Wilson Hall students won eight awards, including five first place trophies, at the S.C. Independent School Assoc. State Literary Meet in Holly Hill. Mrs. Stacey Reaves, a high school English and lower school writing teacher, advised the students and accompanied them to the competition. Senior Cody Clark won his division in extemporaneous speaking which had the purpose of informing and persuading an audience. Participants were given broad topic categories prior to the meet but did not learn of their specific topic until arriving at the meet. Once given the topic, participants were given 45 minutes to prepare a speech to defend or support it.

Third-grader Madison DesChamps won her division in the storytelling contest. For this competition students must repeat a story, which they just heard read to them, in four minutes or less. Students are judged on spontaneity, originality and naturalness of delivery.

Seventh-grader Emily DuRant won her division in the oral interpretation contest in which participants gave a verbatim reading of a single selection of literature, poetry or prose after presenting a brief expository statement about the selection. Students are judged on their ability to communicate the author’s meaning through inflection and expression. Junior Gabi Godier placed second and junior Sam Umbaugh fourth in their respective divisions of this competition.

Eighth-grader Anna Lyles won her division in the essay contest. For the competition students are given five topics relating to current events; students are not aware of the topics prior to the competition. Students must choose one of the topics and write an essay that does not exceed 600 words in 60 minutes or less. The essays are judged on content, originality and style.

Fifth-grader Katherine Grace Singleton won her division in the poetry recitation contest. In this competition students recite a poem of their choice and are judged on memorization, diction and interpretation. Fifth-grader Luke Reuwer placed second in this competition.

The boys bowling team won the S.C. Independent School Association Team State Championship, the school’s first championship in the sport, in Columbia on January 26. The team was trailing by 11 pins entering the final game when Mitch Vorpahl bowled a strike in the 9^th frame to bring the Barons within reach of the first place team. In the 10^th frame Alec Hight bowled three strikes to capture the come-from-behind victory for the Barons. Also on the team, which is coached by Mrs. Karen Miles and Mrs. Cynthia Miller, are Scott Harvin, John Eagle Miles and Alex Price.

With welcoming wreaths near the entry gates and on the doors of each building, to the Christmas tree decorated with ornaments made by students in the after school program, it is clear that Wilson Hall enjoys celebrating the Christmas season.

The celebration began with the lower school’s program “Sounds of the Christmas Season” which featured songs ranging from “Feliz Navidad” to “Ready, Set, Christmas!” by students in grades one through five and “English Folk Carol” to “I Love the Snow” by the Afternoon Chorus. Dressed in green, red and white holiday attire, the students performed to a gym full of guests. The program also included choreographed dance numbers, a hand bell performance, and an appearance by Santa Claus.

In decorated classrooms, the lower school students enjoyed class Christmas parties with food, fun and games. On the last day of classes before exams began the high school chorus roamed the halls caroling during the last period of the day, and on their last day of class the lower school students crowded into the corridor for the traditional Singing in the Hall.

As part of the “Why America is Free” curriculum used in their U.S. History class taught by Mrs. Frances James, the fifth graders participated in Colonial Day held on campus on November 17.

“Why America is Free” is a six-week program that offers a hands-on learning experience and covers the events, times and heroes of the American Revolution. Dressed in period costume, the students participated in a wide variety of activities including colonial cooking for the girls and a militia drill for the boys. Students also learned how to make candles, cornhusk dolls, hand-painted floor cloths, string toys, and silhouettes. Boys attended the class “Education of Young Gentlemen” while the girls attended “Lady of Genteel Refinement” where they learned the proper way to serve tea and the etiquette of using a fan.

Also dressed in period costume, parent volunteers and teachers led the ten different activities throughout the day. For Patriot Night, an evening reception held at the home of Dr. and Mrs. David VanPatten, students, faculty and parents also dressed in period costume.

