Under the bright lights of the PIHL All-Star game, three student-athletes from GS proved their talent amongst other Class A athletes.
Three GS hockey student athletes were selected to play in the PIHL All Star game. These student-athletes worked tirelessly all year to be able to earn their places in the game.
“This season my goal was to gain more confidence on the ice to be able to play in the All-Star game,” sophomore Cooper Outly said.
The PIHL All Star game combined top hockey players from Class A to showcase their talents together. The mixture of schools provided intense competition and advanced skill to the hockey game. All-Star athletes from all Class A schools created a thrilling environment with their impressive skills and talent.
The All Star players after their game (pictured left to right: Cooper Outly, Luke Dieter and Jacob Fink.)
Photo Courtesy: Luke Dieter
“I was most excited to play with [Jacob] Fink out of anyone,” junior Luke Dieter said. “We play on the same team, but not on the same line, so being on the same line as him was awesome, especially when we scored the two goals for the team.”
On Dec. 19, 2024, student-athletes were informed about the selection process through the Trib newspaper. The selection process took place at Robert Morris University and all coaches were responsible for voting and nominating the players. After the selection, the coaches and team were informed of the players who were named All-Stars. The selected athletes played on Sunday, Jan. 26.
“I was in my basement stick handling and shooting pucks when I found out,” sophomore Jacob Fink said. “I was grateful and honored to represent the school and score two goals for the All-Star team.”
GS had a very successful year last year with a record of 13-5-1. All three All-Star players were contributors last season. With 10 seniors graduating in 2024, returning players faced the challenge of stepping up to fill the void and continue their winning tradition.
“It was very special to have the opportunity to play and it was special seeing past teammates get selected,” Dieter said.
This season, GS is a young team, with many players getting their first taste of Varsity experience. The coaching staff has shifted slightly and brought new energy into the team.
“All three of them have a lot of individual skill, but without the help of the team they’re really nothing,” Business Teacher and Coach Mr. Tyler Brinton said. “It’s helpful when there’s a whole team around them that they can feed off of.”
The young team at GS is looking at the future with All-Star players gaining experience with potential collegiate opportunities. The All-Star games serve as important exposure for the considerations of collegiate level hockey.
“I think this game was a big stepping stone to lead me to a future in hockey,” Fink said.
Donald Trump has recently taken office and officially claimed his spot as 47th U.S. president.
Students throughout GS were asked how they feel about his presidency and what they would like to see from Trump over the next four years.
“He has a past of being a good businessman, but I don’t believe he’s going to do well as a politician this time around,” senior Ksena Spencer said. “I can’t say I necessarily agree with his ideas.”
Ksena Spencer
Photo by: Adison Poole
“Based on what I’ve seen so far it seems he appears to be on somewhat of a power trip,” senior James Hugus said. “I’m hoping that streak doesn’t continue and harm his presidency. If prices drop in the next few years, I’ll be happy with it, though”
James Hugus
Photo by: Adison Poole
“I think he’s going to do terrible and bring down the country, considering the fact there are a bunch of economists out there saying his plans are absolutely terrible,” senior Gracie Susick said. “I also feel that he’s getting into too much with deporting people, and he is creating more and more issues with other countries”
Gracie Susick
Photo by: Adison Poole
“I think he’s going to be a good president because from what I see he is attempting to make things equal so that no one feels privileged,” junior Noah Dudek said. “He seems like he wants to make things equal for everyone instead of lifting certain people up over others.”
Noah Dudek
Photo by: Adison Poole
“I don’t even feel like he should’ve have been able to run again in the first place,” freshman Nico Hardaway said. “I mean he was convicted of a felony, and I think that’s plenty reason enough why he shouldn’t be allowed in office.”
Nico Hardaway
Photo by: Adison Poole
“I think Donald Trump is doing a good thing by encouraging people to come to the country legally,” sophomore Casey Shwartz said. “He didn’t say they couldn’t come, he just wanted people to do it the right way.”
Casey Swartz
Photo by: Adison Poole
“I believe Kamala Harris and Donald Trump would’ve been equal no matter who ended up in office,” junior Maxwell Vargovich. “I believe Trump is going to take our country down a bad path.”
Maxwell Vargovich
Photo by: Adison Poole
“I think he has the right ideas to be a good president but maybe not the right choice at the moment with everything else going on in the world,” junior Kasey Baxter said. “Due to his most recent actions, I’m not so sure about him, but I guess time will tell.”
