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< Back Viva la cultura! October 31, 2025 at 4:00:00 PM Alle Garza ’27 Every year, National Hispanic Heritage Month occurs from September 15 to October 15. When I first came to Mercersburg Academy, the idea of celebrating different cultures was intriguing to say the least. At Mercersburg, I was introduced to an abundance of traditions such as white/blue coat and the boxer/bikini run. I was surprised by the way people interact every day here. Stepping into an entirely different country from my own with its own rules, language, and atmosphere was a culture shock. I would often have issues trying to translate a funny picture in Spanish to my friend, who only spoke English, as they didn’t understand the slang or the purpose of the joke. I would also have trouble mixing up different words that would make sense to me, but to somebody else, it would be a completely made-up word. As a freshman, I was surprised when I saw four of my closest senior friends walk up to the stage and give a presentation about what being Latino means to them. In that moment, I felt a surge of pride fill my heart. The feeling of being represented and recognized is one of the most powerful feelings anyone can ever experience. Latinos have a small representation in the school; it’s not every day you see someone with a similar background walking around. Ever since joining the Latin Hispanic Student Union, I’ve been educated on different Hispanic cultures and traditions. People often confuse different Latinos, and conversations are filled with curious remarks such as “Do you speak Mexican?” or “Is Puerto Rico a part of Mexico?” I want the whole world to see that Latinos are composed not only of just Mexico, but an incredible amount of wonderful Latino countries and communities that resonate a strong cultural identity. In my junior year, I made the important decision to celebrate my culture and hold an official title at the LHSU. It isn’t easy giving a presentation in front of the whole school; it’s quite nerve-racking. Nonetheless, the confidence in my heritage guided me to speak my culture out loud. While other board members and I were working on the presentation, a single question kept arising: “What does being Latino mean to you?” I don’t know, what does being Latino mean for me? I kept asking myself that. Easier said than done, right? I mean, I'm Latina, shouldn’t that be it? I asked my mom what it meant to her: she gave me a well-thought-out response, but it wasn’t mine. It didn’t speak to me. With the help of the board members and more help from my mom, I think I came up with a suitable response to the dying question. Being Latino means that I have the privilege to share my culture in a community where I feel welcomed in my identity, to promote the pride that comes with being Latino, and to educate those who are curious about what makes me, me. Previous Next

Avery Liu ‘25  < Back Getting squashed? Avery Liu ‘25 Feb 2, 2024 Blue Storm boys and girls squash teams are heating up this season. With some tough losses and big wins, both teams are fighting to end the season strong. Before winter break, the boys and girls teams faced The Episcopal Academy ending in a loss for both. Mogere Nyakoe ‘25 said, “We did lose the beginning principal matches, but they were against a really good school. But our team has a really good mix of people and we’re [feeling] pretty good going into the next games.” Following the match, the teams competed in the 51st year of Mercersburg’s Flanagan Invitational with the girls team placing fourth out of six schools and the boys securing a few wins of their own. Since winter break, both teams have defeated The Potomac School and Nichols School. The girls later faced Agnes Irwin but came out short of a strong squad. Ana Botello Gaytan ‘25 said, “The girls have been great…and even though we lost some games, I think they did the best they could.” Following these tough matches, the girls secured a win over National Cathedral School, and the boys defeated Woodberry Forest School. To prepare for their MAPL matches against Blair Academy and The Hill School, the teams kept up their hard work at practice without any changes to their routine. Head coach Dominic Benacquista said, “Practices are just very basic you know. We're looking to do fundamentals like what things give us the most chance of winning. You know there’s nothing special about how we prepare for Blair and Hill.” The team remains optimistic and supportive of each other when facing tough opponents. Huzaifa Ibrahim ‘24 said, “This year we have good communication with each other…We have a lot of freshmen this year so as top players we support [them].” With the arrival of several new players, the team’s dynamic has shifted to focus more on growth than record. Benacqista said, “Well, [the team is] weaker. We have way more developmental players within the team and a lot