Finn Sipes ’22 In recent years, Mercersburg has dedicated itself to nurturing an environment that allows its students to play at the highest levels they can achieve. Some students grow so much…
Full of pride
Mel Cort ’23 Living through the odd circumstances of this past year, many LGBTQ+ students have had to deal with being Queer while isolated in a virtual setting or have turned to…
A man of many talents
Manuel Ponce ’23 Pete Gunkleman, director of Mercersburg Outdoor Education, is known around campus for his love of the outdoors and climbing. While this may be true, he has also been involved…
Master plan
Addie Geitner ’21 Every ten years, Mercersburg Academy updates its Campus Master Plan (CMP) to ensure that the school’s facilities are equipped to support the ever-evolving needs of the student body in…
A night to remember
Rae Cruea ’21 COVID-19 has changed the lives of everyone around the world. However, certain changes are noticably present on the small campus of Mercersburg Academy. Several decades-old traditions have been sacrificed…
The lone senior of the softball team
Quin Caretti ’24 High school athletic teams depend on the experience and talent of their seniors throughout the season. Important responsibility rests upon their shoulders.If there was one athlete who carried this…
Bidding adieu to Katie Titus
Maggie Betkowski ’21 On Wednesday, May 12, Head of School Katie Titus announced her resignation from the position, and consequently, Quentin McDowell’s promotion from Associate Head of School for External Relations to…
Dorm deans redux
Catherine Orders ’23 Laura Patterson, Jackie Sweeney, and Shelley Swope are three faculty faces that some Mercersburg Academy students, depending on where they live on campus, may not see very often. They…
Seniors in the spotlight
Hatton Tong ’21 As American writer Harriet Ann Jacobs once said, “The beautiful spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” In the spring…
Destination: One North
Mel Cort ’23 For many of us, Lena Eckstine was the first Mercersburg face we saw when going through the admission process. As the assistant director of admission, adviser in Fowle, merit…
Advanced Studio Art: An exploration in the technical and creative process
Maggie Betkowski ’21 This year’s Advanced Studio Art course continues its legacy as the apex of the Fine Arts curriculum at Mercersburg Academy. The only year-long art course offered at Mercersburg, Advanced…
Celebrating AAPI Month
Melody Howe ’22 During Asian American Pacific Islander month, Mercersburg Academy has planned special events, programs, and guidance as the community takes steps to recognize the impactful history and celebrative culture of…
Fun at the fest!
Anish Shrestha ’24 Last Saturday, the Mercersburg student government hosted a very successful Springfest. The town of Mercersburg has hosted its own Springfest in the past, so with students confined to campus…
Home away from home
Isabella Van Ess ’22 Dorm deans play an instrumental role in the Mercersburg residential community. They keep our living spaces lively and positive through thick and thin. Dylan Gantt ‘21, a current…
Japan’s Wastewater Controversy
Haruto Kitagawa ’22 Recently, Japan has decided to release more than one million tons of “treated” wastewater from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. Various media sources misrepresented this incident…
Baseball undefeated streak continues
Evan Howley ’22 After a rebuilding season two years ago and a cancelled season last spring, the Blue Storm baseball team has returned to its winning ways this season, now boasting an…
The Blood of the Russian Flag
Dalila Melkumova ’21 “I’m sorry, sir. Could you please show us your ID?” Left and right, thousands of people were stopped in the streets by the Russian police. It was January 23,…
India COVID-19 Crisis
Zain Qureshi ’22 154,000 deaths. 19.4 million cases. Once seen as a beacon of light for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, India has been hit hard by its…
Spikeball fever
Osa Iyoha ’22 Out of nowhere, one activity has suddenly skyrocketed into popularity within the Mercersburg Academy community: Spikeball. Spikeball rules are pretty simple, which is part of its appeal. It is…
China’s Internment Camps
Hatton Tong ’21 On November 16, 2019, The New York Times released an extensive leak of 400 pages of documents sourced from a member of the Chinese government, in the hope that…
Slice, slice, baaaby
Lois Hargrove ’21 Pie is an important part of life at Mercersburg. It’s not written on the Student Center wall for nothing. Generations of students have fond memories of eating oatmeal, chocolate…
The Blue Storm Report(ers)
Alex Cho ’23 The Blue Storm Report is tasked with covering topics promoting Mercersburg Academy athletics. A lot of hard work and countless hours go into this PGA that not many people…
An epidemic – but not COVID-19
Max McCullough ’21 There is a terrifying epidemic that is raging throughout our community. And no, it’s not COVID. Instead, it’s the much less publicized epidemic of food insecurity. Take the local…
It Shall Be Drawn by Lot!
