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The debate over the girls’ dress code consumes too much of our time. As APs pile up and students and faculty alike become increasingly aggravated with the ambiguous, hard-to-follow dress code, the need for a solution becomes more and more pressing. So how do we find a resolution suitable to all parties involved? Well, one popular yet controversial option is a uniform. Important arguments have been raised for and against in conversations across campus. One of the most obvious benefits of a uniform would be to level the “playing field”; if we had a uniform, everyone would dress in the exact same clothing, no matter a student’s socio-economic standing. A uniform would also make getting ready in the morning much easier. A uniform could cut some of the daily time required to create a fashionable, dress-code-appropriate outfit. Head of School Margarita Curtis explained, “I do not want everyone here to look the same everyday because I do not believe Deerfield is about conformity but rather freedom and individuality. “However, I do feel that making the girls’ dress code more comparable to the boys’ could be very helpful, and even fun. Getting the girls to wear blazers of any fabric, shape, or color, with pants or skirts of reasonable length, would be a step in the right direction.” Even so, a uniform may not solve the appropriateness issue. “We had a uniform with plaid skirts and oxfords at my old school and everyone would just roll or hem their skirts, and unbutton their shirts low,” said Hope Walker ’11. “There are always ways to cheat the system, so a uniform wouldn’t even solve the problem, it would just take away our dressing freedom.” A uniform might also dissuade prospective students. “Deerfield already has a really strict dress code compared to a lot of other boarding schools, and I honestly don’t think I would have come if the school had a uniform,” Caitlin Cook ’12 commented. Perhaps a compromise between a uniform and our current dress code would be the most effective solution. “We had a uniform at my old school in Princeton, New Jersey, but it wasn’t just one outfit that everyone had to wear everyday, but rather an array of different articles of clothing that we could combine to create different outfits,” Yuna Ko ’12 said. Dr. Curtis agreed, “I think companies like L.L. Bean and J. Crew would love to help us come up with an affordable, attractive array of blazers, skirts, and pants. We have also a group of talented artists here who could collaborate with a company to design a selection of attractive yet appropriate clothes that would satisfy everyone.” Five parents, three faculty members, two seniors, and one freshman comprise a voluntary committee assembled last spring and this fall with the purpose of discussing the problems with the current dress code and potential solutions in order to bring suggestions to a final meeting at the beginning of this winter term. So far, the group has decided that what the school needs to accomplish is a uniformity in the boys’ and girls’ dress codes, because the essence of Deerfield will not permit a true uniform. The real question is: Would a uniform put the debate to rest or only shift its focus?

Every family has its ups and downs, and the families in Modern Family , the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award Winner for Outstanding Comedy Series, are no exceptions. The sitcom by Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan premiered last year and has since been a great success. Tim Goodman said in The San Francisco Chronicle , “In a fall season surprisingly flush with good sitcoms, the best new comedy by far—and it’s not that close of a race—is Modern Family on ABC.” Winner of BuddyTV’s Top Ten Best Comedy Shows of 2009-2010 and second place winner of Time Magazine ’s Top Ten Best shows of 2009, the show enjoys unparalleled popularity. What caused its success? How did its ratings surpass those of Glee , Ryan Murphy’s hit musical and dramatic comedy? Casey Butler ’13 appreciates its realistic humor: “It has become so popular because it is funny and relatable. I like it because it’s my kind of humor,” she said. The show incorporates something for everyone according to Devinne Cullinane ’14, who said, “The humor of three diverse families in their day-to-day lives is easy to relate to.” Caitlin Murphy ’11 agreed: “Aspects of the families remind me of my own family!” The humanity and individuality of each family reflects various cultures and truths within our society. For example, one character is married to a Colombian woman about half his age, and together they raise her son. Another part of the family is a gay couple who adopts a Vietnamese baby, reflecting the “trendiness” of adoption today. The third family includes a husband, wife, and three teen/preteen children. The series explores humor, family, teenage stereotypes, diversity, and acceptance, depicting universal aspects of family life while maintaining uniqueness. Entertainment Weekly ’s Ken Tucker summed it up by stating, “ Modern Family works because it does something the network sitcom hasn’t managed in years: It offers a comic equation for almost every audience segment, while never blanding out the characters for mass consumption.”

