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Will Holland ’21 is the athlete of the issue, and for good reason. A leader on and off the ice, Holland has been a boy’s varsity hockey player since freshman year. Along with Tyler Mudd ’21, Holland was elected as a captain for this season–a role he is certainly deserving of.  Holland’s older brother Michael Holland ’19 was also one of the team’s captains in his senior year, helping lead Deerfield to the playoffs in the Class of 1993 Ice Rink’s inaugural season. Though the Holland brothers play different positions–Will a defensemen and Michael a forward– they played together for two seasons. When asked about his older brother’s impact on the team, Holland said, “He was a big part of the team my freshman and sophomore year, and he laid the foundation for what kind of leader I should be in my junior and senior years.” Over that span of time, from Holland’s first season with the team to this one, he says the team’s culture has improved. “I’ve been fortunate enough to see the culture of Deerfield hockey evolve into something that celebrates success and doing the little things right,” he said. Holland feels that, regarding overall work ethic and the way the team “approaches the game and each other,” he will be leaving the program in a good place next year. Commenting on the shortened season due to COVID-19 Holland said, “It’s hard not to feel like I have some unfinished business.” While playing his final Deerfield hockey games in a far-from-ideal season will be tough, Holland’s future looks bright and he certainly has more work cut out for him going forward. Holland plans to play junior hockey in Canada or the U.S. for the next year or two, with the ultimate goal of playing either D3 or, hopefully, D1 college hockey. The junior hockey to college pathway is one that a number of former Deerfield players have taken, including Holland’s older brother who now plays at Miami University (Ohio).  Hockey Coach and Philosophy & Religious Studies Teacher Jan Flaska said about Holland’s future that “the process doesn’t end once he graduates.” Mr. Flaska had a lot of good things to say about what he has seen so far from Holland as a player. One of the first things that comes to mind when Mr. Flaska thinks of Holland is his focus. “He’s laser-focused when he plays but also when he practices. It’s almost like you have to interrupt him–in a good way–to coach him,” Mr. Flaska said. Mr. Flaska also mentioned that Holland has “a record of being committed to self-improvement,” something that will continue to serve him well. Mr. Flaska stressed that “it is truly such an honor to be elected as a captain, and Holland is a very good one.” One of the things that make Holland a great captain is that “no situation is too big for him.”  One of Mr. Flaska’s best memories of Holland is from the team’s preseason trip to the Czech Republic before the 2019-20 season. Late in the team’s final game of four, the score was a tight 1-1, and Holland “took a hard fall and was really hobbled.” He couldn’t finish the game, but Mr. Flaska remembers him and is still impressed by the way he “supported the team in a huge way” from the bench. Holland’s ability to lift up the team even when he’s not on the ice is a quality of a captain that he’s embodied.  This season’s short stint of games haven’t ended yet, but Holland’s time with Deerfield hockey is coming to an end. Holland has been a huge part of the team for almost four years now, and the Holland legacy will likely live on within the Deerfield hockey program for years to come. We wish him the best of luck in the rest of his hockey career and thank him for all he’s brought to this school, on and off the ice.

Art serves as a practical medium to express ourselves and connect with greater meaning in times of confusion and restlessness. Yet, in a world of quarantine and social distancing, we are at risk of isolation from the arts. How can the boarding school community remain connected to the beauty of art and the freedom that creativity allows? Schools from around the ____ area have seen the rise of a student-led, interscholastic organization that seeks to inspire and raise awareness of present issues through virtual musical performances. On June 21, 2020, many talented Deerfield musicians joined peers from  Choate Rosemary Hall, Hotchkiss School, Kingswood-Oxford School, Loomis Chaffee School, and Phillips Exeter Academy to form the Renaissance Ensemble, in a mission to “embrace the new normal of physical distance to bring rival schools together through theatrical collaboration and creation.” “We share a love, passion, and dedication to the arts,” they stated, “and a belief that they have the power to shine a light on how the world could be, in spite of the way that it is.” The Renaissance Ensemble’s logo, designed by Julie Chung ’21 from Loomis Chaffee School, was inspired by the Chinese character 民, which means “the people,” symbolizing the members’ core value of community and their mission to bring people together.  Eva Milan Evans ’21 of Loomis Chaffee School explained that the name “Renaissance Ensemble” was inspired by the Renaissance period of European history which, after the Bubonic Plague, ushered in a newfound appreciation for humanity, individualism, and expression through art. In regard to the latter half of the name, Evans said, “In French, ‘ensemble’ means together. In English, it describes a group of artists creating and performing together. Even during these dark times where human interaction is often limited to a screen, the arts still unite us, they still bring us together, and together, we create and share what we love.” On August 30 2020, the organization debuted its first major virtual event on YouTube: the cabaret style concert fundraiser for the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (LDF) called “The Key to Change.” Two of the NAACP LDF initiatives the members promoted were police reform campaigns in response to the rampant acts of police misconduct, as well as a voting rights defender project, which helped monitor and prevent voter suppression leading up to last year’s Election Day.  Not only has the ensemble gifted its  various communities with a concert, but many other performances have been posted on their Instagram page @renaissanceensemble, including a Deerfield-exclusive performance “Disappear” starring Angel Zhou ’22, Atang Peloewetse ’20, Andy Kim ’21, Elsa Marrian ’21, Sabrina Ticer-Wurr ’21, Hannah McKie ’22, Grey Holmen ’21, Adam Sussbauer ’20, Will Sussbauer ’23, Christina Li ’20, and Production Service Technician Samuel Watson. In the end, the Renaissance Ensemble is inspiring not only in their powerful vocal techniques or the complex arrangement of their performances, but also through their mission which reminds us that the arts serve a purpose: as a sophisticated tool to cope with loneliness, to communicate with our inner world, and to fill ourselves with hope.

