While a bus ride from Deerfield Academy to New York City takes approximately four hours, controversial social happenings take only an instant to spark discussions among Deerfield students. Yet for many students, discussions in and outside of classrooms are not enough, and the really important thing is to act on their social awareness and promote positive change in society. This would explain what motivated more than 6o students to express their interest in participating in the Greenfield protest and why the student leaders conceived the idea of going to New York City and Washington, D.C. That’s why these students were deeply disappointed when the school said, “Sorry.” A month has passed since the school’s decision was announced. While many students have tried to understand the reason behind this decision, some are still disappointed. “Truthfully, I understand why the school didn’t allow students to go to the protests. The school would have been liable if anything had happened to students, who are under their care, and many of those kinds of protests had the possibility to become a little dangerous. But it’s still very disappointing,” said Meghan Mozea ’15. But why exactly did the school arrive at its decision? When asked, both Head of School Margarita Curtis and Chief Financial Officer Keith Finan discussed the responsibilities of the school. Such responsibilities come in various forms, including both “supporting students’ interest in advocacy” and putting their welfare and safety as the school’s primary concern. These two types of responsibilities are not necessarily mutually exclusive, yet when one has to override the other, the school management opted for the latter. “I understand the concern the school’s response elicited,” said Mr. Finan, “But it is not a question of the Academy advising students to hold or not to hold peaceful protests in NYC, D.C. or anywhere else. The issue is whether or not students under the supervision of Academy faculty and/ or staff will be reasonably safe while engaging in any activity off campus.” When the prospect of a student-organized peaceful protest in NYC or D.C. came up, the school immediately started the process of risk assessment. “When the idea of sending students to NY and D.C. was brought to my attention,” Dr. Curtis explained, “I asked Mr. Finan, our CFO, to contact our travel safety advisory company, International SOS(ISOS), to solicit input from these experts in the field.” In the list of travel advice from ISOS was, “Avoid all demonstrations due to the potential for clashes between the police and protesters.” As Mr. Finan pointed out, most Deerfield students are legally minors, and the Academy has the obligation to safeguard its students’ welfare and safety. Hence, heeding the response of ISOS, the school made its decision with such obligation in mind. Despite her emphasis on the school’s top priority of keeping its students safe, Dr. Curtis made it clear that it is part of the school’s mission to “fully endorse freedom of speech and the development of civic values.” She added, “I think it is important for all students to be informed about what is going on in their communities, their country and the world, and to understand the historical underpinnings of current events.” Dr. Curtis encourages students to express their views through journalistic activities, Deerfield Talks, on-campus forums, etc.: “In short, [these students are free and encouraged] to seek ways to engage in productive dialogue on campus and beyond around these challenging issues.” On December 2, Director of Inclusion Marjorie Young and english teacher Eve Goldenberg led a forum on the Ferguson decision and aftermath. On the school’s decision not to allow travel to the NYC/D.C. protests, Ms. Young noted, “This decision was made in the interest of student safety. . . That said, I do not have issues with peaceful protest, or those kinds of activities. I think it is a good way for people to demonstrate their concerns… I like the momentum and spark that the students’ efforts have provided and hope that we will continue to sustain a community dialogue about these issues. My greatest hopes are that students will continue to talk and listen to each other’s views and perspectives, that there would be mutual respect and understanding, as that is what leads to a healthy and comfortable community for all.” Meanwhile, Ms. Young recognizes the importance of having a heightened social awareness. “It keeps us connected to important issues in our society and communities,” she said. “I don’t think it is possible to act on every issue, but there are issues that we have individual power to change, and in those instances. . . I do think that Deerfield students should actively lend their voices to social issues that they are passionate about. While it is easy to get involved when a topic is in the news, the challenge for all of us is to be consistent and vigilant about those issues daily.” When asked if Deerfield students have the obligation to act upon their social awareness, Ms. Goldenberg affirmed, “I believe we have an obligation, as citizens in a democracy, as members of multiple communities, to pay attention, to listen, to notice. And from that, because we can, we have an obligation to act as we can—to raise awareness through our conversations, through our concrete practices, through our voices and freedoms as human beings, not just those granted to us through law.”

