Vol. LXXXVI, No. 6
DEERFIELD ACADEMY, DEERFIELD, MA 01342
Student Stress at a Record High
Creagh Takes Charge By GARAM NOH Staff Writer
Next year will mark the beginning of current Assistant Dean of Students Amie Creagh’s five-year tenure as the new dean of students, giving her responsibility for the entire student body. Current Dean of Students Toby Emerson will take the position of assistant dean for another two years. During this time, he will work with juniors and seniors, while another, yetto-be-named dean will manage freshmen and sophomores. “Perhaps the most challenging aspect of this job is to balance the need to nurture and the need to discipline,” said Head of School Margarita Curtis. “Like a parent, you have to say no and say what’s wrong, and enforce the rules.” Mr. Emerson said, “Since my tenure is over and Mr. Flaska is on a leave of absence, Ms. Creagh provides continuity in the office.” Dr. Curtis gave the faculty until December 15 to nominate candidates for the remaining spot as assistant dean of students. This third dean will be announced in the third week of January. “I may make unpopular decisions,” said Ms. Creagh, “but I’ll aim to keep communication flowing in both directions.”
December 14, 2011
By NINA SHEVZOV-ZEBRUN Staff Writer
More students are seeking help from the counseling office this year. Fall 2011 saw a 49% Thomas Earle increase from fall 2010 in the number of students who visited Fresh from the Choate pep rally, students at the bonfire gaze in awe at a surprise firework show. the counseling office for help. While the office noted a general increase in appointments over the past few years, “The statistics this year grabbed our attention,” said Coordinator Last year, residents of the By CAROLINE By ZOE PEROT of Counseling Stuart Bicknell. Poc II double, Maggie Morse ’13 Staff Writer KJORLIEN “While we can’t claim cause and and Elizabeth Eastman ’13, and Staff Writer After almost a term without a Emma DeCamp ’13, who lived representative because elections effect, we can speculate about what in students’ lives today— It’s 3 a.m. on Pocumtuck I. in an adjoining single, reported were postponed from last spring, home and school—might that Violet raised their trashcan Half asleep, you pad down the day students elected Hannah influence this increase in stress lid and dropped it, startling them hall to the bathroom. Red exit Wulkan ’12 and Annie Klink and requests for counseling.” signs dimly light the corridor, but with a piercing metallic sound. ’13 as their student council Counselor Sheila Fritz Other students could connect representatives. through the haze you see a girl speculated that “academic and their experiences to stories they nearing the Calhouns’ apartment. “There were logistical issues, co-curricular over-scheduling, You halt as a quick flash in had heard from girls who lived in because they always tried to new economic and other homePoc five or six years ago. your peripheral vision chills schedule our elections at the In late October, just in time for same time as another election,” and family-related stresses, and your blood. When you readjust poor sleep habits” contribute your eyes, your stomach drops a Halloween, Violet re-introduced Wulkan said of the delay. “It was to the high level of stress that herself to the hall after a few thousand feet. Nobody is there. frustrating not having anyone on girls experimented with a Ouija student council to fight for us brings students to the office. A chill runs down your spine. “Counseling is now more Some Poc residents would say board, a game in which “spirits” to solve problems with parking socially acceptable,” added communicate with the living. that you’ve just met Violet, Poc rights, for example.” Dr. Bicknell. With parents Hearing of the girls’ I’s ghost and the oldest of Poc’s Wulkan and Klink made the increasingly open to counseling inhabitants. Dani Pulgini ’12 and experiences with what some unusual choice to run together, as a method of stress relief, Dr. Custodian Pamela Raymond might consider the “spiritual because “Hannah is a senior and Bicknell suggested that students agree that Violet is a brunette world,” Dean of Spiritual Life a proctor, and I am a junior, so may feel newly comfortable Jan Flaska organized a “spiritual we represent a broader scope of who wears a white nightgown. approaching both adult and peer Violet opens stall doors in the clearing” and contacted ordained students,” said Klink. counselors. interfaith ministers he met at a bathroom, and she even turned “The rest of the council has Academic Dean Peter Warsaw drumming circle. on Dani Pulgini’s speakers—they been nothing but welcoming,” cited an increase in early college By NICKY RAULT weren’t plugged in. said Klink. Continued on Page 5 applications (84% of the senior Staff Writer class applied early) as one of In a move towards providing the chief sources of new school oices in the rowd more organic food, the dining stress this autumn. hall, under Interim Food Services Added pressure on members Director Michael McCarthy, has of the faculty to complete letters stopped purchasing ground beef of recommendation before from a mass distributor. winter break “trickles down Since Choate Day, the Lewis to students,” said Mr. Warsaw. Family Farm in Essex, New York, “Teachers may need to limit their has provided Deerfield with availability for extra help around 100% certified organic grass-fed midterms and exams.” ground beef. According to Mr. Warsaw, a “The main reason for the number of other stress-inducers switch was to have overall have heightened recently. healthier food,” said Mr. “An increase in parental Mitt Romney Rick Perry Newt Gingrich McCarthy. involvement in course selection “I think that Romney’s “Gingrich is responsible for and college applications, a recordA supporter of the change, David Keith ’13, said, “This beef inconsistency on certain social “If I could vote in next year’s the only government shutdown high school average, rigorous is healthier, tastier, and better for issues substantiates reasonable election, I think I would probably in the history of the United course loads, and a culture of doubt about his character. I also vote for Rick Perry. Despite his States. He is not above reckless perfection” have collided to push everyone, including the cows.” Mr. McCarthy has also believe that he compromises poor performance in many of endangerment of our country students and faculty alike towards ensured that half of all eggs used too much where health care is this year’s debates, his platform for political gain, but to his credit, a “tipping point,” he said. concerned. Also, I find that seems to be the most stable and he has in the past stated that we come from cage-free chickens. “Everything is interrelated,” “In the future, you can Romney’s fiscal policy ranks classically conservative of all of need to fight climate change explained Mr. Warsaw. “Change sooner rather than later.” expect more locally-sourced among the best in the Republican the candidates.” one thing, add one new stress, —Environmental Science and other things must change, ingredients,” said Mr. McCarthy. field.” —Chase Swinerton ’15 —Student Body President Teacher and Sustainability and other stresses are created. It’s “There are always opportunities Theo Lipsky ’12 Coordinator Jeff Jewett to improve.” an ecosystem.”
Happy Hauntings: Violet the Ghost
Day Students Finally Vote in Reps
Where’s the Beef?
