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The Scroll Board would like to extend an invitation to the Deerfield student body, faculty and staff to share your opinions with us and the Deerfield community. To submit opinion pieces, please email adfleming@deerfield.edu with your proposed topic and viewpoint. Once approved, opinion pieces are due by 7p.m. on the Sunday of layout week (you will be told the specific date once your topic is approved). The style, subject matter and perspective of these pieces are completely up to the writer; we at The Deerfield Scroll respect freedom of the press and will do our best to publish as many orginial opinions as possible. -Andrea Fleming, Op-Ed Editor

From the moment a Deerfield post-grad steps on campus, he or she is simultaneously admired and feared. Post-graduates possess a certain aura of mystery, world experience and maturity that comes with a high school diploma. Freshman know them as the intimidating 20-year-olds, who are elevated even above the highly revered position of a senior. Seniors, at the same time hold a deep respect for post-graduates for having completed the high school experience. This persona can initially seem quite appealing, especially to any new student, yet the sentiment quickly wears off for PGs as they whirl back to what seems like the beginning of their high school career. Living at home with all the freedoms that come–driving a car, late weekend curfew, the ability to play hooky and a general sense of independence–is a stark contrast to the nitty-gritty rules and restrictions at boarding school. The AP system, stringent parietal rules and the severe disciplinary system can feel alien. PG Justin Finan ‘13 stated, “The transition was incredibly difficult, coming from home where I could basically do whatever I wanted… to Deerfield where it seemed like I was back to being 14 years old and a freshman.” This seems to be a common theme among post-graduate students and a likely cause of the many DC hearings in this bracket. I tend to sympathize most with those students who end up on the opposing side of the deans, based on the absence of an understanding of Deerfield expectations and a way to cope with them. The contrasting dichotomy between life at home and life at school, in extreme cases, makes the Academy seem like a prison. So next time you envy a PG, consider the possibility that he or she might feel more trapped and isolated at Deerfield than you do. A friendly word instead of a frightened stare goes a long way when interacting with our revered post-grads.

The term “school spirit” is tossed around a lot at Deerfield. This expression is unsurprisingly overused because school spirit is something we care about and pride ourselves on as a community. It is one of the fundamental elements of our school that has flourished throughout our history. School spirit can’t be faked. It requires a foundation of strong classes of kids dedicated to a sense of togetherness; it requires collective and relentless energy, and most importantly, it demands unity, both on and off the field, floor or wherever else we play. This year, we have the chance to hit the reset button after a sub-par year of athletics. Sure, there were some bright spots last year, but I think it’s fair to say that 2012-13 wasn’t our strongest sports-wise, if only because we hold ourselves to a very high standard. Athletic slumps come and go, but school spirit should not. It must prevail through thick and thin, supported by the generations that built and sustained it with an unshakable unity. Whether we’re watching thirds basketball shoot for its first win of the season or (inevitably) the varsity lacrosse team secure its third victory in a row, there should always be a palpable energy in the stands. Duke basketball is a top-flight example: in 2007 the Blue Devils didn’t live up to their preseason ranking of 2nd in the nation in men’s basketball and stumbled to a 21-11 record, suffering a first-round loss in the NCAA tournament. Despite their woes, the Duke fan section at Cameron Indoor Stadium, or the “Cameron Crazies,” as they are called, stayed faithful. Every home game was sold out that year and the year after, despite a big underachievement on the team’s part by usual Duke standards. I would never dare call myself a Duke fan, but watching Duke come play Virginia in Charlottesville, I can say that their student section, even at away games, is unmatched. I know Deerfield has this kind of potential, a potential we could fulfill if only we took the time to support each other consistently, regardless of the score. Walking into the Choate basketball gym on the Saturday before winter exam week last year reminded me of the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Our rivals had a few hundred fans decked out in the Choatie standard—sunglasses despite being indoors, a soggy New York Knicks basketball jersey, baggy sweatpants and untied Timberlands—for a JV basketball game.