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On Wednesday, May 7, incumbent student body president Billy Tang ’25 announced Patrick Zhang ’26 as his successor to a cheering crowd, despite many of his supporters and the winner himself being absent due to the concurrent AP English Literature and Composition exam.  Similar to previous student council elections, no candidate secured a majority of votes within the first round of voting. As a result, a runoff election occurred between two-year student council member Ellora Devitre ’26 and Zhang. However, unlike last year, no runoff debate occurred, which some students might remember as a memorable Sunday event. Perhaps such an event might have changed the results, but it seems the non-senior student body population felt satisfied enough by one candidate or another’s campaign promises or character. Speaking on campaign promises, runner-up Devitre mentioned the addition of chocolate chips and increased amounts of campus artwork. She said that chocolate chips were  “[her] unique one for sure and [she is] still determined to get it done next year if [she is] re-elected to the student council.” Furthermore, she cited the implementation of campus-wide artwork as something that “would brighten our days when we're walking from class to class [and] enliven us because the artwork here is so beautiful.”  When Zhang spoke about his own campaign promises, he addressed common issues around campus. “I think a lot of us are pushing against the [implementation of the] sophomore phone rules, because in terms of responsibilities and time management, I think a lot of us would rather have the phone use be given to sophomores [so] they learn how to manage their own time earlier rather than later,” Zhang said. He further spoke about extending student opportunities both on and off campus, saying that he is “trying to open up the transit line to Greenfield on Saturdays, as well as possibly to Hadley and Amherst.” He is currently working on an “Office of Internships,” which he feels “is very possible to institute [as] it’s already in place in terms of an alumni network and the college advising office.” Devitre spoke connection in her presidential vision, saying “more of what [she] was running on was the fact that [she] needed there to be an equal partnership between the student body and the president-elect,” and that she was “running off the idea that [she is] the student body’s voice.” “I want to be an actionable president [and] I feel like my ideas in general are pretty doable,” Devitre mentioned. Similarly, Zhang also focused on striking the balance between doable change and reality. “I’m trying to find those areas where we can push for change without it being too crazy - achievable but at the same time impactful,” Zhang said. The election itself appeared to be a two-horse race from the beginning, with Zhang and Devitre securing a combined 72.1 percent of the votes and Zhang a few percentage points away from securing a majority in the first round of the election. In the runoff election, the voting patterns continued and Zhang won close to two thirds of the vote.  In terms of statistics, both rounds of elections saw upwards of 70 percent of total voter participation, with the runoff hitting 77.1 percent. Compared to last year’s presidential election, which failed to acquire more than 300 student votes, this year’s runoff had 341 student votes, a substantial increase in civic participation. Sophomores saw the largest increase in participation between election rounds, while the freshman turnout remained exactly the same. It also appears that Zhang had the most success in reaching audiences across the gender aisle, where a significant amount of both genders voted for him.  Student reactions and opinions are generally supportive of the new administration. Francesco Palomo ’28 was one of many non-voting constituents and did not vote in either round. Palomo felt that he could not cast a vote since he “didn’t know the contestants well enough” and that he was “acquainted with many of the juniors here, but not the ones that were running for president, except for Kwasi [’26], although [he] felt too biased with him.”  Spencer Trees ’27 also praised Zhang’s character, saying, “I already understand that he’s a leader [with] him being a peer counselor. I think he exemplifies a lot of the values we hold at Deerfield Academy. I sort of chose not just on how much I liked the person, but how well I thought they would lead.” It seems like the student body is generally excited about Zhang's presidential term next year. For instance, Palomo, who didn’t vote, said that Zhang “[is] not afraid to take action, and I like that. I’m expecting great things from Patrick.”