THE CANDIDATE(S): V
Features Students Take Wacky Exemptions: Flying, Chess, and Film-Making
Arts & Entertainment Bieber Contagion Catches Campus
C
Sports Basketball, Led by Post Graduates, Dreams Big
2 The Deerfield Scroll
OPINION/EDITORIAL
December 14, 2011
Holiday Appreciation Abroad in China VOL. LXXXVI, NO. 6
DECEMBER 14, 2011
Editor-in-Chief ANNA GONZALES Front Page SARAH WOOLF
Graphics DANIEL HAN
Opinion/Editorial ELIZABETH WHITTON
Online JAKE BARNWELL MARLY MORGUS
Arts & Entertainment HADLEY NEWTON
Video KEVIN TANG
Features DANIELLE DALTON
Editorial Associates SAMMY HIRSHLAND KRISTY HONG CASEY BUTLER JOHN LEE
Sports CLAIRE HUTCHINS Photography BEN BOLOTIN
Graphics Associate TATUM MCINERNEY
Advisors SUZANNE HANNAY & JOHN PALMER
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 is published eight times yearly. Advertising rates provided upon request. Opinion articles with contributors’ names attached represent the views of the respective writers. Opinion articles without names represent the consensus views of the editorial staff.
Day Student Duties In late November, day students were informed that they would have to wait tables during the upcoming meal rotation. Since day students are not required to attend Sunday dinner, “Sunday waiters,” boarders who both first and second wait the meal, were also assigned. Though many boarders felt that this was fair, many day students were surprised and frustrated with the change. Day students felt singled out by the first waiting line which consisted almost entirely of day students. The biggest complaint, however, had to do with the execution of this new waiting program. Many felt as though there was no discussion regarding the change, and that it was implemented suddenly and without warning. We hope that in the future such a change will be discussed in clear terms before execution. We think that this change is a step towards equalizing the experiences of boarders and day students, and what is expected of them. Everyone will have waited by the time they graduate, whether they are from Dubai, Darien, or South Deerfield.
Elections as Entertainment When each presidential candidate enters the race, Americans everywhere race to learn more about their potential future leader. The media broadcasts information about candidates singing odes to pizza, having affairs, forgetting their own talking points, and driving to Canada with a dog strapped to the top of their car. The focus shifts from the policies to the fun facts, from the issues to the entertainment. Four years ago, Tina Fey’s impression of Sarah Palin took on a life of its own, influencing voters across the nation. The Republican race has boiled down to a competition of who can mess up less. Characters like Herman Cain and Rick Perry surge to fame for several weeks at a time, capturing the attention of voters with their theatrics, before nose-diving out of popularity. In a world of gimmicks and instant gratification, it is not surprising that candidates might assume that the American people do not, in fact, want to hear their opinions and plans. To garner attention, they must make themselves more exciting. But would an exciting candidate necessarily make the best president? Has the presidential race been pared down to some sort of reality TVesque competition? Deerfield students should look past the SNL skits, the media blitzes, and the publicity stunts, and search for the politician who speaks to their needs, to their experience, and to a better future. Candidates must provide a realistic plan for the economy, health care, and government spending. Public displays and declarations may no longer be enough.
Congratulations! to Allison and Gregg DiNardo On the birth of their daughter Elliana DiNardo November 10, 2011
By VERONICA HOUK Contributing Writer
I have spent the past two weeks in a stressful frenzy, tirelessly searching for the perfect Christmas presents for my family and friends. Like me, most students are scrambling for gift ideas and many are counting down the days until winter break in anticipation of a vacation in the Caribbean or an extravagant holiday dinner with their family. Even though I have grown up in this world, it seems increasingly foreign to me after my celebration last year. In my family, the winter holidays are not huge events. We exchange gifts minimally and, as embarrassing as it is to say, eat fast food for dinner. However, by spending the holidays abroad last year, my family finally enjoyed the “holiday spirit” promoted in America today. It was not a memorable holiday because we finally began buying expensive presents for each
other (we had not previously participated in that tradition at all). When my parents flew to Beijing, the city I was studying in for my school year abroad, to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with me, I really felt like we were celebrating my survival.
“I felt more accomplished than I have ever felt completing a year of school at home...” My friends and I were proud of weathering the first two months of almost incomprehensible communication with our host mothers, the twice-daily Chinese character quizzes, and the formation of relationships with new friends. I felt more accomplished merely because I had finally adapted to China’s pace and culture enough to enjoy my time there. I felt more accomplished than I have ever
felt after completing a year of school at home. We were discouraged from returning home for the holidays (only one student out of forty-eight went back to the U.S.), but most of us were happier that our parents came to us. We wanted to show off what we had learned. I spent our three weeks of vacation almost entirely with my parents. Even though we were eating spicy green beans and dumplings, served to us by waiters dressed up as elves, we finally celebrated Christmas with a big dinner. I did not go abroad to China, a largely nonreligious (though very spiritual) country, to create my family’s American holiday spirit, but it was an added benefit. Especially during this hectic, test-crammed three-week sprint before break when life’s pace can seem overwhelming, I can look forward to the holidays with a greater appreciation of my family, school life, and even our inevitable fast food dinner.
What’s on Your Wish List?
A baby panda - D. Han + L.Whitton Nothing...I have enough.- J. Palmer Justin Bieber - H. Newton A weekend in Heath- A. Gonzales A violin- A. Soares Starbucks Espresso Machine- L. Schieffelin Sidney Hulburd <3 - A. Wagman A reindeer- D. Pulgini A Big MAC with fries- L. Gahagan Dress down Fridays- J. Marx
A Call to End the Political Civil War By CHARLOTTE ALLEN and ANNIE MCLENDON Contributing Writers With the upcoming election, the need to identify our true political views is increasingly important. It seems as if we, as a country, limit our political opinions and perspectives to matters of red or blue. There are so many different levels of conservatism and liberalism that defining yourself as just a Democrat or just a Republican can misrepresent your core values. If you find yourself agreeing with the opinions of both parties, why generalize your individual beliefs? In fact, what is our need for political groups that just create bias? The main obstacle our government faces is that compromise between parties is nearly impossible. The parties are no longer working in cooperation. Instead, our government has become like a
civil war. Any attempt to come to an agreement is foiled by the pride of the parties. During such a crucial time in our country, we have to set aside our party allegiances for the sake of finding a candidate capable of running our nation. A website in support of these same ideals called “Americans Elect” was created this year. On the website, you define your “true colors” by answering questions about your political views. The website recently added a feature where you can compare your “true colors” to those of the candidates running for president in 2012. This way, you can more accurately determine your vote. The main goal of the site is to provide the people’s choice on the ballot, or as they say, “America’s first direct presidential nomination.” This movement centers on the ideals of the independent vote and is a great step towards bipartisanship. The independents of the nation represent bipartisanship
in its purest form. Free of any political constraints, each vote comes from individual thought. Unless you agree with all of the points and ideals that define a certain party, when you associate with either left or right or red or blue, you are contradicting yourself. Many people dismiss being independent from their party because they are unaware of any success from current independents. To all of those skeptics: the current mayor of New York City since 2002, Michael Bloomberg, has been independent since 2007. Bloomberg is considered one of the most successful mayors the city has ever had. Whether you are extremely liberal or extremely conservative, your open-mindedness is still key to our country’s growth and development. Though you may feel as if you could never agree with the opposing party, it is crucial that you remain objective when facing political ideas.
