Penn High School students excelled in the Indiana Thespian Society Regional Competition on Saturday, Nov. 19.

Penn’s troupe earned first place for the play, “The Last Train”, and took best ensemble and best technical effort.

Jake Callender was the Student Thespian Officers' choice and Monte Teeple was awarded best actor. 

There are seven Indiana Thespian Society Regional  around the state from October through November. 

Qualifiers advance to the State Competition at Indiana-South Bend, Jan. 20, 21, and 22. 

“The Last Train” depicts the horrors that Jewish people experienced while being transported to the concentration camps. The play focuses a young German soldier and his inner conflict of following orders or doing the right thing when he discovers that his childhood sweetheart is on one of the trains.

According to Penn Theatre Department Coordinator Courtney Qualls, the "The Last Train" cast and crew started their journey in May with auditions, but the group has only been able to rehearse for a few hours a week since school started in August.

“I am so proud of everything they accomplished in that short amount of rehearsal time,” Qualls said of her students. “At the very beginning of this process, I charged them all with the task of finding a real-life person to provide the base of their character, so every character you see on stage is based in truth, from the smallest child to the top Nazi officers.”

Qualls said that the Penn students have thrived in performing a challenging play.

“Throughout this process students, worked together and challenged each other, and myself, to be the best we could be, and that effort came through loud and clear to the judges,” Qualls said. “I cannot wait to take the feedback we received and continue evolving as we move to state in January!”

By EMILY MASTERSON

Student reporter

This Thanksgiving – Thursday, Nov.  24, Penn High School’s Marching Kingsmen band will be in the spotlight in America’s oldest Thankgiving Day Parade.

The Penn Marching Band will perform in the 6 ABC Dunkin’ Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade.  This particular parade has been a Thanksgiving tradition for 97 years. A total of 119 students, parents, directors, and volunteers will be involved with the trip.

Live coverage begins at 8:30 a.m. and is available online to viewers in the Penn High School area on 6abc.com/live,  https://www.facebook.com/6abcThanksgivingDayParade/ and https://www.facebook.com/6abcActionNews/?fref=ts.

The Marching Kingsmen will perform a medley of holiday songs for the event. Penn’s band is one of 19 marching bands from across the country selected from hundreds of other marching bands who applied to participate in the event. There is even a band from Montego Bay, Jamaica, marching in the parade.

“The parade is a great opportunity for the band to perform on a national stage, and we are really looking forward to being a part of such a historic tradition,” Penn Marching Kingsmen director Chris Paulson said.

Besides the parade, this trip is an exciting experience for band students, as they get the chance explore and learn about different places in our country.

On Wednesday, Nov. 23, the band will go sightseeing in Philadelphia, as the students visit the downtown Historic District, Independence Hall, and the National Constitution Center.

After the parade on Thursday, the band will travel to New York City, where the students will have Thanksgiving dinner.

On Friday, students will be sightseeing in New York City. The tour includes stops at the 9/11 memorial, and the Radio City Christmas Show at Radio City Music Hall.

Saturday, November 26, will be the band’s last day in New York; and it will be spent visiting Rockefeller Center, Sightseeing in Times Square, and going to see the hit Broadway play, “Aladdin”.

Band students are thrilled for this opportunity.

“Being in an event this big and this well known is a huge deal for me, despite the fact that we're only in the spotlight for a few seconds,” Marching Kingsmen student Jacob Forte said. “I remember seeing Penn in videos and news articles about all these huge parades around the country and it just blows my mind that I'm a part of that now.”

Penn High School’s Football Team will play in the Class 6-A Northern Semi-State at Carmel on Friday, Nov. 18.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

The winner of the Penn (12-0) at Carmel (8-4) game will play the winner of the Center Grove (11-1) at Ben Davis (9-3) game on Friday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m. in the State Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Tickets to the Penn at Carmel Football Semi-State game are on sale in the Athletic Office until 11 a.m., Friday, November 18.

Semi-State tickets cost $10.

Tickets to the Semi-State game will not be on sale at the Educational Services Center.

Penn High School’s Kaleidoscope Concerts are on two nights, Wednesday, Nov. 16, and Thursday, Nov. 17, because there are two different features. Each concert is set to start at 7:30 p.m. in the Penn High School Center for Performing Arts.

The music from both concerts will range from Jazz Literature to serious band music. One of the songs that will be performed is a piece entitled, “Godzilla Eats Las Vegas.”

The Kaleidoscope Concert on Wednesday, November 16, will feature the combined eighth grade bands from Grissom, Schmucker, and Discovery Middle Schools. The Advanced Jazz Ensemble, the Symphonic Winds, and the Penn Marching Kingsmen will also be featured this night.

The Kaleidoscope Concert on Thursday, November 17, will feature the Intermediate Jazz Ensemble, the Advanced Jazz Ensemble, the Freshman Intermediate Band, the Freshman Advanced Band, the Concert Band, the Symphonic Band, and the Symphonic Winds.

