Beyond the gates of the Academy lies the Town of Exeter, and a community of many who have called this place home for generations. Centuries-old buildings, businesses, and restaurants that are run by locals or families anchor the town. Exeter is much more than a beautiful backdrop to the Academy — it is a thriving community complete with its own local government, large-scale events, and well-preserved historical appeal.

When you were a chWhen you were a child, you could spend time with people for hours, maybe even days. You loved hanging out with your friends and playing outside for hours. There were nights when you needed to talk to someone or you would go crazy. Loneliness now, however, is a part of the ordinary. As children, our friends dictate the flow of our lives — we play outside, go to as many birthday parties as possible, and as many playdates too. The more we went out, the more energy we seemed to gain. I used to think my parents were crazy for getting tired from being at parties and talking to other parents. The more the merrier, right? At Exeter, there are nights when there is nothing more I want than to watch a movie alone. On those nights, hanging out with friends drains me rather than the other way around. When I return home, there is nothing more I want to do than rot in bed and sleep all day. Part of this has to do with how stretched out we are at Exeter students. We wake up, go to classes, have athletics, then clubs from the time we leave our dorm to check-in. For many students, school extends until the later hours of the night as we grind ourselves under the load of homework our teachers subject us to. The only “me-time” that we are able to indulge in is sleep, and for most students, this factor is severely lacking. It’s undeniable that hanging out with other people drains you in some way. Whether it be talking, shouting, or singing, I always find myself tired after a long night out. It is undoubtedly fun, but when we are overworked and stretched, sometimes the last thing you want to do is go out to Grill and talk with your friends. The concept of a social battery exists because, at some point, you are done with having to listen to everyone laugh and talk. While it may be different for everyone, everyone will have a certain point when they just wish they could be alone. That is not to say that you enjoy being alone. Nights spent alone in your room may be depressing at times but they are entirely different things. In a way, friendships are transactional. Our friends serve us as a way to have fun, a way to share, and a way to have a support system. But in spending time with them, you gradually give up more and more of your social battery, and the only way to replenish it is through time for ourselves alone, which most of us lack. Exeter constantly pushes us and pulls us in different directions; towards classes, towards athletics, towards clubs, towards socials. We are asked to spread ourselves thin, and anything spread too thin is easier to tear. No matter how much we give, the external world fails to give anything truly replenishing back. But we live in a culture, especially at Exeter, that admires this. We wear our schedules like badges of honor, boasting about how many things we’re juggling, how many people we are connected to, and how we’re always on the go. The busier we are, the more successful or accomplished we feel. Just wait until you burn out. We don’t know how to live anymore without a gadget in our faces. We become so focused on the next thing, the next event, the next deadline, that we stop taking the time to sit still, to reflect. To be present in the moment. And we risk losing the essence of what makes life beautiful. We seize every opportunity we get, but we fail to seize the day. The impact of this constant busyness extends far beyond our own sense of well-being. As we stretch ourselves thin, we have less to give to our family, our friends, and our peers. When we say yes to everything, we dilute the quality of our time and energy. We leave ourselves unable to make connections. Instead, we wear different masks, hiding the real us behind the roles we play. How many masks do you have? How many people in your life truly know you? Does anyone know the real you, not just the version of yourself you present? True connections form from being present, from showing up without distractions, and from investing time and attention into the people who matter most. So, in the end, do you know who you are? Slow down. Find what truly matters and you’ll see how much you’re missing the whispers, the gestures, the small moments, and the subtle expressions that are drowned out in the flood of our daily lives. Appreciating the world isn’t a luxury, but a necessity. It’s about reclaiming the moments that matter, nurturing the relationships that bring us joy, and most importantly investing in ourselves so we can give our best to the people who matter most. Take care of your social battery. We want to be seen for who we really are, not just in our titles, but in our hearts. But this requires us to create the space for others to see us, and for us to see them. The most meaningful relationships are built on presence, vulnerability, and the time spent together, from the depth of our interactions, not from the quantity of them. Because in the end, we all want to be known by the ones we love.

