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Every Tuesday night, I would walk into Johnson 1 with a smile on my face, knowing that Ms. Winsor would be there with her dog Remi. She would greet me with a smile on her face and a cheerful “so, what’s up?” as Remi eagerly pounced on me, barking loudly. The duo brought energy and, most importantly, Magpie Pizza to Johnson!  Outside of Johnson and in between her admission interviews, she would always empathetically listen whenever I dropped by and randomly ranted about my day. Instead of shoveling advice when I asked her questions, she would gently remind me of my priorities. Instead of telling me what to do, she would answer my inquiries with insightful questions. “What do you think about this?” she always asked before giving me her opinions on my actions.  I could always count on her to watch all of our volleyball, field hockey, and swim meets. Every time at advisory sit-downs she would tell me, “So Sunshine, I saw you at the game on Wednesday. You did amazing! It seemed really intense, watching you run back and forth on the court.” She congratulated us on wins and ramble on about our amazing performances in the matches. She complimented our efforts and encouraged us whenever we wanted to initiate an event.  Even though she was new to Deerfield like I was, she never showed it and always made me feel welcomed. She was not only an advisor but also a friend. Ms. Winsor would crack jokes at the sit-downs and roll her eyes like a teenager. I once walked into Johnson 1 and was surprised to find her watching  Netflix with Remi as they both chilled on the sofa. When I inquired about the show, she immediately asked me to join her. Both Ms. Winsor and Remi have become an integral part of my Deerfield experience, and I will miss the duo terribly next year.

With the order of MA governor Charlie Baker prohibiting school until June 28 and a strict order requiring a two-week quarantine for those who enter the state, Deerfield administration decided to alter the moving-out process. For the first time in Deerfield history, a third-party, Boomerang Storage, will assume a majority of the responsibility for the execution of this process without any physical help from Deerfield students themselves.  Assistant Dean of Student Life Kevin Kelly is coordinating the process of storing and packing students’ belongings, but Boomerang Storage will do the physical packing and sorting of rooms. Boomerang is a partner of Deerfield that is typically an option for students to store their belongings over the summer.  In an email sent to returning students on April 28, Assistant Head of Student Life Amie Creagh explained the logistics of this year’s move-out and prompted students to complete a form and choose from two options. The first option was for Deerfield to ship students any wearables and loose items, while storing the rest. The second option was for Deerfield to store 100% of students’ belongings using space in the Athletic Center for storage. Both options are paid in full by the Academy. Upon request, additional essential items such as passports and IDs are eligible for shipment. Seniors will have all of their belongings, with the exception of large items, shipped back to them. Younger students have various reasons for shipping things home, but for some, there arises a necessity. “I chose to ship some of my belongings home because most of my clothes and other essential items like my sunglasses and inhaler are at Deerfield, and I would like to have them for this summer,” said Caroline Mahony ’21. In creating a plan for move-out, the administration sought a simple and efficient solution that would respect students’ wishes as much as possible. Even for in-state students, the potential to come in close contact with others presented a challenge to social distancing that the administration wanted to avoid.  Ellie Shilling ’21, a student from Massachusetts, felt like a plan for in-state students to move out was plausible, but affirmed, “I think that the school has an obligation to err on the side of caution to avoid any issues with liability, so I understand their conservative approach to allowing outsiders on campus.” The plan that Deerfield has laid out is similar to that of some peer schools. Choate Rosemary Hall has encouraged students to pick one of two options: packing or storing everything. However, other schools like Andover are allowing students the additional option of moving out themselves. At Exeter, where the school is offering very similar options to Deerfield, students created a petition on change.org titled “Saving Student Privacy: Let PEA kids choose who touches their belongings and when.” As of May 20, the petition has 842 signatures.  At Deerfield, some students have expressed similar privacy concerns about packing valuable items and items that may be considered contraband. Under the direction of Mr. Kelly, Deerfield is making an effort to identify and store valuable items in a careful way. Contraband will be handled under the sanctuary policy and will not spark disciplinary action.  Shilling said,  “As far as privacy goes, Boomerang packs up tons of students in the area, so I am sure that whatever item that a DA student is worried about is not the strangest thing that they have encountered.” Gabriella Hu ’21 had more concerns about the physical shipment of her belongings than she did relating to privacy. “I’m worried about some things getting lost or broken in the mail,” she said.  While the move-out process is still underway, Deerfield administration has ensured that they seek to initiate the process with as much care and respect for privacy as possible. As Ms. Creagh said in her email regarding the decisions, “This can be a personal, private process, of course, and it’s best left to you. This is also the most efficient option for everyone involved.”

