By Steven Kee ’27
On November 11, the Wild Boars descended on the campus of Deerfield Academy, ready to dominate the field in various athletic competitions. When the athletes looked at the bleachers packed with Choaties, they found many of them sporting T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies representing the Blue and Gold spirit. The artist who captured this school spirit in ink is Melody Qian ’24, winner of the Deerfield Day merchandise competition.
Creating the merchandise design required thoughtful and careful consideration. “I was thinking about how I can toe the line between competitiveness and drive while still managing to not be overly negative,” Qian said. “I wanted to make it clear that it’s all about supporting Choate.”
Some of the elements Qian used to create a more aggressive look included blocky font and sharp color contrasts between the blue and gold, along with Thrasher-style flames. On the other hand, she incorporated the phrase “something’s burning,” which was meant to be a subtle jab at Deerfield to ensure that the design communicated a respectful message.
When writing the slogan, Qian took inspiration from Deerfield. “‘Something’s burning’ is our response to Deerfield for calling us ‘bacon.’ I took the fire element and flipped it back at them,” Qian said.
Designing the shirts did not come without challenges. Creating a design for merchandise was much different than her other works. Referring to her role as Graphics Editor for The Choate News, Qian said, “I have a lot more creative freedom to do whatever styles I want. If you look at my graphics, there are sketchier ones, and there are ones that are more painterly brushes with refined edges.” However, when designing for apparel, “it’s harder to carry out nuanced changes in color or texture, even if it’s really nice to look at on a device,” she said.
Qian mentioned that one of the things that she feels differentiated her design from the three other submissions for the competition was its simplicity. “ The other designs were really beautiful, but I did notice that some of the elements were a little bit too intricate, which would’ve made them harder to see on a shirt,” Qian said.
By placing everything around one focal point and refraining from embellishments in the background, her design not only draws the attention of viewers but is kept clean and simple. Qian also appreciated the feedback she received from students and faculty during the design process, which helpd her ensure that her design was something everyone would be satisfied with.
While the fire on the design can be interpreted as Choate roasting Deerfield, it also embodies the spirit of Deerfield Day. It encapsulates the fiery passion that Choaties have when they support the athletic teams, whether it be as athletes or spectators.
“I went to Deerfield Day last year. I knew nothing about football before attending the game, but I was screaming just as loud as everyone else,” Qian said. “I think that’s the beauty of Deerfield Day. Even if you’re not an athlete, you’re fueled by unconditional camaraderie.”
