The Deerfield Scroll: January 24, 2018

Vol. XCII, No. 6

Deerfield, Massachusetts

Opinion: MLK Day Jillian Carroll Co-Editor-in-Chief Our community leaders do a wonderful job of bringing the student body and faculty together to celebrate a day that many people forget or are too busy to observe, and for that, I applaud our school. The workshops are successful in applying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of peaceful protest and equality to our modern day issues and conversation. Many students end the day having been exposed to different perspectives and materials than they otherwise would never have experienced.

We are a diverse community; a microcosm made up of different races, religions, nationalities and backgrounds. Both our students and faculty come from a variety of places and speak an array of different languages; however, with those differences come many variations in the core curriculum of the various education systems that our students and faculty hail from.

Across the United States, many schools and parents have dropped

the ball on educating their children about the life and achievements of Dr. King. African-American parents, and grandparents in particular, are in tears thinking about their experiences of mistreatment, feeling as though they are burdening their kids with the knowledge of this history. And as for our international students, education about Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement are not necessarily staples of the curriculum.

In an effort to make the content of our workshops more applicable to today’s current events, we focus more on the “big picture” of Dr. King’s message and the application of it. But, it is difficult to participate and leave the workshops with a deeper understanding if you don’t already have a full understanding of the underlying context that drives this daylong program. We fail to ensure that all members have a solid foundation in understanding why the holiday is celebrated, who Dr. King was, and why he and his message are still prevalent today. How can you build a house if you haven’t, first, put down the steel beams and concrete that make up the foundation?

Just as we can’t expect every student to come into Deerfield knowing the fundamentals of geometry, we also can’t expect every student to come in knowing the history of Dr. King and his influence on the Civil Rights Movement, arguably the most powerful catalysts for the advancement of people of color in America.

Continued on Opinion, p 2

Opinion: Stop Abusing the Health Center!

Nadia Jo Associate Editor One of the biggest surprises when I first stepped foot on campus was… the Health Center. Anticlimactic, I know. Before Deerfield, I didn’t even know that students could get extensions from teachers on tests and assignments; I was always taught that you should just “suck it up,” no matter how extreme or stressful the circumstances. Even being sick wasn’t an excuse for me to skip classes, because my mom insisted, “If you’re not sick enough to be hospitalized, you should be in class!”

It’s safe to say that when reality kicked in, I learned that it’s nearly impossible to get through Deerfield without receiving a few extensions.

The academic, extracurricular, and social demands are more than enough to take a mental and physical toll on us students. Therefore, I feel that the Health Center has a “blanket” policy of taking in everyone who might be sick so as not to risk turning away students who actually need care. The nurses are lenient for a good reason — it is better to err on the side of caution.

However, we students find ways to exploit the Health Center’s

kindness for our own benefit. It’s no secret that Deerfield students sometimes say they’re “sick” in order to avoid a test, in-class essay, or presentation. Some students fall into a habit of dependency on the Health Center, and over time they even feel entitled to this strange “right” to skip classes.

My proctor last year told me that nurses at the Health Center would let her skip an entire school day for period cramps. I’m embarrassed to admit that upon hearing this story, I immediately started brainstorming ways to “cheat the system” — no one can check that your period cramps are so bad that you can’t go to classes. The same goes for migraines, stomach aches, vomiting: how can the nurses prove that you aren’t in pain?

Clearly, there are many problems with pretending to be sick. First, the Health Center only has so many beds. You may be preventing people who actually need care from receiving proper attention.

They didn’t choose to be sick and fall behind on classwork, yet you are gaining an unfair academic advantage by lying.

January 24, 2018

Faculty Meetings: On the Inside

The Curriculum Committee, composed of department heads, senior staff members, and more meet on Mondays to discuss the academic life of Deerfield students. faculty “agreed on a set of values Orlee Marini-Rapoport and a decision-making process” to Associate Editor help advance Deerfield’s mission.

Every day at Deerfield, faculty This conversation evolved into are influencing the inner workings many faculty initiatives, such as of school life, whether it be through acquiring new data in Admissions, their committee assignments, working on equity in the Athletics classroom responsibilities, or programs, teaching writing across coaching duties. Faculty meetings the curriculum, expanding the every other Thursday allow faculty health program, addressing to help define Deerfield’s mission, concussions, implementing as do faculty committees, such as mindfulness practices, and more. the Feedback Committee, which In addition to all faculty implemented the advisory changes meetings, department meetings are in fall 2017. a time where individual departments Dean of Faculty John Taylor focus on their particular subject and explained that last year, all faculty how each subject shapes students’ meetings were centered around a academic lives at Deerfield. “framing conversation” in which History Department Chair Julia

Rivellino-Lyons explained that her department often discusses skills for teaching analytical writing and planning “relevant” speakers to bring to Deerfield. They attempt to find speakers that will address topics students are currently considering. For example, the History Department is bringing Pamela Rotner Sakamoto, author of Midnight in Broad Daylight, to campus on February 13 to address all U.S. history classes about American identity, a topic deeply connected to the current American conversation about immigration.

Mr. Taylor also oversees faculty assignments to various committees, such as the Inclusion and Community Life Team and the Feedback Committee.

Each has a unique goal to help advance Deerfield’s mission and enhance students’ experiences on campus and beyond.

Director of Inclusion and Community Life Marjorie Young explained that her team collaborates with all departments “to support a campus-wide conversation and effort leading to the development of institutional priorities for sustaining diversity work.”

Continued on News, p. 4

History Teachers Map Classroom Equity Nadia Jo Associate Editor In the fall of 2017, History Department Chair Julia RivellinoLyons and History Teacher Samuel Chapin began using the iPad application “Equity Maps” in their Honors U.S. History class periods.

The app serves to track the dialogue between members of a group with a special emphasis on gender equity. Equity Maps was built to serve a variety of discussion settings, such as a seminar table, lecture-style classroom, or business meeting. By tapping on each speaker, the user can record the frequency and duration of members’ comments in a discussion.

Deerfield alumna and former history teaching fellow Kayla Corcoran ’09 initially introduced Equity Maps to other Deerfield Teaching Fellows, including Mr. Chapin, who then shared the app with Ms. Rivellino-Lyons.

Both teachers felt compelled to incorporate the tool into their classrooms, as they have shared a

deep interest in analyzing classroom dynamics for much of their teaching careers.

Ms. Rivellino-Lyons and Mr. Chapin have recorded data for both a typical school day, during which the teacher and students speak in roughly equal amounts, and a graded, almost exclusively student-led discussion called a “round table.” At the conclusion of each “session,” the app offers a wide array of analytic tools to evaluate the discussion. Available features include a playback of the discussion by drawing lines to connect members in the order they spoke, as well as the number of times every student spoke and the average duration of his or her comments.

Melisa Gurkan ’19 praised Equity Maps as a powerful tool for reflection and self-improvement in the classroom. “I myself am someone who talks a lot in class, so after looking at the statistics one day, I would stop myself the next time if I realized that I was talking for too long.” She also noted that this heightened self-awareness

encouraged her to improve the experiences of other members in the discussion. “If I recognized that someone was trying to say something but they never got the chance to jump in, I would jump in and ask a question and gear it towards them so they could answer the question and make the point they had,” she recalled.

After each discussion, the app also calculates ratios for duration and number of times spoken by gender in addition to “Equity Factors” for the same two sets of data and one “Equity Quotient.”

Dave Nelson, Founder of Equity Maps, explained that the Equity Factors are found by calculating the Gini Coefficient, while the Equity Quotient is an average of those two calculations. The Gini Coefficient is an index of measuring inequality, originally used to determine income inequality in a society, which “seemed most suitable for these circumstances” to Nelson.

Continued on News, p. 4

The upper row of charts shows gender equity data from a discussion in Ms. Rivellino-Lyons’s class, and the lower row of charts shows data from the same class, but one month later.

These data suggest that students may be viewing the app as motivation for improving discussion habits over time. However, it is possible that equity factors could have been impacted by the differing lengths of the two discussions: the upper session lasted 20 minutes, while the lower session lasted 37 minutes.

Continued on Opinion, p. 3

What’s Inside

#SocialMedia

Opinion and Editorial, p. 2

News, p. 4

Features, p. 6

Arts and Entertainment, p.7

Defining Boundaries at Deerfield

Have There Been More AHCs This Year?

Deerfield Considers Changes to LongStanding Dress Code

Dance Alumna Ingrid Kapteyn ’09 Enjoys Professional Success

deerfieldscroll.com

Opinion and Editorial, p. 3

Buzz, p. 5

Features, p. 6

Sports, p. 8

Cheating Isn’t a Victimless Crime

Love is in the Air: Breathe In!

Alums to Participate in Day of Service

Silipo Inducted into Hall of Fame

@DeerfieldScroll

/DeerfieldScroll

@DeerfieldScroll

2 ⋅ Wednesday, January 24th, 2018

The Deerfield Scroll

Opinion and Editorial

Finding Balance Between Meritocracy and Diversity

Vol. XCII, No. 6 Editors-in-Chief Jillian Carroll and Kevin Chen Opinion & Editorial Editor Kiana Rawji

Online Editor Simon Lam

News Editor Sarah Jane O’Connor

Distribution Manager Sean Yu

Buzz Editor Uwa Ede-Osifo

Associate Online Editor John Chung

Features Editor Maya Hart

Associate Photography Editor Britney Cheung

Arts & Entertainment Editor Doris Zhang

Associate Graphics Editor Hannah Kang

Sports Editor Alli Norris

Associate Editors Julia Angkeow Peter Everett Joshua Fang Adeliza Grace Yingtong Guo Nadia Jo Orlee Marini-Rapoport Fatima Rashid Thomas Song

Photography Editor Roopa Venkatraman Graphics Editor Claire Zhang Layout Editor Ines Bu

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. The Scroll is published eight times yearly.

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

Defining Boundaries at Deerfield Board Editorial During a school meeting this past fall, Dr. Curtis informed us that a faculty member’s employment had been terminated due to the violation of student-teacher “boundaries.” In the silence that ensued, several unanswered questions swirled in the tense air: What happened? Who was it? What did he do?

