The Deerfield Scroll: October 28, 2015

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Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA

Vol. XC, No. 4

UPDATE ON THE LIBRARY

//LIAM JEON

Associate Editor Over the first five weeks of school, students and faculty alike have been adapting to the absence of one of Deerfield’s most used buildings: the library.

The school waits in anticipation as renovations for this fine study space continue.

Director of the Library Ms. Charlotte Patriquin commented, “I’m looking forward to seeing all our plans come to fruition. We’ve spent a few years listening to what students want, listening to what teachers want, and working with the architects to put this all together into a whole.”

Mr. Jeffrey Galli, the project manager of the library’s renovation, reports that the library will have many new features, including a telecom room (a place where students and teachers can hold skype meetings), an innovation space, and an innovation classroom.

He also noted, “The study rooms should be soundproof as well.”

These renovations do not come without cost.

There are long-term benefits as well as short-term drawbacks. In exchange for the renovations, financial spending, the relocation of certain classrooms, the limitation of physical resources, and the loss of study space are some inconveniences Deerfield has endured this fall for a better library.

According to Mr. Galli, the school has $11.5 million as its budget for the project. Deerfield worked alongside the firm Architectural Resource Cambridge. Ms. Patriquin added that about three years of work were put into this project from conception to construction.

On top of the time and money spent, the library department, faculty, and physical plant relocated the most important 5-10% of the library’s resources (books, DVD’s, headphones, videos, etc.) into the Mods while moving the rest into storage. We have all these departments to thank for their hard work.

Mr. Jan Flaska, of the Philosophy and Religion Department, noted, “My classes were in there. I had an office in [the library]. But it was also just a great central place to meet…

Arriving on campus, we forget how convenient

it was… but we know there’s a renovated library on its way, so we’re okay with it.”

Last year, students went to the library for a distraction-free study space. So far this year, the Mods are fulfilling that function, but students have not embraced this new space. Maddie Moon ’16 explained, “In terms of what we’re given, the Mods are the best we can do. It’s very well set up, but far from campus.” The distance especially has kept Moon and other students from using the Mods consistently. Moon noted, “I’m excited to get my study space back.”

Ms. Patriquin acknowledges that the Mods “are a little out of the way.” She added that “students are finding their way slowly over here.”

While the Mods serve as a surrogate library,

students and faculty alike anticipate what the new library will hold. New offices such as College Advising and the Academic Deans’ offices will be located in the library along with the Center for Service and Global Citizenship and the Archives. “Having all those new offices in one building will be very useful for the students,” Moon commented.

The renovations will significantly increase space. “Compared to the old floor area,”Mr. Galli said, “the whole lower level becomes much more usable space. We cleared a lot of that up. The main floor remains about the same, and we lose a little bit of space on the upper floor, but overall, I would say that we gain about 10,000 square feet.”

With open classrooms for students and the Mods available for all members of the school, everyone is adjusting to the absence of the library. But with the concessions and sacrifices members of the school have made, it seems like this new incredible library will be worth it.

/DeerfieldScroll

28 October 2015

EQUALITY AND PRIVACY: LGBT PARIETALS //ELIZABETH TIEMANN Senior Writer

Intimacy at Deerfield has always been a hot topic. In order to accommodate physical proximity, comfort, and the bonding of couples, a system labeled “Parietals” was created to sanction and regulate dorm-room visitation.

The logistics of parietals often require that labels be ascribed to couples, whether same-sex or not, that indicate a relationship that is more than platonic. Placing a trashcan or shoe in the door is sometimes regarded as a heralding or inauguration – a public announcement of a non-platonic relationship.

With such pressure placed on the two individuals getting parietals, whether romantically involved or opposite-sex, one might understand why same-sex couples at Deerfield are wary of requesting and receiving parietals. Dane Scott ’16 expanded on this complexity, “You have to be out to all the faculty residents in your dorm, not to mention everyone on your hall, by placing a shoe in your door and announcing your sexuality to everyone. You, or your partner, or both, may be deeply uncomfortable with revealing this information to practical strangers when you maybe haven’t yet told your parents.

Putting this kind of legitimate pressure on a relationship is enough to ruin a relationship and make it deeply unhealthy.”

The current parietals system language in the student handbook states, “Deerfield’s dorm room visitation policy acknowledges some students who share the same gender identity are engaged in relationships that are more than simple friendships—just as there are platonic relationships between students of opposite gender identities.

The closeness of our community and our biological-gender based housing system requires a degree of trust in students— regardless of their sexual orientation and identification.”

Following this explanation is a set of rules that students must adhere to that are applicable to both same-sex and oppositesex couples. Valentina Connell ’16, officer for the Gender Sexuality Alliance, posited that “the nuances of same-sex couples and their situations necessitates a different set of rules that should govern parietals.

Simply placing same-sex and opposite-sex parietals rules under one general hood does not offer adequate solutions to the unique and specific problems that same-

sex couples encounter.”

Connell elucidated a few questions that arise from this ambiguity: “What if your significant other is in the same dorm, or on the same hall?” “Can you even be in the same room together without getting parietals?” “Can you be in the same room if there are multiple people in the room?”

Another issue the current same-sex parietals policy raises is in faculty LGBTQ awareness and comfort. There have been instances in which faculty members have felt uncomfortable or unsure of granting same-sex parietals. This could be attributed to the vague set of rules that govern the parietals system or personal viewpoint and bias.

To combat this perplexing issue the GSA and Dean of Students Ms. Amie Creagh are collaborating and are in the process of brainstorming viable solutions to the shortcomings of the current policy. A possible point of reference in solving this issue may be emulating other schools’ policies. Scott reported, “To do this, we’re looking at other boarding school policies regarding LGBT parietals.” Connell added an open invitation, saying, “Both Ms. Creagh and the GSA are interested in hearing any ideas that members of the Deerfield community come up with.”

Rachel Yao

WHAT’S UP, FRESHMAN VILLAGE? //NIA GOODRIDGE Associate Editor After just a month, The Freshman Village has dramatically changed the social climate of Deerfield.

Last year, The Village was first introduced

by Dean of Students Amie Creagh during a Wednesday school meeting. The concept of The Village was to provide a shared living space for ninth grade boys and girls in order to address the gender divide on campus, to promote stronger class bonds, and to ease new sophomore integration by also establishing all-sophomore dorms. This announcement was met with resistance from the student body, mainly rising male juniors and seniors because The Village would be located in Johnson-Doubleday. Now, ninth grade girls live in Johnson, ninth grade boys live in Doubleday, and Crowe Commons acts as a buffer between the two.

Many students expressed concern after the establishment of The Village. The community worried about females and males living in the same dorm, exclusive cliques forming in the freshman class, and new sophomores struggling in their respective dorms. However, many faculty and students are now pleased with the changes that The Village has fostered. “I’m hearing favorable reviews,” Mrs. Creagh stated. “They seem to enjoy their time together, and I think they’re forging class

bonds.” She also mentioned that “the ninth graders feel at home in The Village.”

Emily Henderson ’19 agrees. “We all have fun [in The Village], and I believe having all the freshmen together has helped us bond well as a grade.” Kento Yamamoto ‘16, a proctor in Doubleday, stated, “I was afraid there would be more cliques among the freshmen, but everyone is so friendly to one another.”

Many believe that the biggest gain from The Village is the growth of healthy relationships among and between boys and girls on campus. Dr. Ivory Hills, a five-year dorm resident on Doubleday II, stated, “I see boys and girls hanging out in what appears to be a safe and productive manner.” Akya Evans ’16, a proctor in Johnson, believes these relationships were made possible by The Village’s joint common room: “I have seen many boy–girl friendships blossom just because of the common room they share.

The Crowe has been an amazing outlet for them to be social and to just be normal kids.

As a grade, they are extremely close, and I love seeing that the boys aren’t separated from the girls like in one of those awkward 80s movies.”

Although the freshman class has forged unquestionably strong bonds in the past month, some upperclassmen and sophomores feel disconnected from the freshmen. Equally, the freshmen are worried about not knowing enough upperclassmen

and sophomores. Yamamoto commented, “I have a lot of upperclassmen (and some sophomores) coming up to me saying that they don’t know any freshmen.” Alex Alijani ’19 added, “I find it harder to meet sophomores and upperclassmen because we don’t live in the same dorm and they never come to the Crowe.”

Some have attributed the diminished amount of inter-class interactions to the misunderstandings between freshmen and upperclassmen. Christine Callinan ’16 has noticed this in numerous settings like athletics, saying, “[The Freshman] have a skewed perception of authority and they don’t always take instruction well from the senior captains.” Jacqueline Alvarado ’17 attributes the lack of respect from freshmen to their isolated location: “Since [the freshmen] are so isolated, they don’t understand the school dynamic.”

In addition to concerns of class relations being damagaed, parts of the community feel disgruntled by the seemingly unlimited budget for the freshman class. Over the past month, the freshmen have enjoyed a flat screen TV along with a special Netflix account in the Crowe and have been given special privileges like surprise feeds and games.

Other grades have expressed the feeling that the freshmen have been given special treatment. Katherine von Weise ‘17 stated, “I find [the unlimited budget] really unfair.

Just because they’re new, it shouldn’t mean their class deserves more funding for their happiness.”

Check out the Op/Ed page, where seniors Ballard Brown, Serena Ainslie, and Claire Petrus discuss their own personal views about The Village.

