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Grace Caligiuri ’22, a postgraduate from Windsor, Connecticut and the starting goalie on Deerfield’s Girls Varsity Hockey team, has already left her mark on the Deerfield community on and off the ice. Coming off a year where her entire hockey season was canceled due to COVID-19, she has provided lots of leadership to a team that has a small roster at just fifteen skaters and two goaltenders.  Caligiuri attended Loomis Chaffee for four years before Deerfield. She also played club hockey with a triple-A boys team called Elite Hockey in Connecticut before switching to a girls team, the New England Jr Falcons. When asked about the transition from Loomis to Deerfield, she said, “The transition was pretty easy. I would say the two schools are very similar in many ways. Having been in the boarding school world already made it easier to adjust. Everyone has been very welcoming, and overall the transition has been really smooth.” Caligiuri expressed her positivity and appreciation for her Deerfield team, despite some obstacles they’ve faced. “Our team has definitely faced a lot of adversity this season. We haven’t played a game with all of our players present due to COVID, yet it still feels like we are a really tight-knit group. The energy in the locker room is always really high and everyone is very committed. Even in the face of adversity, seeing how my teammates have supported each other has been really encouraging, and finally this week we are all back so we’ll get to see the full team in action.” Annie Dinges ’24 and Bailey Miller ’24 both expressed their gratitude for Caligiuri. “She has a very positive influence on our team and is always checking in on everyone,” said Dinges. Miller added, “She brings a lot of good energy to the locker room and always has a smile on her face. She’s a ray of sunshine.”  Captain Sara Bagshaw ’22 also praised Caligiuri, noting that “she has been such a positive impact on our team and extremely genuine.” Her kind and outgoing personality have been infectious the entire year, and the team is very thankful for her. Beyond her accomplishments as a goaltender, Caligiuri also knows how to have fun off the ice. She and her father love exploring places on hockey trips and being adventurous. She recalled that one time while playing in a tournament in Finland, she went out to a restaurant and tried reindeer. A movie lover, her favorite is Legally Blonde. Also, when asked what readers might be surprised to learn about her, she shared that she is a barista at her town’s local cafe in the summer. She knows how to make over twenty types of drinks.  Caligiuri spoke about her plans to continue her hockey career at Colby College, where she is committed to play after Deerfield: “My goal for college was to go somewhere I could play high-level hockey but also get a great education, because I probably won’t play after college. I am really looking forward to enjoying my last four years of hockey without the pressures of having to get recruited–and just playing because I love it.” Caligiuri will major in finance at Colby and said she would like to move to Boston after graduating.

Boasting a height of 6’7”, Robert Amundson ’22 is a hard figure to miss on campus. The four year varsity swimmer currently captains the team, along with Mark Cai ’22, and his undisputable success in the pool merits him this edition’s honor of being named the Athlete of the Issue.  Hailing from Dublin, NH, Amundson was exposed to swimming from a young age: “[My mom] swam all through high school, so she wanted us [Amundson and his two younger brothers] to try it. At first it wasn’t my favorite, but she just kept having us do it in the summer, and after like three years I just fell in love with it.” Amundson started swimming at age 11, but didn’t swim competitively until age 13.  Now, Amundson is a team veteran whose leadership on the deck is unmissable: he can be seen instructing warmups and cheering on competing teammates at every practice and meet. This leadership has been noted by figures such as Coach Mark Spencer: “Robert cares about what he does but doesn’t need the fanfare to go along with it – he just buckles down and gets to work.  He also has the keen understanding that hard work doesn’t stop when a measure of success is achieved.  That awareness has led him to honors academically and in his swimming experiences.”  Meets are Amundson’s favorite parts of the swimming season since, as he puts it, “practices kind of suck—I think everyone can agree on that—and just having a chance at a meet to see how much you improved from all that hard work is really rewarding.” Amundson attributed Coaches Patricia Batchelor and Mark Spencer as integral components to his success in the pool, remarking, “They both supported me in my training, and they’re the two people who kind of made me switch over from “sprinting” (short distance races) to more mid-distance, which is what I was good at and I didn’t know it, but they knew it, so I’d say they’ve been the most influential in my swimming career.”  Amundson chiefly competes in the 200 meter Freestyle and the 500 meter Freestyle, but also enjoys swimming backstrokes and relay races. Recently, he committed to swim at Bates College. When asked about what drew him to Bates, he shared, “I liked the idea of something in the Northeast, and then maybe a little bit smaller, so the NESCAC schools kind of fit into that bracket. Visiting all these schools, Bates is the one that gave me the best vibe and the one where I connected with the people on the team the best.” Marred by the presence of COVID, Amundson’s recruitment wasn’t an easy process: “[COVID] had a pretty big impact on all of [the recruitment process]. When I was getting recruited to all these schools it was based on everything I did sophomore year, and I had nothing to show for the past two years. With the way the window works, by the end of this season, with my swim times this year it will already be too late to be recruited. So yeah, that was pretty frustrating, because going to Deerfield I couldn’t get in any meets last year.”  Besides swimming, Amundson was a member of Varsity Football’s 2019 and 2021 Mike Silipo Bowl winning teams. Additionally, he plays JV Lacrosse in the Spring, is a proctor on Doubleday III, and expresses his love for the River by helping to lead the popular tradition “Shriv at the Riv.” Co-proctor Connor Olson ’22 spoke of Amundson’s second-to-none “buy in” attitude: “Robert is always down to hike to the Rock, run to the Greer, or DJ in the common room; he continues to show our hall and everyone at the school how Deerfield can be such a fun and spirited place.” His impact on the next generation of Deerfield students is a positive one as shared by Nick Gold ’25 who said, “Although he might get angry sometimes when I don’t brush my teeth on time or when I’m blasting music, he will always be a person I look up to.”