What even are these “boundaries?” Have a teacher and I ever crossed one?

Then, a few weeks later, again, we heard the same speech and received little Lucy information about a staff member who was Blake let go. While the missing face or hallway whispers eventually made it clear to some of us, at first, all we were told was that an employee had again been terminated due to some sort of boundary violation.

In response to the two cases of boundary violations in such close proximity, Dr. Curtis and the administration opened up the Caswell one night in the fall to provide an opportunity for discussion about boundaries at Deerfield. Lilley Salmon ’18, one of the seven students who attended the forum, recalled a list of “red flags” Dr. Curtis read, none of which were mentioned at school meeting. Some of these red flags included teachers texting students late at night, revealing personal information to them, or using inappropriate language in front of them. Multiple instances of these red flags could lead to termination. Salmon recounted, “[Dr. Curtis] said that firing faculty is the hardest part of her job, but sometimes it can’t be avoided.”

Recently, while it went widely unnoticed, the writing of nicknames on boxes at Shipping and Receiving was deemed to fall under what now seems to be an umbrella term called a “boundary violation.” If such a seemingly small detail of Deerfield life has reason to be outlawed by the administration as a potential threat to our safety, students are left to wonder, where do we draw the line? In an effort to protect us emotionally and physically, are our relationships being compromised? Even if there is a valid reason to call nicknames a boundary violation, many students would not see it that way, and we want to learn the reasoning behind policies regarding the relationships we have with other members of our community.

Although adults are typically held more accountable than students for boundary violations, students still have a role to play, as we want to both protect ourselves and ensure that we don’t put faculty or staff members in uncomfortable positions. But how can we do that when we don’t know what these “boundaries” are? We know that the school is only looking out for us and fulfilling a responsibility to keep us safe, but that responsibility should extend to informing us. If teachers have conversations at the beginning of a school year on boundaries, students should receive similar training or information.

At a boarding school, our teachers are also our coaches, hall residents, advisors, and more. With this much overlap, it is inevitable that the “boundaries” in student-adult relationships will blur together. Some boundary crossing might even be what makes Deerfield the special community that it is; English Teacher Julianne Schloat mentioned that during the training that faculty received at the start of the school year, they were told that “at a boarding school, teachers will often brush up against boundaries, but [they] wouldn’t be good faculty members if [they] didn’t.”

It’s the boundary violations that cause the trouble, but as students, we don’t know the difference between brushing up against boundaries and violating them. If we’re going to make Deerfield a safer environment for student-adult relationships, we have to work together, but we can’t do that until we first do a better job of educating the entire community on what boundaries are to begin with, and what they should look like at Deerfield.

Kevin Chen

Editor-in-Chief As an Asian-American, I often feel conflicted in the nationwide debate regarding race in college admissions. According to The New York Times, the percentage of students at Ivy League universities that are Asian-American has been relatively unchanged since the 1990s, despite the fact that in the USA, the number of collegeage Asians has doubled since then, while the college-age white population has stayed about the same. Though most universities deny the use of quotas, such statistics have led many to believe in “Asian quotas” at elite universities — hence, the Justice Department’s ongoing investigation of Harvard University for discrimination.

Do I think racial quotas are fair?

Absolutely not. They are in blatant contradiction with the principles of meritocracy that many of us, myself included, believe in dearly.

Then, do I believe in what some have called a “purely meritocratic” admissions process, one based solely on credentials, in which race and other measures of diversity are not considered at all? No, I don’t think that is the answer either.

My experience at Deerfield has taught me the value of diversity, as I have been exposed to a vast array of personal experiences while here — people of color have

described the fear they feel when walking alone at night, others have recounted how Islam has inspired in them peace and compassion, and still others have explained why they supported Trump. In a diverse learning community, each student brings a wide range of such experiences, along with opinions and perspectives inspired by these experiences, to class discussions, thereby contributing to everyone’s education. Frankly, I would not want to learn in a community where everyone shares the same background and beliefs; it is hearing opinions that expand or challenge our own views that leads to self-reflection and a deeper understanding of the world.

Still, we must recognize that college admissions is a zero-sum game; each college has a limited number of beds it can fill, as the ever-dwindling acceptance rates nationwide can assure us. Thus, every applicant admitted in part for diversity reasons corresponds to an applicant who is rejected but would have otherwise been admitted. For me, this is the hardest part of the debate: the desires to create diversity and to make meritocratic decisions are inherently in conflict.

Issues such as socioeconomic status and historical injustices only further complicate the matter by blurring the concept of fairness itself. Is it fair to expect a student

working multiple jobs after school to achieve the same test scores as one who has been tutored since childhood? And what about African Americans, who have been systematically disadvantaged by centuries of slavery, racist zoning laws, and everything in between?

Admittedly, giving a boost to the disadvantaged raises more issues as well: What if we are deciding between two applicants of equal merit: a white student who has faced significant adversity and a well-to-do African American student? Where do we draw the line for “significant adversity” or “well-to-do”? And what if the applicants were differing in merit?

I have no easy answers to these questions, but these questions are worth our time. While I do concede that there is a certain simplicity and perceived sense of fairness in the idea of admissions based solely on credentials, this system fails to take into account the disadvantaged and the value of diversity. I am not saying that the current admissions process is perfect by any means, as evidenced by the statistics supporting the idea of an Asian quota, but we, as a nation, cannot settle for the simple solution. We must continue to have conversations regarding inequality, historical injustices, and diversity, if we are to achieve both equitable college admissions and vibrant college communities.

MLK Day: Let’s Do It Right Jillian Carroll Editor-in-Chief

Continued from Front And as Deerfield faculty members, students, and the administration play integral roles in our development before, during, and after school hours, it becomes our duty as a school to ensure that all of our students have ample opportunity to absorb this knowledge that they can then translate into the workshops we do.

Additionally, with our school deciding to celebrate the life of Dr. King on one specific day, it has created a stigma that these lessons and conversations should only be discussed for one day.

For something as monumental as the lasting effects of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement, a one-and-done mentality is not the way to ensure that every member of the community gets the most out of this learning experience.

These conversations should be ongoing throughout the school year. Unfortunately, until students are given the toolkit to dissect and understand the underlying racial issues in our country, they are unable to have these prompted discussions.

The “day on, not a day off” motto was inspired by the official “Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service,” which challenges Americans to celebrate and honor Dr. King by volunteering to serve others instead of relaxing. It is so important that we are pushing for more service-oriented initiatives, but I don’t believe the ninth grade class will get the most out of their service experience unless they truly understand the purpose for which they are serving. Similar to how our sports teams are required to participate in community service and some team members do not take it seriously, if our students feel obligated to do this

Amelia Chen

service, they will fail to see this as an opportunity to choose give back to the community in honor of Dr. King. We should also work to make sure that all of the students want to participate in this service initiative as a way to honor Dr. King instead of feeling like they are forced to do so.

Until we can officially implement a course to mainstream the knowledge surrounding Dr. King and his legacy on campus, we must work together to help supplement the learning process.

For those who have a deeper understanding of the subject matter, start conversations in your classes and sit-down tables around Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and throughout the year.

Help the younger students who may not share the wealth of knowledge that you do. For those who haven’t been exposed to Dr. King and his work, I urge you to do some research. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We have to work to put more emphasis on Dr. King at the heart of this holiday. As a community, we can work to create effective dialogue that will allow the whole community to benefit from a deeper understanding, not just of Dr. King, but of the ways in which the injustices he fought against are still relevant 50 years

since his death.

While a whole class focusing on social justice would give students and teachers a platform to learn from and discuss with each other, a more immediate solution would be to incorporate mandatory discussions about both the history and current situation of social justice in our country. Similar to the white privilege talks held in the dorms this fall, these discussions could serve as the jumping-off point for authentic conversations campus wide.

Although talking about the past can be painful, we simply cannot use that as an excuse not to teach the younger generations. Yes, black people were not allowed in certain establishments. Yes, the n-word was used to degrade and diminish. Yes, many people died as a result of the unrelenting hatred.

But regardless of how difficult it may be to hear about or see these atrocities, we as a community, both the Deerfield community and society at large, cannot deny exposure to this knowledge. It is important for parents and educators alike to push themselves out of their own comfort zones in an effort to educate the youth about this cause both in and out of the classroom.

Opinion and Editorial

The Deerfield Scroll

A Privilege, Not a Right: Stop Abusing the Health Center Nadia Jo

Associate Editor Continued from Front Also, ask yourself: how much would it really help to earn a few extra hours or days of studying?

I know at first it feels like waving a magic wand to turn a seemingly impossible day into a bearable one. But I’ve seen my friends become “sick,” only to blow off the extra days they earned by procrastinating until the new day of the test. Did you really gain anything from this informal extension? Or are you back in the same place after having lied to your teacher, nurses, and yourself?

If you’re afraid of telling your teacher the truth that you are simply unprepared or stressed, I say — don’t be scared. It’s much more eyebrow-raising and probably disappointing for the teacher if you are “sick” all of a sudden on a test day than if you come clean and explain your circumstances. Most teachers understand that Deerfield can be overwhelming.

If you’re constantly finding yourself so pressed for time, anxious, or unconfident that you are using the Health Center as a safe haven, I recommend you reassess your schedule and habits.

If the root of the problem is having just too much on your plate — classes, sports, activities — step back and determine if everything you’re doing is really necessary, and more importantly, makes you happy. Or maybe you need to cut down on Netflix or texting for hours. Fixing this problem is not as easy as identifying it,

Ines Bu

but it’s definitely possible with enough determination.

However, I find that our biggest enemy is often our own standards. In economics, the law of diminishing returns states that adding more of a certain factor for production will eventually lead to less output per addition. By staying at the Health Center, you’re hoping to buy more time for better grades.

But is it really worth trying to earn maybe one or two more points, going through hours of careful, twisted plotting, misleading your teachers and classmates, wasting mental energy, and falling behind

schedule?

