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In December, the Curriculum Committee met to discuss a complete overturn of the health issues program at DA. The proposal would change the class from one term to a more comprehensive program taking place across all four years. This initiative is part of a greater push to continue supporting health and wellness at Deerfield, which is also exemplified in the current construction of a health center. “I came in with the expectation that we would be expanding the health curriculum.” said Health Teacher Margaret Brown, who joined the school as a faculty member this year. “There have been conversations about making the health program more comprehensive for years.” Compared to other schools, Deerfield requires relatively little from its students in terms of health issue requirements. Milton Academy, for example, requires its students to meet once a week every term for all four years, and even has health electives. Moreover, Exeter and NMH both adopted health curricula that require two years of classes. The proposed program at Deerfield would take a new approach, concentrating first on the needs of ninth graders. According to Dr. Brown, “Ninth graders need help learning to study and guidance developing relationships.” The current program takes place in either tenth or eleventh grade. The new program would require students to take health class for two periods a week, all year in ninth grade. It would also require sophomores to complete one term of classes, meeting two days a week, with new sophomores taking the class three times a week instead. Finally, it would focus on providing seniors information as they transfer to college, providing three one-hour informational session and also providing health electives. Dr. Brown also advocated to the Curriculum Committee that new program would have many advantages. Amongst other things, it provides a forum to discuss health-related issues and, according to Dr. Brown, the class may be changed from a one term class, to a class every term should strengthen their decision-making, relationships, and knowledge about health at the Academy. Moreover, the health department hopes that the revamped program, in the long run, will produce better-educated students, which would subsequently create a better, healthier community. Naturally, the program also carries several implications. The obvious issue facing the community is how it will affect students’ schedules, considering the shift from a one term class to a four year class. Some students, such as David Chen ’20, are worried about the new program, claiming the time commitment outweighs the benefits. Chen stated, “Even If a longer health course was a good idea, it is unreasonable to go from a one term course to a full four years.” time commitment is an issue that Dr. Brown and the other community members have and continue to wrestle with as they prepare to integrate the initiative. Despite this, Dr. Brown is confident that extending the class would not actually be such a big issue. She stated that “We [the school] are working hard to make sure that this doesn’t feel additive to the student schedule.” The increased number of health classes would likely require another health teacher, to help take some of the workload off of Dr. Brown and Ms. Heather Wakeman, the current health teachers. Apart from that, Dr. Brown doesn’t really see any disadvantages to the program that could truly outweigh the advantages. Some students, such as peer counselor Caio Paiva-Oliveira ’20, believe that this program would bring a unique new chance to discuss health topics that can’t be discussed elsewhere. Paiva-Oliveria stated, “I think that adding a more comprehensive health course will allow Deerfield students to expand their knowledge on taboo topics. It might take a bit of effort to change the standard of Deerfield course limits; but it’s a good introduction to a new discussion.” Currently, the program seems very likely to be implemented into our school, but it is unclear when. The initiative requires many individuals from all parts of the community to work together and ensure that the new program is implemented to have as great a positive effect as possible, with as little inconvenience attached. The curriculum itself is currently being finalized, but the timeline is fluid, and it is hard to get a clear estimate of when we can expect the initiative to be implemented. The school has been talking about such a project for years now, and they have finally taken the leap to attempt truly lasting change for our community. Dr. Brown, as well as her peers working together on this initiative are all very excited to see the plan take shape and hopefully, change the community for the better.