DEERFIELD STUDENT FORUM The Deerfield Student Forum is a Facebook page that was created last year by the President of the Student Body, Nicky Conzelman ’16, and alumnus Jared Armes ‘15. The forum was created “to provide a logistical platform for those interested in addressing the student body at large.” Over the past year, the Forum has created the opportunity for discussion on a number of different topics, ranging from race or sexual identity to lighter announcements on school improvements like the field house and ice hockey rink renovations. If you aren’t yet a member of the Forum, ask any returning student to add you to the page.

Vol. XC, No. 4

OPINION

28 October 2015 editor-in-chief BELLA HUTCHINS

managing editor BROOKE HOROWITCH

video editor EMILY YUE

front page editor JOSH TEBEAU

social media editor ELIZABETH TIEMANN

opinion & editorial editor CAROLINE FETT

online editor WILLIAM UGHETTA

features editor JULIA DIXON

online associate editor FREDDIE JOHNSON

arts & entertainment editor MAGGIE YIN

layout associate editor ALEX GUO

sports editor DAVID DARLING spread editor DANE SCOTT layout editor ASHLEY WANG photography editor GWYNETH HOCHHAUSLER graphics editor RACHEL YAO distribution manager JUSTIN HSU

photography associate editor VALERIE MA graphics associate editor TIA JONSSON associate editors VAISH GAJARAJ CAMILLE MOECKEL RICHARD PARK ETHAN THAYUMANAVAN NIA GOODRIDGE LIAM JEON PERRY HAMM senior writers KATHERINE HEANEY MADDIE MOON FELIX SCHLIEMANN YASMINE DESWANDHY

Dear Reader,

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

I first heard about the proposed NED pipeline last spring, when I saw a headline for a piece about it on the Scroll website. I didn’t even delve into the article and brushed off the topic immediately. I didn’t think of it again until this fall, after a conversation with Mr. Henry. After conducting extensive research for two weeks on the pipeline, speaking with different residents of the Pocumtuk Valley, reading legal transcripts, and researching online, I’ve come to realize just how ignorant I was last spring. I am disappointed in myself for not taking the time to even learn what was going on and am embarrassed by my lack of understanding of it.

Last spring, when I thought of a

pipeline, I thought of a pipe as small as the ones running through the ceilings of our dorm rooms.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve come to realize that the majority of students and faculty on campus still don’t know that a pipeline that would be visible and audible from DA could be in the ground in 2018 . As residents of the Pocumtuk Valley, I find it our responsibility to be informed about what’s going on in this community, and urge you all to take the time to learn a bit about what could be a colossal change in New England. I, personally, stand firmly against the pipeline; however, my goal in writing this letter is not to convince you to agree with me, but rather to push you to learn enough about the pipeline to make

an informed opinion. Knowledge is power.

I’d like to acknowledge that this issue of The Scroll addresses a lot of controversial topics on campus, that either have been heavily discussed, or haven’t been talked about enough. I want to be clear in saying that the goal of this issue is not to be a platform for cynicism, but rather a platform for students (and faculty) to feel comfortable sharing their opinions. Just as I stated in my first “Letter From The Editor,” my goal while heading The Scroll is to present something real.

Cheers, Bella Hutchins Editor-In-Chief

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

Rachel Yao

advisors JULIANNE SCHLOAT, CARRIE BROWN AND JOHN GREGORY BROWN

the right to edit for brevity. The Scroll is published eight times yearly and is uncensored.

PRO-VILLAGE

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

WEIGHT OUR GRADES At Deerfield, a vast majority of students are highly driven to succeed academically and, consequently, often take accelerated and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. We at The Scroll believe that Deerfield needs to reward students for challenging themselves by weighting averages.

Students who take difficult courses often do not get acknowledged for the rigor of their schedule. For example, in order for a Deerfield student to be inducted into the Cum Laude honor society, they must have a 92.0 average or higher through the six terms of their sophomore and junior years. Due to the rigor of some students’ coursework, however, it becomes nearly impossible for many qualified candidates to maintain that average through six terms. This means that students who demonstrate academic excellence through the difficulty of their course load often do not qualify for Cum Laude, while students who have a less challenging course load often do.

The Scroll staff believes that it is important for students to feel encouraged to pursue difficult course loads. This will not be the case if doing so renders students unlikely to qualify for certain awards and receive the grade point average that they deem acceptable for college applications.

Deerfield needs to weight grades so that students are motivated to challenge themselves academically. If challenging oneself academically results in negative effects on students’ transcripts, then Deerfield is effectively discouraging students from taking full advantage of the learning opportunities presented here.

The Scroll proposes a uniform grade-weighting system that gives due credit to students who take honors and AP courses. Not weighting grades is unfair to students who challenge themselves. They are distinguishing themselves in the classroom, and should be credited for the hard work they are doing.

ANTI-VILLAGE //BALLARD BROWN Contributing Writer

The Freshman Village has successfully created more problems than it has solved. The gender divide is an issue that deserves to be addressed, but a Freshman Village was not the correct way to fix it. The most notable effect that The Village has had on campus is to create a class divide. Many freshmen do not socialize with people in other grades, and sophomores do not socialize with people other than sophomores. The freshmen have also not become accustomed to Deerfield’s traditions and culture, and while there are plenty of community members who believe that traditions are not worth keeping, they are in this case wrong.

One key issue with the lack of understanding of the Deerfield culture and traditions is that freshmen lack respect for these traditions. That respect goes beyond walking on senior grass

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and stepping on the seal, which I have seen freshmen do on multiple occasions. Those traditions are important to the school, but they also pale in comparison to the lack of respect for staff members.

A trait that serves as a hallmark of our community is our kindness, especially to those who work to make our campus the wonderful place that it is. This includes respect and general humility to Physical Plant and Greer staff. I have heard many people talk about freshmen being directly or indirectly rude to Greer staff. Some have been directly condescending to people taking their orders or serving their food. In a more passive form, others leave messes for someone else to clean up. This lack of respect is a result of the freshman class living amongst themselves, without guiding influences from sophomores in their dorm.

Another problem seniors have voiced about The Freshman Village is that the freshmen were pampered

BREAKING NEWS: freshman girl and boy seen walking on campus are not a couple. I repeat: they are not a couple! This is not an isolated incident, either. All over Deerfield Academy, 9th grade males and females are interacting in nonsexual ways. Although school has just begun, this odd behavior has become an epidemic of sorts. WHAT IS CAUSING THIS MADNESS? (or friendship as they call it in the real world…)? It appears that the only explanation for this outlandish behavior is The Freshman Village. ii The Village is responsible for this UPHEAVAL in Deerfield culture.

However, many are denouncing The Village as a DESTRUCTION of tradition. I apologize, but I need a moment to comprehend the absolute absurdity of this situation.

People are upset because The Village is fostering relationships between boys and girls where their clothes actually stay on? People are upset because the 9th graders do not run away in sheer terror when they see seniors?

Are you kidding me? It’s a bad thing that The Village is starting

to fix some of the fundamental cultural issues at this school? Oh, that’s right, I forgot. Deerfield can’t follow the social “norms” of society.

We are an institution deeply rooted in tradition and that’s what makes us different from our peer schools.

To alter the culture here would be considered a heinous act. Even if that culture promotes clapping a couple out of the Greer and sitting at gender-segregated tables, it should stay because it’s tradition — and tradition always prevails at the Academy.

According to some, there are no instances of tradition having adverse effects on the culture of Deerfield. Well, except for the tradition of not accepting black students, and the tradition of being an all boys school — oh, and the tradition of having sit-down breakfasts. But other than these negligible traditions, everything else has been great… mniiAltering tradition requires change, which is difficult for everyone. Last year, people were upset about the plan for The Village because it required a large change in the structure of the school. One of the biggest arguments against The Village was that the boys would no longer be able to have constant

sleepovers with their BFFs in Johnson and Doubleday. klThese negative sentiments carried over from last year and influenced people’s opinions of The Village when they arrived back at school. This pessimism towards The Village only increased as returners noticed a change not only in the physical location of the freshmen, but also in their attitude and actions on campus. Personally, I don’t have a problem with the way the freshmen are acting this year. How can more confidence and healthier relationships be a bad thing? m kThe Village is changing the culture of this school, and that’s the main reason why I am for it.

Although it’s going to take years before the full effects of The Village are apparent, even now I can see the positive impact it is having on the cultural issues at Deerfield. j The 9th graders finally have a place where they can feel confident in forging their own traditions at Deerfield. They can figure out friendships, student life, and more, without the influence of other grades. The Village is helping them prepare for the unknown at Deerfield, and although it will take time, eventually they will leave the (Crowe’s) nest.

in the design of Crowe Commons, giving them a perfect place to avoid interacting with the community.

Those who have been here for four years know that it has taken years to get a new TV in the Greer. The freshmen got the largest TV that I have ever seen in their common room as part of the new campus design, and the rest of us got two Adirondack chairs per dorm, as if that is an equal trade off. And the freshmen that I know, even though my interaction with them has been made more difficult by the administration, have told me that freshmen do not even use the Crowe Commons resources frequently.

