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Raised in the heartland of football country in Miami, Oklahoma, Deerfield Football Captain Christian Reavis ’23 knew early on that he absolutely loved the game. A dedicated Sooners fan, like so many Oklahomans, Reavis was surrounded by crimson-and-cream and pigskins from toddlerhood. Oklahoma has bred many legendary linebackers like Brian Bosworth and Teddy Lehman, and from the looks of it, Reavis may be following in their footsteps. Reavis’ football journey started in 5th grade, but he explained, “I wanted to play when I was younger than that, but my parents said no. My team wasn’t that good, but I loved being out there, playing a team sport, and feeling a part of a whole.”  Reavis’ dedication to his team is one of his core qualities. His eyes lit up when he spoke about it: “I love the team culture! Everyone is trying to get better and do what they need to do to contribute. They take it upon themselves to do that.” Offensive lineman and Reavis’s co-captain, Caleb Kirkpatrick ’24, elaborated, “Being a captain means being responsible for the team. At Deerfield, players are constantly trying to improve and do their own thing, which makes the captain’s position easier. We all rely on each other.” This extends beyond the field to daily life. Reavis said, “Being captain hasn’t changed how I approach the game, but I feel more responsibility because more people come to you for advice.” Reavis has filled these shoes and been a reliable mentor for all of his teammates. In that way, he has learned and replicated many of Head Football Coach Brian Barbato’s great leadership qualities. Reavis said, “Coach Bato is the best. He is a great motivator and is invested in everyone.” Creating team culture starts with leadership and tradition. Reavis talked about what brings the team together: “I love Milk and Cookies (the ritual where the players gather before game-day). The team feels like a family, and we all give motivational speeches.”  Despite two tough losses at the start of the season, the team remains optimistic about the future. Reavis expressed his hope, saying, “We are really proud of this team because our season hasn’t been the easiest, but everyone has been hopeful and dedicated since the first practice.” The team has upcoming games against Suffield, Salisbury, Loomis, Exeter, Andover, Cheshire, and Choate.  Reavis’ leadership has greatly encouraged the football team’s tight-knit team culture and will be missed next year when he continues his football career at Williams College.

On September 11, Georgia Sackrey ’23, Fife McCargo ’23, and Tenley Elvekrog ’23 hosted Deerfield Academy’s first all-female identifying flag football game in the Field House.  Noting the male dominance of most of Deerfield’s sports tournaments, Sackrey said, “There’s almost an unspoken rule that [Deerfield sports tournaments] are more of a guys-only activity that nobody really talks about. As someone who really enjoys sports as a female, I wanted to create an environment where girls were encouraged to genuinely participate – making an impact on the game, instead of just being on a team to fulfill a certain [gender] requirement.”  Elvekrog continued, “The fact that, in this tournament, it’s girls playing and other people coming to support was a big thing. We wanted people to come out, cheer and support.” Elvekrog elaborated, sharing that even though there is a league, it isn’t very normalized for girls to play a sport like football, so choosing to play flag football was, in itself, breaking a lot of stereotypes.  Those who signed up were placed on teams with people from varying grades and experience levels. The preparations started the night prior when teams got together at 8:00 pm and learned how to play the game and the rules that come with it. Teams spent time practicing drills and got to know each other as well as their team managers. Each group was managed by an athlete from Deerfield’s Boys’ Varsity Football Team. One of the team coaches, Chigozie Oge-Evans ’23, remarked, “All of the girls were quick to grasp onto the plays and were really understanding, it was a really fun event. I had a strong team that worked together to get to the finals.”  From the colorful tutus to face paint, it was clear that there was much team spirit present, making the environment fun for both players and spectators. Offensive center Izzy Ramirez ’25 said, “I thought it was a nice event because some of the other tournaments that we have are pretty nerve-wracking, and since this one was just girls, it felt more relaxed and fun.” Izzy expresses how it was fun to be in a competitive setting without the pressure. This allowed a lot of people to really get into the game and immerse themselves in it without judgment.  Sackrey observed, “I think it went very well once people got really into it. With these kinds of tournaments, if enough people buy in, then you can really make anything fun. Even if it was rainy and a Sunday, I think we had a big enough group of people that were really involved which made it exciting.”  During all of the excitement, wrestling captain, Sophia Burke ’23, said, “Overall, I think the tournament was fun and I loved how into it the other girls were. As someone who is a captain of a team that would predominantly be made of men, I think it’s really great that we have avenues like this for girls to play football.” Burke unfortunately ended up with a torn ACL after the tournament. She explained what happened, saying that, “My team had made it past the first quarter of the game and at that point, I was running backwards to stop a girl who looked like she was going to catch the ball. We were both looking at the ball which led to a collision.” A true team player, Burke was happy with the event and all that it stood for.  During school meeting on September 14, Sackrey, McCargo, and Elvekrog were all recognized for their notable leadership skills where they were acknowledged for bringing people together as well as for the amount of work they put in order for the event to be a success with an amazing turn out. The success of this event suggests a lot of change in the future of girls recreational sports at Deerfield. Whether it be later this year or even next year, there definitely will be more all girls tournaments, hopefully minus the ACL tear!

