by: Rubee Stillwagon 

Although senior year can be fun and memorable, there is also a stressful aspect to it.  

“Senior projects and classes can take up most of someone’s time and can be very stressful,” senior class Vice President Ashlan Price said. 

Although senior projects can be stressful, they can give students the opportunity to explore different things. The senior project binder provided to all senior students states that, many students wonder why all high school seniors are not given the time or opportunity in school to learn more about something of their choice and then put their learning to use while practicing and refining skills that they will use for a lifetime. The Senior Project and Exhibition will give students the opportunity to do just that. 

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The front cover of this year’s Senior Project binder.

Photo by: Rubee Stillwagon

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English teacher and Senior Project Coordinator Mrs. Marla Nelson said that senior projects help students “gain confidence” and step out of their comfort zone. 

Getting students to step out of their comfort zone can be beneficial for them when it is time to take steps on their own. Senior projects may seem difficult while students are doing them, but they can help students to improve. 

Mrs. Nelson said that these projects allow students to achieve different things based on where they are educationally. 

On top of senior projects, seniors also have multiple different opportunities to participate in activities with their class.  

“Senior skip days are usually a day for seniors to take a mental health day and relax,” Price said. “There are no more senior sunrises, but we do have a senior sunset at the end of the year. And there are also class t-shirts on the way.” 

On top of these events, they also had the opportunity to participate in the annual Powderpuff game alongside the junior class.  

“Senior guys can apply to be in Mr. GS, that will be coming up,” Student Council Advisor Mr. Christopher Gazze said. 

Mr. GS is a pageant, but for senior guys. The guys who sign up to perform in this show do multiple funny and entertaining acts for the audience. The categories include dance, fashion and talent. At the end of the show, three different guys are voted on for Mr. GS, Mr. Fan Favorite and Mr. Congeniality. 

“The Senior Class brought back the Homecoming Dance this year,” Senior Class President Anya Shilobod said. “GS hadn’t had a Homecoming Dance in years, especially not one as successful as the one this year.” 

This year GS had its first Homecoming Dance in years due to this year’s senior class pushing for it. The dance had a good turnout and was an achievement for the class. Now it is time for the class to focus on planning this year’s Prom. 

“The theme for Prom was announced at the large group SCA meeting Tuesday, November 14^th,” Shilobod said. 

The theme for this year’s Prom is neon. This is one of the last big events for seniors. The spirit week leading up to the dance has had good student participation in past years, and Prom itself tends to have a good turnout. 

“Get involved in everything you can,” she said. “It will make your senior year so much more fun, meaningful and memorable. Also, try to make as much positive change as you can and leave a precedent for the next classes.” 

Senior year can go by fast but enjoying it while you still have it is an important part that seniors tend to touch on when asked. 

“Enjoy senior year while it lasts,” Price said. 

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The class of ’24 watches the sunrise before school as one of the Senior traditions.

Photo courtesy of: Ashlan Price

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by: Adison Poole 

It’s that time of year again.  

Every year the city of Greensburg hosts a 5k race known as the Turkey Trot as a way of kicking off Thanksgiving morning. At 9am that morning runners and walkers report to the Courthouse to begin the race.    

“I like it a lot,” junior Ksena Spencer said. “With my cross country season being over, it was a nice run for me to do not being fully in shape.”  

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GS community members running in the 2018 Turkey Trot.

Photo courtesy: Mrs. Gloria Rehak

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Several students at GS participate in the race themselves. Registration for the race is open to people of all ages. Younger kids ages 13 and under can run the race for $15 versus the average adult price of $25 a person.  

“I know the shirts do cost money, but it’s mainly for fun,” Spencer said. “The Turkey Trot is a tradition for many in our community.”  

The Turkey Trot was an event originally created by five friends; they created a non-profit called Westmoreland Community Sharing to develop the race. It also supports several other non-profits throughout the Greensburg community.  

“I enjoy being able to see so many different people participating, whether it’s handing out water to runners, running the actual 5k or encouraging others to keep going,” she said. “The event itself is a lot of positive energy, which is key to start off a holiday such as Thanksgiving.”  

Anyone can participate in the event even if they don’t necessarily want to run the race. While the Trot is considered a race, runners have the choice of running or walking it casually.  

“I liked walking it last year,” sophomore Natalia Hardaway said. “I did it with family and friends and it made three miles feel like practically nothing.”  

The race has been held on the morning of Thanksgiving for the past 30 years. Students at GS have said how much they enjoy the race and that they plan on participating in it for years to come.  

“I loved it so much last year,” Hardaway said. “I want to make it an annual thing.”  

