The brown bag lunch is rather boring and mundane but, for some students, it’s getting to be an attractive alternative to the cafeteria tray full of food.
Penn Manor junior Austin Ulmer is one of those students who have been packing his lunch recently because he doesn’t like the food at school.
“School food is not exceptional,” said Ulmer, who declares he packs healthier than the cafeteria, sometimes.
School lunches haven’t changed much, nothing new, but now some are deciding to bring a little slice of home with them and are now packing their lunch.
Ulmer does not hate the school food, he mentioned he just feels better bringing his own food. He suggests the school should possibly rethink their strategy and see what students are more interested in. He says the he switched to packing lunch because it’s cheaper, more to his liking and a good way to get rid of leftovers.
Other then buying the occasional carton of wings from time to time, Ulmer is happy with his new option.
“If the price of the food is rising, then the quality of the food should be too,” said Ulmer.
A lunch bag filled with goodies. Photo credit to Richard Schulz.
Another Penn Manor junior, Grant Houck, also is proud to pack his lunch and has been doing it for a while. He also mentions that it’s a good way to nibble on things throughout the day so he doesn’t starve to death.
“I enjoy mine more, that’s all,” Houck said, referring to his lunch.
On the other side of the register, the lunch ladies haven’t noticed an overwhelming amount of students choosing to pack their lunch.
Gail Yohe, a cafeteria worker at Penn Manor, notes that it hasn’t been noticeable if there are less students buying lunch. But, students do wonder why the lunch prices rise every year which is a factor in the number of students packing.
“The cost for food is rising yearly,” said Yohe.
She also mentioned that even if students are packing their lunches more often, it hasn’t affected the costs yet. Other cafeteria workers agreed that they haven’t been able to notice any change in the numbers of students choosing to pack their lunches.
Although not yet completely noticeable, the packed lunch trend is here to stay.
It explains the pain and misery of being an Orioles fan, the heartbreak of 14 consecutive losing seasons, the seven different general mangers.
“I’ve been an Orioles fan as long as i could remember,” said junior Tim Harris. “They’ve never really been great since I’ve been a fan.”
Pictures are truly worth a thousand words. Photo by tosh.comedycentral.com
The climax of the past 14 season was eliminating the Boston Red Sox from playoff contention last season, after a late season collapse that caused the Sox to completely revamp their front office.
The Orioles celebrated like they had just won the World Series and maybe to them, it was their World Series.
Lisa Mayo, an English teacher at Penn Manor has been a fan ever since 1983, the last time they won a world series. She has suffered through about 20 losing seasons and still is as loyal as ever.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride of emotion, but my loyalty never waivers,” Mayo said.
Now it’s 2012 now, the season is young and the Orioles jumped out to their usual start. Being over .500 in the first few series, holding their own at the top of the division. Spirits are high, the fans start thinking “this might be our year.” But, then May blindsides fans,it feels like getting hit by a freight train.
May is also known as the reality check. Many fans will suffer from this unfortunate occurrence. Symptoms of the reality check include; the below .500 record, the continuance losing series after series, shattered remains of what once were remotes , and an abundance of bad-mouthing the television.
“Well the years start off like every other, they do good the first 10 games, going 7-3 or 8-2 then tank the next 10 games,” Harris said.
But it’s May now, the Orioles are 28-16 and are tied for first place in the AL East. They have swept the Red Sox, taken a series from the Yankees, and have showed that they can stand up to their division rivals.
It seems as if the Orioles are actually turning their franchise around and a legitimate contender in the AL east this year. Everything just seems to be clicking. The pitching is strong, well for the most part, the bullpen is lights out, and the Orioles bats actually showed up this year.
Could it be that the O’s are under a sturdy manager finally with Buck Showalter?
Or is it that the slump is over.
Whatever it is, Orioles fans aren’t complaining.