Before we start pointing fingers and yelling, “I can’t help it, everyone wants us to succeed!” or “The school made us so stressed!” consider if you are pushing yourself to unreasonable and unhealthy levels. I understand that it’s tempting to make a morally ambiguous decision when seemingly so much is at stake. We don’t want to let our parents down.

We don’t want to let our classmates and teachers down by getting okay grades. Most of all, we don’t want to let ourselves down by going to a “mediocre” college.

But we must remember that we make up the school. Our actions, our thoughts shape what we label “the school.” Deerfield isn’t telling you to strive to write a graduate thesis when the assignment is to write a simple analytical paper. If you know you have a habit of over preparing, try relaxing just once.

No, you probably won’t “get a zero” by giving yourself a break and setting realistic goals. Challenging yourself is great; torturing yourself is not.

Collectively, we can change the culture of the school. If every one of us maintains a reasonable schedule, develops strong study habits, and aims for excellence with confidence, we will enjoy the most of what Deerfield has to offer.

Cheating Isn’t A Victimless Crime Orlee Marini-Rapoport Associate Editor

You walk into your classroom a few minutes early and no one is there, but everyone has left their belongings, including backpacks and wallets. Do you take a small amount of money from each of your classmates, maybe just a quarter from each person? Nobody would ever notice — it’s just a quarter, after all. But of course you don’t. No one at Deerfield would even think about doing that. We don’t take what’s not ours.

Yet many students at Deerfield gain an unfair advantage on graded assignments or tests by cheating. No matter how you look at it, cheating at Deerfield is widespread, whether it’s plagiarizing a foreign language translation or getting a hint from a friend about what’s on a test, whether it’s cheating on a term exam or on a seemingly meaningless pop quiz. Big or small, it’s all cheating, and it’s all pretty much the same thing as stealing quarters from your peers.

It’s a pretty basic concept: Just. Don’t.

Cheat.

At its core, Deerfield is an academic institution.

Cheating dilutes this education for every single student. Teachers base their lesson plans and tests on their assessment of how the class is doing with the material.

When a teacher sees that most of the class is struggling with the material, we would hope that she or he might choose to slow down or plan extra review time. But when students cheat, they compromise this process.

We are at Deerfield at least in part to get into college, and grades are a big part of that. It’s not that I agree with this unforgiving numerical approach. (That’s a topic for another opinion piece.)

It’s merely a fact of life that we are all competing for the same spots at the same colleges, and grades are an important quantitative way we are assessed in relation to

one another. Given the suggested median of 89 and many curved classes, your grades impact the rest of the class. Grades at Deerfield are only meaningful because they are relative to one another. And by cheating, you are raising yourself up by putting everyone else down.

Cheating is not a victimless crime.

Your actions hurt those around you.

Over time, all together, it matters. It’s the difference between no curve and a 10-point curve in a class, the difference between cum laude and just missing the cut, maybe even the difference between an “Accept” or a “Defer” from your early decision school.

When you cheat, you are stealing from your peers. It may be just a quarter at a time, but it’s still stealing.

Hann

ah Ka

ng

Cheating on a single assignment in a single class might not affect anyone drastically. But what gives you the right to take something that isn’t yours? You didn’t earn those points. They’re not yours to take. Let me say it again: They.

Are. Not. Yours. To. Take.

We all have nights when we wonder if we’re going to finish our work. We all walk into tests unsure if we’re going to pass. We all face confusing essay prompts, short stories that don’t make sense to us, math problems and science labs that seem to go in circles.

As Deerfield students, we share in a common experience: we all struggle here. Every single one

of us. By cheating — by taking away a bit of your struggling, by easing your workload — you circumvent the very thing that binds us as Deerfield students, the willingness to sit with confusion and sometimes even fail. You are taking the easy way out as your classmates sit studying during all hours of the day and night, as your classmates consider and debate and think — as your classmates do the hard work that is learning.

Deerfield, you are better than this.

If you are aware that cheating is occurring in your class, alert a faculty member. It’s easy to do the right thing. Yes, students might get in trouble. But they got themselves in trouble by cheating.

You’re just the messenger.

And if you’ve accidentally acquired an unfair advantage on an assignment (for example, you overhear someone discussing the answers to a test you haven’t taken yet), tell your teacher immediately.

If you’re still not convinced, if my idealistic anti-cheating propaganda has fallen flat and you still think it’s worthwhile to cheat, ask yourself whether it’s really worth the risk. Is getting a few extra points on a test really worth the possibility of a zero on the assignment, a threeday suspension, and college notification? You need to look no further than the Honor Code of (insert the name of your firstchoice college here) to know what colleges think about cheating.

Spoiler alert: They despise it.

As Dr. Hills said during our December 13 school meeting, “You are enough.” You do not need those extra points to validate your place at Deerfield. Do not risk your entire future (and the futures of those around you) for them.

Perhaps you’re still not convinced. Maybe you believe everyone is cheating, so you have to as well just to be on an even playing field.

But I’m not, and I want my quarters back.

Wednesday, January 24th, 2018 ⋅ 3

Flying the Tibetan Flag: Identity at Deerfield Topjor Tsultrim

Contributing Writer I am Tibetan-American. It is an incredibly large part of my identity.

My grandparents were forced to flee the military occupation of their hometown during the Communist Chinese invasion of 1949. They fled to refugee camps in India, where my parents were born. My parents moved to Queens, where I was born. I am also Deerfield’s first Tibetan student in its 221year history. This past fall, Deerfield Academy’s Board of Trustees refused to fly the flag of my country in the dining hall.

This journey to put up the Tibetan flag in the dining hall, which has spanned all four years of my Deerfield experience, began amongst the very first breaths of my freshman year. As my family and I sat around a sit-down table during a pre-Becket brunch in the grandiose, Harry Potteresque dining hall with its high, vaulted ceilings, festooned with lavish chandeliers and ancient oak tables, my dad and I took particular notice of the array of flags suspended from the ceiling between two great columns. My eyes darted from Saudi Arabia to Singapore. Noticing my searching eyes, a teacher told me that the flags represented the different nationalities of Deerfield’s students, past and present. But there was no Tibet. My mind flooded with questions: I was a student, wasn’t I? Just like them?

Are they saying my identity is invalid? How could I ever fit in here?

My dad and I locked eyes. In mine, he saw a mission. In his, I saw sagacious fear. He asked me to tread lightly, telling me to develop my education before I began to try to apply it. My new Head of School greeted us with the words of Invocation, welcoming us to this community. But I already felt isolated, and I had a mission.

I began my mission in earnest during my junior year. I spent free periods and otherwise languid Sunday afternoons in my advisor’s office discussing and strategizing.

I outlined my goal: to walk into the first sit-down meal of my senior year with the Tibetan flag waving above me. We devised a strategy: to raise awareness and to craft a formal statement. I began by giving a Flag Presentation to the community where I talked about the literal meaning of the Tibetan flag and its vast historical and political significance. My Flag Presentation got people talking, but this was just the beginning.

Next, I moved on to research.

From my aggregate experience between research papers for US History (<3 heise), literary analyses for English, and research reports for AP Seminar, I learned to feel at home between the book stacks of the library. But instead of Nat Turner’s Rebellion or the underlying economic impact of foreign food aid in Syria, I maneuvered through encyclopedias and databases to conduct research on the topic that matters most to me.

Finally, I began searching for relevant precedent. I saw that a Tibetan student at a peer boarding school had dealt with a similar issue. Through a local newspaper, I found that a Tibetan student at UMass Amherst petitioned to carry the flag at graduation. I acquired the current list of flags

hanging in the dining hall — a list that included Macau, Taiwan, and the Sioux Nation. Armed with elucidating research and guiding precedent, I crafted a formal statement for the administration.

Late in the fall, I sat with a group of adults and presented my case orally. I sat on one side of the North Dining Room, gripping my outline and stat sheet like sword and shield to defend against the piercing gaze of the five adults lining the opposite side of the table.

But as I began to speak, I Amanda Cui realized the intimidating eyes of Dr. Curtis, Ms. Creagh, Ms. Young, Ms. Ellis, only held soft, genuine interest. I relaxed my grip on my 8.5” x 11” buckler and let it flutter down to the table. As a result of that meeting, my issue was raised to the Head of the Board of Trustees during the Fall Trustee Weekend, beside issues of combating racism and modifying class dress.

But, ultimately, my request to fly the Tibetan flag in the dining hall was rejected. I will eat the remainder of my meals at the Academy like I have eaten them for the past four years. I’ll enjoy my remaining shepherd’s pies and apple crisp without the flag of my country above me.

Officially, the school decided to only fly the flags of countries that the United States of America has “bilateral relationships” with.

This allows the school to continue flying the flags of countries such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, despite the fact that neither the United Nations nor the US Department of State recognizes them as sovereign nations, while denying my request to fly the Tibetan flag.

This also means that some flags, like the Sioux Nation, will be coming down. This stance is perhaps to reinforce Deerfield’s position as an American boarding school with an international outlook, rather than a school like Hotchkiss, which, from what I understand, considers itself an international school based in the US. Perhaps as a result of that alignment, Hotchkiss flies the Tibetan flag, alongside the Quebecois flag and others, on the other end of their dining hall, in what they call the “Cultural Flag” section.

But despite the ostensible failure of my project, I couldn’t be prouder of the result of this effort. While it undoubtedly hurts to feel like my identity as being Tibetan is somehow lesser than my best friends’ identities of being American or Indonesian or Nigerian, the problem of the Tibetan flag has since evolved into a broader discussion of how the school recognizes identity.

What if we had both an Israeli and a Palestinian student?

Whose flag would we fly? What if someone wanted the Confederate Flag? How do we choose how to validate identity? Although I will never see the flag of my country flying among those of my friends’, I believe that this project has left an indelible mark on my school’s conversation about identity and forced them to thoughtfully take a stance on salient international issues that concern our global student population.

Oh, and Facebook Message me or something if you want to challenge anything about how I called Tibet a country. New Dorm 201, swing through.

