Mawrginaliathe monthly eNewsletter of The Bryn Mawr School

• May/June 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 5Bazaar, Gym Drill, Senior Bell Ringing, Upper School Faculty Show, the Fortis Puella program, eighth gradeLatin Day, the Bartholomew Fair, and fifth and eighth grade final convocations.

Mawrtian Minutes: News Bites From This Month 12Chemathon 2012, the Kennedy Center Gala performance,and the neurology of effective teaching strategies

Teachers’ Corner 13Senior Voices: The Class of 2012 in Their Own Words 27

Features

Commencement: The Class of 2012 14• Class Day Honors Student Achievements• College Matriculation List • Graduation: In Pictures

A Presidential Address 19The President of The Johns Hopkins University, a proudBryn Mawr parent, gives the Graduation address

Spring Sports Report 20A Special Tribute to Bryn Mawr’s Teachers 22A generous alumna gives $1.5 million for faculty support

Edith Hamilton Scholars 2012 23Seniors present the results of their year-long independent study projects, highlighting topics from environmental science to the evolution of women in mathematics.

Arna Margolis Fund for the Edith 26Hamilton Scholars Program Announced

A Banner Year for Giving 30

Alumnae NewsAlumnae News in Brief 31Bryn 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

Want more Bryn Mawr?

3

From the Headmistress

L

Maureen E. WalshHeadmistress

ate spring is full of end-of-year events that combine tradition, ritual and recognitions. Gym Drill is certainly our most classic Bryn Mawr tradition and is full of both ritual and awards. The fifth

grade celebrates their “moving up” day by presenting their memories to their classmates and family members in a sweet and special end-ing to their Lower School career. The eighth grade also completes the Middle School in style, with a gathering for parents, classmates and teachers, complete with music and speeches. Then there are Class Day and Graduation, a two-day affair that together comprise Commence-ment.

I’ve held firm to a couple of beliefs that guide our thinking and plan-ning for these end-of-year celebrations:

• That there is only one Commencement, and only Commencement is held in the Graduation Garden;

• We will be in the Garden unless the weather truly forces us to move indoors;

• While I am sometimes ambivalent about bestowing awards based on subjective opinions, our character awards, presented on Class Day, emphasize and celebrate our ideals as a school and become important markers for the younger girls;

• Music will always play an important role in our celebrations of student achievement;

• Our students will always be the center of these events, while we recognize the importance of each celebration in Bryn Mawr’s history and legacy;

• We conclude these end-of-year celebrations feeling joyful and fulfilled.

Just when all of us—the girls, our teachers, and all of us who keep the Bryn Mawr fires burning—are longing for a summer vacation, we conclude the year with schoolwork, tests, and exams followed by happy events. And, whoosh, it’s over!

If summer is a palate-cleanser, then the end-of-year events are a rich dessert, just filling enough, and just good enough, that we’ll be back for more in the late summer. The Class of 2012 will be well on their way to new adventures by then, and the cycle will begin anew.

I hope that all of our families enjoy a wonderful summer, and best wishes to our graduates!

RemawrksEach month, one of our division directors offers commentary on Bryn Mawr’s educational philosophy. This month’s author is Upper School Director Susan Solberg.

4

O

Upper School Director Susan Solberg

n a steamy July afternoon several summers ago, I was working at my desk in the nearly deserted Howell Build-ing when a young alumna—then a junior in college—

poked her head into my office. Grateful for the interruption, I seized the opportunity to move to the sofa so that I could catch up on all her news. She filled me in on everything: college and her studies, her family, her Baltimore friends. After a good chat, I finally worked up the nerve to ask, “Of course I’m thrilled to see you, but what are you doing here?”

“Well, I’ve got a new car,” she began, a little sheepishly. “And I needed to stop by the Bryn Mawrket so I could get a Bryn Mawr sticker to put in the back window.”

Ah. Clearly, in her case, there is truth to that old (if slightly re-worked) truism: You can take the girl out of Bryn Mawr, but you can’t take the Bryn Mawr out of the girl. And she’s not the only one. I feel certain that there are other cars in Baltimore—and in other places, too—being driven by other young women who have affixed Bryn Mawr stickers to their rear windows years after leaving their (our) school.

How does it happen? How does Bryn Mawr come to feel like “home”?

There are many explanations, of course, but one of them has to do with the intentional building of com-munity though shared experience. Actual participation in these various experiences is important in many ways and for many reasons, of course, but almost as vital as the doing of them is the reliving (and sometimes re-hashing) of them in the days and years that follow. The Greek myth play, the Newbery Luncheon, the 6th grade roller skating party, Camp Letts, the 9th grade history term paper, Senior Convocations and, of course, the Bazaar are fun (well, maybe not the term paper), but they aren’t frivolous. We continue with these activi-ties, and countless others like them, not because they are traditions; rather, they become traditions because they enhance the learning process and our community.

These undertakings lend predictability to a child’s Bryn Mawr years and develop empathy in her as she imagines herself in another girl’s shoes (“What will I talk about when it’s my turn?” each 9th grader wonders as she listens to the first Senior Convocation of the school year). They also create a common Bryn Mawr language; all Mawrtians know or can anticipate the thrill of successfully assembling and holding aloft a star for the sword dance, and all of us laugh and shrug at the difficulties of “translating” Gym Drill to outsiders. These events also remind us of the values and goals we share: respect for scholarship, delight in creativity, commitment to self-expression, and joy in the connections that develop between individuals when they work on common pursuits. What else is the International Bazaar if not a celebration of research, creativ-ity, and the hard work of an entire grade (and sometimes their families!)? The girls may not know why the International Bazaar is important; they just know that they love it, which may explain why every Bryn Mawr graduate who attended our Lower School can still remember which country was “hers,” can tell you about the product she made to represent it at the Bazaar, and can probably tell you its primary exports, too!

Sometimes people comment wryly, “If you do something once at Bryn Mawr, it becomes a tradition.” That’s not exactly true, of course, but it is a fact that we hold dear—and stick with!—those endeavors that celebrate the growth and nurturing of girls and, in the process, turn a school into a home.

5

This Month in Pictures

Bryn Mawr Bazaar> The annual Bazaar was a great success, with loads of games, delicious things to eat, rock climbing, karaoke, and more!

