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Fifty-three years ago, Mr. Jay Morsman ’55 returned to Deerfield to teach. Upon his return, Mr. Morsman also assumed leadership of the Boys JV Tennis team. He continued coaching JV until 1985, when he took the reins of Deerfield’s Boys Varsity Tennis. This year marks his final year as a coach at Deerfield. In his time at Deerfield, Mr. Morsman has also coached Boys JV Hockey, Boys Varsity Hockey, and various levels of Boys Soccer. Passion, pride, and results have always defined Mr. Morsman’s years as a coach. “We work hard, improve and have fun,” he said. “He knows exactly what to say after a tough shift or in between periods, no matter the circumstances of the game,” explained Walt Gahagan ‘13. Mr. Morsman has led Deerfield teams to just short of one thousand victories in his time. He partially attributes his success to rigorous conditioning and his athletes’ attitudes. “Coaching with Mr. Morsman has been a special privilege,” said Science Teacher Toby Emerson, who coaches JV hockey with him. “In addition to being quite knowledgeable about hockey, I have never met a member of this community who loved working with teenagers more than Mr. Morsman. He is fun, light, but will also demand effort and commitment from his kids. I could sit next to Mr. Morsman for hours on a bus listening to stories about Mr. Boyden. He loves this school and he sincerely wants everyone else to love it as much as he does.” “[Fourths Soccer] with Mr. Morsman was definitely the most memorable team I’ve ever been on at Deerfield. It was a great time,” said Kitan Irukera ‘14. “I have had 53 years of fun,” Mr. Morsman added. Some of his most memorable moments include the end- of-season party JV hockey threw for him this year and his time spent with the 1996 Varsity Tennis team, which he described as the “best team in school history.” His tennis teams have captured four Kingswood-Oxford tournaments trophies, two New England titles and one National championship. This year’s team, led by captain Justin Schlacks, is equipped to achieve similar success. “[This year’s] returners include captain Justin Schlacks ‘13, Gil Roddy ’14, Cole Horton ’14, Luke Therrien ’15 and Adam Ellison ’13,” reports Mr. Morsman. These returners are supported by freshmen stars Darren Ho ’16 and Lorenzo Munoz ’16, who “give us strength at the five and six positions.” Mr. Morsman’s upcoming retirement has spurred the team towards early successes at Groton and Longmeadow. “It’s definitely motivating,” explains Gil Roddy ‘14. “We really want to give Morsman a good last ride.” “I could not ask for a better man to guide me throughout my four years at Deerfield,” said Gahagan. “Mr. Morsman has played a vital part in my love for both hockey, and Deerfield as a school. Thank you for four great years.”

Since the creation of the Special Exercise co-curricular, or “Special X,” there has been much debate about whether or not the co-curricular option hinders Deerfield’s varsity sports program by taking away potential players. While students enjoy this opportunity to take a term off from more demanding co-curriculars, and perhaps also to prep for a certain sport, Varsity Track Coach Mike Schloat said, “Personally, as a track coach, I hate to see the caliber of athletes that I see in Spex right now. A lot of them could really help my team, for example, as well as their school at large.” Mr. Schloat understands, however, that most participants in Spex have other obligations as well. “I know that many students in Spex are participating in two terms of varsity sports already… We live in a world where high school athletes, especially students at Deerfield, are expected to pursue their sport more vigorously so that they can play at the next level.” Although there are students who do Special X in place of a varsity sport, Ms. Mitchell, one of the trainers, does not consider these cases to be damaging to Deerfield as a whole. “Sometimes there are some athletes that choose to do Special X over varsity sports, but a lot of times, there are people who just don’t have a good fit for that particular season.” She added, “I think there are some instances where maybe numbers are hurt, but I feel like the people who really excel at certain sports are pretty dedicated to those sports anyway, and would choose to participate in a sport over doing Special X.” Eliminating Special X would also narrow the selection of athletic options that are available to prospective applicants. “We want to offer choices like a large school, but we also want to … maintain that small-school aspiration of a tight-knit community,” Ms. Liske, a field hockey coach, explained. If Special X were not an option, varsity athletes would experience more difficulties in finding the time and opportunity to improve for their main sports during the off season. But keeping Special X the way it exists, in Mr. Schloat’s opinion, could also be harmful to Deerfield’s success in sports. “[Having students specialize] is really unsustainable for a school of our size, of 630 students. We will ultimately end up with a program with distinct winning teams and losing teams.” The question remains: how can Deerfield solve this problem? “There is some talk about possibly changing our expectations, of limiting Spex to people who participate in two terms of interscholastic sports,” Mr. Scholat said. “I think this is fair, as the school is offering admissions, exposure, and excellent coaching, in the expectation that students will give back excellence.” For now, Ms. Mitchell finds a possible solution in coaches reaching out to those who pick Special X as their co-curricular option: “I think in some cases a coach could seek a Special X participant out and work out a deal with them, [convincing them] that a team is where they really belong.” Though changes might be called for, Mr. Schloat does not consider Special X so damaging that it should be eliminated. “I think just one term of specialization and two varsity sports is a healthy balance, that doesn’t worry me,” he said. “But my concern is for when an athlete does Spex one term and rec squash another, and then their main sport, gaming the system in order to only participate in one season of interscholastic sports.” For students who feel the need to take a term to prep for their “main sport,” Mr. Schloat expresses his sympathy: “Students feel the pressure of colleges, which want applicants that are excellent at one sport. [Colleges] will say they would prefer students cross-training and participating in different sports, but also that applicants should be playing at a Division I level in the sport they’re being recruited in, which is kind of contradictory.”

