The poetry of English Instructor Todd Hearon’s classroom

“There’s a story behind everything you see in this room,” Todd Hearon says, surveying the treasures in his Phillips Hall basement classroom. Throughout his life, including 21 years of teaching English at the Academy, he has picked up trinkets from his travels, oddities from long-forgotten campus storage rooms and gifts from grateful students. “A lot of the stuff I’ve just been carrying around with me for years,” he says.

Hearon has curated his subterranean space (“We’re six feet under,” he jokes) with warm tones and even a faux fireplace all meant to draw students into a setting that feels comfortable. “I think that if I had a room upstairs in some of the more ornate and stately classrooms,” he says, “I probably wouldn’t do all this.”

A playwright, poet, author and song writer, Hearon needs only to look at the collage of notable Irish poets above his desk or spin a Bob Dylan vinyl record on the corner turntable for inspiration. “This is kind of an extension of my home,” he says. “This is where I’ve written most of my books. I feel a sense of relief here.”

“There was a flood in 2006 and my classroom at that time was destroyed: all my books, everything. Anything that was below waist level couldn’t be salvaged because the water was septic. The only thing that survived was this Harkness table. This is one of the original Harkness tables, and a few legendary teachers have used it. It lifted and floated to the back of the room, like Noah’s Ark.”

“This is ‘The Wonder Horse.’ I found it in a dumpster outside Phillips Hall years ago. I used to ride on one of these when I was a little boy, so I have a special affection for it. Also, the flying horse, Pegasus, is a symbol of poetry, right? The medals are all medals that students have won for their writing in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.”

“When I teach senior creative writing poetry, every time the students come into the room, the sign is appended to some object. It might be on the hornet’s nest, it might be on the stained glass, and they have to fashion a metaphor telling how poetry is a hornet’s nest or is stained glass. Lots of the objects in this room function in that way — as generative promptings for the imagination.”

“When we’re studying Hamlet, this is Yorick’s skull — Yorick the jester. This jester’s cap came from Florence, Italy.”

“Before Phillips Hall was renovated there was a departmental closet upstairs that was piled to the ceiling with ‘junk.’ They were going to throw it all away. What I found in there was amazing: old copies of The Exonian from Robert Frost’s visit to campus and a book he signed and dedicated to the English Department. He was a big friend of the English Department, and it would be common where you would come to class and your substitute teacher for the day would be Robert Frost.”

This article was first published in the winter 2025 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.

Belonging

At Opening Assembly each year, I tell all our students — new and returning — the same three things: “You can do the work. You will make lifelong friends. Absolutely, you belong here.” These are the three things I wanted to know and would have appreciated hearing as a new lower so many years ago. Of the three, a sense of belonging is arguably the most important, because that is the foundation for thriving inside and outside the classroom and making lifelong friends.

Every student at Exeter should have a strong sense of belonging. The responsibility to make this a reality is embraced by all the adults in our community. In recent years, we have worked hard to strengthen how we welcome, support and celebrate our students across all backgrounds, experiences and identities. Examples are too numerous to list here, but they include new fall orientation programs, expanded recognition of different faith traditions and ethnic holidays in our school calendar, more culturally diverse food offerings, stronger affiliation of day students with dormitories, and improved training of student leaders in how to support new and younger students.

Our need-blind admissions policies also support a strong sense of belonging for our students. These policies and our commitment to meeting the full demonstrated need of all families are grounded in our mission and commitment to youth from every quarter, and are essential to preserving our ability to attract middle-income families as well as families with the greatest need. We have 35 more students on financial aid this year than last and anticipate that the financial aid census will continue to grow in the years ahead. The diversity of our student body is a defining strength of our school that propels our students’ learning and growth.

Our commitment to attracting and supporting diverse faculty and staff is also essential to fostering a strong sense of belonging for our students. This commitment extends beyond race and includes all forms of diversity represented in our student body. We are hiring excellent people across a wide range of backgrounds and experiences who want to teach and work in a boarding school environment and are committed to supporting the learning, growth and holistic development of every student.

The diversity of our student body is a defining strength of our school that propels our students' learning and growth.

Principal Bill Rawson ’71; P’08

Our students also contribute to strengthening their own sense of belonging by how they support and encourage each other. Recently I attended the presentation of a senior project by a student who had designed and built a laptop computer that matched the functionalities of the most expensive laptops on the market. His presentation was outstanding (and way over my head), yet even more impressive was the standing room only crowd of at least 50 students who had come to hear and cheer his presentation in Phelps Science Center.

