Unified Bocce 

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By: Quinn Isenberg 

 The winter sports line up is welcoming Unified Bocce as an exciting new option for athletes at GS.  

While the sport is new, it won’t be completely unfamiliar to students as it shares a lot of properties found in lawn games. 

“Bocce is an Italian game similar to horseshoes or cornhole,” Athletic Director Mr. Drake D’Angelo said. “You’re trying to get to a point, which is called the pallina. Then there’s two sets of four balls that you try to roll closest to that target.”   

Bocce is growing in popularity and GS has joined numerous other schools in the county in helping Bocce grow by starting a team.  

“The last district I taught at had bocce and it was not available here, and Mr. D’Angelo reached out to us about starting the program,” Unified Bocce coach Mrs. Christen Negich said. “I thought it would be a good program for our students.”  

Bocce at GS will be a Unified Sport, meaning it is a program sponsored by the Special Olympics in which students in special education programs will team up with students in general education programs on a single team. Unified Sports bring a lot of benefits to a school district.  

“It helps with inclusion, general education students becoming more understanding of our students that have disabilities and creating a good relationship between those students,” Mrs. Negich said.  

Those involved with the sport hope it will highlight the capabilities of the special education students at GS.  

Players listen to instructions while watching the demonstration.

Photo by: Quinn Isenberg

“It will get them out in front of the regular education population to showcase what skills they do have because a lot of times they’re not seen or heard, so this will help them be seen and heard in a positive manner,” she said.  

Due to the nature of Unified Sports, it is typical for at least one of the coaches of a Unified team to be a teacher with a background in special education. At GS both Unified Bocce coaches, Mrs. Kathryn Cutia and Mrs. Negich, have experience in this field.  

The coaches encourage students to make time to show up at games and give the athletes their support.  

“I would love to have people come and cheer on our team at the Bocce game because they’re a lot of fun and it feels really good to have the support of your classmates,” Mrs. Cutia said.  

The Unified Bocce season will be easy to follow for students looking to support the team.  

“We only have five games this season, so we’ll have three away games, and they’re all in the area no more than 45 minutes away, and then we have two home games,” she said.   

The odds are in the GS Unified Bocce team’s favor as the team has very dedicated and experienced players under its belt. 

“I’ve played about seven years, and this will be my eighth,” junior Janaya Thomas said.  

With the sport beginning, those involved are hoping for a bright future for Bocce at GS.  

“It would be awesome if we made it to state, but I would just love to see the school getting excited about Bocce the same way everybody does for other sports,” Mrs. Cutia said.  

SADD Club Blood Drive 

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By: Rubee Stillwagon 

On Monday November 25, students and teachers at GS put an arm in to help with blood shortages. 

Last year SADD club took over the blood drive after the Red Cross club disbanded.  

“Mrs. Firmstone has done it the whole time until last year when she started including SADD club,” SADD Club Advisor Mrs. Alyssa Lukatch said. 

The blood drive was held in the gym, where American Red Cross volunteers set up and got to work at meeting their goals. 

“We had a ton of people sign up this year,” Mrs. Lukatch said. “Our top amount that we had was 42 and all of those spots have been filled. We also had 22 other people on a wait list.” 

There are certain requirements donators must meet to give blood. One must be in good general health, have stable iron levels, be at least 17 years old or 16 years old with parental consent, be at least 110 pounds and have not donated blood in the last 56 days. 

Officer Dieter gets his blood taken.

Photo By: Emma Helmick

“Donating blood helps people who are struggling with severe blood loss,” sophomore Cora Lehman said. 

After the blood is donated, it is then processed and shipped out to medical facilities in need. Blood transfusions are given to patients in many situations such as surgeries, childbirth, cancer treatments and so much more. 

For SADD club a lot went into planning for this event. 

“We had to have many meetings about it and walk around school asking people if they wanted to sign up,” Lehman said. “It worked out really well and we were able to get a lot of people to sign up.” 

Along with talking to students and teachers about the blood drive, members of the club also hung fliers throughout the school.  

They also set things up for people who have donated as a thank you for their donations. 

“After they donated, they got Chick-fil-A and there were also snacks and drinks,” Lukatch said. “They also got put into a drawing. We have ten different gift cards, and they are ten dollars each.” 

Students who did a Power Red donation, which is where one gives a concentrated dose of red blood cells, got their names entered in the drawing three times. The American Red Cross also gives out gift cards. 

“Students should donate because it can save a life, and the blood drive is a great opportunity for the school to help the community,” Lehman said. 

