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Margaret Williams ’19 embodies the qualities of strength, perseverance, and a touch of fun. Williams has been a part of a stellar 11 varsity seasons during her four years at Deerfield. As a captain of the Deerfield Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse team, Williams’ leadership is noticed by her teammates and coaches. Alongside that, she is a proctor serving as a mentor to underclassmen. She is also a four-year Varsity member of the Girls’ Soccer team and was a three-year Varsity member of the Girls’ Hockey team until she decided to take this past winter to concentrate on lacrosse. Williams will be taking her talent to the United States Military Academy next year where she will continue to lead on and off the field. Williams was a ninth-grader when she first joined the lacrosse team. Assistant coach Amie Creagh believes Williams has grown not only in skill but also character in her four years on the lacrosse team. “As a 9th grader on a varsity team, Margaret used to play tentatively and doubt herself,” Creagh noted. “She now has a confidence that allows her to rarely make a mistake without forgetting the humility thread that she has always had.” Williams has undoubtedly remained humble and continued to work hard during her time at Deerfield. Head coach Allison DiNardo believes one of Williams’ best qualities is her persistence to always put her team first. “We graduated three starting defensive ​specialists​ last spring, and though Margaret has been an attacker for nearly all of her career, when we asked if she would pitch in defensively this year, she didn’t hesitate for a moment,” DiNardo said. “Margaret’s willingness to take on an entirely new position in her senior season demonstrates her selflessness and willingness to do whatever is necessary for the betterment of the team.” When asked what makes the Deerfield Girls’ Lacrosse program so special to her, Williams remarked that the friendships she has made are some that she will cherish. “During these past four years, the lacrosse team has been like a family to me. It has definitely taught me that being on a team is more than just the sport.” One of these close friendships that she has made is that with Hanna Deringer ’20. This past week, during Girls Lacrosse’s first game against St. Mark’s, Deringer felt that she had not performed to her best ability. “I was really in my head the whole game, and the worst part was I felt like I had let my seniors down like Margaret,” Deringer said. “I stayed after the game to shoot, and Margaret stayed the whole time to pass and feed to me. It really showed me what kind of a leader she is and how she takes her role as captain.” This extra effort is nothing new to Williams. Williams actively pursues her talents during the off season as well. Soccer, hockey, and lacrosse teammate Haley Sundstrom ’21, said, “All throughout winter term, I would be walking back to the dorm from classes, and I would see Margaret going to the gym. I don’t think there was a day she wasn’t. Her confidence and hard work is infectious. As a senior, she’s been such a steady presence to look up to, and she has taught me how to truly love lacrosse and feel good about how I’m playing.” Looking towards the goals for the team and herself this season, Williams wants to build off of the successes of the Girls’ Lacrosse previous season. “We ended up going 12-0 last year in our last 12 games, and we’d like to do the same again this year. But more importantly, we want to keep a strong team dynamic where everyone’s really supporting each other and working hard.” These past four years, Williams has consistently been a driving force in the Deerfield Girls’ Lacrosse program, and it will be exciting to see how far she takes the team in her final season.

With the recent expansion of the health requirement from one to six terms, Deerfield has the opportunity to evaluate what is added to the curriculum. As we head into these discussions, I would like to see a new aspect of health addressed: physical safety. Singapore is a virtually crime-free country. Growing up, I had no qualms about calling a cab at midnight or going for a swim at the crack of dawn. This sense of safety has been further reinforced at Deerfield. OneCards are required to enter each dorm. Security officers roam academic buildings. And the few concerns there have been – remember the weird man who snuck onto campus to take pictures? – were addressed immediately by the administration. On college tours over spring break, I was genuinely surprised by the number of tour guides who emphasized safety measures, whether it be the blue light system or a “safe ride” program. For me, the concept of safety had never been a big concern – admittedly due to the privileges I’ve enjoyed both in my hometown and at my current school. The idea that I could be physically harmed by another person seemed improbable. New York changed that. While walking back to my hotel after a late dinner, I rounded a corner and walked straight into a woman. We were standing in a relatively deserted area. She turned to glare at me, clearly inebriated. “What do you think you’re doing, b***h?” she screamed. Shocked, I rambled an apology. The woman grabbed my elbow, hard enough to draw blood, and shoved me towards the wall. I stood there, somehow paralyzed, feeling the concrete against the skin of my back. She walked closer until she was barely a centimeter away, crouching to level her face with mine. I closed my eyes and tried not to breathe. After a minute or so, the woman backed away and wandered off. I got home safely with barely a cut. I got lucky, so lucky. Nothing happened. But something could have. And I had absolutely no idea what to do in such a situation. The incident served as a stark and overdue realization – one that we tend to forget on campus. Deerfield is not an accurate representation of the world outside of it. Take a look at the news: we are a society marred by demonstrations of violence. It is a universal problem, though race and gender make some more susceptible than others. Even now, it is the feeling of powerlessness that resonates with me most deeply. I would do anything to decrease the chances of ever feeling that way again. I am thus calling for self-defense to be integrated into our health curriculum. Lessons don’t have to be extensive or frequent. Students can use a 70-minute period of Health to learn the basics: how to escape a choke hold, how to target weak spots, and how to fight an armed opponent. They can be held once every month or two. This process becomes even easier given the increase of the health requirement from one term to six. The curriculum as it stands now addresses body disorders, drug abuse, mental illness, and more. It aims for empowerment through knowledge. We are taught how the body reacts to addiction, how to maintain physical fitness, and how to engage in meaningful relationships. The broad scope of topics is a nod to the fact that adolescents face a myriad challenges. Given our standard of such extensive education, how can we not teach students what to do when their immediate, physical safety is threatened? I believe that self-defense is a skill all Deerfield students should have. I urge the administration to consider the same.

