Author: Francesca Ramos

Students hard at work during Sem Day of Service 2019.

Community, Love, Heart

By Sophia Galante ‘22

Community service is always a special thing. It brings people together and provides a sense of accomplishment and pride to a person in a way only good deeds can. At Wyoming Seminary, we know this to be true, and nothing captures the warm and loving feeling of our Sem community than our annual Service Day. This year’s Day of Service was one of the best, for it not only was a beautiful day for clean-ups and outdoor service work but the love and kindness forever touched the people of the greater community of our small section of Northeastern Pennsylvania Sem spread all over.

Holly Egbert ‘23, a freshman this year, experienced her first Service Day: “Service Day was so much fun this year! I went to Riverside Parks, and our job was to clean up garbage near the waterfront. I drive past the park all the time and never gave it much thought. Spending time there are cleaning the environment made me realize what a beautiful place it can be!” Holly is one of many Sem students who were genuinely touched by how little needs to be done in order to make a small section of the community beautiful. Some students remained on campus and helped within the Sem community to make Sem better. Organizing costumes and helping different departments in the school were huge roles taken by many. Others went to places such as St. Joseph’s, Mcauley House, and Headstart centers to interact one-on-one with people of the community.
No matter the year, Sem always seems to have an excellent Service Day. The amount of love, energy and commitment put into the projects this year was unfathomable, and the support from the entirety of the Sem community was overwhelming. As a whole, Sem is a community that is like no other and can create a beautiful day surrounded by one of the essential lessons in life, which is community service. Here is to an amazing one, and to many more to come! Well done, Sem.

Sarah Casey ’06 performing soprano aria, “Les Oiseaux Dans La Charmille,” from Jacques Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann 

Sem Alumni Return to Campus for Musical Performance

By Aishani Chauhan ’20

On Sunday, September 22, dozens of alumni who have distinguished themselves in the music industry flew in from around the globe to Wyoming Seminary’s campus in Kingston, PA, to participate in a musical showcase celebration in honor of our great institution’s 175th anniversary. To put it simply, it was nothing short of spectacular.

Among the alumni were European international singers, classical piano artists, people who have performed in professional operas, symphony orchestras, and even written songs for famous rappers (including Snoop Dogg), and had successful rap careers themselves. To call the solo performances of returning alumni “great” would be an understatement.

One performance that garnered many laughs, gasps, and claps were by Sarah Casey ’06, a professional opera singer currently working in Vienna, Austria. She performed a magnificent soprano aria, “Les Oiseaux Dans La Charmille,” from Jacques Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann, portraying the beautiful doll Olympia. However, Olympia must be rewound frequently due to her mechanical gears in order to keep singing the aria. When Sarah needed to be “rewound,” to the audience’s surprise, it was none other than our own Mr. John Vaida Sr. who ran onstage and “wound” Sarah again so she could keep singing, while the audience burst into thunderous applause and joyous laughter.

Other alumni performers included in the program were Dwight Farrell ’91, Tyler Harvey ’13, Scott Edmunds ’14, Adam Rinehouse ’15, Emma Dong ’16, John Vaida ’00, Sarah Casey ’06, Dominick D’Alessandro ’17, Dylan Jolley ’17, Grant Mech ’01, Jeffrey Martin ’77, Sienna Tabron ’15, Molly Allen ’11, Scott Kwiateck ’13, Matthew Blom ’12, Dawn-Marie Candlish ’04, Harrison Russin ’05, and Jason Sherry ’91.

To conclude the celebration, the Wyoming Seminary Madrigal Singers, Chorale, and all the alumni graced the stage together and sang the school’s Alma Mater. An audience full of alumni rose to their feet and sang the words they knew so well and held close to their hearts. Throughout the auditorium, one could hear the love, fondness, and respect our alumni and current students have for our institution. It was surreal—members of Mr. Vaida’s first-ever Madrigal Singers group performing alongside current Madrigal Singers, and all at once. One could view Wyoming Seminary’s artistic past, present, and future and the clear journey our music department has undergone—from having one room and a single piano to having multi-million dollar state of the art facilities to cultivate the world’s future leaders in the performing arts.

Introducing Sem’s Japanese Anime Club

By Cosette Zhou ‘21

Anime (アニメ) refers to hand-drawn and computer animation originating from or associated with Japan. Since the 21st century, the wave of Japanese anime has never subsided. Nowadays, most people believe that anime is just an entertainment tool. However, it has a more profound significance. 

Anime finally entered the Wyoming Seminary Upper School campus in 2019. Yuwei (Emily) Chen, a sophomore, has established a new club at Sem called Japanese Anime Club. Because Emily Chen is such an anime enthusiast, she stated during the first club meeting on September 19, 2019, “I establish this club because of interest.” Nonetheless, interest is not the only reason for this club. 

“I feel like I am in a different world when I watch a good anime. I get lost in what I am watching,” said Emily. “I am not the one who usually dabbles in escapism. I love living in the moment, but it is just something about anime that makes it okay to get away mentally.” Many students, having tons of schoolwork and not being mature enough to digest all the pressure, can feel that life at Sem is stressful, but anime enables them to view the world differently. The aesthetic, natural, and fresh style can convey the harmony of heaven, earth, and man. The philosophies behind some anime can touch the depth of the human soul and can inspire students to think about life honestly. After watching an excellent piece of anime, one will feel oneself out of squalor and noise and regain the impetus to move forward. Just as Spirited Away, a popular anime worldwide, says, “No matter how hard the road is ahead, just go in the right direction. No matter how rough it is, it is closer to happiness than standing there.” ​​​​Many people love anime because the plot and the lines are always inspirational. Emily also told The Opinator, “Something that can relieve our minds and encourage us at the same time is exactly what we need.”

The Opinator hopes that Japanese Anime Club will be a successful club at Sem and that it will convey life lessons and Japanese culture to Sem students!