It’s that time of the semester again— here’s a recap of everything that went down at VALLEY’s 30th edition launch party! Not only was this launch different in the sense that it was held at one of Penn State’s most notorious sports bars, but it also marked the 15th year of VALLEY magazine. All in all, it was a night to remember for Penn State’s premier lifestyle magazine and its supporters.
The Music
Similar to launches in the past, staff members were able to put in their requests for all of the music played at the party, and boy the DJ did not disappoint. Jeremy Bell (a.k.a. DJRB), a junior majoring in human-centered design and development, controlled the night with not only his impressive selection of songs to choose from but also the way he remixed them so effortlessly. Throughout the bar, no matter what song was playing you could see that people were there to have a good time and DJRB made that possible.
The Looks
Just as VALLEY predicted, everyone came to impress with their outfits this year, giving a whole new vibe to Primanti Brothers. While this year was the first in a few semesters without a drag show or fashion catwalk, everyone’s ‘fits made up for it. Throughout the dancefloor and the over 21 section, you could see people going for either all-black outfits, bold mesh cutouts or dazzling sparkly numbers. Needless to say, it was a good night for fashion here in State College.
The Cover
Ah yes, the moment we’ve all been waiting for— the reveal. Before that, however, the matriarchs of this edition of VALLEY, Amanda Flynn (Editor-in-Chief), Eliza Koster (Business Director) and Elinor Franklin (Creative Director), gave heartfelt speeches to their friends, family and other members of VALLEY, showing how much this edition truly meant to them. And at last— the cover was revealed. With cover star Yamiya Fowlkes, VALLEY’s entire team put their heart and soul into what has turned out to be one of the boldest and most stunning magazines that VALLEY has published thus far. Even the material of the magazine feels different, almost elevated.
Whether you were on staff, helped be a part of the magazine or simply came to show your support, VALLEY wants to thank each and every single one of you for making the 30th edition of VALLEY so incredibly special. If you couldn’t make it to the launch this year, don’t worry there’s one every semester! And, if coming to launch inspired you to get involved with a new organization next semester, take this as your sign to apply to be a part of the staff! It makes attending the launch so much more enjoyable and especially rewarding to see a semester’s worth of work come to life.
Be sure to follow us @VALLEYmag on TikTok and @VALLEYmag on Instagram to get a glimpse into Wednesday’s launch and for more VALLEY content!
