Emma Drzala

Emma Drzala

Emma Drzala ’22 is a copy editor and has been writing for the Record since her Freshman year prior to becoming part of the editorial team in her junior year. She loves to write opinion pieces, as they are a way to integrate controversial topics into everyday student life at Pingry. Emma studied in Jordan for a year, and in her free time, she loves playing tennis and listening to music. 

Latest from Emma:

Longtime Lower School Teacher Homa Watts Retires

Longtime Lower School Teacher Homa Watts Retires

By Emma Drzala (V)  After working at Pingry for thirteen years, Mrs. Homa Watts has announced that she will be stepping down from her position as a second grade teacher. Throughout her time at Pingry, Mrs. Watts has taught kindergarten, first grade, and second...

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Ms. Patty Finn’s Departure From Lower School Music

By Emma Drzala (V)     As the 2020-2021 school year comes to a close, Ms. Patty Finn has announced her retirement from the Lower School. After teaching at Pingry for thirty-seven years, Ms. Finn describes the Short Hills music room as her “happy...

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An Inside Look at the Six LeBow Finalists

An Inside Look at the Six LeBow Finalists

By Emma Drzala (V) As we approach the end of the winter trimester, the Pingry community finds that it is once again time for the annual Robert H. LeBow ‘58 Oratorical Competition. The contest was founded by the Pingry Class of 1958 (LeBow’s graduating class) and...

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Can’t Help but to “McLove” it: Superbad

Can’t Help but to “McLove” it: Superbad

By Emma Drzala (V) With limited access to movie theatres over the past year, one must rely on the one thing nothing can seem to beat: streaming services. Netflix, Hulu, and HBOMax have all gained immense popularity this year; so, maybe it’s a sign to go back and...

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The Light at the End of the Tunnel?

The Light at the End of the Tunnel?

By Emma Drzala (V) March 13, 2020: a day that will never be forgotten, not only at Pingry but across the nation. On that day, Pingry students were celebrating the news that school would shut down for a couple of weeks following spring break, as a result of the...

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The Unspoken Crisis at Pingry

The Unspoken Crisis at Pingry

By Emma Drzala (V) With my face shield in one hand and mask in the other, I stared at the campus in awe on the first day of school. I wondered how Pingry would be able to pull off full days with almost all the students, faculty, and staff in person. Everyone had...

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Justin Li

Justin Li

Justin Li ’21 is the Layout Editor of the Pingry Record. He joined as the digital editor for the Record’s new website during his sophomore year. While he has written articles in almost every section of the Record since then, he’s been drawn to exploring the teacher-student relationship at Pingry in his recent work. He finds great satisfaction in the seemingly tedious process of piecing together a page on inDesign and loves looking for new ways to keep the paper looking fresh. In his free time, he enjoys creative writing, playing the piano, and Taiko drumming.

Latest from Justin Li

Parting Pictures of Jake Ross: A Rhetorical Analysis

By Noah Bergam (V), Justin Li (V), and Aneesh Karuppur (V) June 18, 2020 On the evening of June 11, the Pingry community received an email from Head of School Matt Levinson and the Board of Trustees confirming that Mr. Jake Ross was fired from The...

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An Investigation of Teacher Turnover at Pingry

An Investigation of Teacher Turnover at Pingry

By Justin Li (V) In the last year-and-a-half, the departures of teachers such as Mr. Peterson, Ms. Taylor, and Mr. Thompson did not pass without controversy and speculation. Despite the uncertainty clouding most of these departures, it is undeniable that each one...

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Meghan Durkin

Meghan Durkin

Meghan Durkin ’21

Meghan Durkin ‘21 is the Co-Editor in Chief for the Pingry Record. She has been writing since freshman year and began editing her sophomore year. She enjoys writing school news pieces, as she gets to explore and further understand Pingry traditions. In her free time, she loves to ski, sing, and hang out with friends. 

Latest from Meghan Durkin

The Power of Comebacks, Big and Small

The Power of Comebacks, Big and Small

By Meghan Durkin (VI) If you’re a golf fan like me, you spent your Super Bowl weekend watching the Waste Management Phoenix Open—and yes, the game as well. Perhaps, the biggest storyline of the tournament was an unlikely, yet familiar, name at the top of the...

