Over the past decade, there has been a lot of talk among Deerfield students, faculty and alumni about a perceived decline of school spirit on campus. Whether it is getting rowdy at a pep rally or supporting our athletic teams by attending contests, something is different. Although change has occurred in most aspects of Deerfield life over the years, one thing that remains constant is the number of fans that come to support boys sporting events. But girls varsity teams don’t draw the same attendance. The Scroll recently surveyed 100 students, and 92 of those students affirmed they would be more likely to go to a boys game. It is no secret that Deerfield was for many years a boys school: therefore, traditions are in place that make boys sporting events more prominent. In the fall, the football game against Choate is scheduled towards the end of the day so most students are able to watch. During the winter, the boys varsity hockey team has a late-night home game where fans dress in 80s clothing, watch hockey and socialize in The Barn. For home games in the spring, the boys varsity lacrosse team is led to their field by a bagpiper. While all of these rituals are lively and enjoyable for all, girls teams lack the same level of tradition. The lower attendance at girls games can have a negative impact on their performance. After being asked, “Do you think fans impact the outcome of a game?” 88% of Deerfield students surveyed by The Scroll agreed that fans indeed have an impact. Earlier this winter, a fan bus was organized to watch the boys varsity hockey team take on Choate. When asked how the support impacted the team, Brendan O’Connell ‘16 said, “It honestly felt like a home game. Having that many people come out to watch makes me not only want to play for my team but also everyone that came out to support us.” During the fall post-season, a fan bus traveled to Hotchkiss for the girls varsity field hockey playoff game. The impact this fan support had was quite apparent. Nina McGowan ‘16 commented, “We knew going into the game that Hotchkiss had created a ‘chirp sheet’ about our team. Our fans brought a lot of positive energy, and hearing them cheer for us drowned out the sound of Hotchkiss’s insults and changed the momentum of the game.” With this added school spirit, Deerfield became the biggest competition that Hotchkiss, the #1 team in New England, faced during the playoffs. Another survey question posed a hypothetical situation: “If a girls team has a winning record and a boys team has a losing record in the same sport, which team are you more likely to watch?” The responses still favored the boys, 60% to 40%. Cheerleader Serena Ainslie ‘16 said, “On Choate Day I went to the varsity field hockey game and was disappointed that there weren’t more fans there. It was one of the most exciting games—our only varsity win—and most Deerfield fans didn’t even see it. I know it was tough for the girls to watch a crowd of fans walk straight from [boys] soccer to football, without even stopping at field hockey. Students, alumni and parents should try to get to all the games—both boys and girls.” Midfielder Elizabeth Growney ’16 added, “It was disappointing not seeing or hearing any Deerfield students at our game. This game determined whether or not we would go into the New England playoffs, so we were expecting a huge crowd to support us. [Even so] we ended up winning four minutes into OT. We played so incredibly well that day.” The results gathered from the survey make it clear that fans who come to support teams during their games inspire the athletes—regardless of their gender—to want to work harder not only for their team, but also for Deerfield as a whole. If students want to rekindle school spirit, they might consider dropping by a game—girls or boys—to show their support and their belief in inclusion.

commends Deerfield’s administration for considering and embracing student opinions regarding recent school decisions. This year, the deans have announced some (more or less) momentous changes: banning boys’ turtlenecks, allowing senior day students to drive their friends off-campus and a new dormitory configuration for next year. In all these cases they have proved open to hearing, then implementing, students’ responses and ideas. For instance, when boys denounced the no-turtleneck policy, Ms. Creagh organized a forum, encouraging invested students to discuss the controversy. After hearing their arguments, she rescinded the rule, as long as boys pledged to respect existing dress code parameters. Throughout the process, Ms. Creagh maintained transparent dialogue with the community, a process that applauds. Last year the faculty voted against day students driving boarders, but recently the deans have proven more receptive to day-student driving privileges. Finally, Ms. Creagh has established office hours to hear reactions to next year’s dormitory model. As a result, students can share their beliefs with a high-ranking Deerfield administrator, who may implement the changes they suggest. Ms. Creagh also specified plans to create advisory groups with representatives from each grade to discuss student opinions. Increased discourse and understanding has connected previously-distant Deerfield staff members to the student body. encourages the administration to continue their recent practices and listen to community members, particularly regarding winter dress-down Fridays. Conversely, students must remain prepared to express themselves rationally and deliberately around adults, which will foster a better school environment for all.

