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The introduction of the new class schedule this fall has received a range of reactions from students. The school week now consists of three 90-minute periods a day, alternating between Periods 1-3 and Periods 4-6 throughout the week. Additionally, built-in time slots like Community Time and Flex Time offer more free time throughout the day. While many students appreciate the flexibility this new schedule offers, some also expressed concern. However, this change in student’s days isn’t unexpected. In fact, Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs & Strategy Dr. Ivory Hills said, “The school actually has been thinking about a new schedule for decades.” The pandemic served as a catalyst for the change. Compared to the pre-pandemic schedule of seven 45-minute classes per day, the doubled class length provides students an opportunity for deeper learning and increased academic engagement. “We’ve always wanted to defragment our student experience, and we wanted to support learning that’s more memorable and transferable,” said Dr. Hills. Dr. Hills added that compounding was a motivating factor behind the change. He predicted that, with increased focus per class encouraged by the three-period days, students will be able to “run [their lives] at a speed that is healthy and sustainable, not burning out so early into the school year.”  Gabe Swisher-Rosa ’23 agreed with Dr. Hills’s assessments, saying that “the longer periods give [him] more time to work on labs or projects.” He explained that with the previous 45 minute classes, he had “to rush to finish a science lab or an in-class assignment.”  Emily Chin ’24 added, “Community time and the Flex time really helped [me] get work done.” She explained, “I really appreciated how these free blocks gave me a time to breathe before the next class.” However, despite the benefits of the decompressed schedule, Dr. Hills agreed that it has room for improvements. Head Peer Tutor Rosnel Leyva-Cortes ’22 concurred, saying,  “I wish there was more continuity between the classes. If there’s a class on Thursday, there will be almost a four-day gap until I meet the teacher again.”  He added that he sees many tutees struggling with the discontinuity of the new schedule. “I think the frequency is an important factor especially when it comes to retention of language skills. A lot of students come to peer tutoring sessions asking for help in Chinese or Spanish that I believe shouldn’t be a struggle if they had the class more than twice or three times a week,” he said.   Levya-Cortes also noted that “many underclassmen seemed to be overwhelmed by the amount of independence that the new schedule offers.” He explained, “New to the boarding school life itself, freshmen also had to quickly adjust to the high school academic standards. I think it was hard for them to manage time and workload in two days, whereas I remember having a specific list of things to do for the next day, because all of the classes would meet every day.”  The lower frequency of classes with the alternating schedule also seems to crowd assessments on the same day. Emily Chin ’24 said, “I have to get extensions sometimes because I would have two tests and an essay due in the span of two days. Because there’s only two or three different days for the teachers to choose when to give out tests, there’s a lot more chance that many will overlap.”    Overall, based on the various responses of the students, it is clear that the new academic schedule boasts many benefits as well as flaws. Dr. Hills expressed his willingness to hear more student perspectives, saying that “[his] door is always open for anyone” who wants deeper insights regarding the new schedule or has suggestions for improvements.

When I think of Science and Computer Science Teacher Ben Bakker,  Jurassic Park’s Mr. Bakker immediately comes to mind, the mad scientist that initiates the “dinosaur renaissance.” Mr. Bakker often roams about the Koch in a similar fashion to the mad Jurassic Park scientist, though we hope that our Mr. Bakker doesn’t revive a dead species of velociraptors on campus. Apart from dinosaurs, there are a multitude of students and faculty that have been positively impacted by his presence, advice, and constant guidance.  It has been 24 years since Mr. Bakker first joined the Deerfield community in 1997 after working in the Maine School of Science and Mathematics as a physics and computer science teacher. Mr. Bakker said that, when he arrived at Deerfield as a physics teacher, the “computer science program [had] been driven by student demand.”  When students wished for more than just AP Computer Science, Deerfield created the Data Structures and Algorithms. When demand surpassed that class, the school created Digital Logic and Computer Architecture. During his time at Deerfield, Mr. Bakker has been an advocate for the continuous development of such academic programs that can enrich the learning experience of students.  This is particularly true of his teaching philosophy as well. Mr. Bakker describes himself as a “curator of problems, not a content deliverer.” You won’t find Mr. Bakker at the front of the classroom giving an hour-long lecture, but you will find him standing alongside his students, fiddling around with wires and LEDS, or frantically writing code on a whiteboard as his students chime in with new ideas and insights. You won’t get the content spoon fed to you in Mr. Bakker’s class, but if you decide to take one of his many courses, you will be given the opportunity to wrestle with problems that can, in Mr. Bakker’s words,“take you from confusion to clarity… with problems that are rich and that can foster a strong academic community.”  Many of Mr. Bakker’s students hold a deep appreciation for his approach to teaching. William Abou-Rjaili ’22, who took his Digital Logic and Computer Architecture class last year, said, “Mr. Bakker is in a class of his own. He is the most dependable, the smartest, the greatest person you could ever get to know.”  Mr. Bakker’s colleagues share a similar gratitude for his wisdom and experience. Science Teacher Megan Hayes-Golding noted, “every conversation with [Mr.Bakker] becomes incredibly meaningful, deep, and impactful… It’s such a fulfilling conversation every time you talk to him, [and] I’m sure his students feel the same.”  Beyond the classroom, Mr. Bakker has had a similarly inspirational influence on the Deerfield community. Mr. Bakker, in his own words, has had “hands in all kinds of things.” From coaching fourths basketball many years ago, to advising the robotics cocurricular, and even being a part of the Financial Aid office for a brief time, Mr. Bakker has secured the title of the jack of all trades in Deerfield administrative history.  Mr. Bakker’s main focus, however, is the Christian Fellowship. He said, “If the administration told me I couldn’t teach physics or computer science, but I could still do Christian Fellowship, I’d be fine with that.” Apart from enriching students’ academic lives, Mr. Bakker also believes that supporting their spiritual lives is integral for student success. His most memorable moments at Deerfield have been helping students realize their spiritual potential. Mr. Bakker remembers a few instances where students made the decision to accept Christianity in their hearts and wanted to be baptized in the Deerfield River amongst their friends and advisors. For Mr. Bakker, seeing spiritual growth in his students and being able to provide help when his students are facing trouble brings great delight to his heart.  His students seem to feel the same. Gloria Chun ’23, a member of the Christian Fellowship, said that she sees Mr. Bakker as a, “…fatherly figure on campus. I usually go to him whenever I have a problem. He is someone you can go to and not feel judged.” When asked what particular actions prompted such a heartfelt reflection on Mr. Bakker’s role as a spiritual guide on campus, Chun replied:  “… the Saturday pancake breakfasts he hosted were a huge commitment on his part. Every Saturday he would always share something really interesting during Bible study that would make us see our daily problems in a completely different light.”  M. Bakker has his own share of quirks as well. According to Ms. Hayes-Golding, “He’s a total hoarder. Mr. Bakker keeps stuff because he thinks it will be useful in the future… working with him everyday was like reenacting an entire episode of Hoarders.” He is also a Red Sox fan and has a husky with bushy eyebrows like his own.  Above all, however, Mr. Bakker has been the greatest advisor, teacher, spiritual guide, mentor, and every other label that you could think of here at Deerfield. He has gone above and beyond for his students, and as someone who has had the privilege of learning from him for the past 4 years, I want Mr. Bakker to know that he is a blessing for this campus and that I, and many others, would not be the same without him.