The Scroll would like to apologize for unclear graphics regarding the Reaccreditation Survey and Deerfield athletic statistics in the November 11th issue. The article by Cole Horton, “A Closer Look at Occupy Wall St.: The 1%” was also incorrectly titled. The title should have been “A Closer Look at Occupy Wall St.”
The Deerfield Scroll
OPINION/EDITORIAL
December 14, 2011 3
A Blanket of Snow Stress in the Pocumtuck Valley By DANIELLE DALTON Features Editor
your table in the fifteen-minute interval. After lunch, you go to your remaining two classes of the day before racing back to After awakening from a restful your room for your second free 9.25 hours of sleep at 7:30, you period, where you will again head to the Dining Hall and eat use every moment to complete a perfectly balanced breakfast another subject of homework. After your free, you get ready before your first period class. Your morning, which consists of for your athletic practice and head three classes and fourth period to the gym. After stopping back free, includes two tests that you at the Dining Hall for dinner, you did not cram for the night before arrive back at the dorm at 6:00. After changing out of your due to your excellent study and athletic clothes, you realize you organizational skills. After acing your second test, have a meeting at 6:30 for a club. you sprint to your dorm room You, a dutiful club member, at the start of fourth period, so attend the meeting and go straight you can effectively use every last to your room at the conclusion second of your forty-five minute of the meeting, at 7:30. As the perfect student that you free period to complete one of your five forty-five minute are, you begin your work right away, without missing a beat. assignments. After diligently working for You transfer from one forty-five forty-five minutes you run to the minute subject to the next like Dining Hall, where you first wait a verse from the “Evensong”—
naturally and effortlessly. Finishing your homework at exactly 9:45, you head to the hall feed, but for no more than five minutes because you must be lying down in bed at 9:55, if you want to make sure that you are asleep at exactly 10:15 so you can get your full 9.25 hours of sleep (since you aren’t sleep deprived it should take you twenty minutes to fall asleep). And being the perfect Deerfield boy or girl you are, you do finish your perfect day on time. Sound familiar? Perhaps you don’t go to bed until 10:40 because each of your five teachers assigns fifty-minutes of homework, just a mere extra five minutes of homework. Well, that adds another twenty-five minutes each night. In addition, you may be unable to sprint from your classes to your dorm room to effectively use every minute
DAY STUDENT INCLUSIVITY
of a free period for homework, so add a modest fifteen minutes to your day, ending your day at 10:55. But, you are also in an AP science class, take a sixth course or have a music lesson during a free period, so you lose an entire forty-five minute block. Well, you now go to bed at 11:40. And say you spend more than five minutes at your feed—more like fifteen or twenty. Well it is now 12:00 pm and you are looking at 7.5 hours of sleep. You haven’t even taken a break in your day or considered any other time commitments you may have—like needing to meet with a teacher, needing to study for a major test, or possibly wanting to spend twenty minutes catching up with a close friend. The blanket of stress that fills the Pocumtuck Valley this year is at a record high and, while propositions are being
ABUSE OF POWER By COLE HORTON Contributing Writer
Hadley Newton
I
t’s easy to get any day student riled up about “exclusion,” especially with the recent introduction of a more structured residential curriculum. As the Front Page editor of The Scroll, I’ve worked on a couple of articles covering Connect4, Camp Beckett, and initiatives like these, and everybody I talk to continually asks, “What can we do to make things better for day students? How can we include you?” I never know how to respond. Being a day student at Deerfield is nothing like being a boarder, and there is very little the school can do to change that. It’s the nature of the beast. It feels great to be welcomed to the post-study hours feeds on the hall with which I am affiliated, but I personally like to be home before 11 p.m. It’s like comparing a book you love to its movie version: sometimes you just have to take the movie as an entity on its own. A residential curriculum shouldn’t have to be too concerned with non-residential students. I think that’s obvious. If day students weren’t allowed to attend feeds or meetings, or if we were sequestered to eating downstairs as rumored in days of yore, then I would have a problem, but day-to-day, I never feel excluded in any way because I’m a day student. I actually feel lucky. Occasionally, though, the fact that we are a minority in the school seems to be emphasized. For example, when the Arms Building renovation was going to replace the day student lounge with classrooms, several students had to push to have another space designated for our use. Also, our representative election didn’t take place until the last few weeks of fall term. Granted there are only seventy-six of us, and it was a busy term so scheduling was difficult, but I don’t think it was acceptable to leave us hanging for a few months. I’d say I have a pretty easy life as a day student, despite the six to seven hours I spend each week driving I-91. I am able to park right outside my first two classes of the day, I have a comfortable place to keep all my things, and I have a friend who lets me crash in her room, whether it’s to kick a headache during second period or to sleep over after Sadies. I don’t pretend to speak for all day students—I know that the label of “day student” makes life difficult for some. But I do think that Deerfield is what you make of it, and there is little more, except for stronger communication, that can reasonably be done to boost our sense of inclusion. -Sarah Woolf ’12
considered to reduce stress, a campus-wide conversation needs to begin if we want to reduce stress levels to a reasonable level. Faculty and students must talk to one another to hear their suggestions and other perspectives. Rumors floating around campus include possibly removing sit-down dinners during the week. Some students balk at the idea, stating that is one of the things that makes Deerfield, Deerfield. Other ideas like turning off the internet for underclassmen for one hour during study hall each evening lead to the question, “Will the junior and senior class be filled with students who are unable to monitor themselves and will be on Facebook until the internet shuts off at 1 AM?” Perhaps this is the perfect question to discuss at your fiveminute hall feeds…
On account of three separate allegations of molestation against the basketball coach, Syracuse University Senior Vice President Kevin Quinn released a formal statement saying, “At the direction of Chancellor [Nancy] Cantor, Bernie Fine’s employment with Syracuse University has been terminated, effective immediately.” The similarities between the case of Bernie Fine, that of Jerry Sandusky, and the scandals of the Catholic Church in the 2000s are frightening. At that time, Bishop Wilton Gregory, then-president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and current archbishop of Atlanta, said, “We [U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops] are the ones who chose not to report the criminal actions of priests to the authorities, because the law did not require this.” An insidious, persistently increasing trend has begun to show its face to American society: a trend of misusing power. No football coach or archbishop should be above the law of the United States. This abuse of power and influence even stretches into the political realm, with “legal” behaviors like insider trading that allow politicians to beat the stock market by 12% each year. As a nation, we need to confront abuses of power, whether it is the molestation of young children or the manipulation of the stock market. When a nation’s leaders
