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Spartan Shield

The student news site of Pleasant Valley High School

Spartan Shield

The student news site of Pleasant Valley High School

Spartan Shield

Band trip cancelled despite efforts to postpone

Seniors+Nathan+Lokenvitz%2C+Srikanth+Ganesh%2C+Kyle+Sehlin%2C+Sam+McGrath%2C+Sam+Noel%2C+Will+Pendrak%2C+and+Micahel+Musal+pose+in+Epcot%2C+Florida+in+March+2018.
Sam McGrath
Seniors Nathan Lokenvitz, Srikanth Ganesh, Kyle Sehlin, Sam McGrath, Sam Noel, Will Pendrak, and Micahel Musal pose in Epcot, Florida in March 2018.

The band trip to Florida has been a staple band tradition for numerous years. Butat the latest board meeting, it was announced the trip would be canceled.. Many students, especially seniors, were looking forward to going.

In November 2019, all band students were required to vote on a spring break trip location, which included Texas, Colorado and Florida. The student, like previous years, chose Florida due to the fact they would be able to go to Disney World and Universal Studios.

However, the outbreak of coronavirus forced the band directors to reconsider. Director Drew Anderson highlighted the primary reasons for canceling the trip rather than postponing it., “Through a survey of all the parents and students who decided to go on the trip, we saw that a majority did not feel safe,” said Anderson. 

Anderson also cited the refund policy as another deciding factor. “Regardless of how the COVID situation is in March in Florida, we decided it best not to risk the safety of students. Also, if the trip were to be postponed, the fee would have to increase by around 500 dollars for everyone which is not ideal,” claimed Anderson.

With all the additional safety guidelines and risk factors, the band directors agreed the price of the trip outweighed the need, something which disappointed many seniors. 

Senior, Genevieve Mcshane felt upset the trip might get canceled, having had lots of fun when she went her freshman year. “ I don’t feel comfortable being on a bus with 40 other people for 22 hours, so when it comes to safety I would feel better if the trip got canceled,” McShane explained. 

As the announcement of the trip’s cancellation will be made official by October 5, many band families are left wondering how much of their down payment will be refunded. According to Anderson, families will be refunded 75-85% of their payments. While they lose approximately 200-300 dollars, families understand that given the current circumstances, it would be more detrimental for the students to travel to Florida.

While the traditional band trip occurs every four years, band directors are in contact with travel companies about potentially conducting a trip for next year’s senior class.

 

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Ani Pradeep, News Editor
Ani Pradeep is currently a Senior in high school and plans to study medicine at an undecided college. While being very invested in his studies, Ani also expands his musical skills with his clarinet year round. He made the Iowa All-State band in 2019 and is currently working to become a two year member of the All-State band. In his freetime Ani enjoys running, hanging out with friends, traveling, volunteering at the Mississippi blood bank and watching sports. However, Ani’s favorite hobby is football, whether it’s watching the Green Bay Packers or working to draft the best fantasy football team, Ani is very passionate about the sport. Therefore, it is no surprise that he spends some of his weekends playing in the IFL, a pick-up football league created by himself and some other friends. Ani understands that this year will bring unique challenges, but he is excited and looking forward to the future as a News Editor at the Spartan Shield and a Senior at Pleasant Valley High School.   
Sam McGrath, Business Manager
Sam McGrath is currently a high school senior at Pleasant Valley High School and plans to major in business at Iowa State University. In his free time, Sam volunteers at St. John Vianney, enjoys playing in the Pleasant Valley Band, and spends time with his family including two chihuahuas. Sam’s interest in the band has resulted in him being selected for the Iowa All-State band three years in a row. When he is not spending time with friends creating computer programs, he works at Target. On some weekends, he can be seen playing pickup football with some of his friends as he is a huge fan of college sports. As the upcoming business manager for the Spartan Shield, Sam looks forward to a bright future.  
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Band trip cancelled despite efforts to postpone