Daisy Tichenor

Senior Margaret “Daisy” Tichenor comes from a line of other “Margarets” on her mother’s side; she shares the name with both her great-grandmother and her aunt. Tichenor categorizes the name as traditional yet fitting, as she considers her mother’s family to be “traditional.” On the other hand, her parents have both always fostered a fondness for the name “Daisy,” due to its literary allusions. Tichenor joked that she doesn’t completely understand why, at least in her experience: all the famous Daisy’s have tragic deaths. “Still, they love the idea that there is a feminine hero named Daisy,” she explained. In addition, the variations of the name “Margaret” in several romance languages actually refer to the flower daisy. “It’s kind of manifested as a duality,” Tichenor explained about her two names. “I have very ‘Daisy’ aspects and I definitely present as a ‘Daisy,’ but I also have a more academic and refined side of me that I call ‘Margaret.’”

Those of us on campus see Tichenor manifesting her duality in what seems to be all places at once. At one moment, she’s harnessing her Margaret in the Latin classrooms of the Academy Building. At another, she’s leading a cappella groups In Essence and Fermatas as Daisy or posing as someone else entirely as cohead of DRAMAT and a witness in Mock Trial’s A Team. Tichenor herself says that she “gets anxiety just thinking about how busy” she is.

Tichenor took a much deserved break from her hectic schedule on campus this past fall, spending the term abroad in Stratford, England. The senior commented that going to Stratford was one of the things she wanted to do most at Exeter before coming here, as English was a subject she “absolutely loved.” She described the trip as “a breath of fresh air,” recalling her wonderful experience “seeing the most amazing, smart, well performed shows” she has ever seen.

Senior Eleanor Mallett, one of Tichenor’s closest friends, who also traveled to Stratford, described Tichenor’s involvement in the curriculum as something which was motivating for every other member of the group. “It was amazing getting to experience some of the world’s best theatre alongside someone who was so into it,” she said, and went on to describe her memorable experience acting out scenes from David Copperfield with Tichenor on the last day of the trip. “She has a wealth of knowledge [and was] probably the most experienced actor on the team,” Mallett commented.

Stratford’s theatrical richness gave Tichenor the opportunity to further explore her interest in shows and acting. Both of Tichenor’s parents are artists. “I kind of grew up around theater, backstage at my dad’s shows or with my mom as she improvised,” Tichenor recounted. Though she herself didn’t begin to act until middle school, Tichenor has participated in several of the main stages on campus in addition to the countless DRAMAT shows she has contributed to through either acting or directive work. Theater is another interest that her brother introduced her to. During his time at Exeter, he also was an active member of the DRAMAT community. “I feel so fulfilled as an artist and person,” Tichenor reflected on her time with DRAMAT. “I’ve had the most growth there as any where and I just owe everything I have to that community.”

No matter how busy she is at Exeter, Tichenor’s love for languages shines through—she has never taken fewer than two languages with the exception of her lower year. Tichenor is pursuing the Classical Diploma; her fascination with the Roman World started early, when Tichenor’s brother, who also attended the Academy and took Classical language, read her Ancient Roman myths. “I loved everything about the ancient world,” Tichenor said. Once she began to take Latin at Exeter, she fell further in love with the culture. “The classes were all super small and it’s such a tight community,” she said. Tichenor explained that the people in her classes never fail to cheer her on as she translates. “[Latin] is some of the best oration and rhetoric you’ll ever read, and it is so old yet it has lasted over so many years,” she said.

Those closest to Tichenor in Langdell Hall praised their proctor and friend. “You want to spend every minute of every day with her because it makes your day brighter,” Mallett said, remarking about Tichenor’s humorous personality. However, she also commented on her friend’s ability to be serious when communicating with dorm faculty. “This duality makes her perfect in the role of proctor,” Mallett said.

Upper Tina Wang agreed, saying, “She’s a great proctor but doesn’t act like one; she’s always there for you to talk to as a friend. We do Langdell talent shows every year; she’s done funny songs that she comes up on the spot.” Wang also said that she always felt comfortable confiding in Tichenor.

Senior Grace Pan, a fellow proctor at Langdell, shared that she loved working with Daisy on the proctor team because she “cared so deeply about making Langdell a real home full of love and trust and fun.” Pan admired Tichenor’s confidence in speaking up at all times. “Hearing her voice echo through the halls of Langdell never fails to make me smile,” she said.

Friends commented on how Tichenor is always full of life in all circumstances. “She’s so involved on campus, it’s amazing how she’s not worn down,” Mallett said. Pan agreed, saying, “She really lights up the entire dorm with so much love and life.”