Early in March, two teams from Exeter’s Model UN competed in the 21st annual Academic WorldQuest. WorldQuest, hosted by the World Affairs Council of Greater Reading, consists of 10 rounds of 10 questions and has been held for decades. Each year, the winner receives a trip to the national competition in Washington D.C. 

Topics revolve around geopolitics, ranging from sports in diplomacy to the population shifts in Africa to artificial intelligence. Both of Exeter’s teams contained four players each, who all became “experts” in 2-3 different topics. 

Exeter’s Model UN has been competing since 2021. Last year under Mr. Isselmann, the club’s previous advisor, the “blue team” placed third. However, Isselmann would be relocated to Reiffton and later Daniel Boone, creating an urgent vacancy halfway through the year.

Thankfully, Mrs. Mills stepped up to fill the role in late December. Mills, a teacher in the English department, has seen success with Reading Olympics, who have won 7-straight county championships. Shaun Rathman, Andrew Schwenk, Cooper Devlin, and Adam Cooke made up the blue team, while the white team consisted of Mady Hirneisen, Ethan Tibbetts, Jordan Wolfe, and Calvin McClain.

But how would a team with a new advisor and mostly underclassmen stack up against other giants in Berks? Some other top schools included Governor Mifflin, who entered as back-to-back defending champions, and Wyomissing, who entered competitively after being absent last year.

The competition lasted a few hours, requiring two tiebreaks. Teams did not know their positions, making it all the more suspenseful. Ultimately, Exeter’s blue team was called as the champions, bringing the trophy to Exeter for the first time ever.

The World Affairs Council has fully funded a trip to Washington D.C. for the team. Later this month, the team will be staying in the Capitol from the 19th through the 21st. The national competition will consist of teams from all over the country, and will take place on the 20th.

Exeter’s win has received attention from media such as the Reading Eagle and the Govan Media Group, and has earned the team an invite to the office of U.S Representative, Chrissy Houlahan. 

The victory was improbable for the team of only sophomores and first-year advisor. The bond, young age, leadership, and intelligence has earned Exeter Model UN its first county title and a trip to D.C. Hopes are high, as they look to repeat in the years to come.

Everyone has heard the warnings against blue light - but what do they really mean? We experience blue light often throughout our daily lives. Offices and schools use blue light in their lighting because it stimulates brain functions and allows for more productivity. The problem comes later, as we begin to get ready for bed, and are still being exposed to blue light from the  plethora of devices in our home that emit blue light including televisions, cell phones, and even bedside lamps (Kolbe et al).

Over exposure to blue light, or being exposed to blue light too late in the evening can cause irregularities in your circadian sleep cycle. Your body naturally begins to make hormones that make you sleepy around a certain time at night. When you expose your brain to blue light, you tamper with the regulation of your sleep hormones, and risk a good night’s sleep (Suni et al). Sleep deprivation can cause hormone irregularities and inflammation. (Cougnard-Gregoire et al). Studies have found that your body can begin to show detrimental side effects after just two nights of irregular sleep.

Our school is one of the many competitors in the PA Governor’s STEM competition. The PA Governor’s STEM Competition is an annual STEM challenge with teams across the state working to create a solution for a problem prevalent in Pennsylvania. The theme of this year’s competition is Creating a Commonwealth with Universal Design in Mind. Our team, consisting of Sophia Jones, Hansika Kunduru, Connor Stolzfus, Alex Nerney, and Richter Bogust, has decided to tackle the problem of irregular circadian rhythms due to prolonged blue light exposure. This problem particularly affects teenagers, as they are more often exposed to blue light through the school day, and during leisure time on their phones, but it is not specific to just them - all ages can suffer the consequences of over exposure to blue light. Blue light recording technology is employed by professional sports teams and those who are wealthy enough to afford experts, but we would like to make the technology more user friendly for everyone, no matter their status in life. 

We are working to create a device that monitors the amount of blue light people are exposed to daily, and then offer real time alerts when it may be time to put the phone down and take a break from the blue light. We want to create a downloadable app which will send push notifications to the user to inform them of possible risks to their circadian rhythm. 

Besides monitoring blue light exposure, we would also like to be able to sense temperature, and other factors that can influence the body’s ability to fully rest. 

We are excited to provide updates as we continue through the process of this project!

References:

Cougnard-Gregoire, Audrey, et al. “Blue Light Exposure: Ocular Hazards and Prevention-A Narrative Review.” Ophthalmology and Therapy, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Feb. 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9938358/#d32e599 title.

Kolbe, Isa, and Henrik Oster. “Focus: Clocks and Cycles: Chronodisruption, Metabolic Homeostasis, and the Regulation of Inflammation in Adipose Tissues.” NCBI, NCBI, 27 June 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6585521/. Accessed 17 September 2023.

Suni, Eric, and Nilong Vyas. “How Lack of Sleep Impacts Cognitive Performance and Focus.” Sleep Foundation, 18 July 2023, www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-deprivation/lack-of-sleep-and-cognitive-impairment#:~:text=Poor%20Attention%20Span%3A%20Poor%20sleep,Poor%20sleep%20also%20diminishes%20placekeeping.

The first ever February Fling was hosted by the student council last weekend. This dance lacked the pressures of homecoming and prom and only people who wanted to be there went, which gave it a more fun atmosphere than some other dances. 

The atmosphere was like a birthday party in a lot of ways -- a chance to get dressed up, have fun, and take pictures with your friends. There were three big photo ops, including an inflated snow globe, which you could go inside while balloons and rose petals blew around you. 

In part of the cafe tables, food, and refreshments were set up. There were finger sandwiches, chick-fil-a nuggets, fruit platters, and desserts. To drink there was water and gatorade. There were also ‘guess how many’ games with jars of ring pops, m&ms and hershey kisses. It was set up well so you could take photos, play the games, and eat, without getting in each other's way or overcrowding.

