Penn High School student reporter Arielle Kirsch attended the talk to Penn High School students by Holocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor on Friday, May 13. Below is Kirsch’s reflection of what that moment meant to her.

On Friday, May 13, Penn students had the immense privilege to meet Holocaust survivor Eva Kor (formerly Eva Mozes).  A twin and victim of Dr. Mengele’s experiments at Auschwitz, Kor’s earliest memories depict horrific brutalities and inhuman cruelty.  Despite the horrors Kor has lived through, she maintains her strength with a positive and lively attitude guaranteed to inspire anyone who listens to her first-person account of being a Jewish child from Romania during the Holocaust.

At age 10, after four years of living in a village occupied by Nazis, Kor and her family were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp. While standing on a strip of land outside of the cattle car from which the Mozes family had just stumbled out, Kor and her twin sister, Miriam, were separated from the rest of their family.  What the two young, innocent sisters didn’t know at the time was that they would never see any other member of their immediate family again.

Personally, I feet a very strong connection to Kor’s story.  My two maternal grandfathers both are child Holocaust survivors as well.  My mother’s father, David Tamir, was born in Belgium and lived in hiding in the attic of a Christian family for about two and a half years during the war.  My mother’s stepfather, Peter Daniels, was born in Germany and was trapped in the Czechoslovakian concentration camp Theresienstadt for approximately two years.  Growing up with the knowledge of the outrageous atrocities that my grandfathers experienced at such young ages has given me the motivation that I have to try not to take things for granted, since, when I was seven years old, I was enrolled in a fantastic school and had the privilege to go on family vacations, while, when my grandfathers were seven years old, they lived in constant fear of not surviving the day.

Kor’s speech on Friday was motivational and moving.  As I sat in the front row and listened to this beautiful woman tell of the horrors she encountered as an innocent child in Auschwitz, I realized once again how extremely fortunate I am to be growing up as a Jew in the United States in this time period, instead of being a Jew in Europe 80 years ago.

Kor recounted to her audience at Penn that, upon arriving at Auschwitz, she made a silent vow to herself that she would not let herself die in the camp.  Her incredible story served and continues to serve to empower and educate everyone listening, no matter what their beliefs or background.

A profound sense of history swept across the studio theater at Penn High School on Friday, May 13th, when Holocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor visited Penn High School and shared her story with students.
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More than 100 students at Penn High School will showcase their skills through the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Expo on Wednesday May 25.

The event in which Penn’s STEM students will be showing and demonstrating their projects is scheduled to be from 6-8 p.m. in the Penn High School Commons and Instructional Materials Center (IMC).

Anyone attending can enter through door A.

"The work that our students at Penn create is amazing,” said Penn instructor Josiah Parker of the STEM Academy. “The STEM Expo will give them a platform to show it off to the public. Students are extremely excited to demonstrate all of the hard work that they have done."

Penn High School and Principal Steve Hope honored Class of 2016 on Senior Recognition Night on May 10, 2016.
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Penn High School’s state championship girls basketball team will be honored by the South Bend Cubs during a pre-game ceremony on Tuesday, May 24.

The pre-game ceremony is set for 6:40 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24.

Game time at Four Winds Field is 7:05 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. The Cubs play Great Lakes, a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate.

Tickets for South Bend Cubs games are available online, at the box office, or by calling (574) 235-9988.

Four Winds Field is located at 501 W. South St., South Bend, Indiana.

Coach Kristi Kaniewski-Ulrich’s Penn Kingsmen won the Class 4-A girls basketball state championship on Feb. 27, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Kingsmen defeated then No. 1 and 2015 state champ Columbus North 68-48, avenging a 67-52 regular-season loss to Columbus North. Penn finished the season 28-2. 
 

By COLE POLLYEA

Penn High School student reporter

All over the world and even here at Penn High School, there are organizations, committees, and clubs dedicated to improving the lives of those deprived of civil rights. One such organization exists under the name of Amnesty International, a worldwide club that is aimed at combatting human rights abuses all over the globe and pressuring governments into obeying said international laws.

