Category: News

By Parker Mosely ’23

The 2022 FIFA World Cup took place in the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar, and it was the first time that the World Cup was held in November and December, rather than the traditional June and July. 32 teams from across the globe descended upon Qatar to compete for the coveted title of World Cup champions.

Lionel Messi, one of the world’s greatest soccer players, was able to lead Argentina to their first world cup win since 1986. Many Sem students stated that their favorite moment was  “Messi conquering his final peak.” With this win, Messi now has won every major tournament in the soccer world. Three Argentinian players won individual awards as well. Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball (World Cup MVP), Emiliano Martinez won the Golden Glove (Best Goalie), and Enzo Fernandez won the FIFA Young Player (Best Player 21 Years Old or Younger). Kylian Mbappe of France also solidified himself as one of the greatest players in the world leading France to second place. He had a hat trick in the world cup final becoming the second player to ever accomplish this feat and he did it at only 23 years old. He also came home with this year’s Golden Boot (Highest Goal Scorer).

The Sem community supported the event in full force. Watching the games on Pablo Casla’s ‘26 laptop at lunch, watching the final in the SLRC,  blasting “World Cup” by Speed, and hearing “Suuuuuiiiiiiii!!!!” throughout the entire campus, this year’s World Cup was electric on Sem’s campus. 

Sem’s unique trait of having borders from all over the world is what made the World Cup so special. 14 of the 32 world cup countries are represented within the Sem community. Alex Kang ‘23, who saw South Korea defeat Portugal and Ronaldo in the 91st minute said “I was excited and never knew that it was gonna happen”. The mix of emotions in the game was high for many Sem students. 

The ongoing desire for a Messi vs Ronaldo final led many students to cheer for Portugal and when South Korea won, emotions were at an all time high. No one knew what upset was going to come next. Dino Perusko ‘24  was able to see Croatia’s best player, Luka Modric, play in what will most likely be his final World Cup. Perusko said, “When the score was 1-0 for Brazil and only 5 minutes left until the end I already lost any hope, but then Croatia had a huge comeback. Watching the penalties at lunch with everyone else watching and Croatia winning is definitely a memory that I will cherish. I am very proud of my country and our players. Croatia stands next to countries that are so much bigger than it, so the third place is truly an achievement.”

Adam Ahabchane ‘24, who saw his home country of Morocco get 4th place, the best placement the country has ever had, said “Everyone is proud of them and despite not winning the world cup, for us Morrocans, they won our hearts.”

There were many students watching matches who were sitting with kids they didn’t even know, making new friends, and sharing their love for the world’s game, soccer. The World Cup is a great representation of what it is like at Sem – a melting pot of different cultures and nationalities all joining together for the same goal.

By: Ruby Hackett ‘23 

Wyoming Seminary opened its doors the weekend of October 20-22 for Homecoming Parents Weekend. This weekend marked the first in-person parents weekend since 2019 due to Covid-19 restrictions. 

Upper School Parents traveled to Kingston, Pennsylvania, to visit their children on campus. They attended parent-teacher conferences, talked with dorm parents, and attended homecoming events. This weekend was filled with numerous activities for parents and students to partake in. 

It kicked off on a Thursday at 7 p.m. with a Climate Science Suitability and STEM Presentation in the Kirby Center for the Creative Arts Auditorium. Then on Friday, Sem Students had classes from 8 a.m. to Noon. Unlike the 2019 Parents Weekend, where parents were allowed to attend classes, classes took place without parents attending. 

From 12 p.m. to 1 p.m there was a welcome lunch in Fleck Dining Hall for parents. Following lunch, Parent-Teacher Conferences were held until 5p.m. Beginning at 4:30 p.m. and ending around 6 p.m., President Rocha hosted a Welcome Cocktail Event at his home on Maple Avenue. This was an opportunity for parents to meet other Sem parents, members of the Upper Schools Parent Association, Deans, and Department Chairs. 

Following this event, Jeff Selingo, author of Who Gets In and Why, talked about the college admission process over Zoom. Selingo shared advice, tips, and strategies for admission into highly selective colleges and universities. This event was located in the Chorale Classroom in the KCCA. 

The next day began at 9 a.m. with a meeting with College Counseling for “All Aboard the College Express.” Parents could meet with college counseling in Sprague Hall to talk about their child’s college process. Following that, conferences continued from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. 

At 1 p.m. in Nesbit Stadium, the Blue Knights Football Team took on Williston Northampton. Students, faculty, parents, and friends gathered to pack the bleachers to support the team. During halftime, The Alumni Service Award was given to two seniors out of the eight nominated. This is awarded annually to student leaders for their commitment to the Wyoming Seminary community. 

While this weekend was loved by pare​​nts as they got to see their child, meet teachers and celebrate accomplishments, students felt differently about their parents coming to visit. When asked if she wanted her parents to partake in parents weekend, Tessely Solano’23 stated, “I did not want my parents to come. They already know my grades; it’s pointless for them to drive all the way from New Jersey.” Belle Foard ‘23 agreed, stating, “ I’m glad my parents didn’t come.” Parents Weekend is perceived differently by students. Some look forward to sharing this weekend with their parents, while others feel there is no need for parents to come. 

by Maya Rosenthal ’23

On Oct. 17, 2022, the spirit week dress down got students excited about the upcoming football game against Williston Northampton School. The themes were Throwback Monday, Celebrity Tuesday, Societies Wednesday, Little Miss Thursday, and Homecoming Shirt Friday. “I always love Spirit Week- every person takes it in their own direction and seems to have fun with it! I am always up for taking requests and themes. This year’s themes were definitely student driven which is what we are all here for” says Ms. T, Director of Student Activities. Some of the themes even got changed due to students taking action. 

Monday was throwback day. A variety of different decades were displayed through the way people dressed and the band t-shirts that were worn. Popular styles that day include the early 2000’s or Y2K style and hippies. On Tuesday, students dressed up as characters and celebrities. We saw a wide range of outfits including cartoon character t-shirts, Adam Sandler, and Santa Claus. Wednesday was society dress up and everyone really got into the spirit. This day was a competition between the societies. Students were rated one through three. This incentive made people go all out, “Society Colors Day this year was taken so seriously and it was a blast” says Ms. T. The standings in the end were Oxonian in first, Athenian second, Florentine third, and Alexandrian in last place. Thursday’s little miss day had people giving themselves superlatives including Little Miss Sleepy. Friday everyone wore their homecoming shirts in preparation for the football game on Saturday. 

Ruby Hackett ‘23 expressed her opinion on spirit week by saying, “I like the idea of it but I personally don’t like dressing down with certain criteria. It is hard to dress up as a character or in throwback clothes with short notice.” Ford Boock ‘23 says, “Some people got more into the spirit than others, but everyone still had fun. Spirit week effectively got people excited for the big football game and it was very exciting. The student section was packed with students even though it ended in an unfortunate loss for the football team in overtime.”