Michael Quinlan ’14 A number of the factory workers at Davis Vision, a local subsidiary of the national eyewear manufacturing company HVHC Inc. (a Highmark Inc. company), were on strike outside the Newtown Square plant along Route 252 from January to late February. The workers were protesting changed labor requirements and decreases in wages. The strike, authorized by CWA Local 81408, the local optics union representing more than 100 workers at Davis Vision, followed a reported new labor contract. The union, representing the 80 Davis Vision employees on strike, narrowed the issues with the new labor contract “down to money.”…
Author: TECHALERT
The long-standing rule prohibiting student-athletes from moving their cars before practice is currently the object of much criticism. With the arrival of the spring sports season, the administration has been reminding student athletes that they are not allowed to move their cars at the end of the school day, resulting in several detentions for many who have moved their cars to their respective practice areas. The form deans have been enforcing the rule as a safety regulation. Cheryl McLauchlan, III Form Dean, said that “safety is the first concern” because “there are more cars and kids around” as Upper School…
Marian Prim It is a known fact that once second semester hits, most seniors immediately check out. “To be or not to be” is forgotten; “to go or not to go” becomes the phrase of choice. Ironically, I have been staring at my computer screen for an hour the day before my article is due (after two deadline extensions), and can barely form a thought to share with the lovely Scholium readers. After thirteen years at the Episcopal Academy, I have reached the final stretch. Instead of being nostalgic, or ecstatic, or relieved, I am simply exhausted, an adjective that…
Megan Kilcullen and James Costalas After her defining performance as “Snooki” in this year’s Scrooge Chapel, Sunshine O’Donnell has since been a topic of discussion in the hallways of the Upper School. New to the Episcopal community this school year, her first public appearance was quite memorable. She adds spunk and originality to the English Department and is always a source for good conversation. Yet there is more to O’Donnell than her perfect comedic timing and quirky disposition. Q: What brought you to Episcopal Academy? A: I am very good friends with Mr. McCreary and over the years he brought…
Anthony Thai ’13, Shreya Reddy ’13 Standardized testing should not be weighted so heavily in the college process as it is both an unnecessary burden to high school students and fails to provide a fair medium for evaluating the academic success of applicants. They add to already overbearing workloads and, instead of determining whether a student is equipped for the academic rigor of a certain school, the tests only measure a student’s test-taking ability. Although these tests certainly are useful, they should not be a critical factor in college admissions because of their ineffectiveness and the burden they pose on…
Chester Thai ’14 Though an established part of any political race, election polls actually fail to help the public interest by misguiding and deceiving voters as a result of their constant fluctuation. The purpose of election polls is to outline in clear data which candidates have the most support from voters at a certain time. However, it remains unclear whether the polls are reliable as indicators of the eventual nominee and if they should affect voter decisions. According to the American Research Group, the predictions of seven major polls showed Romney’s victory within a 5% margin of error. Moreover, The…
Roshan Ravishankar ’14 In response to SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and the PIPA (Protect IP Act), online “free encyclopedia” Wikipedia recently went on a one-day blackout, protesting the radical and unreasonable approach Congress has decided to take to minimize Internet piracy, an approach that, if passed, will prove economically detrimental. While the bills are supported heavily by the entertainment industry, companies like Google, Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo and Wikipedia have ardently crusaded against the bill. Internet piracy has become a major issue for the entertainment industry. Megaupload, a Hong Kong based company, was recently shut down by the government, costing…
The recent events surrounding the “Thunderdome” incident have demonstrated the importance of character education at Episcopal and the need for increased community awareness of the values that are central to Episcopal’s mission. The unsportsmanlike behavior at the basketball game against Haverford on January 20th was a poor representation of Episcopal’s Stripes, which serve as the moral backbone of the school and set Episcopal apart from other institutions. Episcopal fans crossed the line with their verbal and personal attacks against a minority student at Haverford, chanting offensive racial slurs and making comments about the sexual orientation of the opposing team. This…
Lyssa Freese ’12 Twelve students from the Northeast Yucai School in China are currently exploring the halls of Episcopal Academy. These students attend school in Shenyang, China, the capital of the Liaoning Province in Northeast China; Upper School Mandarin teacher Wei Yang said it is “about the best [school] in their region.” All of the visiting students will be between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. They will be making this two week long journey escorted by one of their teachers. The students left China on January 31 and after multiple connecting flights, finally touched down in Philadelphia. They are…
Dr. Ulric Johnson, a renowned teacher in the field of gang prevention and urban sociology, will be giving a chapel address on March 14th to the Episcopal Academy community. Dr. Johnson is the founding director of Teens Against Gang Violence, a peer leadership, youth and family program which helps combat gang violence by teaching teens to be effective role models of non-violence in their communities. He is an award winning teacher at the Harvard Education School where he teaches a module on violence prevention and peaceable schools and is a founding board member of the Center for Peaceable Schools at…
