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When I was asked to write a piece about respect, Aretha Franklin’s soulful voice sang in my head for the rest of the day, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.” That classic hit from the soundtrack of my youth seemed to say it all: “Give me some respect.” Everybody wants respect. It’s a basic human need. Not as important as food and shelter, but at least as important as money. Respect is a type of social currency. It is earned, paid, won, and lost. The amount of respect accumulated determines the status of respectability. Some people go to great lengths to try to obtain respect. Some will never have any self-respect of their own. As I picked up napkins from the floor and brought back dishes and glasses that were left from breakfast, it struck me that while Aretha was singing about respect, people were marching in the streets, facing fire hoses and police dogs to earn the basic respect of civil rights. At that time the U.S. was also bogged down in a war in Vietnam because nobody could figure out how to stop it without a loss of respect. “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” a powerful message and a powerful force. While I moved tables and chairs to set up for the next day’s buffet, I pondered the question, what is this respect anyway? I also noticed that every table and a large percentage of the chairs had gum stuck to the bottom of them. The August before the Dining Hall fire, I scraped enough gum off the furniture to fill two large cans. I spoke about this at a lunchtime announcement. A year and a half ago, all of the dining hall furniture was refinished, but I digressed, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me!” Respect starts with an awareness of oneself and society. You realize that there is a complex of laws, codes, and customs that help define people’s rights, freedoms, and responsibilities within that society. By adhering to these guidelines, we pay our respect. By being members of a society we earn the respect of human rights. Through self-awareness and acknowledgement of one’s abilities, one gains self-respect. To those who excel, we bestow honor and esteem. Awareness leads to consideration of others’ rights, beliefs, and customs. It is a consideration that all actions have a ripple effect. As I cleared a full plate of food that someone took from the buffet line and returned untouched, the saxophone riff from “RESPECT” played in my head. I struggled for a way to wrap this up, when the lyrics from another song by the Beatles hit me: “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” Respect is a lot like that. The more you pay, the more you earn.

I saw Medea this past week in the Black Box and thought again about the forum on respect that took place around and across that very same stage the week before. If you caught the production or have read it, you know that Medea tells the grim tale of a woman who will not compromise. But of course, in Greek tragedy, blame is portioned out equally among the cast of variously troubled souls, and Medea’s outcome cannot be the fault of just one character. Everyone is complicit, everyone is responsible. Martin Luther King Jr. writes about the very same stumbling block that Euripides, 2500 years before him, negotiates—one that many of us, enough of the time, refuse to acknowledge: that all of us are “tied in a single garment of destiny.” As far as I can tell, the remedy for tragedy on a Greek scale (or for the peevishness you feel at the person who tosses down an orange peel as she makes her way between dining hall and dorm) is always engagement, empathy. A willingness to extend yourself, to begin a conversation. Looking around the theater last week at the gathered group of self-selecting students and many of my colleagues, I felt a mixture of excitement and doubt. King’s life, violently cut short, shows us what happens when we cannot work it out. And Medea does the same. The solution is people talking, people collaborating, all of us reminding ourselves as often as we can manage that we are in this together.

On most squads, practices last for two hours each day, and then the team’s obligation is over. For the small squad of about ten wrestlers, however, their commitment to excellence stretches past the mats. Coaches Mark Teutsch and Vincent Ramirez lead the wrestling team, whose varsity and j.v. groups practice together as a single team. In a sport where your opponent is determined based on your weight, the amount of weight you can lose becomes critical to your success. In order to lose the weight at a stable and healthy rate, the wrestlers are given a program at the beginning of the season. Thus commences the brutal and painstaking process that is known as “cutting weight.” The athletes’ weights are monitored daily. At every practice, they must weigh in to see if they are on track to be wrestling at a certain weight on match day. To cut weight, having a light breakfast is fine, but then the wrestler must resist temptation for the rest of the day. For co-captain Maksat Kalymgazinov ’12, who has wrestled for all of his three years at Deerfield, cutting weight has become part of the sport. “Not eating food is fine, but the worst part is that you can’t drink because water and other drinks are very heavy and add significant weight to your body,” Kalymgazinov explained. He also spoke to the effect that cutting weight has on his performance in class: “It’s tough but usually it’s only the day before the match, either on Tuesday or Friday. As long as you’re concentrating on topics other than food, you will be fine.”

