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For the past five years, Deerfield has been a part of the Boarding School Teaching Residency, an innovative two-year Fellowship program between the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education and nine of the country’s top boarding schools. Teaching Fellows earn master’s degrees at UPenn, all while teaching, coaching, advising, and working in the dormitories here at Deerfield. Fellows are an integral part of the school’s community. Each year, Deerfield Academy, along with eight other boarding schools (Northfield Mount Hermon, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, Miss Porter’s, Taft, Loomis, Milton, and St. Paul’s), employs three to four new Fellows through the BSTR. Currently, Science Teacher Hannah Insuik ’13, English Teacher Chinyere Odim, and Math Teacher Elliot Sakach are all in their first year as UPenn Fellows. Meanwhile, English Teacher Anna Gonzales ’12, Computer Science Teacher Khizar Hussain, and Theater Teacher Adaire Robinson are finishing up their second, and final, year. Fellows teach two fewer sections than most other Deerfield teachers, because they also have their own school work. Aside from coaching, advising, teaching, and living in or being associated with a dorm, they attend weekends at the University and at other boarding schools involved in the program. At these weekends, they are able to work with their cohort of Fellows from other schools, share their experiences, attend classes taught by Penn professors and deans, and learn how to improve their teaching craft. The Fellows appreciate the structure and balance of the program. “I feel fortunate to be in a program like this one, where Deerfield understands that I am working on my master’s, and UPenn knows that I am also teaching,” Mr. Sakach said. “The program is set up to allow me to do both to the best of my ability.” Mr. Sakach described one of the most rewarding parts of his Fellowship thus far as talking and learning about how to teach, and then applying those things to his own class. He is grateful for the motivated and passionate students he teaches. “It is a privilege to be working at an institution where students are engaged and eager to learn,” Mr. Sakach said. He has also enjoyed the opportunity to speak with other Fellows about their experience, and looks forward to spending this summer reflecting on his first year of teaching. “The combination of support from fellow Deerfield faculty members and the structure of the UPenn program was the best possible introduction to teaching I could’ve had,” said Ms. Gonzales, when asked to reflect upon her past two years at the Academy. “The faculty was extremely willing to help me learn how to become a better teacher.” She said that Deerfield and UPenn were both very supportive in helping her to become intentional and thoughtful, while letting her explore her own ideas. A Deerfield graduate herself, Ms. Gonzales has often found her own experience helpful in understanding what challenges current students are facing and the stress they experience every day. After serving as a fellow for the past two years, she looks forward to moving into a full-time teaching job at the Academy next fall as a one-year sabbatical replacement. She will continue to teach Voice and Vision to ninth-graders and American Freedom to eleventh-graders in the English Department. “I’m excited to be totally present at Deerfield and to be teaching a full course load,” she said. The BSTR Program is beneficial to Deerfield in numerous ways, including bringing young teachers to campus who are new to the boarding school model. Ms. Gonzales says that “the Fellows program is a great way for Deerfield and other schools to continue their effort to diversify the faculty and to attract people who would not normally come to work for a boarding school.”

Former Head of School Frank L. Boyden said over a century ago, “Pay what you can,” when addressing parents of prospective Deerfield students. Ever since Mr. Boyden’s tenure as Head of School, the administration has been committed to making a Deerfield education affordable for as many as possible. Deerfield uses its $10 million financial aid budget to supplement this goal. However, despite the seemingly large budget, the admissions process still remains far from being completely “need-blind.” Thus, applicants requesting financial aid are not placed in the same applicant pool as those who would be able to afford the entire Deerfield tuition. Director of Financial Aid Melissa Persons explained, “We’re not need-blind because we have a set budget.” The money available to support prospective students and families is large but not enough for Deerfield to admit all qualified financial aid applicants. For the 2018-2019 school year, the total cost of attending Deerfield as a boarding or a day student will be $61,840 and $44,735 respectively. Deerfield currently sustains a $10 million budget to aid students who cann ot afford those prices. 33 percent of Deerfield’s student body received some form of financial support from the Academy during the 2017-2018 school year. In the upcoming year, this will rise to 36 percent. In comparison, these numbers are far less than those of Phillips Exeter Academy, another independent secondary school in New England. Exeter currently has a tuition of $54,171 for boarding students and $42,508 for day students, already significantly lower than Deerfield. The school has a $22 million financial aid budget and 50% of their 1,079 students receive some form of financial aid. Exeter claims to have a need-blind admissions policy. However, the issue is far more complex than these numbers make it seem. Firstly, the label of ‘need-blind’ technically means that if the top students applying to an institution all need financial aid, the school should have the ability to grant them full scholarships. “No school,” as Dr. Margarita Curtis explained, “can currently provide a full scholarship to every student. Even schools that are now ‘need-blind,’ like Exeter and Andover in the Eight Schools Association, still have close to 50% of their students paying tuition.” Furthermore, it must be taken into consideration that Andover and Exeter, independent high schools with “need-blind” admissions, have been building their endowments for a much longer period of time than