The Deerfield Scroll: April 15, 2015 by The Deerfield Scroll

/Scroll

Vol. XC, No. 1

/DeerfieldScroll

Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA

15 April 2015

THE FUTURE OF DEERFIELD: THE MASTER PLAN //ETHAN THAYUMANAVAN Associate Editor Last year, Deerfield’s administration sent a survey to students inquiring about which areas of campus needed improvements or additions, and which areas were strongest. The results have been instrumental in helping facilitate a “Master Plan” to improve the quality of life at the Academy. Students highlighted three main areas of importance for improvement: the Athletic Center, the Library, and Health Center. Almost 80% of the 212 students who took the survey suggested that Deerfield needs a field house. The survey also demonstrated the desire for Library renovations and Health Center improvements. Keith Finan, associate head of operations and CFO at Deerfield, said, “What the Master Plan did was just say, ‘Okay, so what does everyone on campus feel is really important that we need to protect, and what are things that we need to improve or need to add to campus?’”

Then the administration took action. It will authorize big changes in years to come based on the community’s input. Deerfield has partnered w i t h Architectural Resources Cambridge (ARC) to make the Master Plan a reality. Mr. Finan said, “[ARC] helped us go through a campus M a s t e r Planning process, where we and they met with every department on campus, both academic and administrative departments, to talk about current needs, their vision, and what they wanted to accomplish. These departmental meetings, along with the student survey, have helped ARC and the administration get a big

inside the admission process //CAMILLE MOECKEL Associate Editor Throughout the fall and winter, teenagers filed in and out of the Deerfield Admissions Office to determine if Deerfield was the right fit for them and if they were the right fit for Deerfield. About 1,850 prospective students submitted applications, vying for very few spots. In March, only 327 prospective students (16%) received admission, compared to last year’s similar 15%. The school hopes for a 61% yield, or about 200 accepted offers. According to Dean of Admission Pamela Safford, the student body has grown too large, and the school has been working to “right-size” the school down to 625 students through a three-year plan that commenced last year. This effort to downsize the number of students impacts applicants for the sophomore and junior classes, because the number of students admitted for those grades will shrink further. Therefore, the Admission Office must reject or wait-list a great number of qualified students. Every year, the admission team focuses on picturing the ideal incoming Deerfield student in order to choose between competitive applicants. According to Ms. Safford, Deerfield needs to “ensure that our overall composition remains interesting and varied” while continuing “to raise the academic profile of the class.” The Admission Office utilized a “DA Student Composite,” developed in 2013, to guide their selection. The composite states, “Deerfield Academy is committed to high standards of scholarship, citizenship and

personal responsibility.” Using the composite, admission officers view students based on these three categories. Ms. Safford also discussed the Hess Center’s influence on last year’s process: “A first-class arts building does, indeed, challenge us to include, among our many other needs, students who have expressed strong interest in the visual and performing arts . . . Having a new facility simply reminds us of the importance of this aspect of the program.” Ms. Safford explained that while the Admission Office focused on the visual and performing arts last admission season, they were determined to prioritize sports and fill Deerfield’s teams with topnotch athletes this year. Ms. Safford explained that “this is a first step toward the greater goal to improve some of our historically strong, but more recently less successful, athletic teams, so that students on these teams can reasonably expect to go into the year with a shot at a winning season.” Thus, the Admission Office is working to make Deerfield once again a forerunner in athletics, accepting more athletes whenever possible. Many have lamented the decline of Deerfield athletic programs— for instance, football’s record of 2 wins and 6 losses, and girls ice hockey at 9 wins and 14 losses. Nonetheless, the Deerfield admission process remains fiercely competitive. The pool consists of all different types of applicants, from artists to athletes to impressive students. The officers work meticulously to pick out a student body that is as diverse and well-rounded as possible.

picture of what the community feels needs to be changed.” The first task on the Master Plan is to renovate the Library. The process will commence at the end of the school year, to be completed by December 2015. After renovations, the Library will be home to more classrooms, group study rooms,

student seating and several new offices. The new space will also include a permanent Innovation Lab in the basement. Overall, the Library will offer students additional space and comfort for studying, as well as additional resources. Next, the Master Plan will focus on improving the Athletic Center. Currently, the ice rink is one of the least energy-efficient buildings on campus. Therefore, the administration plans to build a more sustainable field house connected to a new ice rink. This new field house will be most beneficial when students cannot play sports outside in winter or

bad weather, and it will give all the sport facilities extra space for practices and games. The Health Center remains another major area for potential improvement at Deerfield. The Master Plan provides more rooms and beds for ill students. It also seeks to expand the infirmary’s facilities. In addition, many question whether or not a dorm should be located above the Health Center. Does this location offer enough space the Deerfield Health Center requires? The Master Plan addresses these issues by ensuring that the Health Center becomes a more comfortable, better-equipped facility while maximizing the space available for dorm rooms and other communal needs. The Master Plan aspires to improve the quality of life at Deerfield for all members of the community. The Plan addresses key areas needing improvement but also preserves Deerfield’s traditional aspects. In the future, we shall see more elements of the Master Plan come to life.

