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An inherently stressful time, winter term nevertheless brings many advantages for overwhelmed and overworked students. The addition of Dress Down Fridays allowed students to wear what they wanted and to be comfortable throughout the day. The class day ended with Cookies and Cocoa in the Main School Building lobby with Dr. Curtis. It was a chance for students to relieve stress accumulated from the week with a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Massages were available for students at a discount through the Counseling Office and were highly coveted. With conflicting sports schedules, all weekday sit-down dinners were cancelled. This brought more flexibility and freedom to evenings usually dedicated to homework. The addition of peer tutors, who are now available every school night in the library for those seeking further help in their studies, has proven to be a great tool. The expanded availability of tutoring at the peer level has been well received and much appreciated. Going now into February, we should strive to maintain this stress-free atmosphere on campus and appreciate the efforts made by the school and various organizations to decrease our stress levels.

The lights dim as two students walk up to the stage. People smirk as they settle deeper into their seats, preparing for a mid-School Meeting nap. A slideshow appears on the screen, inevitably showing images of a foreign community service adventure. Impoverished childrens’ faces flash on the screen, and Shakira sings a pseudo-ethnic ballad, produced by a board of American music moguls. The name of a worthy charity or organization is lost among the slides of students riding elephants, petting tigers, and eating colorful, spicy cuisine. This kind of presentation occurs at least once weekly. The onslaught of “ecotourism” is not new, but it is enduring. Each presentation is, in theory, supposed to educate the community about a service project. However, the abundance of these productions and their flashy “perks” (cue the safari trips, snorkeling, sightseeing) detract from the spirit of community service. When deciding to travel abroad to help others, should we choose an organization because they have a more interesting tourist itinerary? The goal of community service is obviously to aid the less fortunate. By now, the student body is aware that there are abundant opportunities to serve abroad. Is it necessary to have one of these presentations every week? Perhaps service projects near Greenfield, such as Second Helpings, should be more strongly publicized.

It would be safe to assume that one of the only boarding schools in New England without Saturday classes would have few stressed students. However, this does not seem to be the case. Perhaps Deerfield’s workload is drastically greater than that of other schools, or perhaps stress is relative and, as Peer Counselor Daniel Rivera ’13 suggested, “You can control your own stress level. Everybody’s stress level is different because we’ve all had different experiences that influence our ability to deal with stress.” Peer Counselor Elana Van Arnam ’13 believes “You can complete your Deerfield experience with less stress. It’s the way you approach Deerfield life that matters.” Eliza Mott ‘12 thinks that a Harry Potter week at Deerfield would be a creative way to reduce winter stress. “Every student would be assigned to a house, and teachers would give out points to students in class.” Rivera encourages everyone to give hugs, read a book, or watch a movie when stressed. “A lot of people like doing different things. There isn’t one solution for everyone,” Van Arnam added. Students have no trouble inventing activities to distract from stress and schoolwork, including winter massages, Peer Counselors, Cookies and Cocoa, dress-down Fridays, and no Tuesday and Thursday sit-down dinners. However, some feel that no matter what measures the school takes, it all boils down to the seemingly insurmountable piles of homework that fatigue students. Van Arnam mentioned that one way to solve this problem would be to enforce the “45 minutes of homework per class” rule, which many teachers seem to ignore. Rivera agreed, “Teachers should actually give 45 minutes of homework, because it can be too much at times.” Van Arnam believes that “Deerfield is a high stress environment, but for good reasons. To change too many things would be to change the vital aspects of Deerfield.” Though aware that the rigorous daily life at Deerfield causes stress, she still concluded, “There are little things that the school could change, but we’d see more results if students change their approach to Deerfield.” Rivera’s New Year’s resolution is to “do the best I can up until 11 and then whatever I can’t do just doesn’t get done.” He added, “Use your time wisely. If you don’t do any work during the day, that’s your own fault.” “Stressing is a waste of time and energy. You can either work on what you’re stressing about or take a nap,” said Caroline Bewkes ’12.

