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Learn about the history of May Day through the years! Page 2-3
WordsWorth speaks with Kiyo about how all the costumes come together! Page 2-3
Hear reflections from Head of School Larry Van Meter on his last May Day Page 2-3
MAY DAY 2018
There’s so much going on! Navigate the fields with our May Day map. Page 4-5
Your guide to all of the festivities can be found in our May Day schedule Page 4-5
A Long Time Coming What Goes
Into Planning May Day
By Andrew Shah ‘19, Social Media Director; Lizzie
‘19,
Staff Writer
Hear from the May Day dancers ahead of their big performance. Page 6-7
MFS’s musical groups have been preparing for their moment. Get a behind-the-scenes look inside of their preparations. Page 6-7
THE MEMORIES
Relive the May Days throughout the years and listen to people’s favorite memories of this timetested MFS tradition.
Page 8
Every four years, the entire Moorestown Friends School community comes together as one to celebrate May Day. An integral member of the May Day planning process is MFS Director of Parent and Alumni Programs Suzanne Abrams, who told WordsWorth, “I’m excited to be involved with the longstanding tradition at Moorestown Friends School and to work together with the division directors and other departments to make it a great day for the students and the faculty and the staff.”
Abrams, who is in her second year as the Director of Parent and Alumni Programs, has relished the opportunity of planning May Day and has been involved with the coordination of various parts of the day for the past year. One crucial part of the planning process, Abrams explained, is coordinating with each of the division directors to see what
Be sure to check out
WordsWorth’s coverage after the day ends on our website, MFSWordsWorth.com.
“We want not only to be looking at our community and celebrating all that is great about MFS, but also realize that we’re a part of a bigger community and we can work together to support our greater community as well.”
will work best for each of the divisions of students. “I’m in touch with Lower School to coordinate what will work with them and with Middle School to see what they’re working on in class and what would make sense as an activity for May Day. For Upper School, I’ve worked with Mr. Brunswick and Ms. Godley to talk about costuming this year, so we all work together,” Abrams remarked in an April 11 interview. The teamwork aspect of May Day is quite important, as it is also a celebration of the students and faculty coming together to celebrate their collective work. Abrams cited
communication with Middle School teachers about whether or not a miniature “wax museum” would be an appropriate and relevant exhibit this year, as it was a successful May Day feature four years ago.
Another important part of the planning process, Abrams elaborated, is figuring out how to reaffirm the strong sense of community that Moorestown Friends School brings to the table. The main challenge in regards to this aspect of planning comes from attempting to bring together students ranging from ages 3-18. When asked about this, Abrams stressed “cross-divisional interaction” as something that those planning May Day emphasize in their meetings leading up to the big day.
Although the sense of community that May Day inspires among each of the three divisions at Moorestown Friends is one of the main goals of the event, Abrams expressed the school’s desire to bring together a the community as a whole, both in terms of Moorestown Friends School and the South Jersey region. “[Another aspect of May Day] is that the faculty and staff is involved and alumni come back, so it brings graduates back to the school. We’ll have some prior May Day queens attending, so that’s always really nice to have those alumni coming back… It brings our whole community together.”
One aspect of May Day that Abrams expressed an increased level of excitement for is the food drive that will take place during the week leading up to May 4. “This year we are also going to look at our greater community, so we are going to be doing a Food Drive the week leading up to May Day.” In her response, Abrams stressed the importance of not only having a positive impact on the MFS community, but also the community that surrounds MFS: “We want not only to be looking at our
community and celebrating all that is great about MFS, but also realize that we’re a part of a bigger community and we can work together to support our greater community as well.”
