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In How Democracies Die , political scientists Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way argue that the health and stability of American democracy depend on the “understanding that competing parties accept one another as legitimate rivals” — on mutual tolerance. However, in recent years, participants in political discourse mistake an opposing argument’s perceived incorrectness for illegitimacy. Unfortunately, “your opinion is wrong” is being substituted by “you can’t possibly be right.” Even the most righteous and well-supported viewpoint must accept objections, because the process of tolerance and free speech is important. Tolerance fails when we refuse to acknowledge the variety of moral foundations, and instead argue that anyone who supports a stance contrary to our preferences is either misguided or simply immoral. Jonathan Haidt and Craig Joseph pioneered a theory that relates political disagreements to fundamental values. Care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and sanctity motivate people to support certain stances, though some may prioritize certain values over others when they come into conflict. Liberals might hear “authority” and suspect oppressive motives, while conservatives might hear “fairness” and fear communist implications.  In these cases, outright condemnation is incredibly dangerous because it turns a political conflict into an attack on an opponent’s character, activating defense mechanisms and making amendments more difficult to accept. Condemnation turns discourse into a moral battleground, where we prop ourselves up only by pushing our opponents down, instead of a collaborative exchange. Progressive activism can be prone to abandoning its aspirational quality in favor of disparaging social conservatives. On the other hand, former President Donald Trump adopted a dangerous authoritarian tactic by labeling critics “enemies of the American people,” a rhetoric that many Republicans implicitly echo.  Condescension is equally dangerous, as it treats an opponent’s argument as trivial and not deserving of respect, creating conversations that fail to broaden our perspectives and merely reinforce mutual hostility. Arguments can be misinformed, immature, or unoriginal, but we often reach this conclusion about opinions too early, without giving them fair consideration. We should always first assume that an opponent has a legitimate argument, and listen to refutations for genuine understanding. While we have different values, and different notions of justice, we can still adopt common values to prop up liberal democratic exchanges. Intellectual humility should be espoused, since a stubborn belief in one’s own inherent correctness stifles the ability to interact on an equal footing with others. Also, we should learn to be comfortable with discomfort, since mutual tolerance requires that we can have actual, profound disagreements without running away from direct interactions altogether. I respect Young Republicans who attend Young Democrats meetings or vice versa, and these students are often happy to absorb and build up discussion, contrary to the stereotype of an aggressively disputatious partisan. I respect those who ask questions simply to field various perspectives, then follow up personally with others from across the spectrum, facilitating and vitalizing discourse.  We should be wary of rhetoric that devalues mutual tolerance. Political polarization, for instance, can contribute to a toxic culture where particular issues are too important and indisputable to the point where tolerance of thought is frequently disbanded. Demagogues or extremists can introduce a perceived threat, purportedly from a specific bogeyman or a different identity group, to activate impulses that seek to defeat the exigent threat, even at the cost of tolerance. Exceptions to tolerance or “do not accept” clauses must be rigorously scrutinized, regardless of how legitimate the premise or innocent the intent, because of the inherent importance of tolerance in a democratic community. I have noticed that Deerfield often self-segregates into liberal, conservative, and apathetic circles when sensitive political topics arise, even while we intermingle in an array of circumstances daily. Intellectual humility and comfort with discomfort is integral to building a campus that is tolerant not only of people but also of thoughts. This is a disposition that can be taught in classes and workshops, fostered by joint club activities, and rehearsed in forums, but it first requires us to acknowledge that our opponents deserve to be heard just as much as us, and that disagreements should be extended and not avoided. Embed these attitudes even into casual, everyday conversations with friends and fellow students, when teachers or activity leaders aren’t there to point out the lack thereof, instead of condemning and condescending when we are socially licensed to. Political discourse happens more often than you would think, in the Dining Hall, on Albany Road, and on Instagram, so recognize moments that call for mutual tolerance.

