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What makes winter term at Deerfield, winter term at Deerfield? Early sunsets, quiet nights at the Dining Hall, and aimlessly roaming around the Athletic Center on Saturday nights are only just a few things that come to mind when considering the characteristics that define winter term. However, nothing screams Deerfield winter quite like the casual […]

How long have you been at Deerfield? I have been working at Deerfield for 6 months. What made you choose Deerfield? The opportunity to combine sustainability and global citizenship within myr role as Associate Director of the CSGC. What is a hobby of yours that not many people know about? My family has been playing UNO as our winter go-to activity. What is a global issue that you deeply care about? I deeply care about climate change as a social justice issue, specifically helping students and communities feel connected to the places in which they live in the world, as connection helps make an issue feel real. If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do? I would pour that money into transforming a desolate community center and work to revitalize the community by funding innovative nonprofits, community gardens, and helping local people thrive. What would your spirit animal be? Whenever I have seen any type of whale in the wild, I have this really strong emotional reaction. Seeing them deeply impacts me, but I have no explanation for it. Best book or author? “The Man Who Planted Trees” is my favorite book as it discusses how one person with patience and perseverance can make an impact that is magnified over time.

Please help us find the chicken man!! After winter break on January fourth, Arabic teacher Lina Al Samawi entered her classroom, and was startled to find 11 printouts of green chickens taped up around her classroom. In her first classes of the day, Arabic 4 and Arabic 2, her students claimed they knew nothing about it; her Arabic 3 section was also dumbfounded. Her first thought was that it must’ve been someone from Arabic 1, since one of its students, Avi Reid ’27, likes to say “green chicken” in Arabic. Avi was more suspicousas he had access to the classroom over break, meaning he could have placed the chickens before Ms. Samawi ever entered the classroom. Attempting to trace the chicken seed trail, Ms. Samawi sent an email to her Arabic students asking who the culprit was. She played along with the joke at first, but soon her consternation over the real culprit grew. Reid knew Ms. Samawi already had suspicions that he was the culprit. Ms. Samawi shared that he emailed her back, pleading, “It wasn’t me. I swear it wasn’t me!” Reid also claimed that Mason Avalos ’25 told him of Ms. Samawi’s suspicions, dragging in another suspect on trial. In a turn of events, Avalos had no connections to Reid other than the fact that Reid told Ms. Samawi he knows who the true culprit is. Avalos was appalled by the accusations and the fact that he was tangled in this sinister conspiracy. So how did he get looped into all of this? According to Avalos, Reid is just a “silly little guy,” so Ms. Samawi had to find some other lead in the case. So, who could the imposter be? Desperate for answers, Ms Samawi questioned Language Teacher Matthew Westman and Dr. Dan “Doc” Houston for the truth to come out. In the chat, Mr. Westman was clueless but Dr. Houston accused Sasha Diamond ’25 of “lingering” (or venting?) in front of the classroom. Ms. Samawi said, “Maybe Doc [Dr. Houston] wants to play with my suspicion, but I think he knows something.” Diamond defended himself hopelessly, saying “Ms. Samawi has repeatedly accused me of being the green chicken, but I am not the green chicken.” He is in Arabic 2 with Ms. Samawi this year, and he shared that his class always talked about the “green door,” not the “green chicken.” And so, he believes it’s not anyone in Arabic 2. Diamond, knowing Ms. Samawi’s suspicions of Reid, shared, “I would suspect Avi, but in conversations I’ve had with him, he’s either a very good liar or just not it.” He doesn’t believe that Reid is responsible for the green chickens in the classroom. During the article’s early stages, more truth was unveiled… On Tuesday, January 23, Ms. Samawi emailed the writers of this article with the subject “New Green Chickens have been found!” In a surprising turn of events, one of them was found to be placed at Avi’s desk.

