Recently in Meet the staff Category

Until recently, I told everyone who asked (and many who didn't) that my name's lack of a double "n" was a result of my namesake: Napoleon's wife. My daddy had told me this lovely gem of information, and, as a trusting child, I believed him. It never occurred that Napoleon could have not had such a wife. He didn't. He called me over to the computer and showed me a map. The blaze of the white light of that computer screen burned the truth into my retinas. Outlined in a Google Map screen was my true namesake: Jena Street.

Hey, I'm Andy. I'm seventeen, and I am going to be a senior in September at Dallastown High School. I like music, movies, books, tennis, and the occasional video game. I'm currently addicted to Facebook and its numerous applications.
As far as music goes, I like a lot of bands, but my favorites are Modest Mouse, Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Neutral Milk Hotel, Beck, The Beatles, The Smiths, and other artists similar to those.
When it comes to movies, I like comedies the best. Some of my favorite movies are Waiting for Guffman, Fight Club, Rushmore, Little Miss Sunshine, In Bruges, Pulp Fiction, and Planet of the Apes.
I started going to the library in Red Lion a month or so ago, so I've been checking out a few classic books. My top five books are The Catcher in the Rye, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Survivor, Flowers for Algernon, and Animal Farm.
I guess that pretty much sums me up. I look forward to writing more for Teen Takeover.

Greetings from me, Ryan Ruser. I'm seventeen years old and I attend Dallastown Area High School. I'm going to be a senior next year, and I'm pretty excited for that. I have a twin brother who is also on the staff, as some of you may have noticed.

I really like drawing, music, movies, tennis, and other things. I'm hoping to have a career in art some time in the future. I like most indie music like Modest Mouse, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Elliott Smith, but I also like Radiohead, The Smiths, and older music like The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, Cat Stevens, and David Bowie. Some of my favorite directors are Wes Anderson, Christopher Guest, Stanley Kubrick, and David Lynch. I also really like French movies and some anime, too.

I really don't like most generic mainstream music including but not limited to Nickelback, Taylor Swift, Jonas Brothers, and most modern country and rap. Since Twilight seems to be a popular subject around these parts, my opinion on it is that the movie was awful, and I don't plan on reading the books.

Hopefully, Teen Takeover world now knows a little bit more about me.

I guess I should start with the normal blurb, my name is Morgen Snowadzky and I'm about to start my sophomore year this fall at Central York High School. Now that that lame stuff is out of the way I'll attempt to explain who Morgen is.
I spend my time laying in the grass writing in my black and white composition notebook, listening to random music, reading books about the early 1900's, being on the computer more than I should on facebook or Paint.NET, or running up and down a tennis court. My music taste ranges from neat acoustic stuff like Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, and Eric Hutchinson to some weird stuff like Action Action and Motion City Soundtrack and then back to normal with the Beatles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Eric Clapton. I love music and the people who make it, so of course my favorite band at the moment is The Tamboureens whom my talented friend plays bass for. My athletic participation involves my high school tennis team on which I hope to move up this year, I bike, and I run for fun. Yes, for fun. Computers are definitely a main source of entertainment for me. I am actually attempting to start a t-shirt design and printing business with my friend as silly as that may sound. To finish up, I have a deep love for art besides music including graphic design, paintings, and writing. I love to read and write. My favorite book so far is most likely The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls or The Reader by Bernhard Schlink. Creative writing pieces are my favorite but my writing can be a little dark, so I also like to write political editorial type stuff. I hope to be writer when I grow up and one day write a book, and live in a city like Philadelphia. I'll quit boring you so you can move on to my friend Kelsey's interesting entry.

Hi everyone, my name is Kelsey Kierce and I am a new member of the Teen Takeover staff. I'm fifteen years old and I am going to be a sophomore at Central York High School.

I guess I'll start with talking about my pet peeves, well actually my pet peeve. I only have one, and it's the obsession with the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyer. I just don't understand it. I read all four books so I can honestly tell people that Twilight is stupid. I won't go into too much detail here about why I hate it; that can be saved for another blog post. Let me give you some more information about me.