On Saturday, October 23, Quinn Hampson ‘22 broke the record for the fastest time that a Deerfield Cross Country runner has completed our five-kilometer-long course, with an incredible mark of 15:31. While this was not Hampson’s first broken record as a Deerfield runner, it certainly reflected his continuous development as an athlete and his eventful four-year journey on the Boys Cross Country team. In the words of Head Boys Cross Country Coach, Mr. Sam Morris, Hampson’s ascent to become the top male runner at the school was “meteoric.” Mr. Morris said that in order to excel in running, “you have to put in the work and slowly over time you get better.” As evidenced by Hampson’s progression in cross country and track, he has done just that. Hampson recalled his freshman year at Deerfield when he “started second guessing” himself after underperforming his running expectations coming out of middle school, where he was the fastest runner. During his sophomore year, Hampson suffered a devastating injury that took him out of the New England Championship race in November, following which he became, in his own words, “pretty beaten down.” Mr. Morris and Hampson agree, however, that the COVID-19 pandemic positively impacted Hampson’s training, when he suddenly had extra time he never expected to benefit from. After training hard throughout 2020 and seeing the results during his junior fall of cross country, Hampson decided to pursue track as his spring sport. This decision allowed him to focus on being a runner, which led to a second summer in which he ran hundreds of miles in 2021. Mr. Morris emphasized the importance of annual summer training, saying, “Meaningful improvement can happen when you just plug away steadily over a long period of time.” Hampson added that he has “an immense amount of trust with the coaching staff, that the training that they give me is safe and will give me results at the same time.” Indeed, injuries have somewhat plagued Deerfield cross country over the years, but the general sense now is that things are looking up. Mr. Morris noted that, during Hampson’s time at Deerfield, the culture of the cross country team has seen a tremendous shift in the right direction, which is not a coincidence.  “Quinn is really good at modeling that kind of patient work ethic, consistent work ethic,” said Mr. Morris. Hampson, too, shared a couple of his personal inspirations that have allowed this work ethic to dictate his training and racing mindsets. “I read Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins, which is an incredible book that I would suggest to everybody,” he shared. As our cross country teams wrap up their fall seasons, it is quite obvious that future Deerfield teams will miss Hampson, both on and off the course. However, Deerfield runners, coaches, and fans alike can appreciate the unpredictability of the sport. Running is a long-term sport, and Hampson has demonstrated just how quickly elite runners can develop if they’re willing to put in the work. Hampson plans to continue running for the next four years, as he is currently committed to the admissions process at Tufts University. We wish him all the best as he leaves the Pocumtuck Valley and heads east to become a Jumbo.

Hi Deerfield! In this article we’ll be overviewing the numerous saints and sinners of the concrete jungle commonly found in the Deerfield dorms. Living with a roommate is a very unique experience that describes a tale of respect, awkward wake-up calls and secrets that will never see the light of day. So without further ado, here are the 5 types of roommates you might get at Deerfield academy. Night Owl: While many people emphasize the importance of REM sleep, this person took an oath of vigilance, to never rest until they’ve finished their assignment or TV show as they prepare to doze off in class the next day. They seem to have no sense of volume as they will play music to the maximum setting and act as if their veins are full of 5-hour Energy mixed with Adderall. If you get this roommate you might want to invest in a good set of earplugs and eyemasks if you ever want to get your rest at night. The Person Magnet: This roommate is so popular your room will be converted into the dorm’s unofficial meeting place as people swarm to your room in order to hang out, chat and flirt with your incredibly popular and charismatic roommate. You will never have less than 4 people in your most likely tiny and cramped room. Make it clear to this roommate that you would like your peace and quiet or forever hold your silence as dozens of fans swarm into your room like a horde of incredibly loud ants. Other than that, you do get the perks of being able to make more friends by piggybacking off your roommate’s popularity.  The London Sewage: When you met this person at orientation, they may have seemed like the nicest, gentlest and kindest soul you could ever meet, until you realize living with him is like the teenage boy’s version of living in chernobyl as a haze of sweat, questionable cologne, and rancid odor mixed into an incredibly potent form of radiation swirls in the room. You will fear the very idea of walking into your room as you see used underwear scattered across the floor and weeks-old piles of unwashed socks serving as the person’s sleeping gloves. If you ever get this roommate, pray.  The Ghost:  This person has nothing indicating that they live in your room. They wake up earlier than you and disappear for the whole day until they show up for study hall and to sleep. Even then, you can never form a proper conversation with them as they literally seem to vanish for a few days and come back as if nothing ever happened. If you like having the room to yourself, the Ghost might be the ideal roommate for you. The Saint:  You wonder if this person is like the second coming of Jesus — they bring food, fun and friendship into the dorm like some divine reward for being good in your past life. This roommate always keeps the room stocked with food which is available for you to take to your heart’s desire. They become your best buddy; they will always have your back and keep the room clean and lively at all times. This is the ideal roommate for anyone, and if you are lucky enough to get this roommate,make sure to give the nearest deity a very generous sacrifice.

