· DORM REVIEWS · wentworth hall (est. 1925)

By  LOGAN BECKERLE, TYLER CHO, SEBASTIAN DUARTE,  ARJUN VELAN, and LEON XIE

Exeter’s 1,104 students are divided into over twenty different dormitories, ranging from houses holding around ten to fifteen people to large, multiple-floor dorms that can house over eighty. Wentworth Hall, located on the south side of Front Street, is one of the latter, boasting four floors and a basement full of amenities for residents to use. Wentworth’s community members come from a vast variety of backgrounds, resulting in a rich dorm culture. From dorm veterans to incoming students, Wentworth’s familial atmosphere ensures that everyone feels welcome.

Members of the senior class and dorm faculty have had a large hand in making Wentworth an inviting place, and outside of acting as role models for younger students, they have also accumulated a great deal of knowledge about the dormitory. Instructor in Mathematics Chelsea Drescher, a third-floor faculty member for Wentworth, said, “Every year we’ve always had a great group of proctors and we’ve got a great, just awesome vibe in this dorm.”

Drescher also spoke approvingly of Wentworth’s recent facility overhaul. “I really liked that it was newly renovated when I moved in. I like that it has an elevator.” Four-year senior and second-floor proctor Caspar Bailey agreed. “I mean, look around you. This is the high life. The bathrooms are pristine. Out of all the guys on the football team, me, Tom, Sam, RJ, and Carter (four other Wentworth residents) have the shortest walk to the field. You can get to your classes and practice and the weight room efficiently. It’s the best of both worlds. In terms of location and facilities, you can’t get a better dorm.”

In addition to high-end facilities, Wentworth’s strong culture has given rise to many dorm traditions that take place each year. With so many events, choosing a favorite can be difficult, but three-year senior Dryden Dervish provided his opinion: “I love dorm events. Love the dodgeball tournaments and competing against other dorms in dodgeball. I love anything with competition, especially when we’re competing for dorm culture and to show that we’re the best one on campus.” Wentworth especially has a penchant for dodgeball. Besides the recurring tournament between dorms, its Academy Life Day tradition is an intra-dorm dodgeball marathon with a round-robin and playoff phase followed by a backyard cookout. Bailey brought up a different tradition to mark as his favorite. “McSanta’s; that’s McDonalds during hell weeks. Proctors order it. It’s a great night for everyone. During the stressful times of hell weeks you get together, break bread, and share that stress, take relief from it because you’re among people that are going through the same thing.”

Every year, a class of seniors leaves and a new group of students enters the dorm. With these changes in population, the overall atmosphere of Wentworth might be subject to change. “I feel like the proctors and the dorm heads have always been working towards making this a welcoming family type place,” said Drescher, “and I think those efforts have shown. I think it’s become warmer.”

Wentworth’s atmosphere has slowly changed from its former normal dormitory environment into a family. Jack Tucker, an incoming repeat prep from Massachussetts said, “Everyone I have met here has been a great influence all around.” Oftentimes, this family-like atmosphere can show in common rooms and even during clean ups with students always willing to give a hand.

We asked the seniors in Wentworth to share some advice for the new students. “Just get to know everybody as fast as possible,” said Dervish. “We got a great group of people and the year is more fun and everybody knows each other and everybody’s close to each other.”

Three-year senior King-Diorr Willsun added, “For new students I would just advise them to just hang out with others or if they have finished their homework, if they’ve finished all of their tasks to at least dedicate a little bit of time to socializing with others. Because there’s a dorm community that’s willing to accept you if you make yourself vulnerable or if you can just hang out in the common room or within someone’s room for a second.”