Fall 2024 Deerfield Magazine

MAGAZINE DEERFIELD

Greetings from Deerfield!

It’s been a busy—and productive—term here on campus, and I’m reminded of the adage that someone passed along to me when my daughters were babies and I was a bit overwhelmed: “The days are long, but the years are short.” This fall, the days were often long, but the weeks short, and now here we are: at the end of the term. Here, and in the pages that follow, are some highlights from a wonderful start to the school year.

In August, we extended a warm welcome to new faculty members and students, who quickly became part of the fabric of Deerfield life. September saw students and teachers settling into their routines in classrooms and cocurriculars, and early in October, we welcomed families and friends to campus for a joyful Fall Family Weekend, filled with laughter and connection. I recommend that you read Dr. Austin’s remarks from the weekend beginning on page 2; he shared some important updates, including an exciting announcement about Deerfield’s approach to financial aid going forward.

A couple of weeks later, our first-ever pickleball tournament, held under lights at night and literally in the middle of Albany Road, was a hit, and soon after, a dazzling display of the Northern Lights reminded us of the beauty and wonder of the Pioneer Valley. Taking advantage of continued mild weather, we brought learning outdoors, fostering meaningful conversations under a canopy of autumn leaves.

The fourth annual Deerfield Forum: How Does the Press Shape American Elections, was held in advance of the Presidential Election. With a panel of experts in their field, including journalist and Deerfield alumna Meridith McGraw ’08, it sparked thoughtful dialogue and reafrmed the value of open discussion and diverse perspectives in our community; be sure to turn to page 18 for more about how Deerfield embraced inquiry and exploration related to the election season.

The student production of The Crucible was breathtaking, a testament to the creativity and talent of our students and the Visual and Performing Arts Department. And, of course, the longstanding tradition of traveling to Wallingford to “Beat Choate” brought us together in spirited camaraderie, as we cheered for our teams.

In-between all of this, I personally enjoyed a new duty: serving as a table head at lunchtime. Joining students for sit-down lunch has ofered me the chance to engage in lively conversations about everything from pressing world issues to lighthearted debates about favorite movies. This cherished ritual continues seamlessly in our temporary dining hall, underscoring the resilience— and importance—of those Deerfield traditions when we pause— even in the midst of busy days—and gather as one.

Now, as Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself reflecting on the enduring strength of the Deerfield community, near and far. We are bound by shared purpose and a commitment to each other and to the Academy, and for that, I am profoundly grateful.

With my best wishes for a joyous holiday season filled with warmth, gratitude, and the company of loved ones—

A REMARKABLE TERM

Head of School Dr.John Austin's Fall Family Weekend Remarks

The beginning of each new school year is filled with excitement, anticipation, and a sense of possibility—and I will admit, it also makes me a little nervous. There are well over 100 members of the faculty and 652 students. In short, students outnumber us. They represent a superior force.

We have to be on our toes and ready for kick-of. When I spoke to faculty at our opening meeting, I mentioned that four of the five fastest goals in the history of the European soccer championship happened this summer. Albania scored in a mere 23 seconds against one-time power Italy. None of the four teams that conceded those early goals advanced beyond the quarterfinals.

Beginnings matter and they matter a great deal. (I am happy to report that our girls varsity field hockey team defied this logic recently, giving up a very early goal and storming back with six goals for a resounding come-back victory.)

When we gathered for opening meetings this year, I ofered faculty the advice I ofered my teams when I was coaching soccer: Win the first five minutes. Opening day—a moment that we know every new student will likely remember for the rest of their life. The first sit-down meal. The first class. The first dorm meeting. The first meeting with advisees. All the firsts that make for a great beginning of the year—and establish its tone and rhythm.

And I’m happy to report that we’ve had an exceptionally strong opening to the year (though metaphorically, we still have 85 minutes to go). The spirit on campus—that intangible feeling that means so much to schools—has been overwhelmingly positive. Our faculty has brought all their energy and commitment to these opening weeks—as advisors, coaches, mentors, and teachers. Our students, especially our returning students, and especially our seniors, on whom we depend, have beautifully led this annual cycle of renewal and reinvention with commitment and purpose. I could not be more grateful—or happy—with their leadership. You will, I hope, see much of that this weekend—in classes, at the Performing Arts Showcase this evening, and during our athletic contests today and tomorrow.

We have 208 new students this year. I spoke with a new parent last week and asked her how the transition into Deerfield had been for her daughter. Her daughter told her, “Deerfield doesn’t feel like a school— everyone is so happy.” Not exactly an endorsement of “school,” but very gratifying to hear from a parent whose daughter had only been here for five weeks. It’s often difficult for schools to marry challenge, excellence, and achievement—all things we value—to an experience that allows for joy, playfulness, and a sense of community—but that is what we strive to do.

I also shared with faculty at our opening meetings some reflections on the work of the political scientist Robert Putnam. Putnam is best known for his 2000 book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community and a sequel to that book he published just a few years ago, The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again. Both books tell the story of a century-long fragmentation and splintering of American society, a decline in forms of voluntary association and connection, and increasing social isolation and declining levels of social trust. How, in short, we have, as one national publication put it, slowly transformed from “a nation of joiners to a nation of loners.”

Putnam famously made a distinction between what he called “bonding” and “binding” social capital. “Ties,” he wrote, “that link you to people like yourself are called bonding social capital . . . bridging social capital is your ties to people unlike yourself.” He went on to say: “I’m not saying “bridging good, bonding bad,” because if you get sick, the people who bring you chicken soup are likely to reflect your bonding social capital. But I am saying that in a diverse society like ours, we need a lot of bridging social capital.” He argued that we have less and less of that kind of capital.

As I revisited his work over the summer, I realized how important and relevant these ideas are to our schools. At their best, schools can be great engines of binding social capital. By bringing young people from all backgrounds, nationalities, and walks of life together and encouraging them to connect in meaningful ways, we ofer our students extraordinary opportunities to create community across diferences. To create trust.

That is one of the things that Deerfield does so well, and that is why the Dining Hall project—and the new Dining Hall—is so important. As you know, this is not an inexpensive project—but it’s a critically important one, and it will last for generations. If someone asks you about the cost of this project, I suggest you ask in return: How much is community worth for young people? Especially today—with all that is happening in the world? I believe that it is an investment worth making, and we should be unapologetic in doing so.

I should add that our transition into the new temporary space has been seamless. We’re lucky to have a facility that seats the entirety of our student body and faculty—a first in Deerfield’s modern history. I am happy to report that the renovations of the existing Dining Hall are on time, with its opening only a little over a year away.

So, this is a project about community and connection. It’s about our core values of shared experiences and face-to-face interactions. It’s about Deerfield remaining Deerfield while meeting one of the most important challenges of the future.

families: Spencer Kruse-Melfi

Questions inspired by the Aptitudes and Habits in The Deefield Student:

Are they comfortable working and collaborating with other students and working in teams?

Are they reflective about their learning, open to feedback, and enable to act upon it?

Can they talk in an informed way about what and how they are learning?

Do they exercise and model leadership —and lead through influence?

Are they adventurous and fully engaged in the life of the school?

How are they striking a balance between fun, friendship, and study?

Do they recognize and express gratitude to others?

Are they taking advantage of the tremendous diversity of this community and extending themselves beyond their core group of friends?

Do they seek help as needed and are they thoughtful, open, and responsive to feedback?

How are they managing free time, evening time, and time on weekends?

Is my son or daughter developing open, strong, and trusting relationships with their teachers?

With their advisor and other adults at Deerfield?

What positive commitments have they made to school and community?

Are they developing strong habits of self-management and appropriate levels of independence and self-direction?

Are they managing their screen time well or is the screen managing them?

Our Dean of Academic Affairs

Anne Bruder and Dean of

Faculty

Patrick Andren have been exploring ways to deepen and sharpen our commitment to those principles: in how we think about teaching, classroom instruction, and professional learning; how we think about intellectual diversity across our curriculum and in programming; and how we promote among students constructive, nonpartisan debate and dialogue across all of the differences that define us.

Those goals also inform how we think about the residential program. You might know that our dorms are built around what our Associate Head of School Amie Creagh calls “twins and quads”—a design that encourages healthy interactions between boys and girls and also builds connections. Only one dorm lacks a twin: Barton. We plan to construct a new dorm between Barton and the Koch Center to serve as its companion.

A second residential project—also in the planning stage—is a reimagined Ninth Grade Village. The Village is a relatively new Deerfield innovation—less than a decade old—and it’s been a great success. But it’s been shoehorned into an existing structure built for a very diferent purpose. Our new purpose-built Village—of which I will ofer more detail at a later date—will serve as the doorway to Deerfield for all entering ninth graders and become the foundation of every new student’s Deerfield Experience.

Together, these two new residential projects will (without altering the size of the school):

• ofer long-term flexibility by providing residential space when existing dorms undergo necessary renovations;

• balance the number of students living on the West Side and East Side of campus;

• allow us, for the first time in the history of the school, to enfold local (day) students as full and equal citizens in the boarding program;

• in the case of the new Village, improve the student-to-faculty ratio from the current 18:1 to an ideal 10:1; deepen the ninthgrade residential experience, and enhance opportunities for early and enduring connections between students;

• and perhaps most importantly, they will provide 15 additional faculty residences, bringing more teachers and their families closer to the center of the campus core and the student experience, reinforcing our commitment to a highly-engaged faculty.

You might remember that last May, Deerfield published Thriving in a World of Pluralistic Contention: A Framework for Schools with the support of the Edward E. Ford Foundation and in collaboration with other schools across the country.

The Framework makes the case for what we call “academic pluralism;” it advances three “pillars” in support of it: educating for expressive freedom, disciplined nonpartisanship as both an institutional posture and instructional aspiration, and intellectual diversity in both programming and curriculum.

The idea of academic pluralism rests on the assumptions that schools are first and foremost places of inquiry and exploration— that’s the “academic” part—that schools serve diverse populations across a broad spectrum of backgrounds, political orientations, religious beliefs, and personal values— that’s the “pluralism” part—and that our students are best served when schools avoid political commitments that exceed their reach and resources while seeking, at the same time, to foster across the school a climate of intellectual exploration and courageous inquiry.

These ideas seem to be catching on at both independent schools, where the Framework has been received with interest and curiosity, and at the colleges and universities our students will attend, many of whom have, over the last months, adopted policies in keeping with the spirit of the Framework.

A parent recently sent me the inauguration address of the new President of Stanford University Jonathan Levin. I was encouraged to read his strong defense of these principles. “The university’s purpose,” he wrote, “is not political action or social justice.” He continued: “We should strive to foster searching discussion, to listen with curiosity, and to ensure the freedom to study and learn”— even, he added, as we seek to create opportunities where students can “wrestle with social and political issues.”

That beautifully captures our aspirations. Our Board of Trustees has unanimously endorsed the principles of the Framework.

Our Dean of Academic Afairs Anne Bruder and Dean of Faculty Patrick Andren have been exploring ways to deepen and sharpen our commitment to those principles: in how we think about teaching, classroom instruction, and professional learning; how we think about intellectual diversity across our curriculum and in programming; and how we promote among students constructive, nonpartisan debate and dialogue across all of the diferences that define us.

Dr. Bruder, David Miller, and other members of the faculty have launched what we’re calling “24 for 24,” an election education series of events and conversations that invites students to explore issues and questions leading up to the November 5 election. Our hope is not simply to shape thoughtful conversation about the upcoming state, local, and national elections, but to bring the principles of the Framework fully to life. That means elevating the conversation on campus beyond the simplistic short-hand of social media memes, news headlines, and soundbites by providing our students opportunities to explore and discuss complex issues with nuance, sophistication, and respect for divergent and competing views.

Earlier this week, we held an event called Political Parties in Polarized Times: A Conversation with Chairs of the Massachusetts Democratic and Republican Parties. Notably, they had never been asked to appear together at such an event. The conversation, brilliantly led by the Chair of our History Department Brian Hamilton, ofered an insider look at how political parties work, how they are funded and organized, and how they are navigating a divided and polarized political climate. The overflowing student audience suggested a real appetite for this kind of conversation and dialogue among the student body.

The second event will be our fourth Deerfield Forum, which we have moved from the spring to the fall for obvious reasons. It’s called How the Press Shapes American Elections. Our speakers will be professor and press critic Jay Rosen of NYU, Politico reporter Meridith McGraw, Deerfield Class of 2008, and Wall Street Journal White House correspondent Annie Linskey.

Speaking of the Wall Street Journal, some of you may have seen the recent article about our new accessibility and financial aid initiative. Deerfield’s commitment to afordability and access is historic and deep. So, beginning in this admission cycle, and for our returning families in the 2025-26 school year, all qualifying domestic families with income up to $150,000 will pay $0 in tuition and fees to attend the Academy. Families with incomes above the $150,000 threshold will pay no more than 10 percent of their verified income for tuition and fees.

This past June, I spoke to an alumnus who had returned to campus for his 50th Reunion, and he told me an incredible story—one he had learned very late in life and not long before his father passed away. As he was going into his senior year at Deerfield, his father lost his job—and, with it, his ability to pay tuition. His father wrote to Deerfield to inform the school that his son would not return for his senior year. Upon receiving this letter, someone at the Academy picked up the phone and called his father to say how saddened they were to learn that his son would not return for his senior year. After some gentle prodding, the father reluctantly explained his changed financial situation. The school’s response was immediate. They simply said, “Pay what you can when you can.” Mr. Boyden, who had passed away only a few years earlier, had been saying this to families for almost seven decades. It’s not too much to say that Mr. Boyden was an early pioneer in using need-based financial aid, so this commitment is part of our DNA—and a defining component of who we are as a school.

We have received tremendous support for this new initiative from alumni, families, and others—in and outside the Deerfield community, including other educators. As the dean of admissions at one of our peer schools said in a recent NPR story about it, “What’s good for Deerfield will, we hope, have a positive impact on other schools as well, by getting the word out about the value of boarding schools and increasing everyone’s applicant pools.”

Lastly, a word about one of the highlights of the weekend: the opportunity for you to visit classes. I hope you will get a sense of the vitality and dynamism of our classrooms, laboratories, and studios and our faculty’s creativity, energy, and skill.

Of course, today is just a snapshot of learning at Deerfield and of your child’s education—the briefest moment in time. And I hope that, as you observe classes, you will take the long view—not always, I know, an easy thing to do. We live in an age of instant delivery,

where almost everything is at our fingertips: our friends, an Uber, a movie from Netflix. But education does not always work that way. It doesn’t come overnight by FedEx delivery. Learning, at its best, is a slower process of discovery and self-formation, and it requires, on our part as parents, a certain kind of patience, perspective, and, at times, fortitude. Writing recently in the American Scholar, the literary critic Mark Edmundson asked us to imagine school as a place where young people “can be changed, learn who they are and what they value, and aim themselves toward higher goals.” As I suspect we all know, that is not the undertaking of a term or two—but of a lifetime. That is why I’ve come to think of learning as a journey and a great adventure—an unfolding story of promise, potential, and transformation. That story is rarely predictable or linear, and now I speak to you as a fellow parent. Each of our children’s educational journeys is full of ups and downs, and every child develops according to a narrative that is uniquely and individually their own.

So, as you continue to visit classes and think more expansively about your children’s education, I ofer some questions inspired by the aptitudes and habits we describe in The Deerfield Student for you to think about. I got a bit carried away writing these—so I have reduced them to four and made all the others available to you, courtesy of our Communications Ofce, outside in the lobby. Here they are:

• Is my son or daughter taking good care of themselves—and making good decisions—about diet and nutrition, sleep, exercise, and screens?

• Are they building strong, trusting relationships with others, particularly adults, and seeking to extend their friendships beyond their immediate peer group?

• Are they leading by example and influence—engaging in the essential work of helping create the goodness of this school?

• Are they learning, in the words of one of the great educators, Ted Sizer, to use their minds well?

I have one final request. As beautiful as our facilities are and as broad and deep as our program might be, we know that the decisive moments in our children’s education—those moments that change the direction and intensity of a student’s educational experience— happen through people, through the connections and relationships that students are able to make with teachers.

Our faculty are tireless and dedicated, part of a long tradition of inspired teaching and coaching at Deerfield. The goodness of Deerfield depends upon them. I hope each of you will find a moment to ofer a word of thanks to them for their work with your children. I know it would mean a great deal to them.

And thank you. Thank you for your trust and confidence. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with your children. // families:

Spencer Kruse-Melfi

Do they enjoy numbers?

Can they think mathematically and with statistics and use them to advance and interrogate claims?

Do they lean into the discomfort of challenge?

Do they seek out and consider— appreciatively and generously— multiple perspectives?

