Deerfield has come a long way since its founding in 1797, as changes to the student body have shifted the Academy’s social culture significantly.
English teacher Frank Henry ’69, who has taught at Deerfield for over 30 years, explained that Deerfield has become increasingly diverse, especially regarding gender. He said that the last year before coeducation (in 1989), “There was a lot of violence; it was not a kind place. The notion of mutual respect was not practiced.” He added that all of the changes on campus that have stemmed from coeducation have been “beneficial.”
However, Karinne Heise, who has taught at DA for 25 years, notes a shift in the relationship between genders on campus since those early days of integration. “There were better causal relationships between girls and boys, more stronger and platonic with that first wave of girls. It is not as prominent now, and I don’t know quite why that is,” she explained.
At most high schools, various groups of friends are categorized into groups such as “the academics,” “the athletes” and “the artsy kids.” However, Mr. Henry explained that when he attended DA, “That division was political. It was the ‘jocks’ and the ‘hippies’, and jocks tended to support President Nixon and the war, whereas the hippies tended to oppose the war and President Nixon.” He explained that the source of the political tension came from the time period: “We were young, healthy boys. By the time graduation was around the corner, everyone was talking either [about] going to college or getting drafted.”
Recently, students have been talking a lot about a supposed “decrease” in school spirit. Dean of Students Amie Creagh said, “Someone [has always been] saying that for 16 years. There’s nostalgia for true school spirit, but I’d say that manifestations of school spirit are [simply] different.”
Nina McGowan ’16 thinks that years ago “people were more present on campus, but now people are so stressed that they are always doing homework or catching up on sleep, and they would rather hang out in the dorms with a couple of their friends. It feels like people are being pulled in a million different directions, and they don’t have the energy at the end of the week to be present at the dances or show school pride at games.”
Marc Dancer ’79 described one difference: dances used to be a huge deal. He said, “on most weekends we would [go to] away dances or home games.” Because the school was all boys, students would eagerly look forward to the dances with neighboring girl schools such as Stoneleigh-Burnham.”
Mr. Dancer went on to explain that in the 70s, “everybody played backgammon and there was a school-wide tournament.” He even recalls running back to the dorm before sit-down to play.
One of the most notable differences Mr. Dancer noted was the fact that “in order to enjoy your time you had to contribute to the community. Students had to make it happen.” However, now, Mr. Dancer noted, “students expect school to generate entertainment.”
One more thing: I truly believe that Deerfield Academy has lost a sense of itself, and a part of its soul. In these changing times, consistsancy and stability should be some of the cornerstones of any institution. This rush to change, and to accommodate any and all perspective students only hurts the school. Frank Boyden and David Pynchon guided Deerfield through the turbulent times of the last century by sticking to the core values, programs, and philosophy that made this school exceptional. Deerfield not only survived, but thrived by never wavering from these values. Deerfield does not need to bend, alter, change or expand in any way physically, philosophically, morally, or academically in order to attract prospective students. It succeeded by providing a firm foundation from which students could build upon academically, physically, and morally. Students accommodated to the school, not the other way around. The further away from these principles this school gets, the more it loses that sense of itself, as well as a part of its soul. The basic spirit and pride will remain strong and cohesive as long as the school does not waver from these principles. The above comments, although unnecessarily redundant, try to make this point. That is why I believe that the best way for Deerfield Academy to move forward is to move back and embrace those ideas and principles that made this school successful not only academically, but socially, morally, spiritually, and philosophically. It should get back to that country school that Frank Boyden envisioned and promoted all those years ago, including single gender education. Not only will this protect its heritage, but it will also ensure its role as a place where the physical, academic, and moral development of each student is acutely nurtured and promoted.