The English Department is currently debating whether canonical literature should be a primary part of Deerfield’s English curriculum. The canon refers to books traditionally taught in high school English classes, but some educators question whether these canonical works still hold value for young readers today, many of whom find trouble relating to the characters and subject matter, find political fault with an author’s biases, or are simply unexcited by the idea of reading books by people long before our time. Many point out that the traditional Western canon is made up of authors who are predominantly male, white, and heterosexual. Some contemporary readers find the lack of diversity and the presence of racism, sexism, and anti-Semitism in some canonical literature troubling. English Teacher Andy Stallings has advocated for moving away from teaching the canon. “Any books [are educational] if the students are taking the charge to think critically as a serious charge,” he said. However, many educators, including Deerfield teachers, advocate that a traditional canon remains a valuable aspect of literature. English Department Chair Michael Schloat said, “Classics are important to study for the foundation they offer students—from The Odyssey to the Bible to Shakespeare—for future study, and so they can see how certain stories echo through time.” English Teacher Mark Scandling similarly believes that the canon can be seen as a measure of social progress. In the classroom, he likes to frame canonical texts in their historical contexts while observing them from our modern day. He explained, “Even when we focus on works that seem secure in the ever-changing canon, we try to help students see those old texts both in the cultural contexts in which they were written and in the context in which they are now read.” Mr. Schloat agreed, “A thorough understanding of the arc of our species’ moral evolution is a necessary part of continuing that progression.” English Teacher Delano Copprue also believes that the canon still holds worth for modern readers, saying, “While the idea of a seemingly exclusive canon within our own cultural moment of inclusion and social justice strikes some as anachronistic, the teachings of those canonical writers, even with their flawed humanity, have much to teach about life.” He explained, “When we turn our attention away from the canon, we miss abundant opportunities to learn about ourselves, especially our shortcomings.” English Teacher Melissa Dickey sees both perspectives; she believes that teaching the canon is important as long as its flaws are discussed, in addition to its beauty. “I’m happy to teach the writers of the canon whom I love and who move me – and the more I pay attention, the more that is true,” Ms. Dickey further explained. “[I teach] critically—discussing the choices the author made, thinking about their perspective, culture, and experiences, but engaging with the flaws and limits there, too.” Mr. Scandling feels that the English Department has to strive for a balanced curriculum that will both inform and excite students. “My sense is that the department has always believed in championing books that will at times broaden the students’ perspectives and at other times allow them perhaps to identify with some of the challenges and experiences the characters face,” he commented. “We want to take students to places familiar and unfamiliar.” Dr. Copprue pointed out that there is no perfect English curriculum, and that students should analytically approach all literature, especially the canon, with an open and eager mind. He concluded, “When it comes to studying the canon, our curiosity is the only ticket needed for admission.”

This year’s Winter Student Choreography Showcase took place last week from Thursday, January 24th to Friday, January 25th, featuring 18 pieces choreographed by members of Deerfield’s academic and creative dance ensembles. Covering a variety of genres ranging from jazz, hip-hop, ballet, tap, and contemporary dance, the production encouraged the creativity of rookie choreographers and experienced members alike, with an emphasis on student leadership and collaborative skills. “The students work together to create the vision of this show,” explained Ms. Jennifer Whitcomb, Director of Deerfield’s Dance Program. “There is no overarching theme throughout the production, as we encourage each student-choreographer to experiment with stylistic approaches reflective of their own personalities.” In preparation for the showcase, students had been meeting since the fall term for weekly choreography labs, during which they shared their progress and workshop ideas with their peers. “My favorite part of this process are the moments of putting the show together, when we finally get to see all the lightings and costumes falling into place,” said Selena Martineau ’19, who has been active member of the dance program since she joined Deerfield last fall. “It is a wonderful opportunity to practice the administrative process of choreographing a piece, teaching it, adding the soundtrack, and rehearsing until it becomes second nature. Everyone is so passionate and willing to learn, making this experience an incredibly rewarding one.” Ms. Whitcomb elaborated upon this idea, saying, “Students become empowered in the process of organizing their own rehearsals and working with their friends to bring a choreographed piece to life. These transferable skills that they develop here are essential to life at and beyond Deerfield.” In addition, members of the theatre co-curricular program have been rehearsing for the winter play, “A Sonnet in Your Pocket”, which will take place from from Tuesday, February 19 to