In terms of their academic and intellectual development, you might ask:

Are they learning to think in a disciplined way as a scientist, an historian, an artist (which differs from learning subject area content— as important as that might be)?

Are they demonstrating high levels of engagement in class? Do they listen actively and engage with peers?

Are they open and curious about new ideas?

Do you see emerging signs of a growth mindset: the belief that effort, practice, and hard work, rather than fixed notions of intelligence, are the keys to performance and success? Are they developing a robust sense of self-confidence, a sense of “Yes. I can do this.”?

Are my children learning to read for pleasure, enjoyment, and appreciation?

(It’s rightly been said that reading is the skill that makes all other learning possible.)

Are they learning to write and speak effectively and with rhetorical power?

Are they learning the art of asking questions and expressing curiosity?

families: Spencer Kruse-Melfi

United Kingdom:

2024 CSGC TRAVEL PROGRAMS

THE CENTER FOR SERVICE AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

Students explored how art reflects and responds to contemporary culture and society in various forms, mediums, and spaces. They explored the evolution of art in British culture through a chronological journey in museums, tracing the continuous development of art over time. They also visited an area rich in street art, examining the dynamic exchange between artists and society. Returning to the River Thames, students sketched buildings, bridges, and locals, refining their observational skills and expanding their ability to capture the world around them.

Figure drawing was a new experience for all of us. The lesson was at London Drawing, and our instructor led us through multiple sketching exercises. I learned that figure drawing aims to capture the movement of the model rather than the outline of their figure. We learned how to find proportions and experimented with different mediums to capture the model’s movement. The one-minute drawings were challenging but fun. The question we are thinking about now is “what is the difference between being a tourist and a traveler?” We are continuing to find the answer to this question as we visit different places in the UK. Experiences like figure drawing guide us towards understanding the essence of traveling.—Jade ’25

Spain: Language & Culture

This trip allowed Deerfield’s Spanish language students to experience and explore the rich culture of Cadiz, including a three-week homestay during which students committed to living their lives in Spanish as they experienced the challenges and joys of becoming a part of a local family. With daily language and culture classes, students deepened their study of and increased their fluency in Spanish.

We all met up at the bus stop to take it down to the historic part of town (my favorite area). When we got there we were split up into groups of two to complete a scavenger hunt. Maisy ’26 and I were grouped together, not knowing where to start. We followed behind Emily ’25 and Walker ’25. They led us to our first stop which was the cathedral, when we saw that other groups were following along behind us we decided to let them all pass while we asked the security guard for the answers. As we kept talking to more locals and asking for clues, it not only built my confidence in my ability to speak Spanish but got me excited to keep exploring the town. We ended up tying with another group for first place. After exploring some more, we all traveled back home. Mama Victoria was excited to see us and we debriefed the day while preparing dinner. After eating our delicious food I watched the Spain vs. Italy game with my host father, Pepe. While I might still be a bit jet lagged, I wake up everyday excited to learn more about the culture, language, and people of Cádiz. This day was another reminder of the fun that we are having as a group and the progress we are all making as Spanish learners.—Izzy ’25

South Korea:

Leadership in a Korean Context

This trip was an experience designed to take advantage of the numerous learning opportunities in South Korea that hold direct connections with the program pillars in the CSGC—global studies, sustainability, and a dedication to service—while allowing students to understand and further define what it means to be a leader.

Among other activities, students toured Coupang, a prominent e-commerce company founded in 2010 by Bom Kim ’96, renowned for its cutting-edge logistics and rapid delivery services. A key leadership insight emerged from the prominently displayed company values on the walls, highlighting the importance of open dialogue and diverse viewpoints, alongside a unified commitment to final decisions.

This morning’s activity was special as it was entirely student led and planned. After prior research and planning we decided to visit Seoul forest. Seoul forest is like the Central Park of Korea. It’s an oasis in the middle of the heart of Seoul. It’s a great spot for a picnic, walk or sight seeing; however, our trip in the forest consisted of nothing but rain and mud. We knew in advance that it was going to rain but not quite as long and powerfully as it actually did. This led us to improvising our plan a little bit as we decided to spend a large part of our morning in a café next to the forest where we all got drinks and talked about life. Later in the day we had a quick stop at the Samsung store before our lunch with Mr. Kim, the father of a reccent Deerfield graduate, Lauren ’24. He treated us to one of my personal favorite meals, which was highlighted by special Korean beef and cold noodles. After lunch we had a quick stop at a local modern art museum where they were displaying works which were supposed to represent feminism. They used motion picture films of clay subjects that were meant to make the watcher feel disgusted and unsettled. To end the day we went to a Korean baseball game, The Lions vs. The Heroes. The Heroes were the home team, but the support from the Lions fans was far more prevalent, the stands were a sea of blue. As a lifelong Red Sox fan I’m ashamed to say that this game was by far the most exciting game I have ever been to due to the fact that the fan atmosphere was unlike any other I have ever seen.—Michael ’27

Art & Culture

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Led by experienced Deerfield faculty, this past summer 81 students traveled to six diferent countries. During each trip, students shared their thoughts and perspectives through reflections shared directly with their families and on the CSGC’s “Notes From the Field” blog, some of which are excerpted below. Deerfield’s travel programs ofer students an opportunity to develop the skills and attitudes essential to global citizenship, and also allow students to deepen their relationships with the faculty leaders and their fellow travelers. By challenging students to consider new perspectives and diferent cultures, these trips seek to integrate a Deerfield education with the shifting realities of the wider world. On all programs, students are challenged to apply and expand their learning from Deerfield, and they return to Deerfield’s campus and classrooms with new perspectives and a broader worldview, which they in turn share with their classmates. //

France:

Language & Culture

This trip offered French language students the chance to immerse themselves in French culture through travel and a three-week homestay. It included a stay in Arles, where students practiced language skills while exploring Southern France’s history and culture, then continued to Marseille before concluding in Paris. In each city, a central focus was examining that city’s historical orientation: one toward France’s Roman history, another toward its North African connections, and the last toward the future and the Americas.

My walk through time in the South of France began on Tuesday, May 28, when our Deerfield crew stopped for lunch in the “Place du Forum.” It was a relatively small, though busy, square, with tons of restaurants, cafes, and people. As we were walking to our seats, Katie Thornton, the director of Arles a la Carte who was also joining us for lunch, explained how the square was the last, still in use, part of the former Roman forum. Once a massive and well-engineered structure, it was reduced to just a façade and two columns on the surface, all of which were well over 2,000 years old. Below the surface were the well preserved and expansive Cryptoporticus. The Cryptoporticus were built to help even the terrain of the Forum building overhead to ensure the floor was nice and flat; it was also used for storage, religious practices, and more. Walking through the dark, cool, and expansive hallways of the Cryptoporticus, I realized that I was walking through the same halls, stepping over the same stones, and touching the same pillars that people thousands of years before me had. In this way, I would time and again walk through time in Arles, discovering its deep and diverse Roman history and how that history continues to affect the city today.—Elisha ’25

Dominican Republic:

House Building with Cambiando Vidas

A team of Deerfield students traveled to the Dominican Republic to build a house for a family with the organization Cambiando Vidas. When work began, the house was one cinderblock high; it is finished on day five—complete with running water and electricity. On the final night, the team shared the first dinner in the house with the family and the 100+ members of the community who worked on it. Deerfield has been building houses with Cambiando Vidas since 2009. Throughout the trip, students gained invaluable citizenship skills, learning humility, empathy, and responsibility. As they worked to build a home, they also honed practical skills, from construction techniques to overcoming language barriers, while learning about the local culture. The challenges highlighted the task’s complexity, but the sense of accomplishment from steady progress on the worksite was rewarding. Witnessing the impact of Cambiando Vidas on the community gave students a deeper appreciation for the significance of their efforts and the transformative effect on the lives of those once without a home.

Our final day on the trip was filled with a rollercoaster of different emotions. We started the finishing touches of the house like painting, decorating, and observing. I took a moment when painting the house to step back and because it was all coming together it really hit me how much progress our group had made. On the first day I felt a bit uneasy about our ability to pull together a house in such a short amount of time, especially when I looked at the bricks stacked only three blocks high. As I recalled the sweat and labor I had put into the building of the house the previous days, it seemed so worth the temporary pain when I was able to see the successful structure, design, and character the house radiated. I would like to highlight the pure joy and pride shown on Santos’ (the homeowner) face when he was putting finishing touches on the house. I have come to realize that the smile that stays as plastered on his face as the cement on the walls was the reason I was able to persevere through the sweaty hard days that felt like they would never end. The biggest gift I have received on the trip is the ability to be proud of my work and where I come from, just as Santos so humbly demonstrated to us students throughout the whole build.—Zoe ’26

Columbia:

Music & Culture

Two renowned musicians from Colombia, Latin Grammy winner Gregorio Uribe and Nicolas Ospina, enjoyed a residency at the Academy this past spring, which culminated in a special concert featuring Gregorio and Nicolas performing side-by-side with Deerfield Academy students. The residency dovetailed with a trip to Cartagena, Colombia, where 20 Deerfield students performed the same program with Gregorio and Nicolas alongside peers from a Colombian high school.

Today my peers and I got to experience a wonderful performance that was an accumulation of singing, dancing, playing instruments and more. We got to both watch others perform and perform ourselves. The performance began with multiple songs performed by students from the school, Tambores de Cabildo. As some students sang and harmonized with one another, others played drums, maracas, and piano. Together all these elements formed a wonderful sound that carried throughout the room. After students from Tambores de Cabildo performed we all got to watch students from Deerfield perform. Deerfield students and faculty performed violin, piano, the flute, and the trumpet.—Adannia ’27

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WELCOME, NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

Patrick Andren Dean of Faculty

Patrick is excited to join the Deerfield community as the new dean of faculty and history teacher. As a graduate of an independent school education, he deeply believes in these institutions' power to lay the foundations for young women and men to become the best versions of themselves. Prior to Deerfield, Patrick served as the Assistant Head of School and Chief Operating Officer at Brunswick School in Greenwich, CT. In this role, he collaborated with the head of school to supervise and support school leadership in operations, planning, and implementing projects and initiatives. Before Brunswick, he also served as Head of the Upper School at the Haverford School and St. Mark's School of Texas, and as the dean of academics at Pomfret School. Patrick has worked as a teacher, coach, advisor, dorm parent, and club leader throughout his career. He has served in various administrative roles, including department chair, grade-level dean, and director of college counseling. Patrick earned an AB in history at Lafayette College and an MA in modern European studies with a concentration in Central and Eastern European history at Columbia University. He came to Deerfield with his wife, Heather, and their four children. Outside of school, Patrick enjoys spending time with family, reading, hiking, and sailing his questionably seaworthy boat on the Penobscot Bay in Maine.

Michaelann Denton

Associate Director of Multicultural Recruitment

Michaelann is delighted to join the Deerfield Academy community! Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, Michaelann graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Genevia, New York, where she double majored in biological sciences and Spanish and Hispanic studies. During her time there, she was a dedicated athlete, competing in DIII tennis and squash for four years. After completing her undergraduate studies, Michaelann began her career at Eaglebrook School as the assistant director of admissions, where she also coached tennis and squash, served as an advisor, and taught an elective course in the spring. In 2022, she advanced to associate director of admissions and financial aid. Currently, she is pursuing a master's degree in organizational leadership. She previously lived in the dorm with her houseplants and an ever-growing pile of books to read. In her spare time, she loves baking, playing pickleball and strategic games, binging several of her favorite TV series, and optimistically declaring, ”This is the year I will finally learn how to ski!”

Avery Flynn

Teaching Fellow in French

Avery is excited to join the Deerfield community this year as an early career teaching fellow in the Language Department. Originally from Connecticut, Avery spent her childhood in Raleigh, NC. After moving back north with her family, Avery attended the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, CT, to further her education and play ice hockey. Avery went on to attend Amherst College. In 2023, she graduated with a double major in education studies and French. She completed the Mount Holyoke Teaching Licensure Program and received her French teaching license in Massachusetts. While at Amherst, Avery was a DIII Women's Ice Hockey team member. She is a two-time NESCAC Champion and as a captain during her senior season, she led her team to the NCAA DIII Championship final game. Last year, Avery lived in Dijon, France, as an English language assistant at the Université de Bourgogne. Since it was her first time in France, she explored Dijon's culture, practiced her spoken French, and took advantage of school breaks to travel around Europe. Upon returning to the United States, Avery was looking forward to contributing to the Deerfield community in the classroom, dorm, and on the ice. In her free time, Avery loves to bake, travel, and hang out with her four siblings and friends.

Stephanie Gonzalez Director of Admission

Steph is excited to join the Deerfield community as director of admission. She spent the last few years as a college counselor and urbanite at Trinity School in New York City. Steph was very much looking forward to returning to Western Massachusetts, where she previously spent five years working in admissions and diversity recruitment at Williams College. While at Williams, Steph met her husband, Tyler, who was working in admissions at Amherst (quite the meet-cute!). Steph was a Spanish education major at Boston University. She later worked in admissions and student affairs at her alma mater, earning an MEd in policy, planning, and administration and an MBA in public and nonprofit management. Steph resides in Doubleday with Tyler, their son, Oscar, and their dog, Wookie. In her free time, Steph enjoys reading, traveling (Peru was on the docket this past summer), and skiing with her family in Vermont.

Brent Hale

Eight new faculty members joined the team this year, from Dean of Faculty Patrick Andren to College Advior Tyler Twilley. Below are a few details about these newest members of the Deerfield community.

Piper Higgins

English Teacher

Piper is thrilled to join the Deerfield community. A Boston area native and Williams College graduate, Piper is looking forward to returning to Massachusetts after two years as a Penn fellow at Kent School in Connecticut. At Williams, she earned a BA in English and classics, cultivating a passion for the humanities as an English research assistant, Latin teaching assistant, and fiction writer. Some of her academic highlights include traveling to Greece for a classics abroad course called ”Performance and Place” during her junior year and completing a fiction writing thesis during her senior year. She was also a coxswain on the Williams men's rowing team, winning the D3 IRA in the spring of 2022 and earning all-American honors. At Kent, Piper found great joy in teaching American and World Literature, coaching rowing, and living in a girls' dormitory. Outside of teaching and coaching, Piper enjoys playing, writing, and listening to music (Bob Dylan and Fleetwood Mac are always in the rotation!). In the summertime, she supports the staff at Camp Kiniya in Colchester, VT, as a music and athletics mentor on Lake Champlain's scenic shores.

Heather Holohan-Guarnieri

Director of Dance

Heather is overjoyed to join the Deerfield community as the next dance director. She comes to Deerfield from Kent School, where, in addition to directing the dance program, she was a vocal teacher, choreographer of the school's musicals, and co-director of the annual One Acts. As a professional performer, Heather danced and performed on and off Broadway, on several national tours, in regional theaters, and dance companies. Heather attended the Millbrook School, graduated from Ithaca College with a BFA in musical theatre and a minor in dance, and has a master of ethnochoreology from the University of Limerick. She recently completed a professional certificate in vocal pedagogy from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Heather holds multiple certificates from the Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and was elected this year as a speaker on Embodied Cultural Knowledge at the annual CAIS Symposium for the Arts. In her spare time, Heather enjoys yoga, the beach, swimming, reading, attending live music events, and spending time with her family: partner Dr. Travis Tucker, daughter Caelyn, and son Jacob.

Emily Swintak

Teaching Fellow in History & Social Science

Emily is thrilled to be joining the Deerfield community as an early career teaching fellow in the History and Social Science Department. She grew up in Barrington, RI, where she attended Barrington High School and rowed for East Bay Rowing. Emily continued her education at Connecticut College, graduating with a BA in American Studies with a minor in government. She continued her rowing career as a member of Conn's women's rowing team for all four years. Emily was also a leader of Conn College's voting and civic engagement program, Camels Vote, which promoted voter education and participation, a key interest of hers. Emily is passionate about civic education, politics, and American history. She has worked as a substitute teacher and a lifeguard, and thoroughly enjoys spending time at the beach, surfing, boating, or doing anything by the ocean! She is her happiest self around friends and family.

Tyler Twilley College Advisor

Tyler Twilley is thrilled to join the College Advising team. He comes to Deerfield after spending the previous three years as part of the college counseling team at Trevor Day School, a co-ed independent day school in New York City, Prior to his work in college counseling, Tyler worked in college admissions, including stints at Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, and Amherst College. He holds a BS in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and is pursuing a master's degree through the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. In his free time, Tyler loves skiing (and hopefully staying upright!), disc golf, talking about Baltimore sports, and exploring new breweries. He lives in Doubleday with his wife Stephanie, son Oscar, and canine companion Wookie.