The 2019-20 sports seasons usher in a new wave of leadership on the fields, and next year the Academy will be seeing a group of rising juniors stepping up into leadership positions as captains. Girls Varsity Cross Country will see Grace Russell ‘21 lead the 2017 New England Championship squad. Isabella Rolfe ‘21 will lead a talented Girls Varsity Squash team. And Angela Osei-Ampadeu ‘21 will be the first female captain in the Co-Ed Wrestling team’s history. All of these athletes will be working side by side with their coaches to get everybody motivated to perform at their peak ability. Girls Cross Country Head Coach Dennis Cullinane complimented Grace for her commitment to the team, strong athletic capabilities, and her innate ability to make everybody feel welcomed. “If you have leadership ability then you have it,” he replied when asked if there was any reluctance in selecting a younger certain for the most vital role on the team. Ely Burke ‘19, the captain for this past season, remarked that the most difficult aspect of leading a team is finding your voice but has no qualms that Russell can handle the challenge. Burke said, “You realize you were selected for the role for a reason.” Russell will not be alone though, co-captains Victoria Patterson ‘20 and Erin Howe ‘20 will both be there to guide her through the process. Howe is very confident in Grace’s ability next year stating, “being a leader does not mean that you’re the oldest on the team.” Girls Varsity Squash will be led next year by Rolfe and Griffin Dewey ‘20 who has expressed excitement about leading with Rolfe, as they were the only underclassmen on the team during their first year at Deerfield. Dewey spoke to Rolfe’s leadership ability saying, “She’s really good at getting people to listen to her and getting the attention and respect of people. I think she’ll be really good at tying the team together. We are both very organized and that should be a strong suit of the team next year. It’ll be a great time and we’ll see what happens.” This year’s captain Ashley Manning ‘19 said the role made the sport even more important to her and that her only struggle was separating being a friend and being a captain. Manning is confident that Rolfe will make a great leader due to her dedication to the sport and noted, “She’s in great shape and she’s always in the front during sprints. She does a lot off season and she puts a lot of effort into everything she does for the sport. One of her best qualities is how hard she works and how much effort she puts into everything she does for squash.” Head Coach Karrine Heise praised Rolfe for being such an integral part of the team, “She’s a bright capable young woman so I have faith in her lead.” Rolfe herself is incredibly excited for the opportunity, saying, “I’m looking forward to next year, we have a group of excellent players and great depth on the team.​ Most importantly, we have a really great group of supportive girls.​​” Finally, for the first time in Deerfield history, Angela (Angie) Osei-Ampadeu ’21 will be a female co-captain of the Co-Ed wrestling team along side Chris Thaggard ’20 and John Chung ’20. The only girl on the team during her ninth grade year, Osei-Ampadeu has demonstrated a courage and determination beyond her years. In speaking to Osei-Ampadeu’s leadership qualities, Coach Daniel Houston says her “best quality is her ability to connect with everybody. She really makes a concerted effort and has a real talent with connecting with everyone at Deerfield. She’s talented and has the best competitive spirit.” This year’s captain Brian Shin ’19 has confidence Osei-Ampadeu will lead the team to success in the upcoming years: “Her strengths are listening to what the coaches tell her to do, she’s already ready to go. She has the ability to be a captain I can totally see her helping people get better.”