On October 3, 2021, the world erupted in outrage as the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) leaked almost 12 million documents exposing the secret transactions of influential figures through an extensive network of shell corporations and offshore accounts. The leaked documents, collectively referred to as the Pandora Papers, were gathered by more than 600 journalists from 117 countries that have investigated the hidden fortunes of 35 current and former national leaders, 400 public officials from nearly 100 countries, and more than 100 billionaires.  King Abdullah II ’80, one of the prominent figures on the list and a notable Deerfield alumnus, came under heightened scrutiny after an alliance of international news organizations exposed his $106 million dollars worth of properties scattered throughout the affluent neighborhoods of Malibu, Washington D.C., and London. The documents detailing the monarch’s purchases showed that the transactions spanned from 2003 to 2017, and most of the properties were acquired after the “Arab Spring” of 2011: a series of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions responding to government corruption and economic stagnation in the Middle East.  In contrast to the monarch’s lavish real estate holdings, Jordan is a nation plagued with economic destitution, high unemployment rates, and soaring government debt. According to The World Factbook published by the CIA, from 2010 to 2017, Jordan’s GDP growth rate was averaged at 2.5%, which declined to 2% in 2019 due to regional turmoil. The country also relied on programs provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) such as the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which provides assistance to nations struggling with government debt and the balance of payments. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened Jordan’s conditions, plummeting employment rates and skyrocketing federal debt to staggering levels; the World Bank estimated that the Jordanian economy contracted by 1.6% while the unemployment rate rose 24.7% compared to previous years. The Pandora Papers’ recent leakage also prompted accusations towards the government’s hypocrisy: in June 2020, the Jordanian Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz, appointed by King Abdullah, investigated citizens who had used offshore shell companies to disguise their overseas investments. Due to the need to respond to COVID-19’s impact on the nation’s economy, the government asserted that they would track down every citizen who hid their wealth and expose all offshore funds to the public. However, despite the perception of making offshore purchases through shell corporations being illegal, it is an acceptable practice in Jordan. Influential figures and corporations utilize these methods to securely acquire properties from abroad, taking advantage of lower taxes and less stringent regulations. In fact, the Hashemite Court and the King’s lawyers insisted that his actions are unsurprising and expected. As a justification, the Royal Hashemite Court has issued a following statement clarifying the monarch’s actions: “It is no secret that His Majesty owns a number of apartments and residences in the United States and the United Kingdom. This is not unusual nor improper. His Majesty uses these properties during official visits and hosts officials and foreign dignitaries there. The King and his family members also stay in some of these properties during private visits…,” they stated. “Any allegations that link these private properties to public funds or assistance are baseless and deliberate attempts to distort facts…. All public finances and international assistance are subject to professional audits, and their allocations are fully accounted for by the government and donor entities.”  Whether allegations of corruption and hypocrisy directed towards His Majesty are true, it is generally understood that the monarch has shown immense dedication towards promoting humanitarian initiatives in Jordan and abroad.  On September 18, 2019, His Majesty returned to Deerfield Academy in the hopes of  informing the Deerfield community about recent turmoils happening in the Middle East. During his presentation in a school meeting, he specifically focused on the rising influx of Syrian refugees in Jordan. As early as 2016, Jordan has provided refuge for more than 1.3 million Syrians suffering from the ravages of war, serving as a beacon of hope in the midst of chaos. On July 8, 2021, Deerfield’s The Pulse also posted an article by The Hill informing the community of the monarch’s role in preventing corruption and promoting a democratic atmosphere in Jordan. Jordan, previously ruled under an absolute monarchy, has transitioned towards a constitutional monarchy in 1952, yet the lengthy transitional process can serve as a breeding ground for nepotism and favouritism between government officials already nested in power. In response, His Majesty implemented a program of decentralization and contributed to passing the Decentralization and Municipality laws in 2015 in order to “to transfer a range of powers, responsibilities and resources from central to sub-national authorities.” As part of Jordan’s Democratization Program, the decentralization process divides the nation into three regions, with each region possessing its own elected council that will handle the political, social, legal, and economic affairs of its area. These efforts from the King’s government served to bring governmental power closer to its citizens by allowing better representation to cater to its citizens’ needs. His Majesty has also played a pivotal role in promoting progressive education in Jordan. Inspired by his experiences as a student during his time at the Academy, King Abdullah founded King’s Academy alongside Deerfield’s former headmaster Eric Widmer. The educational program in King’s Academy closely mirrors that of Deerfield, in addition to certain traditions such as sit-down meals, co-curricular activities, and Harkness discussions that foster unity and empathy among the student body. He has also endorsed exchange opportunities between Deerfield Academy and King’s Academy, allowing Deerfield students to further their knowledge on Arabic language and culture, and bridging the gap between students from Western and Arabic worlds. Tomás Cushman ’22 echoed this statement, “The people who are actively seeking the King until his demise are oblivious to the fact that his family has kept Jordan safe for decades from political extremists, and often lead in providing refuge for refugees from the violence in the Middle East. King Abdullah is in fact, one of the more lenient rulers in the Middle East, and embodies the ideals of democracy more so than other Middle Eastern country rulers. Therefore these accusations of corruption and hypocrisy are baseless in their evidence, and have not taken into account the things King Abdullah has done for his country.” Others believed that the public should not be concerned with the King’s wealth and private pursuits, as he holds the legal rights as the monarch of his nation. Jeffery Han ’23 said, “As the Sovereign of Jordan, he has the moral and legal rights to use his own private wealth. Even though it may seem morally dubious, Jordan and many Middle Eastern countries adhere to the idea of a nation-state; therefore as sovereign, he represents the state. I believe that regardless of the situation’s moral issue, he should not be prosecuted for the same actions many other monarchs engage in.”  