Inspired by Academy Event speaker Paul Loeb, who encouraged the student body never to be shy in voicing opinions, a group of students was motivated to take action. A group of unnamed students printed 300-400 copies of Jane Mayer’s New Yorker article, “Covert Operations,” about David and Charles Koch’s funding of organizations fighting climate change regulations and many Obama Administration policies. “Suppressing discussion is not the ideal of Deerfield Academy,” said a student involved in the distribution. Along with the article the students posted a flyer they had found on Google stating, “Koch Industries Secretly Funding the Climate Denial Machine.” They added black type on the bottom of the flyer asking “Is this worthy of our heritage?” The students began distributing the papers at 5:30 a.m. on Friday, October 29, and worked for an hour posting the flyers in the Koch Center and on the glass doors of other buildings. The papers also covered dining hall tables along with the classroom tables of the Main School Building and Classroom Building. The students, who wished not to be identified, said they refrained from posting flyers on any painted walls. Due to a school regulation, security began removing the papers displayed on the outside of school buildings from 6 to 7 a.m. A student leaving the Koch Center after posting the flyers asked a custodian why he was removing the flyers. The student said he received an unclear answer about whether or not security received an order to do so. Security and Physical Plant arrived in the dining hall at 6:30 and began clearing the tables of the flyers. About half an hour after the students had spread the papers around campus, only a few remained. Assistant Dean of Students, Jan Flaska explained the school’s policy, “It’s not written in our handbook, but posters on the outsides of buildings come down, while posters on the insides of buildings – and placed properly on bulletin boards – stay up.” Another student who was involved, however, stated, “I put several copies of the article and flyer on bulletin boards throughout the campus. When I checked them later in the morning, they have also been removed.” The Scroll did not contact Department of Safety and Security regarding this incident.

Sitting in Latin V with five seniors last winter, Eleanor Parker ’11 realized that she would be the only student left to continue with the language next year. But the absence of a Latin VI course didn’t stop her from pursuing an Advanced Tutorial with the Latin faculty. While looking for a topic, Parker remembered the Aeneid fondly and decided on Virgil’s Georgics. A poem in four books, the Georgics are a guide to farming. “The Georgics are a complex work and it’s a lot of political allegory because it was written just as Octavian was about to ascend to the throne,” said Parker. “They have little gems of philosophy. They’re not totally didactic.” Latin teacher Sam Savage came up with a practical complement to the reading. The tutorial meets Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. During previous long blocks, Parker and Mr. Savage tended a garden of broccoli rabe, arugula, and scallions. Now, they use the period for interviews with local farmers as well as covering more ground in the poem. The garden and interviews fit in with the theme of the first book: crops and harvesting. The other books (in order) cover trees and vines, livestock, and bees. Books one and four are considered the most significant, and one and three and two and four have parallel structures. With only two people, this tutorial requires much more work than a regular class does. “With other classes it is up to the entire group of kids to make up what happens during class-time. This is all on my shoulders so I have to be really thorough,” explained Parker. “It feels more like a project than a class,” added Mr. Savage, “which is what I wanted. I’m not really teaching so much as we’re doing this together. The goal is to end up with more questions than we came in with.” Many would ask, why bother learning a language you can’t speak? Parker explained that it’s not about communicating through the language. “I’m learning the philosophy and the foundation for western culture, which actually I feel connects me more deeply with other people. Looking at Latin in a lot of ways is more relevant to today’s world than other languages,” she elaborated. The tutorial is split into two different sections. Mr. Savage will take the first two terms with the Georgics , and Parker will continue the tutorial with Latin teacher John Burke in the spring. “Ellie and I plan to read the Agricola by Tacitus,” said Dr. Burke. “Tacitus’ prose meditation on the career of Agricola should provide insight into how the second element in the old republican ideal of agricola/militans—farmer/soldier—played out in the early imperial period.” The Agricola is a biography of Tacitus’ father-in-law, who governed the province of Britain and extended the Roman dominion, but was put to death by the emperor Domitian. Tacitus, a famous historian, writes some of the more challenging Latin, but Parker is up to the challenge. She said, “I’m really grateful for this. It will be the big bang to end my Deerfield career.”