Deerfield. As Dr. Curtis explained that,even though all three schools were founded in the late 1700s, Deerfield did not gain notoriety as a boarding school until the Boyden era, and at the end of his tenure in 1968, Deerfield’s endowment was still minuscule compared to those of other distinguished academies. However, Dr. Curtis explained that within just 50 years, Deerfield has been able to increase its endowment size significantly and rise up to fourth place on an endowment-per-student basis in the Eight Schools Association. The Board still aims to close the gap between Deerfield’s current financial aid budget and being completely “need-blind.” As Dr. Curtis attested, “Ensuring that the worthiest kids have accessibility to Deerfield, and attracting the best and the brightest to the Academy is very important to [the Board of Trustees].” Just within Dr. Curtis’ tenure, the school has been able to raise its endowment significantly, in part due to the highly successful ‘Imagine Deerfield’ capital campaign, which aimed to fundraise $200 million in five years. The campaign concluded in June 2015, a year ahead of time and 20% over goal, according to Dr. Curtis. Dr. Curtis also confirmed that a notable portion of the $252 million raised in those four years was allocated towards the financial aid budget. The funds were also directed to support Deerfield’s professional development budget, curricular and co-curricular programs, and a series of major facilities renovations. When making financial decisions, the Board of Trustees, according to Dr. Curtis, takes into consideration four different factors: rate of tuition growth, financial aid, scope and breadth of the school’s program, and endowment growth. They need to help maintain and foster each metric without jeopardizing another. Therefore, the decision of how much money will be allocated towards supporting students financially also includes the decision of how much money is allotted to areas like compensation for faculty and staff, facilities, maintaining low tuition growth, and sustaining programs like athletic teams, the arts and a wide variety of clubs and student activities, as explained by Dr. Curtis. When discussing the ‘Imagine Deerfield’ campaign and its achievements, Dr. Curtis said, “We’ve been ambitious regarding our financial aid goals without neglecting other institutional needs.” However, the reality still remains that Deerfield still does not have a “need-blind” admissions policy. Chair of the Endowment Committee Brian Simmons, who is also the incoming President of the Board of Trustees, stated, “Deerfield, at this point in time, does not have an endowment large enough to be completely need-blind. … It would take a substantial effort around raising additional endowment funds for us to be able to accomplish that.”

Jared Pantalony ’18 stared dead into the Cushing batter’s eyes during his signature start of the year. Pantalony knew he had him beat before he threw the ball because of the endless hours he’d put into the art of the pitch. He knew he had him beat before the Cushing batter whiffed on the change-up for strike three. Pantalony knew the batter had no shot because of the work he put put in off the field and the support he had on the field. Pantalony finished the Cushing game with four hits, four walks, and five strikeouts in his seven innings on the mound. Pantalony is known to be a great person on and off the diamond. His laughter and signature smirk is infectious, and his infatuation for the word “zoot” can put a smile on anyone’s face. He’s also no stranger to the bright lights. He’s had a love for baseball ever since he was four. Whether he’s painting the strike-zone or sniping with equal precision on Fortnite, Jared loves a good competition. “On the field and off, he’s a tenacious, competitive guy,” said teammate Sameer Sharma ’18. “His competitiveness sets him apart from any pitcher I’ve ever played against.” “If there’s anyone I try to model my game after, it’s Tom Glavine,” Pantalony said. Tom Glavine was a fan-favorite pitcher for Pantalony’s favorite team, the New York Mets, from 2003–2007. “He didn’t necessarily have the best stuff, but he mixed up his pitches and competed on every play.” Coach Patrick Moriarty described Pantalony as “a consummate team player, who consistently leads by example.” “He doesn’t have a mindset for losing,” said teammate Levi Constant ’19. “He takes ownership of every game he plays, and he keeps you accountable for holding up your end.” Some of the keys to Pantalony’s success have been hard work, trusting himself, and being motivated to put the team in a position to win whenever he pitches. The new energy Coach Moriarty has brought to the team has also been apparent. “The attitude has been extremely positive compared to recent years,” Pantalony said. “Everyone wants to compete and get better.” Pantalony’s favorite memory on the baseball team is split between the two wins against Exeter and Worcester earlier this season. “Both of the teams blew us out the last two years. I think it’s shown our progress as a team, and it’s been a lot of fun to be a part of,” he said. “Keep napping, that’s our motto.” Pantalony said with a grin. “We’ve caught a lot of teams by surprise this year. We definitely play with a sort of chip on our shoulders.” Pantalony’s current goal is to make the playoffs. Even with two close losses on the backburner, the league is tight enough that the team still has the chance to control its own destiny. Moving forward, Pantalony hopes the baseball program maintains the camaraderie and competitive spirit of this year’s team. Pantalony says he is most proud of the turnaround he and the twelve other seniors have seen over their tenure. The baseball program at Deerfield has begun to make a name for itself within the New England Prep League, and this is thanks in great part to the leadership of the thirteen team members, with Pantalony leading the charge. Moving forward in his own career, Pantalony will be playing Division III baseball at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine next year. Pantalony is excited about continuing his career on the mound through college, and couldn’t be happier to be doing it at Bates. When asked what he would change about his Deerfield experience Pantalony responded with, “I wouldn’t go back and change a thing,” “Nothing?” “Nothing.”

