< Back Critically low thinking October 3, 2025 at 12:00:00 PM Annie Mohr ’26 I am often amused by adults' understanding of social media. When I try to show my mom a funny reel, instead of taking the joke at face value, she often is distracted by questions like, “Who is that?” or “How do you know them?” While this often frustrates me as it defeats the purpose of the joke, it reflects a disconnect between Gen Z and older generations: critical thinking. Some might say that I am thinking critically because I am (over-)analyzing the situation to paint Gen Z as brainwashed. But this goes beyond social media. It's a fact: our generation struggles to think critically. This deficit began during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued with the rise of AI. Much of our generation participated in online classes during fundamental learning years. With no classroom accountability, students were more likely to cheat, not participate, or become distracted while learning. Unfortunately, soon after school began to return to normalcy, AI became available to students. The connection between AI and a lack of critical thinking is obvious: access to a detailed answer in a split second decreases the need for working through the problem yourself. One of Mercersburg Academy’s most repeated Conduct Review Committee case types last year was academic dishonesty, of which the majority were AI-related. This doesn’t even include students who weren’t caught. Additionally, the world our generation lives in is driven by standardized test scores and right answers. The pressure we put on ourselves to maintain a high GPA often is prioritized over taking the time to dedicate ourselves to actual learning. But why does this matter? Some would say that trading some critical thinking skills for increased efficiency is fine. However, I believe that Gen Z’s critical thinking disparity goes far beyond the classroom. We are supposed to think critically, all day, every day. Gen Z’s willingness to follow blindly–whether that be a trend, a political party, or an influencer–stems from accepting everything for what it is on the surface. We are so quick to believe what we see online or hear from our friends that we struggle to form our own opinions. This leads to a herd mentality. In last month’s edition of NEWS, Cole Piranio wrote an article about the decline of school spirit at Mercersburg. I believe some of this stems from a trend of nonchalance as the energy around Irving-Marshall events, home games, and Step Songs has dwindled. If students stopped following their own values without fearing judgment from the herd, I believe many would choose to participate more. While there are many issues our generation faces, this is one we can all fight back against. We have a privilege most high school students across the world do not: we attend Mercersburg Academy, an institution dedicated to developing our critical thinking skills. We must acknowledge that critical thinking isn’t just a buzzword or something to be applied as you’re writing an essay for a harsh teacher. It’s a skill invaluable to understanding the world around us: our relationships, our communities, and our values. Without critical thinking, we have no backbone. Previous Next

< Back I "D" "G" "A" "F" September 20, 2024 at 12:00:00 PM Alice Yoo '27 After over a week of classes, most community members realize the difference between this year’s schedule and last. Classes now start earlier in the school day but end later; we have five classes each day; we no longer have late starts on Wednesdays; Help blocks don’t last thirty minutes; and the classes occur in no logical sequence. Looking at these facts, you might wonder: why did we change? Having more classes each day encourages classes to explore topics in greater depth and leaves plenty of time to prepare for harder subjects. Additionally, for those worried about being too burdened, more classes means everyone can enjoy more of their free blocks with a sleep-in at least once every two weeks. Compared to last year, when there were terms without any sleep-ins for some unfortunate students, morning classes are now distributed evenly, allowing equal opportunity for the precious sleep-ins everyone loves. However, the confusion over the varying lengths of non-sequential classes makes it hard for students to memorize class schedules. Some classes are an hour long, and other classes are an hour and 15 minutes long. A day’s schedule being “G,” “A,” “F,” then “C” and “D,” for instance, forces students to constantly scan their Google Calendars, checking what class they have next block or looking at which assignments to complete for the next day. Imagine having finished homework for “B” instead of “D” just to realize you didn’t have it the next day. Nonetheless, there is one day that students have only four classes. On Tuesdays after the first class, an hour is designated for club activities, in contrast to last year when clubs barely met once a term. At that time, students often signed up for more than ten clubs but never met in any of them. This year, students can expect to engage in their clubs and have something to write in their college applications, as many desire. Now, here is my question: we have plenty of time to study and prepare for the future, but where is the time