After a long day of Harkness wisdom, an Exeter scholar looks forward to enjoying him- or herself playing pool, ping-pong, or foosball in the basement of the Phelps Academy Center. But alas, the Game Room was closed for several days this week after rowdy students damaged furniture and disobeyed a chaperone.
As Dean Erich Schneider stated: “Once the Exeter faculty found out all this damage was being caused, we had no other choice but to announce its temporary closure. It truly saddens us to remove this facility from our students, but it was quite necessary. We hope this never happens again during these last weeks. “
One student, Asiel Di Bartolomeo, said, “ I was having such fun… I never really realized damage was being caused. Although I’m satisfied it was just a temporary punishment! “
Dean Schneider was asked; what should be done to avoid these situations?
“Our solution is clear and simple,” he said. “We will facilitate a system which will allow students to enjoy their time yet be responsible for their own actions. Those who would like to access the room must first complete a sign-in, which is as simple as giving your Exeter ID to the procter on duty, in order for us (the faculty) to know who could’ve caused any sort of damage.
But…good news! The game room has now been re-opened for business. The Deans’s decision was just for the weekend of the 22nd. Go ahead and enjoy your time! But always remember… respect is the ultimate sophistication!