By Vanessa Schneider '28

On May 8, Catholics around the world held their breath while waiting for news on the election of the new pope.  At Saint Joseph High School, classrooms had the livestream on their aquos boards. 

Seniors gave their impressions of this historic moment and shared how they learned the news.

“Someone shouted ‘We have a new pope!’ and our teacher turned on the screen in the classroom so we could watch,” said Knij’e Middlebrook ‘25.

Throughout the school, excitement was definitely present. After seeing the white smoke, which signaled the election was decided, students, teachers, and administration were waiting in anticipation for the announcement of who the next pope would be. 

“I was very eager to hear the decision and happy to see how excited everyone was in class,” said Violet Hill ‘25.

After about an hour, the new pope came onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. All Catholics in the world got their first glimpse of their new leader. To much of everyone’s surprise, the new pope was American.

“I was flabbergasted with the announcement considering that it was unusual that they chose someone from a powerhouse nation like the U.S.,” said Will Boosel ‘25.

The new pope took on the name Leo XIV.  Robert Prevost was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Later in his life, he took up missionary work in Peru. 

Pope Leo XIV was also a Vatican Official before becoming pope. He knows how to speak several languages including English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese.

“I was like, “Wow!” It’s pretty cool because no one expected someone from the United States to be elected,” said Middlebrook ‘25.

Having an American pope will help to get a good representation of the U.S. around the world. Different countries might have negative opinions on the U.S. and seeing how much good the pope will hopefully do might make them change their opinions. 

“I thought it would be someone from Europe,” said Boosel ‘25.

One thing is for sure, whatever Pope Leo XIV has in store for the Catholic Church, it promises to be amazing and through the will of God.

Veronica McCarthy '25 said, "I love how Pope Leo gives another layer of representation for the United States that is separate from entertainment or even politics.  He could eventually improve other people's perception of Americans.  It's good."

By Kayla Black '26

First concerts are one of the most memorable things an individual can experience. We asked SJHS faculty to tell us a little about their concert experiences as they grew up. Students are used to knowing their teachers as just simply educators. Learning a little about their personal life can open up a new perspective on our teachers, beyond classroom walls.

David Anater, our school counselor, was a concert-goer in his early college years.  

Anater said, “During my sophomore year at Pitt, one of my friend groups' favorite bands at the time, Passion Pit, played a free concert on the lawn at Carnegie Mellon. I really do think that concert was my most memorable concert because of the time in my life. It was before I moved into my first apartment and having more adult responsibilities.”

Michael Pater, our religion teacher, experienced his first concert back in 2009.

Pater said, “My first memorable concert was seeing All Time Low at the Riverplex Amphitheater in Pittsburgh. They were playing with Cartel and We the Kings. I remember really loving the performance by We the Kings, but All Time Low blew me away when they started their set.”

Laurel Wolfe, one of our English teachers, was a concert-goer from a very young age.

Wolfe said, “My most memorable concert was either One Direction or Josh Groban. I saw One Direction on their second tour when I was in seventh grade. It was one of my first concerts, and everyone there was so full of energy. It was nice being able to go and spend time with my cousin and older sister and to sing and dance along.”

Mandi Porter, our Assistant to the principal, began going to concerts in her earlier years, during the iconic 80's.

Porter said, “Three of my favorites were Madonna, INXS, and Aerosmith.  I would have to say that Madonna was my favorite.  My friends and I went dressed  up in full-out 80's gear and sang every song as if we were Madonna herself!  The opening act was The Beastie Boys before anyone knew who they were.”

Concerts are an amazing way to express yourself and have fun. Getting to understand what music our teachers and faculty grew up on is such a positive experience.

By Sophia Ranalli '28 

Summer is always fun and relaxing, especially because students will be out in the world traveling. But we also have to realize and understand the dangers that can happen while traveling. Although trips are supposed to be filled with excitement and care-free feelings, it's important to stay alert and realize and still be careful when on vacation, and not go completely off the rails when it comes to relaxation. 

There are many things that need to be taken into consideration before planning a vacation, such as research on the place you’re traveling to. Make sure that it’s a safe area by doing further research on the area if things seem off, maybe do further research and look for reviews. Some of these may differ if you're traveling alone or with a group, so we will tackle both categories. 

If you’re going on vacation alone, traveling can be dangerous and risky for a person. This is the case even more so for women than men, Travel Noire says that about 25% of women have experienced dangerous situations during solo travels and 88% of women have felt unsafe while traveling alone. Some precautions that women need to take when traveling alone could be avoid walking alone at night, be mindful of your belongings, and learn basic self-defense techniques. But, these tips can also help with men as well. It’s important for both parties to take extra precautions. Some basic tips in general would be to share your plans with people that are back at home, stay alert and always be aware of your surroundings, avoid isolated areas (especially at night), and be cautious with public transportation. 

When you’re traveling with a group the possibility of being in danger is smaller, but precautions still need to be taken. But some tips for traveling with a group can be to always stick with your group and to have a meeting place if anyone gets lost. Always have your phone charged and with you when you’re walking with the group. This way, you can always stay in contact with those people and if you happen to get lost or go somewhere else that isn’t where the group is, you can always know where they are and you can tell them where you are. 

