Green & Gold Vol. XXVIII Issue V

Green & Gold

A Publication of Wesleyan School

Dolly!” Did you hear the cast began pratice?

Caitlin Bridgers

season.”

Editor-in-chief Audrey Pursell encourages students to volunteer over the Christmas season.

Pg. 2

Wesleyan Wolf Players production will be performing the winter musical, “Hello Dolly” February 1-4 in Powell Theatre, inviting anyone who wants to see a vibrant, full of life show. The directors, cast, and backstage crew have begun practices to make this musical one of the best ones yet.

When interviewed about her hopes for the upcoming production, high school Theater Director Stephanie Simmons says she is “hoping it brings a lot of joy to everyone – not just the cast members or backstage and design crew, but the audience too.” “Hello Dolly” is a cheerful musical that is full of vibrance and very entertaining.

schoolers to see what difference a 100 years makes of how people meet each other, but also see some similarities with matchmaking apps and social media.” Everyone is looking for love, and that part of the human condition will never change. The matchmaking side of the production will add humor and a good twist to

Athletic Circle of Honor inducts new members

The Athletic Circle of Honor recognizes outstanding alumni for their contributions to the Wesleyan athletic programs between the girls and boys varsity basketball games against West Hall on Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, at 7 p.m in Yancey Gymnasium. “The Athletic Circle of Honor is a formal way of recognizing the best student athletes who come through Wesleyan,” Assistant Head of School for Advancement Marc Khedouri said.

(cont’d on pg. 6)

Wesleyan students are encouraged to show their generosity for the amazing donors on John Wesley Day.

Pg. 5

“Hello Dolly” is set in at the turn of the century in 1898. It is based off an old film called “The Matchmaker.” At the time, people typically had arranged marriages or hired a matchmaker. In this musical, Dolly is a matchmaker. The musical follows her and her clients’ storylines as she matches different couples. She begins to feel a longing to find a match for herself. When asked why she chose this play, Simmons said, “I want the cast and high

that fact.

(cont’d on pg. 7 )

Alexander Glover promotes Christmas Spirit

Jack Hobgood

For senior Alexander Glover, something that started off as watching YouTube videos of middle-aged men syncing music to their Christmas light show in their suburban front yard has developed into something that is becoming a Wesleyan Christmas tradition for many.

Check out what Wesleyan students did over Thanksgiving break.

Pg. 12

Glover has been putting on a light show throughout the holiday season for the past few years for all to see. After watching countless videos of light shows and falling in love with the idea of putting on one himself, Glover made it happen. His show started off with minimal lights and decorations. As he’s bought up additional product and invested more of his time and money into the development of the show, it has grown into a much larger performance, which many Wesleyan students, faculty members, and parents watch each year.

(cont’d on pg. 11)

“Hello

“Be sure you are not forgetting about others who will be struggling this Christmas

Walker Huckaby

Senior Alexander Glover’s light show in his front yard brings

Glover

Jameson Kavel ‘17 throws the ball to first base to get an out for the Duke Blue Devils.

Kavel

Hanrahan

Try volunteering over the Christmas season

Dear high school students, tttttAs the Christmas season is approaching, it can be easy to forget the JOY motto of Wesleyan. The numerous distractions of Christmas celebrations, gifts, and activities can make it hard to remember to look out for those in need. It is important to not forget others who may be less fortunate during this holiday season. There are multiple ways to benefit people who are less fortunate in our community during this holiday season. Some ways to volunteer in your community are The Sandwich Project, A.G Rhodes, and Helping Hands Holiday Dinner. tttttThe Sandwich Project is a non-profit organization whose volunteers assemble and donate fresh, homemade sandwiches each week for immediate consumption to meet the food scarcity needs in Metro Atlanta. This organization started in 2020 when the founders began making sandwiches during the pandemic for those in need. Thousands of sandwiches are now donated each week for the project. You can get involved by making sandwiches, purchasing whole fresh fruit, or purchasing chewy high-protein bars. You can also host a collection site on Wednesdays for delivery to non-profit organizations. You can also make deliveries and transport sandwiches to community organizations. There are many ways to participate in this project that takes minimal effort. You have the opportunity to fill someone’s stomach this holiday season. To learn more, visit https://www. thesandwichproject.org/get-involved.

tttttAnother way to improve someone’s Christmas season is to visit nursing homes. There are various ways to volunteer at nursing homes. One of the main nursing homes that I have volunteered at is A.G. Rhodes. There are “Activity Assistants,” who help run an activity

session for residents such as BINGO, arts/crafts, games, social events and more. “Music Therapy,” is where volunteers help assist in a music therapy group by spending one-on-one time with a resident as they participate, “Pet Therapy,” which is when volunteers bring their pet and help brighten a day, reduce loneliness, and brings back fond memories. Pets do not need to be therapy-certified, but they must be well-trained, friendly, and good with people. “Outings Escort,” volunteers escort residents on shopping trips and visits around town during scheduled outings. Transportation to and from the outings is provided by A.G. Rhodes. These are just a few of the many volunteer opportunities provided at A.G Rhodes. To learn more about the volunteer opportunities, you can look on their website, agrhodes.org. This is a great opportunity to invite friends and family memebrs to volunteer with you. The more, the better. ttttt

Multiple ways exist to benefit people who are less fortunate in our community during this holiday season.

The last volunteer experience I will share with you all is Helping Hands Holiday Dinner. On Saturday, December 17, Helping Hands will adopt 300 disadvantaged children for their 34th annual Helping Hands Holiday Dinner. Families will arrive in the parking lot at 6703 Shannon Parkway, Union City, GA, 30291. Children will receive toys and dinner as will the parents of the children. 50 volunteers are needed to assist for the dinner. Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older. The form to volunteer must be submitted by Friday, December 10.

The link to submit is https://helpinghandsholidaydinner. com/volunteer/online-pre-registration/. You will be on your feet a lot and the arena floor is made of dirt. If possible, wear reds, greens, whites, or something festive or “holiday looking.” Do not bring anything unnecessary such as purses, organizers, or coats (lockers or other places to keep them will be provided). Depending on the weather, dress warmer than you would if you were staying inside yet cooler than you would if you were going outside. Parking is limited, so, if possible, please ride with a friend. At the Volunteer Check-In tables you will be assigned immediately to a work area that needs assistance. This organization is a great opportunity to make a child’s Christmas.

tttttThe final piece of advice I leave you is to be sure you are not forgetting about others who will be struggling this Christmas season. By giving a gift card to a salesclerk or simply smiling at a stranger, there are many ways to bring light to others this season. We are all blessed enough to receive gifts and warm meals with family and friends, but many people are not as fortunate. Each of the organizations I listed are great ways to give back to the community and help someone else’s holiday season be a little merrier.

Sincerely, Audrey Pursell Co-Editor-in-Chief

Solve this fun Christmas crossword

Caroline Croley

Down

1. The husband of Queen Victoria started the tradition of bring a tree into the house for Christmas.

2. These Europeans people started the tradition of leaving cookies and milk out for St. Nicholas.

3. These credit and debit cards are used 6,000 times every minutes during the Christmas season.

4. This ancient civilization thought that kissing under mistletoe would bring love.

5. Charles Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” in these many weeks.

7. The word “Christmas” comes from the word “Cristes Maesse,” which means this.

8. In 2010, a Facebook study found that the most popular time for couples to break up is this many weeks before Christmas.

9. This is St. Nicholas’s Dutch name.

14. The red stripes in candy canes represent this.

Across

6. 1 in 3 men wait until this day to shop for presents.

8. The first Christmas on American land was in this city in 1539. The people just held a religious mass 10. This Bing Crosby song is the highest-selling single of all time.

11. This city in Canada claims that they hosted the first “ugly Christmas sweater” party.

12. This is the country where candy canes were invented 13. This Christmas song was the first song ever played in space by astronauts.

15. This Central European demon walks around streets with chains and bells looking for naughty children

16. This U.S. state in 1907 was the last to declare Christmas as a legal holiday

Answers: Down – 1. Albert, 2. Dutch, 3. Visa, 4. Greek, 5. Six, 7. MassOfChrist,8. Two,9. SinterKlaas,14. Blood; Across- 6. ChristmasEve,8. Tallahassee,10. WhiteChristmas,11. Vancouver,12. Germany,13. JingleBells,15. Krampus,16. Oklahoma

He said/She said

This or That - Christmas Edition

Jack Hobgood

Each and every year in the days and weeks leading up to Christmas, it’s inevitable that I’ll walk into the living room of my house and see my dad half asleep as he’s watching “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” for the twelve hundreth time. For myself and many others, Christmas is about tradition and seeing my dad watch this same movie year after year, laughing at the same jokes and telling me what’s going to happen five minutes before it happpens, is tradition. Additonally, so many Christmas movies are beyond unrealistic, having to do with fairytale love stories and a single person saving Christmas for everyone. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” can be appreciated for it’s realness and humor that most everyone in a family can enjoy.

