46 total units were collected from 44 donors. There were 41 procedures which made the event one of the best conversion rates compared to all other high schools around.
“I thought SADD club did really well,” Secretary of SADD Lola Slavnik said. “I am excited for the Spring semester blood drive.”
Students and teachers filled in every single appointment, leaving 20 extra people on the waiting list. Most of these donors were left with the same question, where was their blood going and what was it going to do?
“It was a great experience, they were all so sweet for my first time donating, but I would like to know how they store and test it,” junior Marley Perrone said.
Perrone poses for a photo as she gets her blood taken.
Photo By: Emma Helmick
After the blood is donated to the Red Cross, it is sent to a processing lab in Johnstown where it is tested and tagged.
“When we say that your one donation can save up to three lives it is because there may be three products derived from your blood, such as red cells to treat trauma, plasma to help a premature baby and platelets to help a patient battling cancer,” Red Cross Strategic Business Planning Manager Cletus McConville said.
The Red Cross also takes the blood cells and separates them from red cells, platelets and plasma.
They take two units of blood from each person; it takes 51 ml to fill a bag.
“You never know when you or someone close to you will need blood,” McConville said. “Giving today ensures that lifesaving blood is available to patients in need. So, it is likely that if you or a loved one ever have a need, you would desire that others have the same generous spirit as you.”
It is important especially during the holiday season to help the community.
This season the Student Council Association (SCA) at GS did their part by participating in Operation Santa Claus.
Operation Santa Claus is a collaborative effort by Shop ‘n Save, Trib Total Media and the Salvation Army that aims to feed holiday meals to needy families across Western Pennsylvania.
Members of SCA pose for a group picture after helping the Salvation Army
load food into trucks.
Photo Courtesy: Ella Helman
“This year we served 2,500 families through 24 Salvation Army units across eight counties,” director of marketing at Trib Total Media Ms. Lindsay Bock said.
This is accomplished every year with the help of incredible volunteers. For the last 10 years members of SCA have given up their time to this cause.
“This gives back to local families, so having a chance to do that during a tough time of the year is a good opportunity for the kids,” SCA Advisor Mr. Christopher Gazze said.
This year was no different as SCA members went to help get the food out to those in need.
“While we were there, we took pallets of food, boxes and cans and loaded them onto different trucks that got shipped to places around town,” SCA communications liaison Julie Elias said.
Members of SCA were more than happy to spend their time doing this volunteer work.
“It was very fulfilling to be able to help members of the community who are less fortunate,” SCA President Rocco Himes said.
Many students are familiar with the benefits of volunteering, but not many think about volunteering as an opportunity to learn. Experiences like this can help those giving their time learn more about themselves and the community they are serving.
“It opened my eyes to the number of families who need a little extra help and are lucky enough to have programs like this one,” Elias said.
The program was praised by the volunteers as an all-around excellent experience.
“As a whole I think Operation Santa Claus is an amazing thing that not only brings volunteers together but also helps out families who need food in these times,” she said. “I think it is an amazing program.”
While Operation Santa Claus has come to an end, there are still many more opportunities to help the community. SCA will continue to lend a hand by volunteering throughout the school year.
“It’s good to help people out and I take pride in that,” Himes said.
The 2024 fall sports season held many challenges and successes for GS teams.
Fall sports include football, girls’ tennis, golf, boys’ soccer, girls’ soccer, boys’ cross country, girls’ cross country and volleyball.
FOOTBALL
The varsity football team had its best start since 1999.
“We did exactly what we wanted to do, coming out of the gate 4-0,” defensive coordinator Mr. Matthew Boe said.
The team finished 7-3 overall and 3-1 in conference play, placing fourth overall in the conference. Unfortunately, they lost in the first round of playoffs against the Avonworth Antelopes on Nov. 1.
After several difficult seasons, the seniors were very happy with their success.
GS clashes with members of the Valley High School football team.
Photo Courtesy: Brad Skero, Kryptic Media
“We’re kind of going out with a bang,” senior captain Cooper Dann said. “It feels good to win.”
This year, Dann was recognized for his efforts on and off the field. He was invited to be a part of the Steelers All-Peer Team, for which he will be honored at the Acrisure Stadium.
“He’s just a really good person,” Mr. Boe said. “I think it’s definitely earned.”
