This school year was filled with firsts, from J-Term, to new buildings, to Fortnite.
With summer right around the corner, you obviously want to stop and think in detail about the past the nine months of school. Lucky for you, our staff has put together a list of highlights throughout the year that you may reflect upon at your leisure. You’re welcome.
The first day of school came with some changes to the dress code and the attendance policy in an attempt to unify the upper and middle schools.
The new school year also introduced the first Friday Morning Rally, or FMR, a weekly gathering of the whole upper school. Every Friday, freshmen through seniors get together to hear announcements, listen to live music provided by the student body, and one lucky Citizen of the Week gets a donut, a Malvern delicacy.
A change to this year’s calendar also came with a change from quarters to semesters.
The soccer team returned a couple days late to the start of school due to a trip to Italy. During their nine day trip they played teams from both Italy and Switzerland.
Academy leaders introduced the AGE block, where each class would get a chance to talk about grade-wide issues.
The Chinese I and II classes returned from a 14 day trip of a three city tour of China. While there, the group visited the Great Wall, the Emperor’s Summer Palace, and tried to figure out how to eat rice with chopsticks.
Also the Duffy clocktower got repaired; the time on campus was no longer permanently stuck at 10:57.
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Malvern inducted Fr. Donald Reilly O.S.A. as the new Head of School in the O’Neill Sports Center, accompanied by a speech that clocked in at around 47 minutes. The event was attended by other local Headmasters, Former Heads of School’s, faculty and staff of Malvern, members of the Board of Trustees, and students from both the Upper and Middle School. Reilly is the fourteenth Head of School to lead Malvern Prep.
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Liturgical Music sings We are One Body during Father Reilly's Installation Mass. pic.twitter.com/zNbHwRM4KW
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 23, 2017
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"For you I am Head of School, but with you I am a fellow learner and teacher." – Father Reilly
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 23, 2017
"The academy model is when students are treated as individual in a greater community of learning." -Father Reilly
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 23, 2017
Via announcement during 5th period, Fr. Reilly thanked students by announcing a Head of School Holiday on Mon. Nov. 6 @MalvernPrep pic.twitter.com/d9uZlmY2dZ
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 23, 2017
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From October 2 to 13, Malvern students exchanged 20 canned goods for a ticket to the homecoming dance. The #20CANCHALLENGE canned food drive before homecoming gathered almost 3,000 cans—nearly 9,000 servings. The cans went to St. Patrick’s Church in West Chester.
Malvern debuted its new mascot Auggie Tolentine at its Spirit Week Pep Rally festivities. The costume was bought after Malvern raised $25,000 at B.A.S.H. last year, $10,000 more than the original goal.
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Big upset in the tug of war competition as the juniors take down the seniors #MPpeprally17 pic.twitter.com/IYQAKDDiJa
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 13, 2017
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Buck Walsh with the brutal belly flop #MPpeprally17 pic.twitter.com/0gTtcyt55s
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 13, 2017
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In October, The Friar’s Lantern reported on a drop in AP scores at Malvern Prep. 13 out of 18 Malvern AP test averages released from spring of 2017 were lower than the national averages in those tests. “It was not just a drop. It was a bang,” Mr. Robert Colameco said.
"There were too many 1’s and 1’s are unacceptable."
– @JohnOstick1Why are so many Advanced Placement test scores dropping @MalvernPrep ?https://t.co/7vCZCeP1am pic.twitter.com/Toj3Qt8Cdv
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) November 30, 2017
Malvern athletes joined the pink movement by incorporating the color into their gear and uniforms.
Senior water polo player Sean Oates courageously saved an opposing player struck in the head by a shot during a game. He quickly picked him up out of the water and took him to the side of the pool to receive medical attention. “It was Sean’s quick action that I think potentially saved further harm from this kid,” Water Polo Head Coach Mr. Jay Schiller said.
Oh—and Malvern Prep made ESPN Sports Center, thanks to junior Keith Maguire.
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Photos from last night's @MalvernPrepFB 31-7 win over The Haverford School
📸: O'Meara https://t.co/BKjInCiepf pic.twitter.com/0DkrjTOq9h
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 28, 2017
Number 2 on #SCTop10 — Congrats @MalvernPrepFB 🔥 @MalvernPrep @MPFriars https://t.co/vAgWdtdKG9
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) October 28, 2017
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MTS put on their first fall musical with “Little Shop of Horrors”, a story of how “Audrey 2” took over the world.
Our staff traveled to the National High School Journalism Convention in Dallas, Texas. We experienced some Friday Night Lights and met our rivals from the ReMarker, where editors have the keys to a journalism wing of the school.
