The world’s largest rubber duck is splash landing at Idlewild this summer.
Idlewild is one of many amusement parks in the Pittsburgh area. They opened May 24 and this is the 148th season.
“I go every year with my family,” junior Mariah Mann said. “I have two younger siblings and it’s something we enjoy doing together. Personally, I am very excited that they are adding the rubber duck; I think it will bring some personality to the park.”
An example of a season pass to Idewild
Photo by: Ever Schmidt
The rubber duck is going to be part of a special event from June 27-29 at Idlewild as a part of duck themed games and merchandise, according to CBS News. This year is going to be the first since 2013 that the duck is visiting the Pittsburgh area.
“I have gone since I was a little kid, even now that I am an adult,” math teacher Mr. Jake Cole said. “My daughter is a little over two years old and this is going to be the first year we are going to be taking her.”
Many people, like Mr. Cole, have gone from a young age and continue to go with their families. Now, as summer approaches, people are ready to enjoy the water again. Health and Physical Education teacher Mrs. Alyssa Lukatch has season passes.
“I have season passes and I’m going to take my daughter,” Mrs. Lukatch said. “We have already gone once this year and have more fun memories.”
District Approves $535K for iPads and MacBooks in 5–4 Vote
Students will be welcomed with new electronics next school year following the $535,000 funding approved by the GS School Board.
The decision, which followed a split vote of 5-4, will fund the purchase of updated devices and classroom technology designed to support student learning. The plan is part of the district’s ongoing effort to keep pace with the evolving demands of digital education.
The funding will provide 900 iPads for high school students and 65 MacBook Air laptops for teachers.
“We investigated multiple options for student use, including HP laptops, Google Chromebooks and iPads,” GS Superintendent Dr. Ken Bissell said. “Ultimately, the iPads met all of the instructional and learning needs and were the most cost-effective in building a four-year cycle of device replacement. The cost of the device includes a keyboard case, a plan for broken or replacement devices, and a buy-back plan at the end of the 0% lease.”
The total cost per device will be $513, according to Dr. Bissell; but this price will be discounted after the buyback by Apple in four years.
Although the vote was not unanimous, board members who supported the investment emphasized the need to modernize the district’s educational tools. Board member Ms. Kacey Byrne-Houser described technology as “vital” rather than a luxury.
The exterior of a students’ old laptop
Photo by: Kerrick Shaw
“It’s a smart, forward-thinking move that aligns with where education is headed,” Ms. Byrne-Houser explained. “This new approach not only saves money over time, but also supports sustainability and better tech management. I have a great deal of trust in our school administrators who spent considerable time researching and evaluating options before bringing this recommendation forward.”
In agreement, board member Mr. Brian Conway thinks the access to technology is essential, stating that the new electronics “will allow the district to ensure that the necessary devices are available.”
“Initially, I had reservations about transitioning from laptops to tablet devices,” Mr. Conway said. “However, after considering the inclusion of protective cases and keyboards, along with assurances from the administration that no additional technology would be necessary to facilitate the change, I ultimately supported it.”
While some board members opposed the purchase due to cost concerns, board Vice President, Mrs. Robin Savage, voted against the purchase based on the limited time board members had to fully review the details before voting.
“The main reason I voted against it is we were not given what I believe was enough time to review,” Mrs. Savage explained. “As a board member, I felt that we should have had a thorough discussion and had more time to review the proposal.”
Despite the differing viewpoints, the district will be able to move ahead with its technology replacement in time for the 2025–26 school year.
Students, who use the current laptops on a daily basis for everything from taking notes to submitting assignments, are especially eager about the arrival of the new technology. Sophomore Kelsey Wigfield said she found out about the purchase through teachers.
“I’m excited to have a working school device,” Wigfield said. “Our laptops now never wanted to load and are very slow; they freeze a lot, too. I know from having my own iPad that they work really well even if they’re not brand new.”
Students current laptop conditions
Photo by: Kerrick Shaw
Sophomore Grady Rizzo heard about the iPads from other students. He explained the new electronics will be “great” as he uses his laptop in nearly every classroom.
