Carnival showcases South Fayette assets
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Kinsley Mancuso celebrates as her entry wins the water race at the South Fayette swim team’s booth. Mancuso attended carnival with her father, Crosby, and brother, Matt.
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Luke Mowrey (right) and Caroline Praveen (left) react as he incorrectly selects the plastic cup containing the hidden object at the HOSA and Health Career Club booth’s game.
Photos: Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Maze and Micah Latimore enjoy the slide ride at the South Fayette carnival.
Photos: Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Molly Rutt, 5, gives a roar after having her face painted like a lion during activities at the South Fayette carnival.
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Anya Gupta applies paint to the face of Molly Rutt, 5, at the South Fayette High School marching band’s booth during carnival.
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Austen Weissert watches her sister, Kennedy, design a Lion paw button during South Fayette carnival.
By Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Rori O’Loughlin operates the controls of an underwater robot as Yunus Alkamel (left) and Jennet Sabu watch.
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South Fayette second-grader Quinn Gardner tosses the frisbee while her father, Mark, and brother, Cole, watch intently to see if she can win a prize.
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The South Fayette Lion mascot posed with several fans during festivities at the school’s annual carnival.
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Serena Thomas plays the violin during South Fayette carnival activities. She has been playing the instrument for two years and is in the school’s orchestra. “I like how it sounds,” she said of the instrument. Of the carnival she added, “I like coming here with my friends mostly.”
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South Fayette High School cheerleader Bella Crawley is all smiles despite falling into the dunk tank for the umpteenth time. Despite chilly temperatures for swimming, Bella said the water was warm and she only suffered a chill when she got out of the water and resumed her position on stand.
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Cooper Coble enjoys an iced treat from Wu’s Shaved Ice at the South Fayette carnival.
Beau Shirey gets a helping hand from his father, Kyle, as he attempts to make a hole in one during a putting game at the South Fayette carnival.
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Upper St. Clair resident Tim Wu prepares a frozen treat for a customer during the South Fayette carnival.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Grace Fornella, Alycia Stier and Emma Dreher were selling South Fayette gear at a booth to raise funds for the school prom during carnival.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Anthony Muraco and Tommy Morneweck man the wheel as Lauren Sehch and other spectators look on to see if they came up a winner in a game sponsored by the South Fayette marching band during carnival.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Sandy Rectenwald (right) brought her two children, Maddi and Nolan, as well as her young niece, Maura Schmitz, to the South Fayette carnival. The annual event is suited for families of all ages.
Jessica Shirey is a physics teacher at South Fayette. She enjoyed an evening out at the homecoming carnival with her family.
Carly Garrubba dreams of becoming a pediatric oncologist, but the South Fayette High School junior would make a great ambassador. As Student Government secretary, she promoted the school district’s 17th annual homecoming carnival with unparalleled enthusiasm and represented the best the community had to offer.
“The dunking booth is super fun and the food trucks are amazing,” she said to folks attending the event for the first time.
Of course the bounce house and obstacle course inflatable that she manned outside the stadium entrance was the best attraction. “I’ve volunteered to work this for three years,” Garrubba said. “It’s my favorite.”
Garrubba operated the play station with a three-person team. One person tells the youngsters when and where to go. Another signals when it’s all clear. Garruba said she runs in if a child gets stuck. “I’m on standby a lot,” she laughed.
“I love it though because I enjoy being around kids. I do a lot of volunteering with them and their development and social aspects. Anything with kids, I love. Here I really get to be hands on with the kids.”
Garrubba loves carnival, too.
“It brings our community together. You get to see all of your teachers, the students and your peers. It’s the one big event of the year that you are all together.”
Representatives from most of the high school’s 43 clubs as well as sports organizations and booster groups participated in the carnival, which is sponsored by SF’s SGA and is designed as a community-building and fundraising activity in celebration of Homecoming.
This year’s carnival ran from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 14 and featured games and activities for all ages as well as an array of edible options offered by food trucks including Totopo, Pittsburgh Halal, Hibachi Lou, R&G Smokeshack, Fudge Farm, Millie’s Ice Cream, Kona Ice, Frio’s Gourmet Pops and menu items from Chick-fil-A.
The Little Green Machine Marching Band capped the event with a grand performance. Because their oldest son belongs to the ensemble, Dana Kasecky and Michael Latimore attended carnival for the four-hour duration with their two young sons, Micah and Maze.
