New changes in positions and leadership roles at the high school
Azariah Courtney, Editor-in-Chief
May 21, 2019
Following the 2018-2019 school year, many changes will occur at the Pleasant Valley School District. There will be several staff members exiting the district and many new faces arriving in the fall of 2019. Three new counselors will be joining the Pleasant Valley staff next year in addition to new...
PV District facing discrimination suit
Abby Riley, Sports Editor
May 21, 2019
The Pleasant Valley School District has always claimed to be “committed to excellence,” but one parent is begging to differ. When Bettendorf resident Jeffery Bittner’s son, who has autism, was denied open enrollment, he took legal action and has continued to advocate for his son’s rights...
How Alabama’s abortion laws affect Iowa
Kaitlyn Ryan, Student Life Editor
May 21, 2019
Recent controversies regarding Alabama’s new abortion law has sparked the abortion debate once again. The passing of the law has many implications for both Iowa and America. Before attempting to understand the most current abortion policies, one must examine previous related legislation. More rest...
Engineering students take first place in the Trebuchet Egg Throw Competition
Odin McDonald, Photo Manager
May 21, 2019
Anton Dahm and Peyton Weisbeck, juniors at PVHS, took first place in the 2019 Trebuchet Egg Throw Competition on Apr. 18. Through the Engineering Problems course offered at the high school, Dahm and Weisbeck designed, built and tested their own trebuchet, a type of catapult which uses a swinging a...
Leveling the playing field: the SAT Adversity Score
Rishab Verma, Photo Manager
May 20, 2019
Each year, the journey to college and beyond requires students to take numerous steps in preparation. Among them is taking standardized tests like the SAT, but the College Board’s newest change to the exam has caused major upset and concern among students and educational professionals. The SAT, lik...
Concerns of safety in local synagogues
Natalie Murphy, News Editor
May 20, 2019
The end of the Jewish celebration, Passover, is usually celebrated among members of the Jewish community, but on April 27, the last day of Passover, the community experienced pain instead of the festivities as another shooting occurred at a California synagogue. The effects of such anti semitic violence is...
School board names Darren Erickson as new PVHS principal
Trinity Malmen, Staff Contributor
May 19, 2019
The Pleasant Valley School Board meeting announced its approval of the appointment of current associate principal, Darren Erickson, as Pleasant Valley High School principal for the 2019-2020 school year on Monday, May 13. The position opened in the spring of 2019 when Mike Zimmer, the current pr...
In response to anti-vaxxer movement, many bans form against those without vaccinations
Trinity Malmen, Staff Contributor
May 19, 2019
A sudden increase in the anti-vaccine movement has moved businesses and countries to create consequences to those without vaccinations. The main belief of those who choose not to vaccinate their children is under the false claim that vaccines cause autism. There have been multiple studies that have...
Responsibility of recycling not taken seriously
Trevor Glaum, Business Manager
May 16, 2019
Every day, hundreds of bottles, cans, and paper goods are thrown into the recycling bins found in the classrooms and hallways of Pleasant Valley High School. In an effort to protect the planet, Pleasant Valley claims to support recycling and caring for the earth. PV has recycle bins located in the lunchroom...
Quick rundown: Who’s running in 2020?
Rishab Verma, Photo Manager
May 14, 2019
The 2020 presidential elections are about a year and a half away, and many candidates are starting to announce their bid for the top office in the country. The 2016 election was one of the most memorable ones in history. After eight years of living under a Democratic president, the Republican par...
Why should I care about the Space X launch?
Lilly Parker, Copy Editor
May 13, 2019
SpaceX, a private American aerospace manufacturer dedicated to creating new space technology with the end goal of finding planets sustainable for human life, launched an impressive spacecraft into orbit on May 4. The CEO, Elon Musk, created the modern space empire in 2002 and has been successful ...
Swiss billionaire pledges $1 billion to help save Earth from global warming
Trinity Malmen, Staff Contributor
May 10, 2019
A Swiss billionaire has pledged to donate $1 billion over the next ten years to help with the efforts of saving the Earth from climate change. Hansjörg Wyss, a philanthropist and conservalist, was born in Switzerland and now lives in Wyoming. He founded Synthes, a medical device company. Wys...
