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Hundreds of protesters have filled the streets of New York City since mid-September voicing their concerns about economic inequality. Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing protest based in downtown Manhattan. According to English Teacher Gina Apostol, who traveled to Zuccotti Park and throughout Manhattan in order to witness the protests, “People are there for dozens of reasons, both specific and wide reaching. Some like Obama, some hate him, some don’t care about the electoral system at all.” Ms. Apostol stated that one concern she most often saw voiced was over the Citizens United precedent. “The effect of a pro-corporate mentality on all of the branches of our government is really a problem. This is part of why our elections have become so heated—they’re funded by millionaires,” she said. Other reasons cited by protesters for their continued presence in lower Manhattan is the trend concerning after-tax income. The top 1% of the country witnessed a 275% spike in after-tax income in the time period from 1979 to 2007, while the other 99% witnessed a decline, according to a Congressional Budget Office study. “In the meantime, long-fought benefits for working-class Americans are being eroded at the same time that we fail to tax those who reap the benefits from this inequality,” said Ms. Apostol. Ms. Apostol believes that, regardless of what the Wall Street protests change, people should voice concerns, especially given the role that money currently plays in the politically-oriented forums. “As a citizen, if there is a place in our society where we can voice our concerns or our questions about what is going on, we ought to take advantage of that,” she said. On the other side, Jack Vallar ’12 said, “It perpetuates class warfare and blames the nation’s problems on the top one percent. Also, the rest of the ninety-nine percent is being negatively affected by the protests.” David Keith ’13 believes that Occupy Wall Street has valid reasons for continuing to protest. “They’ll stop when they feel like the people who caused the 2008 Wall Street meltdown are punished. It’s inexcusable that even three years later some of those people have escaped prosecution,” Keith said. The protests, inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings, started about two months ago, but they show no signs of slowing down. Last month, angry protests broke out in Rome and as many as 70 other cities around the globe.

The Gay Straight Alliance asked to allot time for their annual Coming Out Day ceremony at school meeting but could not be accommodated, due to an ongoing attempt to make school meetings more efficient and valuable. “We asked, in late September, for time during a meeting in October, preferably the fifth or the twelfth, as the eleventh was National Coming Out Day,” said GSA secretary Thomas Earle ’12. Dean of Spiritual and Ethical Life Jan Flaska, who is in charge of organizing school meetings, offered the group a time in December. Although the GSA has accepted this date, members expressed dismay that it could not be in October, the month of national Gay-Straight-Bisexual-Transgender awareness. “We just wish that Mr. Flaska would try to prioritize the events at school meeting so important messages, like those from the GSA or any other diversity alliance, get priority, especially during its awareness month,” stated Earle. “It seems that some or perhaps even most clubs aren’t taken very seriously; however, clubs like the GSA and the other alliances command more respect and attention than the average club. Coming Out Day is a huge deal and crucial for students to have the support behind them… [it] allows them to express who they are,” said Trevor Anderson-Salo ’12, another GSA member. With meetings booked through December, Mr. Flaska has filled every minute possible. Opportunity to change the “first come, first serve” system is grim, as the schedule is already packed with announcements. “While I understand that there should be a timeliness component to scheduling meetings, there must be a priority component, too,” said GSA Vice President Emma Beck ’13. Others defended the current school meeting policy. Student Body President Theo Lipsky ’12, who emcees the meetings, said, “I trust Mr. Flaska’s judgment, as he knows the system better than anybody else.” Mr. Flaska explained, “I think school meeting is a place to showcase our student body’s talents and to present announcements about things that could apply to any member of the student body.” He continued, stating, “My only agenda is to keep clear our message of timeliness by making sure that the meetings end on time.”

The Scroll sat down with leading football scorer and track star Thuc Phan to talk about the fabulous fifth year of high school. Scroll: Was it difficult to shift your loyalty to Deerfield after playing for a different school for the past four years? Phan : I’m still getting used to all the traditions here. School pride was really big back in North Carolina at my old school [Greensboro Paige] and I find it flattering that kids at Deerfield have so much school spirit. Scroll: Do you find Deerfield more restrictive than your old school? Phan : I do, but I understand why its programs are so rigorous. At times it’s been an insane adjustment, but that’s why I came here. At my old school it seemed like there wasn’t enough time in the day to get everything done, but it’s really helpful that everything here is scheduled for you. Scroll: Why did you decided to become a PG? Phan : I have a great family friend from home who is like a second dad to me. He graduated from Deerfield in the class of 1979. Even in my sophomore year of high school he encouraged me to research going to boarding school. I really wanted to pursue football in college and Deerfield seemed like a great place to combine both the academics and athletics that I needed to be recruited. Scroll: What sport do you plan to play in college? Phan : I do football and track. I plan to do the 100, 200, 4×100, and long jump in the spring, but I’m only looking to play football after high school. Scroll: What’s the weirdest thing that has happened to you since coming to Deerfield? Phan : Once I stepped on the seal because I didn’t know what it meant. Someone really called me out for that so I went back later, knelt down, and kissed it. Scroll: What do you like the most about Deerfield? Phan : I really like Deerfield’s inclusive community that combines the importance of sports and classes. I get really good academics with great teachers and more playing time here with great coaches. Scroll: How have your parents reacted to your decision to come from North Carolina to Deerfield after graduating? Phan : They’ve been incredible. They always have my back and never put too much pressure on me. They want me to be the best that I can be and support all of my interests. My dad calls me up a lot to remind me of how lucky I am to be here and to take advantage of every opportunity I am given. Scroll: What do you want to study after Deerfield? Phan : Last year I did an intensive project where I shadowed doctors, physicians and trainers. I really enjoyed it so I’ll probably pursue sports medicine in college.