While planning of all these events may sound difficult, Abrams put any concerns about difficulties planning the event to rest by saying, “Everybody’s been working together and has been cooperative and helpful, so there have not been any real obstacles.” As for the timeline of the planning of May Day, it is certainly not a rushed process, as it starts well before the school year. “Each year we [the Development Office] plan one big event, and this year it’s May Day; last year it was the auction. Once we get through [the auction] we start planning a little bit in the spring but the major planning starts in the summer,” Abrams told WordsWorth. When asked if there were any secrets she could share about the process, Abrams, with a laugh, said, “Well, if there was a secret, I would not share [that], but there aren’t any real secrets this year.” However, Abrams did offer up a preview of some events that students, faculty, and staff can expect to see at this year’s May Day, including juggling, acrobatics (both from a company and from MFS science teacher, Sarah Moser), and a performance from the MFS Dance Team. While this year’s celebration of May Day will look a little bit different from the version the Moorestown Friends School community enjoyed in 2014, the extensive planning and painstaking preparation process should make this May Day one to remember.
For an in-depth article about the costume changes that May Day underwent this year, visit MFSWordsWorth.com and click the May Day tab.
Moorestown Friends School, Moorestown, NJ
Huettl ‘19, Staff Writer; Susu Guo
Current seniors Sujin Kim, Jose Colon, Izzy Pillows, Charlotte Stern, Caroline Cook, and Siani Lee-Simmons lead the Class of 2018 as 8th grade students during the 2014 May Day procession. Photo courtesy Moorestown Friends Marketing and Communications
May Day 2 May Day
Unraveling the Mystery
Behind the Origins and Evolution of May Day
By Aaron Klein ’20, Art and Design Director; Ali Chesnick ’19, Copy Editor; Henry Powell ’20, Staff Writer
Pins and Needles
Behind the Scenes with Kiyo Moriuchi ’71
By Yashnoor Kaur ’18, Associate Blog Editor; Serena Lin ’19, Staff Writer
Kiyo
things that have been traditional for as long as can remember. [For example,] Pyramus and Thisbe, which … is a Shakespeare… excerpt. Hence, they perform it every May Day for as long as … photographs show. The May Pole Dance is very traditional and has been performed for a long time.” The May Day court, an aspect of the celebration known as an exceptional honor for seniors, has gone through quite a transformation, Stouffer said: “When Mr. Van Meter was a student here [in] the 1950s and 1960s, the court was selected by the faculty and
Walkers, Gypsy dancers, Tumbling, and Merry Go Round. May Day 1990 included events such as Archery and Fencing, and in one photo from 1990, a student can be seen holding a bow and arrow. The events of May Day are not the only thing that has changed over the years; the actual timing of May Day has changed as well. May Day 1990 started as early as 8:30 am, while May Day 1956 started as late as 5:30 pm. In the early days, students and faculty were bused to an off-campus location and encouraged to enjoy a leisurely picnic lunch with their families. Though many aspects of May Day have changed since the holiday’s inception at MFS, there are two staples of May Day which have always remained the same: the May Pole and the May Queen. The oldest photos that WordsWorth could find in the MFS photo archives are from May Day 1916. These images capture two aspects of May Day which will never change: the May Pole and the May Queen. While these two traditions have connected every MFS May Day for over 100 years, the true glue that will permanently connect each past and future May Day is the MFS community coming together for one day to celebrate the beauty of spring.
to the Moorestown area as an adult. The first May Day she worked on was in 1994. Back then, there weren’t a lot of original costumes left, so she had to start from scratch. Now, there is a whole collection of both previous years’ costumes and donated clothing to work with. As May Day 2018 nears, Moriuchi is busy directing the costuming of all Moorestown Friends School students and faculty. It’s a labor-intensive job, but she isn’t alone in her process. She is assisted by a rotating group of parents and alumni volunteers. Rose Frola, the administrative assistant in the business office, has worked with Moriuchi since the 1994 May Day. Additionally, faculty and staff also helped with costuming during their in-service day. Preparations begin far in advance.
