The Deerfield Scroll: April 27, 2016

The Deerfield Scroll Deerfield, Massachussetts

Vol. XCI, No. 1

April 27th, 2016

Farewell to Academic Dean Peter Warsaw

Provided by Deerfield Parents Network

//JILLIAN CARROLL Associate Editor Mr. Peter Warsaw, who has served as Academic Dean at Deerfield since 2007, will step down at the end of this academic year to begin a position as Head of School at Vanke Meisha Academy (VMA) and Chief Officer of International Schools for Shenzhen Meisha Education Company in Shenzhen, China.

As he pursues this endeavor, he will help grow VMA’s student body from 150 to 1000 students and implement a curriculum focused on critical thinking and analysis.

Throughout his time at Deerfield, Mr. Warsaw has provided leadership and support for academic initiatives including the recent renovation of the library, the AP Seminar capstone courses, and the Academy’s strategic plan, Imagine Deerfield. “The bulk of what I do,” Mr. Warsaw said, “revolves around curriculum development, academic performance, and academic integrity.”

Mr. Warsaw has also contributed immensely to Deerfield’s music program.

As the Director of the Chamber Music and Orchestra Programs, Mr. Warsaw has touched the lives of many young musicians.

Pianist Sean Yu ’18 said, “Mr. Warsaw has helped me and guided me in all aspects since I arrived at Deerfield. He is my advisor, my classroom teacher, and my piano teacher, but most importantly, my mentor.” Yu added,

“The thing that is most special about Mr. Warsaw is not only that he is the Academic Dean, he is also a phenomenal pianist, conductor, and chamber music coach.”

Building Deerfield’s Chamber Music Program from the ground up, Mr. Warsaw created the Chamber Music class, which has grown into a full orchestra comprised of talented musicians from all over the world. Mr. Warsaw recalled his first days in Deerfield’s Music Department. “There was no orchestra five years ago,” he said. “Now there are two … that’s pretty cool.”

Nate Steele ’17 said that Mr. Warsaw “has created a multitude of other performance opportunities for us [the chamber musicians], often in inventive ways, such as the children’s concerts, and last year’s tour of Korea and Hong Kong.”

In an email sent to the faculty, Head of School Dr. Margarita Curtis said, “It’s clear that the impact of his work [at Deerfield] will be felt for years to come.” Dr. Curtis has spent many years working with Mr. Warsaw; they were colleagues at Phillips Academy Andover before they arrived at Deerfield in 2007. Dr. Curtis added that she will “miss his insight, his inquisitive nature, and his work ethic—and, of course, his development of outstanding orchestras and chamber music programs.”

Opening a new school has been a lifelong goal of Mr. Warsaw’s. After teaching for

Islam: Virtue, Not Violence //KEVIN CHEN Associate Editor On March 22, sadness and fear swept the globe in the aftermath of the Brussels terrorist attacks, which killed 31 people and injured hundreds more.

ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, took responsibility for the attacks, just months after taking responsibility for the November Paris attacks that killed 130 people. ISIS has also taken credit for attacks in many other countries, including Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, and Turkey.

A video released by ISIS on March 4 shows images of the British Parliament and the Roman Colosseum, while a member of the group says, “If it was Paris yesterday, and today Brussels, Allah knows where it will be tomorrow. Maybe it will be in London or Berlin or Rome.” ISIS is infamous for spreading messages of hate and releasing violent videos showing the executions of hostages.

Fears only continue to rise in the U.S.; a recent New York Times/CBS News poll concluded that seven in ten Americans now see ISIS as a major threat to domestic security.

Because ISIS insists that its actions are supported by the religion of Islam and are undertaken completely in devotion to God, ISIS and Islam are often conflated. In fact, a 2015 YouGov poll found that 55% of Americans hold an “unfavorable” opinion of Islam.

However, it is a statistical reality that all the terrorist groups that fight in the name of Islam comprise an extremely small minority of Muslims. The US Department of Defense estimated ISIS numbers at between 20,000 and 30,000 in Iraq and Syria, less than 0.002% of the 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, and 2.75 million Muslims here in the United States.

What is the truth about Islam?

According to the Oxford Islamic Studies, an

This Year in Admissions

international research database on Islamic studies, The Five Pillars of Islam, which set the foundation for Muslim life, are: 1) Declaring that there is no god but God and Muhammad is his Prophet (shahadah), 2) performing the five daily prayers (salat), 3) giving alms to those in need (zakat), 4) Fasting from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan (sawm), and 5) Performing a pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj).

Islam traditionally focuses on the qualities of caring and empathy. For example, according to the Oxford Islamic Studies, fasting during Ramadan is intended to “[remind] the believer of the pain and hunger experienced by the poor,” and giving alms to those in need, traditionally 2.5% of a believer’s total liquid assets, is intended to help the community.

Deerfield student Iqbal Nurjadin ’18 said, “My interpretation [of Islam] is that everything [Islam] asks you to do…is just to be a good person.”

Saher Al-Khamash ’17 explained how Islam has shaped who she is: “Islam has taught me a lot about modesty, not just in clothing, but about the way I behave and interact with people. It’s taught me to be grateful for what I have and [think of those] who are less fortunate when I fast during Ramadan.”

Saba Al-Qubailat ’17 commented on the disconnect between true Islam and Islam seen in the media: The actions of ISIS contradict Islamic teachings, she said. ISIS spreads hate, but the Qur’an preaches love and empathy; ISIS murders “infidels,” she said, but the Qur’an explicitly condemns killing. “[Islam] means love; it means caring for each other,” she explained, “and the core principles of my religion have nothing to do with what the media portrays.” Indeed, she said that Islam itself is against the atrocities that ISIS commits.

Ethnic Distribution of Incoming Students

Continued on Page 5

What’s Inside

On April 20, 2016, Kinder Morgan Inc. officially suspended the NED pipeline due to its expensive nature, infringement on the local economy, the lack of utility customers, and strong political and customer opposition.

However, the conditions that allowed for the proposal of the pipeline are still intact.

more than 35 years, Mr. Warsaw feels that he needs “to have more impact in the world.”

He explained, “I have grown up with a lot of privilege, I’ve been too lucky, and I think I owe the world something.”

Mr. Warsaw will be deeply missed by the community. Yu said, “We appreciate all the good Mr. Warsaw has done for our lives and futures, for Deerfield, and for music.” His impact on this campus has been immeasurable, and Steele is “sure [Mr. Warsaw] will make a huge impact on the Chinese education system” as well.

Although Mr. Warsaw’s time at Deerfield is drawing to a close, he said, “In a way, I don’t feel that I’m leaving Deerfield, just extending the Deerfield mission. I’m going to stay connected to a lot of folks here; I will need their advice and expertise.” While Mr. Warsaw is excited for his future in Shenzhen, he also noted, “I’m nervous, anxious, and terrified about everything … It’s a huge, huge risk” to start anew at VMA. However, he added, “[This year was] the first time my wife and I have lived in separate places, and it’s been hard. Next year, we will be together. We may go down in flames [at VMA], but if we are together, that’s already a plus.”

Dr. Curtis said that plans to search for a new academic dean will begin soon. For now, Mr. Warsaw said he is enjoying his last days at Deerfield and looking forward to what the future brings.

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Opinion and Editorial

Features

A Call for a New Five-Day Rule

After 27 Years, Deerfield’s Beloved Doc Retires

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Arts and Entertainment

When One Suffers, We All Do: Muslim Students Speak Up

Experiencing Poet Laureate Hass

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Page 7 Sports

The “Ultimate” Athletes Page 8

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The Deerfield Scroll

Wednesday, April 27th, 2016 ⋅ 2

Opinion and Editorial Letter from the Editor Deerfield Scroll Vol. XCI, No. 1

Managing Editor nia goodridge

Editor-in-Chief Perry Hamm

Business Manager Will Suter

Front Page Editor ethan thayumanavan

Managing Online Editor William ughetta

Opinion & Editorial Editor Karen tai

Online Editor Freddie JohnSon

Features Editor Kiana raWJi

Online Content Editor

Arts & Entertainment Editor riChard parK

Online Associate Editor Simon lam

Sports Editor liam Jeon

Graphics Associate Editor Claire Zhang

virginia murphy

Associate Editors holliS mCleod Jillian Carroll Kevin Chen Sarah Jane o’Connor doriS Zhang

Layout Editor aShley Wang

Photography Editor roopa venKatraman Graphics Editor valerie ma Advisors

Julianne SChloat, Carrie broWn, and John gregory broWn

The Deerfield Scroll, established in 1925, is the official student newspaper of Deerfield Academy. The Scroll encourages informed discussion of pertinent issues that concern the Academy and the world. Signed letters to the editor that express legitimate opinions are welcomed. We hold the right to edit for brevity. The Scroll is published eight times yearly and is uncensored.

Opinion articles with contributors’ names attached represent the views of the respective writers. Opinion articles without names represent the consensus views of the editorial staff.

Meatless Mondays Board Editorial Each April, students at Deerfield compete to see who can save the most energy and water by unplugging electronics, taking shorter showers, and living in dark dorms for weeks.

Students are excited and motivated to save energy during the “Green and Blue Cup Challenges,” which allow the academy to save money and help the environment at the same time. With these competitions, it’s clear that Deerfield prioritizes efforts to help the environment. g However, Deerfield would be n a Zh ire able to save energy and water at a l C an exponentially higher rate, while also helping improve world hunger, if it took the initiative to make a relatively minor change in the dining hall: serving meatless meals for one day a week.

