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Vol. LXXXIX, No. 6
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deerfield academy, deerfield, ma
Trusting the trustees: What the Board does
Chloe So
// MARGO DOWNES ‘16 Associate Editor When students think of the role of the Board of Trustees at Deerfield Academy, many might picture a behind-the-scenes force that controls Deerfield’s management and actions. Many students are not informed about the true nature of the Board of Trustees and its role in student life. The Board of Trustees consists of 29 members with
various skills and qualifications to create a well-rounded Board. President of the Board of Trustees Rodgin Cohen ‘61 explained what qualifications one must have to become a Trustee: “First, you want to sit down and define your criteria in terms of what backgrounds can be useful for the school.” Furthermore, Cohen said, “You want people with investment expertise because there is a big endowment to manage. You want people with building expertise because there is a lot of property to
oversee. Then, you want people with academic backgrounds, technology backgrounds, art backgrounds, etc.” Unlike many schools, Deerfield Academy does not require that a Board member must be a graduate of the school. Mr. Cohen explained, “We want to have alumni, but also current and prior parents to bring a different perspective. Often we have several trustees who are neither alumni nor parents, but individuals who can fit the necessary criteria described earlier to help oversee the school.” The Board of Trustees is currently focused on a number of projects. Cohen said, “One project right now is the renovation of the Boyden Library. More overarching projects [involve] the composition of the student body, the size of the school and even the athletic program.” The Board of Trustees is responsible for key projects at Deerfield, especially for financial projects, such as setting the budget and fundraising. Contrary to popular belief among students, the Board of Trustees has little input on day-to-day operations or executive decisions made by the administration. Rather, the
Associate Editor Recently, a group of students protested a new ban on turtlenecks. Students gathered support by posting in the class Facebook groups, encouraging classmates to wear turtlenecks on Friday, December 5. The movement garnered enough attention that Dean of Students Amie Creagh hosted a meeting after school that day to discuss the specifics of dress code. This brought up two primary issues as people questioned the gender neutrality of the dress code and whether or not the protesting efforts were for a justifiable cause. Alex DeVries ’15 explained he was motivated to take a stand because “turtlenecks are just a small thing that makes guys smile during the winter months.” He continued, “Usually the school is pretty good about being transparent with the students, but this was uncalled for. We had no warnings or [chances to] clean up our act.” DeVries was one of the students who posted in his respective class page: “I made the post on Facebook because it seemed like the best way to get traction from our grade.” Alternatively, Charlie Carpenter ’16 stated, “I took a stand on this issue of turtlenecks because I felt there was an inequity in the dress code. Girls were allowed to wear a blazer and turtleneck, but boys were not.” Many other students agree with him. Katherine Jackson ’15 said, “I think in the winter when [the boys] have the opportunity to wear something different or more comfortable it should be allowed.”
Teddy Donnelley ’17 further added, “The turtleneck is a unisex piece of clothing so both genders should have the same rules regarding it.” In response to the student’s arguments, Ms. Creagh addressed the students in a school-wide email. “Boys do not have as many options [as girls], whether for comfort or variety,” she explains in the email. “Moreover, boys are ‘called out’ for dress code violations more than girls because there are so few options.” Therefore, she agreed to a trial run in which all students will be given the chance to prove they can be dressed properly in a turtleneck. In the midst of this controversy, debate arose over what justifies a protest. In a video made on response to the original post in the senior Facebook page, Jared Arms ’15 and a group of students question: “What is more important, turtlenecks or human lives?” This constituted a greater effort to remind people that there are bigger issues in the real world outside Deerfield’s little bubble. Armes explained his actions: “The end of our video simply questioned why we could not put this same type of energy into something like the current protests for human life in this country. We need to be more aware of our words and actions and the effects they have on others, whether online or off.” Kyra Kocis ’15 responded to Armes’ post saying, “Change for the greater good has to start somewhere, whether it’s changing the turtlenecks or questioning a perceived injustice.” Kocis continued, “I don’t think we should be undermining anyone’s attempt at change.”
17 December 2014
OTHER HEADLINES BOYDEN LIBRARY RENOVATION “Recently, the Board of Trustees finalized the decision to renovate the Boyden Library. The Library will undergo a complete revitalization that will reconfigure and refurbish the existing internal layout.” //Emily Mahan ‘15
POSSE FOUNDATION
“ “The Posse Foundation is a national leadership development program that provides college access to exceptional students from cities across America.” Learn about the fundraising efforts of Signe Ahl ‘15. //Caroline Fett ‘16
Different direction
“ Is the profile of the “Deerfield Boy” and “Deerfield Girl” changing? //Brooke Horowitch ‘15
Read all of these articles online at Deerfield.edu/Scroll
MAKING A CHANGE
Turtlenecks for all? //JULIA DIXON ‘16
Board focuses on overseeing Deerfield’s operations and giving feedback to the administration. “I deal a lot with the differences between boards and managements: managements manage, boards oversee,” Cohen said. “There is a fine line between oversight of the Board of Trustees and management. The Board only gets involved at the very top level of the administration, but even then it is only an advisory role.” Dr. Margarita Curtis, Head of School, praised the helpfulness of the Board to Deerfield’s administration and to herself as Head of School. She affirmed, “We are fortunate to have 29 highly talented and committed individuals on our Board, who volunteer their time, resources and expertise generously.” “Much of the success of our current capital campaign,” Dr. Curtis said, “is a direct result of their indefatigable efforts to raise funds and to provide the financial backing for our projects and aspirations. It is clear to me that every one of our trustees cares deeply about our school—their level of support and commitment is an ongoing source of inspiration for me as Head of School.”
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Julianne Schloat
Matt Morrow ‘15 and Tarek Deida ‘15, leaders of the discussion, pose together in turtlenecks.