to take care of ourselves? With the loss of an extra 30 minutes of sleep-ins on Wednesdays and a short chat with your friends during Help, we are busy rushing off to our next class after barely finishing the corrections for Chemistry. Sometimes, you don’t have time to head back to the dorms to finish homework or retrieve a forgotten item. Growing and nurturing time management skills and responsibility is crucial for students to learn in school, but having an overly strict schedule could ironically deteriorate students’ ability to manage their time when they have the freedom to choose what they can do. I believe that some freedom should be allowed for students to make choices about utilizing their time, not only because there isn’t enough leisure time for students to rest physically and mentally, but also because students need to gain independence. As we go up in grade levels, we should be given more liberty to prepare for the future, plan schedules, and manage time ourselves. Previous Next

< Back The kin-nection May 9, 2025 at 12:00:00 PM Jack Pollinger '26 The Class of 2029 will include siblings of current Mercersburg students. Those who don’t encounter this circumstance may look at this situation and say, “That’s so cool. They’ll be at the same boarding school together!” But is this a good thing? That depends on who you ask. For some students, having a sibling on campus can be comforting. It can ease homesickness, provide someone to talk to, and create opportunities for shared experiences that few siblings ever get to have, like cheering each other on at games, running into each other at the dining hall, even just knowing that someone familiar is only a few dorms away. In a place as busy as Mercersburg, that sense of family can act as a safety net. But for others, it’s more complicated. For many students, boarding school is a place to build a new identity and discover who they are, perhaps develop independence away from home. When your sibling is just down the hall, or even worse, in your classes or friend group, discovering that sense of self can be a little harder than expected. There’s the constant potential for comparison, for unwanted overlap, or even just the pressure of feeling watched by others. While some students are best friends with their siblings, others might not always want to see each other, especially during the stressful parts of the year that might define their high school years. You can already see both sides of the experience playing out on campus: some siblings thrive in each other’s company–older brothers walking their younger sisters to practice, siblings swapping dining hall stories or even studying together. However, some barely cross paths or seem to intentionally keep their distance from one another to the point that it seems like they hardly know each other. For younger siblings, especially, coming to a school where their older sibling already has a reputation, whether it be good or bad, can feel like stepping into a shadow. Teachers, coaches, and even classmates might expect them to act a certain way, play the same sport, or achieve the same academic performance. That pressure to “live up” can be exhausting, especially for students who just want to be seen as an individual and have a fresh start. So, is having a sibling at Mercersburg a blessing or a burden? Truthfully, it's both, and how that plays out depends entirely on the sibling dynamics. But one thing’s for sure: as the class of 2029 moves in, more families are about to find out. Previous Next

< Back Qatari controversy December 9, 2022 at 12:00:00 PM Anish Shrestha '24 When I think of the World Cup, I imagine myself glued to my couch with my eyes fixed on the TV during a relaxing summer vacation (Shakira also comes to mind); So now, it's a bit odd to watch the World Cup during Thanksgiving dinner, to say the least. For soccer fans at Mercersburg, this month will be full of early morning and mid-class viewings of this rendition of the World Cup in Qatar. Ideally, I don’t want to have to choose between getting a good night’s sleep and waking up at 5:00 am to watch Messi’s Argentina face off against Saudi Arabia in what should be a routine win (it was not). Nor do I want the USA and Iran scoreline bothering me during APUSH. Beyond my entitled grievances with this tournament, there are far more severe consequences of hosting the World Cup in Qatar. For starters, to build the venues for the competition, Qatar imported thousands of foreign workers. Nearly 6,500 South and Southeast Asian migrant laborers lost their lives while constructing Qatar’s host stadiums. In contrast, the number of deaths to laborers at the South Africa and Brazil World Cups can be counted on two hands. Unfortunately, the deaths could have been prevented by adherence to humane working conditions on the part of supervisors and employers. Migrant workers faced passport seizure preventing them from escaping their brutal and hostile workplaces. Stadium construction and the World Cup, itself, were only possible due to forced migrant labor. Mistreatment of migrant workers has been widely reported for the past year or so, yet FIFA failed to revoke Qatar’s host status or even condemn its blatant violation of human rights. Unnecessary worker deaths were the truth that Qatar, FIFA, and the