Student Help Programs 

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By: Kerrick Shaw 

Resources are available at GS for students who need a boost with their classes. 

Tutoring services at GS include the Next Step program and the National Honor Society’s student-led tutoring program. 

Next Step is a resource for students to work on missing assignments, make-up/retake assessments and get help with any questions they may have. Next Step takes place from 3:05 to 4:05 p.m. in room 373 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Transportation is available for students on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  

“It’s not meant to seem like a detention, it’s meant to be more relaxed,” Next Step teacher Dr. Taylor Guido said. “As a student, I would’ve liked to have this because when you get home, you get distracted. It’s a quiet, extra hour of working time for students who need it.” 

Next Step keeps students in “school mode,” according to Dr. Guido. No paperwork or form is required to participate in the program; students only need to communicate with Guido in advance, giving them freedom to pick and choose when they want to stay. 

Next Step times and goals.

Photo By: Kerrick Shaw

“I like to ask students what their goal is for the day; I also communicate with their teachers,” she said. “More students have started to stay more recently, but I hope more do take advantage of it in the future.” 

On the other hand, tutoring through National Honor Society (NHS) requires filling out a Microsoft Form that’s available with a QR code posted throughout the school. The form requires the student’s name, advisory and advisory teacher, the class they need help in and answering a few multiple-choice questions that will help them be set up with the best-fitting mentor. 

NHS is a national program that gives students the opportunity to engage in community outreach and service and encourages the development of important skills. The GS chapter is a group of about 50 seniors who are highly engaged in the school and community. 

“I go through the NHS members and find who’s able to help students in need,” NHS Adviser Mrs. Cheryl Harper said. “Once they’re matched, they meet in advisories and work it out. I think the students who show up, and want the help, really do benefit from it.” 

NHS Member senior Everett Redinger believes the tutors are “very helpful” when working one-on-one. Tutors are working with the same education, having taken most of the same classes and knowing what hardships went with them. 

“I don’t think enough students that need help take advantage of it,” Redinger said. “The students are generally all aware of the tutoring program, but for students to sign up for it, they themselves must want help. If the students don’t want to truly improve in the area, tutoring can be very difficult.” 

Both Next Step and NHS’ tutoring have grown recently according to Dr. Guido and Mrs. Harper respectively, but both hope to see more students participate in the future. 

“I hope that students who need help become more self-advocating, more willing to ask for help,” Harper said. “I think the school’s tutoring services are something kids should turn to before falling behind and having more trouble. They’re here to help.” 

Student Perspectives on the Menendez Brothers Case 

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By: Rubee Stillwagon 

One of the biggest murder cases of the late 1980s and 1990s has become a worldwide topic again in 2024. 

Erik and Lyle Menendez shot and killed their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez on August 20, 1989, in their Beverly Hills Mansion. But in 2024, their case has once again become very controversial. 

The brothers never denied that they were the ones to kill their parents, but they have said that their reasoning for killing their parents was self-defense after years of enduring emotional, physical and sexual abuse. At the time prosecutors argued that there was no evidence of molestation, and they were simply after their parents’ multimillion-dollar estate. But after 27 years, attorneys say there is surfacing evidence that might help the brothers prove that their side of the story is true.  

“They deserve to be in jail, but I think there needs to be more attention brought to their mental state,” junior Isabella Sefchock said. “They clearly weren’t mentally stable when they committed the crimes, and they need to be going through intensive therapy.” 

The Menendez brothers experienced two trials. The first trial in 1994 was ruled a mistrial due to a hung jury which led to the start of a second trial in 1996. The brothers were then convicted of first-degree murder. During the trial, the judge withheld most of the evidence about the brothers being sexually abused. 

They are currently seeking a retrial, claiming that they have new evidence to prove their side of the story. Their attorneys say this evidence has not been presented to a jury and that it should be due to new understandings of how abuse impacts children. 

“When you go through that kind of trauma it affects you so much,” junior Braden Poole said. “You can’t understand how that person thinks, acts and talks after being abused to that extent.” 

The brothers’ reason for their proclaimed “self-defense” was that they thought their parents were going to kill them after they finally started standing up to them after years of being silenced. 

“There is no doubt that what they were put through was terrible, but they were adults, and they could have gotten help instead of resorting to murder,” Sefchock said. 

On September 19, 2024, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story was released on Netflix. Although it quickly became popular, people have had a lot to say about whether it is necessarily true or not. 