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In Defense of Introverts

By Meghan Durkin (VI) Following a recommendation from a friend to my mom, and then to me, I ordered a copy of Susan Cain’s “Quiet”—and well, the rest of the title spoils its thesis, so I’ll wait on that. The book follows society’s distaste for introversion, a trait...

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Technical Dilemmas

By Meghan Durkin (VI) I fill my time with endless technological stimulation; when the weekly notification pops up, informing me of an alarmingly high screen time, I’m embarrassed. I balance my phone on my laptop to watch two shows at once, fall asleep clutching my...

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Freshman Retreat Kicks Off New School Year

By Meghan Durkin (VI) This year's freshman retreat, held on Thursday, September 3, kicked off an unprecedented school year. Instead of visiting Bryn Mawr Mountain Retreat as originally planned, this year's retreat was held at Pingry to respect coronavirus guidelines....

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So, Why does Hitting the Apex Matter?

So, Why does Hitting the Apex Matter?

By Meghan Durkin (V) This week, with cases in numerous states across America predicted to hit their peak, the healthcare system, its workers, and all others without the ability to stay home prepare for the hardest battle in the ongoing war against COVID-19.

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Meghan Durkin

Meghan Durkin

Meghan Durkin '21Meghan Durkin ‘21 is the Co-Editor in Chief for the Pingry Record. She has been writing since freshman year and began editing her sophomore year. She enjoys writing school news pieces, as she gets to explore and further understand Pingry traditions....

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COVID-19 Pandemic Cancels School

COVID-19 Pandemic Cancels School

By Meghan Durkin (V) & Andrew Wong (IV) The novel coronavirus has forced Pingry and schools around the country to take unprecedented measures to continue their education.

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Students Gain Alumni Insight on Career Day

Students Gain Alumni Insight on Career Day

By Vicky Gu (VI), Meghan Durkin (V), and Eva Schiller (V) On Friday, January 31, Form V and VI students attended Pingry’s annual Career Day, in which they were able to interact with a wide variety of Pingry alumni and gain insight into future career...

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A Complicated History of U.S.-Iran Relations

A Complicated History of U.S.-Iran Relations

By Meghan Durkin (V) It’s February 1979. The phone rings. The clock reads 3 a.m. as my grandfather holds it up to his ear. It’s 11:30 a.m. in Iran, where the Shah, Mohammad Raza Pahlavi, had fled in response to insurgency a month earlier. At the time, my grandfather...

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The Pingry Record Editorial Staff

Noah Bergam '21

Editor-in-Chief

Brynn Weisholtz '20

Editor-in-Chief

Meghan Durkin '21

Assistant Editor

Eva Schiller '21

Assistant Editor

Vicky Gu '20

Senior Assistant Editor

Dr. Megan Jones

Faculty Advisor

Ms. Meghan Finegan

Faculty Advisor

Justin Li '21

Layout Editor

Andrew Wong '22

Assistant Layout Editor

Rhea Kapur '21

Photo Editor

Kyra Li '23

Photo Editor

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

Martha Lewand '20

Copy Editor

Brian Li '22

Copy Editor

Dean Koenig '21

Copy Editor

Brooke Pan '21

Copy Editor

Aneesh Karuppur '21

Copy Editor

Monica Chan

Monica Chan

Monica Chan ’21

Monica Chan ‘21 is the Cartoon Editor for the Record. She has been writing for the Record since her sophomore year and joined the staff her junior year. Op-Eds are her favorite types of articles to write, since she finds it insightful to read and write about people’s life experiences. She enjoys developing her digital drawing skills doing comics for the Record, as well as building and programming robots for the Pingry Robotics Team.

Latest from Monica Chan

Students Respond to Anti-AAPI Hate Crimes

Students Respond to Anti-AAPI Hate Crimes

By Monica Chan (VI) Over the course of the last three months, there have been a string of violent attacks and murders against members of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community across the country, bringing about deep pain and grief to their families...

Pingry Classes: More Realistic Names

By Monica Chan (VI) English 9: Angsty freshmen reading about other angsty freshmen. English 10: No one actually read Jane Eyre.  Advanced Algebra and Trigonometry Honors: You thought you were good at math, didn’t you…oh well... AP Statistics: Dear Ms. Peake, can...

Friday The 13th

Friday The 13th

By Monica Chan (VI) On Friday, the thirteenth of November, I had a free period first block. My mom told me to “drive safely, it’s Friday the thirteenth.” The night before, our robot had run into a few bugs, so I decided to use my free period to go into school and try...