“Ask people genuinely how they’re doing, and listen for and support an honest answer. Check in with the people you care about, or even those you don’t know as well but could use the support.” —Nora Markey ’18 “​Never be afraid to ask for help; it doesn’t make you weak, it makes you stronger.” — Ossie Heard ’18 “Always be willing to branch out and meet new people.” — Ben Hirsch ’18 “Talk to someone in the dining hall that you’ve never had a conversation with before. The surprise will brighten someone’s day and maybe you’ll make a new friend.” — Connor Finemore ’18 “Deerfield can be a stressful and taxing environment. Take the time to reflect on how you’re doing, and know when you need to pause, and ask for help. AND, never turn down a trip to the Rock. You only have so many sunsets in the valley, so watch as many as you can from up there.” — Hollin Hanau ’18 “Make unexpected friendships, whether at meals, in class, or at practice. You never know who could transform your day — or even your life.” — Helen Downes ’18 “The support from the community here is unlike any other. Be an active part of it, and never be afraid to introduce yourself to new people. You never know who could end up being your new life-long friend.” —Will McNamara ’18 “Don’t be afraid to be yourself and get a little silly. While high school is partially about academic excellence, it is also about having fun and making meaningful connections with the people around you!” — Jillian Carroll ’18

The Dining Hall is the sole source of home-cooked meals on Deerfield’s campus. The workers cook tirelessly to feed the entire community three times a day all year. Yet what many don’t know is that planning for the meals begins weeks before they are even cooked and served. The central authority in planning and preparing for Deerfield’s meals is Michael McCarthy, the Director of Food Services at Deerfield. Mr. McCarthy’s day starts with emails: responding to vendors, communicating with the campus’s needs from the Dining Hall, and coordinating meals. According to Mr. McCarthy, the work on planning meals starts about three weeks before they are made. It takes correspondence with vendors, communication with the Food Committee, and several other critical steps to start planning for the Deerfield community’s meals. “There’s a lot of communication that I handle with the community and [within the Dining Hall]. I work with responding … to issues that need immediate attention and other events that need planning,” said Mr. McCarthy. In addition to the demanding work within the Dining Hall, Mr. McCarthy works on organizing other events around campus. Mr. McCarthy is in charge of coordinating Family Weekend, Trustee Weekend, Prom, and many other events, orchestrating the staffing, decoration, and the catering of all these. Currently, Mr. McCarthy performs all of these duties while also operating three companies. Mr. McCarthy runs Riff’s North in Turners Falls, Riff’s Joint and the Hideaway Lounge in Northampton, and a catering business called Myer’s Catering. He incorporates the experience of using healthy and fresh ingredients at his restaurants into helping the Dining Hall put the same-quality food on the Deerfield community’s tables. “I started my career in the restaurant business. I’ve always wanted to own my restaurant and when an opportunity came up, I took it!” Mr. McCarthy said. “I love food — it is my life. I started with cooking, my mother’s parents owned a restaurant, so that’s how I started: just cooking with my family. I went to business school, but always cooked in between classes and when it came to choosing a career, I decided this is what I love and this is what I want to do.” Mr. McCarthy is happy to combine his love of food with his love of working at a school like Deerfield. “I love having kids as customers,” McCarthy said. “It gives me so much energy! There is a positive vibe and excitement and I just catch on to that. Being around young people just keeps you young and interested and I’m always learning from students what they like about food.“ Mr. McCarthy’s love of student energy contributes to his love for his job at Deerfield. Mr. McCarthy summarized, “Part of what I love about Deerfield, and why I’ve been here for 20 years, is that being around students and young people gives me this enthusiasm when I see how active, busy, positive this place is.” Mr. McCarthy’s passion for Deerfield does not just stop with students. When asked about his favorite memories, Mr. McCarthy leaned back in his chair, reminiscing as he tried to pick the best ones. “One of my favorite memories is the holiday meal. What I really love is the show of anticipation of that meal that students have.” he reminisced. “Everyone is dressed up holiday-like. We have candles in the dining room and to have everyone come together, whenever I watch that, it just makes me feel like it’s such a special place and it’s really touching.”

