Search this site

For Molly Schaus ’06, goaltender for the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team, a gold medal is “the ultimate dream.” The Deerfield alumna, who played on the national team in 2010, will have a second chance to pursue the first-place title at the Sochi Olympics, which begin February 7. After placing second four years ago in Vancouver in a 2-0 shutout loss to Canada, Schaus and the entire squad, whom she refers to as a “big family,” are eager “to play the best hockey we can.” Schaus recounted her hockey history, reminiscing about learning to skate on a Minnesota pond before joining an organized league in Illinois at eight years old. She “wanted to be just like [her] older brothers, tagging along with them and their friends.” As for her position, she explained, “The only way they would let me play was if I played goalie, so I jumped at the offer.” After watching the USA Women’s Olympic Team win gold during the 1998 Olympics in Japan, Schaus found her role models in players such as Cammi Granato, Katie King, Sarah Tueting and Sara DeCosta. That same year, she became a member of Team Illinois, the squad she remained with until high school. As a freshman, Schaus began playing for Assabet Valley High School in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The following year she arrived at Deerfield. She commented about balancing an intense hockey schedule—she attended many camps run by the U.S. team and college scouts— with academic and social priorities at the Academy, saying, “I knew that I had to put just as much effort into the classroom asIdidontheicetofulfillmy dream of playing college hockey. At times it was definitely stressful, but I learned to manage my assignments well and to enjoy time with friends and family.” Schaus has benefitted from the support and expertise of many coaches during her career: “They all encouraged me to push myself on and off the ice, while always reminding me to have fun and love what I do.” At Deerfield, she developed a particularly close relationship with Mr. Meier. She remains close with “a huge support system … [but he is] one of my biggest fans.” Meier returned Schaus’s compliments with similar praise, saying, “[Molly] is unflappable- nothing fazes her and she held our team together.” He added that Schaus “doesn’t make spectacular saves, because she doesn’t need to, being in the right position 90% of the time.” The coach named Schaus captain and MVP her senior year, honoring both her competitiveness and grace as the team’s only goalie. Following her Deerfield graduation, Schaus spent four years at Boston College. Prior to her freshman season, she was also invited to try out for the U.S. U-22 Team. The following spring, she established her current spot on the senior national team. When asked about her status as an Olympian, Schaus admitted, “The fact that I am a two-time Olympian hasn’t sunk in yet. We still have a lot ahead of us in the next few weeks. Being a member of the 2010 Olympic team was such a huge honor. Even though we fell short of our goal of winning the gold medal, Vancouver was an incredible experience all around.” The knowledge and memories will certainly help the team as they play in Russia. “The Olympics are definitely different than our usual World Championships,” asserted Schaus, “but at the end of the day it is just a hockey tournament, and we are focused on minimizing the distractions and just playing our best.” Schaus and her teammates are on the ice six days a week. In addition, they lift three times each week and have video and strategy meetings regularly. As a result, the group maintains an incredible closeness. Schaus elaborated: “We spend so much time together and have been through so many ups and downs that my teammates know me pretty much better than anyone . . . Being able to wear the USA on the front of our jerseys [together] is a bond that will never be broken.” Schaus and her teammates will soon don those patriotic uniforms with pride, representing their country at the world’s most renowned athletic competition.

