Multi-Racial Exonian Society (MRES)

By  ERIN HAN, JUNE KOH, FIONA LIU and SOPHIE LOW

Every Wednesday at 7 p.m., multiracial Exonians come together in EPAC room 316, gathering in carefree spirits to bond over their mixed heritage. 

For many members, this space, a melting pot of ethnicities, provides a safe haven from the outside world constrained by stressful papers, demanding co-curriculars, and overwhelming assignments. 

The Multiracial Exonians Society (MRES) meets weekly to discuss and share the often-encountered challenges of being mixed-race as well as the unique perspectives they’ve gained through their identities. Co-heads Ava Helbing, Siena Bagdonas, Hemani Stallard, and Nina Fazal tend to lead the discussions, preparing a variety of key subjects and deep questions before meetings. But they also enjoy arranging nonchalant meetings and encourage fellow mixed-race Exonians to lie back, eat chips, and watch a Mitski music video–or screech at the Kahoot leaderboard because you thought Ariana Grande was mixed (she isn’t, by the way). 

These fun, lighthearted events work in tandem with meetings marked by meaningful discussions, to curate a special club atmosphere. Highlighting this versatility, club advisor and Associate Director of College Counseling Jeff Wong shared, “We’ve had some really thoughtful discussions about experiences on campus, microaggressions, and sharing stories of how our parents met one another.” 

He added, “But I’ve also really enjoyed some of the fun meetings and events we’ve had, like our Uno night and the meeting when we just found random Kahoots to play. Our winter bowling trip was also pretty great.”

“We always start with introductions and icebreakers before moving on either to the club’s discussion or activity,” co-head and upper Bagdonas said. “We tend to alternate between important discussions and more calm, fun meetings.”

Wong shared that the mission of the club thus touches all aspects of the club’s function, including even the diversity of their meeting formats. “Perhaps unsurprisingly, we are a club that can embrace multiple identities,” he remarked. “That can mean we have some meetings where we discuss serious topics, but also meetings where we just play games or hang out and enjoy one another’s company. It also means that we talk a lot about multiracial identity, but also about the ideas behind being multicultural and multi-ethnic.”

Bagdonas echoed, “When we get into discussions about identity it tends to become quite a niche topic, but as people of mixed cultures it’s fun to see how much all of us relate. “

Co-head and senior Ava Helbig mentioned the same meeting as Wong, as one of her favorite picks. “One of my favorite meetings was last year, when we did a ‘Valentine’s Day’ discussion. We talked about how all of our parents met and it was like, it was both funny and sweet at the same time.”

Helbig recalled another special moment. “The first meeting of MRES was so funny. Like the vibes were immaculate. We did a slideshow of ‘Mixed Race or Not?’ And I just remember it was very fun. I remember everyone laughing.”

For members, MRES is a perfect place to show who they are as a person and embrace their identity as a mixed-race. Helbig shared, “I’ve never felt like I fit in anywhere, like both culturally and like within racial groups. So when I came to Exeter, well actually before I even stepped on campus, my dad and I came up with a spreadsheet of all the clubs that I wanted to join and Multiracial Exonian Society was one of them.” 

Like Helbig, MRES, for many, has become a place where they can chat about their numerous identities and explore their various facets. Bagdonas expressed her hope for MRES members: “MRES is a space where I hope people can come to meet others with shared experiences and feel comfortable as a part of our community.

MRES has helped many of its members grapple with their unique identities and offered support to many students. As Helbig reflected, “It’s okay to be multiple things at once. It’s okay for your identities to collide and not really mesh well with each other.” MRES still manages to mix deep discussions with fun activities, such as Uno night, playing random Kahoots, and even a winter bowling trip. 

The club is also always looking for new members, as Wong shared: “If there are multiracial students on campus who have been curious about the group and haven’t been to a meeting, I encourage them to reach out to me or any of our co-heads, or just to come to a meeting one Wednesday and learn more about us.”

In a final reflection on the club, Wong remarked, “For Exonians, I hope MRES is a place to explore issues of multiracial/cultural/ethnic identity, but most of all, I hope it’s a place for students of these identities to feel safe, comfortable, and welcomed being themselves.”