The fateful tap on a shoulder and chilling whisper of “Gotcha” send shivers and shrieks all across campus. Winter term brings Gotcha, a campus-wide game where every student must say “gotcha” to their assigned target, not allowing anyone else to hear the word. “It makes the winter a lot more fun,” said 2011 Gotcha champion Rose Fisher ’13. Fisher commented on her story of success, saying, “I didn’t make it my goal to win until the second or third round. I didn’t know how well I was doing!” Fisher won in the spring when she got Hannah Insuik ’13 out. “She thought that she would be fine, but I saw her walking alone. So, I hid behind a tree and got her,” recalled Fisher. Although the game is stressful at times, most students enjoy participating. Fisher, a lover of the game, advised others, “Stay relaxed about it. Have fun. Know who to trust. This game is a conversation starter that defies friendship lines.” Fisher advises “always watching your back and being suspicious of people.” However, the most common defensive technique—finding out who has you—was not on her list. “Most of the time I didn’t know who had me,” admitted Fisher. Of this year’s Gotcha experience thus far, Fisher commented, “It takes a lot of planning to get people out and it’s a lot harder junior year.” Whether you are helping a friend get someone out or trying to get your next target, Fisher recommended, “The most important thing is to not take this game too seriously. At the end of the day, it’s just a game.”

The time has come for proctors from the class of 2013 to be selected, and fewer students are eligible than ever before. Last year, Dean of Ethical and Spiritual Life Jan Flaska revealed that Peer Counselors would not be eligible for proctorship. Members of the Academic Honor Committee and Disciplinary Committee are also ineligible. Mr. Flaska explained that this would “ensure that there wasn’t too much overlap between major school leadership roles and provide more students with the opportunity to have these roles.” This year’s application process consists of a written application, peer review, and an interview. Current proctors Allie Nagurney ’12 and Zatio Kone ’12 commented on the surprises of proctorship. “You really have to take it day by day,” explained Kone. Nagurney added, “My proctees help me! They put things in perspective.” They added, “Who you are as a person is the most important part of your application.”

This year, for the first time Deerfield diving has a junior varsity team consisting of only three students who have been practicing with the varsity team, but participating in their own meets. While it is a small group, those on the junior varsity diving team have found it both fun and beneficial. “Being on the junior varsity diving team is pretty awesome,” said Annie Klink ’13. “I’m learning new dives and having a lot of fun. It’s a great opportunity to learn without the pressure of being on a varsity team.” Klink, whose favorite dive is a back-flip-straight position, is new to the sport. “I have been swimming on a summer club team since I was little, but this is my first time diving. I started because it was something new that I had always wanted to try.” Michael Walters ’14 is also new to diving, but not to the pool. “I’ve only been diving for the past few weeks, but I’ve swimming since I was two,” he explained. Walters is enjoying diving and finds it a great way to stay in shape: “I dive because it’s fresh and keeps the abs on point.” Tess Donovan ’14 is a returning diver. “This is my second year diving. Since I was a gymnast, it is easy to transition between the two sports.” said Donovan, adding, “It’s nice being on junior varsity diving because it is not as competitive or stressful as varsity but I still get to dive.” All three junior varsity divers feel very fortunate to be working with Coach Mary Ellen Clark, the varsity diving coach and an Olympic medalist. “She is amazing,” said Klink. “She taught me how to do five dives in about two days! We’re so lucky to get to work with her.” Coed practices with the junior varsity and varsity teams have created a tight knit group of divers. Captains Taylor Clough ’13 and Danielle DeNunzio ’12 are excited about the introduction of the sub-varsity team. “Overall, the program has expanded and we look forward to having more depth next year, since three of the six varsity divers are graduating,” said DeNunzio. She, Kellam Witherington ’12, and Marina Vranos ’12, all key divers whose points contribute to the many victories of the swim team, will leave a void in the diving hot tub next year. Clough added, “The junior varsity divers’ improvement has been unbelievable and we look forward to seeing them progress throughout the rest of the season.”

