Drama King

Whether acting on stage, playing football with his team or leading his dorm as a proctor, Jad Seligman remains committed to leadership and brings a positive attitude wherever he goes. A four-year senior, Seligman resides in Ewald Hall and serves as a member of the DRAMAT board, a singer for the concert choir and a captain of Big Red’s junior varsity football team.

Seligman has lived in Ewald all four years at Exeter and has built a strong web of friendships within the dorm. "Dorm life offers a home base for my Exeter experience. It offers the comfort of about 35 best friends and a guarantee of someone to talk to on Saturday nights past 11," Seligman said. "There's that quote about no man being an island. That's what I've gleaned from Exeter and from Ewald. No matter where I am, I'm confident I can establish or integrate myself into a community and that no one has to shut himself from everyone who is different in terms of interest or background."

As much as Seligman has gained from his time in the dorm, he has given that back and more. From early on he established himself as a leader in Ewald and now leads by example with his position as proctor. Ewald dorm faculty Clinton Williams described Jad as warm, selfless and a real asset to the dorm. "Jad has shown a desire to elevate the status of residents at Ewald," Williams said. "He understands… the dorm and he has shown a commitment to moving the dorm… [forward]. Jad is essential to the wonderful community we have created in Ewald."

Seligman also participates in Exeter’s Concert Choir. After two years of instrumental music at the Academy, Seligman decided to take his music endeavors one step further and tried out for the Concert Choir. "I've always done music at Exeter, though most of it was instrumental," Seligman said. "But my voice teacher convinced me to try out and I'm immensely grateful that he did."

Seligman went on to describe the joy that singing has brought him and the profound impact that it has made on his Exeter career. "Singing is one of the coolest things I've discovered for myself in my life. It's such an unfiltered form of musical expression to me and I think that's incredible. It's made me more self-assured and self-reliant. I used to derive a lot of my strength from other people and my Exeter experience has helped me move past that kind of dangerous mentality."

But Seligman’s concert choir experience would not have been complete without the presence of one important faculty member. "Mr. Johnson is one of the most enjoyable conductors I've worked with in eight years of musical ensembles," Seligman said. "Concert choir brings me a few hours in the week where I don’t have to think about any of my other responsibilities. It's just making music with fun people and, in an institution where time is so scarce and stress is so common, I'm so grateful for that."

Although Seligman has only played football the past two years, the sport has become an important part of his time at the Academy. Like many students here, he found that sports could be a great outlet for the stress of Exeter life. "JV Football is fun. That's about how I can describe it. I like hitting people and I like being part of a team and it's a good way to unwind and to direct my stress."

Teammate Chad Lynn commended Seligman for his unwavering commitment to the team and ability to constantly inspire those around him. "Jad has the best attitude, I honestly don’t know how the team would function without him," Lynn said. "Jad is one of our most solid players, who is always dependable, showing up whenever he's needed right on time and ready to lead. His enthusiasm mixed with his friendly leadership… keeps us all working, but his smile and disposition reminds us that it's all still fun."

As a musician and singer, it was only natural that Seligman advance one step further and also involve himself in theatre, specifically DRAMAT. "I tried out for DRAMAT my prep fall, and I didn't make a single show. That should be a lesson to anyone who didn't get cast. I tried out again in the winter and Nik Bergill cast me in an Improv show and the rest is not very well known history."

Seligman fell in love with DRAMAT after that, and stuck with the group throughout the remainder of his Exeter career. "I love DRAMAT for a similar reason to why I love Ewald: the community. But while I'd characterize Ewald as being tightly knit above all else, DRAMAT is a more encouraging community in my book. It’s a group of funny, talented, and innovative people who love to try new things."

Upper Caroline Sullivan recognized Jad as a dedicated and active member of DRAMAT who’s a talented actor and fun to work with. "From the start, Jad has been a leader to me–any time I've had a question or have been stressed about something dramat related, he's always been a great source of support," Sullivan explained. "He really helped me feel welcome in dramat and in the theater. I’m so happy I’ve gotten to work with him and be on the board with him, and I hope we’ll get to work on more projects together this year."

Along with his many talents and hobbies, Seligman embodies the qualities of an ideal Exonian and brings nothing but warmth, kindness and humour to the Exeter campus. "Across campus, Jad’s name is always accompanied with a smile," senior Liz Hoover said. "Jad makes people want to be around him." In addition to kind and warm, Williams also described Jad as "charismatic, approachable and respected." He continued, "Jad's attitude is quite positive and he exhibit a level of maturity that is valuable for teaching younger students about the ideal behavior of an Exeter student.

Seligman also serves as an active leader on campus. His unwavering commitment to every facet of life at Exeter, from extracurriculars to leadership, demonstrates his immense contributions to the campus and community. "Jad loves Exeter and his classmates more than most people I know," Hoover said. "He’s dedicated, funny, hardworking and thoughtful. He can make people feel better just by walking into the room. He’s really the best friend anyone could ask for." Lynn agreed with Hoover, saying, "he’s always just a good sport and a really nice guy. I really don't even have enough words to describe how I feel about Jad. Also he and Liz are really cute, even though they’re nerds."