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Mawrters of Mystery LbNA #64196

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Mar 18, 2013
Location: 101 N Merion Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
City:Bryn Mawr College
County:Montgomery
State:Pennsylvania
Boxes:5
Planted by:Morning_Star
Found by: Riversol
Last found:Nov 16, 2015
Status:FFFFFOFF
Last edited:Mar 18, 2013
NOTE: Unless you are extremely intuitive with directions, you will either need a compass or a cell phone equipped with a compass to complete this series.

Also, please bring your own ink pad as none is included in the box. Be advised that these stamps are made from Lino instead of rubber, so make sure to use plenty of ink and press hard!


Bryn Mawr College is a women’s liberal arts college with a rich academic history, located in Bryn Mawr, PA, ten miles west of Philadelphia. Founded in 1885, it is one of the Seven Sister colleges and part of the Tri-College Consortium along with two other colleges founded by Quakers (the other two are Swarthmore College and Haverford College).

Throughout the years, “mawrters” (or Bryn Mawr College students) have shared traditions that are more than entertaining diversions from intense studies; they establish a sense of community that last beyond the confines of the four-year college experience. The four “major” traditions are campus-wide events that take place at specific times throughout the school year. This letterbox series is an attempt to introduce the visitor to each of these traditions, plus share a bit of the beautiful campus and information on some minor traditions as well.

Although Bryn Mawr is a relatively small college, please keep in mind that most students on campus are “muggles” (non-letterboxers) and extreme care needs to be taken – be discreet as you search and careful as you re-hide to ensure the longevity of these boxes for future seekers!



➢ To begin, park at the Admissions building parking lot, or alternately, along Morris Avenue.


LETTERBOX #1: 1st Major Tradition - PARADE NIGHT:
➢ Take the path at the emergency box facing 240°N.
➢ Walk along the path past the Wildflower Conservation Area, with Erdman Dining Hall/Dorm to the right and ahead of you.

(Designed by the one of the most influential architects of the 20th century and BMC president, Katharine McBride, this architectural feat has received worldwide admiration for its distinctive style that people either love or hate. Influenced by ancient ruins, Kahn's works are considered as monumental beyond modernism.)

➢ As the path bends past the rounded extension of Wyndham Alumnae House, find a large tree near Erdman which would make the perfect hiding place for your first box. As Erdman is not only a dorm, but also one of two large dining halls, this tends to be an area with a constant flow of traffic. Please be careful to re-hide well.

This box represents the first major tradition. Parade Night is a celebration of the completion of the first day of classes. It is during this celebration that freshwomen are introduced to their sister class, the juniors, as well as to the adversarial sophomores, and the apathetic seniors. Freshwomen run along the path from Erdman through Pembroke Arch, while juniors throw water, sophomores throw candy, and seniors sit on the “senior steps.”

(Wyndham serves as a small hotel and restaurant. As you walk along this path, notice the spacious lawn on your left. It is here where the “Garden Party” is held annually on the Saturday of graduation weekend. During this minor tradition, each senior chooses a non-senior to be her "garden party girl," who then chooses a spot on the lawn in front of Wyndham and Erdman and decorates it for the senior's family.)


LETTERBOX #2: 2nd Major Tradition - LANTERN NIGHT:
➢ Take the path nearest the hiding spot and continue in the same direction as before, following the steps of freshwomen on Parade Night.
➢ At the end of the path, cross the street where the infamous “Blue Bus” picks up students and transports them to Haverford.

(As a member of the bi-co with Haverford College, and the tri-co with Haverford and Swarthmore, BMC students can take classes at each school; a convenient bus runs between Haverford and Bryn Mawr and a van, the “Swat Van,” runs between all three schools.)

➢ Before crossing the street, notice Pembroke Arch ahead of you. As you pass beneath the arch, take care to not “split” the first set of poles if you are walking with others, as it is believed this will “split” or destroy your friendship.

