Rival Remarks
January 15, 2019
Ask students from Pine-Richland who their most detested rival is, and the answer is predictable. Same goes when you ask students from NA. We sat down with two students from each district and realized just how much we actually have in common. Below we interview Nate Stetson and Marleigh Hoyman from NA and Ava Loskoch and Abby Baratka from PR.
NA Opinions
What are some words that you would use to describe PR students?
Nate: Mediocre, unclassy, hardworking
Marleigh: Hicks/farmers, annoying, arrogant, dumb, gross, snotty but like they broke
Do you believe that your school district is the best one in its area? Why?
Nate: Yeah, we are hardworking, determined, and display an excellence in STEM, academics, and our sports.
Marleigh: Yes, I do. NA is the best in most sports and academics every year, whereas other schools “get lucky” once and awhile.
Do you feel that your school has prepared you for college? How?
Nate: Definitely. The classes at NA are hard, and they prepare you for college.
Marleigh: Yes, I do. They are always cramming schoolwork down my throat and mention college every .2 seconds.
Is there a constant pressure from your district for its students to perform extremely well in academics?
Nate: Yes, at NA there is a lot of pressure and even a stigma to get an A.
Marleigh: Oh yes, there is constant pressure to be the best in everything, but with academics, it is soul crushing.
How many hours of homework do you do a night?
Nate: I would say that I do an average of four hours of homework a night.
Marleigh: I would say around 3-4 hours of homework — more if I procrastinate, though.
How important are sports in your school?
Nate: I would say that sports at North Allegheny are very important, especially football.
Marleigh: Sports are everything at NA, so earning your letter is always super important.
Who would you say is your school’s biggest rivals?
Nate: It honestly depends on which sport you play, but overall, it would have to be Pine Richland.
Marleigh: In all honesty, it depends on the sport. Our school hates Pine Richland, not because they are good at sports — because they aren’t — but because the kids there are so annoying that you just want to shut them up.
How do you feel about/prepare for NA/PR week?
Nate: For my sport — throwing — I am never worried, so I don’t really do anything special.
Marleigh: I think I get more anxious when football plays them, but I honestly don’t care about them in our sport; it’s just another game that we want to win.
Would you say that your school favors certain sports over others? Which sports?
Nate: There is an undeniable favoritism towards football at NA. I understand why, but there are other sports that perform well, and it is sad to see them overshadowed for football.
Marleigh: NA favors football over every other sport; I get that they bring in money, but you have to acknowledge other sports too.
Do you feel safe at your school? Why?
Nate: I do feel safe because we have security present, and anything that might have been dangerous has been handled quickly and well by the administration.
Marleigh: For the most part, I do. I don’t sit in constant fear of dying throughout the day, but there are some kids that I make sure to keep an eye on because they are crazy.
Would you say that students get along at your school?
Nate: Largely yes, there are other people at our school that might have a different opinion than me.
Marleigh: Kind of? There is always drama going on, but since our school is so big, it kinda gets lost in the sea of students.
Would you say that bullying is a problem in your school? If so, is it a big problem?
Nate: In my personal experience, I have not seen it around the school.
Marleigh: There are mean kids, and I’ve seen people be rude to others, but it’s not super big.
What time does your school start/end?
Nate: School starts at 7:24 and ends at 2:15.
Marleigh: 7:24-2:15
How do you feel about the class size of your school? Do you like it or not? Why?
Nate: It is extremely large, but I like it because every year I get to class and I meet a new person.
Marleigh: I’m kind of torn about the class size, to be honest. I love that we are big, and I don’t always have to see people I don’t enjoy, but I miss my friends who are down at NAI.
How do you feel about your school’s newspaper?
Nate: I feel that it is comprised with hardworking and creative people.
Marleigh: I love our school’s newspaper.
PR Opinions
What are some words that you would use to describe NA students?
Ava: Athletic, nasty, dirty
Abby: Rude, stuck up, nasty, and weak
Do you believe that your school district is the best one in its area? Why?
Ava: Yes, I think that my school district is the best in its area because we have the best athletic and academic programs.
Abby: I would have to say no. Our sportsmanship is horrible, especially when we play against North Allegheny.
Do you feel that your school has prepared you for college? How?
Ava: It honestly depends on the teachers that you have. My math and science teachers, in my opinion, have prepared me for college.
Abby: I would say yes because my school uses Naviance, which has helped me prepare better for the college process.
Is there a constant pressure from your district for its students to perform extremely well in academics?
Ava: I don’t think that there is a constant pressure from my school district to perform extremely well academics.
Abby: I don’t know if there is. With my classes, I don’t feel it, but maybe someone who takes Honors might have a different opinion.
How many hours of homework do you do a night?
Ava: I do one to two hours of homework every night.
Abby: I would say that I do zero to thirty minutes of homework each night.
How important are sports in your school?
Ava: Sports are pretty important at my school but not more important than academics.
Abby: At my school, sports are very important.
Who would you say is your school’s biggest rival?
Ava: My school’s biggest rival is North Allegheny.
Abby: My school’s biggest rival would have to be North Allegheny.
How do you feel about/prepare for NA/PR week?
Ava: [Question 8 had to be redacted from the Pine side due to the use of vulgar language.]
Abby: [Question 8 had to be redacted from the Pine side due to the use of vulgar language.]
Would you say that your school favors certain sports over others? Which sports?
Ava: I would have to say no. If sports do get favored, it’s because they bring in more money.
Abby: Yes, my school does favor some sports over other sports. The most favored sport at my school would have to be football.
Do you feel safe at your school? Why?
Ava: Yes, I do feel safe in my school mostly because I feel safe around my friends.
Abby: Yes, I do feel safe at my school because more kids at my school are good than bad.
Would you say that students get along at your school?
Ava: I think that the students at my school get along, yes.
Abby: No, students do not get along at my school.
Would you say that bullying is a problem in your school? If so, is it a big problem?
Ava: I don’t think that bullying is a problem in my school.
Abby: To be honest, I don’t know if there is bullying at my school. If there is, it’s not that big.
What time does your school start/end?
Ava: Homeroom starts at 7:21, and the school day ends at 2:25.
Abby: My school starts at 7:20 and ends at 2:25.
How do you feel about the class size of your school? Do you like it or not? Why?
Ava: I feel like the class size is pretty average at my school. I like how I know everyone in my grade.
Abby: My class size is okay. I don’t mind it.
How do you feel about your school’s newspaper?
Ava: I read my schools newspaper sometimes; it’s all over our school. I usually check up on it when my sport is in it.
Abby: I haven’t read the newspaper, but I have seen/heard about it.