The pop of a hot pink bubble of gum — vibrant, joyful, impossible to miss even if you try — captures the spirit senior Jacquelyn Addo carries as she moves through Exeter’s campus. When asked what color represented her, Addo didn’t hesitate: it has always been hot pink, bubble gum pink — a color as energetic and full of life as she is herself. That same brightness defines the legacy she hopes to leave behind at PEA — not of titles or accolades, but of connection. “I hope people will say that I’m a person that they can come to. I hope people feel like, ‘Oh, I am so stressed. I can come to Jackie and laugh.’ Because that’s my biggest thing,” she said. From the very beginning, Addo’s dream was to be measured by the simple, powerful ability to lift others up.

Every morning, a deep, clanging sound reverberates throughout the campus, filling many a stressed student’s soul with yet another bad omen sure to come true — you are indeed late for your math test. To some, especially visitors, the ancient time-marker and weathervane adds one final stroke onto the picturesque Academy Building. Yet, the history of this Exeter landmark lies well beyond the trivial hours it marks: in the over 500-pound structure one can find stories of legendary professors, secrets kept on stolen goods, and even student rebellion.

On Saturday, April 19, nearly 500 residents, students, and people from neighboring towns gathered outside the Exeter Town Hall for the “No Kings in America” protest. Organized by the Exeter Democratic Town Committee and Greater Seacoast NH Indivisible, the event aimed to call attention to concerns about democratic backsliding as well as growing fears of autocratic leadership in the U.S.