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The majority of staff members spend time working on campus not only during the academic year, but also between June and September. In order to ensure that the campus is ready for this coming year, the following construction and maintenance projects have taken place while we were out: 1. Construction of the temporary modular Chapin Dormitory on Chapin Field, which accompanied the demolition of aging Ashley Dormitory. 2. Renovation of the first floor of the Main School Building and the Arms Building basement to create further classroom space. 3. Replacement of all windows in Barton Dormitory. 4. Work and relocation of numerous faculty houses and apartments.

Some might say there are clear pairings in this world: ketchup and mustard, salt and pepper, Deerfield and beating Choate, and, perhaps less obviously, ballet and Russia. During the first two weeks of August, Ilse Kapteyn ’12 and I discovered the logic behind this classic combination. Taking daily classes at the school with which the renowned Bolshoi Ballet is associated, we learned from teachers who showed remarkable passion, zeal, and devotion in the classroom-an enthusiasm different from what I have known in America, a unique fire and love that stems only from Russian culture. The Russian ballet studio acted for us as a window into Russian society at large, a society that eagerly blends Westernized technological advancements with old, long-treasured religious and artistic traditions. In class, our teachers taught us to incorporate classical Russian nuances into our more Americanized technique and showed us century-old Russian choreography with a modern twist. The Russian streets, too, featured a blend of old and new. I became aware of this “blending” after just one excursion through the boulevards and squares of Moscow. A sign near the subway entrance advertised the opening of the latest Harry Potter movie (which sounds more like “Garry Pottier” in Russian). Behind the sign rose the domes of one of Moscow’s six hundred Russian Orthodox churches, their gold, squint-inducing gleam contrasting the mossy greens and blues of the advertisement. Such everyday meldings of tried-and-true tradition and experimentation not only allowed for a unique classroom experience, but gave me an inimitable, almost double sense of pride. I felt proud that the Western ways with which I grew up are now becoming more and more accepted in Russian culture and valued as beneficial for the country. But I also felt proud that Russia-the home of my ancestors-is still able to keep the domes of her churches visible, soaring above the Nestle billboards and “Gucci Guilty” flyers that all too often clutter the windows of Russian shops.

After coming second at New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Championships this May, boys’ varsity crew first boat and their coxswain qualified to compete at the US Rowing Youth National Championships in June. With the speed they harnessed since March, and the unwavering confidence of coaches Wayne Berger and Ben Hamilton, rowers Alex Berner ’11, Tanner Larson ’11, Brad Hakes ’12, Brad Plunkett ’12, and coxswain Audrey Cho ’11 trekked to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where they captured the attention of the nation with a bronze medal in the final race of the Youth 4+. While most Deerfield athletes have many years of experience under their belts, the case for these rowers is entirely different. The program builds when new students are cajoled by seasoned rowers into visiting the boathouse each spring. In a period of four years, these gangly, unsuspecting recruits transform from novice oarsmen into formidable athletes, capable of competing with some of the best programs in the nation. Neither Larson nor Berner began rowing in their freshman year, and only Plunkett arrived at Deerfield with any previous rowing experience. The achievements of these boys were due to the passion and dedication of their coach Mr. Hamilton. Although Mr. Hamilton’s three-year tenure as head coach came to a conclusion after Nationals, due to his transfer to the Fessenden school in Boston, the team’s medalling in Tennessee was always a dream of his, and in turn, a parting gift. “Mr. Hamilton had initially sat us down at the beginning of the year and said ‘Gents, this year I want us to make it to Nationals. We could do something incredible here,'” said Hakes, a four-year varsity crew member and two-time captain. The team faced a temporary setback when their former coxswain, a key component in their season’s success, Brad Tingley ’11, couldn’t make it to the race. The four determined young men were unwilling to pass up an opportunity to prove themselves on the national level-especially considering that in 2005, Deerfield took home a silver medal in the same event. With only a few days to go before the dropping of the flag, they rallied with enthusiasm and recruited Cho, former girls’ first boat coxswain, and Mr. Berger, former Harvard men’s coach and current Deerfield girls’ coach. “Hamilton had done a phenomenal job transforming us from rowers to racers, but felt it would be especially beneficial for us to have another set of eyes in the coaching launch,” explained Plunkett. Mr. Berger’s presence was greatly appreciated, as his collegiate coaching experience granted the boys new insight in maximizing their boat’s efficiency. With his keen eye, Berger targeted significant aspects of the boys’ strokes and form. Cho, who had never coxed boys before, reflected on the change she saw within the boat between the end of the regular racing season and Nationals. “Berger and Hamilton worked their magic on the boys’ technique so thoroughly that by day three, we were flying. And I mean flying. The boys were so incredibly fast, to the point where I needed a ball shoved under my feet because I kept sliding underneath the bow. It was an incredible feeling to be moving on the water so fast.” The months of core workouts, erging, mental toughness, and intense determination finally paid off for the first boat boys in a rewarding moment, as they crossed the finish line of their brutally hot grand final race, joined again the school’s list of heroic athletes, and became recognized and applauded by both the Deerfield community and the world of national rowing. Next year, a Deerfield crew will be back again, and according to Hakes, they are “definitely” going for the gold.