Senior winter marks the beginning of the end. With midterms wrapped up, even those students not yet into college feel they can breathe a little easier and look forward to enjoying their final months at Deerfield. But February is also a time to look back. As meditation season kicks off, seniors take time to look inward for something meaningful to say as they write reflective, often deeply personal, longer papers they read to their English classes. “I’m going to have trouble deciding what I want to talk about,” said Jamie Haddad ’12. “It can be hard to get personal. But once I know, I think it will be fun to write.” Eliza Mott ’12 agreed, declaring, “It’s weird writing so much about yourself—it’s hard not to feel a bit narcissistic.” Overall, however, the reaction to writing meditations is positive and most people are grateful for the opportunity. “I can’t wait to write mine,” said Shelbi Kilcollins ’12. “It’s something I’ve been looking forward to since I came to Deerfield. There are definitely things I really want to share and this is my chance to do that.” But students remain a bit more divided when it comes to specific topics. While many seniors choose to write about an important family member or interesting memory or experience from home, others view it as the perfect way to culminate the Deerfield experience. “I see it as an opportunity to reflect on how Deerfield has impacted my life so far,” said Macaulay King ’12. Regardless of the setting, however, English teacher Ada Fan has a sagacious reminder for all seniors: “This is not a competition to see who has had the most tragic experience. If there is an upsetting experience that one wishes to open up about, then by all means, but it’s certainly not the requirement.” Whether serious or upbeat, meditations remain a distinctive component of the Deerfield journey. Dani Pulgini ’12 said, “It’s a really important and valuable exercise. It requires students to evaluate where they are at this point in life before moving on to college and beyond.” As senior year begins to draw to a close, it is not only a time to look ahead, but also a time to look back.

More students are seeking help from the counseling office this year. Fall 2011 saw a 49% increase from fall 2010 in the number of students who visited the counseling office for help. While the office noted a general increase in appointments over the past few years, “The statistics this year grabbed our attention,” said Coordinator of Counseling Stuart Bicknell. “While we can’t claim cause and effect, we can speculate about what in students’ lives today—home and school—might influence this increase in stress and requests for counseling.” Counselor Sheila Fritz speculated that “academic and co-curricular over-scheduling, new economic and other home- and family-related stresses, and poor sleep habits” contribute to the high level of stress that brings students to the office. “Counseling is now more socially acceptable,” added Dr. Bicknell. With parents increasingly open to counseling as a method of stress relief, Dr. Bicknell suggested that students may feel newly comfortable approaching both adult and peer counselors. Academic Dean Peter Warsaw cited an increase in early college applications (84% of the senior class applied early) as one of the chief sources of new school stress this autumn. Added pressure on members of the faculty to complete letters of recommendation before winter break “trickles down to students,” said Mr. Warsaw. “Teachers may need to limit their availability for extra help around midterms and exams.” According to Mr. Warsaw, a number of other stress-inducers have heightened recently. “An increase in parental involvement in course selection and college applications, a record-high school average, rigorous course loads, and a culture of perfection” have collided to push students and faculty alike towards a “tipping point,” he said. “Everything is interrelated,” explained Mr. Warsaw. “Change one thing, add one new stress, and other things must change, and other stresses are created. It’s an ecosystem.”

