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When students encounter problems with their laptops, they often take out their frustration on what they perceive as the elusive force of “ITS.” But what makes up this force? Who, exactly, is the man behind the ITS Helpdesk, and what kinds of technological issues does he encounter? As it turns out, this man is Nathan Chu, Administrative Services Coordinator for ITS. As one of the fifteen workers in ITS, Mr. Chu takes in all of the computers, assesses the problems, and decides what action to take with laptops. He is also in charge of maintaining the stock of loaner computers as well as looking after all video cameras and other audio visual equipment that can be loaned out. In addition, Mr. Chu tracks the ITS budget and purchases new equipment. Recently, Mr. Chu has also assisted in the mailroom and switchboard. As the liaison between the school body and ITS, Mr. Chu is the first responder to any issues that may arise with computer technology. When a student first brings his or her computer to the Helpdesk, Mr. Chu assesses the problem at hand. If a computer has a hardware problem, Jason Zalenski, ITS support services technician, will decide where to go from there. With these hardware problems, many times the computers have to be reimaged. Students believe that reimaging occurs in excess, rather than addressing the original problem. ITS only reimages computers when they see it necessary, and in most situations, reimaging is the best solution to address the problem. “When we take a computer in, we analyze the problem and try to figure out the best solution to meet the needs of the student, while not taking up an undue number of resources needed to repair the machine,” said Mr. Chu. When fixing hardware problems, many times it benefits the computer to create a clean slate rather than trying to fix the complex issue. “It makes for a much more stable system when we start from scratch and return the documents in, and then to try to roll back certain changes, or fix small problems here and there,” explained Mr. Chu. “Often times it is more successful to reimage than to try and patch things,” said Computer Science and Department Chair and Director of ITS Wendy Shepherd. This year with the switch from Lenovo IBM computers to Apple Computers, the Helpdesk has seen new problems arise in the community. One of these problems involves connecting to network printers. With the IBM computers, the access to the network authenticates our ability to use these public printers. The Apple Computers require a password every time a paper needs to be printed. ITS is working hard to address this issue and make it easier for everyone. Another issue ITS often faces is the use of peer-to-peer file sharing, such as sites like BitTorrent and Limewire. Mr. Chu explained, “Because Deerfield owns the network and Internet connection, the school is ultimately responsible for the content that’s on there, and it’s a legal liability for the school and the user of the computer,” he said. Mr. Chu said that students do have their own responsibility when taking care of their laptops. “Everyone who is issued a laptop should try to take as good care of it as possible. You should be sure to try to avoid any sort of virus activities, and to make sure you treat it carefully. Don’t put in places where you could spill on it; don’t leave it lying on the floor where you can step on it.” “We try to provide the best service possible to all students, but it would be great if more students who came to us took a more active role in taking care of their computers,” he said.

I feel it is my duty as the editor of the sports page to share some of my thoughts on the immediate criticism of and disdain for the unfortunately infamous “Choate quotes” article that was present in the November 11th issue of the Scroll. Let me start off by saying that as the editor of the sports page, I, not our editor-in-chief, or the Scroll associates who help produce the issues, had responsibility for the article. It was not intended to offend anyone at Choate, and certainly not at Deerfield. Simply put, this article was the playful banter that goes on between Choate and Deerfield students before, during, and after every Choate Day of which I have been a part. It is fact that the majority of Deerfield and Choate students come from the tri-state area. They have known each other for years, and both student bodies are more than aware that these are not fighting words. These are the absurd claims made by each student body in order to poke fun at the other institution. It seems that many have felt the line has been crossed now that this war of words has been put into actual print. But let us not forget some of the things that go on during the highly anticipated “Choate Week.” We present a “dead Choatie” after a sit-down meal. We tell humorous stories of a Boyden-esque figure fighting off wild boars in ancient times. Finally, we conclude the week with an actual burning of the “C.” All three of these events are cheered on fiercely by Deerfield students who embrace the chance to be more or less barbarians when they are covered in green and white paint. This is all part of a rivalry, and in this case a very historical and very heated one. It is also one where it is apparent that it has become a rivalry in which words sometimes speak louder than action, and I should have taken the responsibility to make sure that didn’t happen.

