THE VIGORNIA Volume 134 Issue 2 Student Newspaper October 19, 2012 Since 1878

By Kara Banson ’13

Technology is constantly changing and advancing at a rapid pace. Worcester Academy’s one to one laptop program allows the community to not only be exposed to the world’s inces-santly progressing technology but also experience its changes as well. Just over a month ago, the e-mail system Worcester Academy has used for years – FirstClass – was replaced by a new system known as Zimbra. Because a communicative mecha-nism is essential, being the main source that connects the entire school– middle and upper, faculty and students –the switch from FirstClass to Zimbra is and continues to be a big change for the WA community. Many students and faculty may wonder what brought about the switch. According to Jason Epstein, Chief Information Officer, “FirstClass was still a good email system when left in its own environment. However as we [the tech department] moved to more collaborative systems including Google Apps and Scho-ology we began to realize that on the back end, FirstClass was not playing nice with other systems. We were putting more time, effort, and money into maintaining the system but were losing things like archival features to help find lost emails. Another major factor [to the switch] was that FirstClass did not play well with mobile devices and with the increase of iPhones

(and other smart phones) and iPads on campus the need for a system that worked well on these devices was essential.”

Editor-in Chief

A Day of AdventureTurn to Switch to Zimbra on Page 4

Students using their laptops in the libraryPhoto Courtesy of Shona Allen ’13

On September 25, 2012 there was a sense of excitement and adventure on campus. It was class field trip day. This meant no classes, tests, quizzes, and home-work. It was a day solely for class bond-ing. Although there was no connection between the class summer reading and the location of each trip, students and faculty reflected on the core values of Worcester Academy that were embodied in their class read. The freshmen class did not travel far for. They went on a walking tour of Worcester. The tour gave individuals the opportunity to learn about the commu-nity where WA is situated. Mrs. Wales, freshmen class dean, hoped that the “Class of 2016 and their advisor…[were able] to come together and get to know each other as they explore Worcester.” Students’ reactions to the field trip was mostly positive. Isabel Polletta ’16 said, “It was an enjoyable experience” that gave her the chance to understand the local community. The sophomore class went to Newport, RI where they toured the beautiful mansions. Interestingly, Newport was also the setting of last year’s fall play, Theophilus North. Rowen Price ’15 found the trip to be “interesting, [and] cool especially because I was part of the play last year.”

Walden Pond in Concord, MA was the destination for the junior class field trip. Students and their advisors hiked around

the pond and saw house where Henry David Thoreau, a transcendentalist, lived. Kelly Stevens ’14 enjoyed her experi-ence because she was “able to connect with a lot of international students and…play some fun games.” The Class of 2013 traveled to Wachu-sett Mountain Ski area in Princeton, MA. Uneven surfaces, rocks, and a steep incline challenged students and advisors. However, after reaching the top of the mountain every person felt victorious. Students were able to end the day with a ride on the ski lift. The sight was beau-tiful and for a day it seemed like the Class of 2013 was worry free. Without

any hesitation, Bob Nichols’13 titled the experience as “the best field trip we had so far.” The class field trips started the year right. Students and faculty were able to have fun and learn about one another. After such a great class bonding experience, many people are already looking forward to next year’s class field trips.

Sophomores Lauren Sullivan, Meaghan Barry, Katherine Johnson, and Colleen Rooney at Newport

Photo Courtesy of Emily Isakson ’15

Turn to Page 5 to see more pictures

Why the Switch to ZimbraBy Shona Allen ’13Editor-in Chief

Sports 2

A Captain’s MindsetBy Kyle O’Rourke ’13

Ask any group of people what they think it means to be a leader and you would get a handful of different an-swers. Some might say it means setting a good example and others might tell you it means being a good teammate. But senior co-captain of the girls varsity soccer team, Marissa Endow, would give you a combi-nation of both answers. Marissa believes that being a captain means bigger respon-sibilities, the foremost of those responsi-bilities being the need to be a strong role model for her younger teammates. This year the Hilltoppers are a much younger team than they have been in the past, with just four seniors on the roster. However, they are a team that is coming off a Class A championship sea-son and now ESPN, “the worldwide leader in sports,” has ranked them as the number one prep-school girls soccer team in the country. When asked what this ranking has meant and if they have been received any differently by their opponents, Marissa replied,“We have definitely gained a huge target on our back.” They certainly have, and as the co-captain puts it, “our team is built upon work ethic and determination and at no point will we let our past suc-cess get to our heads and distract us from achieving our ultimate goal, which is … to bring home another banner.” The senior has seen her fair share of banners get

