Year: 2024

  • East York Elementary’s Holiday Shop

    On December 6th, East York held its annual Holiday Shop! The Holiday is an opportunity for 3rd-5th graders to shop for gifts for their families with the help of some high school elves. The event, led by Mrs. Rachel Fry, takes place at East York Elementary, and it includes an area for kids to shop gifts of prices between $1-$7, games and activities in the all-purpose room, and holiday snacks for the kids! The elves, York Suburban High School music students, volunteer their time in order to become an elf for the elementary students, aiding them in their search for the perfect gifts.

    The event starts off with an “Elf Training” to make sure all the elves are prepared for their night of magic. Once the students start arriving, they are lined up and matched with an elf by one of the volunteers. The elf takes them through the course of the shop, helping them with their money, and picking out the perfect gifts. Once all the gifts are chosen, students and elves proceed to the wrapping room, where more elves help wrap and label all the gifts, before proceeding to the checkout where they pay and are treated to a candy cane. 

    This year’s event was a blast. YS students showed up ready to shop. Some came with siblings; some were ready to set off into the shopping world alone. From budgets of $20-$62, our elves saw it all. Many kids came ready to shop for all their family members and some even came ready to shop for themselves! The all-purpose room buzzed with holiday cheer as kids ran around playing games, parents chatted with one another, and elves were in constant motion, providing the most elftastic service they could! With two hours of service time, the holiday shop tables were empty by the end of the night! It was a wonderful turnout that we are ecstatic to see every year. This event wouldn’t have been possible without the help of all of the magic elves that worked so hard to make the night special for each of the elementary school students.

    Being able to interact with all the kids is truly a hilarious experience. Some of them have no idea what their parents like and usually end up choosing fuzzy socks and a puzzle, while others have it exactly planned out. During the ‘quiet’ moment, all the elves shared stories about the funny interactions we had with students. From being told they were going to ask Santa for “an imaginary boyfriend,” to being hand selected by little kids to be their elf, we truly saw it all. Happy Holidays to everyone from the elves at YSHS!

    Written by Michela Soares

  • YSHS Winter Concert

    The Winter Concert occurred on Sunday, December 15 at 2 pm and consisted of the orchestra, band, and chorus. The YS Singers kicked off the concert accompanied by Haley Berkebile on the piano with their pieces “Glory Hallelujah, He is Born”, “Cold and Fugue Season,” “Ribbons and Bows” and lastly “A Hand for Mrs. Claus” which included the soloists Reece Busse, Marcella Rolle, and Ethan Wolfgang. After that, A Capella, a student-led group headed by Ruth Brown, Jonah Gibson & Madelynn Thomas, performed “Carol of the Bells.” Following that, the concert band walked onto the stage and after setting up, they presented their pieces “Fanfare and Procession on an Old English Carol,”  “A Christmas Carol,” and “Hanukkah Holiday.” For their last piece, the concert choir joined to put together “Jingle Bell Rock.”

    The concert choir led by Mrs. Stayer and accompanied by Haley Berkebile performed “Pat-a-Pan Salsa,” “The Snow Carol (Still, Still, Still)” and finished with “Candy Cane Lane.”

    The string ensemble led by Mrs. Thrush followed afterward with “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The complete string orchestra then joined the stage playing “Christmas Medley” which included the songs “Joy to the World,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” and “Away in a Manger.” Rosie Gray introduced “Oseh Shalom” which included solos from Meghan Martin, Elie Purkanto, and Bailey Phinney. Jonah Gibson joined on the drums to play “Last Christmas” with soloist singer Willow Hoffman-Smith.

    Finally, to end the concert the symphony orchestra performed “Christmas Memories” which included iconic Christmas songs like “Frosty the Snowman” “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” “Here Comes Santa Claus” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” and “Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” The audience joined in to sing with a slideshow with the songs that Wade Stocker made. Even Santa Claus made an appearance, tossing candy canes to the audience, getting many excited claps.

