According to The Recorder, the local Greenfield newspaper, the Northeast Energy Direct (NED) project entails the construction of a 177-mile high-pressure gas pipeline that would cut through the town of Deerfield. One of the proposed routes would cross the North Meadows, just north of the Academy’s Small Loop. The project is being developed by Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, an affiliate of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, the third largest energy company in North America. The pipeline will travel from Wright, New York, to Dracut, Massachusetts, before meeting up with existing pipelines to create a route linking Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts. The entire project would be completed in 2018. The pipeline is scheduled to cross protected wildlife habitats as well as agricultural areas. In total 16,000 private, town and conservation properties will be affected by the project. Many people from the town of Deerfield and nearby have voiced their opposition of the proposed route and have advocated for public safety and sustainable forms of energy. A representative of the project explained to The Recorder that the scheduled project is “the only proposed pipeline project that can provide the transformative solution that New England needs to reduce energy costs and enhance electric reliability. [The project] provides economic service to several geographic areas in Massachusetts and New York that are not currently served by an interstate pipeline and are not economically viable for competing projects to serve.” Other opponents to the project are against the non-sustainable natural gas which will be used for the pipeline. Natural gas is obtained from hydraulic fracturing commonly known as fracking. The process is very controversial. It involves the pumping of a mixture of water, sand and various chemicals about a mile deep into the ground in order to dislodge gas and oil trapped between rocks. Serena Ainslie ’16 described the controversy surrounding this process: “It can be bad if the pipe that transmits the fracking fluid in and out of the ground cracks because in those cases the fracking fluid can leak into aquifers above the shale deposits and those aquifers provide sources of drinking water. The disposal of fracking fluids is also very controversial. Right now fracking companies dispose fracking fluids by injecting large closed containers with the fluid inside deep into the ground in places like Oklahoma.” “The positives [of fracking] are that natural gas is so much better than coal, the other energy source that our nation runs on,” Ainslie continued. “Coal has negative effects on the environment and individual health. In China 1.2 million people die per year from air pollution due to coal. Fracking decreases our need to buy foreign oil from countries we don’t have great relationships with. Fracking will only continue to improve this independence.” Deerfield alumnus Jim Cutler from Ashfield will be directly affected by the pipe’s construction. Cutler opposes the pipeline because it would violate conservation laws, negatively impact his homeowners insurance, and has the possibility of leaking. Another Deerfield Alumnus, Tom Clark ‘67 of Clarkdale Fruit Farms, opposes the pipeline and has previously refused to allow surveyors to survey their land. “We’re going to be 100 years old next year,” Clark explained. “We’ve done a good job as stewards of the soil, and the community.” Clark believes the best way to continue this mission is by protesting this project in hopes it will be abandoned. Ken Park ’15 also posed the question “Who is [Tennessee Gas Pipeline] TGP to say that they can build a pipeline under multi-generation farm lands?” underscoring the dissent regarding the new pipeline Supporters of the pipeline, including the labor union, argue that the new pipeline will lower the price of gas, increase the reliability of gas and electricity and create business in New England. They claim that high-energy costs discourage companies in Massachusetts and the project could create 3,000 jobs for residents. Tom Andrews from the Labor Union represents local 596 out of Holyoke. He explained, “A [$3 billion project] does not happen in Western Mass.” During a town hall meeting on September 10, 2014, the Deerfield Board of Health raised their concerns over the project. They questioned Kinder Morgan’s safety record after reports of safety violations on previous projects. Additionally, the board discussed the dangers a pipeline poses. Leaks can cause fires, explosions and contaminate the wells and water supplies. It is estimated there are roughly one thousand gas leaks every year. Many of these leaks are considered hazardous, and explosions erupt if the gas comes in contact with an ignition. According to The New York Times, “There are more than 1.2 million miles of gas main pipes across the country. Last year, gas distributors nationwide reported an average of 12 leaks per 100 miles of those pipes.” Gas leaks can result from natural causes such as frost or accidents that occur when digging during construction projects, and are especially concerning for this new pipeline, which packs more gas into the pipe, meaning if a leak did occur it would result in a larger quantity of gas being released. Deerfield Board of Health members also raised concerns about minimizing negative impact on private property and Kinder Morgan’s reaction to emergencies. This is especially concerning to many since the liability of the project is only one million dollars. According to the board’s legal council, “local health boards have ‘unlimited power’ to stop activities or projects that are deemed a threat to public health and safety.” Additionally, private landowners can deny Kinder Morgan permission to survey their land. In this case, Kinder Morgan would have to be granted permission by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. On October 23, the Board voted to ban the proposed construction. Carolyn Shores Ness, the chairwoman of the Board of Health, cited the “unreasonable risk to the health and lives of the residents of Deerfield” and called on Kinder Morgan “to cease immediately all of its activities in Deerfield related to the construction to the proposed pipeline within the boundaries of the town.” Kinder Morgan replied by telling the town to raise any issues regarding the project with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). According to Cristobal Bonifaz, representative of the town’s legal council, the board ruling gives Kinder Morgan two options: “to appeal to state courts… or to move the pipeline outside the boundaries of Deerfield.” Bonifaz says she is willing to represent the Town of Deerfield all the way up to the Supreme Court if need be. Other surrounding towns have already contacted Deerfield and hope to adopt similar approaches to protest the construction of the pipeline.

