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We’ve all experienced it: the awkward antics of passing by a pseudo-student-acquaintance on a walkway, quad, or hall. It’s a daily occurrence—leaving your dorm for sixth period and shuffling down the brick by that freshman boy you think is named Ted, but maybe it’s Tim?; crossing senior grass from the opposite direction of that girl who was on your third’s lacrosse team freshman year but to whom you haven’t spoken since; walking past *insert name here* about whom you’ve heard so many rumors. It was sophomore spring, when the sun was out longer. I began to notice trees which had never existed before, and as that infectious spring fever took hold, I decided with a certain stubborn conviction that, from then on, I was going to say hi to every single person I passed by on campus. Easy, right? Well, not so much. For the most part, Deerfield students have mastered the subtle formula of fleeting greetings. Timing is essential: making eye contact too early or too late results in immediate abortion of any greeting procedure and potential awkwardness. Most people implement the ground-stare or sky-stare until the consistently-shrinking distance between them and oncoming traffic is ten feet or less. At this point, both parties punctually raise or lower their heads from imaginary cogitations, assume an approximately one-and-a-half-second mutual regard, after which they proceed to return to the pensive preoccupation of ensuring that each foot falls in correct placement in front of the other. Speaking too early results in discomfited silence and a hasty jab at a follow-up comment, the subject of which 90 percent of the time is the weather. However, in my quest to greet everybody, I failed to factor in the extenuating circumstances that too often arise. This refers to all of those—and there are a considerable number—who are utterly incompetent at greeting those they pass. People seldom say hello even on the emptiest of city streets, to unknown peers in much larger schools, or basically, in most places in general, so I guess it’s a practice many might not be used to. Maybe that’s a reason students so ardently prefer walking in groups even the shortest of distances; it eliminates the obligation of implementing the formula of fleeting greetings in the likelihood of a solo pedestrian approaching from the othe way. There are always those cringingly awkward people who spend more effort laboring over how to avoid eye contact and verbal exchange than it would take to say hi and get it over with. Yes, exactly—those people who upon entering a ten-foot zone suddenly spot a pterodactyl, become engrossed in whether their shoes are Nike or Adidas, or use a cop-out by sending a redundant text on their BlackBerry or iPhone. If you know that you fall under one of these categories, please review the Fleeting Greeting Formula, described earlier. So, that’s sort of bad, but these passers-by at least feign preoccupation. The worst are the people who don’t avoid, but flat-out ignore the attempts of others to exchange a pleasantry. Perhaps that’s another reason students sometimes don’t even bother to try saying hello—they’ve mustered previous attempts and garnered no responses. Fortunately, this behavior is rare, though it is still out there, awaiting elimination. When it reaches that point when I feel I might as well be walking past a brick wall, there remains no other solution but to impose a salutation by verbally accosting him or her. I prefer to avoid this scenario, as it puts the other party in creeped-out discomfort. In the end, all of that was a verbose way of reminding everyone to say hi to one another. Our campus bubble is small and we’re only here for so long; why don’t we all follow the simple formula and acknowledge who we’re sharing Deerfield with?

Dining Hall Master and Sports Information Director Joseph Morsman ’55 and his wife Director of Alumni Relations Mimi Morsman are legends. Some alumni remember Mr. Morsman as a teacher and even a classmate. As a teacher, Mr. Morsman taught U.S. history and senior electives. “My teaching style in the classroom was work hard and have fun,” he recalled. Mr. Morsman has been associated with Deerfield since 1951, when he arrived as a student. He joined the faculty in 1960, when Headmaster Frank Boyden offered him an appointment; since then, he has worked for five headmasters: Mr. Boyden, David Pynchon, Robert Kaufmann, Eric Widmer, and now Margarita Curtis. Mrs. Morsman, from her office in Ephraim, commented on the values and changes each head of school has brought to the community. “Dr. Curtis is encouraging professional development as a teacher, coach, and resident in the dorm. Mr. Pynchon encouraged the arts; Mr. Kaufmann campaigned for coeducation. And, Mr. Widmer pushed for globalization,” remembered Mrs. Morsman. As they look back over their time here, memories of the Boydens stand out. “Hands down, the two most outstanding educators are Mr. and Mrs. Boyden,” said Mr. Morsman, explaining how Mr. Boyden wanted each student to be well rounded. Then, chuckling, he pointed towards the bushes near the Main School Building where Mr. Boyden accidentally crashed his golf cart one day. “There are a lot of things Mr. Boyden would be happy about,” reflected Mr. Morsman. “We still have sit-down meals, school spirit, a dress code, and school meeting. And, the faculty really cares about the kids.” At the same time, he noted the significant changes. “Individual athletic teams have many more games and meets than they did twenty-five years ago. Today, the life of a Deerfield student is much busier. There are many more opportunities in academics as well as extracurriculars. When I was here you studied for a test on Tuesday during Saturday morning study hall. Friday night you were studying in your room,” described Mr. Morsman. As a student, he was also a cheerleader, which explains how he knows the locomotive cheer. Mrs. Morsman added that “The number of families on campus has also changed, which I think is good. Before, men ran the dorms and were known as masters.” Mrs. Morsman knows one thing that has remained constant and always will: “The kids are happy here. There is a certain something in the woodwork, something genuine and unique to Deerfield.” “Deerfield isn’t perfect, but we do it better than everyone else,” finished Mr. Morsman.

