The Deerfield Scroll: April 19, 2018

Vol. XCIII, No. 1

Deerfield, Massachusetts

April 19, 2018

Opinion: Moving Toward an All-Gender Dress Code ANNA GONZALES English Teacher and Former Editor-in-Chief

Dr. Curtis addresses the Class of 2017 during Commencement.

Deerfield Academy Flickr

Dr. Curtis Announces Her Departure ANNIE KANE Associate Editor At School Meeting on Jan. 31, Head of School Margarita Curtis announced to faculty and students that she had decided to retire from her position at the end of the 20182019 school year.

In a letter to the Deerfield community later that afternoon, the Board of Trustees wrote, “During the past twelve years, [Dr. Curtis’] unique ability to focus on the future, while maintaining a steadfast commitment to Deerfield’s timeless values and ideals, has moved the Academy forward to its unparalleled position.

Her extraordinary qualities — leadership, warmth, intelligence, and integrity — will

truly be missed.”

The question that now faces the Deerfield community is how someone of such impact will be properly replaced.

Over the next several months, a search committee will work with search firm Carney Sandoe and Associates to select Dr. Curtis’s successor. This Search Committee is chaired by the incoming President of the Board of Trustees, Brian Simmons, and includes seven trustees, Director of Communications Jessica Day, and two selected faculty representatives, Theater Director Catriona Hynds and History Teacher Joe Lyons.

Mrs. Hynds and Mr. Lyons shared that after surveying Deerfield’s

students, employees, parents, and alums, and holding open meetings in Boston, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, Carney and the Search Committee will use the information they gained “to write a position description and build the best possible pool of candidates.”

“Ultimately, the Search Committee will evaluate candidates and recommend one to the full Board of Trustees, which will appoint the next Head of School.

There is no set timeline, but the Board may announce a new Head of School as early as this coming winter, if not before,” they stated.

Continued on News, p. 5

While the latest conversations around dress code have focused on skirt length and boot height, taking an inclusion standpoint makes a much more pressing set of issues clear. Gendered dress codes can perpetuate the principles of rape culture and create painful experiences for the vulnerable population of students who identify outside of the gender binary. These power dynamics and exclusions directly contradict Deerfield’s values and mission, and community members have a responsibility to advocate for a gender-inclusive or all-gender dress code.

The role of a gendered dress code in supporting rape culture — an environment in which sexual violence is normalized based on ideas about gender — is welldocumented in existing academic literature and mainstream media.

Time Magazine’s investigation of over 100 testimonies from girls and young women, collected by the Everyday Sexism Project, is one such example, as is the Berkeley Political Review’s study on the topic. As these projects make clear, a gendered dress code sends a strong message to young women that their bodies are distracting or dangerous, that harassment and violence are inevitable, and that they deserve to be judged, mistreated, and harmed based on their clothing choices. The Justice

Department and RAINN, among others, have thoroughly debunked the myth that victims, rather than assailants, bear responsibility in these situations. Instead of a gendered dress code, the solution to sexual violence lies in thoughtful programming around healthy relationships, affirmative consent, and sexual assault awareness, as is continually evolving thanks to the health curriculum and the Student Life Office.

Critically, a gendered dress code further marginalizes those students who identify outside of “boy” or “girl,” or who are in the process of a gender transition. As PFLAG’s statistics on gender identity amongst adolescents show, this population is already more vulnerable to serious bullying, mental health struggles, and resultant academic and social issues.

If we hope to live up to our mission and our commitment to “valuing and affirming all identities,” as stated in the Strategic Plan for Inclusion, we must create an all-gender dress code that does not enforce the gender binary or force students to choose between two options that do not reflect their identities. If part of Deerfield’s mission is to help young people find the most genuine articulation of their identity, as many teachers believe it is, then we must make space for students of all genders, not just boys and girls.

Continued on Op-Ed, p. 3

Deerfield Hosts Wong Fu at Asian American Footsteps Conference ANNA FU Associate Editor On Apr. 8, more than 400 high school students came to Deerfield for the annual Asian American Footsteps Conference. Founded over ten years ago by educators in Boston, the conference opened up an opportunity for Asians, AsianAmericans, and mixed-heritage Asian students to connect with others who share their similar yet unique heritage, experiences, and cultures.

The main event of the day was a keynote speech presented by Wesley Chan and Philip Wang, co-founders of an Asian-American film company called WongFu Productions.

The pair has a YouTube channel with over three million subscribers, and has created several short films and music videos. Students were able to meet the pair.

Discussing their work overall, Chan explained, “We’re not the weak ones or the passive ones, and we don’t all know kung-fu. We want to show that Asians are just normal guys.”

Wang focused on the specific keynote speech that he and Mr. Chan gave at the conference, stating, “First and foremost, we do want to inspire people to be creative. We hope to encourage people to keep exploring what they’re passionate about. It can even start off with making silly videos for fun. Creating a bigger

Opinion and Editorial, p. 2

Defining the Deerfield Student Kiana Rawji calls for the removal of the Deerfield Boy and Girl statues from campus

Philip Wang (middle-right) and Wesley Chan (middle-left) share their stories as Asian-American filmmakers.

footprint for Asian-Americans … I think that’s what we want to instill.”

Following the keynote speech, students attended an array of workshops to discuss topics ranging from how Western beauty standards impact Asian-American feminism to the intersections of the Asian or Asian-American community and

the LGBTQ+ community. Presenters varied from high school students with powerful ideas and stories to share to professionals with years of knowledge on their topic.

When discussing the impact the conference had on the students attending, ASA officer Lynnette Jiang ’18 stated, “[The conference

was] a way for Asians to share their common struggles and experiences with one another … [We] got to hear about all their different stories over the years… and share and help each other with [our] experiences.”

The conference offered a chance for Asian students to connect with peers who face similar challenges

News, p. 4

Features, p. 6

Sports, p. 11

Marching for Their Lives Deerfield students plan gun control walkout in response to the Parkland tragedy

Reevaluating the Role of Private Tutors Academic Dean’s Office considers ways to integrate private tutors into the Deerfield community

The Deerfield Players’ Tribune Eight seniors discuss the impact of athletics on their Deerfield experiences

Deerfield Academy Flickr

and to build friendships to help support one another at their separate schools.

Continued on News, p. 5

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Opinion and Editorial

2 | Thursday, April 19th, 2018

The Deerfield Scroll

Letter from the Editor Dear Reader,

Vol. XCIII, No. 1 Editors-in-Chief Joshua Fang & Orlee Marini-Rapoport Opinion & Editorial Editor Nadia Jo

Online Editor Simon Lam

News Editor Thomas Song

Associate Online Editor John Chung

Buzz Editor Soo Min Lee

Associate Photography Editor Harbour Woodward

Features Editor Emma Earls

Associate Graphics Editor Madeline Lee

Arts & Entertainment Editor Claire Quan

Associate Editors Peter Everett Lily Faucett Anna Fu Sarah Jung Annie Kane Jae Won Moon Fatima Rashid Seth Thayumanavan

Sports Editor Maggie Tydings Photography Editor Britney Cheung Graphics Editor Lucy Blake

Advisors Julianne Schloat and Anna Gonzales 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. Opinion articles with names attached represent only the views of the respective writers. Opinion articles without names represent the consensus views of the editorial board.

What We Look For in a Head of School BOARD EDITORIAL We are saddened to hear that Dr. Curtis will retire in June 2019 — she has added immeasurably to our community life at Deerfield through her warm presence, commitment to inclusion, and willingness to listen to student suggestions, just to name a few examples. We thank her for all her past and continuing hard work, and we will surely miss her dearly when she retires. As the Head of School Search Committee looks for someone to take Dr. Curtis’s place, we would like to offer what we value most in a Head of School.

The Head of School must have the vision and skill necessary to lead Deerfield, but should also be deeply involved in community life. We greatly appreciate Dr. Curtis’s efforts to get to know all of us students and interact with us daily.

She always brightens our day when she waves at us and calls us by our names, and by modeling caring behavior, she instills a culture of kindness and empathy in our community. When Dr. Curtis attends not only our athletic games, but also our music concerts, theater productions, and art exhibitions, the athletes and artists among us feel supported and motivated to achieve greater heights. As the leader of our community, it is crucial that the Head of School embody the values we hope our community to have.

By being involved in the Deerfield community, the Head of School not only fosters a better community, but also achieves a greater understanding of the student body. Since the Head of School is often responsible for making decisions that affect students, it is important for the Head of School to understand students’ concerns. Dr. Curtis has always been willing to talk to students about any issue, and we think it is important for our new Head of School to communicate often with students as well.

While we understand that the Head of School must be able to manage the financial operations of our school, which is crucial for ensuring Deerfield’s long-term sustainability as an institution, the Head of School

must also understand that, at its core, Deerfield is a rich learning environment and not a business to be run. As such, we would like our Head of School to have a background in education, which would aid him or her in crafting school policy around educational concerns and also in understanding the concerns of faculty. Most preferably, the new Head of School would have experience in some type of boarding school environment. Unlike day schools and businesses, b o a r d i n g schools are open 24/7 during the academic year, so it is not sufficient for a boarding school simply to provide an education; it must also build a sense of community that is conducive to both learning and moral development. Though some of our peer schools have chosen leaders with strictly corporate backgrounds, we believe that a Head of School with a background in education and an understanding of the boarding school environment would be better equipped to lead in such a unique environment.

Our new Head of School must commit to inclusion efforts, which are becoming ever more critical in our increasingly divisive political climate. Time and time again, events on Deerfield’s campus and in society at large remind us of the perils that come with a lack of empathy and cultural competency. Deerfield is a wonderfully diverse community, with students hailing from 38 states and 42 countries, and the Head of School must encourage compassion, understanding, and thoughtfulness in all students. This also means that the Head of School must be able to take decisive action against wrongdoings whenever they appear. For example, after the swastika incident, Dr. Curtis clearly condemned all forms of hate in our community, and our new Head of School must be able to take decisive stances as well.

We ask that the Search Committee update students and faculty frequently on its progress.

We students are all deeply invested in the search and are eager to participate in any way we can.

“The Head of School must also understand that, at its core, Deerfield is a rich learning environment and not a business to be run.“

The start of April brought a change in the Scroll’s management, and Josh and I are honored and delighted to be leading Volume XCIII of the newspaper! We will alternate writing the Letter From the Editor, and both of us will be deeply involved in the planning, editing, and layout of each issue.

We thank Kevin Chen and Jillian Carroll for leading the Scroll so thoughtfully over the past year and for training us thoroughly during the month of February.

We wish them and the rest of the Volume XCII Editorial Board the best of luck next year and beyond.

We have a lot to look forward to in this volume, including an expansion of the newspaper from 8 to 12 pages!

As always, our primary goal is to inform the Deerfield community about important news on campus and beyond. We aim to publish a diversity of topics and voices in all sections of the newspaper. It is critically important for us as editors to lean into viewpoints different than our own and to

publish opinion pieces we might disagree with.

Our own political leanings are completely removed from the topics and people we publish in the Scroll; we will always separate our personal feelings from news articles. As always, opinion pieces are solely the opinion of the writer unless it is a Board Editorial, and we choose which opinion pieces to publish based on relevance to the student body, quality of writing, and complexity of ideas.

As a newspaper, we will not be silent on difficult issues that affect the student body. I believe that it is the job of a school newspaper to pose difficult, thought-provoking questions with respect and integrity in a way that asks our community to question itself.

As an Associate Editor for the Scroll, I wrote a number of opinion pieces. My politics are not a mystery to the Deerfield community. But in this new role, my job is to make sure all voices are heard and I take that responsibility seriously.

We aim to probe deeply into complex events because we

believe the newspaper can be part of constructive dialogue between the student body and the administration, which is critical for the success of our school.

On occasion, this might mean publishing an opinion that exposes the weaknesses of our community.

Our goal is to be true to the stories we tell, to follow them where they lead us, and to pursue them with integrity. I recognize that we will not always please the administration and the school community with what we publish.

I firmly believe that the highest form of praise for an institution is criticism, as it shows you care.

