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Although New Moon, the second movie in Stephanie Meyer’s wildly popular series, the Twilight saga, was released almost two months ago, I can’t seem to go anywhere without hearing the buzz over it. During its run, the film grossed over $686 million worldwide and inspired a media frenzy and millions of loyal fans. But despite its incredible popularity, Twilight is not universally loved. The divide between “Twihards” and “Twihaters” is great; rarely has a series of novels been so polarizing, or so eagerly debated. In a poll (admittedly unscientific) taken at the Greer, a sample of twenty-three Deerfield students revealed thirteen vehement “Twihaters” and ten devoted “Twihards”. So the question remains: is it any good? Well, that depends: If you’re a guy… An exit poll conducted by New Moon distributor Summit Entertainment found the opening weekend audience to be 80% female. Need I say more? (The remaining 20% were largely disgruntled boyfriends.) Charlie Cory ’13 commented, “Taylor Lautner crushes my chances with half the Deerfield girls and Rob Pattinson crushes my chances with the other half!” [Lautner is the actor who plays Jacob, a hot-blooded werewolf; Pattinson plays Edward, the lead vampire.] There’s not much more a guy needs to know; Daniel Rivera ’13 summed up the male opinion: “I hate it so much!” If you’re a girl… Then you’ve likely succumbed to Twilight fever. Alex Philie ’10 claimed, “Twilight is my life!” and Sarah Sutphin ’13 said,“New Moon is the best movie ever!” Even the more lukewarm sentiments are revealing: one anonymous student admitted, “The books are horribly written, but somehow terribly compelling!” So, girls, you’ll probably find something to enjoy in the Twilight saga. The real question is, are you on Team Edward or Team Jacob? This is the distinction that divides even those who unite in their love of Twilight; should protagonist Bella choose her best friend, hunky werewolf Jacob, or her boyfriend, the brooding vampire Edward? Team Edward member Betsy Alexandre ’13 weighed in: “Edward’s got the triple S; he’s smart, sexy and sweet! He’s a gentleman!” Miranda McEvoy agreed, “Team Edward all the way! He actually loved Bella!” But Team Jacob devotee Elisabeth Yancey ’12 disagrees: “Edward’s a creeper; he snuck into her room to watch her sleep! He’s just kind of icky.” Sutphin was eager to show anyone the Taylor Lautner picture she had set as her cell phone background. Even Thomas Earle ’12 chimed in: “Bella should have chosen Jacob!” Love it or hate it, Team Edward or Team Jacob, it is clear that Twilight has become a true phenomenon. And between New Moon’s record-breaking box office earnings and anticipation for the release of the third movie, Eclipse, in June, it seems we might as well get used to it, because Twilight mania won’t be dying down anytime soon.

Art Department Head Tim Trelease is currently being featured in an exhibit at the A-3 Gallery in Amherst, Massachusetts. His exhibit consists of eight oil paintings and one mixed media collage. These pieces are displayed with some works by other local artists. Mr. Trelease alleged that the experience has been “absolutely great.” He believes it is a positive motivator to have the support of other colleagues. Mr. Trelease’s pieces are characterized by thick layers of oil paint (sometimes mixed with hot wax and pigment) and are often displayed in diptychs and triptychs (works on two or three panels). All of Mr. Trelease’s works, apart from the collage, are on either canvas or wood. For the pieces involving hot wax, Mr. Trelease explained that wood is “archivally sound,” while the canvas would cause the wax to crack. His other reason is intertwined with his interest in religion: the wood echos some of the early Christian wooden icons, and the frequent usage of diptychs and triptychs resembles that of ancient Christian painting. Religion and travel are two principal themes that form the exhibit’s backbone. Mr. Trelease, who graduated from Rhode Island School of Design, conveyed that his trip to Italy sophomore year was an inspirational experience for pieces such as Roman Stones. This painting, depicting soft, shadow-like shapes with a palette of white, gray, purple, and orange, was inspired by the façade of the Parthenon. What he found particularly striking about this monument was its scarred surface, due to anchoring devices and the elements, which made it more beautiful. Italy’s aesthetic beauty enriched his time there, and Mr. Trelease, who is of half Italian descent, found his time in Italy to be spiritually elevating. The theme of spirituality in Mr. Trelease’s work is significant. Inspired by artists such as Carravaggio, for his beautiful chiaroscuro, and Alberto Burri, for the connection between the canvas and the human body, Mr. Trelease strives to create paintings that evoke the narratives of Christianity without the explicit depiction of icons. His goal is “to transcend traditional Christian stories” such as the Annunciation, and convey them through a palette that reveals the truth. Related to this desire for “spiritual potency,” Mr. Trelease expressed his interest in what he called “pure painting” or viewing the painting process as a type of surgery in which “the canvas represents the bones, and the paint—flowing or dripping—the blood.” Each of Mr. Trelease’s works, which showcase the mesmerizing contrasts between darks and lights, illustrates not only his ability as an artist but also his skill as an artistic thinker. Every choice Mr. Trelease made for his paintings, accredited to both intuition and conscious decision-making, shows his mastery in illustrating what he calls the “topography of reflecting and absorbing surfaces.” Simultaneously, he captures “the God within.” So if you have a chance, congratulate Mr. Trelease on his exhibit, ask to see some of his works, or arrange a time to view the exhibit in Amherst, an artistically and spiritually edifying experience.

