VOL. LXXXIV, N O .6
D EERFIELD A CADEMY , D EERFIELD , MA 01342
November 11, 2009
Trustees Approve Greer Store and Fitness Center Renovations
Tests of Mind and Body
By LUCY COBBS Editor-in-Chief The Board of Trustees voted in their October 30 weekend meeting on campus to begin renovation projects this March on the Greer Store and Fitness Center. The Greer Store will become significantly larger, and the fitness center will expand into the area of the old international squash courts on two levels. The trainers’ room will also be updated and expanded. Although the primary construction activity will last from March to October 2010, equipment will be ordered and regulatory compliance activities started as early as this December, according to Head of School Margarita Curtis. As a result, the Greer Store will be closed to students in May, June, September, and part of October, 2010. To compensate, Café Louis in the Koch Center will have extended hours. These projects were initially scheduled to begin in the 2008-2009 school year but were delayed due to the recession. Although the Academy’s endowment is back up to $306 million from its low of $225-260 million in March,
By ANNE JAMISON Contributing Writer Deerfield is notorious for hurling tasks at you that appear impossible. However, Deerfield is also famous for training its students well enough (through seemingly throwing us in the deep-end) that by the time four years is up, the finished product is self-disciplined and not too daunted by the prospect of a 12-page paper on Modernism. This sense of rigorous academic discipline as well as a willingness to accept exceptionally hard tasks has proven not only useful, but necessary, as I press on through my gap year. Now four months in, I am working as a general assistant at Timbertop, the ninth-grade campus of Australia’s Geelong Grammar School. Situated in the Victorian Highlands, Timbertop is the famous Outward-Bound based school that “toughened” Great Britain’s Prince Charles. Timbertop students, and all Timbertop staff, for that matter, seem to do two main things: run and hike. And when I say run, I mean we all run a marathon and when I say hike, I mean we all hike nearly every week for at least three days, covering around twenty miles per day. I don’t care how much mental fitness one may have acquired through Deerfield’s trials; it is still going to require a good bit of training to get yourself around a 26mile course. Now, not having been any sort of cross-country star during my years in the Pocumtuck Valley, I find this whole intensive-physical-fitness/running-up-mountains thing was rather new to me. However, the concept of having a daunting task put in front of me (in this case, the marathon), that I neither wanted to do nor thought I could do, was no stranger. And every day, half a planet away, though I am doing hill-training for two hours instead of pounding out a paper on Plato, I use the same basic skill-set that Deerfield drilled into me—hard work
it is still $61 million below its prerecession $367 million. In response, trustees have made up the difference in donations to ensure that the project is fully funded, and that the endowment is not tapped for this purpose. This is in addition to the substantial contribution made by the parents of the Class of 2008 and Class of 2009. According to Ms. Curtis, it was necessary to push these projects forward now for several reasons—both financial and community-based. If the construction had been further delayed, there would have been a high risk of losing substantial pledges from the early benefactors to the project. The project cost is now down 25% from the professionally-determined estimates gathered last April. Half of this benefit stems from favorable market pricing and the other half from Plumbing Supervisor Gary Grybko and Director of Facilities Chuck Williams’ “value engineering.” Specifically, Mr. Grybko and Mr. Williams have saved money by using the hockey rink’s ice-making equipment for air conditioning the fitness center. “Most importantly, though, the renovated facility will foster the sense of community we all value so much,” said Ms. Curtis.
Are Schools Greener on the Other Side? Choate Rosemary Hall Jenn Coulombe H1N1 interrupted this stage romance between Ryan Erf ’10 and Emily Blau ’10. The fall term comedy, What I Did Last Summer by A. R. Gurney was postponed to after Thanksgiving Break. The play centers around a family in World War II as they spend a summer at their second home in Canada. It will be great entertainment for an audience of all ages.
even when it hurts, persistence, and an open mind. Mental stamina, whether it gets you up the highest mountain in the country with a 50lb. pack on your back or through that infamous Dante project, is an invaluable ideal of Deerfield. True, Timbertop is pounding a whole new level of physical endurance into
me, but as any athlete will tell you, running and hiking are psychological sports, and I seriously doubt that I would have adequate mental strength for this semi-boot camp, if it weren’t for Deerfield. Anne Jamison ’09 was the front page editor of the Deerfield Scroll. She is currently on a gap year in Australia.
By YU JIN NAM Editorial Associate Choate Rosemary Hall hosted the 2010 Northeast Kick-Off Conference for the Green Cup Challenge on November 8, 2009. As a member of the Green Schools Alliance, Choate has put great effort into keeping their school sustainable and environmentally aware. Choate’s environmental projects are guided by the school’s Sustainability Committee, which consists of students, faculty, the dean of residential life, the head of dining services, the head of environmental services, and the chief financial officer. In recent years, the committee
has implemented a conservation proctor program, a student-run environmental task force. Along with the annual Green Cup Challenge, Choate also holds the Hydro Cup, a three-week interdormitory competition to conserve water. The school no longer purchases bottled water; so instead every new member of the school receives a reusable plastic water bottle. Katrina Homan, co-chair of the Sustainability Committee said, “Our goal is to educate the students. We want to remain flexible when it comes to making environmental decisions, so as new research comes out we can adapt our projects.”
