The Exeter Bulletin THE COMMENCEMENT ISSUE | SUMMER 2021
Thank you. “Years down the road, what I’m going to remember most about Exeter is that it taught me growth — as a member of the Exeter Jewish Community, a day student, a resident of Ewald, a student and a friend.” — Caleb Richmond ’21
Students like Caleb flourish in a community that is defined by opportunity and support. Your gift to The Exeter Fund helps make that kind of transformative experience possible.
Exeter. We’re better together, because of you. The Exeter Fund
SUMMER
The Exeter Bulletin Principal William K. Rawson ’71; P’08 Director of Communications Robin Giampa Executive Editor Jennifer Wagner Contributing Editor Patrick Garrity Class Notes Editor Cathy Webber Editorial Coordinator Maxine Weed Creative Director/Design David Nelson, Nelson Design Coeducation Section Designer Jacqueline Trimmer Photography Editor Christian Harrison Communications Advisory Committee Daniel G. Brown ’82, Robert C. Burtman ’74, Dorinda Elliott ’76, Alison Freeland ’72, Keith Johnson ’52, Yvonne M. Lopez ’93
President Morgan C.W. Sze ’83 Vice President Deidre G. O’Byrne ’84 Wole C. Coaxum ’88, Suzi Kwon Cohen ’88, Mark A. Edwards ’78, Elizabeth A. “Betsy” Fleming ’86, Claudine Gay ’88, Peter A. Georgescu ’57, Scott S.W. Hahn ’90, Jacqueline Hayes ’85, Ira D. Helfand, M.D. ’67, Jennifer P. Holleran ’86, Cia Buckley Marakovits ’83, Sally J. Michaels ’82, William K. Rawson ’71, Genisha Saverimuthu ’02, Peter M. Scocimara ’82, Sanjay K. Shetty, M.D. ’92, Serena Wille Sides ’89, Kristyn A. (McLeod) Van Ostern ’96, Janney Wilson ’83 The Exeter Bulletin (ISSN No. 0195-0207) is published four times each year: fall, winter, spring and summer, by Phillips Exeter Academy 20 Main Street, Exeter NH 03833-2460 Telephone 603-772-4311 Periodicals postage paid at Exeter, NH, and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the USA by Cummings Printing. The Exeter Bulletin is printed on recycled paper and sent free of charge to alumni, parents, grandparents, friends and educational institutions by Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH. Communications may be addressed to the editor; email bulletin@exeter.edu. Copyright 2021 by the Trustees of Phillips Exeter Academy. ISSN-0195-0207 Postmasters: Send address changes to: Phillips Exeter Academy Records Office 20 Main Street Exeter, NH 03833-2460
CHERYL SENTER
Trustees
“I CAN IMAGINE A FUTURE FULL OF FELLOW EXONIANS WHO ARE NOT JUST UNDETERRED BY CHALLENGES, BUT ARE CHASING THEM.” —page 34
IN THIS ISSUE
Volume CXXV, Issue no. 4
Features 34 Commencement Families and friends celebrate the class of 2021.
42 Let’s Talk About It New anti-racist minicourses foster conversation and connection. By Jennifer Wagner
Her Voice at the Table 46 The Grand Finale 46 42
Our yearlong commemoration of coeducation at Exeter culminates with a focus on reflection, gratitude and action.
Departments 6
Around the Table: Founders’ Awards, Heard in Assembly, faculty farewells and more
25
Inside the Writing Life: China Forbes ’88
28
Sports: Molly Reckford ’11 and Nicole Heavirland ’14 head to the Tokyo Summer Games. Plus: Exeter Olympians through the ages.
54
Connections: Catching up with our alumni
62
Class Notes On the cover: Class marshals Renee Bertrand, Anne Brandes, Marymegan Wright and Iliana Rios lead the graduating class in a crosscampus processional to Phelps Stadium. PHOTOGRAPH BY MARY SCHWALM
SU M M E R
20 19
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 3
T H E
V I E W
F RO M
A dramatic performance of “Our Town” unfolds on the Goel Center’s new outdoor stage. PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTIAN HARRISON
H E R E
A RO U N D
T H E
TA B L E
AROUND THE TABLE
What’s new and notable at the Academy
Letters to the Editor EXETER LIVES WITHIN US
lletin The Exeter Bu Symphoney g 021 SPRING 2
T H E R E X E T E T I N B U L L E
of Chan
M PROGRA T MUSIC S VIBRAN XT EXETER’ O GO NE WHERE T DECIDES
G S P R I N 2 0 2 1
I don’t know what happens to my heart whenever I get The Exeter Bulletin in my mailbox (I just received the spring issue), but surely it expands instantaneously and exponentially. I will never be able to put into words the love I have for Phillips Exeter Academy and its mission, for its constant body of inquisitive students and spectacular teachers, for my unforgettable classmates and my immovable memories. I spent four years there, partly on scholarship, living inexplicably important adventures in learning, complete with profound ideas and expectations but also priceless failures and desperate times of wild trust in my friends, proctors and dorm parents. I don’t know what other place could have pushed me so hard, held me so tight and lifted me so high. ... I peruse The Bulletin’s articles and I look at the faces of the students being interviewed in its pages — and I know that Exeter will impact their adult lives’ choices, deeds and ideas ... as it does mine to this day. As Principal Bill Rawson’s opening headline reads: “Exeter Lives Within Each of Us,” and the goodness and knowledge of which he speaks have got to prevail. Fiona D.J. Bayly ’85
ALUMNI CONNECTIONS
Principal Bill Rawson, your “Exeter Lives Within Each of Us” article was wonderful! We all thank you for including [my husband] Mickey and your relationship as an example. Mickey’s years at Exeter were a cherished part of his life. He often spoke of the variety of backgrounds and talents of his classmates, the support he received from his faculty, and coaches who helped him grow into the fine, caring, and hard-working person he became. We all miss him. He loved (as did I!) going to alumni volunteer meetings. It helped him remember how much Exeter had meant to him. Joan O’Connell Toledo, Ohio
6 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
FIRST EXETER WOMEN
The Bulletin has done an excellent job of highlighting the 50th anniversary [of coeducation at the Academy]. I realize I have not said thank you for that because we tend to take the high quality of The Bulletin for granted. We shouldn’t do that! I know it takes hard, sustained work. ... I particularly have liked the great visuals using photos and the 50th celebration colors. Many thanks from me and other Exeter women. Chloe Gavin ’72
HER VOICE AT THE TABLE
Last fall, The Bulletin was fortunate to speak with Science Instructor Lynda K. Beck ’80 (Hon.) for a story commemorating 50 years of coeducation at the Academy. Her words and experience greatly enhanced our understanding of those early years. We are saddened to report that the trailblazing teacher passed away on March 25, 2021, after a long illness. She was 76. Beck was hired in 1972 as the first woman instructor in the Academy’s Science Department at age 28, a newly minted doctorate in chemistry on her wall. She was named assistant principal in 1982, a position she held until her retirement in 1998. Among Beck’s accomplishments was to co-found the Committee to Enhance the Status of Women, an advocacy group that fought for recruitment, retention and promotion of women faculty on campus. In 1981, she planned and directed the Academy’s bicentennial celebration, and later she helped to write the Academy’s first sexual harassment manual and fought to obtain benefit partner rights for gay faculty. Beck served as assistant principal with three principals: Stephen Kurtz, Kendra Stearns O’Donnell and Tyler Tingley. O’Donnell recently shared this reflection with us: “Lynda seemed to specialize in moving the Academy forward. We owe any number of advances to her ability to analyze problems, her understanding of people, and her brilliance in designing processes that would bring out the best in people to solve those problems.” E
Beck
Mea culpa: As a careful reader pointed out to us, the Fisher Squash Center was constructed in 2005, not 2006; and while the American squash court was not the same width as the international court, it was the same length. We regret our errors.
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 7
A RO U N D
S
C
E
T H E
N
E
TA B L E
&
H
E
A
Tinker Time
R
D
DESIGN THINKING CLASS P L A C E S E X P E R I M E N TAT I O N A N D E M P AT H Y AT T H E F O R E By Adam Loyd
I
n INT554 Design Thinking: Creative Workshop,
weeks of brainstorming, planning, false starts, resets, feedback and perseverance culminate in one final work period. The mood in the Design Lab is unmistakable: It’s crunch time. Students hover over high tables, collaborating like a team of surgeons, a quick trim of a jagged edge here, two, make it three, more dabs of glue there. The operation? Building toys for grade-schoolers. In their second of three projects for spring term, “Team Pinball” presents 11 students working in three groups are developing their findings to the class. concepts for a candy dispenser, a pinball machine and two small-object launchers — all inspired by Tinker fifth year, is flourishing as a space where Crates, a subscription service students have the opportunity to add new that provides young people ways of thinking to the Academy’s tradiinterested in STEM with intertional pedagogy. “To teach the students active projects that are as fun to think about others and to listen in that and rewarding to build as they way is very consistent with Harkness and are to play with. comes through in design thinking, too,” “A lot of what students are Holleran says. “Harkness is so powerful, doing when they’re designing and we should never lose touch with that, is trying to choose among a but I think there’s an extension for the variety of different ideas that modern era that we’re in, which is, how are possible,” Instructor in do you actually then put things into action Science David Gulick says. “It’s Sweet view of the candy dispenser. in the world?” not necessarily that one’s right or wrong, but they’re trying to find their way through a variety of potential paths.” THE WINDUP… The brainchild of Gulick and Instructor in History Inside the Design Lab, James Manderlink ’21 tinkers Meg Foley, the course traces its roots to the modern hub with the tension on the arm of a table-top trebuchet. of innovation: Silicon Valley, California. In 2015, Trustee Spokesperson Nick Wang ’21 says the working title of Jennifer Holleran ’86; P’11, who at the time was working their creation is “Build and Yeet.” “Yeet,” he explains, is for Mark Zuckerberg ’02 and his wife Priscilla Chan’s “a fun way to say ‘huck.’” nonprofit Startup:Education, invited Exeter faculty includThe group is creating with fifth graders in mind and ing Gulick and Foley to tour a handful of Bay Area schools has already received feedback from their demographic. with curriculums based on the design thinking method. Teams sent early prototypes to children within the Exeter Key components of the problem-solving process include community along with videos outlining the steps for creating prototypes to be tested by a desired demographic assembly. The kids replied with videos of their own, and making refinements based on feedback. detailing their experience building and playing with the Holleran is delighted to learn that the course, now in its toys. If not for the pandemic, students would spend time PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTIAN HARRISON
8 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
We’re telling the students, ‘Hey, get out there and try it.’ That’s what this class is about,” says Gulick.
…AND THE PITCH
Standing before their classmates and instructors, “Team Pinball” formally present their findings as the final step in the weekslong assignment. “One reason we chose to build a pinball machine was that it was a game that was part of all of our childhoods, so there’s a bit of a nostalgia aspect for us,” Daniel Addonizio ’21 says. “We thought it’d be really cool to bring that back for the kids nowadays.” The group described how they wanted to provide their users with an element that would give them the option to customize their gameplay and make the board their own. For that, the team turned to another favorite toy of their target demographic. “We glued Legos on the board so that there’s a base that [our testers] could build off if they want,” Richard Davis ’21 explains to the class. “Also, the bars are made out of quarter-inch plywood, so that you can paint them, draw on them and customize them however you want.” Throughout the process, students were encouraged to frame with the children as they built their ideating and creatand played with prototypes, ing around “how might taking notes on pain points we” statements. The and what looks promising. mental exercise encourAcross the room, Varun ages teams to think Oberai ’21, Zofia Kierner ’21 about their test subjects and Haruka Masamura ’21 on a personal level. “It’s work on graphic decals for Design Lab creativity in action. a motivating design their desktop candy dispenser. statement,” Gulick says. Like their projectile-launching “Where they may have started off at the very beginning with peers, this group has learned firsthand about the importhis design statement that said our challenge is to create a tance of market research and feedback from their target Tinker Crate for fifth-grade students, this takes that and audience. Their original concept, a bedside clock that, makes it more specific in light of who their user is.” when the alarm was activated, would leap off the nightThrough that line of thinking, students tap into stand, making it impossible for its groggy owner to hit empathy, a not-so-accidental byproduct of the design “snooze,” was met with less than rave reviews, but not for thinking process. “One student talked eloquently about the reason one might imagine. “The alarm clock was too how important empathy is and how motivating it was for difficult because of the way kids had to build it,” Kierner says. “We heard back that we made the kid cry because of him to work on something for other people and try to get it right,” Foley says. “To hear him say how important it was the frustration of the project, so we had to switch it up.” to engage with the people he was designing for and underIt’s moments like these that reaffirm Gulick and Foley’s stand them and care for them, it was very moving, really.” belief that courses like this belong at Exeter. “The process As they begin to pack up their stuff, Gulick makes his is designed to accommodate times when we fail, and then own request for feedback: “So are you all ready to go still move forward,” Foley says. “And if we could put that within our course structure, it would be a way that students about trying again on Tuesday?” He’s met with a head nods and a confident chorus of, could come upon this opportunity, in a structured way.” “We are!” E “The grade in this class is not about the final product.
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 9
A RO U N D M
E
E
T H E T
T
TA B L E H
E
F
A
C
U
L
T
Faculty Farewells
Y
C O L L E AG U E S R E F L E C T O N T H E I M PAC T F E L LOW I N ST R U C TO R S MADE DURING THEIR DISTINGUISHED TENURES
A
fter a collective 98 years of service, four faculty members retire from the Academy ranks this summer. Across campus — in the dorms, classrooms, music halls, theater and library — these individuals have made a lasting impression on generations of Exonians. Their wit, intelligence, laughter and friendship will be deeply missed. Students, alumni and colleagues paid tribute to the four in the pages of the 2021 PEAN yearbook. Here we share a few of their parting memories and accolades.
