Phenomenal Phillip
As the Editor-in-Chief of the 138th board of The Exonian, an avid journalist, a leader and proctor in Cilley Hall, senior Philip Kuhn is a well-known figure on campus. Throughout his time at Exeter, he has taken on the role of mentor, whether it be while grappling tough editorial decisions in The Exonian office or working with other writers at Journalism for Human Rights meetings.
Over his four years at Exeter, Kuhn has been a proud member of Cilley Hall. He remembers how the seniors in his dorm during his prep year made him feel like a part of a tight-knit group of Cilley boys. “They were the kindest kids,” Kuhn said. “They put a lot of time into taking care of us. They let us play video games in their rooms, they would chill with us Saturday nights after check in, they were around all the time to help with homework.” Now, as a proctor himself, he has tried to provide the same sense of community for new students in the dorm. “Phil was the first proctor that said hello to me when I arrived at Cilley,” prep Milo Walshe said. “He introduced me to a lot of people in Cilley and got me involved with various clubs on campus.”
“Phil is someone you can always go to to talk about anything. He is like a big brother while still making sure you aren’t making bad decisions.”
Kuhn is the quintessential proctor—a close friend who doesn’t hesitate to give advice or lay down the law when necessary. “Phil is someone you can always go to to talk about anything. He is like a big brother while still making sure you aren’t making bad decisions,” lower Kojo Aduhene said.
Jay Lee ‘15 also took note of Kuhn’s natural ability to connect with younger students. “He was one of the most influential lowers in Cilley my senior year, making sure the preps were doing well and helping them out,” Lee said. “I’ve also heard from various kids in the dorm that he has been a great proctor this year, consistently leading by example, and I’m not surprised at all.”
Kuhn strives to be the most influential proctor he can be through “really getting to know each person from simple actions.” Whether he’s sitting with fellow residents of Cilley Hall at the dining halls or traveling around the dorm after check-in creating conversation, Kuhn has always been a caring and positive presence in the dorm. “I try to be fun and uplifting in the dorm because I know it’s a really stressful school,” Kuhn said.
Kuhn continues his role as proctor outside of his dorm as well, never failing to greet his peers on the paths. “You can catch him on a really bad day, and he’ll still try his best to treat you well,” said Kevin Zhen ‘16. “When he says hi to you, he’s not just being nice, he’s trying to make the community a better place.” Prep Milo Walshe echoed Zhen’s sentiments, describing Kuhn as someone who “will always stop to chat or say hello.” According to English Instructor Mercedes Carbonell, Kuhn’s sincere and deliberate involvement with other people is what makes him so successful in his academic endeavors. “One of Philip’s greatest gifts as a student of literature is his awareness of the fragility and strength of the human condition,” she said.
Carbonell added that Kuhn “was a graceful presence in eleventh grade English, one who presides at the Harkness table with a genuine intrigue in what his peers may be thinking, with a respect for all voices.” Lower Justin Psaris agreed with her, reflecting that this character trait of Kuhn’s is evident in and around their dorm as well. “Phil is always open to discussion, he is respectful, and will always listen to what you have to say,” he said.
Kuhn’s passion for words arose in middle school, when his interests were piqued by writing. “That was what I was good at and what I enjoyed more than my other classes,” he said. Alum Robert Conner attributes much of Kuhn’s success to his possession of “a rare gift for communication and story-telling,” before going on to add that the skill “combines perfectly with the warmth of [Kuhn’s] personality.” Carbonell elaborated on Kuhn’s gift with the pen, praising especially his openness in his writing. She disclosed that Kuhn writes about “what he wrestles with: privilege; masculinity; whiteness.” She went on to add that “each piece Philip wrote felt like a work of Art, one in which the spirit of the artist was infused in the creation,” she said. “He has discovered a poetic intellect that comes through in his writing.”
Given his deep fascination with words and storytelling, it was only natural that Kuhn found success in the school newspaper. Alum and former managing editor of The Exonian Jay Lee was the one who introduced Kuhn to The Exonian. “He took me to one of the meetings and after that I was pretty hooked,” said Kuhn. “I’m big into the idea of The Exonian being a marketplace of ideas or a forum where people can come together, their ideas conflicting, but joining in dialogue. I think it’s a really powerful thing, where you can see a lot of different ideas being curated into one place, into a piece that speaks to whoever reads it.”
Kuhn’s appreciation for journalism runs deeper still; he credits a lot of who he is to the newspaper. Before coming to Exeter, Kuhn was a timid middle schooler, and he accredits his now personable and forthcoming personality to the interviews he conducted as a staff writer. “Through all those conversations—that’s really what I felt got me integrated into the exeter community,” he said.
Kuhn’s peers greatly admire the work he did for The Exonian as editor-in-chief. “I watched as he worked tirelessly throughout his time at Exeter, and without-a-doubt, knew that he would be an outstanding Editor-in-Chief, even when he was just a news reporter as a lower,” reflected alum Robert Conner. Jay Lee agreed on Kuhn’s success as Editor-in-Chief. “During his time as Editor-in -Chief, there was a lot of substantial news that broke on campus, and despite being relatively new to the job, he handled everything well,” he said.
“We had a crazy year,” said Kuhn. The first big story concerning sexual misconduct on the Exeter campus broke just as Kuhn’s board was taking over the paper. Difficult decisions regarding what to print fell ultimately on Kuhn’s shoulders. “It was really heavy stuff to be dealing with,” he said. Throughout the time, Kuhn demonstrated swift leadership and excellent problem-solving skills as he determined the impact of each controversial piece up for publishing. Philips’s passion for writing and newspaper also expanded beyond The Exonian news office. As former co-head of the Journalism for Human Rights club, he led the group each week to discuss and research relevant issues around the globe and publish the finished stories online.
“I still remember the first day I brought Philip to his first writers’ meeting,” said Lee. “He signed up for an article with me. Typically, I wouldn’t assign too much work to a first-time writer, but he was constantly asking if there was anything more he could do.” His perseverance and diligence when writing articles gained him the respect of many, faculty and students alike. “That work could easily be considered worth three classes. How Philip stepped up and into that role while writing beautiful papers in English and working with such diligence in all of his classes is a mystery to me,” Carbonell said. “His stamina is golden.”