From The Upper Level

Success at the Fringe

John Reese and the Deerfield student cast and crew of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) traveled to Scotland this summer to participate in the 2008 Edinburgh International Fringe Festival. This was the third time Mr. Reese and his cast have been selected for the festival; 250 high schools throughout the United States applied and 64 were selected. Deerfield presented four performances, and the cast and crew consisted of 13 students accompanied by three adults.

After landing in London, Mr. Reese and company participated in a Globe Theatre workshop and saw a play. Then it was on to Edinburgh! The group also toured the city and enjoyed many of their fellow Fringe Festival performers' shows. Upon their return to Deerfield, Mr. Reese noted that his cast "filled the house" every time they performed.

Judges on the Fringe Festival selection panel were from Ball State University; The Boston Conservatory, College of Charleston, Southern Methodist University, University of Miami, Illinois State University and Webster University.

The cast and crew included students from nearby Deerfield and from as far away as Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Award-Winning Teacher Was Nominated by Students

Sheryl Cabral, who has been teaching mathematics at the academy since 1989, won the 2008 Edyth May Sliffe Award for Distinguished High School Mathematics Teaching. The Edyth May Sliffe Awards recognize the excellence of teachers responsible for the success of the highest scoring "mathlete" teams and are awarded on the basis of nominations received from students at these schools.

Ms. Cabral was nominated by four of her students: Yongju Jung, Jen Gong, Wich Huengwattanakul and Joyce Mak. They wrote, "Mrs. Sheryl Cabral has been the most responsible teacher in motivating and preparing our school's team for the success achieved in the AMC 12. Though she is often busy with other commitments, she has maintained her dedication and enthusiasm for extracurricular mathematics at our school. She organized a Problem of the Week to encourage the student body and the team to enjoy math outside of classes throughout the fall and winter terms; she has encouraged the math team to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible, including those that posed technical difficulties and would otherwise have been out of reach, and she has set a wonderful example for the team through her enthusiasm. Our entire math team agrees that Mrs. Cabral has played a large role in motivating and preparing our team for the AMC 12, and she deserves the Edith May Sliffe Award. Our nomination comes from our appreciation of her consistent leadership and enthusiasm."

Mark Ott. English Teacher and Author

Kent State University Press recently published A Sea of Change, written by Deerfield faculty member Mark Ott, which has been hailed as "a fresh perspective on Ernest Hemingway's work." A Sea of Change explores the importance of Hemingway's relationship to the waters of the Gulf Stream, and according to the Kent State website, "A Sea of Change is the first study to examine Hemingway's complex relationship with the Gulf Stream and how it transformed his fiction."

Mr. Ott told his fellow Deerfield faculty that his research convinced him that Hemingway's writing emerged from the environment he inhabited. He said, "Early in his career, Hemingway's themes and characters were compared to Cezanne's art -- abstract. By contrast, in 1952, with the publication of The Old Man and the Sea, his style was described as comparable to Winslow Homer's -- realistic."

In addition to teaching English at Deerfield, Mr. Ott has presented academic papers at international Hemingway conferences in Spain, Cuba and Italy, and at several venues in the United States. In addition, his scholarship has been published in The Hemingway Review. He has been awarded grants from The Ernest Hemingway Society, The Ernest Hemingway Collection at the John E Kennedy Library, and the Arts and Sciences Advisory Council of the University of Hawaii-Manoa.

Copies of A Sea of Change are available from Amazon.com and in the academy bookstore. To order from the bookstore, please call 413-774-1513.

Alumni/Development Office Welcomes New Members to the Team

Over the summer, the Alumni and Development Office was happy to welcome Bill Barry '77, P' 11, as the new Director of Parent Programs, Carrie Flickinger as Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and Amanda Swartz as the Assistant Director of Annual Support. The three were hired after Tom Henry '72, Cyrus Maddox '03 and Jennifer Stromsten left Deerfield to pursue other career and life opportunities.

Mr. Barry relocated to Deerfield from Miami, FL, and brings with him an extensive background in international business. Most recently, he was involved with a start-up consumer products company based in Miami and Johannesburg, South Africa. Prior to that, Mr. Barry was responsible for the Latin American operations of Gemstar-TV Guide and the Brazilian operations of HBO and Turner Broadcasting. He has a BA in economics from the University of Florida and an IMBA from the University of South Carolina.

Mr. Barry's wife, Margaret, and daughters Lizzie and Dana joined him on the move to Deerfield; Dana will enter the sixth grade at the local Deerfield Elementary School and Lizzie is a member of the academy's own Class of '11.

A graduate of Kent School, Carrie Flickinger is the daughter of Edward "Flick" Flickinger '65. Ms. Flickinger has a degree in Hospitality Administration from Boston University, and for the past four years has had the fast-paced job of general manager for the nationally-recognized artisan wholesale and retail bakery, Clear Flour Bakery, Inc., in Brookline, MA. As general manager Ms. Flickinger supervised a staff of 30 employees and was liaison to 47 wholesale clients in the greater metro Boston area.

In her spare time Ms. Flickinger enjoys cooking and baking at home, visiting local farms, photography, volunteering at the local animal shelter and surfcasting on the shores of New England. She is living off campus in nearby South Deerfield.

Amanda Swartz came to Deerfield from Bay Path College in Longmeadow, MA, where she had responsibilities in their annual support program and alumni relations, and maintained a portfolio of major prospects. At Bay Path, Ms. Swartz was instrumental in developing a robust young alumni and phonathon program, and as an undergraduate at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA, Ms. Swartz was a phonathon supervisor. Her role at Deerfield will continue in the same vein.

Ms. Swartz enjoys many sports, in particular running, and she competed in the Chicago Marathon last October. In addition to her responsibilities at Deerfield, Ms. Swartz is in the midst of completing her masters of science in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropy.

New Trustees and Officers for 2008 - 2009

The Deerfield Board of Trustees said farewell to four of its loyal members this past spring, and in turn welcomed five new members. Leaving the Board were: Jim Dunning '66 P' 01,'04, Peter Gilson '57 P'84, Peter Weinberg '75 and President Jeffry Louis '81. New Board members are: Matthew Grossman '94, John Havens P'02,'10, Spencer Robertson '93, Susan Wallach and Linda Whitton P'O1,'04,'09.

Philip Greer of the Class of 1953 (P'94) is succeeding Mr. Louis as president of the Board, and the additional officers of the corporation are: Randall Hack '65 P'O1,'03 as vice president, H. Rodgin Cohen '61 P'99, treasurer and Robin Grossman P'03, '06, secretary. The remaining officers of the corporation are: Chief Financial Officer Joseph Manory '80, General Counsel John Stobierski '78 and Head of School Margarita Curtis, who will all provide on campus support.