By: Heaven Marquez

The Eagles huddle before their first district game against Navarro.

The Eagles Boys’ Basketball team has been busy over the Winter Break with different games at least twice a week. On December 11, the Pleasanton Eagles faced the Luling Eagles and beat them in a close game. The final score was 87-43 with sophomore RJ Marquez being a top scorer for Pleasanton with 24 points along with fellow sophomore Layne Dowdy and junior Juan Lopez contributing 12 points each along with junior Reagan Moore’s 10. December 15 brought another win for the Eagles against Uvalde Coyotes, beating the Coyotes 79-62. “ We’re using this time to get ready for district,”  said head coach Coach Marquez. The boys kept a close game against the Beeville Trojans on December 18, but beat them out in the fourth quarter 56-69. Unfortunately, December 19 brought a loss for Pleasanton against the Southwest Dragons. A tight game with a final score of 51-49, the Eagles were led by RJ Marquez with 15 points and Layne Dowdy with 10. On December 21, the Pleasanton Eagles traveled to New Braunfels to play the Unicorns. Sadly, Pleasanton fell to the New Braunfels Unicorns with a final score of 81-35. The top scorer was RJ Marquez with 9 points. San Antonio Christian traveled down to the Eagle’s Nest to play on December 30. The Eagles lost to SAC as well with a score of 55-70. Sophomore Jake Casias was the leading scorer with 20 points along with assistance from RJ Marquez and Layne Dowdy who each had 10. 

The new 2021 year started off well for the Eagles who played Davenport on January 2 and won. Top scorers included RJ Marquez with 16 points and Estevan Jackson with 13, both contributing greatly to the 72-53 win. The good year continued on to the next game against Fox Tech on the fifth of January. The victory was due to the help of lead scorers Layne Dowdy with 16 and RJ Marquez with 12. The Eagles defeated the Buffaloes 74-47. Brooks Academy came down to Pleasanton on January 8 and defeated the Eagles 69-61. District began for the Eagles on January 16 against the Navarro Panthers where the boys picked up a win 60-52. Top scorers included RJ Marquez with 21 points and JD Guerra with 14. The Eagles then traveled to Gonzales to defeat the Apaches 68-38. Again, top scorers were sophomores RJ Marquez with 22 and JD Guerra with 14 points.

By: Courtney Henson

The Varsity team lines up for the National Anthem before playing.

As we continue to face insane things, the girl’s basketball team perseveres through it all. Playing through winter break and into the new year, we continue to be amazed and proud of the girls.

On December 11, the Pleasanton Varsity, JV, and Freshmen basketball teams faced the Hondo Owls. The Freshmen team blew through Hondo with a score of 53-13. The JV team came out on top with a score of 23-21. Unfortunately, for the Varsity team they were not able to catch a win, finishing the game with a score of 49-29. On December 12, the Lady Eagles fought hard but were not able to come out with a win against A.C. Jones Highschool. The freshmen team won 33-17. The JV teams lost 28-16 and the Varsity team 57-36. On December 15, with Christmas break rolling around, the Pleasanton JV and Varsity teams faced Blanco High School. The JV team fought hard and finished strong with a score of 27-12, getting a win. Sadly, the Varsity team fell 49-24. On December 22, the Varsity team faced Fox Tech Highschool, successfully securing a win with a score of 55-30. On December 29, with the New Year around the corner, the JV team rose above Somerset getting a 22-19 win. Unfortunately, the Varsity team was not as lucky, falling under with a 57-19 loss. On January 2, 2021, as the new year began, the lady Eagles fought hard against Bandera. Sadly for them, neither team was able to pull a win. The JV team lost alongside the 44-37 Varsity score. On January 5, the Lady Eagles faced Cuero Highschool, both the JV and Varsity teams falling short of a win, but the Freshmen team secured another win. The JV team fell just short at 32-24, and the Varsity team at 44-26. The freshmen winning 33-31. Next on January 8, the teams faced La Vernia. Although the Eagles fought hard, the Bears fought harder. The Freshman team lost 29-27, the JV teams lost 51-21 and the Varsity lost 54-42. January 12, against Navarro Highschool, all teams played very intense games. The Freshmen lost 27-23. After going into overtime, the JV team barely fell 31-30 against the Panthers. Although the Varsity team fought very hard as well, they ultimately lost 40-27. On Tuesday, January 19, the Eagles faced Gonzales High school. Unfortunately the Eagles Varsity team was not able to pull a win, losing 37-29. Luckly, the JV team was more successful, securing a 42-26 win, as well as the Freshmen team winning 50-14. On January 22, The Eagles faced the Cuero Gobblers, unfortunately for the Varsity team and the JV team, the Gobblers put up a fight. The varsity team lost 27-24, and the JV 35-33 . Luckly, the freshman team won 36-26.

