Academy’s Republican and Democratic clubs co-heads took turns posing questions to Lamont ’72 and Sununu
Follow me: Exploring sustainable fashion
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Exonians in review: Fall 2023
Celebrated writer and social commentator honored with Phillips Award
From her op-ed pieces in The New York Times to her bestselling 2017 memoir Hunger, Roxane Gay ’92 is known for writing with radical honesty, courage and compassion about some of our society’s most difficult and divisive issues. On Friday, she returned to campus to accept the John and Elizabeth Phillips Award, which recognizes an Exonian who has contributed significantly to the welfare of community, country or humanity in their life and work.
“As an author, editor and professor known for your exploration of complex questions surrounding race, class, gender and sexuality, you have become one of the leading social commentators of our time,” said Trustee and General Alumni Association Vice President Una Basak ’90, who delivered Gay’s award citation before an audience of students, faculty, staff and visiting Trustees in the Assembly Hall. “You have earned this distinction by writing about subjects that matter deeply to you, in a way that resonates with millions of readers.”
In addition to accepting the Phillips Award, the Academy’s highest honor for its alumni, Gay visited several classes during her visit to campus. Immediately following the assembly, she sat in on a combined session of REL450: Social Ethics and REL592: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Epistemology held in the Latin Study, in which students read and discussed material from her newly published essay collection, Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business.
The gift of family support
Addressing the Assembly Hall audience, which included several members of her family, Gay dedicated many of her remarks to her parents, whom she says “saw the power of possibility” in her when they made the investment in her Exeter education. “They saw what I personally would not see for decades, honestly — that I have a powerful voice and something to say.”
She spoke of her time at Exeter as “formative, in ways both good and bad.” There was her English teacher, the late Rex McGuinn, who saw something in her “very bad teenage writing” and encouraged her to take herself seriously as a writer. But she also spoke of experiencing microaggressions, and of being often underestimated by adults and peers alike.
After Exeter, Gay went on to earn her master’s and Ph.D. and began teaching at the college level, all with the goal of supporting her writing career. She published her first book, the short story collection Ayiti, in 2011. She was also blogging regularly at the time; writing articles on race, gender and culture for Salon, The Rumpus, The Nation and TIME, among other outlets; and building a reputation for sharp commentary on Twitter, then a relatively new social network.
Building a career
In 2014, Gay was on the tenure track at Purdue University when the success of her essay collection Bad Feminist launched her to a new level of fame. She published her debut novel, An Untamed State, that same year.
“I’m a writer who has achieved some measure of success because I dared to believe that I had the right as a queer black woman to articulate my understanding of the world,” Gay told the assembly audience. “From an early age, I watched my mother confidently expressing her opinions with wit and intellect… . My mother didn’t necessarily know it at the time, but she consistently modeled for me what it means to have convictions and the confidence to express them.”
Writing for a purpose
Gay spoke of the “massive social upheaval” our culture has experienced over the course of her career, including a global pandemic, a divisive political landscape, rampant misinformation, proliferating anti-LGBTQ policies, book-banning efforts and multiple wars around the world. “The climate into which I write is incredibly fraught, but I do write, nonetheless,” Gay said. “I write to express outrage or to bear witness or express admiration. I write knowing many people will disagree with me for one reason or another.”
In addition to her own writing, Gay has worked throughout her career to amplify the voices of those who are underrepresented in publishing, particularly younger authors of color. She regularly publishes essays by emerging writers in her newsletter The Audacity, which boasts more than 80,000 subscribers. In partnership with Grove Atlantic, Gay recently launched her own publishing imprint, Roxane Gay Books, with three titles in print by the end of 2023.
“People often call me an activist, but truly, I am just a writer,” Gay said near the end of her remarks. “I am fortunate enough to bring attention to the things that matter most to me. I’m able to advocate for vulnerable communities. I do all of this because 35 years ago, my parents had a big, bold vision for myself that started right here.”
Finis Origine Pendet: Insulting the Prince
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Alumni Mentors share their workplace and knowledge with rising seniors.
Anne Rankin ’92, the current Bates-Russell Distinguished Faculty Professor and an instructor in science, embraces her role as a change agent at Exeter. Inspired by conversations with current and former students over her nearly 25 years with the Academy, Rankin spent months brainstorming ways to build meaningful connections between the groups. “Students often talk about how valuable it is to have perspective from someone working in a career they’re interested in,” she says.