Henley Davis

The best Christmas movie is “The Grinch.” Not only does it have a riveting plot and an enthralling climax, but the movie also provides a necessary lesson for the holiday season. It is very easy to get consumed by various holiday festivities and the stress of gift-giving, but the film reminds its viewers that that is not what the season is about. Christmas is about enjoying time with your loved ones and not forgetting the true reason for the season: the birth of Jesus Christ. It has one of the funniest celebrities, Jim Carrey starring in this movie and provides hilarious comedic relief as a sidetrack to the valuable lessons. This movie reminds me of so many great memories of the Christmas season, sipping hot chocolate, and watching the best Christmas movie- “The Grinch.”

Starbucks’ Hot Chocolate OR

Throughout the holidsay season, Starbucks offers a wide variety of “holiday beverages” that people around the world can enjoy. Whether it’s a Peppermint Mocha, a Caramel Brulée Latte, or even an Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte, there’s so many drinks at Starbucks to get you in the holiday spirit. One drink that isn’t part of the list of advertised “holiday beverages” is a classic hot chocolate, which is something that Starbucks does best. I’m convinced people are only ordering these “holiday beverages” because everyone else is doing it or the fact that it comes in a fun little cup. Call me four-years-old, hot chocolate is a drink that can be enjoyed by all ages throughout the season and that is why it’s the best holiday drink at Starbucks.

Unwrapped

One Christmas tradition that should not be a Christmas tradition is the process of selecting the perfect wrapping paper and then beautifully wrapping the paper around boxes with gifts inside. Not only is this process time consuming, but it’s a waste as that wrapping paper will be torn into pieces in a matter of second and thrown away in a garbage bag. There are several alternatives to wrapping paper, notably gift bags, that would be just as effective and could be used on multiple occasions.

Christmas Vacation The Grinch OR Spoil the Secret

Growing up, I was tricked into believing that an old fat man flew on a sleigh led by reindeer (Do they even exist???) as he delivered presents to kids around the world. I think the most absurd part of the whole Santa story is the fact that he climbs through the chimney of houses, presents in hand, and then shoves cookies down his throat and slurps down a glass of warm milk. As a victim of believing in Santa Claus, as well as the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy for that matter, and being ridiculed by my classmates for not knowing he was a non-existent person, I believe that parents shouldn’t even bother trying to make their kids believe in Santa Claus.

The Starbucks peppermint mocha can come as a hot, iced, or Frappuccino drink. All three options are equally delicious. My personal favorite is the hot peppermint mocha because it is Christmas in a cup. This seasonal drink is something I look forward to the most during the holiday season. The Starbucks’ slogan, “That first-sip feeling,” really encapsulates my reaction` to trying this beverage for the first time. It is an immediate whirlwind of the perfect swirl of peppermint and chocolate flavors. It is by far the best Starbucks’ holiday drink. Though hot chocolate is a Christmas classic, that does not mean it is the best. Our culture is leaving hot chocolate in the past and introducing a new superiority: peppermint mocha.

OR OR Believe in Santa Claus

Starbucks’ Peppermint Mocha Wrapped

On Christmas morning, I prefer to walk downstairs to a beautiful arrangement of wrapped gifts. One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is getting to wrap gifts for other people. It is so fun to pick out colorful wrapping paper and various bows or ribbons. Seeing unique wrapped packages sitting under a Christmas tree is the perfect holiday scene. Also, seeing the presents unwrapped on Christmas morning ruins the anticipation of ripping open the wrapping paper to see a wonderful surprise.

One of my favorite parts about Christmas when I was little was believing in Santa. It made the season so much more fun to share the eagerness with my friends about Santa visiting our houses on Christmas Eve. I loved baking cookies and leaving milk and a note out the night before Christmas. Although I was sad when I found out the truth, the temporary disappointment is still definitely worth the memories that I will never forget as I grow older. Santa Claus is one of the best parts of the Christmas season, and only a Scrooge would keep the joy of Santa Claus from young children. Not only is it fun for kids, it is also a great joy for parents and adults of all ages.

Christmas Vacation OR Stay at Home

While I don’t have an official source to back up this claim, Christmas is the most beloved American holiday and that is for the right reasons. There are so many things to love about Christmas—spending time with family and friends, giving and receiving presents, how nice (even those who aren’t nice) everyone is—but hosting Christmas for the rest of your family is not one of those things. Having to deep clean your house in the days ahead of your fam ily’s arrival, constantly having to provide for the rest of your family, and then having to deep clean your house once again once they have left makes parts of Christmas dreadful. Most of the struggles that come with hosting Christmas can be avoided b simply going on vacation whether that be at the beach or in the mountains or even making another one of your other family members host for once in their lives so that they can be

I could not imagine being anywhere else besides home for the holidays. My family puts up a gorgeous Christmas tree filled with pictures of my brothers and me and other meaningful ornaments. I love looking back on memories with my family, which I could not experience anywhere else. Also, every Christmas Eve, my aunts, uncles, and cousins all come to my house to enjoy good food and a “Secret Santa” party. I would not trade this experience for anything even a warm beach in the tropics. Going away for the holidays makes you lose the important parts of Christmas, which is spending it with your family.

Band and chorus concerts spread Christmas spirit

Lauren Tucker

The high school band Christmas concert was on Wednesday, Dec. 7, in Powell Theater, and the high school chorus Christmas concert was on Monday, Dec. 5 in Powell Theater. The high school band performance lasted for an hour and fifteen minutes and included the middle school band. The chorus concert also featured the fifth grade chorus and the seventh and eighth grade chorus. Both concerts helped spread Christmas cheer throughout the Wesleyan community.

during the year because of the band’s special Christmas attire tradition. Foster said, “My favorite part of the concert is that we let the high school band dress in tacky Christmas outfits, which helps people to get in the Christmas spirit. Also, it makes a formal concert more relaxed and enjoyable for the players and audience.” The band members also agree that they love wearing the Christmas outfits. G. Burns said, “I look forward to wearing Christmas outfits to the concert each year.”

This year’s Christmas concert marked a special occasion for Foster because it was his twenty-fifth Christmas concert at Wesleyan. Foster said, “I pride myself on thinking outside of the box, and this year we played three traditional concert pieces along with one jazz piece and one percussion piece.” The concert this year displayed new music and was very enjoyable and entertaining for the audience.

The high school chorus, the Chamber Singers, began practicing and preparing for their Christmas concert in October after their fall concert. The nine Chamber Singers worked hard to learn a wide variety of Christmas carols and songs in different languages. Sophomore Allison Reding said, “Everyday in class we go over the songs multiple times, and Mr. Meyer gives us tracks to practice at home.”

The students broke into different sections to learn the notes and work on their enunciation and vowels. Then, the choir studied dynamics of the pieces, which is how balance is achieved amongst the different vocal ranges within the choir. The chorus and piano teacher Brad Meyer challenged each student to sing a different section in each song to improve their vocal ranges.

j Twenty-five high school band members performed five pieces at the concert. The performance included three Christmas songs, “Low, How A Rose E’er Blooming,” “Sleigh Ride,” and “Comfort and Joy,” and two non-Christmas songs, “Second Suite in F” and “Cold Light.” “Cold Light” highlighted the percussion section. Sophomore Gavin Burns said, “My favorite song this year is “Cold Light” because it has a lot of interesting rhythms, and it is probably the hardest song I’ve ever played.” Burns played the marimba and the vibraphone during the songs.

Each of the pieces highlighted a different section of the band’s strengths while challenging the players to do their best. Band Director Jeff Foster said, “I try to choose a variety of different styles of music. I choose music based on the strengths and weaknesses of the group I have. Each piece is customized to the group’s ability.”

In the piece, “Comfort and Joy,” there were three soloists: freshman Larry Men on the tenor saxophone, senior Brendan O’Shields on the alto saxophone, and senior Phillip Burns on the piano. Junior Brady O’Shields played a huge euphonium solo in “Second Suite F,” and “Cold Light” featured a solo from senior Steven Guyer on the marimba.

The band began preparing for the Christmas concert at the beginning of the school year. Foster said, “From day one, we start working on music fundamentals while we learn the Veteran’s Day and Christmas concert programs at the same time.” The band consists of 11 different woodwind and brass instruments and 3 different percussion instruments. Foster works with each instrument individually on the pieces. Then, he works with the ensemble as a whole to make sure the pieces flow and sound good.