I was born in Boston, MA and lived there until I was nine years old. So being from Boston, I am a big Red Sox fan. I like baseball because it's one of the few sports I can understand. Sports are not my thing. I can swim and play recreational basketball (not that well) but that's it. I don't have enough coordination to play any other sports. So instead of having amazing athletic skills, I have school skills. School is definitely where my strengths are. I am a straight A student and work hard to maintain that. I'm one of those people who likes school. I am concerned about my future and I want to get into a good college. So, I keep my grades up.

Outside of school, I am involved with my youth group. I play recreational basketball, like I mentioned. I love to babysit. I enjoy working with kids and hope to continue to do so. I love to read. My favorite series is Harry Potter, and I have met J.K. Rowling. Like most girls, I enjoy shopping and sappy chick flicks. I love chocolate and Starbucks probably more then I should. I also love to write. That's what got me interested in Teen Takeover. That, and the fact that I hope to pusue a career in journalism when I grow up. I am so excited for this oppurtunity and can't wait to get to know everyone!

Hello, whoever is reading this! My name is Olivia Purtell and I just joined the Teen Takeover Staff.

I'm going into eigth grade at West York Area Middle School. I'm involved in just about everything there, from playing sports to participating in Envirothon and Mathcounts. I play three sports- basketball, softball, and volleyball. Other hobbies that are time consuming would be reading, writing and playing the piano. My favorite kind of music for the piano is Broadway.

Also, people laugh at me for saying so, but I am a self proclaimed nerd. I would far rather read a book or do math problems than watch television or something of the sort.

If I've managed to hold your attention this long, you might also want to know that I'm really shy when I first meet people and I'm doing new things. So I probably won't say much at first, but once I get to know everyone I'll get over it.

The person writing this blog just happens to be Megan Snyder... one of the new members of the Teen Takeover Staff. I am 16 years old and am going to be a junior at Eastern York High School.

I play soccer and volleyball, my two favorite sports. I love singing and performing. I have taken dance lessons for 12 or 13 years (I lost count) which has included jazz, different types of ballet, modern, broadway, and acrobatics. I spend a lot of time volunteering and babysitting. I worked with the Kreutz Creek Valley Library's summer kids crafts since I did my bronze award for Girl Scouts a number of years ago and fell in love with it. In school, I am part of the yearbook staff, student council, science olympiad team, broadway knights, chorus, concert choir, and varsity club. School and my future are two things that are very important to me.

I personally think I am a lazy person, but other people disagree with me. You should know I am NOT a morning person. My friends now know not to text me before 7 a.m. during the school year because I will not answer them with anything other than "zZzZzZz sleeping!" I belong to Barbizon's Acting and Modeling Agency because acting and taking pictures is a passion of mine. I really love writing as well which is why I am so excited to be a part of the staff. I have been able to join activities for performing and sports but not writing, and now I am finally getting the opportunity. I am so excited for this new experience and meeting everyone.

Hi, my name is Scott Mokris and I am a new member of the Teen Takeover staff. I first learned about the Teen Takeover from my older brother, Jake, who used to be a member of the staff. I was born in California in 1992. In addition to my older brother Jake, I have a younger brother named Al, who is nine years old.

I am home-schooled and am a junior in high school. My favorite subjects are Chemistry and History. I collect coins and enjoy knowing what they are made of and how old they are. I also like studying old battles and the tactics used to win them.

My favorite pastime is reading. I have read many books, both good and bad. At one point in time, I was reading five books at once and was waiting for a sixth. My favorite author is Alexandre Dumas. I have read five of his books and find his characters are very imaginative and entertaining. Porthos, from The Three Musketeers books, is my favorite character. However, even though Dumas is my favorite author, my favorite book is Bartlett's Familiar Quotations.

Hey there. Melissa Colon here, a recent addition to the York Daily Record's Teen Takeover Staff, and I am ecstatic. I am 16 and I'll be 17 August 5. This coming school year I will be a senior at Central York High School and I am so anxious, good and bad anxiety. I am so ready for what the future has in store for me. I live everyday as if it's my last but not as if I can't plan for the future. Not to be clichéd but I am a very unique person. I have my own style, talk, and walk. I don't let others influence me and I stand firm on what I believe. Faith is important to me and faltering is something that I don't do. Well, I think that's enough for now. I'll be back again to fill you in some more.....

