Author: Francesca Ramos

GoodKnight Great Hall: Covid Concerns

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GoodKnight Great Hall: Covid Concerns

By Cole Rees ‘21

 

Wyoming Seminary held the #1 ranked wrestling team in the nation last year. This year, the school has yet to open its training facility, the Great Hall, to the boys’ team. This is due to the lack of Covid regulations needed by either the National Federation of High School Associations or the National Prep Wrestling League.

Boys’ team usually had practiced in the Great Hall (Photo by Beau Bartlett ‘20)

Being unable to use the wrestling room on campus has made it difficult for the team to get much-needed training time. However, the coaching staff was able to find an off-campus training site that the team is currently using. Having to travel off-campus for practice is less than ideal for the team’s mostly boarding population. It has been doable in good weather, but the trip could begin to cause issues with the weather getting colder. With boarders not allowed in vehicles and the Great Hall still closed, they must walk to and from practice in upcoming frigid temperatures, rain, and snow. 

The team has remained cheerful and considerate through this process. Current Sem wrestler and border, Dylan Zenion ’23, stated, “Although it makes life a little harder, as long as we can wrestle, I’m okay with it. Although I hope we can get in Great Hall before the winter hits.” Teammate Andrew Donahue ’22 stated similar thoughts when asked how the process has affected him, “It’d be nice to be in Great Hall, I miss it. I understand the school’s thought process, but what’s the difference if we’re training off-campus or on? I feel [bad] for the boarders who have to walk in bad weather conditions.” 

Health should come to the mind of the Sem Administration when making decisions about opening Great Hall in the near future. Wrestlers typically leave practice soaked from sweat and extremely tired. If winter hits and if Great Hall is still closed borders will have to walk over a mile back to campus in icy temperatures while wet, causing health concerns.

Regarding the school’s Covid Regulations and the responsibility the wrestling team has to follow, Head Coach Scott Green stated, “It is a big responsibility for teens to bear, but it is the situation we are in. This type of pressure is part of the package when you belong to the best high school wrestling program in the country.” Efforts to open Great Hall back up for the boys are still underway.

Sem Boys Wrestling Team 2019-2020
(Photo by Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)

Student Life During COVID-19

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Student Life During COVID-19

By Bridget Gabriel ‘21

Harry Shafer ‘00 looks somber after being captured by excited students two minutes prior to the end of the game (Photo courtesy of @/Semstudentlife on Instagram)

 

Wyoming Seminary’s Upper School began its 177th year without its boarding community that traditionally makes up around 40% of its population due to COVID-19. Students began moving into dorms the weekend of October 3, but residential life has looked unfamiliar. 

Day students have been told that they aren’t allowed to be on campus during weekends. Weekend activities, walks around campus, and socially distant gatherings aren’t permitted for day students, but they can attend weekend sporting events to support the Blue Knights. 

These restrictions hit the Upper School community hard. Ryder Kunin, senior and Carpenter RA, expresses the frustration these regulations bring, “From a dormer standpoint, we are restricted from a lot of things that day students are free to do. I can’t see day students on or off-campus, or venture farther than a mile away from campus, while day students are free to travel to other counties and states with seemingly no restrictions.”

Restrictions go even further within the dorms to keep students safe amidst the pandemic. Kunin continues, “It definitely hasn’t been as enjoyable of a year in comparison to others. We are unable to hang out in one another’s rooms, and that’s been a tough blow to everyone’s social lives. We are able to distantly lounge in common areas, and that’s helped keep connection(s) within the dorms. Of course, we realize why this has to be done, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating.” 

The frustration does not end with borders. Kate O’Brien ’21 is a day student whose friend group is heavily made up of her teammates of the wrestling team at Sem, the majority of whom are borders. She expresses the ways these restrictions have affected her team dynamic, saying, “This year I have to leave right after practices and don’t get to spend time with my team because they are all borders. I look forward to weekend activities because they give students a chance to hang out without all of the stress that surrounds us during the school day. Since day students are not allowed on campus on the weekends, time to hang out with those people has been hard to find.”

Behind the scenes of event planning, Director of Student Life Harry Shafer ’00 has been hard at work to unite the communities safely. This past weekend 100 students participated in a classic Sem event that was revived after four years. Capture the Faculty was the first event of the academic year to involve both communities. “Tonight is the big test,” Shafer said concerning the event, “If things run smoothly tonight, then we will likely continue with having specific on-campus activities where day students are welcome. If that goes well, then we can start to open up more.”

This hopefully provides hope to the Sem community for more on-campus social interaction for both borders and day students. Students are frustrated by the restrictions COVID-19 presented, but faculty are trying to create events that unite students while prioritizing safety.   

How Social Platforms Are Connecting Sem Through Challenges and Virtual Activities

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Students participate in a drive-by birthday

How Social Platforms Are Connecting Sem Through Challenges and Virtual Activities

By Shane Holcombe ’23 and Maddie Olshemski ’23

During a time of great uncertainty, the Wyoming Seminary community exemplified the True, the Beautiful, and the Good by reaching out to one another through social platforms. Through Zoom calls, lifestyle challenges, virtual school spirit, and appreciation for Sem staff, students and faculty thought out of the box to stay as connected as possible.

 Zoom chats revolutionized SEMs education and online interaction community. Teachers had to adapt their plans for their classes as well as how they present their course material to their students. After interviewing Mrs. Swaback, Dean of the Class of 2023, and Geometry teacher, one message was clear: students weren’t alone in navigating online learning issues. Mrs. Swaback said, “Teachers had minimal time to prepare for online classes, which led to lots of experimenting in learning strategies.” While experimenting with online learning, teachers used feedback from their students to expand on what was working and cut down on what wasn’t. Mrs. Mozeleski, Dean of the Class of 2021 and the Head Athletic Trainer, said in an interview that it is “traumatizing walking through campus without the usual energy.” 

Like the teachers, students adapted throughout the spring trimester. Some students have enjoyed the amount of free time online learning has provided, however many miss the excitement and structure of a normal school day. Freshman Alex Inhyuk Kang ‘23 in an interview said, “I liked that I had more time to do homework. However, it is really boring to study alone. My friends and I created a Zoom group chat and just talk about how we’re doing.” Friends have turned to Zoom to stay connected and to all be together with one another. The Sem community also used Zoom for movie nights together and the summer send-off assembly. Friends have not only interacted online but also got creative to see their peers in person. For example, drive-by birthday parties have brought friends together to celebrate a special day.

Athletic teams have bonded through online meetings and challenges. Athletes have made the best out of their situation with at-home workout videos with their teams and DIY gyms with objects as simple as water jugs. Football player Edwin Lora said in a text exchange, “I don’t have any weights in my house like many others do so I have to work with what I have.” Well deserved awards were still given out through coaches’ videos, which brought teams together. Sem athletes are training constantly to be ready when the time comes to resume their sports.