FINANCIAL AID INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED

The Academy’s new financial aid initiative was announced September 12 in an exclusive article in the Wall Street Journal, and Head of School John Austin subsequently wrote to current families and alumni:

In the early 20th century, our legendary Headmaster Frank L Boyden asked families to “pay what you can,” establishing one of the first need-based financial aid programs in the United States Today, we seek to build on that pioneering commitment

Beginning in this admission cycle, and for our returning families in the 2025 - 26 school year, all qualifying domestic families with income below $150,000 will pay $0 in tuition and fees to attend the Academy Families with incomes above the $150,000 threshold will pay no more than 10% of their verified income for tuition and fees

Our international families will continue to receive generous aid packages as part of the broader financial aid process; domestic families who currently receive aid but do not qualify for this initiative will also continue to benefit from the Academy’s robust financial aid program.

Deerfield’s commitment to affordability and access in the form of need-based financial aid is historic, deep, and central to its educational mission. It is our hope that this new initiative will increase access to Deerfield for families of all income levels, expand opportunity, and allow the Academy to continue to attract and enroll young men and women of promise—regardless of means.

Feedback on the initiative has been overwhelmingly positive, and the Admission Office has been eagerly sharing the news in their recruitment efforts.

For more information on Financial Aid at Deerfield, visit: Deerfield.edu/admission

CLASS OF 2024 SENIOR PARENT GIFT

Excellent progress is being made on the Dining Hall project, which is proceeding according to schedule and with all indications that the new Dining Hall will open as planned in January of 2026. Special recognition and thanks are owed to the families of the Class of 2024, who, in honor of their graduates, broke all previous records and set a new benchmark for senior family giving at Deerfield this past spring

Led by Academy trustees and Class of 2024 Senior Parent Chairs Karen and Gustave Lipman ’89 P’24,’27, Diana and Geoffrey Newton ’80 P’12,’22,’24, and Dana Tang and Andrew Darrell P ’24, the main dining room in the new Dining Hall will be named in honor of the Class of 2024.

As the Senior Parent Chairs noted, “The Class of 2024 holds a unique place in the Academy’s history, arriving at Deerfield largely in person during Covid, when the world was shut down and school was on Zoom Our children benefitted in an outsized way from Deerfield’s commitment to face-to-face interactions and community, when Head of School John Austin and his team delivered a true Deerfield Experience, on campus, for every student who could be there. This included changing the class schedule, converting offices to dorm rooms, and putting up spaces for in-person dining—all to keep our children safe and connected. It seems only fitting that this class, who benefitted from so much, would give back to Deerfield in a big way to express gratitude, and to show enthusiasm and support for the vision behind sit-down meals and face-to-face connections.”

Visit Biggreen.photos for updates as work on the Dining Hall continues.

Dave Fraser

Dining Hall Progress

SERVERY

SOUTH BUBBLE

TERRACE

NORTH BUBBLE

Brent Hale and Dave Fraser

2024-25 Greer Chair / John Leistler

Nominated by students and faculty, the 2024 - 25 Greer Chair recipient is History and Social Science teacher John Leistler Mr Leistler came to Deerfield in 2021 as the Wallace Wilson Fellow He had spent the previous 14 years at King’s Academy as founding head of the Department of History and Social Studies At King’s he was awarded the Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa Distinguished Chair in the Theory and Practice of Knowledge in 2009, and in 2011 he was appointed Dean of Curriculum and Instruction before taking on the position of Dean of Faculty in 2012. He was named Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning in 2020. Mr Leistler previously taught in schools in New York and North Carolina He received his BA in history and music from Denison University and went on to earn two master’s degrees, one in history from Brown University, and one in arts education and private school leadership from Columbia University He has taught diverse subjects and over 20 different courses in history, art history, and English for over 33 years and received a Klingenstein Fellowship from Columbia University, as well as six summer fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities

The Greer Family Distinguished Teaching Chair was established in 1998 by Mr. and Mrs. Philip Greer ’53 P’94 G’13,’16,’22,’23 and their daughter Elizabeth ’94, to honor the legacy of great teaching at Deerfield. Each year, the Greer Chair recipient delivers an address during Convocation ceremonies; this past fall, that address was given by 2023-24 recipient, longtime mathematics teacher and Academy alumnus Sean Keller ’86 P’20. //

Visiting Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks

The Academy community was pleased to welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks to campus in October. Ms. Parks led a workshop for students, participated in a Q&A session, and wowed students, faculty, and staff with her lively School Meeting address, which featured readings from Topdog/Underdog and a “million suggestions” for the audience, relayed through words, gestures, and sounds. Ms. Parks, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College, was the first African-American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for drama. In November 2022, she was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. Ms. Parks is Writer in Residence of the Public Theater, and a professor at New York University. At Mount Holyoke, she studied creative writing with James Baldwin, who encouraged Ms. Parks to begin writing for the theater. In her spare time, Ms. Parks also writes songs and fronts her band Sula and The Joyful Noise. //

American playwright, screenwriter, musician, and novelist.

Topdog/Underdog: Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 2002

100 Most Influencial People, Time magazine, 2023

DANCE SHINES DURING FALL FAMILY WEEKEND

VISIT BIGGREEN.PHOTOS for dance, Fall Family Weekend, and more!

24 for ’24 Election Education and Expressive Freedom Series

This fall, Director of Educational Initiatives David Miller, Academic Dean Dr. Anne Bruder, Associate Head of School for Student Life Amie Creagh, and others worked to create “24 for ’24: Election Education and Expressive Freedom,” a series of opportunities for students to engage in nonpartisan election education in the eight weeks leading up to November 5. Students were provided with a range of opportunities focused on intellectual diversity and expressive freedom as they learned about important topics related to the election and more broadly, civic education. Guided by the pillars in Head of School Dr. John Austin’s Framework for Schools, (expressive freedom, disciplined nonpartisanship, and intellectual diversity), the series included curated library resources and displays, opportunities for international students to share about elections from around the world, celebrations of stories from veterans in the local community, and helping students register to vote. One particular highlight was an event titled “Political Parties in Polarized Times: A Conversation with the Chairs of the MA Democratic and Republican Parties.” Over 200 students attended this optional event where the Massachusetts Democratic and Republican Party chairs engaged in a civil, intellectual, and engaging conversation about their work and the role of political parties in Massachusetts and in the US today. The chairs later commented that it was the first time (that they knew of) that their parties had been asked to speak together at an event.

On October 23, a special edition of the Deerfield Forum was held to discuss the topic: “How Does the Press Shape American Elections?” Panelists included Wall Street Journal White House reporter Annie Linskey, Meridith McGraw ’08 (see page 70 for more about Ms. McGraw), and NYU journalism professor and press critic Jay Rosen. The event was moderated by Brian Hamilton, chair of the Academy’s History and Social Science Department

Overall, programming and student engagement was meaningful and robust as they lived out the Framework’s charge to “actively [co-create] with peers a climate of mutual respect where all voices are welcome and heard ”//

Mr. Hamilton’s Takeaways

Across our curriculum, we work to help students develop a “practitioner’s mindset.” By connecting with journalists, party leaders, political scientists, and pollsters this fall, students who saw politics as an ugly spectator sport now understand it as challenging pursuit undertaken by diverse and usually well-meaning professionals.

The biggest obstacle to civic engagement on our campus is not polarization but lack of understanding. Yet the strong interest in 24 for ’24 showed our students are eager to educate themselves about how contemporary US politics work and consider the reforms they want to champion as their generation comes of age. I was humbled by how readily our esteemed guests agreed—despite their packed schedules at the peak of election season—to travel to our campus and engage with Deerfield students. It’s easy to be cynical about the state of US politics. These conversations made me hopeful.

Programming and student engagement was meaningful and robust as they lived out the Framework’s charge to “actively (co-create) with peers a climate of mutual respect where all voices are welcome and heard.”pro-

gramming and student engagement was meaningful and robust as they lived out the Framework’s charge to “actively [co-create] with peers a climate of mutual respect where all voices are welcome and heard.”programming and student engagement was meaningful and robust as they lived out the Framework’s charge to “actively [co-create] with peers a climate of mutual respect where all voices are welcome and heard ”

How would you answer?

Send your responses to : communications@deerfield.edu

Do journalists have a larger moral responsibility than politicians? Is it their job to correct, fact-check, and hold politicians accountable, or should they merely print what politicians say? 1 2 3

Last week, we had visitors from the Massachusetts Democratic and Republican Committees, both of whom advocated strongly for the two-party system, yet acknowledged how it leads us to vilify the other party rather than advocate for our own. How does the media’s reliance on this system contribute to the polarization of politics and how would you imagine media outside of this system?

How do Americans’ pre-existing biases impact the forms of media they turn to, and how do these platforms further contribute to bias in politics and shi f the American perspective?

Annie Linskey White House reporter The Wall Street Journal

Meridith McGraw ’08 National polital correspondent Politico

Jay Rosen NYU journalism professor and press critic

Brian Hamilton Moderator History and Social Science Chair

INSIDE / OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:

“We had just begun studying ancient Greek art and architecture, and we came outside of the Main School Buildingto see how the architects had employed certain technique and style elements of the ancient Greeks, and to speculate as to why a school designer would make those choices.”

—John Leistler / History and Social Science Teacher

Brent Hale

von

Auersperg gallery show / limn•ninal by Donnabelle Casis

A STUDENT INTERPRETATION / Jack Brennan ’25

Last Wednesday, October 16, my Art History classmates and I had the incredible opportunity to hear from mixed-media artist Donnabelle Casis, whose work was currently displayed in the von Auersperg Art Gallery at Deerfield. We focused on examining Casis’s most recent exhibit, “limn•ninal”, and how her physical works of art and the abstract implications behind them compare with what we have been learning about Ancient Greek art and culture. To be completely honest, finding connections was a hard thing to do. When comparing achromatic marble, limestone, and clay works from thousands of years ago to vibrant and colorful paintings or twisted sheets of steel, there is not a lot of solid evidence to ground your connections. While Greek art was typically grounded in human measurements and accurate proportions, Casis leaned more towards abstractions of reality and space-like depictions. However much the visual diferences between Greek and Casis’s art, the title of Casis’s exhibit helped give us direction. Containing a word within a more significant word, “limn•ninal” injects the word “limn,” meaning depicted through paint, into the word “liminal,” which means occupying the threshold between spaces.

Furthermore, from an anthropological viewpoint, liminal can tell the space between what is no longer and what has yet to occur. It is similar to the idea of entering a new space. Casis excellently used paint and other mediums to express the feeling of liminality. While some of her works ground us to the Earth we inhabit, others depict vibrant distortions ahead of an outer space-like background. Explaining how she went about creating and imagining these pieces of art, Casis talked about how her exhibit depicts the inner examination of one’s future. Her sculptures and paintings depict kineticism in a changing world. What will the rest of your life look like? What is to come next? How will what comes to compare with what has already been? These questions exist for me in the liminal space that Casis creates. Thinking about the future was central to Ancient Greece as well. Greek citizens often existed in this liminal space, constantly thinking about how to use what they learned from the past, and ultimately change their lives for the better. Greek art was a central catalyst of this culture of seeking improvement. The Kouros statues on Greek graves served to motivate the living to think about how the dead had spent their time, using that information to live their life better. Later, during the Greek Golden Age, statues such as the Discobolus served as an idealized version of a human: strong, calm, and balanced, even in the moments just before throwing a disk. Such art inspired Greeks to think about their future and how to incorporate balance and connectedness into their own lives. These works may not physically look like Casis's colorful paintings or sculptures, but the similar strands of kineticism and navigation of one's life are steadfast. Overall, using what we had learned in Art History, studying Greek art, and applying our knowledge to Casis’s works was a great way for us to solidify our skills as art historians. Hearing Casis describe her work for us and answer questions surrounding her exhibit was terrific, as we received a behind-the-scenes look at how Casis approaches, makes, and conceptualizes her art. //

behind the podium

Dr. Michael Pfitzer

by Daniella Vollinger

As the son of a Skidmore College history professor and chair of the American studies department, Dr. Michael Pfitzer planned to follow in his father's footsteps: “I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. From the time I was in middle school, or maybe even earlier, I knew that I wanted to teach, and I thought I might teach history.” But it was in the summer before his senior year of high school when he was preparing to take the AP exam in Music Theory, that the younger Dr. Pfitzer put it all together. “I would go into the basement (where our piano was) and do my homework assignments—in the summer of all things!” he marvels, noting that hours would pass unnoticed. “It would take me two and a half hours, but it felt like it took half an hour.” The feeling that time suspends when you're engaged in passionate work is shared by those lucky enough to have found their true calling. A future music professor was born.

The choral program has exploded since Dr. Pfitzer arrived on campus in 2021, nearly tripling in size in just a few years,” observes Director of Music Thomas Bergeron, attributing the program's success directly to Dr. Pfitzer's inclusive approach and contagious passion for the art form. “A superb addition to the creative team,” adds Catriona Hynds, Chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department. “Dr. Pfitzer has had a tremendously positive impact on the Choral Program here at Deerfield Academy.” The program, open to any Deerfield student, attracts many experienced singers and those who are singing for the first time. “There are so few opportunities to try something new, and our students are willing to do that. I think it shows a real maturity—the ability to walk into a situation around some other experts and say, ‘You know, I'm not an expert at this, but I'm going to do it!'” notes Dr. Pfitzer. Harmoni Dobbins ’26 has flourished in the program over the past few years. “This year, I am a section leader for the sopranos. I never once thought I could lead my peers in this environment,” says Dobbins. “With Dr. Pfitzer's help and encouragement, I feel supported and most importantly, overjoyed to come to choir every day.”

Many Deerfield students continue their music education through their undergraduate studies and beyond, and Dr. Pfitzer is mindful of equipping them with the tools for success. “When you're an artist, you don't have certainty . . .. You have to have creative ideas that allow you to build a project,” says Dr. Pfitzer, acknowledging that talent is not enough. However, the drive to acquire varied skills and the ability to

make one's opportunities are paramount. “What the students needed to know was how to lead—how to be a musical leader—because they were going to graduate and go into a world where some people jump in and get great jobs right away, but most really have to use their creativity in a strong way,” says Dr. Pfitzer of the Boston University students he taught while he was in graduate school. Dr. Pfitzer also wants his Deerfield music-focused students to lean into their entrepreneurial sides. The October concert was conceptualized and organized by Kabir Sheth ’25 as part of his music distinction. “If Kabir wants to do music later in life, he might have to know how to make a concert program, call collaborators, understand how venues work, and pay people for their time. And he's getting all that experience right now,” asserts Dr. Pfitzer.

Dr. Pfitzer believes arts education is essential to preparing students for the future. The internet age and impending AI age have increased our general unease about where we're going, but what is becoming clearer is our need to hold fast to the things that do make us human (in the best sense). “There's a lot of temptation to fall into isolated activities that might not develop that emotional expression and connectedness,” says Dr. Pfitzer, maintaining that adolescents need to develop ways of understanding and channeling their emotions and engaging with the world in constructive ways, not just hiding behind screens and internalizing unprocessed emotions, or acting them out online in unhealthy ways. “I think that the role of music for building complete people is critical—music and art are critical—because we take the material, and we bring it in and learn how to participate in it with our bodies actively,” says Dr. Pfitzer, who often pauses at the end of a piece the students are singing to ask them to examine and share

what they felt. “All of our music, theatre, dance, and visual arts classes here at Deerfield are designed to get students to be in touch with their own feelings, emotions, and expression. It's a question of building whole humans, which, if I could pick the most important thing that a school could do in 2024, it would not necessarily be amazing achievement in math or science or history or music, but just building complete humans, and I think we're an important part of that.”

Dr. Pfitzer was drawn to Deerfield from his prior post as Director of Choral Studies at the University at Albany, SUNY, because of the school's incredible sense of community and endless opportunities to collaborate in new ways. He seeks the students’ active participation in finding material that they find relevant. “I never feel that I am just repeating a class. It always feels like a new performance calendar, like everything I do will be diferent . . .. Coming up with new creative ideas for our students based on their passions and interests is motivating,” he says. This year, for a second time, Dr. Pfitzer will teach the English course Song Lyrics as Poetry, where students examine a selection of songs from various periods, including students' suggestions. “[Dr. Pfitzer] doesn't just choose incredibly old, classical music that none of us can resonate with; he organizes concerts around themes that we can relate to . . .. He understands that we're a high school choir—we’re kids, and we want to have fun, and he makes sure that we're having fun while developing as musicians,” says Sheth, who graduates next spring. “He's truly just one of the best people on campus, and I'm very thankful that I've gotten to spend the past three and a half years with him, and I still have a little bit more time!” //

What the students needed to know was how to lead—how to be a musical leader—because they were going to graduate and go into a world where some people jump in and get great jobs right away, but most really have to use their creativity in a strong way.