hung up in Daniels Gymnasium, as she was part of a championship team both her freshman and junior years. After hopefully adding another championship banner to the rafters, Ma-rissa will look forward to her future as a soccer player. She knows she wants to continue playing in college and will have to weigh her options as to where she wants to go, but one thing is certain: no mat-ter where she ends up, she will definitely add skill to the team. As excited as she is about playing in college, Marissa knows she needs to focus on her current season at hand, as well as her senior year in gen-eral. When asked about what she wants to come away with at the end of her final year of high school she said, hanging another banner from the rafters is her first priority. She wants to know “that as a team we did all we could and left everything on the field.” She has the soccer program to thank for giving her the highlight of her high school career and some of her best friends. She knows this soccer team will be the number one thing she misses when she graduates in June, but what is harder to realize is just how much the team will miss her and her senior classmates as this elite team continues to showcase their tal-ent in future years.

Marissa Endow ’13 at last October’s “Pink Day” gamePhoto Courtesy of Marissa Endow’13

Tough Loss on the Hilltop

Worcester Academy Varsity Football vs. Phillips Exeter AcademyGame: 9/22/12 It is a new season for the Worces-ter Academy varsity football team, one full of new faces and questions. Questions as to how the new captains, new players, and new coaches will work together to form a strong, cohesive unit. However, the biggest question surrounding the varsity football team is what will change with pre-vious coach David Dykeman’s departure and with new coach Tony Johnson taking over the helm. According to captain Domi-nic Casamassima ’13, there really is not much change at all, and he is grateful for all that coach Dykeman taught him, and

he is looking forward to what coach John-son brings to the table. The captain also stressed the need for strong execution on the field against Exeter for their first game of the season. He was not alone either, as both his coach and quarterback, post-grad-uate D.J. Crook ’13, said the same thing. They were all in agreement with the talent this team possesses but as anyone who follows sports knows, talent can only take you so far. It would take a solid game plan and even more solid execution to beat this strong Exeter team. The game’s start could not have been better for the home team. On the first play from scrimmage for the offense Crook connected with sophomore wide receiver Justus Harris ’15 for a huge gain, taking the ball to the one-yard line. One play later, post-graduate running back Mario Stereti ’13 punched the ball into the end zone and gave the Hilltoppers the early lead. Unfortunately for the home team, that was the highlight of their night, as it was mostly downhill from there. Dan Radel ’13 forced a fumble on the kick off which went out of

bounds, leaving possession with Exeter, and two plays later, Exeter’s senior running back Andreas Robinson took a handoff over sixty yards for the touchdown. That was the first the Hilltoppers saw of Robin-son but it most certainly was not the last. When the clock hit four zeros, signaling the end of the game, Robinson had over 100 yards rushing plus a TD. Worcester’s defense simply could not find a way to stop the high-powered running back, and on the offensive side, the home team’s run-ning back, Stereti, had no such luck. He was consistently hit in the backfield and his blockers struggled to create holes for him. This loss cannot be put on one player or one unit. The Hilltoppers looked like a team that was still trying to iron some things out and had not really found its foot-ing. No matter the opponent, the key to success is the same for each game: go in with a set game plan and stick with it until the clock hits 00:00. Final scoreWorcester: 13Exeter: 34