While confidence on the field often comes from performance, many high school, college, and professional athletes also reassure themselves with pre-game rituals. Deerfield Academy’s football team, the back-to-back winners of the Mike Silipo Bowl, are no exception. Their many traditions help the athletes focus and play their best.  Pre-game rituals help get rid of anxiety by taking athletes’ minds off of any negative thoughts they may be having. Rituals also boost their confidence, and remind them of their love for their sport. One long-standing football pre-game ritual is Milk and Cookies, which was started by former football coach Jim Smith and continued by other coaches like Mike Silipo and current Head Coach Brian Barbato. It occurs on Friday nights when team members gather to drink milk and eat cookies to unwind before the following day’s game. Another tradition is the team’s annual shirtless run through the Greer, which many students witness firsthand.  While these traditions are relatively well-known, there are also many new rituals. For example, Ty Curran ’24, Tristan Ward ’24, Will Sutman ’23, and Brady Stahelski ’23 chugs energy drinks before kickoff. Curran decided to inaugurate this ritual on the first practice this season because he wanted to “bring some energy,” noting that it got them into a competitive mindset and a caffeinated biorhythm.  Other team members partake in unique rituals depending on what grounds them most. Ethan Roossien ’24, who is starting at tight end this year, said that he prays in the Deerfield endzone after every pre-game huddle. Coaches have rituals and traditions too; Toby Emerson said, “If we get blown out, I’ll try not to wear what I wore the day of the blowout again,” because he believes in “switching things up” after a loss. Additionally, Mr. Emerson and fellow football coach Raymond Demartino play cards every Friday before game day. Furthermore, late on Friday nights, Mr. Barbato orders three pizzas to Mr. Emerson’s home for the coaches to enjoy while they review game film and prepare for Saturday. From the top down, Deerfield’s football program is very tight-knit.  Whether it be to feel a sense of grounding before a grueling day ahead, or just for some old-fashioned fun, football players and coaches both engage in many traditions. From the light-hearted to the sincere, these habits contribute to the communal culture of Deerfield football, through wins, losses, and everything in between.

Former college coach Jeanette Boudway has recently joined the Deerfield community as the Associate Athletic Director and the Head Girls Varsity Soccer Coach. Ms. Boudway comes to Deerfield with her husband, Ryan, and her three children Cal, Tyce, and Uma. Ms. Boudway possesses an array of soccer knowledge from her many years of coaching at the college level, including experience at Amherst College, University of Notre Dame, Berry College, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and most recently at Smith College. These universities exposed Ms. Boudway to several coaching styles. Throughout her nineteen years of coaching, Ms. Boudway has learned that successful coaches have a tendency to treat their athletes with a sense of consideration and kindness while still being straightforward enough to work towards achieving the goals of both the individual and the team.  When asked about one of her favorite experiences coaching collegiate soccer, Boudway says it was the road to winning a national championship with Notre Dame in 2010. Her team had been “building up to that point” as they had made four appearances in the NCAA tournament. In her eyes, this championship-winning team was special— their high standards, drive, and peer leadership set them apart. She hopes to cultivate a similar team dynamic with the players at Deerfield.  Although new to the program, Ms. Boudway sees a strong culture within the Deerfield Girls Soccer program. She states that the team is made up of great players who are “striving for greatness, committed to high character, and [are] good people.” Ms. Boudway is eager to forge the connections that form the basis of a good team. She believes that getting to know all 33 members of the team will help “instill confidence, so that everyone can play and be proud of themselves when they walk off the field.” An ultimate goal for Coach Boudway is to make the NEPSAC playoffs. She explains that “the talent is here, I think we just have to keep moving forward.”  In her few weeks at Deerfield, Ms. Boudway already feels honored to have this position. She expressed that it is thrilling to be a part of a pivotal intersection in a high school girl’s life, where she has the opportunity of advancing each players’ athletic career. Ms. Boudway is excited to be starting this new chapter in her life as she becomes a prominent role in the future of Deerfield Girls Soccer.