TRUSTEE

FRANK BAKER II P’26

/// by Kate Godin ///

How does leading a private equity fund with approximately $10 billion in assets under management and a focus on making control investments in technology companies prepare someone to serve on the Academy’s Board of Trustees? Really well, according to Frank Baker II P’26, co-founder and managing partner of Siris Capital, who joined the Board earlier this year.

“Siris owns companies, and I interact with those companies largely through their boards,” says Baker. “While the subject matter is diferent in some respects, my approach is the same: One, you have to care. Two, you have to be prepared. Three, you have to contribute.”

Baker also sees overlap between his work on the board at the University of Chicago, his undergraduate alma mater, and his new trusteeship at Deerfield. While the scale is diferent, the potential for impact is the same. “When you are part of the decision-making body at a leading institution—and Deerfield is one— you impact all institutions,” Baker says. “I think our work on free speech at the University of Chicago has impacted every university across the country, and Deerfield is in a similar position in terms of how it influences other independent schools. A disproportionate number of students from these schools go on to the top colleges and universities in the United States, so we are impacting those places, too. It’s important how priorities are set, how vision is established, and how material problems are dealt with at Deerfield, and I’m glad to be part of that dialogue.”

While the subject matter is diferent in some respects, my approach is the same: One, you have to care. Two, you have to be prepared. Three, you have to contribute.

Courtesy of Siris Capital

Baker also sees Deerfield through the eyes of a parent; his daughter Olivia is a junior. “It’s a remarkably special community,” he says. “I’ve seen it through two lenses: through my daughter and her friends and my own interactions on campus but also through meeting alumni. My wife Laura and I hosted an alumni event at our home in Palm Beach last February, and 150 people attended— all those green blazers! I was blown away by their love and commitment to the school, and by the impact Deerfield has had on people’s lives across generations.”

As a trustee, Baker hopes to see the Academy sustain and support that warm sense of community in the service of preparing students for the world they will enter. “We’re building future leaders, and future leaders have to be able to lead everybody,” Baker notes. “Students obviously need education; they also need strong character and moral fabric, they need to be articulate and to some degree charismatic, but they also must know how to work with diferent people. And they do that by learning with, playing sports with, and hanging out with diverse groups of students.” He believes Deerfield is uniquely positioned to do this through its size—not too big and not too small—and its appropriately remote location: “It’s got all the right ingredients to allow caring and community to foster and grow.”

Baker grew up outside of Detroit and earned a BA in 1994 from the University of Chicago, where he was a star running back, and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2001. He started his career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs in the Mergers and Acquisitions group.

A Full List of the Current Trustees can be viewed at: deerfield.edu/admin/board-of-trustees

Students obviously need education; they also need strong character and moral fabric, they need to be articulate and to some degree charismatic, but they also must know how to work with diferent people. And they do that by learning with, playing sports with, and hanging out with diverse groups of students.

Baker and his wife, Laura Day, have long been philanthropic, both financially and with their time. In addition to serving on the boards of Deerfield and the University of Chicago, Baker is the board chair of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and sits on the board of directors at Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, while Day is a board member at the Studio Museum in Harlem. They provide significant financial support to the University of Chicago, Spelman College, and Florida A&M University as well as the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Apollo Theater in New York. Overall, their interest is in organizations that help level the playing field. “We want to ensure that more kids get their shot to do whatever they are compelled to do, academically or artistically,” Baker says. He uses a simple framework for life, one credited to Jack Balousek: Learn, earn, and return. “We all go to school, and we learn as much as we can,” Baker says. “Then we go of and do whatever we do to earn—you can earn financially; you can earn intellectually. Then you give it back. You contribute your dollars or your time to places that matter to you. I think that’s an important cycle to repeat throughout a lifetime.” //

State of Affairs:

GREETINGS FROM DEERFIELD

As I take a moment to reflect on last year—and since the last financial update in the Spring ’23 magazine—I realize a lot has happened on campus. We experienced two major flooding events (in July and December) that submerged the Lower Level playing fields under feet of water and left that space filled with debris and sediment; the Dining Hall renovation and expansion project successfully commenced, and we opened the temporary Dining Hall in right field of Headmaster’s Field; the new multisport, synthetic field was completed, and during its inaugural season of use, it hosted the baseball team’s exciting New England Championship.

The Academy developed an updated Campus Master Plan (with 10 and 25-year timelines) that outlines a number of exciting possibilities and initiatives to continue to improve the campus in support of student flourishing, the development of meaningful connections and relationships, and, last but certainly not least, student learning and programming.

During his recent Fall Family Weekend remarks (see page 2), Dr. Austin provided an overview of what lies ahead for the Academy and the many initiatives we endeavor to invest in. I recommend reviewing those remarks, as they outline several important priorities and provide an overview of the Academy’s strategic direction.

An update from Chief Financial Officer Matthew Sheehy

The pie charts seen here, from my perspective, highlight the importance of the endowment as the foundation and cornerstone for the Academy’s f nancial operations and its ongoing support for important investments and strategic priorities of the institution. Deer f eld’s endowment is the result of the tremendous support we have received over generations from parents, alumni, family, and friends who support the Academy’s vision and values as well as the thoughtful guidance of the Endowment and Investment Committee of the Board of Trustees, support from our external consultants, and the hard work of the team that supports this asset on a daily basis.

REVENUES, 2023-2024

EXPENDITURES, 2023-2024

At the close of the fscal year, June 30, 2024, the endowment was valued at more than $920 million and the endowment per student value was ~$1.4 million. For Fiscal Year 2024, the endowment performance was 11.7%, exceeding our planning target of 7%. While these values place Deerfeld in a unique position, there remain opportunities to continue to invest in important areas that increase support for student access to the Academy, continued program innovation, and critical capital improvements to the physical campus.

ENDOWMENT GROWTH (IN MILLIONS), 2023-2024

As the historical endowment chart notes, the Academy has focused on conservative use of the endowment to support operations; the long-term financial plan and the Boardapproved Endowment Spending Policy are committed to ensuring the Academy’s annual operation relies on an endowment use rate of 4.25 percent or lower. The Academy’s Endowment Spending Policy is designed to smooth the impact of investment gains and losses while ensuring long-term growth of the endowment. Over the last decade, the school has successfully achieved this goal with long-term growth of the endowment exceeding the calculated endowment draw plus inflation by roughly 250 basis points. Planning continues to be a major theme, and the updated Campus Master Plan lays out a number of key priorities for our institution and the ongoing planning that we continue to engage in. An important facet of this planning is managing the infrastructure needs of the campus to support student residential, cocurricular, and learning spaces. Having a well-thought-out Campus Master Plan that is efcient and nimble allows for efective infrastructure planning to ensure we can provide

power and manage the climate in our buildings now and into the future. This planning will also allow for the Academy to explore new technologies and more sustainable options for these services. This is exciting work, and I look forward to sharing more about this important planning at a later date.

In addition to planning, on the expense side of the house, our operations rely on wonderful people doing amazing work—day in and day out—with our students or in support of the student program. As a result, almost 60 percent of our operating budget, excluding our investment in financial aid, is focused on employee compensation and benefits. This is an area we are keenly focused on and continue to strive to find efciencies, given the impact on the overall operating budget. Our shared goal is to recruit and retain the most talented individuals to the Academy community, and to provide excellent benefits and competitive or, in some cases, industry-leading compensation. In today’s employment market, this is challenging, and it’s an area that we are studying to develop structures and frameworks that will allow the Academy to remain exceptionally competitive in this regard.

On the following page, I share with you the Academy’s Financial Statement of Activities from FY ’21 to FY ’24. This data demonstrates how the Academy’s finances have changed over the time period, while highlighting some of the investments that were made in order to successfully navigate and manage through many of the challenges we recently faced. Most importantly, you will see that in FY ’24, we no longer had the need to account for any expenses related to the Covid-19 pandemic —a fact for which we are all grateful.

In closing, the entire Finance and Operations team is grateful for the resources the Academy has available, and fully aware of our important duty to be excellent stewards of those resources and the opportunities they present. We are constantly striving to find efciencies in our day-to-day processes or in our operations to ensure those resources are focused on students, student programming, and the development of a healthy and vibrant Academy community. We truly appreciate and value your continued support! Thank you. //

STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES

A STROLL DOWN

OLD MAIN

When you stroll the sidewalks of the historic Old Main Street in Deerfield, you cannot help but experience the sense of place that is part of the Deerfield Academy experience: towering trees, picket fences, and doorways that have served generations of families and visitors for hundreds of years. Some days, you might encounter Deerfield faculty families relaxing in their yards as their children practice soccer or splash in a wading pool. It begs the question, where does the historic end and the living begin? And how do we make old houses an attractive living arrangement for modern families?

From end to end along Old Main Street alone, Deerfield Academy owns more than 20 houses which provide housing for more than 30 families ranging from singletons to families of six. Exact dates of construction are hard to come by, but among these particular houses, the newest is approaching 100 years old and the oldest dates to the late 1600’s. Some were built in place and expanded over time. Others, such as “the Parsonage” at 46 Old Main Street (currently the home of Chief Advancement Ofcer Chuck Ramsay ’88), was moved to its current location from Cheapside in 1966.

The Academy shares “the Street” with museum houses owned and operated by the not-forprofit Historic Deerfield. This weaving of an independent school into the fabric of a historic village and the curation of parts of that village as a museum was the result of a shared vision pursued by legendary Headmaster Frank Boyden and Henry Flynt, founder of Historic Deerfield. One hundred years and counting, it seems to be working.

Living in a house on Old Main Street is an undeniable perk of being a Deerfield faculty member with some years of experience under their belt, and perhaps a reason for newer faculty to stick around for the long haul. And while the Dean of Faculty team knows that location is important, so too are the amenities of the housing itself. Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s charming. They have worked closely with the Facilities team over the past 15 years, pursuing a deliberate plan to refresh the condition of the Academy’s older houses. With thoughtful planning and deliberate housing assignments, selected houses are left vacant for a school year, and in return, the Facilities team has been able to take a deep dive into the renovation and modernization work that needs to be done.

BY DAVID PURINGTON Director of Facilities Operations

THE

ON

DELANO HOUSE Respectful Rehab

The main part of Delano House had insufcient insulation, problems with squirrels, and old original wood siding that had reached its end of life.

The carpenters explored options to remove, salvage, and return original siding, and repeatedly encountered reasonable obstacles why those were the wrong choices when considering curb appeal and looking ahead for the next 100 years.

Historic Deerfield salvaged a few pieces of the original siding for its collection, and the Academy’s Facilities team installed custom-milled replica cedar siding that allowed us to return the house to its handsome glory days.

THE CARPENTERS

l to r: Neil Neuhauser, John Downie, Jason Erali, Chris Brown, Christoper Brooks

inset photos provided by Dave Purington

Few of the houses that Deerfield Academy owns come with a formal obligation for historical preservation, but all work on these houses is done with an eye to maintaining the character of the village. There are many choices to be made about materials of construction, colors, function, and curb appeal—all of which are funneled through the Deerfield Facilities team and stewarded by capable builders, craftsmen, and landscapers.

Much of that work has been planned and managed by Manager of Maintenance and Projects Tom Sharpe, who has been on the job since 2012. Tom is an energetic fellow driven by checklists and schedules; his days start early, and his phone rings constantly. He talks with enthusiasm about the work and overarching goals that unite the projects: stabilize the failing structures; make the housing attractive and comfortable to live in; maintain the exterior in keeping with the aesthetics of Old Main Street. Which brings us back to the Flynt family: Until his recent retirement, Bill Flynt, grandson of the same Henry and Helen Flynt who founded Historic Deerfield in 1952, served as an architectural preservationist for the museal houses, and was widely respected for his knowledge of the history of buildings, materials, and construction techniques represented in the village. At the beginning of many an Academy house project, Bill would visit the jobsite with Tom, eager to explore houses he had never examined before, to share ideas on the renovation plans, and occasionally,

HOME HERITAGE

I grew up in one of the hill towns of Franklin County with family roots that date back to the earliest colonial settlers.

Inevitably, as with anyone whose family was around here in the 1700’s, my genealogy links me to Deerfield. In particular, I’ve discovered that many generations ago one of my grandfathers, or perhaps his brother, was the original Nims that built what we now call Nims House. It’s a handsome house, lovingly restored several times since its construction in the 1740’s. It now has an asphalt-paved driveway, a dishwasher, internet service, central plumbing, and gas-fired heat. To historical preservationists, surely these updates leave behind some of the storylines of the original house, but in my heart I truly believe that if there had been a dishwasher available, the original kitchen would have included one.—DP

PINK HOUSE

to take home a piece of history for the museum. Tom recalls Bill fondly “I learned a lot from him and he was always my first phone call. . . he would tell us what’s most important to keep and what wasn’t. We nearly always followed that lead. ”

It’s fair to say nobody brags about the condition of old houses at the start of a renovation project. Sometimes, the need to renovate is glaringly obvious, as was the case with Humphrey House, at the time home to longtime faculty members John and Mercedes Taylor P’13, P’16. They loved the house, but walking across the floor in the family room above the kitchen made guests feel like they were on a sailing vessel: the floor was so wavy and sloping that the Taylors furnished it mostly with beanbag chairs because nothing else could stand up straight. John once wryly commented with a shrug, “You just get used to it.”

When Humphrey House was finally able to stand empty for a school year, what was revealed behind the walls was eye-opening. During the 2021/22 project, Tom suggested I go have a look around, and warned me about the missing floor in the kitchen/dining room. It turned out that in addition to being able to see straight down to the cellar floor, I could also look up and see the ridge pole in the attic, due to the fact that the first- and second-floor ceilings had to be removed to give work crews access to the weak and undersized structural timbers. To stabilize, strengthen, and level the wavy floors, the house needed to be fully gutted so we could secure it for its next hundred years. On this project, and so many others, Tom is quick to share a truism that he learned from a mentor in his earliest years as a carpenter: “There is a reason that they don’t build ’em like they used to . . ..”

The Parsonage was a recent acquisition with beautiful woodwork and moldings, dated bathrooms, and fireplaces big enough to lie down in. The heating system was archaic, the cellar took on water when it rained, the roof needed significant repair, and the garage was in shambles. Over roughly six months, our team replaced the heating system and refreshed the bathrooms. A top-to-bottom workover by a painting crew cleaned up the woodwork, and they made selective choices to add paint in certain rooms to brighten up the place. The chimneys were deemed unsafe to use, so we added a fireplace insert that ensures safety but has the ambiance of dancing flames thrown of burning logs. After Chuck moved in, he lived under an aging roof for one winter, and then this past summer we stripped off the asphalt shingles and installed wooden shakes on the side facing Old Main Street, recognizing the house’s prominent location, and the fact the wooden shingles would be a nice nod to history and add to curb appeal.

STEBBINS HOUSE

WHITMAN HOUSE

THE PARSONAGE WAS A RECENT ACQUISITION WITH BEAUTIFUL WOODWORK AND MOLDINGS . . .

. . . AND FIREPLACES BIG ENOUGH TO LIE DOWN IN.

An additional and important piece of that curb appeal is the landscaping and the population of thriving trees up and down the Street, as these are constantly in view when the carpenters are gone. Those who make Deerfield’s landscaping choices are asked to create plantings that are simple, in keeping with the village’s historic palette, yet not look too new, and perhaps have some seasonal variability, be weather-hardy, and easy to maintain. All this, while knowing that the tendency of plants is to grow and change shape. Brett Gewanter ’88 and Jodi Tanguay are two key players on the Grounds team who cultivate the landscape look that says “Welcome to Deerfield Academy and Historic Deerfield.”

This signature look and feel has been a focus of an extended conversation as we explored a Campus Landscape Master Plan that ultimately will guide our choices about the materials, species, form, and function of hardscape and landscape installations. The goal is to maintain a mix of sidewalks and fences, trees, shrubs and flowerbeds that work harmoniously to create comfortable and functional spaces, elicit memories of the past, while being hardy against the weather borne whims of a changing climate. Which sounds remarkably like the challenges that we face on the insides of the houses, too. //

THE PARSONAGE

“Edelman”

A Tête-à-Tête with Tim and Kristen McVaugh

Even as Deerfield’s peer schools move away from what in the past has been colloquially known as the “triple-threat model,” the Academy remains fortunate in its cadre of dedicated faculty members. Dave Fraser of the Communications Ofce recently sat down with longtime teachers Kristen and Tim McVaugh, who have lived in the dorm, coached at the varsity level, and been a constant presence in the classroom for well over a decade. Here’s what they said about the experience so far.

