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On September 23, the exhibition “Whispers of the Infinite” by Keiji Shinohara had its opening in the von Auersperg Art Gallery. Marking the first art exhibition this school year, the gallery invited the Deerfield community to catch a glimpse of the 18 monotypes and 8 woodcuts as well as talk with the artist. Keiji Shinohara was born and raised in Osaka, Japan. After he stopped pursuing Physics in college, he earned an apprenticeship for 10 years in Ukiyo-e, a traditional Japanese woodblock printing style. His master, Keiichiro Uesugi, a renowned printmaker, guided him until 1985 when he became a Master Printmaker himself and moved to the United States. For 22 years, he has been teaching at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. His unique artworks combine Ukiyo-e with techniques from contemporary western printmaking to convey his feelings and emotions. Both students who have and haven’t joined the art program shared positive reactions during the opening. Fall art exemption students, in particular, were given a chance to meet Mr. Shinohara and discuss his background and artwork. Mr. Shinohara started the discussion by expressing, “When I first came to Deerfield, my first thought was: Why don’t they have printmaker?” He carried on to tell the history of printmaking and how he became passionate about it. “Woodcutting is a one time chance,” Mr Shinohara explained about his methods, “it takes about 3 months and has a 9-step process, so you can get bored of it. That’s why there’s so many monotypes [in the gallery]. They’re easy to make so it took me a month and a half to make all 18.” Beaubien described, “His technique demonstrates his incredible patience and determination since printmaking can often be a bit unpredictable- especially with his monotypes.” In regards to his technique, Natsumi Shindo ‘20 stated, “In Japan, students learn how to print using Ukiyo-e style, so I do know how difficult it is to actually carve and print all the colors with accuracy!” Mr. Shinohara gains his sources of inspirations from everyday life and recalls them from his memory. He commented, “Recently I’ve been driving back and forth on the [Interstate] 91, and I see so many things that might be on my next piece!” Emphasizing on how he translates his feelings of a memory to an abstract picture, Mr. Shinohara explained, “When I start a piece I ask myself: What elements do I need to describe what I’m feeling.” As for his technique with color he described, “I start drawing an image in black and white before I start seperating the color. I don’t know what specific color an area will be, but I know that a certain area won’t be the same as another. The colors then come to be like a chain reaction.” He gave the art students advice when he said, “I don’t plan anything from the beginning, so you don’t have to know everything when you start.” Coming from Japan, Shindo shared her thoughts on the significance of this exhibition by saying, “It would be a great opportunity to introduce the community to a completely new and unique style of art and a chance for students to get a glimpse of Japanese art and its history.” The Visual Arts Teachers encourage everyone to visit the exhibition.

I watched a total of three times. Sitting in my seat, gazing up at the breathtaking views of a city not too far from my own, as I took in the flowing Chinese melodies, I fell in love. I felt at home. I knew that the movie I was watching was something special, not just to me, but to the Asian-American community as a whole. For many of us, we’ve grown up in America or moved here, but speak our native tongues with our parents, grandparents, and travel back to our native countries on school breaks. In a sense, we belong to two cultures at once yet belong to none at all. In fact, my mother refers to my generation as the “3rd culture.” As a community that often struggles with identity, we don’t commonly find stories that we can relate to in the media. In fact, many of the Asians that I grew up watching on American TV were all portrayed in the same light: nerdy, shy, weird or quiet. It seemed we only ever fit into an archetype, a norm. And as I watched a movie with a group of incredibly nuanced groups of Asians – ones that were desirable,

