Mimi McCann ’13: Sam French, Episcopal Academy class of 1994, was nominated for an Oscar in the category of “short film, live action” for his renowned film “Buzkashi Boys.” French co-wrote and directed the film through Development Pictures, a production company based in Kubal which he cofounded. The film tells the tale of two young boys, one a blacksmith’s son and the other a beggar, growing up in modern day Afghanistan. The boys live in the slums of Kabul and travel to see a Buzkashi match. Buzkashi is the Afghan national sport and is essentially a game of polo but…
Author: TECHALERT
Leah Yao ’15: Episcopal’s tuition for lower, middle, and upper school will increase four percent for the 2013-2014 school year, which brings the upper school tuition to over $30,000 and the middle school tuition to $27,750. Tuition accounts for three quarters of the total revenue of the school. Consequently, as Gary Madeira, Chair of the Board of Trustees, explained, “Even if you were perfect at expense control in all other areas, if you wanted to give the faculty some increase, the only way you can do that is by increasing tuition.” Currently, sixty-five percent of the school’s thirty-nine million dollar…
Toni Radcliffe ’14: Recently students were asked to discuss, provide feedback, and indicate their preferred choices for next year’s J-Term. John Dilworth, member of the English Department, has proposed a J-Term course titled “Growing Greener: (Urban) farming practices and techniques for sustainability.” The course description states, “Learning about farming and agriculture on a local and urban level: best practices and techniques for starting seeds, saving seeds, hydroponic growing techniques, canning, jarring, preserving foods, nutritional value of foods, environmental impact of locally grown produce and products, water and energy conservation, beekeeping, beef and dairy farming, poultry and eggs, cheese-making and business…
Chester Thai ’14: In the midst of writing his dissertation for his Ph.D. in economics, Adam Lavallee, Upper School math teacher, recently published a problem in the magazine Mathematics Teacher. Entitled “Chocolatefinger,” Lavallee’s problem used an excerpt from a 2011 New York Times article about “an investor that bought a lot of cocoa.” The article begins, “To some, he is a real-life Willy Wonka. To others, he is a Bond-style villain bent on taking over the world’s supply of chocolate. In a stroke, a hedge fund manager here named Anthony Ward has all but cornered the market in cocoa. By…
Chloe Kinzig ’14: In order to improve the circulation of campus traffic during the morning commute, a safety official of the Episcopal Academy has been assigned to the intersection at the three-way stop sign right before the entrance to the middle school circle. Now, Every weekday morning from 7:35 to 8:00, James Wellman, member of the Plants & Operations Department, directs traffic through the stop sign at this intersection in order to prevent the significant back-ups the community experienced during its first four years at the Newtown Square campus. On public roads, failure to obey a stop sign results in…
Artsfest has again been cancelled by the administration in light of incidents from previous years and concerns about student behavior. Scholium strongly suggests that this decision be reversed, as it is unfair to punish the entire Upper School for the actions of a few individuals and to deprive the artistically talented of an opportunity to share their abilities. Students who choose to disregard the many warnings teachers have articulated do so not because Artsfest prompts them; the circumstances did not elicit the inappropriate behavior. Students could have engaged in these kinds of actions on any other day or during any…
Catie Hopkins ’13: The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December and the January incident involving an unidentified photographer in Episcopal’s athletic center served as catalysts for the creation of new security practices on campus; while keeping people safe should be the administration’s primary concern, the way the school currently goes about protecting us is inefficient. Days after an unidentified photographer made his way into the athletic facilities, the school implemented a few immediate changes in campus security. Everyone noticed the increased security presence in the athletic center, but the real change came as more of a surprise. Seniors returning…
Shreya Reddy ’13: While Episcopal Academy strives to maintain its academic rigor through its unique schedule, it must reevaluate the efficacy of such a demanding schedule that provides very little flexibility. By building in more time for students to manage their heavy work loads and to organize class trips that promote experiential learning, EA can work to create a more student-friendly schedule. The schedule is especially demanding for students who wish to pursue a second language or take an additional math or science. With six of their seven class blocks already fulfilled, they must work extra hard to not only…
Shreya Reddy ’13: While Episcopal Academy strives to maintain its academic rigor through its unique schedule, it must reevaluate the efficacy of such a demanding schedule that provides very little flexibility. By building in more time for students to manage their heavy work loads and to organize class trips that promote experiential learning, EA can work to create a more student-friendly schedule. The schedule is especially demanding for students who wish to pursue a second language or take an additional math or science. With six of their seven class blocks already fulfilled, they must work extra hard to not only…
Erin McCarthy ’13: In light of the Pope’s resignation and the rumors surrounding this announcement, now is the time for the Catholic Church to adopt the values of a membership that is becoming increasingly socially liberal. This controversial course of action is their only hope of regaining relevancy and reestablishing themselves as a high example of morality in a world which, now more than ever, needs such ethical guidance. Two years ago, I penned another Scholium article about gross scandal rocking the Catholic Church. That article began, “As a product of nine years of Catholic education, I can tell you…
