Last week marked the halfway point of the Academy’s 2025 winter trimester. Students were notified about their midterm grades by their advisors, and most classes held Midterm Effort To Improve Classes (METIC) sessions, where students discussed their opinions on improving classes.

By CARLY CANSECO, EILENA DING, ANGELA HE, and AVNI MURARKA On some days, Love Gym feels like a battleground, where fast dodges turn into chaos, sneakers skid on the hardwood, and the echo of a coach’s whistle cuts through the noise. On other days, players show up to practice in costumes for a themed practice, laughing at each other’s silly hairstyles or outfits. Somewhere between these two extremes, the grueling drills and ridiculous outfits, the girls’ varsity basketball team is shaping its identity. Beneath the workouts and beyond the scoreboard lies a culture of determination, camaraderie, and passion. Consisting of players with varying basketball experience, Exeter tenure, and grade, the team is led by head coach and Instructor in English Katie Brule, assistant coach Kerry McBrearty, and assistant coach Mireya Boutin. The coaches take on the challenge of sharpening skills and creating an environment that prioritizes growth and community. For Brule, her relationship with basketball has been a lifelong journey that began with tears on the first day but then evolved into an everlasting love for the game. “I’ve played basketball ever since kindergarten,” she said. “I love the sport now, although on my first day in basketball, I cried, so it’s been a long journey. I played throughout high school, then continued to play in college, and I just really loved it.” Now, as a coach, she’s focused on helping her players develop the same connection with the game, not just as competitors, but as teammates. Coming to Exeter has allowed Brule to enjoy both her passions. “I think being able to coach was a big part of why I wanted to teach out a place like Exeter. I wanted to be able to do both and not just be in the classroom. I love spending more time with the game and getting more people to fall in love with the game. I think it’s an inspiring, dynamic space. I’ve learned so much about it since I started coaching at Exeter, so I’m really happy I’m doing it.” Most of the team comprises new varsity players, so the coaches have emphasized team cohesion and bonding. “I aim to foster a culture of continuous improvement and teamwork,” Boutin said. “We are always focused on improving daily, whether honing on a specific skill or improving our team dynamic.” “There are two overarching things that I find important, particularly with this season,” Brule added. “The first one is knowing your worth, what you’re capable of doing, and what you bring to the team. It’s important to know that you have worth, even if you’re someone who doesn’t get a lot of minutes in the game, there’s still a lot that you can be doing. Secondly, I think work ethic is really important to me. You can get beat by a team, but I don’t want to lose to a team and walk away from a game thinking, ‘I could have done more.’” The coaches emphasize the importance of working hard and together as a team. “Coach Brule talks to us about the effort a lot. Before a game, she tells us that we can win if we are the harder-working team,” lower Lynwoo Hong explained. “Coach once told our team that regardless of the scoreboard at the end of the game, if our efforts were 100 percent and we were playing consistently high intensity, that would be a win for us.” “The most valuable lesson my coach taught me was that you don’t always have to be more skilled than the opponent,” prep Haylie Regan said, “But if you’re playing harder and want to win, you can.” The coaches are working to build a team culture where players push themselves to their limits without losing their love for the game. “I think our coaches are skilled at figuring out what we have to do better and improve our game,” said lower Maya Hinrichson. “At halftime, they’re always very specific in three or two, one thing we must focus on to improve. But also, even before the game, they do a good job at observing the other team, figuring out their plays, and looking for ways that we can attack their weaknesses.” “Our coaches help our team by teaching us and explaining everything we need to do to be successful,” said Regan.“They ensure we do our best every time we step on the court.” Prep Sarika Agarwalla, though she is not playing this season due to an injury, similarly noted, “Our coaches put a lot of focus on playing as a single team. We won’t be able to succeed or be the best version of ourselves if we play selfishly and as an individual.” The coaches emphasize off-court bonding as well. “Coach Brule is always coming up with little fun things for us to do,” upper Daniella Kalil noted. “This past week, we had a themed practice where we dressed up in our favorite Taylor Swift eras. Next week, we’re doing another themed practice and dressing up as something that starts with the letter of your first name. The coaches often plan little fun things for us to do. It’s serious, and we want to win, be serious, and practice, but they have a good balance of finding little things for us to do to keep bonding and remember to have fun because it’s still high school basketball. On the court, the coaches rigorously train the athletes, preparing them mentally and physically for games. However, they balance this rigor with compassion and openness, resulting in the comfort of several athletes. “Our coaches help our team by not sucking the joy out of a sport,” upper Quinn Dabney said. “I’ve had experiences with coaches in different sports, but where the coach just doesn’t make the sport fun, and it’s gotten to the point where I just never wanted to go to practice because I was afraid of messing up or making mistakes. Here, the coaches emphasize that it is okay to make mistakes because mistakes are how you grow.” “I think that’s what makes our coaches so great. They focus on individuals and the broader team,” Hinrichson said. “It’s the small moments in practice, like when we’re doing a finishing drill, and Coach Brule is under the hoop with a pad, helping us one-on-one. She’ll tell us, ‘Fix this, jump off both feet and ram your arm into me instead of your shoulder.’ Those little details make a big difference.” The girls’ varsity basketball team shines as an extremely close-knit community. The coaches highly emphasize the importance of teamwork and a strong work ethic while still having fun and enjoying practice. Basketball is a highly competitive sport, requiring hard work during practice and trying your best during games. However, what is indispensable to a team’s success is their collaboration and their community. Brule concluded, “You have to make sure that when we’re off the court and out of those heated moments, everyone feels comfortable, seen, supported, and loved.”