Four-year senior Chloe So developed a passion for art at a very young age. Her parents enrolled her in classes ranging from baby arts and crafts, to Chinese paintings, to clay sculpting lessons. But as her schedule became busier, her parents urged her to stop taking so many art classes. She, however, refused and opted to juggle her many activities for the sake of art. With the exception of her freshman year, So has taken an art course every year at Deerfield: AP Studio Art as a sophomore, Topics: Post AP Studio Art as a junior and now Topics Tutorial. Her extensive contributions to the art program have allowed art teacher (and established artist) David Dickinson—or Mr. D. as most of his art students call him—to watch So grow and think as an artist. I really cannot thank Mr D. enough,” So declared. “My experience at DA, with or without art, would have been completely different without him.” “Little known fact,” said Mr. Dickinson, “is that a lot of Chloe’s work is done without the benefit of a grade.” So took AP Studio Art as a graded course for one term, a pass/fail course for two terms and then went on to take Topics again as a pass/fail course her junior year. Mr. Dickinson added, “I can tell that Chloe does art for the love of art, which speaks volumes to her dedication.” “He has been my rock,” So continued, “the countless hours he has spent ‘lecturing’ me on life, the different perspectives he gives me in art, and of course, the guidance he has given me to help me grow and think as an artist.” At Deerfield, So sees art as both a passion and a chance to ease her fast pace of life. “Doing art at Deerfield has really been a big part of me,” she explained. “It has given me the time and space to think and slow down a little.” She feels that with homework, sports, publications and general stress to manage, art can be a way for her to escape. “While I’m doing art here,” So continued, “while zooming in on the micro—details of the still life, my mind goes to a world of reflection. I think of my past, present and future, and I think this is really important as you can learn to appreciate what you have and use time to self-reflect and try to become a better person.” So is currently working on an independent art project that emphasizes the progression of the buildings around Albany Road: “Deerfield stresses traditions a lot, and for me, living in the 21st century, it’s to a certain extent hard to connect back to the Academy’s history.” So is exploring Deerfield’s growth as a school, focusing on the 1920s, 1950s and 1970s on respective panels. Although So has been working on it for several months now, the project is yet to be completed, but she hopes to have the project wrapped up by early spring. In the future, So hopes to expand her range in art. “Art is such a broad discipline,” she said. Currently, she hasn’t decided what type of art she wants to pursue. “Whether it is museum studies architecture studies, design, or even being a fine artist,” she concluded, “I want to use art as a medium to learn, explore and develop in college. Hopefully, I’ll be able to create something unique and impact people positively in the future.”

Recent racially-charged events have elicited varied responses from calls for neutrality, to apathy, anger, disappointment, helplessness, and determination to make change. The grand jury proceedings resulting from the killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York have caused great unrest across our country. In both cases, a white police officer killed a black man while on duty; both officers were not charged. Many protesters took to the streets in response to what they saw as ongoing racism. How can we be united as a country when black citizens live in fear of their own police officers? No members of were present during the Michael Brown or Eric Garner shootings. Biases in the media make it difficult to know exactly what happened in each situation, though some video exists. As high school students, we are not taught the finer points of law. Therefore, we cannot judge whether these specific proceedings were just or not. But feels these incidents are significant because of the much larger issue for which they stand. Racial prejudice in America is undeniably ongoing and undeniably unjust. These tragic situations have raised national discussion on how discrimination can be stopped. Our hope is that these discussions lead to action. Unfortunately, we have all been born during a time when prejudice can hurt every individual. Although one might feel removed from the recent problems and may choose to ignore them, he or she will constantly see, hear and face oppression in different ways. We all have faced some form of prejudice, no matter our race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or other differences. Let us not fight each other, but let us unite and combat oppression itself. These events have raised awareness of the gravity of oppression in our country, and it will not stop unless we discuss thoughtfully and begin to take action. If we do not try to unite and battle the bigger issue, oppression will not go away. Let’s talk to each other, and learn to understand everyone better – as equals-so we can make our world feel safer, and more welcoming, for all people.