or any programs or institutions cease to obey the same laws as those of the people, that nation finds itself the birthplace of monarchy. To ensure our leaders and powerful persons refrain from considering themselves above the people’s laws, we must be vigilant and police those who disobey, manipulate, or “bend” the rules. The American societal system is based on mutual trust and obedience of the laws. Alexis de Tocqueville, visiting America in its earliest stages, is credited with saying, “America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.” If these acts of superiority and disobedience of the law continue,
“The similarities between the case of Bernie Fine, that of Jerry Sandusky, and the scandals of the Catholic Church in the 2000s are frightening.” America may reach a point where she ceases to be good. American people of all monetary stature and influence must adhere to its laws if she is to maintain her greatness. What’s more, if our elected and spiritual leaders, along with our glorified sports heroes, fail to obey the law, what keeps every American from following suit of those expected to “lead by example?” For sources, visit scroll.deerfield.edu.
Legacy Preference in College Admissions: Necessary or Not? By CAITLIN CLEARY Staff Writer According to a New York Times article, 75% of Americans are opposed to the idea of legacy preference in the admissions offices of colleges and universities. And yet schools continue to give legacy students preference. Why? The first thing that should be considered is that legacy students—I mean the regular legacy kids of the 99% of alumni who go on with their lives without ever donating anything significant to their university— don’t get that much preference. Rather, being a regular legacy gives you the same edge that being president of a school club
would give you. It’s not going to make or break your application, but it gives you a nice little boost and sets you apart, if only slightly. If alumni have their children apply to a school, they have shown dedication to the institution not once, but twice. These are the type of people universities can count on, and these people are the best bet when asking for money to build a state-of-the-art new stadium or science center. I don’t feel like it is morally wrong to take advantage of the fact that my parents went to Boston College when I’m applying there, and I think that my family’s connection to the school makes me a stronger candidate. The fact that I’ve visited my brother at school means that
I have a pretty good idea of what to expect if I choose to join him. Logically, since I know that people genetically similar to me have already succeeded in that environment, I assume I have a pretty good chance of succeeding as well. Now for the more controversial topic: the children from families who have made significant donations. (I want to clarify that the following analysis does not apply to any DA students who are legacies, because for the most part they have already established that they are excellent candidates.) When otherwise underqualified students are admitted to top schools, universities are accused of corruption, of allowing families to buy their
way into schools with lavish donations and contributions to the endowment, and of giving an elitist preference to the already privileged. Even though I see where the complaints are coming from, I don’t have a huge problem with this phenomenon. Here’s why: universities depend very heavily on alumni donations. Having a large endowment allows some of the top schools in the country to instate need-blind admissions, meaning that any student who can meet the academic standards will be given as much financial aid as he or she needs. It’s a sweet deal for a student to go to an Ivy on a free ride without ever having to worry about paying off student loans, and it seems about as democratic
as an admissions policy can get. There is no way that a school could afford to do this without the support of its successful alumni. If this means letting in the occasional student who doesn’t exactly meet the standards of the university, then I think it’s worth it. Doesn’t having a variety of students from different backgrounds help the school more than then having a mediocre legacy candidate hurts the school? In admissions, schools make endless calculations about what group of students would allow the school to be the best it could possibly be. Giving legacy students preference is just one gamble they have to make to ensure the university’s success.
4 The Deerfield Scroll
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
December 14, 2011
The Marriage Plot Thickens By ELIZA MOTT Book Reviewer
Bieber Fever Strikes Deerfield By TARA MURTY Staff Writer
Justin Bieber’s fan base has skyrocketed since his YouTube discovery in 2008 and subsequent singing success. Deerfield fans, with posters, concert ticket stubs, autographs and photos, enthusiastically express their “Bieber Fever.” Belieber Mary Cherna ’12 explained the power behind the star. “Bieber’s face looks like it was chiseled by angels and his voice sounds like one. In an age filled with auto-tune and computer-generated genres of music like dubstep, one has to appreciate the handful of singers out there with raw, natural talent.” Beyond his looks and singing talent, Bieber displays a unique interest in the holiday season. Shanya Hopkins ’14 said, “Most artists don’t express feelings about the holidays or show holiday spirit, so to see that from an artist as big as Justin is a breath of fresh air.” Released on November 1, 2011, Bieber’s Christmas album Under the Mistletoe coincides well with the holiday season. As snow begins to fall and the days get colder, the warm sound of Bieber’s voice can be added to the usual carols. Hopkins commented, “I think the album is a great combination of soft and mellow meets jolly
and merry.” Bieber expresses his versatility and personal style in Deerfield students’ holiday favorites such as “Under the Mistletoe,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “All I Want for Christmas is You” and “Fa La La.” Alcides Soares ’12 commented on the quality of the new album, “The Christmas album is really good. I particularly like it. I think that it is [Justin Bieber’s] best album so far.” Listeners nation-wide echoed these acclaims and sentiments as Under the Mistletoe ranked first on the U.S. Billboard 200 in its opening week. Furthermore, it is the only holiday album by a male solo artist to debut at number one in the fifty-five years of Billboard’s album chart. This success hardly surprised Bieber’s fans. Cherna said, “He just has the name, and dedicated fans with Bieber Fever, such as myself, support him no matter what.” Hopkins credited Bieber’s fans with a similar zeal. She said, “When his album opened at number one and broke a record, it was much expected for me, yet I was still extremely happy and proud. It was expected because, as an avid Belieber and Justin follower, I know how supportive Beliebers are and how much they want to see Justin succeed.”
Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice opens, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” Jeffrey Eugenides, in his new book The Marriage Plot, perhaps sets out to challenge this universal truth. He weaves a tale of three newly-graduated Brown students, each in the distinctly transitional stage from college to the “real world,” youth to adulthood—a coming-of-age theme that Eugenides explored in his previous two novels, The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex. This novel, however, is quite different from the Pulitzer Prize winner’s previous works, both of which explore the presence of the morbid and the mythic amidst the mundanities of suburban, household life—one with a series of suicides committed by teenage sisters, and the other with the life of a hermaphrodite. But The Marriage Plot diverges in setting and subject matter, chronicling life on Brown’s oh-so-hip, nonconformist, outspoken, early-eighties campus for Madeleine Hanna, a pretty WASP who is an avid Victorian literature fan. Madeleine’s English professor contends, “The novel had reached its apogee with the The blockbuster review of “Under the Mistletoe” by both Deerfield students and listeners across the country evinces the nonpareil qualities of Justin Bieber: his angelic voice, his versatility, his talent, and his charm. Hopkins explained, “[He] makes music that people of all ages can enjoy and fall in love with.” Bieber’s album’s success, according to many fans, indicates his future. Cherna said, “For Justin Bieber, the sky’s the limit! Bieber will take over the world!” Soares shared Cherna’s opinions on Bieber’s future path. He said, “[I] think that Justin will be [the] next Michael Jackson if he continue[s] with success and with [the] heart of doing good.” Bieber may not become the king of the world or even the next king of pop, but we should prepare to see him become the king of the Billboard charts.
DAting: An Investigation of Romantic Life on Campus By ANNA PETTEE Editorial Associate The romantic comedies we are familiar with have the cute first meeting, the first kiss, and, of course, the happy ending. We can anticipate these moments in cinema because films have forever perpetuated the fairytale. No matter who the damsel in distress or knight in shining armor is, their stories always seem to end the same: happily. In the twenty-first century, movies have evolved with the changing culture, and their plots have adapted as well. However, the final chapters of the stories (the happy ending) have remained relatively the same. No Strings Attached (2011) follows the lives of Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher). Emma has neither the time nor the emotional capacity for a relationship, and asks Adam to partake in a strictly sexual relationship, given the rules of no feelings, no fighting, and no
snuggling. Yet, as we hope, the friends fall for one another and their story ends happily. Friends With Benefits (2011) is another, slightly raunchier comedy, following a similar plot. The films stars Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake and tells the story of two friends who begin as strictly sexual buddies but end up in love. What do movies like these teach us? They send the message that entirely physical relationships and “friends with benefits” are healthy ways to start relationships. For teens nowadays, it’s important to consider what a truly healthy relationship consists of. Health teacher Kristin Loftus reminds us, “The key to any relationship is honesty. If someone is looking to just hook up, they need to be honest about it. Likewise if someone is looking for a more lasting relationship.” Sarah Sutphin ’13 commented on the dating culture at Deerfield: “Students are extremely busy, which makes it difficult to
develop and maintain a true, healthy relationship. Many of them find ‘friends with benefits’ an alternative to the commitment of a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.” Supthin concluded, “It’s understandable, but a little disappointing in my opinion.” Angie Cabral ’15 pointed out the dangers of an open relationship, saying, “I wouldn’t personally choose ‘friends with benefits’ because I think no matter what, when you’re doing something like that with someone, you’re bound to develop feelings for them. If those feelings aren’t mutual, you could get hurt.” These reservations about hook ups aren’t limited to the female gender, and Ms. Loftus reminds us that often, when beginning a relationship, the expectations of the boy are as high as the expectations of the girl. “It’s high school mentality to just want to hook up and believe that it will lead to happy ending, but people end up getting hurt. It has to benefit both people,” said Daniel Rivera ’13.
marriage plot and had never recovered from its disappearance. In the days when success in life had depended on marriage, and marriage had depended on money, novelists had had a subject to write about. The great epics sang of war, the novel of marriage. Sexual equality, good for women, had been bad for the novel. And divorce had undone it completely.” Eugenides creates a sort of modern-day marriage plot, differing from those of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters which fill Madeleine’s bookshelf, and delves into her romantic relationships (or lack thereof) with Mitchell Grammaticus, a religion major from Grosse Pointe, and Leonard Bankhead, a bandana-wearing, tobaccochewing scientist from Portland whom Madeleine meets making philosophical and literary musings in an edgy semiotics course. Eugenides fractures the story, alternating between the three characters’ perspectives, slowly—and often laboriously— piecing them together to give a clear portrait of Madeleine and her respective relationships with Mitchell and Leonard. Mitchell longs for Madeleine, who never seems to whole-heartedly return the favor, and Leonard and Madeleine develop a passionate but drawn-out relationship
conflicted by his manic depressive disorder. Eugenides does well to characterize convincingly the emotions of human experience, most interestingly (yet also most briefly) those of Leonard’s manic depression. The three characters’ bouts of selfreflection are relatable and frank, and Eugenides is not afraid to shed some of the sentence acrobatics of his previous work in favor of a more vulnerable, conversational tone. Though reading the novel is not the mystical, breathless experience of reading The Virgin Suicides, and in no way is it as grandiose and expansive as the American epic Middlesex, The Marriage Plot does engage the reader from start to finish, and the dissatisfaction invoked by its realism perhaps mimics the main characters’ dissatisfaction towards life. And in a book that, in a way, is all about books—each character’s reading preferences are appraised, literary pretensions poked fun at, and “the marriage plot” echoes curiously in Madeleine’s own life—Eugenides causes the reader to wonder as the students in the semiotics course do: whether books can really be about anything, and if they can, whether they are about reality, or about other books—or, as in the case of this novel, both.
David Thiel Benjy Reed and Michael Beit on the set of Brighton Beach Memoirs.