AN ORIGINAL TEBEAU PRODUCTION //KIANA RAWJI Staff Writer For four years, Josh Tebeau ‘16 has been working on a documentary entitled Picking Up the Pieces, now on the verge of completion. The film is a collection of stories from child survivors of the Holocaust, a synthesis of how they recovered from and rebuilt their lives after tremendous hardship and trauma. While Tebeau had previous experience in film, Picking Up the Pieces was his first major endeavor. Not only did he end up with over 40 hours of interview footage, but he also captured stories that affect people on a global scale. Videography teacher Tim Trelease, Tebeau’s project mentor, highlighted the documentary’s uniqueness, praising its “depth and breadth of ambition.” Tebeau brainstormed the film as an eighth-grader, when he met child survivors of the Holocaust who spoke at his school. Originally, he’d planned to make an eight-minute documentary. However, once he delved into his research, Josh found that “there hadn’t ever been a film made on child survivors that looked at them collectively and tried to build one story.” From this realization came the idea of creating one narrative from a multitude of memories and emotions. Now, his film spans 27 minutes. On his website, Tebeau states that his film is centered on the question “How do you live after surviving the Holocaust?” The film focuses on five key themes especially relevant to child survivors of the Holocaust: forgiveness, belief in God, home, Jewish identity and memory. On the website, Tebeau says, “Telling the story this way makes

Josh Tebeau

Josh Tebeau and his father working behind the scenes of his film. it unlike any other documentary. It creates a choral effect with individual voices merging into a haunting harmony.” During the summer of 2014, Tebeau travelled extensively, tracking down and interviewing 30 survivors of the Holocaust all over the world. During the process, he came across significant challenges. Mr. Trelease thought that the toughest part of this project was taking more than 40 hours of raw footage and deciding how to organize it and, above all, how to tell the story. He and Tebeau both mentioned that the stories were very emotional, and oftentimes difficult for the survivors to share. One of the most compelling stories Tebeau encountered was that of Simon Gronowski. Germans put him-as a boy-on a train to Auschwitz with his mother. When the train stopped for a brief interval, his mother instructed him to jump off. However, he looked back at his mother, and Tebeau recounted, “Just from that eye contact

[Simon] . . . learned that she wasn’t going to follow him, and she wanted him to go alone, because she would slow him down.” While these were the kind of emotional stories that were sometimes hard for the survivors to tell, they were the ones worth telling. Fortunately, Tebeau was able to overcome the challenges he faced because, in the eyes of Mr. Trelease, he was “incredibly selfmotivated . . . thoughtful, and willing to put himself out there.” Given their age, the number of child survivors around the world is steadily decreasing. As Mr. Trelease noted, Josh’s “idea is to capture these first-hand stories before it is too late.” On April 30, Deerfield Academy will screen Tebeau’s Picking Up the Pieces. He then hopes to screen it at film festivals at other functions. Through his documentary, Tebeau will share with the world memories that would otherwise be lost.

CELeBRATING THE

Ashley Wang

ANNIVERSARY OF

THE SCROLL

JOHN HAYNES ‘43, oldest living EDITOR-INCHIEF, REFLECTS ON SCROLL HISTORY //ETHAN THAYUMANAVAN Associate Editor As Deerfield celebrates the 25th anniversary of its return to coeducation, the Academy also reaches another important milestone: the Deerfield Scroll’s 90th birthday. The Scroll initially focused on sports, but over time, it evolved into a comprehensive newspaper that facilitated community discussion. Former Editor-in-Chief John Haynes Jr. ’43 was one person who helped bring about this change. Mr. Haynes said, “Well, I tried to run [The Scroll] with as much contemporary student news as possible. It had been

very oriented toward just sports. We kept the sports of course, but we tried to make it more broad than just sports, with all the student activities, thoughts, and ideas.” The paper sought to generate casual, daily discussion throughout Deerfield. Haynes added, “We all have our own special interests, but we tried to make this something that was inclusive to everyone in their own different ways, with things that affected various individuals of various groups in the school, giving them an opportunity to express their opinions, interests and ideas more than had been the case before.” While The Scroll has

been an integral part of the Deerfield community since its inception, the paper has expanded considerably since Mr. Haynes’s day. Haynes reflected on the editorial board structure: “We had a couple of assistant editors, and we divided things up. One of them did just sports, and the other one followed everything else going on in the school. The Scroll evolved into a campus forum that even generated some controversy. Mr. Haynes reflected, “We made it very much a part of the contemporary life of the school. We got a lot of reaction. The letters to the editor at that time became very interesting and very frequent.”

Everyone believed The Scroll should be a true reflection of the student body’s opinions and concerns, and the editors sought to represent everyone. Mr. Haynes elaborated, “We tried to make the paper more inclusive of the things that students were interested in, we got more input from students to put into the paper, and we just tried to make it a more total picture of the school.” Ninety years have gone by since the first issue of The Scroll. The everevolving student-run paper has continually sought to provide a true representation of the concerns and interests of the student body. Here’s to 90 more years!

The Deerfield Scroll

15 April 2015

First issue of The Scroll in 1926

THE SCROLL OVER THE YEARS: our coverage of...

Deerfield vs. Choate in 1946

The Greer Store serving cocktails to students back in 1992

The Koch Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s construction in 2006

George Bush, Sr. making the 1998 Commencement Address

The Dining Hall Fire and Reconstruction in 2010

Vol. XC, No. 1

OPINION

15 april 2015 editor-in-chief BELLA HUTCHINS

managing editor brooke horowitch

distribution manager justin hsu

front page editor margo downes

social media editor elizabeth tiemann

opinion & editorial editor caroline fett

online editor william UGHETTA

features editor julia dixon arts & entertainment editor Maggie yin

online associate editor freddie johnson layout associate editor alex guo

sports editor david darling

photography associate editor valerie ma

spread editor DAne scott

graphics associate editor tia jonsson

layout editor ashley wang photography editor gwyneth hochhausler graphics editor rachel yao video editors EMILY YUE josh tebeau

associate editors vaish gajaraj camille moeckel richard park ethan thayumanavan katie morse Nia goodridge senior writers katherine heaney heyi jiang maddie moon felix schliemann

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Reader, First and foremost, I would like to thank Henry Cobbs and the rest of the 2014-15 Scroll board for all of the amazing work they’ve done. Henry and his staff produced a paper that always kept the entire school talking. They did not shy away from highlighting the sensitive or controversial aspects of Deerfield, and truly found a way to initiate change in the community through the material they published. The discussions that developed around campus this past year as a result of The Scroll illuminate just how powerful a tool this paper can be in fostering a sense of inclusion

and truth here at Deerfield. I also want to say how honored and humbled I am to head the 2015-16 Scroll board. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to play a role in sparking connections and conversations between students and teachers alike. As a board, we want to be real. We want to share everything with our readers—both the good and the bad. We want to urge you, reader, to take advantage of The Scroll as a platform for discussion. We want you to recognize The Scroll as an outlet to address the things that you’re thinking about: if there is something you want to bring to light, step forward and tell us.