The seniors have gotten nothing in the way of a reward for giving to the community for four years, and, in fact, we cannot even enjoy the things the freshmen were given. miLast year, when JohnsonDoubleday was an upperclassmen dorm, I did homework in Crowe Commons. This year, though, I have been told by the Deans Office that I am not allowed there during study hours because I would disrupt the

freshmen study hall, even though they are required to be in their rooms. So I was banned from Crowe Commons during study hours, which is the only block of time where the public space on campus in which I work most effectively is quiet. lThe grade divide that has been created by The Freshman Village is best exemplified when you look at recently organized student activities. The fact that the Student Planning Committee and the administration found it not only appropriate, but necessary to have a Senior-Freshman Mixer shows that my prediction from last year has come to fruition. I predicted in an earlier Scroll article that there would be a grade divide created

by The Village, and people did not think that it would happen. Yet there was an organized event to get the freshmen to leave their Village and come meet people in other classes, which is proof that freshmen do not mingle or become acquainted with people on campus. For my grade, getting to know people in other

classes has never been an issue — until this year. mThe issues that have been created are too many to list in this article alone, and the problems that The Village was designed to fix still remain on campus. Now, on top of a gender divide, we have an issue with respect for traditions and staff, seniors feeling as though they have been in some way stiffed by the administration, and a very noticeable grade divide. I see The Village as an attempt to follow the lead of other boarding schools that house freshmen together; that attempt to fix the gender divide has backfired and created more problems than the administration can hope to fix. Deerfield is not St. George’s or any other school that houses freshmen together. We are different because of our strong, interconnected community, and The Village has shown itself to be something that is poised to destroy the very feeling of community that drew me to Deerfield in the first place. [Serena Ainslie also contributed ideas to this editorial.]

//CLAIRE PETRUS Contributing Writer

The Deerfield Scroll

28 October 2015

SHOULD OUR INTIMACY BE CONTROLLED?

voices from the community on parietals, sexual assault, & moving forward “The Deerfield parietals regulations have always been in flux. In order to create a safer environment, parietals should not be as strict as they have been in the past. Parietals are supposed to be safe environments where two students can get to know each other, but these strict parietal rules and “suggestions” make the experience very unnatural, and sends students looking for other unoccupied spaces, where sexual assault is much more likely to occur. Behind a locked door, or in an isolated space, the couple will be alone and no one will be able to hear, or help, if one of the kids is uncomfortable. This will lead to more sexual assaults and cases that the school can’t handle.

Sexual assault is a very real issue that occurs on high school campuses, even here at Deerfield.

“ONE IN FOUR WOMEN...”

Anything that can be done to prevent such uncomfortable situations should be pursued.”

- the DSASA (Deerfield Students Against Sexual Assault)

FACULTY PERSPECTIVE

//DR. HALEY O’NEIL Spanish Teacher

I am not the only faculty member on campus who thinks that managing parietals is the worst part of my job. It is particularly acute for those of us who live in large upperclassmen dorms. On a weekend night in Rosenwald-Shumway, there can easily be more than ten parietal requests, meaning that the faculty member on duty is checking on the status of teenage intimate relationships sometimes as many as fifty times a night. I know that many of us take a deep breath before knocking on the door, hoping as we open it that there is nothing on the other side that we don’t want to see.

Violations are not only embarrassing for the students, but excruciatingly so for the faculty. To be clear, I do not have a problem with productive discomfort in an educational setting; what I have a problem with, rather, is the awkwardness that derives from having to deal with situations that are uncomfortable in ways that are neither appropriate to nor productive in an academic and educational context. And while I am, like many of my colleagues, relieved that the Dean of Students’ office has issued clear guidelines streamlining expectations for both students and faculty across the different dorms, I am unconvinced that this useful change addresses the more fundamental problem: that parietals do not contribute to the sexual education of our students or coincide with the educational objectives of the Academy.

Adolescence is undoubtedly a period of sexual curiosity and development. It is not the responsibility of Deerfield Academy or its faculty to change that, first and foremost because to do so would be impossible. It is, however, our job to work to ensure that campus life, from the classroom to the athletic field to the dorm room, is shaped by and in response to meaningful pedagogical objectives. In the case of adolescent sexual development, that means preparing our students to make informed, deliberate, and healthy decisions about sexual relationships, not providing them with at best semiregulated spaces for experimentation that

//LUCY BINSWANGER Staff Writer

Spring term last year, my teacher took our English class out to the diner as a chance to bond and eat good food before finals came around. Trying to come up with topics of conversation, I asked around the table if anyone had any funny first date stories. None of them did, because every single one of my 15- to 16-year-old classmates had never been on a date or even anything remotely close to one. I then asked one of the boys in my class why he had never taken someone he liked on a date, and he responded that it was “way too much effort.”

My first thought was: dang, are you missing out! What happened to all the gentlemen who took us out to dinner at Chipotle before hooking up with us and never speaking to us again? At least we’d get a free meal out of it.

However, I wasn’t surprised. After a year in the Deerfield Bubble, these encounters with cultural difference were to be expected.

When I first arrived at Deerfield as a new sophomore, I was immediately informed by my peers of the unspoken rules and regulations about hooking up and “dating.”

I’d wanted to ask someone out who I’d met a few days before and had a nice conversation with at ukulele club (hubba hubba). A senior

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has no place at a school. Perhaps what I am saying can be framed in terms of Cindy Pierce’s excellent presentation earlier this term. While several students I spoke with saw a contradiction between Pierce’s encouragement to proceed with confidence in their sexual relationships and the news that their private interactions would be more closely monitored, I would argue that there is in fact no contradiction. In order to best provide you with the knowledge, resources, and support you need in order to develop such confidence, we must work within boundaries appropriate to an educational setting.

In both her book and presentation, Pierce uses the Thatcher School as a model for how boarding schools can create communities that teach students to make smart decisions about sex without condoning sexual relationships on campus. The Thatcher School does not allow parietals, but does include as part of its curriculum an obligatory four-year Human Relations and Sexuality program that deals in-depth with topics including intimate relationships, sexuality, and sexual assault. The school also explicitly details the appropriate amount of physical contact between students—hand holding, hugging, and kissing are acceptable at certain times but not at others, and sexual intimacy is never allowed—and makes it clear that violations of those policies are grounds for discipline and possibly dismissal. Students, consequently, learn about sexuality and learn to define and embrace healthy sexual relationships the way one should learn in a school: through a combination of study, conversation, and clear institutional boundaries. It should be noted that the successes of the Thatcher School’s approach have not been merely pedagogical: surveys have shown that while on-campus sexual activity has significantly decreased, students’ satisfaction with campus culture and social life has increased.

As I believe our primary concern should be preparing our students to live curious, healthy, and productive lives, I advocate implementing a similar policy at DA.

ADMINISTRATIVE PERSPECTIVE

//AMIE CREAGH Dean of Students

This summer, I read David Foster Wallace’s This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion about Living a Compassionate Life, an address he gave at Kenyon College’s commencement in 2005. I took from it a message about choices – every day, there are are far more than we think – and compromise. He suggests we wrestle with our default assumption that the world revolves around us and move to what he calls “the really important kind of freedom.” This freedom, Foster-Wallace writes, “involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people.”

In private conversations and public forums about visitation, I’ve sought to apply this mindset, to consider and respect others’ viewpoints and to have them at the front of my mind. It’s also my aim for this article, which called for an “administration” perspective on our current visitation rules. Framed this way, I worry the expectation could be for unwavering decisiveness, which I’m reluctant to provide. For now, I’ll hope to share my understanding of our varied viewpoints as a first step toward caring for those who hold them and with the goal of folding them into any new policy we might create this year.

If we stretch a bit and see our visitation guidelines as an effort to support healthy, thoughtful relationships between boys and girls, it should be no surprise that each of us cares about and feels invested in this conversation. Of course we all want boys and girls to feel connected to one another; of course we want to foster meaningful friendships and to support students in the early stages of romance and love. Understandably, though, our community offers a variety of opinions about how to do this most effectively. *Boys and girls who are friends want to spend time together without sparking hookup rumors. Asking for parietals is public, conspicuous and creates gossip. *Romantic couples on campus – both same sex and not – seek a relaxed, informal setting where they don’t feel watched or suspected. *Same sex romantic couples must be “out”

to mfollow our visitation rules. Asking for parietals and putting a trashcan or shoe in the door makes a statement about a relationship.

We cannot force students into this predicament. *New faculty understand this issue is contentious, and they want guidance.

What does checking on visitation mean?

How often should it happen? This is a unique and vexing challenge for those new to a boarding environment like ours. *At the same time, the very consistency clear guidelines might offer can also make exchanges around visitation feel forced and adversarial. *Veteran colleagues might balk at such proscribed guidance and would prefer greater personal discretion. From their experiences here, they know the balance between supervision and trust. *Many residents and associates feel a new burden of responsibility for keeping students safe during visitation. They are increasingly anxious about the risks and liabilities our current policy could present. *Some members of our community think sexual intimacy is inappropriate for high school students *Others think it’s a normal and predictable part of adolescent development.

How will we ever reconcile all of these legitimate, well-meaning, and differing opinions? If we’re following Foster Wallace’s guidance, valuing each of them deliberately, thoughtfully and equally, will we be rendered immobile? I don’t think so. In fact, accounting for these perspectives is our first step forward. We should solicit them and name them explicitly. They will be our foundation. But including these voices will require compromise. None of us will get exactly what we seek. We will not craft perfect visitation rules. Relationships, love, sex, and our views on them are far too personal and complex. Nonetheless, if we enter into this collaboration with “attention, awareness, discipline, effort, and care”, surely the result will be a policy that helps to cultivate the lasting relationships that have - and always will - characterize the Deerfield experience.

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE told me that in theory I could, but she advised that I didn’t. That would be “weird.”

Being in public school for most of my life, this came as a huge shock. If you were interested in someone romantically or sexually, you either cowered in a corner yearning over their sweet embrace in your daydreams, or you mustered up the courage to ask them out. Going to movies, walking around town, or even just hanging out at a SO’s house was always a typical and enjoyable part of life. Boyfriends and girlfriends were equally as common as “things” or “hookups,” and people knew that because they were able to define these relationships pretty easily.