Adam Jones and Co. look to continue this hot streak through May. Photo from Sports.Yahoo.com
“I can barely contain my excitement. I have watched nearly every game so far and it’s exciting because even when they’re behind, they often find a way to win…even if it means 17 innings,” Mayo said.
Centerfielder Adam Jones has been the go-to man offensively. He is leading the team in batting average, runs, homeruns, runs batted in and stolen bases. If there was a clutch category, he would be in charge of that too, hitting a three-run home run to beat the Red Sox in that 17-inning marathon game and then hitting the solo shot in the 15th to beat the Royals.
According to Roch Kubatko, 9 of Jones’s 12 homeruns have either tied or given the Orioles the lead.
The Orioles might have finally found their go-to guy.
Pitching wise, the starters have all been even, some pitching better then others obviously, but the most notable one is the Taiwan born Wei-Yin Chen, who is 4-1 to start the season.
Chen has had strong outings against the Yankees and AL leading Rangers, both games in which he only allowed 2 runs or less. Through his first 7 starts, Chen has only surrendered 3 or less earned runs to opponents.
2012 has been a strange year though, at least so far.
There are teams that traditionally do not win games, that are winning games. Teams like the Red Sox, Angels, Yankees and Phillies, teams who traditionally do win games, are on the losing end of games more often then not.
Then there are teams like the Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles who are all examples of teams that have had turn around season and have been beating powerhouses such as the Detroit Tigers, Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies.
Could it be that a change in power is coming to the MLB?
Maybe, or maybe not. But one thing is for sure, if this type of play continues, those years of heartbreak and disaster might be a thing of the past.
We may soon see some new computers at the high school. Well, not soon enough for the seniors.
The new computers may be in as soon at 2014 en masse, but the social studies department has already seen 30 or so computers. Some elementary and middle school teachers also have volunteered to take the computers for a test drive for the 2012-13 school year.
At the recent Penn Manor School Board meeting, the plan for implementing new computers at Penn Manor’s schools was detailed, along with a new tax plan, and a rough outline of the solution to a diagnostic dilemma.
What’s so different about the new laptops? They’re PCs. And they run Linux.
Penn Manor exploring a possible switch to Ubuntu, an offshoot of Linux
Linux is an open source, third party operating system separate from Windows or Mac. It runs closer to Windows in looks than the Mac OS, but it has gained popularity in the tech world for both its open source code (meaning that you can use it to help your computer do whatever you want it to do) and its adorable penguin mascot.
There is also another benefit to using Linux. According to the Penn Manor Technology Blog, “Like Mac OS X, Ubuntu is immune to the thousands of virus and malware apps common to Microsoft Windows. Of course, no software platform is perfectly secure and free from security issues; therefore, Penn Manor IT staff will regularly update our Ubuntu laptops with necessary security patches and continue to mitigate potential security breaches via industry standard network procedures.”
The system would still be vulnerable to viruses, but with some patches and elbow grease, the worst of them might be avoided.
“High school students are already beginning to see more PC laptops. We have a cart of 30 in the social studies department and another few batches in use for special projects. Don’t forget that PCs are utilized in Tech Ed and business classrooms, too. To give some perspective: Several years ago, Penn Manor High School was largely a PC/Windows building with only a few Macs,” said Charlie Reisinger, the Penn Manor Technology Director.
According to Reisinger, the district would save a substantial amount of money by switching to the new operating system, which is offered free online. Windows and Apple licensing can cost a significant amount of the technology budget.
The savings are surprising, “Penn Manor currently employs 620 Lenovo x120e ThinkPads running Ubuntu Linux and open source software. At a minimum, our open source program has saved over $70,000 versus an implementation of iPads or similar tablet technology. If we compare the cost of Ubuntu-powered ThinkPad netbooks against the price of a standard $900 MacBook, our savings are well over a quarter of a million dollars,” said the Tech Blog.