Exonians come to Exeter from countries all around the world and on various amounts of financial aid. Many Exonians receive financial aid from Exeter, but what most Exonians don’t realize is that there’s a biweekly club called ALIE (Association for Low-Income Exonians) for financial aid and low-income students that meets in Bissell House. The club welcomes all low-income students searching for a space to relax, share experiences, and receive aid for the resources they need. One of the coheads, Dani Mendéz noted, “We’re just a place where low-income students can come, decompress, and get the resources that they might need.” Upper Cindy Mumbo added, “ALIE is a club that invites all students willing to join and learn more about the resources on campus that can help them get through their time here at Exeter.” Mendéz explained that although they are a small club, it adds to the close-knit community. “The friendships are so genuine because we are a smaller club, and you get to meet so many people that are going to be really close with you.” Mumbo agreed, noting, “My favorite part of ALIE is the group of people we get to see every other week.” Although a significant part of ALIE is meeting students who can relate to your financial status, it also places great emphasis on showing Exonians the resources that are available to them and aiding with all financial needs. Méndez explained, “When people think about financial aid students or low-income students in general, they tend to think on the grand scheme of things, like paying tuition and getting books.” She added, “But there are tiny things that really matter too, like if you want to go out with your friends and get Otto over the weekend. These are still things that are also relevant to us as students.” In addition to the financial needs that most people consider, there are many more that people don’t tend to recognize. Mumbo mentioned, “Students who want to go to E/A might not have the money to purchase Exeter gear.” To aid with this, “they have a drive where they bring lots of E/A vintage clothing so that those students can partake in traditions as well.” In addition to helping low-income Exonians with their financial needs during club meetings, ALIE has also organized off-campus trips. Mendéz explained, “In the past, we’ve gone to Portsmouth to do an escape room, and we’ve had dinner with Principal Rawson.” ALIE is an extremely close-knit community and supports all the financial needs of low-income Exonians. Although it’s a fairly new club that started during Covid, Mendéz expressed, “We’re getting stronger every year, and we’re holding onto new members and encouraging everybody to come.” She explained, “Even if you’re not sure that it’s something right for you, I’m sure that when you come, you’ll meet people that are friendly, and you’ll get helpful information and resources.”