We all have different roles in making our school community stronger. Please remember that this is always the Scroll’s main goal, and we will report accurately, question responsibly, and care wholeheartedly as we continue to publish multifaceted, complex articles. We can’t wait for the year ahead!

All the best, Orlee Marini-Rapoport Co-Editor-in-Chief

Defining the Deerfield Student KIANA RAWJI

Former Opinion and Editorial Editor When I started working in the library, I quickly found what I came to call “my spot” on the first floor, between the bookshelves and the windows at the back of the reading room. Sometimes I go to my spot during a free period, after getting coffee from the Koch café. In the fall, sometimes I’d go there after showering, rinsing off the sweat from volleyball practice. Or sometimes, after a Scroll meeting. There, I’ve sat with different people and had those kinds of spontaneous but long, lingering conversations you never forget. Other times, I’ve cranked out a U.S. history paper from start to finish.

But each time, as I sit there, I face the bronze statue of the “Deerfield Girl,” tucked into the corner of the cavernous room.

As I sit there, literally being a “Deerfield Girl,” there stands that statue, telling me I’m not.

I’m writing this article because I think that the Deerfield Girl and Boy statues should be removed from this campus. I understand that the girl statue was created to accompany the boy one, to emphasize that girls belonged at Deerfield as much as boys did.

I don’t think the artist or others involved in enabling the statue’s presence on campus had cruel intentions. They weren’t trying to make me, or any others who share my sentiment, feel like I don’t belong. But our school often emphasizes the importance of intent versus impact, and this is a perfect example of good intentions that result in a negative impact.

So what do I think is the problem with the statues, anyway?

First of all, they’re clearly white.

Sure, the first Deerfield Girl and Boy were white. But today, a Deerfield student can be of any race and the statues don’t reflect that reality. They are relics of the past, and their presence almost seems to insinuate that we should celebrate or at least remember with fondness a time when racial diversity did not exist at this school.

Secondly, the statues are blatantly gender binary, contradicting the school’s recent movement towards accepting gender identity. If there’s a “Deerfield Girl” and a “Deerfield Boy,” where’s “The Deerfield Genderqueer”?

Thirdly, the statues normalize

Britney Cheung

Britney Cheung

gender stereotypes. The boy leans casually to the side with his chest open, and holds his books with one hand against his hip—a quintessential “masculine” stance, his books almost a second thought.

He is confident and free with his body. The girl, on the other hand, cradles her books tightly to the side of her chest, using both hands—a more seemingly uptight “feminine” stance. She appears rigid, confined to her body. Not to mention, she’s wearing a skirt—a stereotypical marker of female identity. Also keep in mind that, as I’ve heard, just as students would rub the boy’s nose for good luck, they also took to rubbing the girl’s breast.

Speaking of dress, I can’t help but notice that the Deerfield Boy statue is wearing—and is, in turn, defined by—a coat and tie. The coat and tie sets an impossible standard of “professionalism,” at Deerfield and beyond, that girls can never live up to. For a girl, there is no equivalent to the coat and tie, at least not in a high school context, that allows her to command as much power and respect as a male. As a friend of mine pointed out, based on her attire, the Deerfield Girl statue, in full compliance with the girls’ dress code, looks like the Deerfield Boy statue’s secretary. That’s saying something. Deerfield’s dress code is a whole different topic that warrants its own article, but I do think it’s worth noting that the attire of the statues emphasizes a power dynamic between the boy and the girl.

The notion of there being a physical, concrete manifestation of something so intangible, so indefinable as what it means to be a Deerfield Boy or Girl seems irrational to me. The statues essentially seek to define each as one thing (which can be confused

as the ideal thing). But the Deerfield student isn’t and can’t possibly be only one thing. There’s no single, static definition; it’s dynamic, expansive, constantly changing.

To even imply otherwise, intentionally or not, is both unfair and inaccurate. As my former English teacher, Ms. O’Donnell, put it, each of us is in the business of defining what it means to be a Deerfield student.

A few years ago, at a Greer chat, someone mentioned that in place of the statues, there should be a mirror. There’s no discrimination or exclusion in a mirror. Some argue that the statues represent tradition and are, therefore, worth keeping on display. Certainly, some traditions are worth preserving. But some are worth breaking. Or at least reshaping. We can still “be worthy of our heritage” as we look to a more inclusive future.

To all of you Deerfield students who ever feel like you don’t meet the standards set by those statues—that you’re not smart enough, professional enough, confident enough—or even those expectations not explicitly set by the statues but set by our culture— not athletic enough, attractive enough, anything enough: the real definition of what is “enough” starts with you. You are the living, breathing manifestation of enough.

The issue of students here feeling like they’re supposed to live up to a certain adjective or essence extends far beyond the presence of those statues in the library. And I know that removing them won’t solve that very real problem that pervades our culture. But it would at least be a step in the right direction—in acknowledging that any of us can be and is the Deerfield student.

The Deerfield Scroll

Opinion and Editorial

Toward an All-Gender Dress Code ANNA GONZALES English Teacher and Former Editor-in-Chief

ought to seriously reexamine this tradition in light of our commitment to inclusion. People

Continued from Front Certainly there is a conversation to be had around professionalism and preparation for the conventional standards of certain workplace attire. This legitimate purpose of a dress code can be accomplished with an allgender dress code, and indeed is already underway at a number of Deerfield’s peer schools. Phillips Exeter Academy, for instance, shifted its gendered dress code in 2015 to an all-gender code that allows students to wear, for class, a blouse, polo, collared shirt, sweater, turtleneck, dress, or ethnic attire, and bans athletic wear.

Though one of the oft-cited obstacles to creating an allgender dress code is the assumed abandonment of coat and tie, we

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clad in clothing other than coat and tie carry out necessary, innovative, valuable work every day, from the technology startups which many students will join in their futures to the labor which makes our institution function.

Additionally, confident as we are that all students, not just males, will lead a changing world, we should hold all our students to the exact same standard of dress.

We have an opportunity and a responsibility to lead the way on issues of gender inclusion.

Though we have lagged behind in the past, as in the case of coeducation, we are not bound to do so going forward.

Moving forward, students should build on the momentum of the thoughtful collective organizing represented by the girls’ grade letters to advocate for a new dress code, one which fully embodies our values as an institution and seeks to include and affirm the greatest range of identity possible. I am confident I am not the only teacher or graduate who will support these efforts.

Signed, Anna Gonzales, Heather Liske, Julie Schloat

Why I’m Walking Out for Gun Control MAYA LAUR

Contributing Writer Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

Colorado State University.

Reynolds High School. These are just a few of the 200 school shootings that have taken place since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, according to The New York Times.

For too long I have watched shooters rob the lives of my fellow Americans before they’ve really begun. When 21 first graders were shot in their classroom in Newtown, Connecticut, I feared for the life of my own six-yearold niece. When 12 people were gunned down at a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado, all I could see were illusions of unsuspecting victims in the seats of the next Cinemark I walked into. When 17 high schoolers were murdered in Parkland, Florida, I realized that it could have just as easily been my own friends who lost their lives that day.

There is a constant fear that stalks the halls of American schools: that any of us could be the next victim of a mass shooting.

Many students have been silenced by this fear as we’ve watched our American brothers and sisters be snatched from this world in shooting after shooting, while those who have had the courage to speak up have not been heard by the adults of their communities.

Yet, the Parkland shooting was the last straw for many of the ignored in this nation. The walkouts taking place around the country and right here at Deerfield give voice to students who demand to be heard. The movement is a promise to lawmakers that we will no longer tolerate the hunting of our generation. Here are some reasons why you should join us.

Currently in the United States, guns are readily accessible to the majority of the American adult population. According to a New York Times article, it takes “less than an hour” to purchase a gun.

“Roughly a third of American gun owners buy guns without a background check,” the article continues, something federal law does not always require, while buyers with histories of “criminal convictions, domestic violence, [and]... mental [instability] are rarely prohibited from purchasing arms.

This makes it easy for exconvicts, mental health patients, and perpetrators of domestic abuse to buy semi-automatic weapons, including AR-15s: the type of firearm used in the majority

of mass shootings, according to Time Magazine. In fact, there is no legislation restricting customers on the terrorist watch list from purchasing firearms (as PBS news reports), meaning that citizens deemed too dangerous to fly on planes can still purchase a gun just as easily as someone intending to use it for target practice.

In addition, 78 percent of past school shooters have struggled with suicide-related mental health issues (as the American Counseling Association confirms), yet there is no requirement that customers provide mental health records when obtaining firearms.

According to New England Public Radio, the National Rifle Association has spent $7.3 million in the last decade on funding for hundreds of school programs such as shooting clubs and junior military programs, including one which Nikolas Cruz, the very person responsible for the murder of 17 students in Parkland, was a member of.

Thus, it is clear why gunrelated tragedy continues to harm

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Americans of all identities: guns are too accessible. And I, along with other Deerfield students, am walking out to change this.

I am joining the walkers because I’m tired of being afraid. I am fed up with the nagging worry that a gunman will one day walk into my own school and end the futures of so many bright students with a semi-automatic weapon they purchased at the local gun shop. I will not rest until the aforementioned facts and statistics only exist in history books because they are a phenomenon of the past and my own children’s school days are unshadowed by the fear of gun violence. This will only be possible when we as a nation take tangible measures to prevent gunrelated deaths.

Thoughts and prayers are a start, but they did not stop Nikolaz Cruz from legally purchasing and using an AR-15 on his fellow classmates, thus repeating the

same tragedy we had prayed so many times before would never happen again. And, they will not stop the next shooting either. In fact, the staging of a walkout is only the first of many efforts we must take to end gun violence. Next, we must require stricter background checks, ban assault rifles, raise the minimum age required to buy arms, and implement mandatory gunsafety trainings for prospective purchasers, to name a few actions.

I’m not asking that all firearms be banned from the public. What I and students all over the country are demanding is that guns be kept out of the hands of those who have and will use them to cause irreparable trauma and devastating damage. Citizens demonstrate that they are worthy of the right to bear arms by not causing harm, just as they prove their right to vote by registering and abiding by the law.

Some say that guns don’t kill people, people kill people. While it is true that it is a human being who ultimately pulls the trigger, guns give people the power to kill. Without them, murderous thoughts cannot be turned into deadly action, and classrooms full of first-graders are left untouched. The future safety of the American people depends on the implementation of at least basic gun control. Ensuring that no daughter, no brother, no father ever falls victim to gun violence again is the least we can do to honor the families who lost their children in Sandy Hook, the teachers whose pupils never returned to class, and the memory of those who died in Las Vegas.

Because now, we, the young leaders of America, refuse to fall victim to another mass shooting.

As social media have promised, “never again” will we fall prey to gun violence. “Never again” will we cry over dreams that were buried along with the dead. “Never again” will we be conquered by our own helplessness.

Because now we have two powerful weapons: hope and action.We will use these tools to walk out of school and lobby officials to stand up for gun control until they stand up for it themselves. We will prove that our voices cannot be lost. We, the students of America, know that there is no room for gun violence in our future.

For, our future is not built by the afraid and powerless, but by the empowered and unbeatable peacemakers of the next generation.

Thursday, April 19th, 2018 | 3

“You’re Still Here”: Mental Health at DA SARAH JANE O’CONNOR Former News Editor

“If you’re here and you’re struggling, you’re still here.”

So went the words of a particularly observant American Studies teacher to a certain 16-year-old student — as she anxiously stuffed The Great Gatsby into a messy North Face backpack — at the end of first period, on Wednesday, February 22nd.

“Don’t forget that.”

I rose and straightened my glasses. With a tight-lipped smile and a deep breath, I swung the backpack onto my back and prepared to leave.

“Thanks, Dr. Copprue. Don’t worry, I know.”

Slightly brightened by my teacher’s kind words, my day continued. First period bled into second, fifth into sixth, track practice into dinner, followed by a few slightly frantic hours in the library. Just as day turned into night, I sat before a slightly battered journal, jotting down my only conclusion from this

Claire Zhang

relatively ordinary day.

Today was good.

My nightly musings explained how, exactly, that conclusion came to be, especially after a rather dismal morning. The dining hall served pumpkin chocolate chip cookies at lunch. Thermometers tipped past forty for the first time in months. The boy I spend too much time thinking about stopped to ask how I liked The Great Gatsby.