It was inexpensive and low key, the perfect night out for you and your friends or a valentine. This dance has a lot of potential to become a crowd favorite in the next few years. 

Aevidum club made its first debut at Exeter two years ago. The word “aevidum” is derived from Latin and as a whole means, “I’ve got your back”. This nationwide club is working to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention. 

A couple of its members attended an annual convention called Spark Conference last spring at Kutztown University. The club members participated in many workshops where they gained more ideas for the club and were QPR certified. This stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer as three important steps to prevent suicide. Along with 36 other groups, our members had an amazing experience and are ready to use what they learned this year. 

Aevidum Club also welcomes its new advisor, Ms. Solazzo, the school’s psychologist who is very passionate about what Aevidum club is all about. She is excited to facilitate and contribute ideas to the club, but wants students to design this club as their own. 

Aevidum’s mission this year is to engage the student body and have everyone be involved as much as possible. In the past, the club has participated in awareness campaigns such as passing out 200 carnations and selling bracelets for Valentine’s day that represent suicide prevention. We would love to welcome more students this year to help plan and run other events such as these. 

Meetings are currently held once-a-week before school in the guidance office conference room. If you are passionate about mental health and want to make a difference, then this is the club for you! Join today and follow Exeter’s Aevidum club Instagram page at aevidum.exeter. 

Friday’s annual homecoming football game at Exeter featured Friday night lights, games, food, an amazing homecoming court, and more. The game and other homecoming festivities took place earlier than most years, as the football team faced off against Lebanon. 

Pregame events included a tailgate, as well as Lebanon’s marching band performing their show. Exeter’s band would play proceeding the game due to the crowning of the homecoming king and queen at halftime. 

The football action was a blowout from Exeter. In just the first half, the Eagles put up 51 points on 7 touchdowns. Jayden Zandie had a touchdown and 107 rushing yards, while Zack Zandier had 2 touchdowns on his birthday. Sophomore Riley Martinez also had 4 passing touchdowns with 135 passing yards.

The 51-0 score would not change past the second half. Exeter locked up another homecoming victory this year after their 42-8 win over Muhlenberg last year. The Eagles improved to 5-0 following the game. 

At half, student council and previous homecoming queen Becca Zilinski presented Exeter’s 2023 homecoming queen and king. Fallyne Oswalt took home queen, while Michael Borja won king.

Oswalt is a multi-sport athlete, participating in wrestling, lacrosse, and cheer as a captain. She also has been involved in numerous clubs, National Honors Society, class executive board, and the French exchange. 

She believes she represents Exeter, saying “I’m very school-spirited, involved in clubs and sports.” Oswalt plans on dual-majoring in special education and early childhood education after high school. “The French exchange and all of the sports teams with my friends,” she pointed out as some of her favorite memories. 

The rest of the court included Hayden Adams, Rebecca Cherry, Addie Devage, and Taylor Hill.

Homecoming king Michael Borja has been a heavily spirited wrestler in his 4 years at the high school. “One way I represent our class and Exeter is my enormous amount of school spirit, I always try to show up to sporting events, follow all of the themes and bring a positive attitude,” said Borja. 

Borja plans on pursuing a pre-med track in college in hopes of making it to medical school. He also reflected on Exeter, saying “I’ll definitely miss the teachers and my classmates a bit,” “My whole experience with wrestling in high school are my favorite memories. Some of those are just like wrestling on the same team as my brother, playing dodgeball, and getting to get food with the team.”

Other members of the court included Gavin Marr, Tanner Moore, Josiah Newman, and Brody Oswald. 

Exeter hosts its next football game on Friday, away at Warwick. They return home to Don Thomas Stadium on Friday, the 13th of October against Hempfield. We wish the best of luck to this year’s homecoming court and the rest of the class of 2024 as they plan for their futures!

Exeter hosted its annual 9/11 ceremony last Monday, 22 years to the date of the national tragedy where almost 3,000 died as a result of terrorism. The Senior High School recognized police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and more for their contributions not only on September 11th, 2001, but  also the selfless impact they have on a daily basis in our community. Many first responders from our community attended the event, one which showcased speeches, music, honor, and more. 

Despite the ceremony being moved indoors due to weather, the marching band performed the National Anthem and part of their field-show called “Honor and Valor: A Hero’s Journey”. The show was succeeded by a solo string performance by Junior Esteban Ruiz. 

One of multiple speeches made by staff was by Mr. Burkhart, a history teacher at the high school. Burkhart was in his freshman year of college, playing Division 2 baseball in Tennessee on September 11th. “Fear, anxiety, and anger overwhelmed me [...] You read about moments in history and how they impact people, but nothing can prepare you for when one those moments happens to you,” spoke Burkhart to students who filled the gym bleachers. 

“This belief that America had nothing to fear, this feeling of safety, a feeling of invincibility, gone,” Burkhart continued. “Always remember, our freedom is not free.”

Mr. Vecchio, Vice Principal at the SHS, was in his first year of teaching when the events unfolded. “I don’t remember much other than being in shock and that time stood still. The days that unfolded after that event were filled with uncertainty. As a nation we grieved, and as a tragedy often does, brought us closer as a nation,” he said, also speaking to students. 

Vecchio has stepped up to take charge of the ceremony this year. “I’m always very impressed with our students. For the last 10 years, they’ve done a great job. They're respectful, and I think they realize the importance of that day and reflect on the ceremony.” He also has remarkable respect for first responders. “They do amazing work, it’s incredible, amazing work that they do daily. Like our honoree, he just wanted to help the public, and that pretty much sums up the department and all first responders. They don’t get in it for the money, they get in it to help.”