DF:

So tell me, how did the two of you come to Deerfield?

TIM:

I started in the fall of 2008 in a position that doesn’t exist anymore: as an athletics intern. A friend of mine from Bowdoin was working here, and I was playing professional hockey in Germany at the time, and he reached out to me and said, ‘If you’re ever interested in getting into teaching and coaching, you should take a look at Deerfield.’ I came back from playing over there, visited Deerfield and loved it— loved the people—and I was lucky enough to start that fall. And then Kristen came the following year.

KRISTEN:

I studied economics at Bowdoin, and was thinking about going into finance, but I happened to graduate right after the Great Recession occurred, so there weren’t a lot of opportunities in finance. And, ultimately, I love teaching; I had been working as an RA and TA at Bowdoin. Tim was here—we had already been dating for some time— and I ended up interviewing here.

/// Interview by Dave Fraser ///

Brent Hale

THE McVAUGH FAMILY

tête-à-tête

DF:

What intrigued you about working at Deerfield?

KRISTEN:

Well, on a personal level, my heart was here, but the challenge of working with young adults and synthesizing material and figuring out how to present it in an interesting way, I think that was the part of the job that was really exciting to me. I also played field hockey in college and was able to continue to coach field hockey and ice hockey and those types of things here. So, there were a lot of cool opportunities.

TIM:

And I think for me, the most intriguing thing was just to be able to do a lot of diferent things every single day. When I think about my first couple of years here: I was coaching three sports. I was doing student activities. I was helping out in Athletics, and I started teaching my second year, but it just felt like every single day was a little bit diferent. I could be out on the soccer field with kids in the afternoon and then see them in the dorm in the evening. And it just felt like such an opportunity to do so many diferent things every day.

DF:

What do you currently teach and coach?

TIM:

This year I’m teaching Honors US History; I taught regular US History for a long time, but this is my first year doing honors. I also teach a senior interdisciplinary elective called River and Rock with Sam Morris from the English Department; we’ve been teaching it in diferent forms for about six or seven years now. It’s just been a ton of fun to develop that curriculum. Some comes from my graduate thesis, which was on the Deerfield River, and his background in paddling and nature writing.

I think the value for Deerfield students is that they can see us live in a similar way . . . so when we’re telling them you’ve got to work hard in your classes and on the ice or on the field and show up to dinner on time and get your work done, they see us modeling that.

IDE (Interdisciplinary Studies-English) 400 * / RIVER AND ROCK

Here in the Pioneer Valley, the dark greens of late summer transition to a rich panoply of color as temperatures shift from hot and humid to crisp and cool. Come winter, cold and quiet dominate the New England landscape and creatures of all sorts scurry to hibernate. They sleep until the return of the sun, which arrives in spring to thaw ice to water and paints a gray world bright. Students in this cross-disciplinary, place-based course will experience these changes through outdoor excursions that lead them to contemplate their relationship to the natural world. Field study will offer the opportunity to practice the close observation required to successfully write about place, while classroom study of relevant historical context and such contemporary environmental writers as Robin Wall Kimmerer, Kathleen Moore, Kevin Fedarko, Terry Tempest Williams, and Cheryl Savageau will animate students’ understandings of both what they see and new ways of seeing. Over the course of the year, students will develop historical research and writing skills with the goal of composing a long-form braided essay that combines personal narrative with nature writing, research, and critical engagement with the readings from the term.

DF:

Tell me about the field trip that I saw the other day, and the fact that the kids can get out of the classroom.

TIM:

That is a big part of the class, and one of the reasons why we both teach it; we want to teach kids the basic skills of paddling and expose them to the Deerfield River, which as you know, flows right by our campus. Last week we took them up to Stillwater Bridge and paddled upriver to the last major rapid on the stretch from Bardwell’s Ferry to Stillwater. We take our kids out in canoes three or four times in the fall, and then probably two or three more times in the spring—weather dependent. The Deerfield’s a flashy river, and it floods pretty regularly; we just always have to be cognizant of the water levels. But it’s so much fun to see kids. We read a lot about rivers (in the class) and it’s so fun to get kids out on the water and see them doing their thing.

tête-à-tête

DF:

Kristen, tell me a little bit about what you teach and coach.

KRISTEN:

When I started my career, and up until 2021, I was in the Mathematics Department; I taught geometry up through calculus. In 2016, I took over the Economics course for Chip Davis when he became Dean of Admission. And I’ve been teaching Honors Economics since 2016, as well. In the past few years, with our kids being so young, I’ve just done economics. I also coach varsity field hockey, and I’m doing some Admission work in the winter, and have in the past coached JV girls ice hockey.

DF:

When you’re in the classroom, how do you approach teaching Economics?

KRISTEN:

I start class every day by asking, ‘What did you read about in the news?’ The most powerful part of the class is how do we take what we’re learning— a combination of disciplines including math, philosophy, psychology—and apply it to the world around you? Now we’re studying microeconomic theory, so we’re really getting into several diferent models and how they apply to current events. It’s a great class in the sense that it’s dynamic. It always changes because the economy is always changing, and the kids’ creativity and questions really fuel what we’re doing in the classroom.

DF:

And how do you approach coaching?

KRISTEN:

Some days with more grace and patience than others. I’m really competitive, and I think I try to instill that in my athletes, but also, my hope for the team’s foundation is a positive culture. We work hard at it, and I think success comes with that. We start every practice with a question of the day, and it can be something serious like who’s your athletic inspiration to are you a sweet or savory person? So just kind of getting to know one another a bit more. And then I run competitive, high-tempo drills that are game-like to prepare the kids for competition.

We start every practice with a question of the day, and it can be something serious like who’s your athletic inspiration to are you a sweet or savory person? So just kind of getting to know one another a bit more.

Tom

DF:

What’s your favorite part of what you do?

KRISTEN:

The students that we get to work with here are special—motivated, curious. And the athletes we work with are similar in the sense that they’re really driven; most of the kids we coach are really trying to play at the college level, which is inspiring and something we’re eager to support. And then, when I think of the adults in the community and the support system that we have here—the people here are special.

DF:

Same question for you, Tim: What do you coach and how do you approach it?

TIM:

I coach the boys varsity hockey team. And I think my approach is similar to Kristen’s; I try to leverage our ability to get to know kids away from the rink. I think if you can connect with players one on one, if you can develop a good relationship with them and they can develop strong relationships with their peers, then you’ve got a culture where kids want to get better. They push themselves without me having to scream and yell. As you coach every year, you learn diferent things: how to be more creative delivering messages in a way that’s going to resonate with players; every year you’ve got a diferent crop of players and the message and the way you deliver that message has to change. So that’s the fun part about coaching: figuring out what’s going to resonate with a particular group. Some years it’s, you know, a lot more pats on the back, and other years it’s a lot more kicks in the butt. It just depends on the group. My approach is to try to figure out what makes each kid tick and then what they need from me as a group.

DF:

Can you tell me about your family and what it’s like to live here?

TIM:

We have two boys, Liam, who’s five and a-half, and Brooks, who will be four in a little less than a month. We live just past Bement (School) on Main Street. What Kristen said earlier about the people is spot on. But I think you really realize how great the people are here once you have kids. We can walk anywhere on this campus with our kids, and students will come up and say hi to them when we walk into the Dining Hall. There are at least 20 students who come over and know our kids’ names, and invite them over to their table. Sometimes when I bring them to sit-down, they don’t even sit at my table; they sit with students that they like, or colleagues of ours that they really get to know. It’s a special place to teach and coach, sure, but it’s really eye-opening, in terms of how amazing this place is, when you’ve got little kids.

KRISTEN:

Yes! I think the students are incredible with our kids. The faculty are incredible with our kids. You know the saying ‘It takes a village?’ I think that is very true. And we really feel lucky to be raising our sons in this community. I think they live the life of kings here. They’re on the rink, skating. Then they’re in the field house. They’re in the Dining Hall having dessert after every meal.

TIM:

They’re both going to Deerfield Elementary School for the first time. So that’s been a transition for them—and for us—to have them away from Deerfield Academy. Daycare was great, but they’ve sort of outgrown it, so this is our first year in the Deerfield public school system. It’s been really, really good.

DF:

You see students in various ways throughout the day—in the Dining Hall, in the dorm, coaching, and in classrooms. What is that like? What’s the value in that for them?

TIM:

Well, I think back to my own educational experience in high school and even in college, where you feel like your teachers are just your teachers; you don’t really know them outside of school and same with your coaches. I think the value for Deerfield students is that they can see us live in a similar way that we’re asking them to, so when we’re telling them you’ve got to work hard in your classes and on the ice or on the field and show up to dinner on time and get your work done, they see us modeling that. I think there’s a lot of value in that for high school kids. Students find their adult on campus and emulate their behavior.

KRISTEN:

I think it also increases your empathy and understanding as an adult—trying to remember what it’s like to be a teenager. And to go through this rigorous academic environment. When I’m in the classroom and then I see kids on the field and they might be having an of day, and then I go into the dorm that night and they’re having an of day because they didn’t get enough sleep because they had ten assignments or, you know, something else happened in their lives. I think it helps us support them better when we have a greater understanding of what they’re going through. And I think Deerfield’s high-engagement model enables us to do that.

DF:

Why have you chosen to stay at Deerfield?

TIM:

That’s a great question. We are invested in this community in so many diferent ways. And I think that’s what motivates us. Our best friends work here. Our kids are growing up here. As I said earlier about coaching, the same is true for teaching—the students change every year, so I never feel like I’m doing the same thing twice. I might be teaching the same course year after year, but the students change. The facilities are unbelievable, but I think the people are most important. It’s the time we’ve spent here; it feels like it’s gone by so fast because I don’t feel like I’m just showing up to work and doing the same thing I did last year.

KRISTEN:

There’s great history here for us. We got married here in 2015, right outside of the alumni and development house (Ephraim Williams). That’s a special memory, and probably my favorite place on campus. And we’re raising two kids here, so I would echo what Tim said about why we’ve stayed here. I think the other piece I’d add is the alumni connections. One of my favorite things about the job is when I hear from alums who are either using math or economics in their daily lives or just want to check in and reminisce about their Deerfield Experience. I think it shows that the people we’ve taught stay committed to this community after they graduate. It’s inspiring for me as a teacher to think about this—our role and impact.

Courtesy of Tim and Kristen

DF:

You’re with these young people at a truly formative time in their lives. How much do you think about that on a day-to-day basis?

TIM:

I think it’s hard to think about that when you’re in it. Where it really hits home is when you show up to Reunions and you talk to somebody you taught five or ten years earlier and they still remember things from your class and say how much it influenced them. On a daily basis, you’re just trying to make sure that the students are getting the best experience possible in the classroom and on the ice and in the dorm, and at the Dining Hall— those things. It’s humbling to know that you’re part of a kid’s development, for sure. But I always feel like it really is a team efort here. We all pitch in and everybody who works here is here because they want to be part of kids’ development.

DF:

Tim, Kristen already said what her favorite place is on campus; what’s yours?

TIM:

I would echo what Kristen said, and I would add the River. The guy who drove the Zamboni, Jim Antone, worked here for a long, long time, and I got to know him well. He showed me the Deerfield River, and I totally fell in love with that body of water. We did Kristen’s 30th birthday whitewater rafting in the upper stretches, and when I went to graduate school at Boulder, I wrote my master’s thesis on the history of the Deerfield River.

DF:

That’s it for my questions. Is there anything you’d like to add?

TIM:

I didn’t get a chance to say just how grateful I am—I think we both are—for the mentors that we had here early on in our careers. For me, it was Joe Lyons. He and I came to Deerfield the same year, but he was the one who really taught me how to teach. Brendan Creagh taught me how to coach. And Karinne Heise was the person in charge of young faculty when we started. Kristen and I were the only two teaching fellows at one point, so we would sit on her couch and just talk for a long time; Karinne spent so much time with the two of us.

KRISTEN:

The adults in this community are tremendous, and I think we’re really lucky to work alongside and learn from such incredible mentors. I was mentored by Sheryl Koyama, who is tremendous, but also with Katie Calhoun and Sean Keller and other members of the math department eagerly stepping in to help me. And then just to work with Andy Harcourt as a JV girls hockey coach—I learned a lot from him. And Katie on the sidelines at field hockey. I learn a lot from Ellie Bicknell every day. The History and Social Science Department alone is super collaborative and supportive. And then, of course, Chip Davis, in terms of passing Econ of to me. It’s been a really good experience. //

SOCIAL SOUND OFF

“What’s your favorite memory of Mr. or Mrs. McVaugh?”

the Common Room

front, l to r: Charles Puttkammer, Eric Widmer ’57 H’54, Peg Bull (Sherm’s wife), Sally Goodrich (Hoyt’s wife), Zeke Knight, Glenn Dorr, Guy Kaldis middle, l to r: Cordie Puttkammer (Charles’ wife), Meera Viswanathan (Eric’s wife), Sherm Bull, Hoyt Goodrich, Ellen Knight (Zeke’s wife) back, l to r: David Pond H’54, Manning Curtis H’54,’71, Sam Chase, Whit Evans

1945

James Wood ’45 passed away peacefully with family in Montana at age 97.

1954

Sam Chase and Zeke Knight reflected on last spring’s Reunion: “On a picture-perfect New England weekend in June, members of the Great Class of 1954 headed to Deerfield to celebrate our 70th Reunion. Nine class members, spouses, and our three Honorary Classmates (Eric Widmer and Meera, David Pond and Nancy, Manning Curtis and Margarita) joined together for a weekend of reconnecting friendships, learning, and looking toward our futures. The Academy hosted learning lectures, class meetings, and delicious evening gatherings under the Great Tent. Additionally, we all enjoyed a private luncheon held in the von Auersperg Gallery where Toby Emerson, the 1954 Environmental Science Chair, reported on the incredible growth of the environmental science program at Deerfield, applauding our investment twenty years ago.

After lunch, we attended Charlie Puttkammer’s (and wife Cordie’s) session on the Petey Greene Program. Charlie developed this program to provide high-quality academic programs for people currently and formerly incarcerated in their journey to adapt to civilian life (after incarceration). The program is operational in seven states and the District of Columbia. It is based on college students ofering tutoring programs.

During our class meeting, Sam introduced Glenn “Bud” Dorr, who talked about his acrylic artwork prominently displayed around the classroom. Glenn gifted us with packets of cards made from his artwork. Glenn’s passionate description of his hobby was the springboard for others to tell of their hobbies and, in our sunset years, what was important in our lives.

Though small in number, we were mighty in joy, spirit, and love, evidenced by our nightly “happy hours” held in the Simmons Dormitory common room, which fittingly included our beverage of choice from the Deerfield Ranch Winery (courtesy of classmate Whit Evans).

As our class continued to dwindle in number, we remembered with laughter, tears, and prayer those who were unable to attend the reunion and those who had gone before us. As we sang our final Evensong, we relished in the new memories created knowing that we would again meet one day to raise our voices to Deerfield Academy.”

1955

Michael Godfrey wrote: “To my surprise, I was contacted by a person at Caltech who (I was there to learn science) contacted me and asked for an interview (why me??). If anyone is interested in how I spent my time there, the URL is heritageproject.caltech.edu/ interviews/michael-godfrey

Since then, I have done other things. My wife Ils and I now live in London, which has been our home for many years, of and on. My last contact with the US was as a faculty member in the Information Systems Lab at Stanford, which was fun while it lasted. All best wishes.”

1957

Bill Couser and Pete Moller had their first opportunity to get together in person since they graduated from Deerfield in 1957. Both were from small towns in rural northern New England (Pete: Tunbridge, VT; Bill: Lebanon, NH), roommates during 1955-57, and best friends. In fact, Bill and Pete were the only two members of the class of 1957 assigned to live together for both junior and senior years because of the quality of their relationship. After Deerfield, Peter went to Duke, where he had a distinguished athletic record in basketball, soccer, and baseball, followed by a career as an executive at US Steel in Pittsburgh. He retired to Durham, NC, where he continues serving Duke as a guide to the campus and athletic facilities. Bill went to Harvard and then Dartmouth and Harvard Medical Schools. He retired in 2004 as the Scribner Professor and Head of the Division of Nephrology at the University of Washington in Seattle and has since been involved in many outreach programs for kidney patients in developing countries. The two days together were mostly consumed reviewing Deerfield days—the place, the people, and the experiences. It was a time warp, but it felt like yesterday!

Bill Couser and Pete Moller had their first opportunity to get together in person since they graduated from Deerfield in 1957.

INTRODUCING THE DEERFIELD FUND

Annual giving powers virtually every facet of Deerfield life: comprehensive financial aid, a dedicated faculty, wide-ranging arts programs, travel opportunities, athletics, sit-down meals, dorm snacks, and more.