What is your favorite Netflix show? Oh my goodness. I’m gonna fail this test. It would be more like a documentary: My Octopus Teacher. What’s a fashion trend that you would like to bring back? I’m not really knowledgeable on fashion trends. But the turtleneck sweater is nice in the wintertime. What was the best or worst advice that you’ve ever received? I don’t know, but I’m sure it came from Mr. Scandling. What time do you like to wake up? I wake up early, around 4am. Sometimes at 6, that’s about as late as I go. Maybe 7, if I was up late the night before. What was the last show that you’ve binge watched? Can you binge watch a financial channel? Yeah. Okay, so I binge watch Bloomberg. What are your favorite plants? My favorite plants are going to be pretty much the flowers these days. They would be lavenders and they would be the statice and snapdragons. I’ve got an admiration for flowers. What song or album would you listen to on repeat? Canon in D (Pachelbel’s Canon). What was your favorite subject in high school? Wood shop, industrial arts. With these there was a lot of opportunity to work with your hands. What’s your favorite dessert from the dining hall? Well, it’s, my gosh, creme brulee. If you were to write a textbook what would it be on? I would say that the textbook would be on gardening. And on what aspect, trees, you know, I think that’s my aspiration.

We’ve all been there. After all, crying is a natural response to a lot of emotions, including stress, sadness, and even happiness. However, as a Deerfield student, you may feel the need to keep it together all the time, but that’s not necessary. No matter who you are or what you’re feeling, it’s okay to cry. In fact, it’s even good for you. When you cry, your brain releases oxytocin and other endorphins that can be self-soothing and make you feel better than before. With that being said, as a self-proclaimed expert on this topic, I’m bringing you the top 5 places to cry on campus: Your own room: This one is fairly obvious. You’ve had a bad day, survived three class periods, made it through your co-curric, and kept it together through sit-down. Finally, you’re alone. As your door shuts and you fall face down into your bed, you can finally let it all out. Maybe even call your mom or a friend at home. Personally, I enjoy the privacy aspect of this location. As long as you keep the loud wails and sobs to a minimum, nobody even needs to know about this crying session. Your room is truly the perfect place for those intimate moments that you don’t want anybody else witnessing. Your friend’s room: It’s 2:00 AM on a Saturday night (or, rather, a Sunday morning). You’re sitting in your friend’s room having a late night heart to heart. Overtaken with emotion and delirious from exhaustion, you begin to cry. Luckily, your friends will always support and love you no matter what. If you haven’t cried in front of a friend before, I highly recommend it. It’s always nice to have a shoulder to cry on and it’s even a good opportunity to strengthen a preexisting bond.  The locker rooms: There are a million reasons why you might cry in a locker room. Perhaps it was a bad practice: your teammates weren’t trying or your coach yelled at you. Maybe you lost an important game or messed up in front of a college scout. Maybe your dad said he was gonna show up but never did. Or maybe you just suffered a career ending injury and nothing will ever be the same. Whatever the case, being an athlete can bring out a lot of emotions and the locker room is a great place to let them out. Like the teams they serve, locker rooms represent a sense of camaraderie and support unlike any other. Even if you choose to be in there alone, knowing that you have a team that has your back can provide comfort. You know that whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to go through it alone. The Koch Bathrooms: Specifically, the third floor, near the math classrooms. You’ve just gotten a 36/100 on a test and you’re feeling absolutely defeated. If you’re lucky, nobody’s in there, and if you’re not so lucky, a freshman washing their hands may stare at you in the mirror as you make a bee-line for the big stall. Locking the door behind you, you let out a sniffle and a tear rolls down your cheek. Your mind races with questions and worst-case scenarios: how will this affect my overall grade? What are my parents going to say? Am I even going to get into college after this? Conveniently located, typically empty, and with a pleasant ambiance, these bathrooms are the perfect place to cry as you wonder in despair. As you come to the realization that this stumble is not the end of the world, you pull yourself together and head back to class.  The Health Center: Coming in first place, my personal favorite place to cry on campus is the Health Center. The Health Center is perfect for the days that you’re seeking extra support. Not only do they have an awesome staff of super understanding doctors and nurses, they also have amazing counselors. You can either reach out to the counselor on-call or schedule an appointment with any of the counselors in the future. Additionally, if you’re seeking somebody who understands the day-in and day-out stresses of being a Deerfield student, you can meet with a peer counselor. Peer counselors are on duty from 7-9 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays. Equipped with a range of amazing resources, the Health Center can provide a calming, caring, and supportive environment to cry.  With all that in mind, I encourage you to utilize these places for crying as much as need be!