This year’s honoree was Jon Staley, a paramedic who has served since 2006 for Chester and Montgomery counties, as well as Penn State’s ‘Life Lion’. I had the chance to talk to Staley about his role as EMS personnel and the effects of 9/11. 

“It was a great tragedy, there was a lot of life lost. It brought to the forefront an urgency to medical services and the fire department, so what we do on a daily basis. I’m glad to represent that every day,” Staley said.

“I’m not one to be honored or to be put in the limelight. Every person, every day deserves that honor for what they do on a daily basis, whether it’s police, fire, EMS, or even hospital staff,” said Staley. “For what we do on a daily basis, a lot of people don’t see us out there. A lot of times when people call for an ambulance, they’re having the worst day of their life or someone near them is having the worst day of their life. Same goes for calling the fire department for a fire, it’s wanting to educate people as to what we do; it’s not just running and lights and sirens or sitting around a station.”

The annual ceremony has proven to be an important one at Exeter. It remembers not only those who passed on that day, not just those at the scenes of September 11th, 2001, but all personnel on a day to day basis in our own community. The effects of the attacks have had a profound impact on shaping America, showcasing the heroicness of those in our communities, and providing unity to our nation. It’s important to never to forget the events which unfolded on 9/11, and to work together in the presence of challenge, just as our country did then.

On Wednesday, April 19th, 2023 the Exeter TSA state qualifiers departed Exeter and went on their way to Seven Springs Resort and to participate in the 2023 Pennsylvania State Conference. 

These students had worked for months to be able to qualify for states at the regional competition, and even improved their projects since then to be able to have a better chance at placing against the thousands of other students participating. 

After the long drive to get to Seven Springs (near Pittsburgh), they had to unload all their projects and personal belongings. After everything was unloaded, students were already busy. Some had to turn in their projects, turn in other peoples’ projects, get changed and compete in one of their events, or sign up for interviews or other types of events that would occur in the next few days. After getting everything they had to get done for the first night, students went to find something for dinner from an onsite restaurant, or participated in fun karaoke with students from a ton of other schools. Later that night, after everything was done, they all rode the shuttle back to the condos and found where they would sleep for the next couple nights. 

The next morning, everyone got up early and went back to the main resort area to get breakfast and find seats for the opening ceremony. Here, they could really see the magnitude of the competition, with thousands of other students just like them who would also be participating in the conference waiting for the opening ceremony to begin as well. 

After the ceremony was finished, the conference officially began. For the next two days, students were busy. They watched some other events that were open for viewing, such as the drone challenge, RC car racing, flight endurance, debating tech, fashion design, and many others, where they could watch how teams or individuals did. There were also many different types of special interest sessions being run by state officers where participants could do things such as a minecraft challenge, a Mario Kart tournament, a scavenger hunt, escape room, minute to win it, informational sessions, or others. All of these activities, along with the arcade and the pool, kept students busy during the time in between their events. 

After all of the events were over on Friday evening, students all loaded the bus up and headed home, exhausted from a busy couple of days. Many individuals and teams found out that their projects placed or got to the finals the next morning. 

Some of the outstanding results were the Board Game Design team (Sophia J, Richter B, Logan M, and Connor S), Connor Stoltzfus in CAD Architecture, Sophia J and Hansika K in Debating Technological Issues, the Engineering Design team (Hansika K, Leahnessa O, and Peyton S), Zachary K in Transportation Modeling, and the Robotics team (Justin L, Leahnessa O, Anthony T, and Becca Z) all making it to finals in their events. Olivia Maldonada came first in Materials Processing and the On Demand Video team (Tyler C, Ava D, Esteban R, and Luke Z) came in second place. 

Overall, all the students did a great job and had a lot of fun during these few days! Any students interested in TSA should consider joining the club in September for the 23-24 school year.

Get ready Exeter! This spring the stage will be transformed into Matilda: the Musical! Exeter Senior High School is proud to present this year’s musical and has been hard at work preparing for the performances. 

Tickets are on sale currently and are $12 each. The show dates are as follows: Thursday, March 30th, Friday, March 31st and Saturday, April 1st at 7 PM. The Sunday, April 2nd show will be at 2 PM. You can buy tickets with reserved seating online at the following link: https://exeterhsmusical.seatyourself.biz 

The week before Winter Break is definitely one of the most exciting weeks in the year. Wish week, the door decorating contest, and of course spirit day themes. This year the themes for spirit week are the following: 

Monday - Holiday PJ day 

Tuesday - Indoor snow day (wear hats and scarves and cozy things)

Wednesday - Ugly Holiday Sweater 

Thursday - Ultimate holiday colors!!! 

Those who show the most spirit can win prizes (as well as bragging rights) that will be handed out throughout the day. 

Wish week is a time to spread a little cheer to your friends, teachers, and anyone who seems a little down. There are all sorts of wishes that the student council will grant, from playing a song over the loudspeaker to having a meeting with Santa. 

The door decorating contest is highly competitive this year. Eighth period classes are going all out and each door will be judged on Monday. 

Thursday there will be a pep rally where students can compete in games. The games are Hungry Hippos (you need a partner), Wrap a Teacher (in wrapping paper), Knockout Basketball, Pop a Balloon, and a Hula Hoop Race. 

Business Club is even having a fundraiser Pie the Principal where - you guessed it - you can throw a pie at Mr. Campbell if you win the lotto. Tickets are available to buy at each lunch and the “pie-ing” will take place next week. Get your tickets quickly!

There is lots of fun to be had and memories to be made. You can sign up to participate until Friday 12/16. The more people who participate the more fun we can have. 

The results are in! This year’s class officer elections have been completed. Every year, each class votes for who they want to be their class officers for the year. The class president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer lead the planning of many, or not many, class events and activities for the school year. Traditionally, each class plans and does different things, but they may do whatever they plan and their class would like to do. The class executive committees have just started planning their events for the year and are all very excited. 

