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< Back Fetter is better October 28, 2022 at 10:00:00 PM Taimur Rehman '25 John Fetterman and Doug Shapiro are the Democratic candidates for this year’s Senate and gubernatorial races in Pennsylvania, respectively. Fetterman is the sitting Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania and is fairly different from your typical Senator. Fetterman prides himself on being a man of the people and a progressive, with some of his main focuses being the legalization of marijuana, criminal justice reform, raising the minimum wage to $15, and having a right to attainable health care. This is not the only reason that I believe Fetterman is the obviously better candidate. Fetterman’s Republican opponent, talk show star Dr. Mehmet Oz, used to be a highly respected and brilliant cardiac surgeon but decided that promoting pseudoscience and alternative medicine for large payouts was a better usage of his time. The Democratic choice for governor, Josh Shapiro, is the state’s attorney general and focuses his platform on LGBTQ+ rights, workers' rights, election security, and reproductive rights. His opponent, State Senator Doug Mastriano, a former US Army Colonel, is a far-right and rather radical choice for the state. Mastriano’s platform focuses on eliminating mail-in voting, severely restricting abortion rights, and propping up the coal and natural gas industries. Shapiro’s political career started right after he left Georgetown Law, when he ran for the PA House of Representatives. Shapiro’s tenure as attorney general has been one of effectiveness and action, in which he’s done good work for Pennsylvanians. Mastriano on the other hand, has done little as a State Senator, with a majority of his time spent opposing bills and being banned from committees for leaking confidential information. Mastriano’s Ph.D., which he frequently flaunts and uses to buttress his claims, is now being called into question. Mastriano is claimed to have falsified information and made assumptions during the writing of his thesis. Pennsylvania needs to decide whether its loyalties lie with the far-right or whether it wants to take a step towards true leadership with the election of Shapiro and Fetterman. While both Shapiro and Fetterman have problems of their own, the election of Mastriano and Oz would be a step backward for Pennsylvania, and fundamentally endanger many of the rights of Pennsylvanians. So this November at the polls, consider what you want to be the future of the Commonwealth and decide whether your loyalties lie with the betterment of the state or with a mere political party. Previous Next

William Luo ’27 < Back Swim team makes a splash William Luo ’27 Nov 14, 2025 The Mercersburg Academy swim team impressed at its home invitational last weekend, logging strong results across multiple events and showing steady improvement early in the season. Head coach Matt Hurst said, “The team performed really well. They showed enthusiasm in training, and the coaches knew that they were going to show up in this meet.” Assistant coach Steve Fowler added, “We had some surprisingly good swims, which were uncommon this early in the year. And the events that we were comparatively off were executed really well.” The meet featured individual standouts as well as close training-partner battles that added to the excitement. “Matt Krause ’26 performed really well on the backstroke and did really well on the 200 breaststroke,” said Coach Fowler. “Teagan Mewett ’27 in her breaststroke events, too, especially at an early-November meet. Those two really stand out early in the year.” The day’s highlights came in the final event. “Jayden Kwon ’27 and Josh Lopez ’26 basically swam in sync for the entirety of the race in the 500 freestyle, which was the last event of the meet,” said Coach Matt. “They both achieved really good times, and it showed just how strong a team we are.” For many swimmers, the invitational was a chance to measure progress and build momentum heading into the heart of the season. “I think this meet shows how much we are improving throughout the season and how we can do in different events,” Kwon recalled. Lopez commented that the team’s success was the product of months of demanding work. “There are definitely hard training, hard lifts, and tough days,” he said. “But it is definitely rewarding overall because when tiredness strikes, you always have your teammates around you, so it makes up for the pain.” “There was fatigue, but the team also pushed on and finished the meet with amazing performances,” Coach Hurst noted. “This demonstrates that tiredness doesn’t always dictate the outcome of the practice or the meet, so I believe we are in a pretty good place.” Senior Tuana Özdemir ’26 added, “I was always afraid of any events that are 200 meters or above,” she said. “I got to conquer that over the season and was more confident in the meet as I achieved great times on those events.” The Mercersburg swim team graduated a large senior class last year, but the coaches see this season as an opportunity to rebuild depth and develop the next wave of contributors. As Hurst said, “It weakened some of our top-end events. But what we have is a building block and a good foundation. We have great depth this year, especially the younger swimmers, who have shown up for practices and had really good performances this past weekend.” Looking forward, the coaching staff emphasized building a lasting, athlete-driven team culture. “It’s really about creating an environment where everybody is a leader of themselves,” Fowler said. “It’s not just about the seniors. We want even the younger swimmers to be part of that. That kind of culture is what we want to build upon.” Previous Next

