By: Kiarra Sanchez

Most people may not have the time to go out and buy costumes or they simply cannot, thanks to everything going on in the world. Here are some simple DIY costumes you can make at home:

Alice Angel for Girls:

Not all costumes have to be scary; you can be a sweet little demon sent from above. Alice Angel is from a horror video game by the name Bendy and The Ink Machine. If you have a black dress this will be very simple. Here are the steps:

1. Find yourself a plain black dress to wear. If it has sleeves that’s even better!
2. Make a bow out of white ribbon and pin it to the collar of the dress. 
3. If you have white gloves, go ahead and put them on. If not, that’s okay. 
4. You can sew a pair of horns onto clips, paint a headband that already has horns white, or make paper horns and hot glue them to a headband or hair clips.
5. Finally, find a pair of black heels or flats.

This is the simple way to make a cute costume for yourself. If you don’t wanna do anything spooky, this is a perfect costume for you. 

 

Steampunk for Boys:

You can do a lot of things with cardboard. One of many things you can do with this material is make some cool steampunk gadgets. 

1. Find a formal shirt
2. Optional: overalls or a vest
3. Find some formal pants. Although if you don’t have any, jeans will work just fine. 
4. Find a good amount of large boxes (3-5)
5. Think about some cool gadgets you might wanna make to go with the costume.
6. If you don’t have a tophat, make one out of cardboard and paint it a darker brown
7. Make some little steampunk style charms like small gears.
8. Optional: Make a nice pair of goggles

There’s many possibilities when you have creativity and just some simple cardboard. Steampunk is the coolest thing you can make with this kind of material. It’s a cool look that’ll be easy to pull off.

 

Couples Costume:

There are many different different kinds of costumes out there for couples. A few of them are scary, some cute. This time we’re going to discover a funny one. Ratatouille costume.

Remy:

1. Find a grey dress if you have one
2. Make a pair of ears. You can make these out of cardboard and hot glue them to a headband.
3. Get your makeup out ladies and put some whiskers on your face. Don’t forget the nose.

Linguini:

If you don’t have a chef’s outfit, it’s okay! Here’s another way you can pull this off. 

1. Find a white button up shirt and ask your girlfriend to sew more buttons on it.
2. Ask your girlfriend to borrow a white skirt, you don’t have to.
3. Black pants
4. Red shoes
5. Make a chefs hat out of paper

That is a very easy way to pull off this costume.

Even if you don’t have the time or money, there are some easy DIY costumes you can make at home. These are the most simple steps for a few costumes that you’ll hopefully give a try.

By: Courtney Henson

On Monday, August 3, after a very long break, the Pleasanton tennis team returned to practice. With a very exciting fall season ahead of them, the team was very anxious to get back. They worked very hard with a positive outlook on the season, but unfortunately this season has not gone as they hoped it would. On August 26th the Pleasanton Tennis team faced Hondo and fell 15-4. On September 2, the Pleasanton Eagles were beaten 16-3 by Devine and on September 12, with 4 players gone, they lost 19-0. Recently, on September 26, the Pleasanton tennis team defeated Somerset 10-7.

When asked about his thoughts and outlooks on this season, senior Blake Moos says, “This year we have new teams in our district so it’s going to be a difficult season for us. We’re all having fun though and that’s what really matters.” When asked the same question, junior Emalee David said “This season we’ve been doing really good so far. Despite the new challenges and regulations everyone has grown and gotten better each day.”

Coach Schwab is known to be a very optimistic person, and this answer reflects just that. When asked about his thoughts on the season Coach Schwab said “Well my thoughts on this season are that it’s 2020 and this whole season is just… wack. It’s different than any of us have ever imagined, I mean we’re on the court in masks and we can’t touch anybody. I mean we have to follow protocols on the bus. Everything is different so we’ve had to adjust to that, and it’s been crazy.” This year the tennis team is facing a district with much stronger teams, but Coach Schwab remains positive about the outlook of the season saying “we’re just as ready as we can be and we’re gonna go play. I mean we’re going in true eagle pride and eagle fashion and were going to go play and do the best of our ability. That’s all we can hope for and that’s all we’re gonna do. We’re all going to be there and we’re all going to do our best and we’re all going to walk off that court with our heads held high, whether win or lose and we’ll see what happens at the end of the 5 week run.”

The tennis teams, along with other sports, have been greatly affected by the new rules regarding Covid-19, however, they have handled them with respect and ease. Senior Blake Moos says, “Due to COVID, it is somewhat difficult to find teams that want to have matches with outside teams, but Coach Schwab has done a great job finding us matches. Also, wearing a mask on the court is a real struggle for our stamina, but we make it work!” Regarding the changes Covid has made to the team, junior Emalee David says, “Some schools can only travel with their varsity team, so our JV team doesn’t always get to play at every tournament. We also have to wear masks on and off the court, and even while we play, which has been a big challenge. Fortunately, all of my teammates are willing to get past the mask and focus on the sport.”

