Madeleine Ott ‘22 With the Democrats now officially at the helm of the Senate until at least the 2022 elections and Joe Biden in office, the future of the country looks bright with a long-awaited opportunity to pass meaningful legislation and return to bipartisanship. Prior to the two Georgia Senate runoff elections on January 5th earlier this year, Senate Republicans clung to a narrow 50 to 48 majority. With control of the Senate at stake, both Democratic candidates Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff emerged victorious in their respective races, creating a 50-50 split in the Senate with Vice-President Kamala…
Author: TECHALERT
Gianna Trala ‘23 When students returned to in-person school this January, they were met with a few changes to the school environment since last being in-person in November: a switch of lounges, a change in cafeteria arrangements, and a new method of orchestrating Domino block. Members of the community have expressed mixed feelings about each of these changes. Lounge Locations: One of the most talked-about issues among students is the switches of lounge spaces. Seniors moved from the theater to the library and the juniors from the library to the theater. Sophomores moved from the wrestling room to the Chapel…
This year, chapel has remained an integral part of the EA community despite having to adapt to fit COVID guidelines. However, there have not been many senior speeches, a staple of Upper School chapels throughout the years. Typically, many seniors give a speech reflecting on what they have learned from their time at Episcopal and in their broader life. Chaplain Tim Gavin plans for this tradition to continue this spring for the class of 2021. Chapel has, however, hosted a variety of events this year including guest speakers, musical performances, and reflections from coaches and teachers. Having noticed the lack…
Ava Hendrickson ‘22 | Mia Cabral ‘22 A member of Episcopal’s band program since seventh grade, Felix Zhu is February’s artist of the month. Zhu plays clarinet in both the concert and jazz band. He discusses his involvement in music stating, “I play in concert [band] and jazz band. I used to play clarinet in jazz band, but now I play piano.” Zhu explains his background with the clarinet, commenting “I don’t remember exactly [how I started]. When I was younger… I remember being very adamant about learning the clarinet because I heard someone else play it. I believe I…
Lily Rosenberg ’22 The 2021 winter dance season will look very different from years past due to COVID-19 precautions. The dance team has had to adapt to a series of changes to the regular winter season, including not being able to perform in front of a live audience. Dance team member Julia Memmo ‘22 shares some of the alterations to the traditional end of season show, explaining that “Previously, the dance team performed a series of dances in front of a live audience. However, due to COVID guidelines, we are currently only rehearsing two dances, a hip hop dance and…
Fiona Riley ’23 Among the many Americans grieving the outcomes of the January 6th Capitol Building riots were those who feared for the historic art in the building. For many watching the news that Wednesday, images of rioters crammed inside of the building near precious pieces of art and individuals grabbing at assorted items was a disturbing sight. Robert Maier, AP Art History teacher, states, “The Capitol carries with it so much symbolism, both as the seat of the US government and a museum of artifacts from US history. This is why it was targeted in the attack, and one…
Fiona Riley ’23 Among the many Americans grieving the outcomes of the January 6th Capitol Building riots were those who feared for the historic art in the building. For many watching the news that Wednesday, images of rioters crammed inside of the building near precious pieces of art and individuals grabbing at assorted items was a disturbing sight. Robert Maier, AP Art History teacher, states, “The Capitol carries with it so much symbolism, both as the seat of the US government and a museum of artifacts from US history. This is why it was targeted in the attack, and one…
Eshika Tangri ’23 This spring, EA students will perform a production of Godspell, with opening night projected for May 20th, 2021. Dan Clay, producer of the musical, chose this show specifically for the message that it portrays, one that is especially important during these unprecedented times. He says, “We chose it because it’s a small to medium sized cast musical with an Episcopalian message of kindness, love, and community, something that we really need right now because of everything that’s going on in the world. So many of us are struggling to find joy and connection. This is a musical…
Eshika Tangri ’23 This spring, EA students will perform a production of Godspell, with opening night projected for May 20th, 2021. Dan Clay, producer of the musical, chose this show specifically for the message that it portrays, one that is especially important during these unprecedented times. He says, “We chose it because it’s a small to medium sized cast musical with an Episcopalian message of kindness, love, and community, something that we really need right now because of everything that’s going on in the world. So many of us are struggling to find joy and connection. This is a musical…
Claire Collins ’23 The “Conversations on Practical Parenting” events, organized by the Parent Admission Network, emphasize the importance of community, specifically among the parents of the student body. With two upcoming sessions on February 8 and April 5, the session’s robust programming has successfully provided parents with helpful guidance while also allowing them to socialize with other EA parents. Amy Walling, Associate Director of Enrollment, is the moderator and marketer for the series. She explains that the events (this year held on Zoom) center around one topic. Parents discuss in advance, and then reconvene for a speaker and a questions…
