Myra Ralhan ’29 Every spring, seniors receive their diplomas and begin a new chapter in their lives, but graduation isn’t the end of their story with Episcopal Academy. We recently checked in with graduates from the Class of 2025 to get insight into their new lives at college, how they are adjusting, and what advice they would give to students walking the halls today. Among the graduates we spoke with, Jacob Kim ’25, a current student at Duke University, shared insights into his transition from high school to college. Kim explained, “The transition from EA to Duke was relatively seamless…
Author: Lucia Forte
Mahika Ralhan ’26Sophia Venneri ’26 With the holiday season comes the release of early decision and some early action results. Even within the first week of December, multiple schools have announced their decisions. Instagram is flooded with stories and posts about people who have received good news from their dream schools. Although not all schools have released their decisions yet, we can almost be certain that the rest will come out before Christmas. For some, this season brings relief, but it also carries a very stressful component as decisions pile up. There are lots of deferrals and even rejections. Not…
Darian Mihalakis ’27 The advent of AI has revolutionized institutions around the world, upending long-standing practices. The reverberations of this have been felt worldwide, including at EA, where the technology seeps into teaching. This embrace, however, is a major mistake, and EA would be wise to exercise extreme caution when integrating AI into teaching. In recent years, EA teachers have begun to increasingly incorporate AI into their jobs to varying degrees. For instance, many teachers now utilize AI in their email writing, although primarily for revisions. “If you’re communicating with other teachers, students, and parents, you want to make sure…
The Grinch Let’s face it, every holiday imaginable sucks. People get ridiculous, all jolly and gushy, over stupid days that don’t even mean anything. However, there is one in particular that stands out as the absolute worst. It happens every December, when the world becomes a chaotic circus. There are blinding lights everywhere, people singing so outrageously out of tune that it deafens ears from a mile away, and chaos follows everyone as if it were a disease. Yet somehow, with all of this nonsense, I’m the only one who notices just how horrible this one day truly is. Now,…
Kyle Zhang ’27 The wide variety of student-led clubs at EA serves as a reminder of some of the core values of the student body: passion and leadership. Whether it’s community service, a space for students to bond over shared interests, or a publication like this very newspaper, there is a club for every student at EA. However, while these extracurriculars are an integral part of the community on paper, some students raise concerns that some groups meet very infrequently or not at all, stunting their potential positive impact on the EA community. Certain clubs at EA appear to only…
Siena Scungio ’27 The recent release of Wicked: For Good, the sequel to Wicked: Part I, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, has fans from around the world flocking to the movie theatres. The films highlight the story of Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Erivo, and Glinda Upland, known as Glinda the Good, played by Grande. The two film franchise is an adaptation of a 2003 Broadway play. Wicked: Part I earned $46.47 million on its first day of screening in the United States and Canada. Additionally, the motion picture became the nineteenth highest-grossing film…
Lance Bowman ’26Ari Roth ’26 “Relearn how to play an instrument.” Asher Wan ’26 “To be more chalant.”Nikolai Nawrocki ’26 “Progress, not perfection.” Gavin Thibodeau ’27 “Prioritize sleeping over schoolwork.”Nikhil Bonney ’27 “Actually read the Scholium.”Jordan Shanahan ’26 “Bench 405 and become a demon on the winter arc.”Adam Rossin ’26 “Still do my homework second semester.”Brandon Bin ’26 “To push myself to go further even when things are hard, to keep going.”Sam Ryan ’29 “To get stronger and faster.”Ronen Roy ’27 “To be more organized and plan further out.”Hank Goebeler ’26 “Spending more time with family and being more organized”Mason…
Elvin Lin ’26 The holiday season is officially here, unless you’re from one of those families that puts out their Christmas decorations following the Fourth of July. For normal people, though, I’m sure the ever-dropping temperatures, shortening days, and 24/7 Christmas music have every student excited for winter break. While people are spending time with their families and busy studying for semester exams, I’ve instead been spending my valuable time alone in my room writing this Christmas article, accompanied by the fruit of the hour, of the week, the month: the pear. That’s right, December isn’t just a month of…
Andrew Ahn ’28 Scrooge Chapel has been a longstanding tradition at EA, uniting all grades across campus for a morning of fun, connection, and reflection on the year’s trends and themes. Many students and teachers have long debated the best aspects of Scrooge Chapel’s popularity. Is it the funny, modernized version of the three ghosts of the past, present, and future? Is it the students who ask Scrooge for donations using modern slang? Or even the tall Mr. Dankanich reprising his role every year as Tiny Tim. Whatever the case, Scrooge Chapel has secured its place as one of the…
