Exonian Board To Turn Over
Uppers Rose Horowitch, Madison Kang and Bella Alvarez will lead The Exonian’s 140th board, respectively, as the newly-selected editor-in-chief, director of writing and managing editor. In a turnover process that has continued annually at the end of every fall term since 1878, the 139th editorial board of The Exonian and the newspaper’s faculty advisers finalized the 140th editorial staff following three hours of deliberation last Saturday night.
It will be great to see them pass on their expertise and knowledge of writing and reporting news that’s important to Exeter to the next generation of writers.
In selecting the new editorial board, the outgoing editors aimed to assemble a group of diverse talents that would work well together as a cohesive unit, sharing the responsibilities of a demanding weekly publication. In particular, the outgoing board wanted editors who would work well as a team and complement each other’s strengths.
The application process started with a comprehensive written section that assessed applicant’s strengths as editors. For example, a series of questions asked how applicants would tackle hypothetical situations encountered by editors, such as how they’d respond to allegations or misquotations. A later section evaluated his or her previous work for the newspaper. In addition to these questions, all candidates applying for a position on the Executive Board underwent 20-minute interviews with the faculty advisors and the current board.
English instructor and The Exonian club advisor Alex Myers stated that the most admirable quality of the new board is their “care and attention to writing,” explaining that this new board is especially relentless when piecing together stories.
“I’ve worked with many of them on individual articles and have seen just how many interviews they’ve conducted, how they have tried to get multiple angles and how they have put time into analysis and understanding,” he said. “I’m also impressed by how they have developed good working relationships with faculty and administrators.”
But perhaps what most stands out to both faculty and the editors, past and present, is the power of the newspaper and the platform it provides.
Outgoing Director of Writing senior Willa Canfield had full confidence that the 140th Executive board, working alongside “strong News and Life sections,” will use this power to “publish the truth, and keep our community informed.”
For Ashley Lin, a new Sports editor, a benefit of writing is being personally educated by the platform. “I can basically be ‘in the know’ through writing about what’s going on around campus,” she said.
Former humor editor senior Billy O’Handley said that journalism is a method of keeping governing bodies and leaders accountable for their actions. “The Exonian holds the Exeter administration accountable,” he said.
O’Handley continued, expressing his confidence in his successors and his aspirations for the next terms of The Exonian. “I’d like for them to keep [up] the political agenda [in the humor page],” he said. “It can really have a message.”
Alvarez says that the new board will work hard to continue its goal of educating the community about what’s happening in the world around them. “Although the Exonian is a student-run publication, we cover a lot of really important topics, especially those that pertain to the population on campus and even beyond,” she said. “For example, we’ve written about the StuCo scandal, the opioid crisis in the surrounding town, student abuse of nicotine and the socioeconomic divide between PEA and Exeter residents.”
Newly-chosen news editor Paul James echoed Alvarez’s sentiments. He emphasized his intent to continue the discussion of the pertaining topics on campus through The Exonian. “I want to continue reporting on issues that are important to the Exeter community and make every effort to add to The Exonian’s pedigree of high-quality content,” he said. “We’ve recently investigated the sexual culture on campus, as well as written some articles about drug use.”
Horowitch believed that the unity of the board would help accomplish these goals and has faith that they will carry their passion for investigative journalism with them into their new positions. “Having worked with almost all of the board members on articles throughout my time on lower board, I know we’ll fulfill our roles admirably,” Horowitch said.
Kang agreed with Horowitch’s sentiment, commending the talents of the new board and their commitment to high-caliber journalism. She highlighted the strengths of the news team as a major asset to the paper. “[News editors] John Beckerle, Paul James, Don Assamongkol and Sarah Ryu are all veteran writers who have been writing since their prep year,” she said. “They have a good eye for newsworthy content and will be the creative force directing the scope of our paper.”
The outgoing and new board will work on one final issue together before winter break, helping to further the transition of the new editors into their new responsibilities. Outgoing Upper Board members assured the new board that they are always available as a resource, but according to outgoing Director of Writing senior Willa Canfield, the new Executive and Upper Board editors have learned most of the necessary skills to be successful board members.
Faculty adviser and English instructor Erica Lazure said that while the duties of the new board will be demanding, the new editors are up to the task. “There is definitely an adjustment period, but the new board has been trained well by the 139th Board,” she said. “It will be great to see them pass on their expertise and knowledge of writing and reporting news that’s important to Exeter to the next generation of writers.”
As the new Editor-in-Chief, Horowitch is confident that the 140th Board will succeed in managing the oldest secondary school paper in America by encouraging collaboration between writers and editors to enrich the experiences of every club member and to improve the quality of each article. She is thankful to have worked under the 139th Board, who led the publication with “grace, kindness and skill, creating a positive environment in the newsroom and training all writers.”
“The 139th Board has had a lasting impact on The Exonian, and I am honored to have the torch passed to me,” Horowitch said. “I will strive to act as the mentors they did during my tenure.”