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On Thursday, April 9, 282 members of the Deerfield community gathered in the Dining Hall lobby to have their hair cut by Chet’s Barber Shop (Greenfield). For every male who shaved his head, and for every female who cut six inches of her hair for Locks of Love, the Hale family donated $1,000 to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to support research for pancreatic cancer — for a total of $300,000 donated by Rob Hale ‘84. According to the Dana-Farber website, “The mission of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is to provide expert, compassionate care to children and adults with cancer while advancing the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of cancer and related diseases.” This event started because last year Mr. Hale, CEO of Granite Telecommunications, jokingly dared an employee to shave his beard in exchange for a $10,000 donation to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Two weeks later, 428 Granite employees shaved their heads or beards and donated hair to Locks of Love. Mr. Hale and his mother pledged $5000 for each person who participated, and donated more than $2.2 million to Dana-Farber through the event, called Saving by Shaving. Because last year was so successful, Governor Charlie Baker and Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch joined this year’s campaign. A donor gave $500,000 for Governor Baker to shave his head, and another gave $10,000 for Mayor Koch when he shaved. A total of $3.25 million was donated to Dana-Farber this year. The Hale children—Trevor ’15, Tommy ’17 and Brett ’18—wanted to bring Saving By Shaving to Deerfield. Brett explained, “My family chose to work with Dana Farber because my grandpa (my dad’s dad) passed away from pancreatic cancer.” Mr. Hale held the most recent event for Granite employees on April 7; and two days later, the Deerfield community joined the movement. The event was met with a positive reaction by students. Sooah Ko ’17, who participated in the event, said, “My grandmother died of cancer when she was very young, so I have a personal connection to cancer. I wanted to donate money to cancer research, and it was exciting to see the whole school come together for a cause that is so close to me.” Jason Bravo ’15 was also happy to see people stepping up in a unified way for a cause. He said, “My cousin was affected by cancer, and it made me think of the importance of helping others that have cancer. So when this opportunity came, I felt like I had to do it, because my hair will grow back. It’s a small price to pay if it means that people will benefit from better cancer treatment in the future.” The shaved heads reminded Deerfield of the struggle of chemotherapy and cancer. Many were proud to contribute to Dana-Farber, thanks to the Hale family’s generosity.

On April 21 and 22, four students—Kate Palmer ’16, Ethan Thayumanavan ’17, Mamadou Yattassaye ’17 and Virginia Murphy ’17—and Director of Global Studies David Miller attended the annual Save the Children’s Advocacy Summit in Washington D.C. Save the Children is a non–profit organization devoted to giving children around the world aid in various forms such as food and medicine, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm. Save the Children has helped the lives of 143 million children so far. Kate Palmer, who brought the organization to Deerfield’s campus, described Save the Children as a model charity: “The organization has always been there for me. I have been involved with them for years doing numerous trips, vacations, visiting and volunteering with them.” Save the Children’s anual Advocacy Summit is an opportunity for youth to raise awareness of issues troubling other children. During Advocacy Summit, students learn from experts about the worldwide challenges facing children today, and discuss how to make change with politicial leaders. Additionally, students attend exhibits and forums with participants from around the country, and they visit Capitol Hill to advocate for children before various lawmakers. At the Summit this April, students advocated for Early Childhood Education, a program designed to improve pre–K programs and maternal and newborn childhood survival, as well as for ways to end preventable child and maternal deaths. Students also sought to put children’s welfare high on the United Nations’ list of Sustainable Development Goals. Yattassaye described his motivation for attending the conference: “Because I have parallel lifestyles in Harlem and Mali, I thought going to the summit would be a great way for me to advocate for the voices that are not really heard.” Thayumanavan described meeting representatives at Capitol Hill as a surreal experience: “When we got there, [the lawmakers] were willing to listen to me more than the adults—on Capitol Hill it is not just about the here and now, but also what you leave in the world for the next generation.“ After watching students advocate and implement life skills at the Summit, Mr. Miller concluded, “When we talk about how to build an argument or how to speak publicly or how to do research, it’s hard for students to see these are important skills. I felt a lot of pride seeing students rise to the occasion. People were taking notes vigorously, so they could be prepared to go out and make the best case possible, not to get a good grade, but because they wanted to make a difference.” Palmer encourages other Deerfield students to also make a difference through Save the Children on campus. By going on the Save the Children’s website and becoming a child sponsor in the U.S. or around the world, each student has the power to invest in children; the power to provide them with the health and the education they need for less than a dollar a day.