The Turkey Trot is not the only way students at GS are getting ready to celebrate the holidays, though. Students and teachers have expressed their excitement for the upcoming break.  

“I love the break from school because it’s well deserved at that time,” math teacher Mrs. Beth Horchak said. “I love spending time with my family; it’s one of the few times we can all get together like that.” 

Thanksgiving break this year will stretch from the 23^rd of November to the 27^th, allowing students and teachers time to spend with family and friends for the holidays. This break is just the beginning of the holiday season with Christmas break just a month after it.  

“I think we’re at the point where we’ve been in school so long and everyone just needs to hit that reset button,’’ Mrs. Horchak said. “As soon as kids come back, though, they’ll be counting down the days to Christmas, so it doesn’t really ever settle down till after.’’  

 Thanksgiving and all the activities surrounding it are just around the corner. Spencer is getting ready to spend the holidays celebrating her favorite traditions with her family.   

“My family and I always prepare a classic Thanksgiving meal,’’ she said. “We have a tradition of always making a pecan pie with a perfected recipe from my mom.”  

Students and teachers at GS are just days away from break and Spencer has said, “you can feel the excitement” throughout the school.  

  “I know I’m excited,” Horchak laughed. “I think every teacher is counting down the days at this point.”  

by: Emma Helmick 

On October 7^th, another war between Israel and Palestine broke out. 

They have one of the biggest and longest-lasting feuds in the world. The tension between the two countries has been increasing over the years and many events have led to this. 

Many American students know little to nothing about what is going on, unaware that the United States is getting more involved every day. 

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A map of Israel that shows the Gaza Strip.

Photo courtesy of: iStock Images.

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“While I know some information on it, I don’t think I have nearly enough knowledge to come to a conclusion on it yet,” junior Elanor Swanson said. “I know it has been going on for years and is a very heavy topic to discuss.” 

Schools are not required to cover the situation; if teachers are talking to their students about the conflict, it is their choice. 

Unless the content of it applies to the course, teachers will most likely not get their classes involved with it and that leaves many students uneducated on the situation. 

“I know some people who haven’t heard anything about it before,” Swanson said. “It is important to know what’s going on in the world around us and it is the school’s job to educate us, so I think if it can apply to a course, then it should be taught in class.” 

The feud between Israel and Palestine has been going on for decades and the arguments between them have been piling up over time. 

 For many young US citizens, this is the first time learning the history of the two places. The war is being mentioned all over the news and on social media. 

“I got most of my information about the war from social media and the news,” sophomore Landen Mahkovic said. 

Some students do not understand the reasoning for the war. It is most likely due to the lack of information they have about the history of it, and it is difficult to find an unbiased explanation online.  

“I would say I know little about what is going on, I try not to pay much attention,” Mahkovic said. “None of my teachers have talked about the war; I think they just don’t want to worry the students.” 

The United States military is not yet directly involved, so people do not pose this as a “threat” because it does not affect them. 

“So far, the only class where it has been addressed is my International Studies class,” Swanson said. “Every week we have to write about a current event going on somewhere in the world, and lately there has been a lot about the war. So, because of this, I’ve been hearing about all the bombings, countless deaths and conditions the Israeli and Palestinian people are in.” 

As of this writing, over 1,400 Israelis and over 10,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the attacks started. These numbers are approximately 70% innocent women and children; at least 30 Americans have been killed as well. 

“I have not mentioned it in any of the classes simply because it’s not part of the curriculum,” History teacher Mr. Brandon Roberts said. “When we get to the part in the curriculum and we start to mention the Middle East, I will mention what is going on currently. We’ll talk about what’s going on there with terrorism in general.”  

Some teachers may steer away from having this conversation because of the controversy surrounding it and all the background information, but in some cases, it may be necessary for the subject of discussion. 

There are many layers to the situation and the history between Israel and Palestine. The conflict started mainly because of territory, but other things go into it such as culture, politics, religion and more. Over the years they have gone back and forth with wars putting many innocent civilians in danger.  

“I think the average American does not know much about the true terrors of the war because we have only seen pictures and videos and that’s nothing like actually being there,” Mahkovic said. 

by: Ava Hardaway 

Halloween is a frightening and creepy holiday to some, but others enjoy Halloween as another fall season holiday.  

The GS Mini-THON hosted their annual Trunk-or-Treat event on October 30^th. This event was started a few years ago and has been continuously successful for both children and adults. Mini-THON leaders had many preparations for this event. They gathered volunteers to work and decorate trunks for the night itself.  