    Overall, it was an excellent performance by all. The next concert is on March 12. I hope to see all of you there to enjoy our wonderful school’s instrumental and choral performances! 

    Written By Dilaila A. Perez-Colon
  • Mini-MUN

    Mini-MUN

    If you play sports, you might have practice every day from 3-5pm. Or if you are in a music ensemble, you might have rehearsal everyday during period 2. For the Model United Nations club, we don’t really get to “practice.” You get better by attending conferences and participating in the moment, which can be super nerve racking. This is why we try to hold a “mini-mun” for our members where we do a more exciting topic with low stakes to help practice procedures and public speaking. 

     

    Junior Lexi Purkanto presenting in front of the club.

    Last Saturday, we had an early wake up call and reported to the school at 8:00 am to set everything up for our conference. Students started arriving in their business attire and we had some warm breakfast items to help ease the discomfort of being away at such an early hour. However, as soon as the debate began, everyone was awake. With around 20 students participating and a little push from President Cambria Green, almost everyone got up to speak (including multiple new members). The study hall room was bursting with collaboration from a variety of students, representing a variety of countries, and it was wonderful to see them all working together. 

    Delegates talk during a conference break.

    The following students were recognized for awards:

    1. Best Delegate – Viet Cao
    2. Outstanding – Ethan Wolfgang
    3. Honorable Delegate – Alex Bien
    4. Best Position paper – Michela Soares
    5. Best Newcomer – Milan Gerald 
    6. Verbal performance – Alexia Purkanfo

     

    These students all stood out with some amazing communication skills and I personally observed and admired the way they carried themselves as delegates. Congratulations to all! 

  • York Suburban Tri-M Music Honor Society Induction 2025

    York Suburban Tri-M Music Honor Society Induction 2025

    On Wednesday 11/20, 17 students were inducted into the Tri-M Music Honor Society. These talented new members, along with many returning members, performed multiple amazing pieces in this recital which showcased their incredible talent!

    There will be another recital in the spring, possibly one in the winter, and hopefully other events throughout the community and school! 

    Here are the new and returning members of the society:

    New Members –

    • Jonny Allen
    • John Barley
    • Clarence Cashour
    • Rowan Cooper
    • Caseem Cross
    • Amelia Emsweiler
    • Austin Fry
    • Maple Gallo
    • Gabriel Gottloeb
    • Bailey Phinney
    • Whitley Kamarauskas
    • Ella Reed
    • Matthew Shorb, Jr.
    • Finleigh Stambaugh
    • Sophia Wile
    • Ethan Wolfgang
    • Sara Youcheff

     

    Returning Members –

    • Gabrielle Abdill
    • Dashiell Bedell
    • Ryan Beschler
    • Alex Bien
    • Ruth Brown
    • Reece Busse
    • Dylan Dang
    • Ana Carrara Farah
    • Jonah Gibson
    • Cayli Huynh
    • Meghan Martin
    • Alexia Purkanto
    • Marcella Rolle
    • Isabel Sarsfield
    • Sophia Scalet
    • Egan Torres

     

    York Suburban is proud to have these excellent performers in the music program, and they will all do many great things in the future!

  • Dear Edwina Jr. – A YSMS Production

    Dear Edwina Jr. – A YSMS Production

    On November 22 and 23, the York Suburban Middle school put on their production of “Dear Edwina Jr.!” After the school’s last musical, “The Little Mermaid Jr.” during the 2021-2022 school year, students have been anxiously waiting for another production. Directed by Ms. Andrea Unger and Miss. Hannah Kuhn, the production featured 36 students on stage between 6th-8th grade, and many more backstage helping run crew, lighting, props, and costumes. This show features a young girl, Edwina, played by Maya Rolle, who gives her family and friends advice through 24 musical numbers.

    The synopsis of the show can be seen below (spoilers ahead).