As the 2010- 2011 school year comes to a close so do 27 years of directing at Deerfield Academy for John Reese. A teacher, director, and mentor to generations of students, Mr. Reese will leave the Black Box Theater after first setting foot on the Deerfield stage in 1984. “Though there have certainly been challenges in creating and sustaining a comprehensive theatre program,” Mr. Reese commented, “It’s been an exciting time.” The highlights of his time include the recent 8 School Theater Festival held on campus, as well as three trips to Edinburgh, Scotland with groups of students from the school, performing and interacting with thespians from around the world. However, the most rewarding aspect of his time teaching was the ability to “work with extraordinary young talent.” Mr. Reese commented, “Being able to draw that out, discover things that maybe the students themselves didn’t know, has really made it all worth while.” Mr. Reese also faced obstacles, such as beginning the theater program. “A simply new experience [for him] at the time.” He wished to expand and develop the arts at Deerfield, but was apprehensive about working at a then all-boys’ school, a completely new experience at the time. The attitude toward the performing arts on campus also challenged Mr. Reese as he pursued his wish for every student to experience some part of them, because “kids don’t get the opportunity to try something new.” Those who have worked with Mr. Reese seem be touched by his passion for the arts, and will continue to cherish the time spent with him. Professional actor and alumnus Peter Cambor ’97 commented, “I couldn’t imagine life without acting…life without having met Mr. Reese. Before John Reese, I never gave any though to being an actor. John gave me something so special and so wonderful that it is difficult to put into words the gratitude, respect, admiration, and awe I have for this man. The only solace I find in his retirement as a teacher from Deerfield Academy is that perhaps now, after so many years, we may work again together, perhaps share the stage, and continue where we left off back in 1997.”

Theo Lipsky ’12 and Charles Jones ’12 will step up next year as student body president and student council chair, respectively. Both are eager to start working immediately. “We already have some ideas in the works,” said Jones of the council’s activity now, after the transition of leadership. The two are beginning their time in office with a proposal to donate the remainder of the council’s annual budget to the Relay for Life. “It’s a really worthy cause, and we are very proud to support it,” said Jones. The decision to donate the money has yet to be voted upon. However, according to Lipsky, “at this late a stage in the term, no one has another plan for the money. The vote has no real opposition to it.” Because budget funds do not carry over between academic years, any money that has not been spent by the end of the year does not go to the council the following year. Another initiative is the “ordering window,” which would allow students to receive food deliveries at the end of study hall. “It’s still in its early stages, but Charles was very enthusiastic about the idea,” said Lipsky of the proposal. Aside from new legislation, the new council also intends to take greater advantage of the technology available to it. “We saw how successful the online election was this year, and we want to continue to use that tool,” said Jones. “One of the changes we hope to implement is the use of email to keep the community informed.” Lipsky agreed and added, “Every time a major piece of legislature comes in front of the council, an email will be sent to the entire student body to notify them. We hope that this will provoke more discussion.” Head of School Margarita Curtis looks forward to the coming year as well. “I think the student council is a good way for me to communicate with the student body as a whole,” said Dr. Curtis. “My hope is that I will also have the opportunity to enhance my relationships with students as individuals. “Through increased accessibility,” Dr. Curtis continued, “I hope the council and I can involve everyone in the important decisions made on campus in a meaningful way.” To learn more, go to: http://danet.deerfield.edu/studentcouncil/