The concept of “liking” things on Facebook is something I’ve never really understood. It’s a mysterious signal that can mean a number of things, from “No one else has liked this, so I got your (*cough* mildly unpopular) back” to “Hello, I am a boy who wants to un-aggressively hint at my interest in you.” It’s harmless enough at a glance, but the disturbing power of Facebook is its ability to put a number on how much interest people have or do not have in each other’s lives. It takes the high school obsession of “popularity” and makes it something from which you can never escape, whether you’re tucked into bed in your dorm room or walking— notifications-enabled phone in hand — on Albany Road. From another point of view, Facebook is a blatant meat market. It’s a stage on which all of us strut our most impressive stuff, baring skin in the places of which we are most proud (you’ll see a lot of plunging necklines in my profile pictures!). Facebook is a forum for the exhibitionists that we have become, people starving to be the objects of envy on the high school scene. Our Facebook profiles, in the end, are not so much “profiles” of who we are as projections of what we want our best selves to be. It’s a contest to out-do, out- interest, out-sell: and the product is yourself. Many people’s excuse for Facebook is that it allows them to satisfy their curiosity. But while curiosity might be the original motivation, the emotion you’re left with is often envy. Often, as you scroll down your endless newsfeed, full of beautiful people in beautiful beach/ mountain/ party settings, you’ll find yourself feeling the way my little cousin felt when his traditional Korean instrument (God bless his nerdy little soul) was pitted against a hamster for elementary school show-and-tell. Except in order for the metaphor to work, the hamster would have to talk and defecate gold. Of course, there is the option of buying out of the system— which most Deerfield students are forced to do, especially as their workload builds up and time for mindless scrolling becomes ever scarcer in their four years at DA. But the visible decrease in use of social media from freshman to senior year also corresponds to an increase of self-confidence among the student population. It is no secret that there is a huge developmental change in an individual from his first year at DA to his last, and the greatest part of this change is the confidence to be able to own yourself. To summarize, I’m not going to tell you, little underclassman, that you won’t be happier with a profile picture with 300 likes (someone someday explain to me how that happens?) rather than one with 30. But I will tellyou: being able to live your life with more focus on how you see yourself than how you want others to see yourself will come with time. Because I’m a junior, and I sincerely do not “want to die” because you are “so gorgeous,” I would rather not contribute to the ego of a cute couple by giving their picture their 204th like (singles do you hear me preach?), and would prefer to take a nap than look through the hundreds of pictures you took on some beach or another—unless you’re a really attractive boy (in which case you probably didn’t upload a hundred pictures you took on some beach or another).

My sophomore year, Mr. Silipo asked my class to raise our hands if we considered ourselves feminists. I refrained from raising my hand (as did the rest of the class) because my instinctive response is to be blasé about everything. At that time, I elected not to be a “feminist.” Well, my dramatic adolescent transformation into a senior has included a shift in my former apathy for women’s rights. The senior girls recently had a meeting. I did not attend (see: “instinctual response”), but afterwards I was invited to a “For The Girls” group on Facebook, which seems to center around… female empowerment? Not exactly. It centers on clothing and Mean Girls, but it’s a start. We are finally standing together, not against “No Joke Zones” or cliques, but together. Past girls’ meetings have been about not hurting each other’s feelings (I was trying to think of a list of things, but that pretty much sums it up). I would offer up an alternative: that we stop accepting that girls are in this whiny, over-sensitive hole that was dug for us, because I really don’t believe we have to be in it. Personally, I love how ruthless we females are. It proves we have a chance at eventually reaching that true equality we deserve. It’s not going to be handed to us, you guys. It has to be taken. The need to be “lady-like” is nauseating and needs to remain in the 1950s where it belongs. Also in my sophomore year, I was suspended for not having a filter. That’s what it ultimately boiled down to. My whole life, without realizing it, I’d been a feminist. I wanted so desperately to prove that I, too, could have a voice, and not be ashamed of that voice. I overcompensated for how weak the other women I saw were. I never wanted to be that docile. Men are never worried about what they say, and rarely are they condemned for how they say it. Women deserve that privilege, and it’s up to other women to allow it to happen. Though I’m not suggesting that we seek to hurt people, I’d rather apologize for offending someone than spend my life making sure I never do so. So stop beginning and ending your thoughts in class with “I don’t know.” Don’t try to be “For the Boys” just to win their approval. Instead of shyly giggling at some guy’s inappropriate joke, counter with an even more inappropriate joke. I’ve heard them within the safety of the dorm room—I know they exist, guys. Your personalities and your emotions are not predetermined by your gender. Love and shout about your unique opinions, because you’re brilliant and you matter.