6

>Gym Drill

The annual Bryn Mawr Gym Drill extravaganza went off without a hitch this year, as girls showed off their dance skills on Bryn Mawr’s new turf field. Alumnae, parents and friends turned out in droves to watch the spectacle. As Gym Drill Captain and senior Amelia Barnes aptly observed in her speech, “Gym Drill is the weird magnet that draws all of us back to Bryn Mawr.”

Weird? Maybe. Wonderful? Certainly!

7

> Senior Bell RingingBells mark many transitions at Bryn Mawr. They signal the opening of the school year, and we ring the bell at the end of graduation to celebrate both the end of the year and the accomplishments of the seniors.

Senior bell ringing takes place in mid-May on the girls’ last “official” day of school. This informal but much-anticipated rite of passage marks the girls’ first steps away from Bryn Mawr as they depart for their senior projects. Seniors begin the morning in a class meeting discussing the nuts and bolts of graduation procedures, the selection of Class Day speakers, the presentation of the senior gift, etc. After they’ve at-tended to all those tasks, they move to the Library Quad outside the Howell Building where, accompa-nied by a younger friend or sibling, each senior tugs hard on the rope to ring the bell. Younger students love the chance to participate, and each senior relish-es the opportunity to give that bell rope a good yank!

8

>Upper School Faculty ShowAt one of the final Upper School convocations, the faculty proved that they are serious about having fun! For this year’s show, the faculty took on an interpretation of American Idol, dancing and signing to golden oldies such as “You Can’t Hurry Love” (above), as well as new favorites like “Call Me, Maybe.” The show ended with a special tribute to Upper School Director Susan Solberg (below, right), who will be retiring at the end of the school year, in the form of the One Direction hit “You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful.”

Click the pictures to view a video!

9

>Fortis Puella>Eighth Grade Latin Day

Fortis Puella, which means “strong girls” in Latin, is a year-long course that Middle School students take during their sixth grade year. Over the course of the year, girls learn skills in areas like self-advocacy, communication and coping, problem solving, self-defense, cyber safety, body image, media literacy, babysitting, etc. At the conclusion of the program, counselor Debra Waranch talked to the girls about picturing themselves as a Tree of Strength, and asked them to think about what makes up their tree. Each girl was given a leaf and asked to choose a woman who is a role model for them or who most inspires them. Girls chose teachers, book characters, and many chose family members! Above are a few of the spe-cial leaves that the girls designed.

On a beautiful day near the end of May, the eighth grade held the annual Latin Day, which culminated in the Chariot Race versus Garrison Forest School. For the first time in 14 years, Bryn Mawr emerged victori-ous, thanks to a wonderful team of runners and an ace charioteer!

10

>The Bartholomew Fair Each year, the sixth grade hosts the Bartholomew Fair as the culmination of their drama program. Introduced to Bryn Mawr a few years ago by drama teacher Jan

Darrah, the Fair is modeled on one that took place in London each summer between 1133 and 1855, and is complete with singers, dancers, acrobats, stilt-walkers, artists, fortune tellers and even pickpockets!

10

>Fifth Grade Convocation

>Eighth Grade Convocation

11

On the last Friday of the school year, the fifth grade gathered with their parents, teachers and friends to celebrate their final convocation as Lower Schoolers. The girls each shared memories of Lower School—which included special teachers, fun events, and a Betty Boop lunchbox—and received their Bryn Mawr pins.

On June 11, the eighth grade gathered for their final convocation as Middle School students. Parents, teachers and friends saluted their achievements and wished them well in their Upper School years to come. A special highlight was handbell choir Ex Solo’s performance of Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance”—click for a video!

12

Mawrtian Minutes: News Bites From This Month

Chemathon 2012

>

On the last Saturday in April, the Bryn Mawr Chemathon

team competed in the 28th an-nual Chemathon. Upper School students Sharon Chen, Sloane Coffin, Lindsay Hexter, Dani Hog-arthe, Alexa Philippou, Darcy Watts, Alex Saiontz, and Anne Wondisford spent the day im-mersed in reactions, calculations and equations as they proudly represented Bryn Mawr. A total of 21 high schools from around the Mid-Atlantic region competed in Chemathon this year, includ-ing science magnet schools. The Bryn Mawr team did a great job, winning prizes in 50% of the events, and placing third overall!

Bryn Mawr had the privilege of sending Ex-clamemus, one of our Middle School choral ensembles, to perform in May at the presti-gious Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. under the direction of Todd Harrison Twining. Exclamemus joined forces with the Children’s Chorus of Maryland, under the direction of our own Dr. Alyson Shirk, to create an impres-sive 60-voice choral group that performed with David Foster, Chaka Kahn, Fernando Val-era, Jewel, Chris Botti and others in singing the grand finale song, “You Raise Me Up.” The event was the Kennedy Center’s premier fundraising Gala, held each spring with the goal of supporting youth in arts education. It was truly an honor to be invited, and the girls did a wonderful job of representing Bryn Mawr!

Bryn Mawr at the Kennedy Center >

12

Mawrtian Minutes: News Bites From This Month

13

What brought you to Bryn Mawr?

I taught at another area school before I had my children, and then when I was ready to start teaching again, I had the good fortune of meeting Peggy Bessent, who was the Lower School Director at the time. She mentioned that there was a long-term substitute opportunity in the Lower School. After that, I transitioned to a full-time posi-tion.

What is your teaching philosophy?

Especially for younger girls, I believe that learning should be joyous. I like to have fun in the classroom. We laugh a lot in here. I also believe that if you love what you are teaching, then everything falls into place. The girls sense it, and they respond to your enthusiasm.

What is your favorite thing about working at Bryn Mawr?

It’s a wonderful atmosphere, and a wonderful community. I love the flexi-bility that I am given to be creative, and I feel very encouraged and supported. Most of all, I really love the girls and their families. I feel so lucky to have a job that I enjoy so much.

Sally BurkeFifth Grade Years at Bryn Mawr: 13Years Teaching: 22

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.