I went to a K-12 school in South Korea, and I left after a long 8 years because as I watched my fellow students check their grades every minute as if they were checking the scores on sports games. That kind of atmosphere felt like it was the exact opposite of what education should be. To me, education is an empowering exercise that pushes students to further question and explore their curiosity. There simply cannot be a perfect system anywhere, period. However, despite all its imperfections, Deerfield has served a special role in my education thus far. Students are genuinely curious and motivated to learn. Although Deerfield is very close to wholly embodying the true sense of education, I would like to make three suggestions so that we, as an institution, can move forward to an even better school. The three solutions are that midterms should exclude numerical grades and instead include face-to-face conferences; there should be substantial opportunities for reflections on their progress; and Socratic seminars should be restructured. First, since there must be some way to distinguish students, getting rid of numerical grades does not seem like a plausible solution. However, I believe there needs to be fundamental restructuring of how midterm progress is communicated to students. Midterm reports that show numerical grades online without a comment have been shown as inefficient. In a study by Education Testing Services, a nonprofit educational assessment organization, their data suggested that the source and the form of the midterm progress reports have direct correlation with a students’ final exam grade. For instance, a student who received a grade for a midterm but no feedback scored an estimated marginal mean score of 75.37 on their final exam. On the other hand, students who received no grade and face-to-face feedback from the instructor earned an estimated marginal mean score of 82.74. The difference in the method of midterms feedback was even greater for low-scoring students. This discrepancy may be due to the personal connection that students feel with the teacher, which drives intellectual curiosity and motivation. The difference in the way that midterm feedback is given seems to affect the students’ motivation to learn as well as their interest in the material. Although providing feedback face-to-face for every student would take a bit longer, I believe in the long run that it will be beneficial because it will further motivate students to be genuinely interested and work harder. An educational philosopher John Dewey once said, “We do not learn from experience… We learn from reflecting on experience.” I cannot agree more with Professor Dewey’s statement. I believe that the process of learning and its reflection is as important as reading the canons or learning chemistry. There is no doubt that Deerfield students are very excited to learn. Just like my classmates, I am eager to move on and tackle the next lesson right away. However, there have been times when I have felt that I am using methods that do not work and expect them to work again because there is just simply no time to reflect. At Deerfield, I believe that after assessments or projects, we should reflect on the methods that have worked and those that have not and look for better ways to make our learning more efficient. We learn an incredibly wide range of topics at Deerfield, but I believe that the time that we spend learning the content is unproportional to the time given to reflect on them. The process of learning at school often leads to one single exam, test or paper, but learning does not merely stop after your final paper. Learning begins when you start applying, connecting and reflecting the lessons you learned through each lesson. Reflecting on assessments and methods will urge Deerfield students to critically think about their learning and to be more efficient on their next unit. Finally, there needs to be a restructuring of the Socratic seminars so that they align with their definition. Socrates, for whom the seminars are named after, is known to have said, “The only thing I know is that I know nothing.” That is exactly how he started every one of his dialogues. He went in assuming that the person whom he was talking to was an expert and asked questions so that both of them could reach a deeper understanding. With his rhetorical method known as the “elenchus,” Socrates refuted and taught his opponents who felt as if they were the expert on their topic. There is a fundamental problem with Socratic Seminars at Deerfield. Often times, I feel like students go in with the belief that their point is the only right point and participate just for the sake of participating. This problem stems from the fact that students are graded individually. I would suggest that Socratic Seminars be graded holistically based on how far the group gets as a whole and how well they develop their understanding of the topic. Once this change is made, I believe that students will more willingly and genuinely participate. To reemphasize, Deerfield is an incredible institution with some of the most passionate teachers in the country. But, with these changes, I believe that we will be able to fine-tune the ways that we encourage students and create an atmosphere that fosters intellectual growth.

For 30 years, Joe Garey has worked in campus Shipping and Receiving; each day, he greets students with a smile as they come in and out, with packages in hand. Garey originally joined Deerfield’s staff as a custodian in 1988, following his active duty in the Navy. Born here in Greenfield, Massachusetts, he and his family moved around, first to a small village in New York, then to Ohio, and then to California, before eventually returning to the Greenfield area. When a position in Shipping and Receiving opened up, after Garey’s first year at DA, he was sure he wanted to transfer departments. The prospect of “moving up the ladder” greatly appealed to Garey when first joining the team, a small one at the time. He said, “I knew there would be advancements in the job… I knew I would be the third one in line, so eventually I’d move up, and that’s how I became supervisor.” In detailing a normal day at Shipping and Receiving, Garey expressed that mornings typically consist of emails, work orders, and calls from the finance and post office. “UPS, FedEx and Amazon come between 11 and 12, and that’s why we have swing lunch shifts because it is during lunchtime,” he explained. “At 3PM, we pick up the outgoing mail to bring to the post office. The times in between all of this is spend processing outgoing packages and taking care of students and faculty when they come in for the packages they have received.” When asked about his personal life, Garey enthusiastically spoke about his four children, Amanda, Curtis, Aaron, and Breaunna. “I used to have pets. I don’t have any pets that live with me now… when I was married with my kids, we lived in Colrain, Massachusetts, we had 3 dogs and 3 cats and we just loved animals. We had sheep, we had chickens, we had pretty much a farm. It’s almost like we had one animal for each kid as far as cats and dogs and the rest were just because.” For a part-time job, Garey has enjoyed umpiring basketball, softball, and baseball for 16 years. He explained that his interest in umpiring connects to an affinity for sports and the outdoors. “I like being outside. I love sports. I played football, basketball, baseball. I did some track in junior high. So I’m a sports guy. Definitely a sports guy. ” He added that he likes to read, Christian devotional reading in particular, and to build prototypes, like the model planes displayed in his office. “[Building things] takes my mind away from everything,” Garey said. He related the reason behind this passion for models to the reason behind his fondness for the workplace: “My favorite part of the job is associating with the students and faculty, and making people happy,” he said. “ When students and faculty get their packages, they’re happy about it. It takes them away from the classroom environment.”

