Bryn Mawr Traditions

Parade Night

This is the first step-sing of the year, and the beginning of the rivalry between the freshwomen and sophomores. A songs-mistress, who is elected during orientation, tries to keep her class on key and in synch throughout the songs. She also must write a parody of a song any song to make fun of the sophomore class. Kee ping the song simple tends to be a good idea--if the song is Whitney Houston's Greatest Love of All, it is extremely hard to keep your class in tune as well as keeping the other classes from laughing.

Lantern Night

This is the second step-sing of the year which takes place in the middle of October. Freshwomen receive their lanterns so they no longer have hot candle wax dripping on their fingers during step-sings. Each class has a different color lante rn; currently the senior class ('96) has light blue lanterns, juniors have red lanterns, sophomores have dark blue lanterns, and freshwomen have green lanterns. Everyone leaves their lanterns outside their room after Lantern night is over; the first woma n's lantern to go out is the first to be married on that hall, and the owner of the last lantern to go out will be the first to get her PhD.



Hell Week

The less you know about hell week, the better. Basically it's similiar to hazing for sororities. During hell week, seniors are apathetic and juniors are sympathetic toward freshmen; so luckily new students have only the sophomores to worry about.

May Day

 May Day is the big end-of-classes celebration before finals. This is the only day of the year the dining hall becomes crowded during breakfast because fresh strawberries and cream are the main course. The day is filled with many activities such as Morris dancing, a grand procession, concerts, plays, and the last step-sing of the year. The highlight of May Day is Maypole dancing--or for those who consider this too phallic, Mayhole dancing is in the early afternoon.



Pallas Athena

This statue is in the corner of the main room of Thomas Great Hall. If an underclasswoman violates a tradition, such as going up the senior steps, she must sacrifice an item to Pallas Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Students also sacrifice items for good luck; so during finals week, the ground near this statue is especially littered.



Senior Row

Only seniors are allowed to do certain things on campus, such as walk on the senior steps and travel down this row of trees. During May Day, the senior class has a hoop race down senior row; the winner of the race gets the choice of being t he first in her class to be married or the first to get her PhD. The runner up usually gets stuck being the first to marry.



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