Are you really “going to Deerfield” if you’re just sitting at home taking online classes on your computer all day long? Being on campus plays an integral role in creating one’s Deerfield experience, and while this year’s campus life has looked drastically different from past years, we are immensely privileged that Deerfield has re-opened and allowed us to return for in-person classes, especially while thousands of schools across the country cannot. We throw around the term “Deerfield experience” quite often, but what does it actually entail? Students that have been here since pre-COVID times may tell you stories of glorious Choate Days, music-filled evenings in the Starfield during KFC, and evenings spent at DeNunzio disco or the semi-formal dance. Other students may tell you about the less grand moments: early mornings spent doing work in the dining hall, getting a snack from the Greer, nights spent with friends in the dorm, or singing the Evensong after Sunday sit-down.  There’s a long list of traditions that stretch through our school’s history that have cultivated the Deerfield experience into something very desirable but also highly personal to all students. More students have chosen to do remote learning this winter versus the fall. While there are a multitude of valid reasons that I’ve heard people cite for staying home, such as travel restrictions, family reasons, or health concerns, it must be made clear that students should not be choosing to stay home because this year’s campus activities are not “fun” enough. Students choosing to stay home miss out on residential life on campus, the very structure that the Deerfield experience is built upon. They aren’t buying-in to the school’s efforts to keep the community together, because absences in classes, dorms, or at sit-downs also affect the experience of the students that have returned to campus. They aren’t buying-in to help create a new ideal of the “Deerfield experience” for this year, reluctant to accept the lasting impact that COVID-19 will have on everything that we do.  Any returning student will remember the experience of transitioning to remote learning for spring term last year. The inherent difficulties of online learning meant struggling to maintain one’s concentration through a screen and also trying to sustain a strong work ethic while generally not feeling very connected with your teachers or classmates.  Now, with some students in the classroom and some students Zoomed in, there’s extra pressure placed on teachers to keep everyone engaged and provide remote students with the same education that the in-person students are receiving. It’s an impossible feat, especially when either student or teacher often have to deal with technical difficulties. From my own classes, I’ve noticed how my teachers have been forced to juggle going back and forth between the in-person class and the remote learners in order to ensure that the students on Zoom stay connected with what’s happening in the classroom.  I know that this year has looked nothing like what has traditionally been thought of as the “Deerfield experience.” But unlike some of our peer schools, Deerfield has made it possible for students across all grade levels to return safely and experience a new school year: albeit one with a staggered class schedule, socially distanced meals, and many evenings spent walking in the cold with friends.  While the social scene on campus has clearly changed significantly this year, the core of the Deerfield experience is made up of the relationships that can be formed in the dorms, in classes, and during co-curriculars.  Due to the rural location of campus, a strict de-densifying plan, and a robust testing system, Deerfield has also had uncommon success with the task of re-opening campus in comparison to several of our peer schools. Our community has had very few positive cases and to better preserve the integrity of the Deerfield bubble, this winter the administration even had day students decide to either move on campus or learn remotely for the entirety of the term.  After COVID-19 has prevented the majority of schools in the U.S. from opening, we should take advantage of all that Deerfield has offered us this year: in-person classes with teachers that care about our success, safe housing in the dorms with nearly all singles, and efforts to provide students with valuable co-curricular experiences even without inter-scholastic competition. While de-densifying has forced many of our social circles to grow smaller, it can be easy to forget that the ability to interact with groups of people within the safety of the Deerfield bubble is a rare privilege during a pandemic.  The Deerfield experience has certainly evolved from what it traditionally has been, but we still have our community and the chance to safely spend time with each other in person, which is something that we shouldn’t take for granted.

