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By means of a historic referendum, Britain chose to secede from the European Union this past June. Britain’s exit, or “Brexit,” sparked a series of EU secessionist conversations. Spencer Rosen ’18, an American student who grew up in London, believes that despite greater responsibilities, the benefits the U.K. enjoyed as a part of the EU were far greater than the drawbacks. “My concern [with Brexit] was [one of] freedom of trade… the devaluing of the British economy… the lack of freedom of movement for workers…and immigration,” Rosen commented. Rosen saw some similarities between the nature of Brexit and Trump’s electoral victory. “People compare [Brexit] to Trump’s election because of the way both played on immigrant fear,” Rosen explained. In the six months since the referendum, some of the greater consequences of the decision have surfaced. Now that Britain no longer has the power to facilitate trade among European countries, its economy is the lowest it has been in thirty years. Similarly, The Bank of England has cut interest rates in hopes of stopping an economic crisis from occurring. Additionally, because no one under eighteen can vote, many Millennials grew wary of an outcome that solely reflected the opinion of the elderly. Their fears were confirmed by post-referendum polls, which showed that most individuals under twenty-five voted ‘stay,’ while a majority of people over sixty voted ‘leave.’ Their sentiments were clear: “Why should the [older generations] be able to dictate our future, our careers, when they’ve already had theirs?” Rosen explained. _________________________________________________________________________________________ On December 9, 2016, South Korea voted to impeach its President, Park Geun-hye. The vote to begin President Park’s impeachment trial was a historic landslide, with 234 members of parliament voting for her impeachment, and only 56 against. After the vote, Park’s powers were suspended, pending her trial. The Constitutional Court has begun hearings, and will determine whether she will be required to step down from office. Korean student Ashley Chang ’18 is particularly concerned with the repercussions of Park’s impeachment. “[I] and many others fear there will never be another female Korean president,” Chang commented. Indeed, many Korean citizens are forced to consider the possibility of such a scenario. The impeachment of the first female president in Korean history is a blow to Korean feminists.. Korea’s political transition has reignited previously unaddressed controversy. Park’s father served as President from 1961 until his assassination in 1979. Park’s mother was killed in 1974, during an attempted assassination of her father. Park took office following her father’s death. However, she allegedly conspired with an old friend, Choi Soon-sil. to extort $69 million from South Korean businesses. Choi’s father, Choi Tae-min, the leader of a pseudo-Christian cult, claimed to be able to communicate with Park’s dead mother. As a result, Choi’s family held significant influence over Park. Choi Soon-sil has been indicted for abuse of power, extorting bribes, and leaking classified documents. Park faces prosecution on charges of coercion and abuse of power. Groups across the country organized demonstrations throughout November and December, demanding Park’s resignation. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Following Italy’s constitutional referendum on December 4, 2016, Matteo Renzi, who served as prime minister for two-and-a-half years, officially resigned from office. The bill, which was open to every Italian citizen above eighteen years old, proposed to reorganize the distribution of power within Italy’s government by decreasing the size of the senate, and by implementing a four-year presidential term. Renzi put his political power behind the bill, so when the people of Italy voted down his proposal, he was forced out of office by his political opposition. Federico Ferragamo ’19, an Italian student, supported the efforts put forth by Renzi and the Democratic Party. “A yes vote would change the law that allows any prime minister to be overthrown by the parties,” Ferragamo explained. “As a result [of the current law], we’ve had 68 prime ministers in 71 years… It’s hard to get things done because of the constant exchange of power,” he added. The vote also threatened to take away much of the Senate’s power concerning impunity. Ferragamo believes that while it was a righteous effort on Renzi’s part, it ultimately made him a lot of enemies. He explained, “The [senators] have so much power that they shouldn’t have, and there’s way too many of them, and we pay them way too much.” Ferragamo stated, “No one was actually looking at the referendum. It had nothing to do with the politics… power-hungry politicians who didn’t want [Renzi] in office, didn’t consider what the bill was saying…they just voted no to get him out.” Ferragamo added, “This happened twenty years ago…but just with different parties…I hope the next time [the constitutional referendum] comes up, it’ll come into fruition.”

