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“The Deerfield parietals regulations have always been in flux. In order to create a safer environment, parietals should not be as strict as they have been in the past. Parietals are supposed to be safe environments where two students can get to know each other, but these strict parietal rules and “suggestions” make the experience very unnatural, and sends students looking for other unoccupied spaces, where sexual assault is much more likely to occur. Behind a locked door, or in an isolated space, the couple will be alone and no one will be able to hear, or help, if one of the kids is uncomfortable. This will lead to more sexual assaults and cases that the school can’t handle. Sexual assault is a very real issue that occurs on high school campuses, even here at Deerfield. Anything that can be done to prevent such uncomfortable situations should be pursued.” DSASA (Deerfield Students Against Sexual Assault) Administrative Perspective : Amie Creagh This summer, I read David Foster Wallace’s This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion about Living a Compassionate Life, an address he gave at Kenyon College’s commencement in 2005. I took from it a message about choices – every day, there are are far more than we think – and compromise. He suggests we wrestle with our default assumption that the world revolves around us and move to what he calls “the really important kind of freedom.” This freedom, Foster-Wallace writes, “involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people.” In private conversations and public forums about visitation, I’ve sought to apply this mindset, to consider and respect others’ viewpoints and to have them at the front of my mind. It’s also my aim for this article, which called for an “administration” perspective on our current visitation rules. Framed this way, I worry the expectation could be for unwavering decisiveness, which I’m reluctant to provide. For now, I’ll hope to share my understanding of our varied viewpoints as a first step toward caring for those who hold them and with the goal of folding them into any new policy we might create this year. If we stretch a bit and see our visitation guidelines as an effort to support healthy, thoughtful relationships between boys and girls, it should be no surprise that each of us cares about and feels invested in this conversation. Of course we all want boys and girls to feel connected to one another; of course we want to foster meaningful friendships and to support students in the early stages of romance and love. Understandably, though, our community offers a variety of opinions about how to do this most effectively. Boys and girls who are friends want to spend time together without sparking hookup rumors. Asking for parietals is public, conspicuous and creates gossip. Romantic couples on campus – both same sex and not – seek a relaxed, informal setting where they don’t feel watched or suspected. Same sex romantic couples must be “out” to follow our visitation rules. Asking for parietals and putting a trashcan or shoe in the door makes a statement about a relationship. We cannot force students into this predicament. New faculty understand this issue is contentious, and they want guidance. What does checking on visitation mean? How often should it happen? This is a unique and vexing challenge for those new to a boarding environment like ours. At the same time, the very consistency clear guidelines might offer can also make exchanges around visitation feel forced and adversarial. Veteran colleagues might balk at such proscribed guidance and would prefer greater personal discretion. From their experiences here, they know the balance between supervision and trust. Many residents and associates feel a new burden of responsibility for keeping students safe during visitation. They are increasingly anxious about the risks and liabilities our current policy could present. Some members of our community think sexual intimacy is inappropriate for high school students Others think it’s a normal and predictable part of adolescent development. How will we ever reconcile all of these legitimate, well-meaning, and differing opinions? If we’re following Foster Wallace’s guidance, valuing each of them deliberately, thoughtfully and equally, will we be rendered immobile? I don’t think so. In fact, accounting for these perspectives is our first step forward. We should solicit them and name them explicitly. They will be our foundation. But including these voices will require compromise. None of us will get exactly what we seek. We will not craft perfect visitation rules. Relationships, love, sex, and our views on them are far too personal and complex. Nonetheless, if we enter into this collaboration with “attention, awareness, discipline, effort, and care”, surely the result will be a policy that helps to cultivate the lasting relationships that have – and always will – characterize the Deerfield experience. Part II: Faculty Perspective

Mr. Mark Scandling, head varsity water polo and varsity wrestling coach, said, “Good sportsmanship is one of the things that is a hallmark characteristic of the Deerfield community.” The Academy values athletes who hold themselves to high standards on the field and respect both their teammates and opponents. However, Deerfield also values broad participation, which goes further than just having every student join a co-curricular. Students are encouraged to go to games and show support for their peers by cheering. Yet cheering culture at professional sports games has begun to involve “jeering at” or taunting the other teams and their players. Violence often results from heckling other players and fans. One famous incident occurred in 2004, when Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace), an NBA player on the LA Lakers team, attacked a fan whom he believed was responsible for