Letter From The Editor

Dear Reader,

In the February 2014 edition of The Scroll, former Editor-in- Chief Charlotte Allen ‘14 and Op-Ed Editor Andrea Fleming ‘14 published a letter from Josh Krugman ‘06, a letter calling into question David Koch’s values, actions and role on the Deerfield Board. The letter claimed that Mr. Koch has control “over Deerfield’s admissions policy, hiring and firing, curriculum, long-range planning.”

This spring, I met with Dr. Curtis and exchanged correspondence with Mr. Greer. Both expressed to me that the accusations regarding Mr. Koch’s power over Deerfield were simply untrue. They expressed their fear of the influence this misinformation might have had over the entire Deerfield community.

I take matters of misinformation extremely seriously. The Scroll’s responsibility is to provide the reader with an unbiased, fact-based report. In this case, the piece was an alumnus’s opinion; and the ethics of publishing a misinformed individual’s piece fall into a grey area of sorts.

When I learned that David Koch would be on campus, I was determined to arrange a meeting and conduct a fair and balanced interview with him. I am extremely grateful for his willingness to speak with The Scroll and for the hours he spent answering my questions in person and on the phone. Mr. Koch left nothing off the table; we discussed everything from his environmental record to his support of various political campaigns. In the end, I hope that I have succeeded in providing the community with a fair, balanced and informative perspective on David Koch.

With so little time left on campus, I find myself hopeful that the community will work towards ending the year on a positive note. In the time since our last issue, however, the community has become a haven for disrespect. Posters on campus with the hashtag #FreeSterling and anonymous posts on the iPhone app Yik Yak have targeted and tormented countless members of our community. These vindictive attacks shocked me. This behavior goes against everything Deerfield strives to instill in its students. In most recent days, however, I have been inspired by the student-led forums that have been held in the Greer to address the issues at hand. The student body has truly come together and come to the consensus that this behavior is unacceptable.

Ultimately, I would like to congratulate the class of 2014. You have proven yourself in the classrooms and on the playing fields, but most importantly, you have served as great role models to the younger grades. Your impact on the Academy and certainly The Scroll has been immense.

Sincerely, Henry Cobbs Editor-in-Chief