Only through the participation of our readers will we be able to make The Scroll as valuable as it can be. Finally, I want to congratulate all of those who have been involved in The Scroll’s growth over the years. This issue marks the 90th year of The Scroll’s existence—something really worth celebrating. As seen in this issue’s spread, The Scroll started off mostly as a sports review paper, and 90 years later has transformed into something really special. Here’s to many more.

social life. I sat in my first classes as a freshman and watched the 11 or 12 other students; their eyes were glued to the teacher because they couldn’t wait to learn. When I went to class back home, the 29 other students were barely there. Many slept through class, and others swore at the teacher until they were told to go home. (They did this on purpose, by the way.) While I was attending my public school in Nova Scotia, I never thought this dynamic was anything out of the ordinary. As far as I knew, everyone around the world was “learning” in the same way. It was normal for people to skip classes and not have homework, and the casual hallway fight during lunch break was no rare occurrence. But Deerfield showed me otherwise. Deerfield showed me that my old school wasn’t really a

“school.” It was a place where no one cared about you or your academic achievements—not even your own teachers. At Deerfield, everyone wants you to excel. Your friends, teachers and peers all believe in you, and I never had that before. Coming to Deerfield without ever having experienced that type of support actually hurt my confidence at first: it took a while for me to accept that others wanted to help, rather than bring me down. It took me all of freshman year to figure things out. But with the support of teachers, my advisor, and my friends, I finally found a way to balance all the different aspects of my new life. By sophomore winter, I could finally say, “I got it.” And it was then that I was able to truly start enjoying my time here at Deerfield.

high-achieving kids at my old school isn’t the only reason I struggled when I first arrived at Deerfield. I come from a very religious, Indian-American background. Accustomed to a life of going to temple every week in jeans, a graphic t-shirt and New Balance sneakers, I found out at Deerfield how sheltered I had been in Princeton. I was transitioning from a uniform society full of “typical public school kids” into a more diverse one, with country-club kids and poets, lacrosse PGs and robotics geeks. My public school repressed the individuality of its students; we were all mixed together in a dark cauldron of grey mediocrity. I was not surrounded by national-level athletes or brilliant mathematicians. That is why, upon arriving at Deerfield, I quickly formed an inferiority complex. Coming from a school with far lower standards, I found it hard on my sense of self to compete with some of the most social, extroverted, intelligent, athletic and artistically talented students in the country. I found myself questioning my place in the community and wondering what my purpose was at Deerfield. Making the adjustment

harder was the fact that without my old friends and parents around, I couldn’t find the motivation to work as hard as I had in the past. As motivation decreased, the amount of work exponentially increased and I often wanted to quit. But through this stressful transition period, I learned something incredibly valuable. Initially, coming to Deerfield made me want to be someone that I wasn’t. I yearned to be more athletic, social and intelligent than I really am. But one day, a good friend of mine made me rethink my approach by reminding me of our school’s motto: “Be Worthy of Your Heritage.” I realized then that I was too busy worrying about who I wanted to become, and not focused enough on improving who I already am. I cannot imagine how different my perspective would be if I had never left Princeton. Deerfield, although very challenging at first, opened me up to the world and gave me a better sense of self. At the beginning of my transition, I was unsure if I wanted to continue at this school. But in the past seven months, I know that I have found my place in this small pond of big fish.

All the best, Bella Hutchins Editor-In-Chief

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 and is uncensored. 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.

Don’t Worry, Be happy Colleges, colleges, colleges . . . It seems like the whole school has fallen into chaos since college decisions came out a couple of weeks ago. Underclassmen and juniors walked around on eggshells on “Ivy Tuesday,” and cringed when they thought about going through the dreaded process themselves. But we here at The Scroll have a message for all of you worriers: everything is going to be okay. Some of you seniors are stressed about what you know is in store, and others still don’t have a clue about where you’ll end up. But we urge you to remember that wherever life takes you, Deerfield has you well prepared for it. Think about it this way: Deerfield is an environment that kindles the fires of hard work and responsibility. While inevitably some of us take to those qualities more than others, our Deerfield days have made sure that we all (yes–all of us) have the foundation necessary to succeed in college and beyond. We here at The Scroll strongly believe that everyone ends up where they are supposed to, and that everything happens for a reason. So to all of the seniors leaving us in six short weeks, we wish you the best of luck….but we don’t think you’ll need it. GO TO DEERFIELD.EDU/SCROLL TO READ SAM MORSE’S ARTICLE ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES ON DEERFIELD SPRING BREAK TRIPS.

Katherine Burd

//TAYLOR MORASH Contributing Writer Before I came to Deerfield, I didn’t know how to do long division . . . I still don’t. Coming from a public school in Nova Scotia and arriving at one of the most prestigious private high schools in America was a difficult adjustment for me—to say the least. Back home, sports were my number-one priority. Upon arriving at Deerfield, though, I had to shift my focus to academics. I’d thought Africa was a country . . . So how was I supposed to decode Romeo and Juliet? My transition to Deerfield was especially difficult because of where I come from. I live 764 miles away, and at the age of 14, I was lost and confused as to why I was even here. I couldn’t manage my work along with sports and my

//VAISH GAJARAJ Associate Editor Coming to Deerfield has been the most fascinating and influential experience of my life. I was born in Singapore, and moved to Princeton, New Jersey when I was five years old. In my new home, I attended public school. There, we didn’t have mandatory co-curriculars as we do here. There were only eight after-school clubs open to freshmen, and most of them were very selective. The majority of my peers had no responsibilities. An average student might go home after school, smoke some weed, sleep and then waste hours of time doing nothing before finally starting his homework. Procrastination was the norm. My friends and I actually used to have contests to see who could waste the most time. None of this affected our grades or sports, though, because classes were a breeze and extracurriculars were nonexistent. Looking back, I am not surprised by the shock I faced when I came to Deerfield. My lifestyle at public school was, in many ways, self-destructive and irresponsible. But the lack of motivated,

