I realized recently that I hadn't visited the Exeter campus since my Fifth Year Reunion in 1993, while at the same time realizing that I only live forty-five minutes from campus. So, Trent Smither and I made our way up there this past Saturday and strolled around the grounds. It was a crisp and clear October day, the perfect sort of day to wander around a New England prep school campus. I knew there were some impressive new buildings that had sprung up since my last visit, so I looked forward to seeing what $65 million can get you in the way of a new Science Center, etc.
Trent and I walked around the old classroom buildings, the athletic facilities, the quads, and the assembly hall, and I have to say that after moving on from Exeter to college and then the real world, it was easy to forget how lucky we were to go to school there. To receive an education in beautiful old marble-filled, history-filled buildings at a school where no expense is spared on anything at all is a real privilege and opportunity of a lifetime.
Please enjoy these highlights (Trent kindly struck some good modeling poses to make the pics more interesting):
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Trent in front of Phillips Hall, where we had English and language classes:
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Trent in front of a huge new building that wasn't there when we were there (it sits on the land where my least favorite building was: the science building):
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Pointing back towards Jeremiah Smith Hall, where the scary administration activities took place:
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Here's the big new science center:
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We stopped by the student Grill, which now has big flat screen TVs and a full little mini-mart. I ordered a Hobo, which is the Exeter version of the Ham, Egg & Cheese sandwich. It was exactly the same as it was twenty years ago, really! In other words, it was delicious! Back then, we used little orange tickets to pay for food at Grill, but now they have little swipe cards. Very high tech. Here's the super-fancy Exeter water that is sold there:
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Here's the Academy Building, where many assorted classes take place, and where the Assembly Hall is. We couldn't figure out why the flag was at half mast:
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Here's Trent fulfilling a lifelong dream to speak from the podium at Assembly. I wonder what his speech is about:
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The library, designed by Louis Kahn (who beat out I.M. Pei for the project), dominates the top half of campus:
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Now we get to the part that's both funny and depressing: my old dorm. The campus is for the most part dotted with nice old brick buildings and white clapboard houses that serve as dorms for the stressed-out students. There is one dorm, however, situated on a quad amongst some attractive buildings, that ruins the whole scene: McConnell, dorm of Charles Howard. This place looks like some sort of Howard Johnson's or Motel 8. (Note C. Howard's senior year room, second floor, far left.) Looking at it, you can be sure you are not witnessing an architectural stroke of genius. Judge for yourself:
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We made our way out to the athletic fields, past the nineteen tennis courts, baseball fields, old and new gym, and track. All the Exeter teams were playing Deerfield. Here's Deerfield kicking off to Exeter:
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Trent with the mascot (a griffin, I guess):
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We watched Trent's cousin and his teammates on the cross country team mercilessly crush Deerfield in a race, which was also watched with interest by this Good Boy:
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If you've ever read A Separate Peace, you'll remember the key scenes involving Gene and Phineas, trees and branches, and the river at Exeter. Here's Trent posing on the bridge leading out to the stadium, right where all Exeter students swing out from branches into the river:
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I thought I would attempt an impressively artistic shot here, juxtaposing the old gymn on the left with the newer complex on the right. Not bad, huh?:
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Finally, we hit the bookstore, where I picked up a couple of Exeter t-shirts for my little nephews, and were on our way!
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