Moriuchi typically begins to think about the costumes for the next May Day at the end of the previous one. For this year’s May Day, she began drawing designs over the summer and started the actual hands-on work right after the fall musical. Her favorite part of the costuming process is design. She likes “seeing it come together.” Moriuchi’s inspiration comes primarily from previous May Days and watching a plethora of Shakespearean plays. She finds it interesting to see various interpretations of Shakespeare, as the productions can range from modern to traditional.
For Moriuchi, the fun part of May Day costuming is collaborating with students. The students use their imagination to make each costume their own. She remarks that every year, there are kids who really do an amazing job. This year, Upper School students were allowed to have some choice in their respective grades’ costume theme, a decision Moriuchi liked. As for changes for future May Days, there are certain themes such as spring festival and pilgrimage that she would like to include more in the costume theme. Her hope is for May Day to “evolve into a four-year celebration of arts at Moorestown Friends School.” There are many talented alumni and current students who could be highlighted at such an event. Moriuchi, a steady force behind many different iterations of May Day, can appreciate the work that goes into each one: “I’m really grateful for the help that we get … There’s a lot to get done, and there’s not as many people who have the sewing skills, but you know, it’s fun. It’s a big community event, so it’s really important.”
Van Meter Reflects on Last May Day
By Andrew Rowan ’19, Editor-In-Chief & Fox Tracks Executive Producer
Head of School Larry Van Meter has been a part of many, many May Days. “I don’t have a favorite memory of May Day, but I like the general celebration,” said Van Meter, who will be celebrating his last May Day as Head of School. Van Meter expressed gratitude towards Upper School Costumer Kiyo Moriuchi for dressing him and his wife, Margaret, up in the many “elaborate” costumes each day: “Kiyo and her team do a really great job.”
Though he typically loves his costumes now, Van Meter recalled May Day when he was in fourth grade: “I had these red tights, and what perceived to be a skirt, and while it wasn’t my favorite costume, I remember that pretty clearly because, as a third grader, I was pretty self-conscious about the costume was wearing.”
Just like the progression of the costumes, Van Meter told WordsWorth about the progression of the celebration over the years. A while ago, there used to only be women in the court. There was only a May Day queen and her court would be made up of women. Van Meter said it no longer became “appropriate,” and the school adopted the model that students are familiar with today. When asked about the larger meaning behind May Day, Van Meter said there really isn’t one. “It’s a time for the school community to come together and celebrate the coming of Spring,” said Van Meter.
“[I think the reason so many people have loved May Day throughout the years] is because it gives the community a chance to do things that would not fit in the normal part of the school day. For example, we wouldn’t have time to learn the May Pole dance or perform Pyramus and Thisbe, so think students love getting to do the variety of new experiences May Day offers,” said Van Meter.
Photo Courtesy of the MFS
is the oldest documented photo of May Day and the May pole at Moorestown Friends School.
Photo Courtesy of the MFS Document and Photo
Photo Courtesy of the MFS Document and Photo
Photo Courtesy of MFS SmugMug Larry Van Meter reading a speech during his first May Day as Head of School. Circa 2002.
Photo Courtesy of MFS SmugMug Larry Van Meter reading a speech during his most recent May Day. Circa 2014.
Photo Courtesy of MFS SmugMug Kiyo Moriuchi working on costumes for May Day. Circa 2014.
Photo Courtesy of the MFS Document and Photo Archives MFS student Huck Muldowney with a bow and arrow drawn during May Day. Circa 1990.
Photo by Andrew Rowan ‘19, Editor-in-Chief, Fox Tracks Executive Producer
Map of May Day Fields
Friday, May 4, 2018
Behind the Scenes: Arts and Music
By Abby Bischoff ‘21, Staff Writer; Leah Fulton ‘21, Staff Writer; Liah Morban ‘21, Staff Writer
As May Day draws closer, many students and faculty members are brimming with excitement. For some this may be the first time that they’ll experience a May Day event, and for others they’re anticipating a day full of whimsical fun and adventure. May Day, which occurs every 4 years, requires a lot of planning and attention to detail. Every May Day, students perform the play Pyramus and Thisbe, and this year MFS Theatre Director Angela Wertner is heading up the production as well as the Maypole dance. Along with these responsibilities, Wertner also has to choreograph the Dance Team’s galliard dance. Luckily, Wertner was able to spare a few minutes with for WordsWorth to talk about her plans for the show.
