Various business locations have been rapidly cleaning out in Greensburg.
Route 30’s Dick’s Sporting Goods, the South Greensburg Wendy’s restaurant and Greengate Center’s Big Lots have all been affected in recent months by poorly performing locations or filing for bankruptcy.
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Following the closing of its Route 30 location, the Westmoreland Mall is welcoming a Dick’s House of Sport into an anchor space in the mall that was previously occupied by Sears. Computer Science teacher Mr. Tyler Brinton believes the new store will be “great for the community.”
“It’ll be a really great place for kids to get sports gear, especially being in the mall,” Mr. Brinton said.
The House of Sport offers a more interactive experience for customers than a normal Dick’s Sporting Goods location; they are often larger than a Sporting Goods, with most locations, such as at Ross Park Mall, featuring golf simulators, spaces to practice sports and a 30-feet-tall rock wall. The store will also offer the expected athletic apparel and equipment.
The outside of the Greensburg Dick’s location after being shut down.
Photo By: Kerrick Shaw
Wendy’s and TGI Fridays
The Wendy’s restaurant located on South Main Street was one of over 100 U.S. restaurants closed in 2024 from failing to keep up with other spots. These closing sites will be balanced out by the opening of around 250 new restaurants across America.
The outside of the South Greensburg Wendy’s.
Photo By: Kerrick Shaw
“I was told we closed because our lease was up and we didn’t make enough to pay it,” Wendy’s employee, junior Nova Miller, said. “We’re all set at a new store now. They moved all of the employees at the South Greensburg one to the Wendy’s by the mall; we’ve basically combined stores.”
The restaurant chain TGI Fridays filed for bankruptcy in November, leaving the location in the Hempfield Square shopping plaza, surrounded by Texas Roadhouse and PetSmart, available for lease. TGI Fridays Inc. operates less than 40 locations in the U.S.
Big Lots
Big Lots, located in the Greengate Shopping Center, recently had their windows covered with everything-must-go signs. The discount furniture and home décor chain filed for bankruptcy in September of last year, however, its debts were just picked up by Gordon Brothers, a global assets company.
According to the Gordon Brothers press release, their purchasing of Big Lots Inc. will preserve the brand, keeping “hundreds of stores in operation and preventing thousands of layoffs.”
Variety Wholesalers, a company included in the transfer of Big Lots’ assets, will operate about 200 stores under the Big Lots brand. Gordon Brothers will provide real estate services to support the future of Big Lots and have just put new-to-market store leases up for sale across 47 states, not including PA meaning the Greengate Center space will remain closed.
GS Libarian Mrs. Carrie Vottero believes the closing of these businesses is due to the ever-growing use of electronics.
“I remember shopping a different way than how young people, and myself, shop today,” Mrs. Vottero said. “It’s bound to change; the world is changing. More things are continuously going electronic, like Amazon and DoorDash. That’s just how people shop now.”
Students are stuck juggling their responsibilities while stocking shelves or handing out orders with homework due the next morning.
Some teenagers begin their search for work once in high school, but with both school and a job, students might struggle to manage their time efficiently.
“It is definitely hard to manage my time because my plate is full with school, work and softball,” junior Maggie Alcorn said. “It gets challenging, but I try my best to work around my work schedule.”
Sports and other extracurricular activities can make it especially hard to handle the workload. Senior Katie Shea, Fundraising Director for Mini-THON, said that most employers are “more lenient towards students.”
“If something comes up for Mini-THON or volleyball, I make sure to let my manager know right away,” Shea said. “They usually understand with high school students that school comes first; if your job gets in the way, you need to put it on the back burner.”
Principal Mr. Adam Jones believes that having a job isn’t as important as some students make it out to be, saying that students who participate in school activities like clubs, musicals or athletics should focus on those. However, Mr. Jones also understands that jobs teach teenagers life skills that they cannot learn in school.
Comic by: Kerrick Shaw
“I think going to school is your primary job,” Jones said. “If the time you’re committing to your job is impacting your studies or if your grades are going down then you need to set your priorities. I hear so many kids say that they have to work, but school should be number one on their list.”
Regardless of her busy schedule that can sometimes be a struggle, Alcorn thinks it is very important for high schoolers to have a job, saying it gives teenagers an “early work ethic.”
“I started working the summer before my freshman year; I was fourteen,” she said. “I would recommend getting a job early and working hard. I think working will only get harder as you leave high school.”
Shea agrees it’s ideal to start working as soon as possible. She explained that it teaches responsibility and is a different way for teenagers to meet new people.
