Caitlin Clarke '06

The beginning of a new year always brings changes to campus. It is the time when new leaders return to Deerfield with fresh attitudes and ideas that will make the year unique. This year, Student Council has come back with a number of goals that were developed over the summer and last spring, and that they are anxious to see achieved by May.

Student Council's most significant, long-term goal is building a more ethical community. For this goal to be achieved, students need to respect themselves, their peers and the environment in which they live. The council hopes that by upholding their standards of social responsibility, their expectation of personal excellence, and their value of the present here at Deerfield, students can and will achieve this level of respect as well.

The Student Council has already started implementing changes in its organization that will vary the way in which it interacts with the school. In an effort to keep its proceedings transparent to the community, a website has been posted on DAnet that will give the students informative updates on the subject and progress of each meeting. "The Student Council has been invisible," said Jett Fein '05, senior class president "we want to make it more accessible to students."

In addition to the website, Student Council has added a new dimension to their organization. Once a month these Sunday meetings will be open to students and faculty to discuss all varieties of questions and concerns. The whole community will be welcome and all issues will be heard and considered by the Council. In addition, specific groups or organizations on campus, such as proctors or peer counselors, will be invited to certain meetings to give their input on how they feel the school could improve. Student Council's hope is that by opening this door to the community, students and faculty will be encouraged to become more involved in council's decision-making process.

However, Student Council also has great plans for the rest of the year. While most Deerfield students had only one required book to read this summer, those on Council were given the additional assignment of reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. This book explores social trends in a variety of settings and provided the council with an appropriate segue into the new year. Members proceeded to compile a list of Deerfield's "tipping points" or ways that students and teachers can make the community more welcoming.

Examples of a few of these "tipping points" were "being clear about sources and motives of criticism," and "interacting with each other with trust and respect." These are two of several "tipping points" that address issues regarding the faculty, the administration, the students, school meeting, and even the dining hall.

The Student Council hopes that Deerfield's community leaders will help to implement these "tipping points" by serving as examples to the rest of the school and helping to demonstrate that positive steps can be made through small, simple gestures. The changes that are being implemented this year to the traditional structure of Student Council will serve to Improve the atmosphere of the school.

"I think we're tackling bigger issues," says Louise Kinder, Student Council president about the 2004-2005 year. Although the council is indeed wrestling with considerable goal for the school, they have broken down their process of execution into small efficient tasks.

"The 'tipping points' are evidence of how the Council is attacking smaller things to achieve larger ends," said Kinder.

The Student Council is employing all necessary actions to achieve their goal of building a more ethical community at Deerfield. With our help and support they are confident and hopeful that by the end of the year the atmosphere and environment of Deerfield Academy will be all the more inspiring and welcoming.

Elections for this year's class officers will be held on Thursday, October 21.