Girls’ Swimming & Diving – A defeat of Choate for 3rd place at New England Prep School Swimming Championship. Choate had beaten Deerfield during the regular season but due to multiple record-breaking performances by the DA girls, Deerfield placed ahead of them in the championships. Girls’ Field Hockey – A 5-0 shutout vs. Loomis Chaffee. The Deerfield girls dominated a traditionally strong Loomis team away at Loomis. Boys’ Hockey – A 5-3 victory over Hotchkiss at home on 80’s Night in the Barn. The Hotchkiss team had beaten the DA boys at a tournament early in the season but the boys’ team defended home ice in front of a rowdy crowd. Varsity Golf – Beat out Choate by 2 strokes to secure the New England title, led by Captain Charlie Von Arentschildt who posted a low round of 74, as one of the three Deerfield competitors who placed in the New England top ten. Girls’ Volleybal l – Knocking off both the Exeter and Taft squads to secure a spot in the New England championship tournament for the second consecutive year and sending three players, senior captains Luigia Goodman, Shannon Horne and Morgan Marks to the all-star tournament. Boys’ Soccer – A thrilling victory against Andover in the final seconds of the game. The Deerfield squad recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the second half of play, equalizing the score before Hunter Huebsch ’11 put in the winning goal in the final 30 seconds of the game. The Deerfield contingent also beat Choate convincingly 3-0 on an exceptionally rainy Choate Day. Boys’ Basketball – Exciting victories in the final two games of the season. The DA boys pulled off an impressive 54-52 victory away against Andover, leaving it to the final seconds of the game to close the deal. The team gave the excited home crowd something to cheer for closing off the season with an exhilarating 52-44 victory over rival Choate at home. Girls’ Hockey – An impressive 3-2 overtime victory versus Exeter. Going into the 3rd period tied 1-1, Big Green girls fell behind 2-1; however, Jamie Haddad ’12 evened the score at 2-2. Haddad would strike again in the final 4 seconds of OT, putting the winning goal decisively into the top corner of the net. Boys’ Lacrosse – A tenacious victory against an always-strong Avon Old Farms team. The boys pulled away in the final minutes to secure the 11-9 victory at Avon. Boys’ Baseball – Winning 8-7 in a walk-off against rival Choate at home in front of rowdy Big Green fans. Girls’/Boys’ Alpine Skiing Jack Stobierski’s ’12 first-place finish in the boys’ class A championships in slalom and third place finish in giant slalom. Beth Lawless ’12 also finished in the top ten in both slalom and giant slalom. Overall, girls’ placed 4th in New England, while boys’ finished 3rd in NE.