Historically, women have endured a long battle to secure gender equality within fitness gyms. During the 1960s, women had to fight the argument that their bodies couldn’t “handle” exercise. By the 1970s and 1980s, women were encouraged to achieve a “lean and long” body while avoiding any muscle-building activity. It was not until the 1990s that muscles on women had become socially acceptable.  Unfortunately, the Deerfield community is still working toward holistic gender equality in the gym. The second floor of the gym, where all the cardio machines are located, has been nicknamed “the girls’ floor,” while the weight room downstairs bears the overwhelming presence of men. However, Avery Izzo ’24 and Lila DeLuca ’24 have been breaking down this divide, spearheading the new DA Girls Weightlifting Club.  “The DA Girls’ Weightlifting Club is a community of girls who inspire, support, and encourage each other in the weight room,” explained Izzo. The club meets a few times a week during mornings, after school, and even on weekends. “Whether we’re doing the same lift or doing our own individual workouts, we aim to increase the presence of female athletes in the weight room,” she added. “The Girls’ Lifting Club is less like a club and more a community of girls who have lifted in the past or are trying something new,” said DeLuca.  Recognizing the gender split within the gym, Izzo said, “When I came to Deerfield this year as a new sophomore, I heard a lot of girls were scared to pick up weights or felt like they would be judged by males if they went below the cardio deck. The conception that ‘girls are weak’ or that ‘girls should look skinny’ devalues the heart of our community and contributes to the fear that girls may have of lifting weights.” She added, “As someone who has found lifting to be empowering, I was saddened by this.”  DeLuca said, “Mainly, I wanted to be able to share my love for lifting amongst other girls at DA, especially considering the amount of female athletes that had demonstrated their desire to start lifting but were unsure where to start or were scared to lift in front of a gym of men.” She continued, “Even though the weightroom is technically open to all students on campus, there still seems to be a lingering stigma that it belongs to the male athletes on campus.” She added, “Personally, I have found it challenging to lift solo in the gym when it is packed with guys.” Izzo and DeLuca were inspired to create the club to empower women and foster inclusivity within the gym–two goals they hope to see realized in their time at Deerfield. Izzo said, “I believe fitness has the power to drive social change, build confidence and self-efficacy, and strengthen communities. Fitness should be safe, affirming, inclusive, and equitable for all people.” Further reflecting, Izzo described the club as “ a great group of welcoming girls whose presence really makes a difference no matter your experience with lifting. It brings me so much joy and positivity for the future of females involved in sports.”   Despite the feats that Izzo and DeLuca are achieving, holistic gender equality within the gym requires a community-wide effort.  Morgan Giardina ’22, a member of the club, shared, “I definitely think there is a stigma around girls in the gym, perpetuated by both guys and girls alike,” adding, “the more girls in the gym, the more normal it becomes, and the less of a stigma there is.” As the DA Girls’ Weightlifting Club continues to lead the movement towards gender equality within the gym, the larger Deerfield community can also support and bolster the presence of girls within the gym.  DeLuca concluded by saying, “I remember my freshman year, when senior girls lifting in the gym would smile and wave to me–it made me feel so much more welcome and included in the space,” adding, “acknowledging others girls in the gym goes a long way; kindness spreads.” To learn more about the DA Girl’s Weightlifting Club, follow their instagram @girlsliftingatda.