On Friday, Jan. 31, students were treated to a night of style, music, and thrill at the inaugural Verdant Visions event. Hosted in the Society of 23’s Conservatory in the Lamont Gallery, the event brought students together for a memorable night centered around three key elements: music, fashion, and fun. Student DJs set the vibe as guests were invited to indulge in refreshing beverages and snacks that transformed a usually dull Friday night into one special. With a “Dress to Impress” dress code, students were encouraged to showcase their most stylish and unique outfits on campus. No doubt, this was a night to remember for all those involved. This week, The Exonian spoke to organizers and attendees of the event to uncover the details behind its motive, preparation, and outcome. “The idea behind the event was to give students something to do on notoriously boring Friday nights,” upper and student organizer Liv Lang explained. “It gave us a chance to look at some art, detach from our phones, and listen to music in the presence of each other.” Prep Ben Lewis shared his experience with the new event, “It was really good to build community with other people because we haven’t really had these types of events so far in the winter [...] Some of us got hype and mostly had a good time, but I wasn’t there for long.” “People were all dressed up and it felt something like a fall formal,” Lewis continued. “I just think it’s just nice to have these events.” Although there are no concrete plans for similar future events, organizers liked how Verdant Visions went this year and are optimistic for the future. The mixed responses from attendees serve as great feedback for the organizers to make the event even bigger and better. Lang concluded, “I had lots of fun and my friends did too, so I’m hoping it becomes an annual event that we can continue to host.”

This past week, the Academy’s Student Council held its annual turnover elections for the Executive Board of the 2025-2026 term. With a competitive race for key positions, students made their voices heard, casting down their votes for their newest representatives to lead the student body. Lowers Ari Benenson and Jade Yoo were elected Co-Secretaries, upper Andrew Gould secured the position of Vice President, and after a heated presidential run-off and debate, upper Lauren Lee, former co-secretary, was elected to serve as Student Council President. The new Executive Board will take office in the second week of the spring term. The elections saw impressive student participation, with 79% voter turnout for the presidential election and 69% for the other positions and the presidential primary. After getting elected, Yoo reflected on a passion for StuCo many of the candidates feel, “I love working with the student body. I’ve been holding different positions since 4th grade, but no matter what role it was, [Student Council has] brought me a lot of joy. That joy pushes me to work for StuCo every year, and the passion has never stopped.” Earlier in the week, on Tuesday night, Feb. 4, all the candidates took the Assembly stage to deliver brief campaign speeches. The general election then opened from 8 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5. But before candidates were allowed to participate in the public appearance, the Elections Committee and StuCo needed to verify the candidates with the signatures they gathered from the student body. Upper Alex Trotman, Co-chair of the Student Council’s Elections Committee, commented on the process the Elections Committee undergoes to ensure the elections run smoothly and fairly for all candidates. “To ensure fairness in our elections, Elections Committee practices confidentiality in all aspects,” he said. “When we count signatures, we don’t release information before the student body is aware. If we were to, some candidates would have unfair advantages.” Verification is essential. Lower Kobi Ajene, a member of the Elections Committee, added, “We went through the essential process of verifying the signatures, and tried to make it as unbiased as possible. If we had any invalid names, we crossed it out. This is why we encouraged the candidates to get more signatures than the required amount. We try to make it fair by putting the same barriers on every candidate.” “Additionally, we do not condone any harmful comments between candidates during the election process. If candidates feel attacked emotionally, their campaigning experience will be hampered,” Trotman stated. Ajene continued to explain the preparations which started around Thanksgiving. He stated, “People were starting to announce whether they were running or not and I think that’s when elections began to be on everyone’s mind,” Ajene remarked, “But the time leading up to elections is still important because the process [the Elections Committee undergoes] shows it’s fair and democratic. The way StuCo is run is for every single policy or action that happens in StuCo, we have to vote on it.” Since upper Ethan Benenson, the other co-chair of the Elections Committee, entered the elections as a presidential candidate, the committee encountered some difficulties. “Since he was running, he temporarily had to step down from his position. It was hard to be the only co-chair organizing this election, but the advisors, Dean Marshall and Ms. Rankin, and president Cam Khater were extremely helpful [in the process],” Trotman shared. “I was on stage [in the general elections] since Ethan was running for president. He couldn’t directly participate in the ongoing elections while he was running. So I volunteered to help out,” Ajene noted. “I was listening to all the people’s speeches, and just being on stage that day, seeing how so many people came excited to hear what the candidates had to say, was a pretty exciting moment.” When the executive candidates were allowed to speak on Tuesday, the audience was able to evaluate candidates and vote for co-secretaries, vice president, and three presidential nominees. For preps, the Tuesday night speeches were especially insightful. Prep Rick Osei-Addae commented after the event, “It was super hype and I hate to say, but it was evident who was prepared and wanted the role and who wasn’t. But even then, everybody who got up there deserved their place—it was a great opportunity to hear them out.” Prep Ryan Ramos spoke of her first experience with Student Council speeches. “It was super fun and a lot more lively than I expected it to be. It made me more excited to see how the election plays out,” she said. Prep Gavyn Jones elaborated, “The speeches were great and enticing. Everyone had good points and reasoning behind why we should elect them. The speeches definitely positively impacted my voting, especially as a prep, because I don’t know a lot of lowers and uppers.” Lower Michelle Kio-Michael added, “Some of the candidates were very lively. You could tell who had a lot of public support and who didn’t. Something was said about going back to 1781, which raised a lot of eyebrows, but overall, it was great.” Upper Asha Masoudi added, “Lauren Lee stood out to me because she was very eloquent and sassy, which I love.” After the presidential primaries, three candidates entered the presidential run-offs. Uppers Kyle Kennedy’s, Ethan Benenson, and Lauren Lee participated in the official presidential debate on Friday, Feb. 7 during assembly. Ajene believed that the presidential debate was extremely significant for the election as it allowed the student body to make more informed decisions. “The debate turnout was way bigger than public appearance, and I think this helped those candidates who made it to the debate. It’s important to give a fair chance to the candidates to present themselves and their policies at a required appointment for all the students,” commented Ajene. Trotman added, “I think the presidential debate is the most important part of the election process. In the last two years, there’s been a correlation between presidential victory and good debate performance. It’s also a very stressful environment being on stage, so it’s a good way to see how your president acts under pressure.” Lower Minnie Kim provided her perspective as a viewer of the debate, “I think it was one of the best assemblies that we’ve ever had. It was fun to see how different candidates had plans about reforming and improving the school.” Voting for the run-off began at the start of the school day on Friday and closed at 7:30 p.m. The results were released to the student body later that night. Turnovers will happen at the beginning of the spring term and the student body anticipates the changes that the new board will bring on campus in the next three terms. Yoo concluded by emphasizing the importance of StuCo in the Exeter community. “Student Council plays a crucial role in deciding the quality of student life, and will impact the memories we make during our Exeter experience,” she said. “To make it successful, I believe transparency, accessibility, inclusivity, and proactive communication are key. I am honored and excited to work with Exec to create an environment where every student feels empowered and connected. Go Big Red!”