Ben Rihn ’22 The dorm and room (re)selection process has always been a controversial topic. In the past, students have felt hungry for a change of pace, but frustrated with the results…
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain
Alice Hwang ’22 Starting this academic year a new art elective course, Practical Design and Production, has been added to the numerous art offerings. This stage class encourages students to take time…
Fast as lightning
Monique Garcia ’22 On Saturday, May 1, the track team held its first and only interscholastic meet against the Hill School. Prior to competing, there was a range of emotions; coach Rachel…
Bad Bunny
Grace Carter ’23 On April 11, 2021, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, also known as Bad Bunny, announced that he would be going on “El Último Tour del Mundo” in 2022. Ocasio is…
For your reading pleasure
Osa Iyoha ’22 The selection of books for the upcoming community summer read was no easy task. Members of the Summer Reading Committee, consisting of students and faculty members, spent the past…
Blue Storm, green thumb
Stanley Fang ’21 As the gentle April breeze blows, multi-colored petals dance to the ground, signaling the arrival of spring to Mercersburg students. The magnolia, elm, and cherry trees burst into colours…
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Iseo Yun ’24 At a boarding school, the food that we eat is one of the most important parts of our lives, but the sheer amount of effort put into the meals…
Voice of an angel
Riley Schermerhorn ’22 Lindsay Owen is Mercersburg Academy’s vocal coach and theater music director. Additionally, she is a Mercersburg parent, the mother of Langley ‘24. Owen grew up knowing she wanted to…
Housekeeping Heroes
Susannah Birch ’21 The housekeeping staff members are the unsung heroes of Mercersburg Academy. Because of the pandemic, cleaning has become a top priority for ensuring a safe return to school. Indeed,…
Guardian of our galaxy
Maggie Betkowski ’21 Every Mercersburg Academy community member has seen Skip Sydnor, Director of Campus Safety, driving across campus or walking around the buildings, and some have had their fair share of…
Letter from the Editors
Carina Cole ’22 and John Xu ’22 Dear Mercersburg Community, The world is in a turbulent state. Since December 2019, there has been unprecedented interruption in the lives of people across the…
Newman shatters school diving record
Madi Norris ’21 On April 9, Isaac Newman ’21 broke the Mercersburg Academy school record for a six-dive meet with 329 points. Newman ’21 joined the Mercersburg community as one of the…
Are We Truly Defining Ourselves Here?
Jamie Hyung ’23 Many students come to Mercersburg seeking unique opportunities, character-shaping experiences that will make them stand out from others and help them discover who they are in the world. The…
Between happiness and anger
Monique Garcia ’22 In the stairs that lead to both the balcony of the retired Flanagan Pool and to the Fitness Center of the Goldthorpe Athletic Complex exists a long-standing tradition that…
A step toward normality
Caroline Simpson ’22 The process of vaccinating Mercersburg Academy students has begun. It was initiated by the school’s current medical director, Dr. Nathan Derstine. He located Norland Pharmacy in Chambersburg, which has…
Gayageum, the soft melodies of Korea
Ryan Choi ’23 The gayageum is a Korean traditional instrument, like a zither, a sound box made from the paulownia tree connected with twelve strands of silk thread sustained by a small…
DEIJ director announced
Matthew Tavarez ’22 Recently, Mercersburg Academy hired a new and permanent Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice, Renata Williams, who will arrive on campus at the start of the next school…
Lectures from a laureate
Ebube Onwusika ’21 American Poet Grace Cavalieri came to Mercersburg Academy (virtually) last week. Her lecture was the kickoff of this year’s Ammerman Residency. Though the school community was not able to…
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Finn Sipes ’22 Recently, English department member and yearbook adviser Matt Maurer’s Advanced Studies in Language, Rhetoric, and Composition class watched the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. While most think…
Chapel organ restored
Ebube Onwusika ’21 The Irvine Memorial Chapel is perhaps Mercersburg Academy’s most beloved building. Built in 1926, the Chapel has held a variety of religious ceremonies, school traditions, and music performances. A staple…
Are we truly “defining ourselves here?”
Jamie Hyung ’23 Many students come to Mercersburg seeking unique opportunities, character-shaping experiences that will make them stand out from others and help them discover who they are in the world. The…
Return of interscholastic competition
Roy Kang ’22 The COVID-19 has worn on for more than a year now, and during that year Blue Storm athletes suffered the lack of interscholastic athletic competitions. The pandemic has disrupted…
Green Team Earth Day
Addie Geitner ‘21, Dylan Gantt ‘21 Earth Day was established on April 22, 1970 in the United States. Solely a US holiday, in 1990 it became a worldwide celebration and day of…
The magic of Folklore
Isabella Van Ess ‘22 Music is an escape from reality. Now, more than ever, in the midst of a pandemic, stress and uncertainty plague everyday life. After several months of isolation during…
Heaping seniors “with praise”
Cricket Tatone ’24 On April 9, Mercersburg Academy honored a group of 26 students from the Class of 2021 as they were inducted into the Cum Laude Society. Cum laude, a Latin…
Virtual Parents’ Weekend
Maggie Betkowski ’21 In the past, Parents’ Weekend has been an event hosted by Mercersburg Academy to allow parents to visit campus and live a day in the life of their children….
Gearheads ascend
Stanley Fang ‘21 Students participating in the climbing PGA at Mercersburg Academy traveled over a weekend to White Rocks, a climbing area near the Appalachian trail. Since the onset of the global…
Mercersburg attends the White Privilege Conference
Bube Osaji ‘22 Over the course of last week, a handful of students and faculty at Mercersburg Academy immersed themselves in a three-day conference sponsored by The Privilege Institute. Mercersburg delegates participated…
Addressing obscenity
Scrolling through the daily NYT newsletter on my way to the mini crossword du jour, my eye was caught by a shocking string of blue, hyperlinked words: Private Schools Have Become Truly…
#DivestNow
Addie Geitner ’21 Hustle & Bustle Editor Emeritus I call on Mercersburg Academy to immediately begin the urgent and necessary movement to fully divest its endowment and retirement pensions from all fossil…
Say yes to chess
Dylan Gantt ’21 More people are playing chess than ever before. A game that dates back a millennium, chess is a contest of wits and complex strategy with an almost unlimited number…
Mr Malone’s raptors
Amy Wu ‘22 Any student who has taken one of Jim Malone’s classes is probably aware of his love for raptors. While most people don’t give much thought to the birds on…
A letter to myself
Ben Rihn ’22 Adviser letters: the typical method of reflecting upon a student’s academic and extracurricular performance at Mercersburg. This year is different, however. End-of-year student reflections are now front and center,…
Blue-White scrimmages redux
Julia Mills ’22 For many Mercersburg students and teachers, sports and athletics are critical aspects of life. Needless to say, Covid-19 restrictions have put a damper sense in athletic competitiveness. To counteract…
Asians are not the virus. Hate is.