“When you do something for so long, it molds into who you are” – Antonia Forero Wise. Compassionate. Trustworthy. Dependable. These are all words which have been used to describe Antonia Forero ’22, an accomplished and hardworking leader of the Deerfield Dance Program.  Forero started dancing at the age of three when her parents enrolled her in ballet classes; however, dance did not become a passion of hers until she was eight years old, having just switched studios. “That’s when I started working to get better at dancing instead of just dancing for my parents,” she said. Eager to take advantage of any opportunity allowing her to pursue dance at Deerfield, Forero has been a member of the Advanced Tutorial Ensemble, the dance co-curricular program, Saturday ballet classes, and private coaching sessions with Deerfield dance faculty. Throughout her childhood, Forero found ballet to be her primary style as it is the dance form in which she is most proficiently trained; however, at Deerfield, she has experimented with other dance mediums and has come to love contemporary.  When asked about her passion for ballet, Forero shared, “I like how [ballet is] precise and there is a right or wrong. Even though you can make it yours and give it your own flair, there is a technique that is still there which can be learned and if you practice, you can get it right.” Forero added, “Ballet also has a certain repetition– every class you know you are going to have specific exercises, and knowing that is good for me.” Forero has also explored choreography at Deerfield, creating dances that reflect her dual strength in contemporary and ballet styles. Last spring, Forero choreographed “Confessions,” inspired by group contemporary dances from the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). Most recently, in celebration of the theme of “belonging” on Deerfield’s MLK Day celebration, Forero choreographed “Bigger,” alongside Elena Zhao ’22, Morgan Weitzell ’23, and Natasha Steinert ’23.  When describing the choreography process, Forero explained how the choreographers split the Advanced Tutorial Ensemble into smaller groups to begin establishing the different sections of the piece. Forero helped draw on key imagery from the smaller dance sections to build the chorus part of the dance and make the performance look coherent. In order to clearly show that the dance was rooted in belonging, the choreographers also worked to incorporate a stunt in which it was clear that all of the dancers were on stage and working together to make the movement happen. When discussing her experience working with Forero for the MLK dance piece, Weitzell said, “[Forero] really stepped up and was really good at leading the work as well as being very organized. She’s very responsible, creative, and easy to work with. She’s always there for everyone and is a very helpful, loving, and sweet person” Director of Dance Jennifer Whitcomb said,  “In every way possible, [Forero] has contributed to the dance program at Deerfield both as a dancer and choreographer. She is doing amazing work as a choreographer, contributing strong leadership, and she is a very accomplished ballerina.” Another important performance for Forero was her role as the Sugarplum Fairy in a Nutcracker back in Colombia, her home country. She vividly remembers performing in her old studio’s Christmas show at a public park in front of an audience of more than 3,000 people, and the feeling of professionalism as she danced onstage. Forero reflected on the immense impact dance has had on her ability to form connections with those around her, saying, “When I was younger, I was really quiet, so I think part of the reason I started liking dance was when I was able to perform more. It became a way for me to be on stage and interact with people, starting relationships and conversations without having to make that much of an effort.”  Forero emphasized that dancing has also allowed her to learn the skills of hard work, goal- setting, and dedication. A turning point in Forero’s dance journey was when she did not pass an audition to move up to the next dance level at her studio in Columbia. Determined to succeed, Forero put the responsibility on herself to train with her teacher during winter break and take more classes, and she ultimately passed after re-auditioning at the end of the break. “That was one of those experiences that shaped me, where everyone told me to let it go, and instead, I didn’t and kept going,” she said. Forero shared, “I feel like dance is a marker for me. It has become part of my identity and has become fused into who I am because I’m involved in it so much.”  At Deerfield, Forero has not only been able to pursue her passion for dance, but has also allowed herself to put school first, serving as a leader of the International Student Alliance, a Head Peer Tutor, a member of the Disciplinary Committee, and a Proctor on Mather 2. Miu Yatsuka ’24, one of Forero’s proctees on Mather 2, shared, “[Forero] is always willing to put other people as a priority. For [Forero], even if she is going through college applications, she takes time and puts others first.” Ms. Whitcomb added, “[Forero] distinguishes herself with her kindness, human decency, and her compassion for other people. She always puts the needs of the greater good before her own and is constantly concerned for the welfare of others. She has figured out that giving things to other people does not diminish her, but rather strengthens her.” She concluded, “She is more of a co-director than just a student.” Going forward, Forero is hoping to choreograph a light-hearted contemporary quartet for the Spring Showcase, as well as a solo rooted in an edgy combination of contemporary and ballet for the Senior Showcase. She is determined to pursue ballet training and choreography in college by joining a university company, while prioritizing her academic studies.  “I feel like Deerfield has helped me see that I can do everything: that I can put school first which is what I’ve always wanted to do while pursuing dance,” Forero said. “Deerfield has done a good job of incorporating [dance] into my life in a way where now I’m sure that I want to continue dancing in college.” Forero’s kindness has touched the hearts of many Deerfield community members and her immense impact on the Deerfield dance program will forever be cherished.

Over the upcoming Long Winter Weekend, members of Deerfield’s Advanced Chamber Music and Advanced Vocal Ensemble will have the opportunity to perform their very own concert at Carnegie Hall, one of the most renowned performance halls in the world.  Throughout the entirety of fall and winter term, chamber musicians and vocalists have been working tirelessly to perfect their repertoire, and classes have been centered around preparing for the Carnegie Hall performance. Andy Chen ’25 explained that his chamber group has planned to meet seven times, not including the class period every other day, to work together on their piece in the two weeks before the concert. For musicians and the music department faculty alike, Carnegie Hall holds special importance as a musically and culturally iconic venue. Music Director Thomas Bergeron recalls that “For me, I have a pretty close relationship with Carnegie Hall, because when I was living in New York, I was in residence there for three years. For me personally, it really has a lot of significance in my career, and some of the most memorable performances of my life happened in that space.” Meanwhile, Chamber violinist Daphne Huang ‘25 admits that she still has a hard time processing that she is going to perform in Carnegie Hall. When asked about what the concert personally means to her, Huang responded that “there’s nothing quite like performing in a place that makes you sound really good and makes you want to play more, and there’s nothing quite like wanting to play more as a musician.” Another meaningful aspect of the upcoming Carnegie Hall concert is that various Deerfield alumni musicians will be performing alongside the current chamber musicians and vocalists, including Amy Kang ’05, Sean Yu ’18, Helen Feng ’20, and Christina Li ’20. These alumni have and continue to serve as role models to current Deerfield musicians.  Chamber music student Angel Zhou ’22 said, “I’m especially excited for the alumni…I’m a big Christina Li fan, and she has been an inspiration since my sophomore year.” According to Mr. Bergeron, the crossing over of alumni and current musicians represents a valuable opportunity for students to “see a life in music beyond Deerfield” and “honor distinguished alumni of Deerfield Academy who are pursuing careers in music.”.  As the concert becomes more imminent, difficulties such as COVID-19 have increasingly affected the musicians’ preparation. At least one member has recently tested positive for COVID-19, which has significantly challenged the groups as chamber music is an inherently interactive experience. Mr. Bergeron admits that this is a major challenge, but also believes that “Deerfield students are resilient.” Moving forward, the musicians will continue to put in their greatest efforts to prepare for the upcoming concert.