On January 18, Deerfield Academy welcomed Dr. Rennie Harris and his street dance theater company, Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater. Puremovement came as a part of the Academy Events program, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. While COVID-19 prevented this annual rotation of music, dance, and theater performances for the past four years, Director of Dance Jennifer Whitcomb had a chance this year to revive the program. Ms. Whitcomb said that she decided to invite the Puremovement company after attending Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the Berkshires, where she watched Harris perform. She said his performance was like “watching a story unfold before my eyes that made me feel that this was really the right thing to bring to Deerfield.” Street dance, a subgenre of hip-hop, arose in the 1970s among African-American teens and young adults, before becoming widely popular. Harris started street dancing in his teenage years in his hometown of northern Philadelphia. Describing the phenomenon, Harris said, “You create your own language … and then all of a sudden everyone learns your language. Then, the world is affected by your language, a thing that you just came up with without thinking about it.” The Puremovement company’s one-and-a-half-hour performance at Deerfield assembled the talents of its 12 dancers, whose time with the group spans from just a few months to over a decade. They performed a total of nine pieces, occasionally interspersed with a few clips from Harris himself, describing moments from his life and the experiences that influenced the choreography of the dances. Although Harris was physically on campus, he did not make an appearance on stage. Students and faculty in the audience were captivated by the performance, dazzled by the fluidity and talent of the dancers. After the event, Annie Egleston ’27 said, “It was really amazing watching the powerful story that Renne Harris weaved behind the upbeat hip hop.” Harris said that dance is “the one thing you could just engage in without thinking,” noting that he grants his company liberty to interpret his choreography in whatever means helps them maintain the integrity of his narratives. His sole expectation is that “with African-American culture and hip hop, it’s not about everyone being together, it’s just everyone getting there at the same time.” This performance marks the long-awaited return of Deerfield’s Academy Event performances, a tradition that the Arts Department plans to continue.

Ever since elementary school, Toby Fernandez ’24 has immersed himself in the art of music composition. “I realized that there was no other answer for me besides music production,” he said. “In no other field of academic study have I exhibited such an immense level of interest as music.” At only eight years old, Fernandez began experimenting with free music software on the computer and mobile apps, including Garageband and Smule, out of curiosity. In middle school, he learned to use digital audio workstation software, using it to compose arrangements. His early exposure to music production influenced his decision to enroll in Studio Production 1 during his freshman year at Deerfield. Fernandez said, “Despite only lasting five weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this course really was the catalyst for my interest in music production.” Ever since then, Fernandez continued to teach himself new skills by working with students on campus for both recreational and academic projects. Fernandez expressed his gratitude toward other Deerfield artists like Donald Hutchinson ’23 and Levi Tipton ’24, who he said “have been my rocks when it came to my musical journey, always offering their feedback and collaborating with me in my musical endeavors.” Fernandez also noted that Bronson Branch ’25 and Alice Wu ’25 made significant contributions to his tracks by being featured in several of them. Fernandez expressed further gratitude towards his friends and family back home, “for they have seen my growth since the beginning of my music production journey that has brought a sense of fulfillment into my life that I would not have been able to pursue without Deerfield’s support.” As senior year approached and the question of what Fernandez was planning to pursue in college became more relevant, he started taking music production more seriously. During his junior year, Fernandez “began researching colleges with exceptional music production/technology programs and degrees, most of which required auditions or portfolios.” Over the summer, Fernandez began to envision an art portfolio for music—one that he said would “exhibit my skills, my artistic vision, my commitment, and my versatility.” Fernandez added, “I even wrote my Common App essay about the parallels between producing music and learning a new language.” Fernandez affirmed that he is “determined to pursue hands-on experiences in the studio and will continue to take the steps necessary to walk down that path after Deerfield.” Inspiration for new projects comes from both online and offline sources for Fernandez. When using social media, Fernandez encounters videos of other producers showing their projects or giving tips, which often gives him the motivation to make pieces of his own. Additionally, when hanging out with friends or even just doing day-to-day activities, Fernandez said, “I seek inspiration from the sounds I hear every single day, or even sounds that appear in my imagination.” Sometimes, Fernandez said, “I try to emulate the styles of artists, producers, or genres that might land outside of my comfort zone.” His trap song, Strings of My Very Being, which was presented during school meeting, serves as an example of his willingness to explore diverse musical styles. Strings of My Very Being features four current Deerfield students: Isaiah Ruffin ’24, Tyler Christopher Long ’26, Cairon Harrison ’25, and Janis Zempare ’26. Since the beginning of the fall term, Fernandez was told by Dr. Pfitzer that the final project for the Lyrics and Poetry course would be to write song lyrics. Although recording a musical backing to the lyrics was not mandatory, Fernandez said, “It was a perfect opportunity to embrace my passion for music and utilize the production techniques that I developed in Honors Music Composition and Analysis.” After writing his own lyrics for the assignment, he gathered different students on campus in order to get different voices for each part of the song. Fernandez said, “Having a plethora of diverse voices on the track helps further convey the song’s core themes that everyone has lows in their life and they make us who we are; therefore, we should embrace life’s struggles in order to overcome them.” Long praised Fernandez for his dedication towards the piece, saying, “Toby was very particular about the sound he wanted and had a clear vision of how he wanted the song to be.” Long was especially surprised by how “Toby was also very respectful towards the featured students of how he wanted the song to be.” Fernandez was able to lead the team in a well-organized manner in an uplifting atmosphere, as Long said, “My experience working with him made me want to create more music with him.” Director of Music and Honors Music Composition and Analysis Teacher Thomas Bergeron also praises his exemplary work ethic, saying, “His success in music is the result of his thirst for learning, his commitment to constant growth, and his exemplary work ethics, all of which stem from a genuine love for the art of music.” As Fernandez readies for his post-Deerfield journey in the world of music composition, his story illustrates how passion, dedication, and a genuine love for the art of music can play a role in shaping and defining one’s character.

