Search this site

Intimacy at Deerfield has always been a hot topic. In order to accommodate physical proximity, comfort, and the bonding of couples, a system labeled “Parietals” was created to sanction and regulate dorm-room visitation. The logistics of parietals often require that labels be ascribed to couples, whether same-sex or not, that indicate a relationship that is more than platonic. Placing a trashcan or shoe in the door is sometimes regarded as a heralding or inauguration – a public announcement of a non-platonic relationship. With such pressure placed on the two individuals getting parietals, whether romantically involved or opposite-sex, one might understand why same-sex couples at Deerfield are wary of requesting and receiving parietals. Dane Scott ’16 expanded on this complexity, “You have to be out to all the faculty residents in your dorm, not to mention everyone on your hall, by placing a shoe in your door and announcing your sexuality to everyone. You, or your partner, or both, may be deeply uncomfortable with revealing this information to practical strangers when you maybe haven’t yet told your parents. Putting this kind of legitimate pressure on a relationship is enough to ruin a relationship and make it deeply unhealthy.” The current parietals system language in the student handbook states, “Deerfield’s dorm room visitation policy acknowledges some students who share the same gender identity are engaged in relationships that are more than simple friendships—just as there are platonic relationships between students of opposite gender identities. The closeness of our community and our biological-gender based housing system requires a degree of trust in students—regardless of their sexual orientation and identification.” Following this explanation is a set of rules that students must adhere to that are applicable to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples. Valentina Connell ’16, officer for the Gender Sexuality Alliance, posited that “the nuances of same-sex couples and their situations necessitates a different set of rules that should govern parietals. Simply placing same-sex and opposite-sex parietals rules under one general hood does not offer adequate solutions to the unique and specific problems that same-sex couples encounter.” Connell elucidated a few questions that arise from this ambiguity: “What if your significant other is in the same dorm, or on the same hall?” “Can you even be in the same room together without getting parietals?” “Can you be in the same room if there are multiple people in the room?” Another issue the current same-sex parietals policy raises is in faculty LGBTQ awareness and comfort. There have been instances in which faculty members have felt uncomfortable or unsure of granting same-sex parietals. This could be attributed to the vague set of rules that govern the parietals system or personal viewpoint and bias. To combat this perplexing issue the GSA and Dean of Students Ms. Amie Creagh are collaborating and are in the process of brainstorming viable solutions to the shortcomings of the current policy. A possible point of reference in solving this issue may be emulating other schools’ policies. Scott reported, “To do this, we’re looking at other boarding school policies regarding LGBT parietals.” Connell added an open invitation, saying, “Both Ms. Creagh and the GSA are interested in hearing any ideas that members of the Deerfield community come up with.”

For the past three years, Deerfield students have traveled abroad to attend Round Square, an international conference on environmental stewardship, democracy, leadership, internationalism, service, and adventure. Participants come from 150 secondary schools from throughout the world. This year, six Deerfield students departed in late September for the bustling island of Singapore. Despite the 23 hour long trip, upon arrival they were all excited by the cultural differences they encountered and diverse people they met. Jeffrey Sun ’17, who attended last year’s conference in Jordan, described the conference as “a valuable opportunity for students to step out of the boundaries of school life and gain more insight into the intricate mechanism of a foreign society. At the same time, students share with each other culture-specific knowledge that will help build essential skills for intensive application in global development.” Students attracted to the trip share an interest in fixing the world’s problems and are aspiring leaders. Ally Edwards ’17, who also went to Jordan last year, said, “I knew it would be a great opportunity to meet students from all different parts of the world that shared my same interest in improving significant global conflicts.” She also noted how knowledgeable the students she met in Jordan were on pressing international issues. This year’s International Round Square conference was held at The United States World College of South East Asia. The conference featured a variety of languages, ethnicities, key-note speakers, and barazas (Swahili for “council” groups). The speakers inspired the audience to take steps to change the world and think of strategies to solve global issues. “The key note speakers talked about themes that revolved around sustainability and how there was an adventure in sustainable development,” said attendee Kiana Rawji ’18. “They were all really different but had similar messages.” The topics ranged from climate change and the ocean to poverty and developing states, all tying around the conference’s theme, “Act Today, Change Tomorrow.” The baraza groups were council meetings and roundtable discussions, which consisted of about fifteen delegates working together to find tools to solving global problems. “The discussion was about how to solve a problem and the steps that need to be taken in order to make sure the system is maintained,” Connor Finemore ‘18 says. “One of the most valuable parts of the baraza groups is that many different people from many different backgrounds bring their ideas to the table. Everyone is willing to share how they feel and to debate with others.” The students who attended Round Square this year look forward to bringing back what they learned and engaging even more students in solving the world’s problems.