John Xu ’22 On March 16, six Asian-American women were ruthlessly murdered in a shooting rampage across three Atlanta-area Asian spas. The perpetrator, 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, claimed to have suffered a…
Irving Marshall Week(end)
Mathew Tavares ‘22 Irving-Marshall week, or weekend this year, was action packed and filled with exhilarating competition and school spirit. Even limited by COVID-19, Mercersburg managed to pull off a fantastic weekend. …
Honoring women’s history month
Maddie Schermerhorn ‘22 If you’ve been paying attention to the news or social media recently, you may know that the month of March is Women’s History Month. The name is self-explanatory, but…
Pottery during the pandemic
Emma Shuford ‘22 Ceramics is a popular visual arts class at Mercersburg Academy, where students explore working with clay and experimenting on the pottery wheel. Addie Geitner ‘21 has taken both Ceramics…
Don’t be a bad egg!
Carina Cole ‘22 Easter, a day that entails chocolate, the Easter Bunny, stuffed animals, and maybe even a church service. Easter was named after a pre-Christian goddess, Eostre, in England. This goddess…
Quarantine 2.0
Grace Carter ‘23 With the return of students to campus after a virtual start to winter term, there’s been one question on our minds. Has the quarantine in the spring been more…
Beats by dr Reed
By: Maggie Betkowski ‘21 In a course typically heavy with visuals, Mason Reed ‘21 stands apart in this winter’s CommArts Springboard class with his mixing music project. He is the only student…
Alert trace bracelets: the trace app is SO 2020
Chelsea Seaby Bruno ‘21, News Reporter With only two weeks until spring break, one can taste the excitement in the air, as people get ready for in-person learning. In the fall term,…
Scholastic art and writing awards
Sabine Ellison ‘21, News Reporter The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are part of a national recognition program. Teens from grades 7-12 can submit work in 28 categories of art and writing,…
PGA: Rugby? Badminton?
Alex Cho ‘23 There are hundreds of, if not, thousands of sports in the world that people actively participate in every day. As diverse as the Mercersburg athletic department is, there is…
Mercersburg personal coronavirus stories
Carina Cole ’22, Features Editor It is abundantly clear that the coronavirus has affected everyone in some way. But what may be less clear is how this virus has affected the Mercersburg…
Band long distance style
Isabella Van Ess ‘22 I first picked up a flute when I was nine years old as part of a program for rising 6th graders that our music teacher affectionately called the…
Inspired by political divide
Clara Getty ‘21, News Reporter Every year, Mercersburg artists are encouraged to submit work to the Inspired By Art contest hosted by the Writing Center. Students respond to the specific prompt in…
Change in political landscape supports an inclusive environment at Mercersburg
Lauren Barnes ‘23, News Reporter This past week has been a very successful one for the representation of the LGBTQAI+ community. Dancer, singer, actress, and Youtube personality Jojo Siwa came out as…
Springboard virtually complete
Julia Mills ‘22 Springboard presentations have always been regarded as one of the crowning jewels of a Mercersburg senior year. While this year looks a little different, the creative processes within the…
How did students cope with seasonal affective disorder away from campus?
Charli Mclnturff ‘23 If covid wasn’t hard enough for some people at least we have a cold winter to look forward to. Especially on the east coast, we’ve experienced more “winter” than…
Mercersburg goes mad
Ben Rihn ‘22 One year after completing his academic and athletic career at Mercersburg, AJ Gray ‘20 is set to play against No. 1 Baylor. Gray and his basketball team at the…
Op. 1
Shoki Nemoto ‘21 It is an incredible honor to have this opportunity to share with the Mercersburg community, via The Mercersburg News, my electronic dance music album, Op. 1. I was immensely…
Virtual spoken word
Maddie Norris ‘21 News Reporter Spoken Word is a respected, yet sadly sometimes under attended, event at Mercersburg Academy. At the event, students of many different backgrounds come together to present amazing…
A step in the right direction
By Julia Mills ’22, News Reporter Recently, Joe Biden has received widespread commendation for his nomination of Rachel Levine, M.D., as his Assistant Secretary of Health. This nomination marks a milestone for…
Students becoming teachers
By Sabine Ellison ’21, NEWS Reporter The past year has certainly been one of many changes, and academic programming is just one of the many aspects of the Mercersburg Academy experience that…
Seniors want their spring back
By Maggie Betkowski ’21, Arts Editor Having had our in-person junior spring cancelled, senior fall utterly bizarre, and in-person senior winter cancelled too, the last thing the Class of 2021 wants, during…
Life in the nation’s capital: a student’s perspective
By Rae Cruea ’21, News Reporter Constant helicopters overhead. Fireworks every night to remember those lost. Police barricades on every major street. Troops sit on the edges of their tanks as though…
Student-athlete spotlight: Madi Norris ’21
By Ellie Jorlin ’22, News Reporter The life of a student-athlete can prove to be extremely challenging. Having to balance school with practice, games, and workouts is never easy. Madi Norris ‘21…
Follow the Chorus Line to the Boys Garden
By Matthew Tavarez ’22, News Reporter Numerous types of performances, from Broadway shows to pop concerts, have been shut down indefinitely due to COVID-19. However, Mercersburg Academy’s Stoney Batter Players plan to…
Internet sensation Jennifer Nelson ’13 featured in Dance magazine
Mia Ingram ’21 NEWS Reporter If someone could embody the Energizer bunny, it would be Jennifer Nelson. Nelson, Class of 2013, is a graduate not only of the school but of its…
MLK Day
Melody Howe ’22 NEWS Reporter On Martin Luther King Day, Mercersburg Academy created a virtual forum in which to discuss racial issues, featuring a webinar presentation and Google meet open to student-initiated…
Mercersburg Intensives
Greta Lawler ’23 NEWS Reporter This winter, from November 16 to December 16, Mercersburg students and faculty participated in an exciting pilot program, The Mercersburg Intensive. Guided by the theme “Making a…
Jay Howley in the spotlight
Maggie Betkowski ’21 Arts Editor Jay Howley ’21 has been developing his aesthetic since he was in elementary school. An advocate for his own artistic expression at Mercersburg Academy as part of…
Virtual ‘Burg 2.0
Maddy Gillner ’22 NEWS Reporter As every student at Mercersburg Academy knows, the first six weeks of this year’s winter term will occur online. Fewer, however, know the amount of work that…
POLLINATION. P-O-L-L-I-N-A-T-I-O-N. POLLINATION.