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The winning trunk theme. Pictured from left to right: Anna Sybesma, Grace Sybesma, Taylor Dale and Reese Pittler.

Photo courtesy of: GS Mini-THON

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The overall administrator, senior leader Nick Heinnickel, oversees planning the events. He wanted to make sure that this event was continued at the school for students who wanted to get involved. 

“The night consisted of a lot of fun activities,” Heinnickel said. “Activities like pumpkin chucking, some fun carnival style games, candy guessing and of course the trunk-or-treat itself. There was a 50/50 raffle for the parents.” 

There were many improvements and changes from last year to this year’s event. Although this event is for children, there were activities for all ages. 

“We expanded on the trunk-or-treat from last year,” he said. “Again, we kept some of the items that worked well, but we also added items we believe could be a fun new addition to help draw in more people.” 

Not only is this a fun event, but this is a good chance to raise money for the GS Mini-THON. The night did come up with some problems including weather and missing members due to personal issues, but they were able to come together to make this a successful event.  

“I was just so excited to see the community come together for this event,” he said. “There were over 100 trick or treaters, and the night was full of fun and good times. Mini-THON holds a special place in GS, and it is always a great time when we can get together and celebrate such a good cause.” 

Trunk-or-Treat has become a Halloween event for the GS Mini-THON. For all, Halloween is a day of candy, fright and fun. 

Students and teachers enjoy getting involved during the Halloween season. English teacher Mrs. Mary Logan has Halloween decorations inside and outside of her room. This time of the year is a favorite for Mrs. Logan.  

“Ever since I was little, dressing up as another character and being that character and changing out of who I was, has always been the most fun,” Mrs. Logan said. “I think that started my love of just being other characters. So, as a result, because Halloween is the one sanctioned holiday where everybody is encouraged to be another character, I feel like my love of characters and different costumes, everybody can enjoy that on the same day. So, I feel like I’m one with everyone.” 

At GS, many clubs and groups offer Halloween events. As the coach of the Speech and Debate club, Logan gets to enjoy Halloween with her students involved in the club. 

“Our speech and debate festival that occurs the Wednesday before Halloween is where we have a party,” Logan said. “We do extra, and we have a party, so I get to feel like I’m having another Halloween party, but with students and everybody. We have a costume contest and everything.” 

Logan doesn’t do as much as she did with Halloween a few years ago, but is still able to enjoy this holiday.  

“My husband and I used to have huge blowout Halloween parties with our friends back when we were younger,” she said. “They were the biggest events. Everybody would dress up and I would turn my house into a spooky-scary dungeon with skull faces on all the pictures. We played rock music and did all kinds of stuff. It was a lot of fun. But now in my older age, I’m really getting into trick-or-treating.” 

Halloween in the school only lasts about a month, and Mrs. Logan would like it to stay that way.  

“It loses its specialness if it’s up all year round,” she said. “I mean, the sun rises every single day, but we rarely pay attention to it because it just happens every day. Christmas season is really exciting because it happens for like a couple months a year. So, if I had my Halloween decorations up all year round, it would diminish the special joy of the fall season with that.” 

At this time of year, Halloween and fall are important to Mrs. Logan. She gets to watch her advisory students become closer and enjoy the fall festivities. 

“Decorating my classroom is something that my advisory does as a collective group project,” Logan said. “It also is a bonding experience and it’s fun. My room changes each year because the advisory kids change each year. They grab different things and hang different things, so it’s especially near the beginning of the school year, it’s a good bonding experience.”  

by: Rubee Stillwagon 

Lately, the media has been obsessed with Pop Star Taylor Swift. With a new relationship, the release of The Era’s Tour movie and the re-release of one of her albums, Swift’s name has become a common headline. 

Some people see nothing wrong with her new relationship with Kansas City’s starting tight end Travis Kelce. 

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  The Eras Tour Movie posters that were given out in movie theaters around the world.

Photo by Rubee Stillwagon

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“I’m a huge fan of them and support it one hundred percent,” junior Peyton Chismar said. 

Others believe that it is a disturbance to sports media and is taking attention away from the sport and its players. 

“I am a Taylor Swift fan, so this is not anti-Taylor Swift,” Physical Education Teacher Mr. Nathan Snider said. “My personal opinion is that their relationship has nothing to do with football.” 

Swift has been seen on screens showing NFL games in households all around the world. This has caused issues because some people think this is not a place to be showing her. 

“I am loving it,” Substitute Teacher Mrs. Gloria Rehak said. “I don’t even know these people and I’m invested.” 

This is a controversial topic in the media right now, but Swifties are doing their best to spread positivity about this relationship. 