world have chosen to overlook for the sake of the world’s entertainment. If FIFA wanted to increase the popularity of soccer in Western Asia and the Middle East, why not host the tournament in Saudi Arabia, a nation that has its own developed domestic league and stadiums? Tunisia, Morocco, or Algeria would have all been much more fitting hosts, given their rich soccer cultures and histories. And this is not the first time FIFA has come under criticism for its World Cup planning. The previous host nation was Russia in 2018; Putin seized the stage and awarded medals to the winners at the finals. Less than three years later, Putin initiated a full-on invasion of Ukraine, an aggression that effectively banned the Russian national team from competing in this World Cup: not a good look for FIFA in hindsight. And despite its years of preparation for this World Cup, Qatar failed to impress where it matters most: on the pitch. In their brief stint in the tournament, the Qatari national team was humiliated as the first host nation in the history of the competition to lose its opening match (courtesy of Enner Valencia and Ecuador) failing to even win a single game. Why should a nation that has never qualified for the World Cup based on merit be chosen as a host nation to begin with? The motivation behind hosting this World Cup in Qatar seems to have been a purely financial decision for FIFA, not one born out of a love or even care for the game. The World Cup is heralded as a global event that unites people of different walks of life across the boundaries of race, culture, and creed, yet the Qatari games have been full of nothing but controversy and corruption. Previous Next

< Back Out of pocket September 27, 2024 at 12:00:00 PM Cole Piraino '26 One of the most notable changes to school policy this year is the strict enforcement of no phones. No phones in class, no phones at lunch, and no phones in the halls. Generally, the school is minimizing phone usage among its students. Some other schools take phones away from morning until evening, but Mercersburg Academy prides itself on not doing that. However, the new policies require our phones to be placed in designated sleeves, achieving the same effect. How does separating students from their phones teach students proper habits? It doesn't. Don’t get me wrong — I am in full support of students not using their phones under the lunch table or in the back of a classroom. However, I feel that the school’s attempts to limit phones are hurting students in the long run. The new policies have been enforced to help us stop relying on the small pieces of technology we use for almost every moment of our lives. There is typically no place for phones during class, so I concur with the school’s intentions to limit phone usage during classes. However, my grievance against new policies is that it does not truly foster self-control among students. An instant of discipline and then a long period of feigned discipline is more dangerous than no discipline at all. The moment you put your phone in a numbered sleeve on the wall, all of the discipline it took you to put it there disappears. To me, when you put your phone in the sleeve, the urge to use it disappears, but is not dead. You still have just as much of an addiction to your phone; you're just not able to sum up the courage to get up and use it. Now, what does discipline truly look like? Imagine the phone was not in a sleeve but rather in your pocket. You feel it buzzing on your leg, but now the choice is actually yours. You want to take your phone out and check what you missed, but now you won’t. It’s not that you can’t, because many students would go on their phone in class if given this option, but you have the choice to and will eventually learn not to because of intrinsic discipline. That is where a habit breaks and where an addiction weakens, where routine transforms and cravings wane. Therefore, instead of conjuring the illusion of discipline by removing the need for students to battle against the allure of devices, the school should leave that responsibility in our hands to spur authentic growth. Previous Next

< Back We regret to inform you... May 10, 2024 at 12:00:00 PM Audrey Hua '26 After a competitive selection process… My heart skipped a beat as I clicked on the email from Coleman Weibley. The plain 12-point Helvetica font would not only determine my schedule for junior year but dictate my mood for the entire weekend. I heard shrieks of glee and doors slamming in the hallway. My friend rushed up to me, clutching her good news in her hand: “Did you get it?” Recently, a flurry of leadership decisions landed in students’ email inboxes. The results of the 2024–25 year leadership positions decisions were finally announced. Peer group, prefect, mentor, CRC, help centers... all applicants went through multiple stages of essay writing, interviewing, and in some cases, serving mock duty. This year’s process, like any other year’s, was slow, stress-inducing, and secretive. When the results came out, a mixture of envy, sense of grievance, and letdown accompanied scenes of celebration. At the back of every rejected mind was the voice that cried: Why not me? Seeing this juxtaposition of reactions made me wonder why we find rejection so debilitating. In a society