Kristen McVaugh, the Head Coach of Deerfield’s Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey team, joined Deerfield in 2009 and has been a significant figure in the field hockey program throughout her time in the valley. She came to Deerfield after graduating from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where she played field hockey for four years. In addition to coaching at Deerfield, Coach McVaugh also teaches math and economics.  Game days are the highlights of the week for varsity players and fans alike, as many games count towards qualifying for League Championships and improving on past season records is a big goal for many programs.  But how do coaches prepare for game day? Coach McVaugh starts her Saturdays with a run. She also enjoys running with Mr. Emerson, Ms. Washburn, and Ms. Rivellino-Lyons. When Coach McVaugh gets back from her run she typically has breakfast with her kids, often waffles or pancakes. Coach McVaugh shared that after breakfast she enjoys, “just hanging out with [her] kids as they find joy in the little things that they do.” For lunch, Coach McVaugh and her family eat at the dining hall, where she particularly enjoys seeing the field hockey team eating together.  When the time comes to gather in the locker room and have a pre-game conversation with the team, Coach McVaugh says she tries to “think about the game and what she wants to say to the team before they go onto the field.” On game day, unlike many other Deerfield coaches, Coach McVaugh does not have any pregame superstitions. As a player, she recounted that she always used to straighten her hair and eat the same thing for breakfast. However, as a coach she hopes that rather than feeling that she needs to wish for luck, she will feel as though “she has done all that she can to prepare the team for the game day.”  When it comes to the actual game, Coach McVaugh believes it’s all about the team and leaves the focus on them. She interferes only when needed, such as when managing the subs and line up, dealing with medical emergencies and problems that may arise, and calling corner plays. Overall Coach McVaugh finds Saturday to be the easier game day compared to Wednesday because she only has to focus on her role as a coach, rather than “transitioning between being a coach and a teacher.”  Coach McVaugh is looking forward to Varsity Field Hockey’s next home game on October 5th against NMH.

* Lily Lin is the Head Graphic Artist for the Scroll From September 7 to September 29, the Reid Student Gallery located outside of Hess classroom 123 housed a series of incredibly eye-catching artworks by Lily Lin ’23. On one wall, a panel of pieces depicted still lifes of various foods being dipped in milk. On another, a triptych—a three-panel artwork—created in the same style used in medieval church art depicted the ruling of Dobbs. Finally, an exhibit with countless hanging eyes, each one gazing back at onlookers with unsettling intensity, sprung out of one corner. These pieces, among others in her exhibit, were created by Lily Lin ’23. When asked about what inspires her to make art, Lin replied, “I like to gather inspiration by learning about the perspectives of other artists.” She explained, “that’s why I love going to museums and other art galleries to see other people’s takes, as it gives me different ways to see the world.”  Additionally, Lin draws inspiration from current events, as exemplified in the aforementioned triptych about Roe v. Wade.   When explaining her reasoning behind using a more dated style to represent this issue, Lin said, “after Dobbs’ decision, I felt like the world was regressing and going back to the archaic times of the ancient world, which is why I chose to create my art following the medieval style.” Over the summer, Lin attended a summer program with a college professor in New York. She has since been inspired to create more conceptual art that “carries a message and has a reason behind creating it.” As a result, Lin was motivated to create the artworks displayed in the Hess.  Regarding her creative process, Lin explained that she first “finds a big overarching theme,” then “uses that theme as a guideline in order to stay focused and create a cohesive piece of art.”  While she has created impressive products, Lin also recounts times in which she struggled with the artistic process. Two years ago, for example, Lin experienced “artist’s block” where she was unable to produce artwork during the entirety of her Spring Term art cocurricular. Lin credits Visual & Performing Arts Teacher Angel Abreu for helping her overcome her crisis, saying he “helped me develop a clear sense of direction for my art and get back into the flow.” Mr. Abreu did so by offering Lin tips on how to begin pieces, such as finding inspiration from literature. From there, Lin chose to draw influences from Mrs. Dalloway , a novel by Virginia Woolf. This decision led to the creation of her hanging eye piece (pictured above). Looking to the future, Lin has expressed a desire to incorporate technology into her next masterpiece, wanting to stay trendy but also authentic to her own style of art. “I want to study art history when I go to college, as I really enjoy learning about how art has evolved over the centuries, which will help me use technology to hopefully create a piece that is both relatable and profound.”  Although Lin’s installation is no longer on display, students might just come across her work in galleries and museums in the future.