(Pembroke Arch houses the college’s dance studio and divides Pembroke Hall into Pembroke East and Pembroke West. Many rooms in both wings still contain original fireplaces and window seats. As an undergraduate, Katharine Hepburn lived in Pembroke West.)

➢ As you emerge from the arch, take the path at 250° W. Continue walking as you notice Thomas Great Hall to your right. This large building contains classrooms, offices, and most importantly, the cloisters. If it is mid May-mid August, or if classes are not in session, you may be able to use the side door to venture through the hallway and into the cloisters. Please remember to be respectful.
➢ Follow the path until you come to the Sourwood Tree, slightly off the path to the left.
➢ From this tree, take a reading of 220°SW. Notice a large weeping tree that would make a perfect hiding spot! Walk along the right side of the tree and peek through the branches to find access to a secret space. Watch for muggles as you enter.
➢ At the trunk of the tree, you will notice a POR (pile of rocks) that may contain what you seek! Please be careful to re-hide well, as this spot tends to be popular in the warmer months.

(This box represents the second major tradition. In late October or early November, the freshwomen gather in the cloisters where the sophomores present them with their lanterns in their class color, as the upper classwomen sing a Greek chant. These lanterns symbolize the light of knowledge being passed from one class to the next and the welcoming of the freshwomen. Each year, the lantern color rotates with the color of the freshwomen class, representing the four elements: dark blue (water), green (earth), light blue (wind), and red (fire). Tradition has it that the person whose lantern is the first to go out will get married first, and the person whose lantern goes out last will be the first to earn her Ph.D.!)


LETTERBOX #3: 3rd Major Tradition - HELL WEEK:
➢ Exit the hiding place and return to the path. At 310°NW, take the path near the sign for Carpenter Library.
➢ Following this path, you can’t help but notice the top portion of the unique underground library to your right, modeled after an archeological dig site. Peek through the glass to view this library which houses study areas, lecture halls and seminar rooms as well as archeology and classics books, among others. The grassy “roof” area to your left is used for outdoor concerts and picnics.
➢ Take the steps at the end of the path, continuing past the large metal sculpture.
➢ Near the top of the stone steps ahead of you, look for a sign for the Taft Memorial Garden. Take a break at the larger fountain on your left before proceeding to the “wall fountain” near the break in the concrete wall ahead of you.
➢ Continue to the bottom of the path, down the small hill.

(It is at the first, larger fountain (as well as at the fountain in the center of the cloisters) where students are said to skinny-dip before the end of their senior year to ensure their graduation. Rumor has it that this tradition was started by alum Katherine Hepburn the night before her graduation ceremony.)

➢ At the base of the path, turn 230°SW, walking past Rhoades Hall, with its beautiful gothic architecture. The first of its kind in the country, it was modeled after Oxford University.
➢ Pause for a moment before taking the small path at the end of Rhoades Hall. Notice Goodhart Hall ahead of you, the theatre for performing arts, and the base of Carpenter Library on your left (you walked across its grassy roof before reaching the fountain).
➢ Follow the small path on your right until the first small cluster of trees on your left. This is the perfect opportunity to stop for a picnic or throw a frisbee on the expansive lawn in front of you.
➢ When you are ready to resume your search, cross the field, making your way up the hill at about 240°SW. Before reaching the sidewalk, turn around and take a glance at the beautiful college landscape. You will understand where the college gets its name, meaning “big hill” in Welsh.
➢ Once on the sidewalk, proceed to the nearby stop sign. Turn right and walk past the President’s house, named Pen-Y-Groes (1007 Wyndon Avenue).
➢ Turn right onto the second driveway (the first is for Pen-Y-Groes), which is across from Kennedy Lane.
➢ Take the “low road” and follow the path along the pond that holds a prominent place in the beautiful Bryn Mawr landscape. As you take in the view, look for a friendly family of ducks that frequents the pond.
➢ At the “Y,” follow the cobblestone “drain” on your left, up the small hill.
➢ At the “break” in the drain, find a perfect hiding place for box number three at 10°N.

