Volume 134 Issue 5

January 28, 2013

T H E VIGOR NI A
By Lucy Ulfelder 15

Student Newspaper Since 1878

WoManuary: Shaving The World One Beard at a Time

When taking a walk around campus, one might see some unfamiliar furry faces.These faces are of faculty and students alike, so dont be alarmed, as this happens every year the month of January rolls around campus. The reasoning behind the increase in upperclassmen and faculty facial hair is that they have chosen to not shave for the entire month of January, a main aspect of WAs WoManuary. During WoManuary, students have the choice to buy a bracelet for $15, which allows them to dress down on the four Fridays in January. The $15 goes to cancer research for different types of cancer including breast cancer, young adult associated cancer, and prostate cancer. The people behind this amazing month are all part of the Jimmy Fund Club. The club has fundraisers throughout the year such as gift-wrap drives, bike clinics, and other events all raising money for cancer research. With one glance at the boys on campus, its clear that the majority of the male population seems to have made the choice to take part in WoManuary. The co-advisor of the Jimmy Fund Ms. Callis and Daria Cenedella 14 show students club, Ms. Kastler, states that she is, really not surprised about where to purchase their bracelets how many kids bought bracelets this year. She says that there Photo Courtesy of Alexandra DelloStritto 14 are three main reasons why kids love to buy the bracelets, and that WoManuary continues to be a success. Those reasons are: the four dress down days, the upperclassmen boys love of beard growth and competition, and the fact that the student body is always willing to support cancer research in any way they can. This is Ms. Kastlers third year as the Jimmy Fund club co-advisor, along with Mr. Liller. Mrs. Kastler loves being part of the club for By The Board of Monitors many reasons. She thinks that cancer is a very widespread diseaseit affects everyone and anyoneand it is important to sup With the Board Of Monitors success and high student port research for a cure. The charities benefiting from WoManuary, approval ratings, the student body is definitely anticipating more. the Susan G. Komen foundation and the Livestrong foundation We are happy to report that the student body will not be disapare both extremely important organizations supporting female and pointed in the coming weeks. The BOM has taken into account male specific cancers. all of the advice and feedback provided by the student body in As far as the beards on campus go, there are 6 categories the winter survey. The BOM has also been hard at work planranging from best mustache to mountain man that participants ning two outstanding sport nights, a basketball night and a hock- have the potential to win. The winners will be announced at an ey night. To increase fan presence and excitement at games, assembly so stay tuned for that announcement. Then the WA cama smorgasbord of fan goodies such as face-paint and waving pus will return to its usual clean-shaven image. towels will be provided. Also, there will be a list of chants to support our teams and pump them up. We will also be hosting a tailgate before the game with free food so come hungry! Along with these highly energetic events the Board of Monitors have created Winter Sport Spirit T-shirts with the artistic help of Mr. McCreight. With growing school spirit, especially this year, the sports nights should be a lot of fun. Looking ahead to Winter Carnival we are also hosting The Hilltop After Dark an event composed of two famous game show games, the Dating Game and the Newly Wed Game. A couple of BOM members are also sitting in on the Winter Carnival Planning Committee where a week packed with different class competitions will take place. Also, the now annual Semi-Formal dance will take place Saturday night. The overall theme for the week is the Winter Olympics. All of the student leaders are very excited Let the games begin! about planning the week and hope it will be highly anticipated. Photo Courtesy of Ms. Tirado Bring your friends to the events, hangout, and have a great time because it is going to be a loud and exciting winter!

BOM Brief: School Spirit to Spread

Turn to page 8 for a look at the beards on campus!

Sports
By Kyle ORourke 13

Boys Varsity Basketball: Something to Prove

a new and much different team than they were the previous year. With additions to both the front court and the back court the team, again, looked poised for a championship season. They proved this right out of the gate with two huge victories over Brimmer & May and South Kent. However the truest test for the Hilltoppers thus far was the next game against reigning national champion (yes, national champion) Brewster Academy. When asked about what the mentality was heading into that game, Tom Rivard 13 stated, We believed that much of the talent our team possesses went unnoticed by many people throughout New England, Rivard said. He also felt that this game, as well as the previous one against South Kent, was a way to show everyone what this team was made of. Well, if the Hilltoppers wanted to show that they could run with the nations best, they accomplished their goal. The Hilltoppers fought Brewster hard and came up just short, losing by two points. Rivard exclaimed that although they had lost, knowing that aside from a few small mistakes, we played a great game and left all our energy and heart out on the court. Rivard also said that co-captain Rene Castro 13 spoke to the team following the loss and said from that point on they were going to go undefeated. Well, the 11-1 Hilltoppers have done just that, showing just how much heart this team has. With a tough road ahead, the team knows that focus is crucial and a one game at a time mentality will take them where they want to go. As one can most likely imagine, for a team as talented as this one, and for a team coming off of a disappointing end to the previous season, it is championship or bust.