//BELLA HUTCHINS ‘16 Associate Editor
Sunday, December 7, at 3 p.m, in the Greer marked an initiation of change for students here at Deerfield. Matt Morrow ‘15 and Tarek Deida ‘15 organized a meeting solely for students to share stories and insights on student culture. Inspiration for the idea first came after Thanksgiving Break when English teacher Eve Goldenberg chose to read some of the responses that students in her class wrote on their fall term exam pertaining to race at Deerfield. Ms. Goldenberg then spoke about the lack of action from the majority in the school— white males—concerning racial issues on campus. “I thought she was dead right,” said Morrow, who was then determined to pursue the issue. When he asked Deida how difficult it was to be a black student on campus, Deida
replied, “Do you want the answer that I tell people, or do you want the truth?” Deida continued to tell Morrow that sometimes he would wake up and ask himself, “Why am I black?” “That was all I needed to hear,” said Morrow. “I was pissed.” Morrow and Deida then came up with the idea to host the talk in the Greer, in order to facilitate a place “where students weren’t afraid to tell the truth about their experiences here at Deerfield.” “We believed truth was the first step,” said Deida. The meeting, which lasted an hour and a half, started off with a bit of hesitance from students, with only two or three people willing to share stories. However, as the meeting went on, the number of people raising their hands to give instances or express insights continued to increase. Among the students who spoke up was Valentina Connell ’16, who didn’t originally intend to share her story, but felt that she would be frustrated with
herself if she didn’t. Connell stated, “If there was at least one person in the audience who identified with my story and felt less alone, then I’m happy.” Additionally, Katie Livingston ‘15 spoke up in the meeting “just to reach out to younger students in the community, [to tell them] that there are other people dealing with what they may be dealing with.” Many students saw the meeting as an opportunity to ignite change in our community, the first step being simply a conversation where people are willing to listen. The diversity among the students who attended the meeting was proof that students of all different races and personalities at Deerfield want to make change, rather than simply a select few. Ali Barber ‘15 asserted, “What was most important about this meeting was the fact that many students from different backgrounds and groups on campus came to listen and share.” “Not enough people know how tough it is for other students,” said Morrow, who is encouraging students on campus to voice their opinions more often. Deida added that the “assumption mentality” on campus that causes students to assume things about their peers whom they may not know well “arose from the fear of questions.” Morrow also achknowledged the fear factor that the Deerfield atmosphere may represent to students who aren’t able to speak up about issues, saying “We need to try and get rid of the fear at Deerfield.” Article continued online at Deerfield.edu/Scroll
Shelton Rogers
// HEYI JIANG Senior Writer Recently in the Emmy Award-winning CNN series Parts Unknown, the town of Greenfield stepped into the limelight. East of the Deerfield River and west of the Connecticut River, Greenfield—the county seat of Franklin County—is nestled in a bucolic setting with historic villages, artistic enclaves and rich culture. Roughly 3.6 miles from Deerfield Academy, the city is not an unfamiliar place for the Academy’s student body: it has been a much-frequented spot for errands, movies and food. Most students find Greenfield a sparsely populated and peaceful, even slightly eventless, place. Yet, as reflected by Parts Unknown, beneath the smooth surface of daily life observed by bystanders, roots of problems run deep. While Parts Unknown invites its audience into “incredible adventures,” the problems in Greenfield right now are almost unbelievable to many people. Parts Unknown described Greenfield’s social disturbances with a focus on the city’s heroin problems. An undercover detective from the Greenfield Police Department estimated that the number of heroin addicts in Greenfield has reached “high hundreds,” and a dealer-turned informant revealed that his clients consisted of “practically all of Greenfield” and primarily “kids.”
“...the number of heroin addicts in greenfield has reached ‘high hundreds’...” In Greenfield, according to Chief Trial Counsel Jeremy Bucci, spouse of Deerfield College Advisor Jamie Bucci, it appears that no demographic group is spared from heroin addiction. Parts Unknown also revealed that heroin problems have moved from urban settings into suburban neighborhoods, transforming from criminal-justice issues faced by minority groups to “public health [crises].” The war on drugs—not just in Greenfield—has reached a whole new level. What exactly aggravated the state of drug problems in Greenfield, on the other hand, is highly complicated, with factors involving the medical sector, poverty, depression among youths and other issues. At the very center of Greenfield’s drug problems lies the “opioid.” Mr. Bucci explained, “A recent study indicates that 80% of heroin users began by abusing prescription opioids. Opioids, an example of which would be OxyContin, are the motivating force behind almost every armed and unarmed robbery, larceny, and breaking and entering in our area.” Prior to the 1990s, opioids were only prescribed to terminally ill patients suffering from extreme pain. According to Mr. Bucci, opioids are not a far cry from heroin, as the death rate of patients under opioid medications is similar to that of heroin addicts. Indeed, prescription opioids function in the exact same way as heroin, which technically rewires one’s brain and causes serious, even fatal, damage to the nervous system. The addiction rate of prescription opioids is estimated to be 25 to 30 percent—which means that one in four patients on the prescription will become physically addicted to the painkiller. However, through the 1990s, opioids became a default prescription for pain management. Now heroin problems afflict many in Greenfield. “This epidemic,” Mr. Bucci said, “is traceable to the pharmaceutical companies’ promotion of opioids as a safe way to manage pain with low incidents of addiction and a simultaneous push by patient advocacy groups and medical professionals to address pain as a vital sign in the 1990s.” “Opioids are being more widely distributed by doctors than ever before,” Mr. Bucci continued. “Doctors are being graded on their pain management for patients.” When the supply of opioids is exhausted at the end of a prescription cycle or at the point where doctors start to notice signs of addiction in their patients, the patients, already opioid addicts themselves, will often turn to heroin. In Greenfield, the demographic group most susceptible to this downward spiral consists of those under the age of 25. In some cases, opioids are used as the default painkillers for sports injuries, and such cases are complicated by the symptomatic lack of impulse control among youths. “Addiction specialists have often commented to me,” Mr. Bucci said, “that while they have the most success in treatment of addiction in those patients that come to them through the criminal justice system, treatment of young addicts is the most difficult and unsuccessful across the spectrum.” Sheriff Christopher Donelan, also co-chair of the Opioid Task Force of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region, offered a different aspect of the story. “We have found more and more young people suffering from depression and or anxiety without a diagnosis,” Donelan explained. “They experience peace and euphoria when snorting pain pills or heroin. They cannot give up feeling this peace, so use increases and addiction soon follows.” According to Sheriff Donelan, poverty figures in the case of young addicts turning to “easy money.” Some of them become drug dealers as heroin is less expensive in Greenfield—which happens to be located along a major trafficking route from New York to Connecticut and then to Vermont, making it a desirable location for dealers.
