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Biggest pet peeves? Robert: Food Noises. Alesi: Incompetence.  Robert: Come on you have to have something better than that.  Alesi: Balloons.  Robert: That’s not a pet peeve.  Alesi: But I don’t like them.  Suhayb: Texting while talking to someone.  Quarantine past time? Alesi: HIIT workouts.  Robert: Long walk on the beach. Suhayb: Catan!  Alesi: Oh yeah Catan!  If you were stuck on a desert island, what 1 item would you bring? Alesi: A green grocer (farmers market) Robert: That’s an item? If you were legitimately stuck on an island what’s the best thing you should have? Suhayb: Definitely a machete.  Robert: A boat.  Suhayb: It’s gotta be a knife.  Alesi: Alright, a knife. Favorite Movie?  Alesi: Fight Club Robert: Anything by the Coen brothers.  Alesi: I’m pretty much a David Fincher fan girl.  Suhayb: Coco! If you could make a video about anything, what would it be? Alesi: A tie between great whites and whales Robert: I’d make a documentary about George Carlin.  Suhayb: Something related to soccer and Latin-American culture.  One word to describe yourself in highschool? Alesi: Outgoing, I went to three different high schools so I had to learn to make friends fast Robert: Suhayb was just universally liked, but that’s not one word.  Suhayb: Universally-liked?

The past few weeks have seen an influx of news regarding COVID-related developments. Pfizer reported having a successful vaccine; meanwhile, the country’s daily case and death totals are veering sharply in the wrong direction. Between the hope and the uncertainty, one question is on nearly all Deerfield students’ minds: will Deerfield have students back on campus for winter term? If so, how will Deerfield limit COVID exposure in a region that may have more cases by January?  A key piece of Deerfield’s plan will be closing off its “bubble” more effectively by giving commuting day students the option to board on campus. The alternative for such students will most likely be learning virtually.  On November 5th, Head of School Dr. John Austin sent day students and their families an email introducing Deerfield’s plans for day students this winter. Dr. Austin wrote that Deerfield’s approach will be “to open additional dorm space in the center of campus and on Main Street” where “day students would live together.” Dr. Austin also provided a form for parents and students to leave their feedback on this idea.  Assistant Head of School for Student Life Amie Creagh sent a follow-up email on November 13th. After noting that the feedback she received from Dr. Austin’s form was “very positive,” Mrs. Creagh added that assigning day students rooms is a complicated process that depends on a number of factors. One factor is whether rooms previously occupied by international students, or any boarding student for that matter, will open up this winter because of travel restrictions. Mrs. Creagh noted that some international students might have to deal with “a complex set of travel and documentation considerations.” Ideally, day students would live with the same squad they were affiliated with this fall. However, it is unlikely that enough rooms will open up to accommodate all of a given squad’s commuting day students. This new residential system would force some day students to live with other day students outside of their squads. While details are still unclear, day student dorms may also mix grades that traditionally live separately. Adapting to these changes would be the only way for many commuting day students to live on campus this winter.  Claire Patton ’22 and Jack de Bruyn Kops ’21 said that being isolated from their old squads would be a difficult change. Still, both said they would appreciate being on campus, as long as they could enjoy certain aspects of Deerfield beyond dorm life. Patton’s co-curricular will factor into how she feels about living in a day student dorm. She said, “If I have ski season, I’d definitely rather be on campus.”  De Bruyn Kops also hopes to get more out of living on campus if he ends up in a new day student dorm. He said that he’s “hoping if we do have to make that sacrifice, school would open up a little more.”  Boarding student Isha Rao ’22 also hopes that establishing a more secure bubble will result in a more normal Deerfield. Rao said that she would much rather be learning in person and living with her friends on campus this winter, but she would also like to see Deerfield move through its phases of restrictions more quickly if we have less risk of COVID coming onto campus from a surrounding town.  Rao said, “It depends on how long it takes us to get to where we are right now, in November. If it takes an entire month, I wouldn’t be too happy.” Rao and many others would like to see Deerfield move into “Emerging 2.0,” or perhaps a new 3.0 stage, in less time than what it took us this fall, yet maintaining a bubble alone won’t make this possible. Preparations for further limiting COVID risk on campus this winter are promising, but countless factors that will shape Deerfield students’ winter term experiences. Establishing a tighter bubble by inviting commuting day students to live on campus will certainly help, but the entire community needs to do its part as well. If students can return to campus largely COVID-free and stay committed to following guidelines for the first few weeks of the term, Deerfield may look more like Deerfield this winter.