4 ⋅ Wednesday, January 24th, 2018

The Deerfield Scroll

News Faculty Meetings: On The Inside

Orlee Marini-Rapoport Continued from Front

Ines Bu

stemmed from a Feedback Committee initiative.

The committee changed the old advisory system by asking students to write two letters to their advisors, one about their goals and one about their successes and obstacles, to which advisors responded. Last year, there was no assigned letter writing time for advisories. Mr. Creagh said that the committee hoped “to put students as the central figure in the feedback process, [part of which is] giving them ownership” over the process.

The faculty voted to approve the new advisory practices last spring.

Ben Hirsch ’18 said that he enjoys the new advising process.

He said, “It is important that students have firm goals set in place so that their progress can be tracked.” He added, “This process has helped me stay more focused on my nightly routine and has led

to more success in all levels of Deerfield life.”

Mr. Creagh stated, “If we can give students the ability and skills to be able to set goals, to be able to reflect and think about where they are in their process and where they can move forward, that’s a lifelong skill that they can use at Deerfield and beyond ... that’s the hope of the Feedback Committee.”

Mr. Creagh emphasized that the system is a work-in-progress: “Change at DA is difficult ...

[This change to advisory] was a culmination of work that started well before me and will continue well after me ... We are eager for it to evolve; we hope to make it better.”

In the words of Ms. RivellinoLyons, the ultimate goal of all faculty initiatives — such as the advisory changes, visiting speakers, and more — is simply “to affect student lives in a positive way.”

Teachers Map Classroom Equity Nadia Jo

Associate Editor Continued from Front Equity Maps offers five ratings, from “limited/exclusive” to “widely inclusive,” depending on the balance of speaking time and between boys and girls. Students in Ms. Rivellino-Lyons’s and Mr. Chapin’s classes tend to earn the “High” or “Medium” ratings.

Students have drawn mixed conclusions from the statistics. “I do believe that gender equity in classroom discussions is an issue,” Colin Olson ’19 said. “[The data repeatedly suggests that] the males in our class speak more frequently and longer than their female counterparts, and I would argue that a shift in the class dynamic is a worthy goal to pursue.”

However, Kishor Bharadwaj ’19 acknowledged that internal factors might compromise students’ performance: “I think the majority of students are inclusive and kind.

That being said, if you choose not to speak because you are afraid of not having your opinion

Shreyas Sinhas Staff Writer

Associate Editor

The Inclusion and Community Life Team meets at least twice per year as a whole group and in smaller subcommittees for specific projects. They were instrumental in implementing the campus-wide Inclusion Strategic Plan in the fall of 2016 and continue to work on other projects, such as an initiative to bring what Mr. Taylor calls “culturally responsive pedagogy” to classrooms on campus.

Ms. Young explained that through the Inclusion Strategic Plan, which has helped her office to develop the Cross the Valley Cultural Competency Campaign, the office provides “opportunities for students and employees to develop and practice cultural competency in building and affirming an inclusive school culture,” such as through 9th grade workshops. The office works with senior staff members to review “all components of our formal program — academic, cocurricular, and residential — to better align our structures with a culture of inclusion.”

Besides an initiative of inclusion, Science Teacher Brendan Creagh explained that the Feedback Committee, of which he has been the chair for three years, stemmed from the Preparation Gap Task Force, which looked at the differences in past experiences for new students to Deerfield.

This task force developed into the 9-10 Committee, from which the Feedback Committee originated.

The recent advisory changes

Tax Plan Effects Unclear

understood or disrespected due to some external factor such as race or gender, then that is your own prejudice. However, if students of some minority have spoken up and not had their opinion respected, that is a different issue that we need to address as a school.”

Both teachers cautioned against drawing conclusions from this data, as the sample size is small. They also observed that many variables can affect the statistics, such as the discussion topic, personalities of students, or even weather and students feeling sick.

“I’m not sure what [Equity Maps] says about gender roles on campus. The app only shows that there was some discrepancy in participation based on gender during the particular class periods tracked,” said Ms. RivellinoLyons. “Equity Maps is not a perfect instrument for assessing participation, but I do think it’s a useful tool for building a group dynamic.”

Mr. Chapin expressed that the greatest strength of the app is promoting how to interact thoughtfully with the Deerfield

community: “We live in a world in which structural injustice exists, and in order to fairly and honestly engage with that world, we need to be educated about the nature of those structures and how that influences us.”

Ms. Rivellino-Lyons introduced Equity Maps at the weekly Chair Symposium. She and Mr. Chapin will also present at a faculty meeting focused on technology use. English Teacher Peter Nilsson, who also serves as the Director of Research, Innovation, and Outreach, highlighted the app in his weekly newsletter, “Educator’s Notebook,” to which hundreds of educators subscribe.

Mr. Chapin believes this data is a natural addition to Deerfield’s efforts towards inclusion: “[The app] is a valuable conversation starter for talking about balance and equity, especially with the attention at Deerfield that I think is being rightly paid to cultural competency. We can always do better to be more aware about how much space we are taking up, especially for those who possess a certain set of identities.”

These charts show the gender balance for a discussion in Mr. Chapin’s 3rd period Honors U.S. History class. On average, males spoke both longer and more frequently than females. There were seven females and five males in the class.

President Donald Trump signed a long-awaited piece of legislation on December 22, 2017: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The bill introduces massive tax cuts for businesses and all Americans in the hopes of expanding and improving the economy. Such significant legislation raises the question: how will Deerfield be impacted?

Deerfield Academy’s Chief Financial Officer Keith Finan said that, when considering the Act’s consequences, “we actually dodged a lot of bullets.” To fund lost tax revenue, legislators made an unprecedented decision to introduce a 1.4% excise tax on the endowment of private institutions with over 500 students and assets valued at least $500,000 per student. Mr. Finan explained how the actual law does not include private high schools like Deerfield, exempting us from the tax.

For now, the Academy is in a comfortable financial position, but Mr. Finan warned that “next year there will be revisions,” meaning Deerfield could experience changes that would negatively impact the Academy. For example, Mr. Finan

specifically noted that he “would be shocked if they didn’t expand the [endowment excise tax] to private schools,” leading Deerfield to pay millions of dollars in taxes rather than investing in the Academy.

However, one possible benefit of the bill is the revision to how parents can use their 529 Savings Plan, a savings account where taxfree earning can be reserved to eventually pay for college tuition.

Now, the bill allows money from the account to also be used to pay for private high schools, like Deerfield.

U.S. government legislation, even once passed, typically sees revisions in years after. If these revisions do end up taxing Deerfield’s endowment, providing employee benefits would become more expensive. Thus, the bill could put the Academy in a position where it would have to spend more.

These consequences could call for drastic changes in how Deerfield pays teachers and funds various programs such as athletics, school facilities, and academic clubs.

However, it is still too early to determine exactly how the bill will impact the Academy; in years to come, we could remain completely unscathed or see massive changes to the school’s budget.

Have There Been More AHCs This Year?

Inthat Boonpongmanee Staff Writer

According to Academic Dean Ivory Hills, there have been 13 Academic Honor Committee meetings this school year, yielding 10 findings. By January of the 2016-2017 school year, only one AHC meeting had occurred; by the end of the year, there were only four findings despite 15 total meetings. The 2015-2016 school year also had only four findings.

The AHC process enforces Deerfield’s Academic Integrity policy. As outlined in the Student Handbook, academic integrity is a “bond of trust between teacher and student.” Through the AHC, students may be investigated for plagiarism, defined in the student handbook as “ideas or work without proper acknowledgment … usually occur[ing] in two forms: copying and receiving outside writing help.”

If a teacher believes a student has plagiarized, the Employee Handbook obligates him or her to discuss the violation with the appropriate department chair. The case is brought to the Academic Dean if there is a mutual concern. If there is a consensus that a major school rule may have been violated, Dr. Hills calls for an AHC meeting, even if the student’s violation wasn’t intentional. If the offense doesn’t fit the criteria for an AHC — such as a probation violation, or a small offense — other disciplinary options may include action solely from the Academic Dean, a letter from the Academic Dean’s Office, or a discussion with the student’s teacher.

There are four possible outcomes from an AHC meeting: no finding, letter of warning, letter of reprimand, or a threeday suspension and probation.A letter of reprimand is a formal letter from the Academic Dean’s office that is not reported to colleges. A disciplinary warning means that a student was found in violation of a major

school rule, but with significant mitigating circumstances. The highest level of consequence, a three-day suspension and academic probation, must be reported to colleges. A no-finding result means that the student did not break a major school rule; there are no consequences.

Consequences often depend upon specific mitigating factors in the case, such as if a student was new to Deerfield and had different academic expectations at previous schools.

Dr. Hills considers both his and the committee members’ job to be twofold: to “help students learn from academic errors and scholarship mistakes,” and to “protect and maintain the integrity of a Deerfield education and a Deerfield diploma.”

History Teacher Mary Ellen Friends, a long-standing member of the AHC, commented, “The best outcomes that I have experienced are ones … in which the student feels supported … [and] buys into the idea that we want to be helpful.”

Both teachers emphasized that the AHC process is not a punishment. Rather, Dr. Hills explained that it should be taken as a learning opportunity: “The AHC’s purpose is to help students learn from their mistakes.”

Since the number of AHCs with findings has increased, Dr. Hills has been searching for patterns. He hypothesized that several of this year’s cases may have stemmed from “different practices at [students’] former schools” or more willingness of teachers to bring cases to the attention of the Academic Dean since the introduction of the letter of reprimand five years ago.

David Miller, Director of the Center for Service and Global Citizenship, said that “integrity is the most important thing [that] we teach in this school.” Ms. Friends added, “We know that there are a lot of you out there that are trying really hard, and we want to remind you that we care.”

The Deerfield Scroll

Wednesday, January 24th, 2018 ⋅ 5

Buzz

Lilia Brooker Staff Writer

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Have you ever wondered how some faculty couples first met?

You may be surprised to discover that some of these stories began in high school, while others turned into years-long sagas!