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Undoubtedly, the consequences of heroin addiction do not stop at drug trafficking. Crime is often chosen by addicts as the most viable means to support their addiction. “Heroin addiction leads to petty crimes,” Mr. Donelan explained, citing “breaking into cars, breaking into homes, stealing from a relative’s savings account, stealing checks from a parent.” And, he added, “When the crimes are within a family, there is great stress and breakdown within that family unit. There is also a sense of violation within a community when someone breaks into a car or home to steal cash or prescription drugs.” So, widespread heroin addiction incurs considerable human and economic costs throughout a region. Mr. Bucci went on to say, “Law enforcement resources and time are consumed by police tasked with solving crimes impacting those victimized by addicts, drug traffickers and drug dealers.” Meanwhile, the prohibitively expensive medical treatment for physical conditions afflicting addicts represents a huge financial burden for an average family in Franklin County, where the per capita income is among the lowest in the State of Massachusetts. Sheriff Donelan offered an example: “It costs $500,000 to treat one of the most common heart valve infections caused by IV drug use.” Further complicating the situation in Greenfield, drug problems have crossed over the “boundaries of poverty.” Mr. Donelan added, “What is unique about this heroin problem is that we are seeing rich kids and middle-class kids addicted.”
“WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THIS HEROIN PROBLEM IS THAT WE ARE SEEING RICH KIDS AND MIDDLECLASS KIDS ADDICTED.” Under the grim circumstances at present, many feel there is no time to lose. Grassroots organizations, such as the Opioid Task Force, have kick-started multiple projects to aid heroin and prescription-drug addicts. The Opioid Task Force is a collection of community stakeholders aiming to address drug problems in the County, consisting of various committees tackling the multi-faceted problems from different angles. For instance, the Education and Awareness Committee is cooperating with schools to increase the student population’s exposure to knowledge about symptoms of depression. In addition, the Healthcare Solutions Committee seeks to lower the accessibility of prescription medications to patients, and the Treatment and Recovery Committee works to clear the obstacles patients may face when requiring medical treatment for addiction. Aspiring to develop a community-based solution to drug problems in Franklin County, the Opioid Task Force regards heroin and prescription drug addictions as diseases, and aims to support drug addicts in the similar ways one would care for cancer patients. “We support each other,” said Mr. Donelan, “[and] erase the stigma of addiction and come up with a compassionate response for addicted persons and their families to get treatment and support.”
“WE HAVE HISTORICALLY LOOKED AT PEOPLE ON DRUGS AS CRIMINAL. WE NOW REALIZE THAT MOST OF THE CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IS BECAUSE OF THE DRUGS.” Mr. Donelan added, “We have historically looked at people on drugs as criminal. We now realize that most of the criminal behavior is because of the drugs. If we approach the drug problem from a public health perspective, the criminal justice problem declines dramatically.” Dean of Spiritual and Ethical Life Jan Flaska, who directs Deerfield’s community service projects, believes that although the student body, a young population, may not be able to make substantial changes in the case of drug problems in surrounding communities, students can still play a role in dealing with “social issues that emerge when adults have substance abuse issues.” Mr Flaska stated, “We do have programs that connect our students with the children of parents that may be struggling in one way or another.” Sheriff Donelan suggested that Deerfield students could contribute beyond Big Brothers, Big Sisters and work with Community Action of Hampshire and Franklin County to identify and help “at risk” youths. “So many kids need strong adult role models to keep them pointed in the right direction,” Mr, Donelan said. “You might also connect with local high schools and form a proud and loud group of kids who do not use drugs. The more kids feel free to push back on peer pressure, the better.” Meanwhile, Deerfield students can continue to volunteer to better the lives of their neighbors in the Greenfield area. As Haidun Liu ’15 said, “Donating to the local food bank and volunteering for Second Helpings are both good options.” When asked how the Deerfield community could be an agent of positive change in the area, Dean of Students Amie Creagh responded, “Ultimately, I think this issue—and so many others—is about sharing stories, being willing to share our own stories and listening attentively and actively to those of others, both within and outside our school community.”
The Deerfield Scroll
FEATURES
17 December 2014
MR. KELLER REVIEWS
Elizabeth Tiemann
Bryn and Sam’s Crib Shumway 3 Double
Geocache ‘em all //CAROLINE COPPINGER Senior Writer It all started with a family hiking trip to Grafton, Vermont, where math teacher Marc Dancer was introduced to the treasure-hunting game geocaching by another family inquiring about his handheld GPS system. Immediately intrigued, Mr. Dancer recollected, “When I got back to campus, I looked up what geocaching was and became a member.” He found his first cache soon after in May 2002 and got fellow math teacher Sean Keller on board the following year: they’re now known to the geocaching community under the pseudonyms danceman and mathteacher30 respectively. Mr. Dancer offered a brief explanation of his hobby: “When people ask me what geocaching is, I essentially tell them: ‘Somebody has hidden a weatherproof container somewhere around the world, and they have posted the longitude and latitude of where they’ve hidden it. You take that latitude and longitude and put it into your GPS, and off you go to try and find it.’” (Inside the treasure is a logbook to sign when found and various trinkets to trade.) Mr. Dancer affirmed the difficulty of this activity: “A lot of people might think that with the GPS, all you do is follow the arrow that is going to take you right to it.” However, that is not the case. “The GPS is not that accurate,” he continued, “It takes you to a certain area, then you have to start searching on your own.” Aside from common technological errors, it is up
Balls of Fury //BELLA HUTCHINS Associate Editor
Almost every dorm on campus seems to have a ping-pong table stored in the basement or common room since the beginning of time. In many dorms, the tables aren’t put to use very often, but this fall, Barton and DeNunzio changed that. Early last month Danny Finnegan ’17 challenged DeNunzio to a tournament over an announcement at lunch. Aaron Bronfman ’15 stood up immediately to accept Finnegan’s challenge, Thus began the Barton/DeNunzio Ping-Pong Rivalry. “I can't tell you how it started,” said Bronfman, “but I can tell you how it will end: rivers of tears.” Finnegan was able to gather 32 boys from Barton to agree to compete in the tournament after hearing two DeNunzio boys “talking
conferences and even competitions, including the recent “Geobash” in July in Pittsfield, Mass. There, they had the opportunity to attend seminars on puzzle-solving and attend workshops to refine their skills and meet fellow geocashers. Mr. Keller and Mr. Dancer have several caches hidden along the Pocumtuck Ridge and invite students to partake in this hobby. Zeke Emerson ’16 took up the challenge, saying, “Although I only started geocaching this fall, I feel totally hooked. I was initially drawn to the puzzle and riddle aspect of geocaching, but am still nowhere close to good enough for those! To my surprise, just finding the cache alone poses an incredible challenge, even when your GPS can lead you to the right coordinates.” Mr. Keller indicated that starting is easier than one may think, “Whenever I’ve talked to students about this over the years, generally their initial response is: ‘People don’t do this where I’m from,’ or ‘I know they don’t have these caches around where I live.’ So I’ve often sat down with a student, gone onto the geocaching website, found their area and there’s usually dozens within a mile or two from their house. I think this activity is much more widely spread than people realize, and if they want to get involved with it and have fun with it, they can probably do it within walking distance from their home.” Zeke Emerson echoed Mr. Keller’s sentiments, recalling, “My favorite experience was my first night cache, and the only one so far. My friends and I went out late to get food, and before long we were searching the depths of Greenfield for caches. Rather scary, but all the more memorable!” All it takes is a GPS, or the app on your cell phone, to Gwyneth Hochhausler begin.