Bill WatersUS English Years at Bryn Mawr: 12Years Teaching: 38

Becky Morris ’94MS Science Years at Bryn Mawr: 8Years Teaching: 10

What brought you to Bryn Mawr?I was becoming restless at my previ-ous position, where I had been teach-ing for more than 20 years. I felt that I should challenge myself again some-where else, and the opportunity arose to move to Bryn Mawr, so I took it.

What is your teaching philosophy?I want to offer students a chance to awaken to things that wouldn’t other-wise occur to them, and to keep my attention on how they might awaken me to topics I haven’t considered before. That cycle builds on itself.

What is your favorite thing about working at Bryn Mawr?I’ve always been inclined to enjoy be-ing part of a community, and this is a community of wonderful faculty and staff. The administration operates in a way that recognizes that the heart of a school is what goes on in the class-room with the students. These are the most challenging students I have ever worked with, and I mean that in the best possible way. They keep me on my toes, and I’m better for it.

What brought you to Bryn Mawr?I was at another school at the time, and there was an opening for a sixth-grade science teacher, which I thought would fit well. I had a great experience as a student at Bryn Mawr, so I was excited to come back as teacher.

What is your teaching philosophy?I want to encourage students to investigate and engage with the world around them. I try to give students the background knowledge that they need to learn in the classroom to be able to go out into the world and be confident about their decisions.

What is your favorite thing about working at Bryn Mawr?The students are a lot of fun, and very energizing to work with. My colleagues are an engaging group of people as well. I feel like Bryn Mawr is a place where I have had a lot of opportunities to grow both personally and profes-sionally. It engaged me as a student, and now it engages me as an adult and a teacher as well!

Earlier this spring, Dr. Mariale M. Hardiman, Professor of Education at Johns Hopkins University, cofounder and director of the Johns Hopkins University School of Education’s Neuro-Education Initiative, and former Principal of Roland Park Elementary/Middle School, spent the afternoon speaking to the Middle School fac-ulty about the neurological basis of effective teaching strategies, as part of the professional development program. Hardiman shared findings from her new book, “The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model for 21st-Century Schools,” which focuses on six components: establishing the emotional connection to learning; developing the physical learning environment; designing the learning experience; teaching for the mastery of content, skills, and concepts; teaching for the extension and application of knowledge; and evaluating learning. Her presentation was inspiring, thought-provoking and engaging, and provided material for fac-ulty to evaluate and enhance their own teaching strategies. Hardiman is also the proud parent of two Bryn Mawr alumnae, Tara ’00 and Krysta ’03. >The Neurology of Effective

Teaching Strategies

14

Commencement: The Class of 2012

EClass Day Honors Student Achievements

ach year, the Upper and Middle School communities gather the day before Graduation for Class Day, which recognizes the achievements of the Class of 2012, as well as other members of the student body. Congratulations to those girls who received awards!

Julia McHenry Howard Award: Jordan Raivel ‘16

Frances Virginia Wentz Turner Prize: Laney Mann ‘12

Community Service Prize:Laura Blake ’12

Class of 1953 Prize: Rosie Crockett ’12

Parents’ Association Award:Olivia Jiang

The Wurtzburger Cup:Marina Butler-Duncan

Caryatid Award:Molly Wolf

The Agnes Whiting Memorial Award:Amelia Barnes ’12

Alumnae Awards:Marina Butler Duncan ’12, Amna Hashmi ’12, Nadia Laniyan ’12, Julia Loup ’12

Public Speaking Award:Rosie Crockett ’12

State of Maryland Scholastic Awards:Rachel Brown ’12, Amna Hash-mi ’12, Gina Hong ‘12, Cecily McIntyre ’12, Emily Rutherford ’12

Bryn Mawr College Prize:Karen Chen ’13

Edith Hamilton Award:Sophie Ranen ’13

Class of 1943 Cups:

Arts Council: Claire Edelman ’13

Athletic Association: Molly Weinstein ’14

Community Alliance for Everyone (CAFE): Zahn Jackson Garrett ‘12

Community Service Learning: Sloane Coffin ’14

Student Government Association: Julia Clemens ’12

15

16

T2012 College List Reflects Bryn Mawr Educational Journey

he 75 talented and motivated students of The Bryn Mawr School Class of 2012 will attend 53 colleges and universities in 25 states across the U.S., as well as one foreign country. Eighty percent will study out of state. More than 54 percent of the Class of 2012 is matriculating to colleges and universities deemed

the “Top 50 National Universities” and the “Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges” in the United States by U.S. News and World Report. Ivy League, “Ivy Plus” and other top-tier institutions are well represented on the Bryn Mawr Class of 2012 college list.

“At Bryn Mawr, the work of college counseling is less about numbers and quantifiable results and more about the individual—the aspirations and stories, the considered and consequential self-exploration that leads to the final college choice,” said Director of College Counseling Patti Whalen. “I have faith that our college list will continue to be strong, but more importantly, that it will accurately reflect the amazing young women we work with, and the paths they choose as they circle through their own lives.”

For a complete matriculation list, please see below. A school name listed in bold signifies that more than one student will be attending.

Babson CollegeBarnard CollegeBoston CollegeBrown UniversityBucknell UniversityCarnegie Mellon UniversityColby CollegeColorado CollegeDartmouth CollegeDickinson CollegeEmory UniversityFurman UniversityGeorgetown UniversityGettysburg CollegeGrinnell CollegeHarvard UniversityHigh Point UniversityHobart and William Smith Colleges

Johns Hopkins UniversityKenyon CollegeLa Salle UniversityLoyola University Loyola University New OrleansMaryland Institute College of ArtMount Holyoke CollegeNorthwestern UniversityPrinceton UniversityQuinnipiac UniversityRice UniversitySalem College Southern Methodist UniversityThe George Washington UniversityTowson UniversityTufts UniversityTulane UniversityUniversity of Chicago

University of Colorado at BoulderUniversity of DelawareUniversity of DenverUniversity of EdinburghUniversity of GeorgiaUniversity of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of MiamiUniversity of MississippiUniversity of North Carolina at GreensboroUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of South CarolinaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaWashington and Lee UniversityWesleyan UniversityWest Virginia UniversityWhittier CollegeYale University

17

Graduation: In Pictures

To view more pictures from Graduation, visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/BrynMawrSchool.