I spent my time this summer working as an intern in Washington D.C. for Senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska. The big event on my first day of work was the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh for the position of Supreme Court Justice. That evening, the other Alaskan interns and I decided to take a walk and very soon began to hear chants. We followed the noise until sat on the steps of the Supreme Court with the view of hundreds of protestors and supporters exchanging “pro-life” and “pro-choice” chants. For the whole of my internship I got to see the Kavanaugh nomination unfold and develop in its early phases. Senator Murkowski is one of the Senate’s key swing voting members (51 Republicans and 49 Democrats). Although she identifies as a Republican, Murkowski has been known to swing to the left, more so than most of her party colleagues. For example, she voted against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and has been recently known to defend . In fact, Murkowski and her Republican colleague and friend, Susan Collins of Maine, were the swing voters that became the deciding votes on the legislation that would have otherwise defunded Planned Parenthood. However, being able to predict her vote on Kavanaugh was difficult due to her occasional tendency to be a swing-voter as well as her former approval of previous Republican Supreme Court nominees, such as Neil Gorsuch. I was fortunate enough to not only work in her office, but personally shadow her throughout two full days; she is the only Senator that allows interns to shadow her. I watched her interact with fellow Alaskans, press crowds, as well as her colleagues. I have a strong appreciation for her respect and concern towards those around her. I admire the slow and thoughtful analytical process she uses to arrive at a decision. My great respect for Senator Murkowski plays a large role in helping me form an opinion on Kavanaugh and whether or not he has truly earned the high honor and lifelong position of Supreme Court Justice. I organized my overarching thoughts on Kavanaugh and the role of a Supreme Court Justice by breaking down Murkowski’s own final statement she announced on the floor: “I believe Brett Kavanaugh is a good man… It just might be, in my view, he is not the right man for the court at this time.” Piece one: “I believe Kavanaugh is a good man.” Murkowski later admitted to the press that she was “truly leaning towards supporting Judge Kavanaugh in his nomination” as she viewed his professional record. I agree that Kavanaugh is man with impressive academic credentials as well as a solid professional record from his time as a lawyer, judge, husband and father. However, there is much more to a person than what stacks of papers convey. Piece two: “He is not the right man for the court.” When on the floor, Murkowski proceeded to knead in the Code of Judicial Conduct Rule Section 2.1, which states that “a judge act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.” This is without a doubt an incredibly high bar to set and, quite frankly, a demanding standard for any person to live up to. Murkowski asked, “Is this too unfair a burden to place on somebody that is dealing with the worst, the most horrific allegations that go to your integrity, that go to everything you are?” Under most circumstances I would agree that this burden is particularly unfair when dealing with alleged improprieties from the distant past. These are faults from youth that yearn to be redeemed and given time to improve upon. However, a Supreme Court Justice is unlike most government positions. This is the highest court in the country with only nine seats. What is most significant is that these seats are occupied by men and women for their lifetime. Most other prominent U.S. government positions require elections and are limited by terms so as to uphold the best representation of the people and thus, their best interests. Although those on the Supreme Court have their job for life, they must still uphold the best interests of the American people at heart, which is why it is critical that they honor the Code of Judicial Conduct Rule Section 2.1 and “promote public confidence.” In my opinion, the only way a justice can promote public confidence throughout the rest of his or her life is if they have been promoting that very public confidence before they were appointed as a justice. Under these different circumstances, this includes that nominee’s young-adult life. Therefore I think that it is fair that Kavanaugh’s young life be inspected. Piece three: “At this time.” The last phrase of Murkowski’s official statement marks a crucial point. Kavanaugh is not right for this position “at this time.” On the floor, Murkowski said, “We are at a time when many in this country have lost faith in the executive branch, not just with this administration, we saw it with the last as well, and here in Congress many in the country have given up on us.” I do not know to what extent this statement rings true, but I do know that the current executive branch has brought an increasingly polarized attitude towards the U.S. government. Focusing simply on the three words “promoting public confidence” is a concept that has quite frequently wavered with the current administration as the majority of the public has hesitated to instill their confidence in them, which most certainly becomes an issue with a strong personality-based rule. Murkowski adds that it is necessary “that we have public confidence in at least one of our three branches of government.” This imperative statement is why Kavanaugh’s appointment threatens the concept of “promoting public confidence” to the U.S. government as a whole.