Although this season hasn’t gone completely as anticipated, head coach, Coach Rentfro, is still very proud of the teams. Facing Covid-19 regulations and a tough region, the Eagles have done amazing things. “It’s been a wild season due to Covid. It’s been a real test to our patience and adaptability.” states Coach Rentfro. While this year has been very different, Coach Rentfro is still able to find the good in the season, stating, “My favorite part of the season has been seeing the team give everything they got game in and game out. It’s been great to have so many girls step up in different ways to help the team.” Through the hardships of this season, the girls continue to improve, “The team has definitely let the game slow down and not rush possessions.” states Coach Rentfro. “We are making reads more quickly and trusting their abilities.” As the season continues on, the team and Coach Rentfro remain very optimistic about the season, when asked about the furthering season Coach Rentfro says, “I look forward to competing in our district and ending our playoff drought. We have one of the tougher districts in Region 4 4A, with all our opponents currently being ranked or at some point this season. Iron sharpens iron, so facing tough competition can be a great opportunity to get better.” 

As the season progresses and the Eagles advance further, they will continue to fight hard. As stated by Coach Rentfro, “None of this is guaranteed, especially this year, and any chance to be on the court is a gift.” Good job on your season so far and good luck in the games to come. And remember ladies, in the words of Coach Rentfro “You’re lucky to play basketball today, and I’m lucky to coach you.” Pride! Pride!

By: River Reyes

Senior Mariano Gutierrez is pictured mid-game.

This month was the second bout of the season for the Pleasanton Highschool Boys Soccer team. With 6 (to be updated) games under their belts, the boys are currently at a 3-3 lock. On an even ground, the team hopes to improve upon their collective trust to create an unstoppable force.
Earlier this month, the team suffered defeat in Gonzales and Floresville, but is looking at the bright side as they held the lead for the majority of the Gonzales game and improved their plays for the Floresville games. They would then redeem their loss in full with the Wimberly game, winning 3-2. When asked about their strengths, Coach Breiten said, “We are currently excelling at our passing and communication.  Passing and communication were one of the first two things we have been working on during December and January.”
With the season settling in, the team will continue to build upon their strengths and improve their weaknesses in hopes to do well throughout the rest of the season.

By: Hayden Schmidt

The Pleasanton Women’s Soccer team is ready to take the season by storm

As the school year draws into the last few months, PHS has a wave of sports starting up to finish out the year. After a full semester of preparing, the Pleasanton Women’s Soccer season has begun with a kick.

The Women’s Soccer team started their season with a 2-1 win in a scrimmage against Harlandale on December 11th. A few days later, the girls scrimmaged Veterans Memorial on December 15th. They lost this scrimmage 0-2, but despite this, the team was pumped and ready for a great season. They took Christmas Break off but started again with a game against Wimberley on January 2nd. The team took a 2-0 loss, but the girls were determined not to let this set the team back. They went into the first week of school with a 3-day tournament from January 7th to the 9th. Starting off with a rocky start, the girls lost to Canyon Lake on January 7th 2-0, but came back later that day with a major 6-0 win against Great Heart Northern Oaks. The next day, the team played another two teams, falling to Beeville 2-0 and Alamo Heights 5-0. Though taking a hit, the girls came back strong on January 9th with back to back wins against Wimberley and Beeville. With the tournament behind them, the team took some time to look back and analyze the season so far. When asked about his outlook on the season so far, Coach Bird said, “We’ve had our ups and downs. We struggled against some teams we don’t normally struggle with, but we had a great game against Wimberley at the tournament and came back from behind against Beeville. It’s been kind of a roller coaster, but we’re seeing improvement, so it’s really encouraging.” After taking some time to collect themselves, the team went right back to pushing with a game against Boerne on January 12th. The girls played their hardest but fell short to Boerne 5-1. Collecting their losses, they practiced hard through the week to a tie game 0-0 against Veterans Memorial on January 15th. The team took this opportunity to keep their spirits up for their game against Calallen. Though they played their hardest, they were unable to beat the still-undefeated team, losing the game 3-0.