throwing a can of Diet Coke at him. A brawl ensued, and Artest, other players, and fans were charged with counts of assault. More recently, on September 15th of this year, San Francisco 49ers fans beat up a Vikings fan who was heckling the 49ers. They had taken offense and knocked the opposing fan to the ground, proceeding to kick and beat him violently. These are extreme cases, and such events are unlikely to occur during prep school sports games, but they demonstrate the possible impact cheering against teams can have. If this sort of culture continues to pervade Deerfield athletic events, the question arises: “At what point, if any, does cheering undermine our athletic ideal of sportsmanship?” Mr. Scandling stated, “What I like most about wrestling is that you have to shake hands right away.” By shaking hands with your opponent right after the match, wrestlers are forced to display sportsmanship, by standing up and shaking hands with their opponents, graciously accepting either victory or defeat. On Saturday, September 19, Mr. Scandling approached the stands in the pool to ask Deerfield fans to be respectful of the other team while cheering. When asked why he felt it was his responsibility to approach the stands, Mr. Scandling stated, “I, personally, find it pointless to attack the other team from the stand. It doesn’t support our team; it demeans the opposing team in ways that are unnecessary. Why would you want to make your opponent seem less worthy? So you beat a less worthy opponent, big deal!” Mr. Scandling believes that we have to make a conscious choice to move away from that, to build our team up instead of trying to put the other team down. However, he recognizes that many people at the school disagree with his views on this issue. For instance, Brandon Scott ’17, a football player and cheerleader, said that when he is on the football field, fans cheering against the other team help elevate his level of play. Scott said, “It gives our players a boost of energy, because we feel like our DA family is boosting us up, and we can show [the other team] what we’re made of.” Scott thinks that cheering against the other team shows support for our team in a unique way. “It gets us fired up… It makes the other team seem beatable.” Scott’s teammate, Steven Lillis ’16, agrees with Scott, saying, “It’s a mind game.” He believes that if the fans can get in the other team’s heads, Deerfield can gain a mental edge in the game. Deerfield prides itself on displaying good sportsmanship, but also on being fierce competitors and fans. Cheering against the other team may be detrimental to the first ideal, or it may help the team, depending on one’s viewpoint. At what cost does this trade off come? Should Deerfield students make a choice about where they want to draw the line that balances sportsmanship and cheering? Or do we, as a community, need to come up with a definitive stance on jeering?

While Deerfield welcomed many new faculty members this year, only one of them is an alumna of DA. Kayla Corcoran returns to campus as a teaching fellow after graduating in 2009. She recalls her fondest memories from Deerfield which include being in the classroom, memorable because of influential teachers. In particular, her Modern Times History teacher, Head of the History Department Mr. Joe Lyons, and their class unit on Rwanda sparked her passion and curiosity about international relations. Ms. Corcoran credits her years at Deerfield for “cultivating her love for history,” and that to return and share her passion with students “feels like coming home.” During her college years at Georgetown University, Ms. Corcoran spent a summer in Rwanda working on an agricultural development project with small farmers, an experience of a lifetime sparked by her interests at DA. She also took a gap year and worked as a teaching fellow at King’s Academy in Jordan to pursue her teaching ambitions while staying connected to the Deerfield community. Ms. Corcoran is now working toward a Master’s Degree in Education through the Penn Residency Master’s in Teaching program, a partnership that allows teaching fellows to get real classroom experience by teaching at a variety of boarding schools. Ms. Corcoran appreciates the opportunity to be a teaching fellow while simultaneously being a student herself, and her students benefit from her experiences. Ali Dougal ’18, a student in her Africa and Latin America history class, shared, “Being a student and a teacher, Ms. Corcoran really understands the pressures of a heavy workload. She knows what it means to be a Deerfield student and helps keep us upbeat and motivated through seventh period.” It is unique and rather uncommon for faculty members to have insight on both the student and teacher experience at DA. Ms. Corcoran described the transition as natural and declared it “an honor” to be teaching alongside those who inspired her during her time as a student. While some of her favorite teachers, such as her junior and senior year English teacher, Mr. Palmer, no longer work at Deerfield, Ms. Corcoran is pleased to join the ranks of other familiar faces, such as her former history teacher, Ms. Friends. Ms. Corcoran explainsedthat Ms. Friends taught her how to ask good questions and to present global issues. As a student, Ms. Corcoran believes she was able to cultivate the communications skills that are necessary to make lasting change in a community. Specifically, she values the ability to spark ongoing discussions and talk about topics that are hard to broach. Ms. Corcoran seeks to “empower students to have the difficult conversations” that can make a difference. The young teacher hopes to build upon her communication skills with community feedback and to inspire students and faculty alike to expand on sustained dialogue as a method to create positive change and interesting discussion throughout our community. Ms. Corcoran has noticed a lot of