As passerby students may have noticed recently, student-athletes fill the benches on sidelines at games as well as the trainers’ room, a higher volume of injured athletes than ever before. Emma Kahle ’22, a member of the Girls’ Varsity Soccer team, broke her foot in early October, leaving her on the bench for the rest of the season. Despite being sidelined, Kahle found ways to make the most of her season. She said, “I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with the other injured players, like Kiki Brainard ’22, Fife McCargo ’23, and Jackson Kinsler ’22, adding, “We’ve done themes for sidelined players during home games. It’s been a great way to keep our spirits up and make the most of the unfortunate circumstances.” Kahle’s teammate, Kinsler, has also suffered serious injury. Kinsler, with five sprains on a single ankle from the second day of tryouts, said, “It’s not easy to sit on the bench wishing for only one more minute to play again.”  Like Kahle, Kinsler has made the most of her time on the sidelines. She said, “Every practice we show up and play hype music to get the team fired up… shoutout [to the] Injured Squad [Emma, Fife, Kiki; we] could not do it without you all!” On the Boys’ Varsity Football team, you also will find a number of star athletes benched due to injuries. Notably, wide receiver Elic Ayomanor ’22 has been out for the season due to a knee tear he suffered while playing against Williston. Ayomanor’s teammate and close friend Geoffrey Jamiel ’22 has also recently undergone several injuries during games but, fortunately, his injury hasn’t left him bench-bound.  “During the Suffield game, I sprained my ankle and hyperextended my knee, causing me to miss an entire week of practice,” Jamiel said. “Football is different from other sports because we only have games once a week, so you have some time to recover physically during the week.”  From the sideline, Jamiel has had the opportunity to watch practice from a different perspective. He shared, “Watching practice from the outside adds a different layer. You can see the whole field and understand different things conceptually, that you wouldn’t necessarily realize or see as a player.” The trainer’s room can certainly attest to the high volume of injuries this term. Most days, it is filled with injured athletes seeking physical therapy or simply grabbing a pack of ice. Head Athletic Trainer Robert Graves said, “In speaking with colleagues from other schools, it seems that many of us are experiencing a significant increase in the volume of students that we are seeing on a day-to-day basis for injury evaluation and treatments.” He added, “While it is difficult to say for sure why this influx has occurred, one can conjecture that it may be the result of a return to competition after a year plus off due to the COVID pandemic.” During the nearly year-long hiatus from interscholastic games, many Big Green athletes have had a break from competitive games. Most teams participated in Green and White tournaments, but the magnitude of interscholastic competition was not commensurate with the high-stakes competitive environment of interscholastic games.  Mr. Graves said, “Rusty body mechanics, proprioception, and deconditioning could all possibly explain why it seems that more athletes are experiencing injuries this year more than in the past. It is important to note that this is not supported by any scientific data but just one athletic trainers’ perspective.” To the senior athletes who miss out on their final season, Mr. Graves said, “Use this experience as a building block.  Work hard to get better, be resilient, and continue to support your teammates. You are not defined by what you do on the field. You are defined by who you are as an individual.”

Chris Gergis ‘22 has been singing for as long as he can remember. Growing up, Gergis’ grandfather played an influential role in teaching him to sing. They would sing together in church, specifically a hymn written by his grandfather. These experiences laid the foundation for Gergis’ love of music and contributed to helping him grow into the artist he is today. Beginning his professional career at the age of seven, Gergis sang with the Metropolitan Opera in New York before coming to Deerfield at 13. During his freshman year, Gergis joined the Reme-D’s, Deerfield’s co-ed acapella, and, in his junior year, joined the all-boys acapella Mellow-D’s. Since then, he has become a co-leader of both. Gergis said, “I love both groups — they have different dynamics. Mellow-D’s is like a brotherhood, and Reme-D’s is more of a joint group.” One of the traditions he is most looking forward to is Mellow-D’s’ dorm runs later this year in which the Mellow-D’s “run” to each dorm on campus and perform a song.  Gergis prides himself on taking advantage of Deerfield’s wide variety of resources for those interested in music, saying, “Everything that’s available to me, I do it.” Fellow Mellow-D’s member Robbie Hua ‘24 noticed the qualities of dedication and determination that allow Gergis to be a successful leader and musician. Hua said, “He was very welcoming my freshman year, and he’s like my brother in a way.” Gergis shared that one of his favorite memories from his time in Mellow-D’s was last year when, due to COVID-19, the group had to record its song ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ rather than perform it live. He particularly enjoyed the recording process, recalling, “To get the video for ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’, we went around different places on campus. I even climbed a tree nearby, but luckily I had my boys to help me get down.”  Echoing these sentiments of fun, new Mellow-D’s member Kabir Sheth  ‘25 said, “Chris always makes sure that we’re not only doing a good job but having fun at the same time.”  Over this past summer, Gergis participated in an outreach program to donate items to underserved children. In order to raise funds for the program, Gergis utilized his musical talents, making his own rendition of the song “We are the World”. Gergis said, “I got a bunch of my singer friends, both Deerfield alums and current students, to help me make it.” Aside from raising money for charity, the video helped Gergis gain exposure. He said, “A producer saw it, and I’ve been working a lot with him.”  Looking to the future, Gergis plans to release a recording album by this spring.  He remains passionate and committed to pursuing music, saying that it will stay in his life wherever he goes. One thing is for certain, regardless of the path Gergis takes, his legacy will remain within the school’s music community, and Deerfield is lucky to have him, his talents, and the fun he brings to the school’s music programs for one more year.

