Soule Hall is a boy's residence hall on the North Side of campus at Phillips Exeter Academy

Phillips Exeter Academy

Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...

. It was built in 1893. Soule is the only dormitory with spiral staircases, which were put in place with the intention of preventing riots by allowing any sounds to reverberate and intensify throughout the dormitory. Soule Hall houses 40 male students, two teachers, one intern. The dormitory is notable for its long-lasting rivalry with Abbot Hall (Phillips Exeter Academy)

Abbot Hall (Phillips Exeter Academy)

Abbot Hall is the oldest dormitory at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire. While it was named after the school's second principal, Benjamin Abbot, dorm mythology contends the dorm was actually founded by John Abbot, the infamous 18th century skryer and half-brother to Benjamin...

, as well as its occasional disputes with Peabody Hall, Langdell Hall, and Wheelwright Hall. Soule residents are referred to as "Soulemates", "Soule-diers", and most commonly, "The Fine Gentlemen of Soule Hall."

Leadership

Soule's student leadership team is a combination of four to five proctors and the holder of the "Soule Pole." The Soule Pole has been handed down from year to year for over three decades, and embodies leadership through strength of character. The most recent holders of the pole are David Rabin '09, Daniel Huang '10, and Giacomo Melegari '11. Henry Zavriyev '12 currently holds the Soule Pole. The current proctor

Proctor

Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...

 team is composed of Colbert (Colby) Ye, Dan Hughes, Christophe MacIntosh, Spencer Kwon, and Bizuwork (Biz) Melesse. Currently, the teachers living in the dorm are Mr. Sea, Ms. Trotter, and Mr. Caldwell. Dormitory affiliates are Mr. Mallinson, Mr. Hudson, and Ms. Mckean-Davis.

Traditions

Soule is also known for its year end festivities. On the last night of the school year, students fulfill one of the dormitory mottos, "Fuggit, let's go bowling," and bowl from midnight onwards. Upon return, residents engage in a thunderous lap of honor around Wetherell quad. As clothing is optional for this lap, this tradition is a favorite of the North Side ladies.

Soule also is notable for its musical interests. Many residents of the residence hall write songs, sing in choir groups, remix chilleux beats, and serenade

Serenade

In music, a serenade is a musical composition, and/or performance, in someone's honor. Serenades are typically calm, light music.The word Serenade is derived from the Italian word sereno, which means calm....

 women. Techno

Techno

Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...

, House

House music

House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...

 and Electronic

Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...

 music are constantly being blasted on speakers throughout the dormitory. Soule was the home of DJ Giac, then official mixer for the Soule Rave. The dormitory's official song is "Hey Baba Luba."

Namesake

The residence hall is named for Gideon Lane Soule, the 3rd Headmaster of Phillips Exeter Academy. Under his leadership, the Trustees voted that the "use of intoxicating liquors by any student shall cause him to sever his connection with the Academy" in the spring of 1854. In 1870, Dr. Soule extended the hour at which students are required to be in their rooms from seven o'clock to eight. During the Civil War three white students from Kentucky confronted the then-principal Gideon Lane Soule over the presence of an African-American student in their midst. When they demanded that the black student be expelled on account of his color, Soule replied, "The boy is to stay; you may do as you please." Since that time, Soule's response has been widely viewed as an affirmation of the school's dedication to being open and inviting to all sects.