Myra Rahlan ’29 A groundbreaking new gene therapy trial may change the future of patients living with Huntington’s Disease, giving hope to families that had once never seen an end to this disease and faced a devastating diagnosis. A trial was held at the University College London Huntington’s Disease Centre to test a new treatment, involving 29 patients. The goal of the treatment is to reduce the harmful huntingtin protein in the brain by inserting a catheter into two brain regions, the caudate nucleus and putamen, and delivering gene therapy. The BBC News reports that three years after the surgery,…
Author: Lucia Forte
Maggie Sgaramella ’26 Seven minutes was all it took for four masked thieves to steal approximately 102 million dollars worth of jewelry from perhaps the most infamous museum in the world. On October 19, 2025, from the exact time of arrival at 9:30am to their swift escape at just seven minutes later, the mysterious thieves completed what is sure to become a legendary heist. The heist was completed in broad daylight, with the thieves arriving at the museum right as it opened to the public. They approached the Louvre in a truck with a large crane on it to pose…
Jack Janczyck ’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 ’28 Charlie 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…
Vivian Cook ’27 In early October, President Donald Trump helped facilitate a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, pausing the fighting in a conflict that has caused significant destruction across Gaza over more than two years of violence. The conflict is part of a large escalation of tensions between Israel and its neighbors, although the fighting over the past two years has been particularly deadly and prolonged. The current war began on October 7, 2023 after Hamas launched an attack against Israel, killing around 1,200 people and leading to the capture of 251 hostages. In response, the Israeli military declared…
Lucas van Binsbergen ’27 Across a series of key votes nationwide on November 4, Democrats secured a series of high-profile victories, including taking the Virginia and New Jersey governorships. These elections feature as an important barometer ahead of the midterm elections and could carry tangible implications for governance across the country. In Pennsylvania, voters delivered a victory for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s liberal wing, as Democrats Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht were all retained for another 10 year term. Due to the Court’s rulings on issues ranging from election administration to reproductive rights to school-funding cases, the results…
Will Patterson ’27 In recent years, EA has wrestled with the integration of ChatGPT and other AI tools in schools to aid, complete, and grade projects. Across the country, this revolutionary technology has fueled fiery debate, roiled precedent, and upended decades of educational practices. Amid the increasing pace of technological innovation, the usage of technology as a whole in academic environments has been a hotly contested topic. From having access to phones at school to taking College Board exams on computers, education has grappled with major questions about technology. However, none of these debates near the importance surrounding the utilization…
Vivian Cook ’27 Over the course of the past year, the Academy Scholium has had an increasingly difficult time interviewing community members on topics that concern politics. The History Department has requested not to be interviewed about any more contentious political issues, and dozens of students have refused interview requests. Whether this difficulty is rooted in disinterest or fear is hard to say, but the lack of political discussion and civil discourse on Episcopal’s campus is worth a closer examination. A potential reason why students may avoid political discussion is the discomfort that these subjects can cause. Students are understandably…
Ksenya Wong ’28 At the start of this school year, Episcopal Academy welcomed a new faculty member into the Theater Department, Daniel Grayberg. Taking on the role of Technical Director and Theater Manager, he has been working hard to form a perfect, 1800s-themed set for the Domino Fall Play production, Pride and Prejudice. Before his work at Episcopal Academy, he was originally part of his school’s band and chorus. After finding his way to theater and playing Prince Dauntless in Once Upon a Mattress, he became very involved in theater throughout the rest of his high school career, going back…
Cai Parker ’27 Abigail ‘Abby’ Whitman ’25 has loved art since she was small, but began to get serious in the 5th grade. “I started with colored pencils specifically. I used to have all those books that were like ‘How to Draw Anime’ but they were truly bad, but they definitely brought me somewhere.” As Whitman grew up, however, her inspirations changed from books to Renaissance pieces, especially because of her many visits to Europe with her family. “I really like Renaissance art, and my family goes to Europe a lot, and so we go to a lot of museums…
Luke Wright ’29 Since 1976, anabolic steroids have been strictly banned at the Olympics in an attempt to keep athletes safe and events fair. Athletes have been consistently tested, with thousands disqualified for their use. However, a new competition seeks to challenge that ideal. The Enhanced Games are a series of athletic events where athletes are encouraged to take performance-enhancing steroids in a safe and healthy environment. The goal? To challenge the limits of human nature and see what athletes are truly capable of. Currently, the only sports they offer are swimming, weightlifting, and track, but they have already broken…