Dear Reader, “Of course you’re a swimmer. You have such broad shoulders. You just look so… athletic,” he said, waving his hand up and down in an assessment of my body. He: a middle-aged, male college interviewer. Me: totally creeped out. By the time he made this assessment, I was already uncomfortable. He had interrogated me about the rate of sexual assault at New England prep schools, as if being a girl at a New England prep school makes one an expert. He had brought up my two moms, and laughed about a former applicant who, through various divorces, now had four Jewish moms, as if to say, “You have it tough, but four moms would be even worse, and imagine if they were all Jewish!” When our conversation turned to my extracurricular activities and my involvement with the , he criticized the newspaper because printing on paper was, apparently, “old fashioned.” He bragged that this college’s newspaper was exclusively digital and seemed to wonder why we weren’t keeping up with the times. (Shout out to the the , and the , all published on paper in addition to publishing digitally.) And then, he – the person who could determine whether I got into this college or not – commented on my body. He made me feel uncomfortable when I already felt criticized and vulnerable. He made me feel self-conscious instead of confident, and rather than thinking about my next answer, I began thinking about how much I regretted wearing a dress that (apparently) accentuated my HUGE shoulders. The power dynamics here are clear. He held all the power, and I had to make a split second decision whether to play along or tell him that his comments were inappropriate. I chose the former. In the era of #MeToo, most of us understand that his comments were unprofessional, but in the grand scheme of what women experience in American society, they weren’t that surprising. I actually believe that he intended this particular comment as a compliment, no matter how creepy it may have felt at the time. I know that this college interviewer will never see this letter. I’m not writing it for him. I’m writing this for anyone else who finds themself in a similar position. I wish that in that moment I had been able to say, no, this isn’t okay, to speak the truth even if it meant jeopardizing a college admission. But most students at Deerfield have been trained to be polite. In fact, it’s practically a prerequisite for admission to Deerfield. We know how to nod politely, make small talk during an interview, shake hands, and make eye contact. What we’re not trained for – and I’m speaking about girls, in particular, but I’m sure the same applies to many boys – is to say “no” when a colleague or college interviewer is out of line, to call people on their s**t when they attempt to raise themselves up by putting you down, or when they attempt to turn your strengths into weaknesses. Politeness has made us good students and great college applicants. The question now is how to retrain ourselves for life beyond school. That is the message I’d like to leave you with as the Board, Vol. XCIII passes the torch to Vol. XCIV. I’d like to thank Vol. XCIII for a year of great discussions and hard work making the paper what it is today, and I’d like to thank the faculty advisors – Mrs. Schloat, Mr. Savage, and Ms. Cornelius — for their incredible guidance and support every step of the way. I’m delighted to announce that Claire Quan will be the next Editor-in-Chief of the . Claire brings her unique perspective, trademark thoughtfulness, and an incredible work ethic to the paper, and I can’t wait to see how she leaves her mark. Claire, I know that you will separate real news from sensationalism and criticism from negativity with integrity; always trust your gut. And to you, the reader: Thanks for following us on this journey. Be brave, have integrity, and speak the truth, even when it isn’t considered polite. All the best, Orlee Marini-Rapoport Co-Editor-in-Chief Dear Reader, It’s hard to believe, but after all the late nights of layout, the last-minute headlines and deadlines, we’ve come to the last issue of the Scroll, Vol. XCIII. Vol. XCIII has truly been something special. Month after month, we’ve continued to report on newsworthy stories, promote dialogue about important issues on campus, and hold our community accountable — all to an extent greater than has been possible in the recent past. In the fall, we broke a story about a federal lawsuit filed by former faculty member Sonja O’Donnell, who alleged our administration was dismissive of complaints of sexual assault and hostile to women and girls. In the winter, we successfully ran an anonymous student body survey covering topics including drug use, health and wellness, sex, and political beliefs. The results were published online and provide an unprecedented set of quantitative data from students about culture on campus. I won’t pretend the year has been perfect. We’ve had our fair share of mishaps, and I personally have made mistakes. Last May, for our Commencement issue, I authored a front-page feature article entitled “Board President-Elect Bill Simmons Takes On Dress Code.” The only problem? The new Board President’s name was Brian Simmons, not Bill. By the time I caught the mistake, 1400 copies had already been distributed across campus for graduation weekend. Or last issue, you may have noticed the customary “Letter from the Editor” had a blank space under the headline. This was no accident. Last month, I had a series of discussions with the Scroll faculty advisors and my co-editor regarding our news article on offensive photos we discovered in Deerfield yearbooks. The decision was made to not print the photos we had found alongside the article, which I believed contradicted fundamental journalistic principles. Upset with the decision, I resolved to address the issue in my Letter from the Editor, writing an impassioned piece criticising the decision and sending it to our advisors for review the night before our print