[pullquote_right] “Athletic slumps come and go, but school spirit does not. It prevails through thick and thin, supported by the numerous generations that built it and sustained it with an unshakable unity.” [/pullquote_right] These people-turned-animals were equipped with blow-up batons that combined for a relentless vuvuzela effect during the game. They weren’t there because they wanted their team to win; they came because Deerfield was their opponent, and they wanted us to go home feeling bad about ourselves and our school. While the batons were noisy, obnoxious and just unnecessary—all Choate norms—their student section pointed out an obvious flaw in our own. Rarely do I see the kind of dedication from our own fans that I saw at Choate that night. Sure, we show up when we’re supposed to: 80’s Night in the Barn, the Avon football game, some varsity lacrosse games, and Sam Khalifa’s exhibition squash match are all testaments to our rowdiness. But if school spirit is something that we want to pride ourselves on, we should reach this level of enthusiasm for any athletic contest. Of course games against Choate, Andover or Hotchkiss might attract more attendance than others, but we should be able to go unleash our pent-up energy from schoolwork and support our friends at every single game, no matter who the opponent is. The class of 2014 has a chance to make it happen this year. We can sit back and pretend we support each other, or we can rise to the occasion—but we all have to do it together. Every student section has its leader—Duke, for example, had “the speedo guy,” who danced in a blue speedo while opponents were shooting free-throws. But especially while the fate of Captain Deerfield is in flux, we have to remember that it takes a mob to make mayhem. We need to show up and be loud not because that’s how it’s been for generations or because it’s cool, but because we support each other as a student body, and because we all know how good it feels to have someone behind us. The term “school-spirit” seems a little hollow after hearing it so many times. Maybe we should figure out a name for our student section like “the dog house” or “peep-show” or something. Frankly, anything works, as long as we get up and go after it.

Good evening everyone. I would like to take this opportunity to speak about a topic that has been recently nagging at both students and faculty alike. Every year, I feel as if I hear the same story about a different prep school. It usually involves 20 or more students getting kicked out, and following that an alteration of that school’s disciplinary system, typically along the lines of adopting a “one strike policy.” Luckily, Deerfield has not been placed in this situation. However, it seems as if all prep schools are at a crossroads when thinking about how discipline is handled. Some propose we stick to the “old ways” of allowing kids off the hook with a simple apology, while others argue that students must have their actions watched with near unwavering attention. As many of our peer institutions have begun to adjust their levels of monitoring and strictness, we too have started to make changes and examine how we operate. There are many directions we could take; however after we set our course, I imagine there will not be as much room for change. Thus, let’s make sure the road we pick now is the right one. [pullquote_left] “If Deerfield wishes to strengthen the character of the students who pass through here, then allowing fear, rather than some positive force, to influence our choices is a hindrance to that mission.” [/pullquote_left]Last year, in one of the culture forums, David Mwakima questioned how our actions at Deerfield are motivated. He argued, for example, that the AP system was not preparing students for the real world in the same way that some had thought. He said that this system was getting kids to do the right thing, but out of fear, rather than with the correct motives in mind. In an ideal world, we should never be in doubt that all of us here are choosing to adhere to the rules on and off campus simply out of respect for the other members of this community. Yet the ever-looming terror of ending up in restrictions or the Dean’s office makes it hard for everyone to discern where motives are truly stemming from. If Deerfield wishes to strengthen the character of the students who pass through here, then allowing fear, rather than some positive force to influence our choices is a hindrance to that mission. I am not saying we shouldn’t have any rules. I am not some anarchist, 1950’s-esque little teenager just trying to “stick it to the man.” I am just asking, why not be the school to lead the pack, rather than to continue to follow and expand the rulebook? We love talking about respect at this school because it gives us the fuzzies inside, but why don’t we put it to the test? Why don’t we try seeing what this school would run like if we remove things like APs? I can imagine the administration would be nervous about this idea, and understandably so. Maybe they would want the students to first prove that they can get it done with the rules before we take them away. I honestly don’t know what the right first step would be. I am just one person. Luckily there are many more of you, intelligent people who are capable of coming to an answer through honest dialogue. The only thing I would like the administration to keep in mind is this: at the leadership meeting, the number one thing the students asked of the adults was to let us step up. I’d venture to bet that if there were no looming threat of fear, people would actually attend more sit-down meals, make it to more school meetings, and resist the urge to cut corners on dress code. Why is this? Ask any teenager who they hate to let down. It’s not the helicopter adult. It is the teacher, the coach, or the role model who puts their faith in them. I know I have potentially ruffled some feathers here, but just remember: the greatest changes in the course of history were not made because everyone suddenly agreed. Those changes were made possible when the populace had the courage to be bold, take an issue into the light and determine what was truly best moving forward.