Ed Column

by Sarah McCall ’26 on February 12, 2026

Opinion

Happy February, Friars, and congratulations to the Patriots for losing the Super Bowl! I really enjoy watching the Super Bowl every year because it offers a high-intensity game (usually), an intricate musical performance, and interesting commercials. I also enjoy the Super Bowl because it brings people together. Friends and family gather in living rooms, bars, and basements all around the country for four hours, watching two of the best teams in the National Football League, making friendly bets ranging from who the Super Bowl winner will be to what color the Gatorade poured on the head coach will be. The Super Bowl brings out genuine and authentic community.

The Olympics bring out this community as well. People come together with intense pride and spirit for their country, watching the best athletes compete in the widest array of sporting events. Especially in a time where everything is divided, an authentic feeling of community is found less and less often. Both the Super Bowl and Winter Olympics happened this past weekend. In theory, it was a wonderful opportunity to feel pride for our country and its athletes. However, the tradition of community surrounding these two events has been overshadowed by the unrest happening in the United States. The selection of Bad Bunny as the halftime performer led to a counter-performance organized by Turning Point USA. A once unifying performance became divisive, limiting the positive impact of the Super Bowl on our community.

Additionally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents were sent to Milan along with Team USA. Tension has grown exponentially in the U.S. surrounding ICE’s presence in cities domestically. Therefore, sending these agents abroad has only heightened this tension. It also makes it impossible for many Americans to enjoy the Olympics.

While I do find issue with blind pride in anything, including the U.S., I also find it dangerous to be extremely dismissive of America and American identity. There are countless aspects of American politics and culture that I find to be harmful. That does not mean that I do not find pride in living in America. The best way to appreciate this country, or any community you are in, is to recognize the flaws and determine how to remedy them. Under normal conditions, I appreciate this aspect of the Olympics and the Super Bowl. I can spend most of the year focused on what needs to change to make this country better, but while I am rooting for Team USA or the Philadelphia Eagles, I am able to be proud of the country I live in. That is the balance that I want again. The divisive and polarizing world we live in now is not a suitable environment for positive change. I am scared for the future, but I hope we will continue to find things that unite us over party lines, even if those things change.

Does 2026 Just Mean 2016?

by Grace Pappadellis ’29 on February 12, 2026

Opinion - Entertainment & Society

I am going to take a trite term and do my best to infuse it with some sort of comfortable nostalgia, but also with the notion that we must stay well-informed, vigilant, and understanding of society at all times. History repeats itself. It is repeating itself.

Sure, the New England Patriots were in the Super Bowl, and whether that was an exciting idea or a completely devastating fact for someone, it is reminiscent of 2016, when the Pats were on top, and New England families, like my own, were ecstatic and proud. Snow has been falling, similar to our childhood holidays, we are embracing fashion from the early 2010s, and young voices are prominent in the way 2016 had a sudden hankering for new types of internet culture and development of aesthetics. On the other hand, society is once again experiencing an increased amount of political polarization, and regardless of your level of privilege or conscious decision to engage or disengage, politics are affecting everyone. Changes that we were facing in 2016 felt monumental, and although a decade has passed and the country has undergone different structural changes, it seems we are in a very similar place—possibly living through the consequences of our previous political choices.

With that being said, although nostalgia is a wonderful feeling, and understanding the political and social state of society does not mean we have to collectively ignore the avenues for joy, we should acknowledge every event, every issue, and every accomplishment. We need to let go of the concept that joy, or political neutrality, rather, and being knowledgeable, empathetic, and proactive around topics we may be removed from, should not be mutually exclusive. To add my own essence of where I stand politically—remaining neutral won’t get us anywhere, and you can be a happy, well-rounded person while staying informed, advocating for those who cannot, and remembering that cutting yourself off from the real news, the real truth, will forever hinder your authentic understanding of the society you, yourself, live in.