On January 12, students in the Chamber Music Class performed in the Elizabeth Wachsman Concert Hall as part of the The Winter Chamber Music Showcase. The performance was the culmination of the hard work of the students, which brought to life the music of the previous centuries through performing the works of classical musicians such as Robert and Clara Schumann, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Gordon Jacob, Debussy. At the beginning of the year, Director of Music Thomas Bergeron and other Chamber Music coaches organized the students into groups to study and eventually perform their assigned repertoire. Throughout the year, the Chamber Music students had opportunities to share their progress with the other students, such as during their fall midterm and final classes, where they performed sections of their repertoire and received valuable feedback. The winter concert, however, allowed them to display their polished pieces for the entire Deerfield community. Julie Yan ’26, who performed the cello part of Schubert’s String Quintet in C major, thought the performance went well because “although each of us did have individual mistakes, the overall group performance was wonderful.” Daphne Huang ’25 echoed the sentiment, remarking how proud she was of the group and how much they grew throughout the year. Other student musicians commented on how the performance made up for all the hours spent practicing. Arvin Mou ’25, who played the violin in Mozart’s Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, spoke about a particular moment in the piece: “It was the time when Robbie [Hua ’24] and I had our ‘happy dialogue’ [a point during the piece] that made a couple people laugh in the audience. There’s this part where Robbie and I have alternating parts, like an echo, which is cool. It was really fun.” One of Mou’s group members, Peggy Huang ’27, had similar thoughts sharing, “A moment that I found was very worth it is actually right after we performed. Even though it was over, we talked together, and realized we actually did a lot this entire term and a half. ” All of the Chamber Music students, with the exemption of the pianists, are also part of the Deerfield Orchestra. However, the experience is quite different, as Chamber musicians do not play with a conductor. Yan explained these differences, saying, “I think not having a conductor allows the Chamber musicians to feel more connected with each other. Especially in a small group of musicians, each person is a leader in their own way and brings a lot to the group.” Lukenine Suphakarn ’25 also said, “We all had to put in effort into cultivating a good group dynamic. Whether it was through making sure we knew everyone else’s parts in the piece or proactively communicating with each other while playing, we all had to put in our fair share.” Suphakarn explained that Chamber music is not just a performing experience, but a learning experience as well. She said, “We learned more about each other’s instruments throughout the term, which helped us better understand the nature of the piece as well as how to improve the balance in various parts of the piece.” In navigating the process of learning and interpreting their pieces, the students were not alone. Deerfield Academy’s Chamber Music program includes a variety of experienced coaches. Each of the groups worked with a rotating list of coaches who listened to them play, gave them feedback, and helped them practice and improve their music. Robbie Hua ’24 shared his group’s appreciation for the coaches, saying, “The coaches are great because they give you a different perspective. At the end of the day, they give you the creative freedom and liberty to end up doing what you want when you perform, but they’re like a guide for you.” Daphne Huang ’25 also shared her appreciation for a variety of perspectives from her violin coach specifically. “The thing I liked most about having different coaches is definitely the fact that they play different instruments. Because, when I play the violin, violin teachers might say, ‘I realize it’s really hard, but I think you’re doing a pretty good job.’ It felt nice to have somebody who would give us a perspective that was not sugar coated.” The musicians mutually shared that Chamber Music is not about being technically perfect, but about performers incorporating everything they learned and felt throughout their musical process. Hua shared, “I think our main goal was not perfection, but peak musical expression, so the audience could feel and understand what we were feeling. I think that all of us collectively decided as a group that we had to really show what the piece meant, particularly with the limited structure of the Classical Period.”