Kapur and Chan Bring the Freshest Bops of the College App Season

By Rhea Kapur (VI) & Monica Chan (VI) We’ve reached that dreaded first semester of senior year. While our lives seem to be drowning in the realization that we have no idea who we are (but are expected to tell colleges exactly who we are), it is difficult yet even...

New Grading Policies

By Monica Chan (V) Schools across the country are currently navigating uncharted territory in the realm of remote learning, which inevitably brings up the question of how to adjust grading policies. Some schools have decided to adopt pass/fail evaluation, some will...

Eva Schiller

Eva Schiller ’21

Eva Schiller ‘21 is a senior assistant editor for the Pingry Record. She has been writing since freshman year and editing since sophomore year. She most enjoys writing and editing opinion articles, as they add a uniquely Pingry perspective to the paper. Her favorite things to do include writing poetry, eating candy corn, and enjoying scintillating conversations with the rest of the Record Staff at grind meetings. 

Latest from Eva Schiller:

On RBG and Everything We Have to Learn

On RBG and Everything We Have to Learn

By Eva Schiller (V) When I heard of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing, I immediately took to Instagram. My first post was a simple black screen with white letters: "RIP RGB. A legend." Trust me, I know . . . In my haste, I had instead memorialized...

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Ms. Cynthia Santiago Joins College Counseling

Ms. Cynthia Santiago Joins College Counseling

By Eva Schiller (VI) The Pingry College Counseling Office is thrilled to welcome Cynthia Santiago to their team!  Mrs. Santiago graduated from Muhlenberg College in 2001, with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She later joined the Muhlenberg Admissions staff, where...

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Ms. Gabriella Reyes Joins Lower School as Spanish Teacher

Ms. Gabriella Reyes Joins Lower School as Spanish Teacher

By Eva Schiller (VI) This year, the Lower School Faculty is welcoming Ms. Gabriela Reyes as a K-3 Spanish teacher!  Ms. Reyes attended Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. Since then, she has obtained...

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Students Gain Alumni Insight on Career Day

Students Gain Alumni Insight on Career Day

By Vicky Gu (VI), Meghan Durkin (V), and Eva Schiller (V) On Friday, January 31, Form V and VI students attended Pingry’s annual Career Day, in which they were able to interact with a wide variety of Pingry alumni and gain insight into future career...

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History Department Welcomes Dr. Wakefield

History Department Welcomes Dr. Wakefield

Eva Schiller (V) As the new school year begins, Pingry is extremely fortunate to welcome Dr. Zachary Wakefield to the History Department. He attended Juniata College, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in history. He then went on to earn his M.A. and Ph.D at Auburn...

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Girls’ Ice Hockey Post-Season Update 2019

Girls’ Ice Hockey Post-Season Update 2019

By Eva Schiller '21 The girls’ ice hockey team, led by captains Clare Hall (VI) and Sophia Smith (VI), has powered through the season to finish with six wins and eleven losses. Despite having only thirteen members and facing large, competitive teams, the team has...

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Pingry Introduces Students from Quzhou to American Culture

Pingry Introduces Students from Quzhou to American Culture

By Eva Schiller '21 On the first day of Chinese New Year, Quzhou(衢州), China, was filled with warmth and gaiety. School and work went on break as people returned home to their families and celebrated the coming of the new year. But for twelve students from Quzhou...

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The Pingry Record Editorial Staff

Noah Bergam '21

Editor-in-Chief

Brynn Weisholtz '20

Editor-in-Chief

Meghan Durkin '21

Assistant Editor

Eva Schiller '21

Assistant Editor

Vicky Gu '20

Senior Assistant Editor

Dr. Megan Jones

Faculty Advisor

Ms. Meghan Finegan

Faculty Advisor

Justin Li '21

Layout Editor

Andrew Wong '22

Assistant Layout Editor

Rhea Kapur '21

Photo Editor

Kyra Li '23

Photo Editor

Martha Lewand '20

Copy Editor

Brian Li '22

Copy Editor

Dean Koenig '21

Copy Editor

Brooke Pan '21

Copy Editor

Aneesh Karuppur '21

Copy Editor

Aneesh Karuppur

Aneesh Karuppur

Aneesh Karuppur ’21

Aneesh Karuppur (’21) is a Copy Editor for the Record. He joined the staff in his sophomore year. He writes a regular Tech Column and contributes commentary on how the school can better the student experience. Aneesh enjoys reading about and debating technology, science, and current events. He plays the French Horn, viola, and violin. 

