Vol. XCIII, No. 3
Deerfield, Massachusetts
September 25, 2018
Dr. John Austin Appointed Deerfield’s Next Head of School ANNA FU Associate Editor On Aug. 30, members of the Deerfield community received news from the Board of Trustees and Head of School Search Committee that John Austin will succeed Head of School Margarita Curtis on July 1, 2019. Dr. Austin has served as Headmaster since 2010 at King’s Academy, a boarding school in Madaba, Jordan founded by King Abdullah II ’80 and modeled after Deerfield’s principles. Prior to his time at King’s, Dr. Austin taught at St. Andrew’s School in Delaware for 18 years, where he served as Chair of the English Department, Dean of Students, and Academic Dean. He also taught, coached and served as a dorm parent with his wife Monica, who also served as Academic Dean for several years. “It would be hard to find
Speaking about the highlights of his tenure as an educator and leader, Dr. Austin remarked, “I think what I’m most proud of is the way in which the spirit and ethos of [King’s] and the feeling of community have developed over time … education is all about creating a great experience and sense of community that embraces everyone. [This] is more important than growth in size and changes in the curriculum.” Dr. Austin graduated from Williams College in 1987. He received a Master’s degree in English Literature from Middlebury College in 1991 and holds a Master of Arts, Master of Philosophy, and Doctorate in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. Dr. Austin said, “I’m excited for new challenges, and a school like Deerfield has, in my view, always defined the very best of what a boarding school
“He wakes up every day, early in the morning, just to greet us and help us tie our ties.” – Hend AlZeer ’20, King’s Academy student somebody of this background that offers both continuity and fresh perspectives,” Dr. Curtis said. Dr. Austin’s tenure at King’s has been marked by significant achievements. The young school has grown significantly during his time as Headmaster, doubling the size of its student body, increasing its international student population, and broadening possible electives for students. “[Dr. Austin] is closer to the students than a typical headmaster [is],” said Hend AlZeer ’20, a current student at King’s Academy. “He cares for us. He wakes up every day, early in the morning, just to greet us and help us tie our ties.”
education should be.” Nikita Pelletier ’20, who participated in Deerfield’s Jordan trip last year, commented, “I really hope that, with his diverse background in education, he can share his experiences in a way that will help Deerfield grow as a community.” Dr. Austin was selected through an extensive process that began last spring when Dr. Curtis announced her plans to retire in the upcoming year. A search committee made up of seven trustees and several current faculty members worked with search firm Carney, Sandoe & Associates to select her successor. On the search process, Dr. Austin said, “I’ve spent my
KING’S ACADEMY COMMUNICATIONS
entire life in boarding schools … I think [the search committee] just felt like I had a set of experiences that aligned well with what they were looking for.” As he enters his last year at King’s, Dr. Austin looked back on his time in Jordan with gratitude. “It’s really the people that make a school and make a place, and I’ve been just lucky to work with some incredible faculty,” he said. “Jordanians are incredibly warm, hospitable and loyal.” AlZeer spoke fondly of Dr. Austin, stating that his role as a father of three children “ingrained in him the care a father would have to his students.” At King’s, Dr. Austin was not afraid to take firm stances on issues when necessary. In 2017, in an incident detailed in The Rexonian, King’s Academy’s student-run newspaper, protests were sparked when a committee of King’s personnel rejected certain designs that seniors had submitted for their senior jackets. During a meeting with the seniors, Dr. Austin stated, “Freedom of speech is overrated,” which incited both
KING’S ACADEMY COMMUNICATIONS
frustration and confusion from some students. Elaborating on his past words, Dr. Austin explained his goal was to prompt students to think about how the words and images on their senior jackets would be understood and perceived by others. “There are constraints on what is permissible and not permissible speech,” he said. “I want young people to not only to be able to express themselves freely, but also to be able to express themselves in a way that is civic-minded and sensitive to the standards and norms of a community.” Dr. Austin cited expressions
front of him you realize that he’s just there to listen to you and that he cares about what you are saying … He followed this path in his life because he cares about young people.” Further elaborating on his goals for Deerfield, Dr. Austin said, “I’m excited to build on [the] Deerfield spirit and commitment to certain educational values when I get [there]. [I’m excited] to meet the faculty and students and everyone that works there. I feel like I know Deerfield very, very well, but I also know that I have a lot to learn.” On a short three-day trip to Deerfield from Oct. 2 to Oct.