This year, Brian Ravish holds a new title as Deerfield “School Resource Officer.” He is responsible for all five town schools: Deerfield Elementary, Frontier Regional High School, Bement School, Eaglebrook School, and Deerfield Academy. Though this position is new to Ravish, he has “done just about everything [else]” in law enforcement, he said, including teaching classes for other policemen. Now settled into his new post, Ravish said, “So far I love it—absolutely love it.”

Should our intimacy be controlled? Voices from the community on parietals, sexual assault, and moving forward. (Previous: Part I: Administration Perspective ) Faculty Perspective : Dr. O’Neil I am not the only faculty member on campus who thinks that managing parietals is the worst part of my job. It is particularly acute for those of us who live in large upperclassmen dorms. On a weekend night in Rosenwald-Shumway, there can easily be more than ten parietal requests, meaning that the faculty member on duty is checking on the status of teenage intimate relationships sometimes as many as fifty times a night. I know that many of us take a deep breath before knocking on the door, hoping as we open it that there is nothing on the other side that we don’t want to see. Violations are not only embarrassing for the students, but excruciatingly so for the faculty. To be clear, I do not have a problem with productive discomfort in an educational setting; what I have a problem with, rather, is the awkwardness that derives from having to deal with situations that are uncomfortable in ways that are neither appropriate to nor productive in an academic and educational context. And while I am, like many of my colleagues, relieved that the Dean of Students’ office has issued clear guidelines streamlining expectations for both students and faculty across the different dorms, I am unconvinced that this useful change addresses the more fundamental problem: that parietals do not contribute to the sexual education of our students or coincide with the educational objectives of the Academy. Adolescence is undoubtedly a period of sexual curiosity and development. It is not the responsibility of Deerfield Academy or its faculty to change that, first and foremost because to do so would be impossible. It is, however, our job to work to ensure that campus life, from the classroom to the athletic field to the dorm room, is shaped by and in response to meaningful pedagogical objectives. In the case of adolescent sexual development, that means preparing our students to make informed, deliberate, and healthy decisions about sexual relationships, not providing them with at best semi-regulated spaces for experimentation that has no place at a school. Perhaps what I am saying can be framed in terms of Cindy Pierce’s excellent presentation earlier this term. While several students I spoke with saw a contradiction between Pierce’s encouragement to proceed with confidence in their sexual relationships and the news that their private interactions would be more closely monitored, I would argue that there is in fact no contradiction. In order to best provide you with the knowledge, resources, and support you need in order to develop such confidence, we must work within boundaries appropriate to an educational setting. In both her book and presentation, Pierce uses the Thatcher School as a model for how boarding schools can create communities that teach students to make smart decisions about sex without condoning sexual relationships on campus. The Thatcher School does not allow parietals, but does include as part of its curriculum an obligatory four-year Human Relations and Sexuality program that deals in-depth with topics including intimate relationships, sexuality, and sexual assault. The school also explicitly details the appropriate amount of physical contact between students—hand holding, hugging, and kissing are acceptable at certain times but not at others, and sexual intimacy is never allowed—and makes it clear that violations of those policies are grounds for discipline and possibly dismissal. Students, consequently, learn about sexuality and learn to define and embrace healthy sexual relationships the way one should learn in a school: through a combination of study, conversation, and clear institutional boundaries. It should be noted that the successes of the Thatcher School’s approach have not been merely pedagogical: surveys have shown that while on-campus sexual activity has significantly decreased, students’ satisfaction with campus culture and social life has increased. As I believe our primary concern should be preparing our students to live curious, healthy, and productive lives, I advocate implementing a similar policy at DA. Part III: Student Perspective

