Community Reflects on Arts Programs

By WILLIAM INOUE, GRACE YANG, JADE YOO, and ARISA YOSHINO

At Phillips Exeter Academy, the arts breathe life into students’ busy schedules of rigorous academics and intense athletics. Beyond the classrooms, dancers move with grace as their steps stretch beyond Goel; gifted musicians’ harmonies tuck within the paths on campus; and painters, with every brushstroke, bring a smudge of imagination to the red brick walls of the Academy Building. Yet, as Exonians strive to earn arts credits, the materialized achievement questions their genuine engagement with the arts. 

Many students are involved in various areas of the arts at Phillips Exeter Academy.

Lower Christina Hu currently takes an academic art class, ART408, which teaches portrait painting. She also participates in Dance Company some terms, as well as many dance clubs. She also enjoys doing art outside of classes when she has the time to and in her role as a cohead of Art Club. 

Lower Shiloh French is involved in Dance Company, the Winter Musical, dance clubs like Precision and Imani, and also PEADs. 

Prep Gina Hasegawa takes art courses and is an art club attendee, also regularly attending studio hours. Senior Advika Verma is a co-head of Lionettes, a member of POMS, and a captain and member of Exeter Dance Company. Prep Mallory Habstritt is also very involved in Dance Company as a student choreographer and member of Dance Company. 

For many of these students, the arts are an integral part of their time at the Academy, both serving as a course and, more importantly, a part of their identity. Still, many students who are less integrated with the arts program hold misconceptions regarding it.

Verma deconstructed the misconception that dance does not require much practice, sharing, “I think people who have never experienced dance have an idea that dance is supposed to look easy, right? You’re not supposed to show that it’s hard. So when people only watch dance but have never experienced dance, they think that, oh, dance is so easy. It’s not grueling or whatever. And also we don’t go away for competition, so they don’t have the idea that we’re out and doing things. But in reality, we have three-hour rehearsals and we meet six days a week.” 

Habstritt emphasized that the arts deserve more recognition at Exeter: “I think they’re definitely not held to the same standard, like performances compared to sports events and games. But, I do think that the community does its best to make them more known. We get a lot of emails about when the upcoming performances are. It’s just a matter of getting the student community to make them more of a priority.” 

Prep Milan Shah shared, “I got an email a couple of weeks ago asking if I wanted to participate in the MLK assembly, and that right there demonstrates how rich Exeter can be if you commit to being involved in arts.”

Lower Simon Taylor added, “It seems that in the Visual Arts Department, students feel that opportunities are plentiful, whereas in Dance, students hope to break down misconceptions and increase turnout at performances.”

While student involvement in the arts at Exeter is growing, there is still debate over whether the departments are appreciated enough. Liz Calandra, a teaching intern in the performing arts department, has noticed a shift in recent year. She shared, “There’s been a lot more acceptance around arts being a potential career path,” expressing that she is thrilled to see more students pursuing music, dance, theater, and visual art at Exeter. 

Director of Choirs Kris Johnson added, “There have been positive changes throughout my time at Exeter such as having a position to do electronic computer music and music production. These are really positive changes that we are trying to make in the Music Department.”

  However, some students feel that awareness and engagement with the arts remain limited. Verma pointed out that while passionate artists thrive, others participate mainly to fulfill diploma requirements and may not realize the full range of artistic opportunities available. “The school should make our offerings, such as the art studio, more well known,” she reflected, emphasizing the need for better promotion of Exeter’s creative spaces. 

Additionally, Habstritt noted that while the school sends emails about performances, they are “not held to the same standard…as sports events,” making it harder to generate the same level of excitement. While progress has been made, fostering a culture where achievements in the arts receive equal appreciation remains an ongoing challenge. 

The arts are the third pillar that holds the Academy up alongside academics and athletics, yet many constantly feel that their work is overshadowed. For many Exonians, their involvement in their artistic crafts transcends the pure necessity of needing an art credit, and into the realm of true passion.