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Self-proclaimed to be the single most famous Korean boy-band ever to hit the Deerfield campus, 4AM has yet to make it to the top of the charts. But, the group certainly seems headed that way. The fun-loving group, composed of Phil Hah ’11, Curtis Oh ’11, Michael Yang ’11, and James Yang ’12, has performed on and off campus for over a year. The group was assembled in fall 2009 when Michael Yang asked his new, fellow Korean Mello-Ds to sing a Korean love-ballad titled “Confession of a Friend” by 2AM. The boys rallied behind his idea at the winter KFC, but they forgot to rehearse their song until the Friday of the concert. Luckily, the concert was postponed until Saturday night. That Friday night, the four boys slept over in Michael Yang’s room in Louis Marx to practice the tune. After hours of rehearsal, they finally felt confident in their sound, but by then it was four o’clock in the morning. On the roster for the concert the group decided to call themselves 4AM as a play off of the Korean band 2AM and their bedtime the night before. Minutes before performing on stage, Chris Hamlin ’12 asked the boys what 4AM stood for. Before they had time to respond, Hamlin quickly asked, “Is it Four Asian Men?” 4AM was also tapped to perform at the annual trustees’ dinner in New York City in October, 2010. Michael Yang, Oh, and James Yang are fluent in Korean. Though Hah grew up in the United States, he speaks enough of the language that he can pick up the pronunciation of the lyrics quickly. Oh commented that because Hah can reach such high notes, the group “couldn’t possibly sing half of the songs without him.” He jokingly added, “If modern-day pop songs didn’t require such high notes, we wouldn’t require Phil!” The group has faced other challenges including teaching James Yang how to rap, receiving noise complaints from neighbors about Michael Yang’s uncontrollable volume, and dealing with Oh’s unnecessary attempts to harmonize every note. James Yang commented that all four boys get along well, and there have not been any “boy-band fights.” However, with three of the four crooners graduating this year, 4AM will probably break up. Regardless of the fate and future of 4AM, this stylish group will live on in Deerfield legend for a long time as the band that sensationalized Korean Pop on campus.

Now, music and art lovers no longer have to leave Greenfield to catch the latest concert or exhibit. The recently renovated Arts Block, formerly Clark’s Sporting Goods store, has opened to the public with live music three nights a week, a 550-person restaurant called The Arts Block Café, a full bar, art galleries, and work spaces for painters and sculptors. With gleaming floors and double-paned picture windows, the interior is as new and exciting as what goes on inside. The basement and first floor serve as restaurants and locations for music venues. The second floor contains offices and classrooms for performing arts instruction and yoga, and the top two floors house artist work spaces and galleries. The small multi-media center has already attracted a host of local talents, including painter Aldo G. Pizzi, actor Jody Scalise, and musicians Leah Randazzo, Geoff Vidal, Cold Duck Complex, and Alecia Chakour. The musical aspect of The Arts Block is its most active and ambitious. Simon, an Arts Block soundman, said, “It’s going to be a grab-bag of artists performing here. We’ve had a jazz group and a Europop singer. It was fun; it turned into a rave in here.” That’s right, raves do not only happen on campus. Simon added that The Arts Block’s goal is to “promote local musicians from the bottom up and build a more community-based music scene… We’re really trying to bring music back to the people.” The space attracts musicians and music-lovers. Simon said, “We live and breathe music.” Local resident David C. added that the Arts Block is “a fantastic restaurant, with excellent food, great service, and reasonable prices,” and that “Greenfield is a much funkier place to go to dinner now that it’s open.” Rebecca Caplice, president of Greenfield Savings Bank, provided her take on the complex: “It’s a real focal point for all the social activity in the region,” she said. “You can probably find some kind of entertainment any night of the week.” The Arts Block is located at 289 Main Street in Greenfield. In short, it is a perfect place for artists, musicians, and anyone who wants to enjoy a night of art, music, and food.

