Search Results

The long awaited month is finally near image from: google images OCTOBER! October as a season brings joy to many. Maybe you like pumpkin spice lattes? Maybe you like Halloween? Maybe you just enjoy the fall atmosphere? However, October is really known for being the month of playoff baseball.  All of the 5 previous months of hard work, losses, and wins leads to this one month of win or go home baseball. In order to make the postseason a team has to either win their division (3 teams in each conference) or a team has to be in the top 3 teams of the teams that do not win their division. If the season were to end today the American conference playoffs would consist of the Toronto Blue Jays (82-61), the Detroit Tigers (82-62), and the Houston Astros (78-66). All of these teams are in first place in their respective divisions. The teams that would be in the AL wild card are the New York Yankees (80-63), the Boston Red Sox (79-65), and the Seattle Mariners (75-68).  Other teams are also in the hunt for the wild card such as the Texas Rangers (74-70), and the Kansas City Royals (73-70). I would not be surprised if either of these teams sneak their way into the wild card as the regular season comes to a close. In the National conference, the playoff teams would be the Milwaukee Brewers (89-55), the Philadelphia Phillies (83-60), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (79-64). In the wild card would be the Chicago Cubs (81-62), the San Diego Padres (78-65), and the New York Mets (76-67). Other teams in the hunt for a wild card spot include the Cincinnati Reds (72-71), and the San Francisco Giants (72-71).  My predictions for this playoff is that the Milwaukee Brewers and the Phillies will battle it out in the National League Championship Series and the Toronto Blue Jays and the Detroit Tigers will duel in the American League Championship Series. I believe that we will see a very entertaining World Series this year containing the Toronto Blue Jays and the Milwaukee Brewers. These two teams are full of superstars and veterans who will lead their prospective teams.  A lot rides on these playoffs for teams such as the Red Sox who are looking to re-sign superstar Alex Bregman. With an early exit in the playoffs for the Red Sox could mean a dismissal for Alex Bregman. Even though this Red Sox team has a lot to lose with an early exit in the playoffs, I also believe that they could make a deep run depending on the overall health of the team. In recent weeks the Red Sox have been dealing with injuries to their two young stars in Marcelo Mayer (wrist) and Roman Anthony (oblique). The Red Sox, even if they do not make a deep run, have a bright future ahead with a great farm system and a couple young guys on the team.  Another team with a lot to lose with an early exit in the playoff is the Philadelphia Phillies who have lots of players looking to enter free agency this offseason. Some notable players are Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto. These two guys are vital pieces to the Phillies team and more importantly their offense. This Playoff is shaping up to be one of vast excitement and awesome moments, and even though there is a lot to lose for some teams, there is also a lot to gain. Oliver Gates ‘27

image by: Hans Yu '28 After a well earned summer break, Middlesex is back in session with fall sports coming out swinging. The girls’ varsity soccer team in particular is looking to clinch a successful season this year after a difficult transition season last year. Last season, the team familiarized themselves with the new coaches, Coach Katie Andjus and Assistant Coach Brian Powers, and are now seeking to become a dominating presence in the ISL. MXGVS has also acquired three additional coaches, including Assistant Coach Ally, former captain of the women’s soccer team at Colgate, and Goalkeeper Coach Jessie. MXGVS captains all express their excitement about this upcoming season and their hope to qualify for the tournament this year, highlighting the exceptional team comradery, chemistry, and communication they’ve seen already in the first week of the season. Herd leader and MXGVS captain Stella Mourtzimos acknowledges that a big aspect of improving the team this year is increasing the positive communication among teammates, as it “will lead to more scoring opportunities and better possession.” Coming off a difficult injury the past season, school co-president and captain Avery Green is especially excited to return to the field. She expresses her eagerness for the small team of 18, as it will be a “very supportive, tight-knit group.” Additionally, Captain Phoebe Seidman is excited to “watch the team grow both on and off the field” in her fourth and final year playing on Chapel Field. This year MXGVS welcomed four new freshmen recruits to the team: Lila Czerepak, Bridget O’Connor, Mulungi Kalisa, and Bella Gordon. Lila has played soccer since she was three years old, playing for Winchester town soccer for nine years, FC Stars for seven years, and is currently playing for FC Stars ECNL White 2011. Bridget currently plays for the FC Stars 2010 Blue ECNL RL team and was a critical player on the Bedford High School team as a freshman last year. She was also recently recognized for the U15 ECNL RL 2024–2025 All-Regional League. Mulungi, younger sister of Herd leader and MXBVS captain Baze Kalisa, played on the Concord Carlisle town