Friday, February 22 at the Black Box Theatre, starting from 7pm. The production will explore the universality and transformative power of love, a prominent theme across the 26 Shakespearean sonnets by which the play is inspired. “This show is quite different from the previous productions we’ve done in that it is an experimental, surrealist romp that follows an emotional structure rather than a narrative plotline,” said Mrs. Lori Clark, director of the production. “Another factor that makes this production unique is its interdisciplinary aspect, as we shaped it into a creative and exuberant playground mixing elements of music, dance, play, comedy, and drama.” Students involved in the play have responded positively to the experimental feature of the play, commenting on how it increases their awareness of group and sensitivity of space, and broadens their perspective on the creative possibilities of theatre performance in connection to personal expression. “The nature of this production encourages me to think outside the box through interacting with different spaces, shapes, and dimensions,” remarked Sabrina Ticer-Wurr ’21, a participant in the production. “My favorite part of the process so far is the act of engaging with the text. It not only broadens my perspectives towards the possibilities of acting and immersive portrayal, but also increases my awareness and sensitivity as a reader and writer.” Fourth Sukprawit ’19, another participant in the winter play, added, “I so enjoy the process of translating the abstract ideas of the sonnet into something tangible, accessible, and meaningful on a personal level.” Visual, musical, and physical elements play a significant role in transforming Shakespeare’s universal ideas set in Middle English into an accessible form. Mr. Benjamin Grimm, music director and assistant director of the show, said “The play incorporates a variety of musical styles, in addition to a student-composed madrigal quartet with cello and percussion. he show lifts a number of familiar motifs from popular music, and uses them in instrumental form to add musical commentary on the themes of the sonnets.” Thomas Lyons ’21, another participant in the winter production, commented that “the artistic mediums featured in this show offered me an amazing opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. Engaging with dance, choral singing, and a devised theatre piece for the first time was a little scary at first, but I find it increasing rewarding to try out different ways of expression.” “It is wonderful to build this show with a group of brave, brilliant, and hilarious students who are willing to be vulnerable and to play around with different ideas,” added Mrs. Clark. “Our message to the Deerfield community and beyond is to be ready to have fun with the different angles towards the sonnets presented in this show, based on the overarching idea that love can be light and enjoyable just as it is gravitational.”

After a year-long hiatus, Deerfield hockey fans can finally enjoy the long-awaited completion of the new athletic center. Ever since the October dedication of the Class of 1993 Hockey Rink, students have fully embraced it as a part of their Deerfield identity. Every Wednesday and Saturday, spectators crowd the bleachers to witness our Green and White warriors battling. The Class of 1993 Hockey Rink was officially opened to the community on October 15th and operates on a daily nine-hour schedule including open skates from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM each weekday except Wednesday. The facility includes stunning features such as high quality ice, a puck shooting room floored with synthetic ice, as well as brand-new locker room spaces for the boys and girls varsity and junior varsity teams. According to Deerfield’s Associate Director of Athletics Jessica Lapanchinski, “This new hockey rink contains more welcoming spaces with new features such as lockers that are open instead of sectioned off, and students can also dress fully in the locker rooms before games and practices, making it much easier to navigate through the complex.” The rink’s improvements have not only made it easier for players to navigate through the complex, it has also inspired a sense of honor among the players. As varsity girls hockey head coach Brooke Fernandez commented, “Our hockey programs are incredibly lucky to play in the new rink – there is a sense of pride in being part of Deerfield hockey, which has only increased with our beautiful home ice.” However, although Deerfield hockey has a new home, it is still valuable to pay tribute to the past. As boys hockey captain Mikey Holland ’19 shared, “There was more of a rigid sense of tradition in the old barn mainly because of its rich history, however with this new rink we can start our own traditions; this is the place where we will create our own history.” Complementing the players’ heightened sense of purpose are the Student Planning Committee’s enhanced efforts to attract crowds. Specifically, this year we have seen an increase in themes (e.g. camouflage, black out, white out, and Hawaiian). As SPC Representative Bailey Cheetham ’19 explained, “This year there are certainly more themes than previous years because SPC believes that incorporating themes into our different game days gets more people involved and excited to come.” She also mentioned that, “themes make every game day a special day, giving both the players and fans energy to play and cheer respectively.” The new athletic center is a hub of excellence and a celebration of sports at Deerfield. It is not merely a haven for athletes, but rather a hub for the entire Deerfield community that will showcase the glamour.

