Lisa Wei ‘26 < Back Day student ambassadors Lisa Wei ‘26 At Mercersburg Academy, Day Student Ambassadors play an important role in helping new and returning day students experience adjust and find opportunities for their interests on campus. “They really make an impact in our community in whatever way they can, whether it’s more inclusion, more spaces, or more opportunities and just to make sure that all the day students’ needs are met as well,” said Andy Brown, Assistant Dean of Students. “The Day Student Ambassadors are always present when I come in, even on weekends I see them, and they are always here for anyone who needs it,” Dormitory Dean of Tippetts Hall, Matt Jacobs said. Unlike the former Day Student Prefects, Day Student Ambassadors work more with student events and daytime activities to ensure that day students connect with the boarding elements of the community. “Day Student Ambassadors have the opportunity to host day student events and partner with the SAC. We are more focused on a smooth transition from Mercersburg to home life every day instead of making sure our ‘children’ follow rules and keep their spaces clean,” said Eliana Sandy ‘24. “Day Student Prefect was an effort to give day students the same opportunities as boarding prefects, but it didn’t work super well because it often required them to stay on campus later than usual. Ambassadors do most of their work during the day and have little to no responsibility in the dorm,” Ava Guzic ‘25 said. From now on, at the start of every school year Day Student Ambassadors will be on hand to help new students adjust to campus life: finding buildings, reading the schedule, learning Mercersburg terminology. “They were really helpful at the start of the year in getting everything ready, prepping the common areas and welcoming in the new day students,” said Sarah O’Leary, Dormitory Dean of Fowle Hall. The Day Student Ambassadors work hard to let day students know that they are an integral part of campus life, not a side thought. “As Day Student Ambassadors, we help by representing day students better and giving them access to more resources. Day students are often overlooked in scheduling as well, so we work to fix that,” Sarah Ali ‘25 said. “The Day Student Ambassador program gives day students a voice and provides an equivalent role to any day students who want to be Prefects,” added Guzic. “They help us keep our common room clean and give us helpful advice,” Madeline Stonebraker ‘27 said. So far, the Day Student Ambassador program has suggested numerous improvements to the day student experience. “We have been working on expanding virtual help sessions for day students who have to leave before help sessions start,” said Brown. “ We often struggle with things like schedules and resources, so making necessary changes in those areas helped improve our time at Mercersburg, ” Ali said. In the future, Mercersburg Academy hopes to add to the Day Student Ambassador program. “ I am excited about making a more comfortable environment for myself and other day students,” said Ali. “I hope they just keep building that foundation of leadership for the day students in our community,” added Brown. Previous Next

Alyssa Lee '25 < Back This girl is on fire Alyssa Lee '25 At Mercersburg Academy, volunteering to help the community is a core part of building culture and unity. Abhinandan Bam ‘24 and Scarlett McArthur ‘24, have been recognized for the time they have put into supporting the Mercersburg town community. Without expecting anything in return, Bam and McArthur are prime examples of helping out for a bigger cause. The two have been volunteering at the Borough Manager’s office and the Fire Department, respectively, since last school year. Bam, a student from India, originally reached out to the Mercersburg Borough, the governing body of the town, for help researching his paper “Comparing Mayors of the U.S. and India,” when he stumbled on an opportunity to learn more about the government and help out the town community. “In May 2022, I was conversing with Mr. Sipes, and he told me about the town’s Borough Council. The next day, he took me on a ride and introduced me to the Borough Council Manager and the Mayor. That week, I started attending council meetings and committee meetings,” Bam said. With the help of Senior Associate Director of Athletics Paul Sipes, Bam gained firsthand knowledge of the system. Bam said, “I learned a lot of things including how districts are made, how they report to the superior officer, and how they work collaboratively with other borough councils. I also got to know about water works and sanitation in the town.” While benefitng from this rare experience, Bam also helped plan and organize meetings. “After my research was done, I was so involved and liked the council, I decided to [continue to] work with them in the fall term, so I am working with them this term as well, and plan to help them organize the ordinances and other stuff that is needed on a daily basis.” Bam spoke about the false stereotypes that many students have about the town, “I highly suggest students from the school go and help out people in town. We have always assumed that they don’t like people from the Academy, but they do, and they were very welcoming. It was a great experience, an Indian boy with a heavy accent was working with the local government in Mercersburg.” Similarly, McArthur, who volunteers for the Mercersburg Montgomery Fire Company, said she had a great experience. She wanted simply to help out. McArthur explained how she came to volunteer at the Fire Dept. “I was at Food Lion stocking up last spring and saw a newspaper that said the fire station was in need of help/volunteers because there was a big walkout; a bunch of staff quit. I decided to start volunteering because they expressed urgency in needing these volunteers and it was something I was super interested in. I just wanted to help out in the community and give back.” McArthur leads weekly training sessions with the head of the volunteering program on the basics of EMS, and she cleans up the rigs and trucks when necessary. Both students encourage other students from Mercersburg Academy to seek volunteer opportunities in the town. McArthur says, “It is a great opportunity for students to give back to the community and gain knowledge and experience in an area they could be interested in. Additionally, [the fire department] always needs more helping hands at the station.” Previous Next