team for six years, NEFC for two years, and continues to play for the Boston Bolts for her fourth year. Last but not least, Bella played soccer for four years at New York Soccer Club before becoming a goalkeeper and moving to Massachusetts to play on SFC Elite. All four of these talented freshmen look forward to game days, team psychs, and traditions, and each will play a significant role in the success of MXGVS this season. The biggest game of the year will be on Friday, September 26th against Milton Academy at 6pm. This will be MXGVS’s annual Under the Lights game as well as their Kicks for Cancer game. With their last year’s Under the Lights game being canceled due to Triple E, MXGVS is more than excited to play under the glaring lights at night backed by the support and passion of the Herd this year. MXGVS’s season begins in the first game, at home on Chapel Field, against Dexter on September 10th. With new coaching staff, eager captains, excited returners, and fresh new talent, MXGVS seems on their way to a successful season this fall. Michelle Cai ‘27

Is Arch Manning a Fraud?  Is Arch Manning nothing without the Manning name? Many people wondered before the season started whether Arch Manning was worth all the hype. He barely played last year, taking only a couple of snaps. However, he still had the weight of the world on his shoulders, being a Heisman forerunner and a Manning. He had his chance to prove his own value in the biggest matchup of the year on opening Saturday against Ohio State, and he did anything but that. He was horrible.  In his opening matchup against the National champs, he threw for 17-30 for 170 with a touchdown and a pick. Nevertheless, the numbers don’t just tell the story; he was throwing errant passes and missing his receivers by a wide margin. He spent too much time in the pocket and kept getting hit. He looked like a man with no confidence in his ability and played as such. He looked like a shell of his former self following his ULM debut. After such a disappointing performance under the brightest lights, his NIL evaluation tanked by nearly half a million, and his Heisman odds also tanked. Heading into week two, Texas fans were dreading having to watch Arch; however, Arching bounced back with 295 yards and four touchdowns, while running in a fifth. This Arch looked like a completely different person; he was confident and slinging the ball downfield, bullying the San Jose State defense. He looked a lot more like Manning. He threw an 83-yard touchdown on third down to get momentum going for Texas. After that, it was non-stop offense as he controlled the game. However, it was a sloppy game for Texas with 115 penalty yards and one pick for Arch in the red zone. Texas definitely needs to improve if they want to compete with teams like Ohio State and Penn State, but this was definitely a step in the right direction for Texas and Arch Manning. Hopefully, this performance gave him his confidence back. Nevertheless, it was still a sloppy game, especially considering they played San Jose State. While a solid team, they cannot hold a candle to Ohio State. This performance makes one wonder if Arch is only able to play well against mediocre teams, but when true talent and greatness come on the opposing side of the gridiron, is he able to rise, challenge, and ball out? He is still young and not as experienced, having to sit behind Quinn Ewer for most of last year, but Arch is exceptionally talented and hardworking, and he will figure it out. Texas has a star in Arch, they need to give him some time under his feet so that he can reach his full potential and bring Texas a National Championship this year. Arch will only make the Manning name more famous and stacked with football legends. Timmy Hale ‘27

The lack of clarity surrounding inmate conditions suggests the worst. The Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo , or CECOT, has been at the center of discussion in El Salvador since 2022, but has recently come to light in America following the administration’s increased deportation efforts. CECOT was created as part of President Nayib Bukele’s widespread crackdown on gang violence, and as of last year contains an estimated population of 15,000 to 40,000 inmates. Officials and data analysts have praised the confinement center’s efficacy, but after the Trump administration sent roughly 200 alleged Venezuelan and Salvadoran criminals to CECOT, the prison drew increased attention, falling under scrutiny by foreign and domestic press for its cruel conditions. In 2020, El Salvador was rifewith gang violence. Roughly 60,000 gang members and 400,000 affiliates were operating within the country, and the country had one of the highest homicide rates in the country at 103 homicides per 100,000 people. Thus, Bukele devised a plan to cut down on crime rates, dubbing it the Territorial Control Plan. At the head of this plan was CECOT. To some surprise, this aggressive strategy seemed to work. El Salvador’s homicide rate decreased by a whopping 63% in just a year, marking a turning point in overall safety. The International Crisis Group, however, refuted claims by Bukele that the decrease was a result of the Territorial Control Plan, instead citing communications between gangs and the government. This counter-claim was further backed by the U.S. Treasury Department’s similar claims of government negotiation. Bukele’s crackdown did