changes that have occurred at Deerfield in her time away. Structural differences include the Greer, the gym, and the Hess Center. She believes these new buildings emphasize the positive efforts Deerfield has made to improve our community; specifically the Greer and the Hess Center allow for student growth in two ways: socially and artistically. More significantly, she is thrilled by the institutional changes that indicate the school’s progressive direction. “When I was here, all first waiters were girls, and all second waiters were boys…There was only one head cheerleader and it was always a boy,” Ms. Corcoran noted excitedly. “Small changes make steps toward diminishing social divides in the school.” She is particularly interested in the Center for Service and Global Citizenship and is excited by a growing interest in our community about global issues. She also views the Office of Inclusion, which is new since her time at Deerfield, as a positive addition to the community. Ms. Corcoran is thrilled to return to a more progressive DA, and she hopes to continue gaining momentum in tackling campus issues. “Deerfield has made a lot of strides in terms of diversity and inclusion since I graduated—it’s a really exciting time to be a faculty member.”

Deerfield’s mission statement reads, “Set in a historic village bounded by river, hills and rams, Deerfield inspires reflection, study and play, abiding friendships, and a defining school spirit.” In the 1950s and 60s, the United States Government planned to construct Interstate 91 through Deerfield. Frank Boyden recognized this as threat to the integrity of Deerfield’s mission statement and took his complaint to Washington. Mr. Boyden famously sat in President Kennedy’s waiting room for hours, until Kennedy would see our beloved headmaster. I-91 was not built through Deerfield. The Deerfield of today faces a new challenge to its bucolic surroundings and its mission statement. Tennessee Gas, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, plans to build a massive pipeline that will run right by the Academy. If the project is approved, students already disturbed by recent construction on the Library and Memorial Building will find no reprieve for years into the future: construction vehicles assisting in the building of the pipeline will be audible from campus. Furthermore, there is a chance that the locomotive-sized pressurization stations built along the pipeline to prevent it from exploding will also be audible from campus as long as the pipeline remains active. Additionally, these stations are not foolproof, meaning perilous pipeline bursts could compromise the community. In the event of a pipeline malfunction, Deerfield students could be among the first to find out. Indeed, the Small Loop entrance is inside the pipeline’s “incineration zone.” Future students and parents will need to cross their fingers and hope not to end up as burnt marshmallows, for Tennessee Gas has an egregiously bad safety record. The stated principle for this pipeline appears noble. Kinder Morgan says that it seeks to improve Western Massachusetts’ energy infrastructure. However, upon further investigation, local town residents discovered that the pipeline is designed to transport gas for overseas sale. One wonders what else is being hidden. Thus far, the town is united in trying to prevent the construction of the pipeline. Almost all local businesses strongly disagree with the placement of the pipeline. One local institution has not yet issued a judgment: Deerfield Academy. In an interview with , Deerfield’s Associate Head of School for Operations and Chief Financial Officer Mr. Keith Finan continuously stated that the Academy does not yet know enough about the proposed pipeline in order to take a public stance. In an interview with , Director of Communications Mr. David Thiel explained that Deerfield has “not seen a map of the route that has sufficient detail for us to determine whether it crosses our property.” Though the pipeline may not run directly through our property, we recommend that the school consult the general plans that has obtained, which demonstrate just how close the pipeline will be to our campus. Deerfield’s mission statement also declares that “Character, integrity, and responsible citizenship guide student life in the Deerfield community.” Dr. Curtis highlights the need for students to be informed and act as responsible global citizens, yet many have little knowledge about the KM Pipeline. Frank Boyden would not have stood for this. His personality and the example he set for Deerfield students made Deerfield into an institution that commands respect. Boyden acted in ways to preserve the character of the school and town we call home. There is no doubt that the pipeline reflects a blight on the local environment and would detract significantly from the character of Historic Deerfield as well as the economic value and sustainability of our institution. How would the school respond to an explosion or a gas leak?  Deerfield’s current silence is surprising. What’s more, why isn’t the campus talking about this? Why isn’t the school pushing students and teachers to discuss this? It is students’ right to know about such a major, environmental changing project so close to us. As Deerfield’s leaders make lofty statements about the role Deerfield students will play in the world, they are seemingly unwilling to reflect on the mission statement and the role we play in the heritage and traditions of the Pocumtuck Valley. We ask Deerfield’s leadership to recognize that no matter how global our ambitions, our heritage comes from our commitment to our local community’s well-being. Our community and its heritage are threatened. The KM pipeline could compromise Deerfield’s future. Learn more about the project, and demand that Deerfield’s leaders speak up. Inform our alumni and stand with our school. PROTEST THE PIPELINE.