Amanda Xi '25 and Jack Lewis '25 < Back Fostering conversations that matter Amanda Xi '25 and Jack Lewis '25 On October 28, 2024, Mercersburg Academy hosted its first Civics Conference. Planned by Civic Engagement Task Force leaders Nicole Brown and Allison Stephens and the Civic Engagement Student Advisory Board, the event hosted over 20 guest speakers for a day-long event designed to engage students in learning about a range of civic-related current issues from the people directly involved in the work. The day began with a keynote session featuring an interview conducted by Head of School Quentin McDowell with Judge John Jones ’73, President of Dickinson College, and Jill Klein P’11, former Interim President of Pitzer College. As university administrators, they discussed issues like the limits of free speech on college campuses, particularly during times of campus unrest, such as the recent protests surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Students were captivated by the insightful discussion, which showcased the speakers’ experience and ability to foster thoughtful dialogue. “I liked Judge John Jones and Jill Klein because of their demonstration of being open-minded in their discussion,” Devin Rotz ‘25 noted. “It set a good example for students for the rest of the day.” Following the keynote, students attended smaller discussion sessions covering various topics, from gun violence in America, led by a Virginia Tech school shooting survivor, to the role of religion in public life, led by a former attorney from the U.S. Department of Justice. Many presenters were alumni or friends of Mercersburg Academy. The lively campus conversations afterward reflected the meaningful discussions that emerged from the sessions. “My first session, held by journalist Andy Abel of the Mercersburg Journal, taught me the importance of journalism, especially local newspapers and their impact in a democratic country,” Yiting Sun ’25 said. “As someone who doesn’t typically pick up a paper newspaper, I didn’t realize the impact it has on small communities.” Some students commented that their sessions broadened their perspectives. “I gained a new understanding of rights through learning about the role of religion in public life from a well-accomplished lawyer. He argued how religion is a natural right, not just a constitutional one,” added Annie Mohr ‘26. “My sessions taught me how to resolve problems and conflict throughout my life in the future through just a discussion,” Jerry Sun ‘27 commented. Students could freely ask questions and gain insights from the presenters. “I had a really interesting discussion about cybersecurity and asked a question about the impact of AI on it,” noted Yuma Matsuo ‘25. “I got some fascinating feedback from the presenter and had a great overall experience.” The main goal of the Civics Conference was to encourage open dialogue and allow students to actively listen rather than simply disagree. Sofia Martin ’26 said, “I learned a lot from the presenters. My conversations throughout the day made me feel more prepared to take on discussions where I may have different views from the person I’m speaking with.” Some students were selected to spend the entire day guiding guest presenters around campus and serving as discussion leaders within their sessions. For them, the conference provided the chance to engage with the speakers beyond the scheduled session times. “I spent the day with a presenter talking about the harms of guns,” said Collin Jin ‘25. “It was really cool to see the diverse opinions brought together today and how people engaged with both sides of the same issue.” “I thought it was really interesting and quite gratifying. I got to know the leader of my sessions personally and gained a lot of insight into her expertise,” stated Luntu Redebe ’25. “I learned how her work fits into the broader civic perspective. Even though I am not voting in this country, I saw how important it was.” The final keynote session of the day delved into the dangers of disinformation online and how it can overshadow authentic information—an especially critical topic given the prevalence of social media, which in students’ lives overshadows reliable news sources. “Especially as we prepare to go to college, I thought it was really important to learn about misinformation and how we can be deceived by social media,” Avery Liu ‘25 commented. Pedro Pederneiras ’26 said, “I enjoyed the day a lot; it was good for my education in engaging civically and being a better citizen!” As Election Day approaches, young people need to understand the importance of civic engagement. In a divided nation, conversation remains one of the most effective ways to bridge gaps. The 2024 Civics Conference brought together students from all perspectives and fostered meaningful dialogue. Previous Next

Tristen Paulette '27 and Michael Zhang '26 < Back A change in the system: Help Centers Tristen Paulette '27 and Michael Zhang '26 In preparation for the 2025-2026 school year, Mercersburg Academy has restructured the staffing of the evening help centers. Formerly known as the Language Media, Math and Science, and Writing Centers, the new “Help Center” has been reimagined as a hub where all students get assistance with their specific academic need. Michele Poacelli, English Department Head and Director of the Writing Center explained, “We’re just calling it The Hub. So everybody goes there, and they hang out. It's kind of fun, and it's good energy in the room." She continued, "When kids come in to get help, they go to breakout spaces, and the breakout spaces are all along the third floor of Irvine. The rooms just become the breakout spaces where people go with the trained tutors to get the help that they need." Poacelli also highlighted