I t has been almost 30 years since Deerfield became coeducational; however, the road to gender equality in sports has been a long one. Although there have been concerns over the years, Deerfield has made incredible progress towards an equitable program. When girls first attended Deerfield in 1989, their immediate success in sports gained them respect in the community. For example, the field hockey team had the cheer “5-4-3-2-1, coeducation has begun. We’re here to stay. We’ll show you the way! Let’s go green!” This was representative of the energy they brought to the fields. According to English Teacher and former varsity field hockey coach Karinne Heise in a 2014 Scroll article “Reminiscing About Our Coeducational Heritage,” when the girls won their first game in penalty strokes, “the crowd erupted and ran onto the field … a real moment of embracing the girls as an integral part of Deerfield in its new days of glory.” This compares favorably to the moment when the girls varsity squash team won the New England Championship last year on their home court, which English Teacher Mark Scandling described as “electric,” or this past fall when students rushed the girls varsity soccer field when the whistle blew after an exhilarating win against Choate. Moments like this give the school what Mr. Scandling, who taught through the transition to coeducation, calls “a source of pride” in female success: “If there’s anything that’s gone away, it’s the idea that girl’s aren’t really athletes.” While accomplishments are the shining moments that Deerfield has been working towards, behind the scenes, it has not been as smooth. In recent years, there have been complaints of discrepancies between genders in facilities, transportation, and other logistical aspects of the sports program. Mr. Scandling noted that before the basketball gyms were completely renovated, girls would practice in the older gym, and “for a while there was even more practice time for the boys.” Caroline Savage, the head coach of girls varsity swimming, said, “When I first started [at Deerfield], the boys were meeting upstairs in the lounge room that’s now an office and the girls met in the pool office that didn’t have any furniture.” Other topics of recent discussion have been the quality of the boys baseball field in comparison to the girls softball field and claims by students that boys teams get coach buses more often than girls. Nonetheless, if there is someone working to solve this pressing issue, it is Athletic Director Robert Howe. Having made an immediate impact after two years as Athletic Director, he said, “Being the father of four girls, I have an eye out for this kind of stuff.” He addressed the softball field, stating, “For years, we’ve been okay with baseball on one side, softball on the other. There are only a handful of people that see that. We now have a field for girls softball, and they like the place they’re playing at. We’re going to put in a scoreboard this summer — we can finally have a field we can be proud of. Because of this, we’re probably going to see better softball players now.” He also commented on the bus discrepancy, stating, “With boys teams, there sometimes are more numbers on the team. A boys lacrosse team usually has around 40 kids, while girls only have around 24. So the boys usually got coach buses. What we needed was a policy change. Now, any varsity or junior varsity team that’s travelling over 1 hour and 40 minutes gets a coach bus. That was a pretty easy thing to fix.” The school has also addressed other problems that have come up in recent years. Speaking about the discrepancy between the meeting rooms for the varsity swimming teams, Mrs. Savage explained that after receiving a budget to fix the girls’ room, “not only do the girls have furniture to sit on, it’s become a coed space that both teams can use, which is even better.” She continued, “Both water polo teams use it as well. It’s become this great shared space that is both very useful and very comfortable for everyone. It’s made it feel like more of a cohesive program.” Both girls lacrosse and tennis have positive news to report. Varsity girls lacrosse coach Amie Creagh said, “We all have felt completely supported.” Four-year varsity girls tennis player Lisa Chen ’18 said, “I would say the girls and boys teams are very equal. We get the same budget for uniforms and transportation, as well as the same amount of court space. We are definitely equally supported throughout the tennis program.” Despite this development, many wonder to what extent girls and boys’ sports at Deerfield can truly be equal. Mr. Scandling commented, “High-profile sports are still male because that’s the way of the culture in America.” For example, the boys varsity football game always closes Choate Day. Mrs. Savage said, “Because Deerfield was all-boys for the majority of its time, boys sports have a longer history and more entrenched traditions. Many continue to feel like boys’ sports are valued more than girls’ at Deerfield, but we’re working hard to change that perception.“

Q: What do you think Deerfield’s biggest accomplishment has been during your term as a trustee? A: I would probably refer to several accomplishments. One is clearly adopting a policy and a program for emphasis on inclusion. We have an Inclusion Committee, and it will be made permanent. But structure is only the beginning –— the end is implementation, and I think we have a board, student body and faculty which are committed to inclusion. A second accomplishment was a continuation of Dr. Curtis’s vision of providing enrichment for the faculty in terms of opportunities for education and development, giving faculty experience and the ability to learn more. There are a host of programs which the board was highly supportive of, and it all goes out of the Imagine Deerfield vision — not just the money, more of the vision. At the end of the day, this school has to stand and fall on the faculty. If we have the best faculty, we have the best school. It’s that simple. There have been other accomplishments. Sometimes I’ve compared my role as President of the Board to a Tesla self-driving car. I have to get behind the wheel, but it can largely steer itself. It knows when to put on the brakes, and when to accelerate. So, some of these accomplishments happen because of others. We have pushed very hard for increasing our endowment and our endowment per student. That is critical to financial underpinnings of the school — not this year, or next year, but for decades to come. Q: Do you foresee a future where Deerfield could be need-blind? A: Putting aside whether that is the correct term or not, even today [during our Board meeting], we discussed that subject. We are actually not that far away from it. Forget the label for a moment — the way I would define the goal is that if you look at an applicant and she or he is qualified, should that person ever be disqualified because she or he needs financial aid? And actually, we have had that data recently, and we’re not that far away from it. As part of moving forward, that’s where a key issue will be. Q: Would you ever seek another term as trustee? A: Probably not. Nobody should believe they’re indispensable, or anywhere close to that. You don’t have that variety of experiences and outlooks [on the Board] unless you have new people coming in. I just think of so many of the new trustees, and they’re just a terrific group. If we had