Return from India: Delegates Reflect on Recent Round Square Conference By KAYLA CORCORAN Staff Writer and Book Reviewer Everything I felt and saw when I returned from India came to me in pieces, little realizations that I had to consciously assemble together to register a complete picture, one that seemed so foreign after ten days away. The frost on the ground. The cleanliness of Main Street. The silence was overwhelming—it was almost too quiet. What inevitably followed our return were millions of questions about our trip. How was India? Was it so much fun? Did you love it? I nodded “yes” to everything, too jetlagged, sick, and exhausted to detail the shock of my experience. How could I explain anything when I was still trying to process, in my own mind, what I had seen? Since our return almost two weeks ago, classes, homework, sports practice, and college applications have quickly forced me to readjust to Deerfield life. Now that I am removed from India, I am finally able to catch my breath. I am able to reflect on the experience more aptly than I was able to before and share those experiences, to the best of my ability, with the
community to which I returned. Now I am able to remember things with a certain retrospective clarity. This is what I remember: my eyes burn and my ears are ringing. The swollen buses and the scores of their screeching horns compete with those of taxis racing between the braying moans of pregnant, hairless dogs and the creaks of rusty bicycles. I lick the dirt off of my lips, letting my tongue taste the terracotta air. It is dry and gritty and smeared, like old newspapers saturated with the grease of fried na’an. Crushed plastic bottles drip with the condensation of brown water, piled high in a garbage heap indistinguishable from crumbling cement walls. Every sense of my body recoils in shock at these differences. But I am pulled in. Everything pulses with an aliveness of color, of sound, and of emotion. It is impossible to tear myself away. “No mother, no father, no chapatti,” a little girl whispers hoarsely. The orange-brown shade of her hair is the same color as the fine sienna dirt that covers our hands, our faces, and the plants that seem to never have been green. “No mother, no father, no chapatti,” she chants again, in a monotone repetition. She tugs
Pos Pri t fro Jas nceto m Pa on Ju n: ge ng 2
on my pant leg. “No mother, no father, no chapatti.” What can I give her? What do I have to give? She points at my ring, the one remainder I have left of my grandmother. I swallow and shake my head, “no.” “No mother, no father, no chapatti.” She must say this one thousand times each day. I untie a cloth bracelet with brown beads from around my wrist and hand it to her. She loops it around her own tiny wrist and then pulls on my pant leg again, searching for more. She is not the only one who approaches us. Each child asks for a different thing: some for rupees, some for clothing, or jewelry, some for food, and some for soap. Two boys play musical instruments at us, while others throw rocks and yell in a language we aren’t able to understand. Others simply stare because of our whiteness, a thing I am becoming more aware of and sometimes embarrassed by, because it makes us different Yet, despite it all, I feel a sort of attachment to this place, this country of immense mountains and hospitality, of genuine happiness and of contradictions. Continued on page 3
ia” “Szom r f or Gab e 2 Pag
By MILES GRIFFIS Staff Writer I had been ready and eager for a foreign trip forever. Arriving in Delhi and seeing the hazy Indian sunset for the first time—well, I’d only imagined such an intense spectacle. Driving through the streets of Jaipur was terrifying, but I got used to the countless near-accidents, as well as the cows, camels, pigs, horns, rickshaws, bikes, and monkeys. Walking the bazaar of Pushkar is how I want
to shop: no more malls, and certainly no more Pottery Barn. I went to a school for the conference. The school was startling and striking; it was called “the Eaton of the East.” There were fervent speakers and valuable discussion groups. I made friends from everywhere: Thabang from Johannesburg, Sunny of Copenhagen, and Asraful, a Bengali. But everyone was much more than where they were from. Continued on page 3
Kayla Corcoran A taste of Indian culture: the delegates explored a market in Jaipur
Cho a Da te y M Pa ail ge 4
OPINION / EDITORIAL
2 The Deerfield Scroll
VOL. LXXXIV, NO. 6
November 11 , 2009
Editor-in-Chief
LUCY COBBS Front Page CAMILLE COPPOLA
Layout Editor ELLEN SHIN
November 11, 2009
HERE...
