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The Summer I Turned Pretty Debate  

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by: Emma Helmick  

Some teenage girls at GS are losing their minds after watching The Summer I Turned Pretty season three teaser trailer.  

The trailer came out on April 24 and many want to know which brother the main character Belly will choose.  

“The Summer I Turned Pretty” book trilogy.

Photo Courtesy: Ava Richards

“I think it’s a big debate because usually teen romance books and shows is popular, and with things like TikTok, it makes it easier to debate things with more people to see,” senior Abegail Spaugy said.  

Many fans get in heated arguments over this topic on social media.   

“I am team Conrad just because the way he treats Belly in my opinion is more genuine,” Spaugy said.  “I also think Conrad is better looking, so that helps his case. The scene on the beach made me a huge fan.”  

Author of the books Jenny Han has made it a point to have Belly jump back and forth with both brothers. 

“I’m on neither team,” junior Eden Wilson said. “Both boys have good and bad qualities to themselves making me not think either one is good for her. If I could, I would be team anti-Belly.” 

According to an instagram poll, most fans tend to favor Conrad, but his brother Jeremiah also has a handful of defenders.  

“I’ve had people explain to me why they’re team Conrad, that he is just simply meant to be with Belly, and I don’t see the appeal,” senior Cecilia Ecklund said. “I think a lot of people prefer a brooding character, but to me, he is often emotionally distant and honestly pretty toxic.”  

In the third book, Belly chooses Conrad at the end, but Jenny Han has teased switching the plot.  

The third and final book of the trilogy, published in 2011.

Photo Courtesy: Ava Richards

  “I’m on team Jeremiah, not because I think he should end up with Belly, but because he is the better option,” Ecklund said. “He is emotionally available, has good communication, and has a fun personality. He offers a much healthier relationship if  

Belly were to choose him.”  

Spaugy, however, feels the complete opposite, saying he “sucks” and  

“constantly” makes Belly feel bad.  

“I usually prefer the books over show adaptations, but in this case the show is better,” Ecklund said. “There is more complexity in the storyline and the characters that the book just doesn’t cover.”  

Seton Hill University | Senior Exhibition 

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by: Kerrick Shaw

Handmade monsters and canvas creatures lurked throughout the Seton Hill Arts Center with one student’s show pulling a full house on opening night. 

Jake Carnahan-Curcio, a senior art therapy major at Seton Hill University, recently wrapped up his senior exhibition titled “Creature Feature,” a deeply personal and imaginative body of work. 

Held in the Arts Center’s Critique Room from April 25 through May 10, the show’s opening reception was held on April 26 from 6 to 8 pm and had over 50 attendees connecting with the deeper meaning of the exhibition. 

“I’ve aspired to have a solo show since my freshman year of college,” Carnahan-Curcio said. “I didn’t know I would be making creatures until January of 2024, when I made my first painting about my mom who has stage 3A breast cancer; it then spiraled into a series about grief and how people cope with it. I struck gold with my painting ‘Der Doppelgänger,’ as he became the face of my series.” 

Carnahan-Curcio’s “Der Doppelgänger” sculpture.

Photo Courtesy: Jake Carnahan-Curcio

“Creature Feature” was his first self-curated exhibition full of his own work; however, he previously had the opportunities to curate two Seton Hill shows involving other students’ work and his own. 

In 2023, he put together the “Women in Art” exhibition, full of work from the school’s Women in Art seminar course. The following year, he curated a show titled “Intersections,” featuring work from beginner to advanced classes of his and the other advanced painting student at the time, Keelin Becker. 

“As part of the Professional Practices for the Arts course, we were given the opportunity to apply for a solo show or be part of a group exhibition,” he said. “The application was a proposal; showing the work that would be in the show, which is when I had to come up with a concept.” 

Other students visited the gallery room frequently throughout the exhibition’s stay. One student, freshman fine arts major Maxwell Hoffman, described Carnahan-Curcio’s character as “iconic.” 

“I really love the collaged, almost computer pop-up motif among all of his paintings,” Hoffman said. “I remember hearing people completely outside of the art majors talking about how excited they were to see the show. I got to see the evolution of his work periodically by just visiting the studio rooms.” 

Hoffman looks forward to his own senior exhibition, regardless of being a first-year student. He explained that he has already started to “conceptualize” his plan. 

The show’s reception was complimented with refreshments and a giveaway Carnahan-Curcio held through his Instagram. The winner was given a custom-printed T-shirt, a small sculpture of his character Der Doppelgänger and a print.  

The T-shirt, print and sculpture included in the giveaway.