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be on a competitive TV show, broadcasted nationally across homes? Arthur Fink ’24, a new junior this year, had this very experience. Fink shared, “I never really intended to be on The Voice [of Germany],” but due to certain circumstances it just worked out that he was. His friend back in Germany had actually been on The Voice previously. She and Fink posted a duet together of “Say Something” by A Great Big World. Afterwards, The Voice reached out to her asking if she and Arthur would want to audition for the new season. “Of course, I said yes, I thought it was going to be fun, and I would be doing it with my best friend as well,” commented Fink. Fink, originally from Frankfurt, Germany, first left home when he decided to go to school in America. When talking about why he chose Deerfield, Fink stated how, out of many different schools, Deerfield’s community immediately made him feel “comfortable,” making this big transition easier. Before being on The Voice, Fink had always enjoyed “singing in the shower,” but his main sport and one of his passions is dressage, a type of horse riding. Although Fink is not able to do this in the States, he enjoys being able to go back home to this passion. Nevertheless, he has a vivid love for singing and is the only person in his family who sings in more of a professional setting. Fink has an older brother and two younger sisters who all play instruments, but none of them sing in the same manner as him.  The scouting for the show began in June of 2020, and the blind auditions did not happen until November of 2020. During that time there were five rounds of auditions. Fink explains: “You don’t really realize that, because normally you are like, ‘ok I’ll apply and be on the blind auditions,’ but no, you apply and go through five stages, and then you may go to the blind auditions.”  Around the second and third rounds of initial auditions, they split Fink and his friend up, only allowing him to continue. As she had been on The Voice, they did not want her to be on it again. So, Fink continued on past the other prerequisite auditions alone, “I already signed a contract which meant I could not say no.” Although Fink had to continue the journey without his companion, he knew it would still be a fun experience. The whole experience was very enjoyable for Fink, especially being on stage and having all of the professional lighting and equipment. When one is in that position, they get to see a lot more of the behind-the-scenes that make up the magic of reality TV. Besides all the glamor of the filming process, Fink actually believes that the best part “was all the other teenagers.” During the filming of parts of The Voice, Fink lived in an apartment with the other teenagers. Each round they filmed for about three weeks, so he spent a lot of time with all the other competitors. They would spend time cooking together or walking around Berlin, Germany, where they were staying. Because it is reality TV there were scripted scenes. But overall, Fink found it to be a very valuable learning experience. “You get to meet people from all over Europe. The connections and relationships you get to make with important people in the music industry is a nice takeaway.” Because you meet important people in the music industry, if you wanted to pursue a singing career you would probably have an easier time getting started. Fink is always asked if he wants to be a musician when he is older, but in reality, he doesn’t think that is the career path he is going to take. Although he loves singing, there are other subjects and careers he is interested in. Fink concluded, “perhaps I will do something related to singing, but I don’t think I will be just an artist.”

While many Deerfield students are part of Deerfield’s vocal ensemble or student-led singing groups like the Rhapso-D’s and Mellow-D’s, Lauren Mitchell ’23  has taken her singing career further than most artists her age. Between Mitchell’s junior and senior year, she took a gap year during which she wrote and recorded her own Extended Play (EP), titled “The End of my Beginning,” which she released on September 16, 2022. She was aware that taking a gap year during the middle of high school was unusual, but she knew that it was her time to go out and pursue her passion for music. Mitchell’s EP is composed of five original songs based on the theme of growing up. In her EP, she tells her own coming-of-age story and her experiences transitioning from childhood to adulthood. “The End of my Beginning…captured who I am and…my journey as a person, at Deerfield, and in all walks of life as an artist and as a songwriter, and the end of my beginning just felt like such a powerful statement,” Mitchell said.  Mitchell was born into a musical family and has loved music her whole life. During an interview with the Scroll, Mitchell said that her biggest role model was her dad, as he helped her harness her creative spirits and always supported her singing career. Mitchell is also very close to her mom, who she said would sing her lullabies as a child. As a child, Mitchell constantly sang and worked to evolve her artistry. She believes the title of her EP and its main track, “The End of my Beginning,” encapsulates the feeling of her evolution as an artist.  “I was feeling the idea of moving on and starting a new chapter in my life and finishing this chapter of childhood,” Mitchell said, “and also musically it felt very much like a statement of … evolving as an artist … [and] that I am changing … [and] taking people on that journey with me.” When asked about her songwriting process, Mitchell said she would often jot down different ideas or lines that she thought she may want to incorporate into her music. Sometimes she just lets her emotions flow. Together with her co-writer Joseph Itaya, she developed a technique different from the typical song-writing framework that allowed her to truly connect with her emotions in the brainstorming process. “There is this thing that my co-writer and I created called Alpha channeling. It’s very much like a spiritual mode of songwriting,” said Mitchell. “So [I] pretty much close [my] eyes, and rather than think[ing] about songwriting as if I have to create something, [I] just sit in silence and let the ideas flow. Then I eventually form the structure later.” “The End of my Beginning” was the first song Mitchell and her co-writer wrote. This song sparked the inspiration for and became the central theme of her EP. Mitchell’s first song not only holds a special place in Mitchell’s heart but also in the hearts of many of her listeners, such as Avery Izzo ’24. Izzo shared, “my favorite song was definitely ‘The End of my Beginning.’ I think a lot of people can relate to it. I find her music relatable as a fellow young girl. Sometimes you really feel the pressure of figuring out who you are and where you’re going. Lauren addresses this struggle in a reminiscent way that makes you want to escape into her music.”  Many, like Izzo, are proud of Mitchell’s dedication to her piece. Izzo was able to feel and hear all of the time and energy Mitchell poured into her album, and she hopes that others can appreciate the piece as well. “I felt so incredibly proud listening to it for the first time,” Izzo commented. “It was surreal to be able to look up her account on Spotify and see the verification tab. I know she’s put a lot into the album. You can tell by the way she talks about it she really loves what she’s doing. It means everything to her and I hope the Deerfield community can continue to support her in her passions. I know she would do the same for others.” Director of Music Thomas Bergeron feels that Mitchell’s EP is beautiful, catchy, and thoughtful. He hopes that by giving her more opportunities to learn about the nuts and bolts of music production, she will be able to produce more pieces. For Mitchell’s first EP, she worked with a producer who co-wrote her songs with her. While this is common for artists, Bergeron hopes to inspire her to take on some of those roles herself. “I really want to empower her to have the musical skills to create, produce, and write all of the parts to her own music,” said Bergeron. “She has a musical background so she already knows music theory. She’s familiar with the keyboard,  so she has everything she needs in music fundamentals. By taking the Advanced Composition class [at Deerfield], she’s really shown an interest in going deeper into what makes music special and how to do all of the things herself.” In the Deerfield Orchestra’s Homegrown Concert, which takes place on Friday, May 5th, 2023, Mitchel will perform a song in collaboration with the Deerfield Orchestra. She will either pick a song from her recent EP or write a new song and compose the backtrack to be played in accompaniment by the orchestra. Bergeron hopes that this process will allow her to grow as a writer and help when producing her next EP or song. Bergeron shared, “Lauren [will have] to make some decisions about what she wants the orchestra to do and then learn how to write it out, in musical notation for them to read and perform. I’m really excited for her to learn about that process, [as] it will … bring her deeper into her own music.” When asked about what people inspired by Mitchell can do to pursue their own songwriting dreams, Mitchell had a wise and touching piece of advice: “find what you like and let the process take you … . Don’t think too hard about it, and just let words flow, let emotions flow. Just share how you’re feeling.”

It’s just another night in Pocumtuck, “Poc,” in 2006. A girl stirs in her sleep. She gets up, still drowsy, and wanders down the hall to the bathroom. A thud jolts her awake. The sight of a girl down the hall, someone she’s never seen before, in a ghostly white nightgown with brown hair, makes her blood run cold. The hallway smells like violets. When she returns to her room, the curtains she swore she closed before she went to bed last night are now wide open.  16 years later, it’s September 2022, and there’s breaking news: Poc’s old friend, Violet the Ghost, is back again…and she’s ready to have some fun. Girls living in Poc I have long claimed to have seen Violet stumbling down the halls, moving people’s chairs, making loud noises in the dead of night, and leaving handprints on peoples’ windows. Violet was probably first sighted around 2006 according to students who lived in Poc in 2011. When concerns about Violet boiled over in 2006, Dean of Spiritual and Ethical Life, Jan Flaska performed a cleansing ritual, infamously called an “exorcism” in whispers between students. In 2011, students living on Poc I once again were suspicious that the dorm may be haunted, as many of them claimed to have seen Violet after “experimenting with a Ouija board,” according to a Scroll article written by Caroline Kjorlien ’13 in December 2011.  Poc used to be a hotel filled with violet flowers possessing a violet-tinted atmosphere.  For this reason, the residents of Pocumtuck dorm back in 2011 named the ghost Violet. However, as their suspicions of paranormal activity grew, students talked to Mr. Flaska, who then agreed to perform a spiritual cleansing of the dorm in 2011. In a recent interview, Mr. Flaska said he brought in “two native healers or spiritualists,” Reverend Mary Ann Tourjee, or Raven Spirit, and Reverend Nancy Higgins, or Grandmother Standing Bear, with whom he “did some smudging, did some drumming, and did some chanting.” Mr. Flaska also added that at the end of the cleansing ritual, the spiritualists said that Violet the Ghost was now making her way to another realm, since before, she was “stuck” in Poc.  According to the Deerfield Inn’s website and the Greenfield Recorder, the Deerfield Inn, originally built in 1884, experienced similar ghost sightings in the past. Ever since the notorious Deerfield Raid of 1704, the Inn has been a reported hotspot for spirits. Two resident ghosts—Cora and Hershel—have been sighted knocking on doors and pushing on the backs of guests. Amateur ghost hunters have even visited to film a documentary on the Inn’s paranormal occurrences, recording footage in areas where sightings had been reported. Similarly, students of Poc have reported sightings and paranormal experiences across multiple halls. One Poc II student, Kathrine Margulis ’24, believes that she had a run-in with the ghost. According to Margulis, Violet entered a room and she saw the shadows of Violet’s feet and heard the door open, but when she went to look and see if anyone was in the room, there was no one there. Lillian Auth ’24, a student on Poc I, described her haunted experience: “[Late Saturday night], I saw [a figure] in the hallway with … long black hair, and a black coat walking into my friend Evie’s room … When I walked into the room to say hi to her, I saw no one was in the room and so I was really freaked out.”  