As whispers of a potential second wave of COVID-19 cases began circulating national news media, the Deerfield community has been forced to confront the possibility that students will not return to campus in the fall. Assistant Head of School for Student Life Amie Creagh confirmed that Deerfield is “indeed planning carefully for a variety of contingencies, including a second wave of the virus.” The uncertainty of future plans is not a problem exclusive to Deerfield. Most schools around the country face similar challenges. Some large universities such as those in the California State University system predicted that their students would not return for the fall of 2020, reported CNN. On the other hand, some major universities, such as the University of North Carolina and Texas Tech University, show promise of holding classes on campus this fall.  For the graduating Class of 2020, however, beginning school in September is not their only concern. COVID-19 has robbed them of the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments with friends and family. Dr. Austin has ensured the senior class that the school is making plans to honor them.  Deerfield’s administration is working with the Student Body Co-Presidents, Kareena Bahkta ’20, and Irvin Li ’20, and Student Council Chair, Whitney Vogt ’20, to make these hopes a reality. Vogt said, “We met with the committee about 4-5 times and discussed what the seniors wanted to do if [we] return in August.” According to Ms. Creagh, one idea that has been proposed is to hold “Senior Days” during this summer. A committee of seniors are working alongside Vogt, Bhakta, and Li to plan these events. Ms. Creagh shared a poll that asked seniors which weekends this summer, ranging from early August to mid-August, would work best as a return date for celebrations for them and their potential guests. The seniors were also asked to rank the top four activities they’d like to see included in their potential return to campus this summer. The choices were: “BBQ at the River, Senior Cry, Senior Prom, an informal dance with a DJ in lieu of Prom, Baccalaureate, Senior Dance with parents and guardians and a DJ, Senior and Faculty Dinner, or ‘other.’” In the case that “local state or federal restrictions limit the scope of what’s possible this summer,” Ms. Creagh asked if seniors “would rather return just for Commencement or wait until later so a fuller program of events (the Cry, BBQ, etc.) is possible.” Some seniors expressed their top choices of events they’d like to see if a return in August is possible. Post-graduate student Deandre Ortiz ’20 chose the four events he’d like to happen as Prom, Baccalaureate, Senior Dance with parents, and a BBQ at the river.  Some seniors reflected on their choice for the second question about returning sooner for Commencement or later for more events. Ortiz said, “I’d rather go back for graduation because I’m going to school in California, and I’m not sure if everything will work out at a later time. Also, I did five years of high school already, so I don’t want to prolong the celebration. It would downplay my accomplishments if they postponed.” Darrel Dartey ’20 echoed a similar sentiment, saying, “I would want to go back just for graduation and not really the other stuff because I feel like quarantine gave me the time to truly reflect and cherish all my Deerfield experiences and now I’m ready to move on.” Others have expressed their different wishes for how these events would play out as well. “I just want to see the class of 2020 one more time, and corona honestly made me learn the most about gratitude and taking things for granted,” said Soo Oh ’20.“I took our grade for granted, and now I’m so sad, so I don’t really care about the celebration, but I just want to be back with the family.” Though the return to campus is uncertain for all students, the administration has expressed that they care deeply and are working to make plans for our safe return, and for the class of 2020, plans for proper celebrations. “Dr. Austin will share the details of our work in communications to students and families over the course of the early summer,” assured Ms. Creagh.

