“Deerfield Academy prepares students for leadership in a rapidly changing world.” This is Deerfield Academy’s mission statement. This line essentially means that every student who steps out of Deerfield’s doors should be knowledgeable and capable enough to survive in society independently. The only issue I have with these statements is that in the last three terms of this academic year, a cumulative 38 weeks, I can only count on one hand the number of times the school has taken an active approach to discuss current events. Deerfield Academy markets itself to countless students like me as a school that blends tradition and progress to create a comprehensive curriculum that fosters “connectedness to our unique setting and the contemporary world,” according to the official website. But from what I have observed so far, the only “world” that exists in the Academy’s purview starts at the lower fields and ends slightly past Academy Lane. This needs to change.
But from what I have observed so far, the only “world” that exists in the Academy’s purview starts at the lower fields and ends slightly past Academy Lane. This needs to change.
The multi-disciplinary artist and author Donny Miller once said that ignorance is a choice in this age where information is easily accessible. As students, half of our Deerfield career will involve courses concerning history, human nature, and our impact on our planet. In my personal experience, the exposure I’ve had to current events happens only in small student initiatives that reach a niche group of peers. Clubs such as ethics and current affairs, debate, and political groups attract the same group of students, creating a closed system that struggles against the school’s more prominent apathy. Significant issues like climate change, racism, and war are only vaguely referenced and never expanded upon. Most of the discussion we get from events like MLK day and the Deerfield Forum only echo the non-committal stance the Academy has decided to take on issues even remotely controversial. Every time someone brings up current events, weird looks get sent their way, and awkward silences ensue as someone else quickly tries to switch the topic of conversation. Deerfield needs a long-overdue reformation to create an environment where people are actively encouraged and pushed to learn about their world.
When I interviewed some of the club leaders from the young political groups about their opinion on the problem, they identified the same broad set of issues. These issues boil down to lackluster school engagement and minimal exposure to the outside world. “I think the school is starting to make an effort, but they haven’t been doing much,” said Nando Traversari ’22, one of the leaders of the Young Republicans. Traversari explained that beyond the Deerfield Forum, there is little to no [discussion] in the classroom.“Most teachers stick to their own class curriculum without touching on the social issues, and it’s very rare a teacher will integrate current events into their class plan.” Justin Ahn ’24, a leader of the Young Democrats, echoed a similar sentiment: “I think a large issue with engagement on campus has to do with how removed we are from these situations.” Ahn then argued that “since all of our basic needs are met, there is little at stake for us to relate with [others].” This inability to relate means that these issues will rarely manifest in casual conversation, as they are never acknowledged.
There are multiple ways we can burst through the soundless cage we’ve locked ourselves in. They all boil down to encouraging student engagement and visibility on campus. First and foremost, the Academy can do small things like bringing back the news minutes during school meetings, where students will go on stage to present the newest developments worldwide for 5 to 10 minutes. The second tangible way we can change is by establishing a school- wide weekly newsletter. Traversari suggested that teachers could follow Mr. Calhoun’s example, who constantly sends out news articles to his class, and make it a popularized practice on campus. Deerfield needs to reform its curriculum on a larger scale, mandating at least one project or unit to constantly encourage students to be curious about current events and issues. Ahn said that widespread community interaction is critical to overcoming the invisible barrier.
In my opinion, the best way to increase engagement is through making our current community service requirements for students more comprehensive, replacing the one-day performative grandstanding with repeated, consistent efforts to improve the community’s awareness of global events at large. Additionally, the administration should provide clubs that address current events with more funding, increasing their visibility and giving them more significant resources to do things like invite speakers onto campus. Overall, informing Deerfield is an urgent priority that requires collective effort from both faculty and students to carry out. Deerfield students should grow into ethical global citizens who marry their compassion with their extensive knowledge of current events to ultimately help improve the world. To create effective leadership in a rapidly changing world, we all need to be informed and prepared.