WordsWorth: What are your plans for the show that will be performed on May Day?
Angela Wertner: I am directing the parody of “Pyramus and Thisbe: A Babylonian Tale” from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I also will be choreographing a Renaissance Galliard Dance with the dance team, and I am in charge of choreographing the Senior Maypole Dance.
WW: What inspired you to have this show be performed?
AW: Pyramus and Thisbe is traditionally performed in the May Day festival at MFS, so I was asked to continue the tradition as the theatre teacher here at school. I was also asked if the dance team would perform and to take the reigns with the Maypole dance. For the dance team Galliard, I decided to do this type of renaissance dance because I learned and performed this style when I worked at the PA Shakespeare Festival.”
WW: What are some challenges with putting this production together?
STAFF ADVISOR Debra Galler
STAFF ADVISOR Diana Day
Check out MFS WordsWorth on May Day at our booth, and look out for our snapchat filter!
See page 4-5 for map details.
STAFF WRITER Richard Chichester ‘21
STAFF WRITER George Diamond ‘18
AW: As always at MFS with the many things we do, scheduling times when everyone is available is hard, as well as fitting in enough rehearsal time during class time.
WW: Have you been a part of May Day in past years? If so, what changes have been made for this year?
AW: Nope! This is my first time, but I do know this is the first year there has been a dance team here at school, so that’s a first for this May Day!
WW: What should new students expect from your portion of May Day?
AW: Humor and traditional Renaissance flare along with a little touch of Mrs. W’s unique and eccentric ways!
Clearly, Mrs. Wertner has a lot on her plate. Even though she is hard at work planning many different performances, Wertner explained that she is excited to see everything pay off and for her students to be able to see more of her own skills in theatre and dance. With May Day just a few weeks away, students and staff can’t wait to see the amazing performances and traditional events. With Wertner doing everything she can to make the May Day performances as unique and interesting as possible, all will
anxiously await all three productions. After talking to Wertner about her ideas for the play WordsWorth decided to look into the music for the event. In this Wordsworth update we interviewed Middle School/Upper School Choir Director, Nathan Wadley about the musical portion of May Day.
“Music for May Day will primarily be madrigals,” said Nathan Wadley, “along with several rounds and canons from the Elizabethan time period”. Since May Day is based in the Elizabethan era, choosing music that’s from that time period and fits with the style is critical, he also added. One of challenges he discussed was his inexperience with May Day. Mr. Wadley, who came to MFS in 2016, has not experienced a May Day.
“I’ve performed in madrigal choirs before, but nothing like an MFS.”
For Mr. Wadley, trying to embody a community event with a long history without experiencing it is proving to a somewhat of a challenge. However, he stated, other teachers and faculty members have been extremely helpful in the process.
In addition to seeing his first May Day, Mr. Wadley wants “to bring the community together, learn more about the May Day tradition, introduce students to fun, frivolous music, select good songs that flow with the theme and assist the performers in getting used to performing a new style of music”. He’s also excited to see the maypole dance and the costumes for each grade level.
WRITER John Limjoco ‘21
STAFF WRITER Serena Lin ‘19
STAFF WRITER Liah Morban ‘21
STAFF WRITER Henry Powell’20
STAFF WRITER Jayson Rhone ‘21
STAFF WRITER Cadence Roy ‘21
STAFF WRITER Elizabeth Huettl ’19 STAFF WRITER Shelby Deibler ‘20 STAFF WRITER Justin Patel ‘20
WordsWorth Staff
May Day 1933 Students perform in the outdoor theater.
A student procession carrying a Pyramus and Thisbee banner at the 1965 May Day.
Madrigal singers at the 1970 May Day celebration.