The popular movie “Don’t Look Up,” written and directed by Adam McKay, has fostered widespread conversation within the United States government and general society, specifically in regards to the current climate crisis. The movie has hit record-breaking numbers, becoming the 3rd most-watched movie of all time within the first 28 days of its release, according to Deadline. Despite its somewhat comedic nature, it has generated much controversy amongst its audience. With a stacked cast that includes Leonardo Dicaprio, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Timothee Chalamet, and Ariana Grande, the movie set high expectations in early De- cember when it first premiered on Netflix. A plot that seems seemingly basic continues to entertain. In the film, astrologists Dr. Mindy (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and Kate Dibiasky (played by Jennifer Lawrence) discover a meteorite coming for Earth within 6 months. In spite of their efforts, both scientists fail to gain public support in responding to the cri- sis. President Janie Orlean (played by Meryl Streep) and politician Ja- son Orlean (played by Jonah Hill) fixate on the rich materials present in the meteorite rather than the imminent prospect of humanity’s extinction. The film also features Peter Isherwall, an interesting character representing the richest in the world, such as Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg, and the vital role that they play in American society. The film’s popularity comes in part from the controversial opinions surrounding it. Disagreements have arisen concerning the theme behind the plot and the quality of the film. Deerfield environmental science teachers Toby Emerson and Rich Calhoun assigned “Don’t Look Up” as homework for their classes. Mr. Calhoun said, “[“Don’t Look Up”] is an effective social mirror because when it’s held up to an individual we see in the allegory some issue that we value.” When viewers attempt to pull meaning from the plot, the most prevalent topics in their lives are typically seen as paralleled in this “allegory.” This may explain why so many viewers regard “Don’t Look Up” as satire targeted towards the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, Zoe Gavros ’23 said, “I thought it was about COVID-19 and making fun of the political issues surrounding it.” Director Adam McKay has since spoken out against this hypothesis, explaining that the film was first written in 2018, prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. Aside from its intent, the film compellingly raises discussions that are critical to the current century. “Don’t Look Up” has received consistent criticism regarding its portrayal of the plot and main theme of climate change. Due to its high-status cast, the movie had a reputation to live up to, and when expectations were not met for some, critics expressed harsh reviews; for instance, the popular movie review website Rotten Tomatoes rated the movie 45% “rotten.” On a similar note, Emma Gurnell ’22 said after watching “Don’t Look Up’’ for her sustain- ability class, “I enjoyed the comedy of it, it just wasn’t what I expected it to be.” Although movie reviewers have shaped a negative narrative surrounding the film, the controversy has only increased the popularity of the film and therefore produced a larger audience. Personally, after having “Don’t Look Up” assigned as homework for my AP Environmental Science class with Mr. Calhoun, I found the film beneficial and conducive towards contemporary conversations surrounding climate change. Analyzing the film in class and engaging in numerous conversa- tions in my dorm, I have gained a new perspective on the message of climate change. Mr. Calhoun claimed, “This movie will definitely impact the film industry,” especially given that Adam McKay is already writing and planning the release of his next climate-related film. Whether or not you like the portrayal of the movie, “Don’t Look Up” is worth watching due to the conversations it fosters and the importance of its theme.

