Madeleine Stuart '29

Opinion Writer

Community Requires Unity, Not AI Hypocrisy

The 2026 Convocation included a speech from Head of School Alixe Callen ’88 with her iconic line: “My favorite word is community.” Accompanied by various synonyms, Callen used this word several times throughout the speech, each example building upon the concept of simultaneous unity and authenticity. Less than four hours after the ceremony began, several photos were posted onto Milton Academy’s official Instagram with an incredibly suspicious caption. The three paragraphs contain generative artificial intelligence patterns, including the unmistakable phrase: “School connectedness isn’t a nice idea. It’s the whole point.”

By Madeleine Stuart '29September 25, 20264 min read

Opinion

Nostalgia Costs Us

Humans have a desire, concealed by daily routines and eclipsed by the pressure of the future, to revitalize a past version of ourselves. Nostalgia fills tedious ceremonies like graduation with verbose speeches tangled in youth ful memories. While listening to these speeches, I cannot prevent nostalgia from seeping through my own memories and controlling my mind.

By Madeleine Stuart '29June 5, 20263 min read

Opinion

Resistance to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Performance Reveals Deeper Bias Within America

Puerto Rican Music Artist Bad Bunny made history on Sunday, February 8, when he took the Super Bowl halftime stage with the first entirely Spanish-speaking performance in the event’s history. The show flowed seamlessly from early hits like “Yo Perreo Sola” to more recent releases like “DtMF,” blending rhythm and identity into a vibrant celebration of Puerto Rican culture.

By Madeleine Stuart '29February 13, 20264 min read

Opinion

The Media’s Obsession with Heroism Hides Hazards

On Wednesday, November 26, at 3:51 pm, the Milton Academy campus was silent—students were home, enjoying fall break with family and friends. However, 7,800 miles away in the Wang Fuk Court estate in Tai Po, Hong Kong, the scene was calamitous. Flames engulfed buildings, severely damaging seven of the eight tower blocks. As many families in the United States prepared elaborate meals and reflected on their blessings, firefighters worked tirelessly for 48 hours to extinguish the blaze. Still, the death toll rose to over 150 before the fire came to a halt. Then came the major newspapers around the world covering the disaster, from local outlets like The Boston Globe to influential publications like The Times of India.

By Madeleine Stuart '29December 12, 20254 min read

Opinion

Despite the Stress, We Need to Talk Politics

Politics impacts everything, from grocery prices to fashion trends. When walking through the Schwartz Student Center, you can hear students debating over major issues from various perspectives. While eating lunch, you can observe students conversing about the morality of politicians. But, as soon as you step into a classroom, that frankness shuts down. Classes hold discussions around economics, healthcare, and immigration, but the discourse lacks detail: no mention of Democrats and Republicans or explicit names of politicians. Unstructured conversations show that students do care, so why don’t we talk about politics in class?

By Madeleine Stuart '29November 7, 20253 min read