The implementation of this Apple package is one of the most significant steps in upgrading the educational process over recent years, going along with multiple upgrades underway at different buildings in the district.
“At the end of the day, this isn’t just about upgrading devices,” Ms. Byrne-Houser said. “It’s about investing in our students’ future, supporting our educators, and making sure our district stays ahead of the curve.”
The sun is setting for seniors as the school year comes to a close.
To wrap up the seniors’ final week, clubs such as SCA have planned several fun events to celebrate the upcoming graduation.
“The next two weeks are going to be extremely busy,” senior Kayla Ramer said.
Over the course of the last two weeks of the school year, seniors will have the opportunity to participate in activities such as senior sunset, a class picnic and a spirit week just for seniors.
Seniors Alice Wilkinson and Olivia Smith pose in their favorite FNL themes
Photo by: Adison Poole
“Senior sunset is one of the newer ones,” SCA advisor Mr. Christopher Gazze said. “One of our senior class officers proposed that and it got approved a few years ago. It’s just kind of a cool hangout with a smaller group of people.”
Earlier in the year seniors participated in a senior sunrise. This was a day when seniors gathered in the gravel parking lot and were able to hangout with friends and watch the sunrise.
“We had a huge crowd for fall’s (event), so it would be cool it you guys could match that,” Mr. Gazze said.
Seniors also can take a walk through their old elementary school dressed in caps and gowns to visit old teachers and show off their graduation gear for the younger kids.
“I’m excited to see all my old teachers,” Ramer said. “I think it’s such a cute idea.”
At each of the scheduled events students can expect food and snacks provided and games such as spike ball and cornhole.
“I plan on playing spike ball the whole time,” senior Everett Redinger said.
Class picnics also provide students with one last opportunity to hang out before graduation. Students who ordered them receive their yearbooks right before, so it provides students with time to get them signed.
Seniors also had a chance to participate in a spirit week for their last week of school. The themes chosen were dress as your younger or older self-day, favorite FNL theme, dress as your favorite teacher and decision day.
“The themes made the week interesting,” senior Alice Wilkinson said. “I made sure to go all out since this is my last one ever.”
SCA plans events such as these to bring students together one last time and as a sort of send off to the graduating class.
“I think it’s good to hang out,” Ramer said. “It’s nice to all be together one last time.”
The class of 2025 had their academic and athletic achievements recognized with two assemblies open to parents, guardians and fellow classmates.
Each May, GS honors its seniors with academic and extra curricular assemblies mentioning the scholarships and achievements seniors have received. This year the class of 2025 welcomed parents and guardians to come and acknowledge their accomplishments.
The first assembly was Tuesday, May 20and it honored the Athletics and Activities successes students have completed throughout their high school careers. Varsity letters students earned through sports, as well as some students’ extra activities they took part in throughout high school, such as the gifted program, as well as band and choral talents, were recognized throughout the assembly.
Students on stage listen to a speaker at the awards ceremony
Photo by: Theresa Schuetz
“I was recognized for being a four sport athlete, and I was also recognized for the Westmoreland County Scholar Athlete award,” senior Olivia Smith said.
Wednesday, May 21 marked the Academic Achievements Ceremony. Students were recognized for scholarships, their involvement in Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center and the rigorous courses they have taken.
“I learned about the scholarships and the scholarships page on the class of 2025’s Teams page,” senior Bailie Merichko said. “Once I filled out certain scholarships, some of them directed me to others I also was applicable for.”
No matter what the Members of the Class of 2025’s goals are for the future, GS or WCTC helped lay down a foundation for their goals and may have inspired post secondary plans.
“It is okay if you change direction or don’t know what you want to do after high school,” guidance office Administrative Assistant Mrs. Julie Ebersole said. “Life is about trying, experimenting, failing and learning; test the waters until you find what is right for you.”
The crowd roared as students were treated to dance battles, history and stories for culture day
The foreign language students usually come together at the end of the semester to create presentations, songs, skits and more as their final project. The shows were during first and second block.