Khoa Nguyen ’22 NEWS Reporter Every year, hundreds of thousands of students in the United States participate in spelling competitions called “spelling bees.” Although I am unclear of the rationale behind the…
A call for unity
Dylan Gantt ’21 NEWS Reporter From the COVID-friendly treatment of a centuries-old tradition to the National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman’s awe-inspiring performance, the Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden was certainly one…
A new PLT4M for winter sports
Julia Mills ’22 NEWS Reporter Since the winter term has resumed virtually, Mercersburg Academy has been working hard to continue its programming in new and innovative ways. One of the programs that…
April showers bring… winter PGA’s
Ben Rihn ’22 Sports Editor The culmination of a successful fall term on campus on every front—namely with regard to athletics—has been largely undone by a return to square one. The Mercersburg…
The virtual Model UN experience
By Melody Howe ’22 NEWS Reporter From January 15 to 17, fifteen students represented Mercersburg Academy during two virtual Model UN conferences. The first event, a Model UN Training Conference, replicated the…
Livestreams: the next best thing
Avo Reid ‘22 News Reporter During the last few weekends, Mercersburg Academy students gathered to watch soccer games. The spectators wore masks, and the competition was intrasquad, but there were uniforms, coaches,…
Making a difference
Bube Osaji ‘22 News Reporter The wonderful thing about the theme “Making a Difference” is that its meaning varies greatly among all of us. The building blocks of our lives are the…
Mural battles
By: Maggie Betkowski ‘21 News Reporter Returning students know that every year the CommArts Springboard creates large murals in the middle of the quad as part of the collaborative Mural Battles project….
Why I’m staying on campus
By Alex Cho ‘23 News Reporter Students have constantly been told that they took a big risk by coming to Mercersburg for the Fall term. Now that this momentous yet repetitive term…
Glowed up
By Stanley Fang ‘21 News Reporter On the night of October 23, streaks of neon lights flashed across the dark horizon, illuminating the Mercersburg Academy campus. That night, the school’s Community Engagement…
PG culture
By: Isabella Van Ess ‘22 News Reporter Boarding schools are known for their postgraduate programs. Postgrads (or PGs) are students who decide to take an extra year of high school to improve…
Why I’m going virtual this winter
By: Melody Howe ‘22 News Reporter As a new eleventh grader at Mercersburg Academy, I made the unexpected decision this term not to return to campus for in-person learning this Winter. Although…
Mburgs political club
Alex Cho ‘23 News Reporter In a world characterized by an extremely divided political climate, students at Mercersburg can only look outward with apprehension and uneasiness. Never in our lives have we…
Maurer captured
By: Isabel Lewis ‘21 News Reporter On October 16, during the annual Capture the Faculty game, the notorious and never apprehended English teacher Matt Maurer was finally caught. Maurer has played the…
Fall Dance Concert
By: Mathew Tavarez ‘22 News Reporter COVID-19 has drastically changed daily lives at Mercersburg Academy and how students interact with one another. Most after-school activities look vastly different this year, and dance…
Art for all
Jake Ahlgren ‘21 News Reporter Humans have used almost every medium for artistic expression, the most popular forms being painting, drawing, sculpture, music, film, and much more. In most art, we think…
Affordable health care must be prioritized
Lois Hargrove ‘21 News Reporter With the 2020 presidential election a week away, the contest and its outcome have been on everyone’s minds. Personally, after watching the presidential and vice-presidential debates, I…
In the kitchen
In a normal school year, over 500 of Mercersburg Academy’s students, faculty members and staff would gather in the dining hall for family style meals every day. An integral part of the…
DEIJ committee effort
Matthew Tavarez ‘22 Established over 125 years ago, Mercersburg Academy was racially and religiously segregated at its founding in 1893. At the time Mercersburg was an all male school, not opening its…
Virtually fast
Molly Willis ‘22 News Reporter In their first virtual meet of the season, the Mercersburg Academy girls cross country team raced against the Hill School and Blair Academy. Many runners put up…
Class of ‘20
Terrance Ji ‘22 Reporter The Covid-19 pandemic has posed many challenges to the Mercersburg community, extending to former Blue Storm athletes who have gone off to compete at the collegiate level. Participating…
Voters
This November 3, Americans all over the country and the world will cast their votes in the 2020 presidential election. This pivotal event will turn the tide of modern American history. Consequently,…
So intense! Innovative courses during the ‘D-Term’
Caroline Simpson ‘22 News Reporter The weeks between the 2020 fall term and 2021 winter term will look very different from any other term in Mercersburg Academy history. The campus will be…
Independent Art Study
Clara Getty ‘21 Reporter I am currently in the midst of a three week long independent study in painting. With the flexibility of the block scheduling this academic year, I have had…
Laughing at Catastrophe
Greta Lawler ‘23 News Reporter Election time is stressful. It is exhausting to open up the news everyday only to be flooded with polling numbers, debate analysis, and the newest crazy comment…
Addressing the New Advisee System
Julia Mills ‘22 News reporter There have been many changes at Mercersburg this year, including the structure of advisory groups, which has undergone revision in preparation for the present school year. Assistant…
Getting to know Peter Kallin
Khoa Nguyen ‘22 News Reporter As soon as Coach Stensland announced that he would be leaving the Blue Storm at the end of the last school year, the athletics department began its tireless…
What do we do if there is a positive COVID-19 test on campus?