trustees coming back, they would have been excellent themselves, but we never would have seen these new people. I go through this at other nonprofits, and it’s a very similar issue. Q: What is the Board’s perspective on the recent discussions surrounding Deerfield’s dress code? A: Having listened a lot ,which is important, over the last few days, and before, it is clear that there are heartfelt and very strong views on this issue. It is an issue which is worthy and will get careful study by the Board. It is a governance issue, and so the Board will ultimately have the responsibility to make a decision. But, within that, the Board would not be fulfilling its duty unless it sought and took into account the views of every relevant constituency. Students, faculty, administrators, alumni, parents, it’s all of the groups. It won’t be my decision, but I hope the discourse can be civil and rational. This is not a morality play — it is about what is best for the school. Morality plays a role, but so do pragmatics. Q: Do you personally believe the dress code should change, and if so, how? A: I personally don’t know enough; that’s why we need more information before that decision is made. We have heard today from people who feel passionately about the issue and who have been willing to express their views. That’s not the whole universe. We need to learn more, and we also need to figure out an approach. Yesterday, in one of the meetings, a number of the students were all very articulate in their views. They said, first, they wanted a dress code. Second, they didn’t want a dress code limited just to broad principles. Third, they did not want a dress code which was based on exceptions. Rather, they wanted a dress code with specific requirements. Q: How do you balance age-old traditions with Deerfield’s aim to prepare students for a “rapidly changing world?” A: I don’t think the two are inconsistent, although it takes some real effort to make sure there is consistency. Deerfield and its traditions are not a religious doctrine in the sense of being unassailable and unquestionable. What they are more like is like a constitution; move from the religious to the secular, where change requires a careful deliberative process before it is made. There is a recognition that the constitution, symbolically speaking for Deerfield’s traditions, has served us very well. Change needs to be done not precipitously, but very thoughtfully. Q: What is your role as President of the Board? A: First of all, it is to set the agenda and help each of the committees, taking a role in assisting the committee head. It is to try and forge a consensus among the board members. It’s not surprising that if we deal with difficult issues there will be different views. It is also to encourage an environment of collegiality and respect in the boardroom. Boards which don’t have that are boards which will make serious errors. Q: What’s your view on Dr. Curtis’s recent announcement that she will step down next year? A: If I had my choice, she would stay longer. I think Dr. Curtis wants at least one more chapter of her life. I ran a large law firm, and I said when I took over that it would not be more than 10 years, and I stuck to it. It’s not that you run out of ideas, but you become a little bit too comfortable with what you have done. From time to time, change in perspective is necessary. I would be very surprised, whether it’s Deerfield, or any other of the leading private boarding schools, that you will ever see another Frank Boyden, or some of the other heads of schools serving 25, 30, 40 years. It probably will be, if things are going well, a 10 to 12-year, maybe 15-year pace. Q: Will you ever be back on campus? Of course! I’ve still got Commencement, and I think I will try and make sure I find other reasons as well.

Early this month, I received one of the most glorious emails a writer could hope to receive: Will you, Ms. Kopp, submit an opinion piece to the Scroll? Me? My opinion? Really? Why, yes, of course! So, I sat down, opened my laptop, and guess what? I couldn’t think of a single thing to write. (You know that feeling, right?) It’s not that I don’t have opinions; the people closest to me will tell you just how much I love sharing my thoughts on everything from the best adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (no question: 1995, Colin Firth) to the very meaning of existence (42). But when it comes to an op-ed piece, what could I write that would be meaningful? What opinion of mine might change your minds —and about what? After all, isn’t that the point of opinion pieces — to make an argument, to persuade, to get you to think about this or that topic just a little bit differently? Persuasive writing is an important skill, and the free expression of opinions is the cornerstone of a free society. But as I struggled to write, I began to wonder: can opinion pieces really lead to meaningful change? I sometimes fear that op-eds harden my pre-existing opinions. I find myself seeking out views that confirm what I already believe, and then, when confronted with ideas I don’t like, I want to fold up the paper, close the browser, turn off the radio. If I disagree strongly enough, my heart begins to pound, and my hands start to shake. I pour all my energy into rebutting each disagreeable point. I perform a twisted, wrongheaded version of our cultural competency skills: I read to respond, not to understand. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not advocating the end to op-ed pieces. (That would be a tad ironic, wouldn’t it?) I celebrate the desire of students, staff, and faculty to share their opinions in this paper. The conversations that come from these pieces can be incredibly significant, even if they are also incredibly difficult for our community. Perhaps that’s really the point — it’s the conversation afterwards, the experience of seeing, hearing, speaking with another human about what X wrote in the or what Y posted on Facebook. The words of an opinion piece don’t change me; I change me, but only when I allow myself to engage actively with ideas that make me uncomfortable. In my case, that active engagement comes through conversation. So what responsibility do I have, now that I’m both an op-ed writer and an op-ed reader? As a writer, I should not be afraid to share my opinions, no matter how unpopular they are, if I feel they can lead to productive conversation. To do that, I should use words that invite, rather than shut down, conversation. (I hope I have done that here.) As a reader, I have to get out of my own head. I must read to understand and then seek out a perspective different from my own. I have to stop feeling defensive, as if I’m the one under attack, just because I disagree. Perhaps you, dear readers, can have that dialogue internally. But I need other people to help me reframe and empathize. How lucky I am, then, to live in this community where conversation is always near at hand. Next year, when I’m roaming around the library, taking a break from writing silly novels, will you come find me? Or I’ll come find you, but don’t worry, it won’t be to criticize or attack. I’ll ask you why you believe what you believe, and I’ll do my best to listen, really listen. Then you can ask me, “Why Colin Firth?”, and we can all live happily… well, all right, maybe not. I don’t believe in happily-ever-afters, but I do believe change is possible, one awkward conversation at a time.

