Author: Ivy Miller

Introducing Sem’s Newest Class Dean: Mrs. Gensel

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Photo courtesy of Mrs. Gensel

By Kate Getz ’21

Entering the 2020-2021 school year, Wyoming Seminary will be introducing a new class dean for the Class of 2024: Mrs Jessica Gensel. Mrs. Gensel has been teaching at Sem for the past four years. She is from Chengdu, China, and came to the U.S. seven years ago to get her Ed.M degree from Harvard. As a passionate, positive, open minded, modest, lifelong learner and world traveler, Mrs. Gensel loves teaching Mandarin because she gets to show people what China is really like while learning more about her own culture. Additionally, she enjoys learning about the cultures that her students come from. While taking on the new class dean position, she will continue to teach traditions, customs, modern technology, social changes, and slang, all of her favorite topics to cover in class.

What is something most people do not know about you? 

“I have an extensive collection of magnets from places I have been to. I love arts and contemporary dance. I am an only child in my family and the only one from my whole extended family to be in the U.S. (as of now).”

What are some of your favorite things about Sem? 

“I love how students and faculty from diverse backgrounds can interact with each other and grow together with genuine love, care, and respect – the International Assembly, student and faculty supporting teams on the bleachers at every game, Dance Marathon, Service Day. Little things/moments: saying hi to each other, hold[ing] the door for each other, etc.”  

What was your favorite part about virtual learning? Least favorite?

“[My favorite part was] seeing my students and their rather creative virtual backgrounds and being able to give more conference time to certain students.”

“It was not fun seeing students falling behind because they are overwhelmed and sitting and staring at the computer for way too long.” 

In the scenario that we have to go back to online learning, what changes would you make to your teaching approach? What changes would you make to your class dean approach? 

“[In terms of teaching], I want to give more mini learning tasks to help students internalize new subject content. I also aim to provide students with a self-reflective survey at the end of each unit not only to help them reflect on their own learning but also to collect timely feedback, so I can make changes to my teaching accordingly.”

“[As class dean] my goal is to maintain close communication with my cohort and their families through emails, phone calls, texts, as well as use Google form to collect individual feedback from students. Also arranging zoom meetings with students who might need additional help.”

What part of being a dean are you looking forward to the most? 

“Getting to know more students and helping them when needed to the best of my ability. I am also excited to be working with other amazing members of the deans team.”

Next year is going to be difficult and confusing as we continue dealing with the virus. What are some of your plans and goals in guiding the freshman class through their last year at Sem? 

“I have a lot of approaches planned: organizing a freshmen student panel mid-end of July to offer incoming freshmen important information and “survival tips,” providing a back to school checklist in early August to students and their families so they are not overwhelmed during the registration week, arranging a meet and greet with each freshman to get to know each other at the beginning of the fall trimester, maintaining ongoing communications with teachers and advisors to keep track of students’ academic progress and EXCOLO involvement, utilizing class meetings as a time for housekeeping items and class culture establishment and strengthening, and arranging meetings with individual students and their families when needed.” 

What were some of your favorite quarantine activities? 

“Watching the TV shows Blacklist and Unsolved Mysteries and the movies Ford v. Ferrari and I Still Believe, reading Fresh Fruit and Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States, and singing/karaoking!” 

Is cereal a soup or a salad? Please explain your answer.  

“If I have to choose one, I’d say salad. It is by itself dry (thus it won’t be soup unless combined with milk) and usually has different elements in it (flakes, dried fruit, nuts), thus more like a salad (because salad usually has different components).” 

Please provide as much information about your dogs and cats as possible.

“Felix. He is the real boss of the house. He is a little over a year old and is a white and fluffy mini poodle. He is smarter than any humans living in our house, and because of his intelligence and cute face he can pretty much get away with anything. His masterpieces include: chewed up tables and chairs, three of my slippers and countless no-longer-stuffed stuffed animals with missing body parts. He is very social and loves giving out kisses. He has taught me the lesson of perseverance: he never gives up chasing after squirrels and bunnies or any moving objects. He never gives up begging for more food/treat 5 seconds after his meal. His favorite toy is always the toy you play with him the most. He has many very, very interesting sleep posts. I am in the process of creating a collage for him.”

If you had to eat one food every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

“Chicken strawberry poppyseed salad, and I think it will give me enough nutrients to actually live a long and healthy life.”

The Opinator and COVID-19: An Introduction to the Edition

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By Shailee Desai ’21

Two years ago, in celebration of the 175th anniversary of Wyoming Seminary, The Opinator interviewed Mrs. Gail Smallwood, Sem’s Associate Director of Communications. “The overall resiliency of the Wyoming Seminary community is demonstrated over and over again,” said Mrs. Smallwood in reference to Sem’s strength after the financial booms and panics of the 1800’s, the Fire of 1853, the Civil War, World War I and II, and Hurricane Agnes. “The mission of the school continues to energize us and keep us going.”

At the time, neither Mrs. Smallwood nor the Sem community was aware that in just two years, our school would face another test of resiliency: a global pandemic. After erupting in the spring of 2020, COVID-19 has spread to almost every corner of the world, infecting over 23 million people and killing over 800,000. Schools and colleges have been shut down for months, while their students remain at home resuming their classes through virtual methods. Countries have declared national emergencies, and cities have declared lockdowns after shutting down their stores, businesses, and restaurants. Friends and families in quarantine have been separated from their loved ones for months, and the future of the virus still remains uncertain.