Penn Manor is currently operating under an armada of Apple computers, but since Apple has discontinued its plastic Macbook that is currently used, the next closest option is the Macbook Pro. The Pro can run up to over a thousand dollars.
“When we received the PA Department of Education Classrooms for the Future grant, the building moved to Macbooks because the platform was superior to the PC alternative at the time. Unfortunately, now that the grant money has dissolved, and our budgets are being reduced, we need to look for lower cost alternatives,” said Reisinger, “We cannot sustain an all Apple system on the budget.”
The district is also looking to close the gap in the next few years between computer availability and the number of students. According to Reisinger, there are 1721 students at the high school, and 795 computers. That makes the student-to-computer ratio 2.16, compared to Marticville Middle School’s ratio of 1.39.
Late last week the Sapphire grading system got a makeover as well, “The new system was developed by our vendor, K12 Systems, Inc. Penn Manor is one of the district who sit on their client advisory committee. I’ve been looking for a graphical refresh for some time. Plus, we’re very excited that the new Portal will let us post progress reports, report card and other documents, too.”
That means that, while students will have the option of opting in for a paper report card, Penn Manor is moving to online, instant reports.
Additionally, the IU in Lancaster County has discontinued their diagnostic kindergarten services class for the Susquehanna Valley.Penn Manor typically has 3 to 6 kindergarteners at any given year enrolled in our schools, and the closest class is in Manheim.
Diagnostic kindergarteners are children with severe needs, such as children with autism or developmental disabilities. They can come with their own aids, and Pequea Elementary has had an existing class in the past.
The choice for the school board was to bus 3-6 five-year- olds to Manheim — not a good solution for children living in the southern end — or to hire a new teacher and have our own class. Two additional aids would also have to be hired. The board voted to create the new class for the time being, until a more official vote could be made.
The proposed cost to operate a class at Penn Manor is $117,480, and the cost to send the students to Manheim would be $151,856.
The school board also voted on a tax hike of 1.6 percent to cover the proposed budget of $65,637,762.
Penn Manor should expect changes to the way they use and learn technology. Who knows, maybe future students will be Linux masters.
Under the nice weather, Penn Manor ran and threw their way into the record book at the LL League championship at Hempfield on Friday and Saturday May 11 and 12.
Lavonte Jones broke a school record in the 100 meter dash, running it in 11.14 seconds.
The only two first place winners, from Penn Manor, were Harrison Schettler and Greta Lindsley.
Tenth grader Lindsley broke a league record in the 800 meter, running two minutes and fourteen seconds.
She won first place and ran the 1600 meter in 5:09.
Coach Morris addresses the track team. Photo by Sam Valentin
Lindsley won first place and ran the 3200 meter in 11:32.
“She’s one of the few girls that have run under five minutes in a mile,” said Maria Vita the girls track coach.
Lindsley scored 30 points for the team by winning the 800 meter, 1600 meter and the 3200 meter.
Schettler won first place and ran the 1600 meter in 4:26.
Penn Manor overall placed ninth in the League, Penn Manor girls tied for third overall, and the Comet boys placed ninth overall.
Placed award winners:
Meghan Maisano placed fifth in the 800 meter 2:22.
Greta Lindsley won first place in the 1600 meter 5:9.
Breanne Funk placed second in the 3200 meter 11:49.
Greta Lindsley won first place in the 3200 meter 11:32.
Laura Wissler placed 3rd in shotput.
Megan Haines placed 2nd in discus.
Katie Stringer placed 6th in discus.
Harrison Schettler placed 2nd in the 800 meters.
Harrison Schettler won 1st in the 1600 meter 4:26.
Jonathan Bitner placed 4th in the 1600 meter 4:29.
Brendan Kincade placed 5th in pole vault.
David Burch got 3rd place in triple jump.
Darren Spirk placed 4th in shotput.
“I thought it was overall a strong performance by our team. I’m proud of everyone,” said Schettler.