[pullquote_right] “Ask any teenager who they hate to let down. It’s not the helicopter adult. It is the teacher, the coach, or the role model who puts their faith in them.” [/pullquote_right] Please do not merely cast all of this aside as a simple thought experiment, as both students and faculty alike that I have talked to agree that they do not want Deerfield to keep adding regulations and codes. They do not want to move down that road to becoming one of those overbearing places. If they could, they’d rather live with a minimalist rule book. They want Deerfield to be that community that can truly run on respect and respect alone. I think at this point we just need to be reminded that we could do this. We could choose to run in this way. Not for free. If anything, this would be a harder way to handle matters. Each and every person would have to be willing to buy in. However, we ourselves are the only limiting factor. We are a self-regulating community capable of choosing how we operate. The staff here are of the highest quality. The faculty here are of the highest quality. The kids here are of the highest quality, and we all collectively are more than capable. There is nothing else missing. Let’s go get it. Let’s be that school. Welcome to Deerfield.

Mr. Emerson, Dr. Hills and Dr. Ross have implemented a program called mastery learning into their Chemistry I classes. In learning the material, students must read the section in their online textbook and complete two “learning opportunities” which include videos and practice problems. Then students must get a grade of 80% or above on an unrecorded, checkpoint quiz in order to move onto the next section in their book. Students can choose which days to do their labs and take chapter tests. “Mastery learning is a style and technique of working through a [course] where there is recognition of the fact that kids learn and move at different speeds,” Mr. Emerson said. “In chemistry, there is a lot of stuff that builds on a foundation of material, and without mastering that material, you end up not being able to move forward and really learn the content.” After reading an article on the technique, Dr. Hills, Mr. Emerson and Dr. Ross decided to try mastery learning. “Dr. Hills and I were both teaching Chem I, and we got frustrated as what we felt should be a fun and exciting class got bogged down with deciding what content we needed to get in there,” said Mr. Emerson. [pullquote_left]”Mastery learning is a style and technique of working through a class where there is recognition of the fact that kids learn and move at different speeds.” -Mr. Emerson[/pullquote_left]During class, Mr. Emerson gives traditional lectures as well as helps groups of students. “Ideally, although this has not happened quite yet, there will be pockets of kids all in the same place and they will work together,” he said. “I think that it’s a little bit of taking me out of the front of the classroom and allows for a little more shared responsibility.” The change in the classroom is noticeable, according to Megan Retana ’15, who is in one of Dr. Hill’s classes. “Students are used to–especially in science and math–listening to a teacher lecture and memorizing what they teach,” she said. “Even though it feels like you’re learning the material on your own, you still have your teacher to answer questions, and your classmates to help you learn the material,” said Victoria Castellano-Wood ’16, who is also in one of Dr. Hills’ classes. “It motivates you to reach out to others.” There are multiple challenges for students in mastery learning, according to Mr. Emerson. “It requires students to be able to self-assess how they are doing with the material,” he said. “It will be difficult for students who are just trying to finish everything as fast as they can and not really mastering it, sort of faking their way through it.” Another problem students can run into is falling behind in their work. “If I have other homework and I don’t need to have something due the next day, I’m not going to do my chemistry homework,” Retana ’15 said. At the beginning of each week students hand in notecards with their goals for that week as well as what progress they made the week before, what topics they are confused on and what days they are planning to do a lab or take a test. “When I get those back, if Johnny is five days behind everyone else, that’s a red flag,” Mr. Emerson explained. So, what will become of mastery learning after this trial run? “I personally follow a philosophy that you can’t do something just for one year,” Mr. Emerson said. “I hope we feel good enough about this that we can give it three years to work, but if we don’t like it and students aren’t really gaining a lot from it, I don’t think we are married to this for any length of time.”