Having first joined the Deerfield staff in 1976, Michael Cary has contributed greatly to Deerfield’s English Department, chaired the Philosophy & Religion Department, and served as Dean of Admissions. Additionally, Mr. Cary left Deerfield in 1996 to serve as the Head of School at The Lawrenceville School in 2003, and then returned in 2010. Next year, Mr. Cary will enter “semi-retirement”. He will stop teaching, but will stay involved with the Office of Advancement. Mr. Cary said, “I will miss my classroom, room 58. The mementos on the wall remind me of places I’ve been and students I’ve met. I will also miss moments in class when I can see the lights go on in student’s minds.” Mr. Cary looks forward to focusing on his poetry and art work, continuing his work with the National Park Service and spending time with his grandchildren. David Pond has been the Associate Head of School for Alumni Affairs and Development for 33 years at Deerfield. The article “ After 33 Years, David Pond Is About to Swim Away ” quotes Dr. Curtis’s praise for Pond’s achievement: “David is regarded as a legend, and inspires both deep respect and admiration.” Over her seven years teaching English at Deerfield, Ada Fan has had the opportunity to work with “wonderful students, devoted faculty, hard-working and thoroughly admirable staff.” Dr. Fan will return to Andover, where she and her husband lived for many years previously. She feels that her greatest achievement at Deerfield, in addition to contributing to the development of students, was helping students do there best in situations that weren’t always comfortable: “navigating the rapids as best we can in this life” is something everyone needs to work on, she said. Dr. Fan has helped navigate its rapids with diligence, wisdom, and encouragement. Frank Henry, who came to Deerfield as a student in 1967, has served DA as a development officer briefly and then as an English teacher for 32 years A recap of Mr. Henry’s history with Deerfield as well as the details of his retirement can be found on the Features page of this issue. After 40 years at Deerfield, Dr. Bicknell has announced his retirement. Although an eventful future lies ahead, he will always fondly remember the “vibrant students” and the school community here at DA. Dr. Bicknell remarked, “Doing this work has kept me young,” and explained how much he will miss all the people he has met at the Academy. He also looks forward to not living on a school calendar schedule. Still, he will be back at Deerfield once a week working on special projects within the counseling program. Dr. Bicknell is proud to have founded the program in 1975, his first year at the Academy.

On Sunday May 5, a sit-down table of senior girls dressed up as “gangsters.” At dinners throughout this rotation, the group dressed up with some theme in mind. One night, they all wore nice dresses and heels and called it “Prom Night.” However, on May 5, when the girls decided to wear baggy sweatpants and backwards hats, some of their fellow DA students were offended. Melanie Graciani ‘15 made a post on the Deerfield Student Forum Facebook page expressing her frustration with the incident, and many people reacted to her post— some supported her claims , and others opposed them. I struggle to understand where that group of girls did something wrong. Unlike people in the past who have added elements of black culture to the “gangster” look, that’s really not what happened here. Quite often during Choate Week or on a team dress-up day, groups of people say that they’re going to dress up as gangsters, but really just end up emulating elements of minority cultures. In those cases, wearing braids in your hair or putting on face tattoos isn’t funny or part of the “gangster” look—it’s taking real elements of rich cultures and degrading them. But in this particular case, none of that happened. These girls didn’t put braids in their hair, insinuating that having braids, or having tattoos, or face markings, is something bad. They didn’t throw up gang signs or put themselves into a situation where they were appropriating a culture in a negative fashion. I think we are doing ourselves a disservice to say that being a gangster is associated with being a black or Hispanic person. Being a gangster does not equate to being a minority. These girls decided to dress up as gangsters. That doesn’t mean that they were trying to be black. When talking about intent vs. impact, we have to consider the effects that this post had on those girls. The post makes it seem like they are people perpetuating racial stereotypes, and that isn’t the case. This is my view, from the eyes of a black girl who understands that too often at Deerfield black and other minorities’ cultures are made fun of or regarded as “bad” or “negative.” Beyond trying or even intending, I don’t see evidence that these girls did something horrible to a group of minority people here. We should consider that when thinking about what actually happened.

On April 25, five Deerfield students left campus at 6 a.m. and headed to New York City for the NextGenVest East Coast Summit. When the group arrived at the Grand Central Technical Institutes offices, where NextGenVest is located, they were greeted by a group of NextGenVest employees and quickly absorbed into the crowd of about forty other high schools students. NextGenVest’s goal is to fix the current lack of financial education among students by using short, three-minute videos with titles that range from “Insurance 101” to “Investment 101.” NextGenVest has already helped thousands of students learn basic principles of personal finance. NextGenVest’s founder, Kelly Peeler, a Harvard graduate and former J.P. Morgan investment banker, started the organization because, as she said, she ‘was lucky enough to get a great formal and traditional education but was completely lacking in the ‘life skills’ area.” Deerfield became involved with the organization two years ago when current senior Yong-Hun Kim brought NGV to Deerfield. “It all started last year,” Kim explained, “when Kelly paid a visit to DA to introduce the organization and invited interested students to apply [for] the winter summit in NYC.” Kim went to the summit over Thanksgiving break with Jackie Dowling ‘14; “Afterwards, we were tasked with establishing a chapter club at DA. I decided to go through with this project because I thought NGV’s mission of reducing financial illiteracy among young adults was [noble].” Deerfield’s club currently has over 25 members and meets regularly to discuss current matters within the organization and work on projects for the multiple NextGenVest competitions.Deerfield placed 1st and 3rd in two past competitions. At the summit this past weekend, representatives from nearly a dozen chapters came to hear five guest speakers with expertise in entrepreneurship, journalism and finance, and to participate in student-led workshops on leadership. Also, the results of the most recent competition, called NextGenVest 18under18, were released. NextGenVest 18under18 is modeled off of Forbes 30under30. The competitors were students, nominated by peers, who excel or have passions in a particular field. Some of the interests of the competitors included investment, athletics and entrepreneurship, among others. One of Deerfield’s own students, Mamadou Yattassaye ’15, was nominated and won the Literature category for his work featured in the America Library of Poetry. NextGenVest hopes to build up as large a community as possible, so, in Peeler’s words, “It can be every student’s money mentor.” Kim said, “NGV has opened my eyes to how much of a necessity financial literacy is. One out of every seven students cannot make basic financial decisions around things like credit cards or budgeting.” In the future Kim hopes students will start taking advantage of the various online videos in order to learn the basics of personal finance.