“I feel it has definitely impacted both of them positively and will continue to impact them in a positive way,” Chismar said. 

Although people try to keep a positive light on this, NFL fans are still trying to separate Swift from sports. 

“If I turn on ESPN and I’m watching Sports Center, I shouldn’t have to watch Taylor Swift doing whatever,” Mr. Snider said. “I don’t like it when I’m watching a highlight and it’s about her and not the actual game being played.” 

The Era’s Tour movie premiered on October 11^th and is bringing traffic to theatres around the world. The movie is a way for fans who didn’t get to attend one of her shows to get a feel for what it’s like. Theatres allow fans to dance, sing and interact with other fans the same way they would at the concert, as long as they aren’t a disturbance to others who are trying to watch. 

“I loved the Era’s Tour Movie,” freshman Patty Redinger said. “My theatre was full, and everyone was in era outfits standing up, singing and dancing.” 

Although the movie captures a large part of what the Era’s Tour is, it also takes away from certain factors that make the performance what it is. 

“I think it’s really hard to capture something so amazing and such a wonderful experience and put it into a movie,” sophomore Lorelai Leatherman said. “A huge part of the show is the crowd. Meeting people who you have something in common with and being able to sing, dance and cheer with them is just the best feeling and that’s something that is limited in the movie.” 

Fans at the Eras Tour can be seen trading bracelets, dancing with other fans and dressing up in outfits that represent Swift throughout her life. But in the movie, that part is not really captured. 

“I know some songs had to be cut from the movie, but I think it was a great alternative for people who weren’t able to see the show live,” Leatherman said. 

On October 27^th, Swift’s fifth studio album, “1989,” was re-released as (Taylor’s Version). The goal for re-releasing her first six studio albums is so she can own her music. While she doesn’t own the rights to the original master recordings, she does own the lyrics to the songs. This gives her the ability to re-record them and release them as new songs. 

“I am so excited about the release,” Redinger said. “When I was younger my favorite album was ‘1989’ and I would mainly listen to that album on repeat.” 

“1989” is one of Swift’s most popular albums. Some will even argue that it is her best. “1989” spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard 200 charts and was certified nine times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. This was supported by three US number-one-singles, “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space” and “Bad Blood.” 

“I love Taylor’s Version releases, and I also love that she is doing it so she can own her music,” Leatherman said. “She works so hard and deserves it. I actually like Taylor’s Version releases more than the original because she sounds much more mature, and I like to see how much she’s grown as an artist.” 

The Taylor’s Version recordings show how Swift’s voice has matured and developed. When she re-records her albums, she also adds multiple tracks that she calls “From the Vault” tracks. These songs were written to originally go on the album but never made it, so she records them and puts them on the album the second time around. This factor is very popular with her fans. 

“I think the difference in her vocals from 2014 to now is crazy,” Redinger said. 

With many accomplishments this year, Swift has been the topic of positive and negative publicity. No matter what people’s views on the artist are, it’s hard to deny that she has achieved many things throughout this year. 

“I think Taylor is very successful no matter what social media says,” Leatherman said.   

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Photo of Taylor Swift’s stage before the concert in Pittsburgh night one.

Photo by: Emma Helmick

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by: Adison Poole 

The Salem Psychos are supposed to add a positive aspect to games, but lately the Psychos have seemed to add more negativity to the events.  

For years GS has had a group of students known as the Salem Psychos who are responsible for the student section at school sports and events. They oversee and decide the themes and chants at school games such as football, volleyball, hockey and basketball.  

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The GS student section at the USA themed football game against the Derry Area Trojans.

Photo by: Ava Hardaway

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“It’s like being a regular student in the section, the only difference is you might have to get out of your comfort zone and maybe start a chant or create some energy,” senior Chase Kushner said.  

Some games tend to have a higher turnout of students than others. Kushner believes that part of the reason for turnout could be the “scheduling and timing of the sport.” Such as football always being on a Friday vs. soccer which takes place during the school week. 

“I think there’s higher turnout at certain sports for two reasons,” Kushner said. “One being the record of the team playing and the other is the day the sport falls on.”  

Coaches such as GS varsity volleyball coach Mrs. Rachel Brannigan believe that turnout may be higher for those sports because of the implemented themes. Students such as junior Sabrina Kasic feel more encouraged to come when they can play along with the themes.  

“I love themes,” Kasic said. “I always try to show up when there’s a fun theme.”  

The themes for these sports are something the coaches and players can decide as well. For certain games there are specific themes such as Pink Out for breast cancer awareness or White Out for Homecoming.  