“I make art out of necessity. No stories, no messages.”  Former Fine Arts Department chair and teacher Robert Moorhead’s exhibit, “Visions and Transitions”, was installed in the Von Auersperg Gallery on November 5th and will be accessible to students until December 18th. Mr. Moorhead arranged and hung all of his paintings himself, displaying them linearly across the four walls of the gallery and allowing visitors to follow his chronological progression of paintings. In “Visions and Transitions”, Mr. Moorhead consolidated works from a 40 year time period spanning from 1971 to 2021, which makes this exhibit stand out from any of his past installations. Dean of Studies Lydia Hemphill observed that, “his newer work is quite different – both in terms of palette, composition and motifs incorporated.” Another unique aspect of the exhibit is Mr. Moorhead’s incorporation of poetry in multiple languages. He utilized lines of Arabic, French, English, and German. The French and English prose are from the work of his wife, Andrea Moorhead. Mrs. Moorhead taught French at the academy for 37 years and continues to write poetry. With “Visions and Transitions”, Mr. Moorhead also took the opportunity to share his work with the Deerfield community that he otherwise would not have displayed. Since he believes that “a current student should not be influenced by her or his teacher’s work,” Mr. Moorhead displayed very few of his works during his time teaching at the school. In regards to his artistic process, Mr. Moorhead explained that, “‘out of necessity’ refers to the fact that I really do not feel right if I don’t paint or draw every few days.” He continued, “it is essential to my being or spirit to be making marks otherwise something seems to be ‘missing’ in my life.” Mr. Moorhead originally planned to display his work at Deerfield last year, but was unable to do so at the time. Therefore, Ms. Hemphill and Mrs. Taylor, who play key roles in curating works for the Von Auersperg Gallery, were excited to get “Visions and Transitions” on campus this year. Mr. Moorhead was also able to continue working on the exhibit and add even more to his intricate pieces since last year. In describing the overarching goal of the Von Auersperg Gallery, Ms. Hemphill shared, “Mrs. Taylor and I like to think about a diversity of media and artists.” She continued, “We really want to expose the community—Deerfield students in particular—to a wide variety of art over [their time here].” Students in the Topics Tutorial Studio Art course had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Moorhead on Monday, November 8th. Julia Hioe ‘22 found it helpful to hear about Mr. Moorhead’s creative process in particular, as he often doesn’t have a plan when starting a piece. She said, “It was reassuring to hear that being uncomfortable and not knowing how a piece will end up is normal and part of the process.” During his 38 years living and teaching at Deerfield, Mr. Moorhead served as Chair of the Fine Arts Department and taught Architecture, 3-D Design, 2-D Design, Calligraphy, and Video. He also incorporated varying spring-term electives ranging from a course on gallery installations to one focusing on multimedia art. Recalling his time as department chair, Mr. Moorhead said, “I worked hard to nurture each section of our department so that music, drama, dance, and visual arts could develop their programs in a consistent manner.” Ms. Hemphill described Mr. Moorhead as “a great, supportive colleague over the years.” Over his time at the school, Mr. Moorhead also kept in mind the simple yet significant goal of making “the arts an essential part of Deerfield life.” After retiring along with Mrs. Moorhead in 2014, Mr. Moorhead hopes the arts department will continue pursuing this ideal.  Interestingly, one of Mr. Moorhead’s favorite times at Deerfield was the year the visual arts department had to relocate to the Deerfield Elementary School while the Hess Center was being renovated. He said, “We had our own world, our own art school.” This encouraged rich collaboration and students and teachers benefited from the change in environment. Outside of the current Von Auersperg Gallery exhibit, Mr. and Mrs. Moorhead collaborate often in their art. In 1997, they published Deerfield: 1797-1997 —a book offering a pictorial history of the academy. The couple has also been publishing Osiris , an international poetry journal, since 1972. They have been publishing two issues of the journal each year for nearly 50 years now. Issues include prose in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and German. The journal often features graphics from Mr. Moorhead and poetry from Mrs. Moorhead.   Mr. Moorhead offers the following advice for developing artists at Deerfield: “keep working, keep experimenting, trust your instinct, and don’t let the critics get you down!”