heavily reliant on competition, our definition of success has shifted from personal goals to public approbation. The dopamine hit we get from receiving letters of acceptance, from accolades to a shiny Ivy badge, is not the true form of happiness we used to value. Why has our definition of success become contingent on what society deems difficult to achieve? Do our personal interests no longer measure up against the lure of external validation? From all my friends who received rejection emails, two unanimous concerns were expressed: first, not having a leadership position for college applications, and second, the disappointment of seeing their closest friends get leadership positions when they didn’t. I was again struck by how backward our mindsets had become. If we were driven by a personal desire to be a good leader rather than fill a spot on our activities list or earn bragging rights, the reasons for distress might have been different. I am not invalidating these feelings (I’ve felt them a little too similarly myself) but instead encouraging us to reconsider the definition of success. I think that applying with true intentions is the way to go. Your “Why” gives meaning to an application and explores what success truly means to you. Knowing your “Why” also prevents imposter syndrome, or what I’ve dubbed “Thunder Syndrome,” apropos to the Mercersburg community. Thunder’s real identity hides behind blue feathers and a quirky personality. Similarly, we are tempted to present ourselves as someone whom teachers and peers find likable. This Thunder Syndrome comes on especially strong during application processes. The desire to simply acquire a position, instead of wanting to embody the values of the position itself, leads to an unconscious effort to depart from your honest self. In past years, I’ve found myself falling prey to this syndrome many times – it was the repetition and constant reminder of my “Why” that helped me maintain my authenticity. The realization that you’ve remained real throughout the process is, in my opinion, much more valuable than the position itself. In the slightly paraphrased words of my best friend, “If being authentic leads to rejection, then it wasn’t meant for you.” Of course, it’s hard to feel these things in the present. Telling myself I’ve been bona fide does not do much to lessen the pain from an email that starts with “We regret to inform you…” In the end, knowing your intention is just one way to redefine success in an increasingly achievement-based world. It’s the start of setting personal goals and long-lasting fulfillment. But I’m getting ahead of myself; this is an opinion article, not a psychology book on self-help. Here’s my final verdict: during times of fluctuating highs and lows, know how to handle rejection healthily. You’re still you whether you get that position or not. If you did – congratulations! Stay humble, be sensitive to others, and remember your “Why.” And if you didn’t, that’s okay too. Abraham Lincoln probably didn’t get prefect either. Previous Next

< Back New class on the old stuff May 3, 2024 at 12:00:00 PM Shanuka Navaratne '25 Propaganda. What emotion comes to your mind when hearing that word? Do you perceive it positively or negatively? What our history department needs is more term courses! This is why I propose that Mercersburg offer a term course focused on the historical exploration of political propaganda. History teacher Rich Heffron’s Middle East term courses this year are a wonderful prospect for curious students. With additional history courses focused on diverse and targeted topics, students will have more mobility when navigating their course selections in history—similar to the English department’s plan for next year. From watching the History Channel with my dad to collecting political posters from Sri Lanka’s political uprising in 2022, I have always loved unraveling the intricacies of propaganda. I find it incredible how effective its appeals can be at swaying public discourse. Under its gaudy colors and dramatic fonts depicting romanticized ideals, there is a story. Osama Bin-Laden, Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong, Kim Jong Un, Harry Truman, Greta Thunberg, Alexander the Great… These leaders have all used various manifestations of propaganda to platform their ideas. Their campaigns may often be distorted by misinformation, but that’s not always the case. According to the Oxford Dictionary, propaganda is “persuasive mass communication that filters and frames the issues of the day in a way that strongly favors particular interests.” Therefore, while it is manipulative in nature, propaganda doesn’t always have to be hateful or conspiratorial. Many examples of propaganda actually have positive overtones. Derived from the Latin verb propagare , which literally means to spread, propaganda is rhetoric that promotes a specific agenda for ordinary people to consume. This technique has been used by humans throughout history—from the Stone Age through classical antiquity and into the modern era. While its messages change with context, its primary function has remained consistent. Propaganda’s role in evoking sentiments that people never knew they held until such exposure has proved to be dangerous in the past. A catchy string of words or colorful cartoons could have made the difference in notable events of history. Propaganda is perhaps the smartest exploiter of the human brain, and I think that in itself is powerful. In an age of readily available information, we as a generation often disregard media literacy. In analyzing the evolution of propaganda and its past implications, we can learn a lot to help us going forward. Hopefully, by opening spaces of dialogue for topics that challenge our worldviews, we can understand this art from a different perspective. I believe that opportunities like these will foster critical thinking while allowing students to pursue personal interests is the quality that truly sets Mercersburg Academy apart from other schools. Previous Next