“I’m a big fan of the themes and seeing the students come together to cheer each other on,” Mrs. Brannigan said. “We had shirts made for the student section all year long even when we didn’t have themes planned.”  

While the themes are meant to add to the game, players have said themes, and the student section overall, can be a distraction during a game. Junior Anna Shevchik, who is a member of the varsity volleyball team, claims the student section can be “obnoxious” from time to time.  

“It’s nice when they actually cheer,” Shevchik said. “But most of the time they are just nagging at the opposing team.”  

While the student section is supposed to be a group of students who help create a positive environment at games, teachers and athletes have said at times the students have added a negative aspect to the game.  

“The big thing is cheering for your team,” special education teacher Mr. Steven Saunders said. “Students shouldn’t necessarily be cheering against the other team; you’re not allowed to single out an induvial player or chant against the other team.”  

Students are encouraged to cheer and root for their teams; however, students shouldn’t be cheering negatively against the opposing team. Before every game the Sportsmanship Announcement is read to everyone in attendance, and it clearly states what is considered appropriate behavior for the game that is about to begin.  

The P.I.A.A sportsmanship announcement states, “We ask that all fans show respect for yourself, those around you, and the participants by cheering for your team and not against your opponent.”  

Students and parents are made aware of the “rules” for the game and are instructed to follow them throughout the entirety of the game. Teachers such as Mr. Saunders have claimed that for the most part he feels that the students add a positive aspect to the game, parents of players have expressed these same thoughts and said they even quite enjoy the student section at times. 

“I have not heard any complaints about the students,” volleyball booster president Mrs. Amy Townsend said. “In fact, I feel the student section brings energy and excitement to the games, especially when the score is close.”  

The student section is intended to be a positive thing at GS and for the most part people have said they believe it is. Teachers such as Saunders have just expressed that he hopes things will “remain positive” in the future.  

“I’ve been a coach, I’ve been an official and I’ve been an athlete,” Saunders said. “I know that the best games I’ve been at were ones with a great student section.”  

by: Ava Hardaway 

In the month of October, people wear pink to support Breast Cancer Awareness month. At GS, sports teams like football, volleyball and hockey wear pink and host a Pink Out game each year.   

Students at GS join in with the fight against Breast Cancer Awareness in many ways. Teams and students show their support through games, fundraisers and campaigns.  

Junior Cooper Dann started Cooper’s Campaign in 4^th grade. At a young age, Dann wanted to raise awareness for breast cancer; specifically, he wanted to dye his hair pink in the month of October. 

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Cooper Dann shows off his new hair for the month of October.

Photo courtesy of: Cooper Dann

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“We called the school to ask, and they denied me because it would be a distraction,” he said. “I was upset and still wanted to do it, so I needed a good reason to dye it to defy the Principal. I started with just wanting to raise awareness, but that wasn’t good enough.” 

Ever since 4^th grade, Dann has felt the need to continue this tradition of his own each year. He dyes his hair pink every October to raise money for affected families.  

“It’s hard to really do things in school with all the busy schedules,” he said. “Being able to bring awareness to the school would be something I’d be open to. I would help the school because many aren’t well educated on why my hair was pink every year. I mean, even Mr. Zilli asked me why my hair was pink.” 

When passing Dann in the halls, students get to see his pink hair, but he wishes that the entire school had a better understanding of his cause and why he does what he does.  

“My favorite thing about my campaign is the smiles,” he said. “Not only putting a smile on their faces, but I stay in touch with most of the families that I help. It really is a powerful thing seeing some of the people I’ve helped be able to overcome these events and know that, although I wasn’t a big part, they still thank me for everything I’ve done. Seeing that smile on the kids’ face after a gift is one of the best feelings I can ever have.” 

Dann plays football during the month of October and makes the effort to wear pink, along with his teammates. On Friday, October 27^th, the GS Football team will have their annual Pink-Out game in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month.  

Other sports at GS have hosted a Pink Out game near the end of the fall sports season. Volleyball hosted their annual Dig Pink game on October 10^th. This game is always a special game for players, coaches and fans. In preparation for the game, the team sold Pink-Out shirts and bracelets. During pregame, each member of the team named someone they play for in the fight against breast cancer. Although the team was unable to pull out a win, the team was able to donate all the money raised from the Dig-Pink game to Westmoreland Walks, Inc. 

The GS Hockey team wanted to join in on the Pink-Out theme night as well. Starting this year, the team is also hosting a Pink-Out night, selling shirts for the night of the game.  

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The shirts that the Hockey and Volleyball teams sold for their Pink-Out games.

