Sem orchestra director Mr. Anthony J. Kubasek introduced his first original composition for orchestra during the annual Spring Concert on Saturday, May 5. Although he has written nearly fifty musical works and arranged several pieces for orchestra, this is his first original composition for orchestra.
According to Mr. Kubasek, he had three goals in writing it: to write a piece that that the members of the Wyoming Seminary Orchestra would enjoy playing; to write a piece that suited the instrumentation and talents of the players in the group; and to write a piece that would be educational in some way.
“I will leave it up to the orchestra members to determine whether or not I accomplished the first goal,” said Kubasek. “I believe that the piece does target the stronger sections and individual players in the group effectively. Educationally, I hope that the piece provided an opportunity for the students to train their rhythmic skills.”
The piece is built entirely from the opening two gestures in the strings and woodwinds, respectively. The opening motives are expanded, developed and varied through compositional processes such as imitation, retrograde, and rhythmic transformations such as augmentation. In addition to mixed meters, the piece makes extensive use of hemiola.
By Jill Carrick, Lower School science department chair
Seventh-grade students applied meiosis and genetics concepts to determine the alleles (versions of genes) of their chosen Sesame Street Muppets based on the character’s traits. Next they coded and carried out meiosis using paper chromosomes to form the gametes of their Muppet. After their Muppet married another student’s Muppet, the students were able to pair gametes and determine the features of the Muppet children in their new family. The culmination of this project will feature an accurate portrait of their new family.
Come see these fabulous families and learn more about genetics from our seventh graders at our Lower School Middle School Science Night open house on Tuesday, May 8th, 6-8:00 p.m.
To see our young geneticist in action, click here.
When people ask why I’m directing “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder for the spring play, I joke that every director has to do “Our Town” at some point and this year just happens to be my turn. But behind the joking, there is a kernel of truth. Directing “Our Town” does seem to be a rite of passage—something that a director has to tackle and somehow make his own. So what is there in this Pulitzer Prize winner that still inspires directors to take it on, more than 60 years after it was first produced?
At its most basic level, it’s a study of people—how we live our everyday lives, how we fall in love, and how we die. What director wouldn’t want to take on those timeless issues?
But how do you keep a play that was written in 1938, and is set in 1901, fresh and relevant in 2012? First of all, I refuse to look at it as a period piece—a slice of life from 100 years ago. This is not some drama about the Civil War or the Great Depression. It’s a revolutionary piece of theater that still has the power to upend audience expectations and provoke strong emotions. The tricky part is trying to honor the simplicity of the play while also having some fun with it. Working with my designer, Floyd Bussey, I’ve added a 12-foot turntable as the centerpiece of the set. This turntable allows us to show the passage of time—the resemblance to a clock is helpful—while also playing up the inherent theatricality in Wilder’s play.
The Stage Manager, a combination of narrator, director, guide and confidante (to both the audience and the performers), starts the play by breaking the fourth wall and telling the audience they are about to see a play. The play never pretends to be anything that it is not–it’s about sincerity, and the play keeps bringing that theme home by reminding the audience that this is a play.
My other stab at making the show our own has been to cast two people as the Stage Manager—Sem’s chaplain, Rev. Charlie Carrick, and Sem English teacher (and assistant director) Lydia Traill. I knew I wanted to cast a teacher as the Stage Manager to highlight his role as a mentor. When we divided the part between Rev. Carrick and Ms. Traill, we created a really interesting dynamic in the play that helps us explore different aspects of the character: male and female, participant and observer, leader and follower, teller of difficult truths and comforter. We have played around with which lines work for each of the actors and the results have allowed us to take some of the character’s monologues and turn them into vibrant scenes between two people with very different agendas and emotional reactions.
We are doing the show in a black box setting—only 130 seats—which we hope will highlight the intimacy and immediacy of the play.
We hope to see you on the stage of BPAC for one of our three performances:
Thursday, April 26 at 7 p.m.
Friday, April 27 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 28 at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $4 in advance, $5 at the door—general seating.