Photo Courtesy: Jake Carnahan-Curcio

“The turnout was great,” he said. “I want to say over 50 people came; a lot of friends and family, but also underclassmen that I didn’t personally know and others who were just interested in the work.” 

GS’ art teacher Mrs. Kelley Audia expressed that everything about Seton Hill’s art program is “awesome.”  

“Every experience I’ve ever had there has been great,” Mrs. Audia said. “The facilities are great and the professors too; Mr. Audia and I have gotten to be a part of a bunch of different shows there. They have a really nice partnership with us, giving us a lot of cool chances for students.” 

Starting in the fall, following his graduation from Seton Hill, Carnahan-Curcio will be moving onto a program through PennWest Global Online. 

“I’m graduating with my Bachelor of Arts in art therapy,” Carnahan-Curcio said. “I’ll be doing the Masters of Science in Counseling art therapy program through PennWest. I already have a lot more ideas for a neon series I’m working on; I would love to do another show in the future.” 

USC Ice Bucket Challenge

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by: Reese Price 

GS students took on the icy water with huge smiles and loud laughter as they participated in the 2025 USC Ice Bucket Challenge. 

The 2025 USC Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge was created to spread awareness for mental health across the United States. A group of students at USC wanted to collect donations for the nonprofit organization, Active Minds, which supports people who are struggling mentally. 

Seniors Emma Helmick and Hannah Stillwagon participating in the challenge.

Photo Courtesy: Kylie Mieze

“I think bringing attention to mental health awareness at the high school level will help students possibly reach out to someone to get help and it allows for more conversations dealing with mental health,” Attendance Specialist for Pittsburgh Area Communities in Schools Mr. Jake Hoyle said. 

The campaign was inspired by the original ASL Ice Bucket Challenge which gained widespread attention in 2014. Pouring ice water over your head is a symbolic act meaning to grab attention; just like the shock of cold water, mental health struggles can be sudden and overwhelming. 

“The water made me go into a feeling sort of like shock,” junior Tanner Schmidt said.  

The challenge made an appearance on many social media platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram. Part of the objective of the challenge is to nominate others to pour ice onto their head. 

“I was nominated by my girlfriend on Instagram,” Schmidt said. “I didn’t know it was a thing until she nominated me.” 

When students were nominated, they were encouraged to film a video nominating 2-6 other people, which they did by tagging them in the post. It was also encouraged that the participants use the hashtag #SpeakYourMIND and provide a donation to Active Minds. 

“I enjoyed participating in the Ice Bucket Challenge and I loved to be a part of helping raise awareness for mental health,” senior Hannah Stillwagon said.  

The challenge turned into a fun way for community members to interact. Many students gathered to capture the challenge on video. It wasn’t just about completing the challenge; it was about showing support, raising awareness, and coming together to support an issue that effects many people especially teens in high school. 

“I know discussing mental health is a touchy subject and people aren’t too fond of having those types of discussions, but until those conversations are had, people will continue to struggle,” Mr. Hoyle said. 

In recent years, conversations about mental well-being have become more common in both public and private places.  Many people have made efforts to contribute to reducing the stigma around mental health issues and promoting more open conversations about the topic. This challenge is evidence on how many people have raised awareness on these hard topics and how they are becoming normal conversations in people’s lives. 

“I believe mental health issues should be taken more seriously and from my perspective, as time continues to move on, the old stigma of mental health issues are beginning to fade,” Hoyle said. “We as a society are continuing to take strides in the right direction when faced with mental health challenges.” 

This challenge gave GS students a fun way to come together and support a serious cause. It wasn’t just about students pouring water over their heads, it was about having each other’s backs and showing that even small actions can make a big impact in the world.  

“I thought it was a good way to get the community all over the U.S. involved in a small action to help to raise awareness for a larger cause,” Stillwagon said. 

Coachella | 2025

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By: Emma Helmick 

Students and teachers watched social media as influencers crowded the stages to see popular music stars perform at the famous music festival known as Coachella. 

The 24th annual Coachella music festival took place in California from April 11-13 and April 18-20. 

The world’s largest transportable Ferris wheel, featured at Coachella.

Photo Courtesy: Mrs. Maurissa Auer

  “I didn’t really follow who was actually performing this year, but I do always enjoy the fashion,” senior Ksena Spencer said. “I saw other people saying that the performers didn’t get enough appreciation this year.” 

Many artists headlined over the weekends including Lady Gaga on Friday, Green Day on Saturday and Post Malone and Travis Scott on Sunday. Several other artists performed leading up to the main stages. 

“My sister-in-law went and she said it was fun,” Chorus teacher Miss Marissa Auer said. “She said it was really high energy, and she saw influences.” 