Read Pro: Deerfield Dorms Get A Makeover and Deerfield’s housing announcement . So why do this? The reasoning behind the changes is actually quite sound. There is a noticeable gender divide on campus, and that is the basis for dormitory repositioning and renovated common rooms. The idea is that with more areas for students to hang out other than in the Greer, the gender divide will begin to disappear, since the Greer culture is—as far as I can tell—a contributing factor to the gender divide. The second reason is reported issues with integration of new sophomores into their grade. New students find it difficult to integrate because as freshmen there are countless bonding experiences, most notably Camp Beckett. In an attempt to fix this imbalance, sophomores will live with fellow sophomores only, ideally to help the new students integrate better into their grade. The third reason given was to increase school spirit, which has seen a noticeable decline since I came to Deerfield in the fall of 2012. How the changing of the dorms will help to bolster school spirit is far more nebulous. Perhaps underclassmen living within their grade will help each class develop its own school spirit, but exactly how school spirit is to be mended is something that I have not been able to grasp. In any event, while these changes seem designed to fix legitimate issues on campus, they have the potential to create as many problems as they solve. The “Ninth-Grade Village” and the placement of sophomores with sophomores seem to pose the largest risk to me. But the idea of fixing the gender divide is a very valid goal. That being said, the sequestering of underclassman into their own dorms by grade presents the reality that freshman and sophomores will not have a chance to interact for two years, until they are juniors and seniors living together in the upperclassman dorms. Living with older students my freshman year, and younger ones my sophomore year, I was able to become very close with people outside of my grade, forming friendships I have maintained since living with these people. I believe that separating younger grades will create a new divide among the student body: a tangible grade divide. This divide will inhibit many meaningful friendships from being formed, friendships that have, in the past, helped younger students learn the social rules of Deerfield as well as understand Deerfield traditions. The hope is that proctors will fill this void, and teach their proctees what kind of school Deerfield is. It is clear, however, that all new students will miss an experience that I found to be very valuable in my time as a freshman and sophomore. Living with sophomores freshman year, I learned to respect older students and take their advice very seriously. That is not to say I followed older students blindly, but that I learned to consider every bit of advice given, and not to disregard people’s opinions because of their social stature. Then, as a sophomore, I and other students in my grade realized it was now our turn to help guide new students. I learned how to help the younger students patiently, and could do so well because I had asked the exact same questions and encountered the same kinds of confusion just the year before. While this is not officially recognized as being a leadership position on campus, this role that sophomores often play on their halls under the housing system as it now exists taught generations of Deerfield sophomores to be patient and helpful with younger students more unfamiliar with Deerfield. Furthermore, this experience left them more prepared to take on upperclassman responsibilities. I am sure that the radically different dormitory system is being implemented with the best of intentions, I cannot imagine that this is some sort of a reactionary change to anything else on campus than the issues of gender and intra-grade bonding. But I have decided, in the end, that while declining school spirit was a reason cited for implementing change, it does not seem to me to be a legitimate reason behind the new arrangements. It seems to me that changing dorm assignments will not directly improve school spirit. When I decided to write this article, I tried to consider and recognize the supposed reasoning behind the decision-making. And in the end, I support the two tangible reasons given for the changes, the gender divide and lack of intra-grade bonding. These are immediate and tangible issues on campus that need to be dealt with. I only wonder if there is not a more moderate way to begin to address these issues, one that does not carry with it massive potential to form new issues that will have to be dealt with, perhaps in similarly extreme ways, later on.

