make a difference.

If you have any questions, please contact Ann T. Kangas, Assistant Director of Development, at kangasa@brynmawrschool.org or 410-323-1118, ext 1280.

The five founders of The Bryn Mawr School.

>eARTh DayOn Earth Day, the Lower School took a unique approach, celebrating eARTh Day! In morning assembly, the girls listened at-tentively while Frank Asch read his book, “The Earth And I.” Afterward, students used the story as inspiration for sidewalk chalk art on the driveway that runs between the Upper and Lower Schools. A wonderful activity for a beautiful Earth Day!

Walters and her family were able to participate in a few different activities, including the tennis clinic, and, of course, the Egg Roll!

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Under the Porticos: Next Month at Bryn Mawr

> Bazaar and Gym DrillIt’s that time of year again! The beloved annual traditions of Bazaar and Gym Drill will take place on Satur-day, May 5. Events will kick off at 8:00 AM with a recycled uniform sale in the Garrett Building, Room 12. The third grade will perform the Maypole Dance on the Middle School Quad at 9:30 AM; that will be followed by the Bazaar from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. The Banner March and Gym Drill will take place on the Upper Field at 2:30 PM. More Bazaar details are below!

Spring is a busy time for Bryn Mawr’s Music Department! In the last month alone, the Upper School bell choir, Ad Solem, played for the University of Maryland Proton Thera-py Center’s ground breaking ceremony (pic-tured at left), Dayseye performed at an AIMS Choral Festival, and the Middle School rock band, Rockus Maximus, performed at the Middle School Fine Arts Festival at Gilman School, along with the seventh and eighth grade choruses.

Upcoming Music Performances >

In the coming month, there are several opportunities to hear the wonderful music that our students make, so please join us for any (or all!) of these upcoming performances.

K-2 Spring Concert Friday, May 48:30 AMCentennial Hall

Third Grade Maypole DanceSaturday, May 59:30 AMMiddle School QuadrangleA great way to kick-off the beloved annual traditions of the Bazaar and Gym Drill!

Middle School Spring ConcertFriday, May 176:30 PMCentennial Hall

Upper School Spring ConcertFriday, May 178:00 PMCentennial HallDelightful string, bell, and vocal music is on the program, along with a special appearance by John Babcock, a professional trumpeter, parent of Tessa ’13.

Fourth Grade International Bazaar Friday, May 189:00 - 11:30 AMKVB GymnasiumThe fourth grade will perform an extravaganza of international songs and dances. Not to be missed!

Music School Honors Concert and Creative CollaborationTuesday, May 226:00 PMCentennial HallThis special Music School concert honors those students who have worked hard perfecting their musical craft this year. It will also feature a special collaboration from faculty musicians. This is sure to be a great event for everyone!

Little School Sing Friday, May 244:00 PMKVB GymnasiumFeaturing the brave voices of our smallest Bryn Mawr singers and impressive recorder playing from our Little School Kindergartners, you won’t want to miss this fun performance!

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What brought you to Bryn Mawr?

This was my first high school experi-ence—I taught college for two years before coming here. After finishing graduate school, both my wife and I were looking for jobs, and we had a chance to come to Bryn Mawr for a vis-it. We were so impressed by the atmo-sphere of collegiality and how excited everyone was about learning.

What is your teaching philosophy?My job as a teacher is not to hold forth as an expert, but to empower the stu-dents to become historians. The less I say, the more they learn.

What is your favorite thing about working at Bryn Mawr?I’m excited to go to work every day when I wake up. I learn a great deal ev-ery day that I am here. At Bryn Mawr, both students and colleagues push you to keep on learning, and there is a real opportunity to continually rein-vent yourself, grow intellectually, and always learn new things.

Jason GeorgeUS History Years at Bryn Mawr: 13Years Teaching: 15

Teachers’ CornerEach month we profile three teachers, to give them a chance to share, in their own words, what brought them to Bryn Mawr, what their teaching philosophy is, and why they love working here.

Wendy KridelAthletics Director Years at Bryn Mawr: 15Years Teaching: 23

Bobbie MiyasakiLS Science Coordinator Years at Bryn Mawr: 21Years Teaching: 21

What brought you to Bryn Mawr?I was working at a public school, and was concerned that my contract would not be renewed because of funding. I started sending out my resume, and there was an opening here, late in the spring. I had learned that I was going to be rehired at my current school, but having worked in a private school be-fore, I wanted that environment. I came here, and fell in love with the people.