"You got a lively bunch in there today," YDR editor Jim McClure remarked as I slipped from the conference room into the newsroom Sunday afternoon.

I'm not sure if he was referring to the thundering running, the dinging bell, or the victorious cheers. No matter which, I wonder if he would have believed me had I told him that members of the Teen Takeover staff were learning grammar during this latest monthly staff meeting.

Grammar and fun in the same room? The same sentence?

Yep.

AngelaMarie Flynn, Laura Detter, Corinne Elliott, Sean Ramirez and Amber Routson prepare to run from one end of the YDR conference room to the other to grab the next question in Sunday's Grammar Smackdown.

Smackmaster Amy Gulli (white top) watches as the teens grab their papers and take off.

Here are a bunch of Teen Takeover staff members getting a visit from York Revolution mascot Downtown during a special staff outing to Sovereign Bank stadium yesterday.

The gang got to chill out in a skybox and watch the Revs beat the Maryland Blue Crabs. Below are more fun photos from the evening.

Hi! I'm Katie Swade and I'm a new member of Teen Takeover this year.
Sorry this entry is so late but here is a little bit about me:
First of all I have an amazing family who I really enjoy being around. My brother David, who is 23 is very entertaining and interesting at the same time. My sister is really the reason I applied for Teen Takeover. She was part of the staff last year, loved the experience, and recommended that I try it. Annie is 18 and is my role model and my best friend at the same time. She is creative and talented, especially in writing. I'm not sure if I was able to get it to work, but if there is a picture it is of my sister and I at Homecoming. This is a really old picture, but it is still my favorite. My family has and always will come first to me.

Hey everyone. I'm Alex Peterson (my middle name is Britton, pronounced just like the country in Europe) and I attend Central York High School. If you're forgetting who I am, I was the one who waltzed in late to the first intro-meeting a few Fridays ago...yeah that's me.

I love fishing, I just got back from Canada two days ago with my family and one of my best friends. We caught over 400 fish in 6 days, it was awesome. I love being outside and just being in the wilderness I guess you can call it.

I also love traveling, going anywhere and everywhere. I traveled to Europe twice, once in 2000 and once in 2005. I visited England and France with friends and family. It was an experience of a lifetime and I plan to go back someday soon.

I forgot to add a couple of things. My two best friends are Hayley Hoch and Kate Edwards. I have two ambitions and only two. Here they are:

1.) To find out how many licks it takes to get the center of a tootsie pop....
2.) And, how many minutes and seconds are in one whole year.

I am on myspace A LOT! My profile has Jonas Brothers all over. By the way, if you haven't figured it out yet I LOVE THE JONAS BROTHERS!

My favorite movie is Elf because it is hilarious. My favorite books are the Harry Potter series and The Perks Of Being A Wallflower!

I tend to watch the Disney Channel a lot so that I get to see the Jonas Brothers. And I listen to the radio. (They are #1 on the most requested in Lancaster! If you don't believe me, then listen yourself. It is on 96.9 WLAN.)

Hi. My name is Laura Detter or sometimes known as LD or Detter. I am a sophomore at Susquehannock High School and I live in the sleepy town of New Freedom.
My favorite music artist is John Mayer.

This is Alicia here. I go to West York Middle School. (Exciting, NOT.) I'm going into 8th grade. I am the field hockey manager. During the summer I watch the two biggest brats in the world, my sisters. I help at a park at a counselor in training. Nights are filled with endless fun with friends, swimming with the family, and reading as many books as possible! I LOVE to read. I am a #1 fan of the Jonas Brothers! My walls are filled with pictures and posters of them! My family ROCKS my colorful socks!

I've watched the Teen Takeover staff from afar for years, and now I'm excited to be a part of it.
Some fast facts about Kara Eberle:

Why hello there. My name is Amber. Amber Routson is the name and music is the game. I'm really into music. You are probably wondering, but no, sadly I do not play an instrument. I've always wanted to play the guitar, but I have no one to teach me and to put it quite simply, I can't teach myself something I have no idea how to play. Haha.

My favorite band is From First to Last. Many people have not heard of them, but they are pretty amazing.

Hey I'm Angela Marie Flynn. I go to Agora Cyber Charter school now, but I'm probably going to be changing schools for high school. Anyway, I'm going to be a Freshman in the fall.