Wrestler Mohamed Kadry ’17 is no stranger to big moments. On December 10, the Deerfield wrestling team faced rivals Tabor Academy , a strong team that boasted a 20-1-0 win record only two seasons ago. A thick tension permeated the air as Kadry lined up to wrestle Tabor’s Alexandre Zhange. All other matchups had been finished and the meet came down to this bout­— if Kadry won, Deerfield would win the competition. “The start of the match was tumultuous,” reflected Kadry on his match. “But I secured a pin in the first period and walked away with a victory.” Kadry’s victory marked Deerfield’s first win against Tabor in over ten years, a success that marks an upward trend in Deerfield’s wrestling program in the past few years. Only three years ago, the Athletic Department was considering pulling the plug on the wrestling co-curricular— that same year Kadry came into the program as a freshman. The team currently is comprised of around fifteen students. Lead by Head Coach Mark Scandling and Assistant Coaches Edrik Lopez, and Mark Teustch, the team is now one of the stronger schools in New England. A wrestler’s success in a season is determined by three different factors: league record, placement at “Class A’s” (a midseason tournament), and performance at the New Englands Championship if the wrestler can qualify through his/her success in the league and/or Class A’s. Based on these measurements of success, Kadry admits that his first two years of wrestling were difficult and humbling. “My first year, I lost almost every match, and did not secure a place at Class A’s,” Kadry recalls. “My second year, I sustained a concussion early in the season, so I did not wrestle.” He defines his third year on the team as his upturn, because he not only he recovered from his injury, but also earned enough success to place at Class A’s and wrestle at the New England tournament. Similarl to Deerfield’s wrestling program, Kadry has his own story of improvement over time. This year he is wrestling in the 138-pound class. Notably, as co-captain and a four-year wrestler, Kadry finds himself assuming a leadership role for less experienced members of the team. “If anyone has doubts about a move, I help them out,” he said. “After practice, I’ve had other teammates come to me to spar a bit or practice a move that they’ve wanted to refine.” “Mohamed is a very hard worker and I see him every day putting his all into every practice,” Kishor Bharadwaj ’19 said. “I see him come off the mat every time covered in sweat, and I know he’s one of the hardest workers on the team. He sets an example.” Bharadwaj also noted Kadry’s fierce competitive spirit. “Anytime someone tries to pin him you can see him get really angry and slam the mat – he always does that.” Kadry has an undeniable, intense passion for wrestling, and this passion represents the persistent nature of Deerfield’s wrestling program.  Kadry is sure to be a centerpiece of success for his team this year.

While senior year is often exciting and memorable, the year lends a great deal of stress to the graduating class. During the fall term, seniors feel the pressure to not only perform well academically, but also to excel on college applications. The term is filled with excitement, anticipation, and perhaps above all, a great deal of stress. For those uninvolved in the college process, this time period sparks a certain natural curiosity among faculty and other students. While there is always speculation and good-natured interest in the futures of the senior class, it is important to recognize and understand that each student’s respective college process is deeply personal and unique. For this reason, it is necessary to exercise prudence and respect while asking students about the progress of their college process. The month of December is a particularly sensitive time for students, as this is typically when many Early Decision and Early Action decisions are released—a time of excitement, disappointment, and uncertainty. If you do not have a personal relationship with a student, it is most appropriate to avoid bringing up the topic of college decisions during this time period, unless the student him/herself encourages the conversation. If you find yourself at a sit-down table with seniors, and the subject does come up in conversation, whether you are a faculty member, or a younger student, it is most wise to allow the senior to steer the conversation in a direction of which they are most comfortable. That being said, the college process is a reality for every senior at Deerfield, and not a conversation that can always be avoided. However, it is unrealistic and insensitive to assume that students have made decisions regarding their futures during the late fall and winter. The spring term is a more acceptable time period in which to ask students about their future. After regular decision letters are released in the months from March- May, it becomes more reasonable to assume that students are closer to arriving at major decisions. As suggested by Ms. Schloat—who asks students, “Have you made a decision yet?”—vague and polite inquiry is by far the most appropriate way of engaging in such a personal conversation.