Assistant Head for Student Life Amie Creagh used a classic strategy to talk to her postgraduate crush when she was a sophomore at Andover. She said, “I would sit in a section of the library near the door with a book out, pretending to do work, with my backpack on so I could make a quick run out the door when he was leaving.” Since his dorm was across the street from her house, she would “accidentally” bump into Brendan Creagh, now a science teacher at Deerfield, on their way home. Due to these

frequent walks, the two became good friends. After he graduated, they kept in touch with one another through letters. He even invited her to watch one of his college hockey games. Although Ms. Creagh attended the game and waved hello, she suddenly became so nervous that she left before the game ended.

Years later, once Mr. Creagh was working at Deerfield and Ms. Creagh was working at Andover, a faculty matchmaker at Andover heard the news that the team Mr. Creagh coached was playing a game at Andover. The two highschool friends chatted and agreed to see one another. After some time of dating Mr. Creagh longdistance, Ms. Creagh got a job at Deerfield. Now we know them as Mr. and Ms. Creagh! You never know, maybe your high-school crush could turn into something more down the line.

Theater Director and Performing Arts Teacher Catriona Hynds recalled that she fell in love with Mr. Hynds “pretty instantly.” They were both working in Houston when they became friends. After a short time, their jobs carried them in separate ways all over the world.

One summer, Mrs. Hynds was directing in Scotland when Mr. Hynds asked her if she wanted to accompany him on a six-week trip around Europe. However, Mrs. Hynds recalled, “All this time I was very much in love with him, but we were just friends.”

They kept in touch over the next year, until the following summer when they took a five-week sailing trip around Turkey (still just as friends).

After returning to America, they kept in touch over the following months. Again, Mr. Hynds invited her on an exciting trip but this time to spend three months backpacking across Asia (can you believe they were still just friends?!). On their last night in Thailand, they were sitting on a beach under the stars when they officially became a couple.

In total, it took four years for them to begin their romantic relationship.

Science Teacher Megan Hayes-Golding first met her wifeto-be through their shared love of soccer. Ms. Hayes-Golding and her wife met while playing on a recreational soccer team in Atlanta called The Clash. She was a goalkeeper and her wife played

midfield.

Ms. Hayes-Golding said, “[The team] lost almost every game we played, but always followed up by going out to eat or getting ice cream afterwards.” Slowly, they began to get to know each other better with each practice they attended and each game they played together, win or lose.

Finally, after several years of playing on the same team, they went out on their first date. They now reside in Dewey Dormitory.

After going out to dinner one night with friends, English Teacher Peter Nilsson recalled that there was an event called the “Midsummer Night Swing” at Lincoln Center, a mere ten blocks from where they were eating. An avid swing dancer since college, he and his friends arrived at Lincoln Center and began dancing along to the swing band’s music. Mr. Nilsson spotted Ms. Nilsson and could immediately tell that she was also an experienced swing dancer. He stated, “She had good dancing shoes, and she had that ‘ask-me-to-dance’ look.”

They conversed while dancing for a full five songs, and the rest is history!

Feeds: Snacks and Stacks of Memories Arthur Yao Staff Writer

Drawn by the scent of pepperoni pizza in the common room, I floated towards the towering cardboard boxes on the table for all of LM to feast upon.

Finding a spot on a couch, we turned on the TV only to find live coverage of the college football championship game.

Feeds are perfect times for students to relax and rewind after busy days. Given how early dinner is served, it is not surprising that feeds have become an important tradition at Deerfield.

This tradition provides new students with the opportunity to find a smaller community, their dorms, within the Deerfield campus. Charlie Pink ’18 specified, “As a sophomore living on a hall with ten other boys I didn’t know well, I thought I was just going to be in my room watching Netflix.

Mr. Stallings made sure this was not the case as he walked into the common room with a massive

crock pot filled with his homecooked jambalaya.” He added, “I would not have had the sense of comfort to get out of my room and interact with people if I didn’t have the excuse to go out and grab some food.”

Hannah Kang

Appreciating the unity feeds brought, Jack Brown ’18 recalled his freshman year vividly: “The Washburns would host pancake feeds, and they invited the entire dormitory to eat and socialize.

Their commitment to bringing the whole dorm together each week gave us an opportunity to establish a strong hall identity.”

In addition to forming connections within halls, feeds can assist in fostering interactions across different classes. Athalie Bastien ’18 noted, “My sophomore year, we had a special feed with Nigel Andrews ’16 and Charlie Carpenter ’16 where we played family feud; I loved meeting upperclassmen boys.”

Finally, feeds are instrumental in creating the familial atmosphere that characterizes each hall whether through humor or hall traditions. A member of the once-legendary hall @ poc1isphat, whole motto was “Create aesthetics for other halls to aspire to,” Alli Norris ’18 noted

25 New Year’s Resolutions Annie Ilsley & Uwa EdeOsifo Staff Writer & Buzz Editor

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Claire Zhang

With the advent of the New Year, it’s common practice to make (only to later break) New Year’s Resolutions. Here are some resolutions that are worth keeping:

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Reread the Student Handbook.

Give up social media for a week (or maybe just a few days) Participate in PSATs recreationally.

Call your family more often.

Only say “fam” to your actual family.

Give a compliment once a day.

Love life.

Go to a club meeting that you have never been to before.

Show up and be present, wherever you are.

Be on time for first period.

Be as beautiful as Beyonce.

Sit with new people at walk-thru meals.

Read outside of class.

Find a balance between

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relaxing and working ahead in your free time.

Be zen during School Meeting meditation.

Check in on your goals.

Be a big baller.

Say hi to everyone you see as you walk past them.

Sleep.

Get #swolebody.

Have long Dining hall dinner chats.

Take shower parties to conserve water.

Finally talk to that cute PG. Love yourself like Kanye loves Kanye.

Buy in.

Even doing one of these will help to make 2018 your year! Make sure to document these moments with #newyearsresolution and tag @thedeerfieldscroll!

one of her most memorable feed memories was during her freshman year: “My proctors bought root beer from the Greer and tubs of vanilla froyos and we recorded a video pouring the root beer into the fro-yo with ‘Take Me to Church’ playing in the background.”

Also reflecting on defining moments during feeds, Soo Oh ’20 jokingly referred to one Wednesday night when she convinced Doubleday 3 that she had a dog from North Korea.

Andrea Lopez ’19 reminisced about group singalongs, “My entire hall freshman year, Johnson 2, would sing ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ and ‘Lean on Me’ with Bailey Cheetham ’19 and Margaret Williams ’19 as the lead singers and ukulele players.

This reaffirmed our sense of family time and time again.”

Filled with lots of laughs, bonding, and food, feeds are the perfect opportunity to cultivate long lasting friendships with all of the members of the hall.

Movie Suggestions

Claire Zhang

Love is in the Air: Breathe In!

Dear Margo, Rita, and Curtis, I know everyone talks about how fun winter is, and admittedly, it hasn’t been that bad. But, sometimes, I find myself just wanting to remain in the warmth of my dorm, as it is so gloomy and chilly outside. How can I get through these winter blues?

Best, warmgirl22 ------------------------------Dear warmgirl22, As the first order of business, let me welcome you to January in Western Massachusetts! Winter here at the Academy is often equated to life in Antarctica — cold, dark, and even colder. I’m sure you’ve heard it said a million times before, but winters here can be hard. It’s not a secret.

Sometimes, staying in your dorm room on a chilly day is the right move to make. But I come to you, my friend, with great news!

You will survive it! No matter what anyone says, the snow will eventually melt, your toes will eventually defrost, and soon we will all be complaining that we are too hot.

My biggest winter term survival tip is to heed the words of Henry Ward Beecher: “The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things.” Now THAT is something to snap to, people!

Consider this our collective mantra of winter 2018. This January is all about appreciating the little and perhaps common things that will keep us all going. Here is my own personal list of things that make me happy in the winter: • The way my shoes don’t fit because I have to layer on so many pairs of socks just to walk outside • Watching funny movies under four blankets • Testing how far I can finesse dress code before I get called out • Bringing joy and laughter to my peers when I inevitably slip on the dining hall stairs and face plant into the snow • The delicious taste of an Emergen-C spritzer that helps me beat a cold • Watching Christmas movies after it is still socially acceptable and seeing how irrationally angry it makes people Make your own list of things that make you happy in the winter, and always remember to see things positively. Stay warm out there kids!

Ines Bu

Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to cozy up amid the chilly weather and watch some classic romantic comedies. Grab a blanket, a cup of tea, and some chocolate to enjoy while indulging in some of these films: • About Time • 500 Days of Summer • Crazy, Stupid, Love • Breakfast at Tiffany’s • How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Keep on keepin’ on, Margo, Rita, and Curtis :) P.S. Remember this: there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. That means that if you vow to put fashion concerns aside and dress for warmth, you will be warm. What I recommend: 2 pairs of socks — one normal pair under one fuzzy pair — leggings or long johns under your pants, minimum of 4 layers on top (shirt, sweater, sweatshirt, and jacket), and anything that will make it so that only your eyes are visible.

6 ⋅ Wednesday, January 24th, 2018

Features

The Deerfield Scroll

Deerfield Considers Changes to Long-Standing Dress Code Joshua Fang

Associate Editor This fall, Assistant Head of School for Student Life Amie Creagh invited the student body to join in discussions on possible changes to Deerfield’s dress code, one of its oldest traditions. Ms. Creagh formed a committee of students that is currently planning to pilot several revised versions of a dress code in the spring and gauge their impact on the student body.

Deerfield has debated the possibility of changing its dress code for many years. One commonly discussed aspect has been the inconsistency between boys’ and girls’ Academic Dress, the clothes students wear each school day.

Head of School Margarita Curtis explained, “I have felt that there is a bit of a dichotomy here.

The boys look very professional, and it’s easy — the boys’ dress code is very clear and standardized.

The girls’ dress code leaves itself

more open to interpretation.”

