Category: Features

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.

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!