There have been some… interesting changes made this year, specifically in regard to the new distinction between lower and upper campus, that might cause some problems for typical activities that occur on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Deerfield Academy Student Handbook outlines that the school has “an Upper and Lower Campus.” Upper Campus constitutes “the perimeter around Acad emy buildings” while Lower Campus includes “west to the Deerfield River, north to Round Pond Road, east to Routes 5 & 10, and South to Wells Cross Road.” The handbook furthers that Lower Campus is now off limits after 7:45 pm.

In past years, students could venture down to the lower fields at night without much of a problem to hangout and further develop their friendships. In fact, the Cow Turf was frequently visited by students of all grades, especially before October 1st. Unlike the hard surfaces in the Kendall Basement or the Hess practice rooms, the Cow Turf provides visitors with a beautiful view and comfortable field of grass. Who wouldn’t want to hang out in nature and be phys-
ically active beneath the stars?

However, this common Deerfield hangout spot is now banned after 7:45 pm because it is located on Lower Campus. To start, one Senior, who needed to visit the security office during the opening days of school, claims to have seen screens being monitored by security officers. Furthermore, the student claims to have seen live footage from newly installed security cameras live-recording all of the Lower Fields. Although this account has not been confirmed by the Deerfield Security Department, it does not seem out of the realm of possibility. Furthermore, it appears that when these alleged cameras detect someone, officers dispatch to the scene in the typical security buggy to force the Cow Turf Raids students back into the appropriate area for the night.

One Deerfield Senior, who requested to remain anonymous, experienced these new raids of the Cow Turf first hand. After returning to campus this year, they met a new friend in one of their classes. The two hit it off within the first week and began studying together in the Koch at night. After the second week of classes came to a close, the two new friends wanted to go for a nice walk at night in the wonderful weather. Setting off down Albany Road around 9:00 pm, the two were the time of their life. Past Barton and down the path to the lower fields they went, laughing the whole way, blissfully unaware of the heightened security surrounding the lower fields. The returning student had been there many times before and always had an exuberant experience with no interruption.

They arrived at the lower fields and did what anyone sneaking off to a secluded location in darkness would do: they obviously took in the beauty of the luscious trees. While they were tree gazing, they became aware of bright headlights coming towards them. Looking over, the student recounts seeing a man, presumably a Deerfield Security Officer, hunched over the steering wheel, beelining towards them. Frightened, the two students who were simply trying to enjoy their night, scrambled to get away from the scary man in the cart. It is of note that the male student was quite uncomfortable as he ran away.

While these two were able to escape this Cow Turf raid meant to prevent tree gazing, others might not be so lucky. For now, it is advisable for Deerfield students to stay off of the Cow Turf and fall back to other places to hangout with new friends.