The band members also work outside of class to perfect their skills before the concert. G. Burns said, “I practice with the percussion section and ensemble during class. Then, I work outside of class to not only learn my part, but other people’s parts so I can blend better with the ensemble.”

The band concert is different from any other concerts

The Christmas concert built upon the choir’s performance at their fall concert in October. Meyer said, “My favorite part about the concert is seeing everything come together as a whole and seeing the choir’s overall growth from October to December.” The choir used the October concert as a way to learn how they sounded with each other. The Christmas concert allowed them to showcase their new skills and harmony as a group. Reding said, “My favorite part of the Christmas concert was being able to see all of our improvement, and everyone working together.”

The chorus concert was centered around the Christmas and the birth of Christ, so Meyer chose songs that would represent this theme. The chorus performed 5 songs, “Personent Hodie,” “Il Est Né, Le Divin Enfant,” “In the Bleak Midwinter,” “White Winter Hymnal,” and “Carol

of the Bells.” The song “Personent Hodie” is in Latin, and “Il Est Né, Le Divin Enfant” is a popular French folk Christmas song. The choir’s rendition of “Carol of the Bells” is a beloved Christmas concert tradition. But each song held a special meaning for the singers. Reding said, “My favorite song that we are singing this year is “White Winter Hymnal” because it is acapella, so we get to make our own chords and make really cool beats.”

Each one of Meyer’s song choices celebrates Christmas in a different way. Meyer said, “I try to mix in songs that are more traditional, and then one or two songs that might be unfamiliar to the audience. The Christmas concert is a great time to expose the choir to learning different languages and cultures, and how the Christmas theme progresses through each of those songs.”

The band and chorus Christmas concerts highlighted the high school students’ talent that has grown over the course of the semester while celebrating the birth of Christ. The songs performed at the concerts helped spread Christmas cheer to the members of the audience and Wesleyan community.

Sophomore Gavin Burns and senior Phillip Burns practice on the marimba and the piano for the concert.

Burns

(l to r) Sophomore Ellie Simmons, sophomore Norah Mukana, and freshman Izabelle-Antoinnette Mensah break into a group to practice for the concert. Reding

(l to r) Freshman Lacie Jones, junior Dina Samson, and freshman Mady Terry practice “Carol of the Bells” to prepare for the Christmas concert.

Students and faculty celebrate John Wesley Day

Elsa Moore

John Wesley Day is a Wesleyan school day that is celebrated by all students from all divisions of the school as they come together to write cards that express their thankfulness for the people who have donated money to make a beautiful place like Wesleyan possible. This year, the school will celebrate its twelfth annual John Wesley Day, which means 12 years that students have taken the time to write letters and recognize people who have given generously to the school.

John Wesley Day was created by Andy Cook, father of junior Andrew Cook, senior Thomas Cook, and Bobby Cook (‘22) at Wesleyan, who came up with the idea as a way to celebrate Wesleyan student’s thankfulness for donors to the school. This day takes place around the eighteenth of November, purposely around Thanksgiving, which is a time in general where people are especially thankful for the people and opportunities and their lives, which make it a perfect time to celebrate John Wesley Day.

Wesley Day Luncheon, and recognizes that people who will never know our names gave generously so we can enjoy the campus we have today.”

Wesleyan, founded in 1963, started out much different than its students see it now. It was a relatively young school but has developed drastically over time. It was not gifted with half the amenities it has today. These amenities can include the things students take for granted, such as the natatorium, beautiful buildings like Wesley hall and Cole fine arts, and the athletic complexes student use at this school. Its development is all thanks to the generous people who have contributed and donated to it starting from its foundation to the beautiful buildings that surround us today. As students and faculty, everyone is charged with moving forward with the gift of Wesleyan and leaving it even better than it was

pus but also to help with faculty salaries and student aid. This also allows Wesleyan to be equipped with teachers who are good in the classroom and care about their students. Letters are an essential part of this day as receiving a letter in the mailbox can bring joy to the person receiving it who will then know that their contribution, even if it is small, had an impact on a student, who took time out of their day to just say “thank you.”

John Wesley Day is an important Wesleyan celebration whether students know it or not. It can allow them to take time out of busy schedules and enjoy taking time to say thank you to someone who made an impact. It lets both students and faculty reflect on the people who have given so charitably to Wesleyan and made the beautiful campus we enjoy today possible.

Many students and faculty may not even know that John Wesley Day had purposely been named after the brothers, John and Charles Wesley, important religious figures who started the Methodist Church in 1784. John Wesley was known as a person of gratitude, which is one of the reasons why the day was named after him along with being an homage to the brothers. Associate Director of Development Patrick Hughes says “I think it is an important day because we celebrate generosity in different ways through cards of gratitude, a slide show with pictures and quotes of generosity across campus, a special John Wesley Day chapel speaker, and a John

found through giving and charity.

John Wesley Day stands to be such an important day in the Wesleyan community so that students are able to take time to appreciate the beauty of attending a place like Wesleyan. Hughes also states that “We are put in charge of advancing Wesleyan’s Christian mission and being good stewards of what we are entrusted with.”

Wesleyan students are tasked with the job of writing letters to say thank you to the people who have chosen to give their resources, time, and effort into making the school a wonderful place. The money that donors place into Wesleyan not only go towards the beautiful cam-

Thank you to all the wonderful donors!

Alumni Jason McCleskey (‘17) spoke at the John Wesley Day chapel and told students about a part of his faith journey.

Blanchard

(l to r) Freshman Mallory Suits, Shayla Bahr, and Piper Prince write letters for John Wesley Day to express their thanks for the generous people who have donated to Wesleyan. Blanchard

Director of Development Chad McDaniel speaks at John Wesley Day Luncheon in Chapman Library recognizing the importance behind a day and a school that celebrates generosity.

“We are put in charge of advancing Wesleyan’s Christian mission and being good stewards of what we are entrusted with.”

- Patrick Hughes

New salad company, Chopt, arrives in the Forum

Caitlin Bridgers

Chopt Creative Salad Co. is a new-to-Peachtree Corners restaurant that recently opened in the Forum. Chopt believes that “salad isn’t the start of the meal; it’s the whole meal.” They have implemented this idea into their unique, creative, and filling salads. This restaurant is in a great location and a perfect new spot for seniors to go during lunch or students to grab a quick meal before a Wesleyan event.

Customers can choose between getting a Chopt original bowl with grains, salad, or a wrap. These are not your typical bowls or salads though. For example, they have created a Mexican Ceasar Salad that adds spice to the typical Classic Ceasar Salad. Their bowls have a wide variety of options such as the Mediterranean Bowl with chickpeas and warm roasted chicken, the Chicken Tinga

Chopt Creative Salad Co. is now open in the Forum, and offers a variety of salads and bowls. Internet

Bowl with Chopt’s unique Mexican Godess dressing and avocado, or the Chinese Chicken Bowl with rainbow carrots, crispy wontons, and Sesame Ginger dressing. Chopt has something for any and every taste bud.

If these options of bowls and salads and wraps don’t appeal, Chopt has the option to make your own bowl. Twenty-seven homemade dressing options can be chosen that supply an incredible and unique taste to your salad or bowl. A wide variety of greens, fruits, vegetables, protein, crunchy chips, and cheese are available to add to your salad so that it is perfectly curated to your liking.

Part of Chopt’s online menu is called “The Goods,” which lists their proteins and other “goods” available for salads and bowls. They have grilled chicken, chicken tinga, panko fried chicken, bacon, tofu, shrimp, falafel, avocado and more. These protein options pair perfectly with any flavor a costumer is looking for.

To add a crunch to a salad, Chopt offers crispy shallots, crispy chickpeas, and crispy wantons. Pita chips, croutons, and tortilla chips are also available as well as a variety of other options such as dried cranberries and walnuts.

Chopt redecorated the inside and outside of their corner spot in the Forum. They painted the building white

with a blue awning that is hard to miss. The interior is bright and welcoming with booths and tables to sit at (inside and outside). Similar to other salad places such as Salata and Cava, Chopt has a salad bar line where you go down the line asking for specific foods for your meal.

Chopt does mobile orders, take out, dine in, and catering. Also, Chopt sells 12 oz bottles of their unique, homemade salad dressings for people to bring the fresh and unique tastes into their own homes.

Chopt Creative Salad Co. can be found in New York, Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., North Carolina, Tennessee, and now Georgia. While only in the U.S., the mission behind Chopt is to travel around the world to find new flavors and ingredients. Chopt Travels blog showcases local farmers markets, unique foreign ingredients, and neighborhood’s unique flavors around the world.