By Kyle O’Rourke ’13

Features 3

Welcome, Mr. OsorioBy Maya Franson ’14

“I don’t want my position as Dean of Students to be solely about interacting with students on a disciplinary basis. I do value this basis and will be on a frontline to monitor consistency with the core values of the school, but I hope my interactions will also be about expanding our community and making sure we are all having a good time.” – Mr. Osorio Some may recognize the similarities of this quote to a speech deliv-ered by Mr. Osorio at assembly during the first week of school. Mr. Osorio, Worcester Academy’s new Associate Director of the Upper School and Dean of Students, is hopeful and eager to establish a dialogue with the student body from which he can gain the student perspective. High on his list of goals for the year is to develop his role in the WA community by learning from the students in order to be a dean that truly represents the entire student body. Drawing on his practice from former positions at Nobles and Gre-enough School as Associate Director of Admissions and Packer Collegiate In-stitute as Dean of Diversity and Assistant Head of the Upper School, Mr. Oso-rio hopes to positively enhance the Worcester Academy experience. Already impressed with the school community, a key factor in Mr. Osorio’s decision to accept the position at Worcester Academy was his hopes to strengthen the students’ senses of community and school spirit. He wants his involvement to empower student leadership and promote further vibrancy in the day-to-day activities of every member of the WA community. As Mr. Osorio continues to indentify with the uniqueness of Worcester Academy, his focus for the rest of the year will be to experience everything the school has to offer. Students can be assured that the new Associate Director and Dean of Students intends to make the time spent at Worcester Academy the most memorable and educational experiences of their lives. Mr. Osorio and his family could not be more excited to become a part of the Worcester Academy family.

Mr. Osorio: Associate Director of the Upper School and Dean of Students

Photo Courtesy of Liandra Castro ’15

ClassTrips 2012

Photos Courtesy of Mrs. Wales, Mr. Healy, Emily Isakson ’15, and Alexandra DelloStritto ’14

Features 4

Editors-in ChiefShona Allen ’13Kara Banson ’13

Alexandra DelloStritto ’14

WritersDelaney Randor ’13Andrew Reiter ’13 Kyle O’Rourke ’13

Gianna Anderson ’14Maya Franson ’14Abrielle Peltier ’14

PhotographersLiandra Castro ’15Emily Isakson ’15

Adviser Christina Webb

Vigornia StaffOctober 12, 2012

Continued from Firstclass to Zimbra/ Page 1

Zimbra integrates more smoothly with the new systems WA has adopted, such as Schoology, and the new products students and faculty are pur-chasing. However, it does not drastically differ from FirstClass on the surface. They both contain the same tools: e-mail, calendar, and contacts, but using these tools is where the differences come into play. The format from which you can view, send, and file e-mails in Zimbra is different from FirstClass. For example, when an e-mail is shared amongst a particular group of people, every reply to this e-mail is saved chronologically under one file tab, as opposed to receiving a separate e-mail for each person’s reply. Zimbra also allows for investment benefits. The price of Zimbra is half of what FirstClass costs, which saves WA’s tech department money. Additionally, when FirstClass needed to be adjusted, the tech depart-ment had to hire someone to provide the modifications whereas Zimbra is managed “in- house.” This means that the tech office is able to supply any alterations to Zimbra. As an open source, Zimbra will always be available and its users’ information will never be lost, even if its parent company, VMWare, should ever go out of business. This company cannot force Zimbra users to upgrade the software. The Technology Committee’s decision to change Worcester Acad-emy’s communicative system from FirstClass to Zimbra was inevitable and essential for the growth and change of WA’s technological needs. Mr. Epstein says, “FirstClass was becoming a bit of a lead weight, holding us down from some very important growth in our ability to communicate with each other. I stand by this decision, I trust the tech committee in its decision, and I know that in the long run will be a good fit for our school.” In response to the poll regarding Zimbra and FirstClass on page 5, Mr. Epstein believes “that 66% like FirstClass better because that is what they were used to. Any time you have a switch of a major system after it has been in place for a long time (I believe over 8 years with FirstClass) . . . there is a period of remorse. You miss your good old stand by. However, in the long run, I am confident that people will see that Zimbra will do what we need it to do and . . . meet the growing needs of our school.” As the world’s technology continues to progress, Worcester Academy is not far behind. Zimbra is the outcome of such advancements.

Poll: What Do You Think About WA Technology?*By Alexandra DelloStritto ’14Editor-in Chief

97% of students check their email every day

*100 Student Reponses