Should our intimacy be controlled? Voices from the community on parietals, sexual assault, and moving forward. (Previous: Part II: Faculty Perspective ) Student Perspective : Lucy Binswanger Spring term last year, my teacher took our English class out to the diner as a chance to bond and eat good food before finals came around. Trying to come up with topics of conversation, I asked around the table if anyone had any funny first date stories. None of them did, because every single one of my 15- to 16-year-old classmates had never been on a date or even anything remotely close to one. I then asked one of the boys in my class why he had never taken someone he liked on a date, and he responded that it was “way too much effort.” My first thought was: dang, are you missing out! What happened to all the gentlemen who took us out to dinner at Chipotle before hooking up with us and never speaking to us again? At least we’d get a free meal out of it. However, I wasn’t surprised. After a year in the Deerfield Bubble, these encounters with cultural difference were to be expected. When I first arrived at Deerfield as a new sophomore, I was immediately informed by my peers of the unspoken rules and regulations about hooking up and “dating.” I’d wanted to ask someone out who I’d met a few days before and had a nice conversation with at ukulele club (hubba hubba). A senior told me that in theory I could, but she advised that I didn’t. That would be “weird.” Being in public school for most of my life, this came as a huge shock. If you were interested in someone romantically or sexually, you either cowered in a corner yearning over their sweet embrace in your daydreams, or you mustered up the courage to ask them out. Going to movies, walking around town, or even just hanging out at a SO’s house was always a typical and enjoyable part of life. Boyfriends and girlfriends were equally as common as “things” or “hookups,” and people knew that because they were able to define these relationships pretty easily. Sexual assault was real, but not necessarily common. Students were well educated on sex and consent, and students could talk to trusted faculty about these matters because… well… sex was allowed. College campuses are now dealing with what many call an “epidemic” of sexual assault and rape, but the real question is: are boarding school campuses any different? Rape culture is real at Deerfield for many reasons. Lack of communication, social pressure, reputation, and bottled-up hormones make for one big lump of suck. This culture of casual sexual encounters is a subset of an overall flawed social structure. Deerfield culture is already very sexist and there is little female initiation when it comes to these encounters. After a hookup has taken place, the couple’s sexual privacy is almost always compromised because of the size of this community, usually at the girl’s expense. When you ask someone of the opposite gender to get parietals, or “leave the Greer,” or go for a walk, the assumption is that you are going to hook up. However, hooking up can mean anything from a kiss on the lips to having sex, so there’s already an extreme lack of clarity there. If a couple does happen to want to do something besides kissy-kissy cuddle time, they either have to “find a spot” and risk getting caught by security, or they have to get parietals and risk having an intimate moment interrupted by their resident, if they can’t finish by the next “knock knock, everything okay in there?” Therefore, almost all sexual encounters at Deerfield exist under a time limit. When speaking of sex education, the general faculty response is to “wait for the right person” and “to make sure you’re comfortable.” These statements come with good intentions. However, the reality is that most students don’t have time to make sure both people are consenting every step of the way when Mr. Applebottom could be back any minute. Due to this unfortunate arrangement, I am sure that by definition a lot more sexual assault goes on here than is talked about openly. The faculty response to this dilemna is to impose stricter parietals guidelines to make sure everyone involved feels safe. In RoSho, we were informed that when the on-duty faculty checks in (which will be every 30 minutes) we are prohibited from being in a lying down position, and we must come and answer the door ourselves. Residents may as well tell us to set a timer for 30 minutes and “have at it,” but to make sure we’re in an upright position once the time is up. I can guarantee that if we didn’t have parietals at all, sexual activity would increase by 100%. But if we had somewhat looser policies, would sexual assault be less likely? My answer is yes. And isn’t that what the administration is most concerned about when constructing these policies? With more freedom and less “couple shaming” (yes, faculty, we see those judgmental stares you give us when we check in) our school would be taking a step in the right direction in developing healthier relationships and changing the culture at Deerfield.