Student Body President Gerry Alexandre ’19 announced his plans to facilitate a campus-wide game called the Niche-Shattering Initiative, NSI for short, at a school meeting earlier this month. The goal of the game is to encourage students on campus to learn how to recognize everyone on campus, and to reach out to new people in doing so. Alexandre explained, “Everyone comes to Deerfield and finds their own niche. We brag about having a diverse community, but it’s pointless if we just stay in our own group. I want to break that.” The game is a competition, where each of two contestants tries to name as many other Deerfield students as possible. Students’ DAinfo pictures are projected on a screen, and the contestants have to identify as many of their peers’ pictures as they can in 60 seconds. Whoever is able to name the most students in the allotted time wins. If executed properly, preparing for the game should cause students to get out of their comfort zones and meet new people. This would, of course, allow them to recognize more people in the game, but beyond that, help them develop friendships with new people that they might not have met otherwise. The game consists of two types of showdowns, friendly and official, each taking less than seven minutes. Friendly showdowns involve two students playing against each other, while official showdowns involve two contestants competing with a mediator to award points. The official showdowns are tracked in a tournament-style bracket. Alexandre personally seeded students by hall and day student groups, so the first round of the tournament will exist within the dorms. The tournament will then narrow by winners until there is a school champion. The game will end with Alexandre challenging the final community champion. Alexandre’s hopes are that this game will be another way to bring the Deerfield community together. He says that one of the main goals of NSI is to make people more inclined to get to know someone, before they make judgments about them. “You hear bad rumors about people you don’t know, and you believe them because you don’t know that person,” he explained. “Even just being able to identify people’s faces and remember their name makes you doubt the rumor for a second. Most of the time, that’s all you need.” While explaining the process of creating the game, Alexandre said, “I started thinking about it in August, and talked about it with my family over Thanksgiving break. They gave me a lot of ideas, so I got really excited and wrote them down.” Soon, he had compiled all of his ideas and asked several Deerfield students for help, under the condition that it was kept confidential. Still, the initiative was far from complete. Next, the game had to pass through the administration for approval. He set up meetings with Head of School Margarita Curtis and attended bi-weekly dean meetings, and, with guidance from these teachers and administrators, the original plan was altered and improved until it was ready to be announced. The official announcement of this game prompted excitement about getting to know the community a little better. “I think it’s a great way to try and meet new people, since I know that, at Deerfield, people like to stay in their range of friends,” said Jasmine Decossard ’22. However, while many agreed it will help them meet people outside of their usual circle, some suggested that there might be a better way for people to reach out. Jean Jin ’22, commented, “I think it will affect upperclassmen more than underclassmen, since seniors already know a lot of people.” Decossard also expressed concern for people’s possible misinterpretation of the game, saying, “I think you should try to actually get to know that person and not just memorize names, which is not the point.” Despite some hesitation from the community, Alexandre has high hopes for the tournaments success. He is optimistic that NSI will be able to make a positive impact on campus. Alexandre plans for the tournament to begin January 28th, and continue through the winter.