“We come every year,” Kasecky said. “We love it. It’s family-oriented and kids have a good time. We end up being here all night.”
The Little Piggie races, strolling violinists, face painting stations, hide-and-switch pong, fish pond and other games of change were more than just opportunities in which to play and pass a pleasant autumn evening.
“Carnival is a great way to meet the student body and teachers to bring their families and all have a good time while raising money for the school,” said Anya Gupta.
A senior who plans to earn a degree in philosophy while earning teaching credentials at the University of Pittsburgh, Gupta tended the band’s face-painting booth for the fourth year.
“I love working with kids,” said Gupta, who also assists in the preschool. “I get to show my creative side here. Everyone ends up happy and it makes me happy.”
As he watched his daughter’s face transform into a lion, Andy Rutt said of carnival, “It’s wonderful. The level of involvement of the students is amazing.”
Amy Mowrey added as she watched her son, Luke, get confused as Caroline Praveen shuffled three red Solo cups, one containing a ping-pong ball.
“We are having a great time,” Mowrey said. “I think it’s awesome. I feel like this year there’s been more activities than I have ever seen.”
“It’s a great time,” said Praveen. A junior, she is a member of the HOSA and Health Career Club.
“Everybody is passionate about medicine and health careers, and the best part of carnival definitely is being about to talk to everyone about our group. I love being able to share that with others.”
Yunus Alkamel had the opportunity to share his love of robots during carnival. A junior, he is “passionate” about robotics and computer science. He plans to perhaps merge the technologies with AI when he goes to college.
Alkamel was a member of the South Fayette team that won a robotic competition recently at Villanova. The Robotics Club’s underwater robots were on display at carnival.
“I like (carnival),” Alkamel said. “It’s nice to see everybody pursuing their own passions. All helping their community and being with the younger kids. We’re proud of what we are doing.”
South Fayette residents like Crystal O’Loughlin, who watched her daughter, Rori, and Jennet Sabu, operate the controls, were impressed with the underwater robotics.
“Amazing,” she said.
“This is a new area that is growing across the board and having kids involved in the early stages is awesome,” added Mr. Sabu. “I love the community and the school and how they have great programs like this.”
Sandy Rectenwald agrees. An Upper St. Clair native, she resides now in South Fayette. She attended carnival with her two children, Maddi and Nolan, and niece Maura Schmitz. They enjoyed the bounce house, dunk tank and soccer games.
“It’s wonderful,” Rectenwald said. “South Fayette does a great job of involving the community and all their school events. We are having a great time.”
Even though it was a chilly night for swimming, Bella Crawley enjoyed her time in the dunk tank. A freshman, she was one of seven cheerleaders to volunteer to sit in the soak seat.
“The water is warm. It’s only cold when you come out,” she said. “I’m all right right now and I am having fun. The kids get real excited when they knock you down, but this is a big money-maker for the cheerleaders.”
South Fayette merchandise was a big seller, too, as Grace Fornella, Alycia Stier and Emma Dreher hawked wares such as blankets and throws at the Prom Committee booth.
Stier is enthusiastic about her senior year and all of its activities. She relished carnival because in less than a year she will be off attending a four-year university to study middle-level education for English and social studies.
“I would love to come back here because Western Pennsylvania has a place in my heart. I really love this event and I will miss it.
“It’s a great way to bring all the clubs together and you get a whole sense of the community, not just what the high school is like, but the whole district,” Stier added. “Plus, I love getting the chance to see all the little kids. This is going to be them in the future.”
Jessica Shirey has a hand in South Fayette’s future. She teaches physics at the high school. Though she lives in Washington County and resides in the Trinity School District, she attended carnival with her husband, Kyle, and two sons. She had high praise for the event.
“It’s amazing. It gives a complete representation of what South Fayette is all about. It’s always about interaction in the community and the school and helping each other out. It’s a great event.”
Tim Wu agreed. An Upper St. Clair resident, he sells shaved ice at major events throughout the South Hills, including the SF carnival. No matter when the event is held – in 2022 it was held in October – his frozen treats sell well.
“Last year was colder and we did a good business. This year is right up there, too. It’s a great community event. The people here are very loyal; the administration, coaches and parents. Overall, it’s a great community that has a lot to offer.”