This is typical of how students support one another across all arenas and activities. We see this when students hug each other in the lobby of the Goel Center for Theater and Dance after a performance, when they rush the court after a volleyball or basketball victory, when they loudly cheer each other’s accomplishments at Prize Day assembly and graduation, and in countless other ways. This support translates directly to a sense of belonging.

I hope you enjoy reading in this issue about our two graduates who were recently named Rhodes scholars. This is on a par with our two recent grand prize winners in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, who were featured in previous issues of the Bulletin. These are remarkable individual achievements. Yet they are also the product of the very special learning environment at Exeter, and they reflect how our students find joy in their collaborative learning and support each other in the pursuit of their passions. In that sense, these are group achievements that reflect the importance of belonging for all our students.

A few days after Opening Assembly one year, a senior approached me at Senior Sunrise in the stadium — a tradition introduced during COVID — and told me, “Mr. Rawson, every year at Opening Assembly when you tell me that I belong here, it means a lot to me.” That was the most important meeting I had that day, and there is no more important work that we do every day here at Exeter.

This letter was first published in the winter 2025 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.

David Hamlin Arnold: A Memorial Minute

David H. Arnold lived life passionately. Whatever David loved, he loved with his whole body and soul. He loved, for example, the Argentinian tennis star, Guillermo Vilas. In the mid-seventies, when Vilas was ranked number-2 in the world, David bought a New Hampshire vanity plate for his car: the plate read VILAS. And when David and his wife, Andra, bought a home in Stratham, David painted VILAS on his mailbox. The home was lovely, but his closest friends have always suspected David and Andra bought it, not so much for the house, but for what sat out in the backyard: a tennis court, but not just any tennis court. No, this was a clay court, and–you guessed it–clay was Vilas’ favorite surface.

Perhaps, what David loved most about Vilas was his exuberance and passion for the game. Lew Hitzrot, long-time friend and tennis partner, remembers the joy of David’s shouting, “‘Vilas,’ whenever he belted a backhand, topspin winner a la Vilas.”

To know David was to know that passion and unwavering commitment to task were the hallmarks of his brilliant career. He was a great teacher, coach, dormitory advisor, administrator, mentor, and friend. And he carried himself with a modesty that underscored the integrity we treasure in those who educate our children.

In contemplating his devotion to teaching, David once wrote, “From early on I seem to have had teaching corpuscles in my blood. I knew I would end up being a teacher. And . . . I dearly love doing exactly what I do.”

David may well have had teaching corpuscles in his blood. Born on February 21, 1941, the son of two secondary school teachers, David spent grades nine through twelve in a Connecticut boarding school. No doubt, the Loomis community influenced his life-long values, identity, and aspirations. After graduating from Loomis in 1959, David earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Middlebury College, spent three years teaching at the Hun School, and completed a master’s degree at Rutgers University in 1967. That same year, David accepted an appointment as an Instructor of Mathematics at Exeter. A two-year leave of absence from 1976 to 1978 enabled David to undertake Ph.D. studies in the History of Mathematics at the University of Toronto. We should note that he completed his dissertation only after returning to full-time teaching at Exeter. Nearly every morning, he did his writing between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., sometimes taking a break by joining Eric Bergofsky on three-mile runs.

While Toronto loomed important in his post-graduate education, it paled in comparison to a moment far more important: it was in Toronto that David met Andra Crawford, the love of his life. When David returned to Exeter, he returned a married man.

David Arnold, chair of the Department of Mathematics, emeritus, teaching in 1969

In the fall of 1978, Ph.D. nearly in hand, newly married, and already having served as a faculty member for eleven years, David spent the next two-and-a-half decades living the life of an Exeter teacher and administrator. The list of his responsibilities underscores his sense of duty and a remarkable commitment to the Academy community. He taught math, chaired the Department, and spent three years as Director of Studies. He coached varsity football, j.v. football, baseball, soccer, and, of course, tennis. He served as a dorm head or advisor in Soule Hall, Kirtland House, and Dow House. He worked on numerous committees, including the Curriculum Review Committee which initiated significant changes in our academic offerings and school calendar. He spent a year abroad overseeing SYA in Rennes. From 1996 to 2001, he served as Clerk to the Board of Trustees. And, for many summers, he taught in EMI, the Exeter Mathematics Institute, a wonderful outreach program in which Exeter instructors facilitate math workshops for colleagues in schools across the country.