In fact, veganism and vegetarianism are widely regarded as the most impactful practices an individual can do to help improve the environment worldwide. The documentary Cowspiracy, shown at DA in October, offers clear statistics on how animal agriculture dramatically hurts the environment, and how just one person eating a plant-based diet can significantly benefit the environment as a whole. For instance, the Cowspiracy website mentions that it takes 660 gallons of water to make a single hamburger, which is equivalent to the amount of water used by one person in two months just for showering. Although Deerfield currently encourages small changes to save water such as taking shorter showers or turning off the faucet, students could save over 100 times more water by simply replacing one meal a week with a plant-based option.* While eating a more plant-based diet has a dramatic impact on one’s personal energy and water usage, it can also influence greater environmental issues, making the choice to eat less animal products even more beneficial.

Carbon dioxide emissions are a leading cause of climate change overall, and while these emissions are often attributed to vehicles or major factories, statistics show that 51% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock and their byproducts.* Switching to a plant-based diet would reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by 50%.* Furthermore, few recognize the link between extinction and animal agriculture. A leading cause of species extinction is the destruction of a species’ habitat as a result of deforestation, and animal agriculture is responsible for as much as 91% of the deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.* However, these negative effects can be alleviated. If Deerfield, as a community, simply replaced one meal a week in the dining hall with a plant-based option, our community would be doing its part in combatting the greatest environmental threats of our time.

At The Scroll, we call for Deerfield students and faculty to recognize how this simple change can have a major influence on our school’s carbon footprint. We believe that this step is key in ensuring that our community makes every possible effort to combat the climate change and environmental destruction plaguing our society today and which could have potentially devastating effects in the future.

Dear Reader, I would first like to acknowledge that The Scroll would not be anywhere close to the one you know today without the admirable leadership of those who came before me. I thank Bella Hutchins endlessly, along with her dedicated board, without whom The Scroll would hold a mere fraction of its success. Bella has left me with enormous shoes to fill; my only hope is that I can continue to set a high bar for this paper and make her proud in doing so.

My goal is that the new editorial board will not shy from publishing what we believe the community should know; that may include controversial content, but we hope it will spark conversation in a way that helps us grow.

I am aware that this paper caters to members of one community, but not everyone will share the same beliefs. I’d like to capitalize on that. I’d like to filter these differing opinions into a medium everyone can see and hold and, ultimately, respect.

As a community, there are endless ways for us to positively

acknowledge individuality, be it gender, race, religion, or simply personal preferences.

Unfortunately, however, beyond “the Deerfield bubble,” these differences are often met with violence. According to Wikipedia there have been 148 “terrorist incidents” since the events of March 22 in Brussels. We are not immune to these attacks on our own soil; last week the city of Boston commemorated three years since the bombing at the Boston Marathon.

Personally, that event hit close to home. When I was in eighthgrade, I revisited Deerfield before enrolling; my flight landed in Boston at 3:10 p.m. on April 16, 2013. When we all turned on our phones upon landing, I remember the cabin filling with an agonizing silence—we couldn’t believe what we were hearing and seeing. The first bomb on Boylston Street had gone off just 21 minutes before.

I remember how anxious I felt driving from Logan Airport to my hotel, getting stuck in backed-up tunnels. Perhaps the marathon bombs were only the beginning of

a larger attack; a tunnel is a logical place for a bomb, I kept thinking.

My nervous toes tapped the floor of the car as my mind raced in fear; I couldn’t help but imagine the worst. Our hotel lobby swarmed with participants and onlookers— refugees of unthinkable violence.

I’ll never forget seeing the blood drip down one runner’s leg as he hobbled up the hotel steps.

Here at Deerfield, these situations may seem impossibly distant, and I am infinitely grateful for our security. But we should know what is happening here and abroad and we should know why.

Our spread this issue endeavors to educate the Deerfield community about ISIS and Islam and the critical distinction between the two. As an editorial board, we feel it is important to highlight this ongoing world issue, and to ensure we support those in our community who may feel vulnerable in the midst of a volatile threat to everyone’s safety.

Let us honor difference. Let us celebrate originality.

All the best, Perry Hamm

A Call for a New Five-Day Rule //KEVIN CHEN Associate Editor Although spring finals seem far away, The Scroll editorial board has decided to run “A Call For a New 5-Day Rule” in this issue. By doing so, The Scroll board hopes to promote awareness on the downfalls of the current five-day rule system and induce action within the community.

For many Deerfield students, the mere mention of the week before finals is enough to induce anxiety and stress. One phrase heard all around campus at the end of each term is “the 5-Day Rule,” a policy that prohibits teachers from giving major assessments five days before final exams begin, which is the Friday before finals.

Though the 5-Day Rule is intended to reduce the stress that students have at the end of the term, it is not very effective in accomplishing this goal.

To be clear, I appreciate that the Deerfield administration thinks of methods to reduce students’ stress. For example, certain subjects are prohibited from holding major assessments on Mondays and Fridays, only three subjects hold final exams each term, and the 5-Day Rule is enacted. However, the reality is that for many, the week before finals is the worst time of the term. At the end of each term, teachers are scrambling to finish the curriculum so there will still be time for tests and papers, which means that these tests and papers

are usually crammed in right up to the Friday before exams.

To compound matters, the Deerfield Almanac states that on the Friday before finals, subjects that do not hold final exams are exempt from the rules that normally limit which subjects may have major assessments on Mondays and Fridays. Perhaps this exception was made with the belief that courses holding finals would not hold a major assessment on Friday the week before, but this is simply not true. In fact, some courses that are scheduled to have a final exam even hold two major assessments the week before finals.

Many students have three or even four major assessments on the last Friday of the term and multiple major assessments every day of the week leading up to Friday. It is not uncommon for courses that do not have a final exam one term to hold a long and comprehensive cumulative test, essentially making the test a final exam and negating the entire purpose of only allowing three subjects to hold finals every term.

As a result, students are often sleep-deprived and highly stressed during the week before finals. The counseling office has remarked that they often see up to twice the usual number of students come in the week before finals than on any other day in the term.

Consequently, by the last week of finals, students are burned-out and often too tired to focus clearly on their exams. Ironically, the 5-Day Rule has somewhat exacerbated the very thing it hoped to reduce.

While there are many flaws to the 5-Day Rule, I, as well as many other students appreciate the extra time during the final exam week to rest and prepare for exams.

However, the current 5-Day Rule makes the week before finals the most stressful week of the entire term. During the week before finals, it would be more beneficial to maintain the same days on which certain subjects are allowed to have major assignments to prevent students from having multiple major assignments due on the last two days before the 5-Day Rule.

Perhaps another solution would be to consider a progressive 5-Day Rule. For example, the deadline for half the subjects to hold major assessments could be one day, and then the deadline for the other subjects would be a different day.

Every term, the two groups of subjects could switch deadlines to ensure fairness. This way, instead of having all subjects attempting to cram in assessments on Thursday or Friday, the workload would be more evenly spread out, which would be very much appreciated.

Furthermore, it would also be very helpful if subjects were not allowed to have cumulative exams, as that is what finals are for.

Overall, I hope the administration will look more closely into this matter to help alleviate student anxiety and sleep deprivation.

I certainly wish to maintain the 5-Day Rule, but I believe certain improvements could be made to the current system to better uphold the original intent of the 5-Day Rule.

*All statistics come from “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret”

Lynette Jiang

The Deerfield Scroll

Wednesday, April 27th, 2016 ⋅ 3

Opinion and Editorial

Dress For Gender-Neutral Success //ELLIE FRIENDS Contributing Writer

Claire Zhang

Outside of the school day, Deerfield students have freedom regarding what they wear and where they wear it. Girls wear crop tops to dances and bikinis on Spring Day, and guys also have freedom to wear—or not wear—whatever they want at these times. During school activities, however—including during sports practice, for instance—girls are denied the right to expose their bodies. In the last few weeks, a controversy regarding proper exercise apparel for girls on campus arose, and it brought with it a reminder of Deerfield’s clash between maintaining tradition and embracing progress.

As the spring unfolded and sports teams began to battle the rising temperatures, a group of girls led by Ally Bazarian ’18 asked for permission to take off their shirts while exercising, a privilege most boys teams have without recognizing it as a privilege at all.

In her petition Bazarian wrote, “By allowing women to wear sports bras in a workout setting, we are showing that female athletes are equal to male athletes.” Bazarian argues that by creating a standard that would apply to everyone regardless of gender, everyone

would be treated equally. This issue also calls attention to the larger issue of gender equality on campus, particularly in the realm of what we are expected to wear.

The dress code has split Deerfield students along gender lines, with two separate dress codes that strive to create an equal caliber of professionalism but actually fall short of achieving that aim despite constant readjustments of the rules. Ask anyone on campus what constitutes boys’ class dress, and the vast majority of the time you will get a complete answer, which takes into account even the special cases of turtlenecks and sweaters in the winter term.

Ask about the girls’ dress code, however, and you will be met with a blank stare, an incomplete list of what is acceptable and unacceptable apparel, or–and this is most likely–the answer that “girls don’t have a dress code.” This last statement is a partial truth. The relatively complex nature of the girls’ dress code makes it hard to enforce. I’ll admit that on rainy days I’ve been known to wear leggings, and once on a particularly hot and sticky spring day I left my cardigan at home and exposed my sensual shoulders to the world. (Sorry, Mom.) Nonetheless, I’ve still felt the dress code constrains me from dressing how I want to, and at times I have wished for something as clear and simple as the expectations for boys’ class dress.