(This box represents the third major tradition at Bryn Mawr. Hell Week takes place in the middle of February and breaks the monotony of everyday school life. It is a week of fun and bonding between the freshwomen and the upper classwomen, and serves as the true welcoming of the freshwomen class. Frosh choose their “hellers” as they carry out their given “tasks” and are “tried” for their “crimes.” On the weekend, frosh are to complete the Duck Pond Run. Unfortunately, this is the wrong duck pond—you need to run one mile to Haverford College for that!)


LETTERBOX #4: 4th Major Tradition - MAY DAY:
➢ Return to the paved path along the pond. Continue past Applebee Field, where many of Bryn Mawr's 12 varsity sports teams practice and compete. As you pass the field, look to your left up the hill at Cambrian Row. Renovated in 2004, these buildings house student activities and several P.E. classes, such as yoga and Pilates.
➢ Continue on the path until you reach the 2nd set of stairs on your right, directly in front of Schwartz Gym. Walk up these steps.
➢ At the top of the steps, you will notice a wooden bench ahead of you, on your left. As you approach this bench, notice a rounded cement bench a bit further, to your left. This is the “Moon Bench.” As you sit on this bench, notice the double row of trees that lay in a straight line before you, called “Senior Row.”

(The bench was donated by Mary Moon Hemingway (class of ’39) and once stood on her family’s cemetery plot in NYC. When Mrs. Hemingway moved her parents to a family cemetery in Vermont, she donated the plot to the college. The plot was sold, but the bench was transported to the foot of Senior Row, where it has stood since the mid 1970’s. Inscribed with the words, “I know not where his islands lift their fronded palms in air, I only know that I cannot drift beyond his love and care,” it is believed that if you kiss someone while sitting on the moon bench, your relationship will soon end, perhaps because of this cemetery association. Positioned at the end of Senior Row, it does however also possess nostalgic significance. The privilege to walk between the rows of trees from start to finish, ending at the moon bench, is one given only to members of the senior class, thus symbolizing the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another…hence the name “Senior Row.” It is said that if you walk this path before becoming a senior, you will not graduate. Senior Row is also the site of the May Day Hoop Race.)

➢ When you are ready, weave through the two rows of trees (remember not to walk straight through!) until you reach a section of split rail fence and a large American Beech on your right (outside of Senior Row).
➢ On the west side of the tree, look up to see the perfect hiding place! It may be a bit of a “reach” if you are “vertically challenged,” but with just a bit of effort, you should easily reach the box. Again, please watch for muggles in re-hiding the box.

(This box represents the fourth and final major tradition. May Day is a full-day celebration that occurs the Sunday after the last week of classes. The entire college community comes together for a day of medieval festivity and a general good time. The kick-off is a parade that begins at Rockefeller Arch and ends on Merion Green. After the parade, there is Maypole Dancing, along with other events throughout the day, including Scottish dancing, Morris dancing, the traditional King Arthur Play, the sophomore class play, the Robin Hood Play, a cappella concerts, and various cultural dancing and music displays. Traditionally, mawrters wear white and adorn their hair with flowers.)


LETTERBOX #5: OWL OF WISDOM:
➢ From this tree, continue to weave in and out of “Senior Row.” Along the way, you will first pass Radnor Dorm, followed by the Campus Center, both on your left.
➢ At the end of the row, turn left and walk past Merion dorm (on your right).

(Built in 1885, Merion is the oldest dorm on campus. Although most of the dorm exists in its original state, a dining hall on the south side of the building was turned into additional rooms and a back staircase when it was realized that fourth floor residents would be doomed if a fire were to occur. The dorm also houses the only “confirmed” ghost, BMC junior Lillian Vickers, who burned herself to death in a kerosene bath and is thought to haunt the third floor.)