I love music. I'm in a rock band, I sing, and I know more rock bands than the 12 year old entrepreneur around the corner. From old school punk, to emo, to classical, altern to folk, to Indian, to anything. My Chemical Romance to Billy Joel to Led Zeppelin. indie stuff too, local stuff too. I love writing reviews and I do have a well-developed taste if I do say so myself. Haha, kidding, I'm not like an ego monster or anything. But my dream (one of them) is to have my current band go far...maybe signed onto a label even. Ah, heaven. But in the meantime I annoy people by humming while I do anything...and with my awful voice singing when im supposed to be doing more important stuff.

Sportswise, i love basketball and I used to do fencing. Skateboarding is my thing even if I'm not too good at it myself (my friends are, not me). I want to be sponsored someday when I get good (another dream...). I love hanging out with friends, going to parties and dances with them, going to concerts and just having fun. I also love to write, although I've had a little bit of writer's block when it comes to fiction. I bet non-fiction would help that. I wish I had pets but I don't...I used to have a snake but it ran away. Sorry.

Haha I was reading Madi's entry and I kind of am a TV junkie too, but movies and stuff also. I usually watch whatever my parents are watching. I'm usually too lazy to change it.
How I applied for Teen Takeover was that I saw it in the newspaper. At first, 'cause I've been having this nagging writer's block, I was like uhhh, but I signed up and I thank the newspaper for accepting me. :) Well, thanks for listening to my rambling! Hope it helped.
Peace, guys.

-angelamarie

I've never been a blogger... so this is a new experience for me.

First let me formally introduce myself. I'm Lauren! I'm going to be a senior at Spring Grove High School, and I couldn't be more excited for senior year! I run cross country and track there.

In the summer I suffer from an illness... home sickness :-P I reside in Delaware from a week after school lets out until preseason starts for cross country. There I am a ocean lifeguard. Yes, that means a great tan and sitting at the beach all day...but it's a tad more than that. Though I haven't had a true rescue yet, days are filled with workouts in the morning and occasional chaos during the day such as first aids (anything from a bandaid to a backboard). On the contrary, I am a complete beach bum. I would just rather have York County landscaped with a ocean. I miss my friends far too much in the summer! The sun also defines my life. I love being tan and the sun makes me happy - all year long.

So my next topic... writing. Well I think it all started a few years ago when I picked up a Cosmo or Glamour. I was blown away by the layout. I thought that would be the coolest job - layout for a magazine... So I declared I would take journalism as soon as I could, which was my junior year. Within the first week I fell in love with the class and the writing. Layout turned out to be a dread! And here I am..... I'm starting to like this whole blogging thing and talking about me! I could probably keep going on and on about how I live on iced tea (and Sunny D) and how my guilty pleasure is listening to Miley Cyrus... but I'm going to stop there! So that is me, Lauren! And I can't wait to learn about all of you!

~ Lauren

Hey, I'm Madi McSherry. I'm a sophomore at Central York High School.

I love to play sports. I run cross country (yeah, I actually like to run) and I play soccer. I play tennis in the street in front of my house with my brother... we aren't very good... Just so you know, we have NEVER hit our mailbox... My brother is my only sibling, he will be a senior this year.

I also have two dogs, Summer and Maggie. I have a lot of fun hanging out with my friends. We like to do silly things. We went on a trip with the high school chorus in April to the Bahamas and Orlando (Disney World!!!). That was a blast! I love to sing and love music. I don't think I can go fifteen minutes without at least humming a note. I like performing. I sing at my church, in the school musical, chorus, etc. In addition to sports and music, I am in Student Council, Principal Student Cabinet, Project Harmony (community service club), and Varsity Club.

I'm kind of a TV junkie... Reality TV to be exact. I am addicted to Tivo, Big Brother, America's Next Top Model, and The Hills just top name a few. My favorite is probably Survivor. I have been watching since the end of season one. I also love to write. I was on the middle school newspaper for three years along with being Editor-in-Chief in eighth grade. Last year I took Media Literacy, a class taught by the Journalism teacher and she recommended that I apply for Teen Takeover, so I did.

