By: May Smith

This month’s staff member that is in the spotlight is Mrs. Velasquez! I was given the opportunity to interview her and gain some amazing insight as to what she enjoys about PHS as well as what made her join us here in the nest.

When I asked her what made her apply to be the Student Services Clerk here at PHS, she said that she was hired as an inclusion aide. She was an aide for Ms. Martinez, and loved working with her. “I always loved seeing Ms. Martinez interact with students and parents. I heard about her promotion and inquired and was lucky enough to be selected. I enjoy that everyday it’s something new. I get to interact with students, parents and visitors of PHS and help build lasting relationships.” Mrs. Velasquez, while no longer an aide, is still able to help those who come to the front office. I was one of the ones as well, as I had to come up for help with finding certain papers or handing over a note to excuse my absence if I ever got sick. Even when I was dealing with a situation in my life, Mrs. Velasque was there to help and I’m honestly proud to have her here at PHS. She is an amazing member of the Eagle Nest.

Asking about her job before becoming the Student Services Clerk was very interesting. As she works as a real estate agent while working as the Student Services Clerk here at PHS. Like wow! That’s amazing, and the fact that not only she can help us and our families when they come here to PHS, she can also help families find a forever home as a real estate agent! Though her favorite experience here at PHS was getting selected by seniors as an educator influencer. “I have been blessed to be selected by 2 students, Miranda Caballero and Tristan Salmeron. I was also asked to dance with the pacesetters from Larissa Villarreal. Making these memories with these students means the world to me. I love all my kiddos and can’t wait to see what they accomplish in life.” She told me, and I could tell that she was smiling at these amazing memories that she had made. 

One of the most occurring questions is “If you had one thing to say about PHS, what would it be?” And while it comes around alot, it has some of the most diverse answers depending on who we ask. Mrs. Velasquez was proud to have some incredible staff here that truly care about us kids and helping us succeed, and she is even prouder to be one of the staff that helps us whenever we need a lift.

By: Kendall Zuniga

On December 31st, 1884, the world was introduced to its first serial killer, The Midnight Assassin. For over a year, a spree of murders was seen unlike anything ever before in the city of Austin, Texas. Seven female residents, including the boyfriend of one of the victims, were all attacked with several weapons including knives, axes, bricks, and iron rods. When police arrived they were appalled by the scene of the crimes. Police brought in bloodhounds to hopefully track any clues that could help lead them to the perpetrator of the crimes, sadly, they couldn’t find any leads. Private detectives were even hired, hoping that they could solve the case of the crimes, yet again, they found no leads. 

Most of his victims were found to be predominantly young African American and white women.  Although many African American suspects were accused of such crimes, police would find that they were all not guilty and were let go. Even a candidate running for mayor was an accused suspect but was ultimately found not guilty. Many theories would be tossed and thrown around but, none of them could ever be proven correct. 

During this time, the phrase “serial killer” didn’t exist, FBI agents who specialized in behavioral science, crime scene studies, creating profiles for serial killers, and the FBI in general didn’t exist. 

The Midnight Assassin was never caught and had left the community apprehensive about the safety of their own homes, never knowing if he would return. 140 years after the murders, we still have no clue who exactly took away innocent lives that day in December. 

By: Britney Rodriguez

What a time to celebrate the lifesaving contributions of blood donors across the country. January marks National Blood Drive month, a time to recognize the selfless contributions of blood donors nationwide. Blood donors are crucial to hospitals and healthcare facilities, yet supplies often run low. Did you know one pint of blood could save up to three lives?!

 Get involved today! Sign up to donate blood at a local blood drive, volunteer to help with snacks, and spread the word to encourage friends to donate. By donating, you can help save lives, learn your blood type, receive a free mini-physical, earn community service hours, help donors, promote diversity, feel a sense of fulfillment and purpose, give back to your community, help bridge the gap in blood supply during the winter months and make a tangible impact on public health.