Photo by: Ava Hardaway

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Senior Carter Cherok, assistant captain of the Hockey team, has started to get prepared for the first Pink-Out game.  

“Parents and players thought that it would be a good game for a good cause,” Cherok said. “My mom and other members on the board for the Hockey team decided that this was a good way to raise money and awareness for cancer in the month of October.” 

As preparations begin for the upcoming Pink-Out night, many people involved are getting excited for the game, especially the team.  

“I am looking forward to this game,” he said.  “I am anticipating beating Indiana and I hope it is a good turnout and we raise lots of funds for cancer research.” 

The GS Hockey team is set to face Indiana for the Pink-Out game, which will be played on Thursday, October 26^th.  

Breast Cancer affects many women every day. All ages of women can be afflicted with this disease including GS math teacher Mrs. Beth Horchak, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her family members, colleagues and students were in full support in her fight. 

After the COVID-19 shut down, Mrs. Horchak continued her teaching online. She joined her classes through an online meeting. She continued this form of teaching until she felt her health was strong enough to go in to teach. 

“I actually taught while I was going through my chemo treatments,” Horchak said. “I scheduled them for Thursdays; this gave me Saturday and Sunday to recover from the treatment.  I started my chemo in November and my last treatment was in April.  I feel I missed getting to know my students that year.  The district was very understanding and accommodated me to be at home while Mrs. Zahorchak was in the actual classroom.” 

During the times of fighting a disease, sickness or anything else that can cause stress in a person’s life, finding a reliever can help ease the stress. Horchak used teaching students as a way to cope with her stress.  

“Teaching was what helped me through the entire process,” she said. “I needed normalcy because nothing in my life was at that time.  School was the only normal part left at that time.  It helped me not to dwell on all the negative things going on, it helped me keep my mind busy and think of something else.” 

Students, teachers and other district workers were in full support of Mrs. Horchak at this time.  

“The love and support that I received was more than I could have imagined,” she said. “I wanted to be open and honest with my students, being that I was going to be working through my chemo treatments.  I remember the day that my hair started to fall out, the next day I came in with a cap and had to face my students.  It was heartwarming and overwhelming how they all responded, some even offered to shave their own heads.” 

Clubs and sports teams at GS raise money and awareness for the fight against the disease.  The school will continue these events in the coming years and months of October.  

“I totally appreciate what the school does for breast cancer awareness,” Horchak said. “It is obviously a cause near and dear to my heart.  I just bought my pink ribbon from FCCLA.  I was not able to make the pink out game for Volleyball, but it is always impressive what they do to help support breast cancer. The jeans day for the staff, I love seeing the pink that everyone wears that day.  People may not realize, but it really means a lot, more than they will ever know.” 

by: Rubee Stillwagon 

The GS SADD club is having its annual Red Ribbon Week on October 23-27. The club is anticipating a successful week through activities that involve student engagement. 

“SADD club is Students Against Destructive Decisions and basically, what we do is try to promote healthy lifestyle decisions,” SADD club advisor Mrs. Alyssa Lukatch said.  

SADD is a club that was put together to encourage students to make the right decisions. Whether it is drugs, alcohol, mental health or reckless driving, members of the club work to protect students from these things and from going in the wrong direction. 

“We just want to promote a drug-free lifestyle for all students and want them to see there are fun things to do without using drugs or alcohol,” Mrs. Lukatch said. 

Red Ribbon Week is a time when SADD uses fun activities to motivate students to live a sober life. Students can participate by dressing up for the daily themes and participating in the activities. 

“There are themes every day,” Lukatch said. “Monday there will be wristbands along with a video. Wednesday we are playing a school-wide Kahoot and the winner gets a prize. Thursday we are doing a banner signing during all lunches and then you can also put names on memorial hearts.” 

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A poster of the themes for Red Ribbon week.

Poster made by: Emma Helmick and Lola Slavnik.

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This week can be beneficial to students who know someone who is struggling with substance abuse, mental health problems or any other life-changing problem or has even passed away from it. 

“If you’re interested in joining SADD club it’s not too late to join,” freshman Mia Pellis said. “Meeting details are announced at the end of block two with the rest of the morning announcements.” 

The club is always looking for supporters and new members. Those interested can join this club by messaging Mrs. Lukatch or showing up to a meeting. Meetings are usually held on Thursdays, but can be subject to change. 

“I know how destructive decisions can affect people directly and indirectly, and I want to make sure others are informed about that to prevent harm done to themselves and the people around them,” Pellis said.  

