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The picture I chose is one single brick that reads "Be Extraordinary" from a walkway full of memorials and inspirational messages at a camp I volunteer at. It is called Camp Sunshine and it is a place for terminally ill childrean and their families to come. Working at this camp was the first time I ever fully realized that there was so much more in this world than the near fantasy I grew up in. I was so humbled and grateful to have the experience of it and Bryn Mawr has only furthered these feelings in my life. Being here makes me want to learn so much about all kinds of people's life experiences, I feel so honored to be a part of such a special place, just as I feel about Camp Sunshine. In both of these places people are filled with so much generosity and light and knowledge, there is so much hope and gratitude for the world around us and that is something that I can only hope to embody and pay forward in the future. 

Choosing my avatar took me slightly longer than I anticipated, for considering all the misrepresentation a single, stand alone image can present.  What I ultimately came up with is a picture my friend and I took while studying abroad last fall.  I have unquestionably learned a tremendous amount during my time at Bryn Mawr, from a combination of courses, people, and experiences.  I often look back on study abroad, though, as the first time I really began to build a more concrete concept of how I wanted to play out my academic interests in the world.  In addition, my distance from Bryn Mawr and the people I knew there gave me a new perspective to consider the nature of the assumptions and knowledge I held - both of myself and the world around me.  My time away was in many ways transformative, even if that process and its results are not always obvious. 

I have always been a straightforward and to the point kind of person, so I felt that using my full name as my username was appropriate. Besides this straightforward nature, I also believe that pictures, and that the images that people choose are able to give an insight into who that person is, and what resonates with them as a person. I had the privilege of growing up in Santa Cruz, California, which I believe to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is known for its beautiful beaches, hippies, and being one of the top spots on the California coast for surfing. All of these aspects of Santa Cruz are true, and I appreciate all of them, but the part of Santa Cruz that resonates with me most are the thousands of magnanimous Redwood trees that tower hundreds of feet above you. Their history and size have always given me a sense of serenity and comfort, and one of my favorite past-times laying down in the giant forests and looking up through their leaves and branches to the sun and sky. This photo taken through the trees gives me a sense of peace, and reminds me where I'm from and the beauty it holds.  I am so excited for this new journey at Bryn Mawr, but Santa Cruz will always be my first home.

I didn’t put an extreme amount of thought into choosing my avatar. Not because I don’t care, but because I don’t believe that a picture can fully capture a person.  A picture can only show what is on the exterior of the body and the emotions at the specific time the photo is taken. For example, my avatar is a picture that was taken in high school for the local newspaper. The photo only shows a cute puppy and a dorky smile, it does not show that I was grumpy prior to the photo or that Lane, my dog, was parched from playing fetch.  I also just really love my dog and like showing her off. From the photo you can assume a lot of things such as my gender, sexual orientation, age or that I like dogs. Those are only assumptions based on predisposed theories of what gender, sexual orientation and age look like. This photo only allows people on the internet to assume who I am by my appearance and by the props that are in the photo.  I could have easily dressed up as a ballet dancer and based on the picture no one would be able to accurately assume that I am not anything but a ballet dancer.  

I am from a small town on Long Isalnd called Sayville.  One of my favorite parts of my town is the bay and the docks.  It is my place to go to think and relax.  Home and family are very important in my life and this picture reminds me of where I am from and my family.  I also believe that home and family play a very important role in shaping how you think and who you are.  I know personally that my family and my town have played a role in shaping how I view gender and sexuality.  This is why I choose this picture to represent me.      

This picture was taken when I was skyping with my friend who I haven't seen for half an year.I have lived in my hometown for 15 years and went on a one-year exchange program in US.I was homesick,shy,and lost the first time I stepped on this strange field.I held my words carefully so that my shabby accent doesn't come out often,I stared at those strangers of different races,frustrated and sad.My first time out of the country alone was such a scare to me.However,when I take a look around,it was not as bad as what I've being imagining.I tried to talk to people,started to make friends,and built up a positive attitude with the help of them. And the time I began to contact my old friends,I can finally smile out.I realized that every obstacle was not that hard to overcome as long as you deal with it with courage and smile.And all I wanted to give to them is a big heart,to show that I appreciate everything I met,things that occur around me.They made me who I am,affect my ways,my choices,and will lead to a future I'm looking forward to.

My avatar is a picture of Paris that I took from the top of the Eiffel Tower about two years ago when my family took a trip to Europe.  Since the moment that I decided I would become an art history major, there was this powerful draw to visit Europe.  As overdramatic as it sounds, it felt like my heart ached for to see the historic cities that housed world-renowned Renaissances paintings and Greek Hellenistic sculptures.  Stepping of the train in Paris was like coming alive in a place that somehow managed to balance the modernity of a big city with the beauty of historic tradition.  It was during my first visit to Paris, those first few moments after stepping off of the Eurostar train, that I realized how many places in the world that I wanted to travel to. 

I chose this picture of the Paris cityscape because it represents everything that I want to do after I graduate from Bryn Mawr.  As a sophomore about to declare herself an art history major, there are a lot of anxieties about making the right decision but every time I look at this picture of Paris I know that I am confident in my choice.  I have to go back to Paris some day (hopefully to work in the Louvre and be a curator for some of my favorite pieces).  After visiting Europe and working in a museum this past summer, I have gotten a taste of what I can do with my life some day.  This photo is just a reminder of what I want.

My avatar is a picture of the most distinguishing landmark of the other place I call home: San Francisco, CA. Although I hail from Virginia, where I have lived for the past 16 years, I spent the first few weeks of my life in The City. These few weeks were the end of three years in which my parents lived there, rent paid for by the US Army. The stories they told of it enthralled me, and, three years ago, they took me back to visit. I felt an instant kinship with the place, with its colors, unusual architecture and landscaping, and sheer sense that the inhabitants are whoever they want to be, no restrictions imposed.

Once, I caught myself remembering the beauty of San Francisco, and told myself that it was just my memory making it seem more beautiful than it actually was, as has happened with other places. I returned to my photo album, and discovered that no, in fact, my memory was actually dimming the beauty.

Without the help of the military, I will not be able to live in San Francisco again unless I find a very well-paying job--the cost of living there is greater than in London. However, I have not given up hope that I will find a way to return.

Hello ladies! My name is Samantha Plate and I'm excited to explore the wonderful city of Philadelphia with you.

My avatar is a picture of me and my friends on a train track. Not too exciting- but the day holds special memories for me.

After our last day of finals this year my friends and I spent the day together, creating memories that will last a lifetime. We had brunch together and then drove to a place called Carousel Gardens where we took tons of fun pictures. The grounds are picturesque and we played on an old tractor that was there. We then ventured to an abandoned train down the road. We took pictures and explored as much of the train as we were able to access.

For the most part, I would hardly call the people in my picture my friends.  I knew them for one or two years at most as they passed through the theatre program at my high school, but I rarely got to know more about them than their names and vague impressions of their personalities.  Still, for every back turned and face blurred in that picture, I could tell you a story about that five minutes in two years that I got the chance to talk to them.  That five minutes has left a lasting impression on my memory.  Moreover, I could tell you about this moment in the picture when the entire room was silent, and each of us closed our eyes while our fellow cast-members surrounded us.  The exercise was simple: match the breathing of the person next to you.  After it ended, I went backstage with the realization that I could trust the people around me.  In an existence marked by fleeting relationships and unknown people, this was a moment when everything stood still, and I did not have a single doubt in my mind about anyone in the room.