of new players that have never played before.” Additionally, both squash teams faced tough opponents without key players. Ibrahim said, “The first half of the season we didn’t have the full team, and I wasn’t playing because of some tournaments.” Nyakoye added, “We’ve played against some pretty hard people. But we got through it.” In their match against The Hill School, both teams came out victorious with the girls team winning 9-0 and the boys 6-3. Following these matches, both teams fought to success against rival Blair Academy: the girls 5-4 and the boys 6-3. A harmony of top performances by seasoned senior players and new players like William Luo ‘27 gave both teams victories to bring back home. The teams aren’t stopping here and they have ambitious goals for the future. Benacquista said, “I think the longer the season goes on, the better we’ve been overall, especially for the more developmental players we have.” With MASO, MAPL, and Nationals coming up, the teams have a lot to work for. Ibrahim said, “[At Nationals], we aim to finish top 10, and we are pretty confident.” Previous Next

Anne Sehon '25 < Back Elevating Elevate Anne Sehon '25 Oct 20, 2023 With many high level athletes training for just one sport at Mercersburg Academy–be it swimming, squash, baseball, or any of several other sports–the athletics department has run several programs in the last few years that have been geared towards training athletes throughout their off-seasons. Starting this fall term, athletes now have the choice to participate in a new, revamped version of these past programs: Strength and Conditioning. “It was designed a few years ago,” said Athletics Director Lauren Jacobs. “It was called Elevate, and as a separate program, we had Lifestyle Fitness. But we’re piloting strength and conditioning this fall, which we think is going well so far.” Elevate was geared toward training mostly upperclass students who were preparing to play their sport in college, and Lifestyle Fitness was a general fitness program for those who did not participate in a competitive athletic PGA during the given season but who wanted the benefit of training. Jacobs continued, “It’s essentially for athletes, any grade ninth through twelfth, who want to pursue something at the next level, where they’re mainly focused in the weightroom on getting stronger, bigger, faster. The only thing is, you have to play two sports or be the lead in the play or something the two other seasons.” Brian Canida, the Director of Strength and Conditioning, said, “It’s been pretty good. It’s our first term doing it. They’ve all done pretty well and it’s gone smoothly.” The PGA has three different components: group work, self-paced work, and time designated to work with coaches for each athlete’s specific sport. “[Currently,] we have basketball, diving, wrestling, lacrosse, and baseball,” said Canida. “We warmup with some active stretching,” said Alex Van Ess ’24, who is training for diving. “Then, we’ll do some speed work and sprints, and then we’ll move onto the main lifts.” The PGA is relatively flexible and gives the athletes the time necessary to put work into their individual sports. Lacrosse player Chloe Allis ’25 said, “Some days we’ll have lifts in the morning and some days we’ll have lifts in the afternoon.” Van Ess added, “You can kind of go at your own pace.” Allis elaborated, “You go in on your own and you have a set warmup, which always includes some work to get your blood flowing, some rolling out and recovery, and then some speed work, then you’ll do your typical lift, which has a ton of different components to it, but then when you’re done, you leave.” Given the athletes’ high work rate, some days they get some time off. “Sometimes we’ll have Wednesdays for stretching,” said basketball player Jay Colon ’25. “It’s been coordinated. Canida has different folders for us, for different workouts, so that keeps us a lot more coordinated and organized,” Colon continued. “It’s always good to get into a routine going into the season instead of laying back and doing nothing for a semester.” Allis added, “It’s a good use of my time and it’s not overwhelming. I feel like it’s working out well for me because I have time to lift and to practice my sport.” With an array of athletes from many different sports going into their seasons with the strength training necessary to compete well, the athletes feel more confident in themselves, which may lead to better performance “It’s nice knowing that you’re getting better at your sport,” said Van Ess. Colon shared Van Ess’s sentiment and added, “Basketball season is the term right after this, so I feel like this will really help not only me, but the team, be better, stronger, and more athletic.” Previous Next