To provide those opportunities, Rankin coordinated nine new summer internships that pair students with alumni mentors in the workplace. Open by application to rising seniors, the internships placed students in diverse professional settings, including assisting with eye exams at a retinal clinic, helping a sustainable clothing brand prepare its 2024 collection, and collaborating virtually to develop an artificial intelligence module for older adults.
Rankin’s initiative complements the Academy’s robust summer internship program, which includes an 11-year partnership with Dr. Seung Kim ’81, director of the Stanford Diabetes Research Center. Students work alongside Kim in his lab, conducting hands-on biomedical research, creating and characterizing new strains of fruit flies.
Rankin stresses that the internships are more than ways for students to work in interesting settings for a month or so. “It’s also an opportunity to learn from someone other than teachers,” Rankin says. “It’s about human relationships and learning how to be mentored. Putting the students in touch with a caring adult and having them talk to you about your next steps. That’s important.”
The alumni benefit as well. Mentoring students who share their Exeter experience is an opportunity to share real-world experiences as well as insight into their business or area of expertise. “We don’t coddle anyone,” says mentor Dennis Whittle ’79, co-founder of consulting firm Normal>Next. “They’re doing real work with real leaders in real time.”
Ultimately, for Whittle and other alumni, the mentorship opportunity was as rewarding for them as for the students. “It’s a chance to learn how to be mentors,” Rankin says, “and give back to Exeter in a meaningful way beyond financial contributions.”
A look at a few of the new internships
Follow me: Exploring clinical medicine
Alumni mentors share their workplace and knowledge with rising seniors
- October 30, 2023
Follow me: Exploring synthetic chemistry
Alumni mentors share their workplace and knowledge with rising seniors
- October 30, 2023
Follow me: Exploring sustainable fashion
Alumni mentors share their workplace and knowledge with rising seniors
- October 30, 2023
Destination Egypt
Instructor in History Sally Komarek documents her trip to Cairo spreading the word of Harkness.
This summer I traveled to Cairo, Egypt, with Global Initiatives Program Director Patty Burke Hickey to teach at the Cairo American College, where Exeter introduced the Harkness model in 2015. Each day offered a new gift. Here’s a look at what I learned about myself and my craft by sharing our practice and exploring a new culture.
August 6-7
Patty and I arrived at Boston Logan International Airport on Sunday afternoon, excited to begin our journey. While waiting for our flight, we chatted about our instruction plans for our time at Cairo American College (CAC). Neither of us had traveled to Egypt before, but we had connected with friends, colleagues and family members who shared suggestions for places to eat, shop and explore. After two lengthy flights and a three-hour layover in London, we landed in Cairo around 5:30 p.m. local time. We enjoyed a late dinner with others, such as individuals working as street sweepers, and children. This was such a beautiful way to meet local Cairenes and learn about the city, its rich history, and the agricultural practices and culinary traditions that make their dishes so special. We ended the tour with full bellies and some new menu ideas to take home.
August 8
We planned our first day as an adjustment period to help us get over any jet lag. After getting a sweat in at the hotel gym, we made our way to the pool to discuss our ideas for the next day’s lessons. We knew that we’d be working with a group of 12 to 15 teachers, and that their experience with Harkness was mixed. Some teachers had participated in numerous Harkness training sessions with current and former Exeter colleagues, and others were brand-new. We decided to use reflection and goal-setting to pull CAC teachers into the conversation regardless of their familiarity with Harkness.
With our Wednesday plan final, Patty and I set out for downtown Cairo, where we took a food tour with Bellies En-Route, a women-owned company that leads zero-waste tours. We started out eating koshari, the national dish of Egypt, a delicious medley of pasta, rice and lentils. We also tasted falafel (made from fava beans, not chickpeas), okra, an assortment of juices (my favorite was tangerine), baba ghanouj and a warm bowl of molokhia, a spinach-like vegetable. We were so appreciative that at every stop our tour guides shared any leftover food overlooking the Nile River, then crashed from the exhaustion of a full day of traveling.