Also: In my opinion, there should be a very little of any, television available to students at the school. There definitely should not be any in public places at all like the bookstore, student union, or any other social gathering place including corridors or dorms, especially for underclassmen. Television, is the biggest deterrent to the normal social, academic, and psycological development of the individual. It turns into a poor replacement for true social interaction between individuals. It is an easily accessable visual stimulant that is a constant flow of marginal entertainment value that requires little to no effort to obtain. This is especially true for social media. This social mechanism just serves to isolate an individual from his surroundings and detracts from the social cohesion and bonding of the students. How can this be of benefit to an individual’s connection and interaction to his fellow students when there is constant contact available to individuals outside of the school? You might as well just issue cell phones to each student because there is really no difference between the two. The reliance on technology for social, entertainment, and educational fulfillment sets a poor example and can be a difficult habit to break. Technology, in all forms, should be used as a tool and not a crutch, especially in social situations. As we plow headlong into the future, I hope that the values and foundations of the past are not buried in the technology of the times.
As a side note: The premise of the above comment is to show that what solidified Deerfield as one of the top prep schools in the country, and what made Mr. Boyden’s leadership so valuable and important to this end, was to allow boys to develop to their fullest without being encumbered by the myriad of problems, and rules, that accompany co-educational environments. He realized that at that age, boys and girls develop differently, and in order to allow each student to develop each get the most out of his abilities, a single gender environment without the distractions involved with co-education, was the best way to do this. He found that boys immersed in a single gender environment were more engaged, and had more of a connection with the school in spirit and in it’s curriculum and activities. A greater sense of commraderie developed. Today, it seems that the school has been pushing so many activities in order to keep students occupied that it has really detracted from this. It has turned into more of a caterer than a school. This is probably due to concerns involved with co-education: How do we keep everyone busy so that they don’t get into trouble. And therein lies the problem. By forcing, or scheduling, so many activities you decrease the value and excitement of them. Like having Christmas everyday, pretty soon it gets old. Boys will be boys, just as girls will be girls, and they need to be able to have the freedom to relax, develop, and express themselves in an environment unencumbered by social gender norms, and to develop and implement activities that are important to them. Boys develop optimally under the guidance of strong, confident, and compassionate male leadership in an environment that fosters this. The same can be said for girls with female leadership and environment. This brings about the development, comradiere and cohesiveness that cannot be found in co-educational institutions. In my opinion, the drive to co-education and to make Deerfield reflect every other prep school only undermines its value to each student, and the institution itself. It undermines those core principles that made it special. Excessive rules and political correctness only exacerbate this. Mr. Boyden understood this when he changed the school to a single gender institution. Although he did not have many of the social and political problems we do today, I believe that he would not have changed the school very much from what it was then. The foundations he laid out are just as, if not more, important today as they were then. His vision for the school and it’s traditions transcended his time. I just hope that the Board does not lose sight of this.
Deerfield lost what made it special when it became co-educational. Frank Boyden recognized this and that is why Deerfield stood out among the rest of the prep schools. It was a commraderie and special feeling that could be found nowhere else. Gender concerns, gender differences and activities have replaced the core school values, structures, principles, philosophies and school spirit that was once the foundation of this institution. Deerfield used to exemplify what made attending, and graduating, an exceptional and highly regarded achievement. Rigorous academics, physical development through athletics, a Spartan living and learning environment that required a formal dress code along with all of the social norms and manners that went along with it, a place where boys could be boys without the specter of political correctness or gender bearing down on them. A place where adolescent boys grew into men which fostered student bonding regardless of background. By becoming co-educational, Deerfield lost the core of its value by trying to become everything to all students. It lost its exclusivity by becoming overly inclusive. This only serves to weaken the school along with it’s time honored traditions. Over modernization and a drive to resort-style development changes the very fabric of this institution and weakens the historical roots and core that made this school stand out from every other. By trying to cater to everyone, you lose yourself. Mr. Boyden knew this. He realized that the optimal mental, physical, emotional, social, and academic development of young men was best achieved through an all male student environment that Deerfield espoused. The same could be said about all girl schools. Boys and girls are different and should be treated as such. If you are looking for co-educational schools, there are plenty of those schools around. There is no need to compromise Deerfield’s value by making it like those others. I believe that co-education at Deerfield is a mistake. You gain very little, if anything, but lose so much. If there is an inherent need for girls in prep school, then build one for them. However, do not compromise the institution that Mr. Boyden worked so hard his entire life to build only to destroy it from within. I believe that he would be turning over in his grave if he could see what has become of his school. It’s too bad that there are no more Frank boyden’s around. The education system, and Deerfield in particular, could use him.