Assistant Layout Editor SARAH KIM
Opinion/Editorial JOHANNA FLATO
Photo Editor STEPHANIE OLIVAS
Arts & Entertainment TAO TAO HOLMES
Photo Associate ELEANOR PARKER
Features AMANDA MINOFF
Online Associate JAKE BARNWELL
Sports CYRUS WITTIG
Editorial Associates EMMETT KNOWLTON YU-JIN NAM GRACE MURPHY ELISABETH STRAYER
Online Editor CAMILLE VILLA Advisors
SUZANNE HANNAY & JOHN PALMER STAFF REPORTERS: Nastassia Adkins, Mary Banalagay, Audrey Cho, Jacqueline Colt, Daryl Cooley, Kayla Corcoran, Danielle Dalton, Ashik Desai, Malou Flato, Albert Ford, Anna Gonzales, Miles Griffis, Sonja Holmberg, Shaye Horn, Ritchey Howe, Jade Kasoff, Charles Kim, Francis Lauw, Eunice Lee, Theo Lipsky, Daniel Litke, Matt McKelvey, Hadley Newton, Sarah Oh, Eliot Taft, Julia Trehu, Libby Whitton, Christopher Wong, Michael Yang STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Arleen Chien, Jennifer Coulombe, Susanna Kvam The Deerfield Scroll, established in 1925, is the official student newspaper of Deerfield Academy. The Scroll encourages informed discussion of pertinent issues that concern the Academy and the world. Signed letters to the editor that express legitimate opinions are welcomed. We hold the right to edit for brevity. The Scroll, published nine times yearly, is entered as third class bulk rate at the U.S. Post Office at Deerfield, Mass. 01342. Advertising rates provided upon request.
Ellie Parker
Opinion articles with contributors’ names attached solely represent the views of the respective writers. Opinion articles without names represent consensus views of the editorial staff unless otherwise specified.
About this Special Issue: In the so-called ‘Deerfield bubble,’ it is hard to remember what life was like before we arrived or imagine what it will be like after we leave. We become so engrossed in our academics and extra-curricular activities that we often forget about the world beyond.
This ‘Here and There’ issue attempts to share with us the experiences of newcomers, the adventures of recent graduates and the travels of community servants. By offering stories from various perspectives, The Scroll hopes to provide a more global outlook.
Border drawings by editors Tao Tao Holmes ’10, Hannah Flato ’10, and editorial associate Grace Murphy ’11.
Toto, I Don’t Think We’re in Eastern Europe Anymore By GABOR GURBACS Contributing Writer
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henever anybody asks me about my personal background, “first” impressions, or daily life at Deerfield Academy, I usually answer with two simple words: magnificent and complicated. It is magnificent because everything is simply perfect here. The rural beauty, the clean air, and morning birdcalls remind me of the little village where I grew up. Socially, I appreciate the friendly, intellectual, and artsy community. Unlike those at my previous high school, students, faculty and physical plant employees are open-minded, inquisitive, and ambitious. The surrounding warmth and completely different education methods encourage me. Comparing the school system here to the “core” Eastern-European curricula, I recognize major differences. Back in Hungary, we take 12 to 15 subjects per year; we can’t choose our classes, and lessons are not focused on personal opinion. These educational characteristics are typical of most young, post-communist democracies. These democracies involuntarily oppress underprivileged minorities such as the Romany, the largest in Europe, to which I belong. Around twelve million Romany live in Europe, including the 1.5 million who reside in Hungary. In the past, less than seventeen percent of them finish elementary school, around six percent complete high school and
far less than one percent enter university. And yet, education still plays an important role in our lives. Four years ago, I stood up for the cause and wrote proposals to the Hungarian government, planned integration projects, and pushed myself in order to acquire a good education under the strong belief that one day everything would be better. In 2008, after a Harvard interview, I recognized that I should spend an extra year at a boarding school before attending college. Deerfield Academy offered the wonderful opportunity for a transition year in order to acclimate myself to the US education system, meet unique people, and further pursue dreams. Now that I am here, it’s not easy at all. Every day I study fervently, manage two small companies, deal with national development projects, struggle with personal health issues, and worry about my father’s physical condition. In this multiple-identity game called life, sometimes I can’t decide whether I am the luckiest or the most miserable person. But one thing is sure—I am not alone in this game anymore. Every day there is a student, a faculty member, or a physical plant worker who encourages me to push further, exceed my limits and make my dreams come true. I try to be worthy of both my heritage and my future objectives. Thank you very much, Deerfield Academy. Thank You All. Gabor Gurbacs ’10 is a post-graduate from Hungary. He recently gave a presentation to the Economics Department at Harvard University.