Paris Zhang '27 < Back Treat people nice-Lee Paris Zhang '27 Sep 12, 2025 Mercersburg Academy is pleased to welcome Steven Lee as the Assistant Head of School for Community and Culture in Student Life. Associate Head of School Jennifer Craig explained the reasoning behind the addition of the position. “I went to a conference three summers ago where there were a whole bunch of associate heads of school and there were two thirds of people at the conference who were people of color,” Craig said, “and most of them have come up as Directors of DEI but they all said that being named an assistant head or associate head of school gives you the role authority to actually implement programs. A Director of DEI often has to ask and collaborate and pull people in, but actually isn’t in the hierarchy of the association of the school.” Craig and Lee have been working together since June, before the school year started, in a series of student life-focused retreats. “The retreats were designed for the teams to address how they should work together on specific issues for the coming year.” Craig added, “Ms. Wrzesinsky and Mr. Brown led their parts of the retreat with the programs that they run. I am handing off a bit of that work to Mr. Lee.” Andy Brown, Dean of Students for Community Life, and Jo Wrzesinsky, Dean of Students for Accountability and Support, are both part of the Student Life Office. “My role is twofold,” said Lee. “On the one hand, I oversee the Office of Student Life and its staff, and the other part of my role is working with Ms. Craig and Mr. McDowell to create a vision of belonging, inclusion, and diversity for the school. This is a more strategic position of trying to imagine the future of Mercersburg.” In the area of DEI, Lee has ideas about how the Mosaic Mentors and DEI Director Galbreath can progress with the student unions to create a more inclusive environment for those in the unions and for the entire Mercersburg community. “In my last school, we used to do something called an Alliance Block Party; our alliances were versions of Mercersburg unions. In the fall and spring, I hosted a block party where all the alliances led a celebration. We actually had thirteen active alliances. And each of them got a set of tables and a budget, and they brought food from their culture. We had a DJ and a multicultural playlist, and the whole school was invited. It was a way for every single alliance to showcase their culture, but it was for the whole community,” said Lee. Galbreath noted Lee’s thoughtfulness. “I’m really looking forward to how we work to support and develop a really awesome holistic framework to help build community and belonging,” Galbreath said. Craig has a vision for Lee’s position as one of authority that can actually implement policies. “I think the biggest change that I hope for is that somebody with his lens and perspective and his training will have the role authority to ask the questions that need to be asked of a historically white and maybe even male institution,” she said. “His lens will ask questions of our policies. Is that really how we want to present? Is that really what we want to believe? How inclusive is it? Does it bring dignity to each student?” Apart from experience in the DEI field, Lee has worked at four independent schools before Mercersburg Academy, teaching humanities courses such as English and History. He also expressed an interest in the field of civic engagement. “I’m really excited to work with the civic engagement initiative. That is one of the reasons why I chose to come to Mercersburg. I've done a lot of work in the DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging) space, but I think the future is to merge the IB with civic discourse and civic engagement. In a lot of ways, they overlap a lot; the same skills and mindsets for DEIB work translate very well to civic discourse. I'm actually going to meet with Ms. Schoenberger and Mrs. Brown next Monday to talk about the extent to which we can collaborate by bringing those two programs together,” Lee said. Lee wants to promote a new model of engagement where the students confront questions like “what is equity and injustice,” “why does it exist in our world,” and “how can we as a society address them?” “In certain circles, there’s already a prescribed definition of engagement, and it's not that I think that definition should be dismissed, but I do think that it's better to give students agency: much less descriptive, much more connective inquiry,” Lee said. Previous Previous Next Next

