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In these COVID-stricken times, you are never fully dressed without a mask. We have seen a variety of masks on campus, and your masking choices may reveal more about you than you think. From N-95 to neck gaiters, the Scroll has got you covered; here is what your mask says about you.  Plain Surgical Mask: If you wear a medical mask, you are the majority of Deerfield students. You like to blend in with the crowd, and you don’t care enough to commit to a new mask type. You likely haven’t done your laundry in 2 weeks and these masks are definitely scattered around your dorm room.  N-95 Mask: Unlike the surgical mask-ers, if you wear a N-95 mask, you are serious about the virus and want people to know it. When news about COVID started in March, you researched everything there was to know about the virus and brought it up at any possible moment. Your parents also probably didn’t let you watch Disney channel or eat too much candy.  Homemade mask: If you wear a homemade mask, you probably got it from your neighbor or grandma. You are waiting for your Amazon shipment of oat milk to come, and you are an avid composter.  Masks with a Sports Logo: You are obsessed with your sport, and you are not afraid to defend your favorite team. Store-Bought/Cute Masks: If you wear “cute” masks, you like to match your mask with your outfit. Online shopping is one of your favorite procrastination techniques and you always have something from Amazon at shipping and receiving. You can handle it when your room is moderately messy, but you prefer when everything is in its place. You also make sure that other people have joined the Zoom class before you join, even if that means you are a few minutes late.  Black Reusable Mask: If you wear a black mask, then you are just trying to get through school. You don’t spend too much time picking out what to wear in the morning and you usually wake up 10 minutes before your class.  Neck Gaiter: If you wear a neck gaiter you are either an intense athlete, or you have no concern for COVID. At this point you probably aren’t on campus because of COVID violations. Your favorite breakfast is a giant bowl of cereal and you have probably missed the last four Canvas assignments.

Wilona Wiafe ’21 is a tour guide at the Von Auersperg Gallery, creator of YouTube videos, and lover of aesthetics. Particularly, she is an active and inspiring force in the Deerfield Theater program, with an eye for artistic marketing. Wiafe entered Deerfield as an experienced actor, but discovered a deeper interest in theater through her first Deerfield production, You Can’t Take it With You . She recounted the fear that came with auditioning for the play as a ninth-grader, but also the rich world of passion, growth, and friendship that theater provided her with. Since her debut performance, Wiafe has been involved in almost every Deerfield production as an actor or stage manager.  Having played a variety of characters during her time at Deerfield, Wiafe fondly remembers her role in Big Love , in which she played a grandmother. “I had to learn an Italian accent which I had never really done before…it involved throwing tomatoes on the floor, too,” Wiafe said. Her role in the Spring Musical Revue was the first to truly push her out of her comfort zone, where she rapped Hamilton’s “My Shot” as a soloist. Maddie Wasson ’18, who worked alongside Wiafe as a ninth-grader, said, “[Wilona] frequently made bold character choices and offered a sense of vulnerability in the rehearsal room that only grew with every single performance that she’s done since. She jumped into our little community with confidence, maturity, and so much creativity.” Director of Theater Catriona Hynds described the many ways in which Wiafe has contributed to the spirit of theater at Deerfield, including her optimism and unwavering kindness. “She has this seemingly endless joviality to her that draws people to her,” said Mrs. Hynds. “She’s good at binding a company together…I could truly run out of superlatives to use about her positive character.” In the past months of quarantine, Wiafe observed the dominating presence of social media in society. She became fascinated with the aesthetics of marketing and how businesses utilize artistic principles to draw people’s attention. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the phrase ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, and how this type of art marketing relates to consumerism,” said Wiafe. “Why might a person be attracted to this product but not another product?” This fall, Wiafe is the stage manager of Frankenstein. She explained that she took on this pursuit not only because of her experience  managing Antigone , but also because her recent interest in art marketing allowed her to step outside her role as an actor to view a production from a more critical perspective.  Wiafe is determined to include acting in her future, though the specifics are unclear. She hopes to major in something related to Media Communications, and potentially minor in Business Administration, with small acting gigs here and there. Wiafe said, “Acting is usually always a part of someone’s life, whether it’s the confidence it gives you, or the skills, and for me— it will be a part of me forever.”  “I would say Wilona pursues her artistic career at Deerfield fearlessly,” said Wasson. “By constantly raising the bar for herself and others, she sends a message to the Deerfield community that there’s always room for growth not only in one’s artistic career but also in his/her selves.”