This fall, Deerfield has welcomed over 20 new faculty members. While many can be seen teaching in their classrooms or settling down in dorms, three new community members may be more difficult to spot. In the Health Center basement, Dr. Joshua Relin leads the new Counseling Office. He is joined by Ms. Cassiel Owens and Dr. Susan Watson. Dr. Relin, originally from Brewster, MA, is the new campus Counseling Director. After attending Skidmore College and earning his Psy.D (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology) at The Wright Institute at UC Berkeley in Oakland, he returned to South Deerfield to work at UMass Amherst. There, he spent nine years performing “student assessment and treatment,” promoting healthy masculinity and providing mental health services for veterans on campus. He now lives in Historic Deerfield with his wife, five year-old son, and two year-old daughter. Dr. Relin has come to appreciate particular aspects of the Deerfield campus, such as the “unreal” cell-phone policy. “I love that people I pass look at me and say ‘hi’— it is brief, but it is such a positive connection.” One of his most memorable Deerfield experiences to date was driving the 9th grade proctors to Camp Becket. “It was really cool to just hang out with them on the drive—they are an impressive group,” he recalled. Dr. Relin is a sit-down table head, will play the violin in the Deerfield orchestra and thinks “it would be fun” to be involved in a co-curricular further down the road. While he praised Deerfield’s renowned community as a “friendly, warm and welcoming place,” Dr. Relin also noted how challenging the “busy rhythms of daily life” can be. He views the pace-of-life issue as an opportunity to integrate mindfulness practice. Another new counselor, Ms. Cassiel Owens, also notes how the rapid pace of Deerfield life can take its toll: “While the rigorous and engaging community gives rise to truly inspiring faculty and students alike, I wish that it didn’t impact sleep so much.” Ms. Owens has lived in Western Massachusetts for over 15 years and shared that her “transition [to Deerfield] has been very positive.” She added: “My family and I have felt very welcomed by the warm and engaged community—it is a joy to live and work here.” Ms. Owens has practiced throughout the Pioneer Valley for the past seven years, “providing clinical support to women and children.” She earned her BA from Hampshire College and went on to The Smith College School for Social Work. In New England, she worked as a School Adjustment Counselor at Northampton High School. Now, she lives on campus with her husband David and their son, Frederick, and said she cannot wait to see the campus covered in snow. On the other hand, Dr. Susan Watson, who joined the Deerfield community from Jackson, Mississippi, “is a little nervous about our family’s first winter.” However, she added, “It will be fun to see our kids see real snow for the first time!” While Dr. Relin and Ms. Owens have been in the valley for years, Dr. Watson has traveled over 1,000 miles to be a part of the Deerfield family this year. She said, “Moving the whole family all the way across the country was a big leap of faith for us, and [I’m] so glad we did it!” The Watsons have three-year-old twin girls, a fifteen-month-old son, and three dogs. After earning her doctorate in clinical psychology from Harvard, Dr. Watson completed an internship in child and adolescent psychology at Bellevue Hospital and the NYU Child Study Center in New York. This is Dr. Watson’s first experience at a boarding school. She admitted that she “wasn’t totally sure what to expect.” After her first few weeks at Deerfield, Dr. Watson has been inspired by the community’s lively camaraderie. “We really enjoy the strong sense of school spirit at Deerfield,” she reflected. Deerfield’s three new counselors share the desire to be trustworthy resources and helping hands whenever needed. Dr. Watson is already impressed by “the many layers of support available to students.” She and her colleagues also hope to be the best representation of this support and guidance. In the hope that she, and the whole counseling office, will have a positive effect on campus, Dr. Watson said, “We are dedicated to trying to help students in whatever ways [we] can.”

