Amanda Xi '25 < Back Keltner's Ammerman lecture Amanda Xi '25 Last Monday, the Mercersburg community gathered in the Simon Theatre for the annual Ammerman Family Lecture. “The Ammerman Lecture brings to the community speakers of national renown who have important perspectives on significant issues of the day and the capacity to help young people understand the relevance of such issues in their lives,” said School Minister Will Whitmore. This year’s speaker was Dr. Dachner Keltner, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. In his academic work, Keltner is a prominent researcher in emotional science with over 200 scientific article publications and six books. Keltner also hosts the award-winning podcast The Science of Happiness and worked as a scientific expert for the well-known Pixar animated film Inside Out in 2015. Whitmore said, “Dr. Keltner was selected due to his unique research and perspective. We believe our community can learn from him and his research on awe.” During his presentation, Keltner shared his studies about the science of awe and his recently published book, Awe . Additionally, Keltner discussed his list of the eight wonders of life, which included arts, nature, and religion. About his personal doctrine of the psychology of happiness, Keltner said, “We need to move beyond individualism and to start thinking about how we connected to bigger things than the self – that’s what awe is. It makes you aware of the fact that you are in a community.” The audience engaged with Keltner’s ideas at a high level by asking questions in the final minutes of the session and with several students staying after the program to continue the discussion. William Tutt ‘25 said, “ I feel like he was able to make me feel very interested in the subject. I was even lucky enough to see him after his speech and talk to him for a few minutes.” Dr. Keltner’s concept of awe also gave Justin An ‘23 a moment to reflect on his perception of reality; “His concept of awe is actually something we experience quite often in our lives, and I think many of us failed to notice its importance until now.” Day Kim ‘23 said, “ Although it is quite a cliché, even though we all know that many moments should be sought for, we don’t actively pursue them. It is important to be constantly be looking for something that interests and inspires you.” As his parting gift to students, Keltner offered three pieces of advice on the quest for happiness in life. “The first is to find one way to find peace when you are stressed out. The second is always find where your sense of community is, as well as friendship, and just cultivate that. The third is awe – which is to find your sources of awe and they will tell you what to really care about.” Additionally, interested community members met with Keltner during the first Block on Tuesday, just prior to his departure from campus. Previous Next

Kaden Yang ‘29 < Back Ex(traordinary) Ed Day Kaden Yang ‘29 Stepping away from their usual daily academic routines, Mercersburg Academy students participated in Experiential Education Day last Monday. The program is running for the second year as it provides an opportunity for students to engage in a meaningful, hands-on experience beyond the classroom. Director of Experiential Education Emily Parsons said, “We were trying to build the day around a focus: it was about leadership, citizenship, and how to be a good person in the community.” To understand the history of the local community, ninth graders visited the Conococheague Institute, a well-preserved historic farmstead established in the eighteenth century for an interactive experience of American frontier life. Participating in many activities—such as archery, housekeeping, renovations, planting, retrieving water from a well, cleaning up manure, and playing with goats— helped strengthen the students’ collaboration and team-building skills. Alexa Zagury ’29, who found the experience inclusive, stated, “Everybody got to do something, and even though we were learning about history, they made it fun. I've never been there before, but it was a very good first experience.” Grade Dean John David Bennett said, “Great opportunity to step away from phones. You find fun in surprising places. When the ninth graders arrived, they had no idea what to expect, but almost immediately, they were incredibly well engaged in what was happening.” Headed off to Washington D.C., tenth graders divided into three groups, each with a unique specialization. The finance group visited the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, interacting with professionals to learn about the federal management and security of the U.S. financial system. The law group toured Capitol Hill and even watched the Senate in session from the gallery. Finally, the words group visited the National Archives and the Planet Word Museum; they also met with alum and Regent Fred Klein ’72 as well as Judge Richard Gergel, author of Unexampled Courage, which tells the story of the blinding of a black veteran during the Jim Crow era. Mingyu Lee ’28, part of the law group, said, “It was a valuable experience to have been able to enter the National Archive, let alone talk with some of the judges and attorneys.” Additionally, Aakash Nath ’28 said, “It was exciting to go in a smaller