Alex Rice ‘13 The present economic recession in the United States has impacted every American, but none have felt the recession’s sting more than the lower and middle classes. Last year, the Congressional Research Service defined the middle class as having an income between “$19,000 a year and $91,000 a year.” Under this definition, the middle class comprises the majority of American households in the U.S. According to CNN, “Incomes for 90% of Americans have been stuck in neutral, and it’s not just because of the recession. Middle-class incomes have been stagnant for at least a generation.” Outsourcing and the…
Katie O’Reilly ‘14, Suzy Chen ‘14 Every April a new batch of hopeful candidates sign up for Student Council and vestry elections and hastily post their speeches on boards around the school. The candidates give their addresses in front of the entire student body and then the students place their votes. The moment of truth arrives when the votes are counted and the new presidents and vestry members are announced. While these types of elections that characterize the Episcopal student’s experience and serve the community seem like the most democratic form of student government possible, other schools in the area…
Rohan Rajagopalan ’14, Michael Quinlan ’14 Next fall, Episcopal fifth grade students will be participating in a one-to-one program which will give each student his or her own laptop. In addition, there are currently discussions about expanding these programs through the Middle and Upper Schools. Under the current plan, next fall, each fifth grader will be given a MacBook Air in the beginning of the 2012-2013 school years. There is discussion about whether or not Episcopal will replace these laptops when the students enter ninth grade. Dr. Catherine Hall, Academic Dean at Episcopal and former Director of Technology,…
Mimi McCann ’13 The Archdiocese of Philadelphia recently announced its decision to close or merge almost 50 elementary and high schools due to their declining enrollments and lack of funding. Currently, there are 17 high schools, 156 elementary schools, and four special education parochial schools affiliated with Philadelphia’s Archdiocese. Four high schools, Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast, West Catholic, St. Hubert’s and Conwell Egan, will close at the end of the school year in June. Tom Stewart, Assistant Principal for Student Services at Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast, two of the schools expected to close in June, states that…
John Flynn ’14 Although The Episcopal Academy continues to offer Advanced Placement courses, in recent years many schools, including some in the Inter-Ac, have eliminated Advanced Placement courses from their curricula due to the belief they limit creativity in the classroom. The Advanced Placement program began in 1955 and, according to the College Board website, strives to “provide motivated high school students with the opportunity to take college-level courses in a high school setting.” In addition to the rigorous curriculum offered by AP classes, in some cases high scores on the Advanced Placement tests may allow students to earn college…
Jill Barton ’12 The Chester Upland High School is in a state of insolvency with a $20 million debt, causing the teachers of the school district to work without pay. In recent years, Chester Upland has lost almost half of students to charter schools and has suffered from cuts in state funding. The Corbett administration, up until a court order, refused to give Chester Upland a bailout, citing its mismanagement to be the district’s own fault. A judge mandated the state to advance the school district $3.2 million; however, to finish the school year, Chester Upland High School needs approximately…
Ryan Quinlan ’14 Philadelphia continues to hold the highest homicide rate of the ten most populous cities, with a homicide victim count of 324 in 2011. According to Philly.com, Philadelphia had 20.7 homicides for each 100,000 residents, while Chicago had 15.7 and New York City only had 6.1. Although Philadelphia’s homicide rate peaked in 2006, with 406 homicides, 2011 marked a slight increase from 2009 and 2010, which had 302 and 306 deaths respectively. In a recent interview with the Daily Pennsylvanian, Eric Schineder, a history professor, said, “I don’t think the recent upturn in homicides is significant … The…
Katie Howlin ’12 Emily Baturka ’12 is a Co-Captain of the Episcopal Varsity Girls’ Swim Team, and is an accomplished athlete who was recruited to swim for the University of Pennsylvania next year. Baturka has been a contributor on Episcopal’s team since she was in eighth grade. Since then, she has been a two-time Delaware County Swimmer of the Year, a five-time All-American, and a two-time winner of the Episcopal Most Outstanding Swimmer award. In addition to these awards, Baturka has placed first in the Eastern Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championship in the 50 yard freestyle and she holds four…
Dimantha Andrahennady ’14 Despite its long history, paddle tennis is a relatively unknown winter fitness option at Episcopal. The sport was started by Frank Peer Beal and was created in Manhattan so local kids would have something to do. The sport first came to Episcopal in 2006 when Elspeth Boynton ’08 and Mia Kent ’08 convinced Thomas Kent, a member of the Classics Department, and Whitaker Powell, a Lower School Teacher and tennis coach, to create a team at Episcopal, making Episcopal the first high school in the area to have a paddle tennis team. The first team had eight…
Katie Howlin ’12 The Episcopal Academy administration has made many changes to the school following the development of a new strategic plan. With these changes has come a new evaluation system for teachers and, now, coaches alike. In the strategic plan, strategy number five states that “because the quality of education is a direct result of the quality of teaching, we will work to make Episcopal a place where excellent teachers can be their best professional selves.” Gina Buggy, Athletic Director, said that because sports can be considered a part of the curriculum at Episcopal, this strategy should apply to…