➢ Continue to walk through the parking lot, and when safe, cross the street. Walk up the steps and continue on the path that runs past the Russian House and the English House on your left. Both of these “houses” contain classrooms, and were acquired by the college in the 1930’s.
➢ Once you pass the English House, continue to the small row of parking spaces at the edge of the woods on your left. At approximately the middle parking space, you should be able to spot the Morris Woods trail marker just beyond the edge of the woods. If the ground is covered with leaves, you may have to search a bit to find the trail, but once on it, it’s obvious you are on a trail.
➢ Follow the path into the woods. You will cross a series of cement slab “steps,” letting you know you are on the right path.
➢ Soon you will come to a giant felled tree brought down by a recent storm. Pass through the tree sections (cut to allow you to continue on the path) and be on the lookout for a large “box” stone just to the left of the path. If you begin to go uphill, you've gone too far.
➢ Travel 264°W (off the path) until you come to a small stream. At the mouth of the stream, you will find a POR (pile of rocks) that hides your treasure - remember to stick to “higher ground,” as you wouldn’t want the box to get wet! These woods are visited by BMC classes, so please be sure to replace everything exactly as you found it, hiding the box well.

(This final box represents the “protector of the college” – the owl “mascot.” Do you hear any owls in the forest? Aside from being the school mascot, the owl is also the symbol for Athena, the goddess of wisdom and patron goddess of the college, whose statue resides in Thomas Great Hall. Students leave offerings for her gifts of wisdom and strength when taking finals, writing papers, or when asking for a bit of personal help. The owl is displayed on each lantern passed to the incoming freshwomen class at Lantern Night and owls can be found in the architecture throughout the campus. The stone owl in the center of Rockefeller Arch is said to be the protector of the college.)

(If it’s a nice day, after finding the box, you may want to continue exploring a bit further up the path to the Harriton Cemetary, which dates back to 1719. The wall surrounding the burial ground was rebuilt in 1900, using the stone from the old wall surrounding the cemetery. As per Quaker tradition, graves are unmarked; common field stones poking up throughout the cemetery merely mark the spot of the last dug grave. The cemetery contains the remains-of Richard Harrison and his descendants, as well as his household servants.)


THE WAY BACK:
➢ Exit the woods the same way you entered. Cross the street, making your way back to Merion Hall.
➢ When you reach Taylor Hall, turn 160°S, continuing on the path along the front of the building. The 2nd set of steps that you pass on the left is known as “Senior Steps.” Only seniors can “safely” use these steps, while all others are expected to use the 1st set of steps or risk not graduating. These steps are also the location of the step sings, which take place after all major traditions.
➢ At the end of Taylor, follow the path at 30°NE rather than proceeding to Pem Arch.
➢ At the side entrance to Taylor, leave the path and head 85°E. Turn right on the path in front of Guild Hall and take note of Dalton Hall’s glass exterior on your left. This hall was renovated in 2006, adding an octagonal glass tower which pays homage to the stone towers throughout the campus, giving the social sciences a conceptual space to match the new shared physical space.
➢ Cross the street and turn right, walking toward Haffner Dorm/Dining Hall.

(Take note of expansive Pembroke West (across the street), where Katherine Hepburn spent her freshwoman year in room #102. Before you reach Haffner, you will pass the new Student Garden on your left, where students experiment with gardening and living sustainably. Haffner is a language/culture house, a living-learning experience for students interested in intercultural exchange through the study of foreign languages and cultures. Students interested in the study of Spanish, French, Italian, German, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Russian and Middle Eastern languages can choose to dorm here.)

➢ As soon as you pass the dining hall, turn the corner and proceed to the beautiful “Sunken Garden.” Take the time to relax and take in the beauty of this picturesque garden, a popular spot for outdoor theater, musical performances and even weddings!
➢ Exit the garden on the path toward the Admissions building where you began your journey.

Congratulations, you just explored most of the 135-acre beautiful Bryn Mawr College campus!