What separates chamber music from, say, orchestral music? According to Director of Chamber Music Peter Warsaw, “The dynamic between instruments in a chamber ensemble is a little bit like the dynamic between men and women. A lot of communication and compromise are required to find common ground, but there will never be complete agreement.” Chamber musicians practice individually and in groups to polish their interpretations, and each day, they coach each other in seminar-style classes. As they prepare for their winter concert, tremendous responsibility lies on each musician. “The great thing about chamber is that we can develop our own talents individually, since we are the only one playing our part,” commented freshman violinist Tabata Viso. A key part of chamber music is teamwork. Coming together to interpret a piece of music presents substantial personal challenges. “I am looking forward to showing people how hard we have worked to achieve this level,” said flutist Jae Baek ’13. The concert will include students from the wind ensemble as well as from chamber music, totaling about thirty-five to forty performers. The program features “classical western” music composed between 1600 and 1980. Chamber music is, in the end, a learning experience. According to Dr. Warsaw, “It promises a lifetime of learning, and its challenges are infinitely fascinating.” The chamber concert will be in the Choral Room on March 2 and 3 from 7:00-8:00 p.m.

This year, students were overly eager for a Head of School Day. Students looked to dining hall menus, homework schedules, and various other “hints” as indicators of the much-awaited day off. When hypotheses were disproved, cries of outrage rang through the dining hall. Some students ambushed Dr. Curtis and posted a video to Facebook in a last ditch attempt to sway her decision, but the effort proved fruitless. One week later on February 20, whispers of plans to storm the Manse in the event of a normal school day spread from bubble to bubble at Sunday dinner. When a video clip on DAnet of Dr. Curtis, clad in a pith helmet, announced the day off that night, it was accompanied by a sense of victory rather than gratitude. We have come to view this reprieve from daily Deerfield stress as a right. Let’s remember that Head of School days are a privilege, a gift, and beggars can’t be choosers. AG, FR, SW, GM, EK, YN, LW, AYC

The Deerfield Academy boys’ and girls’ diving teams, two of the strongest in New England, are in the midst of one of their best seasons ever. They hold outstanding rankings among their New England competitors and are fervently preparing for the two most important meets of their season. As the teams gear up for these meets, Western New England Championships on February 25 and New England Championships on March 6, their practices reflect their motivation to win, and each week they perfect more and more difficult dives, such as forwards, reverses, and twisters. Every practice inches the team closer to clinching the New England crown and beating out historic rivals Andover and Hopkins. In every meet but one, the girls’ team has dominated the podium, placing first, second, and third. The boys have followed close behind as Taylor Clough ’13 has placed first in every meet this season. It was only against the indomitable Andover team that the girls lost their first and second place spots for the first time, while Danielle Denunzio ’12, a two-year veteran diver, still came in third. Under the leadership of Denunzio and Clough, the unofficial captains, the divers have much to celebrate this season. Although diving is its own entity, the team’s stellar achievements at every meet aren’t isolated. “Diving is an event in a larger swim meet, just like the 50 free,” said Denunzio. Judges award points won by individual divers according to the place they receive- six for first place, four for second, three for third, two for fourth, and one for fifth. All points earned by divers contribute to the total scores of each school’s swim team. “At times, the diving team’s points really make the difference at a meet. Since we usually place first, second, and third for girls and first and second for boys, it really helps the swim team out to have a lot of points,” said Denunzio. Deerfield’s diving success doesn’t only come from the team members’ exceptional talent, but from the expert coaching of Mary Ellen Clark. A former Olympic bronze medalist in both the 1992 and 1996 summer games, Ms. Clark “encourages us to ‘jam on it’ and push our hardest,” said Marina Vranos ’12. “She’s enthusiastic and won’t take no for an answer. She’s seen Olympic diving, and she knows what it means to be a good coach, and most importantly she knows how important it is to be a classy athlete,” added Vranos. Along with Ms. Clark’s time and effort, the chemistry, excitement, and progress of the team is also a result of internal motivation. Kellam Witherington ’12 explained the dynamic relationship between the boys on the team. “Taylor really brings a lot of experience to practice. I think it’s a good balance. He’s the technical coach and I bring a lot of emotional support,” Witherington said. Georgina Hutchins ’12 concluded, “We have basically the same kids from last year, and the new ones fit in really well and also bring a lot of experience from home. We’re very fun-loving, but very serious when we need to be.” And the team will need to be serious as they head into the final stretch of their season. This potent combination of team camaraderie, focused effort, and striking talent will culminate in the next few weeks as the Deerfield divers take to the boards against the best teams in New England and prepare, as the team mantra goes, to “NAIL IT!”