group, it gives an opportunity to connect and bring us closer. I was talking to some people in the group that I had never talked to before.” Grade Dean Jamar Galbreath summarized: “Ex Ed Day is an opportunity to put learning in a different perspective. The cycle that we talk about looks at starting with a question, creating a good experience around that question. And being able to explore the ways in which that question informs us in terms of our leadership and abilities. So it's a good opportunity to get some hands-on learning in a vastly different area.” Having been enrolled in a U.S. History course, the eleventh graders explored Philadelphia through a scavenger hunt and a guided tour of the Museum of the American Revolution, looking to answer the question: How does Philadelphia’s “built history” reveal the challenges and hopes of early America? With their advisory groups, the students were able to capture not only the deeper educational essence of the sites, but “Instagrammable pics” as well as stops including the President’s House, Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Robert Morris Statue, Carpenter’s Hall, Christ Church Burial Ground, Betsy Ross’s house, and Elfreth’s Alley. On visiting the museum, Ethan Ma ’27 shared, “It was cool to follow a tour guide and listen to her explain specific details of the American Revolution with artifacts as evidence. The way that the tour guide informed us about the history was actually different from what I'd expected. She provided all perspectives involved in the conflict: from the Patriots, the British, the slaves, and the Native American tribes.” Following tradition, the seniors enjoyed a late start to the day and welcomed their younger pen pals from a local elementary school to campus. Arnav Rao ’26 said, “We connected well. He was very shy at first, not speaking at all. It taught me that I needed to be more patient when it comes to talking to younger students, because some people won't always be open towards you. If you have some patience, like I did with my pen pal, after lunch, he started to open up about everything, and it became fun.” Lilly Killinger ’26 added, “We did chalk drawing, and we were picking a lot of flowers. The experience helped me disconnect from my life here and really see eyes through a little kid. She had no worries, no care in the world, and it made me remember how nice the simple things in life are and realize what's really important.” Careful planning went into all of the events, but especially the far-off-campus trips Parsons said, “It was hard to get all the students, faculty and staff engaged; there’s a lot of logistics, and Ms. [Alyse] McDowell helped me with buses and bookings. We were thinking about place-based education and making sure the kids understand when they go to Philadelphia, why Philadelphia is important, and what they can learn from a place like that. You're sort of understanding that place and the significance of it. So, there was certainly intention put into the places.” Previous Next

Ava Jones '25 < Back Turning the page...of the menu Ava Jones '25 Mercersburg Academy values feedback from constituents to create an inclusive environment; however, recent surveys reveal that the dining experience is one of the school's lowest-ranked aspects of student life. In response, Chief Financial and Operating Officer Rochelle Hargraves says, “It was time to seek a different program that provides a diverse dining experience, including and expanding to all different types of dietary restrictions.” The new dining hall redesign, commencing in summer 2025, will feature an updated kitchen, as well as a modified breakfast area and a pizza oven. This will be an improvement not only for students but also for the dining hall staff, who will work with newer equipment. Unfortunately, these renovations will require patience and understanding from the student body. The renovation will not happen overnight, so meals will occur in the Hale Field House at the start of 2025-2026 school year. This is a significant change from previous years, but don't fret; Mercersburg plans to continue its family-style lunch and Monday night dinner tradition during this temporary move. Some students question the practicality of the location change. Sophie Koroma ‘26 asks, “Why are we in the field house? I feel the Edwards Room would be a better choice.” Grace Labans ’26 asks, “How are they keeping the food warm as it’s transferred from the kitchen to the field house?” However, this is a necessary sacrifice. Hargraves says, “An improved dining experience will only come with significant change.” Because the dining hall kitchen will be out of service during renovations, the dining hall staff will cook in a portable kitchen. Hargraves describes it as a “commercial kitchen on wheels” that provides a menu similar to what Mercersburg is used to. Some students feel that the dining hall doesn't have to be fully renovated; rather, it would be beneficial to make small but appreciable changes within the menu. For example, many athletes prefer a “smoothie bar in the morning for after workouts,” says Louisa Gunkelman ’25. Among seniors, there are sentiments of excitement yet sadness at the new dining hall opening after their graduation. Amanda Xi ’25 says, “I'm so excited for Mercersburg. I wish I could experience the change!” While some members of the student body are disappointed they won’t be here to enjoy the new dining hall, there is a sense of pride in being a part of the Mercersburg community that will help pave the way for future students to benefit from it. Previous Next