“Tutti.” It’s not just the music term that indicates when everyone plays together. Since this past summer, Tutti has also denoted the name of Yoonsa Lee ’25’s series of benefit youth concerts to fundraise for her local library. Lee is also an associate editor for Scroll. Lee has held four concerts, two last August, one in September, and another last December in the Jones Library in Amherst, Massachusetts. From Bon Jovi to Mozart to Christmas music, each concert showcased a variety of repertoire and featured performers who ranged from age seven to adults. Lee accompanied over half of the performances on the viola. To date, the series has raised over $700 for the Jones Library Capital Campaign (JLCC), a project of the non-profit Friends of the Jones Library that aims to fundraise for the renovation and expansion of the Jones Library. In addition to donations from the GoFundMe campaign that Lee set up, each concert brought in between $100 and $200 dollars. “Tutti” has generated much more than financial value. In the process, Lee’s concerts brought together a community of musicians and book lovers, provided performance opportunities for local musicians, and demonstrated the power of collective efforts to support a local cause. Ginny Hamilton, a Campaign Manager at Friends of the Jones Library, shared how the Jones Library urgently requires repair for its fire suppression, heating and cooling system, and roof leaks that can damage current book collections. The JLCC plans on raising about a third of the construction cost from grants, donors, and events like Lee’s “Tutti” concert series. Last year, Lee received Deerfield Academy’s Center for Service and Global Citizenship Workman Grant to host “Tutti” In June, she contacted Hamilton and the Head of Youth Services Mia Cabana about the “Tutti” idea. Hamilton appreciated Lee’s gesture in reaching out. “I was thrilled … to have others that you don’t know reach out and say, ‘I love this too, and here’s how I want to help,’” she said. Lee and Hamilton worked together to coordinate the logistics of “Tutti,” including setting up the schedule, designing the flyers, and communicating with library staff to reserve rooms and chairs. Regarding their partnership, Hamilton said, “All of the work with the musicians was all her. It was a really nice partnership between the staff who knew the details and Yoonsa who knew the music and the performance.” The series received praise from many audience members. Former Deerfield teacher Christina Kopp, whose daughter performed in “Tutti,” said that the concert series “seemed like such a good project because it was the intersection between helping out the library and celebrating music.” Andy Chen ’25, who watched Yoonsa arrange the “How to Train Your Dragon” quartet, said, “There’s a lot of very impressive work that she put towards this project. And I hope people know that.” Hamilton recalled a memorable performance by a boy who sang a Bon Jovi song and played an electric guitar. After listening to a performance of “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley, Hamilton said, “I was impressed that they successfully rickrolled the entire library.” “Tutti” and its advertisements successfully raised awareness for the Jones Library Capital Campaign and brought people into the library, according to Hamilton. “I know folks that came to the concert series because they supported the library and were pleased to see the young people involved,” she said. “And I know people who came to see their kids play and learned about the library and the library’s needs.” Dr. Kopp agreed that the concert series raised community awareness about the library’s needs. She recalled that at one performance, on a very rainy day, she overheard a conversation among audience members: “The rain was coming down on that glass roof in the Jones Library, and they feared it was going to start leaking … So they were like, ‘This is a prime example of why we need to repair the roof.’” “Tutti” also provided young musicians the opportunity to perform. Deerfield Music Lesson Instructor Lan Wang said, “I’m very impressed with Yoonsa’s program. It gets a lot of young children exposed to performance.” Ms. Wang’s daughter played in her first trio at Tutti. “She learned to listen and collaborate, not to just play by [herself],” Ms. Wang explained. In alignment with its name, “Tutti” brought people together for a common cause. “It was a lovely time to bring a lot of people that I would have never otherwise met together,” Chen said. “It was great for the library, Yoonsa, the local community, these few Deerfield musicians, and all sorts of teachers to come together and appreciate the great music that we can put out together as a community.”