If I could let the Deerfield community in on a secret, it would be that we all have a false sense of security in the idea that there is no more racism. It’s a hard concept for some to wrap their heads around. The idea that “if you don’t see it, it’s not there” should not be applied to this particular situation. Why? Because then it creates this elephant in the room for those who can see it. Afraid to be accused of hallucinating, they sit in discomfort. It is true–long gone are the “Whites Only” signs and laws, the racism in our parents’ and grandparents’ lives. But that does not negate the presence of discomfort. The truth is that the more hidden racism is, the more of a problem it is. And then we are led to treat the symptoms and not the problem itself. Hiding from racism is like telling someone that their brain tumor is just a headache and giving them aspirin, a band-aid over a bullet hole, so to speak. Racism is an issue so deeply embedded in the foundation of America that although we have been freed from slavery, the country remains in a state of bondage. We are bound now by the desperate desire to be “color-blind”–an unattainable characteristic in our society. So how do we free ourselves? The first step is to recognize the problem. Recently a situation arose in which I overheard another student remark on how two black students would be first- and second-waiting for his advisory group–“the way it should be.” Once the administration caught wind of this, they reacted swiftly–and the problem turned into a double-edged sword. On the one hand, if they were to act “mildly,” they would be seen as tolerating behavior unworthy of Deerfield students. But if they reacted too extremely, it would be as if they had never heard of such comments–as if the incident had been an isolated occurrence. The administration in this situation went with the extreme, which led me to really question– what can be done? What can we do to change such behavior and attitudes? And how should the school be handling these incidents? For me, the need for education is at the core of these issues– education beyond what the whitewashed history textbooks are willing to tell you–education through narratives and through conversations. Ask questions, even if you think they might be uncomfortable. If the answer might get you closer to how the other person feels, it’s worth asking, worth trying. But do be cautious of how the questions are posed, as not to be offensive, or restrictive, since most do not come with a simple “Yes” or “No.” And those questions will lead to more questions, and answers, and hopefully understanding, if you are an attentive listener. If you don’t understand, if something unsettles you, challenge it! Ask why. Ask about everything until you think you’ve got it. It’s not just one conversation, either. If this is a commitment about which you really care, you will be happy to sacrifice something as trivial as time. And take as much time as you want–as opposed to having everything forced down your throat. Then it’s your responsibility to not just keep that for yourself. Educate others. Take what you learn and bring it into context in your classes, in your everyday life with friends and family outside of Deerfield. All of this is to say that you should not feel as though you have to walk on eggshells and filter yourself around people of color. Those who want to learn will.

In the frigid months of October through April, it sometimes seems like the cold weather is sent to Deerfield simply to give us something to gripe and moan about. But the resultant aura of depression can become a reality for adolescents already high-strung and overworked. Deerfield, a traditionalist school, has historically promoted the idea that we can and should tough it out when something as mundane as the weather upsets us. Harsh winters, however, wield the power to cause extreme mental duress, as illnesses like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) prove. The Scroll recognizes the stigma around consulting a professional therapist, yet we encourage the Deerfield student body to reach out to faculty at the Health Center, who may understand how to help you far better than a fellow stressed-out peer. We may still hold on to the idea that we can solve our emotional problems on our own, but openness to new possibilites, trust in others and admitting one’s weaknesses are the cornerstones to a happy, healthy community.

