What’s the Point of The Exonian?
By ARYAN AGARWAL ‘27 and KEVIN THANT ‘27
As one of the largest campus clubs, The Exonian is an extracurricular for many students. Many interviews are conducted weekly, thousands of words are written, and a well-made print edition is put together. Members of the club are working overtime. So when people say, “No one even reads The Exonian,” it begs the question of what the point of the newspaper actually is.
Many key concerns about The Exonian is its redundancy. Indeed, there can’t be much happening on the Exeter campus for a new issue to be published weekly, right? That’s probably what most of the school thought until the new editorial board made the Exonian weekly to “increase the relevance of The Exonian.” There are countless issues and worthwhile ideas that could be written about every week, so much so that the board struggles to decide which ones make the cut.
It’s first essential to consider the readership of The Exonian. To students who hear about everything on campus, we know everything that is happening at Exeter. But even then, we miss things. We miss the one club we never knew existed or that one sports team that is doing surprisingly well despite not knowing anyone on it. No matter how much we know about Exeter, skimming through The Exonian helps us learn more about our school.
However, The Exonian is meant for more than just current students. Some alumni and retired faculty subscribe to our newspaper. They cannot hear the school’s news like we do. To them, The Exonian is more than a newspaper; rather, it is their only way of learning about the events of their alma mater. It is the bridge between them and our school. Alumni who read The Exonian find solace in seeing their old teacher or dorm on the week’s feature. They may see their old sports team winning the same tournament that they won three decades ago. Outside of Alumni events and The Exeter Bulletin, The Exonian remains one of the only sources of information.
Prospective students researching the school also may stumble across The Exonian. As to put our school on display, the newspaper can play a critical role in shaping applicants’ view on Exeter. The articles speak volumes about our awareness as a school, as well as recognizing the amazing people that new students may meet on campus, through features like Senior of the Week or Faculty of the Week.
Other than those who read The Exonian, what does it mean for the writers, editors, photographers, and all the other roles held within the club? As a school, Exeter is meant to prepare its students for the future and to instill Exonians with the necessary skills to pursue a better life, whatever that may entail. It is irrefutable that the abilities one refines while participating in the newspaper are all highly sought after and applicable to life beyond Exeter.