Melody Howe ‘22 News Reporter The coronavirus pandemic has raised concerns and fear across the world, and, not surprisingly, a challenge for Mercersburg Academy and boarding schools across the globe. However, Mercersburg’s…
Football Gets Creative
Ben Rihn ‘22 Sports Editor A lack of interscholastic competition has left a majority of students concerned about the purpose of the fall athletic season. Not only does this absence cloud the…
#blacklivesmatter
Rachel Cruea ‘21 News Reporter We The People. That is how the United States Constitution begins. However, who were those “people” alluded to in our constitution? They certainly weren’t women, much less…
Virtual ‘Burg 2.0
By Frances Elwood ‘23 News Reporter Virtual learning was never meant to perfectly simulate in-person learning, and that is certainly being felt by many disheartened students and teachers. Many feel that they…
Principles for choosing a president
Ryan Bland ‘21 News reporter When we vote, we are often not voting for the perfect candidate. Sometimes, even both are less than ideal. Nevertheless, in general elections, we should vote for…
A Review of Joji’s Nectar
By: Roy Kang ‘22 Nectar, released on September 25, 2020, is the second studio album created by Japanese singer-songwriter Joji, a.k.a George Kusunoki Miller. Released almost two years after Joji’s first full…
The college recruitment process
By Amanda Peh ’22 News Reporter Many of Mercersburg Academy’s seniors are committed to athletics, some so committed that they plan to play at the collegiate level. However, because of the pandemic,…
Empathy in an election
By Clara Getty ’21 News reporter Empathy is essential in a presidential candidate. The job of leader of a country is to serve the people and to protect them, financially, globally, and…
Explaining what words cannot
By Avo Reid ‘22 News reporter I was three weeks old when my mom took me into Washington for the first time. I would make the same trip on countless occasions in…
Loosening of COVID-19 Restrictions
By Avo Reid ‘22 News reporter On October 1, the Mercersburg community gathered in person for the first time as a whole body – a huge accomplishment in itself. A little less…
Blocking out the Block Schedule
By Bube Osaji News reporter The Mercersburg community has seen multiple changes amid the coronavirus pandemic, and such shifts evoke a range of emotions. Unsurprisingly, Mercersburg students have diverse opinions, positive and…
Getting the band back together
By Saskia Mentor ‘21 News reporter With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting proximity and contact, many wonder how Mercersburg Academy’s band will be able to function this fall. The answer is: with tape…
The debate debacle
By Zain Qureshi ‘22 Opinion Editor Like many others in the Mercersburg community, this past Tuesday, September 29, I watched the presidential debate between president Donald Trump and former vice-president Joe Biden….
PGA Showcase: Lifestyle and Elevate Fitness
By Isonah Dlado ‘22 News reporter On campus learning in the midst of a global pandemic has caused drastic changes in student life. Although many view this time as a negative setback,…
New Standards for Standardized Testing
By Maddie Gillner ‘22 News reporter Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic has mutated practically every aspect of life, from politics to internet culture. While both of these things are important to…
Latinx culture nerd Gabby Rivera “visits” the burg
By Mathew Tavarez ‘22 News reporter On Wednesday, September 30, Mercersburg experienced another “first,” conducting its first ever “Monday Night” Lecture through Zoom. Accompanied by a lot of laughter and energy, YA…
Blue Storm sails ahead
By Shoki Nemoto ’21 NEWS Reporter In adapting to the pandemic, many unforeseen changes have occurred in recent months. Luckily, Mercersburg was quick to adapt. By implementing appropriate and effective protocols, the…
Sharing pronouns
By Mel Court ’23 News Reporter Along with migration to online classes and a new learning management system, the administration has been encouraging Mercersburg faculty and students to share their pronouns on…
Mercersburg election
By Avo Reid ’22 News Reporter “Democracy is the worst form of government,” Winston Churchill once famously said, “except for all of the other ones.” In an election year, during which the…
Falling out of fall routine
By Caroline Simpson ‘22 News Reporter This Fall, Mercersburg will look vastly different than those past due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Normal Fall Term events and activities have been canceled or modified….
Biden-Harris: What do they stand for?