W. S. Merwin, in his most recent collection of poetry, The Shadow of Sirius , admits, “I have only what I remember.” The 2010 Poet Laureate of the United States and winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize weaves moments and memories to create a series of luminous poems. Merwin’s style is succinct. He abandons all punctuation and superfluous details in order to create a crisp, intimate image in each poem. A master of light and darkness, Merwin details both “the unbroken sound of pure darkness / that went on all the time under everything,” and “the light / in the unspoken morning.” He creates smoldering bronze sunlight and lengthening shadows, as well as “leaves…taking to themselves / the colors of sunlight / to keep them” and “a window kindl[ing] like a first star.” He contemplates the meaning and beauty of remembering, remarking that “what we see comes again to us in secret” and calling on the reader to “see how the past is not finished / here in the present / it is awake the whole time / never waiting.” His lucid writing illustrates past events in the present tense, emphasizing the continuity of time. Merwin cherishes memory, saying: “I touch the day / I taste the light / I remember.” Merwin also approaches aging and death with a clear-headed wisdom. He admits to his own “black dog” which leads him “carefully up the blind stairs” into loss of memory and the end of life. And he describes how “age seems to be without substance at any time.” He recognizes how his past composes him as a person, but how this person is the same for all time, recalling “the lucent days / from which now I am made.” Next October, Merwin will be featured as an Academy Event speaker. Thanks to the Academy Events Committee, Merwin will arrive at Deerfield on Wednesday, October 12. There will be a dinner that evening, followed by an hour-long reading of his poetry. On Thursday, from 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m., an informal question and answer session will take place with interested students, faculty and staff.

Matthew H. King ’77, a deputy assistant director of Homeland Security Investigations, will speak at commencement this year. Director of Alumni Relations Mimi Morsman said that Mr. King, who already met with seniors via Pathways 2011, will explain “why his line of work, while tough, is so meaningful.” After graduating from Wesleyan University and the Columbia School of Law, Mr. King served in the Marine Corps for seven years. During his later tenure under the Special Agent in Charge in San Francisco, Mr. King played a key role in “an undercover investigation that resulted in the largest seizure of foreign automatic weapons in U.S. history.” Last year, he directed a restoration crew in Haiti after the January earthquake. In searching for the 2011 commencement speaker, Ms. Morsman wanted somebody “with a connection to Deerfield, either as an alumnus or as a parent.” “The commencement speaker provides students with the opportunity to connect with the world beyond the hills,” said Head of School Margarita Curtis. “It reminds graduates that our diplomas are not just tools for self-promotion—they signify a guarantee of a commitment to service and preparation for a life beyond college.”