Chopt Creative Salad Co. is a delicious salad restaurant that has way more to offer than the basic, standard salad. Senior MJ Reinhard says, “Chopt is a fun place to get lunch with friends and has become my new favorite salad place!” Unique flavors that have been carefully curated are available for costumers to enjoy salads, bowls, and wraps to the fullest while also getting all the nutrition and energy needed for the day.

Athletic Circle of Honor inducts new members

Director of Athletics Lacy Gilbert said “the purpose of the Athletic Circle of Honor is to award the best of best athletes to come through Wesleyan.” Khedouri further explained, “The Athletic Circle of Honor was intentionally not named a hall of fame” because the focus is on the impact of the student athletes.

Any Wesleyan alumni, at least 5 years removed from the school, can be nominated by any member of the Wesleyan community. Once nominated, the name goes before a selection committee who vet the person. After approval, the nominee is voted on by the Wesleyan coaching staff. Anyone who has graduated or coached at Wesleyan can be nominated.

The nominees will attend a celebratory dinner preceding the ceremony. This dinner is held to recognize their accomplishments in private and to give their coaches an opportunity to speak about the nominee. After the dinner, the nominee will attend a ceremony between the basketball games for a public recognition. At the basketball game the nominees will receive a poster from Head of School Chris Cleveland with all of their accomplishments on it. They will also receive a replica plaque of a plaque that will be hung in the lobby

of Yancey gymnasium.

There are 41 total people in the circle of honor. This includes 2 coaches, 1 community coach, former Head of School Zach Young, and lots of alumni.

One stipulation is that nominees must be present to be inducted. The Athletic Circle of Honor has voted in several people who have not been inducted yet because they have been unable to attend the ceremony. One future inductee is David Andrews, who participated in Wesleyan football and track and field. He is now currently the starting center on the NFL team, New England Patriots.

This year, there will be three new inductees. Tucker Cannon ’16, Kylie Reed ’16, and Jameson Kavel ’17.

Cannon attended Mercer University after his Wesleyan career. During his time at Wesleyan he competed in football, swim and dive, basketball, golf, tennis, track and field, and soccer. Reed attended Wake Forest University after her time at Wesleyan. During her tenure at Wesleyan she was apart of the cross country, swim and dive, and track and field teams. Kavel attended Duke University after Wesleyan. During her Wesleyan career she showcased her skills playing softball and basketball.

Chopt offers a variety of different ingredients to add to any salad or bowl, providing unique tastes and flavors. They are presented on an assembly line-type counter for costumers to chose from. Internet

(l to r) Last year the Athletic Circle of Honor inducted Cairo Booker ‘16, Jenny Hall Winter ‘12, and CaraMia Tsirigos ’16. Head of School Chris Cleveland is on the left and Athletics Director Lacy Gilbert is on the right.

Juniors and parents learn valuable information during College Night

Henley Davis

On Wednesday, November 2 from 7 pm to 8:30 pm, juniors and their parents gathered in Powell Theater to learn about the college admissions process from a panel of senior admissions personnel from four different universities.

Wesleyan has hosted College Night for the past 15 to 20 years. In the past, a single representative has visited Wesleyan to share valuable information with attendees. These guests have included Barkley Barton, admissions representative at Notre Dame University and currently the head of admissions at the University of Georgia, and Rick Clarke, the head of admissions at Georgia Tech University.

This year, due to an idea from Assistant Director of College Advising Erica Engsberg, the event was formatted through a “Reverse Fly In” set-up. Therefore, universities’ admissions representatives visited Wesleyan to learn about the school, meet students, hear about our admissions process, and share information about their schools. This event is mandatory for all juniors and parents because the information is invaluable and is of great importance for juniors and parents to hear simultaneously.

The representatives included Director of Admissions Miya Walker from Agnes Scott University, Director of Admissions Dr. Richard Bairth from Clemson University, Director of Admissions Lisa Cote from the University of South Carolina, and Associate Dean of Admissions Thomas Ray from Wake Forest University. Assistant Director of College Advising Andrea Shupert says, “We picked these colleges as they represent a good fit for our students.”

These visitors were in Peachtree Corners for two days and one night. On the first day, they had lunch with Head of School Chris Cleveland and Associate Head of School Ramona Blankenship. Cleveland told them about Wesleyan and its history.

This panel was unique because the admissions per-

sonnels’ universities were not revealed until the end of the process. Shupert says, “We felt this would keep people more engaged with all representatives even if they were not interested in that specific school.”

This formatting proved extremely beneficial to the juniors and the parents because they learned valuable information about the overall admissions process that they may not have paid attention to if the universities’ identities were disclosed. Hayley Brammer, mother of junior Will Brammer, says “This night afforded me the opportunity to hear from four very different schools with four different perspectives.”

During college night, parents and students were given the opportunity to ask the panelists questions. A parent asked about the colleges’ opinions on Wesleyan students who have either gone through their admissions process or attend that school. Each representative highly commended Wesleyan’s students for their excellent essays and overall impressive resumes. Junior Frannie Alembik says, “It was so helpful to see how highly these universities view Wesleyan and how that will affect my admissions process.”

The college advising team hoped to enlighten the students and parents about information such as early

action versus early decision procedures, the importance of strong essays and recommendation letters, acknowledging the effect of standardized testing, the admissions process as a whole, and understanding that no single college is the “perfect” option. This event was surely a success in conveying that knowledge. Shupert says, “The information provided was information that advisors will share with their advisees, but it is extremely beneficial to hear it come from other people especially ones who oversee the admissions process.”

As for next steps for juniors, it is important to recall all the information that was shared during this useful event. Shupert says, “They [juniors and parents] should begin to evaluate this information in the context of their own family and discuss the possibilities of applying early decision, planning visits, and begin meeting with their advisor.”

This year’s College Night was a monumental success in providing the information that will shape the future of each student’s journey in college admissions.

The evening’s panel received positive recognition from all who attended, and the college advising team is sure to improve the event even more in years to come.

“Hello Dolly!” Did you hear the cast began practice?

Another theme of the musical is seizing the day. About Dolly’s character, Simmons says, “Dolly encourages her clients to go on an adventure with a new person because life is too short to not seize the day.” Dolly eventually takes this message to heart for herself at the end of the play when she realizes “she needs to be a part of the parade and not just watch the parade happen.”

Before auditions even begin, Simmons meets with the music director Brad Meyer and assistant directors Brooks Hanrahan and Minoo Mayfield in pre-production meetings to hear their visions of the show. They discussed that this should be a show full of life, personality, and color. After casting, they put this vision before the cast. Every day afterward is dedicated towards this common goal.

Simmons described the process of preparing to put on a large production such as this in four parts. First, the cast takes two weeks to learn the music by separating into various groups to practice and learn their parts in the songs. Next, choreography begins which typically is the longest portion of time. Then comes blocking out the scenes and dialogue. This step is where every cast member and crew is brought in together to learn where and when they must be on stage. They also learn what backstage work they will help prepare while they are off stage. During this step, costume assistants and the lighting crew begin to figure out final details. Lastly, everyone comes together a couple weeks before the show, and all of the different parts are played at the same time as the cast and crew practices what real showtime will look like.

When asking some of the cast about what they are most looking forward to and how practice is going, Senior Aubrey Alecxih, who is in the ensemble, said, “Mu-

sical practice is challenging and fun all in one, and I am so excited to see how it goes!” Lead role Dolly is played by sophomore Norah Mukana who said, “This cast, even this early in the rehearsal process, is like a family, and I am so grateful for the honor to act in the principal role. It is exciting to think about closing night when we take our final bows, and I get to say that “Hello Dolly” was an amazing, inspirational, lively show as well as an experience I learned a lot from.” Senior RJ Devlin, playing Horace Vandergelder, said, “We are currently working on the music and learning to sing the songs correctly. My favorite part so far has been seeing everyone’s voice blend together and immersing themselves in the songs.”

“Hello Dolly” will be an exciting, fun show for high school students to experience as it brings a vibrancy to the wintertime. The cast, crew, and directors have been working very hard to produce a show that the Wesleyan student body will enjoy. They would love to see stu-

dents come to opening night of the musical. Come out and support peers and friends as they take on the winter musical, “Hello Dolly!”

THE CAST OF “HELLO, DOLLY!”

