Unseasonably high temperatures swept across much of the United States this Halloween. Pittsburgh exceeded the average, reaching 80 degrees Fahrenheit.       Many regions experienced temperatures ranging from 10-to-30 degrees higher than…

     A sudden increase of spotted lanternflies has Pennsylvania inhabitants concerned, with local communities bracing for the potential impact on the ecosystem and economy.      The spotted lanternfly is recognizable…

Penn-Trafford High School’s Drama Guild is set to make this year’s performance full of imagination. “The Island of Dr. Libris” is coming to the stage this fall. Showings of this…

Editor’s Note: Since the writing of this article the committee has reached their goal to build a new playground     There are quite a number of differences between when current high…

     At the recent spring choir concert at Penn-Trafford High School, nearly 100 chorus students took to the stage to perform 30 songs, including popular numbers like “Love Story”…

     The Penn-Trafford School District will reposition administrators throughout its different schools next year. According to Matthew Harris, the superintendent of the school district, this strategic initiative is intended to better…

     Amy Horvat, assistant principal at Penn-Trafford High School, will transfer to Trafford K-8 next year, with more of a focus on Trafford Elementary. She reflected on her experiences and contributions…

   The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed on March 26 after being struck by a container ship. Two members of the maintenance crew were rescued from the river, with…

      The end of the school year is quickly approaching which means that the Advanced Placement (AP) exams are coming up, and some of the tests are going to look a…

     Students in the Introduction to Administration and Management classes are designing and selling T-shirts for Damar Hamilin’s Chasing M’s Foundation as part of their annual charity fundraising project.      Each class…

     Joshua Bujakowski, formerly the head of the media center at Penn-Trafford High School, has been hired into a history teacher position; this change follows the retirement of Dan…

     Compared to last year’s modern Disney classic “The Little Mermaid,” this spring’s Penn-Trafford Drama Guild production of “Bye Bye Birdie” is an older musical that the younger audience may be…

     Since 2018, over 8,600 high schools across the U.S. have started to participate in electronic sports (esports), according to a study by the National Education Association. In high…

     Penn-Trafford High School recently altered its dress code policies in the handbook to ensure certain guidelines were being followed. Administration said that both teachers and student council representatives…

          After about 30 years of teaching at Penn-Trafford High School, Dan Edgerly, a social studies teacher, will retire on Feb. 2. During his P-T teaching career, he…

     With scheduling quickly coming up for the 2024-2025 year, students are starting to look at classes and choosing what they will be taking next school year. While there are not…

The Penn-Trafford chess club recently had a meeting, in which the club president taught a lesson about opening strategies. At a typical chess club gathering, one can learn to play…

     Penn-Trafford High School recently held its winter choral concert, in which 74 students displayed their vocal talents. The show was made into a festive and joyful spectacle by…

     Winter sports like basketball, wrestling and swimming are starting their competition season but they are not the only teams here at Penn-Trafford that are starting up for the…

     This year, the Penn-Trafford School District is putting a stronger emphasis on its dress code; specifically, students are being prohibited from wearing non-medical or religious hats or hoods…

     Students can acquire parking passes each year to drive to school and park in the upper lots. Penn-Trafford’s parking system compares to surrounding schools in terms of parking…

     Penn-Trafford High School’s food policies are becoming more prominent this year. There are yellow signs on the cafeteria doors stating that students may not take food out of…

  Even though the school year may be just getting underway, the Penn-Trafford High School Drama Guild has already begun their rehearsals for this year’s fall production, “Romeo and Juliet-Together (and…

     The Forensic classes are conducting their mock trial to simulate the prosecution of Lee Harvey Oswald. The trial is a three-day-long event spanning multiple periods, over the course…

  Penn-Trafford High School has two “supersubs,”  substitute teachers who report to the school everyday to be assigned coverage or other duties. This year’s two supersubs are Michael Russo and Colton…

The media literacy interns and teacher Brittney Falk hosted a bingo night in order to raise money for Make-a-Wish, they raised over $2,000 and hosted a memorable night for all…

     The intro to Admin and Management classes recently launched their annual t-shirt sales for a local charity. The four-month-long process has afforded students the opportunity to develop their…

   Claridge resident Chiko Raisey recently lost her house to a devastating electrical space heater fire. Raisey could only get out of the house with her husband’s ashes and had to…

The Penn-Trafford drama guild has rehearsals for their 2023 musical, The Little Mermaid, every Monday, Tuesday  and Thursday from 5:30 to 8:30 after school, and every Saturday from 1-4 p.m.…

     PENN-TRAFFORD’S first-ever medical career day in the media center, hosted on Feb. 2, contained 12 different stations, with multiple medical professions, hospitals and schools represented.       Students were able to…

Schools can sometimes look bland and empty, but some teachers at Penn-Trafford are trying to make it fun and more educational by decorating their rooms.  P-T science teacher Samantha Redinski…

During 2020 and 2021, when the coronavirus was at its peak, it changed the lives of many.  Students fell behind on schoolwork, and many adults lost their jobs.       Even students…

