To the Great Class of 1969:
Shortly after I hit the send button last Sunday, two issues of The Scroll appeared online. Some of the more newsworthy items from the Fall Term included the following:
Head of School Margarita Curtis began the school year by announcing plans to construct the "Jay and Mimi Morsman Tennis Pavilion" in recognition of their 99 years of combined service to the Academy. The structure will cover six of the 18 courts and will feature a roof, radiant heat and walls that can be raised and lowered to allow for year-round play. The facility will be completed in time for the 2018 season.
To their disappointment, returning students learned that a healthy lifestyle doesn't come cheaply and that a smoothie in the Greer would cost them more this year. Prices were raised modestly for the first time in five years and reflect, in part, the shift to healthier ingredients and improved selections.
A Facebook post in October by a 2016 alumna sparked a lively discussion about the various ways racial discrimination was experienced by minority students on campus and how to recognize more nuanced ways it is exhibited.
Deerfield's Center for Service and Global Citizenship announced nine faculty-led trips to such far off places as Panama, Oaxaca, the Dominican Republic, Tanzania, China, the United Kingdom, the Bahamas, Jordan and, somewhat incongruously, South Dakota.
The Debate Team represented Deerfield at the International Independent Schools' Public Speaking Competition in Winnipeg where it was judged the best American School team. One member of the team qualified for the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in South Africa next April by winning awards as both Top American Speaker and Top Persuasive Speaker.
This fall, 35 juniors and seniors elected "athletic concentrations" as their extracurricular afternoon activity. In lieu of participating in one of the seasonal sports, these athletically-minded students were allowed to focus their energy on preparing for winter or spring sports and taking their skills to a new level. In order to be eligible for an athletic concentration, a student must participate in interscholastic sports in both other terms.
In October, the Reed Student Art Center opened on the first floor of the Hess Center in the Memorial Building in the hopes of promoting the student arts program. The gallery - which displays work by students in the studio art, architecture and photography program - is the first space on campus dedicated to student art.
As a reminder, classes resume on Tuesday, and this term you may substitute sweaters for sports jackets and turtlenecks for shirts and ties. No official word yet on whether cocoa and cookies will be served again in the lobby of the Main School Building on dress down Fridays but expectations run high.
DWS
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Sunday, November 19, 2017
Fall Term Report Card - 2017
To the Great Class of 1969:
News of the Academy
The fall term ended on Friday. Unfortunately, news is unusually sparse this term because the only issue of The Scroll was published in mid-September. I did, however, manage to locate a list of where the most recent alumni indicated they would be matriculating in the fall. For reasons that never seemed compelling, the destination of the graduating classes has been on a need to know basis since 2014. For 2017, colleges with five or more matriculants included Cornell (10), Georgetown (9), Trinity (7), Brown (6), Columbia (6), Princeton (6), Williams (6), Dartmouth (5), Tufts (5) and Yale (5). In total, the Class of 2017 dispersed to 82 different colleges in all regions, guaranteeing another busy year for the Placement Office.
On the sports front, a much improved Deerfield football team squared off against Choate at Jim Smith Field on November 11th in a game that was streamed live. The day was sunny but as the shadows grew long, the hope of beating Choate proved elusive for the ninth year in a row. Deerfield held Choate to its lowest point total of the season (28) but could only muster one touchdown in response. Despite the disappointing outcome, the team finished the season 6-2 which was its best record since 2010.
The location of the cameras on the Deerfield side of the field provided occasional glimpses of the state of the new, 130,000 square foot Athletic Complex which is scheduled for completion next fall. For a preview of what this stunning facility will look like, go here.
News of the Class
Since my letter in July, we have added several more members of the class to our Reunion Committee and assigned responsibility for the major tasks to a handful of subcommittees, of which Attendance is receiving the greatest focus. While the Reunion is still some time away, it's not too early to mark your calendars for June 6-9, 2019. Registration will begin in January 2019.
