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

Travis Scott performs to a packed crowd with a massive spectacle.

Tickets to a death trap: Why we should have seen the Astroworld Festival tragedy coming

Mitchell Wood and Vinay Joshi November 16, 2021

American hip-hop artist Jacques Webster came under scrutiny for a lack of security and severe overcrowding at his annual music festival. Held in Houston on Nov 5, the event resulted in the deaths of 10...

Juniors Deen Naire and Jacey Sorensen obsess over who got a lower test grade.

Obsession with failure is plaguing our schools

Erika Holmberg, Copy Editor November 15, 2021

At a young age, children are taught that lessons in life can only be learned through experiencing failure. Although this is true, many students have taken this concept too far and have created a bigger...

Pictured above is Mark Zuckerberg in 2005, just one year after he founded Facebook which is now known as Meta.

Is Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse the future of the Internet?

Jayne Abraham, Editor in Chief November 15, 2021

The metaverse is here – and it has been deemed dead upon arrival. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the company’s rebrand to Meta on Oct. 28. After seemingly perpetual controversy regarding...

Students have the opportunity to speak on issues and concerns within the school district at PVCSD board meetings, practicing for other political conversations.

How ignorance of opposing political stances creates unnecessary problems in teens

Isa Burkhart, News Editor November 15, 2021

With the 2020 presidential election between candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden, tensions between political parties reached an ultimate high.  As teenagers come to the age of deciding their own beliefs,...

A sign of Breonna Taylor held at Black Lives Matter protest in Atlanta, Georgia.

Former LMPD officer appeals for job back following the death of Breonna Taylor

Brady Hunter, Multimedia Manager November 15, 2021

Following Louisville Metro Police Department’s botched raid, Myles Cosgrove, a Louisville Metro Police Officer, shot and killed 26-year-old Breonna Taylor in March of 2020.  According to reporter...

A recent bill passed by Illinois legislature promotes the idea that mental health is just as important as physical health.

Illinois’s new mental health absence policy is a step in the right direction

Mukul Kulkarni, Copy Editor November 9, 2021

Since the beginning of 2020, the pandemic has challenged students’ ability to maintain proper mental health for well-being. Illinois recently passed a bill that will offer more opportunities for students...

A PV student is pictured enjoying an energy drink at local coffee joint, Coffee Hound. This is one of the many places popular among students to grab a quick drink to energize. But what is really behind this unrelenting need to caffeinate?

Capitalism’s favorite substance: The normalization of caffeine

Josie Olderog, Feature Editor November 9, 2021

Today, students from junior high to graduate school are dependent on caffeine consumption in order to stay awake. College campuses and high schools have even opened coffee shops within their own walls.  Coffee...

The World Food Programme, an offshoot of the United Nations, recently asked the world’s billionaires to donate to a global hunger crisis.

As his fortunes soar, Elon Musk publicly contemplates ending world hunger

Vinay Joshi, Business Manager November 8, 2021

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, recently challenged the World Food Programme (WFP) to construct a plan to solve world hunger, re-igniting a public debate about the responsibility of billionaires...

Shown above is an exemplification of healthy eating habits with balance in mind.

Reading the labels: The surge of counting calories in society

Alex Hunter, Copy Editor November 8, 2021

Counting calories has become prevalent among teens, as a result of a surge in weightlifting on social media. This notion of tracking food consumption is an effective approach to maintaining good health...

Climate Change still plagues the Earth as most politicians don’t bother about it.

Climate Change: Are people prepared for a warmer future?

November 8, 2021

Nathan VanUtrecht, Copy Editor With current carbon emission trends, scientists estimate that we have until 2030 before climate change becomes irreversible. If our planet is running out of time,...

The assumed depiction of the 1925 Thanksgiving celebration in Plymouth, Massachusetts between the Native Americans and pilgrims.

The truth behind Thanksgiving

Isa Burkhart, News Editor November 4, 2021

Going back to the earliest history of the United States, Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated every November. However, the actual history behind the holiday of Thanksgiving is one often overlooked, barely...

As many students (especially those who are religious) embark on mission trips, it is evident that there is a clear line between an ethical and beneficial one versus one that is lacking in thought and research.

Why you should think before considering going on a mission trip

Josie Olderog, Feature Editor November 4, 2021

The Western idea of volunteerism and mission trips has been an increasingly popular pursuit among Christians, Mormons, Missionaries and other religious communities.  Voluntourism is defined as the...

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