Super Storm Nemo caused the annual A Cappella Fest to be cancelled on February 9, and the possibility of rescheduling the event in April is up in the air. Seven college a cappella groups were scheduled to come: The Amherst College Bluestockings, The Middlebury College Dissipated Eight, The Tufts University Jackson Jills, The Tufts sQ!, The MIT Logarhythms, The Trinity College Pipes and The Yale University New Blue. Head of Student Activities Sam Bicknell contacted 30 groups that had attended in the past and had Deerfield Alumni. All groups were paid. “I really wish A Capella fest will happen again,“ Ju Hwan Park ’14 said. Park, who sings in the Mellow-D’s, said last year’s festival helped bring the school together. “Even people who were not interested in music were asking me questions and telling me that they want to sing in a group,” he said. “We tend to think that colleges like MIT are full of stereotypical engineering students. However, it was surprising to me how schools like MIT showed such a great performance still. It shows how music is a universal language and something that everyone can enjoy.” Catt Wyatt ’14, a member of the Rhapso D’s, reflected on her experiences at a cappella fest last year. “As a completely new member to the group and a capella, last year, I can remember being stunned by the incredible talent that visited Deerfield on the evening of the fest,” she said. “I learned an incredible amount by watching other groups, and translating what we could into our own performances.” Similarly, Hyun Yang ’13, captain of the Mellow-D’s, stated nostalgically, “A Capella fest is the best time for the DA community to appreciate the level of music these groups can provide, while having fun. It was amazing—the festival inspired me try out for the Mellow-D’s the next year.” As Mr. Bicknell mentioned, some of the performing a capella groups include Deerfield’s very own alumni, who were able to experience being an audience member as well. Becca Cooley ’12, currently studying at Tufts, recalls, “I am a huge a cappella nerd, and the a cappella fest was always something I looked forward to, especially having been in the Rhapso-Ds, and sharing the stage with such great college groups. Being in a college group now, it’s always fun to perform at high schools, especially places like Deerfield, where a cappella is already a part of the school, allowing performances to be always appreciated.”

Scroll Editorial Associate Jon Victor ’14 interviewed Convocation Speaker Riley Ennis this past fall. Mr. Ennis, the CEO of a biotechnology startup that aims to find a vaccine against cancer, reflected on his experience at Deerfield and his own personal goals. 1. Why did you decide to come speak at Deerfield? The opportunity was offered by Mr. Warsaw who had heard me speak previously. I was extremely excited for the talk because of what a prestigous school Deerfield is and I have some friends at Dartmouth who attended Deerfield and had very good things to say about the school. 2. How did it feel to speak here? Inspired. That is the one word I can use to describe speaking at Deerfield. The reception of my talk was very moving for me because it reiterates the idea that words are extremley powerful. My hope is that this inspiration continues and that students go on to pursue projects that make impact- even if that impact is small. After the talk and through dinner I met so many amazing students and learned a lot about what goes on at Deerfield. And even after I returned to Dartmouth I have received many emails from students sharing their ideas with me on how to change the world. It makes me excited to see the energy and passion at Deerfield and I know without a doubt that you all are game-changers and the next leaders of the world. 3. What do you see yourself doing in 10 years? No idea. That depends on a lot of factors, but I know that whatever the job is every hour that I work will benefit someone else. 4. What obstacles do you foresee for getting the vaccine into clinics in the future? The biggest challenge right now I would say is getting all the resources necessary to finish the preclinical experiments to prove from a data perspective the efficacy and safety of the technology. I of course believe in the technology 110% but the FDA and other governing bodies need to see certain experiments that take a lot of time and money to execute. 5. Is it difficult for you to get your schoolwork done with all the time you’ve had to devote to the vaccine? It all comes down to a balance. You really need to sit down and look at all the activities in your life and begin to prioritize. If you remove procrastination and a couple of other activities that you may not care about that much you will see you have more time than you think. When I did this I found a bunch of time in my life and was quickly able to finish my work, do well in school, and pursue the vaccine.