Kasey Baxter
Photo by: Adison Poole
“I think he’s a great guy and I’m glad we elected Trump instead of Kamala Harris,” sophomore Samuel Vassar said. “I agree with a lot of his ideas, and I think he’s going to lower prices.”
Bear Frye and Samuel Vassar
Photo by: Adison Poole
“I think Donald Trump is going to be a good president because of his personality and the way that he thinks about everyone,” senior Bear Frye said. “He has talked about his support for African Americans multiple times and how he wants to help them. He also explained that he doesn’t want to stop the immigrants from coming in but encourage them to come over legally. I know he will rebuild the wall for things to be great again.”
“I think he’s taking us backwards on lot of things that past presidents have put in place,” senior Alexxus Reynolds said. “He keeps attempting to change things, such as issues from the 1900s. Things I feel most people have forgot about or moved on from he goes back to just to undo. I just don’t understand how we can make America great again if America was never great to begin with.”
TikTok has been the number one app in the AppStore for many years, but coming Jan. 19, that may change.
A TikTok ban is poised to take effect in the United States later this month. There is speculation that the app will remain on phones but eventually become unusable. Most teenagers around America are outraged.
A screenshot of the top entertainment apps in the app store.
“I think the ban is pretty stupid,” junior Alex Swatchick said. “People are worried that China is getting our data, but from what I have seen, I doubt that China is getting anything important.”
There are multiple reasons why TikTok is being banned; the main reason is that it could be a security risk. With TikTok shop taking off this past year, many are worried about personal information being leaked or stolen.
“As someone who doesn’t frequently watch the news, it seems to be my only way to keep up with current events that are happening in the world,” senior Sabrina Kasic said.
While many teens do get their information from the app, some of it can be questionable and it is often hard to separate right from wrong.
Some adults are happy about the change, as social media can be harmful to young people.
“The TikTok ban is positive because it will give students one less distraction,” Child Development teacher Dr. Tiffany Smietana-Lysell said. “I know that TikTok is used a lot during their free time, actually all the time.”
While TikTok does have many negative qualities, it also has some positive ones.
“The TikTok banning will impact our generation greatly because it has become a space that most of the world has and [we] can see people of all different backgrounds,” Kasic said. “When people don’t have this, they might not feel as connected.”
TikTok has also given a lot of small businesses a chance to branch out to the world and make them more successful.
“So many people use TikTok for not only entertainment, but also marketing and sales,” Swatchick said. “Many people would lose out on sales or even lose their business in total.”
The ban might have some negative effects on people economically, but it could have some positive effects on the way students handle their free time better by decreasing the time they spend swiping.
“I do not see it having a major impact on this generation or future generations,” Dr. Smietana-Lysell said. “There will always be new apps developed and new trends to follow, so the absence of TikTok will eventually just be a minor event in the past.”
Although the new year often brings hope and good fortune, 2025 began with tragedy for many in two major U.S. cities.
In the early morning hours of Jan. 1, a crowd of celebrating citizens in New Orleans, Louisiana were faced with the headlights of an oncoming truck and eventually the barrel of a gun. Only a few hours later, bystanders at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada witnessed an explosion from within a Tesla Cybertruck.
The street signs on the corner of Bourbon Street where the attack took place.
Photo courtesy: Adobe Stock Photos
Only three hours after midnight, there were 14 victims killed and at least 33 others were injured when Shamsud-din Jabbar drove a pickup truck loaded with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) into a crowd on the sidewalk of Bourbon Street in the French Quarter.
The incident has been determined as a premeditated domestic terrorist attack. Jabbar was a 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran from Texas who showed no concerning behaviors to family or friends before the attack. He did, however, visit and surveil the area at least two times using Meta smart glasses to record in the months leading up to the attack. In videos posted online, he pledged his support to the foreign terrorist organization ISIS, and a corresponding flag was recovered from the vehicle.
In addition to the IEDs in the truck, Jabbar planted two coolers containing IEDs on nearby streets that did not detonate. After stopping the truck, he stepped out of the vehicle wielding a gun and was eventually killed in a shootout with police officers. Two officers were injured.
It was later discovered that he set fire to a rented Airbnb in a suspected attempt to destroy evidence.
He rented the Ford F-150 Lightning from a car rental platform called Turo, a service that allows owners to rent directly to customers, similarly to Airbnb.
The Tesla Cybertruck used in the Las Vegas explosion was also rented through Turo, but investigations found no connection. Turo claimed they background check all users and neither individual raised any red flags.