The varsity swim team is possibly the closest team there is on campus, from spending over ten hours a week in the pool together and taking an annual sun-filled Florida trip. Though constantly jokingly referred to as a “cult,” they are actually just one big family, each person having his or her own roles and strengths. The Enforcers of the Team: “Matt Hrabchak and Alam Lam keep everything under control, and make sure we focus. They’re the leaders,” said Mikaela Wellner ’16. Best Swimmer’s Body: “I mean obviously that award goes to Hugo,” said a teammate. Teammate Most likely to Save a Drowning Child: “Claire Collins or Bryn Everson,” said Paige Cleary ’17. Member Most Likely to Swim at the Olympics: “Miles Smachlo and Bailey Smith are absurd. I mean, honestly, Bailey is over two years younger than me and maybe ten times better,” said a teammate. Funniest: “Me,” said Conor Sullivan ’15. The Mother: “Claire Collins is always super-supportive and friendly to everyone on the team. Makes sure we’re all happy!” said Rhyan Brode ’17. Most Enthusiastic After Winning a Race: “Definitely Hugo, Claire and Bryn. They get so pumped,” said a teammate. Bring the Best Snacks to Away Meets: “Easily Mrs. Hrabchak and Mrs. Smith,” said Brode. Coolest Swim Suit Collection: “Will Hrabchak has got some nice speedos,” said a teammate. Most Interesting Pre-Race Stretching: “Dani Michaelson,” said Will Hrabchak ’17. Most Likely to False Start due to Excitement: “Katie Jia. One Hundred Percent, Katie Jia,” said a teammate. Most likely to Pee in the Pool: “Jeffrey Sun. I don’t know why I say his name, but still Jeffrey Sun,” said a teammate. Worst Goggle Marks: “Mikaela Wellner and Jordan Coen,” said Will Hrabchak. Most Enthusiastic about Practice: “Conor Sullivan and Justin Xiang for sure,” said a teammate.

The “Live Clean, Eat Dirty” campaign at Deerfield Academy has undoubtedly achieved critical success: the health benefits associated with fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and healthy fats have been widely disseminated around the school, and these salubrious options are now readily available in the Dining Hall. The Greer Store and Koch Café, however, don’t stress the endeavor towards healthy eating as well as the Dining Hall does. The inclusion of healthy snacks—like the cowboy nuts, granola bars, as well as the online table of nutrients and calories associated with each food option—have been tremendous steps in the right direction—but more can be done, very easily. The most notable difference, in my opinion, between the Dining Hall efforts towards healthy eating, and those of the Koch or Greer, is the lack of availability of fresh—and free—fruit in the Greer Store and Koch Café. The fact of the matter is, students are confronted with a choice at the Greer and Koch, more so than they are at the Dining Hall. And I don’t condemn choice: I think it is as perfectly acceptable to purchase a buffalo panini or a grilled CC, as it is a parfait, or some fruit salad. But if fruit—like apples, bananas, and oranges—were displayed as a free option, some students might reconsider eating a cinnamon bun before lunch and instead just pick up an apple before class. The chief concern for money-making enterprises like the Koch or Greer would be a reduction in generated revenue because of the free fruit option. However, I think this fear can be easily assuaged in three ways: primarily there can be a limit on the amount of fruit a student takes, with something like a “Take one, please” sign. Next, the type of fruit displayed for free can be contingent on the seasonal prices of the fruit; apples could be displayed in the fall, when they are in season and presumably cheaper, while pears and oranges could be offered in the winter. Finally, this notion of free fruit could run on a trial basis, say, for one month: if too much revenue is lost, fruit could once again be priced at 70 cents. But this proposal goes beyond the revenue question of the Greer and Koch: If we want to truly promote healthy eating at Deerfield, couldn’t this prove to be a simple, but effective change? And if the fruit in the Dining Hall and Koch and Greer comes from the same shipment, why does the price differ by $.70?