Choate Week: Seven days full of bacon cookouts, dining hall battle cries, bonfires, and school spirit, ending, of course, with a day of intense rivalry games. What would Deerfield be without it? Unfortunately, this is something that the Deerfield community had to figure out for the first time this fall. With this year’s COVID-19 restrictions, Choate Week  had to be sacrificed in order to bring students back on campus. Although this undoubtedly impacted the spirit and morale of the Deerfield community, students and faculty have stepped up to maintain what makes Deerfield their home.  Many felt the loss of such a big tradition. Rosa Sun ’21, co-captain of the Varsity Volleyball team said, “The dress-up days did make the week more fun than usual, but absolutely nothing comes close to actually expecting a Choate Day, and having that Choate-Day-Eve bonfire.” Even with all of the restrictions in place, however, the school was still able to offer a lot for the fall season.  Athletic Director Bob Howe added, “In September we didn’t know if we could play other schools, scrimmage amongst ourselves, or allow any type of team play. There hasn’t been one week this entire year that was an exact replica of the week before.”  Associate Dean of Students Kevin Kelly credited many staff and faculty members for achieving a safe fall term. He said, “A giant compliment needs to be acknowledged to Dr. Benson and his entire staff in the Health Center, along with Mr. Howe and his staff as they created a model that was extremely successful!”  Students were also able to appreciate the fall athletics, including Sun, who said, “I think we were all grateful that, despite all the restrictions, we were allowed to hold green and white scrimmages throughout the season.” Although it wasn’t quite a typical Choate Day, Talbot von Stade ’21, co-captain of the Varsity Field Hockey team, still enjoyed the games.  “The final Choate Saturday felt like a very normal Deerfield weekend and made me reminisce on the past athletic game days when students are all out watching each other,” she said. She explained that she felt there was a very “bright energy” around campus. The absence of interscholastic games, in general, had a large impact on many sports, mainly affecting the dynamics of typically intense teams. Sun and Evan Burkert ’21, co-captains of the Varsity Volleyball team, both felt that the year allowed for more growth and team bonding. Sun said, “I felt that without real games, the team had a season that wasn’t as intense and was focused more on team bonding.” Burkert added, “I think the social role of a captain was more significant in light of the COVID shifts.”  After a particularly tough Choate Week for her team, which included a Dewey quarantine, Sun was able to maintain a positive attitude. She shared, “I thought about what our previous captain Georgia Quesnelle ’19 had said — ‘control the controllable’ — and felt that nothing was more fitting than that.” The fall season was definitely something to adjust to, but there seems to be a consensus that students made the most out of it. Mr. Kelly said, “The level of team unity and enthusiasm was very noticeable, which is a tremendous complement to both coaches and our team captains.” Spoken like a true cheerleader, Burkert urged students to “Cheer loudly, embrace school spirit, be rowdy, and beat Choate for the Class of 2021, who didn’t get that final chance.” She added, “Each moment is one that we should be grateful for, so continue to learn, grow, adapt, be competitive, and be proud to be wearing a Deerfield jersey.”Looking forward to the coming seasons, Mr. Howe concluded, “Knowing what I now know our Deerfield students are capable of……I expect we’ll make the most of whatever comes our way.”

I used to cringe at the radio every time NPR played a clip of the PostMaster General defending the mail-in ballot. I had full belief in the American voting system, and thought that this was simply another scandal to discourage voting.  My birthday, October 30 th , put me right at the cut-off to be eligible for voting in the 2020 general election. I was ecstatic that I could finally make a personal difference in my state, where I spend time campaigning for various candidates throughout the year. Being from Florida, a swing state that typically leads to a candidate’s success, I am constantly reminded of my vote’s importance.  In November, I registered online in August 2020 and sent in my request for an absentee ballot to be sent to Deerfield. To register in Florida, a resident must fill out their information online and then mail in a signed form that requests for an absentee ballot to be sent to any location; however, for young voters that have not turned eighteen, they are not able to check their registration until after their birthdays because “pre-registered” voters will not show up in the system.  Fully confident that I completed all the necessary steps and having received a confirmation email, I patiently waited for November to roll around.  About two weeks before the election, I had heard lots of people mentioning that they had received their mail-in ballots and had already voted in various states. I was starting to get nervous, so I decided to call my local politicians to explain my tricky situation, and get the clarification that the voter registration website could not give me. I was told that Florida would not send my ballot until I turned eighteen, so I had to wait and quickly send the ballot overnight to my mother with an affidavit and a copy of my ID. My mother would then bring it to the election office for it to be counted in the general election, because it would not have arrived in time if I had simply sent it with the original return stamp.  