Alex Cho '23 < Back An interview with Stacie Lissette Alex Cho '23 On October 20 and 22, the Board of Regents held its first of three annual meetings on campus to conduct their school business. The News interviewed the board’s president, Stacie Lissette ‘85, and raised questions about the broader outlook for the board and the Mercersburg community. Mercersburg News (MN): What are the main goals of the board? Stacie Lissette (SL): Our board’s purpose is the fulfillment of the school’s mission through oversight, partnership, and foresight. We are specifically responsible for the financial success and long-term sustainability of the school. We ensure an effective school leadership team; set, resource, and measure progress toward the strategic vision; and encourage engagement and stewardship of our constituents. The main goals of the board are to hire, evaluate, and retain the Head of School, help set a strategic vision for the school, and ensure the financial sustainability of the school. We work closely with the school leadership team to fulfill this purpose. MN: What are some current projects and plans the board is working on (short term and long term)? SL: In the past couple of years, the board worked with the school leaders to create a strategic design, and we continue to be involved in the work to implement that design. That plan has “Four Bold Moves”: 1. Emphasize meaning and mastery 2. Invest in our educator capacity 3. Serve the whole learner 4. Prioritize financial aid. We have also been working for the past 18 months with an outside consultant and school leadership to create a campus master plan which is a physical framework/blueprint that supports the school’s mission and strategic vision. This plan is currently being reviewed by the full board with the hope of having a document approved at the January board meetings. The campus master plan looks at the physical spaces on campus and determines if there are changes needed to those to support the programs (academic, residential, etc.) of the school. These two processes will help to guide the work that the board and the school will be focusing on for many years. It’s important to note that the campus master plan is a document that will be flexible, and different areas covered within the plan are subject to change based on needs of the school as we move forward. A project we are also working on is a comprehensive look at ways to ensure the financial sustainability of the school. Mercersburg is financially an extremely strong institution, but we always need to be thinking through ways to maintain that strength. MN: What is the main goal of your talk with the school community? SL: We hope to answer questions you may have about what we do and who we are and to help you get to know us better. We have not been able to be on campus as much the past couple of years, and we really want to be able to interact with the people who are most affected by our decisions. We also want you to learn more about us and what we do with respect to the school. We hope that you will also see that there are many ways, such as serving on the board, to give back to Mercersburg long after you have graduated, and I feel certain that some of the current students will be future members of the Mercersburg Academy Board of Regents and Alumni Council. MN: Even when we don’t have meetings, are there ways for students to keep the conversations going? SL: I really do hope so. We are open to ideas of how we can do this and can work with the Student Life Office to figure out some options. That being said, the board is really responsible for the higher level strategic planning, and we always want to be careful that we are not interfering with day-to-day operations which are the responsibility of the school leadership, faculty, and staff. There are many decisions that the board should not be involved with. Previous Next

Caroline Hobbs '26 < Back They did what?!? Alumni reflect on change Caroline Hobbs '26 Last weekend, Mercersburg families and alumni arrived on campus to experience and celebrate the longstanding traditions of Step Songs and the bonfire during fall Family and Alumni Weekend. Even though these traditions continue today, many things have changed on the Mercersburg campus. Some alumni offered their perspectives on how Mercersburg has grown over the years. Mr. Phil Lloyd, class of ‘65, parent of ‘90 and ‘94, grandparent of ‘26 and Board of Regents member emeritus, 1994-2022, says he loved the changes in academic methodology, particularly that the school has switched from reliance on lecture-based classes to classes set around the Harkness table or dedicated to student projects. Lloyd noted that although there have been changes in the classroom, Mercersburg has always emphasized ideals of respect, community, and inclusion and that will never change. He says, “You walk out of this school a better human being.” Katie Stover ‘07 appreciates the community’s neverending kindness and hospitality. Nevertheless, she was shocked