Have you ever wanted to start your own business? To pursue a passion, market it, and pocket a profit? There are many Deerfield students who would love to do just that. And we’ve all heard the age-old spiel about how intelligent and motivated Deerfield students can be. The issue is not with capability, but rather with permission. Here at the Academy, there are rules against students making a profit off of their peers. While a spokesman from the administration noted that the school supports students raising funds that promote a common good, students are not allowed to pursue personal profit.
Here at The Scroll, we see a serious issue with this rule. Deerfield prides itself on being an academic institution that gives its students the opportunity to explore their passions. The option of taking a sixth academic course, the wide variety of spring electives offered to seniors, the independent study program, the ability to petition for a co-curricular exemption, and the array of extracurricular clubs and activities offered here at Deerfield are all proof of that. Why, then, does Deerfield not support students eager to turn their passions into profit?
This January, Deerfield hosted an event called Pathways, where eight alumni shared their stories with upperclassmen students. Two of these alumni were entrepreneurs who spoke very fondly of their experience in founding and running their own businesses. The Scroll board sees a lack of consistency in the fact that the school brought in these entrepreneurs to share their stories with us, yet discourages us from pursuing similar ambitions while at school.
We here at The Scroll are calling for a change in this policy. We believe that Deerfield students should be allowed to follow their passions in any way they wish. If this means pursuing a personal profit, then props to them.