even more minute changes to the Help Center function. “Retakes are not happening in the health center anymore. They’re happening during study hall because study hall is fine.” Associate Head of School Jen Craig downplayed the significance of these changes, stating, “There actually aren't any substantive changes for students; we've kept all help centers open for the same amount of time and the centers are still covered with adults and student assistants, but the way we run the adult supervision has changed.” She continued, “We are confident that students have multiple, effective avenues for academic support. At the same time, we recognize that the level of adult supervision in the centers far outpaced actual need, and we can create greater workload equity by adjusting how that supervision is assigned.” Craig did, furthermore, elaborate on how these changes came about. “First, we want to acknowledge how impressed we are by the efficacy of our student tutors. Whenever I’ve filled in as a substitute, I’ve been struck by how talented, reliable, and committed they are—so continuing to lean on them was never in question,” she said. “Second, we revisited the practice of students receiving extra help from adults in the dorms. For several years, this was discouraged, but upon reflection, we found the original reasoning unconvincing. We believe that students should be able to seek help from the adults on duty, which meaningfully expands access to support across the school. In addition, the availability of appropriate online resources has only grown, and together these two factors ensure that all students have greater, more diverse ways to access help.” Associate Head of School for School Life, Julia Maurer, did extensive work to justify the change. “I collected the data. We looked at the tap-in data on the students’ Blue Cards. Students frequent the [Lenfest] Library and the Burgin Center [for the Arts]. Then we looked at the numbers for the Writing Center [and for] the Language Media Center (LMC), which were lower than those for students using the Math and Science Center.” Language Department Head Benjamin McNeil reinforced Maurer’s point, saying, “They restructured it because we didn't get a lot of traffic last year, so they combined all the centers so all the students go to one place to get help. I think it's actually better for language because some students had trouble just going to the LMC for language, but now it's like - ‘Oh, I can get math help here and after this I'll get some language help.’ This might create a little more traffic for languages.” Craig continued, reinforcing the necessity of the changes and their benefits, stating, “To keep the help centers, Burgin, and library open for the same amount of time while providing greater workload equity across night-time supervision and to shift extra help to a more relational and flexible model for all extra help. It reinforces the purpose of study hall and promotes the academic relational work in the dorm; it's always good to try and improve practices that are inequitable; trying to build a healthier balance of care for the adults while providing high-level support for students.” Jim Malone, physics teacher and math center faculty proctor, agreed, saying that the changes were made “to improve the efficiency of faculty duty assignments,” but also that “it’s too early to tell” what effects the restructuring will have on learning in these spaces. Poacelli highlighted some of the struggles resulting from the reorganization. “There was a really specific community that happened on your night because you're coming with those four kids, and it was just sort of an intimate kind of space and you got to know each other really well and you had great conversations,” she said. “I think that maybe some of that small discipline-specific kinds of community that forms might be lost. I think that’s a shame, and I’m saddened by that.” The shift to operations has also demanded adjustments. “We used to have centers running on two floors. We’ve now consolidated them to run on one floor in Irvine Hall. The new location and spaces [have posed] a challenge,” said Maurer. McNeil added, “I think the disadvantage is that it's a larger group [gathering in the Hub space] and it could be noisier and more confusing. People can get lost in the shuffle and maybe not feel as comfortable to go to a big, large group to ask for help.” With these changes, the help centers have some goals planned for the year ahead. “We [wanted] to make sure that the student helpers are really committed to the role this year,” stated Maurer. “We were seeing [that] some students weren’t always attending on their nights last year. That [goal] would have been true even regardless of the changes.” Malone added, “I think it's a little weird, a little hard to get used to. But it seems to me that the kids are getting help the way they need, which is what matters.” Previous Next

Amanda Xi '25 and Jolie Zhu '26 < Back A redirection for PGAs Amanda Xi '25 and Jolie Zhu '26 At Mercersburg Academy, Performance Group Activities (PGAs) are daily afternoon programs for students, offering options from athletics to internships to performing arts. This year, however, several changes were made to the menu in an effort to redefine program goals. These included cuts to Community Engagement, Strength and Conditioning, and adjustments to internships and music groups. Discussions about PGAs began last year. One of the faculty members leading the task force, Michael Conklin, Dean of College Counseling, gathered a group of teachers involved with PGAs to discuss new ideas, considering the criteria, purpose, and outcomes of a PGA and the definition of a “performance group activity.” The changes came after collaboration between the school administration and the Board of Regents. “We're a medium-sized institution with big school programming. For us to do the things we would like to do really well and create a better quality of life for our students and faculty, we need to reduce the scope of what we offer,” Conklin said. Many PGA offerings lingered after COVID-19, during which Mercersburg was