Meanwhile, Pope Francis, 76, celebrated his first Easter Mass with notable stylistic differences from Benedict. Francis shared hugs and handshakes with the crowd as he crossed St. Peter’s Square in a vehicle unprotected by bulletproof glass.

“What are you going to rank above hugging and being with people and being open?” Mr. Bakker said of Francis’ lack of protection on his way to the ceremony. “We often can’t reach out to other people because we are afraid of the losses that can come from it. I think it’s a great symbol for [Pope Francis] to say, if I die, I die, but I’m going to put reputation aside and get in touch with people.”

Easter Mass was not Francis’ first deviation from tradition as pope. Three days before Easter Mass, on Holy Thursday, the pope visited a youth detention center in Rome to wash the feet of twelve detainees, among them two women.

Some traditionalists believe that the twelve individuals whose feet are washed should reflect the twelve male apostles.

“Biblically, Jesus was breaking down all barriers [that the Church authority had established at that time] in the name of serving and loving others around him,” Mr. Bakker said. “I think washing women’s feet is a sign [that Francis is] looking at church traditions more thoughtfully in terms of what Jesus was teaching.”

Wagner also sees great hope in the new leader of the Roman Catholic religion. “I think Francis makes people excited to be Catholic,” Wagner said. “Now we have a figure that people admire as the head of our church. There is new light to look to, and I think Catholics everywhere are excited to begin a new era under Pope Francis. Those who aren’t Catholic have a new respect for our church as we are returning to our original values and revitalizing the church.”

Head of School Margarita Curtis commented, “On a very concrete level, sexual abuse victims will say that unless you name the perpetrator the healing process cannot start, because then it still feels like you are only revealing partial truths. Transparency is crucial for the healing process of any victim, coming forward and saying, ‘This did happen.’”

These allegations have aroused media attention, and both Dr. Curtis and Mr. Thiel have received considerable response from numerous alumni who respected and revered both Mr. Hindle and Mr. Lambert.

“It is difficult because we are talking about significant people who contributed a lot to the school, and who also did a lot of good, but it’s not the complete picture,” Dr. Curtis said. “We are not denying all the good things, but this other aspect [of misconduct] is also true.”

Deerfield’s comprehensive investigation has led to several conclusions. “Once the school becomes aware of transgressions, our role is to find out exactly what happened, and then to create a safe environment for everyone to come forward,” Dr. Curtis said. “That has been the primary purpose of the first and second letter, to admit that mistakes were made and support the victims in any way we can.”

According to the letter, previous reports had been made against Mr. Hindle. Given Mr. Hindle’s denials and highly revered status, the administration relied solely on verbal and written warnings.

“However, we do not think the ‘standards of the day’ argument exonerates the Academy or any individual, primarily because this view ignores the plight of the victims,” the letter said. “As painful as this process has been, we believe that disclosure and a public apology is the only responsible action. The healing process of the victims has been, and will continue to be, our overriding concern.”

Ms. Lyman emphasizes that college is not the focus of her burgeoning program. “I hope that young people don’t feel pressed to organize their lives for the sole purpose of being admitted to college,” she explained. “The job for high school students is to develop themselves. The more developed you are as a person, the better college candidate you will be.”

Ms. Lyman’s enthusiasm for individual exploration is mirrored in her work with her advisees. According to Vanessa Chu ‘13, “As an advisor, Ms. Lyman has always encouraged me to discover different academic and co- curricular interests, not only for the college process, but to explore my potential. I believe that she will be able to establish a very reputable program that can certainly motivate students to have a better understanding of themselves.”

I plan on continuing the outgoing editors’ tradition of courageous reporting, and I commend them for a year more than well done. It takes some serious guts to talk about the big issues on campus, let alone publish them in print for the whole community to see.

As Deerfield changes with the times, we at The Scroll have to adapt as well, and that is what I hope you will see within this issue.

We applaud the school for being so transparent and open about the events that have transpired in the last few weeks and months. We also want to know what the student body thinks.