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The Student Voice of North Allegheny Senior High School

The Uproar

The Student Voice of North Allegheny Senior High School

The Uproar

The Student Voice of North Allegheny Senior High School

The Uproar

Sam Podnar

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer

Sam Podnar is a senior at NASH. When she's not writing, she enjoys baking, reading, and talking too much about local politics.

All content by Sam Podnar
The exciting scavenger hunt known as The Game has wrapped up at NASH.

The Cracking of the Code

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer June 1, 2022

Two months ago, Mr. Mooney’s classroom became the riveting epicenter of a game. The Game. With an elaborate map of clues flourishing on one wall of Room 223 and one loose end after another unraveling,...

Content moderation has challenged the ideal of absolute free speech on social media.

Opinion: Preserving the Public Conversation

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer May 25, 2022

On March 25th, Elon Musk took to Twitter to broadcast a poll. “Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy,” he wrote. “Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?” In...

Many students spend large amounts of time and money preparing for  standardized tests.

Opinion: Tried, Tested, Untrusted

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer April 22, 2022

In May of 2019, the College Board made a controversial announcement. It unveiled the Environmental Context Dashboard, colloquially known as the adversity score, to address widespread racial and socioeconomic...

The Trophy Room on NASH's first floor will soon undergo a 21st century transformation.

Virtual Reality comes to NASH

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer April 1, 2022

The district announced plans on Friday that the first-floor trophy room—in the southeast corner of the building, next to the cafeteria—will be converted into a virtual reality studio over the summer,...

Since making contact with Mr. Mooney on March 22nd, "The Game" has proceeded to provide elusive daily clues as to their identity, a challenge that Mooney has been methodically documenting on his classroom wall.

The Game

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer March 29, 2022

A receipt from JOANN Fabrics is taped to the wall of Room 223. It details the purchase of one item: red yarn. $4.49, plus tax. To the left, the yarn connects a mosaic of paper documents—cryptic printouts...

NASH Student Council's Victoria Ren and Gannon Sprinkle pose by the Personal Care Drive collection boxes in the cafeteria.

Giving Back

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer March 15, 2022

NASH Student Council is running a drive to collect personal care items such as shampoo, deodorant, shaving cream, and toothbrushes, all of which will be donated to North Hills Community Outreach. Students...

Over the decades, Americans have come out to protest and support affirmative action. Now, the fight once again returns to the steps of the Supreme Court.

A Seat in the Classroom

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer March 1, 2022

The college admissions process has become a cutthroat game for many American high school students. Elite universities have crafted a brand for themselves, promising to offer accepted applicants a top-notch...

Wordle has captivated NASH students with its fun and simplicity.

Word Up

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer February 7, 2022

Craze. Mania. Fever. Not only could these words serve as guesses in the hit game Wordle, but they also describe how the phenomenon has swept the halls of NASH—along with the rest of the country.  Wordle...

The bright lights of the Benedum Center proudly announced the arrival of Hasan Minhaj's new comedy special, The King's Jester, to Pittsburgh on Thursday.

A Review of The King’s Jester

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer January 25, 2022

Last Thursday evening at the Benedum Center, comedian Hasan Minhaj (pronounced HA-sun MIN-haj, not Hasaaan Minhaaaj) stepped onstage and was met with wild applause. Gazing up at the packed theater, situated...

Mistrust in government institutions has risen to the surface during the pandemic.

Who Do We Trust?

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer January 20, 2022

When COVID began rapidly spreading in the US in the spring of 2020, alarm and paranoia kept people inside. Stay-at-home orders seemed like the reasonable course of action as we watched a new and mysterious...

Some schools have divided cheerleading into two squads -- competitive and non-competitive -- in order to satisfy both sides of the debate over cheerleading's status as a sport.

Along the Sideline

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer January 7, 2022

“Cheerleading isn’t a sport.” It’s a phrase that’s been thrown around school hallways and locker rooms for some time now, much to the frustration of many cheerleaders who, understandably,...

College and university applicants can often feel mystified by the process.

Inside the Admissions Office

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer December 15, 2021

With an influx of early decision letters rolling in this week, seniors are seeing the light at the end of the admissions tunnel. But during the last few months, most students have churned out essays and...

An extravagant clock in Mr. Venezia's room serves as a reminder of memorable students from last school year

Tokens of Lasting Thoughtfulness

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer November 24, 2021

Math teacher Mrs. Volpe’s room houses countless objects from her years of teaching. The corner by her desk is especially jam-packed with decoration, but one image sticks out: the face of Albert Einstein,...

Recent protests at school board meetings across the country have raised questions about individual liberty.

At Face Value

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer November 16, 2021

The August 25th school board meeting was a pressure cooker of community tension.  I entered the NASH auditorium that night intending to write an article on what would normally transpire, but I left...

NASH senior Emma Scott meets with AP English 4 teacher Mrs. Rhinehart for a college application essay conference.

By the Letter

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer November 9, 2021

Pick a NASH senior at random and look at the tabs open on their laptop—chances are, you’ll find commonapp.org, collegeboard.org, and the ever-popular Reddit thread r/applyingtocollege. College application...

She goes the extra-curricular mile

She goes the extra-curricular mile

Sam Podnar October 14, 2021

What extracurricular activities are you involved in? My favorite and most formative commitments include Pennsylvania DECA, Rotary International, the NASD School Board, TigerTHON, Science NHS, the World...

All impact sports entail the potential of head injuries, but the benefits of youth sports make weighing the risk especially challenging.

Upon Impact

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer September 23, 2021

“Football is the lifeblood of our country.” Those are the words of Louisiana State University coach Ed Oregeron, and they resonate with many Americans. Since the sport’s beginnings in the late...

Though most high school students are not currently of voting age, a nationwide movement may one day give them a voice come election season.

The Movement to Lower the Voting Age

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer September 14, 2021

I had my first brush with civic engagement in third grade, when I walked into the makeshift polling booth at my elementary school and proudly cast my ballot for whichever candidate my parents told me to...

NASH's counseling office maps out where last year's graduates committed to college.

On Tour

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer September 3, 2021

A fear of commitment is in the air. As the seniors begin their final year at NASH, they’re tasked with making one of the biggest decisions of their lives: where to pursue their college career. Choosing...

Although George Floyd's death occurred nearly a year and half ago, his name has only grown more symbolic of the need for racial justice in America.

The Weight of a Name

Sam Podnar, Staff Writer August 25, 2021

George Floyd. Millions of people have protested in his name. During one week last June, Floyd’s name was searched more than “coronavirus” or “Donald Trump.” Protestors have set up an autonomous...

In the absence of a renewed effort to educate students on the importance of truth, conspiracy theories like QAnon will only continue to strengthen their hold.

An Era of Post-Truth

Sam Podnar, Guest Writer February 17, 2021

Activism is essential to a thriving democracy, but social media can inundate us with the world's injustices.

Like and Share to Save His Life

Sam Podnar, Guest Writer January 6, 2021

A few months ago, I had never heard of Brandon Bernard. But over the course of just a few days, I learned his story, familiarized myself with his case, his crime, and his punishment. Brandon was sentenced...

Since its colonial days, American public life has been marked by episodes of civil unrest.

Riots Through a Different Lens

Sam Podnar, Contributing Writer November 18, 2020

The civil unrest that has marked much of 2020 has provoked pundits on both the left and the right to declare that civil war in America may be imminent.  But a wider view of history may suggest otherwise,...

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