Deerfield alumnus Elic Ayomanor ’22 was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round of the 2025 National Football League draft on April 26. Previously, he played for the Stanford Cardinals. His selection marks the second time in four years that a Deerfield alum has been drafted to the NFL, with alumnus Hunter Long ’17 drafted in the 2021 draft.  Ayomanor, a native of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, began playing football when he was 13 years old and was immediately hooked, much preferring the sport to hockey. Choosing to pursue football by continuing his education in the US, he spent his sophomore year at The Peddie School in New Jersey.  He eventually transferred to Deerfield Academy as a new junior, joining Deerfield’s Varsity Football and Track & Field teams.  “We knew he was going to be special,” Varsity Football Coach Brian Barbato affirmed in an interview with the Daily Hampshire Gazette. “He’s fluid and has a skill set that he has continued to lean into, work on, and develop…[Deerfield] was his studio to work and improve. He spent countless hours on the field, on the turf, with our jugs machine, playing basketball, doing all the things you need to do to get better…He wants to be great.”  Mr. Barbato mentioned how Ayomanor’s humility and authenticity impressed those around him.  “We would show up to colleges. Beforehand, coaches would ask how tall he was,” Mr. Barbato said. “It’s amazing how many guys saw him in person and were in awe. In a day and age of under-delivering, he always over-delivers. He says he’s 6-foot-2 and he’s 6-foot-2 and a bit. He says he’s going to run a 4.5, and he runs a 4.44. He just always over-delivers.” Unfortunately, Ayomanor’s football career at Deerfield was disrupted twice. The COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on interscholastic sports in his junior season, and a season-ending PCL tear cut his senior season short. English Teacher and Varsity Track & Field Coach Andy Stallings, who taught Ayomanor in his Think Slow: Poetry Now class, mentioned how Ayomanor had stayed committed to his training and rehab, eventually making a comeback from his injury.     “[Being injured] was really hard for him, like it is for anybody. He struggled with that—didn't show it very much, but wrote about it in class,” Mr. Stallings said. “Just a couple of months later, at the track championships, he was the athlete of the meet, set two meet records, and won another event while only jumping twice. That’s obviously a story of physical capacity and growth, but I think [his real growth] was just the regaining of confidence after a major setback in both years.” Ayomanor saw much more success in his Deerfield Track & Field career, though his remarkable athleticism and dedication had already allowed him to run outstanding times on the track before his time at Deerfield.  “He came as a junior already having had a pretty illustrious track career up in Canada,” Mr. Stallings said. “[Track] wasn’t his priority here—like is the case for many football-track athletes—but he was totally dedicated to it in season…I think Elic could be an Olympic athlete on the track, and he would agree with that, [but] he would say that football was just in his blood. Once it gets in there, you can't get it out.” “It wound up that his work with the track team played a big part in his going to Stanford to play football,” Mr. Stallings said. “He ran times for us that, once he ran them, [most college] coaches were ready to offer. That happens a lot in [Track & Field] if you're dedicated to it.”  Mr. Stallings added that Ayomanor was motivated by a sense of duty to his athletic talent.  “I think he was motivated by winning, but I don’t mean that in a shallow way. He had this unshakable sense that I could put him in anything, and he was going to win,” Mr. Stallings said. “Whatever it takes, he was going to get it done. And that’s partly because he had incredible athleticism, but that’s not enough… I think [his] motivation to win was more like an inner feeling of needing to uphold the ability that he had.”  Ayomanor’s work ethic matched that sense of responsibility, and his attitude inspired and elevated his teammates as well.  “Everything he did, he tried. He was the hardest worker on the team. Again, he could’ve won without the hard work, but he was the hardest worker every day,” Mr. Stallings said. “ That’s what his presence was like on the team: someone who was there to work hard, share it with everyone, and do good. The success of the team really mattered to him.” Moreover, Ayomanor’s intense curiosity, both on the field and in the classroom, was what set him apart.  “I saw right away that he was a baller,” said Kwame Osei, one of Ayomanor’s trainers in Canada, in an interview with ESPN. “What sets the good from the great apart is the appetite to learn more…everything I taught him, he soaked in, and just asked the next question.” Mr. Stallings also noted his curiosity in the classroom. “I tell this story all the time. Kids in my classroom notice the dictionaries,” Mr. Stallings said. “Every day, literally every day, when I walked into class, [Elic] was reading the dictionary.” Ayomanor had asked how he could improve his poetry at the start of the year.  “I said, ‘Well, you’ve got your words—you could read the dictionary.’ And he literally just did it,” Stallings said. “He actually became quite a good poet, starting from nothing. When he graduated, he asked me if he could have that dictionary, and I gave it to him. He took it to Stanford. It’s awesome.”  Ayomanor formed a close friendship founded on curiosity with History and Social Sciences Teacher Julia Rivellino-Lyons, who came to know him in one of her US History classes.  “He was a friendly, soft-spoken, curious kid who liked to ask ‘why’—a major reason for his winning the Calculus Prize during his senior year,” said Ms. Rivellino-Lyons. “He even asked ‘why’ about using the active voice in a Zoom extra help session one evening, when I encouraged him to revise the passive voice in his essay. I laughed aloud when he asked for a reason, as no student had ever asked me what was better about the active voice.” Ms. Rivellino-Lyons added that Ayomanor was always curious about history, philosophy, and poetry at Deerfield and at Stanford.  “[Ayomanor] asked for some Marx when he felt he needed to know something about Communism, ordered a collection of 100 stories, each of 100 words, that I’d mentioned, and was glad to receive a book of poetry that I sent by Terrance Hayes, who spoke at Deerfield a couple years ago,” Ms. Rivellino-Lyons said.  Despite his short time at Deerfield, Ayomanor’s character and dedication have left a lasting impression on those around him.  “At Deerfield – as everywhere, I imagine – Elic was a loyal friend, a graceful athlete, a committed student, and a reliable front-row attendee at School Meeting,” said Ms. Rivellino-Lyons.  “He impacted this community and my family,” Mr. Barbato said. “My kids are always talking about Elic. He set a high bar here. The touchdown catches, the big plays, they’re all important. Where these kids go and how they impact the community they’re in are more important. That’s something that Elic epitomized. The character he has, who he is in the classroom…people loved teaching him.” Mr. Stallings also affirmed his confidence in Ayomanor.  “I have utter faith in Elic—[not just] as an athlete…—but [from] having taught him in the classroom,” Mr. Stallings said. “We’re all capable of making great mistakes, but the combination of a strong work ethic, a full sense of self, and curiosity…[means that] he’ll do what he feels like he needs to do, and he’ll do it well.” Mr. Stallings said he hopes Ayomanor will become an educator after he retires from the NFL. “It may not be teaching. It could be coaching. Who knows—whatever he decides is right for him,” Mr. Stallings mused. “But he’d be cut out for that kind of role where his goal is to nurture and inspire other people.”