Charles Giannini ’11, KG Kaelin ’11, Charles Jones ’12, Theo Lipsky ’12, Sarah Woolf ’12, and Stefani Kuo ’13, led by the Deerfield Forum’s coach Michael O’Donnell, met with success at the International Independent Schools’ Public Speaking Competition at Ashbury College in Ottawa, Canada. While five other American schools participated, it was Deerfield’s delegation that took home the prestigious “Top American School” award. An individual success, Lipsky placed number one in Parliamentary Debating after a high-stakes final round concerning “a common world language” in the Canadian senate chamber. “I was very lucky to get the opportunity to debate there…The atmosphere was intimidating, but not as intimidating as my opponents,” Lipsky recalled. Lipsky also came in third place for his persuasive speech on the issue of property rights in the developing world. His combined performances resulted in the “Top American Speaker” award. Consequently he qualified for the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships, which will be held in Australia this spring. “I’m very excited and a bit nervous about the championships,” Lipsky said. Other finalists included Giannini and Woolf.Giannini delivered three rousing extemporaneous speeches, and Woolf’s dialogue from Ruined , brought some viewers to tears in Dramatic Interpretation. “It was the strongest Deerfield performance at that tournament in the last decade. Some years there are only one or two standout performances, but this year the entire team effort was responsible for our success,” said Mr. O’Donnell. The event drew students from Canada, the United States, Peru, England, and even King’s Academy in Jordan. The recent successes from this competition and the one hosted by Deerfield last fall indicate a growing interest in debate and public speaking at Deerfield and among our peer schools. Lipsky urged all students to understand that “anyone can debate and speak publicly. No one should consider it exclusive.” Mr. O’Donnell reaffirmed his message: “I encourage every student to pursue some exposure to public speaking, drama, or both…They both hone one of the most valuable skills to have down the road.” “We are all enormously proud of how we represented the school and I have absolute confidence this is just the start of a successful period for the Deerfield Forum,” said Giannini.

Girls’ cross-country star Ariel Beauregard-Breton ’11 has taken Deerfield’s running program in stride. “She’s the strongest and most competitive girl I’ve ever worked with,” said Head Coach Dennis Cullinane. Not only is she the top Deerfield girl runner, but she is also the number two junior runner in Canada and she can’t actually remember a New England race over the past two years in which she hasn’t set a course record. Since Beauregard-Breton is Deerfield’s top female runner, she often practices individually with Dr. Cullinane and has practiced a few times with the boys’ team. Apart from her training, Beauregard-Breton leads DA’s girls by example and brings a relaxed but extremely focused personality to the team. “Usually number one runners are really introverted,” said Dr. Cullinane, “but Ariel is really social and friendly, giving advice and talking to all the girls before each race.” Since Beauregard-Breton, her coach, and her team are confident that she will do well in New England’s, all she needs to do is continue training with the same drive that she’s had ever since she stepped into the racing scenes of New England and Canada. Beauregard-Breton started her competitive running career on a whim four years ago.Her Canadian high school was promoting a regional meet and promised a day off for anyone who participated. Excited by the idea of a Friday without classes, Beauregard-Breton decided to combine her casual interest in jogging with her desire for a long weekend. Going into that regional meet with mild expectations, Ariel finished third out of 200 in her first-ever competitive race. Following her unexpectedly outstanding results, Beauregard-Breton reflected on joining her local club team, saying, “My initial goal was to be among the top ten runners in Montreal. Although my school didn’t have any sports teams of its own, it had a special program for highly ranked athletes to create an academic schedule centered around their specific trainings,” said Beauregard-Breton. As her career quickly developed, her goals increased commensurately. After placing seventh in a provincial meet, she began to consider American prep schools where the level of competition would be higher. “The first race she ever ran for us was the Canterbury Invitational last fall,” said Dr. Cullinane. “She got lost four times in the middle and still placed first.” After her narrow victory over a Choate girl that day, Beauregard-Breton was told she would be facing a much larger range of competition in the New England arena. Beauregard-Breton took quick objection to his comment and stated firmly, “Those girls have no idea of what I am capable.” Beauregard-Breton remained true to her word and her results this season are expected to place her in the number one slot at New England’s. Despite her athleticism, Beauregard-Breton actually describes herself as an artist who runs, not a runner who does art. Although she is excited to run after she graduates from DA, Beauregard-Breton isn’t really looking to compete past the collegiate level. “I’ll do my best in college and hopefully break lots of personal records on the track and in cross-country, and after college I’ll keep running for sure, but only for fun —no competition involved.”