On Sunday May 5, a sit-down table of senior girls dressed up as “gangsters.” At dinners throughout this rotation, the group dressed up with some theme in mind. One night, they all wore nice dresses and heels and called it “Prom Night.” However, on May 5, when the girls decided to wear baggy sweatpants and backwards hats, some of their fellow DA students were offended. Melanie Graciani ‘15 made a post on the Deerfield Student Forum Facebook page expressing her frustration with the incident, and many people reacted to her post—some supported her claims, and others opposed them . Students dressing up as “gangsters” makes many minority students at Deerfield highly uncomfortable. I recognize that I am just one voice, but many of my fellow minority students thanked me for making the Student Forum post and taking the first few steps towards making a difference in our community. In the past, people have wanted to say something about the fact that students at Deerfield often dress in such a manner. However, these people have remained silent, fearing that their voices would not be heard, or that others would say they were complaining about small things. I made the post in an effort to put an end to that type of thinking, and to put an end to students’ dressing in stereotypes. I did not feel attacked, but I did feel very uncomfortable. Melanie Diaz’s Facebook comment in response to my post summed up my reasoning. She stated that it made her “very uncomfortable to see people dressing like [‘gangsters’] here in a place where [she] should feel safe.” She added: “Back home many kids are assaulted on their way to school just for wearing certain colors, shoes and having certain haircuts.” Over the course of the year, she said that she’s “seen many people throwing up ‘gang’ signs and finding it very entertaining and posting pictures of them throwing up blood signs”—which upset her because she “used to live in a place that was surrounded by 41 different gang territories, [where] there were many circumstances in which people would get killed by doing just simple hand gestures and [have this] mistaken by a gang member as an opposing gang’s sign.” These types of things—dressing up as a “gangster” and throwing up gang signs—should not be a fun thing to do: it is taboo. Whenever I see someone performing such actions, it irritates me because I know that they are ignorant of the history, of the meaning and of the consequences that are linked with gang signs and dressing up as “gangsters.” Not everybody has the same experiences to base their actions and ideas off of. Therefore, what might be perceived as fun and amusing to one may be serious and offensive to another. As students of the Deerfield community, I believe that it is not only our duty, but also our moral obligation, to think about how our actions may be perceived and how they may affect others. I am a firm believer of intent vs. impact. People may be “socially aware,” but nobody is perfect and mistakes can be made. No one has ever dressed as a “gangster” with malicious intent (I hope). But when people dress up as “gangsters,” making hand gestures and shouting out “funny catch phrases,” they do not realize the full impact of their actions and the consequences that may come with them. We, as Deerfield students, should “act with respect, honesty, and concern for others and . . . seek to inspire the same values in our community and beyond.” We should rise above typical stereotyping and cultural appropriation and realize that we are all, as a community, obligated to take everyone’s feelings and concerns into consideration.