At Deerfield, the Post-AP Studio Art course offers students the opportunity to explore their artistic pursuits beyond the fast-paced structure of AP Drawing and Painting. As the official course description notes, the class “aims to provide a broader perspective and the opportunity to develop each student’s creative voice” while encouraging risk-taking through hands-on exploration of drawing and painting at a higher level. “The AP course is about ideas and discipline and time management, but it doesn’t allow the depth that Post-AP does,” said Art Teacher Mercedes Taylor. The course offers a more flexible schedule compared to AP Art, allowing students to work at their own pace with longer timeframes for assignments. “I’ve made a lot less work this year than last, but it’s a lot better than last year’s because I was staying on a schedule to submit,” said Post-AP Art student Vivian Monopoli ’26. “In AP, you have to choose an inquiry, [and] you’re confined by that. But in Post-AP, you are following assignments, but you get a longer amount of time, and you also get to choose the subject of your piece.” With units dedicated to distinct topics such as color theory or contemporary artists, students refine their technique while developing a greater intentionality behind their work. Much of the course revolves around analyzing modern artists, where students attempt to replicate their styles and eventually create their own pieces influenced by those techniques. “You do that in every subject,” Ms. Taylor said. “In English, you study Toni Morrison and Shakespeare. In art, you learn from the masters, too.” Shelby Acquavella ’27 spoke more on the process: “Our last project was based on Alice Neill—she doesn’t do a very realistic style. So for a lot of us, this process pushes us to try different styles than what we would normally do... you can learn a lot more skills or different approaches that you wouldn’t be able to do in AP Art.” Throughout the school year, students tackle a wide variety of projects. One such assignment brought them to the temporary dining hall, where they were tasked to capture ordinary scenes and details. “I drew the pipes on the ceiling,” said Acquavella. “They’re so big, but I didn’t notice them until I had to. I’m assuming most students don’t take the time to look up and see what’s above them.” Meanwhile, others focused on what the dining hall symbolizes to them. “It was a way to look at ordinary things and showcase their importance,” said Monopoli. “I painted the berries and cream dessert—one of my favorites. And desserts are a big thing. People talk about which one’s the best and rate them. I think that was really cool.” In a sense, these paintings set in the temporary dining hall also became documents of a fleeting space. “They’re archival,” Ms. Taylor explained. “Some of these objects won’t be there in the new dining hall.” In addition to thematic assignments, students explored a broad range of mediums and materials. A standout project involved interpreting California landscapes through the lens of Impressionism—a 19th-century art movement characterized by its emphasis on light, color, and loose brushstrokes. “The idea was to paint with toothbrushes,” explained Ms. Taylor. “The bristles are tough, which means you can’t paint smoothly. Instead, you build layers of color that mix optically,” she added. This method was a challenge for the students, especially with the old plastic toothbrushes they used. “It was definitely hard at first,” said Acquavella. “The toothbrushes were very different from a regular paintbrush, and using acrylics, which dry quickly, made it even more difficult. But it actually worked better for the toothbrush technique because you had to layer a lot.” She continued to explain how the project initially pushed her out of her comfort zone. “My style is very realistic,” Acquavella admitted. “I didn’t think I’d like impressionism, but it ended up being a really nice project. It forced me to try something new.” By the end of the Post-AP Studio Art course, students leave the classroom with not only a collection of finished work but with a stronger foundation in artistic skill, confidence, and expression, Ms. Taylor described. As she put it, the goal is “to know they can do it, to know that they have many tools to approach painting.” After developing technical skills and large-scale work encompassing numerous mediums, Taylor hoped that students would finish the year with “a very strong toolbox” and often “a portfolio that they can present for colleges as a supplement.” Ultimately, the course serves as a culmination of their artistic growth, offering them the opportunity to carry their practice forward and beyond the classroom.