Well, I guess that's it. Hopefully you know more about me! :)

Ok, here's me...this fall I'm a senior at Susquehannock, which is super exciting. I would like to continue journalism as a career, hopefully one day working for a fashion magazine such as Lucky (BEST magazine in the world, by the way). Combine my favorite things: PhOtOgRaPhY, FaShIoN, and JoUrNaLiSm, and we're good to go.

I'm the Photo Editor for my school paper, and I absolutely love that. After working at a winery and a spa, now I just volunteer at my local library, which I have been doing for almost 2 years now, and have enjoyed every minute of it.

I recently got back from Vermont, really liked it up there. I like... band - Coldplay, movie - Lord of the Rings and Sunset Boulevard (the old movies are the best ones), TV shows - Perry Mason, book - Harry Potter.

My celebrity role model would have to be Coco Chanel. After doing a research paper on her life, I realized she was more than just a fashion icon. She was a woman who had dreams and aspirations and wasn't afraid to let anything get in her way. I'd like to live up to that. I also enjoy traveling, reading, art, and shopping, no doubts about that.

My family means a lot to me, and so do my friends. Well, with that, I will say au revoir <3

p.s. 17 the 23!

The central PA pop rock band will be parting ways after the final show tomorrow night at the Strand Capitol. Local favorites have played numerous times in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and will end their two year successful run. The band has split due to altercations between the band members and will not announce what the altercations were.

Strand Capitol
7:00 p,m.
Friday, April 25th

The Pennsylvania Nespaper Association honored student journalists today during the Keystone Press Awards Luncheon.

Features Editor Buffy Andrews attended the luncheon, and she was very excited to point out that our very own Teen Takeover staff member Abigail Stollar (AKA Abby) won second place for features stories for an article she wrote on her school cafeteria in The Rocket Star, Spring Grove Area High School's student newspaper.

Congratulations, Abby! We're very proud of you.

There were plenty of other area high school students who are excelling in journalism, too.

Age: 28
Work: Niche Publications Editor
Teen Takeover history: When YDR first began the Teen Takeover page in 2002, I was one of the co-leaders. I left the paper in 2003 and rejoined the staff a month ago.

Sunday afternoon, 10 members of the York Daily Record/Sunday News Teen Takeover staff took a field trip to Maize Quest Fun Park in New Park. For more on this crazy adventure, see the related post at www.yorkblog.com/explorer

To sum up: We got really lost in a big field of corn cut to look (to the birds) like a rocket, the Earth, and an astronaut. At least that's what they tell you. To us, it pretty much looked the same everywhere -- corn, corn and more corn.

And so, for an afternoon, we became...children of the corn....

Where was I?

Oh, yes....After the long and arduous journey through the stalks, we convened for a campfire and roasted ourselves in the unseasonably warm afternoon sun, along with some hot dogs, pepperoni and S'mores over a campfire.

Lily coordinated an effort to send Katy off to the big state of New York with a chocolate-and-peanut butter cake from Brown's Orchards that I can testify (as a connisseur of chocolate-and-peanut butter cakes) is among the best I've eaten. (See picture below)

So sorry for the delay, folks. Here's the best pics from our water-balloon battle at the August teen meeting.

Hello everyone.
I'm Nate and I am a sophomore at York County School of Technology. Please, no "Slow-Tech" jokes. My field of study is welding, and for those of you that do not know, welding is the bonding of any metal, glass, or plastic (usually metal) on a molecular level by means of extreme heat. So yeah, I play with fire at school! English and writing is another passion of mine, and this is why I became a part of this group. So far I really enjoy it and hope that I may help contribute to this team. If you're like me, you like Edgar Allan Poe. This guy was not only delightfully creepy but one of the best literary minds of all time. You should really read his work some time. There is more to me, but none of it really that interesting, so enjoy your summers, friends, and I'll see you at the next Teen Takeover meeting.

I came back from Germany a week ago to find that the Teen Takeover orientation had started without me.

Gulp.

Hi Teen Takeovers!
My name is Annie Swade and I am a rising senior at Susquehannock High School. I know I was suppose to introduce myself a few days ago, but I just got back from vacation and figured it was better late than never.