Deerfield Security Officer Brandon Ambo said, “[The Deerfield Security] doesn’t like [to go to] the Kendall late at night. I have heard the sound of doors slamming behind me [when there was no one there]. There is a general eerie feeling and I get chills down my back. I stopped going to that building [at night unless necessary].” Mr. Flaska reported that so far this year, he has gotten a few emails about the ghost sightings, but said he is happy to do some spiritual cleansing if that is what the community wants.  Consensus about Violet varies by person, with some students unfazed and others saying that they were really nervous. But for now, Violet remains a mystery.

In the 2020 elections, turnout among 18- and 19-year-olds was only 46%, far below the national average. Learning to participate in elections early in life is important for forming lasting habits of civic engagement. Elaborate election administration policies can discourage turnout among newly eligible voters by making it logistically difficult to register for and cast a vote. Given that a significant proportion of juniors and seniors will be able to vote in the upcoming midterm election (which, by the way, takes place on November 8, 2022), this article seeks to outline the relevant procedures. Step 1: Register to vote States have different deadlines for voter registration, ranging from seven days before election day in Connecticut to 30 days before election day in Ohio. You can find out your state’s deadline by consulting online sources such as vote.gov or vote.org.  Most states have online voter registration, though notable exceptions include Texas and New Hampshire, which require a paper form mailed to a local election office. You need to provide a driver’s license, state-issued ID or social security number.  You can choose to register in your home state or in Massachusetts, but not both. Since your vote can only count toward one set of elections, studying local dynamics and identifying how competitive your home district is will help you determine where your vote can make a larger impact. (Massachusetts’ 2nd congressional district and gubernatorial race are very likely Democratic seats for Jim McGovern and Maura Healey respectively, and there is no Senate race.) If you turn 18 between now and election day, you can still pre-register to vote by following the same process, as is the case for any election.  Step 2: Apply for an absentee/mail-in ballot This process is similar to voter registration. Your application for an absentee ballot will be due somewhere between one day before election day, as in Connecticut, to 21 days before election day, as in Rhode Island. Some states (e.g. New York) allow for online applications, but many states, such as New Jersey, require the application to be mailed.  For states with online applications, you can find the application forms on official state government websites or through websites such as vote.org or rockthevote.org. Importantly, mailed applications must be received by the deadline, meaning they should be postmarked even earlier. You can use the USPS office next to the Deerfield Inn on Old Main Street. First-Class Mail stamps will take two to five business days to be delivered. Some states, such as California or Nevada, automatically register voters for mail-in ballots. You still need to send an application to make sure that the ballot is sent to Deerfield rather than your home address. If you are a day student or choose to register in Massachusetts and would like to vote in person instead, you can skip this step and go to a polling place on election day. Step 3: Learn about your candidates A variety of offices and propositions will be up for election in November. These may include Senate and House seats on the federal level; state legislatures, governors, attorneys general, and ballot measures; and mayors and other local offices. Researching all the way down the ballot will allow you to make an outsized impact on niche races that do not draw as much attention. The leaders of the Young Democrats and Young Republicans will also hold regular meetings leading up to the election to educate the community on the importance of voting and some of the issues being debated.  Step 4: Cast your vote For in-person voting, you can cast your vote at the Deerfield Town Hall on 8 Conway Street in South Deerfield. You should have a valid ID, such as a driver’s license. For mail-in ballots, once again, states have different policies. Some states (e.g. California) require that the ballots are postmarked (i.e. sent off) by election day. Others (e.g. Pennsylvania) require that they are received by the time polls close on election day. Some states (e.g. Virginia) also require the signature of a witness in addition to the voter’s.  Carlene Hamlin, the interim Deerfield town clerk who is responsible for running municipal, state, and federal elections, invited anyone with further questions about voting to reach out to her at TownClerk@town.deerfield.ma.us. She added, “I always encourage new voters to reach out to their Municipal Clerk.”  Given the significance of the midterm elections not only for the political landscape at large but also for newly eligible voters in particular, Deerfield students should follow these instructions and further research how to register and cast their votes. For those who care about political participation, the most direct and impactful opportunity is just around the corner.