deadline. It was what I’ve regretted most from my time as Editor-in-Chief. My lack of dialogue with the advisors throughout the letter-writing process led to a piece that was shortsighted and tactless, and it did not adequately acknowledge their well-intended concerns for the emotional needs of the community. While I wish I could have had the chance to revise my letter, the publishing of a blank space, ironically enough, may have conveyed an equally powerful message. While these mistakes aren’t fun to remember, they have taught me hard lessons about careful communication, attention to detail, and valuing collaboration — lessons I will take with me for the rest of my life. I’m grateful for that. Next year, we will pass on the torch to the Editorial Board, Vol. XCIV, led by Claire Quan as Editor-in-Chief and Maggie Tydings and Jae Won Moon as Co-Managing-Editors. This board has incredible potential and talent, and I trust they will continue to make the Scroll even better. There are many thanks that I’d like to offer. The first goes out to our editors, who always went the extra mile to make sure their pages were completed to high standards. We’ve stuck together through a 20-page issue in May and, over the course of the year, have published more than double the amount of content published in previous years. I’d like to thank my Co-Editor-In-Chief, Orlee Marini-Rapoport—while we have had our fair share of disagreements, I respect her willingness to have open, constructive dialogue and am incredibly grateful for her unwavering dedication to the paper. To our faculty advisors — Mrs. Schloat, Mr. Savage, and Ms. Cornelius — you all have provided sound advice and guidance time and time again. Every time I’ve come to you all with an ambitious idea or new project, you have patiently sat through hours of long discussions to help the paper succeed. Thanks to Mr. Marx, who has provided me with wisdom, support and courage as I’ve grown as a journalist and as a person. And a final thank-you goes to you, our reader. Keep reading; keep thinking; keep asking the hard questions. Let’s all do our part to work towards a better future. Joshua Fang Co-Editor-in-Chief

Exercise. Anything on a machine. Treadmill, spin bike, anything like that. Girls JV hockey. The flag of Japan cookies with the jelly in the middle. Caramel Delites. Post Malone, Sunflower. Mr. Emerson. Vegetarian pot pie. No ham. Ben Grimm.

Deerfield’s latest Academy Event featured the electric jazz rock group Kneebody, the most memorable Academy Event in recent memory — but for the wrong reasons. From the moment the musicians stepped on stage, students inappropriately cheered, clapped, and shouted in ways that felt insincere and contrived. Only a few minutes into Kneebody’s first song, we heard many students having loud, elaborate conversations – not expressing excitement for the music, but completely ignoring the performance. We saw students bursting into laughter when musicians made certain motions onstage and students listening to AirPods. When the same students who hollered in exaggerated ways fell asleep halfway through the event, it was clear that the “enthusiastic” welcome was aimed at garnering attention from fellow students and not meant to show true appreciation for the artists. One part of the performance featured an extended saxophone solo, a quiet moment that allowed the musicians and every audience member to hear each other easily. But students continued shouting at each other and at the musicians. The whooping prevented everyone from being able to pay attention to the performance. Students have a long tradition of expressing their frustration at the countless number of required meetings at events in Deerfield, especially Academy Events. We are bogged down by so many responsibilities on campus, and it is understandable that we might not look forward to attending Academy Events. However, it is unacceptable to disrespect the performers, the people who organized the event, and other students and faculty members. In the dorms, on social media, during classes and sit-downs, we heard people making fun of the musicians’ appearances and belittling their skill level and musicianship. We heard people saying that whoever invited Kneebody to perform at Deerfield should face consequences for bringing such a disappointing event. Not everyone is used to listening to music without lyrics for an extended period of time. It is okay to feel uncomfortable with new experiences – that feeling is a natural reaction to moving out of our comfort zone. But it is not okay to mock the performers and to disrupt the performance and other people’s ability to enjoy the event. Academy Events often present the performing arts in unexpected ways. In a community where the majority of the student body plays sports, Academy Events can present rare and refreshing opportunities to engage with the arts aside from the regular but optional-attendance student performances. New students are not required to like these events, and they don’t even have to pretend to like them. All we have to do as a community is to show respect and admire the talent they bring to campus. The Scroll Board is deeply upset that as a community, we did not show that respect to Kneebody. When Mohsin Hamid spoke to us in the fall, we did not yell or socialize loudly. When the play performed last year, we did not yell. Even during Pilobolus, which showcased experimental and contemporary dance pieces, students expressed amusement and wonder but never shouted conversations at one another – especially not during the quiet parts. We can and should do better. One of Deerfield’s core values is “citizenship in a spirit of humility, empathy, and responsibility.” Respect is also a key part of empathy. Interacting with faculty members helps us learn respect. Living in shared spaces helps us learn respect. Showing gratitude to staff members around campus helps us learn respect. Using all that we’ve learned, let’s show respect to our guests, too.