In whispers and murmurs heard across hallways, at sit-downs, through the paper-thin walls which separate your room from the one next door — as in a confusing, cross-campus game of telephone — there exists the rumor of the “Mental Health Day,” one time when a student can go into the Health Center and take the day off, no questions asked.  The Mental Health Day is Deerfield’s El Dorado. Some students insist that it is real, and that all one has to do is ask for one. Others swear up and down that they aren’t — that they walked into the Health Center one sad day, asked for a Mental Health Day, and were turned away. Still others maintain that one can finagle their way into getting the day off, given sufficient planning. In reality, according to Director of Nursing Kate Rolland, the Health Center does not offer what many students and faculty have referred to as “Mental Health Days,” but students can still seek admission to the Health Center if they feel too stressed out to go to class.  The Health Center policies concerning mental health need to be well-defined and clearly communicated to all students and faculty from the beginning of each new school year. Hearing that Mental Health days “don’t exist” from a peer, faculty member, or even one of the nurses, is disheartening and can result in students feeling left to struggle alone or attend classes when they really need rest, due to a general lack of understanding of the Health Center’s accomodations in that realm. This miscommunication can be especially detrimental in a time with many people still dealing with the effects of the pandemic. “Sometimes the problem with the ‘Mental Health Day’ wording is that people come in thinking it’s a blanket freedom,” Ms. Rolland said. “They’ll say, ‘I need a Mental Health Day, and I’m not going to talk to you about anything… It just doesn’t work like that. We want to help, and we want this to be the safe place where people can come.”  Ms. Rolland explained that when students come into the Health Center, they need to be open to having an honest conversation in order for the nurses to determine how to best help them. If the student feels unable to talk to a nurse, they can meet later with the on-call counselor.  But there is often more nuance to Health Center experiences. Different students have varying comfort levels going to the Health Center when sick as well as being honest and open about their struggles with mental health, and the decision to admit someone to the Health Center versus turning them away is ultimately left up to the discretion of each individual nurse. Similar to our dorm residents, the nurses must act “in loco parentis,” with the main goal being to get students healthy enough again to attend classes and other obligations. Yet nurses must also consider capacity limits and your story in context with the numerous other sick students that paid them a visit.  We acknowledge that the Health Center is not to blame for much of the miscommunication that occurs on campus, and that, through word-of-mouth, truth can be quickly transformed into a myth. We want to thank the nurses, counselors, and other staff members for their dedication to providing support for many struggling students in their home away from home. Greater transparency and more frequent reminders around the mental health resources offered here is all we ask for. In future years, we should incorporate a thorough and comprehensive review of Health Center policies into the orientations at the beginning of every school year, particularly those policies surrounding mental health. We already have annual orientations covering academic policies and even the ins and outs of the gym facilities, but there needs to be better communication to clearly inform both the faculty and student body what support is out there, and how to go about requesting that support. Deerfield students would undoubtedly benefit from gaining this more in-depth understanding of the Health Center policies and resources.