Recently, Deerfield’s administration shared plans for a new dormitory configuration, which the school will implement next fall. The changes include “a ninth-grade village,” all-sophomore halls and junior-senior brother-sister dorms in close proximity. During her School Meeting announcement, Dean of Students Amie Creagh indicated high hopes for the modifications: “With fully-bonded classes, more inviting and natural spaces—inside and out—for Deerfield boys and girls to spend time together, we feel confident that we’ll see a resurgence of school spirit. This new model will promote and nurture stronger connections to one another and a stronger connection to your school and the Deerfield sense of spirit that brought you here in the first place.” In this address—which was followed by additional emails to parents, alumni and prospective students—Ms. Creagh elucidated the new scheme. Ninth-grade girls will live in Johnson, and ninth-grade boys in Doubleday, allowing Crow Commons to serve as a “dedicated environment to build the program.” Freshmen will have roommates to “provide companionship and bonding opportunities to set them on a great start.” Meanwhile, sophomore housing will “help new students bond with their returning classmates more quickly.” Senior proctors will continue to mentor and befriend younger students on all underclassmen halls. Ms. Creagh believes a brother-sister dorm model, with renovated open common rooms and ample quad space between pairs, will promote “more natural and meaningful relationships” between boys and girls. Finally, single rooms will be more appropriate for upperclassmen as their studies become more demanding and time-consuming. Ms. Creagh described the decade-long process that Senior Staff undertook before deciding to implement changes: “For years, we have deliberated on how we can use our dorm configuration to enhance boy-girl connections. With more momentum and enthusiasm recently, we began an exploratory process . . . We tested theories by talking with other schools, [evaluating] their systems and conducting research among faculty. After meeting with deans, residents and the Dorm Council repeatedly, we received a groundswell of [encouragement]. Considering viability [regarding enrollment] and advisability, we decided that this model, with unanimous Senior Staff support, would be . . . the best model for most students.” Naturally, however, student reactions regarding the new configuration vary. Some share faculty optimism, while others hesitate to accept the dramatic changes. “At first,” Hollin Hanau ’18 said, “I was skeptical of the idea, worried how freshmen, specifically girls, would transition into Deerfield without sophomores to look up to and guide them. With time, I have started to see the [plan’s] benefits, and while there are flaws to it, there will be many [positives] as well. The freshmen class will build closer relationships, and I think the sophomores will too, if they are willing to embrace this change.” Speaking for many upperclass boys, Hill Kelley ’16 said, “My freshmen and sophomore years, I looked forward to having roommates, and being in a double has been one of the best parts of my junior year. However, the idea of putting freshmen in doubles has some shortcomings. If the roommates don’t get along, they will be unhappy spending time in their own rooms, and if they do get along they won’t be able to get any work done. Personally, I don’t think I would have had enough discipline as a freshman to get all of my work done with a roommate.” Many others fear that roommate pairs will lead to drama and disappointment, to which Ms. Creagh responded, “We will teach ninth-graders how to diffuse gossip and respect each other from the get-go, leading to better experiences in the future. . . [In addition,] we believe learning how to live with someone else is a valuable skill, but we’ll be very thoughtful about pairs, perhaps utilizing questionnaires. [Finally,] one roommate will attend supervised study hall in Crow Commons or the Garonzik, while the other has alone-time in their room. They will switch the following evening, giving all students quiet space.” Expressing her willingness to hear student feedback, Creagh will also create advisory groups to evaluate and respond to the change. Ms. Creagh concluded, “I am confident that this is the right thing to do.”

On February 25, at School Meeting, Deerfield will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of coeducation with a panel of alumni moderated by two members of the senior class. All visiting alumni were students during the first year of coeducation. English teacher Michael Cary, one of the event’s organizers, said the panel would recount “their memories of that time and the effect of their Deerfield experience on their adult lives.” The visiting alumni represent a broad array of possible career choices, ranging from film careers to humanitarian work. The speakers will be Katy Textor, a Deerfield Trustee and a producer of ; Judith Hegedus, an executive director at the College Board for international management, as well as a former consultant at the UN; Jane Merkel, director of biology at the Yale Center for Molecular Discovery; Lisa Pinsley, director of sub-Saharan projects for American Capital Energy & Infrastructure, also a former advisor to the Afghan finance minister; Bill Creelman, founder of Spindrift; Michael Sucsy, Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker; and Jose Carbonell, senior vice-president of marketing and communications at UNICEF. Furthermore, the visiting speakers will be attending classes on Wednesday and will meet and talk with students at lunch. Thus students will have the chance to learn more about how values taught at Deerfield transition to the outside world. Mr. Cary further elaborated on the importance of meeting and learning from the visitors: “These are all accomplished and interesting alumni representing a wide variety of careers, from regional to international.” It is the hope of the event organizers that, in addition to discussing the first years of co-education, all students will be able to meet alumni and talk further about possible professions and what kind of career paths are open.