On Sunday, Feb. 2, the famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow during the 139th annual Groundhog Day at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, predicting six more weeks of winter. Every year on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day occurs in both Canada and the United States of America as a tradition to determine the remaining duration of the current winter. Punxsutawney Phil emerges from the ground, and if he sees his shadow, the winter is extended by six weeks. If he doesn’t, it is said that spring will come early. While most students didn’t believe that Punxsutawney Phil actually had the ability to predict the length of winter, many associated the holiday with fond childhood memories. Prep Alex Eggers reflected, “I think a lot of people kind of worship the groundhog, which I think is very comedic, especially watching it on TV, and seeing people hold up the groundhog and cheer for it.” Eggers added that, “I think it’s definitely humorous, but I definitely wouldn’t say I believe in the concept of there being six more weeks of winter if the groundhog sees its shadow, but I think many children and families enjoy it.” Prep Isabella Orellano shared a similar view. “When I was younger, I vividly remember watching the groundhog on TV every year because it was always close to my birthday, so the holiday definitely reminds me of childhood memories.” However, Orellano noted, “I don’t think the tradition is true. I do think it’s a lot of fun seeing if the groundhog will predict six more weeks of winter, and it’s just a lighthearted holiday.” After hearing of Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions, students of the Academy had various opinions. Senior Chinasa Nwankwo explained, “I don’t think that Punxsutawney Phil actually has an effect on the length of winter, so I don’t really feel affected by his prediction.” Eggers shared a similar view, “I don’t really believe that the groundhog can predict if there will be six more weeks of winter, but based on the current weather conditions, I think it’s very possible it’ll be a longer winter.” Orellano added, “I really hope it’s not six more weeks of winter because I don’t think I can handle six more weeks of this.” In light of Groundhog Day, the students of the Academy reflected on the recent waves of snow hitting Exeter. Many students found that the frosty campus was adding to the fatigue from the tiring course load. “It’s very tiring to kind of wake up to the same dreary, dark conditions every day. It can definitely plunge my mood a little bit, but I think it also inspires me to have a more positive attitude because you just have to keep on going and keep doing your daily activities even if you don’t want to go outside and experience the cold and snow.” Eggers said. Orellano added, “I don’t think the snowy campus is terrible, but I like having warm weather a lot better because I live in Florida and I’m not used to the cold or the snow at all. So it’s fun at first, but then it gets tiring.” However, Phil’s predictions did not sway the facilities management department. “We’re ready for it,” was how Director of Campus Safety Paul Gravel responded when asked about his opinions on the groundhog predicting six more weeks of winter. “Bring it on.” Senior Manager for Buildings and Grounds Jeff Plimpton, like many students, was also skeptical. “I don’t put much faith in Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions.” While Phil’s prediction is arbitrary, the recent winter storm hitting New Hampshire is real. At the Academy, campus safety and facilities management work together around the clock to keep the snowy conditions and extreme weather at bay. “We anticipate ice and snow coming in, and because campus safety is 24/7, the officers on the midnight shift make the call to [facilities management] to give them an idea of when they should be coming in,” Gravel explained. “They’ll come in usually around 5:45 AM and start clearing the sidewalks. They have a schedule, so the dormitories and the classroom buildings are the first to get cleared out, and then they work their way to faculty housing and the children’s centers.” “I am not a fan of snow removal,” Plimpton admitted. “Our grounds staff often arrives on campus at 5 a,m. for snow removal, so that is an early wake-up call and not the most fun way to start your day.” As essential personnel, the winter weather cannot deter workers of campus safety and facilities management. “We just make arrangements to get in, how and whatever way we can,” Gravel said. Campus safety and facilities management workers dedicate themselves to their jobs even with the extreme weather and their own personal lives. “On days where it’s snowing or we get six inches, eight inches…we have to dig their families out too,” Gravel continued. To preserve the students’ personal safety, Plimpton recommended proper winter outerwear. “It can affect students’ safety so much that students should be aware of the weather and conditions out on campus. Wearing appropriate footwear is always recommended and will certainly help students navigate campus.” Gravel agreed. “[Students] are not outside that long, but wear [proper footwear] with treads on them so you don’t fall. My advice would be to just dress accordingly and wear layers.” He also recommended students stay off the ice at the Squamscott River. “We don’t wanna see an accident and we don’t want anybody to get hurt. So I really encourage us students to stay off the river and by the boathouse.” Plimpton concluded, “Having the right attitude is the best way to deal with anything you are not particularly fond of. Some winters are mild and some more severe. I’d say plan for the worst and be thankful for the milder winters.” Whether or not students believe in the prediction of Punxsutawney Phil, many are tired of the dreary winter days and abundant snowfall. However, thanks to the hard work of facilities management and campus safety, students can enjoy the snow as a luxury instead of a danger.