Qaddafi’s death was replayed around the world on televisions, cell phones, and computers. As rebels cornered the former Libyan dictator, several bystanders pulled out their cell phones to record the historic death. Hours later, news stations played the clips, broadcasting violent images to the public. In this digital age, information collection and data exhibition are commonplace, but is it always necessary? Must we venerate images of death and violence? We should not be obsessed with the drama or theatrics of the event, but rather we should consider its implications on the future. The videos of rebels kicking Qaddafi’s dead body cannot help ease tensions in the region. International attention should be focused on rebuilding the government and organizing the rebels.

Little, white wooden houses have sprung up around campus with quotations from the works of poet Emily Dickinson written on all sides. This massive modern art installation was brought to Deerfield by junior Peter Krasznekewicz. “The idea was to have an interactive art project that is incorporated into the community. I want people to look at the words and think about them. What do they mean? I want to start discussions,” explained Krasznekewicz. Inspired by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who designed the Central Park Gates in New York City in 2005, Krasznekewicz also found creative stimulation in his family. “My sister has always been a huge Emily Dickinson fan, and she had this cardboard house when she was little. She named it ‘Emily.’ My Dad and I came up with the idea, but it was all thanks to her,” he elaborated. Bringing everything together to make the exhibit and get it going was not an easy or quick process at all. “I really started working on it during my sophomore year,” Krasznekewicz said. “I had to prepare a proposal and present it to the senior staff to get permission. I also had to contact the Emily Dickinson museum and get permission to use her quotes. They were actually really helpful in picking them out.” Krasznekewicz was not alone. “I had a lot of help from art teacher Tim Trelease and my family,” noted Krasznekewicz. “Also, we got a lot of volunteers from town to help us build them. It took over three hundred pieces of plywood to build all the houses. I’m so thankful to everyone who helped.” The exhibit has not received a wholly positive response. Some students commented negatively on the art. A group of senior boys even moved two of the houses off the “senior grass” in front of the Main School Building. “I knew I wouldn’t get a hundred-percent approval on them, but I wanted and expected that. I want to start discussions and disagreements. That was the whole point,” Krasznekewicz said. In addition to sparking discussion, the installation is also contributing to the world off campus. Once the exhibit is finished, the houses will be broken down, and the 100% recycled plywood will be donated to Habitat for Humanity, which use the materials to make real houses for those in need. “I really wanted this to be an eco-friendly art project,” said Krasznekewicz. “Everything is going right back into the community. Once it’s done, there will be absolutely no waste from the project.” The houses will remain on campus until November 4, when they will be moved to the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst. From there, the houses will be transported to the Boston Children’s Hospital, before being broken down and donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Construction is well under way on a new dormitory where Ashley Dormitory stood last year. The dorm is slated to be complete for use at the start of the 2012-2013 academic year. The yet-unnamed building will likely be an underclassman boys’ dorm, replacing the temporary Chapin Hall. The dormitory will consist of two floors of single rooms, 30 rooms total, and three faculty apartments as opposed to the 30 students to one faculty apartment ratio of Ashley. As in the “barbell” setup common around campus, faculty housing will be on either end of the dormitory and students will live in halls connecting the two ends. The rooms will have the same light placement and desk-styles as rooms in Louis Marx and John Louis. The exterior of the building will consist of the old Deerfield shingling seen on Harold Smith and John Williams. The building will incorporate LED lights and solar-heated water. A large common room in the basement, washing and drying machines, and an elevator will be part of the new dorm. The size of the new dorm does not mean that the school plans to expand the student body size. “Common rooms have all but disappeared during the past four years. We are slowly reclaiming them and getting this new dorm will allow us to restore these important parts of corridor life,” explained Dean of Students Toby Emerson. Mr. Emerson also said that the new dormitory would include extra space to accommodate exchange students who arrive at Deerfield mid-year. The dorm was designed by Architectural Resources Cambridge and Erland Construction, Inc. is building it, according to Senior Project Manager Jeffrey Galli. Both firms have worked with Deerfield in the past on John Louis, Louis Marx, Harold Smith and the Dewey Squash center. Click here to view the dorm floor plan!