POV: You are scrolling through your Instagram and see a new follow request. You open it up and see it is a fellow incoming student. Oh, no big deal if I accept one request. That’s what you think, but before you know it, there are 50 new follow requests. Then you start wondering, where are all these requests coming from? Then it hits you, people have been searching you up on DAinfo.   You fast forward to Camp Becket, everyone is already in friend groups, you have already been judged according to how many Instagram followers you have, there are 50 different class Snapchat groups you are a part of, and you are only known by your Instagram handle @XÆA-12.  Do you feel lost? Was this the first experience you were looking for when you arrived at Deerfield? Didn’t Deerfield pride itself on its heads up policies and face to face interactions? Didn’t you think the first couple days of school were made for getting to know your classmates instead of strengthening the cliques made on social media?  Unfortunately, for many incoming ninth graders with high hopes and romanticized views of Deerfield, these expectations are to be crushed no matter how much Camp Becket or grade bonding activities Deerfield offers. This is because this problem isn’t on campus. It occurs online. Allowing incoming students to access DAinfo, the administration creates the problem far before the start of the first day of school. ts.  We have all been there, we were all excited to receive the acceptance email from Deerfield and choose the road of green for the next four years. Then, just as quickly, we immediately wanted to know the other one hundred students who would be joining us for our highschool career. This is, after all, just human nature, and is seemingly harmless in the short term; however, its true impacts are clear once students arrive on campus and the reality is vastly different from what they expected. Releasing DAinfo before school starts is detrimental in developing true relationships within the class. Remember that as an incoming ninth grader, you have yet to truly meet anyone– and “meeting” them online is definitely not the first step to creating a true connection. If you choose the Snapchat route, all you get is pictures of each other’s ceilings and one lined texts. And if you are lucky, you may just win the social media lottery and get a photo of half their face without a filter. If your preferred medium of social media is Instagram, it becomes even harder to interpret someone’s true personality because the only things you can base your assumptions off of is someone’s caption creativity and hashtag use.  This first impression you get online is not only ingenuine but it also ruins the true experience of meeting  someone in person. Even when we purposely try to not base our opinions of someone solely off of their online s t atus, the number of followers someone has, the look of someone’s Instagram feed, or even where they are from, all play into our subconscious thoughts… In turn, making generalized assumptions on people’s socioeconomic status and background could also impact your decisions later on and even influence who you want to be friends with at school. When we have access to our classmates’ social media before meeting them in real life, we create unrealistic expectations for them that are bound to be derailed after arriving on campus. Giving incoming students access to DAinfo encourages them to get to know each other on social media before doing so in person, which contradicts the school’s traditional values. One of the biggest things Deerfield prides itself on is its heads-up policies and its face to face interactions. However, releasing DAinfo early gives incoming freshmen both the incentive and the ability to know their peers without meeting them in person.  “Deerfield Academy prepares students for leadership in a rapidly changing world.”  Deerfield’s mission statement centers on creating leaders that can communicate their ideas effectively in person. We have to reconsider the message that Deerfield spreads when it allows students to get to know others online instead of in person. Although coming to campus without an established friend group might seem daunting, this is what Deerfield has to encourage if they want to continue fostering leaders.  As long as DAinfo access is still given to incoming ninth graders before the school year begins, no amount of on-campus interactions will make a difference. Deerfield should try to set up all incoming ninth graders on the same playing field by removing the opportunity for them to become “friends” before their arrival, thus helping to create a collective sense of solidarity among them. Although there are other factors such as siblings or certain towns that Deerfield draws more students from, the school has to try its best to eliminate any other factors that will create immediate disparities within the incoming class. The most obvious place for Deerfield to start is to just disable DAinfo for 9th graders before getting to campus. It is human nature that kids will want to get to know one another ahead of time. Deerfield needs to be aware of this and consider how releasing information on DAinfo to incoming students prior to their arrival will negatively impact their first experiences on campus. Incoming ninth graders still might not have the insight yet to understand that face to face interactions are the best way of getting to know someone new. Until then, the school has to take responsibility and limit the amount of communication before getting to school. Deerfield, it’s time to consider when our experience really starts. It doesn’t start when you put “DA” in your bio — it starts when we make our first true connection in your halls and classes. Remember, followers are great, but patience is also great, and if you wait until you’re on campus, the followers will still be there. In fact, I might even follow you, because in my humble opinion, a pretty personality trumps a pretty Instagram feed.

