Harkness Ventures Outdoors

While students were away over the summer, Facilities Management was busy building and renovating on campus. Along with the upgrades to dorms and other buildings on campus, a new outdoor Harkness space was built, courtesy of the Class of 2013.The Class of 2013 decided to put funds from their class gift towards creating a space outside for teachers and students to utilize.“The idea was intended because so many people use the grass area on the quad to have class in the spring and fall,” Class of 2013 President Alex Yang said. “Symbolically, it represents what Exeter is all about.”Secretary Sumun Khetpal agreed, saying that her class wanted to represent the mission of Exeter with its gift.“The main purpose of the stone harkness table was to show people on tour that Exeter really emphasizes the Harkness method, this is what harkness is, and that we explore the study of discussion intensively,” Khetpal said.According to Yang and Khetpal, their original idea was to construct a complete table, however, Facilities Management deemed it too costly and hard to maintain.“Originally, the student committee wanted to see an actual table constructed outside, but after discussing the requirements for seating and maintenance, the design concept was modified to an oval granite seat wall surrounding a symbolic “Harkness Table” constructed with small granite sets on the base of the classroom,” Ronald Johnson, the project manager and Senior Manager for Grounds and Athletics, said. “This design allows students and an instructor to have classroom discussions in the standard seating arrangement, where everyone is an equal.”The design was created through a collaboration by the campus landscape architect, Kyle Zick, a design steering committee for the Ford and Academic Quadrangle Improvement project and the Class of 2013 Senior Gift Committee.“The Ford Quadrangle site was selected since it was scheduled for renovation work this past summer and it was in close proximity to Phillips Hall, a main academic building where a class could easily access the outside space,” Johnson said. “Kyle Zick met with the Senior Class Gift Committee and others to hear their ideas and thoughts for an outdoor classroom.”Johnson used Deer Isle Maine Granite to construct the Harkness space, a material that is used on many Academy buildings, which keeps this new addition in keeping with the design of the rest of the school.“Masonry contractors installed thirteen large granite sections to form the outside oval and finished the interior floor with granite pavers and sets,” Johnson said. “The thirteen stones were an idea from the Senior Gift Committee as a reference to the class year “2013.’”Johnson reports positive feedback from those who have talked to him about the finished design, and Yang and Khetpal are hopeful about students and faculty embracing the space.“I definitely think that people would take advantage of the space even though there isn’t a table,” Yang said. “I’m confident that classes are going to use it.”Many were surprised by the finished product when they saw it for the first time.“It is not what I expected,” history instructor Giorgio Secondi said. “I thought that there would be an actual table. We wouldn’t have a Harkness class just by putting chairs in a circle, so it can be hard to imagine having it in that pit. I can’t see myself using it, but I hope it works for other teachers.”“The idea of it is pretty nice--I see preps sitting there often,” upper Cornelia Smith said. “It’s not what I expected though, because there’s no table.”New students have embraced the space and gather there socially or to work during free formats.“It’s a great place to study when it’s nice outside,” new lower Peter Duff said. “I think during the winter it would be cool to use it as a base for an igloo or a fort made out of snow.”Some students prefer the idea of an open space.“We were looking for a place to study,” lower Cesar Zamudio said. “We were going to go to the steps of the Academy building, but we decided to come here. I like it better without the table, because it would weaken and erode over time. It’s great for classes to sit, discuss, and just enjoy nature.”The Class of 2013 has been permanently integrated into the Exeter landscape, and students will see and use their gift for years to come, with or without a physical table.“The durable materials and construction methods used will insure the Outdoor Classroom will be a lasting tribute to the Class of 2013,” Johnson said.