Established gender roles, in tandem with the peculiar hook- up culture specific to Deerfield, work to create convoluted gender relations at our school, both inside and outside of the classroom. When asked to identify the culprit behind it all, some point to student culture, while others instead blame school policy. One of the student body’s most potent arguments over the past year has been that Deerfield does not create enough casual spaces in which students of the opposite gender can bond. In response, the school is piloting an open-dorm program– developed by Austin Parenteau, Eileen Russell, Mrs. Loftus and Mrs. Young–in which students of both genders visit two designated dorms (one underclass and one upperclass) each weekend without checking in with a faculty resident in exchange for wide-open doors to student rooms. The Deerfield Scroll applauds this effort to reduce the stigmatization around friendships between students of opposite genders. Although some believe the requirement of open doors is a lingering reminder of the administration’s lack of trust in students, the open- dorm policy seeks to foster casual interactions between students. Parietals remain available in all but two dorms every weekend and, as always, offer sacred time for romance. But we at The Scroll also believe that if the administration intends to foster real friendships, instead of acquaintances and relationships, it should take a greater step towards integration—with co-ed dorms. Many upperclassman dorms, such as John Louis, Louis Marx and Rosenwald-Shumway, have two distinct wings with a common room in the middle and are structurally suited to be co-ed dorms. Another idea could be alternating genders for different floors. The most natural platform of inter-gender interaction that The Scroll board can conceive of is dorm life, from hall feeds to hanging out in the common room after curfew. For girls in particular there is currently a disparity between the world “inside” and the world “outside” the dorm. The existence of dorms separated by gender fuels this idea that “going out” of the dorm is equivalent to “putting yourself on show.” The pressure on Deerfield girls to look like the epitome of perfection outside the dorm may be alleviated by co-ed dorms, which will mirror the real world more closely, since girls and boys will interact with each other in their home environment, no matter the state of their appearance. Meanwhile, co-ed dorms might encourage boys to clean up their act a little bit. The “real world” that we always talk about is, thankfully, not artificially segregated by gender. It is time that the student body begins to understand that, as adults, most of our relationships with people of the opposite gender will be friendships and work relationships. A school environment that fosters these kinds of interactions will not only be promoting a better student culture, but also better equipping its students for a less regulated life in college and beyond.

Dear Reader, What does diversity really mean? We know that the themes of inclusion, social justice and civil rights play a part in its definition; but to foster the growth of a “diverse community,” we must consider other factors as well. I believe that answering this question requires a personal and individualized approach, that sloppy generalizations are detrimental to our understanding of the word. We can’t limit ourselves to seeing issues through a black and white lens; diversity should exist in all aspects of life and its emphasis should be felt every day, not just from 8:15-3:30 on January 20. We can’t make up for all of the injustice that takes place on the other 364 days of the year in 7 hours of reflection and good deeds. So how do we go about integrating these sentiments into our daily lives? Why should we care? It’s certainly going to take some effort, but it is of the utmost importance that we start to seriously consider these questions and the forms their answers could take. Deerfield, although at times a very tight-knit community, can also be a cutthroat environment where people are out for themselves and their own success. Although there is certainly something to say for this kind of strong motivation, it can also lead to forgetting to be concerned about those around us and overlooking currents of injustice. Some people might argue that we are creating problems that don’t exist, that Deerfield is perfect and everyone is happy with the way things are; but this kind of an approach is unrealistic. It can be hard to wrap our heads around words like “diversity” that are heavy with implications and can be understood in endless contexts, but this is no excuse for not attempting to create our own definitions and applications for them. I believe that we are certainly on the right track to increasing self-awareness of the real world and its real problems. In the throes of this campaign against childhood hunger and social injustice, however, we cannot forget to apply what we learn to life at Deerfield. These issues are not only omnipresent, but also continuous; they can’t be swept under the rug, or cancelled out by a few hours of community service. So don’t pretend that they don’t exist, but instead push the boundaries of your comfort zones and figure out what you can do to make this school, the valley that surrounds it, and the global community a better place. Sincerely, Charlotte Allen Editor-in-Chief

Pablos Holman, known as one of the most famous computer hackers in the world, visited campus on January 15 to speak about his life in the computer field and projects he is working on today. Holman became interested in technology when he got his first computer in 1979. He spend his days “imagining [that] if it were faster or had more memory, maybe we could do something cool with it.” “I got really good at doing new things with computers,” Holman explained. “And whenever somebody wanted to do something with a computer, they called me. I tried not to screw it up, because if I didn’t screw it up, I figured I would have another opportunity to work.” Holman currently works at Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, a company that develops products in order to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. Some of Intellectual Ventures’ work includes a laser to kill malaria-carrying mosquitos and a giant funnel to prevent hurricanes. When he’s not busy with these projects, Holman hacks into the computer systems of banks, corporations and governments to expose flaws in their security systems. His “friendly” hacking is designed to help prevent, criminal infiltrations like the one that recently occurred at the retailer Target, when hackers managed to steal the credit card information of millions of customers. Computers and software remain a passion of Holman’s, and he regularly gives presentations and talks on the future of computers. As computers become more ubiquitous in our lives, Holman urges us to “Look around and figure out where computers are not used and try to imagine the improvements computer power and software would bring there.”