Letter to the Editor As co-chairs of the Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee, Jeff Galli and I are responding to the editorial in the October 21, 2009, issue of the Scroll entitled “Why Aren’t We Truly Bleeding Green?” Ironically, this editorial was printed in the same issue that the article entitled “New Environmental Projects: Lighting and Ice-making” appeared, highlighting Physical Plant’s summer projects that are anticipated to reduce electricity consumption by 4%. Physical Plant remains committed to addressing similar projects in the near future, as time and resources allow, to continue to improve efficiency and curb our energy usage where possible, as set out in the Imagine Deerfield Facilities. While we are thrilled with the student initiatives to increase environmental awareness, and hope that this enthusiasm will continue to grow, it is important for us to point out some inaccuracies presented in the editorial in terms of lack of administrative and trustee support. The Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee, which is not student-led, is an advisory committee created as an outgrowth of Imagine Deerfield by the administration. The administration also included environmental stewardship as one of the five pillars of the Imagine Deerfield Campaign. The Environmental Proctor program was initiated by Kristan Bakker, Environmental and Sustainability Coordinator. Sunday night clean ups in dorms was instituted by the Dean of Students’ office this summer in an attempt, in part, to put increased focus on recycling. Student participation and enthusiasm in these initiatives, including the student-run Environmental Club, are essential to Deerfield’s continuing progress in embracing change to become a greener school. Little by little we are making headway, perhaps not as rapidly as some would like to see, but change is difficult for most people, adults and students alike. Becoming a greener school will take the courage and cooperation of students, faculty and administrators. We on ESAC are committed to continuing to initiate new habits, and we believe we will have the backing of the administration as we forge ahead towards positive, green lifestyle changes as a whole community. Lydia Hemphill and Jeff Galli
West to East By SLOAN DAMON Contributing Writer
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an Francisco is a city full of lights, sounds, and smells. It has districts that range from the sprawling business district to the world-famous Haight-Ashbury. It has delicious Mexican restaurants that neighbor what some consider to be the best Italian restaurants outside of Italy. On top of all this, San Francisco is a city that is alive all through the day and night because of the clubs, parties, and people up late for work. Growing up in San Francisco is a unique experience that I have enjoyed. To me, San Francisco is more than a city—it has helped shape the person I am today. I have spent my life exposed to the diverse people that inhabit San Francisco and its streets. I now find myself a liberal person who agrees with gay marriage, is pro-choice, and is a Democrat. Beyond influencing my political views, San Francisco is an internation-
al city that has introduced me to cultures from all over the world. I can go to Chinatown and be surrounded by the unique smells and foods, then walk two blocks to Korea Town or the Russian district and be engulfed by a whole new culture with its own unique smells, foods, and beliefs. Coming to Deerfield has been an incredible change from my childhood in San Francisco. I have gone from a sprawling city to a school within a small village. More than this, though, nature now surrounds me rather than the buildings and cars I am used to. I have had to adapt to being away from all the sound that comes with living in a city, and now, rather than being overwhelmed by sound, I sometimes find myself overwhelmed by the lack of sound. While not all the changes that come with moving from a large city to a small town are bad, I still come to find myself missing San Francisco, and its lights, sound, and smells. Sloan Damon ’13 hails from San Francisco, California. He lives on Scaife I.
Oddly Enough, I Feel Right At Home By CAITLIN CLEARY Contributing Writer
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efore coming to Deerfield, I had been to eight different schools in five different countries. My parents are U.S. diplomats and we move every few years, but even so, if you were to ask my fourthgrade self where I would be graduating from, she would never have said boarding school. I’m not a legacy at all. When I decided that I wanted to go here, my parents were shocked. Until I applied to DA, my idea of boarding school was a cross between Hogwarts and the school in The Dead Poets’ Society. I didn’t know what to expect. Would the school be some clique-obsessed version of high school hell? Would it be like college? Would it just be endless schoolwork? I didn’t even get a chance to go to sec-
ond visit day, because I had school back in Kyiv. The people here are a lot more down-to-earth than I thought they would be. The campus is great, such an upgrade from some of my other schools. The classes are interesting, the teachers are really involved, but what I like about Deerfield isn’t how special it is, but how normal it is. I was sort of afraid that if I came here, I would lose my youth and get caught up in some insane, über-competitive prep-school world. But it’s not like that at all. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything just because I go to a really selective school. Oddly enough, I feel right at home. Caitlin Cleary ’12 has lived in London, England; Warsaw, Poland; Washington, DC; Madrid, Spain; Moscow, Russia; and Kyiv, Ukraine. Presently, however, she lives in Pocumtuck Dormitory.
The Deerfield Scroll
OPINION / EDITORIAL
November 11, 2009
3
Down Some Confidence, Dominican Dreams But Not Really Worried I By SHERYL CABRAL Contributing Editor
By JASON JUNG Contributing Writer
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n the five months since Commencement, I’ve had to reconsider the niche I found at Deerfield as editor of The Deerfield Scroll, captain of the math team, cocaptain of the cross-country team, and successful student. When I arrived at Princeton in September, I signed up to write for the student newspaper, The Daily Princetonian. My first two articles were exciting and went off without a hitch. I even profiled a former White House Chief of Staff. However, my next article, which featured the well-known philosopher Peter Singer, dealt with death threats he received ten years
ago. Death threats are apparently thorny topics, which I discovered could lead to libelous interpretations of my article. I have already encountered a few similar surprises here, all showing me that college is really more high-stakes, larger-scale than high school. My math class seems to be filled with peers who have had more success in math competitions than I, which is new to me. Finding time to run here is even harder than at Deerfield. Also, in most of my classes, my grades are almost entirely based on my midterms and finals, contributing to a constant uncertainty about my academic performance. Adjusting to a different system and trying to overcome new challenges has truly tested my faith in my abilities for the first time since I established my identity at Deerfield.