Is younger faster? This year, boys’ varsity swimming, one of Deerfield’s most successful teams, seeks to explore that notion, with underclassmen making huge contributions to the team in points and work ethic. Quinn Smith ’14 is the fastest swimmer on the team for the 200-meter individual medley and the 100-meter breaststroke. As Smith put it, “Having new, talented swimmers is helpful to both this and future seasons.” Freshman Matt Hrabchak comes to the team with impressive swimming experience. Last year he won the New England Championship for his club swimming league in the mile, 1,000-yard, and 500-yard freestyle, qualifying for the Junior National Championships. This year, he is the number one swimmer for the 200 and 500-meter freestyle events. So far, Hrabchak has had a positive experience swimming in the Koch Pool. “It’s a good team. Everyone’s willing to put a lot of effort into our goal of winning New England’s,” he said. Motts “Pistol” Warnock ’14, who swims the 50-meter freestyle, also adds talent to the roster. Travis Russell ’14, along with Warnock, adds breadth to a talented group of sprinters, while Alan Tang ’15 and Alan Lam ’14 build on the strength of the long-distance swimmers. Both Smith and Hrabchak praise their coaches, including Head Coach John Burke and Assistant Coach Wayne Berger. Hrabchack proclaimed, “Our coaches are very passionate about their coaching positions and help us strive to do better.” The team, young and old, endures long practices and competitive meets as they strive to achieve their overall goal of taking home the gold at the New England Championship.

Excited to return to the United States after living in Peru, Sebastian del Aguila arrived at Deerfield this term ready to immerse himself in the boarding school lifestyle. Del Aguila has been to America a number of times before and even spent a term at Brooks School. He found out about Deerfield through Round Square. “I came to Deerfield because I wanted to experience boarding school life. I looked at the pictures of Deerfield in Round Square, and the school looked really nice. Also, I have family and friends in Boston, so I wanted to visit them and catch up,” he said. In Peru, Del Aguila attended a British school, with all classes taught in English. Studying English for ten years, he hopes to attend college in America. “I’m very busy with lots of homework,” explained Del Aguila. He considers the workload here to be very similar to that of his school in Peru. Though he wrestles this winter, he does martial arts and soccer back home. Del Aguila was even offered a scholarship to play soccer at Brooks School. However, Del Aguila said, “I missed my home too much two years ago, but now I’m ready to spend time here.” Del Aguila does not miss home, as he explained that he makes frequent phone calls. He also added, “People are really inclusive. They just tell me to join in anything that’s going on.” Adjusting to Deerfield life wasn’t difficult, but he did mention, “I’m still getting used to the weather here.” After he departs before spring break, Del Aguila will probably not return to the United States until college. “I want to study business or international affairs in college,” he said. Determined to play soccer in college, he is considering the University of Southern California. Upon reflection, Del Aguila commented, “I don’t go to boarding school in Peru, but I think it’s much more fun being with friends all the time.”

At 3:45 the students of the Pocumtuck yearbook assemble in the basement of the Classroom Building. Stacks of ad pages, lists of students, and scribbled notes litter a huge table. Students face their dusty, run-down computers lining the walls. With over 120 faculty and staff and 630 students, the making of the Pocumtuck is a year long process. “I don’t think people are aware of how many hours of designing and work goes into it,” said yearbook editor Miranda McEvoy ’13. “Making the yearbook requires input from a lot of people who are willing to put in the time to carefully review every detail on every page,” explained Julie Cullen, the yearbook advisor. The only requirement for the yearbook is that the pictures of all the students and staff are included. The rest is left up to the yearbook staff to decide. With this freedom comes the responsibility of making sure Deerfield is represented inclusively and creatively. A big part of the job is making sure to physically capture different aspects of campus life such as athletics, the arts, various clubs, and others. Independent photographer Jeff Brown and Thomas Earle ’12 contribute the most photos of campus life. This year’s yearbook takes a more contemporary approach, focusing on the theme of social networking. The layout of each page is made to look like an Internet page such as Facebook or Twitter. In dorm and athletic photos, every person is “tagged” as they would be on a picture posted on Facebook. With “hash tags” and “tweets” filling its pages, the 2012 Deerfield yearbook is sure to be an unforgettable one. Ms. Cullen encourages students to “make this yearbook [theirs]. We welcome new members and we area always open to suggestions.” “It’s everyone’s book, and we want to make a relevant and precise representation of our time here,” McEvoy adds. Yearbook Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Huebsch, who has been working on yearbook since sophomore year, shares her experience on the job: “As cliché as it sounds, the reason I love working on the yearbook is that it encapsulates a year of experiences for our community. It is a huge commitment and responsibility, but I love every minute of it.”