From January 3–7, Christian Capella ’25 and Hart Robertson ’26 participated in the British Junior Open for Squash in Birmingham, England. The two were top five in the country in their age group and therefore qualified to compete in the under 17 category. On his results at the competition, Capella shared, “I had a fun time with the team but I didn’t really meet my expectations in the tournament. I was the five through eight seed and lost in the earlier rounds to an underseeded player.” Robertson echoed Capella’s team aspect of the tournament and expressed, “I had a great time; I met people from all over the world. I had a lot of fun competing against people, it was really awesome to be part of team USA.” He explained that he had been thinking about this game for three years, as he was supposed to compete in the under 15 category that was canceled because of Covid-19, and he had spent time training to compete in the under 17 category. Robertson explained that at Deerfield, he practiced in the morning and the evening, and that he played in Egypt over the summer to train. He decided to enter Deerfield as a new sophomore this year, pointing to his training partners, Capella and Read Kitchel ’26, and the coaching staff. Capella also described his training and shared, “I always trained two hours in the morning and two and a half at night. I went to Barcelona to prepare with Hart Robertson over winter break.” The Boys Varsity Squash Team, which the two are a part of, won their matches at their January 27 regular season game against St. Paul’s, allowing them to qualify for New Englands. Looking forward, Robertson said, “Hopefully we’ll have high school nationals and then I’ll play at individual nationals for the U.S.” Both Capella and Robertson hope to further their career in college. Capella shared that he also hopes to play professionally. In regards to the current season, Capella shared that because of his sprained ankle, his season has not “been going that well.” Robertson said, “The team itself had a rough start, but we bounced back and won several matches in a row. Everyone is playing really well and contributing at a really high level. I think that as we approach the end of the season, we’ll keep getting good results.”

As student-athletes who only spend one year at Deerfield and have already graduated from high school, PGs have unique experiences as they strive to further sharpen their athletic prowess. But what are the PGs up to outside of classes when their main sport is not in season? On top of training for the upcoming lacrosse season, PG Watt Muir ’24 has decided to play on the Boys Thirds Squash Team this winter term to try a new experience and hone his hand-eye coordination for Lacrosse. Muir primarily wanted to play squash this term both because it was a new experience made available to him by coming to Deerfield, Muir said that because he had heard that “squash was good for footwork, … change of direction and general hand eye coordination.” This would allow him to further refine his lacrosse skills in a unique way. Through this experience, Muir has, “learned a lot about [himself]” and about the wider Deerfield community. He also stated that he has learned about “the cultures that Deerfield sports have, even when [they] are only thirds sports.” A dedicated artist as well as a student athlete, lacrosse PG Noah Prissert ’24 is participating in the art co-curricular this term. He is working to continue his work that he started during the art co-curricular in the fall term. He is primarily focussing on 2-D art and uses a variety of mediums to create. However, Prissert is no stranger to art; when he is home, he frequently enjoys creating ceramic pieces. Prissert stated that he “[loves] his co-curric because Mrs. Taylor gives [him] a lot of freedom on what [he] creates.” With this creative freedom, he likes to draw shark teeth because they are “from Florida” and they are “one of the few memorabilia from home” that he brought with him to Deerfield. The two PGs expressed that even though many members of the lacrosse team are participating in a wide range of different co-curricular activities, they still make a huge effort to practice and get work in together, as a team, whenever possible. When asked about their motivations for training for lacrosse this offseason, Muir cited his “team first” mentality, not only for the friendships it has brought him, but also because, “we absolutely have the pieces to make things happen this spring.” Prissert expressed similar sentiments and talked about a conversation he had with his teammate Quinn Stankovits ’24, where they talked about both the great bond of the team and their collective potential. As for their goals for the rest of their time at Deerfield, Prissert is looking forward to continue creating art, building strong friendships in the community, and being able to practice outdoors again with the whole team once the lacrosse season starts in the spring. Muir expressed that he wants to continue to “learn from the incredible teachers and coaches that we have here.” However, another goal he is determined to accomplish is to finally defeat his squash rival, “a twelve-year-old from Eaglebrook,” calling him a “big competitor,” with “a lot of skill.”