Twelve Deerfield students and three faculty members traveled to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to participate in the February 17 “Forward on Climate” rally. The rally, which drew thousands of people from across the United States and Canada, advocated for President Obama to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline proposal that would deliver oil from the Alberta tar sands, roughly the size of Florida, to refineries in the U.S. With the capacity to channel approximately two trillion barrels of oil, the Keystone XL Pipeline raises the issue of environmental safety as well as corporate profits and foreign relations with Canada. The approval of this Pipeline project, which would transport 700,000 barrels of crude oil a day, would destroy habitats and water reserves. This project has galvanized major opposition from the general public and key figures such as Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org; Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club; and even Obama’s own former Green Jobs advisor, Van Jones. If President Obama rejects the Keystone Pipeline project, there may be potential tension between the U.S. and Canada, a major trade partner, as this pipeline project would provide a boost to the Canadian economy. For Deerfield, this rally was not just a rally for a crucial issue. Nolan Bishop ’13, who arranged for Deerfield community members to attend the rally, said, “Part of being in a democracy is standing up for your values and making your voice heard.” “I think that we need to actually do something about the environment,” said Genevieve Gresser ’15. “We all talk about how global warming is affecting the planet and how it will affect the future, but not a lot actually happens. When I heard about the pipeline, I was enraged. It seemed like we were going in the wrong direction. We can’t just keep talking about these issues.” As the protest will ultimately have some influence on Obama’s decision in March to approve or reject the project, it was a “vital experience to feel what a protest is like, especially the largest climate rally in history,” Bishop said. The protest consisted of a two-hour rally at the National Mall, followed by a march to the White House. McKibben, whose 350.org is a major opponent to the Keystone XL Pipeline, said, “It’s the people who understand that the fight against fracking and against coal ports and taking the tops of mountains is ultimately the fight for a living planet.” February 13, before the official rally took place, Conor Kennedy ’14 went with his father Robert Kennedy Jr. to a protest organized by McKibben, along with 48 others, at the White House. Taking a more active role in the protest by tying themselves to the White House fence, the group of 50, including Conor, was arrested for not following police orders to leave. “It is in some ways sad,” Kennedy said, “because any time you have to resort to civil disobedience or get arrested for a cause, it shows that there are no other alternatives, for example, to influence the way the oil company thinks about this issue.”

