Category: School Happenings

By Jena Lacock-

The 2011 Penn Manor homecoming court has been chosen and the candidates for queen will be presented at the homecoming football game Oct. 7.  The queen will be crowned during halftime.

The candidates are:

Sara Bennis, the daughter of Elaine and Steve Bennis, is very involved in school activities. She is a member  of National Honor Society, Student Council, Varsity Club, Prom Committee, varsity soccer team and is the spring fling coordinator. Her future plans are to attend West Chester University where she will play soccer and major in pre-physical therapy.

Ellen Blazer, the daughter of Ruth and Eric Blazer, plays a big role at Penn Manor. She takes part in the fall play, spring musical, is the class president, is in the International Thespian Society, chorus, Rocket Club and competes in the Junior Engineering Technical Society Competition. Her plans after high school are to attend a four-year college studying either engineering or mathematics.

Kelly Lenahan, the daughter of Rob and Janet Lenahan, has a busy schedule. She is the president of chorus, member of the Manor Singers, National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, First Priority club, is in the spring musical, is a concert pianist, takes part in youth group and is a competitive Irish dancer. She plans on attending a four year college to study music performance or music education.

Kayla Bixler, the daughter of Lisa and Eric Bixler, is involved in many activities at school. She is a field hockey captain, Student Council President, in National Honor Society, Optimist Queen runner-up, Prom Committee and competes in the Junior Engineering Technology Society Competition. Bixler plans to attend college to study medicine and play field hockey.

Demi Greenawalt, the daughter of Missy and Dave Greenawalt, participates in many activities at Penn Manor. She is in Student Government, Yearbook Committee, Varsity Club, Prom Committee, plays girls soccer and inters at Grauer’s Decorating Center. After high school she is continuing her education at an art school.

Laura Wissler, the daughter of Dannel and Randy Wissler, takes part in track and field, swim team, Powder Puff and Manor FFA. She placed eighth in the state for track and field. Her future plans are to attend Delaware Valley or University of Wyoming to pursue becoming a large animal veterinarian.

Michelle Dempsey, the daughter of Suzanne and Mike Dempsey, participates in National Honor Society, Envirothon, track and field, National History Day, scholastic writing competition, youth group, and praise team. She wants to go to a four year college to major in English Literature. After college, Dempsey plans on becoming an editor for a publishing company.

By David Burch –

Taking the SAT is one of the biggest steps in applying to college.

Many high school kids from around the county are taking the standardized test Saturday at Penn Manor High School. Doors open at 7:00 AM.

“The earlier you get here, the earlier you take the test, the earlier you can leave,” says James Yearsley, a guidance counselor at Penn Manor.

Also, no food is allowed in the testing rooms.

People who are taking the test can park on the top tier of the parking deck or just about any open space.

You must have photo ID to take the test and an admission ticket from the college board.

Yearsley advises that everyone bring two #2 pencils, a calculator that you are familiar with and a snack if you want to eat outside the room.

Absolutely no cell phones are allowed and if a student’s cell phone rings, that student will be dismissed and the score will be canceled.

Yearsley also says that it usually takes roughly four hours to complete the test.

Good luck to all who are taking the test this Saturday!

By Cody Straub and Simon Zimmerman –

It took two track stars a half hour to get get rid of something Joe Herman had been working on for 35 years.

Sara Connor and Laura Wissler received this honor when they placed in this year’s PIAA track and field tournament. Last year Herman, who is a coach for the varsity track and field team, specifically a throwing coach, agreed to the bet that if anyone places in this year’s state meet that the beard would go.

And it did.

“The weird thing is feeling skin I haven’t felt in a long long time,” said Herman.

The hairless face of Herman was presented to the team and spectators at the annual track picnic at Freedom Memorial Park in Millersville last night, June 6. A number of people from the Penn Manor community came to the park to watch the shaving take place.

“It was a once-in-a-35-year experience,” said junior track athlete, Russ Thorsen.

The bet was made in good ol’ fun and was also used as an incentive to get the team to push that extra mile to succeed in the tournament. Both of the girls, Connor and Wissler, placed eighth in their events. Shot put was Connor’s and discus was Wissler’s the previous month.

