How to Bring the Fun Back to Exeter Weekends

By  HENRY WISE ‘27

Every Friday and Saturday night, students on campus are eager for something to do. No matter what grade you are, each week of the term comes with a bit of stress, so students search for ways to take their minds off their tests, quizzes, and homework. There are weekend events at Exeter, but not so frequently that Exeter students always have something to do, though there are many ways Exeter could make weekends on campus more enjoyable and exciting.

One thing that could make weekends not only more interesting for Exeter students, but even more rewarding, is weekly buses to Hannaford or other stores to buy general necessities for dorm rooms. Every week when I am in my dorm room, there’s always something I’m missing, whether it’s food, toiletries, or other items to complete my dorm. With buses to and from Hannaford and Exeter’s campus, students could feel prepared and ready for the week ahead. They could purchase everything they need if they need to get something, and be at ease with the fact that they are fully equipped with all their necessities. Another reason this would be extremely beneficial for students is the aspect of transportation. Many students are not able to get to Hannaford because of travel issues. While some people have bikes, other students are unable to bring them to campus, and red bikes are for use only on campus. For these reasons, having the ability to be freely transported to Hannaford to get what you need could make campus on weekends more enjoyable, making students feel better about what they have in their dorm.

Another aspect that could be added to weekends to make them more enjoyable would be the the distribution of food during events. Speaking to multiple students on campus, they have said they wished at events there were more options to eat, not only just desserts, but also foods to keep them full during a long night at a school event. The addition of multiple beverages to school events would also make them more appealing. When students are at a dance, for example, they are jumping, singing, screaming, and running around the gym. In addition, so many people confined into a small space can make the surrounding area extremely hot, which can cause students to become extremely thirsty. With this in mind, it would be wise for events to include beverages for all students in order for them to be able to hydrate and stay safe during events in the school year.

While students like the option of food, they also would really enjoy being able to have some nice live music to go with their weekend. This is a difficult goal for Exeter to implement, but if there were live performances on campus by well-known artists around the world, students could enjoy the performance of someone they are a fan of, while not having to worry about paying loads of money to see them in a concert. Along with this, these events would get much traction, attracting more students than ever before to a school sanctioned event. Students would most likely go out of their way just to be able to come out and watch the performance. Even with just live music of local bands or artists though, students still would be attracted to watch. The question is, would you rather be sitting in your dorm room or at home, listening to music on your headphones, or watching a band perform music you love right in front of you at your own school. This has to be a no-brainer question. Each student can sit in the crowd and listen to music to relax for a while, letting all their worries disappear.

One last thing that could make campus on weekends more lively is games. By word of mouth, it is evident that what students enjoy most is competition events. There were a couple of these events last year, but not as many as students would like. A notable one was the dorm dodgeball tournament, where students were able to compete with each other to see who the best dodgeball dorm was. This event was extremely popular, and students were thrilled with the competitive nature of the event, being able to fight with each other to see who the number one dodgeball players on campus were. If more of these events were implemented in the lives of students on the weekends, they would be having much more fun bringing their competitive sides out and distracting themselves from every other thing around them.

Of these events, the most plausible would be the games. Dorms could organize activities against other dorms every other weekend, and both dorms could compete against each other to fight for the crown. By the addition of these events to weekends at Exeter, students could rewind, relax, and enjoy their weekend even more than they already do.include beverages for all students in order for them to be able to hydrate and stay safe during events in the school year.

While students like the option of food, they also would really enjoy being able to have some nice live music to go with their weekend. This is a difficult goal for Exeter to implement, but if there were live performances on campus by well-known artists around the world, students could enjoy the performance of someone they are a fan of, while not having to worry about paying loads of money to see them in a concert. Along with this, these events would get much traction, attracting more students than ever before to a school sanctioned event. Students would most likely go out of their way just to be able to come out and watch the performance. Even with just live music of local bands or artists though, students still would be attracted to watch. The question is, would you rather be sitting in your dorm room or at home, listening to music on your headphones, or watching a band perform music you love right in front of you at your own school. This has to be a no-brainer question. Each student can sit in the crowd and listen to music to relax for a while, letting all their worries disappear.

One last thing that could make campus on weekends more lively is games. By word of mouth, it is evident that what students enjoy most is competition events. There were a couple of these events last year, but not as many as students would like. A notable one was the dorm dodgeball tournament, where students were able to compete with each other to see who the best dodgeball dorm was. This event was extremely popular, and students were thrilled with the competitive nature of the event, being able to fight with each other to see who the number one dodgeball players on campus were. If more of these events were implemented in the lives of students on the weekends, they would be having much more fun bringing their competitive sides out and distracting themselves from every other thing around them.

Of these events, the most plausible would be the games. Dorms could organize activities against other dorms every other weekend, and both dorms could compete against each other to fight for the crown. By the addition of these events to weekends at Exeter, students could rewind, relax, and enjoy their weekend even more than they already do.