Friday, May 4, 2018
Weaving Tradition
Maypole Dancers Speak out
By Chloe Jones ‘18, Editor-in-Chief & Blog Editor
From kindergarten to eighth grade, the Class of 2018 has marched in the procession through the oval, watched Pyramus and Thisbe, and cheered on Maypole dancers. Now, on their last day of regular classes as MFS students, the Senior class will celebrate May Day centerstage, waving from the court and dancing around the Maypole.
The Maypole dance, 1974.
A staple of May Day celebrations, the traditional Maypole dance originated as a folk dance from Europe. Dancers take their place encircled around a festive pole; they move in a circle, each holding a colored ribbon that is attached to the top of the pole. Moving in a set pattern, the dancers intertwine the ribbon around the pole,
forming a lattice of ribbon on the pole itself. To unravel the ribbon, dancers retrace their steps and end the dance.
Having already had their first fitting for costumes, the May Day dancers are excited for the beginning of rehearsals. Girls in the dance are traditionally dressed in white gowns with red or blue ribbons around the waist, matching the color of the ribbons held during the dance. This
A look at the MayDay costumes from 2014.
year, the male dancers will be dressed in white pants and shirts. Dancers also wear ivy garlands as headbands.
2018 Maypole dancer Sujin Kim has been dreaming of her Senior May Day since her first experience with May Day in kindergarten: “I went out there with my class, and we sang “What a Wonderful World,” and I
watched the dance,” Kim said. Seeing the older girls in white costumes and red and blue ribbons, Kim fell in love with the festivities. She described for WordsWorth how the experience impacted her: “That image when I was a kid never really left. That’s why I’m emotionally attached to this.”
Dreaming of holding a ribbon and dancing around the Maypole since her childhood, Kim’s May Day experiences will come full circle when she partakes in the dance in May.
As the dancers begin rehearsals, feelings of both excitement and nervousness stir. The preceding Maypole dance, taking place on the May Day of 2014, was memorable for the mistake made during the routine: a simple error in the ribbon pattern.
Senior Libby Mayer commented on the previous dance, saying, “I’ve heard
stories from last year, and I don’t want to be the one who messes it up.”
As the next generation of dancers, the Seniors hope to make the dance successful. “I’m a little nervous, but I think once we start doing rehearsals it will be fine and a lot of fun,” dancer Dakota Chambers said.
As one of three guys in the dance, Connor Baraldi is excited for May Day. “It’s a lot about knowing your left from your right,” he said of the rehearsals. Describing the dance itself as “mostly skipping, shuffling, galloping, and waving,” Baraldi is enjoying the lighthearted practices. “There’s a lot of laughing,” he said. Rather than feeling nervous for the performance, Baraldi thinks it will be a lot of fun.
Overall, the Seniors will celebrate their final day at MFS on the fields, participating in Mayday history.
Maypole Dance Through the Ages
1952 May Day
The Maypole dances perform on the circle, rather than the fields.
1986 May Day
Dancers perform on the fields for the audience.
1965 May Day
The Court watches over the Maypole dance taking place on the fields.
1994 May Day
The crowd watches the Maypole dance on the circle.
The 6th grade boys of 1970 dance around the Maypole.
Friday, May 4, 2018
8 May Day Timeline of Teacher Photos
Reflecting on May Days Gone By
By Shelby Deibler, Cadence Roy, and Alison Fenska ’20, ‘21, Staff Reporters
As May Day 2018 quickly approaches, many students and teachers have begun to share some favorite memories of previous celebrations. This day, which happens only every four years, is something special that brings much pride to the MFS community. May Day allows students in all grades,divisions, clubs, and activities, along with alumni and faculty, to come together for one day of unity and appreciation of our community. May Day is certainly unique to Moorestown Friends School for the eclectic array of activities such as the May Pole Dance, Human Chess, choir performances, a parade, and a play. With as many activities as this day offers, every student at MFS does their part - especially the lower school children. Izzy Pillows, a twelfth grade student, tells WordsWorth, “The first time I experienced May Day, I was a little kindergartener. I remember dressing up in the cute costumes and joining in on a parade around the entire school.” The day reminds the MFS community just how important each member is, regardless of age. Lizzy Geyer, a sophomore, recalls a fond memory from lower school: “When I was in second grade, I remember watching the senior May Pole Dancers and thinking how cool it was.” It is important to note that Upper Schoolers, especially Seniors, are looked upon as role models for the younger students to aspire to for their future May Day roles.