is “an intoxicating blend of opulence, magic, intrigue and romance,” as described by New York Times bestselling author Alwyn Hamilton. Rising to #33 in Teen and Young Adult Historical Fantasy eBooks and #34 in Teen and Young Adult European Historical Fiction, Gita Trelease’s first novel has gained immediate and immense success since the book’s publication in February. In addition to climbing up the ranks, has received a multitude of reviews commending its success. The novel combines fantasy with the rich history of the French Revolution into a tale about an orphan girl who uses dark magic to keep her family safe. Despite her success as a new novelist, Ms. Trelease did not study creative writing in school. However, other experiences such as conducting research as a Ph.D. student and teaching classes on fairy tales at Princeton has helped her with writing this historical fantasy. This knowledge, combined with her love for reading and writing, have set the stage for her current career as an author. Ms. Trelease commented, “I’ve been writing and reading for a long time, and both of these things—along with intense perseverance—have contributed to my success as a writer. After a career as an academic, I had to teach myself by reading novels, taking them apart, and studying books on the craft of writing.” With this experience and passion, Ms. Trelease cannot believe how being an author has completely changed her life. Currently, Ms. Trelease’s full-time job is writing, an occupation that has opened up many more opportunities for her. These oppurtunities include attending festivals such as the recent Teen Book Con in Houston, and many others as well. However, despite undergoing such great changes, Ms. Trelease admitted that certain aspects of her life have remained the same. “Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I thought that becoming a published author would not just change my life but change me. That if I achieved this thing, problems I had would disappear. But of course it didn’t work that way. I’m still me, fighting the same inner struggles I was when I started,” she said. Realizing this helps me focus less on the product, and more on the process, because we can never guarantee the outcome of our work or its reception,” reflected Ms. Trelease. Ms. Trelease is currently working on the sequel to and has already completed a rough draft. In writing this novel, Ms. Trelease must consider what her fans want as well as her own goals for the series. In addition to bettering herself as a writer, Ms. Trelease keeps herself engaged with the novel by exploring character development as violence rises during the French Revolution and tackling the question of what it truly means to be a hero. She also keeps in mind her editor’s suggestions for what her readers are hoping for, namely more romance. Yet, like any writer, she faces certain challenges. The deadline for the first draft, January, cut her off on time, but Ms. Trelease used this experience to turn her mistakes into a way to learn more about herself and her writing process. “Only afterwards did I realize that writing a super-detailed outline made me feel like I’d already figured out the story, which meant that I no longer wanted to write it and also, that I liked to have the freedom to write scenes out of order and revise intensively for coherency afterwards, which takes more time,” said Ms. Trelease. This deadline also gave her writer’s block, an issue that she predicts will reoccur, though she has learned to combat and overcome this problem through copious years of practice. Ms. Trelease added, “I learned that for me at least, writer’s block is about fear. To combat that feeling, one of the best strategies I know is to break down what you need to do into very small pieces and then reward yourself with something fun.” She continued, “Eventually you start to feel successful again and writing becomes easier. I suspect, however, that beating the fear will be a lifelong struggle for me.” Writing the sequel will ultimately be an opportunity to explore her writing style and methods. “A big part of writing the sequel has been coming to understand myself and my process as a writer,” remarked Ms. Trelease. “As a writer, you really have to be willing to trust yourself, throw things out, and start over.”