Penelope Hough ’17 has been a member of the RhapsoDs, Deerfield’s all-girls a cappella group, since her freshman year. However, her musical involvement goes far beyond her life here in Massachusetts. In Hough’s hometown of Washington, D.C., she sang with the Young Artists of America, a competitive opera performance group that allows students to work with leading professional artists. Hough also attended the Brevard Music Center’s voice program, a prestigious music camp known for its selectivity and opera division. These experiences, coupled with her nearly four years on DA’s a capella group, have made singing an immense passion of Hough’s. “Making the RhapsoDs as a freshman was really exciting for me, and it’s been a huge privilege to have that be such a big part of my Deerfield experience for the past four years,” she said. Also at Deerfield, Hough sang in the Western Massachusetts district festival the past two years, an experience she described as “rewarding and fun.” Hough’s grandmother, a professional soprano, music director, choir and opera director, and voice teacher, sparked Hough’s passion for music. “She saw my interest in singing and strongly encouraged my parents to put me into church choir, which I started when I was about 6,” she explained. Hough then went on to participate in her school and church choirs throughout middle school, all while receiving voice lessons from her grandmother. “That was when I got serious about classical singing,” reflected Hough when describing these initial voice lessons. Hough said that though her grandmother played a large role in her singing career, she was inspired by others as well. Artists ranging from Joyce DiDonato and Monteserrat Caballé to Mumford and Sons have all inspired and influenced Hough. As her talent has grown, her education in the field of music has increased greatly as well. “DA has taught me a lot about music on the theory side of things. I now know a lot more about composing and arranging music,” she said. This knowledge helped her with analyzing symphonies while at the Brevard. Hough plans on continuing this musical education in college as a voice major at Northwestern’s Bienen School of Music, where she will begin this fall. “It’s the dream because I’ll get to sing everyday with people who’ve either had amazing careers or are on their ways to one,” she said. Beyond her future four years at Northwestern, Hough wants to attend graduate school for music, and then see if she can pursue singing as her career. “If I can’t, it’s fine. That’s the nature of being an artist. But I want to reach the peak that my voice can offer me and enjoy singing for my whole life,” remarked Hough. Her positive attitude stems from her love of all aspects of music. “The best part of music is seeing how it affects people,” she added. “As I learned from my grandmother, music touches lives, and if you do it for yourself, you might as well be singing in a closet.” Hoping to touch some of our lives, Hough encourages the entire school community to be in attendance at her senior recital on April 15th in the Hess concert hall, which will feature a wide range of solo pieces from different eras of classical music.

Every year, Deerfield dancers come together to choreograph pieces for the Winter Dance Showcase. This year’s showcase has 109 students performing in it, the highest participation rate in a showcase to date. “The student choreography showcase started as a more casual showcase, just to give people an opportunity to choreograph,” said Maddie Thies ’17, one of the choreographers of the showcase from the Advanced Dance Ensemble. Thies additionally noted the showcases change over the years, saying, “Now it’s become a whole spectacular event for people and while it’s still definitely a big performance, it’s also just an opportunity for more people to get involved.” Compared to regular dance showcases, which involve dance teachers such as Ms. Jennifer Whitcomb managing the logistics and pieces, the student-choreography showcase is completely student — run. “The students run the whole show — we’re the ones who propose our pieces, audition our pieces, come up with the rehearsal schedule, the lighting for our pieces, the program, and the stage managers,” explained Thies. “It’s a lot harder and time consuming than it looks,” stated Ossie Heard ’18, one of the two male choreographers, about the process of organizing the production. “One of the hardest things is figuring out how to combine all the components such as lighting, music, and costumes.” To a student choreographer, the responsibility of organizing a whole dance is daunting, but also exciting. “I think it’s fun because it’s usually something you don’t get to do,” stated Sarah Du ’17, who is also a choreographer from the Advanced Dance Ensemble. “It gives you a fresh perspective and role.” Heard continued, “I think the most rewarding part is realizing that your dance is a success and that people actually like it. I think that one of my biggest insecurities, as a choreographer, is that people won’t like it.” He went on to say, “Crowd approval is a big thing. It’s hard not to cater to the audience, but it’s also hard just to do it for you.” All students are encouraged to participate in the dance showcase, but the choreographers are chosen by being involved either in the dance program, academic classes, coaching, or in the co-curricular program. Choreographers all have to be approved by Ms. Whitcomb. “Even if you don’t want to grow up to be a choreographer or a dancer, it’s a really great experience to be in a leadership position and to learn how to teach dance,” said Mila Castleman ’18, a student choreographer from the Advanced Dance Ensemble. This year’s showcase, to be held on January 26, features over twenty pieces choreographed by students of all grades and genders. The dances range from elegant genres such as ballet and jazz to energetic pieces, such as hip-hop and modern. “With Deerfield dance, you’re allowed to do it all four years. Every showcase is an opportunity for you to perform,” said Heard. “The fact that I have that freedom I think is a very special thing.”

