None of us will ever forget the shame of having a Second Visit Day soiled by the cowardly act of one or more protestors. We are all for freedom of speech and we understand that individuals in our community may at times strongly disagree with the actions or decisions of others. But defacing a building with rants and accusations right before one of our most public occasions is not an action worthy of Deerfield students. When we all gathered before Sunday sit-down dinner to face this situation, the room was absolutely silent as Dr. Curtis reminded us of the importance of character and respect. Mr. Emerson had never appeared so disappointed. And Mr. Flaska, who along with the other deans has to balance his roles as friendly mentor and ultimate rule enforcer, spoke about his abiding commitment to Deerfield and to all its students.

This situation should make us all re-examine our commitment to respecting the beautiful campus and community in which we live. How many times have we walked by overflowing trash cans in a stairwell, ignored the pile of dirty plates in the Greer, or left our weights scattered on the floor of the new fitness center? If we pretended every day was a Second Visit Day, we might treat our Deerfield world a little better. As spring arrives and flowers bloom, let’s do our own spring cleaning in big and small ways, and demonstrate that we all are worthy of our heritage.