What is your coaching philosophy?I want to get every student to give her best by nurturing her, but also pushing her. It’s important to teach them to feel good about who they are, not because I approve of them, but because they ap-prove of themselves. Most importantly, I want to make playing the sport a great experience for them.

What is your favorite thing about working at Bryn Mawr?The people. It’s a very collegial place. I’ve worked in other schools where, de-pending on what you taught, you might have been close with the people in your department. But at Bryn Mawr, every-body tries to know everybody. I felt that right away, and always felt valued here.

What brought you to Bryn Mawr?My first career involved doing research at Johns Hopkins, but I stopped work-ing to become a full-time mother when my children were young. During that time, a friend asked me to substitute for her in the Upper School. I enjoyed it, and also began to substitute in the Lower School. When the LS Science Coordinator retired, I realized that teaching was my calling. Becoming a teacher was serendipitous.

What is your teaching philosophy?Children are natural scientists. I en-courage them to be curious and to ob-serve their natural world, ask questions and make connections. They want to learn and I love to challenge them to think.

What is your favorite thing about working at Bryn Mawr?The people. Our students and faculty alike are committed and hard working. They embrace challenges. The spirit of community and collegiality here is important. After 21 years in the class-room, this is still the place I want to be.

>Capture Bryn Mawr’s spirit, traditions and everyday excitement through the Spirit Bracelet. This

Bryn Mawr Spirit Bracelet

is a great gift for a Bryn Mawr girl of any age! Click here to visit the Bryn Mawrket website for more information about the Spirit Bracelet and individual charms.

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Student Artwork Shines in “Color Wheel”

n March 30, the annual cross-divisional student art show opened in the Mildred Natwick Lobby of Centennial Hall. This year’s exhibition, entitled “Color Wheel,” showcased works from students aged 2 through grade 12, and featured an amazing 310 works of art by 222 students—40 from Little School, O

96 from Lower School, 45 from Middle School and 41 from Upper School!

The exhibition opened with a special reception for artists, their families and the school community. The ex-citement was palpable as students proudly showed off their work to their friends and families, and admired other students’ work. Director of the Arts Michael Robinson, who curated the exhibition, said that he was pleased with the turnout at the opening, and the response to the artwork. “It was such an impressive com-munity event, showing the diversity and creativity of our four divisions in one art-packed lobby,” he wrote.

Alumnae had a special chance to view the artwork at the Generations Reception on April 19, which celebrat-ed multi-generational Bryn Mawr families. For those that missed the exhibition, there will be more chances to admire student art at the annual Bryn Mawr Bazaar, which will take place on Saturday, May 5.

> Want to see more art featured in “Color Wheel”? Visit the Bryn Mawr Arts Facebook page!

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WGoing Global

hen senior Bridget Morton arrived in Prague, Czech Republic as a junior, she wasn’t entirely sure what it would be like

to be in a country where she did not speak the lan-guage. “I wasn’t expecting it to be as big of a deal as it was,” she says. “Most people speak English, but it was weird to feel like an invader.”

However, the language barrier did not keep her from enjoying all that Prague had to offer. During her exchange, she went to cultural events, muse-ums and restaurants, as well as exploring the city and traveling internationally. “I really wanted an exchange where I could get to know the culture intimately,” she says of her decision to go abroad.

The Prague program is just one of the several exchanges that Bryn Mawr offers through its rather unique travel abroad program, says Upper School teacher and exchange coor-dinator Erin Munoz. When Munoz came to Bryn Mawr four-teen years ago, there were already several language exchange programs that offered students the chance to spend two or three weeks in countries like Spain and France. But, Munoz says, she want-ed to offer programs that would allow students to spend a longer time abroad, experiencing the culture, living in home-stays and attending foreign schools. What began as occasional, non-reciprocal visits led by Munoz morphed into the current program, which offers four exchange opportunities that students can ap-ply to participate in: for ninth-graders, six weeks in Australia; for tenth-graders, eight weeks in Cape Town, South Africa; and for eleventh-grad-ers, eight weeks in either Prague, Czech Republic or England. The exchanges are designed to be minimally impactful, both in cost and class time, as Bryn Mawr pays for travel costs and all foreign travel occurs in the summer. The exchanges are also reciprocal, giving students a chance to host a foreign student either before or after their travels.