Working your way through Deerfield is a maze. Starting the first day you step through the door, you begin trying to figure out which paths to take. In this past year and a half I have never felt more confused trying to understand how to excel in this crazy place and digest opinions of teachers and my fellow students. 2017 is a new year. A new president is beginning his term, the 12th graders are slowly finding out about colleges, and we are evaluating new students who may become a part of this great learning environment. I feel as if it is time for Deerfield to reflect on what we can do better to prepare our students for the real word. In all honesty, we are living in a bubble where cutting the line in the dining hall is a bad thing; but in reality, it happens. You have to learn how to cope with unfairness in our world. With Donald Trump being the president-elect and stepping into the White House on Friday, January 20, 2017, it is our job as a community to welcome the president and support him. I would not have voted for Trump, but the negativity towards him on this campus is embarrassing. The day after the election, some teachers at Deerfield refused to teach their class. Now, many of them struggle to talk about the election in anything but a negative light, which sets an exceptionally poor example for every student at the school. I often wonder whether there would have been safe spaces if Hillary Clinton had been elected: teachers requesting for the inauguration to be optional, students walking around with shirts saying they refuse to speak because they are “still with him.” The Deerfield community needs to give Trump a chance and respect him as we would respect any other president. He may or may not be the most ideal president for the next four years, but he won the election. In preparing Deerfield students for reality, the school needs to teach us not to let our political opinions get in the way of our job, to respect something we do not necessarily agree with, and to always give someone a chance. I believe if a student follows these three things, they will become a stronger individual, enabling them to step outside our bubble and navigate their path through this maze to operate in the “real world” more effectively.

On February 11th, Deerfield will bring to campus Lost Kings, a DJ duo that quickly rose to fame through the popular app Soundcloud. Lost Kings started their musical career in Los Angeles, and have since gained popularity nationwide with over 80,000 followers on SoundCloud. Their most famous song, “Phone Down,” has been played over one million times on the app alone, and the remixed versions have been played double that amount. Claire Koeppel ’18, a member of the Student Planning Committee (SPC), led the effort to bring the group to Deerfield. “When I was thinking of people we could potentially bring to campus, I immediately thought of Lost Kings,” she explained. “Their new song “Phone Down” has become really popular and they’re definitely on the rise in the music industry.” Koeppel contacted the manager of the group to inquire about the possibility of holding a private concert on campus and recieved a positive the next day. The Deerfield administration was also enthusiastic about holding such an high-profile event on campus. Koeppel explained that the administration had no objections, which made the planning of the event go much more seamlessly. She also wanted to recognize Mr. Brian Barbato, Student Activities Coordinator, for helping SPC with planning the event, and Mr. John LaPrade, who has assisted SPC in arranging the technical aspects of the concert. Koeppel addressed the financial side of the concert, stating that it will be free for all students as it is sponsored by SPC. The entire event is costing the school around $18,000 of their budget, which is very manageable. The concert, a 90 minute-long set, will be held in the dining hall, with the small bubble blocked off and a small stage set up in front of the two pillars and a large screen behind it. Koeppel also spoke about how the atmosphere of the dining hall will be completely transformed for the event. The windows will be blacked out to capture the atmosphere of a real concert as much as possible, along with confetti cannons and tons of lights. The event also serves as a much-appreciated break in the middle of the long winter term. Koeppel explained, “The winter here gets really tough and we all would definitely appreciate a big ticket event to bring up the mood and have something to look forward to.”