When the author of the recent Boston Globe article accused Deerfield of having a toxic culture and of being a poor place for girls to go to school, my first instinct was to scoff at the absurdity of her statements. She did not go to Deerfield, and she made no effort to write an unbiased piece of journalism. Like many students here who also read the article, the first thing I thought was, “She’s attacking my home.” But that was my mistake. Although I believe her message is fundamentally flawed, there is some value in the article. It offers the Deerfield community an opportunity to take a step back and examine its surroundings more thoroughly. I have attended four different schools in the past six years. Two of those were local public schools, one was a private high school, and the fourth is Deerfield. At home and at Deerfield, I do not identify as a female nor have I been a victim of any sort of discrimination, sexist behavior, or harassment; my experience is not the same as that of some others at Deerfield. However, I can say that in the past six years, I have found Deerfield to be the place that most emphasizes healthy relationships and equality among genders. I have only been here for two years, so I cannot speak for what has happened in the past. But the past is in the past, and I believe Deerfield is moving in the right direction. To begin, there is no doubt – at least in my mind – that Deerfield offers equal opportunity to everybody, regardless of gender identity. One can simply look at the leaders on campus as an example. For the first time in history, Deerfield’s Head of School is female. For the first time in history, the Captain Deerfield title – previously only held by one boy each year since 1995 – is now held by both a male and a female student. Last year, our school president was a girl. Several students who do not identify as male hold positions of leadership in extracurricular activities. Just from these examples alone, if need be, I would have no problem sending my daughter (if I’m fortunate enough to have one) to Deerfield. But what about the things that don’t appear on the admissions brochure? One cannot just look at the obvious examples of female leadership on campus and say that Deerfield clearly fosters only healthy relationships and that everybody on campus treats each other with utmost admiration and respect. It would be ignoring 90% of the students and their everyday interactions. Also, it’s just untrue. People at Deerfield lie to each other, say bad things behind each other’s backs, don’t always include others… It is by no means a perfect place. Are we proud of that? Of course not. Are we working on it? Absolutely. While here, I’ve noticed a few differences from my past experiences at the other schools with regard to gender roles and relationships. First off, the “clique” culture at Deerfield is nowhere near as prominent as the two public schools I went to. At home, you could walk into the cafeteria and around the hallways and easily notice distinct herds: football and lacrosse players, band class buddies, the “computer geeks,” and the “popular” girls. This was on top of one other thing: boys and girls never sat together. There was division. It was frustrating for somebody who played lacrosse and football, sang in the chorus, and really enjoyed doing chemistry homework. When I came here, I saw very little of that herd mentality. Yes, sports teams sit with each other at dinner after practice, and yes, you will rarely see a PG walking around unaccompanied by another PG. But it’s different. I sing in three different groups here, and there are athletes in these groups. I sit with girls at lunch and dinner all the time, and a few of my closest friendships here are with girls. The administration has played a role in this dynamic as well; in converting an all-male upperclassmen dormitory into a freshman coed dormitory, girls and boys are offered the opportunity to develop good relationships with each other from the start. If there are divisions, I’ve yet to find them. Above all, in no other environment am I reminded as much as here that it is an unquestionable obligation of every man on campus to respect women. The private school I attended from 2014 to 2016 was an all-male Catholic school of Marianist order, so while we were taught that respecting women was priority number one, there was nowhere in the building to manifest these teachings (unless we were talking to the women who worked in the cafeteria). All of my coaches here – considering that I play on all-male teams – consistently emphasize this. What sets Deerfield apart from the other places is that this standard is not only maintained by the male students on campus, but expected of one another. In comparing my experiences in other schools at home to my experience here, I would be remiss to say that sexism and discrimination are absent at Deerfield. However, what Kay Lazar failed to recognize in her article is that sexism is everywhere. There’s the workplace, where women are still struggling to narrow the wage gap and continue to be victims of discrimination when looking for employment. There’s the military, where women, regardless of physical capabilities, still face restrictions. There’s the government, where men still hold an overwhelming majority of important positions. On the news, you hear of numerous cases of domestic abuse and sexual harassment. Sexism is in everyday interactions. Does its widespread influence make it acceptable? Definitely not. But the point is that it’s certainly not just a “Deerfield thing.” It’s a cultural thing. It’s a societal problem. And I say with conviction that Deerfield is working hard towards sending their graduates into the world to change this issue.

