Just two weeks before her 100th birthday, Hollywood legend Betty White sadly passed away on Dec. 31, 2021. 

Coming out of nowhere, White’s death shocked the world. Just a few weeks prior in an interview,…

Modern-day American capitalism has outperformed pre-emergent societal expectations in the U.S. over the span of a decade with the help of one extrinsically driven motive: greed. 

On Friday, Dec. 10,…

This story was originally published on Spartan Shield on January 4, 2022.

After endless speculation and anticipation, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” finally swung into theaters on Friday, Dec. 17, setting a post-pandemic record and becoming the second highest opening-day earner…

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…

Imagine you are doing research for a project. You find an article that appears informative, click the title and are immediately met with a paywall. You are frustrated, but you move on and perhaps find…

Ever since 1969, the popular children’s television show “Sesame Street” has been a staple in families’ homes. It has been a longtime favorite that has addressed many important current issues. Now,…

Oftentimes, our words begin innocently. But before we know it, and perhaps without malice, they develop into something far more hurtful and damaging.

Imagine a child who has just fallen after climbing…

Twenty-one months have passed since 25-year-old Black man Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot by three white men while being chased through a Georgia neighborhood.  

A panel of jurors for Arbery’s case…

Recognizing rap as an art form has been nothing short of an uphill battle, but rappers like Jay-Z provide hope that the genre will finally get the validation it deserves.

Jay-Z was recently inducted…

The United States of America has been dubbed the “land of opportunity” since its founding, causing many families to come to the US from all over the world in hopes of living the American Dream. However,…

Although beauty standards have seemed to become more inclusive in recent years, those that physically appear outside of the strict guidelines of society continue to be berated in more subtle ways. This…

As the world attempts to move to a post-COVID state, vaccine mandates are becoming popular across professions. On Sept. 2, as reported by AP News, President Joe Biden “ordered sweeping new federal vaccine…

Inspired by hairstyles from Cartoon Network’s hit animated television series “Craig of the Creek,” three-part hair tutorial series “My HAIRstory!” premiered on Oct. 1. 

The series is hosted…

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are reported missing in the United States. But only certain demographics make their way into the headlines.

In light of the Gabby Petito case, this unbroken…

With an ensemble of chart-topping hits and hundreds of millions of streams in its first week alone, Lil Nas X’s debut album “Montero” proves that he deeply understands the secrets of Internet virality.
…

Encapsulating the entire teenage experience is nothing short of a daunting task. 

The film industry has strived to capture the quintessential coming-of-age film for decades. Before the inception of…

In a world flooded with turmoil and uncertainty, young people can be easily overwhelmed. Amid the ongoing Afghan Refugee Crisis, it is now more vital than ever for teens to navigate issues on the other…

Within the complex political landscape that America is today, there are few facets of life that politics does not touch. For many people, the birth of their perception of politics is at home.

But often…

After an utterly chaotic rollout, Kanye West’s highly anticipated Donda, an album dedicated to the tragic death of his mother, has finally been released.

Although recording sessions for Donda began…

This story was originally published on Spartan Shield on May 26, 2021.

Immigrant students are faced with many challenges within and outside of school. At PV there are many immigrants who are living in America on many different types of immigrant visas. These students all…

The Ganges River in India lies silently as the ashes from COVID-19 victims float within it. Overwhelming smoke fills the air as hundreds of newly deceased corpses begin to burn. The entirety of India stares…

Within two months of each other, legislators passed bills in the states of Iowa and Illinois. One advances students’ knowledge of America’s recent history, but the other blocks curriculum from students…

The 2020 election caused significant turmoil and tension in America, with each party defending their beliefs on the validity of the election. Many Republicans believe election fraud led to President Joe…

Pleasant Valley runs based off of their expectations for students. Through athletics, academics, the arts and more, “total effort” is its motto. 

Junior Erika Holmberg has exemplified this quality,…

Forgetfulness, inability to focus and lack of organization are qualities that surround the minds of females with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). But often these characteristics go unnoticed…

“Wear bright clothes,” “share your location with friends and family” and “call someone on your way home” are all instructions commonly shared with young women to protect themselves from men…

William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald and John Steinbeck are among countless influential authors who have all written defining texts of the Western Canon, making them some of the most taught…

Joad Wickham, 18-year-old senior at Edison, has experienced hardship unlike anything most teenagers have to think about. In an unexpected house fire, Wickham lost his parents, niece, two dogs, his house,…

Despite society claiming it strives for inclusivity and acceptance of all, COVID-19 has revealed the prejudice and discrimination it has against Asian Americans which has been hidden from plain sight for…

In its latest installment of its series of standalone documentaries, The New York Times Presents sought to bring attention to the lack of autonomy that Britney Spears has had since her mental breakdown…

This story was originally published on Spartan Shield on January 15, 2021.

This story was originally published on Spartan Shield on January 14, 2021.

With the end of 2020, a year filled with strife on many fronts, Americans were hopeful that 2021 would be the light at the end of this long, dark tunnel. However, a mere week into the new year, tens of…

At merely six days old, 2021 had no trouble making room for itself in the history books. The day’s political events quickly turned south making for one of the darkest days in recent American history.

On…

This story was originally published on Spartan Shield on January 11, 2021.

Last week, Jewish families and individuals around the world gathered to celebrate Hanukkah. Despite this time being a sacred observance, anti-semitic hate crimes surged internationally. 

Throughout…

Pleasant Valley Junior High School recently had two new students enter its hallways. These students are not like the other students that walk the halls: they are actually two robots at-home students can…

Members of the United States’ army and a bipartisan group of legislators are pushing legislation to rename military bases honoring Confederate leaders.

Currently, both the House and Senate versions…

Gender equality has been a struggle for a long time. Women’s suffrage was not granted until more than a century after America’s founding, and today, women make only 81 cents for every one dollar a…

“Love people, use things. The opposite never works,” stated Joshua Fields Millburn, owner and author of several books, dedicated to helping individuals find meaning in life through decluttering.

Recently,…

Graceful, an adjective often associated with women, might be the perfect word to describe dancers when they are in their element.

But one Pleasant Valley senior is breaking both boundaries and stereotypes…

With 2020 marking the 100 year anniversary of women gaining the right to vote, long should be the days where women’s rights are still a source of partisan polarization.

The monumental 19th Amendment…

Election day is upon us. The future of our country will be determined soon, but it does not matter what the outcome is: chaos is assured, and it is terrifying.

Tuesday it is not guaranteed the election…

Is it acceptable for a politician to dodge a question regarding the structural change to an American institution? Former Vice President Joe Biden’s unsure and inconsistent stance on packing the Supreme…

Washington D.C. is a mess. Our bipartisan government always seems to be at war, and unfortunately, the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the search for her replacement has done nothing to help deliver peace.
…

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…

As public schools across the country temporarily close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pleasant Valley is not attempting a transition to online education as administration configures a new plan for the remainder…

The year is 2020, but somehow, anti-lynching legislation was passed in the House of Representatives just two weeks ago. If passed by the Senate and signed by President Donald Trump, it will have taken…