It was a relief to come to the Health Center tonight, at the end of Choate Day, and find only two students in our beds. Finally the swine flu is winding down and we are seeing fewer sick kids. I took report from the evening nurse and she left for home. Then I made a cup of coffee, and before starting the night’s tasks I decided to read the November 11 issue of The Scroll that was sitting on my desk. What a treat! It was delightful to read about present students who hail from faraway places, and alumnai who are finding their way in the world. Their stories intersected nicely with the email I’d read just before leaving home. My son, an ’03 grad, is on an atoll in the South Pacific at the moment, and will soon be in Hawaii where he will continue his work with honeybees. Cool stuff from Deerfield students, past and present. All of that good feeling melted away, however, when I turned to the last page of The Scroll and read the text in the eye-catching orange square in the lower left corner: Why We’d Rather Be Here Than Choate. Yuck. I was transported as a reader from the pride of accomplishment in Anne Jamison’s story, and the world-experience of Gabor Gurbacs in his, to reading comments calling Choate students sucking parasites. Really. Who are the “disgusting creatures” in this story? Where is the class act? As a staff member and the parent of an alum, I found the tone and the sentiments inane and disappointing as well as just plain embarrassing, and I have to question the editorial decision-making process that chose to run this feature. Rivalries are fun, and playing off one another’s perceived weaknesses is a long tradition. But where is the clever word play and humor of bright Deerfield students? This square of text transformed a proud issue of The Scroll into a common tabloid. Diminishing their rivals by listing the reasons they “hate” them makes the Deerfield commentators look small-minded and mean. I felt sad as I placed my issue in the recycling bin. Susan LaScala, MS, RN-C, Family Nurse Practitioner Deerfield Academy Health Center

When walking by the Koch pool, you would likely see a young diver bouncing ten feet off of the board. He is performing his favorite dive; the “three and one-half tuck flip.” He flips three times before hitting the water and makes it look easy. Taylor Clough, a freshmen diver from Westin, MA, already appears to be a strong asset to the Deerfield diving team. Clough started diving when he was nine-years-old at his summer country club. As his interest in the sport increased, he started to dive year-round in the Boston area. “At home, I put in about twenty hours a week and nearly four-hundred crunches per day,” said Clough. Last year, he finished second at the Massachusetts state championship diving meet and eighth place in an international meet held in Canada. He has also received All-American status, which is given to the top one-hundred divers in the country. So far, Clough has been to eleven national events, competing on the one meter and three meter boards, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. “I almost quit when I was twelve because I didn’t like my coach. But with encouragement from my dad I stuck with it and I’m thankful for it.” Clough has an unusual approach to the dive, which he learned from a Chinese Olympian. This approach helps lighter divers get just as high off the board as more heavy-set divers. “It is unique but he pulls it off,” said teammate Georgina Hutchins ’12 on Clough’s unorthodox technique. His approach, although accepted in national meets, is unique in the NEPSSA league (New England Prep School Swimming and Diving). Many of the NEPSSA officials question its validity and have deducted points because of it. Clough had the opportunity to attend an Olympic development program where he could have pursued Olympic dreams. Instead, he decided to come to Deerfield where he could focus more on academics. Had he stayed at his old public school, Clough would have gone to “two practices a day and would have skipped school to attend national and regional meets.” So far, the rest of the diving team has embraced Clough not only as a good teammate, but another coach. “It is helpful to have a teammate who is my age with such high caliber. It’s almost like having a second coach to help me out when Head Coach Mary Ellen Clark isn’t there. He definitely takes some of the pressure off,” said Kellam Witherington ’12. Although the boys’ swim team lost nine team members at the end of last season, Clough will help the boys in their season where they hope to defend their New England title. Video footage below