A screenshot of the Netflix series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

“In a way I feel like it went after Lyle and made him seem like a stuck-up guy out of court and villainized him, especially when talking about what he did to Eric,” Poole said. 

Many people on social media have said that they feel the show made the brothers look worse than they are. But others think it showed exactly what they were like. 

“I think the show captured the awfulness of their actions,” Sefchock said. “In my opinion it was what the public needed to finally realize that the abuse still wasn’t a reason to kill their parents.” 

On October 7, 2024, The Menendez Brothers was released. This is a documentary in which the brothers speak out about what life was like throughout the hearings and now in prison. Others such as jury members, psychologists and lawyers also speak out in this documentary. 

“I think it is good for the people who want to hear about the story but without the entertainment aspect,” Poole said. 

In the documentary the case is broken down from the night of the murders to the sentencing. The brothers explain what they were thinking and feeling and give insight on their side of things. 

“For me, the documentary seemed like a way for them to continue defending their horrible actions,” Sefchock said. “At the end of the day, murder is murder.” 

The brothers were separated from each other for more than 20 years until they were reunited at Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, where they remain incarcerated. 

“I feel like separating them wasn’t fair,” Poole said. “They went through so much together and when they needed each other most they were ripped away from each other.”  

The boys were separated because they were considered maximum security inmates. Prison officials also prefer to separate people who have committed crimes together. 

“I think they needed to be separated,” Sefchock said. “I mean they planned murder together, so they clearly weren’t good influences on each other. They needed that time apart.” 

The case has been particularly popular with younger generations. With young adults and teenagers being more active on social media, especially TikTok, they have been able to build communities of people who share their views. 

Supporters of the brothers have created movements and are pushing for a retrial and for them to be released from prison. 

“Going back to when this happened, abuse of all kinds wasn’t stuff that was talked about,” Poole said. “Gen Z has more of a broad knowledge and understanding on abuse and they sympathize with them because they were not heard.” 

Now the brothers are 53 and 56 and although they are still in prison, they have found ways to pass time.  

Erik has worked with terminally ill inmates, has become interested in studying medicine and has led classes about religion. Lyle has become interested in prison reform. 

 Both brothers have become interested in painting and have set up a plan to paint a mural on walls in their prison. They have also offered support and guidance to other victims of childhood abuse. 

“They deserve a chance to be happy,” Poole said. “They should be able to live a life that isn’t a constant reminder of their past and parents. That can only happen if we set them free.” 

Luke Bryan, $uicideboy$ and Billie Eilish Tours 

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By: Kerrick Shaw

The Fall season brought cool temperatures, leaf-covered sidewalks and another year of Luke Bryan’s Farm Tour. 

Bryan wrapped up his 15th iteration of the Farm Tour just 20 miles from Greensburg in Smithton, Pennsylvania, on September 28. The tour had only six shows in total and took place over the course of nine days, starting in Grantville, PA, on September 19. The tour featured special guests Conner Smith, The Peach Pickers with Rodney Clawson, Tucker Wetmore and DJ Rock.  

Four of the shows were held at never-before-played family farms, including the Smithton show at the Cunningham Family Farm. 

Luke Bryan’s stage set up on the Cunningham’s Family Farm.

Photo Courtesy: Brooke Ropchock

“I enjoy going to concerts, I like to go to at least a couple country concerts a year,” Learning Support teacher Mr. Luke Ewing said. “Going to the Farm Tour was something I haven’t done before, so I was really excited to experience it.” 

Several roads were closed and only available to local residents in anticipation of the heavy traffic from nearly 20,000 fans attending the show. Mr. Ewing said this led to “turnarounds,” “overflows” and long waits for parking. 

With the overwhelming attendance and through the help of the tour’s presenting sponsor, Bayer, Bryan has been able to provide over nine million meals to Feeding America food banks since 2015 with his hashtag campaign, #Herestothefarmer. 

“He mentioned at the concert, if you post the show, to use the hashtag,” Ewing said. “He comes and plays at these farms and in doing that he’s really able to give back; you don’t see a lot of artists do that. He’s helping a lot of people out.” 

On the day following the Farm Tour’s end, PPG Paints Arena was packed full for the fifth annual $uicideboy$ Grey Day tour.   

Since its first run in 2019, Grey Day has been combining rap and hardcore genres with its long list of supporting artists over the years, some of which have been smaller artists from $uicideboy$’ record label, G*59. 