“I’ve literally spent my entire life in boarding schools. I believe in the power of boarding schools.” – Dr. Austin of hatred, bigotry or violence as forms of speech that schools have a responsibility to ward off. As 2019 approaches, Dr. Austin has many hopes for his first few years at Deerfield. “I’d like to spend the first years getting to know the Deerfield community,” Dr. Austin said. “My whole theory of change is that schools need to constantly evolve … I don’t have a change agenda, but I do hope that, over my time at Deerfield, [I’ll be] able to work with faculty, staff, students, and the board to ensure that Deerfield is alive to future opportunities and that the education we’re providing students is adequate to a rapidly changing world and economy.” Praising the committee’s choice, Dr. Curtis said, “[Dr. Austin] has a warmth and an approachability that is very endearing. When you’re in
4, Dr. Austin will talk with students and faculty and begin to, as he put it, “see Deerfield from the perspective of students and faculty and learn what they value most and love best about Deerfield.” Sharing her final thoughts on Dr. Austin and what he will bring to the Deerfield community in the many years to come, Dr. Curtis concluded, “I am absolutely certain that this school will continue to thrive under Dr. Austin’s wise, visionary leadership. I can’t think of a better person to assume this role at this juncture in the school’s history.”
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2 | Tuesday, September 25th, 2018
The Deerfield Scroll
Summer Crew Update Vol. XCIII, No. 3 Editors-in-Chief Joshua Fang & Orlee Marini-Rapoport Opinion & Editorial Editor Nadia Jo
Graphics Editor Madeline Lee
News Editor Thomas Song
Online Editor Simon Lam
Features Editor Emma Earls
Associate Online Editors John Chung Emma Johnson
Arts & Entertainment Editor Claire Quan Sports Editor Maggie Tydings Buzz Editor Soo Min Lee Photography Editor Britney Cheung
Associate Photography Editor Harbour Woodward Associate Editors Peter Everett Lily Faucett Anna Fu Sarah Jung Annie Kane Jae Won Moon Seth Thayumanavan
Advisors Julianne Schloat, Sam Savage and Marissa Cornelius
COURTESY OF HENRY LOWE Henry Lowe ‘19 (second from left) and Team USA finished second in the Men’s 8+ Final at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Racice, Czech Republic.
The Deerfield Scroll, established in 1925, is the official student newspaper of Deerfield Academy. The Scroll encourages informed discussion of pertinent issues that concern the Academy and the world. Signed letters to the editor that express legitimate opinions are welcomed. We hold the right to edit for brevity. Opinion articles with names attached represent only the views of the respective writers. Opinion articles without names represent the consensus views of the editorial board.
Surprise Roommates for Ninth-Graders
COURTESY OF KATIE ZASLAW FJ Marsh ‘19, Katie Zaslaw ‘19, Bailyn Prichett ‘19, and Morgane Dackiw ‘19 at the USRowing Club National Championships in Camden, New Jersey. Zaslaw placed second in the U23 4V, and fellow Deerfield teammate, coxswain Jerilyn Zheng ‘19, won the event. Both Prichett and Dackiw placed second together in the U19 4V. Prichett also placed second in the U19 8V.