    “Thirteen-year-old Edwina Spoonapple has very talented siblings. But because of this, she thinks that she isn’t special or talented. Yet Edwina has many talents including leadership, singing and advising, and she combines all of them by directing a weekly mini-musical out of her garage. The topic of these musicals is letters written to her by neighborhood kids who need advice. She gives them advice through songs and dances that she orchestrates with her friends. One of the main themes of Dear Edwina is Edwina’s desire to be in the “Advice-a-palooza” festival because she feels it will prove that she is as talented as her siblings. This is all going on while Edwina’s love interest, Scott, is trying to win her over. But, since Edwina is so concerned about her show, she doesn’t care about Scott. Scott wins her heart by singing her a seductive love ballad as an impromptu performance on the show. The talent scout calls, and asks for Scott to perform at the festival, not Edwina. She is heartbroken when she runs into Katie Spoonapple, who has just run away from the Summer Math Olympics because she was getting made fun of by the other girls. She tells Katie not to listen to those kids, and to do what you love to do. Katie hugs her, and Edwina realizes that love is far more important than getting a prize.”    – Wikipedia

    The cast worked extremely hard to put together this amazing production. Watching the future stars of YSSD was truly a wonderful thing to see. For most, it was their first chance to perform a musical on a stage.  Many of the kids played multiple roles, with only a few playing only one character. This is a big step for many, as not only were they memorizing lines and songs, they were memorizing lines and songs for multiple characters.

     

    This show would not have been possible without the help of the admin, teachers, parents, and adults that worked endlessly with the kids to put on a magnificent production.

    Great job everyone! This show was truly amazing. Watching all the young actors flourish and find their voice on stage is always a heart-warming experience.

  • The Princeton Trip (with Model UN)

    The Princeton Trip (with Model UN)

    Often, students hear about others joining clubs just for fun trips and getting out of school and although I think we can all relate to wanting a weekend away from home, our school’s Model United Nations Club is so much more than that. This past November, 15 students from MUN went to the Princeton Model United Nations Conference, accompanied by Mr. Gaeta. Our itinerary included a very long bus ride which we spent talking for hours, door-dashing a bunch of food, playing trivia, and most importantly, attending our conference committees. 

    For those of you who don’t know, Model UN is quite literally a fake version of the United Nations where you represent a country or a person in a series of committee sessions which can last up to 3 hours, whilst we debate very interesting topics. If you are in a “crisis” committee, the experience is a lot different from the General Assembly, and a lot of students encountered this on our recent trip. On the first night of the committee sessions, I saw my friend Alex Bien who was representing the prince of Transylvania, Francis Rhédey, in his conflict, walking back to his dorm. It was his first time in a crisis committee and it was definitely scary at first; he mentioned how he felt like he was never going to figure it out. Other students in crisis were feeling the same way but after some moral support and advice from our favorite advisor, Mr. Gaeta, they all left with a valuable experience. They actually ended up having a lot of fun in committee for the next few days and grew tremendously as delegates. I want to congratulate all of them on this opportunity! 

     

    Personally, one of my favorite parts of this conference was getting to know all of the students from Princeton and chat with them about their experiences and how they achieved their personal goals. It is so valuable to learn from others who have recently gone through what we are going through now: high school. The chairs and everyone who made this event possible are all truly amazing and they completely changed my view of Model UN. We also got to do many fun things, such as send each other candy grams with funny messages and pretend it wasn’t us.  Additionally, our last committee session was called Fun-Mun where we played “hot seat” and got to know each other as people, rather than delegations.

    This was also my first year going to PMUNC, and I was super excited. It definitely lived up to all my expectations and I am so lucky to have gone with such a wonderful group of students and a great advisor who always knew how to calm us down from stressful committees. I am grateful for York Suburban administrators for helping our clubs and community and for supporting us to accomplish these amazing events. It is truly invaluable to my learning experience. 

     

    I would also recommend to any student who is interested to join Model UN to grow your debate, research, communication skills and more. This club has taught me more than I can express, and I am truly so thankful! 