Though the season has had its ups and downs so far, the girls are still confident in their abilities to push through to district. “In the beginning, we were struggling, and right now we’re still trying to find our rhythm between each other, find combinations, but it’s coming along with each practice and game,” said senior Kaitlyn Garcia. 

The team is scheduled to play Fredericksburg on January 26th, with only one more game after that until district begins against Fox Tech on January 30th. We wish the girls good luck against Fredericksburg and on the rest of the season!

By: Libby Sanchez

Frank Alaquinez is a freshman this year at PHS and is a member of the class of 2024. Frank was recommended by Coach Salinas, who states,“It’s rare to find students who understand the responsibility it takes to be a successful student-athlete. Frank has done just that, and he’s only a Freshman. He gets along with all his peers, he’s willing to tutor if other students need help, and he’s very positive with the other kids he interacts with. He is just a great student to have in class and I’m proud to be his math teacher this year.” 

Frank’s favorite subjects in school are algebra and principles of law. “I’ve always wanted to be a private investigator, there’ve been other careers that sound cool, but this one has always been there and sounds like the most fitting for me” Frank said. 

In Jr. High, Frank played sports such as soccer, football, and basketball. Outside of school, Frank played baseball for two years with a club team. Although he loved playing all of these sports, he decided to focus on playing just baseball in high school. “They were fun and I enjoyed the experience they brought, but baseball stood out to me the most,” Frank stated. Even with Covid-19 still complicating things, Frank is overjoyed to be able to have his freshman baseball season with this year’s team. 

By: Kristina Mertz

Mrs. Williams is a prominent educator, leader, and role model here at PHS who changes lives daily. Simon Karsky, a junior, states “As a teacher, she continues to remind me of the work that needs to be done and the fact that I need to study more. She continues to post notes in Classroom that I can use as resources later.” She has been teaching here for 21 years, and has always been a Social Studies teacher. Her first year here she taught Geography and then World History along with Honors courses. She then eventually moved into teaching US History, and this is currently her fourth year here teaching AP. 

She attended and graduated from UTSA and did her basics at Palo Alto, where she received her masters degree in history. “I started college right after I graduated but, then life got in the way… We moved out of state and then stuff happened, so I didn’t really go back to college until after I was married and had two children… That was a big challenge, you know having to juggle family and work and going back to school, so I started teaching a little later than most people.”

Mrs. Williams has always known from a young age that she wanted to be a teacher, “When I was in the 8th grade I had an American History teacher who was fabulous. That was also the year we did a trip to Washington DC for the first time… I fell in love with it, it is actually one of my most favorite places to visit… I don’t even know how many times I’ve been, but I love it… that experience just kind of cemented it.. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do was teach history.”

“I love PHS, in fact I’m a graduate from PHS… I left a 6A school in San Antonio my senior year to come to school here.. it was even smaller here, there wasn’t AC, you had to have the window units and it was like old school Pleasanton… the cafeteria was the auditorium and the art rooms, that was the cafeteria. You know so crazy it was so different… no science wing the science wing was in the 400 hallway…I met Mr. Brown, he was the principle at the time… he personally took myself and my younger brother around and showed us the school, we got to sit in classes and I loved it, I loved the atmosphere, I loved the personal feeling you got with the teachers and administration.”

While teaching here she has been involved in many activities “I am the UIL coordinator which means I oversee all of the UIL academic events. I schedule us going to different events, meets and competitions. I help Ms. Rodriguez with getting One Act Play organized. In light of COVID, we don’t have much going on right now. For about 8 years I was the pacesetter director… before me, it was Ms. Olivarri and she was stepping down, so the assistant principal talked to me and then I accepted and took over. I had them for about 8 years so my daughter grew up with the pacesetters as well.”

One of her biggest pieces of advice is “When you’re in high school and there’s so much else going on, what your doing here maybe doesn’t seem that important, but truly the lessons and the skills that you learn here in high school: the time management, your relationship building skills, all of those things are so, so important whenever you move out of the high school arena… For those people who are going off to college, being able to be independent, being able to manage your time, being able to know that you have something to study and how to study for it, are skills that are gonna be so important. Even those people that aren’t gonna go to college or do other things, go straight into the business world, go to a tech school, having those skills that you learn here in high school, they’re gonna serve you well outside of high school.” 

Mrs. Williams will always be remembered for the endless amount of dedication and effort she has put into students and PHS as a whole. Thank you Mrs. Williams for all that you do!