October 30 th rolled around, and the first thing I did was check my registration to make sure that my ballot was on its way. To my utter shock and disbelief, there was no record of me mailing in a request for an absentee ballot. I announced to my first period class, where for the past two weeks the election was the main topic of discussion, that I would not be receiving my ballot. My teacher began to help me search for my registration and sent me outside with the Miami-Dade Voting Help Hotline number in hand. After the woman on the other side of the phone found my registration, she told me that they had never received the request for an absentee ballot, and the deadline to request one was October 26 th — only four days earlier. I offered to send her the email confirmation of my request, but she said that nothing would change, that there was no way that the state of Florida would send my ballot. I was furious, but mostly disappointed in the mail-in ballot system that I had put so much faith in and even promoted to other voters around Florida as a safe and secure way of voting.  If the website had been young voter-friendly, this would have never happened. Had I been able to see that they had not received my request, I would have simply mailed another; but because my birthday was past the deadline, there was no way of knowing whether or not they had received my registration, let alone my request for an absentee ballot.  The most disillusioning part of this entire situation was that I was not the only one to not receive their absentee ballot. In fact, the only person to receive their absentee ballot in my family was my brother, a registered Republican, whose vote was received and counted. My father, a registered independent, and myself, a registered Democrat, were left without a means to vote. Luckily, my father was able to go to the polls, as he was in Florida at the time. Ballots are still being counted, and there is no statistical evidence that there were flaws in the absentee ballot system yet . However, there are clearly rules in place that make it extremely difficult for young voters to ensure that their vote is being counted, especially since a major part of that population is in college and out of state. This will have major consequences for future voter turnout; it is proven that, the earlier in life a person votes, the more likely they are to continue voting. Many students and young Americans might not have the time or knowledge of how to vote if they are faced with these types of obstacles. I compel the Deerfield community, as I will myself, to continue to find ways to make sure your vote counts.

Ask any alum about what symbolizes Deerfield’s spirit and you’ll get a variety of answers – the door, the Athletic Center D, or the horse’s head. But none compare to the coveted Cheerleader sweater. Putting on one of the “surprisingly not itchy” sweaters, as described by Ingrid Matteini ’21, makes you instantly recognizable.  For generations, Deerfield has looked to Cheerleaders to hype up our games and keep crowds rowdy. But COVID-19 has impacted every inch of this campus. Age-old traditions no longer comply with the healthy Deerfield guidelines, and the cheerleaders, like everyone else, are struggling to keep spirits high. For returning students, the low morale was made even more apparent by Choate Day, or the lack of one. Last year, Deerfield displayed its athletic prowess by posting one of the most successful game-day records against our rivals in recent history that included the first victory in football for over a decade.  “I think what really hurt us the most was how last year’s Choate week we were having so much fun and now here we are having done little to nothing that week,” said Captain Deerfield Charlie Sinnott ’21.   Since students on campus could not intermingle this year, athletes competed in ‘Green & White Scrimmages.’ Senior Cheerleader Claire Cummings ’21 said, “I’m really proud of how the athletes have bought into their green and white scrimmages and really tried to make it as close as possible to real games. I think it is disappointing for cheerleaders, fans, athletes alike to not have those experiences that we’ve all looked forward to for so long and known to make us Deerfield.”  When asked what the student body could do to help increase morale, Senior Cheerleader John O’Loughlin ’21 said, “In terms of the students, they need to buy in.” The phrase “buying in” can be used in Deerfield culture to characterize devout participation in, and fervent support for the traditions, cheers, and crowds.  Head Cheerleader Tyler Mudd ’21 agreed saying that by “buying into Deerfield and it’s traditions, we can make this year as normal as possible.”  The Cheerleaders have been working on ideas with the administration that can get everyone hyped while complying with Healthy Deerfield guidelines.  “Instead of doing large rallies, we might gather each squad separately in a large space,” Sinnott said. He explained that there are events on the horizon to make the winter months more exciting.  “I’ve heard talks of winter term there will be certain rules that’ll allow us to move to even further phases, which will allow us to do even more,” Sinnott said. “Hopefully, by springtime, we’ll be at a point where we can play other schools.” Depending on factors outside the school’s control, Deerfield may be able to advance to further reopening stages in the future.  There is a long journey ahead, and the terrain is unpredictable—but by keeping hope, Deerfield can still thrive during these uncertain times. In the words of our Captain Deerfield, “Take what we have now, embrace it, and make the best of it.”