The days of huddling on living room couches enjoying a classic Disney animation film are over. Conforming to the current technological trends, Disney has decided to re-release their most beloved movies in 3-D. With movies such as The Nightmare Before Christmas , Toy Story , The Lion King , Beauty and the Beast , Finding Nemo , and Monsters, Inc. , Disney has released their classic films back into the theatres since 2006, and plans to release The Little Mermaid in 2013. After grossing $80 million from the 3-D re-release of The Lion King , Disney’s motivations are undoubtedly economically based. Adapting the Brothers’ Grimm tragic endings in The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and more, to a comparatively cheery ending, Disney creates a realm of hope and imagination. For some, classic Disney films, especially those of the Disney princesses, are enjoyable because of their beautifully happy endings. Some say that altering these films to fit the 3-D screen takes away from these very aspects of music, cheer, and simple storylines, and turns the focus towards the 3-D effects, engineered to entertain and inspire awe. “I loved the music and the two-dimensional simplicity of the films,” commented Sierra Janik ’13 on watching the films as a child. It remains to be seen if Disney’s re-creations of classic films as 3-D will live up to the simpler days.

Last year, Deerfield Academy reduced our electricity usage by 9.1% from our baseline, preventing the emission of 64,605 pounds of carbon dioxide (from burning coal) into the atmosphere. DA joined the GCC in its second year, in 2007, when it was a relatively small program of 15 Northeast boarding schools competing. The program has grown immensely since then to incorporate over 120 schools. Last year’s competition in total led to the reduction of over one million kilowatt hours of electricity across all schools, enough to prevent 1.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Deerfield finished 8th place last year in the Northeast Boarding School division (41 schools). Because the Green Cup Challenge looks at the reduction compared to a baseline of your electrical usage from previous years, it becomes increasingly difficult to be near the top of the standings year after year. Each year when you get better, it is that much harder to improve further in future years. Now that we are Green Cup “veterans,” we’ll have to work much harder to fight our way up to the top of the charts this year. This year we will have 3 related competitions for the Green Cup. The first will be a Deerfield intramural competition between dorms. Each week one boys’ and one girls’ dorm will win a dress-down day and the overall winner will receive a free order-out meal for the dorm. The second competition is a head-to-head competition with Phillip’s Andover. For both of these we can track our relative performance real-time on the Campus Energy Dashboard. The final competition is the larger Green Cup Challenge against many schools around the northeast region. Tips : 1. Turn your room, hallway, and common room lights off when you are not in the room. 2. Study in the common room or, if you’re an upperclassmen, in the library or a classroom. 3. Turn off your printer unless you’re using it, and print on both sides. 4. Shower in the dark and for two minutes less than you usually do. 5. Turn off your power strip when you are not using it. 6. Make sure you are washing your clothes in cold water. Gets your clothes just as clean but without the energy waste of heating water!

This January, Sheldon Adelson’s unprecedented $5 million contribution to a Political Action Committee supporting Newt Gingrich, quickly followed by a matching donation to the PAC from Adelson’s wife, showed the potential consequences of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Citizens United case. Mr. Gingrich surfaced from under a barrage of advertisements financed by Mitt Romney’s campaign to surge to the front of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, winning the primary in South Carolina by 12 percentage points over Mr. Romney. According to The New York Times, “Mr. Adelson’s contribution to the super PAC is 1,000 times the $5,000 he could legally give directly to Mr. Gingrich’s campaign this year.” Wealthy individuals are able to contribute increasingly exorbitant sums to candidates, campaign costs have skyrocketed, and advertising wields growing power in the all-encompassing world of social media. At the same time, Deerfield seniors prepare to cast their votes in caucuses, primaries, and the 2012 presidential election. At this instant, the question of our generation comes into focus. What is the relationship between money and ideas, including those such as climate change, reproductive rights, and collective bargaining? Students, teachers, and alumni, young and old, have expressed interest in holding an open discussion of these issues. The Scroll particularly would enjoy covering a type of student panel, open forum, or teach-in on the relationship between money and freedom of thought in contemporary culture. I believe that this issue—sensitive, complicated, and intensely political and ethical—is of utmost importance to the Deerfield community and that we must discuss it in a serious, thorough manner if we wish to be an intelligent, thoughtful, and moral institution. To students, especially seniors and especially community leaders: the support of teachers and administrators can only take us so far. One of you must take the initiative. The Scroll offers its full support in the form of knowledge, resources, discussion, and an open forum of publication in launching this talk on campus. Please send any thoughts, however informal or irate, to agonzales@deerfield.edu or ewhitton@deerfield.edu.