After four hours of fishing and no catches, junior Mack Dempsey’s boat engine broke down on Lake Erie during a 2023 trip. He thought he would return empty-handed.

But while his dad was out buying…

Two years ago, senior Addison Giglione played on a side stage at Lollapalooza in Chicago, one of the largest music festivals in the world, as a member of the School of Rock “AllStars” band.

“We…

In his work as a producer and part-time host at the sports talk radio station 93.7 The Fan, Baldwin alum Austin Bechtold has become accustomed to talking to big names in the sports world.

But the most…

NHL goalie John Gibson has played for the Anaheim Ducks for 12 years and is a three-time all-star. He is currently one game away from becoming the 85th goalie in NHL history to play 500 games, has made…

Seniors Samantha Niggel and Din Goawala both work at the Baldwin Bean coffee shop, where they have gained work experience and become friends. It is also where Goawala, a Deaf student who communicates mostly…

When one of the toilets in senior Aiden Simler’s house was acting up recently, his family didn’t need to call a plumber. Instead, Simler was able to fix the issue himself with skills he learned in…

In roller derby, getting knocked down and doing the same to opponents is part of the game. But when she started playing the sport three years ago, it took freshman Casey Maloney a little while to get used…

Senior Khadicha Kosimjonova experienced firsthand the bias against girls in STEM fields while talking with a lab partner in the summer of her sophomore year during an internship at the University of Pittsburgh.

“In…

Seeing a deer in a rifle scope for the first time is an experience hunters cherish, as junior Cole Reed knows. 

“I remember sitting in the stand with my Pap and him helping me aim my shot before…

This story was originally published on Purbalite on November 21, 2024.

This story was originally published on Purbalite on November 12, 2024.

For Baldwin students working at Hundred Acres Manor Haunted House, giving the patrons a good scare is the goal. Junior Sophia Colwell realized she had a talent for it during her very first shift.

“The…

For some students, this weekend will be more than just the homecoming football game and dance.

Yom Kippur, one of the highest holidays in the Jewish calendar, takes place from sundown Friday through…

Anytime a Baldwin track athlete forgot to bring something to a meet or even just needed a fan to cheer them on, Coach Ed Helbig was there to help, junior Zach Lieu said.

“At races, if you ever didn’t…

A small group of students gathered during fifth period today to protest against the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.

The students, who varied in numbers from less than a dozen to about 20 throughout…

With pop singers Beyonce and Lana Del Rey taking a shot at country music with their new and upcoming albums, and country artists such as Jelly Roll and Hardy incorporating rap and rock elements into their…

Hit Me Hard and Soft, today’s addition to Billie Eilish’s album catalog, stands as a landmark for modern music. 

As the name suggests, Hit Me Hard and Soft takes listeners through a complex journey,…

For senior Madison Mussomeli, track and field Coach Ed Helbig’s strength and devotion through a cancer diagnosis gives the sport another meaning. 

“His coaching has impacted me in a way I never thought…

Before the Russian invasion of his native country, Baldwin tennis standout Nikita Petruk was living a pretty normal teenage life in Ukraine.

“Back in Ukraine, I would have tennis practice after school….

For math teacher Bryan Black, spending time fishing creates great memories. Once, it even inspired the name of his first child.

“One of my favorite memories was fishing the Madison River in Yellowstone…

Helen Keller was blind and deaf, but she could read, she wrote books, and she flew a plane. Yet a surprising number of teenagers don’t believe any of that – due at least in part to a series of viral…

Sophomore Julian Marshall doesn’t consider himself religious, but he has chosen to go vegan during Lent.

Because of his interest in religion, Marshall is practicing asceticism, a lifestyle in which…

With the free time he had during the pandemic, freshman Carson Bender taught himself how to solve a Rubik’s Cube with a book from his mom, and he has been invested in competitive “speedcubing” ever…

In 1985, the Baldwin boys basketball team went 25-0 in the regular season and early rounds of the playoffs, making it to the WPIAL Championship for the first time. Superintendent Dr. Randal Lutz played…

Logan Huwalt was 7 years old and playing basketball in a gym when his parents noticed that he was standing still, looking like he had fallen asleep standing up.