more lenient about what qualified as a PGA. However, with 33 PGAs offered in the fall term alone after the pandemic, resources and faculty were stretched thin, leading the school to reduce their number and strengthen support for the remaining programs. Now, all PGAs must meet the four requirements of teamwork, regular coaching, physical activity, and public performance. Jennifer Craig, Associate Head of School for Student Life, overseeing PGAs, said, “Even though some PGAs were popular among students, they were not fulfilling the purpose of what we want students to learn at Mercersburg. Previously, activities were so disparate that the program lacked a unified purpose.” This has led to cuts in some PGAs, the redefinition of others, and the addition of new ones. One cut was to Strength and Conditioning, which allowed students to work out independently. Past participant Dylan Ridgway ’26 said, “I miss Strength and Conditioning because it was nice getting a workout in and then going to practice my spring sport during the fall.” The PGA was cut because it didn’t meet all the criteria, though serious athletes still seeking extra training can join a specialized training PGA. For example, basketball players can join "Fall Basketball," where team members come together for group workouts to encourage team bonding and spirit. Another change was the removal of the Community Engagement PGA, which allowed students to participate in community service opportunities on campus and in the surrounding area. This year, community engagement now falls under the broader “Experiential Education” program, led by director Emily Parsons, who previously headed Community Engagement. “Admittedly, I miss having a core group; we could get on a bus and bond and get to know the partners over the course of the term. But now, we can involve more students,” said Parsons. Experiential Education includes organizing community service events for sports teams, internships, and Model UN. Now, the football team helps pack food for the local shelter—something previously reserved for Community Engagement. Jamar Galbreath, head football coach, said, “It’s a great time for the team to bond, but I would love to see more hands-on work in town; however, with the time constraints, that is usually not an option for us.” Andrew Chang ’26, once part of Community Engagement, said, “I think integrating community engagement into all PGAs is more beneficial—everyone can now learn to work with our community.” However, Christine Jiang ’26, a former participant, misses the original program's dedicated focus. “Community Engagement was my first serious volunteer experience, and I learned a lot. I hope the school brings it back.” Internships remain a PGA option, but like Community Engagement, the program experienced modification. Now limited to 11th and 12th graders, internships require a written application. Craig explains, “Instead of students who may not know what they were choosing, we decided to make an application for internships and be purposeful and clear with the expectations and outcomes.” There has also been a removal of the policy that allowed student music groups to take a term off PGA. Under the old model, students in Magalia, Octet, and Band could skip a term of PGAs to compensate for evening rehearsals, but this option is no longer available. The change has been challenging for both faculty and students. Shami Beni, music teacher, noted, “If we as teachers hold our students to a high standard and expect them to practice outside of class, it doesn’t make sense for students to have a full schedule of PGAs and no time to focus on practice.” Mikahel Martínez-Arocho ’25 agreed, saying, “We spend hours rehearsing throughout the year, and with the time, effort, and energy we put in, we deserve to have a term off.” Ethan Ma ’27, an Octet member, added, “Musical commitments add a lot of pressure for people in Octet and Magalia. It’s 2-3 hours per week the entire year, so I think the school should change it back.” Even PGAs not directly affected by these adjustments may feel the impact. Girls’ tennis, which usually receives 30 sign-ups yearly, saw 47 girls enroll this fall. Mike Sweeney, head girls varsity tennis coach, said, “We received a lot more sign-ups this year. Maybe some of these girls would have signed up for Strength and Conditioning or Community Engagement, but it’s hard to tell.” Mogere Nyakoe ’25, a four-year team member, said, “There are a lot more girls, but it’s nice because we get to see many people learn tennis who usually wouldn’t try. We also have three coaches this year instead of two, so we get more detailed coaching.” Similarly, Liam Glick ’27 is participating in cross country for the first time. Despite initial hesitations, he noted, “I have already made a lot of improvements and reduced my time by minutes.” It seems these PGA changes have empowered more students to try new activities. PGAs are continuously evolving to meet the goals of students at Mercersburg Academy. “If there’s an experience you really want to stretch and grow in, and you have a proposal for it, we would always listen to that,” said Craig. Conklin added, “We are taking student feedback, and the student experience deeply matters to us.” Previous Next