This summer, Gavin Kennedy ’16 started a project to help combat sexual assault at high schools and colleges. A large part of Kennedy’s mission is to “educate kids our age about [sexual assault], because it’s extremely complicated.” Kennedy explained that he wants people “to understand the issue.” Kennedy believes that the number of cases of sexual assault can be lowered if students are educated about what it is and what its consequences are. The creation of Kennedy’s project coincided with a trial that occurred this summer after a senior boy at St. Paul’s School was charged with the rape of a freshman girl. The girl, aged 15 at the time, claimed that the senior had sex with her, while the senior pled innocence, claiming that they had sexual contact but not intercourse. In the end, the senior boy was convicted of a felony charge and four misdemeanors. When asked about the events that took place at St. Paul’s, Kennedy stated, “Some people just don’t realize how rigid [the statutory rape] law is. People don’t understand that if someone is under the age of consent, they literally cannot give consent.” Kennedy continued, “If [an upperclassman is] about to go hook up with a freshman, they should [be thinking] ‘I should not be doing this.’” Kennedy stated that sexual assault is “a complicated issue with a lot of parts,” and that students’ full awareness of each part is necessary in order to make high schools and colleges safer. He explained that Title IX is the principle sexual assault policy of many universities and that at universities that abide by Title IX, all sexual assault cases go to the Title IX officer at the school, “who is inclined to side with the victim.” Kennedy continued, “Title IX is about gender discrimination, which raises a philosophical question about whether or not sexual assault is discriminatory towards a certain gender.” He added, “Also, the idea of consent changes everywhere you look at it. Schools define it, states define it—there are definitions everywhere.” The first step of Kennedy’s project is to educate students on the issue. He plans to give sessions at DA to detail sexual assault laws. At a school meeting, for instance, he will describe how these laws affect us in the Deerfield community and beyond. Looking ahead, Kennedy said, “I think I want to have students [discuss] their own policies, and see what kids our age think about the issue and how it should be handled, and from there we can see what policies need to be changed or implemented.” Through conversation and surveys he has created, Kennedy hopes to gain a sense of students’ attitudes towards the Deerfield policies and gauge whether or not they feel as if these policies are sufficient. He also plans to offer his own solutions to the community about how to best manage issues and confusion with sexual assault. Since last year, Deerfield’s Sexual Assault policy has changed slightly. For the first time, the administration has defined the word “consent” in the Sexual Intimacy Policy to read, “It is never legal to engage in any intimate contact without another’s full consent. Consent is more than “no means no”–it represents an affirmative, unambiguous, and conscious decision by each party to engage in sexual activity.” Additionally, freshmen and seniors are now officially prohibited from getting parietals with each other, unless they are visiting in groups. One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18, according to usnews.com. Additionally, according to

Deerfield alumnus Alex Killorn ’08, now a center on The Tampa Bay Lightning, made a name for himself this summer during the NHL fight for the Stanley Cup. Killorn was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, although his family moved to an area just outside Montreal when he was very young. Later, he found his second home at Deerfield Academy. Looking back on what he imagined for himself and his future as a student at Deerfield and later at Harvard University, Killorn reflected, “I didn’t really have many expectations when I first arrived at Deerfield. I was hoping that I would get recruited to play hockey at a division one college. Once I got to Harvard, I really focused on having a career in professional hockey and committed myself to that.  