“I love seeing students so excited about something related to foreign language,” Spanish teacher Miss Miranda Filak said. “I think it is uplifting to see such excitement brought to a class that sometimes people might associate with grammar and vocabulary when it is so much more than that.”
Every class had the opportunity to go; it was up to the teachers and if they were willing to take their students or not.
“A big improvement we made this year was more performances,” senior Greta Hagofsky said. “In years past, kids would sometimes do just presentations, but this year we saw a lot more of students partaking in dancing and singing.”
French and Spanish Students present their projects for the crowd
Photo Courtesy: Kayla Tamer
Some of the acts changed between the first and second block show, but some are performed twice for the new audience.
TikTok content creator Maddox is Bussin’ not only attended this semester’s Culture Day, but he also participated in a dance battle on stage. His attendance was advertised around the high school and on social media days prior.
“It was a way for us to draw more kids to Culture Day,” Hagofsky said. “We saw a big turn out this year and I think we partially have Maddox to thank for it.”
Maddox came out on stage at the end of the second block show. He danced against seniors Wesley Heverly and Lauryn Swierczynski. The audience voted Maddox as the winner.
“I think that Culture Day was super fun, and it taught me a lot of things about what people in the French and Spanish cultures practice, do in their lives and are accustomed to,” freshman Ava Richards said.
The goal of Culture Day is to allow students to educate their peers about what they have learned throughout the semester. “I hope that it gives all students the opportunity to be exposed to something outside of what they see every day,” Miss Filak said. “Even if it’s just a minute or two of a catchy song in another language, it is always exciting to see students being exposed to something new and different.”
Trading smartphones for s’mores, a group of seniors took a step back in time to guide sixth graders through the Camp Soles experience.
19 GS senior mentor students were offered an opportunity to attend the annual sixth grade field trip to Camp Soles. Sixth grade students at GS Middle School have been going on this trip for 55 years and GS plans to continue the tradition.
“It was really nice to get a better idea of what everything looked like because I kind of forgot,” senior Braedon Leatherman said. “It’s crazy how big everything seemed because of how small I was.”
Camp Soles sits on 264 acres, offering wetlands, a lake, woods, meadows and other environmental attractions. This is a perfect opportunity for the students to combine learning and fun. Whether the students were figuring out how to get across the challenge course, ziplining, or testing the water quality, they were constantly learning through real experiences.
“I really like fishing, finding little water bugs in the creek, and the wetlands,” Leatherman said.
Seniors who went back to Camp Soles pose for a group photo in the dining hall.
Photo Courtesy: Mrs. Rachel Brannigan
At the beginning of the school year, each senior mentor was offered a trip to Camp Soles if they had perfect attendance to freshman mentor sessions. Seniors were in charge of groups of sixth grade students to mentor them through the activities.
“To be able to get Seniors back to that spot, I felt was somewhat of a ‘full circle’ moment,” History teacher Mr. Matthew Boe said. “I’m grateful administration gave us the green light to get back.”
The trip included hands-on activities which encouraged all students to use teamwork and collaboration skills. All of the activities were spread across two and a half days for each sixth-grade group, with senior mentors joining in for one of those days.
“I feel like the sixth graders were happy that we were there,” senior Blessing Gantt said. “I feel like we made them have more fun especially since the day we went was rainy and cold.”
As older students, seniors being able to go allowed for aspiring students to have role models and mentors to guide them through the experience. The mentors were in charge of showing students how to be respectful, responsible, and kind, all while being able to learn and have fun.
“To have Seniors back leading groups of 6th graders around and sharing their experiences I think was beneficial,” Mr. Boe said. “At the same time, it was in some ways a chance to say thank you to those Senior Mentors for their commitment to helping others find their path and making GS a better place for it.”
The hope for the seniors and the sixth graders is to interact and work together. The seniors were very excited to be able to go back and experience the amazing field trip to Camp Soles.
“I was super excited to put a place to all the memories I made there in sixth grade,” Leatherman said. “I also made a bunch of new friends there that I got to go back with as seniors, so that was nice.”
