Senior of the Week: Caspar Bailey

By LOGAN BECKERLE, EILENA DING, SEBASTIAN DUARTE, KAYLEE GONG, JINMIN LEE, and ARJUN VELAN 

Whether leading poetry in Latin and Greek in the classroom, hustling on the varsity football and baseball fields, making case theory in Mock Trial, or pleasing everyone with his singing, senior Caspar Bailey is an important figure on campus.

As a role model and a four-year senior proctor in Wentworth Hall, Bailey advises younger students about thriving at Exeter. He is the quintessential example of making the most out of the Exeter experience; Bailey successfully balances sports, extracurriculars, and academics. 

Bailey shared his daily attitude at Exeter: “I want to be present and bring joy to everything I do. I want to engage in my clubs and classes with a genuine purpose. What drives me is my love for spending time with people.”

Bailey’s friends and teammates all mentioned his upstanding and kind character. “He is one of the kindest people you will meet,” described upper Josh Dunn, Bailey’s baseball teammate. “He is very approachable and always happy to help; he brings up the energy in any situation, good or bad.” 

“He genuinely means well for not only his close friends but everyone he knows. He has great values and morals, and, even as a friend, he is a role model,” said senior Max Albinson.

Senior Patrick Synder elaborated on Bailey’s approachability: “He has a great influence on everybody in the dorm. He always greets everyone on the paths, even the lowerclassmen that he might not know so well. He’s an inspiration, either in the dorm or on the football field. He’s like a lightbulb that people can go to.” 

In Wentworth Hall, Bailey spends much of his time listening to his favorite music and relaxing with his close friends. Lower Jayden Duverne mentioned, “I’m on the same floor as Caspar, and he is my proctor. He has great taste in music. He lifts my spirit when he plays his songs in the shower.”

Dunn also reminisced, “One of my favorite moments with Caspar was in Wentworth Hall when Caspar and I stayed up until 2 a.m. taking turns playing our favorite songs. He always brings great music to the table.”

“My favorite moments at Exeter are when, at the end of a long day, you get your homework done, convene in a room with friends, and have great late-night conversations. It’s a great way to unwind,” said Bailey. 

On campus, Bailey engages in many extracurriculars—including Mock Trial, Baseball, and ESSO Sports. Even since lower year, Bailey has brought a positive presence to his clubs, inspiring younger students, especially in Mock Trial. “I distinctly remember Caspar exuding confidence in every club I’m in with him. In Mock Trial, Caspar is a team leader and has helped guide me. Caspar has been a genuine role model for me since prep year when I first met him,” shared upper Andrew Gould. 

“When Caspar speaks to the team during our Mock Trial meetings,” explained upper Forrest Zeng, “he brings great insight and energy, especially for the newer students. I distinctly remember teaching objections alongside him. In court, his presence in the room is very strong and motivating.” 

His Mock Trial partner, Angelina Gong, has been on the same team as him for two consecutive years now. “He’s gained a lot of leadership skills through Mock Trial, and it’s been inspiring to watch him mentor younger kids and help them,” said Gong.

Besides Mock Trial, Bailey has been engaged with many other clubs since his prep year, including ESSO. “During my prep year, I explored a lot of extracurriculars: I tried debate; I tried The Exonian; I tried everything. But ESSO quickly became my favorite extracurricular because of how rewarding that experience was,” Bailey explained. “It started with ESSO Tutoring. I had a little kid named Carter, and he struggled with reading. Teaching Carter was the most rewarding thing I had ever done. He gained confidence in reading, and I am very proud of him. 

Bailey also runs ESSO Baseball, which he founded in his lower year, providing free lessons for kids. “ESSO Baseball is a project I started with Harry Walker, and it’s going very well. This activity was equally rewarding because I got to share what I loved most with kids who were so eager to learn. I just became hooked.”

In the classroom, Bailey challenges himself and lifts everyone’s spirits with his agreeable nature and jokes. Latin at PEA has been renowned as one of the most difficult course tracks on campus, but Bailey found fulfillment in the hardship. Bailey said, “Latin has kicked my butt. However, it’s been awesome because it’s been such a grind; it’s been one thing that taught me a lot about myself.” 

Other Latin students enjoyed having Bailey in class. “His personality is warm in the Latin class. I remember winter term last year when he got everyone excited and comfortable in class. He’s a great member of the classics community,” said upper Stanley Huang. 

  Sam Altman agreed, “When he speaks up, he often says something hilarious. He calms the class down with his great cadence and soothing voice. When he came to Kirtland Society, he made the community a little less nerdy while still engaging with it.” 

Outside of class, Bailey is a varsity athlete who plays football and baseball. Describing his time on the football and baseball fields, Bailey said, “Of course, I love the sports themselves, especially baseball; I’ve been playing for a very long time. But the thing that makes baseball special for me, especially at Exeter and over the summer, is the time I get to spend with my teammates. Being on a team with a common goal of winning and working together with those people is such an important experience.” 

“On the baseball team, Caspar has helped me get to know all of my teammates better when I was new. He’s super involved with many different activities, so he always introduces me to new people,” said Dunn. 

Bailey, like his seniors and proctors once before him, hopes to help influence the younger incoming generation of PEA students. “I can’t emphasize enough how much guidance the people in the dorm have given me over the years. So, getting the opportunity to pass on that wisdom to younger students is important to me.”

Bailey has been an inspiring role model, club head, teammate, and friend throughout his years at Exeter. “He’s always down the go with the flow and is a very chill person. I can’t wait to see what he’s gonna do in the future,” concluded Gong.

Aveen Burney / The Exonian