According to a New York Times article, 75% of Americans are opposed to the idea of legacy preference in the admissions offices of colleges and universities. And yet schools continue to give legacy students preference. Why? The first thing that should be considered is that legacy students—I mean the regular legacy kids of the 99% of alumni who go on with their lives without ever donating anything significant to their university—don’t get that much preference. Rather, being a regular legacy gives you the same edge that being president of a school club would give you. It’s not going to make or break your application, but it gives you a nice little boost and sets you apart, if only slightly. If alumni have their children apply to a school, they have shown dedication to the institution not once, but twice. These are the type of people universities can count on, and these people are the best bet when asking for money to build a state-of-the-art new stadium or science center. I don’t feel like it is morally wrong to take advantage of the fact that my parents went to Boston College when I’m applying there, and I think that my family’s connection to the school makes me a stronger candidate. The fact that I’ve visited my brother at school means that I have a pretty good idea of what to expect if I choose to join him. Logically, since I know that people genetically similar to me have already succeeded in that environment, I assume I have a pretty good chance of succeeding as well. Now for the more controversial topic: the children from families who have made significant donations. (I want to clarify that the following analysis does not apply to any DA students who are legacies, because for the most part they have already established that they are excellent candidates.) When otherwise under-qualified students are admitted to top schools, universities are accused of corruption, of allowing families to buy their way into schools with lavish donations and contributions to the endowment, and of giving an elitist preference to the already privileged. Even though I see where the complaints are coming from, I don’t have a huge problem with this phenomenon. Here’s why: universities depend very heavily on alumni donations. Having a large endowment allows some of the top schools in the country to instate need-blind admissions, meaning that any student who can meet the academic standards will be given as much financial aid as he or she needs. It’s a sweet deal for a student to go to an Ivy on a free ride without ever having to worry about paying off student loans, and it seems about as democratic as an admissions policy can get. There is no way that a school could afford to do this without the support of its successful alumni. If this means letting in the occasional student who doesn’t exactly meet the standards of the university, then I think it’s worth it. Doesn’t having a variety of students from different backgrounds help the school more than then having a mediocre legacy candidate hurts the school? In admissions, schools make endless calculations about what group of students would allow the school to be the best it could possibly be. Giving legacy students preference is just one gamble they have to make to ensure the university’s success.

Next year will mark the beginning of current Assistant Dean of Students Amie Creagh’s five-year tenure as the new dean of students, giving her responsibility for the entire student body. Current Dean of Students Toby Emerson will take the position of assistant dean for another two years. During this time, he will work with juniors and seniors, while another, yet-to-be-named dean will manage freshmen and sophomores. “Perhaps the most challenging aspect of this job is to balance the need to nurture and the need to discipline,” said Head of School Margarita Curtis. “Like a parent, you have to say no and say what’s wrong, and enforce the rules.” Mr. Emerson said, “Since my tenure is over and Mr. Flaska is on a leave of absence, Ms. Creagh provides continuity in the office.” Dr. Curtis gave the faculty until December 15 to nominate candidates for the remaining spot as assistant dean of students. This third dean will be announced in the third week of January. “I may make unpopular decisions,” said Ms. Creagh, “but I’ll aim to keep communication flowing in both directions.”

Marked by a major change of name, the Deerfield Diversity Alliance, formerly known as the Diversity Task Force, is working to increase the organization and responsibility which come with positions of leadership associated with the group. “The new streamlining makes people think we’re serious,” said Associate Director of Admissions and faculty advisor to the DDA Tarah Greenidge. “This year, we have the right people in leadership positions and were ready to make this move” “Students seem more dedicated this year,” explained James Yang ’12, president of the Asian Student Alliance. “It’s a lot more work then I expected, but we feel responsible.” “It’s definitely more consistent. Last year the DBSC met in the fall, but only once in the winter, and a few times in the spring,” said Kelechi Akusobi ’12, president of the Deerfield Black Student Alliance. “With biweekly meetings, there’s an expectation every other week that we’ll prepare something.” The DDA meets as a whole on the first of each month to discuss current progress and problems. Each Alliance has pre-scheduled biweekly meetings and a mission statement that can be found on the Daily Bulletin. There is also an expectation that the each alliance will contribute to Kaleidoscope , Deerfield’s diversity magazine. Along with the DDA’s name change, each of its subgroups has altered their names to include “alliance.” The DDA also sent four representatives, Rajab Curtis ’12, Chris Ortega ’13, Lindha Kengne ’14, and Maria Martinez ’14, accompanied by Ms. Greenidge and Associate Director of Alumni Relations Jennifer Hammond, to the Peoples of Color Conference in Philadelphia at the beginning of the month. The conference, sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools, is a meeting of students associated with the diversity groups at their respective independent schools around the country. There were speakers, workshops, and student-led discussions. Students were able to bring ideas and methods to which they were exposed at the conference back to campus. “Most of the changes in format in MLK day last year were ideas that Tatiana [Soto ’11] and Abby [Cacho ’13] brought back from last year’s conference,” said Ms. Greenridge. “It’s always exciting when you get to go. It’s a meeting of 1500 minds.”