On January 30 th , 2011 the Screen Actors Guild, the largest performer’s union in the United States, hosted its 17 th annual awards ceremony at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles, California. The union was developed in 1933 to help up and coming actors and actresses earn higher pay and better hours; but the first awards ceremony was not held until 1995. The SAG awards are similar to the Oscars, and generally the same films receive recognition and awards in both. However, the SAG awards differ slightly in that they honor actors and actresses selected by their fellow Guild members, and cover categories in both television and film. After moving to New York City in 1983 to continue his acting career, Mr. Reese became a member of the Screen Actors Guild. In years since then, individual production companies have sent films on DVD’s for screening purposes to him, along with the other 120,000 members. After receiving the DVD’s, members have a limited amount of time to view the films, develop their opinions, and cast their votes. When asked what he looks for when considering a film, Mr. Reese said, “I go to enjoy rather than to critique a film. Elements such as an arresting story, a well-written script, talented actors, appropriate costumes and scenery and a good score all contribute to a film worthy of consideration for an academy award.” This year, however, the Guild switched to a different system. They now offer members iTunes redeeming codes and movie theater vouchers for screening purpose in addition to the DVD’s. These changes were implemented in order to cut down high costs of mailing DVD’s and reduce the number of pirated copies. Mr. Reese received The King’s Speech and The Social Network on DVD’s, and movie vouchers to go see all of the other nominees. “I usually watch them [the movies] once, but I was so impressed with The King’s Speech that I have seen it twice. A great movie.” The Deerfield student body seems to agree, “I’ve heard from everyone who has seen it that it is extraordinary,” said Caitlin Cook ’12. Apparently they are not the only ones who think so, because it won both “Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture” and “Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Lead Role”, the highest number of SAG awards to one film this year. “That was actually pretty unusual. Usually there is one clear movie in the lead, but this year the awards were far more spread out, there were just so many fantastic films,” explained Mr. Reese. With so many excellent films out in the past few months, it is surely interesting to see who will win the awards. So, if you missed the SAG awards, be sure to check out www.sagawards.org , or tune into the 83 rd annual Academy Awards on this upcoming February 27 th . Sites consulted: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_Actors_Guild#History_of_the_Guild http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/17th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/awards/2011/02/sag-itunes-oscar-screeners.html

Jeanette Walls’s first memoire, The Glass Castle, published in 2005, tells of her childhood moving from one trashed town to the next, sleeping in cardboard boxes, and dealing with her intoxicated father and immature, unfocused mother. In her most recent book, Half-Broke Horses, which was published in 2009, Walls describes the similarly difficult life of her maternal grandmother, Lily Casey, through her grandmother’s eyes. Throughout her youth, Casey followed the life lessons taught in the “Little House” series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, who later inspired Walls as a child. Casey connected to the main character, Laura, and found similarities in their struggles. Like Wilder, Casey lived in a rural area in a one-room dugout, where “scorpions, lizards, snakes, gophers, centipedes and moles wormed their way out of our walls and ceilings,” according to Walls. Liesl Shillinger from The New York Times wrote that as Half-Broke Horses follows “the adventures of Lily Casey—mustang breaker, schoolteacher, ranch wife, bootlegger, poker player, racehorse rider, bush pilot and mother of two—Walls revisits the adrenaline-charged frontier background that gave her own mother a lifelong taste for vicissitude.” Amidst her struggles with poverty, one of Casey’s most attractive qualities is the value she places on education. When a flashflood arises, Casey and her two younger siblings hide in a tree overnight, while Casey quizzes her siblings on their multiplication tables, vocabulary, capitals, states, and Presidents to keep them awake. When they return home the next day, their mother claims they survived because she sent a guardian angel to save them. Exasperated, Casey tells her father they survived because she kept them awake and alert. Her father replies: “Well, darling… maybe the angel was you.” Casey’s father evidently inspired her love of learning. Kicked by a horse at a young age, her father is partially paralyzed and left with a speech impediment for life. Nevertheless, as an avid reader and writer he continues to strive for the most in life He inspires teaches his children science, geometry, and reading, promising to send them to a formal school as soon as possible. Half-Broke Horses intersects the Deerfield bubble when Casey’s father fulfills his promise, sending Casey and her brother to boarding school when Casey turns thirteen. At school, she discovers her zeal for teaching, and even after she leaves for financial reasons, she continues to struggle towards her life goal of becoming a teacher. As a child, Casey felt bad for the penned up horses at a nearby ranch, saying, “They just want to be free.” Her mother responded, “In this life, hardly anyone gets to do what they want to do.” Ultimately, Casey proves her mother wrong when does achieve her goal, despite all odds.

