Exciting things are coming with this year’s Red Ribbon Week. New events and amusing themes are in store for GS.
The Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club’s mission at GS is to make a positive change. During Red Ribbon Week the club focuses on preventing drug abuse.
“Red Ribbon Week is the week that we promote all students to be drug free,” SADD Club Advisor Mrs. Alyssa Lukatch said.
SADD Club members feel Red Ribbon Week is an important part of their mission and make it a point to host it every year. This year it takes place from Oct. 21-25.
Red Ribbon Week themes.
Poster made by: Cora Lehman
“Red Ribbon Week is important to SADD Club because it helps our mission to prevent destructive decisions,” secretary of SADD Club Lola Slavnik said.
Red Ribbon Week isn’t just for SADD Club. There are plenty of opportunities for students to get involved.
“We do themes every single day and we’re going to do a school wide game,” Mrs. Lukatch said.
The themes this year are meant to be fun and serve as a reminder to students to live a drug free lifestyle.
“Monday, we have Adam Sandler Day, be a grown up and don’t do drugs,” vice president of SADD Club Riley Campbell said. “Tuesday, we have PJ Day because drugs kill dreams. Wednesday is Red Day as it is every year. Thursday is Jersey Day, team up against drugs. Then Friday is Halloween Costume Day because drugs are scary.”
The game is a new event this year and will take place on Oct. 23. Each advisory will pick a team captain and will be given 40 drug related questions to answer. From there the team captains will be let out into the hallway to check their answers before heading to the gym to lock those answers in and win a pizza party for their advisory.
“Students can learn a lot from the game that we created to teach the impact of drugs,” social media manager of SADD Club Cora Lehman said. “This will hopefully lead them to think their decisions through and realize when they could be making a bad decision.”
While the new game is bound to get students engaged, there are plenty of other ways for students to get involved all week.
“Wear your bracelets every day, dress up in the themes, have school spirit, be supportive and follow what we teach,” Campbell said.
Participating in Red Ribbon Week is more than just fun, it helps SADD Club make a difference.
“Supporting Red Ribbon Week can help raise awareness about the dangers of drug use,” Slavnik said. “The more people that participate the better.”
SADD Club members are very passionate about helping their peers and this event is proof of their passion.
“I love being a part of SADD Club,” she said. “It feels good to be able to help people make good decisions.”
As they finish their high school careers, GS seniors are spending plenty of time celebrating and taking in their last year, while also preparing for life after high school.
Seniors get to take part in memorable activities like “Senior Sunrise” and “Senior Sunset” along with painting their parking spots in the student lot.
“Events like Senior Sunrise helped me bond with people I haven’t had the chance to spend time with while also helping me make my senior year as memorable as possible,” senior Alaysia Tarpley said.
The Senior class pose as a group at the senior sunrise.
Photo courtesy: gslionssca of Instagram.
These parts of senior year make a big impact on students because it gives them the chance to spend time together before they all go their separate ways. These activities are rewarding for all the time, hard work and effort the seniors have put into school throughout the past four years.
“I think the events get us in the mindset that we’re actually graduating, and we should make the most of the time we have left in high school; both academically and socially,” senior Ellie Swanson said.
Although these activities can be fun and exciting, seniors must still focus on senior projects and preparing for life after high school.
“I think it’s all about learning how to balance school, work and having fun outside of that,” Swanson said. “I’ve had a pretty heavy workload all four years of high school, but I’ve spent a little more time being social and found that it’s much needed.”
Senior projects are a vital part of senior year as it’s a graduation requirement that takes a lot of time and effort throughout the year. Senior projects are independent because there is no class time for them, which helps the seniors learn good time management.
Students also have to start looking into scholarships for college, joining the military or finding a pathway significant to them.
“You need to research colleges and find what is best for you like courses for your major, what environment you want to be in and what scholarships you can get,” she said.
This can be a hard year for some people because they don’t know what they want to do yet, but taking a gap year can always be in the picture.
Taking a gap year can help relieve stress, and it gives students the chance to sit down and really understand what it is they want to do and how they’re going to do it. This time could also be a time to explore new places and new things outside of what one grew up around.