By: Gabby Palacios

Mrs. Hardy pictured hard at work in her office.

Though most PHS students have heard the name “Mrs. Hardy,” unless you are a student with the last name beginning with the letters N through Z, you may have never gotten the privilege of speaking with or even seeing her in person. Still, Mrs. Hardy’s hard work and dedication to our campus and students does not go unnoticed.

Mrs. Hardy attended Jourdanton High School which has proven to be a very different experience from PHS. She explained, ¨Of course, attending high school and being able to look back on it afterward is very different, but Jourdanton is much much smaller than Pleasanton… Growing up, Pleasanton was almost kind of our rival so it was kind of weird to come work here but it’s been a lot of fun,” she explained.

After graduating high school in 1992, she decided to apply to Texas A&M University. She was, unfortunately, rejected. “…At the time I was very embarrassed about [it] but now I’m really kind of proud of and open about it… I applied for A&M and I did not get in… So I kinda had to figure out things because I always thought that was where I wanted to go.” 

 It was this that allowed her to make the life-changing decision to attend Palo Alto. She stated, “The best thing that happened to me was that I went to Palo Alto. The absolute best thing I did was going there. I went there and it was nice and small. I was able to just commute from home. Which was really nice because we saved a ton of money… My parents were both educators in Jourdanton so that helped us a ton… Palo Alto was never intimidating to me, I was always comfortable there. I had friends that were there. It was kind of just like a continuation of high school.” Even though her plans dramatically changed, Mrs. Hardy stayed positive throughout this time, made the absolute best of her situation, and, in the end, grew from and enjoyed her time at Palo Alto.

After a year spent at Palo Alto, she then transferred to Texas State University for one year. Two years after she first applied to TAMU, she decided she wanted to give it another shot. “After I finished at Palo Alto I decided to go to what is now called Texas State, at the time it was called Southwest Texas. I went there for a year and then I decided that If I never tried A&M again I would always regret it… I applied and got in… and finished the rest of my time at A&M.”

After graduating from A&M College Station in 1996 with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, now referred to as Education, she took her first job here at PHS as an Aerie Lab teacher. Her next job came a short year later at McDowell (Hondo) Middle School where she ran a computer lab. Though she did enjoy the school, she wanted to be able to work hand in hand with students and be able to build the connection with those she was teaching. She remained in Hondo for two years before an opening at PJH came up and she excitedly applied.

It was here (2000) that she worked with students who struggled academically with English and mathematics. Mrs. Hardy enjoyed being able to work with and learn alongside her students. “The first time I ever bought a car, my class helped me. We had a lesson on it. We talked about interest rates and we talked about taxes and all of those things so being able to incorporate real life into the things the kids were learning helped them so much and kept me inspired and wanting to go and do more for them,” she expressed. While she taught at the junior high school, she studied for her Master’s Degree with A&M Kingsville.

At this point, she decided she was ready to take on the job of a counselor and worked at Somerset High School. She spent a short year and a half here when she realized her heart was here at PHS. In the middle of the school year, she applied for a position as a councilor and has been here ever since.

Despite the many jobs and wild rides she has experienced in her lifetime, Mrs. Hardy has enjoyed her time at PHS and hopes to stay right where she is for years to come. She enjoys the unpredictability of the job and the fact that she still gets to work hands-on with students. After her time to retire has come, she hopes to continue to help others as part of a crisis response team.

Though most of her work is done behind the scenes, Mrs. Hardy has a huge impact on our campus life. She has a true passion for helping others and educating students, shown by her years of experience and her goals for the future. Thank you, Mrs. Hardy, for all of your hard work and support for PHS.

Pride Pride!

By: Victoria Chavez and River Reyes

In December 2020, the Eagle Battalion competed in the Hirschi Huskies Virtual PT Meet. In total we had 44 males enter the competition and 12 females, combined that equaled 14 teams. Although each cadet did an outstanding job, some of our cadets had an amazing outcome. The following placed:

Male Results: 

5 cadets finished in the top 10 out of 44 cadets

10- Steven Escalante (from Poteet High School) 

9- Logan Alexander 

6- Mitchell Alexander 

5- Edward Uhl 

2- Aries Uhl

Team Results– Aries Uhl, Braxton Springer, Wilbanks, and Zachary Salmeron: 2nd place overall 

Female Results:

2 Cadets finished in the top 3 out of 12 Cadets

3- Ashley Mahavier

1- Guadalupe Quintana

Team Results– Guadalupe Quintana, Ashley Mahavier, Alania Nethken, and Alyssa Castelar: 1st place overall.