The Camp Soles field trip served as a valuable experience not just for the middle school, but also for the seniors who got to revisit a part of their middle school career. It was more than just a tradition; it was an opportunity to build connections, create memories, and to give back while reflecting on their journey through school.
“I really enjoyed going,” Gantt said. “It brought back a lot of memories, especially sitting in the dining hall and going near the fire.”
Students and teachers watched social media as influencers crowded the stages to see popular music stars perform at the famous music festival known as Coachella.
The 24th annual Coachella music festival took place in California from April 11-13 and April 18-20.
The world’s largest transportable Ferris wheel, featured at Coachella.
Photo Courtesy: Mrs. Maurissa Auer
“I didn’t really follow who was actually performing this year, but I do always enjoy the fashion,” senior Ksena Spencer said. “I saw other people saying that the performers didn’t get enough appreciation this year.”
Many artists headlined over the weekends including Lady Gaga on Friday, Green Day on Saturday and Post Malone and Travis Scott on Sunday. Several other artists performed leading up to the main stages.
“My sister-in-law went and she said it was fun,” Chorus teacher Miss Marissa Auer said. “She said it was really high energy, and she saw influences.”
Over the years, fewer celebrities attend the event because it has become less elite. It has become overcrowded with influencers recording every moment. This is caused by brands sponsoring them.
“Most people my age watch their favorite influencers or famous people go to Coachella and like to keep up with what they’re doing,” junior Lily Ewing said.
Even with all of the famous pop stars who perform, social media usually focuses on the guests who attend and what they are doing throughout the festival.
“I mean, it’s a bit bizarre watching people pay so much money on clothing, camping equipment and the actual concert part of it itself,” Spencer said.
From handwritten notes to sweet signs, this year’s proposals are just as unforgettable as the night itself.
Prom tickets were on sale from April 22-25which means students will be getting asked to go left and right. Students turned in their packets to SCA Advisor Mr. Christopher Gazze’s room last week. Many students in past years have asked their date with promposals.
“I planned my promposal by getting inspiration from pictures online and getting other people’s opinions,” junior Andrew Lehnhardt said. “Once I had my idea, I bought the supplies I would need, then I went to her house and surprised her.”
Lehnhardt’s candle-lit promposal.
Photo Courtesy: Andrew Lehnhardt
Promposals are a way for students to ask someone to prom in a memorable way. They often involve signs, gifts or even sometimes setup surprises. Many students will go all out for their promposal to make prom more special for the people going. Asking in this way also makes people excited to go to prom with their date.
“I used her interest in music to ask her because I knew she would enjoy it,” senior Keegan Young said.
The way someone asks their date to prom can reflect their personalities or interests. No matter the approach, promposals are a way of creating a meaningful moment for everyone.
“My favorite promposals were both Mr. GS related,” Mr. Gazze said. “One of them happened on stage where they thought they were a part of the act and then they got asked in that way.”
For girls, a promposal can be a really special moment. Many girls look forward to seeing the time and energy that they put into asking them. Reactions can be different for everyone, but they’re often seen as a way to make the invitation to prom memorable.
“I was surprised with a cute promposal,” junior Elora Gridley said. “He gave me flowers as a gift, and I loved it.”
For many years people have been asking others to prom in this way. With prom just around the corner, the excitement to see classmates promposals is high. With just a few weeks left until the big night, it’s likely that more promposals will pop up at GS.
“I am excited for prom,” Lehnhardt said. “I think it will be a cool experience.”
Needles dropped on spinning vinyl after crowds of eager collectors filled music shops to celebrate Record Store Day.
April 5 marked the 18th annual Record Store Day, an event that honors independent record stores with exclusive, limited new releases. In many cases, fans crowd the sidewalks before a store’s opening in an attempt to get the record they’re looking for.
For Greensburg’s local music store, CD Warehouse, nearly 200 people were in line.
The hall leading into CD Warehouse’s ‘Retro Room,’ where RSD releases were available.