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Friday was opening night for Malvern Theatre Society's "Little Shop of Horrors." Snap story by @liammcknight15 —https://t.co/Qe7QrdpshP pic.twitter.com/SZqv47TNd2
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) November 4, 2017
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The first performance updates were released where teachers gave feedback for each student instead of a quarter grade.
The tenth anniversary of the fundraiser “Empty Bowls” transitioned to “Cups for Caritas” which shifted the event from a stew dinner to a pancake breakfast featuring ceramic mugs for OJ or coffee.
Villa Maria Academy launched their first edition of their newspaper, “The Villa Voice.” The issue was put on stands in December prior to winter break.
Our former Editor-in-Chief Eric McLaughlin ’18 tried ketchup for the first time in his life. “The ketchup really did not taste like anything,” McLaughlin said.
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When the twilight shadows gather
out upon the Campus green,
when the blue and purple night
comes stealing on the scene,
loyal sons of Saint Augustine
sing a hymn of praise
for the triumphs shared with brothers and our Friar days.(Welcome to 280-character Twitter, @MalvernPrep )
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) November 8, 2017
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And congratulations to our friends at @VMAHSMalvern for launching “The Villa Voice” this week! We can’t wait to read! pic.twitter.com/2U2cfn4Ku8
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) December 20, 2017
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The Friar’s Lantern explored the necessity of sleep and factors that can affect the quality. Technology, dream water, and even struggling with insomnia are all contributing factors to students losing sleep.
The Friar’s Lantern published an article on the campus culture of vaping. With the fad gaining traction on school campuses, students, administration, and local vape shop owners gave their input on the smoking alternative.
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Missed the @MalvernPrep Saturday Christmas party with St. Patrick's parish? See our top photos here:https://t.co/F3c1lQtc1g pic.twitter.com/ul1IJQmcvi
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) December 12, 2017
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The November/December issue is out on stands @MalvernPrep and online, just in time for winter break!
Read it here:https://t.co/jASX644mmy pic.twitter.com/b3MqKXAnAl— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) December 20, 2017
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Fortnite. Here to help us procrastinate, smash our TVs and break our controllers. The game, released in summer of 2017, gained major traction worldwide and naturally Malvern as students began to obsess over the game during the new year.
2018 also brought the announcement of a new building on campus: The Center For Social Impact. The building will soon connect Carney to Sullivan via a glass bridge, and will launch the campus into the 26th century.
The long-awaited J-term finally arrived in its red fire truck following Christmas break this January. With its specialized classes and AP institute, J-Term stretched two weeks allowing students to experience new topics before continuing with regular school days.
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.@MalvernPrep @MPFriars Here is the J-Term daily schedule, 11am to 1pm block schedule, and a reminder to check your J-Term classes on MyMalvern #lastminute #havefun pic.twitter.com/too7Q5mAzw
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) January 8, 2018
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Students just wrapped up the inaugural J-Term @MalvernPrep which featured two distinct tracks—one for students enrolled in APs, and one for the others.
See photos + read stories by journalism J-Term students who visited classes—https://t.co/Xmj0vwnD5e pic.twitter.com/C4oW07lUgN
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) January 20, 2018
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One of the J-Term options included a service trip opportunity for students to travel down to Houston, Texas after Hurricane Harvey to help the community recover.
Student Council took advantage of J-Term and introduced two activities to the student body: bubble soccer and penny wars.
Malvern’s decorated swim team brought home the first National Catholic Championship since 2008.
Fr. Thom, O.S.A. suffered two strokes, and was brought to Bryn Mawr Rehab to receive treatment and begin his recovery process.
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The city of Philadelphia descended into chaos after the Birds caught that dub over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Students were given the day off on the following Thursday to attend the parade.
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24 hours till @Eagles and @Patriots kickoff for #SB52 ! As the game draws closer, @EPR2514 explains why @MalvernPrep should have off on Super Bowl Monday.
Read: https://t.co/zhaFzw08ad pic.twitter.com/CfO3CKSLg0— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) February 3, 2018
https://www.instagram.com/p/Be04kC3lWI5/
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Malvern held the annual SpeakUp! meeting on campus on February 6. The event was attended by students and parents from Malvern and surrounding schools including Notre Dame, Villa Maria and Devon.
Father Reilly hit the road, visiting Chicago, New York, and Washington D.C. to visit alumni and talk about Malvern with them.
The Friar’s Lantern analyzed data from the Counseling Department which indicated that Malvern’s grades are rapidly inflating.
