Embedded Files
Kansas City Chief 's Skyy Moore at the parade signing jerseys for local kids.
Photo Credit: Gabby Palochik ' 25
Student’s cousin and local of New Kensington wins Super Bowl 2023
By Julie Wilson, '23
Sophomore Gabriella Palochik’s cousin Skyy Moore played in the 2023 Super Bowl and scored a touchdown. Moore, who is from the New Kensington area and attended Shady Side Academy, now plays for the Kansas City Chiefs as a wide receiver after being drafted in the 2022 NFL draft.
Palochik talked about her cousin's win. Moore scored his first career touchdown during the second half giving the Chiefs an eight point lead.
"We were all really happy, I mean since he hadn’t made a touchdown yet that season, we were all saying during the Super Bowl he was going to make a touchdown. We could feel it,” Palochik said.
Some members of Palochik's family attended the Super Bowl, while the rest had a party at home supporting him.
“His mom, grandma, and brothers and sisters all went”, Palochik said.
The celebration at home didn’t just end that night, as Moore came home recently on March 17 for a parade in New Kensington celebrating him.
“All of New Ken was blowing up because he played there when he was little. He grew up there,” she exclaimed.
Image Credit: Nick Sarno-Brown, '24
Catholic Faith Club shares how they observe Lent
By Brad Roxberry, '23
The Lenten season is quickly moving toward Holy Week and Saint Joseph students are continuing their spiritual journey to grow closer to God. Our very own Catholic Faith Club shared how their Lenten journey is going and the effects Lent has on them in a recent survey.
Do you have to be super religious to celebrate Lent?
Not at all, as 33.3% of people answered that they are only somewhat religious.
Lent is a time to strengthen and grow closer to God so if you don’t feel very strong in your faith this may be the best time to improve your relationship with the Lord.
During the season of Lent many Catholics make sacrifices to remind us of the sacrifice Jesus made for us and to strengthen our faith. What are you doing?
83.3% of those surveyed are making a sacrifice during Lent and 16.7% are not. You don’t need to give something up during Lent but it is strongly recommended that you do.
What is something you gave up for Lent?
Answers included things such as fast food, caffeinated drinks, procrastinating, and not stopping at the cafeteria for snacks.
One answer I received from an anonymous student that stuck out to me was, “I am doing a program called Exodus 90. A few things of note include: no snacks or desserts, no social media, and no movies/TV/video games.”
I found this to be a sacrifice that would be difficult but rewarding as he or she is also making more time for prayer and growing closer to God.
Why are Lenten sacrifices are important?
One student shared, "I think they are very important because it’s the least we could do for Jesus. He died for us and we need to show, in some way, that we care.”
100% of students surveyed said that their relationship with God improves during Lent.
The season of Lent is a time in which we should reflect on our faith and understand the sacrifice Jesus made for us and to deepen our relationship with our Lord.
Photo credits: Dan Staniszewski, '24
Junior student is nearly ready to take flight test
By Nick Sarno-Brown, '24
Junior Daniel Staniszewski is on his way to becoming a private pilot at just 18-years-old.
It all started roughly 3 or 4 years ago, Staniszewski said.
“I don't really know why, but a few years ago I started to think about how cool it would be to fly an airplane. For some reason, the thought never went away, and it grew into a full-blown obsession," Staniszweski said.
“Then I took what's called a discovery flight. A discovery flight is a short flight where someone gets to have the experience of flying an airplane to see if they like it or not. This was in 2021, and after that it really took off.”
Becoming a pilot takes many of hours of work that culminates in a flight test. Not everyone initially passes the flight test. According to "Flying Magazine", across the board at the private, commercial, and even flight instructor level—the average initial pass rate is 77.5 percent.
According to Staniszewski the training has two parts: ground and flight.
“The ground part is kind of like homework and it's on the computer, so you can do it just on your own at home. It's a series of ten or so lessons that you complete and then you must pass the tests,” he said.
For the flight part, a pilot-in-training must log a lot of hours in an aircraft.
Staniszewski said, "You need to have at least 35 flight hours and at least five solo hours. So far, I have 54 flight hours logged and 2 1/2 solo hours.”
