Threads of tradition

School traditions are one of the best parts of being in a community like Mercersburg Academy. They build a sense of culture that stretches across generations, connecting people who may never have met but still share common memories. That's what makes traditions so special: someone who graduated years before can talk about an experience you're still having today, and somehow you both understand the same feeling. For example, many alumni donate money to their society during our phonathons, tune into the live stream, or follow the score on Instagram during Irving Marshall Week to watch and support their society. Without traditions, how would we create that kind of shared identity? How would we form those memories that tie us to our school and to each other?

Here at Mercersburg Academy, we’re lucky to have so many traditions, all completely different from one another yet bringing the same rush of excitement to campus every year. The fall term is especially packed with them. Convocation, Head of School McDowell’s first term talk, the opening school dance in the Fishbowl, the bonfire, step songs – these moments are what we look forward to as we return from summer break. Traditions give us something to look forward to, but they also provide us with something even more meaningful: shared joy. It’s never just about what we are doing; it's about who we're doing it with. The memories we make during these traditions stay with us because we experience them together. 

It is a positive thing that long-lasting traditions evolve to stay natural and relevant for each generation. For example, when my mom, Geraldine Gardner ’96 P’27, was at Mercersburg Academy, the Boxer Bikini Run wasn’t actually allowed. She told me, “The Boxer Bikini Run wasn’t sanctioned; in fact, all of my friends and I had to do a lot of guard for participating.” Over time, as more and more classes of seniors took part, despite the rules, the tradition slowly shifted. Eventually, it became an event that the school recognized rather than penalized. Today, the Boxer Bikini Run exists because generations before us pushed the boundaries and shaped it as we know it. This is just one example of the ways that Mercersburg’s traditions grow and adapt. If traditions never change, they become outdated or lose relevance, and once that happens, they risk fading away.

With change comes the question of rules and supervision. Should traditions that started as rebellious moments now be facilitated or structured by adults? Personally, I believe the evolution of traditions should be gradual. Many of our traditions are student-led, and that's part of their excitement. If the school were to suddenly add strict rules or require heavy faculty supervision, it might take away the fun that makes the traditions enjoyable in the first place. A sudden shift like that could dampen student excitement, something our long-standing traditions really can't afford.

Traditions thrive when we, as students, take ownership of them and allow change to happen naturally over time. Mercersburg’s traditions work because they bring us together, connect us with the past, and help shape the memories and relationships we’ll carry long after we graduate. And as long as we continue to honor them while letting them evolve, they’ll keep doing so for future generations.

*In fact, around 2007, the whole student body participated in the Boxer Bikini Run