     Presidents Dom Randall and Madison Setzenfand reinvigorated the once-defunct Penn-Trafford Unified Club this year, increasing membership to over 70 students.      In collaboration with the administration, the district’s diversity…

Inflation is an issue the United States has been struggling with far before covid, but the 2020 pandemic left its effect on the economy. It is important to understand the…

   Administration enacted a new after-school security policy this year regarding how students are required to enter the building. Students who wish to enter from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. must…

Administration has appended a handbook policy this year, now prohibiting all social media usage while in high school. This policy is not new– the handbook now outlines disciplinary measures for…

50 years ago, Penn Joint merged with Trafford High to create what we know as Penn-Trafford.       This anniversary is something the district has celebrated throughout the school year, especially since…

Rainbow trout arrived in Dave Babik’s seventh period biology class on Feb. 3 and hatched a while ago. They are now moving around, searching for food.      “[Their current stage] would…

The 13th-annual National Day of Unplugging 2022 was March 4 and 5. The concept of “unplugging,” however, is not just something that should be put into action once or twice…

For the members of the Community Action Program (CAP), the Big Buddy Program is an annual event to look forward to.       The program has been around for many years at…

It has been about five years since Penn-Trafford threw the fundraising dance MORP, but this year it makes a return.        The fun name of the dance is actually “prom” spelled…

Penn-Trafford senior linebacker Jack Jollie wanted to do more than just play football for his senior season.       For each tackle he made during the football season, he raised funds to…

 As one of the largest clubs at Penn-Trafford, The Community Action Program continues to lend a helping hand within the community.      Lisa Popovich, the P-T school nurse and Community Action…

     While Penn-Trafford seniors may have missed out on many regular traditions this  year, graduation will not be one of them. The district plans to hold a senior parade…

     The Penn-Trafford band ensembles have been using livestreams and limited seating to perform since the beginning of the pandemic, but this spring concert was a bit different — perhaps even…

As Preschool teacher Deborah Cuccaro began maternity leave, substitute Emily Kochasic has stepped in and is adjusting to teaching preschoolers and high school students amidst online learning.       The Preschool class…

 For the 15th year in a row the Penn-Trafford business classes are conducting their t-shirt sale project, which gives students the opportunity to give back as they learn how to…

     Penn- Trafford seniors received a form recently asking about the possibility of a Prom occurring this year. Administrators suggest that it is possible, but things are still subject to change…

  As the bizarre year continues, Penn- Trafford High School strives for normalcy. Recently, the school has allowed seniors to return to full-time learning in person. After this significant change, The…

     After a long day of AP classes and high school activities, Trevor Wilson returns home to work as the CEO and head software engineer for his company Focal…

     The Penn-Trafford Indoor Percussion is finding ways to compete despite obvious difficulties due to the global pandemic.      The percussion group has competed in Winter Guard International (WGI), a competitive outlet…

      Penn-Trafford alumnus Hunter Klobucar turned his longtime passion for the outdoors into an environmental cleanup company called Fish Gods. The corporation focuses on helping anglers and outdoor…

  Although this school year has been far from normal,  there have been new learning opportunities for students including virtual SAT Bootcamp.       Typically, students would have to attend the SAT Bootcamp…

 Holidays play an important role in uniting family members, friends and the community. Many people look forward to their annual Christmas traditions, as they provide a way to bond with…

     Imagine looking out your window to icy roads and a blanket of snow. The possibility for a snow day or delay would be the first thing on your mind.       This…

     While the coronavirus pandemic has put the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club on hold this school year, it has not cancelled its tradition of providing for the…

The creative writing class has started their newest assignment, which coincides with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Seventeen students are attempting to write a novel, or at least a first…

     Two Penn-Trafford Drama Guild alumni are the bridge to Broadway for aspiring theater performers. From the P-T auditorium to notable stages in New York City, graduates Lindsey Brett…

Social distancing, hand sanitizing, masks and virtual learning are all new customs that add challenges for the 2020 school year. The entire school district has had to adapt to the…

     For several years, the Keystone state tests have been mandatory for students to pass prior to graduation, but when Covid-19 shut down schools, the tests had to be excused for…

     Students may have only been out of the school building since March, but they can be forgiven for not recognizing a few of their usual landmarks.       Entering the…

 During the COVID-19 pandemic, clubs at Penn-Trafford have had to adjust to new health guidelines for the safety of the students. Some recurring clubs have had to learn to adapt…

Rio Scarcelli, Editor in Chief Many of the traditional events seniors were anticipating are cancelled due to COVID-19, including concerts, banquets and dances.  Regardless, seniors Erin McGillis and Shannon Donahue…

    Penn-Trafford High School has been closed since March 16 due to the spread of the highly contagious coronavirus. On account of schools across the state being closed indefinitely, classes at…

  Hannah Hizer, News Editor  Students of Penn-Trafford High School had its last school day on March 13, due to COVID-19. Activities have been cancelled and lives have been completely…

Rio Scarcelli, Editor in Chief      Penn-Trafford’s video and journalism programs annually attend award ceremonies in which they submit their best content for consideration. These include the National Academy of Television…