Donnie Gray‘21 exemplifies an outstanding Deerfield athlete: he’s competitive, humble, and always one of the hardest workers in the room. Coming to Deerfield from New Haven, Connecticut, Donnie has made an impact on and off the football field for the past three years.  At Deerfield, Gray has played on both sides of the ball. He is both a wide receiver and a cornerback, but  he will stick to playing wide receiver in college. While he has Donnie also played on the boys varsity basketball team last year, footballbut football remains is his main focus. His Donnie’s incredible speed and playmaking ability sets him apart from his competition. Anyone who has seen him play knows the kinds of dazzling plays he makes. He Donnie comes up with big interceptions, returns impossible punts for touchdowns, runs short screen passes 40+ yards into the endzone, and catches deep balls when his team needs him.  Gray played an important role in leading Deerfield to its historic wins against Choate and Milton Academy last season. He was also selected as a 2019 All-NEPSAC honorable mention. Joe LoChiatto ’22, a teammate of Gray’s since last season, said, “Last year, whenever we needed a big play, he was there for us.” GrayDonnie’s performances have earned him the respect of his teammates and coaches alike, but what truly sets him apart is his work ethic. the example he sets with his work ethic is also notable. All successful athletes try to get better outside of practice, but Gray goes a step further. Throughout his time at Deerfield, Gray has woken up at 5:30am just about every day to work on his footwork, speed, strength, and conditioning. If you’re up early during the school week, you have ’ve probably seen Gray and his teammate Cortland Dicks ’21 walking to or from their workout at least once.  Andrew Philie, one of Donnie’s football coaches for the previous two seasons, commented on Gray’s unparalleled work ethic., “He’s relentless in his pursuit of excellence,” he said.  … h”He’s humble, and he puts his head down and works.” While Gray Donnie usually leads with his quiet confidence and exemplary resolve, he’sbut he’s grown into someone who can lead with his voice, too.  When asked to reflect on coming to Deerfield, Gray said, “at my old high school, my coaches didn’t really care about me outside of football, but Coach Barbato was different from the day I met him.” Expressing his gratitude for his coaches, hHe added,“The whole coaching staff here have helped me become a better person.”  Gray also said his teammates have had a significant impact on him, and he values the bonds he has formed with them. Teammate Cooper Pertchik ’22 said, “Donnie makes a point of getting to know new players and knowing everyone’s name at the start of the season.” Head Coach Brian Barbato knows Gray well, and has always been impressed by his “innate ability to turn it on.” Coach Mr. Barbato added, “He plays best against the best–the idea that “iron sharpens iron” was something that drew him into Deerfield.” Fortunately, Gray will continue to play against good competition next year.  In March, Gray committed to play Division I football on a full scholarship at Northwestern University, an institution known for academic excellence and with an outstanding football program. He will face off against some major very good Big 10 defenses and will have the chance to bring his game to the next level playing for the Wildcats. With a number of other impressive offers, Gray said his decision came down to coaching. He recalled, “After being coached by Mr. Barbato for 3 years, I knew what a good coach looked like. When I met Pat Fitzgerald [Northwestern’s coach], I knew he was the guy I wanted to play for.” Gray has inspired many with his tremendous work ethic, incredible play, and kind demeanor, and he will certainly be missed at Deerfield next year. Hopefully, we’ll get to see Gray play on Jim Smith field at least one more time—, but regardless, his future at Northwestern is bright.