Especially in my junior and senior years of high school, I felt a certain confidence I took for granted. However, as surprisingly tough as I find it to establish how I stand out from the rest of the Princeton community, I truly don’t want to be anywhere else. The growth and success I found at Deerfield did not come immediately or easily, and knowing that is enough to inspire me to keep pushing until I find my place. I am prepared to embrace the failures that may come because I know sometime in the next year or two, I will find my niche, and I will again take my self-confidence for granted. Jason Jung ’09 was the editor-in-chief of The Deerfield Scroll. He was the 2009 recipient of the Crow Cup. Jung now attends Princeton University in New Jersey.
A Dramatic Crescendo By PAT ADAMS Contributing Editor
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urple haze floated above the Pines on Messalonskee Lake as crew practice came to an end. The sun was just beginning to peep through October clouds as we paddled to Colby’s dock, and I began to reflect on the parallels between my time at Deerfield and the beginnings of my experience here at Colby. In many ways Colby seems to be the natural outgrowth of a prep school like Deerfield. Classes are small (and intense), you recognize people as you walk through the student union, and my IBM laptop still crashes. So in a sense Colby is a larger, colder, more independent version of Deerfield. (Consequently there are more kids in my class from DA than from any other school!) I think Deerfield prepared me most to hit the ground running. As a
new sophomore a few years ago, I spent the entire year trying to find my niche, and it took me till senior year before I felt comfortable in it. Deerfield prepares you to be able to juggle a bunch of different things, and college is definitely the place to use that skill. Thanks to Deerfield, I haven’t really been starting from scratch, so it’s been an easy transition. But there were some surprises after I left Deerfield.
“I consider Deerfield my home more than any other place.” When you graduate you feel like you have reached fruition. Everything comes together in a dramatic crescendo, heightened for me by New England’s and my birthday; you feel complete. As though I were suffering
Deerless Pastures By INGRID KAPETYN Contributing Writer
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hough the view of Central Park from my twenty-third floor dorm room reminds me that fields do exist in Manhattan, I don’t think there are any deer in the city to roam wild on them. And amidst the many contrasts I’m finding between Deerfield and college, that basic difference in ecosystem seems the most telling. Beyond the clear contrast of New York City’s concrete grid to Deerfield’s green quads, the unfamiliar landscape of school itself makes life new. Instead of six academic classes, I now have one that meets not four times but twice a week. Instead of a class day followed by cocurriculars, my schedule involves various dance classes and rehearsals from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm. Instead of classmates passionate and educated each about many different disciplines, my
separation anxiety, when I was in Alaska for a month over the summer, I found it difficult to talk about anything but Deerfield. What I realized building trails in the tundra was that I still had a lot to learn. It took being in a different environment for that to sink in. As an Army brat I have lived in seven different places. With such short spans spent at each, it has been difficult for me to establish roots anywhere. I know the word “community” gets thrown around a lot, but Deerfield was like a family to me, and that enabled me to establish hardy roots in the fertile valley. I consider Deerfield my home more than any other place, and while I’m excited and happy in Maine, I do miss it. I look forward to coming back and can’t wait to see a burning “C” again! Pat Adams ’09 was captain of the Deerfield boys’ varsity cross country, skiing, and crew teams. Adams now attends Colby College in Maine.
dream of returning to the village of Las Charcas in the Dominican Republic in ten years to see a cluster of ten families living in ten homes built by members of the Deerfield community during ten successive spring breaks. Passing through the solid doorways of the cinderblock houses, I turn on the lights to illuminate the names of Deerfield builders from the classes of 2009-2012 on the beam above the living room and kitchen. Young Dominican adults who were the children struggling under the weight of buckets of mezcla during our first build have now graduated from high school. Those who were young adults in March of 2009 are moving into leadership roles in the community, inspired by the power of the community action that they have observed and been involved in for the last ten
years. The community leaders in 2009 are moving into the role of village elders, proud of the improvements they have seen in their community over the past decade, including a thriving preschool program and a busy health clinic. Jose Abreu, the founder of Cambiando Vidas, is ageless, still starting water fights or leaping off the back of the moving team pick-up truck to tease, cajole, or pay his respects to various members of the community. He sprints back to the truck, leaping, spinning mid-air and landing backwards on his seat at the back of the truck. Tired, hot, dirty and extremely proud, the Deerfield builders take one last long look at their newly-minted house as the truck rumbles back to San Juan. Sheryl Cabral is head of the Math Department and has participated in three Cambiando Vidas projects.
