Exonians on Winter Thaw

By ADRIAN CHAN, EILENA DING, AARYAN PATEL, and HANNA WEI

On Monday, Feb. 10, the Academy community was rewarded with a well-deserved and highly anticipated Winter Thaw. Acting as a rest day in the middle of the long winter term, Winter Thaw allowed students and faculty alike to relax and revive themselves both physically and mentally. Taking inspiration from Exeter’s history, the 2024-2025 Student Council Board reinstated the day off. Students participated in many activities, from a weekend in Boston to sleeping and catching up on homework. 

This week, The Exonian spoke with Exonians to uncover the community’s sentiment toward the day and its effects.

Many students left campus for the break. Prep Alex Eggers spent her weekend with family, enjoying quality time with them off campus. “I went to my aunt’s house with my dad, and then on Monday we went skiing on Mt. Sunapee.”

Prep Maryn Bowman also left campus over Winter Thaw, traveling to Boston with friends. “I went to Boston with my friends, we went shopping, we went to the mall, and we walked down Newbury Street.” 

Lower Oscar Zhu also traveled to Boston, where he spent time with close friends. “We went out to eat a few times and celebrated the Super Bowl together,” he said.

Other students went on day trips to nearby attractions. For example, lower Crane Lee explained, “I went skiing at Gunstock with my friends over the weekend, which was something we had been planning for and excited about for some time.”

Some students decided to take the time to relax. Many boarding students stayed on campus, and many day students spent time at home. Lower Ryan Wang relaxed in his dorm. “Over Winter Thaw, I thawed and didn’t do anything on Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “I spent my time relaxing and scrolling through reels.”

Prep Elijah Drobnick spent the break similarly: “Over the Winter Thaw, I slept a lot and caught up on homework. I also took the opportunity to reorganize my desk so I felt cleaner for the next week.”

Prep Isha Sastry also took the break as a chance to catch up on sleep and spend time with friends. “Over Winter Thaw, I hung out with some of my friends and I got to sleep in.”

Many students shared that Winter Thaw greatly benefited their mental health, allowing them to focus on other things besides the stressful academic rigor and routines established throughout the term.

Prep Christina Zheng explained, “It was very nice to get a break because I was stressing out from a lot of homework. I think the Monday off really helps the week feel faster.”

Exonians also used Winter Thaw to motivate them through the week, encouraging them to reward themselves after a long week of classes. “Winter Thaw gave me something to look forward to. I was super excited to get off campus and spend time with my family and just relax and sleep, and not have to worry about school as much as I normally would. It definitely gave me something to look forward to and motivate me throughout the week,” said Eggers. 

Lower Andrew Chen asserted that the extra day off “led to better mental health, sleep quality, and productivity.”

Students heavily complimented the Winter Thaw simply because it provided time for themselves during this hectic time of year. “It gave me something to look forward to,” Eggers explained. “I was super excited to get off campus and spend time with my family, relax, sleep, and not have to worry about school as much as I normally would.”

The day off was also a treat for day students. Although spending time with their families was not new, they appreciated the day of relaxation and acknowledged how great it was for boarders. Sastry explained, “I’m a day student, and Winter Thaw was really cool for me because I could just hang out at home, but it would probably have been better if I was a boarder. I would’ve loved to go home.”

Although almost all students appreciated the idea of a full day off, there were mixed sentiments regarding the accessibility for everyone to enjoy the day to its full extent. One issue multiple students faced was scheduling conflicts with sports games. Zheng explained, “I had a lot of friends who had games on Saturday, which kept them here for the weekend instead of going somewhere else with their family.” 

Eggers agreed, “I would say making sure that there are no sports games on the weekend of Winter Thaw because I know that that can really compromise a lot of people’s plans, and they feel obligated to go even though they are really looking forward to just having a break.”

Another concern was that international students and even students who live far from Exeter within the U.S. had difficulties reconnecting with their families.

Zheng said, “It’s not completely fair because international students can’t go home.”

Zhu agreed, “I think the day did not equally affect everyone because not everyone got to go home with their family.” Despite this, Zhu countered, “I think it’s still nice to stay on campus, especially because of the Super Bowl events.”

While most students considered Winter Thaw a success, many thought there was still room for improvement. In order to compensate for some of the long hours of travel, some students have to see their families. Zheng said, “It would be nice to have a longer break or have a Friday be a half day.”

Other students thought it would be nice to have school-sponsored and planned day trips for those who stayed on campus. One suggestion, by lower William Inoue was “I think school organized small trips somewhere inside New Hampshire, somewhere pretty close by bus would be cool.”

“I would like to see more holidays like this during the school year, and I think it would be beneficial for everyone,” Wang said. “It’s only one extra day off, which doesn’t really affect how much we learn, but it definitely helps a lot with unwinding from the stress of school.”

Bowman echoed this sentiment, “I would make it an entire week. Most schools have a few days off instead of just one.”

On the other hand, Drobnick responded to the potential for change with, “Nothing, I think it’s perfect just the way it is.”

Overall, both day students and boarding students thoroughly enjoyed the break that Winter Thaw, despite the Sunday snowstorm, provided for them. Relaxing and spending it in numerous ways, hardworking Exonians were able to take the opportunity to have fun and treat themselves to a well-deserved break from schoolwork.