Praising Acceptance

At Exeter, we have plenty of fascinating, communal events taking place on a weekly basis, events such as Indaba, Meditation, and EP. While these events create atmospheres similar to religious gatherings, they are, in fact, unaffiliated with any sort of denominational faith. Additionally, Exeter does not wholly encourage students to join or attend religious ceremonies held on campus; however, the Academy does support Exonians who maintain organized events. This is an ideal setting for adolescents in the 21st century.As youth at boarding school, this is the time for us to form opinions of our own. We are isolated from the thoughts of our families and friends at home, something most young adults do not get to experience until they attend college or transition into another form of independence, and something that is new to almost all of the student body. The structure of Exeter’s religious life affects our thought process tremendously. Some school environments are non-secular, and that tends to propel students towards one religion. Exeter has this ability, but it would suppress the judgments and beliefs that Exonians come up with on their own, which is an activity we usually encourage.Exeter offers the chance to partake in all types of religions and collective groups, which are fantastic options—even a whole assembly was dedicated to displaying all the different organizations on campus. The administration urges us to experiment with some of these opportunities so that we hopefully find one that suits us best. But these do not necessarily need to have a religious affiliation. Various clubs focus on meditation, singing, discussion circles, and yes, religious conversations. During these activities students, can discover an assortment of people that they might not have necessarily met before hand, and close-knit friendships can be formed.These are the types of events Exeter encourages in order that we become a closer, kinder student body, and that we get to experience these amazing occasions that no other school has. Anyone who has attended Indaba, meditation, or EP, or any other gathering at the academy can attest to that.Although this is only my second year at the Academy, I can confidently tell anyone that I have never felt pressured to attend any religious services here. My mother my not be happy about that, but it is the finest way for Exonians to grow as adults. We chose to come here partly to be self-ruling, and that is what we got.