By Maddy Gillner ‘22 News Reporter Recently, I saw a Joe Biden ad on YouTube that said, “Joe’s healthcare plan: more choices, lower cost.” But what does that even mean? How much…
Dancing outside the lines
By Mia Ingram ’21 News Reporter Like all performance group activities, the after-school dance program at Mercersburg Academy is operating very differently this fall due to new COVID-19 restrictions. All the same…
Taking advantage of the virtual sports world
By Minsoo Jung ‘21 News Reporter Since returning to school, especially during quarantine, many students have turned to video games while spending time in their rooms. Being that community members were restricted…
Mercersburgers are no strangers to natural disaster
By Dorothy Skuba Gray ‘23 News Reporter Pandemic. Social unrest. Political crisis. What next? No matter where you spent the summer nor what news occupied your inbox, you also certainly heard about…
Performing in a Pandemic
By Emma Shuford ‘22. Arts Editor Theater performances worldwide have been greatly hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic as socially distancing in theaters, for both actors and audiences, is difficult or impossible to…
Fight Back, Democrats
By Zain Qureshi ‘22 Opinion Editor On September 18, liberal icon and pioneer for women’s rights, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG), passed away. She served on the Supreme Court from 1993 until…
Mercersburg pivots in order to open
By Greta Lawler ’23 NEWS Reporter On Sunday, September 13, Head of School Katie Titus welcomed the school at Convocation with very important news. To replace the lost athletic season, the MAPL…
Delicious or Dilemma?
By: Melody Howe ‘22 NEWS Reporter This year Mercersburg has hired a new food service to replace Sage: Meriwether Godsey. They have had to contend not only with the task of learning…
The temporary PGA
By Matthew Tavarez ’22 NEWS Reporter In the absence of PGAs and opportunities for physical activity in general, the on-campus quarantine has proved to be difficult for most on campus. Community members…
All in this together: Virtual Burg 2.0
By Dalilah Melkumova ’21 NEWS Reporter The alarm clock rings. I grab my phone from the nightstand and squint at the screen in a futile attempt to check the time. As soon…
Socially distanced socializing
By Molly Willis ’22 NEWS Reporter After the quarantine for on-campus students, the Student Activities Committee hosted a series of events, including a campfire and two movie nights. Underclass students headed to…
Rest in power.
By Sarah Noorbakhsh ’21 Editor-in-Chief Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday, September 18, was a powerhouse. She was, and still is, an American cultural and feminist icon, who,…
Storm Watch task force plans re-opening
by Grace Lewis, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus and Jesse Zhang, Design Editor Emeritus As COVID-19 has swept across the world, everyday life has been put on hold. For Mercersburg Academy, this meant terminating in-person…
States reopening
By Lois Hargrove ’21 News Reporter As the number of COVID-19 cases fluctuates day by day and people spend more and more time confined to their homes, the question cannot help but…
Mercersburg Class of 2020
An online edition of the annual “Blue Issue” of the Mercersburg News, featuring yearbook photos and college matriculations for the graduating class. Enjoy!
Commencement goes virtual
By Katrina Lovegren ’21 Front Page Editor As expected, the Class of 2020’s Commencement ceremony will be held online this year. While this is rather unfortunate for the departing seniors, Mercersburg Academy…
From the Burg to the NFL: Vincent Rey
By Ben Rihn ’22 and John Xu ’22 Sports Editors Though commencement has gone online this year, the discouraging set of circumstances certainly has not dampened the celebratory mood of the moment….
Unsung hero
By Megan McGregor ’20 Editor-in-Chief Emeritus She is known as “the glue that holds the office together,” “the heart of the office,” and “the keeper of the files.” She is known as…
Misinformation
By Maddy Gillner News Reporter There is no doubt that misinformation regarding the coronavirus continues to run rampant. Some of the alarms, such as the theory that 5G signals cause the virus,…
Celebs and the pandemic
By Savannah Poe ’23 News Reporter Because we have been stuck in quarantine for the last few weeks, many students find themselves constantly scrolling through social media as a source of entertainment….
Senior capstone projects virtually complete
By Katrina Lovegren ’21 Front Page Editor Due to Mercersburg Academy’s COVID-19 campus closure, spring term events and traditions have been adapted to the online “Virtual Burg” format. Whether a part of…
I am a registered Democrat: I will not vote for Joe Biden
By Kevin Lee ’20 News Reporter This year, I will be a first-time voter, and I am a registered Democrat, but I will not vote for Joe Biden this November. I will…
College and the coronavirus
By Monique Garcia ’22 News Reporter As coronavirus cases continue to increase across the United States, college admission officers are pondering the future for their respective institutions and aspiring applicants. Understanding that…
Promoting connectedness: the Mercersburg Art Challenge
By Folake Okunsanya ‘22 News Reporter During quarantine, we have all had to find things to do to keep ourselves entertained. The Student Activities Committee (SAC) has been incredibly helpful, providing fun…
HUSTLE & BUSTLE
Faces in the Crowd How are you celebrating Earth Day? If you had to get one item from your room at school, what would you get? What would you name your vlogging…
The teen summer slump
Maddy Gilner ’22 News Reporter The coronavirus pandemic has created a massive spike in unemployment—anyone who works in a non-essential job and cannot work from home has essentially been laid off. Teenagers,…
Discrimination and danger fly below the radar
Dylan Gantt ’21 News Reporter Many news sources have recently confirmed an alarming new policy developed by the Trump administration during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. For years now, the Trump…
Blue Storm goes virtual
Aakash Koduru ’20 News Reporter With campus closed for the remainder of the year, an event that most athletes would have missed was the MESPY’s, Mercersburg Academy’s version of ESPN’s ESPY Awards…
Freedom of speech or freedom to infect?