A warm breeze blew over the Hess Center lawn as Caitlin Sugita ’18 took the stage for her final KFC performance. Cheers erupted and continued throughout her performance. “Singing is a universal art form,” Sugita said. “It brings me so much joy when people come up to me after a performance and tell me that they really needed to hear certain lyrics I sang at that moment in their life.” Sugita’s journey as a singer began at a young age. She grew up in Jakarta, in a household where both her older sister and grandfather loved to sing. Frank Sinatra and Queen were the “soundtracks of [her] childhood.” “Although my father is essentially tone deaf,” she joked, “it was almost inevitable that I would come to fall in love with singing.” Sugita has never taken formal singing lessons, which shocks most of her friends. “For me, it all started in my shower and the backseat of my car,” Sugita said, describing how she learned to harmonize with her sister. Her singing eventually spilled into public performances at interscholastic theater productions in Jakarta. “The earliest memory I have is of my first solo during a Valentine’s Day performance — my class performed the song ‘L.O.V.E.’ and I was the letter L. I remember being so excited and I practiced for hours in front of the mirror,” Sugita said. She went on to star in many musical theater productions back home, such as Belle in . When she was 12 years old, she began uploading covers to SoundCloud. “My earliest covers were terrible and are now private. They were a capella, and entirely recorded on my iPhone 4 in one shot — for everyone’s sake,” she said. Sugita has composed songs for many years, but has never released any to the public. When she entered Deerfield in 2015, Sugita immediately connected with the choral director at the time, Daniel Jackson. “Mr. Jackson encouraged me to embrace my style of singing and my individuality as a singer,” Sugita explained. “He never tried to alter the character of my voice and I really appreciate him for that.” Kento Yamamoto ’16, a good friend, commented, “For someone who was never classically trained or had vocal lessons, Caitlin’s vocal skills can’t be compared to an average high schooler, let alone vocalist.” He described her voice: “It reminds me of some renowned vocalists featured in Spotify’s ‘Butter’ playlist, which describes her singing — it’s smooth and just makes you feel like you’re melting.” Last year, Sugita co-founded Deerfield’s coed a cappella group with four other singers. It marked the addition of a third a cappella group to Deerfield’s campus, alongside the traditional Rhapso-D’s and the Mellow-D’s. For the past two years, Sugita has led the group to many successful performances. In addition, she also sings for the Rhapso-D’s, Deerfield’s all girl a capella group. “I am so grateful for how dedicated everyone in the group has been to making good music. Good harmonies and good blending gives me chills — the good kind,” Sugita said. Christina Li ’20, another co-founder of Deerfield’s coed a cappella group, praised Sugita: “Her leadership is shown during every single practice. We meet during weekends and sometimes people don’t want to be there, but it is obvious she wants to make quality music.” Alongside her passion for music, Sugita has maintained focus within the classroom. Fine Arts Teacher David Dickinson, Sugita’s academic advisor, said, “She is dogged about her studies. She will lock herself up in her room and just grind away for hours on end … I think music has been a great release for her.” Sugita has performed in all six KFC’s during her time here at Deerfield, and has also performed multiple KFC promotions during School Meeting. Mr. Dickinson, who founded KFC in 2007, commented, “In a strange way, KFC has brought her out of her shell … She didn’t have to prove herself for any adult. She did it for herself.” Along the same lines, Sugita said, “Singing has given me a voice and allowed me to give other people voices or outlets for their emotions — it has taught me to be confident.” Recently, Sugita collaborated with Jackson Cohlan ’18 and Dylan Nagle ‘17 on the song “American Adolescence.” The song was a project started to raise awareness on some of the problems that teens in the twenty-first century go through everyday. Cohlan commented, “I first approached Caitlin after hearing her on Soundcloud. … As soon as I heard her I recognized that she was extremely good at harmonizing and I needed to work with her.” Producing music is no simple task, but these three were able to complete “American Adolescence” within two months. Jackson added, “It is really easy to find the chords to match her voice because of her natural talent in harmonizing with the music. I expected the process to take a lot longer, but she definitely expedited the process by weeks.” Sugita has a mini professional microphone in her room at Deerfield as well as a studio set up at home in Jakarta. Although she hasn’t yet released any original pieces, she maintains a SoundCloud account where she regularly posts covers. Next year, Sugita will attend college at Cornell University and plans to continue singing a capella while honing her interests musically and academically. – Caitlin Sugita