But maybe, the fact that someone noticed how I was doing — and cared — was enough to render my day “good.”

Even if the 9AM clouds seemed particularly ominous that morning, even if I had to wade through a snow bank to get from my dorm to the dining hall, just a few little moments brought enough sunlight to illuminate the sometimes-hidden goodness in an ordinary day.

Finding that goodness is a luxury.

Finding that goodness in the middle of winter is even more remarkable.

New Englanders know this all too well: winters are hard. Winters at Deerfield can be especially hard. There’s something about darkness before 5 PM and masses of students in analogous black parkas that tugs at the heartstrings of the entire Academy.

We forget what it feels like to order Cookie Combustion ice cream from Richardson’s on a Saturday in May. We forget what the Main School Building looks like without a crown of snow.

But just as quickly as we descend into what William Carlos Williams calls “the desolate, dark weeks,” most Deerfield students are lucky enough to discover something special: as the daffodils outside the Hess Center begin to bloom, so do we. Perhaps, even before the snow melts, you’ll begin to realize the hope inherent in the month of February. Maybe you’ll realize: hope can present itself in

the smallest of moments.

Deerfield students may be united in the common sadness of winter. But -- by and large -- we are also united in the common hope of spring. Buds bloom, snow subsides, and grass grows. The hardness of winter melts away.

At least, for most of us.

April stickball games on the green may allow lots of students to bid winter blues adieu. However, springtime brings a new plight for a significant portion of Deerfield’s student population: those struggling with clinical depression.

In The Waste Land, T.S. Eliot wrote, “April is the cruelest month.” Though this statement may appear to just be a cynical, poetic observation, it also indicates a larger problem for those who suffer from major depressive disorder — like Eliot himself.

Most of the world’s population is able to defrost as the seasons turn. But for those suffering from depression, seeing everyone around them bloom causes them to sink even deeper. As a family member suffering with depression once told me, “It’s like drowning, but you can see everyone around you swimming just fine.”

Depression is easy to ignore and difficult to understand.

During a tough week of tests, sports games and friend struggles, it’s easy for any of us to forget what it’s like to feel happy. But, as quickly as you may forget, little things can help you remember. For those with depression, making that switch isn’t as simple.

According to the 2017 State of the Academy Report, conducted by renowned psychologist and researcher Suniya Luthar, about 9.6% of Deerfield’s student population suffers from some form of major depressive disorder. This is a staggering number, almost twice the national average. It’s difficult to ascertain whether this is a reaction to Deerfield’s high-pressure environment, both socially and academically, but one thing is certain: something must be done.

When the grass outside of the Hess center is finally green again, enjoy it. Relish the sunshine, put on those flip-flops and laugh with your friends while eating popsicles outside the dining hall. But don’t forget that springtime happiness is not a uniform reality — at Deerfield and beyond.

Continue to be observant.

Continue to care.

When an anxious freshman girl asks you, “It gets better, right?” don’t simply brush off her worries as naïve. Rather, answer that yes, ‘it’ does get better, but sometimes it takes a little more work to get better.

Sometimes, ‘it’ takes talking to a counselor during your free period.

Sometimes, ‘it’ takes medication.

Direct those you see struggling to the myriad of resources Deerfield has to offer: four school counselors, sixteen peer counselors, and dozens of faculty and students who are ready to listen at any time.

Don’t forget how much parents can help as well.

Be that person who reminds others of Dr. Copprue’s simple, but fundamentally powerful truth: “If you’re here, and you’re struggling, you’re still here.”

You’re still here. Don’t forget that.

News

4 | Thursday, April 19th, 2018

The Deerfield Scroll

Marching for Their Lives JING HE

Staff Writer

Director of Admissions Charles Davis addresses prospective students during their revisit day.

Brent Hale

Revisit Days Spark Dress Code Controversy SETH THAYUMANAVAN Associate Editor

For three days every spring, the Academy opens up its doors and welcomes all the prospective students on campus for the annual revisit day programs.

Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Charles Davis reflected on the importance of revisit days, stating, “This year about 65% of our families are revisiting … we admitted 299 students this year, and roughly 210 families are revisiting over the three days. We always want our students to lead ... and I think our visitors want to make connections and want to be able to see themselves finding success and comfort through the eyes or the experiences of their hosts, and I think that’s very important.”

Ethan Chen ’20 also attested to the importance of revisit days from the perspective of a student host. He commented, “Being a student host is a tremendous responsibility, and also really fun.

I got a chance to meet some of the kids who ended up coming to our school next year, and not only helped sustain our school, but I got to meet and influence some great people.”

In addition to students and faculty, prospective parents also expressed their acknowledgement of Deerfield’s positive attributes that revisit days allow them to observe. One parent in particular wrote to Head of School Margarita Curtis, stating, “[Deerfield] had it very well-organized and moved the parents around to the many beautiful spaces; good discussions but also a great way to showcase the facilities. Best foot forward in every way… Big cheerful goodbye with parting t-shirts, and every sport and club represented at a fair.”

However, that same parent expressed her strong opposition to the current state of dress code at Deerfield, writing in that same email to Dr. Curtis, “There is a HUGE problem with the female dress code. The families were shocked and frankly, so was I...

You can’t…send young women out thinking a three-inch mini skirt is appropriate… it’s doing the students a disservice.”

Shortly after receiving the letter, Dr. Curtis sent out a statement to the female students, writing, “Deerfield girls are characterized by their intelligence, strength, and leadership. It troubles me to think that instead of having these powerful, meaningful attributes take priority, prospective students and parents would depart campus with impressions of your attire

foremost in their minds.”

Many students criticized certain aspects of Dr. Curtis’ response and found the subject line of her email, “Self Worth” to be particularly disturbing. Sydney Bebon ’19 described how she reacted to this controversial subject line, explaining, “Yesterday [April 3rd] I drew lines four inches above my knees with the statement ‘Am I worthy?’ to challenge the message of the email’s subject.” Bebon also believed that the girls dress code was ambiguous, elaborating, “None of my teachers knew what the line represented ... I had gone to three classes that day without being dress coded ... Why are the Deerfield females suddenly held accountable for a dress code that hasn’t been enforced as long as I’ve attended the school?”

Hunter Keller ’20 added that she understood the reasons that Dr. Curtis sent the email and acknowledged her role in supporting students, stating, “I can understand the inclination to address the dress code after such an email [from a prospective parent] and the conversation that has continued over the past several years. Additionally, I believe I am correct in saying that Dr. Curtis cares deeply for the female students.” However, Keller agreed with Bebon that the subject line’s wording was problematic, clarifying, “The subject line of the email, “Self Worth,” and the consistent notion that Deerfield girls are limited to external judgements on their physical appearances diminishes the intelligence, kindness, and leadership the women on this campus strive for.

Mr. Davis added his perspective to the issue, remarking on both the students and Dr. Curtis’ reactions.

He elucidated, “I thought it was great the way the students openly answered the question ...

Dr. Curtis, as any leader, is going to stand up and own it ... She was taking the dialogue with the students by herself.”

He also clarified that he does not foresee the dress code controversy as a negative influence in students’ decisions to attend Deerfield, stating, “I don’t think it [the dress code issue] was a setback for the revisit programs...I think all the students in the school, no matter how they feel about dress code, want Deerfield to yield the best kids possible...I don’t think it will cloud the visitors’ decision making about what choices they make for which school they’re going to choose.”

On Feb. 14, the United States had its 14th school shooting of 2018.

The suspected gunman, 19-yearold Nikolas Cruz, attempted to fire at fleeing students from the third-floor windows of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The incident resulted in the death of 17 people and hospitalization of 14 more.

The shooting left the nation in shock, and full of questions for the future.

President Donald Trump responded by offering his condolences to the victims’ families, writing, “No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school.” In a televised address, he mentioned school safety in relation to mental health issues, offering a policy response to “tackle the difficult issue of mental health.”

Two days after the shooting, Trump and his wife Melania paid a one-hour visit to the victims’ hospital, congratulating physicians and posing with staff for photos.

Several student survivors criticized the response from politicians, asking them to take action instead of offering condolences to prevent more children from being killed.

Survivor Emma González, noted for her speech in rebuking thoughts and prayers from the government, has demanded stricter gun control measures.

Emma has since emerged as one of the leaders of a student protest m o v e m e n t against gun violence.

T h e recent events a l s o sparked discussions within the Deerfield community.

“It is really shocking to witness these happenings,” said Natasha Leong ’21. “If students like us have to worry about our own safety when going to school, it really makes me wonder what the government is doing.”

With a similar concern, Bisi Akilo’ 21 said, “I feel that the NRA and how they are saying the Second Amendment protects us is fine, but they have to take into account that those laws are antiquated.”

Students from across the nation share these ideas. Groups like Never Again were established during the aftermath, which began on social media using the hashtag #NeverAgain. The group has demanded legislative

Abby Lupi poses with her fellow marchers in New York.

Abby Lupi

action to prevent similar shootings and has condemned lawmakers who received political contributions from the National Rifle Association. On Feb. 17 in Fort Lauderdale, the group held a rally attended by hundreds of supporters.

Student leaders Hunter Keller’ 20 and Abigail Lupi ‘18 are

we hope to live in...Walking with the massive crowds [at the March for Our Lives] down 6th Ave invigorated everyone with an overwhelming sense of purpose knowing we’re united in working towards a better tomorrow.”

Keller ’20, another main coordinator of the walkout, agreed: “Young people continue to be shut down in their actions; they are told that they cannot provoke change we can truly make, but arising is a movement of high school teenagers and elementary Madeline Lee children who have shown the world currently leading the school-wide that there is no age or education walkout that is taking place on requirement that must be achieved Deerfield’s campus on Apr. 20. in order to impact a community.”

“The first step is dialogue,” The Deerfield community Lupi said. She added, “I’ve heard comprises diverse people, very little from the Deerfield and Keller acknowledged that community on the subject of there are inevitably a variety gun control, which is especially of political opinions. However, saddening seeing as so many according to Keller, that should positive strides have been made not stop students from having within the past few months. [We] conversations about gun reforms should be actively engaging in and from learning how to express these conversations and making opinions with people who have moves toward productive contrasting beliefs. change.”

“It is inspiring to see students Lupi described the empowering like us take action,” Angela Cui ’21 effect of student involvement that said, after hearing about student she witnessed at a March for Our initiatives on gun control and Lives event in New York. student safety campaigns. “It is She described, “Students have nice to know that there are people every power and every right to out there fighting for a change that contribute to the kind of country is greatly needed in America.”

Sarah Jane O’Connor (left) and Nora Markey (right) stand in protest for gun control.

Sarah Jane O’Connor

News

The Deerfield Scroll

Deerfield Hosts WongFu at AAFC ANNA FU

Associate Editor Continued from Front However, as the Office of Inclusion emphasized the importance of cultural competency with the “Cross the Valley” Campaign, many on campus worried that the seemingly exclusive nature of the AAFC appeared to be a step backwards in Deerfield’s goal of understanding and listening to different cultures. Part of Deerfield’s mission statement states that Deerfield is a “vibrant, ethical community that embraces diversity.” Thus, many wondered if the conference, created by Asians, for only Asians, abides by the Academy’s strong belief in the importance of inclusion.

When explaining the rationale behind the exclusiveness of the conference, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement Jenny Hammond, who was the head

coordinator of the conference, said, “[It is sometimes important] to have a space just for people who can relate to each other without having to explain a whole lot.

In mixed company you have to explain why you do certain things.

That kind of space [the conference offers], especially when you’re underrepresented, can be really valuable.”

Asians, Asian-Americans, and mixed-heritage Asians, being a minority at most independent secondary schools, may not have as many chances to be surrounded by peers with common backgrounds and the struggles and experiences that emerge from their shared heritage. Even though independent high schools in New England have become increasingly diverse in recent years, the conference has adhered to the strict parameters of who can or cannot attend the conference for over ten years.