The Deerfield Inn—prominently located on old Main Street— is known for its colonial New England atmosphere, historical significance, and its ghosts. One of the original historic inns of New England, the Deerfield Inn was originally built in 1884. The town of Deerfield has had a long and bloody history that includes the notorious Deerfield Raid of 1704. This may explain why Main Street and the houses along it have been a hotspot for spirits. But not to fear, although there have been numerous reports by guests over the years about unexplained incidents: ghost behavior at the Deerfield Inn does not resemble anything out of the latest Paranormal Activity movie. “Our Inn ghosts are a little less horrifying,” commented current innkeeper Jane Howard. A common ghost sighting at the Inn involves a woman named Cora Carlisle, a previous owner of the Inn, who is often seen wearing a dressing gown with a chain of keys at her waist. “Cora was very inquisitive and bossy in life and was the keeper of many of the villagers’ secrets,” explained Howard. Cora often knocks on guests’ doors, or gently pushes on people’s backs, urging them to go to bed. “Hershel is our other resident ghost who likes to bother the guests in Room 148 from time to time,” said Howard. Hershel usually appears to guests as a box of bright light. “We hear that he sometimes tugs at the pillows under your head and once moved a glass of water from beside the bed to another table. He is not a scary spirit at all–more like a mischievous child,” said Howard. “He has, a number of times, given our bartender a push on the back when she was walking to the kitchen with a tray of glasses, and he turns on water taps and leaves them running.” Several years ago a group of amateur ghost hunters came to the Deerfield Inn to film a documentary on the Inn’s paranormal occurrences. Using highly sensitive surveillance equipment, the documentarians recorded footage in areas where frequent sightings had been reported. “It was fascinating to later hear the recording of a child’s giggling picked up by their sensors. This was from an area where the children and servants used to stay when traveling to the Inn with their families, which is now designated for a photocopier and storage,” said Howard. Jane Howard and her husband Karl Sabo have been innkeepers at the Deerfield Inn for over 20 years and have yet to experience firsthand any ghosts in the Inn. “My husband and I are frequently at the Inn very late and very early and have slept in every room,” said Howard. “We have never experienced anything that cannot be explained, but who knows?”