to the individual geocacher to determine the difficulty of his or her next find. Some caches are hidden in dangerous terrain, while others can be found somewhere as simple as a park. The two math teachers recalled one adventure in Brattleboro, Vermont that included hiking up a mountain, following sidetrails and entering a cave via rope, where eventually they stumbled upon not only the treasure, but interesting luminescent moss they had never seen before. . Geocaching is a popular activity worldwide. Mr. Dancer said, “When I travel, whether it’s in the U.S. or abroad, I always look to see what geocaches are there and it’s really a great way to see and learn that area.” Mr. Keller recollected his own explorations in faraway places: “When I was on the China trip two years ago with faculty, there was a cache a few miles away from our hotel in Beijing, so I got up at six in the morning. I think I walked three miles each way alone in Beijing so that I could find a little Tupperware container.” The pair’s passion has taken them to various
trash” about the Barton ping-pong players. “I wanted to challenge them, make them put their money where their mouth is,” said Finnegan. According to Finnegan, Barton is “very deep as a dorm,” and also has a key asset: their #1 seed, Sam Vigneault, who, in his childhood, was the Quebec ping-pong champion for his age group. Consequently, Barton ultimately prevailed in the tournament, winning 4-0 in matches and causing
the DeNunzio squad to flee the scene before the start of the fifth match. Explaining the loss, Bronfman said, “My horoscope wasn’t very good that day, so our qi was compromised at the pistol. Other factors included the subpar conditions (a warped table and a net hung shamefully low) in tandem with our questionable skill level.” Emerson Logie ’16 asserted, “If I’d been there, we’d have won.” While Bronfman, who learned to play ping-pong last year during SYA China, acts as a “spiritual leader” for the DeNunzio Ping-Pong team, the official captain is Charlie Carpenter ’16. Carpenter’s analysis: “Barton had some phenomenal players and they were clearly better.” Despite the tough loss, DeNunzio has plans to challenge Barton again in the near future. And the Barton boys are prepared to accept this challenge, confident of another win.
Chloe So
Dear Margo, Rita & Curtis, My mom picked the worst picture ever of me for our holiday card, what do I do? Sincerely, Mad at Mom Dear Mad, Holiday cards have been a source of stress in my household for as long as I can remember. Selecting a picture when we were younger was difficult because in all of our photos someone was either crying (usually me), unclothed (usually me), or had just cut their hair with safety scissors into a mullet (that was actually my sister). As we got older, it was no easier, because what my mom selected as “a cute picture” last year was the reason I insisted she go get her eyes tested. So let’s just say I’m a bit of a veteran in dealing with bad holiday cards and I have some ideas. 1. You need to be proactive. In September, October at the latest, start subtly dropping hints about which picture your mom should choose. The key is to start doing this before your siblings do because if you don’t, the next thing you know your sister looks like a model and you have a double chin. 2. Compromise. If your mom says you’re wearing matching sweaters in the picture this year, do it on one condition: you get to choose which one goes in. That way, even though you look like a Macy’s ad, you avoid looking like the Loch Ness monster. 3. Try to push for the collage. Everyone is happy! Usually your parents will allow each sibling to choose his or her picture, and fist fights among family members over the picture are kept to a minimum. 4. If your mom has already selected the picture and it seems like the end of the world, don’t worry. Every year when I think that our card has to be the worst of all time, someone else’s card comes in with the children wearing matching turtlenecks and holding violins, and I think, “Life’s not so bad.” So moral of the story is that as terrible as your card is, there will be ones that are even more embarrassing—unless you are the kid holding the violin, in which case, good luck to you. Wishing you a Happy ChristmaKwanzaKah, Margo, Rita & Curtis
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Vol. LXXXIX, No. 6
17 december 2014 editor-in-chief HENRY COBBS
managing editor MARGARET CHAPPELL
online editor CHARLIE UGHETTA
front page KATHERINE CHEN
online associate WILLIAM UGHETTA
opinion & editorial GARAM NOH
graphics associate RACHEL YAO
features GORDON XIANG
associate editors DAVID DARLING JULIA DIXON MARGO DOWNES CAROLINE FETT BROOKE HOROWITCH BELLA HUTCHINS RYAN KOLA MADDIE MOON FELIX schliemann ELIZABETH TIEMANN
arts & entertainment MICHELLE KELLY sports COLE FAULKNER video EMILY YUE distribution manager YONG-HUN KIM layout & graphics CHLOE SO photography JISOO RYU
senior writers LUCY BALDWIN CAROLINE COPPINGER OLIVIA DAVIS heyi jiang Dorie Magowan EMILY MAHAN LIAM MORRIS
advisors JULIANNE SCHLOAT & ADA FAN 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. 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.