Have you ever pondered the nature of love? If you have, Deerfield’s spring theatre production Metamorphoses may open up a new world for you, a world created within stories about love, where you are entrusted with the task of exploring the different origins, dimensions and consequences of love. Metamorphoses,by American playwright Mary Zimmerman, is adapted from the classic Latin narrative poem Metamorphoses, one of the best-known works of Roman poet Ovid. The play “is about the transforming power of love— between fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, friends, gods, humans and strangers,” said Teaching Fellow and Director Katherine Speed. Metamorphoses is Ms. Speed’s first play at Deerfield. The cast involves 21 actors, and each member portrays three or four parts. Such a large group brings much vitality to the production, but also poses challenges. “My biggest challenge so far with this production has been finding ways to showcase the unique talents of all the members of our ensemble,” said Ms. Speed. “I have so many things I want to showcase about this cast and crew, but finding the best [way] in which to make that happen while still maintaining the structural and artistic integrity of the story is a puzzle.” Ms. Speed noted the collaboration among the cast has been a real success: “My biggest joy so far has been watching our more experienced actors lend their knowledge and expertise to our newer actors and seeing everyone deepen their understanding of and love for the craft in the process.” Sarah Jinich ’15, who has participated in eight Deerfield productions, said that the most difficult part of bringing Metamorphoses to life lies in the play’s abstract nature. “The scenes in Metamorphoses have more movement and big spaces,” Jinich explained, “where there is lots of action and time passing without much speaking, so the hardest challenge has been to convey the progression of a scene in more creative ways.” Assistant Director and actor Sabrina Alves ’17 is new to the theatrical experience. For her, the biggest challenge is interpreting her characters. “As someone who hasn’t taken an acting class before,” said Alves, “I’ve had to jump right into figuring out my characters and trying to keep up with everyone else, which was pretty difficult. But DA’s theater program is amazing, and the transition from rehearsal room to stage has been nothing but smooth with help from the directors, Ms. Speed and Annie Bronfman.” Visually, the setting of Metamorphoses is rather unprecedented. At the center of the Black Box theater, there is a pool, which separates the land of men and the land of gods, and many stories told in the play will take place in the water. “We’ve done small amounts of water before…but this is the largest water element we’ve ever had,” said Paul Yager, technical director of the production. “The installation of the pool requires a large amount of calculation and deliberation; the weight of the water, its potential damage to the theater and hygiene issues are all concerns that must be managed when using such a large amount of liquid.“ Metamorphoses is an incredibly innovative and artistic play. We definitely haven’t done anything quite so modern in my time here,” Jinich said. “I also think that the message in this play is really special—it’s about how love has an indescribable power that can change us, and each scene approaches this idea in a really beautiful way.” But what exactly is the nature of this power, and what is its connection to the perpetual theme of love? You are cordially invited to seek the answers in Deerfield’s production of Metamorphoses.

Claire Collins ’15, captain of girls varsity crew, will continue her rowing career at Princeton University next year. Collins hopes to make the first boat and to place in the NCAA Division I Rowing Championships. Descibing her love for the sport, Collins explained, “I like being able to push myself to limits I didn’t know existed.” Collins values how every member of the team pushes each other to improve and commented, “I’ve learned a lot from my teammates, and I think it’s really special that people are committed to making themselves and each other better… commitment to excellence is a big part of what makes rowing at Deerfield great.” Conor Sullivan will play water polo at the U.S. Naval Academy next year. He described his favorite memory at DA, when the water polo team beat Exeter “in a double OT thriller at home.” He explained, “It was so exciting to be a part of, and a great game to play in. The crowd was loud, we made some key plays on the remaining seconds of the match to send it into overtime where we fought hard and came out with a big win.” Sullivan hopes to become a leader on the Naval Academy’s team by his senior year and to compete in the NCAA Final Four. Next year, Eileen Russell will join the crew team at Williams College. Last summer, Russell and the four other members of the first boat won gold at the Youth National Championships in Sacramento, California, beating the runner-up boat by five seconds. Russell explained that she loved the sisterhood and the tight community of students, teachers and parents that grew around the team. According to Russell, crew taught her grit and resilience, important on and off the water. She will miss the amazing teachers who “don’t always get the credit they deserve for all the work they put in.” Brad Davis will play lacrosse at Ithaca College next year. His favorite memory from his time at Deerfield is winning the league championship his sophomore and junior year. At Ithaca, Brad wants “to win a DIII national championship” and to contribute to the team his freshman year and on. Davis looked back on his experience playing lacrosse at Deerfield, saying, “I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to play lacrosse for my dad the last three years, and play with my brother Brian this past year. My three years of playing Deerfield varsity lacrosse have taught me life lessons that I’ll carry with me throughout college and the rest of my life.” Andrew Bowman will play lacrosse at Princeton University for the class of 2020. Next year, Bowman will head to Exeter as a post graduate. His favorite memories of playing lacrosse at Deerfield are beating Brunswick his junior and senior years. “Both games were very close, and there’s not a better feeling than beating Brunswick both home and away,” he said. In college, he hopes to adjust to the speed of college lacrosse quickly and contribute to the team his freshman year. Bowman said of the DA boys lacrosse team, “Athletically, I’ve never had a better group of guys and coaches who have invested as much time into the game as they do. It’s easy to play well when everyone on the team is unselfish and plays for each other.” JC Pardo will play lacrosse at Bowdoin College next year. His fondest memory from Deerfield athletics is playing JV basketball his sophomore year. At Bowdoin, Pardo hopes