Latest from Aneesh Karuppur

Karuppur Talks Tech. Again

By Aneesh Karuppur (VI) For the latest issue of the Record, the Tech Column returns to cover all of the important tech updates that you should know! First, what’s going on in the Student Technology Committee (STC), Pingry’s student-run organization for the promotion...

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We Should Move Away from Debates

By Aneesh Karuppur (VI) A few weeks ago, during a Morning Meeting announcement, Pingry laid out some preliminary  norms for conduct during the election season. The main takeaway might have been the emphasis on civility and respectful discourse, goals to which we...

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To Mr. Levinson: End the AP Era at Pingry

By Aneesh Karuppur (VI)   Some time back, I wrote a commentary regarding AP-designation courses at Pingry, and how Pingry ought to consider phasing them out. Given the events of the past few weeks, I would like to update that message: I feel that it is now...

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Why Pingry Needs to Remove AP Courses

Why Pingry Needs to Remove AP Courses

By Aneesh Karuppur (V) A few weeks ago, I got to participate in my first Pingry Career Day; I found it to be just what I expected. The alumni were engaging, knowledgeable, and insightful, and my only complaint was that I didn’t get to spend enough time with them....

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Andrew Wong

Andrew Wong

Andrew Wong ’22

Andrew Wong (‘22) is the Online Editor for The Pingry Record. He first began as a writer for the Record during his Freshman year, becoming an editor during his Sophomore year. Andrew loves writing opinion and political columns covering topics ranging from the value of history and the humanities in an increasingly STEM-oriented world, to the protests in his family’s hometown of Hong Kong. In his freetime, Andrew enjoys playing the violin, playing water polo, and watching football. 

Latest from Andrew Wong:

How to Regulate Social Media

How to Regulate Social Media

By Andrew Wong (V) Over the summer, like many of my friends at Pingry, I watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix, a documentary exposing the inner workings and dangers of social media and surveillance capitalism. Perhaps I was naïve at the time, but after watching the...

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A Letter to Post-Election America

By Andrew Wong (V) By the time this article has been published, you will hopefully know who the next President of the United States is––either Joe Biden or Donald Trump. But does that mean months of incessant conflict will finally come to an end? As America wakes up...

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Pingry Anywhere Launches

Pingry Anywhere Launches

By Andrew Wong (V) As a tumultuous 2019-2020 school year came to an end this past June, and the COVID-19 pandemic stretched into yet another month, many members of the Pingry community were questioning if in-person learning would be possible in September. With...

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Pingry Students Create Care-Full

Pingry Students Create Care-Full

By Andrew Wong (V) This past May, with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, Noah Bergam (VI), Kristin Osika (V), Eva Schiller (VI), and myself formed an organization called Care-Full to distribute PPE to underserved communities around New Jersey. With the new health...

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Positivity During COVID-19

Positivity During COVID-19

By Andrew Wong (IV)
In this time of great struggle and uncertainty in our nation, and indeed the entire world, it has become evident that it is fear, not reason, that drives the decision making of not just the two aforementioned characters, but also that of the entire world. We’ve all seen the news. Videos of people fighting over the last bag of rice at the supermarket. Lines stretching out the door of big box stores. As my friends across the world can confirm, there is not a single scrap of toilet paper to be found on store shelves anywhere. People are fearful, and it is evident that hope, just like toilet paper, is nowhere to be found.

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2020: Losing Hope?

2020: Losing Hope?

By Andrew Wong (IV) As the ball in Times Square finished its long descent, with the chants of over a million people in Times Square and millions more glued to their TV screens counting down, our world would be...

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COVID-19 Pandemic Cancels School

COVID-19 Pandemic Cancels School

By Meghan Durkin (V) & Andrew Wong (IV) The novel coronavirus has forced Pingry and schools around the country to take unprecedented measures to continue their education.

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The Value of Humanities in the 21st Century

The Value of Humanities in the 21st Century

By Andrew Wong (IV) Last year, my history teacher started the year with a thought experiment. He told our class, “History is irrelevant. If the only reason why we learn history is not to repeat the mistakes of the past, then in today’s world, it is useless and...