Normally, when we think of what it means to be a musician, we immediately think of someone in orchestra, band or choir. But there are people like Emerson Garnett ’16 and Will Von Weise ’15 who do not fit this traditional mold and have chosen to direct their talents in a different way by pursuing the art of DJing. Garnett ’16 claims he first became interested in music after watching a Mariah Carey concert in fourth grade. “After seeing her live,” he said. “I was inspired to try and make my own music.” Since then, Garnett has produced songs categorized as future bass, including “Hodor,” an original mix, and his “Shells” remix, songs liked and reposted by over 600 people on SoundCloud. Some of the artists from whom he draws inspiration are Fat Trel, John Cena and Niykee Heaton. Currently he has over 1,000 followers, and his fan base is still growing. Unlike Garnett, von Weise did not have a specific moment that sparked his interest in music. But after seeing Martin Garrix at Lollapalooza this past summer, his passion for music became even greater. “The music was absurdly loud,” he reported, “and the party was insane. Hands down the best part of my summer.” Although most of the songs on von Weise’s SoundCloud are old, von Weise is currently handling the production on a mixtape for Tarek Deida ‘15: “Tarek freestyles over the beat and [I] refine it.” Garnett and von Weise agree that producing new songs and creating remixes can be challenging. First, the artist has to figure out the direction of the song, then adjust the tune and follow through until the very end. The length of time a song takes to produce can vary. For example, in Garnett’s case, his “Shells” remix took weeks to edit, whereas his “Levels” remix took only an hour. As DJing becomes a respected art form, it is fitting that Deerfield has begun to recognize DJs in our community. Watch out for these rising stars at the next Crow Commons Dance.

On January 5, a policy was instituted allowing boarding seniors, with permission from their parents, to drive with senior day students after January 19. The policy has been granted almost every year after Student Council submits a formal proposal for review by the deans. The deans then put the policy into place for the start of each new year. Dean Amie Creagh explained the benefits of the new policy: “First, it gives seniors a special privilege, when I think they need and deserve one. Second, it offers them the opportunity to get to know their local community a bit better before they leave it. And finally, going to a movie on a weekend night is a normal, high-school activity.” With this policy, some faculty worry about the pressure that is placed on day students to drive boarders, along with concerns about increased rule breaking and student safety. Even though there has never been an accident with Deerfield students as a result of this policy, Creagh pointed to an accident at the Taft School several years ago. Both senior day students and boarders are excited to be able to take advantage of this new policy. “I think that it’s a great opportunity for boarders to get a different view of what the surrounding area is like,” day student Conor Sullivan ’15 commented. “Much of what boarders get to experience is a very small part of Greenfield, and that is only a sliver of what the area has to offer. The driving privileges will now allow for day students to show the boarding community a different side of the area that is only known to locals.” Madi Lyford ‘15 noted, “I am excited to ride with day students because it will make going out to dinner or to Big Y a lot easier and cheaper. It is no secret that the cab service in Deerfield is lacking.” Will Darling ‘15 added, “At any other school this conversation wouldn’t really be happening, and while I appreciate Deerfield isn’t like every other school, it seems a pretty basic idea that students who can drive should be able to drive their friends.” Darling brings up the question of whether this responsibility should be given solely to seniors for the second half of their year or perhaps given to seniors—or even juniors— for the whole year. Last year, the faculty voted on and ultimately rejected a policy that would have allowed seniors to drive with day students all year long. At the time, many of the faculty had strong reservations or expressed ambivalence. At Hotchkiss students cannot drive their friends: “Day students may invite schoolmates home for either the evening or a weekend. [But] It should be understood that if a car is used to transport the visiting student to and from School, the day student must not drive.” Ms. Creagh concluded, “A boarding environment like ours doesn’t offer many of those typical, standard routines [of home life], so I’d like to offer them when and where we can.”