I had a great senior year and everything fell into place.” Killorn always knew that he wanted to play hockey, and as he moved up from high school to college, he became more ambitious and sought to excel. However, Killorn did not always feel fit to play. He explained, “I was undersized and had a tough time adjusting to a sport that was so physical. I really worked hard in the gym… working out nearly 6 times a week. This helped me once I grew. I filled out.” Speaking of his achievements, in 2012, after finishing his time at Harvard, Killorn went on to play for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL. While it was an incredible accomplishment, it was also an immense adjustment. Going from high school hockey to college hockey is one thing, but transitioning from college to a national league is “a lot different,” Alex explained. “Playing professional hockey is a grind,” he said. “Instead of 30 games a year you play sometimes over 100. That wears on your body… but you get used to it” Killorn’s opportunity to play for Lighting was not one he was willing to pass up, regardless of the heightened intensity and pressure. Alex became the first ever Harvard graduate to score a goal in the Stanley Cup, but his “biggest goal to date was scoring the game-winner in game 7 of the eastern conference finals against Lundqvist,” a Swedish goaltender for the New York Rangers. Killorn believes that his time at Deerfield prepared him well for an academic and athletic career. He noted, “I think [Deerfield] helped me out a lot academically in preparing me for Harvard… As a hockey player, it was a chance for me to really be showcased to different colleges… I also met a ton of friends who I am still very close to today.” Not to mention, the highlight of his Deerfield experience was “probably beating Choate at home.” Throughout his hockey career, the best piece of advice that Killorn has received is “don’t worry about the big picture, just focus on what’s in front of you right now.”  However, Killorn himself has his own advice for current Deerfield students that can apply to any realm, whether it be academics, arts, or athletics: “Have confidence in yourself. I try to have the mindset that I’m the best player on the ice whenever I play.”

During the last days of summer, when students across the world prepared to return to the Valley, the von Auersperg Gallery prepared for the installation of the exhibit “Human Impact.”  Comprised of both photography and sculptures, the exhibit, curated by Fine Arts Teacher Tim Trelease, will be open from September 20th to October 20th in the Hess Center. The exhibition was inspired by the popular “Unconventional Beauty” assignment in Mr. Trelease’s photography classes. Mr. Trelease always introduces the assignment with a short clip from the film in which a character explains the most beautiful thing he had ever seen: a plastic bag carried by the wind, dancing in a deserted alley. Trelease captured the spirit of the project by saying, “It’s the poetic beauty behind things. It’s looking for unconventional beauty, like a cigarette box in a puddle or some graffiti, and elevating these ugly things into beautiful things.” The upcoming show will highlight the notion of unconventional beauty, incorporating a sense of social consciousness to answer the daunting question, “What impact are we having on this planet that we all share?” To respond to this question, Trelease created his “wishlist” of artwork that explores the emerging cultural crossroad regarding the effects of the population on urban condition, urban life, water and sustainability. With the exception of a Richard Misrach photograph, generously lent to the Academy by a Deerfield family, the works of art are on loan from the various galleries  that represent the artists. Each of the artists in the forthcoming exhibit approaches the unifying theme of human impact in a different way. Award-winning Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado, for example, captures the pure, untouched natural beauty of the polar ice caps. His photograph provokes the haunting question, “How much longer is this going to be?” The photographer Andrew Moore offers another perspective. He photographs abandoned and dilapidated buildings all over the world, suggesting the detachment and wastefulness of human beings. Although the show is predominantly photographs, it includes several sculptures, which will be centered on the floor of the gallery. The exhibition also includes the work of Rachel Perry Welty, Brian Vanden Brink, Tim Feresten, Harriet Diamond and Rebecca Muller. With the opening of the exhibit quickly approaching, Trelease hopes to provide his photography classes with as much information about the artists and exhibit as possible. Several students, including Lily Louis ’18, Lulu Fanjul ’18 and Rachel Yao ’16 will return to the gallery as tour guides. Trelease also hopes to organize student interviews with the artists this fall. Even  though the exhibit will close in October, the von Auersperg Gallery will be filled with a student  “Human Impact”  art show this spring. The artwork will  not  be limited to only Deerfield students—all art students from private schools in the Northeast are invited to participate. Trelease said, “I want this show to be a catalyst for inspiration. In whatever way [the student-artists] are inspired and in any medium, we’ll find a way for their work to be in the exhibit.” The forthcoming “Human Impact” exhibit will offer the Deerfield community the opportunity to see astonishing artwork, inviting viewers to contemplate the profound relationship—and subsequent responsibility—that exists between humans and the earth.