Rainy Bernedoodle, 3 months old Hi everyone! My name is Rainy, short for Rainbow. I arrived on campus a couple of months ago as a Christmas present for the DiNardos. Some of my favorite things include playing with my sisters and all of the girls that live with my family, especially when they give me treats. I’m also really good friends with Kelce and Bunny. I love playing outside with them. Sometimes my sisters and parents throw me a yellow or white ball that they say is for “lacrosse”. I’ve heard I’m supposed to be good at lacrosse like my family, but I don’t know if I’d be very good at it. When I play with the other dogs it is always so much fun. We run and run and run for so long. But sometimes I get really tired and need to lay down in the cold snow. But we always get lots of cuddles from our families afterwards. They say that I’m going to be really big when I’m older, but not quite as big as Kelce. Yet now we’re about the same size. Bunny is much smaller, and sometimes when we’re playing we forget and trample over her. But she always fights back. I can’t wait to meet more people here! Kelce Newfoundland Great Pyrenees Mix, 2.5 months old What’s up everyone? I’m Kelce. My family, the Browns, brought me to this strange place just a couple of weeks ago. But I love it so much! Everyone’s always telling me what a good girl I am and I always have somebody to play with. They keep saying that I’m named after a famous football player, but I don’t even know what football is. I think maybe it’s the game that my brothers sometimes play outside. I like it when they play outside because sometimes they throw the yellow thing in the sky and then I get to go find it in the fluffy cold stuff under my feet. I think they call it “snow”, but whatever it is, I like it! It makes me feel cold and it’s fun to jump through. I also like when they let me play with all of the other girls that live with me. They always give me lots of pets. But there’s one terrible thing they’ve been doing recently. At night they’ve been trying to get me to sleep in this dark box with bars around it. I don’t know why they do it. I want to sleep with them like my sisters Bear, Annie, and Ginger do. I just get so lonely in there by myself and sometimes try to tell them, but they just come in and tell me to “shh”. I love Bear and Annie, they look just like me and like to play with me outside. On the other hand, Ginger doesn’t like to play with me as much. She’s so strange and jumps on top of things where I can’t reach her and sometimes when I try to play with her, she uses her paw to scratch me. But when Ginger makes me sad I can always get cuddles from my brothers, or go play with my friends Rainy and Bunny. Anyways, I hope someday we can play together and be friends!  Bunny Black Lab Golden Retriever Mix, 2.5 months old Hey! I’m Bunny, the newest dog on the block. I came here a few weeks back, and have had so much fun so far! I love hanging out with my mom, Ms. O, and all of my aunts that live with me in Mather. They give me lots of treats and pets. My mom says that I eat like a horse but I don’t know what that means. I really like playing outside with my friends Rainy and Kelce. They’re both so much bigger than me, but I’m not scared of them! I like when we play with sticks. I like picking up the really big ones but sometimes my friends try to steal them from me! It’s not very nice but I always get them back for it. They may be bigger, but I’m faster. Sometimes when we’re playing, I get really really cold, so my mom picks me up and puts me in her jacket. I like nudging my face between the jacket and her arm. It’s so warm there! Recently I’ve been trying to learn how to walk on the tall things that they call “stairs”. I figured out how to go up them, but going down is just so scary! It feels like I’m going to fall off. I like playing outside and running through the snow, but I also like snuggling up with a blanket. I can’t wait to meet all of you soon!