< Back Appointment: dismissed October 13, 2023 at 12:00:00 PM Maia Somma ‘24 When reflecting on the quality of student life at Mercersburg, there is one thing that consistently comes up among students as a routine stressor: the sheer number of “required appointments” we have. A required appointment at Mercersburg means that the student body collectively has an obligation to attend some event or function; behavior points are allocated to anyone who does not show up. The menu of required appointments includes, but is not limited to: classes, PGAs, school meetings, X-Blocks, lunches, Monday night dinners, and dorm and class meetings. From the aforementioned list, one can already see that Mercersburg students have a multitude of obligations on a day to day basis. It is understandable that as a school we must require students to attend their classes and after school activities. However, what is very odd is the lack of flexibility regarding all the other things on that list, and the complete over-scheduling regarding non-academic matters. A typical Mercersburg schedule consists of mandatory lunch every school day, and attending dinners on Monday nights. We have dorm meetings on Sundays every week at 9:30 at night, even when there are no new announcements to be made. We have X-Block meetings every week that erode the “half-day” concept of Wednesday schedules. Quite ironically, sometimes the subject matter of these meetings concerns “mental health” or “well-being.” To me, my well-being comes from actually having a minute to spend by myself taking care of my never-ending to-do list, rather than listening to someone else spend an hour restating generic ideas about mental health that I could’ve looked up on the internet in 5 minutes. Even “class fun” is required for all students at the beginning of the school year, something that surprised me when I first arrived. School is naturally more entwined with our personal lives in a boarding school environment. However, I don’t think personal time and space is valued and prioritized enough on our campus. Between the rigorous academic environment and PGA scheduling, unscheduled moments are few and far between. If Mercersburg wants their students to excel, we must be granted enough time to study and complete our schoolwork. If the school values our mental health, personal time should feel like a given rather than a luxury. If we are truly a college-preparatory school, we should recognize that our current schedule does not reflect the amount of freedom and free time granted to college students. A greater degree of choice regarding how we spend our time would teach us far more about time management than a uniform structure which forcefully hand-holds us from 8 a.m. until lights-out. I believe Mercersburg needs more flexibility regarding non-academic required appointments. Missing a meal or a dorm meeting should not equate to missing a class. If Mercersburg really values the mental health of their students, they should consider giving them more autonomy. At the bare minimum, we should be able to decide for ourselves whether we feel like eating or not. Perhaps the scheduled X-Block time could instead connect with club and publication initiatives, which would give students a chance to more deeply connect with groups that they enjoy being a part of, but oftentimes lack the flexibility to do so. Changes like these could allow students to spend more time doing homework or even resting, both of which are just as important as connecting with the community. Previous Next

< Back Just mandate uniforms September 25, 2026 at 12:00:00 PM Nile Qureshi ’28 The changes that the student government has brought to the Mercersburg dress code have caused controversy among the student body. We were promised that a completely new closet would not be necessary. However, over the summer, I regularly found myself in stores searching for clothes that would actually fit the new dress code. Logos can't be larger than a quarter, no hoodies whatsoever, no embroidery, and absolutely no screen printing. Even a nice polo that has a slightly larger logo might be deemed illegal. The new rules have destroyed my entire closet, as most of my clothes incorporate at least one of the unauthorized elements listed. Many students are being cited daily for being slightly out of line. It is almost impossible to follow the dress code entirely with what most stores sell today. Therefore, the dress code needs to be re-evaluated to incorporate students’ opinions. A much simpler solution, though many may disagree, is a uniform. Uniforms