Rosnel Leyva-Cortes ’22, on the other hand, was less accepting of the Royal Court’s justification:  “Utilizing shell companies and censoring mass media indicate that you want to hide something from the public eye. It’s the same thing where, if you’re in the States, you have corporations and affluent figures hiding their money from illegitimate sources in offshore banking accounts in Switzerland.” He also added “As somebody who has presented himself as a benevolent and empathetic ruler, I personally think that it is quite reckless of him to be involved in such transactions. The last time he was on campus, he appeared to be a paragon for freedom and stability in the Middle East, and to some degree, I believed him. However, after knowing his involvement with shell corporations despite Jordan’s economic state, I have now lost trust in him.” Others preferred to remain neutral, refraining from commenting out of respect for the monarch’s past contributions to Deerfield Academy.  Vasu Singh ’23 said, “I think it is best not to comment on His Majesty’s actions before we manage to fully grasp the details of this complex situation. The King of Jordan has shown to be a valuable member of the Deerfield community, making positive contributions not only to the Academy but also beyond. Criticizing him may result in unnecessary consequences, and can complicate the healthy relationship between Deerfield and King’s Academy.”

Following this year’s handbook revisions, Deerfield no longer requires students to report their disciplinary records to their colleges and opens up the possibility for students to clear their Disciplinary Probation status. The handbook also details a new rule regarding respectful speech.  Every summer, the school administration revises the student handbook, Rules and Expectations for Deerfield Students , based on reflection upon the prior year. In an email sent to students earlier this term, Dean of Students Samuel Bicknell emphasized, “All of the changes we make each year are designed to create the best environment for learning from mistakes and living out school values.” Assistant Head of School for Student Life Amie Creagh said, “due to the Action Plan and the Discipline Review Task Force’s (DRTF) efforts, the [student handbook] changes were broader, deeper and more comprehensive.” Ms. Creagh helps lead the annual revision of the student handbook, but this past summer was the first time the DRTF was involved in the process. One of these major changes reflected in the updated student handbook is the revision of the College Notification Policy. The DRTF determined that, from now on, students will hold sole responsibility in reporting any history regarding disciplinary action to colleges. Previously, students self reported and the school contributed an official record as well.   Deerfield’s decision to revise the College Notification Policy coincided with the Common Application’s removal of disciplinary reporting. This change was announced in September of 2020, to be implemented for the 2021-2022 school year.  Despite this coincidence, the change was not influenced by the Common App’s decision; it was actually Deerfield’s effort to further show compassion to those students who have experienced disciplinary action. Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs and Strategy Dr. Ivory Hills said, “We continue to be a two strike school rather than a one strike school because we think people can recover from their mistakes.” A second motivation for the change was to make AHC and DC hearings more effective. Dr. Hills said, “we can tell students who are undergoing a disciplinary response that it really is not going to be an issue, that it might not even be reported [to colleges].” According to Dr. Hills, this reassurance will allow students to have productive conversations regarding their actions and what they may do differently going forward. He hopes the College Notification Policy change will eliminate the students’ fears during these hearings that often impede the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. Though this question on disciplinary history was removed from the common section of the Common App, the vast majority of individual schools may still choose to include either the same question or a version of it on their applications.  Another significant change was the revision of the Disciplinary Probation policies. As opposed to previous years, students now have the opportunity to potentially remove their Disciplinary Probation status before the end of their Deerfield career.  At the start of a probation period, each student will create a personal Restorative Practices Program with the intention of keeping the student accountable for achieving tangible goals regarding the disciplinary action taken against them.  After the minimum duration of Disciplinary Probation, which is decided by the Disciplinary Committee, a student may propose a written petition and a completed Restorative Practices Program to the Dean of Students. They will then bring the petition and completed Program to the adult members from the student’s original DC hearing to determine whether the student will be removed from Disciplinary Probation or not.  According to Ms. Creagh, the implementation of the Restorative Practices Program is one example of a revision encouraged by DEER (Discipline, Educate, Empower, Reconcile), a student-led proposal to the school to integrate restorative discipline into its disciplinary system.  The handbook also added Rule 1.8 regarding Conscientious Speech and Expression. This new rule emphasizes that Deerfield is a learning environment, and therefore the community must be open to engage in discussions that may sometimes feel uncomfortable. With this philosophy in mind, the rule asserts that students should be respectful of other perspectives while engaging in such discourse. Dr. Hills believes this policy to be the best method of preparing students for real life experiences and controversies.  According to Dr. Hills, Rule 1.8 may cover the domain of instances such as the discussion of a text that uses slurs or trigger warnings within the classroom. In application, however, the implications of the rule will be unique to each situation as it strives to account for context. In simple terms, Dr. Hills summarized the rule: “We believe in freedom of expression– don’t be a jerk about it.” Other minor revisions to the student handbook include specifications in wordings of The Mistreatment of Others Policy and the Harrassment, Bullying, and Discrimination Policy in the interest of clarity. In order to receive the most comprehensive and up to date understanding of Deerfield’s expectations for every community member, students should refer directly to the student handbook.  Each year the student handbook is reviewed with the intention of bettering the experiences of students in the Deerfield community. If this year’s revisions to the handbook do not prove to be effective, there are always opportunities to adapt, and therein lies, as Dr. Hills put it, “the dynamic nature of the school,” which is “possibly one of its greatest strengths.”