rejecting complacency
Here at The Scroll, one of our main goals is to address current issues facing the school community and to provoke discussion about these issues throughout the student body and faculty. However, over the past few years, we have occasionally heard that individuals have taken offense at certain article . These articles have often been related to race, socioeconomic and drug issues. We believe that as the school’s student-run newspaper we have the right to address any issue we view as important, as long as what we report is true. In our reporting, we, as a group, are not offering our personal opinion on the given issue. Instead, we try our best to present all sides. Specifically, the views expressed in opinion pieces are those of the individual contributing writer, not of the Scroll Board . Readers may disagree with certain opinions expressed within these pieces, for while articles are written with the goal of being objective, the opinions proffered by individuals interviewed are exactly that—opinions. But to find fault with these issues being reported and being discussed is to wish for the community to retain a stifling silence on issues of great importance to student, faculty and alumni populations. When The Scroll publishes articles about drug issues on campus, examples of racism or political differences, the goal is to stimulate conversation and healthy dialogue. Would you rather that we turn a blind eye to marijuana issues on campus? Or issues of race and socioeconomic class? Pretend these issues don’t exist, because they can be uncomfortable to admit to, and to discuss? Deerfield is not a perfect place, but we love it, and that is why we are not afraid to say: we want to make this place better. And lying to ourselves and pretending Deerfield is perfect the way it is is not the road to progress.
1986 : 4
Deerfield Big Brothers build a human pyramid with their Littles.
OPINION LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Dear Reader, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on Greenfield’s ongoing heroin epidemic and struggles with hunger and poverty as outlined by Heyi’s piece on page 2. I first visited the Academy in 2007 for my sister’s interview and tour. As we drove from the highway to Historic Deerfield and into town for lunch, I observed the quaint farm stands, quiet downtown and rolling plains and came to the conclusion that the area was rural and otherwise unremarkable. But over time, I have come to see the poverty and other issues prevalent in Franklin County. At Second Helpings, I’ve spoken to local families unable to provide a dinner for their young children. I’ve walked by the Recover Project Headquarters on Federal Street. I’ve helped children with their homework at Deerfield Elementary. The old brick buildings along the Connecticut River are actually abandoned mills and factories—reminders of America’s heyday as a land of manufacturing, and then the job loss that followed. Our
immediate surroundings are really not the sleepy and bucolic countryside they appear to be at first glance. The CNN piece that aired this past month still came as a surprise to me, however. I had heard time and time again that Franklin County is the poorest county in Massachusetts. But I had never suspected that the issues involved drugs as serious as heroin nor that they were as widespread as they are. America’s drug culture has indeed entered a new era. For years, society has all but written off hard-core drugs like heroin as only affecting the inner city. Today, however, heroin is affecting predominantly white, middle-class suburbia. I found the program’s closing narration especially impactful: “War on drugs implies us versus them, and all over this part of america people are learning there is no them. There is only us.” The Academy has a long history of taking care of its neighbors. In the days of Boyden, when a local farmer’s barn burned down, the entire student body would take the day off to help rebuild it. I
think it is embedded in the Academy’s DNA to care about the well-being of the people and surrounding land. But in recent years, I think the student body has become more engrossed in their studies and themselves and lost sight of the struggles that our immediate neighbors are experiencing. Many DA students choose to spend breaks in the Dominican Republic or Tanzania for community service. I have absolutely nothing against these good deeds, but just five minutes from campus, there is already an area that is facing hunger, child abuse, drugs and more. You don’t have to fly across the globe to find people in need of your help. They are right here. And you are right here. It’s true—some of these issues are bigger than us. But there are things we can do as Deerfield students. Community service at Deerfield Elementary, Second Helpings and weekend service projects are all ways in which we can actually make a difference—now. Henry Cobbs Editor-in-Chief
an inadequate sexual intimacy policy // DORIE MAGOWAN Senior Writer Deerfield’s sexual intimacy policy states: “Students are asked to exercise thoughtful and appropriate discretion in all their relationships. Consensual sexual intimacy is not permitted for students at Deerfield.” (DAZ). I am appalled that this policy, which claims to guide students “thoughtfully,” blatantly tells us that consensual sex is something to be avoided. This puts both students and teachers in an uncomfortable position. Students are told that consensual sexual acts they may wish to partake in are simply “not permitted,” and the faculty must enforce these rules without discussion or reasoning. The biggest issue with the sexual intimacy policy at Deerfield is the extreme ambiguity of parietals rules. As determining the specific details of parietals rules is left up to the discretion of the faculty member on duty, each faculty member draws from his or her own subjective idea of what kind of intimacy is “appropriate” or not. This creates a major gray area for students, especially those whose families’ or personal beliefs might vastly differ from those of the faculty members. Teachers who believe students should not engage in any kind of intimate activity “check” on parietals numerous times, while others choose not to check on students at all. Consequently, students spend a lot of time planning which dorm to get parietals in. The current, terribly ambiguous sexual intimacy policy only encourages dishonesty in students, who resort to sneaking around the faculty to spend intimate time with their significant other. If students get parietals privileges revoked, they then resort to meeting with their significant other in public spaces such as classrooms. This presents two issues. First of all, teachers and security guards are forced to waste their time trying to “catch” students at
hooking up. Second, as a result, popular public spaces such as classrooms are sometimes locked, preventing students from using them to study. Last year, a rule was implemented in the Arms building that students working in the classrooms must keep the doors wide open. There have been numerous instances of boys and girls simply doing homework together in the building, and then being asked to leave classrooms by teachers or custodians because, though they were simply working together, the situation was deemed “inappropriate.” At night, classroom buildings transform from spaces of learning t o
Alex Patrylak
spaces of distrust on both the sides of the students and t h e faculty. In health class sophomore year, students are taught healthy and safe choices to make when they are ready to include consensual sex in their relationships. Condoms are provided in the peer counseling office and health center. It is extremely confusing for students to be told they have the safe resources to have sex if they choose to do so, then that they cannot even rely on their dorm rooms to be comfortable spaces for such consensual activity, which can be both healthy and natural in a relationship. Furthermore, Deerfield students are of a variety of ages, from 13 to 19. High school is a time in which all students change and grow in many ways over the course of four years. It does not make sense for the parietals rules that apply to younger freshmen be the same for seniors. By graduation, most seniors are legal adults, who boast much greater emotional
maturity than they did when they were freshmen. Both legally and perhaps even morally, it simply makes no sense for students 16 and older to be forced to adhere to Deerfield’s sexual intimacy policy, provided their partners are also of a consensual age. On the other side, students who are not old enough to consent do not fully understand the implications of choosing to have sex with someone over the age of 16,. It is time for there to be a distinction. There’s a reason why we have a legal age of consent. It is impossible for the sexual intimacy policy, as it stands now, to create a safe sexual environment for Deerfield students. I encourage the school to create a new policy. reasoning provided, that clearly states what is and isn’t allowed, so that students have more clarity. In addition, I encourage the school to consider the vast age range of its students, and the implications of allowing teachers to exercise their own beliefs when it comes to parietals, and modify the policy accordingly. There are many distinctions between younger and older students in the rulebook. The sexual intimacy policy should be consistent with other agerelated policies. Deciding the details of parietals regulations should no longer be up to the discretion of faculty members. Students and faculty both deserve a clear set of guidelines to which both groups are held accountable. Ultimately, Deerfield’s sexual intimacy policy and parietals rules need to be reformed to create a more comfortable, emotionally safe environment for all students. There always have been and always will be students who are sexually active on campus. The only logical option is for the school to provide a safe and comfortable environment for all, rather than turn a blind eye to what will inevitably continue to take place. Until then, relationships at Deerfield will continue to involve deceit and discomfort.
