What’s recently happened?
On December 7, 8, 9, the Penn High School Choir family performed its annual Sound of Seasons Christmas Concert. The first two days of the concert started in the evening at 7:30 p.m. On the third and last day, the concert began at 2:00 p.m.. This was the same concert being performed three different days. Many people attended all three concerts, and all three concerts were very well performed.
A lot of preparations were done by all the choirs who performed in the Sound of Seasons concert. Much time was spent practicing choreography and reading new music, and needing to memorize all of it was not easy. Several choirs performed in Sound of Season: Rhapsody, Gold Standard, Viva Voce, Bella Voce, the Singing Kingsmen, and Belle Canto. Bella Voce and Belle Canto are all-girls choirs, and the Singing Kingsmen is the all-boys choir.
“I would describe my experience with performing the concerts with my choir family as just an overall positive and enjoyable experience. I always love concert time because everyone is put under just a little bit more stress and pressure to do well, and watching everyone rise up together to create something amazing is always so much fun to see and to experience together,” Locke, a junior who takes part in Gold Standard and Rhapsody, said.
Rhapsody choir is the dance choir at Penn, and performers had the responsibility of memorizing choreography and music. This required students to take a lot of time outside of class practicing. The rest of the choirs practiced reading each of their assigned music. All choirs spent a lot of time not only with their assigned musical pieces but also with each other and their choir directors.
When practicing for an upcoming performance, it is key that a person builds positive relationships with the people that they will be performing with. The closer the students grow with each other, the more confident and comfortable they are on performance day.
“As for maintaining close relationships when preparing for a concert, I think it is very important in order for everyone to feel the togetherness off stage we will need on stage in order to give our best performances. One thing we do as a choir to support this is that, after our shows, a lot of choir members go out to eat in order to build strong relationships and bring all of us closer. It really does feel like a family, and it is an enjoyable thing that I’m very appreciative that I’ve been given the chance to experience this with these people,” Locke said.
The concert was a success. Many families and friends came to the concerts and enjoyed them greatly. As expected, the Friday night concert attracted more audience members but ironically was not the choir students’ favorite performance. In all three concerts, the audience responded with massive applause.
What’s coming up?
Penn’s annual Snowball dance is set for Sunday, January 14. The dance will be from 7:30 p.m. - 11 p.m., and tickets will be available to purchase for $30. Students have been able to purchase their tickets online since December 17.
The Snowball theme for this year is “Kingsmen on Safari.” The ticket price includes unlimited drinks from American Expresso, desserts, snacks, and water. A photo booth will also be available. Students are able to choose the music that will be played.
Once students purchase a ticket and receive their ticket confirmation, they will be able to click on a link that will lead them to a list to put in song requests. Song requests can be made until Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. No music requests will be allowed at the dance.
This is a night where students of all ages will come together to celebrate and have fun with each other. The dance is always a great time. Students can either go with a date or with a group of friends. It is an awesome time to connect with other Penn students and to create new relationships.
“I am looking forward to going out with my friends and taking goofy photos,” said Senior Jacob Clay.
This is also a time where students feel more at home and where they can relax and take their minds off of school. This is a positive event for students, and when students experience these events together, they learn to relate more with each other. All of this creates a more positive and building environment at Penn.
Staff spotlight:
Endesha Bonner has been working at Penn for three years as the school’s Dean of Students. He is constantly monitoring the halls making sure that everything is going smoothly and that everyone is properly behaving. Bonner is a leader in the school, and he has a great responsibility.
He speaks with parents and guides students with any questions or problems that they may have. Everyday he has a smile on his face, ready to guide and help students. Bonner truly cares about the students that he serves and enjoys the people that he works with.
“The people are great, both the staff and students,” Bonner said.
Bonner has two sons who both play sports for Penn, and he is always there supporting each of them in their sporting events. Similarly, he is there if any students need any kind of guidance in decisions they need to make. Bonner is open in sharing his experience and wisdom with students who seek his help.
“I have a servant's head and a passion for helping all people, especially young people,” Bonner said
Bonner makes everyone he encounters feel welcomed and seen. With his passion for helping students, he inspires students to continue running strong in the race of life.
Student spotlight:
Rishi Patel is a junior at Penn. He is part of the Advanced Team Sports (ATS) class that involves playing several different sports. Patel takes this class in the third period of the day.
“In ATS, we play tennis, softball, soccer, indoor frisbee, touch football, basketball, volleyball, ping pong, corn hole, and pickleball,” Patel said.
Patel seeks to use his vast knowledge for the good of others. He greatly enjoys being a student at Penn and has specific goals for his future. He works hard in all his classes and never wastes a day in school.
“At Penn, the thing I like the most is the diversity of people and classes that we have,” Patel said.
He doesn’t let others bring him down, and he is always willing to help others. Patel is an aspiring student who always seeks for improvement. He seeks to be better not only in competition in sports but also in the classroom.
“I want to be better at being a human being during high school. I want to improve from all stances in my life so I can be respected as a human being, so years down the line I can be remembered as a well-rounded human being. I want to have a good, long-lasting legacy. I want this legacy to impact people around me in a positive way,” Patel said.