Editorial

Adaptation has been essential in the persistence of many events, including Bryn Mawr’s Gym Drill. For the first time in its 117 year history, Gym Drill took place this April masked, socially distanced, and without many traditional aspects such as the school-wide opening dance and closing march. While these changes may have affected the look and feel of Gym Drill, its idea and roots remained the same. At its core, Gym Drill is more than just opening exercises and dances: it's a celebration of cultures from around the world and the unification of the Bryn Mawr community. 

In all of its forms, Gym Drill brings the community together. While, yes, this includes the main event on the turf, more striking is the bonding that occurs off the field and away from the cameras. Even before the day arrives, a feeling of closeness is established with treasured customs like the sewing of the sashes. The stress of sewing on ribbons and stars late at night is eased when not one, but many, of other classmates’ profile icons appear on the instructional Google Doc. Group chats flood with SOS texts in need of further instruction and pictures of friends’ sashes. On the day of, laughter fills the time of adjusting ill-fitting skirts and braiding hair last-minute. These little moments-- moments of anticipation and excitement--contribute to making Gym Drill what the Bryn Mawr community knows it for.

Of course, cultural dances also play a large role in making Gym Drill a unique experience. While many schools have similar traditions in regards to community dances, only Bryn Mawr incorporates a cultural aspect in an effort to make their students more worldly citizens. The use of a culture in a community where not everyone identifies with that culture raises the question of whether or not people are respectfully and appropriately using the dances. However, the process of teaching these dances points towards this event being cultural appreciation rather than appropriation.

This year, a few dances included choreography by students, including a Bollywood dance choreographed by Allie G. ‘22 and the Levantine dabke dance choreographed by Christina S. ‘23. This responsibility not only entailed creating a dance, but also helping to teach its history. In an interview, Christina emphasized the importance of appreciating the meaning of a dance while performing it. She explains, “learning that aspect - the roots of it - [is] really important.” She further elaborates, describing appropriation as dancing just “to dance to the song rather than appreciating the culture.” Before learning the first step of a dance, Bryn Mawr students are taught the origins of the dance. As Christina said, this crucial step makes Gym Drill an appropriate celebration of cultures outside of students’ ancestry. It allows students to expand not only their physical movement repertoire but also their worldly awareness.

Gym Drill holds a variety of meanings. It marks the culmination of another school year; it means the addition of a bar (and possibly a star) to a sash; it unifies the Bryn Mawr community on a turf field. Most importantly, Gym Drill facilitates appreciation of both each other and of other cultures.

Photo Courtesy of Rory P. ‘22