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Amidst Deerfield’s fast-paced, often competitive boarding school environment, the Chen Health Center’s Counseling Office has continued offering drop- in support groups, such as the Managing Anxiety Group and the Grief Support Group.  These are meant to provide drop-in confidential support spaces to interested students through programs such as the five-week Managing Anxiety Group and the […]

On November 18, Deerfield Academy’s Boys Varsity Football team won the inaugural New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Danny Smith Bowl Game against Belmont Hill. This was the third NEPSAC bowl game that Deerfield has won in the past five seasons. The bowl game capped off a winning season, with an overall record of […]

Current captain of both Girls’ Varsity Soccer and Girls’ Varsity Hockey and athlete for over nine years, Mia Goetzke ‘24, has made immense strides throughout her years and stands out as a player among her peers. Her hockey career began when her parents gave her a choice between hockey and figure skating; she ultimately chose hockey because her brother was already playing hockey at the time. Goetzke has served as a role model for her team members physically and mentally. Her starting position on both teams demonstrates her physical abilities. She also embodies exemplary sportsmanship as her teammates praise her for her positive attitude and bright personality. Hockey teammate Brady Wierl ‘26 said, “Mia’s definitely been an older sister to me throughout my time at Deerfield. She’s an amazing captain, friend, and leader and one of the best friends I ever could’ve asked for.” Goetze enjoys playing on Deerfield’s Girls Varsity Hockey Team, saying, “It’s awesome. The team is like a family; the girls are insanely inviting and just kind.” While she finds the team’s tight knit community commendable, her teammates ___ believe that she is a main contributor to this aspect of the team. __ commented, “ Goetzke also noted that she generally enjoys the sport for many reasons, but skating is an aspect of the game that speaks most to her. She loves “feeling the wind and the cold brush my face.” Not only is Goetzke a committed member of Deerfield’s girls varsity hockey team, but she also pursues hockey outside of school by playing on the Connecticut Boulders Club team. She described her experience on the club team as more intense than Deerfield’s team but still a lot of fun. Her commitment to hockey is highlighted by her four-hour drive to Connecticut Boulders every Sunday. Although she was in talks regarding recruitment to play hockey at the collegiate level, she shared that she ultimately decided not to, as she values exploring new opportunities in light of how long she has played the sport. However, for now, the Deerfield community will continue to have the chance to watch her on the ice, with the season just beginning and two wins already in the books.

During Community Time on Thursday, November 30, 2023, Jamie Hagerman-Phinney ‘99, a Deerfield alum who excelled in hockey and lacrosse despite battling injuries and setbacks, visited campus and shared her story and advice with Deerfield students. Her journey started at Deerfield, where she was a member of the Girls’ Varsity Hockey Team and participated in various other varsity teams. Science Teacher Heidi Valk, who previously coached Hagerman-Phinney in soccer, said, “Her greatest contributions to the Deerfield community were the standards she set and the leadership she exercised throughout her time here. Jamie was committed to her classmates and teammates.” During her senior year, Hagerman-Phinney’s leadership roles included residential proctor and a Varsity captain for three sports. Receiving invitations to the national U.S. hockey development camp led to her initial aspirations of joining the Olympic team, and following her time at Deerfield, she continued her hockey career at Harvard University. She then represented the United States as a part of the Under-22 National Team from 1999 to 2001. During her sophomore year at Harvard, she suffered an ACL tear while playing lacrosse. This injury took six years to heal, but it didn’t deter Hagerman-Phinney from pursuing her Olympic aspirations. She joined the U.S. national ice hockey team and succeeded, winning a gold medal at the 2005 Ice Hockey World Women’s Championships and a bronze medal at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics. Hagerman-Phinney’s visit to Deerfield was part of the LEAD Kick-Off Event to encourage student-athletes to sign up for the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) program. LEAD provides essential leadership education and self-evaluation to prepare students for lifelong success. In her speech, Hagerman-Phinney emphasized the importance of an athlete’s mindset and the correlation between effort and success on the playing field. She shared her journey of perseverance through challenges, including facing resistance as the lone girl on the team and overcoming a torn ACL. Despite the pain and doubt, Hagerman-Phinney’s determination led her to triumph at the Winter Olympics. Nate Watson ‘26, a Varsity Boys’ Hockey player with twelve years of experience, said, “Jamie’s speech really hit home. When I face challenges, I often take them personally, thinking others breeze through them effortlessly. I used to believe that exceptional Olympic players like Jamie never encountered hurdles, that it all came naturally to them.” As she addressed the audience, Hagerman-Phinney posed an answer to a question: “Why do I put myself in this moment? Because I want to take my game and my team’s game to the highest level possible.” Despite her accomplishments, Hagerman-Phinney experienced another setback with a second ACL tear that forced her to reconsider her dreams of participating in the 2010 Olympics. Resilient as ever, she decided to transition from playing to coaching. She coached Norway’s national team and various boarding schools before ultimately joining Phillips Academy Andover, where she currently works. Hagerman-Phinney credits hockey for teaching her valuable life lessons, such as resilience and the ability to find the best version of herself. She shared that these lessons have allowed her to be the best mother to her five-year-old son, who has special needs. Hagerman-Phinney’s journey has taught her how to fight and overcome challenges on and off the ice. Following the positive reception of this event, the community can look forward to another LEAD guest speaker in January.

