< Back Project Fail Mary September 9, 2022 at 6:00:00 AM Kevin Hang '24 It’s a summer evening, and I’ve just finished about three hours of playing video games after waking up. I decided, “Hey, since it’s two days away from school starting, I should maybe start reading the community read.” I looked at the front page. It’s Andy Weir. I think I know this guy from somewhere, but I’m not sure from where; maybe I’ll enjoy this book. Oh, how severely mistaken I was. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am now using it to prop my computer up to eye level. My disdain for this book, however, I feel isn’t necessarily unwarranted, as I’ve spoken to a few other people who largely share the same sentiment. Project Hail Mary started off fairly interestingly. An astronaut slowly discovers that he is in a spaceship alone, using only deductive reasoning and his memory. Wait a minute, a spaceman alone in space? Hey, that sounds familiar… Anyway, after realizing that his dead crewmates were Russian and Chinese respectively, my stomach churned. “Oh, it’s one of those books,” I said aloud. It’s one of those, American man saves the space day books. Cool! For a school that flaunts its internationalism, it’s strange to be assigned such an American centric book - one that stereotypes its Russian astronaut as a drunk and an addict, while also stereotyping its Chinese astronaut as a stoic, non-speaking commander, both caricatures of their motherlands. Thank god for the academically disgraced American underdog who swoops in after his international crewmates lay shriveled up and useless. The grade specific summer readings didn’t spare us from the idealized, glorious America, either. 10th-grader Taimur Rehman shared his opinion on the 10th grade book, Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card , “I’m not a big fan of it’s over dramatization of parts of the immigrant struggle, but mainly I don’t like it’s wording; it seems like it’s trying to appeal to the reader almost too much.” The book is a pretty broad generalization of tens of millions of people and is also just an overdramatization of immigrant issues in America. Finally my main gripe with Project Hail Mary also applies to this book, the issue being that it places America on a pedestal while demonizing other countries. While Unbroken , the 11th grade summer reading book, was a gruesome story about the reality of wartime, it still managed to push in the pompous gospel of Christianity. While my main issue with the summer reading books is the fact that they all amplified the extremely flawed glory of America, Project Hail Mary , the book itself also sucked. It was entirely too wordy, downright boring at times, and just felt like another fan-fiction that Andy Weir wanted to write for himself. Andy Weir? More like Andy Weird. Previous Next

< Back Bake my Monday better November 8, 2024 at 12:00:00 PM Matthew Orders '28 Dessert is my favorite part of a meal. It genuinely brings a lot of joy to my day, and that is why during every sit-down lunch at Mercersburg, I wonder what the dessert for the day will be. Most of the time, my question is quickly answered. But on Mondays, I have to grapple with the heartbreaking realization that there will not be any treats at the end of the meal. This has to change. People should not have to have the same saddening realization I do during lunch. Dessert should be provided even if it is unhealthy. Mondays are generally bad days of the week. You have the most time left until the weekend, and you are required to go to Monday night dinner. Why make the day even harder for students and faculty by depriving us of our sweet treat and starting the week off on a bad note? Dessert is proven to give you more energy and to make you more happy; these are things that many people need in the middle of a school day. When I go to lunch and eat a brownie or two, I feel much more ready and excited to go through the rest of the day—a day consisting of two more classes, a PGA, Monday night dinner, and study hours. It is especially important that teachers and students get this energy. After all, we are the people that need it the most. A high school is a place where we are supposed to be more free and independent than ever before, but dessertless lunch is not the way for the school to reinforce our freedoms. Instead of being treated like capable people, our school is babying us by making decisions about our diets on our behalf. While it could be argued that dessert is unhealthy and that limiting it from students and faculty will be a healthier alternative than not, this is not a good way to make the menu healthier, especially since only taking dessert away from one meal a week is not going to do anything. An alternative option would be to have desserts on Monday, and instead of completely taking them away, help people make healthier choices. Rather than having a sad and tired school after lunch on Monday due to a lack of dessert, why don't we offer fresh fruit or healthier alternatives? Nothing brings people together like food. Many important decisions or meetings happen over a good meal or snack, so why should we be deprived of having this way to connect? Dessert is a tool for energy, happiness, and bonding, and an essential part of any meal, so why shouldn't we have dessert at lunch on Mondays? The answer is clear: we should have a sweeter Monday. Previous Next