At Penn, one of Amnesty’s largest goals is simply to raise awareness. In many cases, high school students aren’t aware of the worldly issues that Amnesty tries to bring to the forefront. What’s going on elsewhere in the world can easily and understandably take a backseat to studies, athletics, and prom dates.

One notable member, Penn senior Julia Clauss, proudly indicated that, in addition to the importance of being involved in a club with the impact that Amnesty has, it is equally important to talk over human rights violations going on in the world. Conversation about these issues also considers the implications of said violations and possible solutions. She also claimed that she intends to continue participation in Amnesty well into her future, starting first by applying for internships as soon as she is eligible.

Amnesty was founded in 1961 by an English lawyer, Peter Benenson, who was provoked by the jailing of two young boys expressing gratitude for their freedom. He wrote about this injustice and eventually rallied a group of people for the recurring cause. The group was later named Amnesty International, and continued expanding in an effort to protect people from persecution for their political, social, and religious ideologies.

Amnesty has grown ever since. Currently, it consists of more than seven million people who have been inspired by the Englishman’s belief in justice along with the realization that they shared it with him.

It’s also important to consider, according to Clauss, that Penn’s club decides what topics/issues are to be dealt with based on the impact that Penn could actually have. In addition to having “participated in the Write for Rights campaign, where we wrote to 12 different world leaders asking them to take action on human rights violations in their countries”, having “raised money for the United Nations Refugee Agency to help people fleeing Syria”, and having “started with a campaign fighting for due process under the law and against police using lethal force”, one of Penn Amnesty’s most notable achievements can be seen below.

“Last semester, we wrote letters to the Attorney General of Louisiana on behalf of Albert Woodfox, who had been in solitary confinement for over 40 years. He was originally imprisoned with two other men and was the last one to be released. We wrote over 60 letters in support of his release and, along with thousands of other letters from many other Amnesty members, he was finally released in February of this year.”

A total of 30 students were honored for their achievement in the Academies of Penn High School.

The Academies of Penn High School – Fine Arts, Health and Human Services, Management and Business, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, have played a key role in college and career readiness for all of Penn’s students.
 

“The academies have transformed how we think about serving students,” Penn High School principal Steve Hope said. “No longer is graduating from Penn High School our goal. Rather, we are looking to help students make a successful transition from Penn to a thoughtful post-secondary plan leading to entering the workforce, the military, a two-year college, technical school or a four-year college.

“We have sought to make a more meaningful and relevant senior year with problem-based learning with our many community partners,” Hope continued. “All of these changes added up to better serving our students so that all Penn graduates will find success after graduation.”

Click here for the list of student honorees. 

On Thursday, May 19 and Friday, May 20, Penn dance students will showcase their skills in the Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.

All four levels of dance will be performing various pieces.

This year is the 25th annual Penn Dance show.

To celebrate, students will be performing dances from previous years, with a fresh touch.

Students have been working hard to prepare for these performances all year, and they are looking forward to dancing numbers from Disney, Broadway, dances from the 50 states, and more.

Types of dance include jazz, ballet, tap and modern.

The show will include a lot of variety, so there will surely be something to entertain any taste.

It was obvious that as Penn High School track athlete Tyler Davis ran toward the white finish line for lane three in the Northern Indiana Conference Junior Varsity meet on Saturday, May 7, that the victory was already won.

By the time Davis crossed the finish line in his first race since undergoing brain surgery for a golf-ball sized tumor in his cerebellum five weeks previously, tears were welling up in the eyes of family members and some of his teammates.

After successful surgery and treatment for stage one cancer, Davis embraced physical, speech and education therapy.

A time and place far below Davis’ standard didn’t matter.

Saturday’s run in the 400-meter race was a triumph of Davis’ spirit and determination.

Click here to see WSBT reporter Adam Derengowski’s report on Tyler.  Click here for a photo gallery of Tyler Davis at the NIC JV track meet. 