Have Deerfield sports declined over the past 20 or 30 years? “Yes,” said J.J. Briones ’82, assistant director of admissions since 1996. “If you look at the win-loss record,” said Nick Albertson, history teacher and assistant varsity football and varsity golf coach since 1978, “we are not as successful as we used to be.” Many people, like English teacher Mark Scandling, coach of varsity boys and girls water polo as well as varsity wrestling, argue that the success of sports should not only be measured in victories. “For me,” Scandling said, “it has always been about participation, sportsmanship and competition. That is how I measure success.” Scandling, who first arrived at DA in 1987, feels that even when defining success in terms of participation, Deerfield may be on the decline. He explained, “The main decline is in participation. The number of students who play two or three sports is very small, and although a good majority play two, there is a significant amount who only play one sport.” English teacher Frank Henry ’67, who began teaching at Deerfield in 1982, agrees with Mr. Scandling. According to Mr. Henry, “The raw truth is that far fewer students play as many competitive sports as they did when I was a student. There are so many new programs that compete with the student-athlete, most notably exemptions of one sort or another.” Another possibility for the decline is the ever-increasing “specialization” culture, in which many varsity athletes will concentrate only on their primary sport during their off seasons, rather than play a different sport. Mr. Albertson confirmed that athletics as a whole are being hurt by specialization: “Specialization works against our competitive ideals. There used to be athletes whose goal was to play football at a collegiate level but [who] also played a winter and spring sport. Now that is very rare.” While these down sides may be true, many people still argue that specialization is necessary to prepare the next generation of athletes. Mr. Henry stated, “The world of college has asked us to prepare athletes for collegiate level athletics.” Some believe the answer to our problems lies with the Admissions Office. R.J. Shamberger ‘16 asserted, “Our admission directors need to acknowledge that we need more players to compete within our intense league. When our historically great JV football team has nine players, there is an obvious problem.” Many students fear that a continual lack of performance will deter students from choosing Deerfield. Nonetheless, Deerfield teams are still performing at very high levels. In recent years boys and girls crew, boys lacrosse, boys and girls water polo, and girls cross-country, among others, have enjoyed high success. The development of the arts program —and the need to maintain it with the completion of the Hess Center for the Arts—has brought an influx of talented dancers, musicians, and other artists. This change could explain a slightly decreased emphasis on athletics in the Admissions Office. As noted by many, balancing success in various sports, academics and the arts is always going to be a difficult proposition for a community as small as Deerfield. Mr. Scandling would like to remind the community, “If decline is measured in terms of wins or losses or even participation, there is no question that the success of sports, in recent years, has declined. But has the experience of being on a team declined? No. In the end, that is what is most important.”