Tahir Hasanov '25 and Anderson Wang '26 < Back Free Mercersburg Tahir Hasanov '25 and Anderson Wang '26 Apr 4, 2025 Disclaimer: Satire edition Following a winter term filled to the brim with behavioral infractions, at 9 AM on Saturday, March 29, 275 students walked guard—a new school record. In response, students began an unprecedented protest which has now turned into an encampment. Dozens of students, led by student body president Taimur Rehman ’25, pitched tents on the retired football field. Exhausted from walking around the track, students demanded an end to the dreaded practice of guard, which they denounced as “a barbaric measure of oppression.” “Our demands are simple,” Rehman stated in a fiery speech to the gathered masses. “We demand justice! We demand reform! We demand the right to sleep-in on a Saturday morning!” The crowd erupted in cheers, waving banners and flags with slogans such as “No Guard, No Peace” and “More boring than watching developmental swim practice.” Among the students at the encampment was William Choi ’26: “I was given 188 hours of guard for letting in too many goals during our lacrosse game. Although we’ve underperformed recently, I don’t believe that justifies my harsh punishment.” Not everyone was there for punishment. Frank Bonsal IV ’25 (Holderness ‘26) was also spotted at the encampment. “I skipped the entire winter term, but for some reason I wasn’t given any guard. I just followed my friends and ended up here.” The administration was swift in its response. At precisely 4:00 AM, under the cover of darkness, Mercersburg Academy’s newly armed campus security guards were ordered to dismantle the encampment. Reports indicate that security, in full tactical gear, announced, “This is your final warning,” before confiscating camping equipment and escorting students off the premises. Wyatt Parks ’25 and William Feaste ’25 remained unfazed, chaining themselves to the goalposts and declaring themselves “the anchors of the movement.” Campus security proved to be no match for the pair, forced to retreat at the sight of them. The Mercersburg administration was outraged. In an unprecedented disciplinary measure, the leaders of the encampment were deported to none other than The Hill School. The official school statement described this as “a temporary relocation program designed to instill discipline and appreciation for Mercersburg values.” As the chief leader of the encampment, Rehman was the first to be deported. In his farewell speech, he said: “They may take our tents. They may take our signs. But we’ll never walk guard!” The administration, for its part, has remained firm. “Mercersburg is committed to maintaining order,” Head of School Quentin McDowell declared. “We respect our students’ right to protest, but actions have consequences. The Hill School has refused to house these rogue individuals, but who is Hill to defy the Blue Storm. There, under the new Dean of Students Coleman Weibley, they will learn valuable lessons.” Previous Previous Next Next

Ian Kim '27 < Back A light on the chapel Ian Kim '27 Nov 8, 2024 One of the staples of the Mercersburg campus is the magnificent lighting on the Irvine Memorial Chapel. The recent installation of new lights has become a topic of interest for both students and faculty members. With the 100th anniversary of the chapel’s construction approaching, it is an exciting change of scenery for the campus. The previous system relied on two large floodlights. “ They didn't do a great job aesthetically of lighting up the chapel. They were more like big bright flashlights and also caused a lot of light pollution. As those lights got old, we just wanted to change stuff up,” Will Willis, the Director of Environmental Initiatives, stated. “They used a lot of electricity as well, and all the light pollution was bad. It affects bird migration, but also with humans as well, with our sleep cycles and all that.” Last spring, the school started the installation of the new lights. The replacement lights accomplish several purposes, including improving the building’s aesthetic appeal. The light is now focused on specific areas of the chapel, such as the spire, to illuminate them. “But they are also really environmental, all of the lights now. Even though there are more of them, they use less electricity than the two lights that were there before,” Willis noted. “Less energy, less light pollution, and we also have timers set on them. They’re not on the entire night, just a reasonable amount of time for people to see the lights. So the new lights are honestly doing great, very environmentally friendly.” Some students learned about the benefits of this change through Advanced Studies Environmental Studies class. Many of them are very satisfied with the replacement lights. AJ Patel ‘26 said, “I think the change to the chapel lighting is beneficial. The lighting allows the chapel to stand out more as opposed to lighting up the general area, which may have affected the environment and wildlife.” Jaekwan Kim ‘26 stated, “This new lighting honestly improved a lot on the environmental issues the old lights had, and I’m very glad the school took notice of it.” Despite all these beneficial changes, one of the biggest impacts the lighting has on students on campus comes during stargazing opportunities, such as the recent Northern Lights display and the appearance of a comet on the western horizon. The light pollution from the floodlights in the night sky drowns