Julia Griffin ’28 With the arrival of the winter season also comes the beginning of exam preparation for semester classes. Many students are balancing the start of winter sports, clubs, and other extracurricular activities, making time management more important than ever. Both teachers and students alike emphasize the need for timely preparation and utilizing the available resources. EA students have the support of learning specialists, form deans, and teachers, who offer strategies to manage both coursework and seasonal commitments. Planning and time management are key themes students can focus on when preparing for exams. Leigh Martin, Upper School Learning Specialist,…
Maeve Martinelli ’27 Editor’s Note: This year in the Scholium Arts Section, we realized that it’s our job not only to inform EA students, faculty, and staff about artistic happenings within and outside the Academy, but also to help uplift arts students who want to pursue a career in the arts. Through sharing stories of successful arts alumni, arts students are empowered to follow their passions, rather than force themselves into a “safer” field. We’re kicking off this series by highlighting Mindy Menkowitz Scheier, fashion designer and founder of Runway of Dreams, a non-profit organization that creates accessible clothing for…
Effie Goebeler ’29Cai Parker ’27 As the end of her EA piano career approaches, Alice Wu ’26 reflects on her extensive musical journey. “I’ve been playing the piano for about 12 years. I started when I was six, when my parents signed me up for lessons,” she reminisces. “Over the years, it’s grown from an obligation into more of a personal interest and pursuit.” Wu’s skill and devotion to her passion has inspired many people around her, especially her friends and classmates. Chloe Islam ’26, a close friend, shares her thoughts: “What I admire most about Alice is that she…
Lilly Smolenski ’27 The first time I read Percy Jackson and the Olympians was in third grade. From the first book to the last, my life was irrevocably changed. I was fascinated by the history and mythology discussed throughout the series, and even more captivated by the characters, how they developed, and the challenges they overcame in each book. I was not the only one who felt this way about Percy and his adventures. As the series took the world by storm, numerous adaptations of the original material took place. Starting with movie adaptations of the first and second books…
Audrey Shaud ’28Jaina Markle ’28Keira Gallagher ’28 Field Hockey Being ranked the #2 team in the country, the Episcopal Academy Girls’ Field Hockey Team has had a remarkable season, built on hard work and determination. Led by captains Eliana deGennaro ’26 and Inter-AC MVP Rebecca Block ’26, the field hockey team had an overall record of 18-2, finishing 2nd in the Inter-Ac and runner-up at the PAISAA championships. “Everyone has really stepped up to fill in roles. We were really efficient, working hard every day, especially in pre-season, which was huge for us,” states deGennaro when reflecting on the team’s…
Liam McDermott ’29Arianna Place ’29 This fall, volleyball officially began its inaugural season as an upper school sport, setting another historic first after being introduced as a middle school sport for the first time last year. For its first year, the program was organized into two JV teams: Blue and White, with the Blue team competing in matches. Through their dedication to both the sport and each other, the team was able to persevere past growing pains and successfully begin a new chapter of EA athletics. As the inaugural season began, so did a period of uncertainty. Assistant Coach Nicole…
Michael Venneri ’27Andrew Dente ’29 Watch any Friday night lights game at EA and one player will immediately stand out. From scoring touchdowns to breaking up passes to returning punts, it’s nearly impossible not to notice #10 on the blue and the white. Leading his team to a historic 9-1 season, an Inter-Ac Championship title, and the EA/Haverford Day Sweater victory, this player takes the spotlight as this month’s Boys Athlete of the Month: Jackson Orcutt ’26. Known for his versatility as both a receiver and defensive back, Orcutt capped off his record-breaking career with a stellar season, finishing with…
Jack Janczyk ’28 In late October, students trying to access critical online resources to complete schoolwork were confounded by error messages and perpetually loading web pages. Unbeknownst to these students, they were simply experiencing the effects of an unexpected Amazon Web Services (AWS) that shut down large swaths of the internet, affecting popular websites and apps across the country. In recent years, big tech companies have invested heavily in cloud computing, which backs up the servers that undergird the internet. Amazon in particular has placed a large focus on the emerging field, with its AWS enterprise playing an important role…
Harrison Miller ’28Charlie Megosh ’28 In recent years, especially under the second Trump Administration, the Justice Department, a bastion of impartiality since the Watergate scandal, has found its independence under siege as a result of Presidential interference. The Justice Department, founded in 1870 to handle the legal business of the United States. According to the Department’s website, “The Justice Department’s mission is to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights. Our work across the Department—including all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ offices, our law enforcement agencies, grantmaking components and litigating divisions—is guided by these three co-equal…