Timmy Freese ’14, Matt Robinson ’14: The college process is just that: a process. As such, attempting to create a strong collegiate profile in a matter of months is implausible, stressful, and counterintuitive. Rather than the current system, in which college advisors are assigned to students in their junior year, it makes much more sense to do so during sophomore or even freshman year. Despite other assertions, such a change would actually make the process less stressful, as students would have more time to develop a personal relationship with their guidance counselors and be surer of decisions regarding the college…
Deirdre Meaney ’14: Students skillfully demonstrate the art of accessorizing when they put on their uniforms each day. Fashionable students at Episcopal rarely feel limited by the boundaries set forth by the dress code. Often, they dress up their kilts and polo shirts with patterned scarves, bold flats, and vibrant sweaters. The Upper School maintains uniform requirements that create an identity for the school, while also giving students the flexibility to customize with color and texture. The arrival of autumn bears witness to an influx of advertisements for uniform apparel from various department stores and mass retailers. Melanie Cox, a…
Deirdre Meaney ’14: Students skillfully demonstrate the art of accessorizing when they put on their uniforms each day. Fashionable students at Episcopal rarely feel limited by the boundaries set forth by the dress code. Often, they dress up their kilts and polo shirts with patterned scarves, bold flats, and vibrant sweaters. The Upper School maintains uniform requirements that create an identity for the school, while also giving students the flexibility to customize with color and texture. The arrival of autumn bears witness to an influx of advertisements for uniform apparel from various department stores and mass retailers. Melanie Cox, a…
Melanie Kovacs ’15: When one thinks of Caroline Hunter ’14, usually the first thing that comes to mind is her theatrical talent and strong ability as an actress. Hunter has been a prominent figure in the theatre community at Episcopal since her arrival at Episcopal in 6th grade, when she made her Episcopal debut in the musical Once Upon a Mattress. Throughout her middle school career, Hunter was featured in productions including To See the Stars, Peter Pan, and Cinderella. As an Upper School student and Domino Board Member, she returned to the stage in Bye Bye Birdie, Seussical, and,…
Jessica Bai ’16: Episcopal Academy’s Chamber Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Vocal Ensemble departed from the Philadelphia International Airport on February 14th to perform in Switzerland. In addition to their performance schedule, the students and their chaperones had set aside ample time to tour Zurich and the surrounding areas. The group landed at the Zurich Airport at 8 am and immediately traveled to Colmar, France, a historic city dating back to the year 823. While there, the students shopped at the famous pedestrian shopping center and toured an area called “Little Venice,” which was designed to be similar to the famous…
Cole Testaiuti ’16: Many students are at odds about the upcoming “J-Term” set for the 2013-2014 school year. Some argue it may distract them from their regular classes but others say they like the fact they will not have to take midterms. J-term does offer a variety of courses for students to choose from, allowing them to pick the course that best appeals to them. As Andrew Stone ’14 said, “Looking at the J-term course options, obviously some are more popular among students than others.” Courses that have stirred up the most interest range from those involving extensive travel to…
Tyler Haab ’14, Moose Recktenwald ’14: Scholium’s Boy Athlete of the Month is Doug Trimble ’13. Trimble, a dominant tri-sport varsity athlete, competes in soccer, squash, and will be playing baseball during this spring season. Trimble led the soccer team through an up-and-down season this year as they achieved some success while also coping with many tough losses. Beating Shipley in the PAISAA Competition, a team that EA had not beaten in five years, was cited by Trimble as a definite, “highlight;” however the loss against Haverford on EA-Haverford Day was truly a “low point” for the senior playmaker. As…
Pat Espe ’14: The Episcopal Academy Girls’ Basketball team has made history this year with both the first Inter-Ac and State titles in the team’s history. Episcopal Academy, ranked fourth in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, won its first ever Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association (PAISAA) title with a resounding 56-42 victory over Inter-Ac rival Germantown Academy. “I thought the Inter-Ac was good, but this is almost just as good. It feels great,” stated captain Kristen Hinckley ’13, whose nine points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals helped seal the deal at the State Championship game. “I couldn’t ask…
Rich Palazzese ’14: The EA homepage has recently highlighted the achievements of Episcopal’s athletic triumphs from wins in out-of-league play to triumphs over rivals for Inter-Ac titles. A common theme that has not gone unnoticed by the community is that Kristen Hinckley ’13 has led two of these dominant teams in history-making seasons. Hinckley has captained both the soccer and basketball teams to Inter-Ac Championships during her final year with the Churchwomen; she aspires to complete her “perfect year” by capturing the Inter-Ac title for girls’ lacrosse. Hinckley exemplifies excellence in mind, body, and spirit. Hinckley is both dominate in…
Alex Rice ’13: Minda has become a familiar face in the Upper school. The adorable black lab puppy can often be found with IV Form Dean and math teacher Cheryl McLauchlan, usually sleeping in McLauchlan’s office. While many students and teachers know Minda well, few know much about the program that made it possible for this canine to become a part of our community. McLauchlan stated that Minda is in training to become a seeing-eye dog. This training program gives puppies to volunteer owners, who raise and train the dogs to become seeing-eye dog candidates. For the volunteer owners, this…