While students await word from Deerfield about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, some faculty members have already started the vaccination process. The order in which the faculty members receive the vaccine depends entirely on how the state of Massachusetts is distributing it. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have decided on phases and groups in which people will be vaccinated. On February 18, the state moved to phase two group two, which includes people over the age of sixty-five or with two or more health conditions that make them more susceptible to COVID-19. Currently, about fifty to seventy Deerfield faculty members fall under this category. General K-12 faculty fall under the third group in phase two.  While not everyone has yet qualified for the restrictions, many adults in the Deerfield community have already been vaccinated including the health center staff, athletic trainers, and the safety and security staff. Originally, Deerfield hoped to become a vaccination center where both Deerfield faculty and all the school employees from the county could be vaccinated. However, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts controls the distribution process and has decided on two testing centers near the Academy: the Community Health Center in Greenfield and the old Channing Bete headquarters in Deerfield.  There are currently three approved vaccines, Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson. The first two both require two doses while the latter is a one-dose vaccine that was recently approved. The main difference between the two dose vaccines is that Pfizer must be stored  -70 degrees Celsius. The testing centers near Deerfield both use the Moderna vaccine as it is easier to store safely. Director of Nursing Kate Rolland received her first shot in January and then her second dose four weeks later. She, along with all the other employees at the health center, had to fill out a questionnaire about medical history and other health related questions and sign up for a specific time slot. Rolland said that “unlike other appointments where you could cancel, you absolutely had to go in at a certain time.”  After receiving the vaccine, Rolland experienced some side effects including headaches, a low-grade fever, and body aches all over, typical symptoms reported in the clinical trials. Every nurse in the D.S. Chen Health Center, except two part-time nurses, have also been vaccinated and reported similar side effects. When asked about how her life has changed, Rolland said, “Nothing much because I’m still following all the proper masking protocol but anxiety went down a lot because I stopped worrying as much about infecting my loved ones.” The entire Safety and Security staff has also received their vaccinations. They qualify under the first responders category and were all vaccinated at the Community Health Center in Greenfield. Officer Christopher MacDougall experienced a “sore arm shortly after [the] vaccine and later that same night I felt fatigued with a low-grade fever and headache.” However, after about 24 hours he felt completely fine and back to normal. It provided “a bit of peace of mind because security is in contact with everyone on campus and getting vaccinated was important for my well-being, as well as my family’s” said Officer MacDougall. But even after obtaining the vaccine, he continues to stay safe and follows all the safety protocols. Chief Financial Officer Keith Finan currently oversees the vaccination process and has been trying to figure out the logistics of getting everyone vaccinated while handling state restrictions. To get vaccinated, each person must individually sign up on an online website for a slot. He compared the vaccination sign-up process to “having to go online and try to get tickets for a popular concert.” A few weeks ago, Deerfield conducted a survey about feelings towards COVID-19 vaccination and received about 200 responses from faculty and staff. Mr. Finan reported that “88% said they can’t wait to be vaccinated or definitely going to get vaccinated.”  The original goal was to have all the faculty vaccinated by the first or second week of February. As of now, the revised goal is for everyone to receive their first shot by the beginning of the spring term.

In consideration of international students who are unable to travel home over spring break, Deerfield will allow approximately thirty international students to spend their two-week long break on campus. The measure was put in place to address logistical concerns stemming from various international travel restrictions due to COVID-19.  “My home is back in China and the traveling restrictions make it difficult for me to return home. I also don’t have any close family in Massachusetts so this program really solves my residential problems,” said Lily Lin ’23. Associate Director of Admissions and Director of the March Break Program Genevieve Pitt said, “We are looking to provide a comfortable, safe, supportive, healthy, and enjoyable experience for the students.” With this goal in mind, Assistant Head of Student Life, Amie Creagh added, “We are trying to keep open the spaces that kids will most likely want to spend time in. The academic and classroom buildings not as much, but the recreational spaces will be kept open for kids to spend time there.” Likewise, The Hess, Dining Hall, and the athletics complex will be available everyday for student use.  Faculty and staff are also developing potential activities and events for the students remaining on campus. “A large part of it does depend on the health indicators on campus leading up to the break,” said Ms. Pitt. “The possibility of off-campus travel is also under discussion, but we need to see how many kids we have, what’s a comforting cohort group, and it would likely remain outdoors.” The school is also offering Envoys programs to students who are staying on campus. Envoys is the organization Deerfield previously worked with to offer courses for ninth and tenth graders to take during the span of D-Term. The March break courses range from addressing social and justice development in South Africa to learning about Tai Chi and Salsa. The school is planning on moving students who stay behind into new dorms for the duration of spring break. Ms. Pitt communicated that the current plan is to house the girls in Ephraim Williams and the boys in Williams House located on Old Main Street. It has also been confirmed that several campus stayers will have roommates. As a result, day students will need to move out for March break. Potential plans the school has for day students for the Spring term include: day students either remaining as boarders, traveling to campus but refraining from contact exposure, or most preferably returning to the typical day student experience. “A lot of this will depend on local and Massachusetts health indicators. We told families we’d make those decisions by March 4th or March 5th,” Ms. Creagh said. Given that the dining hall staff will only be providing lunch, Ms. Pitt explained that continental food will be supplied in the dorms for breakfast, and the school will cater take-out for every dinner.  Although Deerfield will be accommodating several international students, the financial impact on the school will be minimal. “I do not expect that providing an on-campus option over spring break will be very costly — not free, but not large,” said Chief Financial Officer, Keith Finan. He additionally noted, “There will be added food expenses for breakfast and providing dinner options to the students, and we will pay Health Center staff to be on call and available.” As much as the option of staying on campus over March break with your friends may sound compelling, “COVID doesn’t disappear just because we have a smaller number of people on campus,” as Ms. Creagh said. “The school is hoping to ensure everyone is enjoying their time together while recognizing that we are still living through a pandemic.”