We’ve all been there: it’s 8:20 a.m., you have five minutes to leave for your first period class, and you still don’t know what you’re going to wear. The clock is ticking, and everything in your closet is terribly mediocre. But what if you had access to inexpensive, sustainable items of clothing that were made to fit you perfectly and could bring you automatic confidence? Students on campus have been exploring fashion design in order to do just that. Maddie Bialek ’23 has always loved creating things with her hands, such as building miniature models of dollhouses, but she only began making clothes during the COVID-19 quarantine of her freshman spring. Though the lockdown meant that buying materials would be more difficult, it also tested her creativity, and she ultimately made a dress out of an old sheet she had at home. Since then, she’s created a successful platform on Depop, an online fashion marketplace, selling her handmade corsets. Bialek has also had one of her clothing items featured in a New York Times article titled “Parsing American Style”. Additionally, she is currently constructing an AP Photography portfolio examining the ways in which people mirror their environments using clothing that she personally designed. Bialek initially started off by tracing some items she already owned to create sewing patterns, which are paper templates of pieces of the desired product. When describing the designing process, she also recommended tracing cut up segments of older or thrifted clothes, “just to see what the shapes look like and how it’s put together.” Now, Bialek creates her own patterns completely from scratch by draping fabric on mannequins. Making these patterns plays an integral role in one of Bialek’s favorite parts of the design process, which is witnessing her projects transform from sketches into tangible pieces by “bringing something on paper into 3-D existence.” Most of the fabrics Bialek uses are thrifted or deadstock materials. Due to the current climate crisis, she tries to make her process as sustainable as possible, and strives to remain conscious of the overall environmental impact of the fashion industry. For Bialek, another notable benefit of making her own clothes is becoming more conscious of where her items came from and how they were made. She explained, “I think it’s really valuable to be able to know where a piece of clothing came from to have a more honest and ethical connection with it.” Bialek explained how such a connection can influence someone’s general feelings or attitude when wearing a particular item, saying, “When you wear some- thing that you made for yourself versus something somebody else made for you, it feels really different and way better, because it can be fitted to you and personalized.” Though she has many accomplishments under her belt, Bialek has had to face a fair amount of trial and error during her fashion design process. She said, “A lot of times I make things and then they get stuffed in a bag under my table, or taken apart and remade, so it’s not always perfect the first time.” Charlotte Halpin ’23 began sewing in eighth grade, originally captivated by the concept of thrift flipping. Soon after, she tried experimenting with making clothes completely from scratch, and became hooked on the total independence she could enjoy during the process, as well as the opportunity to challenge herself to “make crazy, cool, and complicated pieces.” Halpin is interested in fashion because “it is an expression of who you are as a person.” She believes “clothing is a visual representation of your history and your background.” Though she originally focused on creating practical items for herself, Halpin has taken a more freeform approach to design this past year by expanding her idea of fashion to include items that are not necessarily meant to be worn. Through this new perspective, Halpin shared, “[the design process] has turned much more into a kind of art for me” and is “much more fun than it was when I only made things I could wear.” Sewing clothes has boosted Halpin’s confidence in multiple ways. Despite the struggles she may face in other aspects of life, she said, “It’s really nice to have something like sewing that I can always turn to and know I’ll be good at.” She added, “I think the feeling of wearing something you’ve made is similar to when you wear your favorite item of clothing; you feel comfortable and confident… If you’ve completed something right and did a really good job making it, it’s the best feeling in the world to wear it.” Last spring Halpin started Charkinis, a custom bikini business that quickly gained popularity on campus. She described, “Walking around on spring day and seeing so many people in my bikinis was really cool.” Halpin also recommends that other students try out starting their own clothing or garment businesses, as it is “a fun way to meet new people.” She added, “I think it’s just so fun to make it social.” Ella Foulkes ’22 has also racked up quite a few years of sewing experience. Her older sister introduced her to the craft in 2016. Since then, Foulkes has made items using thrifted items from scratch, and has even knitted a few pieces. Foulkes appreciates the ability to pursue sewing in the form of focused projects, while enjoying knitting as more of a casual pastime, though both serve as significant creative outlets for her. Foulkes recognized intimidation as an important factor that prevents people from trying out sewing, saying, “When you first get into sewing there will be some tricky spots and sometimes, the language can be kind of intimidating.” She said, however, “Once you get going, it’s really just following directions.. after you kind of get a handle on that, you can start getting more creative.” Foulkes emphasized that sewing does not necessarily have to be a full-day endeavor: “I’ve drastically altered pieces in just a couple hours, and made something that I was just never wearing into something that I could wear every day.” Fashion design offers uniquely personalized ways in which students can express themselves all while being environmentally and economically sustainable. Who knows? Maybe everyone on campus could benefit from picking up a needle and thread every so often. For those who may be fostering a new found interest in clothing design, Bialek’s fashion club meets every Monday from 6:00pm to 7:30pm in the iLab.

