From the Nominator

The Exeter Bulletin is Phillips Exeter Academy’s flagship publication for alumni and parents. In four substantial issues a year, we strive “to bring alumni into closer touch with the school and with one another.” That charge was established with the magazine’s first edition in 1905 and hasn’t changed 120 years later. What has evolved? How we foster those connections. Anyone picking up the Bulletin for the first time will notice three things. One, it’s text heavy. That’s deliberate. Extensive quantitative and qualitative studies of our readers show they love to read and enjoy long-form writing. Two, it highlights the school’s value of “non sibi” or “not for oneself.” Students, instructors, and alumni take that value to heart, so our stories and design reinforce that ethic. Three, Harkness. Harkness is Exeter’s renowned instructional method in which a dozen students in each class learn through conversation around a single oblong table, with the teachers serving as guides to the dialogue. The Harkness ethos of thinking, listening to others, and voicing points of view comes through in the departments as well as in the feature stories. This part of our school culture allows the magazine the freedom to explore stories and graphical designs that may be non-traditional and thought-provoking.

From the Judges

A striking magazine with an intuitive layout that pulls well-written stories together with multiple entry points like pull quotes and sidebars. A great use of both longform stories and shorter, more fun pieces to create a publication dense with content. Outstanding quality of photography. Overall, a well-executed, thoughtful publication with a solid strategy to feature over 130 alumni contributors.