Sheily Ramirez ’28 < Back Heartfelt finish for the storm Sheily Ramirez ’28 Nov 14, 2025 Last Thursday, the varsity girls soccer team poured sweat, tears, collaboration, and hard work into their final Commonwealth Cup game against the Hill School under the lights. The girls were ready to leave it all on the field in their final game of the season. The game ended in a close 1–0 loss for Storm players. Alice Morgan ’26 said, “There was a lot of pressure because we had already lost against Hill this season, and we had worked hard to get to play them again, having to beat other teams to get there.” The matchup was intense from the start, but despite Hill’s early pressure, the Storm stayed strong, goalkeeper Annie Mohr ’26 keeping the team in the match with several key saves. “It felt good, even though the outcome wasn’t what we wanted,” Mohr said. Head coach Kristen Pixler added, “We played well against a very evenly matched team. We had an unfortunate bobble and miscommunication that led to Hill getting on the board.” Assistant coach Nabil Alami added, “I felt the girls gave everything on the pitch. They really went the extra mile. It was very close in the score; it could’ve gone either way.” Throughout the game, the team’s unity and effort stood out. “The team put a lot of heart and effort into this game; we never gave up or turned on each other,” said Lilly Killinger ’26. Even when they fell behind, the energy on the field and in the stands remained high. “The crowd was really energetic, which definitely gave us a lot of energy,” Mohr added. The team’s improvement shone in this performance. “At the beginning of the season, there was a lot more selfish play, but over time we’ve gotten a lot stronger,” said Grace Himes ’28. Pixler stated, “This group really understands the game. Their tactical skill and communication are the areas of biggest growth.” Still, the season did not remain free from challenges. “There were a lot of injuries this season, especially for our attacking players, but I think we did a good job compensating for that,” explained Emily Wallace ’29. Mohr said, “We were an underdog team for a lot of the season, so that was a challenge, but we’ve made a good record this year.” Despite the setbacks, the team’s chemistry only strengthened. Killinger said, “Favorite memory from this season was when last year we beat Lawrenceville 1–0. They said it was a fluke, and then this year we drove out to Lawrenceville and beat them again, two to one. It was really exciting to show that it wasn’t a fluke, that we really are a great team.” Coach Alami reflected on the team’s progress, saying, “From week one to last week, they’ve been tremendous. They’ve improved their transitions, passes, shots, corners, and free kicks.” Pixler credited the senior class for shaping the team. “They remember that we play the game of soccer and that no matter how badly you want to win, your integrity and quality of character come first,” she said. Although the game ended in a tight loss, it was a night to remember. As Morgan put it, “Everyone was in tears, even people I hadn’t seen cry. It was really emotional.” This game marked the end of a meaningful chapter for the team. Previous Next

Michael Zhang ’26 & Tristan Paulette ’27 < Back The hike to get your food Michael Zhang ’26 & Tristan Paulette ’27 Last week, Mercersburg Academy announced that all food deliveries must now be made to a centralized location outside the Edwards Room. The location was selected to limit traffic on campus and so that the address, “2 Rutledge Road,” will be impossible for incoming delivery drivers to miss. An additional Campus Safety Officer will be stationed on site to monitor the area. The move followed a series of events that raised safety concerns for the school community. Chief Financial and Operating Officer Rochelle Hargraves said, “[Several] incidents occurred. [In one of them,] a delivery driver insisted that a student get into his car to give directions. Additionally, we’ve had multiple instances in which food or grocery delivery drivers have entered the dormitories.” Associate Head of School Jen Craig said, “There was way more access and much less safety around different deliveries; [drivers] were driving too fast around dorms.” The location change will centralize deliveries and make enforcement of campus rules simpler and more effective. “[Those incidents] pose a safety risk to all students, and our primary goal is to ensure the safety of our community,” stated Hargraves. “By moving the food delivery location to the Edwards Room entrance, we are ensuring that delivery drivers do not enter our campus and aiming to reduce in-person interaction between the delivery driver and the student placing the order.” School leaders attributed the surge in delivery frequency to the limited on-campus dining options. “The fact that we don’t have a True Blue Café [most likely leads] to an [increase] in food deliveries at this moment,” said Craig. Naturally, students’ responses vary depending on their dorm’s distance from the delivery location. Main Hall prefect Eric Cittadine ’26 commented, “It’s really annoying having to walk that far, especially when it’s so cold. But I guess it isn’t too far, especially compared to some of the other dorms.” Swank Hall resident Paris Zhang ’27 said, “Honesty, it’s not a big hustle for me. I do see why they want to protect our safety, but I feel like there are better ways [to do so] than making