Oliver Lee ’10 participated in the Swimming World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, and Berlin, Germany in November 2009. Lee, who last year helped lead the boys’ varsity swim team to a New England Championship by winning both the 50 and 100-yard freestyle, qualified for the events at the U.S. Open last August. In order to qualify for the events in Sweden and Berlin, Lee had to post at least the second fastest time for men under 18, which he managed to do in the 50-yard freestyle event. While in Sweden and Berlin, Lee was a member of the United States’ under-18 team, along with other Americans who qualified for the event. Racing against swimmers from all over the world, Lee grew more comfortable on the international stage and gained some experience in international swimming competition. Competitors ranged from ages 14 to 48; however, Lee competed exclusively in the under-18 division. Lee’s busy schedule in Sweden consisted of the 50-meter freestyle (in which he earned his best result, 37th place), the 100 meter freestyle, and the 50 meter butterfly event, which, according to Lee “is not a regulation event, but they had it for fun at this meet.” In Berlin, he had a similarly packed schedule as he participated in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly, and the 100-meter individual medley, which again is not an Olympic event, but was put in place in order to give some swimmers more time competing with their respective age groups. Though Lee spent a lot of time in the pool, the trip was not all about the competition. While at the event, Lee had the opportunity to swim, meet, and talk with Michael Phelps, the 12-time Olympic gold medalist, and world record holder for the 100 and 200-meter butterfly events. Meeting Phelps, however, was not Lee’s favorite part of the event. “I was fortunate enough to talk to the record holder of the 50 freestyle, Frederick Bousquet,” said Lee. Bousquet, hailing from France, not only holds the world record for the 50-meter freestyle event at 20.94 seconds, but he was also the first man to swim the slightly shorter 50-yard freestyle event under 19 seconds. Meeting a man who excelled so greatly and holds records in Lee’s best events proved to be one of the highlights of an event that was already filled with the excitement of competing with and against Olympians from around the world. While competing in Europe, Lee also got the opportunity to do a little bit of tourism around Stockholm and Berlin. In Stockholm, he had the opportunity to walk around the city, enjoying all of the exciting things that the city had to offer, and in Berlin, he took a bus tour during which he got to see numerous historical sights, including the remains of the Berlin Wall. “I really enjoyed racing with all the Olympians. The event was an excellent way to be introduced to the level of international swimming.”

Starting classes at 8:30 rather than 7:55 is not just a casual amenity to be taken for granted; this later start time was fist implemented in hopes of ensuring that busy students get more sleep. And it has done just that. For students juggling particularly heavy course loads, long practices, late rehearsals, a half-an-hour commute to and from school, hours of Scroll layout, or even all of the above, this extra thirty-five minutes in the morning makes all the difference. Teachers who resent this loss of class time should know that we students need this later start in the morning to function the rest of the day. Though some students do not have as much on their plates and may squander time on Facebook or playing video games instead of sleeping, most of us simply have more to do than there are hours in a day and struggle to get those eight crucial hours a night. But the later start time has helped enormously. We are grateful for this gift and hope that it can graduate from its status as an “experiment” and become a permanent part of the school day. We thank the administration and implore students to continue putting this time to good use.