Kayla Corcoran’s India Reflection (continued from the front page) By the time I leave, I have been gone for ten days, and I am beginning to miss the small characteristics of home: the temperatures more forgiving than the brutal Indian heat, the postcards on my walls, fresh fruit that can be consumed without fear of becoming ill. And then I think about all of the things I am leaving behind: leisurely tea breaks that offer time for quiet reflection or socializing, the vast number of people I have met who have expanded my perceptions immensely, the greater sense of self I discovered through the nonexistence of internet and cell phones. Perhaps, most importantly, I realize that my going back to Deerfield may remove me from the situations in
which I found myself while in India, but it changes nothing for the nineyear-old girl who tugged on my pant leg to beg for chapatti. I cannot reconcile this in my mind. I try, at least, to contemplate it, but my mind is already overwhelmed with emotion. What else can I do? What more can I give? Leaving Deerfield for this brief moment was the best decision I’ve ever made. I find now that I have the strength and capacity to ask myself questions that I’ve needed to ask myself for a long time. And perhaps I’m no further along at finding the answers to those questions, but I certainly have a new perspective through which to try.
Miles Griffis’ India Reflection (continued from the front page) Outside of the school was the Real India, where there were famished, impoverished people. A lot of them. My whiteness was no disguise. When we were in the cities walking the streets, I couldn’t help but feel spoiled; it was a disgusting feeling to know that I had much more than I would ever need. I wanted to take off all I had and give it to those who needed it more, especially the woman I witnessed crawling with sandals on her hands. She was rather frail, slowly pushing a bowl in front of her. Her eyes were haunting. It is strange to walk on such a calm and tame campus again. India was wild and thrilling. Adjusting to a set time schedule has been the hardest.
I loved not worrying about time as we explored and ventured about. I now appreciate my education even more, particularly after meeting street children who want nothing more than to go to school. It made me question what I was really doing at my school. There must be more I can do for the people of the world than to study at a fancy prep school. And that is honestly what I want to do in life: help. I experienced more in India than I did during my three-and-a-half terms here. I might even have a better idea of what I want to do with my future. But for now, I miss everything in India. Jai Ho.
class consists entirely of students aiming solely and soulfully for a career in dance. I’d long anticipated the shock that such thorough reformatting of my life’s environment might have had on my freshman year, but really what I’ve realized is how ready I was and am to migrate into college ecology. Deerfield prepares us well for changes in scenery, for I think the learning in living that all our Deerfield teachers value lasts through shifts in space. I may be studying new subjects in new classrooms, but I can still rely energetically on the way Deerfield taught me how to learn. I miss Deerfield, and all of you, but I’m glad to stay in touch (thank you, Scroll!), and I surely feel Deerfield present in my dancing every day. Ingrid Kapetyn ’09 participated in Deerfield’s dance program and was a literary editor of Albany Road. She now attends Julliard in New York City.
Ingrid Kapetyn now dances in New York City, quite a departure from the stage of the Large Auditorium.
...AND THERE
4
SPORTS
The Deerfield Scroll
Leaders Hungry for Success, Field Hockey Seniors Pull Off Impressive Wins By NASTASSIA ADKINS and DANIEL LITKE Staff Writers Girls’ varsity field hockey has always been a force to be reckoned with. Since Deerfield returned to coeducation in 1989, the team has qualified for the post season every year but one. They have amassed six Western New England Titles, and they took home the New England championship trophy in 1992. Much of this success can be credited to the leadership of Coach Kim Wright, who has been coaching the girls since 1993. Before coming to Deerfield, Dr. Wright held an assistant coaching position at Georgetown University and played Division I field hockey at UMass Amherst for four years. In addition to this impressive resumé, her teaching in the English department has made a name for herself both on and off the field. Assisting Dr. Wright on the field are Coaches Katie Calhoun and Kristin Veiga. Mrs. Calhoun is in the midst of her third season with the team. Before coming to Deerfield, Mrs. Calhoun and her husband worked at the Hotchkiss School. Aside from her coaching role, she also teaches math. Ms. Veiga is fresh out of Bowdoin College, where she played
on the field hockey team for four years, captaining the team for both her junior and senior year and leading the team to two NCAA championships Last year, the team continued its winning tradition, making it to the post-season New England tournament once again with a record of 8-72, defeating strong teams such as Loomis Chaffee and Greenwich Academy. Unfortunately, they were matched up in the first round to a dominant Hotchkiss team that went on to win the title. This year, the team has come out hungry for success and has already pulled off impressive wins against Loomis and Taft. Dr. Wright called the Loomis game the best of the season so far. “Loomis is not a slouchy team. We put it all together and dominated,” said Dr. Wright. The team currently holds a record of 7-4-1, and with only three games left in the regular season, they seem to be well on their way to competing in the post-season tournament for the 19th time in twenty years While the 2008-2009 team had little senior leadership, that is not the case with this year’s squad. Alex Philie ’10, who captained the team her junior year, and Sam Anderson ’10 have led a deep and talented class of players. Other seniors this year include Claudia Easton, Eloise McEniry,
Thomas Earle Field hockey team co-captain Sam Anderson ’10 drives the ball toward the goal.
