Dear Reader,
2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the Choate Rivalry. To celebrate the centennial, the Deerfield Scroll collaborated with the Choate News to create a special issue reflecting upon the days of glory. While researching for the articles, we asked our Associate Editors to flip through the black and white faded copies of the Scroll dating from 1927 to 2020. Each picture, each article, and each line offered a wealth of knowledge — the Deerfield Scroll has been and will continue to be a time capsule for future generations.
A 1984 Scroll article that explored the tokenization of Black students on campus can help us examine the progress or lack thereof in inclusion efforts made since then. Another article from 1995 unveiled the prevalence of eating disorders on campus at the time, providing a reference point for us to examine the same issue now. More recently, Mr. Lim reached out to inquire about political discourse at Deerfield as part of a project for the UPenn fellowship program last year. We were able to provide him with information from the historic 2020 election issue tabulating the voting preferences of students by dorm.
This 2022 November issue features a guide by Kaitlyn Xia ’24 on how to access contraceptives at Deerfield in the wake of the Supreme Court case Dobbs. vs Jackson Women’s Health. In the sports section, Ryan Bai ’26 accounts the revival of the annual Deerfield triathlon after a brief hiatus. We hope that in five years, in ten years, in fifty years, these articles will still be timely and significant. The Scroll will always be here to record the ups and the downs of the Academy as factually as possible.
Despite the Scroll’s enduring longevity, we have also made our fair share of mistakes along the way. In our last issue, we wrote an article regarding Grace Park and Miya Sasaki’s visit to the academy before the event occurred. All interviews were conducted, but quotes and tenses were modified without proper practice. Moreover, the event was canceled after we had already sent it to print due to unforeseen circumstances. We shouldn’t have modified the quotes and we shouldn’t have printed the erroneous copies — we sincerely apologize for our mistakes and shortcomings. We can and will do better.
Looking forward, the Scroll will strive to uphold journalistic integrity and act as a historic record for future generations to come. And as always, we welcome anyone to join us on this journey.
I want to end this letter with one of my favorite quotes by novelist Judy Croome, “Today’s news is tomorrow’s history.” I hope that the issue you hold in your hands is worthy of remembering, and worthy of our heritage.
Warmly,
Sunshine 냈懃而