Sexual assault was real, but not necessarily common. Students were well educated on sex and consent, and students could talk to trusted faculty about these matters because... well… sex was allowed.

College campuses are now dealing with what many call an “epidemic” of sexual assault and rape, but the real question is: are boarding school campuses any different? Rape culture is real at Deerfield for many reasons. Lack of communication, social pressure, reputation, and bottled-up hormones make for one big lump of suck.

This culture of casual sexual encounters is

a subset of an overall flawed social structure.

Deerfield culture is already very sexist and there is little female initiation when it comes to these encounters. After a hookup has taken place, the couple’s sexual privacy is almost always compromised because of the size of this community, usually at the girl’s expense.

When you ask someone of the opposite gender to get parietals, or “leave the Greer,” or go for a walk, the assumption is that you are going to hook up. However, hooking up can mean anything from a kiss on the lips to having sex, so there’s already an extreme lack of clarity there. If a couple does happen to want to do something besides kissykissy cuddle time, they either have to “find a spot” and risk getting caught by security, or they have to get parietals and risk having an intimate moment interrupted by their resident, if they can’t finish by the next “knock knock, everything okay in there?” Therefore, almost all sexual encounters at Deerfield exist under a time limit. When speaking of sex education, the general faculty response is to “wait for the right person” and “to make sure you’re comfortable.” These statements come with good intentions. However, the reality is that most students don’t have time to make sure both people are consenting every step of the way when Mr. Applebottom could be

back any minute. Due to this unfortunate arrangement, I am sure that by definition a lot more sexual assault goes on here than is talked about openly. The faculty response to this dilemna is to impose stricter parietals guidelines to make sure everyone involved feels safe.

In RoSho, we were informed that when the on-duty faculty checks in (which will be every 30 minutes) we are prohibited from being in a lying down position, and we must come and answer the door ourselves.

Residents may as well tell us to set a timer for 30 minutes and “have at it,” but to make sure we’re in an upright position once the time is up. I can guarantee that if we didn’t have parietals at all, sexual activity would increase by 100%. But if we had somewhat looser policies, would sexual assault be less likely? My answer is yes. And isn’t that what the administration is most concerned about when constructing these policies? With more freedom and less “couple shaming” (yes, faculty, we see those judgmental stares you give us when we check in) our school would be taking a step in the right direction in developing healthier relationships and changing the culture at Deerfield.

The Deerfield Scroll

28 October 2015

A Scroll Board Editorial:

//Josh Tebeau on behalf of The Deerfield Scroll board Deerfield’s mission statement reads, “Set in a historic village bounded by river, hills and rams, Deerfield inspires reflection, study and play, abiding friendships, and a defining school spirit.”

In the 1950s and 60s, the United States Government planned to construct Interstate 91 through Deerfield.

Frank Boyden recognized this as threat to the integrity of Deerfield’s mission statement and took his complaint to Washington. Mr. Boyden famously sat in President Kennedy’s waiting room for hours, until Kennedy would see our beloved headmaster. I-91 was not built through Deerfield.

The Deerfield of today faces a new challenge to its bucolic surroundings and its mission statement. Tennessee Gas, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, plans to build a massive pipeline that will run right by the Academy.

If the project is approved, students already disturbed by recent construction on the Library and Memorial Building will find no reprieve for years into the future: construction vehicles assisting in the building of the pipeline will be audible from campus. Furthermore, there is a chance that the locomotive-sized pressurization stations built along the pipeline to prevent it from exploding will also be audible from campus as long as the pipeline remains active. Additionally, these stations are not foolproof, meaning perilous pipeline bursts could compromise the community.

In the event of a pipeline malfunction, Deerfield students could be among the first to find out. Indeed, the Small Loop entrance is inside the pipeline’s “incineration zone.” Future students and parents will need to cross their

STOP THE PIPELINE fingers and hope not to end up as burnt marshmallows, for Tennessee Gas has an egregiously bad safety record.

The stated principle for this pipeline appears noble. Kinder Morgan says that it seeks to improve Western Massachusetts’ energy infrastructure. However, upon further investigation, local town residents discovered that the pipeline is designed to transport gas for overseas sale.

One wonders what else is being hidden.

Thus far, the town is united in trying to prevent the construction of the pipeline. Almost all local businesses strongly disagree with the placement of the pipeline.

One local institution has not yet issued a judgment: Deerfield Academy.

In an interview with The Scroll, Deerfield’s Associate Head of School for Operations and Chief Financial Officer Mr. Keith Finan continuously stated that the Academy does not yet know enough about the proposed pipeline in order to take a public stance. In an interview with The Greenfield Recorder, Director of Communications Mr. David Thiel explained that Deerfield has “not seen a map of the route that has sufficient detail for us to determine whether it crosses our property.” Though the pipeline may not run directly through our property, we recommend that the school consult the general plans that The Scroll has obtained, which demonstrate just how close the pipeline will be to our campus.

Deerfield’s mission statement also declares that “Character, integrity, and responsible citizenship guide student life in the Deerfield community.” Dr. Curtis highlights the need for students to be informed and act as responsible global citizens, yet many have little knowl-

edge about the KM Pipeline. Frank Boyden would not have stood for this. His personality and the example he set for Deerfield students made Deerfield into an institution that commands respect. Boyden acted in ways to preserve the character of the school and town we call home.

There is no doubt that the pipeline reflects a blight on the local environment and would detract significantly from the character of Historic Deerfield as well as the economic value and sustainability of our institution. How would the school respond to an explosion or a gas leak? Deerfield’s current silence is surprising. What’s more, why isn’t the campus talking about this? Why isn’t the school pushing students and teachers to discuss this?

It is students’ right to know about such a major, environmental changing project so close to us.

As Deerfield’s leaders make lofty statements about the role Deerfield students will play in the world, they are seemingly unwilling to reflect on the mission statement and the role we play in the heritage and traditions of the Pocumtuck Valley. We ask Deerfield’s leadership to recognize that no matter how global our ambitions, our heritage comes from our commitment to our local community’s well-being.

Our community and its heritage are threatened.

The KM pipeline could compromise Deerfield’s future.

Learn more about the project, and demand that Deerfield’s leaders speak up. Inform our alumni and stand with our school. PROTEST THE PIPELINE.

A Map of The N.E.D. Pipeline in Relation to Deerfield Academy

Map provided by David Keith The dark green line indicates the NED pipeline running from Wright, NY to Dracut, MA Light green lines indicate compressor stations The red box indicates Deerfield Academy

April 2017

KM’s anticipated start of 2017 construction

November 2018 Anticipated In-Service Date for the NED Pipeline

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The Deerfield Scroll

28 October 2015

WHAT IS THE N.E.D. PIPELINE?

//BELLA HUTCHINS Editor-In-Chief

Last year, Kinder Morgan (KM), a corporation with a net worth of $11.5 billion that constructs natural gas and oil pipelines across the country, proposed building a 188-mile long natural gas pipeline from Wright, New York, to Dracut, Massachusetts. The pipeline, labeled the Northeast Energy Direct (NED), would cut through the border of Western Massachusetts and would be controlled by one of Kinder Morgan’s subsidiaries, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. With the project, KM seeks to bring more natural gas to New England and “significantly lower energy costs to the region’s homes and businesses.” The gas would come from the Marcellus Shale fields in Pennsylvania and would be extracted through fracking, a process in which multiple wells are blasted with water, sand, and gelling chemicals to access the energy stored in the pores of the rock.

Originally, KM planned for the pipeline to be 36 inches in diameter and to deliver 2.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, but the company has reduced that estimate to a 30-inch pipe transporting 1.3 billion cubic feet daily. Additionally, Berkshire Gas, a natural gas company that delivers gas to Deerfield Academy and throughout Western Massachusetts, called a moratorium on new natural gas customers until 2018, when the NED pipeline is scheduled to be in the ground. Berkshire Gas has signed up to purchase 1.6 percent of what the NED will carry. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), a government agency, has the final say on whether the NED will be built or not, and KM must prove that it will have enough natural gas customers before the pipeline, estimated to cost between $3 billion and $6 billion, can be built. FERC, which receives tax money from the companies it regulates, will review comments from other government agencies and the public before deciding on the NED. KM and other organizations have advanced a variety of arguments in support of the pipeline. They state that the NED pipeline will reduce gas prices in New England, will create thousands of jobs and generate revenue, and will reduce the region’s reliance on fossil fuels. KM’s website asserts that “New England had the largest natural gas price increase of any major trading location in the United States in 2013.” Additionally, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, Inc. (KMEP) released a full statement regarding the pipeline, which shared that ISO New England, an independent electric system operator, reported that New Englanders paid over $7 billion more for electricity during the 2013-2015 winters than they did during the winter of 2011-2012.

National Grid, an electricity and gas company based in the United Kingdom that delivers gas to the American Northeast, received approval to raise its prices by an average of 37% for the winter of 2014-2015 due to constraints on existing regional pipelines, “which decrease natural gas availability at times of peak demand,” according to KM’s Resource Report 1 to FERC. Additionally, the Beacon Hill Institute created two models to analyze the short and long term benefits to Massachusetts. The results from the socalled IMPLAN model indicate that the NED would “eliminate 70% of the natural gas shortage in Massachusetts and thus reduce energy prices.” In terms of jobs, the plan states that “the lower energy prices would lead to the creation of 9,420 jobs by 2020” and that the project would lead to “the creation of 1,713 temporary jobs that would pay $228 million in wages.”