Deerfield Academy will be welcoming alumna Tiffany Franke ’02 on December 3rd to talk about her work to educate and inspire people about how their actions affect the world around them. Franke has developed a diverse and varied career in business where she has focused on how companies, through their core products and services, can have a net positive impact on the environments and communities they serve. After graduating from Yale with a bachelor degree and more recently Cambridge University, with a master’s degree in Sustainability Leadership, Franke wants to help connect the dots for people between the systems they live in and their own ability to bring about change. “We live in a time where,” Ms. Franke explained, “many of the systems we operate in have become so vast and complex that our own ability to understand them has become obscured.” In 2012, she took a trip around the world to capture the stories of traditional artisans in an effort to help consumers better understand how their purchasing behavior impacted remote communities and cultures. She went as far afield as the Kalahari Desert in Africa, where she met San women upholding an ancient beading tradition. Martha Lyman, consultant in the Head of School’s office who knew Franke while she was at Deerfield, explains, “Tiffany traveled around the world to meet local artisans and examine the state of traditional arts in a rapidly changing world.” Ms. Franke fostered a love for international travel during her time at Deerfield, where she eagerly joined classmates on trips to Cambridge, England and Paris. As a senior, she represented Deerfield at the Round Square conference in Alice Springs, Australia, an experience that inspired her commitment to community service and cultural learning. While at Deerfield, she fondly recounts exploring the woods with friends, visiting teachers in the evening, swimming in the river, dancing and painting. The guidance and instruction of many teachers including Mr. Heise, Mr. Palmer and Ms. Lyman deeply influenced her world view and reinforced a love for the arts, history, language and culture. Deerfield opened her up to the world and gave her the ability to express herself. According to Franke, she “came of age at Deerfield, and in many ways it has helped to shape the person who [she is] still becoming.” Currently, Franke is working with a tech startup that hosts online forums to allow people across different industries, functional areas and geographies to discuss issues that influence a sustainable future. “I chose the position because I admire and respect the people involved,” explained Ms. Franke enthusiastically. “I love building things and inserting creative energy, and because I really believe in the importance of what we’re doing.” Having had over 25 clients across seven industries in her management consulting career, Franke explained that she had some interesting encounters. “I actually gained the most from the quirkiest clients… the Yale Center for British Art provided among the strongest client relationships and impacts of my consulting career.” Not just a busy woman, Franke also enjoys singing in a Manhattan rock band, skiing, exploring, and practicing her Chinese. She explains that her interests include learning about people, the edges of our systems and their natural wonders, and new models of education. When asked what advice she would give to Deerfield students, Franke explains: “Be thoughtful of how your life and decisions affect the people and world around you. Live your values with humility and integrity. Be yourself and be kind to yourself. And don’t forget to enjoy the ride!”

Recently, Deerfield obtained a TEDx license, which will allow the school to host an official TEDx conference on February 22, 2015. TEDx is a program that was created to help spread communication and conversation within both small and large communities by issuing licenses to presenters who are interesting in promoting discussion in their communities and beyond. As stated on the TEDx website, “The TEDx experience is about bringing big ideas to your local community to spark connection and deep conversation.” TEDx lectures are often filmed and presented on the TEDx platform, so as to be shared publicly on the web. Last year, after Cat Wyatt ’14 introduced the idea of TEDx talks at Deerfield to the Student Council, Nahla Achi ’15, Haidun Liu ’15, Megan Retana ’15 and Academic Dean Peter Warsaw created a ommittee to work on bringing TEDx to Deerfield. In order to host TEDx talks, an organization needs an official license, which allows the community to host one TEDx conference that will be shared publicly through the TEDx platform. According to Achi, the committee decided to introduce Deerfield Talks at School Meeting in order to see whether any of the presenters “could prepare Talks that had the potential to be presented at a TEDx Conference.” Deerfield Talks in the past have included the presentations of Ken Park ’15 on “water” and David Liu ’15 on the Chinese government, which used Deerfield as a model to explain the Communist hierarchy in China. Among the Academy’s favorite Deerfield Talks was one by Matt Morrow ’15, who asked the question “How many countries are there?” Matt explained that certain countries and/or organizations, such as the United