Although this season has not turned out as the team had hoped, they will continue to work hard and stay positive. Through this tough time, your teammates have some words of encouragement for you. Blake Moos says “Just keep coming to practice and we will keep getting better together.” Emalee David says to her fellow teammates, “For my fellow athletes in tennis and any other sport I just want to say that I’m so proud of everyone. Each new challenge that we face, we have gotten passed and are ready to face the next one. I just ask that everyone keeps persevering and looks at the positive. We’re all in this together.”

Lastly, from Coach Schwab to his players, “We’re still a team that’s standing. We haven’t even been scared about it, so the encouragement is they know that if they go out there and do what they are supposed to do things are gonna fall right and I don’t know what can be more encouraging than that. I’m proud of them, I’m proud of the work they have put in, I’m proud of what they’re gonna put in and I just hope that we’ve done enough. Well, find out. We’re gonna find out one way or another. And that’s where we’re at. We’re in one of the hardest districts we have and they are just doing so amazing. They really are awesome.” While Coach Schwab provides encouragement to his players everyday, they also encourage him and continue to make him proud everyday. “They do what they have to do, they want to play tennis,” Schwab said, “and that’s what I find so encouraging and so incredible that they want to play tennis.”

Although this season has not started as you hoped it would, we wish you the best of luck on the rest of your matches to come Eagle Tennis. Pride! Pride!

By: Courtney Henson

Kate McNeill, a name known all around campus. Kate is well-known and well-loved by her peers for her kindness, enthusiasm, and charisma. Over the past 4 years, Kate has worked incredibly hard in all of her classes. This work has paid off, and Kate will graduate as the valedictorian of the class of 2020! Kate plans to attend Texas A&M University at College Station to study animal science. When asked why she chose the animal science field, Kate said, “Because I was raised in a rural community, I have created some deep relationships with agricultural people and wanted to major in the College of Agriculture. I chose animal science specifically because I want to diversify myself as a dental school applicant and the coursework included the science courses I needed as prerequisites.”

Being the valedictorian can require a lot of work, a lot of competition and responsibility, but to some people this competitive nature comes naturally! Lucky for Kate, she was born competitive. “In kindergarten I knew I wanted to have the goal of being valedictorian, which I guess was born out of my competitive nature. Then, when freshman year came around, I knew I had to take it seriously. After that, my perspective shifted towards college and I knew that more doors would be open for me if I kept doing well in school. I was motivated by knowing I would be putting myself ahead for my future and giving myself the best advantage when it came to college,” Kate said when asked what kept her motivated. Along with having to keep up with schoolwork and grades, Kate participated in many extracurricular activities. She was able to handle all of these things very well while also staying on top of her grades. When asked how she balanced both school and many of these activities, Kate said, “I always knew that I didn’t want to have to give up sports and rodeo in order to be successful in school, so this meant I had to really manage my time. Oftentimes I would stay after school until practice started to work on homework or get some tutoring. Just staying ahead on a day to day basis really helped me along with my teachers being very flexible and accommodating.”

 Along with working very hard and balancing your time well, another thing that can help you stay ahead and create motivation is the people all around supporting you. The teachers at PHS can play a huge role in influencing the students’ work. When asked what teacher at PHS influenced her the most and why Kate said, “This is a hard one, but I would have to say Mr. Herrmann, my AP Physics teacher, had the biggest impact on me. At the beginning of my junior year I felt very overwhelmed by the rigor of his class and wanted to just change my schedule.  After a meeting with him, he reassured me that if I worked hard and accepted the challenge it would all be fine. I decided to stick with it which was one of the best decisions I had ever made. I not only learned the coursework thoroughly, but also learned how to push myself in ways I never had before.” Alongside the teachers, the only other adults that can influence and support you just as much, and more, are your parents. I asked Kate’s parents for some words and they had some very sweet things to say: “Kate has tremendous drive and a work ethic to be admired. She has also been blessed with excellent teachers and a school environment that has helped her thrive. We could not be prouder of her and are so thankful for this wonderful community who has supported her along the way.”

Congratulations on everything you have accomplished at Pleasanton High School. We on campus could not be more proud of the things you have done. We wish you the best of luck and know you will do great things. Pride! Pride!

By: Courtney Henson

Mrs. Moos is a teacher here at the high school. She has been an important teacher on our campus for 4 years along with previously teaching 4th grade and 6th grade years ago. Mrs. Moos plays a huge part in the behind the scenes of Pleasanton High School. Some of her duties include supporting the teachers with technology and resources as well as ordering books and keeping up the library collection, assisting students with technology and their accounts, taking pictures, keeping up the website and PHS social media, making Golden Ps and keeping up the Positivity Challenge. Along with all of this work, Mrs. Moos plays an important role in the student council club by sponsoring the club and organizing events.