There is dissatisfaction from both boys and girls about the dress code, and that is without considering the effect this binary dress code has on those who don’t see themselves at either extreme of the gender spectrum. So maybe it’s time to think about Ally Bazarian’s words in a larger sense; by setting the same standard of dress for everyone on campus, we could create an atmosphere where students feel that the school values us all at the same level.

I suggest a modification to Deerfield’s current dress code that makes it accessible to anyone, regardless of their gender identity.

Deerfield prides itself in its sharp looking student body; my proposed change would not take away that aspect of Deerfield culture, but would enhance it by ensuring students have the freedom to look sharp while being their authentic selves. I propose we allow all students to wear a single layer (consisting of a dress shirt, blouse, sweater or cardigan), along with pants, shorts, or a skirt or dress that meets current requirements of formality. By instituting this dress code, the school would not illegalize any of the current dress code requirements.

Instead it would allow all students to be their comfortable, genuine selves.

As written in our mission statement, Deerfield works to prepare its students for a “rapidly changing world.”

By leveling the playing field through a set of dress expectations that apply to everyone regardless of gender identity, we could move away from gender separation and instead announce that we are all people first, that our bodies are our bodies, and that’s not only okay but actually a pretty amazing thing.

We have made a great accomplishment as a school by addressing the issue of gender equality on the field and in the gym, but the conversation shouldn’t end there.

As a community, it is in the best interest of everyone to continue the fight to all be treated equally. I believe the next step on this ladder of success will be to reform our dress code.

Deerfield Dances Need a Makeover //ORLEE MARINIRAPOPORT Staff Writer Many people asked why I wasn’t going to Hoedown last week, so I found myself thinking about why the dances at Deerfield haven’t been a source of excitement for me in the same way they are for other people.

It’s no secret that Deerfield dances are a huge part of the Deerfield experience. As the first dance of the new school year, Disco offers students a chance to reconnect with old friends and gear up for a new year. Just a month or so later, the buzz is all about “mystery dates” for Sadie’s. Then, campus discussions shift to Hoedown in April, and pretty soon students are obsessed with whom to ask, how to ask them, and what to wear.

These dances are a common link between Deerfield students. The bonding that happens as a result of these dances is significant; however, while most of us don’t see a problem with any of the dances, I think each one is problematic in its own way.

Let’s look at Disco. As the first dance of the year, Disco serves as an initiation into what Deerfield values. Freshmen, in particular, are bombarded with information about what to wear, often before they even arrive on campus. The self-imposed “dress code” for girls at Disco–bright, tight, and short–leaves no room for girls to express themselves in any other way. Why does the culture of the student body emphasize skirts so short that faculty and administrators feel the need to remind us to wear Spandex?

Next up is Sadie’s, in which upperclassmen are matched with underclassmen of the opposite gender. As is tradition, the upperclassmen determine the themed costume choices for themselves and their younger date. Having senior boys choosing costumes for freshman girls is inherently problematic. It can put a girl in an awkward

Valerie Ma

position when her “date” chooses a costume she doesn’t feel comfortable wearing. And it’s not just about discomfort: Some costumes chosen by upperclassmen boys for Sadie’s have been sexist and stereotypical, and some reflect a problematic power imbalance. The boys’ costumes sometimes place them as a figure of power or control and their younger date in a position of subservience–think pilots and flight attendants, sports stars and cheerleaders, etc. Of course, this isn’t true of all the costumes at Sadie’s, and my concerns here are specific to the role of senior boys choosing costumes for freshman girls. But the very structure for the dance encourages sexist tropes and fuels the belief that all students are heterosexual.

This brings us to Hoedown, which follows the typical “Sadie Hawkins” dance set-up, promoting the idea that girls asking boys to a dance is “different” and “unusual,” and that it needs to happen at a separate dance.

The inspiration for Sadie Hawkins dances was an overtly sexist comic premised on the idea that if a woman who was ugly and unappealing to men could catch herself a bachelor at a race and pull him across the finish line, then he would be forced to marry her.

The Deerfield dances–and Hoedown in particular–perpetuate the notion that it’s okay for boys to constantly have the power in a dating dynamic. Hoedown offers girls the opportunity to reverse this dynamic, but ultimately, it’s really just a big joke. Girls are “allowed” to “choose” their date, yet it really just serves as a reminder to the community that the status quo remains intact for the rest of the year. Like Sadie’s, Hoedown reiterates a heteronormative ideology in the community. There is no flexibility in this current structure for students who identify

as gay or bi to invite a same-sex date. Why does the very structure of the dance have to continually emphasize a heterosexual norm?

Likewise, the fact that boys are in the center of the “mosh pit” is problematic, even if one argues that girls are allowed if they want to join. Making something “allowed” versus making someone feel “welcome” are two very different things.

I don’t mean to suggest that the dances don’t serve an important purpose for building community. Some students and faculty have pointed out that the pairing of upperclassmen with younger students encourages all students to get to know people throughout the school. It’s something that Deerfield emphasizes–through sitdown meals, cross-age advisories, and cocurriculars–and there is no denying that we are all the better for it. But isn’t there some way to achieve the same goals without veering dangerously into the realm of stereotypes and heterosexism?

So how do we solve these problems?

Taking away what makes Deerfield the place it is won’t work. Changing the culture of these dances will take courage. Let’s start small. Let’s ensure the girls are welcome in the “mosh pit.” Let’s reimagine what a dance should look like in the 21st century. Let’s reimagine a dance where both boys and girls feel comfortable asking each other out (and, for that matter, boys and boys and girls and girls) and wearing clothing that is fun but encourages individuality. These changes won’t make Deerfield any less wonderful, but we will finally have the courage to reimagine what social events could be… what they can be, here, today: a place of inclusiveness with dances that are fun for everybody.

Claire Zhang

An Open Letter To Deerfield Students //MAYA RAJAN Contributing Writer Life at Deerfield moves at the speed of Va ler light, and sometimes ie M a it feels as if you’ve been left in the dark. At some point, everyone here feels extremely lonely. This feeling is all too familiar for many Deerfield students–not just in the sense of not having many friends, but also in the sense of feeling alone in one’s struggles. You look around and see perfection. There are tri-varsity athletes who are Ivy–bound on academic scholarships and also taking AP art classes. Everyone else is somehow able to carry the weight of the world on his or her shoulders and you can hardly stand up straight, only carrying the weight of your own fragile heart. And it sucks. There’s nothing poetic about feeling like you’re drowning in a sea of superiority.

But please, please realize something you’ve probably been told 1000 times over: you are not alone.

Every single kid around you is dealing with his or her own problems, and every one of those problems is significant. Think of all the times you’ve kept your struggles to yourself, the times you didn’t want to burden anyone else by asking for help, the times when you kept everything you were dealing with stuffed inside, praying it wouldn’t all spill out. Now realize this: everyone else has done the same. Everyone here feels like they need to achieve the perfection they’ve been assigned to aspire to when, in reality, that’s impossible. So why do we have all these lonely souls dressed up and holding their heads up high like they’ve been trained to do? Because we don’t talk about this problem.

All of us have stayed up until ungodly hours, best friends packed into one room, tears flowing along with secrets we’ve never before told anyone. We’ve walked into someone’s room after a long day with a shaky voice and the need for a hug. But these rare moments don’t defeat the stigma around imperfection at Deerfield. All of this honesty is expressed behind closed doors.

Instead, we should recognize that we’re in this together. The next time the boy who doesn’t talk in your math class bumps into you, don’t roll your eyes at him when he apologizes; smile graciously and tell him it’s fine. Or when the girl who has been mean to you since freshmen year is crying alone on the Hess steps, ask her what’s wrong, and remember to actually listen.

We’ve all accepted this seemingly neverending stress by choosing to become a part of Deerfield’s incredibly rigorous environment. Once you start focusing on all the work you have to do, and what GPA you have to reach to be on the top, and how the girl who sits next to you in French doesn’t even do work but understands the material more than you do, you run into a toxic cycle. It becomes easy to see your years here as tests and quizzes and essays only to move on to another (harder) four years of tests and quizzes and essays; but please stop and look beyond this. Drop the act that declares you can always handle your overpacked full plate. Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t think that just because one of your friends is taking three APs means that you can as well. Maybe you can handle only one–or even none. That’s okay. Challenge yourself, but know the difference between treading water and nearly sinking.

I’ll leave you with this: Deerfield constitutes at most four years of your life. In the grand scheme of things, that’s microscopic. But please make those years count. Forget about all the pressure you’ve put yourself under and just breathe. Look at all the beauty that surrounds you. Listen to your best friend’s laugh. Read your favorite book over and over again. Go outside and play your favorite sport. Realize the incredible community you’re a part of, and know that you never have to struggle alone.

All the Best, Maya Rajan

The Deerfield Scroll

Wednesday, April 27th, 2016 ⋅ 4

Separating Radicalism from Religion: ISIS Is Not Islam

“Young Girl Praying with Her Father,” Muslim American Society, Brooklyn, NY, 2010. All Images © Robert Gerhardt. Gerhardt created this photo series to “encourage a dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims in America that attempts to erase the boundaries that engender a sense of ‘them’ and begin to foster a sense of ‘us.’”