The freshman class executive committee consists of Enzo Ludwig (president), Ava Diaz (vice president), and Shaun Rathman (secretary), with no treasurer. Since this is their first year at the high school, they have no major plans for this year yet. Ava Diaz “...is excited to be vice president because [it’s] new to [her] and something [she’s] never tried before.” She wants to “...do anything to help with events or issues...” to make school more fun for freshmen. Ava also “...has to keep the president and secretary in check,” and she says she was “...the only one with the guts to fill this position.” All of the freshman class committee are excited to make their first year a good year.

The sophomore class officers are Casey Gerhart (president), Sean Smith (vice president), and Cheyenne Boyles (treasurer), with no one running to be secretary. Cheyenne plans to “...allow the class to have the best items and experiences for the best prices and costs possible” which will give many students opportunities to do things with their class. As treasurer, she helps plan things, with the president and vice president, and keep track of the class profits and budget. 

In an extremely close election for president and vice president, Brody Oswald (president), Fallyne Oswalt (vice president), Alishba Khan (secretary), and Sophia Jones (treasurer) are the junior class officers this year. Brody Oswald “...is very honored that he is able to be class president for the second year in a row.” It shows him “...the trust and faith others had in [him].” One of his main goals this year is to represent his class well. As president, Brody “...approves important papers regarding class trips and anything [they] do that costs money.” He also needs to fundraise, “so creating new ways to earn money for our class is a big priority” for him. This year, Brody and the junior executive committee needs to plan the senior prom. He also wants his class to feel closer and participate in school activities more so that they can feel like a part of the school. Brody admits that “[he] fell behind on tasks for the class…” and wants to “...make up for it this year.” The junior class committee has already met and is working on things for this year.

The senior class executive committee consists of Trish Tran (president), Becca Zilinski (vice president), Anthony Tartaglia (secretary), and Aashveen Randhawa (treasurer). This year Trish’s goal is “...for every senior to end this year off on a good note.” She also wants “...everyone to carry high school memories that last…” and wants to “...make [their] events as fun as possible.” This year Trish and the senior class officers “...help plan the class field trip and the graduation process…” as well as planning “anything else seniors would want to do.” They are even currently working on making class merchandise and getting input from their classmates on what they want from the senior class committee and what they want to do in their senior year. Overall, Trich and the senior class executive committee wants to “...make senior year slightly less stressful and more enjoyable…” since being a “...senior encompasses being stressed about what [you] are going to do with…” your life after high school.

After all the voting was finished, these were the outcomes. These students all plan to work hard and give their class what they want, fun activities, and a good year. Some class committees have begun planning events and activities and some will very soon. They all have great ideas and want to make them happen.

Mock trial is a club where each year students are assigned a fictional court case that they have a prosecution and a defense for. This club is perfect for people who are assertive and also those who have a dramatic flare. 

In mock trial you take on the role of a witness or a lawyer. A witness especially is a character that you are playing so if you are interested in theater or acting then this is a good club for you and it diversifies your resume as well.

The club travels to a courthouse for competitions and this year to raise money for that trip they are selling Exeter themed socks as a fundraiser. Links will be on Schoology if you wish to purchase a pair as well as in the Eagle’s Nest Cafe after the break. 

The case this year concerns wrongful death during an extreme obstacle course race. It is a very interesting club that is a lot of fun. If you want to check it out, come by Mr. Reese’s room after school on Thursdays. 

This year’s Homecoming Queen nominees are Regina Ramirez-Sastre, Aashveen Randhawa, Abby Renninger, Summer Turczynski, and Becca Zilinski. The King nominees are Brandon Davis, Matthew Dorn, Sean Creamer, Chase Cupitt, and Kyle Stech. 

The Homecoming Court voting system was slightly different this year, as only the senior class could choose the court, while the entire high school was able to vote for King and Queen. 

Exeter’s 2022 Homecoming King and Queen were crowned at the Homecoming football game on Friday night, October 7th. 

Congratulations to Becca Zilinski and Chase Cupitt!

On February 5th, students participating in the TSA regional competition met at the school at the crack of dawn to finish up last minute additions to their projects. The past months these students have been meeting weekly to work on their events. The day before the regional competition, Exeter had a FID day and students were not able to work on their projects. The next morning, the devoted students and advisors, Mr. Potter and Mr. Lorah, got up early, came into school, and worked on finishing their projects so they would be ready for the competition. On the two hour bus ride to Stroudsburg Middle School, some very last minute touches were being finished so they would be done just in time. 

At the competition, students attended their competitions throughout the day. Some events involved presenting the team’s projects and others were entirely onsite with no materials made prior. 

Each and every student worked hard and placed well in the competition. Many of the Exeter students competing qualified to go to states in the spring. These students will stay at Seven Springs Resort for a couple days to compete and have a great experience. For the students that did not qualify for the competition, it gives them more motivation to work harder for next year. 

Any students interested in engineering, designing, developing, research, debating, writing, technology, or any other TSA events should consider joining the TSA team next year. It’s a great way to learn more about the rapidly evolving technology fields and meet new people along the way. 