Ellie Yang '27 < Back Reflecting on the year Ellie Yang '27 Mercersburg’s Student Body President Jordan Yuan ‘24 and Vice President Ruby Shang ‘24 sat down to reflect on their experience in leading the student body and their accomplishments across the year. Mercersburg News : What was your number one goal this year in student council, and did you achieve it? Jordan Yuan : My number one goal was to not get impeached, and that went well. Ruby Shang : For me, it’s to collect student voices and to make sure we process them as a student council. However, the student council is not only a wishing well where people can envision us as a “you should do what we want.” A lot of the time, it’s choosing the middle ground, learning the protocols, and knowing the boundaries whilst pushing things that we can and negotiating on things that we can’t. It’s where we put a balance on how to regulate the student body whilst giving them more freedom. JY : Yeah, we work in between the school and student body and making both parties happy which is hard. But our biggest goal was to effectively communicate between those two parties. MN : What did you hope to accomplish as president? JY : My campaign was to make this school a better place. I’ve never thought about myself being in this position before coming here or last year. Being the head of this 400-person community is a great honor for me, to listen to what people need and actually do what people want to do. I used to be the one complaining about all this stuff and now it’s really hard for me to balance everyone’s needs. I’ve also had personal growth and gained more confidence in myself while making decisions without hesitation. I used to be a hesitant person and now I’m the one making the decisions and being in this position helped me build that kind of character. MN : What do you believe is the most pressing issue in our community? JY : As I said at the beginning of the year, I feel like the school spirit and the feeling of community were lacking at the beginning of the year. Everybody was just doing their stuff, and they weren’t together, so we introduced ‘True Blue’ and, well, the dessert thing, too. RS : We brought back a lot of traditions like the triathalon and the field day, and as Jordan said, we are trying to recover having school spirit and having a sense of what it is like to have Mercersburg as our identity. Although it’s not a “pressing” issue because of the improvements we’ve made this year, I’m glad we focused a lot on restoring the culture and restoring the identity. MN : What projects have the student body council worked on throughout the year? RS : We’ve had different focuses, one of them being culture. Projects focused on culture include True Blue, starting a culture committee, bringing back the peer group culture session, holding the triathlon, having a blood drive coming soon, holding random acts of kindness week, and having a lot more spirit week. We’re also going to do a state of the school update soon. JY : And for the focus of student life, the main thing was dorm visitations for upperclassmen, especially seniors. We also tried to play with the behavior feedback system. We had meaningful discussions in the council and we also wanted to focus more on engaging with our community, for example, our elementary school and James Buchanan (JB), where we had a breakfast meeting with them. RS : We’ve done a lot, but there are some things that we can’t solve, like the vending machine, and so many problems that are turned down by the school system and how it works and functions. But we did try a lot this year. MN : What is your proudest accomplishment? RS : For me, it was bringing back the sleepover policy of dorm visitation because a lot of students wanted to do that last year, but considering the long process, it wasn’t pushed through last year. This year, we did a better job at communicating with Mr. McDowell, planning with the student council, working on how the system will look like, who will have the privilege and what protocols there will be. Everything worked out really well, and we’re really proud of it. JY : I agree with Ruby. I think our proudest accomplishment is the sleepover policy and I mean people love it. I’m also proud of the Mercersburg culture building. The class of 2024 was the last class that went through COVID and had some legacy before COVID. We were able to bring some of the culture, experiences, and Mercersburg moments from pre-COVID back. MN: What does Student Council mean to you? RS: It means a welcoming connection between the faculty, the administration, and the student body. Not everyone has the opportunity to enjoy this and learn how this school functions, and I think it’s a privilege for both of us to be in this position and have the channel and power to hear what the students say and stand on the podium to hold school meetings and quizlets. JY : We are the student body’s ear and mouth, listening to what they need and what the school wants from them. We’re delivering and communicating the message to the student body or to the school administration to reach a common ground that satisfies both parties. MN: What was it like working with each other? RS: It was definitely a very interesting and amazing experience. Jordan is such a fun guy, and brings so much fun to the working process. We share the same sense of humor, we never fight, and we sometimes think alike. I’m especially impressed with his speech skills. My favorite speech throughout the last four years is Jordan’s speech about how the whole school is like a pizza. I’m going to remember that forever, and I don’t think anyone has ever compared Mercersburg to pizza. I almost cried. Jordan treats his role very seriously, and although people doubt his serious side, a lot of the time, he helps people brainstorm. He never treats me as lower than him; he gives me equal respect and room to talk. That’s something I really appreciate. 10/10 recommendation to anyone working with Jordan in the future. He’s a great colleague, and I love him. JY: It is honestly my great honor working with Ruby this entire year, and I’m beyond happy to do what the people need with this amazing person. She has a sense of humor that exceeds my wildest dreams and she has the most outrageous ideas that we can both agree on doing and that’s one of the great qualities of working with someone that has the same ideals as you. She’s just very easy to talk to like everyone in this school knows Ruby, she’s just a people person. She’s very good at backing me up and we help each other out. We’re very good compliments of each other and sometimes I do very irrational things and she will be the one to hold me back and tell me to think before I move. Although being the vice president might be considered lower than the president, we’re working together side by side, shoulder by shoulder, and there’s no such thing as “Ruby’s my vice president”; we’re at the same level, and we try helping each other out. Previous Next

