Senior Year Reflections Maanasa Reddy, TODAY Intern As a senior, these last 12 years have been, like always, times of change. Whether going from the mod schedule to a block schedule, using 1–1 technology, or replacing traditional snow days with online learning, it seems like education is slowly becoming unrecognizable. There are certainly changes to Upper St. Clair High School that have made the experience different. In 2004, there was a “Big Brother, Big Sister” program linking high schoolers and middle schoolers, much like the Junior Mentors who go down to the middle schools today. The time period itself has its own distinct impact. In November 2003, the most popular TV show amongst USCHS students was Friends—just months before the show ended. Frosted tips and flip phones don’t tend to be all that common in 2023 either. But is the high school experience really all that different? I looked to the USCHS yearbook, Clairvoyant, for my answer. This year’s seniors were mainly born in 2004, so I started my search there. The opening sentences were sentiments many of my fellow seniors know all too well: “Pressure is everywhere. Pressure to excel in the classroom and on the field. Pressure to meet new people.” No matter the changes added to high school, teenage life seems to remain the same. Emily Barrie, a senior at the high school, weighed in: “We all
feel the same things our parents did back then. Academic and social stress I believe are relatable no matter the generation.” The words of the 2004 yearbook still seem to ring true today, no matter who is asked. Each of the early 2000s yearbooks I reviewed contained bittersweet senior nostalgia, which I imagine is already finding its way into the 2023 edition of the yearbook. These formative years in high school tend to be a period of growth and also the end of a chapter for many. On a less serious note, in a poll done the same year, students were asked what they did after school. The most popular responses were “homework,” “watch TV,” and “sleep.” I daresay, based on careful observation (and my own experience), this has not changed. The common senior routine of stumbling into homeroom with a gallon of Dunkin’ coffee, and the ruthlessness of the spork game seem ever-constant as well. Perhaps the senior class of 2093 will be coming to school by way of levitation. Regardless, they still cannot free themselves from the cliches of the teenage experience. Ultimately, the flared leggings and curtain bangs of today may very well become the popcorn shirts and graphic tees of yesteryear, but it seems like the trials and tribulations of teenagedom never really fade, Chromebook or not. n
Local History Museum Started at USCHS Emily Barrie, TODAY Intern What do the following have in common: An Upper St Clair yearbook from the 1960s, a doctor’s bag from the 20th century, and an original report card from the Gilfillan family? These are just some of the items that will be on display in the coming months at Upper St. Clair’s first local history museum. The project of establishing the museum is being undertaken by the Local Historical Leaders Club (LHL) with the help of the Upper St. Clair Historical Society, specifically Rachel Carlson, Carolyn Friedrich, and Dr. Timothy Wagner. As told by LHL co-president Aashna Banerjee, the inspiration to start a museum was “the fact that places like Mt. Lebanon had places to share local history, but Upper St. Clair did not. We felt it was our duty as a history club to do this.” Aashna said the museum idea offered an amazing opportunity for club members to “step into the role of being a curator and learn the process of making a museum, researching artifacts and [learning] how to write descriptions for them. This project truly encapsulates the idea of bringing students together with history and having them take on the role of being a leader.” The theme that was chosen for the museum is “Then and Now.” The artifacts on display will revolve around what was relevant to an Upper St. Clair student in the past versus the modern day. The goal is that all students will be able to find something that helps them relate to some aspect of the past and appreciate how far we have come since then. For example, relics pertaining to sports, the arts, academics, occupations, teaching, and the overall history of the students and school system of Upper St Clair will hopefully find a home in the museum. While 68
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the Upper St Clair Historical Society has been most generous in lending countless photos, newspapers, textbooks, and other items from the Gilfillan Farmhouse to start the museum, the hope is that more items will be collected from residents across the community that contribute to the theme and purpose of the museum. The museum will be located in the display cases next to the counseling office in the high school. In this central location, many students and faculty members will be able to appreciate the artifacts throughout the school year. On special occasions, such as Open House, other community members may have the chance to view the display. The museum is scheduled for completion by the end of the 2022–2023 school year, and students are already getting excited about the upcoming addition to the school. When asked what she was looking forward to with the museum, Maanasa Reddy, a senior at the high school, explained, “I feel the museum is a way for students to be reminded of the way their own worlds are changing every day. It could give students perspective on the world around them and the history they themselves are living through.” The creation of the museum curated by the student-led Local Historical Leaders club will certainly be an added bonus to the halls of Upper St. Clair High School, whether it be for educational purposes or just to connect to the past. n To donate or lend an item to the museum collection, contact the Local Historical Leaders sponsor, Dr. Steve Torquato, at storquato@uscsd.k12.pa.us.