Tereza Brousilova, a student from Prague cur-rently staying with Bryn Mawr junior Amber Singh, says that she was very excited about coming to the United States on an exchange program, and especially the prospect of coming to an all-girls school. “I really like it,”she says. “It’s very different than my life style [in Prague], but I like having the chance to experience the education here.”

Brousilova began learning English ten years ago, and hopes to attend college in the United States. “It can be tiring, being surrounded by English all day,” she admits, “but I like languages. Being here has helped my English skills a lot.”

The experience for Singh, when she visits Brousilova in Prague during the summer, will be a little bit dif-ferent, since she does not speak any Czech. “Whenever she [Ter-eza] does not under-stand something, I’m always really happy to explain it to her,” Singh laughs. “I tell her I don’t mind, since she will literally be translating for me for two months!”

Although a language barrier was not some-thing that Bryn Mawr senior Emma Koram-

shahi had to worry about when she went on her exchange to South Africa, she, like the other stu-dents, says that the experience taught her more than she would have ever expected going into it. “I learned a lot about myself, and some things about it were really difficult,” she reflects. “But, not all good experiences are easy.”

Her advice for any girls thinking about applying for one of the exchange programs? “Definitely do it,” she says, emphatically. “It’s scary to think about going away for so long, but it’s an incred-ible experience. Most people have to wait un-til college, or go outside of their school, to do something like this. We are really lucky to have these opportunities.”

Junior Amber Singh, exchange students Tereza Brousilova and Mary Agbesanwa, and junior Tate Johnson.

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Dodge, Dip, Dive, Donate! t’s late in the game, and the seconds are quickly ticking off the clock. A lone player shuffles back and forth nervously, clutching a neon green foam ball. Across from her, a veritable firing squad is assembling. As balls start flying, shouts fill the air. Moments later, the player is hit, and the game is over.

This was the scene on the evening of April 20, when teams of students from all over the Baltimore area packed into the Katherine Van Bibber Gymnasium at Bryn Mawr for a dodgeball tournament raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. A hum of excitement filled the air as teams prepared to face off in one of the most vaunted (or feared) PE class games of all time.

The tournament, new to Bryn Mawr this year, was the brainchild of seniors Josie George and Hannah Park. George approached Park, who is president of the Student Athletic Association, with a request for help raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “We knew we wanted to do a fundraising event in the spring, and a lot of schools in Baltimore have had dodgeball tournaments recently,” Park said. “So, we decided to combine the two.” In order to recruit more players, Park relied on the help of her Bryn Mawr classmates. “Teams had to have at least one Bryn Mawr girl, and no more than five boys,” she explained.

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“Players reached out to their friends at other schools, and it spread pretty quickly.” In total, students from six schools, in addition to Bryn Mawr, participated in the tournament: Friends School, Gilman School, Boys’ Latin School, Park School, Loyola Blakefield High School, and Calvert Hall. Several members of the Bryn Mawr faculty also put together a team, to make sure that students weren’t having all the fun!

Although there were some organizational challenges along the way, the tournament was a big success. “It went really well,” says Park. “We raised around $500, so that was great.” Teams paid a per-player entry fee, and concessions sold to spectators also helped raise funds.

The winning team was Cat’s Meow, who received $10 gift cards for a variety of restaurants as well as iTunes. Park says that the best part of the tournament was the friendly competition. “It was great to see everyone get so into it. People were really excited, which made it fun for everyone.”

Above, members of the faculty team The Rule Breakers. Facing page, top left: a team strikes a pose before the tournament starts. Top right: a student hurls a dodge ball at the opposing team.

Bottom: Members of the winning team, Cat’s Meow.

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Dance Company Takes Center Stage

he many talents of the Upper School Dance Company were on display for the school community on the weekend of April 13 and 14, when the students performed their annual spring concert. But while the dancers made the smooth moves and complex choreography look easy, Director Emily Tanker-

sley said that there was an immense amount of work that went into making the performances a success. Girls in the Dance Company rehearsed twice a week, every week, from September until April. They also performed for their classmates on several occasions, including at Spirit Day assemblies and during Thanks-giving Convocation, in preparation for their spring extravaganza.