Nations, recognize some countries that other organizations, such as the US Olympics Committee, do not. Katy Gray ’16 commented, “It was so interesting to see that countries, which I always thought of as being set in stone, could be so debated worldwide.” Not only did the Deerfield Talks prove that students and faculty presenters are ready for the conference, but also they sparked conversations around campus about topics beyond Deerfield. As Emerson Logie ’16 noted, Deerfield Talks can be “useful in this community because they give people the opportunity to expand on topics not only relevant in our community but to the world around us.” After seeing how well our community responded to the Deerfield Talks, the committee took on the task of applying for a TEDx license. This required an “organizer” to fill out an application for the TEDx organization to approve. According to the TEDx rules, if the organizer has not already attended a TEDx conference, a maximum of 100 people can attend the organizer’s conference. However, the committee hopes to simulcast the conference in the Hess Auditorium so that the entire school can watch the conference live. The TEDx website states that the conferences are to be “community-driven” and include “bias-free content,” meaning there will be no “commercial, religious, or political agenda.” The committee plans to fulfill this expectation in February’s conference, in order to further the positive impact that Deerfield Talks have already had on the community. The TEDx Deerfield Academy conference will exclusively represent members of our community, including students, faculty, staff and potentially parents and alumni. “I think TEDx talks will connect our community by initiating curiosity in each other’s passions and discoveries,” said Retana. Although Deerfield will be hosting an official TEDx conference, the community will continue to hear Deerfield Talks at school meetings. Achi stated that “[Deerfield Talks] are as important as TEDx talks.” Additionally, from now on, the Deerfield talks will be recorded so that they too can be shared with the world.

Dear Margo, Rita & Curtis, Is it too early to ask someone to Semi? Signed, Ready to dance ‘til I drop Dear Dance ‘til I drop, You don’t have a date to Semi yet? I got mine over the summer when my date parachuted chocolates from an airplane onto my lawn spelling out “SEMI?” Naturally, I said yes. Don’t fret, though, not everyone can be as lucky as I am. A general rule of thumb is that it is never too early to ask someone to Semi. In fact, I recommend booking your sophomore, junior, and senior dates now, because we all know that going to Semi with someone is only a small step away from being engaged. However, keep in mind that if you haven’t had classical training in swing dancing from the time you could walk, don’t even bother asking someone. You are an undesirable date and a potential hazard on the dance floor. If you‘ve passed the first prerequisite of dance training, you may advance to thinking about how to ask your date. First rule of asking: When in doubt, do it in public. This may seem counterintuitive—you may ask yourself, “Why would I want to be rejected in public in front of the entire student body?” But that’s the point!!! If it’s in public, your potential date literally cannot say no to you or else he or she risks looking like a terrible person in front of the whole school. This method is basically a fool-proof way of forcing someone to attend Semi with you. If you are more confident in yourself, I recommend thinking big when trying to figure out how to ask. For example, release a pair of doves into the Dining Hall that land on your target’s shoulder and drop a love poem into his or her lap. And you might think that’s enough, but you’d be wrong—now it’s time to cue the orchestra. After he or she has been serenaded, the ceiling panels open, and you glide on a wire down to your soon-to-be date with at least a dozen roses in hand. If he or she says no then, that’s social suicide—no one is ever going to top that ask. No one is going to top it, that is, unless they set off fireworks or enlist Brad Pitt, at which point you’ve been one-upped. You can also always subscribe to the KISS mentality: Keep It Simple Stupid. Although not as grand as releasing live doves into the Dining Hall, it works 70% of the time, which isn’t quite the slam-dunk that asking over the microphone at sit-down is, but pretty close. The simple yet slightly awkward “Will you go to Semi?” has always worked with me. Peace and Love, Margo, Rita & Curtis