< Back Course Remorse September 16, 2022 at 6:00:00 PM Norah Copenhaver '24 Whether you are a returning student or a new student, you may have experienced stress and confusion when selecting your classes prior to an upcoming school year. The school often makes it seem like every student has control in choosing their classes to meet their own expectations and academic level. Despite this, you may have realized that this isn’t usually the case. Personally, in past years, I've found myself bored and restless in classes because I wasn't allowed the opportunity to choose my own academic path. When I attempted to select my courses, I was often met with an email along the lines of, “After discussing with your teacher, we don’t believe this class is right for you,” referring to my wish to take an honors or advanced studies course. At Mercersburg, we are encouraged to do our best and strive for greatness, but at the same time the school makes students feel like they aren’t aware of their own academic limits and capabilities. The notion that other people know more about what’s best for your academic load seems to take away from the individuality that’s celebrated at Mercersburg. Despite being a returning student, I know it can be difficult for new and transfer students, too. Coming in as an upper-middler, let's say you may have taken many APs at your previous school, but you are rejected or discouraged from taking honors or advanced studies courses. This makes it harder to demonstrate academic growth on your transcript across a transfer in schools. You may fight for your choice in classes and send a million emails back and forth, but many new students don’t know of that option. Course selections shouldn’t come down to battles over email with the Academic Office. I understand that the faculty and administration mean well and want to set students up for success in their classes. Obviously a tenth grader who barely passed geometry should not take honors precalculus. However, at the end of the day, the Academic Office should not have the final say in deciding someone's potential in a subject. Students, new and old, should be trusted to judge their own academic ability with minimal interference from the school administration. Previous Next

< Back Travel un-graded October 31, 2025 at 12:00:00 PM William Shen ’27 What if your one chance to explore the world with Mercersburg comes... at the wrong time? That’s the reality for many sophomores and seniors at our school. While everyone will be in eleventh grade at some point, students who are otherwise eligible and eager cannot participate in the summer global travel programs simply because they are not juniors. Travel programs are probably one of the most exciting and mission-aligned opportunities Mercersburg Academy offers. Whether it’s studying classics in Sicily, learning about marine life in the Bahamas, or having the time of your life whale-watching in Monterey Bay, travel opportunities provide students with the hands-on, worldview-expanding education that most people only dream about. However, Mercersburg’s summer programs are currently open only to juniors. The logic behind that decision may seem reasonable, but the policy could benefit from more flexibility. While permitting students to go on multiple trips would be impractical, a middle ground to provide flexibility is possible: allowing sophomores and seniors to apply but keeping the “one trip per student” rule. That way, the school would not face overburdening financial strains, the experience could remain exclusive and meaningful, and more students could find the right window in their Mercersburg career to participate. After all, not every student’s timeline looks the same. As juniors, some may have full summer schedules, family obligations, or financial reasons that make travel impossible in that specific year. Others may only come to Mercersburg as seniors, missing earlier chances. If travel ought to be rare and rewarding, why limit an opportunity so memorable and impactful? The idea that sophomores are “too young” doesn’t hold up. Many are already 16, meeting the age requirement for Flock travel grants; they could go through the same application process, write the essays under the same prompt, and receive the same pre-trip guidance as juniors do. Maturity, although rational in this way, should not be bound rigidly to grade level, and in fact, younger students may have even more time post-trip to bring their experiences back to campus and apply them in school life. And as for seniors, it’s possible to grow into this kind of opportunity later in their high school journey. Just because they missed the trip in 11th grade doesn’t mean they’re less deserving in 12th. In fact, seniors who have already navigated college apps and upper-level coursework may approach the experience with deeper reflection and appreciation than some juniors. Additionally, including multiple grades would better reflect the real world, where people work and collaborate across age groups and experiences. While the program may provide 11th graders more opportunities and incentives to bond within their class, including sophomores and seniors wouldn't take away from that. Instead, it would open the door to more inter-grade connections, something just as valuable. One of Mercersburg Academy’s core strengths is our tight-knit and diverse community, so why shouldn’t we incorporate it into the travel experience? I believe in the value of these programs. I believe they create global citizens and challenge students in ways classrooms don’t. But, I also believe they should be more accessible, not just by virtue of financial aid or application but by eligibility. Yes, just one summer trip per student – but let’s give more students the chance to make it count on their timetable. Previous Next