“I started working at the end of my junior year,” she said. “I’m a food runner which can sometimes be difficult because we have three floors, so having to run food up three floors as quickly as possible can be really tiring. I also have to close on school nights at times which means I don’t get home until 11:30 some nights.”
Balancing work on top of school requires adjustments for teenagers and its important to ensure that responsibilities, like good grades, will be maintained.
“Each individual is different,” Jones said. “Some students can juggle high level courses and a 30-hour work week; some can’t, and that’s okay. Everything really depends on what the kids are comfortable with and what they need to do. It’s important to remember what comes first.”
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.”
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.”
Students and staff at GS were met with a few unexpected changes after walking through the school doors this year.
Many changes have been made throughout the high school for the 2024-2025 school year. Former high school English and creative writing teacher Ms. Alyssa Bewszka and former high school math teacher Mr. Scott Shirey were moved to teach at the middle school.
Ms. Bewszka’s old room number.
Photo by: Emma Helmick
Former science teacher Mr. Angelo Testa left the district, but a teacher has been hired to replace him. Building substitute Mrs. Joan Zahorchak is filling in for his classes until the new teacher arrives.
Unlike Mr. Testa, no one has been hired to replace Mr. Shirey or Ms. Bewszka. This resulted in Sports Stats and Creative Writing being cut as classes.
“The middle school lost two teachers, they left,” High School Principal Mr. Adam Jones said. “So, they needed a math and an English position. They absorbed two from up here, so all of that trickled down to why you see those courses being cut.”
Bewszka’s room was turned into a life skills classroom, while Shirey’s room is used by Dean of Students Mr. Jeff Kronewetrer during the afternoon for his Freshman Seminar classes.
“I am very sad to hear the class is gone because I felt it gave many students an outlet to write freely and really express themselves,” Bewszka said. “Many of the students, if not all of the students in my Creative Writing class, really enjoyed what we did and enjoyed the class as a whole.”
Both teachers received a phone call over the summer telling them that they would be teaching at the middle school.
“I taught middle school before and didn’t enjoy it very much, but I thoroughly enjoyed teaching at the high school,” Shirey said. “I also wish I knew I was being moved before the school year ended so I could have said proper ‘goodbyes’ to the students I made connections with and enjoyed talking to, as well as my coworkers.”
Sports Stats being removed left an open spot in Math teacher Mr. Jake Cole’s schedule, allowing him to take on the role of Shirey’s Math for the Trades class.
Both teachers’ classes were dispersed through other teachers in both subjects. This causes core subjects to have more students.
“I’ve noticed an increase with my class sizes this year, which is one of those things that they don’t realize when they move a teacher,” Mr. Cole said.
This could make it harder for teachers to check in with each student, which could impact some ways students learn.
“I think we lost two really great teachers who both brought joy into the classrooms,” junior Lorelai Leatherman said. “I never had Mr. Shirey, however he had lunch duty in my lunch last year, and he was always nice, welcoming, and made conversation with everyone. I did have Ms. B for creative writing last year, and she was one of my favorite teachers.”
Every school year brings new changes, and this year is no different.
During the class meetings held the first day of school, High School Principal Mr. Adam Jones and Dean of Students Mr. Jeff Kronenwetter reminded students of old and changing rules in the school. These included the returning cell phone rule, a change in second run bussing and the attendance policy.
The cell phone rule, initiated last year, dictates that each student is required to place their phone into numbered and assigned pockets before class. All students are prohibited from using phones during classes and exceptions must be approved prior to implementation.
A typical phone holder hangs on a door.
Photo by: Ari Case
“We did it [to] get kids more engaged in their learning,” Mr. Jones said.
Teachers have varying opinions on it, but most appreciate the value in removing classroom distraction.
“The teacher part of me loves it, [because] it is a distraction for students that have them out in class,” Mr. Kronenwetter said.
Student views on the rule are hard to quantify, but many agree with the idea—just not the execution. Some students aren’t normally on their phones but prefer to have them in backpacks or pockets.
“It’s not that I like being on my phone, but I like it being near me,” junior Nico Bortz said. “So at least I know if I need it in any case of emergency, it’s there.”
The rule has not changed since last year, but its application is stricter. Previously, many teachers did not mind if students kept their phones away in their bags or used them to listen to music during independent work time. This year, however, students felt some teachers had been rude or overbearing about their cell phones even if they did not want to be.