In all his undertakings, David held high the bar of excellence. His work did not go unnoticed. In 1986, he received a Brown Teaching Award and later became a recipient of the Rupert Radford ’56 Faculty Fellowship. In awarding David the Radford Fellowship, Principal Kendra O’Donnell noted David’s leadership, citing his steady hand in “guiding a talented and opinionated crew through the beginnings of major curriculum reform.” On David’s retirement in June 2006, Principal Ty Tingley extolled David’s gift for making the study of mathematics both invigorating and fun. Ty quoted a note David had received from Ursula Brewster, Class of ’90: “I wanted to write a brief note to you, thanking you for all you have done. I am one of the lucky few . . . to have you as a math teacher for an entire year. The love of mathematics you instilled into me as a Lower lasted all the way through my Exeter career and continues through my years at Yale. Thank you so much.”

David's kindness and gentle sense of humor earned him great affection.

David found myriad ways to make the classroom stimulating. One day, when his class was struggling to remember the quadratic formula, David threw open the window and yelled, “Does anyone know the quadratic formula? We need it up here to solve a problem.” Walking across the academic quad, science teacher, Jim DeCarlo, laughed so hard, he could not reply, though, of course, he “knew the question was not for him.”

David’s kindness and gentle sense of humor earned him great affection. Joyce Kemp recalls a moment when students made their feelings clear: “Picture a banner hanging from J. Smith . . . not advertising a weekend dance, but imploring in large letters: ‘Mr. Arnold, PLEASE teach 520.”

Given the opportunity to share memories of Mr. Arnold, Exonians from across the globe wrote to us. Collectively, their memories create a portrait of a brilliant, caring teacher, who encouraged students and strengthened their confidence in themselves. Neil Gesundheit, Class of ’70, felt “privileged to be in his Math 4 Calculus class. Mr. Arnold’s eyes would light up with excitement as he explained . . . the mystery and magic of calculus.” Chieh-Min Fan, Class of ’81, remembers David’s “great good humor” facilitating an environment of lively discussion. Heath Marcus , Class of ’91, particularly appreciated David’s gentle prodding: David would sometimes draw a golden shovel “next to a student’s work when it was clear that they were just trying to BS their way through a solution.” Sue Safford, Class of ’83, notes the golden shovel was often accompanied by VE (valiant effort). Mr. Arnold “eased the sting of error with humor. He understood the delicate art of correcting without shaming to guide students to their own correct understanding of a concept.”

In every aspect of his work, David embraced a philosophy of in loco parentis: At Exeter, we have “boys and girls who need and deserve our presence and our guidance in and outside the classroom . . . I place a very high premium on my dormitory experience.” Lisa Weil, Class of ’78, cherishes living in Dow House where “home-made carrot cake and apple cider, served at a dorm meeting” encouraged “conversations between old and new students.”

Richard Maurer, Class of ’69, remembers the young Mr. Arnold as “a breath of fresh air. He was kind, understanding, and easygoing, without being permissive.” The day before he was to take the SAT, Richard broke his ankle and found himself in the Infirmary. He assumed “there would be no test for me. But the next morning, Dave . . . had a car pick me up and transport me to Phillips Hall, where I sat down as the test was getting underway. It was one of those Exeter ‘sink or swim’ moments that have prepared me so well for life.”

David Arnold in 2006, the year he retired

Doug Shenson, Class of ’73, arrived at Exeter in 1970. English by birth, Doug had never lived in the United States. More than fifty years later, he cherishes the warm welcome that put him “immediately at ease. Later, when I struggled to adjust to an unfamiliar math curriculum,” David “was extremely supportive and encouraging.”

If David was born to teaching, he was also born to mentoring. Stephanie Girard, recalls a moment early in her career, when David found her working in the Department Room. Noticing that she was tired, David “inquired, and when I told him that the girls in Dunbar were in my apartment almost every night asking for help,” he said,

“‘Stephanie, repeat after me: ‘No.’ . . . On days when you have too much of your own work to do, ask them when the test will be and see if they can wait a night or two. If it is the next day, say you can only work with them for half an hour. You must guard your own time carefully, so that this place does not wear you down.” Stephanie believes it “was great advice . . . given that I thought I was not allowed to turn the kids away regardless of my own workload or plans.” Close friend and colleague, Eric Bergofsky, says, “Add me to the list of those David mentored long before any formal mentoring program at Exeter was instituted.” David’s use of humor in the classroom continues to influence me “almost 50 years later. His legacy lives on.”

