Saturday morning. November 14. Approximately 9:30 AM. 93 students are boarding a bus to travel to New York to watch Fun Home.

Fun Home is originally published as a graphic novel written by Alison Bechdel. I first read Fun Home my freshman year in Bryn Mawr as it was the book assigned to our ESEM class. That same year in Goodhart Theatre, Alison Bechdel spoke to us about her life, her writing process, her experiences in college, took photos with us and held a Q&A. It was a great experience, and one of the first times that I myself had with an author in front of me talking about a book they’d written. It was also a first glimpse into some of the great experiences that Bryn Mawr had to offer.

fresh man year farah with alison bechdel – sept 2012

It is really amazing to me that 3 years later, I got to see her show on Broadway, which was so amazing and so wonderful. I also wish that I still had my copy of Fun Home in the States, except that I am pretty sure it is back home. I would have liked to look through it today, see that notes I took in class and every single asterisk I must have placed at places of the novel that I identified with.

The day, as stated, started with a trip to New York on two buses. We had some members of the English department faculty with us (for their photos and comments on the show follow brynmawrenglishhouse on instagram) and some members of Student Activities and a lot of really excited Mawrtyrs.

Tickets were passed out on the bus, and after some trading and switching, my friends and I secured 4 seats next to each other in the theatre.

We arrived in New York around 2 hours before the show, and spent the first half hour looking for a restaurant and standing in line for brunch. Welcome to New York on a Saturday. Finally, my friends and I got into a restaurant and had what was, for most of us, the first meal of the day.

take me back, dining hall food just won’t cut it anymore

After a great lunch and after feeling very spoiled, we walked back to the Gershwin Theatre and met up with the rest of the Bryn Mawr students and everyone else who was there.

Funny story, someone saw MN’17 sweatshirt which read “Mawrtyr” and came up to tell us that they were Bryn Mawr alums from the class of ’89, if my memory serves me well, and one of the alums was the red class as well. Bryn Mawr is everywhere, especially when Alison Bechdel is involved, I guess!

the famed red sweater

The women spoke to us as we were in line for the bathroom which was an experience in and of itself.

NP ’18, yours truly, AA’16, MN’17

And finally, we were there, being handed our programs…

lead to our seats…

and looking at the 360-view stage.

The stage was my favorite part of the whole show, and part of the reason that I want to come back to see Fun Home again. I want to be on the other side of the audience and see what my experience of the show is. The other technical aspects of the show, like the lights the example, which blew my mind, the music, the clothing, everything was done so well.

Fun Home is amazing and was, for me, an extremely emotional experience. I feel like watching it came as a good time. As a show about identity and finding yourself, and revealing your family history – I don’t know. All I know is that I was watching this show as a Kuwaiti Muslim girl and I just felt so connected to the story and I saw myself and my family in it. It was a nostalgic experience, and it made me want to call home, just to be around family. It made me realize that my relationship with my parents as adult is very different than my relationship with them as a child, but that both mean that I am still their daughter.

After the show, we got to be a part of a short Q&A the actors and stage manager held for us. It was really cool being able to speak to the actors and to hear their own experiences performing the show, and the parts that they think are funny.

I asked them a question about what I had throughout the show, and if, while performing they realize some things about their own family and home life. Emily Skeggs, the actress who plays Medium Allison, answered my question by saying that, having a father who is a graphic designer, she wonders when she’s drawing how her father would react to her art and how Alison’s father reacted to her art.

Overall, it was a great show and I am so happy I got to see it, especially with a group of Bryn Mawr students who were with me that day. And I especially loved the Anass and the very confused looks all the actors had 😀 There is video on the English House instagram page.

Anassa Kata, Fun Home!

A week ago, the Interfaith Council at Bryn Mawr had a stand at the Campus Center about tradition.

A lot of people were pinning their thoughts on a big board, and it got me thinking about what traditions mean to me. And it also got me thinking about some of the traditions that were happening at the time too.

For example, Halloween, a major tradition a couple of weeks ago, where candy plays a big role. Because of my major, almost to a degree where this is a problem, love for candy, Halloween makes me extremely happy.

picking up the candy bags for each dorm from TGH!

I, and some other students who live in Radnor, got to pass out candy to the visiting children from the Bryn Mawr community, and to the children of staff and professors, which was lots of fun! Following that, there was a party at TGH with more food and dancing.

sign outside of the Great Hall

Pumpkins, as featured on the sign above, are a major tradition in the United States (and maybe other countries?) during these Fall months.

pumpkins outside of Guild

Which to me seems strange, since I don’t think of pumpkins when I think of fall, at least not before I came to the States, but they do seem to be taking over!

pumpkin spice pedicure? O_o seen on the Main Line at Zazen if you’re interested!

Another tradition, for me personally, is Monday dinners at Erdman Dining Hall! There is a Pho station, which makes me so happy, ever since my friend MT ’17 taught me her recipe (which is seven different types of delicious).

this is still like step three of a multi-step cooking process

It has come to point where Mondays, to me, have just been permanently associated with going to Erdman for me weekly dose of good cookin’.

it is actually delicious, I promise!

Finally, there is a tradition on my hall where, every Tuesday is my candy day. And so, again, to me, Tuesday means waking up early (*ahem* waking up at 10) to get the candy bowl/basket out for the hall

this was last week’s haul, leftovers from Radnor Halloween. this week’s is M&Ms and reese’s. life is grand.

It has gotten to the point where some of the residents on the hall, from the first years to the customs people know to give me candy earlier, if they’d like it to be “featured” during this week’s candy day.

Due to ALL of these reasons, I don’t think it’s much of a surprise that my answer to the question: “What does tradition mean to you?” is:

as the leaves change color

and the day grows shorter

the students of Bryn Mawr

celebrate the second quarter

the geese wake us up

with their honks and their noises

this is the time of year

where we gather in the cloisters

the great hall is shaking

with anassing hollers

the light of knowledge is bright

in this batch of scholars

the wind is blowing

and the students all unite

(to warm themselves up)

and to celebrate a special night

the first years will have

their lantern of knowledge

don’t look at it when you pick it up

and you’ll do great at college

and if you do look at it

pay a visit to our goddess

athena is forgiving

tell her what happened and be honest

so let’s celebrate here

let’s celebrate all around

for the lantern swinging and singing

that will happen all year long

you have your own lantern

of that we’re so proud

because now you’re a part of

the greatest lantern-owning crowd

happy lantern night to everyone and especially to the green class!