In recent years, depression has received national attention, especially when referring to the teenage demographic. All teens and adolescents occasionally feel “depressed” or “under the weather,” and at Deerfield, the topic seems especially relevant during the winter months. “Depression at Deerfield is typically manifested by kids who have a number of different symptoms,” Director of Medical Services Thomas Hagamen stated. “These typically include increased sadness, difficulty concentrating, decreased enjoyment and sometimes dark thoughts about death and self—injury. At Deerfield, depression is often brought on by the stress that Deerfield life can bring. And so schools like Deerfield–competitive, challenging, independent–often see a higher level of depression than your average school.” There are two major forms of depression: mild depression and severe depression. Dr. Hagamen distinguishes between the two: “Mild depression is when you are feeling sad, and are having relatively mild symptoms which affect the way you feel but not the way you function; and typically it does not affect your ability to do what you need to do. Severe depression typically affects your ability to function in a normal way so that doing Deerfield becomes difficult, sometimes impossible.” Recognizing mild depression can be very tricky, because victims may appear to be perfectly fine externally. “In this particular population,” psychologist Sheila Fritz explained, “students [with depression] are able to maintain their grades because it’s a number-one priority. We are high achievers and perfectionists by nature.” But, she added, “it doesn’t mean that when your grades are good and teachers are seeing you smiling and interacting with people in class or outside walking in the community you can’t be depressed.” Although more people are becoming open to talking about depression, there may be some negative connotations and stereotypes associated with the condition. One anonymous student stated, “I didn’t feel like it was something I could just say to anyone. I couldn’t tell any of my friends—you want people to like you at DA, and if you are open about it, people will not want to hang out with you. Meanwhile everyone was saying I was the person they could count on to always be smiling, happy and bubbly.” Although depression can be a difficult disease to combat, the Health Center has methods to help students. Dr. Hagamen explained, “Treatment for depression typically involves working with a mental health professional in some form of therapy, usually talk therapy for some time. For severe depression we recommend augmenting this therapy with psychiatric consultment and specifically anti-depression medication.” The issue of depression can be difficult to face for many students who have depression or those with friends who suffer from it. Dr. Hagamen offers some advice: “We certainly recommend that if you have a friend who is depressed that you encourage them to come to the Health Center and meet one of the health counselors or peer counselors. The most important thing is that you do something.” “Being depressed is not something to be ashamed of,” Dr. Hagamen said. “It does not mean there is anything wrong with you, it is something for which there is very good treatment.” “If you are feeling depressed, there is treatment which can make you feel better,” he concluded. “And remember to reach out for help.”

Read the pro and con articles. We are excited to announce a “Ninth-Grade Village” at Deerfield. The Ninth-Grade Village is designed to give ninth-graders a strong academic and social foundation for their time at Deerfield—and to address common concerns new students have about orienting to life away from home. Starting this fall, ninth-grade girls will live in Johnson Dormitory, and ninth-grade boys in Doubleday Dormitory. The Crow Commons, a large common space connecting the two buildings, will serve as a dedicated environment in which to build the Ninth-Grade Village program. Study halls will be structured and supported specifically for ninth-grade students, and dorm-based programs will encompass aspects of orientation, diversity and inclusion, community service, and health issues. Also starting this fall, sophomores (new and returning) will be housed together, as a class, to help new students bond with their returning classmates more quickly—and to ensure that we can provide a structured study environment each evening. (Juniors and Seniors, including new students, will continue to be housed together in their own dorms.) All dorms will now be arranged around a “brother/sister” dormitory model, extending the notion that when we provide structures for casual interaction between and among boys and girls, we create an opportunity for more natural and meaningful relationships. While single rooms provide an opportunity for focused study, we’ve found that younger students can sometimes feel a bit alone when placed in a single. Under our new residential model, most ninth-graders will be housed in double rooms—providing the companionship and bonding opportunities to set them on a great start—while students in later years will primarily occupy single rooms, giving them the ability to retreat, focus, and reflect on their studies.