While student diversity has historically been a significant marker of a school’s inclusiveness, diversity of faculty also plays a prominent role in shaping the student experience, especially in an immersive boarding school. Director of Office for Inclusion and Community Life Steven Lee said, “It’s important that the faculty in some regards reflects the student diversity. Studies have shown that if students share the same cultural background with faculty members, they feel more comfortable in classrooms and actually learn better.” The federally enacted Equal Employment Opportunity Commission requires Deerfield to collect data on identity markers, including the sex, race, and ethnicity of faculty members at the point of hire. According to reported data, Deerfield has 158 faculty members (including full-time teachers, administrators, part-time teachers, and non-teaching faculty) during the 2021-2022 school year. Out of the 158 total faculty members, there are 78 female-identifying faculty members and 75 male-identifying faculty members. 128 members (83.6%) are white, and 25 members (16.33%) are people of color. Without double-counting, there are 9 (5.8%) faculty who identify as Asian American, 6 (3.92%) who identify as African American, 6 (3.92%) who identify as Hispanic or Latino, and 4 (2.61%) who identify as multiracial. According to the Associate Dean of Faculty, Abe Wehmiller, this data, however, “doesn’t paint a complete picture” when it comes to faculty diversity. He noted that the reporting mechanisms do not fully capture, for instance, a person’s gender or racial and ethnic identities. “When you ask people to self-identify,” Mr. Wehmiller said, “There are people who self-identify in different ways that may not be reflected in the methods we currently [use to] measure diversity… So we’re not necessarily going to be working with reliable data. That’s something we — and many other institutions — are working on.” Under the 2021 Strategic Plan for Inclusion, Deerfield Academy aims to foster a community that “values and affirms the distinct identities and differences of each person.” With regard to faculty members, though the Strategic Plan does not establish a specific quota, the Office for Inclusion and Community Life has been focusing upon four major pillars to evaluate and increase faculty diversity. Ensuring a large and diverse applicant pool : Under the EEOC guidelines, applicants are not required to provide information about markers of identity during the application process — employees only provide the information at the point of hire. As a result, Mr. Wehmiller said, “We can’t say with 100 percent certainty that we’re doing really well in terms of recruiting a diverse group of applicants for any given position.” To address the issue, the school is considering adding an optional section to its application asking candidates to self-identify. Mr. Wehmiller said, “That’s an ongoing conversation [and] we need to figure out what information we’d want and how to manage that information when we collect it.” Over the past few years, the administration has actively partnered with different faculty sourcing firms to broaden its application pool. For example, the school regularly utilizes Carney Sandoe and Associates, a Boston-based independent schools sourcing firm, and NEMNET, a firm dedicated to recruiting underrepresented minorities. Mr. Wehmiller said, “We communicate with these firms about what we’re looking for in all our searches, including our goals to further diversify our faculty.” Hiring culturally competent faculty : As potential candidates arrive on campus for their final interview, Mr. Lee and Mr. Wehmiller interview them, with a specific focus upon their cultural competency, aptitude for inclusion, and experience with diversity. Candidates are asked questions such as “Talk to us about your experience with issues of diversity and inclusion in your current role.” and “What have you not gotten to do yet that you’re interested in doing in terms of diversity and inclusion?” Other questions range from “Give us an example of a time when you’ve been able to create a meaningful relationship with a student from a different background.” to “When you have done something that didn’t go right, how did you move forward and learn from it?” Mr. Lee emphasized the significance of hiring culturally competent faculty, explaining that if a diversity, equity, and inclusion-related incident happens in the classroom, two types of injuries can occur. The student may feel disrespected and emotionally hurt by the comment but “oftentimes, the fact that the adult [in the room] doesn’t do or say anything to address the incident is actually more harmful because impacted students may doubt if they can trust the adult to intervene on their behalf in the future.” Increasing cultural competency in hired faculty Although Deerfield has not formally held cultural competency training for all faculty members, Mr. Lee said that “the school actually has to have the right conditions in order to hold serious conversations [on controversial topics]… It requires a lot more preparation and infrastructure than [people] might imagine… You need to have enough adults on campus who are comfortable themselves engaging in such conversations, and the school must develop teachers’ ability to facilitate those discussions in a safe and productive manner.” The school seeks to establish these infrastructures through relaunching its hire of the Dean of Teaching and Learning. Currently, Mr. Lee is in charge of diversity within student life, while Mr. Wehmiller is in charge of diversity within faculty members. Last year, the school tried to hire a third person, the Dean of Teaching and Learning, who would work with Mr. Lee and Mr. Wehmiller to coordinate professional development. The Dean of Teaching and Learning would essentially be in charge of events such as anti-bias training and increasing cultural competency. Though Deerfield was not able to hire a Dean of Teaching and Learning last year, it is continuing the search this year. Supporting faculty of color who are hired: Currently, no formal structures exist at Deerfield that are specifically designed to support faculty of color. However, according to Mr. Wehmiller, “Those discussions about how we can be more inclusive and supportive, even when they’re not formal, are happening in small pockets all the time.” The school’s goal, then, “is to create structures to make sure that work happens reliably and consistently.” For example, this school year, ten faculty members participated in the National Association for In- dependent Schools People of Color Conference in December and attended various workshops and presentations on inclusion. In addition, following the suggestion of Science Teacher James Perry, faculty and staff members who identified as Black or African American gathered as an affinity group for dinner together during the fall term. Although the group didn’t have a concrete plan for what was going to happen at the event, Mr. Wehmiller said, “We didn’t want the fact that we didn’t have a plan to stop us from taking the initial step.” After the success of the first affinity dinner, Black and African American faculty members have agreed to continue the dinner series again during this winter term and the upcoming spring term. “If that’s something that black faculty enjoyed, and felt supported in, then that may be something that other affinity groups on campus would like to do,” said Mr. Wehmiller, “We can get together regularly and talk about something more serious.” Mr. Wehmiller suggested that, in the future, the school might be interested in exploring affinity and alliances for faculty members to create more safe spaces. For now, Mr. Wehmiller and Mr. Lee’s main goal this year is to “meet new people” since “diversity work is all about building relationships and forming trust.”

