By Staff

In the May edition of the Viking Nation, students, faculty, and staff were asked to submit entries to officially name the turtle, thought to be an Eastern Painted turtle, that resides in the pond in the Courtyard area in the back wing of the high school.

While some called the turtle by the nicknames Tommy or Timmy, the "little fella" did not have an official moniker.

Wading through 41 entries, the Mass Media club narrowed the list to six names--Donashello, Franklin, Sheldon, Squirt, Tipsy, and Tortilla.

Students from sixth grade through twelfth grade logged votes, crowning Sheldon as the winner with 31.8% of the vote. Next year, he will receive a small placard with his name on it to be placed in the window outside the pond area.

The name Sheldon was submitted multiple times, so a drawing was held.  Sophomore Payton Oustrich is the winner of the contest, and will receive a $25 gift card to Taco Bell from the Mass Media Club for her submission.

Keystone Testing Reactions

By Grace Munley ('26)

In early May, students from eighth through eleventh grades took the Pennsylvania State Keystone Exams and were tested in Algebra, Biology, and Literature. These state tests require students to apply their knowledge from throughout the entire year into an exam that can determine their placement into honors classes at Riverside. 

Students who took the exams had varying opinions of the difficulty of these tests, as everyone receives different questions. Sophomore Kylie Zabriski stated, “The Keystones have never been a painless task, but it's a relieving feeling knowing that they’re finished.” 

Many students had been dreading the Keystones as they can be long and grueling, but there is a definite sense of relief throughout the school now that they are over.