people walk all the way to Keil.” “I think it’s inconvenient for people who live far away, like people in Tippetts. I know it’s temporary; hopefully it will change soon,” Matthew Orders ’27, a Tippetts Hall resident, noted. Swank Hall resident Renny Rana ’26 added, “My thing is that it’s kind of inconvenient when you’re just quickly studying, and then you have to go all the way to Keil [Hall], so I have to walk all the way outside my dorm just to go to the Edwards Room.” Rana continued, expanding on an experience in which she received a behavior notification for sending her food delivery to the wrong location: “I ordered Panera, and I forgot to switch my address. And then, [Campus Security] took a photo of me getting my food. Later, [Kristin] Ahlgren talked to me, and I got a behavior notice.” Although this solution is intended to be temporary, the school administration has yet to reach a consensus on a permanent solution. Craig discussed the long-term plan for food delivery: “We’ve begun to talk about it, but no, there are not any specific plans as of this moment.” Previous Next

Front Page News Nov 14, 2025 Bribed for breakfast Chris Carbone ’26 Read More Nov 14, 2025 The hike to get your food Michael Zhang ’26 & Tristan Paulette ’27 Read More Nov 7, 2025 Dorm, Sweet Dorm! Mingyu Lee ’28 Read More Oct 31, 2025 Living between the lines Bauhinia Chen ’26 & Tristan Paulette ’27 Read More Oct 17, 2025 ’26 victorious at Founder’s Day Tristan Paulette ’27 Read More Oct 10, 2025 Is this headline ChatGPTed? William Shen ’27 Read More Oct 3, 2025 A living tradition: Family Weekend Simon Brennan ’26 Read More Sep 26, 2025 Painting ’26 Simon Brennan ’26 Read More Sep 26, 2025 Mounds, Vegans, and Hancock Maddie Stonebreaker ’27 Read More Sep 19, 2025 A change in the system: Help Centers Tristen Paulette '27 and Michael Zhang '26 Read More Sep 12, 2025 Rooted in belonging By Tristan Paulette ‘27 and Michael Zhang ‘26 FRONT Page Co-Editors Read More Sep 12, 2025 Different hall, same food Ben Pham ‘27 Read More May 16, 2025 Devin wants your vote! Cole Piraino ’26 Read More May 16, 2025 VISAble tension Bauhinia Chen ’26 Editor-in-Chief Read More May 9, 2025 Seniors showcase passion and purpose Riley Choi '25 Read More Apr 25, 2025 Ex-Ed Day: learning through connection Maddie Mamoudis '27 Read More Apr 18, 2025 Frazier: a master of artistic justice Lusas Chen '27 Read More Apr 18, 2025 Buzzing with excitement: Del Toro returns Ben Pham '27 Read More Apr 4, 2025 7/11? More like 24/7 Audrey Hua '26 and Bauhinia Chen '26 Read More Apr 4, 2025 Our Students are (O)h (S)o (L)oyal Elizabeth Orders '25 Read More

Chris Carbone ’26 < Back Bribed for breakfast Chris Carbone ’26 On November 4, 2025, Andy Brown, Dean of Students for Community Life, announced a raffle at breakfast each morning in the dining hall, aiming to increase attendance at the first meal of the day in the run-up to exam week. Associate Head of School Jennifer Craig had anticipated a variety of difficulties for the community during the dining hall renovation. “We had already planned for the impact of using the Hale Field House on our athletics program, but students not attending breakfast was probably the next largest concern.” Craig added, “A number of people were noticing that there were fewer numbers of students at breakfast, and a few students had begun to anecdotally report that they were ‘hitting a wall’ late morning in class,” referencing students’ perceived energy levels in the classroom before lunch. It became evident that the location of the new dining hall served to discourage student attendance. Craig said that students needed an incentive, and it was settled that a breakfast initiative, in the form of a raffle, would be the best course of action. The goal of the initiative was to promote healthier habits among students. Chief Advancement Officer John Richardson, who led the initiative, explained, “I started [the initiative] more to try to break some habits” and to “[get] people in the habit of eating.” Quentin McDowell ’25, ’27 expanded on Richardson’s idea: “We want students to realize the added value and benefits of having breakfast each day and that all starts with showing up. Once there we hope people will find that eating a good breakfast really does make for a better, more energy filled day. The raffle is scheduled for the three-week period prior to Thanksgiving vacation. Richardson explained, “In order to break a habit, you need to do something consistently for three weeks,” and the breakfast raffle’s timing was strategic for this reason. Brown also wanted to offer students a respite before exams. “The fall term is always long, and so then also to be able to do something kind of fun at the end, is also hopefully beneficial for students as well,” he said. Many students have favorably responded to the raffle initiative. Eric Wang ’27 noted, “I feel like it's important that the school has taken awareness of the situation that a lot of us aren’t eating breakfast.” Thomas Zhu ’26 echoed Wang, commenting, “I think it's a very fun activity that the school is doing, and I like how they are using some of their funds to promote better student health.” While the raffle may not continue into Winter Term, the school still plans an initiative to advance student attendance. In the future, Mercersburg Academy will continue to offer grab-and-go breakfast options in various locations around campus, something that Wang mentioned as “really convenient considering the [current] circumstances.” Brown continued to describe the school’s goals. “Any time that we can help reinforce healthy habits, you know, eating multiple meals, getting up early, [the message is] always beneficial.” Previous Next