Over the years, fewer celebrities attend the event because it has become less elite. It has become overcrowded with influencers recording every moment. This is caused by brands sponsoring them.  

“Most people my age watch their favorite influencers or famous people go to Coachella and like to keep up with what they’re doing,” junior Lily Ewing said. 

Even with all of the famous pop stars who perform, social media usually focuses on the guests who attend and what they are doing throughout the festival.  

“I mean, it’s a bit bizarre watching people pay so much money on clothing, camping equipment and the actual concert part of it itself,” Spencer said. 

Promposals

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By: Reese Price 

From handwritten notes to sweet signs, this year’s proposals are just as unforgettable as the night itself. 

Prom tickets were on sale from April 22-25 which means students will be getting asked to go left and right. Students turned in their packets to SCA Advisor Mr. Christopher Gazze’s room last week. Many students in past years have asked their date with promposals.  

“I planned my promposal by getting inspiration from pictures online and getting other people’s opinions,” junior Andrew Lehnhardt said. “Once I had my idea, I bought the supplies I would need, then I went to her house and surprised her.” 

Lehnhardt’s candle-lit promposal.

Photo Courtesy: Andrew Lehnhardt

Promposals are a way for students to ask someone to prom in a memorable way. They often involve signs, gifts or even sometimes setup surprises. Many students will go all out for their promposal to make prom more special for the people going. Asking in this way also makes people excited to go to prom with their date.  

“I used her interest in music to ask her because I knew she would enjoy it,” senior Keegan Young said. 

The way someone asks their date to prom can reflect their personalities or interests. No matter the approach, promposals are a way of creating a meaningful moment for everyone. 

“My favorite promposals were both Mr. GS related,” Mr. Gazze said. “One of them happened on stage where they thought they were a part of the act and then they got asked in that way.” 

For girls, a promposal can be a really special moment. Many girls look forward to seeing the time and energy that they put into asking them. Reactions can be different for everyone, but they’re often seen as a way to make the invitation to prom memorable.  

“I was surprised with a cute promposal,” junior Elora Gridley said. “He gave me flowers as a gift, and I loved it.” 

For many years people have been asking others to prom in this way. With prom just around the corner, the excitement to see classmates promposals is high. With just a few weeks left until the big night, it’s likely that more promposals will pop up at GS. 

“I am excited for prom,” Lehnhardt said. “I think it will be a cool experience.” 

Spring Break Plans

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By: Theresa Schuetz 

GS’ spring break this year was shortened because of this winter’s unfortunate weather, however, that didn’t stop students and staff from enjoying their time off. 

“I’m going to be watching a new show with my family, hang out with my friends and go thrifting,” senior Josselyn Blawas said. 

Josselyn Blawas

Photo by: Theresa Schuetz

“A lot of the break I’m going to work and do a lot of spring cleaning,” senior Anna Berlingo said. “I’m also going to spend Easter Day with my family.” 

Anna Berlingo

Photo by: Theresa Schuetz

“My grandkids are coming down from Penn State for Easter so I’m going to eat dinner with them and my son, Mr. Zahorchak is cooking,” Mrs. Joanie Zahorchak said. “Hopefully the weather will be nice, too, so I can do my yard work.”  

Mrs. Joanie Zahorchak

Photo by: Theresa Schuetz

“I’m going to be spending Easter with my family,” senior Cole Savage said.  

Cole Savage

Photo by: Theresa Schuetz

“Mostly I’ll be working, but my family is also going to be over so we can get baskets and spend Easter together,” senior Rachel Kuhn said. 

Rachel Kuhn

Photo by: Theresa Schuetz

“Over Spring Break I’m going to Top Golf for my birthday,” senior Alice Wilkinson said. 

“I’m going to be picking up a lot of shifts with the amount of time I’ll have,” senior Gracie Susick said. 

Gracie Susick and Alice Wilkinson

Photo by: Theresa Schuetz

“I’m going to be spending quality time with my family and friends over break,” junior Marley Perrone said. 

Marley Perrone

Photo by: Theresa Schuetz

“Easter Sunday my family and I will be having a big family dinner,” senior Tymara White said. 

Tymara White

Photo by: Theresa Schuetz

“I’m going out to eat with friends over Easter break in Pittsburgh,” senior Kai Brunot said. 

Seniors Cooper Dann, Kai Brunot and Nick Reinhart

Photo by: Theresa Schuetz

“Over break I’m going to relax and spend time with family,” junior Henry Weimann said.  

Henry Weimann

Photo by: Theresa Schuetz

“Over Easter break I’m going to Charleston, South Carolina with my family to enjoy the nice weather,” senior Grace Sybesma said.  