Each term, as part of the Deerfield Cross the Valley campaign, the Office of Inclusion and Community Life chooses a cultural competency theme that aims to highlight ways in which students can be more culturally aware. The fall term focus is “embracing individuality,” which aims to celebrate diversity on campus. Each focus is based on a skill mentioned in a set of twelve core cultural competency skills that the Office of Inclusion introduced to the community in early 2017. The skills are just one part of a strategic plan for inclusion that was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2016. The plan includes measures for inclusivity that cover all departments of the school, ranging from the Athletic Office to the Communications Office. The vision statement of the plan states, “In 2021, Deerfield Academy is a community that values and affirms the distinct identities and differences of each person. Diverse perspectives fuel creative and innovative thinking, build empathy and consideration, and provide varied skills and experiences from which the entire community benefits. As a community, we consider cultural competency essential to the pursuit of excellence and success, both on campus and beyond.” Director of Inclusion and Community Life Marjorie Young said, “We believe that knowing, practicing and applying these skills to daily actions will build understanding and lead people to become more respectful and open to different cultural perspectives.” The themes for each term are determined and integrated into the community by a group of 25 students known as Cultural Competency Ambassadors. Working alongside Ms. Young and the Office of Inclusion, they seek to foster inclusive practices at Deerfield. Cultural Competency Ambassador Emma Reavis ’19 believes that they provide a fresh perspective: “Without us, I think it would be hard to know what the student body thinks about certain issues.” The theme for this fall was chosen by the ambassadors as a way to embrace the diversity of the Deerfield student body. Reavis explained, “A lot of people, I think, try to assimilate to others instead of being who they are, so I think it was very important that it be a prominent theme. It’s important to just be yourself. Embracing individuality is kind of just this idea that you embrace yourself and who you are and embrace others as well.” Included with the theme are four skills that are relevant to its conception. The skills listed are the use of “I” statements, pronouncing names accurately, greeting others genuinely, and striving for authentic connection. To integrate the theme into the broader community, the Cultural Competency Ambassadors have led workshops and trainings with proctors and new faculty, as well as with ninth-graders in the Village. The purpose of these trainings is to reinforce and educate the community about certain skills that can be used in order to have healthier interactions. “We go over different tactics to make sure that we can still have those conversations and not have animosity towards each other, not judge each other, listen, and learn from each other despite having opposing views,” said Cultural Competency Ambassador Alexia Baker ’19. In addition to holding workshops, the ambassadors have started a media campaign utilizing posters and buttons that promote individuality. At the beginning of the term, posters with brightly colored word bubbles were displayed around campus to spread awareness of the fall focus. In conjunction with the posters, the community was presented with the opportunity to express themselves through buttons and “I am passionate about” stickers during a recent sit-down lunch. The campaign will also bring speakers to campus during school meetings and Martin Luther King Day Workshops. New posters and skills will be introduced to the community every term. On a campus with students from over thirty-eight countries, thirty-eight states, and a myriad of backgrounds, the continual promotion of such ideas is especially important. Baker stated, “It’s just about knowing that you don’t have to be in just one box. Someone can have many overlapping things that make them unique in their own way, which is something that’s really cool in shaping and learning from experience. I think our job is to get everyone else to realize that and use it to make better conversations.”

A new club on campus aims to create a place for even the most tone-deaf, screechy, or simply musically incompetent students to participate in an a capella singing group. The Deerfield Doorknobs is a group of students who have been afraid to, or simply have not been given the opportunity to, unleash their inner-Beyonces. This club hopes to become a haven for students who are either too shy or perhaps overly confident in their singing abilities. Caroline Carpenter ’19 and Amanda Brooks ’19 founded the Doorknobs this year. The idea came about over a conversation at the Greer. They both sought the enjoyment of being in an a capella group, but both they thought they were not talented enough to audition for any of the existing groups on campus. Carpenter explained that this “bad-singing club” was inspired by fond Deerfield memories: “Some of my favorite memories at Deerfield so far have just been singing with my friends, so I thought that this would be a good way to carry that on.” When asked why the name of the club was the Deerfield Doorknobs, Carpenter responded, “Honestly, there isn’t a deeper meaning to the name. It was just the first thought that came to our minds.” Carpenter further explained that randomness of the name reinforced the laid-back and happy environment that the club hopes to establish. Brooks is on a School Year Abroad program in Italy until January 2019, but she knows that the club will flourish under the wise guidance of her co-founder Caroline Carpenter. They want to make the club accessible to everyone who is interested in having a good time or maybe even improving their singing. “It’s a way for anyone and everyone to come out, sing, and just have fun, no matter your talent,” Carpenter said. Brooks commented that the Doorknobs provide a rare and much needed opportunity to celebrate everyone’s level of talent. “The main goal is really to let people have fun and feel comfortable not being talented, which is a rare feeling at Deerfield,” said Brooks. “We will just be performing songs that people suggest or songs that are incredibly difficult to sing so that the performance can have a funny aspect.” Annie Kane ’20, a new member of the club, loves that the extent of her singing abilities will be appreciated regardless of her talent (or lack thereof). “ I love singing and dancing, but I can’t physically do any of that. To have the opportunity to just be with friends and have fun with songs is such a good idea,” she elaborated. The Doorknobs hope to make their debut performance sometime soon. Look out for their first performance at school meeting or KFC!