Newly admitted ninth graders will be entering Deerfield under a revised health education program where they will have to attend health class once a week for the entire year. This finalized program is the result of years of discussion and evaluation of the health program in place at Deerfield. The current curriculum involves a term long course, usually in the student’s sophomore year, when students attend health classes four times a week. Throughout the term, health teachers discuss relevant issues like substance abuse, healthy relationships, and mental health with students. However, this program has certain flaws, including the fact that the health course is only taught for one term, a relatively short amount of time. “The biggest challenge is that we have students who spend a year and a half on campus with no formal space to have serious in depth discussions about health,” Health Issues Teacher Margaret Brown explained. “That’s a long time and a lot of change without opportunities to talk about making health decisions.” Elaborating on the issue of time, Oscar Depp ‘21, a sophomore who has taken the school’s health class, shared, “The fundamentals are all covered for what is necessary as an adult or beyond the age of sixteen, but it’s a little insufficient if you want to cover all of the them in depth in a one term course.” The new health program hopes to be able to amend the aforementioned issues by extending the length of the course and introducing the course immediately to incoming freshmen. “Any time you discuss a topic multiple times, people learn more and are better equipped to make healthier decisions,” Dr. Brown stated. “[With a longer course], we will [be able to] vary the topics, especially the depth to which we discuss the topics, with every grade.” Some students believe offering the health class to ninth graders will be effective in promoting a healthy way of life, as they enter their high school experience. In support of the change, Depp shared, “It’s imperative for them to teach health freshmen year… By the time we’re sophomores, we’ve already been exposed to many of the issues health classes discuss… [Therefore], it is necessary for freshmen to learn about certain health issues right when they arrive on campus.” Elaborating on the reasoning behind his belief, Depp explained, “Ninth graders engage in more group type behavior, and as a result are more susceptible to peer pressure. Along with this group psychology at Deerfield, you have a lot of students who would engage in unhealthy habits.” However, other students disapprove of the revamped program. Many of them maintain that the extension of the health education course is both ineffective and a hindrance to students’ academic pursuits. As Elven Shum ‘20 stated, “I agree that the material that is covered in the current course is not substantial enough to adequately prepare students for college, given the time constraints of a one-term class. However, I don’t believe adding so much time for ninth and tenth grade students is the solution.” Focusing more on the potential disruptions in students’ schedule, Neil Nie ‘19 shared, “My biggest concern is that this will negatively affect students’ academic schedules. It would be difficult to take double period science classes or year-long rigorous courses.” Additionally, some students feel as though the strong emphasis on health education as a whole is unnecessary and ineffective. As Mariachiara Giudici ’20 explained, “A lot of middle schools have health classes, so most students have all been exposed to the topics discussed in our health classes in a classroom, formal setting. Hearing it one more time will just go right over our heads… So I don’t think sitting through another lecture is going to change their learning in any way.” Expanding on how the health center should address health issues, Giudici elaborated, “It’s more important for the health center to make sure it is ready to accept anyone with questions, which they’re great about, and making sure, once a student needs help or wants help, there are adequate resources for them.” As the program is still in development, the Health Department is hoping to see the results from the program’s change in the coming school year. From there, they will work to decide what aspects of the health education at Deerfield will be changed or kept the same. Sharing her final hopes for the revamped program, Dr. Brown stated, “I am hopeful that students will look forward to the changes and embrace the opportunity to discuss health-related topics throughout their time at DA.”

Over Long Winter Weekend, the Girls Varsity and Boys Junior Varsity and Varsity squash teams traveled to Hartford, Connecticut to participate in the 2019 Head US High School Team Squash Championships at Trinity College. All three teams have had impressive seasons so far this year, especially at Nationals, in which the varsity boys placed 3rd in the nation, the girls finished 4th overall, and the JV boys claimed 1st place in the third division after being undefeated for the entire tournament. Led by captains Teddy Durfee ’19 and Chait Shah ’19, the Boys Varsity Squash team currently holds a 16-3 record in addition to their impressive finish at Nationals. The boys defeated McDonough and the Brunswick B teams before facing the talented Brunswick A team, who went on to the win the National Championship. They then won against St. Paul’s 6-1 to claim the 3rd spot in the country. The first round match against coed, Baltimore-based, McDonough, proved their strength and endurance as they played hard to secure the 4-3 win. According to sophomore Merritt Wurts ’21, who currently plays at the #3 spot for Deerfield, “Adrian Todd clinched the win over Emily Schuster, the #5 girl in the country for U17,” which allowed Deerfield to win the match overall. In their two most recent matches against Taft and Andover, the boys team has won 7-0 against both opponents, and all season, they have only lost to Brunswick and Avon Old Farms in tight matches. In addition to New England’s at the end of February, they have two more matches left before the end of their season. The girls’ varsity team faced four incredibly strong opponents throughout the tournament. According to Head Squash Coach Karinne Heise, “The girls defeated Penn Charter 6-1 in the first round and Choate Rosemary Hall in the second round 5-2, and they lost to Greenwich Academy 1-6 (the eventual national champions) and Baldwin 2-5 in the playoffs to compete for the 3rd and 4th rankings in the country. Coach Heise reflected upon their season so far, saying, “It’s been a delight to coach this team, which does an exceptional job of balancing intensity, focus and all out competitive play on the court with humorous fun, concern for others and dynamic team bond- ing off the court. Ashley Manning and Harbour Woodward have both proven to be terrific co-captains as they model great work ethic and positive team spirit.” Senior co-captain Woodward ’19 also spoke about their recent success, saying, “We had some tough competition this year at nationals having to play against Choate whom we had lost to 3-4 earlier in the season. The energy felt high that morning and we all played incredible squash and defeated them 5-2. That was honestly the best moment of the weekend for me – seeing us come back from defeat and everyone playing their hearts out – it was truly special.” The girls are currently out to defend their 11-3 record as they have two more regular season matches left before New England’s. Undefeated at Nationals and in their regular season, the boys’ junior varsity team currently defends a record of 15-0. They competed against many varsity level teams in order to win first place in the third division, which highlighted their depth and skill. In the first round, they defeated Horace Mann 6-1 before beating Germantown Friends 5-2. They then went on to win 4-3 against Tabor and 5-2 against The Hill School. Overall, the Deerfield squash teams represented the incredibly strong squash program here when they competed against many of the top schools in the country and finished in the top rankings. Both the girls’ and boys’ varsity teams will soon head to the New England Championships on February 23rd at Choate Rosemary Hall.