Photo Courtesy: Michael Casper
“Being a part of Record Store Day is truly exciting,” CD Warehouse owner Michael Casper said. “It’s a fun day overall for everyone involved. Ultimately, my favorite part is seeing the amount of people that come out and support a small, locally owned business.”
Around 1,400 stores participate in the celebration, which makes distribution of the releases challenging, according to Casper. He explained that stores are “not guaranteed” to get everything they order for the event.
“We ordered 50 Gracie Abrams albums, but only received 10,” he said. “They only made 12,000 of them, so all stores only got a percentage of what they ordered. A total of 2,000 ‘Wicked’ Soundtracks were made for Record Store Day; you can imagine how limited that is.”
Some artists found in the 2025 releases included Taylor Swift, Post Malone, Wu-Tang Clan, The Cure and many more. About 330 titles were available for this year’s date.
The Cure’s “Head on the Door” vinyl picture disc, released for RSD 2025.
Photo by: Kerrick Shaw
Art teacher and record collector, Mr. Darryl Audia, said that events like RSD are helping to revitalize the use of physical media.
“There’s a lot that you miss out on with digital media,” Mr. Audia said. “Growing up with cassettes, mainly, you had something to look at and something to hold in your hand. I often find myself creating a playlist but never listening to an artist’s entire album; records are great for fixing that.”
For students, records are making somewhat of a comeback as well; some have listened to records their entire lives through family, and others are just diving into collecting albums recently. Freshman Annabelle Volk explained that she is “actively exploring new music” while looking for fairly priced albums.
“I have about 20 records right now,” Volk said. “I normally go to CD Warehouse and find them for a decent price. I didn’t see anything from this year about Record Store Day, but I am really looking forward to learning more about it and experiencing it next year.”
Another student, junior J’Taime Turner-Hill, collects records because of her grandma.
“Growing up, she had a bunch of records,” Turner-Hill said. “Every Christmas she’d play the Michael Jackson Christmas album; it was like a tradition. I got a big bin full of records from her, I couldn’t even count how many.”
The enthusiasm from younger collectors hasn’t gone unnoticed by record stores. Casper acknowledged how the support from people, especially on RSD, is “amazing” and would be for any store.
“It’s exciting to see how we have grown and have been able to provide more people with the opportunity to get so many titles,” Casper said. “We have tried to make Record Store Day our own celebration; all of the employees here get really excited seeing everyone come to support small businesses. It’s amazing to see the support, and it feels good knowing that we’re doing a good job at providing physical media.”
President Donald Trump stopped tariffs for 90 days on goods that are transported to the United States from other countries.
“It’s affecting the world already, prices are starting to go up, the stock market is also taking a big hit,” accounting teacher Mr. Lou Downey said. “It’s going to be a tough adjustment for everybody, not just the United States.”
The current price of two dozen eggs at WalMart.
Photo by: Ever Schmidt
President Trump uses the tariffs to bring people who live in the U.S. to buy products made here. He made transported items more expensive, encouraging consumers to buy U.S. made products because they are made in America. They seem cheaper because the transported products have increased in price.
“I see why the president is doing this,” Mr. Downey said. “They have tariffs on our stuff, and we were tariffing them.”
According to CNN, Trump signaled a potential U-turn on the trade war with China. Chinese prices of items will come down, but the tariffs won’t be zero. China eventually refused to lower the prices on tariffs and have a 125% increase on US goods.
“Honestly I didn’t know much about tariffs, but I have noticed gas prices decreasing then rising again,” sophomore Bryland Haile said. “Whatever Trump decides to do everyone will have to deal with it, so I’m not letting it consume my life.”
According to Fox Business, the price of crude oil prices could be increased 10-20 cents when tariffs are back in effect for gasoline.
Not only have gas prices taken a toll, but students who buy from online stores such as Shein, Temu and Ali Express have also noticed a change in buying their items.
“Recently I have noticed how expensive shipping is,” junior Nova Miller said. “While shipping used to be only a few dollars, now it has become almost twice that. Honestly with the tariffs people are going to start buying U.S. made products, but many online stores are going to lose customers because no one wants to pay $10-$15 for shipping.”
The Lions' Den 