The stated intention of the

AAFC was not to exclude people from the conversation, but rather to carve out a separate space where people with similar backgrounds can network and share experiences and hardships without having to climb over cultural gaps. “Both are really important,” Ms. Hammond explained. “We have to, at some point, bring the rest of the people in and to communicate across cultural differences, but it’s also important to support and foster people who might feel they’re only a small minority.”

However, many students feel that Deerfield still has a long way to go to create a fully inclusive community.

Being culturally competent requires one to be willing to study, learn, and listen to the stories of different people.

Ms. Hammond reflected, “Accept their truth, because when you get to know someone who has a completely different experience from you, it’s really eye-opening and it’s important to realize that.”

Deerfield Academy Flickr

Students listen attentively as WongFu shares inspirational stories.

Deerfield Academy Flickr

Who Will Be the Next Dr. Curtis?

Associate Editor

Continued from Front The Carney and Associates survey was sent out on Mar. 27 and included questions regarding what respondents value about Deerfield and what qualities they would like to see in a new Head of School.

Jackson Cohlan ’18 noted, “My personal priority for our new head of school is getting someone who respects and values the mission statement of Deerfield academy…

Tradition is what makes Deerfield distinct from our peer schools and losing that would be detrimental.”

Opinions vary across campus.

Sami Dulam ’21 said, “I would hope that the new Head of School will be understanding and realize that these are the modern times … Yes, there are rules, but [he or she] needs to look at each issue as an individual story and care more

Facebook Faces Backlash Over User Privacy SARAH JUNG Associate Editor

Claire Zhang

DBJ Dance Crew leads students in an interactive dance routine.

ANNIE KANE

Thursday, April 19th, 2018 | 5

about the students than the rules themselves.

The new Head of School will have plenty of these issues to dive into once he or she arrives arrive on campus, including discussions surrounding dress code and campus inclusion.

“As a senior, something I have valued most about my experience is Deerfield’s strong tradition. I would like to hope that the school stays true to this, and the new Head of School would face dress code or anything thing for that matter with a stronger emphasis on the Deerfield values that have been in place for decades,” said Alli Norris ’18.

Students can expect to be informed in the process as much as any other member of the Deerfield community. However, information has the potential of not being disclosed until decisions are finalized. Mr. Lyons and Mrs. Hynds explained: “For a host of reasons, some top candidates may be unwilling to make public

their interest in this job, at least in the initial stages of the process.

For example, someone who is currently the Head of School at another institution may not want to risk alienating his or her current community by letting it be known that he or she is being considered for the job at Deerfield. The Search Committee seeks to find as many strong candidates as possible, and thus needs to remain sensitive to and balance such concerns.”

To close their letter to the Deerfield community, the Board of Trustees stated, “In honoring [Dr. Curtis’] service to the Academy, it seems fitting to borrow an aphorism from her own repertoire: She has made Deerfield worthy, and not the other way around.”

Much will be happening over the next year as Dr. Curtis closes her time at Deerfield, but through all of thism the Search Committee will do all in its power to find someone “worthy” of replacing her.

The hashtag #DeleteFacebook is trending on social media and news outlets throughout the country. Facebook’s most recent controversy stems from the breaking story that a company called Cambridge Analytica gained access to the private information of more than 87 million users on the social media platform. In addition, the data of nearly all 2 billion of its users has been collected by outsiders at some point in time without the users’ explicit permission.

Cambridge Analytica is a London-based political data firm that was also hired by President Trump’s 2016 election campaign.

It gave the campaign information on the personalities of American voters and offered to influence voters’ opinions with conservative digital ads, fake accounts, and posts.

In 2014, information was collected from Facebook profiles through a personality quiz app called “thisisyourdigitallife.”

This app was downloaded and installed by approximately 270,000 users in return for one to two dollars per download.

Subsequently, information from users’ Facebook profiles, as well as from their friends’ profiles, was scraped away and retained. Since most Facebook users have at least a couple hundred friends, the number of people affected turned out not to be just 270,000, but over 87 million.

The specific information siphoned off included “details on users’ identities, friend networks and ‘likes’,” according to The New York Times. This allowed Cambridge Analytica to map out people’s tendencies, personalities and common interests based on their likes and home pages.

With the guidance of Cambridge Analytica’s data, President Trump’s digital operation during the election proved highly effective. According to Martin Moore at the Center for the Study of Media, Communication and Power, Trump’s campaign “was using 40-50,000 variants of ads every day that were continuously measuring responses and then adapting and evolving based on that response.”

Computer Science Teacher Forest Reid believes that although Cambridge Analytica has been engaging in such activity since 2014, “It only just came to our consciousness because of Robert Mueller’s investigation into the last presidential election.”

For many students at Deerfield, the story of Facebook and Cambridge Analytica is unfamiliar.

However, the idea that a company was able to manipulate people’s political beliefs based on computer algorithms was certainly shocking news for Samara Cummings ’20.

“This almost reminds me of Big Brother, and complete government control,” she said.

Deerfield students and faculty were most likely attacked by the harvesting of data as well. A majority of our student body relies on the Deerfield Academy Student Forum to post and receive relevant information about school events.

Just a couple weeks ago, a Facebook group called “DA Girls” was formed for girls to coalesce into one united group, and nearly 200 girls have joined since. Because Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has admitted that most Facebook users should assume that their public information has been exploited by a third party, it is safe to say that at least one member of our community, if not more, has had their data taken from them.

Director of Information and Technology Services Kimberly Butz works on networking, infrastructure, and the protection of Deerfield’s digital network from hacks and attacks. She said, “I wasn’t particularly surprised to hear the news. I really don’t think that any of the major social media platforms have done enough to protect people’s data.”

She emphasized, “Individually, we should be actively standing up for our own privacy rights. Most people don’t read the fine print under terms and conditions before clicking ‘I Accept,’ which makes it possible for incidents like this one to occur.”

However, there is only so much individuals can do. Even limiting social media use has not shown to protect one’s data from exploitation.

Dov Seidman, CEO of LRN, an ethics and compliance management firm, reflected that social media executives also need to acknowledge the potential strengths and weaknesses of their platforms, stating, “We need to start by pausing to reflect on how our world, reshaped by these technologies, operates differently - and on the kind of values and leadership we will need to realize their promise” he said.

Most Deerfield students trust social media with much of their private information, including phone numbers, addresses, school information, friends, family, and more. The question ahead is if and how technology should bear the responsibility of keeping that information safe from hacking.

Features

6 | Thursday, April 19th, 2018

Stallings’ Paradise

Reevaluating the Role of Private Tutors

SYDNEY BEBON

LILY FAUCETT

After English Teacher Andy This sudden shift in creative Stallings’ first year teaching at process started when he began Deerfield Academy, he travelled to starting his classes with a ten-minvisit his family ute free write. in Mississippi, He reflectwhere he sat ed back on down one day that teaching

by Andy Stallings and wrote the choice and (unpublished) first 50 poems said, “The free As I stood looking out at our of his latest writing probook, Paradise. hundred yards of bobbing net cess opened The book up my ability near the Ugashik River’s was released to write quickon April 15, mouth, net which we couldn’t ly.”

2018 and is his He was tend till the opening was second work therefore able officially called, but which published by write many Rescue Press. poems in one the river seals could tend as they H o w e v e r, sitting, as he wished, Barnwell came out he explained did that day in that the proMississippi. from the Quonset hut with cess of writing Mr. Stalla rifle, which he handed to me, the book was ings said, “If instructing me to shoot one to which it works with he was unacstudents, I’m the seals if I could, so I knelt customed. willing to use S t a l l i n g s on the sand, and aimed the rifle, it for myself.” described his As for what and shot. Ice of morning, new book as the Deerfield bumper crop of dawn. “a broad repcommunity The house on the bluff resentation can expect for of myself, my Mr. Stallings belonged to one uncle, family and the in the future, the house by the pond to world and evthis is his secanother. Not a double life, erything that I ond publicaexperience.” tion and he she insisted, but two lives.

Paradise is won’t be putOne in text, one in body. a book largely ting down the drawn from pen anytime As opposed to word and Mr. Stallings’ soon. experience, perpetually own experiMr. Stallmisaligned but each ence at Deerings affirmed field, especialthat he intends sufficient. Out in surf city, ly during his on continuing approaching the false first year here. his career as a Mr. Stallwriter. horizon. But anywhere will ings explained He said, do if the student is right. The that the tools “It is such a student of light. he used in part of life and the classroom thinking.

If during his first I’m writing, to year of teaching at Deerfield influsay, stop [writing] — I can’t imagenced his style, changing the way ine doing it!” he wrote.

Many believe that there is room for improvement in Deerfield’s current system of private tutors.

Academic Dean Ivory Hills and Assistant Academic Dean and Study Skills Coordinator Amanda Howe, as well as others in the Academic Dean’s Office, have began to focus on this problem.

A m o n g other things, the Academic Dean’s Office hopes to accomplish two goals. They plan to change Deerfield’s relationship with outside tutors by further incorporating them into the community. They also aim to establish a list of steps for students to take who think a tutor would be beneficial to them. This list would make sure that tutors understand and fully utilize all of the resources which Deerfield offers.

Currently, freelance tutors provide help to students in the Boyden Library. Tutors do have to go through a background and fingerprint checks to work on campus, but there isn’t any specific training required for them, as there is for all official Deerfield employees. By mandating security checks for tutors, Deerfield tutors would have the same level of security as Deerfield employees.

“The goal is to get everyone on the same page,” explained Dr. Hills. Many believe that adding tutors as Deerfield employees would benefit students, as tutors would have better understanding of not only the student body, but also the curriculum and teachers at Deerfield.

Staff Writer

Paradise

The Deerfield Scroll

Associate Editor

Making tutors Deerfield employees would also clear up issues of academic honesty.

Currently, as tutors are not associated with the Academy, they may not know what types of help are permissible to give students on assignments, and which are not academically honest. The Deerfield handbook states in Article 3.3 on

Claire Zhang

Academic Integrity that “By affixing their name to a piece of work, students pledge that, unless properly cited, the work is entirely their own.”

Students who receive help from outside tutors on assignments often don’t cite their tutors. This, along with several other possible breaches of academic integrity, can lead to a hearing with the Academic Honor Committee. However, Dr. Hills reiterated, “Tutors are not usually trying to help students cheat on assignments; they are trying to help them learn.”

Mrs. Howe believes that if tutors became Deerfield employees, “they would be able to communicate with teachers

and understand how they can be of the most help to students.”

This way, teachers are involved in the process, and tutors can understand better the curriculum and teaching styles at Deerfield.

Before this step, however, the Academic Dean’s Office hopes that students ensure they have taken advantage of all the resources at Deerfield. The Academic Dean’s Office suggests that students start by going to extra help and meeting with their current teacher, as working both one-on-one and in group settings can be helpful to students.

Teachers are often a student’s best resource, as they know the coursework and can provide specific advice or study strategies. The Academic Dean’s Office suggests evaluating whether or not one is placed in the correct class, meeting with a Deerfield peer tutor, and meeting with Mrs. Howe, who says that she is “able to offer overall study strategies and strategies focused on a specific content area.”

Mrs. Howe, together with the student, plan to come up with a plan to move forward. If a student does decide that a tutor is the best option for them, it is crucial that there is communication between the student, parents, teacher, and tutor. “My goal, and the goal of any tutor, is for that student not to need us anymore,” Ms. Howe said.

The tutoring system at Deerfield is imperfect, but Dr. Hills and Ms. Howe both aim to change the roots of this program by helping to incorporate tutors and the tutoring program completely into the Deerfield community.

Faculty Perspectives: What was it like to live abroad?

Callie Hughes

Sam Savage “Living in Italy for two years was a dream come true, and that experience changed my life for the better. After spending a summer in Spain on a language immersion program between my 10th and 11th grade years, I swore to myself that I’d live abroad for a significant amount of time later in life. I fell in love with the process of learning how to communicate in a foreign language and

understanding the nuanced perspectives of another culture. While living abroad, even the most mundane tasks are exciting learning opportunities. With the right mindset, every time you step out the door, you are overwhelmed with possibilities for adventure.

Living abroad can be exhausting, but the new perspectives you gain are invaluable.”