The Deerfield Scroll 15 April 2015

THE DEERFIELD COMMUNITY REFLECTS ON YIK YAK

RACHEL YAO

Perso nal Howev ly, I am ag er, on ains t e can Yik Y app p ak. argue ro vi d that t es an for pe he enviro ople t nmen o hon their t op es tly expres anony inions beh s ind a mity. in wh It off wall o i ch ers f Deerfi the true ch a platfor m eld co aracte r of t m mu n d ispl he s tu de ay. It’s also ity is put nts ca o n a p lace w n exe of spe here ech. G rcise their sai d, f ree d e o rge O “If lib om r well erty m all, it once eans mean a ny s we h tell p eople ave th thing at what e rig h t h t ey do hear.” n’t wa to -Matt nt to Kane ’15

The Deerfield Scroll

FEATURES

15 April 2015

NOT-SO-INTERSCHOLASTIC DANCING

Dear Margo, Rita & Curtis,

//Perry Hamm Staff Writer

I really don’t want to play Gotcha, but everyone tells me that it’s not my choice! What should I do? Sincerely, Anonymous Dearest Anonymous, Why wouldn’t you want to play Gotcha? The game gives relative strangers an opportunity to stalk each other across campus, adding yet another chaotic (but fun!) component to an already stressful environment. Is there anything better? Gotcha also prepares you for life by teaching you the basic tenets of how to succeed in this world… 1. Never be alone: the more popular one is, the more likely he or she will win. If you have no friends, someone will get you quickly and reveal your loner status. And, as everyone knows, high school popularity is an early indicator of future success. 2. Run fast. In Gotcha there will inevitably be a few cross-quad chases as two students participate in a lion versus antelope race. This is good practice, because one day, you might be chased by someone who wants your wallet, or your watch, but Gotcha is low stakes. 3. Success takes time and dedication. Last year, someone followed me to every class period, meaning he skipped an entire day of school in order to get me and spent an entire night of homework memorizing my schedule. This person obviously had his priorities straight, though, because we all know that Gotcha will prepare you better for your future than going to your classes will. 4. You’ll get nowhere in this world without Internet stalking. Who can expect to win Gotcha without spending hours trolling DAinfo? I assure you that there is no more important life skill out there than how to stalk someone efficiently and effectively. In fact, I’m pretty sure that proficiency in Internet stalking is now a job requirement in many fields including, but not limited to, media and finance. If you’re still not convinced that you want to play Gotcha, there is always an escape route. All you need to do is hide in your room for a week (meaning no school, Dining Hall, or co-curriculars) until the deadline for getting someone has passed. Although you will probably be expelled for AP’s, at least you will be out of Gotcha. Good luck, Margo, Rita & Curtis

Every Friday morning, when Director of Student Activities Sam Bicknell sends out “The Weekend!” email, a few students eagerly await news of Interscholastic Dances. These dances have a long history within the world of New England boarding schools. Jared Armes ’15 remembers his freshman year at DA, when “[students] talked about ‘Pearl Street,’” a nightclub in Northampton, which supposedly hosted “wild nights of dancing [for various] New England Prep Schools.” Pearl Street is one of several clubs in Northampton owned by Deerfield alumnus Eric Suher and used to have high school nights for just students in the surrounding area. Although the administration stopped trips to Pearl Street five years ago— the year before Armes entered Deerfield—Armes believes Interscholastic Dances act as a replacement, and he values them as a “great way to meet kids from other schools.” Melanie Diaz ’17 said that the dances “mainly consist of minorities,” and “they play a lot of rap, reggae, and reggaeton.” Armes has also noticed the concentration of minorities and added, “It is interesting to see that those attending are almost entirely black, Latino or Asian.” Zakiya Newman ’17 thinks the Interscholastic Dances are important events, because “they allow the racial minority

students to gather in a setting where they are the majority” and can “feel more comfortable surrounded by people [whom] they look like,” while experiencing “music and dance styles that they are used to.” Across most prep school campuses, there is a stigma that these events are for the non-white members of the community, but Diaz countered, “I feel that at Interscholastic Dances people feel very comfortable and welcome. Once you’re in there, no one knows where you’re from—they are judgment-free zones.” The Deerfield students who consistently attend Interscholastic dances have had great experiences, but our community is often not invited to other schools’ events. We have sent out buses to attend Interscholastic Dances on a few weekends this year, and even hosted one last year, but they actually happen more often than most DA students realize.. “Believe it or not,” Armes explained,” among other schools, [we are] not viewed in a very positive light.” Newman shared a similar opinion: “We do have a reputation for being stuck-up and having too much pride.” Diaz added, “Deerfield has a reputation of being the ‘typical preppy school.’” Choate, which often sends large numbers of students to these dances and has hosted many of them before, strongly opposes Deerfield’s attendance at these events. Armes once

asked a Choate friend to describe a Deerfield student in a few words, and he responded with: “Rich. White. Preppy. Elitist. No diversity except Asians.” A student from a different school told Armes, “You guys are so formal. I didn’t think you all went to these type of things.” Another one said, “You have black kids at Deerfield?” Deerfield attempted to host an Interscholastic Dance last spring. Although we invited “over 10 other New England boarding schools, only one— Dublin Academy—showed up,” Armes said. The disappointing turnout made it clear that other schools are not interested in coming, but Diaz, along with many other consistent dance-goers, hopes for more success in the future, saying, “Deerfield should try to host more.” Newman, a Student Planning Committee representative, said, “It’s... hard to get everything planned in time for Deerfield students to go, even if we’ve been invited.” Often problems include no chaperone or bus, a lack of interest, remote host locations and conflicting Deerfield events. Although DA is often not invited to Interscholastic dances due to stereotyping, these dances have proved to be enjoyable for students who’ve been able to attend. Armes believes these dances serve simply as a great opportunity to have fun and meet new people: “I’ve made a lot of close friends by going [to a] night out in a new place.”

