It was an evening of celebration as York College held its annual All-College Banquet Tuesday night at the Holthus Convention Center in York. The student body gathered with faculty and staff for a night of reflection, recognition, and fellowship. Several awards were presented, including Mr. and Ms. YC. 

Cameron Coleman and Courtney Lovelace were named Mr. and Ms. YC 2017. YC faculty and staff make the selection for this award from among graduating seniors. Candidates embody a commitment to the mission, purpose and core values of York College. They must be well-rounded individuals who pursue spiritual integrity and academic excellence while making contributions to the campus and community, forming healthy personal relationships and living godly lives. 
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York College Senior Directs Holmes Mystery
 
Ken Ludwig’s dark comedy Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery will be presented at York College Friday and Saturday, April 28 and 29, at 7:30 p.m. This show is the senior capstone project for Samatha Berry of Falls City, Nebraska. Berry has directed one-acts at York College in previous semesters. For her final project, she is presenting this full-length show, which she describes as suspenseful and hilarious.
 
The show features five actors portraying 35 different characters. Much of the comedy comes from the over-the-top costumes, wigs and accents used to differentiate the characters, said Berry. The show features the acting talents of recent York College alumnus Jameson Trauger as Sherlock. His faithful companion, Watson, is played by Nathan Clark. Boone Berry, Brinna Horvath, and Ryan Harrison play the other 33 characters.

York College has announced the 10 candidates for the Mr. and Ms. YC awards. Faculty and staff make the selection for this award from among graduating seniors, using leadership, involvement, academic performance and personality as the criteria.

Recipients of the awards will be announced at the All-College Banquet on Tuesday, April 25.

The 2017 candidates for Mr. YC are Troy Rowan, Jeff Albers, Cameron Coleman, Saia Lotulelei, and Jarrell Cunningham. Candidates for Ms. YC are Kaylee Becker, Bre Goben, Delaney Woods, Courtney Lovelace, and Soren Tobey. 

The 40th annual Songfest production was a crowd pleaser as the high-energy musical revue once again brought the Campbell Center to life during Spring Panther Days. Under the direction of Mrs. Amy Fraser and student assistant Nolan Henningson, months of planning, designing, creating, and rehearsing went into the three-night event with its closing finale on Saturday night of the big recruiting weekend.

Hosting this year’s show were Thomas Eckhart, Tyler Goodwin. Lilianna Herrera, Cameron Merrill, Olivia Nabb, Danielle Palensky, Colby Smith, and Levi Swenson.  The performers were tremendous in their roles and had a great mix of solos and group numbers that covered a wide range of music styles.

For York College junior Melissa Strong, crafting a business plan presentation for competition wasn’t about winning. It was about getting one step closer to a dream she’s been building for the past eight years: a christian camp and retreat center that serves low-income, urban youth. 
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Strong presented her detailed business plan at the Nebraska Phi Beta Lambda State Leadership Conference on March 31 and April 1, competing against business students from colleges and universities from across the state. Strong placed second in the category of small business management plan, earning a spot at the national competition in California in June. 

UPDATE 07/01/2017: Strong placed fourth in the nation at the PBL competition in California in June. 

Dr. Nathan Mellor, CEO of C3 Brands and President of Strata Leadership, will give the commencement address at the York College graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 6.
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Dr. Mellor has consulted, trained, and lectured throughout America and abroad on topics related to character and leadership. His clients include corporations and non-profits from across the business spectrum. In pursuit of education, humanitarian, and religious interests he has studied or taught in Australia, Belize, China, England, Guyana, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Russia, and Rwanda.

Dr. Mellor has over 15 years experience teaching undergraduate and graduate courses at a number of colleges and universities. He is currently an adjunct professor at York College in the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership program.