something , despite specifics of government intervention being unknown. Much of the speculation behind CECOT’s operation stems from El Salvador’s general lack of transparency around the prison. For one, it seems that nobody truly knows how many inmates are being housed. In April of this year, prison director Belarmino García was asked for a specific number of inmates. He declined to give a direct answer, stating that the 2024 count of roughly 14,000 was outdated, and that the current number neared capacity at 40,000. This opaque answer, coupled with relatively unknown criteria for admittance and sentences ranging from centuries to pending convictions, results in the unclear image of CECOT that we have today. What we do know about CECOT is how the inmates are treated. As a standard, prisoners are held in their cells at all times except for 30 minutes of exercise, online court hearings, Bible study, or solitary confinement. Furthermore, the government has stated intention to not release any prisoner from CECOT and barred inmates from any rehabilitation programs. Inside their cells, inmates undergo an experience that wholly violates the Red Cross’ international standard of detention; inmates are provided 0.6 meters of space on average, nearly 3 meters less than the recommended minimum. When BBC asked García himself, he claimed that “where you can fit 10 [prisoners], you can fit 20 [prisoners in CECOT].” On an individual level, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, now known for being wrongfully deported by the U.S. to CECOT, attested to the abhorrent treatment he faced. He claims that he and others were met with beatings, inadequate food, and even psychological torture. Abrego Garcia describes one instance where he and 20 other inmates were made to kneel from 9 P.M. to 6 A.M. Despite CECOT’s apparent efficiency in halting gang violence in El Salvador, both personal statements and major investigations find corruption and malpractice, often going as for as torture. The fact of the matter is that Nayib Bukele is fighting the fire of gang violence by drowning his country in human rights abuses. As you read this article, up to 40,000 real people are packed like sardines into a concrete box with no possibility of rehabilitation or release. Even if claims that the Territorial Control Plan is the catalyst for El Salvador’s decreased crime rate are true, they neglect the lives of inmates.  Vincent Petti ‘27

A quintessential Middlesex tradition has lost its flair. Here’s how to redress the flagging institution. image by: Anika Ata '26 Contrary to what some of our fine zebras dressed in American flag overalls and the playing of Cotton Eye Joe might make you think, the square dance is not some exotic southwestern ritual. Rather, it is a much more universally American activity, with structural roots in 17th century English folk dances and the early 19th century French quadrille. The distinctive “caller” came to be when enslaved African Americans made to fiddle for dances began to call out moves to the participants. In the 1920s, Henry Ford would help popularize the dance when he hired hundreds of dancing instructors to teach folk dancing—as part of an effort to push back against the jazz that “invade[s] decent homes and set the young people of this generation imitating the drivel of morons…Jazz is a Jewish creation” (a different story). LGBTQ square dancing started in 1977. As of now, 31 states, including Massachusetts, have designated the square dance as their state folk dance.  At Middlesex, square dance is none of the above. For non-seniors, it has been naught but an opportunity to dress up in the mind’s conception of “Southern”, desperately attempt to hear the caller in a cramped gym while pretending to have fun, and eventually dissolve into the obligatory rave. Seniors might remember that night three years ago in the BAP courtyard, when we formed coherent groups, do-si-do’d around our new friends, and ran through lines with purpose.  At the end the caller tried to pull everyone with hands linked into a giant formation but ultimately failed. It was slightly chaotic and not exactly what one would consider a square dance, as there are traditionally only four couples in a group, but it was special enough to get a glimpse into the common saying that “square dancing is friendship set to music.” These days the thrill is gone. I have not done a single do-si-do in three years. How did it get so bad?  image by: Lucy Wang The main problem is that the square dance has been stuck in the gym, a cramped place with poor acoustics. Of course the weather is out of our control, but adapting to the gym environment is nonetheless an effort that has fallen short year after year. Part of this failure is in the sound system. While sound can travel over the heads of people and reach the ears of many in an outdoor setting, sound in an enclosed space like the cage will bounce strangely off the ceiling and walls and become muddled in the mass of bodies. In addition to the two speakers placed at the front of the room, two more speakers at the back would have made the calls more audible to the entire group. Perhaps those could have been set up instead of the decorative piles of hay bales.  