“Preparing for life after high school is different for everybody, and there’s no right way to do it until you’re sure you know what you want to do,” senior Azzy Franklin said.
Local residents woke up bright and early around the area to try to claim their spot in line for free burritos.
On Friday, September 13, Moe’s Southwest Grill opened in North Huntington, PA. The grand opening offered a deal that gifted the first 50 customers free burritos for a year.
GS seniors Josselyn Blawas and Ksena Spencer were among those first 50 customers and not only received a card for free burritos, but also treats from nearby businesses.
Josselyn Blawas and Ksena Spencer hold their certificates for a year of free burritos.
Photo Courtesy: Ksena Spencer
“I did some research about when they would be opening and really just looking for information on the event,” Spencer said. “The Facebook post that I did find only had about 10 shares, so I wasn’t too stressed about being one of the top 50 in line.”
Located at 714 Mills Drive, Moe’s shares a plaza with Tropical Smoothie Café and Crumbl Cookies. In honor of the grand opening, customers waiting outside received mini smoothies and cookies from the businesses.
“Both Crumbl and Tropical Smoothie Café gave out free samples,” Spencer said. “Having Tropical Smoothie next to us was nice since they had a bathroom we were allowed to use.”
Tropical Smoothie Café gives out free samples to people waiting in line.
Photo Courtesy: Ksena Spencer
Blawas was a big fan of the free goodies provided by the business and talked highly of the cookies in particular.
“I got a peanut butter cookie from Crumbl,” Blawas said. “Which is my absolute favorite, so I was super excited.”
Moe’s opened doors at 10:15 am but many were there hours before opening to claim their spot in line. Blawas and Spencer arrived at 7:00am and ended up being 20th and 21st in line.
“Jossy and I were going to get there by 6:00am because of a Facebook post that Moe’s had made which hinted at opening at sunrise,” Spencer explained. “But Thursday night they put out a post saying they would open at 10:15am.”
While only the first 50 people in line received the coupon for free burritos for a year, there were several other treats for those who missed the cutoff.
“They had a wheel you could spin to earn a free bowl, discounted meal or shirt,” Spencer said. “I spun and got a shirt which I gave to my dad since he’s also a pretty big Moe’s fan.”
To claim their spot in line, Blawas and Spencer thought they played it safe by arriving a few hours before the opening. Other customers made sure to be the first in line by showing up a whole night before.
“The first people in line had been there since midnight; they had a whole setup of chairs and a table,” Spencer said.
The new business is bringing even more life to such a popular plaza. The popularity of Moe’s was able to bring Greensburg students all the way out to Irwin. Businesses around not only treated Moe’s customers, but also welcomed them as the morning went on.
“I think the other businesses were happy to see all the traffic the new restaurant was bringing to the area,” Spencer said.
With the opening taking place on a Friday morning, many students in line missed out on class that day. Law and Economics teacher Mr. Mark Zahorchak knew about the opening and just encouraged Blawas to work on her homework in line.
“I had no problem with it as long as Jossy took advantage of the fact that she could watch the videos and do the lesson online,” Mr. Zahorchak said. “It makes it a lot more acceptable to me.”
It’s not everyday people get the chance to win free food for a year, so for Blawas and Spencer it was an exciting experience they won’t forget.
“It’s not often that there are cool opportunities to win something like this near Greensburg,” Spencer said. “My parents thought it would be fun and encouraged me to go.”
Greensburg City Council approved an Active Transportation Plan blueprint to help improve safety within the city.
On September 9, the Active Transportation Plan was approved for development by City Council. The plan will provide a road map for funding and implementing projects to remove any physical barriers that prevent pedestrians from safely walking, biking or using any mobility aid to get from place to place.
The city put out an interactive map, provided by the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, and surveys for citizens to participate in. Pins could be stuck on specific locations of the online map that the community believed needed improvement.
“There were so many great suggestions from the public for this Active Transportation Plan,” Director of Planning and Development for the city of Greensburg Alec Italiano said. “Some specific suggestions we received concerned traversing through the two main railroad tunnels in town. We took that into consideration when prioritizing the final projects for this study.”
