By Arella Mackalica '25

In an era when school safety cannot be underestimated, the Diocese of Pittsburgh and SJHS school administration made it a priority to hire an armed guard to keep students and faculty safe.  Michael Poulos is our newly hired armed security guard.  He goes by 'Officer Mike' with the students. 

Poulos started his career in 1991 at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy. After he was trained, he was stationed in Erie, PA at an away-from-home troop for 3 years.  After that, he was in the drug investigation unit which let him travel to different counties. In total, Poulos has been in the police force for 25 years. 

“I loved it because I was always on the go,” Poulos said. 

He enjoyed the traveling aspect of the job and being able to keep the streets clean.  He also found it difficult to continue in this role.

”Although I loved it, I needed a change of pace," he said. 

Poulos decided to take this job because he enjoys the school setting and the slower pace. With his former work, he was 24/7 always on-the-go. He also has a daughter, so being in a school environment lets him learn something to take home with him. 

Poulos can be found at main entry points each day as he makes his way around the school to ensure that there eyes are everywhere, even if he is doing it all himself. As a backup precaution, he keeps in touch with our local police department so that if there was ever a need, we are covered by Harrison Township Police. 

“Keeping the students comfortable while also keeping them safe is my main goal,” he said.  

Introducing an armed guard into our open campus could be scary for the students at first. But Poulos aims to be approachable while still keeping the strict demeanor of a police officer.

Along with keeping up with basic regulations, Poulos wants teach students extra safety precautions. Some of his personal concerns are with the old camera systems on the doors to go into buildings. His careful eye and knowledgeable experience will help shape updates.  He also finds importance in self-safety. 

“One of the first things when it comes to safety both inside and outside of school is paying attention. It is important that you keep your eyes open at all times," Poulos said.

In the long run, Poulos hopes to teach students safety techniques. He is also willing to take any student ideas for safety at the school, so that he can incorporate the students knowledge into his safety plans.   

While Officer Mike is here to protect the school, everyone is a part of a safe environment.

Poulos said, "I always recommend that, if you see something, say something."

By Kayla Black '26

After a successful run at the Gene Kelly awards last year, the drama department was eager to build even more excitement for the upcoming spring musical. 

A board in the Humanities building was designed to hold 16 titles of possible musicals on tournament brackets.  Dubbed the "Sweet 16", one title was removed each day until the actual title was revealed.

Students checked the board daily and made predictions about what they believed the musical would be.

In the end, Rodger's and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" was chosen to be the 2025 Spring Musical.  

Auditions took place on October 25, with callbacks on October 26.  Once again, Mandi Porter will direct and Natalie Brock '11 will serve as producer.

"I am both thrilled and nervous about accepting the role of Cinderella," said Niviah Andree '26. "When I heard the news, I was shocked and in disbelief."

Amelia Wygonik '24 will return to help with choreography and there are several new cast members.  Soon they will begin the work of creating a magical stage show. 

"I am really excited to be able to play the prince this year," said David Schratz '25.  "It's a full circle moment for me since I started my time at St. Joe's playing a prince, and will finish it that way."

Art teacher Megan Morrow hails from Seton Hill University with a bachelor's degree in art education.  Recently, I visited her classroom on the third floor of Sci-Tech to learn a little bit about one of our newest teachers.

What is your favorite part about teaching here?

My favorite part is working with students. I like to see what they create and how excited the students are for new projects. 

Who is your favorite artist and why?

My favorite artist is Yayoi Kusama. I studied her a lot in college. Learning about her life and past experiences made me understand her artwork and it became more interesting.

What art medium do you like to use the most?

My favorite is clay. I like the way it feels in my hand and how easy it is to build with. You can do whatever you want with clay.

What future projects do you have in mind for your students?

Christmas is my favorite season, so each class will have it's own Christmas themed project. The ceramics class will be the season of giving. 

Halloween is almost here - what was your best costume?

I am not a huge fan of Halloween, so I don't really dress up. But I have dressed up as a witch over five different times.

In an effort to increase the faith of students, and after much planning and discernment, Dominic Oto was hired to head Saint Joe's Campus Ministry. 

“We needed a minister to encourage students to build and live our Catholic identity,” said Principal Kimberly Minick. “Mr. Oto is adding another dimension to our school.” 

Campus ministry takes charge of prayer services, retreats, and much more. Praying the rosary on Friday mornings and Bible Study are new additions to the school.