When most people imagine how they’ll spend their spring break, it’s on a beach on some faraway tropical island. But for Mr. Thiel and Mr. Nilsson, this is not the case. For the past few years, they have been attending the South by Southwest Conference in Austin, Texas. Spanning 10 days, SXSW features a music festival, a film festival and an interactive conference that all run concurrently. Mr. Nilsson and Mr. Thiel spend their time at the interactive conference, which, according to the website, focuses on many topics “ranging from blogging to business models, to health industry innovation, to science, to social media, to space exploration.” Some of the themes Mr. Thiel has witnessed include “the link between virtual information and objects and physical information and objects, geofencing and geolocation, and database structures and the cloud as an emerging force.” “You’re assembling all the smartest geeks and nerds in the country in one place at one time to talk about what the near future is going to look like,” remarked Mr. Thiel. “So what you see at South by Southwest often comes to life about three years later. It’s a crash course in the future.” The conference has 40 locations and nearly a thousand different formal talks to attend, excluding morning and evening sessions, as well as the tent city filled with companies like Google and other big names, including 3D printing manufacturers. Fortunately, visitors have found a way to manage choosing between so many speakers. “Twitter was essentially invented at South by Southwest,” said Thiel. “The audience is all on Twitter, all at the same time. In the conference guide, they publish hashtags for every session that’s going on, so while you’re sitting there listening to one session, you can tune in to the silent conversation that’s happening about this other session over Twitter. People will ask questions to the speaker and do things over Twitter in real time. So simultaneously you can be listening to the tweets and discussions that are happening for the other session you wanted to go to and you can ask questions.’” In addition to attending the interactive conference, Mr. Nilsson also goes to the education conference, which takes place in the three days before South by Southwest actually begins. Just as the interactive conference focuses on emerging technology, the education conference focuses on new ideas in education. Mr. Nilsson has presented at the conference twice, once on the cognitive science of learning and once on how to teach students to be creative. He now sits on the advisory board, deciding which presentations should be added to the next year’s schedule. Both the SXSW interactive and education conferences are open for anyone to attend, but hotel rooms and conference tickets sell out quickly. Mr. Thiel recommends to “not go to conferences that are about what you know about . . . go to conferences where you will see and hear things that you never have before.”

Dear Margo, Rita, and Curtis, I’ve been told that at Deerfield the boys usually ask the girls to leave the Greer. However, I really like this one boy who doesn’t even know I exist. Is it that bad for a girl to ask a boy to leave the Greer? Sincerely, Oppressed by My Gender Dear Oppressed by My Gender, If a girl asks a boy to leave the Greer, she might as well lock herself in her room because that’s where she’ll be for four years, but there are some alternatives we could explore. His interests: He plays football? You manage. Be prepared to make some sacrifices, though. Yes, you were probably going to college for field hockey, but the pride that comes from a month-long relationship will take you much further than an Ivy League degree. His classes: What a friend we have in DAinfo. You have a two-week window in which to switch classes, so act quickly. You take French, he takes Spanish? “ Hola, mi amor! ” Even better, take note if he frequents math extra help. Because if so, congratulations: you too now suck at math. Remember that the faculty and staff of these hallowed halls are tools (of knowledge) that are not to be exploited for romantic pursuits. However, desperate times call for desperate measures–and clearly these times are upon you. Feel free to email Ms. Hemphill, Mr. Kelly and Mr. Emerson, and let them know of the situation at hand. The more information you divulge, the more helpful they can be. As an official publication of Deerfield Academy, and technically by American law, The Scroll can’t condone blackmail. However, you seem like the type of broad who likes to color outside the lines. If you are in fact so inclined, make sure to follow our procedure closely. Most boys don’t maintain their Facebook profiles, so “friend” him (though don’t be upset if he doesn’t accept right away, he may think you’re a dean)–and surely with enough digging, you’ll stumble upon an embarrassing picture from his 7th grade D.C. trip–the chubbier the better. Make sure to create a Shutterfly account, because you will soon be needing a print the size of a Dining Hall wall (this size is just a suggestion: feel free to adjust according to your desperation level and lack of social awareness). Don’t worry, you don’t actually have to hang it up, just as long as he’s aware of its existence. Just because it wasn’t fate, doesn’t mean it can’t be forced. If these suggestions work out for you, we will gladly accept compensation or a place at your wedding (we expect at least bridesmaid status). But if things don’t go your way, we’re super-bummed for you. This publication, however, accepts no responsibility for restraining orders, legal proceedings or social ostracization that may follow. Sincerely, Those Who Agreed To Write This Because They Had Literally Nothing To Lose