Half moon pose. I love this band called “Dead Can Dance.” Basically anything that makes me want to move. Anything to do with theater, whether it’s performing or writing new work. Positive, flexible, and optimistic. New athletic facility and the people. Feet. I have a t-shirt with Tina Belcher on it and it says “Tina is my spirit animal.” I have and I don’t.

In 2017, the History Department came to the decision to make a radical change: a complete overhaul and redesign of the United States History 400 curriculum. “The goal of this change was to create a course that emphasizes a few big ideas revealed by a close look at discrete moments in time, with a strong emphasis on primary sources,” said History and Social Science Department Head Julia Rivellino-Lyons. “What has sticking power is wrestling with ideas and having to apply what you’ve learned in contemporary world questions.” Since this course does not have to prepare students for the AP U.S. History exam, U.S. History teachers can be more flexible with the material, finding new ways to explore the course of American history. Through this method, teachers can take the time to develop in-depth conceptual and analytical skills. Ms. Rivellino-Lyons said, “Given the opportunity to do something really different than a typical chronological based survey, we have developed something that we’re hoping will allow us to explore topics in more creative ways and to structure a class that helps us teach students how to apply history to their role in the world—to use history when they vote, when they read the news, etc.” From there, they decided to take advantage of the flexible curriculum provided by a non-AP course to teach students conceptual and analytical skills that AP students may not have the time to focus on. With this goal in mind, this course was developed through what Ms. Rivellino-Lyons calls backwards planning. “Start with something you want students to be able to do,” she said, “And then plan backwards— figure out what they need to do to accomplish it.” “Each unit explores one of five big ideas by traveling chronologically: the course as a whole doesn’t seek to ‘cover’ the content, but asks students to ‘uncover’ meaning in particular moments, in relation to these themes,” said Ms. Rivellino-Lyons. The theme of “Democracy and Citizenship” highlights the relationship between the people and the government and the responsibilities each owe to one another. The theme of “History” acknowledges that history is the stories we choose to tell. The fact that the American identity is a malleable and contested concept is discussed in the theme “Identity.” The development of “Capitalism” is another theme, expanding on how the desire for material progress shaped the American social, political, and economic environment. The final theme of Exceptionalism explains how America’s expansion shaped American foreign policy. Ms. Rivellino-Lyons and History Teachers Mr. Chapin and Mr. Pitcher each applied for a Release Grant during 2017 to develop this course, which means each of them was “released” from another aspect of their job. During this time, these three teachers pulled a variety of sources, researched textbooks, and visited classes to develop the main themes and layout of the course. Continuing into the summer, and joined by 9th and 10th Grade Dean and History Teacher Ms. Rebecca Melvoin, History Teacher Ms. Marissa Cornelius, and History Teacher Mr. Tim McVaugh, they fleshed out the details of each of the five main themes, planning the specific and daily details of the course. “This collaboration among six teachers, across nine sections, and this decision to work from a common syllabus means that teachers can share ideas and talk about particular classes. All 100 students taking U.S. History 400 are doing the same readings/assignments/projects, which means there is cross-pollination among them, as well as among the teachers,” said Ms. Rivellino-Lyons. This year, both Ms. Rivellino-Lyons and Mr. Pitcher have another Release Grant in order to manage and organize the teaching of this course. “A lot of times teachers have general ideas, but it’s rarely the norm to think this carefully about the whole big picture of an entire year,” said Ms. Rivellino-Lyons. “We don’t have a textbook, [so] we’re pulling sources from a lot of different places.” Teachers use both primary and secondary sources, including a variety of historians, Crash Course videos, museum visits, and relevant films. The class time is spent evaluating sources in groups, exploring historical events, and making judgements off of these sources. Ms. Rivellino-Lyons said, “We’re taking some of the time we thought we couldn’t spare [in the AP course] to do many different things.” Helen Feng ’20, a student currently in the course, made it clear that the class is not only focusing on content, but on concepts as well, saying, “We’re looking at history from an analytical, humanistic perspective.” “The thematic system is much more effective in teaching students lessons to actually understand the roots of our country, not just dates and wars,” said Kate Landino ’20, another student enrolled currently. “The lessons we learn widen our perspective on a sociopolitical level and send us into the world with a deeper understanding of bias, society, and anything to do with the origin of America.”