This issue marks the 100th anniversary of The Deerfield Scroll. As the 100th Board of the Scroll, we take incredible pride in the generations of writers that have come before us, and we understand the weight of the responsibility placed upon us to carry this newspaper forward. Even though we write with love and pride for the Scroll, we acknowledge that our student newspaper is far from perfect with small mistakes here and there. But most importantly, we realize that we may have lost sight of what makes the Scroll so special — a student newspaper written of the students, by the students, and for the students. With a century behind us, the Board joins in consensus to commit to certain changes that adapt the Scroll to the new century. As much as we value and celebrate tradition, we also seek to be flexible in face of rapid change happening in the world around us. The Board unanimously agrees that the Scroll should strive to be up-to-date and relevant. In order to do so, we are redefining our mission statement for the Board, taking into account a suggestion from our outgoing Editor-in-Chief Anna Guerrini. With inspirations from her, we propose the following amendment to our mission statement: The Deerfield Scroll, established in 1925, is the official student newspaper of Deerfield Academy. The Scroll seeks to uphold the spirit and integrity of journalism, to serve as an accessible platform elevating student voices, and to show that every story and opinion, when written and rooted in compassion, is worth sharing with the Deerfield community. We strive to be a newspaper of the students, by the students and for the students. Along with the new mission statement, we present a list of eight goals the C Board will strive to achieve: More engagement with the student body: As a student-run newspaper, we want to be more relevant to the student body. We are redefining our role on campus and hope to tailor our articles appropriately to our primary audience-the student body. More student representation: Increased student representation means more polls and more surveys to accurately reflect the student body. As Deerfield's "official student newspaper," we have the obligation to represent the students opinions on these pages. This doesn't just mean passively opening up the Opinion Page—it means actively soliciting opinion. Your input is equally crucial to ensure all opinions and voices are represented. Making it easier for students to share their opinions: We want to be able to bring more accessible ways for students to share their opinions on the issues that matter and are pertinent to the Deerfield audience. We hope to officially advertise these opportunities, such as opening more letters to the editor in pursuit of establishing a clearer system for opinion submissions. For the Opinion section specifically, our goal is to publish more pieces written by Contributing Writers to maintain a diversity of opinion on the Scroll. We encourage everyone, whether they are affiliated with the Scroll or not, to share their opinions. Improved communication: We will work hard to improve communication between writers and editors, so writing for the Scroll will become easier than ever. Creativity based on flexibility and passion: We realized that good writing isn't produced under stern rules. Therefore, we aim to craft pages based on passion and flexibil-ity. Content that is stimulating and engaging but unorthodox in format will be welcomed. That doesn't mean we will take away rigor from our journalism—we will aim to strike a balance between the two. There's a fine line between a history essay and journalism, and we want to be on the correct side of that line. Better Board Editorials: That's on us. Board Editorials in the past lacked the vigor and fierceness of typical editorials, partially because the Board's consensus was needed to publish. We envision a new era in which Board members could choose to agree (or disagree) to the Board Editorials, so we have more freedom to write engaging editorials that prompt responses. Collaboration with other schools: Collaboration leads to great work. The C Board will take the initiative to connect with student newspapers from other private schools to establish a common ground for high school journalism. Of the students, by the students, for the students: That's the purpose of the Scroll. We will hold our promises to make the Scroll a better publication. We will work hard to achieve these goals, but we also ask for your trust and engagement as readers and writers to bolster our mission. A hundred years is impressive, but even more so challenging is to be worthy of our legacy.

On May 3, the Honors Chamber Music class put on a classical music concert. The concert consisted of small groups of musicians collaborating to perform a variety of pieces. Following the concert, the class fell into a robust discussion regarding some of the audience members' behaviors. Allegedly, a group of students came to the concert to watch a friend's performance and proceeded to leave immediately afterwards. This sparked some dismay among the musicians. Several members claimed that proper concert etiquette should be a requisite for students attending concerts - if the audience care enough for their friends to show up and support, they should be able to follow and understand concert etiquette. In this case, it's staying for the whole duration. Yet opposing voices arose, posing potential drawbacks of this plan: with the insufficient time that already haunts the average Deerfield student, there would be a minuscule chance the half-full Elizabeth Wachsman Concert Hall will be ever filled to the brim. As lovers and performers of classical music, we understand the frustrations that arise when a performance is treated more like a pit-stop than a destination. But we also see a deeper issue lurking beneath the etiquette debate: classical music's shrinking audience and the rigid and obscure traditions that may be contributing to its isolation. Historically, classical concerts were anything but solemn, serious affairs. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, music was never the main event. Audiences would hold conversations, eat, and walk in and out during performances. Music was oftentimes a social occasion, nothing ceremonious. Musicians performed amid the clatter and murmur of the crowd as one part of a larger entertainment experience. It was only in the Romantic Era, particularly with the rise of pianist-composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886), when concerts became a more formal gathering. Liszt demanded silence during his performances-he spotlighted the performer and the music with unprecedented seriousness. His concerts transformed listening into a meditative, pious act, creating the quiet, formal concert etiquette we now associate and expect with concerts around the world. But perhaps that very reverence, once so revolutionary etiquette had become a barrier. In trying to preserve the sanctity of the concert hall, have we made it feel more like a museum than a living, breathing space for art? We don't fault our peers for showing up just to support one person, nor do we question their sincerity. If anything, we are grateful for anyone showing up to the Chamber Music Concert. The presence of an audience - even for a few pieces - adds an element of liveliness to a space that often echoes with emptiness. None of us are music connoisseurs, nor should we be expected to appreciate music in the same way that the foremost connoisseurs of music do. Almost all of us are high school students following a rigorous curriculum and only have a limited amount of free time allotted for us, which we use to watch performances out of genuine respect for our peers and their music. Reforming concert etiquette doesn't mean abandoning respect, it means rethinking how we define it. Maybe we allow people to come and go quietly. Maybe we rethink our expectations of total silence and stillness. Maybe we start treating concerts not as tests of devotion for classical music, but as open invitations — come for the music, stay if you're moved, leave if you must, but feel welcome to return. In a world competing for time and attention, clinging to old customs may be doing classical music more harm than good. If we want these traditions to survive, perhaps it's time to let them evolve.