A life-long learner, David’s intellectual curiosity found joy in subjects as diverse as bird- watching and building fractals. For more than thirty years, March vacations provided time for David and Andra to birdwatch in Sanibel Island’s Ding Darling Wild Life Refuge and other nearby sanctuaries. David looked every inch the birder: Australian wide-brimmed hat, multi-pocketed vest, sunglasses, binoculars hanging by a strap around his neck, backpack, camera, and sturdy hiking boots. Rich Aaronian remembers a particularly pleasant trip with Peter Greer and David when they drove north to Canada’s Pelee National Park to see spring warblers returning from South America. Birdwatching is mostly, but not always a benign undertaking: Andra recalls one outing when David accidentally ventured too near the nest of a red-shouldered hawk. With screeching cries and talons flaring, the hawk plunged toward David’s head, sending his hat flying and leaving bloody scratches on his scalp.

Later in his career, David became fascinated with a pursuit that combined his mathematical skills with his artistic abilities: building fractals. Often beautiful and endlessly diverse, fractals are” infinitely complex patterns that repeat themselves at different scales.” Andy Hertig, who served as Dean of Faculty when David was the Director of Studies, frequently found “David’s computer screen filled with gradually developing colored patterns representing his newest fractal.” Andy recalls a moment when David’s cat “destroyed an entire night of fractal creation by walking across the keyboard of the computer in David’s living room.” Lost in that innocent moment of cat strolling was a particularly complicated model on which David had spent hours. With typical grace and good humor, David recounted the story to Andy. David loved his cat and understood that cats will be cats, eh?

Like many of his Exeter colleagues, David believed in the notion that to whom much is given, much will be required. For David, teaching in EMI was one way of giving back, a way of sharing Harkness pedagogy with colleagues across the country. Tony Greene and Bill Campbell recall being with David “on the same EMI team dozens of times.” Working together, Tony saw how much David “enjoyed teaching and how good he was at it. He and his teacher-students had fun, while at the same time he was boosting their confidence and imparting knowledge that would make them better teachers.” The EMI trips also enabled colleague Joe Wolfson to share in another of Dave’s passions: his love of fine food. Joe says, “We made it a point—just the two of us— to enjoy a dinner at a first-class restaurant one evening during our EMI week.” Joe treasures these moments of friendship, laughter, and lively conversation.

When David retired in 2006, the editors of the PEAN expressed their appreciation for David’s many contributions to the Exeter community: “Mr. Arnold has always pushed his students toward excellence. And his high standards are well-balanced by his playful humor and approachable nature. For his vivacious spirit, for his love of colorful shirts and bow ties, and for his talents as a teacher, mathematician, and advisor to all,” Mr. Arnold will be deeply missed.

On the 7th of April 2024, David Arnold passed into that good night. He is survived by his wife Andra Crawford and his son David Geoffrey Arnold.

With gratitude to several former colleagues for their contributions and the use of their words, we move that this Memorial Minute be submitted to David’s family and be spread upon the minutes of the faculty.

Respectfully submitted,

Richard S. Aaronian

Eric S. Bergofsky

William E. Campbell

Stephanie K. Girard

Anthony W. Greene

Richard A. Hardej

John D. Herney

Andrew W. Hertig

Lewis H. Hitzrot

Joyce C. Kemp

Joseph R. Wolfson

Douglas G. Rogers, Chair

This Memorial Minute was first published in the winter 2025 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.

Trustees Talk: The future is now

Classmates and trustees Dr. Sanjay Shetty ’92 and Sam Brown ’92 discuss the fall Trustee meeting, being an Exonian and whether a hot dog is technically a sandwich.

Dr. Sanjay Shetty ’92; P’23 is in his fifth year as an Exeter trustee. He is president of CenterWell, Humana’s health care delivery and services segment, overseeing its national primary care, home health, pharmacy and military business.

Sam Brown ’92 is president of the General Alumni Association and is serving his first term as an Exeter trustee. He oversees film and TV production and development as president of STX Entertainment.

Watch the full conversation between Dr. Sanjay Shetty ’92 and Sam Brown ’92 or read the Q&A below.

Sanjay Shetty: What inspired you to serve in the leadership of the General Alumni Association (GAA) and now as a trustee?

Sam Brown: I think it was eight years ago that I was discussing with somebody in IA, which is, I learned, not Internal Affairs, but Institutional Advancement, and was expressing my desire to be more involved in the Academy. They pointed to the General Alumni Association. I went through the process and joined the GAA board. I have since learned that the entire alumni body, all of the almost 20,000 alumni of Exeter, are automatically part of the GAA. Then there are about 20-plus board members who serve as facilitators of information from the alumni body to the Academy, and from the Academy to the alumni body. I became a very active and enthusiastic member of the GAA board leading up to being elected as the president over the summer. The way that the governance is structured, that role automatically becomes a trustee ex officio. But really, all of it stems from the fact that I had an incredible time at Exeter. Exeter shaped me into the person I am today. And ever since I left Exeter I’ve been looking for ways to repay Exeter.

