Hailey Deng ’25 From participating in outside of school contests at Drexel University, to inspiring others with her passion for photography within EA’s community, Riley Thibodeau ’23, motivates those around her to think in new ways. Thibodeau’s interest in photography traces back to her childhood. She comments, “I’ve been taking pictures since I can remember… my grandma actually bought me my first camera in elementary school.” Thibodeau also credits EA for continuing her artistic journey, saying, “In high school, I took Foundations [of Art], and I really loved the photography portion. Since then, I’ve just been taking pictures non-stop.” Taking…
Author: TECHALERT
Julia Baggini ’25 | Victoria Lynn ’25 | Milla Manheim ’25 EA’s Art and Math departments spike the interest of some students to learn more about the field of architecture. Mia Filipovski ’23, a talented senior interested in expanding her knowledge of architecture in college, explains, “[Architecture is] a combination of all different forms of the arts as well as maths and sciences.” In addition to understanding 2D and 3D arts, Filipovski explains, “Geometry and physics are needed for architecture.” Sam Olshin ’78, an EA alum and current Principal at Atkin Olshin Schade Architects details his preparations for a career…
Mia Filipovski ‘23 is known in and out of the pool for her hard work/dedication, and leadership abilities. She is a co-captain of both the Girls’ water polo and swimming teams. Filipovski competitively swims and plays water polo. She explains, “I started swimming competitively when I was 5 years old, so its been close to 12 years now.” Regarding water polo, she remarked, “I started playing water polo in 9th grade when I got to EA. Swimming was my main sport at that point, so I thought that water polo would be a fun sport to play, and also they…
Mia Filipovski ‘23 is known in and out of the pool for her hard work/dedication, and leadership abilities. She is a co-captain of both the Girls’ water polo and swimming teams. Filipovski competitively swims and plays water polo. She explains, “I started swimming competitively when I was 5 years old, so its been close to 12 years now.” Regarding water polo, she remarked, “I started playing water polo in 9th grade when I got to EA. Swimming was my main sport at that point, so I thought that water polo would be a fun sport to play, and also they…
Gautam Ketkar ’24 | Colin Schlitt ’24 Football is in the veins of TJ Cadden. At the mere age of five, Cadden began his football career with the Lower Perk Longhorns. At that moment, his love of the gridiron was born. Cadden developed his skills overtime, playing for the EA football team since his freshman year, and is looking forward to playing in college at Bucknell University. Cadden has always been around the game of football. He states, “My family is a football family, as my dad and my uncle played in college. My dad also helped coach when I…
Mahika Ralhan ’26 This school year, EA hired Thomas Cork as the new Stone Family Chair of the Upper School Science Department. In addition to serving as Chair, Cork will teach science classes, such as Environmental Science I. Explaining the change in leadership, Head of School Dr. T.J. Locke says, “Mrs. [Grace] Limaye wanted to go back to the classroom full time, so we had to look for a department chair.” Locke believes that Cork’s teaching background and experience aligns with EA’s curriculum, stating, “He’s a great science mind, and he really is thoughtful about how to teach science, and…
Rohan Dalal ’25 On November 8, Pennsylvania elected John Fetterman (D) as the new state senator and Josh Shapiro (D) as the new governor. In the Senate, the Democrats currently hold a 50 to 49 majority, which depends on the Georgia runoff on December 6, and in the House, the Republicans hold a 220 to 212 majority. EA history and social science teachers have been trying to incorporate issues surrounding the midterm elections into their class curriculums to spark thought and discussion among the students. Damon Kuzemka, AP World History and AP Human Geography teacher, believes that the issues of…
Rohan Dalal ’25 On November 8, Pennsylvania elected John Fetterman (D) as the new state senator and Josh Shapiro (D) as the new governor. In the Senate, the Democrats currently hold a 50 to 49 majority, which depends on the Georgia runoff on December 6, and in the House, the Republicans hold a 220 to 212 majority. EA history and social science teachers have been trying to incorporate issues surrounding the midterm elections into their class curriculums to spark thought and discussion among the students. Damon Kuzemka, AP World History and AP Human Geography teacher, believes that the issues of…
Gray Collins ’25 The Philadelphia City Council voted to permanently mandate a curfew for minors in the city under Bill 220654 on December 1. The City Council mandated the curfew after identifying gun violence as a public health emergency in Philadelphia. At one of the hearings for the bill, City Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore Richardson summarizes the effects of gun violence in Philadelphia, saying during a Committee on Public Safety meeting of June 16, “Just this year alone, we have witnessed shooting of ninety-two children under the age of eighteen, with twenty-three shootings occurring after 10 p.m.” Richardson believes that these…
Daniel Adibi ‘26 In early October, EA received the Anatomage Table, a new tool capable of rendering virtual anatomical procedures without a physical cadaver. The Clare Foundation, a foundation run by the Clare family which seeks to support EA’s STEM programs, donated the table. Discussing the Clare Foundation’s donation, Head of School Dr. T.J. Locke states, “[The Clare Foundation] cares about moving STEM projects forward and loves EA. [The foundation] is such a selfless-minded group, and they have previously funded EA’s STEM speaker series. They wanted to do something else to advance the school, so when they heard about the…