when she saw studnets playing and hanging out on the quad. When she was at Mercersburg, this was never allowed. She added that she had heard alumni talking about how the size of the dining tables had changed (and some that she spoke with were very thrown off by this!). Ted Smith ‘83 loves seeing the arts and sports facilities when he returns to Mercersburg, because they didn’t have such high-end facilities when he studied at Mercersburg, though swimmers like Smoth always had amenities that other sports did not. Smith observed how much more organized the 'Burg has gotten throughout the years. For Joie Xiao ‘22, the big change was that Mercersburg is now using social media platforms to showcase activities/traditions happening on campus. As a four-year dancer, she applauded the addition of the arts showcases during Family and Alumni Weekened and the development of more hands-on programs. Joshua Bowling ‘08, like Xiao, loved seeing the additions to the arts programs, especially the advanced studies art class, and the encouragement of all of the ways students can express themselves through art. Julia Maurer, class of ‘90 and Associate Head of School for School Life, loves how Mercersburg has always had such a strong community atmosphere and how strong the relationship ties have remained over the many years. Previous Next

Chloe Allis '25 < Back Syrup and supplements Chloe Allis '25 Last Tuesday, the Class of ‘24 celebrated a time-honored Mercersburg Academy tradition: Paint the Numbers. Seniors gathered at the school’s Davidson Gate to sign their initials on the road, reminisce about their experiences as a class, and then, finally, get messy. The following morning, students dressed down in their pajamas and met in the Ford Dining Hall for “PJs and Pancakes”: a day off of classes for the seniors to work on their college applications and feast on a never-ending supply of pancakes. Cindy Fowler, Assistant Director of College Counseling, said, “We worked on a lot of essays. There are many students in varying stages of their essay writing. We worked on a lot surrounding the details of the application, like the activities to transfer requests. It was really productive. Kids really get down to work during these sessions, and some students even finish all of their work.” Most students used the time to draft and fine-tune their essays, whether that be their personal statements or supplemental essays. Emerson Lissette ‘24 said, “I worked on supplements, and I was really, really productive.” Sonia Piontkovska ‘24 said, “I was a 10 on the productiveness scale.” Some people even finished their applications in their entirety. “It was really cool seeing some students hitting submit on their applications,” said Mike Conklin, Director of College Counseling. Looking ahead to the future and the remainder of this college admissions cycle, there are certainly potential obstacles that seniors and college counselors need to be ready for. “The whole process has been volatile in the past four years. There are many things that we must navigate, the exponential increase in selectivity, test-optional policies, the Supreme Court’s decision regarding affirmative action; it’s all very intense,” said Conklin. Though the college admissions process may be tough, Mercersburg Academy’s college counselors are fully preparing the seniors and helping them rise to the occasion. “This class has been through a lot in the past four years, and I hope it’s almost cathartic in a way to see how far they’ve come. They are set up to be very successful in all of their endeavors,” said Conklin. Previous Next

Justin Oh '25 < Back Rich in Rituals Justin Oh '25 On December 4, 2023, Mercersburg Academy welcomed Casper ter Kuile to campus as the annual Schaff Lecturer. Ter Kuile is the author of The Power of Ritual , and cofounder of the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast, a conversation dedicated to analyzing the Harry Potter series through a religious lens. School Minister the Reverend Dr. William Whitmore said, “The Schaff Lecture Series was established to support one or more pre-eminent speakers annually on topics related to fundamental human values” by a donation from Charles Schaff ‘41. The lecture's purpose is to “clarify what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong.’” Ter Kuile focused his words on the importance of rituals and their ability to strengthen communities. Whitmore said, “We selected ter Kuile due to his focus on community and the importance of this when thinking about civic engagement.” Indeed, ter Kuile’s speech may prove helpful, particularly to the Civic Engagement Task Force, whose purpose is to encourage students to become active citizens and community members. Thomas Zhu ‘26, a member of the Civic Engagement Student Advisory Board, said “[he] did a good job of showing what civic engagement looks like, especially when some students may still not know what civic engagement really is.” Other students and faculty members were impressed by ter Kuile’s humor, confidence, and knowledge. Sean Qin ‘25 commented that ter Kuile “had a talent for taking the relatively plain topic of daily habits and turning them into special parts of our lives.” Tri Ngyuen ‘24 said, “He was never boring and still informative, which isn’t easy.” Ter Kuile took a few