SARAH JUNG Associate Editor Since the establishment of the Village in 2015, each ninth-grader received emails three weeks in advance of the school year that provided them with their soon-to-be roommate’s name, email address, and hometown. Many students were quick to reach out to their roommates, exchanging phone numbers and connecting on social media. But some in the administration felt that these early connections would lead to premature assumptions about roommates based on public image. This year, for the first time, ninth grade students were not given any information about their roommates before arriving on campus. 9th and 10th Grade Dean Rebecca Melvoin decided on this change alongside Assistant Head of School for Student Life Amie Creagh, 11th and 12th Grade Dean Sam Bicknell, Dean of Students Kevin Kelly, and the Village’s faculty residents. She wanted new students to keep an open mind and not form early judgements from online profiles before meeting face-to-face. In a letter to the Class of 2022 on August 10th, Ms. Melvoin wrote, “Remember, the people on your hall are more than their persona on social media. They are more than the photos on their pages. As you start to connect with one another, do so with an open mind and growth mindset.” She hopes that this policy enables “students [to] think about the type of hall they want to create rather than the setup of the individual rooms.” Another motive behind the change was the desire to build communities on each hall. Ms. Melvoin explained, “When welcoming the ninth-graders over
BRITNEY CHEUNG
the summer, I wanted them to think about building community. If I were to send the ninth-graders their roommate assignments, my guess is that they would immediately focus on that other person and not think about the other people on the hall.” Anna Mishchenko ’19, who lived in the Village during ninth-grade, agreed. She commented, “I did get closer to my roommate than my other hallmates during the summer,” although she felt this had little effect on her relationships once she arrived on campus. “I ended up reaching out to many people in the Village other than my roommate — I didn’t focus on getting to know just her,” Mishchenko explained. Clark Louis ‘22 believes that this change is fulfilling its goal, even if it was initially disconcerting. “It was weird for us to not know who our roommates were,” he said. “But I guess it allowed us to get to know other people on our hall and not just our roommates.” Despite not connecting with her roomate prior to the school year, Maddy Zavalick ’22 has enjoyed a positive roommate experience under the new system. She said, “I’ve found it easy to communicate with her, even though we didn’t talk over the summer.” Zavalick’s proctor, Sophie Opler ’19, explained, “It allowed the students to bond as a hall prior to their arrival at Deerfield rather than focusing on their future roommates.” Colin Olson ‘19, a proctor in Doubleday, added, “I think it’s a good policy because the whole nature of the Village was to bring the [ninth] grade together, and this is just one step in forming that community.”
2020 Recruiting Season Begins Under New Legislation MAGGIE TYDINGS Sports Editor For many in the Class of 2020, Sept. 1 marked the beginning of the athletic recruiting season, and brought with it a frenzy of activity. Unlike in previous years, when student-athletes were able to talk with coaches and make verbal commitments whenever they felt ready, college coaches must now wait until Sept. 1 of a prospective recruit’s junior year to reach out to him or her. The Class of 2020 is the first class of high school students for which the legislation plays a pivotal role in the recruiting process. When the legislation was put in place in April of 2017, most of the prospective Division I student athletes in Class of 2019 had already made verbal commitments. However, with only a minority of prospective student-athletes in the Class of 2020 holding verbal commitments at that time, the legislation had a much broader impact on the Class of 2020. As these students were no longer able to communicate with their recruiting coaches, this left the possibility of being dropped as a recruit. With this new change, leading up to Sept. 1, the only material college coaches could send to prospective studentathletes was a questionnaire and an invitation to prospect camp. College coaches could also contact high school and club coaches before this date, but only to indicate whether or not they had interest in a specific athlete. This recruiting legislation, a relatively new change in the NCAA recruiting
process, has begun to influence the decisions of students of the Class of 2019 and beyond. Describing the mission of the change, the NCAA stated on their website, “The new recruiting model allows potential student-athletes more time to make thoughtful decisions about their next steps after high school.” Many hoped that this delayed recruitment date would provide more time for students to think about where they wanted to attend college and allow them to pursue their academic interests without distraction. Bailey Cheetham ’19, a lacrosse player, commented, “The rule change was a benefit in disguise for the athlete, especially for me. It allowed me to focus more on my academics and playing more than one sport throughout my high school career.” While prospective student-athletes in the Class of 2020 now begin to decide where they want to pursue the next four years of their education, they do so under an incredible amount of stress. Having to manage the workload of junior year, keep in constant contact with college coaches to schedule phone calls and visits, and train at a high level, student-athletes are aware that the next few months will be no easy task. However, to the future classes of athletic recruitment, this new transformation will hopefully allow Deerfield students to make more thoughtful decisions regarding their college decisions and continue to focus on the amazing academic opportunities the Academy has to offer.