Standing at 6’5″ and weighing at 255 lbs. a past Penn Manor student rises to the ring and becomes Adam Mercer.
The student is known as Evan Singleton who graduated with the class of 2011. Singleton showed wrestling talent for his school and wrestled in the weight class of 285. A tall beast that towered over younger students.
“It’s a goal he’s had since he was a kid,” said Steve Hess, Penn Manor’s wresting coach.
Hess got to know Singleton personally and, while others are intimidated of his size, Hess isn’t as frightened as the others.
“He’s not nearly as mean as he acts,” said coach Hess. Hess believes that with the intelligence and build Singleton has, he will be successful.
The 19-year-old is one of the youngest athletes signed with FCW. Photo credit to fcwwrestling.info.
His appearance at Florida Chamionship Wrestling, FCW, has helped him toward the WWE. His goal is to become the youngest WWE champion. He’s proved people wrong before, and he plans to do it again.
After hearing from his past wrestling friends, this athlete may lack experience, but he has the heart to build on it.
Mercer has participated in four different matches in his career, so far.
With only a few school days left seniors are counting down the days until graduation. A mixture of emotions cloud the minds of the seniors as they spend their last days as a Penn Manor Comet. From being excited for college to being sad that they’ll have to say goodbye to friends, bittersweet covers it all. Many will go onto college or a type of trade school and others will join the military, work, or take some time off.
Tim Deubler. Photo by Becca Hess
Based on the information from those seniors who replied with their plans for after high school, the two most popular schools for seniors next year are Millersville University where 24 have reported they will attend and Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC), where 18 have reported. The military will take at least 12 of our seniors and 11 others say they will either be working, taking a year off or doing missions work.
“It (University of Pittsburgh) had the program I wanted and I liked the campus. I wanted something in the city and my mom wanted me to stay in the state,” said Russ Thorsen.
Selena Hasircoglu. Photo by Becca Hess
“I’m excited to be on my own and be more independent,” said Kate Harrold. “(For the juniors) I would say, take your senior year seriously, don’t slack off. Get involved.”
Jess Huber plans to fly out of PA and into Texas for boot-camp this summer. Huber is enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.
“It’s a different career opportunity and that’s why I chose it,” she said. “I’ll be doing online classes, so I’ll be getting my degree while I’m in (the Air Force).
“I looked for a good music school that was still going to be cheap,” said Jesse Griffith, who will be attending IUP.
“I’m gonna miss some of the teachers, especially Ms. Vita,” said Shayla Moore who also will attend IUP. “I’m excited to meet new people in college and being able to focus on something I love.”
Shayla Moore and Jesse Griffith. Photo by Becca Hess
“There are a lot of things to do in college. I’m doing track and field at Delaware Valley College,” said Eli Marcelino. “I’m gonna miss some of the teachers, my friends and sports.”
Senior Logan Kramer will be traveling one of the farthest distances from home this fall when she attends Arkansas State University.
“I’m excited to meet new people and make new friends, and since I’m playing a sport (soccer), I’ll be close with my team,”said Kramer. I’ll probably get home sick in the beginning. I’m gonna miss seeing my friends everyday,” she added.
Penn State University-bound Emily Laughlin is excited to kick off her freshmen year.
Emily Laughlin. Photo by Becca Hess
“I can’t wait for the football games and for the Penn State pride,” she said.
Choosing a college is not always an easy task but for Laughlin, Penn State’s “home-like feeling” won her over.
Zane Kreider’s decision to join the military (National Guard) was based on a few factors.
“(I joined) because it’s a family tradition and the college benefits are good. In the next two years I’m looking at deployment to Kuwait,” he said.
Kreider explained how he’s excited to be deployed and he isn’t afraid because Kuwait isn’t that bad as of now.
Fellow senior Chris Gotwals, who is in the U.S. Army, is also planning on getting deployed but to a place often associated with danger and fear, but he isn’t scared. He joined the army for all of the reasons they advertise: to protect his country, his family and the college benefits.
