The Best and Brightest?

I don't think anybody would be surprised if Principal Tom Hassan addressed us, the students of Phillips Exeter Academy, as "the best and the brightest" during tomorrow’s Opening Assembly. Indeed, the title of "the best and the brightest" will inevitably be repeated by various speakers during assemblies throughout the year, along with other monikers such as "future leaders of America" (to say nothing of “the world").Like many Exonians, I often snicker when addressed as such. Many of us don’t even know what we want to do next year, let alone for the rest of our lives. But as students return to campus this fall, stories will be shared on how summer vacation was spent. Here is where an Exonian's activities often diverge from those of the average high school student. For in addition to each of us who simply relaxed at home, others participated in summer courses, interned in offices, worked in labs, and studied around the world. "Exonian summers" set us apart from many other students around the world, and in that sense, those of us who have the opportunity to do interesting things over vacation are lucky.But the fact is that most of us weren't born the best and the brightest—only bright. Many Exonians have/had mentors, teachers, coaches, and/or parents who encouraged them and molded them into becoming the best. It could be argued that we deserve our title of "the best and the brightest"—that the phrase had to have originated from the students and alums—but being Exonians doesn't automatically make us that. The title needs to be earned before it is bestowed on us. Exonians do not need to have their egos inflated by this statement before they prove it to be true. As students, we already get enough acknowledgment by both outsiders and insiders simply for going to Exeter. Those of us who choose to embrace being "the best and the brightest" should therefore not only work for, but also be humble and respectful about it. Because while those five words mean little to us during our Exeter careers, they gain importance upon entering the real world—the world that exists outside of the "Exeter bubble." Being "the best and the brightest" doesn't mean we have to be superhuman, take 999's in every department and graduate with an 11.2 GPA. It means we see the world differently or have interests varying from the norm, interests which we foster and encourage both here at the Academy and later in life. We address problems in a different manner than many non-Exonians do. The multiple viewpoints of our student body are an essential part of our "brightness." Even though some students may conform to the "preppy stereotype" by wearing pastels, Vineyard Vines, LL Bean, etc., the students here are amazingly varied in interests and stories. Most of us here even want to learn, no matter how much some of us deny it. And that desire to learn is part of what marks us as Exonians and allows us to become "the best and the brightest." That desire to learn is why many Exonians often choose to do more than couch guard with their vacations. We just got back from the longest break of the year. Tomorrow, at the Opening School assembly, if Principal Hassan addresses us as the best and the brightest, we ought to consider whether it's possible that he's addressing us as such prematurely. After all, we still have a year to prove the title.