At Deerfield, a vast majority of students are highly driven to succeed academically and, consequently, often take accelerated and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. We at

An exciting tradition in Deerfield athletics began this September as Phillips Academy Andover, Phillips Exeter Academy, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy and Northfield Mount Hermon School established a new athletic league called the Five Schools League. “We were basically proposing a mechanism to keep track of friendly head-to-head competition in all sports at all levels,” said Charles Davis, Deerfield’s Athletic Director. “I think it’s still rolling out, trying to be determined. The spirit of it is to celebrate every athletic contest. What we have to do this year is sort of get it up and running, get people knowing about it, and hopefully excited about it.” The league offers numerous opportunities for athletes and schools to distinguish themselves. Championships for each sport will be awarded to both varsity and sub-varsity teams, while coaches that have shown remarkable sportsmanship will also be recognized. Overall, the new league is expected to spur friendly competition and foster a sense of togetherness between different sports. “You could have a season that takes place and if you happen to [win] against those other four schools, sure, you could say the you’re the Five Schools League champion in sports X. That’s not why I signed on to it,” said Mr. Davis. “I looked at it more as a measure of each season, or measured as a school year. That it wasn’t about separating one sport from another.” While Deerfield and the other schools are eager to incorporate the new league, they are also being mindful of possible hiccups to the general plan. As sports are breeding grounds for fierce competition, it is not surprising that some problems might arise. “My biggest fear is the accounting of it. I just worry about somebody’s spreadsheet showing one thing and somebody else’s showing another account of what happened,” Mr. Davis stated. As the fall season has just begun, the Five Schools League has not had a significant impact on Deerfield athletics just yet. Many students, including those playing fall sports, are still unaware of this change. However, athletes are not fazed by the possibility of more intense competition. “I haven’t heard anything be brought up about it really at all,” said Steven Lillis ’16, a member of the Varsity Football team. “It’s just going to come down to the same old competition anyways. You’ve just got to play your heart out every game.” With the season steadily progressing, the Five Schools League will gradually manifest itself more and more within Deerfield athletics, augmenting the already outstanding friendly and competitive culture.

New Varsity Football Coach and Student Activities Coordinator Brian Barbato sits in his Deerfield apartment living room with his son Charlie in one arm and his University of New Hampshire football helmet on the shelf beside him. He may be the new guy, but Mr. Barbato has more experience with boarding school life than one would think. He was a day student at Exeter where he started playing football as an offensive lineman and was accepted for a PG year at Deerfield, which he regrets that he did not accept. However, he continued to play football through college and decided to start coaching after he attended graduate school at St. Lawrence University. As a child, he had multiple connections to the Deerfield campus. His aunt was in Admissions and his uncle was a basketball coach. “I was always that little kid riding in the golf cart on campus, and I was always amazed by the overall energy that was on the campus out on the back green or in the hockey rink or in the gymnasium. I know there is a very storied tradition of Deerfield sports. It’s a really strong tradition and kids just have an amazing experience,” said Barbato. At Deerfield, Barbato now serves as a mentor for the Varsity Football team, but when he was in high school, the person most influential to him was his grandfather Charles “Chuck” Demers. Mr. Demers was a Hall of Fame Athletic Trainer and worked at Deerfield for four years. This season, Barbato looks forward to learning from the players. “Every day, I’m trying to figure out what new things we can bring to the mix. The guys have been working to get better every single week, and we have some great kids in the program. “ Barbato also expressed that he is very impressed with school spirit so far: “To see the students just going absolutely crazy– just to see the kids be so resilient and keep coming back. That emotion was just amazing to be a part of. To look into the stands to see colleagues, teachers, all these different people supporting everybody was amazing.” Barbato’s goals for his team and the year are to take it day by day, to get better, to have fun, and to enjoy the experience.