< Back Don't tik away free speech January 24, 2025 at 12:00:00 PM Lilah Weisberg ‘25 TikTok is as much of a threat to the average user as a papercut. In the aftermath of the recent US Supreme Court decision to support the TikTok ban, many are questioning the rationale behind it. Although TikTok has, ironically, already returned to the public square, the supposed problem has not been addressed. The fact that the US government was willing to ruin the lives of millions of small businesses and creators over false narratives warped by Congress reveals a much bigger issue in US politics. One narrative used to justify the ban is that TikTok poses a “national security threat.” The argument is that the Chinese-owned app collects personal information from US citizens. However, legal experts not affiliated with the US government have debunked claims about the types of information TikTok can access. They have found that it can access only very basic information from users, such as names, email addresses, and sometimes locations. Thus, the “threat” is exaggerated and propagated by the US government to push its agenda. So, if access to personal data isn’t the true concern, what is the real reason that the app is banned? FBI director Christopher Wray stated in direct reference to TikTok: “The FBI is very focused on the threat of disinformation, especially from foreign adversaries trying to use social media as a tool to influence our democracy, influence our elections, and sow discord.” This may sound like a reasonable concern, but the US government has no authority to restrict online activity to reduce the sway of politics. This is censorship! It is simply an excuse to consolidate more wealth in the hands of the wealthy, powerful American billionaire CEOs of other social media companies by forcing the partial sale of TikTok to American investors.. The idea that TikTok is a useless app is another narrative propagated by politicians. The fact is that TikTok allows businesses and creators to build their own platforms and thrive. With over 170 million monthly users in the US alone, the app creates the perfect opportunity for small businesses to advertise and sell their products. A study from Oxford Economics estimated that the 7 million American small businesses on TikTok generated 15 billion dollars of revenue and contributed more than 24 billion dollars to the US GDP in 2023 alone. The proposed ban would hurt millions of people by putting their livelihoods in jeopardy. In addition to the clear negative impacts that banning TikTok will have on millions of people and businesses, TikTok is also a sentimental app for millions of teenagers. Psychologists, parents, and teachers have said that social media is bad for teenagers and has various negative impacts eclipsing the pleasure from scrolling through mindless videos. What they don’t seem to understand is that social media contains our diaries, connections, and an escape from the dystopian world we are now living in. We are able to escape the idiocracy that is US politics, the pressure that is school and grades, and the fatigue that comes with being a teenager in the 21st century. Through sharing a few laughs or edits or encouraging videos, TikTok has become more than just an app to us. This unprecedented act of censorship puts in jeopardy the freedoms we were promised at the founding of the country. And with the Soviet-adjacent political atmosphere our country is approaching, freedom seems farther from reach than ever. Previous Next

< Back Opinion on Opinion January 23, 2026 at 12:00:00 PM William Shen ’27 At four in the afternoon, I suddenly realized in fear that I had an opinion piece for the Mercersburg News due the next night. With no topic in mind, what was I supposed to write about? An opinion article about opinion articles, of course. Of all the pages in the newspaper, the category that interested me the most is the Opinion page. Traditional journalism emphasizes neutrality, suspending judgment, and a version of the truth as objective as possible, but not necessarily the Opinion section. Opinions are everywhere. We read them in newspapers, hear them in classrooms, and scroll through them online. Often, they provoke a brief reaction: agreement, disagreement, maybe even rage or frustration—before we move on. In a community like ours, however, opinion writing should serve a greater purpose. These pieces matter not because they divide us, but because they have the power to spark conversations that actually lead somewhere. Too often, readers decide whether they agree or disagree with an opinion and stop there. This approach renders opinion writing a static position rather than a dynamic exchange, since disagreement alone does not promote understanding, and stances without reflection rarely lead to growth. It is true that in conversations, such as the example of civil discourse presented by the Civics Student Advisory Board during the school meeting, meaningful conclusions can be drawn from a multiplicity of opinions; an opinion page seldom achieves that effect, since the reader is