Although known for working with these top students and their intense training, Mr. Feng was also a great teacher for the entire range of Exeter mathematics students. He was gentle, kind and understanding to those who struggled with math, and his sense of humor and big smile was appreciated by all. A close colleague writes: ‘Through my regular contacts with Mr. Feng, I have become a better problem solver and a more complete mathematical thinker. He has enriched the lives of the students who have been lucky enough to experience his tutelage, and he has been a gracious and valuable colleague. He shall be missed.’ It is not an exaggeration to say that Mr. Feng has been one of the most important and impactful mathematics instructors in the history of the Academy.” — Eric Bergofsky, Instructor in Mathematics
SARAH REAM ’75 Instructor in Theater and Dance, 1997
“Sarah, you have been a remarkable gift to Exeter and your retirement leaves a hole that cannot be filled — by anyone! Having worked with you on numerous committees, seen countless plays you have directed, and listened to many notable speeches you have given to various groups, I think I can say that you are among the brightest
ZUMING FENG Stephen G. Kurtz Teaching Chair and Instructor in Mathematics, 1995
“When Mr. Feng came to the Academy in the spring of 1995, all of his colleagues in the Mathematics Department knew immediately that somebody very special and unique had joined our team. Mr. Feng became a force in the International Mathematics Olympiad program starting in the 1990s and continuing to this day. He has had many important roles in that program, including being the coach of the U.S. Olympiad team and the team leader. Mr. Feng’s presence has attracted to PEA some of the brightest and most-able high school mathematics students in the world for the last 25 years. His work with these students, as well as hundreds of other students as head of the Math Club and math teams at Exeter, is unparalleled and will be impossible to replace.
1 0 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
and most capable people I know. Your wit, your ability to come up with the most perfect turn of phrase for any occasion, and your unflappable determination to do good and just work at this school is unparalleled. So many plays
SU M M E R
20 21
you have done include a deep and meaningful educational experience for your students: conversations with the playwright, historical research, panel discussions and on and on. Over and over again, I have seen how students who work with you in theater are doing so much more than performing — they are learning about their world in a deep and meaningful way. … Whether you are giving a meditation, talking to alumni groups, making a presentation to the faculty about curriculum review, fundraising for the future Goel Center for Theater and Dance, or introducing a new faculty member, your words are always beautifully crafted and filled with humor, humility and wisdom. Listening to you talk is like viewing Van Gogh’s Starry Night or listening to a Brandenburg Concerto: All one can do is laugh out loud and marvel that anyone could create that! … It is hard to envision an Exeter without you, and you will be sorely missed.” — Brad Robinson, Instructor in Science
our school, she would sleep on a colleague’s couch the night before in order to open the library to the students who needed it for their history research papers — a great opportunity of found time during a no-classes snow day. And in addition to all this work, one could find her doing dorm duty, as an affiliate to one of our two all-gender dorms, with sweet grandmotherly care and wisdom.” — Tatiana D. Waterman, Instructor in Science
GAIL SCANLON James H. Ottaway Jr. ’55 Chair and Academy Librarian, 2011
“A champion of human rights, justice and racial equity, Ms. Scanlon made our library a hub of programs that could bind the curricula across departments and could foster collaboration. Via her outreach to the non-arts departments, math and science found a home in the ‘’45 Celebration’ display; our Music Department colleagues installed exhibits of music and architecture in this grand space; and dialogue was encouraged with her offering the library for gatherings and readings to storytellers and poets. As our angel of the Lamont Poetry Committee, she supported this work with all the resources she could muster, and with great kindness and patience. And when snow would close the roads, and no one could drive to
SU M M E R
20 21
PETER SCHULTZ Michael V. Forrestal ’45 Chair in Music and Instructor in Music, 1989
“Peter Schultz has brought laughter and music to Phillips Exeter Academy for 30 years. He has been the conductor of the concert band, the co-conductor of the chamber orchestra, a coach and organizer of chamber music, department chair and a teacher of music theory. Frustrated with the textbooks available for teaching music, he wrote his own series of texts and exercises for studying theory. Mr. Schultz is a master of puns; his mind seems to contain a whole separate set of operations for formulating clever wordplay. He has been a trusted adviser to generations of Exonians, known for providing doughnuts and conversation around the Harkness table in the music building’s atrium each week. Mr. Schultz served as my mentor when I arrived at the Academy, and he treated me with the kindness and warmth of true friendship. Anyone who lives on the north side of campus is familiar with the strains drifting from Mr. Schultz’s home as he practices his flute late into the evening. Mr. Schultz and his wife, Ms. Watt — an oboe instructor at the Academy for many years — have decorated our campus with their music for decades, and the silence they will leave behind is modulated by memories of their delightful, ever-present laughter.” — Kristofer Johnson, Chair of the Department of Music
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 11
A RO U N D
T H E
S
E
TA B L E
N
I
O
R
B
O
O
K
M
A
R
A Hero’s Journey By Zheheng Xiao ’21
W
K
hen I first came to Exeter as
a prep, I was very lonely. In a country where everyone is different, I felt, more than ever, the particularity of my being. I wanted to fit in, wanted to be accepted, wanted to have someone to talk to who could understand me and tell me that I was not alone. It was then that I found JeanChristophe. It is a novel recording the life trajectory of a fictional German musician (who ultimately inspired me to learn piano at Exeter). In Jean-Christophe I saw myself: sometimes confused, sometimes passionate, always changing. We had the same struggles, same questions, same doubts and fears. In a time where I was learning how to live by myself, it was my motivation and my comfort. I am a senior now, with my own group of friends, but I still seek out Jean-Christophe. I think a book is amazing this way: It is always there, waiting to talk to you. It strips away the trivialities of life, and in that pocket of time, it allows you to reflect through the deepest parts of your being. In each of my recommended books and plays, you’ll find a protagonist who grapples with the quintessential question of what it means to be human. They have inspired me to think, to open up, and most important, they have accompanied me in a precarious time of my life. They are my heroes. E
1 2 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
Market Makers ALUM AND STUDENTS C O L L A B O R AT E O N F I N A N C E FOR THE FUTURE By Jennifer Wagner
B
udding genetic scientists at Exeter turn to
BIO586: Molecular Genetics to do advanced lab work. Aspiring attorneys enroll in HIS 533: Law and American Society for face time with social justice practitioners. For fledging financiers, there’s now MAT 690: Mathematical Finance, a new project-based course developed by Miguel Shetreet ’20 and Harrison He ’20 that teaches both the practical — how to read a P&L sheet and calculate cash flow — and the complex; say, how to develop a capital asset pricing model or predict a return on a stock portfolio. “As a co-head and member of many business clubs when I was on campus, I knew that there were many students who would love to take a mathematical finance class,” says Shetreet, who is studying global business at Trinity College Dublin. “It was a hunger for knowledge in the finance area that inspired me to co-write the syllabus and introduce a new class.” A key part of the course’s design was to connect students with professionals in the field. Shetreet and He imagined a visit to a hedge fund or attendance at a business conference. Of course, due to COVID pandemic guidelines, such off-campus excursions weren’t possible this year. Luckily, Math Instructor Gayatri Ramesh had a workaround — Zoom. When considering whom to invite to virtual class, Ramesh immediately thought of fintech entrepreneur and Trustee Wole Coaxum ’88; P’24. “I knew that his company, Mobility Capital Finance, is doing a lot for underserved communities and I wanted students to know where he comes from and what all he and his company are doing,” she says. “When Gayatri reached out to me in the spring of 2021 and asked that I participate, it was an easy yes,” Coaxum says. “The chance to work with students and be a sounding board for their ideas represents the core spirit of non sibi — specifically, helping the next generation of innovators hone their skills and ideas.” Coaxum joined two classes led by Math Instructors Brandon Hew and John Mosley. During each session, Coaxum offered invaluable real-world advice and direction. “He was so enthusiastic throughout class, and the
SU M M E R
20 21
students eagerly asked Zoom class with Trustee [so many] questions I had Wole Coaxum ’88; P’24. to put a hard stop after an hour just to be mindful of everyone’s time,” Ramesh recalls. “He has the ability to inspire young minds and it was a joy to see him not as a financier or entrepreneur but as a teacher.” For his part, Coaxum says: “The session where each team discussed their projects was especially exciting. Their concepts addressed real-world problems ranging from helping people understand how the interest on their mortgages is calculated to using big data to price assets. It’s encouraging to see students bring a multidisciplinary approach to solving real-world problems. I love it. These are the same tools that I have used in my career over the years.” Students such as Christina Xiao ’21 truly appreciated learning from an alum. “I felt more connected to the school after Mr. Coaxum spoke with us, especially as a graduating senior,” Xiao says. “He is a role model for life after Exeter, outside of the Exeter bubble I have been growing inside for the past four years. He took what he had learned throughout his time here to find success, while improving the communities around him, which is a perfect example of non sibi. … The class was a highlight of my senior spring!” Unfortunately, Shetreet and He graduated before their course was added to the schedule, but they are happy to learn it has been a success. “It feels great to know,” Shetreet says, “that I made an impact on the students who took the class this year and those who may in the future.” E
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 1 3
A RO U N D
T H E
TA B L E
Founders’ Day Awards, 2020 and 2021 DEVOTED VOLUNTEER, ACADEMY LIBRARIAN RECOGNIZED By Jennifer Wagner
Jones
ALAN R. JONES ’72
For nearly five decades, Alan Jones has galvanized the Academy and its community with a full heart — first as a student, then as a class volunteer and a valued trustee. In recognition of his devoted engagement, Jones was presented with the 2020 Founders’ Day Award during a virtual assembly in April. The event was delayed for nearly a year due to the pandemic. Delivering the award citation, Trustee, General Alumni Association President and Awards Committee Chair Janney Wilson ’83 said, “[Alan’s] unswerving dedication is a testament to the deep appreciation he has for his own Exeter experience and the responsibility he feels to help create the path for those who come after.” “Exeter was an unrivaled opportunity made possible because someone saw in me a person that I had not yet come to know,” Jones said, explaining how his guidance counselor at Crenshaw High School in California introduced him to an Exeter alum, who sponsored him to attend the Academy’s Summer School program. After excelling there, Jones enrolled as a full-time student with a financial aid scholarship during the winter of his upper year. Those experiences of another’s support inspired him to do what he could to give back. His outgoing personality, warm smile and easy laugh
14 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
served him well as a proctor in Soule Hall. Later, he took on the role of class vice president, class president, class agent, reunion gift chair, regional president, General Alumni Association president and Admissions representative. He is currently a class agent and The Exeter Fund national co-chair. Jones joined the Trustees in 2000 for a two-year term. In 2003, they invited him to return, and for the next 10 years he participated on eight committees and task forces that positively impacted faculty, staff and students alike. As chair of the Compensation and Benefits Task Force, he ensured the Academy holistically supported its employees. On the Youth from Every Quarter Task Force and the Universal Access Committee, he helped make Exeter more accessible, financially and physically, to qualified candidates from around the world. Having spent hours working in the Academy Library and the dining hall during his student days, it was especially poignant for him to be part of the team that eliminated the work and loan requirement for students on financial aid. But perhaps the area of campus he is most proud of is Phillips Church. During his time as a trustee, he oversaw changes to ensure multiple faiths were honestly and respectfully represented within its walls. In accepting the award, Jones spoke passionately about faith, freedom and the importance of looking to the past to evaluate our present. Recent events, he said, have led him to carefully consider where we are now as a national and world community and to examine the history of both President George Washington (who was inaugurated on the same day in 1789 that Jones received the Founders’ Award) and Academy co-founder John Phillips. Noting the “great inconsistencies of human nature,” Jones said: “A great national leader can play an extraordinary role in the formation of a new nation dedicated to freedom, yet deny that same freedom to certain individuals for personal gain. A dedicated philanthropist can exercise his passion for education through the founding of fine institutions of learning, yet not leave a record of speaking forcefully about the exploitation of enslavement.” These “human imperfections” shouldn’t stop us from
SU M M E R
20 21
having optimism, he said. “In the spirit of unity, hope and charity for all, we can celebrate the good, even when it falls short of the ideal.” In closing, Jones offered a blessing: “Through your journey in life, may the goodness and knowledge that is in you always lift you up and may the spirit of non sibi advance your every step.”
JACQUELYN H. THOMAS ’45, ’62, ’69 (HON.); P’78, P’79, P’81
Over 35 years as Academy librarian, Jacqueline Thomas transformed the Class of 1945 Library into an intellectual and cultural epicenter at the heart of campus life. Her visionary initiatives to bring Harkness teaching — as well as the diverse voices of visiting poets, artists and musicians — into the library proper promoted inclusivity and academic rigor. She was recognized with the 2021 Founders’ Day Award for more than three decades of leadership during a virtual assembly in May. Thomas was the first woman to hold the post of Academy librarian and the first faculty spouse to become a faculty member. She actively supported gender equality on campus as a founding member of the Committee to Enhance the Status of Women, or CESW, and spearheaded the creation of the first childcare center for faculty. Touching a small gold medallion with the initials CESW engraved on it around her neck, Thomas said, “I have worn this day and night since I received it. It is emblematic of what to me was an important time in my life and the life of Exeter.” Principal Bill Rawson ’71; P’08 described Thomas as a “pioneer and champion of girls and women at Exeter,” adding his delight at extending her this honor and gratitude for her exceptional service. Trustee, General Alumni Association President and Awards Committee Chair Janney Wilson ’83 delivered the 2021 citation, saying, “[Jackie] furthered two major aspects of campus life — the library and the status of women — to such an extent that the Exeter campus owes no small part of what it is today to her. She is an Exeter institution.” Thomas expressed heartfelt gratitude for the Academy community when accepting her award and also recounted some fun Exeter memories. Among them: ridding the library of blue mice let loose by Andover students inside the Louis I. Kahn building during E/A weekend. Thomas arrived at Exeter in 1957 with her husband, David, a classics instructor. She spent the next 19 years living in school dormitories, raising her daughters, and caring for “the dorm boys” with game nights and Saturday hot dog dinners. When her youngest daughter turned 5, Thomas decided to pursue a master’s degree in library science at the University of New Hampshire. An internship at Exeter’s Davis Library provided her with a lens on every aspect of library operation. When a fulltime position opened up, she boldly told then-librarian
SU M M E R
20 21
Jackie Thomas and her daughter Hilary Thomas ’81
Rodney Armstrong that she could do the job in half the time. He took her at her word and hired her as a part-time staff member in 1971, the same year the first books were transferred to the new Class of 1945 Library. She was appointed Academy librarian and a full faculty member in 1977. Inside the library, Thomas promoted change. She invited all faculty colleagues to teach in the library and installed a Harkness table in Rockefeller Hall. In 1989, she was honored with the Rupert Radford ’15 Faculty Fellowship and a year later she was named the first James H. Ottaway Jr. ’55 Chair. After 25 years, the Academy recognized her as “a teacher of teachers.” To enact her ideas, Thomas raised funds and spurred generous gifts — like the 1632 folio of Shakespeare — that added to the Special Collection’s national prestige. In 1994, she oversaw the digitization of the library catalog. She also coached girls tennis and served on more than 20 committees, including the Curriculum Committee. Not surprisingly, some of Thomas’ most memorable achievements happened inside the library. With inspired imagination, she invited 10 Tibetan monks to build a sand mandala in the center of Rockefeller Hall. She pioneered the Lamont Poetry Series to bring poets such as Jorge Luis Borges, Allen Ginsberg and Gwendolyn Brooks to campus. She organized a summer concert series and rotating art exhibitions, and gave students a voice as library proctors and as creators of bookmarks to share their reading lists. With her daughter Hilary by her side, Thomas said, “I am truly overwhelmed by the amount of attention being paid. I cannot believe that I deserve it all, even though I’ll take it all.” E The Founders’ Day Award was conceived by Principal Stephen G. Kurtz and established by the Trustees in 1976. It is given annually by the General Alumni Association in recognition of devoted service to the Academy.