In lieu of school being completely online this spring, the three current heads of Deerfield’s ”DSPN” got an idea to adapt to this new lifestyle. DSPN’s own Jack O’Neil ’20 said, “We figured that if we could do classes online, then why can we not do sports online as well?”  The first idea was to set up a “virtual spring Choate Day” where current students of both schools would go head to head in boarding school’s favorite video games. Deerfield assembled an online DSPN “e-sports team” for Madden 20, NHL 20, FIFA 20, and most notably, a team of Deerfield’s six best Call of Duty players. After close communication with Choate’s student-run fan account “Boar Pen,” the event was scheduled for the following weekend, and the boys at DSPN never expected the success that the event would yield. Many of the games acted as opening events before the Call of Duty match which was saved as the main event. The scoring system was dependent on the event, and whichever school won the event would be awarded one point towards the grand total.  The event was streamed on the virtual platform “Twitch” which allows the viewers to see how many people tune in. By the end of the night, the “virtual Choate Day” hailed a total number of 1,200 people. The comment section was extremely active in playful banter between the schools and at the end of the day, the schools tied in total scores. The boys of DSPN and students of Boar Pen were not satisfied with this outcome, so they decided to rematch the following weekend, and Deerfield came out as the victor. The tradition has continued ever since. Many players return weekend after weekend to participate in DSPN’s online gaming tournaments. “It’s been a great way to connect with friends and stay engaged with the community. Most of us don’t take it too seriously, but competing with other schools is awesome because we don’t have spring sports this year,” said Ari Kraan ’21, a loyal member of DSPN’s online gaming mass. “I hope we can continue to have fun and get more and more people involved.” Fellow player of DSPN’s video game tournament Jack Shanahan ’21 enjoys how the tournaments keep him bridged to Deerfield. “It started off as something just fun to do. It was nice to feel like I was contributing to something with Deerfield especially not playing any varsity sports,” said Shanahan. “I’m not comparing the video game tournament to a varsity game by any means, but just that aspect of people watching you compete against a different school, even if it’s something as silly as a video game, was just a good feeling.”       The three heads of DSPN, Jack O’Neil ’20, Nick Pecora ’20, and Aidan Philie ’20, plan on repeating this event with numerous other schools. They have already played a matchup against St. George’s and won. With communications transpiring between DSPN and future opponents, we can be sure that this event will happen soon. If you are looking for updates on the online gaming events, check out the DSPN Instagram: @_dspn, and be sure to tune into their next Twitch stream!

I first met Juliana Camacho midway through last year when she took over the task of teaching my Spanish 3 class. Having thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the year, I was beginning to grasp the language. After many tears over essays and grammar tests, I was hesitant to have that possibly stripped away with this new teacher. Thankfully, I had no need to worry.  Ms. Camacho defied the normal “substitute teacher” stereotypes from day one when she established her utmost experience and control in the classroom. Ms. Camacho has a way of helping students understand the Spanish language in a way that is truly unique, and this teaching style instilled within me a new confidence and love for the Spanish language. And Ms. Camacho put in the time to make this happen, making herself available for extra help even when she didn’t have to, and she thoroughly annotated work so that whatever we turned in was sure to be the very best. By the end of the year, my Spanish had improved in leaps and bounds, as well as my passion for the subject. Ms. Camacho, I am sorry that I, and other students, were not able to spend more time with you, but the short time we did I guarantee that we all remember fondly. Thank you, and best wishes for the next endeavor.

This year, the Class of 2020 truly paved the way for the Deerfield Athletics Program. Whether they were a player, a captain, a manager, or a supporter, each student demonstrated inspiring sportsmanship and led by example.  From scoreboard-shattering football wins to post-season tournaments from volleyball and field hockey, the fall term was filled with historic victories from teams led by our seniors. New cheerleaders proudly wore their signature sweaters to every game, leading cheers and bringing out our big-green spirit.  The victorious Choate Day was one for the books, with a 10-2-2 record, serving us a satisfying finale for the Class of 2020’s rivalry against Choate. Athletic Director Bob Howe regards this victory as one of the most memorable events from this past year. “After the football game was over and there were so many players and students hanging around singing the evensong in the end zone,” said Mr. Howe. “Lots of happy tears and smiles on the faces of so many students, alums, and parents even!” Reminiscing on this historic win, Captain Deerfield Hanna Deringer ‘20 said, “we were all lost together in the green smoke. I will never forget it and am forever grateful I ended up buying the smoke bombs instead of green silly string!” The Class of 2020 was part of a historic year for many Deerfield sports. Days after a victorious Choate Day Game, the varsity football team triumphed at Milton and won the Mike Silipo Bowl.  