18

19

A Presidential Address

On June 12, Bryn Mawr was pleased to welcome Ronald J. Daniels, President of The Johns Hopkins Univer-sity and father of Ally Daniels, Bryn Mawr Class of 2012, as the 2012 Commencement speaker.

As a proud Bryn Mawr father, Daniels spoke to the graduates about the differences between being the head of an academic institution and a parent at an event like Graduation. “As a university leader, I want to encourage you to use the many gifts that have been bequeathed to you by Bryn Mawr and your families to chart a path that is truly your own,” Daniels told the girls. “But as a parent, the suggestion that we are going to have to hang back and accept that our daughters are going to make choices different than the ones we want them to make is a little bit frightening.”

Daniels became the fourteenth president of The Johns Hopkins University in March 2009. A law and eco-nomics scholar, he holds an appointment as professor in the Department of Political Science at Johns Hop-kins. Prior to his appointment, he served as provost of the University of Pennsylvania, and dean and James M. Tory Professor of Law at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Daniels’ own research focuses on the intersections of law, economics, development and public policy.

Currently, Daniels sits on the boards of East Baltimore Development Inc., the Baltimore Community Foun-dation, the Goldseker Foundation, the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, the Governor’s International Ad-visory Council, and the Asia Pacific Rim Universities World Institute. He is serving as a member of the As-sociation of American Universities-Association of Leading Russian Universities steering committee to help guide collaborations between member universities. He is also engaged in the Center for Health Policy and Healthcare Transformation at Johns Hopkins.

Daniels earned a Master of Laws degree from Yale University in 1988 and a J.D. in 1986 from the University of Toronto, where he served as co-editor-in-chief of the law review and earned several academic honors. He received a B.A. from the University of Toronto in 1982, with high distinction as a political science and economics major. He has been visiting professor and Coca-Cola World Fellow at Yale Law School and John M. Olin Visiting Fellow at Cornell Law School. In 2009, he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

To view a video of the entire speech, please click here.

20

Spring Sports Report

>SoftballCoach: James Brown

This softball season came with high expectations after losing last year in the semi-finals to Garrison Forest School without star pitcher Olivia Brocato. Brocato came back with a vengeance doing con-ditioning throughout the fall and winter. The two senior captains, Brocato and Taylor Cammon, led a team of four juniors, three sophomores and five freshmen. This season, the team started out 5-0. On the mound, Brocato earned a record of a com-bined score of 92-7, giving up four unearned runs and striking out 32 batters in 25 innings. She ended her softball career at Bryn Mawr with an 83-4 record, striking out over 404 batters. In tandem with Bro-cato’s pitching, the rest of the team gave the bat a workout this season. Lead-off batter and center fielder Tate DeWeese was a consistent force, while Zoe Bilis hit a record nine home runs this season.

>

Track and FieldCoaches: Jim Lancaster, Joan Casey, Pat Mc-Donough, Neil Weijer

The Bryn Mawr Track team had a good but challeng-ing spring season. The team started off strong with a great 5-1 record, and fin-ished the season 5-4 with a seventh place finish at the championships.

Two school records were broken, one by Marina Butler-Duncan, who broke her own shot put record, throw-ing an impressive 37 feet, 5 inches. She was also named All-Conference. The relay team of Stephanie Histon, Casey Brumback, Maya Lamson and Kyle Stewart broke a school record as well in the 4x100. In addition, 19 out of the 29 team members qualified for championships in every event except two, compared to just ten girls last season. Throws coach Neil Weijer said that he saw great improvement over the course of the season, and was proud that all of the spring throwers met the varsity standard.

Freshman Auburn Stephenson came to the team bringing club experience, and has strengthened the team with a batting average of .393 and strong catching behind the plate.

After the first loss of the season to Garrison by just one run, Coach James Brown said that the team realized that the season was going to be a close one. They went on to win four in a row, beating Baltimore Lutheran in the quarter finals. Unfortunately, the team lost narrowly to Garrison in the semi-finals, but finished with a 9-2 record. Special congratulations to Brocato and DeWeese for making the 2012 Softball All-Star Team!

20 21

>

LacrosseCoaches: Kim Simons, Wendy Kridel

The varsity lacrosse team had a fantastic season, winning all but one game in the regular season, fin-ishing with a record of 16-2 and earning a #2 seed in the confer-ence. The team was ranked as one of the state’s and nation’s top teams throughout the season, and fin-

ished ranked in top ten nationally. Throughout the season, the team had a number of thrilling last-minute victories and impressive showings against top opponents. Highlights included the crazy come-from-behind win against DC’s St. Stephen’s St. Agnes, last minute wins against Maryvale and Notre Dame Prep, and a total team efforts versus New York’s top team, St. Anthony’s, as well as tough rival John Carroll.

Throughout the season, several members of the team were recognized with various awards and accolades. Kassandra Bowling, Nancy Dunbar, Josie George, Erica Matz, and Kate Walker were named U.S. Lacrosse Academic All-Americans; Dunbar and Molly Wolf were also named U.S. Lacrosse All-Americans. Wolf, the senior goalie, was named Baltimore Messenger Player of the Year and an Under Armour All-American, while Bowling and Dunbar were named IAAM All-Stars. For a complete list of awards, check out the Bryn Mawr Athletics Facebook page.

The team was led by captains Nancy Dunbar and Kassandra Bowling, and an incredibly talented and com-mitted group of seven seniors, all of whom are going on to play lacrosse in college. Coach Kim Simons said that most memorable, however, was how this team competed and played—together, focused, and with a never-say-die attitude.

At two and six in the A Conference, the 2012 golf season was a rebuilding year. The season, howev-er, was a positive build-up to the championships. The golf team had significant contributions from returning golfers Katie Song, Audrey Song and Tess Moran. New golfers Brooke Baader, Beth Ross, Jenna Hong, Megan Sola, Teresa Norman and Caroline Meyer received terrific experience in match play. The team had a terrific rally on day two of the IAAM championships. Audrey Song captured second place overall, shooting 45-43. The top four golfers also helped secure a third place finish for the team. Head coach Jamie Wat-

>GolfCoaches: Jamie Watson, Cassie Andrzejewski

son said that there is a bright future ahead for the team, as eight of the nine members of the 2012 team will be returning next year. She also noted that the addition of assistant coach Cassie Andrzejewski has been a tremendous asset to the growth of the program.