One of Deerfield’s hallmark traditions is the sit-down meal, where both students and faculty have a chance to meet different members of the community. However, due to new regulations and health guidelines, the dining hall has had to make numerous adjustments this year, including the temporary removal of sit-down meals.  Director of Food Services Michael McCarthy and Assistant Director of Food Services Bradley Woodward explained that the Dining Hall has put many new safety precautions in place.  They said, “All of the employees are wearing masks, and there are polycarbonate dividers separating the line servers from the students. We have similar barriers in the kitchen to help separate workers while they are preparing food.”  While safety standards have increased this year, the preparation of meals has largely remained the same. For example, the process of cooking different dishes has not changed. While some processes did not have to be adjusted, the Dining Hall has faced new challenges in trying to ensure the community stays healthy.  McCarthy and Woodward explained, “What has changed is the need to make individual portions of many things such as salads, condiments, and bakery items like cookies and bread.”  They added that “the planning process was long and difficult. Sourcing everything, from equipment to food, has been much more difficult than in years past. Learning how to provide service in such a new way, especially the dorm deliveries, has been challenging as well.”  With all these efforts from the Dining Hall, both faculty and students have expressed their gratitude and support to everyone working to prepare meals for the entire community.  When asked about the new dining experience, Alex Yuk ’21 said, “I think Deerfield, with the current circumstances, came up with creative solutions to problems such as the crowded Dining Hall during meal times by creating staggered classes and utilizing take-out style meals.”  Yuk added, “People now have the freedom to eat in more locations than before because before [this year] we were not technically allowed to bring dishes out from the Dining Hall.”  For lunch, students have a designated table in the East Gym, the Kravis Room, or one of the tents where they are required to eat. However, students have the freedom to eat at any place on campus for dinner, given that they remain socially distanced from one another.  Another important change is the separation of faculty and students in dining spaces this year.  Latin Instructor Geoffrey Moseley explained that faculty now get their meals from a different location to students. He said, “On weekdays, we pick up our lunches from a food truck near the Mods—pickup time is staggered by department—and breakfast and dinner are available for pickup in the Parker Room.”   Moseley added, “Overall, I’ve been very happy with the lunch options at the food truck and the efficiency of the system.”  While the system has largely been effective, some issues with the system have arisen. Some teachers have very tight schedules that allow for little time to eat, and new faculty members may find the new dining system more confusing than the returning members.  History and Social Science Teacher Kiyomasa Kuwana said, “The most difficult part is the transition from Period 1 to Period 2, because I have a class observation in the first period, 40 minutes to eat, and then make sure I am ready for my second period. That’s quite quick and I usually try to just eat by myself and make sure that I have taken care for in terms of class prep.”  While lunch is a busy time for both students and teachers, dinner gives an opportunity to meet others and eat without rush. Mr. Kuwana shared, “Dinner has been a good time to grab food and connect with other faculty members outside. Unlike sit-down dinners and sit-down lunches, I think it is less of an opportunity to connect with other faculty members, but I feel that if I seek it out it is there.”  There have also been some instances when the lines in the Dining Hall have become disarranged and crowded, especially when students are let out of classes or co-curriculars at the same time. Yuk said, “I think sometimes the lines become cluttered during dinners because of sports co-curriculars at around 5:45 to 6.”  Mr. McCarthy and Mr. Woodward shared the same opinion. They explained, “The biggest challenge from [our] perspective is the need for students to come to meals at their scheduled times. That is very difficult for a lot of students, and it seems like many students do not come at the correct times. [Our] biggest concern is overloading the capacity of the lines and making the dining hall an unsafe environment.” Compared to previous years, the 2020 Fall Term has been uncomfortable and frustrating for many students. However, this dissatisfaction is shared by the entire community, including the faculty and staff members.  “Believe [us], the dining hall staff would love things to be ‘normal’ just as much or even more than the students. Hopefully if we continue to do well as a community we can slowly bring back more of what everyone is used to,” Mr. McCarthy and Mr. Woodward commented.

*Wednesday night writers meeting*  “Thanks everyone, remember articles are due in one week! Repeat after me, when I say one you say week, one week! One week!” T – 168 hours until article is due:  No way, how did that meeting take up a whole hour of my Wednesday night? Did people actually show up to the arts section today? I don’t remember anyone asking. Oh, hopefully they also didn’t notice my camera being off the entire time. Ugh, I hope I don’t need to interview anyone for my article—interviewing over zoom is so strange… Anyways, I’m still going to try to get started on it early because I have my compsci and chinese projects both due next week. Maybe Grace will even be impressed with my swift submission. Words written: 0 *Friday night,* T – 120 hours until article is due: Ok,  “Week In The Life Of A Scroll Writer.”  this should honestly be a walk in the park. I’ll just make a timeline and write it so the scroll writer I’m describing procrastinates until the last day and is super stressed out. This is easy money, I kinda even feel bad for this character because it could never be me. I’ll get started on it this Sunday and should be able to finish it in less than an hour.  Words written: 0 *Sunday Afternoon*  T – 75 hours until article is due: I miss Sunday brunch so much. Cold breakfast just doesn’t compare to our normally fluffy waffles, scrumptious omelets, and heavenly acai bowls. Yeah I’m gonna just order some UberEats JUST KIDDING, oh my you actually thought I was gonna break covid rules, but the lunch was alright. Ok, but actually on the real note, I gotta at least start my Scroll article. I have a 3 hour block and it shouldn’t take that long anyways—right? I can afford to work outside, right? It’s a beautiful day after all, not gonna get many of these after today.  Words written: 5 *Wednesday Night 11:30pm* T – 0.5 hours until article is due: Oh my gosh, I completely forgot about my scroll article. I still have a 5 minute iMovie presentation I have to finish before class tomorrow, and that’s going to take me another 2 hours.  Wait a minute, I can still get an extension, though, right? Hold on, hold on,  let me check what the email said again.  “If you need an extension, let me know a day in advance. Thank you.”  Frick! A day in advance?! Welp it’s too late now… Or is it? Wait what happens if you turn in an article late without asking for an extension? Will Grace ever let me write a Buzz article again?. Shoot, am I gonna risk it for the biscuit? What even is the biscuit? Ok I’m sending an email back. I have to get the extension. UGHHHH! What happened to finishing my article early and making Grace proud?  Words written: 5 *Thursday Morning* T + 12 Hours since article was already due: Phew, I got the extension, I’ve now got until Sunday morning to finish it. Grace is the best. Finally, I can relax a little bit too. I deserve a short break for all the work I put in earlier in the week.  Words written 5 *Sunday Morning* Aw shoot here we go again. *Furiously typing* “Day in the life of a scroll writer….” *three hours later* submitted.