Imagine having your Spanish classroom be a café in Madrid, or being able to practice your Chinese while shopping at Xui Shui Jie in Beijing. Students at SYA (School Year Abroad) experience just that. Founded in 1964, SYA has been bringing high school juniors and seniors to locations around the world to study languages, experience other cultures and develop global leadership skills. Every year about 60 students from over 45 independent schools nationwide attend SYA programs in Spain, France, Italy and China. Currently eight DA students are attending SYA programs: Tarah Timothe ’15 and Celeste Diaz ’15 in Spain; Alexia Hernandez ’15 and Ben Schiller ’15 in Italy; John Bowllan ’15 and Jason Bravo ’15 in France; Michael Beit ’15 in China; and Aaron Bronfman ’15, who returned to Deerfield after a half-year program in China. “I decided to go to SYA because, personally, I really craved something different,” said Timothe ’15. “It is a program starkly different than anything else given to high school and college students. We get to spend a year in a country completely immersed in everything.” For Hernandez ’15, the opportunity to do SYA was just too good to pass up. “I remember kids saying that they didn’t think they would be able to leave Deerfield for a whole year, but it’s totally worth it,” she said. While in a different country, SYA students earn American high school credits and continue to take classes that correspond with regular junior and senior requirements. What is unique about academics at SYA is that students also take courses that focus on the history, culture and literature of their respective host country. Because language is such an important aspect of the SYA experience, students take intensive language classes that are taught by native speakers. “What sets [SYA courses] apart from Deerfield’s courses is that they are centered around China, i.e., Chinese history and books about China,” said Bronfman ’15. “Chinese class was different in that it was so intense. I took two classes in Chinese, and never once was there a word spoken in English.” In Italy, Hernandez ’15 enjoys participating in the co-curricular activities that her school has to offer. “The first semester I played soccer with the SYA team,” she said, “but some people took cooking, photography, [or] boxing classes.” The SYA program makes sure to allow students free time to spend with their host families, as well as time to independently explore their community and travel to nearby cities and sites. Timothe ’15 has enjoyed the traveling aspect of SYA and is excited to see more of Spain during her stay. “For New Year’s, two friends and I went to Barcelona, and it was spectacular,” she said. “We bought our own bus tickets, booked a hostel and set up a whole itinerary for our own trip. Opportunities like that do not happen at [Deerfield].” Beit ’15 has also taken advantage of his freedom to help his community in Beijing. “My favorite experience has probably been tutoring local migrant workers in English,” he said. “As my Chinese gets better, I can understand their stories, which are unlike anything I have heard before—you wouldn’t believe the lives some of these people have.” The homestay component of SYA is an integral aspect of the program and is often the most memorable among SYA alums. At home, students are able to apply language skills learned in the classroom and further immerse themselves in the culture of their host country. Before students go abroad, families are interviewed and matched with the SYA students who are most compatible. For Beit ’15, his host mother and father have become like family: “Homestay is just a regular part of my life now. I’m close with my host mother; we talk every night about school, life, college, etc. I am so grateful for them.” “In the States, it is just my dad and I,” said Timothe ’15. “Here in Spain, I have three siblings, two girls who are 15 and 17, and an older brother who is 21. I have learned how to be a sibling, which has been interesting and really rewarding.” SYA gives students the opportunity to live and breathe a different culture while learning a foreign language, developing independence and seeing the world from a different point of view—all necessary for a global citizen in today’s world. “In retrospect, this is one of the best decisions I have ever made,” said Beit ’15. “I miss Deerfield and am looking forward to coming back, but I am just grateful to SYA and Deerfield for allowing me to have this experience.” For Bronfman ’15, now back on campus from his semester in China, studying abroad had more impact on him than he had expected. “Besides my Chinese being infinitely better,” he explained, “I learned a lot about Chinese culture. But the most important thing I took away from China is what I learned about myself: how to function independently, and how to deal with situations I was uncomfortable with. So in the end, I truly believe I learned more [at SYA] than I could have in another semester at DA.”