In the Deerfield handbook, girls’ Academic dress code is currently described as follows: [Girls may wear] pants/skirt/ shorts, shirt (visible)—with or without a collar—and sweater or sport coat. Denim, fleece, and t-shirts are not permitted within Academic Dress. Dresses, skirts, and shorts—including rompers— must be hemmed within four inches of the center of the kneecap. Attire should not reveal the buttocks, midriff, or chest.

Expressing her opinion, Sophie Opler ’18, a member of the revision committe, said, “I initially became involved in the conversation... to address the ambiguity within the definition of ‘female class dress’. It is often less clear as to whether or not a female student is in class dress, in comparison to male students who can be called out in a second (i.e. their shirt is untucked, they’re not wearing a tie, etc.).”

However, many do believe that the dress code as it is currently

Co-Curric Alternatives

written is clear enough, yet, students are simply not following the guidelines.

When the prospect of changing Academic Dress was brought up at a board meeting in late October,

Amelia Chen

Dr. Curtis explained, “there was considerable concern” on the part of many on the Board of Trustees, especially considering making changes to the boys’ dress code.

While there are still plans for a piloted dress code, these will

Thomas Song

Inthat Boonpongmanee Staff Writer

After-school co-curriculars are a requirement at Deerfield, which include anything from sports to theatre, or community service.

However, another option is the cocurricular alternative program, which provides a way for Deerfield students to pursue other activities that are important to them.

For example, Jackson Cohlan ’18 works with other Deerfield students to produce original music, working daily in the Hess Center’s recording studio.

His latest release includes the voice of Caitlin Sugita ’18. When Cohlan first came to Deerfield, he “considered [himself] an athlete and had never really been artistic.” Cohlan got into making music after he stress-fractured his femur playing soccer during his freshman and sophomore years.

Kishor Bharadwaj ’19 is researching language, aiming to facilitate automatic translation.

Bharadwaj grew up under a multilingual roof, speaking many different languages on a regular basis. His experiences inspired him to look into the phonetics of different languages, and he is finding that seemingly unrelated languages share many of the same sounds. Bharadwaj summarized, “My goal is to teach a computer to process language in a way that I do.”

On weekends, Parker Luber ’18 heads over to nearby Mt. Stratton, Vermont to teach people how to snowboard. He has been snowboarding ever since he was young and completed the programs at Stratton. When he was old enough, he followed in the footsteps of his sister and brother by becoming a snowboarding instructor. This is now his third year with the same co-curricular alternative. Luber stated, “I enjoy snowboarding because it is about relaxing and having fun, … getting

me away from everything and out of the Deerfield mindset.”

Michael Meng ’18 and Neil Nie ’19 are working together to automate a golf cart. Since it is virtually impossible for Nie and Meng to explicitly code directions for every possible situation, they are using machine learning, which teaches the cart to interpret images and make steering decisions by supervised learning.

As the model learns more from its training data, it will be able to perform independently in the real world, making intelligent decisions without supervision.

Arayana Carr-Mal ’20 is a violinist who uses music service to hone her skills. Music service is “a very individual co-curricular” where music students with a variety of experience levels spend time practicing, rehearsing for competitions, or simply playing together. Carr-Mal enjoys music because to her, music is a “cathartic way to express [herself].”

Anna Mishchenko ’19 is working with Thomas Song ’19, Shreyas Sinha ’19, and Kareena Bhakta ’20 to prepare for public forum debate.

Deerfield’s debate club normally focuses on parliamentary extemporaneous debates, a style that doesn’t require prepared research and focuses more on speaking ability.

However, in Public Forum, research is strongly emphasized.

Mishchenko described this style of debate as “more about having a deeper understanding of the topic than the team you are opposing.” Her goals for this term are to “become better debaters ourselves, and to have a set in stone plan to help the novices.”

Deerfield’s athletic alternative program has given its students the opportunity to pursue unique interests outside of the classroom.

All signs point to the continued growth and development of this program in the future.

our alumni… When you’re talking about issues of institutional identity, I think it’s very important that you keep the Board informed,” Dr. Curtis added.

Another common concern has been that Deerfield’s genderbinary dress code is not inclusive of gender fluid students. Ms. Creagh and her dress code committee hope to pilot two dress codes in April, one of which will likely be gender-neutral.

“We are all about making every child that comes to Deerfield feel comfortable, welcome, and appreciated.” Dr. Curtis affirmed.

Dr. Curtis invited interested students to attend a Student Life Committee luncheon in April, during which board members interact and hear directly from students.

Dr. Curtis explained, “They are open to hearing a wide array of students. We would like to hear from different opinion groups — those who think it should change, those who think it should stay the same, and everything in between.”

MLK Day Celebration at Deerfield Associate Editor

Whitney Vogt Michael Meng ’18 and Neil Nie ’19 work to automate a golf cart.

mostly revolve around changes to the girls’ dress code. Permanent changes in Academic Dress are currently unlikely.

“This is not a detailed analysis,” Dr. Curtis clarified. “This has not been a comprehensive conversation. It hasn’t even been brought to the whole board. They were just reacting to what they had read in the report — they want to preserve for the time being, something that feels very distinctive.”

Parents and board members alike believe that Deerfield’s dress code is a special part of its identity.

While some students may criticize the dress code, many also see it as a distinctive element of Deerfield that is important not only to current students, but to alumni and future students as well. “[Deerfield’s dress code] is a huge selling point on why Deerfield is special,” Ollie Hollo ’18 remarked.

“Issues of institutional identity or distinctiveness are incredibly critical to our admissions and to

This year’s Martin Luther King Day celebration took place on Tuesday, January 16 and featured Jeff Hobbs, the author of The Short and Tragic Life of Rob Peace, as the keynote speaker.

To comment, Director of Inclusion and Community Life Marjorie Young stated, “The themes in the book, which include race, class, education … and the duality and difficulty that may come from having a home life and school life that are extremely different, are ones with which we believe much of our Deerfield community can relate.”

Ms. Young also explained why Deerfield typically celebrates MLK Day on a Tuesday, stating, “Our decision was based on several factors, including the availability of more prominent speakers, the ability to accommodate the large number of admission candidates who visit on MLK Day, and the desire to ensure that the visitors can observe our school on a typical day.”

The Martin Luther King Day

Planning Committee organizes the workshops and other accompanying events each year.

Office of Inclusion research assistant Abby Lupi ’18 clarified, “The Planning Committee … shares ideas among … Deerfield faculty and students who submit workshop proposals based on a yearly theme. This year’s theme is ‘the beloved community.’ ”

Maya Hart

Additionally, Ms. Young explained that the Planning Committee also worked with outside organizations this year, stating, “We were excited to welcome Michael Carter ’07 … who works for the non-profit Encampment for Citizenship, which conducts residential summer programs for ‘young

people of widely diverse backgrounds and nations.’ He [facilitated] the Spoken Word Event on Monday and workshops on Tuesday.”

This year’s MLK Day celebration also incorporated several changes, most notably requiring a grade-wide service component to the ninth grade schedule. Ms. Young specified, “The ninth graders [went] off campus to … work in partnership with the CSGC to expose students to the pressing issue of food insecurity.

In collaboration with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, our ninth grade students [had] the opportunity to learn directly from non-profit organizations in the local area.”

Barnes agreed, “I think that exposing the ninth graders to service and setting the tone for their Deerfield careers is so important before they go into tenth grade.”

Barnes urged students not to think of MLK Day as a “day of preaching” and also stated, “MLK Day is mainly about yourself and self-care. … Buying into Dr. King’s message is a daily action.”

Alums to Participate in Day of Service Lily Faucett Staff Writer

Deerfield Academy

Six years ago, the Alumni Relations Office pitched the idea of a Deerfield “Day of Service” to the Board of Trustees as a way to promote service at Deerfield to graduates of the Academy. Today, the Day of Service is an annual event which rallies alumni to get involved in Deerfield-coordinated service projects in their area. To continue this legacy of service, on April 7, 2018, Deerfield will host five different projects across the United States for alumni to attend.

This year, the Alumni Relations Office is also introducing a new

initiative, partnering with both the Riverside Park Conservatory and the Ocean Conservatory in New York to create an event that will accommodate up to 300 Deerfield alumni and now, current students as well. Volunteers will spend the afternoon helping to clean up New York’s coastline.

In organizing the project, the Alumni Relations Office is “striving to create an event of excellence,” according to Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Ray Walker ’92. Ultimately, his goal is “to make the energy of wanting to help people contagious,” he explained.

Additionally, including the addition of current students could attract more alumni wanting to connect with the younger generations of Deerfield. The event would also allow for those current students to network and build valuable relationships with alumni, while hearing past graduates talk about their Deerfield years and experiences.

At the core, champions of the

project expressed that Deerfield’s Day of Service is about constantly striving to be worthy. According to Dean of Spiritual and Ethical Life Jan Flaska, “Life is showing up. … Your presence is motivation; it gives hope and shows camaraderie to others.” He continued, stating, “As soon as we acknowledge our good fortune and privilege here, we will move toward a place of wanting to show up and take initiative to make a change… the impact of our collective community would be an example of many generations of Deerfield students and alumni choosing to embrace those two simple words: be worthy.”

Perhaps former Headmaster Frank Boyden himself said it best: “The test of worth of any school is the record of service of her alumni.” Many years after Mr. Boyden’s time, on April 7 together in New York, alums will continue to contribute to Deerfield’s worth, striving to embrace the spirit of the academy and its mission to serve others.

Wednesday, January 24th, 2018 ⋅ 7

The Deerfield Scroll

Arts and Entertainment

Dance Alumna Ingrid Kapteyn ’09 Enjoys Professional Success

Provided by Ingrid Kapteyn Ingrid Kapteyn ’09 (middle) has continued to pursue her dance career beyond Deerfield, attending the Juilliard School and founding her own performance collective.

Claire Quan Staff Writer

After graduating from Deerfield in 2009, contemporary dancer and choreographer Ingrid Kapteyn attended the Juilliard School, where she received a BFA in Dance and the Martha Hill Prize.