Backstage with Paul Yager
By AYESHA KAPUR Staff Writer Most Deerfield students see a perfectly built stage without fully understanding the complex artistic and technical work that goes into the construction of a set. Technical Director Paul Yager has overseen the completion of over sixty sets of Deerfield plays since 1989. “Artistic research differs depending on which play we are doing. With Brighton Beach, I was very familiar with the play because we had done it ten years ago,” said Mr. Yager of Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs, the most recent production. “I knew the time frame, I knew the layout, I knew the feel of the play. So, this time I did not have to do as much research,” Mr. Yager said. For those who had the opportunity to watch the fall play, it was evident that the set, built by Mr. Yager and a team of ten students, was quite complex and larger than the typical set in the Reid Black Box Theater. It had a substantial upstairs and enough detail to function as an actual house. “It was a lot of set treatment, a massive amount of work getting the structure up. All the detail
ended up being an awful lot of work,” said Mr. Yager. Mr. Yager, who for two years worked as the technical director at the University of Massachusetts Residential Arts Program, went on to explain that “the details end up being the icing on the cake. That’s where you really put your stamp on it. When we finally got to the point [in Brighton Beach Memoirs] where we were hanging things on the wall, we were using props and furniture and décor to tell a further back story of the character.” Mr. Yager revealed that for Medea, the winter play, the floor will be filled with sand and there will be a sun piece suspended from the ceiling. Mr. Yager is currently researching the iconic carvings at Petra in Jordan for inspiration for wall design. With a bare minimum of props, the set for Medea will not be visually rich or luxurious. “I think it can be done with a bare stage. What we do will support that. It is certainly not going to have the impact that the Brighton Beach set had,” Mr. Yager said. Mr. Yager is looking forward to Medea, where he can work with some of the technical crew who gained experience from working in Brighton Beach Memoirs.
FEATURES
December 14, 2011 Violet (continued from page 1) Over Choate Weekend, Reverend Mary Ann Tourjee, also known as Raven Spirit, and Reverend Nancy Higgins, known as Grandmother Standing Bear, came to Poc to speak to the girls about the spiritual world and possibly help “clear [Violet] on to the next stage of being,” explained Mr. Flaska. He noted, “My role is not to judge whether or not stuff like this is true or false. It is to try and support the students.”Mr. Flaska has never encountered a ghost, but he said, “I’ve definitely had experiences where I’ve felt as if I know that someone who has died is present.” At the spiritual clearing, a historian preceded the ordained interfaith ministers and gave the girls a brief history of the Pocumtuck building.
What is now known as Pocumtuck dormitory used to be a hotel, and the girls learned that the hotel was filled with violet flowers and was known to have a “violet-tinted atmosphere.” The girls learned this only after Pulgini chose the name “Violet” for the ghost, because it was a common 19th-century name. As Mr. Flaska explained, “The spiritual healers would say that this ghost is in a ‘between,’ in a state of transition” from life on earth to her next stage of being. The ministers sensed that there was more than one spirit in Poc, and as Mr. Flaska mentioned, Poc is a “fertile ground for spirits given the history of the hotel.” At their meeting with the ministers, the girls learned how to deal with the ghost if they encountered her again, and were instructed to tell the spirit
to leave them alone if they felt uncomfortable. “They made me feel more comfortable after the cleansing, and they gave us insight into somebody else’s beliefs,” explained Gabby Gauthier ’13. Several girls understandably doubted the ministers’ ability to clear the ghost, including Carly Reilly ’12, who mentioned that she was “a bit skeptical when they whipped out the big feather to sweep the spirits away.” Nina Sola ’13 questioned the entire situation and stated, “There are a lot of girls in this dorm, so not recognizing someone at three in the morning isn’t surprising.” The ministers initially planned to return over Thanksgiving break to clear what they believed to be a spirit, but that time didn’t end up working for them, and they have not returned. Violet remains a mystery for now.
greatdreams.com Deerfield Academy Archives The Everett Hotel, built in 1881 and destroyed in a fire in 1883, was one of three hotels that stood where Pocumtuck Dormitory stands today. The Deerfield Door, which had been on display at the Everett Hotel, was saved from the fire and stored for a while at the Hitchcock House. (Right) A ouija board similar to the one the Poc girls used when Violet introduced herself. Grandmother Standing Bear and Raven Spirit advised Mr. Flaska to confiscate then burn the ouija board.
To the Skies and Beyond:
Athletic Exemptions Reach New Heights By ELISABETH YANCEY Staff Writer This winter, as athletes kick off the co-curricular season on the basketball courts or hit the ski slopes, other students have decided to pursue their own creative interests with unique cocurricular exemptions behind a camera, at the chessboard, or up in the air. Eliza Mott ’12 and Ryan Heffernan ’12 have dedicated their winter term to working on a short film that may make an appearance at the Widdies, the student film festival held each spring. Mott commented, “The project was inspired by a music video for the song ‘Montana’ by Youth Lagoon, and even though there is no dialogue in the film, it has a great plot, and that’s really what we are looking to accomplish.” Though initially fine arts
teacher Timothy Trelease was “a bit hesitant to grant us the exemption, we were thrilled to convince him to let us pursue the project,” said Heffernan. “I want to put my heart and soul into this. We have a vision.”
“Deerfield isn’t a place where interests come to die. It is where they come to live.” Bobby DeNunzio ’12 shared a similar sense of vision when, during the winter of 2010, he wrote a paper about chess player Bobby Fischer. “Unfortunately,” DeNunzio commented, “it was initially supposed to be a biography with focus on chess analysis, but around the same time I was writing, other biographies of Bobby Fischer
were published, and the project turned into a paper.” Deciding to focus his book on a specific aspect of chess and analyzing individual games through that aspect, DeNunzio explained, “It will be much more chess-oriented, which is exactly what I want.” Taking unique exemptions to new heights, Charles Jones ’12 spent last spring and fall in the air working for his instrument training and flying license. On a typical Wednesday afternoon, Jones would take “a cab to Northampton Airport and either work with my flight instructor, with the flight simulator, or fly. I would say I spent about two times a week flying.” When asked what the inspiration for his daring forays was, Jones replied, “Flying has always been an interest of mine, and Deerfield isn’t a place where interests come to die. It is where they come to live.”
Staff Writer Miranda McEvoy snapped the above photos of Clara Galperin ’13 as the two discussed Galperin’s edgy fashion style. For more about Galperin’s vintage and Alexa-Chung inspired style, visit The Scroll online.
