Author: Ivy Miller

Student Life During COVID-19

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Student Life During COVID-19

By Bridget Gabriel ‘21

Harry Shafer ‘00 looks somber after being captured by excited students two minutes prior to the end of the game (Photo courtesy of @/Semstudentlife on Instagram)

 

Wyoming Seminary’s Upper School began its 177th year without its boarding community that traditionally makes up around 40% of its population due to COVID-19. Students began moving into dorms the weekend of October 3, but residential life has looked unfamiliar. 

Day students have been told that they aren’t allowed to be on campus during weekends. Weekend activities, walks around campus, and socially distant gatherings aren’t permitted for day students, but they can attend weekend sporting events to support the Blue Knights. 

These restrictions hit the Upper School community hard. Ryder Kunin, senior and Carpenter RA, expresses the frustration these regulations bring, “From a dormer standpoint, we are restricted from a lot of things that day students are free to do. I can’t see day students on or off-campus, or venture farther than a mile away from campus, while day students are free to travel to other counties and states with seemingly no restrictions.”

Restrictions go even further within the dorms to keep students safe amidst the pandemic. Kunin continues, “It definitely hasn’t been as enjoyable of a year in comparison to others. We are unable to hang out in one another’s rooms, and that’s been a tough blow to everyone’s social lives. We are able to distantly lounge in common areas, and that’s helped keep connection(s) within the dorms. Of course, we realize why this has to be done, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating.” 

The frustration does not end with borders. Kate O’Brien ’21 is a day student whose friend group is heavily made up of her teammates of the wrestling team at Sem, the majority of whom are borders. She expresses the ways these restrictions have affected her team dynamic, saying, “This year I have to leave right after practices and don’t get to spend time with my team because they are all borders. I look forward to weekend activities because they give students a chance to hang out without all of the stress that surrounds us during the school day. Since day students are not allowed on campus on the weekends, time to hang out with those people has been hard to find.”

Behind the scenes of event planning, Director of Student Life Harry Shafer ’00 has been hard at work to unite the communities safely. This past weekend 100 students participated in a classic Sem event that was revived after four years. Capture the Faculty was the first event of the academic year to involve both communities. “Tonight is the big test,” Shafer said concerning the event, “If things run smoothly tonight, then we will likely continue with having specific on-campus activities where day students are welcome. If that goes well, then we can start to open up more.”

This hopefully provides hope to the Sem community for more on-campus social interaction for both borders and day students. Students are frustrated by the restrictions COVID-19 presented, but faculty are trying to create events that unite students while prioritizing safety.   

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