The middle school drama team placed second in the S.C. Independent School Assoc. state one-act play competition hosted by Wilson Hall at the Sumter Opera House on November 16. The team advanced to the state competition after winning the region where it received a Superior rating. Eighth-grader Canyen Clark won the award for Best Actor and seventh-grader Emily DuRant received an honorable mention for Best Actress. Directed by Mrs. Laura Clark and Mrs. Dianne Sprott, the drama team performed the West African tale “Anansi, the Clever Spider” by Claudia Haas.

The high school team also received a Superior rating at the region competition and participated in the state competition. Directed by Mrs. Clark, the team performed Dwayne Yancy’s comedy “Mac and Beth,” a modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” Receiving an honorable mention for Best Actor were senior Cody Clark and junior Sam Umbaugh, and junior Cori Stroebel received an honorable mention for Best Actress.

Accompanied by their art teachers, Mrs. Ashley Lareau and Mrs. Mary Ann Reames, students in the art, ceramics and photography classes visited New York City from October 29 to November 1 for an art appreciation field trip. The group toured the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Art and Design, went on a guided tour of several galleries of contemporary art in Chelsea, and toured the Art Students’ League and Gallery. Optional activities for the students were a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Bodies Exhibition, Ground Zero, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Battery Park, and a Broadway play.

Robert Boykin ‘98 and Reese McFaddin ‘97 received the 19th annual Distinguished Alumni Awards at a special presentation on Spencer Field during half time of a varsity football game. Mr. Fred Moulton, headmaster, Mr. Chip McMillan, chairman of the board of trustees, and Mrs. John S. Wilson presented the awards on October 28.

Robert is an orthopaedic surgeon completing a sports medicine and shoulder fellowship at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and from the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and he completed the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program. Once he completes his current fellowship in August, Robert will move to France for the Alps Surgery Institute Fellowship in advanced shoulder surgery. He is a team physician for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Olympic ski teams in Vail and in Chile, and he is a team physician for the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation for the Spanish Davis Cup team in Barcelona.

Reese is the president and founder of Workplace Benefits, a Charleston area benefits firm. She was named to the top Forty under 40 by the Charleston Regional Business Journal and has won numerous industry sales awards. For three years Reese served as the co-chairman of the Charleston Digital Corridor Foundation’s Innovator’s 5K run which has over 500 participants, and she is a graduate of Leadership Charleston. She is a member of the Center for Women, the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, and the Charleston Young Professionals. Reese, who lives on Daniel Island, graduated from the University of Georgia.

Senior Emily Cain was crowned the 40th homecoming queen during halftime of the football game at Spencer Field on October 14. The senior class nominated seven girls from the class to be on the homecoming court, and students in grades nine-12 voted for the queen. In addition to Emily, the following seniors were elected to the court: Ansley Ard, Caroline Cunningham, Caroline Dowling, Taylor Goodson, Erin Parker and Victoria Skinner. In honor of the school’s 40th homecoming, the 39 previous queens were invited to our campus for special recognition during halftime.

A variety of activities took place to celebrate homecoming. Spirit week found students dressing up to the following themes: toga, pajama, impersonation, geek, and extreme blue and white. Students arrived to campus the morning of homecoming to find the entire high school building decorated by the varsity cheerleading squad to the theme of “It’s Game Time.” The 29th annual homecoming parade, which traveled the five-mile route through nearby neighborhoods, was held the afternoon of the 14th. Each class in grades six through twelve sponsored a float with themes ranging from a pirate ship to a horse race, and every middle and high school student rode in the parade. The student council sponsored a semiformal dance for high school students the evening of Oct. 15th.

Wilson Hall’s kindergarten students visited the Shaw Air Force Base Fire Station on September 28. Assistant Fire Chief Blain Schumacher coordinated the trip which began with fire trucks arriving to extinguish the flames of an old plane deliberately set on fire. The students then toured the fire house so they could see the living quarters of the firefighters, try on firefighting gear, and use a fire hose. The group also visited a smoke house, which simulates a house fire, so they could learn how to safely exit a burning building.