The following students placed in their events and qualified for the state competition: 

• 1st Place - Engineering Design: Corinne Scherer, Sherry Heckman, Leahnessa Ortiz, Becca Zilinski

• 1st Place - Transportation Modeling: Zachary Kauffman

• 2nd Place - Extemporaneous Presentation: Saishree Mupparaju

• 2nd Place - Photographic Technology: Hailey Keperling

• 3rd Place - Video Game Design: Evan Miller, Rohan Talagadadeevi, Zach Badinger, Colson Tsakonas, Ethan Le, Prateek Kunduru

• 3rd Place - Webmaster: Evan Miller, Rohan Talagadadeevi, Zach Badinger, Colson Tsakonas, Prateek Kunduru

• 3rd Place - Biotechnology Design: Saishree Mupparaju, Hailey Keperling, Hansika Kunduru, Corinne Scherer, Peyton Seamans

• 3rd Place - Scientific Visualization: Peyton Seamans, Hansika Kunduru

• 4th Place - Digital Video Production: Katelyn Nichols, Emma Howerter

• 4th Place - Architectural Design: Corinne Scherer, Nora Kern, Maya Metz, Leahness Ortiz, Sherry Heckman, Hayden Adams

• 4th Place - Board Game Design: Zak Kauffman, Juniper Barouth-Sherman

• 4th Place - Prepared Presentation: Hansika Kunduru

• 5th Place - Essays on Technology: Sophia Jones

• 6th Place - CAD Engineering: Richter Bogust

• 6th Place - Debating Technological Issues: Hansika Kunduru, Sophia Jones

• 6th Place - Dragster Design: Maya Metz

• 8th Place - Dragster Design: Richter Bogust

• 9th Place - Dragster Design: Katelyn Nichols

• 10th Place - Flight Endurance: Richter Bogust

Recently, the mental health awareness club Aevidum has been taking Exeter extracurriculars by storm. In Latin, “aevidum” is a collection of root words, together meaning “I got your back”. This nationwide club is working to raise mental health awareness among students. The Exeter club was founded by Sydney Burke, Kate Ryan, Alishba Khan, Sydney Steinmetz, Alysabeth Rivera, Taylor Moss, and Ben Hasselbach. 

The national Aevidum club started locally at Cocalico High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, following the suicide of one of its students. Former Exeter students Alycia Lenhart and Ashley Rinehart saw the success of the club and worked for years to bring it to Exeter. Although they have since graduated, an Aevidum club has finally been established at Exeter. 

The Exeter Aevidum club has headed many awareness projects throughout the school. On January 5 and 6th, Aedivum passed out 200 carnations around the school. The carnations launched Exeter’s Aevidum club. The goal was to let students know that they have places to go when they are seeking help. The flowers were a huge hit all across the school. Everyone who was handed a carnation had a huge smile on their face and the club members were excited to see the plethora of social media posts raving about this small act of kindness.  

Aevidum also sold blue, white, and yellow bracelets for Valentine's Day. The blue and white in the bracelets represents Exeter and the yellow represents suicide awareness. Students also wrote positive comments about other students for an additional fundraiser to sponsor the Aevidum club. Through these two fundraisers, the club was able to raise over 100 dollars to help fund future club events. The club is also working on setting up an “Affirmation Station”, a spot in the school dedicated to writing positive messages for fellow students. 

One Exeter Aevidum founder, Sydney Burke, states her favorite part of the club is, “the family [they] have formed”. She says the club is “a safe place for [her] to express [her] feelings and the struggles [she is] going through without being judged.”

Another founder, Kate Ryan, says her favorite part of the club is “knowing that [she] could be making a positive difference in someone’s life.”

Both club founders want Exeter students to know that if they are facing challenges they can always feel free to reach out to any of the club members. If they are too nervous to talk face to face, they can message the members through the club’s instagram platform: aevidum.exeter. 

Aevidum will be holding a meeting soon for new members! If you want to make a positive difference in Exeter, this is the club for you!

The Exeter Township School District Music Department (EMA) is doing a Supper Serenade on Friday, February 4th from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. in Reiffton school cafeteria. Tickets can be ordered through the EMA website on a Google form. If ordered in advance on the Google form, tickets are $10 a person. There will also be a small amount of tickets sold at the door and those are $12 a ticket. Supper Serenade is where student members of the music department put on small group or solo performances while guests enjoy an Italian dinner. The dinner consists of baked pasta, salad, bread, assorted beverages, and dessert. At the event there will be a variety of raffle baskets that guests can win. There will also be a preview of the High School’s Spring musical Beauty and the Beast. 

With money that the EMA raises, it helps to go towards so many things for the Choir, Band, and Orchestra across the district. This money can help purchase new instruments, uniforms, trips, and so much more. So for a stress free night come on out to get a good dinner and enjoy some music too!

On Thursday October 7th, students of Exeter gathered at the school to march through the neighboring streets. Clubs and teams showed their school spirit by dressing as a certain decade and throwing candy to the parade spectators. 

The annual homecoming parade took place this year, and masks were not required. It was a fun-filled night with lots of sweet treats and community support! The floats departed from the school around 6 p.m. and the bonfire began right around 7 p.m. The procession was a blast from the past that began at the Senior High School, went through Woodland Ave, E 36th St, Reiff Place, E 40th St, Dunham Dr, and ended at the Reiffton School. Quickly after the parade, the bonfire was lit and blazing. There was a spectacular show of creativity and school spirit throughout the variety of decades. Some highlights include field hockey’s prehistoric time, water polo’s 1920’s, SODA Club’s 60’s, and many more! The bonfire was the perfect way to end the night, with music, dancing, family and friends.

On October 21st and 23rd excitement and mystery filled the auditorium as the cast of Clue took the stage. Due to Covid 19, last year's fall play was pre-recorded with no live audience, so this year's performances were extra special for the cast and crew. The show has been in the works since early September and the cast and crew worked very hard throughout all of their rehearsals. 

Some cast members were asked about their experience with the show, and their feedback was as follows: 

“This cast has worked so incredibly hard. We put so much time into it. 2 and a half hours...4 days a week...it takes a lot, but it was fun,” said Danny Pack, who plays Professor Plum. 

You may think that being a lead in a show is all fun and games but according to lead actor Jeremy Weaver, “it’s tough being the main main part...it’s a lot of pressure and you have to learn to overcome it.” For Allison Applegate, “Getting cast as a lead was kind of hard [because] it was the most lines [she] ever had.”