College Avenue Railroad Tunnel.
Photo by: Kerrick Shaw
WalkWorks funded the plan with a $20,000 grant, and it was prepared by Gibson-Thomas Engineering.
WalkWorks is an initiative between the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center that provides funding to Active Transportation Plans to increase the opportunity for safe, accessible and active routes in communities.
“The most important aspect of the plan was to gather information from the citizens and the City Administration on what projects were needed for the city,” Gibson-Thomas Project Manager Mark Szewcow said.
Italiano and Szewcow worked together, along with an assisting staff, to establish a budget, schedule and the final product. Szewcow was responsible for all quality control, project budgets and deadlines.
“I think people will be inclined to walk more; it’s going to be good for people in general,” senior Ryan Ashley said. “Some sidewalks throughout the city need upgrading, with the overgrowth and damage; some crosswalks need to be a lot safer, too.”
Five priority projects were identified by the City Council with 34 total, all of which had their cost, complexity and timeframe determined as well.
The priority projects include implementing safe crossings on Tunnel Avenue, enhancing the Arch Avenue tunnel for pedestrian safety, enhancing the College Avenue tunnel, cyclist safety improvements on College Avenue and pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements on Main Street.
“It has the possibility of revitalizing downtown Greensburg,” social studies teacher Robert Lehman said. “We as a community have to embrace it.”
Homecoming is much more than just a dance at GS. There were so many more activities that came along with it, such as Homecoming Court, the Homecoming Bonfire, the pep rally, the white out football game, the daily themes and lastly the dance.
The first big thing that happened was naming the 2024 Homecoming Court. This is where the senior class voted for seven senior girls who they thought would be the best fit for the Court. Then sophomores, juniors and seniors voted on who they thought should be Queen. This year’s Homecoming Queen is senior Lauryn Swierczynski.
The homecoming court and their escorts during halftime.
Photo By: Rubee Stillwagon
“I’m really pumped that I won and thankful I get to celebrate with my friends and family,” Swierczynski said.
The girls on this year’s Homecoming Court, other than Swierczynski, were Greta Hagofsky, Sloane Potter, Katie Shea, Anna Shevchik, Anna Spigarelli and Grace Sybesma.
“I would say my involvement throughout the school, like being part of sports teams, SCA, the Salem Psychos and just talking with lots of different people around the school helped with my votes,” Swierczynski said.
Homecoming Queen is a title given to a senior girl who is a respected and liked representative of their school and community. Swierczynski is a two-year Varsity Soccer Captain, has done Flag Football for two years, Senior Class Vice President, SCA’s Secretary for last school year, leader of the Salem Psychos and plans to attend a four-year college.
“It’s super exciting to know that so many people voted for me,” Swierczynski said. “I’m very blessed to have that kind of support.”
This year the annual Homecoming Bonfire was on Wednesday, September 18 at the high school.
This was an opportunity for students and their families to visit different clubs’ booths, participate in activities and see who was on the Homecoming Court.
“The bonfire has been around for years,” SCA Advisor Mr. Christopher Gazze said. “It used to be a Senior Night Bonfire many years ago and it was huge; there would be hundreds of people there. It then switched to a Pink Out Bonfire for a few years. And then Mini-THON had it for a year or two before we got it back and decided to make a full homecoming week.”
The bonfire gives clubs the opportunity to get more attention from students and the community. Most clubs set up booths with fun activities to add more fun to the bonfire. But the Homecoming Court announcement is what draws in most people.
“When we got the bonfire back, we decided to make a full Homecoming week,” Gazze said. “With the change of the pep rally format, bringing in the club festival, and having it more community based really makes it a full week of events.”
The Homecoming Pep Rally is a popular activity among the students. It is an opportunity for friendly school rivalry.
“I’ve been a part of the team for two years along with eight other juniors,” junior Maxim Topper said. “Being back-to-back winners for the pep rally is huge and it’s awesome to be a part of that school history.”
This year’s pep rally winners were the juniors, making this their second win in a row. To win, the class teams competed in a series of activities, but they aren’t the only ones that are put up to a challenge.