Even if placing down more speakers is impossible, more could have been done to instruct students on how to dance. If an article describing the basic moves, the structure of the dance, and how to respond to calls were attached to the notice email, responsible students (seniors) could have acted as group leaders, interpreting the difficult-to-hear calls. I, as a senior, did not have any information and was just as confused as everyone else, however helpful I wished to be. In the future, Stactivities could communicate with the square dance facilitators and create such a document, and also include that content in their assembly announcement. Finally, consider rescheduling, but given the turgidity of our calendar and the booking system with the square dance event folk, this option is likely impossible. When I had the good fortune to encounter Ms. Speers leaving this year’s square dance early, she suggested that we consider rethinking square dance as a whole, while retaining all that the event stands for. As the last three years have proven, square dance at Middlesex is much like the grand old America it represents: it falls short again and again and again, but we can dream it to be better and learn to love it.  Terri Qi ‘26

How to get back on the ‘MX Grind’ after a long summer After a summer of fun, Middlesex students, both new and returning, are shoved right back into their tight schedules packed with classes, sports, and homework. With all the activities MX offers, as well as the copious amounts of work assigned, how can you keep up with the rigorous course load while still having fun with friends? First of all, staying organized is one of the most important factors in keeping up with your classes. At the beginning of the year, students received an academic planner with the already up-to-date special schedules included in it. By using this planner, it’s  easy to keep track of your classes, homework, and upcoming tests. Additionally, many teachers only mention homework in class, so it’s essential to write it down to remember to do it. However, if you think that the planner is too much work to carry around, using your Notes App is another good option. I personally don’t use my planner, but rather my Notes App to keep track of all my homework and upcoming assignments. Another alternative is online planners or agendas. I strongly recommend taking some time each day to update your planner and decide how you are going to tackle your assignments to save time later. Free blocks are a great way to get some work done during the day to lessen the amount of homework left for you at the end of the night. The two places I find best to work in during the day are the RCC and the library. Additionally, during the fall and spring, studying outside in the BAP courtyard with friends is a nice change of scenery. My friends and I also enjoy going off campus to study such as Café Nero, Dunkin’, or Starbucks. Studying together in study groups before tests is also super helpful, and you can bounce ideas off each other. I find that the awkward blocks of time in between classes and athletics or athletics and dinner are often wasted. However, during that time, students could study Words words or their language vocabulary. It’s important to make sure you use study hours well and actually get studying done to avoid all-nighters. Supervised study hall is available for underclassmen, and you can go there if you feel that you can’t get much work done in your room. If you still struggle with staying on top of your work, your advisor is also a great resource.  They can help you set up a schedule for you to get your work done on time. The first weeks of school are overwhelming. Coming back from summer, we’re still figuring out how to put our brains into learning mode, and dust off the summer mindset. But ultimately, if you stay organized and on top of your work, you’ll be okay! Allison Luo ‘27

What the Tiktok ban told us about our Generation Tiktok, the popular social media platform used by over 1 billion people, including 170 million Americans, skyrocketed in fame in 2020 and since has remained a critical piece of youth culture.  Trends, pop culture, digital friendships, and influencers have all contributed to teen investment in the app, as it has become part of daily life for over 60% of teenagers, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey. However, its wild success has not been unaccompanied with controversy. Wariness around the ownership, specifically, has been circulating ever since the launch. For context, Tiktok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese private company. Due to the high degree of sensitive user content entrusted in the app (such as location, personal identities, and contact information), the US government has had long standing concerns over the safety of such information in ByteDance’s hands. Specifically, the US feared the company may sell the information to the Chinese government, which could endanger US citizens' safety, as well as manipulate the information supplied by the app. Hoping to force Tiktok into new, American ownership, the US instituted a federal ban on the app in January of 2025. Although the ban was extremely short lived, lasting only 14 hours total, the fallout was both shocking and enlightening. Knowledge of the forthcoming ban was circulating well before it went into effect, so much of the backlash occurred in anticipation, rather than after the fact of the ban. Teens were outraged, panicked, and devastated at the news of their impending loss (this is a dramatic description, but not inaccurate). In fact, there was a sizable mass release of “drafts” - unreleased/private TikTok videos - where users posted their drafts in an effort to squeeze whatever life they could out of the app in its final moments.  