The Deerfield Scroll
17 December 2014
hernandez addresses problematic dress code // JAEL HERNANDEZ-
VASQUEZ
Language Teacher Late last autumn, a pod of pink whales socialized with a herd of golden sheep around the cardboard recycling on every floor of Field. Outside, the leaves fell and the campus dulled to a bleak color. Boys decorated their dress with bright bow ties. Girls wore waxed olive coats and high brown boots en masse. By mid-November, a silent, social force incentivized most of the students to dress in a similar fashion. Deerfield demands dress. Ivied cravats adorn his tailored buildings. His bearded lawns, leafy locks, and flowery sideburns enjoy professional grooming; he upholds appearance well. His faculty and young patrons ape his etiquette out of tradition. The dress code prescribes that they sport a white-collar uniform he calls Class Dress. This Dress distinguishes Deerfield. The word “class” partitions. It divides by value (e.g. academic subjects, class years, coach and business, upper, middle, and lower socioeconomic classes, etc). This is not exclusive to Deerfield; our society harbors the human habit of dividing the world into parts. At Deerfield, Class Dress sets limits to the terms male, female, student, faculty and staff. Males wear blazers, ties and dress shirts—no jeans and no facial hair. In the winter, a sweater instead of a sports-
coat is permissible. Females wear two visible layers. They can wear blazers like the males; few want to, fewer do. Regardless of what gender wears it, the sports jacket ostensibly implies authority, business, class, dominance, etc. The code enables one gender to wear the jacket because it explicitly commands one to do so and not the other. This may prove problematic when considering power dynamics in a classroom or around a sitdown table. The code sets up the jacketwearing males as the norm and anything else as the “other.” It ought to support treating our students equally. It should either urge that both genders wear the jacket or that they both wear two v i s i b l e layers. This
Rachel Yao
discrepancy concerning dress propagates a subconscious message about differences between male and female
students and faculty. The more we make one party different in our mind the more unequal it becomes. It is my opinion that Class Dress socially and culturally “others” female students here. Last year, I asked a group of girls why they chose not to wear blazers. One student responded that blazers were not flattering to females. I respected her answer but countered it with these questions: Why is a blazer, the symbol authority in our society, flattering to a boy and not a girl? What does that say about Deerfield when we expect our boys to wear blazers and leave it as an unpracticed option for our girls? Besides its being a comfort issue, why do more girls choose not to wear our capitalistic society’s garment of power? Our girls seem to dominate the academics. Last spring the majority of the senior awards went to girls. At this year’s convocation, the Cum Laude Society welcomed 13 girls and 1 boy. Our girls get the academic reputation but fall short of the major social recognition they equally deserve. Last spring I witnessed a bagpiper leading our male’s varsity lacrosse team down to the fields. I enjoyed the music and the procession but was let down when the girl’s varsity lacrosse team did not get the same treatment. Instead, they made do with a boom box. Male varsity sports dominate our attention while female varsity
sports do not. I can kinda sorta understand why this is the case in the world outside Deerfield, but I cannot wrap my head around why it happens here. We say that we are a community and that our
school spirit is strong. If it is that strong, then there should be enough Deerfield spirit to support both female and male sports regardless of the level and the sport. We should stop focusing our attention on male this and female that. Regardless of a student’s gender, any Deerfield student is a Deerfield student, and that’s all that ought to matter. Class Dress “others” other people in our community. I have only seen my father wear a suit twice in my life. The first time was when he was best man at my uncle’s wedding; the other was for my graduation from St. Paul’s School. My father is a handyman. He cleans, fixes and tends to an apartment building in the Upper East Side. He wears comfortable sneakers that allow him to move up and down the building, dark green working pants and a lightgreen collared shirt with the building corporation’s name and logo on the front. When I was a student at
Columbia, I would visit him during his lunch hour. At first he felt the need to change into his normal clothes because he did not want me to see him as a worker. I told him that I was proud and that he should be too, and that having to change r o b b e d time from his lunch (and from me). My mother felt the same when she c l e a n e d Rachel Yao rooms at the Hotel Marriott in New Jersey. Dress sets working staff apart physically, emotionally and psychologically. I am cognizant of this dynamic whenever I enter the dining hall. Students sit together in most of the tables, and faculty and staff eat separately; rarely do they all sit together. There exists no written rule about this social segregation, but it’s a phenomenon that prevails in our Class Dress community. I once read a book that a former Deerfield student wrote about the staff that works at Deerfield, often behind the scenes. I thought to myself, “This is great.” Even greater still would be if we got to learn who these people are in person, through dialogue, through lunches and dinners with them, through their own words instead of through a Deerfield publication. Concluding points: Deerfield is fettered to its Class Dress. It should at least consider making the dress more equal for students and leave gender out of it. As for the rest . . .
