The Exonian Appoints 138th Editorial Board

Uppers Philip Kuhn, Alan Liu and Hannah Piette will lead The Exonian’s 138th board as the incoming editor-in-chief and managing editors, respectively. After 3.5 hours of careful deliberation Saturday night, the 137th editorial board of The Exonian, with the aid of faculty advisers, chose the newspaper’s 138th editorial staff.

The process for selection was designed to assess each applicant’s prior work and passion for journalism. All applicants for the Upper Board submitted detailed written applications and underwent 30-minute interviews with the current board and faculty advisers. In selecting the new board, the outgoing board sought those who would work well together and meet the demands of the weekly publication.

The written application for the Editorial Board asked detailed questions ranging from the applicant’s assessment of his or her previous written work to proposals of changes they want to implement. Applicants were also asked how they would manage situations as editors.

According to the current board, the new editors are well positioned to succeed. Outgoing managing editor and senior Heather Nelson said she has the “utmost confidence” in the new board, noting that they have all the skills they need, are well prepared and are a dedicated team of writers.

Previous editor-in-chief and senior Jack Hirsch agreed with Nelson. “The 137th Board chose the next board carefully and has full faith that Philip, Alan and Hannah will do a superb job leading The Exonian,” Hirsch said. “Each is a skilled writer, passionate worker and talented leader, and their visions for the paper impressed us immensely.”

What impressed Nelson the most was their focus on wanting to improve the quality of writing and to work on educating the writers through feedback and workshops on journalism. As if on cue, the new board was off to a quick start in this regard with a workshop for all staff members on Sunday night, led by Keith O’Brien, a veteran reporter at the National Public Radio, who discussed interview techniques.

English instructor Ellee Dean, a faculty adviser for The Exonian, described the new board as an energetic and well-prepared group.

“The board is comprised of students who have been writing for the paper since prep year and students who bring new, fresh voices and perspectives,” Dean said. 

The new board will need to hit the ground running, as Nelson and Hirsch will be studying abroad this winter term. Dean said that the duties of the new board will be heavy but not overwhelming.

“It will no doubt take the 138th board a few weeks to learn the rhythms of shipping a weekly paper,” she commented, drawing upon her past experience. “However, the new board’s willingness to engage in discussions on goals and innovations impresses me.”

Managing editor and senior Tommy Song and other outgoing Upper Board members will be on call when needed, but according to Nelson, the new Executive and Upper Board editors have many strengths of their own to draw from. 

“Philip [Kuhn] is an incredibly fast learner,” Nelson said. “Since his prep year, I’ve seen his complete transformation into a confident, intelligent leader.”

Nelson added that Piette and Liu are strong writers who are both extremely competent editors.

“Alan [Liu] is well-respected,” Nelson said, “And Hannah [Piette] has a real passion for journalism and is someone who is going to do great stories and really wants to help train the younger writers.”

In regards to her fellow Executive board members, Piette said she admires Kuhn’s balance of diligence and passion. “While being serious and hardworking, he has a very welcoming, amiable personality,” Piette said. 

Liu, Piette said, is wise and logical, and past experiences writing with him have surprised her with his high level of determination and organization. She believes he can manage the editors very well. Liu had similar thoughts in return.

“Hannah’s a passionate, dedicated person and I have no doubt that she will prioritize The Exonian as she feels fit,” Liu said. “She’s been very responsive whenever I’ve written an article with her, and I’m sure that she will bring those same characteristics to the newsroom on Wednesday afternoons.”

The new Executive board members will leverage their individual strengths to form a strong team to drive the 138th board’s vision. They have decided to split the managing editors duties: Piette will oversee the writers while Liu will manage the editors.

A major common goal of the board is to provide writers with greater training and guidance.

“As a board, we have a common determination to make the writers feel like they’re welcome and learning, rather than intimidated, scared or unsure about what they can do for the paper,” Piette said.

In order to achieve this goal, Piette said she wants to strengthen writer and editor relationships. By providing feedback to writers after editing their articles, they will be more comfortable with the editors while learning how to improve.

Most importantly, the 138th board wants to improve the quality of the paper. Their approach centers around creating more investigative articles and nurturing student interest in articles and the art of journalism itself.

“We should be more daring and push for less traditional articles,” Piette said. “We don’t want to rely on repetitive structures and article routines.” 

Liu echoed Piette’s sentiments. “Readers should be more concerned about raw information and less so about typographical and stylistic errors. Making our writing better and more fluid would contribute to The Exonian’s credibility and thus, its impact on campus,” he said.

In addition to advocating for more interesting and thought-provoking articles, the new Executive board is looking to recruit students on campus who are not already involved with The Exonian.

Kuhn said he would like to emphasize the idea that “[The Exonian] is not just a place for highly committed or skilled writers, but students with any experience level that can come write.”

“When I first started writing for The Exonian, I was uncomfortable with the prospect of reaching out to faculty members and other people on campus,” Liu said, reflecting on his personal experience. “But the past four terms have greatly improved my interpersonal skills as well as the quality of my writing; one of our responsibilities is to pass down our knowledge to the members of the Lower Board.”

Kuhn is confident that the 138th board will continue the paper’s longstanding legacy of excellence while taking control of the oldest preparatory school newspaper in America.

“When the board starts working together, convening and discussing ideas, while at the same time being fair to each other and making sure everyone is heard, we will be highly productive,” Kuhn said. “We hope to uphold and propel the reputation of our great paper.”