Anna Dever-Scanlon
Staff Reporter

Deerfield has finally finished its Bicentennial Celebrations. It is now a new decade, a new century, and, depending on how you look at it, a new millennium. We have entered a fresh era, and what direction the school will take in upcoming years is unknown. Here at Deerfield, we rarely get a chance to stop our work, sit back, and think about what it is we are actually doing, both as individuals and as a school. This breaking point on the calendar, the start of the year 2000, seems an opportune time to examine what we have accomplished, what is occupying our minds now, and what we project for the future.

The progress of Deerfield from its humble beginnings to its glorious ascent to one of the top boarding schools in the country has been well charted, and the recent compilation, The Transcendent Mirror published by the Deerfield Academy Press, attempts to consolidate into one volume many reflections on Deerfield and its metamorphosis.

In examining Deerfield at this particular turning point, it is useful to get opinions both from those who work within the school and those from outside. Alice and Warren Ilchman, whose comments from last year's Bicentennial address are published in The Transcendent Mirror, came as objective observers to examine Deerfield as it celebrated its Bicentennial. Many of their observations are shared by those who study, teach and work at Deerfield themselves.

There seems to be a consensus among faculty, students, and administrators that one of the things that Deerfield has done and is doing well is keeping its talented student body busy. "Deerfield is good at offering a wide range of possibilities for students both co-curricularly and culturally," commented Bernie Baker, a member of the history department. Many programs at Deerfield have been expanding in past years, especially with regards to the arts. Yet Orlando Pandolfi, music teacher, worries that, "With so many offerings, we will end up diluting the programs that we already have in place." With so many opportunities, our time often gets allocated down to the last minute, and a strictly regimented schedule is the rule for most at Deerfield. As Susan Carlson, a member of the health services department, noted, "There seems to be a lack of spontaneity on campus that can make our day-to-day routines rather stifling."

One of the things that Deerfield is not noted for, however, is its ability to question itself. Often, members of the Deerfield community feel uncomfortable criticizing any aspect of Deerfield even if it is constructive. Allie Stielau, president of the senior class, while discussing Deerfield's reliance on its traditions, encouraged members of the community to continue building on the foundation it took to get here, to "hold ourselves to a higher standard, not sell ourselves short. We can always do more, be more; there is always something you haven't learned yet."

The concern that Deerfield puts more energy on its outer appearance than on its inner reality was commented on by Josh Platt '00, who observed, "Deerfield seems to be doing well in attracting students and money, but not in making the best use of those things once they are here."

One improvement that people would like to see are an increased "ecological literacy," as Joel Thomas-Adams, English teacher and Amnesty Intentional Club Advisor, urged. Others include a more diverse faculty, which both the Ilchmans and Platt emphasized, and a less peripheral role for community service as Zoe Blacksin '00 felt. Mr. Pandolfi hopes that we not "knuckle under college admission pressure" by discouraging art classes in favor of other areas, but instead force colleges to recognize the talent of our students in all pursuits. Another major concern at Deerfield right now is working on tightening the gulf between faculty and administration and that the student voice be a larger part of the decision making process here.

As classics teacher, Peter Brush said, "I'm not too good with a crystal ball." Technologically, Wendy Shepherd, Director of Information Technology Services, said, "Deerfield has established excellent resources. Our challenge in the new millennium is to discover new and better ways of using this technology to improve the way we learn and work and play?'

In its quest to be the best school it can be, Deerfield should realize the strengths it has now due to its strong traditions, but also thoroughly question which traditions it feels are still beneficial. "I would like to see Deerfield become a little bolder, take more risks, foster a better climate for experimentation," Mr. Baker said. In closing, Baker eloquently quoted Socrates, one of the best educators of all time, who said, "An unexamined life is not worth living." Deerfield's greatest task, in entering this new millennium, should be to realize the enormous resources it possesses, and self-consciously decide where it wants to go with those assets, creating a unified vision to guide the school through another 200 years and beyond.