Dear Reader, Similar to many other seniors, I’ve stumbled upon a slightly startling number: 132–the number of days left until Commencement on Sunday, May 29th. Recalling last May, I remember the sentimental farewells and last-minute hugs, all under a downpour of unexpected rain. Now, looking ahead, I wonder what that momentous day will look like for me. Will I leave hoping I had done more during my time at Deerfield, or will I be more reminiscent of the memories I’ve made? Furthermore, I wonder what commencement will feel like as a collective; albeit a dramatic question, how might the Class of 2022 say goodbye, meaningfully, to the Valley?  In those speculative moments, I think, with much romanticized, high-school cliché, of Ferris Bueller’s quote: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Experiencing my first ‘lasts’ as a senior, I can’t help but to agree with Bueller–our lives here are “fast”, and, indeed, we ought to consider stopping once in a while, simply to “look around.”  To me, this process looks like documenting, without bias, my everyday Deerfield life through my lens. Slowly, but surely, I’ve come to create a photo album filled with scenes from chilly Saturday night walks, friends picking up DoorDash deliveries in the snow, early mornings in the Koch, attempts at solving challenging integrals, feedback on essays, Scroll group chat screenshots, and Cloud Atlas annotations. The pixels are stubborn and refuse to follow any set pattern. Some depict joyful moments in which one can only hear laughs through the Live Photo, while in others there is only the sound of writing amidst early morning Dining Hall ambience. As I compose each photo, I pause to consider the Deerfield around me, from the faces that fill my composition to the lighting that illuminates my favorite campus spots.  At the Scroll , we’ve also continued in our 97 year tradition of documenting Deerfield life. In both our recently published COVID-19 broadsheet and this issue, we’ve focused our reportage not only on COVID-19’s rippling effects throughout campus, but also on the most recent developments and conversations. On the Opinion page, you’ll hear voices ranging from Lillian Regal’s perspective on DA’s current culture surrounding COVID-19 to Wyatt Browne’s call for further political discourse. Turning the page, News articles span topics from the recent construction on the Simmons dorm to Deerfield’s plan for COVID testing. Under Features, our writers unpack events from MLK day to visiting Professor Edward J. Hall’s philosophy lecture.  In Arts and Sports, our artists and athletes of the issue are featured alongside articles spotlighting student fashion design and girls’ weightlifting. Reader, whether this is your final, first, or tenth year in the Valley, I invite you to pause and document your everyday life at Deerfield. From seemingly mundane details to moments of celebration, let us recognize and capture our “fast” paced lives, perhaps not only for Bueller’s fear of “missing it” but also such that we can ensure future opportunities for ourselves to reflect upon the memories.  If, by chance, you discover an original, captivating story about the Valley, of any size or length, we at the Scroll earnestly encourage you to join us. As always, we are here to listen, report, and authentically document our ever- evolving Deerfield.  My Best, Tony He 何程林

The vast majority of Deerfield students have, in one way or another, encountered the Accountability Point (AP) system.  As the current process stands, with each AP a student receives, both their faculty advisor and dorm resident receive a notification email that outlines the basic details of the student’s “violation.” At this point, it is up to faculty discretion to determine how to proceed. Some faculty may reach out — a quick email or post-check-in chat — while others might choose to disregard the AP notice. Though parents and advisors receive memorandums by email after a student reaches Level 1 and 2 restrictions, dialogue is only formally initiated when a student reaches Level 3 Restrictions. But why wait to make sure that students are okay? We propose a new system. The school’s rules should place more emphasis on consistent check-ins on students’ well-being as they accrue AP’s. A standardized — yet compassionate — approach would succeed where our current model fails. We don’t suggest that a check-in occurs after each AP-notification email. But we could revise the notifications that faculty and dorm residents receive — to, say, prompt them to write a check-in email after three consecutive missed commitments. Perhaps it is only after those three consecutive missed obligations that a notification should be sent in the first place. Of course, three is an arbitrary number; a better number might be two, or four, but the point remains. We might think more radically and imagine a fully student-oriented, student-centric reform of the Accountability Point system. Take “restrictions study hall,” two-hour work periods held on Friday nights as Deerfield’s version of detention. The message is clear: if you don’t want to work on a Friday night, don’t miss required events and activities. But impersonal punishment neglects the needs of students who are already struggling and feeds into a broader detachment between students and the school’s systems of support. Why expect any real help from a school from which you’re accustomed to receiving punishment? Perhaps, in conjunction with restrictions study hall, students who accumulate a certain number of APs should be obligated to meet with their advisor or another trusted adult to honestly reflect on their experiences and to make concrete steps toward improvement. Throughout the process, however, the school’s attitude — as conveyed by dorm residents and advisors to administrators in the Student Life Office — to students who are “in trouble” must place the student’s well-being first and punishment second. We don’t want to undermine the importance of responsible decision-making, and we don’t  want a repeat of the “Honor System,” a short-lived experiment which, in the spring of 2014, ditched AP’s and let students run wild. And we acknowledge that much of the motivation behind the current AP system is in giving students the freedom to skip commitments — the freedom to “spend” AP’s — and that many do.  But it is dangerous to assume that, when students fail to meet obligations, they have really only decided to “spend” a few of their AP’s. Most students don’t skip class “just for fun” or “just because they can.” Missing classes and other obligations can lead to further mental health burdens, perhaps due to falling behind on material, and is rarely pleasant. Missed obligations often indicate a deeper problem; greater dialogue about AP’s is a way for the school to recognize these problems before they fester. We don’t want students to fall through the cracks.