     

    We will be back next year. See you later, PMUNC! 

  • Kiss Eternal Atake 2, Marry CHROMAKOPIA, Kill “delusional”

    Lil Uzi Vert, Ken Carson, and Tyler, The Creator recently dropped within four days, marking last week a fundamental week in rap. In CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler artfully blends elements of musical theater, African-American sounds, and jazz. The album is his most experimental, which is respectable as he does not seem to cater to mainstream listeners. His tenth studio album was not his best, but Tyler continues to excel in storytelling rap. This is revealed in “Hey Jane,” with themes of the emotional complexity of an unexpected pregnancy, similar to J. Cole’s “Lost Ones.” In my favorite song from the album, “Like Him,” Tyler begins with a solo piano to convey the work’s retrospective nature about his absent father. He sings about resembling his dad’s physical and personality traits and samples his mother talking about their similarities. 

    Tyler, The Creator’s “CHROMAKOPIA” Photo from Artnet News

    In Eternal Atake 2, Uzi releases twelve elevated songs. In my favorite song from the album, “Light Year (Practice),” Uzi masterfully produces beat switches, build-ups, and sound effects. As they have matured as an artist, their artistry and progress in production quality have increased. This work falls just below Luv Is Rage 2 (2017). Uzi finally matures and maintains consistency in Eternal Atake 2. The album is a great, easy listen with themes of science fiction. Critics miss Uzi’s gentle melodies, but the rapper moves onto an abrasive tone in their recent music. Overall, the album lacks depth but is an excellent example of flow, rhythm, and production.

    Lil Uzi Vert’s “Eternal Atake 2” Photo from Spotify

    Ken Carson’s single, “delusional” was an absolute miss. His distorted beat had the potential to create an interesting, experimental song, but Carson muffled his vocals as well. The result was a muddy, grating rap. Hopefully, his future work reflects his past trap beats, not dissonant gibberish. As a Ken Carson fan, I was disappointed to hear his single’s careless production quality and lack of growth as an artist. 

    If you’re looking for a new listen, check out songs from CHROMAKOPIA like “Hey Jane,” “Like Him,” “Tomorrow,” and “Sticky” and songs from Eternal Atake 2 like “Light Year (Practice),” “We Good,” and “Not An Option.”

     

  • Art of the Month – October Edition

    Art of the Month – October Edition

    One of my favorite aspects of being part of the Newspaper Club is being able to connect with teachers and students to see what everyone is creating. That’s why one of the most special parts of the month is being able to see what the Art Faculty recommends as some of their featured pieces of the month. This month we have three featured artists that we are so proud of and honored to share their art and stories. 

    The lovely Mrs. Fornadel has highlighted two students this month, the first of which is Weston Saunders. Weston is a freshman student at York Suburban, and he is currently in Painting I. He says that one of his many inspirations is a French painter, Claude Monet. Monet’s beautiful artwork often depicts a scenic landscape and Mrs. Fornadel says that Weston channels his love of nature in his artwork. Attached below is an image of Weston with his artwork “Autumn mountains”! 

    The next student Mrs. Fornadel has chosen to feature is Jaidan Kopp. Jaidan is a senior that has taken several art courses, including painting, drawing, introduction to ceramics, art portfolio, and will be taking sculpture and an independent study later this year! Jaidan’s love of art has led them to apply to study Art Education at Millersville. Jaidan’s inspiration for art is based on both famous artists and family members. Jaidan says that Camila Salina’s self-portraits are inspiring. Here Jaidan is working on a self-portrait in oils – so beautiful!

    Last but definitely not least is Star Jirtle, nominated by Mrs. Furjanic. Star is a junior and is taking Drawing I. Star says that her inspiration for her art is her mother! The Trojan Newspaper congratulates Star on her creativity and talent. 