It’s 3 a.m. on Pocumtuck I. Half asleep, you pad down the hall to the bathroom. Red exit signs dimly light the corridor, but through the haze you see a girl nearing the Calhouns’ apartment. You halt as a quick flash in your peripheral vision chills your blood. When you readjust your eyes, your stomach drops a thousand feet. Nobody is there. A chill runs down your spine. Some Poc residents would say that you’ve just met Violet, Poc I’s ghost and the oldest of Poc’s inhabitants. Dani Pulgini ’12 and Custodian Pamela Raymond agree that Violet is a brunette who wears a white nightgown. Violet opens stall doors in the bathroom, and she even turned on Dani Pulgini’s speakers—they weren’t plugged in. Last year, residents of the Poc II double, Maggie Morse ’13 and Elizabeth Eastman ’13, and Emma DeCamp ’13, who lived in an adjoining single, reported that Violet raised their trashcan lid and dropped it, startling them with a piercing metallic sound. Other students could connect their experiences to stories they had heard from girls who lived in Poc five or six years ago. In late October, just in time for Halloween, Violet re-introduced herself to the hall after a few girls experimented with a Ouija board, a game in which “spirits” communicate with the living. Hearing of the girls’ experiences with what some might consider the “spiritual world,” Dean of Spiritual Life Jan Flaska organized a “spiritual clearing” and contacted ordained interfaith ministers he met at a drumming circle. Over Choate Weekend, Reverend Mary Ann Tourjee, also known as Raven Spirit, and Reverend Nancy Higgins, known as Grandmother Standing Bear, came to Poc to speak to the girls about the spiritual world and possibly help “clear [Violet] on to the next stage of being,” explained Mr. Flaska. He noted, “My role is not to judge whether or not stuff like this is true or false. It is to try and support the students.” Mr. Flaska has never encountered a ghost, but he said, “I’ve definitely had experiences where I’ve felt as if I know that someone who has died is present.” At the spiritual clearing, a historian preceded the ordained interfaith ministers and gave the girls a brief history of the Pocumtuck building. What is now known as Pocumtuck dormitory used to be a hotel, and the girls learned that the hotel was filled with violet flowers and was known to have a “violet-tinted atmosphere.” The girls learned this only after Pulgini chose the name “Violet” for the ghost, because it was a common 19th-century name. As Mr. Flaska explained, “The spiritual healers would say that this ghost is in a ‘between,’ in a state of transition” from life on earth to her next stage of being. The ministers sensed that there was more than one spirit in Poc, and as Mr. Flaska mentioned, Poc is a “fertile ground for spirits given the history of the hotel.” At their meeting with the ministers, the girls learned how to deal with the ghost if they encountered her again, and were instructed to tell the spirit to leave them alone if they felt uncomfortable. “They made me feel more comfortable after the cleansing, and they gave us insight into somebody else’s beliefs,” explained Gabby Gauthier ’13. Several girls understandably doubted the ministers’ ability to clear the ghost, including Carly Reilly ’12, who mentioned that she was “a bit skeptical when they whipped out the big feather to sweep the spirits away.” Nina Sola ’13 questioned the entire situation and stated, “There are a lot of girls in this dorm, so not recognizing someone at three in the morning isn’t surprising.” The ministers initially planned to return over Thanksgiving break to clear what they believed to be a spirit, but that time didn’t end up working for them, and they have not returned. Violet remains a mystery for now.

This winter, as athletes kick off the co-curricular season on the basketball courts or hit the ski slopes, other students have decided to pursue their own creative interests with unique co-curricular exemptions behind a camera, at the chessboard, or up in the air. Eliza Mott ’12 and Ryan Heffernan ’12 have dedicated their winter term to working on a short film that may make an appearance at the Widdies, the student film festival held each spring. Mott commented, “The project was inspired by a music video for the song ‘Montana’ by Youth Lagoon, and even though there is no dialogue in the film, it has a great plot, and that’s really what we are looking to accomplish.” Though initially fine arts teacher Timothy Trelease was “a bit hesitant to grant us the exemption, we were thrilled to convince him to let us pursue the project,” said Heffernan. “I want to put my heart and soul into this. We have a vision.” Bobby DeNunzio ’12 shared a similar sense of vision when, during the winter of 2010, he wrote a paper about chess player Bobby Fischer. “Unfortunately,” DeNunzio commented, “it was initially supposed to be a biography with focus on chess analysis, but around the same time I was writing, other biographies of Bobby Fischer were published, and the project turned into a paper.” Deciding to focus his book on a specific aspect of chess and analyzing individual games through that aspect, DeNunzio explained, “It will be much more chess-oriented, which is exactly what I want.” Taking unique exemptions to new heights, Charles Jones ’12 spent last spring and fall in the air working for his instrument training and flying license. On a typical Wednesday afternoon, Jones would take “a cab to Northampton Airport and either work with my flight instructor, with the flight simulator, or fly. I would say I spent about two times a week flying.” When asked what the inspiration for his daring forays was, Jones replied, “Flying has always been an interest of mine, and Deerfield isn’t a place where interests come to die. It is where they come to live.”