Dear Reader, When envisioning how hosting my first Writers' Meeting for the Scroll will go, I never would have imagined outgoing Editor-in-Chief Anna Guerrini to come in five minutes late, wearing a full face of emo make-up. Yet Anna, merely coming to support the new board, decided nothing would drown out our anxiety more than black lipstick. However, whenever I think about this day, it was not her black t-shirt I remember, nor was it her face full of makeup. It was the conversation that I had with her that day, long after the last writer had left. Pulling me aside in the Yearbook Room, she hitted me with her final message as the Editor-in-Chief: "Good luck John, I know you'll do the Scroll proud." While I am grateful for her words of encouragement (if slightly less grateful for her fashion choices), I know I cannot "do the Scroll proud" alone. I will need help from you: the reader, and the broader Deerfield community. On our website, the Scroll is described as "the official student newspaper of Deerfield Academy." Every issue that we publish features articles that are drafted, edited, and distributed by your Deerfield peers. Yet, I often see our papers being used as scrap paper, gracing the common room trash can, and even defaced by students for pleasure. Though these acts may seem trivial at times, they speak a broader problem we face: our readership. I'll admit that part of our low readership is our fault. Occasionally, our published issues would feature errors in print that undermine our authority as journalists. To this end, I'll work to ensure that the entire Scroll team will be extra diligent and careful when doing layout. While I can't guarantee no more errors, I'll certainly make an effort so that there'll be less. I'll also acknowledge we don't hold publicity events on campus enough. To address this, I'm proud to announce that Karen Park, the Digital Managing Editor, and her Digital Board have already refined our website ( deerfieldscroll.net ) and will be more active on our Instagram (deerfieldscroll). These changes reflect that the Scroll is adapting to today's changing climate marked by a digitalized world, and we hope that our efforts will boost your interest and engagement with the Scroll. While I can promise that both the Editorial and Digital Boards will do everything in our power to redefine the role the Scroll plays on campus, I cannot directly change your attitude. This is why I will call on you, the reader, to help us. Most readers do not understand the amount of passion, dedication, and effort that go into each issue. After three years in the Scroll, I'm not joking when I say that the time I spent thinking and working on every issue outstrips even the time I spent on my school work. And I am not alone. Ask anyone actively involved in the Scroll and I am confident that they'll agree with me. Yet sadly, too often I am greeted with the familiar sight of our issues strewn across the common room, lying on the floor, and piled in trash cans. Many readers in our community disrespect our work, while never even giving the Scroll a chance. I see you guys show up for your friends at dance showcases and art galleries. I know the power of the Deerfield community. Please show up for us. By supporting the Scroll, you are supporting the work and time of your peers. You are creating an environment more conducive to free speech, granting your peers a voice. Stories from students are worth telling, even if they may be controversial. Please listen with an open mind to our writers and editors. Try to trust that everything we publish, we do so to benefit the Deerfield community in some way. If you feel offended or if you notice an error, do not hesitate to reach out and write to us. We strive to publish a diverse array of views, especially the views of those who aren't among our regular writers. With the help from you, I'll guarantee that The Deerfield Scroll will head toward a brighter future. To the 99 Editors-in-Chief before me, I'll promise that I'll be worthy of my heritage. Yours in service, John Qi Liu

Deerfield Academy is proud of Head of School John Austin's A Framework for Schools . As I browsed through Deerfield’s Pulse  news blog to research for this article, I found five posts about the Framework. . I also see it on the Academy's website’s homepage–hover over the Head of School tab, and the Framework is the only tab that will appear. H. I'm proud of it too, proud to be a student at one of the first preparatory schools in the nation to actively embrace the principles of neutrality to explore open communication and political exploration. Which is why I am ashamed of Student Handbook Rule 2.8.2. Because I first and foremost want everyone to know exactly what this rule says and secondly do not want to be accused of taking any of the language out of context, I find it important to quote it here in full: “Deerfield’s approach to on-campus advocacy, action, and protest is guided by the same priorities that guide our off-campus policy and also by our Conscientious Speech and Expression Policy. Venues like The Forum and Open Table seek to surface a diverse range of ideas and to respectfully test those ideas against others that might differ or offer a new perspective. Beyond school-sponsored initiatives like these, Deerfield does not dedicate resources to on-campus social advocacy, action, or protest. This includes announcements, meetings, materials and supplies, and staffing. Students who wish to express their views and act on behalf of those views should do  so through approved channels like those named above and in accordance with the Conscientious Speech and Expression Policy. All students are prohibited from engaging in independent social advocacy and protest efforts that disrupt or threaten to disrupt school operations.” I can see why the school may have chosen to implement this rule. Across the nation, higher education institutions have come under fire for the rowdy, disruptive, and occasionally violent protests on their campuses in response to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We attend a tightly knit institution whose mission is educating its predominantly minor student body. Limiting disruptive behavior helps further this mission.  