//ORLEE MARINI-RAPOPORT Staff Writer The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, more commonly known as ISIS, ISIL, IS, or Daesh, is a terrorist group believed to have begun operating in 1999, whose actions escalated after the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003. ISIS split off from another radical group, Al Qaeda, in 2014, and the two groups have competed for territory ever since; ISIS has quickly risen to prominence as a world threat.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed himself the caliph of ISIS after the U.S. and Iraq killed the group’s previous leaders in 2010.

He has a group of advisors, which includes two deputies, a war minister, and several other high-ranking commanders of ISIS. Jan Flaska, Dean of Spiritual and Ethical Life at Deerfield, explained that “[Al-Baghdadi is] a charismatic, motivational religious leader at the helm of [ISIS],” and that “there’s no more fertile ground for these really terrible ideas than young men who are unemployed.”

ISIS has taken control of much of Syria and Iraq over the last several years and is continuously seizing more territory. ISIS took advantage of the chaos that emerged in 2011, during the start of Syria’s civil war, to advance its initiative and gain more land.

Because ISIS now controls the oil-rich area of Syria, its financing primarily comes from the oil trade. According to CNN in February

2015, through smuggling and then selling Syrian oil, the group now earns more than $1.2 million per day. ISIS also earns money through ransoms after kidnappings and through extortion, “taxing” citizens who live under its control. The group also steals money, and in June 2014 gained about $500 million by robbing banks in Mosul, Iraq.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for several recent terrorist attacks, such as those in Brussels, Paris, Jakarta, Egypt, Yemen, and Bangladesh. In addition, the husband and wife who shot 14 people in San Bernadino, California on December 2, 2015 were inspired

by ISIS rhetoric. The San Bernadino shooting is one of many examples of ISIS-inspired violence around the world.

An article in The Wall Street Journal explained that although Tunisia has the reputation of being one of the most secure and democratic Arab countries, more recruits for ISIS have come from the country than from any other.

Estimates are that 6,000–7,000 Tunisians are fighting for ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and

15,000 others are being monitored within Tunisia for potential ISIS sympathy. Many of these young Tunisians don’t have jobs at home and are hoping for a more meaningful life by joining ISIS. Mr. Flaska emphasized that the best way to combat ISIS recruiting “is to provide jobs and education” so young people don’t feel that joining ISIS is necessary.

President Obama has called for the U.S. to “continue to take on [ISIS] leadership, their financial networks, [and] their infrastructure.”

Yet Obama also commented, “over-the-top claims that this is World War III just play into their hands.” Obama explains how ISIS controls people, stating, “They use the Internet to poison the minds of individuals inside our country; they undermine our allies.”

Just as it has been in the Oval Office, combating ISIS has also been a big discussion in the 2016 presidential debate.

In November, Hillary Clinton stated, “Our strategy should have three main elements.

One, defeat ISIS in Syria, Iraq, and across the Middle East; two, disrupt and dismantle the growing terrorist infrastructure that facilitates the flow of fighters, financing arms and propaganda around the world; three, harden our defenses and those of our allies against external and homegrown threats.”

Bernie Sanders argued, “We do not destroy [ISIS] by doing what we did in Iraq and getting into perpetual warfare… What we do, as King Abdullah of Jordan has told us, is we work to put together a very effective coalition of Muslim nations who lead the effort on the ground, supported by the United States, the U.K., France, and other major powers in the air and through training.”

While the Republican presidential candidates have been quick to criticize

Obama’s plan for fighting ISIS, many news experts have pointed out the ambiguity and lack of depth of the Republican candidates’ own plans. Trump believes in having a strong presence of “boots on the ground” in Syria and Iraq, yet wants other countries to send their troops instead of the U.S.: “I want to get other people to put troops on the ground and we’ll back them up 100 percent...Let Russia do it.

Let ‘em get rid of ISIS. What the hell do we care?” After the Easter bombing in Pakistan, he said on Twitter that he “alone can solve [the problem of ISIS].” He also supports bombing the families of ISIS recruits, and believes that there should be a “complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”

Ted Cruz also supports completely blocking immigration from Muslim countries, arguing, “We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized.” He is also a supporter of “carpet bombings” – bombings that indiscriminately target an area, not selected people – to take out ISIS. Military experts argue that carpet bombs would kill many innocent people while only killing a handful of ISIS sympathizers, and are inconsistent with American values.

John Kasich supports having ground troops to fight ISIS. He also believes in a no-fly zone and wants to steer clear of the Syrian civil war.

While ISIS poses a global threat, these radical extremists are a tiny minority of Muslims. Mr. Flaska explained that in people’s minds, “an event becomes a paradigm.” In this case, events such as 9/11, the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and the 2015 San Bernadino shooting have become synonymous with Islam—but such a premise is inaccurate at best and dangerous at worst.

When One Suffers, We All Do: Muslim Students Speak Up //KIANA RAWJI Features Editor Jihad. Bombs. Extremism. Hijab. These are just a few of the words three other Muslim students and I spoke -- the air in the room heavy with tension -- as we shared our stories in front of one hundred DA faculty members in January. We’d been invited to speak by Ms. Marjorie Young, Director of Inclusion and Community Life, who believed it was time “to share and have our faculty hear and understand what it is like to be a Muslim student on our campus.”

When I first came to Deerfield, I remember expecting that, in a school like ours, everyone would be welcoming and openminded. For the most part, they are. But ignorance about Islam is ubiquitous in our culture, both outside and inside Deerfield, and because of this, Muslims are bound to be misunderstood. As Ms. Young put it, most of us don’t realize that “not all… students are having the same experience at Deerfield.”

Talha Tariq ’17, one of the nine Muslim students on campus, has been a victim of this ignorance. He recounted, “During my freshman year, a boy in my dorm used the term Jihad instead of my name for almost the entire year. Jihad is a term referring to a Muslim’s duty to protect and maintain our religion, though it has been skewed by the Taliban and like-minded militant groups to refer to a “holy war” on western civilization.

When asked to stop, the student invoked

his first amendment right to free speech.”

However, “free speech” is not an excuse for insensitivity and bullying, especially at Deerfield. And it is certainly not an excuse for blatant unkindness. As Tariq pointed out, we all “signed away” the right to free speech by agreeing to become members of the Deerfield community. In essence, to become a member of this community, all of us made an unspoken pledge to live, work, and play together harmoniously, a commitment that sometimes entails “censoring” what we say and acknowledging that, although we may have the right to say something, it is not always right to say it.

Like Tariq, I have experienced discomfort when encountering ignorance and misunderstanding by classmates. Once, on a normal school day in one of my classes, the discussion diverted to the topic of Islam. One student asked what the difference between Sunni and Shia Muslims was, and immediately another student responded by saying that he had taken a class before and, as he understood it, the Shias were “the weird ones.”

I identify as a Shia Ismaili Muslim— united with other Ismailis in our allegiance to the Aga Khan, our spiritual leader and a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad -- so, naturally, I felt uncomfortable and slightly offended. To me, it seemed his comment was born out of ignorance, not out of an intention to harm, but nonetheless, as the Aga Khan highlighted in a speech, “in a pluralistic world, the consequences of

“We fear what we do not understand, and there are many people who do not truly understand Islam.”

ignorance can be profoundly damaging.”

Another Muslim student mentioned a time in class when the students were discussing their vacations. When one student mentioned that she was stopped at the airport for no reason, another replied, “Just because you don’t have a scarf doesn’t mean you don’t have a bomb in your bag.”

These were both instances of ignorance and a lack of sensitivity, demonstrating that seemingly trivial comments and remarks unnoticed by the rest of the community can nevertheless be hurtful to individual students.

Muslims all around the world are misunderstood due to the stereotypical lens through which the media depicts them. We fear what we do not understand, and there are many people who do not truly understand Islam yet make certain claims and assumptions about those who practice the religion.

Saba Al-Qubailat ’17 knows what it is like to be severely misunderstood and, in turn, feared. When sharing her story with the faculty on January 21st, she narrated, “I took a cab to Greenfield by myself. The cab driver looked very unpleasant the moment he saw me... He kept turning and looking at me from head to toe. I was terrified.” In Greenfield, AlQubailat smiled at a woman with her daughter.

“I said ‘Hi’ like some did before me,” she said.

“The mom pulled her child away [from me].”

In addressing the steps that the Deerfield community needs to take to learn to be more inclusive towards Muslims as well as other minorities, Ms. Young pointed out that “a way to make students feel more supported and included is to ensure that their history, traditions, and culture are represented in the curriculum, books, and classroom practices.”

The whole community needs to be educated, students and teachers alike. Teachers need to be knowledgeable about Islam so that

when discussions spring up in classes, they can help inform and guide them. As Tariq stressed, “the first step towards equality is education from many different sources.”

Ultimately, it is up to Deerfield students and faculty to decide what kind of citizens they want to be; a large part of our character is determined by our actions and our words.

We have to be responsible with the things we say and do every day, and we must remember that, as the Aga Khan stated, “freedom of expression is an incomplete value unless it is used honorably.” Most importantly, as Tariq noted, we must realize that “the main principle of any community is that when one member suffers, we all suffer. But when one member benefits, we all experience the positive effects.”

