Rachel Pang '27

Web Editor

Phone Policy is the Treatment, but Student Culture is the Cure

As Milton considers different versions of a phone policy—whether it includes stricter restrictions, phone-free classrooms, or designated usage times—we must ask a more fundamental question: will any version of a phone policy actually work? While limiting phone access may reduce visible distractions, it risks overlooking a deeper issue. Without a broader shift in school culture—particularly around student engagement—even the most carefully designed policy is unlikely to achieve its intended impact.

By Rachel Pang '27May 1, 20264 min read

Opinion

Schools Sell Performative Diversity

Venture through the admissions page of almost any private school, public-magnet, or elite university, and you will find the same curated promises: global reach, a multicultural community, and a diverse student body that prepares younger generations for an interconnected world. The photos that accompany are equally familiar—students of different backgrounds either laughing together under a canopy of international flags or sharing food “from around the globe” at an event designed as much for the camera as for the classroom.

By Rachel Pang '27November 21, 20253 min read

Opinion

Real “Rigor” Means Reaching Across Academic Disciplines

Milton’s curriculum aims to provide rigorous education. We learn to analyze a poem with surgical precision, to follow the elegant logic of a math proof, and to construct historical arguments upon bases of irrefutable evidence. Intellectual depth is the foundation of our institution, helping us cultivate analytical muscles and intellectual rigor, yet this strength in traditional academic areas proves also a severe limitation. The world beyond the campus—the world that this school prepares us to govern and influence—does not sort itself into the distinct subjects in our transcript. To truly serve in the future, our curriculum needs not only to enhance specialized expertise but also help us see the integration and application of the different academic disciplines to our daily lives.

By Rachel Pang '27October 24, 20254 min read