By: Adelena Vera

This years theme!

Pleasanton High School’s annual prom has been moved to May 1st at the Espee. Due to capacity limitations and covid rules in Bexar county, the prom committee, junior and senior class officers, and Mrs. Guajardo have agreed that moving it would be a wise decision. While only 250 people would be allowed in the Las Fuentes Banquet Hall, the Espee will instead authorize 450 people. Ticket prices are still undecided and will be determined at a date closer to prom. 

By: Jaelyn Morales

Some of the members that made area and region are pictured with their instruments.

All Region and Area Band is a competition where students go through an audition process that involves hundreds who have all been preparing and rehearsing for this moment. For the audition, the students would normally travel to the event and perform their music pieces in front of judges, but this year will be a little different. Instead of going to the competition, students will be sending in a recording of themselves performing to be judged and scored. Even with this alteration, it won’t prevent students from performing to their best ability.

The students who competed and qualified for All Region Band are Jadelyn Garcia (6th chair flute), Abigail Perez (4th chair flute), Michael Delgado (1st chair oboe), Austin King (1st chair bassoon), Matthew Smith (2nd chair bassoon), Savannah Clark (1st chair alto clarinet), Shyanne Tijerina (2nd chair alto clarinet), Ricardo Alegria (3rd chair bass clarinet), Mya Cashiola (5th chair bass clarinet), Arecely Estrada (1st chair contrabass clarinet), Reese Decker (8th chair trumpet), Evelynn Caraway (4th chair horn), Kristina Mertz (5th chair horn), Toby Bird (3rd chair horn), Rylee Beddo (1st chair string bass), and Addyson Dority (12th chair percussion).

The students who competed and qualified for Area Band are Michael Delgado (1st chair oboe), Austin King (1st chair bassoon), Matthew Smith (2nd chair bassoon), Savannah Clark (1st chair alto clarinet), Shyanne Tijerina (2nd chair alto clarinet), Ricardo Alegria (3rd chair bass clarinet), Mya Cashiola (5th chair bass clarinet), Aracely Estrada (1st chair contrabass clarinet), Reese Decker (8th chair trumpet), Evelynn Caraway (4th chair horn), Kristina Mertz (5th chair horn), and Rylee Beddo (1st chair string bass). 

“I am very proud of their achievements this year,” Mr. Solis said, “They have done a very great job and I am happy with our turnouts.” Unfortunately, no students made it into the All State Band, but Michael Delgado (1st chair oboe) was chosen as an alternate and was very close to making it. Mr. Solis is hoping next year will be better and the students who are coming back continue on to the state level.

By: Courtney Henson

The Pleasanton BPA team prepares to participate in the 2020-2021 regional competition. (Mask off for picture only)

On January 23, the Pleasanton Business Professionals of America (BPA) took part in the 2020-2021 regional competition. Although the competition was held virtually, it did not pose an obstacle to the club members. Any projects or presentations had to be pre- recorded and submitted by Monday January 18. The competing members of the club including, Senior Alizay Haren, Juniors Brandi Barnett, Ashlyn Vera, Adyson Brymer, Lauren Trapp, and Connor George, Sophomores Alexis Ramos, Jazmin Bernal, Courtney Henson, and Ricardo Ramirez, Thang Nguyen and Freshmen Alexandria Balderes, Preston Pilgrim, and Marisol Villarreal, had to show up at the school dressed in business professional attire.

After many hours of presentations and testing, grading and judging began as contestants headed home. On Sunday 24 results were announced and Pleasanton did amazing. The results are as follows: Getting 1st place in the Presentation Management Team was Brandi Barnett, Adyson Brymer, Lauren Trapp, Ashlyn Vera. The Video Production Team consisting of Conner George, Thang Nguyen, Ricardo Ramirez received 1st place. Alizay Haren competed in Health Leadership Topics and got 1st place. Receiving 2nd place in Banking and Finance was Preston Pilgrim. 2nd place competing in Prepared Speech was Alexis Ramos. Jazmin Bernal got 3rd place in Health Administration Procedures. Receiving 4th place in Basic Office Systems and Procedures was Marisol Villarreal. Alexandria Banderas as a state alternate in Extemporaneous Speech and Courtney Henson as a state alternate in Fundamentals of Word Processing.

