The posters are up. The campaign pitches are rolling out. Exeter’s student council election season has begun. As the newly announced candidates prepare to make their case, the campus is full of chatter about who will take on the school’s most influential student leadership roles. With promises of change, continuity, and more fresh fruit in Elm, the race for the next StuCo executive board is underway.

At 6:00 p.m. every weekday, you can expect to see sweaty wrestlers pouring out of the gym and onto the paths, many facing the chilling wind without jackets. These wrestlers, boys and girls, are regarded as some of the toughest kids on campus. Varsity wrestling captains Jack Breaks and Becket Moore are at the heart of the operation. Breaks and Moore do a lot of hard work to support and lead their team. “They lead us through our warm-up at practice and meets, demonstrate moves, and always make sure we know what’s happening,” Prep Avni Murarka, a new wrestler, noted. Prep Catherine Chen concurred, “They take on more responsibility when we’re at away games or individual meets. In practice, they’re serious when we’re drilling hard and preparing for a competitive duel, but they also help wind me up during warmups.” Being a wrestler isn’t easy, Breaks noted, “The sport is not the most rewarding at times; there’s lots of hard work and long hours that can still lead to losses. It’s the grit and resilience that I like about this team.” The sport is especially demanding for captains. According to prep Alex Luo, “Coach is strict on them, though, because as captains they showcase, what is an example for the rest of the team.” Chen also noted their incredible drive, adding, “They’ll practice outside of normal practice. That’s why they’re captains. [They’re] great and they strive to get better.” The spirit of grit and resilience Breaks described is felt by all on the team. Luo reflected on the role that the captains play in team morale, “After the second meet I participated in, I lost pretty badly. I think that Becket could tell I was feeling pretty down. So he came up to me and told me that I was doing pretty good as only a second-year wrestler who hasn’t wrestled over break and just cheered me on; he made me feel a lot more confident about my wrestling abilities and excited to wrestle more.” Luo stressed the importance of closeness among the team outside of competitions and how the captains foster that camaraderie, “They help facilitate team dinners when we go to a big competition. For example, after the Northern New England’s tournament, we all went to Lexi’s, as a group of about eleven to twelve people. That helps foster the connections between teammates.” Chen recalled the same, “It was super fun. It was good; it’s different when you’re on the mount versus outside and hanging out.” Chen continued, “They’re great people outside of practice.” Senior Bella Bueno added, “Both Breaks and Moore have built a community in welcoming new members and encouraging team connections outside the sport.” The admiration goes both ways — multiple teammates expressed appreciation for their captains. Luo added, “I think he [Breaks] is pretty awesome; he’s funny to just talk with. He’s chill, relaxed, and when you see him wrestle, you can tell that he’s experienced, and it’s very easy to learn from him.” Their hard work — both the captains’ and the team’s — has been paying off. According to Breaks, “A recent highlight is having around seven people on the team ‘place’ on the podium at the Class A wrestling tournament at Northfield Mt. Hermon. In doing so, all ten team members qualified for the New England Prep Wrestling Tournament.” Moreover, for the first time in 10 years, the wrestling team has a meet on Exeter/Andover day. Moore explained, “Usually we just wrestle Andover earlier in the season so it’s really special for the team to have this meet on the actual E/A day.” As the team prepares for these important tournaments, Breaks and Moore are more essential than ever. From leading the team through warm-ups, helping everyone get “in the zone,” boosting morale, and fostering team spirit and camaraderie, Breaks and Moore truly are indispensable. Bueno concluded, “For the rest of our season, the captains hope we have a strong and successful tournament season, continue to push each other to succeed, and continue to foster a strong team environment that will continue to grow the team into next year.”