The pieces performed at the concert reflected the diverse choreographers that the Dance Company mem-bers were able to work with. With a fabulous audience cheering them on, the dancers performed works

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created by Tankersley, Diana Curran, guest artists Meggie Carpenter ’04 and Mari Travis, as well as works by student choreographers Jahaan Amin, Christine Wyatt, Shelby Prettiman and Lindsay Sanders. With styles ranging from ballet and jazz to hip hop, each piece created a different mood for the audience, from serious and thought-provoking to lighthearted and sassy.

After the performances, Tankersley praised the girls for their dedication to their craft and their fellow danc-ers. “All of their hard work paid off,” she said. “I could not have been more proud of the girls for all of their hard work—they gave it their all and the audience loved every minute!”

> Click on the pictures to view videos of the performances!

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Senior Voices: The Class of 2012 In Their Own Words

ach year, every senior is required to complete a Senior Convocation. The convocation, which is a 20-min-ute speech, can be on any topic. In every issue, we highlight excerpts from convocations given that month, letting members of the Class of 2012 share, in their own words, what matters to them.

ENadia Laniyan

Say cheese! As you probably know, this phrase is commonly used by peo-ple right before they take a picture. Many countries have their own way of “saying cheese.” In most Latin American countries, they ask you to “Diga Whiskey” (say whiskey). In Iran they say “Siiiib,” which means “apple,” and In Denmark you are told to“Sig appelsiin,” or “say orange.” No matter what you say, the purpose is to get you to stretch your lips and make a big smile. When most people hear this phrase, they part their lips and plant a cute toothy grin on their faces as they wait for the person behind the camera to snap the photo. For me, however, this phrase causes an entirely different re-action. I usually mutter in my head something along the lines of “NO WAY,” and keep my lips firmly shut, showing no teeth whatsoever for the picture.

I did not always respond this way when someone asked me to “say cheese.” But as I grew up, I realized that I was different. When I looked at the smiles

of actresses, models, and even my very own friends, I realized that there was something wrong with my smile. None of the actresses or models I saw had teeth like mine with a huge gap right smack dab in the middle. I stared at their smiles in awe of their straight, white teeth without a gap in sight, and wished that I could have teeth like theirs. After I came to the realization that my teeth were less than perfect, I became more and more aware of the flaw. When I looked in the mirror to see my smile, I would shudder and quickly look away. When I was having a conversation with someone, I became intensely aware of where the person was looking, and if their eyes dropped to the area around my mouth I thought that they were staring at my gap. My insecurity quickly began to consume my every thought.

All I wanted was to fix my gap so that I could be just like everyone else. Unlike most people, I longed for braces desperately. I fantasized about going to the orthodontist to switch up my colors every few weeks, and having to decline politely when someone asked if I wanted a piece of gum. My dentist and parents, however, did not see the need for me to get braces, so I was stuck with my gap teeth. My insecurity grew worse when people drew attention to the fact that I had a gap. I’ve had people tell me that my gap was as big as the space between the earth and Pluto, and that my teeth look like a pig’s teeth. Although I would just laugh it off and act like I didn’t care when people made fun of my gap, these statements really hurt, and deepened the sense of growing dissatisfaction that I had.

Almost all of us have some kind of insecurity when it comes to our physical appearance, whether it has to do with height, weight, skin, or teeth (like me). But why do we have these insecurities, and where do they come from? Is it just in our nature? The media? Or is it the people who surround us, like our family and friends? Maybe it is all of these. Consider this clip from the popular 2004 movie, “Mean Girls,” which depicts a group of three girls—Regina George, Gretchen Wieners, and Karen Smith—standing in front of a mirror and point-ing out their every flaw, from huge hips to a weird hair line. While they critique themselves, the new girl from Africa, Cady Heron, looks at them, confused. Regina, Gretchen, and Karen expect Cady to join in; however, she is not able to think of anything other than the fact that she has “really bad breath in the morning.”

As funny as this scene is, it also tells the truth. According to findyourtruebeauty.com, 80 percent of Ameri-can women are dissatisfied with their appearance. Forty-five percent in the healthy weight range are unhap-py with their bodies, while only 23 percent of men are unhappy with their bodies. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons calculates that the plastic surgery market is significantly growing, with 13.8 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed in the United States in 2011 alone, up 5 percent since 2010. Accord-ing to weighingthefacts.com, Americans spend more than 40 billion a year on diet and beauty products.