always on the receiving end. Meaningful opinion writing should invite readers to think more deeply, not just about issues at hand, but about their own assumptions. It should encourage dialogue, whether that be conversations among students, discussions in classrooms, or reconsideration of one's own long-held beliefs. Of course, not every opinion can or should inspire immediate action, but every opinion should leave its audience with something they can think about and work with, a different understanding, a new angle. The responsibility does not rest solely with the writer either. Readers, too, must be willing to engage with opinions thoughtfully rather than consuming them passively. While opinion writing does not offer a solution or an outline for change, it should prompt the readers to pause and question. After all, even small shifts in perspective can lead to meaningful change in a school community. I did not always believe in the power of opinion writing: when I wrote my first opinion on the school’s Global Programs and how a greater portion of the student body should be made eligible. I had a follow-up with Ms. Parsons, where I learned about the complexities behind the difficulty of expansions. I thought that was the end of the story, until two months later, in a conversation, Ms. Parsons told me that there is a possibility to extend the travel opportunities to sophomores, and she is working toward it. While no immediate policy change has yet occurred, the opinion opened a dialogue, one that continued beyond the page and into real consideration. If we treat opinion writing as a starting point rather than a conclusion, it can become one of the most powerful changemaking tools in our community. Opinions should not simply fill space on a page; they should challenge us to listen, reflect, and move forward, together. Previous Next

< Back Feelin’ the burn December 13, 2023 at 12:00:00 PM Solie Stenger ‘25 In the intense world of competitive youth athletics, where dreams are pursued with passion and aspirations soar high, a dark cloud looms over the playing field: burnout. The quest for excellence and pressure from both parents and peers, paired with relentless training regimens, has created a noticeable trend that threatens the very essence of competitive youth sports. The first question we must ask is about what “burnout” really is. Burnout can be defined as “a negative psychological and physical state in which young athletes feel tired, less able to perform well, and less interested in playing their sports.” Experts say that two main factors cause burnout: overstress and overtraining. Overstress, rooted in the mental aspects of youth athletics, stands as a primary factor in this phenomenon. While physical training often takes the spotlight in discussions about young athletes, the significant mental pressure they face is frequently overlooked. Youth engaged in sports often strive to earn approval from parents, coaches, family, and teammates, creating an immense amount of pressure, even for young children. Additionally, athletes must also juggle academic responsibilities with their athletic pursuits, requiring effective time management. Especially at institutions like Mercersburg Academy, where intense academic rigor is present, putting the “student” before the “athlete” can be extremely difficult. However, despite the mental challenges, research indicates that athletes often experience improved grades during the season, attributed to enhanced time management skills. According to NATA, student-athletes can perform up to 40% higher in overall test performance. So, while the mental toll of sports is formidable, the potential for valuable life lessons and benefits is significant, if students can learn to manage the stress associated with the sport. Athletic burnout is also physical as much as mental. The overuse of certain muscles and body parts can cause significant damage and have long-lasting impacts on developing bodies. Many researchers have found that if an athlete plays one sport for too long without taking adequate time off, then not only will it hurt them physically, but it will damage their belief in and love for the sport. Dr. Richards, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in athletes, supports this view. He told me, “Athletes often get injured for not taking time off: for example, little league pitchers and baseball players come into my office all the time with a case of something we call ‘little league elbow.’ This is a bad strain from throwing repetitively, never taking time off, and never using other muscles. I will tell parents he can't throw again for two months if they want it to get better. If the child keeps pitching, it will only worsen.” This proves that overuse injuries are real and athletic burnout isn't simply all mental or even a “dislove” for the sport. Some children just become overworked after years and years of non-stop practice. Now that an overview of why youth athletes become so burnt out is evident, it's important to be able to identify some preventative practices. Contrary to most people's beliefs, the answer is not to press your child to quit sports or completely give up. Rather it is the opposite, as countless studies have proven that being multisport athletes benefits children both mentally and physically. It also prevents overuse injuries. Richards stated, “Encouraging participation in various sports is good: for