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The Golden Lion Shoppe 

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By: Quinn Isenberg 

Students looking for a snack throughout the school day will be excited to hear that The Golden Lion Shoppe has reopened this school year.  

The shoppe is open every Tuesday and Thursday during advisory and is located across from the cafeteria. Students interested in the shoppe can get a pass from their advisory teacher to purchase items.  

“There’s mainly food, drinks and snacks like candy bars and chips,” shoppe supervisor Mrs. Leisa Ecklund said. “We also sell school supplies.”  

Food and school supplies aren’t all the shoppe has to offer. The Golden Lion Shoppe also acts as a way for students to get work experience.  

Students running The Lion Shoppe during advisory.

Photo by: Quinn Isenberg

“We wanted students to learn,” Mrs. Ecklund said. “We wanted the high school students to be able to come and get a snack and drink and then we also wanted our students to learn social skills that they can use for their future when they graduate high school.”  

The shoppe is an excellent simulation of what it’s like to work retail for the Life Skills students seeking work experience.  

“It feels like you’re actually doing business,” junior Joseph Sabolcik (JW) said.   

This business is teaching the students valuable things that they can take with them into adulthood and use in the real world.  

“It has taught me the different values of working and how it has more advantages than it seems,” freshman Belle Steward said.  

Working for the first time is difficult for most and can take time to adjust to. This opportunity is giving the students a head start in the workforce.  

“They get more comfortable interacting with other people,” Ecklund said. “I also see some students come out of their shell a little bit.”  

The shoppe not only benefits those who are working, but also the students who come to buy from them. 

“I can see the shoppe benefitting students because it provides a way for the students behind the register to learn how to use it, and it provides the students in front of the register a nice snack before third block,” sophomore Royce Boatright said.  

Proceeds from the shoppe are going towards supporting the Life Skills students for their hard work.  

“In the past we’ve used it towards field trips or educational tools for students like headphones,” Ecklund said. “Right now, we’re just trying to get up and running.” 

Unified Bocce 

Posted on by gshslionsdenadmin

By: Quinn Isenberg 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Players listen to instructions while watching the demonstration.

Photo by: Quinn Isenberg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Election Day 

Posted on by gshslionsdenadmin

By: Emma Helmick 

Election day is right around the corner. 

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

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

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

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

Photo By: Emma Helmick

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greensburg Summer Wrap-up 

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By: Kerrick Shaw 

The community is soaking up the sounds that carried them through the past three months as the summer season events end. 

The summertime was packed full of concerts, markets and other events to keep locals busy over break. The festivities kicked off with Elton Rohn, the Elton John tribute band, at St. Clair Park for SummerSounds. 

Elton Rohn performs at St. Clair Park for SummerSounds.

Photo Courtesy: David Baldinger

SummerSounds is an annual free concert series put together entirely by 50 volunteers who present Greensburg with a wide variety of musicians over 14 weeks. Preshows lasted from 6:15 to 6:45, the main show then starting at 7 p.m.  

“It’s a very exciting thing,” junior Maddox Kunkle said. “I think it’s done very professionally, it’s more top-of-the-line.” 

The SummerSounds lineup included various tributes and original acts to appeal to music lovers of all ages. This summer’s end marks 24 years of concerts for SummerSounds with more to come under new management from the Greensburg Community Development Corporation. 

“Because it’s free, anyone could go if they wanted,” Kunkle added. “People might’ve even been in for a surprise with what bands they saw.” 

Once a month on select Thursdays from April through December, the Greensburg Night Market is active across four city blocks with over 140 vendors selling foods, art, jewelry and much more. 

A typical view of the street during the Greensburg Night Market.

Photo Courtesy: Alex Newill

“The turnout for all the markets was pretty good this year,” owner and founder of the Night Market Ms. Jessica Hickey said. 

The Greensburg Vintage Market was also active throughout the summer season. Over 50 vendors gather throughout St. Clair Park and the parking lot behind the Amphitheatre, selling vintage décor, collectables, clothing and other vintage items along with food and plants.   

The vintage market set up.

Photo Courtesy: Alex Newill

“The heat can be a bit of a challenge during the summertime,” Ms. Hickey said. “We had a couple hot markets, but our water refill station and being in the park for some shade helped a lot.” 

On August 16, GS held the annual Back to School Bash at Offutt Field to kick off the 2024-2025 school year. 

“It seemed pretty crowded, and everyone had a great time,” Associate to the Superintendent and Back to School Bash Coordinator Mrs. Kayla Tamer said. “It was an exciting night.” 

The Bash was in conjunction with Mini-THON, which provided students and families with the dunk tank and cornhole fundraiser at the event. There were over 25 community vendors, 10 student organizations and five food vendors. 

Mr. Nick DeMary sits in the dunk tank.

Photo Courtesy: Mrs. Tamer

“It was a team approach,” Mrs. Tamer added. “The layout this year was a little bit different, we recognized the athletes and activities in the middle. I think the weather kept some people away, but overall, it was really fun.” 

On August 24, the Greensburg Music Fest was back for the 6th consecutive  year. This year’s festival was spread throughout three locations with five stages total and 15 bands who played throughout the day. The Music Fest is presented by the Westmorland Cultural trust in partnership with Green Beacon Gallery and Band Together Pittsburgh.  

“It was a fantastic experience,” senior Wesley Heverly said. “The talent from the kids who are a part of Band Together was mind blowing.” 

Band Together Pittsburgh is a nonprofit organization that creates music with musicians on the autism spectrum. Heverly had the pleasure of participating in the event at St. Clair Park and helped promote it with posters he made himself.  

Greensburg always has something to look forward to, but especially during the summertime. Each of these events will be back around next year, with an all-new lineup of bands with SummerSounds for students and Greensburg locals to enjoy. 

“It’s always tough to see the summer end because of the events that occur during the season,” Greensburg Mayor Robert Bell said. “I couldn’t be more happy with the results of this past summer’s event calendar. Hopefully, we’ll be able to announce a few new events for next year.”