With campus still abuzz from last weekend’s events, students prepared for yet another round of Halloween festivities. As the sky dimmed on a warm October afternoon, all sorts of creatures, characters, and witty makeshift costumes from Godzilla to Spiderman headed toward the most anticipated event of all: trick-or-treating.

The cold bite of the rink isn’t for everyone. Hockey is a sport of warriors. As the girls’ varsity hockey team glides across the ice, each stride blends power, finesse, and ferocity. The puck moves seamlessly between sticks, serving as a deafening dialogue of trust and instinct between the squadron that they are. Every shift demands precision, each play is a delicate scale weighing strategy and split-second decisions. Beneath the arena’s harsh lights, the team’s unwavering determination transforms the frozen surface into a battlefield where resilience is forged and victories are earned.

On Monday, Feb. 10, the Academy community was rewarded with a well-deserved and highly anticipated Winter Thaw. Acting as a rest day in the middle of the long winter term, Winter Thaw allowed students and faculty alike to relax and revive themselves both physically and mentally. Taking inspiration from Exeter’s history, the 2024-2025 Student Council Board reinstated the day off. Students participated in many activities, from a weekend in Boston to sleeping and catching up on homework.

On Dec. 14, the girls’ and boys’ winter track teams competed in a track meet here in Exeter. Although many people were missing in the meet and this was the first track meet of the season, the team is off to a strong start.

Exeter’s Mock Trial Association has always been a staple club on campus. From the assortments of awards and national rankings to all of the amazing people on the teams, it is hard not to be awed by the grandeur of such an impactful club. Plus, we’ve all probably had that one friend who can never seem to get dinner with you because of Mock.

On Oct. 5, instead of listening to an assembly speaker, students watched as the Academy’s music students took the assembly stage and performed a variety of a capella pieces, classical music, and self-composed songs.

This year marks the five year anniversary since Exeter students were forced to migrate into an online learning program, learning Harkness through online classes in their dorm or several thousand miles from New Hampshire. The discipline of collaboration, engagement, and enlightenment evaporated as Exonians locked their doors and weathered the invisible hurricane of the pandemic sweeping across the world. Thus, the participation in both the school curriculum and extracurriculars plummeted. But now, in the 2024-25 school year, Exonians seem to have fully transitioned back to the Harkness table and recovered from the plight of the virus. The paths and dining halls are bubbling with excitement, and the halls of the Academy echoes with the same cheer. The same resurgence in activity on campus soon extended into Exeter’s student led clubs. With more than 180 clubs and more than 1000 students, Club Night on Sept. xsx was an extravaganza. Clubs ranged from competitive quiz bowls, to intense runs and relaxing tea-times, highlighting the diverse Exeter Experience. In many of these clubs, coheads have reported an increase in participation. Upper Abi Sagna, cohead of Academy Belly Dancing Society noted, “I think we had a lot of new kids come to our tryouts this year, which is surprising so we’re really excited for this new year. We weren’t expecting that.”