O

22

A Special Tribute to Bryn Mawr’s Teachers

The Bryn Mawr Crew team had a fantastic sea-son, both on and off the water, with many person-al and athletic growths and achievements. Race results and highlights included the Baltimore In-vitations, where Novice 4B took first place, and Varsity 8 and Varsity 4 took third place; the Mary-land State Championships, where Varsity 4 and Novice 4B both took second in their heats and N8 took third in their heat, all moving onto fi-nals. At the St. Andrews Regatta in May, Novice 4A took first in their event, with the fastest Bryn Mawr time of the day. Novice 4B took second.

Individual highlights included Kendall Sinosky being selected for the US Rowing Junior Na-tionals Sweep Development program, as well as the many personal records set throughout the season from all of the girls. Coach Sara Brandenburg said that many girls surpassed their personal expectations during practice pieces. The team also survived three-a-day practices over spring break, and as one of the girls said, “After spring break, and surviving that many practices, I felt I could do anything!”

>CrewCoach: Sara Brandenburg

n June 5, The Bryn Mawr School was pleased to announce a $1.5 million dollar gift that an alum-na has given in tribute to her former teachers. It is the largest gift for faculty support that Bryn Mawr has ever received.

“A Bryn Mawr teacher made a difference in her life and changed her life trajectory,” said Director of Development Julie Smith Marshall ’89. “She feels strongly about great teaching and wanted to give back.”

“This alumna’s philanthropic investment will be a catalyst that will benefit girls for years to come,” said Headmistress Maureen E. Walsh. “I am gratified and inspired by her extraordinary gift in support of those who have the greatest influence on our students and to whom they form enduring bonds.”

An endowed faculty chair will be created in honor of the alumna, who lives out of town and wishes to remain anonymous. This gift is one of five gifts of $1 million or more received by Bryn Mawr, and continues a historic tradition of philanthropy that has made The Bryn Mawr School a national leader in educating girls. As Headmistress Walsh aptly stated, “Great schools require great teachers. This gift will enable Bryn Mawr to continue to recruit and retain outstanding faculty for our students.”

23

very year, the Edith Hamilton Scholars Program gives several seniors the chance to do a year-long in-dependent study project on a topic of their choice. Projects are ungraded, but each girl presents her work to the Upper School student body in a convocation near the end of the year. Below, the 2011-E

2012 Edith Hamilton Scholars detail the interesting and diverse topics they tackled this year.

Rachel BrownThe Evolution of Encryption and its Role in History

For my Edith Hamilton project, I researched cryptography. For the first half of my re-search time, I focused on the historical side of ciphers, looking at their development throughout history and their impact on important leaders. I spent the latter half of my research focusing on more mathematical aspects of cryptography, and working with modular arithmetic and probability to discover why ciphers become much more complicated to crack as time progresses. My project was a combination of my joint

interests in mathematics and history, and I plan to continue to investigate cryptography further in college.

Rachel will attend the University of Pennsylvania in the fall.

Sandra Di CataldoThe Role of the Veil in the Life of Middle Eastern Islamic Women

Through my Edith Hamilton Scholars project, I explored the topic of Muslim women in the Middle East and the role of the veil in their lives. My goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the role that the hijab, or veil, plays in different societies in the Mid-dle East, as well as its religious, cultural, and per-sonal importance.

To many Americans, the veil seems to be a sym-bol of women’s subservience to and their depen-dence upon men in their culture. My experience with women in the Middle East during my stay with a Muslim host family in Amman, Jordan, however, was very different. I explored through research and first-hand accounts of Middle Eastern women what the veil means to them, how significant it is in their lives, and the consequences of their choic-es regarding wearing the veil. The time I spent in Jordan, as well as my study of Arabic over the last three years, greatly influenced my decision to ap-ply for this project to learn more about the relation-ship of Muslim women with the veil.

Sandra will attend the University of Edinburgh.

Edith Hamilton Scholars 2012

Julia LoupThe Aesthetic and Psy-chological Aspects of Industrial Design

My Edith Hamilton project focused on the inclusion of psychology and emotion in the design of products, pro-

grams and advertising campaigns. I first became interested in this subject after I attended a program during the summer of my junior year that focused on industrial design. I realized that the artistic side of design was not for me, but that the human, con-sumer side of design is extremely important and accessible. Throughout my research on the inclu-sion of psychology in design, I realized that a large portion of consumer reaction has to do with emo-tion. A product that incites an emotional reaction within the target consumer is one that will be more easily remembered and more likely purchased. If designers recognize which emotions to highlight and which to avoid, a product becomes more eas-ily marketed or advertised. Using many forms of media, ranging from physical products, print, and commercials, I aimed to enlighten the Bryn Mawr community on the subtle, yet very intricate world of design that is all around them. The next time they buy a product, hopefully they will think of the many designers that worked tirelessly to get it into their hands.

Julia will attend the University of Southern California.

24

Julianna DrewThe Chemistry of Ceramic Glazes

This year I studied how different chemicals interact to produce the colors that appear after pots are fired. Ceramic glazes are notoriously unpredictable, so the goal of my Edith Hamilton project was to create my own glazes and accurately predict the col-ors they would become. I investigated the slight differences in glaze preparation that result in drastic color changes. It was fascinating to learn how different microscopic particles react to produce changes that are clearly visible without a microscope. My goals were to learn in detail the reasons why chemical combinations produce certain colors, and to determine how to refine formulas to get desirable results.

I pursued this project because it is the perfect way to combine my interests in chemistry and art. Neither art nor chemistry fit into my schedule this year, but I hoped to further expand my knowledge of both. Pursu-ing these through my Edith Hamilton project allowed me to explore in-depth the particular facets of these subjects that interest me most, and combine them in a unique way that I wouldn’t be able to do in class. I did independent research and worked with my mentor to learn more about glazes and chemistry. I learned how final glaze color and finish is a product of particle size, firing environment, glaze thickness, and the microscopic irregularities on the surface of the glaze. At the end of my project, I concluded that the final glaze result is as much a result of the chemical elements in the glaze as the many other characteristics and variables.

Julianna will attend Rice University in the fall.