Dear Reader, First and foremost, welcome to both the new and the returning. I am confident that this year will be a year of growth, pride, and gratitude for the community as a whole and that the Class of 2016 will prove to be influential role models and leaders for everyone on campus. Right now, each one of us is living through one of the most hectic times in our world. With the beginning of this year offering a fresh start, I see it as our duty, as members of this community, to remain informed and to get involved. I want to direct your attention to the world beyond Deerfield. With all of the mobile access we have today, it’s easy to keep up with information both in this country and around the world. In times of great catastrophe and strife, which define the lives of so many people around the globe, the news can serve as a method of raising awareness: a means of connection between those who are suffering and those who care enough to do something about that suffering. As I write this letter, Europe is in the heat of a profound migrant crisis, one that has been the subject of headlines everywhere. In August, social media drew enormous attention to the issue when a photo of a drowned three-year-old Syrian boy washed ashore on a Turkish beach went viral. It is times like these when the world’s never-ending attachment to media deserves positive recognition for drawing attention to what needs to be seen—the harsh reality of the world that seems the polar opposite of our own. Here in this country, Friday marked the 14th anniversary of 9/11, what news media have rightly named one of America’s darkest days. I’ve spent my entire life living in New York City, and 9/11 marks a day when my home, which I share with 8.4 million other people, was attacked. However, 9/11 also marks a day of the utmost strength, endurance, and compassion. It marks a day of selflessness and the true heroism of people who deserve unbounded recognition and gratitude. I’d like to shed light on all of the students and faculty who did just what I mentioned at the beginning of this letter—who, this summer, remained informed and got involved. I’m truly honored to be a member of a community of people who are so driven to affect change for the better of the world—who are driven to take advantage of the resources that they have to provide resources for people lacking them. As we head into this year, I urge you all to remain humble and generous. I have the utmost faith that our community will continue to care, will continue to be empathic, and will continue to do good. Cheers, Bella Hutchins Editor-In-Chief

Over the summer, Elizabeth Tiemann ’16 launched a nonprofit called Delta Lab with a team of twelve other young entrepreneurs. The company’s mission is to “encourage involvement in the crucial fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)” among Indonesia’s underprivileged youth. To do this, as stated on its website, Delta Lab will distribute lab kit boxes filled with “thought-provoking, interest-piquing experiments” to elementary schools in the area. Tiemann, who grew up partly in Jakarta, Indonesia, fondly recalls transforming her family’s kitchen into  “Elizabeth’s Lab,” where she conducted science experiments created by her mother. She values those activities as a crucial part of her early education, and she explained that not nearly enough Indonesians have the same opportunities. When she learned that far too many Indonesians lack a range of STEM skills, forcing Indonesian companies to outsource jobs in the fields of engineering, technology, and science to employees in other countries, Tiemann was motivated to create Delta Lab. Delta Lab produces “lab boxes” designed for third and sixth grade students that contain materials for five different STEM classroom experiments. Each experiment also teaches a scientific concept, including topics such as density, a catalyst’s role in a chemical reaction, oxidation through carbon compounds, and heat. Each experiment incorporates fun materials and titles, such as “Growing Gummy Bears” and “Rainbow in a Jar,” that are aimed at engaging young learners. To develop the nonprofit, Tiemann works with a team of students, called “lab partners,” most of whom “go to boarding school or college in the U.S.” Each lab partner is responsible for contacting sponsors and communicating with schools. Tiemann encountered challenges along the way to making Delta Lab a reality. For example, she eventually decided to reconstruct the model, which first allowed for students to receive their own lab boxes, after realizing the kits would be more effective as a classroom-wide tool. She also experienced initial difficulty in finding sufficient funding and support. Individual sponsors cover the fifty-dollar cost of each lab box, maintaining the non-profit nature of Delta Lab, and