Michael Zhang ‘26 < Back Golfers look ahead to the spring Michael Zhang ‘26 Nov 1, 2024 The Blue Storm golf team wrapped up its season earlier this week, one of the toughest in a while after “having lost so many key contributors from last year's squad,” according to Head Coach Doug Smith. Cam Geirasch ’26 and Jackson McLear ‘27 concurred. “Last year, we had two Division 1 commits. This year, we're kind of in a rebuilding stage,” said Geirasch. McLear added, “One of the main challenges we’ve faced this year is that our team is so young. A lot of the really good players from last year graduated.” Smith continued, “The season for the boys has been good but we haven't reached the goals we set out for ourselves as individuals yet.” Gierasch offered his perspective. “The season has been [filled with] lots of ups and downs. Golf is a really difficult game; it’s really important when you fall down to just get back up. We've had days where we've played pretty well, but there's also days when we're not playing very well,” he said, adding, “Also, the mental aspect of golf is really difficult… [but] we’ve always gone into matches with positive attitudes.” Stewart Allan '27 shared his teammates’ optimism: “The season has been fairly good. We’ve had some pretty good days of practice and some good tournaments, too.” One aspect of the team that everyone agreed upon was the positive vibes. Smith smiled, “The culture is very strong…. We have a solid team chemistry.” Again, Gierasch and McLean were in accordance. “We’ve gotten to build a lot of team chemistry. And overall, it’s been a fun season,” said Geirasch . McLear added, “Most importantly, each team member really got to know the others better.” On Monday, the Blue Storm boys golf team traveled to Radley Run Golf Course for the Pennsylvania independent schools championship tournament. Gierasch explained his practice regimen leading up to the tourney: “The PAISAA tournament is a season-long process. For me, I've been preparing since the beginning of summer for this; I focused on range work and taking different lessons with coaches.” “Most of our training for the state tournament was very personalized and individualized. We all worked on the shots that needed the most work on, especially on Sunday. For example, the [players] who needed the most work on putting focused on their putting,” elaborated Allan. While the results weren’t as the team had hoped, the team feels they can build on their performance. McLear said, “Golf is a tough sport. Even though we didn’t perform our best on Monday, we gave it our all and tried our best.” Looking ahead to the spring season and to next fall, Smith said, “Our goals for the season are to simply improve and grow our games. We are very young and are in the process of laying our foundation for the [future]. We know what we can do and we are all committed to achieving the best we can.” Smith elaborated on the challenges that face Blue Storm golfers: “This is simply the reality of the sport of golf, unless you have a course on campus you have to drive there. In fact it gives us time to talk and come closer as a team,” adding, “We run a very healthy program. Once we get our simulators into a permanent and accessible home we will be all set.” Senior Ryan Kothari ’26 summed things up: “Obviously as a new team, being in those building phases, we're figuring things out, but it's definitely been an uphill battle. We're doing a good job of making sure everybody's being consistent in our games. But it's been good. I'm excited to see spring term golf.” Previous Next

Shubhlean Kaur '27 < Back Arts Showcase: diversity in creativity Shubhlean Kaur '27 Oct 4, 2024 This past Saturday, Mercersburg Academy’s Fall Arts Showcase served as the year’s artistic kickoff during Family And Alumni Weekend. The night began with a preview of Stony Batter’s production of Puffs , an entertaining twist on the plot of Harry Potter from the perspective of the Hufflepuff house. The scene introduced many new student actors as well as veterans. Ary Small ‘27, the narrator of the show, said, “I enjoyed being able to perform for the parents because some might not be able to come to other performances.” The full production of Puffs will go up on October 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Simon Theatre. Following the thespians, Chorale showcased their voices and talent with two pieces. New director, Ben Demerath said, “It was a great experience, the kids did great. It’s really amazing to see how much they can do in just a few weeks.” The first piece was “Siyahamb,” a South African folk song, and the second song, “No Shortcuts” by Heather Maloney, involved the audience laying down the rhythm for the singers. Members of Advanced Students Musical Theater then took the stage to perform an act from the musical Mamma Mia , involving acting, singing, and dancing. The audience received the number “Voulez-Vous” energetically. Next came the dance pieces. Caroline Hobbs ‘26 and Elizabeth Orders ‘25 presented their duet, which they choreographed to “Your Needs, My Needs” by Noah Kahan. Members of the dance PGA danced to “Bette Davis Eyes” by BOY. The Fall Dance Concert will feature these pieces and the entire show on November 9 at 7:30 pm in the Simon Theatre. To close off the night, the Jazz Band performed “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Soloists Zara Kimotho ‘28 and Ethan Stiffler ‘25, displayed their skills along with those of the entire band. Tristan Paulette ‘27 noted, “There