Boe explained that the return of several varsity starters, like Dann and fellow senior Kai Brunot, allowed the team to work from a better starting point.
For the game against Ligonier Valley on Sep. 30, Brunot was voted the PennLive state player of the week for his touchdown and 142 rushing yards. He received nearly 50% of the votes cast and contributed a lot to the team’s success.
Boe said that despite good plays like Brunot’s, there are a lot of things the team can improve on. He believes that the team can “absolutely control our destiny.”
He and Dann both expressed that the season held a lot of energy and optimism.
“Every single year, there’s an excitement for it,” Boe explained.
GIRLS’ TENNIS
Most of the team this fall was completely new to the sport.
The now graduated Class of 2024 filled six of seven varsity starters, leaving the team at a huge disadvantage this season.
They finished the season with a record of 1-10, but there was incredible improvement and individual successes.
“The record doesn’t indicate how much we progressed or how evenly matched the rounds were,” coach Mr. Christopher Gazze said.
Mr. Gazze went into the season with the hope of growth and improvement for the team to set up for next year.
“I feel like I learned a lot, and I ended up making really good friendships,” senior Anna Spigarelli said.
Spigarelli has been playing for three years and was a varsity starter this season.
Despite the record, the team is optimistic looking toward next year with the possibility of competing for playoffs.
“I think they have really good foundations,” Spigarelli shared about the underclassmen. “As long as they put in the work, they’ll do really well.”
GOLF
Having lost a large group of seniors last year, the season didn’t come with the highest expectations.
It was a welcome surprise when three freshmen made an incredible impact that led the team to an overall record of 9-6 with a section record of 8-4. Their section record resulted in third place in the section, only missing playoffs because of a loss in their final match against Mt. Pleasant.
One freshman in particular, captain Luke Sikora, was “a consistent contributor to the team,” according to coach Mr. Erik Doran.
Sikora, along with sophomore Bryce Ferace, qualified as individuals for WPIALs.
Only Sikora made the cut for finals, just missing the cut for round three. He tied for 18th, the cut for the round, but lost in the second playoff hole—resulting in a final placement of 19th.
“I didn’t play how I usually do, but it was fun,” Sikora explained.
He earned the WCCA Tournament Co-Champion title as well as the WPIAL AA Section 2 Champion title during the season.
“I’m excited for next year,” he said.
With many consistent players returning next year, the team hopes for another good season.
“Heading into next year, we are one of the favorites to make playoffs and win our section,” Mr. Doran said.
Sikora at the WCCA Tournament.
Photo by: Erik Doran
BOYS’ SOCCER
With many difficulties in a new section, the boys’ soccer team finished with a record of 3-17.
The season started with the loss of five varsity starters and a lot of uncertainty. Injuries constantly impacted the lineup, but the team still made many games closer than anticipated.
“[We] are learning that in order to play a complete match, we have to give maximum effort in practice as well as games,” coach Rich Christeleit explained.
Many players have improved individually, and the team put up a good fight in their new section.
“I think we’ve grown as a team,” junior captain Alex Swatchick said. “We’ll be looking forward to improving over the summer.”
GIRLS’ SOCCER
With a slow start to the season, the team pulled through with a 7-9 overall record and were 3-7 in section play.
Senior captain Alice Wilkinson said she was excited for her senior season but had been “hoping to do better.”
Much of the team, including Wilkinson, were optimistic about a shot at playoffs—which they fell just short of.
“We felt like we were in a good place to be successful,” coach Jess Melodia explained. “Over the last four years, the team has gotten stronger, faster and more resilient.”
Wilkinson expressed that regardless of game results, her favorite part was spending time with her team.
Most of the team share strong bonds that have only grown with them over the years. These connections have resulted in a lot of growth and success as a team.
Hopefully, in the next season it will pay off not only in team morale, but in their record as well.
“We are at a point where we are starting to consistently recognize the results of all the hard work we have put in,” Melodia said.
CROSS COUNTRY
Even with dwindling numbers, the cross country teams this season were very successful.
“It says a lot, to come out and have the record we have after losing who we lost,” coach Mr. Nathan Snider expressed.
The girls’ team had an overall record of 10-3, and the boys’ team had a record of 3-10.
With only four runners for the boys by the end of the season, they didn’t have enough to make a full team—their estimated record, if they would have had a fifth runner, is 9-4.