Talaina Jarrett '25 < Back One North redux Talaina Jarrett '25 Many changes have occurred this school year, and One North Coffee and Bake Shop has not been passed by in this trend. The coffee shop, a beloved haunt for the townspeople of Mercersburg and the students of the Academy, enters a new chapter. In early 2024, Lena Eckstine, the previous owner of One North, put the coffee shop up for sale. Three members of the Mercersburg Academy community, English teacher Todd McGuire and school archivist Doug Smith, as well as Matt Pixler, spouse of art teacher Kristen, jumped at the opportunity. “I’ve always liked One North for one thing, but I wanted to find a way to connect more to the community. One North is the business that incorporates our school and the community the most,” said Smith . Eckstine wanted to keep the coffee shop in the community and saw McGuire, Smith, and Pixler as the perfect option. Once the sale was finalized, the three men set out their plan for the new One North. Their first order of business was the shop's relocation. “We are moving back to One North, the original site and the namesake,” says McGuire. Currently, One North resides at the historical Irwin House (Archibald Irwin was the direct ancestor of two First Ladies of the United States). While cozy, the house is very small, so it cannot hold a proper kitchen. The limited kitchen space makes it hard to get food and beverage orders in a timely manner. The new owners wanted to resolve this issue. Their objective with the location change wasn’t just to return One North to One North Main Street but to obtain a space with a large enough kitchen with specific areas for the bakery, the coffee, and the food. “The move has been our focus, but what we have been working on is establishing a framework for a scratch kitchen, a bakery kitchen, and that has been our main goal. It has always been part of the plan to get new facilities and put together a kitchen. We have been working on acquiring equipment for it and expanding,” said Smith. For a week, the coffeehouse has been closed in order to move equipment to the renovated original location, but there will be a soft opening on Saturday, October 5. Still, Academy students are ready for the reopening. Yiting Sun ’25 said, “ I’m super-excited that there will be some familiar faces there and what new changes they’ll implement.” As for the location change, Elie Shimaoka ‘26 says, “ I think it’s going to be bigger, so I’m excited about that. ” No matter the differences, McGuire, Smith, and Pixler are adamant on keeping that cozy, homey feeling. “ There’s going to be nooks, and little study areas and a large study table. Better seating arrangement is in our plans,” said Smith. This intention aligns with some of the things that the students want to remain. Sun said, “I hope they keep the various types of seating and the environment in which people can either study or hang out or just enjoy a coffee and a sweet treat.” McGuire, Smith, and Pixler are up for the challenge and ready to do everything they can to make One North as great as possible. There will be a grand opening later this month, so look on the One North Instagram page for updates. Previous Next

Bauhinia Chen ’26 < Back Alumni have seen things Bauhinia Chen ’26 On January 6, the College Counseling team hosted a panel of young alumni, featuring members of the classes of 2024 and 2025 who shared candid insights on college with the current senior class. The panel included Gabe McGuire ‘24, Maddie Goodhart ’24, Ava Guzic ’25, and Jack Lewis ’25 attending the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Cornell University, and University of Pittsburgh, respectively. Rachel Mallory, College Counselor and primary event organizer, said, “It's something we've actually done in the past. I think the Class of ’21 or ’22 was one of the first groups that we did it with. We took a hiatus last year and decided to host it at the beginning of January as a good way to kick off the idea of you all transitioning out of Mercersburg.” Mallory reached out to the alumni via personal contacts and assistance of the alumni office. “This is the first year we've had students who are two years out and one year out, which is really exciting because you've got the perspective of those who just finished their first semester and those who've been at it for a year and a half.” The honesty and transparency of the grads offered refreshing insights. Ava Guzic ’25 said, “I tried to be as honest as possible when answering the questions so the current seniors could get an accurate representation of what college is like. I remember someone asking about AI use in college, which was really funny because the professors in college definitely have a different attitude towards it compared to teachers at Mercersburg. Everyone in the panel said that we use AI basically all the time, which I think shocked a lot of the seniors.” Maddie Goodhart ’24 added, “I know as a high school senior, I really wanted these raw and honest opinions about college. So I really appreciated that we were able to talk to them pretty freely. AI is used all the time every day in college; all of the other panelists agreed. It's just important to use it properly. It's really integrated into the courses.” The social aspect of college life also emerged as a prominent topic. “It definitely gave me a little bit of a reality check in that you really need to plan time out really well with your friends and the people you care about because you have so much free time, but at the same time everybody's schedules are going to be so messy and disorganized,” said Katie Lee ’26. “I learned from the alumni that your friend group in college evolves and changes as you gradually find your people. It was interesting to hear how much more free time there is in college compared to high school,” commented Cole Piraino ’26. “I was surprised that a lot of them said that it could be pretty bad at first, but stick it out and it'll get better,” added Reese Alter ’26. The student response to the panel was generally positive. Piraino said, “It was easing to learn that everyone deals with the same issues and experiences regardless of where they are going, especially in the midst of hearing back from college decisions. It was nice to hear that although the transition at the beginning might’ve been challenging, everyone ended up being happy with where they are right now.” Andrew Chang ‘26 said, “It was helpful because I was able to learn how to transition directly into college out of Mercersburg in a way that's tailored to our school, and it wasn't from the perspective of someone really late into college.” Previous Next

