The Milton Measure

Vol. CXXXII · October 10, 2026

Alissa Rabin '29

Opinion Writer

Opinion

Despite Being an Admissions Credential, Mountain School Experience Has Value

For millions of Americans, everyday manual labor is not a “retreat” from daily life. Rather, such labor is a fact of daily life itself, and a way to provide for themselves. But at places like the Mountain School, students pay $40,000 in tuition to perform the kind of physical work that many families hope education will allow their children to avoid. In the early hours of the morning, they will feed animals, clean stalls, and complete chores. A few hours later, those same students attend classes and prepare for some of the most selective colleges in the country.

By Alissa Rabin '294 min read

Opinion

A Pass/Fail Elective Allowance Would Grant Students Freedom to Explore

In its mission statement, Milton claims to cultivate a passion for learning in its students and wishes to develop creative, critical thinkers unafraid to express their ideas. Our celebration of diversity, in both identity and talent, suggests that our academic policies should strive to reflect our aspirations. Generally, high-school electives seek to broaden our perspective on the world, but growing academic pressures in recent years seem to have put a strain on our exploration.

By Alissa Rabin '293 min read

Opinion

Feminism Means Freedom, Not Criticism

We sometimes treat “feminism” as a taboo word, especially in today’s political environment. Although the term has historically referred to equal rights for all sexes, today, some often weaponize the term against women, accusing them of being “too woke” or “too conservative.”

By Alissa Rabin '294 min read

Opinion

We Must Stop Appearing Nonchalant

Today, “nonchalant” is used to describe a person’s outwardly indifferent reaction to a wide variety of things. “Nonchalant” is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as follows: “feeling or appearing casually calm and relaxed; not displaying anxiety, interest, or enthusiasm.” The word’s rampant usage, especially among adolescents, reflects a similar prevalence of the behavior it details. Indeed, at Milton, I’ve noticed that students refrain from exhibiting “chalant” behaviors—“anxiety, interest, and enthusiasm”—in their academics, relationships, and athletics. Though masked under a social media trend, nonchalant behavior, I’d argue, does not serve us in any of these three domains.

By Alissa Rabin '294 min read

Opinion

Humor and Sincerity Win Class IV Elections

Class IV recently held its first Class Representative election. During this highly unstable political time in our country, investigating the reasoning behind voting choices, even at the level of school government, is important. This process leads us to a centuries-old question: what makes a great leader? Is it wit? Strategy? Physical features? And why are those certain characteristics appealing to us as voters? Although our Class Representative elections are not as important as presidential or governmental polls, we can still apply similar thinking to see what resonated with Class IV and led them to vote for Isabella Chen ‘29 and Tatum Lee ‘29.

By Alissa Rabin '293 min read