A couple of years ago, I heard a senior meditation about how a student had spent his whole life at Deerfield yet could not call it his “home.” I was a new sophomore when I heard this speech at school meeting, and I didn’t really think hard about it until this summer. A year ago my father was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, and this summer he passed away. This event has acted as a magnifying glass for seeing the good in people, and I am struck by how people have risen to the occasion to help me. Last year I wrote an article about the jv football team. I wrote about how I had felt comfortable telling the whole team that my dad had been diagnosed with cancer only a few days after we got the news. It was a unique team, and they rallied in my support as brothers. People I know well and not as well here have been compassionate and willing to help me. Friendships have flourished during the past year, with acquaintances becoming friends and friends becoming close friends. Perhaps most important has been how teachers have interacted with me. My advisor made a two-hour drive twice to see me this summer, once when my father’s health took a bad turn and then two weeks later for the memorial service. I never asked him to do this. He offered. Many of my teachers have opened up to me and shared their deeply personal experiences, some similar to mine. My relationships with many of them have grown into strong friendships. They have supported me and have not treated me differently just because of what was happening in my life. For me, Deerfield has been a home when I needed it, and I find it hard to think that others couldn’t call it home as well. Sure, just like everything, it has imperfections and problems, but overall it changed me and has given me a positive perspective on life when I could have easily assumed a negative one.

Deerfield’s Special Exercise or “Spex” program has been preparing all season for the single moment in which they will come together as one team for the annual Deerfield-Choate Spex soccer game. The tradition is about ten years old, and a game has taken place every year since its inception. The Spex squad consists of approximately forty senior boys and girls who work out together in the fitness center after classes, Monday through Thursday each week, usually doing off-season training for their main sports. Ben Masella ’12 anticipates the match with intensity and determination. “Choate Day is one of the most celebrated Deerfield traditions and takes competitiveness to another level, Masella explained. “Playing first thing in the morning, our Spex team is looking to help set the tempo for the rest of the day.” To prepare for the event, the athletes are continuing to follow their regular workout programs. “We don’t want to over-prepare,” said Spex advisor Brendan Creagh. “We have to make sure we’re fresh and ready”. T-shirts to be worn as team uniforms on Choate Day were ordered, printed with the intimidating title “Spex Fall 2011.” “We’re excited for the game and really pumped to play,” exclaimed Spex’s prospective goalie, Marina Vranos ’12, while pumping iron (above right with Danielle DeNunzio ’12 .)

Strolling down Albany Road, you can often hear chattering voices in the distance, but once in a while, if you hear the distinct sound of someone whistling or singing down the road, chances are, it is Sierra Janik ’13. Hailing from the small town of Shrewsbury, Vermont, Janik has been singing since she was in second grade. But before she started singing at the adults’ church choir in third grade, “I had never seen a complicated score, and I learned by doing it,” Janik said. Growing up surrounded by the sounds of her father’s country music radio station, Janik has had a variety of singing experiences ranging from world music in various languages to folk and choral music. However, Janik’s musical background extends beyond the realm of singing. Though her favorite form of music has always been vocal, she also plays the guitar and the piano. Since she came to Deerfield two years ago, she has been featured as the advanced madrigal choir’s soloist in a variety of pieces, including Fauré’s Requiem and the spiritual “Ride the Chariot.” “A good soloist has to have vocal control, the ability to project and carry, and an expressive voice that has a somewhat distinct color,” commented Music Director Daniel Roihl. Mr. Roihl explained that Janik was chosen to be featured as the soloist for “Ride the Chariot” because of “her comfort level with the range of it,” as well as his confidence that she would be able to learn it quickly enough under the time constraint. The piece had to be finished before the Imagine Deerfield fund-raising event in New York City. At this event, Janik and the madrigal choir performed before more than 800 people. For Janik, singing is not only a passion, but also an important part of her life and identity. As she explained, “If there’s an opportunity to sing, I will take it, no matter what.” “I have definitely built up my confidence and Deerfield has helped with that because of all the opportunities I have here. I am still relatively new to soloing, but I truly enjoy it,” said Janik, who was a sophomore declamation winner. When asked about why she enjoys singing so much, Janik said, “I think it’s safe to say I’m a pretty emotional person. So much of singing is about emotions and expressing emotions. That may be partly why I’m so drawn to it.”