In order to examine student workloads, range of identities, and other markers of student life, Deerfield has placed a new focus on institutional research, sending out surveys to community members regarding homework and sleep, as well as a Fall Term Student Thrive Survey.  On September 14th, Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs and Strategy Dr. Ivory Hills sent out surveys through email concerning homework and sleep and shared those results with students in past weeks. On September 22nd, a new survey called the Fall Term Student Thrive Survey was also sent out on behalf of a new group called Institutional Research at DA. In his sleep survey  email, Dr. Hills wrote, “The purpose of the recent sleep and homework survey is to collect some evidence to understand the consequences of [changing the daily schedule].” While this survey narrowed in on specific topics, the Thrive Survey represents IRDA and its overarching mission to help Deerfield understand both of its institutional strengths and areas for improvement. The eight questions on the Thrive survey are scored using the Likert scale from 1 to 5, 1 being “strongly disagree” to 5 being “strongly agree”. Students can score up to a maximum of 40 points from the eight questions. Ms. Naughton said, “[We] look at an average student who is scoring a 30 and we ask how we can get them to score a 40.” Commenting on the Thrive survey, Lila King ’24 said, “I think that hearing student ideas and opinions are important for any school to improve, but at the same time I don’t think they always tell the whole story.” Results from the Student Thrive Survey will be shared at a school meeting in December. Transparency is very important to the members of the Institutional Research Team, as well as helping students to stay informed on their data.  The transition from sleep and homework surveys to Thrive’s deeper examination of data comes from Head of School Dr. John Austin’s Action Plan to Strengthen Equity, Inclusion and Campus Culture. In the plan, Dr. Austin outlined that the administration wanted to take “an enhanced approach to institutional improvement through data gathering and institutional research.” This process included examining patterns of students, identifying problems, and monitoring student progress. He wrote that, to achieve this plan, the administration’s “search for a Director of Institutional Research, which is now nearing completion, [would] support these ambitious initiatives.” Ms. Kelsey Naughton, the newly appointed Director of Institutional Research, started as a staff member in April 2021. Before coming to Deerfield, she received her Master’s of Science in Political Science and Methodology from the University of North Texas in 2016. Upon graduating, she worked for a higher education nonprofit group called the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). At FIRE, Ms. Naughton conducted three nationwide surveys of college students’ views toward civil  rights and liberties. She said  that it “was an important thing that guides me now because I believe strongly in democratization and transparency and it’s very important that students understand that this is their data.” Through more extensive data collection, Deerfield hopes to become a “learning organization.” In an email, Dr. Hills referenced David A. Garvin, a Harvard Business Review writer, who defines a “learning organization” as “ an organization skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights.” The idea of Deerfield being a learning organization has existed for quite a few years. Ms. Naughton said, “It was brought in with Dr. Austin and Dr. Hills’ title, Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs and Strategy.” Institutional research is an idea consistent with learning organizations in general; however, institutional research at an independent school is a newer concept. The Institutional Research team currently consists of Dr. Hills and Ms. Naughton. Ms. Naughton said,  however, “Work is not siloed in this office. I have provided information to Admissions, the Dean of Faculty, Dr. Taylor, and I work closely with ITS, the Student Life Office, and will possibly begin to work with finance and operations.” In addition to students, the team will examine both faculty and the Student Life Office. It will consider data on co-curriculars, disciplinary review, and faculty retention. The IRDA collects data not only through surveys, but also through other methods such as examining demographics, past trends, and academic results. These points of reference can vary from grades to student engagement and involvement. The IRDA plans to send out a new survey every term, with the same eight questions, and from there, the accumulated data will be compared. Ms. Naughton said, “[multiple data points] allows us to look at how the scores change over time. We can ask ourselves some questions like: Do they change over time? Do they change based on the year?” IRDA combines the ideas behind previous surveys and focuses on examining other factors to promote student success. As Ms. Naughton said, “Our goal is to help every student thrive better and we want to be able to support them.”