As Boys Varsity Basketball’s leading scorer and versatile defender, Justin Odibo ’24 has already made a significant impact on the team. Head Coach Connor Merrill said, “[Justin] can score the ball many different ways from many different places on the court.” Mr. Merrill further praised his scoring efficiency given his lower shot attempts, saying, “He’s a well-rounded player with a high IQ of the game.” Even with his stellar on-court performances, Odibo continues to invest effort into improving his game. Mr. Merrill described his tireless work ethic, saying, “He would work to enhance the things he is already good at and improve things he isn’t as good at to bring them up to speed.” Odibo said that Mr. Merrill has helped him reach for an even higher level of play. He said, “I’ve only been here for a few months, but Coach Merrill has done a great job pushing me as a player and telling me what I can do to get better and succeed here and at the next level.” Odibo thrives within the Boys Varsity Basketball Team’s competitive atmosphere, crediting his symbiotic relationship with his teammates. “We have guys that are really skilled and practicing with them every day is only going to get you better,” he said. “Like we say, ‘iron sharpens iron.’” Mr. Merrill noted that he has also seen Odibo’s growth in confidence off-court. When he first arrived at Deerfield, he was a “more timid and humble kid,” said Mr. Merrill. “He has continued to come out of his shell, which is cool to see.” Odibo refined his skill set during his career at Polytechnic High School in Pasadena, CA. “I played many other sports like soccer and baseball, but gravitated towards basketball the summer of my sophomore year,” he said. Odibo said that his decision to take a postgraduate year at Deerfield was influenced not only by on-court considerations but also by the school’s academic offerings. “Even if I wasn’t playing basketball, I would still love to come to Deerfield,” he said. He added that a similar approach informed his decision to commit to the University of Rochester for college. “I really wanted to find a good balance between athletics and academics,” he said. Mr. Merrill said, “I think the University of Rochester is getting a steal.” Mr. Merrill looks forward to the next steps in Odibo’s journey as he seeks to reach his potential. “The player and person he is now versus the person he could be two years from now is still different,” he said.

Assistant Dean of Residential Life Trevon Bryant joined the Deerfield community this fall. Around campus, he is more commonly referred to as Deerfield’s “Mindset Coach,” as he aims to cultivate leadership, spread positivity, and motivate students. So far, he has worked with multiple sports teams such as the Winter Rowing Concentration by joining their practices, working with team coaches, and giving inspirational speeches. Mr. Bryant has worked with Lauren Sobczak ’24, goalkeeper and Captain of the Deerfield Girls Varsity Hockey team. Specifically, he helped Sobczak to improve her mindset as an athlete and find ways to be a positive influence on her teammates while recovering from an inury. In their earliest meeting, Sobczak talked about how she was unable to reconcile her different attitudes towards hockey when practicing versus playing competitively. She said that she would focus on her fundamental skills during practice but forget them as soon as it was time to compete. Hence, Coach Bryant worked with Sobczak to approach games and practices with the same hardworking attitude, ultimately improved her skills as a goalkeeper. Additionally, Mr. Bryant supported Sobczak through her hip injury and recovery. Sobczak recalled how Mr. Bryant helped her during this process and said, “he would swoop me up on the path, say that his door was always open and [kept] encouraging me.” It was Sobczak’s talks with Mr. Bryant that helped her best realize her role as a senior captain off the ice. She took his advice of focusing on the smaller, intangible aspects of team culture by emphasizing communication and gratitude which has contributed to the success of her team. “Sobs is in a very difficult position where she’s unable to be on the ice as a Captain, but I feel she’s been able to make her mark on the team,” said Izzy Cericola ’24, Sobczak’s teammate. She elaborated, “[Sobczak] communicates to the players individually, which I think is very effective because coaches aren’t able to give players that same [amount of] time… I get that time with her as she goes over my play and the little things that I’m doing that no one else seems to notice.” According to Mr. Bryant, his environment and experiences growing up built his resilience. He recalled the time when he suffered a devastating knee injury from playing Division-1 football which dashed his hopes of playing in the National Football League (NFL). Soon after, he had to reorient his life as he channeled his energy into rehabilitation while studying for his Master’s degree. As he looked back on his younger self overcoming adversity, he identified his reason today for becoming a motivational speaker and mentor for younger students: “I wanted to become the person I wished I had at that age.” Mr. Bryant’s journey as a speaker began when he first recorded and posted videos on Instagram. He utilized the platform to share how he overcame personal challenges in athletics and school life. As people started reaching out to him with positive feedback about the videos, he realized that “what [he] was talking about was helping people.” As Mr. Bryant’s Instagram videos gained more traction, he began receiving requests from local high schools to speak and mentor their students in person and online. Before coming to Deerfield, Mr. Bryant was also scouted by a professional speaking agency where he continued speaking at more colleges and authored the book chapter “Character is Your Ticket to the Promised Land” in with other speakers in the agency. Today, an essential habit that Mr. Bryant advocates for is gratitude in daily life. He said that being appreciative of the “small things that people don’t necessarily think about brings [him] a lot of joy and happiness when [he finds himself]complaining about whatever’s going on.” He cited health, shelter, and safety as simple privileges one takes for granted. His chalkboard in his room in the Student Life Office encourages the practice of gratitude. There, students practice gratitude by writing what they feel grateful for after meeting with him. Looking forward, Mr. Bryant is excited to reach out to the greater student body through his weekly emails titled “Mindset & Motivation Messages,” or “M&Ms”, where he elaborates on learning points from a personal story. Finally, although Coach Bryant has a background in athletics and has been working mainly with sports teams, he says that his job as a mindset coach “is also about personal life skills that range from a variety of things such as relationship to self and others.” With his role as Deerfield’s first Mindset Coach, he hopes to teach others the importance of perspective for performance in life.

