From your first day in the classic Harpeth Hall plaid (tartan) to the day when you cross Souby Lawn in your long white dress, there are certain patterns of behavior that you learn. I went to Harpeth Hall for eight years, so these behaviors are pretty much ingrained in me. It was only after graduating and moving on to college that I realized how strange some of these things were. This caused a few struggles that are unique to Harpeth Hall Alumnae.
The Uniform
While this struggle is less specific to Harpeth Hall, it is a real problem. Going to college meant dressing in something that wasn't a worn-out blue polo and a skirt that I pulled off my floor, shook out, and wore for the third time that week. It has also been an issue as we get into the colder winter months. Due to the rule that we were only allowed to wear Harpeth Hall outerwear, I got quite used to layering my dance jackets and Thespian hoodie. Now this look isn't socially acceptable and I have to figure out how to incorporate pants into my everyday outfits. Also, it's nice to not have Casual Day Guidelines that prohibit me from wearing Nike shorts to school when it is nearing 80 degrees.
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Lenovo Avoidance
To the rest of the world, Lenovo is just a company that makes computers. To Harpeth Hall grads, it is a word that equates with ignoring pop-ups until your computer completely quits functioning and then trudging down to the Bear Cave and praying that your loaner only lasts for a day or so.
The Alma Mater Song
Someone might have described something as "magnolia green" or you may just be feeling particularly nostalgic. Either way, the Alma Mater is stuck in your head.
George Washington
There is always the lingering confusion of this (and many other) strange traditions. Why were seventh graders forced to dress in period costumes and perform the minuet in front of an eighth grader dressed as George Washington? Who came up with the soldier routine? The more questions that I ask, the more that I am confused.
Tea Cakes
This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase: "you didn't know what you had until it was gone."
The Explanation
Sometimes I forget that it isn't normal to attend an all-girls' school. So when I casually bring it up in conversation, I am attacked with a barrage of questions. "Yes, I liked it." "No, we weren't all lesbians." "Yes, it is weird being in classes with boys now."
Boys
Even after a semester, it still takes me by surprise sometimes when a deep, manly voice answers a professor's question.
The Warm Harpeth Hall Welcome
I've come embarrassingly close to standing up a few times when the speaker says, "Now, let's give a warm welcome to..."
From yards and yards of plaid to the last few notes of the Alma Mater, there are many quirky little things about Harpeth Hall that you don't fully recognize until after you graduate and move on to a place where boys attend class with you and no one stands up to welcome guests to the stage. These struggles are unique to Honeybears and they give us one more thing in common as we march off of Souby Lawn and into different corners of the world.
