Vol. CXXXII · October 9, 2026
Clap clap clap. Like robots, we clap even as our hands go numb. For the hundredth time, another teacher gets on stage, opens their folded paper, and reads about a student’s accomplishments. The awardee walks up, claims their goodie bag, and sits back down. Clap clap clap…
With his head collapsed over his elbow on the Harkness table, my friend naps during class. His eyes, which he forced to remain open late into the previous night, close. As he sleeps, a sixth of the material for our new unit whizzes by. “What are we doing?” asks my friend after he sees the worksheet before him.
You fear that when your teacher reads your AI-generated essay, sirens will go off. Rather, sirens should sound throughout our school to alert us to our unpreparedness for the AI revolution. To nullify AI-assisted cheating, help students develop AI-era skills, promote deeper human connections, and more effectively teach critical thinking, Milton should allow AI on all take-home assignments.
In the United States, the top one percent by net worth holds 31.7% of the nation’s wealth, the highest share in almost four decades per Forbes. According to the 2025 “State of the Acad” by The Milton Paper, 43.8% of respondents’ families earn over $500,000, which sits between top 1% and 2% of household earnings.
I march into Forbes Dining Hall. After two Community Engagement Board members greet me, Community Engagement Programs and Partnerships (CEPP) Director Andrea Geyling-Moore hands me a ticket. Geyling-Moore diligently guards a Great Wall of culinary accessories separating the simulated income classes.