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 1 5
A RO U N D
T H E
TA B L E
Lynda Barry
cartoonist, associate professor of interdisciplinary creativity, University of Wisconsin-Madison “My grandma’s whole idea of childrearing was always story-based. It wasn’t just, ‘Go clean your room.’ It was, ‘Lynda, at night there is a vampire that comes in our house. This Filipino vampire is very scary; she’s a beautiful lady during the day, but at night she takes her legs off.’ My brothers and I are like, ‘What, she takes her legs off?’ ‘Yeah, she takes them off, then she’s flying to the United States, Lynda, she’s coming to our house. At night, she can come in the smallest crack. She has a long tongue with a needle on the end that she can put in your body to suck your blood because you don’t pick up your clothes.’” PHOTO COURTESY THE MACARTHUR FOUNDATION
Heard in Assembly S O U N D B I T E S F RO M T H I S S P R I N G’S S P E A K E R S E R I E S Compiled by Maxine Weed Katharine Wilkinson, writer, climate-change activist “There’s growing proof of the link between climate change and gender-based violence, including sexual assault, domestic abuse and forced prostitution, things that you might not think could be related to a warming world. Tasks that are really core to survival, such as collecting water or wood or growing food, often fall on female shoulders in many cultures,
Wilkinson
1 6 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
and they’re challenging and time-consuming activities. Climate change can take that burden and deepen it, and with it, deepen struggles for health, for education, for financial security.” Tre Johnson, author “I think race, class and culture are hip bone and elbow joints to the body: They might feel like they’re far apart, but are all ultimately deeply connected. Whenever I write, I try to figure out, ‘Where do Johnson those three meet?’ When I’m in different spaces, either physically, emotionally or socially, what do I see happening at the intersection of race, class and culture?”
SU M M E R
20 21
ERIC CARTER
Thurston
Jeff Jacoby, columnist, The Boston Globe “My job as a voter and as a citizen, as I see it, is not to be with the winner. It’s not to be for team R or for team D. It’s to uphold values that I think are most important. It’s to defend principles that I think our country’s success and happiness depend on. It’s to support presidents or other political leaders only when they support what I think are the right ideas.”
VERONICA LOLA
SU M M E R
20 21
Chloé Valdary, writer, entrepreneur “The purpose of art, the task of the artist, is to give expression to the full range of the human condition, as opposed to stereotyping or caricaturing, or reducing people to labels based upon immutable characteristics. Art expands our understanding of the human condition and expands our horizons in terms of what the human condition entails.”
McGill
Daniel Markovits, Guido Calabresi Professor of Law, Yale Law School “Today’s elite, what they own is their own human capital, their own training, their own skills, their own work effort. If you’re in that position, your wealth and privilege don’t make you free because the only way you can get income out of your wealth and privilege is by mixing it with your own labor by working yourself and by doing whatever tasks, working at whatever jobs the market tells you will pay the most.” E Markovits
STEPHANIE ANESTIS
Jacoby
Valdary
Matthew McGill ’92, lawyer “The Supreme Court did not say why it chose to conduct oral arguments by telephone, but I suspect it has something to do with its long and well-established opposition to any forms of cameras in the courtroom. If the justices appeared by web camera, could they continue to resist TV cameras? I tend to think that would have been a hard sell, so they stuck with the good old-fashioned telephone.”
Baratunde Thurston, writer, commentator “I don’t run an organization, I’m not constantly being arrested, but I do consciously try to use the power I have to advocate for things I believe in. And that’s to heavily power my voice and my words, some of my actions. I’ve slowly embraced that I don’t just believe stuff. I try to act on the stuff I believe in and the spheres where I feel like I have influence.”
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 1 7
A RO U N D
T
A
B
T H E
L
E
TA B L E
T
A
L
K
A Force for Good A C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H T R U S T E E A N D D E I TA S K F O R C E C H A I R J A C Q U E L I N E H AY E S ’ 8 5 By Adam Loyd
W
hen Jackie Hayes ’85 thinks back on her time at Exeter, she considers herself
LY N D O N H AY E S
fortunate. Like so many students, she arrived looking for a space within the Academy that felt comfortable, somewhere to fit in and make connections that would stretch across campus. She quickly realized that place was in the theater. “One of the reasons I was attracted to the theater is whether it’s at Exeter or in New York, London or wherever around the world, it’s such a welcoming and inclusive community.” In the theater, Hayes and her classmates freely explored an array of characters and themes, collectively “reflecting and celebrating humanity in all of its various different forms,” she says. But even as her own friendships blossomed and her social network expanded, Hayes saw that some other students of color were struggling to find their foothold. She recalls hearing from friends who, when stepping outside of their affinity groups, felt less than accepted by the community at large. “If students don’t find a place within Exeter, a real community for themselves, it’s a really hard place to be, particularly when there are not a lot of people who look like you, or if you don’t feel seen or understood,” she says. “I didn’t personally experience as much of that kind of isolation, but I have many friends, particularly Black friends, who really did. We didn’t see ourselves, our culture, our history, reflected in life at Exeter.” In the summer of 2020, Hayes was tapped to lead a task force of trustees focused on charting a path forward in Exeter’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. Hayes uses her own time at the Academy, and the experience of others, as motivation in her work. “I want people to feel included, feel welcome and have the sense of community that I had,” she says. “I know not everybody has that. And I just want to do everything I can to help everyone have that.” We sat down with Hayes to discuss the DEI Task Force and her vision for making Exeter an inclusive place for each member of the community. Prior to the formation of the task force, what kind of work was being done at an institutional level to improve equity and inclusion at Exeter?
Even before the events of last summer, there have been conversations going on in the community — from student leaders, faculty and alumni — about why DEI efforts are so important. In 2018, the Academy hired Dr. Stephanie Bramlett [as director of equity and inclusion], and the trustees wrote and published a DEI vision statement. We have been more focused since then on trying to integrate anti-racist and DEI principles into everything at the Academy, whether it’s the curriculum, extracurricular life, sports, everything, across just the culture in general.
1 8 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
When thinking about improving diversity, oftentimes the first thing that comes to mind is fostering racial equity. How do you see DEI?
It’s interesting because when we first started talking about the DEI vision statement, race obviously was a component, but it’s not just about race. It’s not just about gender, religion, orientation. It really is meant to be a more inclusive definition of diversity. So, diversity of perspective, diversity of ability. All the various different aspects of diversity. The increasing occurrences of racial injustice, violence and hate crimes in the country, as well as the concerns about equity and inclusion that have been raised by students and adults of color on campus, have certainly led us to concentrate our efforts on racial equity as an initial and continuing focus, but our overall mission is broader than that. What have been some of the early priorities of the task force?
retaining the number of diverse faculty on campus and providing training and discussion forums around race and social justice issues, initiatives that are measurable, are certainly a focal point. In a year with so many historically difficult challenges, how were you able to keep the momentum going on DEI initiatives?
Well, it was the community that generated that momentum: Principal Rawson and his leadership team, the faculty, staff and students, everyone who leaned into this critical work — that’s how it happened. Given the challenges of keeping the Academy open, getting students
“I want people to feel included, feel welcome and have the sense of community that I had.”
In June of 2020, we sent out a letter to the community in which we identified 12 initial action items that we really wanted to prioritize. It was by no means meant to be an exhaustive list, but it was the initial 12 that we really want to prioritize in terms of making sure we were laser focused on critical race issues. One item we’re focusing on is being a community that supports “youth from every quarter,” which comes directly from the Academy’s mission statement. We feel that points to the importance of hiring and retaining diverse faculty and leadership on campus, which in turn supports a diverse student population. More broadly, we’ve done some thinking on how organizational systems and traditions can be reimagined to be more inclusive.
on campus and keeping everyone safe, I think they have made considerable strides. We could have said, “You know what, it’s just too hard to do this now, so we have to shelve this until next year,” but in this crazy year, with everything that’s been happening to Black Americans and Asian American and Pacific Islander folks, that would have been untenable for those members of our community. Don’t get me wrong, there is still so much work to be done, but I’m really inspired by the commitments and progress made this year.
How do you plan to set goals and track your progress?
What role does the task force play in shaping the future of Exeter?
Like many organizations that are focusing on DEI, we’re wrestling with how we measure success. And not only how do we track the progress of our work, but how do we adapt or pivot if we’re not seeing the results that we want as we go along. We know where we are in terms of the numbers of diverse faculty and students, and where we would like to be, but how do you measure equity and inclusion? We have input from sources like the [online communities] Black@Exeter, Asian@Exeter, LGBTQ@ Exeter and various other forums where people had spoken out about what they saw as inequities and exclusion at Exeter. We wanted to address those concerns most urgently. And so, things like increasing, supporting and
I think Exeter is widely seen as a leader in lots of different ways in academia, and certainly in terms of a place where students go to prepare for college and life in general. I would like Exeter to be seen as a leader in this area as well. I know that might sound very idealistic, but I really do have that “city on a hill” kind of vision of it. The trustees have stated for the record that Exeter defines excellence as more than just good grades and getting into top colleges; excellence requires developing the empathy, understanding and respect for those who are different from us in order to be of service to something larger than ourselves. That’s not something that just happens because we want it to; we all have to work at it. E
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 19
A RO U N D
T H E
TA B L E
Lasting Impressions Compiled by Felix Yeung ’21
D
uring senior week, Felix Yeung asked a few of his classmates what they’ll most remember about their years at Exeter. Would it be the Academy bell’s hourly chime? The dreaded 333? Time and time again, he found that it wasn’t just a “what” that really resonated, but a “where.” Here Yeung and his fellow grads place defining Exeter moments on the campus map.
WEBSTER HALL FORRESTALBOWLD MUSIC BUILDING “Here, people can chill and look into Powell Hall. My favorite memories of the nook are just hanging out with friends or doing homework alone — it’s a peaceful corner. Sitting in the music building in general is a bit of a euphoric experience. You can hear everyone practicing. It’s quite majestic.”
“I will never forget Webster. To me, it was more than just a dormitory — it was a warm, safe place where my friends and I could wind down after a tough week of school. I truly feel that it is my home. Although I am sad to be leaving Webster this year, I know that the rising proctors will take great care of the dorm.” — Adam
— Audrey
EXONIAN NEWSROOM “If the Harkness table is known for producing intellectual fireworks, the newsroom is something else. The work moves us to laughter, to yelling, even to tears. But there’s also an abiding tenderness to that room. I’ll always remember an early-December day when a few friends and I put up Christmas lights on the shelves; with holiday music on full blast and a YouTube Yule log on each computer screen, we plugged in a little Christmas tree. ‘Let there be light,’ someone said — and light there was.”
ACADEMY WOODS “I really love walking on the small wooden bridge heading to the Academy woods. I would just stand in the middle and feel the air, look at the water and take way too many photos. I used that spot for a video assignment in an English class, and whenever a friend would want to go on a walk, I’d ask to go there. The water reminds me of home in the Puget Sound, going between islands, and I find myself completely at peace.”
— Felix
20 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
—Sam
THOMPSON FIELD HOUSE PHILLIPS CHURCH “Staying late after a nighttime meeting in Phillips Church, I paused to experience the dark. There is a humble, aching and ancient beauty to that place at night. I felt almost forced to begin singing.” — Stephen
“The Field House will always hold a special place in my heart. Being among the first students to use the facility, I feel a sort of ownership over it. Of course, the memories that I’ve made on that track are also incredible, from practices to personal records. The space evokes a deep sense of gratitude.” — Evie
SU M M E R
20 21
G
L
O
B
A
L
I
N
I
T
I
A
Back to Nature
T
I
V
E
S
T
welve students spent the first week of summer
break encountering the magic of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom on Exeter’s first Global Engagement excursion in 15 months. “It felt really good to be going on a school trip after the year we’ve had,” Oscair Page ’22 says. “Since [everyone] on the trip had gone through a similar experience with campus restrictions, we were able to bond over this newfound relief and that pushed us to avoid taking any part of it for granted.” Living as environmental stewards, the students built a traditional timber-framed lean-to (in which they spent the night), took wildflower-identification walks, mountain-biked, fished, and shared stories during nightly fireside chats. The adventure, led by English Instructor Jason BreMiller and Biology Instructor Kadeine Peterson, offered students the opportunity to appreciate how the human and nonhuman worlds can thrive in concert. “One focus of the trip was being environmentally conscious, and the fact that we were actually in nature forming a relationship with the land made that message more meaningful,” Page says. “Learning about climate change solely through a computer screen would have felt very removed, and I certainly wouldn’t be as motivated as I am now to get involved and learn more.” E
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 21
A RO U N D
T H E
TA B L E
The Last Act A thoughtful moment for Instructor in Theater and Dance Rob Richards as he visits Fisher Theater’s black box “workshop” for the last time on the morning of May 18, 2021.