Dolly Levi - Norah Mukana (‘25)

Horace Vandergelder - RJ Devlin (‘23)

Irene Molloy - Ireland Riley (‘23)

Cornelius Hackl - Gavin Burns (‘25)

Minnie Fay - Ginny Kate McDaniel (‘24)

Barnaby Tucker - Miles Cleveland (‘23)

Ermengarde - Hannah Ferdon (‘24)

Ambrose Kemper - Philip Burns (‘23)

Ernestina - Caroline Croley (‘23)

Mrs. Rose - Kailey Zavitz (‘24)

Rudolph - John Copeland (‘26)

Stanley - Logan Guyer (‘26)

Judge - Daniel Guo (‘23)

Policeman - Mason Strang (‘23)

Courtroom Clerk - Ellie Simmons (‘25)

Ensemble:

Aubrey Alecxih, Lindsay Bobo, Fiona Callahan, Rhiannon Clary, John Copeland, Caroline Croley, Jess Epps, Ella Gilley, Daniel Guo, Logan Guyer, Lacie Jones, Anna Kennedy, Rebekah Niemann, Dorothy Park, Allison Reding, Freddie Reinhard, Emily Samples, Kathryn Seligman, Ellie Simmons, Mason Strang, Kailey Zavitz

(l to r) Ray, Cote, Bairth, and Walker answer questions on the panel during College Night.

(l to r) Freshman John Copeland, senior RJ Devlin, senior Daniel Guo, and senior Mason Strang rehearse their songs together.

Hanrahan

Senior

Ben Jackson

What colleges are you applying to or going to? Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Mississippi State

Where would you travel to if you could go anywhere right now? Hawaii

Who is somebody famous you’d want to be stranded on an island with? The Rock

What’s your most embarrassing moment at Wesleyan? Peeing my pants in kindergarten

What is one thing you will miss about high school? Friends

What did you want to be as a child? Monster truck driver

Who was your first Wesleyan crush? Anslee Davidson

If you could watch one TV series for the rest of your life, what series would it be? “Breaking Bad”

What is the theme song of your life? “Kickstart My Heart” by Motly Crue

What colleges are you applying to or going to? Boston College, Northeastern, and University of Washington

Where would you travel to if you could go anywhere right now? Greece

Who is somebody famous you’d want to be stranded on an island with? Matthew Gray Gubler

What’s your most embarrassing moment at Wesleyan? Neon night in 8th grade

What is one thing you will miss about high school? Football games and dances

What did you want to be as a child? Neurobiologist

Who was your first Wesleyan crush? Robert Scheer in kindergarten

If you could watch one TV series for the rest of your life, what series would it be? “Friends” Jack Thomas

What colleges are you applying to or going to? Virginia Tech, Embry-Riddle, and KSU

Where would you travel to if you could go anywhere right now? France

Who is somebody famous you’d want to be stranded on an island with? Seth McFarland

What’s your most embarrassing moment at Wesleyan? Sophomore year when Alexander saw me one morning, he came up to me to high five me, and knocked my coffee out of my hands and onto the floor

What is one thing you will miss about high school? Being with my friends

What did you want to be as a child? GA Power lineman

Who was your first Wesleyan crush? Ireland Riley

If you could watch one TV series for the rest of your life, what series would it be? “Big Bang Theory”

What colleges are you applying to or going to? I am applying to Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Auburn, and Villanova

Where would you travel to if you could go anywhere right now? Iceland or Fiji Who is somebody famous you’d want to be stranded on an island with? Derek Jeter

What’s your most embarrassing moment at Wesleyan? Freshman year there was a really heavy and sad video being shown after an emotional devotion. As the video ended, it was completely silent. Then, my phone went off with the most cheerful and happy sound I have ever heard. Everyone whipped their heads around and stared at me, but I did not know it was my phone, so I was looking around. It was going off for almost a minute. I ended up getting a major detention.

What did you want to be as a child? A baseball player or a doctor

Anna Kennedy

What colleges are you applying to or going to? Samford, Belmont, University of Georgia, and Wofford. Where would you travel to if you could go anywhere right now? If I could go anywhere right now, I would travel to Disney World. I want to go see all the new rides they have built, and my cousin is in the Disney College Program, so I want to go visit him.

Who is somebody famous you’d want to be stranded on an island with? I honestly have no idea. What’s your most embarrassing moment at Wesleyan? Junior year I went into one of the Spanish rooms before class had started to go and talk to one of my friends. Before the bell rang, Mr. V dragged me to the front of the classroom and asked me to say the Lord’s Prayer in Spanish. I wasn’t in the class or in Spanish at all, so it was very embarrassing for me.

What did you want to be as a child? I wanted to be a teacher or a race car driver.

Harris Browder

What colleges are you applying to or going to? Auburn, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Clemson, and UGA

Where would you travel to if you could go anywhere right now? I would go to either Italy or Scotland. Who is somebody famous you’d want to be stranded on an island with? Andrew Garfield

What is one thing you will miss about high school? My friends What did you want to be as a child? I wanted to be a princess.

If you could watch one TV series for the rest of your life, what series would it be? “Sherlock” (BBC) What is the theme song of your life? “Sign of the Times” by Harry

Jennifer Noel

Joe Laurite

Styles

Audrey Pursell

Spotlights

Claire Wyatt

What colleges are you applying to or going to? Georgia Tech, Auburn, and Purdue.

Where would you travel to if you could go anywhere right now? Bora Bora

Who is somebody famous you’d want to be stranded on an island with? Tom Holland

What’s your most embarrassing moment at Wesleyan? In Mr. Baxley’s homeroom in middle school, I was trying to listen to music, but my headphones weren’t fully plugged in, so music started playing out of my tablet.

What is one thing you will miss about high school? I will miss the teachers.

What did you want to be as a child? An astrophysicist or a princess

Who was your first Wesleyan crush? Will Hillegass in middle school

Jake Neu

What colleges are you applying to or going to? Auburn, Clemson, and Virginia Tech

Where would you travel to if you could go anywhere right now? Barbados

Who is somebody famous you’d want to be stranded on an island with? Marc Khedouri

What’s your most embarrassing moment at Wesleyan? When I messed up my lines in the 4th grade play

What is one thing you will miss about high school? My friends

What did you want to be as a child? Astronaut

Who was your first Wesleyan crush? Kendall Bowen

If you could watch one TV series for the rest of your life, what series would it be? “Jeffery Dahmer”

Dominick Scalese

What colleges are you applying to or going to? Tulane University

Where would you travel to if you could go anywhere right now? I would want to go a beach in the Bahamas.

Who is somebody famous you’d want to be stranded on an island with? Kevin Malone

What is one thing you will miss about high school? Playing baseball with my friends

What did you want to be as a child? I wanted to play in the MLB.

Who was your first Wesleyan crush? Lauren Van Wie

If you could watch one TV series for the rest of your life, what series would it be? I would watch the “The Office.”

What is the theme song of your life? “Sweatshirt” by Jacob Sartorius

Alexander Glover

What colleges are you applying to or going to? The University of Georgia, Wake Forest, North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, Vanderbilt, and Furman

Where would you travel to if you could go anywhere right now? Israel. I would love to go tour the Holy Lands and interact with Israeli and Arab cultures.

Who is somebody famous you’d want to be stranded on an island with? Ronald Reagan

What’s your most embarrassing moment at Wesleyan? I’m sure that each of my friends would have a different answer to this question for me, but the event that stands out in my mind the most was when I thought I could sneak some ice cream in during a class assembly. The thunderous voice of Dr. Hill reigned down from across the room “Noooo!” The entire grade turned in my direction, as I stood motionless like a kid caught stealing a cookie.

Caroline Stewart

What colleges are you applying to or going to? I will be playing volleyball at the University of Pennsylvania.

Who is somebody famous you’d want to be stranded on an island with? I would want to be with Zach Bryan.

What’s your most embarrassing moment at Wesleyan? I’m not huge on embarrassing myself. However, I did kiss my boyfriend on stage in front of the whole freshman class, so I would say that classifies.

What is one thing you will miss about high school? I’m going to miss chapel and the ability to freely worship God throughout the school day as well as my close friends and mentors.

Who was your first Wesleyan crush? Joe Laurite

What is the theme song of your life? “Dixieland Delight” by Alabama

Eva Rahman

What’s your most embarrassing moment at Wesleyan? Swim practice my sophomore year. I thought I showed up early and decided to watch the middle school practice in the stands. Noticed that the middle schoolers looked really familiar and realized that the high school was practicing. Had to email Coach Kadzis and tell him that I had sat in the stands for all of practice by accident. Also, people texted me after asking me why I was in the stands.

What is one thing you will miss about high school? I am going to miss my friends, teachers, and feeling at home.

What did you want to be as a child? When I was a child, I wanted to be a Marine biologist

Who was your first Wesleyan crush? Thomas Cook

Omicron team spreads holiday joy

Riley Cavanaugh

This holiday season, the Omicron team is serving the community and creating ways for high school students and faculty to support the community.

Along with the team’s weekly visits to Corners Outreach and Spring of Peace Ministries that occur throughout the school year, Omicron has special projects to provide additional support to the community during the holiday season.