Matthew Fox, Deerfield Class of ’85, stars in the popular television series Lost . The Scroll was lucky enough to get an exclusive interview with the star before the end of the series. This interview has been a long-held dream of Lost -devotée Andrew Slade. Scroll : Will viewers be satisfied with the ending of Lost ? Fox : I was really moved when I was told a couple months ago what the final scene would be. It’s a great ending put together by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, and it will be a sad moment when it comes around. We all put so much work into it and it was definitely worth all the effort and time spent. It’s a sad and beautiful moment when it ends, but you will enjoy it. Scroll : Did you enjoy working with the other members of the cast? Fox : I was there for six years, so I definitely made some great friends whom I will miss. There comes a point, however, when you have to move on. Lost has been a great experience for me, but I’m glad this chapter in my life is over. It feels good to be done with it, and I’m looking forward to a new part of my life. Scroll : What was the daily routine for the show? Fox : I would say it was very random and unprepared every day. We had to shoot so much in such a small amount of time that it got pretty crazy, especially near the end. But that’s what I like about acting, that sense and feel really makes it enjoyable for me. Scroll : Will you be lost without Lost ? Fox : [Laughing] Uh, no. It has been a great experience for me in my career, but I am excited to move on. I’m not sure what my next job might be. Scroll : Were there any props that you wanted to keep? Fox : No, I’m not really that way. I’m kind of ready to shed the character of Jack Shepherd and go back to being me. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family as we move from Hawaii to Wyoming. I’m really a country boy—that’s where I grew up. Scroll : Do you plan to return to Deerfield any time soon? Fox : I really do want to come back to Deerfield and talk to as many kids as possible in the future. There is a proposal for me to come back, but I have been so busy with Lost that I haven’t been able to take a good look at it. I hope to return in January of 2011, though. I was only at Deerfield for one year, but it was a great transition year for me, and I enjoyed every second of it. I grew and learned a lot from the experience.

Rush McCloy ’92 Back on Campus A navy lieutenant, private equity investor and entrepreneur, Rush McCloy ’92 is returning to Deerfield as the 2010 commencement speaker. In planning Commencement ceremonies, Director of Alumni Relations Mimi Morsman looked for a “guest speaker with a Deerfield connection…a parent or an alumnus.” Mr. McCloy was a natural choice: five members of his family attended Deerfield, including his wife, Brooke Goodchild McCloy ’95, whom he met in high school. A “very loyal alumnus,” Mr. McCloy serves on the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association. “He is very proud of his Deerfield diploma,” said Mrs. Morsman. After graduating from Deerfield, Mr. McCloy attended the University of Virginia, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Lauder Institute and Wharton Business School, where he was the recipient of the Paul Green Award for Knowledge Creation. According to Mrs. Morsman, “one of the first responders at Ground Zero to locate survivors among the rubble after 9/11,” Mr. McCloy joined the Naval Reserve shortly after the incident. He has served in Afghanistan since September 2007, where he “personally led missions to fight, capture, and convert Taliban and anti-government elements.” Prior to his service, Mr. McCloy founded both Run4Research—an organization that “raises money for pediatric cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering”—and Channelstone Capital Partners. “Deerfield instilled a sense of service and teamwork that I have carried with me throughout my personal and professional life,” said Mr. McCloy. Indeed, he has “run marathons and ultra marathons around the world to raise money for pediatric cancer research and education in South Africa’s townships.” In his address, Mr. McCloy will seek to convey the importance of service and how service “does as much for you as it does for others.” According to Mrs. Morsman, he will aim to “relate to seniors” in his address through also discussing “what he was thinking about when he was eighteen,” to deliver a speech “that kids will remember.” Looking ahead to Commencement weekend, Mr. McCloy said he has never felt “so honored and humbled as now to have the chance to speak to such an accomplished group.” Student Speakers address beyond “the hills” The year’s graduation exercises will feature student addresses by seniors Hannah Flato and Steve Kelley. As a student speaker, Flato wanted to be one of “two individuals who would complement each other and fill in what the other missed.” Indeed, Flato often thought of last year: “Ingrid Kapteyn ’09 and Alex Nicholson ’09 really resonated well together and had a good balance between narratives and messages.” Regarding the process of writing such a speech, Flato admitted the difficulty of offering “a detached point of view.” Still immersed in current school life, she said, “It’s hard to step back and look over all four years.” In preparing his address, Kelley also looked to last year’s student speaker, Alex Nicholson. According to Kelley, his speech contains “a main message similar to [Alex] Nicholson’s.” “We obviously had different experiences, but still both want to show the same respect for Deerfield,” said Kelley. He aims to “tell a story that shows his transformation from a normal person to a Deerfield boy and then analyze it with the sense of community here in mind.”