Amna HashmiAn Investigation into the Evolution of the role of Women in the His-tory of Mathematics

I proposed to study female mathematicians for my Edith Hamilton project because dur-ing my years in the various math classes at Bryn Mawr I had never encountered a theo-rem or formula named after a woman. I decided to specialize in researching female mathematicians who worked in the United States in the period from 1870 to 1980. In general, I discovered that female participation in mathematics can be divided into four major phases: pioneers, growth, return to the home, and recovery. In the pioneer phase from 1880 to 1910, a few brilliant pioneers managed to penetrate the gender divide and obtain doctorates despite obstacles presented by universities and society at large. In the golden growth period from 1910 to 1935, the presence of female mathematicians grew notably and became increasingly accepted. Although not proportional to their male counterparts, they represented a fairly stable, healthy share of the field. However, with the onset of the Depression and World War II, fewer women entered the mathematical field and instead focused on domestic tasks, causing a significant decline in female doctorates from 1935 to 1955. It took nearly three decades for women to regain their standing, a phase I deemed ‘recovery’ from 1955 to 1985.

In my studies, I focused on four influential female mathematicians: Charlotte Angas Scott, Anna Pell Wheel-er, Emmy Noether, and Olga Taussky-Todd. Although they all had unique paths, there were common factors, including a supportive family background, early exposure to significant mathematics, and a meaningful re-lationship with a teacher or mentor. They all rose to prominence successively, and their connections reflect the “old girl” network of mutual assistance and friendship that transpired among female professionals.I also analyzed women’s roles in society during this era and how that affected each woman’s work. Overall, I hoped to convey the great significance of these female mathematicians’ work, as well as to remind us that we should make use of the opportunities that Scott and Noether could never have even dreamed of.

Amna will attend Harvard University in the fall.

25

Grace O’KeefeThe Roots of Theatrical Comedy in the Plays of Ancient Greece

My Edith Hamilton project was a study of comedic texts throughout history. I started with the Greek playwright Aristophanes and continued up to the co-medic works of the musical theater composer Stephen Sondheim. I focused specifically on modern adaptations of ancient sources to prove my thesis that the slapstick comedy remains timeless, while satirical work only remains hu-morous for a short time. With the help of underclassman Laura Hawes ’14, I performed samples of dialogue from Aristophanes “The Frogs,” Plautus’s “Miles Gloriosus” and “The Brothers Menaechmi,” Shakespeare’s “A Come-dy of Manners,” Rogers and Hart’s “The Boys from Syracuse,” and Sondheim’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and “The Frogs.”

Grace will attend the Tulane University.

Kate QuinnComposing a Piece of Piano Music that Includes Encrypted Themes

My Edith Hamilton project was to study the techniques of musical composition, and then to write a piano piece involving these techniques. The most interesting type of composition I came across was musical cryptograms. A musical cryptogram is a sequence of notes that correspond to letters in the alphabet. They are usually used as a tribute to another composer. One of the most popular methods of musical cryp-tography is the German method, which takes advantage of the European names for notes, where the notes that are sharps have “–is” added to the end of their name, and the flats have “–es” or “–s” added to the end of their names. Bach’s motif is the most famous: B-flat, A, C, B. In fact, in the middle of his unfinished quadruple fugue, Bach stops suddenly with these notes. Next to the composition is a note that, in translation, says, “At the point where the composer introduces the name, Bach, in the countersub-ject to this fugue, the composer died.”

My goal was to compose a three- to five-minute song. I had no pre-determined idea for its structure or sound, but I knew I was being influenced by my interest in cryptograms. I started by improvising. I learned from my mentor, Dr. Judah Adashi, that even three notes can lead to something great. He said that a com-position is like an analytical essay, and a melody is like a thesis. This worked perfectly for how I was coming up with a melody. I was starting with a few notes, the introduction, that would eventually grow and lead into the main melody, the thesis.

I came up with a piece that has an A-B-A-prime form to it. So I had a form, I had melodies, I had harmo-nies, and I had rhythm, the four main building blocks to a song. I used what I knew about the relationships between the harmonies to transition between the parts of the song effectively. During the project, I learned that a goal isn’t always reached by your original plan. I had taken a narrow path by choosing to research musical cryptograms in order to reach my final goal of a composition. When that path involved cryptograms with math that I didn’t understand, I learned to take a step backwards and find another way. This is all part of the learning process. It was challenging to give up on what I had planned, but in the end, it worked out. I couldn’t find a way to compose by starting with a cryptogram, but after I had finished composing, I actually found a cryptogram in my song. Eerily, the ending spells Kate Quinn backwards.

Kate will attend Boston College.

26

Over the past four decades, Arna Margolis has demanded a great deal from her history students – inquisitiveness, initiative, and the confidence to voice an opinion. She inspires students by asking them questions and pushing them to do the same of her. “I love history, and I’m enthusiastic and loud,” she declares. “I probe. There’s always another question to ask. I want to know, why?” She encourages risk-taking and outspokenness, in the hope that she is shaping girls who will exhibit these same qualities in their adult lives. “I hope that they can be strong in their own ways, and curious, and confident,” she says.

In her 46 years of teaching at Bryn Mawr, Margolis has made an indelible impact on the lives of countless students. As she enters retirement, her legacy will continue with the Arna Margolis Fund for the Edith Hamilton Scholars Program, a newly endowed fund that will provide opportunities for students’ study beyond what was previously afforded by the program’s budget.

The Edith Hamilton Scholars Program gives Bryn Mawr seniors an opportunity to

Arna Margolis Fund for the Edith Hamilton Scholars Program Established

Bridget MortonCreating a Business Plan for a Locally and/or Sustainably Grown Food Market

Like any Bryn Mawr girl, I love good food. For my Edith Hamilton project, I studied the role of sustainable agriculture in business. I researched the variations in “green” food, the modern slow food movement, and the way that small businesses operate. I also studied trends in grocery stores, and worked with local small business owners, such as Claudette Torbey of Fleet Street Market and Greg Novik of Greg’s Bagels, to better understand what goes into creating a small business. My final project was a 15-page business plan that proposed a food market for Baltimore City that would focus on local, sustainable foods as well as fair trade products from around the world. I sourced products, talked to wholesalers, and worked closely with my mentors to finalize my paper.