Head of School Margarita Curtis announced on January 28 that retired math teacher Peter Hindle, who worked at Deerfield for forty-four years, has been accused of sexual contact with a former student, and that the school is conducting an investigation regarding the alleged abuse. Dr. Curtis said that the investigation is slated to conclude at the end of the month, and she plans to address further concerns and questions in a follow-up announcement. “It’s my hope that the strong and meaningful relationships that are forged here are not going to be undermined by this situation,” said Dr. Curtis, “but I do think it is a time to show honesty and humility, and to admit that very good people and great institutions can also make mistakes.” Dr. Curtis said that she hopes the incident does not mar any trust between current students and faculty, and that students can still feel safe at Deerfield. Deerfield has applied a policy of transparency concerning the alleged event and posted a letter on the website for reporters and alumni to refer to. “I think people will trust us more if we are fully open regarding the events that transpired, and acknowledge that inappropriate behaviors took place,” said Dr. Curtis. “Deerfield is a strong community, and I don’t think this will undermine our sense of community. I would say that it will make us pay more attention to the importance of boundaries.” Moving forward, Dr. Curtis said that she hopes this incident will serve as a learning experience, and she sees the event as an opportunity to improve employee training and establish distinct lines with what is and is not appropriate in faculty-student relationships. “Part of the issue,” she said, “is how to renew our efforts to clarify for students what is appropriate regarding student-faculty relationships, and establishing boundaries without being paranoid. We want to continue to have a warm and welcoming community.” When asked about the events and Mr. Hindle, Head of Communications David Thiel withheld any comment, wanting to maintain the privacy of the investigation, as well as that of the victim and the accused. “We have received hundreds of emails and phone calls from alumni, many expressing deep grief,” continued Dr. Curtis. “Many alumni have supported our transparency and approach, but they are also very sad that someone they admired did harm to someone else.” Despite the policy of transparency, the school hopes to preserve the privacy of both the victim and the accused. “But, until the investigation is completed, it serves no one’s interests – not the victim’s, not the accused and not the Academy’s – to speculate or comment beyond the letter,” continued Dr. Curtis. She concluded her statement by saying, “Our policy has been to decline to comment until the investigation is finished.”

The Student Culture Forum maximized the number of students given an opportunity to speak. While there was a list of eight main student speakers, there was also time between each scheduled speech for audience input. The topics covered were just as numerous as the students who attended the forum, but eventually the discussion boiled down to three main topics—the roles of clothing, competition and the administration in Deerfield culture. “I don’t think looking good is about brands,” Kade Johnson ’14 said. “People can make judgments about others’ appearances that aren’t based off of the price tag of their clothes.” After several other students also addressed dress code as a critical part of the Deerfield identity, J.R. Maestro ’13 expressed his disappointment in the scope of conversation. “The things that we’re talking about are so minute on the large scale,” he said. “I’m at a loss of words. I’m shaking about the fact that we’re talking about clothes.” Mettler Growney ’13 pointed to the competitive nature of Deerfield as something that breeds insecurity. “Deerfield is a very competitive place,” she said. “We all came from schools where we were at the top of the class. … We live with each other and look at our neighbors. We want to be the best we can be, so it’s hard to boost up others when you’re trying to make yourself best too. I think that’s where the belittling in the Greer, classroom, and dining hall comes from… Where is [our] self-confidence?” Self-confidence (or lack thereof) became a recurring topic. “Once we’re confident in who we are, then I think we can begin to deal with the socioeconomic differences here, which can be pretty obvious,” Julia Perry ’13 said. On the other hand, Travers Nisbet ’13 traced the negative aspects of student culture back to the Administration. “A lot of these issues stem from the relationship between the administration and the students,” he said. “What I’ve noticed over the four years that I’ve been here is that the disparity between these two groups has grown tremendously. A lot of the things that the Administration does are hypocritical in the battles that they choose.” Teddy Romeyn ’13 asserted that the shortcomings of Deerfield student culture are just a part of the schooling students receive. “I can say I would not be the same person I am today if [bro culture, dress culture and socioeconomic differences at Deerfield] hadn’t existed. In my experience, I have been the best teacher of myself. I think that’s true for everybody. Without the difficulties I’ve experienced here, I wouldn’t have my personal philosophies. It will have to come from us as individuals to deal with the culture here.” The Student Culture Forum wrapped up with a promise: “We’d just like to remind you that all [Student Council] meetings are open…And anyone who didn’t get to say what they wanted to say, we’re going to set up a Google-docs-type blog where you can share any comments that you didn’t get to say,” said Cleo Siderides, President of Student Council. More than three weeks have passed since the Forum has taken place, and the Google-doc has not yet appeared. “We’ll have all of these great discussions, and so on, but most of us will forget about the things we’ve talked about in this forum the moment we walk out of the door,” Michael Beit ’15 said. “We like to be critical, but what we want to keep in mind is that we’re also often hypocritical.”