I am re-defining what beauty is to me, because from this day on I am not going to let anyone or anything dictate what I think is beautiful.

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When you look into the mirror, what do you hon-estly see? A big nose, pale skin, chunky hips, or a fat stomach? Can you point out one thing that you like about yourself? Or would it be easier to make a list of the things you don’t like? After dealing with my insecurity for years, I began to question how insecurities came about in the first place, and why having them has become the norm. So, I set out on a quest to find out about the origins of physical in-securities in women. And what better place to start than in our very own Bryn Mawr community?

I conducted a survey asking three different ques-tions: what is an insecurity that you have had for a long time, when did this insecurity begin, and what caused this insecurity? I surveyed over thirty girls in the Upper School from various grades. The results were that 11 percent were dissatisfied with their skin, 20 percent with their noses, and 40 percent with their weight (in particular thighs and stomachs). Other insecurities included arms, feet, and chest. Twenty-two percent of the girls surveyed stated that their insecurities started in the ninth grade, 36 percent in elementary school, and 42 percent in middle school. The majority stated that the reason for their insecurities came from comparing themselves to people around them like friends and classmates. Other reasons included teasing, family, the media, and being around boys. Out of all of the people I surveyed, only one did not have any insecurities.

The data I found was far less surprising than the reactions that the questions I asked caused. I was a bit taken aback by how easily almost everyone I sur-veyed could think of an insecurity; often, girls would offer two or three instead of just one. Sometimes, they could not even think of only one because they were unhappy with basically everything about their bodies. In retrospect, what bothered me the most was the skepticism I had about the person who did not have any insecurities. The idea that someone is perfectly content with her body is a foreign idea in today’s society.

Many of us have fixed ideas of what the perfect body should look like. According to the results of a Cleveland Clinic study, self image is a product of learning. The greatest contributors to our self im-age are our parents, but teachers, friends, family,

and the media also help to create the image we see in the mirror. At some point in our lives, we come up with an idea of what physical beauty is. We invent a standard of what it is “supposed” to look like, and strive to reach it. Females will do anything to become their definition of beauty, from dieting and working out to more drastic measures like plastic surgery. Study after study is published telling us why we are insecure, but never what we should do about it. As girls at an all-girls school, I know we have heard it all before. We are told to be confident in ourselves, to love who we are, to ignore what the media says we should look like...but I feel like we never really listen. I see girls right here in our community who are not confident in their appearance, and I hear girls criti-cizing their looks when they look absolutely fine. So this time I’m asking you to really listen to me.

We all have insecurities about things that we think are imperfections, but really, these things are just different. That’s why some of us are tall or short, have skin as white and creamy as milk or as dark as night,

wear a “B” cup or a “DD,” have large noses or small nos-es, have gap teeth or no gaps—and nothing is wrong with any of those!

Our differences make us unique; they make us who we are. I would not be me if I was not short, with brown skin, black hair, and gaped teeth.

As women in society, we help to command what “normal” and beautiful is. We succumb to the pres-sures of society when we accept what we are told is beautiful instead of making our own standard of beauty. Collectively, we have the power to change the perception that we all need to look a certain way.

I want to make it clear that I know this is not an easy task. If there is going to be end to physical insecuri-ties and low confidence in women, we have to per-sonally take steps towards accepting who we are. It starts with little things, like making sure you don’t gossip about or tease others because of their looks, or like telling yourself that you are beautiful when you look in the mirror every day. I’m still not com-pletely comfortable with my smile, but I know that one day when someone tells me to “say cheese,” I will be able to plant a toothy grin on my face, gap and all. Cheese!

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Evan Struke

Over spring break, one of my best friends attended her first dog show with me. After two and a half hours on the road, we rolled up to the exposi-tion center. She immediately locked her eyes on a Leonberger, a type of working farm dog weighing 100 to 170 pounds. “That is the biggest dog I have ever seen,” she gasped. We passed an Old English Sheepdog with bands protecting its clean legs and paws from dirt, and she asked, “What is that dog wearing?” A moment later, a woman walked by sporting an out-dated suit and sneakers. “And what the heck is she wearing?”

If you told me nine years ago that 3:30 AM wake up calls, 16 to 35 hour road trips, a pantyhose collec-tion bigger than a Catholic school teacher’s, or the question “Who trained that bitch of yours?” would become a standard in my life, I most likely would have laughed. That all changed eight years ago, when my dad retired and my parents couldn’t put off my request for a dog much longer. I adopted my first dog, and months later, entered my first show… Welcome to my secret life.