To introduce myself, well, I am the assistant editor of the Susquehannock Courier and I do plan on going into journalism as a career someday. I recently went to the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Journalism Workshop at Columbia University in New York City and had a blast. It was definately an experience of a lifetime. I learned a lot and it greatly helped to improve my writing skills.

After the workshop, I spent a week at Bethany Beach in Delaware.

No I am not Mexican or Sicilian, but Guatemalan. I came to the U.S. when i was around six months old so...yes I'm an immigrant haha. Anyways, I am going to be a senior at York Catholic High School this upcoming year. I LOVE music, like alot...its kind of scary. I like listening to music, writing music, and performing it. I am in two bands at the moment and recording with both of them :) I am the lead singer in both bands and write songs for both. I have written probably over 300 full songs/poems in my life.

People are always telling me I have a serious problem telling a story concisely. I’m pretty sure they just don’t understand my logic behind this habit. They say it’s because I like to hear the sound of my own voice. Some think my loquacious habits stem from my “weird” and/or “mildly crazy” personality. A select few simply attribute it to my loving storytelling. At this point I’ve received so many theories on the subject that I’ll point out the correct solution for the benefit of the public. Final answer: all of the above.

A common response I get after I introduce myself is, "Oh! Like the Little Mermaid!"

It used to annoy me so much, and I was adamant about making the point that no, I was not named after the Little Mermaid nor did I want that to be any sort of nickname (errr...actually, I still don't). I take it humorously now, though, especially when moms come up to me and explain that their daughters were amazed that my name is Ariel because they thought that only the Little Mermaid had that name. (Yes, this has happened several times, actually.)

But enough about Disney characters.

Hello everyone! I am Rachel Bragg, one of the youngest (I think, maybe) members of ydr's Teen Takeover. I love talking (right now as I write this blog, I'm talking to about three people on IM. Make that four. Five...)

Sometimes, I imagine what it would be like to be in someone else's "shoes." I wonder whether it would be comfy or constricting--sedate or full of ebullience. Either way, I always come to the same conclusion; I'm glad I live in my shoes.

I have been trying to figure out how to write this for the past couple of days and I finally figured my name was a good place to start.
1. Katie is my real name. It is not short for anything (even though several people in my homeroom this past year have insisted on calling me Kaitlyn). Also, my parents picked the name because they didn't think there would be that many Katies. HA
2. Alizabeth? What in the world posessed my parents to give me this middle name? Well they kinda decided to steal it from my aunt who originally came up with it for her daughter's middle name.
3. Drais - u say it like race with a d be4 it. It is not dray-is.

Now that you what my name is and how to say it........

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My names Amanda and im 16(17 in a month and 1 day!!) the pix above is of me(right) and my friend Jonette(left) kissing my friend Emily. Just for fun!! means nothing!! and the other is of my room at church camp.

This is a photo of me after an ITS (International Thespian Society) meeting. I love that red boa; I think it adds class to any outfit.
I like what Alfred Hitchcock says: "Theatre is just life with the dull bits cut out."
I've been a York Little Theatre volunteer since I moved to this city in my freshman year. I'm mostly a techie . . .

Hey people!!!! My name is Jon, I'm 16 and I go to William Penn a.k.a York High(GASP). I'm a really funny person who is into alot of things. I am the class of 2009 class treasurer('09 all day!!!).I like to act and sing in my school's musicals. I write poetry and I do this thing with my hands that I like to call drawing but others don't see it that way. I was once told that if anyone ever saw my drawings they would go straight to hell, so yeah that dream was killed.

I'm my schools yearbook co-editor and I also am a high school intern with Black Beat and Right On Magazines in New York. I'm a N.A.A.C.P member as well as a N.H.S member. The list goes on cuz' I keep busy. I love to make fun of random people but I'm not mean, I like to think of it as making my day a little bit more cheerful by pointing out the follies and "differences" of unsuspecting bystanders. I like R&B, soul,................................

Hello world or should I say York.

I think that the best way to describe me would be to describe my room first. I recently discovered that my room knows me even better than I know myself...so now, you can get to know me too!

My conscious sort of show in my personality. A creative side the past of the human mind suggests a teen's future. I write not because it's needed, but because I aim to accomplish it.
To suceed it in the world's society as an African American woman. Glistening in a fancy, expensive lifestyle to please my surroundings. This is me.