7:47 AM Knock, knock, knock. I am woken by the sound of a Dewey nurse at my door. It’s not even 8:00 and my first class doesn’t start until 10:40. “It’s time for your daily check in!”  “Do you have headaches?” “No.” “Feeling feverish or achy?” “No.”  I sit patiently as they list every single symptom that I am not experiencing. Then they promptly stick a thermometer in my face.  8:33 AM Well, there’s no way I’m falling back asleep. I am met with the most daunting choice of the day: do I want waffles, oatmeal, or toast for breakfast? I choose the cinnamon brown sugar oatmeal and eat it while contemplating what my day will look like. Will somebody walk me today? Will I get to leave Dewey? I sure hope so.  Once I finish breakfast, I lay in my bed and watch Netflix. Every once in a while I get up and look through the two windows in my luxurious second floor suite.  I then realize that I have yet to take a trip to the only other room I’m allowed in. I hear the phone echoing in the hallway as I ring the nurses station to get permission to brush my teeth. Nobody else is using the restroom so the mission to escape my room is a go.  10:40 AM I log onto my Zoom class and watch my classmates enjoy an in-person class via the Swivl. Their faces cringe as my teacher struggles to adjust the speaker’s volume.  Oh, yes! It’s time for a discussion!  “So the most important part of The Great Gatsb- ” “Does anyone else have any last minute points?” Oh no, I’m muted.  11:52 AM Knock, knock, knock. It’s finally time for my gourmet brown-boxed meal. Today’s cuisine is a mac and cheese wrap. As I bite into the cold and stale wrap, I realized how much I miss the Dining Hall. 1:25 PM I log onto my second Zoom class. Derivative this… Integral that…  4:16 PM Ding! A text from my advisor! Finally a chance to escape. I get to leave the Dewey to enjoy the last 25 minutes of sunshine before returning to my quarantine room. I even pass by my hall on their way to the lower fields… I wish I could get closer than six feet away from them. 5:37 PM Dinner arrives. By the way, it’s China Gourmet. My tiring day is almost over! I scribble down a couple of calculus problems and read a chapter of my English book. Suddenly, I hear my name being called. I look out the window, and like Repunzal, I let down my hair (if you call letting down your hair screaming to your friends through a window screen).   “How’s it going?!” “Fine!” “What did you do today?!” “Nothi-” “Will you be quiet?!”  8:06 PM So, my homework is done and classes are over…I guess it’s time to get ready for bed! I set my alarm for 9:35, in the rare, if not impossible, case that I’m not woken up at sunrise. I brush my teeth, put on my PJs, and I lay in bed. Lights out! There is no way I’m going to sleep at 8 O’Clock. Maybe I’ll take a quick peek at what’s happening on TikTok. I mean it can’t hurt. 10:45 PM I’m done with TikTok, my routine Instagram scroll, and finished with some snaps for the night. I guess there really is nothing else to do. Ehhh… a couple of episodes of “The Office” can’t hurt either.  11:36 PM Okay actually time for bed. Just two more days of quarantine (I hope).

As colleges and universities across the nation modified their academic and testing requirements, many boarding schools, including Deerfield Academy, followed suit. The Deerfield Admissions Committee has made amends to their selection process this year by changing the way interviews and student led tours are run as well as deciding to go test-optional.  Deerfield’s decision to go test-optional has been the result of many considerations. As access to standardized testing for the 2020-21 application season may be very difficult for some students due to COVID-19, Deerfield is not penalizing students without test scores during the selection process. According to Deerfield’s website, the Admissions Office “will continue to evaluate each application using a holistic approach that considers students’ achievements and successes in relation to their individual opportunities and challenges.”  For those who do have access to standardized testing, Deerfield recommends students submit any SSAT, ISEE, SAT, or ACT scores taken after September 1, 2019. International students who have attended non-English speaking schools for at least three years are still required to submit TOEFL or IELTS exam results.   Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Charles Davis shares that admissions officers are having difficulty calibrating students based on the different sets of data without the standardized tests. Decisions between two different approaches to the selection process are still being made, briefly outlined by either separating students with and without test scores into different pools,  or considering all candidates equally from the start and later evaluating further with the extra addition of test scores. Davis explained, “The natural concern is that we are always prone to exercising our biases, and we want to cut those down and be as objective as possible, so if someone were to not submit their test, we need clarity on if the reason is because of their circumstance or because their scores weren’t good enough.”  The interviewing and touring process has also seen significant changes this year. To schedule an interview, applicants must fill out a Request for Information Form to be recorded in the Deerfield admissions database. Before the interview, candidates and families are highly encouraged to attend a 30 minute Zoom information session, with a Q&A with an Admissions Officer and a virtual tour of the campus led by a student Tour Guide. The virtual tour was recorded with a 360 degree revolving camera over the summer by Director of Admissions Amanda Bohnsack.  