On September 29th, Deerfield held its first student-centered workshop regarding healthy relationships and consent, an event which some community members felt lacked in effectiveness. The Student Life Office organized the workshop to take place in partnership with the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation’s largest non-profit anti-sexual assault organization. For the event, RAINN representatives Zoomed with each grade in a different location. The workshops consisted of several activities such as a consent questionnaire, videos regarding the dangers of abrupt changes in emotions, and hypothetical scenarios used to show students how to identify red flags in a relationship.  “The workshop was a great way to mind and warn students about the importance of consent and having healthy relationships, especially in a place like this, where we have a lot of freedom,” Emi Takegami ’25 said. Yet during the presentation, one slide featured a harassing text chain that included a transphobic insult. According to RAINN, it was meant to exemplify the technological harassment and boundary violations that can occur through texting.  “While most of the content within the presentation was good, positive messaging, the few sections that weren’t proved a massive distraction, undermining everything else that was said,” Will Sussbauer ’23, a member of the Gender and Consent committee and leader of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, wrote in an email. Sussbauer acknowledged that RAINN was trying to use the phrase “trans people are liars” to illustrate a red flag in a relationship, but also said that “it came out of nowhere and was unnecessary, distracting from the larger point that they were trying to make.” A representative from RAINN gave a statement responding to the feedback given by Deerfield students. It acknowledged that they could have used further context around the use of the image and clarified that the insult was “intended to validate the interrelatedness between homophobia, transphobia, and sexual misconduct.”  “What we have learned from your feedback is that we did not provide an appropriate amount of context during the workshop for this example of harmful behavior, and that without that context, our intention and message may have been lost or its impact startling,” a RAINN representative said.  During the workshops, counselors were also staffed in the Health Center to support anyone who felt uncomfortable with the presented material. According to a few other students, while they felt it was important for the school to have these workshops and promote advocacy for healthy relationships, having it over Zoom made it easy for them to disengage. “I would have loved to see discussions either within advisory groups or co-curriculars that asked follow-up questions more specific to Deerfield and how the students, faculty, and administration may work to create a better environment on campus,” Sussbauer said.  The RAINN workshops mainly focused on the topic of romantic relationships, but Assistant Head for Student Life Amie Creagh also emphasized wanting to promote healthy boundaries in all relationships.  “We’re not just talking about healthy romantic relationships. Any relationship benefits from a clear understanding of what feels right, what boundaries are, and what healthy relationships look like,” Ms. Creagh said. “It’s a part of our responsibility as an office to ensure that just alongside academics, we’re also trying to impart the skills of lifelong learning and happiness.” Deerfield has held RAINN-administered faculty workshops since 2019, according to Assistant Head for Student Life Amie Creagh.  Moving forward, Deerfield is planning to continue its partnership with RAINN and will remain in contact to discuss potential future workshops or training. The Deerfield Gender and Consent committee is also looking to take on the role of spreading awareness regarding healthy relationships and consent.

Dear Reader,  We have often emphasized the importance of the truth, and how we hold it as a central value to our reportage and work. Naturally, this begs the question, what does the truth actually mean for a student publication like ours? How does it influence the decisions that ultimately shape our published content? In this letter, I hope to provide a window into the Scroll ’s publishing process and evidence our commitment to ideals such as objectivity.  Our journey of grappling with the truth starts, first and foremost, with our Writers’ Meeting. Every issue, our team of writers, both staff and contributing, fill the basement of the Kendall. On this first night, editors and writers workshop the ideas that will eventually fill the six sections of the publication. From writing down the smallest rumor of an exciting story to crafting an angle for a deeper dive into daily life here on campus, the Writers’ Meeting is our catch-all. Directly afterwards , our editors reconvene for rundown, where we determine the most compelling articles for the issue. At the conclusion of this meeting, writers, photographers, and graphics artists receive their assignments, kickstarting an intensive week of writing and content creation.. We travel around campus, interviewing, transcribing, constructing, revising, drawing, and photographing, all in an effort to capture the most accurate snapshots of life here in the Deerfield community. Next, we edit. Through countless Google Doc comments, phone calls, and editing meetings, we aim to interrogate the validity of every sentence. We ask ourselves – is this sentence accurate, essential, and illustrative? On a broader scale, we return to the perspectives included within the article and again, interrogate the idea of representation – whose voices are not heard and how we can prevent our own biases from entering the conversation. As these two weeks conclude, layout begins. Melding together pictures, graphics, and text, we construct the Scroll . Finally, we copy edit all pages, scouring for those overlooked errors and entering in the final edits.  Most certainly, throughout this process, we are often confronted with difficult decisions. Sometimes, we unintentionally misrepresent the ideas of others. In other instances, investigations have led to little to no meaningful results. Indeed, during these decisive moments, we look towards our guiding principles and consider pieces for their validity and comprehensiveness. While we constantly strive to collaboratively improve each article and adapt to changing circumstances, unfortunately yet realistically, sometimes we must not publish a piece. These are always some of the hardest moments to reckon with, as we always seek to represent more writers, perspectives and voices in our reportage.  At the conclusion of our journey, we hope to have captured an honest sliver of Deerfield to inform our current understanding and serve as a historical record. In this first issue of the 2021-22 academic school year, we hope to describe the ways that Deerfield has both returned to its traditions while continuing to evolve. Indeed, the possibilities were seemingly endless as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted and an ‘old’ Deerfield replaced last year’s transitional quarantine phases and POM tracers. Indeed, in many ways, we have resumed our previous patterns of life, with fully in-person events such as the Rumors play highlighted on our Arts page. Yet, we have also reported on the ways, both big and small, that our community has continued to evolve. For example, on the Features page, students’ reactions to the newly revised class schedule. Separate from our reportage, our Opinion articles have also continued this conversation between honoring tradition while continuing to look ahead. For example, our Board Ed “ 1709, 2021 ” argues for a reckoning with Deerfield’s land and our relationship with Native American communities and histories. In this article, we hope to illustrate how the past continues to influence the present, and, importantly, how we can still improve on community values such as honesty and conversation. Ultimately, I hope this letter has illustrated just some of the ways that we here at the Scroll work collectively towards ensuring the authenticity of every article published. Most certainly, remaining truthful means remaining transparent and open to improvement. If there are any corrections, or feedback concerning the Scroll , please do not hesitate to reach us.  My Best, Tony He 何程林