By:Wanish Tortes-Mcginnis     

Blood Package

Most people have heard of a blood donor or a blood donation. Although most people don’t know how blood donations came to be or what people can give and take. Blood Donation, or also known as blood transfusion, is when a person willingly draws blood for a patient in need. The blood can be used as biopharmaceutical medication for a certain patient. 

Blood transfusion has been used since the early 1800s but was studied in the 1600s. According to the American Red Cross, the first blood transfusion was recorded in 1665 and it was transfused from dog to dog. The second transfusion was done in 1667 by Jean-Baptiste Denys where he transfused the blood from sheep to human, the human surprisingly survived but he was still ill. The first successful transfusion was done in 1818 by british obstetrician James Blundel, which was human to human.

 In order to donate blood, both men and women who are at least 16 years old and 130 pounds can donate blood. Men and women who have alcoholism or any type of drug related problems can not donate blood.

 Why do we donate blood? Safe blood saves lives and improves health. Blood transfusion is needed for: women with complications during pregnancy, such as ectopic pregnancies and hemorrhages before, during, or after childbirth; children with severe anemia often resulting from malaria or malnutrition; people with severe trauma following man-made and natural disasters; and many complex medical and surgical procedures and cancer patients.

 It is also needed for regular transfusions for people with conditions such as thalassemia and sickle cell disease and is used to make products such as clotting factors for people with hemophilia.  

There is a constant need for regular blood supply because blood can be stored for only a limited time before use. Regular blood donations by a sufficient number of healthy people are needed to ensure that safe blood will be available whenever and wherever it is needed. The different types of blood are +O, -O, +A, -A, +B, -B, +AB, and -AB. O blood can donate to +O, -O, +A, -A, +B, -B, +AB, and -AB. A blood can donate to +A, -A,+AB, and -AB. B blood can donate to +B, -B, +AB, and -AB. AB blood can only donate to their own type which is +AB, and -AB.  

By: Ricky Fabrow

It’s a new year, which also means it’s a new you, and what better way to spend the first month of this year by improving and setting goals for oneself. To start off, we should try to be more positive this year and think a bit more about the things we’re thankful for and lucky to have. Although, it may not be thanksgiving, but a friendly reminder is always good to have, especially in trying times. Second, we should give ourselves goals such as starting off the day smiling and even making sure to eat breakfast, as it is the most important meal of the day. Even though the masks may be a tad uncomfortable, at least they aren’t bland or plain and you can customize yours to whatever you like. So remember this month, all you have to do is think and act positively, not only for yourself, but others too, as it could make a difference, and might even help someone to see things maybe aren’t so bad.

By: Victoria Chavez

Nicholas (left) and The Browning family (right)

On February 2, 2009 a tragedy was discovered early in the morning. John Browning, 45, along with his wife Tamara, 44, and two young boys, Gregory, 14, and Benjamin, 11, were found dead in their home. Though the community was shocked by such a wicked crime, there was one surviving member of the family who could live to tell the tale. 

Nicholas Waggoner Browning was a 15-year-old sophomore who was an honors student attending Dulaney High School. During the time that his family could have been murdered he was away at a friend’s house playing video games. When he finally came home he found the bodies of his beloved family. He then quickly ran outside and urged for his friend’s mom to call 911. The Baltimore County Police Department showed up and immediately secured the scene and questioned Nicholas on what he witnessed. Nicholas opened up and blamed the crime on a robbery gone wrong. Police were suspicious about his story since he had no way of knowing if it was a robbery due to lack of evidence. This is when his story unfolded. 

Detectives decided to take Nicholas Browning to the station to further the investigation. Once they began to turn up the heat it only took 6 hours to get the truth out of him. In the videotaped confession, Nicholas Waggoner Browning told investigators that in the early hours of February 2, 2008, he grabbed his father’s gun and shot him in the head while he was sleeping on the couch. He then realized he had already “gone so far” so he continued to murder the rest of his family. 

After the murders he walked down a road and tossed the gun in some bushes and walked towards his friends house where he stayed for the rest of the day. Before leaving this friend’s home, Nicholas apparently told both the friends and others that he was going to throw a party that night. When police asked why even murder them in the first place, Nicholas told them that he just wanted the inheritance money. However, police found out that Nicholas actually had a bad relationship with his father. Other students that knew him said he would make jokes about murdering his dad yet no one believed him. They also said Nicholas had a problem following his dad’s rules, which led to many arguments between the two.