Julia Rivellino-Lyons “I was born in West Germany, the daughter of two teachers in the Department of Defense School system. To grow up as an American in West Germany — to be a child and then a teenager during the last two decades of the Cold War, living every day with the threat of nuclear annihilation — was to live a bifurcated life. On the one hand, my military-issued I.D. card allowed me access to the American bowling alley, the American movie theater, and the “base ex-

change,” where I could shop for American jeans, American sneakers, or American music.

On the other hand, my family lived in a small German town where we spoke German with our friends and neighbors, bought broetchen and Pflaumenkuchen at the Baeckerei down the street, and played in the ruins of the local castle. Years later, Mr. Lyons and I took a job in Switzerland so that our children would also have some experience living internationally.”

“Travel is an incredible experience in general. You get to see completely different cultures, different food, and different history. My fiancée and I love to travel during any break we have. We meet great people, eat wonderful food, and see some incredible sites. However, living abroad allows you to do something more. There is a difference between you experiencing a culture and having a culture become a part of you. While I lived in Costa Rica, the Costa Rican culture became my culture.

I was able to find my favorite grocery store and have a

preferred taxi driver. Before you know it, I was saying “Pura Vida” to every local vendor and running on the highway. I got to take my time to enjoy the little things like the flowers on my commute or the street art next to my house. I moved to Costa Rica with very minimal Spanish, but realized that there is an international language if you are willing to make an effort (and are very good at charades).

Living and thriving abroad means pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, and I am a better person for it.“

Features

The Deerfield Scroll

Thursday, April 19th, 2018 | 7

Dining Hall Learns Asian Cuisine with Sichuan Chef Shirley Cheng

Photos provided by Deerfield Academy Flickr

INTHAT BOONPONGMANEE Senior Writer

Over spring break, the Dining Hall Staff received instruction on Asian cuisine from special guest chef Shirley Cheng, a teacher from the Culinary Institute of America.

Chef Cheng, a native of Sichuan Province, China, worked with the Dining Hall staff for three days.

This visit served as another step in the Dining Hall’s long term plan to increase the diversity of dining hall offerings and enhance the dining experience.

Bradley Woodward, Assistant Director of Food Services, said, “[The goal of this training was to] give us a quick but broad view of different Asian cuisines and cooking techniques … from a lot of different cultures.”

He described the training’s material as a survey of cuisine from

China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and India.

Some of the new dishes the staff practiced making will soon be served in the Dining Hall.

Mr. Woodward shared, “We are going to prepare our own kimchi for the first time.”

The staff also loved a “teriyaki skirt steak recipe … [that will] be served at brunch in a couple of weeks.”

With such a diverse campus and strong Asian community, Mr. Woodward affirmed, “[The Dining Hall has been] trying to increase the amount of Asian and other ethnic cuisine that we’re prepar-

ing, and also trying to improve the authenticity of that food.”

There has been a general concern about the quality of Asian

“To think that one [person] from one province in China can accurately teach the cooking styles and techniques of so many different countries is ridiculous.”

- Anna Fu cuisine served at Deerfield, especially among Asian students who grew up enjoying authentic Asian fare.

Commenting on the Asian Chicken Tacos served at the Dining Hall, Nadia Jo ’19 said, “When I told my Asian friends [at other schools] about it, they sim-

Too Many Feeds, Not Enough Money TRISHA BOONPONGMANEE Staff Writer

Due to the current status of the proctor feed budget, many halls will not receive any funding or reimbursement for proctor feeds in the spring term.

The budget, at $8000, is a combined fund among all the dorms with the guideline that proctors may only spend up to three dollars per person each feed.

There are 40 und e rc l a s s m e n day students and 232 underclassmen boarding students, and many day students even stay on campus through study hall, which the budget allocation does not account for. This year, the proctors have already exceeded their budget.

The proctors met with Assistant Head for Student Life Amie Creagh to discuss a short-term solution and longer-term options to solve the issue at hand.

The ideas they discussed included a periodic trip to the grocery store for feeds, increased dining hall choices for feeds, and the borrowing of funds from unused associate or open dorm feed funds.

During the proctor meeting about the budget, many proctors brought up the expectation that they hold feeds for their halls each proctor night.

With the current budget, they

ply laughed because tacos aren’t Asian at all.”

When discussing the effectiveness of bringing an Asian chef straight from Sichuan Province, China, Anna Fu ’20 reflected, “They can’t simply bring an Asian chef in for a few days and hope to teach the Dining Hall chefs’ all the nuances of Asian cuisine. It’s far more complicated than that.”

She explained how countries within Asia had a diverse set of palates, and even within China, different provinces had unique cuisines.

“To think that one [person] from one province in China can accurately teach the cooking styles and techniques of so many differ-

argued, there was no way to provide feeds for proctees every week.

In the past, the budget has not been exceeded to this degree, especially this early in the year.

Ms. Creagh recently decided to extend the budget for a few halls who have remained inside of their proportional budgets, capped at $200. This fund will likely be drawn from other unused feed or club budgets.

Six halls will not have the funding for ongoing proctor feeds.

These include four boys halls and

Ines Bu

two girls halls.

Several proctors on both boys and girls halls brought up the topic of budgeting in proctor feeds, arguing that they actually had planned out their costs.

Niyafa Boucher ‘18, a proctor in John Louis, said, “Some of the most memorable moments that define a halls dynamic occur at feeds. As a four year senior, I un-

derstand the weight having a feed every week holds. It is undeniably a quintessential part of the boarding experience.”

The proctors who have not yet been reimbursed will not be refunded.

At this point, halls without a feed budget also must shoulder the cost of the feeds themselves if they choose to have any.

In the meantime, Ms. Creagh has been working with proctors to ensure that they will at least be able to give a couple of last feeds before they graduate to spend time with their proctees as a part of her mission to “cultivate meaningful connections between [proctors] and [proctees].”

These last memories are incredibly valuable, as they build off of the proctee-proctor bonds formed before the seniors leave.

Anna Harvey ’18, a proctor on the third floor of Johnson, said, “I love being able to give [feeds]. It’s my favorite part of being a proctor.”

Meaghan O’Brien ‘18, also a proctor in John Louis, said, “Feeds set the perfect conditions for hall bonding. Everybody is included, and food is a great way to draw us out of our rooms and out of our heads, into a social setting where we can connect with each other.”

ent countries is ridiculous,” Fu articulated.

Mr. Woodward acknowledged they were limited by time in the length of the training: “In three days, you can’t really cover everything about the cuisines of these different countries.”

Without being able to focus on the details and having to provide food on such a large scale, the Dining Hall is challenged in being able to provide completely authentic food from any cuisine.

“However,” Fu continued, “the Dining Hall should take more caution when defining any dish as ‘Asian’ or ‘Mexican’ when it is evident the dish is inauthentic.”

The Dining Hall’s goal of providing a more multicultural menu for the diverse Deerfield community has a fan in Jae Won Moon ’20, who shared, “[I am] looking forward to the new meals they have in store.”

Recent Release Grants JAE WON MOON Associate Editor

Deerfield Academy is known for the rigorous and broad range of courses. However, few are aware of the constant changes in the curriculum by the efforts of the faculty. Deerfield created the Release Grant program in 201617, encouraging faculty to further develop the academic curriculum, in addition to programs in the athletic and the arts departments.

These proactive measures allow for growth within the curriculum at the Academy spearheaded by faculty.

Currently, Director of Research, Innovation, and Outreach Peter Nilsson leads the Release Grant program at Deerfield.

Mr. Nilsson explained, “Release grants start with the recognition that being a teacher at Deerfield is more than a full time job.”

At Deerfield, teachers are expected to perform a range of duties. They normally teach four full classes, coach two co-curriculars, perform dorm duty, and serve as advisors.

Mr. Nilsson stated,“...the release grant schedule was made to release teachers to have the time to work collaboratively throughout the school year so that they can pursue a project of professional, departmental, or institutional interest.”

History Teacher Samuel Chapin, who is currently involved in the US History grant, attests, “Release grants have given the time to be intentional about what we are doing, in a way that isn’t possible during the normal schedule. To have a dedicated period every day to work on an ambitious project like this on its own is great.”

Mr. Nilsson explained the steps of a Release Grant application. First, the interested faculty member must start by gathering a group of faculty to work collaboratively towards a single objective.

Second, they must communicate with their department chair, de-

scribing their objective. Finally, they submit a document explaining their specific “OKRM,” which stands for Objective, Key Result, and Milestone.

Last year, the History Department received a release grant to be put into action for 2018-19.

History Department Chair Julia Rivellino-Lyons leads the History Release Grant, which includes History Teachers Samuel Chapin and Conrad Pitcher and aims to rework the US History course.

Mr. Chapin commented, “The impetus was to establish a more distinct difference between the regular and honors [US History] classes… we looked at what the US History curriculum could be without the pressure of an external standardized test.” However, the Honors US History, which strictly abides by the AP curriculum, it will not be altered.

The Spanish Department also received a release grant, given to a team of Spanish Teachers Cheri Karbon and Ellen Bicknell and led by newly appointed Language Department Chair Haley O’Neil. The department believed that the current Spanish II and III curriculum lacked sufficient emphasis on language usage and the integration of culture, as well as alignment with the succeeding courses.

Regarding the integration of culture, Dr. O’Neil said, “We are learning vocab related to the environment through incorporating the effects of the hurricane in Puerto Rico.” The change moved the focus of the class towards real world proficiency rather than merely memorizing conjugation charts.

Very few students know about the existence of release grants, or that they are offered to the faculty.

Tim O’Brien ’20 noted, “As a student, I was unaware of these efforts. Now I appreciate that teachers are acknowledging the fact that there are flaws in the academic curriculum and being proactive to resolve them.”

Arts

8 | Thursday, April 19th, 2018

The Deerfield Scroll

“Food For Thought” Exhibition Sparks Dialogue on Campus HELEN MAK Staff Writer

On Apr. 3, the von Auersperg Gallery opened its new studio arts exhibition, presenting drawings, paintings, and photographs created by Deerfield students in the art program. “Food for Thought” was the theme, inspired by the Dining Hall.

The von Auersperg Gallery has been home to several exhibits in

kitchens when the kitchen staff was preparing the food in hopes of getting an action shot or an abstract and artistic shot,” Janis Chen ’20 said.

Jillian Carroll ’18, who has been involved in the art program for three years, commented, “Wrapping up my time at Deerfield with this art exhibit was a very rewarding experience.

While some of the pieces were designed specifically for the

“For the studio arts, it is rare that people get to see the amazing work the artists do if they aren’t walking through the student art gallery on a given day.”

– Jill Carroll

Deerfield Academy Flickr

Artist of the Issue: Maddie Wasson ’18 KATRINA CSAKY Staff Writer

the past year. From “In Rotation”

by Robin Mendel and “Visions of a Fragmented Landscape, Part II” by Kim Carlino to Imo Nse Imeh’s “Forgotten Girls: Black Heroines on the Edge of Darkness and Hope,” Deerfield’s art gallery has invited the community to examine, explore, and enjoy the artwork of numerous guest artists.

“Food for Thought,” however, is the most recent and entirely student-run.

In describing the process of choosing the new exhibition’s theme, Art Teacher Mercedes Taylor explained, “[The visual arts program] was trying to choose a topic that could be easily integrated into the curriculum, and also a topic that would be familiar to everyone. We thought about the dining hall and sit down meals together … It’s also an interpretation.”

Art Teacher David Dickinson claimed, “I am most proud about students that came here with little to no training. Deerfield is one of the few school in New England that truly develops an individual skillset and ability.”

The students enjoyed the process of producing pieces for the exhibition, and were playful with the theme. “I would go to the Dining Hall when first waiters were setting their table and to the

exhibit, other pieces were created as a part of a class or just for fun and then used for the exhibit.”

With pieces ranging from the Intro to Studio art class to the AP Photography and Post-AP Art classes, the gallery shows a variety of artwork in different shapes and sizes. The students were challenged to go beyond their comfort zone, which included creating pieces in 3D material instead of 2D or painting in a proportion they were not accustomed to.

Benny Yang ‘21 was challenged to do a collaborative piece with Annemarie Fioroni ’20: a large scale painting of a person ingesting school materials. Yang described his experience to be challenging, but a valuable learning experience.