to stay healthy during the season, so he can compete well. Lucy Lytle will play field hockey at Boston College next year. Her favorite memory playing sports at Deerfield is beating Choate in overtime this fall. In college, she hopes to elevate her level of play, while also taking advantage of the other opportunities that BC has to offer. Ben Garfinkel will play lacrosse at Amherst College next year. His favorite memory from his time playing lacrosse at Deerfield is beating Brunswick this year. Garfinkle hopes to win a New England Small College Athletic Conference championship during his time at Amherst. Chris Roussos will playlacrosse at Colorado College next year. His favorite memory from playing sports at Deerfield is the annual run to Boyden’s grave. In college, Roussos hopes to work hard and succeed both in the classroom and on the field. Matt Kane will play lacrosse at Colgate University next year. His favorite Deerfield sports memory was beating Brunswick this year. Katherine Jackson was captain of the girls varsity hockey team at Deerfield and will continue to play next year at Middlebury College. Jackson stated, “I hope to be able to make an impact on the team. I know coming in as a freshman you have to work harder, because you’re new, and trying to find your spot.” Although Jackson looks forward to Middlebury, she will miss how “even though the whole [Deerfield] team played different sports, and even though hockey wasn’t the main sport for all, we were able to come together and play well as a hockey team.” She also mentioned, “The best thing about playing hockey here is the people you meet… the people on the team are my best friends.” Henry Sanford is headed to Darmouth College next year to row crew. Sanford began to prioritize crew his junior year under coach Jeff Bond. That year, Sanford was put in the first boat, which he helped lead to a win at New Englands and to a third place finish at Youth Nationals. Although he is not rowing this season due to a hip fracture, Sanford looks forward next year to Dartmouth, where he is excited to experience boarding life, learn from one of the most exceptional institutions in the world and form connections with other students who share his passion for learning and hard work. Sam Morse will run cross country next year at Connecticut College. Her favorite memory from her time at Deerfield is last year, when the girls varsity cross–country team won New Englands. “We went undefeated all season and really came together as a team during the championship race. We only beat the second place finisher by five points!” Morse hopes to remain healthy and strong throughout the season and run sub 19:00 every 5k race. Morse reflected on her time at Deerfield:“If it were not for the girls cross country team, I don’t know where I would be now. The girls XC team is both focused and fun. I can’t imagine my Deerfield experience without the coaches and teammates the sports here provide.” Mercedes Fissore-O’Leary will play NCAA Division 1 soccer at Columbia University next year. Fissore-O’Leary reflected on her training, mentioning her sister, Julia, saying, “As a soccer player, no one has influenced me more than my sister has.” Her favorite memory at Deerfield is from 2012, when she scored the winning goal in a game against Loomis, ending DA’s varsity soccer team’s 20-year losing streak to them. Fissore-O’Leary looks forward to taking advantage of a new start at Colombia: “Freshman year, I want to get back to being me. Which means back to being on the ball and back to be being confident. I want to win an Ivy League championship. I want to progress far into the NCAA tournament, and most of all, I want to win.” Harrison Lane will play lacrosse at Dartmouth College next year. Lane started playing lacrosse in third grade at his hometown lacrosse club in Hingham, Massachusetts and eventually went on to serve as captain for DA’s boys lacrosse team. At Deerfield, Lane has learned the importance of brotherhood and how vital trust and team chemistry are. “You’ve got to really rely on your team the whole way,” he commented. “These guys are your brothers.” While Lane is a bit anxious about the big transition from Deerfield to Dartmouth, he is excited to find a passion and a major he loves. Jake Kahler will play hockey at the University of Massachusetts next year. His favorite memory playing hockey at Deerfield is a game against Cushing on 80s Night in the Barn and tying them 2-2. Jake added, “There is no better feeling than coming onto the ice after a tough period to the cheers and screams of loyal, rowdy DA fans.” In college he hopes to study business and to win a NCAA DIII hockey championship. Max Chesky will play soccer at Connecticut College next year. His favorite memory playing as a Deerfield goalkeeper is beating Kent (a team he had not beaten in four years) 4 – 0. Max is grateful to be able to play soccer for the next four years and is excited for the new opportunities college holds. Sam Armstrong will row crew next year at Williams College. His favorite memory from his time at Deerfield is last year, when the boys varsity crew team “swept Choate.” At Williams, he hopes for much success for him and his new teammates. Next fall, Ryan Wolter is headed to Tufts University to play hockey. He hopes to keep up his grades while helping his team to win an NCAA Championship, which the Tufts hockey team won for the first time in 2014. Wolter remarked that the Deerfield hockey team is “in good hands next season. Beast Mode.” After playing on varsity squash for four years, Samantha Chai will play at Princeton University next year. At Deerfield, Chai played in the number-one spot for her junior and senior years and led the team to victories as number two and number four in the nation. Henry DeCamp will play lacrosse at Connecticut College next year. His fondest memory from lacrosse at Deerfield is “probably this year’s Brunswick game. I played well and we had a great comeback win over a very good team. And it was snowing.” In college, he hopes to have fun and figure out what he wants to do for a career. He also stated, “In the lacrosse department, I hope to win a lot of face-offs, and one or more NESCAC championships.” Catherine Fleming will row crew at University of Virginia next year. Her favorite memory from Deerfield is making the second heat last year at New Englands: “My boat’s ranking had just dropped because of our previous race so there was a lot of pressure to make it to the second heat. We rowed an amazing first race, getting second. Being able to go to the second heat and beating our ranking was a very exciting moment for all of us.” Alex DeVries will row crew at Brown University next year. He stated that his favorite memory from Deerfield was “either winning New Englands last year, or going to California and training for Youth Nationals, where we came in third place.” In college, he hopes to win an Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) championship. DeVries also said, I came to Deerfield trying to play hockey in college, but I tried something new, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. I wouldn’t have been able to experience rowing if I hadn’t taken that risk, and now it’s taken me so far. I’m really thankful for that.” Kevin Doyle will play hockey at Connecticut College next year. Coming in as a new sophomore at DA, Doyle has played on varsity hockey for three years. His favorite memories from playing hockey at Deerfield include the school support at 80s Night in the Barn. “There is nothing better than playing in front of a crowd like that. 80s Night at Deerfield is the best atmosphere in prep school hockey.” His major goal for college hockey is to help his team win a NESCAC championship. Jamie Kjorlien will play squash next year at the U.S. Naval Academy. Kjorlien started playing 10 years ago and has contributed to DA’s varsity squash team for all four of his years here. Kjorlien is thankful for all of the meaningful connections and relationships he has built with the team. He attributes the deep friendships and, at times, rivalries to the strength and diversity of the group. Kjorlien’s best adivce to all Deerfield athletes is to get to know the underclassmen because they can often be the most memorable members. Next fall, Riker Bixby is headed to MIT, where he will continue his career as a coxswain, which started here at DA his freshman year. Bixby’s most fond Deerfield crew memory was his first time racing in the New England Championships. Bixby hopes he can have as much fun on the MIT team as he did on the Deerfield one. Phoebe Morss will run cross–country, indoor track and outdoor track at Bowdoin. Her favorite memory is singing the cheering song down Albany Road through the windows of a Green Machine after the cross country team won New Englands for the second time in a row. She added, “I ran cross–country and track here. Those teams were like family, and I am going to miss everyone so much.” At Bowdoin, Morse hopes to qualify for the NCAA championships. Brandon Wu will play golf at Stanford University next year. Reflecting on his favorite memory of golf at DA, he said, “My sophomore and junior years we won the Andover Invitational, played at historic Newport Country Club, in record-setting fashion.” Next year will be his first opportunity to play golf year-round, and Wu hopes that with the extra playing time, his “game will really elevate.” Maggie Savage will play lacrosse at Bowdoin College next year. Her favorite memory from Deerfield is beating Loomis 12-11 this year. “During the game, we were losing 7-2 at half-time, and came back to beat them,” she said. “At that time, they were undefeated, so it was just such an amazing win for our whole team.” While playing for Bowdoin, she hopes to raise her game to the next level. Her goals are to improve her offensive skills and be a key contributor to the team. Blake O’Neal will join the track and field team at Connecticut College next fall. His favorite memory from Deerfield is when the crowd gave him a standing ovation when Coach Pitcher put him in for the last 30 seconds of a varsity basketball game. At Conn, O’Neal wants to use track as a way to stay busy and motivated while also focusing on his studies and preparation for life after college. A reminder to all from O’Neal: “I play for the fans; the game is just my podium.” Katie Livingston will row crew at Wellesley College next year. Her favorite memories from Deerfield girls varisty crew are the dance parties at the boathouse with the rest of the team. Livingston said, “The one-team atmosphere, of having everyone, both novices and varsity, working together is something I’ve really loved about rowing at DA.” In college, she hopes to win a national championship with her team and to “beat Eileen Russell,” who will be rowing at Williams next year. Matt Hrabchak will swim at the University of Virginia next year. His favorite memories from swimming at Deerfield were winning New Englands this year and getting his name up on the record board. In college, he hopes to “swim to a couple of All-American finishes” and to “achieve his full potential in the sport.” He added, “I have loved my time being on the swim team and am honored to be part of this group of guys. Through the good times and the bad, we have stuck together.” Joey Redfearn will play lacrosse at the U.S. Air Force Academy next year. After playing lacrosse for eight years, Redfearn committed in the fall of his junior year. “My older brother started playing lacrosse when he was young,” he said, “so when I could barely walk he’d bring me out into the back yard and try and teach me how to catch and throw.”

What started in 2004 as Visual Arts teacher David Dickinson’s idea of a talent show to keep students entertained has evolved into KFC, Koch Friday Concert–, a fun and unique way to showcase student creativity. “It’s a venue where’s there’s no judgment,” said Mr. Dickinson. “You decide what you’re going to perform—it’s up to you to practice.” Students continues to amaze him each time. “They really rise to the occasion. There is incredible talent,” Mr. Dickinson shared. In 2010, Mr. Dickinson chose 13 of the acts from KFC to perform at the 1797 trustee dinner in New York City. “They knocked the audience out of their chairs,” he recalled. The biannual show has become a Deerfield tradition. KFC takes place in the Starfield in the winter, and (if weather permits) on the lawn outside the Hess Center in the spring. “There isn’t a fall KFC because we need to give new kids some time to figure everything out first,” said Mr. Dickinson. Planning KFC is no easy task. Mr. Dickinson noted, “It’s a lot of effort to organize everything. Mrs. Scarborough and I get together way in advance to put the playlist together.” Almost 50 acts signed up to perform in this spring’s KFC, which is the most in Deerfield‘s KFC history. Many old performers took the stage for their last KFC show. Zibo Gao ’15 said, “I think it’s the best KFC Deerfield has had in a while. This year we have so much talent.” Gao’s favorite act he was a part of was Coldplay’s “Yellow.” He explained, “It just felt like Yellow.” Spontaneous acts also took the stage. Michael Beit ’15, who performed Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie” with Garam Noh ‘15, said, “We didn’t plan on performing originally, but we begged Ms. Lyons, went backstage, prepared it in 10 minutes and went on stage.” With kids spread out on blankets across the Hess Center lawn, the scene resembled a music festival. The audience, who Mr. Dickinson notes, was incredibly “supportive and enthusiastic,” was especially happy to be munching on Chick-Fil-A, supplied by the Relay for Life committee . Mr. Dickinson and his wife, French teacher Claudia Lyons, were very happy with the way this spring’s KFC turned out: “We are exhausted but, like usual, totally blown away.”