“Our Town” Cast List:
Stage Manager—Mr. Carrick and Ms. Traill
Emily Webb—Megan Molitoris
Mrs. Webb—Ashlyn Reiser
Mr. Webb—Gray Smith
Wally Webb—Will Thede
George Gibbs—Eric Cholish
Mrs. Gibbs—Emily Mackesy
Doc Gibbs—Ben Hornung
Rebecca Gibbs—Sienna Tabron
Simon Stimson—Harold Roberts
Jenny Stimson—Sarah Kwiatek
Mrs. Soames—Siobhan Brier
Professor Willard—Olivia Bolus
Constable Bill Warren—Simeon Welcome
Joe Crowell—John-Joseph Simon
Sarah Crowell—Kyra Zarnaski
Samantha Craig—Alyssa Joanlanne
Joe Stoddard—Sean Banul
Howie Newsome—Michael Blaine
Audience Questioners/residents of cemetery
—Jane Lloyd, Vera Ouyang, Sean Banul
Sound Effects—Lia Sminkey, Danielle Melnick
Choir Members, baseball players/high school students, church members, residents of the cemetery
—Lily Li, Francesca Aton, Ann Marie Karis
Sunday-Lefkowitz (left) with co-star Siobhan Brier in PAI's 2010 production of "Two Gentlemen of Verona."
When Wyoming Seminary sophomore Noah Sunday-Lefkowitz talks about his experience at the Performing Arts Institute for the past two summers, his eyes light up, he suddenly becomes animated, and you totally believe it when he says “it changed my whole life.”
Noah has always loved the arts. Beginning at age four, he sang with the Choral Society of Northeast Pa., and over the years learned to play the violin, piano and guitar. He also was really interested in animation and had a dream to work for Disney one day, and maybe act in movies. The one thing he really wasn’t interested in was performing on a stage in front of a live audience. That all changed in the summer of 2010, however, when he first attended PAI’s Musical Theater Institute at Wyoming Seminary. “I didn’t really want to go at first,” he said. “But after the first few days, it all changed. I felt as if I had finally found people who were just like me.”
That summer, Noah was cast as Cupid in “Two Gentlemen from Verona.” He discovered that when performing with an ensemble cast, and working with professional director Bill Roudebush, he could express his talent as never before. “The positive energy you both give and receive from the audience, and working with actors who feel the same way, is an amazing experience.”
Sunday-Lefkowitz (left) with co-star Harold Roberts in PAI's 2011 production of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."
He also learned a lot from director Roudebush. Bill taught Noah to take the nervous energy he felt before going on stage and use it to fuel his performance. “Bill would never tell me how to act,” Noah said. “He would gently explain to me what the character is feeling, and let me use that to become the character. There’s nothing better than to go through a scene and see Bill nodding his head and winking at you – and you just know that you were able to express what he was looking for.”
Working with Bill, the staff, and all of the other PAI students built strong ties and friendships as well. “By the end of the summer, we were a family. I would say even stronger than a family in some ways because we’re all passionate about the same thing, and sharing the same experience together.” They would help each other, too. “The feedback you get from your peers is the most important because it helps you to be a better performer,” he said.
Noah is looking forward to attending PAI this summer, and has been selected as one of the six contestants for the 2012 PAI Scholarship Gala Event this Sunday at 7:00 p.m. at Sem’s Lower School in Forty Fort. Noah is close friends with four out of the five other contestants who will be vying for the scholarship, and because of the close bonds he’s made over the past two summers, he said, “we’re not in competition against each other. We’ll just be having a good time and giving each other support.”
What advice does Noah give to any budding performers who are considering attending PAI this summer? “Get ready to work really hard, get ready to learn a lot, get ready to meet your new family, and get ready to have the best summer of your life!”
Watch Noah Sunday-Lefkowitz perform live at the PAI Scholarship Gala on Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. Click here for ticket information.
Wyoming Seminary senior Oren Adam (center) with his parents Dr. Rony and Talia Adam.
What does it mean when one says, “one in six people in the U.S. struggle with hunger” or that “one in five children live in food insecure households?” Up until about a year ago, I couldn’t tell you. In many ways America is seen as a land of plenty, but for millions of Americans, hunger is a reality. No longer is hunger confined to small pockets of our society, certain counties, or even certain neighborhoods. Hunger has no boundaries; it can be urban, suburban, or rural.