In reference to the girls’ varsity basketball Holiday Tournament, Deringer ’20 recalled, “Many people don’t know that Choate beat us on our home court the year before and had the audacity to celebrate way too obnoxiously in front of us. We were out for revenge from the first whistle of the tournament.” Head Coach of girls’ junior varsity basketball Kevin Kelly will forever remember a game early in the winter season that was won heavily due to the seniors on the team. “With less than three minutes left in the game, we were trailing by 9 points. At no time did our girls complain, turn on each other, or quit. They stayed in the fight,” said Kelly. “With 2 seconds left in the game, the ball made its way out to Molly Fisher. Molly threw up a 3 pointer and at the buzzer tied the game. We won in overtime! It was one of the most beautiful examples of never, ever, giving up regardless of the score or the outcome! Our senior girls were special!” Head cheerleader Sim Bethel ’20 will forever cherish his time as a senior. “Representing the genuine and supportive Class of 2020 and the amazing athletic and art programs on campus made me proud to be a cheerleader.”  Both Deringer and Bethel will forever hold a strong fondness towards Deerfield and encouraged next year’s cheerleaders to maintain the energy. “Take the opportunity to light up the school with your passion and rowdiness. Make it your own, and take charge because people look up to you even if you don’t always realize it,” said Deringer. “There is a reason Deerfield is known to have such epic school spirit across the board, and I know you guys will carry it on the right way.” For those that did not play their senior games in the spring, Mr. Kelly compares the Class of 2020 to the 1980 US Olympic team, when the government boycotted the Olympic games, and players were urged not to attend the games in support of a political stance. Mr. Kelly said, “Sports teach us critically important life lessons: overcoming adversity, dealing with problems head-on, to stay in the game, and to never, ever quit. Sports in many ways mirror life. Life doesn’t hand out guarantees and absolutes to the final score. It hurt all of us to lose the spring term, and for many reasons. For the Class of 2020, athletics was only a piece of that sacrifice.”  Gracefully accepting the fate of their senior year, the Class of 2020 demonstrated the highest form of sportsmanship. As Mr. Kelly said, “We can only say thank you to a special group of students who throughout the year loved their school. Students who handled losing their senior spring with class and integrity. They, the Class of 2020, have demonstrated the truest example of our motto – Be Worthy!”  The athletic achievements from fall and winter alone are enough to leave behind a sustained legacy. As we play on the fields next year, we will do so remembering the Class of 2020 and honoring their legacy on Deerfield Athletics.

No one from Dewey expected to spend their Tuesday evenings watching The Bachelor in the Dewey common room. However, Ms. Ford, our dorm associate, had different plans. She somehow had us hooked. Every week, we would put down all of our homework, pull the couches in front of the TV, and watch 90 minutes of drunken debauchery..  It ended up being a terrible season (thanks, Peter!), but the fact that all of us would be there watching it together kept us coming back. We’d argue about who we thought didn’t deserve a rose (one answer: Mykenna) while munching on the feed she would always get us. No matter how our Tuesdays went, we all knew we had those 90 minutes to look forward to at the end of the day.  The story could have stopped there, one of a great dorm resident we looked forward to seeing every week. However, we also had a glimpse into her job in the Admissions Office, when we would make it a habit to pop into her office after Cookies & Cocoa  every Friday. She would read hundreds of applications every day, but she would light up when talking about a few kids she really saw here at Deerfield. If she believed that someone truly deserved a spot here at Deerfield, she would fight for them, because she always remembered that there was a kid behind every page. As Dewey disappears into Deerfield’s past, so will Ms. Ford. It’s a fitting end for both, as Dewey would never be the same without her.

When we were younger, we all dreamed about having fairy godmothers and guardian angels: someone to guide us closer to our dreams. But I dreamed about having an older sister because being the eldest child is fun—until it isn’t. Until you’re figuring things out alongside your parents in a new country and have no idea if you’re doing the right thing. My parents’ concern included me getting the best schooling possible, and ensuring my health and happiness. And for the most part, they were great. But as for my social life, we were all equally clueless. And so I hoped for an older sister to help me because I have always felt as though I were fumbling in the dark throughout my life. I wanted someone who could help me find the light switch. And that’s who Ms. Mott was: the English teacher who once attempted to dye her hair blue and loved the bananas in Laos. She shared my interests (beyond just great fruit) and went to college right by where I was from, meaning she understood my predilection for insane cupcakes and my high standards for ice cream. Her writing assignments were profound and inspiring and felt as though they were written just for me. She recognized my talent in a craft I had abandoned—writing—and figured out how to encourage me in a way that helped me grow beyond just the words that I was scribbling on paper. And most importantly, she made The Canterbury Tales readable. That’s a teaching talent that isn’t taught, but intrinsic.  So that is why I know that as selfishly as I want to be able to see Ms. Mott throughout the next year, there are numerous other kids looking for writing guidance, a Nassau Street dining expert, a great baker, or the best older sister anyone could ask for. And those kids deserve to be just as lucky as I and the Deerfield community have been these past two years.