out dimmer stars and subtle light effects, making them harder to see. “ It's just a big streak of light in the sky, that makes normal stargazing pretty annoying and stargazing at the observatory way harder,” Daniel Cunningham ’26 said. Others didn’t notice a visible difference. “I haven't heard about the chapel lighting's effect on stargazing, despite my actually going and visiting the stargazing program myself,” Avery Liu ‘26 commented. “ That's honestly pretty disappointing though. The people at the observatory really just want to share their passion with everyone and it would be great if the school could just help them out a little.” Students agree that the chapel lights should be turned off on nights with stargazing opportunities. However, those aware of the recent changes to the chapel lighting are very positive about the benefits they bring. Previous Previous Next Next

Sophie Han ’27 < Back Leaving them in the dust Sophie Han ’27 Oct 3, 2025 Family Weekend gave Blue Storm cross country teams the chance to race on their home course, celebrate progress, and look ahead to MAPLs. For the girls, the meet carried special meaning. “I liked running on our home course because it was Family Weekend, so it was nice seeing everyone cheer me on,” said Maddie Chu ’27. Captain An Yan ’26 added, “The home meet is a chance to build connections.” Assistant coaches Christopher Bright and Mariana Manzo Puente said, “Team support is very important. This weekend, we cared less about speed and more about keeping them healthy and having fun.” The season’s earlier races built this confidence. Girls' head coach Betsy Cunningham said, “Frankfurt was our first race, and Gabby broke her own course record from last year. At Peddie, six girls broke the course record that had stood for more than a decade. Gabby ran 18:10 and Ella ran 18:51.” Teresa Nyarko ’28 also saw progress: “My time difference from last year’s first race to this year’s was four minutes. With the team’s support, it made me believe this season will go well.” Captains have helped guide that improvement. “I always get nervous before races, but with the captains’ help, the team pushes past that mental block,” said Gabby Cechini ’28. Cunningham said, “In every race, varsity is there for JV and JV is there for varsity. Even with separate races, we’re a unified team.” Fellow captain Ella Blanco ’26 added, “The previous captains did so much for me, and I hope to do the same this year,” adding, “The Peddie course was mostly flat and gave us confidence for MAPLs there.” The boys shared similar experiences. James Coors ’27, who dropped 58 seconds for a personal record, said, “We’ve been cheering a lot. On long runs, it’s nice to have someone to run with.” Captain Liam Beighley ’26, who won on Family Weekend, reflected, “It went good. Ended up with the course record and a 94-second win. Additionally, though, I rolled my ankle and had to slow down.” Earlier in the season, he also broke the Peddie course record. “When I came to Mercersburg, my two goals were to give back more to the team than when I arrived and to stay healthy.” Leadership has been central to the boys’ progress. Captains Imangali Zhakan ’26 and Frederick Wu ’26 emphasized, “Last year, I was focused only on MAPLs. This year, as a captain, it’s also about team culture and making sure everyone gets what they deserve is a fulfillment of being in a team.” Joey Cechini ’28 added, “The team is smaller this year, but that made connections easier. In practice, we push each other, and the bus rides back are always fun.” Boys head coach David Grady acknowledged the challenge ahead: “The goal has always been to try and win MAPLs. But cross country is vulnerable to injuries, so we teach them to be smart about how they run. We definitely have a good shot, and racing at Peddie again will give Liam and the team another chance at fast times before the season ends.” Assistant coach Harvey Hinman took a more philosophical view: “Running is incredible because the only thing you need are a pair of shoes. Whatever this season builds to, I hope they find joy in it and carry that with them for life.” Previous Next

Taimur Rehman '24 < Back Day in the life of a day student: Taimur edition Taimur Rehman '24 Nov 4, 2022 Mercersburg Academy is home to around 374 boarding students, making the school 84% boarding. The remaining academy students are day students, giving them the unique experience of being able to go back home at the end of the day. Taimur Rehman ‘25 is one of these 71 day students, and he agreed to do a “Day in the Life of a Day Student” to provide a glimpse into the vibrant lives of day students. 7:00 AM: I wake up around this time every day. I head to the bathroom and take a quick shower before returning to my room to pray before the sun rises. Then, I grab three sets of clothes; one to wear to class, another to wear to practice, and another to wear after practice and during Yearbook. Before I leave, I like to sit on my deck for a little bit and enjoy the sunrise. 