Last January, only forty minutes away in South Hadley, Phoebe Prince committed suicide, allegedly in response to incessant bullying. In this past month, across America, several gay teens committed suicide in response to homophobic harassment. The frequency of publicity around these and other deaths has made the prevention of bullying a major topic in schools and communities across the US. Punishment has been taken very seriously. Five students from South Hadley High School are facing criminal charges for the bullying of Phoebe Prince. In response to the suicide of Tyler Clementi, a gay freshman at Rutgers University, two freshmen have been expelled from school and may face criminal charges. Massachusetts has passed new laws requiring all schools to have an anti-bullying policy. But these punishments aren’t necessarily the solutions. At the Groton School, several students were about to be expelled for cyber-bullying another student about his sexuality. The school offered the option to withdraw rather than face expulsion. But one student fought to stay at the school, claiming many others behaved the same way and that he was being singled out. Supposedly, the student himself had been bullied after dyeing his hair pink in support of breast cancer awareness. Within a week of being sent home from school, the student shot himself in the family basement. It is likely that none of these students was trying to drive his or her victims to suicide. They were just fishing for laughs, or to get even for some minor social conflict. Most of the teenagers accused of bullying have stated clearly that they did not feel what they were doing was out of line, or out of the ordinary. But the actions of teachers, school administrators, and even police and the courts are not going to stop bullying. Bullying involves three parties: the bully, the victim, and the bystander. The bystander is the person who knows about and endorses the bullying behavior or does not intervene. The bystanders are the kids at Rutgers who laughed at the video posted online, or the South Hadley kids who said nothing when others called Phoebe Prince names and chased her down the halls of the school. Bystanders are the majority in any incident of bullying, and possibly the most dangerous party. The bystanders create a community where bullying behavior is accepted and by doing so, they bolster the creation and actions of bullies. Recently, according to Mary Verselli, a spokesman for the school, Choate Rosemary Hall blocked Facebook after six students “[wrote] some fairly mean things about some particular classmates.” These six students cannot be charged for bullying; they didn’t mean for their comments to reach the ears (or eyes) of the victims. Banning Facebook, expelling bullies, and even placing them on trial isn’t going to fix this appalling problem. Bullying will continue to exist as long as teenagers see this mean behavior as acceptable, as a natural part of growing up. Bullying cannot be stopped with rules and consequences, it can only be stopped by creating a community where the behavior is not acceptable, in private or in public. Bystanders hold the key to the solution to bullying. Bullying will exist as long as students see ridiculing other students as an enjoyable and acceptable pastime.If you laugh when someone calls another student a rude name, then you are part of the problem. If we want a “bully-free” community, we have to decide as bystanders that cruelty is not fun, even when it is supposedly “private.” No amount of rules, consequences, prosecutions, or Facebook banning will really make a difference. It is up to the student majority, the potential bystanders of Deerfield Academy, to decide whether bullying will be tolerated or not in our community. Beat Choate, make DA bully-free. Sources: http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_16456228?source=rss_viewed http://bigthink.com/ideas/21023 http://www.slate.com/id/2260952/entry/2260953/?from=rss http://articles.courant.com/2010-10-14/news/hc-choate-facebook-block-1015-20101014_1_school-network-student-run-facebook http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/nyregion/30suicide.html