Deerfield students relax on various spring days from 1960-1970.

//Sophia Do Staff Writer Deerfield has come a long way since its founding in 1797, as changes to the student body have shifted the Academy’s social culture significantly. English teacher Frank Henry ’69, who has taught at Deerfield for over 30 years, explained that Deerfield has become increasingly diverse, especially regarding gender. He said that the last year before coeducation (in 1989), “There was a lot of violence; it was not a kind place. The notion of mutual respect was not practiced.” He added that all of the changes on campus that have stemmed from coeducation have been

//Justin Hsu Senior Writer This July, Deerfield Academy will host its very first summer interdisciplinary program with a curriculum geared towards innovation and curiosity. Over the course of four weeks, The Experimentory will expose rising seventh and eighth graders to new ways of thinking within the realms of digital exploration, music composition and communication. Director Jill Schaffer articulated The Experimentory is “not a traditional summer program... [We’re] taking subjects that may not necessarily overlap and putting them together to

Evolving Social Norms at Deerfield support President Nixon and the years ago “people were more

“beneficial.” However, Karinne Heise, who has taught at DA for 25 years, notes a shift in the relationship between genders on campus since those early days of integration. “There were better causal relationships between girls and boys, more stronger and platonic with that first wave of girls. It is not as prominent now, and I don’t know quite why that is,” she explained. At most high schools, various groups of friends are categorized into groups such as “the academics,” “the athletes” and “the artsy kids.” However, Mr. Henry explained that when he attended DA, “That division was political. It was the ‘jocks’ and the ‘hippies’, and jocks tended to

war, whereas the hippies tended to oppose the war and President Nixon.” He explained that the source of the political tension came from the time period: “We were young, healthy boys. By the time graduation was around the corner, everyone was talking either [about] going to college or getting drafted.” Recently, students have been talking a lot about a supposed “decrease” in school spirit. Dean of Students Amie Creagh said, “Someone [has always been] saying that for 16 years. There’s nostalgia for true school spirit, but I’d say that manifestations of school spirit are [simply] different.” Nina McGowan ’16 thinks that

present on campus, but now people are so stressed that they are always doing homework or catching up on sleep, and they would rather hang out in the dorms with a couple of their friends. It feels like people are being pulled in a million different directions, and they don’t have the energy at the end of the week to be present at the dances or show school pride at games.” Marc Dancer ’79 described one difference: dances used to be a huge deal. He said, “on most weekends we would [go to] away dances or home games.” Because the school was all boys, students would eagerly look forward to the dances with

neighboring girl schools such as Stoneleigh-Burnham.” Mr. Dancer went on to explain that in the 70s, “everybody played backgammon and there was a school-wide tournament.” He even recalls running back to the dorm before sit-down to play. One of the most notable differences Mr. Dancer noted was the fact that “in order to enjoy your time you had to contribute to the community. Students had to make it happen.” However, now, Mr. Dancer noted, “students expect school to generate entertainment.”

COMING THIS SUMMER: THE EXPERIMENTORY see what happens when you get to their intersections.” Academic Dean Peter Warsaw, who will teach music composition, offered similar sentiments: “[The Experimentory] springs from a belief that all three of these areas are basically languages. Music certainly yields to a study of linguistics, as do coding and English.” For the past year, Dr. Warsaw has worked closely with science teacher Ivory Hills and history teacher Rebecca Sherburne, who will lead digital exploration and communication, respectively. Digital exploration will focus on coding, programming and 3D

printing, while communication will embolden students to express and present their own ideas more effectively. Dr. Warsaw was particularly enthusiastic about musical prosthesis, which he will likely incorporate into the syllabus: “You build something that is coded–a glove, or a belt–and the way you move generates sounds... You can create a piece literally by moving or dancing when you’re in it.” Assistant Dean of Students Kevin Kelly, who will act as Leader of Community Life, has been busy planning an array of activities and excursions, both on and off campus, that will

further enforce the themes of innovatoin and exploration. Taking a trip to Six Flags or biking around the Cape Cod Canal are a few of the myriad of ideas Mr. Kelly has brainstormed. Upon returning to campus after the Six Flags trip, students may be asked to construct their own roller coasters using a 3D printer and enhance their creation with a backstory and soundtrack. Dr. Hills believes the “uncertain” nature of this summer program should not discourage students from joining. “If [students] come and they’re a little brave and a little

bold and not afraid of making mistakes, they’ll probably have a great time,” he said. The Experimentory, Dr. Warsaw believes, will enable students to leave with an “innovative disposition”: “The disposition to look [around], to observe, analyze and question the world around you. To be creative and persistent in trying to find solutions to problems.” “The idea is to create knowledge and understanding that endures,” Dr. Warsaw said. Experiential learning, he believes, “has much more power than simply cramming things into your memory and not fully understanding.”