Riya Mukherjee The EA community has participated in the Springside Chestnut Hill (SCH) conference in mid-January, the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) in December, and the faculty panel, an event aimed to increase faculty awareness about diversity struggles from the perspective of the students. At diversity-related events, the student attendees have the ability to interact with other individuals of different communities, perspectives, experiences, and socioeconomic circumstances. Laura Patterson ‘21 says, “It’s an extremely easy way to meet other students and create bonds with people who share similar aspects of your identity or at least you’ll be able to build a…
Isabel Rozes ‘24 Screening, testing, and dining plans on EA’s campus have all strengthened in the new year, in response to holiday traveling and updating data from administrative consultation. In an announcement on January 4, 2021, T.J. Locke, Greville Haslam Head of School, detailed updates relating to post-travel quarantine, the Pennsylvania travel advisory guidance, daily health screening questionnaire via the SafetyApp, community pledge, quarantine scenarios, and on-campus safety protocols, including masking and distancing. These precautions are now being implemented. Director of Health Services and school nurse Laura Hurst, reports a rise in questions from the EA community related to travel,…
Nayan Shankaran ‘24 Disciplinary consequences will be imposed for “risky behavior.” Form deans recently made it clear to students that they need to abide by the school’s safety protocols on its Health and Wellness Pledge. EA expects all students to wear masks, social distance, follow PA travel restrictions, self-quarantine, and test when necessary. All students were informed by their deans about the potential disciplinary consequences should they choose to violate these protocols, even outside of school. Zachary Richards, Dean of the Class of 2021, held a recent meeting in the Chapel with the senior class to ensure that everyone understood…
Mary Cipperman ’21 New reporting from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that the coronavirus transmits minimally through in-person schooling, given proper regulations. These include mask mandates, social distancing, air ventilation, and screening tests. Although outdoor athletics saw some significant transmission, classroom learning itself saw limited spread, given these precautions. Released Tuesday, January 26, the CDC first released a briefing that analyzed cases and transmissions in Wood County, Wisconsin over the period from August 31 to November 29, 2020. Among almost two hundred cases in seventeen rural K-12 schools, only about seven cases (3.7 percent) resulted from transmission…
John Bishop ‘22 Although Anna McDermott admits it was tough managing athletics and academics in college, she would “absolutely” do it all again. Students may be surprised to learn that many of their teachers played collegiate sports, a path that some Episcopal athletes are choosing to follow. Through their personal experiences, these faculty members hope to guide Episcopal’s current students in the next stages of their athletic careers. Michael Letts, Head of Upper School, played soccer at Bucknell University. He explains, “I was recruited for soccer. I went to the visit and really liked the guys, the coaches, and the…
Ronak Nagar ‘24 As the COVID-19 vaccine slowly starts to roll out, many members of the EA community are anxious to be vaccinated. “Like everyone I know, I am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to be vaccinated,” says Paul Sanders, Assistant Head of School. The first distributions of the vaccine mark a major milestone in the U.S. government’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. With over 430,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center, the US continues to fight the pandemic every day, so everyone must continue to wear masks and practice social distancing to…
Mahliat Tamrat ‘23 Trisha Tsundupalli ‘21 The new Biden administration is actively working to solve the conflict of climate change and foster a culture of eco-friendliness that will permeate the Episcopal community and our daily lives. Although 2020 may be over, it was the second hottest year in history, once again igniting concern for the state of our climate. The Biden Administration specifically plans to slow this deterioration by implementing policies to help Americans lead greener lives. The Episcopal community will be among the many institutions to adapt to this change, building upon the past initiatives on campus. Although EA…
Celia Gallagher ‘21 | Ella Sundstrom ‘21 “Whenever the girls put on the uniform and compete, they have Jill as the tip of the spear and I couldn’t be happier,” Coach John Goens can not hold back a smile as he describes the power that tri-sport athlete and February’s Girls Athlete of the Month Jill McEntee ‘21 brings to the track team. McEntee started running winter track in 7th grade, and described the difference between middle school and high school winter track as a “good transition,” since in high school, “you can actually run indoor meets.” As cross country, winter…
Adamo Di Carlo ‘24 | Johnathon Logan ‘24 A talented swimmer and leader in and out of the pool, Jack Christian ‘21 is February’s Boys Athlete of the Month. Through practice and honing his skills, Christian has broken records and led the swim team to many victories. As a captain, Jack pushes the EA swim team to reach its full potential. Christian began his swimming career thirteen years ago in his pool during the summer and became more competitive over time. He joined the EA swim team in freshman year and has been a star athlete ever since. During EA’s…
Aru Venogopalan ‘24 | Brendan Schlitt ‘24 | Colin Schlitt ‘24 British forces broke into the US Capitol and burned it to the ground on August 24, 1814 during the war of 1812. 207 years later, another attack against the seat of American democracy was repeated, but this time it was staged by domestic insurrectionists rather than foreign invaders. Despite this difference, there are some key similarities between the insurrection on January 6th and the 1814 attack. During both incidents, defenders of the Capitol were overmatched and overrun, allowing enemies to breach the building and cause significant damage. Additionally, the…