instance, advising a baseball player to stop throwing for three months not only helps physical recovery but prevents mental burnout. Overuse injuries are the things I see most in baseball and running, often leading to stress fractures, as I’ve seen at Shippensburg University. Cross-training, involving activities like stationary biking and water jogging, is an effective solution, relieving pressure on bones and injuries.” On the mental side of things, being able to take time off a “main sport,” and moving to one with less pressure is great for the mind. The best parts about cross-training are that it works different muscles, children learn to become coachable, and they obtain body control year-round. Bo Jackson is a testament to this belief: he was a star outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) while he simultaneously pursued a career in the National Football League (NFL) as a running back. Jackson shows that the benefits of playing more than one sport are visible at all levels. To further mitigate the problem, parents, faculty, and coaches must recognize the symptoms of burnout, including fatigue, lack of effort, or just growing dislike for the sport. In such an instance, let the child try another sport for a while to see if they will eventually come back with a more positive and brighter outlook. Taking a hiatus does not mean completely “dropping the ball”; it is the best course of action and has been proven by many sources as well as doctors, such as Dr Richards. Being a multisport athlete is a great solution to helping stay healthy both mentally and physically. It keeps young athletes alert, engaged, and quite literally on their toes. Overall, the issue of youth athletic burnout demands our attention and concerted effort. As we watch the passion of the younger generation on playing fields, it becomes increasingly clear that a rethinking of priorities is essential. The search for excellence should not come at the cost of physical and emotional well-being. However, both can be prevented if recognized quickly and treated appropriately with care. It is imperative for parents, coaches, and sports organizations to recognize the signs of burnout, and to create an environment that encourages fun as well as peak performance. By embracing a flexible approach, balancing competition with rest, and nurturing the love for the game, the path can be paved for a sustainable and positive athletic journey for our youth. Previous Next

< Back DEI-ing for change April 25, 2025 at 12:00:00 PM Lilah Weisberg '25 Donald Trump and his administration have issued multiple warnings to educational institutions that their federal funding will be frozen if they refuse to dissolve their DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs. This is a major threat to public schools that rely on the federal government for funding school lunches, teacher salaries, school supplies, and other general necessities. These schools, specifically those without enough resources, do not have the luxury to decline his demands. As a result, DEI programs everywhere are being slashed. Although it may not seem like a threat to many people, they fail to understand the crucial nature of DEI. DEI is a broadly defined organizational concept that strives to promote inclusivity of all people within institutions. These programs, within schools specifically, deal with ensuring schools are a safe space for all students by minimizing antisemitism, racism, sexism, homophobia, and more. Discriminatory rhetoric and actions have been present in schools since their founding. Furthermore, integrated schools are a relatively new concept for the US, and many minority groups continue to face microaggressions and even hate from their peers and teachers in schools they are required to attend. This is why DEI exists. Faculty who run DEI programs have the task of bringing misunderstanding and hate to light so they aren’t swept under the rug, as so often has been the case historically. Public institutions are not the only ones that face a threat from Trump’s new policies. News outlets have reported that 2.2 billion dollars in multi-year grants to Harvard University will be frozen because it rejected the administration’s demands to capitulate to its executive orders. Trump’s antisemitism task force recently sent Harvard a letter that demanded it cooperate with many policies, including strict bans on face masks, cooperation with ICE, and dissolution of DEI programs. Besides the fact that none of these demands has anything to do with preventing antisemitism, these initiatives are simply Trump’s sorry attempt at attacking a prestigious and renowned institution for its willingness to ensure that all people feel welcome and confident to pursue an elite education regardless of their identities. The alternative demands that Trump’s administration hid in their letter to Harvard prove that the effort is not just about DEI, but it is also about pushing his agenda. DEI programs in universities are meant to ensure that all students have the ability to learn and thrive. Harvard is lucky enough to have the resources to decline the government’s outrageous demands, but smaller private institutions—including Mercersburg Academy—may not have this luxury. As these attacks on minorities continue throughout institutions all over the country, Trump’s feckless cabinet members are issuing statements, such as that from Craig Trainor, the Department of Education’s assistant secretary for civil rights: “Federal financial assistance is a privilege, not a right.” Funding that provides schools with the ability to feed their students and pay their teachers is a right, yet Trump’s administration is treating such funding like a child’s Halloween candy. Citizens must understand that prioritizing diversity is not a threat to majority groups. Diversity is the very thing that makes this country great. The Olympics are a perfect example of how people of all different backgrounds and races come together to compete for one common entity: the USA. What does it say when a president manipulates his power to dismantle the very institutions that define our country? Previous Next