With the Sochi Winter Olympics starting next week, Russia has come under close international scrutiny for its recent legislation on gay rights. In an interview given on January 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin attempted to send a reassuring message in a meeting with a group of volunteers at Krasnaya Polyana, the Olympic mountain venue. “[Gay athletes] can feel calm and at ease,” he said. “Just leave kids alone, please.” For many, however, his request that gay athletes “leave kids alone” was a reminder of the very law that first sparked the ongoing outrage in the western media over LGBT rights infringements in Russia. The law in question was passed in Russia on June 30, 2013 with the consent of Putin. It banned distribution of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” among minors. This bill was an amendment to an earlier piece of legislation protecting children from pornography and other “harmful information.” The intention, said Deerfield student and Moscow native Stepan Severov ’15, is to prevent instances in which gays “force or invite children to join their sexuality.” Severov went on to say, “My parents’ policy is [that], as [long] as gays don’t force our children to be gay, we have nothing against them.” Genevieve Gresser ’15, President of the Deerfield Academy Gay Straight Alliance, strongly disagreed with the underlying assumption of the legislation against “gay propaganda.” “The notion that ‘gay propaganda’ will turn Russian children gay is ridiculous,” Gresser said. “Being gay, or having any other sexual orientation, is not a choice. People are born with their sexuality, they can’t just decide what to feel or whom to love.” Heather Liske, English teacher and advisor for the Gay Straight Alliance, agreed, saying, “There is the same mentality behind this Russian legislation that we see in U.S. white conservatives who try to ban sexual education from schools. There’s this misconception that if you ignore something it doesn’t exist.” In light of the Pussy Riot group incident in 2012, when three women were sentenced to two years in jail for singing anti-Putin songs at Russia’s largest Orthodox Cathedral, the 2013 bill prohibiting “gay propaganda” seems to many a legislative threat to freedom of speech. The bill also prohibits gay pride events on the premise that such events will expose minors to information about LGBT sexual relations. Severov believes that this legislation is for the benefit of gays in Russia as well. Severov said, “Gay parading makes the situation worse. People [in Russia] don’t like it when gays try to protect their rights aggressively.” But, asserted Gresser, “I draw the line when it comes to compromising who you are. No one should be ashamed of his or her sexuality. If you are gay, you should not have to censor yourself.” Legislation banning gay parades has raised concern for the safety and legal protection of gay athletes and supporters at the upcoming Sochi Olympics. As early as August of 2013, there have been multiple movements to try to change the 2014 Olympic venue, many of them pointing to Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter, which bans “any form of discrimination” by a host country. An online petition addressed to the International Olympic Committee, states: “We appreciate your efforts in requesting Russia allow gay athletes to compete at the games, but this is not enough. The very nature of the original Olympics was to settle conflict through sport and not violence.” The proposal was for the IOC to take this opportunity to uphold the spirit of the Olympics by removing the Games from a nation that tolerates “the abhorrent persecution of minority groups.” Gresser believes that holding the Olympics in Russia can be an opportunity rather than a threat to gay rights. “Though I don’t like the idea of bringing business to a country violating basic human rights, having the Olympics in Russia has also brought a lot of attention and scrutiny to Putin’s anti-gay laws,” she said. Gresser