Can't Get Enough of Peter Duff
Whether it’s as a co-head of ESSO club DORSAL, a proctor of Browning House or a friend to laugh with, Peter Duff continues to be an enthusiastic and caring addition to the Exeter community. Originally from Ipswich, Mass., Peter came to Exeter as a new lower and has since come to refer to it as home. “My parents have moved around quite a lot since I started attending,” he said. “Exeter really has been my most consistent home over my time here. I love the nighttime walks to McDonald’s, the trips to the apple orchard and the general goofiness that pervades everything.”
“Genuine” was the word used unanimously to describe Peter by his peers and teachers. “What you see is what you get,” his advisor of three years Associate Athletic Trainer Kalya Medina said. “Peter embodies non sibi everyday. He is always looking for ways to help others and always has a shoulder to lean on for his friends.”
Peter’s friends agreed with Medina. “Browning looks up to Peter as a role model. Peter is always there for us, willing to help with any problem and give his advice,” said lower and fellow dormmate CJ Penn. “Peter is Browning’s rock.”
“It’s been a wonderful experience getting to know him over the past three years.”
A member of Browning House for three years, Peter is currently a proctor, well-liked for his easygoing attitude, quirky sense of humour and quick intelligence. From helping preps with biology homework to washing dirty dishes in the sink, he is a friend and mentor. Penn described Peter as “joyful, enthusiastic and always a fun person to be around.” Browning, in turn, has become Peter’s home. More specifically, he explained, “what really made it feel like home were the guys in the dorm. Everyone gets along well, and it feels close and familial.”
Fellow Browning House member upper Rohan Upadhyayula commended his personal style as “maintaining the aesthetic of a homeless man, but pulling it off.”
Among other interests, Peter’s passion for the ocean has translated into his job as co-head of DORSAL, a marine biology club on campus that meets on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the Academy Center basement. “He spends hours mulling over fish facts, articles and deep sea movies to present to the club,” upper John Ragone said. “He has watched documentaries about these sort of things since his childhood.”
DORSAL meetings are held weekly in the Academy Center and consist of engaged discussions about the tragedies, mind blowing myths and fascinating discoveries of our oceans. Peter leads these meetings by conducting some preliminary research to guide the discussions and shares his extensive knowledge with the group.
“He makes our meetings fun, and he gets everyone really excited to talk about the ocean,” senior Emma Kim said.
Senior Angela Song has known Peter since the beginning of their lower year, and they remain good friends. “Peter is an incredibly trustworthy person, someone I’ve had some of my favorite Exeter experiences with,” she said. “It’s been a wonderful experience getting to know him over the past three years.”
Senior Chris Lee agreed, bringing up some funny anecdotes of his time with Peter. “It was late spring so fish were swimming from the Squamscott up the waterfalls to spawn in the Exeter river,” he said. “And for some reason I stood with Peter in the ankle deep water trying to spear fish with a big wooden stick we found.” Other fond memories with Peter include “running around in a Massachusetts marsh trying to survive on eating only things we collected and hunted,” and Lee “peer pressuring Peter into eating live fish.”
“Peter can also take a joke,” upper John Ragone commented. “He is probably one of the most chill people in our dorm. He has definitely kept Browning being the best it can be.”
Stemming from the passionate work Peter has done for DORSAL, he plans to follow a career based on marine biology or biological research after high school. “I would like to do something that allows me to help other people and the planet. Perhaps I will go into teaching before my retirement,” he said. Peter will continue his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology next year.
He will, however, be sad to part with the connections that he has made at Exeter, whether in Browning House, DORSAL, in the classroom or the general social sphere.
Likewise, his friends said he would be greatly missed here at Exeter. “I’ll miss his dedication to making everyone else feel better,” Ragone said. “I may miss even more his explanations of how turtles lay their eggs.”
To find Peter, follow the famous, affable sound of his laughter. Kim described it as “the sound of elephant seals mating.”