First Class Mail U.S. Postage Paid Mailed from 03833 Permit Number 78 “Te Oldest Continuously Running Preparatory School Newspaper in America” Vol. CXLI, Number 21 Tursday, September 19, 2019 Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire Student Listeners Faculty Pass Support Wellness Misconduct By ANNE BRANDES, TINA HUANG and AMY LUM Staf Writers Proposal By ANNE BRANDES, DANIEL CHEN In the face of anxiety and loneliness, any and EMILY KANG Exeter student can knock on doors with blue Staf Writers signs to talk with Student Listeners—a unique The faculty passed a new sexual mis- support system by and for Exonians. Student conduct review policy with a clear majority Listeners are leaders within the dorm community vote on Monday, Sept. 16, after extensive specifcally trained to assist others, via weekly revisions to the previous process, such as the Monday trainings and an annual retreat, held elimination of Principal’s Discretion. The this year on Sept. 15. policy was jointly developed by administra- Because Student Listeners are also students tors, students and faculty this past summer. themselves, they are “front and center in every- The new policy states that after the day Academy life,” Associate Director of Coun- Exeter Police Department (EPD) decides to seling and Psychological Services Constance close its investigation into a case of sexual Morse said. Besides ofering private support to misconduct, the Academy will launch an their peers, Listeners can also connect students independent investigation. A separate with appropriate Academy resources. “Misconduct Review Board” (MRB) will In the 1983-84 school year, former Academy then determine appropriate disciplinary counselor Patty Schwartz founded the Student and educational responses based on find- Listener program. To kick of the new program, ings from a trained, third-party investigator. listeners sponsored several activities, including This committee will be chaired by the a stress workshop, to discuss under-addressed Dean of Students, currently Brooks Mo- topics and to support their peers. riarty, and will consist of two additional Since then, Student Listeners have contin- deans from the Dean of Students’ Office as ued to provide support to the Exeter community. well as two faculty members chosen from Listeners also commit to attending weekly train- a pool of current and former Community ings on various issues pertinent to adolescence Conduct Committee members who have and Academy life according to Morse, a Student prior “commitment to and knowledge of Listener Program Coordinator. sexual misconduct.” At the beginning, the Student Listener During the investigation and delibera- Program appointed between 60 and 65 Listen- tion, the reporting student will be assigned ers. For the 2019-20 year, the program boasts 77 to a specific faculty member—typically Listeners in addition to the Academy’s extensive the Dean of Student Well-Being, Christina support network. “Adolescents ofen seek help Palmer—who will assist the student as an and support from peers frst, so it makes good advisor and source of support. Palmer will sense to have a program that helps to support also be responsible for making official re- those natural ‘helpers,’” Morse said. ports to authorities. When it frst began, the Student Listener Once they have consulted all findings, Program appointed between 60 and 65 Listen- MISCONDUCT, 3 STULIS, 2 Richard Blanco recites his poetry for the audience. Tomas Wang/Te Exonian Peer Boarding RichardBy MOKSHA Blanco AKIL Speaksspaces on campus,” on prep class the coordina American- I think that’s really interesting Dream because ev- and MAEGAN PAUL tor and English Instructor Tyler Caldwell eryone here is a little bit from everywhere.” Staf Writers explained. Other members of the prep class Schools Grapple “In the moment, I felt America stand- Trough assigning Te Prince of Los shared this sentiment. “I’m not sure if I’m ing as one. Putting diferences aside, and Cocuyos, the English and Health Depart- really from one place, and now I think that taking one collective breath,” read poet ments wanted incoming students to refect there are a lot of places that make up parts with Visitations Richard Blanco at the Academy’s frst as- upon their interpretation of a home. “I of my identity,” prep Riley Jones said. “It’s By ERIN CHOI and EMILY KANG Staf Writers sembly. Te preps in the audience held hoped that reading this text would encour- nice to see that other people think that they their breath: they were listening to the age students to consider how they might don’t really know where they belong and For years, Exeter’s Visitations (V’s) very author of their summer reading as define or understand home,” Caldwell that I’m not the only one.” policy has