Grace Sybesma

Photo by: Theresa Schuetz

Record Store Day | 2025

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By: Kerrick Shaw 

Needles dropped on spinning vinyl after crowds of eager collectors filled music shops to celebrate Record Store Day. 

April 5 marked the 18th annual Record Store Day, an event that honors independent record stores with exclusive, limited new releases. In many cases, fans crowd the sidewalks before a store’s opening in an attempt to get the record they’re looking for.  

For Greensburg’s local music store, CD Warehouse, nearly 200 people were in line. 

The hall leading into CD Warehouse’s ‘Retro Room,’ where RSD releases were available.

Photo Courtesy: Michael Casper

“Being a part of Record Store Day is truly exciting,” CD Warehouse owner Michael Casper said. “It’s a fun day overall for everyone involved. Ultimately, my favorite part is seeing the amount of people that come out and support a small, locally owned business.” 

Around 1,400 stores participate in the celebration, which makes distribution of the releases challenging, according to Casper. He explained that stores are “not guaranteed” to get everything they order for the event. 

“We ordered 50 Gracie Abrams albums, but only received 10,” he said. “They only made 12,000 of them, so all stores only got a percentage of what they ordered. A total of 2,000 ‘Wicked’ Soundtracks were made for Record Store Day; you can imagine how limited that is.” 

Some artists found in the 2025 releases included Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Wu-Tang Clan, The Cure and many more. About 330 titles were available for this year’s date. 

The Cure’s “Head on the Door” vinyl picture disc, released for RSD 2025.

Photo by: Kerrick Shaw

Art teacher and record collector, Mr. Darryl Audia, said that events like RSD are helping to revitalize the use of physical media. 

“There’s a lot that you miss out on with digital media,” Mr. Audia said. “Growing up with cassettes, mainly, you had something to look at and something to hold in your hand. I often find myself creating a playlist but never listening to an artist’s entire album; records are great for fixing that.” 

For students, records are making somewhat of a comeback as well; some have listened to records their entire lives through family, and others are just diving into collecting albums recently. Freshman Annabelle Volk explained that she is “actively exploring new music” while looking for fairly priced albums. 

“I have about 20 records right now,” Volk said. “I normally go to CD Warehouse and find them for a decent price. I didn’t see anything from this year about Record Store Day, but I am really looking forward to learning more about it and experiencing it next year.” 

Another student, junior J’Taime Turner-Hill, collects records because of her grandma. 

“Growing up, she had a bunch of records,” Turner-Hill said. “Every Christmas she’d play the Michael Jackson Christmas album; it was like a tradition. I got a big bin full of records from her, I couldn’t even count how many.” 

The enthusiasm from younger collectors hasn’t gone unnoticed by record stores. Casper acknowledged how the support from people, especially on RSD, is “amazing” and would be for any store. 

“It’s exciting to see how we have grown and have been able to provide more people with the opportunity to get so many titles,” Casper said. “We have tried to make Record Store Day our own celebration; all of the employees here get really excited seeing everyone come to support small businesses. It’s amazing to see the support, and it feels good knowing that we’re doing a good job at providing physical media.” 

Trump’s Tariffs: Effects on the US Economy

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By: Ever Schmidt

President Donald Trump stopped tariffs for 90 days on goods that are transported to the United States from other countries.  

“It’s affecting the world already, prices are starting to go up, the stock market is also taking a big hit,” accounting teacher Mr. Lou Downey said. “It’s going to be a tough adjustment for everybody, not just the United States.”  

The current price of two dozen eggs at WalMart.

Photo by: Ever Schmidt

President Trump uses the tariffs to bring people who live in the U.S. to buy products made here. He made transported items more expensive, encouraging consumers to buy U.S. made products because they are made in America. They seem cheaper because the transported products have increased in price.  

“I see why the president is doing this,” Mr. Downey said.  “They have tariffs on our stuff, and we were tariffing them.”  

According to CNN, Trump signaled a potential U-turn on the trade war with China.  Chinese prices of items will come down, but the tariffs won’t be zero. China eventually refused to lower the prices on tariffs and have a 125% increase on US goods. 

“Honestly I didn’t know much about tariffs, but I have noticed gas prices decreasing then rising again,” sophomore Bryland Haile said. “Whatever Trump decides to do everyone will have to deal with it, so I’m not letting it consume my life.” 

According to Fox Business, the price of crude oil prices could be increased 10-20 cents when tariffs are back in effect for gasoline. 

Not only have gas prices taken a toll, but students who buy from online stores such as Shein, Temu and Ali Express have also noticed a change in buying their items.  