“It’s very disappointing to not be able to score as a team when you have four good runners,” Mr. Snider said.
The girls won the AA County title and placed 8th at WPIALs.
“We’ve had a lot of success this season,” senior Ksena Spencer said.
Senior captain Nick Reinhart had a positive outlook moving into the individual season.
Reinhart, along with fellow seniors Owen Noel and captain Regan Kerr, placed top 12 at the TSTCA Cross Country Championship Oct. 17 and advanced to the State Meet after qualifying at WPIALs.
Noel and Reinhart placed 80th and 90th respectively, out of 249 runners. Kerr placed 63rd out of 250 runners.
“It went well,” Reinhart said. “We all ran well, and it was definitely a good time.”
VOLLEYBALL
This season the team worked as hard as they could to see success—and it certainly paid off.
With an overall record of 15-4, they made it to the first round of the playoff season against Hampton on Oct. 23. Unfortunately, they were swept, losing the first three of five sets.
“These girls have worked so hard to get to this point,” coach Mrs. Rachel Brannigan said. “They showed up in the off season and show[ed] up at practice every day to work harder than the day before.”
They were excited for playoffs after placing second in the section.
“I have never been part of a team that has such an incredible bond and works so hard,” sophomore Patricia Redinger explained.
After placing last in the 2023 season, the success may be unexpected, but it was certainly earned.
“This is such an amazing group of girls all around,” Mrs. Brannigan said, “They lift each other up and work hard both on and off the court.”
—
As seasons end and new sports begin, school spirit at GS is one of the most important things for students to focus on.
“We have to continue to grow as a school [and] come together as a community to succeed,” Mr. Drake D’Angelo, Athletic Director, said.
This year’s hurricane season is bringing catastrophic damage to areas near not only the coasts, but also mountain areas that weren’t built to withstand harsh weather.
On Thursday, Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall for the first time in Florida. The storm continued its destructive path through Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee and both of the Carolinas.
Helene was a category four hurricane with wind gusts up to 140 mph. The storm lasted from Tuesday, Sept. 24 to Sunday, Sept. 29.
“My grandma’s house was hit by the storm,” senior Nolan McDade said. “She had trees down all around her house and one even landed on it.”
The damage not only devastated areas along the water, but also several mountain regions. Mudslides throughout the area caused destruction to properties everywhere.
Mudslides like these were reported throughout the Carolinas and Tennessee.
In some cases, these mudslides were deadly and claimed the lives of people caught in them. One family in North Carolina lost 11 members to Helene.
“I heard about how bad the damage was,” McDade said. “My grandma didn’t experience anything like that, though.”
Almost directly following Helene, Hurricane Milton raised concern throughout Florida. Prior to the storm making landfall, several news stations spoke of the threat posed by the upcoming storm. The hurricane reached category level 6 before eventually making landfall as a category 3.
The storm struck the Florida coast near Tampa Bay on Oct. 9. The storm spanned throughout the night and pushed through Tampa straight across Florida all the way to Melbourne.
“My sister Heidi attends USF, which is the University of South Florida,” senior Greta Hagofsky said. “She lives in Tampa, just off of campus.”
A tree down on apartments after Hurricane Milton.
Photo Courtesy: Greta Hagofsky
Many in the area fled to seek safety from the storms. The hurricane caused local hotel prices to skyrocket.
“On the day of the hurricane, they decided that they were going to stay in Orlando in order to stay safe,” Hagofsky said. “They paid triple the normal cost of the hotel because of the hurricane.”
Milton was responsible for 41 tornadoes and counting throughout the affected areas. Once all the damage surveys are completed that number will be expected to rise.
“Once it was over, they went back to their apartment complex,” she explained. “They have multiple buildings there and it wasn’t Heidi’s that got hit, but a big tree fell on one of the other buildings.”
Not only did Milton bring strong winds and flash floods, but also devastating tornadoes and storm surges. The storm also left 2.6 million without power and claimed 12 lives.
“They didn’t have power for three days of being there,” she said. “That was only after being back, but it was the third day they finally got their power back.”
Cleanup from the hurricanes is ongoing.
“There was a bunch of debris everywhere,” Hagofsky said. “There was just a lot going on with all the flooding and trees down. Luckily their apartment was perfectly fine, so they ended up being all good.”
With a record of 7-3, the GS football team made it to the first round of WPIAL playoffs. Although they lost the playoff game, the team had a memorable season.
