Letter from the Editor

Dear Reader,

I would first like to acknowledge that would not be anywhere close to the one you know today without the admirable leadership of those who came before me. I thank Bella Hutchins endlessly, along with her dedicated board, without whom would hold a mere fraction of its success. Bella has left me with enormous shoes to fill; my only hope is that I can continue to set a high bar for this paper and make her proud in doing so. My goal is that the new editorial board will not shy from publishing what we believe the community should know; that may include controversial content, but we hope it will spark conversation in a way that helps us grow.

I am aware that this paper caters to members of one community, but not everyone will share the same beliefs. I’d like to capitalize on that. I’d like to filter these differing opinions into a medium everyone can see and hold and, ultimately, respect.

As a community, there are endless ways for us to positively acknowledge individuality,  be it gender, race, religion, or simply personal preferences. Unfortunately, however, beyond “the Deerfield bubble,” these differences are often met with violence. According to Wikipedia there have been 148 “terrorist incidents” since the events of March 22 in Brussels. We are not immune to these attacks on our own soil; last week the city of Boston commemorated three years since the bombing at the Boston Marathon.

Personally, that event hit close to home. When I was in eighth-grade, I revisited Deerfield before enrolling; my flight landed in Boston at 3:10 p.m. on April 16, 2013. When we all turned on our phones upon landing, I remember the cabin filling with an agonizing silence—we couldn’t believe what we were hearing and seeing. The first bomb on Boylston Street had gone off just 21 minutes before.

I remember how anxious I felt driving from Logan Airport to my hotel, getting stuck in backed-up tunnels.  Perhaps the marathon bombs were only the beginning of a larger attack; , I kept thinking. My nervous toes tapped the floor of the car as my mind raced in fear; I couldn’t help but imagine the worst. Our hotel lobby swarmed with participants and onlookers—refugees of unthinkable violence. I’ll never forget seeing the blood drip down one runner’s leg as he hobbled up the hotel steps.

Here at Deerfield, these situations may seem impossibly distant, and I am infinitely grateful for our security. But we should know what is happening here and abroad and we should know why.

Our spread this issue endeavors to educate the Deerfield community about ISIS and Islam and the critical distinction between the two. As an editorial board, we feel it is important to highlight this ongoing world issue, and to ensure we support those in our community who may feel vulnerable in the midst of a volatile threat to everyone’s safety.

Let us honor difference. Let us celebrate originality.

All the best, Perry Hamm