Author: Ivy Miller

Wyoming Seminary Arts Showcase

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By Abby Ryu ‘26

After a short exciting spirit week, Friday evening marked Wyoming Seminary music department’s annual Arts Showcase in the Kirby Center for Creative Arts (KCCA). The audience experienced a wide variety of performances: from complicated classical pieces to fun dances.

The evening started off with a preview of this year’s fall musical, Guys and Dolls. In the scene presented, Nathan Detroit (Benecio Carpentier ‘24) argues with his long-term fiancée, Adelaide (Lily Roberti ‘24), about her strong desire to get married and his gambling habits, when she finds out about his crap game from her friend Mimi (Molly Kopetchny ‘24). As the argument ends, Adelaide, left to wallow alone about the lack of her wedding, sings popular, and fittingly-titled, showtune “Adelaide’s Lament.” The three senior cast members truly wowed the audience with their performance, leaving them looking forward to the full performance, which will be presented in the KCCA on November 4, 5, and 6. 

Following the musical preview, the string ensemble performed three pieces: modern lyrical piece Autumn Vows, by Susan H. Day, along with well-known classical pieces by Johannes Brahms, Hungarian Dance no 5 and Hungarian Dance no 6. Although they were perhaps more challenging, avid string ensemble member and cello player Hannah Salesky ‘26 enjoyed playing Hungarian Dance no 5 and Hungarian Dance no 6: “I really liked the numerous stops and tempo changes that required players to be playing close attention. It sounded really cool when it worked.”

The SEM dance company performed two selections for the audience to enjoy. First, senior Molly Kopetchny performed the re-structured solo-version of her self-choreographed modern lyrical piece to “Stay Gold.” Senior Lucy Lew, junior Abby Lott, and freshman Grace Rushmer followed with an up-beat tap dance to “Fireball,” choreographed by tap teacher Raphael Cooper. The audience was left thoroughly impressed by both pieces, although in different ways. Kopetchny’s graceful emotion was intensely moving while the sparkling energy of “Fireball” emitted thrills of excitement.

The night was wrapped up with two pieces by the Chorale. The first, titled “Shule Aroon,” is an arrangement of an Irish folk tune, sung from the perspective of a woman lamenting a lover who has gone to war. The second, titled “Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe” is a celebratory Swahili spiritual about the love of god. New member Chloe Caputo ‘26 specifically noted “Even with newer members like myself and it being early in the school year, we were able to put together two arrangements that ended up going well.”

Sit Down! SEM Drama prepares “Guys and Dolls”

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By Benecio Carpentier ‘24

Theater season is in full swing, so it only makes sense that SEM Drama is on the homestretch for November’s performance of ‘Guys and Dolls.” The iconic Broadway show, based on the short stories of American writer Damon Runyon, has been performed across the world since its 1950 opening run. The classic show about New York gamblers and dancing damsels hasn’t been performed at Wyoming Seminary since 1996. 

“Guys and Dolls” follows Benecio Carpentier ‘24 as gambling ringmaster Nathan Detroit challenging big-time better Sky Masterson, played by David Getz ‘24, to a bet over Sky’s ability to woo conservative mission worker Sarah Brown, portrayed by Rachel Lewis ‘25. As Sky becomes stuck between his betting ways and his love for Sarah, Nathan struggles with his own romance with ditzy dancer Adelaide, performed by Lily Roberti ‘24, and his reluctance to marry her after fourteen years. 

Supporting cast members include Ari Froelich ‘24 as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Michael Vodzak ‘24 as Benny Southstreet, Kathryn Eidam ‘27 as Big Jule, Abby Whitby ‘24 as Major Abernathy, Chloe Caputo ‘26 as General Cartwright, Harry Xu ‘25 as Rusty Charlie, and Matias Tollinen ‘25 as Harry the Horse. The show’s soundtrack, composed by legend Frank Loesser, includes timeless songs like “Fugue for Tinhorns”, “Adelaide’s Lament”, and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin the Boat.”

Abby Whitby ‘24 gave her thoughts on how different the musical experience for “Guys and Dolls” has been compared to last year’s “Bright Star”; Whitby said, “…going through the big ensemble numbers in the first rehearsals was good, because we could get it down easier, the stuff that was easier to learn.” Technical Director Floyd Bussie, Jr. worked in tandem with Director Jason Sherry ‘91 to design and construct the set pieces for the show’s Broadway setting.  

Homecoming Week

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 By McKayla Williams ‘24

Wyoming Seminary’s campus was packed with students, alumni, and parents alike for homecoming weekend this year.  From the homecoming dance, to alumni events to a pep rally at the lower school, both campuses were filled with activities and loads of Sem spirit that persisted even through rainy weather.

Students started off strong showing their pride during spirit week. On Thursday they went all out with wigs, tutus, boas, costumes and more in their society colors for points, and on Friday they took part in a class competition donning blue and white.  

The football team led Wyoming Seminary to victory against St. Francis’s regional team on October 14th while they were cheered on from the bleachers. The Sem community came out to support the football team despite the cold and rainy conditions and helped celebrate their win. “Seeing friends and family cheer you on when battling through tough games can make a huge difference,” Edwin Lora ‘24 states. “It means a lot to some people on the field.” At halftime the alumni service award was given to two extraordinary students, Lucy Lew ‘24 and Paul Stevenson ‘24. Sem’s Blue Knights finished off the game with a score of 7-6 ringing in the third victory of the season. 

Even down at the lower school students were included in the homecoming festivities with a pep rally run by upper school students. They kicked off the weekend Friday morning by welcoming the parents in the car line and later throwing shirts and rally towels into the crowd. During the pep rally lower school students were encouraged to attend the homecoming game to help bridge the gap between the two Sem campuses. “Many of the students who started at the upper school didn’t realize there was a lower school just three miles down the road,” Ms. Cinti, who organized the pep rally and many other events on campus, said. By including the lower school in homecoming, not only did they create a tighter knit community but showed the younger students what they had to look forward to when they reached the upper school. “The lower school students love when the high schoolers come to visit. It feels like they have big brothers and sisters.” Several lower school students came out to support the team for their homecoming game. 

Past students joined in on the campus festivities as well. Sem alumni celebrated their own class reunions while parents met with teachers and dorm heads to get a better understanding of what students experience here at Wyoming Seminary. Alums enjoyed a reception on back campus while the students held their homecoming dance in the Blue Gym. There they enjoyed music, snacks, and most importantly, the time they spent with their friends and classmates for their 2023 homecoming. Sem’s community including faculty, staff, parents, and students both past and present showed up to celebrate homecoming and demonstrate that, rain or shine, the pride of the Blue Knights shine through.