Donating blood is a simple yet powerful way to make a difference. Let’s come together to ensure a stable blood supply and celebrate the lifesaving impact of blood donors. 

By: Kendall Zuniga 

How do you drink your Kool-Aid? Cold and sweet? Chunks of ice and light sugar? Bitter and poisoned with cyanide? Sadly that’s how the followers of “Jonestown” drank their Kool-Aid. It’s estimated that over 900 followers of Jim Jones had died that day from Cyanide poisoning, making it the largest mass intentional civilian death to be recorded since before the events of September 11th, 2009. 

The Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ(more formerly known as Jonestown) was founded in 1955 in Indianapolis, Indiana by Jim and Marceline Jones. Pastor, Jim Jones, would preach to a racially-integrated congregation during church services. At the height of its popularity during the 1970s, the Temple had a membership estimated in the thousands and was courted by local politicians in San Francisco, California. But by 1977, Jones had grown paranoid from the media scrutiny over the Temple’s suspicious activities, so he and his numerous followers moved to an agricultural settlement in Guyana, a remote country east of Venezuela.

U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan visited Jonestown in November 1978. Ryan was spurred to visit Jonestown after hearing word from a friend and former Peoples Temple member who couldn’t reach family members at the commune, as well as an written statement from Deborah Layton Blakey, a Jones aide who sought refuge at the American embassy, who recounted the goings-on at Jonestown. Sources say Jones had been rehearsing people for weeks on end on what to say to Ryan and the media. Soon after checking out the settlement, Ryan was shot to death along with four other people by Temple gunmen at an airstrip. 

The fear in Jones was setting in and believed something had to be done to keep his dark secret from reaching the light of day. Jones would often hold mass suicide rehearsals in order to see who his true followers were and which of his followers would give him the most trouble, making the trouble makers line up first to take the poison. He would also come to decide that if he were to “kill off” all the children, their parents wouldn’t have any reason to live. So, he starts with the babies and the people want to believe that this is just another rehearsal. For a lot of them it was just surreal. They couldn’t believe this man, who professed to have their best interests in mind, would actually kill them. It wasn’t until they saw the babies frothing at the mouth and writhing that they realized what was going on. 

The people of Jonestown, some acceptant and serene, others probably coerced, queued to receive cups of cyanide punch and syringes. When Guyanese troops reached Jonestown the next morning, they discovered an eerie, silent vista, frozen in time and littered with bodies. A tiny number of survivors, mainly people who had hidden during the poisoning, emerged. Jim Jones was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot.

By: Kendall Zuniga

This past Friday on October 20th, our mighty eagles traveled to La Vernia to take on the La Vernia bears. Sadly the eagles lost with a final score of 40-7 and soared back home. Though our eagles were disheartened, they are not giving up the fight! With only 2 games left in the season, the boys are working hard to make their comeback this Friday against the Floresville Jaguars. Let’s Go Eagles! Pride! Pride!

By: Kendall Zuniga

This month the journalism staff has chosen to shed light on the people of Latin and Hispanic heritage for Hispanic heritage month! This month honors the cultures and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.

In 1968, Hispanic Heritage month was originally for only a week but was later decided to last a whole month in 1988 celebrating through festivals, art shows, community gatherings, and much more. This month is utilized to celebrate the many independence days in Latin countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile. 

There are more than 60 million Hispanic/ Latino people in America making them the largest minority group in the United States today and their contribution to this country is beyond words of explanation. Hispanic and Latino Americans especially made an impact in our government. As of 2017, a total of 178,215 members of our government are of Hispanic and Latin descent and the number is only getting bigger. Catherine Cortez Masto was the first elected Latina to serve as a U.S. Senator from Nevada and Ted Cruz became the first Latino to serve as a U.S Senator from the state of Texas as well as a running candidate in the 2016 presidential election. These influential figures put a much deserved spotlight on all Hispanic and Latino Americans in the united states. 