On December 12, a Friday evening, about 200 citizens from the Greenfield area, including 12 Deerfield students, gathered on the town square, in front of the All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church for an anti-police-violence vigil. A few days prior to the protest, Matt Morrow ‘15 received an email from history teacher Bernie Baker informing him of the vigil. Earlier in the month, Morrow had tried to organize a bus to take students into anti-police-violence protests in New York City, but due to concerns for safety, the bus was ultimately cancelled. Because he was not able to bring students into the New York City protests, Morrow was eager to urge students to attend the Greenfield vigil. The scene outside the church was “peaceful,” according to Morrow: “There was a good turnout; we were probably able to surround [most] of the green that you see when you first go into Greenfield.” Dr. Baker said, “There was a mix of sadness about what has happened and a certain feeling of despair, but at the same time, the gathering helped people to be infused with a sense of possibility.” He emphasized that when we look at the history of change in the United States, “it has always happened because ordinary citizens have gotten together and said we need to move our country closer to what our founding documents say we are.” English teacher Frank Henry also attended the vigil and recalled a woman near the church who turned to him and said, “I’ve never seen this many people on the town square for an event like this.” Then some of the older members of the crowd remembered civil rights songs from the 1960s and began to teach them to the crowd. Mr. Henry commented, “You could just see their memories being stimulated and their sense that ‘Maybe this time it will be different.’” According to article on the vigil—“Protesters: #BlackLivesMatter”—many citizens held signs reading, “God, help our police regain their humanity,” “Black lives matter,” and “White silence equals violence.” Morrow said that the vigil was an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to the town of Greenfield that Deerfield students are aware of what is going on the world and that they care. “I feel like there is a stigma around the other schools that Deerfield students just don’t care about issues like this,” he said. “This was a good way to break that.” Mr. Henry reported there was a “warm fuzzy feeling” coming away from the vigil, and Dr. Baker said he felt “satisfaction after taking a public stand,” explaining that participating in events like these makes it “easier to face [him]self in the mirror.” Two Deerfield students, Shane Beard ’16 and Beatriz Labadan ’16 were quoted in while at the vigil. Mr. Henry further noted that local media, including newspapers and TV channels, gave significant coverage to the students attending. mentioned that the presence of Deerfield students at the vigil “reflect[ed] how many young Americans have taken to the issue.”

Last year, the app Yik Yak swept through the Deerfield campus, prompting a series of community-wide conversations about our school values, accompanied by pleas from the administration to stop hurtful anonymous postings. Many students felt individually targeted by the app, and others were concerned about the app’s divisive, rather than uniting, nature. This year, another anonymous posting app became popular during the winter months. The app, Swipe, was not nearly as widely used; however, some students, as they did with Yik Yak, again took advantage of the power of anonymity to post hurtful posts directed towards certain students. This makes wonder: Why are these students willing to voice these opinions only when their identity is secret? Is it because there is no possibility of punishment? Whatever the motive, we believe these posts go against Deerfield’s values, many of which lie at the core of a healthy community atmosphere. does believes, however, that anonymity can also be employed in the service of good. The new Facebook group created by Nicky Conzelman and Jared Armes allows all members of the student community who have Facebook to post their ideas and opinions about school goings-on. Then, Nicky and Jared will relay the general mood, opinions and frustrations of the student body—anonymously—to the administration. The two students have presented this Facebook group—with its element of anonymity—as a solution for recent frustrations about mistrust between students and faculty. As Nicky and Jared will have the power to supervise all posts, the group will be moderated in a way neither Yik Yak nor Swipe was. Anonymity can be a double-edged sword. believes the new Facebook group is a step forward in using the power of anonymity—namely its ability to occasionally create opportunities for trust rather than mistrust—for the right purposes.

