Author: Ivy Miller

Teachers’ Pets: the Inaugural Edition

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Teachers’ Pets: the Inaugural Edition

By Isabelle Polgar ’21

Lucy and Lola strike a pose for the camera. (Photo courtesy of Isabelle Polgar ’21)

The Opinator has always strived to inform students about the Sem community, especially the people of which our community is comprised. While we’ve interviewed students and faculty before, The Opinator is now bringing to you a new feature: Teachers’ Pets. 

If you are walking through Swetland, or on a very lucky day through Sprague, and find one of the Penlands, you may be in for possibly the best surprise of your life: two tiny furry faces in pink tutus staring up at you. Their names are Luci and Lola, sisters with more friends than anyone reading this article, and I got to sit down with them to see what these new up and comers had to say about all of today’s most pressing issues. 

Their presence on campus was apparent as soon as this interview started. The girls showed up twenty minutes late; they blamed the fans, claiming that they caused so much trouble between Swetland and Sprague. First, I learned a little bit about them. These best friends are fearless, playful, and eternally cuddly pups with a nuanced taste in music and American politics. 

After getting to know each other a little, we jumped straight into the biggest issues on campus, the first of these being the new dress code. These girls were not having it. While Luci and Lola respect the fact that Sem needs to be orderly, Lola’s consistent need to be in her fur is bringing up some issues. 

I then questioned them about the Sem student body. While they also dodged the question of who is their favorite student, (saying anyone who gives them treats becomes their automatic favorite) they did respond to the question of who was their favorite “human” teachers’ pet, and it happened to be The Opinator’s very own Kate Getz. 

When responding to the question of what the most unique Sem experience they’ve had so far is, they said the Swetland fire alarm. I also found out some of their plans for the future, asking if they were considering following in the footsteps of their moms as Sem faculty. Lola says she shows great promise in wrestling. In fact, she is already a star  in the 2-5 pound weight class and is thinking about coaching. Luci, on the other hand, has been studying up on Robert Strayer’s Ways of the World (the freshman and sophomore world history textbook), prepping for her shot if she ever gets to join her mom in the history department. 

With all these opportunities, it’s hard to imagine that these sisters are as down to earth as they are. However, it would be a fallacy to believe that these pups have not experienced any hardships. For example, neither puppies have ever been able to eat any of Mrs. Penland’s baked goods, due to the fact that they do not have a normal “human” digestive system. They’ve had their fair share of problems, but one of them, in particular, has ignited a streak of activism; ever since losing an eye, Lola has noticed a lack of respect for her one-eyed forefathers: pirates. Pirates have shaped and continue to shape our world, but she claims that she still doesn’t see adequate representation in our media and is in talks with the administration to change that. 

I ended my interview with the stars by asking them which teachers’ pet I should interview next. They tipped me off to the fact that a new puppy had arrived in halls of Swetland, a dog named Felix. What will he have to say about Sem’s most pressing issues? You’ll have to wait for next week’s edition of Teachers’ Pets!

The Day of Silence: My Experience on Being Silently Supportive

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The Day of Silence: My Experience on Being Silently Supportive

By Ally Sayed ’21

The GLSEN’s Day of Silence is an annual, student-led day to spread awareness about the effects of bullying on members of the LGBTQ+ community. Wyoming Seminary has taken part in the Day of Silence before, but April 12th, 2019, is the first time that I showed my support being silent. I will admit that I thought it was going to be easy, since I consider myself to be a quiet person. However, I could not have been more wrong.

Staying silent was difficult from the beginning of the day, and it only got harder as the day went on. As one would expect, I struggled to communicate without using my voice. There were times where I would forget about my vow to stay silent and started speaking, but I did my best to remain silent all day. The biggest struggle was trying to communicate with my peers. I did everything from using a pen and pencil to texting them, even while I was sitting right next to them.

After the day was over, I came to two major realizations. First, I learned that I take the opportunities I have to speak for granted. I have a voice that I can use to talk about my opinions and views, and I should be using that voice more often than I do. I couldn’t have realized this without staying silent. Second, I learned that feeling like you can’t speak, even though you have things to say, is one of the worst feelings in the world. It’s gutting knowing exactly how to express yourself, but not being able to do it. The fact that many members of the LGBTQ+ community have to face this feeling every day is terrible.

Many people who chose not be silent supported the day in other ways. A lot my peers showed their support by simply saying, “I support you,” or, “What you’re doing today is great.” The overall energy from the Sem community was embracing, and I hope that energy carries on beyond the Day of Silence.

Overall, the day effectively brought attention to the issue of bullying and harassment that the LGBTQ+ community faces. I hope everyone, whether they participated or not, can learn from the Day of Silence.

Science Olympiad: Come One, Come All!

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The team poses for a picture at Kutztown University. (Photo courtesy of Emily Urbanski ‘20)

Science Olympiad: Come One, Come All!

   By Sophia Galante ’22

     Anybody familiar with the Sem atmosphere knows it’s not too hard to figure out that the club and team community around campus is a big one. There are so many inclusive, exciting, and impressive clubs and teams at Sem, and it’s almost overwhelming. However, one of them, Science Olympiad, provides an amazing opportunity for anyone with the recent Science bug or anyone who just wants to try something new! The Science Olympiad captains and crucial members were able to tell The Opinator about the incredible the opportunities the club opens up and about what it takes to be a part of the team.

           Nikolai Stefanov ‘19 is a renowned captain of the team and certainly agrees that the club is one of which to be a part. He talks about being captain and their upcoming role in the State competition: “Being a leader, I’m in charge of organizing everybody and making sure that not only are the events covered but [the students] are covered as well. Also, making sure people are paired in the categories they work well in and with each other.” He also talked about the fact that this is the first time in the team’s history that they are going to the State competition.

      Julia Iskra ‘19 and Emily Urbanski ‘20, two enthusiastic members of the team, were also able to talk about the different sections of science they represent and the club’s hard work, as well. “This year, I’m in Dynamic Plants which is about glaciers, Geologic Mapping, Geology, and a building event where we have to build a cantilever structure, and it has to hold the most weight at the competition,” says Urbanski. Iskra, as well, loves the team and is an avid science student at Sem, who plans to continue her college studies with science by her side: “This year I did Anatomy and Physiology, which I ended up placing 4th overall. I also did Experimental Design and Forensic Science. The team aspect is really great, and when we found out we were going to states, you just couldn’t hear anything else in the gym; we were really excited.”

       All three, of course, have the same ideas and advice for anyone hesitant or thinking about joining. “I honestly wish I had joined earlier because I really enjoy doing a lot of the things we do and doing all the different events and options to participate in,” Julia says. Nikolai and Emily have nothing but positive thoughts on it as well: “If you’re interested in pretty much any field of science, going to competitions and competing, and just testing your knowledge on a certain subject, you should try it because they really have events for any and every field of science you’re interested in, and it provides you with a fun way of learning about them and with them.”

       The team is headed to States to compete and did very well with placing 6th overall at the Regional competition a little over a month ago. Whether a student wants to be a captain or just learn about science in unimaginable ways, Science Olympiad is the perfect opportunity to do so. Its fun, creative, and experimental atmosphere make sure that anybody and everybody can and should consider trying out. You won’t be disappointed. The Opinator wishes the team best of luck at states!