On Feb 27, Bill Ayers, former leader of the radical left-wing domestic terror group Weather Underground Organization (WUO), visited Deerfield to speak to the community about his life as an activist. As the group’s leader, Mr. Ayers helped organize a multitude of protests, some of which resulted in the destruction of government property. Wilson Fellow Gary Marx, a writer for the Chicago Tribune, organized Mr. Ayers’ visit. Discussing what he hoped to come out of his visit, Mr. Ayers shared, “I look forward to connecting with students and sharing my story. I also hope to connect on an issue I think Deerfield students also believe is incredibly important: education.” However, Mr. Ayers is not known for his advocacy for education and education reform, but rather for the WUO’s bombings of the Pentagon and the United States Capitol. Despite his notoriety, few Deerfield students were legitimately concerned about his visit. When asked about her opinions on Mr. Ayers’ past involvement with the WUO, Joana Sette ‘19 responded, “I didn’t really give it much thought at all.” Rather than being wary of Mr. Ayers’ past actions, students are more interested in what he has to share. “I’m excited to talk to him and meet him, but I’m not afraid. I don’t think it will be as intense as people think it will be,” said Alexa Brown ‘19, a student in the Terrorism in the Modern World course. Expressing his reasoning behind his decision to invite Mr Ayers, Mr. Marx shared, “I think that it’s one thing to study the theory of terrorism, but it’s another thing to speak to people or hear from people who’ve actually taken up violence for a political cause.” Known mostly for his involvement with the WUO, Mr. Ayers has been an activist for the majority of his life. Born in Oak Park, Illinois on Dec 26, 1944, Ayers received his bachelor’s degree in American Studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It was at the University of Michigan where he began to be more actively involved in politics, as he joined the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). SDS was a national student activist organization that fought for social and political change and represented what was known as the “New Left.” In Mr. Ayers’ memoir, Fugitive Days, he recounted the SDS president, Paul Potter’s, question that inspired him in 1965: “How will you live your life so that it doesn’t make a mockery of your values?” In response, Mr. Ayers’ reaction, as he wrote in his memoir, was “you could not be a moral person with the means to act, and stand still… To stand still was to choose indifference. Indifference was the opposite of moral.” From there, he became an unrelenting activist, sharing his voice and participating in protests and any form of activism to promote his ideas. Never afraid to be arrested for his civil disobedience, his first arrest was in 1965 during a sit-in at a local draft board. He later became the founder of the WUO, a clandestine, radical left-wing group whose goal was “the destruction of US imperialism and the achievement of a classless world: world of communism,” according to the Weathermen theory. Discontent with the US involvement in the Vietnam War, the group conducted a wave of bombings in the 1970s, targeting government buildings, including the United States Capital and the Pentagon, many banks, and police cars. Despite the bombings, Mr. Ayers repeatedly emphasized in the interview how he is “a strong advocate for peace” and how their goal was “to try and stop the war and nothing more.” In that sense, many of their attacks were preceded by evacuation warnings and a proclamation of the goal and purpose of their attacks. Additionally, Mr. Ayers consistently brought to light the fact that, as he put it, “no civilians were actually killed or injured in our attacks.” Nonetheless, the bombings were violent acts that had the potential for human casualties. Regarding his involvement in the WUO and the violent protests and attacks they instigated, Ayers shared, “I cannot defend any of those actions… but in those circumstances, no one knew what to do… Thousands of U.S. soldiers were dying every week and the government did nothing to stop it.” When asked about his decision to resort to violent forms of activism, abandoning civil disobedience, Mr. Ayers countered with an equally interesting question, as he asked, “Why don’t we ever question senators and congressmen and politicians why they resort to violence? We’re constantly fighting wars, yet we never ask the people who start those wars why they chose violence.” Currently, Mr. Ayers is a retired Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois as well as the founder of the Small Schools Workshop and the Center for Youth and Society. As an educator, he’s taught topics including interpretive and qualitative research, urban school change, and teaching and the modern predicament. Most importantly, he continues to advocate for an array of issues he believes strongly in. These issues include the Black Lives Matter movement, the #MeToo movement, as well as the importance of education and education reform. Mr. Ayers’ visit represents a goal by the History and Social Sciences Department to enhance the curriculum of the Terrorism in the Modern World class and expose the community to a range of perspectives. As Mr. Marx shared, “I think, generally, Americans think that terrorists are crazy, that they’re insane… I’m hoping that students will get beyond that one- dimensional view of terrorists and try to figure out what are the grievances and what are the motivations that make people take that jump from radical ideas to violence.”