The early application process is a highly discussed and, more often than not, raw subject for those involved. In an anonymous Poll, a member of the class of 2015 who was deferred, commented, “It is a very sensitive time. The emphasis and pressure students put on one another should—and I hope will—be diminished.” Many seniors opt to partake in the early application process if they possess a clear preference for either a single institution for early decision—which is binding—or for a handful of institutions for early action—which is non-binding. In fact, Director of College Advising Mark Spencer, reported, “Early application rates have been over 80% for the senior class recently. This year, 89% of the class filed an early application (ED or EA) with many also applying to multiple EA schools.” Of the 86 anonymous Poll participants, 37 seniors stated that they applied early decision and 33 applied early action. Of the 86 who applied early, 47 were accepted, 29 were deferred and 4 were rejected from either their first- or second-choice schools. Only 6 seniors of the 86 who took the poll did not apply early. The most attractive benefits of applying early seems to be the savings in time, energy and stress—as well as the security that comes with early acceptance brings. Mr. Spencer explained, “If you are admitted ED, the process is over in December, which many students see as an advantage. Applying EA doesn’t necessarily increase your chances of admission, and many EA colleges defer a lot of the applicant pool to the regular round. If a student is admitted EA, it means s/he may be finished applying or may choose to file many fewer applications overall.” But there are drawbacks to applying early as well. Pressure to decide on a single school for a binding early decision can sometimes be a deterring factor and a source of stress. A senior who was accepted early to Princeton—in a non-binding decision— said, “I think that the early application process can be an extremely helpful tool when used correctly. However, it can also be a major cause of stress. I saw many of my classmates fall in love with a school, not seriously consider other options, only to not be accepted by that school.” Mr. Spencer concurred: “The only potential disadvantage to an early application is the sense of putting all of your hope into one single college; a deferral or rejection can be very disheartening. The good news is that there are many other wonderful colleges in the country and the world, and seniors have their lists prepared of places to apply if Plan A doesn’t work out.” Another possible con to applying early is catching “senioritis,” which can sometimes precipitate a substantial decrease in motivation to work, leading to a decline in grades, which might result in the institution’s rescinding their offer of admission. James Chung ’15, who was accepted to Yale, early action, noted, “Senioritis really depends on the individual. Although I admit that I see some friends putting less effort into class work, I also see many students taking this time of necessary relief to pursue what they enjoy and cherish the last moments of high school.” In addition, the release of decisions creates a brutal environment for all those who applied. One anonymous poll contributor said, “People are welcome to willingly share information about their application, but personal questions that verge on… rude do not alleviate the anxiety that pervades the community during the latter half of the term. I have found a lack of respect and concern for others and their feelings about applying to college.” With 29 of 86 Poll participants deferred—almost 34% of the respondents—the number of those deferred seems significant, especially when compared to the diminutive 4 rejections. Mr. Spencer offered some insight on this: “There does seem to be a trend by some colleges to defer rather than deny students. I think application pools have grown quite strong and with good college counseling the applications are true contenders, but the number of beds on college campuses remains the same, making the process that much more competitive and leaving admission officers with even more difficult decisions. The rise in deferrals is a ‘wait and see’ approach, so that applicants can be compared against the whole pool, which nowadays they know is likely to be quite large and diverse. It also gives colleges the ability to assess interest by seeing how students respond to the deferral decision—do they stay interested or move on? That said, I don’t think the number of deferrals we had this fall was remarkable, especially as compared to the number of acceptances.” Over the past two years, the College Advising Office has seen dramatic changes in staff and procedures. One of the changes included the class of 2016’s receiving college advisor assignments much earlier in the fall of junior year, when in past years students were given their advisor assignments in the winter. In addition, junior questionnaires have been distributed earlier, and advisors have been meeting more frequently with students. Mr. Spencer explained the rationale: “We assigned advisors earlier this year to respond to the growing concerns that students and parents felt they were being left behind in the process or were finding out key information about aspects of the process too late to make substantive changes or decisions. We also felt that frequent and informed communication with our juniors could help lessen anxiety and stress in the process. By being more open to questions and conversations earlier on, we hope to alleviate fears and concerns and help students better plan and take personal control of the process and all that lies ahead with it.” Mr. Spencer added, “One of the reasons we are also working with juniors earlier is to get to know them better to assist with this goal of finding the best fit.” In the Poll, seniors were asked, “On a scale of 1 to 3, how much do you think the recent overturn of the office has impacted this year’s results?” Answering 2 asserted that the transition had not influenced the process this year, and 46 of 86 participants chose this option. Twenty-eight seniors answered with a 1, feeling that the transition had positively influenced the process; and 12 seniors answered with a 3, indicating that the transition had had a negative effect. Thus it can be inferred from the statistics that the general sentiment of the senior class participants toward the College Advising Office and the early application process this year is one of general contentment. Further, 78 seniors responded “yes” to the question of whether the grade has done well in general. Mr. Spencer echoed this outlook, saying, “I feel one responder to the Scroll survey put it well when [he or she] said, ‘It isn’t just the College Advising Office. Overall the senior class this year is incredibly talented. For the most part everyone has high GPAs, good test scores, lots of extra extracurriculars, and for the most part are really good kids. With this said there is no guarantee with the college process. Even though not everyone got the news they wanted, everyone is doing very well in the college process and should be relatively happy.’”