A Tesla Cybertruck similar to the one used in the explosion.
Photo courtesy: Adobe Stock Photos
“The use of a vehicle [for violence] has become commonplace and it’s honestly terrifying,” Law and Economics teacher Mr. Mark Zahorchak said.
37-year-old U.S. Army Green Beret Matthew Livelsberger ended his own life by gunshot just before the detonation of explosives inside the rented Cybertruck. At least seven injuries were sustained by bystanders, but no one was severely injured. There was also effectively no damage to the building as the steel body of the vehicle contained the majority of the explosion.
Letters and audio recordings of Livelsberger prior to the attack state the intent was to provide a “wake up call” to the public. He expressed support of president-elect Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and others involved with the Trump campaign. He held disdain for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, income equality, and the rising issue of homelessness. Investigations revealed his use of ChatGPT to research and plan the attack, which had not previously been seen in major criminal investigations.
Coming right at the start of the new year and just before Trump’s inauguration, the increase in national—and even international—conflict has created a social and political landscape brimming with negativity.
Mr. Zahorchak stated that there is “simply no place” for politically motivated violence, and that it was “obviously un-American.”
In recent years, there has been an uptick in political violence on a larger scale, from school shootings to assassination attempts, and even wars. Predictably, this has caused an increase in worry around the globe.
“Yes, it concerns me,” social studies teacher Mrs. Beth Simone said. “I do sometimes question: are things worse now or am I just more aware?”
Tragically, the future likely holds an increase in these events.
“The idea of someone harming someone for political reasons is something I can unfortunately see increasing because we live in a volatile time,” Zahorchak shared.
Both Mrs. Simone and Zahorchak shared that it changes how they approach situations with their families, around crowds and at big events.
Although these events were important news, many students were unaware they even happened or missed most details.
“I just knew that there was a car involved, and it ran into a crowd, and there was a football game cancelled because of it,” sophomore Aiden Jackson said.
The cancellation of the Sugar Bowl 2025 game in New Orleans was the most common knowledge shared by students and staff.
Several, including Jackson, cited family and friends as their initial source for the information.
Others, like Zahorchak, first saw it on social media before researching on news sites.
Recently, more and more people find news on social media sites just as it happens. Although this can be beneficial for some, it can also over-stress and drown out other relevant events.
“It’s a sort of diffusion of information,” Simone explained. “There’s so much going on and being shared everywhere that we don’t know what’s important. Big picture, I don’t think it’s truly possible for anyone to stay informed at this point.”
While both Jabbar and Livelsberger were politically motivated, it has been determined that they were working alone, and their messages have not seemed to influence others yet.
“As far as using these events to send a message—that is ineffective,” Simone said. “Because there is so much happening, it won’t have much of an effect. We cannot control the narrative—it happens so often that people won’t know your name.”
Many Americans are desensitized to tragedies that happen outside of their community, and this can cause a disconnect in the population.
“We can still believe in each other, but it does concern me that it takes an event hitting home to realize that,” Simone said. “We tend to trust our neighbors, and we tend to be willing to help each other.”
From Pink Pilates Princess users to Boujee Football Rap users, students listened to hours and hours of music to get through 2024.
To end every year streaming services put out a “wrapped” which is made up of the users’ top artists, top songs and the number of minutes listened.
Students were eager to share their stats and talk about their favorite artists of the year.
“My top artists were Ariana Grande, SZA and Billie Eilish,” senior Greg Paravate said.
Artists varied from student to student, even teachers shared their music taste from the year.
“My top artist was Khruangbin, they make very chill music,” Math teacher Mr. Al Toret said.
Mr. Toret’s top five songs on Apple Music.
Photo courtesy: Mr. Al Toret
Spotify and Apple also released data from every user overall. This includes top artists from the year which would make Taylor Swift 2024’s Global Top Artist.
Following the top artists, users were able to see their total minutes spent listening to music in 2024.
“Overall, I had about 30,000 minutes listened,” Paravate said.
Other users only listened occasionally or used the music as background noise.
“I had 15,218 minutes because I only really listen when I’m driving,” junior Andrew Lehnhardt said.
Lehnhardt’s top Spotify artists and songs.
Photo courtesy: Andrew Lehnhardt
While these streaming services do provide several different pieces of information and stats for their users, many spoke of the things they wish they could see more of or what they would change if it was up to them.