The Academy prides itself on its rich history of alumni and faculty who have impacted the Exeter community in one way or another. Every once in a while, though, someone comes along and strikes so deeply upon the core principles of the Academy, that they can only be considered a legend of Exeter.

On Sunday, Nov. 2, the Exeter Admissions Office hosted an Open House event called “Explore Exeter.” Prospective students from around the world came to Exeter to listen to a student panel, meet the admissions officers, and have a tour of campus by Exeter’s numerous student tour guides.

By Jayden Oh, Aaryan Patel, and Marvin Shim

By: Ishaan Singh and Marvin Shim

Amidst a spring night beAmidst a spring night behind Hoyt Hall, a circle of girls leaned in around the cackling fire pit, balancing marshmallows on crooked branches, laughing when one caught fire or sagged into the flames. The giggles softened as the seniors took the lead, confessing old stories and half-kept secrets, their voices rising and falling with the breeze. Among them, one’s bright, buoyant laughter wrapped around the girls like a hug—it was senior Lucy Jung.

If someone demanded proof that one plus one equals two, what would you do? Maybe you would grab an apple and place it next to another. Count, and you get two. It might seem straightforward to you, so you might ask, why am I questioning this? Who am I to question the truth? But is truth really self-evident, or is it just something we take for granted? Why does it make sense? My dictionary says that a fact is a “thing that is known or proved to be true.” So I flipped to T and found the “truth.” It’s defined as “the quality or state of being true.” I found “true.” True is to be “in accordance with fact or reality.”

From late-night meetings with her fellow Community Conduct Committee (CCC) members to early-morning swim or crew practices, senior Sophia Slosek always has a bright smile on her face, ready to take on the next challenge put in front of her. If you’ve ever met her, you know she is one of the most kind, hardworking, and genuine people. Slosek can often be found strolling the halls of Amen Hall or spending hours either in or on the water.

On Dec. 11, the boys’ wrestling team opened its varsity season at home against Hyde, Brooks, and Roxbury Latin, with Big Red beating Hyde 54-27, capturing a close win against Brooks 40-39, before falling to a strong Roxbury Latin team to end the day.