What drew you to get involved as a trustee?

Shetty: Similar story. When I look back at Exeter, it really changed my life. I think about what I was like before, and what I was like during and after. It really changed how I thought about myself. I think it was at our 10-year class reunion, where I got pulled into being a class correspondent. I was a class correspondent for 10 years with Shane Kramer ’92, and then class vice president and then class president. That led to me being approached to serve as a trustee. The commitment is a lot larger as a trustee, but it’s been amazing. I feel like it pays itself back.

You recently attended your first Trustee meeting. From your perspective, as the new guy, tell us about the meeting. What did you do?

Brown: The meeting was in October. The weather was spectacular — perfect fall days — and the campus was vibrant. As a new trustee, there was an extra day of meetings, so I had a full day of meetings on Wednesday — starting at 8, not 8:05, but 8 o’clock Wednesday morning and going all the way through to post dinner Wednesday night. And that’s repeated Thursday and Friday. It is a lot.

The other thing I’ll point out is, and I was warned going in, there is a lot of reading. It’s not surprising that there is a lot that goes into preparing for these meetings, so you can come ready to engage.

It was exactly like being a student at Exeter. You’re on campus, and you’re around a supersize Harkness table because it has to accommodate 20 to 25 people. It’s like the Hulk of Harkness tables. It’s like 10 pieces of table that are pieced together to make one giant Harkness table. It’s a feat of woodcrafting.

I had a bunch of reading that I left to the last minute. I had to race to make sure I was there on time because it was really not OK for the new guy to be late and hold everything up. You were in these meetings through an entire day, past dinner. Yet coming out of it, I wasn’t exhausted. I was invigorated. All of it is completely engaging and the people are incredible. Ultimately, my headline impression was just how much it brought me back to being an Exonian student.

The reality is that the world is changing around us. How can we continue to support our core mission?

Sanjay Shetty '92; P'23

Shetty: I’m glad you mentioned the big Harkness table. That was truly surprising to me when we got there because it actually puts everyone in that frame of mind of when we were students, like you are there to participate. You are there to listen. The expectation of each of the trustees is that you are engaging in the conversation and have input in whatever we’re talking about, and you will get called out if you are too quiet.

One of the things I’m sure people are wondering about is: What were the big topics on the agenda for the discussion? What seem to be the most pressing decisions for the trustees in the coming year? In the coming five years?

Brown: I’ll speak about the things that stuck with me as topics of investigation. And I would point out that the Trustees are not having these conversations in a vacuum. There are discussions that are just Trustee only discussions, but those are, from what I just experienced, much more the exception than the rule. Principal Rawson is in most of these conversations as are representatives of the key departments within the Exeter community, and many of the discussions are based on presentations of these various department heads and representatives of the various aspects of the community.

One area of ongoing consideration is balance. How does the school continue to challenge some of the most high-achieving students on the planet in a way that acknowledges and balances the stresses and rigors of those challenges? It is not a topic that is unique to Exeter. But that is an area of ongoing debate.

There were some interesting conversations around how to honor students’ desire to become extremely pointed in certain areas. How is Exeter allowing for those students to pursue specialized interests, while at the same time acknowledging that part of what distinguishes Exeter as a school that is preparing kids to be leaders within society and humanity, is the need for balance in life. How does the school acknowledge and allow for both specialization and balance?

Another important ongoing conversation is around attracting and maintaining the best faculty and staff. The Academy, I think appropriately and rightly, aspires to the most diverse faculty and staff. How do we do that when Exeter is not in an incredibly diverse part of the world? How does the school do a better job of marketing itself to those potential job applicants?

And how are we honoring the students’ and, to a certain degree, their families’ expectations that Exeter is setting them up to succeed? How do we define success? And how are we defining success when it comes to college admissions in an environment that is becoming more and more competitive?

Those are certainly not the entirety of the topics discussed, but they are representative of the kinds of topics and issues that were discussed.

Shetty: I think a lot of people also don’t realize that the Trustees are the fiduciaries for the school. We’re charged with overseeing the school over the long haul, inheriting the responsibilities of the Deed of Gift from back in 1781. A lot of those questions you just talked about are very much strategic. My daughter has asked me, only half joking, “What are the Trustees going to do about lunch in Elm Street?” That’s not what we’re doing. We don’t get involved in the day-to-day operations. We select a principal and the principal is charged with running the school. Our job is to help develop and manage the long-term strategy. And that’s what focuses a lot of our conversation.