“If NATO doesn’t pull out then I’ll be in Afghanistan in April (2013),” he said. “I’m not scared, and if i don’t go to Afghanistan I’m sure I’ll get deployed somewhere else.”
Senior Karla Mylin has plans that will take her to the other side of the world. She’s going to India, or at least she hopes to.
Karla Mylin. Photo by Becca Hess
“I wasn’t sure of what I wanted to do for college, like a major or the college, and I’ve always had a heart for missions,” she said. “I’m nervous and excited about it. It’s pretty expensive though, more than $8,000 I think.”
If Mylin is able to raise the funds necessary for the trip she plans to go on the trip of a lifetime.
Senior Julie Schultz will travel to the UK for a royal college experience. This fall Schultz will make the journey to Scotland where she will attend University of Saint Andrews.
“It’s where Prince William went and during the wedding there were advertisements and a lot of information on the college, so I looked into it,” said Schultz. “It’s the only school in the UK on the common application. I applied on a whim and I got in.”
With a graduation rate of nearly 98 percent, the Penn Manor class of 2012 is in a great position for success. According to research information about Pennsylvania graduation rates, Pa. hasn’t made much progress in raising graduation rates from 2002-2009. It currently stands at about 80 percent. Penn Manor is in great shape compared to Pennsylvania as a whole and especially compared to the national graduation rate of approximately 75 percent.
Although many have predicted the world ending in 2012, this is not the case for the seniors. This year, 2012, marks the beginning of their next step. A step that has required a great deal of preparation and, at times, been intimidating, but nonetheless is highly anticipated. It brings a new self image for the seniors as they prepare for college, prepare to become more independent and prepare for adulthood.
Here is a listing of plans seniors have for their lives immediately after graduation.
This is not then entire senior class of 2012. The senior map is a link to Google maps which has a pin marking each college listed below.
For many of the past years Spring Fling, the school’s annual carnival and club fundraiser, has been nothing short of a washout with rainy, cold and stormy weather the norm.
But after a decision made by assistant principle Doug Eby to switch the date this year, the “rainy curse” was finally broken.
“It was a good call,” said junior Adam Hess about Eby’s decision to switch the date.
Friday’s event was nothing but sunshine, blue skies and a lot of happy fair goers from the community.
“Spring Fling is usually the second Friday in May, but prom was scheduled for that Friday so we had to push Spring Fling back to the third Friday,” said Eby, “The weather just turned out to be great as well.”
With rain out of the question and temperatures in the low to mid 70’s, Penn Manor students of all ages along with members of the Millersville community flocked to Comet Field to enjoy a night of good food, rides, music and a variety of other activities. The evening ended with a fireworks display that could be enjoyed from over half a mile away.
Despite a record sized crowd, the event ran about as smoothly as possible this year. There was a brief period of time when the Spring Fling Crew had to scramble to find parking spots for everyone coming in, but they were able to get that situation under control, said senior Sara Bennis.
“The crowds were significantly larger than in years past, but we really didn’t have many [behavioral] issues,” said Eby.
“We had to tell a couple kids to quit smoking, but other than that it was pretty uneventful, there weren’t any fights which was a surprise,” said Hess.
This year’s post-Spring Fling clean up also concluded in record time.
“Pretty much everyone that had signed up and had a shift showed up,” said Bennis, “Last year we didn’t get done cleaning up until around 11:30 PM, this year we were done at 10:30PM, which was record time.”
Whether Mr. Eby was able to predict great weather for this year’s Spring Fling or it was just luck of the draw, one thing is for certain, the great “rainy curse” that has hung over Spring Fling for the past three years is finally gone.
It is easy to believe that Samantha and Tyler could be the most popular boy and girl name in the U.S. However, according to USA Today, Sophia and Jacob are the most favored names by mommies and daddies in the U.S.