After weeks filled with busy evenings, team lifts, away games, and resulting stenchful locker rooms, the Exeter Athletics Department announced the individual team award winners and the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) award recipients for their contributions to their respective teams.

When John and Elizabeth Phillips founded the institution of Phillips Exeter Academy in 1781, they did so with the understanding that educating students in “goodness and knowledge” is essential for the youth in their teenage period. Exeter was established with founding documents that predate the U.S. Constitution, and a teacher by trade, John Phillips firmly believed in giving back to his community.

On Saturday, Nov. 16, the Rhodes Trust announced the 32 recipients of the 2025 Rhodes Scholarship. The coveted postgraduate award provides for tuition for two to three years of study at Oxford University. Among this exceptional group of students were Academy alumni Ayush Noori ‘20 and Alyssa Xu ‘21.

Towering white walls, a huge open forum with pristine wooden tables, fresh balcony seating, a new dish conveyor belt, revolutionized organization, a better location for many students, and more—suddenly, Exonians are buzzing with excitement for the new dining hall.

On Friday, Sept. 27, the class of 2025 gathered to celebrate one of the first of many Exeter traditions, Senior Sunrise, greeting an early autumn morning together at Phelps Stadium. Organized by the Student Council representatives of the senior class, seniors enjoyed the Exeter tradition, spreading blankets upon the turf and gazing at the sun’s aureate rays as it peeked over the horizon. Sitting in a circle with their friends and classmates of the last three years, seniors relish a reprieve from the pressure of the Exeter curriculum and college worries and relive moments of their high school journey. It was a bittersweet occasion, but a memory to be cherished after the seniors have departed to the next milestone of their journeys.

There are 405 courses at Exeter, each with its own twists and turns, as well as a variety of difficulty levels. In recent years after Covid, course rigor has been a big question, as well as questions around “college-level difficulty” and grade inflation.

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 we all know JV Football is off to a fantastic start this year with a 0-4 record! However, some people have questions about the current quarterback state and other internal matters of the team, and this article will answer those worries.

On Friday, Oct. 11, the boys varsity soccer team took on Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH) in an away thriller. The team secured a 2-2 tie, shooting Big Red up in the rankings.

The grand beauty of our universe and the guilt of parenthood are the backdrop for a quest to save humanity. Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan, chronicles the journey of the crew of the Endurance, hurled light years from everything that they love to search for colonizable worlds. Nolan’s Interstellar is not a science fiction epic—it’s a movie about family and humanity with science fiction as its backdrop.

The last students streamed through the doors of the Bowld, searching for a place to sit in the bustling auditorium. The atmosphere was abuzz with excitement and anticipation as the stage was set and the lid of the piano propped. Lights dim as the doors slam shut, and the first performer stepped onto the stage to thundering applause.

On Oct. 17, Exeter’s fall 2024 Lamont Poet, Marilyn Nelson, read her poetry to students in the Assembly Hall. After the recitation, Nelson signed students’ copies of her collections and returned the next day for a Q&A session during the Department Meeting block.

For more than a thousand students attending Phillips Exeter, each Exonian has a place to call their home away from home. Every dorm on campus is a place of deep pride and each harbor a rich culture and character.

It’s Saturday night, and I walk through the wardrobe. The courtyard is blanketed in a thick, unbroken layer of snow, and the roofs of buildings are swathed in an ivory glaze. Clouds of ice on each side of the paths. Trees stand like skeletons. The air is so cold it stings the skin, and the wind cuts through three layers of jackets like a blade through butter. It’s a beautiful sight to look up into the dark sky and see the snowflakes falling, flying out of nowhere from a dark abyss, pelting my face, speckling my hair, adding layer after layer of white upon the earth. From a distance, it is a most beautiful sight to see the snow.

In February of 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued a Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 2-8 as National Women’s History Week. In his accompanying message, he emphasized, “Too often the women were unsung, and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America were as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”

The Grill Cookie has long been a staple of Exonian culture. For many students, purchasing the gooey chocolate chip cookie, priced perfectly at 50 cents, became a daily ritual. For over a hundred years, the cookie has been the most popular item at Grill, and over 200 are sold every day. For only a single Grill Point, the Exonian was able to purchase four cookies — perfectly affordable and a perfect even integer. Following the return from spring break, students were rudely awakened by a 50 percent price increase: tragically, each cookie was momentarily 75 cents. To the relief of students, on Wednesday, April 2, the price of the cookies returned to 50 cents.