If you need something to do over the holidays, you can catch up on the slew of movies that came out just after Thanksgiving break and keep up with the one that will hit the theaters over winter break. The most exciting and highly-recommended are, the ones predicted (by Moviefone) to be potential Best Picture candidates: Up in the Air, The Lovely Bones, Nine, and Avatar. Up in the Air, directed by Jason Reitman, (Juno, Thank you for Smoking), stars a human resource administrator (George Clooney) whose life on airplanes becomes the focal point of his world as he works to reach his one-millionth frequent flyer mile. The “dramedy” was the toast of Toronto, earning raves from critics across the board. George Clooney and Anna Kendrick, playing his love interest, are predicted to be nominees for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. The Lovely Bones, directed by The Lord of the Rings’s Peter Jackson, will also be in theaters by the time winter break starts. Adapting the movie from the celebrated bestseller by, Jackson turns a slow-moving and introspective tragedy into a crime thriller: from heaven, a young girl watches her family attempting to track down her killer while he covers his tracks and prepares to claim his next victim. Mark Wahlberg, starring as the girl’s father, is another possible best actor candidate, and Rachel Weisz, as her mother, is a possibility for Best Supporting Actress. Nine, a musical by the creative team behind the Oscar-winning Broadway adaptation of Chicago, will come out a few days after the start of break. Directed by Rob Marshall, Nine chronicles world-class filmmaker Guido Contini’s (Daniel Day-Lewis) effort to realize his latest cinematic vision while simultaneously balancing his relationships with his wife Luisa (Marion Cotillard) and mistress Carla (Penelope Cruz). Co-starring in the movie are Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren, and Fergie; three of the four co-stars, as well as every one of the movie’s stars, have already won Oscars, and Day-Lewis’s performance in the movie might earn him another. Avatar, a digital 3-D sci-fi epic directed by Academy Award-winning James Cameron (Titanic), will come out the same day. The movie features a paraplegic war veteran (Sam Worthington) who is sent to establish a human settlement on the planet Pandora, only to find himself battling mankind alongside the planet’s aliens. Supervised by Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning Weta Digital visual effects house, Cameron combines actor’s movements and digitalized appearance to create the aliens, and has hinted that he is revolutionizing filmmaking with the techniques he used in the movie. This prospect, as well as the fantastic achievements by other directors and actors, makes it look like it’s going to be a great Christmas for movie-goers!

Sierra Dickey ’11, a student Eco-leader at Northfield Mount Hermon, spends more than four hours a week planning projects to both raise awareness and improve sustainability on campus. One day this past month, she made a presentation to the school with fellow Eco-Leaders about heating systems. With pictures and statistics, they walked students “step by step through the heating system.” Later that afternoon, she met with NMH’s communications department to discuss the publication of a “sustainability journal.” All Eco-Leaders at NMH show this same commitment to environmental programs at their school within a single day. Each is required to spend at least four hours of “eco-work” a week to plan and work on projects. One of these leaders’ recent undertakings involved retrieving from recycling bins clean paper that had single-sided printing. These sheets were bound together into booklets and sold for a dollar each as “Sustainable Scribbles.” With the Green Cup Challenge, Task Force for Sustainability, and numerous other programs, NMH has helped set high-efficiency standards for other schools as well. One individual helping to decrease NMH’s environmental impact is Becca Leslie, a biology teacher at NMH since 2002. Ms. Leslie co-founded the Green Cup Challenge in 2005, when only NMH, Phillips Exeter Academy, and the Lawrenceville School competed. NMH won the first Green Cup Challenge by reducing its total energy consumption by 20.23%. Now, the challenge involves over 150 schools worldwide. NMH Math Department Chair Dick Peller reflected, “NMH allows the opportunity to live and work in a beautiful part of the world, in which the natural environment is cherished and preserved.” Sources: nmhschool.org