they have input into which schools receive the boxes. As Tiemann said, “the sad reality is that not everyone wants to help,” but ultimately, enthusiastic supporters of Delta Lab helped balance the funding scales. During the seven-week start-up period, Tiemann said the most rewarding part was seeing the students’ reactions when they performed the experiments: “I haven’t seen that much sheer enthusiasm for learning in a while, and that was really, really refreshing.” Rewarding, too, was the initial response to the idea of Delta Lab. “I started getting requests from schools for upwards of 30 boxes a week,” she said. “One school even extended an invitation to do an event to demo a box in front of a group of 180 students!” During the school year, Tiemann explained that “the number of boxes and frequency of delivery will decline a bit, but [she expects] to go back with full force next summer.” She will stay in contact with potential sponsors and work with her team in Indonesia during school breaks. “It killed me a little bit on the inside when I had to leave Jakarta just as work was really starting [up],” she said. “But I trust the momentum will keep building, and we can make a greater impact next summer.” Though still very young, Delta Lab has already reaped the support of the economic consul of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta and hopes to extend its services to other countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, and Mongolia next summer. Tiemann added, “We have proven that the demand for STEM education, and our boxes as a vector for that demand is outstanding.”

To the new students on campus, we’re excited to welcome you into the family that is Deerfield. You provide the great energy that comes with fresh starts in life. Here at , we believe that Deerfield’s community is the way that it is because of the students who take chances, so we urge you to do just that. Though it sounds clichéd, if you talk to the majority of returning students, they will tell you they’ve developed an unexpected interest, made unexpected friends, and developed countless unexpected perspectives since they arrived at DA. That’s the way our community works, so take advantage of it. To returning students, The board urges you to have the same positive outlook as the new students this year.  We know returning students want to change Deerfield for the better, so we urge them to lean away from cynicism and more towards making a positive impact on campus. Although this is not your first year at Deerfield, you are in a new chapter of your Deerfield career. Take advantage of that and greet this year with a new perspective. So to all students—new and returning—we wish you the best of luck in your endeavors this school year. Be grateful, be kind, and be eager. We believe in you!

Deerfield’s new music director, Daniel Jackson, has an extensive background in music. Beginning his voice career in high school, Mr. Jackson performed in front of thousands in vocal ensemble, then went on to attend Florida State University, majoring in Choral Music Education—a perfect fit for his job here at Deerfield. After performing at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and taking a two-week tour of Vietnam, Jackson graduated and took a job at Olympia High School in Orlando, Florida, where he was deeply involved in the music program. Mr. Jackson also spent three years as the Assistant Artistic Director for the Garden Community Choir in Winter Garden, Florida, and spent eight years as the Chamber Choir Director at the Presbyterian Church of the Lakes. At Deerfield, Jackson plans to try to create more opportunities for ensemble classes during the class day schedule. In addition, he hopes to specialize the ensembles, meaning particular classes will be for jazz, a cappella, percussion, or Gospel.  Jackson feels these different types of ensembles could “really help to build cross-cultural connections and exposure on our campus.” Juan Cabrera ‘16, an active singer at DA who spoke with Jackson during opening days, said, “I strongly believe that he is going to get more people involved in the arts in some form…it’s exciting to think more people will potentially be involved in something extraordinary.” Not only does Jackson wish to influence our students’ musical talents through these new ensembles, Mr. Jackson mentioned that he also hopes “to be able to offer a listening ear, an open heart, and maybe a new point of view on what makes life worth living.” Jackson understands that Deerfield will be a new environment for him and that he will have to learn the “communal rhythm.” He added, “There are new responsibilities that I don’t quite have a handle on yet. The fact is, all I care about is teaching kids and having a positive influence on others. I absolutely love what I do.”