Alex
Thorn EARLY BEGINNINGS A “faculty brat” who has spent his entire life at PA, Alex Thorn was, in a sense, king of the castle this year. “I’m an 18-year senior,” he says. WHAT BROUGHT HIM TO ANDOVER? Growing up in Bishop Hall, the son of English instructor Craig Thorn used to look at PA students and think, “This is my campus, not yours.” After all, he had his own Saturday afternoon radio show on PA’s student-run radio station, WPAA, when he was only in sixth grade. Early on, there was no doubt in Thorn’s mind PA was the place for him. HIS ROLE IN THE ACADEMY Thorn is the pied piper of his peers—a young man who, on a whim, can rally students together for a common purpose, be it Toga Day or a basketball game. “I think it’s because I walk with my chin up and I know how and when to stretch the rules,” he says. He became one of the most influential student voices on campus, in part by writing commentary for The Phillipian, editing Backtracks magazine and serving as general manager of WPAA—an assignment perfectly suited to a rap artist like himself. “Rapping is just another way for me to express myself,” he says. “It’s easier to get your point across and get respect if you start with an accessible medium.” PLANS AND DREAMS Thorn is headed to Nashville in the fall, not to sign with a record label, but to attend Vanderbilt University, where he plans to study English literature and government. He also aspires to go to law school. “I want to be a senator or a member of the House of Representatives,” he says, “and someday, I want to come back here and be a trustee.” In the meantime, he says, he’ll settle for class secretary. —KD
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