questions at the end of the lecture and offered a follow-up opportunity on Tuesday morning. Students appreciated the ability to ask additional questions in a more personal environment. In response to a question about his motives, ter Kuile said, “I wanted to find ways for many people to participate and help them connect very quickly. Rituals are an efficient way of making people feel like us.” Additionally, he recalled feeling marginalized as a gay student at a boys boarding school in England. “I want to make sure other people don't feel the same way.” Referencing the “intense” academic atmosphere of Mercersburg, ter Kuile recommended rituals based on self-care and relaxation for students rather than difficult ones. “I make weekly rituals because daily ones are often hard to complete as motivation to do things is never constant. I like completing a Tech Sabbath for 12 hours from Friday night to Saturday morning.” Previous Next

Tristan Paulette ’27 < Back Huda F. is she? Tristan Paulette ’27 On Friday, February 13, Mercersburg Academy hosted Huda Fahmy as the Joseph Beauregard Generosity of Spirit Endowed speaker. A cartoon novelist who explores the complexities of family dynamics and her own Muslim identity, Fahmy was invited by former school minister Reverend Dr. William Whitmore. Burgin Center Director of Operations Jessica Doubell, who now leads the decision process for keynote speakers, said of the choice, “She's a visibly Muslim woman, and we haven't had a speaker like that in our community in the time that I've been here. I don't think it's something that our campus community hears normally, so it was really nice to bring something different.” Fahmy’s presence on campus impacted students and faculty alike. Doubell explained, “I took away a lot. We all have a lot of the same stories, whether we are the same religion or the same gender. [Everyone is] so much alike, even though we're so completely different. There are so many people on campus who will relate to her story as well." Many students appreciated the lecture. Huda Mahmoud ’26 said, "I loved how she didn't frame [her experience] as tragic; she kind of presents her story as an owner. I felt connected more personally to her. I think it was really important [to have her on campus], but especially for representation. I think being the only hijabi in the school, it's very difficult, and it felt very intimidating at first." She also said, “It wasn't monotonous; she also framed her story as human and personal. It was powerful. It was really inspiring to see that." In addition, Maddie Stonebreaker ’27 found the lecture insightful, saying, “We come from a school that has so many people that come from such different cultural backgrounds. It was really cool to see somebody who kind of challenges cultural norms and does her own thing.” She added, “It actually felt like someone who was able to express their creativity.” Aaron Chuang ’28 also found Fahmy's lecture revealing, stating, “It provided writing from other cultures and presented different cultural characters to include more diversity in literature and comic books. I think she was a good speaker because she had a positive outlook on diversity and inclusion, which is a core value of Mercersburg." The decision to invite Fahmy to campus allowed academy members to consider their own positionality in comparison to the rest of the world and consider a new perspective. “The Joseph Beauregard Generosity of Spirit Endowment is all about the generosity of spirit, and having met Hoda Fahmy now, she really embodies that,” said Doubell. Previous Next

Justin Oh '25 < Back New year, new deans Justin Oh '25 For the 2023-2024 school year, three of Mercersburg’s dorms introduced new Dorm Deans. Tippetts Hall and Fowle Hall, welcomed Matt Jacobs and Sarah O’Leary ‘16, respectively, while Skylar Clark became Keil Hall’s Dorm Dean. The Assistant Dean of Student Life, Coleman Weibley, commented on the large residential turnover in leadership this year: “All of the leaving Dorm Deans were very sad about leaving their dorms but ultimately chose to pursue opportunities away from Mercersburg.” With the previous Dorm Deans being held in such high regard by their students for their kindness and care, the new Dorm Deans have large shoes to fill. Regarding the selection process for Dorm Deans, Weibley said, “The final decisions as to who Mercersburg Academy hires are based on a combination of qualifications, experience, and the applicant's commitment to building community and supporting our school's values and mission.” While noting that faculty are interviewed by a variety of people in the Mercersburg community, Weibely acknowledged that although the changes in personnel may bring about new challenges, he believes that it will also bring growth. “[Introducing new deans may] introduce innovative support programs or initiatives that enhance the overall well-being and academic success of our students.” Weibley expects the new leaders to stay in the position for several years to provide “stability and continuity for] students.” Although each of the Dorm Deans brings a unique background and personality to the role, they all share the common goal of creating a positive living environment for their students. O’Leary spoke to her sense of responsibility: “I am very