< Back Religious contempt October 6, 2023 at 12:00:00 PM Max Friedman '25 In the classroom and around campus, religion is often addressed in a condescending, disdainful manner. On one hand, Mercersburg does a phenomenal job of providing religious students with the resources required to practice in their faith traditions, and the school goes out of its way to ensure that students can attend services for major holidays, adhere to religious diets, and be openly religious in the community. If a student desires to worship off campus, they can request and receive transportation provided by the school, or they can have special religious dinners prepared for them by the dining hall. In larger community-wide religious events, like Ramadan, the school goes out of its way to facilitate the needs of each individual independent of their practices. However, in the academic setting, religious students often feel patronized when their religions are brought up in class or by peers. In the school’s secular, left-leaning environment, religion is often viewed and treated as a historical artifact, rather than an actual vibrant presence on campus. From my experience, I’ve seen religion cast as repressive, malignant, and freedom-denying, while on most occasions, it isn’t. In history classes, students are taught origins of religions that often directly contradict sacred scriptures, and rarely are theological origins presented alongside these secular beliefs. While my intention is not to say that we should be hosting Bible or Torah study, it is known that much of Enlightenment philosophy and many of the governmental and political systems of our day were influenced by religions. From my experience in MAPS, where philosophy is discussed and dissected, religion has often been considered as a sort of antichrist to the progressive stance taken on the readings. All around campus, we inadvertently ignore the upsides and benefits that religion has brought to society, and we instead define religion solely by its most extreme parts. Students of all religions are subject to uncomfortable situations where peers ridicule their religious beliefs, be it directly, through jokes or through subtle but hurtful comments by both teachers and students about how dated and useless religion may be. If the opposite occurred, where a religious student criticized a secular student for their beliefs, it would be considered bullying. We have a stigma against religion as a school, and religious students are subject to a social double standard, almost as if their beliefs are viewed as being baseless and unjustified, somehow making them less important. Religion is a personal part of an individual’s identity. We shouldn’t stigmatize religious practice, but rather accept it on campus like we accept race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. Previous Next

< Back Not 'board' at school November 3, 2023 at 12:00:00 PM Sophia Mielke '25 Here at Mercersburg Academy, we have so many incredible opportunities. We learn how to be more independent, as we’re fully responsible for every aspect of our school lives. Our parents aren’t physically here harping on us to “do our homework,” “study for that test,” “go to that help session;” that all depends on us. We build strong connections with our teachers and classmates that students at a regular day school would not have. Sometimes you see your teachers at breakfast, lunch, dinner, in your classes, and before bed. I think it eliminates that cringe you felt in elementary school when you saw your teacher outside of class. Here you wave to them like friends. The weekends are always filled with fun activities, whether it’s a day trip to Hagerstown, a game, a show or concert, or just a simple fire on the patio. But maybe you look at your Instagram and see your friends from home posting about their Homecoming. You see their trips to pumpkin patches in the fall, their huge football games that the whole school shows up to, and you think, “Wow, am I missing out on something by being here?” I often think about the high school experiences my parents have talked about. Going out to the movies with friends on Friday nights, big football games, and even working after school. I imagine some other students’ parents probably tell them the same thing. But as kids at a boarding school, our high school experience will always be different than kids at a regular day school. We can watch movies with our friends on Fridays, but we can’t always go to the movie theater. The Simon Student Center theater or a friend's dorm room is usually where we go. I think that in a way, it brings you closer to your friends, too. The best memories I’ve had during my time here are of