I commend you for the editorial on the recent graffiti incident, “Graffiti on the Koch: Shame and Respect,” and for your call to “re-examine our commitment to respecting the beautiful campus and community in which we live.” At your request, I am summarizing my remarks to the community at the April 26 school meeting and explaining my rationale for dismissing the two students involved in this incident. This is the first time in my five years at Deerfield when I have felt compelled to explain a disciplinary decision and to highlight the lessons we can learn from these serious infractions. It is important to remember that the Disciplinary Committee performs two important roles at the Academy: on a pragmatic, transactional level, this group of faculty and students decides on the appropriate disciplinary response to a specific transgression, but on a more profound, significant level, they consider how a mistake or a lapse in judgment can be turned into a learning opportunity for the whole community. This is precisely the reason we announce the outcomes of Disciplinary Committee proceedings at school meetings. These announcements are intended to affirm our school values and to remind us of the expectations we must honor as members of this community. I view these hearings and the subsequent announcements as an invitation to reflect on the purpose of a Deerfield education and as re-centering, morally-grounding opportunities. Two days after the incident, we were able to gather as a community in the dining hall at Sunday sit-down dinner. I was due to launch the reaccreditation process for Loomis Chaffee, but I drove back to our campus so I could address the school in person. As an offense, the graffiti incident represents the very antithesis of what Deerfield stands for, and as such, I felt it was important to send a clear, unequivocal message: this type of behavior cannot and will not be tolerated at the school. The defacement of the Koch Center was a premeditated act with the explicit purpose of discrediting the school on a Second Visit Day and questioning the integrity of the community in which we live, study, and work. Unlike most other student transgressions, this incident had repercussions for the entire community, not only for the individuals involved. Personal anger and frustration should not take precedence over the welfare or reputation of the community. It was this broader impact that, in my view, placed this incident in the most serious disciplinary category. Since Mr. Boyden’s days, the primary purpose of a Deerfield education has focused on the development of character, the affirmation of values that build and sustain community. Trust and honesty rank high on our list. While the enhancement of students’ academic skills and the acquisition of knowledge across a wide array of disciplines are paramount in any educational institution, in the end, all of this learning amounts to nothing if we have not taught you how to be good, honorable people. As a learning community, we believe in civil discourse, in the free and open exchange of ideas. We welcome spirited debate in our classrooms, our dormitories, and every place in between. There are appropriate venues to express our opinions and convictions. Graffiti is not one of them. The anonymous questioning of the school’s integrity, and the accusations without evidence, constitute a direct affront to our institutional identity and our mission. The offensive language against one of our deans also violated one of our core principles: respect. While the deans must make unpopular decisions from time to time, their intent is not to humiliate but to teach, and to uphold our community values. Looking ahead, I do think it is critical to remember that good people can make serious mistakes. My hope, as I said to the two students involved, is that they will view their dismissal as an opportunity to grow and strengthen their character. One of the students has indicated that he would like to share his reflections on this incident with the community, and I have encouraged him to send them to The Scroll. -Margarita Curtis Head of School

The annual Deerfield Triathlon was held all around campus and its periphery on Sunday, May 22. “It has been really fun for the past few years, and on the day of the event, many students are done with their sports commitments. So, everyone is invited!” exclaimed Dean of Students Jan Flaska, the faculty organizer of the event. Contestants were to compete by themselves, or in teams where each member does a portion of the triathlon. Faculty and students race alongside one another; there were currently twenty students and ten faculty members registered. The organizers offered three separate distances for participants of different capabilities. In order of increasing the difficulty, the distances are green, white, and then gold, the most serious of competitors. The swimming portion for all three levels took place in the pool. The bike ride for the green and white was on campus, and was essentially a combination of the small loop, Main Street and the south fields. The gold distance was much longer – about 15 miles on the River Road Loop. The run was around the same areas, but shorter, with gold distance competitors running to the Rock. To many, completing the race was a huge challenge, but the difficulty of the course encouraged participants to push themselves. “So far I’ve only done the swimming portion, but this year I wanted to try and complete the whole thing,” said Henry Lee ’12, who participated in the event for the past two years. “I wanted to see how much I could do.” The Deerfield Triathlon was an outstanding finish to the spring term as the academic year comes to a close and summer waits just around the corner.