Dear Margo, Rita & Curtis, I hate winter. Xoxo, Ice Ice Baby Dear Ice, That’s not a question, but I know what you mean. I have written many strongly-worded anonymous letters to the Head of School demanding that Deerfield Academy be transplanted to southern Florida, a move I’m sure is completely plausible and is being planned by the administration as we speak. But for now, you will have to learn to cope. To help you along, I have decided to share exclusively with you, my readers, my secrets for surviving the tundra that is Deerfield between December and March. 1. Set vanity aside: If you are like me, you were not blessed with a head that looks good in hats—in fact, you may look like a bald baby in hats. But trust me, you will look worse with frostbite, so suck it up and put on that dang hat. And no spring dresses—nothing is worse than seeing someone wearing a Lily Pulitzer dress and a parka over it. Save that for March. 2. Avoid carrying anything if walking outside: the iced chai might have seemed like a great idea when you were in the warmth of the Koch, but when you have to hold it in your bare hand in the freezing cold on the walk to Arms, you will have serious regrets. I made this mistake once, and I swear my hand froze to the side of the compostable plastic before I reached the Library. 3. Use the tunnels: Once you make it into any part of the Dining Hall, Greer or Gym complex, you basically don’t have to go outside again until it’s time to go to your dorm. Let me give you my sample schedule… 3:10—I get to the Dining Hall for snack time, snag a bagel. 3:35—I go through the underground tunnel to the Greer, potentially have another snack, or maybe a drink, depending how I’m feeling. 4:00—It’s time for me to go to sports, but I linger in the Greer for five more minutes anyway. 4:05—Arrive at practice 5:30—Tunnel back to dinner And voila! I passed a full two hours without ever having to step foot outside. To close, I’d like to mention that as I write this it is raining, which means tomorrow all paths and quads will be covered by a solid two inches of ice. Therefore, if you don’t own ice skates, I recommend you invest in some. Unless you are like me and you can’t skate (I mean really can’t skate, like I used those push things at ice rinks until I was 12 and would have continued if the manager at the rink hadn’t decided that it was “unsafe” to use past a certain height)-in which case we’re both doomed. Happy Winter (oxymoron?), Margo, Rita, & Curtis

This spring Deerfield students are inviting several local high schools to join together for a regional Round Square conference. Hannah Casey ’15 affirmed the importance of this new conference: “This is an opportunity to get informed about the community we live in and what challenges the people of this [larger] community face, and collaborate to make a sustainable difference in Franklin County.” The conference’s mission statement reads: “The Deerfield Round Square Conference aims to bring students from the Pioneer Valley together to discuss and address present-day issues in the region. Despite sharing the same physical space, there is little communication between student bodies. It is our duty, as inhabitants of Franklin County, to be aware of issues that surround us and collaborate with our neighbors to affect positive change. Through the conference we will cement channels of communication with neighboring schools and ultimately open the door for collaborative efforts to benefit Franklin County.” Robin Tu ’16 discussed the necessity of hearing these regional perspectives: “Deerfield has been mostly isolated from our surroundings: we often debate international affairs, but we rarely pay attention to the problems around us.” He added, “Deerfield students need exposure to these issues, realizing the environment we live in.” Tu sees this conference as a “parallel to two countries establishing a diplomatic relationship.” As is often said, Deerfield students live in a bubble. This bubble can lead to students being ignorant on local issues. This conference aims to burst this bubble, raising awareness of problems in the area surrounding us, setting up meaningful conversation with local peers. Through a spring day of speakers, discussion groups, potential work projects and more, Deerfield means to collaborate with neighboring schools to benefit Franklin County, showing the space we share together in an entirely new light.

In recent years, Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been the single day of the year in which the Deerfield community gathered to commemorate the work of Dr. King, and pay tribute to social justice nationally and globally. In an interview preceding MLK Day, Ms. Young said, ​“This year’s MLK Day events have been intentionally spread out over a two-week period so that we don’t just talk about Dr. King solely on the day of his birthday.” On January 11, The Fire This Time opened at the Von Auersperg Gallery, a show intended to inspire reflection and discussion on social justice. Then, on January 12, after uplifting student performances, award-winning civil rights lawyer and activist Fania Davis spoke on what motivated her to found the restorative justice movement. Ms. Young explained that “over 25 workshops with topics ranging from protest to stereotypes” would “allow our community to be in dialogue.” She added, “We also have some students going off campus to do service, a wonderful way of giving back and modeling Dr. King’s life.” The workshops were planned to “provide a safe space for students to share stories about their experiences here on campus,” as well as “examine the relationships of race, education, religion, geographical region and other personal variables.” ​With these new platforms, exhibitions, discussions and presentations, Deerfield has taken strides toward expanding the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s work, fostering the values that he fought for.