As members of the campus continue to trudge through longer days filled with school work and snow, sleep has become even more crucial. Some people dream of journeys they don’t have time for except in slumber. “I dreamt I was running through the hills of Scotland,” said Allie Nagurney ’12. “I have a recurring dream of driving cross country with Mrs. Cary in a dark red Mustang convertible, eating in diners, and sleeping in motels,” said English teacher Michael Cary. For some, dreams don’t garner the same pleasant experience. “I was eating way too much chocolate one night and then I dreamt instead of my eating the chocolate, the chocolate ate me, and I was trapped inside its stomach. It was actually kind of scary,” remembered Christina Pil ’12. “I dreamt I failed the SATs, broke my arm and got a concussion,” recounted Elizabeth Huebsch ’12. Though more fantastical, others dream of equally elaborate and stressful scenarios. “I had a dream when I was little that I was a Jedi and had to save Obi Wan Kenobi and we were in a museum, but the only way you could get to the next room was to jump through paintings.” recalled Thomas Earle ’12. “In the end, after we fought some bad guys and I saved Obi Wan Kenobi’s life, the roof fell and I woke up,” he continued. “I dreamt that clowns had taken over Deerfield and were stealing all our electronics,” said Cate Wadman ’13. “I was riding a huge gryffin—actually it was a transportation service over this large ocean—and then I just decided to take it and keep it as a pet. I then taught him how to swim,” exclaimed Taylor Harris ’13. “I don’t dream,” admitted Kay Calloway ’14.

Until recently, Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was as foreign to the American public as meat pies and teatime. It was only when she became engaged to Prince William of Wales that Americans began to seriously take notice. Born a commoner to parents in Berkshire, England, Kate Middleton never seemed like someone to warrant great fanfare. Her brown hair, sweet girl-next-store look, and quiet demeanor were far from extraordinary. Then why did Prince William take interest in this girl when they met at St. Andrew’s University in Scotland? But more importantly, why do we as the American public take so much interest in his infatuation? The attraction lies partly with the tabloids. Media giants like Us Weekly and People Magazine are always hankering after juicy stories on any celebrity they can find. Naturally, when a private and largely secretive prince began to show off his leggy girlfriend and then fiancée, gossip writers everywhere seized their pens. At every grocery store and street corner, Middleton’s pixilated face has caught the eye of millions of commuters, teenagers, and soccer moms. But why is this marriage so important? The popularity of Princess Diana, Prince William’s mother, undoubtedly has something to do with it. Princess Diana took England by storm when she married Prince Charles, and immediately become an icon of style, philanthropy, and grace. Her confident, yet feminine bearing incited pride in many of the English, and Americans were fascinated as well. About 750 million people watched the royal wedding on television, making it one the most-watched broadcasts in history. In many ways Middleton seems similar to her fiancé’s mother, sharing her poise, style, and philanthropic tendencies. It seems as if William has done what countless other men have done before him and “married his mother.” And, if her marriage was such an attraction, it only seems natural that her first son’s marriage would be extraordinary. But why do the affairs of the British still interest Americans? Of course Americans and the British have been joined for centuries with a common history. It was not until 1776 that the United States broke from the grasp of England, in order to create a democracy. But with this freedom, Americans lacked one essential item, a monarch to obsess over. Sure, we had George Washington and now we have Barack Obama, but there is little longevity in their time in the spotlight. Presidents enter the political realm late in their lives and disappear after office, and thus a whole section of their life is inaccessible to the public. Monarchs, however, are famous from birth to death and provoke a constant stream of fascination from their subjects. Perhaps Americans see something democratic in the engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton. She was a “nobody” without a public past, just like almost every American celebrity and politician. She was not aristocratic or important; in fact, she might as well be American. Every U.S. citizen sees in her what they want for themselves; she emerged from obscurity and attained bigger and better things.