passionate about making students feel safe, seen, and welcome. I also love working with underclassmen.” She reaffirmed her enthusiasm for the job, especially her desire to interact with residents and learn about them as individuals. “Every day, I laugh, smile, or learn something new because of them,” O’Leary said. Fowle prefect Abby Yang ‘25 said, “Ms. O’Leary’s humor, kindness and passion are bringing great energy to Fowle.” Moreover, Anju Atsumi ‘26 is appreciative of O’Leary’s advice to students who need it. “She always talks to me and greets me with a smiling face.” Keil Hall Dorm Dean Skylar Clark reflected on his experience growing up at a boarding school with his dad as a dorm dean. He said, “I enjoy the camaraderie of building a tight community within a community, and I would like to establish the same kind of culture my dad was able to create when I was a kid.” Clark admits that his role is especially demanding due to his other new position as head soccer coach. However, he said, “I also feel lucky to be a part of a community that is so supportive when things do get hard.” On a similar note, Matt Jacobs, who previously served as Mercersburg’s baseball coach alongside his work in summer programs, said that he wanted a new opportunity to engage with students. “I could see the growth of the kids I coached in baseball, but I wanted to see a different side of their growth in the residential life component. I want to be a person they remember that made an impact on their Mercersburg experience,” Jacobs said. He wants to use his energy to create an environment where students can be their “authentic” selves. Tippetts prefect Jake Cruikshank ‘24 is excited to work with Jacobs, noting that Jacobs’ experience will be helpful for the majority of ninth and tenth grade residents of the dorm. Jacobs has received a strong reception from the new students. Resident Aidan Yang ‘26 appreciates Jacobs’ kindness and his ability to help him adjust to the unfamiliar dorm environment. The newly installed Dorm Deans share an excitement for the next step in their Mercersburg journey and a readiness for the challenges to come. Although this turnover in dorm personnel may require an adjustment from returning students, by giving time and patience to the new Dorm Deans, schoolwide residential life will thrive for years to come. Previous Next

Riley Choi '25 < Back Seniors showcase passion and purpose Riley Choi '25 On Monday, seniors presented their capstone projects to the community, displaying their results from their hard work of the past year. The capstone experience includes Springboard and Mercersburg’s Advanced Program for Global Studies (MAPS). MAPS is a two-year academic offering that leads to a research paper and a TED-style presentation in their senior year. The MAPS topics ranged from gender income discrimination in the Chinese workforce to reform of the CIA in the United States. MAPS has been a rewarding experience for the students. Cecilia Wang ’25 said, “MAPS really cultivated my critical thinking skills and I'm really interested in philosophical ideas and discussions in general. So, I think it is the start of my journey of exploring what the philosophical world looks like.” Bella Tai ’25 stated, “When I first started, I had a lot of ideas for what I could write about, and they were mostly concepts related to things I was interested in at the time. I never even thought of what I ended up researching, but now it’s what I’d like to do for my career.” Justin Oh ’25 said, “MAPS is a challenging but rewarding process, filled with a lot of personal satisfaction once you are finished taking the course. I have become a more inquisitive and knowledgeable person. Just listening to my peers and their topics has opened my eyes to so many different topics from water policy to genetic engineering.” The Mercersburg Springboard is the one-year senior capstone program that challenges students to deeply explore real-world topics through a deep dive into a topic culminating in a final project. Students then gather their knowledge together in a polished presentation evaluated by experts. Jaidee Promphan '25 chose to work in Research Science. She studied rosemary scent’s impact on short-term memory recall in female adolescents. She said, “I am very interested in the connection between smell and memories. [For instance,] my parents' perfume.” When discussing how she worked with her experiments, she said, “I did a lot of research for background information on my experiment, and went through some detailed processes like getting approval, etc. After that, I sent emails out to recruit more participants. Then, I started my first session (scented environment experiment) right away (with a gap of one week apart from the second session). A week later, I conducted my second session in a controlled/ unscented environment. The last part is data analysis where I try to find if there’s any pattern/correlation.” After her talk, she said, “It’s a mix between a proud moment and a fun time.” Cocona Yamamoto ’25 chose Arts Practicum. Her project, which she show-cased at the Springtalks, involved the creation of a “future tomb” for herself. She said, “I actually came up with this idea while solo-traveling around Europe. It was when I went to the British Museum in London… when I saw