With an undergraduate and master’s degree from Springfield College in Athletic Therapy, Rob Kearney has been on campus for a total of four years and spent this past year as Deerfield Academy’s Strength and Conditioning coach. As a high school football player and cheerleader in Norwich, Connecticut, Mr. Kearney began lifting weights at a young age. However, his strongman career did not begin until a substitute teacher, who was an owner of a crossfit gym, noticed his talents. Training throughout the weeks, he competed in a competition held the day after his senior prom. As the youngest strongman there by 13 years, Mr. Kearney placed 14th out of 27 competitors at just 17 years old. During his time in college, he began competing as a member of Springfield College’s powerlifting team and as an active participant in Strongman competitions—competitions specializing in unconventional methods of heavy lifting such as log pressing. By the age of twenty, he was a two time Massachusetts State Teen powerlifting champion and won the youth Olympic games in Virginia Beach with a combined deadlift, squat, and bench press total of 1490 lbs. In 2011 and 2012, he placed second in the National Amateur Strongman Championship and in 2013, he placed first by a margin of 50 points. By 2015, Mr. Kearney had an array of sub-professional and professional awards including two second places in America’s Strongest Man Competition in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, Mr. Kearney was invited to his first major international competition by Lithuanian legend Žydrūnas Savickas who called and stated, “food, board, everything is covered, just get yourself to Lithuania.” Significantly lighter than all of the other competitors at 445 ½ lbs, Mr. Kearney surprised everyone, even himself, when he won the competition. On a personal note in 2014, Mr. Kearney came out as openly gay. “I did it in really cheesy fashion,” he recalled. “I made a Man Crush Monday post with Joey [his boyfriend at the time] and that was it.” Mr. Kearney is the first openly gay professional strong man, and his story immediately went viral. He was interviewed by the Huffington Post, featured on TMZ and Perez Hilton, and referenced by Conan O’Brien. Mr. Kearney and his boyfriend became inspiration to countless people. Fast forward two and a half years, Mr. Kearney and Joey are still happily together and announced their engagement over the 2016 winter break. When asked about their future wedding, Mr. Kearney stated, “We’re not sure exactly when.” He continued, “There are so many things in play.” While Joey completes graduate school, the two are living and working as dorm parents at the nearby elementary school Bement. While Mr. Kearney said that he enjoys living at Bement, he one day hopes to live and work at Deerfield. “It’s one of my goals to be more involved around Deerfield,” he commented. He does not know where the future will take him, but for now Mr. Kearney is content living and training in the pioneer valley. With a sport that he loves, a companion by his side, and the Deerfield community that he continues to grow closer to, Mr. Kearney’s future is indeed bright.

Every year, Deerfield dancers come together to choreograph pieces for the Winter Dance Showcase. This year’s showcase has 109 students performing in it, the highest participation rate in a showcase to date. “The student choreography showcase started as a more casual showcase, just to give people an opportunity to choreograph,” said Maddie Thies ’17, one of the choreographers of the showcase from the Advanced Dance Ensemble. Thies additionally noted the showcases change over the years, saying, “Now it’s become a whole spectacular event for people and while it’s still definitely a big performance, it’s also just an opportunity for more people to get involved.” Compared to regular dance showcases, which involve dance teachers such as Ms. Jennifer Whitcomb managing the logistics and pieces, the student-choreography showcase is completely student — run. “The students run the whole show — we’re the ones who propose our pieces, audition our pieces, come up with the rehearsal schedule, the lighting for our pieces, the program, and the stage managers,” explained Thies. “It’s a lot harder and time consuming than it looks,” stated Ossie Heard ’18, one of the two male choreographers, about the process of organizing the production. “One of the hardest things is figuring out how to combine all the components such as lighting, music, and costumes.” To a student choreographer, the responsibility of organizing a whole dance is daunting, but also exciting. “I think it’s fun because it’s usually something you don’t get to do,” stated Sarah Du ’17, who is also a choreographer from the Advanced Dance Ensemble. “It gives you a fresh perspective and role.” Heard continued, “I think the most rewarding part is realizing that your dance is a success and that people actually like it. I think that one of my biggest insecurities, as a choreographer, is that people won’t like it.” He went on to say, “Crowd approval is a big thing. It’s hard not to cater to the audience, but it’s also hard just to do it for you.” All students are encouraged to participate in the dance showcase, but the choreographers are chosen by being involved either in the dance program, academic classes, coaching, or in the co-curricular program. Choreographers all have to be approved by Ms. Whitcomb. “Even if you don’t want to grow up to be a choreographer or a dancer, it’s a really great experience to be in a leadership position and to learn how to teach dance,” said Mila Castleman ’18, a student choreographer from the Advanced Dance Ensemble. This year’s showcase, to be held on January 26, features over twenty pieces choreographed by students of all grades and genders. The dances range from elegant genres such as ballet and jazz to energetic pieces, such as hip-hop and modern. “With Deerfield dance, you’re allowed to do it all four years. Every showcase is an opportunity for you to perform,” said Heard. “The fact that I have that freedom I think is a very special thing.”

