Spring Fling

Students tossed frisbees, bumped beach volleyballs and relaxed out on the academic quad as they waited for Exeter’s second annual Spring Fling this past Saturday. In collaboration with the Student Council (StuCo), Recreation Committee (Rec)  and the Spring Fling committee, the iconic Phillips Hall steps were set up with speakers, lights and drums to host a variety of performances.

The event began at 7:00 p.m. and brought together artists from both inside and outside the Exeter community. Performances included instructor of science Sasha Alcott and her husband Christopher Viner’s own rock band, “When Particles Collide,” the Exeter Association of Rock (EAR), DJ Uplifted, the Exeter Rap Association (ERA) and the up-and-coming Boston hip-hop artist Michael Christmas.

“Everyone was dancing and having fun, and it definitely attracted a lot more people this year.”

Last year was the first time the Academy hosted Spring Fling, and although many students showed up, there were still minor setbacks in terms of logistics. However, this year the committee had experience from the past year to prepare them for the event. They met on a regular basis months in advance while communicating with Assistant Director of Student Activities Kelly McGahie. “I think everything just came together nicely from booking the artists to getting student activities and Rec Committee on it with the food booth,” senior Sean Taylor said.

Upper Graham Rutledge believed that the event was well planned and credited its success to the committees that had planned it. Rutledge enjoyed the many aspects the event had to offer such as the live bands and rapping. He especially liked that the event was interactive, allowing the audience to get up and do activities of their own or ask for a song to be played in between band set ups. “I loved that during intermission they played ‘[My Boo].’ That was a highlight for me because everyone just spontaneously got up to do the Running Man and it was awesome,” Rutledge said.

Prep Jenny Yang agreed with Rutledge and enjoyed the wide range of offered activities. “It was nice to play volleyball with the beach balls they handed out or spikeball on the quad while listening to the great performances,” she said. However, the main attraction for Yang was the opportunity to see her peers perform. “It was awesome to watch the EAR performances because I got to see my friends,” she said.

Upper Ricky Lee remarked at the different, often overlooked, talents of Exonians. “It was interesting to see the many sides of Exonians from teachers like Viner and Alcott to students who performed,” Lee said.

“It’s really cool not only to see professional musicians we bring in from other big city markets, but also to watch our fellow students and listen to what kind of talent surrounds us,” Taylor agreed.

For some, Spring Fling did not turn out as expected. The night kicked off with the audience sitting on blankets on the lawn while listening to rock from “When Particles Collide,” and finished off with students huddled in front of the steps dancing to music and rap. “I didn’t imagine it to be this rowdy—I thought it was gonna be us sitting on the grass and listening to music,” prep Ursula Sze said. Nevertheless, Sze came to approve of it. “It was crazy, but it turned out to be fun too,” she said.

Prep Paul James mentioned that Spring Fling was reminiscent of every Exeter dance. “At first it was kind of boring, but people got more into it towards the end when DJ Uplifted and Michael Christmas performed,” he said. James enjoyed the mixture of laidback music and raucous dancing and is planning on attending next year. “It was a good first time,” James said.

Upper Joel Lotzkar believed that this year’s Spring Fling was more entertaining than last year’s, particularly because of DJ Uplifted and Michael Christmas. “A warm night, good music and a lit dance made the experience great,” Lotzkar said. He believed Spring Fling’s unique setup of an outside dance made the atmosphere casual and comfortable, giving students a lot more freedom. “DJ Uplifted played some really pumped up songs and that just made everyone dance like crazy.”

Upper Efia Nuako liked the high energy music as well, citing it as one of the reasons the event had such a high turnout. “Everyone was dancing and having fun, and it definitely attracted a lot more people this year,” Nuako said.