However, the specific language of this rule is concerning. The rule encourages students to express their views through “approved channels.” The examples given are the Deerfield Forum, which happens once a year and during which students are told to be quiet and listen, and the Open Table, which used to happen approximately once a month before fading into the non-partisan ether. At the beginning of the year, I brought up my concerns with members of the administration in regards to the Scroll . They assured me that this newspaper was an “approved venue.” However, I was struck by a feeling of unease at just how easily administrators could revoke our school-sponsored status. The Scroll , to publish, requires the dedicated work of multiple faculty members, a space to work and computers to work on, meeting time to work through article ideas and edit rough drafts, and the materials needed to print 450 copies a month. If a writer wrote the wrong thing at the wrong time, it would be almost trivial to shut down the Scroll . No more advisors, no more room, no more budget. Take another example of activist student speech we take for granted.Students make announcements at sit-down meals everyday, and some of them could easily qualify as “advocacy, action, and protest.” The poignant announcement made every year to commemorate the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust, however politically uncontroversial, still counts as advocacy. Would a similar moment of silence for the victims of October 7th be allowed? What about one for the Russian soldiers lost in the war in Ukraine? A moment of silence for a sufficiently controversial group could easily threaten to disrupt the sit-down meal program, which is a part of regular school operations. Where is the line drawn? Does it even matter? However, it is the last line that is the most insidious to me. A student can “threaten to disrupt” school operations in any number of ways. Publishing a particularly inflammatory OpEd in the Deerfield Scroll could threaten to disrupt school operations. So could handing out stickers with a political message that a student made on their own time, with their own money. It could mean anything in between those two examples or outside of them because, with enough logical reasoning, anything can “threaten to disrupt the operations of the school.”  To provide an example, take the example of the Deerfield Scrawl . The Scrawl , as a satire newspaper, often relies on shock value and absurdity to convey a message. The publication of an issue of the Scrawl  is likely to offend at least one member of the Deerfield community, who may in turn spend some of their time in class talking about the provocative article in question. The Scrawl  threatens to disrupt the operations of the school. That example is lighthearted, but the same could be said for a group of students holding a meeting to discuss attitudes towards abortion on campus. However, Rule 2.8.2 is only one way in which the misapplication of disciplined nonpartisanship completely chills political engagement on campus. Take, for instance, rules restricting teachers’ abilities to speak about politics. I love debating with my teachers. To me, there is nothing more intellectually engaging than sharing my opinions with someone I consider much smarter and wiser than me, hearing what they have to say, and weighing the merits of their words in turn. I actually believe that one of the most valuable parts of my Deerfield education was learning how to talk with adults, understanding how to show them respect while still valuing my own opinions. Speaking up to an authority figure that you disagree with while not disturbing the lives of everyone around you is a fundamental skill, and a necessary one in functioning democracies.  I would have never learned this if every time current events came up in the classroom, a teacher said, “It's not my place to talk about this,” and quickly changed the subject. But regardless of the original intentions behind mandating classroom neutrality, this quick and slightly wary dismissal of anything even remotely related to current events, has become the norm, not the exception.  The worst part of this rule is its erasure of Deerfield's beautiful history of productive protest. In the early 90s, students held a teach-in in the Hess lobby to learn about women's place in society. This was a response to the rampant sexism and mistreatment of female students that came from Deerfield's return to coeducation. Students held another teach-in in the late 90s to push the school to hold a full day of programming in honor of Martin Luther King. I remember in my freshman year, there was a protest on the dining hall steps calling for increased awareness of the “Don't Say Gay” bill being passed in Florida. None of this would be allowed under the new rule. Yes, none of the hateful, violent speech we are seeing on college campuses would be allowed either, but that was never allowed. We have thrown the baby out with the bath water, thrown out political discussion with hate speech.  No, I don’t believe that the Scrawl will be banned from publication (despite my fondest wishes) under Rule 2.8.2. No, I don’t believe that teachers will get fired for reading a headline out loud. What I do believe is that the regime of disciplined nonpartisanship has decayed into a tyranny of fearful silence under which community members are afraid of speaking their minds, afraid of the possibility of punishment, aware that anything they say that crosses some imaginary line in the sand could be misconstrued as a violation of one of our community values.  We should be outraged. But we're not. We're silent. I guess that's just the new normal here.