Founded in 1968, the Boyden Library continues to serve as a hub of resources and study spaces for students. Amidst the plethora of academic assets available on campus, librarians play a pivotal role in introducing and organizing these databases to make them more accessible for high school students. Among the librarians are the Director of the Library Marshall Carroll, Assistant Director of the Library Jennifer Needham, and Circulation & Admin. Assistant to Director of Boyden Library Christine Dubreuil. The librarians have various roles both in the classrooms and in the Boyden Library. For example, one of Mr. Carroll’s jobs is to visit classes and introduce the Boyden Library’s online database to students, especially in regards to research on historical, secondary and primary source documents. When class projects and essays are assigned, he often holds sessions to provide a step-by-step guide through LibGuides, which are research guides that organize and highlight certain library resources, Databases, Citation Tools, and other options offered on the Student Bulletin.  He noted that this was his “favorite part of the job,” as the detailed walkthrough of the online resources “shifts the students’ perception or ideas about research into something that can be exciting and fun.”  Moreover, during the pandemic, he added that many virtual students found these instructions especially helpful as they made use of the online library sources for class assignments. Inside the Boyden Library itself, the librarians’ work ranges from introducing new books to rearranging and updating the print collection. Regarding the three floors-worth of books available, Ms. Needham noted that the library  “collects five to six hundred new books a year, most of which are related to the curriculum of that particular school year.” With such a huge influx of new resources, Mr. Carroll added that the challenging part is “having to decide what books to weed and remove from the collection.” For instance, a few summers ago, Mr. Carroll said that the librarians had to undergo a massive project, “shifting the entire collection of 50,000 columns to better match student use.”  While both Mr. Carroll and Ms. Needham agreed that “making room for new acquisitions in the library” is one of the hardest parts of their job as commented by Mr. Carroll, they are proud of the diversity of resources available on campus. Ms. Dubreuil explained that over time, “the different types of people from different backgrounds and cultures that make up the Deerfield community” influenced the books collection in the library. She continued, “they have evolved in a way that expands student’s knowledge and perspective of the world to outside of the state, the county, and more.”  Furthermore, the updated collections have not only influenced the students’ Deerfield experience, but also the librarians themselves. Ms. Needham explained that this specific task of collection development has taught her a valuable life lesson. Compared to her prior work experience in customer service and retail, where “thinking quickly and working quickly” are key to success, this “job has allowed [her] to  realize the value in considering and weighing options before reacting and making big decisions.”  In addition to the lessons learned through the various tasks of librarians, they agree that books teach numerous life lessons as well. Ms. Needham reminds the students to visit the reading room, which displays all the new books the library received recently. Ms. Dubreuil also recommended “The Great Alone” by Kristin Hannah and “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens, while Mr. Carroll picked “Make it Stick” by Paul Brown for the students, as he believes the book “will help improve their study habits,” especially as they return back to an offline schedule after the pandemic.

At Deerfield, many students find themselves holding full control over their diets for the first time. Ensuring that each student has the resources to maintain a healthy diet and a healthy relationship with food is a complex task, Nutritional Education Therapist Karyn Mancari is the backbone of it all.  Ms. Mancari, a Registered Dietitian, holds a Bachelor’s degree in both Biology and Nutrition, a Post Baccalaureate, and a Master’s degree in Applied Nutrition. A minor in communications has allowed her to share her extensive knowledge in a school environment. Not only has Ms. Mancari made a difference in the classroom by sharing her knowledge of healthy eating habits with several health classes, but she also has hospital clinical experience. Stationed in the Health Center two days a week and open to virtual meetings, she is eager to help students with their mental and physical health. To ensure many aspects of student health are covered in her work, Ms. Mancari collaborates with a wide range of departments. For instance, she works with the Health Center nurses in order to create an environment where students with food allergies feel safe and cared for; she also assists athletic coaches in ensuring that athletes intake the correct nutrition for their performance and general wellbeing. Moreover, she works with Director of Food Services Michael McCarthy to come up with the Dining Hall menu.  In past issues of the Scroll , Ms. Mancari organized a nutrition column titled “Balanced Bites with Karyn Mancari.” In the column, she shared advice for maintaining a healthy diet, words of encouragement, and other valuable insights to both educate and energize students. Ms. Mancari said, “I’m a huge proponent of intuitive eating and it takes a while to master that even as an adult, but I think being okay with screwing up [is important]. I think everyone’s so afraid of, ‘If I allow myself to have desserts, I’m going to overeat them, and I’m gonna go crazy.’ And that’s okay. You will have to learn how to listen to your body, and it takes a little bit of time, but it does happen.”  One of Ms. Mancari’s proudest achievements has been her role in helping students bounce back from low points in both their mental and physical health. By spending one-on-one time with students, Ms. Mancari has been able to engage in personalized conversations with students “relating to their individual relationships and ideas of food or nutrition.” She also has been able to “educate students on how to manage and meet their personal nutritional needs on campus.” Moving forward, Ms. Mancari wishes to see the community treat eating as a priority rather than a necessity in the way that eating habits are formed. She described Deerfield’s current culture around eating by saying, “I feel like it’s ‘all or nothing and very go, go, go!’ with fitness and nutrition. I think there’s a lot more I would love to see — a lot more flexibility and people enjoying food a little bit more and understanding what their needs really are.”  At the end of the day, the students are at the heart of Ms. Mancari’s work and she is open to addressing any additional inquiries students may have regarding disordered eating and other mental health issues connected to food, just like she was able to do during COVID times by working one-on-one with students to help them recover from disordered eating.

