Author: Ivy Miller

World Cup Unites Sem Students

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By Parker Mosely ’23

The 2022 FIFA World Cup took place in the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar, and it was the first time that the World Cup was held in November and December, rather than the traditional June and July. 32 teams from across the globe descended upon Qatar to compete for the coveted title of World Cup champions.

Lionel Messi, one of the world’s greatest soccer players, was able to lead Argentina to their first world cup win since 1986. Many Sem students stated that their favorite moment was  “Messi conquering his final peak.” With this win, Messi now has won every major tournament in the soccer world. Three Argentinian players won individual awards as well. Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball (World Cup MVP), Emiliano Martinez won the Golden Glove (Best Goalie), and Enzo Fernandez won the FIFA Young Player (Best Player 21 Years Old or Younger). Kylian Mbappe of France also solidified himself as one of the greatest players in the world leading France to second place. He had a hat trick in the world cup final becoming the second player to ever accomplish this feat and he did it at only 23 years old. He also came home with this year’s Golden Boot (Highest Goal Scorer).

The Sem community supported the event in full force. Watching the games on Pablo Casla’s ‘26 laptop at lunch, watching the final in the SLRC,  blasting “World Cup” by Speed, and hearing “Suuuuuiiiiiiii!!!!” throughout the entire campus, this year’s World Cup was electric on Sem’s campus. 

Sem’s unique trait of having borders from all over the world is what made the World Cup so special. 14 of the 32 world cup countries are represented within the Sem community. Alex Kang ‘23, who saw South Korea defeat Portugal and Ronaldo in the 91st minute said “I was excited and never knew that it was gonna happen”. The mix of emotions in the game was high for many Sem students. 

The ongoing desire for a Messi vs Ronaldo final led many students to cheer for Portugal and when South Korea won, emotions were at an all time high. No one knew what upset was going to come next. Dino Perusko ‘24  was able to see Croatia’s best player, Luka Modric, play in what will most likely be his final World Cup. Perusko said, “When the score was 1-0 for Brazil and only 5 minutes left until the end I already lost any hope, but then Croatia had a huge comeback. Watching the penalties at lunch with everyone else watching and Croatia winning is definitely a memory that I will cherish. I am very proud of my country and our players. Croatia stands next to countries that are so much bigger than it, so the third place is truly an achievement.”

Adam Ahabchane ‘24, who saw his home country of Morocco get 4th place, the best placement the country has ever had, said “Everyone is proud of them and despite not winning the world cup, for us Morrocans, they won our hearts.”

There were many students watching matches who were sitting with kids they didn’t even know, making new friends, and sharing their love for the world’s game, soccer. The World Cup is a great representation of what it is like at Sem – a melting pot of different cultures and nationalities all joining together for the same goal.

Red Cross Brings Blood Drive to Sem

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Eric Gardner ’23

On Wednesday, October 26th, Wyoming Seminary held a blood drive in partnership with the Red Cross. Student leaders have been working to continue to bring these blood drives to Sem after several successful drives in past years.

Participating students visited the Blue Gym for their appointment between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The process took just a couple of minutes, meaning it was not an inconvenience for most. After the donation, students avoided any strenuous activities for 24 hours while their body recovered.

Last year, 31 students donated, including 25 for the first time. Lauren Finlay ‘23, student leader of the event, hoped to see that number increase this year. “We’re expecting to see around 40 donations this year, but that number can be hard to estimate before the drive, because we don’t know how many students will be turned away.”

While everyone is encouraged to give blood if they can, there are many reasons potential donors may have been denied.

Anyone looking to donate had to be at least 16 years of age and weigh 110 pounds or more. Some students who fit this criteria were still turned away if their blood was not fit to donate. One example, Claire Stretanski ‘23, was turned away due to low iron levels in her blood.

The Red Cross advises donors to get at least eight hours of sleep the night before a donation. Donors should also avoid fatty foods, and instead choose lean proteins and complex carbs, along with a healthy amount of water. Finally, donors were asked a few questions about their health, and then the donation could be made.

Donating blood is one of the easiest ways to help save lives. According to the Red Cross, just one donation can save the lives of up to three people. Almost 16 million blood components are transfused each year, so more donations are always needed. If you or anyone you know are looking to sign up in the future, email Lauren Finlay at lfinlay@wyomingseminary.org.

2022 Sem Homecoming Football Game

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By Jaden Keefner ’23

Wyoming Seminary’s football team had its annual homecoming game on October 22nd. This year’s game was against Williston Northampton. As the Sem football players prepared for the game all week long, the excitement for the game built up. Mathis Pellerin ‘23, star linebacker, stated, “Williston is a solid team with some good core players, as long as we focus on our job we will win.” The team arrived at Sem on Friday October 21st, staying overnight before the game on Saturday. 

Kickoff was at 1pm on Saturday afternoon. As the football players prepared for the game, the packed student section erupted with noise. After a game that was like a battle because of the constant scoring, Williston drove down the field with 4 seconds left on the clock. The game was tied 30-30. Williston tried for a field goal to win the game, but Chief Montalvo blocked the kick, sending the game into overtime. Sem’s football team scored in overtime making the score 37-30, but Williston got the ball back with a chance to tie it. Williston eventually scored, and were down by one point, but decided to go for a chance to win the game. In a risky decision, Williston’s head coach wanted to go for two points in order for his team to win. Williston capitalized on the play and scored the two point conversion winning the game 38-37. Kevin Burke, head football coach stated, “We left it all out on the field, they knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game, and our boys really showed up today, it just wasn’t the outcome we wanted.”

It was a tough loss for the Sem football program making their record an even 3-3, but they look to bounce back from the loss throughout the rest of their season. Their last home game (Senior day) of the season is against Salisbury Academy.