Casual disinterest is a term I think describes the vibe of Deerfield's student body very aptly, particularly when it comes to civic or community engagement. It would not be inaccurate to describe the average student here as fair-weath-er: someone who is willing to dive into new topics, discuss current events, and even engage in spirited debate when they are a comfortable distance away from the problems that they are discussing Deerfield, as a school, has been very outspoken in its desire to foster future leaders and thinkers. In A Framework for Schools, Head of School John Austin outlined how "We don't just teach students to think critically — we teach them to lead courageously. Deerfield graduates should leave ready to shape policy, challenge assumptions, and serve society at the highest levels." There's no debate that the school wants to create a marketplace of ideas that students can freely and safely engage in, where opposing viewpoints can be reconciled and debated in good spirits backed by the intellectual nurturing of a Deerfield education. Students are encouraged to share their thoughts in the classroom and are taught in classes such as Political Philosophy (a class I enjoyed immensely) the importance of treating opposing viewpoints with dignity and grace. If we look back on our year, we've been given a series of unique opportunities to engage with the levers of policy-making and service. In the fall, we met with the leaders of the Democratic and Republican Party in Massachusetts, and we had the privilege of busing eligible students to Amherst to vote in the 2024 presidential election, not to mention the 24 for '24 events that promoted on-campus election engagement. We had the Deerfield Forum which invited the creme-de-la-creme of the journalism world to explain to us how politics has slowly shifted the winds of reporting and opinion writing. Hell, we had a literal contender for the 2028 democratic candidacy visit us during Spring Family Weekend to answer our questions. Knowing all this, it's a no-brainer that the school would produce some nuanced conversations on campus. Except it doesn't. If anything, our student body had become more and more insulated from the rest of the world as the year goes by. Our main news source consists of Al fish with funny Italian names explaining to us the concept of retaliatory tariffs while a game of Subway Surfer dominates the bottom half of our screen. To us, most of the conversations surrounding elections, current events, and international affairs are a matter of novelty - a shiny conversation bauble that can be tossed around when you're desperately trying not to fall asleep at a sit-down lunch. Even for the election programming we ran in the fall, 24 for '24, most people showed up not out of a sense of curiosity but rather because they had nothing better to do. At the meeting between the heads of the Democratic and Republican Party, people cared more about how much shade the two guests could throw at each other rather than the content they wanted to share. For a school that tries so hard to get people to authentically engage in civics, we seem like a student body with the personality of a limp noodle. Following Dominic Sessa's 2022 Commencement speech, the lights are on but nobody's home. The wheel is spinning but we killed the hamster. But I don't think this is solely the fault of the students. I think our apathy and disinterest toward anything not related to Deerfield is a product of how our school culture is curated. Were encouraged to buy-into the Deerfield community with full commitment with implicit shaming of individuals who are perceived not to buy-in. In other words, the classic Deerfield bubble. But everyone knows that al-ready. Another facet that 1 find more interesting is what I see as the infantilization of students on campus - student leaders in par-ticular. The most recent Rule 2.8.2 is a great example of the school creating a controlled environment that prizes social harmony over all else. In a way, a lot of the leadership on campus is performative. The Food Committee is a club that meets once a blue moon to discuss minute changes to the dining hall.The Community Values Council (CVC) - although a unique opportunity for students to exercise judiciousness and empathy — is severely limited in scope, with little opportunity to comment on school policies themselves. Of course, there is also a student council, and the criticisms of the group being a simple holding tank isn't wrong ei-ther. I'm part of the problem, too. A lack of vision, being spread thin throughout too many different activities coupled with burnout definitely shows that I could have done more. But people have ideas, and people want things to change. Whether it be political engagement through open debates, Boys' Meeting, spice racks, CVC reform, term comment changes, grading transparency, involvement in planning school ac-tivities, academic pursuits off-cam-pus - there's a tacit disapproval from the school when it comes to shaking up the boat. Just take the Boys' Meeting, The concern that half of the school could not compose themselves for half an hour is at first, funny, but also incredibly sad. The lack of faith the school has in student leaders to innovate is also reflected back to them in the student body. If we're told that anything we do is disruptive, then we opt to do nothing instead. Another victim of this culture is community service. Because we're so obsessed with doing things in school, we hardly care about what goes on around us. We don't care about the historical opioid crisis in Greenfield; we don't care about the economic disparities that exist in Western Massachusetts, or how we present ourselves to the local community. There's a reason why community service right now focuses on small, repetitive service when it could be much more. For a school like Deerfield - vaunted as one of the world's best — community service should be a cornerstone of its excellence. Some of you might not care about Deerfield insulating you with its rigid culture; a lot of us actually like it. But for a school that wants to prepare future leaders, Deerfield needs to give more opportunities to its students to lead. Importantly, it can't just come from the students themselves; the institutional response also has to be positive. Deerfield operates on top-down leadership. Whoever's on top is in charge, whether it be the Academic Affairs or Student Life Office. Consequently, the greatest impact can be achieved through these offices. Give students the ability to sit a spot at the Deerfield Forum. Encourage students to understand and get involved with the mechanics behind the scenes that keep Deerfield running. The point to this long-winded ramble is this: the school needs to put more faith in its students to innovate in the realm of leadership, and the students themselves need to be more brave and purposeful. The world is getting messier and messier. What the current culture of sheltering students at Deerfield represents is stagnation, not tradition. If we want something like our student pledge to not feel hollow, there has to be more purposeful actions on part of the administration to give students real, substantive challenges in leadership.