Mrs. Moos graduated from Pleasanton High School and received her Bachelor Of Science degree in Multidisciplinary Studies from Texas Tech University. She then went on to receive her Master’s in Library Science from Sam Houston University.

When asked what her favorite part about being a teacher is, Mrs. Moos stated, “My very favorite part of being a teacher is building relationships with the students. I love getting to know each one. It’s also a lot of fun when I can help them.” While there are many great things about being a teacher, they also face many challenges. Mrs. Moos says, “Some of the challenges of being a teacher is getting some students excited about reading and learning.  It can be a challenge at times getting students to understand why we have some of the rules we have.” Along with these challenges, Mrs. Moos says that it’s also a challenge when she sees students struggling with things other than school that she can’t help with or fix. Recently our school has had to extend to online learning. When asked how she is helping to encourage online learning to the students, Mrs. Moos says, “I have helped to make sure students who do not have a device to work on receive a Chromebook.  I make sure that they are able to access their accounts and often have to reset them so they can gain access.  I have had many questions about Google Classroom and have had to help teachers, parents, and students access their Google Classroom.”

Mrs. Moos has thoroughly enjoyed her time here at PHS and can not wait to get back to school! Thank you, Mrs. Moos, for everything you do. Pride! Pride!

By: Courtney Henson

The Pleasanton BPA members who advanced left on Wednesday, March 4, to participate in the state leadership conference. The conference took place in Dallas, TX this year. The teams and individuals who competed did very well! Robert Rutherford, Paige Hubert, Lauren Dowdy, and Delanee Ollivarri’s Global Marketing team received 1st place. Thomas Huizar, Jordan Haby, Andres Torres, and Nathaniel Gonzales received 5th place in their Broadcast News Production team event. Makenzie Pilgrim competed in Advanced Interview Skills and received 1st place. Isaac Garcia, who competed in Prepared Speech, got 9th place. The following students did not place but participated with their very best.  Adyson Brymer, Lauren Trapp, Brandi Barnett, and Ashlyn Vera’s Presentation Management team also competed. Kory Caballero participated in computer modeling. Alexis Ramos competed in Fundamental Word Processing. Alizay Rodriguez competed in Medical Office Procedures. PHS is proud of all BPA students who participated with their hard work.

This year, the Pleasanton BPA team had a few participants advance to the national competition, which sadly will not take place this year due to the spreading of COVID-19. The national qualifiers are the Global Marketing team, Lauren Dowdy, Paige Hubert, Delanee Olivarri, and Robert Rutherford, who received 1st place at state. Makenzie Pilgrim, who competed in Advanced Interview Skills and received 1st place at state, also advanced to nationals. The club also had a few national alternates: Isaac Garcia who got 9th place in Prepared Speech and the Broadcast News Production Team, Nathaniel Gonzales, Jordan Haby, Thomas Huizar, and Andres Torres, who placed 5th at state are also national alternates.

Alongside all of the qualifiers, there were also four Statesmen Torch Recipients; these were, Lauren Dowdy, Makenzie Pilgrim, Paige Hubert, and Delanee Olivarri. As well, both Makenzie Pilgrim received a $1,000 scholarship and Delanee Olivarri receiving a $500 scholarship. Also, Delanee Olivarri received Texas Statesman of the Year. Lastly, Isaac Garcia, regional officer, and Delanee Olivarri, State Parliamentarian, received Texas Officer Team.

Congratulations to everyone who participated and good job on your accomplishments! Here’s to a great BPA year. Pride! Pride!

By: Courtney Henson

On Tuesday, March 3, the Pleasanton Wind Ensemble and Symphonic bands participated in a UIL contest. Both bands did very well. The symphonic band, led by Mrs. Yarnell, received a 2 on stage and 1 in sight-reading. The Wind Ensemble band, led by Mr. Solis, received a 1 on stage and a 1 in the sight-reading portion. 

On Saturday, March 7, some of the band members left early in the morning and started their journey to Orlando, Florida. On Sunday, the band arrived at the park and went immediately to Universal Studios, where they spent the day.  On Monday, they had a very eventful day! They participated in sight-reading a few Disney music pieces and performing a piece from Disney’s Moana and spent the rest of their time in Magic Kingdom and got to end the day watching the spectacular firework show.  On Tuesday, the band spent the entire day in Epcot, where they left to make the return drive home.  The band returned home on Wednesday, the 11th, after a long few days. 

Congratulations on a wonderful year for the band! Pride! Pride!