the sarcophagus and I was like, ‘Well, I want to be buried in that… Death is inevitable, so I'm going to plan ahead.’” Yamamoto ’25 said, “I'm going to be mummified, and then I'm going to be in the sarcophagus.” Looking back at the process of creating her sarcophagus, she said, “Taking the first step is always the hardest.” She continued, “[For] a lot of people, they procrastinate and never start, … which was kind of what I did, but as soon as you start the first step, either doodling or putting your hands on the play, your body just tells you what to do.” In the Maker’s Lab, Ana Botello Gaytan ’25 decided to create a squash racket. She said, “I've been into the squash racket that they originally used in the 1950s.” But this was not her initial plan for her Springboard project. She said, “I didn't have an idea at first. I was just wondering ‘What should I do?’... I was thinking of doing ceramics first, but then I was like, ‘I love squash’, so maybe something related to that.” The making process was no easy task. Botello Gaytan ’25 said, “I actually didn't know a lot of stuff… The process was similar to the videos, [which] were much easier, but when you [start making] it, it's really, really hard.” Her thoughts on this project were, “I hadn't done anything like that before. So it was a really nice experience.” Albert Park ’25 and Tahir Hasanov ’25, who also presented their project at Sprintalks, worked together in entrepreneurship and established Keepr. The idea originated when “Tahir and I were thinking about a serious problem impacting Mercersburg, we stumbled upon the fact that Dorm Room Movers is very pricey,” said Parks. “For international students like me, it [personal items] were either Dorm Room Movers or the bin, so I was essentially forced to pay hundreds of dollars for storage. In order to solve this problem, we came up with the idea: Keepr.” He added, “For the past couple of years, not a single project from Entrepreneurship was actually put into action. They were all hypothetical. So we are determined to bring our project into real life. We met with teacher, asking for advice, and outlined our project in a realistic way.” Their Springboard talk not only presented Keepr to Mercersburg, Park said, “[It] enabled us to fully connect to our target customer base, giving us the best possible chance to advertise our business.” Students like Tiana Lee ’25 participated in Open Topic. Lee’s topic was about cooking Korean dishes that gave her nostalgic vibes. She said, “We all had two projects [to work on], and my other one was about gender inequality. Since that one's a bit stressful, I decided to [present] my second one, [which is] a bit more fun. And of course, I'm a foodie, so I decided to cook my home country's food.” Expo Day was a chance for students to present their creativity to the school. Lee said, “I think it's really good that Expo Day gives a solid amount of time for students to think about what they are really passionate about because not a lot of classes allow you to do that.” Promphan said, “It was very nice to see everyone present their long-term project that they’ve been working on. It’s a mix between a proud moment and a fun time.” Of course, teachers are crucial to the continuation of these capstones. MAPS teacher Tim Kerr said, “I'm incredibly proud of the effort they put forth on both their papers and final presentations. These were topics all of us needed to know more about, and the style and grace that each senior brought to their presentations was marvelous.” Kelsey Rupp added, “I hope that they take away the knowledge of how to engage in a research process, and they're able to take the structure that we've given them throughout the past two years and take it with them into college, because I think that that's what's really special about this program.” JD Bennett said, “The gift of capstones is the gift of time. The capstones give kids that time back. Kids can dedicate themselves to a worthwhile, edifying project that is their own. I'm proud of Mercersburg for providing that opportunity, which is one of the myriad reasons I appreciate this place.” Previous Next

Reagan Houpt '25 < Back The Standard Response Protocol Reagan Houpt '25 The administration is implementing a new school-wide crisis protocol this year. Introduced at a school meeting on Thursday, September 26, the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) streamlines the community response to possible threats on campus. It enables community members to take swift measures in the face of danger by directing students and adults on campus to one of five distinct actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter. Each command responds to the severity and type of threat, whether it is an earthquake or an intruder. Informacast, a mass notification system that can override mute and do-not-disturb settings, will communicate essential information regarding the steps to take, making it more effective and reliable than text messaging. Although SRP and Informacast are just now being adopted, the consideraion of this crisis protocol has been two years in the making, according to Chief Financial and Operating Officer Rochelle Hargraves. The emergency team, consisting of a diverse group of faculty and staff representatives from key departments at