Sona Bardakjian ‘21 For those of you who don’t know, I am Armenian, and you should care about Armenia. My home and people are being attacked and threatened for doing nothing but living, and the world continues to stay silent and watch as a part of our culture and history is being taken away. My people and I have been hurting for centuries, and it’s about time that people began to listen to our cries for help and peace. Here’s what you need to know. Armenia is a small country in the Caucasus Mountains, surrounded by Turkey, Georgia, Iran, and…
Author: TECHALERT
Mary Cipperman ‘21 | Morgan Rees ‘21 Over the past months, EA has reexamined its curriculum in a critical way and revised its procedures in the new “Commitment to Building an Inclusive Community” policy. Although these changes may contribute to a more equitable, inclusive curriculum for students in the future, we propose weaknesses in the current policy and thus, in response, the implementation of a mandatory, semester-long course on American identity and culture. Upon changes in the curriculum this past summer, T.J. Locke, Head of School, and the Board of Trustees gathered to examine alumni letters and increasingly popular social…
Alexis Fuscaldo ‘22 This year, like many other aspects of school, athletic competitions look very different than in past years. As a COVID safety precaution, fans, including students, family, and alumni, are no longer allowed to attend games during the school week. However, there are limited spectators allowed on weekend games. Underclassmen athletes received two passes that each allow one fan to watch the games, while senior athletes received three. The status of allowing spectators for away games depends on the rules of the opponent school and more often than not do not allow EA fans on their fields or…
John Bishop ‘22 Many EA student-athletes want to keep playing sports beyond EA and they want to know if EA can help prepare them in doing so. In order to find out how other student-athletes from EA have successfully done this in the past, a few alumni who continued their athletic careers in college or professionally were interviewed. The following interviews were conducted, edited, and condensed for clarity by John Bishop ‘22. Matt Freese ‘17: Philadelphia Union Matt Freese is a professional goalkeeper for the Philadelphia Union who attended Harvard and graduated from EA in 2017. He was also an…
Celia Gallagher ‘21 | Ella Sundstrom ‘21 For his teammates and coaches, Syracuse University commit Malcolm Folk ‘21 is a natural leader and strong team player on EA’s football team. Since starting football at four years old, Folk has been dedicated to the sport and working tirelessly to improve his game. The effort Folk puts into each game and practice for the past four years of high school has made him extremely valued by both his coach and teammates and is reflected in his performance. A testament to his commitment is the fact that Folk trains for the sport year-round.…
Adamo Di Carlo ‘24 | Jonathan Logan ‘24 Macy Szukics ‘22, a strong leader and Division I commit to Duke University is December’s Athlete of the Month. Throughout her high school career, Szukics has developed her skills and become a dominant force within Inter-Ac field hockey. In the opinions of her coaches and teammates, she has been a vital asset to the team and has contributed to their high-level performance, including helping the team capture the 2019 State Championship . Szukics joined the varsity field hockey team her freshman year and has played a key role on the team ever…
Staff Editorial A peaceful transition of power is the bedrock of any democracy, and for over two hundred years no American president has ever attempted to remain in office after losing an election: until now. President Trump claims that he won the election and that President-elect Biden has benefited from millions of illegally cast ballots and widespread fraud. But to put it plainly, there is absolutely no proof to support this claim. The only supposed evidence that Trump points to is the fact that Biden’s vote total rapidly expanded in the days following November 3rd, overtaking the president’s initial lead.…
Pro: Madeleine Ott ‘22 Congress should act on behalf of the interests of the American people to expand the Supreme Court in order to restore the ideological balance and thus the legitimacy of the judiciary. Following the death of beloved icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the subsequent appointment and confirmation of Amy Coney Barett, conservatives now hold a seemingly unbreakable 6-3 majority in the Supreme Court, a majority which was created because of Republican hypocrisy. In 2016 Republicans blocked President Obama from appointing liberal justice Merick Garland to the court because it was a presidential election year, but they just…
Rick Chen ‘24Xinxin Fang ‘24 By now everyone in the EA community has integrated the “Green Screen” into their morning preparations for the day. Using the safety app to prove a student’s COVID-19 free status is a key part of EA’s safety plan. But does it really prove anything? The “Green Screen” is entirely dependent on the honesty of EA families. Shouldn’t we have more measures than this? Beyond the physical partitions and stickers that keep people socially distant, the EA administration puts their faith in the “Green Screen” which all students, faculty, and staff must complete in order to…
The elaborate reopening plan to keep students safe from the pandemic included major changes to the schedule. Many students have had difficulties adjusting to limited freedom. Two students, Anika Agarwal ‘23 and Caroline Sewell ‘23 present their frustrations. Anika Agarwal ‘23 In such isolating times, EA should find ways to safely allow more student interaction with friends for student mental health and wellbeing. In stark contrast to previous years, students are only allowed to be in four spaces at any given time, creating isolation and frustration. Past flexibility allowed for a lot of time with friends, whether at lunch with…