emphasized, however, that in order to make the Sochi Olympics a worthwhile enterprise, “Olympic athletes should voice their opinions . . . ready to face the consequences of violating the IOC’s rule.” The rule she refers to is one that has been a fallback for the IOC when questioned about the rights gay athletes will or will not enjoy during the Games. The rule, which is part of the Olympic Charter, prohibits “political” demonstrations and statements by athletes at the Games. Anastasia Smirnova, coordinator for a coalition of Russian LGBT organizations, responded to the IOC with, “This is about identity, not politics. Sharing your identity is not political.” On Russia’s part, however, there have been accusations that the western media is having a field day with Russian LGBT rights for reasons that are less than innocent. Severov, too, protests how closely the Western media has been following Putin and the Russian government. “It’s true that many Russians don’t like gays,” he said. “But [anti-gay sentiment in Russia] has nothing to do with government politics. It’s more cultural.” As the Sochi Olympics approach, more and more stars familiar to American audiences have been openly criticizing Russia’s anti-gay legislation. Among them is Tilda Swinton, an Academy-Award winning actress who released a picture of her holding a rainbow flag in front of Moscow’s Kremlin. Included was the note, “In solidarity. From Russia with love.” The American government’s reaction to Russian legislation has been a matter of both national and international interest. President Obama drew attention in July of 2013 when he cancelled a meeting with President Putin. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney announced a “lack of progress” with Russia on a variety of matters including human rights and civil society issues as part of the reason for this diplomatic jab. Obama went on to criticize Russia’s discriminatory laws on The Tonight Show, stating that he had “no patience for countries that try to treat gays or lesbians or transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them.” The composition of the United States’ official delegation to the Sochi Olympics seems to many a pointed message to Russia on President Obama’s part. There are three openly gay athletes in the delegation, among them tennis legend Billie Jean King. King, a two-time Olympian and a winner of 39 Grand Slam titles, said in an interview with The Washington Post, “I think our presence is really important . . . I take this very seriously. The responsibility to stand and possibly speak for those who don’t have a voice runs deep.” Severov said of both domestic and international calls for Russia to change its legislation on gay rights, “Russia is not ready right now.” Ms. Liske responded by quoting Martin Luther King, Jr.: “[King] once said, ‘Time itself is neutral. It can either be used destructively or constructively.’ This is to remind us that the passage of time in itself will not create a better time yet to come. And those who stand silent are just as guilty as the perpetrators.” Many high-profile appeals by individuals have also been made to change the Olympic venue. Immediately following the passage of the 2013 bill prohibiting “gay propaganda,” British actor and writer Stephen Fry published an open letter to the British Prime Minister and the members of the International Olympic Committee. He chose to draw comparisons between the upcoming Sochi Olympics and the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Adolf Hitler, then Germany’s head of state, had only two years before he passed “an act which singled out for special persecution a minority [Jews] whose only crime was the accident of their birth.” Fry warned, “Putin is eerily repeating this insane crime, only this time against LGBT Russians . . . Sports do not exist in a bubble outside society or politics. The idea that sport and politics don’t connect is worse than disingenuous . . . ‘Politics’ is simply the Greek for to do with the people.”

