What Do You Think of Our New Look?

What do you think? Leave a comment at the end of this story to let us know.

Opinion runs 2-to-1 positive with the most frequently expressed complaint focused on the font size—an issue we’ve addressed in subsequent issues.

Herewith, a representative sampling of what you had to say.

Plus, two Bulletin veterans who apprenticed under legendary editor Skip Shakespeare offer competing views of what their mentor might think.

News of the death of Skip Winter Mason Shakespeare ’50 in the Winter 2017 issue was unexpected and sad, but its coinciding with the debut of the magazine’s 
fresh new look was, for me, a sweet reminder of Skip’s most prominent contribution to the Bryn Mawr community: her many years producing intellectually and aesthetically stimulating Alumnae Bulletins. I served as Skip’s assistant and associate editor at the Bulletin, and some of the most valuable lessons I learned from her came as a result of our perpetual quest to find dynamic balance between innovation and tradition, between challenging our readers and remaining a familiar space for convening community. Skip’s professional fearlessness was key…. So, I love the Bulletin’s new format and design (as I believe Skip would have, also) 
for the energy and thoughtfulness 
it embodies. May you—no, may all of us—
continue to be bold and fearless and to flourish in these balancing acts that are our work and our lives. —Kathy Neustadt ’73

With the three attractive 
students in coordinating 
clothing on the cover I thought it was a retail catalog and luckily took another look before 
tossing it into the recycle bin. I’m not objecting to the format, but it might have been a good idea to give us a heads-up with an e-blast. Also, the text in the Class Notes section really needs to be darker with 
the reduced point size. —Melodee Siegel Kornacker ’60

I LOVE the magazine. I had always read it, but this format helps it reach a whole new level of excellence. And I’m 75 years old—so please don’t think that the more zippy look will appeal only to millennials. The content has a great balance in length and subject matter, and I guess more than anything else, the magazine seems to reflect so much of what is unique about Bryn Mawr. —Marilou Hyson, Ph.D. ’79

I was once upon a time 
an assistant editor, 
photographer, columnist, and chief bottle washer for the Bulletin, along with editor Skip Mason. Curmudgeonly me took an immediate dislike to the new publication. Not to speak too freely on behalf of Skip, 
but she-who-loved-the-
layout is probably spinning in her grave. My first impression was that it was a clothing catalog. Once I realized that it was our magazine, I took it out of the trash and really looked at it.

So these are the things I like: The photographs and 
creative use of a graph on SGA and font sizes. The variety of layout and articles make it interesting and readable. The size means I can throw 
it in my purse to read.

What I don’t like: The front looks like a catalog or admissions piece. The size means I almost threw it out as junk mail and not a magazine. The articles are very short. 
I used to love sitting back and reading in-depth pieces. Less large photographs, 
more text! —Libby White ’80

Just beautiful. I am sitting here at my desk with little sparkling tears in the corners of my eyes. What more to say than this is just a stunning publication? The new Bulletin is 100 percent a beautiful testament to Mawrter history, diversity, and futurity, and it was just what I needed. —
Lee Wacker ’12

Fresh and bright and so new. BMC leads the way again. —Juliet Goodfriend ’63

Although I like the compact size of the new Bulletin, the tiny type is very taxing for my aging eyes! It’s as if you took the old version and simply shrank it, shrank everything, including the typeface. Sadly and frustratingly, I find it really hard to read. —Elizabeth Roueché Krijgsman ’66

Wow! The new Alumnae Bulletin is absolutely 
smashing. It’s elegant, easy on the eye, and inviting—just draws readers into the always-interesting material inside. Fabulous job: kudos!
—Sue Halpern Bryant ’53

I liked the older version just fine. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! —Nancy White ’60

I love the new Bulletin. 
The new size makes it easy for me to put it in my purse so I can read it on my 
commute to class. I also think the new design and format give it a fresh and exciting look, highlighting both the intellect (it looks like a sociology journal subscription) and creativity of the Bryn Mawr student. Thank you for making me look forward to checking 
my mail for once! —Jomaira Salas Pujols ’13

I do find the new Bulletin both good-looking and interesting. I’m sorry I missed the first issue; perhaps as as Libby White ’80 suggested I threw it out as a catalog? Two suggestions:

1. I’m sure there probably exists already software which could highlight and count in an entire issue the references to what various alumnae gained by having gone to a women’s college; once this has been done, I suggest that the editor limit the number of such statements in a given issue. We all, in one way or another, have profited greatly from attending a women’s college, but the repeated statement becomes irritating after a while. It’s great to read about the outcome, the interesting and worthwhile things fellow Mawrtyrs have done, but drip …drip … drip …

2. I no longer have a pica ruler, but a rough line count indicates that Class Notes and the obituaries at the end of that section are in approximately the same font with approximately the same leading. The wider column of the obits is much easier for this elderly alumna to read with her elderly eyesight! —Chris Fischer Lilly '55