When students skip “boring” Academy Events, miss curfew, or perhaps drink under peer pressure, they know what they’re risking, and what will happen next. If they are caught, Deerfield will respond with APs or some sort of sanction determined by the Disciplinary Committee. The question lies in whether our current disciplinary process and the school climate it creates is really the best template for self-reflection or learning, as Mr. Kelly, Dean of Students, suggests, to live “healthy, productive” future lives. Mr. Kelly said that the main objective of the school’s disciplinary process is not to punish students, but to help them “stop, think, and reflect on their decision making, which hopefully, will produce healthy, productive, young adult lives after they leave us.” There is no doubt that the school administration wishes to support the student body even when individual students make mistakes. But taking steps to implement a stronger restorative justice model would more effectively support students when they make wrong choices. While the DC and Academic Honor Committee aim for transparency and consistency in making decisions, some students perceive that certain students are favored over others. Some cases receive a mere letter of warning and never reach a hearing, and this too can cause confusion in the student body. As a result, students question the fairness of the system. Students continue to break the rules, perhaps because they are unclear of where the boundaries lie, or because they feel less obligation to their peers and to the faculty with whom they collaborate each day, as relationships grow farther apart. This sentiment directly impacts not just the student response to the DC and AHC at Deerfield, but also affects the premise of the Accountability Point system. Rather than helping in the endeavor to hold students accountable for their daily choices, APs serve as bank accounts. Students track the amount of “credit” they own, then skip sit-down dinners and school meetings to finish their studies, knowing that they still have several free APs left to use later in the term. Students must learn to think relationally rather than transactionally, respect mutual interest rather than self-interest, and give rather than get. Given that fear of punishment and getting caught has become the only incentive for students to attend school obligations, the school might stop to ask if changing our transactional system in favor of a system that fosters building stronger interpersonal relationships is necessary. Perhaps a pervasive spirit of receiving from the Academy without the compunction to give back, as well as lack of moral scruples from the student body explains the steady stream of DC and AHC responses this school year. However, not all of the blame rests on the students. The administration should be asking itself if students are truly responding to and learning from our current disciplinary responses in a positive and constructive way. Even from the numerous DC and AHC announcements at school meetings, it seems that the number of students changing their mindsets and desiring to follow the rules is slim. In fact, I have heard many students claim that hearing about an anonymous student’s suspension for plagiarizing, or a group of students’ expulsions for drugs instills more fear of getting caught than determination to stop breaking school rules. Thus, the largest problem with disciplinary responses is not necessarily that they are punitive, but that they address the mistakes of students one by one after they are already committed, rather than proactively address the underlying problem of the apathetic student culture. The solution lies in gearing the school towards an instilled restorative justice approach. Restorative justice is defined as a system that rehabilitates offenders through reconciliation with victims of the offense and with the larger community. It brings together the persons harmed with persons responsible for harm and encourages accountability through dialogue, rather than through the serving of a sanction or consequence. The short term fix of handing out a suspension or expulsion might teach the student who committed a wrongdoing to learn from their mistake. Yet it focuses only on the rule that was broken and allots a corresponding response to it based largely on precedent. It does not target the root causes, repair damaged relationships, or deter recurrence. It is important to acknowledge that the school does already aim to incorporate particular restorative practices in its disciplinary responses. According to 11th and 12th Grade Dean Samuel Bicknell, “[The committees] have introduced some common language used in restorative practice approaches. In preliminary conversations with members of the community who have violated the handbook and in the statements they write for DC hearings, we have started to ask the following questions: What happened? How were you feeling? Who do you think has been affected by what you did?” Yet our school does not practice restorative justice to its fullest capacity and could develop it much further, given our continued use of reactive sentences like suspensions that do not solve the underlying problems in school culture. Steps toward truly implementing a restorative system would include hiring a restorative justice coordinator, training as many employees (teachers, administration, counselors and security officers) as possible, and integrating the restorative conversation techniques learned from the training in the dining hall, classrooms, dorms, and locker rooms. From there, the restorative justice coordinator or an administrator could begin to incorporate it into disciplinary responses, and inspire students to dialogue rather than irresponsible action. Suppose an upperclassman was caught with drugs in his dorm room. Instead of receiving a suspension, the student might meet weekly with counselors at the Health Center over a period spanning several weeks to give the student an opportunity to rehabilitate and change their mindset on drugs. Teachers and dorm residents could offer more support and further encouragement towards making healthy choices. Rather than relying on the looming consequence of suspension, this approach improves the student, as well as the larger culture and community of our school. Restorative justice is not only an alternative to our current disciplinary approach, but a strategy to mold a stronger, connected and caring culture. In an ideal community, Deerfield would not need the AP system, probations or expulsions. The collective community must learn to respond to the student by encouraging personal growth and rediscovery of our values. Only then can every student at Deerfield live up to the motto, “Be Worthy.”