“I’d want to see what song or songs I skipped the most throughout the year,” Lehnhardt said. “That way I’d know what songs I should probably take off my playlist.”
Students also wanted to see the minutes they listened to divided up into each playlist and how long they spent with each.
“I would really like to see stats on how long or often I listened to each of my playlists,” Paravate said.
While both streaming services release the users’ “stats,” many believe that the wrapped isn’t completely accurate.
“Most of my top artists didn’t shock me,” Mr. Toret said. “However, my fourth artist felt wrong. I don’t think I listened to her nearly that much.”
Many users claimed to have a few artists or songs in their wrapped that felt a little off, but for the most part felt like what they saw made sense.
“Some of them were shocking, but for the most part I guess it made sense,” Toret said.
The start of the second semester brings a lot of change to the halls of GS.
One of the most prominent changes is the students’ classes. With semester one classes ending, students will get a fresh start in their semester two classes.
“I like the change,” senior Oakley Decker said. “I always liked the different classes from the first half to the second.”
It’s common for students to grow tired of their classes after being in the same environment for so long. The second semester gives students a chance to trade out classes they may not find enjoyment in anymore for new ones.
Blanca Grillo and Rocco Himes pose with their second semester schedules.
Photo By: Quinn Isenberg
“I’m happy because I didn’t really like my classes,” senior Samantha Hanawalt said. “So, I want to go into the second semester.”
Despite the fresh start, students may find themselves losing their motivation for school throughout the second semester. Instead of letting this get the best of them, wise students find ways to keep themselves engaged.
“To keep myself motivated I do stuff after school, like Speech and Debate and band,” freshman Luke Johnson said.
Others find themselves motivated by the opportunity to do well in their new classes.
“I’m more motivated for the second semester because I feel like it’s a second chance at getting the grades I want to get and didn’t during the first semester,” sophomore Daliza Sanchez said.
New classes also give students the opportunity to do better than they did in the first semester. Students can walk into these classes with a clean slate and apply the knowledge they took from the last semester into the new one.
“I learned new ways to study that work better for my particular learning style,” Sanchez said.
The second semester also proves to be beneficial to teachers. It gives them a chance to try new methods with different groups of students to see what works best.
“The really nice thing is that I can reflect upon experiences that I had in the fall because how the students reacted to different tactics is still fresh in my mind,” math teacher Mr. Al Toret said. “I can modify them if they didn’t work or reuse them if they did.”
To some the second semester simply means they’re one semester closer to the end of the year. However, it is important to take things slow and make the most of the new semester by taking advantage of every opportunity that comes their way.
“Savor your time here rather than wish it away,” Mr. Toret said.
As the new year rolls in, resolutions and goals are being made for success.
Reflecting on the past can show what worked, what didn’t and why. Understanding things that caused challenges and led to success can help set a more realistic goal.
“I don’t have many new year’s resolutions this year, but I do want to work on my procrastination,” senior Kylie Kolenc said.
Sometimes breaking goals down into smaller steps can keep people on track. Procrastination can be a leading factor in not completing goals. So, making checkpoints smaller can make it easier to see progress and stay motivated.
“My new year’s resolution is to stay active and try to work out more to make me stronger for dance,” sophomore Izabella Caruso said.
Izabella Caruso is captured mid-leap during a dance competition.
Photo courtesy: Izabella Caruso
Acknowledging that there might be situations that lead to setbacks is important so there can be a backup plan. Setbacks can be part of the process, so staying resilient and bouncing back is ideal.
For some people, writing down resolutions and goals so they can be visualized can be beneficial. They can be placed somewhere that is seen every day like a fridge or a desk.
“I plan to achieve them by maybe having a planner or something along the lines of that to help with deadlines,” Kolenc said.
For some, staying flexible can keep them more focused on the end goal. Regularly reviewing and adjusting goals can make it more realistic to achieve.
“I would like to connect more with my family and friends in 2025,” Science Teacher Mrs. Julie Firmstone said. “My motivation is that we never know when we won’t have that chance.”
Even celebrating the small things can keep motivation up. But other than individual things people do to keep themselves motivated, having a support system can go a long way.
“My motivation is my mom because she is my number one supporter and my team,” Caruso said. “I also think my dance teacher will help push me to be my best because all she has ever wanted was for her students to dance to their best ability.”
The people that surround a person can be the thing they need for success. Sometimes the smallest support can make a difference.
While continuing into 2025, staying motivated and on track is important for most and helps to create a more successful year.