In regards to the significance of the exhibition, Carroll stated, “For the studio arts, it is rare that people get to see the amazing work the artists do if they aren’t walking through the student art gallery on a given day.”

The teachers of the visual arts program expressed how, in addition to the high levels of art students’ devotion commitment, community spirit was also a strong factor in dedicating an exhibition to student work.

“Why would you go to a concert or soccer game?” Mrs. Taylor said about the significance of the event. “You’re there to support the students.”

“I can’t think of a higher level of community spirit than something like sharing the final product of students’ effort. Hopefully it inspires students to come up to the art studio and experience the classes,” Mr. Dickinson remarked.

On behalf of the visual arts teachers, Mrs. Taylor said, “We thought that maybe through food and the dining hall, it could make us think of how art can interpret something that is familiar to us.

We wanted something to bring us together but also allow us to experiment with things.

Britney Cheung

Lights dimming on a full house, a hush of anticipation blankets the audience: to many, this picture strikes fear and nervousness. Yet to Maddie Wasson ’18, this situation is one that she has experienced and will experience again many hundreds of times in her life.

“I’ve been acting and singing for as long as I can remember,” Wasson said. “Ever since my first theatrical role as a mouse, [theater] has always been a driving force of who I am as a person. It’s taught me to not be afraid of who I am.”

Growing up in a school where none of her main friends acted, Wasson soon found her family in the theater department. Ever since coming to Deerfield as a new junior, she continues to be a devoted member of the acting community.

In addition to acting, singing, which she has also been doing since she can remember, plays a big part in Wasson’s life. In particular, her love of a capella taught her about blending, being in an ensemble and becoming a better singer. The Rhapso-D’s, the female a capella group on campus, also provided a “chill” environment for Wasson to develop her passion.

“We’re really just sisters, hanging out and having fun. [The Rhapso-D’s] is just a group of really awesome people who like to sing together,” she said.

“What draws people into performances is when actors make risks and put themselves out there.”

– Maddie Wasson Wasson utilizes all such skills in her involvement with musical theater, which includes singing, acting, and dancing. “I think that in order to be successful at musical theater you need to act and sing, but more importantly, be vulnerable and make bold choices,” Wasson said. She continued, “What draws people into performances is when actors make risks and put themselves out there.”

Wasson’s newest “risk” is the spring production, a musical revue, a mixture of some of the most well-known songs from Broadway history. Theater Director Catriona Hynds commented, “Currently, I am struggling to direct [Wasson] in one of the songs she sings in the Spring Musical Revue because I

can’t stop crying when I hear her.

I am a mess, and the audience will be.” She adds, “Those of you who were lucky enough to witness her performance at KFC know what I am talking about!”

Coming in as a new junior, Wasson was shocked by the atmosphere surrounding the theater department. In her old school, tickets were sold depending on the popularity and recognition of the show and the attitude towards the theater department.

At Deerfield, everyone comes to see performances no matter what their interests are. The community that this builds extends beyond the stage. She recalled having many peers and teachers congratulate her on performances when walking between classes.

“I came in thinking that I knew a lot about theater. Yet when I got here I realized that there’s so much for me to learn and all of it came from Mrs. Hynds,” Wasson said.

“She has taught me more about acting and about theater in the last year than I have in every year since I have been acting. She has taught me to be more confident in the choices I make and she’s been one of the people who’s changed me the most.”

Mrs. Hynds said, “Maddie burst into the theater scene here at Deerfield Academy the moment she stepped foot in the Acting Lab. She is an incredibly bubbly and gregarious individual, and it is impossible to not be carried along by her enthusiasm for everything!”

Wasson has participated in four theatrical productions during her time at Deerfield and has been working with Mrs. Hynds since her first play her junior year.

Mrs. Hynds continued, “It was not long before Maddie showed us what she can do on stage, and she has continually blown us away with her powerful voice and brave performances. She is a really dedicated actor, meaning that she takes her craft seriously, and is constantly looking for ways to hone her skills. Often, Maddie is the one who sets the tone in the

rehearsal room, and she demands others have the same level of professionalism as she does.

Committed, fun-loving and gifted, Maddie was a superb addition to the theater program.”

In regards to the productions she has been involved in, Wasson jokingly said that it was impossible to choose her favorite play, as it was like choosing a favorite child.

“She has continually blown us away with her powerful voice and brave performances.“ – Catriona Hynds She finally explained, “I loved Pinkalicious because it was so fun and touring Edinburgh was incredible, I loved You Can’t Take it With You because of the cast, and I loved Big Love because of the role I played. I connected so well with the character.”

When asked for any advice she could give for future actors, she said, “Don’t be afraid to take risks in the rehearsal room. I used to be scared of putting myself out there and I would be super reserved of the choices I made on stage. The more risks you take, the better actor you become.” Wasson assures aspiring actors that making mistakes is a normal and healthy part of high school, and even childhood as a whole.

She continued, “I’ve been dealing with serious rejection for the first time in my life and it sucks but I know that I have to keep pushing. Pushing yourself, never losing faith in yourself, and knowing yourself despite any challenges is something that participating in the arts has taught me. It is something that applies to so much more than the arts; it is something that you can carry with you for the rest of your life.”

Wasson stars in the winter theater production, Big Love.

Deerfield Academy Flickr

Arts

The Deerfield Scroll

Role of Arts at Deerfield CHRISTINA LI Staff Writer

Although interdisciplinary projects at Deerfield are typically between academic courses, this year, a student created a project linking English and music. This project serves as an example that learning goes far beyond a single classroom, and has prompted discussion on the promotion of integrating arts into the academic curriculum.

Many teachers in humanities classes have began to steadily incorporate artistic elements into their syllabus, giving their students options of using the arts as a way of responding to a prompt.

Helen Feng ’20, for example, composed an operatic scene using a musical-notation software in response to an English class assignment, where all students in the class were expected to create a piece of art exploring main themes of their in-class text Othello, which all sophomores studied in their English class.

“It was the the first time I had ever incorporated music with English, and it was both challenging and rewarding,” Feng described. “Because the arts are so abstract, I had to deeply understand many more concepts of the literature in order to create this piece of art.”

Director of Orchestra and Chamber Music Thomas Bergeron, who has worked with Feng in her development as a pianist, also commented, “I think that Helen’s project perfectly shows how these cross-curricular studies, especially

arts, can happen, and be uniquely enriching to students in the way that allows them to explore a different avenue to express their ideas.”

Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair Lydia Hemphill expanded on this idea with the example of the von Auersperg Gallery’s role in different courses of study.

Madeline Lee

“Language teachers regularly look to see what is being exhibited in the gallery to use as a writing prompt, and students in math and science classes have come over to the kinetic sculpture exhibit in the fall,” Hemphill explained. “It is one example of a way education is becoming more and more interdisciplinary.” She advocates

Thursday, April 19th, 2018 | 9

Deerfield A Capella Fest

for the continued involvement of arts in academia, crediting them as sources of inspiration for students in the classroom setting.

In addition, there have been different perspectives on the role of extracurricular arts in students’ daily lives after the school day.

“I think that we have a culture here where everyone is so busy and so swamped,” Mr. Bergeron remarked, “and when there is an orchestra concert on a Wednesday night, people see it as ‘the orchestra’s just doing their thing’ instead of as an event that should be shared as a community to honor and celebrate the work students have been putting in.”

Ms. Hemphill took on the matter from another perspective, focusing more on the broader picture of the arts and what she finds to be a widespread eagerness on campus to take risks.

“In studio arts, we have a lot of students who take intro to studio art or photography, which is often their first formal course in the discipline, and, from that, go on to take the AP course the following year. That is what continuously impresses me,” she remarked. “It is an example of many students being encouraged to try something new.”

Ms. Hemphill continued by reasoning, “Not everyone finds a home in the Visual and Performing Arts Department, of course, but many students’ Deerfield experiences are largely defined by their passions and contributions in the arts. Synthesizing them into academics would allow more students to explore the arts.”

Spring Dance: Behind the Scenes ANGELA CUI Staff Writer

This spring term, the dance program will host three performances: the Family Weekend performance, the spring showcase, and the senior dance projects’ showcase.

The upcoming Family Weekend performance will exhibit a total of nine pieces, one of which is choreographed by several students from the Advanced Dance Ensemble, the others by faculty

“Even as I’m choreographing and figuring out what to do, it’s not just another dance that I’ve choreographed for the winter.

It’s a big closing statement.“ – Mila Castleman in the dance program, including Stephanie Shumway and Lori Clark, resident contemporary and jazz teachers, respectively.

“I love the spring Family Weekend show because I love sharing a show with the music program,” commented Artistic Director Jennifer Whitcomb.

“Over the years, even parents whose children don’t dance in the program come to that concert.”

For the spring showcase, seven more student-choreographed pieces will be added, with sixteen pieces in total. The showcase gives a variety of dancers with a broad

range of experience the chance to dance, which allows even students with no dance background to still hold interest in performing during future shows.

“I think we straddle both ends of the spectrum of dance experience: the very beginners to the most advanced kids,” remarked Ms. Whitcomb on the spring showcase.

“There are a lot of people who take Intro to Dance for one year and then come back to perform with us later in their Deerfield career. It really represents a lot of different constituencies of our community here.”

Behind the scenes, the dancers work diligently. For the choreographers, their work consists of a large amount of responsibility, including choosing the music, costumes, lighting, and, most importantly, creating an entire dance piece from nothing.

“Most people’s choreographing process is ‘spend a couple of hours in the studio, make a phrase that’s a couple eight counts, and then set it on dancers,’” elaborated dancer and choreographer Zo Williams ’19 of the Advanced Dance Ensemble.

However, instead of a single dancer working on one piece, three dancers are choreographing collaboratively for the Spring Family Weekend piece. Collaborations can make the choreographing process easier, as dancers only need to choreograph a fraction of the piece. Yet at the same time, it raises many additional issues such as cooperation between choreographers, and maintaining a consistent style.

“It’s not always this way, but the way we’re doing it is splitting it up. I have the end, another person has the middle, another has the beginning,” detailed Gigi Deinard ’20, who is part of the Advanced

Dance Ensemble. “We make sure to talk to each other about the choreography throughout so they don’t seem like three different pieces.”

Sentimental emotions arise amidst these busy preparations as the senior performances approach, since seven students from the Advanced Dance Ensemble will graduate this year.

“I’ve had to remind myself a lot to be in the moment with them and not to sit there and get weepy,” admitted Ms. Whitcomb. The upcoming senior performances will showcase the solos by these senior dancers in their final dances at Deerfield Academy.

“It’s not only dance, but it’s the day before commencement.

It’s like our culminating Deerfield experience,” said Mila Castleman ’18, a student dancer and choreographer. “Even as I’m choreographing and figuring out what to do, it’s not just another dance that I’ve choreographed for the winter. It’s a big closing statement.”

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Photos provided by Deerfield Academy Flickr

Sports

10 | Thursday, April 19th, 2018

The Deerfield Scroll

Spring Break Training MADDY SOFER Staff Writer

When most think of spring break, they think of rest and relaxation, but for many of Deerfield’s dedicated athletes it is quite the opposite. Instead of lying on the beach or spending restful time with friends and family, athletes from the lacrosse, tennis, crew, softball and baseball teams travelled to Florida on preseason trips to prepare them for the upcoming spring season.

The baseball team traveled to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where the boys managed to beat one of IMG’s baseball teams that included many Division 1 commits. “[It] showed us what we’re capable of when we throw strikes and don’t make errors,” said Captain Jared Pantalony ’18.

Boys lacrosse also had a successful trip to IMG Academy.

They scrimmaged against New Hampton and Belmont Hill and brought home two wins, which boosted their confidence going into this season. Ned Lynch ’19 predicted great team chemistry, saying, “We have an awesome group of guys and we’re optimistic about a successful upcoming season.”

Both of the rowing teams had productive training sessions at the University of Central Florida.

This trip was not for the faint of heart, with the athletes racking up a total of five hours on the water in addition to dryland workouts each day. That is not to say it was not an enjoyable experience.

Girls crew captain Anna Scott ’18 recalled a fun team memory: “The guys and girls did March Madness racing relays. Even though there was no prize, it was still fun!”