ensure that every student follows the dress code while preventing students from spending an unnecessarily large amount of money on items that they are highly unlikely to wear outside the school day. Many preparatory schools require uniforms to ensure that every student looks their best and to show that the school day is in session. Our new dress code has added nothing but confusion and inconvenience. In addition to the dress code’s added restrictions, it has not achieved the stated purpose of making us more businesslike during class. Instead of strictly enforcing a dress code that is still casual, a required uniform would ensure each student is properly attired and reduce the time spent searching for an outfit. Additionally, visitors will be able to tell when classes are in session. The only drawback to uniforms is the idea of individuality. (The current dress code already hinders individuality to a certain extent, as many people express themselves with graphic T-shirts, large screen printing, embroidery, etc.) Apparently, the student government feared that uniforms would completely restrain individual expression. However, if we were to implement a uniform system, simply adding dress-down days and allowing the accessorization of the uniforms would address this concern. For example, allowing students to wear whatever they want on Fridays would give them the opportunity to dress however they like without a uniform, and enabling them to add pins or other items to their uniforms would also allow for individuality. Overall, the upsides of having uniforms during the school day heavily outweigh the drawbacks. Many students have spoken out about liking the idea of uniforms, yet they are dismissed as “unrealistic” or “not what Mercersburg is about.” However, the implementation of uniforms, instead of having vague details, would be beneficial given the principles behind the current dress code. Previous Next

< Back Weighing the options January 24, 2025 at 12:00:00 PM Nile Qureshi ‘28 For many years, overweight people have been unfairly judged by society. A commonly held belief is that obesity is “a choice” and that the problem with obese individuals is character weakness: their inability to resist overeating. While this may be true in certain situations, more often, genetics, environmental factors, hormones, medications, education, social status, and lack of exercise all contribute to the development of obesity. We must understand that obesity is a disease that needs to be addressed by an understanding of its causes. Just as we seek medical attention for the treatment of high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood sugar, or strep throat without any shame, obesity needs to be addressed through major lifestyle changes. These include diet, exercise, and sometimes even medications or surgery. Obesity is clinically defined as a body mass index greater than 30, while a BMI between 25 to 30 is considered overweight. In the United States, obesity has become a pandemic. One in five children in the US is obese as are 40 percent of adults. In my opinion, although obesity is not a choice, seeking treatment for it is. We must fight the pandemic with strategies to counter the factors that cause obesity and the stigmas that prevent people from seeking help. Schools can properly educate students on how to maintain a balanced diet, as that is the first place a child will be mocked for being overweight or obese. Preventing disease early will reduce emotional distress and keep children healthy. Schools should teach proper eating habits each day. In the cafeteria, foods that are high in sugar or ultra-processed need to be replaced with food that is tasty and nutritious. The food industry is a major culprit contributing to obesity. Fast food restaurants load their food with chemicals and sugars and sell them more cheaply than the healthier options, thus jeopardizing the consumers’ health. If you had $5 in your pocket and had to choose between carrots for $3.99 and ramen noodles for $0.50 you would most likely pick the ramen. This example shows how buyers who do not have enough money to worry about nutrition must fill their stomachs with the cheapest options. Fresh foods are expensive and often unavailable in so-called “food-deserts.” Subsidizing healthy foods through government programs and private donations can give people more nutritious options. We can take significant strides towards solving obesity-related problems by removing the taboo of discussing its causes. Educating people about the Mediterranean diet, which consists of fruits, vegetables, and fish, and regular physical exercise can lower incidences of obesity. Previous Next

