On October 13, 2026, Mercersburg held its third annual Founder’s Day. The day commemorates the school’s founder, William Mann Irvine, in a series of grade-based student competitions including trivia, lip sync, relay races, and the highly anticipated tug-of-war.
Head of School Quentin McDowell explained the design behind the new tradition: “Founder’s Day meaningfully connects our current students with alumni, parents, and friends of Mercersburg that have contributed to building the school we enjoy today. It also helps inspire students to consider how they can—when someday called upon—support causes that are important to them.”
The afternoon competition draws inspiration from the Field Days once organized by Irvine but reimagines the tradition through competition between different classes to generate broader student involvement.
This year, Founder’s Day featured important changes. Student leaders introduced new competitions and expanded the awards to include a second place award and the Spirit Award. Dean of Students for Community Life Andy Brown explained, “The additions were intended to help keep everyone motivated throughout the whole competition,” as well as “[to] emphasize sportsmanship as competition intensified.”
Student Body President Finn Mauro ’27, who helped plan the event, noted that finding balance was one of the challenges organizers faced. “We had to find athletic events that people could do, but also for people who aren’t as athletic and that will engage everyone in the community,” he said, adding that the new awards were intended to give every grade something to compete for.
Ultimately, the Class of 2030 took the Spirit Award, the Class of 2029 finished in second place, and the Class of 2027 snatched the coveted belt.
A fan-favorite event, lip sync, returned to headline Founder’s Day. The performances did not disappoint. Chase Ruch ’28 identified Kellen Greene ’28’s backflip as his favorite moment. Jerry Sun ’27, whose electrifying dance moves impressed a panel of judges, noted that his class performance was no overnight success. “We spent Sunday and Monday night practicing for more than two hours. We also worked with Paris Zhang [’27] and Jillian Remeikas [’27], who really helped us organize and choreograph the entire dance. Overall, it was the result of a collective effort,” he said.
The afternoon’s events culminated in a tug-of-war among the grades. Chelsea Shaver ’27, who served as “the anchor for the [senior] girls,” said her favorite moment was when her team regained momentum from a losing position and won against the class of 2028.
For many, school pride was a highlight of the event. Pedro Magalhães ’30 said, “Even though we are separated by grades, it’s nice to see how we can still come together and have a fun day.”
Nicholas Zhou ’29 embraced the competitive side of the day. “I’m looking forward to beating the senior class and having a wonderful time with my peers,” he said before the competition. Though the class of 2029 did not achieve that goal, they finished as runners-up, a marked improvement over their last-place finish last year.
The experience of Founder’s Day differed depending on where each class stood in its Mercersburg journey. Grade Dean JD Bennett described the ninth grade’s experience as one of “discovery,” something “fresh.” Senior Grade Dean Tim Kerr encouraged his students to make the most of their final experience: “It’s just trying to squeeze out all the juice from every event that we’ve been doing, because it’s the last time that we’ll do that here.”
As Founders Day becomes a formal tradition, it may continue to evolve. McDowell noted that though he hopes it remains a day of reflection and competition, he believes “natural evolution is important.” Brown similarly hopes the event stays “student-centered and student-designed,” allowing future generations to continue shaping what has already become a celebration of Mercersburg culture.