The scene is set: in the early hours of Feb. 29, 1704, roughly 300 Native Americans and French allies raided Deerfield, an English settlement on contested land. The Natives killed fifty-six English settlers. They forced a further one hundred and twelve men, women and children into a 300-mile march to Canada in unforgiving winter conditions. It was a “vicious” and “unprovoked” assault against the English settlers. For many members of our Deerfield community, this is familiar: it is oftentimes, and unfortunately, the only story told about Deerfield’s past.  Over the years, this singular event has been romanticized to become one of war, heroism, and triumph. Now, it has become part of Deerfield’s mythology — passed down, no doubt, since and before the Academy’s founding nearly a century later. It is the story that has been told on campus tours and through hearsay campus lore to imply that a primordial greatness has always been with this school, a greatness that has even embedded us in the confides of history. Passed down through informal conversation, we have taken pride in these seemingly awe-inspiring stories about combatting Native Americans.  We recognize that this experience of romanticization has not been universal, and that the romanticized retelling has not been one actively encouraged by the school. Indeed, many have sought to establish a clearer understanding of Deerfield’s past for the community. In the classroom, we look towards such examples as the Philosophy and Religion Department’s one-term ‘Native America’ course and US History classes’ focus on settler-Native conflict in and around Deerfield. We also look toward individuals, like Jazz Baker ’22, who have openly called for a greater recognition of indigenous people and the 2015 von Auersperg exhibit “Native America: Art by and of First People.”  Unfortunately, while these efforts have been made with the best intentions and done with the utmost care, their impacts have not resonated fully within our community. The problem remains: an accurate story of Deerfield exists, but our community is largely not aware of it. A popular, incomplete, narrative of Deerfield’s past lives on.  Indeed, we have not examined our history as closely as we should have. Most certainly, the singular story of the raid does not fully explain the contested nature of the land, or provide insight into any previous violence on Deerfield land. In reality, and most often forgotten, the raid represents a much larger history of violent European colonialism. The raid is just one part of a far more complex military saga: a collection of family stories, an exploration of the meaning of land ownership, and a confrontation between different values. When we proudly tell of the raid without inspection or further explanation, our story neglects the Native American perspective, ensuring that it remains untold.  Today, Deerfield prides itself as one of the leading schools in the country. The time is past due for the school to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue amongst faculty, students, staff, and all community members to recognize a more complete story of Deerfield’s origin. We must honor our guiding principles of honesty and inclusion. History is the set of stories we choose to tell, and which means that we must interrogate the way we’ve framed our history. It’s time to spotlight the voices and narratives that were never highlighted to tell a complete history. Peer schools and universities have built relationships with Native American communities and nations through partnerships, historical recognitions, community service, and enrollment efforts. Deerfield has not done the same. For example, Phillips Exeter Academy invited Indigenous tribal leaders on campus to address its community; the Brooks School has held comprehensive workshops and conversations about Native history; and various universities have adopted land acknowledgements. We remained shockingly silent on this year’s Indigenous People’s Day, and our  website does not display any such acknowledgement. In order for us to gain a true understanding of Deerfield’s history, we must dismantle glorified versions of the 1704 raid to strive towards a more comprehensive understanding. Instead, today, we must acknowledge Deerfield, and America’s complicated history with Native American tribes here in the Valley and beyond. This effort should begin with official land acknowledgements, but must not stop there. These difficult conversations are the only way that Deerfield Academy can begin to understand the wounds of its past.

My friends got to play sports, but I had to go home; my friends got to experience first grade, but I was admitted into the hospital. At age six, I developed a severe autoimmune disorder after contracting Lyme disease and felt isolated and left out during some of the most critical years of my life. Though I still struggle with my autoimmune disorder, I came to Deerfield expecting that my childhood ordeals would never again separate me from my peers. After all, Deerfield was supposed to be a community in which people’s unfortunate circumstances of the past could be forgotten about. I was right, until Deerfield’s administration decided to mandate indoor masking for all unvaccinated students this year. Let me be clear: I am not against vaccines. I grasp the science of virus prevention and mitigation, and I believe that most people should take the COVID-19 vaccine for the sake of their own health. My parents are vaccinated, and so are my doctors. However, a team of immunologists that have known me for twelve years recommended that I forgo the vaccine due to my autoimmune disorder. They agreed that my risk of exhibiting an adverse reaction to the vaccine is greater than my risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. Hence, I am unvaccinated. So are countless people like me around the world. I understand that there are natural sacrifices that I have to make regularly as a result of my autoimmune disorder: picking up supplements and probiotics from the Health Center, leaving campus every four weeks to receive an antibody infusion, and undergoing COVID-19 testing more frequently than my peers. Sure, these are inconvenient tasks, but I understand why they are necessary, and more importantly, they do not make me feel left out or inferior. On the other hand, while Deerfield’s dedication to maintaining strong community health should be commended, I believe that their mask policy for community members who cannot receive the COVID-19 vaccine is ostracizing and based more on allowing the administration to feel at ease than on scientific realities. For starters, in most of my classes, I am the only student wearing a mask. Most students around me are fully vaccinated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the odds of a fully vaccinated person becoming hospitalized as a result of contracting COVID-19 is 1 in 20,000. In other words, Deerfield’s administration has forced students like me to wear a mask while indoors, with no end date in sight, because they are concerned about the 0.005% chance of the coronavirus affecting a community member in a substantial way. Meanwhile, cars drive all around campus, and according to the National Security Council, one’s chance of being killed by a car crash is 1 in 107, or 0.935%. Clearly, “safety” is not the goal, and I am hardly protecting “community health” by wearing a mask. I realize that there are other unvaccinated community members, particularly students, who may feel differently about this issue. However, it is worth noting that the American Academy of Pediatrics acknowledges, “​In states reporting, 0.00%-0.03% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in death.” It is apparent that I do not pose a significant threat to anybody on this campus, even other unvaccinated students. The global pandemic is now of low risk to the vast majority of Deerfield students, faculty, and staff, and the numbers suggest that forced masking is unnecessary and runs counter to Deerfield’s values of acceptance and equity. I do not feel accepted or considered an equal when I am the only person at the classroom table wearing a mask. I remain grateful to attend a school that has a long history of working with students to improve people’s experiences, particularly those of disadvantaged students. However, I feel ostracized every day at a place that prides itself on inclusion. I never used to feel this way, and this is not to suggest that Deerfield is an overall hostile environment. Rather, this one policy has tainted my view of Deerfield as an institution which does what it is best for all of its students. I feel isolated because I know that the rules are different for me. I have been called an “anti-vaxxer” behind my back when people see me in a mask because that is what others assume about the few students who don masks this year. These comments can be attributed to Deerfield’s policy because masks have become visible markers of distinction. I believe that Deerfield should continue routine testing for unvaccinated community members because this is a policy that is based in sound science and has no negative impact on my overall mental health. However, the Academy should abolish its indoor mask mandate for people like me. Students and faculty members who show signs of illness should be encouraged to mask up, but we cannot wear masks forever. Also, as someone with a compromised immune system, I need to build up my natural immunity, but this is visibly more difficult to achieve in a mask and detrimental to my physical health. To Deerfield’s administration: Thank you for all of your efforts to balance community health and students’ wellbeing. I ask that you reconsider your mask policy for medically vulnerable community members.