“I think campus ministry is creating more opportunities for prayer and more community for Catholics,” said Mary Huth ‘27.

Oto has been warmly welcomed by students and faculty.  He is excited to help students strengthen their Catholic faith.

“I’m here for the spiritual well-being of our students,” Oto said. “If you want to participate just ask. I won't turn anyone away.”

On Friday September 6, the development office hosted Freshman Spartan Day to welcome the Class of 2028 by dedicating a day to them and planning fun activities to acclimate them to high school. 

“This place feels like it’s my second home and we are already like one big family,” said Vanessa Schneider ‘28. 

It’s a big step transitioning from middle school into high school, and many students feel nervous about being here for the first time. Most of this anxiety comes from meeting new people, which can be a little nerve wracking for students because of the unknown. 

“I didn't know what to think.  I thought people would be mean. It was a big change for me,”  said Schneider ‘28.

The students were also able to meet their seniors,  who will be with them throughout the year.  The freshman-senior pairs made a poster together. Throughout the school year, freshmen will be able to participate in activities with their senior. 

Most of these seniors will be there for their freshman if they need any help, or if they just need someone to talk to. All of the freshmen really look up to their senior and some have different feelings about it. 

“It makes me feel protected,”  said Teresa Rullan De Olmo ‘28. 

As a way to get to know each other they were able to enjoy games with their classmates like mafia and Kahoot. This enabled them to get to know each other better and have a fun day. 

Many of the students also liked being able to talk to their friends and hang out with them because it gets stressful and too busy to be able to do that during a regular day. 

“I liked sitting in the back of the room, and coming up with fun ideas,” said Alex Park ‘28. 

All together, the freshman class had a fun day, learned about SJHS traditions, and they created memories with each other. 

Many people notice that the class of 2028 is fitting in perfectly and are glad to be here. 

Students traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 23 to meet with state representatives in regards to their pro-life opinions. 

“I thought it was nice to see how much people care for the lives of unborn babies and how many people showed up,” said freshman Luke Hill. 

The national March for Life has been going on since 1974, but 4 years ago the state of Pennsylvania began its own event in Harrisburg. 

“It is an election year and a lot of the students have more feelings on this. And especially since I am a devoted Catholic, it is important to show my students I care about what I believe in and about my religion,” said campus minister Dominic Oto.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops says the church has been opposed to abortion since the first century. 

“I would march again over and over. With my Catholic faith it is important to walk because abortion is against Catholicism, and I am very supportive and proud of my religion,” said Oto.

The students boarded the bus from St. Margaret Mary's Church in Lower Burrell around 6 a.m., and arrived at the start location for the march at 9 A.M. 

“It was nice. We had fun. We bonded and made a lot of memories,” said sophomore Liliana Mitch.

Students met with one of their state representatives, Republican Eric Nelson who represents Westmoreland County, and they spoke their minds and opinions about how important it is to support the dignity of life at all stages.

“We spoke with Eric Nelson about the work they are doing in the state legislature in regards to the right to life and how it should be handled at the state level versus at the federal level,” said Oto.

Protests are a place for social change, and are also very good for people to get involved in pluralistic democracy. It allows individuals and groups to share their views, interests, express dissent, and make demands of government or other higher powers.

“The march was important to me because so many young people want to fit in with others, but they need to know it's okay to have a different opinion and stand for what believe and what you think is right," said senior Violet Hill. "Don't feel peer pressured to fit it with others. Sometimes you have to take a stand for what you believe in.” 

After many years, a statue of St. Joseph that was at St. Joseph Church, the original site of SJHS, now stands outside of the Sci-Tech building on the patio.

“We are so grateful to all the people who volunteered to help with this project,” said President Jennifer MacNeil ‘89. “The flowers were also donated.”

In 2001, a fire burned down St. Joseph Church. The statue was moved to St. Ladislaus Church in Natrona Heights. Due to financial troubles and low attendance, the church was closed in 2023.

“We want to preserve the statue in order to honor the parishioners who founded our school,” said MacNeil.

The statue comes as SJHS is preparing for the 110th anniversary celebration. A Mass will take place on Nov. 17, with Bishop Larry Kulick ‘84 of the Greensburg Diocese and Bishop David Zubik of the Pittsburgh Diocese.

“Both bishops will bless the statue at our 110th anniversary Mass,” said MacNeil.