Call home to discuss plans for the break or simply to update your loved ones on how you’re about to ace every final. You may prioritize staring at a book for hours, but that occasional call to your parents or siblings may be the perfect midday pick-me-up you never knew you needed. My personal favorite: Instead of memorizing Bernoulli’s equation or tracking the Kondratieff wave for the past three centuries, attempt to solve the question that has been haunting humanity forever: What is the true meaning of life? Be warned: this tip may not be as efficient as the others, hence use this as a last resort. Rap, pop, country, classical, or whatever you like to listen to, music will make studying a little more bearable, and you might be able to squeeze a dance party break in the mix. The Greer and the Koch café report that coffee consumption triples during finals weeks. Let’s try, to quadruple that number. Essentially, during finals week, Deerfield Academy runs on Acrylamide, caffeine, 2-ethylphenol, and quinic acid. (Dr. Thomas, notice me!) If coffee isn’t your thing, tea is always an option. Do not fall into the trap of taking a “break” from studying but then talking to your friends about your exam. Your conversations with friends should serve as a distraction from studying. Stay away from conversations about any exams! Exam feeds are worth missing fifteen minutes of grueling studying. Indulge yourself with pancakes, chicken tenders, and other snacks. If you’re lucky, you might get to hear Punisa Lekovic sing the U.S national anthem. Do not pull an all-nighter! You will not be able to concentrate if you don’t ge any sleep the night before your exam. Studies have shown that sleep has proven to increase test-taking skills. Try to get at least eight hours a night. It will pay off! Although you should always strive to do your best, a single exam is not going to make your break your life. Happy exam week and happy studying (but hopefully not too much)!

With any worthwhile endeavor in life comes an obstacle that needs to be overcome. Examples of such obstacles are prevalent in our lives here at Deerfield. Whether one is doing poorly academically, struggling on social terms, or finds themselves at an unfortunate situation of events, it is fair to say hardship comes on a familiar basis for the members of the Academy. For athletes, nothing can be more grueling and devastating than to be sidelined with an injury. The word “injury” itself causes some to cringe, and brings pain in the eyes of an athlete. Not only does injury challenge a person’s physical endurance and strength, but their mental toughness as well. Depicting the life of hard knocks are two of Deerfield’s most exemplary athletes to date: Boys Varsity Soccer athlete Austin Philie ’19 and Football player Alex Judelson ’22. Type of Injury: Philie tore his ACL and partially tore his Medial Meniscus while participating at a lacrosse tournament this summer. Austin, playing for the Deerfield soccer team, recalled the event precisely. “I went to plant my foot and it never planted” says Philie; “… my knee gave in underneath me.” Philie contains video evidence of the event taken by a parent of a teammate (Ned Lynch ’19), and shares a common opinion – as one does when looking at an ACL tear live – “[It was] pretty gross.” Judelson experienced a strained groin during the course of football season. Though not a torn ACL, Judelson properly acknowledges the severity of his injury – “It’s one of those injuries that’s not the worst, but it’s pretty painful and it lingers [on] for a while.” Judelson attributes his injury to the sudden shift from summer to football preseason; sprinting everyday took a toll on his unprepared body. Recovery Routine and Trainer’s Room: Both athletes experienced a progressive path of recovery. Philie visits the trainer’s room everyday after classes, and says his routine, “changes all the time.” As of now, Philie is focusing on bringing his leg back to its original form with the help of the trainers. “It makes it all the better that our trainers here at DA are super nice and so easy to talk to,” says Philie, “As much as I wish I was back out on the soccer field I don’t hate being in [there].” He finds his progress rewarding, from strolling around with crutches to now being able to walk up stairs, he is more than satisfied with his results. He ends his day with icing and cordial conversation among fellow injured peers, as there’s, “always a smile and laugh to be shared in the trainer’s room.” Judelson, experiencing excruciating pain from a strained groin, first began by icing the area. He then proceeded to biking exercises, and intense leg lifts. After gaining a little confidence back and getting cleared to play again, Judelson had the urge to put on his skates to play hockey. It did not go as he expected. “It was my first time skating in about a month,” says Judelson, ”and I re-injured my groin so [that] stunk.” Judelson began the same process as before, having to go through the same treatment all over again But the trainers find a way to keep morale high. As he recalls one Friday, one of the trainers, Gabi, played the song “Friday” by Rebecca Black on repeat. Judelson had his own thoughts of the song choice, but stated, “It brought a positive energy to a room full of injured kids.” Feeling Left Out: Philie has had a mixed experienced in terms of feeling left out. The varsity soccer team still includes him in the team, allowing him to attend both home and away games. Unable to attend practices, Philie has a special love for matches. Discussing his love for soccer games, he shared, “I love watching the guys compete out there, and it makes it a lot