I made my way into my last Girls’ Meeting with optimistic hopes of feeling empowered, heard, seen, and proud to be a Deerfield girl afterwards. Instead, I walked out early, with a migraine too painful to listen to one more anecdote glorifying hookup culture, school violations, and white feminism. The Girls’ Meeting was once created to provide a safe haven for Deerfield girls to feel empowered and share words of advice, but over the years, this meeting has become, quite frankly, an unproductive waste of time completely straying from its original intention. In the future, a diverse representation of girls should be able to speak about relevant experiences that all girls at Deerfield might share, rather than the reality that takes place every year.  The Girls’ Meeting is held at the start of each academic year, typically setting the tone for the atmosphere between girls on campus. It begins with the gathering of all female-identifying Deerfield students. . Next, a group of selected seniors and teachers each give advice that they believe will benefit attendees as the year commences. Finally, the teachers exit the meeting, allowing free speech from the students to continue the trend. The first half routinely starts off exceptionally well and some of my favorite moments at the Academy have come from the opening moments of the Girls Meeting. However, post-removal of teachers, everything goes downhill. A false advertisement of sisterhood begins as similar speakers share similar stories. An overarching sense of white feminism develops as white senior girl after white senior girl spare no detail as they recount stories of their failed Deerfield relationships, hookups, or even infractions of school rules (some even during a global pandemic). As a new sophomore, it was incredibly disheartening to experience such a shocking and misleading introduction to Deerfield. As a senior, it was outright embarrassing to listen to my fellow classmates who followed the lead of our predecessors. The worst part was looking around at other women of color, who not only looked disinterested but also uncomfortable. We, as Seniors, leaders of Deerfield and of that particular meeting, had failed to lead the way.  For the past three years, I have sat in and heard a myriad of “girls supporting girls” pledges and the spoken reminder to respect confidentiality of any shared stories. However, each year, without fail, within thirty minutes after the meeting, rumors emerge through botched recaps of what was shared. Every. Single. Year. Habits like these transcend the Girls’ Meeting, creating a domino effect of unnecessary drama that poisons our campus. I cannot attribute this only to the Girls Meeting, as gossiping is typical high school behavior regardless of location, but our Girls Meeting definitely exacerbates the situation.  This domino effect reflects what I would unfortunately label as “Deerfield Girl Culture.”. While it is very exclusive to one demographic, somehow it manages to spread to those who perceive it to be the standard. LoveShackFancy dresses, blonde hair dye, and the dreams of a fairytale proposal to Semi. Nothing is wrong with these things outside of Deerfield (minus the Semi proposal), but, within the community, they have completely stripped the female student body of individuality and inclusivity. This is just one example of the many effects that the current structure of the Girls Meeting has had on Deerfield girls. Deerfield Girl Culture develops and spreads during this meeting. Each word of “advice” that is given, while they may be given with good intentions, poses a false narrative of what Deerfield actually is.  There is so much more to being a girl at Deerfield Academy than just relationships and boy troubles; the diversity and intersectionality amongst all students should be celebrated in places like the Girls Meeting. I so strongly wish and believe that we as a student body need to verbally acknowledge the errors made at Girls Meetings in previous years, and take responsibility in correcting them. In the future, any person  who wants to say a few words at the Girls Meeting should feel comfortable speaking on topics such as mental health, shouting out an empowering event they’ve witnessed, asking questions about experiences at Deerfield, and sharing appropriate and relevant stories. By the end of the meeting, each person should leave with at least one new friend. Refocusing the atmosphere and result of the Girls Meeting would be a step towards restoring a healthy Deerfield Academy.