Mr. Grimm and I were both “new juniors,” graduating from Deerfield in the same year. Mr. Grimm: what can’t he do? He is a singer, actor, dancer, vegan baker, photographer, writer, you name it: he does it all. With all of his musical theater knowledge, he was able to brighten up rehearsal spaces full of overworked teenagers. Mr. Grimm never failed to bake an incredible vegan birthday cake for someone in the theater department, step in to take headshots for the shows, dance in showcases, or give useful advice. He stepped in to take on obstacles that nobody else was built to do at our school. One of the first times I really spoke to Mr. Grimm, he reflected on his decision to teach at Deerfield. He said, “People in my life would ask me, ‘Why Deerfield? Why would someone like you choose a preppy, previously all-boys prep school?’” He would respond, “‘If not me, then who else?’” Not only will Mr. Grimm be my forever duet partner, but his impact on the Deerfield community bred a more accepting and open student body. Drag performances at school meetings became the norm, and Mr. Grimm transformed the creative arts into a celebration equal to those of lacrosse and football. Thank you, Mr. Grimm, for reminding us to keep open minds and positive outlooks, and for all of the memories. I will miss you, and Deerfield will, too.

My first sit-down meal as a new sophomore was incredibly frightening. Unsure of how to conduct myself and what to say, I kept uncharacteristically quiet. Mr. Thiel ’91, however, did not. In fact, he spoke so much it shocked me even more. He demanded that I introduce myself to the table which, at the time, was daunting. He was not your average table head: rather than choosing to delegate the conversation to the students, he poked and prodded until everyone had something to say.  Two weeks in, he said something controversial: that edamame was the same thing as a regular old soybean. I couldn’t stand such blasphemy, and I was compelled to speak up for what I believed in. We spent the next 30 minutes battling over edamame, much to the other nine students’ chagrin. Thus the Gastronaughts were born at Table 60, and from that day forth Mr. Thiel and I would argue over just about everything.  If seeing Mr. Thiel at sit-down wasn’t enough, he also happened to be my debate coach, showing up late to meetings bearing M&M’s and witty remarks. He once concluded that I seemed so comfortable on the MSB third floor couch that the school should rename it the “Camille Glatt corner.” Soon after, Mr. Thiel invited me onto the TEDx team, where more friendly discourse ensued. We would bicker over font design, logos, and budgetary matters. Mr. Thiel, you still owe the team breakfast at the Inn, by the way. This constant back and forth taught me to always be on my toes, prepared for a peppering of typical Thiel questions.  Mr. Thiel is no stranger to the Deerfield campus: he himself was a student. He graduated in 1991 and, as he constantly reminds me, we will have class reunions together. In 2008, he decided to return to campus to serve as Director of Communications. From 2017 on, Mr. Thiel’s role on campus has been Assistant Head of School for Strategy and Planning. As Mr. Thiel said, he has spent ⅓ of his life at Deerfield, 12 as a faculty member, and 4 as a student. On top of his other duties, he also teaches design. His classes’ work can be found in the iLab, another one of his contributions to the campus. He aided in bringing the iLab to campus, installing it, and educating students about its technological offerings. Aside from planning, teaching, and running TEDx, Mr. Thiel uses his free time to hike, backpack, and cycle.  Next September, Mr. Thiel will assume the role of headmaster at Tilton Academy in Tilton, New Hampshire. He will be the school’s 27th headmaster and hopes to bring some of his witty humor and love for technology to campus. He explained, “Imagine the boarding school that has all the magical elements of one but is fully modern and unsentimental, that is what I want to create. A school where kids can create in adobe and e-sports will be as big as live sports like football.”   This year, I was fortunate enough to have him as my sit-down head again. Long gone was the shy sophomore year Camille. I came back to table 60 prepared to battle. Every day during the fall term sit-down rotation, he would grill me and another student at our sit-down table about our blazers, often commenting on whether or not he believed our blazers adhered to the dress code. These comments, of course, led to the whole table teaming up against Mr. Thiel to assert that yes, in fact, they were acceptable attire .  While it may seem as though our relationship was solely argument-based, Mr. Thiel was also the first person I would reach out to with any problems or ideas. He was always there to lend some cryptic yet, in the end, fantastic advice. If he could not provide a solution, he would point me in the right direction.  Alex Leong ‘20 said, “Mr. Thiel has been one of the most impactful advisors I have ever had at Deerfield. He always encouraged me to reach out and try new things—even if it was sawing things in half with a jig. We did crazy things together in the iLab during study hall. It is because of Mr. Thiel that I found the arts at Deerfield- which I couldn’t be more thankful for.”  Mr. Thiel made Deerfield feel safe and a place where students could be themselves. He pushed me to think through my words and always remain inquisitive. Mr. Thiel is always honest and straightforward; he doesn’t sugarcoat anything, which is how you know you are getting an authentic opinion. All I can say is that Thursday meetings in the iLab will not be the same without you, neither will team TBG dinners where you command everyone to eat the dumplings. To use your own words, you “are a big Thiel,” and it is safe to say you will be sorely missed. I can’t thank you enough for all that you have done for me and other students on campus. I hope you find someone at Tilton just as willing as me to argue over just about anything. Clearly, all these years interviewing prospective employees has prepared you for your first job interview! We wish you well on your next journey!