Through this, however, the resiliency of the Sem community has yet again shone through; after being separated and quarantined for over five months, Sem students will begin their return to campus on September 8, which will mark the commencement of an untraditional and unprecedented school year.

To both mark the historical importance of this pandemic and to celebrate Sem’s spirit and strength despite the challenges the virus has brought, The Opinator has compiled the first ever summer edition of the newspaper in school history. Containing five articles (including this introduction), the edition will cover sports and the pandemic, Sem’s newest class deans, and misinformation revolving around the virus. We hope you enjoy and remain safe and healthy before we reconvene in just a few weeks.

-The Opinator Staff

Introducing Sem’s Newest Class Dean: Dr. Penland

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By Kate Getz ’21

Entering the 2020-2021 school year, Wyoming Seminary will be introducing a new class dean for the Class of 2021: Dr. Elizabeth Penland. Affectionately known amongst students as Dr. P, she has been teaching Latin at Sem for the past two years. She is an effervescent polyglot, animal parent, secret-phone-game-fanatic, and plant lover, and Dr. P loves teaching Latin because she loves the language and the chance to unfold the interests and curiosities of the students who sign up for the course. Her Latin students should shed no tears at her new position, however, because she will still be teaching Latin at the honors and AP level; Mrs. Morgan Howard-Penland will be teaching Latin I and II.

What is something most people do not know about you? 

“I speak about 13 languages, not fluently, but I have basic knowledge of the following languages: English, Spanish, German, Latin, Coptic, Syriac, Greek, Armenian, Middle Egyptian, Medieval German, Medieval Dutch, Arabic, and Italian.”

What are some of your favorite things about Sem? 

“I really like the service attitude at Sem and the focus on both community service and service to others. I really love the little things about the dining hall that no one else may like, but I see it as an opportunity to see people and foster community. I have been welcomed really warmly at Sem, and even though I have only been here two years, I feel like I am a part of everything. I also just love getting to know my awesome students. And the motto is in Latin! How could you not love that?”

What was your favorite part about virtual learning? Least favorite?

“[My favorite part was that] because we were more digital, we got to use a lot of different tools that I had not used before, so I really enjoyed that. Just seeing people was fun at a point because it was nice to have social interaction of any kind. Every time we saw each other was special for me.”

“[My least favorite part was] probably just the overall lack of connection and how exhausting it was to be online all the time.” 

In the scenario that we have to go back to online learning, what changes would you make to your teaching approach and class dean approach? 

“Everyone has their own online teaching style. My upper level classes hit a good rhythm during the spring where people had time to engage with the material and the opportunity to process it. I would love to do more of that because it was useful to see how students were handling the material. I also may use more small group features to check in with technical questions. We are also getting rid of the textbook for Latin honors.”

“[As class dean] what I want the seniors to know is that my office is always open. I want to find times to see people to hear about things quickly. I’m here for the academic, the personal, the existential, everything. This has been true for my Latin students, and it is especially true for all of the seniors in the upcoming year. I want to make sure that people are being heard.”

What part of being a dean are you looking forward to the most? 

“I am looking forward to helping students solve problems in any capacity I can while looking at both the big picture stuff and all of the small pieces of the Sem experience.”

Next year is going to be difficult and confusing as we continue dealing with the virus. What are some of your plans and goals in guiding the senior class through their last year at Sem? 

“My biggest goal is connecting us. I really want to find ways to feel like we are in touch with each other. I want us to have group activities, maybe small group by choice activities or a rotating set of people, so they not only form class identity and cohesion but also connect with each other. I am very open to ideas about how we can do this. I want to make sure the senior class experiences togetherness and the ability to be the leaders at Sem. I also am very confident in my thought that seniors need both a cookie and nap at all times.”  

What were some of your favorite quarantine activities? 

“Reading mystery novels, watching anything on the Britbox channel and Disney Plus, particularly ‘Pick of the Litter’, cooking nostalgic foods that Mrs. P and I had not had in a while, and definitely ordering takeout once it was available because we were sick of cooking.”

Is cereal a soup or a salad? Please explain your answer.  

“Cereal is clearly cake because everything is cake right now.”

Please provide as much information about your dogs and cats as possible.

“[We have] Lucie and Lola, who are Gemini and twins, one-year old Morkies (Maltese/Yorkie). They like playing, walks, and chicken bacon and do not like bedtimes, bath times, or being told not to bark. Pansy, Imogen, and Draco are Gemini rescue cats, [from the] same litter, 9 years old, and part Bengal. They like water, treats, and windowsills. [They] do not like dogs, vacuum cleaners, and road trips. Tiki, who is a new-to-us rescue chihuahua, was fostered by the Maxwells in Pittston where she met Lucie and Lola at a playgroup. [She is] 13 years old and sassier than anything. She likes walks, playtime, and snoozing on her blanket and does not like crates, nosy Morkies when she’s sleeping, or being kicked off the sofa.”

If you had to eat one food every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

“Some form of chicken fried rice. Always.”