Head Tour Guide Katrina Csaky ’21 said that it is difficult to gauge students’ interest in Deerfield via the Zoom tours. “I think it’s hard to tell because from my experience, there’s some students who are there alone, some who are with their parents, and some whose cameras are completely turned off,” she explained. “Because of that, I really can’t tell how the applicants feel with the limited interactions. Some students are still clearly interested, but it’s much harder to assess. Now, we no longer do assessment forms or give students the booklets with our emails.” Csaky mentioned that “touring” many families at once on Zoom does have its merits, as it cuts down on physical barriers such as people talking over one another, students being left behind, or unpredictable weather. However, she explained that the in-person connection is still somewhat lacking when students cannot get an actual feel for the campus, traditions, or student life.  After tours, applicants are required to attend a forty minute interview, which has become a more heavily weighted component of the admissions process this year. Coaches and teachers meet with students via Zoom. However, despite its convenience, this new interviewing system has displayed disadvantages.  Associate Director of Admissions Jose Briones said,  “Deerfield is very humanistic; we want to meet people, form new connections, and have good conversations… Because of our lacking human touch piece, I do admit that it is a little more impersonal, but we are still trying our best to make it more personal and communicative with the info sessions and the tours. And there are definitely hindrances but we are working around it.”  Over the past year, Deerfield has rearranged their structure of the admissions committee into specific “themes.” After splitting the pools by grade and gender, one committee focuses on considering students from granting organizations, one designated to athletes, another for siblings and legacies, a fourth for academics, and a finally an entirely separate pool of “generalists.”  Both Davis and Briones expressed their concerns about the “yield” numbers for the 2021 school year. Yield is an important factor for Deerfield in assessing other needs such as housing arrangements and academic scheduling.  “Deerfield has done well in the last year with yield, but with COVID, it is now an extra worry, leading us to project a little more and change our selection requirements. We mainly want students to fit well here to enjoy and succeed at Deerfield,” Briones said.  Once students are accepted into Deerfield, the last concern lies on the future of Spring Revisit Day—a very important day for students still making decisions. Davis confirmed that no visitors will be coming to campus during recruiting season or in December when students are on break. As of now, Spring Revisits are still planned, though they may be moved to March break.  Overall, the admissions team still works on the basis of the same values and ideals of respecting any student regardless of their circumstances and backgrounds and acknowledging one’s talents. The unusual circumstances of many applicants this year have pushed the selection committee to consider aspects of the application process in different ways. As Davis puts it, the admissions committee is currently executing “interesting calibrations.”

What graduating during a pandemic taught me about pausing to look up at the hills “We have preserved those fundamental, high traditions of character and scholarship on which our school was founded, and none of the vital things which have given a feeling of permanence and security have been lost or changed. We still study and work, play and sing, and pause to look up at the hills.” That was a quote from the late Mr. Boyden. I think if he were to visit Deerfield today, he would find his words hold true for all but one phrase. We still study and work. We still (occasionally) play and sing. But, we have lost the art of “pausing to look up at the hills” — that is, until last spring. In the spring of 2020 — my last spring at Deerfield — I truly learned the meaning of balance. I watched the news and taught a class on immigration at the Mexican-American border. I attended online yoga and dance lessons.. I meditated in the woods. I went hiking and explored my hometown by bicycle. I wrote 12,000 words of a novel. I ate dinner every night with my parents. I even got nine hours of sleep – consistently. Other students shared similar stories with me. Juliette Lowe ‘21 used her free time to fill paper bags with nutritional food and drop them off around the Greenfield area. Angela Osei-Ampadu ‘21 used her newfound flexibility to stockpile and sew masks for nearby health care workers. Both agree that they wouldn’t have had the means or the time to give back in this way during a normal term.  This is not to make anyone feel that the months they spent in quarantine should have been the most productive, well-rounded, and fulfilling times of their lives. Nor is it to say that anyone was expected to write the next Hamilton or invent the next calculus. This pandemic is hitting different people in different ways, and as the instagram account @feminist reminds us, sometimes “just getting out of bed is an accomplishement in itself.” In the midst of tragedy and uncertainty, however, I found one silver lining this spring: time and space. For the first time in my high school career, there was room in my life for everything: academic engagement, extracurricular pursuits, passion projects, social activism, outdoor adventures, time with my family, rest, and relaxation. For the first time, I had the chance to reflect on the adventures of the last four years and the lessons learned in the last 18. For the first