Dr. Mark Ott’s English class is one that many students remember fondly: the large typewriter that sits in the middle of the table, a stack of The New Yorker cartoons with daily jokes, and the iconic acronyms such as “WITAT 2 U?” (“what is the author trying to teach you?”) written on the board. He teaches his students to write “inch wide, mile deep” essays, encouraging the process of digging at all of the intricacies that lie in literature. Dr. Ott joined the Deerfield English department in the fall of 2007 from Honolulu, Hawaii, bringing years of teaching experience and expertise to enrich Deerfield. Dr. Ott is a noted Hemingway scholar and the author of three books. Having received his Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii-Manoa, Dr. Ott continued to pursue his career as both an educator and researcher across the country.  During his time at Deerfield, Dr. Ott served as the English department head for five years, during which he was able to bring notable poets and writers to campus, including W.S. Merwin, Billy Collins, Robert Pinksy, and Natasha Tretheway. This year, Dr. Ott invited renowned author Tim O’Brien to campus, providing students an opportunity to listen to the author read from his book, Dad’s Maybe Book , and to speak with him over lunch and during English classes.  In addition to his contribution to the English department, Dr.Ott coached several varsity sports during his time at Deerfield, including alpine skiing and track and field, and was a dorm resident in Johnson and John Williams.  Reflecting on his time at Deerfield, Dr. Ott  said that he has been “enormously enriched and rewarded” and is “grateful to be able to teach such amazing young people and to be able to coach them, to be with them in the domiritory, and to sit down and have meals with them to share in their triumph and support them in their journey.” “What I love about my job is that I don’t feel like working,” Dr. Ott said. “Everyday, I get the opportunity to go into the classroom and talk to young people about literature. It’s a really special place to be when you feel like you are not working because you love what you do. Every day has gone by too fast.” Maggie Tydings ’20, one of Dr. Ott’s previous students, explained the profound impact Dr. Ott has had on her and her education. “I‘ve had my fair share of amazing teachers throughout my time at Deerfield,” she said, “but Dr. Ott stands out among the bunch. I had the privilege of taking two years of English with Dr. Ott and throughout those two years, I learned not only about literature, but about myself. I could not be more grateful for all that Dr. Ott has done for me as my Deerfield experience simply would not be the same without him!” Other students agree. Emily Pajak ’21, a current junior in his English class said,  “Dr. Ott’s class was my favorite [class] this year at Deerfield. He is a three-dimensional teacher, and by that I mean he didn’t only teach me about English, but also things about myself and life in general I didn’t even know that I didn’t know. Dr. Ott also taught me that books can teach you how to LTD (live the dream).”  Dr. Ott will be embarking on his new journey as the Head of School at Windsor School in Albany of Bahamas, but his goal remains the same: to support the students and help grow the community. “I will be able to, hopefully,” he said, “have an impact on the community, strengthen the school, and support the students.” To his students, both former and current, Dr. Ott offered one last piece of advice: “Be grateful for your Deerfield experience and education, and continue to do the amazing things that you are doing to make Deerfield proud of  you.” It is indeed a bittersweet goodbye to Dr. Ott. While he will certainly be missed dearly by the community, the impact he has had on Deerfield and his students will remain forever.