Welcome back DA! My name is Karyn Mancari, the school nutritionist. For those of you who don’t know, I’m available for questions or meetings about anything nutrition-related from allergies, sports nutrition, meal planning, disordered eating, metabolic disorders, general wellness, and anything else food-related. It’s been a crazy first month of school, and I’d like to give a shout out to Mr. McCarthy and the entire dining hall staff for their work to keep our community fed and safe. With the future still up in the air, I thought it’d be a good time to give a few tips on how to stay nutritionally well during the quarantine. First thing’s first…we each need to give ourselves and our peers a break! What I mean is, allowing ourselves a little bit of grace when it comes to our eating and exercising routines. With limited availability of certain foods and activities on campus, it’s important to be as flexible as possible with our understanding that this crisis is temporary and we’re all in it together. If you find yourself struggling with the limited access to certain foods and exercise, you’re not alone but it will pass. Remind yourselves of your long-term goals and allow for adjustments. As the campus continues to open up, here are a few ways to help ensure you’re getting adequate nutrition: Check the DA menu. Here you can view what will be offered to help you plan. Try and include a protein source, healthy carbohydrate, and fruit or vegetable in each meal as able. Don’t worry if this isn’t possible every single meal…remember, eating healthfully doesn’t mean “perfectly.” One meal (or even day) will not affect your nutritional status. 2) Stock snacks! Teenagers in particular should be eating AT LEAST every 4 hours to help maintain blood sugar levels for energy, mental focus, and appetite regulation. If you can, think of ordering some non-perishable options for your room or stock up on choices from the dining hall. Snacks with fiber, protein, and healthy fats will be help keep you full and energized. Below I’ll list a few options that have helped my family survive! 3) Keep exercise as fun as possible. I get that sometimes it’s tough to get motivated, believe me. It’s getting colder, darker AND we’re stuck in isolation?? Take a breath and try to take advantage of this time to try different activities than you may have chosen before. Check out an online yoga or Zumba class (no one’s there to watch you!). Think of putting together a Zoom workout with friends. Making a meeting with others is a great way to maintain socialization and can help hold you accountable for those days you know you’ll feel better after but literally can’t even. Make a goal to be consistent, whatever that means to you, and include adequate rest days. One of the best benefits of exercise is the mental release it can provide so schedule it at times you know you may need a break. Remind yourselves that we’re all making history together. Do what you can, when you can, and focus on flexibility and compassion with yourself and others. Please reach out if you have ANY questions related to food, nutrition, or body image during these times and I’ll see you here next month! Non-perishable food options: No sugar-added applesauce (try cinnamon too!), Any kind of nut, Quinoa Bowls (Kitchen & Love or Cucina & Amore are great brands), KIND Bar, Rice or quinoa cakes with nut butter (Justin’s almond or peanut butter squeeze packs are pre-portioned for on the go), Baked sweet potato chips (Terra), Baked™ dried fruits, Crunch chickpeas or popcorn, Dark chocolate covered or cocoa roasted almonds, and Individual tuna or salmon pouches on bread or crackers.

