Driving into Deerfield Academy’s quiet campus, I immediately felt a change in the air. Expected traffic was constricted with orange cones, and faculty members screening symptoms and temperatures replaced bustling students.
After saying goodbye in my 15-minute designated time slot, I walked down my narrow dorm hall, completely removed of common spaces and filled with stickers promoting mask-wearing and sanitizing. As I entered my room with minimal luggage, only piles of boxes greeted me — reminding me of my “home away from home.”
Despite my long-awaited anticipation for back-to-school, the academy no longer embodied what I dreamed of returning to. Traditional sit-downs and Evensong, in-person school meetings and freedom to walk around campus were all radical requests.
Upon protocol testing for COVID-19, I immediately entered a two-day quarantine, with plenty of time to unpack and reflect on goals for the year. I found myself listing the usual and expected for any Deerfield Academy student: work hard, excel in classes/sports, etc. Yet, I caught myself when I thought about what I actually wanted to accomplish.
Aspired to improve my writing skills, I dedicated my co-curricular time to The Scroll (Deerfield Academy’s newspaper). I also followed up with the Greenfield Recorder, which I contacted over the summer for freelancer openings. Structuring my goals around concrete plans helped me find motivation to follow through while seeking room for growth.
Deerfield Academy scheduled quarantine around two phases: “quiet” and “emerging.” Quiet Phase required students to mostly stay in dorms, attend classes outside, and eat cold dorm-delivered meals (over 1,800 meals were delivered per day). On Sept. 21, Deerfield Academy transitioned into Emerging Phase, opened indoor classrooms, permitted inter-dorm gatherings and provided hot meals. I finally felt a beacon of hope that things would normalize.
As the first week of school passed by with revised structuring of only two classes (each two hours long) per term, I thought about students in less ideal circumstances than me: local school students and remote learners. For local schools, containing the virus meant choosing hybrid, remote or in-person learning. With Deerfield Academy still in session, I feel fortunate to have a safe space where facilities are readily available.
However, being at boarding school during COVID-19 made the gap between my two worlds — school and home — feel larger than ever. I also began feeling disconnected with international friends; it was harder to relate with them as we were no longer together in a shared experience. Constantly trying to find a balance between academics, extracurriculars, family and social life in uncertain times started to add more weight on my shoulders.
Unexpectedly, on Sept. 23, news of a suspected positive COVID-19 test result on campus spread in the blink of an eye. Many students, including myself, became anxious about being close contacts. Having two days of relative “freedom” before the incident only dampened everyone’s spirit for Zoom classes and cold food on Sept. 24. Thankfully, the administration and staff members worked quietly and efficiently, allowing a return to “Emerging” for Sept. 25.
Experiencing drastic changes within spans of a couple hours greatly influenced my mindset upon arrival. Rather than planning for weeks or months ahead, I realized the value of stepping back and appreciating each day fully. Being a student in this competitive and fast-paced generation has taught me to catch my breath and sincerely check-in on myself and others around me.
Although Deerfield Academy adapted in many ways — sacrificing Choate Day, Shriv at the Riv (cold morning river swims) and pep rallies — we hope they are temporary amends. Perhaps Deerfield Academy did not “change for the better,” but rather has done well in changing for the greater health and safety of our community.
Neha B. Jampala is a sophomore at Deerfield Academy. She writes for the school newspaper, The Scroll; is the head writer for CompanyRoots, an online entrepreneurial blog; and also explored publishing a novel outside of school. As an intern for the Greenfield Recorder, she hopes to grow her skills in journalism and delve deeper into her passion for writing by sharing stories while also contributing to the community.