Corners Baptist Church. The market relies on toy donations from churches and the community to create a market that is accessible to parents who may not have the means to buy gifts for their children otherwise. These parents can choose from a plethora of toys and gifts provided by the community.

The organization reached out to Nash and asked if Wesleyan would be willing to volunteer to help orga-

for the entire high school to be involved. There will be a toy drive before the event where high school students will be encouraged to donate toys of their choosing to the cause. After the collecting the toys donated by the high school, Omicron members will have the opportunity to give the toys to the children they serve on a weekly basis and have relationships with.

Assistant Director of Christian Life for Service Corrie Nash said, “While holidays are portrayed one way with joy and enthusiasm around children and toys, it can be a challenging time for others whether it be a parent struggling financially or person who has recently lost a loved one.” Celebrating the holidays bring so much joy, but it is important to consider how best to share that joy. Service is a wonderful way to share the excitement of the season with those who may not have positive emotions associated with the season.

Omicron will be doing two special projects in December to help foster a joyful holiday season for the entire community. Merry Market is put on by the Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries and is held at Peachtree

nize the market. Nash was eager to help as the team has worked on the market in the years preceding with former Service Director Kali Sessions spearheading the team. The Omicron team will help set up the market and move toys from storage to the market. Nash says, “Teenagers are young. They are energetic, and they can get the job done fast.”

The team will also work with Spring of Peace volunteering at the organization’s Christmas party at Dunwoody Glen Apartment Complex. The party is a fun event with music, gifts, and a Christmas message. Omicron team members will be there entertaining the kids and helping make sure the event is a success.

This event is unique because Nash has found a way

Nash encourages individuals to find ways to support the community this holiday season because that is what Jesus calls Christians to do. She says, “Holidays heighten all kinds of emotions whether it be positive or negative ones. Anytime we are able to be generous with our time and resources it reframes the reason for the season. A lot of times it can be easy to be selfish, but I encourage you to turn outward. It takes intentionality to turn outwards.”

Giving during the holiday season is a great way to support the community. Internet

Giving during this season of heightened emotions is important. However, the community still needs support after the holidays have passed. The spring Omicron team is a great way to support the community after the season is over. The applications will be released on February 27 and will be due by March 8. Signing up for this team will allow students to work with and tutor children in need at Corners Outreach and Spring of Peace.

Service is a large part of the Christian mission, and the Omicron team is creating opportunities for service for all members of the high school year-round along with special ways to serve during the holiday season.

Freshman Tanner Damm reads a book to a group of children at Corners Outreach.

Nash

High school toy drive runs fron November 28 through December 9.

Recalde-Estrada

Senior Alex Edgar enjoys the fall weather as she reads a book with a child at Spring of Peace.

Nash

Admissions ramps up for the new season

Croley

The admissions season begins each year at Wesleyan on October 1 when the admissions department, lead by Director of Admissions Mari Beth King, starts organizing open houses and group tours for prospective students and parents, until April 1, when decisions are released.

The admissions process begins for both lower, middle, and high school students on October 1. Prospective students are split into two groups when applying: rising kindergarten through fifth grade and rising sixth grade through twelfth grade. This split occurs because of the different tests each prospective student must take.

Once the application is complete, parents must register their children for one of three on-campus testing dates: January 21, January 28, or February 4. Testing will be administered by Wesleyan faculty and will last approximately one hour for rising kindergarten students, two hours for rising first through fourth graders, and three hours for rising fifth graders. These on campus tests will take an assessment that evaluates the prospective student’s language arts and math knowledge. There is also a period where the faculty will ask the students questions to get to know them better.

Prospective students who are rising sixth grade through twelfth grade are under the supervision of Assistant Director of Admissions Meredith Jamieson or Advancement Associate Will Kimberlin. Jamieson oversees high school admissions and Kimberlin oversees middle school admissions.

Once the application is complete, the prospective student will need to attend an on-campus interview. A student must be interviewed on one of three days: January 21, January 28, or February 4. This interview will be led by two faculty from whichever division the student is applying to, a student ambassador, and four prospective students. The faculty will give the prospective students

a hands-on activity to complete while they ask students about themselves and engage them in conversation.

Senior Alex Edgar remembers what it was like to go through the high school admissions process. She applied to Wesleyan her eighth-grade year from Cornerstone Christian Academy. She was most nervous during for the interview process. Edgar said, “I had never done anything like the Wesleyan interview before because the other high schools that I applied to did not require an interview. At first, I was intimidated, but the small environment in addition to being with someone from my middle school calmed my nerves.”

work hard, be at Wesleyan, and get involved in extracurricular activities. For lower school students, we look for families who want to be part of Wesleyan with children who are prepared for an advanced curriculum.”

March is when the admissions committees convene to select students to be admitted to each school. King, Jamieson, Head of School Chris Cleveland, assistant Head of School for Advancement Marc Khedouri, and Director of Diversity Dr. Jennifer Pinkett Smith are on every committee. The division principals – High School Principal Joseph Koch, Middle School Principal Joseph Antonio, and Lower School Principal Jason Erb – along with one faculty member from each division who are selected by their division principals to serve on the comittees.

All decisions will be released to families on April 1 through email.

The big admissions event of the year is the Open House. This is a time for parents and prospective students to walk around Wesleyan and ask faculty questions – something the families can’t do during tours when school is in session. High school sports and theater will be practicing during this time, so families are also encouraged to go watch students thrive in their extracurriculars. This year, the open house will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2023, from 1 pm to 3:30 pm.

All this information will be put into a file for the prospective student and will be read from front to back by the admissions team. King said, “For middle and high school students, we are looking for a child who wants to

Cleveland encourages current Wesleyan families to be ambassadors of Wesleyan and to invite prospective families to these events and to be open about their experience at Wesleyan. King also encourages students to “engage with the perspective students and help them see the personality and student life.”

This admissions season is looking very positive, and Wesleyan is ready to bring more wonderful families and students into its fold.

Alexander Glover promotes Christmas spirit

(cont’d from page 1)

Throughout Thanksgiving break, Glover spends hours setting up the show so that he can run the show throughout the month of December. The show plays in 30–45-minute intervals from the time it turns dark until about ten o’clock at night. In the show, there are lights all across Glover’s front yard including along the perimeter of the grass, dangling on the wreaths in the window of his house as well as wrapped about the trees in his yard. Additionally, he has lighted props in his front yard that add to the scenic nature of the show, which remind spectators of the true meaning of Christmas. The lights are played in accordance with the music playing on an FM radio station, controlled by Glover, moving and flashing to the beat of the song.

Those who are coming to watch the show go to Glover’s house and tune their radio in their car to the FM radio station that is connected to the lights so that they can get the full experience. Spectators have the option of sitting inside of their car, enjoying the warmth from inside, or propping up chairs and sitting outside so that they can get the full experience.

As would be expected, the show is very reliant on technology and one simple error with the technology can ruin everything. In the past, Glover has spent tens of hours troubleshooting to find where the error has occurred just so he can get the show running again. Over the years and through experience, Glover has found ways to minimize these problems and make sure that no errors present themselves when he is showing the show.

Outside of Glover himself, senior Morgan Perry might be the most informed about the light show as she has seen the show every year since her freshman year. Perry has seen the Christmas show the past four years and has seen the Halloween show each time Glover has

put it on. Perry’s rating of the show breaks the scale for the right reasons. One thing she plans to do this year is watch the show along with her peer group.

When asked what makes the show special for him and why he continues to put on the show year after year, Glover said that he loves looking outside of his window and seeing the joy on people’s faces and all the kids dancing in the street to the music.

Additionally, he said that it’s an opportunity for him to share the true meaning of Christmas—the birth of Christ. “A lot of time,” said Glover, “we get caught up in the excitement of the season—the festivities, lights, gifts—that we forget that there’s a legitimate reason for Christmas’ existence.” Glover tries to share this message throughout the show by having a good mixture

of Christmas classics and some songs that proclaim the true meaning of Christmas.

Glover hopes to continue to invest in the show by buying more product and improving upon old product so that the show can further expand. He is currently in the process of creating a website for the show and integrating it within the show by allowing for spectators to choose which music plays in accordance with the lights.

Following tradition, Glover hopes to run the show throughout the entirety of the month of December (December 1 until January 1). The show will take place at 5120 Wild Ginger Cove, Norcross, GA 30092. If you have any questions regarding the show, contact Alexander Glover at alexanderglover@wesleyanschool.org.