This spring, three outstanding Deerfield artists–Yong Hun Kim ’15, Sarah Jinich ’15 and Will Darling ’15–will leave their final mark on the Academy’s arts programs. Kim began playing the violin when he was seven years old, after his parents encouraged him to play an instrument. “My parents had wanted me to start the piano at the time,” Kim said, “but I wanted to assert my independence and choose an instrument on my own, so I randomly chose the violin,” To Kim, the violin has become more than just a hobby. Playing the instrument gives him an opportunity to express emotions that words can’t describe. “There is a wide spectrum of colors that the violin opens up for you,” Kim said. “You can spend decades exploring the subtle nuances within each dynamic layer, all at the tip of your fingers.” Although Kim doesn’t plan to pursue a professional musical career, he hopes to continue to play the violin for the rest of his life. Jinich starting dancing in middle school. Two weeks after starting hip-hop classes in seventh grade, Jinich auditioned for the studio’s competitive team. “I made the team and my one-hour-a-week dance commitment turned into a 14-hour commitment,” Jinich said. She also choreographs; another “creative outlet and fun way to exercise.” Getting lost in the music allows her to take a mental break and “stop worrying about life.” Jinich is also an actor on campus. After taking her first acting class freshman year back home, she “fell in love with it instantly.” “Theater is so rewarding because it helps me become a more mindful, self-aware person,” Jinich said. In college, Jinich hopes to double major in theater and biology and eventually act professionally. Darling began acting and singing through a musical-theater camp that he attended from third to eighth grade. “That’s where I cut my teeth on the stage, met some really fun people and gained a lifelong love of theater and music,” Darling explained. Darling enjoys interacting with the audience, making them “laugh and cry.” For Darling, working on stage has not only boosted his confidence, but also helped him “develop a better sense” of himself. Through acting and singing, he has been “introduced to lifelong friends.” “What keeps me coming back to [the same] rehearsal space every day is the people [I] meet and work with,” Darling added. “Their energy is contagious, and I’ve met many of my closest friends through the arts.” Darling will continue acting and singing in the future—two things that “put his mind at ease.” “I can’t imagine my life without acting or singing,” Darling said.

Frank Henry ’69 arrived at Deerfield Academy in September 1967 as a new junior. Mr. Henry, the son of an alumnus, had grown up in Cleveland, Ohio, reading the Deerfield magazine and comparing Deerfield to his all-boys day school. Mr. Henry stated, “I had done pretty well at my day school, and I wondered, am I up to it? It was almost a gesture of testing myself to try and go to Deerfield and see. I had made it at my little school. [Could] I make it at a big school like Deerfield?” When Mr. Henry arrived on campus in September, he was put in Dean Hall, a dormitory behind the Memorial Building with all the new juniors. “They segregated us, so we made the best of it. We played squash off the back of the Memorial Building [and hooked]up ropes, so we could swing out over the bank,” said Mr. Henry. At DA, he fondly remembers being on an undefeated soccer team that unexpectedly won the WNEPSSA (Western New England Prep School Soccer Association) Championships. Looking back, he explained that the experience “created delusions in my mind about my potential as a soccer player.” He recalled having “very little self awareness about what we were doing,” mostly because “the coach… never once brought up the fact that we were doing very well.” Mr. Henry also recalled when the Deerfield Glee Club, consisting of about 120 boys, sang at an event for Head of School Frank Boyden’s retirement in New York City. He explained the trip as a “larger than life experience.” Mr. Henry stated that his greatest influence was English teacher Bob McGlynn because “he demonstrated that [the] life of the mind was adequate. That it was perfectly [acceptable to live] without having to aspire to wealth, fame, power, and position.” He added, “And I think that was his most benevolent gift to me.” After graduating from Deerfield and attending Princeton University, Mr. Henry went to graduate school and then worked in small business. When he realized he missed Deerfield, he came back and worked as a development officer. However, after deciding that this profession did not suit him, Mr. Henry went to Harvard‘s Graduate School of Education and worked at another school teaching English. Mr. Henry returned to Deerfield in September of 1982. He explained, “I wanted to be back here, because it seemed that if you were going to teach somewhere, this was about the nicest place. It was beautiful. I liked the boys. I liked my colleagues. What a great place to spend a life!” Mr. Henry said that during his time at Deerfield, the best teaching moments have been when he sees “a real transformation from a juvenile thinker to an adult thinker.” He loves witnessing growth and “particularly admires those freshmen who grow up and can retain some of the childlike wonder and spontaneity [while maturing] into really nuanced, careful, logical, intuitive thinkers.” Mr. Henry also remarked, however, that “one of the aspects of Deerfield that has demoralized me is the intrusion [of digital media into our] daily lives.” Mr. Henry describes a time when “we used to have a couple of volleyball courts behind John