After the exciting start to the school year, the energetic pace of Moravian Academy has slowed to a steady stride. The rich, warm colors of the fall have disappeared, replaced by frosty grass and barren trees, and students curl up behind piles of books in the library to stay out of the cold. Still, that's not to say that the campus is lacking in action, as new activities come in just as swiftly and gracefully as the fall ones end.

The unprecedented fall sports season, which culminated in a boys' soccer state championship, has filled up the trophy cases and gone down as one of the most successful in Moravian Academy history.

However, there is certainly much to expect from the winter sports season. Swimmers began practicing midway through October and are preparing to have another great year, with many fall athletes joining the team for the first time. And with the basketball season beginning, the girls and boys teams are both enjoying the brand new courts of the Athletic and Wellness Center as full members of the Colonial League.

The Moravian Academy community also mourns the loss of boys basketball coach Coach Donmoyer, who passed away in August and would've coached his 18th season at Moravian this winter.

Students can also find plenty of excitement in the theater, and as the season of the cold descends upon us, so does the season of the arts. Moravian Academy's annual and much-loved variety show, Coffeehouse, took place the weekend before Thanksgiving. The two shows were sold out and showcased the singing, dancing, and acting talent of the student body and even some faculty members.

Musical auditions were held almost immediately afterwards at the beginning of December, and the Moravian Academy theater department looks to take home a third straight Freddy Award for Outstanding Overall Production by a Smaller School with "Hello, Dolly!" The cast and crew will work tirelessly for weeks to prepare for four performances, which will begin at the end of February.

Bethlehem is the Christmas city, and Moravian Academy celebrates the holiday with the annual Vespers service, which took place on Dec. 11 and featured the Upper and Middle School vocal and handbell ensembles. Filled with candles and wonderful music, Vespers is a beautiful and treasured tradition, one that honors the Moravians who founded our school and truly brings us together as a community.

Winter brings exams and the start of a new semester, but in the midst of the stress of midterms, there is also plenty of fun to be had. In the junior and senior lounge stands a Christmas tree decorated with old photos of teachers and the freshmen pictures of the members of the senior class, many of whom have been accepted into college recently.

Heavy coats and knitted hats might indicate otherwise, but the winter at Moravian is anything but cold. Rather, it's during this time that Moravian Academy changes from a new school into a home.