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Artist’s
rendering of the proposed Academy Center
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Exeter’s
science department is now up and running in the
dynamic new Phelps Science Center, and the Thompson
Building is vacant for the first time in many years...or
as Exeter prefers to see it, alive with possibility.
In
the Thompson Building, Exeter has a singular opportunity
to create a vibrant center for learning and community
beyond the classroom. By bringing together a mix
of programs, spaces and services, the school hopes
to fashion a new Academy Center that will enhance
the “real life” learning that occurs when adolescents
interact with their peers and teachers on a relaxed
and daily basis.
With
the Grill, campus post office, day student lounge,
student activities office, clubs, student government
and many other programs together under one roof,
the new Academy Center will allow students, faculty
and staff to bounce ideas off one another—to connect,
share and learn—thanks to their proximity. The
result will be a facility that draws together
and enriches the entire Academy community.
Exeter
has always offered opportunities for learning
in myriad locations, at almost every hour of the
day. Students are not only challenged around the
Harkness table; they also learn many lessons beyond
the classroom, by active participation and collaboration
in the larger school community. Through dormitory
life, athletic competition and broad co-curricular
offerings, students develop interests, hone talents,
and see how lessons learned around the Harkness
table apply to real life situations.
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Such
connections to the broader school community are
especially important for adolescents, as they
seek informal interaction with adult role models
and as they build friendships and collaborate
with peers. Never before, however, has there been
a centrally-located, comprehensive facility designed
for and dedicated exclusively to fostering connections
between the academic classroom and campus life
beyond. The Academy Center now presents an opportunity
to create just such a crossroads for community
connection and synergy.
With
Robert P. Owen Associates, educational facilities
planning consultants from Wellesley, Massachusetts,
and Centerbrook Architects of Centerbrook, Connecticut,
the Academy has developed an expansion and renovation
plan for Thompson that will transform the building
into a brilliant nexus—one that is certain to
attract and engage Exeter community members before,
after and throughout the academic day. The planned
spaces will support a wide range of activities
such that students will be able to relax over
a game of ping-pong on one floor or organize a
community service project on another. Since the
Center will embrace all members of the Exeter
community, it will also serve as a multiuse facility
for faculty and staff.
Dean
of Students Ethan Shapiro looks forward to seeing
the proposed Center come to fruition. “In a great
residential school, academics, extracurriculars,
dormitory life and athletics all work together
to create the best possible learning environment
for young people who are just beginning to discover
their potential. The out-of-class options we offer
students here are very good, but the absence of
an Academy Center limits the scope and creativity
of our programs. The new Center is key to what
we hope to achieve—a central place where students
can have fun and work together, and where students,
faculty and staff can connect with one another
during the busy school day and into the evening.”
Students, too, are excited about the Center. Student
Council President Kristopher Tillery ’02 sees
several advantages to converting Thompson. “Student
activities will be more a part of the campus,
and the connection between academics and extracurriculars
will be more apparent.” Kristopher also feels
collaboration between clubs will occur more often
in a consolidated space. “Many clubs have related
issues and interests. By putting them together,
they’ll be more aware of each other and better
able to help each other.”
As
with any major campus project, a thorough renovation
of Thompson—one that will create warm, friendly
spaces where people from all walks of campus life
will want to spend time—will require vision and
leadership from beyond the Academy’s borders.
Exeter
is currently seeking philanthropic support from
interested alumni/ae, parents and friends—support
that will ensure that opportunities for growth
and enlightenment outside the academic classroom
complement those within. 
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