However, the most interesting effect of the fourteen-hour ban on TikTok was the digital migration towards other Chinese-owned apps, specifically Rednote.  Rednote is an app that, much like Tiktok, displays short videos on a feed, enabling users to connect with one another and engage with customizable content.  This shift was a deliberate act of resistance against the government, as well as an embodiment of the simple fact that teenagers are either unaware or simply irreverent towards cyber safety. Teenagers find community and entertainment online at the cost of their safety. This tradeoff has become extremely normalized in Gen-Z, as so much of social life and pop culture is found online. Lacking social media can often stimulate feelings of exclusion and FOMO, so in order to feel connected, having some form of social media often feels necessary. Yet by putting oneself online, one risks cyber safety. However, as the TikTok ban so dramatically demonstrated, the connection teenagers find online may make it worth the risk. Bea Gerau ‘26

Middlesex’s Next Renovation Should Reflect the Community Picture this: it is a nice sunny day, and the only thing you want to do is to enjoy the warmth before the brisk winter hits. But when you walk outside with your plate full of food, you see all ten of the lawn chairs in use, leaving nowhere to sit for you. Oh well , you think, time to go back into the dining hall . Middlesex has lots of space for people looking to eat lunch in the dining hall, but not all students enjoy eating indoors. One thing that is missing is outdoor seating on the Circle. Especially in the fall and spring seasons, the weather outside is perfect for a lunch picnic with your classmates. Currently, we have multiple lawn chairs out in the circle, but they fill up fast. The addition of picnic tables in the grass right in front of the Ware Hall would be perfect on a nice, sunny day. The Circle is the most scenic place on campus, but doesn’t have very many places to sit. Adding picnic tables would benefit students and staff exponentially given the relatively low cost. Picnic tables can be cheap and cost around an average of $200. This would be a reachable goal for a fundraiser if the school needed extra funds for the tables. If the school purchased 10, it would provide outdoor seating for 80 students, a good portion of the school. This would also make the dining hall feel less cramped and let students sit with all of their friends or new people without having to worry about taking someone else’s seat. In an article titled “Spending Just 20 Minutes in a Park Makes You Happier” by Jamie Ducharme, she writes, “the medical community is increasingly viewing green space as a place for their patients to reap physical and mental health benefits.” This shows the importance of being outdoors for mental health, something Middlesex students could use with their jam-packed schedule and heavy academic workload. With hours of homework being assigned to them every night, the stress can pile up fast. Spending lunch indoors is simply a waste of opportunity to improve mental health. A primary concern would be that this would interfere with the space on the Circle for school events like graduation or field day. This would not be the case because of the ease of moving in outdoor tables; they simply fold up and can be stored in a relatively small space. Another potential problem would be taking up space on the Circle in general, which is generally meant for playing games like spikeball or frisbee. However, picnic tables would only take up a very small fraction of the space. The area we would need for lunch would be about five thousand square feet, which is miniscule compared to the 124 Thousand square feet of the Circle. The athletic fieldhouse’s completion should come with a nice break from construction on campus. Starting another big project wouldn’t be the right thing for the school right now, as construction is loud, noisy, and doesn’t make for a very good learning environment. We should instead focus on making small, quick improvements to student life on campus, starting with the picnic tables. Additions like these are what makes the everyday difference in students’ lives. Jackson Winn ‘29 & Nick Noon ‘29

How President Trump’s trade wars still shape local economies as courts weigh their legality. When Donald Trump levied sweeping tariffs on foreign steel, aluminum, and Chinese imports during his first presidency in 2018, he reshaped American trade policy. What began as an emergency measure to “protect American industry” has calcified into a permanent restructuring of U.S. commerce, altering prices and supply chains.  Since returning to office in January 2025, Mr. Trump has doubled down. His administration has layered staggering new duties on a range of imported goods and threatened tariff rates 30% or higher in response to retaliatory duties imposed on US imports.  