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Students and Faculty members heard from Head of School Margarita Curtis at school meeting that “spontaneous combustion” caused the recent fire in the dining hall. But those of us who are not chemistry teachers were left to wonder what that actually means and how such a “combustion” could occur. Spontaneous combustion, according to chemistry teacher Mark Teutsch, occurs when different types of organic-based solvents are “loosely associated with oxygen.” “It happens a lot in situations with oily rags, like auto garages,” Mr. Teutsch explained. In the case of the dining hall, it was the different oils on kitchen linens that were the triggers. When these oily materials are exposed to oxygen, it creates the potential for chemical reactions called oxidation-reduction reactions, which can produce heat. If these reactions produce enough heat, the “flashpoint” can be reached. Mr. Teutsch explained that the flashpoint of a reaction is the temperature at which the reaction can go spontaneous. At this point, spontaneous combustion can occur, as when the linens suddenly caught on fire. If the kitchen linens had not been warmed from the dryer, they most likely would not have combusted. However, because they were heated, they reached the flashpoint quickly.

Faces that had yet to find out about the fire that took place over Christmas break stared at the white wall that covered the South Bubble. The sudden shock of the “2010” painted onto the wall with Deerfield green one night aroused many discussions as to what it could have been or what it should have been decorated with or used by. Now, as a new piece of construction is introduced to the community, ideas of the wall’s uses have spread far and wide across campus. There are plenty of both positive and negative things to say about the wall. However, gossip only spreads for so long. The wall is only temporary, as the Deerfield community awaits the reconstruction of the South bubble. “There should definitely have been a movie projector that we could have used to watch while eating sit down meals,” said Tanyaporn Sertthin ’13 jokingly. “Or even the Superbowl!” “We should have made a mural along the sides of the wall as a border of the projector where seniors can sign their names on,” commented Christina Pil ’12. Or, as Taylor Harris ’13 suggested, we could have “hooked on an Xbox 360 and played video games projected on the surface.” Though there are many views regarding the myriad zany ideas that could have been implemented with the wall, there are also opinions on the transformation of the wall into the seniors’ signature in green and white. When asked for her opinion, Sharon Tam ’13 shared that “though the seniors should have the priority of being the center of attention as it is their last year at Deerfield Academy, not all the seniors participated and they could have included the rest of the school in the activity as a community.” Yet, when Alex Kim ’10 considered the piece of art that represents his class, he said, “I like it because it shows our class spirit. I’m all for everything that represents our class of 2010!”

Many consider The Hotchkiss School to be the leader in environmental awareness among the top prep schools in the country. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently rated the school as the eighth largest purchaser of green power among K-12 schools. When Malcolm McKenzie assumed his role as Head of School, he created two new positions that focused on environmental issues, then reduced the school’s energy consumption, increased its use of alternative energies, and purchased carbon offsets. “We have pledged to be carbon neutral or negative by the year 2020,” Mr. McKenzie said. To reach this goal, Hotchkiss has made changes around campus. The campus herb garden produced enough this fall that the kitchen had no need to purchase herbs from outside sources. Many of the vegetables purchased are grown at local farms. Seven and a half percent of Hotchkiss’ energy comes from renewable sources, a third of this amount coming from a wind farm in upstate New York. Four buildings on campus, including two dorms and their music building, are LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) certified. Mr. McKenzie has found the faculty to be receptive to bringing environmental awareness to all aspects of school life. Because he believes that the environment will be the main problem in the current generation’s future, he feels that students must begin learning to appreciate the connections between these issues and all areas of their lives. He also believes that more hopeful stories and ideas should be offered to our age group. “Too often [students] hear of doom and gloom,” implying that it is easier for students to simply ignore the problem if the only news they hear about it is negative. Many students have adapted naturally to the changes that come with “being green,” but some feel threatened by them. “We are not tampering with tradition,” said Mr. McKenzie, a South African who is nevertheless a self-professed lover of New England boarding school tradition. “We are just trying to graft new things onto the rootstock.” Every spring on “Eco Day,” all students and faculty take the day off from classes to spend time working at the school’s farm, gardening around campus, collecting trash from roadsides around the school, and many other activities. There are opportunities for those who do wish to regularly help out around the school. Abby Hoskins `11 plans to devote her spring term afternoons to working at the farm instead of playing a sport. Also, one of the most active groups on campus is Students for Environmental Action. As opposed to Deerfield’s system of separate proctors for environmentalism and residential life, each proctor at Hotchkiss is responsible for reminding their proctees to conserve energy. In Hoskins’ experience, the entire student body is at least aware of environmental issues if not fully supportive and participatory.