Over the first five weeks of school, students and faculty alike have been adapting to the absence of one of Deerfield’s most used buildings: the library. The school waits in anticipation as renovations for this fine study space continue. Director of the Library Ms. Charlotte Patriquin commented, “I’m looking forward to seeing all our plans come to fruition. We’ve spent a few years listening to what students want, listening to what teachers want, and working with the architects to put this all together into a whole.” Mr. Jeffrey Galli, the project manager of the library’s renovation, reports that the library will have many new features, including a telecom room (a place where students and teachers can hold skype meetings), an innovation space, and an innovation classroom. He also noted, “The study rooms should be soundproof as well.” These renovations do not come without cost. There are long-term benefits as well as short-term drawbacks. In exchange for the renovations, financial spending, the relocation of certain classrooms, the limitation of physical resources, and the loss of study space are some inconveniences Deerfield has endured this fall for a better library. According to Mr. Galli, the school has $11.5 million as its budget for the project. Deerfield worked alongside the firm Architectural Resource Cambridge. Ms. Patriquin added that about three years of work were put into this project from conception to construction. On top of the time and money spent, the library department, faculty, and physical plant relocated the most important 5-10% of the library’s resources (books, DVD’s, headphones, videos, etc.) into the Mods while moving the rest into storage. We have all these departments to thank for their hard work. Mr. Jan Flaska, of the Philosophy and Religion Department, noted, “My classes were in there. I had an office in [the library]. But it was also just a great central place to meet… Arriving on campus, we forget how convenient it was… but we know there’s a renovated library on its way, so we’re okay with it.” Last year, students went to the library for a distraction-free study space.  So far this year, the Mods are fulfilling that function, but students have not embraced this new space. Maddie Moon ’16 explained, “In terms of what we’re given, the Mods are the best we can do. It’s very well set up, but far from campus.” The distance especially has kept Moon and other students from using the Mods consistently. Moon noted, “I’m excited to get my study space back.” Ms. Patriquin acknowledges that the Mods “are a little out of the way.” She added that “students are finding their way slowly over here.” While the Mods serve as a surrogate library, students and faculty alike anticipate what the new library will hold. New offices such as College Advising and the Academic Deans’ offices will be located in the library along with the Center for Service and Global Citizenship and the Archives. “Having all those new offices in one building will be very useful for the students,” Moon commented. The renovations will significantly increase space. “Compared to the old floor area,”Mr. Galli said, “the whole lower level becomes much more usable space. We cleared a lot of that up. The main floor remains about the same, and we lose a little bit of space on the upper floor, but overall, I would say that we gain about 10,000 square feet.” With open classrooms for students and the Mods available for all members of the school, everyone is adjusting to the absence of the library. But with the concessions and sacrifices members of the school have made, it seems like this new incredible library will be worth it.

Read the Anti-Village article  here . BREAKING NEWS: freshman girl and boy seen walking on campus are not a couple. I repeat: they are not a couple! This is not an isolated incident, either. All over Deerfield Academy, 9th grade males and females are interacting in non-sexual ways. Although school has just begun, this odd behavior has become an epidemic of sorts. WHAT IS CAUSING THIS MADNESS? (or friendship as they call it in the real world…)? It appears that the only explanation for this outlandish behavior is The Freshman Village. The Village is responsible for this UPHEAVAL in Deerfield culture.  However, many are denouncing The Village as a DESTRUCTION of tradition. I apologize, but I need a moment to comprehend the absolute absurdity of this situation. People are upset because The Village is fostering relationships between boys and girls where their clothes actually stay on? People are upset because the 9th graders do not run away in sheer terror when they see seniors? Are you kidding me?  It’s a bad thing that The Village is starting to fix some of the fundamental cultural issues at this school?  Oh, that’s right, I forgot. Deerfield can’t follow the social “norms” of society. We are an institution deeply rooted in tradition and that’s what makes us different from our peer schools. To alter the culture here would be considered a heinous act. Even if that culture promotes clapping a couple out of the Greer and sitting at gender-segregated tables, it should stay because it’s tradition  — and tradition always prevails at the Academy. According to some, there are no instances of tradition having adverse effects on the culture of Deerfield. Well, except for the tradition of not accepting black students, and the tradition of being an all boys school — oh, and the tradition of having sit-down breakfasts. But other than these negligible traditions, everything else has been great… Altering tradition requires change, which is difficult for everyone. Last year, people were upset about the plan for The Village because it required a large change in the structure of the school. One of the biggest arguments against The Village was that the boys would no longer be able to have constant sleepovers with their BFFs in Johnson and Doubleday. These negative sentiments carried over from last year and influenced people’s opinions of The Village when they arrived back at school.  This pessimism towards The Village only increased as returners noticed a change not only in the physical location of the freshmen, but also in their attitude and actions on campus. Personally, I don’t have a problem with the way the freshmen are acting this year. How can more confidence and healthier relationships be a bad thing? The Village is changing the culture of this school, and that’s the main reason why I am for it. Although it’s going to take years before the full effects of The Village are apparent, even now I can see the positive impact it is having on the cultural issues at Deerfield. The 9th graders finally have a place where they can feel confident in forging their own traditions at Deerfield. They can figure out friendships, student life, and more, without the influence of other grades. The Village is helping them prepare for the unknown at Deerfield, and although it will take time, eventually they will leave the (Crowe’s) nest.