“He zoned out and the ball rolled away…

While living and traveling through Europe in the years after college, Tim Lydon found himself at a dog sanctuary in Ireland that changed his life. 

The 40-acre converted equestrian farm housed dogs…

Dolly Parton is seen by some as one of the most influential icons ever. She has a theme park, a huge social media following, a couple dozen solo albums, 25 No. 1 country hits, a Barbie doll, and two stars…

After struggling in the AAA division, Baldwin’s ice hockey team was moved down to the AA level several years ago. There, the team was so successful that it won the 2021 state title and earned a promotion…

Two days after bringing his baby daughter home, Principal Shaun Tomaszewski embarked on another bold adventure: joining the United States Navy Reserve.

“My recruiter called me and said, ‘Hey, your…

Tony McAleer had once been the face of white supremacy in Canada. But after the birth of his first child, years of therapy, and a visit to the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, he has turned…

It wasn’t easy for junior Jacob Rosswog to make it to school today. 

For the first time in at least 30 years, the district had to cancel a bus route today due to a shortage of bus drivers. Students…

As a Black student at a high school with only one Black teacher, senior Mwango Kasuba says he sometimes feels the need to code switch – a term that refers to a person changing their dialect or tone depending…

In 1920, the population of Asian Americans in America was about 182,000. Now, more than 100 years later, that number has risen to 24 million.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month was established by…

Ryan Peters has always enjoyed making and eating pasta. But it wasn’t until he became the TikTok “pasta guy,” with millions of followers on social media, that he got to make the dish at the top of…

Their dads once coached them in youth softball, and then cheered for them throughout their college playing careers. Now Baldwin alums Carly Santillo and Taylor Dadig are back at Baldwin, helping their…

Did You Know that There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, the ninth studio album from Lana Del Rey, is easily her most delicate and passionate album, as well as her best release since 2019.

Del Rey is…

While students look to social media for inspirational sports figures, they sometimes fail to notice the teachers that they interact with on a daily basis who were once athletes themselves. These teachers…

Junior Brianna Rodgers has had 48 surgeries over the course of her life, but she has refused to let them keep her from reaching her goals – like starting her own small business.

Rodgers was born with…

When student teacher Erin Wrisley was teaching Night by Elie Wiesel, a book about the Holocaust, she and English teacher Krystal Schulte noticed an emotional distance between the tragedy and their students. 
…

History teacher Natalie Grattan ran cross country as a student at Baldwin for Coach Bonita “Bunny” Schmidt, and they forged a friendship that lasted for years. 

“She came to see me when I had…

Most people remember the day of March 13, 2020 as the day that school shut down for COVID-19. But for sophomore Matthew Engott, he remembers the day for a different reason: he was put on the heart transplant…

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, on Oct. 1 will become the first country to institute a ban on foreign models and voiceover artists in advertisements. Although it is controversial, this is…

Several dozen students protested the dress code during homeroom today, but Principal Shaun Tomaszewski later criticized their use of obscenities while protesting.

The students said they had been wrongfully…

Sophomore Ryan Bischoff always knew he wanted to be a firefighter. After all, it is in his blood: His grandfather, father, and brother all have been firefighters.

“I became a firefighter because it’s…

My four years of high school were without a doubt the worst of my life thus far. 

Granted, people might read that and say, “You’ve only lived 18 years.” Well, I hope that in my life I can confidently…

Baldwin alum Nick Cortazzo always knew that he would be in a Broadway production. He just didn’t know his time to shine in the spotlight would come about so abruptly.

“The process of getting here…

Senior Julia Murray, who has been nearly deaf and blind since birth, has never backed away from a challenge.

“She was having a hard time with her (adaptive) technology one night,” her mom, Whitehall…

When she was in eighth grade, Kaylee Smolko got to speak with a Holocaust survivor as part of a program organized by gifted support teacher Daniel Shaner.

“It is emotional because you can read books…

By the time Kendrick Lamar released his fourth album, Damn., it seemed like he had accomplished everything a musical artist could.

He won a Pulitzer Prize for his work on that album, becoming the only…

Class of 2009 alum Jon Shanahan was voted Class Clown and later ran a half marathon in a suit for his YouTube channel. He now uses his creative mind as a business mogul, and in his latest adventure, he…