7:40 AM: It’s time to go! I grab my backpack and my bag of outfit changes and head out to meet the van. The van, provided by the Greencastle School District, is for any day students who wish to use it in the area. I’m able to start my morning without bothering my parents and while getting to see friends, like Jack Lewis ‘25. 8:10 AM: I exit the van in front of Tippetts and climb up to the third floor. This is where my locker is located and where I store my semi formal dress and any sports equipment I might have. I meet up with Devin Rotz ‘25, and before I leave, I deposit my bag of clothing in my locker and head to breakfast. 2:30 PM: Oops! I’m in class when I realize I’ve left my notebook at home. It’s rare for me to do so, but mistakes happen when you’re working at night. I’m blessed by the fact that there wasn’t much of a need for it today, and I depart class at peace. 3:30 PM: I’m back in the common room, where I change into my second outfit for practice. My school clothes get folded and placed in my locker and I grab my bag with my cleats before leaving the dorm. 5:40 PM: Practice is finished! I’m feeling pretty sweaty so I head back to the common room and to my locker. I grab my towel and my third pair of clothes, my casual ones, before hitting the shower. Once I’m finished, I change, rummage through my bag to find a comb and some deodorant, and then head off to Yearbook. 6:30 PM: Yearbook time! Yearbook is one of the best parts of my day. It's so much fun to work on creating a good book to remember the year by with some talented and fun people. Bonus points: we get pizza. 8:45 PM: After a quick stop at the writing center post-Yearbook, I return to the dorm to collect my belongings and head out. I say my goodbyes to Mr. McKevitt. 9:10 PM: Ah, you thought the day was finished, didn’t you? Well, it’s not. Once I get home I toss my unclean clothes into the laundry and head upstairs to finish up some homework. One major benefit of being a day student is that because I have a kitchen, I can make whatever I want, whenever I want. I make myself some tea and resume the grind. 11:30 PM: I finish up my homework and once I plug my laptop in, pack up my backpack, and decide what I’ll wear tomorrow, I get ready for bed. Before I sleep, I go downstairs to my parents’ room, and unlike the boarding students, I get a big hug from both of them before I retire to bed. But the hugs aren’t finished yet! I head to my grandma’s room and bring her a glass of water before getting another big hug and a goodnight from her before going to bed and doing it all again in the morning. Previous Previous Next Next

< Back To anyone with an opinion April 19, 2024 at 4:00:00 PM Anne Sehon '25 Dear Prospective Opinion Writers, The Mercersburg NEWS needs opinions. Your opinions. Strong, well-founded, opinions written by people who are passionate about their respective causes. We need you. In an election year, with about a fourth of our current student body being eligible to vote by November, it is important that we not live in a political echo chamber. It would be ignorant to say that we live in an openly politically diverse community; most people who are politically active on campus hold liberal values, and conservatives have the choice to either be silent or be shunned for their political views. That should not be the case, especially going into what promises to be an extremely polarized election cycle. As someone who will be eighteen in September and, therefore, eligible to vote, I find myself confused about many different topics, as well as how to have conversations with others about them, specifically if they hold beliefs different from my own. Through many conversations with my peers, I've found that lots of other students in our community feel the same. If we had more and more open political conversations, as well as opinion pieces in the NEWS, there could be more ground for having more discussion and subsequently for forming new views, one begetting the next, forming a cycle that could lead to more diverse thought and change at Mercersburg Academy - a cycle that breaks cycles. In my past three years working with NEWS, I've heard students voice their worries about the repercussions of writing an opinion piece that is not well-received by some group or another on campus, whether it be peers, faculty, or both - there have been previous pieces that have landed students in uncomfortable conversations with faculty members. I understand these fears, but I assure you that if your piece is grounded, polished, and not provocative for the sake of being provocative, as well as written by someone who truly believes in what they're preaching, no sort of "trouble" is coming for you. Simultaneously, though, we as a community need to open our minds more to constructive criticism and accept the possibility