CHASTITY & CONTROVERSY Our staff reflects on some favorite holiday traditions. > PAGES 14-15
November / December 2015
Alumnus and current student weigh in on postponement of presentation by Catholic speaker Jason Evert. > PAGE 16
What do ‘Let There Be Peace on Earth’ and ‘Edge of Glory’ have in common?
NEW CHRISTMAS PARTNERSHIP
Christian Service celebrated with St. Patrick’s Parish in Norristown, replacing the Best Nest organization.
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Malvern Preparatory School . 418 South Warren Avenue . Malvern, PA 19355
VOLUME 16, NUMBER 3
Malvern and Notre Dame sing for Make-A-Wish Foundation For the third year, Malvern’s Men’s Chorus and Notre Dame’s Women’s Chorale met at LOVE Park in Philadelphia to sing a few Christmas tunes and raise money for the MakeA-Wish Foundation Michael Harrington ’19 REPORTER t the center of a Christmas Village in Philadelphia's Love Park, surrounded by shops and food vendors, Christmas carols echoed on a Saturday afternoon. Singers from Malvern Prep's Men's Chorus and Notre Dame Women's Chorale prepared for their noon performance to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 nonprofit organization founded in the United States that grants the wishes of children with lifethreatening illnesses, according to their website. “The first year we didn't really know what to expect and every year it has gotten better and better - more organized, more people, more crowd, better facility,” Malvern’s Choral Director Mr. Ed Liga said. “It's become a really great way to start off the Christmas season.” Senior Michael Gormley has performed in the concert for two years now, and he loves being able to perform at a venue like LOVE Park. “It's a great opportunity to go out into the city and sing in front of hundreds of random people,” Gormley said. “If I wasn't involved in men’s chorus, I would want to come and see it because we sound really good and it's just a great opportunity.” All of the members of Malvern’s chorus came to enjoy themselves at LOVE Park, even though attendance at the event is not
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MALVERN & NOTRE DAME PERFORMED AT LOVE PARK ON SAT. DEC. 12 / M. HARRINGTON
mandatory. “They all come,” Liga said. “I don't require it for a grade because it's a Saturday morning. I just make it known to them that it's a really good time. Even some alumni come back.” Malvern’s students aren't the only ones who have a great experience at this event. Notre Dame’s women’s chorale loves participating just as much. "It's always a fun event and it's really great to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation," senior Allison McGee said. "It’s very cool how a big crowd comes out to LOVE Park and
Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools visits The process behind the decennial accreditation and how Malvern prepared for the visit. Ben Yankelitis ’16, Tyler Pizzico ’17 we have weakness they’ll say ‘Hey, why don’t you try doing this?’ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER and it becomes great dialogue." rom Monday, Nov. 2 to Wednesday, Nov. 4, the Malvern There was a lot of work done in preparation for the short, campus hosted eight representatives from the Pennsylvania three-day period the representatives were at the school. Association of Independent Schools who “The three day visit in a way is a little antievaluated the school. climatic because there is a tremendous amount of It was “a fairly uniform passion for the miswork that’s done in the year leading up to the visit It was “a sion of the school in a profoundly personal way” itself and then it’s over before you know it,” Talbot fairly uniform that stood out to the PAIS committee, according said. “But that’s not to discredit any of the prep to Kolia O’Connor, Director of PAIS and Head of work. Mrs. Giordani did a titanic amount of work passion for School at Sewickley Academy. that should certainly be appreciated.” the mission of This is the first PAIS evaluation of Malvern The planning began about a year and a half ago the school in a with Head of School Mr. Christian Talbot, who for Giordani and Assistant Head of School Mr. personal way” arrived in 2012, because the last one was in 2005. Steve Valyo. that stood out Despite this being his first encounter with the Each school must prep for the PAIS evaluation organization, Talbot knew the process well. thoroughly, drafting a document outlining its plans to the PAIS “The accreditation takes place every ten years,” and goals for the ten year period. A document that, committee. Talbot said. “However, there is a follow up midterm “with all of its appendices, adds up to over a thouevaluation every five years.” sand pages,” Talbot said. There were eight people on the visiting commit“In the body of the ten year accreditation docutee, each from other independent schools across the state. ment, the organization highlights commendations and proposes “It’s a great professional development for the PAIS visiting recommendations,” Talbot said. “Then five years later, they return committee to come out because they’ll take away things from us to see how we are living up to our own expectations and how we and apply them to their schools," said English Teacher Mrs. Susan > PAGE 8 Giordani, who helped organize a large portion of the visit. “Where
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everything is very Christmas-spirited.” Some parents and other family members of the choir members came out to show their support down at LOVE Park. Mrs. Cathy Preston, mother of Notre Dame Chorale member Cayla Preston, has attended and enjoyed the event each year. She likes that Malvern and Notre Dame perform together at LOVE Park and thinks that it is a great opportunity for both schools. “It's a nice way to give back to the community, to be part of a charity so they can give back to the Make-A-Wish Foundation,” Preston said. f
Malvern reacts to new Star Wars Who will be in front of the line on opening night - Malvern students or Maxwell Talbot? Tommy White ’17 REPORTER ta r Wa rs: T he Fo rce Awakens is considered to be one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It is expected to make a lot of money at the box office and it probably will set many records. Many people have been going bonkers over this movie, especially within the Malvern community. “I’m extremely excited for it,” junior Amir Webb said. “We’ve had to endure the prequels, so now I’m ready.” “I’m really excited to see how they’re going to continue on the series,” senior Will Schaffer said. “I think it’s
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going to be a really exciting experience.” In an email from Head of School Christian Talbot, his son Maxwell Talbot said, “I think they’re the best previews I’ve seen in awhile.” It has been 10 years since the last Star Wars movie (Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith) came into theatres. Disney has decided to have > PAGE 3