Long-term financial sustainability is one area of focus. Some might say that our resources are infinite — what do we have to be worried about given our large endowment? But the reality is that the world is changing around us. How can we continue to support our core mission, ensuring that Exeter is a school that’s available to youth from every quarter? I think the Trustees really take that responsibility very seriously. Our job is to look around the corner, think far ahead. That’s what makes it so interesting for me because I never really thought of Exeter that way. Exeter, for me, was the three years that I was there and then a reunion every so often. But the fact is, it’s this living, breathing institution that continues to evolve. It’s really cool that we get to play even a small part in helping develop that strategy, with a hope that the school will end up a better place because of what we did.

Brown: I can’t say enough how impressive the Academy looked through the prism of the Trustee meeting. Just how intentional trusteeship is. It is not a preference that people attend the meetings in person, it is a requirement. That’s a big commitment for anyone. By having everyone there in person, engaged and focused during those conversations, it leads to a level of thoughtfulness and stewardship that I haven’t seen in other boards that I have participated in. I know that that’s a result of the Trustees and the governance that came before me.

Shetty: I’ve had a chance to serve on Governance and Nominations, which is the committee that helps manage that process. The main criteria for people that we’re bringing onto the board is that we’re looking for that diversity of perspectives and expertise. It’s amazing what can happen when you put all these different voices around the table. We get to a better answer because of it. And we keep it intentionally small. At about 20 people, it’s a very meaningfully chosen set of alumni at the table that allows for robust conversations. And, like you said, it’s a really big commitment. People find a way, no matter what their day job is, to make it happen. And it all, I think, stems from that love for the Academy.

Brown: Absolutely. It is an engaged and empowered board. It is not performative. It’s not a group of people that are there just because they’re able to make large donations. It is stewardship and leadership. That was what was really exciting for me as a new trustee.

Shetty: This is more of a fun question because you’re in the film industry. If you were to do a movie about the Trustee meeting, whom would you cast as Principal Rawson?

Brown: Easy. Robert Redford. He’s both thoughtful and strong, but also deeply caring, which are elements of Principal Rawson. His leadership has been very impressive to me, both as an alum, as a member of the GAA board, and now, as a trustee.

This conversation was first published in the winter 2025 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.d

Genetics of cancer

Instructor of Science Summer Morrill '11 shares how her passion for genetic research came to be.

Summer Morrill ’11 fell in love with studying biology and genetics while a student at Exeter. But it was her family history of breast cancer that inspired her to study genetics at Tufts, then in graduate school at MIT. “I’ve had the experience of meeting with a genetic counselor to try to understand what’s going on,” she says. “The things I’ve researched and discovered may not make a conscious impact during my lifetime, but there’s something empowering about studying it.”

While Morrill considered becoming a genetic counselor, she decided she was more suited to the academic side of science, especially after gaining teaching experience during graduate school. She teaches a course in cancer biology, BIO586: Molecular Genetics. She proposed it as a special course based on several students’ initial interest, but when she offered it, 25 students signed up. “So many students approached me asking for this course,” Morrill says.

Why so much interest? “Cancer research is a huge field with really interesting biology happening now,” she says. “Also, students personally are interested in learning more about cancer research. The disease touches a lot of families, friends and, at this point in their lives, they probably know someone who has cancer.”

Students in Morrill’s course read current research on cancer genetics and do lab work focused on learning techniques of DNA isolation, analysis and manipulation. Morrill also organizes a panel of biologists — representing organizations including Boston Children’s Hospital, the National Institutes of Health, and Merck — to meet students and answer questions. “The questions the students ask are what researchers are currently asking in the field, which is amazing,” she says.

Morrill is creating further iterations of the course, giving students more opportunities to tie together different elements they have learned, such as thinking how gene mutation works and what the human body can and can’t do in response. “If they understand a problem at multiple levels, that’s going to benefit their problem-solving ability when it comes to thinking about human disease and how we’re treating patients,” she says.

“A course like this can teach students that science is more than just memorizing a set of facts. It’s about being comfortable with the unknown and asking the right questions to further your understanding of the field. I think there’s huge value in that for students — even one who doesn’t want to go into cancer biology — to have the experience of connecting pieces together and doing research of your own to figure out what’s going on in such a new field.”

Math at work, the Harkness way

Math instructor and Exeter Mathematics Institute Director Laura Marshall decodes our distinctive math program.

