Proctors Reflect on First Week

AMEN–“For any preps or new students having a hard time adjusting to the stressful atmosphere Exeter comes with, give it two weeks or so, it takes time. It gets better with time. As a proctor, I look forward to seeing each prep grow up over the year and over the next four years! I still talk to the proctors from my prep year and it's funny to hear their stories of me from four years ago!”–Courtney Henrich '15BROWNING–"My favorite thing about being a proctor is knowing that whenever kids are in need of guidance, we're always there to help them. The constant requests from faculty to do things we don't feel obligated to do is my least favorite thing.""I don't look forward to catching any of our dorm mates violating any major rules."–Andy Espinoza '15CILLEY–“I love watching a sense of camaraderie spark in the dorm. I get to see kids form friendships and come into their own skin every day. There's something special about that, particularly when so many kids are undergoing this transformative process together. I think that being a proctor somewhat removes me from really letting loose and being myself. I am always trying to set an example, and it’s hard to remember that my words as a proctor could have farther reaching impacts than I imagine.”“I’m looking forward to influencing the way kids see the world around them, and how they try to improve themselves. My prep year a senior named Jon Cai took me under his wing and exposed me to schools of thought, areas of personal growth and ways to find pleasure at Exeter that I otherwise would never have experienced; I can't imagine myself without the lessons that Jon taught me. I hope to do something similar for the kids in my dorm and have a positive impact on their Exeter experience.”–Morgan Burrell '15DUNBAR–“My favorite thing: really getting to know the new people, especially during the first few days. I look forward to creating stronger connections with everyone in the dorm, old and new, and I think check-in time is a great time to talk to and get to know all the students in the dorm.”“I really loved all the previous proctors I've had, they made the dorm feel more like home and they were always an approachable presence; I hope I can be that to all the kids in the dorm this year.”–Sophia Collis '15PEABODY–“The room is pretty nice, but I probably shouldn't say that is my favorite part. I don't really have much of an answer to that, since I enjoy being an upper rather than a lower more than a proctor rather than non-proctor. The part I dislike most would probably be the accountability that I now have for more than just myself. I have more responsibility for the actions of the kids on my floor and in the dorm as a whole. As far as things I'm looking forward to, I would say that check-in could be potentially both positive and negative. On one hand, I have to be in the dorm to check people in on one night a week. On the other, it's a chance to interact with some of the people in the dorm that I am not as close to and to gauge how everyone is handling the Exonian grind. I can't really pinpoint anything in particular that proctors did in my prep year that I found outstanding. I would just like to emulate their open and mentoring nature for the younger students in the dorm.”–Henry Lafond ‘16EWALD–“I have really enjoyed the whole experience of getting a senior leadership role in a dorm I love that has given so much to me in my four years at Exeter. I really appreciate getting to give it back to the preps and I enjoy having them come into my room and sit on my couch and talk for a while, but I also enjoy corralling them, and I bring them to their classes and make sure they’re getting their stuff done. One piece of advice I would give to all preps is to call home frequently so you don’t get homesick. It’s a good way to have a tenor outside of the Exeter bubble.”–Jad Seligman '15WHEELWRIGHT–“My advice to the preps would be to try anything that seems interesting, especially at the beginning. Focus on enjoying your classes, and your experience in general, everything else tends to be all right. As a proctor, I look forward to creating a greater sense of togetherness in the dorm because it's everyone's dorm base. The funniest thing I've done so far is start screaming during a dorm meeting to try to rile the dorm up. The proctors were explaining what we each wanted to accomplish this year and as soon as I heard Soule screaming across the quad, I figured a good goal would be being louder.”–Emily Lemmerman '15