On Thursday, May 23, 2011, after principal emeritus Thomas Hassan announced the year’s recipient of the Founders’ Award, Exonians watched Rick “Non Sibi” Mahoney ‘61 take the stage. Despite speaking only for five minutes, Mahoney adeptly threaded a story that touched the hearts of every audience member, connecting the strings of his legacy and experience with those of past, current, and future Exonians.

The soft murmur of voices fills Elm’s mezzanine as Exonians share poetry and ideas around the table. Every Sunday at 10 a.m., Pendulum—Phillips Exeter Academy’s longest-running magazine club—gathers a passionate group of writers to celebrate and explore the art of creative expression.

On Tuesday, Jan. 14, Phillips Exeter Academy’s Committee to Study Slavery and its Legacy presented on the assembly stage, showcasing a substantial selection of historical data, facts, and analysis. Their slideshow recounted the lives of the several enslaved peoples owned by John Phillips as well as significant milestones in the Academy’s history, including an account of the first black student to graduate from Phillips Exeter Academy. This week, The Exonian sought insight from members of the committee and students across campus for their thoughts on the assembly and the committee’s broader goals and missions.

A classroom, a gallery, or a library? History instructor Kent McConnell’s classroom is perhaps all of them.

A puzzle awaits on the back page of The Exonian, tucked in between the latest sports updates and the caricatures and humor articles.

Upper Andrew Gould, an advanced team member of Phillips Exeter Academy’s Daniel Webster Debate Society (DWDS), qualified for the 2025 World Universities Debating Championship, which will be held this spring in Malaysia. Gould will compete against some of the best youth debaters in the world, where he will be one of the eight debaters representing America.

Set at an elite boarding school in New England not dissimilar from Exeter, Dead Poets Society follows the story of a few students at Welton Academy who are inspired by their passionate English teacher to break free from the fetters of convention and chase after the potential of every day.

Meditation, college applications, and a healthy sleep schedule are three words not often used together. Senior fall seems to be the epitome of Exeter’s busy schedule. As the term comes to an end, early decision applications are almost due, and hundreds of college essays are being written on campus.

On Friday, Sept. 20, Ms. Seisei Tatebe-Goddu ‘01 spoke to Exeter about her initiatives against abuse of technology countrywide. She is the CEO of Lights on Labs, an organization advocating for the responsible usage of technology. She has also worked at Mothers Against Media Addiction, which seeks to normalize conscious usage of social media for children.

The air is crisp as the sun begins its first trek of a new season across the blue sky. The foggy silence of a long, hot summer evaporates as Exeter awakens to warmly welcome returning and new students. By midday, students from all over the globe stream through the gates, find their new rooms, and walk the paths along the quad, watching the green, brown, and red leaves drift along the wind. Exonians greet old friends and new acquaintances, reflecting upon their past summer and bubbling with excitement and anticipation for the year ahead. However, not everyone’s first day began on September 4. Those who participated in the International Student Orientation (ISO), the Exeter Equitable Experience (E3), preseason, and student leadership training all arrived one week earlier than their fellow Exonians to engage in a series of programs and activities.

In July 2024, Kristyn Van Ostern ‘96 was sworn into her four-year tenure as President of the Academy’s Board of Trustees. Van Ostern was chosen for this position through a vote conducted by the Trustees in Oct. 2023. Before taking on this role, Van Ostern joined the Trustees in 2017 and has served as the Chair of the Budget and Finance (B+F) Committee since 2019.

By ALEX LIM and MARVIN SHIM On Feb. 2, TEDxPhillipsExeterAcademy held its 6th annual TEDx speaker event in the Bowld. This year, speeches c...

By ERIN HAN, ANGELA HE, ALLEGRA LAI, and MARVIN SHIM The percentage of young people experiencing mental health conditions, including psychologica...

By ISABEL EVANS, LOGAN LIU, MARVIN SHIM, and HANNAH WEI On Saturday, April 27, the Exeter varsity track and field team drove out to CoeBrown Nor...

By SAM ALTMAN, ERIN HAN, MARVIN SHIM, and FORREST ZENG On April 2, the Academy’s boys varsity baseball team won 17-1 over Berwick Academy, scorin...

By ERIN HAN, MARVIN SHIM, and MEGHAN TATE ZEE Around campus, you may have seen the cycling team pedaling by with iridescent sunglasses and neon...

By  ALLEGRA LAI, MARVIN SHIM, and ISHAAN SINGHKaitlyn Martin Fox has been at the Academy as a member of the Religion, Ethics, and Philosophy Departmen...