Emmie Murphy, Lilly Nolan, Caroline Seabolt, Hally Sheldon, and Jeannie Witmer. With the loss of senior talent in mind, the addition of new talents like freshmen Mettler Growney, Louisa Hanson and Hannah Latham, and sophomores Lilli Gahagan and Maddy Melly, the team is looking to build a young core in preparation for the future. “I think as long as the team works hard, they will come along... I think we can be a contender every season,” said Dr. Wright Next, the team is scheduled to face off with Greenwich Academy, whom they beat in a thrilling game last year. The girls will also play Williston at home in their last game before Choate Day.
On November 14th Choaties Shall Vanquished Be By ELISABETH STRAYER Editorial Associate Choate Day is sure to be exciting, with nearly all our teams competing at home against the rival school November 14th. According to Athletic Director Charles Davis, Choate is traditionally stronger in boys’ soccer while our field hockey team tends to dominate. However, with a 2-9-1 record for Choate’s boys’ varsity soccer, this year may prove different, as Deerfield sports a 8-5-1 record. In addition, Deerfield’s varsity football team sits more comfortably at 2-4 compared with Choate’s 0-4-1 record. Choate’s varsity volleyball has had a strong start to their season, racking up an impressive 11-0 record, but our team, at a strong 6-5, is sure to provide tough competition.
In addition, Mr. Davis mentioned that field hockey and boys’ cross country are among our strongest teams this year. While both boys’ and girls’ cross country will be away at NMH during the competition, they will still face Choate, as will water polo which is scheduled to compete in the New England Final Four at Exeter. Varsity field hockey, which Mr. Davis notes is “tracking towards the playoffs, depending on a few games between now and Choate Day,” has had another strong season (7-4-1) and hopes for a win against its 4-6 Choate counterparts. At the sub-varsity level, jv field hockey has suffered only one loss to their nine wins, rendering them another team to watch for. However, Choate Day is an opportunity for every team to attempt a win. “Whatever kind of season a team has had, it can get thrown out the win-
dow on Choate Day,” asserted Mr. Davis, adding that “a bumpy season can get washed away.” He also stressed the importance of not only playing for the team, but of supporting others. In addition, stated Mr. Davis, “It is an opportunity to see sub-varsity sports and to pool all teams, including recreational tennis and special exercise.” Some such Deerfield sub-varsity sports to look out for are girls’ and boys’ jv soccer (7-1 and 8-2, respectively), boys’ junior A soccer (5-1-2), and jv football (6-2). In addition to current students and faculty, Mr. Davis is excited to see last year’s senior class, which he said included some of his greatest students, show their support for our teams. It is traditional for them to attend the pep rally and bonfire the night before the big event, an exciting way to kick off the weekend.
Why We’d Rather Be Here Than Choate “Like their primal mascot, a wild boar, students of Choate Rosemary Hall are disgusting creatures. They are parasites, sucking the beauty and life out of a once-reputable town. Local citizens of Wallingford have described Choaties as: ‘Bullies who stuffed my 9-year-old son into a dumpster,’ ‘jerks who egged my 87-year-old mom's house,’ and most recently, ‘the hooligans who lit a bag of dog poo on my doorstep.’ It is for these reasons I that personally despise the Choate institution, and the animals who attend it.” —John Zurlo ’10 “In my opinion, they are the number one carriers of the swine flu.” —Annie Blau ’13 “I hate Choate because they think that cheering consists of banging garbage cans together and proclaiming that we are, in fact, in a C House.” —Tucker Dayton ’10 “The girls I know who go there just aren’t that nice. Like when you walk on campus they aren’t friendly, but at Deerfield everyone is so nice.” —Annette Schieffelin ’13 “I wasn’t accepted.” —Phil Bowman ’13
November 11, 2009
“I hate Choate because they think they are better than we are, and nothing is better than Deerfield.” — Tatum McInerny ’13 “Because I have to look at those trolls in speedos.” —Connor Dougherty ’10 “Because they’re Choate.” —Jackson Dayton ’13 “I hate Choate because Choate students personify the most pretentious, pugnacious air on one campus setting that the world has ever known. And they have no flow.” — John Rose ’10 “I toured there and it just sucked.” —Travers Nisbet ’13
“I hate Choate because they are unclassy and hogs are slobs.” — Cate Wadman’13 “I hate Choaties because whenever I see one of them, I throw up in my mouth. When I see one, I have an overwhelming desire to put one on a spit and roast them. I dream of their flesh burning.” —Eloise McEniry ’10
“Here and There” with a Sports Twist Bo Swindell ’08 The Thursday before the New England Championship Swim Meet last March, I remember sitting in a hostel in northern Patagonia, checking nepssa.org. Disregarding the long line that was forming behind me to use the internet, I analyzed all of the possible outcomes of the meet. Two days later, I skyped my mom from the same computer, and she told me that the DA swim team had won for the second year in a row. As I sat in that hostel with three of my best friends, there was no place I longed to be more than the Koch pool, to congratulate the team and share the pride that I felt. At that time, I was traveling with a friend who had swum similar events against me at Choate during sophomore, junior and senior year. When I got off the phone to tell him about
our victory, he responded, “You guys deserved that.” I think that’s something that is unique about our rivalry with Choate. No matter how intense the competition was in the pool, we got out and shook hands at the end of every water polo game or swim meet, proud of a win or intensely motivated by a loss. I joined the UVA club swimming team, but after two months here, I’ve only been to two practices. No doubt it’s partly because I’m lazy, but I think it’s more because I miss the lofty rafters of the Koch Pool, the sense of purpose I always felt on that deck, and the camaraderie of our team. Bo Swindell ’08 was captain of the boys’ water polo and boys’ swim team New England’s. He is now a freshman at University of Virginia after a gap year.
