On Friday, September 21, joy and excitement filled Harris House as Prep and Senior girls gathered for the annual Prep Senior Tea, hosted by Bluestockings. As the girls sipped tea and snacked on cookies and donuts, they answered discussion-starter questions and shared experiences.

Bluestockings is a club that promotes feminism and inclusion in the community. Although the club is focused on issues relating to women, all community members are welcome to attend club meetings. The term ‘bluestocking’ was used in the late 1700’s to refer to educated and intellectual women. The Blue Stockings Society acted as an informal women’s movement in England that promoted female education and literacy in the 18th century.

Bluestockings hosts a variety of events throughout the year focused on intersectionality and feminism. Their meetings include discussions about themes or current events that specifically pertain to women. Each month, they feature a female faculty or staff member as “Bluestockings’ Woman of the Month” and distribute posters to highlight the achievements of that community member. The Prep Senior tea is Bluestockings’ first event of the year and has been a tradition for over a decade.

During the event, the Prep and Senior girls mingled and got a chance to get to know each other. Approximately 60 girls attended the event. Amelia Berlandi ’19, a Senior who attended, said, “It’s very reassuring, since the first few weeks are kind of stressful, letting [Preps] know that everything is going to be fine and that there are small things at Hotchkiss that you can find to bring you joy.”

Bluestockings plans to start a “big sister-little sister” program between Preps and Seniors so that the two grades can spend more time together. The club’s commitment to connecting girls in different grades allows for wisdom and experience to be shared. Nia Warren ’19, one of the heads of Bluestockings, said, “It’s a nice way…for Prep girls to get some advice from people who have gone through [experiences like theirs]. There [are many] things that only girls will [experience] here, and it’s helpful to hear from other girls what it’s like.”