October 5, 2004: At my feet sat a timid eight-month-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppy named Sadie. In front of me stood a dissuading adult. “Don’t waste your time. She doesn’t have the attention span or looks to do much,” her foster parent said, as my parents nodded in agreement. I had convinced them to let me adopt a dog after much pleading—and successfully keeping several fish alive—but now they seemed skeptical. I wanted to enter dog shows, and they cautioned me that I’d have to pay to do so. They didn’t want to spend money on a big risk. Heck, they were still questioning what dog shows even entailed. We had been to an agility show, where dogs jumped through hoops, weaved through poles, and ran through tunnels. Really, I think it was the oddity of it that captivated me.

That afternoon, we brought Sadie home and I set about seeing what she was capable of doing. With some how-to books, a few training classes, and nine months, Sadie went from being an uncertain rescue to a confident dog who won her first show through the 4-H County Fair. I remember receiving the rosette, leaning down to her and whispering,

“And we’re off!” We met with similar success at the Maryland State Fair, and I set my sights on showing more than twice a year. While Sadie wasn’t eligible for conformation showing, where purebred dogs are judged against a breed standard, she was eli-gible to receive an Indefinite Listing Privilege. This distinguished her as a paperless dog that was still purebred, and allowed me to enter her in sport-ing events like agility, herding, and obedience, and junior showmanship, which evaluates the handler’s ability to work smoothly with the dog. Happy that I had found a way to show more, I applied for an ILP for Sadie and a junior showmanship handling number.

Two years later, we were ranked in the top five in the U.S. for her breed, had an obedience title un-der our belts, and were considered serious con-tenders in the ring. Over the following years, we also ranked highly in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In fall 2008, we won top honors at the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Club of America National Specialty. That’s not to say we weren’t met by nay-sayers along the way—more than a few people, judging Sadie on her surface alone, bashed me for placing faith in her. But her foster parent, Kathy, noticed my resilience and success and wanted me to have a show-quality Pembroke Welsh Corgi. “If you can do that with her, I want see you with a real show dog!” she exclaimed. My parents chuckled at the thought. But...

November 24, 2007: My parents and I went to see Kathy, who had a litter of nine puppies on the ground. Even though my parents were set against a second dog, Kathy had insisted that I at least come to learn how a breeder evaluates a puppy for show potential. After placing the pups one by one on a table and pointing out the strength and weaknesses of each, she brought up a calm, ten-pound male. It’s common practice for breeders to label puppies by color until their new owners name them, so I had already guessed his name based on his collar’s color. “This is Mr. Yellow,” she said, smiling. I scratched him behind the ear as he lazily plopped down. “And I want him to be yours.”

Now, you have to realize the enormity of this. Depending on the breed, a show-quality puppy with the proper papers can range anywhere from

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$800 to $2,500. Price by no means denotes quality, and I could certainly give a whole speech against mail-ordering a puppy or purchasing one from a pet store. Such puppies ALWAYS come from puppy mills, horrendous operations that forcibly breed dogs until death. It’s more of a service to “dogmanity,” if you will, to avoid the cute little puppies you see on mail-order websites or in the window of a pet store, in order to shut these businesses down. Adoption or a purebred breeder is indisputably the way to go; either should involve a series of questions about whether one is suited for the particular breed’s personality and for the hefty commitment. So, when Kathy placed a show-quality puppy in front of me and told me he was free, be-cause of my dedication and hard work, I was completely speechless. I think I smiled like a fool as I watched my parents react to the news.

The next day, I placed Aidan in a crate next to Sadie’s. He started whimpering, and Sadie gave a sharp bark. After that, he never needlessly whimpered a peep during his puppyhood. I worked with Aidan around the clock, meeting with the mentor who had taught Sadie and me, and by Aidan’s first birthday, he had already earned several big wins. He continues to win and always receives many compliments, but that’s what he was bred to do (he largely breezes by on his looks…even though he drools). Even though he is now 30 pounds, outweighing Sadie by ten and standing an inch or so taller, she can still pin him to the ground and put him in his place. My mom likes to say that Sadie has the mind-set of a champion. People often meet the term “dog showing” with a blank stare or by saying, “Oh, you mean standing and then walking your dog in a circle?” In reality, the handler is working to move the dog at a speed that appro-priately highlights the dog’s attributes. A Corgi should appear to glide over the ground, effortlessly propel-ling itself forward. It’s all about balance: the handler is looking for equilateral triangles formed by the dog’s legs when in full extension. When a dog appears to be standing, the dog is what we call “stacking.” Its legs are perfectly parallel to each other (although there is an exception made in some breeds). It takes hours of training to teach a dog to do this automatically and consistently, and that’s before you yourself learn all the ring patterns that the judge could order you to do. It looks odd, and probably seems ridiculous, but dog showing of all types is considered an art form.