time, I was able to “pause and look up at the hills.” Needless to say, it wasn’t always like this. There were times in my Deerfield career where I felt guilty for getting an extra hour of sleep, taking the time to reconnect with a friend, going out in nature, writing an optional op-ed, or doing something just for fun, because I could’ve spent that time doing work. Why did you spend so long discussing the border crisis in the dining hall? I’d ask myself. You have a paper due tomorrow . Or, Why did you go to bed so early last night? You should’ve stayed up later to study . It sounds ridiculous, in hindsight, that I would regret every moment I spent not doing schoolwork. Clearly, sleep, socializing, and civic engagement are all important parts of a balanced life. But, I spent the last four years in an environment that told me otherwise, an environment that told me there was no room in a day for a non-required yoga class or an episode of the Office if I wanted to get into a prestigious college. It’s true, no one forced me to spend 35 hours writing an essay, to stay up till 3am to meet a deadline, or to criticize myself for choosing not to do those things. I determined how I acted and reacted during my high school career. However, in an environment where I had to choose between getting an 90 on a test or getting 8 hours of sleep, it was easy to fall prey to unhealthy habits. I constantly had to convince myself that relaxation and connection are just as important as hard work. And, even after graduating, it’s a daily battle in my mind. The work culture we have at Deerfield is outdated and exclusive. It’s rooted in a toxic projection of capitalism that values exponential growth over sustainability. In this culture, work is the ultimate and final priority. It comes before relationships, mental health, and even social justice. So, when a fiasco as serious as last winter’s hate crime rattles the community, those who aren’t directly affected don’t show up for those who are. “Sorry I have a lot of work tonight,” is a normalized excuse for missing an alliance meeting in the Caswell. “We have too much material to cover” is a justifiable reason for glossing over a class discussion on the n-word that was scrawled on the Hess Center window, or the swastika that was etched on the Denunzio sidewalk. Studying for a math test becomes more important than comforting a fellow classmate. Meanwhile, those who are targets of hatred and bigotry on campus watch Deerfield move on without them as they take the time to process alone. As a result, they not only suffer, but also, they fall behind. My grandfather, the son of Jewish refugees, is famous for telling his children to “work, work, work, think later.” “But, does that mean, ‘work, work, work feel later?,” my mom often wonders now. “Does that mean, ‘work, work, work, love later? Work, work, work, be later?’” By that logic, does caring for yourself come later? Does supporting others come later? Does standing up for justice come later? What else are we willing to sacrifice in the name of productivity? The most powerful lesson I learned at Deerfield was, to paraphrase the beloved former History teacher, Dr. Bernie Baker, that education of the head is useless – dangerous, even – without education of the heart. It’s time for us, as the Deerfield community, to extend that lesson beyond the walls of the American Studies classroom. We need to teach Deerfield students that school work should never come at the expense of compassion — whether it be compassion towards others or towards ourselves. We need to unlearn our toxic work ethic — the version that tells us we are not okay unless we spend a certain number of hours on Canvas every day. And we need to stand up to it by teaching our students to value imperfection as much as they value mastery, perspective as much as focus, connection as much as effort, and social change as much as personal achievement. We need to teach our students, staff, and administration to think and feel and be, just as much as they work. To clear the afternoon and spend it at the river on the last warm day of the fall. To cancel class and hold a school meeting the morning after a faculty member spots a homophobic slur on the side of the Hess Center building. To dance in the rain in the middle of exam week. So how do we do this? The pandemic has already shown us that it’s possible. It’s forced us to redesign Deerfield’s approach to education. It’s given us academic policies that allow students to explore every part of themselves — head, heart, and soul. Let’s keep those in place long after the pandemic is over. Let’s carry the lessons of this time into the future. That means fewer classes per day, later start times, and longer transitions. It means requiring teachers to drop the lowest grade from a term and holding teachers accountable for breaking the 50-minute homework limit. It could even mean pass-fail classes, no weekend homework, and Fridays dedicated to club meetings and extra help sessions. It means courses that value quality over quantity. It means educating our hearts as well as our heads. If there’s one thing that finishing my senior year during a pandemic taught me, it’s that success and compassion — for ourselves, others, and the world — are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they’re interdependent. We will not receive a meaningful education by acing our classes or getting into a prestigious college alone. Only by taking care of ourselves as often as we take care of our homework, improving our communities as much as we improve our test scores, and fixing our world as much as we fix our grades, will we get a real education. Deerfield: this is our chance. Let’s be the school that goes back to better.