“I had so much fun with everyone around me,” senior Brenna Kohl said. “The experience was great. The energy, the music and seeing the career they’ve built for themselves was so good to be a part of.” 

For this 41-date arena and amphitheater North American tour, $uicideboys$ were joined by Denzel Curry, Pouya, Haaper, Shakewell and Ekkstacy. The tour began in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 7 and wrapped up in Lincoln, Nebraska on October 11. 

“The openers were good, but I was most looking forward to the boys themselves,” Kohl said. “The people I was with loved the openers though, so I was glad to dance and try to sing along with them.” 

This year is their fourth time visiting Pittsburgh during the Grey Day tour, but only the second time they’ve played PPG Paints; the first two shows instead being at Stage AE. 

“They gave a great show with such a large crowd and really expressed their emotions in the music,” she added. 

On the same day, Billie Eilish kicked off her Hit me Hard and Soft tour in Quebec City, Canada. The tour has 83 total shows; the North American leg ends mid-December, and the entire tour will last until late July of 2025.  

Eilish stopped at PPG Paints Arena on October 13 for her ninth show this year, supported by Nat & Alex Wolff. 

“I’ve heard so many good things about her concerts and it completely lived up to my expectations,” senior Carlie Wilcox said. “It was my second big concert of an artist I’ve been listening to for years. It was amazing.” 

Similar to Bryan’s efforts to give back, Eilish is committed to making a difference with environmental impacts. A portion of all ticket sales during the North America leg will go to REVERB, a nonprofit organization trying to educate and engage musicians and their fans on environmental sustainability. 

Every show will have two REVERB Eco-Villages, a place for fans to help take action for the planet, at the main entrance. 

“I wanted to go because the music itself was meaningful, too,” Wilcox said. “Some of her music is sad and some is exciting; she really made you feel the music with her. The performance she gave with each song made the show unforgettable.” 

Pittsburgh has over 100 more concerts coming throughout the remainder of the year and into next. Upcoming Stage AE shows include Ken Carson and Tucker Wetmore on Oct. 22 and Nov. 9 respectively. PPG Paints Arena has almost 20 upcoming shows such as Iron Maiden playing on Nov. 8, Rod Wave on Nov. 12 and Justin Timberlake on Dec. 14. 

“We have the golden opportunity to see any kind of concert we could want with Pittsburgh only an hour away,” Ewing said. “Having all these venues so close is awesome.” 

Election Day 

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By: Emma Helmick 

Election day is right around the corner. 

The 2024 election will take place Nov. 5 all around the country. The polls people will attend are based upon their address.  

“Young or old, if you’re a citizen, your voice needs to be heard,” Law and Economics teacher Mrs. Beth Simone said. “That’s the point of democracy; that we all have a voice.”  

The presidential nominees are Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Harris will be running alongside Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Trump is joined by Senator JD Vance. 

A poster of an electoral map with results from 2020 that hangs in Mrs. Simone’s room.

Photo By: Emma Helmick

The Pennsylvania senator race is between Republican nominee Dave McCormick and Democratic incumbent Bob Casey. 

“We’re not all going to be happy with the end result, but, if we don’t go out and vote and if we don’t exercise that power, we lose that power,” Mrs. Simone said. “It becomes more likely for someone to just be able to take power if we’re not making sure to use ours.” 

The deadline to register to vote both in person and by in-mail ballot was Oct. 21. 

“I have registered to vote this year, I looked into the candidates, and I’ve seen what their policies are and how they plan to address issues, so I do plan to vote this election,” senior Hannah Stillwagon said. 

Young people who are not currently eligible to vote but will be by the election can still register now. 

“News sources aren’t really influencing me because they are usually biased, most of the news and commercial ads are,” senior Brenna Kohl said. “I’m trying to make my decision based on what they say in their own speeches and debates.” 

For the past few months, news channels and commercials have taken over, as well as political texts, calls, emails and social media posts. 

It is easy to get lost in information by relying on that type of media. So it is important to keep up with the candidate’s websites and steer clear from staying loyal to just one news channel. 

“Know what key issues matter to you and then see how the candidates match up,” Simone said. “I’ve literally never found a candidate that believes everything I’ve ever wanted. I look to see what really matters to me and then who matches up best with that.” 

Red Ribbon Week 

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By: Quinn Isenberg 

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.”  

All About Senior Year 

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by: Samarah Guy  

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.  

Moe’s Grand Opening

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by: Adison Poole 

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 Active Transportation Plan

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by: Kerrick Shaw 

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.”