Johanna Lee '25 < Back Go WACtivism Johanna Lee '25 Through their evergrowing initiatives and powerful voices, the Women's Activist Club (also known as WAC) is one of Mercersburg’s forces to be reckoned with. With their feminist attitudes and spirit, WAC is actively advancing women to a better future in the Mercersbrug community and throughout the world. At its origin, WAC was in an extremely different form than today’s organization. “We used to have something called Greater Respect Of Women (GROW) several years back. But WAC was created around 5 years ago as a reading and awareness group,” said Allison Stephens, History Department Head and WAC adviser. WAC is currently planning events to engage and educate the campus community. “WAC is planning on hosting events and fundraisers on campus to support the issues that WAC members are passionate about,” said WAC co-president Maria Akaras. “Additionally, we are going to meet weekly as a club to discuss current events and make plans for how we want to take action in the near and far future.” Active member of the Women’s Activism Club Anne Sehon further explained the nature of WAC discussions: “We discuss deep into topics, not just women related, but women concerned. We like to facilitate discussions and create a safe space for conversations.” Partnered with community engagement council and Stony Batter, WAC members volunteered to sell food at the production of Gaslight last week in order to raise money and awareness for Women In Need in Franklin County. “In the future, WAC hopes to organize or go to major women's marches, host discussions open to the community on women's issues, and support a mindset of intersectionality across campus” said member Talia Cutler. “We are also open to more ideas from the community, all voices are welcome and we hope by doing that we can create progress towards actionable change.” “At this time in the nation’s and world’s history, it is important that students see that they can make a difference in the world around them. Voting is critical as is having the confidence to speak up,” Stephens said. Previous Next

Audrey Hua '26 and Chloe Allis '25 < Back Preparing for the November elections Audrey Hua '26 and Chloe Allis '25 Election Day in the United States is approaching, and at Mercersburg Academy, students reveal a range of levels of engagement anticipation for the first Thursday after the first Monday in November - election day. The results from early primary elections around the country all but promise another Biden-Trump showdown. Underclassmen expressed a mix of uncertainty, intrigue, and apprehension. “I’m feeling nervous,” Annie Mohr ‘26 said. “I don't think Trump's gonna win, but if he does, I think I'd be very stressed and concerned.” Harry Cameron ‘26 said, “I’m interested to see the result of the upcoming U.S. election. I believe that independent candidates are slowly gaining popularity in the country, and am intrigued by how they will affect the two major parties.” Shublean Kaur ‘27 expressed, “I’m not too aware of a lot of what goes on in American politics, especially in the upcoming election. It's kind of hard because I'm always around biased people a lot.” William Luo ‘27 added, “As a non-citizen of the US, I rarely feel about the election: however, as any person would hope, I do want our new president to bring policies that would benefit society and improve our daily livelihood.” Among the upperclassmen, there was a widespread feeling of anxiety concerning the contest. “I mean, it’s quite obvious that it’s an abysmal situation,” said Gabe McGuire ‘24. Likewise, Oliva Glick ‘25 commented, “I am very nervous. I definitely don’t know what’s going to happen or if everything is going to be okay afterward.” Additionally, many students felt that there could be no possible positive outcome from the election. The 2020 presidential election proved to be a polarizing event in American history, revealing the nation’s very clear divide down the middle. In preparation for the November election, Mercersburg Academy is planning to foster opportunities for students to prepare and educate themselves. Mercersburg Academy’s mission statement states, “Our students commit to a life of learning, seek to understand the spiritual nature of human existence, and develop a determination to lead and serve the world.” These principles must extend into this election. Students who commented reccomended that the Academy educate and respect students’ views on the upcoming election. “I would say that disseminating information about it and making sure that people are aware of everything is how Mercersburg should prepare for the election,” said Glick. “I think a lot of people don't know about what's going on,” Kaur added. “I personally don't know a lot of what's going on, so I think having a brown bag lunch educating people on it would be helpful.” Luo said, “The Academy should remain neutral to whatever the results are, and embrace every student's opinion on the election.” As Election Day draws near, students expressed their desire that the Academy provide resources for them to make educated decisions and figure out what issues matter most to them. A safe environment on campus for students to have informed and engaging discourse will undoubtedly be Mercersburg Academy’s top priority as November 5 approaches. Previous Next