Scottie Thompson ’09 Though I haven’t always thought of myself first and foremost as an athlete, the teams I was on at Deerfield provided me with many of my most rewarding moments and closest friends. Whether it was thirds squash with Mr. Dickinson or varsity crew with Oli, it was my teammates who made me want to go to practice everyday. There is nothing better than feeling that you all want the same thing, and on teams, unlike in classes or on committees, everyone’s performance is crucial. That’s not to say that everyone has to be equally good. Believe me, I was never a huge point-scorer for the swim team. But it’s about everyone wanting to win more than anything else and doing whatever is necessary to make that happen. As a D1 coxswain, I’ve been issued new sneakers and practice uni-
forms and I will get to travel all over the country for races. But as cool as all of that is, it is not the reason why I wake up at 4:45 every weekday and 5:45 on Saturdays. I keep getting out of bed because Deerfield taught me what it means to be on a team. It’s selfless dedication, but it’s also your love of the sport, the competition, and your teammates. It’s the unified desire to win. So going into Choate Day, think about why you’re out on that field. It’s about playing for both your team and your school and realizing that the only thing that matters while you’re out there is to BEAT CHOATE. Scottie Thompson ’09 was captain of the girls’ varsity crew team, a Proctor, and President of the Student Council. She is now a freshman at University of Miami where she is a D1 coxswain.
Ellicott Dandy ’09 My colors are blue and white now, but I still bleed green. I don’t play sports at Colby, yet not a day goes by that I don’t miss my teams at Deerfield. It’s usually during my afternoon runs, when, naturally, I think of cross country and all the time I spent on Mill Village Road and the Hairpin and Moto-Cross and the Ridge, laughing and talking and letting off steam with other girls on the team. I remember how perfect five miles felt after an exhausting Deerfield day—long enough to be an accomplishment, short enough that our energy wasn’t entirely depleted, and we could finish that final 400 meters on the baseball field with a strong kick. I think of the ski team on those nights when my group of friends and I were last to eat in the dining hall. I remember epic late dinners when
three tables pushed together were barely enough space to fit all of the cold, tired skiers who weren’t quite ready to separate for the night. And maybe when Sugarloaf opens, Pat Adams ’09, Phil Amato ’09 and I will take a few runs together and reminisce. Deerfield sports taught me a lot about camaraderie and support; I learned how much closer a finish line can seem when someone next to it is calling your name. When I came to Colby, I realized I could only bring so much with me. Fortunately, my Deerfield athletic experience made the cut. It’s always a good day to win. Ellicott Dandy ’09 was captain of the girls’ varsity ski team and a member of the cross country team, a member of the Disciplinary Committee; she is now a freshman at Colby College in Maine.
Conner Scott ’10 Coach Silipo always says, “There is no better level of the game of football than the high school level.” At the high school level, it is simply about winning and losing, about the brotherhood formed between teammates, and about the life lessons learned through the game. I wish I could play for Coach Silipo and for Deerfield the rest of my life. I am definitely excited to continue my career at the college level, but I am going to dearly miss the athletics here at DA. One of the things I love about the athletics at Deerfield is our rivalry not only against Choate, but against every team on our schedule. These
rivalries add a whole new level of excitement and passion to our games because of our storied history of competition. As a senior approaching my last Choate Day and my last Deerfield football game, I have to remind myself to cherish every second I have left to play on Jim Smith Field with a green “D” on the side of my helmet. My goal the moment I walk off the field on Choate Day is to have no regrets and to know absolutely that I left it all out there for my teammates, my coaches, and my school. Conner Scott ’10 is the captain of thevarsity football and boys’ varsity basketball.