The Deerfield Scroll

15 April 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Da mUSIC tOUR: hEART AND sOUL //Richard Park Associate Editor

more interesting to see what was alike than what was different.” While in Korea, the musicians had to prepare for a performance every other day, rehearsing for six hours before hand. When not practicing, the group visited sights like Buddhist Temples and tasted Korean cuisine. “The Seoul part was longer and meatier and had a few more cultural things involved, said Academic Dean and orchestra conductor Peter

the group persevered, executing an amazing concert at DBS without their concertmaster For many Deerfield students, or second-chair cellist. spring break was a welcome “I know that some people vacation. However, 30 will be hung up on the bad musicians involved in orchestra things,” Dr. Warsaw said. “But and choir spent the twowe were trying to learn and week interval on the firstgrow and do better, all the ever Deerfield music tour. while trusting that depth and The tour was divided into two sincerity would carry us in some parts: 10 days in Korea and 4 way through the lapses. And I days in Hong Kong. During their really believe that happened.” stay, not only did the students All in all, the tour rehearse and perform, was a great success, but they also had a sign of just how far many opportunities to the Deerfield music immerse themselves in program has come. With cultural experiences. the Seong-nam concert Concertmaster to be broadcast on KBS, Yong-hun Kim ’15 said, one of Korea’s major “[The cultural activities] TV channels, Deerfield were all engaging and has left its mark in Asia. entertaining. There was But more importantly, a such a variety from real exchange happened cooking to religion, during the trip, both which was awesome.” musically and culturally. The purpose of Cellist Lucas Kim Maddie Moon ’17 said, “[For] every the trip, however, was to share music. single concert, I can The group at Avenue of Stars in Hong Kong. Every concert was a confidently say that collaboration between Deerfield Warsaw. “The Korean culinary the level of music produced and local schools. Surprisingly, experience was really intense was greater than before, even though the groups came with cooking classes,” and by the end, [there was] from such different backgrounds The group’s stay in Hong Kong some really beautiful music.” and spoke different languages, was less rigorous. There were Warsaw concluded, “I think they were able to warm up joint performances, the final a few people probably are to each other quite easily. one being a four-hour concert going to have seen something, “When we were collaborating with Diocesan Boys School heard something, and said, with the musicians, they were all and Phillips Exeter Academy. ‘Wow, this is really cool; this on the same track,” said Director Despite the musicians’ is different.’ And I’m really of Music Maaja Roos. “We had success, the trip was also riddled happy about that. I think that’s the same idea in mind–what kind with some hardship. A few days the gift we might have left.” of sound we wanted, what kind into the trip, sickness started to of crescendo we wanted. It was ravage the group. Nevertheless,

tracks in da’s studio //Liam Jeon Staff Writer Ed Sheeran. Taylor Swift. Sam Smith. Iggy Azalea. These are some of the world’s most popular artists, all releasing songs and albums that become overnight hits. But behind each hit is a great producer. At Deerfield, students who are interested in music production and songwriting have a chance to express themselves in the recording studio. John Van Eps offers Music and Studio Fundamentals each fall to teach students studio basics. He also teaches Songwriting/ Composition in the winter, along with Studio Production. These classes are not the only ways to access Deerfield’s recording facility. Quentin Jeyaretnam ’16 currently has a music exemption for producing.

Rachel Yao

According to Jeyaretnam, “Mr. Van Eps brings some students in and teaches them the basics of how to use the studio. Right now, I’m working on a couple of songs, and Mr. Van Eps is helping me go through the stages of writing.” Many musicians utilize the studio for hands-on experience. “There is lots of writing, lots of beat making, lots of music, and lots of understanding music,” Mr. Van Eps said.

Not to mention the stateof-the-art equipment that the studio offers: “It’s surprisingly professional,” Jeyaretnam said. “There is every mic you could possibly need, five or six computers and multiple virtual synthesizers capable of making an infinite variety of sounds,” Kento Yamamoto ‘16, who has taken Van Eps’s courses in the studio, shared his favorite piece of equipment: “The midi keyboards translate signals from a keyboard into numerous different sounds like drum kits, equalizers and string instruments.” He added, “There are also mics, drum sets and amps that anyone can use to just jam out.” How does producing become such a unique type of musicmaking? “Producers need to be trained, as they need exceptional ears and a good knowledge of music,” said Mr. Van Eps. “This is different [from] a performer who needs great performance skills, but not necessarily the same knowledge of music.” Jeyaretnam agreed, saying, “When you’re playing in a live band, it’s based on feel— you work off of each other and play differently based on the mood of the music and the crowd. In producing, you record separately and everything is very exact. Sometimes you can lose that sense of feel.” For those interested in taking a production course or music exemption—or for those who simply want to create sound—the studio is the place to be. Contained in one room is the potential for anyone to record songs and piece together music with the same resources as those used by some of the world’s greatest artists.

THE TEMPEST takes the stagE //camille Moeckel Associate Editor Winston rossetter Staff Writer On March 25, 2015, the Aquila and directorial choices. Theatre Acting Company Hynds remarked, “It was performed Shakespeare’s The wonderful to see people there Tempest in the Hess Auditorium. who have never been in an acting The Aquila troupe, founded class or performance before.” in London in 1991 by Peter General reactions to the Meineck, traveled through 70 production were positive. Hynds towns and cities in the United said, “I was very happy with States before finishing its the quality of the production. tour at Deerfield Academy. Of course, there are things I Catriona Hynds, who has not would have directed differently, yet directed a Shakespeare but being a director, that play at Deerfield, commented, is to be expected, right?” “I had already presented Aquila Some students expressed Theater in my previous position disappointment in their as Managing Director of a large preparation. Serena Ainslie arts organization, so I knew that ’16 commented, “I liked the Aquila toured polished, visceral, performance, but I think it and slightly scaled down versions would have been helpful if every of Shakespearean plays.” English class had been required Not only did Aquila perform to read the play beforehand.” but it provided master classes Nevertheless, The Tempest and workshops. According gave the community the to Hynds, “It was important chance to experience a work that the production be used of live theater and interact as a catalyst for a number with professional actors. of teaching opportunities in As Hynds remarked, “Live other departments too, such theater is very important!” as the English Department.” Members of the company held three acting workshops open to everyone on campus. Students had the opportunity to work with the company and speak to them about being working actors Maddie Blake and about specific Aquila Theater conducts a Shakespeare class performances in the Acting Lab.