“John,” “Amelia,” “Jasmine,” the Greer staff would announce from the kiosk when their food was ready. I watched the employee hesitate when it was my turn. I already knew what was coming. “Grilled CC.”  In the sea of Claires and Charlottes, I am no longer a person. I am Grilled CC .  The phenomenon occurs when I swipe my OneCard at the Greer or the Koch and the system registers my legal name, Xinni Chen, rather than my preferred name: Sunshine. Instead of asking for my nickname or trying to pronounce Xinni – which most people butcher anyways – the staff simply refer to me as my favorite order. So, to the Greer staff members, I’m not Sunshine, the student. Sometimes, I’m Cheese Quesadilla. Sometimes, I’m Mocha Frappe. Shake a Magic 8-Ball, and you’ll get a different identity every time.  Though this issue may seem trivial (it’s just your food order at the Greer ), it does not just happen in the Greer and I’m not alone in wanting Deerfield to use my preferred name. A sizable group of the student population identifies with a name different from their legal ones. The legal titles range from extended versions of their nicknames (Alexandra and Alex) to non-American spellings (Xinni Chen and Sunshine) to a nonbinary student’s dead name. Students do not always go by their legal names, and the Deerfield system needs to reflect that.  Even when students have explicitly asked the school to use our preferred names, Deerfield fails to accommodate us. Whether that is in the Greer, in the Koch, on our OneCards, on Canvas, on our emails, on rosters, and on the stickers outside our rooms. They continue to use names we no longer identify with. They continue to use names we are not comfortable with.  Zed Deas ’23 said, “I thought no one would know my dead name and I could start the school year as Zed. Whenever I went to the Greer, they would butcher my dead name and scream it at the top of their lungs and I would have to go get it. People who didn’t know my dead name would ask me why they’re calling me that and it has gotten so bad that I just pay in cash most of the time. If I don’t have cash, I just won’t buy anything.”  For nonbinary and transgender students, the names reflects their identities as they understand them. By failing to use their preferred names, the school ostracizes these already marginalized students, causes further gender dysphoria, and disincentives students to come out in fear of being called their dead names.  In a similar vein, some international Deerfield students may choose to identify with an anglicized Western name, and first or second generation immigrants may prefer a shortened version of their long legal names. While some make this decision to reduce the feeling of “foreignness” and avoid mispronunciation, it is still a personal choice Deerfield should respect. “Every time I order at the Greer, they call me Chicken Tenders,” Tioba Akinjaiyeju ’22 said. “It’s just rather degrading and impersonal. It feels like I’m not part of this school, or it’s not important for you to call me by my name, and it’s been like that ever since I got here.” Greer orders are just a microcosm of the larger issue at hand. I understand that OneCards may serve as student IDs and might need to include our legal names for security purposes, but in more casual environments like the dorms and cafes, students should have the liberty to express themselves with a name they feel comfortable with. By restricting our ability to express ourselves, Deerfield undermines our agency to determine and define our shifting identities.  Over the past year, however, Deerfield has made strides to become more inclusive. For the last few years, I meticulously spelled out my legal first name every school meeting to the attendance takers who scrambled to find it amongst the long list. This year, I was pleasantly surprised to discover my preferred name appearing on the attendance sheets at the first school meeting. It was a small detail, but I felt the school finally recognized my needs. Though DAinfo and the school meeting attendance sheets now reflect our preferred names, the school can and should do better for a community that prides itself in inclusivity. They should actively use our preferred names on our emails, on rosters, in Greer and Koch orders, on the stickers outside of our dorm rooms, on Canvas, and on other attendance sheets. If the school asks for our preferred names during enrollment, why have they not used it? I joke about this matter with my friends, but Grilled CC is not my name. Cheese quesadilla is not my name. My name is Sunshine. Please use it.

“You should get more sleep.” This is perhaps Deerfield’s most frequent advice to its students — but has Deerfield taken responsibility for this statement and what it entails? Does it have a comprehensive action plan to make this statement a reality in the daily lives of Deerfield students? These are questions that we should ask ourselves and, more importantly, the school. Recently, Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs Dr. Ivory Hills, sent out a “Sleep and HW” survey to students to assess the impact of the changed Daily Schedule on sleep deprivation. I appreciate the intention behind the survey, but more factors could have been taken into consideration.   The administration took a whole school average of the collected data, which fails to account for significant variation in homework load between grades. According to Dr. Hills, half of the student body (390 respondents) gets seven and a half hours of sleep every night.  Yet in a grade-wide survey (with 95 respondents) conducted by Student Council member Zoe Matias ’23, 63.8% of juniors get six hours or less of sleep per night. In the same survey, 91.6% of juniors responded that people would sleep more if less work was assigned, 81.9% responded that their workload affected their mental health, and close to 90% are “super stressed,” compared to around 10% who are “chilling.”  This introduces the second problem: the administration has not established a conclusive action plan, including guidance and resources for more sleep. Many students mistakenly believe that Mental Health Days, when students call in sick to the Health Center to stay during the school day, are an official school support system. Students have been turned away from the Health Center after attempting to take a Mental Health Day. The school needs to clearly communicate the support that is actually offered at the Health Center so students can utilize them accordingly.  Deerfield students with attention disorders struggle even more than most students, and tend to get even less sleep due to the specific difficulties they face. Although Deerfield does give testing accommodations and extensions, it seems to lack 1:1 support for students with attention disorders; if there is any, students remain unaware. One of my friends, who has ADHD, explained that she felt balancing her life at Deerfield was “harder, and more distracting” than for others because she tends to “stray” from completing her work, which significantly affects her performance both inside and outside of the classroom. According to this person, they chose to not let their teachers know about their attention disorder for fear of stigma. When asked about resources available to them on campus, the student said that their only options are either to have prescribed medicine or a connection to medical personnel back home.  According to the New York Times, sleep deprivation stems largely from anxiety. This is to be expected, since Deerfield is a gathering of ultra-competitive students who take pride in doing well in their respective areas of talent. Many students are also painfully aware of the fact that the road to their dream college will be a battlefield where they will have to step over their peers. The College Advising Office started group meetings in early October as opposed to during or after the winter, which heightened anxieties about standardized testing and the college process. All this distraction can lead to hours of unproductivity.  Each grade should have a designated meeting to gather together and directly express their concerns to a panel of faculty members representing various school offices, which would help the administration understand sleep deprivation and take measures in response. To address student procrastination, the Administration and the Academic Affairs Office could form a Student Advisory Committee, which would consist of high-performing students who could give advice to other students regarding time management and academic success. Deerfield students would be able to access helpful resources for their own academic improvement without fearing the judgement of seeking advice about procrastination from faculty.  Although students have a responsibility to control procrastination and time management, the administration should actively help to control uncontrollable contributors to sleep deprivation, such as homework load and student support; they should not put the burden of solving a multifaceted problem entirely on the shoulders of students.