Category: Features

By Clare Booe ’24

Wyoming Seminaary’s Mock Trial Teams, both historically and presently talented, worked through the winter term preparing their arguments for two highly selective invitational tournaments, and of course, the varsity districts tournament. This year, Mock Trial received such and influx of participants that three teams were made: varsity, junior varsity 1, and junior varsity 2.

The varsity team, full of highly experienced and highly talented seniors is still set to compete in the district competition for mock trial, where Wyoming Seminary’s teams have previously excelled, some making it to the state championship.

The Pennsylvania state bar association released this year’s case, and all three teams have been diligently working on it since. This year it was a murder case, involving a business rivalry that turned into violent crime.

This case being criminal and not civil sets it apart vastly from past cases, and with the coaching of Dr. Froelich, Mrs. Stevenson, and Atty. Kowalski, all three teams assembled their casting and cases in different ways.

Ella Magida ‘26, acting co-captain of the B-team, says that a criminal case is, “incredibly different than a civil case. The way it’s performed is much more dramatic and there’s a bigger emphasis on being scored on passion.” Ella is currently in the role of a prosecution attorney, tasked with convicting the defendant of murder in the first degree.

Sadly, Sem’s teams were unable to compete in either invitational tournament. The first tournament was set at LaSalle University and the second invitational was hosted by UPenn.

Several scrimmage brackets have been planned for the end of wenter term, allowing the three teams and both sides of each team (i.e. defense and prosecution) to practice their cases and performances.

First year mock trial team member, Josie Carpenter ‘26, explains how the scrimmages have run this far by saying, “We already had one in house scrimmage, and it was just really cool to see how everyone’s cases came together, and how people on the varsity team perform and act in a courtroom like environment.”

However, these home scrimmages aren’t the only ones to come. The teams will also have a more formal scrimmage against each other at the county courthouse in Wilkes-Barre, where unlike an invitational tournament, more spectators are able to come support the team. Although this scrimmage’s date is still uncertain, the team knows that it is  going to set the varsity team on the track for success leading up to the district and state seasons.

By Apollonia Bruno ’27

In the heart of Wyoming Seminary, a tradition that continues to illuminate the holiday season, the Christmas Chapel is a cherished event. This annual event is the beginning of spiritual reflection and musical worship through the timeless message of the Nine Lessons and Carols, which has been around for over 140 years. The Christmas Chapel intertwines scripture and song, narrating the history of the Christian faith through a series of nine passages from the Bible. The story of Adam and Eve unveils humanity’s separation from God and the need for divine intervention.

Reverend Charles Carrick, Chaplain, Math Department Chair, and Assistant Boys Soccer Coach, said, “The passages reflect God’s actions to bring help in the story of Jesus.

It’s a story of love.” Along with biblical scriptures, this tradition also includes a lot of music. Songs like “Wonderful Peace,” “Silent Night,” The Word Was God,” and “Angels We Have Heard on High” echo through the church, filling the air with joy. “Silent Night” is my favorite piece.” Says Mrs. Christiane Appenheimer-Vaida teacher and Director of the String Program and Orchestra.

For many within the Wyoming Seminary community, the Christmas Chapel is not merely a tradition but anescape. “It’s a way to step away from studying and listen to scripture and music,” said Vaida.

This annual celebration highlights the collaborative performance between the Chorale, Madrigal Singers, and String Ensemble. Chapel unites us as a community, offering rejoicing through scripture and melodies.

by Isabella Fox ’25

Climate Science and Sustainability program is a concentration here at Wyoming Seminary. The four-year program is created for students to study topics in climate science while gaining experience in the field. At the end of the program students will complete a capstone project. 

Together all students in the Climate Science and Sustainability program strive towards the game goal, spreading awareness on climate change. “Everything is connected and interlinked and we survive on this planet because it takes care of us, not because we take care of it. When you start to realize that our existence is based on how well the earth is taken care of, it becomes not an issue of nature but an issue of humanity in general.” Mr. McGlinn, the director of CSS,  says. 

In recent years numerous spaces around campus have been remodeled by students in the CSS program. The most recent spaces remodeled are the pollinator garden and the compost pile. 

Climate Science and Sustainability has partnered with Metz, the food service here at Sem, on the compost pile. Metz provides the fruit and vegetable scraps from daily meal preparation to the compost pile, which is located in the back of Maple lot.  

The pollinator garden is in the space behind the library & the SLRC. While the pollinator garden makes the space look beautiful- it increases the biodiversity on campus, increases pollination, and provides many learning opportunities for the Sem community. The pollinator garden was first formally announced to the Sem community in a Monday Memo in August of 2022. Since then, the space has hosted many informational sessions as well as fun activities. 

With climate change becoming a pressing issue, the importance of raising awareness has become crucial. Mr. McGlinn says  “Climate Science and Sustainability is extremely important because climate change and sustainability are the most important issues in the future because they touch so many different aspects of human life”.

This program allows students to not only raise awareness at the Upper School, but the Lower School as well. Mr. McGlinn followed up with “Overall, I’m seeing more and more young people become interested in this issue because they are realizing that it’s a problem that they are inheriting and didn’t necessarily come into the world creating, but they are the ones that are going to need to do something about it. They’re taking responsibility through action.”