The tension thickens the air as runners steady themselves at the white line etched in the grass. They fidget with their watches and whisper final words of encouragement to teammates. The field, vast and empty, waits in anticipation. With the sharp crack of the starting gun, the race begins. Leading the Big Red cross country girls are seniors and captains Melani Dowling and Leta Griffith.

As night settles over campus on a quiet Tuesday evening and the moon rises above the Academy Building’s white cupola, the warm glow of a classroom flickers within. Inside, Elaine Qiao stands at the front of the room, leading the Exeter Forensics Team. Before a group of novice debaters, she draws from years of experience, walking them through the fundamentals of the Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum debate formats.