Mrs. Latham Sarah Latham is a new addition to the mathematics staff this year and teaches two sections of BC Calculus, one section of Precalculus, and one section of Geometry. She is residing in Ashley, along with her husband and two daughters, Emmie and Hannah ’13. Ms. Latham is also helping out with both the girls cross country team and assisting Mr. Harcourt in coaching JV girls’ hockey. (“Who wouldn’t love working with Mr. Harcourt?” she exclaimed when describing her winter coaching position.) Before coming to Deerfield, Mrs. Latham attended Bowdoin College and pursued a career in banking. She then attended Harvard, where she received her Masters of Education. After that, she taught for five years at St. Albans School and ten years at Princeton Day School. Mrs. Latham decided to become a teacher while she was working an unfulfilling job in the banking industry. “When I looked out my office window, all I could see were people across the street working in their offices,” Ms. Latham remarked, reminiscing on how she craved a more inspiring intellectual setting. Around that time, she met her husband at a New Year’s Eve party. He was a math teacher at The Taft School and encouraged her to consider becoming a teacher. Now, their roles have been reversed as Ms. Latham is a teacher, and her husband is a medical writer. Ms. Latham is glad to be in a new place, but said, “It was hard to leave New Jersey because my kids grew up there.” But while New Jersey is home to her children, Ms. Latham grew up near Westminster, so coming to Deerfield feels like a “return to home.” Ms. Veiga Kristen Veiga is new to the math department this year who lives on Pocumtuck 3. She is teaching Algebra II and Precalculus, in addition to helping coach Varsity field hockey and Girls Thirds Lacrosse. She graduated from Bowdoin College this past spring, where she had focused on math and economics. She noted, “I entered college thinking about working in business, but after I started tutoring and TA-ing, I realized how much I enjoy teaching.” She ultimately chose to teach because she would “have the opportunity to talk to people” and connect with them on a daily basis. Ms. Veiga is also having a great time with the girls on her hall, remarking, “We are fortunate enough to have our own common room area and kitchen.” Her favorite feeds to give are dino-nuggets, banana bread, and cookies. Transitioning into Deerfield’s community has not been so difficult for Ms. Veiga. She played varsity field hockey in college and “was fortunate enough to win two national championships.” Her team became very close, and she thought it would be hard to leave. But, upon arriving at Deerfield, she found a new community. “Ms. Cabral has been an awesome mentor,” said Ms. Veiga, “she, along with the rest of the students and faculty, has made the transition very easy for me.”

The H1N1 flu, more commonly known as “swine flu” and more affectionately referred to by Deerfield students as “swine ’09” managed to spread to 122 DA students within 25 days before Thanksgiving vacation. Now that the campus seems to be recovering from its days of the flu, it is time to acknowledge to what extent H1N1 has affected the Deerfield community. Unfortunately the peak number of cases of swine seemed to fall neatly in time with fall exams. Thomas Cowan ’13 recalled suffering with the flu the week before exams. Along with a number of other students who had to make up exams due to illness, Cowan took his exams on the Monday and Tuesday after break; however, Cowan’s main disappointment was in athletics, “I was going to try for varsity squash but was unable to make the try-outs and ended up in j.v.” Athletically, though some teams seemed at a disadvantage with players missing or sick, Deerfield seemed to avoid the worst effects of the flu. Athletic Director Chip Davis said, “Two of our peer schools were cancelling several varsity contests on account of the flu… I believe we only cancelled one sub-V event the whole fall due to the outbreak.” As far as the threat of another H1N1 outbreak on campus is concerned Director of Health Services Thomas Hagamen estimates that, owing to what is referred to as “herd immunity,” the magnitude of cases seen before break will most likely not occur again. With half or more of the student population immune from already having gone through the flu or immune due to the vaccine, it makes it much more difficult for the highly contagious influenza to spread. “Fifty to sixty percent of the student population is probably immune,” Dr. Hagamen said, suggesting that the phenomenon of “herd immunity” is likely present in the community. Though the threat of another break out of the H1N1 flu is not likely, there are three suggestions from Dr. Hagamen for those who wish to avoid the flu completely. The first is taking a trip to the health center to get the vaccine. “We expect more vaccine weekly throughout the winter,” Dr. Hagamen said and urged all who have not received the vaccine to do so. The second bit of advice for skirting around the flu is to keep washing one’s hands. The bottles of hand sanitizer found in every corner of the school are there for a reason. Finally, the third piece of advice is to stay away from others who are sick. Dorms and athletic teams are ideal places for any flu (especially one as contagious as swine) to spread, so avoiding contact with anyone with obvious symptoms is strongly advised. “I strongly encourage people come out and get the vaccine,” Dr. Hagamen said in conclusion. “By following this advice you can ensure the health of yourself and others.”