Members who commit to this club play a role in keeping GS students healthy in many aspects. They are a support system for students who may need help from someone like a peer. 

“Last year, Brianna Campagna approached me about returning SADD to GS and I thought it was a great idea,” senior Ella Henry said. 

Henry is also the current President of SADD, with Vice President Emma Helmick, Social Media Manager Anya Shilobod, Secretary Riley Campbell and Treasurer Juliana Stabile. 

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The SADD club officers from left to right: Emma Helmick, Riley Campbell, Anya Shilobod, Ella Henry and Juliana Stabile.

Photo courtesy of: @gs_sadd on Instagram

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“We try to make it fun to learn about these things as well,” Henry said. 

Each day for Red Ribbon Week will have a different theme along with a saying to match it. Monday will be BBQ Dad, Tuesday is Barbie, Wednesday is Wear Red, Thursday is Mix-Match Your Clothes and Friday is Western.  

“We really want to spread awareness and teach others the life-changing effects of drugs and addiction,” she said. 

Overall, Red Ribbon Week is planned to be fun and educational for all students. SADD club also hosts Mental Health Awareness Week and PROMotion to Be Drug-Free in the spring which are events for students to keep an eye out for. 

“We hope we can give students the information to make responsible decisions for their mind, body and others,” Pellis said. 

by: Emma Helmick 

Many new staff members have been welcomed by the community for joining team GS to teach in the 2023-2024 school year. 

There have been several new teachers added to the GS staff in almost every department including Spanish, history, business, English and math.  

After many years of running the language department, Señor and Señora Lyons are no longer teaching at GS. Mr. Dylan Rinehart and Miss Miranda Filak have been hired in their places. 

“My classes so far have been really good, I have no complaints there,” Miss Filak said. “I love getting to speak Spanish with my students every day as a part of my job. It’s very rewarding to communicate with them in that way.” 

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Miss Filak teaches her AP Spanish class.

Photo by: Emma Helmick

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Though the Spanish department may have been a tough area to find replacements for, the two new teachers seem to be settling in just fine. 

“I have two blocks of Spanish II and one block of Spanish III,” Mr. Rinehart said. “From day one, I’ve been extremely impressed by how well the students speak and their willingness to learn. It’s really a testament to the skills of Señor and Señora Lyons and Señora Aragon.” 

The new teachers are not the only ones who have to adapt to this; the students also have to get used to the previous teacher’s departure. 

“It is definitely different,” junior Abegail Spaugy said. “It’s hard going from someone who has been doing their job for so long and did such a good job at it to someone who is newer at teaching. The new teachers are trying to replicate as much as they can, like carrying over the ‘leones’ money system.” 

This may be a difficult adjustment for some students, but the upper-class students, Señora Aragon and even the new teachers are continuing to carry on the old classroom traditions. 

There have been two new history teachers added to fill in the empty spots. Mr. Nick DeMary is now filling the role of Ms. Iapalucci as an American history teacher as well as teaching freshmen seminar, and Miss Sierra Aires has replaced Mr. Diehl as the new U.S. Government and Politics teacher. 

“Being in Ms. Iapalucci’s room is awesome,” Mr. DeMary said. “It is crazy to be teaching students in a classroom I was once a student in myself.” 

DeMary is a GS graduate who taught as a substitute at the middle school before moving up to a full-time teaching position at the high school.  

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Mr. DeMary teaches his freshman seminar class.

Photo by: Emma Helmick

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“I have faced one challenge since stepping into the Social Studies position and it was starting after the first three weeks of school had passed,” Miss Aires said. “It is hard to start late on anything, but it was a challenge to get adjusted and settled so quickly.” 

The business wing has also welcomed some new faces into its department.  

Mr. Alan Gray has been introduced to GS, as he teaches tech and engineering, the maker class and robotics. 

“My classes are a work in progress, but they are going smoothly,” Mr. Gray said. “I am working on the fly to adapt and make things best for the students. The students work hard and I’m excited to see their projects come to life.” 

Gray was not the only newcomer to the business department, as Mrs. Rachael Pozik has also been added to the roster. She took over teaching financial literacy, life in the digital age and will be teaching entrepreneurship and marketing in the Spring semester. 

“I’m most excited about being in a smaller school district,” Mrs. Pozik said. “The students here seem to have grown up how I did and it’s nice to really relate to my students again.” 

The last two teachers to have joined the GS faculty are in the English and math departments. Ms. Alyssa Bewszka, who has filled the shoes of Mr. Hoffer, is teaching 9^th and 12^th grade English and will be teaching creative writing in the Spring semester. 

