Author: Ivy Miller

Drama! Drama!

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by Erica Zhu ’23

The Footloosians of Sem kicked off their Sunday shoes mid-February to give us a wonderful performance. Between the angelic voices and energetic dancing, Willard and his crew’s Mama Says – played by our one and only Gram Dogherty ’22, Ari Froehlich ’24, Benecio Carpenter ’24, and Michael Vodzak ’24 seemed to steal the show.

Even backstage, it’s hard to stand still without singing along or gaining some extra pep in your step. Everyone played their part in contributing to the magical love story between Ren and Ariel (Kieran Sherry ’22 and Ainsley Edam ’23). From problem solving with costumes and the set to bringing out energy when they danced and sung. Chuck Cranston played by Liam Philips-Magraw ’23 had us raising our fists. We also had sympathized with Julia Poole ’22 and Jake Ruderman ’22 who played concerned parents Vi and Shaw Moore. As one of our longest running shows after a period of being unable to runt at all, Footloose proved to be successful from it’s most intimate moments to to the classic comedy we know and love.

Being out on stage means we always need a crew. Footloose needed about three: one for costumes, one for the book , and of course, one backstage. Footloose had an impressive number of quick changes for its last scene, the prom. During this scene, most actors traded their leather or jean jackets for suits, pretty dresses and even different wigs! The booth was also given a run for its money, being both the command center and the place where all cues were put into action. Thanks to their management, the show went on without a hitch. Last but not least, we had a backstage crew that set the scenes and moved all the heavy machinery they could while staying virtually invisible to the audience. Both managers stage right and left were able to keep the show going seamlessly regardless of a set malfunction or traffic jam backstage.

Cast of Footloose (Photo Courtesy of Ben Zhao ’22)

Wyoming Seminary Celebrates Lunar New Year

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by Maria Wang ’23

Wyoming Seminary celebrated Lunar New Year with an assembly at the Kirby Center for the Creative Arts (KCCA), where Asian students had the opportunity to showcase their culture and traditions to the entire school community. In addition, the school also provided kitchens to Asian students to cook food from their hometown to celebrate Lunar New Year.

Jennifer Brown, the organizer of the Lunar New Year assembly said, “As the international coordinator this year my role is to find ways to highlight and give the stage to our international students at different points. Lunar New Year is such a colorful and exciting festival, and it’s a great time to really display all those cultures.” When being asked how she organized the event she explained, “I might be the key person that’s driving the idea to this but it could never have happened without student leadership. They were absolutely essential!”

As impressed as many audiences are, Brown has other other unique opinions about the Lunar New Year assembly. “I am so impressed at how confident all the student presenters are,” she continued, “I have taught most of the presenters before.”

“When they first came to high school or first came to the states they tend to be a little more shy or quiet. Then, seeing some of those students get up on stage and just speak so eloquently, well, and proudly about their culture and heritage is just incredible.”

Allison Luo ’23 performed a wonderful piece of traditional Chinese dance, she explained, “I want to present to more students the traditional Chinese Culture.” When asked if she enjoyed the experience of performing, she answered, “Absolutely. As a Chinese, I am very proud of contributing to the celebration of Chinese New Year. Although choreographing and dancing this piece isn’t easy, when I heard the cheers from the audience, I knew it was worth it.”

Lio was not only a performer at the KCCA but also the main chef of Lunar New Year dinner. She said, “The experience of cooking and eating with other students reminds me of cooking with my family when I was home. I was so happy to see everyone put lots of effort into the dinner and it was excellent to see all the other students sitting together at one table, eating together, just like one big family!”

The Lunar New Year assembly demonstrates the diverse cultural environment and the involvement of students from different cultural backgrounds in the Wyoming Seminary School community. The efforts of all students and faculty put into this activity is incredible.


 

Climate Science and Sustainability at Sem in Action

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Climate Science and Sustainability at Sem in Action

By Nahisha Pokhrel ’23

As COVID-19 rates rise like the ocean levels and spread fast like the Amazon wildfire, Sem students are actively masking as they plant trees around campus. The tree-planting initiative was brought to light by Sem’s new programs, Climate Science and Sustainability (CSS). The Climate Science and Sustainability program launched an academic concentration in which students spend years of research and committed focus to bring about their approach to climate science, whether it be through a business, arts, politics, or any new perspective. The CSS program focuses on taking action and helping students become aware of climate science and what they can do to help.
Moreover, it was incredible to see so many Sem students help plant trees engaged in the CSS Concentration. Bridget Dowd ‘22 claims, “My motivation to plant trees on campus, definitely, stemmed from wanting to be a part of something that would have an impact on the school even after I graduate.” Some of the trees which were planted were Japanese Tree Lilac, Red Jewel Crabapple, and Serviceberry. The trees were planted along Maple Ave, behind Carpenter Hall, and behind SRLC. These trees are beneficial when it comes to replacing aged and deteriorating trees on campus, creating more food and shelter locations for birds and other urban wildlife, providing root systems to absorb water and decrease runoff after storms, and providing shade and cooling on the Back Campus, as well as, sequester carbon for long-term storage.
While the trees came with many benefits and were beautiful, they also came with some difficulties in planting them. Most helpers agree that it was hard to measure the depth and width to dig so that the root can be in a good position, and rocks that were mixed in with the soil also gave some trouble as it got in the way. Regardless, the helpers did a great job, and the result gave a sense of fulfillment and joy. Ashley Dimen ‘21, a member of the Environmental Club, perfectly explains as she says, “After planting, it made me feel happy that I could leave something on campus that I can come back to and see years from now. This also felt like a big step in the right direction for Sem and environmentalism as it opens the door for more projects to come.” She eagerly adds, “It would be awesome to plant trees again, and maybe one day have an area for composting food scraps.” Composting food scraps sounds like a great idea; after all, tree planting is just one of the activities that CSS planned, with many more still to come.

Students in the Environmental Club help to plant trees.

Ultimately, tree planting is just one small step in the world crisis of climate change, but still a step big enough to bring change to the world and, most importantly, to the Sem community. Everyone from the Sem is encouraged to do their part to bring change to the climate crisis. Bridget Dowd ‘22 nicely puts it, “ I think more SEM students should consider getting involved with the Environmental Club, or the Climate Science and Sustainability Concentration because they are both passionate groups on campus that are devoted to issues on campus and in our world.” Once again, tree planting is just one step of the CSS program, with much more to come. Until then, please enjoy the beauty of the trees around campus and take a moment to thank the helpers, and think about what you can do to help the climate crisis.