Blane Zhu
All that I can see is just a lemon tree.
A lemon tree follows senior Blane Zhu wherever he goes. The fruits it bears are his grandmother’s words, Aeneas in the Mediterranean, the soft vocals of Charlotte Gainsburg, and the wonders he sees in Exonians every day.
Zhu first arrived at Exeter as a new lower from Beijing. However, he was not completely new to America—he had attended junior boarding school in the United States. Zhu recalls a dinner by the beach from the International Student Orientation (ISO), where he still felt foreign even among fellow international students. “Everyone seemed to mix in so well,” he recounted. “They all seemed so smart—the first dinner, they were talking about George Orwell.”
Throughout his Exeter career, Zhu has continued to find brilliance in Exonians. He remembers being fascinated his first year by the meaningful and innovative work of peers that he would idolize. However, he soon recognized the need for him to follow his own path. “Obviously, you’re always going to look up to people because there’s so many people here that are talented in so many different ways,” he said. “But it’s also about finding your own path, not becoming someone else.”
In his three years at the Academy, Zhu has become a leader on campus that many look up to. According to him, his work primarily falls under “publications,” including Liber, Pendulum, The Asian, and other works that anthologize student work. “That’s kind of what I want to pursue—creative writing, journalism, literature—all of those things,” Zhu said.
In addition to publications, Zhu views Exeter Student Service Organization (ESSO), in which he is co-head of Music Lessons and Operation Smile, as a valuable outlet for Exonians to realize the wider Exeter community. “You do kind of fall into a bubble when you stay here for a long time,” he said. “At the end of the year, I’m like, how did I get stuck in this little town for a whole year? [ESSO] makes me feel a little more connected to the community around us.”
Zhu’s dedication to service learning is one from a true desire to help. “He genuinely loves helping others,” senior and dormmate Nathan Sun said. Sun describes Zhu’s personality as “funny and curious with a contagious personality.”
When reflecting on his experience, Zhu advises Exonians to be mindful in their “hunger” for success and prestige. “We all are a little bit hungry, right?” he said. “I think a lot of the mentality of working up a ladder—whether it’s social, or of achievements—is that you have a finite goal. If you think about just wanting more and more all of the time, some things around you will fall apart.”
Regardless of the popular opinion, Zhu is satisfied with fulfilling his own goals in life. “I guess I’m happy with what I would call—not my ‘position’ on the ladder—but what I’m doing on campus,” Zhu mused. “But I definitely think about expanding what I’m doing, exploring new territories.”
Zhu’s commitment is genuine and thoughtful, as his advisor and instructor in Religion Thomas Simpson says: “I love how committed he [Zhu] is to reading, writing, self-expression and human connection, all without a shred of arrogance or self-promotion.”
Having left Beijing at an early age, he recalls the values he retains from his hometown, remembering his grandmother’s impactful words. “I’m definitely more influenced by America, but [Beijing] is a part of my background. I can’t deny it or wash over it,” he says. “But I still hold the values of my Chinese grandmother very true to my heart: to interact respectfully with people, to be polite, to show good manners and to be your best self when surrounded by elders, family and friends.”
Upon meeting Zhu, senior Penny Brant became a close friend of his and coincidentally found out that they went to the same elementary school and were born 12 hours apart. Brant has consistently observed Zhu’s kindness and respect toward others. “He’s an extremely talented writer and incredibly humble. Blane is definitely one of the friendliest and nicest people I’ve ever met.”
When reflecting, Zhu revisits his lower year as a time he feels he could have reached out more. “I think that just by looking at me, you can tell I’m an introvert,” he says. “I guess I could have gone out more. But once you find people you resonate with, which you will, and then you really cherish those relationships, you will find that you don’t even really have to think about it. You just will feel inclined to spend time with those people because they really are enjoyable to be around.”
This summer, Zhu published a collection of his own poems titled Lemon Tree that he describes as a return to his roots and an account of his journey with poetry. “Lemon Tree [by Fool’s Garden] was the first English song that I’ve ever listened to—a little nostalgic,” he explains. “The chorus goes ‘I’m turnin’ around / But all that I can see is just a yellow lemon tree.’ The lemon tree is a symbol of things that are always there in my heart.”
“Now that I’m 17 years old, it felt like an appropriate time to do it [write a poetry book]. It’s almost like a diary of myself. There [are] things in there that I definitely wouldn’t say aloud,” Zhu said, turning to the roots of his lemon tree for a reminder: “You will always have the opportunity to take a moment of your time to brighten someone else’s day.”