August 9
Patty and I woke early and arrived at CAC at 7:30 a.m. to begin setting up to lead workshops with the humanities faculty. The session started with brief introductions before we asked teachers to journal a personal “Problem of Practice” as it pertains to their Harkness classrooms. There are about 22 students per classroom at CAC and the Harkness table seats 16 to 18 students. The conversation was rich with the challenges of Harkness learning in a larger classroom: How do I build strong student habits and establish classroom norms? How should I give feedback and evaluate participation and engagement? How can I balance participation among so many students? And notably, how do I involve those students on the outside of the Harkness table.
In the afternoon, Patty and I facilitated a Harkness demonstration. The teachers read some short poems from Lamont Poet Natasha Trethewey’s Beyond Katrina: A Meditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Nancy Gibbs’ 2005 Time magazine article “An American Tragedy: The Aftermath.” The conversation was lively, engaging and demonstrated many of the same dynamics we see around our own Harkness tables at Exeter. We wrapped up at CAC and headed back to our hotel, where we reviewed the class’ “Problem of Practice” reflections over dinner and made our plan for Thursday’s sessions.
August 10
We opened our second day of Harkness training with a debriefing about the previous day’s work. Like any Harkness conversation at Exeter, each individual experienced the conversation differently. We unpacked the direction of our conversation, returned to some key moments, and talked over a variety of possible interventions to employ as a Harkness instructor.
Next, we led a session on inclusive Harkness practices; multiple ways of giving feedback; preparation and close-reading practice; “silent discussions”; and discussion roles, among other strategies. The dialogue from this session stretched into lunchtime, and we enjoyed delicious sandwiches while collaborating with one another. After lunch, we split up by discipline to discuss department-specific questions, skill building and written assessments.
For our final session of the week, we returned to the “Problem of Practice” cards from our first session, and asked colleagues to identify new solutions, plans and practices to help them work through their initial “problems” and identify a colleague they can partner with throughout the year. It was terrific to end on such a high note, and the enthusiasm to begin a new school year was palpable. Patty and I carried that energy back to campus.
August 11
We kicked off a weekend of tourism with a trip to the Saqqara and spent a few hours exploring the vast sites and grounds of the step pyramids. Our incredible tour guide, Yomna, explained every historical detail. In the Serapeum, an ancient burial site for sacred bulls, we were blown away by the massive stone sarcophagi nestled deep underground. Touring was such a positive experience and reminded me of how transformative in-person experiences can be when studying history. It made me eager to work in more field trips, day trips and hands-on exploration into my coursework at Exeter.
August 12
We traveled west to explore the famous Giza pyramids. Standing next to the individual blocks of the pyramid, it put into perspective just how massive the pyramids really were. Imagining their construction around 3200 B.C., I was in awe that these magnificent structures predate all of Exeter’s History offerings by more than two centuries. Our next adventure brought us to the Great Sphinx of Giza, which was (you might sense a theme here) even more massive than one could ever imagine! After an incredible day we returned to our hotel with our phone camera rolls full.
August 13
Our final day began with a drive to the Citadel of Cairo, or Citadel of Salah ah-Din. I asked Patty to snap some photos of me in front of the Citadel to show to my future students in HIS205: The Medieval Worlds, as Salah ah-Din is a crucial historical figure in our course study. From there we entered the Muhammad Ali Mosque, which was one of the most breathtaking buildings I’ve ever stepped into. The entire experience was unforgettable. Next, we drove to Old Cairo, where we saw the spectacular Crypt of the Holy Family and the famous Hanging Church. We then spent hours exploring the exhibits, including the mummies, at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The day ended with a trip to Khan al-Khalili market and a felucca ride on the Nile.
August 14
Morning came early for us as we headed to the airport at 5 a.m. to start the journey back to Boston. I am so grateful for our time in Egypt. I gained so much as a teacher of history and Harkness instructor.
This article first appeared in the Fall 2023 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.
Civil discourse
The power of discovery
CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is home to the world’s largest particle accelerator and only antimatter factory, and, for two weeks in September, eight extremely excited Exonians.
In the final months of 2022, our Myriad Magnets team — Daniel Jeon ’23, William Lu ’24, Peter Morand ’25, Achyuta Rajaram ’24, William Soh ’24, Isabella Vesely ’23, Ishaan Vohra ’24 (our team lead) and Aubrey Zhang ’23 — met regularly to develop a research proposal for CERN’s Beamline for Schools competition. Our 14-page submission presented a design for an original and modular mechanical setup to replace the high-energy-consuming electromagnets used in all accelerators.