Every December, the Hess resonates with the sound of choirs and orchestras, and fills with the dynamism of dancers. This year was no exception.  On December 11, Deerfield dancers performed “Excerpts from the Nutcracker,” an acclaimed classical ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, which has been a Deerfield tradition since the 80’s.  Productions of “The […]

Ah, Turkey Term: Truly the most wonderful time of the year as I, the Dining Hall Christmas tree, make my triumphant return. It is a big responsibility to instill holiday joy in all 653 students, and giving out Christmas cheer never gets old. But sometimes, all the pressure can get to me. In the weeks leading up to my arrival, I often hear chatter of students wondering where I am—and yet, when I am finally perched and decorated in the dining hall, no one ever asks, “How is the tree?” To be honest, the tree is overwhelmed. As much as I love my job, I just feel that sometimes it is a lot to ask just one lone tree to spread holiday cheer to all. Don’t consider this just as a cry for help, but rather a demand that we need more holiday cheer around campus. I need reinforcements. It pains me to think that I cannot help all of the students sitting in class lamenting at the ludicrous lack of holiday decorations to cheer them up as they learn. This season should bring all joy and excitement regardless of what holiday, if at all, they celebrate. Based on the excitement and joy I observed at semi, an event centered around the spirit holiday season, happiness seems to be directly correlated to holiday spirit. So, with these scientifically credible calculations, more holiday decorations are needed.

How long have you been at Deerfield? 6 years. What made you choose Deerfield? The Math Department. Why did you become a math teacher? I like all the logic of it, and the puzzles. What is your least favorite humanities subject? History. What is a guilty pleasure you are willing to share? I love watching K-drama. Would you rather grade 200 Calc BC tests or be on duty for the entire week? (WIth zero hesitation) Duty. Where do you see yourself in 1 day, 2 hours, and 3 minutes? Eating a snack. How many of you would be able to solve the #6 question on the IMO (International Mathematical Olympiad? Oh, at least 6, I mean it’s pretty hard. Anything else? (Nervous laugh) I have four children, and two dogs.

I, like many a sweaty palmed freshman boy, consider myself at least at the fourth grade level in terms of artistic ability (I would not dare to push that number past sixth grade however). Armed with a half-dry crayola marker and a technicolor array of blunt crayons, I concocted an absolute beaut of a semi poster. The letters on the left? Outrageously wide. The letters on the right? Thinner than a damp napkin. All semi formal asks must contain a color scheme best described as “visual jazz,” stunning combination of crooked attempts at fonts (again, an extremely theoretical idea of the word font), and a highly questionable pun. The askers must be accompanied by a posse of vaguely uncomfortable bystanders, some of whom take the opportunity to snap a photo that looks like it was taken by an overexcited mom. As much as I love, cherish, and appreciate this tradition, I believe now more than ever is the time for change. So, Deerfield Academy, you can diversify the the way you self-inflict a state of tangible awkwardness by using the following methods to ask your date to the dance. 1. Write a Scroll article declaring your undying wish to spend the semiformal dance with your one and only probably-just-a-friend. Is it opinion? Sports? Arts and Entertainment? If you’re lucky, you might even land your ask on a page that someone actually reads. 2. Climb to the roof of the MSB and scream “S-E-M-I-QUES-TION-MARK” in time with the glorious ringing of the bell. If the Deerfield Fire Department, ignore to the best of your (albeit questionable) abilities. 3. Have Mr. Howe incorporate it into his classic Top 10. Does semiformal rhyme with “NEPSAC champions”? Let him decide. 4. Don’t. Or go on wasting your hours in the iLab, spilling tears over spilt ink and stand outside a dorm for 15+ minutes, waiting for your dream girl to walk out and awkwardly accept. However, I will give credit where it is due: there is a special beauty of the winter drizzle soaking through your cardstock and your hair, and seeing the flash of an iPhone 7’s camera bouncing off your date’s eyes. Love is a semiformal poster, or maybe a semiformal poster is the purest manifestation of teenage awkwardness and peer pressure. It can be hard to tell the difference.