As a four-year senior, Maegen Killeen ’14 has contributed much of her time here to Deerfield’s dance program. This past summer, Killeen participated in the highly selective Joffrey Ballet School Jazz and Contemporary Summer Intensive in New York City. When she was four, Killeen began her training at the Hackworth School of Performing Arts in Easthampton, Massachusetts, where she studied tap, jazz and ballet. At seven she moved to the Pizazz Dance Studio in Greenfield and began competing in jazz, hip-hop, tap, modern and contemporary dance. Although Killeen now considers herself mainly a contemporary and modern dancer, she is still committed to other styles. “It is important to be a well-rounded dancer in the professional world today,” she explained. The program this past summer was at Pace University, and she worked daily with professional dancers around the city. “We were exposed to the dance world in the city every single day,” Killeen said. “And that kind of experience is truly necessary for anyone wanting to become a professional dancer.” The most rewarding part of her experience was interacting with the teachers: “[They] are incredibly wise. Just as a teacher at Deerfield might be proficient in math, dance teachers have a wealth of knowledge about their [profession.] I feel as though they see and hear things sometimes that even I, as a dancer, don’t experience,” she said. “They have so much passion for what they do, and it is amazing to listen to them share their appreciation for the art. This was probably the most effective part of the program for me.”[pullquote_right] “Honest and natural movement can force you to explore uncomfortable places within your soul… you learn so much more about your capability, not only as a dancer, but also as a human being.” -Maegan Killeen ’14 [/pullquote_right] Throughout her years of dance and during the summer program, Killeen has gained confidence. “If you take a second and listen to your body, it’s amazing the things that it can reveal. Your body inherently desires to move and to rid itself of anything that makes it feel less confident or powerful.” Killeen hopes to achieve her dream of becoming a professional dancer. She explained how dance is not only a passion and art form, but also an outlet of self-awareness and emotion. “Honest and natural movement can force you to explore uncomfortable places within your soul. No one wants to go back to a place where you felt guilty or sad, but usually with the energetic environment and music, your body ends up there. [Your body] is forced to face emotions that are really hard to express in words,” she said. “However, if you are the one ridding yourself of these feelings and you are the one fighting back, rather than a friend or parent giving advice, you learn so much more about your capability not only as a dancer, but also as a human being.”

This fall, Deerfield’s theater program will be putting on a production of the romantic comedy Almost, Maine by John Cariani. Set in a mythical town in northern Maine, the play is an ensemble piece that features a group of people and how they all find or lose love. The 19 roles are filled by 15 Deerfield students: Annie Bronfman ’15, Will Darling ’15, Jackson Lanning ’14, Dorie Magowan ’15, Sarah Jinich ’15, Devon Bierut ’17, Amanda Deskavich ’16, David Darling ’16, Cody Anderson-Salo ’14, Theresa Lucier ’15, Vishawn Greene ’17, Sidney Hulburd ’14, Querube Suarez-Werlein ’14, Nhyira Asante ’16 and Cat Wyatt ’14. The stage manager is Hailey Nuthals ’14 and the musical director is Maggie Yin ’16. The production will be Deerfield Academy’s first-ever performance in the White Church. Ms. Hynds is looking forward to working in a new environment. “We are going to meet every challenge that the venue presents to us,” she said. One of the challenges is that the actors will not be performing on a stage, but rather in “the round,” where they will be surrounded on all sides by the audience. “This presents a challenge to the actors because they have nowhere to hide,” said Ms. Hynds. With the guidance of Paul Yager, the technical director and designer, the technical team is working to transform the White Church. Spoiler alert: their biggest undertaking is the task of recreating the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) above the set. For this production, the experienced actors are required to help direct a scene that they are not performing in. “I’m super-excited to get the opportunity to direct this term,” said Sarah Jinich ’15. “Being on the directing side of things, you have to have a sense of the bigger picture of a scene. Each actor is mostly responsible for him or herself, but the director has to figure out how each actor’s individual style will work with the others’. It’s really interesting to see how actors with different strengths challenge each other, and mutually strengthen each other’s weaker areas.” Ms. Hynds explained the amount of hard work that goes into creating these productions for our community. “These productions aren’t just my babies-there are many other people who have devoted so much time and effort to making them the very best they can be. It is a huge team effort every term,” she said. Almost, Maine opens on Tuesday, October 29th and will run until November 2nd.