I am among those who reacted with dismay after reading “Why We’d Rather Be Here Than Choate” in the November 11 issue of The Scroll. I entirely agree with the views expressed by Mr. Merriam and Ms. LaScala in the Letters to the Editor. However, I think there is a larger issue of which the Choate-hatred box is just one representation. Throughout history, the baser actions of humans have been inflamed by considering groups of people to be “Other.” Differences in skin-color, religion, ethnicity, nationality, and socio-ecomomic level have been behind the most heinous of human acts, slavery and the Holocaust being the two most obvious. For a great deal of humanity, seeing people as Other justifies their abuse. It isn’t just the box in the newspaper that demonstrates DA students’ view of kids at other schools as Other. Choate week itself is full of events that are grounded in the same sentiments expressed in the paper. Holding a mock funeral for a Choatie and burning a giant C, in my opinion, come too close for comfort to being reminiscent of the lynchings and burnings of the South not many decades ago. An extreme view, perhaps, but I don’t think there is any denying that the acts legitimize at least thoughts of violence towards Choate students. The school has a tradition of encouraging extreme competition in athletics. I know that DA wants to preserve traditions as much as possible, but I think the extreme to which athletic competition is practiced is a tradition that warrants a great deal of thought and discussion—and far more action than letters about the Choate insert box in The Scroll. The extreme to which rivalry is taken is the kind of traditional behavior that reinforces arrogance and violence. Education should never be solely about teaching academics, and lending moderation to rivalry should be an important part of any child’s education. Giving students a sound moral basis means teaching them not to see any human beings as “Other.” I would venture to say that this is the tenet that is the basis for all morality. DA should take the Choate box in the paper as a wake-up call to examine in what ways it can change to prevent this kind of attitude in all aspects of its culture. Hilary Zaloom P ’12

Deerfield, do we care about gender issues or not? While the study conducted last spring and the survey sent this fall both implied that there is community interest in the topic and plenty of room for debate, momentum seems to have petered out lately. Invitations to a series of co-gender discussion groups last week met with few—and initially all-female—responses, and of the twelve students signed up for last Monday’s meeting, only two showed. If we’ve chosen to commit to this project, then let’s not drop the ball. Whether one “believes” in a true discrepancy between the sexes here at DA or sees no need for change at all, discussion should always occur. What could make a difference here? Some say we could try introducing “brother” and “sister” corridors between dorms; others advocate instituting a “Valley Girl” role to complement Captain Deerfield. Or, make the move yourself to integrate tables at walk-through meals. What do you think can or should change? No one can impose balanced gender relations, but everyone can try for them. Remaining mute on the topic ultimately sows conflict itself. gender relations, but everyone can try for them. Remaining mute on the topic ultimately sows conflict itself.

Many of us start our day by visiting DAnet and checking our e-mail and the the lunch menu that day. However, the unwieldy menus on DAnet keep most students from exploring DA’s plethora of other tech resources. Here are a few of the things you might have been missing (and more importantly, how to get to them): Traditional sit-down meal announcements have become ineffective with so many people eating at table 70 and in the lobby. To place an event on the DAnet calendar, go to DAorgs/ Communications Department. Vegans and varsity athletes: are you getting enough protein? You can find detailed nutritional information for each meal at DAorgs/Wellness. Worried about getting your computer reimaged at IT and losing your music? Learn to back up your iTunes library at DAorgs/ITS Help Desk/ Documents/PC. You can find audio and video recordings of various performances (declamations, acting tutorial., dance, etc.) under the “Koch Friday Concert” folder on the R: drive. The library has a variety of databases which you can even access from off-campus. We have subscriptions to music databases that have everything ranging from classical to gospel; there’s a whole database dedicated to world music. Go the library’s website/ Databases by Subject/Music. Intimidated by political debates and discussions of current events? Get a short briefing on the history and circumstances surrounding issues like Darfur and the Afghan War. Hear perspectives on both sides of political and ethical issues at Opposing Viewpoints. Go to the library’s website /Databases by Subject/Current Issues. [And of course, there’s always: ]