The wave of illnesses that overwhelmed the Chen Health Center in late September left faculty and students struggling with congestion, coughs, fatigue, and more.  However, a number of factors make this surge different from those in years past. With COVID-19 restrictions gone, including masking and social distancing, students have returned to getting sick, and possibly at a higher rate than before masking. All the while, both students and Chen Center staff alike believe that the stress of academics and boarding school life can complicate the recovery process. In the opening weeks of the fall term, the Chen Center helped students recover from the many illnesses running through the campus, the most prominent being an upper respiratory infection alongside strep throat and mono. Due to how overwhelmed the Chen Center staff was with the volume of ill students, some individuals reported long waits for or trouble receiving treatment when the Health Center was at high capacity. Occasionally, waiting times exceeded an hour for just a walk-in appointment.  Director of Medical Services Dr. Bear Benson explained that the Chen Center is currently staffing new nurses and in the process of hiring another for weekends. Director of Nursing Ms. Kate Rolland also said that it would be preferable to have an extra nurse around when the Health Center is busy, but it can be difficult to have someone come in on short notice. Ms. Rolland said, “The best case scenario is if I could bring in another nurse when we are hit like that, because we just needed more hands.” But with or without those extra hands, both ask for general patience from students when they come into a full waiting room.  Katherine Pajak ’23, who frequently visited the Chen Center with a knee injury, sinus infection, and concussion, described how recovering from illness at Deerfield Academy comes with its own challenges. When she had her sinus infection, Pajak said she fell behind on work to the point where she was actively asking Chen Center staff to be released. She said, “if you miss a day, you’re already three steps behind.” Will Newton ’22, had a similar experience when he was sick with an unidentified illness during the beginning weeks of the Fall Term. He described how he wanted to go to the Health Center at first, but there came a certain point where he had to continue going to classes despite still feeling incredibly sick. Newton ’22 also said that Deerfield living can make recovery more difficult, most notably when it comes to lack of sleep. He said, “If I had been getting good sleep every night, I would have recovered quicker. Which I was not doing.” Not sleeping enough can make the immune system much less effective, but catching up from missed classes often requires students to stay up late into the night, which makes resting difficult when unwell. Ms. Rolland doesn’t directly attribute the slower recovery from illnesses to academic intensity or a lack of sleep, but instead to “boarding school fatigue.” “Boarding school fatigue is a known phenomenon amongst the boarding school community,” she said.  “Kids who go to boarding school tend to be very driven and academically motivated… I wouldn’t say that Deerfield does anything wrong, just that we’re in a certain environment and those factors can lead to illness.”  More importantly, she said this boarding school fatigue causes students to be more susceptible to illness, mainly because of the negative effects that stress can have on the immune system. “[Stress increasing likelihood of becoming sick] is true in the real world. My nurses are more susceptible to getting sick when they’re stressed out. It’s typical of any human.”  With last year’s COVID-19 regulations obsolete, some may be quick to blame the lack thereof for the massive cold outbreak this year.  However, the current situation doesn’t seem to warrant a renewal of those restrictions. Pajak ’23 said “the only solution I can really see [to stop kids from becoming sick] is going back to COVID-19 restrictions… but I don’t think that’s necessary.”  On the other hand, some students are still willing to return to enforced masking to prevent a quick spread of illnesses, especially during the initial back-to-school stages. Newton ’22 said, “I think, just one of the easiest things to do, is just wear a mask. I think that just solves a lot of problems.” A simple face covering can prevent the spread of many illnesses and would have kept many students cough free during the beginning weeks of the term. Still, Newton also said that wearing masks can bring back memories of lockdown and quarantine, and he can understand why some people would want to remain unmasked. In any event, a back to school illness is not unusual for Deerfield or boarding schools at large, and this year is no different. While Ms. Rolland and Dr. Benson stated that there were slightly higher numbers of sick students this year, they both said the difference was not drastic. Ms. Rolland said this slight increase might have been because “we aren’t masked and we have been masked for eighteen months. Our immune systems were not ready for […] germs”.    Although Deerfield seems safe from COVID-19, we have not seen a single case on campus yet, new sicknesses are roaming around the campus. As the fall term comes to a close, students should be wary of their health especially amidst numerous end-term exams and projects.