There certainly are crazy showers out there. Some shell out $60,000 a year for a professional dog handler; others illegally put braces on a dog’s teeth or dye their fur richer colors. Instead of “Caution: Baby on Board” signs, you’ll frequently see “Caution: Show Dogs on Board.” I can always tell when we’re approach-ing show grounds, because a few stoplights out, we end up in a caravan of cars with bumper stickers pro-claiming their love for Fido. But, despite all of the peculiarities in the dog showing world, it has its positive attributes. Lifelong friendships are common, and, generally speaking, adults are happy to see the younger generations attending shows. Not every breed’s community is friendly, but luckily, Corgi people are some of the friendliest. At shows, I usually find myself chatting with several friends—the types of people who I probably would have never met or made an effort to talk to without the common interest of dogs.

I cannot picture what the road might have looked like had I not adopted Sadie. She showed me that if I have an idea, goal, or dream, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to others, it’s worth my time. Her lessons grew me as a person.

I never really believed it when people told me that owning a dog was the best choice they had ever made. It’s one of those things you have to experience to understand. Sadie’s 180-degree transformation from a rescue to a trained show dog wasn’t one that was ever supposed to happen. No one told me how to get started; her responses to my efforts served as a compass. Some people might gather life’s messages from a book, or perhaps from an older family member. For me, I discovered them in the shape of the family dog.

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Alumnae News in Brief

Bryn Mawr at the BMA

>

What a wonderful alumnae visit to the BMA. Thanks to all who attended. We look forward to the next one!

On April 10, alumnae gathered in the Glassroom at Bryn Mawr to make over 250 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for food pantry Our Daily Bread. A great event for a great cause!

Serve Where You Are, Bryn Mawr: Baltimore>

Kate Cole ’98, Meredith Martin ’98, Katie Dover Dickson ’98, Sarah Keogh ’98, Allison Brill Wettlaufer ’95, Toya Hawkins ’95,

and Tonya Unger Garber ’87.

Meaghan Walsh Knaub ‘89, Nancy Ratcliffe Ferrell ‘75, Eva Vishio Martire ‘89, Lydia Yuhanick Travelstead ‘98, Allison

Obrecht Schultz ‘94, and Tia Butler ‘94.

>>

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Alumnae Weekend 2012Friday, May 4 and

Saturday, May 5

There is still time to register!

A wonderful weekend of celebration awaits alumnae with class years ending in

2 or 7, including a classroom visit, student/teacher Q & A panel, reception, luncheon,

and more!

Click here for more information and to register online.

Bryn Mawr at the BMA

Submit and read Class Notes anytime! www.brynmawrschool.org/connect

Upcoming Events> Bryn Mawr is coming to Boston!! May 22, 2012, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM The Country Club in Brookline/Chestnut Hill

Please join us for a special alumnae reception in Boston! For more information and/or to RSVP, email Alumnae Coordinator Kathie Guben Wachs ’90 at wachsk@brynmawrschool.org.

> Want more alumnae pictures? Check out the Alumnae Flickr page to see them all:www.flickr.com/photos/BrynMawrSchool

Generations Reception>Bryn Mawr girls and their alumnae mothers and grandmothers gath-ered in April to enjoy the all-school art show, with special guest, Bryn Mawr’s Director of the Arts, Michael Robinson.

Meg Athey Lawrence ‘95,and her daughters, Callie ‘25, and Lanie ‘23.

Three generations: Susan Somerville-Hawes ‘77, Laura Hawes ‘14, and Ann McCormick Somerville ‘51.

THE BRYN MAWR SCHOOL109 W. Melrose Ave

Baltimore, MD 21210410-323-8800

www.brynmawrschool.org

Cover photo: Upper School Dance Company performs their spring concert.