Deerfield athletes stay connected to the larger sports sphere in a number of ways, by following favorite professional sports or cheering on local teams from back home. That’s why when a recent tragedy hit the sports community, Deerfield athletes did their best to pay homage in a unique and honorable way.  For a long time, Deerfield culture has been shaped by the hockey team, whether it means dressing up in bright jackets for 80s Night or lacing up with squads and friends on the weekend for Open Skate. But now, the hockey team symbolizes something more than a Friday night game; but rather an embodiment of true Deerfield team spirit, as they pay respect to a fallen athlete in the hockey community.   Sarah Duval was a young, dedicated, and passionate hockey and soccer player from Andover, Massachusetts. In May of 2020, Duval was diagnosed with leukemia. Throughout her treatments Duval stuck closeby with her teammates, who described her as “hilarious, kind, outgoing, brave and courageous” (Andover Townsman, Feb 9 2021). After a long, grueling and courageous battle, Duvall tragically passed away on February 8 of this year, at the young age of 11.  Following her passing, Andover community members honored Sarah’s legacy by placing soccer balls and hockey sticks standing upright outside of locker rooms and athletic centers in her memory. At a recent game, the Andover Hockey Association encouraged players to raise their sticks up to the sky in unison as a “Salute to Sarah.” Many players also honorably bore “Sarah Strong” on their sticks and helmets in her memory.  The Deerfield boys’ and girls’ varsity hockey teams are paying homage to Sarah’s legacy in a similar way.  Girls Varsity Hockey Coach, Brooke Fernandez, said: “In her honor, players were asked to leave their sticks outside of their front door or locker room each evening for Sarah.”  Ellia Chiang ’21, the girls’ varsity hockey assistant captain, added, “The tradition of ‘Sticks out for Sarah’ highlights the unity of the hockey community as we come together and pay respect for Sarah Duval.”  Therefore, throughout the hockey locker room halls, lines of ice hockey sticks have honorably placed in Sarah’s memory, with each stick representing a team member’s meaningful dedication to the fallen athlete.  Girls Varsity Hockey Captain, Lisa Ito-Bagshaw ’21, said, “For Sarah Duval last week, and for the many others like her who have lost their lives or have experienced life changing injuries, we, as integral parts of both the local community and the hockey community,  felt that this simple gesture of placing our sticks outside the locker room would be a personal way to honor dedicated fellow athletes.” Therefore, the simple action of lining halls with hockey sticks serves as a catalyst for students and athletes to share Sarah’s story.  Boys Varsity Hockey Captain, Will Holland ’21 explains, “[Placing our sticks along the hall] is a way to start a conversation about the events that took place. It is like a bridge which connects hockey players from on a local and even national scale to show how we are all one united group.” Not only are players paying their individual respects, but they are spreading Sarah’s story throughout the Deerfield community.  As Chiang ’21 plays her final senior season amidst a global pandemic, she said, “This tradition is also a reminder to support our teammates and other players in the community. Especially now when things are so unpredictable, it’s important to remember that every moment on the ice is special and should be cherished. We never know when our last game is, so we should always be grateful to be on the ice and playing.”  A global pandemic is no hindrance to Deerfield hockey’s ability to celebrate Sarah’s legacy in a meaningful way. Keri Clougherty ’21, the girls’ varsity hockey assistant captain mentioned, “With this pandemic it may seem more difficult to show support for something, but even with the pandemic restrictions, this act shows how close the hockey community is and makes it more special.” Holland similarly, added, “Since physically going and meeting [Sarah’s] family isn’t possible, this is a way to pay our respects.” Clougherty ’21, continued, “The act of putting our sticks outside our locker room goes such a long way and represents that hockey is more than just a sport and shows the camaraderie of the entire hockey community.” Ms. Fernandez, continued Clougherty’s idea, “[The hockey community] is a small and close-knit community; when something happens to one program, it happens to all of us.” The display of honor reinforces the quintessential qualities of Deerfield athletics: honor, respect, and teamwork. The hockey teams’ meaningful homage proves that the profound connections between Deerfield’s athletes on the rink, field, or court, are just as strong as their connections to the sports community beyond the Deerfield Valley.  Below is the link to the GoFundMe for the Sarah Strong Foundation in Sarah’s memory: gofundme.com/f/sarah-duval-memorial-fund .