Most Americans agree that this year’s election will shape the United States for decades to come. So many hot-button issues are on the ballot this fall: the environment, the preservation of American capitalism, the rights of the unborn, how best to fully pursue the dreams of Martin Luther King Jr., and much more. When you add the makeup of the Supreme Court to this list, a polarized society sinks further into turmoil. On September 18, President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court of the United States, despite the opposition of many Democrats. Barrett is exceptionally qualified to serve as a Supreme Court Justice, and she should be confirmed in the Senate, bipartisanly, for that reason alone. For starters, Barrett leads an impressive personal life. She is currently raising seven children as a working mother, two of which are adopted children from the nation of Haiti and one who suffers from Down syndrome. While it is worth noting that Barrett is a devout and faithful Roman Catholic, her religious beliefs should not and would not influence her confirmation hearings or her judicial work. Some liberals and opponents of Barrett have criticized her involvement with People of Praise, a nonprofit Christian group. However, this criticism is less effective, as it weaponizes the nominee’s widely-held religious views to personally attack her. Barrett has also set herself apart as a distinguished legal mind and a well-liked colleague and professor throughout her lengthy career. She served as a clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia, a former Supreme Court icon who maintained a close friendship with Ginsburg before his 2016 passing, despite their opposing viewpoints. This bond between Scalia and Ginsburg is evidence that a divided Supreme Court is not always bad news for America. While Barrett may not fill the liberal role that Ginsburg played on the Court, she has garnered accolades from conservatives and liberals alike.  For example, when Barrett became a law professor at her alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, she was awarded “Distinguished Professor of the Year” three times. She earned this award through votes of support, and many of her more liberal colleagues over the years have defended her character and qualifications in the weeks since Trump officially nominated her on September 26. Regarding Barrett’s confirmation process, merely minutes after the news broke that Ginsburg had passed away, Republican politicians took to social media platforms to mourn her sudden death while also looking ahead to ensure that her empty seat would be filled in a timely manner. According to the general interpretation of the United States Constitution, the President “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint … Judges of the Supreme Court…” U.S. Const. art. 2 § 2, cl. 2. Democrats also expressed much grief and emotion following Ginsburg’s passing. However, politicians, such as the former President Barack Obama and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, immediately pointed to Republican efforts to block Obama’s Supreme Court nominee in 2016 as their reason for why Trump should only nominate a potential justice if he defeats Former Vice President Joe Biden this November. In 2016, just months before that year’s general election, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell decided to withhold Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, from receiving a vote in the Senate. The issue with the Democratic logic, however, is that Obama had known since 2012 that he would become a lame-duck President prior to the inauguration of the next President in January, 2017, regardless of which political party the new President-elect belonged to. This is because no President of the United States is legally permitted to serve more than two four-year terms in office, and Obama served a full eight years. Historically, lame-duck politicians have proven to enact more controversial policies, including questionable Supreme Court nominations, as they no longer need to concern themselves with support from voters. On the flip side, Trump may win a second term in the upcoming election. Nobody can be certain that he will become a lame-duck President within the next couple of months, and it is evident that he is still working to gain the support of as many voters as possible. Nominating a Justice on an irrational basis, unlike Obama’s case in 2016, would have severe repercussions on Trump’s reelection campaign. One does not have to agree with Barrett’s ideals and past judicial decisions, but people from all sides of the political aisle should acknowledge and praise her achievements and qualifications. This is an opportunity for Americans to unite in celebrating Barrett’s selflessness as a mother and brilliance as a professor and judge.

