Staff Directory
The Purbalite Baldwin High School’s student newspaper since 1946
News Editors:
Allison Perston
Allison Perston likes to DIY herself through life with a “bread roll” in hand. Baby carrots are her one and only passion. She twirls flags in the color guard and is probably too busy working at Kmart. She enjoys the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. She spends a disproportionate amount of time with her cat, Pepperjack, and likes it that way.
Laura Harper
Laura can often be found sitting at her laptop freaking out about ad dimensions. If someone messes with her ad setup, or talks to her while she’s listening to Fall Out Boy, she has a tendency to get a little angry. Laura is currently aiding Photography Editor Maggie Hines in her quest to becoming a full emo.
Sports Editors
Jack Hillgrove
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Jack is a junior and a sports editor. He is an avid Pittsburgh sports fan and hopes to pursue a career in sports broadcasting.
Mikaela Thorne
Mikaela is a senior. This is her second year on the Purbalite staff and her first year as sports editor. She enjoys playing with Photoshop: Even though she has no idea what she is doing, it usually works out well.
Alex Bartman
Senior Alex Bartman is in his first year on the Purbalite staff and first year as a sports editor. He is a freak for the arts and worships movies, TV, writing, reading, Quentin Tarantino, Che, Gonzo journalism, Hunter S. Thompson, and all that is weird.
Features Editors:
Alex Butelli
Alex Butelli is in his second year on the Purbalite and first year as a features editor. He enjoys listening to music and eating chicken fingers. Alex spends free time driving his Hyundai and playing basketball with his relatively more athletic friends.
Julia DeGregorio
Julia DeGregorio has the sensibilities of a 95-year-old woman who enjoys tea, reading and classic movies. She likes to pretend she’s good at music and is a member of the Baldwinaires and drama club. She has a nightly ritual of consuming an entire candy bar while reading and/or watching something in black and white. Meryl Streep is her one and only savior, and she is convinced that they are distantly related.
Photography Editors:
Jess Dini
Photography Editor Jess Dini can be found filtering pics of her food on VSCO for her Instagram. She can also be spotted sporting the latest Gap fashion while also tweeting useless things. A senior and second-year Purbalite member, she loves Vampire Weekend and Kendrick Lamar.
Maggie Hines
When she isn’t at band practice, Photography Editor Maggie Hines can be found lurking the halls of Baldwin, listening to music. Do not approach her while she is listening to My Chemical Romance or the situation might become dangerous. Maggie Hines is currently making her transformation from a low-key emo into a high-key emo with the help of News Editor Laura Harper.
Copy Chiefs:
Leanne Wilson
Leanne is a senior who attempts to excel at singing, acting, and writing newspaper stories. She can often be found working at your local McGinnis Sisters or on a date with the principal’s son. This is her second year on the Purbalite staff. #purblabswag
Rachel Ferrari
Rachel Ferrari is a senior who enjoys debating politics, riding horses, and reading British literature. This is Rachel’s second year on the newspaper and first year as Copy Chief. Follow her on Twitter @rachferrari.
Design Editor:
Lauren Schugg
Senior Lauren Schugg, a third-year staff writer and first-year Design Editor, is mostly famous for her Instagram @laur_rawrr. She can check you out at the local Kohl’s. She’s an ex-Taco Bell employee, quality girlfriend material, and advocate of the darkest shade of black. // PSU ’20.
Internet Editors:
Morgan Schaming
Morgan Schaming is a senior Internet editor in her second year on the Purbalite. She enjoys pretending to be a Gossip Girl character, stressing over her future college, and updating her dog’s Instagram: @jackschaming.
Samantha Stark
Samantha Stark is a senior Internet editor for the Purbalite. She loves sushi and Star Wars. Her favorite show is Breaking Bad and she loves to spend her free time with her dogs, Copper and Rosie. // PSU ’20
Tori Hochendoner
Senior Tori Hochendoner’s life has been changed by Kohl’s and its employee discount. A third-year Purb staffer, she is famous for her fancy dance turns and curly hair. She is a sizzling single looking for a decent man. Hit her up on Instagram @torrrh.
Staff Writers:
Laura Basciotta
Laura Basciotta is a junior and first-year staff writer who can be found at Armstrong’s on Mondays and Fridays. She got into a car accident her freshman year on the way to the Drake concert, but no worries she still made it in time.
Maddie Becker
Senior Maddie Becker is a first-year staff writer. She can be found anywhere C.J. Norwood and the rest of the fam are. Just look for the black Kia Soul.
Isabel Bierwirth
Isabel is a junior and first-year Purbalite staffer. Since August 2015 she has been exploring American high school life as a German exchange student. She can often be found somewhere around the track and field stadium or explaining to people that the German population does not wear lederhosen 24/7.
Amanda Bruni
Mandi is in her first year as a Purbalite staff writer. Mandi can often be found spending her life’s savings on uncrustables and updating her self-proclaimed “gangster” Instagram profile: @amandajbruni. She can also be spotted digesting multiple Honors English books while keeping up with The Bachelor. She secretly wishes she was Cruella de Vil with a surplus of Dalmatians and she believes she will be one day.
Rebecca Case
Rebecca Case is a sophomore and a first-year staff writer. Besides reading and listening to music, she also enjoys singing and acting out all of the High School Musical movies.
