By Fine Arts Faculty and MLK Day Coordinator, Mara Whalen '95

Your question of, "What good do you think could, should, or did come from our "bookend" celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Frank L Boyden?" ironically pertains to all that has churned and ruminated within me for months and weeks. Considering my personal pursuit of making MLK Day a meaningful and educational experience for everyone involved, I believe that the pursuit, the mission, the objectives and means of achieving such ideals and ambitions parallel the pursuit, mission, objectives, ideals, and ambitions of Boyden.

When I spoke during lunch on Friday, January 24, I deemed the following as the goals of our MLK Day, all of which find their source in Dr. King himself: think about self vs. others; think about what DA affords us vs. what society doesn't afford others; think about who we will become vs. who we are; think about our potential to do good in our immediate community and in the world; think about exceeding our boundaries, our "comfort zones"; think about the need to rejoice and share.

When Bob Merriam, class of 1943 and former English teacher, spoke during the all-school meeting on that same Friday evening, he deemed the following as the goals of Frank L. Boyden: awareness; humility; character; responsibility; curiosity and adventure; laughter.

Please re-read the above. Do you see the respective similarities? I doubt sincerely that this "coincidence" is a result of my own Deerfield formation from 1992-1995, and my inherent understanding of the standards established by Boyden. Rather, I think the similarities stem from the inherent belief of both Dr. King and Boyden to make personal sacrifices in order to better the lives of others-be it co-citizens living under the oppression of a Segregated South or young people, the sons and daughters of farmers and millionaires, hoping to become responsible citizens, educated persons going on to college.

As understand it, Dr. King was an educated man, an intellectual, a man of adequate means and comfort. He was a man who could have easily become Reverend King and found great comfort in a secure and safe neighborhood congregation. However, he did not. He pursued a far riskier and uncertain path; he chose to take on the unthinkable; he committed himself to the betterment of his fellow, impoverished, uneducated, Black citizens. He revolted against the status quo because he saw it as unjust. He wanted to make change.

Boyden also wanted to make change. If I had to guess, I'd say that Boyden found a great sense of accomplishment in refining farm boys, just as he did in scolding the Deerfield grad turned Yale elite for improper behavior. He was a man who took pride in humbling, molding, educating, changing, and improving the lives of the children of Franklin County and beyond. Why? Why not simply focus on the wealthy children of Boston and New York City as most prep schools did? I firmly believe that he saw the potential in each child, regardless of their socio-economic background. He sought to refine some, reform others, and resurrect still a few more. At the age of 22 (three years younger than myself, I might add) he arrived to make a difference; he decided to take on a task that few believed in; he committed himself to the betterment of the fourteen boys and girls in that 1903 senior class; he understood the potential and he answered the call of stepping out of the familiar in order to make change. He stayed here and revolutionized Deerfield forever.

Imagine Dr. King and Mr. Boyden sitting together in the Manse, held by heated conversation next to the fire in the sitting room, sipping warm tea. I see them. And, allow me to be so bold as to say that together, they encourage me, you, us all to live by their code of ethics-that each day we exhibit awareness, humility, sound character, responsibility, curiosity and adventure, and laughter. As for myself, I believe that no true intellectual is whole without these human qualities To you, my colleagues and my students: may we make Dr. King and Boyden proud.