Each school year, as temperatures drop and the sun sets earlier and earlier, one thing remains constant: class dress. The Academy’s choice to remain in class dress during the weeks between fall and winter break, affectionately dubbed Turkey Term, puzzles many students. Why does Deerfield still require class dress during Turkey Term? Could it be to showcase the Deerfield culture for the students touring the school during those weeks? Do administrators somehow consider December to be fall enough? Is it connected to Santa? Elves have to have something to do with it, right? Or does Deerfield simply not think the first few weeks of December are cold enough for students to shed their academic dress? Here’s what students think: According to Theo Lewis ’24, “It’s probably because of tours going on during winter term. The school just wants us to look good for them.” Braswell Vachon ’25 believes that “they probably just doesn’t believe it’s cold enough for us to be in free dress.” Although these mundane explanations seem to solve the conundrum, other more eccentric theories have also been proposed. Rumors have been spreading that the College Advisors influence the Academy to require dress code to keep their advisees in a professional mindset. With students in the thick of college applications, the advisors may be plotting to make sure seniors don’t slack off. People also say that the administration requires class dress in order to repress holiday cheer. Inside sources say that the Student Life Office fears too much holiday spirit as it could cause spontaneous outbursts of gift giving and kindness, which they say in class could include sharing test answers and therefore violate community values. Not to mention, too much happiness would distract students from the grind and instead cause them to plan winter activities such as sledding and frolicking in the snow. The rest of the student population at Deerfield believes it is to punish students for any misgivings during fall term. How can we assauge the problem of class dress in below-freezing temperatures? Several solutions have been proposed. Here they are, ranked in order of popularity: Solution 1: Cancel all “Turkey Term” classes and extend break from mid-November into early January. Solution 2: Make class dress during Turkey Term optional. Therefore, if students feel they study better in academic dress, they have the option to. This solution, while popular, may create a jarring look to classrooms if only a select few are wearing class dress. Solution 3: Create a more relaxed dress code for Turkey Term. According to several students, the inclusion of collared shirts and jeans would greatly increase students’ chances at staying warm. Solution 4: Require students to wear holiday themed clothing the entire term, à la Elf. The special dress code would raise student morale and help excite students for break. Solution 5: Take a note from bears and allow students to hibernate the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Solution 6: While it is potentially the least popular option among students, keeping the dress code the same would likely cause the least amount of stress for administrators. The choice by Deerfield to make class dress required during Turkey Term is layered, and cannot be addressed by one simple solution. Opinions on the issue and thoughts on the reasons behind it vary immensely. While the discussion is deeply nuanced, one conclusion can be made: Staying warm is of the utmost importance to students during these cold winter months.

Chaos! Infighting! The tyrannical high-functioning Editorial Board of the has infiltrated the dissident Union of Associate Editors! Following the footsteps of Joseph Stalin’s politburo, they have rounded up rebel ringleaders Anna Guerrini ’25 and John Woo ’25 in what has become known as the Great Purge! Amid this commotion, I, dedicated journalist Eric Li ’24, who definitely had absolutely nothing to do with this political mess I promise, bring you this objective and uncensored frontline news report. According to Guerrini, the fiasco began with the heartsickeningly horrendous heartwarmingly humane work conditions of the Associate Editors as perpetrated by the Editorial Board. “Our Editor-in-Chief, Kaitlyn Xia ’24, literally made me turn down my country music,” Guerrini recalled bitterly. “I am not paid enough for this!” These conditions, compounded with the outrageous assignment of “homework” by those oppressive oligarchs kind employers, prompted heroic treacherous whistleblower John Woo ’25 to send the email “A Push to Unionize Associate Editors’’ as an effort to unite and bargain with the overlords. Our fervor was further spurned by an insightful reply by me pointing out that since most of the associate editors are minors unable to consent, the was quite literally engaging in “child labor” and had violated the 13th Amendment which banned all “involuntary servitude.” As my email declared, “nobody, not even the mighty U.S. government, has the right to enlist us to work on demand against our will. Yet somehow this good-for-nothing school newspaper respectful news establishment is coercing us into servitude for its, frankly non-existent astoundingly influential, newspaper empire!” As the revolutionary spirit grew and the Union attracted more and more members, Guerrini drafted the Union Manifesto, a call-to-arms list of grievances (on Google Docs) demanding for a limit on work hours, the right to play bad country music and due recognition for the hard work of associate editors. From every corner of the Kendall basement resounded the rallying warcry of rebellion against the iron grip of the Board. We were on the cusp of a revolution! Yet, if we have learned anything from history, it is that revolutions never truly succeed. As it turned out, the Union recruitment email, asking editors to sign up for the Union via Google Forms, had been immediately leaked to certain members of the Board by a filthy snitch a loyal unnamed informer. From that point on, our fate was sealed. The Board had first dismissed the Union as a joke but then they learned of the Union Manifesto (Et tu, Anna?). Immediately, the two troublemakers Guerrini and Woo found themselves ushered into a private group chat by Managing Editor Justin Ahn ’24. They came out completely changed. “Justin was open-minded and gracious,” Guerrini fidgeted with the mike. “By the way, all of my responses are satire. I love the Scroll! They treat me so so SO well!” Perhaps that merciless manipulator decorated negotiator did achieve mutual understanding with the Union. Perhaps he just coerced Guerrini and Woo into submission with his next-generation passive aggression world-renowned rhetoric. We will never know. Nobody was in the room where it happened. All we know is that the resistance is not over. As Guerrini concludes, “you can never end the fight for liberty!”