When my son was home from college recently, he mentioned the huge amount of information he is told on a daily basis. The learning feels different from his Exeter experience, he observed. He quickly realized that the greatest gift he received from Exeter was that Exeter taught him how to think.

It is an interesting point: Exeter’s math program focuses on creating problem solvers and deep thinkers. In traditional math classes, students are given problems in textbooks and told which methods they should employ to solve them. Exeter’s math students discover ideas on their own by working with one another through unique, interweaving problem sets.

Exeter math is taught, like the rest of our curriculum, in the Harkness tradition. Classes are student-centered. Teachers don’t lecture, we don’t feed students information. I view part of my role as a teacher as being responsible for creating a supportive classroom atmosphere where students are comfortable working with one another and they are unafraid to ask questions. We celebrate mistakes because mistakes create opportunities for learning and for increased collaboration. Growth and mastery emerge through students working together, actively exploring, discussing and explaining ideas to one another. We recently invited a film crew into my classroom to show how math at Exeter works. (You can watch the video of this class at Exeter’s YouTube channel.)

Our math problem sets are different too. Exeter’s dynamic, relevant problem sets (3,700 problems at last count!) keep mathematics interesting and realistic. The open-ended problems are scaffolded in a manner that enables students to work from specific examples to generalizations. Students develop concepts incrementally as they work through the theme-based recurring sequences of problems within our math sets. They dig into problems by searching for patterns, using technology, drawing diagrams, or whatever method seems appropriate to them.

Exeter math faculty began developing our problem sets in the 1990s. They are updated every June when current instructors review and revise the problems based on our own experience and with feedback from our students. The problems remain current and relevant. We are often asked why Exeter’s Math Department doesn’t publish our math problem sets as a book. The answer is easy: they are never finished.

Exeter math works. The way we introduce and scaffold our unique curriculum creates a gateway for developing fundamental problem-solving skills. Our technique moves students toward deeper thinking and stronger understanding that can lead to lifelong enjoyment of mathematical challenges.

Students don’t have to attend Exeter to benefit from our math program. We routinely partner with public, private and parochial school math teachers interested in thinking differently about math instruction. Our customizable Exeter Mathematics Institute fulfills an institutional priority to share the Harkness pedagogy with other educators while providing them with tools they can directly apply to their own curriculum. The end result, we hope, is inspired teachers who are committed to teaching students to gain independence in the learning process in order to become problem solvers. And ultimately, to provide the classroom environment that gives students, like my son, the space and confidence to be independent thinkers.

Calculated fun

It's all about fun and games in Instructor of Mathematics Jeff Ibbotson's class.

Learning advanced mathematics concepts isn’t necessarily fun and games — except in Instructor Jeff Ibbotson’s MAT690: Selected Topics in Mathematics course, where games are the point. In it, students explore how game theory — the study of strategic interactions whose outcome for each participant depends on choices of all involved — is an effective way to apply mathematical calculations to strategic thinking.

“Game theory allows students to see applications of mathematics in a different way because the concept is based on the idea of agents playing a game against one another or as part of a group,” Ibbotson says. “Games like the Prisoner’s Dilemma have aspects of conflict and cooperation, and can apply to situations in politics and economics.” Two of his students applied the game theory model of cooperation to show how hermit crabs trade shells, writing and illustrating a picture book to explain their findings.

Ibbotson aspires to teach mathematics beyond theorems and formulas, and attract a broad range of students, some who enjoy math and others who feel they should give math another try. Maybe because Ibbotson didn’t always know mathematics would be his route to happiness.

“When I was in college, I was a physics major and I wound up completing a physics program,” he says. “I took English classes, but eventually the style of arguments got to me. I was like I want something where there’s a provable answer. Not that I didn’t enjoy arguing, I do. … but it was when I was in real analysis that I fell in love with the mathematics of infinity.”

Drawing on his vast interests in art, religion and history, he uses spherical paintings on a globe to illustrate six-point perspective or passes around a graspable dodecahedron to help students visualize complex ideas. In another course he developed,

MAT40H: History of Mathematics, students study numbering systems from ancient Egypt, Babylon, China, India and other non-Western cultures — and have an opportunity to build their own. “They invent their own symbols and the stories behind the symbols,” Ibbotson says.

Ibbotson has been able to share his fondness for physics in an integrated studies course about the intersection of mathematics and sound. Using content based on his research into distribution theory and partial differential equations, students use trigonometric functions like sine and cosine to model complex sound waves (which correspond to musical concepts like pitch and volume). An avid Marvel and DC comic book fan, Ibbotson hasn’t integrated comics into his math courses, but he plans to.