By ISHAAN SINGH, ALLEGRA LAI, CHLOE LIND, and MARVIN SHIM  Christopher Matlack has served as a biology instructor and former department chair of...

By SAM ALTMAN, IZYAAN BURNEY, and MARVIN SHIM Instructor in Modern Languages Inna Sysevich, fondly referred to as “Mama,” has many roles on ca...

By SAM ALTMAN,  LAUREN LEE, MARVIN SHIM, and  FORREST ZENG Paddington 1 plays in the background of the soft-lit Peabody common room. Dorm membe...

By SHAWNA JIANG ‘26, KATIE HU ‘26, ADELE MAMMEDOVA ‘25, LUCIA ROSEN ‘26, MARVIN SHIM ‘27, MEG XU ‘26       Field courses, also known as “999” courses,...

By ARYAN AGARWAL, MARVIN SHIM, KEVIN THANT, and ANDREW YANG The Regeneron Science Talent Search is one of the most prestigious STEM fairs for hig...

By ALEX LIM, MARVIN SHIM, KEVIN THANT, and  JADE YOO    Every Tuesday night, the Daniel Webster Debate Society meets in the Assembly Hall. The debate...

By  JUNO COWANS, ERIN HAN, LILY RAMPE, MARVIN SHIM, KEVIN THANT During the two weeks between Sept. 14 and 28, as most Exonians rushed into their secon...

8:00 a.m. classes aren’t easy. They’re especially difficult in the middle of the winter, when your clothes are soaked with snow, dripping on the stairs as you trudge to the fourth floor of Phillips Hall. Yet, as students make their way into one classroom in particular, the smell of freshly baked banana bread wafts through the seams of the door. A warmly lit room welcomes them, the dark wood of the Harkness table cooling the mood. On the other end sits Instructor in Modern Languages Katherine “Kitty” Fair, her familiar face bringing an end to the shivers and fatigue of the morning. This year, Fair has announced her retirement from the Academy, leaving a bittersweet gap in the hearts of Exonians across campus.

Every run in the scorching spring heat, every tackle taken with a surge of adrenaline, every bruise sustained in silence, every huddle under the darkening skies — all of it has led to this moment. To this field, beneath these lights, and with the crowd’s roar reaching a deafening crescendo. The build of tension is thick enough to be tasted. The line is drawn at midfield, the ball perched on the tee. The referee is readying the coin to flip. Players on opposite sides lock eyes beneath the visors of their helmets.

When the lights dim and the spotlight settles over the center, she steps onstage, heels quiet against the polished wood, her black dress simple, austere. There’s a slight fluttering of pages in the wooden benches in front of her, the audience flipping through the pamphlet looking for the young violinist’s name, and the melody she is about to play.

Amidst a spring night behind Hoyt Hall, a circle of girls leaned in around the cackling fire pit, balancing marshmallows on crooked branches, laughing when one caught fire or sagged into the flames.

By JOONYOUNG HEO, LUCY JUNG, ADELE PITTS, MARVIN SHIM, ANDREW YANG and FORREST ZENG The Acad

By ANNA BYUN , JOONYOUNG HEO, MARVIN SHIM, and TANIA LUCHAK The Student Council is working t

By ADELLE PITTS, KEVIN THANT, MARVIN SHIM and HANNAH WEI      As the clock ticked 8:30 p.m., Tho

By SAM ALTMAN, JINMIN LEE, MARVIN SHIM and FORREST ZENG On April 30, the Academy hosted the

By ALEX LIM and MARVIN SHIM On Feb. 2, TEDxPhillipsExeterAcademy held its 6th annual

By  ERIN HAN and MARVIN SHIM On Jan. 15 the Academy celebrated MLK Day, reflecting on the

By ERIN HAN, ANGELA HE, ALLEGRA LAI, and MARVIN SHIM The percentage of young people experie

By LILY RAMPE, MARVIN SHIM and CHENGYUE ZHANG The Trustees have elected Krysten Van Ostern

By ISABEL EVANS, ADELLE PITTS, MARVIN SHIM, and FORREST ZENG The Community Conduct

By  ARYAN AGARWAL, MARVIN SHIM, KEVIN THANT, and ANDREW YANG Climate change is one of the

By ETHAN DING, ADELLE PITTS, LILY RAMPE, MARVIN SHIM, and HUGO SHINN In a school-wide em