The Deerfield Scroll
5
FA L L T E R M
Community Service: Donating Time and Resources to Franklin County By DANIELLE DALTON & CARLY REILLY Staff Writer & Features Editor While enjoying the fall term and everything it entails, students also found ways to donate both their time and resources to others. No aspect of community service was left untouched, with students helping others in a variety of ways, from raising money for charities around the world to refurbishing computers to be donated to those in need. Over forty-five students participated in weekend projects, helping rake leaves or stack firewood for the elderly residents of Greenfield on Sundays. Community Service Board Member and Weekend Projects Coordinator Sarah Sutphin ’13 said, “Weekend projects are really special because they’re a chance to take a break from the stress of school and to go help others. The projects had not only an impact on the community members we assisted, but also the students who participated. Some students made such a connection with one elderly couple that they promised to come back and help again the next weekend.” Paired with local Franklin county youth, thirty-five seniors spent their Friday evenings participating in activities ranging from pool night, arts and crafts, and pick-up games on the quad. The Big Brothers Big Sisters program allows students to forge meaningful relationships that provide their Littles (children ages 8—13) with a positive role model and friend. Community Service Board Member and Big Brother Big Sisters Coordinator Bobby DeNunzio ’12 witnessed the impact of the program with Dakota, his Little Brother. “My favorite part of the Bigs program is watching Dakota grow older and more mature. He has a younger sister Jamie, who would steal Dakota’s seat at dinner. The first few times Dakota threw a tantrum, but I explained that Jamie wasn’t doing it to be mean. The next few times he handled it much more politely. When he saw that she stole his seat, he looked at me and smiled before sitting next to her without saying anything,” explained DeNunzio. The seniors were not the only ones helping the community.
The entire school joined together, along with both Eaglebrook School and the Bement School, to collect goods for this year’s food drive. Community Service Board Head Grace Mermel ’12 reflected, “The students participated so greatly this year because we all knew our efforts, great or small, were far from futile. With the turbulent economy, some Franklin County families have become heavily dependent on soup kitchens for a meal. Deerfield’s service had a direct impact on its neighbors.” While thirty-one students participated in community service as a co-curricular, twentytwo teams and co-curricular groups volunteered at least once this fall. Varsity soccer hosted clinics for local youth while Elements helped the grounds crew with post-Irene clean up. In addition, Hi-Chew sales helped raise over $665 for the Greenfield Literacy Project. Students’ efforts were felt far beyond the Pioneer Valley, though, with Choate Day face paint sales benefiting an orphanage in Cambodia where for the second time Mac McDonald ’13 will volunteer this summer. Over $900 was raised this fall. Veronica Houk ’12 observed, that students not only gave to the community but took away experiences as well. One of the more than fifty students who volunteered at Second Helpings, a weekly program that provides Greenfield residents in need with a warm meal, Houk reflected, “Consumed by our own daily challenges, like taking three tests in one day or rushing to a game bus on Wednesday afternoons, we sometimes see the world beyond Deerfield as remote, but Second Helpings restores a sense of unity between the local community and us....As Greenfielders sit down to plates of hot food, many express their gratitude for the school’s generosity but our relationship is mutually beneficial. At one dinner, a man named Storm introduced himself to all of the participating Deerfield students and handed out flyers promoting a message of universal love and acceptance, and to me his actions summarize perfectly the fraternity upon which the Second Helpings spirit is founded.”
Peer Tutors Transform Struggles to Successes By EMILY NG Staff Writer There’s a group of people on campus who dedicate their free periods and weekends to helping others understand textbook material, prepare for tests, and develop helpful note-taking skills, while also taking away rewarding experiences. Teachers, you think? No, peer tutors. From freshmen to seniors, the peer tutors are some of the most proficient scholars in their respective subjects. They tutor most subjects in the curriculum, from algebra to Asian history, biology to Latin. While asking for help with a difficult chapter may seem embarrassing, students know that the peer tutors have a nonjudgmental attitude. Moreover, each peer tutor has signed up to commit to aiding others with their academics. Jamie Haddad ’12, a two-year Head Tutor, said that becoming a tutor has given her rewarding experiences.
“Once, I had one student who was panicking a couple of nights before her test. We met up a couple of different times before the assessment, and she was so scared. However, later in the week, she came up and hugged me, saying that she’d gotten a 95 on the test,” recalled Haddad. This year, the group installed a chat program on its Moodle site where students can ask questions during study hall. Despite the slow reception of the new program, the group is planning to create a Skype account in the spring for students to inquire more privately. They can also be reached via email at peertutors@ deerfield.edu. Interested in becoming a tutor? “We are looking for students who are committed, enthusiastic, and understanding,” suggested peer tutor faculty advisor Julianne Schloat. “We’re also looking for people who have a lot of experience in their particular subjects, so we can cover as much of each subject as possible,” added Head Tutor Trevor Anderson-Salo ’12.
The Deerfield Scroll
SPORTS
December 14, 2011
Missing StobierSKI By MAC MCDONALD Staff Writer
By DAVID LUCENTE Staff Writer Despite competing against some of the best teams in New England, such as Northfield Mount Hermon, which each year graduates multiple Division 1 collegiate athletes, the Deerfield boys’ varsity basketball team lacks neither confidence nor talent. This year the team is composed of five post graduates, four returners, and several players who have moved up from junior varsity. The captains of the team are post graduates Samuel Willson ’12 and Harry Glor ’12, a tri-varsity athlete. Willson, a basketball postgraduate who spent his past four years at Taft, expressed his confidence in the capabilities and potential of the team. Although making the playoffs is the team’s main focus, Willson stated, “Putting the team before my personal goals is my goal.” The 6’4” shooting guard plans to play at a Division 3 college. After a respectable, chemistrytesting effort in a scrimmage against perennial basketball powerhouse Hotchkiss, Alex Wagman ’12 said, “There is a lot to be excited about.” Head Coach Conrad Pitcher was also pleased, stating, “I think we have a better basketball IQ than previous years.” Other contributors to the scrimmage included Mark Glicini ’12, a lacrosse post graduate headed to Yale; another post graduate, Brian Pickup ’12, who will play lacrosse at Princeton next year; T.J. Randall ’13; and Patrick Ononibaku ’14.
Harry Glor passes the ball to Sam Willson as he leads the boys varsity basketball team to victory in the home opener against Loomis. Deerfield came from behind for a nail biter 49-47 victory.