Nicholas Waggoner Browning was formally arrested at Baltimore County Police Department around 1 a.m. on February 3, 2008 and charged as an adult with four counts of first degree murder. He pleaded guilty to all charges in January 2009 and was sentenced to four life sentences but will be eligible for parole after serving 23 years with good behavior. 

By: Dillon Myers

Two major motivations: power and love. Everyone wants to be powerful, and everybody wants to be loved. William Gaddis said, ¨Power doesn’t corrupt people, people corrupt power.¨ Karl Menninger once said about love, ¨Love cures people – both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.¨ The question is though, which of the two would people prefer if they could have only one? Well now you can see for yourself! The PHS campus had 75 people who voted, and of them, a whopping 63 said they would rather be loved than powerful, whereas 19 chose that they’d rather have power…

“To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.” – Montesquieu

“It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.” – Machiavelli

Happy 2021, everyone!

New Year Poem On Life

Another fresh New Year is here…

Another year to live!

To banish worry, doubt, and fear, 

To love, and laugh, and give!

This bright new year is given to me

To live each day with zest…

To daily grow and try to be

My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity 

Once more to right some wrongs,

To pray for peace, to plant a tree,

And sing more joyful songs!

William Arthur Ward

Happy New Year everybody! I choose this poem because we all had very difficult times this year with all of the Covid-19 and we have been stuck at home for more than six months. Let’s make this year a better year and keep wearing your mask and stay positive this new and bright year.

Sincerely,

The Passionate Poet

By: Adriana Clark 

Aries (March 21-April 19)-  Chase your ambitions from the recent past and get things right this time. Monday 17th is your stand-out day where your leadership qualities come to front and make sure to listen to your instincts. 

Taurus (April 20-May 20)- 2020 left you a lot of time to think and this month to act this will likely be seen in your professional life, so don’t be surprised if you leave one job for another that better feels your soul. Practice self-care and don’t forget your worth, or else you could risk missing out on an opportunity made for you. 

Gemini (May 21-June 20)-  After 2020, this month will offer you opportunities to rebuild and grow. The hard work and effort you put in last year will pay off, but you’ll need to keep up some momentum. 

Cancer (June 21-July 22)-This month asks others to take care of you, although, this may be hard to do especially to admit you’re vulnerable but it is for your own health and happiness. 

Leo (July 23-August 22)- As the world begins healing this year you might feel trapped and wanting to be free. When you do, you’ll want to say yes to any opportunity but beware this month your mission is to practice patience. 

Virgo (August 23-September 22)- You became an emotional net for your friends and family and most likely you over-extended yourself. This month may be helpful to work through anything you went through. Doing things that will make you feel calm and balanced may just help.

Libra (September 23-October 22)- Your ambitions seem far away but not everything is achieved all at once your journey is as important as your destination. Maintaining your profile is not everything, do the task which fate required but don’t steer out of control.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21)-  Work behind the scenes gives you precious freedom to concentrate on your own goals and find space to operate in your own way.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)- After endless thoughts of relocation, the moment arrives this month you will find your purpose. This month will ask you to prioritize your mental and emotional health. This will make you feel much better when you start listening and tend to your needs.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)- Think carefully about any new purchases and wait for your moment, when it comes to striking a deal you will need your business instincts. This month will benefit from learning what you love and whatever it is that will bring you satisfaction.

Aquarius (January 20-February 18)- The events of 2020 gave you many chances to keep busy by lending a helping hand you likely spent most of your time tending to others that you forgot about yourself but this month you will be able to focus on yourself.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)- Time to stretch your horizons and expect a little more confidence, expansive feelings take over and try your luck in places you wouldn’t before.

By: Dillion Myers, Ariana Johnson, and Kiarra Sanchez

I’m light as a feather, but the strongest person can´t hold me for five minutes. What am I?

[Answer]

This one is accredited to J.R.R. Tolkien’s character: Gollum…

Voiceless it cries,

Wingless flutters,

Toothless bites,

Mouthless mutters.

Answer- [Answer]

The more of this there is, the less you see…

[Answer]

What has 13 hearts, but no other organs?

[Answer]

The more you take, the more you leave behind…

[Answer]

What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?

[Answer]

What word of 5 letters has one left once two are removed?

[Answer]

I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?

[Answer]

What is seen in the middle of March and April that can’t be seen at the beginning or end of either month?

[Answer]