At Exeter, winter term is treated like Voldemort at Hogwarts—everyone knows it exists, but almost no one dares to bring it up. Most students recognize it as a time when work piles on, daylight becomes precious, and H-block math classes drain your energy. Amid this winter slump, a cozy, inviting coffeehouse event on Saturday, Feb. 1, brightened students’ days. Matt Jackson, a live music artist, came to the Academy to perform a low-key concert for Exonians. He has opened for lionized bands like Train, The Wallflowers, and Goo Goo Dolls. Students described his performing style as vibrant, vulnerable, and heartfelt. With his talented voice and delicious pastries at the event, this was a wonderful time for Exonians to relax and enjoy the cozy winter. Kelly McGahie, the Assistant Director of Student Activities, planned the Coffee House. When asked about the organization process, she stated, “Matt Jackson played on October 19th, in the same spot, and the feedback that I got from that night was that he was great. Since it was a family weekend and a small number of people saw him, we wanted to have a bigger audience for the coffee house concert.” McGahie later said, “I think he’s a great performer and good with the audience. What I noticed was that the students were much more interested in the chai tea. There were kids that were hanging out there each time I went down, but he certainly didn’t gather the crowd that I was hoping that he would. I think that says more about Exonians and what they wanted to do this weekend than his skill set.” Lower Alex Lim explained why only a few people may have shown up, saying, “I don’t think a lot of people knew what it was because the term ‘coffee house’ is not very specific. If people knew that it was live music, they would have enjoyed it more. ” “The audience was kind of lame. The guy was a really good singer, and he played well and brought the energy, but the audience just wasn’t reciprocating it.” Lim stated, “It was just Asha Masoudi and I dancing, and everyone else was just sitting there and not even listening to the music.” Lower Dani Méndez gave an opposing perspective, stating, “I loved how the event transformed the energy of a space we see so much. EPAC Commons went from the place we hang out during Uni Free to a coffee house. Everyone had good vibes, especially Matt Jackson.” Lower Simon Taylor commented, “I thought the ambiance was amazing, the lighting was chill, the music was at the perfect volume, and the performer was great at singing — which made the whole thing so much better.” Lower Catherine Chen added, “It was a great improvement from other formal events, like dances, because you could just sit down and chill with friends and enjoy good music. It was a great vibe.” “I definitely think there should have been more people in attendance. I would have liked this as a more advertised event and in a larger space,” Taylor stated. “I think more events like this in the future would be very helpful for building our community; it brings everyone together.” Lim added, “I hope that more events like these are organized at Exeter. I enjoy live music and the concept of being able to go somewhere and sit down and enjoy the entertainment. However, I also think that these types of things are not promoted in a way that makes me want to continue going to them. It’s extremely underhyped and awkward.” As winter term is approaching its finale, we are both excited and happy about the events we had and the events we are going to have. We have had many events such as the Coffee House, despite the low turnout rate, that was a great hit. Casino Night is approaching soon, and we are all ecstatic to hopefully see a higher turnout rate.