was definitely energy from the audience and the players, which I think really brought out the best of the players, especially in their dynamics and how they worked together. I just thought it was really good.” The galleries of the Burgin Center for the Arts featured works from a range of visual art mediums: painting, ceramics, photography, and drawing. Art teacher Kristen Pixler said, “It’s really early in this work, and I’m always so incredibly amazed at what they can pull off in less than a month.” The entire Fall Arts Showcase was an important way for parents to see their children's artistic abilities on the stage and around the Burgin. With the Fall Arts Showcase completed, the performing arts groups are now preparing for their next performances. Paulette explained, “I’m really looking forward to performing on and off campus this year and I think it’s awesome what the arts groups have been able to make and do this year.” Previous Next

Avery Liu '25 < Back Addie's album: finding her fire Avery Liu '25 Oct 4, 2024 Addie Heldman ‘25 recently dropped her long-anticipated EP (extended play). The drop included 4 original songs with full lyrics. Heldman’s style of music blends pop and folk to create a unique sound. She counts among her influences Lorde and Billie Eilish as well as music from her childhood. She said, “I draw a lot of inspiration from the music I listened to growing up, like Fleetwood Mac, The Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones. A lot of Bluegrass, because my dad is super into that. So that sort of Bluegrass feel with my teenage girl pop self.” Heldman described her creative process. “Sometimes I write songs about a feeling. Sometimes I write songs about an experience. Other times it's more like a vision I have, like an image that I can see in my head,” she said, “or it’s dreams, like I’ll wake up in the middle of the night all the time with a song lyric in my head.” Only recently has she moved to make her music public. “I decided I wanted to take it to the next level because my songs were getting more serious.” Heldman’s musical family members helped her take her compositions to a more professional place. “I’m really lucky to have such great support, like my sisters,” she said. “So luckily, I have a pretty creative family so my sister, who’s a director, helped me figure out how to find a producer, and we went from there.” She also described how they assisted her during her endeavor. “Both my sisters are really talented musicians, my sister Lillith really helped me with the harmonies. She didn’t sing in any of the songs with me but she would stand in the booth pointing up or down for how high or low I should go which was super helpful.” The grueling process of recording the songs involved dedication and hard work. “It was tough,” Heldman said, “It was a four-day recording process, at least 10 hours a day in the studio, singing, and singing, and singing, and playing guitar until my fingers were almost bleeding.” The physical process wasn’t the only hurdle Heldman encountered. “I mean being vulnerable with people is tough.” She said, “I don’t want people to be, you know, worried about me if they perceive a song in a way that makes me seem a certain way. But I think being vulnerable is good and bad for me.” To those listening to her songs, Heldman has a message. “I want my listeners to know that it's for them,” Heldman said. “It’s for people to feel seen because we're living in sort of a tough time right now where the world is feeling pretty complicated. I want to express my unique experiences and then have people feel seen and validated and that's my goal for my songs.” Emphasizing the support system around her, Heldman said, “My parents have always been big inspirations for me, and given me such good [a] good taste in music, and my friends for streaming the songs over and over again. So that’s great and I’m lucky to have them all.” Heldman’s full songs are currently released on Bandcamp and she plans to release the songs in the near future once a week on other streaming platforms including Spotify. Previous Next

Ben Pham ‘27 < Back “Thirds” time’s the charm Ben Pham ‘27 Oct 11, 2024 Last Saturday, the Blue Storm girls varsity tennis team played against The Lawrenceville School, finishing the day with a 0-7 loss. Despite the defeat, head coach Mike Sweeney remained optimistic, noting, “Our team is doing pretty well. In terms of wins and losses, we’re now 4-3; we’ve picked up two wins in MAPL, which is really good. We’ve beaten Pennington and Hun with a close loss to Blair. In terms of Lawrenceville, their tennis team is really good, so we didn’t have much of a shot yesterday since they’re battling for the MAPL Championships.” This season, the team has expanded to 47 players, a number that can be challenging to manage, but, as Sweeney said, “Our captains, Hisano Enomoto ’25, Mogere Nyakoe ’25, and Cate Doughterty ’25, are doing a good job of leading the kids and practice has been really productive.” He added, “Also, we have five boys that are helping us as managers this season and those guys really do fill a lot of needs. If we need to have someone work with somebody, we can have the boys come and help, or they’ll help us run drills. Having something like that works really well.” Beyond the varsity squad, the tennis program has added a thirds team and two new assistant coaches. The JV team is now headed by Coach Ken Craig, whose creativity and enthusiasm keep practices upbeat. Reese Alter ’26 remarked, “He’s introduced a lot of fun games for us, which I think is fun, and he focuses a lot on doubles and