movie nights spent on a friend's dorm room floor, with a bag of microwave popcorn. We usually watch bad horror movies or bad 2000’s movies and crack jokes until we can hardly breathe due to our laughter. While we don’t have a huge Homecoming with a football game, we have something even more special: Step Songs and the massive bonfire. How many high schools have a bonfire to kick off the school year? And even though football isn’t as big a deal here as it is at some other high schools, the games are still fun and it’s awesome to go support the team with your friends. But here at Mercersburg, it's not just the social aspects of traditional high school life that we miss out on, it’s the familial ones as well. My friends with siblings sometimes comment on how when they finally get to spend time with their siblings at home, they feel like they’ve missed out on crucial moments of their lives. As an only child, this wasn't something I had thought about. I miss my parents of course, but the connection between siblings is so much different. It just seems so difficult for those missing out on their little siblings' big milestones, and my heart goes out to them. Unfortunately, there isn’t really a bright side to this situation. You FaceTime and text as much as you can, but it still isn’t the same. Being here at Mercersburg is incredible, but for boarding students, there are some things we have to sacrifice. So, make every break count, and remember to call your family, but don’t fret; you can still have plenty of fun on campus. After all, you’re living with your friends. It’s the type of thing we dreamed of when we were little! Previous Next

< Back Who am AI? October 18, 2024 at 12:00:00 PM Karin Sugiyama '27 As AI technology continues to advance, detecting computer-generated content in schools and by educators is an increasing challenge. Sure, there are detection tools out there, but they rely on patterns that aren't always consistent. The reality is that students can easily manipulate AI to match their own writing style, making it sound more “human” and less robotic. This creates a big problem for detectors, since they’re also run by the same systems and can’t always tell the difference between human writing and that created by a machine. Students who know their own style well can fine-tune what AI programs give them. They can adjust the tone, change the vocabulary, and edit the structure to make it sound just like their own work. This means they can navigate many of the red flags the detectors are designed to catch: for example, a student could take a basic AI-generated essay and go through it – tweaking a few phrases, adding their usual touches – and soon it’s nearly identical to what they would’ve written on their own. On top of that, AI detection tools aren’t perfect. Since they’re driven by algorithms, detection tools sometimes miss the little quirks that make human writing unique. Everyone writes differently, with their own habits and personal styles. If a student naturally writes in a polished or organized way, how can a detector tell the difference between that and something created by AI? With so many variations in how people write, it is almost impossible to develop a tool that can always tell computer-generated writing from human writing. Even more challenging is the fact that AI is improving every day. As it evolves, the line between what a student writes and what a computer generates will only blur further. Educators and schools will have to keep adapting, but the real question is: can anyone really tell the difference? If a student has refined an AI-generated piece so well that it feels just like their genuine voice, how can we confidently say it's not theirs? And now for the plot twist: what if I told you that this entire article was written by AI, with just a little input from me? Were you able to tell the difference? Probably not—and that’s the whole point. It’s not just hard for AI detectors to spot the difference; it’s also tough for people. With the right adjustments, it’s very easy to produce writing that sounds just like a student’s own voice. And the more technology advances, the harder it will be to know if a piece of writing came from a machine or a human. Previous Next

Arts Oct 16, 2026 Leaving her mark in living color Read More Oct 16, 2026 Stage to studio, technique to expression Read More Oct 9, 2026 Glazing Gunk Read More Oct 9, 2026 Rebellion and sparks Read More Sep 25, 2026 The great circle of clay Read More Sep 25, 2026 Jay Howley Read More Sep 18, 2026 Sussman mural: “Inclusive and universal” Read More Sep 18, 2026 Calling the cue: Mufson’s next act Read More Apr 24, 2026 A Bittersweet Finale Brooke Shiber ’28 Read More Apr 24, 2026 A Night of Courage, Creativity, and Connection Cara Buck ’29 Read More Feb 20, 2026 Unlocking excellence: Scholastic awards Ethan Shi ’28 Read More Feb 20, 2026 First on the dance floor Cara Buck ‘29 Read More Nov 14, 2025 Fashion ReJINeration Rachael Zhang ‘28 Read More Nov 14, 2025 The sound of the future: how AI is changing music Cara Buck ‘29 Read More Oct 17, 2025 Say it loud: Fall Spoken Word Kate Sui ‘29 Read More Oct 17, 2025 Cutting creativity Ethan Shi ‘28 Read More Oct 10, 2025 Groovin’ back in Maddie Mamoudis ‘27 Read More Oct 10, 2025 Muse or machine? Shelly Shen ‘26 Read More Oct 3, 2025 Homecoming: Arts take the stage Rachael Zhang ’28 Read More Sep 26, 2025 Unity in paint Amy Ye ‘29 Read More