Though being in this show can be stressful, the cast still loved being there and putting on the show. 

“My favorite experiences are going in every night and being around the cast because they are all really nice people,” said Serenity Zawilla, who plays Scarlett. One very important thing when putting on a show like this is the chemistry between the actors. 

“You obviously have chemistry with people but showing it on stage is such a hard thing to do, it’s easier as the show goes on but right away it’s very difficult to show that you are actually having emotion on stage,” Tanner Moore explained when asked what the most challenging part of being in this show was. 

One thing that the whole cast and crew can agree on is that they loved being back to live theater.  

“It definitely feels good, and all the memories from other shows,” Noah Gates, who plays Mr. Boddy, responded when asked to share his thoughts on coming back to a normal theater experience.

“It’s really fun because you can bond with the cast more and are able to actually talk to them,” said Maddie Blair, who plays a cop. 

Coming back to normal theater, though amazing, can also be nerve wracking. 

“It feels very good but, when I first came back...it was a little bit weird and I was more nervous than ever for the audition because I hadn’t done it in a whole year,” said Danielle Russell, who plays the motorist.

You can’t talk about a show without getting the director's point of view. Mrs.Galatere directed Clue and has directed at least 50 other shows. The upperclassmen who are doing this show have known her their whole high school career because she directs all of the shows here and they have created a bond with her. Usually the fall play has a much smaller cast so that was one thing that made this year different. 

“Oh, I think it’s been great! I think the fall play is a chance to help actors grow… so to give so many more people the opportunity to work on their craft, to see what it means to be on stage… is amazing,” said Mrs. Galtere when asked how she felt about the larger cast size. The most challenging part of directing this show is that “...there are so many moving parts to it.. going from room to room, trying to keep the pace up. Also wanting to use so many students...so finding ways to bring that all together,” said Mrs.Galatere. This cast was very special. “This is such a talented group to work with from top to bottom.. Throughout the show there has been a lot of caring, a lot of concern for each other, supporting one another, just seeming to have fun together, that's been a real joy for me,” Mrs. Galtere responded when asked about the positive takeaways from this show. 

Not only was the cast so enthusiastic about the show, but the audience was as well. 

“It didn’t even feel like a 2 hour show because it was so good,” said Xadiel, a senior here at Exeter, after seeing the show on opening night. 

“I thought it was really good and I thought Jeremey completely stole the show at the end,” said Ryan Menet, another senior here at Exeter. 

Viewers even struggled to choose their favorite part of the show because they like it all so much. “I really like the ending and how everyone had a different idea of what happened,” says Christian Miller, a sophomore here at Exeter.

“I would have to say my favorite part of the play was the reenactment of what happened in the story so far, everything from the reactions to Wadsworth mocking everyone to the performance itself was spot on,” said Ashton Lewars, a senior here at Exeter. The audience seemed to really enjoy the show.

The cast and crew of Clue worked incredibly hard to put on a great show and their hard work paid off. The audience for this show was one of the largest that Exeter has had for a fall play in a while. The cast and crew are very grateful for all the support from this show. If you weren't able to make it to Clue there's a chance to see these students again in March when they perform Beauty and the Beast!

The National Honors Society (NHS) is a club provided at the Exeter Senior Township Senior High School and is a nationwide organization for high school students. NHS goes off of 4 pillars: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Students in the club do a lot of community service in their district. Some people are not quite sure what NHS entails or even if they can get in.

NHS is for juniors and seniors. To get into the NHS you have to go through an application process. Typically you would apply in the spring of your sophomore year. Then a group of teachers from your school will evaluate your application to see if you fit the criteria. They look at your grades where you need to have at least a 3.0 GPA to even be considered. Also they look at your service and contributions to the community. Leadership is also a criteria. They look for striving students who want to be good leaders in the community. Last but not least a good character is something that every NHS member needs to have. These are the students that come to school with a good attitude and are willing to learn that will become good members in NHS. Once you are in the National Honors Society you have to uphold a couple of requirements. You must uphold a 92% or higher GPA. You also need to do at least 2 service opportunities per year. A member must also maintain a good character and also strive for success. There is also a big ceremony for students who are accepted to honor their achievement. 

By being a member you get to do a lot of fun things in your community. In the past the Exeter NHS has done senior citizen breakfasts before the spring musical, tours of the school for freshman and so much more. This year they have done K-6 tutoring, sidewalk chalk designs for elementary schools, helping with the landscaping of the school, toy drives, teacher letters, etc. All of these activities qualify as community service and you can collect hours from this to graduate, as you need 30 hours to do so. 

Being in the National Honors Society shows that you are one of the top students at your school and that could look very appealing to colleges. So if you are college bound and a good student you should consider applying. It also gives you great opportunities to expand your character. Being a part of the NHS is an opportunity that you should consider. 

This school year has been difficult for all students alike. High school seniors have missed memorable moments such as Homecoming, Prom, and hanging out with their friends during class. The lack of social interaction has left many students feeling frustrated and unmotivated, causing “Senioritis'' to hit seniors especially hard this year. Since coronavirus cases have been steadily dropping, the Leo Club decided to bring some fun back into student life with Play Day. 

Leo Club’s Play Day was an attempt to bring fun, comradery, socialization, and normalcy back to the students of Exeter High School. Club advisor Mr. Lasky stated, “The students have lost so many things this year to Covid and the shut downs. It just isn't fair. So we wanted to share in some fun as we try to get back to normal.” Club members of Y teens, Spanish club, and the National Honor society participated in an initial trial run to sort out social-distancing logistics. In the Football Stadium, students and teachers played games such as Bocci, Spike Ball, Cornhole, and Can Jam on the turf. Leo Club President Risha Musuku stated, “The event went really well! It was nice to catch up with everyone from school and we even had a few teachers come out and play some field games with us.” The Leo Club hopes to host another Play Day in a few weeks and invite more people.