I should have been more focused on the game, but it was eating away at me. I felt like I had to tell them. As I put my pads on I thought over and over how I should tell them. The important thing was that I wanted to tell them. As everyone waited in the locker room, the time before the Avon game seemed to slowly tick away. I asked the other captains if they wanted to say anything to the team before the game, but they said that they didn’t. I called the team together. First, I told them that we had a game to focus on. Then, they gave me their undivided attention, and I was ready to tell them the news that had been eating away at me. This past September, my father was diagnosed with colon cancer, and within a few days I made the decision to tell the entire jv football team. You know how sometimes silence has a sound? That’s what it was like when the team walked two-by-two down to the field. On that day our team changed from a bunch of guys playing football to my friends playing as a unit. When I tell people about my father, most people say how sorry they are and that “they’ll always be there to talk.” They all mean well, but it’s a stock response. After I told them in the locker room that day, my teammates said similar things to me, but many went deeper and opened up to me about their own personal experiences. From them I have gotten the most genuine responses. While we were waiting on the field for Avon to arrive, a teammate pulled me aside and told me that last Christmas his father had gotten the exact same diagnosis. He started to cry as we talked on the sideline. His father was just finishing up chemotherapy treatment. He said that I had done the right thing by telling people. The one mistake he had made was not telling anyone for months about his father and letting it build up inside him. I don’t know what other people were thinking about during that game, but all I tried to do was play my best. We lost the game 18-6 but I wasn’t too upset about that. I was more relieved that I was able to tell them face-to-face. Why I made this decision to tell them is tough to answer. That whole week was a haze, but I knew that I wanted them to know. Rather, they deserved to know. I trusted them. Maybe it was just to lift the burden off myself and to tell somebody who might understand. Maybe I felt that they were some of the people that I was closest to at the school. Memories are made on our field. We’ll always remember Tommy Walker’s interception, John Jackson seemingly running through entire opposing teams, Jack Shumway wanting to show off his track skills, and Joe Sullivan always being late. I’ll always remember jv football at Deerfield Academy. But what I’ll remember the most about football is the friendship and support the team game me, both on and off the field.

After sixteen years, Deerfield boys’ soccer defeated Loomis Chaffee on October 20, marking one of the many highlights in its season so far. In an important game at home, players capitalized on their chances by scoring four goals in the first twenty minutes, which lead to a 4-2 win over an always-strong Loomis squad. “Four years ago we took a big lead against Loomis, but they came back, and the game finished at a 5-5 draw,” said Coach Jan Flaska. “I knew they could score goals, and so I am very proud of our players for hanging on after obtaining the lead. It was a great win against a very good team.” The players were also excited after their win against Loomis. “The Loomis game showed us how well we can play against a top team, and with a lot of important league games coming up, we need to continue playing this well in order to make the New England tournament,” co-captain Jimmy Bitter ’11 said. Bitter and fellow captains Hunter Huebsch ’11, Sammy Redmond ’11, and Alex Ward ’11 lead a strong attack by example. Although Redmond has been sidelined with injuries, Bitter and Huebsch have been putting in many goals, while Ward anchors the midfield. Huebsch, also known as the “flying tomato,” for his red hair, “puts in goals by throwing his body around like no one I have seen before,” said Redmond. “We are all really close friends, so it is great to be captains together on the same team,” said Redmond. Two post-graduates, John Hogan and Tim Shea, have also added important talent to the squad. Shea is a lifetime soccer player who controls the midfield, while Hogan anchors a strong line on defense, which includes Will Henry ’11, Matt McDonald ’11, Bobby Osgood ’11, and Kurt Heise ’12. Outside of games, the team likes to loosen up and have fun during practice, and every Thursday each player on the team comes dressed in a professional soccer jersey for the highly anticipated Boyden-Liga. There are four teams, and each has a PGM (player general manager) who runs the team and makes trades with other teams for different players. The games are four-on-four for fifteen minutes, and are always high-scoring and exciting. The team also enjoys helping coach the Greenfield Youth Soccer Program every Saturday morning. The kids are between pre-kindergarten and first grade, and it is “great and often very funny to see the players interacting with the kids,” said Mr. Flaska. Working with these young players also gives the Deerfield players an insight into coaching, which can help in their play on the field. Often, the kids coached on these Saturday mornings come to watch the team’s home games, which adds to the special relationship. As Choate Day approaches, the team has its sights set on making New England’s. “We have a great unit of players who are well connected,” said Mr. Flaska. “So far the season has gone very well and I am proud of what we have accomplished.”

