Bryn Mawr students are innovators who always find unique ways to make a difference in the world. But as a group of creative Upper School faculty members showed, Bryn Mawr’s students are not the only innovators on campus.

On Thursday February 7, Bryn Mawr’s faculty members hosted the first annual Tie Swap. Upper School Math Teacher Frank Ecker said the idea came to him one morning as he was getting ready for work. “I was choosing a tie, and I realized I pass over the same five ties every day, Ecker said. “It occured to me that someone else might like something that I was not using anymore, so in the spirit of reducing consumerism and reusing and recycling, I thought I would do what ECo did with the clothing swap and trade with other faculty members who wear ties.”
Ecker pitched his idea to other Upper School faculty members and was encouraged by an enthusiastic response. He began collecting ties and soon had enough to create a little tie stand in the Innovation Lab one afternoon. Ecker and faculty volunteers Dr. Brett McMillan and Dr. Kevin Yeager laid out the ties “dude style” on tables around the room, and the ties and their presentation attracted attention from passersby. From brightly colored and patterned ties found in department stores, to more exotic Winnie the Pooh and Pharaoh themed ones resembling pieces from a Museum of Modern Art display on ties, there was something for everyone.

Upper School Science Department Chair Steve Amann stopped by to shop and drop off some of his old ties. Amann says the Tie Swap was timely. “My wife has been doing some of the Marie Kondo tidying up around our house the past few weeks, and it felt really good to eliminate some things and reorganize some of what remains,” Amann said. “When Frank suggested this swap, I saw it as a good way to eliminate many of my ties, since I hate wearing them, and figured that someone else might get some joy from them. Amann also saw the Tie Swap as an opportunity to give back to the community beyond Bryn Mawr.
Amann’s friend is on the board of Volunteers of America, an organization that works to assist former inmates in reintegrating back into the community. One aspect of that process is job training, interview skills and job placement, and Amann knew the ties could help with that. “My experience teaching with the Goucher College Prison Program at the correctional facilities in Jessup made me very aware of the difficulties people in our community face when returning to life once they are released.” Amann donated all of the remaining ties from the Tie Swap to Volunteers of America, and used what started as a fun and innovative idea as an opportunity to make a big difference.
Has the Marie Kondo Craze reached your household? If so, consider donating items that no longer bring you joy to Volunteers of America.
 
Located in Baltimore, Maryland, The Bryn Mawr School is a private all-girls pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school with a coed preschool for ages 2 months through 5 years. Bryn Mawr provides students with exceptional educational opportunities on a beautiful 26-acre campus within the city limits. Inquisitive girls, excellent teaching, strong student-teacher relationships and a clear mission sustain our vibrant school community where girls always come first.