As the class of ‘28 embarks on their journey at Exeter, they have recently selected their class representatives for the upcoming two terms. Following a competitive process of over forty participants, countless signatures, and 20 final candidates, Faye Yang, Lily-Bee Butler, and Emre Oklu were appointed as the Prep Representatives of their class. The Prep Rep election process is one of the most competitive of the year, with candidates campaigning on a wide range of issues they hope to resolve on campus. From allowing math test retakes to promising a more eco-friendly campus, candidates presented their final visions to their peers through a 150-word statement and an Instagram post on the student council account.

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.

Have you ever heard of Badminton Club? Badminton Club is a tight-knit group of people across multiple grades that fosters a chill and relaxing environment. If you’re feeling bored on a Sunday afternoon and want to get some exercise in, play some badminton, or meet new friends, Badminton Club is the place to go. Recently, badminton has been added as a PE option and is an increasingly popular sport around campus.

On Wednesday, April 3, the girls’ varsity lacrosse team faced off against Dexter Southfield School in what was their second game of the season. In a thrilling match, Big Red eventually came through victorious with a final score of 8–3.

On certain mornings and afternoons, a long, skinny red boat can be spotted through the often hazy fog above Exeter’s Squamscott River. The boat seems to glide gracefully over the surface of the rippling river, and the rowers propelling it lean back and forth in elegant unison. On the boat, a series of panting and grunts accompany each pull of the oar. The eight rowers seem to fight for their lives on the water, and at the stern of the boat sits senior Rohit Kantamneni.

On Saturday, Jan. 19, the girls’ and boys’ swim and dive teams dominated at Deerfield. Captain Ellie Colman expressed, “Overall, Exeter did great! We crushed Deerfield, winning by around 60-70 points for the girls and 80-90 for the boys.”

Romantic comedies have a unique way of gripping our hearts, weaving laughter with longing, and leaving us questioning the nature of love itself. These films are more than just stories — they are emotional journeys that sweep us into whirlwind romances and bittersweet goodbyes.

Returning from winter break, uppers are officially beginning their college counseling processes, the start of their college application journeys. The classes of 2025 and 2026 have a variety of feelings regarding both the application and college counseling processes.

Everyone loves Grill. It’s the perfect space to catch up with friends, hangout, procrastinate, and buy snacks. The whole school goes to Grill, but there are several recurring Grill personalities, and they are...

On Saturday, Jan. 25, the girls’ varsity hockey team had an away game at the Noble and Greenough School. Coming off of a 2-1 win against Holderness on Wednesday, a team that they had lost to in the past, they were excited for this game.

Phillips Exeter Academy has always been proud of its diverse student body, a core part which is the campus’ international community.

For the past week, the student body has been unable to go to the New Dining Hall or other popular spots on campus without hearing, “Can you sign my sheet?” and have a white sheet of squares and a pen placed in their hands. As Phillips Exeter Academy reaches the halfway point of the 2024-2025 school year, student-run organizations and clubs have begun to prepare for their turnover season.

Whether leading poetry in Latin and Greek in the classroom, hustling on the varsity football and baseball fields, making case theory in Mock Trial, or pleasing everyone with his singing, senior Caspar Bailey is an important figure on campus.

The tension thickens the air as runners steady themselves at the white line etched in the grass. They fidget with their watches and whisper final words of encouragement to teammates. The field, vast and empty, waits in anticipation. With the sharp crack of the starting gun, the race begins. Leading the Big Red cross country girls are seniors and captains Melani Dowling and Leta Griffith.

As night settles over campus on a quiet Tuesday evening and the moon rises above the Academy Building’s white cupola, the warm glow of a classroom flickers within. Inside, Elaine Qiao stands at the front of the room, leading the Exeter Forensics Team. Before a group of novice debaters, she draws from years of experience, walking them through the fundamentals of the Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum debate formats.