CHERYL SENTER
Scan this QR code with your smartphone’s camera to watch Richards’ tribute film about the beloved theater.
2 2 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
O
N
S
T
A
G
E
The Show Goes On S P R I N G T H E AT E R , D A N C E A N D M U S I C P E R FO R M A N C E S D E L I G H T AU D I E N C E S Nina Webber ’22 (in orange) and company in “A Seat at the Table.” Kura Ferdyn ’22 and Anne Chen ’22
Mali Rauch ’22
Jesalina Phan ’23
The “Our Town” cast in Exeter, N.H. (above); Dillon Mims ’21 and Sadie DiCarlo ’21 on the Goel Center’s outdoor stage.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTIAN HARRISON AND WILLIAM VIETOR ’21
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 2 3
A RO U N D
T H E
TA B L E
EXETER DECONSTRUCTED T H E S C H O O L W E L O V E I N D E TA I L
By Patrick Garrity
The Academy Building Inscription Hic quaerite pueri puellaeque virtutem et scientiam pronounces the Latin inscription across the
Academy Building’s marble frieze two stories up. “Here boys and girls seek goodness and knowledge.” The engraving seems as hallowed as the century-old building itself, but it was only added in 1996 during the school’s silver anniversary celebration of coeducation. Since the building’s construction, visitors who enter through the front door pass beneath a lintel bearing another Latin phrase: Huc venite pueri ut viri sitis. It translates to “Come hither, boys, that you may become men,” a serviceable motto for generations of boys-only education but well outdated by the time John “Tex” McCrary ’28 visited for a post-60th reunion. McCrary suggested the school add a more inclusive inscription to better reflect a modern-day Exeter. Trustees debated removing the original inscription, but Principal Kendra Stearns O’Donnell explained to The Exonian in 1996 the decision to keep it while adding a fresher message above it. “We are respecting and honoring our history by leaving the old lintel as we leave the pictures of the old headmasters up in the Assembly Hall,” said the first woman to serve as Exeter principal. “However, we needed a new symbol to show what we are now, with the hope that it will be a symbol for further generations of Exonians.” E
24 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
I N S I D E
T H E
W R I T I N G
L I F E
Songbook of the Self A C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H S I N G E R - S O N G W R I T E R C H I N A F O R B E S ’8 8 By Daneet Steffens ’82
C
hina Forbes ’88 fell for music early, composing her first song in her teens. To this
day, she thrives on her beloved songwriting, finding within it a reliable mode of self-expression. Exeter proved to be fertile musical ground for Forbes — she was a member of concert choir, glee club and PEADQUACKS. Though she studied visual arts at Harvard and worked as an actress in New York City post-college, the musical bug triumphed ultimately. Forbes released her first solo album, Love Handle, in 1995 and a second effort, ’78, followed in 2008. By then Forbes was well established and widely recognized as the lead singer for Pink Martini. The band’s mix of glamorous covers like Edith Piaf ’s “La Vie En Rose” and Miriam Makeba’s “Pata Pata” and their equally ear-catching originals complements Forbes’ more low-key solo output. We caught up with her ahead of the band’s summer tour, as she was working at home on projects both personal and Pink. Do you remember writing your first song?
Oh, yes. We had a terrible upright piano and a broken guitar in our living room. I wrote this song on the guitar; I taught myself to play by looking at a chord chart. It was called “Shining Star” — “You are my shining star, and wherever you go, I know where you are.” I was 13 or 14. Then, at Exeter, Bob Squires taught me guitar, and [Ales] Sandro Nivola and I went to Bob’s home studio for my first recording. That was a song I wrote called “Surveillance,” a very strange song, kind of haunting. It imagines that I’m under somebody’s surveillance, but liking it. It’s sort of like “Every Breath You Take” by The Police. What’s your songwriting process like now? There must be a difference between your solo songs and those for Pink Martini.
Totally. With Pink Martini it’s about removing the personal — be universal, be old-fashioned, blend in with the covers we do. It’s more stylized. With my personal songwriting it’s the opposite. I write about what I’m feeling and I’ve managed my feelings through writing — it’s such a great outlet, such a great ally in life. I can turn anything bad into something good. I create art out of the things that hurt me or just from phrases that I hear. Everything that I hear, I want to put into something creative. I can’t seem to get this solo album done, so I’m planning to release one song, a song that I wrote in 2018. I started writing this chorus that was in my head, and then I went to meet my then-boyfriend for dinner and he broke up with me! I wrote the second verse about that. What’s it called? Can you do a mini song-decoder for us?
It’s called “Full Circle” and it’s about that feeling of, “Wow — I’ve been here before. How did I get back to this place?” There’s a line in the verse about the breakup: “If anybody hurts you like it doesn’t matter, when the love is over, was it just a dream? And you thought you’d
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 2 5
I N S I D E
T H E
W R I T I N G
L I F E
left those lonely days behind you, they came back around, they came back around, they’re coming around.” It’s about that feeling in a relationship when you think, “I’m happy and I’ll never be unhappy again and I’ll never be alone again.” And then you realize, “Wait — I’m alone again!” It’s about those cycles, about finding yourself back there but also realizing that you’re a different person than you were the last time. I love this song: It was orchestrated for an entire symphony orchestra — the Oregon
one, then another. In general, it’s me videoing myself doing a cover that will work for the event, anything from “O-o-h Child” by The Five Stairsteps to “What a Wonderful World.” I’ve done that for a range of fundraisers including my son’s school, Dress for Success Oregon and the Campaign for Equal Justice, and I love it. The hardest part is recording: I have to be the set director, the lighting director, the videographer, the talent and the editor! It’s just amazing how complicated it can get when you’re trying to make it perfect.
“I write about what I’m feeling and I’ve managed my feelings through writing — it’s such a great outlet, such a great ally in life.“ Symphony — to perform live at a concert for my 50th birthday, which was in April. That concert was canceled, so I’ll release the song with the same orchestration on Spotify and other streaming services as soon as I get it finished. What have you been working on during the pandemic?
I started making music videos and posting them online. I’m decidedly not into social media, but this year it was a good way to keep my chops up, to stay used to delivering songs to an audience, even if it wasn’t in person. I performed a lot of covers via my Insomnia Sessions on Instagram. I would love to release an album of those someday, but, as anyone who was in Amen Hall with me knows, I don’t have good time management. I have a lot of ideas on the go: the Insomnia album, an opera album — I love singing arias — and a solo album that I’ve been working on for seven years. And you’ve been recording videos for virtual fundraisers as well?
Yes! When every gala in the world was canceled, they went online. I was asked to do
26 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
Did you also make the videos of Pink Martini’s “The Lemonade Song” and your “Handwashing Song” during lockdown?
I wrote “The Handwashing Song” in the fall of 2019 to convince my son to wash his hands, so it wasn’t about COVID. When COVID happened, I just had to add lyrics and make that video. The “Lemonade” video, which the band asked me to do, was really fun because it was spontaneous. They were like, “Do you think you could make a little video for ‘The Lemonade Song?’” I ran to the kitchen, started making lemonade and videotaped myself lip-synching. They loved it.
I noticed Donna Summer albums on the shelf behind you in the “Handwashing” video. Was she an influence?
She is the whole reason that I decided to become a singer when I was 8. I wasn’t one of those child prodigies who was playing a drum kit at age 2, but I always sang to myself. When I bought her Live and More album with my own money — the first album I bought — it was a turning point where I fantasized about being that kind of singer. I imitated her to teach myself to sing. Finally, what’s on your slate for summer?
We are doing real, live concerts this summer! We did two drive-in concerts in the fall and that was kind of a hoot, a bunch of headlights blinking at you. But we’ve started doing live concerts again. We have a tour that starts in Michigan in July, and wraps up on Cape Cod in August. I didn’t think it would happen, but it definitely is. E
SU M M E R
20 21
E XO N I A N S
I N
R E V I E W
Alumni are encouraged to advise the Bulletin editor (bulletin@exeter.edu) of their own publications, recordings, films, etc., in any field, and those of their classmates, for inclusion in future Exonians in Review columns. Please send a review copy of your published work to the editor to be considered for an extended profile or review in future issues. Works can be sent to: Phillips Exeter Academy, The Exeter Bulletin, 20 Main Street, Exeter, NH 03833. ALUMNI 1952—Robert A. Lloyd. Memoir of a Forgetful Man. (Shires Press, 2021) 1953—Chris Crowley. The Practical Navigator. (Sopris Books, 2021) 1954—Alex Boyle. “Rossotti Tax Plan Narrows Gap without Raising Taxes,” op-ed. (The Baltimore Sun, Jan. 15, 2021) 1956—Paul John Eakin. Writing Life Writing: Narrative, History, Autobiography. (Routledge, 2020) 1960—John Binkley. Präsidenten Suite, play. Viewable online at Theatermatte.ch/program/video-ondemand. 1960—Mark Woodcock. Concert Music for the Curious, a livestreamed series of classical music, broadcast fortnightly from his living room and viewable online at youtube.com/user/mwoodcoc. 1962—Brian Kelly. Two’s Company.…: A Comedy of Sex, Love, Crime and Treachery. (Self-published, 2020) — Communist Number One: Life and Times of Joel Barr, Soviet Patriot from Brooklyn, Julius Rosenberg’s Best Friend, Volume 1. (Brick Hill Roads, 2021) 1966—Peter Thompson, translation and adaptation. Discovery of The New World. (Diálogos Books, 2020) 1972—Juliet P. Kostritsky. “Why Choose LTAs? An Empirical Study of Ohio Manufacturers’ Contractural Choices through a Bargaining Lens.” (American University Business Law Review, vol. 9, no. 3, 2020) 1979—Alexandra Dunietz, with June Cummins. From Sarah to Sydney: The Woman Behind All-of-a-Kind Family. (Yale University Press, 2021) 1981—Pamela Erens. Matasha. (IgKids, 2021)
SU M M E R
20 21
1981—Claudia Putnam. “Backcountry” and “You Can See It,” poems. (Bracken Magazine online, no. VIII, June 2021) 1982—Kim McLarin. James Baldwin’s Another Country: Bookmarked. (Ig Publishing, 2021) 1987—Charles E. Ehrlich. “Holocaust, Propaganda, and the Distortion of History in the Former Soviet Space,” chapter in Conceptualizing Mass Violence: Representations, Recollections, and Reinterpretations. (Routledge, 2021) 1988—San Eng, with Oia Eng ’21. Ten Commandments of Investing: Guiding Principles from the Greatest Investment Wizards. (Morgan James Publishing, 2021) 2000—Rob Cioffi. “Kicking Homer to the Curb: The American Scholar Who Upended the Classics,” review. (New York Times Book Review, April 29, 2021) 2001—Nathaniel Webb. Marillion in the 1980s. (Sonicbond Publishing, 2020) — Arcadia Mon Amour (Veil of Worlds). (Vulpine Press, 2021) FACULTY Hadley S. Camilus, transcription. Panda Pajama Party. (Stena-Rose, 2021) Alex S. Myers. Supporting Transgender Students: Understanding Gender Identity and Reshaping School Culture. (University of New Orleans Press, 2021) Kent A. McConnell. Review of The Most Complete Political Machine Ever Known: The North’s Union Leagues in the American Civil War, by Paul Taylor. (Journal of American History, vol. 108, no. 1, June 2021)
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 27
Olympic Mettle E X O N I A N S TA K E H A R D P AT H S T O T H E T O K Y O S U M M E R G A M E S By Patrick Garrity
T
he road to Tokyo is potholed. Molly Reckford ’11
and Nicole Heavirland ’14 can attest. Reckford is an Olympic rower in the bow seat of the women’s lightweight double sculls. Heavirland is a starter for the American women’s rugby team. Each blossomed in their respective sport beyond Exeter, and each slogged through adversity and doubt on their journey to the XXXII Summer Olympiad. Reckford
NICOLE HEAVIRLAND ’14
MIKE LEE/KLC FOTOS
Nicole Heavirland had hoop dreams as a kid. She is a sports Swiss Army knife from Whitefish, Montana, who calls basketball her first love. She was on a mission to play in college by the time she came to Exeter for 11th grade in the fall of 2012. Her wake-up routine was to go to Love Gym before dawn and make 100 baskets before breakfast. “I became close with the janitor, because he was the one letting me in,” she says. Heavirland helped coach Johnny Griffith, now Exeter’s dean of student health and wellness, turn a Big Red program that lost 14 games the season before she arrived into a league champion two years later. Her classmates voted her Most Athletic and — prophetically — Most Likely to Go to the Olympics. (She was runner-up for Most Likely to Be on the Cover of Sports Illustrated.) Basketball wasn’t Heavirland’s only game. She and her twin brother, Ryan ’14, and their older brother, Taylor, played multiple sports growing up. Everything was a competition. At bedtime, their father would take turns throwing a football to the three kids as they ran routes across the living room. A dropped pass banished you to bed. Nicole stayed up late more often than not. And while she excelled in every sport, she was particularly drawn to tackle football and rugby. “There’s not a lot of girls Nicole Heavirland ’14 carries the ball forward. out there willing to go tackle someone in the snow in Montana,” she says with a laugh. “I fell in love with the physicality of it.” went 2½ years without pulling an oar, fed up with Exeter doesn’t field a rugby team, but that didn’t stop what seemed like a one-sided love affair with rowing. Heavirland from continuing to play during her time at the Heavirland spent four years perpetually black and blue Academy. In the summer before her senior year, she was from rugby’s punishing nature, only to have her Olympic invited to join a women’s junior national program that plug pulled by a global pandemic. competed internationally. “I remember sitting in assembly and imagining, Next came West Point. Heavirland entered the U.S. ‘What would my assembly be? What would I talk about?’” Military Academy in 2014, drawn to the high academic Reckford says. “Exeter taught me to sit in the audience standards and leadership opportunities and the chance to and think, ‘What would I do if given the stage?’” play Division I college basketball. Recurring invitations A few weeks before departing for the Tokyo Summer to travel and train with the U.S. OIympic rugby program Games, both took time from their final preparations to talk clashed with the strict regulations of cadet life at West about their twisting paths and recall their Academy days.