Just before coming to Deerfield for my ninth-grade year, I purchased a pair of Hunter boots. I didn’t give it a lot of thought; I just needed a new pair of rain boots. It wasn’t until I got home and my brother Teddy ’13 told me that owning these boots “officially made me a Deerfield Girl” that I thought twice about my new purchase. I never really considered how this experience might have impacted my perception of who I would be as a Deerfield student, but after reading Kay Lazar’s recent article in the Boston Globe denouncing Deerfield as “a toxic place for girls,” I was inspired to take a moment and reflect on how the stereotype of a “Deerfield Girl” has changed in recent years. The “Deerfield Girl” that I believe in is not the same one that stands as a statue in the Boyden Library, but rather resembles the hundreds of girls who have walked the halls of Deerfield and felt like they could fit in only by adhering to a certain stereotype. In the past, this stereotype revolved largely around material items and clothing. When I asked Teddy what a “Deerfield Girl” looked like when he was a student here, he said it was a lot about appearance for his female classmates. “There were some things that were staple items of girls at Deerfield… they all had a Longchamp bag that was used as a backpack, and they always wore Hunter boots,” he said. My other brother, Connor, graduated from Deerfield in 2015. Connor and Teddy overlapped for two years, but Connor painted a different version of a “Deerfield Girl.” His “Deerfield Girl” wore UGGs, a Barbour jacket, and Bean boots. While both of my brothers commented on the materialistic standard among the female student body in their time here, they were never girls at Deerfield. They simply observed what appeared to be a unified standard among their classmates. But much has changed in the years since their graduations. Today, I don’t see the “Deerfield Girl” as defined by a materialistic stereotype. Though we often comment on Canada Goose jackets, Lululemon leggings, and Golden Goose sneakers, today’s “Deerfield Girl” is defined by her character. I see my own vision of a “Deerfield Girl” in my best friend, Bailey Cheetham. She is a Deerfield girl because she embodies everything that Deerfield values: She is kind, compassionate, hardworking, and she is the most generous person I know. Personally, I can’t imagine applying one stereotype to the female student body at Deerfield. We are all different, and we have different strengths. It took me a long time to find my place within this community and learn that the only standard I had to live up to was my own.

Nestled on the first floor of the Boyden Library, adjacent to the side staircase, is a space not often frequented by most Deerfield students, but certainly important. It is the office of the man who runs it all: Director of the Library Marshall Carroll. “[My favorite part of my job is] working with students,” he says. “That’s why I’m involved with schools and education; it’s because I enjoy working with them and that’s why I’m in the classroom teaching as much as I can.” As Director of the Library, Mr. Carroll is in charge of eight staff members who work together to coordinate the logistics of managing the space. Mr. Carroll likens it to running a small business, where the product is the library’s prolific resources. The team works to deliver information, literacy instruction, textbook resources, and spaces where people can study. Mr. Carroll came to Deerfield two years ago, after spending ten years at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania working with students. Remarking on what drew him to Deerfield, he said, “I really enjoy the people in the community and that’s been what’s really important to me.” In the time that he has spent so far at Deerfield, he has appreciated the welcoming community and how easy it has been for him to find students and colleagues willing to engage and collaborate with him in his work. Since he assumed the position of Director of the Library, Mr. Carroll has been in charge of several new library initiatives. Some of the major initiatives so far have been the acquisition of a new online library catalog and the reevaluation and reorganization of current library resources; eventually, Mr. Carroll hopes to reorganize the current layout of the collection to match patron use. Another initiative orchestrated by Mr. Carroll, in conjunction with other committees and offices, was a new opportunity for sophomores with demonstrated academic capability to spend their study hall time in the library. Under the leadership of Mr. Carroll, the library also held its first annual ‘Poetry Madness’ contest last April, which occurred during National Poetry Month. The contest, set in the style of a March Madness bracket, prompted members of the community to vote for their favorite poems and to predict the overall bracket in the hope of winning prizes for guessing correctly. This year, the library is running another new contest, which challenges students to design original bookmarks. In addition to directing the library, Mr. Carroll coaches the Deerfield wrestling and crew teams. Mr. Carroll rowed in college at Rutgers University and has coached wrestling for the past fifteen years. This winter, he has challenged the wrestling team to become physically