As much fun as May Day can be, the festivities do come with chaos which is often remembered for silliness, or rather, disorganization. A sophomore, Chris Swezy, explains, “I remember the best part of May Day was running our ‘Sculpture’ Museum independently and wandering from activity to activity.” Another favorite memory of a May Day activity was shared by Mr.
Brunswick: “I always liked the trebuchet!” In addition to some chaotic memories, the day is also remembered for some unconventional activities. Ms. Van Tijn shared that “A few years ago, the Monty Python Club created an imaginary plague that ‘infected’ lower schoolers with stickers. It is probably remembered as one of the stranger events of May Day, but it’ll always be one of my favorites.”
When WordsWorth asked MFS community members to describe May Day in three words, responses included: medieval, chaotic, historic, tradition, vibrant, community, fun, colorful, and cultural. Each of these words seem very different; it is because they all tie back to someone’s unique memories of May Day. Senior Amanda Cooper says,”There are almost too many words to describe May Day as a whole. So many different factors come into pulling the day off into the unique event that it is. The energy level is always at a high, and the vibrancy of Moorestown Friends culture truly shines. I love how the community puts in its all. It doesn’t matter if you’re a current student, parent, or alumni, everyone is involved. This day is something I will truly miss being involved in, but I can’t wait to return as an alumna one day.”
The thing that people are looking forward to most in May Day 2018 is the costumes. As Dr. McFeely says,”I love to dress up! I would never pass up an opportunity for a dress up day at work!”. The excitement and creativity doesn’t stop at the faculty. A freshman, Madi Hughes says, “It’s my first May Day this year and I’m really excited to make and wear the fun costumes. My grade’s theme is pirates, which I think is really creative and perfect for May Day. I definitely will always remember making my costume and seeing how everyone’s turns out after months of planning.”
On another note, the tradition of uniqueness continues in this May Day because for the first time ever, students were able to choose their own costumes as a grade for the
day. In years past, each grade was assigned a theme, and as a result, it made this year’s change “controversial,” as shared by Sammy Bastien (10th). Sammy told us, “Although I’m excited for this new opportunity to choose a costume, I was looking forward to continuing the tradition.” When asked why she thought students wouldn’t like to decide on a costume as a grade, she replied, “Voting on costume ideas seems too similar to Spirit Week, and I feel that we should stop blending two different school events into one. Instead, we should preserve the uniqueness of each special event that MFS holds.” She also told WordsWorth, “I will always remember my fairytale costume as my favorite, and the positive vibe that everyone at MFS shared that afternoon.” On the contrary, Calvin Bell III, a tenth
grade student, likes the idea of choosing his own costume. He shares, “It allowed us to have a voice in a school-wide tradition. I like that we now have a sense of self expression as a grade. The chance to choose our own costume made us more unified as a class because we all agreed on a theme together.” Calvin explains, “I will always remember my first and last May Day by being the first class to choose their own costumes and perform in the choir.” The theme of unity is what seems to pull May Day together. Alexis Kasper, a Senior and this year’s May Day Queen, says, “It’s such a nice day to interact with all three divisions of the school. It really is the only time when very different clubs or groups of students and teachers join forces and all work together to make May Day really great.”
Photo courtesy of MFS Smugmug May Day May Pole Dancers
Photo by Andrew Rowan ‘19, Editor-in-Chief, Fox Tracks Executive Producer