Riya Shankaran ‘26 Health experts warn of a “tripledemic” of viruses this winter — influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19. Moreover, these viruses are expected to surge and strain the healthcare system. Over the last two years, the EA community and general population did not experience a spike in influenza and RSV viruses due to COVID-related quarantine, social distancing, and masking practices. The CDC’s first official influenza report on the 2022-2023 season shows that cases have been on the rise earlier than is typical in most of the U.S. Per this report, 18.2% of people in the clinical laboratories…
Jack Crowley ’24 EA holds an annual necessities drive in November called the Can Drive where students are encouraged to donate food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies to help struggling families and individuals. While the tradition is long-standing, in the past few years, the Vestry and Community Service Coordinator Rebecca Brinks have started to make greater efforts to teach students about food insecurity and the Can Drive’s community partners. For three weeks in November, members of the EA community are encouraged to donate different non-perishable food items and supplies that will be passed on to organizations that deal with food insecurity…
Jack Crowley ’24 EA holds an annual necessities drive in November called the Can Drive where students are encouraged to donate food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies to help struggling families and individuals. While the tradition is long-standing, in the past few years, the Vestry and Community Service Coordinator Rebecca Brinks have started to make greater efforts to teach students about food insecurity and the Can Drive’s community partners. For three weeks in November, members of the EA community are encouraged to donate different non-perishable food items and supplies that will be passed on to organizations that deal with food insecurity…
Jack Crowley ’24 | Rohith Tsundupalli ’24 Scrooge Chapel, where faculty and students reenact A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, is one of the most beloved holiday traditions at EA. Each year, the performance incorporates new twists related to popular culture, specifically with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Scrooge Chapel relieves stress that students experience during upcoming midterm exams and brings the EA community together for the holiday season. Dickens’ A Christmas Carol opens in London, England where the miserable protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge, struggles to embrace the holiday season with its emphasis on kindness and empathy. On…
Interview with US Religion Teacher & Interim 6-12 Religion Department Chair: Michael Sheehan ’04 Ryan Sewell ’24 Michael Sheehan ’04, Upper School Religion Teacher and Interim 6-12 Religion Department Chair, truly embodies EA’s values. He graduated in 2004 where he played as an offensive lineman on the football team. Sheehan now teaches World Religions and continues to positively impact his students each and every day. Q. What made you want to teach, and religion in particular? A. My journey to teaching started when I was a sophomore in high school. Honestly this is going to sound a little bit cliché…
Maggie Lo ’23 | Caroline Sewell ’23 Half-way up the stairs to your third floor class, the bell rings, signaling 11:21 and the start of third period. You wanted to be on time, but waiting in line for lunch took almost all of the 25 minutes of Flex that students are allotted between the end of second period and beginning of third. Compounded with not enough time to eat, long lunch lines are a problem that everyone in the EA community faces on a daily basis. Head of Upper School Michael Letts explains, “It’s a difficult problem. I’m as concerned…
Ishani Khanna ’25 and Miller Michalczewski ’25 Have you ever bought something to fit certain trends? Did you even like the item? Looking around the hallways, products such as Nike shoes, Apple AirPods, Aviator Nation pants, and Canada Goose jackets are all too pervasive. Materialism on the Main Line is rampant and, even with the uniform, EA students seem to conform to common trends from clothing to tech to backpacks. Clare Collins ’23 says, “I think EA definitely has a tendency to lean toward brand culture habits because, especially on the Main Line, we’re living in a bubble and brand…
Emi Enakhimion ‘24 Introduction: Like many students across the United States focused on taking academically rigorous courses and scoring well on AP examinations, EA students are subject to “AP Culture.” AP Culture includes taking certain courses solely for the purpose of college admission rather than for authentic interest. Every AP class, including topics ranging from French to Studio Art to Physics C: Mechanics, culminates in a final exam at the end of the year where successful performance on the exam –– a score of three, four, or five on a five-point scale –– can lead to college credit and/or advanced…
Lucia Forte ’26 From painting to woodworking, sculpting to sketching, and everything in between, the EA art program is known for its talent across different art forms. The December Artist of the Month, Hanna Tian ’23, contributes to the culture of creativity through her skillful work in 2D digital art and animation. Tian explains that her love for animation began in third grade. She says, “I watched a lot of YouTube when I was a kid, and I found animation YouTubers: Jaiden Animations and The Odd 1s Out. I got into that genre and just kinda stayed there. They were…
Milla Manheim ’25 On October 22, the 19-day strike of unionized workers at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) came to a stop, bringing two years’ worth of negotiations to a close. The strike coincided with the Matisse: in the 1930s art exhibition, and as a result, the museum made the controversial decision to rely on temporary non-union workers to open the exhibit. Despite coming to an agreement, there are still lingering feelings of resentment between PMA administrators and employees. PMA workers started the strike on September 26 to force the museum to conclude the past two years of contract…