Alexa Marsh ’21 News Reporter Despite the haunting one million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, demonstrators across the nation, defying stay-at-home orders, have gathered in public rallies to demand…
Things to do while in quarantine
Unfortunately, self-isolation has given us a very long list of things that we can’t do as well as tons of extra time and nothing to do with it. So what can you…
Online learning: an inconvenience or an opportunity?
Beds. Kitchen tables. Backyards. For the Spring 2020 academic term, these have become our classrooms. Students are rolling out of bed at 8:55 a.m. to catch the first 9 a.m. class, eating…
Mercersburg across time zones: voices of students
Compiled by Lian Wang ’21 and Zain Qureshi ’22 Opinion Editors We asked students in times zones across the world the following questions: What time zone are you in? When in the…
Some reasons to smile
Katrina Lovegren ’21 Front Page Editor For nearly two months, the world has been fully in the hands of the coronavirus pandemic. It seems virtually impossible to escape the haunting reality of…
Cooking through quarantine
Maggie Betkowski ’21 Arts Editor Having more time due to being stuck in quarantine has given many the opportunity to use food as a way to cope and connect to family. Especially…
Missing sports during quarantine? Try esports
Henry O’Brien News Reporter Like most television stations during the COVID-19 outbreak, ESPN, the self-proclaimed worldwide leader in sports, has had to change what they present on their network. With every sporting…
Adapting to visual arts online
Emma Shuford ’22 Arts Editor Online visual arts courses present many challenges for students and faculty as they navigate the absence of materials and lack of in-person interaction. However, online learning has…
Is the coronavirus infecting our election?
Carina Cole ’22 Features Editor The coronavirus pandemic has had a tremendous impact on almost all aspects of life in the United States. In addition to obvious negative effects on day-to-day lives,…
Superheroes wear masks
Alexa Marsh ’21 News Reporter As the total number of cases of COVID-19 in the United States exceeds 800,000 and the death toll continues to surge, the Center for Disease Control and…
Betkowski’s bad idea
By Grace Lewis ’20, News Reporter The first time I heard about the superstition surrounding the graduation platform was as a ninth grader during peer group. As we walked to wrap presents,…
March Sadness
John Xu ’22 Sports Editor The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the largest athletic event in the world, was scheduled to take place this summer. On March 24, amid increasing pressure from athletes…
Closing campus
Katrina Lovegren ’21 Front Page Editor Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mercersburg Academy’s campus has closed for the remaining term of the 2019-2020 school year. But with Mercersburg Academy’s new “Virtual ‘Burg,”…
Bringing a new meaning to “Digital Arts”
Maggie Betkowski ’21 Arts Editor The spread of coronavirus has caused Mercersburg Academy faculty to re-evaluate the way that their students will continue to learn. The first big switch has been the…
Is the government doing enough for lower income Americans?
Zain Qureshi ’22 Opinion Editor Despite the recent prosperity of the 2010s, 25 percent of Americans have no emergency funds, and another 23 percent have only enough in savings to cover their…
Stay home, please!
Lian Wang ’21 Opinion Editor Social distancing is one of the easiest and most effective ways of curbing the spread of COVID-19, yet many still forgo it for parties, gatherings, and other…
Keeping the Blue Storm community together
Ben Rihn ’22 Sports Editor With the recent and ever-changing developments of the coronavirus and the prevalent mentality of social distancing, high school athletics have suffered serious setbacks due to the universal…
Creating with the coronavirus
Emma Shuford ’22 Arts Editor Finding ways to cope with the coronavirus is a challenge all Mercersburg Academy students are facing. Many students are using their time at home to try something…
The Virtual ‘Burg, but the same community
Chantler Newton ’21 Front Page Editor Since March 19, Mercersburg Academy’s students have been moving through their online classes via GoogleMeet, connecting in small GoogleHangouts with both their fellow students and teachers….
Ditching the letter grade: to pass or to fail
Carina Cole ’22 Features Editor In response to the new coronavirus pandemic, all courses for the rest of the academic year will be taught remotely. The next step in adapting to online…
HUSTLE AND BUSTLE
Faces in the Crowd Describe your go-to quarantine outfit. What is your favorite quarantine meal/snack? What do you miss most about the dining hall? What is (are) your new found talent(s)? Sweatpants…
Boys and Sex
Riley Wick ’20 News Reporter New York Times bestselling author Peggy Orenstein will be joining Mercersburg Academy, for the second time, to speak about gender issues. Four-year seniors remember her last visit…
Fewer classes, more time
Lian Wang ’21 News Reporter For the three weeks between Long Winter Weekend and Spring Break, the Mercersburg community will be testing a new class schedule. Instead of five or six classes…
Added freedoms
Carina Cole ’22 News Reporter Recently, members of the student government enacted changes designed to ensure that Mercersburg’s students live more productive, stress-free lives. Now in the Spring term, the eleventh-grade class…
A town full of history
By Ebube Onwusika ‘21 News Reporter On Friday January 17, the Mercersburg community gathered in the Simon Theatre to view the film Cornie, focused on the experiences of Robert L. (Cornie) Watson’s,…
Jim Brinson: A Witness to History
Megan McGregor Editor-in-Chief James “Jim” Brinson, Mercersburg Academy’s carilloneur, was born in Birmingham, Alabama during a time when segregation in the South was the cultural norm. Growing up, he did not question…
Living diversity
By Clara Getty ’21 News Reporter Last week, Mercersburg Academy sent six students and four faculty members to the National Association of Independent School’s annual People of Color Conference in Seattle, Washington….