He said that when he flies, he can choose which plane he wants to fly. Each airplane has its own advantages and disadvantages. His normal go-to aircraft, however, is a Cessna 172 with the tail number N1452U. Staniszewski’s favorite airplane that he has ever flown is a Piper aircraft.
“Piper PA28 warrior was just very easy to fly, and it was super fun too.”
His favorite airplane in general is a F22 Raptor fighter.
“I like the F22 Raptor fighter jet because of how technologically advanced it is and the amazing things it can do.”
Dan has flown to many different places around Western Pennsylvania. His favorite place to fly over is downtown Pittsburgh.
“Pittsburgh has always been close to me and to see it from above, and take in the whole lanadscape at once was really a special experience,” he said. “I also like flying over Erie because it is just a really wide area, and it was cool to see.”
Staniszewski is planning to pursue aviation further, but also get a college degree just as a backup plan. While he can imagine a career in commercial aviation, he knows he does not want to be involved with the military or government.
One of Stanziewski’s personal goals when he earns his private pilot's license is to fly to Idaho to visit his brother Benji Staniszewski,'17.
Photo Credit: Bezzie Yitnalem '23
Students voice their opinions about assignments and the grading system
By Bezawit Yitnalem, ‘23
Assignments make up a large portion of a student’s grade, and a lot of the school population has mixed feelings about them.
“I think that for some classes homework can be an easy way to keep my grade up,” Lauren Vanfossen ‘23 said. “However, sometimes it can be hard to manage homework in every class.”
In the school’s grading system, an A is 100-93%, a B is 92-85%, and so on. Many peers find this motivational as it helps them with organization skills and preparation for college.
“I think the grading system and homework have helped me with time management,” Meredith Zendarski ‘25 said. “The summer before this school year I got my first job, and I started realizing that I wouldn’t have time to get certain things done. The grading system helped give me the initiative to finish my assignments.”
Occasionally, students will have time in class to finish their homework, and it helps them stay on top of their assignments.
“I find it very easy because I don’t really have a lot of homework—I just get it done in class,” Star Henwood ‘25 commented. “If we had more homework and I actually had to take it home, I would struggle a lot just because I have trouble paying attention at home.”
Despite these benefits, some students continue to find it difficult to keep up with the grading. A way some of them use to manage the pressure of deadlines and grades is to view it as a form of motivation.
“To be honest, the grading system stresses me out,” Zendarski continued, “but that stress also pushes me to do better with each quarter. If I noticed in quarter 1 that my math grade could've been better, I’ll push myself in quarter 2 to make that happen.”
On top of that, others decide not to let assignments affect them at all.
“Typically, they do not affect my mental health because I have learned to not care!” Logan Woods ‘23 mentioned. “I like having good grades, but if I do fail a test or even a class, it’s not the end of the world and it doesn’t define you as a person.”
Ultimately, it is recommended to speak with your teacher or the guidance counselor if you are struggling with homework.
“It’s okay to get a bad grade here and there,” Woods continued, “but make sure you don’t make it a habit and keep up good work.”
BEZZIE & KATIE: THIS or THAT?
Bezzie Yitnalem, '23 and Katie White, '23 give their take on what shows to watch.
TV EDITION
Best Disney Show
Bezzie: Wizards of Waverly Place
I thought this show had original stories and clever jokes!
Katie: Austin and Ally
I loved the idea of the show. A shy girl and an outgoing guy who wants to be a popstar.
Best Nick Show
Bezzie: Spongebob Squarepants
I think it's a fun and enjoyable show! I watched it a lot during my childhood.
Katie: Big Time Rush
I like how all the characters are very chaotic and how each of them has their own personality, which makes it fun to watch.
Best Cartoon Show
Bezzie: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Although it could count as anime, "Avatar" is such a creative series, and I love its complex themes and entertaining plots.
Katie: Teen Titans
Most cartoons are made to be funny, but I like this show because it is more serious and shows the struggle of being a hero as a young adult.
Best Comedy Show
Bezzie: The Good Place
"The Good Place" is the type of show you could rewatch so many times and never get bored.
Katie: New Girl
It helps me unwind after a stressful day.
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