One of the competitions doesn’t require teams, but their entire class section. The competition is to see which section can be the loudest. This is a way to involve the students who aren’t on the team and keep the crowd interested.
“I think the best part was the spirit event at the end with the student sections,” Topper said. “It’s awesome to see my entire class join in and yell and chant altogether.”
The pep rally brings together students and is a way to show some school spirit and get everyone ready for the whiteout Homecoming football game.
The Junior class celebrates their win.
Photo courtesy: gslionssca on Instagram
Every year, Homecoming is represented at the Friday night football by a white out. To support this, Mini-THON sells annual White Out shirts. Mini-THON is a senior project that helps raise money for pediatric cancer and this is one of their many fundraising opportunities.
“I came up with a couple of designs for the shirts and then we discussed what was going to be the most popular among the students,” senior leader Grace Sybesma said.
The shirts are not only sold to high school students, but also the elementary school and middle school students.
“The shirts have always been a good way for Mini-THON to make money for the kids, but it also gives students something to wear for the white out game,” Sybesma said. “It’s great seeing everyone wear them during the game especially since it helps support Mini-THON’s mission.”
Another thing that students could participate in for Homecoming week were the themes.
“We had about eight themes presented,” Gazze said. “A couple of them overlapped and then we did a blind vote. There was actually a discussion on two and then they decided that one was better suited for prom, and one was better for Homecoming.”
These themes allowed students to wear something fun for the day and branch out from their normal attire. Monday’s theme was Wear Blue, Tuesday was Twin Day, Wednesday was Anything but a Backpack, Thursday was Surfers vs. Bikers and Friday was Class Colors.
“I enjoy doing the themes even if people look at me weird when I go all out,” Topper said. “It gives me the opportunity to add some fun to the school day.”
And lastly, the final activity was the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 21. The dance started at 7pm and went on until 10pm.
“We had somewhere around 390 students show up to the dance,” Gazze said. “Since we’ve started it it’s the biggest one we’ve had.”
The dance was held in the high school cafeteria and gym. In the gym students could listen to music provided by a DJ as well as play cornhole. In the cafeteria, food and tables were set up for students who wanted a break. There was also an area outside for students to get fresh air and cool off.
“I think it was super fun,” Sybesma said. “I liked the fact that there were cornhole boards in the gym so you could take a break but still listen to the music.”
Last year’s Homecoming Dance was the first one in four years at GS. Last year, SCA got feedback from the students so they could ensure they included everything they could to make it a memorable night.
“I think compared to last year’s dance this year was awesome,” Topper said. “I liked the DJ and although it was really hot, I still had a good time with my friends.”
Clubs across GS have started up and have exciting things planned for their members.
From interacting with the community to getting together with students who share interests, there is something for everyone to get involved in.
Students looking to gain community service hours and make a difference will be interested in checking out the Interact Club.
“The cool thing about Interact is that it’s networking around the world since the Interact Club is an international organization,” president of the Interact Club Ian Smith said. “You learn a lot about volunteer opportunities in other countries and how you can help.”
The GS Interact Club has begun helping across the globe, starting with orphaned children in Ukraine. The club has already distributed 15 tags that include the name of a Ukrainian orphan and a list of items they need to club members.
“We have already distributed them, so at this point we are not sure if there’s any more to give,” Smith said. “If people really want to do it, we certainly could have students collaborating to buy stuff for the same orphan.”
The club will be attending a conference with other Interact Clubs in the area to discuss more community service opportunities in the future.
“On Oct. 17during school we have our district interact conference with the Rotary Club at Greensburg Country Club,” he said.
Interact Club isn’t the only club looking to better the community. Another wonderful option for students looking to get involved is the SADD club.
“SADD Club has Red Ribbon Week, which is very exciting, lots of club meetings and fundraisers,” vice president of the SADD Club Riley Campbell said.
Red Ribbon Week is a campaign that focuses on preventing drug use. Joining SADD Club allows students to play a part in keeping their peers drug free.