The ability for a sports team to come back strong after an abrupt and disappointing end to a previous season is something often underrated. Having a season end earlier than expected can weigh heavily on a team. However returning the next season as an even stronger team takes one word: heart. Take a popular local sports team for example; the Boston Bruins in the 2010 season had a 3-0 game lead on the Philadelphia Flyers in a best of seven game series. In the fourth game of that series, although the Bruins had a 3-0 lead, the Flyers ended up catching the Bruins and beating them not only in game four, but in the rest of the series, advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, the very next season, the Bruins went on to sweep the Flyers in the playoffs and eventually win their sixth Stanley Cup. The Bruins were not only heralded for their championship, but the determination and fight showed coming back from a very disappointing end to their previous season. They clearly had heart. The 2011-2012 Worcester Academy Boys Varsity Basketball team, much like the Bruins, seemed poised to make a championship run. They had the size, speed, and talent to get there, but so did their first round opponent, Wilbraham Monson Academy. The Hilltoppers entered the playoffs with an overall record of 15 wins to 10 losses and played and beat the W&M Titans earlier in the season. However, the playoffs were a different story. The Hilltoppers lost to the Titans by a final score of 5263 and had their season come to an abrupt end. Rising senior Tom Rivard knew that such an outcome next season was simply unacceptable. Heading into the 2012-2013 season, the Hilltoppers were

By Elise Gorzela 14

Lydia Vital: The Woman, The Myth, The Legend

Lydia Vital 14, the point guard for WAs Girls Varsity Basketball team, is a new student this year. After being announced athlete of the week, people are interested to know: just who is Lydia Vital? As she munched on her Sunchips and did back flips for her advisory, she answered some questions. Q: Why did you decide to come to WA? A: I wanted another year of basketball. I also came to further my education. I felt I could do better than last year. Q: How do you like playing on the WA team so far? A: I like it a lot. Everyone brings a lot of energy and we all work hard on the court. We work well together and its a lot of fun. Q: PowerAde or Gatorade? A: Gatorade. Q: Do you have any special rituals/traditions you do before a game? A: I always have to listen to music. Q: Who is your favorite basketball player? A: I really like Russell Westbrook. Q: So everyone knows youre good at basketball. Are you good at anything else? A: I also play softball and I can do back flips.

The basketball player shot the Vig a smile Photo Courtesy of Juliana Bonardi 15 Q: Can you dunk? A: I wish. With impressive back flips and impressive basketball skills, Lydia has shown the type of athlete she is and what she is capable of. She is definitely someone to look for on the court this winter season.

News
WA Swim team is too hot to handle
By Hannah Barris 15
Despite the recent freezing cold temperatures, our swim make for future opportunities. When asked how the team was team is hot. This year, Worcester Academys swim team is doing this year, Michael Schermerhorn 14, one of the captains heating up the water with their quick speeds and blazing laps. of the Boys Varsity team expressed, this year we have had Alan Phung 15, who is a strong participant in the backstroke a lot of new swimmers, and I think that our team has a lot of says, the team has a strong sense of family. Everyone works passion for the sport; we come together as a very strong team really hard. Everyone on the team mentions this tight bond to improve. Michael, the veteran swimmer, has been on swimformed between the teammates ming on Varsity since 7th grade during their season. This is the here at the Academy. He extype of bond that makes for a plains that on the team, the exsuccessful team. Outward sucperienced swimmers are teachcess is a manifestation of ining the newer members. Though ward confidence and ability, and there is a separation between this team sure has it. The swimVarsity and JV, they practice mers are very competitive, and together, which will insure that always determined to excel with valuable experience is passed greater strides and vigor. on. Players placed on the JV The swim team is one of team who are the beginners, are the ultimate collaborative team starting to become more familiar sports on campus. The swimwith the competitive swimming mers are constantly reassuring process, as Michael puts it. one another during meets and According to Rowen Price practices. The motivation of the 15 a member of the Girls Varteam is not only brought about sity team, despite injuries and by their spectators and fans, but illness this season, we have MJ Duffy 14 works on her butterfly stroke within the group itself. They are forced many strong swimmers and lots of Photo Courtesy of Meaghan Barry 15 to work to their maximum capacity, people are improving and getting best as every practice is filled with strenutimes. We have great captains: Cat ous exercise and swim activity. No one Padgett 13, Robbie Hansen 13, and leaves swim practice without their painful dose of grueling work. Mike Schermerhorn, and the team itself is a great community. Winning comes from training hard; there are no slouches on The players persevere despite injuries. Though the flu has had this team. While practices can be tough, the players feel aca rough spin on almost everyone, it hasnt taken the power out complished after the sweat, blood, and tears are over. Huixen of their stroke this season. Also, none of this could be possible Chen 15 explains, I feel awake and refreshed after every prac- without our great coaches: Ms. Gould, Coach Paul, and Coach tice. All of their hard work and concentrated efforts have been Lyons, Price emphasizes. As for the rest of the season, the proved to pay off. The boys team has lost only one meet. As captains made it clear that the teams main goals are to imfor the girls team, the season is young and any previous losses prove personal times and win for one another.

