All-state with COVID-19
Akash Pradeep, Feature Editor
September 21, 2020
Every year, music students look forward to All-State auditions. As more than 1,000 students from across the state of Iowa drive to audition at multiple schools. Most students had been preparing for these auditions for more than four months: practicing scales, etudes and solos. The All-State band ...
The effects of COVID-19 on the film industry
Jonathan Chiles, Arts and Entertainment Editor
September 21, 2020
Theaters all around the world were forced to close as COVID-19 took the world by storm. As they began to reopen, they faced a substantial problem: new films are not being released. When quarantine first began, film production had to be put on pause to keep those involved safe. This caused many m...
One musical, two casts
Elizabeth Pischke, Copy Editor
September 21, 2020
The beginning of the school year at Pleasant Valley is always filled with a variety of activities. This unprecedented year is no different; however, it has brought an interesting new change to the drama department. Every fall, PV Spartan Drama puts on three shows: a fall play, the musical and fal...
Conquering the “Bandemic”
Ani Pradeep, News Editor
September 14, 2020
The Pleasant Valley Spartan Marching Band is one of the biggest highlights of the band program, especially for incoming freshmen. From playing at high energy football games to just having a good time with friends, the marching band season has always been a special experience for its members. However, ...
“Wakanda Forever”: Chadwick Boseman’s legacy lives on
Kelly Brewer, Social Media Manager
September 14, 2020
Chadwick Boseman was loved by many communities. He was an actor, writer, director and had a beautiful family. Boseman, best known for his role as King T’Challa in Marvel’s “Black Panther,” passed away on Aug. 28 after quietly fighting stage IV colon cancer for four years. Boseman was als...
REVIEW: Maturation and missed opportunities in Season 2 of “The Politician”
Alyce Brown, Staff Contributor
June 26, 2020
After releasing its first season just this past fall, Ryan Murphy’s fantastical political satire “The Politician” is already back for its second season on Netflix. Progressing past the high school presidential race that the first season followed, the new episodes, set two years in the future, ...
The illusion of an A24 adolescence
Margaret Huang, Feature Editor
May 24, 2020
Lady Bird, Hot Summer Nights, The Spectacular Now, Eighth Grade — what do these all have in common? They are A24 produced coming-of-age movies depicting the most precarious stage of life: adolescence. Coming-of-age films and other teen movies are not only confined to A24; the media is infamous ...
Battle of the streaming services
Margaret Huang, Feature Editor
May 24, 2020
In the darkest of times, people can always turn to one thing: mindless entertainment. As people all over the country are confined to their own households, streaming services are a given — but there’s only one question left to ask: which one? Not everyone can afford to splurge on a variety of streaming ser...
REVIEW: The Last Dance: The nostalgic Jordan documentary
Brooke Goy, Copy Editor
May 18, 2020
The ten episode series on former NBA player and legend Michael Jordan has been a hit for sports fans struggling to fill their missing sports entertainment. Behind the scenes footage, game highlights and celebrity interviews are exciting features — especially for Chicago Bulls fans. Senior Jackson M...
REVIEW: Never Have I Ever: The other side of The Valley
Margaret Huang, Feature Editor
May 9, 2020
The raunchy party game Never Have I Ever is best known for its role in revealing the most unsuspecting people’s most risque hidden sides. Befitting the divulging nature of the party game, Netflix’s new original series, created by Mindy Kaling, effortlessly delivers a refreshing take on the tried ...
The fight for the theatrical window: AMC vs Universal gone wrong
Maggie Peterson, Business Manager
May 9, 2020
Due to the success of Trolls World Tour on digital platforms, Universal is considering a change to the current theatrical window. This could forever change the business of movie theaters around the world. Last Tuesday the studio announced that in three weeks it had grossed nearly $100 million in r...
REVIEW: All-American sheds light on societal issues
Karleigh Nading, Opinion Editor
May 9, 2020
Inspired by a true story, All-American has risen to popularity after the second season of the series was released on Netflix on Mar. 17. It follows the life of Spencer James, a football star in a low income part of the Los Angeles area. With the hopes of making a career out of football, All-American ...