Nine months ago while aimlessly flipping through the TV channels, I came across an NBC story airing a special on hunger. Thinking it would be about some third world country struggling, I stopped. To my surprise, the program talked about the United States. This is where I learned about Feeding America, a nonprofit organization that last year alone helped feed over 37 million Americans. Through the unique network of programs Feeding America offers, they are able to provide food assistance to families all over the United States.
So with that came my inspiration. I decided to create the first benefit concert at Sem, with the proceeds going to Feeding America. I approached faculty, maintenance, and my fellow musicians with the idea, and with that the ball was rolling. A video promotion was made to endorse the concert; flyers were placed around Sem as well as around the surrounding community. I even worked with a baker and a printing company to create a poster presentation and sell goods at the concert. After all of that work, March 18th came along. I did not expect to have so many people attend. Over 50 students, faculty, alumni, and even other people from our community came out to both hear great music and donate to this cause. To my surprise, donations kept coming even after the event was over from those that could not make it.
This experience has been more then just a concert; it has been something that has my changed my perspective in the work charities do for so many people. Although the donations I brought in just break the surface, there is still more we can do to help. I sincerely hope that this will be an event that will continue for years to come.
View the photo gallery from the Feeding America concert:
The Superior Court of Pennsylvania in session at the Mellow Theater, Lackawanna College
Mock Trial team members meet the Hon. Pa. Supreme Court Justice Seamus McCaffery prior to the start of Argument Court.
The Mock Trial team members were excited to meet justices from the Pa. Supreme Court and Superior Court.
Ten members of the Wyoming Seminary Mock Trial team attended one session of the recent Argument Court, held in the Mellow Theater at Lackawanna College in Scranton, Pa. Three judges of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania presided over the court, which from time to time will travel to hold special community sessions in various venues in the state. Argument Court allows attorneys to present appeals in criminal and civil cases previously heard in Common Pleas courts. About 8,000 appeals are filed annually in Superior Court.
Prior to the start of proceedings, the team members, accompanied by teacher coaches Adam Carlisle and Justin Naylor and team advisors Attorneys Neil and Cathy O’Donnell, met the Hon. Supreme Court Justice Seamus P. McCaffery.
The Hon. Superior Court President Judge Correale F. Stevens and the Hon. Judges Jack A. Panella and Sallie Updyke Mundy also visited briefly with the team before the session began.
The annual eight-grade Roaring 20s inspired History Day at Wyoming Seminary Lower School was a blast from the past. The day started out as my classmates and I, dressed as flappers and mobsters, filed into the eight-grade hallway. Of course, everyone mingled and complimented each other on our costumes, but after homeroom it was time for classes.
By the time history class came around I could barely sit still, which turned out to be a good thing. Mr. Switzer immediately turned up the record player as the class cut-a-rug to a famous dance from the twenties, the Charleston. We also sang songs, took pictures, and even played games. Unfortunately social studies class had come to an end, and we continued our day and attended other subjects, but the fun wasn’t over.
When classes were over, the eighth graders and their team of teachers anxiously packed the auditorium seats as the lights dimmed. Soon enough an old, silent movie, came to life on the screen. The Phantom of the Opera is a story that we all already knew, but it was fascinating to see how the story was depicted without sound. After the silent movie, we enjoyed snacks and beverages, and then it was playtime. The backfield had games such as croquet, my favorite, and beanbag tosses, and the gym was occupied with badminton courts. We each got a chance to play the games we wished, and truly experience how people our age from back then had fun. Roaring 20s day was my favorite living history day. It was so much fun to experience a day in the 1920s.
International Food Night at Sem is one of the most popular nights of the year at Sem.
The International Dinner is considered by many to be the best night on campus. One of the things that drew me personally to Sem was the large international population. This is a night to showcase that diversity through food.