After losing their top two scorers and head coach from last year, just about everyone on the girls’ varsity basketball team will play an unfamiliar role this year. However, the players and coaches alike are embracing this challenge, and plan on returning to the New England playoffs for the second year in a row. With the departure of Head Coach Kimberly Libby, Darnell Barnes will be taking on the head coaching position, joined by Julianne Schloat as assistant coach. Mr. Barnes has been coaching for seven years, many of which were spent in Atlanta, Georgia at Frederick Douglas High School. Mr. Barnes was also an all-conference and all-state selection in high school, where he scored over 1,000 points in his career. Looking to this upcoming season, Coach Barnes has been stressing team defense, and a fast-paced style as the main coaching points early in the season. “We are going to play up-tempo this year with an intense defense. There will be a lot of full-court pressure, which we hope will force the other team into mistakes,” said Mr. Barnes. “We will be very tough this year.” Jacque Hulburd ’10 made it obvious that plans for a fast-paced style of play meant being well conditioned. “We have a lot of important tournaments coming up before winter break, so it is important for us to be in shape.” The two captains, Luigia Goodman ’10 and Caroline Dickey ’10, bring much-needed experience to the team, as they are both three-year letter winners. “Luigia will be the biggest contributor this year, as she is our best player. She even committed to Williams College earlier this year to play basketball,” said Mr. Barnes Mr. Barnes also has faith in his two young starting guards, Rosemary Straut ’11 and Ali Schulz ’12. Schulz is returning from an ACL tear suffered last year, while Straut was also sidelined for much of the season with lower back injuries. They are both excited to be healthy and to work together in the backcourt, hoping to drive the team into the playoffs. “We are looking pretty good. We are going to play a more defensive game this year with many different lineups and strategies that we hope will confuse our opponents,” said Schulz. Last year the team made it to the New England playoffs, but lost in the first round of the tournament. The team knows they will have to beat some of the tougher opponents who they have struggled against in the past, and they have already started circling their big games on the schedule which include NMH and Andover, and of course Choate, which will be the last home game for the girls. Coach Barnes spoke for all the girls when he said, “I’m excited. This is a wonderful opportunity, and Coach Schloat has been great to work with. I am hoping that in a few years we will be able to talk about our girls’ basketball team in the same way as our lacrosse and water polo teams.”

Imagine standing up in front of a crowd of peers and judges. The judges ask you to give them a taste of what you can do in two minutes, including singing a song, and while the tension in the crowd builds, more students prepare to mount the stage. This feeling is nothing new, as anyone trying out for anything can attest, especially in something as competitive as auditions for the winter play. This year an unusually high number of students auditioned, many of whom are new to Deerfield’s theatre program and to theatre as a whole. The winter play, “Dark of the Moon,” is no Pink Floyd album, but rather a folk song turned play by William Berney in the 1940’s. Director of Theater John Reese described the play as “the Romeo & Juliet in the Smokies,” and claimed it is often considered one of the great, classic American plays. “I really don’t care what age someone is or what class they are in, or what kind of experience they have had. I base it on the quality of the auditions,” Mr. Reese said. He likes new people because they bring a fresh flavor to the production. If he gives all leads to juniors and seniors, the underclassmen will be left with no experience once the upperclassmen graduate. After watching auditions and speaking with aspiring actors, the common theme was a desire for something new. Michael Yee ’10 said, “I heard from friends that participated before, and they had a great time.” When asked why he chose theatre instead of a winter sport, he replied, “I did basketball last year, which was fun, but I wanted to try something new.” New junior Phil Hah ’11 is fairly new to acting, like Yee. His goal this year is to try as many new things as possible. Hah acted at his previous school and loved it because “it lets you transform into a different person.” Hah also shared that if he didn’t get a part, he would give a shot at wrestling. There are other reasons to audition beyond making friends and having a good time. Alfonso Velasco ’11 wants to be in the play because “I want to improve my English abilities by reading, studying, and memorizing in English.” In addition, he hopes to overcome his fear of public speaking. While new actors shared that everyone at auditions was so good and that they didn’t think their audition went as well as they had hoped, each actor believed the experience would bring a new sense of self-confidence. The returners are always excited to see new faces and talent. “I think that the new actors have potential, and it gets boring seeing the same people perform over and over again,” said veteran actor Camille Coppola ’10. And you never know—any one of the potential winter play actors might go on to become the next Matthew Fox of Lost and carry the Deerfield name with them in their acting careers. Dark of the Moon will run from Tuesday, February 16 to Saturday the 20th. Video footage below