Acting as “parents” of a community, dorm faculty are integral and valued members of Phillips Exeter Academy. They ensure safety, respect, and support for students living on campus. Full-time faculty employment at Exeter is contingent on fulfilling 10 years of on-campus residence. The process for a dorm faculty member’s placement in dorms is complex and idiosyncratic — matching the needs of the Academy to those of the faculty. Faculty backgrounds in a dorm are usually eclectic, ranging in Exeter tenure, academic discipline, and family size. However, for most, the duration of their stay with students is similar. “Faculty need to live in dormitories for the first 10 years of their time at Exeter,” Wheelwright dorm faculty and Instructor in History Sally Komarek said. “After that, they can choose to move either off campus to a house that they’ve purchased or are renting, or they could move into what’s called post-dorm housing, which is academy-owned housing, for a limited time. You can stay in dormitory housing for up to fifteen years and then choose to live in academy housing or purchase your own house. If you stay longer, you get more time in Academy-owned housing after the dormitory.” Instructor in Spanish Ellen Glassner said, “If you stay over ten years, every extra year is two years in a faculty house.” However, some faculty members cannot immediately live in a dorm during their first year. Many faculty members are first affiliated with a dorm and live in a school-provided apartment off campus for their first year. “For example, if you’re gonna be a dorm head, then they give you housing in the dorms immediately,” explained Instructor in English David Rhee. “But they have different rounds depending on what’s available.” These rounds are when faculty members can “apply” towards living in a dorm. Despite the importance of dorm sentiment and culture for many of Exeter, faculty do not necessarily get to decide what dorm they can be in. “When given an apartment in a dorm, you automatically become the dorm faculty for it,” Rhee said. After their first year, the faculty’s dorm residency usually begins. When faculty are placed in dorms, “housing availability, length of service, family size and other space or accessibility needs, the composition of the dorm team, and whether they will serve as a dorm head” are all criteria for location, according to Dean of Faculty Eimer Page. Wheelwright dorm faculty and Instructor in Health Courtney Shaw described her application to become a dorm faculty, “We just have to fill out a form that states our needs, as far as family size, if we have any allergies, and if we are willing to be dorm head.” Exeter’s consideration of faculty needs is paramount in ensuring that during their time in the dorm, they don’t have to live in a space that doesn’t suit their spacing and family needs. Most faculty members spend time in a dorm, which is dynamic and can be subject to change based on living conditions and needs. Glassner described her numerous dorm switches, starting her journey in Wentworth, then moving on to Webster, Abbott, Ewald, a faculty house, and now Cilley, respectively. “We had to be clearer about why we needed a bigger place. But we needed to move because it wasn’t a suitable apartment after having another child,” Glassner said about her move from Webster to Abbott. While the dorm faculty system is important to students, it also benefits teachers, allowing them to connect with the community more profoundly. “It’s convenient to live in the dormitory when you’re working with students to be able to check in with an advisee on a non-duty night to meet your advisees in the common spaces,” Komarek said. “From a working perspective, there are many ways that the connections with students are a little bit more direct when you’re living on campus. or even if it’s something small.” Instructor in Art Adam Hosmer, a member of the Langdell’s dorm faculty, concurred: “I think living in the same dorm as advisees allows you get a better sense of who they are. You hang out with them more, you talk with them more — two weeks ago, I had all my advisees over to my apartment for dinner.” Dunbar dorm head Samantha Fahey described a contrasting perspective, highlighting a benefit of living off-campus: “Off-campus housing allows you to get that separation from the school and the students. Not in a bad way, but it allows you to, even when you’re not on duty, really not be on duty. When you’re in the dorm, you still feel responsible to the students there.” “Off-campus housing makes a work-life balance a little bit easier,” Alia Haskins, an OMA intern and member of Dunbar’s dorm faculty, added. “You do not live where you work, so detaching from PEA life is slightly easier. It also offers more privacy because you do not see colleagues and students during your free time.” Fahey, who lives in the dorm with her family, noted, “The housing system can be stressful, especially when you have a family involved, because it’s kind of your family’s livelihood.” “As resident faculty, we have way more responsibilities, not just doing duty once a night, we meet with our advisees once a week, and sometimes we have weekend duties, so that’s twice a week,” Shaw explained. “We also have other commitments, such as holding spaces for students in the dorm, walking through the dorm during the day, and also being present for events such as Wheel Tea. It’s part of our contract.” Komarek explained the difference between being a dorm faculty or living in faculty housing, “I think from a working perspective, there are a lot of ways that the connections with students are able to be more direct when you’re living on campus. This would never happen to me, but if you forget a book or a computer at home, just like for boarders versus day students, it’s easy to run home and grab it.” Whether living on or off campus, all full-time faculty must be affiliated with a dorm and fulfill at least 10 years of dorm residency. Staff members can also elect to be dorm affiliates. “I decided to be a dorm affiliate because I didn’t know any students. To be successful in any community, you must know people in that community,” said Safety Operations Manager and Langdell dorm affiliate Andrew Pixley. Director of Choirs and Instructor in Music Kristofer Johnson described an upside of dorm affiliation: “We music faculty have so much evening duty to the Music Department that we should be affiliated with dorms that have a larger dorm faculty team because we have to be out so often. It doesn’t leave us with a lot of flexibility.” However complicated, the dorm faculty housing system is essential to the Exeter community. Dorm faculty guide students through their most formative years and many depend on this support system. At the end of the day, Exeter wouldn’t be the same without its devoted dorm teams.

Kindness, cookies and travel: three words that could very well be used to describe Instructor of Health Brandon Thomas. With his return to campus following a spring sabbatical in which he traveled the world, Thomas came back with many experiences and lessons to share.

By Carly Canseco, Lydia Kuhnert, Alexa Morel, Thea Vaughan, and Jade Yoo

You are roaming the Grill aisles in search of your next midnight snack and caffeinated beverage duo. You dodge your way through the usual throng of gossiping students to get to a Yerba Mate when a high-pitched wail sends goosebumps down your spine.

Alert! Alert! You wake up in a cold sweat. You dreamed that you didn’t finish your Latin test, and at the last minute, when you handed your test in, your teacher got up in a toga and screamed at you in Latin: “Salve, nomen mihi est... et nominare velim... pro certamine USC ‘Loquere Mente Tua!’” Then, they did the unthinkable: pulling out a stone bucket, they doused you in freezing cold water.

As the shot fires, the sprinters race on the track, and another group gets ready to do the same. While sprinters and distance runners are running, the jumpers and throwers warm up for their own events. The track team is the largest team at Phillips Exeter, and amidst the chaos and hundreds of events happening at William Boyce Thompson Field House, at the helm of it all, is head coach Hilary Hall.

