Category: News

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! 

The Fire Inside Sem

Kate O’Brien ‘ standing with her portrait (photo courtesy of Kate O’Brien ’21)

The gallery hung in the KCCA. (Photo courtesy of Rhianna Lewis ’22)

By Rhianna Lewis ’22

For two weeks, lining the halls of the Rusty Flack Art Gallery in the KCCA were no longer various collages and paintings, but something a little more familiar. Hanging from the ceiling were 30+ pictures of some of Sem’s best athletes, with a highlight on the boy’s and girl’s wrestling team. The Fire Inside, the title of the gallery, provided a sort of “fire-esque” spark within these athletes. It represented the fierceness and pride of Sem athleticism and spirit and was an amazing addition to the gallery as well as an incredible experience for all the athletes involved.

Justin Hoch is the artist and driving force behind the project, which highlights the intensity of some of the world’s best wrestlers and coaches. With over 1,700+ images from this particular exhibit added to Hoch’s portfolio, it is becoming a “huge snapshot” for a community of athletes and the people who help the sport of wrestling immensely. The photos are portrait-style with some edits to emphasize the subjects’ eyes. This is how the exhibit was named. While this is arguably Hoch’s most well-known project, he also photographs wrestling matches, celebrities like Billy Ray Cyrus and Malala Yousafzai, and different parts of American life while he road-trips around the country.

Hoch’s time at Sem was well spent with a wide variety of athletes, coaches, and even a baby. Athletes from the soccer, field hockey, football, hockey, and lacrosse teams, were photographed for this exhibit. They will be featured in Hoch’s portfolio alongside professional athletes and coaches, like four-time World Champion winner Adeline Gray and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Jordan Burroughs. Sophomore Ekta Arora, a member of the girl’s wrestling team, was photographed for the exhibit and says she is “very happy” to be a part of it.

While the pictures in the KCCA have been taken down, the athletes and the community will never forget the opportunity to be part of such an amazing project!

Attendees of Sem DM 2019 pose for the annual group photo at the end of the night.( Photo Courtesy of @wyomingseminary Instagram)

Armand Charland ’19 and Ashley Metz ’22 compete in the first ever Just Dance Competition. (Photo Courtesy of Emma Bean ’20).

Sem DM Executive board members Emma Bean ’20, Molly Leahy ’19, Grace Parsons ’21, Paige Parsons ’20, Reese Butcher ’20, Lanie Fenster ’20, Halle Kehl ’19, Becca Hammerman ’19, and Bari Lefkowitz ‘20 hold up signs indicating the final amount collected for donations.

Sem DM 2019: Dancing the Night and Day Away

by Reese Butcher ’20

What is Sem DM? One might give the literal answer of “Sem Dance Marathon,” and one might take a more sentimental approach with “A night to meet kids who have survived too many surgeries and raise money for our local Children’s Miracle Network hospital.” Regardless of the answer and with over 250 students showing up, the night definitely has a great impact on our community.

This year, we had three Miracle Kids, Ally, Carter, and Ella. On March 30, these kids came to Sem to be celebrated and become the stars of the show. After running through tunnels created by members of the Sem community, the Miracle Kids and their families shared their stories, followed by games, learning the morale dance, and inflatables. In every event of the night, you could almost always find Ally, Carter, or Ella leading the charge.

When the event neared its fifth hour, the room became electrified as events picked up their pace and fundraising became the motivator at every student’s core. Starting off with the raffle, Miracle Kids pulled out names of lucky students(and faculty) who won all sorts of prizes, including an Amazon Fire Stick. The highly-anticipated annual pie-auction where Rev., Mr. Granger, and new-comer Mr. Morris all took turns stoking the flames of students eager to spend hundreds just to smash a lemon meringue pie in their faces.

After screams and laughter filled the air of the circle surround the pies flying at faculty faces, Sem DM attendees opened up their circle to experience a more serious event of the night. When students first entered the event at 2:00pm, they were given a hospital bracelet to keep on the whole night. When everyone opened up into the bigger circle, the Miracle Kids came around to cut off the bracelets to signify leaving the hospital and the freedom from the momentous weight that those bracelets represent. Coupled with a speech by Mr. Shafer, the “ceremony” had most in the room feeling emotional and some even crying.

But then, it was time for the reveal. “How much did we raise? Was it more than last year?” Questions like these floated through the air as members of the Sem DM Executive Board were given numbers. Slowly, they filed onto the too small stage and waited for Mr. Shafer to explain how the reveal would go this year. Opting for a non-suspense filled year, $34,018.56 was thrown up in unison as cheers fill the room.

With over $34,000 being raised, Sem DM 2019 will go down as the most successful Sem DM to date and add to the over $130,000 raised by the Sem community for the Janet Weis Children’s Miracle Network hospital. But even more important are the long-lasting impacts that this event has year after year on everyone involved.