teaching us how to play and teaching us how to communicate with each other.” In an interesting anecdote, Shelly Shen ’26 said, “Since Mr. Craig had a free block before practice, he came [to practice] with a lot of ideas that he wanted to experiment with. This shows us that he loves running the practice with us, and even in our games, Mr. Craig cares a lot about our overall performance. He often goes around making sure everyone gets feedback and encouragement; in general, he’s contributed a lot to the unity of the team.” The introduction of the thirds team offers a more accessible entry point for beginners. Coach Kathleen Su, who has coached boys JV tennis for three years, now leads the team. Like the other coaches, Su also believes splitting the team has strengthened the program. Su explained, “When you pit beginners up against varsity players, there's a certain factor of intimidation from the varsity players. Having three teams allows you to play against someone at your skill level, which allows more opportunities for growth as well as having fun.” Tiana Lee ’25 agreed, noting, “I think she definitely tried to make it more recreational so that players can fully enjoy the process and the sport in general.” The new thirds team allows inexperienced players more opportunities for growth at a slower pace in a more personalized program. Ellie Yang ’27 said, “Coach Su was really kind, she didn’t judge a lot of us beginners. I wasn’t really good when I started so she gave me a personalized training plan, which included drills that I should work on and how to adapt to tennis based on my previous experiences with other sports. I feel like I improved a lot in just a month!” Looking ahead, Coach Su’s goals are simple but impactful. She said, “Ultimately, the goal is to have fun and improve. I want these girls to keep playing and maybe even make it to the varsity team someday.” Next week, the varsity team faces Georgetown Day on Wednesday, followed by a critical match against MAPL-rival Hill. Coach Sweeney is focused on the weekend’s challenge, and he has high hopes for the team. "We have Hill on Saturday, which I feel is another opportunity to pick up a third MAPL victory that we’re really aiming for this weekend,” Sweeney said. Previous Next

Rhiannon Myhre ‘25 < Back A timeless shopping experience Rhiannon Myhre ‘25 Jan 26, 2024 Most students are familiar with the big names in town spots: McDonald's, Subway, and Rutters. However, Mercersburg is also home to many fantastic, community-fostering local businesses. Some have been around for generations, and others are just getting their start. These businesses are essential to the community, aid the local economy, and promote events like Town Fest and Springfest, and all play a vital role in the friendly and welcoming culture of the town. However, this is only possible with the efforts of people like Renee Kelly, Corbin Kelly's ‘24 mom. Kelly recently opened an antique shop in the heart of town featuring a unique, diverse catalog of pre-Civil War items. The store is called Hour and Glass, located at 19 North Main Street. Kelly stated, "Following our passions led us to open our business. Combined with our dreams, probably the most significant reason is we love Mercersburg and we wanted to make a contribution in hopes of boosting the downtown. I'm kind of a daydreamer and dreamt of eventually becoming a hip little spot to find vintage swag." Kelly doesn't run her business by herself; with the help and support of her husband, Will LaFond, it has been a team effort. "My husband would tell you he enjoys finding, fixing, and sharing interesting items. His background is rooted in early American history, antiques, and architecture. He absolutely loves teaching people something new any time you meet him." If you are interested in a shop marked by an eclectic aesthetic and charm, featuring collectibles from antique clocks to custom stained glass, this is your go-to store. Kelly has many hopes for the store and the items she hopes to sell shortly. "There's lots of people who are wanting to make downtown even more fun and inviting. It would be great to hear what's sought after. Like, would somebody please sell boba tea!?!" Next time you go out for a McDonald's or Rutters run, stop by Hour and Glass on your way and check out the amazing work that Kelly and her family are doing. Previous Previous Next Next

Caroline Hobbs ’22 and Justin Oh ’25 < Back The State of the School Caroline Hobbs ’22 and Justin Oh ’25 With the recent Board of Regents meeting in New York City in mind, The Mercersburg News interviewed Head of School Quentin McDowell and Associate Head of School Jennifer Craig to assess the state of the school mid-year and review the school’s long-term ambitions. Topics of discussion included DEI, faculty turnover, the new boarding school admissions landscape, defining school culture, faculty committees, and connecting with the local borough community. Mercersburg News: What can you tell us about the recent Board of Regents meeting in New York? Jennifer Craig: When we're talking about big changes to the school or governance of the dollars of the school or things like that, that is what that meeting is about. We talked about financial sustainability; we have some campus planning going on for different parts of the infrastructure; there was a gender task force and a section of the meeting where we were talking about gender inclusivity. We talked a lot about PGAs; there was a significant increase in the number of PGAs at one point because of COVID. [We asked,] 'Should [PGAs] be called that? Do we have the right