Artist of the issue: Aaron Bronfman A PYSCHEDELIC REVOLUTION //Dane Scott Spread Editor In the poem “American Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll in the Age of the Amphetamine Salt,” Aaron Bronfman ’15 wrote about the millennial generation in a startling, almost psychedelic style. Inspired by revolutionary Beatnik writers like Allen Ginsberg, Bronfman thought about the “generation of artists that Ginsberg writes about in Howl, these intellectuals on the fringe of a movement that is deeply non-intellectual or zapped of any kind of lateral profundity,” as opposed to his own generation. “Why aren’t [we] making art, writing [more]?” he asked. “What’s the difference?” Last year, Bronfman’s poem won the Junior Declamation in his English class but did not move forward to the finals due to its controversial content. Now the piece has won the country’s most prestigious poetry prize—a gold medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Over 300,000 pieces enter this competition, with less than the top .05% earning a Gold Medal. This accomplishment will send Bronfman to a ceremony at Carnegie Hall in June and to potential future success and recognition, especially considering that such iconic artists as Sylvia Plath, Andy Warhol and Truman Capote have received this award in the past. Why does 18-year old New Yorker Aaron Bronfman write

poetry? When asked if it’s cathartic or therapeutic, he said simply: “I like the way that words express ideas. Each word has its own strong connection to the denotations and connotations of the words around it. Poetry can tell a different narrative and have a different style and feeling. I guess I write to play with that—

Tia Jonsson

supportive teachers” who provided “new resources, new books, new ideas.” One such English teacher, Joel ThomasAdams, described Bronfman as “one of the most complex and talented writers [I’ve] seen at Deerfield in quite some time.” Bronfman also remarked upon the luxury of seclusion at Deerfield, how “you can remove yourself from whatever craziness is at home, or whatever nonsense your friends are getting into,” and ultimately “seek out writing opportunities.” Bronfman’s most frequent subjects include God—“the notion of God as an idea, God as a thing”—and fabrication—“the artificial fabrication of things like love, desire, enjoyment.” So, is his work purely fictional, or are there autobiographical aspects as well? Bronfman shrugged and said, “Who I am is essentially a series of moments built up to now. I wrote from those. I take what I know.” Finally, Bronfman explained that in order to create good art, “writers need to have a lot of something. Happiness, fear, piety, love—whatever it is, they have to feel it intensely,” he said. “Because you can’t be mundane.”

to organize my own thoughts in the most succinct way.” According to Bronfman, he shares a desire for his work to feel “completely unspoiled by what “The narcotic high is coming down. Outside, rush my generation’s most brilliant minds other people need filled with the contents of textbooks. from me” like They no longer drag themselves through negro streets, his own favorite but congregate in the millions for milligrams writers, Kerouac and Of bubblegum ecstasy. Rimbaud, artists who Pink jumping beans bouncing “take it on themselves to the nocturne of bass speakers to be unaffected and the acrid hiss of chemical dissolvent by what people rockin’ and rollin’ in the frontal lobe. want from them.” At least something is.” At Deerfield, Bronfman said he Excerpt from “American Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll in the Age of the Amphetamine Salt” had “really great,

The Deerfield Scroll

15 April 2015

SPORTS Prospective Athletes recEIve just Desserts //KATHERINE HEANEY Senior Writer

Coco Spagna

Peterson: From the DIamond to the Dock //NINA MCGOWAN Staff Writer

Last year, Josh Peterson ’15 started thinking about leaving his rural Texas hometown for a postgraduate year. When Peterson learned about Deerfield Academy, he approached history teacher and varsity basketball coach Conrad Pitcher and former Admissions Officer and baseball coach David Irwin. Although Peterson plays football and basketball, he “wanted to go to a small Division III school for baseball.” When he first visited Deerfield, Peterson interviewed with Mr. Irwin, and a few months later he decided to become a Deerfield student-athlete. However, Peterson soon found out that Mr. Irwin was leaving Deerfield to work at Cardigan Mountain School. “When I found out Coach Irwin was not coming back,” he admitted, “I was rattled.” This past fall, Peterson wanted to focus on his grades, so he abandoned the football pads and lower levels for Special Exercise. One day, while Peterson was working out, classmate and rower Charlie Ughetta ’15 suggested he try to erg, but Peterson “didn’t really think much of it.” A few weeks later, Ughetta convinced Peterson to attend a crew meeting, which was a mix of new and returning rowers alike. As his interest in rowing grew, Peterson started to work out with College Advisor and crew coach Spencer Washburn. Soon thereafter, Mr. Washburn mentioned the possibility of Peterson’s rowing crew in college. Although he came to Deerfield with the intent to play baseball at a NESCAC

//ETHAN THAYUMANAVAN Associate Editor As Deerfield students watch their peers compete this term, they may notice unfamiliar coaches in the dugout, on the pool deck or on the sidelines. A former member of Princeton University’s heavyweight team, and later a Princeton rowing coach, Spencer Washburn is a college advisor and head crew coach. Mr. Washburn has coached four crews to silver medals and one team to a championship at the Eastern Sprints. Mr. Washburn loves the fact that crew rewards hard work. He noted, “There are no shortcuts in rowing—there’s a lot of technical skill—but ultimately it comes down to a lot of toughness, and it comes down to who wants it more. If you put in work and go further and further, you tend to come out on top.” Mr. Washburn’s personal goals for this season are to bring excitement and energy to practice every day. He acknowledged that crew requires a lot of work, and grueling, demanding sessions, so he wants to help the team find enjoyment in the work and develop a passion for the sport. “With any team I’ve coached, and any boat I’ve coached,” he said, “you want to

school, Peterson was now going on official visits to Dartmouth and UC Berkeley for crew. When Peterson got on the water for the very first time in Florida during preseason, he already knew he was going to Berkeley. Although new to Deerfield this year, Mr. Washburn has been around crew since his childhood and is starting his tenth year coaching. While Peterson’s individual experience as a PG is unique at Deerfield, Mr. Washburn noted, “Many talented athletes come to rowing later in their careers and find great success. Many of our Olympic rowers didn’t begin their careers until college.” The college recruiting process for crew, Mr. Washburn explained, is very similar to that of other sports. “Much of the process,’ he said ‘is about projecting potential and assessing the personality and character of the prospect.” Mr. Washburn spoke to Peterson’s exceptional potential as a rower: “Rowing is a leverage sport, and Josh has the height and length to really excel. However, rowing demands a great deal of work, so having the right frame will only take you so far. Josh has shown me that he has the right pieces, physically and mentally, to do well.” Though still new to rowing, Peterson explained that he has developed an entirely new athletic mindset as he transitions from baseball pitcher to rower. Even though he misses baseball, Peterson has an evident enthusiasm for crew: “There is no better feeling than all of your hard work paying off and gliding in front of the other boat.”