flaska on drug-free johnson + stress // JAN FLASKA Dean of Spiritual & Ethical Life A traditional story in the Confucian tradition explains how Ox Mountain—once beautiful, full of foliage and animal life, and abundant with rich soil—became a bald and barren eyesore on the horizon. The story relates this fact: Ox Mountain did not come to exist in this manner by its own doing. Only through repeated hunting and logging, the constant picking of flowers and taking of fruit and, thus, the absence of decomposing material to give nutrients to the soil, did Ox Mountain become anathema to nature and what it once was. Ox Mountain became less of its true self because of the inconsiderate short-term interests of others. Life at Deerfield Academy does not have to be hard. Life at Deerfield Academy does not have to be stressful. Life at Deerfield Academy, truly, is life at Deerfield Academy. It is what it is, and these facts are not in question: We are sheltered; we are safe; we are well fed; we are well taught; we are well behaved; we are in a place of privilege; and we can easily acknowledge the good fortune that has allowed us to be dropped off in this place just after Labor Day, and picked up just around Memorial Day, each year. I cringe a bit when I hear about stress in such a place. To be motivated and challenged, and to be pushed to excel, should not be replaced with the poisonous idea of stress when we have the comfortable trappings of life that few in this world even know about, let alone will ever enjoy. I offer this comment for you to refute: ideas
like stress are nebulous and, unfortunately, infectious. If we hear that others are stressed, we like that song. If someone coughs stress, we wonder if it has breached our defenses and if we have caught it. Much like social pressures, an idea like stress is imposed on us from the outside, being absent otherwise o n the inside. Evidence that stress is not our own: it emerges b e c a u s e we are surrounded by that word, which i s loaded with assumptions about how we should respond when challenged. We only get stressed because we hear that others are stressed. Stress is an external construct that we feel pressure to welcome into our souls because, truthfully, it is an easy response to a situation that instead should call for resilience. Some time ago, we all heard the challenges our community has faced with the presence of drugs in the dorms, and drugs being distributed among our students. I am going to plead and advocate naïveté in this comment, paraphrasing the little green master Jedi mentor so many of us know and whose wisdom we should heed: Drugs does not a drug problem make. Our community,
understandably, at times, needs to confront the presence of temptation—for example, online pornography, or vile language behind the closed door of a dorm room, or virtual anonymity, or weed—but what we really need is to be, at times, reminded of the great blessing of a life we lead here, and the naming of the bad choices that cloud our judgment to believe that certain temptations need
affirmation and assimilation because these are real problems beyond our walls. Our few problems, in such a wonderful place, are not specific to a particular temptation. Instead, I believe that they actually emerge from the simple moment when we somehow assume that stress is real, or drugs are a rite of passage in adolescent life, or good sex should be violent, or plagiarism has long-term benefits, or, in summary, that I matter more than the collective community.
These problems can emerge from convoluted images of an advertising-heavy world that beat down on us from the screens that stare back at us for so many hours each day. These ideas emerge from explicit media and demeaning music that Deerfield Academy students will never proudly share with their teenage children (I can guarantee this). We don’t ask community members to put down their phones on Albany Road because we want to interrupt a conversation. We ask all of us to do it because we need a break, and so do you, and so here we are and there you are. Hello. D r u g Free Johnson is a simple initiative that started on a lark; and candidly, I hope the joke is not on me. Chloe So Forty-five boys in the dorm came to me, looked me in the eye, shook my hand, and said, “I am committed to a drug-free Johnson.” I was moved to make this request—not requirement— of the boys while carrying the memory of my emotional plea to the same group of boys last year when they put their selfish interests ahead of the caring considerations that should have been offered to a friend who was walking down a dangerous path. Again, the main problem to confront at a place like this is when someone believes that they matter more than the
community. This can be as simple as the pervasiveness of exemptions in athletics, the unexcused absences at School Meeting, the phone on your ear when in company, the indifference to a napkin on the floor of the Dining Hall—or as complicated as watching eight friends sit in front of a Disciplinary Committee knowing the sad truth that they will carry this setback with them going forward, and you or I should have been the one to help. If DFJ does nothing else than honor the abundant, beautiful and bountiful other and dull the smug self, then some degree of success can be measured. Remember the story of Ox Mountain. Remember that its original nature is beautiful, varied, lively and life-giving. Remember that individuals, in not caring about its original state, tore life from it of their own volition and for their own benefit. So when someone comes to us and says, “I am SO stressed,” respond by saying, “It sounds like you have many great opportunities; let’s talk.” When someone comes to me to say, “I am checking in to Johnson,” I say, “Drug-Free Johnson?” When you are in the room and someone yells the f-word five times in the brief moment it takes to make 10 passes in FIFA, say, “Hey, I am sitting right here.” When someone brings something to campus that does not belong, or asks you to participate in something that makes you less proud and more empty, say, “Hey, remember the story of Ox Mountain?” Our true and beautiful selves can be reclaimed if the damaging ideas of the outside world are named for what they really are and kept where they belong.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Big green aims for the silver screen //Helena Tebeau Staff Writer Over 25 Deerfield students have begun filming Novacane {sic}, with the ambitious goals of screening it at film festivals. Written and directed by Dane Scott ’16, the movie centers on teenager Charlie and her spiral into a life of crime as she searches for answers concerning her mother and brother’s deaths. The movie is being filmed mostly on campus, with select scenes in the surrounding area. Auditions for roles in the film were held during fall term. Tia Jonsson ’16 leads the company as Charlie, alongside Dorie Magowan ’15, Sami Habel ’16, Lucas Tupinamba ’16, Healy Knight ’16, Nico Williamson ’15 and Katherine Goguen ’16. Besides the cast, many students have taken on jobs behind the camera. With three producers, a set manager, director of
a noteworthy cocurricular //nina mcgowan Staff Writer
Brooke Horowitch
Alex Guo ’18, Tia Johnson ’16, Lucas Tupinamba ’16, Director Dane Scott ’14, Caroline Fett ’14, and Tarah Timothe ’15 photography, associate producers, a composer, cinematography associates, fashion correspondents and more, the project holds many opportunities for students to showcase their talents in different artistic areas. Scott said, “I wanted to take a group of teenagers who lost that fight [maintaining their identities] and caved in to this tempting search for a good life, regardless of the bad things they had to do to achieve that
Provided by Dane Scott
Tupinamba ‘14 and Johnson ‘14 share an emotional scene in student film Novacane
lifestyle.” Jonsson added, “[The movie] will address issues like drug abuse, relationships, economic status and sexual identity, among other things.” Over time, Scott’s script has “changed significantly in order to accommodate some amazing talent.” He emphasizes creating characters that match the personalities of the actors, which he accomplished through conversations he had with them and the producers. Although the film is predominantly student run, Scott is thankful for the help and support he is receiving from Visual and Performing Arts teacher Tim Trelease, the project supervisor, and Theater Director Catriona Hynds. Dane explained his ultimate purpose, “I think the goal in telling any story is to have it be experienced by everyone who is interested in hearing it, and that’s what we hope to accomplish.”