College American University – Paris Amherst College Appalachian State University Bates College Boston College Bowdoin College Brandeis University Brown University Case Western Reserve University University of Chicago Colby College Colgate University College of Wooster Colorado College Columbia University Connecticut College University of Connecticut Dartmouth College Davidson College University of Denver Dickinson College Drexel University Duke University East Carolina University University of Edinburgh Elon University Furman University Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology University of Georgia Hamilton College Harvard University Indiana University – Bloomington Johns Hopkins University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Miami University – Oxford University of Miami University of Michigan Middlebury College Montana State University – Bozeman University of North Carolina – Charlotte University of North Carolina – Greensboro Northwestern University Ohio Wesleyan University University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh Purdue University Regis University University of Richmond University of San Diego Smith College University of the South – Sewanee Southern Methodist University St. John’s College – MD University of St. Andrews – Scotland Stanford University Syracuse University Tulane University Union College Vanderbilt University University of Vermont Villanova University Wake Forest University Washington University – St. Louis Williams College Yale University Total Admit 1 1 1 1 5 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 6 1 3 2 3 3 1 1 1 1 6 1 2 2 3 3 1 2 2 1 11 2 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 3 1 1 2 4 1 7 3 1 7 1 2 4 1 1 1 5 4 143 Some applicants received more than one early action acceptance

About a month ago, Avatar came to movie theaters across the country. The plot of this captivating movie revolves around a battle between two forces over a natural resource called unobtainium buried beneath the surface of the planet Pandora. The movie’s main character, a disabled soldier, uses revolutionary technology to infiltrate the native population, the Na’vi, in order to ensure victory for the humans. The soldier is able to live within the Na’vi population through a Na’vi avatar, a body he controls from a distance. The title of the movie is taken from the Sanskrit word avatara, which literally means descent, a form of the verb to descend. More specifically, the word came to be used prominently in the ancient Hindu scriptures to describe a god’s descent to earth in human form. Hence, an avatar has become synonymous with god incarnate —in the flesh—and, in modern lingo, a less formal use of the word describes the essence or projection of a person in spite of that person not being there. A god incarnate is what we have in the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scripture and one of the most widely read and translated texts from recorded history. In this tale, the main character, Arjuna questions his charioteer to understand how to respond in the greatest dilemma of his life: Whether to fight, as is his duty as a warrior, or to lay down his arms because many of his family members are among the opposing army. The charioteer, to be revealed to him later in the story, is an avatar. It is Krishna, the great lord, as the human voice of god informing Arjuna of all the considerations, and ultimately making a compelling argument for Arjuna to honor his duty. In this case, the avatar is an emissary of god, properly informing humankind of how to respond when faced with adversity. Though in different forms, avatars have existed in other faith traditions, including the belief of God’s full presence in the human body of Jesus of Nazareth. In many cases, the avatars come to interact with humankind in order to direct humans on the proper path of existence; we are still reminded of this in the modern rhetorical phrase, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ Avatars generally encourage humanity to honor an interrelatedness between spiritual and temporal existence, between those things sacred, and those things profane. Often in conversations on earth, questions of right and wrong are considered, as are themes of good and evil. Avatars, in a sense, have come to be a sort of moral consciousness to mortals. It has become apparent to me that, in a secular tone, all of us here at Deerfield Academy have many personal avatars. Think of the times in our lives when something other than our physical presence represents us. I think of myself, where I am to a huge population of people who have never met me in person. Similarly, Facebook pages and IM messages convey some image at a distance from the author. When a college application is submitted, a paper avatar of sorts is put forth—a kind of ethereal ‘representation’—before others have had the chance to meet the real person. Even in athletics, except for the number on the back of the jersey, the athlete is not distinguished from teammates in any other way. Acknowledging this fact, that we are often known for something before we are known as someone, are we who we want to be to others before they meet us? Do we offer kind words when we IM, email, or make postings on the internet? Do we properly clean up after ourselves in the dining hall, or in the dorm, even though anonymity does not require us to do so? Do we have good and compassionate thoughts to go along with our personal effort to do good and to bring compassion to others? In athletics, or in service opportunities off campus, do others know the Deerfield Girl or Boy to be you? Do students live their lives here in such a way as to live up to this ideal, whatever it may be to most of us? We cannot be one type of person when we stand alone and are fully accountable, and another person when in the midst of a crowd, hidden behind a screen name or as the perpetrator of some untruth at another’s expense. Much like the soldier in the movie, who realizes his actions at a distance to be destructive, he chooses instead to change his frame of mind and make choices of compassion when offered the opportunity to do so in person. The lesson here is that our words and ideas should not be in contrast to the person from whom they originate. When it becomes so, it might be worth recalling our personal avatar for reconciliation, so that that which is ours and impersonal can once again align itself with our person.