The holiday season at Deerfield contains some of our most cherished traditions. But with COVID-19 regulations, the Deerfield community must find new ways to channel the holiday spirit in a healthy manner. Here are some suggestions to recreate what we love most about the holidays at Deerfield: Semi! But let’s make it a tad less formal. Everyone should get ready in their favorite dress or blazer with one exception to the traditional Semi dress code, everyone wears funky footwear. Bring out your best Crocs, Birks, or slippers to truly complete your outfit. We all know the worst part of Semi is the pain caused by high heels and stiff loafers. Avoid this inconvenience all together by wearing your favorite comfort shoes. Grab a squad member and dance the night away under string lights. Play the best of Spotify’s jazz albums while swinging along to the beat. Finally, no more sweaty palms or stepped on feet.  Christmas dinner! Although beef wellington may not be on the menu, what makes Christmas dinner so special is the company. Gather the entire squad outside, if the weather is temperate, and discuss your favorite holiday traditions. Feel free to play some holiday sing alongs in the background. Some suggestions: Santa Baby, I’m gettin nuttin’ for Christmas, and Adam Sandlar’s Hanukkah Song. The night must with the entire squad linked arm in arm singing the Even Song while overlooking the beautiful mountains, which may or may not be covered in snow at this rate.  Snow fight, but global warming edition! Typically, November is filled with snowy days and the temptation to “First Snow” someone. Yet, the November weather this year has been around 70 degrees, ruining the tradition of snowball fights. However, there are many leaves coating the paths. Rather than throwing someone into a pile of snow, nudge them into a large pile of crunchy fallen leaves. Without snow in the foreseeable future, we must adjust to allow new Deerfield students to learn about their first “winter” the right way.  However you may celebrate, I wish everyone at Deerfield a Happy Holidays! I don’t expect COVID-19 to stop this school’s dedicated holiday spirit. I will see you all in January!

America isn’t doing great right now, at the end of Donald Trump’s presidency: he accomplished the opposite of his campaign slogan. Election week was a nerve-racking emotional rollercoaster, where we saw our weaknesses on display. But Joe Biden is now president-elect, and I believe that he is the right person to make America great again, to recover and heal this country post-Trump. Firstly, he will unify America. Today, our political, social, and economic divides are incredibly heightened. Yet, Biden is about as moderate and un-extreme as high-profile politicians get, representing the most centrist faction of the Democratic Party. He can bridge the gap, cooperating with both socialist Bernie Sanders and reactionary Republicans. In fact, his instinct and strength is in compromise, always wanting to strike a deal, even if it is imperfect and sometimes disappointing. As Vice President, he continuously  negotiated with Mitch McConnell, and the Republican Senate Majority Leader praised his deal-making. Instead of stubbornly pushing an agenda, he prefers reaching a mutually agreeable solution, as he often emphasizes. President-elect Biden does not bash the other side. He “will work as hard for those who didn’t vote for [him] as [he] will for those who did vote for [him],” governing as an American president rather than a partisan candidate. “It’s time for America to unite,” he writes in a campaign email, to “come together as a nation.” This was a common theme in his victory speech. Secondly, he will respect and restore our democratic systems and institutions, unlike Trump, whose authoritarian tendencies supported the unitary executive theory. Biden is above all a Senate man, whose approach and mindset toward government comes from a legislative career, of traditions and rules, and relationships with Lindsay Graham or Strom Thurmond, people he vehemently disagrees with but has worked with. On issues of American democracy, he is very conservative—he seeks to preserve our system of government—and is hesitant on ‘dirty tricks’ to manipulate loopholes. When many Democrats in Congress protested Trump’s victory in 2016, he, as president of the Senate, immediately shut down those efforts because he put democracy before party, taking a loss when the system offered him one. Even internationally, he believes in America’s role endorsing liberal democracy. At the very least, he will not constantly seek to undermine democracy or voting, and understand the limits of his authority. He believes in the functional 20th century Congress that became his home, and he will always put his faith in the system, not bypassing it. Finally, he will move America into the 21st century. As Andrew Yang said, Trump identified many of the right problems, only he got the solutions wrong: to make America great again, we shouldn’t return to the past, but look to our future. In this era of a changing economy, Biden understands that new industries like technology and mega-corporations need regulation. He acknowledges that climate change is serious, listens to the scientific consensus, and has a plan to achieve zero emissions by 2050 while creating jobs. Infrastructure is falling behind, and Biden brought it into the political discourse, wanting to make significant investments. He is fighting for racial justice and will push for equality—he will make sure all of us, regardless of the color of our skin, will have opportunities and an acceptable standard of living. His detailed plans are listed on joebiden.com/joes-vision. Whether his platform is not progressive enough or too progressive, it at least looks to the future, and not the past. He understands our world and our biggest issues, and will actively take steps to ensure they are addressed with 21st century solutions. In conclusion, we should celebrate and look forward to the next four years of Biden’s presidency. Even if the GOP obstructs, a president always matters. I sincerely believe that Joe Biden isn’t just the ‘lesser of two evils,’ but the person who can do a lot of good. The election of Biden means we can begin the process of making America great again, undoing what Trump and years of decline has done. Not a charismatic messiah, but a normal, insider, democratic Democrat will achieve that. I am cautiously optimistic and excited, as his recent appearances have reminded us of what a true president is. Biden is the right person for this moment, after so much craziness.