meet the rhapso-D’s
For many, afternoon practices at Deerfield have i nvo lve d fields, rinks and courts; but for a group of
participated in chamber music since her freshman y e a r ,
explained why she chose this co-curricular: “I chose to do Music Service because I wanted to pursue a Rachel Yao different style of dedicated music and collaborate musicians, it now calls for with new people.” instruments, scales and Music Service is not only arpeggios. an opportunity to focus on It can be difficult for music, but to explore unfamiliar musicians to find the time to and new music styles. While practice their instruments Music Service is open to all while keeping up with the many students, Mr. Van Eps stressed demands of the day. Music that it is demanding and timeService is a co-curricular that consuming. offers students the opportunity He is eager to get more to focus on music throughout students involved, but Mr. Van the term and to share their Eps also noted, “You need to talents with the community. play or sing at a level where you Meeting every weekday can work independently—there except Wednesday, students is really no time for instruction.” practice either independently Although very rewarding, or collaborate in groups for an Music Service requires hour and a half. At the end of dedication and a certain level the term, they share their hard of expertise. Yin said of the work with both Deerfield and gratifying experience, “I’ve the surrounding community. realized that it’s important as a Former Music Director Dan musician to put your work out Roihl launched the program last there for people to see, and to year with a focus on classical know that music is not about musicians. This year, new practicing by yourself for hours Director of Music Maaja Roos in a practice room.” has taken over Music Service Ms. Roos encapsulated the with the help of Visual and purpose and spirit of Music Performing Arts teacher John Service as a co-curricular option Van Eps. The biggest change, Mr. by saying, “Music becomes alive Van Eps said, is that rock, pop once it is performed for others. and jazz musicians have joined It is a win-win situation in that the program, giving musicians students see their work come of all styles the opportunity to to fruition, while the people who work together. hear it are nurtured and healed.” Maggie Yin ’16, who has
Leading Ladies will Make you Laugh Elliot Gilbert
The Rhapso D’s pose during a rehersal
//gillian o’connor Staff Writer What is a typical rehearsal like?
What’s your favorite part of being a Rhapso-D?
Who is your biggest influence musically?
Andrea and Yuri: We start at 6:15. Penelope is warming up to a high G. We all gather around the piano and warm up, then Mr. Van Eps comes in and helps us learn the songs. One minute later, he's caught secretly peacing out.
Lucy: Getting to practice with a bunch of awesome people and sing at the same time.
Garam: Jay-Z + All the musicallyinclined Disney movies.
If you could trade places with someone famous, who would it be? Garam: Putin. Penelope: Renée Fleming. Audrey: Elsa from Frozen. Helena: Will Smith, because who doesn’t want to be Will Smith for a day? Who is rapper?
your
favorite
Lucy: KANYE. PRAISE YEEZUS. Audrey: Tupac Shakur.
Audrey: I love being a Rhapso-D because singing offers a release from the stresses of everyday life here at Deerfield. How did you singing?
get
Penelope: My grandmother or Renée Fleming. Do you have any hidden talents?
into
Andrea: I can touch my nose with my tongue while singing.
Helena: Ever since I could talk, I’ve used singing to annoy my brother, whenever we drove anywhere or at home. And I continued singing from there in talent shows and in musicals!
Yuri: I can catch a fly with chopsticks.
Yuri: I auditioned for the Korean version of American Idol when I was in seventh grade, but got rejected the first round. I continued singing anyways.
Helena: Sometimes we have a little trouble with movement.
Penelope: My grandmother introduced me to it.
Yuri: Garam.
What is the biggest obstacle for the RhapsoD’s?
//Vaish Gajaraj Staff Writer This winter, the theater program is preparing the lighthearted comedy Leading Ladies, written by Ken Ludwig and directed by Theater Director Catriona Hynds. A warm contemporary American comedy set in Pennsylvania, Leading Ladies strives to shift from the grave and dramatic atmosphere of the fall production, Blood Wedding, to a touching but witty comedy. Clever and even a bit outrageous, Leading Ladies is a production in which Ms. Hynds aims to maintain a cheerful spirit throughout rehearsal and performances. At times, Ms. Hynds finds that “the productions of comedies are much harder than directing tragedies,” as “jokes are funny the first and perhaps the second
time, but certainly not the 100th time!” Although this situation may present a challenge in the directing process at first, Ms. Hynds is certain that she has found the perfect eight actors for the job: Will Darling ’15, Austin Parenteau ’15, Sarah Jinich ’15 , Charlie Pink ’18, Abby Lupi ’18, Owen McPhee ’18, and Aiden Day ’18. As she puts it, actors who have “both the stamina and faith in the material” are those that will really pull this production through and keep up the playful farce that Ms. Hynds envisions. She expects that this play will be a huge success for the company and is eager to cheer up the community this winter. When asked why students should see the play, she responded with her characteristic passion and ambition: “Why on earth would you not go and see this play?!”
Who goofs off the most during rehearsals?
Audrey: Garam. Andrea: Garam.
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Mikaela Wellner