As the winter term comes to a close, several Deerfield teams have had the opportunity to compete against rival schools in interscholastic competitions. While the Alpine Ski team has been competing against other schools since early February, many of the other interscholastic sports teams have not begun competing against rival schools until the final three weeks of the term.  In the last weeks of the term, both the Girl’s and Boy’s Varsity Hockey teams have been able to compete against neighboring Northfield Mount Hermon, and will compete against Berkshire School and Cushing Academy at the end of the term. Against NMH, the Girl’s team came home with a win (3-1) while the Boy’s team tied 2-2 in overtime. Ellia Chiang ’21, captain of the Girl’s Varsity team, commented that she was “very grateful for the opportunity to play games this year” and that at the game “the energy was unreal”. She reflected that she and her teammates were overjoyed to have the opportunity to demonstrate the hard work they had been putting into practice all season in a game. Both the Girl’s and Boy’s Varsity Swim teams have had slightly different interscholastic competitions than other sports. While basketball, hockey, and Squash have had the opportunity to compete in person, the swim teams opted for ‘virtual competitions’, similar to those held by the Varsity Cross Country team in the Fall. The Girl’s Swim Team competed against Suffield, while the Boy’s team swam against Choate. Both teams timed races in their home pools, and then shared the results to compare times and determine a winner. Both teams swam fast, but Suffield and Choate proved victorious. Boy’s and Girl’s basketball were also able to compete against Wilbraham in the final weeks of the term, and will play Cushing and Berkshire school, like the hockey and squash teams. The Girl’s team narrowly lost to Wilbraham by two points, while the Boy’s team played hard but came away with a loss. Benju Basba ’22, a member of the Boy’s Varsity Basketball team commented that “Despite the loss, I think everyone on the team was just happy to get out on the floor”. Basba added that the atmosphere for the game felt quite a bit different without spectators. He noted that “without having people in the stands, it felt like we were playing in a dead gym. Our game definitely made me realize how much I take for granted the amazing fans/sports culture at Deerfield”.  While spectators have not been permitted at any of the games this winter, Athletic Director Bob Howe has been working with the Athletics Task Force to find strategies that may allow spectators to watch interscholastic competitions in the Spring. The competitions this Winter represent a culmination of a great deal of logistical work and planning by Mr. Howe, Mr. Miller, Ms. Creagh, and Dr. Benson, who make up the ‘Athletics Task Force’. The Task Force has been working closely with EH & E (Environmental Health and Engineering) to ensure that these games remain safe for all athletes, coaches, and schools involved. In addition to mask wearing during competition, all athletes are required to have negative rapid antigen tests taken the day of competition, and Deerfield is only participating in competitions with rival schools that require regular PCR tests for students and have no current active cases. Looking towards the Spring, Mr. Howe commented that the Athletics Task Force has planned out “a full six week schedule of games” and that he is hoping that sports competitions will approach even more of a sense of normalcy than in the Winter. Mr. Howe also emphasized that many Spring sports like tennis and golf allow for distancing of players, and this would allow a faster transition to interscholastic play. Additionally, as various vaccines become increasingly available in Massachusetts, coaches, spectators, and perhaps athletes may be able to secure immunization in preparation for the Spring season.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, no one would have expected that as part of attending school in person, Deerfield students would be asked to quarantine while on campus. This year, however, although many students have not gone through the quarantine process a few students have been required to quarantine on three separate occasions either due to receiving a positive coronavirus test result or because of having been identified as a close contact of someone who has.  Director of Medical Services Bryant Benson estimated that around 100 to 150 students have been quarantined at some point this year as a result of a positive case. Some of these students have had to repeat the quarantine process after being identified as a close contact multiple times. Dr. Benson said, “If there is a positive case within a dorm squad, all members of that dorm squad are considered close contacts if they are householding and will be quarantined in their dorm rooms.” If the positive test is not within a dorm squad, close contacts are housed at the Dewey, Chen [Health Center], or at the Deerfield Inn with the location quarantine being completely unrelated to other reasons such as the number of times a student has been quarantined.  During this year’s winter term, Deerfield started using the Annex of the Deerfield Inn to quarantine additional students. Dr. Benson explained that the purpose of utilizing this new space to quarantine students was to gain extra flexibility and capacity.  “It allows us to more appropriately onboard students who are late returning to campus, so that they do not occupy needed clinical space in the Chen or Dewey health centers,” Dr. Benson said.  