Members of Student Council and the Student Programs Committee have been busy interviewing potential faculty members for the past few weeks in a pilot program that intends to heighten student involvement with the faculty selection process. Dean of Faculty John Taylor is enthusiastic about the initiative. “I think the students will give me a very valuable perspective,” he said. “Also, the candidates enjoy meeting the kids, getting a sense of what the students are like.” Council and SPC members have been the interviewers because “their peers have chosen them as representatives, so it seemed most logical to have Student Council members represent Deerfield and its students to these faculty candidates,” said Student Body President Charles Giannini ’11. “Students can’t really deal with the candidates’ athletic or academic qualifications, but we can tackle the more social aspect,” said Giannini. “We are trying to provide Mr. Taylor with a full view of how the interviewee would add to student life and culture.” “The questions are mainly student-oriented,” said Jen Chu ’11, who has taken part in three interviews so far. “I am glad that the administration is interested in and trusts our judgment and opinions on how the candidates relate to people our age.” Mr. Taylor also believes that this experience will benefit student interviewers in the future. “I think there is an important educational piece here. They are learning something that is applicable in real life and developing critical skills that can be used in the professional world long after Deerfield.” “Considering the impact new faculty members have when they arrive on campus, I’d say this interviewing is one of the most valuable jobs we can perform as representatives,” said Student Council Chair Ellie Parker ’11. “I am grateful to be entrusted with it.”

Carly Flynn ’10, current student at Bennington College, has returned to assist Fine Arts Teacher David Dickinson. Flynn will be here for the duration of her fieldwork term, when Bennington students have the opportunity to work in internships. “I remembered how Mr. Dickinson always needed extra help, and I figured I could be an extra set of eyes for him,” explained Flynn. “If anybody needs someone to look at a certain part of their project or answer any questions, I’m here to do that.” Flynn comes in after class primarily to help art exemption students working on independent projects. She also helps Mr. Dickinson set up studio space and, according to him, provides a “good, calming influence on some of the students as they struggle with imagery.” Although her days as a Deerfield student are gone, Flynn still feels like a student in many ways. “I know a lot of the students that I am working with, and so it is more on a friendly basis versus an administrative basis,” she said. Nevertheless, it is a new experience to be back on campus as an alumna instead of as a student. Flynn admitted, “It’s a little strange—especially since I just graduated last year—but I’m especially realizing how much I enjoyed my time here and how much I miss it.” She has not found time to pursue any projects of her own so far but she will have time later in her internship. Flynn will be assisting and advising Deerfield’s artists until February 18. Afterwards, she will return to Bennington and resume her own work. The internship is as rewarding for Flynn as it is helpful to our Arts Department. Her time back on campus is “more of a learning experience for me and a way to test out different career options.”

Sunday night, Hollywood’s best gathered at the Kodak Theatre in hopes of winning the most prestigious award in the film industry: an Oscar. This year, The King’s Speech and Black Swan have received more “Oscar buzz” than most. The former was nominated for twelve Oscars, and the latter was nominated for five. “A film that makes your spirit soar,” according to The Wall Street Journal , The King’s Speech is the true story of King George VI of England. When George, née Albert Windsor, finds himself heir to the throne, England is on the verge of war with Germany during World War II. As the new king, George must give speeches to instill hope in his people and troops. The issue: King George has a stutter. With the help of an unorthodox speech therapist, the king must find his voice, literally and metaphorically, and provide his nation with the leadership they need to survive the war. “A witchy brew of madness and cunning,” according to The New York Times , Black Swan , the psychological thriller starring Natalie Portman, tells the story of the professional ballerina, Nina. When Nina’s ballet company decides the perform Swan Lake , Nina’s white swan interpretation is better than her black swan, and when the talented Lily arrives and embodies the black swan perfectly, Nina becomes paranoid. As the two battle for the role, the black swan persona consumes Nina’s day-to-day life, and she ultimately discovers a new part of herself… a part that may destroy her. Both movies were nominated for Best Picture, among others. Regardless of results, they clearly excelled on many levels.