Author: Ayza Ali

Stress Less at the Stress Less Fair

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By Ryan Kersey ’25

For the third year in a row, Wyoming Seminary’s Health and Wellness Center held its Stress Less Fair in the lobby of the Kirby Center for Creative Arts. Tuesday night, October 15, from 6 pm to 8 pm, faculty and students enjoyed everything from massages to giveaways.

This year there were a variety of booths, featuring returning organizations as well as new local resources and businesses. Wyoming Seminary’s very own Metz Cooking Staff servers delicious and healthy refreshments for everyone at the fair to enjoy. The Thaxton Holistic Wellness Center of Scranton provided massages and some local community members brought in their therapy dogs.

Head Therapist and Counselor at Wyoming Seminary and main organizer of the event Laura Kluck said, “We like to host the Stress Less Fair because this gives an opportunity for students to learn different coping skills, learn what agencies are in the area that can help with Mental Health, and it gives students the opportunity to make different tools to help them relax.” Kluck went on to talk about those tools that students could make such as essential oil rollers, stress balls, and journals. Head Nurse and fellow fair organizer, Emily McHugh, echoed Kluck’s words when she said the Stress Less Fair “allows students a space and time to prioritize their mental health.”

McHugh also highlighted the importance of the Stress Less fair when she said “I believe the fair is important as there are not many events for our community geared specifically towards mental health and wellbeing. It aims to be a casual and carefree event in the midst of an otherwise challenging and rigorous environment.”

No matter what kids participated in it is clear this was a stress-free, calm, and caring environment.

Wyoming Seminary Arts Department Hosts Family Weekend Showcase

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By Abby Lott ’25

On Saturday, October 5, the Arts Department showcased Wyoming Seminary’s vast performance opportunities. The showcase took place in the Kirby Center for Creative Arts and was open to all students, faculty, and family who wished to attend.

The Drama Department opened the showcase with a preview of their upcoming performance of Once Upon A Mattress. With the performance running from November 8 through 10, George Malloy ‘28 and Laura Olsen ‘27 had only been working on the show for a few weeks, but nonetheless performed a scene along with their duet “In a Little While.” 

Following the Drama Department’s wonderful performance, the Wyoming Seminary Dance Company performed their beloved number, “Uptown Girl” to the tune by Billy Joel. The number featured company members between the graduating classes of ‘25 and ‘29, including Reece Fisher ‘25 who describes her experience performing as “Joyful!” Further saying that the Arts Showcase is “always a pleasure to perform in. It is so lovely to showcase our hard work within the company to our family and friends before performance season begins.” Contrasting the upbeat number, Senior, and Arts Department representative, Abby Lott ‘25, performed a Lyrical solo, titled “Lullaby,” to the song by Billy Joel. This heart-warming number was created as a tribute to motherhood and the connection between mother and child.

Within the Music Department, the Jazz Ensemble performed a tune called “Now’s The Time” by jazz legend, Charlie Parker, consisting of improvisation opportunities for the musicians. Senior, and Arts Department representative, Tommy Majkowski ‘25 performed a solo in the piece, along with other ensemble members. In addition, the string ensemble performed a work titled “The Lovers’ Waltz,” originally written by Jay Unger and Molly Mason. The composition performed by the ensemble was arranged by Andrew Dabczynski to include strings and harp in the lush melody. Concluding the performance, the Wyoming Seminary Chorale presented two selections of praise and celebration. The first was an adaptation of Mozart’s festive “Alleluia, to Thee We Sing!” and the second was a French setting of the text “Chantez Alleluia!” by Dave and Jean Perry. 

When asked about the importance of the showcase, Jason Sherry, Fine, and Performing Arts Department Chair, said, “It’s always fun to put together because for some of our ensembles, it’s the first time they get a chance to perform in public. It’s also usually the only time that all of our programs get to perform together, which is so special!”

Emphasizing the excitement in the collaboration between ensembles and programs in the department, this weekend was truly a special experience for all who performed and attended. Lots of hard work goes into preparing performances, so it is always nice to see a preview of what the year is going to look like in the department as Wyoming Seminary community members. 

What’s the Best Time to Have Your Free Bell?

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By Teddy Kraus ’25

Everyone loves their free bell. Whether you’re feeling productive and looking to get some homework finished, you’re eager to catch up on conversation with a friend, or you’re tired and just want some time to relax, free bells are objectively awesome. 

The big question is, when’s the best time to have one? With the current schedule, there are five possibilities: the first bell in the morning, the long bell, the bell before lunch, the bell right after lunch, or the last bell of the academic day. After polling over 30 students using a ranked-choice voting system (1st place vote gets 3 points, 2nd place gets 2 points, and 3rd place gets 1 point) here are the results:

First BellLong BellBefore LunchAfter LunchLast Bell
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As you can see, the most popular responses were the long bell, the first bell, and before lunch. Here are the cases for why each spot is the best:

Picture this: you had a busy night and couldn’t get all your homework done for the next day. Lucky for you, you have a long bell free bell. An hour and a half of freedom to get your work done for the day. “When I see a long bell free bell on my schedule,” says Finn Ruderman, ‘25, “I can’t explain the feeling of elation that courses through my body. I can finish a whole movie, I can write a whole essay, or even hit the court with my boys. The possibilities are endless within an hour and a half.” Students love having the extra time to do whatever they want.

When you’re dismissed from class at noon, and all you want is lunch, it’s a dejecting feeling to see such a long line in Fleck Hall. With the free bell before lunch, you don’t have to worry about that line at all. Since lunch opens at 11:10, and everyone else has class, you essentially have the whole lunch room to yourself. “It’s like a long bell, but with food,” says Lucy Ruiz ‘25. Students can eat lunch before the crowd hits and then have until the next class at 1:10 to get some work done. 

What’s better than more sleep? With the first bell free, you can sleep in for an extra 50 minutes and feel energized. John Redington ‘26 strongly agrees: “It sets me up for a productive day. With the extra sleep, I feel like I can conquer the world. It’s like a slingshot.” You also miss the morning rush and don’t have to worry about traffic, avoiding the stressful situations that can come on other days without the first bell free. 

Every time has its perks, but it’s up to you to make the most of them. So, what’s the best time to have your free bell? That’s up to you to decide.