Deerfield Academy is a campus that seems to bleed green not only at sporting events, in our art studios and on the stage, but also in our attempts to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly. The newer buildings on campus, such as Harold Smith, New Dorm and the Hess Center are all designed with the environment in mind. From the Koch Center’s gold Leed Certification to the compostable containers and utensils served at the Louis Cafe and the Greer, these efforts all contribute to our 80-20 initiative to reduce school waste. These efforts have been fueled by the Physical Plant staff—such as Environmental Management Coordinator David Purington—who have made great efforts to reduce the school’s landfill waste. In a recent project, Physical Plant shipped off the old Large Auditorium chairs to the Institution Recycling Network(IRN) instead of throwing them away as waste. The IRN then arranged for the chairs to be brought to Nicaragua, where they will be used in a school that also functions as a community center. Established in 1999, the IRN helps large institutions decrease their amount of waste and strives to make recycling as cost-effective as possible. Deerfield has been a member of the IRN since 2000 and has been using the IRN as an outlet to decrease our waste. In March 2013, Deerfield sent 10 truckloads and trailers full of miscellaneous items such as old kitchen appliances, desk chairs, mattresses and more that would have otherwise ended up in landfills. This project is a continuous one, and Deerfield is in the process of filling a new trailer to be delivered to the IRN when it reaches its full capacity. “This is something that costs [Deerfield Academy] money; however, it is something that we believe is worth the investment,” said Director of Facilities Chuck Williams. Another green effort is the maintenance of campus grounds. Physical Plant has decreased the amount of pesticides used, and organic pesticides are now being used instead of synthetic ones. Mr. Purington noted, “[Physical Plant] uses the least amount of synthetic pesticides as it can get away with.” During the summer of 2014, Physical Plant also altered the heating system of four major dorms on campus: Johnson, Doubleday, Louis Marx and John Louis. The heating system now uses hot water rather than steam. The new method is much more efficient and energyfriendly. In addition, over 1500 LED lights have been installed in common rooms across campus and classroom buildings. Mr. Purington explained, “We are now simply waiting to get [the LED lights] to student and faculty housing.” Williams further underscored the Physical Plant’s mindset: “Making what you have more efficient is a good place to start.”

Recently, the Deerfield 9/10 Committee—a task force focused on shaping an academic approach more appropriate for ninth and tenth graders, particularly the former— proposed a rubric-based grade for all incoming freshmen. In other words, the Class of 2018 did not receive numerical midterm grades this fall. This change was made by the committee in order to instill the six different qualities that the Academy wants a student to focus on: disciplined work habits, class participation, grit and resilience, curiosity, initiative and independence, and creativity. “Once we decided what the qualities were, we thought about, one, how can we let the students know that these are the qualities the school wants them to develop, and two, how can we give feedback so that they are more likely to do it?” Academic Dean Peter Warsaw said. Instead of the usual midterm grade, the freshman class was given a rubric that incorporated four out of the six qualities. Students were given a number on a scale from one to five based on disciplined work habits (includes annotation, arriving on time, and taking notes), class participation, grit and resilience, and curiosity shown during class. This rubric allowed faculty to give students directed feedback, so they could see exactly where they were excelling or falling short of expectations. “The rubric-based grade was especially helpful during parent-teacher conferences, because it allowed to me to show the parents what exactly their child was doing in class,” science teacher Eric Calhoun said. “The numeric grade didn’t really mean anything and didn’t give much information.” The midterm grades consisted of two different components; the rubric replaced effort grades, and the indications Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations, or Falls Short of Expectations replaced course grade. “Receiving a more abstract type of grade really helped me adjust to the new environment that I was suddenly placed into,” Ashley Chang ’18 stated. “The rubric-based [evaluation] eases the transition by giving us a chance to adapt [to] the challenges that Deerfield poses without having the constant burden of schoolwork behind our back.” “The rubric puts less emphasis on number and gives less school-related stress to the freshmen,” Claire Zhang ’18 added. However, not all the members of the community believe the new system is beneficial. “I don’t like it, because teachers have graded students based on words,” Anna Scott ’18 explained. “There’s no in between 4 and 5, so it’s hard to tell how I’m doing in the class.” “I think that the intentions of this idea are good. Freshmen don’t have to worry about the stress of grades, and it gives them time to transition into a new school,” Jenna Greenbaum ’17 added. “However, it’s not as helpful in the sense that by not having a numerical grade for midterm, the students don’t know what to improve on, which is the main reason we have mid-terms.” The intention of assigning rubric-based grades for the first half of the fall term was to encourage students to focus on desirable qualities as they transition into a new school year. Although the freshmen will start receiving numerical grades beginning at the end of fall term, the rubric will be continued throughout the whole year in hopes that students will focus on the rubric even when they receive numerical grades.