She then went on to perform extensively in New York, with Brian Bookes, Danielle Russo, The Metropolitan Opera, and Sleep No More NYC. She also co-founded the performance collective HEWMAN. Kapteyn recently returned from China, where she spent a year performing seven roles in Sleep No More Shanghai, and also directed and danced in two independent installations called CAMPFIRE and POP. A native of Deerfield, Kapteyn began dancing at the young age of three by attending dance studios after school. When she was seven, she began to seriously pursue ballet, and during her four years at Deerfield Academy, she was exposed to and explored many other styles of dance as well.

“I loved doing [Dance Director Jennifer] Whitcomb’s modern dances,” Kapteyn recalled. “She had one class that was based off of Horton, and another that was based off of classical jazz, and she was always pushing herself to do new material. It was very challenging, but I was ready for the stimulation.”

Towards the end of her Deerfield career, Kapteyn contemplated becoming a professional dancer, and she applied to both colleges and performing arts conservatories to let admissions decide for her.

“I was five minutes away from deciding to go to college when I learned that I had been admitted to Juilliard. I was shocked and felt so lucky, and you can’t say no to Juilliard,” she said.

At Juilliard, Kapteyn decided to become a contemporary dancer, taking classes in contemporary partnering, modern technique, creative processes, and student choreography.

“It was challenging because it was exhausting,” Kapteyn remarked. “The days were long,

but I loved it.”

After her time at conservatory, Kapteyn co-founded HEWMAN, a performance collective based in New York that “[brings] dance where it hasn’t been before,” with two of her Juilliard classmates, Jason Collins and James Lindsay Harwell. Though Kapteyn never had the specific goal of starting her own dance company, she always knew that she would love it.

“HEWMAN happened out of a conversation,” Kapteyn explained.

“We wanted to get our own ideas out, so we started rehearsing to make one piece, and we formed a company to start doing it.”

Kapteyn described their creative process: “For me, once we start making a piece, the piece tells us what we need. It feels like we’re holding onto the reigns of a horse that’s galloping wildly, and we need to do whatever we can to keep it rolling.”

With regards to Deerfield’s current dance program, Kapteyn commented, “I continue to be amazed by what Ms. Whitcomb has been able to put together on a campus where students are pulled in every direction. Everyone is studying a thousand different expertises at the same time, but she still manages to give students a broad and solid spectrum of dance that set up a crucial foundation for me.”

As a recommendation to any Deerfield students interested in dance, Kapteyn said, “Try as many different types of dance as you can, and strive towards any chance you have to perform, because there’s really nothing like the experience on the stage.”

Private Music Teachers Mentor Deerfield Students

Britney Cheung

Sarah Jung Staff Writer

Walking into the basement of the Hess Center for the Arts, one often hears the faint murmur of a harmonious piano melody, the lilting, lyrical notes of a singer, or perhaps the vibrant solo of a flutist.

For the student artists at Deerfield who play a musical instrument or sing, private lessons with the music staff are available to help develop skill in various artistic pursuits. Regardless of whether students wish to pick up the cello for the first time, or continue training voice following years of instruction, anyone can sign up for weekly lessons. The incredible selection of musical offerings that students can pick from includes “all orchestra strings, woodwinds, brass, piano, voice, guitar, organ, bagpipes, drumset and percussion, as well as composition and improvisation,” according to the Music Department.

Anthony Berner, a violin and viola instructor as well as a chamber music coach, started

teaching at Deerfield in 2004. He brings fifty years of classical music experience to the table, having performed at Lincoln Center and the Aspen Music Festival, among other distinguished venues. He started teaching as a college student, and said, “It’s important for me to teach what I do myself as a musician so that the students can learn to teach themselves.”

He added, “Musicians all have the same issues because it’s extremely difficult to play an instrument, whether you are a seasoned musician or a beginner.”

He pointed out that it’s all about making the music come to life and accomplishing not just technical skill, but also delving deeper “to truly serve the music.”

Music is indeed a form of expression that transcends the act of learning all the right notes and being able to execute perfect arpeggios or trills. In a deeper sense, music can be about living in the composer’s life, creating stories and feeling the embedded emotions or changes in mood should the musician choose to meet the piece halfway.

The mutual act of engaging in music as the music engages in you is an idea echoed by YuMei Wei, a piano instructor and chamber music coach. The winner of numerous international piano competitions and a member of two renowned chamber groups, her musical career started at just six years old. She recently joined the Academy after moving to Deerfield with her family, and started teaching students this school year.

Mrs. Wei called herself lucky that piano is her passion since teaching and performing comprise the bulk of her career. She said, “I’ve definitely had my ups and downs with piano, because it can be hard being shut in a four-walled room for a long time, playing alone.” She added, “But that’s where chamber music comes in.

Playing with a group of other musicians is an excellent solution to the problem of loneliness and solitude in music.”

Both Mr. Berner and Mrs. Wei agree that seeing their students improve is the best part of teaching. Mrs. Wei stated, “I view my student as my equal partner.

When it clicks and there is a mutual connection between me and my partner, we both know that it was a good lesson.” Mr. Berner said, “It’s definitely fun when the student has a eureka moment.”

The teachers behind our private lessons passionately work to help students find their “eureka moments.” They continue to make their mark on the musical world, and with every lesson, learn more and more about what music has to offer, right alongside their protégés.

Artist of the Issue: Mim Pomerantz ’18 Fatima Rashid Associate Editor

Term after term, the Theater Department presents plays or musicals that leave the entire community asking for more, and Mim Pomerantz ’18 has taken part in every production since her 9th grade year. She grew up in a household with actors and a strong dedication to the art. She credited her father, who acted in high school and college, for igniting her interest in the art from an early age. Pomerantz began her acting journey in middle school, recalling that she had been inspired by theater programs that would visit her elementary school to put on plays, including Shakespeare.

Of all Deerfield productions she has participated in so far, Pomerantz stated that her favorite was You Can’t Take It with You, in which she performed during this past fall. She explained, “It was really awesome to get to be a part of that since it was a really great cast with a lot of chemistry. We just had a lot of fun putting that show on.”

Pomerantz radiates a sense of self-awareness and confidence on stage that has grown throughout her years. Theater Director Catriona Hynds said, “She is what I call a ‘slow burn’ actor, meaning that she is thoughtful and takes time to approach her characters from a number of perspectives.

Once she is happy with her work, she is capable of letting loose on stage and she has considerable stage presence with a fabulous clear voice.”

Having worked with Pomerantz on many productions, Maddie Wasson ’18 observed, “Mim is really great at buying into her roles. Right now she’s doing an incredible job with her part in Big Love. No one will want to miss watching her perform!”

Pomerantz plans to continue

acting after Deerfield, though she is not planning to study it. “I would like to stretch myself as an actress in the future, since I’ve only done comedy at Deerfield so far,” she explained.

As she departs and continues her acting journey at Wesleyan University this upcoming fall, Pomerantz expressed that she is interested in participating in more serious roles as she departs Deerfield. Open to new experiences and despite her self-proclaimed lack of singing ability, she stated that her dream production is Les Misérables.

Sophia Do Mim Pomerantz ’18 prepares for her role in the fall 2016 play, Museum.

A “dedicated and conscientious” actress, as Mrs. Hynds described, Pomerantz departs with the following words of wisdom that ring true to her journey of growth: “Just go for it. Theater, especially at Deerfield, is a very supportive environment. Something that I wish I had done sooner was throwing myself into it and not being worried or self-conscious about anything because it’s so much more rewarding when you can just take risks and roll with it.

I think that’s when the best acting is done.”

Q&A: Meet Coda!

Hunter Keller

Yingtong Guo

Associate Editor Coda, a student rock band at Deerfield, was founded by Joshua Fang ’19 and Andy Han ’19.

Q: Why did you choose “Coda” as the name for the group?

Andy Han ’19: “Coda” is a musical term — it’s a passage that brings a piece to an end. We chose it because it’s short, it’s catchy, and it has meaning to us! It also ends in “DA.” Q: How do you decide which songs to play?

Joshua Fang ’19: Typically, someone in our group will suggest a song, and Andy and I will take a look at it and see if it’s feasible with our instrumentation. Often we will have several songs on the docket for an upcoming performance, and the band will discuss what song will be best for what occasion.

Q: How do you make instrumental adaptations of existing music?

Fang: Andy and I will first look online to see if there are existing scores that we can adapt.

Eventually, I will arrange the piece with Andy in the studio. Andy will normally lay out the big picture arrangement: the verses, the choruses, any solos, and I’ll brush up all the small details like horn fills, little rhythm section hits, etc.

Q: How has your music evolved since you first started playing together?

Han: We’ve all just become much more in sync. I remember the first piece we learned, “I Will Survive,” we rehearsed multiple times a week for multiple weeks straight before it was ready. This fall, we pulled together a completely new piece, “September,” in only a week!

Q: What plans do you have for the future?

Fang: Next year will be big for Coda. We’re hoping to host some special concerts or jam sessions to bring Deerfield’s musical community closer together. We want to offer more chances to perform besides the two KFCs every year. After Andy and I graduate, we’re hoping to pass the band on to another pair of leaders that can arrange the music and keep its spirit alive. We’re proud of what we’ve done so far to help the music community here thrive and we can’t wait to continue in the future.

The Deerfield Scroll

Sports

Silipo Inducted into Hall of Fame Eric Kim

Provided by Deerfield Academy

Staff Writer The New England Prep School Football Coaches Association presented Deerfield’s former football coach, Mike Silipo, with an honor only six other coaches have received in the organization’s history, on Monday, December 12.

The NEPSFCA committee elected Mr. Silipo to the Football Coaches Hall of Fame, topping off his illustrious 48-year career in the New England prep school league, consisting of over 200 wins and two Class A titles at Deerfield and Tabor Academy. It also makes him Deerfield’s first inductee for the award, adding his name alongside Mark Conroy from the Williston-Northampton School, Dave Coratti from TrinityPawling School, Moose Curtin from Hebron Academy, Kevin Driscoll from Avon Old Farms, Ken Hollingsworth from Tilton School, and Todd Marble from Kingswood-Oxford & Kent. Similar to how the Deerfield football team played in the Mike Atkins Bowl game this fall, in the coming years there will be a Mike Silipo Bowl game for prep school teams to play in.