This summer, many students from Deerfield Academy took part in service-based initiatives in their communities with the aid of grants provided by the Center of Service and Global Citizenship (CSGC). Among these students were Ana Vizitiv ’23, Isabelle Schwartz ’24, and Kevin Kim ’23.  The CSGC provides grants to students that are passionate about catalyzing change within their communities. They hope that this grant of up to 200 dollars will help students take a big step toward their goals. For smaller-scale projects, the CSGC also gives out microgrants that are open to applications throughout the year.  Vizitiv, who is from Moldova, was a new junior in the 2021-2022 school year. She recalled her struggles in humanities classes as an elementary school student, but she soon discovered her passion for STEM when she first took her middle-school physics class. She was very aware of the lack of support girls often received to go into the STEM field saying,  “I decided that I need to fight for [girls in STEM] because there wasn’t really somebody to fight for me.” So far, she has used her $1,200 grant to accomplish two main projects over the summer.  First, Vizitiv published a STEM mystery guide for teens, an interactive guide incorporating various STEM topics into a murder mystery story. Last school year, she published four guides about chemistry, biology, physics, and computer science. This summer’s most recent mystery guide condenses all of these topics condensed into a storyline. Readers can solve puzzles such as decoding binary and exploring different chemical elements. Vizitiv hopes that this guide will offer girls a more approachable  introduction to STEM, opening the door for them to discover a new passion.  Additionally, Vizitiv launched a website, gstemoldova.org, with various STEM resources for girls in Moldova over the summer. The page contains news and resources related to STEM as well as a space for teenage girls to publish their own articles about STEM topics. Vizitiv hopes this will help them spread awareness about their findings, while also boosting their confidence and motivating them to keep pursuing their passions.  This summer, Schwartz was granted $2,000 for Foundation Beauty—a project she founded in eighth grade during quarantine. Her goal for Foundation Beauty is to “spread access to makeup for teens across the world… because having hygiene and beauty products often comes secondary.” She stated that during the initial lockdown, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, “life was just really monotonous with online school, but I started to apply makeup for fun and it helped me to lift my mood. It also helped me to set a routine for me.”  Foundation Beauty seeks to donate makeup products to non-profit organizations in lower-income areas, and Schwartz’s CSGC grant allowed her to ship donations to destinations such as Texas and Uganda. Schwartz has also received makeup donations from major beauty companies such as Sephora, Fenty Beauty, and Shiseido.  Schwartz hopes that increasing access to makeup all over the world will boost people’s confidence in themselves. She said, “Seeing the reactions that we’ve gotten is a really special moment…and how such a small thing that I’m able to do makes them so happy.” Kim, who hails from Los Angeles, brought to attention the needles and vomit that often litter the city’s streets. Kim stated, “I wanted to do something about it for a very long time, but I didn’t know what to do. So I started taking DEA courses.” The DEA, or Drug Enforcement Administration, and they provide students who want to help people with addiction with courses to educate them on the issue.   In addition to the $1500 from his CSGC grant, Kim received an additional $1000 from the Katy Textor Farmer Award, a grant given to a student whose proposal supports Deerfield’s core values, as seen by alumni Katy Farmer ’92. With the combined sum of $2,500, he was able to publish a book, make pins, and book time in meeting and seminar rooms. His book provides information on opioids and their dangers. So far, it  has been distributed to 11 public libraries in California. Among these 11, four of them are within schools. Kim summed up his mission by stating, “People who struggle with addiction have their own reasons that nobody listens to, and I hope that I can be the person who can go up to them and listen to their stories, and help their stories get out into the world.”  Kim, Shwartz, and Vizitiv were all able to act upon their passions, and have learned countless lessons through their experiences. Kim, for one, advises other students who might want to make a change, “If you’re truly passionate about what you’re doing, it’s really important that you never give up whatever the circumstances are.”