Bridget will attend Babson College.

Emily Rutherford: Determining the Carbon Foot Print of The Bryn Mawr SchoolEmily will attend Dartmouth College.

pursue a unique course of study of particular interest to them, while working with a mentor who has expertise in the subject matter. Participation in the program is open to rising seniors who, in addition to their regular academic courses, wish to undertake a rigorous project, for which they will receive neither credit nor grade. Scholars are chosen late in their junior year after an application process that includes a written proposal and interview with a faculty and administrative committee. Upon completion of her project, each scholar delivers a convocation on her topic. Some examples of current Edith Hamilton Scholars projects are The Evolution of Encryption and its Role in History, The Role of the Veil in the Life of Middle Eastern Islamic Women, and The Roots of Theatrical Comedy in the Plays of Ancient Greece.

If you are interested in making a gift and joining the cadre of alumnae, parents, parents of alumnae, and teachers who are celebrating Arna Margolis lifelong dedication to Bryn Mawr students, please click here.

27

Senior Voices: The Class of 2012 In Their Own Words

his year we have had the pleasure of highlighting excerpts from Senior Convocations given each month, letting members of the Class of 2012 share what matters to them. This month, we are proud to share two other pieces of senior writing. We hope that you enjoy these special reflections.

TAmelia Barnes

Amelia Barnes served as All-School Captain for the 2012 Gym Drill, where she gave this speech. She will attend Barnard College in the fall.

This year, for me, has been very focused on “lasts.” When you’re a senior, every “last” is an occasion. They tell you when it’s your last first day of school, your last Founder’s Day, your last spirit day, and your last day in uniform, not to mention that sad last day where you can charge snacks from the Bryn Mawrket on your school account. But even if

I don’t notice them, there are “lasts” all around me. There was a last time that I played on the Lower School playgrounds, and a last time that I read a book in the Lower School library. There was a last time that I checked my email in the Middle School computer lab, and a last time that I went to a mixer (thank God). Pretty soon, I’ll have my last lunch in the senior room and my last nap in the nurse’s office dur-ing the school day. I’m going to my senior prom in a week and then I’m graduating a month after that. So I’m trying to remember that “lasts” are just glorified “firsts,” and that every door that closes brings the promise of a window opening. But gosh, it’s hard. I don’t like all this finality, or the silly notion that anything is ever clear-cut enough to have a real ending.

I guess this is my last Gym Drill, technically. But I don’t believe that for a second. If Bryn Mawr girls ever really grew out of this whole affair, the audience here today would be cut in half. Sure, it seems like the cosmic powers-that-be rig it so that this particular day is always either 90 degrees or pouring rain. And sure, I always look ten times more foolish doing the opening dance than my dance teacher did teaching it to me. To the people who have never been on this field in a sash and skirt, we look a little silly. Heck, most of the time even we think we look a little silly! But really, it’s kind of a beautiful thing. Not neces-sarily because of the way we all look dancing on the field, but because of the meaning behind it all.

Bryn Mawr will never be perfect, just like none of us will ever be perfect, but it’s where I grew up. I’m excited for next year, for the beginning of a year of “firsts,” and to be in a new city and a new state, at a new school, with new people. But I will always belong here. I wouldn’t have admitted it to you before this year, but seeing all these alumnae is a kind of a safety blanket, a reminder that the world is full of us. We spend all year learning dances for Gym Drill, but the real point is this togetherness. I feel privileged to have found that. Gym Drill is just the weird magnet that sucks us all back here. Obviously, it’s intimi-dating to know that I’ll have to find a new place to belong now. But I know not to really worry about it. What Bryn Mawr taught me, first and foremost, was how to be a part of a community. Fifty years from now, no matter who I am or where I am, I will still have a seat under that tent and a banner to hold.

And, try as I might, I will never grow out of Gym Drill.

I’ve grown up, but I will never grow out of Bryn Mawr. “

“

28

Amna HashmiCrossing the Vantage Point

In May, Amna Hashmi was named a 2012 Presidential Scholar. She is one of only 141 graduating high school seniors across the country—and one of only three from the state of Maryland—to receive this honor. Amna wrote this essay to accom-pany her Presidential Schol-ars nomination, which she received based on exem-plary academic achieve-ment.

The first wooden plank groans ominously as I set my foot down. Before I have the chance to take a second step, a determined brown and white goat charges ahead, unknowingly mock-ing me for the hesitancy that paralyzes even the tips of my toes. Through the gaps between the boards, I see the river below, its current flowing ceaselessly as it has been doing for hundreds of years. One step, another, and then another. When I reach the middle of the bridge, I finally loosen my vice-like grip on the rope handles and look up from the ground. From this vantage point, the foothills of the Himalayas stretch out infinitely as each small peak adds another layer to my point of view.

The bridge across the Thames River as I hurry to my internship at the British Parliament. The Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, intersecting the European and Asian continents. Johan-nesburg’s Nelson Mandela Bridge linking the Cultural precinct, the quarter commemorat-ing creative reinvention, with Constitutional Hill, an area housing the strict constitutional court. The bridge above the Washington D.C. red metro line on my way to work at the Unit-ed Nations Foundation. The bridge over the

Huangpu River in Shanghai, connecting historical gov-ernment buildings to sky-scrapers created by finan-cial institutions during the new millennium’s building boom. The bridge between the Ross Research Build-ing and the Johns Hopkins Hospital, connecting the empirical lab bench with the human patient, where I witness the clinical appli-cations of my sickle cell re-search. Throughout my life, I have crossed steel, stone, wooden, and ideological bridges connecting two separate entities, creating an intersection of locations, ideas, viewpoints, and peo-ple.

In my photo, I have cap-tured the bridge between The Bryn Mawr School and

Gilman School, the Howard Street Bridge in downtown Baltimore, a bridge over a Venetian canal, a bridge in Beijing’s historical Summer Palace, and a bridge above the M-2 Motorway outside Lahore, Pakistan. These global bridges embody my outlook, extending over interna-tional and local levels simultaneously. As the editor-in-chief of my school newspaper and yearbook, I unite Bryn Mawr with the greater public, shining light on global occurrences and their effects on the school as well as the school’s impact on the larger community. I bring the international sustainability move-ment to Bryn Mawr by implementing the goals of the annual Green Cup Challenge, eliminat-ing plastic water bottles, and spearheading the transition to a compost waste reduction system. I take the education of American stu-dents to rural South Asian girls by collaborat-ing with the Mann Deshi Foundation and the Citizen’s Foundation.