The most popular baby names change from year to year, but not the name Jacob, which has been the most popular boy’s name for 13 years. While Sophia is the new most popular girl’s name, booting the reigning champ, Isabella, to second place.
Pamela Satran, co-founder of the baby-name website Nameberry.com said, “Classic, gender-specific names” which represent “a more serious image of women,” has been the new trend this year. Names on the new list like Sophia, Isabella, and Olivia, suggest this.
Parents today are choosing their kids’ names wisely, whether it may be usual or unusual.
“They (parents) want their child to stand out and they’re afraid if they have four children in the classroom with the same name their child won’t stand out,” said sociologist, Patricia Leavy.
That is exactly what happened to Samantha Smith, a student at Penn Manor who thinks of her name as bitter sweet.
“I’ve been in a class with four people named Sam, three girls (including her) and one boy. I was Samantha, the other girl was Sammy, the third girl was Sam, and the boy was called by his last name,” said Smith.
Boy names you will frequently hear repeated at Penn Manor are Tyler, and Matt.
“It’s awkward when I’m in the hallway and someone says “Matt,” and they’re talking to someone else,” said Matt Gross, a junior at Penn Manor.
“It’s annoying [having a common name like Tyler], that’s why you have to have a nickname,” said Tyler Smith, senior at Penn Manor.
Samantha Smith said having a common name bothered her when she was younger, but she’s grown to accept it now, and likes when people call her Samantha.
“I think the name Samantha fits me because it’s graceful, and I think I’m graceful,” said Smith.
While Smith enjoys her name, other students are not so accepting of theirs.
Joanie Swinehart wishes for a more common name because she thinks the name Joanie is a bit “odd.”
“I don’t like it much,” said Swinehart.
“My mom named me after my grandmother, her name was Joan, and my mom added the ie. I hear it [the name] once in a while, but not everyday. It’s really different and it’s kind of odd, but I would like a more common name,” stated Swinehart.
There are many students in Penn Manor with uncommon names, and it appears to be mostly girls.
One student is named Precious, and another student is named Mi Lady, two very uncommon names that many have never heard before.
“I wish I had a different name, I can never find anything with my name on it, like the name tags you get at the beach,” said Precious LaBoy.
Her parents named her Precious because they were expecting a boy, but when they had a girl, they believed she was a precious gift from God. Therefore, named her Precious.
“I don’t think my name defines me, I would like the name Jasmine. It [the name Precious] sets what people are going to think about me, and if I’m not how they think I’ll be, it’s awkward,” stated LaBoy.
According to Thinkbabynames.com, the name Precious is not in the top 100 U.S. baby names.
The name Zoe statistics
There are other students in Penn Manor who have uncommon names, just not as uncommon as Precious.
Like Zoe Hower for instance. Hower said she didn’t meet another person with her name until this year.
“I have no problem with my name because other names I like are uncommon too,” said Hower.
Hower’s parents named her after their friend’s cat, according to Hower.
She’s even seen pictures of it.
Common or uncommon, every name has a special meaning.
To find the meaning of a name you’re interested in, go to www.thinkbabynames.com.
The Rusty Gate. Most have never heard of it, but Penn Manor senior Alex Cummins’ mastery of this check has propelled him to All-American status.
Cummins was named an All-American Wednesday by the U.S. Lacrosse Organization. PIAA District III coaches vote on the designation.
But many Penn Manor students may not be aware of Cummins success on the playing field because lacrosse is not as publicized or as well known as basketball or football. When talking about Penn Manor sports stars, his name is probably not mentioned in the same breathe as football standout Daulton Parmer and basketball phenom Marc Summy, even though he is arguably just as good if not better at his respective sport.
Over the course of the last four years Cummins has been a dominating force on the lacrosse field. Cummins has received many accolades throughout his career however this year he outdid himself. Aside from his first team all-league selection, he was named as an All-American.