been at the center of contentious he read from his memoir “For All of Us, explained. Prep Priya Nwankama added that it debate between students and faculty, as the One Today.” Reactions from the prep class show was similar to her and her parents’ experi- Academy has struggled to devise an inclu- Blanco visited Exeter afer the incom- that Blanco’s words did, in fact, spark self- ence in America. “I’m not an immigrant, sive policy that respects students’ need for ing prep class read his book Te Prince refection, and allow them to ponder on but my parents are immigrants, so his visitation hours while ensuring safety and of Los Cocuyos as part of their common what home meant to them. American experience is similar to mine liability. Other schools have been grappling summer—a new initiative part of a devel- Prep Polly Vaillent shared how Blan- in some ways,” she said, “and the fact that with similar issues. oping ninth grade program. co’s story resonated with her on a personal it was a book that the school had sent me In response to community concerns, “The common read over the level. “A woman in the book said that you made me feel like this was a place where I Exeter adopted a new V’s policy on Mon- summer spans multiple departments and can be from a little bit of everywhere, and BLANCO, 2 day, Sept. 16, extending visitations restric- tions to all inter-dorm visits and limiting sleepovers to those between boarders and day students affiliated with the dorm. In light of this change, The Exonian conducted Clubs Recruit a review of V’s policies and pertinent dis- cussions that have taken place on other boarding school campuses. NewBy MOKSHAMembers AKIL For years, Exeter’s V’s policy has been and ANNE BRANDES at the center of contentious debate between Staf Writers students and faculty, as the Academy has Amid a frenzy of shouting and can- struggled to devise an inclusive policy that dy pelting, the Academy’s multitude of respects students’ need for visitation hours clubs flled Rink A of the Love Gym last while ensuring safety and liability. Other Saturday to recruit new members at the schools have been grappling with similar much-anticipated Club Night. Lines of issues. curious new students crowded around Last year, at a conference hosted by tables spread full with an assortment Northfield Mount Hermon (NMH), Exeter of medals, student publications and co-drafted several gender-neutral policy robots, eager to sign up for clubs that proposals along with Phillips Academy align with their interests. Boarding school visitations policies in a nutshell. Rachel Won/Te Exonian Andover, Deerfield Academy, Choate Rose- Club Night, an annual event, plays mary Hall and NMH. Out of the five, Exeter a critical role in determining club siz- Student Activities Joanne Lembo said. new people. “Our goal of the club is just is the only school that has followed through es and dynamics for the coming year. “Now, some of these have four mem- to make Exeter just a bit easier,” lower on adopting a truly gender-neutral visita- Competing organizations brought bers, and they play cards once a week. and Meat Club Co-head Matthew In- tions rule to date. elaborate set-ups with props, treats and Others, like Mock Trial and [Model delicarto said. “Exeter is a pretty stress- Exeter’s new policy, as written in the even a latex-vinegar experiment. United Nations] have a lot more mem- ful place and it’s important to just try to E Book, only allows non-dorm residents Between Club Night and the Exeter bers.” Additionally, 54 clubs fall under have fun with a group of kids.” to visit their peers’ rooms within certain Student Service Organization (ESSO)’s the umbrella of ESSO. On the other hand, clubs like Stu- hours of the day; on school nights, low- annual Interest Night the previous eve- With such variety, each club oper- dent Council have more explicit pur- erclassmen can get visitations from the ning, students were able to gain a sense ates diferently and caters to a unique poses. According to Student Council start of dorm duty until 7:55 p.m, while of Exeter’s diverse extracurricular ofer- experience. Meat Club, which has only President Ayush Noori, the club serves upperclassmen have until 8:55 p.m. Dur- ings. “We have over 160 organizations existed for a year, provides a space for as “the liaison between the student ing weekends, students are able to get that fall under our ofce,” Director of Exonians to enjoy good food and meet CLUBS, 2 VISITATIONS, 3 INSIDE WEB SPORTS OPINIONS LIFE Visit our website for exclusives. www.theexonian.com Read about Athletes of the Week, seniors Upper Emmanuel Tran links liberals with Read about senior Robin Potter, this week’s Jake Gehron and Billy Menken. 9. interventionism. 7. Senior of the Week. 6. Follow our Instagram.