Shared experiences. Face-to-face interactions. Citizenship. In conjunction with Deerfield’s core values as well as increasing research regarding mental health benefits of lessened phone use, the Student Life Office decided to implent a new cell phone policy. The new rule requires students to leave their phones in their dorms between 8 A.M. and 3 P.M. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and from 8 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. on Wednesdays. Additionally, there is an overall expectation of students to keep their “Heads Up” from phones while walking around campus and interacting with the community.  The purpose of the cell phone policy, as outlined in Dean of Students Samuel Bicknell’s email to the student body in late August, is to encourage attentiveness to “create more opportunities for deep connections” that “contribute measurably and meaningfully to [students’] emotional wellbeing.” Pinpointing the COVID-19 pandemic as a turning point for cell phone use, Mr. Bicknell emphasized his “incredible confidence in students,” sharing his hope that “students [will] notice the difference and understand where [the new policy] is coming from.” When describing her own take on the policy, Director of Counseling Jennifer Daily emphasized, “It is my overarching hope and goal during my tenure here that each and every student that graduates from Deerfield possesses strong emotional intelligence and resilience.” She continued, “We know social media negatively impacts our wellbeing, so this policy is one step in that direction.” Math Teacher Mr. Sam Leitermann-Long added, “I honestly felt like the adjustment period was going to be harder, but I have confiscated zero phones.” He clarified, “It’s not because I have been lax, it’s because I actually haven’t seen anyone use one.” Faculty members are not required to leave their phones behind during the academic day, but were asked to be respectful to the change and minimize phone use. Still, Mr. Letiermann-Long shared that he started leaving his phone on his desk in the math office while teaching in the classroom and has already noticed a positive outcome. He shared, “A little bit of enforcement for me too is good. I think I’m a better faculty member because I’m trying to achieve the same thing students are trying to achieve and feeling more connected.”  Regarding new student reactions to the policy, Lyla Ortiz ’26 noted that it had been easier to connect with peers on campus without worrying about the barrier that a cell-phone can create. Ortiz believes that, without phones, students can be honest about who they truly are, while working on emotionally connecting and engaging with others. She shared that “seeing people with their ‘heads up’ makes the environment welcoming and warm.”  However, Ortiz did express her desire to see adults on campus being more open to students’ feedback on the policy. She feels that there is room for the policy to rely more on student discretion, as she believes students can determine the appropriate times for phone use themselves.  Both Mr. Bicknell and Mr. Leitermann-Long highlighted the important role student leaders, such as Student Body President Jerry Huang ’23 and Student Council Chair Zoë Matias ’23, played in promoting the policy while offering student feedback to the Student Life Office.  Matias shared that “the intentions behind the policy are pure,” but also emphasized the Student Council’s efforts to bring student concerns to the attention of the SLO. Among these concerns are cases involving health emergencies and specific needs to remain in contact with family.  Although the policy may have been anxiety-provoking to some initially, as Matias noted, the SLO has remained open to changes. One initiative would be implementing focus groups by grade, circulate dorms with Grade Deans, and maintain strong communication with Deerfield employees to gather insight into modifications that could be made to the policy in the future.  Students and faculty alike identified that allowing students to carry phones in their backpacks could be an effective change to the current policy.  Peer Counselor Elizabeth Richards ’24 described how a large portion of her PC work takes place outside the scheduled duty hours. Because most students reach out to PCs via phone, Richards believes having a phone available during the school day would facilitate PC accessibility.  Similarly, when asked about the policy moving forward, Mr. Leitermann-Long emphasized, “I think really hard about the fact that we are going to send all of you off to a world where you will have unlimited access to your cell phone and where responsible use of that is super important.” He added, “I do think that it’s part of [the faculty’s] responsibility to help equip [students with the skills] to be ready for that. Asking us to concentrate on the academic day is a good start, but it’s not everything we need to do about being good citizens in a digital world.”  Regardless of the cell phone policy, Counselor Daily encourages students to refrain from social media use as much as possible. She proposed, “Consider this, last time you felt crummy, and zoned out on social media for a while, did you feel better or worse about yourself afterwards?” As confirmed by Mr. Bicknell, the foundation of the current cell phone policy will likely remain a part of the Deerfield community for years to come. However, student and faculty feedback are a priority for the SLO and are necessary in the implementation of  beneficial changes to the policy in the near future.