“A retired teacher told me that it takes 21 days to form a habit, so I try to remind myself to keep up with something, so I am able to create the habit,” Mrs. Firmstone said.
Various business locations have been rapidly cleaning out in Greensburg.
Route 30’s Dick’s Sporting Goods, the South Greensburg Wendy’s restaurant and Greengate Center’s Big Lots have all been affected in recent months by poorly performing locations or filing for bankruptcy.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Following the closing of its Route 30 location, the Westmoreland Mall is welcoming a Dick’s House of Sport into an anchor space in the mall that was previously occupied by Sears. Computer Science teacher Mr. Tyler Brinton believes the new store will be “great for the community.”
“It’ll be a really great place for kids to get sports gear, especially being in the mall,” Mr. Brinton said.
The House of Sport offers a more interactive experience for customers than a normal Dick’s Sporting Goods location; they are often larger than a Sporting Goods, with most locations, such as at Ross Park Mall, featuring golf simulators, spaces to practice sports and a 30-feet-tall rock wall. The store will also offer the expected athletic apparel and equipment.
The outside of the Greensburg Dick’s location after being shut down.
Photo By: Kerrick Shaw
Wendy’s and TGI Fridays
The Wendy’s restaurant located on South Main Street was one of over 100 U.S. restaurants closed in 2024 from failing to keep up with other spots. These closing sites will be balanced out by the opening of around 250 new restaurants across America.
The outside of the South Greensburg Wendy’s.
Photo By: Kerrick Shaw
“I was told we closed because our lease was up and we didn’t make enough to pay it,” Wendy’s employee, junior Nova Miller, said. “We’re all set at a new store now. They moved all of the employees at the South Greensburg one to the Wendy’s by the mall; we’ve basically combined stores.”
The restaurant chain TGI Fridays filed for bankruptcy in November, leaving the location in the Hempfield Square shopping plaza, surrounded by Texas Roadhouse and PetSmart, available for lease. TGI Fridays Inc. operates less than 40 locations in the U.S.
Big Lots
Big Lots, located in the Greengate Shopping Center, recently had their windows covered with everything-must-go signs. The discount furniture and home décor chain filed for bankruptcy in September of last year, however, its debts were just picked up by Gordon Brothers, a global assets company.
According to the Gordon Brothers press release, their purchasing of Big Lots Inc. will preserve the brand, keeping “hundreds of stores in operation and preventing thousands of layoffs.”
Variety Wholesalers, a company included in the transfer of Big Lots’ assets, will operate about 200 stores under the Big Lots brand. Gordon Brothers will provide real estate services to support the future of Big Lots and have just put new-to-market store leases up for sale across 47 states, not including PA meaning the Greengate Center space will remain closed.
GS Libarian Mrs. Carrie Vottero believes the closing of these businesses is due to the ever-growing use of electronics.
“I remember shopping a different way than how young people, and myself, shop today,” Mrs. Vottero said. “It’s bound to change; the world is changing. More things are continuously going electronic, like Amazon and DoorDash. That’s just how people shop now.”
Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, anonymous names have been used to protect the privacy of the sources.
By: Rubee Stillwagon
Underage online gambling and betting is rising among teenagers.
According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, 80% of high school students have reported that they have gambled for money in the past year; 4-6% are considered problem gamblers.
Connecticut’s Council on Problem Gambling reports that 10% of teens gamble twice a week or more, and about 4% of boys aged 14-21 have a gambling problem.
There are many different betting sites available. Some of them include FanDuel, DraftKings, Golden Nugget and many more.
The above shows that nothing more than the
honor system checks for a person’s age
when using this app to bet.
Screenshot from the app store.
“Everything usually comes from Vegas,” Jane Doe, a teacher, said. “They come up with values essentially, that they have assigned to the teams. They take information from previous games, previous years and other websites, but it’s still a giant unknown.”
The main issue with a lot of the sites is how accessible they are for underage use. According to a study done by the University of Michigan, 33% of parents think online gambling and betting sites need to check IDs-and carefully-to ensure users are of legal age.
Results from a study by Kathryn LaTour, a professor in the Integrated Marketing Communications Department at Northwestern Medill, and colleague June Cotte, a Professor of Marketing at the Ivey Business School, show online gamblers bet more frequently and aggressively.
LaTour and Cotte also recommend that online gambling casinos minimize their use of flashing bold graphics to signal wins to lessen emotional excitement.
