Features
The Ones Who’ve Stayed: Looking at CA Teachers Who’ve Been Here the Longest
Though most Concord Academy student careers span a quick four years, there are CA teachers and staff who have been a part of this community for many decades. In conversations with Andrea Yañes P’22 ’24, Jonathan Smith, and Martha Kennedy, these individuals communicate...
Winterfest 2023 Overview
Winterfest, a beloved annual tradition at Concord Academy, took place on Saturday, January 28 in the Stu-Fac and PAC. Winterfest consisted of merchandise, fresh-made food, fun games, raffles, and a schoolwide talent show; there was certainly plenty for everyone to...
Faculty Profile: Ayres-Stiles Hall
Ayres Stiles-Hall was not originally going to be a teacher. “My grandfather was a lawyer […] and I had thought that I was gonna to be one [as well],” he explained. It was only in the middle of his college career when he witnessed a professor arguing with his...
MLK Workshop Spotlight: AIDS: Love & Activism
After an incredible introduction by keynote speaker Dr. Kellie Carter-Jackson, Concord Academy students had the opportunity to attend different workshops commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.. Workshops offered ranged from jewelry making and dance to educational...
Senior Spotlight: Aisha Aina Tasso
Aisha Aina Tasso ’23 is a senior boarder from Elizabeth, New Jersey. She is also a devoted leader, performer, musician, and activist, as well as a wonderful peer. A glowing and compassionate presence on campus, Aina is no stranger to leadership roles at Concord...
To CA History Teachers
Dear History Teachers, I don’t think you get enough credit. We have all heard the phrase “those who fail to learn from history end up repeating it”, but it can be easy to think of history as just another stack of books weighing down our backpacks. You deserve so...
News
Summarizing the 2023 US House Speaker Vote
The 2023 U.S. House Speaker Vote began on January 3. It ended on January 7 after 15 rounds of roll call voting, a format where each member’s name is called and their nomination for the Speaker recorded. The recent vote for the Speaker of the U.S. House of...
Fall Art Show
Around midday on January 13, Concord Academy students had the opportunity to attend the Fall Art Show. Work from all students enrolled in an art class in the fall semester plastered the walls of the Math and Arts Center (MAC), across all three floors. From pottery to...
Was the Winter Break too Long?
Concord Academy students returned on January 9, with boarders returning a day prior, from the winter break. The break this year was 23 days, and while this sounds like a luxury—especially to Concord Public School students, who only had 7½ days off—some students came...
New Year, New Variant: China Opens Borders, But at What Cost?
For the past three years, China’s President, Xi Jinping, has staked his reputation on “zero COVID.” Early on, he declared a “people’s war” against COVID-19, using lockdowns and quarantines to eliminate infections entirely. But in early January, President Xi announced...
Election Results: Questions One and Four
On November 8, the midterm elections took place. On the Massachusetts ballot there were four questions. The first and fourth, in particular, gained a lot of attention. Concord Academy students spend most of their time in this state and so should keep an eye on local...
Brazil Elections
On Sunday, October 30, presidential election results came out in Brazil. In the country, voting is mandatory—having been the case since 1985, around the time the military dictatorship ended. The election was held on a Sunday, providing everyone with the time to vote....
Opinions
You May Call It ChatGPT
ChatGPT. OpenAI’s newest language model and currently the most advanced publicly available chatbot in the world. ChatGPT’s ability to create content has far exceeded most people’s expectations, appearing to be more than the mere conversation-makers that previous...
Concord Academy is Missing EV Charging Stations
Concord Academy has always held fast to its tenet of building a more sustainable future. As members of the community, we see this sentiment reflected all over campus. Compost bins, meatless Mondays, and automated lights are all ways the school has used to reduce its...
What Defines Success?
REQUEST: when (or after) reading this article, please play “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie Even at the best schools, most learning is done outside of the classroom. Parents who push their kids to succeed may likely have successful kids. But at what cost? The...
What is the Montessori Method of Education?