After fire fighters extinguished the recent fire in the dining hall, the long and difficult process of renovations began in the basement, where the fire originated, and on the South Bubble, where its floor is collapsing. Director of Facilities Chuck Williams said that, “Smoke damage was the biggest problem. The entire building was repainted and over two-thirds of the electrical wiring was replaced.” The historic mural in the dining hall lobby was even restored by a team of experts. The steel structure that supports the South Bubble twisted as a result of the fire that reached 1800˚; a wall now encloses the area to prevent people walking on its unstable floor. This wall, the year “2010” painted large and green across its surface by the senior class, is all that remains in sight of the South Bubble. Restoration will not be complete until September of 2010; Head of School Margarita Curtis added, however, “We are seriously considering the possibility of expanding the South Bubble to allow everybody to eat together. We will have all of the data that we need to make the decision by February, including the projected cost.” Mr. Williams said that, “There were a few days when there were 150 to 175 people working.” Staff worked everyday, excluding Christmas. Ms. Curtis added, “We owe our gratitude to the staff in Physical Plant, and particularly to Mr. Williams, Mr. Galli and Mr. Grybko for their extraordinary efforts to get the facility ready in time for the students’ return. While we were all away on vacation, many members of the staff spent every day on campus, managing the repair work.”

At a recent walk-through lunch, members of the Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee camped out at a table to conduct a taste-test water survey. Students leading this environmental initiative, Taylor Kniffin ’10, Ellie Parker ’11, John Marsh ’12, and Elizabeth Eastman ’13 then presented the results to the student body, which overwhelmingly favored filtered tap water over Dasani and Poland Springs bottled water. ESAC has taken an important step in encouraging reform of our environmental habits by moving away from less eco-friendly bottled water. However, to truly make a change, the entire community needs to help ESAC use this information to take action. With the momentum already behind this project, it is crucial that ESAC and student body follow through and improve our treatment of the environment.

Upon my return from winter break, I faced the overwhelming grief of losing a dear friend—table Number One of the Dining Hall’s South Bubble. “Number One” and I spent every morning together since my freshman year, beginning with meals with my proctors, then friends in upper classes, until a few remaining friends and I have become the last trustees of that memory-laden space. While the people would pass from our precious morning place, the rituals remained the same; we would sit in the natural light that streamed in from the south bubble’s nearby windows, occasionally gazing out to watch the shuffle of students. Bruce MacConnell always approached our table with a “Good morning!” and “Let me brighten your day” as he opened the curtains, urging us to face the daylight and a subsequent draft of cold air, while telling his quirky joke of the day. But when I walked into the Dining Hall after winter break, where I thought the table and I would enjoy our final moments together during this last half of my senior year, I saw instead a massive, hideous, bulky wall. So then I imagined my table, on whose gently-lit surface I used to study and where my dearest friends shared quiet moments of pensive reflection, as merely a pile of thick black ash, soon to be replaced by some obnoxiously shiny and soul-less table and chairs. Even now, when I imagine my table’s charred remains, I can’t help but wonder how he spent his last moments—did he suffer? Or was it over in merely an instant? Did our memories together warm his wooden core? Did he stand strong? Or did he collapse in the all-consuming flames? Now, I know others would deem me “silly” if I wrote an email to inform my teachers that I am mourning the loss of an inanimate object. My friends, indeed, have been supportive, aware of my long-term “love affair” with “Number One,” and have encouraged me to find another table where I may study. But though I have experimented with other tables these past few weeks, none can really match the one I have lost and its location’s perfect fusion of isolation and immersion in the white noise and natural light and perfect view of the entire Dining Hall, and no one quite comprehends the extent of my loss. Some days I can’t even muster the strength to go to breakfast. So, I thought I would share with the Deerfield community this story of a treasured friend, and since I could not say my final “farewell” directly to the one I love, thought I could somehow document the times we have shared together by writing this parting piece. So thank you, “Number One,” for the many magical mornings and your always stable, sturdy surface. And please, Deerfield, if you see someone who appears struck with a bit of “gloom,” please know that some of us are coping with the loss of a remarkable table and beloved friend. Requiscat in Pace, Numerus Unus.