easier knowing that my peers are out there playing hard for the Academy.” Cheering, however, is not enough for Philie’s competitive spirit. Wishing to be out on the field playing, he said, “I am very passionate about athletics at Deerfield. I feel as though we all have a very special privilege to be able to fight for the green and white on the beautiful campus we have.” A model of competitiveness and of school spirit, we should all aspire to have the same Deerfield principles exercised by Philie. Judelson feels excluded at times from the world of athletics at Deerfield. “The hardest part about being injured is just watching people doing something that you love to do but you can’t.” Looking from afar, away from the action, can take a toll on some athletes. Judelson recalls specifically when the new Athletic Center was inaugurated. With it being the opening of the new ice rink, he said, “I really wanted to be on the ice the first day it was open, but I knew I couldn’t and that was just as painful as my injury itself.” Judelson clearly depicts the day-to-day mental struggles of injured athletes with this example. As a good teammate, he attends practices and games to support his peers. Public Service Announcement: As injured athletes comprise only a small minority of Deerfield students, it is vital that members of the community hear out what they have to say. Often their lives are unique, making it hard for others to connect with them. Philie and Judelson would appreciate for the community to know the following: Philie said, “I’m not a manager, I think that’s one thing I want people to remember, because if I was healthy I’d be out there giving it everything I had and playing the game I love … Just because I got injured before the season doesn’t mean I’m not part of the team. The soccer guys accept me as part of the team but I was a bit disappointed to see ‘manager’ next to my name on the roster, and no jersey number either.” Judelson said, “One thing I’d like people to know is that our injuries are completely legitimate. Just because we don’t have a cast or aren’t on crutches doesn’t mean we’re fine. Walking around hurts for me but it’s one of the ways I’m re-strengthening my groin so I just push through it.” We wish Austin and Alex speedy recoveries, and can’t wait to see them back on the field wearing the Green and White!!!

With the new year in full swing, both Deerfield’s Student Council and Student Planning Committee are hard at work. Though the two groups are sometimes confused, the purpose and duties of each group are distinct. Deerfield’s Student Council serves as a connection between the students and the administration through a group of grade representatives, day student representatives, the school president, and the council chair. The council is responsible for advocating for school policy and supporting campus initiatives. Deerfield’s Student Planning Committee is in charge of all of Deerfield’s event planning. They organize weekend activities and campus events, working with the Student Life Office to keep students busy every weekend. With Student Council Chair Sophie Opler ’19 helping to coordinate each initiative, Student Council representatives constantly work on a variety of different campus-wide projects, each affecting different aspects of Deerfield life. As a long-term project for the class of 2019, Caroline Carpenter ’19 is focused on resurrecting DANoteworthy, a student run platform that allows students to publicly share their writing, music, videos, or other creative works. Protik Nandy ‘19 stated that he is working on an open dorm structure. Brigid Stoll ‘19 is working on finding a graduation speaker and pen pals for foreign languages classes. Sim Bethel ‘20 is interested in bringing a barber to campus for his classmates. Christina Halloran ‘20 is working on getting smoothie bowls in the Greer Café, and Tim O’Brien ‘20 is evaluating the possibility of vending machines in John Williams. Whitney Vogt ‘20 is exploring the possibility of getting coat hooks in the gym. Chijoke Achebe ‘21 was trying to develop a DAinfo app but reported, “The DAinfo app has been stalled because of software problems.” However, Achebe said, “I already started to get to work on the some of the ideas that I’ve had and ideas that my classmates have had,” including a potential Shipping and Receiving App. Willy Conzelman ‘21 is looking into a call ahead system at the Greer. Day Student Representatives, Mina Liang ‘19 and Seth Blain ‘20, have already completed a day student cookout, and Blain is looking ahead to a potential Day Student Parent Network and Clothing Swap. Meanwhile, the Student Planning Committee is also hard at work. “This time of year is always so crazy for SPC,” said SPC Senior Representative Bailey Cheetham ’19. The SPC was occupied by the Halloween season for most of October, then they manage a range of annual Choate Week activities. These plans include Deerfield’s annual banner painting this past Friday night, as well as a pep rally this week. The week concludes with a dance following Choate Day. They also helped to plan the Original Deerfield Academy Concert, or ODAC for short, which Smith ‘19 said, “We haven’t done for the past few years, but it’s basically like Fall KFC, but with all original music that students have composed.” SPC also organized a commute to the interscholastic dance hosted by Choate as well as Stargazing and Smores outside of the Greer within these next weeks. They are also already beginning to plan for Deerfield’s annual Semi-Formal, hosted in early December, as well as the annual Koch Friday Concert, which is in February. For the long term, the SPC wants clubs to get involved in campus plans and eventually host events, funded by the SPC, as well as to take advantage of the new athletic space to host dances and activities. Both councils encourage all members of the community to express their ideas to representatives. Smith ‘19 said, “We are trying to get as many people involved in student life as possible.” Achebe added, “If people have ideas, that should reach out to any one of us because some of the smaller things that you don’t think can get done are some of the things we can accomplish.