Andrew Vetterlein The Philadelphia Flyers will host the New York Rangers in what will be the fifth Winter Classic in NHL history. This will be the second time that the Flyers have participated in the event but it will be the first time that the game has been played in Philadelphia. Citizens Bank Park will be transformed into a hockey wonderland. Fans will be closer to the action and because baseball is in its off-season, winterizing the stadium will be much easier logistically than if it were held at Lincoln Financial Field. It is usually a New Years day tradition,…
Author: TECHALERT
Scrooges, and Snooki, and Dr. Evil, OH MY!
Katie Howlin ’12 Brian Metzler ’12 is co-captain of the boys’ basketball team, and his presence on the court has helped turn the program around. Metzler has been playing basketball for the majority of his life, and has ambitions to continue his career in college. Metzler has been on varsity since his freshman year, and this is his second year starting as either a guard or forward. Scholium: When and why did you start playing basketball? Metzler: I’ve been playing for fun since birth, but in second grade I played in my first league. My dad got me into it.…
Katie Howlin ’12 The four-month National Basketball Association’s lockout has come to a close. As of November 26, 2011, the players and owners reached a potential agreement that would include a 66 game season, with the opening games being played on Christmas Day, and training camps beginning on December 9th. The lockout began on July 1, 2011 after the collective bargaining agreement between athletes and owners expired, and they could not decide on new terms for issues such as salary caps and division of revenues. The revenues that were disputed included ticket sales, television contracts, and merchandise and clothing sales.…
Dimantha Andrahennady ’14 In the past month, Major League Soccer (MLS) has overtaken the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) to become the third most attended sport in the US. The only two sports with a higher average attendance rate are Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL). The MLS, formed in 1996, is quite young compared to other professional sports leagues such as the NFL, which has existed since 1920. According to David Knox, Head Coach of Boys’ Soccer at Episcopal, “MLS is a fantastic national brand that has roots here in…
Patrick Espe and Raphael Furey The Episcopal community has great expectations for the Boy’s Squash team this season. This year, the team has an opportunity to accomplish an unprecedented feat for a male high-school Squash team: becoming four-time National Champions. Commenting on Nationals this year, Joe Russell, Head Coach of Boy’s Squash, said, “It’s definitely possible. Each year has been tough, overall the scores have been pretty much in our favor but we’ve been pushed.” When asked about his expectations for the year overall, Russell said, “The expectations are pretty high. … The boys are every bit as strong as…
Richie Palazzese ’14 When asked about the college recruiting process, Episcopal lacrosse player Sam Lawlor ’12 said, “It’s actually not as different as someone would expect.” The recruiting process is known for being difficult and tedious, with lots of behind the scenes work that, for many, goes unnoticed. Because of NCAA regulations, coaches of underclassmen must act as advocates for the athletes, because prior to September 1st of an athlete’s junior year, college coaches cannot initiate contact with the athletes; all contact must be started by high school or club coaches, or by the athletes themselves. Megan Quinn ’13 states…
Jeffrey Hu ’14 The Pennsylvania State Senate recently passed a bill banning texting while driving. Despite loud criticism that the ban is backwards and ineffective, the bill will take effect in early March 2012. Pennsylvania is the 35th state to pass a bill restricting the use of cell phones while driving. At the bill-signing event in early November, the PA Governor Tony Corbett said “We’ve said it in the past, but today we are making it law: If you have an urgent need to text, you must pull over and park. … No text message is worth a human…
Michael Quinlan ’14 Greece’s debt continues to cause serious fiscal problems throughout the Eurozone, despite the European Union’s recent bailout to prevent the country from defaulting on its debts. Greece’s debts and borrowing costs continue to reach record heights; economists and politicians worldwide believe their debts have reached unsustainable levels. In 2010, Greece’s budget deficit reached 13.6 percent, which is more than four times the maximum allowed by the European Union’s regulations. In an effort to alleviate Greece’s increasing debts, the International Monetary Fund and members of the Eurozone, the 17 European countries that share the Euro as their…
Jill Barton ’12 Jerry Sandusky, previously an assistant football coach at Penn State University, has been charged with sexually abusing eight boys over a fifteen year period. While Sandusky and his lawyer maintain that Sandusky only “horsed around” with the boys, Penn State has fired not only Sandusky, but also head football coach Joe Paterno and Penn State President Graham Spanier. In addition, Vice President Gary Schultz and Athletic Director Tim Curley, have been accused of failure to report possible child abuse and perjury, leading both men to step down from their positions at Penn State. As the investigation continues,…
Toni Radcliffe ’14 Study Skills, a class taught by Upper School faculty members Anna McDermott and Max Kelly, has been offered to the III Form for the first time this academic year. Meeting every other C Block, Study Skills “is a course to help students navigate the Upper School,” said McDermott, a member of the History Department. Study Skills was created to address the transfer to Upper School. Cheryl McLauchlan, III Form Dean, said, “We felt like we needed to have something to help kids make an adjustment to Upper School. The difference between Middle School and Upper School is…
