Upon returning to school after spring break, many were shocked by the significantly altered landscape as they took their usual turn onto Beecher Road on the way to Academy. Where hundreds of trees once stood that were home to deer, squirrels, coyotes, and other wildlife is now completely barren: the left side of Academy Ridge’s…

(Wikimedia Commons) As smoke rose above the quaint Ohio town of East Palestine, just 180 miles from our school,  its citizens were stuck in a waiting game following the derailment of a train carrying hazardous substances on February 3. The controlled burn of these toxic chemicals cast a dark–-and possibly deadly–-cloud of smoke over their…

(Courtesy/Heather D.) Over seventy Academy students visited the Dawes Arboretum on October 28 as part of a joint field trip for students in our Environmental Science or Environmental Writing courses. Dawes Arboretum, a nonprofit company, spans over 2,000 acres. At Dawes, dedicates itself to enriching lives through the conservation of trees, nature, and history.  Upon…

(Flickr) Dear Gen Z, We’ve had a wake up call.  Until recently, we were the only living generation not exposed to imminent danger.  For the Silent Generation, it was the rise of fascism and the devastating consequences of World War II. For the Baby Boomers, it was the Cold War, Korea, Vietnam and the looming…

The little things could all disappear overnight. (Created by Max W.) Dean of Students, Mr. Thompson started our year with the express goal of keeping “the little things little.” This meant returning to dress code, and even more importantly, it meant following Covid-19 safety protocols so we can stay at 100% capacity and keep our…

At this time last year, the Academy community was becoming accustomed to school life in the midst of a pandemic. Spotty zoom calls. The cancellation of spring sports. The rise of Tiger King. The demise of Tiger King. Family walks to escape the boredom of staying inside.  I would never have predicted that a year…

Holi, a Hindu celebration marking the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil, is celebrated by close to a billion people every year. The holiday is commerated with colored powder that celebrators cover on the faces and clothes of friends, family, and strangers. This year the Holi celebration falls from March 28…

I get it. We are sick and tired of this pandemic. “Six feet apart.” “Don’t get too close.” “Socially distance.”  We are social creatures who long for interaction and connection with others. Quarantining ourselves from others has been frustrating, especially when it seems like there is no end to this outbreak.  But as vaccines are…

(Photos/Vaughn Armour’21) On Friday, February 19, when Academy  invited 100% of its students back to campus, my life before the pandemic came to mind. While campus may look different – with desks stationed 6 feet apart, mask-wearing, sanitizing stations by every entrance, guided class transitions over the intercom, and classrooms a bit colder than usual…

Were you able to shower last night? Wash your face? Brush your teeth? This morning, were you able to make yourself food? Or watch your parents brew their daily cup of coffee? For almost 4.5 million Texans, the answer to those questions would be no as they experienced a massive power outage due to the…