of disagreement, your opinions lacks weight if they entirety of the community around you sees it as fact; you're preaching to a choir all singing the same monotonous tune, when Mercersburg should be a community of diverse voices singing in harmony. I recently went to the Braver Angels depolarization training hosted by the Civic Engagement Task-Force and the idea that disagreement is salutary to good relationships was continuously emphasized and re-emphasized throughout. The Mercersburg community needs to learn how to have healthy disagreements. That's how we get things done. In all, though, it's a question of free speech and how our campus defines it. No student should feel unsafe because of an opinion they hold, and no student should feel unsafe because of an opinion someone else holds. The Mercersburg NEWS holds weight on this campus and has the ability to cultivate an environment in which both of those aforementioned things are true. So, I am asking you to help create the cycle-breaking cycle and contribute to a nascent choir of diverse voices on the campus of Mercersburg Academy. We want your opinion in the NEWS. We want to create change. And we want your help. Sincerely, Anne Sehon Previous Next

Chloe Allis ‘25 < Back Killing killer hills Chloe Allis ‘25 Sep 22, 2023 Last weekend, the Mercersburg girls and boys cross-country teams competed in the 27th Annual Ben Bloser Bulldog XC Invitational, a highly renowned, competitive annual race hosted by Big Spring High School in Newville, PA. This meet usually features over one hundred teams divided into 14 divisions. The terrain of the Ben Bloser XC course is known for its many hills. “It was really hilly but I think since we’re from Mercersburg we’re accustomed to that,” said An Yan ’26. The course is especially infamous for “Kill Hill,” a rather sizable hill right before the finish line. “It’s steep enough to where I probably could have climbed up it on all fours,” joked Leah Willis ’24. The boys ran well, finishing number 7 of the 24 teams in their division. Winston Watkins ’25, who finished 14th out of 172 runners, said, “I thought it was a little bit hectic.” Kaori Graham-Myrie ’24 broke out this year. New to the sport of running, he’s been hitting a lot of PRs (personal records) and has made a name for himself on the varsity team. “He’s new this year and he ran a huge PR. It’s great for our team to have Kaori step up like that,” said Rich Heffron, head boys cross country coach. “I thought it was really fun, there were a lot of people, definitely a great experience,” said Yan ’26 about the invitational experience. This year, the girls team also had a great showing, finishing 9th in their division of 22 teams. “I’m really really proud of how the entire team performed, both JV and varsity,” said veteran harrier Anne Sehon ’25. All the girls who finished the race hit new personal records, whether it be in the season, on that specific course, or even in their lives. Sehon, the top runner on the girls team this weekend, who placed 14th in her division of 160 girls, said, “I tied my lifetime PR on a course that is pretty hard.” Erika Tsowah ’24 as well as Willis improved by three minutes over their former hosts. Gigi Devlin had a two-minute improvement from her lifetime PR. “Gigi Devlin is now solidly on my varsity team. She trained really hard this summer so as a result, she’s running really well,” said Betsy Cunningham, head girls cross country coach. Training for these great results was no easy feat. Both Cunningham and Heffron have teams heavily composed of returning, upperclass runners. Because of this, both coaches have been pushing their athletes very hard in practice. “I’ve been pushing them a little bit more because I have older athletes who can now handle it. A lot of them worked over the summer so now I can train them really hard,” said Cunningham. Jake Cruikshank ’24 said, “Over my four years, the training has become exponentially harder.” Watkins added, “We’re more experienced now than we were the last couple of years. Heffron knows what we can do and he knows when to push us.” Both teams have lofty goals for the season but they look to be in very good shape for all of the competition ahead. “We’ve been building up and doing some hand-holding for the past few years. Now, we’re ready to hit the ground running. We’re really on track this year, hitting our milestones,” said Heffron. Looking ahead to the rest of the season, a lot of hard workouts and good competition is to come. “I’m really looking forward to MAPLs and just for the rest of the season and seeing what people can accomplish,” said Heffron. Cunningham concluded, “My goal is to make them into good athletes, but more importantly good humans and community members.” Previous Next

< Back Critically low thinking October 3, 2025 at 4:00:00 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

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