ones? Are we offering what we should be offering to our students? What is the intentionality behind our programming?' MN: How has school culture changed because of COVID? How is the school attempting to restore or improve its culture? QM: I think that culture is directly tied to your individual experience. During the pandemic, only 70 of our students had had a full year here, uninterrupted. That's a fraction of our students, so obviously, the culture did weaken. From the little things like picking up trash and holding doors but to larger issues as well. Our culture should be that we see and appreciate the differences and the value that each one of us brings in terms of what we have done. So how do we make sure that we foster culture? One way is listening to students, so I meet with [student council executives] Ruby [Shang ’24] and Jordan [Yuan ’24] regularly now. We are also looking at policy ideas, such as behavior, the point system, the check-in and check-out policy, and we are trying to create a way for students to have sleepovers. MN: How has the administration been attempting to address the change in school culture following COVID? How has the community evolved over the past four years since COVID? What efforts have been taken to restore that loss of culture? JC: I am going to talk about schools more [broadly] because this is only my second year, and it is hard for me to talk about pre-/during COVID. I was at a different school in a different country during that time. Yet, one thing I have learned… working at schools in four different countries [is that] students and adolescents worldwide need to be loved first and challenged second. Risk-taking is part of the developmental growth of adolescence. There was such fear that gripped the world during that time, so adolescents weren't able to take the safe risks they would have. That risk is almost the defining factor. If you think evolutionarily—my background is in biology—humans have the longest care period from being a fertilized egg to being independent, so what you do during that time is important. Adolescence is a stage of risk-taking, so a person can be a truly developed being. All the teaching that needs to happen to let an adolescent take important risks [was lacking during COVID] . So now, some of the fear that was rampant during that time is still with us. Already, adolescence is a time when you think, "Don't stand out," because you want to be a part of something, but the whole point of going to the next step is stepping out, sticking out, being distinctive, and being focused and going for something even if it takes more work or is a little risky or shows you something different, so [our job] is helping and challenging kids [push] farther than their comfort zone. I believe in the power of education to transform lives. If a school can't push and challenge kids to think beyond what they were before they got here, it's not transformative [enough]; we are going back to a moment of transforming kids. MN: How does the school intend to continue to nurture its relations with the town and people of Mercersburg? Why do you think it is important that the Academy work to strengthen its relationship with the surrounding community? QM: Here's one thing I will say: there is no Mercersburg Academy without Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. It’s really important to remember that we all own homes in the community and that we pay taxes and do all those things, you know, the practical stuff. We also have this whole area of financial support where we help with emergency services and the fire department and help with the community playground in the summer. I think as we consider the future, it's about building actual relationships, people-to-people. So I've been meeting with the superintendent, I have a meeting coming up with the Water Authority. I've met with a vibrancy committee chair. We now have somebody on the Chamber of Commerce Board, [Director of Executives Services] De-Enda Rotz. I meet regularly with the mayor of Mercersburg. We can be partnering on My Neighbor's Bounty and helping our local food pantry. Dreaming about the future, we may take on a Habitat for Humanity project with students from the high school, but do it in a way that doesn't act like we're helping. It should feel like we're coming together. MN: What do you make of the recent developments in the DEI Office? How has the Office been making strides? Where does the community have room to improve in fulfilling its DEI goals? QM: At schools, I don't think that there is ever wasted energy around equity and inclusion. And I think that what has been really wonderful over the past couple of years is drummed hot or desired intentions to make our community more equitable and more inclusive, [such as the] creation of affinity spaces. We see a lot of work done to influence programming much of which [comes from both] students and adults. Oftentimes it's not visible, but it's happening in the background to make sure that we're considering how to create a more equitable curriculum and how to generate the kinds of conditions necessary to feel a sense of inclusion and belonging, so I'm really happy with the work today. I think it is a horizon-chasing endeavor, meaning that we'll never arrive. I'm happy with where we are, but if we are still here a year from now, I won't be happy. I think we always have to be continually working on it and making progress, and that might be our neurodivergent thinkers, our international students, considering LGBTQIA+ community, right? How do we make sure all of our marginalized and more vulnerable segments of our community feel engaged and included? MN: How do you see the inaugural year of the Civic Engagement Committee panning out? What are your future ambitions for the Committee? Are there any other faculty committees you wish to discuss? JC: To me, we have this phrase, “individual humility and collective pride,” the phrase that I hope comes through civic engagement. The humility piece means we listen deeply to our community members and work on the voices in our lives. We work on those skills so that we come into this inaugural year openhearted and think about what it means to be a part of a community. There is training that the faculty and staff will be doing on deep listening. We go into groups, tell stories, and conduct floor-like interviews.