“Red Ribbon Week is Oct. 21-25, and the theme is: Life is A Movie, Film Drug Free,” Campbell said.
SADD Club’s community involvement doesn’t end with Red Ribbon Week. The club is also very involved with projects relating to Sage’s Army.
“We work with people who run school therapy sessions and do a lot of community outreach,” she said. “We will work with them and also do our own community outreach.”
Not all students feel their communication skills are strong enough to participate in community wide events such as those in Interact Club or SADD Club. Students looking to improve these skills should look to join the Speech and Debate Club.
Speech and Debate officers promote GS for T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights Sweepstakes.
Photo By: Mrs. Andrea Redinger
“A big part of Speech and Debate is that it’s an opportunity to work on yourself, work on your emotions and work on your speaking skills,” vice president of Speech and Debate Emily Ziska said.
The club also hosts festivals for those looking to expand upon their skills and compete against other Speech and Debate members.
“Festivals are where people are finding what they like, what they want to do and working on whatever makes them happy,” Ziska said. “There is also the more competitive stuff like debating.”
The open-endedness of the club allows for many different types of students to find their place within Speech and Debate.
Students who find the competitive aspect of Speech and Debate particularly exciting should consider joining the Chess Club. Like debating, chess can help students become more calculated and innovative.
“It helps you look ahead on your future plans, because in chess you have to plan your moves ahead of time,” president of the Chess Club Elijah Miller said.
To enhance these skills, the Chess Club maintains a very competitive nature during their meetings.
“We have Mr. Lenzi make us a bracket and every Tuesday we come together and do the tournament,” Miller said.
Students who do well in the club will have the chance to attend a tournament between other highly skilled chess players in the area.
“We have a chess tournament planned for November and will have in-house tournaments to determine who’s going to the big tournament,” secretary of the Chess Club Lucy Giovannelli said.
There are also plenty of options for students who like more relaxed environments where they can collaborate with others who share their interests. One of these clubs is the Guitar Club.
“Sometimes we have members who have been with it for a while who like to jam with each other and it’s always exciting when out of nowhere a song starts to happen and they’re all combining their efforts,” Advisor of the Guitar Club Mr. Darryl Audia said.
For those who aren’t as experienced at the guitar, the club serves as motivation to get better.
“The goal is to at least learn a couple chords and stuff like that,” Mr. Audia said. “The hope by the end is, if people want to continue to come, that they do some of their own research.”
Experienced members in the club will even come together on occasion to put on performances for other students.
Members of guitar club preform in the Library.
Photo Courtesy: Mr. Audia
“The thing we’ve done historically the last two years is the week right before holiday break we will have a coffee shop-like performance that will be in the library probably during lunches,” he said.
Like Guitar Club, French Club members come together over a shared interest and orchestrate an incredible performance every year. This performance is none other than Culture Day.
“The officers themselves go on stage and announce any sort of French speaking activities during Culture Day,” vice president of the French Club Alyssa Barber said. “The food taste testing that went on last year was entirely run by French Club.”
French Club has a lot to offer students interested in French even outside of Culture Day.
“We do a lot of fun things,” Barber said. “This year we’re planning on going to the French bakery in South Greensburg, get together to play games and do things for the trip.”
Students looking to improve their experience at GS should look for a club that interests them and begin making connections with their peers.
“Really it’s about networking and getting these friendships to grow,” Mr. Audia said.
Students at the high school are experiencing technical difficulties.
The district changed its technology company this summer when their contract ended, causing a shift throughout the schools.
This resulted in things going a little differently this year such as distribution being delayed, kids not getting the same laptop and some devices being dirty.
Abegail Spaugy’s school laptop this year.
Photo By: Emma Helmick
“It was going to take an awful lot of time to get laptops back in the hands of the same student that it came from,” Superintendent Dr. Ken Bissell said. “So that’s where I made the decision and said, ‘get them ready as best as you can and let’s get them out to the students.’”
The plan was to put in new software, clean them up and organize them to be returned to the same student, but there was not enough time.
“Last year my computer worked as it was supposed to and also had a touch screen,” junior Andrew Lehnhardt said. “I can tell I was given a much older one that doesn’t function nearly as well.”