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh deserve to be appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States because of his textualist and originalist interpretation of the Constitution. Fluid interpretations lack protection for the rights of citizens, which mostly occurs in turbulent political periods. The government is supposed to respect our inalienable rights, not expunge them during cycles of a growing consensus might favor their erasure. We think that Kavanaugh’s interpretation of refusing government intervention in the case of individual liberty keeps Orwellian legislation in check. In the “Volokh Conspiracy,” a blog hosted by The Washington Post for law professors, Ilya Shapiro argues in favor of Kavanaugh. He explains how Kavanaugh’s decisions preserve the sovereignty of the individual. “In a 2009 law review article, [Kavanaugh] wrote that ‘… the President does not enjoy unilateral authority with respect to all incidents of war…’ Kavanaugh …rejected executive supremacy in favor of judicial review… in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld (2004), which argued that the military can’t detain U.S. citizens absent a congressional suspension of habeas corpus.” Kavanaugh’s analysis reaffirms the U.S. citizens’ writ of habeas corpus, which requires arrestees be brought to a judge. In that example, instead of succumbing to executive powers that could have easily tempted other judges, Kavanaugh stood his ground. This is ideal for a judge since the way a legal document was written is the way it should be interpreted. When this is not enforced, partisan ideas can influence a judge’s decision on a case. The Supreme Court is not designed to carry out personal justice; instead, their rulings should align with the ideals of the Constitution. Legislators are supposed to devise bills that address the population’s concerns in the modern day. We believe Kavanaugh’s discernment of law is unwavering through civil unrest and resists the ideological fluidity of human discourse in favor of an interpretation that will withstand the test of time. Recently, Kavanaugh has been accused of sexual assault by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. We would like to address that if these allegations against Kavanaugh are true, he should not be on the Supreme Court and he should be put on trial for sexual aggravation. However, Ford’s testimony falls apart under scrutiny. She was unable to give a consistent account of events leading up to nor during the “assault.” According to The Washington Post, her therapy notes from 2012 (no mention of Kavanaugh) stated that there were four boys in the bedroom at the time of the assault. Then later with The Washington Post, she stated that there were four boys at the party, and two in the bedroom, making the therapy notes contradictory. In Ford’s letter to Senator Feinstein, she said that there were “… me [Ford] and four others… ” at the party. However, she later stated it was 4 boys, Leland Keyser (one of her lifelong friends), and herself who were present. Ford also writes that she heard Mark Judge (person identified by Ford) and Kavanaugh speaking to each other. However, in her testimony, she said she was unable to hear any conversation occur. She also refused to provide any therapy notes to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Ford has also lied on multiple occasions in her testimony, according to other records and testimonies. She initially refused to go to Washington to testify since she had a “fear of flying,” but, if one looks at her flight record, she flies annually to visit her family. She also has flown for fun to Hawaii, French Polynesia, and Costa Rica. She also recounted how she asked her husband, in 2012, to put in a second door in their renovated home during couples therapy. She claimed this was due to claustrophobia from her “sexual assault.” According to Palo Alto City records, she actually wanted to rent the room and use the door as an alternative entryway for tenants. The records also show that the door was built in 2008, four years before the reported therapy session. Coming to terms with reality, though, if it were possible to peer into Kavanaugh and Ford’s memories, and do comparative analysis of their experiences, then perhaps the truth wouldn’t be so difficult to attain. However, the evidence mounts demonstrably against Ford in our opinion. Separate from any sentiments one would have towards Ford’s account, she is not credible, and it is dishonest to condemn Kavanaugh without legitimate evidence. Without the notion of innocent until proven guilty, a society cannot expect legal proceedings to be demonstrative of justice since it is very easy to fabricate an allegation, and inversely immensely difficult to disprove. The burden of proof should be on the accuser since without this, all people can be ended by another’s wicked semantics. In the words of Steven Crowder, a political commentator and comedian, “It’s [innocent until proven guilty] because we know that if people can use lies to further their own personal position, to advance their own personal gain for power, that they will.”