Tickets for the concerts are $5 in advance and $6 at the door on the concert nights. Tickets may be purchased through www.ticketracker.com and tickets will also be on sale at the North end of the cafeteria during lunches on Monday, Nov. 14, and Tuesday, Nov. 15.

Penn High School’s Spell Bowl Team, coached by Pete DeKever, captured its 16th state championship, on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Purdue University.

The Kingsmen dominated the competition, scoring 89 points out of a possible 90.

Penn’s score was the highest of all the competing schools in all classes. Terre Haute South placed second with an 83.

“I am pleased for our players that their hard work and high expectations were rewarded with the team's 16th state championship,” DeKever said. “The six-point margin of victory in the state finals is the largest since at least 1993 and reflects the dominant performances we had throughout the season.

“Our players put in more effort and time than any other Spell Bowl team in Indiana, and the competition allows that investment to directly translate into words spelled correctly. I always tell my players that they should be motivated to win a state championship for each other, and it was satisfying to see that expectation fulfilled on Saturday.”

Penn High School’s Football team, ranked No. 2 in Class 6-A, will host Crown Point in Indiana High School Athletic Association Regional Championship action on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m.

Penn is 11-0 and Crown Point is 6-5.

Tickets are $8.

If Penn wins, it will play the winner of the Carmel (7-4) at Homestead (9-2) game in the Semi-State on Friday, Nov. 18. If Penn and Homestead are the Regional Champions, the Semi-State game would be at Penn. If Penn are Carmel are the Regional Champions, the Semi-State game would be at Carmel.

NCAA Signing Day featured 19 student-athletes from Penn High School.

Of the 19 student-athletes signing Letters of Intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at the collegiate level, 11 will compete at the NCAA Division 1 level.

Sixteen of the 19 student-athletes have competed for Penn in IHSAA state championship events.

Click here for the complete release, including player bios.

Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m.  the P-H-M DVT will show “D-DAY: NORMANDY 1944,” narrated by Tom Brokaw.  

Tickets for Veterans are FREE! Adults $4, Senior Citizens $3, Students $2

P-H-M’s DVT& Planetarium is located within Bittersweet Elementary (55860 Bittersweet Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545). Click here for a full list of weekly shows.
 

The documentary “D-DAY: NORMANDY 1944” is about the largest Allied operation of World War II began in Normandy, France. Yet, few people know in detail exactly why and how (from the end of 1943 through August 1944) this region became the most important location in the world. Blending multiple cinematographic techniques, including animation, CGI and stunning live-action images, "D-Day" brings this monumental event to large screen of P-H-M’s DVT. Audiences of all ages, will discover from a new perspective how this landing changed the world. Exploring history, military strategy, science, technology and human values, the film will educate and appeal to all.

The significance of Veteran’s Day will be a focus in all of P-H-M’s 15 schools on this Friday, Nov. 11.  Veteran speakers have been invited to talk to students at Schmucker and Grissom Middle Schools.  Former Governor of Indiana and Purple Heart Awardee Joe Kernan will participate in Grissom’s annual program; and  Retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Richard Cardossa will speak to Schmucker eighth grade students as part of their annual honor to Veterans.

By CARTER DE JONG

Student Reporter

Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly visited Penn High School for the National Honor Society Induction on October 19. Senator Donnelly spoke about how important it was for high school students to be involved in all aspects of their life from school to the community. He also praised the National Honor Society inductees for their amazing hard work.

    After Senator Donnelly spoke and the names of this years inductees were read, he was available to answer questions about the election and the issues that are affecting young people today.

“Everything that happens now is going to determine where our country is when we hand it off to you,” Donnelly said about the importance of young people getting out and voting.

A key issue for students is student loan debt.

Senator Donnelly is in favor of lowering the interests rates of student loans to that of home mortgage rates, which would make it much more affordable for our nation’s families.

One of the key points of the 2016 election has been the large amount of negative campaigning by both candidates which has largely divided the nation. Senator Donnelly believes that despite the outcome of the election the nation will come together again.

Lastly he was asked about the importance of education. His main point was the importance of pre-k education due to the fact that the majority of brain development occurs before kindergarten.

Senator Donnelly also made a point of the importance of continuing education after high school.

November 3, 2016 was epic day for competitions … and we’re just not talking about the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series after a 108 year drought! While the Cubs dynasty is just beginning, Penn’s Spell Bowl Team has been getting the “W” for years.

Last night’s Regional Win at Plymouth updated their score card with now 16 Regional Titles, 15 State Championships, 18 consecutive unbeaten seasons in invitational meets, 200 competition championship wins for Coach Pete DeKever making Penn’s Spell Bowl the most winningest spell bowl team in state history.

ABC 57 followed along with the team as they prepped for last night’s competition and was there last night when they won. Click here to watch the story.

The team has a week now to prepare for the State competition coming up Saturday, Nov. 12 at Purdue University. If the Kingsmen win, this will be their fifth consecutive Championship win and 16^th overall.