This January, Deerfield welcomes exchange student WenXin Dong ’18 from the prestigious Markham College in Lima, Peru. Dong will be on campus until the end of February. Dong was born in Beijing, China but moved with her family to Lima in 2010. A native Chinese speaker, she began attending Markham in the fourth grade, picking up English and Spanish as her second and third languages. Though it is currently summer vacation in Peru, Dong decided to participate in the Deerfield exchange program to broaden her worldview and “explore the world outside the Markham bubble.” Dong first visited the United States through a Round Square Regional Conference in Los Angeles where she was able to meet many students of diverse cultures and backgrounds. “[Because of the conference], I became really interested in America and what [it] had to offer,” Dong said. “Being an adventurous person and someone who enjoys challenges, this exchange seemed to be the perfect fit for me.” Dong has enjoyed her experience at Deerfield so far, noting that she has transitioned very smoothly. “Everyone at Deerfield is so incredibly friendly and accepting,” she explained. “Whenever I get lost, I find that anyone I ask will take me wherever I need to go, even if he or she is not headed in the same direction.” She also added that her teachers have been very supportive in helping her acclimate to the new environment and she is appreciative of everyone’s efforts in easing her transition. Dong’s favorite Deerfield class is Introduction to Studio Art, taught by Mrs. Mercedes Taylor. A passionate artist, Dong described the class as an opportunity to express her creativity and focus on her technique. In her free time, Dong enjoys drawing, reading, and watching crime movies. Back in Peru, she also spent time coding and baking various desserts. At Deerfield, she is on the JV swim team and hopes to become involved in other clubs on campus. During her first week here, Dong noticed some differences between the American school system and the Peruvian school system. For example, Markham observes a rotating block schedule with eight periods per day, and students are not as free to select their own classes. Additionally, students there must wear a uniform and girls are prohibited from painting their nails or wearing jewelry unless they have religious reasons to do so. Dong also noted that the style of teaching at Deerfield differs from that at Markham. “From what I see, Deerfield students are very engaged in the classroom,” she described. “Teachers really emphasize class discussions. In Peru, most teachers prepare a PowerPoint and hand out worksheets.” Dong explained that she feels motivated by Deerfield students’ hard work and focus on obtaining a good education and looks forward to the rest of her time here.

With the threat of global warming and rising oceans, being too friendly with Russia, and the fact that the United States is now the second most favorite country north of Mexico, it is time to reintroduce some stability into our lives; it is time to act. For the past few years, our identity has been questioned, Amherst College will soon be the Hamster or the Fighting Poets, and Thomas Gale has been calling us the Flying Doors. Captain Deerfield rallies the Big Green, the student body grunts, “Aga-Chee, Aga-Cha!”, and the Deerfield Girl and the Deerfield Boy are speechless. We need something on which to lay our hands and toward which we can unify our voices. Deerfield Academy needs a mascot. Having noticed that there are no deer in Deerfield, and believing that the Deerfield Fields is both not alliteration and not bold enough, we seek our strength elsewhere. We may want to consider the Deerfield Academy Raid, which is sufficiently abstract, or the DA Green Goblins, which, unfortunately, disappeared with the decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant to the north of us. Maybe the Deerfield Academy Candles, or the Rivers, or the Helen Franks. All of these options lack something, and it is not called awesomeness. Nevertheless, hope is on the eastern horizon, mostly because you won’t see the ICBMs coming from North Korea. When we look to the hills, and then climb them, not only do we start sweating, but we also come to that precipice in the clouds called, “The Rock.” It’s like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow that doesn’t exist. There you go: The Deerfield Academy Rock. The Rock. Dr. Curtis hikes to it. Justin Masella looks like it. A flock rhymes like it. Imagine the Rock on our jerseys, shirts, shorts, and suits. Instead of green and white M&Ms in Admissions, just a bowl of rocks and those cute spoons. It’s a beauty, that Rock. An inspirational summit calling us to the heights of achievement and, as a bonus, no controversy about demeaning indigenous American imagery. It’s time, Deerfield Academy, to heed the wisdom of that bloke Angus Young of AC/DC: “Let There Be Rock!”