We exchanged places with Villa Maria Academy students on Valentine’s Day, and narrowly escaped detention.
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And best wishes to our visiting editors who are spending the day at Villa—and their hosts! pic.twitter.com/CuMXRVdb2k
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) February 14, 2018
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Also, Family Feud.
And Lebron.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfs6PQxFBbb/
After hearing Tim Mitchell give a convincing speech on what you should do if your canoe gets stuck in a tree, the student body decided that the President and Vice President team of Billy Carlini and Jack Boyle would be a better fit for our 2018-19 executive board.
Malvern’s Liturgical Music and Men’s Chorus, along with participants from Malvern, Villa Maria, and Notre Dame, performed the Living Stations of the Cross for the Malvern community. The tradition held right before Easter break, allowed students to reflect on the message of the day.
No team gets Malvern more hype than Villanova basketball, and winning the 2018 National Championship was another Philly win that got Malvern out of school for a parade. The Wildcats got the dub by a score of 79-62 against Michigan. It was the school’s second championship in three years and made Philly the first city to win both a Super Bowl and an NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship in the same year.
On March 18, Malvern hosted its first ever diversity conference, ST@MP (Speaking Truth at Malvern Prep), with keynote speaker Darnell L. Moore. The conference consisted of multiple breakout sessions with opportunities for open discussion and plenty of student involvement.
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EDITORIAL: Students @MalvernPrep have to actively seek out ways in which to create Diversity in their lives, in order to prepare themselves for life outside of High School
Read: https://t.co/QnNAvVf3G4 pic.twitter.com/VDYp6IqmsU— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) March 24, 2018
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The first ST@MP Diversity Conference on Sun., March 18 will bring the noted speaker @Moore_Darnell to campus—as well as opportunities for student leadership. Registration is free for @MalvernPrep students, faculty + staff.https://t.co/mjL25vmibc pic.twitter.com/efiv4dAQkV
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) March 13, 2018
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After the tragic school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, Malvern held a memorial walk on the month anniversary to remember and celebrate the lives of the victims. Instead of walkouts that occurred at many schools nationwide, students chose to perform a solemn memorial that would keep in line with the school’s Augustinian values. After the memorial walk, there was a moving chapel service in which students read the biographies of the victims.
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Malvern students unofficially mourned the death of Avicii, the artist who made all the music we love but can’t find the name of the song because there are no lyrics. “Levels” will forever play in our hearts with the dundunduns beating in our heads. RIP brother.
The rugby team traveled to Italy, played some of the top competition in the country and enjoyed the authentic, Italian deliciousness.
If you ever heard the sound of gears grinding underneath the wrestling mats, then that is the sound of all of the work of the robotics club coming full circle. Malvern finally brought home it’s first Robotics Mid-Atlantic competition win.
Schedule changes for the 2018-2019 school year were announced in an email to parents and posted under ‘Resources’ on MyMalvern. The schedule is set to affect major events on the calendar, such as prom, Easter break, graduation, and J-Term.
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(Schedule changes for the rest of the school year, too.)
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Juniors and seniors traveled to Villa for a mock car crash prior to prom, designed to illustrate the dangers of distracted driving.
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With April also came the Brotherhood Issue, which profiled 24 students who hadn’t previously been covered in The Friar’s Lantern this year. We told the stories of unique people and their perspectives on campus.
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May
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Campus has never looked as adorable as when the non-profit organization, Pals for Life, brought three dogs and a bunny to Duffy Center. Students got the opportunity to sit and pet the animals as a chance to de-stress before finals.
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The community was put on edge when a local gun store was burglarized and put Malvern students at risk. Most doors on campus were locked and students had to stay put until the suspects were caught shortly after first period.
After a local burglary this morning, @MalvernPrep and other schools bumped up security. Read more about the incident here: https://t.co/c92I00at2E
— The Friar's Lantern (@friarslantern1) May 15, 2018
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The varsity baseball team won the Inter-Ac Championship 7-2—and then swept PAISAA championship for their second straight state title. Both senior captains of the team, Brady Devereux and Billy Corcoran are going to University of Pittsburgh for baseball.
The 2017-2018 Spring Arts Festival took place on May 3, which showcased all that Duffy has to offer. The event allows graphic design, studio art, ceramic and sculpture students to showcase their artwork to the public. The festival ended with the men’s chorus and band performances at night.
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The Class of 2018 brought “Life in Color” to Malvern for the senior prank, setting a high bar for future classes.
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At a school assembly for grades 9-11 on May 23, the administration discussed schedule and dress code changes for the 2018-2019 school year, and asked the student body to complete a survey about “class ties” for next year.