In terms of keeping the Inn employees safe, Dr. Benson explained that Deerfield uses an independent contractor to clean the space and rooms after use so that the Inn’s employees do not have to clean the space. In addition, the Inn does not provide room service to the students housed in the Annex. According to Dr. Benson, the Inn’s one prerequisite for allowing the school to use the space was that COVID-19 positive students would not be housed there. In order to support students quarantined in the health center, the nurses’ daily lives are mainly centered around students’ class schedules. “We need to get their meals to them, check vital signs, make sure that they’re comfortable, make sure that their wifi is working. These are daily occurrences,” Director of Nursing Katherine Rolland said. Rolland explained that mealtimes can get particularly busy because the health center tries to make sure that students are comfortable and happy by providing great takeout meals. Sharing her own quarantine experience, Amelia Goetzke ’24 said, “The nurses were really nice and did their best to make us feel comfortable. They even said it was okay to have my friends come visit my window.” Elena Lu ’22, who was quarantined three times, also shared her experience. “I did feel like it got better every time,” Lu said. “The first time, the PCR test took longer than we thought to come out, so it felt a lot harder being in isolation. By my third time in the Inn, it was actually pretty nice, since it was a nice room, and we got takeout almost every night.”  Like Lu, Evan Burkert ’21 was also required to quarantine on three occasions. Burkert said that, “The first time I was quarantined was hard, because it was on my birthday, and I was upset about spending my birthday not only away from friends but also in a room with four white walls.” Burkert felt, though, that over time her days spent in quarantine got progressively better. She said that, “The really nice thing is that we got takeout everynight in Dewey.” For her third time in quarantine, she said that being able to go to the Inn was more comfortable because of its hotel environment rather than in the clinical setting of Dewey.  Some co-curricular teams have been placed in isolation together. Burkert used her experience to share her tips with others for a successful quarantine stating, “The key to quarantine is to be positive throughout and to take it as a vacation, take it as a mental break rather than being bogged down by isolation.” Quarantining with teammates has served as a good bonding experience for some. “We were isolated, yet together — because we were all there, we made the decision to not be upset about our circumstances. As a group, it just brought us together, especially because the third time around, they let us walk as a big socially distanced group. When we finished quarantine, we returned with a new sense of purpose and spirit for sure,” Burkert said.  Ultimately, knowing that quarantining is important for the safety of everyone at Deerfield means that everyone on campus is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the community healthy.

The pandemic means that most traditional Deerfield weekend activities can’t happen. But through some trial-and-error, the school and the Student Planning Committee have come up with some fun events . . . and some not-so-fun ones. Here’s a definitive ranking of recent weekend activities. Last and least is Jackbox Gaming. If you haven’t played Jackbox before, it’s a series of party games you can play with your friends. It’s fun, but unless you created an account earlier in the school year you’ll only have access to the first game, which is lackluster compared to the others. Plus, due to the nature of the game, you’ll either need to be together in a room(which you can only realistically do with your squad) or apart in your own rooms. This is a good option if one of your friends is in quarantine or remote, or if you’re playing this after curfew with your hall. Otherwise, stay away. Next is the dodgeball tournament. There’s been multiple tournaments, and earlier in the year they were very disorganized. Teams didn’t show up to their matches, rules changed on the fly, and no one knew which courts they were on. This has improved a little, though. The brackets are clearer and teams are required to check in at the beginning of the tournament. Still, this is something you need to sign up for with your squad. If you’re the only one who wants to do it, you’re out of luck. If you can wrangle a team together, go for it. Bubble soccer is next up. It does also require you to sign up by squad, but it ranks higher than dodgeball simply because of the exhilarating activity that is running around slamming into people in a massive plastic ball.  The Athletics Complex is a great place to go if you like activities that leave plenty of room for meeting people, talking with friends, and focusing more on socializing than the task at hand. They have plenty of fun board games, ping-pong, and video games like Mario Kart. If you want to stay warm and talk with friends while still doing something other than just sitting around, this is for you. Taking the bronze medal is snow tubing/sledding. This is a classic winter activity that is made more fun by the gigantic hill that the Deerfield campus provides. What’s more fun than hurtling down a hill with friends? Unfortunately though, some people have gotten hurt while sledding so if you do this, be sure to be safe and watch out for your friends. Plus there aren’t that many sleds, so you should pick a time when the hill isn’t too busy. In second place is the Greer. Everyone’s favorite place to hang out on the weekend, the recent re-opening of the Greer was highly anticipated. It would come in first place, if not for a couple of things. First, you couldn’t hang out in the Greer itself. If there were a couple of tables to sit and eat at, this would be much better. Second, the line was incredibly long. If you’re planning to get food, go early or be prepared to wait for a while.  In first place is the Next Level Gaming Experience! This was so much fun. Whether you like playing Mario Kart or Call of Duty, there was plenty of opportunity to hang out with friends and play some games. There was a massive crowd of people following along with the Just Dance screen, which had over five hundred songs to choose from. This should definitely be brought back, perhaps with another Just Dance screen and some more chairs for spectators.  Overall, the school has done a great job of providing fun opportunities for the weekends. There are definitely things that could change, but let’s just give a big thank you to everyone who was involved. And hopefully you agree with this ranking and try something new next weekend!