In the real world, high school friendships are created in a wide variety of hang-out spots: the movies, the mall, the football stadium, and people’s houses. But at boarding school, our options for socializing are far more limited. Much of the social life at Deerfield happens in the dorms, so it’s inevitable that male and female students won’t necessarily interact as much as they might otherwise. However, if there were more open spaces for students to get to know one another in an unstructured setting, it might be easier for students to have friends of the opposite gender without being labeled as a couple. While the Greer is a wonderful space, the culture that surrounds it discourages students from trying to meet people outside their usual friend groups. Discussions often heard in the Greer include “leaving,” “getting parietals,” and “hooking up” Admittedly, this is a student-created culture, but it comes from only having a few forums in which students socialize with the opposite gender. Doubleday’s open house was a great idea: every dorm room door was open, and students could hang out without the pressure of being specifically invited or getting parietals. Because it wasn’t mandatory, it didn’t feel forced or unnatural, which made it a great opportunity to foster genuine relationships. Small spaces, such as open common rooms, are also ideal for people to spend time together. Perhaps if there were more opportunities like the one in Doubleday, or more small spaces with activities such as foosball or ping-pong, we could start to break down the gender divide that affects every aspect of life at Deerfield.

In the winds and snow of Super Storm Nemo, the Deerfield community has once again proved itself to be a respectful and kind community. The Scroll would like to extend its gratitude towards the members of our wonderful custodial, dining hall, security and physical plant teams. Their hard work and commitment in making our campus safe was a great help over the weekend of the blizzard. We would also like to recognize the hardship of not being able to go home and staying on campus overnight, for the roads were difficult to travel. We would also like to thank the students who helped shovel snow along Wells Street and other roads close to campus. Their willingness to help the community has shown that many of our students are what we want them to be: caring, eager, and considerate people.

When I think of the concept of a Deerfield Boy, what comes immediately to mind is the well-rounded athlete, student and person who excels at everything he does. Though this seems entirely unrealistic for the vast majority of us, it is an admirable goal to work towards. But what, in practice, defines the Deerfield boy? Well, among us there are great students, elite athletes and talented musicians, but by Deerfield standards, relatively few of us are two or more of those. Most of us are, to some extent, specialized. Now let me ask this—of the skills that I just listed, what trait do fellow students value most? I would argue that to his peers, the most revered Deerfield boy is the elite athlete who is respected for his talents on the field, court or rink. I would further point out that this is a product of the school’s culture, since a high priority is given to athletics here. Is this an issue? No. On the contrary, I think that since our school’s identity is so deeply rooted in athletic excellence, it would be a mistake to try and change who the Deerfield boy is. Rather, we should keep in mind the overarching values that define him—smart, athletic and decent-—and we should continue to strive to be that way.

The article titled “In the Wake of Tragedy: Could It Happen Here?” (February 6, 2013) erroneously presented William Montgomery’s position on gun control. His quotes were taken out of context. The article presented his views as anti-gun control, while he is actually for it. The Scroll regrets this error.

Dear Reader: From passionate editorial meetings to the long hours of layout week, it only feels right to address this farewell letter from all of us—the senior editors of the 87th volume of The Deerfield Scroll . Since last April, we have produced issues and broadsides on topics such as sexuality, hook-up culture, dominant culture, pace of life, sports successes, Academy Events and socioeconomic class. We developed Scroll Online, changed the layout of the print version and organized open forums. In each issue, we have striven to provide the news and stories our school needs. We have striven to provoke discussion that raises people’s awareness of potential issues and diverse opinions. Most importantly, we have sought the making of a student-run newspaper, a legacy we hope continues in the future. We believe the ideals of a student-run newspaper are firmly rooted in social responsibility to our student body. We believe The Scroll , or any student-run publication, should be free from the pressure of censorship— whether it comes from ourselves or from external groups such as the Administration, Admissions Office or Trustee Board. We strive to help Deerfield become a school that is willing to talk openly about controversial and difficult topics. We have taken an objective stance in viewing our school, trying to see it as it is and not as we want it to be. We love Deerfield—we love it so much that we are willing to risk our individual reputations for changes that could potentially benefit more of us. We also love our paper— the first writers’ meeting of the month, pizza dinners, pressing deadlines, waiting for Security to unlock the Scroll Room, the associates. We pulled together as one team with one vision after an unexpected transition in advisorship this September. Thank you to our previous advisors and their powerful legacy. To our current advisors— thank you for stepping up and allowing us to do what we wanted with The Scroll and supporting us. Thank you to the Communications Office for printing our broadsides. Thank you to Ms. DiNicola for helping us develop Scroll Online and being patient with us every moment. Good luck to Charlotte Allen and her board. We have complete faith in you. Scrollio. No regrets. It’s been one heck of a ride. KH. CB. SH. CK. MM. SS. AS. JL. TM.