As expected, throughout the winter term, temperatures have dramatically lowered, and facilities have become engulfed in snow. Recently, however, there has been a significant influx of strong winds, sleet, and snowstorms in the Exeter vicinity. As a result, roads and pathways have become carpeted with ice, causing difficulty in mobility across campus. In the face of these challenges, the Academy has made efforts to improve school life for both boarders and day students.

Dorm communities play a vital role in promoting student well-being at Exeter. Each dorm features a team of faculty, proctors, and student listeners who work to support its students. The Student Listener program, supported by Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), was started over forty years ago and has grown to be an essential resource for students. Student listeners serve as peer listeners who help students adjust to life at Exeter and provide support for any concerns or struggles they may be going through.

Most students look forward to Spring Break as a time to sunbathe on the beach or sleep in at home. Indoor track athletes are not most students. For several indoor track stars, Spring Break marked an opportunity to run on the nation’s biggest stage — at New Balance Indoor Track Nationals.

On Sunday, Mar. 30, at 7:49 p.m, an incident involving Silly Spray occurred on 10 Spring St, in close proximity to the PEA campus. The offenders, driving by in a passing vehicle, sprayed Silly String at pedestrian students and were then reported to the Exeter Police Department. Although only one case was reported to Phillips Exeter Academy Campus Safety and law enforcement, further investigation by The Exonian indicates that there were multiple accounts of this activity against PEA students on the same night. As an investigation is still underway, the exact details of the incident remain uncertain.

On Wednesday, April 2, Exeter’s softball team faced off against Tilton School. The game concluded with a 5-9 loss for Big Red, despite some triumphant moments and exceptional team spirit.

On the night of Sunday, March 30, a faintly glowing new moon hung in the night sky, marking the end of Ramadan and the beginning of the 10th Islamic month, Shawwal. After a season of worship and fasting, the festival of breaking one’s fast, Eid al-Fitr is celebrated the following day with food and prayer. On Monday, March 31, Phillips Exeter Academy hosted lunches in Elm and New Dining Hall and cancelled classes, allowing students and faculty to indulge in an array of falafels, couscous, kebabs, honey cake, and more.

This past week, many lowers have been running around, ballot sheets in hand, asking for signatures in the New Dining Hall, Elm, academic classes, dorms, and anywhere else where crowds of Exonians gather. Countless ballot sheets have been signed. Additionally, the Student Council’s Instagram featured 28 posts introducing the candidates. This is the 2025-26 Community Conduct Committee Representative election process. A huge number of candidates decided to run this year, making the stakes high and competition difficult. For these 28 lowers, campaigning for the CCC is a tedious and thorough process. Candidates must begin by obtaining 350 student signatures across all grades, submitting a one-page candidate statement about why they want to be on the committee, and designing a poster for the @pea.stuco Instagram account. They are also welcome to put posters up on announcement boards around campus.

As a student-led performance, the directors of UnSilenced worked to coordinate every aspect of the show. For senior Bella Bueno, this year’s production was her second year as director.

On Jan. 20, 2025, at 12 p.m. EST, President Donald Trump, alongside his running mate Vice President J.D. Vance, was inaugurated as the forty-seventh president in the rotunda of the United States Capitol.

She pulls out a bag of FiberFill Stuffing and molds it into a perfect circle around a small black lamp and then adds small, sparkly blue snowflakes and a dash of glitter. “There. That’s what my vision was,” she tells a group of underclassmen volunteers. Not every senior would volunteer to spend hours of their Friday night prepping and cleaning up after a dance, not to mention the weeks of prior planning the task entails, but Anna Holtz is not just any senior.

On April 15, students were beckoned inside the Assembly Hall for an unforgettable assembly — one that not only inspired an appreciation for the fight against racial inequity in the United States but also challenged each listener to reflect on their own role in building a more just community at Exeter. Rev. Wheeler Parker, the last living witness of the lynching of Emmett Till in 1955, stood at the podium and delivered a Tuesday assembly speech like no other, recounting the chilling facts of his late cousin’s fate.

The campus is quiet as students rush to complete assignments in their dorm rooms on Friday, April 25, before Saturday classes the next morning. The sound of cascading arpeggios streams out from “the Bowld,” where students perform the concertos, preludes, and pop songs they’ve poured every spare minute into practicing for the Student Soloist Concert.