While Mr. Silipo contributed to Deerfield in countless other ways, this award embodies his special dedication to the sport. “[Football] was the reason I came here,” he reflected. “Coaching such a high-intensity sport forged many great relationships … with players and fellow coaches.” He cited “the overtime championship win in 2002” and winning his two hundredth game as two of his most memorable moments at Deerfield.

Over 21 years at Deerfield, Mr. Silipo influenced his fellow coaches as well. Science Teacher

Football coach Mike Silipo recieivng a plaque honoring his 200th win at Deerfield.

Toby Emerson described Mr. Silipo as “the most important mentor in my 24 years of teaching”.

Mr. Drew Philie ’09, who played for Mr. Silipo and coached under him, mimiced Mr. Emerson’s sentiments. He described Mr. Silipo as a “legend of Deerfield” because he “understands kids and knows how to get the most out of them in the classroom and on the playing fields. What makes him special is the effort and attitude he carries with him day in and day out.”

Mr. Silipo left a mark on many players still at Deerfield as well.

Mr. Emerson notes that “the number of wins Mike accumulated over the years is impressive, but the real barometer of his greatness comes with counting the number of athletes’ lives he has influenced. … To play for and coach with Mike Silipo will make you a better person.”

Not only his fellow coaches noted how influential Mr. Silipo was. “I felt his presence a ton.

He motivated the team. … I appreciated him and miss him as a coach,” commented this year’s football captain, Ollie Hollo ’18.

“He deserves this induction …

He’s one of a kind, a great leader, and there for everyone as a friend.

If you ask around, you could see a ton of Mr. Boyden in him.”

One of the traditions that Mr. Silipo started for the football team is “milk and cookies.” On Friday nights before their Saturday games, Mr. Silipo would have the team come together to prepare, and of course, eat some cookies with some milk. Player Parker Luber ’18 reflects on this ritual as a way for “the team to come together and lock our minds onto the game the next day, but it’s also a time that is special because we reflect on past football teams and moments and share personal stories.” Even without Mr. Silipo on the coaching staff this fall, Coach Brian Barbato continued incorporating this impactful tradition into the culture of the team.

Mr. Silipo’s induction into the Football Coaches Hall of Fame is no surprise to both the players and staff he impacted in his time at Deerfield. According to Mr. Philie, “He tells me every day, ‘When you love what you do, Bud, you never work a day in your life!’”

Manning: International Squash Star

Ashley Manning ’19 during one of her squash matches for Deerfield.

Annie Kane Staff Writer

Maggie Tydings

Provided by Deerfield Flickr

Staff Writer

Each year, a new wave of Deerfield athletes enters into all divisions of collegiate athletics. For Division I and Division II athletes, the first step in this process is the signing of the National Letter of Intent, or NLI for short. This fall, Deerfield had four student-athletes from four different sports sign early to Division I and Division II programs. On November 8, 2017, Jose Boyer ’18 signed to play lacrosse at the University of Notre Dame, Bailey Smith ’18 signed to swim at Northeastern University, and Erin Tudryn ’18 signed to play field hockey at Molloy College.

Additionally, on December 20, 2017, Mike Bevino ’18 signed to play football at Colgate University.

Bevino entered Deerfield this year as a postgraduate student and began his DA athletic career in the fall as a starting tight end for the football team. Bevino described his college recruiting process as a “very long and tiring process, filled with a lot of ups and downs.”

According to Bevino, signing his intent to continue to play football at Colgate was “most exciting, stress relieving, blissful moment of [his] life.” He is very excited to start at Colgate in the fall, as he noted, “The campus is absolutely beautiful and I just couldn’t see myself anywhere else.”

Boyer also came to Deerfield this year as a postgraduate.

He verbally committed to the University of Notre Dame the summer leading into his junior year, with the understanding that he would have to do a fifth year of high school. For him, signing the NLI “really made him feel like all [his] hard work had paid off.” As a long stick midfielder, Boyer knew that he wanted the challenge that a top Division I lacrosse program like Notre Dame’s could offer him.

He also noted that Notre Dame was unique to him because it “offered

Jose Boyer ’18 signing his National Letter of Intent on November 8th.

everything [he] was looking for academically, athletically and socially.”

Smith is a four-year senior, and currently serves as captain of the varsity swimming and diving team. She describes signing the NLI as “something I dreamt of since 7th or 8th grade” so on November 8th, she “couldn’t have been happier or prouder.” After a “long and demanding” recruiting process, Smith eventually chose Northeastern because of their support system for athletes. She is excited to participate in their co-op program, where she can “follow her passions before I even graduate college.”

Tudryn came to Deerfield last year as a new junior and quickly established a crucial role on all three of her varsity teams. She eventually ended up choosing Molloy because she “loved the vibe on campus and the team was so welcoming.” Tudryn described signing day as both exciting and nerve warcking. Recounting the day, she remembered that “there was a point where my hand was shaking that my signature didn’t look right!”

Looking forward to the next chapter in their athletic lives, all four athletes hope to take the lessons Deerfield Athletics has taught them and continue succeeding.

New Rink, Same Teams Peter Everett

Associate Editor

Bu

The construction of the new athletic complex presented both the boys and girls varsity hockey teams with the challenge of adjusting to a new “home” rink at the Eaglebrook School. “It’s been a big change,” girls hockey coach Gen Pitt said. “Every practice at Eaglebrook takes about three hours of [the girls’] day.”

The changing locations — the girls team practices at the Collins/Moylan Skating Arena in Greenfield as well — have kept the teams from wearing in their home rink.

“It’s become o u r rink, but at the same time we know it’s a temporary one,” said boys hockey coach Jan Flaska. “Music, the locker room, all the things that make up a team’s aesthetic, we don’t have that.”

Buying into the extra time needed for practice has been essential for success this season.

“We as a team talked about it early on and how this is part of the deal this season. We didn’t want to let it be an excuse this year,” said Ms. Pitt. “The payoff is obviously worth it, but we won’t let this be a layer to our mindset, our fitness and our energy on the ice.”

For girls hockey, their focus has created successful results, and they look to continue what has already been a strong start to 2018 following three consecutive

wins in January, all of which they earned on their opponent’s ice.

“The girls are a lot of fun,” Ms. Pitt concluded. “They take hockey seriously, and they take their school work seriously, but they still joke around and sing on the bus, and it’s fun being with them every day.”

On the boys’ side of things, the Eaglebrook rink has not hindered them either. The team comes off of a 7-3 dismantling of Loomis Chaffee, and more recently a 4-2 win at home against Trinity-Pawling.

One of the defining qualities of this year’s team is the upperclassmen’s outreach to younger players, facilitated by the added time together in transportation to the other rinks. When a s k e d about his favorite aspect of the team this year, Will Holland ’20 did not hesitate: “My teammates. They’re all great guys, and I learn a lot from them,” he said.

Captain Theo Lenz ’18 explains that “having to travel everywhere has definintely been somewhat of a humbling experience. Sure we don’t have a nice locker room to call home, but it’s created a culture where the team feels at home when we are all together, no matter the location.”

Looking forward to the second half of the hockey season, the two varsity hockey teams continue to find success in every rink they come across.

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the way to London to represent Team USA at the British Junior Open.

A type of experience most people only dream of, she described it as “surreal,” saying, “In each match, I was wearing a USA top to show that I was representing America, and it was pretty amazing. Wearing that shirt was definitely a lot of pressure, but I recognized that I was part of a team and I was playing for our country, and that was one of the coolest feelings ever.”

Manning went an impressive 5-2 in the girls U17 division, and returned to campus with an even broader understanding of the sport and battling tough competition.

Although this is only her second year at Deerfield, Manning has left an impact not only on the courts, but as a leader on the team.

Now as a junior co-captain, she is held in the highest regard by her teammates, and she leads through example and kindness.

Griffin Dewey ’20 said, “Ashley does an amazing job offering support and encouragement to myself and the whole team. She pushes us to work harder and constantly encourages us to do

DA’s NLI Signers

In

Ashley Manning ’19 is an accomplished squash player, and she is still only a junior. Entering Deerfield as a new sophomore last year, she quickly gained her place on the girls varsity team, earning her spot as not only a top athlete, but the number one seed. Last year, she led the team to claim the Class A New England Championships, finishing second in the #1 flight.

Manning described her experience at the New England Championships: “I can’t explain how amazing that felt. It was a super close five-game match, and when I won, my entire team came running onto the court to congratulate me. Words can’t really describe the emotions I was feeling; I’ll admit I was tearing up. It was in that moment that I realized how much I loved my team and this school, and I recognized how coming to Deerfield was the best choice I ever made.”

However, the athlete’s successes in squash go far beyond the Deerfield courts. Over the week of January 5, Manning traveled all

Provided by Tom Carey

our best. She is a phenomenal captain!”

This season, the girls varsity squash team is undefeated at 6-0 thus far, and Manning has swept through the first seed. Many watched the nail-biting home opener, where she battled against Hotchkiss’s senior captain. After being behind, Manning showed her grit and resilience when she fought back and not only won her match, but won the day for the Big Green.

Despite the pressure of performing at the number one spot, Manning said she manages it by recognizing “that there will be no easy matches, and at this age, everyone knows how to play squash, so it becomes more about strategy and who can last longer.

The worst enemy of being seeded number one is letting it get to your head.”

The girls have beaten their first three opponents, but they still have a long season ahead. They are a team with five new players, but Manning says, “Our team dynamic has improved so much from the beginning of the season, and everyone seems to be learning and getting better. I hope that as the season goes on we can keep up with our winning streak, continue to become stronger both as individual players and as a team, and hopefully win New England’s again this year!”

Manning and the rest of the girls will continue to fight towards that goal, facing St. Paul’s at home on January 27. With Manning’s leadership and the team’s unwavering spirit, the sky is the limit.

Wednesday, January 24th, 2018 ⋅ 8