Wyoming Seminary’s Spring Play

Wyoming Seminary’s Spring Play

by Ziming Liu ’18

The Department of Performing Arts at Sem presents three major events every year. After Urinetown the Musical during the fall term and Winter Workshops during the winter, Sem players performed the annual spring play on the last weekend of April. This year’s play included two evening shows on Friday (4/27) and Saturday (4/28) with a matinee on Sunday (4/29). The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, directed by Mrs. Ellen O’Brien Sherry, was selected to be put on the stage of Buckingham Performing Arts Center. The stage play first opened in London’s West End in 1952 and is currently still running, which makes it the longest continuously running play in the world. So far, the play has been performed for more than 27,000 times.

The newlyweds Giles (Portrayed by Levi Sunday-Lefkowitz ‘18)  and Mollie Ralston (Portrayed by Ellie Rosentel ‘18) open their guesthouse (Monkswell Manor) up for business for the first day while a disastrous snow storm hits on the English countryside on which they are located. They find themselves trapped with six distinctive guests, and one of them is a murderer. The classic murder mystery and comedy was brought alive by the cast of 8 Sem students.

Mrs. Sherry, in the process of deciding what this year’s play was going to be, said that, “At some point, every actor will try his or her hand at an Agatha Christie character. As director of this year’s spring show, I thought why not start them young and stage one of her murder mysteries?” She also gave the audience the first clue before the opening night, “Suspect everyone!”

A Celebration of Culture

A Celebration of Culture

by Aishani Chauhan ’22

A key distinguishing factor that sets Wyoming Seminary apart from other schools is the cultural and ethnic diversity found within the Sem community.  Eighteen different countries and twenty different states are represented by international and day students. Each school year, students from around the world come together on Sem’s campus to have an enriched learning experience.  One way in which the Sem community celebrates and showcases the culture and talents of the international student body is through the annual International Assembly. This year’s assembly, held on April 16, 2018, did not fail to impress.

The flag bearing ceremony initiated the assembly; students elected by their peers to represent their country walked on the KCCA stage with their respective country’s flag, and said “hello” in the language native to their country.  However, the most anticipated pieces of the program were the performances and presentations delivered by groups of students from various countries such as Argentina, China, the Czech Republic, Taiwan, India, Puerto Rico, South Korea, Vietnam, and many more.

Some countries represented themselves through visual presentations.  Malen Visnuk ‘19 of Argentina shared a beautiful video about Argentina that displayed the contrasting natural landscapes from hot beaches and salt plains to snowy mountains and glaciers. Mina Exernova ‘20 of the Czech Republic shared a video of that displayed the splendor of gothic architecture found in the Czech Republic.  Students from China created their own video that entertained the school, and highlighted the different towns and cities of China where they are from, as well as their delicious cuisine.

Other countries represented themselves through vocal or dance performances.  Aishani Chauhan ‘20 and Ally Sayed ‘21 represented India through a Bollywood fusion dance to the Carnatic remix of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You”.  Their dance included precise and technical elements of classical Indian dance forms such as Bharatanatyam and Kathak, stylized with a more modern Bollywood flavor.  A group of talented students from Vietnam danced to multiple songs with passion and artistry. Quinn Nguyen, Alex Nguyen, Bach Nguyen, An Nguyen, Tommy Dang, Hieu Ngo, Kien Phan, and Huy Le represented Vietnam. They danced to “Baby I Told You”, “Anh Xin Lỗi Em Đi, and “Người Hãy Quên Em Đi.”

These were just a few of the wonderful performances seen on April 16th. Zahra Chittalia ‘21 says, “It was a perfect reminder about all of the cultures we have at Sem and how many opportunities we have to learn about them.” It was a reminder that emphasized the importance of an integral part of the Sem community: the brilliant diversity among our students.

Sem Mock Trial Wins State Competition

The Blue Knights are pictured immediately following their state championship win!

Sem Mock Trial Wins State Competition

Shailee Desai ‘21

On March 22, 2018, the Wyoming Seminary Mock Trial team travelled to Harrisburg to compete in the statewide mock trial tournament. In order to get there, they competed in the district championship, winning against Hazelton in the final round, and won the regional championship, defeating Nazareth Area in the final round.

The state competition consisted of all the regional winners from 10 different regions, resulting in 14 teams total. Sem Mock Trial won the first three rounds, and in the final round, defeated Penn Trafford High School in order to win the 2018 Pennsylvania State Championship. The last time the Blue Knights won a state title was in 2011; additionally, the team went undefeated all season, having not lost a single trial this season.

Individual team members were also recognized for their records. Corey Bohn ‘18, Shailee Desai ‘21, and Meghna Melkote ‘18, won best advocate awards on that weekend. Philip Oulette ‘19, Molly Leahy ‘19, and Jillayne Gumbs ‘20 won best witness awards.

The next stop for the team is the national tournament, which will be held in Reno, Nevada. The team will leave for Reno on May 8 and return on May 13, and they will be competing with teams from each of the fifty-states and from U.S. Territories.

“We had a very young team this year, but we worked hard all year long and it definitely paid off,” said Meghna Melkote ‘18, team senior and captain. “We are all so incredibly excited to attend nationals in Reno, Nevada. It will no doubt be an amazing experience.

The Blue Knights have had an amazing season in mock trial this year, and the Sem community wishes them luck as they compete in the national tournament!