Featured Film: The Hobbit

By Jack Chase 15
The Hobbit tells an adventure from the Shire to Mount Doom, or there and back again. Bilbo, the protagonist, is enlisted by an old wizard, Gandalf, to go on an odyssey with thirteen rowdy, grumbling, mumbling dwarves. Along the way Bilbo discovers three great treasures. First, after stumbling into the den of three man-eating trolls, he receives an elvish sword, which he eventually names Sting. Second, after running into a shriveled five hundred year-old hobbit, Gollum, in a cave under the Misty Mountains he finds the One Ring. Third, Bilbo is given a shirt of mithril mail worth more than the entire Shire he comes from. Bilbo gives all three of these treasures to his adopted son, Frodo, the star of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Hobbit is a movie adaptation of a book (also titled The Hobbit) written by J.R.R. Tolkien. I had a chance to watch the movie over break, and I have many ideas to share.To start, I absolutely loved The Hobbit in book-form, and I was excited to view director, Peter Jacksons interpretation of the book. Jackson portrayed Tolkiens books, The Lord of the Rings (LOR) trilogy, flawlessly, but like anything there are a few exceptions. The Hobbit is Tolkiens prequel to LOR, explaining the re-finding of the One Ring. It was very good, but still you cant match the original films, says Matt Turner 15. To someone who has not read The Hobbit, I can imagine the movie must have been fantastic. However the movie contained action that was not in the book. Because Jackson decided to extend the book into three movies, he added action scenes that were not mentioned in the text. Although The Hobbit was more action-filled than the book, the movie was great, and I highly reccomend it.

...Jackson portrayed Tolkiens books flawlessly...

On Campus
Ten Questions: Ms. Tirado
By Daria Cenedella 14 Columnist Ms. Tirado is the ringleader for Worcester Academys annual Winter Carnival. She puts all the events together, contacts vendors, runs other student activities, and makes the fun happen! We asked her ten burning questions that were answered with numerous laughs. Q: If you had all the money in the world but still had to have some kind of job, what would you choose to do? A: I would be a chef. Q: If your life were a novel, what would you title it? A: The Best Is Yet To Comeor Unfinished! Q: Describe your favorite food in two words. A: Warm & cheesy! Q: If you could know everything there is to know about one subject, which would it be and why? A: Human nature so I could understand why people are so stupid. (Sometimes.) Q: If the world is a stage, where does the audience sit? A: Somewhere in suspended animation. Q: If you could be a TV show character, who would you be? A: Stewie from Family Guy. Q: Which famous person would you like to be trapped on an island with? A: Someone like Ryan Gosling! Ms. Tirado working on the Hilltop Happenings Photo Courtesy of Liandra Castro 15 Q: If you could meet your future self, what would you ask them? A: What were you thinking? Q: If you could breed a hybrid animal out of any two species, which would you choose? A: A rabbit and a kitty catthat would be extra soft and snuggly. Q: Pirates versus Ninjas? A: Pirates! Arrrr!

By Nicole Mills 15

Campus Ice Rink: Days of Work for Hours of Fun

As the winter season continues and the temperatures de- used by the Worcester Academy community. crease, it is only appropriate to hit the ice for some skating with After the hard work is completed, the rink will be open friends. After roughly sixteen hours of running water through for anyone, at any point in the day. Whether a person has never a garden hose and five straight skated before or happens to be days of below freezing temperaa starter on the Varsity Hockey tures, the campus ice rink will be teams, the rink welcomes all. open for business. With the intenWhatever times during the tions to replicate the classic New day, whether it be during a England Preparatory School look, free period or after school, it is and provide activity to students available. Do not be surprised, both during the academic day and however, if the rink becomes a after school, the ice rink is always common place for faculty kids. open to students and their friends. It has become an accustomed Throughout the winter, spot for hockey and free skate many students might walk by for the children living on camthe quad ice rink and never give pus. The window for skating a second thought to how it got lasts from when the ice freezes there. What students and faculty to roughly the middle of March, do not realize are the long hours so students are advised to take that Mr. Healy and Mr. Mallet put advantage of the opportunity The rink on a cold campus day into providing a campus ice rink. Mr. Healy and Mr. Mallet created. A Photo Courtesy of Kara Banson 13 After those sixteen hours of running sophomore says, I think its a great water out of a hose, it takes about opportunity for people to get out another ten hours to put the ice down to set. Then it requires and have fun especially with their friends and it gives the famifive straight days of below freezing temperatures to completely lies on campus something to do in the winter. Look out for Mr. freeze the rink, which are hard to come by. That is a total of one Healys email as to when the rink opens and be sure to hit the hundred forty six hours needed to set up complete rink to be rink with some friends.