However, don’t let the fear factor ruin your vacation. These are all based on possibilities and for just in case. Vacation is an important time to relax and to spend time with friends and family, you just have to keep in mind that anything can still happen. But also remember to have fun and make beautiful memories.

By Vanessa Schneider '28

Summer is fast approaching, and one way to feel your best during vacations is to have a nice bathing suit. Bathing suit prices are on the rise and this is not stopping for summer 2025.

“Bathing suits are completely overpriced, especially for being an item that most people in Pennsylvania only wear three or four months out of the year,” said Sofia Quattrocchi ‘25.

Bathing suits are a way to express oneself while on vacations or trips with family and friends. While searching for a bathing suit, one needs to ask themselves what they are looking for and what their preferred patterns and colors are.

“Most of my swim suits are blue, white, or black and I most often wear floral patterns,” said Vivienne Peel ‘27.

While knowing the perfect bathing suit for the body, experimenting with different colors and patterns can be a fun way to shake things up. A new pattern or color might become a new favorite.

“For the summer, bright colors make you look more tan so it’s fun to get out of my comfort zone with fun colors,” said Courtney Mentecki ‘26.

Brands are another important factor in picking out the perfect bathing suit and making sure the buyer doesn’t get scammed. Some stores might have a bathing suit priced higher and another store might have the same bathing suit priced lower. Popular stores to buy bathing suits from include Target, Shein, Hollister, Old Navy, and Amazon.

“I normally get my bathing suits when they are on sale from Amazon, Target, or Hollister,” said Dakota Kuniak ‘28.

Bathing suit prices are skyrocketing and many customers feel that the pricing is absurd. Many people believe that bathing suits should cost less than regular clothing because there is less fabric being used and one can wear them for only a few months out of the year.

“I will not spend fifty percent as much on a bathing suit than regular clothes that I can wear all day, multiple days, and all seasons rather than a bathing suit that I can only appropriately wear for a few hours and limited places,” said Peel ‘27.

By Isabella Thomas '27

Summer is a popular time for teens to get a job. According to NBC News, almost 6 million teens were working in June of 2024, which was one of the highest teen employment rates in recent years. 

Teens get jobs for many different reasons, though the most popular reason is to save it for college or a car. The minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25, though there has been talk about increasing it.

There are many different kinds of jobs a teen can get. They can work in restaurants, retail stores, local parks, etc. 

Each job teaches a teen something new. For example, working in a restaurant can help a teen learn about how food is prepared. Recently, I spoke to Lydia Pakulski ‘27 about her summer job.

Q: What is your job? 

A: I work in an ice cream shop.

Q: Why did you get a job?

A: I got a job to start saving for my car.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working?

A: I enjoy spending time with people and making new friends.

Q: How many hours do you work/plan to work per week in the summer?

A: I plan to work around 15 hours.

Q: What are you paid hourly?

A: I get paid around $9.50.

Q: What have you learned at your job?

A: I have learned many things by working with the public. But my favorite is learning that even though not everyone is the nicest, it is important to never judge a book by a cover.

By  Sophia Ranalli '28 

Musical has just wrapped up for the year and for the cast things have finally winded down. But, because of that, we need to know some things from the cast themselves. It’s important to know what they experience, and what they loved about this musical. 

“My favorite part was getting the lead role, and being able to act with so many talented people,” said Niviah Andree ‘26.

Although musicals are fun in general, and they might look like it’s pretty easy when you're in the audience, being a part of one is a big commitment. It takes a lot of your time, especially when it’s getting closer to the actual performance. It takes just as much time as a sport would, just in a shorter timespan. 

“The hardest thing about being in theater is the first few weeks of rehearsal. But when the reality of the show stares us in the face, that time spent can really make a difference,” said Sean Wolfe ‘27. 

When students are first introduced to the world of theater, they get to know certain musicals, and become in love with them. It's hard to choose which one they’d like the best, because there are so many options, but when asked which musical they’d like to be in, it comes pretty easy. 

“The musical I would most like to be in would be Shrek the Musical,” Andree stated. 

When being a part of musicals and learning more about the certain roles and their sacrifices, the question often comes up in a theater kids’ mind, such as, “What role would I want to play?” And it can be a difficult question to answer because it might be hard to pick just one, or maybe it’s hard because they can’t picture themselves as that person. But this question is mostly for their own imagination, and it's usually centered around their favorite musical, and their lead roles. 

“I would like to be in a leading male role that is either funny or inspiring. I would love to be someone that little boys can look up to when they watch me perform,” explained Wolfe. 

Musicals are overall a very memorable experience for the cast and crew, and the time spent in one can be someone's favorite times. Although the practices are long, tough, and everything seems to be weighing on you all at once, when it’s all over, you can find yourself missing it all. And you ask yourself, “Was it really all that bad?” Sometimes the answer to that question is yes, and that's okay. Maybe you find out that musicals aren't for you, but that's all because you tried, and now you can say that you did. 

Or maybe you found another part of you, that this is what you’re meant to do. And maybe you made amazing friends along the way and made some amazing memories, because in the end, that's really all that matters.