What Would Exeter Look Like, 100 Years Later?
By EILENA DING ‘28
Imagine a world in 100 years that has replaced humans with robots powered by artificial intelligence. A newfangled world run by robots after humans have escaped to Mars because of global warming.
Obviously, Exeter will have changed too. The familiar, dented marble steps, and flickering lights in the assembly hall, vanished and replaced with high-tech buildings and swarming with super-smart robot-Exonians, each sporting their own bright red Exeter hoodie.
Everything seems different, except, there are some things that no amount of time can change for us proud Exonians, whether robot or human. Big groups of robots chanting non-sibi storm grill after assembly. The futuristic campus is brought to life by the robo-Exonians living life just like we human ones do today. They stutter during Harkness discussions and try to play it off, bump legs with other students under the Harkness table and hope they didn’t feel it, fall on their faces on the busy pathways and pretend no one saw, constantly lock in to ace those tests that never end up getting aced, and all of the other canon events that happen to all of us Exonians.
The robo-Exonians live by the ways we, the ancient Exonians created. Submitting papers the very minute of the deadline, impulsively spending all their grill points on the first day, and strategically planning out their fatigues and dickies. These robo-Exonians act just like we do, but they are also everything we have ever dreamed of. They are endlessly working, super-intelligent, low-maintenance machines.
For homework, the robo-Exonians learn about the human Exonains, reading about their complete and total mastery of the art of procrastination. Complaining about not sleeping enough while knowing they spent all of their time stuffing their faces with grill cookies and goofing off in grill. While being similar to us, they possess the one feature that we, the human Exonians have always dreamed of. That one power that everyone said they wished they had during first-day icebreakers.
After completing their homework for the night, the robo-Exonains feel pity for the high-maintenance humans who need eight hours of sleep a night. They chuckle as they power off and plug in for their nightly 20-minute recharge.
Although they possess the traits we have all dreamed of, underneath all the wires,x metal, and fancy tech things, they are just like us. Hardworking, sometimes procrastinating, intelligent Exonians, trying to thrive and ace those tests. The true spirit of Exeter remains deep within us all.