“It was done in fun for motivation, and it worked,” said Herman.

While it wasn’t as hard as placing in a state event, cutting off all of Herman’s hair was a challenge for the girls, who spent a half hour using scissors, a razor, electric shaver, and lots of shaving cream to make Herman’s Santa Claus look disappear.

“It was probably those long hairs on his neck that were kind of hard to get,” said Wissler, who is a junior.

By Cheyenne Weber, Eric Gerlach and Connor Hughes –

The Trumpeter Yearbook is here and students formed long lines in the hallway Friday, excited to get their hands on their much anticipated copy.

And who wouldn’t be?

The yearbook is a fun, entertaining way to record, highlight and commemorate the past school year.  Virtually all high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks.

“Realization,” the theme of this edition’s yearbook is designed and filled with memories and pictures of your high school peers and those pictures and memories will last a lifetime.

The yearbook staff put in a lot of hours to finish it, but did their work pay off?

“Best graphically designed look Penn Manor has ever seen, hands down,” said senior Eric bear, who is a co-creator of the year book.

One of the main complaints about the yearbook is that the staff appears in this years’ edition too often.

“I notice (he) took up a lot of the space in the year book and it isn’t fair,” said senior Ryan Connely.

Students believe that just because the staff created the book, doesn’t mean they should appear as often.

But, the yearbook is still popular and students look forward to it every year.  A total 1,050 year books were ordered.

The yearbook is a non-profit organization.

Even though there was criticism about this years’ edition, the design and layout was “creative and colorful,” according to junior Megan Schlegelmilch.

The pictures in the yearbook are very sharp and clear and includes different angles and different poses to add a little “spice” to the overall yearbook.

Still, not all students were completely happy with what they purchased.

“Even though I’m graduating I feel like next year’s yearbook should have more emphasis on the senior class,” senior Clark Habecker said.

Every year general reactions to the yearbook have positives and negatives.

“I think the yearbook is alright, it’s not better or worse than last years,” said Habecker. “I’m not going to hate on it too much.”

Even with the mixed reactions, most students still felt that the staff did a great job.

By David Mohimani –

Two weeks into May and school is done?

No not in college, but in high school, students taking AP classes often see their strenuous coursework come to an end after they take their AP test in mid-May.

So then what?

Some classes do a variety of things such as take field trips, watch movies and even take food challenges (eating food that is considered difficult to eat).

“Absolutely nothing,” said senior Katie Maisel of the amount of work she is doing now that her AP classes are complete.

“Food challenges are awesome,” said one Penn Manor student who asked to remain anonymous to protect his teacher. “Some don’t even seem that hard but you’d be surprised. I went in thinking two sprites and two bananas in half an hour, that’s a piece of cake. Boy was I wrong,” said the student.

“We’ve literally watched three movies. Like we finished the third one today,” said junior Sara Bennis. “I think it’s a lot of fun. We’re also doing like, fun projects, like making YouTube videos.”

Some AP students aren’t as lucky.

“No videos whatsoever. No Shutter Island,” said AP teacher Erick Dutchess.

Dutchess’s AP students will not be slacking during the final weeks of the school year. “We’re doing pig dissections as well as a water quality analysis lab,” said Dutchess. He also said that he has not closed his gradebook, so students have to continue to work hard in his class.

Dutchess is rewarding his students a little, however, by taking them to Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority.

AP calculus students are not getting any type of break, even after completing their AP test.

“We are learning integration by parts. The blocks are so long, I don’t like it,” said senior Morgan Fletcher.

“It’s really annoying because senioritis has set in and I don’t want to do this stuff. Like even in [another AP class] all we’re doing is watching movies and it’s still annoying,”said Fletcher.

Some may argue that there are more productive ways for students to be spending their final days, but after a long, strenuous year of preparation for the AP test, some feel that taking it easy the last couple of weeks is just rewards.

“It’s a reward for the hard work we put in all year. It’s only right that we should get to have some fun at the end of the year,”said senior Mark Curtin.