Williams,” courts that were very popular and widely used. “It was just great to see boys and girls together outdoors. . . There is just nothing on the screen that is more rewarding than going out and tossing a Frisbee [or] going to the river and throwing rocks.” Bernie Baker, Mr. Henry’s co-teacher in American Studies, described Mr. Henry as “the consummate educator-deeply devoted to his students and the craft of teaching, fully engaged in the total life of the Academy.” Baker added, “Team-teaching with him for 16 years has been an absolute joy.” Annie Blasberg ’16 also commented, “I remember sitting in Mr. Henry’s English class freshman year with a blank face and trembling hands hidden beneath the table whenever he asked a question, which left everyone confused about whether or not it was rhetoric. Since then, he has become my advisor and has shown infinite interest in my success as a student, athlete and person. He holds his students to high standards. . . and expects [a lot], but also highlights the importance of improvement over time.” Adeleke McMillan ’17 echoed Blasberg’s sentiments, saying, “Mr. Henry has been my rock for both of my years at Deerfield. He has helped me grow not only academically, but also as a person.” Mr. Henry has decided to retire from teaching at Deerfield this year. “I think Deerfield right now is undergoing a great deal of change, and I have tried to keep up in my own way with all that change, but I’m finding that, at my age, I am not as flexible or durable as one needs to be at Deerfield, given the demands placed on the faculty, as I once was. And rather than stay on too long, I just decided it was better to cut short and leave before I become a caricature of myself.” Mr. Henry will spend the next year as the interim Head of The Bement School, after having served on the school’s Board of Trustees for 14 years. “It seemed like a very easy solution. . . and it meant that I would not have to leave town. The wrench of leaving the school and of leaving town at the same time would have been very upsetting,” Mr. Henry explained. “But this allows me to stay on another year, and I imagine I will walk the Small Loop, [or] wander up and watch a [Wednesday] game.” Mr. Henry hopes that “there might even be students that I have taught that drift down to Bement to come say hello.”

According to Eating Disorder Hope, a website that raises awareness about eating disorders, “Over 50% of teenage girls and 33% of teenage boys are using restrictive measures to lose weight at any given time.” Also: “eating disorders are a daily struggle for 10 million females and 1 million males in the United States.” An eating disorder is a psychological disorder consisting of abnormal eating habits. Eating disorders and insecurities about body image plague high schools across the country, making it rare for any individual to pass through adolescence without being affected by them in some way. Seniors Molly Murphy ’15, Alexia Hernandez ’15,and Binger Shangguan ’15 are creating a video on the topic for the sophomore health classes. These three seniors are completing this project to fulfill their Deerfield health requirement, which they were unable to satisfy through taking the Health Issues class. When Health Issues Teacher Kristin Loftus presented them with the option to create a new, updated video, the three seniors thought it would be a great opportunity to inform their peers about a controversial topic. Currently, Murphy, Hernandez and Shangguan are conducting research, collecting data from the community through an online survey and interviewing Deerfield students to put together an informative video. Ms. Loftus explained the differences between eating disorders and disordered eating: “I do not think eating disorders are a major problem on the Deerfield campus. EDs are clinical mental health disorders, and very few of our students actually suffer from them. I would say we have more of a problem with disordered eating: behaviors that would not be considered ‘healthy’ eating—skipping meals, fad diets/cleanses, over exercising, supplement use, etc.” Murphy explained how surprised she was by just how common disordered eating and body awareness is among the student body at Deerfield. She said, “About 78% of kids [taking the survey] expressed at least some interest in being thinner, boys and girls. Also, around a third of the student body expressed some urge to purge or vomit after eating.” However, Murphy added that the goal of the video is to raise awareness through exposure to the topic rather than simply provide startling statistics. “We hope it will provide a support for people who feel like they’re the only ones going through eating disorders, experiencing symptoms, or feeling the wish to be thinner,” she said, “and just to gain awareness of what is healthy eating and how it is practiced within the Deerfield community.” Hernandez spoke about how she thinks Deerfield could improve on this widespread issue, saying, “A major source of interaction here is through food, especially during feeds at night, so maybe we could find other important ways to interact with people and friends besides over overwhelming amounts of food.” Overall, eating disorders are a fragile subject for many teenagers, boys and girls. This survey and project will help the community gain awareness about how prevalent eating disorders are and how we can help change the statistics. Since many experts believe the first step to changing a problem is learning about it, the goal of the project is to educate our community about this issue so that we can become more comfortable and adept at addressing it on campus.