Keeping TABS on our education
By Allison Jones ’20 Front Page Editor On December 6, thirteen Mercersburg faculty members set out for Boston, Massachusetts for the annual TABS (The Association of Boarding Schools) Conference. Mercersburg faculty have…
Finding a voice
By Carina Cole ‘22 News Reporter Taking the stage to share his Mercersburg story, Jesse Zhang ‘20 discussed the ways in which his hobby of photography allowed him to connect with his…
They, them, theirs
By Grace Lewis ’20 Editor-in-Chief In an effort to strengthen Mercersburg Academy’s community, the school has given students the opportunity to share their personal stories during school meetings. Birdy McDonnell ’20 is…
Say ‘Hello’
By Carina Cole ’22 News Reporter The importance of saying “Hello.” Selina Xue ‘20 used this idea to emphasize the rich knowledge that can come from taking a small risk. Xue talked…
New year, new goals
By Lian Wang ’21, News Reporter Each year, Mercersburg Academy chooses a theme to guide conversations and actions within the community. This year, the theme is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or DEI….
Bidding adieu to the AP
By Ebube Onwusika ’21, News Reporter Advanced Placement courses have been a part of Mercersburg Academy’s curriculum for decades, but it has now been decided that the upcoming 2020-2021 school year will…
55 years strong
By Isonah Dlodlo ’22 News Reporter The Hale Field House this past Friday was characterized by stark contrast: on a weekend dedicated to honoring people of color, the audience was predominantly white….
The young return
By Carina Cole ’22 News Reporter On the weekend of October 18, many families of students and alumni came back to school for family and alumni weekend. Recent graduates of the class…
Did you win a fish?
By Jiachen Sun ‘20 News Reporter Strolling down East Seminary Street from Main Hall, the town of Mercersburg appears to look the way it always has: serene, a soft breeze ruffling the…
Painting a new way
By Megan McGregor ’20 Editor in Chief On Sunday, October 13, the senior class painted their initials on a pre-painted Mercersburg Academy shield on Sycamore Lane. The event, known as “Paint the…
Making a splash with the Lloyds
By Allison Jones ’20 Front Page Editor On Friday October 11, the Mercersburg community gathered in the new Lloyd Aquatic Center for the dedication of the facility. This eight-month project is finally…
Living, breathing history
Isabel Lewis Online Editor On Tuesday, September 24, the students in the Quinn-Ferguson Honors Seminar boarded a small, yellow school bus, eager to start three days of listening to some of the…
Free for all
By Kiersten Donnelly ’21 News Editor In spring 2019, Head of School Katie Titus introduced various task forces. With student and faculty days and weeks already packed to maximum capacity, the Mercersburg…
Feel free to join
By Ryan Bland ‘21 News Reporter On Friday night, Mercersburg Academy’s clubs united for the annual Club Fair. This event introduces new students to all of the clubs Mercersburg has to offer,…
Free time well spent
By Jiachen Sun ’20 News Reporter For most of the student body, arriving at Mercersburg during Inbound is a student’s first time anticipating an extended period of time away from home. Naturally,…
Putting the “act” in activism
By Eliza DuBose ’20 Arts Editor Molly Smith doesn’t possess the stereotypical stature of a commanding figure. She’s small in build and doesn’t necessarily call much attention to herself via her clothing…
Mr. and Ms. Worldwide
By Carina Cole ’22 News Reporter Summer is a time for relaxation, learning, and, most important, travel. Over the summer, several Mercersburg students journeyed to places all over the world where they…
The start of something new
By Carina Cole ‘22 News Reporter Convocation is a special event for everyone at Mercersburg: faculty, parents, new and returning students, alike. As the Irvine Memorial Chapel pews begin to fill, you…
Veracross is making me VERYCROSS
By Eliza DuBose ’20 Arts Editor The onset of a new Mercersburg school year ushered in the latest roster of students and the age of Veracross, the school’s new information management system….
A, B, C: it’s easy as one, two, three
Melody Howe ’22 The 2021-22 academic schedule seeks to re-establish pre-pandemic patterns and satisfy the educational needs of the community. Designed to keep interactions between students at a minimum and avoid a…
Opening of School
Julia Mills ’22 For all but 65 Mercersburg students, the 2021-22 school year will be like no other. The 65 are the only students of the current 445 that have experienced a…
Firestone
Caroline Simpson ‘22 Sarah Firestone is the newest addition to the Athletic Department at Mercersburg Academy. She is the coordinator for fitness and performance at Mercersburg, the Elevate Fitness Program for athletes…
Leading the dance
Molly Willis ‘22 Mercersburg’s dance program has graced the stage of the Simon Theatre for years, and this year it is under new leadership. Destiny Rodney and Joie Xiao, both class of…
After the Storm
Jasmine Zhu ‘23 Hurricane Ida hit the state of Louisiana and its surrounding areas in late August and early September, with a ranking of category four. “There was no power so we…
Facing the Fall
Ingrid Janney ‘24 This fall, athletes and coaches are looking forward to the return to a normal athletics schedule. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, athletics during the 2020-21 school year were anything…
Where creativity shines
Hannah King ’23 The Advanced Studio Art class is a college-level course designed to push students to the best of their abilities in the studio and help prepare their portfolios for consideration…