Recently, Deerfield hosted admitted candidates for the 2015-16 academic year. As usual, the Spring Visit days consisted of Deerfield students, faculty and coaches sharing their daily routine with these prospective students. This year, for potential athletes, Deerfield tried a different approach in order to entice a larger group. Members of the community have long discussed how Deerfield could to attract more accepted athletes. This year, the Board of Trustees wanted to try a novel approach. Therefore, they told the Admission Office to get creative with luring high-impact athletes. Deerfield coaches have clearly identified these prospects as top competitors who would contribute immediately to a varsity sport at DA if enrolled. In order to compete with rivals such as Choate and Andover, which hold breakfasts and dinners for prospective athletes, Deerfield organized a dessert and panel of current alumni and athletes to speak with these identified athletes. For the panel, Deerfield invited four alumni back to campus to speak about their experience as high school and collegiate athletes, and their life post-college. Four current students also participated on the panel, which consisted of two boys— Jan Menafee ’16 and Zeke Emerson ’16 —and two girls—Lucy Lytle ’15 and Claire Collins ’15. The depth on the panel provided detailed i n s i g h t on what athletics at Deerfield mean to the alumni and current students. Additionally, the panelists discussed life at Deerfield off the athletic fields. They highlighted that the Academy allows and encourages students to have a wellrounded high school experience.

As Claire Collins said, “We are big enough that we can compete athletically on high levels and produce fantastic music, but we are small enough too that the community can support you and understand you from all angles.” In addition to playing other sports, many of the panelists also play instruments and are proctors, peer counselors, artists, actors, dancers and members of clubs. They push themselves to explore even more of the diverse spectrum of opportunities at Deerfield. Collins concluded, “I have found it manageable to remain a good and engaged student and pursue passions like athletics, arts and other activities. Learning to prioritize what you think is important helps you be able to utilize the Deerfield experience.” The panel’s success was immediately apparent, as many prospective athletes verbally committed to coming to Deerfield while others even submitted checks to officially enroll. The panel and athletic dessert gave these athletes a way to see the value of Deerfield sports and the school community, not simply our win-loss column. Looking ahead to future Spring Visit Days, the Admission Office plans to continue with this newfound success and also expand on it. They hope to include a

Rachel Yao

student artist gathering as well, so that the Academy can yield other talented applicants. According to Admission Officer Dana Emerson, “The Admissions Office is open to suggestions about any other possible events for next year’s revisit days.”

NEw Coaches On the Scene win a championship. It is important to me that at the end of the season, the guys can say: (A) I got better, and (B) I learned how to go hard and push myself.” Math teacher and varsity tennis coach William Speer is excited for the spring sports season as well. Mr. Speer played varsity tennis at his old high school; and while he did not play at Williams, he has remained passionate about the sport. “For me, [tennis] is synonymous with spring coming,” Mr. Speer said. “I look forward to finally heading down to the courts and playing in shorts.” When asked what his goals for the season were, Mr. Speer responded, “You can always say win New Englands and win as many matches as possible, but, more importantly, I want everybody to play their best and have a good time doing it. Everything else will flow from having a good time and enjoying being out there.” A new college advisor, Sarah Tarrant Madden is the girls varsity water polo assistant coach. In addition, Ms. Madden— who played water polo throughout her time at both Exeter and Wesleyan— coached boys JV water polo this past fall. Ms. Madden loves water polo because “it’s a team sport, so there has to be communication, and you have to be strong and smart.” This season she hopes to see all the

girls on her team play as well as possible. “We have lots of girls playing for the first time,” she said. “I hope that they can have fun, and that the experienced players on the team enjoy mentoring the newer players. So far it’s going very well!” Ryan Tatreau, the new varsity baseball head coach, has assisted the program for five years. Although he doesn’t teach at Deerfield, he still hopes to “provide a program for the varsity and JV that will facilitate baseball development at Deerfield Academy.” Mr. Tatreau has been around baseball from a very young age. After Little League and high school baseball in Greenfield, he pitched at Franklin Pierce and Springfield College. Mr. Tatreau enjoys the game of baseball because “in baseball you have to watch the whole game to pick up the small nuances, and appreciate it.” He continued, “You are always working on your skills and abilities to win games, and as a coach you are always trying to teach players to prepare for different situations, so I love the different situations that a baseball game presents.” Mr. Tatreau’s goal for the season is to win the league championship. “Winning the championship starts with building team chemistry,” he said. “I don’t work here, so I don’t have the ability to get

here on a regular basis outside of the practice times, but [the players] have done a good job of facilitating a team identity throughout the fall and winter months. Success for this team will be measured by how we take feeback when we make mistakes, and how we adjust and eradicate those mistakes quickly.” In addition to the new coaches above, Gene Thagard ‘15 is helping mentor new members of the pole vault team. Spanish teacher Cheri Karbon coached pole-vaulting last year, but since she’s on sabbatical, Thagard has stepped up to help English Chair and head coach Michael Schloat. Thagard, as part of the team, hopes to win New Englands this spring. Last year, he placed fourth, but this year he’s setting his sights higher: “I want to win this year. But more importantly, I want to see everyone improve, and see a significant increase in their PRs. It doesn’t matter how they place, but I want to see my teammates getting better, and I hope I can play a role in their improvement.” Thagard echoed a sentiment that was common to all the new coaches this year: he wants to see his teammates improving throughout the season and enjoying playing their chosen sport.