Caroline

(l to r) A prospective student and freshman Helen Wanjohi visited the lower school. King

(l to r) Seniors Annie Venkatesan, Alexander Glover, Joe Laurite, and Freddie Reinhard stand outside of Alexander Glover’s house as they watch the show. Glover

green & gold

Students travel and explore during Thanksgiving

Caroline Croley

(l to r) Juniors Mamie Pridgen and Kate Stolle and their friends gathered to have a friendsgiving. Stolle

(l to r) Alum Emma Surber (‘18) and sophomore Lilly Surber loved being at the beach over Thanksgiving. Surber

(l to r) Juniors Vivian Hosier, Brady O’Shields, and senior Jack Thomas had the wonderful opportunity to spin and play in Macy’s Great American Marching Band. Hosier

(l to r) Junior Courtney Gibbs and alum Caroline Gibbs (‘21) ate their Thanksgiving meal at the Atlanta Athletic Club. John

Senior Ella Richards enjoyed visiting Kenya and going on safari rides. Richards

Senior Kami Hewitt visited Rome and Venice in Italy and Paris, France.

Hewitt

(l to r) Mrs. Richardson, senior Kyla Richardson, and Mr. Richardson love to celebrate Thanksgiving. Richardson

(l to r) Seventh grader Grady Andrews, junior Norah Kate Andrews, and senior Kevin Andrews went to Pebble Beach, California for Thanksgiving.

Pursell

(l to r) Alum Christian Drayer (‘22) and senior Morgan Akin cheered for Georgia duing the UGA - Tech game.

Wesleyan community celebrates Christmas

The Wesleyan community celebrates Christmas in many ways to show their love for Jesus and spend time with their family. Christmas is an important time of year filled with the joy of celebrating the share the joy of birth of Jesus Christ with their families. People spend this time in church services celebrating the birth of Christ, listening to joyous music, making baked goods with their families, and various engagements in the consumerist side of the Christmas holidays.

Director of Christian Life Greg Lisson has a more traditional Christmas experience. Throughout the Christmas holiday, he enjoys listening to Christmas songs on Spotify on his TV at home. He like the songs that talk about Jesus the most such as “Oh Holy Night,” “Joy to the World,” and Christmas music by Chris Tomlin. Every year, Lisson and his wife, former Wesleyan biology teacher Megan Lisson, go to visit his family in Chicago. Each year, they go to church for the afternoon candlelight service, then they go to his parent’s house, eat Christmas Eve dinner, and the children participate in the reading of the Christmas story. The youngest child there places the baby Jesus in the manger and a child around the age of ten reads the Christmas story from the book of Luke.

so her Christmas traditions have changed over the past year. This year, she and her husband will spend Thanksgiving with her husband’s family and Christmas with her family. This year, Blalock will be going to her husband’s family to a Christmas tree farm the day after Thanksgiving to get a Christmas tree. For Christmas, Blalock and her husband will travel to her parents’ house in Florida for Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Blalock’s family goes to church in the afternoon, and her mom makes a large, delicious meal that they all enjoy that night. They are festive with poppers that have a paper crown, a joke, and a small toy inside. They all wear their crowns and try to guess each other’s jokes. They also open one present on Christmas Eve, usually pajamas, which Blalock’s mom gets everyone, and watch a movie.

On Christmas morning, Blalock’s mom makes a good breakfast for everyone. One of Blalock’s favorite meals she makes is shrimp and grits. Then, they all open presents and spend the day together. Sometimes, they join their neighbor’s Christmas party. They have things such as fried turkey and enjoy time with their friends.

Sophomore Jackson Douglas’s Christmas experience center around family. Through the holiday season, the “12 Days of Christmas” is constantly playing in his house. He enjoys having his uncles fly from other states in and hanging out with them. On Christmas Eve, Douglas’s family gathers at his grandparents’ house. They sing Christmas songs, have a nativity scene displayed, and talk about the story of Christmas. On Christmas morning, Douglass and his siblings run downstairs to open presents. After opening presents, his family heads to his grandparents’ house for lunch. Throughout the day, Douglas and his parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins spend time with each other. Douglas enjoys playing board games with his aunts and uncles.

Junior Heidi Hepner has many Christmas traditions she does each year with her family. The Hepner family uses the same advent calendar each year, hanging one ornament on the calendar each day of advent leading up the Christmas. Every year on Christmas Eve, her family makes Christmas cookies and watches a Christmas movie. Then, they go to midnight mass. On Christmas morning, Hepner’s mom always makes cinnamon rolls for her family. Then, they open presents and spend the day together as a family. On Christmas night, Hepner and her family FaceTime her grandmother while Hepner plays “Stille Nacht,” the German version of Silent Night, on the piano.

English teacher Dawson Zimmerman has a contrary

view of how Christmas should be celebrated. While Zimmerman enjoys the reflection of the candlelight church service on Christmas Eve, Zimmerman dislikes the capitalist, consumer culture that has shadowed the true meaning of Christmas. Zimmerman will not listen to any Christmas music except “Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses and “The Day After Tomorrow” by Phoebe Bridgers. Zimmerman has a fake tree that he likes because it is easy to set up, and he sometimes leave Christmas ornaments on the tree from the year before to speed up the tree-decorating process. Zimmerman feels that “Christmas (in America) is a corporate holiday that serves consumerism.” He feels Christmas is about celebrating Jesus in an authentic way with other people.

While Christmas is an important holiday in the Christian faith, people in the Wesleyan community have different ways of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. While Zimmerman rejects the consumerism of the holiday, he finds the holiday a good time for reflection and time with his family. Blalock, Lisson,

iiiiWhile Lisson does enjoy sharing the true meaning of Christmas, he also enjoys doing fun things with his family. He and his cousins get together on Christmas night for game night. They argue and have fun competing against each other. On Mrs. Lisson’s side of the family, each year the family has a gingerbread decorating competition. They have fun spending time together and enjoying Christmas spirit. The Lisson family just had a baby, Harper, so they are still developing traditions. Lisson said, “I know we will have a plan for what we do every year, but we don’t know what it is yet.”

Junior Abigail Glover spends most of her Christmas with her family. After Thanksgiving, her family begins listening to Christmas music. Glover said, “We like Pentatonix.” Glover’s family always makes Christmas cookies each year at some point during the Christmas season. On Christmas Eve, they go to church, and every year they go out to dinner at various restaurants. On Christmas morning, Glover’s family open presents. Then they have lunch with Glover’s grandparents. Glover likes her fake Christmas tree because it helps with her outdoor allergies, which keeps her well from holiday allergies.

As Dean of Students Mary Blalock is newly married

Hepner, and Glover all enjoy spending time with their families and enjoying the festivities of Christmas.

Elizabeth Hodges

(l to r) Katharine Glover and her daughter junior Abigail Glover enjoy their Christmas decorations. Glover

(l to r) Dean of Students Mary Blalock enjoys spending time with her family including her husband Will Blalock, their dogs Mookie and Billie, niece Emmaline Wright, sister-in-law Caroline Wright, nephew Cole Wright, and brother-in-law Dustin Wright.

Blalock

(l to r) Director of Christian Life Greg Lisson and his wife former high school biology teacher Megan Lisson show their gingerbread house creation. Lisson

Winter sports start with a dive,

Charlie Rickell

With winter sports picking up, athletes and coaches have been working hard preparing for their seasons.We sat down with the coaches of each team to gain some insight about the approaching winter seasons.

BASKETBALL CHEER

WRESTLING

The varsity wrestling season is also ramping up. Head Varsity Coach Josh Tolman is excited for his team to compete this season with the goal of multiple wrestlers competing and placing in state. He is also excited for his

make the decision that when other people might not be working, we will be.” Tolman is also excited about the switch to classification 3A. “We enjoyed being in 1A; it was good competition there for sure. We also think the same thing about 3A. It’s always nice to get a new scenery, meet different teams, and get a fresh start.”

DIVE

The varsity basketball cheerleaders have been pract icing from 3:15 to 4:30 Monday through Thursday to get ready for the upcoming season. Head Varsity Coach Dr. Pinkett-Smith said, “The goal is for the girls to really feel comfortable knowing the material and that they will have confidence with performing and cheering at every game.” Their typical practice routine starts with a prayer and seeing how everyone is doing. Once they’re done with their warmup, they jump right into reviewing and learning new material. Pinkett-Smith said she is looking for junior Reagan Maxwell and sophomore Lauren Hill to take leadership roles on the team. Despite the long road trips in our new region, the team plans on being at all away Friday games for boys and girls. To ensure those long trips are a good time, the team will stop at the mall or another outlet to hangout, eat, and bond with each other. The varsity cheer season is an exciting time to look forward to for cheerleaders, coaches, and fans.

group of young athletes to step up and surprise people this year. Tolman also mentioned that some athletes are wrestling for the first time this year, so the team is looking to help them build a strong foundation. They start their practices in Tolman’s office where they talk about the emphasis for the day. They then jump right into a high tempo warmup including around 250 jump ropes each. They then do drills to work to perfect their technique. From there they go live and wrestle head-to-head.