So it’s time, we thought, for what we’ve long called the Annual Fund to reintroduce itself to our community and to do so with a new name that better reflects its key purpose. Introducing, the Deerfield Fund.

FRED CLARK '29 P'67 G'94,'96

TOM CLARK '67 P'94,'96 G'27

BETSEY (CLARK) DICKSON '94 P'27

BEN CLARK '96

AMELIA DICKSON '27

DEERFIELD TO THE CORE.

Four generations of the Clark family have been part of the Deerfield community. Learn from current Trustee Ben Clark ’96 about his family’s enduring relationship with the Academy, and why he is proud to support the Deerfield Fund.

1961

George and Judy Carmany hosted Bob and Merry Murray on their boat for an evening cruise on Quantuck Bay in Westhampton. Everyone had a good time.

“Our family gathered in West Palm Beach for Samantha Chai’s March wedding. It was two years in the planning, mostly by Sammy from her home and work in India while Dave Hallisey, a fellow Princetonian, contributed from New York. Besides the happy occasion itself, the Deerfield presence was in full force: Catherine Poor ’97, Madeleine Chai ’17, Samantha Chai ’15, Tom Poor ’61, and Morgan Poor ’95.” Tom Poor ’61

Tony Phipps provided this quick update: “We’ve moved to Castle Rock to be nearer to our four grandchildren. We golf twice a week. We’re taking a trip to Nairobi to visit my daughter, Verena, who works for the World Bank. We’re managing our own stock investments. If you-know who gets elected, we’re moving to Portugal (we’re checking out real estate there in September).

1963

The sad news of the passing of Luke Terry was shared: Luther “Luke” Leonidas Terry, Jr. of Vero Beach, FL, passed away in his home on Saturday, August 3, surrounded by his family and the constant eye of the family labrador Kensington. Born March 2, 1945, in Baltimore, MD, he was the second of three children of Luther L. Terry and Janet (Reynolds) Terry. He grew up in Rockville, MD, and followed his cousin Richard Timms to Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, where he played football and baseball and made lifelong friends. He would attend Trinity College in Hartford, CT, class of ’67, where he earned a BA in History, played football and lacrosse, and was a Alpha Delta Phi fraternity member. He would later serve Deerfield and Trinity as a proud member of their Boards of Trustees.

During his first year at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he would later earn his MBA, Luke enlisted in the US Army. After receiving an ofcer’s commission, he tackled and completed several of the Army’s most arduous schools: Airborne, Ranger, and the Special Forces Qualification Course, earning a Green Beret. Initially stationed in Bad Tolz, West Germany, he deployed numerous times throughout Europe. Returning to the USA, he continued to serve in the Army Reserves. Later, as a Major, when his career took him to London, the Army asked him to serve

“My Deerfield education has influenced and enriched all aspects of my life. I am delighted to see the school flourishing and preparing new generations for leadership in this complex world, and I wanted to show my gratitude.”

— Reed Simmons ’63 Pictured here with his daughter Kristin ’08 at Reunions 2023 (his 60 th , her 15 th ).

Reed Simmons ’63 chose to fund a Deerfield Charitable Gift Annuity, using a tax-free Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from his retirement account. The annuity will provide him with guaranteed lifetime payments at a fixed (age-based) rate of 7.8%, with the residual upon his death going to support those future generations of leaders at Deerfield.

For more information

deerfield.gifplans.org or call 413-774-1584 to speak with a friendly staf member.

top: Curtis Church, his wife, Elizabeth Karp; Robert Beavers, his wife, Ute Aurand; and Teri Towe gathered for dinner at Due Restaurant on Third Avenue. middle: Teri Towe and James Ackerly ’67 bottom: Teri Towe and Brooks Goddard ’59 at 2024 Reunion Weekend under the tent.

as a liaison ofcer with the British Para Regiment. Among his many awards and decorations, he was most proud of his Master Parachute Wings and his Ranger and Special Forces tabs. Decorations included the Soldiers Medal (our country’s highest valor award in peacetime), the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal. Other awards included British, German, and French jump wings. Upon returning to Philadelphia from Germany, Luke finished his MBA and joined White, Weld & Co, which became the First Boston Corporation, CSFirst Boston, CSFB, and Credit Suisse. Luke started out in the Fixed Income Department, working in New York, Philadelphia, London, and Singapore. When he returned to London, the place he considered home for many years, his retiring boss put him in charge of the firm’s move to Canary Wharf. He would spend the rest of his career as Managing Director heading the Corporate Services Department. Whilst moving the firm’s NY headquarters to Eleven Madison Avenue, he met his wife, Belinda Walker, and they returned to his home in London in 1997, welcoming their son, Luther L. Terry III, in 2000. After the events of September 11, Luke and his family returned to the United States and moved to Bedford Hills, NY, where they would remain until his retirement. They subsequently relocated to the John’s Island Community in Vero Beach.

Luke is predeceased by his brother, Michael Durham Terry, and their parents, Luther L. Terry, MD, and Beryl (Janet) Reynolds Terry. Luke is survived by his devoted wife Belinda, son Luther III, his sister Janet Terry Kollock, brother-in-law David P. Kollock, sister-in-law Joan B. Terry, nephews Alexander Kollock and Luther D. Terry, Nieces Paige T. Kollock and Agnes T. Quiggle, three great nephews Murphy & Leonidas Quiggle and Alexander Fakih, two great nieces Madeleine Kollock and Sophie T. Fakih, and Remedy’s Longpine Lady Kensington (Kensie).

1966

Teri Towe shared several updates from his travels and Deerfield meet-ups: “On August 10, James Ackerly ’67 and I met in Norfolk, CT, for supper and then a concert of Baroque music at the Norfolk Summer Music Festival. Jim and I agreed that this was the first time we had seen each other since May of 1966!” (lef middle)

1967

William Howe shared his unexpected life journey: “It was about two years ago that I called Deerfield classmates and asked for possible assistance for the Stokes Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to ofering a boarding school experience for inner-city students who might never have the opportunity to attend a boarding school. Founded by Ray Walker ’92 and steeped in much of what both Ray and I had known at Deerfield, the Stokes Foundation was named in honor of Ray’s classmate, J. J. Stokes, an African American student who drowned as a junior but was awarded his degree posthumously.

During my calling sessions, I had the privilege of talking at some length with another Ray, Dr. Ray Wolejko, whom I had known reasonably well when he was an exemplary student at the Academy and who went on to Harvard and a successful career as a doctor. Before we ended the session, Ray said to me, “Bill, I have to ask you this: When you were a student you seemed unhappy with your experience at Deerfield. What made you change your perspective?”

Great question, and there is much truth in what Ray said. While at the Academy (Ray and I were both day students), I bristled at times at what seemed like inordinate constraints and restrictions. The Bank,” here some of us (not Ray) went to have a smoke (even through heavy snow drifts), was a welcome retreat where likeminded students—mild rebels with or without causes—would go to escape the rigors of Deerfield life. As I recall our song was the Animals’ hit “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.” On the weekends, of course, I was free to do what I wanted—attend local dances, go to ski areas around New England, play golf or caddy when the local course was open, watch TV incessantly, watch movies at “Drive-In” facilities, and take the car as far away as Boston, the Connecticut shore, and much of New England. To be sure, I was, in many ways, a teenager trying to find himself, even as Deerfield was magically rubbing of on me and leaving a lasting influence.

That influence was profound, to say the least. I went on to work as a teacher and administrator in boarding schools here in the United States and in Europe; read all of the letters of Frank Boyden at Amherst College, Foxborough, MA Library, and the Academy itself; immersed myself in boarding school histories and biographies of notable “headmasters”; and studied much about boarding schools while a graduate student in Education at Harvard and Stanford. More broadly, I embraced the notion of “the whole person” and of a holistic education that addressed the intellectual, social, emotional, physical, moral/ethical, aesthetic, and, in a loose sense, spiritual growth of students. Perhaps even more broadly, I spent decades developing an increasingly strong commitment to the interconnectedness of everything—disciplines, knowledge domains, multiple intelligences, people around the globe, past and present and future, and even “entangled” particles separated by immense distances. “Everything exists everywhere at all times and in all ways”—the Sarvastivadin conclusion that I have accepted as integral to my life’s subsequent journey. Despite many teenage challenges at that time, I firmly believe that my experience at Deerfield provided much of the ground for that journey.

Speaking of ground, it was in the early 1980s, well over a decade after my student days at Deerfield, when I discovered that several of my ancestors, among the founders of the town, were buried in the old colonial cemetery at the end of Albany Road—the ground upon which I often walked as a student and where Phil Charon, Latin I teacher, asked us to do gravestone rubbings. I’m guessing that, like me, my uncle, a graduate of the Class of 1943, had no idea his ancestors were interred in that ground. In any case, I was pleased to discover that I had ancestral connections to the Town

of Deerfield that went clear back to the 1600s. Deerfield was becoming a place beyond time for me, and, given the lessons I took with me to European schools, it was beyond place.

I honestly did not get to know Frank Boyden during my student days, even though I walked by him many times each day as he sat at his desk in the Main Building’s hallway. But I seem to have come to know him reasonably well since that time and to have incorporated his holistic approach to education and life. To be sure, the “little man” had a big, expansive spirit that was infectious over time, even to a somewhat recalcitrant student such as I was in the 1960s. Though I did not come from the nearby farm fields like the reluctant student Tom Ashley, I seem to have been transformed in a similar way by Boyden’s Deerfield education.

Over the years, I have given modestly to the Academy. As an educator, my resources have been limited. But my desire to give seems to have increased since I graduated 57 years ago, such that now I am eager to help in any way I can—small contributions, I’m afraid, but maybe more substantial assistance as a class representative or otherwise. I hope that the class of ’67 could ramp up its contributions—whatever they may be—and participation rate and make it exemplary among all Deerfield classes. Please consider what Deerfield has meant to you across time and place and how it has helped you forge connections, both personal and otherwise, that have been integral to your life’s journey.

Ray Wolejko, you forced me to look at myself: I was a somewhat rebellious, confused student in the tumultuous 1960s and gladly sang “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” with some classmates then. But Deerfield has a special way of rubbing of on one, as it certainly did on me. I can only surmise that my distant ancestors— Stebbins, Allens, and others—buried there 300 years ago may have been guiding me on my journey to a fuller understanding of myself and a fuller appreciation of the town and the Academy.

1968

Robert Hansmann shared this fun update: “Retirement was boring, so I moved to Vermont and started a business, Prospect Street Writers House. We’re a 12-bedroom writers’ residency in North Bennington. Our third operational summer just ended, and we broke even. Writers of all genres at all stages of their writing lives are welcome for one- or two-week residencies all year round. Busy is good.” (lef)

1970

“We were taking care of two of our grandchildren while their parents were in Mexico for a week. They got the idea (probably from the five-year-old reading Tintin) to stage a strike. Grandparents were being unfair by not giving them Oreos! They started of with cardboard signs, which we taped to them but kept falling of. Maria had the great idea to use our Deerfield 50th Reunion hangers with typed strike messages and their demands for large amounts of money. The grandparents organized a counter-protest, (see lef) but needless to say, the strikers summarily rejected their demands.”

—Dan Read

1973

Noel Rubinton wrote he was part of a great Deerfield contingent at the July 13 celebration of the life of Nancy Hodermarsky, held on Deer Isle, ME. Nancy, the wife of beloved Deerfield art teacher Dan Hodermarsky, died at age 98 in December 2023. Nancy was a teacher, poet, and lawyer, and she greatly influenced many Deerfield students when she lived on campus and even into her later years. Dan died in 1999 and was also remembered during the evening as speakers talked about Nancy and Dan with tremendous afection. Their daughters, Lisa and Maria, organized the gathering of around 100 family, neighbors, and friends from the island and around the country. Other Deerfield friends attending included Ben Binswanger ’78, Josh Binswanger ’80, Morgan Binswanger ’84, Paul Demakis ’71, Arthur Hardigg ’83, Kevin McNamara ’70, and David Weller ’70.

Great gathering of 77s in South Carolina last weekend celebrating turning 65! Carl Rianhad, Jamie McPhearson, Peter Heymann, Scott Halsted, Jack Bohman, Clay Green, Ben Pierce, Barnes Darwin. Many Deerfield tales were exchanged.

1977

Matt King shared the news of his retirement: “After 40 years of government service, I retired this summer! From a Naval Aviator in the US Marines after Wesleyan University to DOJ as a trial attorney, to US Customs/Homeland Security Investigations as a Special Agent, and then at the Department of Homeland Security as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Law Enforcement Policy, it was time. Along the way, I received the DHS Gold Medal for actions in Panama intercepting Russian weapons headed to North Korea, made the largest undercover seizure of Chinese automatic weapons in US history, led a team of agents into Haiti after the earthquake in 2010, received two silver medals for other law enforcement issues, and upon retirement, was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal— the highest award DHS bestows. As a famous predecessor once said, ‘First 40 years for God and Country—now I am a mercenary!’ I now look forward to my daughter Isabelle’s wedding next spring and some lazy flyfishing!”

ART DWIGHT ENVIRONMENTALIST

/// by Emily Gold Boutilier ///

’79

On Day 4, the weather was terrible, a raw 35 degrees. Thunder cracked. Rain poured.

“I couldn’t feel my hands,” says Art Dwight ’79. “But I was so motivated.”

Three days earlier, Art had set out on the Appalachian Trail. Starting with the Pennsylvania stretch, he’d hiked 78 miles, a marathon a day.

A former marathon runner and a Marine Corps veteran, Art brought plenty of training and experience to the moment, having hiked the same trail—all 2,197 miles between Maine and Georgia—six years earlier.

In the bitter rain, Art kept a steady clip as he jumped from rock to rock—Pennsylvania is notoriously rocky— until it happened: His foot slipped on a wet, flat, slanted rock. His knee went to the side.

“Oh,” he thought, “this isn’t good.” Art was not hiking for the sake of hiking. Rather, he’d embarked on the trip to demonstrate the power of individual actions to combat climate change. He hoped to raise enough money on his hike to plant 101 million trees, at a cost of $1 a tree. In doing so, he hoped to show people “that we have almost unimaginable power to solve this if we start working together.”

Throughout his adult life, Art says, he’s watched with increasing alarm the effects of climate change: hurricanes, floods, melting icebergs, extreme heat. Leaning on his background in leadership development, he understood that the scale of the crisis can feel paralyzing. “There is also a malaise: people think it’s too late,” he says. “But

there is so much we can do. I wanted to give people an opportunity to do something.”

Courtesy of Art Dwight

Art Dwight’s 101MILLIONTREES website

Determined to hike through the pain in his knee, Art finished 26 miles that day in early April, and the next, and the next. He kept going—first to the bottom of Pennsylvania, then to the bottom of Maryland. Over 10 days, he hiked 270 miles.

“But my knee continued to bother me,” he says. “By the time I got to Harper’s Ferry— the easiest section on the entire trail—my other knee was starting to hurt me too. I thought, ‘I’m going to have to call it.’”

Art knew he’d given it everything he had. But he was discouraged: he’d wanted to finish up strong.

Artie, finish up strong, finish up strong. Art grew up hearing that advice from his father, Donald Dwight ’49, former lieutenant governor of Massachusetts. When Art arrived at Deerfield, he realized his father had learned those words from headmaster Frank L. Boyden, who always encouraged students to “finish up strong, finish up strong.”

At age 11, Art went hiking on the Appalachian Trail with his father. “He said to me, ‘Artie, this trail goes north to Maine and south to Georgia.’ I was wowed.” In that moment, Art knew he would hike it all someday.

After Deerfield, the Marines, and Hobart College, Art entered the newspaper business. He rose to become publisher of a weekly newspaper group owned by the Washington Post Co. He met his wife, Raquel Bono, whose career as a U.S. Navy ofcer meant they moved frequently —14 times in 20 years. “I couldn’t take the newspapers with me,” Art says, “and at that point we had three young girls. So, I transitioned to my primary role of taking care of our daughters, because that’s what they needed.”

Art went on to have a second career in leadership development at the University of Maryland. “This was my passion,” he says. “I loved helping people to be successful.” During this period, at age 57, he told his wife he wanted to take time away from work to hike the trail. “She thought I was insane, but she got behind it,” he says. He did the hike in 2018, averaging 17 miles per day.

People

contributed 13,500

trees

That’s 648,000 pounds of future carbon pulled from the atmosphere.

Throughout his adult life, Art says, he’s watched with increasing alarm the efects of climate change: hurricanes, floods, melting icebergs, extreme heat. Leaning on his background in leadership development, he understood that the scale of the crisis can feel paralyzing. “There is also a malaise: people think it’s too late,” he says. “But there is so much we can do. I wanted to give people an opportunity to do something.”