With the restless energy that comes with the end of a school year, one can’t help but anticipate a relaxing return home. However on June 5th, fourteen Deerfield art students from Mr. David Dickinson’s classes will board a plane to Paris. Deerfield Academy’s first ever DArt Trip is a two week program during which Deerfield students will stay with host families in various Parisian arrondissements and attend an array of art courses. The experience will enable them to explore many different media and artistic techniques. The trip will include a sculpting class at Versailles, a painting and drawing session in Monet’s garden, and visits to the Louvre, among many other exciting artistic excursions. Immersion into the French culture will also play a key role as students learn new artistic techniques and familiarize themselves with different mediums. The idea for this program first came to Mr. Dickinson about ten years ago. He was further inspired by his time spent with French teacher and wife Claudia Lyons, who will co-host the art trip, on her French language immersion trips over the past five years. “What really spurred me to look further into this summer art trip,” said Mr. Dickinson, “was the number of students who were asking me how to draw and paint during the French language immersion trips.” Mr. Dickinson explained that “the growing interest and depth of artistic skill of returning and new students alike” was yet another reason to offer the summer program. With every new program come inevitable challenges. Mr. Dickinson believes “the hard part is finding a balance between challenging work and relaxed fun.” His hope is to create an environment for students with a rigorous course of study in the arts and also time for relaxation and exploration of the area. Mr. Dickinson hopes the trip will inspire the advanced students and believes it will be a great chance to learn some French artistic history. Although the trip will last only two weeks, it will no doubt be helpful in creating well-rounded college portfolios. The classes that students will attend in France are very different from those offered at Deerfield and will contribute to the breadth of each student’s portfolio. Mr. Dickinson said the traditional “Beaux Arts” approach in Paris is part of what will make the student’s portfolios unique. The students “will work from live nudes at le Grand Chaumiere, one of the original famous ateliers in the Montparnasse region,” said Mr. Dickinson, which will, among other things, “make this trip an enriching experience for students before they head off to college.” Considering all the exciting excursions and learning opportunities planned for the DArt Trip, it is no surprise that Mr. Dickinson cannot pinpoint one highlight of the trip. He anticipates “the whole trip to be a highlight.”

The time has come to say farewell to several individuals who have inspired students and fellow faculty members during their time here. English teachers Maggie Blake and Matt Langione, Assistant Director of Multicultural Affairs Ayodeji Perrin ’97, Director of Music Amy Shimbo, Assistant Director of Admission Rebecca Tynan, and Director of Multicultural Affairs Ann-Marie White are all leaving for new surroundings. Ms. Blake is leaving her position in the classroom to teach at a private day school in Atlanta, GA and be closer to family. She commented that she is “heartbroken to be leaving Deerfield” and went on to say, “I’ve become very moody… even my dog has been upset.” Mr. Langione leaves to continue his schooling. He will be attending Berkeley where he plans to complete his doctorate in English. His parting comments after two years teaching here were, “I’ve loved it here… I wouldn’t have left for any other school.” He hopes to continue to grow as both a teacher and student in the years to come. Mr. Perrin is also trading his role as a leader in the classroom to that of a student at Emory Law School in Atlanta. He also hopes to continue religion and earn another degree in theology. He reflected “I’ve enjoyed my time here… it was four years well spent.”Mr. Perrin also said that teaching Judeo-Christian Traditions Political Philosophy solidified his choice to continue on the road of an academic. Ms. Shimbo departs with a similar affection for Deerfield, “It’s been a lot of fun,” she said, adding, “I’ve learned a lot… I’ll miss Deerfield.” Though her one-year here has been a whirlwind, she leaves to take up a position at a Charter school north of Durham and to spend more time with her boyfriend in North Carolina. Ms.Tynan leaves to join her husband, a crew coach at Wesleyan University. After her 6 years in the admissions office Ms. Tynan said, “It’s been wonderful here… I’ve especially enjoyed spending time in the dorm and coaching… I’m going to miss the community here immensely.” The science department, Multicultural Committee, and entire Deerfield community will miss Dr. White. We will feel the absence of the faculty member on more than MLK Day.

