WHYY (the Natl Public Radio outlet in the Philadelphia area, at 91 FM) is going to feature TAA Advisor Dr. Allen Guelzo in a live interview on Lincoln and Douglas as part of their morning call-in feature, “Radio Times,” with Marty Moss-Coane http://www.whyy.org/91FM/radiotimes.html Tuesday May 13th from 10.45 am until noon. This is in connection with an appearance he’ll be making at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia later that day.

TAA has received an invitation from our friend Ms. Marianne Hansen, assistant curator of Rare Books, and we plan to take our students to the Bryn Mawr College Library Rare Book Room spring exhibit on Books of Hours, which are medieval illuminated prayer books.  Bryn Mawr has one of the great liberal arts college libraries in the country, with more than a million volumes and nationally significant collections on the history of women, classical antiquity, the early development of printing, and many other fields. Unfortunately, time and handling have taken their toll on many of these books, resulting in broken bindings and damaged pages that put their long-term survival at risk.

On January 3, a group of 12 TAA’ers attended Anthony Lawton’s production of CS Lewis’ Screwtape Letters at the Lantern Theater in Philadelphia.  A clever staging used the character of Toadpipe (Screwtape’s demon-personal secretary) to deliver the letters from nephew Wormwood, demon in training, who just couldn’t quite capture the soul of a Christian young man in WWII London.  We all agreed that the choreography segments were “a bit much,” but nevertheless it was a worthwhile evening and much discussion was generated.  We were thrilled to have two TAA grads able to join us: Kate Anthony UPENN ’10, and Julie Soper Swarthmore ’11.

Students who are interested in seeing intercollegiate fencing may be interested in the University of Pennsylvania fencing schedule. January 13 is the Philadelphia Invitational; February 10th is the Ivy League Round Robin 2; and March 1 is the NCAA Regionals at Drew University in NJ. TAA graduate Kate Anthony is presently on the women’s varsity fencing team at the University of Pennsylvania. TAA students and families: please let Mrs. Anthony know if you would like to attend any of these meets.

On Thursday, December 20, Mrs. Hanko’s K-1st grade class presented the nativity story at Beaumont. Their program was warmly received by about 25 residents of Beaumont Residential Community in Bryn Mawr, including Mrs. Ruth Schmitt, a long-time friend of TAA. Mrs. Schmitt was thrilled to have her “children” come and treat her and her friends to Christmas carols, hymns and recitation of scripture. Several residents were singing along and reciting the verses with the students. The girls also made Christmas cards in bright green envelopes, which they handed out to the Beaumont residents.