With the official start of alpine skiing season, both the boys’ and girls’ teams make a daily 40-minute trek to and from Berkshire East (a family resort) to train in slalom and giant slalom on the short, steep mountain. When the skiers returned from Thanksgiving break, the ground was still devoid of snow, so the team trained hard by doing dry-land exercises to work on their agility. The ski team began its racing season in January, with races occurring on Wednesdays at Berkshire East. Coached by math teacher Marc Dancer ’79 and Physical Plant grounds general Jodi Tanguay, the team is captained by seniors Liz Earle, Andy Harris, Alexander Heller, and Hayley Lawless, all of whom have high hopes of continuing their tradition of excellence within the New England League. Last season in the 2009 NESPSAC Class A Alpine Skiing Championships, the girls finished in fourth place and boys in second. Both boys and girls were also MISL Champions. Deerfield’s ski team is vast and includes a wide variety of talent, but the program accommodates skiers of all skill levels. The challenging course at Berkshire East is a tough enough obstacle for even the most seasoned skiers on the team, and for the less experienced members, or those just beginning to ski, there are both JV and recreational programs. For each race, there is an established running order and the team is split into Boys’/Girls’ Varsity A, Varsity B, and JV. In the first race of this season, there was no surprise that Jack Stobierski ’12 was ranked number one for Boys’ Varsity A, as he rarely loses a race. For girls, ranked numbers 1 and 2 in the first race were sisters Hayley ’10 and Beth Lawless ’12. The team has upcoming regular races for the next three weeks in the run-up to the New England Championships which occur on February 10.

While Avatar has been greeted with a bevy positive feedback, (The New York Times hailed it “glorious”), there are those who look past the beautiful imagery to find controversy in James Cameron’s long-awaited movie, finally released in theatres December 18, 2009. In case you are one of the minority of people who still haven’t seen it, Avatar tells the story of Jake Sully, a paraplegic ex-marine in the year 2154 who inherits his late brother’s scientific project. On a planet named Pandora, a people called the Na’vi live in harmony with each other and the world around them. However, they have built their village on the site of a huge deposit of a rare mineral that the Americans are desperate to lay their hands on. Jake must inhabit a false body, called an avatar, made to look like a Na’vi, in order to gain their trust and convince them to leave their land. However, as he spends time with the people, he learns to see as they do. Jake then must turn upon his own race to save the people whom he has come to understand and love. While the movie may seem inoffensive, there are those quick to point out any instances of a perceived political agenda on the part of director James Cameron. Avatar has been widely criticized for being “un-American.” A major plot point in the story is the determination of the Americans to get what they want: a mineral known as unobtainium, which sells for $20 million a kilo. Many believe that the Americans have been depicted as greedy and ruthless. Parallels have been drawn between the Americans’ behavior towards the Na’vi and the treatments of Native Americans in early American history. Similar to the Trail of Tears, the American soldiers in Avatar move in quickly, attack the Na’vi’s home, and force the survivors to leave their land. Others believe that this is Cameron’s depiction of the Iraq war and American dependence on oil. The American soldiers are sent in to harvest what they need with little consideration for the indigenous peoples. Another issue to some is the perceived pro-smoking stance of the movie. We are introduced to Dr. Grace Augustine (played by Signourney Weaver) as she wakes from a cryogenic sleep, leaves her avatar form, and is already hungrily searching for a cigarette. However, the Titanic director was quick to defend his artistry in a statement given to the New York Times: “I wanted Grace to be a character who is initially off-putting and even unpleasant. She’s rude, she swears, she drinks, she smokes. She is not meant to be an inspirational role model to teenagers. Also, from a character perspective, we were showing that Grace doesn’t care about her human body, only her avatar body, which again is a negative comment about people in our real world living too much in their avatars, meaning on-line and in video games.” The Issue of racism is another Avatar controversy. Similar to Kevin Costner’s Dances with Wolves (and indeed, many other formulaic Hollywood classics), a point of contention is the need for a white man to intervene and save the tribal people who are unable to defend themselves. Will Heaven from The Daily Telegraph sums up the argument: “The ethnic Na’vi need the white man to save them because, as a less developed race, they lack the intelligence and fortitude to overcome their adversaries by themselves. The poor, helpless natives, in other words, must rely on the principled white man to lead them out of danger.” While Cameron’s Avatar has been catching quite a bit of heat from the media for promoting a political agenda, its magic should not be overlooked, magic made possible through the use of extraordinary new technology. If you haven’t seen it yet, get to a theatre, don your 3-D glasses, put reality on hold and enjoy an extraordinary movie. http://www.avatarmovie.com/ http://www.totalfilm.com http://www.blackbookmag.com http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk

Dear Editor, The controversy surrounding the Vespers service seems rather ridiculous. It disturbs me when Deerfield faculty and students oppose an event because it makes them feel “uncomfortable,” especially an event that is diverse in its religious and nonreligious readings. As a recent graduate of Deerfield and former conservative activist on campus, I can attest to the numerous times I felt uncomfortable as a student. I remember shifting in my seat as Howard Zinn, an outspoken communist, addressed us on Martin Luther King Day, or turning red in the face as required speaker Patch Adams slammed our troops overseas. By junior year, the political publication The Deerfield View had published a personal attack against me. But soon I learned that feeling uncomfortable teaches us to learn and mature. As much as I squirmed in some of my classes when politics entered the discussion, I would not choose to go back and change those moments. When my conservative values were challenged at Deerfield, I was encouraged to seek out research and better develop my opinions. Overall, these internal conflicts arose at the endless list of liberal speakers that Deerfield required me to attend. There appears to be a double-standard for faculty and students, which I find most hypocritical. Politics regularly enters discussion in the Deerfield classroom, almost always to be led by the super-liberal/socialist professor. Unfortunately, as much as I would love to say that each discussion is open-minded, the reality is that, much of the time, it is not. When faculty oppose events like Vespers in particular, it simply reaffirms that they can dish it out but they cannot take it. I applaud Mr. Flaska and Dr. Curtis for their efforts because I truly believe that their attempt to make Vespers a required event was not an attempt to convert students to a religion. Instead, as they stated, it was an attempt to empower the community through reflection. If Deerfield continues to make such events like Vespers optional because some students and faculty complain they would feel “uncomfortable,” then I ask that Deerfield abolish required events altogether. If some students are exempt under the notion of uneasiness, then all students should be exempt under the notion of uneasiness. Please keep your ears open to the religious and nonreligious, the liberal and conservative; the minute we begin silencing one group, we begin to silence all.

To an outsider, Rwanda is a land of hills and endless possibilities that rest among the “eucalyptus trees [that] flash silver against brilliant green tea plantations.” The “jagged rain forests, round-shouldered buttes, undulating moors, broad swells of savanna, [and] volcanic peaks as sharp as filed teeth” make Rwanda beautiful. But Rwanda is also a land marked heavily by the scars of internal violent conflict, and the damage is obvious to those Rwandans who inhabit the country. “’Beautiful?’” asked a man named Joseph while speaking with journalist Philip Gourevitch. “‘The country is empty,’ he said. ‘Empty!’” Rwanda is not naturally empty; its characteristic absences are the result of its 1994 ethnic genocide, in which the Hutu people attempted to massacre nearly the entire population of the minority Tutsi people. The roots of a conflict as unreservedly gratuitous as Rwanda’s genocide lay not in the immediate past, but in the very foundations of history, which, for Rwanda, can begin to provide explanation for the identity separation thrust upon its people. Exploring this past is the quest of Philip Gourevitch, author of We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Willed Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanada. Gourevitch, who claims in his introduction that “this is a book about how people imagine themselves and one another—a book about how we imagine our world,” constructs his book through weaving both the subjective and objective. Found in the text alongside the bits of history from Rwanda’s past and present are the personal narratives of Rwandan survivors. One featured story is the account of Paul Rusesabagina, manager of the Hôtel des Milles Collines who sheltered more than a thousand refugees at the hotel during the genocide; Rusesabagina’s story served as the basis for the 2004 film, Hotel Rwanda. Removed from—but not unaffected by—the Rwanda outside the gates of the hotel, Paul assumed the rest of his fellow men would choose his same course of action because it seemed a natural instinct: he said, “I thought so many people did as I did, because I know if they’d wanted, they could have done so.” Unfortunately, for every courageous story similar to Paul’s, there are many more instances of just the opposite. But Gourevitch goes further than simply presenting the stories of the genocide; he includes a post-genocide account of a Rwanda grasping to recover the broken pieces. Simultaneously, the reader, too, struggles with what Gourevitch explains as “the peculiar necessity of imagining what is, in fact, real.” If it is clear that genocide is wrong, how can it occur so easily, particularly in our modern era, and how can countries and individuals begin to seek justice for the atrocities perpetrated? Whether the reader has full knowledge of the Rwandan genocide or not, Gourevitch’s journalistic efforts are fascinating; it is impossible to remain unaffected. Offering a captivating picture of the human condition, Gourevitch makes his point well known but leaves the reader open to drawing various conclusions suited to each individual’s response. One of the many overarching themes, however, is that the implications of genocide are more far-reaching and widespread than society can, or perhaps would like to, perceive.

