October 16, 2026 at 12:00:00 PM
Siyuan Wan ’27
Mercersburg Academy’s policies are intended to promote order, encourage student responsibility, and create a safe learning environment. Yet students arrived on campus to find brand-new school rules and enforcement policies that now face scrutiny and have become the center of debate. Some of the rules seem to contradict the very goals they strive to achieve. From phone restrictions to the dress policy and dorm visitation, the gap between written regulations and everyday school life raises an important question: Are the school’s policies actually serving students, or are they merely complicating their lives?
The school’s current phone policy offers the clearest example. According to the Blue Book, students must keep their phones “out of sight and silent.” They cannot carry phones in their clothing pockets; violations will result in disciplinary action or logs. At the same time, students must have their phones readily accessible throughout the school day. Therefore, leaving a phone in the dorm, even unintentionally, can go against the handbook.
The school justifies this requirement through the campus use of Informacast, an emergency notification system intended to protect the community during potential threats to campus safety. However, the policy simultaneously restricts students’ access to their phones while requiring them to be constantly within reach. Even teachers, coaches, and other faculty members sometimes expect students to respond promptly to digital messages, despite the restrictions. The new regulations erase much of the school's recent efforts at modernization and digitalization, from the FLIK dining service’s QR codes to the school’s increased reliance on Google calendars. Mercersburg seems to want a coin to land on both sides at once: one side limiting student phone use and the other benefiting from having access to students and their whereabouts at all times.
Similar inconsistencies appear in the school’s dress code changes. Mercersburg presents itself as a close-knit community where students form meaningful relationships beyond the classroom. Its promotional materials frequently depict students wearing Mercersburg-branded T-shirts and hoodies, yet the dress policy restricts much of this clothing to designated casual-dress days. During days that require more formal attire, students are asked to keep in mind the oxymoron: business casual. The school encourages students to take pride in community belonging, but their opportunities to express that identity through everyday clothing remain limited.
However, the larger problem lies in the Blue Book itself; some written rules are so restrictive or ambiguous that their enforcement varies among faculty members. For instance, the Blue Book explicitly limits opposite-gender dorm visitation to 8-10:30 pm on Friday and Saturday evenings, but the stated policy provides no similar guidance for same-gender visits. Despite this ambiguity, students have reportedly received disciplinary logs for violating visitation expectations that are not clearly explained.
This inconsistency creates an unfair situation for both students and teachers. Students may face consequences for behavior that other faculty members routinely permit, while teachers who faithfully enforce written rules risk being perceived as unnecessarily strict. The problem is not necessarily individual enforcement, but the lack of clarity in the rules themselves.
When questioned about inconsistencies, the school may characterize the Blue Book as a set of guidelines as opposed to absolute rules, but guidelines should not become rigid standards only when convenient. If students can be punished for violating a rule, the school should clearly communicate all expectations and exceptions.
Ultimately, Mercersburg is a college-preparatory institution. Its purpose extends beyond academic achievement to helping students develop independence, judgment, and responsibility. School policies should reflect that mission. Rather than merely teaching students to avoid their phones, the school should help them develop healthy technology habits they can carry into college and beyond. Likewise, the Blue Book should reflect the rules actually enforced in school life, with ambiguities clarified and exceptions explicitly stated. Rules are necessary for any school community, but their effectiveness depends on clarity and consistency.