What 25 years ago started as a group of seven dancers taught by one teacher in the East Gym in 1989 has evolved into a celebrated dance program with two studios and eight instructors. Visual and Preforming Arts Chair Jennifer Whitcomb knew when she started as a freshman in high school that dance was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. “It encompassed all of the things that I valued most,” she explained. “Creativity, physicality, intellectual challenges and close interpersonal relationships,” she explained. Deerfield’s dancers have found these values to be embedded in their experience with dance, Sami Habel ’16 said, “It has definitely made me a more creative person—dance is such an internal and liberating experience for me, and allows me to express so much that I can’t with words.” Creativity, Whitcomb says, is one constant she has observed throughout the years in her dancers. Deerfield’s annual Student Choreography Showcase is a large part of what fosters this creativity, as students can choreograph their own pieces, lead their own rehearsals and produce something that is entirely theirs. Natalia Briones ’16 reflected, “Choreographing introduces you to incredible people with different backgrounds—you see the way they think and dance and the ideas they offer.” She continued, “Being a part of a team and working together has definitely developed my skill as a dancer.” ​With the newly renovated Hess Center now housing two state-of-the art dance studios, as well as all the tremendous talent being brought into the dance program year after year, Deerfield’s dance program is surely “gaining momentum,” as Whitcomb said. Despite the changes, senior Sicily Kiesel ’15 stays grounded and realizes there is always room to grow: “In dance there is no perfect; even the simplest step can always be better. I’ve definitely learned to never be complacent and keep trying harder.” ​Having led Deerfield’s thriving dance program for 25 years, Whitcomb reaffirmed her passion for the art: “I love teaching teenagers because they’re at such an exciting stage in their development, and also because I’m constantly reminded of what it felt like to find dance when I was their age.” She concluded, “It completely changed my life for the better.”

Deerfield Academy has the reputation of being one of the best prep schools in the world. With that reputation come expectations set by those both within and outside our community. The administration wants students to excel to attain a high ranking on Business Insider’s list of America’s Most Elite Prep Schools. The Admissions Office wants us to go to a “great college” to amaze applicants with an impressive matriculation list. Teachers want students to do well in their class because often others see students’ grades as a reflection on the instructor. Parents want their kids to do well because they are paying up to $54,000 a year to send their children to this elite institution, and they want to get their money’s worth (and see their kids succeed). We want to do well not only because these towering expectations are set for us by others, but also because we have our futures in mind. We want to get into a good college so we can work in the field we feel passionate about and, eventually, be “successful,” whatever that means. With so much pressure to succeed, how can a Deerfield student go through four years here without feeling stressed? Mr. Flaska recently pointed out that stress does not come from within ourselves. The Merriam-Webster definition of stress is as follows: “a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc.; something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety.” By definition, stress is imposed on us by problems in our world that cause anxiety within us. Yes, stress comes from the outside. But why would that make stress at Deerfield unwarranted? We are so fortunate to be part of a community that values learning as Deerfield does, but just because we are “privileged” does not mean that our stressors are illegitimate. Assuming that Deerfield students who say they are stressed are merely doing so because others are saying so makes students feel like our problems don’t matter, and our worries are unjustified. On top of the overwhelming pressure to be diligent students, dedicated athletes, prolific artists, global citizens, community builders and more, kids here have lives outside of school, too. Just because Deerfield students are lucky enough to attend an elite prep school doesn’t mean we don’t struggle with family issues, eating disorders, abusive relationships, heartbreak, peer pressure, death and more. I point out the combination of these stressful realities and the pressure mentioned above in order to emphasize that our problems are real. Stress is stress, regardless of the cause; and while a little bit of stress can be healthy, the toll that stress takes on Deerfield students is often more detrimental to our mental and physical being than is beneficial. Rather than denouncing students’ worries as gratuitous, we should take the initiative to help our peers through this inherently awkward and scary growth period we call adolescence, and do our best to alleviate the pressures imposed on students at Deerfield. Teachers, you can do your part by sticking to the allotted 50 minutes of homework a night. Next time you ask me why I look so tired, consider whether or not it was your 47 pages of reading that had me up until 2 a.m., scared to ask for an extension because of fear of failure. The College Advising office can reassure us that there are more than 10 great colleges in the world. A school that