This fall, Sekou Roland ’22 joined Deerfield for a postgraduate year. A star on the football field and a valuable community member off of it, Roland has been an integral part of Varsity Football’s successful season.  Roland has been playing football since he was four years old. Before Deerfield, he attended The Haverford School, an all-boys school in Philadelphia, then Cox Mill High School in North Carolina, where he played for two years. One of his favorite hobbies, especially back home in North Carolina, is fishing. As a postgraduate, he loves Philosophy and Religion Teacher JanMr. Flaska’s Religions of the World class, and, of course, being a part of Deerfield’s football team. Roland said, “There’s a lot of leadership on our team. Cooper, Jeff, Elic Ayomanor ’22 and Joe do a great job of leading our team.” While he held leadership positions on previous teams, Roland mentioned that he greatly appreciates the dynamic this year’s captains have created.  Roland primarily lines up on defense. He has played both middle and outside linebacker this season with the Big Green. In his first game, against Lawrenceville, he recorded an interception in Deerfield’s 49-7 win. Since then, he has been racking up tackles and sacks, making defensive plays, and being a leader in ways that aren’t visible to spectators. Varsity Football Assistant Coach Raymond DeMartino said “[Roland]  leads by how he practices. He gives great effort during practice and plays hard,” adding that he “shows the younger kids how you should play.” Coach DeMartino also noted that “he’s got a great football IQ, [and] he’s got great instincts.”  Roland is currently committed to the admissions process at Princeton University, where he plans to play football, although he has not yet finalized these plans with a signature. When asked about his journey to being a committed athlete, he said, “I came here to play football; I was coming in here with 0 offers and picked up offers over the summer.” Roland received offers from multiple Division 1 and Ivy League football programs, including Lehigh and Brown University. Coach DeMartino concluded about Roland’s future, “I think the sky is the limit.” Roland has a nagging shoulder injury that has been hindering him slightly, but if he can get fully healthy, Coach DeMartino believes Sekou has even more potential to tap into. We wish Sekou the best of luck as he continues his football career, wherever it may take him.

After a year of take-out meals and packaged sit-down lunches, Deerfield has returned to its traditional way of dining: self-served walkthrough and waited sit-down meals. Last year, most meals were packaged into compostable take-out boxes and served by Dining Hall staff. This year, however, students have the choice to decide how much food is on their plate. Although last year’s take-out meals may have been convenient and time-friendly, they brought to light the full extent of food wastage at Deerfield. Under usual dining circumstances, “the Dining Hall forecasts the amount of food that is made every day,” Director of Food Services Michael McCarthy said. The Dining Hall uses a particular database to calculate the ratio of the amount of food made for each meal to the amount of food consumed. Because students often return for seconds or thirds of popular meals such as buffalo chicken sandwiches, the dining hall must make more food to accommodate the need.  Mr. McCarthy explained, “The most important thing really, is to manage how much you make,” and in order to do so, the Dining Hall constantly updates their data to ensure enough food is made to feed everyone and simultaneously keep the food waste to a minimum. However, last year, due to COVID-19, the Dining Hall was unable to accurately update its data. Because everyone who walked through the Parker Room line was served the same amount of food, the food wastage problem was much more severe compared to this year. Grace Stone ’22 commented, “This year’s [dining method] is much better because the pre-made portions from last year didn’t take into account how each individual has different needs.” Stone also emphasized how “unfinished food was usually thrown out as hall fridges were restricted for a while.” Food wastage also largely increased last year since the practice of reserving unfinished meals was suspended as a COVID precaution. However, even this year, sit-down meals contribute greatly to food wastage. Angel Zhou ’22 said, “I think sit-down meals generate more food waste than normal walk-through meals, just because of the large serving portions and the table head serving everyone.”  In an effort to make use of excess food from Sunday sit-down meals, every Monday, Deerfield heats up around 100 portions of food to be taken to St. James Church in Greenfield. Koko Akpan ’23 added, “I know that [some of the food] from sit-down meals gets put to the next walkthrough meal which means it’s less waste rather than serving [the food] once and throwing it out.”  Mr. McCarthy shared that, besides controlling how much food is served for the students during take-out meals last year and sit-down meals this year, “the main part of our food waste issue is students taking food that they don’t eat.” He also said, “You’ll see somebody take a bite out of a bagel and throw it out during Snack Time,” and showed an image of the conveyor belt, on which were barely touched plates of food. Mary Lee ’23 added, “When I go to the conveyor belt, I almost always see food that is half-eaten.” Deerfield not only tries to be more environmentally friendly by decreasing the amount of food waste, but also by decreasing its carbon footprint by sourcing from local sellers as much as possible. Mr. McCarthy shared that “dried goods such as flour and canned tomatoes mostly come from California while produce that is in season such as corn and apples are sourced from local farms.” He added that Deerfield considers any food items acquired from within a 250-mile radius as “locally sourced.” Deerfield also works with local farms and the Community Development Corporation in order to decrease the harmful impact of food transportation on the environment. This year, Deerfield started buying milk from Maple Line Farm in South Hadley after meeting with the owner over the summer.  The Community Development Corporation is a place where farmers can store unsold produce after a large harvest. They offer space and machinery for rent where farmers can make Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) produce. The produce is blanched while raw and fresh then cooled immediately, which locks in the freshness of the product.  Mr. McCarthy said, “We buy some things out of season from the community Development Corp that we know local farmers use.”  Not only is Deerfield trying to decrease environmental impact, but it’s also trying to alleviate the amount of work for the Dining Hall staff. Mr. McCarthy and the Dining program aim to utilize the school’s resources as efficiently as possible to decrease the amount of food waste.  Acknowledging that there are people who suffer from food insecurity, Mr. McCarthy concluded that “Deerfield should think about what we eat and [we] should recognize how lucky we are to have all the food.”