2016 marked an enormous political divide. Social media was making a huge impact on society, creating new exposure to opinions, news, and all sorts of nuanced ideas. People were emboldened by such a polarized society, their interest in politics increasing, and although real human involvement is important to support a democracy, the politics circulating harbored heavy partisanship, hate, and a lack of consideration for different people living in this country. Today, in 2026, TikTok has become a main news source for people, in lieu of credible news stations, newspapers, and web articles. When having conversations about current events today, you’re more likely to hear a person, especially a young person, say, “Did you hear about x, y, and z? I saw a TikTok about it,” than referencing a news station. Thirty-second social media clips are accessible, easy to understand, and allow people to neglect their accountability to read and learn about what is really happening in the world. The inability to absorb credible news is leading to ignorance of the parallels between 2016 and 2026.

President Donald Trump built his 2016 campaign on building a wall to keep immigrants out of the country. Today, the Trump administration funds and defends Immigration and Customs Enforcement that actively terrorizes citizens of our country. Repetition is not a comfort when the repetition is detrimental to the livelihood of people living in the country, living in constant fear that they are subject to ICE’s brutal modes of operation. Ignoring these parallels and deeming the state of the country as “not our problem” sets us back not only to 2016, but to eras when voices of marginalized groups were considered invalid and meaningless.

As 2026 rolls on, we must stay keen on learning, so we can have an abundance of knowledge on the state of the country, knowledge that can never be taken away. Consuming credible news and listening to multiple sources makes us more credible people! Since history is repeating itself in many forms, we can appreciate our need to reminisce, but we can also appreciate our obligation to change. We need to plan our future so it can be different from our reality, and we can maneuver through every hardship and indefinite struggle with more intelligence, fortitude, and veracity. More than 2016. Even more than this moment in time.

Expressions of Garments

by Grace Pappadellis ’29 on December 11, 2025

Opinion

While putting away laundry, one of my closest girlfriends asked me a “would you rather” question that left me stumped. She carefully placed her shirt on a hanger in a much neater fashion than I ever do, and said, “Would you rather have no say in your style whatsoever and have someone choose your wardrobe for the rest of your life, or only own the same items forever and never shop for new clothes again?” I was flummoxed and disturbed to hear this question, and suddenly it felt like I had to answer as if my life depended on it.

I absolutely love clothes, fashion, and creating my own sense of style—not just because my mother was a fashion merchandising major in college—but because when I pair my clothes together, when the colors meld and mix and match, when my skirts flow and sweaters rest on my shoulders and my shoes have me skipping down the street, I feel like myself. Clothes are everything! They are direct manifestations of our self-expression. Regardless of the clothes that are available to us, however we place the pieces that we do have together, we are able to display our own sense of style.

Therefore, my answer to the question was suddenly unobstructed, and it all made sense. I could never allow someone to dictate my wardrobe, even if it meant wearing the same outfit every single day. Maybe I am particular with my clothing, or I have an avid interest in fashion, but the thought of having no jurisdiction over my outfits is terrifying to even suggest. Sure, I appreciate variety. I have the privilege of wearing different outfits based on my mood, based on what makes me most comfortable, and I am also able to shop around within reason. In fact, shopping for new clothes is a special thing—especially finding items that I know I’ll wear forever, and they’re unlike anything else.

However, I stay particular when it comes to picking out clothes. The idea of somebody creating my wardrobe not only violates my autonomy, but it also builds a wave of anxiety when imagining walking out of the house in a state of discomfort, helplessly dressed in clothes I hate the color of, or detest the fit of, or simply don’t feel like me. Maybe I’m being a little dramatic, or irrational, but I cannot emphasize enough the power I feel when everything just fits, when the clothing arrangement is effortless and complete. To be frank, there is no better feeling than slipping on the same pair of jeans, weathered, stretched, flawlessly forming to your body, without any hesitation or second thought. This goes for t-shirts with just the right amount of gap for your arms in the sleeves, tank tops with soft straps, denim shorts with slight discoloration, and sweaters that slouch and hang like lush leaves on a strong, sturdy tree.