Last week, our community gathered to watch the inauguration of a new president. I didn’t attend because I could not imagine sitting there and watching Donald Trump be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States as if this was just a normal changing of the guard, as if there was anything normal about Trump’s campaign, his refusal to condemn white supremacists, the religious and racial intolerance he encouraged, his attacks on a free and open press, his incitement of violence at his rallies, his admission of sexual assault caught on tape. I could go on. While I recognize that the inauguration has been required in the past, and that attendance at the inauguration would have been required whether the incoming president was Republican or Democrat, sitting in a Deerfield auditorium and watching the swearing in was, for me, equivalent to accepting the normalization of a self-confessed pussy-grabber. (Stop there for a moment. Is it jolting to see the word “pussy” in the Scroll? Will I be asked to remove it? If the President of the United States can use the word, why can’t I? If the President of the United States can get away with such behavior, then what’s to stop anyone else from trying it? See what I mean about normalizing?) This administration is not normal, and I can’t — I won’t — go on business-as-usual and forget that we are watching a terrifying moment in American history. Let’s not pretend that a bankrupt-businessman-turned-reality-TV-show-host who brags about sexually assaulting women and mocks a disabled reporter is an acceptable president. Historically, the inauguration is a celebration of the incoming president. We all gather together to appreciate America’s peaceful transfer of power. Many people have argued that we all need to support a Trump presidency because Trump’s success in the Oval Office translates into success for the entire country. But Trump’s version of “success” is one that is so far removed from our American values that it is an embarrassment, regardless of political beliefs. Like other writers have pointed out, I believe that a failure for Trump is not synonymous with failure for this country. Let him fail to build a wall that will cost American taxpayers one billion dollars and send a message of intolerance to the world. Let him fail to create a Muslim registry that will marginalize patriotic Americans. Let him fail to defund Planned Parenthood, which would leave thousands of poor women without the health care they need. Just let him fail. If any other Republican had been elected — Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, or any one of the countless more-qualified, non-pussy-grabbing Republicans — I would not be writing this article right now. I would have attended the inauguration respectfully regardless of my personal feelings about abortion rights, gun control, and so on. I am not the first to see similarities between pre-war Germany and what is happening in America right now: the demonization of a single religious group, the appeal to one’s patriotism (“Make America Great Again”), the promise of mass deportation, the suppression of the media, the fostering of racism. Allowing someone whom you know is dangerous into power so easily and quietly is the very definition of complacency, and complacency equals complicity. When I thought about boycotting the Deerfield live-streaming of the inauguration, I thought about future generations and how they would look back on 2016/2017. I wanted them to see we were not fully asleep, that there were people of conscience who boycotted the inauguration (as about 70 of our Representatives did), that people turned off their TVs and marched on Washington, that some students at a small boarding school in New England refused to attend a required viewing of the inauguration—that people rose up in both small and big ways. And the country did just that. The Women’s March on Washington is considered the largest protest in U.S. history. So many women in their pink pussy hats flooded into the nation’s capital that friends reported being unable to move even a step. Similar protests occurred around the globe–women in pink pussy hats in Boston, New York, San Francisco, Austin, etc., showing up to say that a man who has been accused by more than a dozen women of sexual assault should not be president. But that didn’t happen here at Deerfield. I had hoped and expected that friends would report a half-full auditorium, that students whom I knew to be as worried about the dangerous and dictatorial leanings of a Trump administration as I am would refuse to attend. What does this say about Deerfield students? Is it a sign of our privilege? The vast majority of us will still have health insurance even if Trump guts the Affordable Care Act; we don’t have to fear deportation; we don’t depend on the quality of a public school education. If you stay silent because you feel as though you can survive four years of this administration without resistance, check your privilege. And fight for those without that privilege. While I know that by skipping the inauguration I haven’t changed anything, I have at least followed my conscience. My decision to boycott the Deerfield screening of the inauguration was a tiny reminder to myself that I will not stay silent for the next four years, that I will not be complacent, that I will continue to speak up and speak out and say this is not normal.