At the beginning of the season, the wrestling team had a week of morning practices. When asked about why he scheduled them, Tolman said, “I think it was an opportunity for us to help another team with space issues to provide them with our space. I also believe it was a great opportunity to start our season facing a small adversity.” He emphasized the team’s commitment and effort by saying, “I think for our guys it’s really important to

The varsity dive team has been working hard as well. Head Varsity Coach Jonathan Nye said their goal was to perform well during each meet. The team has hopes of qualifying for state at Westminster on January 31. They have been practicing for an hour 2 to 3 days a week but that will turn into everyday once the middle school season is over on December 9. Nye typically has the divers start off with front and back jumps to get warmed up. They then practice the dives that they will be performing that week in their dual meet. When asked who he’s looking for to make a jump this year, Nye said, “This is my 19 year as the Wesleyan middle school and high school community dive coach, and it seems that each year I have some very talented divers that I’ve been blessed with to coach. We have a freshman female diver by the name of Abby Suits, who has been diving now for less than 3 years, who I feel could be in the top 10 in the 3A state meet in January. I’m looking forward to seeing her and her teammate Reagan Beaty do well and qualify for the finals in the state meet this year.” Nye isn’t worried about the switch to 3A. He said, “It doesn’t affect us that much. We compete against various teams in other divisions during our regular season and we are ranked with the A-AAA teams during the state meet.” On a normal meet day, divers will arrive around 4 pm and practice until a little before 5pm. The diving meet typically begins around 5. Each diver will then perform their 6 dives and the table workers will tally up the results. The dive team will compete in 9 meets before state in January. It’s looking to be a great season.

LET’S GO WOLVES!

(l to r) top row: junior Reagan Maxewell, sophmore Lauren Hill, sophmore Muna Okeke, bottom row: senior Claire Wyatt, freshman Harper Tillman, freshman Holland Williams, and freshman Avery Pennington get ready to cheer at a basetball game.

(l to r) Sophomore JJ Neeb, sophmore Ryan Cowart, sophmore Max Perry, senior Paul Weidle, and senior Tim Hillegass kick off the dive season.

Senior Jake Neu begins his final wrestling season with his first practice of the year.

Rickell

Croley

cheer, a dribble, a swish, and a splash

Mason Strang BOYS BASKETBALL

GIRLS BASKETBALL

The varsity girls basketball team started out their season playing a scrimmage against Columbia High School. The girls won their first game against long time rivals, Holy Innocents, 52-49 in the Hawks-Naismith classic on November 19. Their goals for the season are to come together as a team and play for one another. Head varsity coach Carolyn Blackman says, “We want the players to truly care for one another and buy into their roles because if they do that, then they will enjoy the results of their actions.”

In order to accomplish their goals, the team needs to be focused during practice. A normal practice starts with a drill they call “Get 50,” which is where the players have to make 50 perfect shots in order to move onto the next drill. Then they practice the defensive schemes and offensive plays that they use during games. The team truly believes that they have what it takes to win the championship because of the bonds the team have made this year, and they will do what ever it takes to bring the state championship trophy back to Wesleyan.

ry, and Ryan Cowart all had first place finishes against Holy Innocents and Pinecrest. The boys 200 freestyle relay made the state cut and so did Perry for 50 freestyle against Holy Innocents and Pinecrest. Senior Henry Wasmuth, Perry, and Ohayon all had first place finishes against Cambridge and Riverwood; meanwhile, Wasmuth also made state cuts for 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly. Perry also made state cuts for 100 freestyle against Cambridge and Riverwood.

The varsity girls swim team won in their meet against Pinecrest and Holy Innocents. In that meet, sophomore Hattie Wasmuth made the state cut for 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly. The girls 200 medley relay and freestyle relay also made the state cut. Wasmuth and senior Mary Margaret Woods finished first place in their events. The girls placed second overall in their meet against Cambridge and Riverwood. Wasmuth made the state cuts for 200 freestly and 500 freestyle and junior Vivian Hosier made the state cut for 100 freestyle and 50 freestyle.

The varsity boys basketball team started out their season with a tough scrimmage loss to a talented Lovett team. The team won their first game of the season against the Lakeside Vikings 51-49 on November 18. Varsity Head Coach Jeremy Oliver believes that the team has a great opportunity to challenge for a region championship and that focusing on the details during practice will help them get there. The team is led by senior Thomas Chipman. He has played varsity basketball all four years of high school and leads through his actions as well as vocally. Chipman hass no problem calling out his teammates for doing something wrong and helping correct them. “He is like having a second coach out there to help out the rest of the team,” says Oliver. Oliver expects sophomore Derwin Hodge as well as juniors James Mcgriff and Josh Kavel to make a big impact on the team and fill the roles of the past seniors by improving their shooting percentages and making smart decisions with the ball in their hands.

SWIM

The varsity boys swim team won their first meet against Holy Innocents and Pinecrest. Varsity Head Coach Kevin Kadzis says, “Senior Ray Homan has improved a lot since last year and is on the cusp of making a couple individual state cuts in a few events.” The team has also beaten Cambridge, Riverwood and just recently Blessed Trinity. Sophomores David Ohayon, Max Per-

During practice the team does an activity called the shoulder program a few days a week. This program includes a few exercises out of the water where the swimmers stretch and strengthen their shoulders with a resistance band. Also, the team will practice more starts, flip turns, relays, and stroke technique. These skills are what will help the swimmers be their best. The team captains, senior Paul Weidle, senior Wasmuth, senior Lindsay Friedman, senior Caroline Stewart, Woods and junior Vivian Hosier, along with the coaches award a golden kickboard to the swimmer of the week. The swimmer of the week is whoever the captains and coaches believe has done really well during the weeks practices and meets. The teams have one of the biggest classes of freshmen that they have had in a while. Both teams hope to win the state championship and it is a very attainable goal.

Winter sports at Wesleyan this year will be entertaining and successful. The school has a lot of athletes working hard to compete to the best of their ability. Make sure

Go Wolves!

Sophmore Hattie Wasmuth, junior Vivian Hosier, senior Henry Wasmuth, and sophmore David Ohayon pose for a picture.

Instagram

Senior Thomas Chipman gets the team hyped up after making a shot.

Juniors Eva Garabadian, Chit-Chat Wright, and Audre Ekou-Bla pose for a picture. Instagram

Junior Vivian Hosier, senior Caroline Stewart, and senior Mary Margaret Woods tread water in the po ol. Instagram

Kindergarteners share Christmas joys

Caroline Croley

“[My favorite part of Christmas is] the presents.”

- Chandler Keogh

“[The funniest present I’ve ever gotten is] a Jack-inthe-box. Everytime I roll it up it goes BAP!”

- Bridger Brinks

“[My favorite part of Christmas is] Santa coming through the door or chimney, and I set up cameras to see him.”

- Henry Wells

“I like caring for my family. I help and love them.”

- Ford Nichols

“[Something special I do with my siblings is] we are going to sit by the fire and unwrap presents.”

- Penny Smith

“[The best present I’ve ever gotten is] an inflatable pizza.”

- Lily Amato

“I want a Tre Young’s Hawks jersey and Kyle Pitt’s Falcons jersey. They play really good.”

- Sloan Rocker

“My baby brother and I run around the house when Mommy and Daddy open their presents. [A present I want] is a spare tire.”

- Greyson Brewton

“[For Christmas, I want] pink and purple butterfly wings.”

- Elle Michaud

“[My favorite part of Christmas is] the snow!”

- Claire Evans

“Today the elves sitted on the scooter I built. I don’t know their names.”

- Philip Clinkscales

“[For Christmas, I want] a unicorn that talks and says ‘I love you.’ Her name is Princess Flipperina.”

- Brinley Keller

“[For Christmas, I want] Roblox, because it’s $20.”

- Isaac Jung

“My elf, Heart, hung on the Christmas tree like an ornament.”

- Sebastien Muller-Yang

“My elf keeps wearing my Barbie’s clothes. I have two elves. Their names are Jose and Sparkles.”

- Charlotte Brinks

Mrs. Buzby’s class loved being apart of the Christmas play this year as they took roles ranging from angels to shopkeepers to animals. McNearney

All the students in Mrs. McNearney’s class had the best time telling people about Jesus’s birth. They enjoyed having parents and grandparents in the audience to watch their performance. McNearney

Mrs. Glass’s class loved getting to dress up in their costumes and performing the Christmas play during the school day. McNearney

The Green & Gold asked the Kindergarteners questions about Christmas after their fantastic performance of the Christmas Story.