Due to budget cuts of over $600 million in Philadelphia schools this year, district officials plan to close nine schools due to falling enrolment. During the past decade, the number of students enrolled in the Philadelphia School District has dropped from 500,000 to 150,000. Caused in great part by a movement to charter-school education, the Philadelphia School District student population currently functions at 67 percent capacity, significantly below the national average of 85 percent capacity. A preliminary plan to close nine district schools, many of which are elementary schools, was recently announced due to poor enrolment. The proposal would effectively…
Student Council is considering revising the rules of the Spirit Week lounge decorating competition in an effort to promote creativity and increase the amount of time students get to enjoy their lounges. Student Council has proposed giving each grade set supplies in order to level the playing field and determine who is most creative with the same resources. “I love the idea of the lounge competition but I think the playing field has to level and the focus should be on creativity. Should the class that spends the most money win?” said Cheryl McLauchlan, III Form Dean. Many students support…
Scholium: How does vestry decide who speaks in chapel, and how do you find them? Carly: Basically, we all brainstorm and see who people know, who would be an interesting speaker, and who can relate to the theme and also have a faith-based speech. Collin: Students and alumni ask us to speak in chapel and a lot of people come to us with someone who they think would be a good chapel speaker. S: Does their speech have to be faith-based? Carly: Not necessarily, but the content of the speeches should either be faith-based or otherwise connect with the chapel…
During the holiday season, families look forward to gathering around the fireplace, candy canes in hand, sharing stories of Christmases past, or sitting below the tree reading Twas the Night Before Christmas. However, such picturesque Christmas nights find life only in children’s picture books, ABC Family movies, or the chocolate filled images adorning advent calendars. As past experiences reveal, some Christmases are never as ideal as anticipated. “My mom spent all day making this elaborate chicken dish that was the main course for dinner. At time for dinner, she was carrying the platter to the table and all…
Shreya Reddy ’13 Affirmative action policies, in which colleges give preference to under-represented minorities, fail to serve their intended purpose by only “diversifying” a school on the surface and overlooking the unique characteristics that truly determine the success of students and the university as a whole. Idealistically speaking, each applicant should be considered holistically, not just by his or her ethnicity, gender, or race. A persons’ socioeconomic or racial background should be taken into consideration somewhat; however, these characteristics should not serve as significant factors that determine whether he or she is accepted. While some minority students admitted into particular…
Our experience at Episcopal has been incredible and we are so grateful to have had this opportunity. At Episcopal, we have participated in many of the various activities the school has to offer in class, sports and societies as well as after school events. We have thoroughly enjoyed becoming active members of the school community and have felt so welcome. During our stay, we have noticed many differences and similarities between Episcopal and our schools in South Africa and Australia and, upon discovering these differences, have recognized the similarities between South Africa and Australia. Arriving at Episcopal, we were entranced…
Marian Prim ’12 “How many colleges are you applying to? Nearby or far away? Which ones? How good are your chances? My son went to UNC, have you looked there? Any early applications? When do you find out?” Personally, reading those seven questions makes my blood pressure rise and my stress levels soar. They are part of an endless game of 20 Questions for the senior class, questions which many seniors learn how to dodge after year or so of constant interrogation. However, beneath the calm façade there is a storm brewing. It all begins junior year, when students begin…
Most computers and gadgets have one problem or another throughout their lifespan, and as any member of the Episcopal community knows, technology here is no exception. There is always some fluke with a computer, printer, or network around the school, but thanks to the technology faculty, these problems are fixed as quickly as they appear. One of these valuable faculty members is Matthew Lake, distinctive by his height, his usually bearded face, and his British accent. However, many may not know that there are more riveting facets to Lake, from his work as a photographer and writer, to the story…
2011 marks Episcopal’s 10th year of participation in the Big Timber Arts Roundup, held for five days each October in Big Timber, Montana. Students from eight schools, including Episcopal, are hosted by the Burch and Burke families on their spacious ranches as they participate in one of four workshops. These workshops, taught by professionals from Montana and the Philadelphia area, include Writing, Visual Art, Photography and Acting. The program began when the Burch family felt the desire to give back to the community of Big Timber. Originating as purely a writing workshop, the program has grown to include various schools…