Q:  Who can hold the highest note? Everyone: Penelope! Q:  How long does it usually take to prepare a song? Justin Hsu ’16: It usually takes us about three weeks, depending on the level of difficulty of the song. I’m confident about our group this year, though. We have a lot of talented musicians who know what they’re doing, so we’re a lot more efficient during practices. Q: What are your first impressions of the new singers? Punisa Lekovic ’19 : There’s this one freshman I’ve heard about who is literally the coolest guy on campus. His name is Punisa or something…ladies love him. He’s the man. Q: Do you think the Rhapso-Ds and Mellow-Ds will ever do a piece together again? Helena Tebeau ’17: I had a dream we did a medley, so I hope that happens with the boys. Probably won’t. Liam Jeon ’17: I think that the Rs and Ms definitely will do a performance. It’s so much fun working with them (even if we’re way better). Juan Cabrera ’16: Absolutely. In fact, we already have plans to. Q:  Who are some of your musical inspirations? Kento Yamamoto ’16 : As a beatboxer, I admire Gene Shinozaki, Beatbox champion of 2015 from Boston. He won this year by creating his own style of beatboxing. I aspire to be as good as him. Hollin Hanau ’18: To be honest, Taylor Swift. Kate Hadley ’17: Yeezy. Juan Cabrera: Yoncé and Jasmine Sullivan. Anna Scott ’18: Christie Jok. Q:  What is your favorite piece that your group has performed? Penelope Hough ’17: “Feeling Good” (Cat Wyatt is a legit goddess). Helen Hicks ’18: Every song we’re about to nail!

Every Deerfield student who has taken Health Issues has seen the documentary , which was filmed around campus and featured Deerfield students. The movie was shot by alumnus Woodrow Travers ’05, while he was a student at Deerfield. Travers is now an Assistant Director in the Director’s Guild of America, but during his time at Deerfield, Travers lived in Field, Barton, and Louis Marx, and proctored in John Williams. He then went on to Vassar College, graduating with a major in film. After completing an internship under acclaimed director Ron Howard and working his way up in the film industry, he gained enough momentum to contribute to major films such as (2012), (2012), (2012-2014), and (2015). Currently, Travers is working on an original Netflix series about the 1970s South Bronx community and the origins of rap culture. Travers’s career in film took off during his time at Deerfield. “[Going into Deerfield], acting was what I thought I wanted to do,” Travers remarked. “Then while making short movies and music videos so I could act in them, I found I enjoyed being behind the camera more.” Though Deerfield’s film program was in its developing stages at the time, Travers managed to cultivate his growing passion while he was a student. He utilized the school’s resources heavily, taking advantage of the “state-of-the-art cameras” that the program provided. Travers noted, “I truly felt supported by the whole community.” He recalled feeling “extremely lucky to be surrounded by the most concentrated group of talent” he had ever seen. Videography teacher Tim Trelease remembers Travers fondly. “Woody was a legend when I arrived at Deerfield. He took the film/video program to a new level of success.” Trelease also noted how Travers constantly inspires new generations of Deerfield students, adding, “His passion and success with filmmaking laid the foundation for The Widdies and great student filmmakers like Dane Scott ’16, Josh Tebeau ’16, and Alex Guo ’17.” To the current Deerfield students, Travers offerd two pieces of advice: “Sleep more. When you are older you will not remember if it was a C+ or a B+ on your Chemistry test. If you do, you won’t care.” Travers also provided a valuable lesson on failure, and how to ultimately grow from it: “Don’t let it get you down. “Any major break I’ve had in my life came from random places in which I put in extra effort,” he said. “Put yourself out of the comfort zone, apply to the internship or program, have confidence in yourself and brush it off when it doesn’t go as planned.” Travers’s first film, has left its mark on the Deerfield community and on the world. Today, the film is shown in a number of private school health classes. “There are cringe-worthy moments for sure,” he recalled of the movie, “but for my first film ever, I couldn’t be more proud. And despite its flaws, it was a defining experience for me.” Travers added, “I probably wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now without [ ] lighting the spark.”