Vol. LXXXVII, No. 1.5
DEERFIELD ACADEMY, DEERFIELD, MA 01342
May 10, 2012
outsidethewirellc.com
WAR’S WORST MEMORIES ENACTED Classics Seminar Looks at Ancient, Modern War Traumas AFTER SHOCK
When the Battle is Over By STUART BICKNELL Contributing Writer We’ve all heard of posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD. But what exactly is it? The experience of trauma is, unfortunately, all too common even in these relatively safe and peaceful United States. Automobile accidents, violence, abuse, untimely death of a loved one—all can be traumatic. What distinguishes PTSD from other trauma is the lingering, intrusive nature of it. It seems to take on a life of its own. Flashbacks and nightmares and a triggering sight or sound or smell can plunge the individual back into a terrible and terrifying re-experiencing of the earlier trauma. The traumatized soldier can shut down and withdraw or become hyper-vigilant and over responsive. The stereotype of the traumatized combat veteran includes a person with a hair-trigger temper, easily overstimulated and highly reactive to his environment. But veterans also come home, even from a broader “theater of war,” with more subtle symptoms that include avoidance and numbing. For these soldiers, that suit of emotional armor was essential in protecting them from the intense emotions stirred up by the threat to life and presence of death. Once home, it becomes a severe and heavy handicap. When you can’t feel pain, you also can’t feel love and pleasure. Today’s soldiers return from overseas duty to a relatively warm welcome. We may object to the war—but embrace the soldier. In my experience, there was no “Welcome Home” coming back from Vietnam. The antiwar movement was raging, and very few of us were advertising
our military service. We felt out of synch with our peers, deeply distrustful, and profoundly private about our war experience. Many of us felt ashamed of our participation in a cause we didn’t believe in. As a graduate student in a university setting, nobody wanted to hear—or would believe—that I’d spent a year in Vietnam. It was odd and disorienting. While this kind of shut down and withdrawal doesn’t meet the criteria for a true PTSD, it was, for hundreds of thousands of non-combat veterans, the legacy of Vietnam. In 1995, Jonathan Shay in his ground-breaking book, Achilles in Vietnam, wrote persuasively that for those returning from combat with PTSD, there would be no such thing as a “return to normal.” To be exposed to the horrors of war is to be scarred for life. Some degree of recovery is all we can hope for, Shay said. Fortunately, there are encouraging newer PTSD treatment modalities that have been developing since then. The response time to returning vets has accelerated and follow-up programs and treatment groups have multiplied. Some of today’s vets object to the stigmatizing that comes from coupling the “D” (Disorder) with the PTS. They argue that it’s not a disorder; it’s a predictable and understandable reaction to an extremely unhealthy situation (the violence of war). I can appreciate their concern. The Pentagon, in response to the thousands of traumatized soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, tried to rewrite the PTSD criteria to limit eligibility for benefits. In a show of solidarity, veterans’ organizations and other supporters registered sufficient outrage to force the Pentagon to reconsider. That the government would make every resource available to support returning soldiers— medically, psychologically, and financially—is simply the right thing to do.
By JAMES CHUNG Staff Writer Students of the new spring elective, Classics Seminar, analyze ancient literature to understand the horrors of war, such as the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and other forms of trauma in the lives of soldiers. Samuel Savage, the teacher of the course, described it as “a way of connecting intellectual work that students have done at Deerfield to a real world issue.”
“I feel like the discussions I’m having in this class will stay with me for the rest of my life.” The course specifically prepares students for Saturday’s performance of Theater of War by the group Outside the Wire. The group conducts readings from classical war literature. Actors aspire to find the link between the modern and the ancient soldier, a similar goal students of the Classics Seminar hope to achieve. “The idea of this course is to give us a better understanding of what modern day veterans go through. By using ancient materials, we are able to make conjectures and explore concepts we would feel uncomfortable talking about in the real world,” said Thomas Earle ’12, one of the eight seniors in the course. Students of the seminar recently visited a group of veterans at Greenfield Community College to describe their class and Theater of War. “The class is specifically designed so that all students are able to have a culminating experience in the classroom,” Mr. Savage said. “I feel like the discussions I’m having in this class will stay with me for the rest of my life,” said Earle.
By CAMERON CARPENTER Staff Writer Students, teachers, local residents and veterans will have the opportunity to attend the first high school performance of Theater of War, by the theatrical group Outside the Wire, which performs selections from Sophocles’ war dramas, Ajax and Philoctetes, to bring awareness of soldiers dealing with posttraumatic stress disorder. The performance will showcase four actors, along with students from the Classics Seminar, a new spring elective. A panel of three audience members and one student will share their reactions to the performance. The student panelist will be Jordan Jancze ’13, whose mother is deployed overseas. Jancze explained the significance of being able to see Theater of War. “I obviously cannot read my mother’s mind when she is deployed, so I think it will be interesting to see how the soldier reacts.” A discussion among audience members will follow, led by director and founder of the group Bryan Doerries. Veterans from the surrounding areas have been invited to the performance and discussion to share firsthand experience and insight into the plays. Classics Seminar teacher Samuel Savage explained how seeing these issues portrayed in a form of art could be a coping mechanism for veterans. “People who have seen what they’ve seen have a really hard time reaching out. It is a deeply personal wound and most people cannot relate. Being with others who have experienced similar things can give you something outside of yourself to talk about,” said Mr. Savage. Mr. Savage and Latin teacher John Burke attended a performance of Theater of War earlier in the year. “It was deeply
moving, even mind blowing to hear people connect with plays that are not at all far from reality,” Mr. Savage said. Designing the curriculum for the Classics Seminar, Mr. Savage wanted to incorporate ancient drama. He contacted Outside the Wire this past summer. The group helped shape the curriculum of the elective and wanted to perform at Deerfield as a part of it. Dr. Burke explained that, for the students of the Classics Seminar, “this is a great opportunity to see how Classics and Classical literature is being applied to modern issues and problems. I think it is fascinating that ancient literature can have something to say about a very modern problem.”
“I obviously cannot read my mother’s mind when she is deployed, so I think it will be interesting to see how the soldier reacts.” -Jordan Jancze This week’s Valley Advocate said that “in Theater of War, combatrelated psychological injury [is] viewed through the lens of Sophocles’ wartime tragedies. The cast for the Deerfield presentation had not been announced at press time, but previous performances have featured high-profile stage and screen actors including David Strathairn, Gloria Reuben, Amy Ryan, and Paul Giamatti.” According to the Advocate, “this New York-based company... employs classic theater works to illuminate and stimulate discussion on such issues as addiction treatment...and prison reform.” The free performance will be held on May 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the Garonzik Auditorium.