Next year there is a plan to get all new touch screen computers that have double memory and will run faster to all grade levels to fix the problem of slow and older devices.
“The computers that I have had in the past are super slow,” senior Joshua Nepple said. “I didn’t get the right one when I got my computer this year, but I heard they are getting faster computers for next year which I think is good.”
Another change that has been made is that there is now a tech line that students can call at any time to get issues resolved.
“I like how the tech line is 24/7,” senior Abegail Spaugy said. “Last school year, the tech office was only open a few days a week, and if you had an issue, you had to wait until the tech company workers were in their office.”
There is currently no in-person tech office available to students during the school day, but as of right now the plan is to have someone in the tech office eventually along with the tech line to try to minimize any possible issues that students could face.
“My job is, I have to look at what’s best for the student body, for the staff, and the community and the taxpayers, and how we make that happen,” Dr. Bissell said. “That’s why we made the decisions that we made, with the plan for next year being we’re going to get new devices across our system.”
Summer is over and school has begun, but GS students’ time in the sun isn’t over yet.
The outdoor classroom has made significant progress over the summer with brand new additions marking the beginning of a new learning environment at GS.
“They fixed the concrete patio and they put the pavilion up,” biology teacher Mrs. Andrea Redinger said.
These specific changes were made to create a safer environment for students compared to the state of the outdoor classroom last school year.
“The concrete had exposed wires and pipes because it used to be a greenhouse that went up, so we couldn’t go out there at all because it wasn’t safe,” Mrs. Redinger said. “They also made it wheelchair accessible I believe.”
The Outdoor Classroom so far.
Photo by: Quinn Isenberg
The outdoor classroom taking shape allows for more class activities to be held out there this school year. The new additions have already proven to be helpful.
“We were using the scientific method to test how mass affects paper airplanes, and we used it as a shady area to have some consistency in the data,” biology teacher Mrs. Julie Firmstone said.
Students and teachers alike are pleased with the upgraded outdoor classroom. Students have already recognized the benefit of having classes outside in the shade when it’s too hot inside the school building.
“It’s a good thing because then they can go outside and learn from there,” senior Valerie DiNunno said.
It’s not just a way to escape the heat inside the school building, but also a way to create a change of pace for students’ classes.
“I feel like it’s going to help students learn better if they need to be outside more, rather than just sitting in a classroom,” senior Jackie Dennis said.
Despite the improvements to the classroom there is still much to be done for it to reach its full potential. Staff who have been involved in the project, including Redinger, physics teacher Mrs. Cheryl Harper and former ecology teacher Mr. Angelo Testa, had ideas for the future of the outdoor classroom.
“We are definitely getting furniture of some type, and the pond is up next to be revamped,” Redinger said.
Although, there is still much to be done. The new aspects of the outdoor classroom are already working to create a wonderful learning environment.
“It was wonderful, better than being indoors,” Dennis said.
As the election approaches students and teachers discuss their options.
Many people do not pay attention to politics and how it is affecting their everyday life, but if you look around at the world today, it is quite different than it used to be.
The republican nominees for president are former president Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance, and the democrat nominees are Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
English Teacher Mrs. Mary Logan said that in her classes there is a lesson where she shows her students how news sources can make things biased. She shows them the headlines and how things are embedded into the articles and how they can be persuasive.
A poster outside the Library encourages students to register to vote.
Photo by: Emma Helmick
The election is November 5th, 2024.
Having different news sources showing each side of politics can be helpful, but it also be hard to find the truth. They can make the other nominees seem different and might use their own opinion and make one seem better than the other, which can cause outrage from supporters of both parties.
“I think it is important for students to see how different places like the media and news may be attempting to manipulate them, but from there, I hope they can see the bias and make their own decisions and know when the persuasive techniques are working,” Mrs. Logan said.
Being able to understand politics and being too involved in them are quite different. When teachers talk about politics in a classroom, students could listen to the teacher and get informed instead of taking it personally and getting mad about other people’s opinions. It is perfectly fine to have your own views and beliefs on politics and the candidates.