The team is working to improve its aggressiveness and discipline from previous seasons. As a tradition, Coach Pitcher addresses his team daily with “pearls of wisdom” to keep his athletes motivated to put all of their effort into practices. The team’s forté is charging on defense, which involves sacrificing a defensive player by allowing the opponent driving towards the hoop to collide with him, and drawing a foul. Other teams recognize Deerfield for its consistency with successful charges. Willson cited the work ethic and aggressiveness of the players who moved up from junior varsity (Niko Grupen ’12, William Hess ’12, and James Yang ’12) as
a primary motivation for the varsity veterans to work harder and as a unit. Last year, the team graduated Kyle Kager ’11, a 6’7” forward who received a full scholarship to play basketball at American University, a Division 1 school. Deerfield also graduated Jimmy Bitter ’11, a major contributor to the team who currently plays lacrosse for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Despite the loss of these talented players, Coach Pitcher is very confident that his new team is overall better rounded than his teams in the past and possesses the discipline, responsibility and raw talent of a winning team.
New England Champions!
The boys’ varsity water polo team celebrated its first-place victory at the New England Championship. Fourth seed going into the tournament, the team beat an undefeated Exeter squad 11-10 in the semi finals and Choate 11-5 in the finals. Congratulations to: Co-Captain Austin Bridges ’12, All New England Team Selection Will Grant ’12, New England Tournament MVP, All New England Team Selection Co-Captain Chris Miao ’12, All New England Team Selection
O’D’ing on the Girls’ Swim Team By RYAN LOGIE Staff Writer The close-knit quality of the girls’ varsity swim team is common knowledge on campus. Between the hours they spend in the pool, in dry-land training, and simply in each other’s company, the teammates are more like a family than anything else. Although heading that family is no easy task, Coach Sonja O’Donnell, affectionately known to her swimmers as “O’D,” does this with a passion and a commitment that enormously inspire the team. When asked about her team’s success in past years, Mrs. O’Donnell attributed it most to that sense of a close, unified team and also to the mental toughness her athletes possess. Mrs. O’Donnell said, “A special philosophical approach to our training and being together has made us so recognizably the team everyone wants to cheer for. It’s borrowed from Taoism: ‘When you are doing the dishes, do the dishes.’ That means, when you are in class, be in class; when you are socializing with
friends, socialize; and when you are at swim practice, be at swim practice.” This “be present” idea “boils down to not allowing other concerns, negative thoughts, and the future distract us or derail us at any given call to practice in our days, including swim practice,” explained Mrs. O’Donnell. While the girls strive to push themselves individually, the team aspect, rare in the largely individualized sport of swimming, is strong and is what seems to pull through and put the girls on top. “We like each other and support one another, and at the core of this team is a deep loyalty to team and commitment to self-improvement,” Mrs. O’Donnell reflected. As for her goals for this season, Mrs. O’Donnell said, “This year our team goal is to continue to set personal, team, and league records, and to be the team everyone wants to cheer for! I am also really looking forward to what the new girls will bring to the team talent pool and the chemistry that will develop from that. Already I can tell we are stronger and deeper.”
Co-Captains Ritchey Howe ’12 and Katherine Miller ’12 added to this excitement. “As a team, we know how hard work combines with enthusiasm for the sport to make an unbeatable combination for success,” said Howe. Miller explained, “On top of that we have Ms. O’Donnell, who works incredibly hard to ensure that each season is memorable and who teaches that leadership is the foundation of a successful team.” Miller continued, “She encourages us to live in the moment and approach each practice with open minds.” However, if the team thinks highly of Mrs. O’Donnell, no one can think more highly of the team than she can. When asked what her favorite part of coaching this team is, she said, “These girls. They are the most committed, motivated, courageous and inspiring group of young women I have ever met. That has kept me coming back year after year for the past twelve years, revising and tweaking our training to match that passion.”
Coming off a NEPSAC Class A championship, the ski team looks forward to another successful season, despite the fact that Jack Stobierski ’12, Deerfield’s number one skier, will attend the Mount Mansfield Winter Academy in Stowe, Vermont, for the entire winter term and will not return until the spring term. For the upcoming season, boys’ team captain Oliver Hopkinson ’12 aspires “to repeat a New England Championship, and even with the loss of Jack Stobierski, I know that everyone will step up to the challenge.” Meanwhile, girls’ team captain Marly Morgus ’12 hopes “to do just as well as last year, and also develop as a team, even though skiing is an individual sport.”
This season has promising skiers including both of Stobierski’s younger siblings. His brother Peter Stobierski ’14 finished 10th in slalom at the championships and concluded with a second place finish in the Mountain Institute Ski League. Peter’s twin sister Lauren Stobierski ’14 won the slalom event at the championships and claimed first place in the MISL standings. Stobierski was a huge asset to the team, winning first place both in the slalom and giant slalom events in the New England Championship last season, while also capturing first place in the MISL. Stobierski explained that since he was recruited for skiing by Harvard University, “Going away to a ski academy helps the recruiting process because it shows that I take skiing seriously” and want to excel in it.”
Yoga Exemption Deemed an “Ayama” By JON VICTOR Staff Writer This fall, junior Madyn Field ’13 attempted to start a yoga and meditation co-curricular for the winter term, but the Exemptions Committee chose to deny it. Part of the reason for the rejection of Field’s proposal was the infrequency with which yoga sessions are held and the sporadic hours at which the program meets. The start times range from 11:10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. “It would not meet within our co-curricular block nor satisfy the same daily or hourly expectation we have of all of our cocurriculars,” explained Director of Athletics Chip Davis. Emma Mitchell, Deerfield’s Fitness Center Manager, organizes community yoga for faculty, staff, and students. The sessions are run by Lindel Hart, a professional instructor, and are offered four times per week. In addition to weekly yoga and Zazen meditation classes, there would have been Aum and Hindu Mysticism as well as native American traditions events included in the winter yoga cocurricular program. In the fall, Field compiled a
list of 20 students willing to take co-curricular exemptions to participate in all of these yoga and meditation sessions. However, the Exemptions Committee, which reviews every prospective exemption, denied the exemption to all except Field. “The Exemptions Committee entertained Field’s proposal as a personal exemption but not as a standing offering to a large group,” said Mr. Davis. As a result, Field is currently the only student with an exemption for yoga. At the end of the term, she will have to lead a meditation class as a culminating demonstration of what she learned. David Buoymaster ’13 was one of many who were let down by the rejection of the program by the Exemptions Committee: “I was disappointed because I was left without a solid cocurricular for the winter.” Deerfield yoga enthusiasts will have to wait until an organized co-curricular program that fits the academy’s schedule comes into existence. “I think it is great exercise and a fun alternative for people who don’t play a winter sport,” said Field.