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Wednesday, April 27th, 2016 ⋅ 5

Jihad: Striving to be Virtuous, Not Violent (Continued from Page 1) Arabic Teacher Samar Moushabeck explained that Muslims actually see the Qur’an as an addition to older scriptures such as the Torah and the Bible. “The Qur’an celebrates the stories of the Bible,” she said, “and refers to Jews and Christians as ‘People of the Book’ who worship the same God.” Why, then, does ISIS perform such atrocities?

ISIS claims that its actions are “jihad,” which is often translated as “holy war,” claiming that it is holy to fight in the name of Islam. Ms. Moushabeck explained, “In a literal sense, ‘jihad’ means to strive or struggle for something at any intensity. For example, the daily struggles to be good or bad are considered jihad. In a religious context, ‘jihad’ refers to the inner struggle to stay good and the duty to inform others about Islam.”

Talha Tariq ’17 further noted that ISIS actually harms Muslims as well as nonMuslims, showing that its actions are not even consistent with its own version of Islam.

He explained, “On Easter Sunday, Christians in my family’s country of Pakistan were mingling with the largely Muslim population, but a suicide bombing occurred in the park they were celebrating in, and both Muslims and Christians were killed in the crossfire.”

Ms. Moushabeck also pointed out that on Deerfield’s spring break trip to Jordan, it became very apparent to the students on the trip that the vast majority of Muslims strongly disapprove of ISIS. In other words, ISIS poses a threat to both Western and predominantly Muslim countries alike.

Although ISIS does not conform to Islam, it and many other extremist groups are still able to gain many new recruits, convincing

the recruits that what they are doing is holy.

Al-Qubailat stated, “Extremist groups use the religious texts out of context, so they seem Islamic, but they’re really not…

Their dramatic videos appeal to youth and help them recruit more people, which is both scary and dangerous.”

Ms. Moushabeck said that she did not know exactly what ISIS is trying to do or what its ultimate goal is, but it is clear that the group is using the pretext of Islam both for money and a political agenda. She said, “Money has corrupted these power-hungry people. They took over oil wells and now they’re selling the oil to get money.

They’re preying on people who don’t have strong knowledge or direction about Islam.”

The Saudi Foreign Affairs Minister, Adel Al-Jubeir, has pointed out that every religion has extremist groups that abuse religion for their own agendas. He stated at the Munich Security Conference, “For anyone to argue that Daesh [ISIS] is Islamic is preposterous. In the Islamic faith, the Qur’an reveals that you have your faith and I have my faith. You are free to practice your faith and I am free to practice mine. What greater sign of tolerance and acceptance do you have than this?”

Despite the inconsistencies between ISIS and the Islamic faith as most Muslims interpret it, the actions of extremist Muslim groups greatly shape the world’s view on Islam, and this deeply saddens most Muslims.

Ms. Moushabeck said, “It hurts me to see [extremist groups] ruin the reputation of Muslims. It saddens me to see the damage that they are doing. They’ve damaged historical artifacts that are thousands of years old…. They have no respect for human culture or life.”

The actions of extremist groups also have very tangible impacts on how Muslims are treated. Tariq recounted an event that was particularly traumatizing: “When I was seven or eight … in rural Virginia, there came one day on a weekend when I invited a friend over and five or six other boys came, too. I thought they were going to play, too, but they stoned me until I bled and called me ‘terrorist.’ I hated myself for being Muslim, and I hated myself for my skin.”

He emphasized that those kids likely acted the way they did not because of any fault of their own but because of influences from their parents or society, but added that this event definitely changed the way he viewed his place in the world. He explained, “I wanted to go into politics, but then I realized that may not be a possibility for me.”

For fear of their own safety, many Muslims feel afraid to freely practice their faith. Al-Qubailat explained, “My scarf [hijab, the traditional covering for Muslim women] means a lot to me, but when I go to airports or a foreign country, I might take off my scarf. I also wonder, ‘Should I pray or should I just wait until I get home?’” Al-

“They stoned me until I bled and called me ‘terrorist.’

I hated myself for being Muslim.”

- Talha Tariq ’17

Khamash experiences a similar pressure to conceal her faith at times, saying, “Sometimes my family will tell me not to tell outsiders I’m Muslim for my own safety.”

Despite not knowing the ultimate goal of ISIS, it is clear that like other extremist groups, ISIS uses religion to achieve its own agenda. It is also clear that the vast majority of the 1.6 billion Muslims living peacefully in the world are not the true enemy, but rather victims of ISIS as well. Al-Khamash urged, “People should take some time to learn about Islam and not take what they see in the media…as the whole of Islam, but to look at Muslims as individuals.”

The Five Pillars of Islam The Shahadah A statement of faith Muslims recite at least once in their lives. The Shahadah translates to “There is no God but God and Muhammed is the Messenger of God.”

Salat A ritual prayer of faith done five times daily.

Zakat Prescribes the payment of 2.5% of an individual’s liquid assets for the welfare of the community.

Sawm A fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

Hajj A pilgrimage every financially and physically able Muslim must do at least once in his or her life, to the Holy city of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia.

The Biggest Victims of Terror Are Muslim

Source: Institute for Economics & Peace, provided by The Independent and Statista Charts

DA Muslim Chaplain Fights Stigma Around Islam “In reality, I think religion does not play nearly as big a role as geopolitics,” he said. “The champions of ISIS are first and foremost fascists, intent on gobbling up as much territory and power as they can, whilst swiftly eliminating anyone they regard as sub-human. Their rise to power is the latest upshot of a long history of shortsighted destructive U.S. military policies in the broader region stretching back at least to the

“ISIS has as much to do with Islam as does the KKK with Christianity.”

Provided by Hassan Awaisi

//SARAH JANE O’CONNOR Associate Editor On Tuesday, January 19, Deerfield students had the opportunity to explore the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. through diverse workshops centered on themes of inclusion. One of many adults to share his knowledge and interpretation of inclusion was Hassan Awaisi ’07, who currently serves as DA’s Muslim Chaplain. Mr. Awaisi held a workshop focused on Islamophobia, and how this prejudice “fits into a longer American track record of demonizing minorities—Blacks, Italians, Irish, Jews, Chinese, Japanese, Latinos, etc.—as fundamentally Other.”

Mr. Awaisi stated, “The workshop I

facilitated at Deerfield sought to critically examine four of the most prevalent stereotypes that undergird the twisted logic of antiMuslim racism: ‘Islam is a monolith,’ ‘Muslim women are oppressed,’ ‘Islam promotes terrorism,’ and ‘Muslims are un-American.’”

Showing DA students “real-world examples of anti-Muslim bigotry in the media today,” he worked alongside several Muslim Deerfield students to explain and debunk the myths about Islam that are prevalent throughout the United States, from politics to media to everyday life.

In response to those who often reject Islam due to the acts of groups such as ISIS, Mr. Awaisi hopes to clarify the vast difference between Islam itself and the actions that terrorist organizations promote.

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s.”

Mr. Awaisi also recognizes the dangers of spreading any Islamophobic sentiment.

“Islamophobia itself fuels terrorism,” he said.

“Sound bites like “Islam hates us”—courtesy of presidential candidate Donald Trump—only serve to bolster the recruitment narrative of Islamist extremists that the West is engaged in a fight to the death with the Muslim world.”

In response to the negative rhetoric common in the media today, Mr. Awaisi hopes to clarify the true intentions of Islam as a whole. “ISIS has as much to do with Islam as does the KKK with Christianity, the Jewish Defense League with Judaism, Saffron Terror with Hinduism, and Ashin Wirathu with Buddhism,” he said.

He explained that “the Islamic tradition is at its core irenic, decrying bloodlust as a disease of the heart. ‘Do not wish to meet the enemy in battle,’ the Prophet Muhammad instructed, ‘but if you meet them, then be steadfast.’

Fourteen centuries before the Geneva Conventions, [the Prophet Muhammed] laid out rules of warfare that forbade, for instance, the killing of children, women, and the elderly, the cutting down of fruit-bearing trees, and the harming of monks in monasteries.”

Mr. Awaisi also suggested how dramatically U.S. attitudes about Muslims have changed over the decades, pointing out that “Ben Franklin once praised the founder of Islam for his humane treatment of prisoners of war and submitted that Native Americans would not have suffered the fate they did had they lived under a Muslim sovereign.”

In the nine years since his graduation, Mr. Awaisi has maintained involvement at Deerfield specifically within efforts at DA to promote religious expression and curiosity. As Deerfield’s Muslim Chaplain, Mr. Awaisi visits campus “to give talks as well as work with student leaders on developing programming related to Islam and the Middle East.” He also helps with Mr. Flaska’s Islam and the Qur’an class by hosting students at the Hampshire Mosque in Amherst. During April, Mr. Awaisi “will be coming to [Mr. Flaska’s] class to lecture on the topic of ‘The Human Impact of the War on Terror.’”

He attended DA’s Interfaith Dinner last month and compared the discussion at the event to the climate on campus when he was a student. “There were fewer opportunities at that time for community-wide discussion on faith and identity in the context of a private boarding school,” he said. “I think the Interfaith Dinner is a wonderful step toward encouraging much-needed candid dialogue and alliances between students and faculty of different religious backgrounds.”

The Deerfield Scroll

Features

Deerfield’s Beloved Doc Retires After 27 Years

//DORIS ZHANG Associate Editor As Director of Medical Services at Deerfield, Dr. Hagamen has treated thousands of students and overseen improvements that have made the health center what it is today. After 27 years of dedication to Deerfield, he will retire at the end of the academic year.