That’s why he decided to hike the trail again, this time in support of One Tree Planted, a Vermont-based charity that plants trees around the world. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, a single mature tree can absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. “And even if someone isn’t concerned about the climate,” Art says, “we still need to reforest all of these places that have been burned by the wildfires.” Art set a personal fundraising goal of $101 million, or 101 million trees.

In partnering with One Tree Planted, he had a broader goal, too: “I wanted to help bring people together. With all the division we’re facing, it’s important to have a shared challenge. Studies show 70% of people in the United States believe climate change is real and that it’s a real threat. And it’s hard to get 70% of people to agree on anything.”

Art created a website. He logged 400 training miles. In late March, he began the hike. “People contributed 13,500 trees,” he says. “That’s 648,000 pounds of future carbon pulled from the atmosphere.”

But then his boot met the slippery rock in Pennsylvania. Art says he felt like a racecar driver who’d hit the wall on the first turn. “I didn’t want to leave it that way,” he says.

By early May, his knee healing well, a new idea came into focus. Two of his daughters were training for the Richmond, VA, marathon on Nov. 16. What if he revised his goal—to 101,000 trees planted —and ran the marathon too, as a closing chapter to his campaign?

He saw this individual action as one way to highlight the value of other individual actions. For example, he says: “Reusable bags can reduce or eliminate the 5 trillion single-use plastic bags we waste annually. Replacing paper towels with reusable cloth can save 18 million trees annually. And in America alone, we could save 32 million trees each year by using our reusable cofee cups. We can have the power to transform industry and reduce emissions if we start making diferent choices.”

He decided train for the marathon. Lacing up his sneakers, he heard the voices of his father and Frank Boyden in his head: Artie, finish up strong, finish up strong. He ran. //

1981

David Sweet and John Bradshaw enjoyed playing golf with their wives, Tricia and Irene, and stayed for dinner afterward on Chicago’s North Shore.

1982

Geof Tolsdorf shared that his second novel, Not All Bodies Stay Buried, was published this past spring. His first novel, Starbuck, Nantucket Redemption—was a category bestseller. His third novel is scheduled for publication in early 2025.

1983

Doug Schmidt shared several updates: “While in Dallas meeting up with a bunch of immunologists, I was able to take a break and catch up with Jon Bernstein—has it been 25+ years?! John is the big boss at American Airlines Cargo and has traveled the world over the last 28 years with AA, his 3 kids, and a wife. It was so much fun to catch up and hear all the stories!” (Schmidt4)

Next, he was able to catch two of the busiest people in our class for a celebratory dinner on the Upper West Side in Manhattan— Chris Flagg and PB Weymouth. Chris is doing real estate deals, and PB is working on private and public deals in defense, technology, and other sectors. Their kids relaunched except for PB’s youngest, who is at Yale. Doug adds, “We celebrated a milestone in my business that may be announced in the coming weeks. If anyone is coming through NYC, please drop in to say hello!” (Schmidt3)

Doug Schmidt wrote “The universe is calling . . . ran into Whit Armstrong and we were able to grab dinner and catch up during quite a torrential downpour on the Upper West Side. When not chasing after his nine-year-old boy, Whit is back spending his days sketching with charcoal and graphite—impressive work if one is looking for art to adorn any walls. We reminisced (and had a few chuckles) about Tim Engelland and Hodo. Good times.” (Schmidt2)

While Doug was waiting in New Haven, CT, for his crazy good garlic and clam pizza at Pepe’s, John Ehmann ’83 walked in the door to meet some of his friends. Doug was only there for one hour, so it was clearly meant to be. It was wonderful to see each other, and John’s doing great selling plastic polymer film to healthcare companies. (Schmidt1)

Chris Lynch reported from the concluded US Open tennis championship: “Had a great visit from Johannes, Angelique, and Sebastian Mortier to NYC. We had two days at the US Open to watch some amazing tennis.”

John Cianciolo and John Knight hosted Jim Wareck (right) for lunch at Matunuck Oyster Bar on the south coast of Rhode Island to wish him well as he heads back to Boise State in Idaho to teach. Local oysters were enjoyed, and hopes and dreams were shared, all with an undertone of hilarity.

Correspondents from the class (thanks, Sean Nottage)—and even two others unrelated to DA—have been flooding the blog with pictures of the ongoing renovations (currently demolition) at the Dining Hall.

Bubbles have been removed to be rebuilt larger, and the entire kitchen will get a much-needed remake. The shepherd’s pie will taste that much better, and the buffalo chicken sandwiches will continue to win praise.

1986

Larry Biondo retired from a career with NYPD, and he is now head hockey coach and an English teacher at Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

1988

The Class of 1988 gathered in Boston: Gordie Spater, Chuck Ramsay, Seth Brennan, Peter Hyde, Biria St. John, Gary Gauch, and Andy Abraham. Scott Samuels was there but missed out on the photo.

1993

Kimberly Capello shared a fun update below: (photo submitted with permission from family)

Doug Cruikshank was minding his business at work today when Peter Pauley walked in! Remarkably, they remembered to take a picture!

“I have the best job in the world as a Certified Nurse Midwife/ Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. My job is even more rewarding because I work with one of the best OB/GYN doctors I have ever met: Dr. Richard Rubin ’82. We work at Concord OB/GYN Associates in Concord, MA, delivering babies at Emerson Hospital, taking care of women of all ages, and promoting women’s reproductive rights and empowerment. The hours are long but worth it. This is Rick and I delivering twins one early morning.”

—Kimberly Capello ’93

/// by Emily Boutilier ///

Powering through homework sets in their Deerfield dorm room, classmates Sarah Michler and Caroline Witmer often talked of doing something together one day. When a Nantucket chocolate shop beloved to both closed its doors a decade later, they sensed an opportunity. “Growing up, Caroline and I loved visiting Sweet Inspirations, and when it closed in 2019, an idea began to coalesce,” Michler recalls. “We missed the shop—it was adorable—and we wanted to bring chocolate back to the island.” The pair began kicking around ideas, and in 2023, they decided to act, launching The Tuck Shop, an online store that nurtures nostalgia through handcrafted chocolates.

While such a venture might seem like an odd choice for women trained in economics and anthropology, the young mothers say they both needed a change. Michler was working in production, helping to produce ads for brands such as Gatorade, Apple, and Google as well as co-producing a feature film for Lionsgate. Witmer was working in finance, leveraging degrees in economics and business. She had recently left her job in private equity and was independently assisting female founders seeking funding for their consumer products. “I spent every week talking to a dozen

’08

SARAH MICHLER & CAROLINE WITMER

CHOCOLATIERS /

TUCK SHOP

or so women who were passionate about creating a product, and it inspired me,” she recalls. “Simultaneously, Sarah kept bringing up the idea of a chocolate venture and said, ‘Let’s try it.’”

The two hit the ground running, choosing Colombian-sourced cocoa and a Brooklyn chocolatier to help them realize their vision of creating exquisite chocolates that conjure sweet memories of cherished places. Not surprisingly, the shop’s initial ofering sprang from the site of its inspiration: Nantucket. They followed that selection with New York, the city the founders call home; a third, Los Angeles, where Michler and her film director husband spend a lot of time, was followed by a recently-launched winter collection.

The Tuck Shop ofers chocolates in packages of three 100-gram bars for $42. “Each collection includes three bars: a 70 percent dark chocolate, a 40 percent milk chocolate, and a signature flavor that’s a hat tip to a place we both know well,” explains Witmer. Michler elaborates. “Nantucket inspired this venture, so our first collection was centered there and features a signature flavor that’s 55 percent dark chocolate with cranberries, as everyone associates the island with cranberry bogs. Our New York pack contains

Courtesy of TUCK SHOP

NANTUCKET

55 percent dark chocolate with pretzels and 55 percent dark chocolate with cofee because those flavors are so quintessentially New York.” The two created a 55 percent dark chocolate with mint for the Los Angeles pack. “Mint is very fresh,” says Sarah. The pair also offer Peppermint Bark as a seasonal special. “It’s definitely a crowd-pleaser,” says Witmer with a smile.

Nor does the nod to nostalgia end with the flavors; each bar is wrapped in a whimsical toile adorned with iconic images from the featured locale—for Nantucket, the Brandt Point Lighthouse and hydrangeas, and for New York, taxi cabs, street carts, and more.

Customized bars are also available, with text and imagery tailored to a specific brand or event. These personalized orders have proved particularly popular and make up nearly 40 percent of the shop’s business. “We get lots of repeat business, often from people who have never even tasted the chocolate,” says Witmer. “They place custom orders to celebrate weddings, business launches, and the holidays.”

Witmer notes that these customized treats also provide the business with valuable marketing opportunities. “We’re bootstrapping the business, so we rely heavily on social media and word of mouth, and the custom bars draw a lot of attention. We’ve also partnered with several sensational iconic brands that mirror our commitment to quality such as Maman, Vogue, J. Crew, and luxury hotels like Blackberry Farm, White Elephant, and The Peninsula, which has ofered us tremendous opportunities to raise brand awareness.” Pop-ups have also proven to be valuable vehicles for publicity, adds Michler.

Building a business is demanding work, the two concede, but it is joyful. “For me, running a small business amounts to a ton of little decisions you make every day,” says Sarah. “It’s challenging, but I love the range of individuals I get to work with regularly. And the chance to work together is one both women cherish. “I could never do this without a partner,” insists Witmer. “Sarah has unbelievable grit and optimism; her positivity has gotten us through many tough spots.” Michler concurs. “We both feel so incredibly lucky that we have this business and partnership,” she enthuses. “Caroline has such a good head for business.”

The two credit Deerfield for bringing them together and giving them the tools to succeed. “We formed our friendship and solidified our work ethic there, surrounded by exceptionally capable people with good values,” says Witmer. “We were all there to work—it’s as though we absorbed excellence through osmosis. Sarah and I always sat together and did homework; we shared a ‘work hard, play hard’ philosophy, which fostered the friendship we enjoy today.” Sarah nods vigorously in agreement. “We share that philosophy, and we laugh so much together— it’s really important to find humor in challenging situations when running a business.”

Deerfield also instilled a critical sense of self-confidence, and the partners continued. “We both played sports, which nurtured our confidence, and we developed close bonds with our fellow students,” says Witmer. “The relationships I built at Deerfield—on the playing field, in the classroom, in the dorms—really stand out in my mind. We learned the power of teamwork, camaraderie, and friendship.” Michler agrees. “I think it’s safe to say that for both of us, our closest friends today are people we met at Deerfield—we grew up together,” she says.

“During our time at Deerfield, there was an attitude of ‘we’re all in this together’ that pushed everyone to the next level,” concludes Witmer. “It didn’t matter where you were from; everyone just wanted to know, ‘What do you bring to the table?’ We all learned and grew together and developed a sense of confidence that has carried both of us through many challenges, including launching a business as young mothers. Since our days together at Deerfield, Sarah and I have wanted to do something together. With The Tuck Shop, we’ve realized that dream.” //

1993 cont.

Andres Roig ’93, Claudia Roig, Samantha Walrond ’95 and Kelly Turner ’93 (lef) met up in Miami for a hilarious theatrical performance at the Historic Lyric Theater in Overtown. Andres and Sam hadn’t seen each other since high school!

2001

Julia Baltz and Nathaniel Jellinek were married in Southern Vermont on August 3, 2024. Star Gibbs ’99 ofciated the ceremony, and Ruth (Martin) Curry ’01 and Joe Baltz ’01 were in attendance. (bottom lef)

2020

Ethan Chen ’20 (below) graduated from Dartmouth in spring 2024. After being named one of the 2024 Dartmouth College valedictorians, Ethan traveled to Asia with friends for a month. June 9 was a memorable (and stormy—as you can see from the rain drops in the photo.) Commencement Day!

'12

Alaina (Belanger) Lotsbom and Christopher Lotsbom celebrated their wedding in Western Massachusetts on August 12, 2023. Over a dozen Deerfield alumni joined the celebrations from the Classes of 1967, 1996, 2000, 2009, and 2012.

Alexia (Baker) Bufin ’19 shared some photos from her July wedding. She was joined by some of her lifelong friends and fellow DA alumni.

lef to right: Jasmine Baker ’22, Khalyse Benjamin ’21, Chenelle Jones ’19, Alexia Bufin (Baker) ’19, Jennifer Brown ’19, Athalie Bastien ’18, Wilona Wiafe ’21

Pictured

Mariah Kennedy Cuomo ’13 married Tellef Lundevall in Hyannis Port

In 2012, the Academy convened an athletics task force to recognize and address the pressures of specialization on Deerfield student-athletes. Among recommendations that allowed for more off-season strength and conditioning, the task force also highlighted the value of multi-sport participation in fostering athletic development, overall health and wellness, and the growth of athletic emotional intelligence (EQ) , in addition to teaching valuable life lessons, growing friendships, and fueling Deerfield’s legendary school spirit.

Today, sports specialization continues to rise across the US, and counterculturaly, Deerfield continues to promote and cultivate multi-sport participation. Last year, 132 students chose to participate in three sports. This is the story of four recent graduates who are still reaping the benefits of playing on multiple teams.

Sometimes an athlete comes along who doesn’t need to be encouraged to play multiple sports. Take CJ Williams, for example, who graduated in 2024 and was the recipient of the Deerfield Cup; when CJ arrived at Deerfield, he was already accomplished in football, basketball, and track, where, at 6'6" and 331 lbs., he threw the shot put. A gifted athlete, he could have picked any sport he chose.

“Except rowing,” Williams says. “I’m a little too big for the boats.” Deerfield football coach Brian Barbato actually recruited CJ after watching him play basketball.

“Seeing his athleticism, getting up and down the court,” Barbato recalls, “the thing that jumped out wasn’t just his size. He had great body control. He wasn’t in foul trouble. He was smart enough to move his feet, to anticipate. In his football tape, he was so raw, but when you watched him move on the basketball court, you could see this kid definitely has what it takes to be a Division I football player.”

HOLDING THE LINE

/// by Peter N. Nelson ///

Bailey Cheetham ’19 was also a three-sport athlete at Deerfield and captain of the girls varsity soccer and varsity lacrosse teams. She played JV hockey and she, too, won the Deerfield Cup, awarded to the Academy’s most accomplished and well-rounded students.

As a captain of the lacrosse team at Johns Hopkins, she once led her team, down 11-3, to an epic second-half comeback win against Rutgers. The team’s comeback victory over Rutgers mirrors Bailey’s path to becoming a collegiate athlete; while the college recruitment timeline has been accelerated for most young athletes, it wasn’t until Bailey’s senior year at Deerfield that Hopkins came calling—a testament to her growth thanks in part to her dedication to multiple sports.

Deerfield’s policy, encouraging athletes play more than one sport, testifies to the idea that by broadening the approach and widening an athlete’s perspective, they are more likely to retain enthusiasm for sport in general, and to grow in ways that specialization can’t teach.

Deerfield girls varsity lacrosse Head Coach Angela Serpone, formerly head coach at Division I UMass Amherst, says, “I would often get asked by parents and prospective students what I looked for in a recruit. My answer was never the most goals, saves or draws; it was always athleticism. The best collegiate players that I coached were the best athletes, and every one was a multi-sport athlete in high school. Because they played diferent sports, they often didn’t show their greatness in a particular sport until later in high school, and that untapped potential for further growth showed they could thrive at the next level.”

L: CJ leads the Class of 2024 down Albany Road T: William’s “edit” as featured in Times Square! B: 2024 Deerfield Cup recipient, pictured here with Head of School Dr. John Austin.

Currently, Deerfield’s athletic concentration co-curricular ofering requires that students complete on two interscholastic teams; they are then granted a term to focus on preparing for their primary sport(s).

“There are a lot of reasons why we require kids to play more than one sport,” says Bob Howe, Director of Athletics and Cocurricular Program. “There are physical reasons. It makes sense to use other muscles, rather than just one subset of muscles. It lets kids learn how to be on a team in diferent capacities. You might be a superstar in your primary sport but a supportive player in your secondary sport, so you learn what it’s like to not be the best player on the team. It gives kids the opportunity to be coached by more than one personality. We also have to remember, we’re playing a sport for fun. Far too often, we’re seeing more and more kids come to us who are so specialized that they lose the sense of fun. If you only do it because you want to get a Division I scholarship, that takes

YOU MIGHT BE A SUPERSTAR IN YOUR PRIMARY SPORT BUT A SUPPORTIVE PLAYER IN YOUR SECONDARY SPORT, SO YOU LEARN WHAT IT’S LIKE TO NOT BE THE BEST PLAYER ON THE TEAM. IT GIVES KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE COACHED BY MORE THAN ONE PERSONALITY.