Mr. Keller has also written reviews about Dixit and Settlers of Catan . In most board games that pit players against each other, it is natural to study the decisions of other players to gauge their strategies. In Ticket to Ride, you often won’t know your opponents’ strategies or what their goals are. It is a game with simple mechanics and imperfect information. And trains. Lots of trains! Ages: 8 and up Players: 2 to 5 Time: 45-60 minutes A short, simplified summary of the game play: 1. The game board features a map of the USA and southern Canada, with colored train routes connecting various cities. 2. Each player picks a color, and is equipped with 45 corresponding plastic trains. Players draw from a deck of “Destination Tickets,” which are routes between cities on the map. A ticket might read, “Los Angeles/Chicago: 16.” This means that if the player can create, with HIS trains, any route connecting Los Angeles and Chicago, he would earn 16 points at the game’s end. Conversely, if he can’t fulfill this Destination Ticket, he would lose 16 points. 3. Players draw different colored Train Cards on their turn, hoping to amass enough cards to submit in exchange for “claiming the route” between cities. For example, it would take six red Train Cards to claim the route between Miami and New Orleans. Players generate victory points for routes they claim. In most cases only one set (route) of tracks connects two cities, but in some rare circumstances, two routes exist. 4. As players fulfill Destination Tickets, they can draw more if they wish. Additionally, bonus points are awarded to the player with the longest continuous path of trains. 5. At the end of the game, points gained from fulfilled Destination Tickets are added to the points earned by claiming routes. The player with the most points wins. Why has Ticket to Ride been such a worldwide smashing success? For starters, it is easy to teach. Within five minutes of beginning play, even a newcomer will understand all that is necessary to compete for victory. Claiming routes between cities, and then stringing together various routes to fulfill Destination Tickets makes for a pretty straightforward, intuitive system. Drawing Train Cards into your hand is a simple mechanism, and collecting sets of “like” trains should be familiar to anyone who has played card games. Next, there is the mystery attempting to figure out what your opponents are trying to achieve. Did Jane claim the Portland to Salt Lake City route because she ultimately wants to connect it to Denver? Or Las Vegas? Or Helena? Or was she just trying to nail down some points by claiming a route? Or is she trying to block somebody else? Since Destination Tickets are kept private, nobody really knows what each player is striving toward until the conclusion of the game. Third, in some games, it is pretty clear which player will win well before the end of the game. However, this is not so in Ticket to Ride. With significant Destination Ticket points to be gained or lost, players can easily make up lost ground during the final tabulations. Sometimes achieving the longest continuous path provides the key to eking out a victory. Fourth, while the base game of Ticket to Ride will provide years worth of fun, there are other versions on the market, including Ticket to Ride Europe, Marklin (Germany), and Nordic Countries. Additionally, one can purchase expansions which enable the base game to be played with maps of The Netherlands, Switzerland, Asia, Africa, the USSR, Canada, the London Underground and other parts of the world. Are there any downsides to the game? The only one which comes to mind is that there isn’t a huge menu of action options on each player’s turn. Actions are limited to draw Train Cards, claim a route, or draw Destination Tickets. Players cannot proceed up levels, acquire special powers, or aspire to invoke any alternatives to the core rules. For experienced gamers who prefer a more complicated, “heavy” experience, they might find Ticket to Ride to be a little “light.” In 2013, The Dice Tower, perhaps the most highly respected board-game review organization, published a video discussion of “The Top Ten Essential Games Every Gamer Should Own.” While the three panelists differed in their rankings, when their ratings were combined into an aggregate score, Ticket to Ride nailed down the #1 rank. Many decades ago, the game most people owned and played was Monopoly. Today’s Monopoly could very well be Ticket to Ride. Hop on and give it a try! The Boyden Library offers three-day loans for Ticket to Ride, and the many other top-notch board games in their collection. If you need assistance with playing Ticket to Ride, first check out some of the excellent video tutorials on youtube.com. If you still have questions, I would be delighted to help. Happy gaming!