Wyvern Invitational A Cappella Festival Now Spans Two Nights KO’s Wyvern Invitational A Cappella Festival (WIAF), the largest independent high school a cappella festival in New England, has become so popular it is now held over two nights. The eighth annual WIAF on Jan. 8-9, 2016, attracted 14 groups with more than 200 singers from high schools in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Hundreds more watched the competition in a sold-out Roberts Theater or at home, via livestream. Two KO singers were among the top award winners: Carolyn McCusker ’17 was named Outstanding Female Soloist, while Josh Pugliese ’16 came in second in the People’s Choice Beatbox Competition, through which viewers in the audience and on the livestream feed voted for their favorite beatboxer. Proceeds from the event, which were earmarked for Team Tobati, totaled $13,000; combined with proceeds from Ryan Gordon ’05 Hockey Night, also held on Jan. 9, more than $19,000 was raised for Team Tobati during that one weekend. “Every year, this festival reminds me why KO is the great community that we know and love,” said History and Creative Arts teacher David Baker ’04, director of the WIAF. “The WIAF is a celebration of artistry, but it’s also a celebration of community – the KO community, the West Hartford community, the New England community, and, considering our connection to Paraguay, the global community.”
(WIAF Boys) Beatboxer Josh Pugliese ’16 (crouching, lower right hand corner) and the Crimson 7 performed “Uptown Funk” at the 8th annual WIAF in January 2016.
Carolyn McCusker ’17 was named Outstanding Female Soloist for her rendition of “Valerie.” KO SUMMER 2016
New Faces at KO 2015
Debbie Fiske Director of Athletics Debra Baer Fiske, the Associate Athletic Director at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, was named KO’s new Athletic Director and began work in August 2015. The starting point guard on the UConn women’s basketball team from 198892, Fiske has worked at St. Joe’s for 22 years, first as the Fitness Director and coach of the tennis and basketball teams, and then acquiring additional and more diverse responsibilities over time. As Associate Athletic Director, she has managed USJ’s fitness, recreation, and intramural programs, including the O’Connell Athletic Center, and has worked with coaches, athlete recruitment, scheduling, NCAA compliance, and the overall strategic direction of the school’s athletic program. “Debbie is joining our community at a time of real excitement about our athletic program,” said Head of School Dennis Bisgaard. “Her deep and versatile experience is the perfect match for KO at this point in our history, as we focus on significant physical improvements to our athletic facilities, strengthening our interscholastic competition, and deliberately articulating the importance of lifelong fitness as an integral part of our academic program.”
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