CHEETHAM

L: Cheetham with her Deerfield Cup

R: Fierce on Johns Hopkins turf.

away from a kid’s experience. Successful professional athletes such as Roger Federer and Olympians like Deerfield’s own Claire Collins ’15, endorse playing multiple sports. When you pigeonhole yourself, you limit yourself. You stop developing creativity or learning how to face adversity.”

“When you’re playing basketball, you’re doing defensive slides and moving out in space, the same as when you’re doing pass protection,” CJ Williams says. “Throwing the discus or the shot put, you have to be able to snap your hips and generate force, the same as when you’re trying to move somebody of the line in football. Also, I’ve never had a serious injury, in terms of ligaments or muscles. Doing multiple sports, you’re putting your body through diferent ranges of motion and diferent movements, strengthening parts of your body that might not get attention doing other sports. That’s one reason why I’ve had a pretty healthy career, so far.”

Williams was heavily recruited by colleges and ended up at Vanderbilt. Ironically, it wasn’t just his skills on the football field that impressed.

. . . THE DISCIPLINE REQUIRED TO EXCEL AT A SPORT TRANSLATES TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT IN STEM CLASSES, WHERE TRAINING TOWARDS A GOAL, AND PERSEVERANCE, GETS MEASURABLE RESULTS

“One of the things Vanderbilt loved about him was that he’s a really good dancer,” Barbato says. “He got 100 on a dance project his first year at Deerfield, where he choreographed the dance for the class he was in, but he also did five years of tap and ballet, growing up. Vanderbilt appreciated seeing his athleticism on display of the football field.”

For CJ, the benefits from sports and exercise also transfer to the classroom.

“It’s a way to release some of the stresses of school,” Williams says. “When I played sports, my grades were better than when I didn’t. People think when you play sports, your grades sufer, but for me, it’s the opposite. When I’m playing, I’m mentally sharper.”

John Patton ’23 played thirds boys soccer and was a varsity rowing captain during his Deerfield days. He currently rows at Yale, where he’s majoring in mechanical engineering. Patton has found that the discipline required to excel at a sport translates to a higher level of achievement in his STEM classes, where training towards a goal, and perseverance, gets measurable results; for example, swimming in the of-season or working out on an indoor rowing machine that digitally quantifies output and performance.

PATTON

“You know whether you’re wrong or right,” he says. “You know whether or not you’ve put in your all your efort. If you set a goal for yourself, and you don’t hit it, there’s no excuse. I just didn’t do it, and I need to figure out what to do to hit my goal.”

You do it for your team and yourself, Patton adds, in all sports but particularly in a sport like rowing, where not all eight men in a boat are the same size or have the same strength, but they have to be equally focused and dedicated. In rowing, the ability to act in synchronous uniformity of efort determines who will be the top boat. That sense of unity and cohesion is generated both by focused training in one sport and by a program that emphasizes sports diversity, where teamwork is more important than individual achievement.

The pressure to specialize is built into the system, when college scholarships are ofered for particular sports. The pressure also comes from parents, and from the kids themselves, but not from the coaches at Deerfield.

“Oftentimes, I have to hold the kids back from doing too much too soon. There’s increasing pressure for specialization at a young age,” says girls rowing Coach Parker Washburn. “Top-down pressure, where the college recruiting process is creeping earlier and earlier. I tell students, you’re going to become a better athlete if you do multiple sports. By engaging with that model, students receive coaching from other teachers, and they contribute to other teams.”

T: Singing with Yale’s “Unorthojocks”

“When I was a Division I coach at the University of New Hampshire,” Brian Barbato adds, “the first question our head coach asked about any kid we were recruiting was, ‘What other sports does he play?’ And if you said none, he would ask, ‘Why? Why wouldn’t they want to compete in other sports?’ College coaches actually like kids who have played multiple sports.”

Experience and comfort with versatility is sought after on the professional level, too. In the 2022 NFL draft, for instance, 233 of the 262 drafted players participated in multiple sports in high school; only 29 solely played football, and nearly 45 percent of the draftees played three or more sports in high school.

Bob Howe also notes that Deerfield athletes have, historically, been highly successful in receiving athletics scholarships.

“The national average of high school senior classes going on to play collegiate athletics at all levels is about seven percent,” he says. “During my time at Deerfield, the percentage of our senior class going on to play collegiate athletics is between 25 to 35 percent.”

Georgia Sackrey ’23 was a three-sport varsity athlete at Deerfield, playing volleyball, basketball, and rowing. She now rows for the University of Pennsylvania. Growing up, she played soccer, softball, volleyball,tennis,basketball,andwasarider, exercisingthehorsesatUMassinAmherst. AssuccessfulasGeorgiahasbeenatrowing, she knows sports are not only what you do—it’s a lasting part of who you are.

“I used to think, ‘I’m just rowing to go to college,’”Georgiasays.“ButnowI’vebegun to like rowing a lot more. It’s something I would consider continuing to do, recreationally. This summer, I sculled single at a club near my house. There was one man, I think he was 92 years old, and he still rowed at five every morning. I think that’s awesome. It’s really very calming, when you’renotracing,justtogooutonthewater and get a workout in.”

While there are exceptions to the rule, the most successful professional athletes tend to be the most monomaniacal, eating and breathing their sport, to the exclusion of everything else, which can make them one dimensional. In young athletes, it can also leave them feeling burned out. That’s not what Deerfield is after.

“Ithinkit’sareallyimportantdistinction,” says Bob Howe. “It’s critical that we’re thinking about the whole student and their Deerfield Experience. We want kids to get to know other kids. To not just be in little silos. Our athletes are also required to do community service. That might mean helpingtofeedthehomelessorworkingon a local farm, and they see the value of it. They aren’t isolated. They’re getting to know other kids. They’re more involved. A kid can do theater. They can do dance, or music;draworpaint.Theycanworkonthe schoolnewspaperorjointheroboticsteam. We’re invested in producing well-rounded people, and we do as much as we can to foster that with our policies.”

Instagram, @ yale

For Bailey Cheetham, as the first female Captain Deerfield, it was her role to serve as a kind of school cheerleader, the point person for Deerfield spirit, showing support at athletic games, for sure, but also at arts performances and plays. She’d learned, from playing a diversity of sports, how to be part of a team, in varying capacities.

Angela Serpone, who in addition to coaching lacrosse also serves as the Academy’s Associate Athletic Director, notes that there’s opportunity in being great at something and not as strong in another area. “I believe the duality of those scenarios is essential in gaining perspective within the growth and learning process,” she says. “I truly enjoy supporting students through their cocurricular selections each term. I see many of them finding joy and passion in activities that they never thought they would try.”

“Multi-sport participation has been a staple of Deerfield’s athletics program dating back to Headmaster Frank Boyden,” Bob Howe says. “Deerfield has always cultivated an environment for students to compete at a high level, have a passion for diferent sports, and achieve their goals. This culture fosters a holistic learning environment and illustrates what it means to be a part of something bigger than yourself.” //

SACKREY

GROWING UP, SHE PLAYED SOCCER, SOFTBALL, VOLLEYBALL, TENNIS, BASKETBALL, AND WAS A RIDER,EXERCISING THE HORSES AT UMASS IN AMHERST.

AS SUCCESSFUL AS GEORGIA HAS BEEN AT ROWING, SHE KNOWS SPORTS ARE NOT ONLY WHAT YOU DO— IT’S A LASTING PART OF WHO YOU ARE.

T: Serving to Choate M: With her Penn teamates

B: Candid in the Hammerschlag Boathouse

AUTHOR AND REPORTER

/// by Julia Elliot /// MERIDITH McGRAW

up with

Having curiosity in other people and about the world at large and having the confidence to ask questions and challenge ideas: these are the foundations of what I do and are a big part of being a student at Deerfield.

Catching

Deerfield’s own Mark Scandling at the Deerfield Forum. [see page 16-17 for reporting on the event!]

portrait, Magdalena Papaioannou; inset, Brent Hale

In August of 2024, Meridith McGraw ’08 made her book debut with Trump in Exile, a close and insightful account of the years after Donald Trump’s first presidency. McGraw drew upon nearly eight years of covering Trump for the news, first as a producer and reporter for ABC News and then as a reporter for Politico. What is clear from her writing is her passion for her career. As a political reporter, she says, “you get to interact with a broad cross-section of society, including voters in diferent states, politicians and elected ofcials. Political reporting touches on everything, from societal trends to the economy to people’s hopes and dreams for the future.”

McGraw grew up in Vienna, WV, and came to Deerfield as a junior seeking a rigorous academic environment. She was already a strong writer, but Deerfield pushed her to be even better. “I got so much individual attention,” she says, recalling especially Karen McConnell taking time after class to teach her how to annotate a history assignment and Mark Scandling imparting his admiration for Shakespeare and essay-writing.

After Deerfield, McGraw attended the University of Texas, Austin, and then Columbia Journalism School. She graduated in 2015, just as the 2016 election was ramping up. She received the Frank Reynolds Fellowship, which landed her a job at ABC News’ Washington Bureau. “It was an exciting time to be in D.C. and a really exciting time to be at a national news organization,” she says. McGraw quickly worked her way from desk assistant to assistant producer to cutting producer for Good Morning America to White House producer. She credits her rapid rise to a willingness to work weekends and holidays—all the least desirable shifts. “I was raising my hand for every opportunity,” she says.

Being a member of the press corps during the first Trump presidency was unprecedented because of the sheer volume of breaking news. As a producer, McGraw’s role was to support ABC’s White House correspondents, attend events with the president everywhere from Palm Beach to Helsinki, and update the network as events unfolded. “Just trying to keep up with all of it was a lot,” she says. McGraw had a special chime set on her phone to notify her when Trump tweeted, and sometimes it would ding all day and into the night, causing her to have to run out of parties or family gatherings to chase a story.

In a March 1, 2019, article for the Alcalde, the alumni magazine of the University of Texas, McGraw wrote that she and her ABC Team “[took] seriously the privilege of being able to ask questions of politicians at the highest levels of government. . . [working] hard to be clear-eyed and probing but also respectful of the ofce.” In the Trump White House, however, that task was not always easy. She describes the president “bristling” at questions he didn’t like, even calling them “stupid” and trying to ban certain reporters. “I hope that our straightforward coverage helps people understand we’re not trying to be divisive—we’re trying to report all sides of a story,” she wrote.

In the fall of 2019, McGraw joined Politico as a White House reporter. A few months later, the Covid pandemic hit, and reporting on the presidency became an especially surreal experience. “I was sitting in press briefing rooms during all those Covid briefings,” she describes, “taking Covid tests and getting my temperature taken in the White House and traveling with the president to campaign events in the final stretch—all with a pandemic roaring. It was just a bizarre time.”

McGraw continued to cover President Trump as her beat even after he left the White House in 2021. Former presidents rarely receive full-time press coverage, but, with Trump, “there were still a lot of questions about his political future and if he was going to run for president again,” she says. During this period, McGraw was approached by Random House to write a book about Trump’s post-presidency years. She was, of course, perfectly positioned to write what would become Trump in Exile: she’d been covering Trump exclusively and was well-sourced with the people around him. She drew from her reporter’s notebook; trips to Mar-a-Lago (Trump’s Palm Beach, FL, residence and club) and other locations for events and rallies; as well as hours of interviews with Trump’s close advisors, friends, club members and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Her greatest editorial challenge was figuring out where to end the book, as questions continued to loom about the multiple federal and state criminal indictments facing Trump, not to mention the fate of the election.

While it wasn’t easy to write a book at the same time as she was reporting on Trump’s 2024 campaign, McGraw appreciated the opportunity to take a deep dive on this moment in history, something the fast-paced world of political journalism rarely allows. Her hope for Trump in Exile is that it gives readers a better understanding of the people and events that propelled Trump from the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, to becoming the Republican presidential nominee in 2024 and now the president-elect. McGraw has covered President Trump through another unprecedented campaign, including two assassination attempts and an abrupt change in the Democratic nominee, as President Joe Biden stepped aside for Vice President Kamala Harris to run. “There have been so many twists and turns just in the past few months that it has been head spinning,” she says, joking that she has survived with the help of lots of cafeine. She describes covering a presidential campaign as fast-paced, exciting, and logistically challenging. She is constantly managing her source relationships, competing with other reporters to break news, and navigating a hyper-polarized and contentious political environment.

McGraw regularly appears on cable news shows to discuss her scoops and stories of the day. She appreciates the opportunity to highlight her reporting and tap into diferent audiences, but, she says, as a neutral reporter, it can be challenging at times to navigate a show with a serious political bent. McGraw maintains her role by sticking to the facts. “I really, really care about being fair and being respected by people on both sides of aisle,” she says. “I try hard to build trusting relationships. I go on both Fox News and MSNBC and, as a political reporter, that has been important to me.” Moving forward after the 2024 election, she plans to continue covering the White House or presidential politics in some shape or form.

Perhaps the most essential requirement for a political journalist is curiosity, a trait McGraw traces back to her time at Deerfield. “Having curiosity in other people and about the world at large and having the confidence to ask questions and challenge ideas: these are the foundations of what I do and are a big part of being a student at Deerfield. I think being exposed to so many diferent people, ideas, cultures and life experiences at Deerfield opened my eyes to the world at a critical time in my life as a young person.”//

The Experimentory is a fantastic opportunity for students currently in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade to sample Deerfield Academy. The Experimentory is an innovative summer program that allows students to delve into project-based creative learning focusing on collaboration, communication, fostering creativity, building character, and developing how we look at the world.

1942

Allan C. Carpenter April 28, 2024

1945

James N. Heald II August 5, 2024

James Wood III * August 11, 2024

1946

Alan F. Black May 15, 2023

William L. Hinds July 23, 2024

W. Jerome Shively August 15, 2024

1947

H. Marvin Riddle III June 7, 2024

1948

William P. Burleigh Jr. August 9, 2024

1950 A. Murray Evans October 6, 2023

Thomas F. Scott July 24, 2024

1951

William B. Hetzel Jr. July 6, 2024

1952

Todd Baldwin September 15, 2024

David C. Gleason August 1, 2024

1953

Edgar H. Bristol II June 7, 2024 * Boyden Society Member

In Memoriam as of October 20, 2024. Please go to: deerfield.edu/commonroom for the most up-to-date information on classmates, including obituaries.

1954

Charles A. Crampton *

September 19, 2024

1955

Charles W. Cerrito

October 30, 2023

Alex B. Pagel

June 11, 2024

Mark C. Rowland

June 20, 2024

1957

Robert Bagot Forbush

June 19, 2024

1959

Leslie E. Korper II

June 27, 2024

John B. Payne

September 16, 2024

1962

O. Renard Goltra

June 21, 2024

W. B. Mahony III *

June 5, 2024

1963

Luther L. Terry Jr.

August 3, 2024

1964

Thomas M. Diehl *

August 29, 2024

1970

Kevin J. McMahon

July 5, 2024

1992

Margaret A. Temesvari

July 12, 2024

1993

A. Reed Worthen IV

July 14, 2024

OBJECT LESSON / WWII Flagpole Memorial Renovation

From Andrew DeMado, Construction Projects and Planning Manager: In late fall 2022, we engaged a masonry restoration company, and performed exploratory work during March break of 2023 to determine the cause of the cracks. Concurrently, two Trustees expressed interest in paying for the costs to restore the monument. The result of the exploratory led us to one of two paths; repair the existing base by epoxying the two sections back together, or some form of replacement. The decision was made to totally replace all of the granite—pedestal, bench, and apron.

This summer’s restoration project of the WWII Memorial Flagpole began with community interest from Cormac McDowell ’26 . He expressed concern regarding the crack in the granite base, and after sharing this with Rob McDowell ’81 , who in turn spoke with Gus Lipman ’89 , Ted Ullyot ’85 , and others, the project was on its way.

The correct granite type (Milford Pink, quarried in Milford, MA) was selected and an engraved granite mockup was created for the Trustees’ review at the October 2023 Board meeting. During this process, DA Archives was able to provide the team with the original 1951 shop drawings for the flagpole, which provided a significant jump on the design schedule. In order to make sure that replication dimensions and font type were exact, we agreed to allow the restoration contractor to remove all of the granite pieces during March break 2024. After many weeks of fabrication, in late July 2024, the granite apron and bench arrived and was installed. In mid-August 2024, the granite pedestal, with all of the engraved names, arrived and was set in place, with the brand new flagpole installed a couple of days later on August 21.

absence”“mysteriousaafterbackiseagleThe

The official name of the granite is Milford Pink— which one can see under the right conditions.

Milford, MA

Deerfield Academy | PO Box 87 | Deerfield, MA |

FROM THE ARCHIVES 1970s