< Back Walking on algorithmic crutches Kaden Yang ’29 On Monday, September 21, the Mercersburg community gathered for the annual Schaff Lecture on Ethics and Morals. Associate Professor of Digital Humanities at University College London Dr. Kaitlyn Regehr delivered a presentation on the ethical and general uses of artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on the social impacts of AI algorithms, especially on young adults. She serves as a consultant to members of Parliament, the Metropolitan Police, and the Scottish Government on online safety, while also appearing as a frequent guest on news platforms like CNN, BBC, and USA Today. Inviting Regehr on campus was intentional. Burgin Center Director of Operations Jessica Doubell said, “She is going to discuss… what it means to be a smartphone addicted teenager, which is actually kind of apropos with our new cell phone policy.” Doubell further explained the choice: “The Schaff Lecture specifically is to bring in a speaker who talks about the fundamental human values, the principles that direct a person’s decisions and actions. So the program collaboration group got together, picked out different people we thought would work well for the lecture, and ultimately chose Dr. Regehr.” On youth digital safety, Regehr said to the audience, “I’m really interested in how technology can become a crutch, removing young people’s agency and future ability to exist without it. And what I really want to do is empower young people to take greater control over those processes. That’s what my work is all about: How do we take back control over this technologically facilitated world? ” Regehr went on to explain how her personal upbringing shaped her interest in dedicating herself to the field of digital humanities and informational studies, “My mother was the provost of the University of Toronto, and my grandparents were at universities. It’s the family business. But I’m really kind of moving that form of scholarship into the 21st century. So I feel like I’m taking on the family business but kind of modernizing it by looking at tech.” On the matter of AI in a classroom environment, Regehr said, “We need to really pull apart whether AI is being used as a support to learning, which I don’t think is a good thing. We need to have friction built into our learning. It’s how we learn. But if we teach critical understandings about how AI works and we can critically analyze it, that is true education.” After the lecture, some students related to Regehr’s message on the addictive nature of technology and AI in their lives. Darcy Quinn ’29 said, “The biggest takeaway I got from the lecture would probably be the algorithm loop that people might get stuck in while scrolling on social media, so trying to learn a tutorial for a set of things but then the algorithm puts you in a position where you might be attracted into doing something that you’re not supposed to be doing in the first place.” Others reacted to the implications of AI in their own education. Ray Huang ’29 said, “The way she talked about how we use AI definitely gave me a little bit better of an idea of how to check myself, because I was very hesitant to use AI last year and I didn’t use it at all this year. I’m starting to use it a little bit more to try and help my learning.” Ultimately, students reflected on the lecture’s lessons and how Regehr’s message will influence them going forward. Huang summarized, “I think AI is a double-sided sword. Not only can it provide you with a lot of inspiration and ideas, but it can also block and negatively impact your cognitive thinking abilities.” Previous Next

Liza Hoa '27 < Back GSSU takes on Pride Fest Liza Hoa '27 On October 13, the Gender and Sexuality Student Union (GSSU) hosted a trip to the Franklin County Pride Festival, a vibrant celebration of love, diversity, and LGBTQIA+ rights. As in the past, Mercersburg students of different backgrounds attended this annual event, bringing excitement and having a fantastic time; this year certainly wasn’t an exception. Whether students were newcomers or returners, they equally enjoyed the lighthearted cheer and festivities including live music, drag performances, colorful booths, and food trucks. Marlo Williams ‘25 said, “It was really fun. I came to PrideFest because I wanted to try something new. I’ve never been to a Pride festival. It seemed interesting, and it was nice to talk to other people who are in the queer community and meet some allies as well.” A participant in last year’s event, Alice Morgan ‘26 noted, “I really enjoyed it. This year, it was even more fun. They had more food stalls and gave out more free stuff. As I am queer myself, it was fun to have a place to hang out with friends, get good food, and leave campus for a little bit.” The GSSU, a new student organization founded late last year by Corbin Kelly ‘24 and former faculty Jeff Cohen, organized the weekend trip. Still in its first full academic year, the union wishes to utilize this year for exploration and welcomes any additional advice the community may have. GSSU faculty adviser Dan Walker says, “This is a space for all to feel comfortable and for those from diverse genders and sexual identities to help others understand who they are and what they stand for.” GSSU student leader Annie Mohr ‘26 says, “Our main focus is to foster an inclusive environment, as we’re not limited to just people who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. We want to have a good time and spread awareness that being gay isn’t weird. And, to be proud.” The GSSU differs from an affinity space because “We want GSSU to include and be a safe space for everybody. Especially when dealing with identity, there’s the fact that people want to keep things private, so we want to respect that,” GSSU leader Nina McDowell ‘25, explained. Furthermore, McDowell notes, “When people hear the words gay , gender , and sexuality , they sort of don’t see themselves being a part of it, so it’s hard finding a good, true, and honest group of people. But, there are, of course, many people who want to make an impact and see the change they want to see in our community.” Seeing this event's success, GSSU student leaders McDowell and Mohr have started planning future engagements. Potential activities include a movie night, trivia night, SSC takeover, and possible collaborations with other student unions. Previous Next