KM created a website dedicated to the NED pipeline, which asserts that the project would “generate an estimated $23.9 million in revenues to local and state taxing bodies in Massachusetts in the first year following construction, with gradual annual depreciation thereafter.”

In terms of environmentalism, KMEP, Inc. stated that the NED is designed to supply “abundant and clean natural gas to help alleviate New England’s uniquely high natural gas and electricity costs” and explained that the NED is “essential to facilitating the region’s ability to continue to reduce carbon emissions by replacing existing older coal-and-oil-

fired” energy sources. The KM NED website also states that natural gas “supports renewable energy growth by providing the cleanest possible power when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine,” and says that “over 80 percent of [the pipeline] will be co-located along existing utility corridors or adjacent to existing pipeline, meaning that less new land will be affected.” The website states that without the expansion of more pipelines, the region will grow to depend on “expensive foreign gas and dirty energy sources.”

Arguments against the NED have been presented by residents of towns near the proposed pipeline route. These residents raise concerns about their own health and safety, the difficulty of having to compete with foreign markets for gas, and the pipeline’s negative environmental impact. Because much of Western Massachusetts is made up of areas that have ten or fewer houses per mile, the NED pipeline would be ranked as “Class 1,” meaning it will have thinner-walled pipe and the least effective corrosion detection measures, which could lead to leaks and explosions. Therefore, residents have questioned why, as one Massachusetts resident wrote in the “My Turn” column of The Greenfield Recorder, their “health and safety is less valuable than those of folks who live closer to each other.”

In the case of a catastrophe, such as a leak or a burst in the pipe, counties —such as Franklin County, one of the poorest counties in the nation—would be responsible for dealing with the emergency, with KM being liable for only $2 million in damages. If the pipe were to burst, everything in the surrounding area might be destroyed, and there would be no way to address the disaster until the pipe emptied out back to its closest emergency shut-off valve. Next, eminent domain gives the government the right to take private property for public use, which means that KM, with government backing, can invoke eminent domain to use homeowners’ land for the pipeline, as long as those homeowners are compensated.

Therefore, homeowners may encounter decreased property values and issues with mortgages and insurance. Furthermore, due to the pipeline’s length, compressor stations would be placed throughout the route to keep the gas moving. If there were to be an explosion, opponents argue, the heat from the machines would be strong enough to ignite nearby homes. In terms of DA, the end of Main Street, on the way to the Small Loop, would be considered an “incineration zone.”

In addition, the Deerfield Board of Health released a document to KM ordering the company to stop all activity involving the pipeline in Deerfield after finding that “the proposed pipeline presents an unreasonable risk to the health and lives of the residents of Deerfield.”

A further argument asserts that New England does not have an energy deficiency extreme enough to require a pipeline, prompting suspicions that the gas that would travel through the NED will be exported internationally. David Keith, an independent researcher and current member of the Deerfield Energy Resources Committee, explained this concern. Though some news sources suggest that New England has an energy shortage, he explained that New England actually gets a third more gas than is used. Electric companies in Massachusetts buy gas at “interruptible” rates, which means they are buying gas released from what local distributor companies have paid to reserve as uninterruptible supply. During peak days, when the temperature is very cold, homeowners crank up their heat, using all of the gas from local distributor companies, so those companies have no leftover gas for the electric companies to use.

Keith explained that the “shortage happens for no more

“The results from the so-called IMPLAN model indicate that the NED would ‘eliminate 70% of the natural gas shortage in Massachusetts and thus reduce energy prices.’”

June and July 2014 Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company begins surveying laws and the environmental impacts of the pipeline on the land of the proposed route

4

than 42 days” in the entire year, for one to two hours on those 42 days. “So, you’re literally talking about 84 hours when the electric companies cannot get enough gas from the leftovers, the cheap stuff,” Keith said. In order to meet these peak shortages, New England would need no more than an additional 22 billion cubic feet of gas by the winter of 2019-2020, according to ICF International; this would be the equivalent of the NED pipeline running for just 17 days.

The NED pipeline’s plan to deliver 1.3 billion cubic feet per day to New England would mean in a year, New England would be receiving 474.5 billion cubic feet. Additionally, Spectra Energy, a natural gas and pipeline company based in Massachusetts, has already begun expanding its pipeline called the Alogonquin Incremental Market. This line will be finished before KM begins to build, and the project would bring in at least five times the amount needed to prevent any gas deficiencies. Also, a company owning a pipeline that runs from Canada to Dracut, MA is filing for permission to reverse the direction of the pipeline, leading many to believe that the NED gas will be shipped to Canada.

In an opinion article for The Greenfield Recorder, Keith wrote, “we are being manipulated,” and added that gas sells internationally for much more than current domestic rates: “If a company has the choice to export gas for $9 to $15 per thousand cubic feet, how long will it continue to sell to us for $3?”

Finally, concerns have been raised about the implications that the NED pipeline could have on the pristine environment of New England, much of which is untouched by man made infrastructure, light pollution, and heavy industrialization. Also, the fracking extraction process KM’s suppliers employ can lead to raw methane leaks, which release a greenhouse gas 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, further compromising the ozone layer and environment. Others worry about altered air quality due to gas ventilation/compression stations, damage to wetlands, and contamination of water if the pipe bursts, among other things. Finally, some are concerned about the length of greenfield pipeline that will be involved in the project: greenfield pipe is pipe that would cross land that is currently free of any natural gas infrastructure.

The NED pipeline would be located a quarter mile from Deerfield Academy, Bement, and Eaglebrook. As of right now, Bement has taken a public stance against the NED pipeline, and Head Of School Frank Henry has written a letter to State Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, which has been forwarded to federal regulators, opposing the pipeline on behalf of Bement. Towards the end of last spring, Mr. Finan, Associate Head of School for Operations and Chief Financial Officer, and Head of School Dr. Curtis began discussing the potential pipeline and since Labor Day have begun to have “more in depth conversations” and do further research. Mr. Finan explained that he, Dr. Curtis, and The Board of Trustees need to discuss the position Deerfield will take on the potential pipeline.

Finan explained that he is exploring three separate questions in regards to the pipeline: 1. Do we really need it? 2. If we do need the additional pipeline, what is the best route for it? 3. What are the safety precautions in place? “There are a lot of very legitimate concerns,” Finan explained, but added that he needs to find answers to the proposed questions in order to make an informed presentation to The Board of Trustees, who he described as “responsible for the long term health of the institution.”

Finan cited that the reported energy shortages in New England is “a very strong argument for needing [the pipeline]” but that at the same time, Deerfield Academy “takes very seriously the safety and environmental challenges that this pipeline creates.”

Explaining why the Academy has not taken any action or written a letter like Henry’s, Finan stated that in order to compose a frank note, he would have to know more about the pipeline. He stated, “Part of the problem is that we don’t know what taking a stance means at this point.”

“Therefore, residents have questioned why, as one local wrote in the ‘My Turn’ column of The Greenfield Recorder, their ‘health and safety is less valuable than those of folks who live closer to each other.’”

November and December 2014

KM holds open houses from Wright, NY to Dracut, MA

March 2015 KM’s first final draft of the Energy Report (research on the cost and production amount for the project) completed.

28 October 2015

The Deerfield Scroll

FEATURES A MEANINGFUL EXCHANGE BETWEEN KING’S ACADEMY JORDAN AND DA

// PERRY HAMM Associate Editor

This fall, Deerfield has welcomed over 20 new faculty members. While many can be seen teaching in their classrooms or settling down in dorms, three new community members may be more difficult to spot. In the Health Center basement, Dr. Joshua Relin leads the new Counseling Office. He is joined by Ms. Cassiel Owens and Dr. Susan Watson.

Dr. Relin, originally from Brewster, MA, is the new campus Counseling Director. After attending Skidmore College and earning his Psy.D (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology) at The Wright Institute at UC Berkeley in Oakland, he returned to South Deerfield to work at UMass Amherst.

There, he spent nine years performing “student assessment and treatment,” promoting healthy masculinity and providing mental health services for veterans on campus. He now lives in Historic Deerfield with his wife, five year-old son, and two year-old daughter.

Dr. Relin has come to appreciate particular aspects of the Deerfield

Elizabeth Tiemann

While the parietal policy at Deerfield has sparked controversy within the community, King’s doesn’t have parietals, and Newman thinks this is why “the infamous ‘gender divide’ is largely nonexistent at King’s.” However, Al-Qubailat explained that “Parietals go against the country’s culture,” and “even though King’s is modeled after Deerfield Academy, it still needs to obey the culture of the people in the region.” King’s students’ curfew is at 7:45pm, and they are also expected to respect Jordanian culture and Islamic customs, meaning that individuals of the opposite gender cannot spend time in their dorm rooms together.

Inter-student connections are not the only difference at King’s. Because the teachers at King’s are mostly young teaching fellows, studentteacher relationships are more casual than those at Deerfield. Al-Qubailat explained that at King’s, “[Teachers] understand your struggle,” whereas

at Deerfield, “There is a generational gap.”

Most cultural differences between King’s and Deerfield take place outside of the classroom. At King’s, students place less importance on sports teams and weekend dances.

Newman explained that “sports are an American thing – it’s not that big of a deal at King’s” and at King’s, “school dances primarily consist of a few dozen underclassmen.” Despite the challenge of adjusting to a new environment, Newman enjoys these “quirky cultural differences because they are helping [her] build cultural awareness about a part of the world that is shrouded in so much mystery and misunderstanding.”

King’s may be located 30 minutes away from Amman, Jordan’s capital, but according to Newman, “Both academies are located in the middle of nowhere, away from city life.”