Perhaps you have seen the phrase ‘sad beige baby’ floating around in recent months. Perhaps you have no idea what I am talking about and are beginning to feel very concerned for the aforementioned sad baby. If you belong to the latter group, videos of new parents’...
Year of the Rabbit: Hopping into the Lunar New Year
When one thinks of Lunar New Year, images of red lanterns plastered all throughout Chinatown, envelopes stuffed like content bellies with green leaves of money or the wafting smells of mirin, star anise, and oyster sauce may come to mind. For me, however, Lunar New...
Winter Sports Tryouts
Many people at Concord Academy feel that there is not enough time between sports seasons. As a member of girl’s soccer, my season ended on Wednesday, November 9, while cross-country and boys varsity soccer seasons extended through Saturday, November 12. This leaves...
Editorials
The Stress Olympics
As a culture, we have come to believe that, as individuals, we do not hold any value within our society unless we are constantly contributing to its improvement. We idolize people who are always busy and ridicule those who take time off to care for themselves or...
Expanses of Existences: A Look Back on Where We Started
It is beautiful to be real. To feel the not-quite-crunch of burnt smores across the roof of your mouth. To blink open your eyes against a swarm of water droplets settling across the sides of a waterfall. To speak a single word and feel its vibrations tunnel across...
The PSAT: A Waste of Time and Free Money for College Board
Every year, Concord Academy 10th and 11th graders are required to take the PSAT. This time-consuming, expensive test seems like it conflicts with CA’s values, yet, as it does every fall, CA administered the PSAT on the morning of Saturday, October 15. Students...
Arts
Book Review: Orbiting Jupiter
I have read many books. Most of them are forgettable—fun at the time, but not very meaningful to me. Others stay with me. Orbiting Jupiter is in the second category. Its beauty is in its simplicity. I have never forgotten its story. The premise is simple. Joseph is a...
Fall Semester Film Assembly
On Wednesday, January 11, the Concord Academy community was treated with the work from the students in the film program during the fall semester. Projects from Intro to Film, Intro to Animation, and Intermediate Animation were featured. They included walking...
Movie Review: Glass Onion
Over CA’s winter break, many found themselves glued to the TV as the twists and turns of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery played out before them. Without any spoilers, the basic plot is as follows: a powerful tech tycoon invites his longtime friends and associates to...
WOYM Play Festival
On Friday, January 13, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., What’s On Your Mind (WOYM), a student-run playwriting club, held a play festival in the Performing Arts Center. This event featured eleven five to ten minute plays written and read by Concord Academy students. These...
Science and Tech
Are Our Winters Becoming More Mild?
For the past several years, people have been asking themselves this: are our winters here in Concord really becoming more mild? Temperatures have risen overall and started having more, longer spikes in the middle of winter. Snow falls have also lessened over the past...
Flooding Ravages California
Since late December, rainfall in California has been abundant. Round after round of heavy rain and mountain snow has slammed the pacific coast of the state. Some places have received up to 40 inches of rain or over 10 feet of snow. While the state does need rain, this...
Reappearance of Comet in the Night Sky after 50,000 Years
For thousands of years, civilizations across the world have turned up towards the night sky, spellbound by the forever-twinkling stars. This upcoming month, a new visitor will be temporarily sharing this incredible night sky—a comet by the name of C/2022 E3 (ZTF). The...
Sports
Damar Hamlin’s Injury
On Monday, January 2, the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals geared up for a pivotal week 16 matchup. The clash between these two AFC titans on Monday Night Football was poised to be a great game, and as it began you could see why these are two of the most respected...
NFL Playoffs: A Guide To The Contenders
The NFL playoffs started on Saturday, January 14. Here is your guide to every team and their chances of bringing home the Lombardi Trophy. There are multiple teams in this year's NFL Playoffs that will not contend for Super Bowl 57. The Jacksonville Jaguars have...
Remembering Pelé
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, died on December 29, 2022 at age 82, after battling colon cancer for two years. Pelé was a Brazilian soccer star, and commonly regarded as the best player of all time. Not only is he tied with Neymar for top...