
Whether returning home or embarking on a new adventure, students cherish breaks as an opportunity for rest and rejuvenation. Students look forward to time away from school where they spend much of their daily lives and much effort grueling over work. At Mercersburg Academy, winter break officially begins at noon. However, differences in campus departure times are inevitable as students rush to catch flights, especially in a school with a diverse, international and domestic population. To accommodate individual needs, Mercersburg has permitted international students to leave early if needed to catch flights home.
Tiana Lee ’25, who travels 15-hours to journey back to South Korea, explains, “There aren’t specific rules, but I usually leave early in the morning. This means missing some classes, but I fill out the necessary requests, and my teachers are understanding.”
It’s no surprise that not every student can adhere to the set departure time. Flights can be expensive, important family matters can arise, and airports have limited departure times. Just before the recent winter break, several students who had petitioned to leave school early reported receiving communication from the Office of Student Life (OSL) stating that their circumstances did not meet the criteria for missing required commitments, resulting in behavior points.
Elizabeth Orders ’25 was one of the students who received a notification. “I received an email asking me to stop by the Office of Student Life to discuss my leave request. My travel form had been submitted weeks before, and my plane tickets and travel plans were established well in advance,” Orders explained. She petitioned to leave early on Thursday morning because there was only one flight to Steamboat, CO, where she would be staying with her family. “I was told I would receive five points for the two classes I was missing. I proposed spending the night in Mercersburg to OSL but was told that wasn’t possible.” She was informed that this option was only available to international students, who were permitted to leave early anyway. Despite Orders’ efforts to find a middle ground, she was unable to reach a solution.
Orders was not the only student suddenly faced with behavior points. Sarah Ali ’25 needed to leave campus a week early to meet religious obligations. Both Ali and her family assumed there would be no major consequences for her departure, given the nature of her request. However, Ali was informed by OSL that she would receive upwards of 90 behavior points for her absences.
Ali, when reflecting on her experience, explained that she understood the need for the school to assess each case. “Every situation is different, and my reason was for religious reasons, so the school can’t really say no to things like that. I’m sure if it was for any other reason, the school likely wouldn’t have approved such a request. I think it just depends on the situation and how viable the reason is,” Ali noted.
Luntu Radebe ’25 found herself trying to return to South Africa on an early flight, explaining that her mother had booked the most affordable flight as soon as the school schedule was released. Radebe notified the school a month in advance but was still penalized. “What’s the point of filling out the petition to miss required appointments if none of them will be approved?” Radebe asked. Additionally, she was surprised to learn that the petitions were not sent to her teachers but were reviewed solely by the Office of Student Life. This seemed pointless to her, as she believed teachers should be the first to be notified.
These recent situations have raised questions about the flexibility and fairness of Mercersburg’s leave policies. While the school understandably seeks to maintain order and accountability, the recent point allotments have made students feel that the rigidity of the policy does not always account for individual circumstances.
In defense of the policy, Andy Brown, Dean of Students for Community Life, emphasized the importance of maintaining consistency in expectations. "Our community expectation is that students are in class while school is in session," Brown stated. However, students like Radebe and Orders highlight the disconnect between the system’s intent and its perceived impact. Radebe’s frustration with the approval process and Orders’ failed attempts to compromise suggest a lack of flexibility and communication in addressing valid individual needs.
Brown told the News that the purpose of the behavior feedback system is "to document and track patterns, not to focus on points and totals, but to provide support and guidance so expectations can be met by all." Many students believe this purpose is not effectively communicated or realized in practice. Students like Radebe and Orders found themselves penalized despite making proactive efforts to follow protocol.
While the Office of Student Life is working to bring consistency to student departures from campus and eliminate the likelihood of students missing classes, it seems that the recent policy shift conflicted with the annual timing of student and family planning.