After graduating from Dartmouth medical school, Dr. Hagamen served two years in the National Health Service in New York and arrived in Greenfield, MA in 1984, seeking a place to raise a family. Dr. Hagamen joined the health center when a Deerfield graduate practicing medicine in Greenfield encouraged him to apply.

When he first arrived at Deerfield, the physical health center building looked very much as it does today, but Dr. Hagamen explained, “the services here have expanded significantly.” During his time here, Dr. Hagamen implemented many changes to improve patient care. Ms. Kate Rolland, Director of Nursing and a close colleague and friend to Dr. Hagamen, explained, “he increased the nursing staff, created a role for a medical driver, advocated for increased nurse practitioner hours and [expanded] counseling staff services; he created a concussion protocol, a psychotropic medication protocol, and he is a big advocate for the trainers and athletic staff.”

Over the years, students’ demands of the health center have evolved. Dr. Hagamen stated, “as students’ needs have changed, we’ve had to change with those needs.”

For example, during his time at Deerfield, the number of concussions per year has

increased from around 5 to more than 100. Today, the health center receives over 10,000 student visits per year.

Sophia Centola ’18 suffered a stress fracture in the fall of 2015 and was treated by Dr. Hagamen.

Being a dedicated crosscountry runner, she explained that Dr. Hagamen’s optimism and Mim Pomerantz u n d e r s t a n d i n g throughout her treatment was valuable to her. Centola felt disappointed that she couldn’t apply any pressure on the leg and, in turn, couldn’t run. However, as the fracture healed, Centola recalled, “[Dr. Hagamen] gave me a lot of suggestions of what I could do to train instead of running, so I could stay in shape for the sport.”

When Dr. Hagamen retires, he will move to Turner’s Falls and plans to travel and bike. He will also continue to help others in need by doing volunteer work.

His successor in the Deerfield health center will be Dr. Byrant Benson. In 2001, Dr. Benson graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He completed his Residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine and Bay State Hospital in Springfield. “We are very fortunate to be getting a doctor of his caliber to replace Dr. Hagamen,” explained Dean of Faculty, Mr. Taylor. He continued, “he has seen a wide range of patients and cases, so he is very well prepared to deal with the kinds of medical issues that he is likely to encounter at Deerfield.”

“What I will miss about Dr Hagamen is his calming presence. He always has a caring manner in which he looks at all situations.

I appreciate all that he has taught me over the years and he will be greatly missed every day,” said Medication Nurse and Assistant Director of Nursing, Ms. Caryn Gardner.

Mr. Taylor added, “we are very [lucky] to have had a doctor who is as dedicated to the school and his patients as Dr. Hagamen has been during his tenure at Deerfield.”

Exchange Student: Sarah Jungblut //MAYA HART Staff Writer On March 28, Sarah Jungblut ‘18 arrived on campus through the Deerfield student exchange program from the Schule Schloss Salem School in the Lake of Constance, Germany.

“I wanted to participate in this program especially to improve my English,” said Sarah. She added, “I also wanted to get to know a different schooling system…and gain exposure to American culture.”

With the help of the Deerfield community, as well as English teacher and a coordinator of Deerfield’s exchange program, Ms. Anna Steim, Jungblut hopes to have a smooth transition into daily life at DA. “The program is based out of our relationship with other Round Square schools,” said Ms. Steim, “and is generated

by Deerfield student interest, because we want it to be a genuine two-way exchange.”

Every year, Deerfield hosts three to four incoming students and sends one away through the student exchange program.

Jungblut was born in Starnberg, near Munich. She said she has noticed particular nuances of American culture, including “the openness of Americans and, of course, the food, which is completely different [than the food] in Germany.”

She noted another major difference between the school system at Deerfield and that of her school in Germany. “In 10th grade, you can’t choose your subjects,” she said. “You also just stay in one classroom

Roopa Venkatraman

with the same people, and the teachers come to you for every different subject.”

With a newfound passion for sports, Jungblut is playing recreational tennis this spring. “I really like the huge emphasis on co-curriculars,” she said, “at Salem you can choose your after-school activities, but you don’t have one you’re doing everyday, like at DA. It’s really fun for me to be able to get outside and play tennis every day after school.”

Not only has Jungblut benefitted from Deerfield, but Deerfield will also benefit from hosting her; through interactions in the dorm, at sit-down meals or even in short passing conversations between classes, Deerfield students learn more about her culture.

Jungblut said she plans to take full advantage of the opportunity to participate in the exchange program; she is already finding herself soaking in all Deerfield has to offer before she returns to Germany at the end of the term.

Wednesday, April 27th, 2016 ⋅ 6

Seniors, Thanks for the Pranks //HOLLIN HANAU Staff Writer Senior pranks are a long-standing tradition and a coveted aspect of many students’ last days at Deerfield. Over the years, pranks have ranged from planting flowers in the senior grass to spell out the senior class year in 2010, to making dozens of short, but hilarious announcements at a sit-down meal last year.

Pranks that predate most students’ recent memories include stealing the cows from the lower fields and herding them behind the Main School Building, and taking all the tires from the small loop and stacking them on the flagpole.

For the Class of 2012’s prank, Dashiell Schulte ‘13 recalled, “[the seniors] announced at the end of sit-down lunch that the hunger games were to begin... and then released us from lunch. Outside the dining hall, all of our backpacks... were zip-tied together, and seniors were guarding the piles of backpacks with water guns. Everyone went to class super soaked.”

Elena Jones ’14 offered a description of another noteworthy prank, “my senior year we did an impromptu slipand-slide.” The students set up a large tarp behind the hockey rink and slid through the mud and rain. “It was one of the best days of my Deerfield career for sure,” said Jones.

Faculty members also recall the history of the most inventive pranks executed by graduating classes. Ms. Carlson, a long time member of Deerfield’s faculty, remembered various past pranks. “People took all the dining hall silverware, pitched some furniture out the windows of a classroom, and stole the freshmen,” she said. “One that I thought was pretty clever was filling lots of cups full of water in the corridor of the MSB so that no one could get in the doors. I'm not sure most of my colleagues would agree that this was funny.”

While the pranks are wellintentioned, they can sometimes be surrounded by a negative stigma of disrespect.

Ms. Carlson added, “Most adults just don't Lynnette Jiang like the pranks.

It's late in the term, people are cranky, and it's usually just one more hassle for the people who are inconvenienced. I personally think some sort of senior bonding experience can be fun.”

Creative senior pranks are not limited to Deerfield.

Amanda Cui ‘18 recounts a legendary senior prank at her brother’s school: “My Valer brother told ie Ma m e that years before he went to his boarding school, there was a legend...that one senior class diverted the traffic from...the the nearby road, into the school.

Since their school is gated, all the cars driving on the highway had to pass through their campus. They set up a toll booth in the campus and collected money from the cars...They made a lot of money that day…[and] used [it] to throw a party for their class.”

Elliot Gilbert ’16 said she was looking forward to the current graduating class’s prank this year. “As a freshman, I loved the senior pranks and looked forward to being able to execute them myself, along with my class. Now that I’m a senior, I’m excited to get my turn to pull a prank on the school as a final hoorah with my grade.”

It will be up to the class of 2016 to come up with a prank to be talked about for years to come.

Students Rediscover Heritage in China //ISABEL GILMORE Staff Writer This past spring break, Alex Guo ‘17, Amanda Cui ‘18, and Claire Zhang ‘18 embarked on a journey through China from the Gobi desert to the mountains of Guilin to explore their roots and gather over 15 hours of footage for a video on cultural life in particular regions of China.

Nine days later, they returned to America with a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and the drive to turn their trip into something more lasting.

“The point of the trip was to find out more about China and discover our heritage,” said Cui. “In doing this, we became inspired to create a non-profit organization called Share Our Globe. It will be an online platform for people to share personal and cultural stories in different mediums, whether it be videos, recordings, or written pieces. Ultimately, our mission is to inspire profound self-exploration, inclusive sharing, and a comprehensive embracement of our culture and that of others in our world.”

Before they left for China, the three put a great deal of thought into developing their itinerary. Their families helped them work through logistics, but they travelled unescorted, only accompanied by local tour guides in each different city.

“When choosing where to go,” Zhang said, “we looked at...the food, the people, the history…ultimately we wanted the places to be as diverse as possible; we ended up visiting some wonderful places, and the people were eager to be interviewed.”

On their trip, they visited three different cities across China and interviewed over 20 people.

“We first went to Guilin, which is in the south,” Guo said. “It’s filled with mountains and rivers. Then we went to Chengdu, which is somewhat of a modern metropolis, [and] it’s further north than Guilin. A fond memory from Chengdu was [eating] lots of spicy food.” He also described the northwestern city of Dunhuang, which was the last place the three visited, where they were “surrounded by sand dunes.”

Cui added, “in ancient China, [Dunhuang] was the westernmost outpost, so it’s the intersection between China and the west.”

On their trip, the three used a variety of equipment including drones, microphones, and at least three different types of cameras. Through a co-curricular film exemption this term, they are working on a film of approximately 30 minutes that will document the diverse cultures of China they explored. This film will be the first of many they hope to see on their up and coming website, Share Our Globe.