28 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
S P O RTS
U.S. ROWING
rowed competitively for the Big Green, but no matter how Point. Eventually, rugby won out. She left school after hard she worked, her passion went unrewarded. By the three semesters to join the full-time residence program in time she left Hanover for an investment job in New York Chula Vista, California, to start 2016. City, her rowing career was finished. Eight months later and just two years beyond Exeter, “I got to the point where I said, ‘I love this sport, but I Heavirland was an Olympian. She represented the can’t do it anymore. I’ve been spending a long time trying United States as women’s rugby made its Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro. It was a bittersweet experience for her. She was Molly Reckford ’11 (in white jersey) proud to be part of the team, but she was an alternate. Sitting and watching are not her strengths. “It was super hard at the time, but it only made me better,” she says. “I kept my nose down and just kept grinding.” She became a mainstay of the rugby program, even as her career seesawed throughout the five years since Rio. It went up as she was named captain of the women’s sevens. Down when new coaches came in and stripped her of that captaincy. Up as she and the team roared to five medals in six tournaments in 2019 on the way to Olympic qualification. Down as the coronavirus pandemic forced the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games to be postponed for a full calendar year. Heavirland took that last disappointment hard. She was fit, physically and mentally, neither of which was a given to prove that I can be good, but maybe you guys were if she had to wait another year. Not even her spot on the right that I can’t be good,’” she says. team was guaranteed. She left the training center to reset Her self-imposed exile lasted until January 2018. By with family at home in Montana, an unplanned benefit of then she had relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. the Games’ postponement. Her boss suggested she look into joining a nearby masters She rejoined the team in early 2021 in preparation for rowing team — not exactly beer-league softball, but miles the rescheduled Tokyo Games, sparking the Americans to from the U.S. National Team. Reckford showed up one success in tournaments in Madrid and Dubai this spring. Saturday and “got my butt handed to me.” The team’s starting scrum-half — rugby’s version of “My hands were ripped up. I was exhausted. These point guard — Heavirland will have the ball in her hands absolutely delightful 55-year-old moms were laughing frequently as the Olympic tournament unfolds. at me,” Reckford says, “but I had so much fun.” Three That Sports Illustrated cover might happen yet. mornings a week on the water soon became six, and her workouts grew longer and longer. Her passion for rowing reignited, Reckford also MOLLY RECKFORD ’11 Molly Reckford had given up on rowing. Or rather, rowing started to see results. A 2K training exercise on an ergomseemed to have given up on her by the time she graduated eter bettered her collegiate personal best. “I got off the erg, looked at the screen and I was like, ‘There’s somefrom Dartmouth College in 2015. thing going on here.’” Reckford had enjoyed a solid but unspectacular career More training led to more mileposts. She won six races mostly in Big Red’s second boat. She was tall but slight for at the 2018 masters nationals. She went to a nationa college rower, and her inquiries to collegiate programs al-team identification camp and set another personal best were mostly met with “Thank you for your interest” on the erg. A U.S. Rowing “speed order” — basically a replies. She eventually walked on at Dartmouth and
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 2 9
tryout — gathered 29 rowers in April 2019. Seven spots were up for grabs. Reckford finished seventh. Finally, she partnered with Rosa Kemp in the lightweight double sculls and finished second at the national trials to earn a place at the 2019 World Championships. Over the course of 18 months, she had gone from getting whipped by “55-year-old moms” to a place on the national team. Like millions of kids, Reckford dreamed about competing in the Olympics, but millions of kids don’t have Olympians in the family. Her maternal grandfather, William Spencer, was a two-time Olympic biathlete and a longtime Olympic coach. “Seeing an Olympic torch in the hallway at your grandparents’ house has an impact,” Reckford says. “It planted the seed.” Reckford ultimately was paired with veteran Michelle Sechser just a month before the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials. She told Rowing News, “We had three weeks before trials to correct 7,000 problems,” but as it turned out, there was no rush. The pandemic forced the cancellation of the trials, and eventually, the Games themselves. As for Heavirland, the decision was a gut punch for Reckford, but it was a blessing as well. It gave her another year to improve and gave her and Sechser more time to get in synch. “I remember thinking, ‘I wish I had a couple more months. I wish even a year,’” she admits. The pair made good on Reckford’s wish, winning the Olympic Trials in February — in spite of Reckford’s losing her grip on an oar just six strokes into the final — and clinching their place in Tokyo with another victory in Switzerland in May. Turns out, she’ll have plenty to talk about one day at assembly. “I thought I had potential that nobody else saw,” she says. “That was probably a little conceited, because I hadn’t much to my name at that point. But … I was eventually right.” E
30 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
Olympian Exonians EXETER’S LONG HISTORY OF ALUMNI AT THE GAMES. Exonian
Year (City)
Sport
Robert Leavitt ’03
1906 (Athens)
Track & field
William Rand ’05
1908 (London)
Track & field
John P. Jones ’98
1912 (Stockholm)
Track & field
J. Ira Courtney ’10
1912 (Stockholm)
Track & field
Harry Worthington ’13
1912 (Stockholm)
Track & field
Frederick Cunningham ’17
1920 (Antwerp)
Fencing
Bayes Norton ’22
1924 (Paris)
Track & field
Laurence Stoddard ’21
1924 (Paris)
Rowing
David Granger ’19
1928 (St. Moritz)
Bobsled
Tracy Jaeckel ’24
1932 (Los Angeles)
Fencing
1936 (Berlin)
Fencing
Francis Spain ’30
1936 (Garmisch)
Ice hockey
Milton Green ’32
1936 (Berlin)
Track & field
Frederick Kingsbury ’45
1948 (London)
Rowing
Julian Roosevelt ’43
1948 (London)
Sailing
1952 (Helsinki)
Sailing
Don Whiston ’48
1952 (Oslo)
Ice hockey
Tom Corcoran ’50
1956 (Cortina)
Alpine skiing
1960 (Squaw Valley)
Alpine skiing
James Smith ’49
1956 (Melbourne)
Shooting
David Wight ’52
1956 (Melbourne)
Rowing
David Merwin ’54
1956 (Melbourne)
Canoeing
William Becklean ’54
1956 (Melbourne)
Rowing
Robert Morey ’54
1956 (Melbourne)
Rowing
Lawrence Hough ’62
1968 (Mexico City)
Rowing
1972 (Munich)
Rowing
1984 (Los Angeles)
Rowing
1988 (Seoul)
Rowing
1984 (Los Angeles)
Rowing
1988 (Seoul)
Rowing
1992 (Barcelona)
Rowing
1984 (Los Angeles)
Rowing
1988 (Seoul)
Rowing
Gwynneth Coogan ’83
1992 (Barcelona)
Track & field
Rajanya Shah ’92
2000 (Sydney)
Rowing
Sloan DuRoss ’95
2004 (Athens)
Rowing
Sabrina Kolker ’98
2004 (Athens)
Rowing
(representing Canada)
2008 (Beijing)
Rowing
Andreanne Morin ’00
Canada 2004 (Athens)
Rowing
Canada 2008 (Beijing)
Rowing
Canada 2012 (London)
Rowing
2008 (Beijing)
Mountain biking
2012 (London)
Mountain biking
2012 (London)
Rowing
Anne Marden ’76 Jonathan Smith ’79
Andrew Sudduth ’79
Georgia Gould ’98 Nick LaCava ’05
SU M M E R
20 21
S P O RTS
J.R. Bozek ’22
Jackson Giampa ’23
Eden Welch ’23
Big Red Doubles Its E/A Pleasure We missed the Exeter/Andover sports rivalry so much, we held it twice this spring. The pandemic forced the cancellation of the nation’s oldest prep school feud for three seasons — spring and fall 2020 and winter 2021 — the first interruptions of the rivalry in more than 140 years. E/A was rekindled in two parts, with each school playing host to half the contests over successive Saturdays at the end of May. The format proved very fruitful for Big Red. Exeter won 19 of 28 varsity clashes over the two weekends, including sweeps in boys lacrosse, track & field, boys volleyball and golf. The girls and boys crew teams combined to win six of nine races over Andover, and Big Red baseball spoiled the Blue’s perfect season with a thrilling 5-4 win in 13 innings. As for the next edition of E/A, save the date: Nov. 13 in Exeter. E
PHOTOGRAPHS BY WINSLOW TOWNSON
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 31
SPRING SPORTS GIRLS TRACK & FIELD RECORD: 2-0
Head Coach: Hilary Hall Assistant Coaches: Toyin Augustus, John Mosley, Brandon Newbould, Mark Hiza, Steve Holmes, Ron Edmiston, Levi Stribling, Josh Peterson Captains: Sadie Griffith ’21, Evie Houston ’21, Helen Lieberman ’21, Audrey Malila ’21 MVP: Audrey Malila ’21
GIRLS CREW RECORD: 5-1
GIRLS TENNIS A RECORD: 5-2
Head Coach: Sally Morris Assistant Coaches: Becky Moore, Steve Carr, Catherine Saarela-Irvin Captains: Alicia Coble ’21, Addie Luce ’21, Nina Weeldreyer ’21 MVP: Chloe Minicucci ’21
Head Coach: Gayatri Ramesh Captains: Emily Baxter ’21, Anna Jacobwitz ’21 MVP: Cecilia Treadwell ’22
BASEBALL RECORD: 11-8
Head Coach: Tim Mitropoulos ’10 Assistant Coach: Nat Hawkins Captains: Owen Fox ’21, Owen McKiernan ’21 MVP: Nicholas Wang ’21
BOYS TENNIS A RECORD: 2-3
Head Coach: Will Abisalih Captain: Jacob Feigenberg ’21, James Manderlink ’21, Tony Xiao ’21 MVP: Tony Xiao ’21
GIRLS LACROSSE RECORD: 13-1
BOYS VOLLEYBALL RECORD: 5-0
Head Coach: Christina Breen Assistant Coach: Alexa Caldwell, Kristen Kjellman Marshall Captains: Charlotte Lisa ’21, Victoria Reaman ’21, Marymegan Wright ’21 MVP: Victoria Reaman ’21
3 2 • T H E
E X E T E R
Head Coach: Bruce Shang Assistant Coach: Suzan Rowe Captains: Nhat Nam Nguyen ’21, James Keeling ’21, Wiley Bahr ’21 MVP: Nhat Nam Nguyen ’21
B U L L E T I N 3 2 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
S P R I N G
20 1 5
S P R I N G
20 1 5
BOYS CREW RECORD: 4-2
Head Coach: Albert Leger Assistant Coaches: Greg Spanier, Townley Chisholm, Avery Reavill ’12 Captains: Graham Guite ’21, Jack Puchalski ’21 MVP: Alexander Ranganathan ’21
GOLF 7-1-1 OVERALL
Head Coach: Bob Bailey Assistant Coach: Gordon Coole Captains: Eunice Kim ’21, William Huang ’21, Robbie Herzig ’21 MVPs: Eunice Kim ’21, William Huang ’21
BOYS TRACK & FIELD RECORD: 3-0, THIRD PLACE AT NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS
Head Coach: Hilary Hall Assistant Coaches: Toyin Augustus, John Mosley, Brandon Newbould, Mark Hiza, Steve Holmes, Ron Edmiston, Levi Stribling, Josh Peterson Captains: Connor Chen ’21, Varun Oberai ’21, Drew Smith ’21, Jeremiah Swett ’21 MVP: Jeremiah Swett ’21
GIRLS SOFTBALL RECORD: 0-6
GIRLS WATER POLO
Head Coach: Melissa Pacific Captains: Emmett Lockwood ’21, Ursie Wise ’21 MVP: Emmett Lockwood ’21
BOYS LACROSSE RECORD: 7-1
Head Coach: Bill Glennon Assistant Coaches: David Huoppi, Jim Breen Captains: Alex Knopp ’21, Hugh McLaughlin ’21, Griffin Walker ’21 MVP: Griffin Walker ’21
Head Coach: Liz Hurley Assistant Coach: Danique Montique, Jeff Ibbotson Captains: Katie Moon ’21, Antonina Smaldone ’21 MVP: Antonina Smaldone ’21
CYCLING
Head Coach: Don Mills Assistant Coaches: Patty Burke-Hickey, Jeanette Lovett, Tim Whittemore Captains: Emily Kang ’21, Owen Loustau ’22 MVP: Owen Loustau ’22
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRIAN MULDOON, MARY SCHWALM, WINSLOW TOWNSON
S P R I N G
20 1 5
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 33
S P R I N G
20 1 5
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 33
Commencement
2021
34 • T H E
E X E T E R
Students follow Hammy’s Way over Hill Bridge during the June 6 Commencement processional.
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
Watch Principal Bill Rawson’s remarks and find more photos at exeter.edu/graduation.
B
athed in sunlight on a brilliantly clear June day, 304 graduating seniors received their diplomas in a reimagined Commencement ceremony that began with a cross-campus procession and ended with a formal observance in Phelps Stadium that respected pandemic protocols. Social distancing did nothing to stanch the joyous mood as family, friends and faculty wished the graduates success with music, applause and broad smiles. Senior class president Ursie Wise welcomed those gathered and noted that while “the experience of the class of 2021 has been unorthodox,” she encouraged her classmates “to choose to recognize adversity for the gift it can be.” “As I look at my classmates,” she said, “I can imagine a future full of fellow Exonians who are not just undeterred by challenges, but are chasing them. We know already what it means to persevere, and are determined to accomplish unimaginable feats regardless of the challenges we will face.” Principal Bill Rawson ’71; P’08 offered his congratulations, declaring, “I am proud — and you should be proud — of all that you have accomplished, and all that you have contributed to our school during your time here.” He also urged the graduates to put their knowledge to use. “The world now more than ever needs you to confront the greatest challenges of our day, and do what you can to produce a more just and sustainable society — environmentally, economically and socially. Go be the change-makers.” — Nicole Pellaton
‘‘
In the past 50 years, we have seen dramatic changes in the world in every field of human endeavor. We will see even more dramatic changes over the next 50 years. One thing, though, will not change: the need for citizens and leaders to act with empathy, understanding and respect for their fellow human beings. You will be those kinds of citizens and leaders. Intellect alone will not be enough. As our Deed of Gift states, knowledge and goodness: ‘Both united form the noblest character, and lay the surest foundation of usefulness to [hu]mankind.’ John and Elizabeth Phillips wrote those words in 1781. They remain true today.” — Principal Bill Rawson
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRISTIAN GRAVENER, MARY SCHWALM, CHERYL SENTER
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 3 5
In her address, senior class president Ursie Wise cited two women pioneers who persevered in the face of adversity: Marie Curie and Dorothy Height. To her classmates she said, “We are entering a global community which needs us to take on greater adversity. Wars go on, racial injustices continue to persist, and we continue to leave an ever-growing stain on the environment of our earth. There is so much work to be done. … I am confident that the class of 2021 is well conditioned to choose and conquer adversity.”