  • YSHS Football/Band/Cheer Senior Night

    YSHS Football/Band/Cheer Senior Night

    Cover image by Ron Coursey

    On Friday, October 18, York Suburban held their Senior Night football game against Eastern York. The night began with the recognition of the Football 2025 Seniors: Steven Bowman, Clarence Cashour, Joe Hartman, Everett Heim, Alex Ballan, Rylan Bratton, Antonio Cruise, and Elisha Dennis. Following the football team, the cheerleaders were recognized: Tiffany Ma, Gabby Abdill, Hazelyn Ierly, Brayden Nolan, Sophia Grippi, Shellie Gomez, and Tatiana Wyche.  To end the celebration, the Marching Band seniors were recognized: Isabel Sarsfield, Alex Bien, Spencer Burns, Caseem Cross, Ethan Heiland, Nick Lobianco, Lynx Hogan, Marcella Rolle, Rowan Cooper, Nico Makowski, Meghan Martin, Jonah Gibson, and Clarence Cashour. All 27 seniors have put incredible amounts of work into their respective activity, and even though this is the first year that some are participating, families were created, and lifelong friendships were made. 

    As the game kicked off, Eastern York powered through, while our Trojans struggled to hold them back. It was a lively celebration of our seniors, as everyone worked together to send them off with a big goodbye. Unfortunately, the game ended with a score of 7-45, leaving the Easter York Knights with another win. 

    It was an emotional night for everyone. Underclassmen got to celebrate their seniors at their last home game, and Senior got to perform under the Dick May Field FNL one last time. They will all be missed by the coaches, directors, teammates, and most importantly, the crowd that gathered to watch them. While it is sad to see them go, we know they will all go on to do great things!

  • The Haunted Hallways of 2024

    The Haunted Hallways of 2024

    What are the haunted Hallways? The Haunted Hallways is a Halloween-themed event where the students and teachers of York Suburban decorate their doors and hallways and hand out candy to all the trick-or-treaters. Mrs. Oathout runs the NHS (National Honors Society), which coordinates this event with her officers Grace Connolly, Sophia Scarlet, and Aslynn Delridge. 

    The Haunted Hallways event ran on Tuesday, October 29th from 6-7 pm. Many clubs decorated hallways and doors including, but not limited to Student Council, Model UN, NAHS, FCCLA, Mini-Thon, Hope Squad, French Honor Society, GSA, Spanish Honor Society, Science Honor Society, TSA, Puzzle Partners & Diversity and Activism. 

    Some of the themes these clubs came up with were Founding Fathers by Model UN, Bluey by Student Council, M&Ms by FCCLA, Shine Bright Like a Diamond by Mini-Thon, Charlie Brown the Great Pumpkin by NAHS, Beach Barbies by Hope Squad, “Le Petit Prince” from St-Exupery by French Honors, Greek Mythology by GSA, Día de los Muertos by Spanish Honors, German Fairy Tales & Legends by German Honors, Mad Scientists by Science Honors, Wall-E by TSA, Pumpkin Patch by Puzzle Partners, and Coco by Activism & Diversity Club.

    Credit to YS Athletics Instagram

     

     

     

     

     

     

    When in an interview with Mrs. Fornadel, the National Arts Honor Society’s advisor, I asked if she thought the students enjoyed the Haunted Hallways, her answer was,“Yes, I think they do. I think it makes the students feel like kids again, being able to hand out treats to the little children of York Suburban.” Ms.. Reider, one of the Mini-thon’s advisors comments, “I think the YS younger students enjoy this event, and the YS high school students enjoy dressing up.” After speaking with Niyah Peterkin, a student asking the same question, she responded, “Yes, this is an event I enjoy because I like seeing all the effort and different spins each club and group put into it.” Both perspectives: teachers and students seem to enjoy putting on the Haunted Hallways. These teachers and students worked together to create a fun & entertaining night for the families of YS to enjoy. 

    Many clubs and groups put a significant amount of effort into making this event, and spend much of their own time preparing everything. Thank you to all the students and teachers who put the effort into making this event possible!