On weekends, students have the option to travel via bus to Amman, which is one of the most liberal and westernized Arab cities. There, students have an opportunity to go shopping and eat Jordanian cuisine.

Trips to different regions in Jordan have proved to Newman that “you do not have to belong to a certain people to honor their culture.”

Newman also noticed how King’s students strike a “balance between knowing their traditional identity and being highly aware of American popular culture.” Newman has

embraced her new surroundings through various cultural experiences and enjoys “belly dancing and Dabkeh (a type of dance common in Middle Eastern culture) with her entire dormitory, blasting Arabic rap and pop music, and eating exotic Middle Eastern foods.”

Thus far, one of Al-Qubailat’s favorite moments at Deerfield took place in her dorm one night, when she realized that “you can feel at home at any place in the world.”

In Jordan, Al-Qubailat grew up near King’s Academy and was the first child in her family to attend the school. Because Jordan is widely considered to be a “safe haven,” recent conflict in the Middle East has prompted many refugees to migrate to the country.

However, although a CNN article voted Jordan one of “the seven safest places to travel in the Middle East” in 2014, AlQubailat still worries for her family’s safety. King’s Academy has also taken precautions against ISIS. “Just last spring,” AlQubailat explained, “the Academy went so far as to remove the school logo from the sides of its buses.”

At King’s, Newman has already participated in controversial

Maddie Blake

Staff Writer

This year, Deerfield student Zakiya Newman ’17 is participating in the Arabic Year Program at King’s Academy in Madaba, Jordan. While Newman spends her year abroad, Jordanian Saba Al-Qubailat ’17 will live on Poc II and experience student life at Deerfield. Despite coming from different cultural backgrounds, Newman and Al-Qubailat share a common motive for participating in the program: the hope to develop a genuine understanding of a different culture through global connectivity.

Founded in 2007, King’s Academy is modeled after Deerfield and is even nicknamed “Deerfield of the Desert.” The first headmaster was Deerfield’s former Head of School Dr. Eric Widmer. Named in honor of King Abdullah II, the King of Jordan since 1999 and a member of the Deerfield Class of 1980, the school aims to fulfill His Majesty’s vision of creating “a new generation of enlightened and creative minds,” and the school’s mission is to “develop and empower young leaders who will drive change within and beyond their communities.”

Al-Qubailat explained that the biggest difference between King’s and Deerfield is students’ connections with one another. “People at Deerfield expect you to have your personal space,” she said, “But at

King’s, there’s no concept of privacy…

You might find people you’ve never met in your room, sitting, chatting and eating until the middle of the night.”

MEET THE NEW COUNSELING OFFICE

campus, such as the “unreal” cellphone policy. “I love that people I pass look at me and say ‘hi’— it is brief, but it is such a positive connection.” One of his most memorable Deerfield experiences to date was driving the

further down the road.

While he praised Deerfield’s renowned community as a “friendly, warm and welcoming place,” Dr. Relin also noted how challenging the “busy rhythms of daily life” can be. He views the pace-of-life issue as an opportunity to integrate mindfulness practice.

Another new counselor, Ms. Cassiel Owens, also notes how the rapid pace of Deerfield life can take its toll: “While the rigorous and engaging community gives rise to truly inspiring faculty and students alike, I wish that it didn’t impact sleep so much.”

Ms. Owens has lived in Western Massachusetts for over 15 years and shared that her “transition [to Deerfield] has been very positive.”

She added: “My family and I have felt very welcomed by the warm and engaged community—it is a joy to live and work here.” Ms. Owens has Coco Spagna

// LILY BEAUBIEN

9th grade proctors to Camp Becket.

“It was really cool to just hang out with them on the drive—they are an impressive group,” he recalled.

Dr. Relin is a sit-down table head, will play the violin in the Deerfield orchestra and thinks “it would be fun” to be involved in a co-curricular

practiced throughout the Pioneer Valley for the past seven years, “providing clinical support to women and children.” She earned her BA from Hampshire College and went on to The Smith College School for Social Work. In New England, she worked as a School Adjustment Counselor at Northampton High School. Now, she lives on campus with her husband David and their son, Frederick, and said she cannot wait to see the campus covered in snow.

On the other hand, Dr. Susan Watson, who joined the Deerfield community from Jackson, Mississippi, “is a little nervous about our family’s first winter.” However, she added, “It will be fun to see our kids see real snow for the first time!” While Dr. Relin and Ms. Owens have been in the valley for years, Dr. Watson has traveled over 1,000 miles to be a part of the Deerfield family this year. She said, “Moving the whole family all the way across the country was a big leap of faith for us, and [I’m] so glad we did it!” The Watsons have three-year-old twin girls, a fifteen-month-old son, and three dogs.

debates on religion and politics. She explained, “Being at King’s Academy sparks my courage to discuss issues that I am hesitant to talk about at Deerfield.” Most of all, Newman appreciates the “fierce, electric energy from King’s students who are eager to honor their people and share their perspectives in order to truly be worthy of their heritage.”

Al-Qubailat mentioned that she doesn’t mind answering questions about her identity (she is both Arab and Muslim), but added that although globally, students are “taught to respect other religions, they don’t really know much about them.” For example, some Deerfield students have used the words “Arab” and “Islam” interchangeably with Al-Qubailat in conversation, which shows that global understanding can still improve at DA. She clarified, a Muslim is an individual who practices the religion Islam, while the term Arab refers to individuals who live in Arab regions.

When Al-Qubailat stepped off the plane in America, she came to the realization that “your people, your country, are within you. But, at the same time, you get to see your reflection in others, people you never even expected to be similar to.” AlQubailat hopes that by opening a dialogue about our cultural differences, students and teachers alike will learn how to form new connections.

After earning her doctorate in clinical psychology from Harvard, Dr. Watson completed an internship in child and adolescent psychology at Bellevue Hospital and the NYU Child Study Center in New York. This is Dr. Watson’s first experience at a boarding school. She admitted that she “wasn’t totally sure what to expect.”

After her first few weeks at Deerfield, Dr. Watson has been inspired by the community’s lively camaraderie. “We really enjoy the strong sense of school spirit at Deerfield,” she reflected.

Deerfield’s three new counselors share the desire to be trustworthy resources and helping hands whenever needed. Dr. Watson is already impressed by “the many layers of support available to students.” She and her colleagues also hope to be the best representation of this support and guidance. In the hope that she, and the whole counseling office, will have a positive effect on campus, Dr. Watson said, “We are dedicated to trying to help students in whatever ways [we] can.”

DEERFIELD ALUMNA KAYLA CORCORAN RETURNS AS HISTORY TEACHER

// ANNABEL NOTTEBOHM Staff Writer

m While Deerfield welcomed many new faculty members this year, only one of them is an alumna of DA. Kayla Corcoran returns to campus as a teaching fellow after graduating in 2009. She recalls her fondest memories from Deerfield which include being in the classroom, memorable because of influential teachers. In particular, her Modern Times History teacher, Head of the History Department Mr. Joe Lyons, and their class unit on Rwanda sparked her passion and curiosity about international relations. Ms. Corcoran credits her years at Deerfield for “cultivating her love for history,” and that to return and share her passion with students “feels like coming home.”

During her college years at Georgetown University, Ms. Corcoran spent a summer in Rwanda working on an agricultural development project with small farmers, an experience of a lifetime sparked by her interests at DA. She also took a gap year and worked

6

as a teaching fellow at King’s Academy in Jordan to pursue her teaching ambitions while staying connected to the Deerfield community. hMs. Corcoran is now working toward a Master’s Degree in Education through the Penn Residency Master’s in Teaching program, a partnership that allows teaching fellows to get real classroom experience by teaching at a variety of boarding schools. Ms. Corcoran appreciates the opportunity to be a teaching fellow while simultaneously being a student herself, and her students benefit from her experiences. Ali Dougal ’18, a student in her Africa and Latin America history class, shared, “Being a student and a teacher, Ms. Corcoran really understands the pressures of a heavy workload. She knows what it means to be a Deerfield student and helps keep us upbeat and motivated through seventh period.”

It is unique and rather uncommon for faculty members to have insight on both the student and teacher experience at DA. Ms. Corcoran described the transition as natural and

declared it “an honor” to be teaching alongside those who inspired her during her time as a student. While some of her favorite teachers, such as her junior and senior year English teacher, Mr. Palmer, no longer work at Deerfield, Ms. Corcoran is pleased to join the ranks of other familiar faces, such as her former history teacher, Ms. Friends. Ms. Corcoran explainsedthat Ms. Friends taught her how to ask good questions and to present global issues. m As a student, Ms. Corcoran believes she was able to cultivate the communications skills that are necessary to make lasting change in a community. Specifically, she values the ability to spark ongoing discussions and talk about topics that are hard to broach. Ms. Corcoran seeks to “empower students to have the difficult conversations” that can make a difference. The young teacher hopes to build upon her communication skills with community feedback and to inspire students and faculty alike to expand on sustained dialogue as a method to create positive change and

interesting discussion throughout our community. mMs. Corcoran has noticed a lot of changes that have occurred at Deerfield in her time away. Structural differences include the Greer, the gym, and the Hess Center. She believes

Elizabeth Swindell

these new buildings emphasize the positive efforts Deerfield has made to improve our community; specifically the Greer and the Hess Center allow for student growth in two ways:

socially and artistically.

More significantly, she is thrilled by the institutional changes that indicate the school’s progressive direction.

“When I was here, all first waiters were girls, and all second waiters were boys…There was only one head cheerleader and it was always a boy,” Ms. Corcoran noted excitedly.