Like many familiar aspects of Deerfield Academy, its Athletic Program has evolved massively due to COVID-19. Exemptions, in particular, are modeled much differently. What used to only be offered to bi-varsity upperclassmen athletes, exemptions are now available to all student-athletes regardless of grade and varsity status.  The new exemption model allows students to have access to both the gym and their respective practice locations. The pool, squash courts, tennis pavilion, and field house are now in use by students with exemptions for their winter or spring sport. With drastic changes to the exemption model, there are both pros and cons.  With more students participating in sports due to exemptions and the crucial social distancing guidelines due to COVID-19, scheduling and de-densifying campus have both posed a challenge. Nevertheless, Deerfield has approached this challenge effectively.  Now utilized by the boys’ fall water polo team and boys’ and girls’ winter swim and dive Teams, the pool has a planned-out schedule to accommodate each team. Swim and dive now offers an impressive fall program to prepare swimmers for the winter season. Swimming and diving are sports that are typically participated in year-round, so having an organized and well-managed fall program has helped swimmers stay in shape during the off-season.  Taylor Coan ’21, co-captain of the girls’ varsity swim team, stated that “the fall program has definitely helped the team bond better. We all can get to know each other and practice without the stress of competing and doing well in meets.”  Sarah Parish ’23 is a new sophomore and new member of the girls’ varsity swim team. When asked about the greatest difficulties that the new schedule causes, Parish ‘23 answered, “The practice times are cut short because of sharing the pool with boy’s water polo, and it’s hard not having a consistent schedule,” Despite this challenge, Parish mentioned, “I think doing an exemption has definitely helped me meet new people. I really enjoy the team and love getting to know people in other grades especially since I’m a new student. I look forward to practices everyday because of the girls on the team!” The pool in the fall, once only filled with upperclassmen on exemptions or the boy’s varsity water polo team, is now a hub of team bonding with swimmers of all grade levels. The swim team has managed to adhere to the social distancing and de-densifying  guidelines, while still preparing athletes for the Varsity season.  The Squash courts have also been utilized by athletes on exemptions over the past couple months. Willow Woodward ’22, a member of the girls varsity squash team, said, “De-densifying was initially challenging because only two people are allowed on the squash court with masks, but squash is a sport where you can do so many drills and game-like situations by yourself or in pairs since a squash match is played with only two people on court so it has worked out pretty well.” The tennis courts have faced some challenges with scheduling and de-densifying, due to half of the pavilion being transformed into the COVID-19 testing center and the other half being utilized by fall crew’s equipment. Member of the girls varsity tennis team, Hunter Puliam ’22 has been practicing on the courts as part of her exemption. When asked about the challenges she has faced due to less courts available, Pulliam responded, “We’ve been using the outdoors courts. I’m not really sure how long we’ll be able to play outside until it gets cold, but once it does that’s gonna be a major issue.” However, Pulliam was quick to add, “Doing an exemption has helped because I’ve gotten to know other girls on the team better and also been able to train for tournaments back home this winter which will make me better prepared for the season this spring, fingers crossed we’ll be able to have one.” Overall, although less practice space is available due to de-densifying guidelines, many athletes are grateful to stay in shape during their off-seasons. While the familiar exemption model has evolved, the zeal and dedication of off-season athletes remain.

As students acclimate to a new environment on campus during  COVID-19, Science Teacher Mark Teutsch and community service members seek to raise awareness about the Deerfield Academy Greenhouse, its offerings, and its potential for strengthening our community. This fall, students in the community service co-curricular have prepared cedar boxes for seeding and have begun planting botanicals. Students have also enjoyed meeting new members of the community by working in the greenhouse. When asked about her favorite aspect of working in the Greenhouse, Chieu An Duong ’22 said, “I really enjoyed getting to know new people.” During an unorthodox school year, working in the Greenhouse has already begun to improve students’ morale. “Being in nature really helps to relieve me from all the stress of junior year,” Duong explained. Although restrictions on how many students can be in the Greenhouse at once have slowed the production rate of botanicals and produce, members of the Deerfield community believe the Greenhouse and what is produced there can still be used to raise spirits on campus. Additional activities students have done in the past as a part of the Greenhouse co-curricular, known as Growing Green, include collecting spinach for the Dining Hall and harvesting honey from the apiary on top of the Koch Center. Lorraine Peoples ’21, who participated in Growing Green, said, “I enjoyed the honey collecting the most. I was able to collect honey and share it with friends on the hall.” In the past, the Greenhouse has had large enough quantities of produce to contribute to the selection at the Dining Hall, but with changes in the meal system this year, it will be difficult to meet their needs. Teutsch said, “I want to get produce out to community members who are interested in eating healthy.” With limited meal options this year, distributing fresh produce from Deerfield’s own backyard to the community is an innovative way to make use of the Greenhouse’s resources. There are plans to find an outlet for botanicals as well. Teutsch explained, “Flowers make a difference in peoples’ lives…what I’d really love to have help with is simply having students identify people in need that would benefit from our distribution of flowers.” Students in Teutsch’s first and second period AP Biology classes have spent time in the Greenhouse as well. As the ability to perform in-class experiments has become increasingly difficult due to COVID-19 regulations, being able to work in the Greenhouse has allowed students to still have hands-on experiences in the class curriculum. Emily Feng ’22 said, “Going to the Greenhouse was our first hands-on experiment in Teutsch’s class. It was really cool to talk about the process of anaerobic fermentation when we made kimchi because although we could not see it, the process was happening right before us. ” As well as making kimchi, students have helped plant flowers inside the greenhouse and are planning on evaluating their growth in the coming weeks. Nelson Mills ’22 said, “We just planted snapdragons about a week ago and I’m looking forward to working on mendelian and non-mendelian inheritance patterns with those. I think that will be very interesting.” Although the Greenhouse stood quietly for over six months and the dynamic of Deerfield proves to be everchanging amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Teutsch and his AP Biology students as well as members in the community service co-curricular stand strong to help promote the Greenhouse’s success for the benefit of the Deerfield community.