… [W]hat I more concretely think we are going to be doing is students will have a certain curriculum within a certain class. The group is also interested in getting out the vote. There will likely be parts of getting out into the community as well. MN: Where is Mercersburg planning to improve its infrastructure? What does the timeline currently shaping up to look like? What measures are being taken to ensure future infrastructure endeavors are environmentally friendly and sustainable? QM: This year we finished a campus master plan, which essentially outlines what we believe needs to happen. We believe that we need a new Science and Technology Center. We also recognize that at some point we're gonna need a new dormitory, and the new dormitory will allow us again to get into our other dorms and start doing the work that needs to be done in those dorms. And then we know that from a community perspective, our dining hall and our kitchen needs to be updated. In particular, it goes back to the DEI work and that sense of inclusion and community and connection and culture. We really need to be investing in food and in the food experience for our students. Every time we go in and look at a new building or the renovation of an existing space, we also ask ourselves…: Can we take some square footage away? Can we add square footage? And how do we do that efficiently and sustainably? That is by making sure that the architects we work with are certified with LEED and other environmental certifications, which we have made sure of. Another part of the process is that we are also doing a study about the power plant for the whole school and how we get all of our electricity. How do we get heat and air and gas and all of that? We're doing a full study to understand what it is that we do now. We're also looking at solar arrays. What would that look like? What it would take to tap into our own water sources instead of using refined water from the tap? MN: How can the school address the recent widespread faculty turnover? Is this a new development, and if so how do you wish to address it? QM: I don't know that I would categorize it as widespread faculty turnover. The main reason for the large turnover in previous years was due to the pandemic. On the one hand it's really hard for me because we're losing great people that I believe in and want to have here, but on the other hand we are following a lot of national trends that education was hard hit by the pandemic. It was a really difficult stressful time for teachers and educators. And so a lot of people are looking for other opportunities outside of education and other schools. I think that's calmed down quite a bit with a very normal year of turnover last year. I'm hoping and predicting a more normal year. It has forced us to think about our recruitment and retention efforts. I think that the quality of life for educators is paramount. It means that our educators are happy, healthy and balanced. So I've done a lot of things like investing heavily in housing, making sure that we're really making the homes work. How are we really doing a lot to think about compensation? And how do we show the really generous compensation of a place like Mercersburg? …Right now we take on a lot. How can we allow people to focus less energy on fewer things? I think that would really benefit the teachers and help create a more joyful environment for our students. MN: With Mercersburg Class of ’27 having a record low admission rate, how has Mercersburg been adapting to the more competitive admissions landscape? QM: I think it's a balance, wanting to continue to have an elevated perception in the marketplace, right? We want Mercersburg to be a school that's desirable, but we are not a pressure cooker. How do we be exclusive while still being inclusive? And I think what our balance is always going to be is making sure that we're not compromising on the type of students that we take. We love to have a well-rounded student body of kids who contribute to the whole community in different ways—academically, athletically and artistically, and with extracurriculars. A low acceptance rate also allows us to make sure that we're taking students that we really want and who we think this is gonna be the best possible place to live. I think every student deserves a chance to go to a school like Mercersburg. But I would also say that we know the students that we can do the most with… we’re able to be a little bit more discerning in the application process. MN: Do you have any final remarks for the Mercersburg community for the remainder of the school year? Any advice? Any words of encouragement? I would say just remember that although the winter seems long, long winter weekend is coming up and Irving-Marshall Week is also coming, so I encourage you to work hard until then. Previous Next