Peter Hynds joined the admission staff full-time this year after working part-time the previous year. He has an extensive background in the arts and is a member of both the American Guild of Musical Artists and Actors Equity. He has worked for over twenty years throughout the country in various aspects of the arts including musical theater, dance, opera and film. Mr. Hynds has been a stage manager for the Pittsburgh Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, the San Francisco Opera, Kansas City Starlight, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Variety Children’s Theatre and The Muny. Mr. Hynds has spent fourteen summers as a stage manager with the St. Louis MUNY, America’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater. Throughout his career, Mr. Hynds has always relished the opportunity to share his expertise through teaching, training and mentoring the stage managers of tomorrow. The addition of Mr. Hynds will help create a more informed and equipped admission staff in regards to the arts said Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Pamela Safford. Mr. Hynds is looking forward to assisting the Visual and Performing Arts Faculty in their ongoing quest to find the best students for their programs. “Deerfield has always had a strong and vibrant Visual and Performing Arts Department. It is woven into the very fabric of Deerfield’s history,” said Mr. Hynds. Both Mr. Hynds and Ms. Safford commented that this is a thrilling time for the arts at Deerfield with the remodeling of the Memorial Building. “The renovated building will be another jewel in the academy’s crown,” explained Mr. Hynds. Mr. Hynds’ new position, as well as the admission staffs re-articulating the qualities they look for in Deerfield student, is creating an exciting year for the arts and admission office. Mr. Hynds referenced the theatre saying, “It’s all in the timing!” With the renovation it is the perfect time for Deerfield to “Kick it up a notch!”

After a yearlong sabbatical, Visual and Performing Arts teacher Jennifer Whitcomb is back at Deerfield Academy. Traveling to different parts of Latin America, the Caribbean Basin and New York City over the course of the year, she became certified in different dancing techniques and reconnected with past teachers. Ms. Whitcomb started the year in Puerto Rico, where she attended the. 16th World Salsa Congress and participated in certification workshops in Afro-Antilles folkloric dance forms and Puerto Rican salsa. Ms. Whitcomb said she learned about the history and theory of salsa as well as more advanced salsa moves. Her next stop was New York City. She stayed for two months and studied with Lynn Simonson, one of her first dance teachers, whom Ms. Whitcomb hadn’t seen for decades. “Lynn was one of the reasons that I decided to become a professional dancer,” said Ms. Whitcomb. “She is about to retire, and I really wanted to get certified in her technique and become a Simonson Technique teacher. So I spent a couple of months in New York doing that, and I completed the certification.” Along with 20 other alums, Ms. Whitcomb visited her high school, Cambridge School of Weston, where they held a performance tribute for her very first dance teacher, who retired last year. Ms. Whitcomb said her sabbatical year was an opportunity for her to reconnect with her past teachers and to reach back to the past, forget about the present and look forward to the future. Ms. Whitcomb also reconnected with some of her favorite outdoor activities, including kayaking, hiking, skiing, swimming and horseback riding. “Two years ago, I supervised Angie Cabral’s riding exemption, and I started missing horses again,” she said. “To my complete surprise, a horse came into my life. I had a friend who gave me her horse f or a year. That was another element of reaching back into my past.” Despite her recent return, Ms. Whitcomb already has hopes to help make the Arts Department more visible at Deerfield. She and her students are focusing on finding the opportunities that the challenges of this transitional year are presenting. As she traveled in Latin America and the Carribean Basin, she was intrigued to find that dance was an integral part of those cultures. She enjoyed learning dance forms in which everyone participates. Ms. Whitcomb also plans to build Latin American and social and folkloric dance into Deerfield’s dance program this year. “During the time I was gone, things have improved. I came back to a really bolstered dance program, and it’s all polished up, thanks to Crystal Nilsson and Carrie Towle,” she explained. “I had a lot of fun during my sabbatical year. I’m rejuvenated, refreshed, and excited to be back in the studio!”