“Small changes make steps toward diminishing social divides in the school.”

She is particularly interested in the Center for Service and Global Citizenship and is excited by a growing interest in our community about global issues. She also views the Office of Inclusion, which is new since her time at Deerfield, as a positive addition to the community.

Ms. Corcoran is thrilled to return to a more progressive DA, and she hopes to continue gaining momentum in tackling campus issues. “Deerfield has made a lot of strides in terms of diversity and inclusion since I graduated—it’s a really exciting time to be a faculty member.”

The Deerfield Scroll

28 October 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ARTIST OF THE ISSUE: SOPHIA DO //TESSA MILLS Staff Writer Sophia Do ’17 developed an interest in photography in her hometown, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.

“I just wanted to capture friends hanging out,” she explained.

After telling her father about her new interest, he bought Do her first sophisticated camera, a DS-LR. Though she’d had no formal instruction, Do began frequently photographing her friends.

Experience taught her everything she knows.

In Vietnam, Do’s interest grew quickly, for she could easily travel to different countries on weekends and see a large variety of landscapes.

“Back home, I was surrounded by very artistic, freeliving people,” Do said. “Living in a very international and relaxed environment that encompassed many cultures, especially French art, helped me shape my style over the years.”

As for artists who have inspired her interest, Do is strongly influenced by photographers Sally Mann and Annie Leibowitz.

Do is also a talented self-taught Photoshop and online editor.

“I rely on Photoshop,” she said. “If I make any mistake in taking my photos, I can always fix it.” Do uses Photoshop for editing out flaws and also for adding effects and themes to her images.

“I like having the ability to manipulate something ordinary into something surreal,” she said.

“Sometimes, I find just photography boring until photoshop can be used.”

Photoshop plays a big role in Do’s style of photography, which she calls “surrealism portraiture.”

She has always loved this particular

Sophia Do

Sophia Do

(From top) Tia Jonsson ’16, Cameron Munn ’17, and Stepan Severov ’15, all shot by Do.

style, because her passion began solely with a desire to photograph people. To make things more “surreal,” Do incorporates unique themes into her shots. One of her favorite theme-concepts involved using cotton, which she edited to look like clouds in the final photo.

Do described her process for various shoots: “First I come up with a concept or a theme, and then I pick people who just look like the theme...

not so much if they’re pretty or not.”

Last year, during her first class in Photography (AP Photo), Do learned skills that helped improve her technique. The class also gave her some time to take a multitude of images.

“Time is a huge hindrance in my photography career,” she said. At home, “It was easier to go out alone and explore to get more interesting subjects and backgrounds, but here it is difficult to even organize a single-person trip to the forests before fall foliage goes away.”

Despite these limitations, Do captured a range of shots that include Deerfield students and settings, which can be seen on her Facebook Page - Sophia Do Photography.

The 1,725+ likes on this page is one of Do’s proudest a cco m p l i s h m e n t s .

Do is also pleased to have had her work published on a prominent V i e t n a m e s e news platform, B u s i n e s s b o o m ’s website, Atlas Magazine, and most notably, photoVogue Italia.

This year, Do is looking forward to continuing her creative projects and branching out to photograph male models.

As for farther into the future, Do said, “I don’t know if my parents take photography seriously enough to let me pursue a career in it, but I’ll always do it on the side.”

Look for her upcoming projects on her Facebook page, featuring models Lyric Perot ’16 and Pierson L’Esperance ’17.

TRAVERS ’05: FROM DA TO THE BIG SCREEN //SOPHIA DO Staff Writer //PERRY HAMM Associate Editor

Provided by David and the Kingdom

Every Deerfield student who has taken Health Issues has seen the documentary Farewell the Tranquil Mind, which was filmed around campus and featured Deerfield students. The movie was shot by alumnus Woodrow Travers ’05, while he was a student at Deerfield.

Travers is now an Assistant Director in the Director’s Guild of America, but during his time at Deerfield, Travers lived in Field, Barton, and Louis Marx, and proctored in John Williams. He then went on to Vassar College, graduating with a major in film.

After completing an internship under acclaimed director Ron Howard and working his way up in the film industry, he gained enough momentum to contribute to major films such as Men In Black 3 (2012), Dark Knight Rises (2012), Amazing Spiderman 1&2 (2012-2014), and Birdman (2015).

Currently, Travers is working on an original Netflix series about the 1970s South Bronx community and the origins of rap culture.

Travers’s career in film took off during his time at Deerfield. “[Going into Deerfield], acting was what I thought I wanted to do,” Travers remarked. “Then while making short movies and music videos so I could act in them, I found I enjoyed

being behind the camera more.”

Though Deerfield’s film program was in its developing stages at the time, Travers managed to cultivate his growing passion while he was a student. He utilized the school’s resources heavily, taking advantage

Travers on the set of his documentary

of the “state-of-the-art cameras” that the program provided.

Travers noted, “I truly felt supported by the whole community.” He recalled feeling “extremely lucky to be surrounded by the most concentrated group of talent” he had ever seen.

Videography teacher Tim Trelease remembers Travers fondly.

“Woody was a legend when I arrived at Deerfield. He took the film/video program to a new level of success.”

Trelease also noted how Travers constantly inspires new generations of Deerfield students, adding, “His passion and success with filmmaking laid the foundation for The Widdies and great student filmmakers like Dane Scott ’16, Josh Tebeau ’16, and Alex Guo ’17.”

To the current Deerfield students, Travers offerd two pieces of advice: “Sleep more. When you are older you will not remember if it was a C+ or a B+ on your Chemistry test.

If you do, you won’t care.” Travers also provided a valuable lesson on failure, and how to ultimately grow from it: “Don’t let it get you down.

“Any major break I’ve had in my life came from random places in which I put in extra effort,” he said. “Put yourself out of the comfort zone, apply to the internship or program, have confidence in yourself and brush it off when it doesn’t go as planned.”

Travers’s first film, Farewell the Tranquil Mind, has left its mark on the Deerfield community and on the world. Today, the film is shown in a number of private school health classes.

“There are cringe-worthy moments for sure,” he recalled of the movie, “but for my first film ever, I couldn’t be more proud.

And despite its flaws, it was a defining experience for me.”

Travers added, “I probably wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now without [Farewell the Tranquil Mind] lighting the spark.”

MEET THE MELLOW-DS AND RHAPSO-DS //YASMINE DESWANDHY Senior Writer Q: Who can hold the highest note?

Everyone: Penelope!

Q: How long does it usually take to prepare a song?

Justin Hsu ’16: It usually takes us about three weeks, depending on the level of difficulty of the song.

I'm confident about our group this year, though. We have a lot of talented musicians who know what they're doing, so we're a lot more efficient during practices.

(even

if

we’re

way

better).

Juan Cabrera ’16: Absolutely. In fact, we already have plans to.

Q: Who are some of your musical inspirations?

Kento Yamamoto ’16 : As a beatboxer, I admire Gene Shinozaki, Beatbox champion of 2015 from Boston. He won this year by creating his own style of beatboxing.

I aspire to be as good as him.

Hollin Hanau ’18: To be honest, Taylor Swift.

Kate Hadley ’17: Yeezy.

Q: What are your first impressions of the new singers?

Juan Cabrera: Yoncé and Jasmine Sullivan.

Punisa Lekovic ’19 : There’s this one freshman I’ve heard about who is literally the coolest guy on campus.

His name is Punisa or something… ladies love him. He’s the man.

Anna Scott ’18: Christie Jok.

Q: Do you think the Rhapso-Ds and Mellow-Ds will ever do a piece together again?

Helena Tebeau ’17: I had a dream we did a High School Musical medley, so I hope that happens with the boys.

Probably won’t.

Liam Jeon ’17: I think that the Rs and Ms definitely will do a performance.

It’s so much fun working with them

Q: What is your favorite piece that your group has performed?

Penelope Hough ’17: “Feeling Good” (Cat Wyatt is a legit goddess).

Helen Hicks ’18: Every song we’re about to nail!

Hae June Lee

The Mellow-Ds and Rhapso-Ds strike a pose in the concert hall.

FALL PLAY: THE CHILDREN’S HOUR //RICHARD PARK Associate Editor

misses the phenomenal actors that graduated last year, it has an exciting new cast to debut. The Can a story about a boarding Children’s Hour is the first time school in the thirties resonate where females have the majority with Deerfield’s students? The of the roles in a play at Deerfield.

Children’s Hour answers this The new dynamic is definitely question as a play set in a girls something to look forward to.

“It’s not a particularly easy play. boarding school in New England in the 1930s. Written by American It’s a wordy play. It’s quite a complex playwright Lillian Hellman, the play as well, and keeps us on our play deals with controversial issues toes, but perhaps my challenge as a such as bullying and sexuality, director is always to make sure our culminating in a piece of social art. performances are persistent,” said “It’s a fantastic play because Hynds. “I must give opportunities we ourselves are in a boarding to new faces, and sometimes they school in New England; I thought come with less experience, so my that this would be something challenge is always to make sure that a lot of our students could everyone is on a pretty similar level relate to,” said Theater Director with the other actors on stage, and Catriona Hynds. “Although this is there’s a lot to do. It’s a big play.”

Focusing on two teachers who set in the 1930s, an issue such as the one we find in The Children’s are irreparably harmed by malicious Hour regarding sexuality would still rumors that are based on groundless be an outrageous issue [today].” evidence, the play will incentivize While the theater program talks on issues relevant to Deerfield.