“I wasn’t sure I could run today,” said an exhausted Davis. “But a lot of my teammates were like, ‘I’d give up my spot to let you run.’ That gave me the motivation to get out there.

“Even if I had to crawl to that finish line, I would have done it.”

Davis, who usually competes for Penn’s varsity, didn’t get the OK to run the one-lap race until Friday night. Penn coach Jon Carroll contacted NIC and Elkhart Central officials to get Davis entered in the meet, although the entry deadline had passed.

“It was great,” Davis said. “I was just so thankful for my coaches to let me have the opportunity to run, for my teammates believing in me.

“When I crossed that finish line, it was like, I can do this. Things can get back to normal, and I’ll be OK. It was great feeling to be with my family and my friends. My team was there for me … it was so emotional. I was close to bawling. I was trying to hold it in.

“I don’t know my time. It didn’t matter to me what place I finished. I knew I was going to be last. But when I crossed that finish line, it didn’t feel like I got last.”

As soon as he crossed the finish line, Davis was hugged by his twin brother, Troy. Then came hugs from teammates, parents and coaches.

“It meant a lot to see Tyler back on the track,” Penn junior Nate Boone said. “He’s taught us to never give up, to always keep going. A lot of people wouldn’t have come back, but he did come back, and he’s been an inspiration to us. It was great that he kept running, and he didn’t walk. He pushed through. He’s always been a tough kid.”

Davis, who is a junior, said that he appreciated all of the efforts on his behalf.

“I’ve been so grateful for everybody who has been supporting me … my doctors … everybody who has helped me along,” Davis said. “I know it couldn’t have been easy for them. It certainly wasn’t easy for me. I feel like it was tougher on them just to deal with me. I’m so grateful. I will never take my family, my friends, anybody who’s been there for granted. I can never take track for granted.”

Penn’s track team and Penn High School has rallied around Davis.

People surrounding Penn have shown support for Davis and encouraged him along the way. He showed incredible strength during this time and inspired the track team to rally around him.

Davis has been an inspiration to the team, as well as the whole school, and his twin brother Troy in particular. Running for his brother, Troy Davis set a personal record in the 800.

Penn track coach Jon Carroll said that Tyler Davis has been a leader because of his strong work ethic.

“Since I became the head coach two seasons ago, Tyler has consistently been one of the hardest workers on the team,” Carroll said. “He was always willing to go in whatever race we needed him in, and he always worked hard in the offseason as well.”

Carroll said that Troy Davis has also shown great toughness during his brother’s ordeal.

“One of the coolest things that I saw this entire track season, was that the day after the surgery, Tyler's twin brother Troy managed to put aside everything else going on and compete against Warsaw,” Carroll said.  “I know it was inspirational for the team and it was a great moment of this season.”

As Tyler Davis continues to work toward a full recovery, the Penn Track team will continue to send its support and work to improve and race for him. Tyler Davis displayed courage that is seldom found by anyone, much less a high school student. The rallying of his team showed how athletics can truly impact lives and bring people together through hard times. 

Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (R-IN 2nd District) presented the Congressional Art Competition Awards this past Saturday, May 14, 2016. Seven Penn students placed in the top 10. With two students having more than one piece of artwork make the top 10, Penn ended up receiving nine of the 10 top ten awards. 

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent. Since the Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.

Students submit entries to their Congressional representative’s office, and panels of district artists select the winning entries. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, DC. The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.

First place winner and  winner of the two round trip tickets to the unveiling ceremony in Washington, D.C. was McKenzie Blankenbaker for her drawing done in 2^nd year Drawing.

2nd Place: Akane Tokusumi for her scratch drawing done in 3rd year drawing.

Full list of Penn’s Top 10 student winners: Adrianna Waldron-photo; Jeremy Sullivan-drawing; Madason Whittaker-lino print (from drawing 1st year); Breyanne Urbin-drawing, Akane Tokusumi-plexi print; McKenzie Blankenbaker-drawing; and another student for his Matt lino print.