I have the pleasure to introduce Noelle Lewis. I got to know Noelle this past year, and she is an incredibly talented, wonderful, sweet person. She works as a supervisor at Erdman, at the circulation desk at Collier Library and is a Green Ambassador for Rhoads South. She is very passionate about protecting the environment, and I’ve asked her to talk more about all that she does to accomplish that goal.
Photo courtesy of Noelle Lewis
Pronouns: She/her
Major: Geology
Class: 2020
Why did you choose Bryn Mawr, and why did you choose to stay?
When I was touring Bryn Mawr College as a Sophomore in high school, I remember that I fell in love with it, but I’m from Southern California so I kind of decided that it was too far away. Then during my senior year, I decided to apply to Bryn Mawr, kind of just for fun. Bryn Mawr visited my high school and I was the only person to attend the session, which gave me one-on-one time with an admissions rep who would also be reading my application. A few months later, I heard back that I had been accepted, and despite all of the pro/con lists that made Bryn Mawr’s location a humongous con, I decided to go because it just felt right.
My freshman year bedtime stories was one of the first times that I felt like I belonged at Bryn Mawr. After bedtime stories, I still had my downs where I would want to transfer out, but I would always go back to the community that I felt that night. I felt the people in that room really cared about each other and I began to think about what book I would read when I was a senior. I had not thought about my future at Bryn Mawr in a positive way until this point.
What’s your favorite memory from your time at Bryn Mawr?
I have a couple favorite memories at Bryn Mawr but the common theme is that it’s when I’m around a large group of people who are all very happy and excited like May Day or Bingo Night in the Great Hall.
What activities are you involved with on campus?
I work as a supervisor at Erdman Dining Hall and at Collier Library. Other than work, I also like going to figure drawing classes at Haverford with one of my friends and being a part of the Green Ambassadors.
What’s your favorite way to relax?
My favorite way to relax is to just lay on my bed next to the window in my room and close my eyes while the sun shines on my face. The color I see on my eyelids is so warm. I miss the sun in Southern California. Sometimes while I do this, I listen to instrumental music from the movie Like Crazy composed by Dustin O’Halloran. It always seems to calm me down.
What do you do as a Green Ambassador?
As Green Ambassadors, we have meetings a couple times a month where we discuss changes we would like to make on campus and plan events to raise awareness. For example, we’ve been trying to get a composting system launched on campus so that we can compost our food waste in dorms. We also are going to have an energy competition in April (I’m helping with planning) where we compete by dorm to see who can use proportionately the least amount of electricity. We’ll kick off the competition with a fun night of food and entertainment and have a prize at the end for the winning dorm. We hope that everyone will get into it and have fun leading a more energy efficient lifestyle.
What important advice do you have for those who want to do more to protect the earth?
I would tell anyone who wants to do more in light of the climate crisis that they do not need to do anything big. Sometimes the most effective thing to do are small lifestyle changes like thinking about where your food comes from or how much food waste you leave behind at the dining hall. It’s also important to be conscious of your electricity use in the dorm. Like sometimes it’s okay if all of your lights aren’t on or you air dry some of your clothing instead of using the electric dryer. Also if you want a break from school work, consider taking a walk outside instead of using other electronic devices to watch TV or do other things on the internet.
What do you look forward to the most this year?
My family just moved and I am really looking forward to spending time in a new place and getting a fresh start.
Thank you for your time Noelle!