On January 8, University of Michigan defeated University of Washington in the College Football Playoff National Championship game, with a score of 34 to 13. Deerfield Alumni Stone Anderson ’23, who committed to the University of Michigan as a kicker, was on the Wolverines’ roster during their historic season. For the Wolverines, the national championship capped a successful season in which they won the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten conference championship, among other accomplishments. Anderson joined the Deerfield football team in his junior year. While Anderson’s story is somewhat unique, according to Head Football Coach Brian Barbato, it is more common now for football kickers to come from a background of soccer and rugby due to the similarities in hand eye coordination, core-strength, and understanding the angles of a ball. Anderson was first exposed to football in the first month of his junior year when he switched from water polo and soccer to football. Mr. Barbato asked the team at the end of football practice if anyone thought that they would be able to kick. Eight people raised their hands and all eight people made the goal, but according to Mr. Barbato, “Stone’s [kick] was pretty impressive, so he stayed after with Mr. Crosby.” Deerfield coaches quickly noticed his talent, and soon he sat down with Mr. Barbato to talk about what camps he would go to. According to Mr. Barbato, during a meeting where they discussed recruitment for college, they “set the bar really high.” Anderson came out with a list of dream schools, including the University of Michigan at the top. Mr. Barbato recalled the vivid memory of when Anderson had found out that he got an offer from the University of Michigan. “I was on vacation in New Hampshire,” Mr. Barbato said, “I got a call from [Stone’s] family and it was like we were trying to figure out… all these different options and, Michigan came through.” He said that it was “a moment of elation and everybody was so excited.” Anderson noticed a team culture on the Michigan Football Team similar to Deerfield’s supportive dynamic, where seniors welcomed younger players and built a culture around the weight room and the field. He said that “we’re just a family where everyone’s super close and helpful to each other.” The caring dynamic of his team pushed Anderson towards success at the game. During the season, Anderson had a busy schedule preparing for the championship, with 5 AM lifts, physical therapy, academic classes, meetings, films, and even study hall at night. While other students had winter break, Anderson and his team continued practice with only one day of rest; despite the intense preparation, Stone still had high morale, saying “they prepared us in a way that we were ready to play Bama, but we weren’t going to be exhausted going into it.” Additionally, Anderson mentioned his gratefulness for his education at Deerfield, saying the experience “helped out a lot in being prepared to have a busy schedule and succeed.” Reflecting on the experience of his team winning a national title, Anderson said, “that reminded me a lot of playing football my junior year when we won against Brunswick.” Anderson also noted his appreciation for Coach Barbato, saying he was “one of my biggest supporters” when he was present to celebrate Anderson’s games at Deerfield and Michigan. Anderson added, “I appreciate the support from Deerfield a ton. I’ve gotten a lot of love from many people in the community and I’m super thankful to everyone.” Anderson is the first Deerfield alum to compete in a college football national championship game, but some other accomplished Deerfield football alumni include Randal Williams ’96, who holds a record in the NFL for the fastest touchdown; Hunter Long ’16, who drafted in the third round by the Miami Dolphins and still plays today; and Elic Ayomaner ’22 who is currently a key player on the Stanford Football Team. The future of the University of Michigan’s football programis up in the air as their head coach is suspected to leave, and their starting kicker will graduate. Still, Mr. Barbato believes that “whoever is there is going to be pretty lucky to inherit a team of a lot of character and a lot of talent.” As for Deerfield football, Mr. Barbato thinks that “the game is growing,” and encourages anyone who has thought about playing football to come try out.