Luke Aaron ’12 and Nolan Doyle ’12 along with Lilly Elkin ’13 and Lena Mazel ’13 continue to re-invent the concept of the double room. Both pairs of roommates have moved their desks into one room and their beds into the other, thus creating a sleeping room and a study room. Aaron and Doyle, inspired by their freshman year proctors, wanted to create the ideal “hang out room” for their Xbox-obsessed Field 3 proctees. “As people enter the Buckingham Palace,” quipped Doyle, referring to the sleeping room, “they are struck with its comfortable feel and sheer manliness.” Aaron, who is credited with the layout of the sleeping room, chose to bunk the beds allowing room for the ultimate gaming environment consisting of a two-seater futon, an impressive monitor and surround-sound speakers. Equally notable is Aaron’s top bunk, dressed in a Toy Story blanket, and described as “the best place to watch a movie.” Doyle was put in charge of the study room, and went with a relatively simple but clean design. He placed the desks at opposing sides of the room, hung a Wayne’s World poster, and left the rest empty to allow room for “active studying.” “Nolan is crazy,” claimed proctee Maximilian McEvoy ’15. “I can always hear him screaming and running around in the study room. I just don’t understand his habits.” Meanwhile, Mazel and Elkin doubled two years ago, and, although this year they signed up for a double, they were given two singles on Poc II. “I missed having Lena as my roommate,” commented Elkin, “and when we were given singles again, Lena came up with the idea to merge the two rooms into a makeshift double.” Entering their sleeping room, one instantly notes the relaxing vibe of the space. The walls are covered in darker-colored posters. A black rug lies in the middle of the room, and the two beds covered in navy duvet comforters lie in an L-shape against the walls. “People love to come to our room to hang out,” stated Mazel, “and although sometimes it can get tiresome, Lilly and I really enjoy all the company.” In contrast, their Alice in Wonderland-themed study room is filled with vibrant colors. The room contains both desks piled full with books and materials, and exudes the qualities of an ideal creative work environment. Both pairs of roommates, although they claim it can get frustrating to go back and forth between the two rooms, are satisfied with the set-up and believe that dedicating one room to studying and one room to sleeping serves as a viable alternative to doubling.

“I smell bacon” and “God made rivers, God make lakes, God made Choate, we all make mistakes” are common cheers for students taking part in the historic rivalry with Choate Rosemary Hall. Recently however, such spirit has been discouraged. Cheering students were told that Deerfield is a community that values respect and that such cheers are insensitive. Students and cheerleaders are now required to cheer only for Deerfield, not against the other team. We think that a decision that alters a common Deerfield tradition and practice such as our anti-Choate cheers should be discussed between students and faculty before implementation. Students do not actually intend to cook our Choate opponents when we chant “I smell bacon.” Likewise, we do not actually intend to go to “battle” when we yell the beloved Deerfield Battle Cry. The Choate Day bonfire is an important time for the student-body to get a little bit rowdy and to show some exaggerated school spirit. Burning a large C, painting our faces, and eating and chanting about some bacon is all part of the harmless rivalry fun. Every year, on the official Choate Day, Deerfield students and alumni stand out in green and white class dress, rooting on our players with fun and encouraging cheers.

Many athletes are praised for their accomplishments in a particular sport, but it is rare to find one who excels in many different fields. Marly Morgus ’12 is the varsity volleyball captain and in addition to dominating the net in her main sport, she captains varsity skiing in the winter, and rows for varsity crew in the spring. When asked what has been the most exciting moment so far for varsity volleyball, Morgus enthusiastically said, “It was amazing when we beat Hotchkiss this year. It’s the first we’ve beaten them in a really, really long time. We won 3-2 in a home game, which only made it better.” Morgus discussed her volleyball team’s prospects this season. “It’s hard to compare the team year to year because we always lose seniors and think we’re going to be bad,” she laughed. “But we have a lot of young girls who are showing tons of promise and a solid returning core, so the team has been great so far this year.” Contributing to that greatness is the new coaching staff. After Coach and English teacher Michael Schloat switched to boys’ cross country and Coach Cathy Markowski took a position at Worcester Poly Tech, math teaching fellow and Coach Miriam Singer and Coach John Pineo have stepped into fill those roles. “The new coaches have great energy and are very enthusiastic,” said Morgus. Morgus gave advice on how to juggle the fields, classrooms, and social world of Deerfield. “My advice for balancing everything would be to keep it all separate. You have to understand that once a practice or a game is over, it’s over, and you can’t let that get it the way of other things,” she said. Morgus also advised Deerfield athletes in general to “embrace being an athlete. Sports are one of my favorite parts of Deerfield. Being able to see the school spirit and share it with a team just adds to the package.”