Author: Ivy Miller

Student Spotlight: Emily Urbanski

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Student Spotlight: Emily Urbanski

by Shailee Desai ’21

As co-leader of Math Center, captain of the tennis team, a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist, Levi Sprague (and so much more), senior Emily Urbanski’s presence on campus is hard to ignore.  The Opinator has been dying to get the answers to all of your questions about this car loving, healthy eating, donut loving (tennis donuts, not real ones) student leader, and we’ve done just that. In this week’s edition of Student Spotlight, get to know Emily:

What is your favorite book?

Maus by Art Spiegelman (Shout out to Seminar!). Since it’s a graphic novel, the author uses not only text but pictures (comic strips) to tell the story. I enjoyed analyzing the artistic choices and composition of each page as well as reading the story. 

What is your favorite part about living at Sem? 

I love meeting and getting to know all the boarding students and learning about their cultures, especially international students. 

What type of music do you like?

Pretty much anything… pop, rap, classic rock, etc. with the exception of most country songs. 

As you’re in the midst of college applications, what advice do you have for juniors, sophomores, and freshmen about getting ready to apply?

Start visiting colleges early to get a feel for what you like! Also, don’t stress about not knowing your major, since most colleges let you apply undecided and allow you to change majors easily. Explore classes at Sem to find your interests, but don’t worry if you don’t have it figured out when it’s time to apply. 

What’s your favorite outdoor activity?

Definitely hiking. It’s an enjoyable way to exercise, and the feeling of accomplishment at the end of a hike— like when you reach the summit of a mountain or a waterfall—is so satisfying.  

As one of the captains of the tennis team, what is your goal for the season? 

Winning districts is definitely the biggest goal, but working well as a team and having fun with the season are also important goals that I think we’ve crushed so far. 

If you could have dinner with any famous person (living or dead) who would it be, and why?

I’d probably have dinner with Roger Federer. I’d ask him about how he’s been so successful as a tennis player and about his first-hand experiences from the biggest matches of his career. I think it’d be so cool to hear his perspective on how he handled championship point on Centre Court at Wimbledon, and it’d be amazing to hear about his best and worst moments during tournaments, too.  

What is something that nobody knows about you? 

Probably my love of cars. Most of my friends are surprised when I know the model and price of random cars I see on the road. And my dream car is a Lamborghini. 🙂

Athlete of the Week: Luke Johns

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Athlete of the Week: Luke Johns

By Shane Holcombe ’23

After leading Sem’s boys soccer team to a victory on Wednesday night, The Opinator has selected Luke Johns as its athlete of the week. Johns scored three goals on Wednesday night against Tunkhannock, leading Sem to a 7-1 victory. Johns is a junior at Sem and a striker on the team, He was born in Baltimore, Maryland and moved to Moosic, PA when he was only five years old. In his free time, Johns enjoys spending time with his dog, cat, and family. His favorite soccer club is Chelsea, and he looks up to his role model on the team Christian Pulisic. Of his three years at Sem, his favorite memory has been scoring a game-winning goal in his freshman year. He notes that he is looking forward to the rest of the soccer season and hopes to win a district title. Of course, The Opinator wishes Johns and the rest of the team the best of luck this season.

Faculty Highlights: Mrs. Bartron

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Faculty Highlights: Mrs. Bartron

By Sophia Galante ’22

Photo courtesy of Mrs. Bartron

Our faculty here at Sem is the very reason we are able to learn so deeply about all the subjects provided, and they are a huge part of what makes Sem such a warm and loving environment. It’s important to take the time to get to know our educators and understand who they are so that we may continue to grow and learn by them. This week, get to know the wonderful Mrs. Bartron!

Where’s one place you’ve always wanted to go?

Africa. I would 100% go to Africa and do a Safari.

If you could be an animal, what animal would you be?

An elephant.

What’s one object you couldn’t live without?

Unfortunately, it could be my phone, but if it wasn’t, it’d be my Yeti.

What did you major in, and why?

I was a biology major because I originally was pre-veterinarian, but then I switched to a dual major of biology and science education because I decided I wanted to teach.

What’s a quote you live by?

“Kindness is free; sprinkle that stuff everywhere.”

What was your favorite subject in school?

Sciences in general and more specifically biology.

Is there one ice cream flavor you could live off of forever?

Some sort of toffee-chocolate-coffee flavor for sure.

What’s one thing you would change about the world?

Our consumerism. And that we think more about what we buy and what we use and its impacts on the greater globe.

 

 What’s your favorite thing about Sem?

I love the community. I love the people here; the students, the faculty, and how we work together to make the world a better place one day at a time.

 

Do you have a favorite sport?

Lacrosse. Always has been.

 

What football team do you root for?

The Steelers of course!

 

What are you most looking forward to this school year?

I did some work around physics this summer, and I’m really excited to put that into practice in my Physics Honors sections. And also, working with community service too.