I do not have an opinion on either side of the parties, but I do follow along with them,” junior Olivia Humberger said. “I believe it is interesting seeing the different sides even though I don’t have my own opinion.”
Being able to be open-minded helps to hear both sides of the parties. It helps to gain factual knowledge and being able to understand the election. Going to factual news sources that are unbiased also helps to get full knowledge from both sides.
“The election will be very close again; I think no matter what, whoever wins half of America will be upset no matter what,” accounting Teacher Mr. Lou Downey said. “Most of the election is all about debating and not what the nominees are going to do better for America.”
Many people find a lot of information on online bulletin boards, commercials, ads, and most social media. Harris is ahead of the polls by about two percent according to The New York Times. Some people are basing their information off what they hear and say they are going to do with the country. Most adults are voting and some seniors at GS are, too.
“I will be voting because I personally feel that there is a lot at stake this election,” senior Lily Slavnik said.
GS is looking to revamp student schedules to encourage a more personal learning environment.
This year Principal Mr. Adam Jones and Superintendent Dr. Ken Bissell have pushed for more freedom in student schedules. Personal Learning Time or PLT is a free block seniors can choose to take.
If a student chooses to take PLT then the free block will fit into their schedule wherever there may be a gap. This year many seniors with gaps in their schedules filled the open space with PLT not even knowing what it really was.
“I wasn’t really sure what it was initially, but I really like it now,” senior Everett Redinger said.
The block can be used to the student’s liking and may be utilized in whatever way is most beneficial to the student. If that means leaving school, then the student will have that option or they can choose to stay and work in the library.
Senior Riley Campbell sits in the Library to do homework during her PLT.
Photo by: Adison Poole
“As a senior, my conversation with Dr. Bissell was you’re a senior, you’re mature enough to leave,” Mr. Jones explained. “Why would I put you in a study hall when you don’t have to be?”
PLT is an attempt to offer up more freedom to students throughout the school. The idea is that this will create an organized system while also allowing kids to make their own decisions.
“It’s a flexible period showing you’re mature enough to do what you need to do; you do with it what you please,” Jones said.
PLT can fall into a senior’s schedule wherever they may have a free block. Depending on when their PLT is, the student may have to leave and sign back in before the next class starts.
“I’ve been staying in the building,” senior Kylie Kolenc said. “I feel like I won’t get anything done and it will just end up being wasted time.”
While students have been encouraged to use the time wisely, it’s ultimately up to the kid to decide what’s best for them. The level of maturity was considered when deciding what grade levels would have PLT available for them to take.
With the graduation requirements changing next year from 28 credits to 25.5 Jones was eager to test out this new schedule as a possibility for students to take for years to come.
“I would recommend it to upcoming seniors,” Kolenc explained. “Not just as a blow off thing, but more along the lines of using that as time to do things you might not have time to do after school.”
According to Jones, freedom is a “privilege” that can be taken away if used incorrectly or for inappropriate reasons. To be eligible for PLT, students must be passing classes and attending class regularly.
“As it goes on, I think there will be a lot of kids working on their senior project, especially the second semester scramblers,” Jones laughed. “The conversation will be ‘oh don’t come crying to me if you have an hour and a half to work on it.’”
While the choice is up to the student, there won’t be any excuses for late work from kids with PLT time.
“I’m using it to work on college stuff and my senior project, as well as learning new instrument skills,” Kolenc said.
Kolenc isn’t the only senior putting in work during PLT, Redinger also emphasized that he is using his time to focus on his senior project as well.
“I like to stay sometimes and use it to talk to my advisor about my senior project,” Redinger said.
Being the first year with such lenient requirements compared to past years, this year serves as a test run for future scheduling. Students will be required to be on school grounds for less hours and credit requirements change in under a year.
Due to this, students and staff can expect a change in upcoming years and will see PLT as well as other forms of individualized learning being implemented throughout the school.
“We’re one foot in with the PLT for next year, but we’re still under the schedule of last year,” Jones said. “We’re just trying to get to next year where everything is weeded out. It’s like the appetizer and I hope everyone understands.”
The Lions' Den 