Bortz shared that the rule can distract them from learning more than their phone at times. One class they accidentally put their phone in the wrong numbered pocket, which prompted the teacher to disrupt class and have them move the phone.
Students, like senior Leia Felmley, feel the rules are causing “unnecessary mayhem” and extra stress.
This added stress, for students like Bortz, takes away from their learning.
“I come to school and I want to learn,” they said. “I don’t want to have to worry about making sure my phone’s put away so I don’t get a detention.”
Some have raised concerns about the potential negative impact on student learning when there is reliance on only school-provided technology. Historically, school devices and Wi-Fi networks are unreliable and cause consistent issues for many students and teachers.
“A lot of our classes depend on technology,” Felmley said. “A lot of us went through Covid, and [technology] was our only source of education.”
According to Jones, teachers are expected to have a backup plan for all lessons that can be completed without technology.
Reportedly, the blame would fall on teachers if students were caught with their phones during classes. This has increased classroom tension, and Felmley disagrees with the choice to broadly pressure teachers when only some behaviors are truly disruptive or problematic.
Education has changed drastically in large part due to the pandemic, coupled with technological advancements—many teachers have had to shift how they teach in recent years.
“The teacher’s job is to educate their students,” Felmley said. “They should not be punished for it [because] it’s making them feel like they aren’t doing a good job of teaching when they’re trying their best just to learn how to redo everything again.”
The high school also changed the procedure for second run bussing this year.
Previously, students who rode second run buses waited in the auditorium lobby or outside after school. This year, they are assigned seating areas in the auditorium based on which bus they ride and dismissed accordingly.
It was explained that the reason for changing the bussing procedure was initially unrelated to students. In previous years, the buses were often clumped and out of order, sometimes blocking the road. Along with some conflicts between students, the main goal was to organize things for the sake of safety and efficiency.
Students wait in the auditorium for their buses.
Photo by: Quinn Isenberg
Jones explained that “it just streamlines the process” of getting students home safely. He also said that it is important they are able to find students in case of emergency.
Second run bus riders have decidedly less positive views about the change.
“I absolutely hate it because [it] is wickedly hot in the auditorium, even though we have an air conditioning unit in there, and it seems like they aren’t applying something that they put lots of money towards,” Felmley explained.
She believes the air conditioning has been on some days, but it has not seemed like it most days.
Bortz expressed frustration at losing the freedom of standing outside.
“It feels like they’re treating us like elementary schoolers,” they said. “I don’t like being treated like that when I’m 16 years old in high school. It’s kind of annoying and demeaning.”
Both Bortz and Felmley resent being separated from friends and social groups.
“It feels like you’re being isolated, away from those people you normally would bond with,” Felmley said.
The bus procedure is new this year, but the attendance policy remains the same on paper as it has been for years.
In recent years, several unexpected challenges disrupted the attendance policy at GS. Now, Kronenwetter hopes to get attendance more consistent.
“We’re trying to help establish good habits,” he explained.
He expressed that during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, he was just glad to see students attending school at all.
The district policy is that any absences after 12 missed days count towards sanctions. A student on the sanctions list must make up two hours for every day missed over the limit and may not participate in school-related activities like sports or dances.
The school legally excuses any absence with a note, but notes from parents still mean an absence counts toward sanctions. Any absence excused by a third party, like a doctor, does not count toward the sanctions limit. Neither do pre-approved absences for vacations, college visits, job shadows and senior projects.
Bortz expressed concerns for specific medical and family situations, and the appearance of transcripts for college. Kronenwetter explained that he isn’t concerned about potential issues, because they can be handled on a case-by-case basis—and the rules aren’t the important part to him.
“I know the academics come first,” he said.
The policy has not significantly changed this year, so any grievances are largely the same as last year. General frustration at the scheduling of school is the most common, with such an early start in the morning.
“There’s so many reasons for being tardy to school that should be excusable, but to the school are not,” Bortz said, mentioning car and health problems.
Both Bortz and Felmley expressed concerns about COVID-19, considering the recent surge in cases. Current Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines do not have a set quarantine, though they were previously five days at least. Now, quarantining until fever-free and limiting contact while wearing a mask for several days are recommended.
According to Jones, the district has no current policy on COVID-19, and “it’s treated as any illness.” If you do not have a doctor’s note, days missed because of it will count towards the sanctions limit.
Amid student frustration and added stress from new rules and policies, most students just want to be treated like their opinions and experiences matter.
“I know that as a young adult, I hope that our voices will be heard,” Felmley said.
The Lions' Den 