French Teacher and avid polyglot Matt Westman will switch from teaching to Advancement, a new face, energy, and perspective for the office’s Planned Giving branch. In the classroom, Mr. Westman holds himself as a learner, not simply a teacher—Chief Advancement Officer Chuck Ramsay also articulated his “intellectual curiosity.” As Mr. Westman put it, “I’m not French... I’m a very enthusiastic learner. And while I am the content expert in the room, I often think that what I can give [students] is a model for how to learn.” A student in his French 3 class, Emily Menzies ’27, described him as “an animated person.” Mr. Westman stresses the importance of real word conversation; in his classes, he has students record themselves speaking each night to measure growth throughout the school year. Now, Mr. Westman will begin helping alumni set aside end-of-life donations. “Right now in my career, this is another aspect of schools that I have been interested in learning more about, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to do that here,” he said. He enters Advancement at a philanthropic turning point—as Mr. Ramsay described, younger generations hold fading institutional faith and a need for specificity in donation. “Our alumni want to know exactly how their money is being spent, so we’ve worked really hard to demonstrate that impact,” he said. Mr. Ramsay highlighted the distinct faculty perspective Mr. Westman will bring: “He can go to somebody who might be a little removed from Deerfield... and give them a glimpse of what Deerfield is today,” he said. But Mr. Westman also acknowledged, “[Teaching] is a part of who I am.” As Menzies said, “He’s the best French teacher I’ve ever had.” He heads to Advancement eager to become a part of Deerfield’s philanthropy, but teaching, he said, will remain a core part of his spirit and identity.

The ’24-25 school year will be Associate Dean of Faculty and History teacher Mr. Abe Wehmiller’s (colloquially known to students as Mr. Weh) last year at Deerfield Academy. As the dorm resident of O’Byrne Curtis, he expressed that this opportunity was something he never expected he was going to love so much. Having worked for more than 20 years in education, Mr. Weh has taught all over the United States at day schools. Working at a boarding school was something he never planned to do when he first moved to the Pioneer Valley with his wife for her job as a Smith College admissions officer. In his time at Deerfield, Mr. Weh has served as an advisor for the Deerfield Black Students’ Alliance and has become the ‘master of dorm feeds’ with his meatball subs. The favorite part of his job is being the varsity boys basketball timekeeper. He inspires to love the students more than anything at our school and to live up to his testament to his commitment for service to the community. Mr. Weh reflected on how he did not expect when he took this job, he would be figuring out the logistics of grilling “100 hot dogs at night” for a dorm feed or teaching Jamie Weymouth ’23 how to tie a bow tie for his tuxedo on a Saturday Casino Night. Looking to the future, Mr. Weh will be moving to Amherst and taking off work to spend more time with his daughter.

Andy Newlon has been teaching at Deerfield Academy for three years. Throughout her time, she taught AP Statistics, Data Science, and Algebra 2, was the faculty advisor for Deerfield’s trivia team, and coached Girls Thirds Volleyball. Ms. Newlon said that her favorite Deerfield memory was the first school meeting she attended where she saw an a cappella performance and “saw how involved kids at this school were in the arts.” She was moved by how “people just got up on stage and were themselves”.” Alongside the vibrant students, she was extremely grateful for the faculty that provided welcoming and support. Zach Li ’25, a student in her AP Statistics class said, “Ms. Newlon is one of the most caring and passionate teachers I know.” Kayleen Cho ’27 , a member of the girls volleyball team, said Ms. Newlon never failed to show up in green and white for a game and would come to practice with a scoreboard every day to keep track of even matches they played amongst themselves. Having had Ms. Newlon as a tablehead, Cho said she “never made the table awkward” by actively starting conversations and engaging everyone at every meal. Throughout her time, Ms. Newlon contributed both to the academic endeavors of vast number of students across her classes and in the communal and athletic components of the community as well. As she approaches her farewell, she leaves this final remark: “remember that this community is what we make it.”

Director of Educational Initiatives and History Teacher David Miller came to Deerfield Academy 13 years ago. During his time here, Mr. Miller taught AP Seminar and was deeply involved in the Center for Service and Global Citizenship (CSGC). Associate Director of the CSGC Beatriz Giraldo described him as “a visionary [and] an innovator.” She added, “He is the person who founded the CSGC when basically no other independent school in the U.S. has a program or an office like the one that we do...[He] has tried really hard to maintain what the heart of the CSGC is, which is basically working for the students and making sure that the student’s experience is unique and valuable.” Mr. Miller’s “best part of the day” and passion for teaching are evident in the classroom. AP Seminar student Anne Kelly ’27 described Mr. Miller as “a very energetic guy. You can tell he really enjoys what he does and really enjoys teaching...I think he has a really unique way of showing how much he cares, and I’ll miss that.” As he concludes his career at Deerfield, Mr. Miller reminisces how unique Deerfield is as a place for him. “This is where I met my wife and had our kids, so there’s a lot of elements of community both personally and professionally,” he explained. Mr. Miller will be joining the leadership team at St. Anne’s-Bel- field School in Charlottesville, Virginia. However, he says he will “[be] physically here for another year...[and] will still be able to cheer the current juniors across the stage in graduation next year.”