To adorn outfits with accessories is a beautiful thing—accessories that mean something to you, represent something, reminding you of special parts of life. When my childhood best friend moved away for a spell of time, she gave me her old jewelry box, cherry wood, just the right size, and filled with jewelry that had once meant a lot to her, but she didn’t wear much anymore. I cherished every piece, heedlessly pairing them with all of my outfits at the end of middle school and early high school.

Sometimes I can’t help but wince when I look at old photos of what I once called “my style,” and what I deemed to be the most chic and effortless. Regardless of the quality of the outfit in my eyes today, at the time, the outfit felt great, felt like me, and I can never blame myself for wearing something that once made me feel so comfortable and fashionable.

There’s a noticeable tastefulness in finding the clothes that work best for you, and sticking with them. Sure, I rarely follow this rule—in fact, I prefer to alter my style, attempt to acquire multiple, and embrace variety. On the flip side, I love watching others build their style based on the clothes they find most interesting, creating their own personal patterns that are sometimes only perceptible to themselves. It’s an intimate, exclusive practice that I see as a key component for self-expression.

Rethink Overthinking

by Grace Pappadellis ’29 on October 23, 2025

Opinion

It is reasonable to surmise that there’s remote danger in thinking too much about everything—your own life, others’ lives, and the world around you. Whether you’ve almost drowned in the pool of overthinking or even just slightly struggled to come up for air, there is a common understanding that no one likes to think too much, even in situations when more thinking is due.

For skilled swimmers like myself, I often wade in the overthinking waters. Even as a kid, I worried about everything—do my Barbie dolls hate their outfits? How will I hire enough waitstaff for my backyard restaurant? Why won’t my dog talk back to me? Even though these worries were all rooted in imagination, there was still some level of realism there, some hints of empathy for others, intrigue, or a longing to grow up. Was my overthinking hurting me? Or, was it only helping me think deeper?

Every day, you are faced with an idea, a task, a problem, or an event that requires some effort or consideration. Your mind captures the moment, processes the information, and your brain has the wonderfully instinctive ability to create thoughts, thoughts with truthful, definitive opinions. This process is sacred to decision-making. Every action you take is based on a thought you designed yourself, trivial or significant. You should honor your thoughts—they hold truth in how you really feel about something! Who wouldn’t want these efforts to be thorough? Don’t we make our best, most evocative decisions when we’ve taken careful measures?

In a perfect world, thinking and feeling are not relative to one another. Thinking about a choice in a profound, developed way would not result in any sort of stress or lethargy. Why can’t this “perfect world” actually be the real world? You can take control, you can nurture your thoughts, your opinions, and let them mature and flourish. You can think deeply, ponder, and let yourself feel the discomfort of thinking so much. It doesn’t mean your world has to revolve around the discomfort. Overthinking doesn’t have to be negative—it can serve as enrichment for your patterns of thought.

There’s a sense of relief in realizing that something didn’t really matter as much as you imagined, and you were simply overthinking it. You take a long, drawn-out breath, and you can finally think clearly again; there’s less unnecessary traffic in the streets of your brain. Little do you know, the effort you exerted on thinking that much could’ve been the key to recognizing something completely new about yourself—something you wouldn’t have been able to discover without a little extra work. Maybe you were overthinking the result of a test you studied a lot for, or you were spiraling about the way you came across during a highly anticipated conversation with someone. Regardless of these outcomes, your efforts only increase the likelihood of your success, because overthinking only shows that you care.

Now, if you find that you’re tying yourself in knots as your mind whirls and reels, take a step back. You have way more jurisdiction over your mind than you think. You have the ability to ground yourself, step out of the stress, and release yourself from the reins of your troubles. Don’t let the concept of overthinking infiltrate any other sort of thinking. To think and care a lot is to learn, and to learn is to be a progressive, intelligent person.