Now, the legality of that framework is under scrutiny. On August 29th, a federal appeals court ruled 7-4 that Mr. Trump exceeded his authority in imposing his global tariffs, many of which were enacted through the International Emergency Economics Power Act (IEEPA). That 1979 law granted the president broad powers to regulate financial transactions during national emergencies, but the court held that it did not confer the president explicit authority to levy taxes on nearly all U.S. imports. However, the appeals court put its ruling on hold until October 14th to give the Trump administration time to seek Supreme Court review.  Mr. Trump defended tariffs as a blunt but necessary tool: by making imported goods more expensive, he argued, consumers would be incentivized to buy American-made goods, reducing trade deficits and restoring domestic manufacturing. Indeed, in sectors like steel manufacturing, his claims found some validation. The top five U.S. steel companies more than doubled their total annual investments from 1.5 billion to 4.2 billion dollars from 2017 to 2019. Companies have also announced job gains and wage increases.  But the promised revivals have proven to be uneven. While certain American producers benefited, the tariffs also raised costs for businesses dependent on import inputs.  According to CNN, in late June the American sportswear giant Nike forecasted that it would have to pay $1 billion in additional costs because of President Trump’s tariffs levied on China, Vietnam and Indonesia, where more than 70% of Nike’s products are manufactured. Nike has confirmed a price rise for its American customers.  Multinational corporations like Nike can adjust by shifting production or absorbing some of the losses, but small and medium-sized businesses heavily reliant on imports often lack this level of flexibility. For these firms, the impact of recent tariffs has been particularly severe. Many report price hikes from suppliers and face difficult choices whether to absorb these costs or pass them on to customers at the risk of lost sales and competitiveness.  In an interview with Ms. Yang, the manager of a Sichuan restaurant in Chinatown, New York, she explained that the rising cost of imported spices and specialty ingredients has forced them to shrink menus and absorb losses. “We can’t just swap out certain ingredients for something else,” she said. “Customers know the difference, so we take the hit ourselves.” Yang noted that many other restaurants nearby were also struggling to maintain their businesses under profit losses of more than one-third. Some owners also described stockpiling imported ingredients after rumors of higher duties circulated. “Every year we think we’ve adjusted,” said one owner, “and then another tariff or new rule comes along. We can’t plan two years out anymore.” In the long run, tariffs have exposed the vulnerability of businesses, particularly small ones, to global economic policies. It remains to be seen whether these businesses can withstand this turbulence or whether they will be forced to make choices that will reshape their futures. The appeals court’s decision striking down Mr. Trump’s new tariffs does not resolve this uncertainty. For now, caught between the policies of the past and the unpredictability of what comes next, businesses must navigate a system in flux. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent also warns that the U.S. may be forced to issue massive refunds (totalling almost a trillion dollars) if the Supreme Court rules against the government, fueling further significant economic disruption.  With so much in the air, one thing is certain: the real cost of tariffs is not only measured in dollars collected or refunded, but also in the uncertainty they leave behind—one that hinders investment, disrupts supply chains, and leaves small businesses in a perpetual state of reaction and readjustment rather than growth. Even if the Supreme Court overturns the new tariffs, the old ones remain, a stark reminder that protectionism has become a feature of American commerce.  Tariffs were once pitched as temporary leverage in global disputes. Today, they have become a climate of instability that disturbs how local economies function. And until that uncertainty is resolved, local American businesses will continue to live in the shadows of these trade wars.  Jessica Wu ‘27

The brand identity reflects commitment to building on tradition. The Anvil, you’ll notice, looks a little different this year.  The design process began at the end of the last school year, with a review of 121 years of designs in the paper’s archives. This new, eighth generation design is grounded in that heritage, influenced by three main pieces of Anvil history: The First-ever-issue’s Art-Nouveau “A” This Art Nouveau-styled “A” appeared in the Anvil’s first issue, and remained in use for 14 years. 121 years later, it now marks the end of each article as our end sign. image by: Linda Wang '27 1918 editorial title’s candle motif This beautiful editorial heading includes a candle illuminating an Anvil writer’s work. That candle and its ring of light are now the Anvil’s central symbols, representing our commitment to accurate and honest journalism. image by: Linda Wang '27 Bold serifs, with a unique spin on the School’s crest This neoclassical masthead was the longest serving in Anvil history, used for 27 years. It’s been streamlined and softened for the 21st century. While the anvil in the background has been retained, the candle has been introduced above it to define an Anvil brand, a recognizable symbol that stands independent from the school wide crest. image by: Linda Wang '27 The previous Anvil masthead had stood since 2014. While the previous Anvil design had grown familiar in the 11 years since, several basic issues challenged its effectiveness.  