By Isabel Rozes ‘24 Starting this year, the student body will no longer elect their representatives for the Disciplinary Committee; rather, through a separate application, faculty members will choose members from the IV, V, and VI forms to serve on the committee. These students will no longer serve as part of the Student Council. The Discipline Committee is comprised of four Upper School faculty members and select members of the student body. Currently, the faculty members are Jennifer Maier, the Chair of the Discipline Committee, Kris Aldridge, John Dilworth, and Eric Mundy. Students serving on the committee have tremendous power…
Nayan Shankaran ‘24|Rohith Tsundupalli ‘24 Unprecedented changes in the debating process, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors this year, offered EA students a greater understanding of the presidential candidates’ characters, but ultimately did not affect their opinions on the candidates’ policies. Following President Donald J. Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis, the Commission on Presidential Debates canceled the second debate and changed the format of the third debate. Further, the Committee mandated plexiglass dividers, social distancing, and sparse crowds in the audience. However, EA students felt that these changes may not have affected their views of each candidates’ policies.…
London Pettibone ’23 In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Episcopal Academy students and administrators are taking unprecedented measures to stop the spread over Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. EA is currently scheduled to reopen after both breaks, but has made plans for alternative cases. Over the past months, Episcopal is preparing a plan for the upcoming winter breaks. Michael Letts, Head of Upper School, says in an official statement to me, “We are constantly evaluating the wider COVID landscape and meeting regularly to plan out any possible or potential scenario.” Letts explains that the administration has “begun discussing the holidays, but…
Riya Mukherjee ‘23 The EA administration instituted several discussions and presentations over the past few weeks in an attempt to unify the EA community, despite political partisanship in the recent presidential election and upcoming transition of power. Michael Letts, Head of Upper School, says, “This is unprecedented territory. There has not been in my 17 years here an issue [with] an election, particularly that has been this charged.” The EA administration’s primary goal is to bring the EA community together in times of change and to ensure safety for all members. To accomplish this, EQV, an elected group of senior…
Clare Collins ‘23 | Alex Gobran ‘23 During Spirit Week, overwhelming energy and excitement fills the air as students wait in anticipation for EA/AIS/Haverford weekend, one of EA’s most deep-rooted traditions. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, EA/AIS/Haverford weekend will not take place this fall, leaving the community without the traditional intense athletic competitions and packed stands. This cancellation disappoints members of the EA community, including athletes, coaches, supporters, and the senior class especially. Reflecting on past EA/AIS/HAV days, Max Kelly ‘06, boys’ varsity water polo head coach and Upper School History teacher, says, “They are great opportunities to bring the…
Michelle Jiang ‘24 | Sophia Hu ‘24 | Anjali Ramakrishnan ‘24 Drastic changes made to lunch scheduling due to COVID-19 safety protocols affect everyone in the EA community. Whether it is having lunch during a free block, or waiting in longer, socially-distanced lines, each change has required both students and faculty to adapt. One of the most apparent changes is the new timeframe set for all the lunches. The 12:20 Lunch Block is 25 minutes long with all earlier and later lunches being only 15 minutes long. Many students express frustrations with the scheduling. Elizabeth Boruff ‘23 comments, “The lunches…
Trisha Tsundupalli ‘21 | Maiah Islam ‘21 | Ronak Nagar ‘24 Alumni connection to EA is critical to the overall health of the institution and finding ways to keep them engaged during COVID has led to significant innovation. Lauren Maloney, Director of Alumni Engagement, says that EA will be “prioritizing [events for members of the senior class because they are] in-person and on-campus.” As a result, the Alumni Engagement Office will not be hosting any in-person, on-campus events for alumni yet. Instead, all of the events that would have normally occurred are now going to be virtual. Typically, Alumni Engagement…
Rachel Lederman ‘24 | Bella Notaro ‘24 Several new clubs centered around sports and athletics have recently been approved. Below are descriptions of these new offerings. The SquashSmarts and Community Service Club: Led by Albert Chen ‘23 and Demer Holleran The SquashSmarts and Community Service Club connects with the nonprofit, Philadelphia-based program SquashSmarts, giving Episcopal students the opportunity to both tutor students and coach squash. The club was created by Albert Chen and faculty advisor Demer Holleran, the Girl’s Varsity Squash Head Coach. She shares, “Albert asked if I could be the faculty advisor to the new club. I was…
Cecilia Gallagher ‘21 | Ella Sundstrum ‘21 For her commitment to excellence and brilliant communication from the box, Allie Bush ‘21 is November’s Girl’s Athlete of the Month. A natural leader, Bush began playing soccer at just four years old, and is now the starting goalkeeper and captain of the EA girls’ varsity soccer team. Although COVID-19 has brought many changes to the soccer season, Bush remains positive and sets an amazing example for the rest of the team. As a goalkeeper, Bush is strongly focusing on leading the back this year and helping her teammates play new positions. She…
Brianna Bellinghieri ‘22 | Cecilia Murphy ‘22 Demonstrated by his award recognitions and the opinions of his teammates and coaches, Chris Lo ‘21 has heavily contributed to Episcopal’s water polo success since his freshman year. Now a captain, his talent and leadership skills both in and out of the pool make him a role model for the other players in the pool. With his guidance, the boys’ varsity water polo team is hopeful for a successful season. Lo began his water polo career in the fourth grade. He played Middle School water polo for EA and continued the sport for…