With so many Jefferson students and some staff members relying on Ion, it is crucial that it is maintained properly. In an effort to recruit a dedicated team of students to manage the technology and services frequently used by students and staff alike, Jefferson’s Computer System Lab (CSL) opened its doors to eager students. Over the course of several 8th period blocks, the Student System Administrators—also known as the Sysadmins—led over one hundred ambitious students through an involved, three stage plan involving initial interest, training and final recruitment in becoming part of the Understudy Program.
Upon completion of the application form, a selected group of students become understudies. Throughout the rest of the school year, the understudies receive the opportunity to explore the ins and outs of position.
“We will be giving them assignments to do, [and teach] them about software and hardware. At the end of the understudy program, they will apply to become a full Sysadmin,” senior lead Sysadmin Alan Zhu said.
Over a decade old, the Sysadmin Understudy program fosters a clever and encouraging dynamic. With countless memories, the program is one of the major stepping stones to become a Sysadmin.
“I just like the community,” Deshpande said. “There [are] lots of nice people who all like to mess around with computers and occasionally break [things] and fix [them].”
Due to the limited time that an understudy has to explore what the job of a Sysadmin is like, there are certain traits that the Sysadmins look for the most in their understudies.
“It is impossible to know them all [in] just brief time until May. The biggest [trait] that we look for is the willingness to learn,” sophomore Sysadmin Aarush Deshpande said.
The understudy program is an opportunity to learn directly from Sysadmins. The program gives students a chance to gain practical experience and develop future career goals.
“The program will definitely help me if I choose to go into an area of computer science,” freshman Dipisha Subedi said. “Understanding the aspects of a website such as Ion [and] how it’s successfully monitored and documented [is important].”
On an individual level, the understudies get the opportunity to explore the systems and applications that the Sysadmins manage, within reason. This allows them to reach personal milestones along the way. They also receive recognition for their efforts and original ideas.
“I did a lot of Ion stuff when I was an understudy,” Zhu said. “For example, one of the projects I did was changing the calendar formatting on the schedule and events page.”
However, the large time commitment is one of the less appealing aspects of the understudy role. On top of academic and extracurricular responsibilities, this is a daunting addition. Deadlines are not flexible due to the constant demands of the computer lab.
“[Being an understudy is] a pretty significant time commitment,” Zhu said. “[It involves] getting things fixed if something breaks, responding to requests.”
Taking on the responsibility comes with high expectations and a sense of trust across the board. It is crucial to limit access and protect the fragility of the expensive equipment.
“Beyond these doors, there [are] lots of sensitive [things] and it has to be secured. The door is usually closed and locked, [so] members have cards to get in,” Deshpande said.
At the end of the day, the experience is most definitely rewarding. It teaches life skills, such as resilience and problem solving, which are useful in any field.
“From what I saw, it showed you the [opportunity] you have,” Subedi said.”[It is] guiding you to find the path that is meant for you.”