The softball team had a productive trip to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in

Orlando to work on their skills for the upcoming season, spending countless hours on the field in preparation for future games. The team recalled lots of fun memories they had of the trip especially those spent exploring Disney World and other team bonding activities. “The team has lots of spirit and potential — I love the girls that I work with,” said Coach Rebecca Melvoin. She believed the team chemistry improved greatly over the week spent training in Florida.

The week before the softball team entered Disney World, the girls lacrosse team was training there. After leaving right after finals, they spent the first four days of spring break practicing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and competing against other teams down there.

Goalkeeper Maggie Tydings ’20 addressed the difficulty of a first-week training trip, saying, “Leaving right after exams is hectic for everyone, especially seniors who give up spending time with their friends. But, our trip was super productive and we were able to get a lot of great work in while also having a hoot in Disney!”

Both the boys and girls tennis teams also traveled to IMG Academy for their preseason training. A highlight of the trip for many of the players was meeting Maria Sharapova, a renowned Russian professional tennis player who is an Olympic medalist and career Grand Slam winner. Claire Koeppel ’18 recalled the trip as “extremely productive and fun!”

After practicing for five hours each day, and doing many bonding activities, the tennis teams expresed that they were ready for any challenges this season might throw at them.

Tennis Pavilion Progress

Alli Norris ’18 in her game against Andover last Wednesday. Deerfield won by a score of 15-7.

Britney Cheung

Athlete of the Issue: Alli Norris ’18 CAIO PAIVA OLIVEIRA Staff Writer

Determination, passion, and grit are just a few of the characteristics embodied by great athletes — but these traits cannot do senior lacrosse star Alli Norris ’18 justice. The adversities she has endured are representative of her maturity not only as an athlete, but as an empowering leader.

Reaching the end of a four-year Deerfield career, Norris has left a sure mark on the lacrosse program while achieving praise from her coaches and teammates alike.

Growing up in New Canaan, Connecticut, lacrosse had always been a part of Norris’s daily athletic life. “Every single girl that I knew was [playing lacrosse], so I just thought, ‘why not?’” Norris explained. Later Norris went on to refine her skills as a lacrosse player, and by the eighth grade, began to see a bright future ahead of her. She started attending recruiting events in the hopes of one day playing for a collegiate lacrosse program.

Coming to Deerfield, Norris made the varsity team in her first year, hoping to make an impact from the get-go. Such

determination garnered plenty of praise. Teammate Christina Halloran ’20 said, “Alli can always lift everyone’s spirits when people are down and is constantly encouraging and supporting her teammates.”

Last season, coaches and teammates were stunned to see Alli sidelined with a knee injury. She underwent surgery on August 21, 2017, and began a 10-month-long recovery process.

Close friend and co-captain Olivia Jones ’18 admired Norris’s resiliency during physical therapy, describing, “Every time [Alli] would come back and tell me a small little improvement she had made that day.”

Assistant girls lacrosse coach Amie Creagh also spoke about Norris’s injury, saying, “Alli navigated the emotional and physical pain with grit and resilience. She remained committed to the team collectively and to her teammates individually.”

Now entering her last season at Deerfield, Norris looks to set a tone of positivity. Girls varsity lacrosse head coach Allison DiNardo has great confidence in what Alli has to offer as captain. “Alli has been

a longstanding leader within the girls varsity lacrosse program.”

Ms. DiNardo said. “She is grateful for every moment on the field, and that passion serves as a contagious energy for the team.”

When looking back at her four years with Alli, Jones also added, “I have loved growing alongside her since freshman year and couldn’t imagine doing it without her.”

In addition to her successful career on the lacrosse team, Norris was also a four-time varisty letterwinner in soccer. She was voted to serve as captain her senior year, and although she was sidelined, she remained a great leader for the underclassman and the team as a whole.

As she prepares to hang up jersey #6 for Deerfield, Norris is excited for the bright future ahead of her. She will join recent Deerfield graduate Meghan Halloran ’17 on the girls lacrosse team at Williams College next spring. Norris looks to spend the offseason dedicating herself to improving her strength and fitness. As for her hard work and perseverance over these last four years, she has surely earned her right to respect and success in the future.

Fly Fishing: A Peaceful Pastime CARTER WEYMOUTH Staff Writer

Construction underway on the Tennis Pavilion.

Deerfield Academy Facebook

ARTHUR YAO Staff Writer

The Jay ’55 and Mimi Morsman Tennis Pavilion has been an anticipated addition to the tennis program for months. Unfortunately, delays have forced Deerfield’s tennis players to be patient entering the spring.

“Back in the winter when construction started, they were some delays and disagreements, so the project started later,” commented Athletic Director Bob Howe, on the progress of the roof. He added, “They’re behind schedule and they are working hard so we are able to use the facility. The team will be able to use the courts on Apr. 9 as practice courts; the only issue is that the lighting is not finished yet.”

The pavilion has garnered anticipation for good reason. The ambitious construction project plans to put a roof over the first six courts and add radiant heat under the floors. It will also add a motorized roller screen system for walls surrounding the courts.

The finished product will allow the academy’s tennis program to practice through unpredictable weather in the spring. The JV Girls’ tennis team practiced under the pavilion due to rain. Unfortu-

nately, their practice was hindered by the pavilion’s lack of lighting in its current state. “Right now, it’s unplayable,” said coach Anna Gonzales ’12. “You can’t see the ball coming at you.”

“I think having indoor tennis courts would encourage tennis players to continue practicing throughout the fall and winter, which would be beneficial for many of the early matches,” said Lisa Chen ‘18. She added, “A common restraint for students at Deerfield is time, and I think that having such an easily accessible indoor facility would be appealing to many tennis players.”

Girls varsity tennis coach Christian Austin said, “The roof will be a total game-changer ... If we are able to attract good tennis players, this will be essential to strengthening the tennis program. Additionally, we would also be a more attractive site to host NEPSAC tournaments.”

There are many games in store for Deerfield tennis this season.

The boys and girls look to repeat last year’s success at the New England tournament. Be sure to make your way to the tennis courts and support the players in action in the new tennis pavilion this spring!

As the snow begins to melt across the Pocumtuck Valley, students at Deerfield gain opportunities for many outdoor activities. One of the many pastimes open to members of the community is fishing on the Deerfield River. On weekends and even on some weekdays during the spring, many students are at the river casting out their lines.

In Deerfield’s past, an active fly fishing club organized interested fishermen and allowed them to collaborate to maximize their fishing potential. With this access, students were able to pick up a sport to which they may not have otherwise been exposed. There has been buzz around campus of reviving this club to give others the same opportunities as before.

With the Deerfield River being one of the best fisheries in New England, there is an incredible chance at success, even as a beginner. That is not to say that there are not ways to pick up the sport without a formal club. With so many students with fishing experience on campus, there are many to look up to in the field.

Willy Conzelman ’21 started fly fishing just last year, and is excited to continue fishing at Deerfield. Under the guidance of many skilled upperclassmen, Conzelman has found much success during his short time at

Deerfield. Conzelman noted the calming benefits of fishing, saying, “Fishing is an escape from the real world and an opportunity for one to discover his or her place in nature.” He expressed passion for the sport and has made efforts to expand and diversify the fishing community at Deerfield.

Philip Weymouth ’18 added that fishing has helped him “realize the beauty of the Valley” and allowed him to respect his surroundings in a more thoughtful

Madeline Lee

way.

Fishing in the Deerfield River clearly serves not only as a way to have fun with friends but also as a way to reflect on the events of one’s life.

This can be seen even in spring electives. In English Teacher Dr Mark Ott’s Literature of Fishing, students read and analyze texts pertinent to the art of fishing such as A River Runs Through It

by Norman MacLean. This novel was adapted into a film starring Brad Pitt, and is the central idea

to a course about fishing. During long periods, members of the class have the privilege of trying their hand at the sport on the Deerfield River.

Dr. Ott spoke fondly of the course. He said, “Because the Deerfield River is such an integral part of campus, it seems like more and more students are excited to engage with it more deeply through fishing and observation.

In the Literature of Fishing course, students read a broad range of texts

by Melville, Hemingway, Thomas McGuane, and Norman McLean among many authors, as they consider the natural environment — oceans, lakes, and rivers-and how it is entwined with the human race through fishing and the maritime experience.”

Tommy Whiteley ’18 noted that his favorite part of the class is “being immersed in nature, which is incredibly soothing during the hectic routine of a Deerfield week.”

Molly Fischer ’20 also enjoys fishing and commented on the gender imbalance in the sport, saying, “I think there is always room for improvement in gender equality, and I think if the fly fishing club was formed again, we could see real growth in female participants.”

Fishing is an activity that has brought mindfulness and joy to lots of members of the Deerfield community, with room for growth in the coming years.

Sports

The Deerfield Scroll

Thursday, April 19th, 2018 | 11

The Deerfield Players’ Tribune

Varsity Scores

ABBY PERSONS Staff Writer

Boys Tennis March 31: Loss at Groton 1-6 April 7: 5th Place in Kingswood Tournament April 11: Win vs Kingswood-Oxford 6-1

Girls Tennis April 7: Loss at Groton 2-7 April 11: Win vs Westminster 6-3

Here at Deerfield, sports make their way into our everyday lives.

Whether it’s hearing the howls of the fans echoing across the field, or the whistle of a ball finding its way into the net, athletics is deeply embedded into Deerfield’s culture.

Despite the relevance of sports at the Academy, we rarely take the time to ask athletes how their seasons on the fields and courts have changed their lives and themselves throughout their years at Deerfield. This reflection on their

growth as high-school athletes is significant, as it allows them to contemplate all of their greatest moments on the fields: everything from the importance of school spirit to taking on leadership positions within their teams. In or-

der to dive deeper into the impact athletics have on the Deerfield community, we asked returning seniors from eight varsity teams what ‘bleeding green’ meant to them as they embarked on the final season of their high school careers.

Chris Camelio ’18

Young Hur ’18

Anna Scott ’18

Lily Louis ’18

“The number one thing I would tell a new Deerfield athlete is to cherish every moment they have bearing the Deerfield ‘D’ across their chest. It’s a true honor to represent our institution every Wednesday and Saturday for your respective season, and it is honestly essential to never lose sight of this regardless of your team or personal success that season.

For me, coming in as a new junior, these two years have gone by almost too fast. I’m currently in my last athletic season at DA, where I am on the Varsity Baseball team. Every day that passes is one day less that I will be wearing the green and white uniform I’ve grown to love, and it truly is a tough reality to come to terms with.”

“As much as being an athlete at Deerfield is performance-based, it is always about being a great teammate first. Coach Philie and Coach Davis always stress the importance of ‘being a good teammate’ and looking to ‘serve others, and then yourself.’ This means to perform to the best of your athletic ability, but also, to look for any ways to help your team. I learned by being part of the swim team that the goals of the team come before those of the individuals.

Swimming, a sport that revolves around competing for your best times as an individual, takes on a completely different meaning at Deerfield. You swim for your fastest times, not for yourself, but because swimming your fastest is ultimately what will score the team the most points.”

“I think being an athlete at Deerfield means being part of the team, and putting the team before yourself and trying to push the team to be stronger and faster and their best. You may not be the best at the sport that you do, but you’ll never quit trying, and I think at Deerfield that’s really fostered in the environment - showing up, supporting and being a leader to the underclassmen.

Being a leader is so important to me because I had such great leaders when I began the sport.

The first time I showed up to crew practice, I just went to watch and I sat right next to the captain at the time, Claire Collins, and she really inspired me despite the fact that I completely failed the workout that we were doing.”

“Coming from a British school in the U.K., athletics was not really a part of the curriculum.

I had sports once per week, but at Deerfield I think it’s a vital aspect of being a part of a community. I really enjoyed coming in as a freshman and getting to know a bunch of different seniors and upperclassmen, based on being on a team. Then, as for track, I think it’s very particular in terms of being a sport in that there are over 50–60 of us. So it’s a humongous family, and not only is it an incredible sport, you also get to meet people from all walks of Deerfield life.”