Since childhood, Alice Ai ’24 has committed to growing her skills as a dancer. At age four, Ai’s parents introduced her to traditional Chinese dance. Ai is thankful that her parents encouraged her to dance. She said, “If they didn’t, I don’t know what I would be doing.” Now “dance is like a way for me to relax. It’s more like a focus on the physical part and it takes stress off of me. Dance is like the thing for me,” she said. In second grade, Ai switched from traditional Chinese dance to ballet, which she believes connected her to Deerfield’s Admission Office. Before Deerfield, Ai went to Bement and danced in Deerfield’s “Nutcracker”. She believes it was that performance that caught the attention of Director of Dance Jennifer Whitcomb and secured her a spot. Before coming to Deerfield, ballet was the only style of dance that Ai pursued. In her freshman year, Ai was immediately introduced to Deerfield’s dance program. She admired the versatility of the program, saying “when I came in I was only a ballerina but coming from freshman year to now I feel like I evolved and now I’m kind of known as the hip hop person.” Ai has taken part in every single dance showcase at Deerfield. Last year, Ai started choreographing and she noted that, “it was my first year working with a big crew which was pretty difficult at first.” Annie Loring ’26, a dancer in Ai’s piece, said “It was honestly incredible. It was probably one of the best dances of the whole showcase and for her to be able to do that all by herself and be able to perform that and be so committed was so inspiring for a lot of people.” When performing, Ai emphasized, “people watch how I enjoy this form of art,” noting the experience as “indescribable.” Ai is thankful that Deerfield’s Dance Program offers and encourages student choreography. The program has taught her a lot about what it means to be a choreographer. She said , “There’s more freedom for me. I visualize the whole dance in my head. When you’re learning from a teacher, you’re just following their style.” Loring added, “She really has her own unique kind of style and she just has a lot of passion for what she does and it’s really obvious.” The Dance Program has not only offered Ai a dance education but also introduced her to many friendships. Ai claims the program has created “a community” for her and other dancers. She said, “We’ve become a friend group.” Ai choreographed a piece for her role as both Chocolate and Sugar Plum in the “Nutcracker,” performed on Sunday, December 10. She is also choreographing a heels piece, a style of dance performed in high-heeled shoes, for the Winter Showcase which she believes will be the first time “heels dance” is introduced to Deerfield. Ai hopes to continue dancing and choreographing in college, and she is looking forward to new opportunities.