By upsetting Southmoreland with a score of 28-21, GS finished their in-conference games with a winning season. This was enough for the team to receive a wild-card seed in the playoffs. This set them up to play Avonworth on Friday, Nov. 1.
“Beating Southmoreland to finish the regular season and sending the seniors off with a win at Offut was great,” Head Football Coach Mr. Tyler George said.
With a record of 2-8 for the 2023 football season, the team put in the work for this year’s winning season.
The GS Football team huddles up during a timeout.
Photo courtesy: Blessing Gantt
The players and coaches did things on and off the field to stay motivated and keep the team together.
“We would have someone come in and speak to the team on Thursday, show inspirational videos of alumni before games and leave motivational messages or goals on the board for players to see before games,” Coach George said.
While coaches put in the effort to prepare the team for what they would face while on the field, players had their own ways of ensuring they were ready.
“I really had to do my best to pay attention, work hard and lock in on and off the field,” senior Brady Smith said. “We also had team dinners and other things we would do that put me and the team in the right mindsets for Friday nights.”
The last time GS football went to the playoffs was in 2019. The team played against Blackhawk High School and lost 36-7.
Aside from this being the first time since 2019 to make playoffs, there were also other achievements.
“This was our first time starting 1-0 since 2013, first time starting 4-0 since 1999 and first winning record since 2011,” Coach George said.
Senior Kai Brunot also won fan votes for Pennsylvania Player of the Week for GS’ game against Ligonier Valley. The team won 43-14 and Brunot rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown.
Senior Peyton Chismar won Play of the Week for his interception return for a touchdown. Chismar stepped in front of a pass and ran it for a pick-6 during GS’ game against Southmoreland.
Senior Cooper Dann was put on The Steelers All-Peer Team for going above and beyond to provide support to his team. Dann was chosen along with 11 other high school football players for this team.
“The fans and their support have been beyond incredible,” Coach George said. “The amazing atmosphere on Fridays was because of the energy and passion for the kids and the program. I sincerely cannot thank them enough.”
The 2024 football season was one for GS to look back on. Coach George and the rest of the coaching staff and team will soon be starting preseason to start preparing for another successful season.
“I feel the team worked hard throughout the whole season,” Smith said. “When preparing for games, even if we thought we were the underdog, we stuck together and put our all into the game. This season was one for the football team to be proud of.”
Fans of Dancing with the Stars continue to watch on the edge of their seats as celebrities become dancers and waltz towards the Mirrorball trophy.
After the 500th episode on Nov. 12, NBA player Dwight Howard and pro Daniella Karagach were eliminated after scoring a 26/30 in their Argentine Tango and a 48/60 on their instant dance.
Nov. 19 was the semi-finals.
Along with the judges, fans across America can also vote by texting their favorites to a number up to ten times.
Four couples remain, Chandler Kinney and her partner Brandon Armstrong, Joey Graziadei and his partner Jenna Johnson, Stephen Nedoroscik and his partner Rylee Arnold and Ilona Maher and her partner Alan Bersten.
“I would like to see Ilona go home because while I like her, I don’t think she is as strong as the other competitors,” Chorus Director Ms. Maurissa Auer said.
But after the semi-finals, Ms. Auer changed her mind about the Rugby Olympian.
“I think after watching the semi-finals, I can tell she seemed a lot more confident and more sure of herself,” Auer said.
When it came to eliminations, fans were shocked to see that all couples survived.
“Rylee and Stephen are my favorites because Stephen was on the national gymnastics team, and I feel like they dance really well together,” junior Reese Price said.
Price re-watches an episode in her free time.
Picture by: Emma Helmick
Nedoroscik is a two-time Olympic medalist, and this is Arnold’s second year as a Dancing with the Stars professional dancer.
“Even though Jenna and Joey are my favorite couple, I think Chandler is really good and deserves to win,” senior Sloane Potter said.
Kinney has managed to be a fan favorite of both viewers and judges by having the best score from the semi-finals. She has been in several shows and movies.
“I expect Joey and Jenna to end up winning, though,” Potter said.
Graziadei was on season 20 of the Bachelorette and was the season 28 Bachelor and this is his partner Jenna Johnson’s 8th season dancing as a pro.
“The competition has been very high for a few years and this year has been full of very talented couples,” Price said.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
The Lions' Den 