Entertainment

Poll: Sick Survey*

Top 3 Cures for a Cold: 1. Tea 2. Sleep 3. Soup

Who will Taylor Swift date next?

ul l M . r M

59.1% of Hilltoppers prefer Tina Fey over Amy Poehler.

S c o t t Isb

e l le

Har ry Styless cat, Dust y

47.1% of Vig readers thought Les Miserables was the best movie of the year
*Results are out of 94 responses

NARWHALS.
Poems + Short Stories + Photos

LANCE
Submissions due February 14th to lance@worcesteracademy.org

News
Model UN Club: From Students to Diplomatic Lawmakers
By Kara Banson 13
Every Friday during clubs period, students gather action they created and of course throw some mud at the opin Mr. Dagenais room to discuss some of the most controversial posing delegates. The Chairs run the conference and decide and interesting topics that the world faces today. Led by Grant whether the resolution passes or not. Composed by students, Fan 13, Gabe Kates 13, and Claire Liebmann 14 and advised the Chairs also are responsible for distinguishing the delegates by Mr. Dagenais, the Model UN club brings global issues to fowho performed well. Recently, Liebmann won the Elizabeth C. cus and challenges members Hanson Award, which to architect possible resoluacknowledged her tions. During club meetings, as the delegate who students discuss and debate best represented her on a variety of topics ranging countrys perspective. from global warming to North Despite the time and Koreas nuclear proliferaeffort taken to prepare tion. These activities facilitate for the conference, this discussion and encourage is Fans favorite thing. students to view the world During the conference, in a different light. Liebmann he meets different believes that, Model UN students and explains, has allowed me to consider some are semi-awksome of the most important ward, who like to make problems in our world from history jokes, which are different viewpoints and culalways nice to listen to. tures that make up our global The Model UN dynamic. experience helps mo In addition, the meettivate students to beings help prepare the memcome global citizens. bers for the competitions. The length By learning about international Model UN debating during clubs period of the conferences can last from 1 affairs, the members are expandPhoto Courtesy of Katherine Johnson 15 day to the entire weekend. Prior to ing their outlook beyond WA. Kates the competition, the members are enjoys his experience with the club given their assignment and conduct research in order to become because he has a lively interest in foreign policy and strucfamiliar with their topic. At the conference, the students become tured debate and is looking forward to continue Model UN in delegates, who present their viewpoint, advocate for the plant of college.

Vigornia Staff January 28, 2013

Editors-in-Chief
Shona Allen 13 Kara Banson 13 Alexandra DelloStritto 14

Writers
Kyle O Rourke 13 Daria Cenedella 14 Elise Gorzela 14 Hannah Barris 15 Jack Chase 15 Nicole Mills 15 Lucy Ulfelder 15

Photographers
Juliana Bonardi 15 Liandra Castro 15 Emily Isakson 15 Katherine Johnson 15 Julia Washabaugh 15

Advisor
Christina Webb

Arts

Artists of the Month

There are many creative students at WA, so every month the Vigornia will feature a few students for their beautiful creations and hard work.

By Sas

ha Wei

13

By Gabrielle DiBenedetto

13

By Megan

Kralj 15

By Carolin

e Gaudett

e 15

By Olivia Lo

14

If you would like to be featured in next months spotlight, submit pictures to our email, vigornia@worcesteracademy.
Photos Courtesy of Emily Isakson 15

Features

Beard Battle 2013: A Look AT The Competitors

Seor Butler 3 Time Champ Beard Type: Full Beard Categories: Mountain Man/Salt n Pepa

The Categories Work of Art: Most Creative Facial Hair Patches OHoulihan: Most Patchy Beard Salt n Pepa: Best Mixed Coloring I Mustache You a Question:Best Mustache Just Peachy (Peach Fuzz Only) Mountain Man

Vito Capuano 13 PG Wildcard Beard Type: Full Beard Categories: ? (Creative Cut Pending)

Mr. Mull English Teacher Beard Type: Full Beard Category: Mountain Man

Connor Carew 13 Now Accepting Prom Applications Beard Type: Full Beard Category: Mountain Man

Peter DykemanBermingham 14 First Time Participant Beard Type: Muttonchops Category: Work of Art

Photos Courtesy of Alexandra DelloStritto 14