Be sure to follow Leo Club’s Instagram Page @exeterleoclub to receive updates about the next Play Day and other socially-distanced events.

Student forum is an annual event held at Exeter Senior High School where students who were selected to represent their class join in the cafeteria. The purpose of this gathering to hear what the students have to say, whether it be their ideas, concerns, or questions. 

This year’s meeting was held on March 3 during the first four periods of the school day. Student forum members were guided in discussion by several adults who are part of making Exeter high school the best it can be. This includes the class advisors, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Dean, Dr. Wright, and various school board members who proposed topics of discussion and saw where the conversation among students led. The topics of discussion were centered around three main topics: student environment/culture, activities and events, and academics.  

In the student environment section of discussion, one of the main subjects that was discussed was the S.A.P. program here at Exeter high school. Because “You got SAPPED” is a phrase that is commonly used when someone goes to the S.A.P. program, it causes students to feel that going to S.A.P. is a bad thing. Students recommended a name change for S.A.P. program because of this issue and more information about what the program is really all about to remove some of the false ideas that S.A.P is a form of discipline. 

Another topic that was discussed was how the high school environment can be made more friendly for freshmen who are new to the building. Ideas were thrown around, like a “big sister, big brother” match up with a freshman and upperclassmen, or an online site where upperclassmen can answer any question that lowerclassmen have. All of this would be done in the hope to create a friendlier and more welcoming environment, while also strengthening student relationships among grade levels here at the high school. 

In the student events and activities portion, topics like prom and what each class could do to celebrate the end of the school year were discussed. Because of the dependence of these events on the Covid-19 situation, a lot can change and therefore nothing is set in stone. 

In the Academics portion, the topic of class rank, valedictorian and salutatorian were discussed. This year going forward, class rank was eliminated from Exeter due to its negative effects on student mental health relating to the competition aspect of it. Some students thought that class rank should be brought back, while others disagreed. Who would give speeches at graduation was also discussed. 

By the time student forum was finished, a lot of new ideas were thrown around and students were able to express their opinions on many topics relating to how things are done at the high school. Although this school year has proven to be a challenge, the student forum remains a great way for students to take part in improving the high school experience here at Exeter. 

On February 6, 2021, TSA (Technology Student Association) held its annual regional competition, but this year it was conducted differently. Students submitted their work virtually and some were on Zoom presenting their work. Regardless of the circumstances, Exeter was very successful.

Two types of events were held: individual and team events. Exeter had students qualify for states in both types of events. The Biotechnology team, which consisted of Hailey Keperling, Peyton Seamans, Corinne Scherer, Hansika Kunduru, Saishree Mupparaju, and Marcus Spiller won 3rd place, which qualified them for states. 

Exeter’s TSA Club had two CIM (Computer Integrated Manufacturing) teams. The team of Sherry Heckman and Corrine Scherer placed 5th. The team of Marcus Spiller and Michael Hummel placed 6th. There were also two teams of Debating Tech Issues. The first team, which consisted of Sophia Jones and Hansika Kunduru, placed 7th. The second team, which consisted of Melody Bauroth- Sherman and Saishree Mupparaju, placed 5th, which qualified them for states. 

TSA’s Digital Video Production team, which consisted of Rohan Talagadadeevi, Chris Hancock, Ethan Kent, Karthik Taranath, and Zach Badinger, placed 3rd which qualified them for the state competition. The Engineering Design team, consisting of Corinne Scherer, Sherry Heckman, Leahnessa Ortiz, Saishree Mupparaju, Peyton Seamans, and Marcus Spiller won 2nd place, which qualified them for states. Sophia Jones placed 5th in Essays On Technology that qualified her for the state competition, and Melody Bauroth- Sherman placed 6th. Prateek Kunduru, Marcus Spiller, Minh Nguyen, Ethan Le, Rohan Talagadadeevi, and Karthik Taranath were part of the Music Production Team which won 3rd place and qualified them for the state competition. 

Jada Smith qualified for states in Photographic Technology by placing 5th. Hansika Kunduru qualified for states in Photographic Technology by placing 4th. The Scientific Visualization (SciVis) team of Peyton Seamans and Minh Nguyen won 2nd place which qualified them for states. Michael Hummel qualified for states in Transportation Modelling by placing 2nd. Our Video Game Design, consisting of Evan Miller, Rohan Talagadadeevi, Karthik Taranath, Ethan Le, Prateek Kunduru, and Zach Badinger placed 3rd qualifying them for the state competition.

 Lastly, our best placing team placed first in Webmaster, which also qualified them for states. It consisted of Rohan Talagadadeevi, Karthik Taranath, Colson Tsakonas, Prateek Kunduru, and Evan Miller.

Congratulations to all the participants and winners. Best of luck to everyone in the state competition on April 14-19. You guys will represent Exeter TSA well!

On November 21st, Exeter Mini-THON hosted its first ever tennis tournament fundraiser, called Forehands for the Kids. By the end of the event, the club raised over $1000 to donate to Four Diamonds, an organization dedicated to helping children and their families fight pediatric cancer. It all started with a simple idea from two club co-chairs, who used their experience as tennis players to turn the idea of a tennis tournament fundraiser into a reality.

Saishree Mupparaju and I knew that tennis tournaments raise a substantial amount of money and thought it would be great to have an event where all proceeds went to Four Diamonds. By reaching out to Marc Jacobs, the manager at Hillcrest Racquet Club in Exeter, Mupparaju I were able to use Hillcrest as the location for the event. With Jacob's kind offer to sponsor the event and the green light from our advisors, we were set. Next came the planning. 

We created a flyer to advertise the event, and used social media and word of mouth to spread the news of the event. Our goal was for the tournament to be low-pressure, fun, and most importantly, a safe way to raise money while having fun playing tennis. 