In everything he teaches, Ibbotson strives to impart that learning mathematics is an effective way to learn to think, especially around the Harkness table. “That pedagogy feels right to me,” he says. “We want students engaged as soon as possible in doing mathematics. We have all sorts of problems that can go in various directions and sometimes the students find original ways to solve them. We celebrate that.”

Neil Chowdhury: Why Exeter?

Why Exeter?

I had heard it’s a great place to grow both academically and socially, and that there was a big community of people interested in math and science.

Harkness

I came to Exeter for the high-quality content that I would get from the teachers, but what I found was that the students here help you learn just as much as the teachers. In math classes, and even in Math Club, we solve problems collaboratively. Oftentimes we might come to class not having the solution to one of the homework problems, but together as a class we’ll put the pieces together and eventually get to the solution. Harkness is a really important part of my math classes.

Adult support

I’m grateful for all the support I’ve received from everyone. For my ninth- and 10th-grade year, my adviser was Mr. Hutchins, who works in Admissions. Whenever I needed anything, he would be there to help me. I could just call or text him.

Personal growth

When I arrived on campus, I was shy and not really comfortable talking to strangers. But as I participated in Harkness conversations, it felt more natural to interact with other people and talk to them. The skills that Exeter has taught me in terms of communication — Harkness, being respectful and listening to one another — that’s one of the biggest ways I’ve grown.

Competitor

I participate in math competitions through Math Club, and I’m learning about a lot of different types of competitive math competitions. We have individual and team competitions where you get some time to solve a set of problems and your score is based on how many you answer correctly. The competitions are really engaging. And you can see where you are and how you can get better over time.

Climate science

One of the biggest challenges facing the world is climate change and the inaction of our government. The younger generations, we’re going to have to step up to solve that issue. We’ll need to be innovating and creating legislation to solve a problem that big. Exeter has, through climate action days and also curriculum, inspired us to think about this issue and about solutions. It’s something that I’m really interested in. I can see myself being a climate scientist or advocate someday.

Advice for prospective students

If you’re looking for a place to interact with people from all over the world and engage with a new culture, and grow academically and socially, and gain some mental toughness, you should consider coming to Exeter.

A Guided Tour of Bill Jordan’s Classroom

Want to talk turkey? Head to Bill Jordan’s classroom. There the history instructor of 22 years fosters dialogue about American and ancient history, politics, and the law across ideological and party lines. It’s a teaching philosophy reinforced around the table and on each of his room’s curated walls. There are rally placards for Trump, Obama, Newt and Ron Paul, he notes. “I want it to be as balanced as possible.”

Valuing all perspectives is a skill Jordan P’12, P’17, P’17 first honed at home (“My father was a newshound and politics junkie.”) and further developed during his time as a newspaper reporter covering crime, local government and school board meetings in Massachusetts for The Beacon and The Malden Evening News.

He brings that selfsame passion for community involvement and civic engagement to the Academy as a long-time boys cross country coach, dorm affiliate and adviser to the Exeter Political Union.

Here’s the scoop on a few notable objects in Academy Building Room 028.

Variety of colorful political pins hang on cork board.

The George McGovern button is Jordan’s favorite. The two met in 1972 while McGovern was on the campaign trail and Jordan was at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. “We chatted. He’s a very nice guy,” he recalls. “It was one of my best political moments ever.”

The Political Classroom book stacked on a desk.

“This book is my bible,” Jordan says. “Classrooms are political spaces, there’s no way around that, but they should not be places of indoctrination. We shouldn’t be telling our students what to think, but helping them learn how to think.”

“Studying national politics can make you feel a little bit hopeless about the future,” Jordan says, which is why he brought students to a deliberative session in Exeter, where they picked up this voter card. “They’re not at each other’s throats and they’re not polarizing,” he says of local politicians. “They can compromise, they can listen to each other. [Students] see that in person in that room.”

Teacher holds sticker that reads "I could be wrong"

Jordan designed these stickers to hand out to students. “I am into this notion of epistemic humility,” he says. “One of the things we need to teach people to be good citizens is to always think, ‘Could I be wrong?’ That way, they listen to other people, take in other views, and don’t assume that they’re always right.”

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the winter 2020 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.

Emma Ward

Brick by brick

Students channel architect Louis Kahn in Lego rendition of the Class of 1945 Library

Lego Library by the Numbers

Exeter Annotated:

A Cabin in the Clearing