Michaela Cavataio
Michaela is a sophomore and first-year staff writer. She plays soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. Her best friend is very mean.
Brittany Chalmers
Brittany Chalmers is a junior and a first-year staff writer. She can be found guarding lives at the local LA Fitness, eating Eat’n Park onion rings, or spending her life’s savings at Sephora.
Taylor Donahue
Taylor Donahue is a sophomore and a first-year Purbalite staff writer. Contrary to popular belief, she will always love One Direction. She also knows every word to every Twenty One Pilots song. When she’s not waiting out all day to be front row for a concert, perfecting her Instagram photos (@taylordonahue), or tweeting things no one cares about (@taylordonawho), she can be found eating chicken alfredo and wishing she was married to Miles Teller.
Emma Dowker
Emma Dowker is a junior and a first-year staff writer on the Purbalite. She knows too much about politics and was voted most likely to fall up a flight of stairs in the eighth grade.
Alana Eckels
Alana is a sophomore and this is her first year on the Purbalite staff. She is known as Egg thanks to an Intro to Journalism headline written by Becky Case. She also believes that she is practically a surgeon because she binge watches “Grey’s Anatomy” in her free time. Other times she’s taking selfies that must be checked out @alanaeckels
Sarah Fader
Sarah Fader is a sophomore and a first-year staff writer. She loves PJO and HoO (Google it). She can usually be found on a chair with wheels and refuses to get off it unless absolutely necessary.
Olivia Farmer
Olivia is a sophomore and this is her first year on the Purbalite staff. In her free time, she procrastinates doing homework and instead watches Netflix and online shops.
Cody Flavell
Cody loves to play video games and play sports. During the summertime, you can find him as far away from school as possible and being active with his friends.
Jacob Fowler
Jake is a junior and a first-year Purbalite staff member. If he doesn’t finish this, he may not make it to a second year on staff.
Emilee Gruntz
Emilee is a junior and first-year staff writer who is currently the only ginger on the Purbalite. She is in debt to Andrea Henderson, whom she owes $25 in Pacsun bucks.
Andrea Henderson
Andrea is a junior and a first-year staff writer who is the backbone of the entire Eat’n Park corporation. She currently is searching for the perfect mate who will sip peppermint hot chocolates by a cozy fire with her and her dog.
Arlen Hooks
Arlen is a sophomore and a first-year staff writer. You can catch him dancing to the music in his head, or constantly checking his followers on his Instagram “fan page.”
Colton Hurley
Colton is a junior and a second year staff writer. He loves fast-paced sports and drag racing on the weekends.
Erica Koenig
Erica is a princess who wears running shoes or character shoes depending on the season. A senior and a first-year Purb staffer, she does not enjoy being an armrest for her tall friends but enjoys taking advantage of piggy back rides or being carried in general.
Annalee Kwiatkowski
Annalee enjoys reading, writing, eating any food in sight, and singing in her free time. She plans to become an investigative reporter one day. Right now, she spends most time with her friends and close relatives to keep her life interesting.
Carly Lutz
Carly is a senior staff writer for the Purbalite. She spends the majority of her time on the basketball court. When she’s not playing basketball she is serving doughnuts and coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts.
C.J. Norwood
C.J. is a junior and a second-year staff writer and comics artist. He enjoys making music and designing clothes. His music can be found on Soundcloud @SupremeDeities.
Nick Romack
Nick is a junior, and this is his second year working on the Purbalite. He also is the president of Baldwin’s video club. When he is not writing or filming, he can be found listening to strange music, watching movies no one has ever heard of, and reading about topics no one cares about.
Alexis Siatkowski
Alexis is a senior and a first-year staff writer. She can be found with a chai latte in her hand at all times. She is famous for her ability to somehow be covered in glitter at all times, and enjoys the tomato and mozzarella panini from Starbucks. Do not attempt to disturb her while she’s watching Grey’s Anatomy. You can also expect to find her baking at ridiculous of hours of the morning while listening to Marina and the Diamonds.
Michael Silvestre
Mike is a junior and a second-year staff writer on the Purbalite. He has been to 11 major league baseball ballparks and plans to attend a game at all 30.
Elizabeth Solenday
Elizabeth is a freshman and a first-year staff writer. She can be found twirling flags in the color guard or singing songs in the musical. She is obsessed with all things New York City and has a severe American Eagle shopping addiction.
Brianna Staley
Bree is a junior and a first-year staff writer for the Purbalite. Most people know her as the girl who got asked to homecoming year in Mr. Saras’ office her sophomore year
Allison Stinelli
Allison is a junior and a first-year staff writer of the Purbalite. She rarely has anything to say.
Zoe Vongtau
Zoe is a sophomore and a first-year Purbalite staff writer. She is not that kind of One Direction fan. She is a lover of old music and new spaghetti. Beware of standing closer than four feet to her when “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar is playing.
Jeff Wallander
Jeff is a senior and first-year writer who is currently deciding whether to go to Duquesne or Dayton. Jeff spends his free time playing basketball and volleyball with friends and teammates. He was a member of the varsity golf team this year. While missing both eagle putts he was presented with, he also broke a few clubs.
Katie Zemaitis
Katie is a junior and a first-year staff writer. She is known for her ability to rap every word to “Bonfire” by Childish Gambino, and her cause of death will probably be an overdose of Bruegger’s Asiago Parmesan bagels with plain cream cheese.