Former Deerfield student and varsity ice hockey goalie Casey DeSmith decided last year to take an opportunity to play in the United States Hockey League, which some people consider to be the United State’s premier junior league for players under twenty. He plays with the Indiana Ice, last year’s winner of the Clark Cup, the trophy awarded to the top team in the USHL. The team currently has the second best record in their division with 19 wins, 12 losses, and 1 overtime loss. DeSmith and his team are looking to finish the season strongly and perform well in the playoffs. “My team feels extremely optimistic about bringing the Clark Cup back to Indy [Indiana] this year,” DeSmith said. “We are pulling away from the third place team in our division while on a five-game winning streak. The confidence in the locker room is high.” During the Indiana Ice’s recent five-game winning streak, DeSmith played in four games. In those games, he averaged only 2.5 goals against per game and saved 91.5% of the shots he faced. These statistics are considered strong for a goaltender at any level. The Indiana Ice’s winning streak was snapped by none other than the Lincoln Stars—the team of DeSmith’s former Deerfield teammate, Andrew Ammon ’09. The Stars won 5-1 and Ammon recorded a hat-trick. DeSmith, however, did not play in this game and the two former Deerfield students have yet to face each other. On the season, DeSmith has played in 18 of his team’s 39 games. In those games he has 8 wins, 8 losses, and 1 overtime loss. His goals against average is 3.14 and his save percentage is 89.9%. As a player in the USHL, DeSmith is playing high caliber hockey. The top junior league in the United States attracts some of the world’s best young players. “The level of play is astounding compared to anywhere that I previously participated in. A vast majority of players are going to play at the top Division I schools and many are drafted [by the National Hockey League]” said DeSmith. “I am getting better each day, playing and practicing against the great competition.” In fact, 111 former USHL players currently play in the National Hockey League (the elite professional ice hockey league) and 186 current USHL players have already committed to NCAA Division I colleges. “My goal is to play Division I college hockey while getting an education,” said DeSmith. “If I am fortunate enough to go further than that in hockey that would be amazing.” However, amongst the speed, skill, and future expectations of the league, DeSmith has still maintained his love for the game and enjoyed his time in the USHL. “Beating the Chicago Steel at Conseco Fieldhouse [the home arena of the Ice, and NBA team Indiana Pacers] in front of 7000 people on New Year’s Eve,” said DeSmith when asked about his most memorable moment. “That was the most fun I have ever had playing hockey.”

The year 2009 marked the twentieth anniversary of the return to coeducation at Deerfield, and with this milestone, Head of School Margarita Curtis believes, “this is a great time to reflect on what has been accomplished and what needs to be done in terms of gender issues.” Last year Ms. Curtis was approached by Hillary Hoyt ’09 and Elizabeth Schieffelin ’09, who explored the gender dynamic for an independent study project. They expressed both their concerns and their hopes for the future experiences of Deerfield students. Ms. Curtis took this matter to the Board of Trustees to further explore the issue, where a panel of students spoke about their experiences, both positive and negative, related to these gender issues. From there, Ms. Curtis and the Board established a gender committee co-chaired by Health Issues and Anatomy teacher Kristin Loftus and Athletic Director Chip Davis. Ms. Loftus and Mr. Davis held meetings throughout the fall with other members of the committee: physics teacher Rich Calhoun, history teacher Timothy McVaugh, English teacher Karinne Heise, and English teacher Matt Langione. The committee came up with a three-part plan, the first step involving the entire student body taking a survey. Following this survey were both individual dorm and co-gender group discussions. In the spring, the committee will share the results of these studies with the larger community. There is still a debate over how significant the gender issue actually is, or if it even exists. “Deerfield’s results from the 2009 ISGP (Independent School Gender Project) survey indicated both genders, in general, find comfort, equity and respect at Deerfield,” said Ms. Loftus, “There were two specific areas of inequity, though, particularly from the 12th grade girl data, regarding athletics and social power. Our committee’s work, so far, has revealed progress in these specific areas.” Ms. Loftus pointed out that even though the committee will be able to negotiate with the administration, “the students will need to take responsibility for social change where they see necessary.” Hayley Lawless ’10 noted that “in the past, it appeared as if Deerfield was a boys’ club, with girls on the outside trying to get in, but now it’s not that bad. The social dynamic has improved drastically.” Other students agree with this statement. Shaye Horn ’10 said, “It’s actually pretty balanced around here on the student level, whether it appears that way or not.” “Though there are issues on both sides of the discussions,” commented Ms. Loftus, “for the most part, I think the senior class is pretty supportive of each other.” “Sometimes talk of the whole ‘tradition’ thing makes it worse,” said Lawless. “It gives the guys a sense of entitlement, but in general, there isn’t much of a problem.” Ms. Curtis summed up the general sentiment. “It’s not about reprimanding boys or girls; it’s about raising awareness, and making sure both boys and girls feel empowered and valued here.”