Family and faculty join students in Phelps Stadium for a jubilant graduation ceremony.
‘‘
As you go forward with confidence, go forward also with humility — with the humility that comes from understanding that we are at our best when we are open to the thoughts and ideas of others, particularly those whose experiences and perspectives differ from our own. The greatest challenges the world faces will be solved by teams, not individuals. Our Harkness pedagogy has uniquely prepared you to be a member and leader of these teams.” — Principal Bill Rawson
Seth Amofa
36 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
Commencement 2021
Senior Week Students celebrated the last week of school with some fun and time-honored traditions, including the opening of prep time capsules, posing for a balloon-arch photo with your besties, and carefully choosing which wooden Jenga block to remove without toppling the tower!
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 37
Principal Rawson presents the first class of 2021 diploma to David Mancini in a surprise ceremony a day ahead of Commencement. Mancini’s friends ushered the Big Red athlete to Phelps Stadium just before he had to leave campus for a scheduled surgery.
Left, Beth Brownell Lee ’71, the first girl to receive an Exeter diploma, graced the stage. Her presence was a meaningful nod to the Academy’s yearlong commemoration of coeducation.
Commencement 2021
Graduation Prizes The Yale Cup, awarded each year by the Aurelian Honor Society of Yale University to that member of the senior class who best combines the highest standards of character and leadership with excellence in his studies and in athletics. Varun Oberai, Singapore
Varun Oberai happily accepts this year’s Yale Cup.
SU M M E R
20 21
class and awarded annually to that member of the graduating class who best exemplifies the Exeter spirit. Seth Amofa, Chicago, Illinois
The Multicultural Leadership Prize, awarded annually to the member or members of the graduating class who has The Ruth and Paul Sadler ’23 or have most significantly Cup, awarded each year to that contributed to educating the member of the senior class community about, and fostering who best combines the highest greater understanding around, standards of character and lead- topics of race, ethnicity, ership with excellence in her socioeconomic status, gender, studies and in athletics. nationality, sexual orientation, Marymegan Wright, Myrtle ability, religion, spirituality, or Beach, South Carolina other aspects of identity. Anne Brandes, The Perry Cup, established by New York, New York the class of 1945 in honor of Charlotte Lisa, Sudbury, Dr. Lewis Perry, eighth princiMassachusetts pal of the Academy, and given Nahla Owens, Porter, Texas annually to a senior who has Senai Robinson, shown outstanding qualities of Bronx, New York leadership and school spirit. Nahla Owens, Porter, Texas The Cox Medals, given by Oscar S. Cox, in memory of his father, The Williams Cup, established Jacob Cox, are awarded each in memory of George Lynde year to the five members of the Richardson Jr., and given annually graduating class who, having to a student who, having been been two or more years in the in the Academy four years, has, Academy, have attained the by personal qualities, brought highest scholastic rank. distinction to Phillips Exeter. Ellie Griffin, Yunseo Choi, Durham, North Carolina Seoul, South Korea William Vietor, Scituate, Massachusetts The Eskie Clark Award, given Jason Wang, Katy, Texas annually to that scholarship Felix Yeung, Hong Kong student in the graduating class Honglin Zhu, who, through hard work and Bellevue, Washington perseverance, has excelled in both athletics and scholarship in The Faculty Prize for Academic a manner exemplified by Eskie Excellence, given to that Clark of the class of 1919. member of the graduating class Evelyn Houston, who, having been two or more Exeter, New Hampshire years in the Academy, is recognized on the basis of scholarship The Thomas H. Cornell Award, as holding the first rank. based on a vote by the senior Jason Wang, Katy, Texas
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 3 9
‘‘
Our mission as a school is to ‘unite goodness and knowledge and inspire youth from every quarter to lead purposeful lives.’ You don’t need to know now how you will live a life of purpose and meaning beyond Exeter. You have time to reflect, to ponder your place in the world, to explore your current passions and develop new ones. You are leaving Exeter with the necessary foundation.” — Principal Bill Rawson
Top, Wilson Mueller accepts his diploma from Principal Rawson. Middle, Instructor in Health Education Brandon Thomas congratulates a grad; Classical scholar Charlotte Lisa dons her wreath. Right, Sophie Cavalcanti high-fives friends.
4 0 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
Commencement 2021
JaQ Lai exults after being awarded his diploma. Lai is wearing a stole he received at the first Equity and Justice Dinner, hosted by the Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Office of Multicultural Affairs. The stole recognizes graduating seniors who were both anti-racist facilitators and co-heads of OMA-sponsored clubs.
Top, Cole Breen. Above, (right to left) Renee Bertrand, Katie Reid and Zoë Barron soak in the moment.
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 41
Charlie Coughlin ’22 preps for class inside the Class of 1945 Library. PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTIAN HARRISON
Let’s Talk About It Community connects through new anti-racist minicourses By Jennifer Wagner
42 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
S
ettled in his day student carrel on the third
floor of the Class of 1945 Library, upper Charlie Coughlin taps a computer key to launch his 2 p.m. Zoom class. With each tick of the clock, new faces pop up on his screen until a critical mass of students, a couple of instructors and a doctoral candidate from UC Berkeley have all logged in. It is the final meeting of Where We Live: Racial Residential Segregations — the minicourse Coughlin has been co-facilitating with Associate Dean of Multicultural Student Affairs Hadley Camilus over winter term. After some welcoming banter and professed sadness that the course is coming to its conclusion, Coughlin presses “play” on an eight-minute PBS NewsHour video clip about the gap between Black and white home ownership. Residential segregation is a subject Coughlin wasn’t really familiar with a few months ago when he signed up to facilitate the class. He remembers being nervous at the onset. “I had this idea that in order to facilitate this anti-racist class, I had to be an expert,” he says. “I feel like in general people hold back from racial conversations because not only can they be uncomfortable, but they feel like because they don’t know enough about the subject, they should not partake at all. But I think it’s a really important step to understand that even though you’re not an expert, you can still participate and you can still learn about yourself through the conversations.” This minicourse is one of more than a dozen monthlong classes that were on offer over winter term as part of Exeter’s new anti-racist curriculum. Each minicourse was co-designed and co-taught by students and covered a broad range of intersectional topics, from the racialization of scientific thought to racial health care disparities and anti-oppression in athletics. The goals of Where We Live were to build an understanding of racialized systems of housing segregation, unpack language like “redlining,” “gentrification” and “urban renewal,”
and, ultimately, help students think critically about their own community and communities around them. “These minicourses have really picked up the energy around equity and inclusion that has already been in the air for a long time,” says Stephanie Bramlett, now in her third year as Exeter’s Director of Equity and Inclusion. “What they have allowed us to do is to move the curriculum forward in some ways that are incredibly important. Our curriculum isn’t quite where we want it to be, yet we don’t have to wait in order to connect our students with this material. It is important to provide the history and the context that they need to be working toward their anti-racist goals. … An inclusive school must have an inclusive curriculum.” Of course, anti-racist work isn’t new to Exeter. Most academic departments have already begun incorporating social justice into their curriculum. “We’re not starting from scratch,” Bramlett says, mentioning a few examples: “At least 50% of the student body have taken part in English 320, which set the groundwork for this work, and the History Department has revamped its U.S. history curriculum to more center the experience of marginalized communities.” But this endeavor is different. “The difference between those spaces and these minicourses is that students get to choose where they would like to go. They get to choose what topic is most salient to them and what areas of their life they’d like to dig into and learn more about what being an anti-racist in that space means,” Bramlett says. For Coughlin, the minicourse was an opportunity to reflect on his own neighborhood. “I’ve grown up in New Hampshire in a very white community,” he says. “I think there were two people in my entire elementary school that were not white. I’ve always been curious about how things developed to be that way. Why did this ever happen? Where’s this coming from? Now I’m beginning to understand the reasons behind the way things are.”
I feel like in general people hold back from racial conversations because not only can they be uncomfortable, but they feel like because they don’t know enough about the subject, they should not partake at all. But I think it’s a really important step to understand that even though you’re not an expert, you can still participate and you can still learn about yourself through the conversations.” — CHARLIE COUGHLIN ’22
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 4 3
When the PBS video ends, Coughlin launches a game
of Kahoot that he and Dean Camilus have prepared. The online interactive quiz is part conversation icebreaker, part practical technique to reinforce some of the definitions used in the news clip that may be unfamiliar or unclear. Some of the trickiest terms for the class to parse are “race” and “ethnicity.” When asked, “What collection of terms represents race?” two-thirds of the class choose the correct multiple-choice answer: Asian, American Indian, Black, white. To the statement, “Canadian and Chinese are terms that represent race,” most respond with the correct answer “False.” The game highlights the complexity of the building blocks of conversation — the language itself. “One of the things that I have to admit to you all,” Camilus says, “is that race and ethnicity is something that I’m still grappling with and learning about. I look at the definitions and sometimes they conflict. For instance, I look at African American as an ethnic category not a racial category, but some would say it’s a racial category and not ethnic. Hispanic and Latinx in a lot of places is not regarded as a racial category. I’m doing my own reading to understand the norms and complexities of these terms. I encourage you to do the same because the definitions are always changing.” The last 25 minutes of class are reserved for Harkness discussion. It’s an opportunity for students to hear and consider multiple perspectives, expand one another’s capacity to understand and talk about social justice issues, and learn the tools to work toward a more just society. Before the discussion begins in earnest, Coughlin refers the group to the list of established norms he has posted in the group chat. They include: “Treat the candidness of others as a gift,” “Honor confidentiality,” “Suspend judgment of yourself and others,” “Lean into discomfort” and “Be fully present.”
Associate Dean of Multicultural Affairs Hadley Camilus
One of the things that I have to admit to you all is that race and ethnicity is something that I’m still grappling with and learning about. I look at the definitions and sometimes they conflict. ... I’m doing my own reading to understand the norms and complexities of these terms.” — ASSOCIATE DEAN OF MULTICULTURAL STUDENT AFFAIRS HADLEY CAMILUS
4 4 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
We’re going to be talking about race for a long time, but it’s not always going to be about race. All oppression is interconnected.” — DIRECTOR OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION STEPHANIE BRAMLETT
The conversation is open and deep. When asked, “Why do you think laws alone haven’t solved the housing issue in this country?” one student says, “Systematic racism is built into us just as much as it is in the institutions. We are a product of that. … It’s something that must continually be fought against.” Another participant adds that there needs to be enforcement and the desire for enforcement and grassroots efforts to change how we view housing, how we view credit as ways of gaining social and economic capital. As the class draws to a close, Camilus offers some final food for thought: “What are the consequences of growing up in a homogenous community and what can you do about that at PEA? Are there opportunities for you to immerse yourself in spaces where you’re not with the people with whom you identify to learn about them? Is the only learning you’ve committed to in the classroom or are you willing to join a club? Are you willing to get yourself in places where you aren’t as comfortable so you can challenge your own preconceived notions or simply to learn about other people? A small way to make a difference is to say, ‘Hey, I’m going to look for more opportunities to educate myself.’ I put that challenge before all of you.” Where We Live and the rest of the winter term mini-
courses were just one part of a yearlong initiative that began with the introduction of a new, anti-racist block to the academic schedule in September. “These 45 minutes of dedicated time to talk about anti-racism did not exist before,” Bramlett says. “Five years ago, it would have been unheard of because there’s no possible way that we could change the schedule to do that. But we can do hard things. We did it.” In the fall, the time was used to share the approaches that various departments, student groups and community leaders were taking in advancing anti-racist work across campus. “What was missing — and it was just painfully obvious to all of us — was the interaction,” Bramlett says. “You can’t have a meaningful conversation with a thousand people at the same time. Webinars allowed students in interact with the folks on the screen. But they weren’t really getting to talk to each other.”
SU M M E R
20 21
In November 2020, a student-faculty design team began working on the winter and spring curriculum to allow for peer-to-peer interactions. Once the course topics were approved, training began to help the student-facilitators develop the skills they needed to engender a safe and inclusive environment for the group and to frame the discussion. Each facilitator attended two training sessions on anti-oppressive facilitation, read scholarly articles, learned new vocabulary, and worked to understand the difference between opinion and informed knowledge. Other schools are addressing topics of diversity and inclusion, but in different ways. For some, it’s a distribution requirement. Certain courses are marked as DEI and every student has to take one course to graduate. Exeter’s program is built off one Bramlett started before coming to the Academy called Community Conversations. “We would ammend the whole upper school schedule once a month for peer-led community conversations,” she says. “There’s a way that peers can lead other peers that is so different from hearing from an adult.” In the spring, the anti-racist block evolved again and took on an increased focus on action. The term kicked off with a 21-day Racial Equity Habit Challenge. The challenge was based on the idea that it takes 21 days to form a habit. In this case, the hope was that students would make a habit of looking for opportunities to promote racial equity. Of course, the work will not end with the school year, and Bramlett looks to the future and what next year’s program might look like. “Iterations are very important to equity and inclusion work,” she says. “Saying OK, this is going well, let’s keep doing more of that, and this is what’s not going well, let’s stop that and replace it with one of the strategies that are going well. That is part of the growth. That is part of the journey. One of the ways that oppression shows up in an organization is to put it out there and to have it be perfect. … We’re going to be talking about race for a long time, but it’s not always going to be about race. All oppression is interconnected. … My hope is that we will institutionalize carving out the time and space for the conversations that are important in our community.” E
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 4 5
O
ver the past year, we have honored the pioneers who took the first daring steps in Exeter’s early years of coeducation. We have explored the journeys of alumnae today who continue to push boundaries in the workplace and the world. And we have listened to the student voices of hope calling for a tomorrow that recognizes equality and agency for all. While life at the Academy continues to evolve, our mission to unite goodness and knowledge and inspire youth from every quarter to lead purposeful lives guides brightly our path along the road ahead.