stronger. The number currently on the door to his office, 115, is a running tally and mark of progress towards this goal. “Those are the number of pushups that [the team has] done in the library this term,” he explains. He poses this as motivation for the team and mentions that many team members will stop by to do push-ups with him, which he sees as a fun way to boost morale. As the season goes on, he hopes to see the number grow. Outside of coaching, Mr. Carroll considers himself both an avid sports fan and a patron of the arts. He will often join other faculty members for a game of pickup basketball in the gym or play rugby. He also loves theater, once even flying from Baltimore to Boston to see a production of one of his favorite books A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, which he loves for its humorous and engaging qualities. Mr. Carroll lives just off of campus and enjoys the valley for little things like the river and the enriching cultural scene of the surrounding area. When he is not enjoying the scenery or reading a good book, he enjoys grilling and smoking meats. Most of all, however, he loves spending time with his family— his expectant wife Sara and his fifteen-month-old daughter Lillian. When asked about what he wants people to know about him, Mr. Carroll responded, “My door is always open and I want people to say ‘hi.’ I want to get to know as many people in the community as I can.”

Dear Reader, Since the Boston Globe article about Deerfield was published, our community has been, at times, immersed in discussions about the legitimacy of its contents. I chose to share my thoughts in the Globe through a Letter to the Editor, which many of you read. After the Globe published my letter, many current students and a few alumni reached out to me to express their support. Some were surprised that I would so vigorously defend Deerfield given my history of writing opinion pieces that were critical of various aspects of our community. I know that some students believe that I dislike Deerfield because I have been critical of it. Two years ago, after I had written an opinion piece defending my decision not to attend Deerfield’s live-streaming of Donald Trump’s inauguration, I received a condescending email from a fellow student suggesting that my comments made him wonder whether I really wanted to be part of this community. This is a sentiment I hear a lot, but Deerfield’s imperfections have made me love it even more. Sounds crazy, I know, but the fact that I’ve been given the space and time to shine a light on things that matter to me, areas where I think Deerfield has room to grow, and the fact that I’ve been supported by faculty and administrators as I’ve pushed forward with my criticisms, mean that I feel like I’m being heard and making a difference, however small, in this community. When I spoke with the Globe reporter, Kay Lazar, before the publication of her article, she too seemed to have imagined that because I had been critical of small aspects of Deerfield culture, I would wholesale buy into a belief that Deerfield prioritizes the needs of boys over girls. If I hated Deerfield, I would have left this community long ago. If I merely disliked Deerfield, I would not be putting in the effort to write opinion pieces. It is precisely because I love Deerfield that I have, in the past, criticized aspects of our community. Criticism, some say, is the highest form of praise. One additional thing needs to be said here: just as my criticism of Deerfield in past Scroll articles doesn’t mean that I hate it here, don’t assume that because I wholeheartedly supported Deerfield in my letter to the Globe that I don’t support any girl who comes forward, as Izzy Hamlen does in this issue, to shine a light on the particular challenges that girls face at Deerfield. Recognizing that many faculty members and administrators are working to empower girls doesn’t mean that we can’t also recognize that sometimes people make mistakes. Too much of our school dialogue has been dictated by the Globe article, an artificial assessment of our school propelled forward by outsiders with an agenda that has little to do with wanting to make Deerfield a stronger and more inclusive community. If you, like me, are aware that Deerfield isn’t perfect (what school is?), don’t just sit at the Greer badmouthing our community. Don’t just make memes mocking the imperfections that are part of every community. People here care about your opinions, and I can tell you from experience that if you speak up and speak out, things can change. All the best, Orlee Marini-Rapoport Co-Editor-in-Chief

Is there a story behind your name or anyone in your family’s name? What is your favorite animal? Italian food or Chinese food? What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to high schoolers today? What are your favorite pizza toppings? If your life was made into a movie, what would the title be and who would play you? Schooled What is the coolest place you have ever traveled to? What aspect of Deerfield are you most looking forward to? What is your favorite book? The Great Believers Salvage the Bones A Visit from the Goon Squad What was your favorite class in high school? What is one thing about you that very few people know? What is your favorite sports team? Where did you grow up?