Following the performance, Greer chats and other community discussions will be held, facilitating possible productive discussion. The play has great potential to move beyond just an arts performance and open up an opportunity for the community to Hae June Lee engage in important The cast rehearses a scene in the acting lab. discussions.

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The Deerfield Scroll

28 October 2015

SPORTS NEW FALL CO-CURRICULAR OPTION: NOVICE CREW //KATHERINE HEANEY Senior Writer Deerfield Crew has always been a strong and successful program in the spring, but now, after much discussion about adding a novice crew option to Deerfield’s fall cocurriculars, that program is finally in place.

Varsity Crew Coach Spencer Washburn is leading the group this fall in addition to coaching the spring season.

The novice crew program is geared toward teaching athletes the basics of crew rather than competing against other schools right away.

Mr. Washburn explained, “Crew is a sport that students aren’t really exposed to until high school.”

Novice crew is a way for students to try the sport, even if they aren’t preparing to row in the spring. Jordan Manning ’19 said, “I decided to do novice crew, because I didn’t have a fall co-curricular and crew has always looked really fun to me. I have a spring sport already, so if I didn’t try crew in the fall, I would not have had another opportunity to try it.”

Since the spring season passes by so quickly, fall novice crew is a good place for new rowers to become more familiar with rowing and handling the equipment. It allows the coaching staff to be more deliberate and thoughtful with exposing rowers to the sport and the fundamentals of rowing. On the other hand, the program also provides more experienced rowers with the opportunity

to enhance their skills. Michael Wang ’18, nearing his fourth competitive season, said, “I decided to do novice crew because it’s a program that provides a good workout while taking me back to the fundamentals of the rowing stroke—by revising how I row, I can ultimately become a better rower for the spring.”

During the first few weeks of the new cocurricular, the rowers focused on endurance training such as stairs, running, body circuits, and erging. When they’re not working on fitness and form two to three times a week, the 25 participants practice on the water in Holyoke.

They’ve been w o r k i n g on many fundamental ideas about the boats like how to put the boat in the water, proper rowing technique and how to row without flipping Maddie Blake the boat.

Deerfield already has a top competitive rowing program in the spring; novice crew can only add to the talent of the rowers this fall. Wang said, “This is a great program to get into rowing shape. Logging meters on the erg and water now will be very beneficial to my spring season.” More than half of our peer schools have a fall program for rowing, so this new co-curricular helps Deerfield rowing become even more competitive with other schools. The novice crew program will help Deerfield stay competitive by developing new rowers to contribute to the spring season, but it also provides an enjoyable co-curricular for those who want to try something new.

FIVE SCHOOLS LEAGUE CREATED //RICHARD PARK Associate Editor An exciting tradition in Deerfield athletics began this September as Phillips Academy Andover, Phillips Exeter Academy, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy and Northfield Mount Hermon School established a new athletic league called the Five Schools League.

“We were basically proposing a mechanism to keep track of friendly head-to-head competition in all sports at all levels,” said Charles Davis, Deerfield’s Athletic Director. “I think it’s still rolling out, trying to be determined.

The spirit of it is to celebrate e v e r y a t h l et i c contest .

What we have to do this year is sort of get it up and running, get people knowing about it, and hopefully excited about it.”

The league offers numerous opportunities for athletes and schools to distinguish themselves. Championships for each sport will be awarded to both varsity and sub-varsity teams, while coaches that have shown remarkable sportsmanship will also be recognized. Overall, the new league is expected to spur friendly competition and foster a sense of togetherness between different sports.

“You could have a season that takes place and if you happen to [win] against those other four schools, sure, you could say the you’re the Five Schools League champion in sports X. That’s not why I signed on to it,” said Mr. Davis. “I looked at it more as a measure of each season, or measured as a

8

school year. That it wasn’t about separating one sport from another.”

While Deerfield and the other schools are eager to incorporate the new league, they are also being mindful of possible hiccups to the general plan. As sports are breeding grounds for fierce competition, it is not surprising that some problems might arise.

“My biggest fear is the accounting of it. I just worry about somebody’s spreadsheet showing one thing and somebody else’s showing another account of what happened,” Mr. Davis stated.

As the fall season has just begun, the Five Schools League has not had a significant impact on Deerfield athletics just yet.

Many students, including t h o s e playing fall sports, are still Rachel Yao unaware of this change. However, athletes are not fazed by the possibility of more intense competition.

“I haven’t heard anything be brought up about it really at all,” said Steven Lillis ’16, a member of the Varsity Football team. “It’s just going to come down to the same old competition anyways. You’ve just got to play your heart out every game.”

With the season steadily progressing, the Five Schools League will gradually manifest itself more and more within Deerfield athletics, augmenting the already outstanding friendly and competitive culture.

TO CHEER OR TO JEER: THAT IS THE QUESTION //ETHAN THAYUMANAVAN Associate Editor Mr. Mark Scandling, head varsity water polo and varsity wrestling coach, said, “Good sportsmanship is one of the things that is a hallmark characteristic of the Deerfield community.” The Academy values athletes who hold themselves to high standards on the field and respect both their teammates and opponents.

However, Deerfield also values broad participation, which goes further than just having every student join a co-curricular.

Students are encouraged to go to games and show support for their peers by cheering. Yet cheering culture at professional sports games has begun to involve “jeering at” or taunting the other teams and their players. Violence often results from heckling other players and fans. One famous incident occurred in 2004, when Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace), an NBA player on the LA Lakers team, attacked a fan whom he believed was responsible for throwing a can of Diet Coke at him. A brawl ensued, and Artest, other players, and fans were charged with counts of assault. More recently, on September 15th of this year, San Francisco 49ers fans beat up a Vikings fan who was heckling the 49ers. They had taken offense and knocked the opposing fan to the ground, proceeding to kick and beat him violently. These are extreme cases, and such events are unlikely to occur during prep school sports games, but they demonstrate the possible impact cheering against teams can have. If this sort of culture continues to pervade Deerfield athletic events, the question arises: “At what point, if any, does cheering undermine our athletic ideal of sportsmanship?”

Mr. Scandling stated, “What I like most about wrestling is that you have to shake hands right away.” By shaking hands with your opponent right after the match, wrestlers are forced to display sportsmanship, by standing up and shaking hands with their opponents,

graciously accepting either victory or defeat.

On Saturday, September 19, Mr. Scandling approached the stands in the pool to ask Deerfield fans to be respectful of the other team while cheering. When asked why he felt it was his responsibility to approach the stands, Mr. Scandling stated, “I, personally, find it pointless to attack the other team from the stand. It doesn’t support our team; it demeans the opposing team in ways that are unnecessary. Why would you want to make your opponent seem less worthy? So you beat a less worthy opponent, big deal!”

Mr. Scandling believes that we have to make a conscious choice to move away from that, to build our team up instead of trying to put the other team down. However, he recognizes that many people at the school disagree with his views on this issue.

For instance, Brandon Scott ’17, a football player and cheerleader, said that when he is on the football field, fans cheering against the other team help elevate his level of play.

Scott said, “It gives our players a boost of energy, because we feel like our DA family is boosting us up, and we can show [the other team] what we’re made of.” Scott thinks that cheering against the other team shows support for our team in a unique way. “It gets us fired up… It makes the other team seem beatable.”

Scott’s teammate, Steven Lillis ’16, agrees with Scott, saying, “It’s a mind game.” He believes that if the fans can get in the other team’s heads, Deerfield can gain a mental edge in the game.

Deerfield prides itself on displaying good sportsmanship, but also on being fierce competitors and fans. Cheering against the other team may be detrimental to the first ideal, or it may help the team, depending on one’s viewpoint. At what cost does this trade off come? Should Deerfield students make a choice about where they want to draw the line that balances sportsmanship and cheering? Or do we, as a community, need to come up with a diffinitive stance on jeering?

MEET THE COACH: BRIAN BARBATO

Maddie Blake

//LUCY BINSWANGER Staff Writer New Varsity Football Coach and Student Activities Coordinator Brian Barbato sits in his Deerfield apartment living room with his son Charlie in one arm and his University of New Hampshire football helmet on the shelf beside him.

He may be the new guy, but Mr. Barbato has more experience with boarding school life than one would think. He was a day student at Exeter where he started playing football as an offensive lineman and was accepted for a PG year at Deerfield, which he regrets that he did not accept. However, he continued to play football through college and decided to start coaching after he attended graduate school at St. Lawrence University.

As a child, he had multiple connections to the Deerfield campus. His aunt was in Admissions and his uncle was a basketball coach.

“I was always that little kid riding in the golf cart on campus, and I was always amazed by the overall energy that was on the campus out on the back green or in the hockey rink or in the gymnasium. I know

there is a very storied tradition of Deerfield sports. It’s a really strong tradition and kids just have an amazing experience,” said Barbato.

At Deerfield, Barbato now serves as a mentor for the Varsity Football team, but when he was in high school, the person most influential to him was his grandfather Charles “Chuck” Demers. Mr. Demers was a Hall of Fame Athletic Trainer and worked at Deerfield for four years.

This season, Barbato looks forward to learning from the players. “Every day, I’m trying to figure out what new things we can bring to the mix. The guys have been working to get better every single week, and we have some great kids in the program. “ Barbato also expressed that he is very impressed with school spirit so far: “To see the students just going absolutely crazy-just to see the kids be so resilient and keep coming back. That emotion was just amazing to be a part of. To look into the stands to see colleagues, teachers, all these different people supporting everybody was amazing.”

Barbato’s goals for his team and the year are to take it day by day, to get better, to have fun, and to enjoy the experience.