During the extended winter break this year, Deerfield students will participate in a virtual D-Term. 11 th and 12 th graders will likely have the time to work on college research and college applications, though the administration has declined to provide further details at this moment. For 9 th and 10 th graders, D-Term will entail two weeks of service and leadership-based courses.  Associate Director of the CSGC Heather Brown explained the purpose of D-Term for underclassmen. She said, “D-Term was created because of this year’s schedule, and is a unique opportunity to keep Deerfield students engaged in this year’s theme of engaged citizenship.”  D-Term aims to educate and broaden students’ global perspectives while connecting students’ experiences in the classroom and on-campus to their communities at home. At the beginning of November, 9 th and 10 th graders submitted an application for their top three course choices out of the sixteen offered. The topics range from food systems to U.S.-based issues, and international affairs.  Ileanna Pena ’24 said, “The application process took me around an hour to complete. It took me longer to choose my courses compared to how long it took me to write [the applications]. There were so many to choose from and so many of them connected to passions I’m interested in.” The various courses will be taught by experts brought in through Envoys, a program that Deerfield has previously worked with and has partnered with this year to bring D-Term to fruition.  According to Ms. Brown, “The instructors are experts in the field and are hired by Envoys. There will also be other people who Zoom into courses or the courses will incorporate people outside the program such as Deerfield alums or other experts.” One course, titled “Becoming a Global Leader,” has interested many Deerfield students. Taz Hancock ’24 chose this course because “understanding how to be a leader is an important life skill to have and it connects to the UN, which is a passion I pursue outside of school.” After fall term ends, many students will travel to homes thousands of miles away with different environments and time zones. This logistical challenge has forced Deerfield to adapt and come up with solutions to the different time zones in order to ensure a fun and enjoyable D-Term experience for all students. As an international student from Hong Kong, Hancock said, “It’s difficult doing D-Term from a different continent because the times are so different and even with the different times, none of the times are ideal for my schedule.” While the times aren’t always perfect for everyone, Jeffrey Han ’23 said, “I will have to adjust a little for the time zone in my country but it’s a small burden that is overshadowed by my excitement to learn about a new topic I’m passionate about.” Overall, students are excited for their D-Term journeys and are looking forward to exploring passions outside of school and getting involved in the community more.  Lila King ’24 said, “This is a valuable opportunity to learn about topics not often explored in the classroom and I’m eager to learn about which topic I’ll be pursuing this winter!”  The focus on community and service within these courses will help students look towards the future and the impact they can have on the greater community. Freshman and sophomores, you should find out about your courses by the beginning of next week!

At the beginning of the term, Architecture Teacher David Payne spent an entire class answering the question of why one shouldn’t become an architect. Although this answer seems nonsensical at first, Payne’s logic stems from his personal experience within the field. Mr. Payne developed his passion for architecture from a young age. As a child, his parents would drive him back and forth between their house to Bradley International Airport, where he became inspired by the old houses they passed in the town of Suffield. After graduating from art school, Mr. Payne worked as an architect in Boston and taught evening classes at the nearby Boston Architectural College. There, he realized he had a passion for teaching, rather than working in an office as an architect. He found himself at a crossroad, having to decide between attaining his architectural license, or pursuing his PhD and going into the teaching profession. He chose the latter, and began to teach at the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, North Carolina. Despite having held a successful architecture career, Mr. Payne discourages students from pursuing the field. From his past experience of becoming an architect, he understands the tedious process and the amount of effort and time one must sacrifice. “It’s a long, difficult path between school, working as an intern, qualifying [and passing] all of your exams, [which] requires a lot of time and commitment,” Mr. Payne said. “Unless you have an undying passion for architecture where you cannot imagine doing anything else, then you really shouldn’t become an architect.” Instead, he encourages students to major in a different field for undergraduate studies and take additional architectural-related classes such as drawing or art history to find if their passion still lies in architecture. If it still does, they can pursue architecture in graduate school without having to take other unrelated courses. To Payne, studying architecture does not result in a one way path to becoming an architect. There are many things one could do with the knowledge gained, which can be applied in any field.  “Architecture is a big gap in most people’s common knowledge. By taking classes, you gain insight that benefits your [personal] and professional life. For example, if you want to go into real estate, knowledge in architecture allows you to be a better communicator with architects and designers that you will encounter.” For Deerfield students, the depth of architecture lies beyond the walls of the classroom and the subject itself; taking Mr. Payne’s architectural class allows students to learn more about the history of the town of Deerfield and how its architecture has developed over centuries. “I try to take students for walks around Main Street, point out houses and talk about the history of the buildings. By taking an architecture class, [students] gain a better understanding about the town that they’ll be spending a few years at,” he said. So, even if you don’t think you’ll be the next Gaudi, taking an architecture class just might open your horizons enough to appreciate the hidden stories in the buildings around us.