CERN is a major consumer of electricity. A massive portion of this consumption comes from powering all the electromagnets, which bend and focus the particle beams, needed to run the massive accelerator complex.
Our proposal sought to instead use permanent magnets in special geometric formations — no electricity needed.
In July, our plan was one of three winning entries chosen from hundreds of submissions from student groups in over 60 countries. We were invited to test our proposal at the global epicenter of physics among some of the best scientists in the world.
Three-quarters of the way through our stay in Switzerland, our team trickled into our morning meeting room. Some arrived after team breakfast, others after waking up from eventful late nights of work. We started our day together in hybrid fashion with our support scientists and the other two winning teams, Pakistan’s Particular Perspective at CERN, and the Netherlands’ Wire Wizards working at DESY, Germany’s largest accelerator center. After checking in with everyone, we dived in: How is our physics going? What’s going well? What setbacks is everyone facing? Not a single day had passed without an answer to this final question. We discussed and brainstormed as one big team before setting plans for the day. With only three more days of access to the beam, we had zero time to waste.
A short time later we settled into our shifts across the CERN campus. For the rest of the day, subteams rotated to allow each team member to fully explore all parts of the experiment.
Members from the Exeter and Pakistani teams rushed to the test beam control room to check the overnight data and prepare the day’s experiments. We were lucky: Particles came through as expected, and our complex setup with numerous particle physics-specific detectors suffered from no major errors (a true rarity). The calmer aura of this morning was mildly misleading — it was a major development from the beam shifts of the days prior. Since our first day, those assigned to beam shift could expect two hours of intense problem-solving led by our support scientists. From fixing data collection and software concerns to examining mechanical components and detectors that randomly stopped working, each shift was a unique experience at the center of computer, electrical and mechanical engineering in physics.
A few buildings over, a group of students headed to a data analysis session. There we learned the ins and outs of CERN’s data analysis library, called ROOT, from CERN scientists and engineers. Some of our mentor scientists prepared physics and data analysis-specific programming exercises, often using real data from older runs, while other mentors stayed throughout the day to help debug, answer our many questions and offer new ideas to ponder. Ready to start putting our new techniques to the test, we began analyzing our own data. All of our team’s analysis sessions that day consisted of translating numbers into useful methods of understanding our magnet arrays’ effectiveness.
At Exeter, our physics club often looks to show how physics is fun in unconventional ways. CERN’s Markus Joos, our program’s technical coordinator, has perfected a similar pedagogy. In “playground” sessions, he shared his decades of experience working on some of CERN’s largest experiments. Amid CERN stories and general experiment questions and answers, we explored the inner workings of the detectors and computer systems that underlie our own and CERN’s most elaborate experiments. We worked as a team to create a cosmic muon detector, using scintillator detectors to expose the fundamental subatomic particles raining down on us from cosmic radiation.
Our time in the playground enhanced our understanding of the inner mechanisms of our experiment and even inspired new ideas — including a new magnetic mangle design and the possibility of a detector to measure the random positively charged beta particle emission of bananas (a project shaping up to become a senior project for Achyuta Rajaram and William Lu)!
Throughout the week, we attended special lectures from CERN experts. We even had the chance to meet Bathsheba Nell Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations office in Geneva, and give her a personal tour of our experiment! Taking full advantage of our location, we also toured CERN’s historic first particle accelerator from 1957 (where we realized we had studied its exact physics principles in Exeter’s advanced physics sequence!), the antimatter factory, and the extensive engineering facilities. To cap off a fully immersive experience, we explored the historic and cultural aspects of Geneva, making sure to practice our French even when trying Swiss chocolates.
As the trip ended, we wrapped up our data collection and presented our conclusions to the CERN and DESY labs. Our initial results, using our magnetic mangle in a dipole configuration, showed that a radially and rotationally adjustable magnetic mangle is indeed possible for meaningful particle deflection. In other words: Our design worked! We also confirmed that stationary arrays of magnets in the dipole Halbach configuration can deflect the beam. But after boarding the plane home, our particle physics adventure had only just begun to accelerate. From across the Atlantic, we will stay in contact with CERN, completing our data analysis and exploring the impacts our results may unlock.
This article first appeared in the Fall 2023 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.