Alumni React to News Of Cage Remodeling

In light of the news of Thompson Cage’s renovation, alumni have been reacting on the “Exonians” Facebook group page. Some denounced the renovation as a destruction of an artifact of the Academy’s history, while others lauded it for its enhancement of the 84 year-old structure.

The mixed reactions began when trustee Mitchell Bradbury ’78 posted a video touring the Love Gym on the Facebook page. In a tangent from Bradbury’s post, one alum asked the question, “Is it true that the Cage is coming down?” Russell Washington ’89 confirmed the news with a quote from the Fall 2015 issue of The Exeter Bulletin, which announced the Academy’s plans to replace the cage with a new athletic field house. The news caught the attention of other alumni and the post culminated into a cross-generational discussion between alums.

For many alumni, the news of the cage’s impending destruction stirred nostalgia for their times at the Academy. For some, their first memories of Exeter trace back to the cage. According to Chuck Goldberg ’67, the cage was a “touchstone unlike any other building on campus” that was filled with his “youth” and “struggles” at the Academy.

“For me, what would be lost would be something similar to having the Mayan pyramid removed from the Earth, like something from Giza being demolished,” Goldberg said.

Washington echoed Goldberg’s sentiments, describing the cage as an integral and universal part of the Exeter experience that has linked Exonians across the world and across generations. To some, Washington said, the cage may have even been as defining and fundamental to the Exeter identity as the Assembly Hall.

“The cage is a piece of living Exeter history. It is completely multigenerational in terms of its impact and in terms of how people relate back to Exeter,” Washington said.

Helen Bronston ‘81 added that while people’s memories of the cage may not have been all positive, many still feel an attachment to the facility. Bronston reflected that upon arriving at Exeter, she was “really wimpy” and hated running in the cage, but gradually, training in the cage, she grew stronger and faster. For Bronston and others, the cage represented progress and accomplishment. Goldberg described the concept similarly, stating that the cage embodied “a temple to achievement.”

Bronston described her later experiences running on the wooden track of the cage. “I remember getting up on that track and pounding away,” Bronston said. “You hit the curbs and it’s noisy, and you feel like you’re superman flying around in space because it’s so fast and so short. It felt wonderful.”

Several alumni felt that through the demolition of the cage, they would not only be losing the home to their memories but also a unique physical space. When asked to reflect upon the cage, several alumni distinctly recalled its smell. Washington described the smell as a factor that has been consistent for at least thirty years.

Gregory Brown ‘93 recalled similar experiences in the cage during baseball tryouts at Exeter. With the balls and dust flying everywhere and the light filtering in through the glass, the cage provided a distinct setting unlike any other building on campus, reminiscent of “something out of the early 20th century.”

“For me, part of what made it such a special place was that it was really unique, and it spoke of a special atmosphere,” Brown said. “One of the things I’m certainly sad about losing is this place that speaks of a completely different era in a tangible, smellable way.”

Bronston also noticed this unique atmosphere, one that she noted as powerful and distinct. “It’s such a strange, mysterious building, especially with the lights off, and it has a special power to it that I enjoy,” she said. “It feels like a gothic cathedral in that it’s dark and shadowy. I just remember I really liked it. I don’t know why. I just liked it.”

In contrast to the cage, Bronston said that the projected design of the new athletic field house lacked inspiration and mystery, the two characteristics that drew her to the cage. She expressed her disappointment in the “plain” blueprint for the new facility and described the new architecture as both “soulless” and “uninteresting.”

“I feel like it’s a loss. You’re losing the cage, and you haven’t replaced it with something better. You’ve just built a big box,” she said. “I think they should be aiming for a little bit more inspiration and delight in their building.”

On the other hand, regardless of the design, several alumni supported the imminent renovation. Bradbury, who responded to the concerns on the “Exonians” Facebook group, expressed his excitement about the replacement of the cage. He emphasized the positive aspects of the renovation, including enhanced safety that it will offer for the generations of students who use it.

While Bradbury too admitted to holding precious memories at the cage, he stated that the new cage’s positive aspects outweighed the significance of those sentiments.

“The cage was clearly one of the most notable structures on campus and will hold indelible sense and experiential memories for all who experienced its grand presence, but the feasibility of maintaining the structure compared to the major gains in utility of a new field house is convincing in motivating the decision to replace as opposed to repair,” Bradbury said.

Anton Ivan ‘13, agreed with Bradbury, rooting his concerns regarding safety of his experiences with injuries at the cage. He recalled observing several injuries due to the dirt floor.

“Though I made great friends and had great moments inside it, I think having a professional, safe cage should supersede all other considerations,” Ivan said.

Jillian Edwards ‘13, shared a specific instance of injury at the cage. In her senior year, an Exeter student broke her arm while racing on the dirt surface that was too dry and dusty.

Furthermore, she recounted having to cut certain races, cancel practices and even stop running in it due to its potential dangers. “I threw shot put in the cage during Winter Track for three years—I love that dust bucket,” Edwards said. “However, it is no longer safe or sufficient for the needs of our sports teams. There’s a lot of history in the cage, but nostalgia can’t interfere with safety or support for our athletes.”

Washington agreed with Edwards. Although sad to see the cage go, he conceded that its time had passed.

“It’s time [for it to go],” he said. “It’s like anything else. When it’s time to move forward, you have to move forward.”

The safety and practicality of the new cage for the students remains the highest priority, over the memories and attachments of past alumni. Although the destruction of the treasured building warrants the concern of destroying a part of Exeter’s tradition and memory, Bradbury said that Exeter tradition is rooted in more than in any single structure such as the cage. He described the tradition as something that resided in the hearts, minds and souls of “its myriad human and structural entities.”

Furthermore, he explained that not only is the Exeter tradition present even without the old cage, but also it is present in the process through which the new cage will be built.

“Exeter tradition is a robust construct so much more complex than practicality and function of a single concept or structure,” he said. “In fact, the process by which the decision to replace the cage was made was quintessentially reflective of the Exeter tradition of clear and intentional cooperative thought and actions, both good and smart, that will benefit the PEA community for years to come.”