4 6 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
Veronica Choulga ’21 steps forward in “A Seat at the Table,” this spring’s dance performance choreographed by students and faculty. “My goal for this dance is to empower and inspire everyone at the table to speak up confidently and strongly,” says Instructor and Director of the Dance Program Allison Duke. PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTIAN HARRISON
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 47
50 Y E A RS O F C O E D U CAT I O N AT E X E T E R
Talking Circles GLORIA STEINEM ON MAKING CHANGE THROUGH LISTENING
SARAH LONG
By Sarah Pruitt ’95
“I
“I would suggest that there’s no discussion that’s finished until everyone who wishes to speak has spoken.”
have learned very well over time that I don’t learn while I’m talking,” Gloria Steinem says. “I learn while I’m listening.” Though the pioneering journalist and activist is sharing this kernel of wisdom during a panel discussion on coeducation at Exeter in April 2021, the power of listening is a theme she has returned to again and again over the course of her long career. In her memoir, My Life on the Road, Steinem writes of a life-changing post-college trip to India, when she first experienced the magic of talking circles, or “groups in which anyone may speak in turn, everyone must listen, and consensus is more important than time.” Later, she writes, she would see “consciousness-raising groups, women’s talking circles, giving birth to the feminist movement.” By June 1983, when Steinem headlined a two-day conference at the Academy on women educators at independent schools, she was 20 years past her breakthrough article about working as a Playboy Bunny at Hugh Hefner’s New York City club. After co-founding Ms. magazine and becoming an icon of the women’s movement, Steinem was fielding questions about the supposed death of feminism in Ronald Reagan’s America. “I want [people] to believe that anything is possible,” she told a reporter for the Washington Post that fall. “The fact that they do believe anything is possible is progress.”
HARKNESS AS A ‘TALKING CIRCLE’
Nearly four decades later, in front of a virtual audience of more than 300 people, Steinem is still optimistic — and she still believes that gathering in a circle, talking and listening to one another, holds the key to meaningful change. This approach will be familiar to many Exonians, as it goes to the heart of the Harkness method. When panel co-moderator and former Trustee Ciatta Baysah ’97 asks how to make Harkness discussion more equitable and inclusive, Steinem mentions the use of a talking stick, a tool favored by some Native American groups. “I would suggest that there’s no discussion that’s finished until everyone who wishes to speak has spoken,” 4 8 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
THE GRAND FINALE
she says. The real key is to treat listening, which Steinem said is wrongly categorized as a “female” skill, as just as vital a contribution to the group as speaking. Though Steinem has never taken her seat around a Harkness table, she is all too familiar with the challenge of elevating voices who may not be as loud, or as well represented, as others. Mindful of her outsize reputation in the feminist movement, she keeps a long list of diverse speakers on her wall, so that when people invite her to speak, she can recommend others to speak alongside her or in her place. Better listening can also provide the key, Steinem believes, for educators seeking to protect students from sexual violence on their campuses. “The important thing is that we speak about it, whatever it is, and that we not remain silent,” she says. “The specifics are known by the people who experience it, and they should be listened to.”
THEN AND NOW
When Steinem first addressed an Exeter audience, only 13 years had passed since the first 39 girls were admitted as students, and just 33 women held positions on the Academy’s faculty. This year, there were 527 students and 117 faculty members who identified as female. At the panel discussion, Steinem is asked about the changing question of gender identity, and the difficulty of defining “female” in today’s world. “I do think we are probably moving toward a culture in which we are treated much more as unique individuals and not so much as groups,” she acknowledges. “We just need to listen to each other and trust each other’s experience.”
“Feminism includes all women, or people who identify as women, or it's not feminism.” She also pushes back on the association of the feminist movement with mostly white, straight, cisgender women, citing her experience in the ’70s traveling and speaking alongside leading Black feminists such as Florynce Kennedy and Dorothy Pitman Hughes. “Feminism includes all women, or people who identify as women, or it’s not feminism,” she says. Steinem believes her age (she’s 87) — and her memory of when things were so much worse — may allow her to take a more optimistic view than some younger feminists. But she’s not backing down when it comes to the power of talking circles to change things for the better. “We don’t need to fit into what exists; we are dreaming of what could be,” she says. “Hope is an unruly emotion, but a great emotion, and hope is also a form of planning.” E SU M M E R
20 21
The Feminist Male By James M. Figetakis ’79 Talking with Gloria Steinem at a gala event in October 2019 for the Women’s Media Center, which she co-founded with Jane Fonda, I was struck by her grace and strength, her humility and curiosity, her openness and respect for everyone, her deep listening and commitment to firm action. I felt I could ask her a James M. Figetakis ’79 personal question: What and Gloria Steinem at is my role, as a man, in the a gala event for the women’s movement? Rather Women's Media Center. than political, her answer was personal. “More and more men are finding strength in relationships. It’s about their consciousness,” she said. “A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men. There are many men who are strong feminists and humanitarians.” As we were talking, I realized Steinem would be an excellent Harkness instructor at Exeter. When I entered Exeter in my prep year, I was being raised by my greatgrandmother, my grandmother and my mother. They taught me how to value women equally in all ways; to listen, act and let go of a false sense of male ego. More recently, I asked: How can fathers, husbands, sons and brothers further elevate the women’s movement? “Men become whole people by being active inside the home,” Steinem said. She believes the pandemic’s home quarantine has positively influenced men’s roles in society. “It has been difficult for women, who bear the brunt of caregiving and work in the home. This has awakened many men to the importance and joy of sharing those responsibilities equally.” All parents can prepare their children for this equality movement. “They can lead by example by working against the false dichotomy of masculinity and femininity,” Steinem said. “Femininity is associated with nurturing, caregiving, passivity, the emotional body, while masculinity is associated with ambition, assertiveness, the thinking mind. In reality, each of us is a unique mixture of all these things. It is up to both men and women to integrate all these traits fully. When they do, they become their true selves, and that is a lesson for every child watching them.” Gloria Steinem inspires me as a feminist male. But she is also inspired by all of us. Her parting thought to me was, “I won’t be around 50 years from now, but I have faith in you who will be.” E
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 4 9
50 Y E A RS O F C O E D U CAT I O N AT E X E T E R
‘A Collective Curiosity: Her Voice in the Arts’ January 19 to June 6, 2021 S E L E C T E D A R T W O R K B Y A L U M N A E F E AT U R E D I N T H E L A M O N T GA L L E RY’S V I RT UA L E X H I B I T
“Summer Solstice,” June 23, 2015 8:19 pm, photograph, 20” x 26.6”
50 • T H E
E X E T E R
Scan this QR code with your smartphone’s camera to view the entire exhibition online and to learn more about the artists.
Elizabeth Gardner ’83 “It’s been really interesting to tuck back into my own self as an artist and to learn from all the other artists in this show [“A Collective Curiosity”]. And to also be aware of the common threads that run through all of us. The way we stitch ourselves and our daily lives into our art and the way our art gets stitched into our daily lives. But also, the full spectrum of that shared women’s experience, all the love and loss and the joy and pain as well, and the way our art quite often becomes a way for us to create more space for ourselves in our lives.”
B U L L E T I N
SU M M E R
20 21
THE GRAND FINALE
“Doll Parts Top & Pant,” Spring 2020, upcycled fabrics and garments. Photograph by Ben Lucas Jones
Millicent Dunstan ’15 “The way that I work, I start with materiality first. … I’m inspired by the materials that I find and I use that challenge, how can I make these materials into something new, to create my inspiration.”
“Specimen C (Ranunculus),” 2019, paper mâché, Italian crepe paper, stain, 33” diameter x 19” deep. Photograph by Shaun Roberts Photography
Tiffanie Turner ’88 “One of the things I’m always curious about is how we, or I, always refer to flowers as female even though they have all these parts that are of both genders. It’s really interesting the whole idea of how I always refer to each of my sculptures as a she. And I’m always wondering if that is something I should be exploring in a different way."
“The Sport,” 2020, oil on linen, 20” x 38”
Kate Gridley ’74 “Given political situations in the United States right now a lot of people are talking about memories and trauma ... there are some theories that it’s beyond cellular, it might even be in our DNA. And that is what people are looking at and grappling with — can we get that into a piece of art? That is a question that I don’t know the answer to but I love the idea of wrestling with it.”
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 51
50 Y E A RS O F C O E D U CAT I O N AT E X E T E R
Her Voice in Philanthropy K AT E T O M F O R D ’ 9 5 F O S T E R S THE SPIRIT OF NON SIBI WITH SCHOLARSHIP FUND By Sarah Pruitt ’95
W
hen asked to recall some of the formative moments in her Exeter experience, Kate Tomford ’95 zeroes in on her lower-year math class. Math Instructor Anja S. Greer had Tomford and her classmates keep journals chronicling how they were feeling about their math projects as a way of reinforcing the idea that everyone learns in their own particular way. “It was almost like a psychology class, even though it was math,” Tomford says. “I remember her saying that part of going through school is just learning how you learn, understanding what works for you.” To this day, Tomford often calls on Greer’s expansive approach, especially when her two young children struggle with something they’re learning. These and other experiences from her four years at Exeter were on Tomford’s mind in the spring of 2019, when she headed back to campus to take part in the school’s Climate Action Day. As a senior analyst at the Chicago Transit Authority, she led two seminars about her work managing the organization’s energy-related initiatives, including an ambitious program aimed at converting all of the Windy City’s buses from diesel to electric in the next 20 years. Tomford was impressed by the students she met that weekend, particularly their energy and engagement with efforts to combat climate change. She recalls thinking about what makes an Exeter education so special, and the difference it can make in a person’s life. “Opening up the opportunity to attend Exeter to more kids is a way to have a lasting effect not just on someone’s individual life, but ... on their family, their friends, their career,” she says. “There are spillover effects, I think, to the education that Exeter provides for one person.” With her 25th reunion approaching in 2020 — along with the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Exeter — Tomford and her husband, David Grossman, decided to establish the TomfordGrossman Scholarship Fund in honor of the teachers and coaches who “educated, inspired, encouraged and challenged” her during her years at Exeter. In addition to Greer, who died of breast cancer in 1998, Tomford mentions Christine Wilson, an instructor in English who coached girls varsity crew during her upper and senior years, as being particularly influential. “She really knew how to drive people to their fullest,” Tomford says of Wilson. “She had a standard of excellence that I have always admired.”
52 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
Tomford credits her time at Exeter — and the miles she ran along wooded trails and back roads as a member of the soccer, winter track and crew teams — with helping to instill in her a love of the outdoors. The summer before her senior year, she helped track the progress of a glacier in Alaska as part of a National Science Foundation project, an experience that would later encourage her to major in earth and planetary sciences at Harvard. As one of six steering committee members on the Women’s Leadership Circle, a new alumnae network focused on supporting the success of girls at Exeter, Tomford is committed to fostering the non sibi spirit among future generations of Exonians, particularly women. She and other members of the Women’s Leadership Circle plan to come back regularly to campus during the fall’s Leadership Weekend and meet with students who are entering their 10th-grade year. Ideally, the women will then serve as resources and role models as the students progress through their upper and senior years and into their lives beyond Exeter. “In thinking about the advice that we as female alums can share with current students, I think one of the things I would say is that it’s not about any particular step that you take,” Tomford says, in an observation that sounds not unlike Greer’s long-ago advice about different learning styles. “It’s the cumulative steps that you take to do something that truly interests you, and that you feel motivated to pursue.” E Learn more about the Women’s Leadership Circle at exeter.edu/coeducation/support-her-potential.
SU M M E R
20 21
THE GRAND FINALE
The Promise and Power of Her Voice
Event host Gloria Riviera ’92
Chloe Gavin ’72; P’01, co-chair of the coeducation engagement committee, shares highlights from the year.
Exeter’s commemoration of a half-century of coeducation
concluded June 6 in the same way the yearlong celebration was conducted: virtually and powerfully. “Our Voice at the Table,” the final event observing the impact of coeducation at the Academy yesterday, today and tomorrow, featured online conversations between alumnae and former faculty, musical performances, and remarks from Principal Bill Rawson ’71; P’08 and three former or current trustees.
Susan Herney ’69, ’74, ’83 (Hon.) and Clayton Spencer ’73 talk about the transformative impact their educational experiences had on them during a time of emerging gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Candace Bacchus Hollingsworth ’99 offers her perspective on the importance of giving back to your community.
Mother and daughter, Rebecca “Becky” Kurth ’79; P’17 and Zoe Marshall ’17, share how the tenets of Harkness and non sibi prepared them for the future.
“The adoption of coeducation was a necessary and critical step for achieving the full promise of a Harkness pedagogy. And it is the combination of these two transformational changes that has propelled Exeter forward in becoming the school that it is today.” Principal Bill Rawson welcomes viewers to the event and reflects on the yearlong commemoration.
—Principal Bill Rawson ’71; P’08
To watch a recording of this event and to listen to 25 Her Voice conversations recorded over the past year highlighting more than 100 alumnae from across generations, visit exeter.edu/coeducation.