There was no independent symbol for the Anvil, and it used the Middlesex crest (twice!). It was unbalanced, densely focused in the middle third of the page. The word “The” was small and attached to “Anvil,” despite the short length of The Anvil’s name. Finally, there was no separation between the logotype and the beginning of the first article.  Mirroring the masthead puts these issues in sharper focus: image by: Linda Wang '27 It remains to be seen if there will be a logo design that outlasts the neoclassical serif Design #3’s tenure of 27 years. By reconciling The Anvil’s rich tradition—in journalism and in design—with our newspaper’s exciting future, we hope this design can serve our successors for several decades. David Yang '26

As a harbinger for this banner year in Anvil  history, we have carefully re-imagined our   logotype and visual brand. Not merely superficial, these alterations allow for clearer communication of our values, heritage, and significance within the Middlesex community. We believe in this newspaper’s power to enlighten and engage our readership by platforming a diversity of perspectives. We encourage anyone with a Middlesex connection to visit anvilmx.com/contact to share a note in response to any article, to be published in the next issue under Letters to the Editor. A central goal of The Anvil ’s 121st iteration is to demonstrate both the opportunities that journalism brings and our school’s impressive alumni in the field. To that end, we are pleased to welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Bret Stephens ‘91 on Friday, September 26th. He will lead a workshop on opinion-writing and journalism more broadly, open to all Middlesex students. We are looking forward to that and more special events later this fall and winter. -George Thornton '26 & Gina Zhao '26

Summary of the 2024-25 admissions cycle: Demographics, Financial Aids, and Statistics. image by: David Yang '26 The Office of Admissions accepted 16.5 percent of applicants, a modest decline from 18 percent last year. In this admission cycle, Middlesex received 1300 applications, a 4 percent increase from 1250 applications last year. Of the 214 admitted students, 114 enrolled across the Classes of 2029, 2028, and 2027, marking a 53 percent yield rate that has stayed consistent in recent years.  Middlesex’s overall demographics in the incoming class remained roughly similar to last year. While the student body is roughly 70 percent boarding and 30 percent day, the newly enrolled students constitute 68 percent boarding and 32 percent day. Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut remain the most represented states in the student body, while the share of local boarding families within a two-hour radius of the school increased compared to those outside of the radius. Similar to last year, male students make up a slight majority of Middlesex’s admitted class.  Tuition continued to rise this year, climbing to $79,200 for boarding students and $64,350 for day students, a 5 percent increase from last year’s $75,475 and $61,270, respectively. Despite the rise in tuition, financial aid reflects the school’s commitment to affordability: more than 39 percent of newly enrolled students receive financial aid, compared to 34 percent of the overall student body. “It is more of a budget matter,” Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Doug Price noted. “We had more funds available this year for new students.”  The incoming class also comes from 11 states and 15 countries. International students account for  13 percent of newly enrolled students, similar to that of the whole student body. To support the expanding international applicant pool, Middlesex hosted admissions receptions across Asia. Head of School Bessie Spears, Chief Advancement Director George Noble, and Associate Dean of DEI Starry Zhu traveled to South Korea, China, Thailand, and Hong Kong as part of Middlesex’s international outreach. “It’s the reputation of the academic program and the warmth of the community,” Doug Price explained. “That’s a really big aspect for us.” In addition, Middlesex attracted a pool of recruited athletes to strengthen its athletic programs. As teams like Field Hockey (2024 ISL Championship) and Football (NEPSAC Joe Lang Bowl) continue to achieve excellence in the field, Doug Price highlighted that the incoming class had “more athletes than we have had in recent years.” 32 percent of admitted students chose to reclassify for athletic and academic developments.  As peer schools across New England reinstated a standardized testing requirement, the Office of Admissions followed the trend starting from the 2023-2024 admission cycle. Students may submit the SSAT (Secondary School Admissions Test) or the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam), which Doug Price described as “a common piece as a part of the holistic admission.” “Testing is also helpful because there's a writing sample,” he added. The average SSAT score for the accepted students was 85 percentile, remaining consistent with recent years.  After all, with steady yield, diversity, and strong athletic representation, Mr. Price remarked with optimism: “We’re excited about this new group and eager to see the impact they will have on the community.” Matthew Yoon ’27