Planning for the dinner begins before Christmas when we (Konstantin Lyavdanksy and I as advisors) ask students to name country leaders and decide what dishes they plan to prepare. This ensures that we have a variety of appetizers, entrees, desserts and drinks to try. The country leaders email their recipes to us so that we have a chance to see what ingredients might be difficult to find here in the Wilkes-Barre area, then perhaps students change their plans a bit or decide to buy some ingredients in their home country over Christmas break. Many also bring back traditional dress to wear during the dinner, so we also get a little bit of a fashion show.
Students prepare food in President Nygren's home for International Food Night.
The Friday before the dinner a few students from each country take a bus to Wegmans to shop for the ingredients immediately after school. Afterwards, the entire International Club assembled in order to set up tables and chairs, decorate the blue gym and make posters to identify countries. On Saturday morning, everybody started cooking, most groups by 9 or 10. The real unsung heroes of this event were the campus faculty who opened their homes, or more specifically their kitchens, to our students. We truly appreciated the patience of all those faculty families, since many of these students have never boiled water before, let alone prepared some of their typical dishes without guidance from adults.
Since some countries are currently represented by 15 people, while others by only one student, preparation varies greatly. For example, we only had one student from Lebanon this year, so with the help of a friend, he made a typical salad. It may sound easy, but the ingredients must be finely chopped, so it actually takes hours to prepare. On the other hand, this year we had 15 students from Taiwan, so they worked in shifts in two houses and prepared four different dishes, all of which require multiple steps. The seniors taught the new students what to do, so that next year (hopefully) the new leaders can take over the process.
Not only true international students and boarders take part, but many day students cook in their homes as well. We usually have at least five or six tables at the dinner representative of different ethnicities of our day population. In some cases, boarders go to the homes of local families and students prepare the food of their common heritage together.
For the international students, it’s a way to share their culture with us, as well as a lesson in kitchen vocabulary. They must first translate their recipes, later find the ingredients in the supermarket, explain to faculty hosts what supplies they need to cook or bake, then finally describe the food to people during the dinner. For the rest of us, it’s a lesson in culture and a chance to try nearly 60 different foods from 25 different countries. In addition to good food and fun, the event also raises money for charity with a donation box. This year we raised $475, which will be donated to the local Red Cross.
We hope that you enjoyed the night as much we did. Although it’s a lot of hard work, students take great pride in sharing their cuisine with the rest of the community. We plan to bring all of these recipes to you in an International Club Cookbook coming later this year.
Sem loves technology and the Lower School is leading the way. Last week, 20 Lower School students from grades 4-7 traveled to Hershey for the annual Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference.
Payton M. & Abby S. members of the "Green Screen With Preteens" group
"VoiceThread: Students teaching Students" presented by Conor J., teacher advisor Barbara Rogers, Kate B., Ethan T., and Ben P.
"Caught in the NETS: ISTE Standards and 1:1 Technology" presenters Robert Z., Nicole J., Aishani C., and Alex M.
Setting up for their "Wikis as Portfolios" presentation are Meghna M., Ben P., Nicole Rose L., and teacher advisor Kayanne Barilla.
Students introduce Sem president Dr. Nygren to their presentation, "Technology in a Literacy Classroom."
Students participating in the Platypus Swim collected small stuffed animals on their way out of the tube.
Students listened to poems about Australian animals on Australia Day.
Dressed in outback-style clothes, the children decorated their boomerangs
Koalas climb, platypuses swim and kangaroos jump, and so did 25 Wyoming Seminary Lower School kindergarten students as they celebrated Australia Day. Each January the students study the history, culture and flora and fauna of the country Down Under. As part of their celebration of Australia’s national day, the children took part in a series of events called the “Outback Olympics,” which consisted of the Koala Climb (rock wall), the Platypus Swim (crawling through a blue tube), the Emu Race (foot race around obstacles) and the Kangaroo Jump (standing long jump).
The students also played a lawn-bowling game called Bulls; listened to a reading of “Kids Rhymes of Bygone Times,” a book of poems about Australian animals; snacked on Australian licorice; painted boomerangs, didgeridoos and their own versions of Aborigine cave wall images; and traveled to a nearby Australian-themed restaurant for lunch.