Sophie McGarry ’29 It’s no secret that early dismissals are synonymous with the student-athlete experience at EA. Each year, nearly every student misses classes for athletic events and is forced to make up work afterward. This year, students and teachers alike have reported experiencing an unusually high number of early dismissals. But are athletes actually missing more classes than before? If so, what can students do to deal with the added burden of missing classes? For students, early dismissals for sports games are yet another source of additional work. Students at EA already grapple with large daily courseloads, and when…
Nora Newman ’28Audrey Shaud ’28 As a four-year varsity player, co-captain Avery Morris ’26 has been a main contributor and leader on the tennis court from day one. Her commitment to the team, outstanding skill, and consistent effort have been evident over the years, and this season has been no different. From dominating at the number one singles spot to rallying the rest of the team, Morris’s presence elevates the entire program. Morris began her tennis career at age four when she was introduced to the sport by her dad, and her love for the game continued throughout her elementary…
Michael Venneri ’27 Senior Captain of the Boys Soccer team, Mikey McGonagle ’26, plays with an intensity that is driven by his passion for the game and commitment to excellence. McGonagle is known for his ability to finish the ball and create a scoring opportunity from anywhere on the field. As a striker for EA, McGonagle has been a go-to player in critical moments. Ever since he joined the varsity team as a sophomore, McGonagle has made an undeniable impact. McGonagle started playing soccer when he was four years old after being introduced to the game by his older sister,…
Charlie Casey ’27 This September, the United Nations held its eightieth General Assembly, an important annual diplomatic event where all UN member nations convened to discuss major diplomatic problems across the world. The focal point of the meeting was the war in Gaza, which has caused international outrage over the starvation, killing, and kidnapping of countless civilians. For Israel, the fight is deemed necessary to remove Hamas as a threat to their security, especially after the attacks they experienced on October 7, 2023 in which hundreds of innocent civilians were kidnapped. Even so, the mass of casualties for the Palestinians…
Charlie Megosh ’28Harrison Miller ’28 Under Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has implemented a number of significant policy changes. Specifically, Kennedy has initiated major reforms focused on restructuring the department, emphasizing chronic disease prevention, and changing vaccine recommendations and policies. These policies are part of his “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, which has sparked both praise and controversy among Republicans and Democrats. Among other actions, Kennedy has proposed drastically shrinking and centralizing the HHS, recently describing it as a sprawling “alphabet soup” of agencies. Kennedy plans to merge several sub-agencies to create…
Jack Janczyk ’28 In late September, a phishing scam targeted email inboxes across the EA community in an escalation of recent cyber attacks against the school. The email revolved around a work opportunity, a flexible part-time job requiring 90 minutes of work every day for a weekly salary of $550. Everyone interested was asked to fill out a form that asked for sensitive personal information. A phishing scam is a common hack that attempts to trick a user into clicking a link. Just by clicking, the user is then vulnerable to having malware downloaded onto their computer, although more commonly…
Ellie Rheam ’27 Sean Reagle ’27 On Wednesday, October 1, the United States Government shut down as a result of the failure of Congress to pass funding legislation for the 2026 fiscal year. The reasons for the shutdown are complex, but mainly revolve around the policies President Donald Trump has implemented in his second term. A key point of disagreement was the expiration of key healthcare insurance tax cuts and the cutting of Medicaid funds. Congressional Democrats have insisted that they will not agree to a deal that does not extend the tax cuts and repeal the cuts to Medicaid…
Avery Morris ’26 Stella Turner ’26 Every year, students buzz with excitement as they await the announcement of the homecoming theme. This year, the theme is “A Night on Broad Street,” which embraces the current state of the Philadelphia sports climate and showcases the excitement brought to our community. But few realize just how much thought, creativity, and teamwork go into choosing it. From the first brainstorming sessions to the final touches of decoration, planning homecoming is a team effort where students, committees, and faculty advisors come together to create an unforgettable night for all Upper School students. What looks…
Tessa Shanahan ’28 As the Model UN club begins its next year of debating international relations, it hopes to continue its dedication to getting kids involved in issues that are not only domestic but also impact the scope of the entire world and open their eyes to different perspectives and opinions. Behind placards indicating which country a group will represent with labels like Brazil, Japan, or the United Kingdom, delegates speak passionately about issues of concern in the United Nations, like climate change or global security. These students collaborate with others from across the country to find real solutions to…