“The administration has been very helpful so far and my coworkers have been super nice and helpful as well,” Ms. Bewszka said. “Throughout the entire district, I have made many friends already and they definitely make the transition much easier. It can be very nerve wracking as a first-year teacher, but having a positive work environment really helps.” 

While most of these teachers are new to the district, math teacher Mrs. Lindsey Swartz is familiar to the brown and gold. She teaches algebra A and B and geometry.  

“I taught at the middle school for 11 years and now that I have returned, I have seen so many familiar faces,” Mrs. Swartz said. 

The absence of the previous teachers may be sad, but the latest addition to the faculty has already earned their place with the Golden Lions. 

“The best part has been how friendly and polite everyone is here at GS,” Miss Filak said. “It’s hard coming in as the ‘new kid’ or ‘new teacher’ and it’s been a really welcoming and supportive experience so far.” 

by: Adison Poole  

For several years students at GS have run a preschool for younger children through a class called child development; for the first time, students are responsible for teaching without the help of a teacher. 

This year child development teacher Dr. Tiffany Smietana-Lysell is out of her classroom due to maternity leave. Therefore, she is missing all of Cubs’ Den during the first semester’s time with the kids.  

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 A painting above the door in the Cubs’ Den room. Photo by: Adison Poole

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“As much as I love being home with my newborn,” Dr. Smietana-Lysell said. “I definitely miss being at GS with the high schoolers and preschoolers.”  

Cubs’ Den is a preschool at GS that is almost entirely run by high school students. Mrs. Smietana-Lysell helps students prior to Cubs’ Den’s first day prepare lesson plans and teaches students ways to interact with their kid.  

“I have 1000% confidence in all my students this semester,” Smietana-Lysell said. “The high schoolers enrolled in the course this year are awesome.”  

With Smietana-Lysell being gone, GS graduate Sejah Franklin was offered an opportunity to come back and help students this year with preschoolers. She is there to be more of a supervisor rather than a teacher but is willing to help high school students with lessons and help if there are any situations involving the younger children.  

“Mrs. Smietana-Lysell was worried things wouldn’t go as smoothly,” Franklin explained. “We discussed that if it fit in my schedule, I would come down and help out.”  

In child development students are in charge of creating their own lessons and are responsible for preparing the preschoolers for kindergarten. The students are graded on lessons based on how well the lesson goes and if it reached the specific learning target the lesson was aimed toward.  

“While I’m not there to witness them teaching and interacting with the little ones directly, it was a joy to watch them prepare for their lessons before my leave,” Smietana-Lysell said.  

Students are given the choice to teach one main lesson that falls under math, health, English or science along with one special lesson such as art, music, library or gym. Smietana-Lysell has emphasized the lessons “shouldn’t be complicated” and instead encourages fun activities to get the preschoolers thinking a bit.  

“I was one of the first groups to teach,” junior Rachel Kuhn said. “I think the kids had a lot of fun with our lesson.”  

Mrs. Susan Houser is currently the permanent substitute for child development until Smietana-Lysell is back from her maternity leave. That being said, Mrs. Houser will be the only adult in the room for the entirety of the first semester’s Cubs’ Den experience.  

“The thing I did in preschool was to work with kids going into kindergarten and get them ready for it,” Houser said. “I did that for three years.”  

Houser herself has not taught child development before, but, because of her prior experience working with younger kids as well as the time she’s spent as a substitute, she feels that she’s doing a good job filling in for Smietana-Lysell for the time being.  

“I was a little worried going into the first day of preschool,” Kuhn explained. “I’ve never taken this class before, so I didn’t know what to expect especially with Mrs. S being gone.”  

The first official day of Cubs’ Den was October 3^rd and students such as Kuhn have expressed that they think things are going very well with the kids. The kids will be in Cubs’ Den every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this semester from now until December 5^th.  

“I think Cubs’ Den is going very well so far,” Franklin said. “There is so much progress being made with the kids and the way the high schoolers are with the kids this year is amazing.”  

All students in the class have prepped and prepared everything they needed to before time with the preschoolers actually started so the students should be able to get through all of Cubs’ Den without worrying about lesson plans or work. 

Smietana-Lysell expressed her worries with the classes before she left for her leave but since the beginning of Cubs’ Den, she feels confident in all of her students to do great work in the class and teach the kids well. 

“I have the best job,” Smietana-Lysell explained. “There is such a wonderful group of high schoolers and faculty this semester that makes me feel completely at ease not being present in Cubs’ Den.”  

High school helpers Grace Shrum and Marissa Denezza teach the letter of the week.

Photo by: Adison Poole

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