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 53
CONNECTIONS
News and notes from the alumni community
54 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
FA L L
20 1 6
C O N N ECT I O N S
A Love Letter to the FEW By Sarah Lindemann-Komarova ’72
F CHERYL SENTER
SU M M E R
20 21
ifty years ago, Exeter’s first year of boarding girls, my parents dropped me off for my senior year with signed permission to smoke. Thereafter, amid the wonders of the Harkness table, my kingdom was the butt room in Bancroft, Marlboro Lights my brand. What a difference half a century has made for Exeter, the world and me. Exeter thankfully no longer allows smoking, my aspirations to become an actress morphed into becoming a community development activist in Siberia, and the world was united this year by a pandemic. With all that change, I am an example of how neither time nor distance has dimmed the influence of Exeter in my life. A year ago, I got a text from my classmate Chloe Gavin. She asked if I would join a group to develop her idea to let the pioneer women tell their stories about the beginning of coeducation. Seven of us signed on for what we assumed would be a three-month process. One year later, the FEW (First Exeter Women) Project launched with a survey asking female graduates from 1971-1976 to reflect on the girls they were, the women they became, and how Exeter influenced that process. Numerous other Exeter graduates, archives and administrative staff, and alumni-affiliated institutions provided invaluable feedback, technical support and information. In addition to the survey, the project results include a FEW website (firstexeterwomen.com) and a series of Zooms inviting the FEW to ask questions and share experiences. The final FEW “product” will be a summary of and reflection on what we learned from the information and stories we received. The surveys will then be donated to the Exeter archives. A month into the launch, the response has been exciting. More than one-third of the FEW have participated in the survey and 20% in the Zoom calls. The discussions on the Zooms were a revelation as the honest, more complex reality of our lives at Exeter was shared within the context of our lives as women today. I am relieved the FEW Project is a success, but that isn’t the most important thing I got out of it. The best part of this experience is the same thing it was the first time I shared a year with Exeter girls — their friendship and support. During this challenging COVID year, one hour a week I was back in the butt room, minus the nicotine. Emilykaye revealed she is a genius at naming things, Alison taught me about the ongoing crisis in Lebanon, and law professor Beth dazzled applying her ever improving distance-teaching skills. I glimpsed life after empty nest through Zoe as her adult children came and went during the pandemic. Renee livestreamed the empty streets of New York and I treated the gang to live coverage of a hotel burning in my Siberian village. Two of us lost older sisters. My life of COVID dread and isolation transformed into a life shared with friends on a meaningful mission thanks to Chloe’s perfect project management and, still, Exeter. E
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 55
C O N N ECT I O N S
C A T C H I N G
U P
W I T H
A
Y O U N G
A L U M
SMAIYL MAKYSHOV ’20
A Gap Year of Startups By Sarah Zobel What is Spokescience?
Spokescience is an influencer marketing platform, but for scientists. Research work that is currently communicated through papers reaches only a limited number of people who understand scientific jargon. Consequently, the important work done by scientists often does not reach the broader society it is intended to serve. Spokescience facilitates the connection — sourcing scientific content for influencers who can reach thousands of people, while helping researchers spread their work to the public. How have you spent your gap year?
S
maiyl Makyshov ’20 built his first website at age 9. At 10, he earned his first wages providing web hosting help in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where he was born and grew up. Today, the self-taught programmer is applying his knowledge of computer science to solving problems through startups. To that end, Makyshov deferred his acceptance at Brown University after graduating from the Academy and spent a gap year scaling Spokescience, a platform he developed that connects scientific researchers with social media influencers to improve science communication. Spokescience was selected as a finalist at the 2020 Conrad Challenge, an international innovation competition. Spokescience is not Makyshov’s first startup (he sold that company at age 15). During his Exeter years, he co-founded the LaunchX Club — helping to facilitate new student ventures. As a member of ESSO, he offered technical assistance to local nursing home residents and led a team of 12 who issued loans to support small businesses in 20 countries. He was recently selected to the Forbes Kazakhstan 30 Under 30 list for his accomplishments. We caught up with Makyshov by phone to hear more about what the entrepreneur has been up to lately.
56 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
In addition to Spokescience, I am currently working at Cedar Street Capital, a boutique investment bank, where I source, interview and introduce potential clients for the firm. I have also been actively learning about finance and venture capital. In April, I organized and hosted the first Exeter Alumni Startup Demo Day, [in which] startups founded or run by Exeter alumni pitched venture capitalists and angel investors from the Exeter alumni network. Our first event was a success, and it’s been a privilege connecting our robust alumni startup and venture capital network. I look forward to further building this network of ours. What’s next?
While I am still young and open to new opportunities within the realms of finance and tech, my gap year has significantly strengthened my interest in pursuing venture capital for my career. My long-term dream, however, has always been to start my own airline. I went to boarding school in the U.K. starting when I was 10, and later to Concord Academy and Exeter, and I consider myself a global citizen. I like the idea of an airline that connects people around the world, but it’s a very capitalintensive business. I’ve been learning as I’m growing, but I’m still very loyal to that dream. E SU M M E R
20 21
C O N N ECT I O N S
P
R
O
F
I
L
E
J A C Q U E LY N C H O W ’ 9 6
The Animal Whisperer By Sandra Guzmán
J
acquelyn Chow ’96, a veterinarian with a thriving practice in the heart of Austin, Texas,
never harbored childhood dreams of saving animals. In fact, as a young girl she loved to read, devouring copies of The Old Man and the Sea, Moby-Dick and Crime and Punishment. “Almost all vet students wanted to be veterinarians as long as they could remember,” Chow says. “I thought I’d go into advertising or do something in the arts.” Chow graduated the Academy with a Classical Diploma and headed to Tufts University to study English literature and anthropology. However, a new world opened up to her when she volunteered at Tufts’ Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Large Animal Neonatal ICU as part of her duties as a member of the competitive equestrian team. “One night, I had to monitor a baby moose in the neonatal clinic whose mother had died in a tragic accident and I remember thinking, ‘This is a cool experience. I think I can do this for a living.’” She never turned back. With her husband, Dustin Zimmer, also a vet whom she met at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Chow owns and operates BEEVET Animal Hospital. COVID-19 presented new challenges and also an unexpected boom to her 8-year-old practice, which grew by 30 % over the last year. “There was an explosion of pets during COVID-19,” Chow explains. “People were stuck at home and they adopted and bought dogs and cats, puppies and kittens.” As an essential employee, Chow kept her medical center open and offered curbside exams, vaccinations, and other wellness and medical care to her clients. “Most people don’t understand that vets are on the front line of infectious diseases,” she says. “It was very important for us to keep vaccinating pets. It was bad enough fighting a pandemic, but a rabies epidemic and other zoonotic diseases would have been dangerous.” As a board-certified Canine and Feline Diplomate, one of 475 practicing in the world, Chow is skilled in the art and science of medicine and surgery. “People think we pet dogs all the time,” she says with a laugh. “In fact, I wear many hats. I am like an emergency room doctor, dermatologist, cardiologist, oncologist, surgeon, dentist and ophthalmologist.” Chow finds the work so fulfilling, she takes time to mentor young people who show interest in veterinary medicine. “There are 30 vet schools in the U.S. and it is very competitive, so we start mentoring in elementary school through high school,” she says. One doctor who currently works for her is a former mentee, and she hopes to hire another mentee this fall. Chow also hosts experiential Vet-for-a-Day programs, introducing kids to the hospital and a world beyond petting cute animals. “Last year we had a fourth grader come in for Vet-for-a-Day and it so happened that we did a bulldog C-section and she got to help deliver 13 puppies,” she says. Exposing kids to new ideas at a critical age is Chow’s way of paying forward gifts she says she received at Exeter. She attributes her success today to the time she spent as a young person at the Academy. “When I left the Academy I had no idea the impact it would have on me,” she says. “Now as an adult, I appreciate my years there. The diversity, the worldly exposure — I had Maya Angelou come to my English class! How cool is that?” E
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 57
C O N N ECT I O N S
P
R
O
F
I
L
E
A N D R E W PA R K I N S O N ’ 76, T H O M A S PA R K I N S O N ’ 78
Brothers of Invention By Debbie Kane
S
erial entrepreneurs Andrew ’76 and Thomas
Parkinson ’78 have a knack for identifying sales opportunities. They started young: At age 8, Thomas tried (unsuccessfully) peddling dirt; Andrew operated a lemonade stand. They raised chickens to sell fresh eggs to neighbors on Long Island. “We didn’t receive an allowance so we were hungry to make money,” Thomas says.
Andrew Parkinson ’76 and Thomas Parkinson ’78
After years of working in and around the consumer goods industry, the brothers came up with the big idea that would change their lives — online grocery shopping. In 1989, that idea took root and grew into Peapod, the first online grocery delivery service. Now owned by Netherlands-based Ahold Delhaize NV, Peapod accounts for more than $1 billion in online grocery revenue in the United States. Last year, the Parkinsons launched a new endeavor: Sifter, a free online platform that helps users sort and buy grocery products based on health and dietary needs. Aimed at addressing what they consider “an American health and wellness epidemic,” Sifter is just the latest in a series of “firsts” that the brothers have achieved throughout their careers.
5 8 • T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N
A STRONG WORK ETHIC
Growing up in a family of six, the Parkinsons were accustomed to working hard. “Our parents insisted that we work to get our spending money,” Andrew says. That work ethic extended to the brothers’ tenure at Exeter. In addition to classes and playing sports such as hockey and lacrosse, Andrew delivered the Sunday New York Times on campus; Thomas worked in Wetherell Dining Hall and later became head of the student work office. Prep year math introduced them both to the BASIC computer programming language, knowledge that served them well when they started Peapod. “We learned how to program and it was an early opportunity to demystify computers,” Thomas says. As students at Wesleyan University, the brothers discovered that their skills complemented each other’s. Combined, they decided, they could run a successful business. They founded Parkinson Products, Inc., inventing the Keg Karrier, a device for carrying beer kegs, and selling custom T-shirts. They even attempted to peddle “Pure Canned Nuclear Waste,” a tongue-in-cheek product inspired by the Pet Rock craze. “It was a failure,” Thomas says. “We tried to sell it on the streets of New York City and people ran away from us.” The brothers parted briefly professionally after college. Andrew, an economics major, worked in brand management for consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble and, later, Kraft Foods. “I originally worked on the Pringles brand where I learned how to create budgets and run a business,” he says. Thomas, who majored in art and pursued a master’s degree in industrial design at Pratt Institute in New York City, also briefly worked for Procter & Gamble. He discovered an aptitude for computers and information technology working in his brotherin-law’s executive-search software business, where they created one of the first resume search engines. During a year off competing with the U.S. Boardsailing Team (both brothers have used kiteboarding or windsurfing throughout their lives to decompress), Andrew developed a business plan based on a compelling statistic he learned at Kraft: 70% of consumers didn’t like shopping for groceries. “I was struck by how much consumer product companies were spending on advertising,” Andrew says. “Thomas and I thought if we could give people a
SU M M E R
20 21
way to shop for groceries from home while looking at their home computer screen, we could make money by targeting ads on the computer at the point of purchase. It was initially about creating a media platform by providing a convenient useful service to consumers.” (The brothers also asked their mother, a former librarian, whether it made more sense to launch an online bookseller; she told them the sales margins on books were too low so they opted for groceries instead. The brothers still don’t let their mom forget that decision.)
to help shoppers make informed buying decisions. “We became online grocery and grocery product data experts,” Thomas says. “Capturing all that information enabled us to be able to tell people where to buy products and what was in them.”
SIFTING THROUGH A NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
Andrew left Peapod after 26 years in 2015; Thomas followed in 2019. Not content to rest on their laurels, the brothers began to consider new ways to harness their knowledge of product PEAPOD TAKES ROOT data and technology for good. “We saw Armed with a homemade data center an opportunity to address the grow(a Crate & Barrel wine rack containing health crisis in the U.S. by helping ing dial-up modems), DOS programpeople find food that fits their dietary, ming software and floppy disks, the medical and lifestyle priorities,” Parkinsons founded Peapod in 1989. Andrew says. “We felt obligated to use “We originally called the business the knowledge we acquired running IPOD (for Information and Product Peapod and ItemMaster to pursue a on Demand),” Andrew says. “We got ‘food as medicine’ strategy to help our business cards and I said, ‘That’s a people with their health.” stupid name’,” Thomas says, laughing. In 2020, the brothers launched “‘How about Peapod?’” Sifter.shop, a service that identifies Initially a family operation, the Andrew Parkinson in 1991 products based on an individual’s Parkinsons and their wives ran every dietary criteria and excludes products aspect of the company. They wrote the with ingredients that might conflict with software code that allowed customers to a person’s allergies or medications. The place their orders via computer, plucked Sifter algorithm analyzes each proditems from local grocery store shelves uct’s ingredients and categorizes them to fulfill those orders, and even drove based on various dietary concerns. the trucks that delivered orders right Consumers can also develop diet plans to customers’ homes. Over the next 12 and use a function called RecipeSifter years, Peapod expanded from Chicago to “sift” a recipe, showing ingredient to 23 other U.S. cities. After taking the options, sorting diet preferences and company public in 1997, the Parkinsons, recommending products that can be who continued to run the company, added to the shopper’s cart. “While partnered with supermarkets like Kroger, only in the market since February of this Safeway and Stop & Shop, hiring shopyear, we’re very pleased to be getting pers to pick customer orders off store very positive feedback from consumers shelves. When that became cost-prohibabout Sifter and how it’s helping them,” Andrew says. itive, they shifted to a warehouse model, stocking their But that is far from the end of the story. The brothown products. Then came the dot-com bust in 2000 ers continue to develop functionality for Sifter that will and a need for financing. The brothers sold 51 percent of progressively improve the platform and which, they hope, Peapod ownership to Ahold; Andrew stayed on as presiwill have a positive impact on global health. “We follow dent while Thomas remained chief technology officer. a ‘fail fast, continuously improve’ development process Through it all, they continued to innovate, developing and we’re driven by a quote I found a long time ago by many firsts, including online coupons; the technology Winston Churchill,” Andrew says. “‘I would rather try that enables shoppers to sort groceries according to nutritional needs; and mobile solutions like a free Peapod and fail a thousand times than dwell in the twilight that knows neither victory or defeat.’” smartphone and tablet app. In 2009, the Parkinsons Seems that staying hungry has paid off. E founded a product content company, ItemMaster (now Syndigo), which pulled together grocery product data
“WE FOLLOW A ‘FAIL FAST,
CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE’
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS...”
SU M M E R
20 21
T H E
E X E T E R
B U L L E T I N • 59
Congratulations Class of 2021!
PHILLIPS EXETER ACADEMY 20 Main Street Exeter, NH 03833-2460 Parents of Alumni: If this magazine is addressed to an Exonian who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please email us (records@exeter.edu) with their new address. Thank you.
MARY SCHWALM