If you were to look up the word “class” in a dictionary, a photo of senior Janice Darkwa would certainly appear under its definition. Known for her grace, kindness, and calming demeanor, Darkwa has served as a role model for dozens of Exonians over the past three years.

East Harlem, or “El Barrio,” nestled in Upper Manhattan, New York City, is a cultural microcosm of immigrant communities. Bustling streets streaked with graffiti and local shops pack East Harlem, while children’s playgrounds expand beyond sandboxes and rusty swings to sidewalks in front of bodegas, candy stores, or stoops.

On Wednesday, Oct. 26, students and faculty filed out of the cold and into the church to listen to Sherry Hernández, Dean of Multicultural Affairs, deliver her much-anticipated Meditation. The entire front row was already taken up by the family of Hernández, and the family that wasn’t there watched from behind a screen. Her story about her ancestral and spiritual heritage weaves elements of family, love, travel, and finding that where you belong is with the people you love.

As a tradition that dates back over 2000 years, Halloween has found its way into Exeter’s culture as one of the most exciting events of the year. When fall term comes to an end, students have a chance to enjoy the cool mid-autumn weather. They dress up as their favorite characters, twinning with friends, and trick-or-treating around town.

At every E/a, Exeter’s crowds cheer in unison, drums rattle, and horns blast. Before them stand a group of seniors, faces streaked with red paint and bodies bundled in every shade of red they could find. These are the Red Bandits, a select group of students chosen to ignite school spirit and lead cheers at every game.

The United States and Canada are as close to being “family friends” as countries can be. Sharing the same continent — the same American neighborhood — the two countries have remained steadfast through numerous hardships side by side. Canada has stood by its longtime friend through nearly every major conflict of the last century. It has sent troops to fight for the US-led world order in WWII, the Korean War, the Gulf War, and Afghanistan — a loyal friend in a divided world. So, what does the US President do to foster this unique Pan-American friendship? Capriciously threaten to punish Canada with trade tariffs. Why? Because the US has a trade deficit with Canada.

For the past few years, Niche has ranked PEA at the top of its private school rankings. Noticeably missing, however, is a size category. Why is it then that the Academy seems to value size over everything? When the Academy first opened its doors in 1783, it employed one teacher and held classes for 56 students. Today, the school registers 1099 students and 246 faculty, an increase of 1862.5 percent and 245 percent, respectively. Recently, the administration began the renovation of the Academy Building, due to be completed at the start of the 2027-2028 school year. One of the main goals of this project is to increase the size of the Assembly Hall so that it might accommodate the recent and future increase in student body. The Academy has had population growth as a centering cause and metric of advancement in its plan for the years to come.

A post of two drinks on a café table. A sweatshirt sleeve in a mirror selfie. A shared BeReal with someone cropped halfway out… It’s not quite a secret, not quite an announcement, but a “soft launch.” This is how our generation goes public. We reveal affection through angles and hints, carefully edited for public consumption. Our relationships are increasingly shaped by how they will be perceived online rather than by private feelings. The performance becomes the relationship itself, and we start to confuse perception with connection. Then, is it really necessary to “launch” at all?

Phillips Exeter Academy was founded in 1781 as a boys-only independent school, and the Academy admitted its first group of female students in the fall of 1970, only 55 years ago. There were just 39 day student girls, which made up 4 percent of the 891 total student population. Since then, Exeter has grown to what it is today: a school that strives to offer equal education opportunities for both boys and girls. The biggest dorm on campus, Dunbar, which once housed boys, including Principal Rawson, is now home to 79 girls.

The loud thud of the ball hitting the back of the goal echoes throughout the field. The cacophony of cheering and impassioned shouting of “Go Big Red!” swells into a single, roaring victory cry.

Competing at the Olympics is an opportunity that every athlete could ever dream of — representing their country and meeting athletes from around the globe who share this excitement.

On Oct. 29, varsity boys’ water polo launched E/a week with a 12-6 win over Phillips Academy Andover.

“No matter where you end up on the depth chart, you have to be ready, always. Football is a rough sport, and you can never say for certain what will happen in a game.”

It’s 1:42 p.m. You sit in your seat, and at this point, you don’t even know what to feel anymore. For the past three days, you’ve been preparing for this in-class essay by skimming the textbook, scribbling down annotations, and coming up with a rough outline if you’re admirably ambitious enough.

You wake up one morning, open your laptop, and head to Canvas. Wanting to check your homework for the day, you open Canvas, but are greeted with a loading screen. You wait. You wait some more. You go do your laundry, yet it never loads. Maybe this is your lucky day: Oct. 20. It turns out that, due to a malfunction within Amazon Web Services (AWS), Canvas was shut down.