Provided by Alex Guo

The Deerfield Scroll

Wednesday, April 27th, 2016 ⋅ 7

Arts and Entertainment

Experiencing Poet Laureate Hass //MADDIE CHAI Staff Writer

France in the 1910s and 1920s,” he told the audience. ”America went from a provincial background to being the new energy that other people were learning from.”

Many students really enjoyed hearing Hass read his poetry. Ally Edwards ’17 commented, “I found it interesting how he related how growing up is different for everyone, and how his love of poetry stemmed from being different in high school.”

“I liked his performance because each poem had a story behind it and each one had a clear and personal meaning,” said Hollis McLeod ’17.

However, some students found some parts of his poetry uncomfortable to listen to. Soomin Lee ‘19 stated: “While his poetry was beautifully written, I found some of the [sexual] content uncomfortable to listen to. I didn’t really like how he accompanied some of his poems with sexual sounds and tones. It’s not really what I’m used to.”

Nevertheless, many teachers highly praised Hass. English teacher Mr. Schloat said, “[His poetry] reminds us of the ineluctable bond between community and language and how important it is to consider

On April 12th, former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass read several of his highly celebrated poems to the Deerfield community, including “Shame: An Aria,” “The Gardens of Warsaw,” and “August Notebook: A Death.” Hass also conducted a workshop with several student poets and held two back-to-back question-and-answer sessions.

Hass received both his M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Stanford University, and is now the Distinguished Professor in Poetry and Poetics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is one of the most highlyesteemed contemporary American poets and the winner of many prestigious honors.

Hass served as the U.S. Poet Laureate from 1995 to 1997. During this time, he also became a champion of ecological awareness and began traveling the country to promote ecoliteracy in diverse places. “The President of the United States nominates one person to serve as Poet Laureate, which is the official poet of the country for the year. That person’s job is largely ceremonial and in charge of promoting poetry in the United States,” Mr. Schloat, chair of the Deerfield English Department, explained.

From 2001 to 2007, Hass served as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.

Hass also won the National Book Award in 2007 and the Pulitzer Prize in 2005 for his collection Time and Materials: Poems 1997-2005.

In addition to being an accomplished poet, Hass is also a notable translator.

He spent 15 to 20 years translating the poetry Caroline Goguen of his fellow Berkeley Robert Hass, Former Poet Laureate, at the book signing event at professor Czeslaw Milosz, a the Von Ausperg Gallery, warmly greeting a fan.

Nobel Prize-winning poet. all of our experiences as shared, but also Growing up in the suburbs of San unique and the way language can tie us Francisco, Hass said he initially became together from generation to generation.” interested in poetry during his junior and English teacher Mr. Stallings, who senior years of high school. “It was the studied with Hass as a graduate student available form of rebellion,” Hass said. “In at the University of Iowa, said, “What I those days, there were no creative writing like about him as a presenter and as a programs, so we read each other our writings.” person is that he has a very broad frame During the open question-and-answer of reference. What’s unique to his poetry sessions the morning after his reading, Hass is how fully it embodies the sense of described how, as a teenager, he was both northern California, with a mix of the in love and insecure. To him, poetry was a urban environment and the natural world.” constructive way to articulate his thoughts.

Hass departed with a few words His literary inspirations ranged from T.S. of wisdom: “Let the topic pick you, Eliot and Robert Frost to Wallace Stevens rather than pick a topic,” he said with and Ernest Hemingway. “There was an a soft smile. “That’s what poetry asks.” amazing generation among England and

THE INSTAGRAM WINNER IS:

Artist of the Issue: Gia Kim ’16 //SOPHIA DO Staff Writer

While some aspects of Deerfield limited her, Kim says the main motivator in her artistic career was Mr. Dickinson, her mentor.

To Gia Kim ’16, art has always been an “[Mr. D] didn’t just influence me as important aspect of life. In elementary an artist through his philosophy about school, her mother, a fashion designer, art and how it should be learned, but he would often bring her along on business also influenced me as a person,” she says. trips. “I would rummage around department “If you know him, you probably know in stores and museums all over the world,” what ways he can change you, and how she recalls. “Before I knew it, I was carrying grateful you are to know someone like him.” around a pen and a notepad that hung Before taking his classes, she only around my neck and doodling everywhere.” emphasized a purely technical and For Kim, art was an outlet for her emotions. mechanical approach to art, “I lacked “[At ten years old] I creativity, or at least, I was wasn’t fluent in English,” scared to be creative.” Under she says, “and art was the Mr. Dickinson’s guidance, only way I could easily Kim was able to move past communicate with myself those barriers and incorporate and with others.” Kim a free and creative style. recounts how she would “These moments when paint and draw with her I’m challenged by comfort elementary classmates versus creativity taught me during recesses. “The that being fearless is an frustration and loneliness essential component in the disappeared; art helped making of a good artist,” she me get through an initial states. “I am scared; but some adjustment period.” of the best works of art I’ve During the spring term done are when I was bold.” of her sophomore year at Currently, Kim is taking Deerfield Academy she Topics Post AP-Studio Art, the began to pursue an official most advanced level of Studio arts education. In order Art offered at Deerfield, which Maddie Blake to be allowed into the AP includes some of the most Gia Kim, with her recent oil painting Studio Arts course for her “Cheeks of Rose,” a replica of “Woman in talented artists in the school. junior year, Kim opted to the Blouse.”

Kyle Fox ’16, a fellow have a rigorous art exemption modeled after student of Topics Post-AP Studio Art said, the Intro to Studio art syllabus, later entering “Gia is always so on task and passionate the AP course in the fall term of her junior [about her art]. Everything she creates year. Kim cites Mrs. Taylor for being a large is so distinctly her [style], and even part of the beginning of her artistic career at her quick drawings done on the spot Deerfield: “She was sincere and supportive demonstrate a natural affinity and talent.” in my pursuit of art, and the warmth and In the fall, Kim will be attending love she radiated made my afternoons Columbia University in New York. Although in the studio much more enjoyable.” she is uncertain of the specifics of art in In Kim’s junior year, she sacrificed her higher education, she is steadfast about free periods in order to keep both AP Studio her dedication to it, and is sure she wants Art and AP Chemistry in her schedule. Her to pursue it in some way at Columbia. “Art dedication to the studio persisted, when will always be a part of my life...it seeped she chose to pursue another art exemption. into my life long before I can remember.”

Concentrating on AP Studio Art //HOLLIS McLEOD Staff Writer

common living spaces; she agrees with Dickinson. “For many of us, this is a sixth course,” she said, “so between schoolwork and co-curriculars, it’s hard to find time to work on our projects.”

The creativity component of the concentration can be challenging but also liberating, Mr. Dickinson said. “It is a time where students are required to produce work independent of the teacher,” he explained. “They take all the skills that they have learned over the past six months and funnel it into a body of work that they take full ownership of.”

While Mr. Dickinson does not assign projects to the students, he still plays a vital role in guiding their various endeavors.

Mikaela Wellner ’16 explained how Mr. Dickinson helps students think more broadly about their topic throughout the creative process. “Mr. D will ask you questions that lead you to form your own

While spring for Deerfield students means fun trips down to the river and sunny outdoor days, it also means two weeks of intense AP exams, mostly two-tothree-hour written tests.

However, a few AP classes at Deerfield have slightly unique assessment requirements. In the final eight weeks of the school year, students in AP Studio Art produce their “concentration,” the second half of their AP portfolio that is sent to the College Board in early May. All twelve pieces in a student’s “concentration” must be based on a single topic of the student’s choosing.

The concentration is a new experience for many artists in the class. For the first time, a teacher gives them the freedom to produce whatever work they want without instructional directions on particular assignments. Students are able to choose topics they are passionate about and then reflect them in their artwork. Ines Bu ’18, based her topic on her passion for fashion design: “My concentration is on the process of fashion design, which is something that I am very interested in and thought could be reflected creatively through my art.”

In eight weeks, a Roopa Venkatraman student must choose a Various works displayed in the Art Studio by Sofia Novak and Mel topic, research it, and Diaz (Left to right) produce 12 images. Earlier opinion on the topic and think of ideas that in the year, students were given roughly you may not have realized before,” she said. a full week for each assignment, but for On May 7, students will submit their twothe AP exam they have four to five days part art portfolio, including the “breadth,” per project. Mr. Dickinson has been comprised of work from the first two terms, teaching AP Studio Art for over twenty and the final “concentration.” The process years and designed the AP curriculum for will allow students to mature as both students Deerfield Academy. “The most challenging and artists in their skills and creativity. aspects for the students are coming up Faura reflected on the year: “This class with an idea,” he said, and “executing it, has made me realize that I have the talent while being able to budget work time.” to create something beautiful in a skillful Daniella Faura ’17’s project focuses on way, while being confident in my work.” utilizing abstract architecture to represent

The Deerfield Scroll

Wednesday, April 27th, 2016 ⋅ 8

Sports The “Ultimate” Athletes //KEVIN DANFORTH Staff Writer The Deerfield Academy ultimate frisbee team has grown exponentially since the sport was brought to Deerfield six years ago.

This year, captains Kento Yamamoto ’16 and Satwik Kamarthi ’16, who have both played ultimate for the entirety of their Deerfield careers, will lead the team. Kento was inspired to play by Trip Kaelin ’14. Satwik on the other hand, having previously attended Xaverian Brothers School (a top twenty ultimate frisbee program in the nation) decided to try the sport out here at Deerfield.