Hank Minor, his wife and his falcon Maggie packed up and left North Carolina for Oregon earlier this year where he continues to pursue what was once known as the sport of kings. For those who may not recall, I first profiled Hank's interest in falconry five years ago. In other news from the West Coast, Rick Swig honored Baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda with the "Mensch Award" and induction to the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame of Northern California. The award is presented annually to an athlete who is not of the Jewish faith who exemplifies the qualities of generosity, accomplishment and community service. Rick is a hotel consultant in San Francisco who frequently is quoted in the press on the state of the local hospitality industry.
On the opposite shore, John Mills recently was appointed to the faculty of Cooper Union where he received a B.S. in Engineering many years ago. John has been a renowned expert in patent law for decades and is the author of the eight volume Patent Law Fundamentals. Outside of work, he has taken up sailing in the Chesapeake Bay in his free time. For classmates who may be in New York this fall, the Conrad New York Hotel is displaying through December 15th a series of watercolors by Todd Stone depicting the evolution of the City's skyline following the 9/11 attack as seen from Todd's studio on the 67th Floor of 4 WTC. Earlier this month, Todd gave a talk at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum where some of his work is also on display.
In Florida, where a number of classmates are relocating, Rusty Young completed organizing for the fifth consecutive year concerts featuring music from the '60s and '70s. The concert venues range from Melbourne to Fort Lauderdale on the East Coast and include a couple of spots on the Gulf Coast. Here's the schedule for 2018 if you're in the area.
For a change of pace, Robert Clough went on an "Ancient Empires" cruise last month and reportedly ate his way through Sicily. The trip also included visits to Pompeii, Malta, the Amalfi Coast and Rome.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
DWS
News of the Academy
The fall term ended on Friday. Unfortunately, news is unusually sparse this term because the only issue of The Scroll was published in mid-September. I did, however, manage to locate a list of where the most recent alumni indicated they would be matriculating in the fall. For reasons that never seemed compelling, the destination of the graduating classes has been on a need to know basis since 2014. For 2017, colleges with five or more matriculants included Cornell (10), Georgetown (9), Trinity (7), Brown (6), Columbia (6), Princeton (6), Williams (6), Dartmouth (5), Tufts (5) and Yale (5). In total, the Class of 2017 dispersed to 82 different colleges in all regions, guaranteeing another busy year for the Placement Office.
On the sports front, a much improved Deerfield football team squared off against Choate at Jim Smith Field on November 11th in a game that was streamed live. The day was sunny but as the shadows grew long, the hope of beating Choate proved elusive for the ninth year in a row. Deerfield held Choate to its lowest point total of the season (28) but could only muster one touchdown in response. Despite the disappointing outcome, the team finished the season 6-2 which was its best record since 2010.
The location of the cameras on the Deerfield side of the field provided occasional glimpses of the state of the new, 130,000 square foot Athletic Complex which is scheduled for completion next fall. For a preview of what this stunning facility will look like, go here.
News of the Class
Since my letter in July, we have added several more members of the class to our Reunion Committee and assigned responsibility for the major tasks to a handful of subcommittees, of which Attendance is receiving the greatest focus. While the Reunion is still some time away, it's not too early to mark your calendars for June 6-9, 2019. Registration will begin in January 2019.
 |
| Hank and Maggie |
On the opposite shore, John Mills recently was appointed to the faculty of Cooper Union where he received a B.S. in Engineering many years ago. John has been a renowned expert in patent law for decades and is the author of the eight volume Patent Law Fundamentals. Outside of work, he has taken up sailing in the Chesapeake Bay in his free time. For classmates who may be in New York this fall, the Conrad New York Hotel is displaying through December 15th a series of watercolors by Todd Stone depicting the evolution of the City's skyline following the 9/11 attack as seen from Todd's studio on the 67th Floor of 4 WTC. Earlier this month, Todd gave a talk at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum where some of his work is also on display.
In Florida, where a number of classmates are relocating, Rusty Young completed organizing for the fifth consecutive year concerts featuring music from the '60s and '70s. The concert venues range from Melbourne to Fort Lauderdale on the East Coast and include a couple of spots on the Gulf Coast. Here's the schedule for 2018 if you're in the area.
For a change of pace, Robert Clough went on an "Ancient Empires" cruise last month and reportedly ate his way through Sicily. The trip also included visits to Pompeii, Malta, the Amalfi Coast and Rome.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
DWS
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