This spring’s decision that junior and senior girls will be housed together was met with confusion and anger by many rising seniors. One concern is that some current sophomores were given priority over current juniors. The only primarily senior girls’ dorm this year, Rosenwald/Shumway, is centrally located on campus , making it especially attractive to the majority of junior girls who have spent the past year living in distant John Louis, Bewkes, or Ashley. In addition, only a quarter of JL’s residents next year will be seniors. With some current junior girls poised to be junior proctors next year, it seems strange that their classmates who are not proctors will have essentially the same living situation. In addition, juniors and seniors follow almost completely opposite schedules. Seniors stress through college apps n the fall; juniors face massive pressure in the spring. Students are disappointed with the lack of effective communication. Last year, students living in doubles were promised first priority in choosing rooms, but some still did not get the halls of their choice. And despite the attempts to have discussions about this problem, the deans have declared the decision final.

The other weekend, as a Big Sister, I joined my Little Sister’s mother, aunt, and uncle to watch her perform in “Blue’s Clues,” a community play hosted by Yankee Candle. As we waited for the first act to begin, I found myself immersed in a discussion with my Little’s relatives, residents of Franklin County. Their small-talk hurled me into an unexpected yet appropriate realization of my lack of awareness concerning the community surrounding Deerfield. My Little’s aunt, the Work Force Manager at Stop & Shop, the popular Franklin County area grocery store, spoke about her participation in the worker’s union, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). She informed me about a recent strike against the chain grocery stores across New England, sparked by the termination of the contract between UFCW and Stop & Shop. Unlike her husband who worked in transportation and unloading of goods, a job that is not authorized to go on strike as stated in the workers’ contracts with UFCW, she was permitted to join the strike as the Force Manager of her store. What I remember most, however, is the clear pride she displayed for her position at Stop & Shop and her contribution to the strike, evident through her excited eyes and expressions as she related her story to me. My Little’s aunt brought me a reality check. Her narrative pushed me to remind myself and the Deerfield community of the diverse profusion of socioeconomic positions beyond our campus. As students, we cloister ourselves in the active and busy lives that Deerfield provides us in order to develop our distant yet perceptible future. Within the boundaries of historic Deerfield, the small loop, or Savages’ Market, the layers of obligations and social commitments that we share camouflage significant differences in background and home life; we are united under the similarity that connects us all, we all attend Deerfield Academy. But remind yourself, next time you leave campus to pick up some groceries, that what constitutes normal standards in our Deerfield lives may not apply to the outside world. In the community around us is a blend of people who certainly do not view us the same way we view ourselves. We talk about how easy it is to become so engrossed in our life that environments beyond our campus become a blur. We talk about how we are built into the Deerfield “bubble” as an almost unavoidable certainty, a predicted outcome of the seclusion we experience. We need to replace this loss of perspective with heedful awareness of the greater world that carries different standards of wealth, class, and background than those we maintain at Deerfield.

As soon as the last full Student Council meeting adjourned in mid-April, Lizzie Nelson ’10 handed down her position as chair to Ellie Parker ’11. The seniors departed after the meeting, signifying the new school year ahead. In early May, the entire student body voted for school president, where junior representative, Charles Giannini ’11, won. He succeeds 2010 class president Paul Pasciucco. Class elections for the three senior representatives, four junior representatives, and day student representative occurred soon after, while sophomores and freshmen will hold elections this coming fall. A goal set forth by last year’s Council was to obtain a “box” in the Scroll Online , where council could write monthly updates. Since it is difficult to keep direct communication with the entire student body, this option will allow for consistent, reliable updates. This update will be the first of many that we hope will increase the awareness of topics around campus. Along with the box, the new student council website will soon be under construction. It will include official profiles of council members, an anonymous suggestion box, and weekly updated minutes, in a simple, easy-to-use site. For the remainder of the year, Student Council plans on working with the gender committee on topics regarding co-gender involvement in planned activities to increase gender relations, as well as policies on freshman parietals. Looking forward, Council is excited to start a new year with experienced representatives and to maintain a constant and communicative relationship with the deans. As the new school year lurks around the joy of summer, think of ideas to bring to Council: your voice sets Council’s compass.