What can you discover about six members of the Deerfield community from their shoes? Casey Butler ’13 declared she has twenty-eight pairs of shoes in total. She wore a pair of black J. Crew rain boots dotted with bright little yellow umbrellas. “I’m ready for anything… I have a pair of shoes for every occasion,” Butler said with a smile. Trevor Anderson-Salo ’12 is the proud owner of two pairs. He sported Brook’s trail running footwear, expressing his love of nature. He elaborated, “It was either these or dress shoes, and dress shoes are just painful.” Thomas Earle ’12, who was clad in a pair of mahogany Sperry penny loafers, said they spoke to the fact that, “I have class but I like to chill.” He favors his loafers for their good looks and comfortable features. Kay Calloway ’14 likes going barefoot. Not only does she feel restricted by footwear, but she also just likes to be different. “[My favorite shoes] are snazzy, blue, striped, thigh high, fuzzy knee socks,” she said. Math teacher Wayne Marge sported a pair of brown L.L. Bean shoes, but isn’t sure how many other pairs he owns; he quipped, “More than one.” When asked how his shoes described him, he replied, “Well, I hope they don’t.” And this simple statement says enough. Shoes not only express one’s personality, but also offer insight as to where the owner calls home. Aymeric Georges-Picot ’12 sported stylish navy Bensimons, popular French tennis shoes. He said he brought 15 pairs from France “to represent his hometown [at Deerfield].” When you next see a student in Frye boots or Tory Burch flats, ask what they’re really saying.

Let the Great World Spin , Colum McCann’s latest novel, tells the story of seemingly dissimilar characters, each struggling to achieve a meaningful life while coming to terms with their grief. Set in New York City, the novel centers around Philippe Petit’s tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers in 1974, triggering a momentary stillness almost tangible among the city dwellers: “Those who saw him hushed. It was a silence that heard itself, awful and beautiful,” wrote McCann. Especially after September 11, the event won a place in many hearts. Initially, the story focuses on two brothers, Corrigan and Ciaran, who move to the Bronx from a seaside village in Ireland after the loss of their mother. Ciaran arrives shortly after his brother, who divides his time between working at a nursing home and providing shelter for prostitutes in his neighborhood in hope of finding religious and spiritual fulfillment. As the novel progresses McCann introduces an array of other characters, including a middle-aged couple living on Park Avenue who lost their son to the Vietnam War and an artistic duo trying to escape a past ridden by drugs and alcohol. All the characters suffer loss in one way or another, yet remain resolute in even the most dismal of times. The novel leads them to forms of personal liberation. McCann seamlessly merges the lives of these various characters, emphasizing the power of human interconnectedness in a city so diverse and teeming with energy. Through contrasting voices and sharp, concise diction, McCann creates overlap and enrichment of the plot, connecting each account to the tightrope walker. Thought-provoking and endearing, Let the Great World Spin captures America in a time of transition and innocence, conveying the whole of a diverse city, from prostitutes to lawyers to tightrope walkers. Drawn together by a moment of awe and by the power of healing, the characters prove that everyone has something in common, even if only their silence in reaction to a walk on the tightrope.

William Zinsser ’40, a writer, editor, and teacher in New York City, is this year’s Heritage Award winner. Mr. Zinsser spoke at the Oc­tober 5 school meeting primarily about his life and the changes that he encountered. “Writing is a process and liv­ing is a process,” he told the school. He believes that too of­ten in our society we have the feeling that one draft of some­thing is enough. In writing and life, this is not the case. He also repeated the idea that he has treated writing as a craft just like any other job. He thinks the key to writing well is to take on the challenge with enjoyment and some personality. Mr. Zinsser told his audience to “look for what it is in you that makes you want to write about this.” Writers do something use­ful every day by making sense of the world. After graduating from Deer­field, Mr. Zinsser went to Prince­ton. His time there was cut short when he was stationed overseas in World War II. When he re­turned, he started his childhood dream as a journalist for the New York Herald Tribune . Aside from journalistic writ­ing, Mr. Zinsser has written eigh­teen books, including his most famous one, On Writing Well , in which he shares what he per­sonally has learned on writing throughout his life. His other books range from memoirs ( Writing Places; Writing About Your Life ) to jazz ( Mitchell and Ruff ) to baseball ( Spring Train­ing ) to the craft of writing ( Writ­ing to Learn ). In the 1970s, Mr. Zinsser was the master of Branford Col­lege at Yale University where he taught an influential nonfiction workshop. Today, he continues to teach in New York at The New School and the Colombia Graduate School of Journalism. The Heritage Award was created in 1984 by the Execu­tive Committee of the Deer­field Academy Alumni Associa­tion and is given to an alumnus whose professional and personal achievements represent a special contribution to the betterment of society. A committee of faculty and students look over the nomina­tions and vote for three finalists. The Executive Committee then makes the final decision. In past years, the award has gone to a Nobel prize-winning physicist, a senator, the head of the National Geographic Society, politicians, the creator of Mup­pet Babies, and a former secre­tary of the Air Force.