The romantic comedies we are familiar with have the cute first meeting, the first kiss, and, of course, the happy ending. We can anticipate these moments in cinema because films have forever perpetuated the fairytale. No matter who the damsel in distress or knight in shining armor is, their stories always seem to end the same: happily. In the twenty-first century, movies have evolved with the changing culture, and their plots have adapted as well. However, the final chapters of the stories (the happy ending) have remained relatively the same. No Strings Attached (2011) follows the lives of Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher). Emma has neither the time nor the emotional capacity for a relationship, and asks Adam to partake in a strictly sexual relationship, given the rules of no feelings, no fighting, and no snuggling. Yet, as we hope, the friends fall for one another and their story ends happily. Friends With Benefits (2011) is another, slightly raunchier comedy, following a similar plot. The films stars Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake and tells the story of two friends who begin as strictly sexual buddies but end up in love. What do movies like these teach us? They send the message that entirely physical relationships and “friends with benefits” are healthy ways to start relationships. For teens nowadays, it’s important to consider what a truly healthy relationship consists of. Health teacher Kristin Loftus reminds us, “The key to any relationship is honesty. If someone is looking to just hook up, they need to be honest about it. Likewise if someone is looking for a more lasting relationship.” Sarah Sutphin ’13 commented on the dating culture at Deerfield: “Students are extremely busy, which makes it difficult to develop and maintain a true, healthy relationship. Many of them find ‘friends with benefits’ an alternative to the commitment of a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.” Supthin concluded, “It’s understandable, but a little disappointing in my opinion.” Angie Cabral ’15 pointed out the dangers of an open relationship, saying, “I wouldn’t personally choose ‘friends with benefits’ because I think no matter what, when you’re doing something like that with someone, you’re bound to develop feelings for them. If those feelings aren’t mutual, you could get hurt.” These reservations about hook ups aren’t limited to the female gender, and Ms. Loftus reminds us that often, when beginning a relationship, the expectations of the boy are as high as the expectations of the girl. “It’s high school mentality to just want to hook up and believe that it will lead to happy ending, but people end up getting hurt. It has to benefit both people,” said Daniel Rivera ’13.

Her style expresses individuality with a funky, cool edge. Her multitude of accessories over fly-away outfits add hip twists to her outfits. She has faded floral prints, plaids, crochet lace, and dozens of pairs of worn-looking sneakers and boots jammed into her closet. As a shopper of the classic and well-known stores such as Urban Outfitters and American Eagle, she also finds items from “random stores in Argentina,” as well as thrift stores. New student Clara Galperin ’13 clearly brought her own stylish influence with her from Argentina. She arrived this summer from Buenos Aires to become a new junior. Relaxed and carefree, Galperin portrays her eclectic character in her style. She proudly claims that the influences and clothing culture here at DA haven’t affected her. Galperin is Alexa-Chung inspired, but also finds inspiration in other places. “Music inspires me,” she says, “I guess all music has a certain style to go with it, I try to embody the music I like.” When pressed further about her style, she offered, “I’m into the whole vintage thing, which is…carefree. I’m not really girly. I’m more boho.” For those questioning her dress code attire, she explained, “I stick to the two layer thing. I try to find things that are within dress code but as laid-back as possible!” Although similarity and unity seem to be a factor among students’ dressing choices, it is reassuring to know that dressing to your heart’s desire is still an acceptable trend to follow for a few individuals.