The student news site of Pleasant Valley High School

Spartan Shield

The student news site of Pleasant Valley High School

Spartan Shield

The student news site of Pleasant Valley High School

Spartan Shield

Pleasant Valleys mission statement hangs in the emptying hallway. As the last bell of the school year rings, students are still unsure of their schedules for the upcoming semester.

Scheduling stumbles: Course conflicts undermine academic ambition

Laura Chen and Prerna Vanga June 6, 2024

  Scheduling conflicts reveal indifference towards valuing all students The Pleasant Valley Community School District lauds itself as “a premier innovative district in the Midwest,” claiming...

As the U.S. went from the 15th to 23rd happiest country in the world, this quick decline clearly began around the pandemic, with the rise of online learning and loss of in-person social interactions.

Unhappy America: Exploring the factors behind the decline in national happiness throughout the U.S.

Asritha Gunukula, Multimedia Manager May 20, 2024

In 2023, the United States fell from 15th to 23rd place out of 143 countries in the World Happiness Report. Surprisingly, Israel, the country facing a war, ranks 5th on this list. The mental health...

USC campus as students leave for the summer without official end.

USC Graduation Uproar: Valedictorian’s Stance Leads to Ceremony Cancellation

Asritha Gunukula, Multimedia Manager May 20, 2024

As the school year comes to an end, seniors in both high school and college are getting ready to graduate and move on to the next chapter of their lives. However, for many 2024 college graduates, their...

Columbia Universitys campus has broken out into protests and encampments of students protesting the war in Gaza.

Mirrored turmoil: Election year unrest reverberates across university campuses

Jae Jepsen, Editor in Chief May 18, 2024

In 1968, Columbia University students occupied a building on campus in protest against a segregated gym and the university’s ties with the Institute for Defense Analyses amid the Vietnam War. Later that...

Freshman Idhika Subish scrolls on Tik Tok during lunch.

The TikTok generation: Students reflect on the possibility of TikTok ban

Ameya Menon, PV Only Editor May 6, 2024

Though there has been much speculation about the potential banning of TikTok, the most recent wave of paranoia seems to be progressing faster than the public imagined. In early March, the House passed...

Harvard University is one of several elite universities where test scores will now be required for admission.

What the Ivy League isn’t saying with their new application policy

Jae Jepsen, Editor in Chief April 25, 2024

Elite universities across the country are transitioning from test optional applications to what they’re calling ‘test flexible,’ a format that will accept scores from a wide variety of tests.    With...

Marking the end of a woman’s fertility, menopause can bring about various physical and emotional changes.

From stigma to support: Normalizing menopause and prioritizing women’s health

Alene Keppy, Feature Editor April 18, 2024

Menopause is a natural biological process marking the end of a woman's reproductive years, typically occurring in her late 40s or early 50s. Despite its universality, menopause remains shrouded in stigma...

As the U.S. went from the 15th to 23rd happiest country in the world, this quick decline clearly began around the pandemic, with the rise of online learning and loss of in-person social interactions.

Unhappy America: Exploring the factors behind the decline in national happiness throughout the U.S.

Asritha Gunukula, Multimedia Manager April 16, 2024

In 2023, the United States fell from 15th to 23rd place out of 143 countries in the World Happiness Report. Surprisingly, Israel, the country facing a war, ranks 5th on this list. The mental health...

New relief package removes burden of student loan payments.

President Biden unveils ambitious student loan forgiveness plan to ease financial burden on borrowers

Spencer Johnson, Sports Editor, Student Life Editor April 4, 2024

The Biden-Harris Administration announced on March 21 its plan to approve $5.8 billion dollars worth of student loan relief, pardoning approximately 77,700 Americans from completing these payments. The...

Osceola water tower
Photo credit: Pete Unseth

Crisis in Osceola: Iowa town faces severe drought concerns

Abby Moroney, Business Manager April 1, 2024

The city of Osceola, Iowa, only 50 minutes from the capital Des Moines, is grappling with the rapid impacts of a drought crisis. The city's water supply has been a topic of concern for years because it...

Senior Pratima Khatri has spent time lobbying to legislators for as Organizing Lead for March for Our Lives Iowa. Photo credit to Saw Gee Dow Sow

Locked and loading: Iowans grapple with proposed bill to arm teachers

Jae Jepsen, Editor in Chief March 26, 2024

Every parent wants to protect their kids from danger. In school, it’s at the root of every book challenge and curriculum complaint. But soon, something far more dangerous than a copy of "To Kill a...

FAFSA provides instructions on how to fill out financial aid applications

Trouble in Tuition: The FAFSA Fumble of 2024

Ameya Menon, PV Only Editor March 25, 2024

As many college students went home over the holidays and began the process of completing the FAFSA, families were shocked to see a significant increase in the tuition they were expected to pay. Free...

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