In the world of prep school sports, Deerfield values integrity and sportsmanship. If there were a football player on the smaller side, we would encourage him togotothegymtobulkupand not to take any shortcuts such as HGH or other performance enhancing drugs. That would be cheating. But in the world of academia, where cheating or academic honesty is much more of a hot topic, Deerfield allows people to take these performance boosters all the time. Adderall or other drugs like it are being taken by a higher and higher number of kids these days and it’s obvious why. One anonymous senior boy said, “They’re incredible. When I take a pill, I can sit down for four or five hours and just crush work. I don’t ever zone out or lose focus.” These pills are so unfair that Wesleyan University recently added an “Adderall Clause” to its student handbook, making it academic dishonesty to take the pills without a prescription. But the problem with such a clause is that more and more people are being diagnosed with ADHD who don’t actually have it. In a 2010 study at the University of Kentucky, 100 college students were asked to take a test meant to diagnose ADHD. Fifty of the students actually had the condition, whereas the other fifty did not and were asked to try and fake it. In the results, the two groups were indistinguishable. If a student wants a prescription, he can simply walk into the doctor’s office and ask. One junior recounted his tale of diagnosis quite simply: “I went to my doctor and told her that I had trouble focusing. I answered a few questions about my studies, always making it seem like I couldn’t focus and that I was fidgety. After maybe five questions, she wrote my prescription and I left.” According to data from I.M.S. Health, ADHD prescriptions have risen 56% for kids ages 0-19 in the last six years, and a whopping 141% for adults ages 20-39. The CDC reports that one in five high school boys has been diagnosed. Although there are a select few who need these pills to function, there are many kids who are simply taking advantage of the system. They don’t have much trouble focusing, but still want that leg up that many doctors are willing to give. Dr. William Graf, a pediatric neurologist in New Haven and a Professor at the Yale School of Medicine, sums up the issue: “Mild symptoms are being diagnosed too readily, which goes well beyond the disorder and beyond the zone of ambiguity to pure enhancement of children who are otherwise healthy.” The process to diagnose ADHD needs to be fixed. Kids like the ones at the University of Kentucky shouldn’t be able to fool doctors into prescribing medication they don’t need. And doctors need to remember that kids are just being kids. They are going to be full of energy and are going to find it hard to focus. Instead of taking medication, maybe teenagers these days just need to learn how to study.

As wide and diverse as the co- curricular options may be, there are always those few students whose passions and ambitions cannot be satisfied by what’s offered. Sophie Michaels ’16 has had a passion for horseback riding since she was four years old, but Deerfield Academy does not offer it as a co-curricular option. “I love horseback riding because it’s a sport that constantly pushes me to improve and set goals for myself,” said Michaels. “I also love the relationship between the horse and rider and how much it can affect the extent of achievement.” As she got older, Michaels began pursuing her passion through competition, and she now competes in several events. In the junior hunters she must be “even and smooth,” and she and her horse are judged on how well they jump. She also does another equestrian event in which the rider must ride her horse through a complicated course with tight turns and uneven lines while maintaining perfect form. A third event Michaels competes in is a timed “race” over jumps called jumpers where riders are given penalties for hitting bars. Michaels has been quite successful and won a variety of these events at many different levels. She competes in AA shows on both the national and international level in New York, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Florida and Canada. Throughout the year she acquires points at various shows to qualify for national final shows. In an effort to maintain and further her high level of competition within the sport, Michaels has received a co-curricular exemption to fulfill her passion for horseback riding during the winter term. She also pursued this exemption last year. Her schedule consists of driving to East Granby, CT, every Wednesday and spending most weekends in Florida to compete, while focusing the rest of her time on academics and other interests. In order to perform well in competitions, Michaels has been forced to subject herself to a rigid schedule. “While in Florida at the Wellington Equestrian Festival, I get up at 5:30 a.m. to warm up my horses and prepare them to compete in classes throughout the day,” she said. Despite all the stress riding puts on her, Michael’s final words were those of praise and thanks to Deerfield Academy: “I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to go to Deerfield and participate in team sports. Being here allows me to both ride and experience being on a team sport in other seasons, which is one of my favorite aspects of Deerfield.”