Senior farewells: Staff writers reflect on their time at Baldwin

My name is Rachel Stofanak. My GPA is 4.5. During high school, I have participated in eight extracurricular activities and held two leadership positions. But I’m not telling students to do this in high school. Like many students, I’ve spent my high school years perfectly tailoring my resume to appeal to colleges. I’ve stressed myself out by loading my schedule with AP classes, extracurricular act...

Over the past four years, Baldwin sports has gone through many changes, but has consistently been a driving source of passion in my life and has given me some of the best experiences of my life. My first Baldwin sports memory came on an early November 2015 night at BHS for the girls volleyball WPIAL championship game. The girls defeated rival North Allegheny in five sets in a back and forth match ...

As graduation approaches, seniors can reflect on how much of an impact hip hop has had over the past four years on everyday life and in which ways the music has changed. As the 2015-2016 school year began, hip hop was looked at from a very different perspective. Drake was becoming a household name with the single “Hotline Bling” and the album Views, Kanye was establishing himself as a generational ...

Over 1,150 days ago, we officially began our Baldwin boys volleyball careers. We came into the first season as naive freshmen, thinking we knew everything, and the volleyball team provided an outlet of comfort and stability for an otherwise rocky freshman year. We had no idea what to expect or what we were about to get ourselves into, but through the guidance of Head Coach Eric Falcione, we knew we...

Advanced Placement classes are among the hardest things high school has to offer, and while taking these courses can pay off incredibly, they certainly are not a necessity for every student. I know this better than most students. I took a total of 11 AP courses over the past two years, and I regret the opportunities I lost while trying to keep up with all of the work. Sure, colleges offer credit...

Throughout our four years here at Baldwin, we have witnessed some of the greatest moments ever in college sports history, and some will never be forgotten. One that is memorable would have to be Kris Jenkins hitting the game-winner for Villanova over North Carolina to win the national championship in 2016. This game had many moments, including Marcus Paige’s insane clutch shot, which was hit ...

Here’s some advice to the underclassmen and incoming freshmen: How many times have you heard someone older than you utter the phrase “My high school years were some of the best of my life!” or something to that effect? Most likely, you’ve heard that far too many times. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: They probably won’t be. Don’t get me wrong. Underclassmen should enjoy ...

Sports can bring a school, community, and city together, as Pittsburgh’s professional sports teams have proven. High school students in particular love exciting sports moments to break up the school routine, and for this year’s seniors, the Pittsburgh Penguins have done a great job of that over the years. This year was difficult, but over the past four years, the Pens have been the most ...

They say that most people fear public speaking more than they fear death. I would be one of those people. Or at least, I used to be. I was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder when I was eight. Ever since I was a kid, certain social situations tended to make me anxious to the point where it affected my daily life. During my sophomore year I had to give a speech about a play. I remember walking to...

Even though it seems kind of obvious, an overlooked part of high school is what you actually spend your time doing. It may feel as though that’s not your choice with all of the advice people love to dish out. Your family, friends, and even random people will tell you their opinion throughout your four years. Some people think you should be holed up in your room studying, some think you shou...

Sports can fill fans with excitement, heartbreak, and anger. The Class of 2019 has witnessed plenty of professional sports moments over the past fours that filled them with these emotions. Coming into our freshmen year, we saw a dynasty start in the NBA as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-2, to claim the first of their three championships won since that 2014-15 season. ...

That line from A Tale of Two Cities sums up high school in a nutshell: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The shortest never-ending journey we have experienced in our lives is coming to an end. Think about this: Our stay at Baldwin High School started seemingly years ago with the Penguins only having three Stanley Cups, and we were watching the return of the historic Star...