Studies done by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas have shown that online gambling is more dangerous. Because it can be done anywhere, it can lead to mindless consumption which can result in addiction and financial loss.
Financial consequences include overdue bills, maxed-out credit cards, inability to provide basic needs and a necessity to sell possessions for cash. Problem gamblers have also been known to be more likely to pull money from home equity, savings, investment or retirement accounts.
“It’s the thrill of winning for most people,” Doe said. “Think of it like sports. You play sports because you enjoy it, but you also enjoy the rush of it. There’s an adrenaline factor. That’s why they have different ways to get help because people get addicted.”
The Mayo Clinic says that a major part of treating gambling addictions is to acknowledge there’s an issue.
Treatments may include therapy, medications such as antidepressants and mood stabilizers and self-help groups.
Another game that has become very popular among teenagers is Fantasy Football.
“Fantasy football is when you draft teams of NFL players and those players get points by scoring touchdowns, passing yards, rushing yards and receiving yards,” John Smith, a student, said. “You join a league, and you play against another person in the league every week.”
ESPN Fantasy Football is the number one fantasy football game with more than 13 million players. It is possible to bet money on these games, but most teens have their own way of having fun without betting money.
“It’s fun to compete against your friends,” Smith said. “Typically, some leagues have some type of consequences if you finish last. It gets very competitive because most people don’t want to do the consequences of losing, which for my league is 24 hours in Denny’s.”
There are also fantasy leagues for other sports as well, including basketball, tennis, hockey, baseball, NASCAR and more.
Although this can be a fun activity for people to do with friends, the Center for Parent/ Youth Understanding (CPYU) says that fantasy sports can get ugly. They encourage young people to stay in leagues with people they know. Because there are ways to communicate through the game, it can be safer to know who they are talking to.
CPYU also said that although fantasy is a great way to stay in touch with the pastime of pro sports, it can lead to unhealthy habits. People may become distracted from everyday activities so they can research and watch their stats and how their games are going.
“I think the biggest problem is addiction,” Jane Doe said. “It’s quick to lose a lot of money. You fall into the trap where people say I didn’t win last week but I’ll win this week. It’s like a vicious cycle. Now there are people who can handle it, but there are people who can’t, and you see people lose everything because of it.”
Students are stuck juggling their responsibilities while stocking shelves or handing out orders with homework due the next morning.
Some teenagers begin their search for work once in high school, but with both school and a job, students might struggle to manage their time efficiently.
“It is definitely hard to manage my time because my plate is full with school, work and softball,” junior Maggie Alcorn said. “It gets challenging, but I try my best to work around my work schedule.”
Sports and other extracurricular activities can make it especially hard to handle the workload. Senior Katie Shea, Fundraising Director for Mini-THON, said that most employers are “more lenient towards students.”
“If something comes up for Mini-THON or volleyball, I make sure to let my manager know right away,” Shea said. “They usually understand with high school students that school comes first; if your job gets in the way, you need to put it on the back burner.”
Principal Mr. Adam Jones believes that having a job isn’t as important as some students make it out to be, saying that students who participate in school activities like clubs, musicals or athletics should focus on those. However, Mr. Jones also understands that jobs teach teenagers life skills that they cannot learn in school.
Comic by: Kerrick Shaw
“I think going to school is your primary job,” Jones said. “If the time you’re committing to your job is impacting your studies or if your grades are going down then you need to set your priorities. I hear so many kids say that they have to work, but school should be number one on their list.”
Regardless of her busy schedule that can sometimes be a struggle, Alcorn thinks it is very important for high schoolers to have a job, saying it gives teenagers an “early work ethic.”
“I started working the summer before my freshman year; I was fourteen,” she said. “I would recommend getting a job early and working hard. I think working will only get harder as you leave high school.”
Shea agrees it’s ideal to start working as soon as possible. She explained that it teaches responsibility and is a different way for teenagers to meet new people.
“I started working at the end of my junior year,” she said. “I’m a food runner which can sometimes be difficult because we have three floors, so having to run food up three floors as quickly as possible can be really tiring. I also have to close on school nights at times which means I don’t get home until 11:30 some nights.”
Balancing work on top of school requires adjustments for teenagers and its important to ensure that responsibilities, like good grades, will be maintained.
“Each individual is different,” Jones said. “Some students can juggle high level courses and a 30-hour work week; some can’t, and that’s okay. Everything really depends on what the kids are comfortable with and what they need to do. It’s important to remember what comes first.”
The Lions' Den 