Mercersburg, had to screen the protocol before enacting it. Associate Head of School Jennifer Craig said, “Most of the work on this specific protocol has been done to test and train adults, utilizing some employee meetings, so that the adults can know what to do when we test and train students with the app.” The faculty practiced in a series of tabletop exercises and scenarios, an iterative process that brought to attention a weakness within the preexisting crisis protocol: communication. Traditional text messaging, or SMS, is unsuitable for expedient mass notification. Informacast ensures that students, faculty, and staff immediately receive instructions on the actions they must take. A school-wide trial of the new system occurred on Friday, October 4, when the system notified community members of a gas leak in Ford Hall, quickly followed by another message declaring it a test. This proved the rapid efficiency of the messaging system in case of a true emergency. Implementing this crisis protocol is only one step toward the larger goal of improving campus safety. Craig stated, “Developing incident readiness has been part of Mercersburg's practice for a long time. Administrative and Board-supported teams will scrutinize safety practices, a policy realignment like our weapons initiative, and new app development geared toward instantaneous reporting regarding safety has led us toward an audit of our emergency policies in general.” The protocol is still in the experimental phase, and the emergency team is actively seeking out questions, concerns, and ways to improve upon its implementation. Following the presentation at the school meeting, there were mixed feelings among the student body. Avery Liu ‘25 said, “As a student, I definitely feel safer knowing that the teachers and staff are taking initiatives try and keep us safe. Also, the protocol seems easy to understand, and it’s a good way to have everyone on the same page.” However, Chloe Allis ‘25 admitted that the increased attention on potential safety threats, although necessary, left her unnerved. Generally, students agreed that the simple, clear directions outlined in the SRP are effective and understandable. Still, students continue to raise various concerns regarding the system. Susanna Huang ‘27 noted, “As an international student, my friends and I talked about how different time zones can make it difficult for students to contact parents in these [emergency] circumstances.” Hargraves discussed the future of safety protocol at Mercersburg, perhaps including student leadership on the emergency team. Regardless, the implementation of the Standard Response Protocol and Informacast messaging system represents greater efforts to increase campus safety and protect the community from potential dangers. Previous Next

Ben Pham ‘27 < Back Different hall, same food Ben Pham ‘27 As Mercersburg Academy opens its doors to both new and returning students, the campus is also welcoming a renovated dining hall. While scaffolding and construction currently mask Ford Hall, the school is serving meals in the Hale Field House. Students are divided on this adaptation. Revant Jear ’28 says, “As a Main Hall resident, it's a little more convenient at times since I don’t have to worry about rushing to the dining hall especially since squash ends a little bit later.” Tristan Paulette ’27 contests, "It's more inconvenient for me because I have to walk across the track instead of a paved road.” Marcus Lee ’27 added, "It's kind of far from my classes; it's annoying to go from Irvine to the dining hall and then to Irvine.” New student Blake Wool ’27, who has yet to experience eating at the Ford Hall location, comments, “It's too short. We don’t have enough time between periods to get to the dining hall.” Matt Krause ’26, also new, add, “I get sweaty a lot between the walks.” The move has also created logistical problems. Robotics teacher DJ Weymuth explained, “It’s taken away from the ability to have games and events in the field house. The lines have also been longer; however, we’ve addressed that with the lane dividers.” To mitigate the inconvenience of using the Field House, Head of School Quentin McDowell suggests, “We have some alternative spaces; we’ll probably vary the times everyone uses them. We appreciate everyone's flexibility. We’ve even had the local church volunteer for us to use their basketball courts. FLIK dining staff Pajane Samba says, “It's challenging, but luckily Mercersburg provides us with the equipment that we need. [They] made sure that there's a new walkway out there that was built for us [to more easily transport the food]. They made sure that we have a food truck that can transport the food from one location to another. So, it's challenging, but it's not hard. We're going through it.” Despite the mixed opinions, McDowell explains, “The judgment call is what our entire community needs versus what a portion of our community needs. This is too important for us to forgo having family-style meals and starting the year together this way, even when I know there's a negative impact.” Despite difficulty and inconvenience, McDowell says, “We appreciate the community's flexibility. The end result is a beautiful new dining center, so we’ll have to go through some pain in the process.” Previous Next