Olivia Jones ’18

Suzy Mazur ’18

Lowell Weil ’18

Philip Weymouth ’18

“There is no greater feeling than putting on a Deerfield jersey.

Whether it’s the Nike pennie that is worn every day at practice, or the uniform that comes out twice a week, playing lacrosse at Deerfield has been such an honor. When thinking back on the past three lacrosse seasons that I have had at Deerfield, there have been many memories — from funny moments at practice, to large comebacks, and to serious locker room talks.

However, the moment I would cite as the best would be when Deerfield beat Exeter in overtime in the last game of our season my sophomore year. Exeter was undefeated going into the game, and we were their only loss of the season.

It was such an amazing moment, and I’m so glad our seniors were able to close out their high school lacrosse careers with a thrilling win!”

“To me, being an athlete at Deerfield means that I’m able to try any sport I want and be on a team with people who love to play and compete. It also means that I’m going to be constantly pushed, both by myself and my teammates and coaches to improve and do my best. Furthermore, if I ever have questions about something, I know I have tons of people I can turn to coaches, captains, other players, athletic trainers — and I know I’ll always be supported and encouraged by my teammates and coaches. I’ve learned so much more about softball in my time here than in my six years on rec teams in elementary and middle school. So I would tell a new Deerfield athlete to not be nervous about giving a new sport a try.

The coaches here are so supportive and great teachers.”

“I’m incredibly honored to have had the opportunity to wear the green and white in competition.

I’ve played four different sports at Deerfield, and would not trade those memorable seasons for anything. It’s great to be able to carry on the legacy of so many athletes that have fiercely competed and brought success to the Deerfield name. I have not quite come to terms that in a month or two, it will be the last time I will compete for the school that has given me so much. I often think back on my sophomore year when we beat Exeter. Exeter, the team that would later win the New England Championship, had four division one golfers on their squad. Despite our slim odds, which were made worse by the fact that we had to travel two and a half hours to New Hampshire, we rallied as a team.”

“Up until my sophomore year I played lacrosse, and then an ACL injury caused me to switch to rowing. So my favorite moment has actually been this past season, where I picked up rowing. My journey as a rower is a true testament to how great it can be to start a new sport at Deerfield. It is definetly something I would encourage all new Deerfield athletes to do, especially if the sport they want to try is crew. In the fall of my junior year I served as a novice in the fall and made the varsity in the spring, and by the end of the spring we capped off an undefeated season with a win at the New England championship. So, I think the race that culminated a long season of hard work was my best moment as a Deerfield athlete, and bringing home the win was just the icing on the cake.”

Baseball

Lacrosse

Crew

Track and Field

Boys Baseball March 31: Loss at Belmont Hill 4-14 April 7: Win vs Cushing 5-1 April 11: Loss vs Taft 7-11

Girls Softball April 11: Win vs Worcester Academy 10-9

Girls Water Polo March 31: Loss at Exeter 7-18 April 4: Win vs Suffield 16-10 April 7: Win at Hotchkiss 14-6 April 11: Win vs Loomis 13-8

Boys Lacrosse March 31: Loss vs Brunswick 3-10 April 4: Win vs Berkshire 10-8 April 7: Win at Westminster 9-4

Girls Lacrosse April 4: Loss at St. Mark’s 6-10 April 7: Loss at Middlesex 5-6 April 11: Win vs Andover 15-7

Boys Crew April 7: Win (S) vs Belmont Hill

Golf April 11: Win at NMH

Cycling April 11: Alex Weinman, 6th place at Proctor Circuit Race

Sub-Varsity Scores

Lacrosse

Softball

Golf

Photos provided by Harbour Woodward and Maggie Tydings.

Crew

Boys JV Tennis April 7: Win vs Cardigan Mountain School 7-0

Girls JV Tennis April 11: Loss vs Westminster 0-7

Boys JV Baseball April 11: Win at Taft 13-7

Boys JV Lacrosse March 31: Loss vs Brunswick 2-10 April 4: Loss at Avon Old Farms 1-7 April 7: Win at Westminster 8-7 April 11: Win vs Cardigan Mountain School 9-8

Girls JV Lacrosse

April 11: Win vs Andover 11-7

More articles online at

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Buzz

The Deerfield Scroll

Thursday, April 19th, 2018 | 12

Say Yes to DA! (Maybe)

The History of Spring Day

MASON ZHAO

JOANA SETTE

Staff Writer

In

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Reasons to Say Yes

Reasons to Say No

School Singing: You might not be the best of singers, or you might lament having a “bad” voice, but singing at Deerfield will remove these doubts and insecurities.

Whether you are singing the Deerfield Evensong or the Fight Song, your voice will always fit in.

Fortnite Addiction: Our campus has seen a large increase in Fortnite players. If you’re easily addicted to games, then you might need to consider other schools, but if you can play Fortnite in moderation, then Deerfield is the school for you.

Dress Code: We’ve all heard it: look smart, feel smart. Come to Deerfield because you’ll feel smart in every class (even if you’re barely passing), and who doesn’t want that stylish and sophisticated look?

The Patriots: Where are my Cowboy fans at? When February rolls around the corner, and the Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl yet again, you can expect to find Patriot fans everywhere around campus.

Freedom: You’re at a boarding school! It’s your life from here on out, and you’ll have a lot more time to be with friends, or binge watch Netflix. Of course, you have to do your work and you won’t have your mom nagging you about chores.

Campus Size: When you live in a 330-acre campus, you should expect some long walks. Especially if you live in the Village, walking to the the Lower Fields will take a long time.

Cool Merch: Just imagine, a closet full of green clothes! That’s what heaven really looks like. What more could a kid want?

Dessert All Day: Who doesn’t love dessert? At Deerfield, you get dessert pretty much 3 times a day, except breakfasts but that’s just for health issues (but coffee cake counts right?). You won’t ever need to worry about satisfying your sweet tooth because you get dessert with every lunch and dinner, and if sweets aren’t your thing, there is always fruit too!

Birthdays: When that special day comes along, you know that all of your friends will come and sing to you at lunch. You’ll absolutely love it! Just try not to fall off your chair.

The Middle of Nowhere: Living in the middle of a valley in Western Massachusetts means that you’re pretty far from big cities like Boston and NYC. The drive can take as long as four hours, so you should anticipate some serious car jam sessions.

New England Weather: One day it might be sunny, but before you know it there might be a snowstorm on its way. It rains and snows often, so if you can’t live without a full year of sunshine, Deerfield might not be the place for you.

Absurd Talent: You’re coming to one of the most prestigious schools out there, so of course there’s going to be competition. But take on the challenge! Competition is what helps you grow, and being in an environment where those around you are so smart and talented inspires you to do even better.

With spring term underway, many Deerfield students’ minds turn to one thing: Spring Day. There are questions like, “When is spring day?” Or, “What will the activities be?” And from the new students, “What causes all the hype?” Spring Day is not merely a day of activities; it is just as important as any other Deerfield tradition — full of history and importance to student life.

The origin of Spring Day can be traced back to when Deerfield was an all-boys school. The boys would go out on a Wednesday afternoon to the green in front of the library, typically one week

The celebration continues to be a time for Deerfield students to unwind, spend time with their friends, and enjoy the weather. It usually takes place on a Wednesday, so that after a half day of classes, students can enjoy an afternoon in the sun. A variety of activities are now held on the Lower Fields, unlike before, when they were held in front of the library. They include rafting, inflatable games, and swimming in the river. Later in the afternoon, there is a whole school cookout (although lobsters and clam have been replaced) where students can chat and just continue to relax.

Dear Margo, Rita, and Curtis, I was on a sports team for the past two terms, but now I’m a student who doesn’t play a sport in the spring. All of a sudden I have more free time, and I don’t know what to do on weekends. Any advice on what to do?

Best, springtermstruggler21 --------------------------------------------Dear springtermstruggler21,

Deerfield Academy Archives

before graduation, and sit outside in the sun to enjoy the nice weather.

Yearbooks suggest that the activities that took place during Spring Day have varied throughout the years, ranging from picnics to performances to mere social gatherings. For example, in the older yearbooks from the 1900s, photographs depict Spring Days with a big outdoor theater production — something that now has been replaced.

According to Spanish Teacher Stephen Taft, who has been at Deerfield since 1984, Spring Day has been a tradition since he arrived on campus. However, early in his career here, there were no organized games and no inflatables. Spring Day was just much simpler: students would stay outside, enjoying nature and friends’ company for what it was.

He recalled that student bands would perform, and other sorts of entertainment was also put on by students themselves. Mr. Taft described the traditional cookout as a lobster and clam dinner, where a big fire would be used to cook up the seafood.

Students consistently rave about Spring Day as one of the best days of the year. According to Michael Makridis ’19, Spring Day is special to Deerfield students because it celebrates the final few weeks of the school year. He explained, “Last year, when I was a new sophomore and Spring Day came around, I was both sad and excited to conclude my first year on campus. Spring Day was the best opportunity I had to spend time with my friends before we all went home.”

From a different perspective, Lily Robinson ’18 suggested that what makes Spring Day special is all of the fun activities. She said, “Last year’s Spring Day was by far my favorite, because of the slip and slide, and swimming in the river. The sun was out and it made the day so much more enjoyable. If it is good weather, it definitely one of the best days of the year.”

This year’s Spring Day is on Wednesday, May 23, and plans have already been made. So make sure not to miss it!

​ irst of all, look at this free time not F as a curse, but instead as possibly the biggest blessing you have ever received. Spring term at Deerfield is probably the best time of year at the Academy — actually, you can really have fun no matter what you are doing. Now that there’s more than two minutes of sunlight each day, the world is your oyster.

Here are a few ideas of things you can do on weekends to enjoy the end of the year: 1. Go to the river. Duh. Go with your friends or go alone. You won’t regret going. However, if you are thinking that you are going to get a tan, I am here to make sure you don’t get your hopes up. Deerfield in April isn’t exactly the same vibe as Cancún.

Consider yourself lucky if the UV Index is above four.

2. Watch games! Spring term is nice because we have so many teams to watch. The boys and girls lacrosse teams are fan favorites, track and field is sure to make your jaw drop, baseball and softball know how to impress a crowd, crew is so fast you can barely see the boat, our cyclists are world-class, golf brings a sweat to your forehead, and water polo is sure to keep you on your toes.

3. Do your homework outside.

This idea only really applies to sophomores and juniors because seniors don’t do that anymore and freshman don’t even have homework, right? Regardless, doing homework outside makes time go by faster, and you can get your tan on at the same time!

4. Take a faculty dog for a walk.

While it is tempting to just grab one because they are so cute, remember to ask first. Walking them down the Big Loop or even just down Albany Road will make a dog’s day... and yours.

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Claire Zhang

Staff Writer

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5. Hike to the Rock. Just before it gets unbearably hot, a hike to the Rock is the perfect source of exercise that won’t make you want to cry while doing it. If you’re lucky enough, you might be able to watch the sunset there.

6. Get ice cream from Richardson’s.

Two words: Cookie Combustion.

Trust me on this one.

SOO MIN LEE Buzz Editor

What’s your favorite family tradition?

Tuesday night dinners with my extended family on my mom’s side.

What are three things you’d bring with you on a deserted island?

My family, some kind of ball, and a surplus of my favorite food.

What is your favorite memory at Deerfield?

My sister had finished playing lacrosse, and my family just sat on the Lower Fields, taking it all in.

One thing you wish more people would compliment you for?

Stuff that happens behind the closed doors: the little things that you do for people.

Who is your favorite sibling?

Aidan and Austin just because they are the most easy-going…but I love all of my siblings.

Describe yourself in three words.

Energetic, kind, and loyal.

What is your spirit animal?

Silverback gorilla.

Create a hashtag to describe your life. #effortandattitude

Ameli

What’s your pet peeve?

Palms up…When you say something to someone, and they just give you the palms up. I just can’t stand it!

a Chen

Claire Zhang

There are tons of things that you can do even if you don’t play a sport in the spring. In my opinion, spring term is one of the best terms to be able to relax and enjoy your time at Deerfield. Remember to try new things and explore all this campus has to offer, and I assure that you will make amazing memories this spring!

Best, Margo, Rita, and Curtis