“It feels really good. I’ve basically been working for that this season, so I worked hard to get that.”
Cummins has made a name for himself with incredible take away checks, scooping ground balls, and versatility as an offensive threat even as a defender.
Cummins is the first to admit he could not do it by himself.
“My coaches definitely taught me a lot since I was a freshman and playing up on varsity for four years helped me a lot, I got to learn things faster,” said Cummins.
Cummins has been a three-year starter but this year he has taken on more of leadership role. He was selected as a captain this year and he has tried to give younger players the tools to succeed.
“If someone doesn’t know what to do, I teach them and give them some pointers. A lot of kids come up to me ask for advice,” said Cummins.
Alex Cummins playing lock-down defense with a long pole.
Cummins is not the only All-American from Penn Manor in recent history, last year defensemen Jaquan Presbery was also awarded the top honor in District III.
Cummins saw his high school career abruptly end when the Comets surrendered a 3-0 halftime lead to lost to league rival Manheim Township in the first round of district play. Luckily for him he has plans to continue his career at the Florida Institute of Technology where he will major in marine conservation and ecology.
“They offered me the most money in scholarships and their marine biology programs are top in the country,” said Cummins on his decision to head to Florida Tech. He added that the nearby beaches were a little bit of an incentive it to go there.
Cummins plans on keeping his success going as a Panther next year.
“I’m just going to keep working hard through college and hopefully get conference awards,”said Cummins.
The future is definitely bright for Cummins, and it has nothing to do with the Sunshine State.
It is that time of year again. The school year coming to a close, warm weather, and the review of memories over the long school year. The yearbooks are back with a new look and ready for redemption.
The 2011-12 yearbook went on sale Friday with eager anticipation by most students.
“The theme this year is that is looks like an IPad or an IPhone,” explained Julie Andrusisin one of the two editors for the year book this year.
The two editors of the yearbook this year were Julie Andrusisin and Lindamarie Olson.
Yearbook editors Lindamarie Olson and Julie Andrusisin. Photo by Doug Anderson.
“Last year was a beautifully designed book but there was a huge number of errors because designs kept being changed too late in the game,” explained Doug Anderson, teacher and yearbook club adviser. “Julie and Linda Marie were the editors this year and I think they had the design set which allowed us to spend more time editing and correcting the mistakes and looking for mistakes. There is bound to be mistakes.”
“The cover was pretty cool compared to other years,” said this years prom king, Matt Kersic.
The editors this year looked to redeem the reputation of last year’s yearbook and answer some concerns and questions the students had with photos and layout. This year there is no questions.
“The reputation that last year’s book got was there was a small group of people who were repeated many times and that never should have happened. We do have a little control measure for that but it wasn’t being followed and this year it is not the case,” said Anderson.
“It was definitly better then last year,” said Forrest Paes a senior at Penn Manor.
Perhaps it was the criticism of last year’s edition that took a chunk out of this year’s pre-sales.
“Last year and the year before there was always over a 1,000 that were ordered already. This year there was a little over 800,” explained Anderson.
The book this year has an extra twist. Not only are the senior pictures in color but also all of the underclassmens’ pictures are as well. The yearbook didn’t go completely color but it is more colorful than any in recent memory.
“The baby ads are still in black and white,” Anderson said. “The commercial ads are black and white and the underclassmens are in color. We were paying for color the past several years and we thought it didn’t make sense to pay for it and not use it.”
Even with the additional color photos, the price for the yearbook is staying relatively stable.
” The original price was $61, then it went up to $75 and distribution day it is $85. It is actually cost $75 to make. We loss money on the initial price. This is the second year or possibly third year with the same prices.
The verdict on the yearbook so far is that the yearbook was a success perhaps removing the bad taste that was left in the mouth of the high school by last years yearbook.
“I thought it had a nice design with the IPad and all, I like that most of it is in color this year,” explained Drew Purzycki.