College is a magical realm over the rainbow and a world away from Deerfield. Here at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the pride flag is framed in the entrance to the Student Alumni Union, and small rainbow flags line the student bulletin boards. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I not only feel welcomed, but also I sense a distinct lack of other-ness that tends to follow those who fall outside the norm. At my graduation from Deerfield last year, I wore a suit and tie in place of the typical white dress and flower women usually wear. This is because I believe women should feel free to wear what they choose, no matter what others may assume. I believe that gender expression should not be inhibited by out- of-date standards like our current dress code. Gender-queer or gender questioning people, upon stepping onto Deerfield campus, are forced to make a very public, very bold statement about their identity. This forced statement is something exceedingly daunting when around 78% of trans youth face significant abuse at school, according to a study by the University of Iowa. In college, people wear whatever they feel like wearing and, surprisingly, it never seems to get in the way of anyone’s education. Deerfield operates on the idea that standards for men and women should be decidedly separate. The library displays two statues exemplifying the “Deerfield Boy” and the “Deerfield Girl,” dorms are strictly gendered, and visitations are fundamentally heteronormative. If a straight person wants to spend time with a member of the opposite gender, they need only follow the ordinary rules; non- heterosexual people are faced with a moral dilemma. They must first ask themselves whether they trust their hall resident enough to disclose their identity, something many kids don’t even feel safe to tell their families. According to a study by the University of Chicago, LGBTQ+ youth face more than twice the average rate of homelessness in the US, which is largely attributed to unsupportive families kicking out their children. On top of that, in their visitations requests, they disclose the orientation of the other person as well. If others on the hall notice the trashcan or shoe in the door, both of them are “outed” to the hall, and we all know how rumors spread. Finally, technically, this means that no other same-gender person on the hall can enter their room without visitations permission. A truly welcoming community would not support this sort of alienation. But again, this brings into question the purpose of visitations. The idea behind having a process is to protect students from unsafe sexual interactions. But the underlying assumption in this setup is that any member of the opposite gender would only care to enter your room if they intend to have sex. Similarly, it also assumes that any member of the same gender wouldn’t ever intend to have sex. Visitations create uncomfortable stigmas about opposite gender friendships and unfair expectations for same gender relationships. People who fall outside the majority should not need to feel like a burden to the rest of the community. Gay people shouldn’t need to follow a meticulous and otherwise anxiety-inducing process that only further isolates them from both the hall and the broader student body. I’ve found that many students are afraid of straying from campus norms lest they become estranged from the community. Being original on such a campus means accepting that eyes will be on you, a lot. Furthermore, the Academy’s notions of acceptable gender norms highlights Deerfield’s resistance to change. I’m a strong advocate of creating a more equitable system: gender-neutral bathrooms and, at long last, a gender-neutral dress code. The solution to visitations is a complicated one, but I believe working towards a gender-neutral campus begins with at least one gender-neutral dorm. Visitations won’t be required and anyone of any identity can live there. This could serve as a trial run toward expanding the idea of gender- neutral housing. At the very least, there can be no progress until some attempts are made. These inequitable standards have held up for too long, and it’s time to test and implement policies that help solve the issues rather than perpetuate them. P.S. To any DA student reading this: remember that your self- worth is not defined by anybody but yourself. Continue to listen to others’ ideas and challenge your own–but don’t be afraid to challenge other ideas too. Deerfield can be a daunting place, but you reserve the right to be unapologetically you. Let nobody tell you otherwise. If you have an opinion, express it, discuss it, and always fight for what you believe in. You make your own path through Deerfield; I know I did.