Two weeks ago, Deerfield sent home more than ten students deemed “close contacts” following the detection of a positive COVID-19 caseon campus. Despite seemingly being prepared for such a scenario well beforehand, these students had to handle all the logistics of their departures within the span of a day, making hectic calls to parents and hastily packing the bare minimum for their mandated quarantines.  Soon enough, as if nothing had happened, every possible lead involved in the spread of a positive case was separated from campus. Parents living beyond short driving distances had to rearrange their already busy schedules to travel to Deerfield. The process was filled with ambiguity as there was no set timeline for these students to return: they were left waiting in the dark. Upon their return to campus, each student was required to quarantine for around four days. For this approximate 14-day period of calls, trips, and isolation, students were further separated from an already distanced community. The messy situations these students were placed in for the past month raise the question: is there any way to develop a more efficient and accommodating alternative? The most notable issue with the current system is its logistical nightmares. As soon as there is a single positive case, all close contacts are immediately taken off campus to their designated quarantine accommodations. For many, this location is hours away, requiring much more time than the given period to plan a return. While guidelines prior to this fall did emphasize the importance of having a quarantine location in close proximity to Deerfield, such accommodations are difficult to find under the circumstances of health protocols and accountability. For those who call places beyond New England home, this often requires relying on distant relatives or the families of peers. Placing the responsibility of finding a safe, reliable location to spend two weeks in on such short notice places unnecessary strain on students and their families. Another major concern in the current system is for the health and well-being of close contacts’ families. With the current unpredictability of COVID-19, sending students home can do more harm than good: itcan place elderly, infant, and immunocompromised family members at severe risk, and at the very least will require significant changes to living arrangements to accommodate the care of a potentially COVID-positive student. Furthermore, close contacts with family members working in the healthcare and other frontline industries could jeopardize the ability of a family member to continue their work. In considering the possible implications of their current positive-case protocols, Deerfield must pay special attention to the various circumstances that these students may return home to. While the Health Center, with facilities like negative pressure rooms and readily available tests, may be equipped to accommodate a potential positive case, this is not the case for many families and their homes. But beyond the logistics, current protocols also lack the necessary support needed to help students adjust to such an abrupt change in their academic and social lives.These students go from living under emerging-phase regulations with their friends to entering complete isolation, severing the relationships they had built with their peers and mentors over the past few months.  Arguably, an even bigger problem is students taking classes over zoom when they could have been in person if students didn’t need to quarantine off-campus. Classes over zoom often leave online participants out of discussions and conversations that are critical for an engaged learning environment. Staring at a screen for at least 4 hours a day to attend classes results in headaches, itchy eyes, and mental strain. Students can altogether be left feeling very “out of it.” Wouldn’t it be better if students could return to in-person classes sooner and mitigate the time over zoom? This logistical, community health-risking, family-stressing snowball exists because of one positive test. What if all of this could have been averted?  Imagine a protocol that lessens the stress on families, prevents the social isolation of students, and cuts away at unnecessary time close-contacts have to face away from campus.  Most definitely, the protocol should come from where it all started: the positive test result. A more straightforward outcome could be achieved if the student were to be tested twice or even three times, while close contact students were isolated in the Dewey or their dorm room. If all those three tests came back negative, students could just go back to their normal lives instead of being separated from campusThis would also eliminate any chances of a false positive. While tests are being evaluated and close contact students isolated in  Dewey, parents should be notified that their child potentially needs to quarantine back home or their accommodation. This would give parents more time to make any housing adjustments and solve any logistical issues regarding pick-up. The school is already working to implement an improved process for handling positive cases. However, whatever plan the school comes up with, the burden should not fall on parents to figure out —on a moment’s notice— how to get their child back home safe, and healthy. There are clear options for making this already anxiety-filled process a little less stressful. The “Distant” in the 4 D’s requires us to distance ourselves wisely, not unnecessarily.

