News – The Edition GA

Germantown Academy welcomes mandala artist Venerable Losang Samten to create traditional Tibetan sand mandala

18Dec

Maya Soffer '28No Comments

Germantown Academy welcomes mandala artist Venerable Losang Samten to create traditional Tibetan sand mandala

During the week of Nov. 17, Venerable Losang Samten came to Germantown Academy to teach the community about mindfulness through the art of the sand mandala. Students and faculty were able to see Samten at work with Upper School Visual Arts Teacher and Department Chair, Mr. David Love, in the MCR. “After all that we’ve […]

SEPTA reliability issues leave riders waiting

8Dec

Sophia Li '28No Comments

SEPTA reliability issues leave riders waiting

Currently, in Pennsylvania, there are labor disputes occurring in Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) that involve Transport Worker Union (TWU) Local 234, representing over 5,000 SEPTA workers. They have requested better wages and more safety precautions after their temporary one-year contract had expired on Nov. 7, 2025. They are hoping for a longer, two-year contract […]

GA prepares to host annual CSO holiday gift drive

6Dec

Alex Flem

Angela Yang

Nina Parikh '29No Comments

GA prepares to host annual CSO holiday gift drive

As the winter season approaches, charities start collecting items needed during the holiday season. The annual Community Service Organization (CSO) Holiday Gift Drive is a cherished event in GA’s community that takes specific donated items from the GA community and gives them to organizations like Gemma Services, American Ukrainian Relief Association (AURA) and Southwestern Enrichment […]

SNAP funding and eligibility changes increase struggles for low-income families

5Dec

Jessica Ma '28

Eliza Yu '28No Comments

SNAP funding and eligibility changes increase struggles for low-income families

On July 4, President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), enacting various changes to government assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), cutting funding by $186 billion over the next decade. SNAP also underwent delays and interruptions during the 2025 government shutdown, leading to tremendous burdens being placed upon […]

Philadelphia continues traditions of holiday festivities

4Dec

Logan Shelton '28

Vihaan Patel '28No Comments

Philadelphia continues traditions of holiday festivities

Every year, locations in the Philadelphia area like the Wanamaker building, Longwood Gardens and Peddler’s village put up elaborate decorations to celebrate the winter holidays. Each location has its own characteristics, with decorations that represent Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and more. GA students can go and visit these attractions during Winter Break to enjoy the sights […]

2Dec

Rahul Bhatt '27No Comments

State Elections

Democrats have secured a series of wins in this fall’s off-year elections, altering key city and state offices and raising new questions about the balance of power going into 2026. With Sherill’s and Spanberger’s gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia, and with results in statewide judicial races in Pennsylvania, results across the nation pointed […]

Government Shutdown Ends, Consequences Don’t

1Dec

Logan Shelton '28No Comments

Government Shutdown Ends, Consequences Don’t

Despite the end of the longest government shutdown in United States history, lasting from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, problems remain as the impact of the event stretches far beyond the weeks of the shutdown itself. Government shutdowns are caused by Congress being unable to agree on a funding bill for the next fiscal year. […]

AASA Hosts Gathering to Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival

20Nov

Angela Yang

Alicia ShenNo Comments

AASA Hosts Gathering to Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Asian American Student Association (AASA) at Germantown Academy (GA) held a celebration for the Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival. Asian American students and faculty came together and shared mooncakes, Songpyeon, snacks, pomelos, and aloe vera drinks together while watching a presentation about the festival. AASA wishes to make opportunities like this to provide a […]

19Nov

Divya Patel

Anvi Jadhav

Alex FlemNo Comments

GA Welcomes Spanish Exchange Students

This fall, GA welcomed a group of exchange students from Colegio Internacional Europa in Sevilla, Spain. For several weeks, the students lived with GA host families, attended classes, participated in extracurricular activities, and fully immersed themselves in the daily life of GA students. “I hope that we can provide the best experience possible for the […]

Trump and Xi Strike TikTok Deal, but Plans Left Unclear

18Nov

Xavier TubioNo Comments

Trump and Xi Strike TikTok Deal, but Plans Left Unclear

Since TikTok first became embroiled in controversy in 2019, ownership of the app has been a major topic of discussion for many people. The primary fear regarding TikTok has been that the Chinese government can access data harvested by the app and its parent company, Chinese software company ByteDance. After years of scrutiny and exposés […]