“Recently I have noticed how expensive shipping is,” junior Nova Miller said. “While shipping used to be only a few dollars, now it has become almost twice that. Honestly with the tariffs people are going to start buying U.S. made products, but many online stores are going to lose customers because no one wants to pay $10-$15 for shipping.”   

FCCLA STAR Events Competition

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By: Adison Poole 

Two members of the GS FCCLA club were recently recognized for their contribution to the program and presented with awards at the FCCLA STAR Events Competition. 

Senior Karma Schall was one of the two to receive the award and she spoke of her experience with the program. The other was senior Brenna Kohl, who also received an award at the event.  

Kohl and Schall displaying their certificates at the STAR Event.

Photo Courtesy: Morgan Ferczak

“STAR stands for Students Taking Action and Recognition,” FCCLA advisor Mrs. Morgan Ferczak said. “Students are able to choose a variety of different events that are related to the family and consumer sciences.”  

FCCLA stands for Family Career Community Leaders of America and is made up of hardworking students. The club gains several new members every year.  

“The event I competed in is called the Public Policy Advocate,” Schall said. “This event allows you to pick any public policy you’d like and educate others on the information you’ve learned.”  

Schall has been involved with FCCLA for three years throughout her high school career. She focused her project on the risk of drug use and spoke about overdose to educate others on the topic. 

“For my project I first educated myself on the number of overdose deaths in the U.S. and the things that have been put in place to lower these deaths,” she said.  

Schall explained that her project was an effort to lower deaths related to overdose in her area.  

“I chose to educate others on the Good Samaritan law,” she said. “I did this by going to local businesses to educate them on this law with a flyer that had research as well as local recovery resources.”  

Schall also provided the businesses with Narcan to keep within their facilities in case of an emergency.  

There were several other members who attended the event.

GS’ FCCLA team at the STAR Event.

Photo Courtesy: Morgan Ferczak

“It was a great experience and a good way to get involved,” senior Reagan Sands said. 

Schall is planning to go into a nursing program in the future and is using this award as a step in that direction. She spoke of the work that she has put into the program and mentioned how proud she is of each of her accomplishments. 

“It felt amazing because of the work I put into this project,” Schall said. “My efforts to spread awareness have gone so much farther than I could have imagined.”  

Greensburg’s Night Market Returning for Another Season

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By: Reese Price 

The Greensburg Night Market is full of flavors, finds and fun. 

The Greensburg Night Market is coming back on select Thursdays with the opening date set for April 24. The monthly Night Market in downtown Greensburg features local food, artisans, vendors and small businesses. 

Lily Slavnik representing GS pottery students.

Photo Courtesy: Lily Slavnik

“I am excited for it to open back up,” junior Isabella Sefchok said. “I have been waiting for it to come back.” 

During the Market, South Pennsylvania Avenue between West Otterman Street and West 4th Street is shut down for vendors to display their unique items. To make attending the Night Market easier, free shuttles sponsored by Live Casino Pittsburgh are also available for everyone attending the event. 

“We have a free shuttle at the Night Market from April- Oct,” owner and founder of the Night Market Ms. Jessica Hickey said. “Attendees can park at the Greenburg Civic Center and take the shuttle to the market.” 

The Night Market holds over 140 vendors in total, with many of the vendors being small businesses located in or around the Greensburg area. The event coordinators hope to promote small businesses, culture and non-profits.  

“Main Street Sweets is one of my favorite vendors at the Night Market,” Sefchok said.  

When the Greensburg Night Market began in 2019 it started with a small group of vendors and has now blossomed into a highly anticipated event each month. With increasing support from local businesses and the community, more vendors offer more opportunities and experiences.  

“I came up with the idea by just doing some research on events and seeing new things and ideas when traveling,” Ms. Hickey said. 

Beyond the shopping and entertainment, the market also emphasizes the exciting community in Greensburg. Many vendors use eco-friendly packaging and local ingredients to further support local businesses. Non-profits in the area also set up booths to share volunteer opportunities and local events, which makes the market fun and allows for community connections.  

“Everyone is always very nice, and all of the vendors and the organizers are amazing,” senior Lily Slavnik said. 

GS students also are able to use the Night Market as a platform to showcase their talents and interests. Whether selling handmade jewelry, artwork, bake goods or custom items, it gives students a chance to share their passions with the community. This opportunity also provides valuable real-world experience in marketing and allows the students to build connections with other local vendors and shoppers. 

“I sold my own items which was nice to be able to sell my art beyond the school,” Slavnik said. “I also love going even when I’m not selling stuff.”