< Back Learning for life February 2, 2024 at 12:00:00 PM Elise Gao '26 At Mercersburg Academy, students study a wide range of subjects ranging from mathematics to history to Maker’s Lab, where you can design new lockers for day students or benches for spots around campus. While many students, especially as they get older, have a large degree of choice in their course selections, there are, nevertheless, mandatory classes that you have to take to fulfill graduation requirements. This prompts the question: which courses are important enough to be designated mandatory by the Academic Office? I find it interesting that courses such as Home Economics or Financial Literacy, are not only not required but also non-existent. These fundamental courses help prepare students for life beyond school – preparation essential for teenagers, who are on the cusp of adulthood. Financial Literacy educates students about balancing accounts, budgeting, saving, and investing, whereas Home-Ec deals with household finances, food preparation, nutrition, and consumer issues. In a handful of years, we’ll be faced with real-life situations like paying taxes and taking out loans. While it is true that we could ask our parents, it is, frankly, embarrassing not to know anything about how to handle one’s own finances by the age of twenty. While these courses were staples of the American curriculum during the mid-twentieth century, they fell out of favor due to budget reallocation as well as shifting gender norms. Home-Ec, in particular, was marketed to girls, and thus declined in favor as societal norms shifted with the feminist movement. Nevertheless, it’s been surfing a wave of resurgence lately, driven by a desire for self-sufficiency and the desire to not order takeout for the twentieth time in a row while struggling in college. Ramen does get old quickly. Considering that Mercersburg does not face the budget allocation obstacle that many public schools face, the only thing standing in the way of implementing these essential courses is time. However, I have a solution for that. X-block! For ninth-graders, X-block is an important part of adjusting to the school and learning its guidelines. However, that importance wanes as you rise in grade level, and many upperclassmen find the new X-block programming to be quite redundant. Instead of covering similar topics every Wednesday or giving us advisory time, why don’t we implement some life skills that become relevant later on? Instead of barely memorable Wednesday afternoons, Home-Ec and financial literacy would serve us just as well, if not better. Previous Next

< Back Motion for sustainability September 29, 2023 at 12:00:00 PM Taimur Rehman ‘25 Those in charge of maintaining the Academy’s aesthetic have invested heavily in the beauty and comfort of the campus over the years. Our fields stretch for acres, carefully cultivated flowers and trees dot every inch of the campus, faucets provide us with unlimited clean water, and we run our ACs through the day and night. However, our actions come at a price—not just for ourselves but for our community and planet. What does it mean to be sustainable? Is it a question of our intentions or our actions? Questions like these frequently pop up when our environmental impact is discussed, and they hold a lot of merit. We talk about sustainability all of the time: we recycle, our napkins go to pig bedding, and we have a Green Team. But when it comes to the core of our footprint, the part that requires much more sacrifice, time, and money, are we trying to be sustainable? When there’s a drought in town and students continue to take forty-five minute showers, leaving faucets running while they stand in the mirror, is that sustainable? When one of the local elementary schools, Mountainview, has a field of solar panels to power its buildings and our administration, with a budget magnitudes higher, continues to delay and put off investments into campus sustainability, is that sustainable action? After years of proposals and requests for solar panels by Director of Sustainability Will Willis and Green Team students, only recently has the idea been truly considered, with bids starting to come in earlier this year. Even the plans for the new Science and Robotics Center could be improved. With the designs for a brand new building already in the works, I hope that the administration, along with the Board of Regents and those working on the building’s development, work on setting Mercersburg apart from other schools and satisfying the desires of our science teachers with the introduction of revolutionary design elements. These could range from a living roof, water recycling, solar power, extreme energy efficiency, and smart elements to achieving LEED Gold, which is the aptly named gold standard when it comes to sustainable architecture. But it’s not just new construction projects that should be sustainably designed, our current buildings also deserve to be upgraded to be more efficient and modern. Additionally, discussion could occur on whether our current heating system consisting of a large and dated central heating plant is the most efficient option. There’s a lot of work to be done throughout our campus to bring us to an elevated level of sustainability, but progressing toward this goal will benefit the students of the future, and ensure that Mercersburg continues to be a pioneering institution. To our leaders, I ask that you help to educate and develop us into truly global citizens and allow us to see the benefits of sustainability all over campus. And to all of you students, I simply ask that we consider our impact before we act. You don’t have to change your life; just be considerate of your usage, because if we students continue to overuse our resources after sustainable development occurs, a big portion of the benefits of sustainable design, architecture, and infrastructure will be lost. Previous Next