5:00 AM: Exonian –

News flash: It’s early and it’s worth it. More…

I’ve been writing for the school paper ever since I got to Exeter, and I love working for the paper. Mr. Golay is our adviser, and I’m director of content, primarily responsible for the content and communicating with page editors. The board is very close. We all have the same drive, and just to hang out with these people is so much fun. And we have cookie girl! One day a prep essentially forgot to turn in an article on deadline. She felt so bad that she made us cookies, and now every week she brings in these cookies! They are really warm, right out of the oven, and they are amazing. And she’s been doing this for a few months. It’s a great gesture.

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8:00 AM: Chemistry –

Don’t try this at home. More…

Today, we took a quiz in class, and I did quite well. In Chemistry, we sometimes discuss homework at the table; other times we do labs. It’s quite equally balanced. We do labs once or twice a week. My friend Emily and I are lab partners. We’ve been through bio and chemistry together. My favorite lab experiment was when we put two hydrates, sodium carbonate and calcium chloride, together. They are both clear liquids, but when we put them together they solidified and turned bright yellow.

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9:15 AM : Free time –

Hanging out with friends never goes out of style. More…

I walked back to my dorm, grabbed my friends, Uni, Carolyn and Abigail, and walked to town. Carolyn and I met at Experience Exeter, which is what you can do before coming to Exeter. We randomly ended up in the same dorm, and she is definitely one of my best friends. We went to Starlight Express, which is a really funky store downtown. Sometimes we go out to eat on Saturday nights after sports games. There are lots of restaurants in the 10-mile radius.

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10:25 AM: Spanish –

Laughing and learning in a different language. More…

We have so much fun that sometimes we get off topic, but it’s all in Spanish so you’re not losing anything. Also, we make sure we address everything in the lesson plan. We have so much fun talking and laughing. That book in front of me is the first play I’ve read in Spanish, and it was very emotional and sparked a lot of debate in class. I’ve been taking Spanish for about six years. My teacher is really adamant about speaking Spanish and if anyone slips up, we jump on them and say, “¡Español, por favor!” My teacher is Señora Flores, and I’m really close with her.

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11:20 AM : U.S. History –

No lectures? Now you’re talking! More…

We’re studying pre-civil war—why it happened and what were the causes. Mr. Jordan gives us an idea about the discussion topic, and then we just go from there. It’s more fun than having to sit and listen to a history teacher talk about something you don’t find interesting. We’re not being lectured! Everyone in class is pretty close. The girl next to me is Lauren. She’s one of my really good friends and runs cross-country with me.

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12:35 AM : Lunch –

Talking shop over lunch. More…

Dawn and I have history together, and after history we walk over to Elm Street, which is where we eat and have Exonian meetings on Thursdays. [During the meeting] we talk about what went wrong and what went well that week. I guess there are times when I’m like, what am I doing, why am I working for this paper when I could be doing my English homework? And it’s nothing that you can really relate to it unless you do it. Just to see people read the paper gets me excited because I’ve put in so much work into it. I’m a lobbyer, and for me, to channel my energy into something like the Exonian is rewarding. To be doing this you really need to be dedicated, and I would not give it up for the world.

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1:30 PM: Cross-Country –

Cross-training the cross-country team. More…

Thursday is our rest day. We do Pilates for 20 minutes and pool run for half an hour. We run in the pool and don’t touch the ground the whole time. We always have music blasting and talk to each other during it. After cross-country, Jess and I head back to change out of our training clothes. Jess is one of my greatest friends! We’re joined by Chris, who works on the paper with me. He was biking back to the dorms.

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3:50 PM : Drumming –

This is the sound of a different drummer. More…

I’m learning beats to music, and that’s why I have my earphones on. Mr. Harris is playing with me. He’s observing and critiquing me and teaching me technique. I don’t do it for credit. I do it because I enjoy it. I’ve been drumming since 5th grade.

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8:00 PM : Free –

I’ll be there for you. More…

I’m talking to the custodian in my dorm, Mrs. Belschner. She comes into my room and we talk sometimes. We talk about what’s going on in school, in my life, in her life. She counsels me. Everyone loves Mrs. Belschner, and the thing about Exeter is that it is a community, and the more I’m here, the more it becomes my home. And I don’t just say it feels like home; it is home. And it’s not the academics, not the athletics, not the extracurriculars, but the people I do [those things] with that make it home. As you get older you realize the importance of friends. It really helps when you have friends right by your side.

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What's my day like?

Liani, upper

5:00 AM: Exonian –

News flash: It’s early and it’s worth it. More…

8:00 AM: Chemistry –

Don’t try this at home. More…

9:15 AM : Free time –

Hanging out with friends never goes out of style. More…

10:25 AM: Spanish –

Laughing and learning in a different language. More…

11:20 AM : U.S. History –

No lectures? Now you’re talking! More…

12:35 AM : Lunch –

Talking shop over lunch. More…

1:30 PM: Cross-Country –

Cross-training the cross-country team. More…

3:50 PM : Drumming –

This is the sound of a different drummer. More…

8:00 PM : Free –

I’ll be there for you. More…