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: the first unfortunate meme of the year and a paradox of bad quality but high popularity. This Netflix original, based on Josh Malerman’s novel , stars several famous or rising stars, including Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, Trevante Rhodes, and Bradley Wong. The film explores a post-apocalyptic world, where taking a look at one of the monsters that seem to be everywhere will cause anybody to immediately commit suicide. For two hours and four minutes, viewers follow the journey of Malorie (Sandra Bullock) and her two children down a river to safety, watching as her story unfolds in flashbacks over the span of five years. Despite its popularity, has received a multitude of unsatisfied reviews, including a 64% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.7/10 on IMDb, and 51% on Metacritic. Many critics criticized the movie for its unoriginality, chunky timeline, and undeveloped characters, comparing it to previous sensory deprivation horror films like A Quiet Place. As Amy Nicholson put it, is “forcibly screwed together, a movie manipulated by strings of data code,” not to mention the unfortunately uncreative death scenes. The film doesn’t delve deeply into the characters, especially with the hodgepodge of survivors who gathered in Greg’s house at the beginning of the movie. Each secondary character is assigned a title, like the pragmatic alcoholic or the protagonist’s lover, and these titles are never disputed— the characters fall short of dynamic and fail to make viewers care about them, except for when they die. Favor for is additionally lost through its illogical plot. First, the movie claims that the monsters are biological warfare, then supernatural entities, and does nothing to further either idea. These monsters also originated from Russia, yet how did so many spread across the ocean to America so quickly that almost everyone in Malorie’s town died within a few hours? Finally, these monsters apparently can’t interact with material objects, because otherwise they would have opened the doors of houses and killed people that way. So, what was the point of the monster chasing Malorie in the forest at the end of the movie, if it couldn’t physically harm her anyway? Sadly, these questions will never be answered. All these fallacies in and the movie’s silly premise created the perfect platform for memes. Most of the memes generated from don’t even focus on the movie itself but rather on the use of the blindfold. These memes have grown quite popular, spreading to social media apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and even TikTok. The spread of such memes served to benefit the movie’s success, stirring up intrigue and interest, consequently making it the most successful Netflix original movie. So, perhaps the bad quality of is in reality a marketing tactic; if so, it’s working very well. Jokes aside, the premise of does hold potential, even if it was marred by bad production. The multitude of plot holes could be seen as an opportunity for viewers to contemplate the meaning of the movie and form their own conclusions. Some critics also considered the interesting messages and themes of the movie. tackles the intersection between people surviving for themselves and ensuring humankind’s survival, as well as Sandra Bullock’s character development as she grows from stoic and emotionally-distanced to nurturing and protective of her children. The film also connects to current day issues, as the monsters could represent the irrational fears of humankind in a rapidly changing modern world. People are only safe as long as they don’t confront their fears, staying inside and hiding instead of finding a way to deal with their issues. Thus, those who do see the monsters and see the beauty in their truth are considered insane and just as dangerous as the people’s fears. After all this, would I recommend this movie? Yes—although I did burst out laughing at some points, the movie did draw me into its premise. is trendy thanks to the memes, has quite a few really suspenseful moments, and is great for those who like to dissect movies. So, if anyone is looking for an interesting watch, and is willing to sit through some intense scenes, give a chance!