Writing is an art form to me. It'a a way to express myself and give opinions. I like making people think!

As for my introduction...

I guess it's safe to say that most teens like to write about "fluffy" subjects.

But I would much rather write about the benefits of nuclear power, or about how much I hate Hillary Clinton, (not to mention Barack).

When people read my work I want them to acquire knowledge that they can apply in their lives. Now, I'm not saying that a movie review can't be applied. But are you aware that you'll probably be able to vote in the 2008 presidential election? Are you aware that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is actively pursing nuclear weapons? Did you know that nuclear power may be the answer to global warming?

My dad's grandparents came from the Carpathian mountains in Ruthenia to the United States. They settled in Northeast Pennsylvania. They were Byzantine Catholics, and their church services were done in Old Slovanic. My dad says he still remembers some songs in Old Slovanic.

My dad's father was at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked, and he was also one of the first U. S. Air Force officers. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, one of the colleges I'm considering.

When my great-grandfather came to the U. S., his brother came with him but decided to live in Ohio. Recently, my dad got an e-mail from a Mokris in Ohio. Pretty cool.

Other than that, I don't know much else about my family's history - except that my mom's aunt married a Pickett. He's descended from General Pickett, who led Pickett's charge in the battle of Gettysburg.

Following Brittany's lead, I thought I would share some of my family history..at least the interesting parts! My dad's family is from Sicily, Italy and directly related to Bernardo Provenzano, who was the leader of the Italian Mafia in the 1950s. He joined the Mafia in his early teens and rose to the top, creating a successful crime world in Sicily. He had been on the run for some 40 years and was finally caught last year, when the police tracked down a package of clean laundry his wife was trying to send him. He is now being kept in a high-security prison in Italy, under surveillance 24-7 and will remain there for life.

I thought this connection brought some pizazz to my family tree and my dream is to go to Trapani, where he is being imprisoned, and hear his account of his intriguing life story. :)

Over dinner the other night, my friend and I started to discuss our ancestors, where they came from, important things they did, etc. We found out that one of my paternal grandfathers was a British general in the colonial days, and fired what is know to be the first shot at the Boston Massacre (not so pleasant, I know). My friend said that his ancestors founded a town in Connecticut, which now carries their last name.

I find genealogy to be fascinating, so I thought it might be cool if everyone posted something cool in history that his or her ancestors participated in. It will definitely make for an interesting read for everyone.

Michelle Renn
Age: 18
School: West York Area High School

I have a confession to make. I love to dance. I am not very coordinated but I love to bop around my house pretending that I am. One day, I am going to be bold enough to just let loose at a school dance and (a) make a big fool of myself or (b) amaze everyone at school.

My name is Nick Ryan. I have lived in York, PA for 11 years and have been homeschooled for 9 of those. My life has taken a number of interesting twists and turns and is always filled with adventure.

My name is...Olivia Frank!
I don't work very well with the traditional way of introducing oneself, so here comes my weird twist to it:

I'm 17, and a junior at York Suburban (Senior) High School (though I've never heard anyone actually use the word senior in the title...).

My name is Chae Kline. I am a sixteen-year-old junior at Eastern York High School, and to many I might appear to be a normal teenage girl. But I have a confession to make… I am a shoe addict. That’s right, I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again! I love shoes! I own upwards of eighty pairs of shoes in varying styles, including carefree flip-flops, versatile boots, colorful ballet flats, practical sneakers, and unpractical pumps. I have imagined the perfect shoe to symbolize my physical characteristics, personality, hobbies, and aspirations: a wedge-heeled, round-toed boot adorned in hot pink suede with a mid-calf rise and a zipper closure.

I'm an 18-year-old senior at York Suburban, with an inordinate passion for crossword puzzles, dark chocolate, interesting words, and my Apple laptop. If you see a dark-haired, scarf-clad girl burying her nose in a book, laughing maniacally, or loudly debating the Arab-Israeli conflict, chances are that you're looking at me.

This is my last year at Teen Takeover, and I will be attending Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota this fall. No, I don't know what I'm majoring in, although possibilities include British history, astrophysics, literature, writing, genetics, languages, or music.

