Hear and now: PV needs a sign language class

Tara Healy, Staff Writer
May 30, 2017
Filed under Opinion, Showcase

(Editor’s note: Tara Healy is a PV sophomore who suffers from hearing loss and wishes to tell her story in this opinion piece.) When I was four years old, I was diagnosed with Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome. This means that the vestibular aqueduct in my ear is not shaped correctly, which resu...

Five ways to cope with stress

Olivia Stabile, Staff Writer
May 2, 2017
Filed under Opinion, PV Life, Showcase

You’re a high school student, bound with responsibilities that must be dealt with. You have homework to complete, essays to write, tests to take, family to spend time with, and a social life to tend to. Of course, there are other things in your life that need to be taken care of; all of it being easier...

Letter to the Editor: A divided nation must come together

Hugh Cassidy, Pascack Valley Student
November 14, 2016
Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinion, Showcase

The outcome of this past week’s presidential election has come as a shock to many. With both candidates being such polarizing figures for their respective ideologies and policies, one large group of people was bound to be devastated by the results. I will also admit the outcome of the election is not what I hope...

The dangerous meaning behind one of this year’s most popular Halloween costumes

Olivia Stabile, Staff Writer
November 4, 2016
Filed under Opinion, Showcase

This Halloween, countless couples, whether they were comic book fans or not, attended themed parties dressed up as Harley Quinn and the Joker. Though this may seem like an innocent costume choice for couples, not many people know the hidden and traumatic meaning that these characters promote: domest...

Editorial: Why the New Voices legislation must pass

Smoke Signal Editorial Board
October 26, 2016
Filed under Opinion, Showcase

If one thing is clear after our investigation into local cases of student censorship and experience talking with other students at the GSSPA conference, it’s this: The New Voices bill as proposed in the New Jersey congress must be passed. The New Voices bill, as explained in detail here, is aimed at solidifying the first amendment rights of journalists ...

Editorial: Pascack Period’s disguise has worn thin

Smoke Signal Editorial Board
September 28, 2016
Filed under Opinion, Showcase

After two years, it’s finally time to come out and say it: Pascack Valley’s “innovative” Pascack Period has been a hoax from the very beginning. The Pascack Period was advertised to PV students as a weekly opportunity to follow their passions. It was supposed to be the time for students ...

Letter to the Editor: Standing for Patriotism

Michael Mugno, Pascack Valley student
September 27, 2016
Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinion, Showcase

I honestly cannot believe that I have to write this article. We are living in a time where patriotism is at an almost all-time low, and it’s more than a shame. Everyone is taking their differences to heart, and rarely does anybody get the whole story on major events. Everything is biased, as much as...

Letter to the Editor: Why I do stand for the pledge

Luke Rowe, Pascack Valley student
September 14, 2016
Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinion, Showcase

This past August, news spread that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat during the playing of the National Anthem during a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. His reasoning was this: "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people, ...

Why I don’t stand for the pledge

Jamie Ryu, Staff Editor
September 12, 2016
Filed under Opinion, Showcase

Editor's Note: The opinions presented in this article are not necessarily that of The Smoke Signal or its staff. To be consistent with prior opinion articles, this disclaimer was added after the fact for both clarity and transparency. I stand with Colin Kaepernick. I stand with Brandon Marshal...

Editorial: Lack of authenticity in PV ‘s outside coverage

Smoke Signal Editorial Board
May 19, 2016
Filed under Opinion

It seems that the media has placed a spotlight on the Pascack Valley community lately, what with the recently passed transgender policy, the two recent virtual days, and last spring’s “Peace in PV” controversy. The fact that this “spotlight” exists in the first place is quite intriguing. Co...

Letter to the Editor: Spring break trips are too important to miss

Matt Novakowski, Pascack Valley Student
May 6, 2016
Filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinion

(Editor’s Note: Matt Novakowski is a PV student who, like many others, is unable to go on extended school trips due to his commitment to a spring sport. His opinions are not necessarily those of The Smoke Signal or its staff.) Innovative. This is a commonly used word when describing Pascack Valley. For ...

Opposing views on newly passed transgender policy

April 19, 2016
Filed under Opinion

Pascack Valley School District's new transgender policy was passed at a Board of Education meeting on April 11. PV students have expressed opposing views on the policy.