On the second floor of the library, carved into the lip of the shelf in one of the study carrels are the three simple words that every Deerfield student will utter at some point: I WANT SPRING. Returning students who find these words will nod their heads in agreement, nudge a friend (quietly, since the librarians are always watching) and share a simultaneous grimace in the mutual acknowledgement that winter is truly one of Deerfield’s darkest times. Yet new students may see this simple phrase and merely register confusion, especially since the week of winter we have experienced so far has been mild, and the Christmas tree is up in the dining hall, and everything seems like it’s going to be ok. Innocence is bliss, or that’s what they claim. Winter term at DA is surely the longest, and is by far the least favorite term. While the 2.5 weeks before Christmas break are filled with wreaths and hall Secret Snowflake parties, once January rolls around, many students find themselves slipping into hibernation mode. The days are short, the piles of snow are high, and the walk to the dining hall or library seems longer with every gust of freezing wind. But without winter, would the Deerfield experience really be the same? Judging from personal experience, the girls varsity swim team, a notorious “cult,” would not be half as close without the bonding forged over long practices, late dinners, and hair that freezes stiff on the walk back to the dorm. Hockey games are well-attended, of course because of Deerfield’s unparalleled school spirit, but also because it’s winter, and there’s really nothing else to do. Spring at Deerfield is a looming beacon of hope for every student who feels they are slipping into hopelessness as the snow continues to fall and the path to the Koch center becomes more and more treacherously icy. But spring would be a disappointment if it wasn’t preceded by the dismal days of winter. Once March is over, life can only get better, and so the budding leaves, outdoor sports, and Sundays spent by the river, hallmarks of Deerfield days, are made even better because we are now seasoned veterans of the winter term. So Christmas break is drawing nearer, and with it the start of those brutal next two months, and even though I have never been a proponent of vandalism I think of that anonymous student who carved those wise words into that desk and feel some solidarity as we both wait for the arrival of spring.

The Ecco Book of Christmas Stories: Edited by Alberto Manguel “Even at their best, Christmas stories [are] no more than wish-fulfillment dreams…And yet how [can] anyone propose to write an unsentimental Christmas story?” asks the narrator of Paul Auster’s “Auggie Wren’s Christmas Story.” Introducing The Ecco Book of Christmas Stories, Auster’s short story recounts the tale of Auggie Wren, whose well-meaning intentions to return a lost wallet lead an elderly woman into mistaking Wren for her grandson come to visit her on Christmas. Delightfully obscure and strange, Auggie’s story begs to be taken for truth, although his “wicked grin” at the end of its telling suggests otherwise. This first story mimics the larger idea presented in The Ecco Book: whether the stories are fiction or memoir, “as long as there’s one person to believe it, there’s no story that can’t be true.” Enlivening the pages of the collection are characters who breathe both reality and ordinariness into a season that so often means only gifts and “plum pudding, mince pieces, mousses, [and] puddles of melted ice cream.” There’s Charlie, the elevator operator in New York City who “[has] fourteen dinners spread out on the table and floor of the locker room,” all conned out of the residents in his building; a young man in Johannesburg for whom “Christmas Eve [is] a drunken riot”; and the teenage girl who works at the Turkey Barn for the Christmas season, learning both about cleaning turkeys and her fellow workers, whose personalities are simultaneously peculiar and endearing. Compiled and edited by Alberto Manguel, the collection contains short works by authors as vibrant and diverse as the stories themselves, such as Truman Capote, Graham Greene, Alice Munro, Vladimir Nabokov, Itoh Seikoh, Muriel Spark, and William Trevor. In the short span of a few pages, each author succeeds in imparting emotions far beyond the traditional “connotations that the mention of Christmas evokes.” Both fresh and compelling, the tales compiled in The Ecco Book of Christmas Stories fearlessly grapple with and succeed in addressing the contradictory nature of Christmas stories. To see more book reviews, visit Kayla’s blog .