Recently, the Board of Trustees approved the decision to renovate the Boyden Library beginning at the end of the 2015 school year. The Library, traditionally one of the most frequented places on campus by both students and staff, will undergo a complete revitalization that will reconfigure and refurbish the existing internal layout. “While the exterior of the building will remain the same,” Head of School Margarita Curtis explained, “the internal space allocation will change, and the interior will undergo a full refurbishment process. Most notably, we will move the College Advising Office and the Academic Dean’s offices to the second floor. The new Center for Service and Global Citizenship will also be located on the second floor.” Director of the Library Charlotte Patriquin added, “There will be more classrooms, more group study rooms, more student carrels and more seating for students in addition to the several new offices.” The decision for the renovation was prompted by the need for a newer, more technologically advanced building. “The current library was built more than 40 years ago, and it [is] in need of serious maintenance work,” Dr. Curtis said. “We [are] also aware of the fact that in recent years, with the impact of technology on teaching and learning, libraries have evolved into much more dynamic, open, experimental and collaborative spaces than in the past.” When asked what students would most like to see in the newly renovated library, Riker Bixby ’15 commented, “I think the new library should have a bigger and better [Innovation Lab] with more powerful tools.” Although seniors won’t be have to enjoy the new advances, younger students can look forward to a permanent Innovation Lab in the basement of the library. The blueprint details a design with movable walls that will make the space more fluid, a feature helpful in the development of robots and other tech devices. The basement will also host an “Ideation Room,” a room with white boards on all four walls, the result of a successful trial run in one of the current study rooms throughout this school year. According to the present blueprint (still subject to change) there will be a total of 11 study rooms after the renovation. The current day-student study carrels will also be transformed into individual study carrels for all students and will feature a glass wall overlooking the library’s main floor and out the window. There will be classrooms for academic classes on the main floor and one in the basement. Instead of three main doors, the Library will have one door for the main entrance, with seating areas on either side. Additionally, the Help Desk will be situated just inside this main door. The Library Research Committee includes Academic Dean Peter Warsaw, History Department Chair Joseph Lyons, Science Department Chair Dennis Cullinane, Assistant Academic Dean Sheryl Cabral, former Director of ITS Wendy Shepherd (now replaced by Director of ITS Kimberly Butz), Chief Financial Officer Keith Finan, Librarian Janet Eckert, Ms. Patriquin, English Department Chair Michael Schloat and history teacher Julia Rivellino-Lyons. Ms. Patriquin detailed the role of the committee: “We were asked to explore and advise Senior Staff on a forward-looking ten-year vision for the library. It was a big commitment, and we spent a lot of time visiting other schools and colleges. We read widely, and we began discussions with the architects about how to realize what we were thinking about, synthesize what we had seen and figure out what made the most sense.” Student opinion and input for the new renovation were important in the design process. Ms. Patriquin said: “A comprehensive student survey conducted last year gave [the Library Research Committee] a lot of information for planning the new library.” According to Dr. Curtis, the estimated cost of the renovation is set to be $11.5 million, and the expected month of completion is December 2015. During the renovation, the library staff and a selection of the books will be moving to the Module Housing (Mods), east of John Louis dormitory. “The librarians are thinking of ways that we can work with students in the classroom,” Ms. Patriquin commented, “rather than having entire classes travel to the Mods for instructions on how to do specific research, something currently conducted in the library. We will have group study rooms [in the Mods] and single study rooms; we will try to have a variety like we have in the current library.” Dr. Curtis concluded, “The current design is the result of a broad collaboration among teachers, staff, students and ARC, the architectural firm that has been contracted for the project.” Upon returning from Winter Break in January 2016, students will have all the resources of the newly renovated library to start the new year strong.