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| Keith Hengen celebrates. |
And thus, let me conclude with my charge to the Class of 2002. Members of the class of 2002, you have worked hard, learned much and contributed greatly to the life of the school and the education of your peers. The hard work you have performed has opened the doors of opportunity for you. Your friends, families and faculty wish you good fortune and Godspeed on your exciting journey.
High opportunity carries great responsibility, and thus as you step forth from this Academy to make your way through life, I give you three charges that reflect the spirit of this school and the meaning of the lessons you learned here.
First, I charge you to use your generous hearts and talents to preserve the freedom and enhance the well-being of those less educated and less fortunate than you. Share the good fortune of your lessons at Phillips Exeter so that all of us on this small, fragile planet can live in peace.
Second, value truth. Your parents and your faculty have taught you to respect it. Pursue it in scholarship and in your work in the years to come. Demand it of yourself and others. In our country and in our world the truth needs your protection.
| | Rebecca Ettlinger signs a PEAN. | |
Finally, I charge you to remember that this group of individuals will never be assembled again on this earth. The memories of what you have learned together as a class are your unique trust and your unique debt to each other. Preserve those memories and revisit them often. They represent wisdom for today and many tomorrows. Rejoice in the love and support of your families, friends, and faculty, and protect each other and keep each other safe, so that for many years to come you may rejoin this class and recall this important chapter in your life now ending.
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Anne R. Bassett
A Harkness Warrior Lays Down Her Sword
A four-year day student from Hampton Falls, NH (and daughter of Steve Bassett '72), Anne Bassett entered Fisher Theater her prep year and never looked back, appearing in dozens of workshops and Mainstage productions (including this winter's Bald Soprano, photo, in which she played dual roles). She also led admissions tours for four years: "I love the Academy so much that I wanted people to see just how great it really is," the 18 year old says, "and to try to blow away any preconceptions they might have of the type of students who attend Exeter." And as one of the leaders of the Gay/Straight Alliance, she's watched with pride as "the club has grown in size and stereotypes have changed even during my time at Exeter." She will attend Smith College.
Looking back over your time at the Academy, what experiences do you remember most, and why?
Until my upper year, I focused my energy solely on English and theater. But that year, I took Existentialism with Mr. Vorkink and my interest instantly switched to philosophy and religion. I didn't just find a new passion; I realized what it truly meant to be a part of a Harkness class. Until that time, I tended to be a Harkness warrior, monopolizing conversations and basically asserting my own ideas. But now I was one of three uppers in a class of seniors, and I was terrified to speak. The reading was so much more dense than anything I'd ever encountered, and the theories and philosophies were so complex. For the first time, I had to step back and really listen to what other people thought about the material. Mr. Vorkink guided us through Sartre, Camus, Dostoevsky and Kafka, but we really did the steering. I learned more in that class than I felt I ever had before. It gave me a whole different angle from which to approach all my classes.
Fill in the following blank and explain: "I knew I was an Exonian when __________."
I knew I was an Exonian pretty much after my first day of classes. The Harkness system was perfect for me. I love discussion-oriented learning. I immediately felt like part of the community, which is so diverse and amazing. It's hard not to feel a part of the Exeter community, and I'm very fortunate to have lived in it for four years.
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