He has loved it since.

The disc team hopes to surpass last year’s sub .500 season record and succeed in the 15 games and four tournaments are scheduled for this spring. Despite not having a winning record last year, they had some notable victories, broke seed in New England’s, and came from a sixth place

athleticism have picked up.

With a new assistant coach this year, Mr. JD DeVaughn-Brown, the conditioning has intensified, with the “Batman” workout. The workout contains running and building the upper body via push ups, sit-ups, burpees, and in-place running. Kento summed it up as a “difficult yoga session.” However, this workout plan, however, cut down the roster. Those who were expecting a relaxed off-season were blindsided by the amount of conditioning and decided to quit. Kento explained that there is, “this idea that ultimate here is just throwing Frisbees and a little bit running, but it’s actually a lot of work.”

Not only does ultimate frisbee involve stamina and a lot of conditioning, but Deerfield also runs both their own set plays and also plays they have acquired from other programs. Ultimate consists of three types of positions: handlers, midfields, and deeps.

The handlers, which Kento plays, are the best

Triathletes, UNITE! grueling individual aspect of the race, but it also allows specialized athletes to showcase their strongest assets. Last year, the quickest team time in the Gold race was 1:41:40, set The Olympic Triathlon is one of the

by Jordan Coan, Bailey Smith, and Liam hardest tests of endurance in individual Holowesko. They beat the next three-man sports. A triathlete must not only possess team by a considerably large margin – nearly strength and stamina, but must also be ten minutes – despite being an all-freshman versatile amongst three athletic disciplines: group swimming, biking, and running. To most, Coaches who specialize in their respective it can seem daunting to even consider events have suggested a hypothetical team of competing in such a difficult race. athletes who have the potential to beat When Jan Flaska started the annual last year’s best team and surpass a 1:40 triathlon at Deerfield Academy in 2006, he time. In the cycling position, Liam had a very different vision in mind. “My Holowesko ’18 was selected, who, goal [was] to make [the Deerfield Triathlon] last year, won the New England as accessible as possible to anyone,” he said.

Championships as a freshman. For Indeed, in the earlier years of the the running portion of the race, Deerfield Triathlon, the race route was coaches selected next year’s cross much shorter and easier for inexperienced country captain Hughes Benjamin triathletes to attempt. In more recent ’ 1 7 . As for the 1 mile swim, times, Flaska has added a “Gold” either Miles Smachlo Route, which is comparable ’16 or Bailey Smith ’18, to an Olympic Triathlon-- 1 both star athletes in mile of swimming, 18.4 the Deerfield swim miles of biking, program,would and 4 miles of be suitable. running. “There Amanda Cui Smachlo holds have only been about a multiple New dozen students who have ever done it,” England Records said Flaska. while Smith recently won the New England For students seeking to participate in Championships with the rest of the girl’s a less physically taxing event, there are team.

“White” and “Green” routes, which are Whether these athletes compete together much shorter than the main “Gold” race. in a team, the Deerfield Triathlon continues Additionally, participants are allowed to to be “a great test of athleticism,” Smachlo sign up in teams of two or three. Triathlon said. “It definitely brings athletes together.” purists may argue that this tarnishes the

//ERIC KIM Staff Writer

Maddie Blake Ultimate Frisbee captains Satwik Kamarthi ’16 and Kento Yamamoto ’16 pose for a photo after one of their practices.

ranking finished in fifth. The disc team defeated rival,Choate Rosemary Hall at mid-season last year, who placed second at New England’s. They also competed closely with Northfield Mount Hermon School and Phillips Andover Academy, where ultimate frisbee is considered a varsity sport.

The disc team this year differs from last year in that they now have a lot of athletes, especially young talent consisting of freshmen and sophomores. Satwik explained, “a lot of athletes have joined because they realize it’s a great cross training sport for soccer, field sports, lacrosse, track.”

The team last year “was a mix of people who just did not want to play a sport in the spring,” so the team did not posses strong athleticism. However, this year, especially with a lot of soccer players, the stamina and

disc throwers on the team. The midfields, which Satwik plays, are more or less the “slot receivers.” They stay close to the thrower and are quick and agile. The deeps are the tall or fast players who can catch anything in sight by either running or jumping.

This year,the disc team hopes to have a successful tournament at New England’s, which are being hosted here at Deerfield .

Kento said, “If people come out and see what a game looks like, they will get rid of the notion that it is just throwing a disc around.”

Hoping to close out their senior spring and their final athletic experience here at Deerfield with a bang, Satwik and Kento are aiming to lead their well-oiled disc-throwing machine to a championship, something that has never been accomplished in Deerfield history.

FCFC: Offseason Rigor //JILLIAN CARROLL Associate Editor Across Western Massachusetts, the Franklin County Football Club (FCFC) has brought together student athletes of all ages to compete in interscholastic soccer.

Founded in 2008, the club is directed by Artie Burke and our very own Jan Flaska, who has been involved with the organization for eight years. The club operates in the soccer offseason throughout the winter and spring terms, practicing and preparing for competition that occurs during April and May in its nine-week season.

Mr. Flaska is a big advocate of FCFC because it is “when more jv and varsity soccer players are playing for FCFC, we are a better team in the fall. When fewer players are playing for FCFC, we are a lesser team in the fall.”

For many athletes, especially Deerfield students, having the chance to continue offseason play is very beneficial. Using indoor facilities in the winter and the Fair Family Field in the spring, FCFC “not only allows a player to maintain their level of play, but to improve it,” says Alex Platt ‘18. He also commented that his his “experience has been great - the coaching is strong, the players are skilled, and the competition is phenomenal, allowing [him] to continue to improve throughout the year.”

As with many other club teams, there

is a huge time commitment that has to be weaved into an already busy Deerfield schedule: throughout the winter, practice is held on Tuesday and Friday nights and also on Sunday afternoons. Spring practices are held on Wednesday and Friday nights on the Fair Family Field behind the Koch Center. All games are held on Sundays, with Deerfield serving as the home field. Felicius Bucyukndi ‘16 shared that “sometimes it gets tiring, having track practice from 3:45 to 4:45 then again having another practice from 6-7:30, but it’s for the love of the game. And I think that’s why we do it.”

The club offers athletes four age groups: Under 10 Boys, Under 12 Boys, Under 17 Boys, and Under 18/19 Boys. In the past few seasons, the club has not had any girls teams due to the lack of interest.

The directors and coaches are hopeful that as FCFC grows in Izzy St. Arnault popularity throughout western Massachusetts, there will be increased interest and participation from all age levels, especially the girls.

FCFC has inexpensive fees for student athletes. Players receive excellent coaching, a chance to stay fit, and enjoy the satisfaction of being a dual-sport athlete in a single season. Students who wish to get involved may contact Mr. Flaska or any of the other coaches at FCFC by visiting http://games. maplesoccer.com/index.cfm/club/192/ or because of FCFC’s close proximity, you can walk to practice and join them!

Coach Creagh Steps Down //ALLI NORRIS Staff Writer After nineteen total years coaching Deerfield Boys Varsity Hockey, Coach Brendan Creagh finished his last season with the team this March.

Coach Creagh attended Phillips Andover Academy as a postgraduate student, so he is well versed in prep school hockey. After Andover, he played for four years in the Southern Professional Hockey League, a minor professional league, for the Peoria Rivermen out of Illinois. In 1996, Mr. Creagh took the job as an assistant coach and then became head coach in 2002.

His “work ethic and commitment to every player” has gained him respect from his fellow coach Mr. Tim McVaugh and his players. Tommy Craft ’18, remembers a moment during the team’s home game against Choate this year: between the end of the 3rd period and the beginning of overtime, Coach Creagh gave a speech that Craft attributes to the success of the team in that game. “His composure and reassurance in between periods calmed our team down and brought us back down to earth. He believed in us,” Craft said.

Another one of Coach Creagh’s traditions is making strong connections with every single one of his players, on and off the ice.

Andrew Hadley ’16, noted, “Whether we were coming off a win or a loss, we would start every practice circled around Coach, everybody on one knee, and he would find little things to chirp people about. It was one of those small things that made the connection between coach and player, adult and kid, teacher and student.” After every game, the coaching staff, led by Coach Creagh, goes around the locker room and shakes every single player’s hand. Even this small act facilitates the connections and relationships that are

crucial to the season.

Another iconic aspect of Mr. Creagh’s speeches are his references to food. “Some coaches say things like ‘we need to be a meat and potatoes team.’ Creagh often brings in the entire menu. It is hilarious,” Coach McVaugh added.

Throughout his years of coaching, Coach Creagh has enforced the concept of working hard while having fun. But most importantly, he understands the many aspects of being a faculty member that go beyond just coaching: “...the job description for a faculty member requires that each of us needs to wear many hats. So as I reflect upon my time at Deerfield, and simultaneously look forward to the challenges that await me, I don’t view those experiences through one lens. So while there are many aspects of coaching hockey at Deerfield that I will miss, I am keenly aware that there are fulfilling challenges that await me.”

His positive attitude, competitive mindset, and mentorship will be missed on the ice, but his presence will continue to shape the lives of all members of campus.

Finally, he says, “if I am forced to name one thing over all others I will miss most, there is no question that I will miss building relationships with my fellow coaches and players, and helping mentor young studentathletes to care as much about who they are, as how they play.” Thank you, Mr. Creagh.

Will Briskin