If you are like me, you love lists. Behold a list of facts about moi.

*I always read my horoscope
*I love to paint
*I'm a junior at Central York High School
*I play tennis and idolize Andy Roddick

Name: Lexie Grove. Believe it or not, Lexie is the actual first name on my birth certificate. It's not short for anything.

Age: 16. I was born on September 28th (which is kind of crazy because my aunt and great-aunt were born on the same date), so I'm a libra. I have to say that I feel cheated since my sign is the scales when other people get to have rams and stuff.

School: West York High School

Time on Teen Takeover Staff: This is my second year.

Check out two group photos from our February 2007 Teen Takeover meeting: one serious, one silly. Click on each one to enlarge.

Things that might be useful to know about me should we get into a conversation:

*I usually have trouble keeping things short and inoffensive.

*The only reason I picked this picture was because I like my hair in it. Usually I hate my hair. And also, I fancy myself rather pensive in that moment. Mostly I was thinking about how much my sunburn hurt.

Am I the cowboy type? Hardly.

But when my parents had to think of a name for me, they decided on Jake - after Jacob McCandles, John Wayne's character in the Western movie "Big Jake".

Name: Samantha, Sammi, Sam, Sammer, Pro-v....you pick!

Age: 17

Birthday: September 8th

School: York Catholic High School, Senior

Teen Takeover staff member: Since last June

Name: Jenna N. Jenkins (I have five N's in my name!)

Age: 17 (almost 18)

Family: Mom, Dad, sister age 13, 2 dogs

School: Spring Grove High (a.k.a. THE GROVE)

Year: SENIORS DOUBLE-0 SEVEN!

Years on the Teen Takeove Staff: only this year

Employer: Weis Pharmacy....I'm a Pharmacy Technician, and this means i count drugs and take care of all the little things behind the pharmacy counter.

Future Plans: I'm attending Penn State Altoona this fall for Communications. I'm not entirely sure of life after college.

Favorite Music: Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Coldplay, Citizen Cope, Goo Goo Dolls, RHCP, Aqualung, Imogen Heap, O.A.R., Jack Johnson, Incubus, Black Eyed Peas, Bob Schneider, Bob Marley, Jeff Buckley, John Legend, Train, The Calling, Radiohead, Lilly Allen, Third Eye Blind, Keane etc...

Random things about me (hopefully this list doesn't get toooo long!):

Age: 17

School: Central York High School

How long on the Teen Takeover staff: About 2 Years

Main submissions to the paper: I often take control of the poetry section, with an occasional stop-in to the other sections

File name:: Antonia Marie Hernandez

Birthdate:: 07 September 1989

Sun Sign:: Virgo

Personality Traits Seen On Contact:: outgoing, friendly, bold, intelligent

Hey, I'm Lily. Just Lily. Ok, I have a last name, but i've learned that most people can not pronounce Kotansky. Lets try: Ko-tan-ski. Easy? Anyway, I'm so much more than a last name. But, I can never easily talk about myself. I'd much rather hear about you! Well, lets start somewhere...

Hey guys! Its Erin!

Ok before i go on and on about myself *SNORE* to get to know me before i actuall describe myself *pictures are sorta self-explanatory :wacky!:*, i have a visual aid of who i TRULY am!

^^^ Yeah that be me!.. and favorite stuffed snowman dubbed none other than....Snow!

^^^ Yeah me and curls. My favorite pass-time: Hair.

^^^ Yeah and that also be me, with pooch, Jolson! Hes duh Bomb! :-P

Age: 16 (I love being a youth!!)

School: Homeschool baby, the only way to go.

How long on the Teen Takeover staff: Only since this fall

Main submissions to the paper: Hectic Mind, my comic strip. Yes, I know it's weird, but at least I like it.

Other submissions: I like to write, so who knows what you will see from me.....

Favorite Book: Jane Eyre. Hands down.

Favorite TV show(s): The Biggest Loser and American Idol. However, as far as anime goes, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Code Lyoko and sometimes Naruto.

Age: 29

Work: Features writer at the York Daily Record/Sunday News

Teen Takeover history: A co-leader since March 2003

Age: 25

Work: Assistant features editor at the York Daily Record/Sunday News

Teen Takeover history: A co-leader since May 2003