Bridges allow me the possibility to pass over natural and unnatural obstacles in every corner

29

of the world, from South Africa, England, and China to my Baltimore home. At the same time, they do not merely skim over the borders’ surfaces; bridges create reciprocal communication between two dis-tinct repositories of human potential, stimulating action and raising the relationship’s level of richness and consciousness. Through my exposure to my parents’ homelands, I join two South Asian countries, one Hindu-dominated and the other Muslim, whose incompatible identities engender an enduring rivalry. I link the East and West by fusing the culture of my ancestors with the culture of my American present. I epitomize the mélange of Americans with Muslims in an increasingly Islamaphobic world; I fill in the gaps of perception in an increasingly anti-American world. I bond the immediate focus of medi-cal research with the greater global health outlook. From the perspective of my personal bridge, these opposing forces no longer push in opposite directions.

I look left and right, attempting to imprint the glorious Himalayan scenery in my memory. Ready to cross the vantage point, I look forward and take a step towards my next adventure.

Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is an incredible honor, and one of the highest be-stowed on graduating high school seniors. From approximately 3.2 million graduating seniors, 3,000 candidates were selected for their exceptional performance on either the College Board SAT or the ACT Assessment. After candidates were announced, they were asked to submit essays, transcripts, in-formation about activities they participate in, and additional scholastic and extracurricular information. Amna is the second Bryn Mawr student to be named a Presidential Scholar; Celia Bell, a graduate of the Class of 2009, was named a Presidential Scholar of the Arts in 2009. Amna will attend Harvard University in the fall, and hopes to pursue a career in global health and health policy.

Reunion Year Gifts Hit a High

>

Senior Gift Breaks Record!>

30

A Banner Year for GivingCongratulations to the following classes on their award-winning, and in some cas-es, record-breaking reunion gift efforts!

The Reunion Participation Prize for the most outstanding participation in a re-union gift effort went this year to the great Class of 1962, pictured, which achieved a whopping 93% class partici-pation! Many thanks to the 50th Reunion Committee: Kate LeBoutillier O’Neill, Debby Shephard Jencks, Bev Davis, Mary Hassett Miles, Donna Whiteley Sieverts, Dutch Kendall Tyler, and Fran-cie McCabe McWilliams.

The following reunion classes had amaz-ing participation in the 80% range: the Class of 1947 with 89%, the Class of 1952 with 82% and the Class of 1957 with 80%. In the 60% and 70% range were the Class

of 1992, 1982, 1972, 1967, and 1942. Our youngest reunion classes—2007, 2002, and 1997—also had above average participation.

This year’s Reunion Gift Award for the class that raises the most dollars for the Annual Fund in a reunion year also went to the great Class of 1962 for its record-breaking total of $55,475. Also setting records were the Class of 1972 with a 40th reunion total of $40,000 and the Class of 1982 with a 30th reunion total of nearly $30,000!

The Overall Reunion Gift Award goes to the reunion class that raises the most money overall for Bryn Mawr. Annual Fund gifts as well as gifts to capital projects and to the endowment are included. This year’s Over-all Reunion Gift Award goes to the great Class of 1967 for its very grand total of $171,218. Many thanks to Reunion Chair Gail Mangels and her committee: Rosemary Elliott Harder, Linda Londeree Monk, Sandy Pat-terson, and Joan Piven Cohen.

Congratulations to the parents and grandparents of the Class of 2012! On Monday, June 11, senior gift chair Bruce Matthai announced that this year’s Senior Gift beat the previous record set in 2008 for the largest gift in school history. Parents and grandparents contributed more than $153,500 for faculty support. Headmistress Maureen Walsh extended her thanks to Bruce and the members of his commit-tee, Chris and Hadley Hubbard Feiss ’82, Ed Garbarino, Tazeen Hashmi, Steve O’Donnell, Susie Mann, Eric Miller, Carrie Armstrong Montague ’80, Kevin O’Keefe, Evan and Catherine Whitehurst Steiner ’82, and John Wolf, and to the donors for their extraordinary gift to the school.

Bryn Mawr in Boston>

Alumnae Weekend 2012

>

Lexie Bozzuto Green ’95, President of the Alumnae Asso-ciation, presents Headmistress Maureen E. Walsh with her

honorary diploma.

Jeanne Mockard ‘81, Pam Peedin ‘85, Meagan Perry ‘00, Kathy Martien Sullivan ‘74, and Ann Shoemaker Wyman ‘58.

31

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

Alumnae News in Brief

It was lovely to see so many alumnae on campus the weekend of May 4 and 5. During the Alumnae Associa-tion luncheon held Saturday, May 5, four alumnae were presented with awards. Kate LeBoutillier O’Neill ’62 re-ceived the Senior Alumnae Award, Natalie Wexler ’72 received the Distinguished Alumnae Award, Jen Sheff Yeagle ’97 received the Young Alumnae Award, and Cath-erine Whitehurst Steiner ’82 received the Anne E. Croker Alumnae Service Award. The title of “honorary alumna” was bestowed upon Bryn Mawr’s headmistress, Maureen E. Walsh, in honor of her dedication to the school and its alumnae, and in celebration of her 10th year as head of school. For award presentation excerpts and photos, please click here.

On May 22, Boston-area Bryn Mawr alumnae gathered at The Country Club in Brookline for a reception. Arna Margolis, a retiring Bryn Mawr faculty member, was in attendance. Many thanks to Kathy Martien Sul-livan ’74 for arranging the wonderful location for this fantastic event. It was great to reconnect with so many Bryn Mawr alumnae. Thanks to all who attended and made it such a wonderful event! To view more photos, please click here.

THE BRYN MAWR SCHOOL109 W. Melrose Ave

Baltimore, MD 21210410-323-8800

www.brynmawrschool.org

Cover photo: The Class of 2012 is all smiles before Graduation.