At School Meeting on Jan. 31, Head of School Margarita Curtis announced to faculty and students that she had decided to retire from her position at the end of the 2018-2019 school year. In a letter to the Deerfield community later that afternoon, the Board of Trustees wrote, “During the past twelve years, [Dr. Curtis’] unique ability to focus on the future, while maintaining a steadfast commitment to Deerfield’s timeless values and ideals, has moved the Academy forward to its unparalleled position. Her extraordinary qualities — leadership, warmth, intelligence, and integrity — will truly be missed.” The question that now faces the Deerfield community is how someone of such impact will be properly replaced. Over the next several months, a search committee will work with search firm Carney Sandoe and Associates to select Dr. Curtis’s successor. This Search Committee is chaired by the incoming President of the Board of Trustees, Brian Simmons, and includes seven trustees, Director of Communications Jessica Day, and two selected faculty representatives, Theater Director Catriona Hynds and History Teacher Joe Lyons. Mrs. Hynds and Mr. Lyons shared that after surveying Deerfield’s students, employees, parents, and alums, and holding open meetings in Boston, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, Carney and the Search Committee will use the information they gained “to write a position description and build the best possible pool of candidates.” “Ultimately, the Search Committee will evaluate candidates and recommend one to the full Board of Trustees, which will appoint the next Head of School. There is no set timeline, but the Board may announce a new Head of School as early as this coming winter, if not before,” they stated. The Carney and Associates survey was sent out on Mar. 27 and included questions regarding what respondents value about Deerfield and what qualities they would like to see in a new Head of School. Jackson Cohlan ’18 noted, “My personal priority for our new head of school is getting someone who respects and values the mission statement of Deerfield academy… Tradition is what makes Deerfield distinct from our peer schools and losing that would be detrimental.” Opinions vary across campus. Sami Dulam ’21 said, “I would hope that the new Head of School will be understanding and realize that these are the modern times … Yes, there are rules, but [he or she] needs to look at each issue as an individual story and care more about the students than the rules themselves. The new Head of School will have plenty of these issues to dive into once he or she arrives arrive on campus, including discussions surrounding dress code and campus inclusion. “As a senior, something I have valued most about my experience is Deerfield’s strong tradition. I would like to hope that the school stays true to this, and the new Head of School would face dress code or anything thing for that matter with a stronger emphasis on the Deerfield values that have been in place for decades,” said Alli Norris ’18. Students can expect to be informed in the process as much as any other member of the Deerfield community. However, information has the potential of not being disclosed until decisions are finalized. Mr. Lyons and Mrs. Hynds explained: “For a host of reasons, some top candidates may be unwilling to make public their interest in this job, at least in the initial stages of the process. For example, someone who is currently the Head of School at another institution may not want to risk alienating his or her current community by letting it be known that he or she is being considered for the job at Deerfield. The Search Committee seeks to find as many strong candidates as possible, and thus needs to remain sensitive to and balance such concerns.” To close their letter to the Deerfield community, the Board of Trustees stated, “In honoring [Dr. Curtis’] service to the Academy, it seems fitting to borrow an aphorism from her own repertoire: She has made Deerfield worthy, and not the other way around.” Much will be happening over the next year as Dr. Curtis closes her time at Deerfield, but through all of thism the Search Committee will do all in its power to find someone “worthy” of replacing her.

With spring term underway, many Deerfield students’ minds turn to one thing: Spring Day. There are questions like, “When is spring day?” Or, “What will the activities be?” And from the new students, “What causes all the hype?” Spring Day is not merely a day of activities; it is just as important as any other Deerfield tradition — full of history and importance to student life. The origin of Spring Day can be traced back to when Deerfield was an all-boys school. The boys would go out on a Wednesday afternoon to the green in front of the library, typically one week before graduation, and sit outside in the sun to enjoy the nice weather. Yearbooks suggest that the activities that took place during Spring Day have varied throughout the years, ranging from picnics to performances to mere social gatherings. For example, in the older yearbooks from the 1900s, photographs depict Spring Days with a big outdoor theater production — something that now has been replaced. According to Spanish Teacher Stephen Taft, who has been at Deerfield since 1984, Spring Day has been a tradition since he arrived on campus. However, early in his career here, there were no organized games and no inflatables. Spring Day was just much simpler: students would stay outside, enjoying nature and friends’ company for what it was. He recalled that student bands would perform, and other sorts of entertainment was also put on by students themselves. Mr. Taft described the traditional cookout as a lobster and clam dinner, where a big fire would be used to cook up the seafood. The celebration continues to be a time for Deerfield students to unwind, spend time with their friends, and enjoy the weather. It usually takes place on a Wednesday, so that after a half day of classes, students can enjoy an afternoon in the sun. A variety of activities are now held on the Lower Fields, unlike before, when they were held in front of the library. They include rafting, inflatable games, and swimming in the river. Later in the afternoon, there is a whole school cookout (although lobsters and clam have been replaced) where students can chat and just continue to relax. Students consistently rave about Spring Day as one of the best days of the year. According to Michael Makridis ’19, Spring Day is special to Deerfield students because it celebrates the final few weeks of the school year. He explained, “Last year, when I was a new sophomore and Spring Day came around, I was both sad and excited to conclude my first year on campus. Spring Day was the best opportunity I had to spend time with my friends before we all went home.” From a different perspective, Lily Robinson ’18 suggested that what makes Spring Day special is all of the fun activities. She said, “Last year’s Spring Day was by far my favorite, because of the slip and slide, and swimming in the river. The sun was out and it made the day so much more enjoyable. If it is good weather, it definitely one of the best days of the year.” This year’s Spring Day is on Wednesday, May 23, and plans have already been made. So make sure not to miss it!