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Welcome to the History Department, Mr. Toor!

Welcome to the History Department, Mr. Toor!

Andrew Wong (IV) This year, the Upper School History Department welcomes Mr. Saad Toor, who will be teaching three sections of World History 9 and one section of World History 10.  Mr. Toor recently completed his M.Sc. in South Asian Studies at Oxford University in...

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Noah Bergam

Noah Bergam

Noah Bergam ’21

Noah Bergam (’21) is the co-editor-in-chief of the Record. He joined the staff in his freshman year to help edit sports articles.  He specializes in opinion pieces and likes using their storytelling capabilities to discuss controversial administrative policies or shed light on the competitive atmosphere of Pingry. In his free time Noah enjoys films, playing Taiko drums, and learning and teaching math. He has an educational YouTube channel (njbergam) and he would love to get both your feedback and your subscription.

Latest from Noah Bergam

On Stupid Mistakes and Stubborn Conviction

On Stupid Mistakes and Stubborn Conviction

By Noah Bergam (VI) A gentle chorus of crackling leaves caught my attention on a midday walk. It was a curious, contradictory sound, a fractal hum of tiny collisions. I walked across the curb, took three steps into the edge of the icy forest, and looked for the...

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Stop Calling Things Interesting

By Noah Bergam (VI) George Orwell once wrote that our language “becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.” I wish Orwell could have seen Twitter.  But...

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Skimming the Pages

By Noah Bergam (VI) I get a lot of snail mail these days. Almost each letter falls into one of two categories: college advertisements or campaign literature from the local Malinowski vs. Kean election.  College season and election season. What a fun combination. One...

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Parting Pictures of Jake Ross: A Rhetorical Analysis

By Noah Bergam (V), Justin Li (V), and Aneesh Karuppur (V) June 18, 2020 On the evening of June 11, the Pingry community received an email from Head of School Matt Levinson and the Board of Trustees confirming that Mr. Jake Ross was fired from The...

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The Coronavirus Endgame: What’s Next?

The Coronavirus Endgame: What’s Next?

By Noah Bergam (V) The first night my dad came home from treating COVID-19 patients at Newark Beth-Israel Hospital, I asked him what the situation looked like. His immediate response: “No one knows anything.” Ground zero, according to him, was a welter of confusion....

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Beefing Up Economics Education at Pingry

By Noah Bergam (V) The bipartisan government report on the 2008 Financial Crisis and the Great Recession paraphrased Shakespeare in its analysis: “The fault lies not in the stars, but in us.” I read parts of this report, as well as numerous other sources, for a...

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Mr. LaValette to Leave Pingry After 41 Years

Mr. LaValette to Leave Pingry After 41 Years

By Noah Bergam (V) After 41 years at Pingry, beloved Upper School German teacher and former Head of the World Languages Department Norman LaValette is retiring this year. Mr. LaValette (often referred to by students as “Herr LaV” or simply “LaV”) is known for his...

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Fractals Math Problem

Fractals Math Problem

Fractals are self-similar. The Sierpinski Triangle is an interesting fractal pattern. You can build one like this: 1. Start with an “upright” equilateral triangle (as seen in stage zero) 2. Place an upside-down triangle in the center of any upright triangle 3. Repeat...

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Epidemiology Math Problems

Epidemiology Math Problems

In these confusing times there’s a certain sense of power that comes with understanding, or at least trying to understand, the dynamics of disease spread and epidemiology. I certainly felt that as I’ve looked into the mathematics disease modeling over the course of...

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The Pingry Record Editorial Staff

Noah Bergam '21

Editor-in-Chief

Brynn Weisholtz '20

Editor-in-Chief

Meghan Durkin '21

Assistant Editor

Eva Schiller '21

Assistant Editor

Vicky Gu '20

Senior Assistant Editor

Dr. Megan Jones

Faculty Advisor

Ms. Meghan Finegan

Faculty Advisor

Justin Li '21

Layout Editor

Andrew Wong '22

Assistant Layout Editor

Rhea Kapur '21

Photo Editor

Kyra Li '23

Photo Editor

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

Martha Lewand '20

Copy Editor

Brian Li '22

Copy Editor

Dean Koenig '21

Copy Editor

Brooke Pan '21

Copy Editor

Aneesh Karuppur '21

Copy Editor