This spring, thanks to a handful of exceptional long-distance runners and sprinters, the girls’ varsity track and field team expects to place unprecedentedly high at the New England Championship meet, as a record-breaking 4×400 relay team should add to the collective victories of the program. A consistently triumphant aspect of the Deerfield track program is its 4×400 relay. During the track and field season of 2010, team members Elizabeth Tubridy ’10, Shelbi Kilcollins ’12, Carley Porter ’12, and Tatum McInerney ’13 not only broke Deerfield’s record in the 4×400, but also dominated their competition. Their success qualified this year’s incredible team (Kerry Krause ’12, Carley Porter ’12, Connie Rhodes ’12, and Tatum McInerney ’13) for the distinguished Penn Relays, held on April 28. “It’s supposed to be the biggest track meet in the world. Olympic, college, and high school athletes all compete,” explained McInerney. The Deerfield girls attended only the first day of events. When asked about their results, McInerney provided a fervent response: “It was an amazing experience. Obviously it was really nerve-wracking, but also so much fun. We placed third, but the time we got at our following meet would have made us win. However, we did our best.” The time from their following meet broke the Deerfield school record (a record set by the 2010 team). When summarizing the performance of this year’s girls’ track team as a whole, McInerney stated, “We’ve come a long way. I think we’re getting better and better.” As for the championship meet, captain Victoria Serra ’12 predicted: “Ariel [Beauregard-Breton ’11] will obviously get first in something, Rose [Fisher ’13] will do really well in the 3000 meter, Devinne [Cullinane ’14] will do really well, and Tatum will definitely place in the 800 meter.”

Next year, Scaife and Bewkes will house underclassman girls, Pocumtuck will switch to upperclassman girls, and Dewey and Chapin, a dormitory yet to be built, will be home to underclassman boys. The plan to build a new dormitory was recently approved by the Board of Trustees. It does not yet have a name, but it will, according to current plans, have space for 30 individual rooms and 3 faculty residents, as well as common rooms. Its construction requires that Ashley, a single-entry residence that currently houses eight underclassman girls, two proctors, and one faculty family, be leveled. Also, teachers David Dickinson and Claudia Lyons’ house will be moved. This summer, a temporary dormitory, which is to be called Chapin Hall, will be erected to replace Ashley. “It will be very similar to the structure of the Pocumtuck dormitory,” explained Director of Facilities Chuck Williams, “except the desks will be similar to the ones in Louis Marx.” In changing dorm assignments, the administration hoped to accommodate the large number of girls in the class of 2013, the result of an unexpectedly high yield and subsequent over-enrollment, without forcing students into unwanted doubles or triples. Social considerations were taken into account as well. “We felt like younger girls weren’t thriving in smaller dorms as they would in bigger dorms,” commented Dean of Student Toby Emerson. “Converting Pocumtuck into an upperclassmen girls dormitory is a really great opportunity for the girls to get to know each other better,” commented Wahi Diome ’12. Tabata Viso ’14 disagreed. “I don’t think it is fair for upperclassmen girls to live in Pocumtuck, because the rooms are smaller than on the other upperclassmen halls,” she argued.

Although no longer playing on the 3rds lacrosse field, Cole Carpenter ’11 has had the incredible opportunity to make a greater impact on Deerfield’s athletics. The Scroll sat down with Carpenter to discuss his role as a student coach on his former team, and how he gives back to the community. Scroll: What role do you play on the 3rds lacrosse team? Carpenter: I’m the assistant coach and I focus heavily on helping out the defense, but really I just try to do whatever is needed. Scroll: How did you get to be an assistant coach? Carpenter: Well, I helped out the team last year while going through rehab on my knee and this year Coach Davis needed an extra coach. He asked me and I couldn’t turn down the opportunity. Scroll: What have you learned? Carpenter: Coaching doesn’t take a great depth of knowledge but more an attention to detail and ability to connect to your players. I know how to communicate with them and I think that’s indeterminately valuable. Working with other people and being a leader translates to everything. Scroll: What was it like to transition from being an athlete to being a coach? Carpenter: It was a new feeling, kind of strange at first. I try to make sure I’m as trustworthy as possible and helpful wherever the other coaches need it. Scroll: What unique aspect do you contribute to the team? Carpenter: I’m very focused on details and I like to do my coaching mostly through one- on-one situations. I like to go up to a player and tell them where I think they need to make an adjustment. I get a little time to focus on them individually because I think that sticks more. According to Carpenter, it makes a difference when students see their peer coaches in the hallway, in the Greer, or at the river. The ancient Greeks had a meaning for the word arete, or excellence, which was the act of living up to one’s fullest potential. Carpenter believes that’s what sports here are teaching us.