society thinks is the best may not be best for me—remind me of that. Students, we can all help each other through stressful times by being there for each other and making our community one that everyone wants to be a part of. If Deerfield truly is committed to becoming a “drug-free school,” these are the things we need to focus on rather than blaming the media or other potential factors. Calling a dorm drug-free is not going to get drugs out of that dorm. Committing to ridding our campus of drugs isn’t about getting the physical drugs off campus, it’s about getting rid of the reasons students are turning to drugs in the first place. Students might not abuse Adderall if they didn’t feel they couldn’t do their homework alone. We might not smoke if we didn’t need an escape from our high-strung campus. We might not drink if we were happier at Deerfield. In short, we all know what a remarkable place Deerfield is. Each one of us chose to come here over every other prestigious high school. But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. In order to make our school an even better place, we first must acknowledge that students have the right to be stressed. We have this right because the struggles that come with being a Deerfield student and a teenager are not easy, and knowing we’re fortunate to be here isn’t always enough to lessen that stress. Every member of this community can do something to make life at Deerfield a little less demanding, and a little happier. Diminishing the culture of stress at Deerfield is a more effective way of addressing problems like drugs, eating disorders, depression, etc., than attacking these issues merely on the surface. If we can dispel the belief that Deerfield expects perfection from its students and acknowledge that school is only one part of our lives, we will all be in a better position to appreciate the amazing opportunities that Deerfield has to offer and live healthier, more relaxed lives.

With Head-of-School Margarita Curtis’s announcement about the elimination of dress-down Fridays in January, students and faculty alike are voicing their opinions on how this change will affect them and the school. Taking away this more-than-25-year-old tradition has prompted a range of reactions, both positive and negative, from the Deerfield community. The custom that was established long before Dr. Curtis arrived at Deerfield was originally inspired by January’s title of “Stress Management Month.” Dr. Curtis agrees that it is important to manage stress, but she believes that by treating dress-down days as stress-relievers, students are equating regular class-dress days with the negative notion of stress. In her view, the dress code “is about signaling the seriousness of purpose we bring to our work day and about creating a sense of community by adhering to this commitment.” Associating this school rule with stress is an attitude she views as a disservice to ourselves when we are expected to perform our best in class and when the professional world we will face in the future may demand more formal attire. Although not the most important reason in Dr. Curtis’s view, eliminating dress-down also shows campus visitors our long-standing commitment to a traditional dress code that enables us to take our class day seriously. While Claire Collins ‘15 and Yuri Lee ‘15 “respect Dr. Curtis and do believe that she looks out for [students’] best interests,” both struggle to see this as a valid reasoning for dress-down elimination. Lee noted, “It’s not like we didn’t have visitors last year or that the amount of visitors has suddenly increased.” Collins, in agreement, added, “It also shows visitors that we can have fun.” Collins also brings up the relationship between dress-down dinner in the fall term and this more recent dress-down Friday change. “Is it going to hurt the school if we have both? [Is there] an exchange going on?” she asks, noting the inconsistent give-and-take nature many feel concerning these two issues. To this, Dr. Curtis responded: “The notion for dressing down for a family dinner made sense to me,” describing the differences as between “dressing professionally for class out of respect for work” and dressing more casually for what she hopes can be a relaxed family experience. While most students, such as Collins and Lee, seem opposed, Logan Knight ’17 shared an interesting perspective on the issue: “While I don’t agree with it, the administration is in charge, so for [this] decision that, in the long run, is not that big of a deal, they should just do it.” These nuances within student reactions are reflected in the range of faculty opinions. Although The Student Activities Director and language teacher, Mr. Bicknell, thinks “flannel Friday is the absolute best,” he also “like[s] the idea of having a little more flexibility in terms of when [dress-down days] occur.” Health Issues teacher Kristin Loftus, however, noted: “the Peer Counselors and I were disappointed this year not to be able to collaborate with Dr. Curtis on this typically well-received tradition.” Dr. Curtis believes that allowing a dress-down day for classes during the weekdays on Fridays in January sends mixed messages. She views the elimination of dress-down Fridays as a “more consistent enforcement” of school guidelines, though she is prepared to “make exceptions on days when it makes sense to relax the code.” If Deerfield has a dress code, it needs to be followed consistently, otherwise, as a school, “it becomes more difficult to do what we say we will.” Ultimately, Dr. Curtis concluded, “It is an issue of aligning our practices with our policies.”