Students and Faculty members heard from Head of School Margarita Curtis at school meeting that “spontaneous combustion” caused the recent fire in the dining hall. But those of us who are not chemistry teachers were left to wonder what that actually means and how such a “combustion” could occur. Spontaneous combustion, according to chemistry teacher Mark Teutsch, occurs when different types of organic-based solvents are “loosely associated with oxygen.” “It happens a lot in situations with oily rags, like auto garages,” Mr. Teutsch explained. In the case of the dining hall, it was the different oils on kitchen linens that were the triggers. When these oily materials are exposed to oxygen, it creates the potential for chemical reactions called oxidation-reduction reactions, which can produce heat. If these reactions produce enough heat, the “flashpoint” can be reached. Mr. Teutsch explained that the flashpoint of a reaction is the temperature at which the reaction can go spontaneous. At this point, spontaneous combustion can occur, as when the linens suddenly caught on fire. If the kitchen linens had not been warmed from the dryer, they most likely would not have combusted. However, because they were heated, they reached the flashpoint quickly.

Faces that had yet to find out about the fire that took place over Christmas break stared at the white wall that covered the South Bubble. The sudden shock of the “2010” painted onto the wall with Deerfield green one night aroused many discussions as to what it could have been or what it should have been decorated with or used by. Now, as a new piece of construction is introduced to the community, ideas of the wall’s uses have spread far and wide across campus. There are plenty of both positive and negative things to say about the wall. However, gossip only spreads for so long. The wall is only temporary, as the Deerfield community awaits the reconstruction of the South bubble. “There should definitely have been a movie projector that we could have used to watch while eating sit down meals,” said Tanyaporn Sertthin ’13 jokingly. “Or even the Superbowl!” “We should have made a mural along the sides of the wall as a border of the projector where seniors can sign their names on,” commented Christina Pil ’12. Or, as Taylor Harris ’13 suggested, we could have “hooked on an Xbox 360 and played video games projected on the surface.” Though there are many views regarding the myriad zany ideas that could have been implemented with the wall, there are also opinions on the transformation of the wall into the seniors’ signature in green and white. When asked for her opinion, Sharon Tam ’13 shared that “though the seniors should have the priority of being the center of attention as it is their last year at Deerfield Academy, not all the seniors participated and they could have included the rest of the school in the activity as a community.” Yet, when Alex Kim ’10 considered the piece of art that represents his class, he said, “I like it because it shows our class spirit. I’m all for everything that represents our class of 2010!”

Many consider The Hotchkiss School to be the leader in environmental awareness among the top prep schools in the country. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently rated the school as the eighth largest purchaser of green power among K-12 schools. When Malcolm McKenzie assumed his role as Head of School, he created two new positions that focused on environmental issues, then reduced the school’s energy consumption, increased its use of alternative energies, and purchased carbon offsets. “We have pledged to be carbon neutral or negative by the year 2020,” Mr. McKenzie said. To reach this goal, Hotchkiss has made changes around campus. The campus herb garden produced enough this fall that the kitchen had no need to purchase herbs from outside sources. Many of the vegetables purchased are grown at local farms. Seven and a half percent of Hotchkiss’ energy comes from renewable sources, a third of this amount coming from a wind farm in upstate New York. Four buildings on campus, including two dorms and their music building, are LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) certified. Mr. McKenzie has found the faculty to be receptive to bringing environmental awareness to all aspects of school life. Because he believes that the environment will be the main problem in the current generation’s future, he feels that students must begin learning to appreciate the connections between these issues and all areas of their lives. He also believes that more hopeful stories and ideas should be offered to our age group. “Too often [students] hear of doom and gloom,” implying that it is easier for students to simply ignore the problem if the only news they hear about it is negative. Many students have adapted naturally to the changes that come with “being green,” but some feel threatened by them. “We are not tampering with tradition,” said Mr. McKenzie, a South African who is nevertheless a self-professed lover of New England boarding school tradition. “We are just trying to graft new things onto the rootstock.” Every spring on “Eco Day,” all students and faculty take the day off from classes to spend time working at the school’s farm, gardening around campus, collecting trash from roadsides around the school, and many other activities. There are opportunities for those who do wish to regularly help out around the school. Abby Hoskins `11 plans to devote her spring term afternoons to working at the farm instead of playing a sport. Also, one of the most active groups on campus is Students for Environmental Action. As opposed to Deerfield’s system of separate proctors for environmentalism and residential life, each proctor at Hotchkiss is responsible for reminding their proctees to conserve energy. In Hoskins’ experience, the entire student body is at least aware of environmental issues if not fully supportive and participatory.