Sem & The
Spanish Flu
Since opening in 1851, SEM has worked through its fair share of trials and tribulations, victories and celebrations from World’s Fairs to World Wars. 2020 is certainly not the first time that SEM has had it's readiness tested. In fact, it’s not even the first time that the school has had to adapt in the face of a pandemic. While a lot has changed between 1919 and 2020, a look at the 1919 Seminaria
gives some insight into how SEM handled the Spanish Flu pandemic. As SEM adjusts (and sometimes readjusts) to meet the challenge of Covid-19 and the current times, a trip down memory lane shows how the school has persevered in the past. Take a peek inside the 1919 Seminaria to see for yourself!
By Deanna Arthur ‘10
In her piece titled “The Flu,” Emily Newman from the Class of ‘20 (and that’s 1920, not 2020) shared a firsthand account of the impact of the influenza on life at SEM. Instead of Zoomfueled remote learning, students received their assignments via snail mail. Some elements, however, feel very familiar. References to closed movie theaters call to mind the different stages of reopening in New York State. Even then, wearing masks was an important aspect of running errands. Heartwarming references to faculty assisting at emergency hospitals show a commitment to community that SEM still carries today.
Emily “Em” Newman went on to be the 1920 Editor-inChief of the Seminaria in which she was recognized for her slow eating and her bookishness. After graduating, she went to Smith College.
Buffalo Seminary
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