What’s the coolest part about your job? Being able to be back at Deerfield with other alumni and reliving high school memories from a different perspective. And seeing students enjoy Deerfield in a way I enjoyed it and reconnecting with faculty as friends. Who inspires you? Yvon Chouinard, shows that you can build a business with purpose and use business as a way to take care of the environment and people. What was the best gift you have ever received? My neighbor in Maine who is a 91 years old man taught me how to paint with watercolor.    What advice would you give to your high school self? Don’t be afraid to try new things,  because you never know what club or friendship could change your life.  What is your favorite thing to do when you are not on duty? Hike, paint, play piano, or work on building my small business, called  Jinja Prints. What is something you miss from your time at DA?   Being surrounded by the most smart, humble, and driven people I know. What would you do with your life if you did not teach? I would solo travel around Northern Europe or learn how to sail. What’s your go to Greer order? Chocolate vanilla swirl froyo with oreo crumbles. What “old person” thing do you do? I text in full sentences.

Throughout the fall and winter terms, Deerfield has had to sacrifice its sustainability initiatives in order to prioritize the healthy and safety of its community during the COVID-19 pandemic.  In response to these changes, the EcoReps, a student-centered group aiming to advance campus sustainability initiatives, are developing creative solutions to these issues and spreading more awareness about sustainability and environmental stewardship. Previously, Eco-Reps collaborated with the Center for Service and Global Citizenship on sustainability programs including the Think 80/20 recycling program and inter-dorm water and energy conservation competitions. Accordingly, EcoReps serve as role models for prompting  responsible and environmentally-conscious decisions amongst students. Current EcoReps Advisor and Teaching Assistant Arianne Evans ’16, a former EcoRep, wrote, “I see EcoReps as an exciting opportunity to take initiative on making our campus more environmentally conscious while also learning a lot about starting impactful projects and seeing them through.” The main driving force uniting the members of EcoReps is their dedication to address the environmental crisis that the world beyond just the Deerfield community is facing. EcoRep member Stella Kerwin Derrick ’23 said, “I joined EcoReps because I wanted to become more educated on a more diverse range of environmental topics while educating fellow students on sustainability.”  The EcoReps are currently working on four main initiatives: raising environmental awareness through different film showings, encouraging the use of reusable water bottles, launching a clothing drive and an on-campus thrift store, and hosting professionals in related sustainability and environment industries to foster meaningful discussion on campus. An upcoming documentary showcase will be of the film Purple Mountains , starring Jeremy Jones, a professional skateboarder who funnels his passion for the outdoors into raising awareness about climate change. Other EcoReps are focusing on creating water bottle challenges and initiatives to reduce the use of plastic water bottles from walk-though meals.  Another group of EcoReps created the Deerfield Thrift social media platform where students can buy, sell, and swap used items and clothing on campus. The thrift shop idea aims to address the environmental problem caused by fast fashion.  “Today, people buy and discard clothes faster than they ever have before, and this creates an enormous amount of unnecessary waste. The fashion industry produces about 10% of all carbon emissions, and 85% of clothes made end up in landfills within a year,” EcoRep Caroline Mahony ’21 wrote.  According to Business Insider , this amount of carbon emissions is more than the amount created by international flights and maritime shipping combined, and the fashion industry is responsible for 35% of all microplastic in the ocean.  “I hope more people will be open to buying used items and reusing or repurposing them, as this is a great way to not only reduce your environmental impact, but also to find some pretty cool stuff at a low price,” Mahony continues. Deerfield Thrift recently facilitated its first transaction and is open for any future submissions and purchases. This year, EcoReps are also working with individuals from other New England boarding schools to discuss issues revolving around climate change. Morsman wrote, “Stella Kerwin-Derrick and I have begun to represent the Deerfield EcoReps in a national prep-school climate coalition started by two Lawrenceville students, which has broadened that aforementioned experience of working with like-minded, driven students.” For many EcoReps, the ability to create change on campus and working as a group are the most common reasons for participating. After learning from Mr. Calhoun about the magnitude of environmental issues, Erol Barrett ’22, joined EcoReps. “I enjoy the ability to create actual tangible change in my environment here at Deerfield. We are able to actually pull together projects as well as initiatives to incentivize a shift towards sustainability here on campus,” Barrett said.  In the future, Ms. Evans wants EcoReps to work on projects that have benefits not only for Deerfield, but for the greater Franklin County, expand EcoReps’ activities during weekends, and develop a co-curricular that focuses on environmental stewardship and education. Ms. Evans also wants to expand on the concept of sustainability in the Deerfield community. “I would like students in EcoReps to learn that sustainability is not confined to projects as simple as plastic vs. reusable water bottles, but it is present in every aspect of society from athletics, to the classroom, to the foods we eat and the places we travel. It’s all connected and therefore, my goal for the group would be to one day have every person on campus live and act with an ‘EcoRep’ mindset,” Ms. Evans wrote.