On Saturday, November 21st, the weeks of planning came together, and so did tennis players from all over Berks county. With help from members of the mini-THON club, we set up at Hillcrest and welcomed players as they arrived. When the tournament started, everyone had lots of fun playing for a worthy cause. By the end of the night, registration fees and donations summed up to a total of $1050 for the kids. 

Exeter mini-THON could not be more excited about how the tournament went, and can’t wait to continue fundraising in a variety of ways. This year has caused club events to look a little different, but the team has been able to adapt and continue putting their best foot forward, the successful tennis tournament being one of the many ways in which they did so. 

In the Exeter Township Senior High School, to graduate all students need 30 hours of community service. Some students struggle more than others with reaching this goal. What a lot of students don’t know is that there are a lot of clubs and organizations that allow you to receive a good amount of hours. These clubs are not just to receive hours, they allow you to interact with your peers and your community for a good cause. 

One club at the high school to get community service hours though is LEO Club. LEO Club is an organization under the Exeter Lions Club. LEO stands for Leadership, Experience, and Opportunity and is the largest youth organization in the world. This club does community service in the Reading area and beyond. 

Mr. William Lasky said, “The students decide what organization they want to raise money for and then I try to help them put together a plan on how to raise money.” Mr. Lasky is the  faculty advisor for the club and a teacher at the high school. 

In the past the LEO Club has done events like Safe Halloween and a welcome to Exeter for new students in the district. They have done Angel Wishes for Christmas time for the Children's Home of Reading Orphanage. They have made meals for the members of the Opportunity House Homeless Shelter. The club has made Easter baskets for kids at Berks Women in Crisis, Salvation Army, and Opportunity House. They have done 5ks for the Relay for Life Cancer and a cookie bake sale for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 

The next club that is a good way to receive hours is Mini Thon. Mini Thon is a club that raises money for the organization Four Diamonds which helps children with pediatric cancer. In the Mini Thon club you are a part of planning for the big event and fundraising. The big event is 12 hours where everyone stands and raises money for the organization. By being a part of the club and helping to organize and participate in the event you can get community service hours. 

Another club is the DoSomething Club. This club at the high school is affiliated with the national DoSomething organization. This is an organization that fosters youth actions that are prevalent today. By being a part of this, you will partake in projects that address issues in the community like racial injustice, mental health, and the environment. Community service hours are offered at the end of the year. 

Saishree Mupparaju, student leader of the club at Exeter, said, “We just started last year but are growing this year! We are excited to see what the future holds.”

Another organization/club that offers community service is S.T.A.R which is a new and upcoming club at the high school. S.T.A.R stands for Stand Together Against Racism. If you are interested in this club talk to Karleigh Patton who is the co-founder. 

There are so many opportunities at the Exeter Township Senior High School to get community service. It will also be a good learning experience and a lot of fun. So consider joining any of these clubs. There are also many more clubs at the high school that offer community service as well.

If you are looking for a club during our virtual time at home, come join Mini-THON! Mini-THON is a club where we raise money for childhood cancer, and the money goes to families who need help paying for their medical bills or new care treatments. In the past, the money we raised went to music therapy, new treatments, and research for cancer patients. 

Throughout the year, the club does fundraisers to meet our fundraising goal by our event in February. Last year, we raised over $30,000 which was way more than our goal! We want to continue raising money throughout the tough times of COVID-19, so this year our goal is to raise $20,000. We reveal our total amount of money at our big event in February or March. 

Our event consists of 12 hours of fun including dancing, dodgeball, mat ball, an inflatable obstacle course, and other fun activities we do throughout the night. Right now, we are not certain if we will be able to hold our event in person, but we are still continuing to fundraise for the cause. Our first fundraiser this year was at Chick-fil-A. We raised over $160 in a week throughout the Chick-fil-A fundraiser. We are planning to have a fundraiser almost every month so we can achieve our goal and hopefully beyond the goal. 

Mini-THON is meeting virtually right now, but we are planning to start having in person meetings. For Halloween, we are planning to have a virtual Halloween party with games at the end of October. Also, there is going to be an in-person meeting where we will play games and get to interact with each other from a safe distance. 

Even though many clubs are not meeting during this time, Mini-THON is meeting on a weekly basis with fun, exciting things to do. If you are interested in joining Mini-THON, please reach out to Mrs. Bollinger, and we will gladly add you to our Schoology group.

Although Student Council hasn’t come together in person, they have been gearing up virtually to make the most of this year. Meetings being held on Zoom have been filled with new ideas about how Exeter Senior High can be uplifted, school-spirited, and motivated through the challenges that this year has brought. Student Council is ready to make the most of the school year, and hopes they can make more students at Exeter feel the same way.

Homecoming is right around the corner, and this year will be a little different. Student Council is planning a school spirit week, at-home edition, to get students excited about homecoming! Spirit days include blue and white day, crazy hair day, and Masquerade day. Being at home allows for unprecedented spirit days too, like pet day and pajama day! More information will be coming soon, so be sure to stay tuned to Schoology posts about upcoming school-spirit events. 

As for the homecoming football game, the court will still be doing the usual ceremony, just without the spectators. However, Student Council may be giving out tickets to the best spirit-week participants, so show your best school spirit the week of October 12th to 16th! 

In Student Council’s continuous efforts to uplift Exeter Senior High, they are also creating a motivational video compilation. This requires participation from sports teams and clubs, who are being asked to choose their favorite motivational quote and send in a video of the team saying that quote by October 14th. 

This year has been different for everyone at Exeter Senior High, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a good one! Thanks to Student Council, Exeter students have a few fun things to look forward to. Student Council is excited for the future and is looking forward to doing more new, fun things that bring Exeter together while staying healthy and safe.