Adhering to social distancing guidelines, donning masks, and wearing POM tracers are now required for the community’s safety and overall well-being. However, such practices complicate the question many music students have: how will orchestra work during this unconventional year? As a wide majority of students have been hoping to hear, the orchestra still hopes to continue practicing, rehearsing, and performing together. The only catch that entails with the continuation of orchestra is having to follow de-densifying protocols: performances will be accessible via recordings and videos online instead of in-person. “This is a great opportunity for us to put in some practice, perform, and also to experience and learn more about the recording process,” said Forrest Gao ’23.  For their first official performance of the year, the Co-Curricular Chamber Orchestra group will play and record The Carnival of the Animals (Le carnaval des animaux) , including most of the 14 movements within the suite, by the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. As the name suggests, each movement embodies the story a different animal, with various instruments imitating their sounds and characteristics. The Swan (Le cygne) , arguably the best-known movement of the suite, paints an image of a swan gliding elegantly across a lake through a slow, melancholy cello melody. Pianists (Pianistes) mocks pianists as animals and mimics beginners practicing their scales. Characters with Long Ears (Personnages à longues oreilles) , the shortest of the 14 movements, likens critics to donkeys using a mixture of short, high notes and long, low notes.  Saint-Saëns had once been afraid to publish this “fun”work, fearing that the piece might damage his reputation as a serious composer (only The Swan was later published in his lifetime) and only premiered it privately. Following its posthumous publication, The Carnival of the Animals turned out to be one of  Saint-Saëns’ most successful works. Explaining why he chose this specific work by Saint-Saëns, Director of Chamber Music and Orchestra Thomas Bergeron said, “It’s a combination of wanting to play something fun and humorous at this time and something that fits our exact instrumentation.” A professional videographer will record the orchestra’s rendition of the work, and Mr. Bergeron will handle the audio.  “Compared to Orchestra without COVID-19, it’s a pretty nice change to play with a smaller group every day,” said Yurok Song ’22. In addition to The Carnival of the Animals , the performance recording will also feature Stephen Morris ’23 singing Die Forelle (The Trout) by Franz Schubert and Christopher Gergis ’22 singing All The Pretty Little Horses , a traditional lullaby arranged by Aaron Copland. For everybody interested in listening to the orchestra’s performances, recording will be available on Deerfield’s main website as part of the performing arts showcase at the end of the fall term.

Changes in dorm assignments for each grade have been made due to health and safety regulations regarding COVID-19. As 9th grade dorm rooms, otherwise infamous for being doubles, became converted into singles, the need for more rooms turned into a major project. The Student Life Office and Physical Plant worked all summer long to make these adjustments. As well as converting the modular housing units (MODS) into an upperclassmen boys dorm, common rooms in dorms such as Harold Smith (HS), John Williams, John Louis (JL), Pocumtuck (Poc), and DeNunzio were all remodeled into personal rooms for students.  Many of the students who received these makeshift rooms enjoy special perks not seen in a typical dorm room. Kate Stenger ’22 lives in the Poc 2 common room where she gets to enjoy a corner room three times the size of a regular Deerfield “closet” room with multiple windows looking out onto Old Main Street, a wall of built-in shelves, and her very own bathroom. No need for sharing a sink with twelve other kids.  JL 2 North proctor, Whitney Spater ’21, lives in one of the JL common rooms. These rooms feature large windows, hard wood floors, and tall ceilings without any sprinkler pipes to ruin the vibe. Spater has so much space, one could never figure out what to do with it all! That’s a problem no Deerfield student thought they would ever face… In HS, Kaitlyn Kelly ’22 and Jackson Kinsler ’22 split the old common room with two-story high ceilings, exposed wood beams, and chandeliers on each side (that’s a whole lot better than those typical fluorescent lights!). Kinsler has two french doors on her half and enough room to run laps—no need for the outdoor track! Kelly has built in shelves and a large closet space that used to be the kitchenette. Is there anything such as too much storage space? Probably not with the amount of clothes kids bring to school these days. New England weather is so unpredictable though! Harry Niles ’21 lives in the second floor common room of Denunzio. Two large windows allow for plenty of natural light. With the amount of space he has, Harry can do cartwheels for days. He has made use of the space by adding a stylish rug. Wait….is it grass? This room sure makes it look like clutter is not in his vocabulary.  An experience unique to the year and unique to only a few on campus, those who live in common rooms have taken full advantage of their spaces. Before returning to campus, students feared they would get a “dreaded” makeshift room, but those who did, now have many doing a double take.