Exeter Dam Removal Raises Questions About Student Bridge Jumping

Voters of the town of Exeter approved a proposal to remove the dam on the Exeter River on March 11, jeopardizing the ritual of bridge jumping for future Exonians. The removal is set to happen in two years’ time, leaving many students minimal time to fulfill the time-honored tradition.While students reacted to the news with disappointment, campus safety viewed the removal of the dam as a final solution to students taking part in the act, which is illegal by Academy rules.The dam has not been up to safety standards since 2000, according to an article about the River Study Committee on the town of Exeter’s website, and the town has been working on solutions over the years.Since last summer, the town of Exeter has hosted numerous meetings to discuss the impacts of removing the dam to anaylze different effects that the action will have. Among those consulted about the dam removal project was Weston & Sampson Engineers, Inc., Kleinschmidt Associates, Field Geology Services and Tom Ballestero, PhD.It is clear that the dam is in dire need of removal, but without its presence in the river, the water level will decrease to a level too low for bridge jumping to be feasible and safe.Bridge jumping has been a rite of passage at Exeter, with many students going with friends in the hot spring afternoons, after sweaty sports practices, or with their dorm for bonding.Senior Julian Drury attested to the importance of the tradition of bridge jumping as something everybody does. Whether with a team, dorm or group of friends, bridge jumping is an initiation of sorts at Exeter. One might say that you haven’t really gone to Exeter until you’ve gone bridge jumping. It’s a lot of fun and it will be a true loss to the community,” he said.Prep Will Ayscue described his experiences of bridge jumping. “Bridge jumping has always been against the school rules, but students do it anyway. Everytime I go, it’s a blast,” he said. “A lot of students and especially athletes do it after their games as a tradition, and it’s unfortunate that this will stop.”Senior Emily Wiklund provided further testimony of the significance of bridge jumping to her time at Exeter. “It is a quintessential part of Exeter. I know I remember my first bridge jump. Bridge jumping is a wholesome activity for people to do in the beautiful weather in the spring instead of getting into trouble. It’s fun and you meet a lot of people that way, I know I’ve met a lot of friends there. Some of my fondest memories are associated with bridge jumping,” Wiklund said. “It’s fun and it gives Exonians something to do in the final days of school nearing summer vacation.”Even preps, who have not yet had a chance to participate in the tradition, have heard many stories about the ritual. “I have not been bridge jumping before but I hear about it all the time, during football season especially,” prep Jack Farrell said.Farrell continued, “It's disappointing to hear that future students will never have the option to even think about bridge jumping because of the dam. I see it more as a tradition than a breaking of the rules because newcomers to the school aren't made to do it as an initiation, but rather people just do it for a little fun.”Some members of the Exeter community consider bridge jumping to be an extremely dangerous activity and have attempted to prevent students from doing it in the past. In this case, the dam removal is a way to resolve this issue.Director of Campus Safety Services Jeffrey Nelson pointed out that students who bridge jumped were breaking the rules of the school. “While we understand the interest for some in jumping off the bridge, the E-Book prohibits the activity,” he said.The dam removal will also impact other river activities, though in more positive ways. Even though the water level will decrease, prohibited watercraft will still be able to travel along the Exeter River. Also, since the water will be moving faster, it is possible that the fish population will see growth, according to the Exeter River Great Dam Removal Feasibility and Impact Study.While bridge jumping is popularly considered a downside of the dam removal for Exonians, there are obvious upsides. The dam is deficient, and its removal will help the health and quality of river life. This opens up the possible activity of fishing in the river for students and community members.Lower Hailey Hudson acknowledged the fun of bridge jumping but pointed out some of the potential dangers. “It makes you feel great, both the experience of jumping and of running from security, if that were ever to happen… But with the new really low water level and all of the things at the bottom of the river, it’s probably not a good idea,” she said.Nelson agreed with Hudson’s point. “The risk of injury is too high to justify the activity,” he said. “Any lowering of the water level will only make the jumping more dangerous.”Nelson added another possible danger of bridge jumping, the inability to see objects in the river. “The bridge is not designed for jumping off and the water clarity is such that accurately judging depth and being able to see underwater obstacles is simply not possible,” he said.These dangerous circumstances of bridge jumping should have hindered students from going a while ago. However, the removal of the Exeter dam will most likely cause the water levels to reach too low of a point for even the most daring students to bridge jump.