Classes of ’61, ’71, ’81 and ’06 Return to Exeter

As seniors begin to reminisce about their time together at Exeter, alumni are reliving their experience during reunion season. Members of the classes of 1961, 1971, 1981 and 2006 returned to campus this past weekend for their 55th, 45th, 35th and 10th reunions, respectively.

Organized by the Alumni Office and the Giving Thanks Club, each reunion offers alums opportunities to catch up with former classmates, attend classes and socialize. The classes of 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001 held their reunions the previous weekend of May 6 to 8.

Lower Rachael Moberg explained that members of the Giving Thanks Club recognize how returning alums enjoy meeting current students and seeing how Exeter’s community has changed. Stationed at Gilman House and Elm Street, students who volunteered for the club attempted to greet as many former Exonians as possible. In addition to interacting with alumni, students also helped register visitors and provided directions.

Sang Hong ’86 reflected on his experience back on campus. He found this particular visit to be especially enjoyable because he was with his son, lower Andrew Hong. “As I imagine [Andrew] walking on the very same paths and hallways on campus that I used to 30 years ago, I see Exeter anew through Andrew’s eyes. I well up with paternal pride for his accomplishments, and now I also share a fraternal bond through our common alma mater which allows us to connect at yet another level,” Hong said.

“It was very interesting to learn about the history of what my dorm used to be in particular.”

Other alums such as Roland Merullo ’71 wanted to find ways to give back to the community. On Friday, May 13, Merullo, with the assistance of Exeter Social Service Organization (ESSO) Coordinator Elizabeth Reyes, organized a group of his classmates and began renovating the playground of the Exeter Developmental Preschool. Robert Garcia ’71 volunteered to join Roland Merullo’s project. Garcia helped sand the outdoor wooden staircase in order to prime and repaint it.

Senior Zanny Merullo, Roland Merullo’s daughter, said she enjoyed her time with her father and described his project as “one of the best things” she’s worked on during her time at Exeter. While she had to leave due to time constraints, Merullo wished that she could have stayed longer and seen the project to the end. “It was just great to give back to the community in a simple and physical way,” she said.

According to Zanny Merullo, her father noticed students today seem to have more direction. Quoting her father, she said, “[Students] know what they want to do and how to get there as opposed to just messing around and being a little lost.”

Since Zanny Merullo knew in advance that she wanted to maximize her time on this project, she asked health instructor Michelle Soucy, her senior health class instructor, if she was open to bringing an entire class to help during X-format. Soucy gladly agreed, viewing the project as a unique opportunity for the seniors to speak to individual alumni.

Senior Torrey Foster, who was in Soucy and Zanny Merullo’s health class, said that he enjoyed a relaxing afternoon of scraping paint off of a playground. He found the alumni’s comments about their transitions from post graduation to “real life” interesting. “Many of them reiterated the common phrase that Exeter is harder than anything you’ll do in your life, which I found encouraging,” he said.

Other alumni felt nostalgic too while returning to former dorms and attending classes. Becca Austen ’06, Anika DeVolder ’06 and Amy Baldor ’06 returned to campus for their 10th reunion. They were surprised to find everything in their old home, McConnell Hall, still intact, including the signatures in the basement.

In addition to the historical aspects of campus such as the “musty” smell of the Cage and the “familiar weathered shallow wells in the marble steps,” Hong noted the familiar, awkward atmosphere of Exeter dances. “As we walked by the Bancroft Bash on Saturday night, I noted that the music was very different from when we were students, but the awkward dancing was pretty much the same,” Hong said.

Moberg recalled that on Saturday, May 15, an alumnus from the class of 1961 spoke to her while she was sitting outside of Bancroft. He lived on the fourth floor of Bancroft during his post-graduate year, and told Moberg that its common room used to be the dining hall for the school. Students also had to take turns serving the tables for all three meals. “It was very interesting to learn about the history of what my dorm used to be in particular,” Moberg said.

Many alumni still feel up to date with current news on campus due to social media outlets such as Facebook. Moberg said that while she was greeting alumni, two graduates asked her how the recently publicized sexual assault cases were being handled on campus.

In the alumni’s personal experience, their group of friends from Exeter talked extensively, even before the reunion. “They wanted to make sure that there were enough resources for all of us here. ... It was very interesting to get a different perspective on that issue,” Moberg said.

Hong agreed with Moberg, stating that he noticed that all of his classmates were “very articulate and passionate about their ideas and interests,” as they discussed their various “tales from the non-sibi trenches.” Even now, he remains involved with the school and hopes to continue discussion with his classmates on how to “mold Exeter into a better and safer place for all in light of the recent surfacing of sexual misconduct cases.”

Last weekend offered alumni the chance to share personal stories over class dinners and harmonize their voices with choral music. This weekend, alumni from the classes of 1956, 1966, 1976 and 2011 will attend their 60th, 50th, 40th and 5th reunion, respectively.

Hong, humbled and proud of his classmates’ achievements, explained the importance of reunions. “I was inspired and challenged to go out of my comfort zone and seek more opportunities to serve others in need, to protect the vulnerable and to better connect with others by listening better and sharing my stories,” he said.