During a school meeting on Wednesday, November 1, the Performing and Visual Arts Department performed a concert in honor of Matthew Shepard as part of an effort to raise awareness on LGBT+ rights. This year, 2023, was the 25th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death. Choral Director Michael Pfitzer and Dean of Inclusion & Community Life Steven Lee decided to reflect on and raise awareness of Matthew Shepard’s story. On October 7, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old University of Wyoming student, was tied to a fence in a field and brutally attacked. He died on October 12 of that same year. As a result, his parents, Judy and Dennis Shepard started the Matthew Shepard Foundation in honor of his memory. Matthew Shepard’s death, one of the most infamous anti-gay hate crimes in American history, led to the passing of federal hate crimes legislation and started an activist movement that still continues today. Mr. Lee and Dr. Pfitzer first got together in January of 2023 to discuss this event. Mr. Lee said that they decided on a concert because “it was much more interactive, so students, especially the performers, really got a sense of the emotions of that kind of historical moment through the dance, the lyrics, and the theater and spoken word. Overall, I just thought it’d be fun, and that an artistic performance would be more powerful than simply a slideshow or something.” Dr. Pfitzer first heard the piece when he was working at Harvard during the 2016–2017 school year. He and his students worked with the composer of the piece, Craig Hella Johnson, to workshop it into something that could be performed by college and high school students. Johnson had specifically written the piece to share Matthew Shepard’s story, but it was first written for professional choirs to perform. When sharing the impact the experience had on him and why he chose it for Deerfield’s concert, Dr. Pfitzer said, “I fell in love with the piece when I learned about it. And, the 25th anniversary seemed like the right opportunity to perform it.” He also expressed his gratitude to Johnson, who was supportive of Deerfield’s performance and spoke with choral classes through Zoom. The singers performing in the concert came from a variety of different choral groups in the community. The largest movements consisted of members of the Deerfield Academy Chorus, the Academy’s largest choral ensemble. Some smaller movements were performed by specific classes, or small groups of students in a class. With so many moving parts, students began preparing for the concert as soon as they returned to school in early September. Not only did the chorus perform, but the concert also involved the dance, instrumental, visual art, and theater programs. Director of Music Tom Bergeron and members of the chamber music class accompanied the chorus throughout the movements. Dancers, under the guidance of Director of Dance Jennifer Whitcomb performed during the movement that emphasized innocence, which was their own choosing. Lillian Regal ’24 narrated the performance, providing context and character to enhance the concert. Finally, Chamari Williams ’24 created a portrait of Matthew Shepard that stood outside the auditorium and on the programs. To emphasize the importance of community in this concert, Dr. Pfitzer and Mr. Lee made the unusual decision to hold it during an all-school meeting, rather than in the evening like most concerts. Mr. Lee explained by saying, “Our students have really busy lives. Because of the story that we were trying to tell and the way we were trying to communicate it, we felt like it was something that would be valuable for the whole community, so we tried to embed it into the day.” One of the main goals of the original concert was to not only educate people about who Matthew Shepard was and his importance, but to also humanize him. The organizers attempted to achieve this by sharing the video of his mother speaking about who he was, and his personality and interests. In addition, many of the choral movements emphasized the ordinary humanness of Matthew Shepard. Dr. Pfitzer shared his own thoughts, saying, “I think the thing that spoke to me about this piece is that it relates to a story that is pretty gruesome, scary, and difficult to interact with, but the piece of music is very optimistic…it tries to speak to building a better future as opposed to just saying what happened. The reason I wanted to do it was because I think telling the story is still needed, especially in a way that would hopefully make us feel uplifted and ready to go make a better world as opposed to just making us feel sad.” The concert educated the Deerfield community as a whole, which was one of the hopes of Dr. Pfitzer and Mr. Lee. Many students and teachers also discussed the musical pieces and Matthew Shepard’s story in the following classes. A variety of students and faculty expressed how touched they felt during the concert, and how impressed they were at the ability of the performers to convey so many emotions. Josh Freedman ’26 said, “I was deeply touched by the Matthew Shepard performance, as it embraced the ideas of identity that are harder to come by. I felt that the spoken words of Lillian Regal mixed with the song perpetuated his memory in a meaningful way and opened students’ eyes to harsh realities.” Dr. Pfitzer felt that the concert was a huge success, saying, “As artists, if we can help our audience feel something deeply, we’ve done our job. And so that part was the successful piece that I’ve heard about most. I think there were people who really felt something when they were watching the performance.” Aside from the concert, there were also other events to raise awareness regarding the LGBT+ community. Mr. Lee and the Office of Inclusion and Community Life, working with the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA), held Spirit Day, where members of the community wore purple to support LGBT+ rights. Furthermore, the GSA made presentations at school meetings, and athletes wore purple socks during sports games to support the cause. In the future, Deerfield Academy aims to continue Spirit Day and other events of the sort to continue raising awareness throughout the community. While the organizers of the events hope to put on concerts in the future similar to this, they are aware of the uniqueness of the pieces and situation. Nevertheless, as Dr. Pfitzer said, Deerfield hopes the Matthew Shepard concert allowed someone who heard the performance “to understand the full message a little bit more, and understand how important it is for us to be together in a community, and hopefully all these things will work together to build a better community at Deerfield.”