Whenever I hear about the antics of the Tea Party, I find that I am ashamed to call myself an American. Where is the civil discourse and disobedience, the intelligence and sophistication upon which Americans pride themselves so greatly? It’s certainly not in the Tea Party. The recent passage of the health care bill lit a fire under the group, a majority of whom are white, male, older than 45, and, in my opinion, idiotic. Spitting at John Lewis, a civil rights hero, and Barney Frank, an openly gay congressman, and screaming racial and sexual epithets does not particularly portray a reasonable, informed, intelligent movement to me. Neither does the throwing of bricks through Congressional office windows, eerily echoing Kristallnacht, which I find an odd act from a group of people claiming that Obama is Hitler. I recently saw a video of a Tea Party Tax Day rally. In regard to immigrants, a man said, “If you kick them all out, who’s gonna pick the fruit? Who’s gonna wash the dishes in the restaurants?” Another held a sign proclaiming: “Obamacare doesn’t cover tar and feathers.” For me, this is the most frightening, revolting part of the Tea Party movement: the abject racism and hatred towards anyone who is not 100% white. For a while, as I read about the Tea Party, I tried to pretend their acts were isolated incidents. I convinced myself that it was only a couple of crazies, a bunch of radicals whom you could find in any country, angry with the government. When this approach failed after reading a New York Times poll in which 18% of the country declared themselves members of the Tea Party, a sizeable chunk of America, I even briefly thought they might have something worthwhile to say. A visit to their website and a read-through of their mission statement convinced me otherwise. Who am I kidding? Tea Partiers are the angry foot soldiers of the Republicans, a party that, not so coincidentally, has not been served by an African-American in the Senate or the House since 2003 (in fact, they’ve had all of three since 1935). I have moved past disgust and onto pity for their idiocy, their refusal to get their news from anyone besides people within their own realm of insanity like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh. I am disappointed in leaders from both parties for simply ignoring and dismissing what is a frightening and potentially dangerous movement. When the Tea Partiers shake their fists and shout about taking back their country, they’re not talking about taxes, or healthcare, or any political issue. They’re talking about the black president, the female Speaker of the House, the openly gay House Financial Services Committee Chairman, the Latina on the Supreme Court. They’re talking about people in power, people I consider perfectly able to lead, who are not white, straight, and male. Is that what America is meant to be? Certainly not, nor is it something I want to be a part of.

Offered to faculty as a mark of tenure, sabbatical is a program where teachers are relieved of their classroom and coaching duties. Teachers are expected to use their time off to research in a field that interests them, while returning to campus with a plan to enrich the curriculum in their field of study. “I think we both feel like change is good, but also just the idea of spending time to do the things we put on hold, such as looking at new courses and travelling.” said Ms. Valk. History Teacher Conrad Pitcher and Science Teacher Heidi Valk will be on a unique sabbatical next year. Though they will not be teaching classes, both Mr. Pitcher and Ms. Valk will be coaching their varsity sports, Girls Soccer and Boys Basketball. They will take separate trips during their off seasons, while taking a bigger family trip in May to Brazil. While she is here during the soccer season, Ms. Valk will be developing the new junior/senior biology course. The new course is a result of the curriculum shift in the science department, where freshman begin with physics rather than biology. “In the winter, I will be going on a biological conservation Earthwatch,” said Ms. Valk. Earthwatch Institute is a scientific community that facilitates research and conservation trips around the world. “In September, [Mr. Pitcher] is going on an Earthwatch program to South Africa, where he is going to help with animal surveys in the national park,” said Ms. Valk. For the rest of the fall, Mr. Pitcher will be working on a new globalism unit for the United States history course currently at Deerfield. He will also be visiting with college basketball coaches across Massachusetts to learn new coaching strategies and prepare for his upcoming season. In early May, Mr. Pitcher and Ms. Valk will take a family trip to Brazil, to visit the Sérvico Socialdo Comercio high school. Two teachers from the school, Luiz Gustavo Gavião and Gustavo de Paula, visited Deerfield for two weeks in early April to observe classes. “We want to see what they have for their senior research program and to help establish a relationship between Deerfield and SESC?,” said Ms. Valk. Their sabbatical is very unique, as many have stayed on campus during their year off, but no one has coached as well. While this year is mainly to enhance the curriculum, it is also a time for Mr. Pitcher and Ms. Valk to travel and explore the world after eighteen and nineteen years here at Deerfield. “We both felt excited for a change, to do something different.” said Ms. Valk.