Issue 4 | Thelionsden

Issue 4

Challenges of Every Kind: Krystal Ciccarelli

Donald Chedrick & Ashley Kish

Some people get treated differently because nobody knows their story, like Krystal Ciccarelli, a senior at GS who continues to defy the odds every day.
Krystal has been a “little person” for her entire life. It’s hereditary and she is not the only one in her family with this condition.

Challenges of Every Kind: Megan Parker

Amanda Riehl

With the recent surgery on her ankle, followed by crutches and a boot, senior Megan Parker has not only lost time dancing, but also discovered what it feels like to be disabled.
Parker has danced for 11 years, seven of which have been point ballet. Due to the stress put on her ankle while dancing and a genetic condition known as “Genetic Hyper Flexibility,” Parker caused her tendons to tear which led to a surgery on October 10th and temporary disability afterward.

A Day in the Life...

Jaydyn Morrison

Imagine sitting in a room full of people with all of the lights on but not seeing anything at all. Darkness. Total darkness. Having to rely solely on touch and sound. Never being able to see a phone, a friend’s face or any color at all, just darkness, forever.

Every day, when I walk into school, I see students and teachers everywhere talking about their nights, homework that’s due or what they plan on doing after school. I also see the bright lights shining on all the latest trends and styles. However, on December 14th, I saw none of these things. The only things I experienced were the constant chatter and feeling of my clothes on my body.

Three Open Heart Surgeries by the Age of 15

Heather Dougherty

Freshman Marissa Konrad has been through a lot, starting out with being a premature baby to then discovering that she was born with two holes in her heart. Although life has thrown her a difficult body to handle, Konrad has taken her challenges and has made the most of them with a smile on her face everywhere she goes.

From 8,000 Miles...

Cassandra Brennan & Laura Rosner

After 17 years and 8,299.32 miles, senior Asheley Buchwalter wound up in Greensburg—a small, old town with a city-like aspect. Although Buchwalter is new and relatively an outsider, she has lived in seven different states, so surely she can handle Pennsylvania.
“As an elementary school student you can walk up to someone and ask them to be friends and they’ll say yes,” Buchwalter said. “If you do that in high school, people will look at you like you’re crazy. I found that out through the experience of moving.”

...to 2 Blocks

Cody Craig & Carli Suppo

Being the new kid is never easy, but being from a rival school can be even harder. As for sophomore Katie Corsaro, the transition from Hempfield to GS has turned out to be trouble free.
“I thought it was going to be hard being new and getting accepted,” Corsaro said. “But it wasn’t that hard.”

Kerrigan Ban

Jessica Bauer

Divorced, separated, together- parents are parents, no matter what and play a large role in a child's life.
Junior Kerrigan Ban has struggled with the absence of both parents for the past several years.