Hispanic and Latino heritage has also impacted our pop culture. Movies such as Encanto, Coco, The Book Of Life, and Elena Of Avalor became some of the first movies to represent Latinos everywhere. Elena Of Avalor was actually the very first Hispanic princess to ever be showcased on the Disney channel, bringing joy to children everywhere because they finally had seen a Disney princess who looked like them, they no longer felt like an outsider.

With new generations to come, it’s important to inform those of how important their heritage really is and to be proud of who they are. ¡Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana!

By: Kendall Zuniga 

Welcome Back to the 48th edition of The Quills true crime article, this month is the start of the spooky season so, why not write about vampires? Only this vampire wasn’t really a vampire, he was a human by the name of Richard Trenton Chase.

Richard Trenton Chase was born on May 23rd, 1950 in Santa Clara county, California. His childhood was very troubled, it’s said that Trenton would set fires and torture animals. As he got older he began to drink and do drugs like LSD, spending lots of time in and out of mental institutions and eventually developed Hypochondira due to his fierce drug and alcohol abuse. By the time Trenton was 21, he had no social life and no girlfriend so he turned back to killing animals but taking it farther by consuming the raw or blended carcasses. It was suspected that Trenton would actually drink their blood gaining the nickname “The Vampire Of Sacramento” 

He was even Hospitalized in 1976 for blood poisoning from trying to inject the blood of a rabbit into himself, bringing plenty of fear into those around him. Trenton would often be found covered in blood coming from different animals he had killed but this was just the start of his spree of killing. 

Ambrose Griffin was the first victim of Richard Trenton, her death was the result of a drive-by but police never suspected Trenton of being the murderer. His next victim was pregnant 22-year-old Terry Wallin, her husband had returned home from work to find his wife’s body disemboweled and drained of all blood. Yet again, Trenton was not suspected of the crime. Investigations had begun once other incidents had become uncovered, all crimes followed the same pattern. 

Richard Trenton’s last killings were a massacre. In the home of Evelyn Miroth, not only had she been murdered but her 6-year old son, 22-month old nephew, and a family friend were murdered as well. 22-month old Micheal Ferreira was missing from the home, his playpen was  found covered in blood and there was a pillow that had a bullet hole through it. Police suspected the murderer had taken the victim after fleeing the scene. 

Trenton’s streak of fatalities came to an end when police were notified by an unknown young woman. She would go on to explain that when driving down the road, a man approached her vehicle and recognized him as a former classmate from high school. The woman noticed that his eyes were dark and sunken, his figure was extremely thin, and he wore a blood stained sweatshirt. This man was identified as Richard Trenton Chase. Police discovered that Trenton actually resided within a mile of most of his murder sites and decided to stake out his apartment; he was then taken into custody. When being detained, police found on Richard a gun that traced back to all the murders. Further searching his apartment, police found a 12-inch butcher knife, rubber boots, animal collars, three blenders containing blood, and several body parts in his refrigerator. A mummified corpse of a baby had also been found later in a box outside of a vacant lot; it was determined that the corpse was the missing nephew of Evelyn Miroth.

Richard Trenton Chase pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but was deemed legally sane at the time of the events and found guilty of all six counts of murder. Trenton was later found in his jail cell dead after commiting suicide by an overdose of medication he had been prescribed, he was pronounced dead on December 26, 1980.

By: May Smith

Aries – This is the time to enact change in your life. You are full of motivation and inspiration, ready to make fresh starts. What is holding you back from the success and happiness you crave? It’s time to take a risk and free yourself.

Taurus – you might experience some changes in your career. You can experience a sense of unreliability or dissatisfaction with your current job or working environment. It’s crucial to stick to your principles and take into account exploring new opportunities in keeping with your values and goals.

Gemini – a month of creativity, self-expression and exploration. Now is a great time to pursue your interests and seize new opportunities. This month, Gemini, you may see some positive changes in your career.

Cancer – you may face obstacles related to arrests or delays in your career. It’s crucial that you keep your focus on your goals and trust that the hard work you’ve put in will pay off in the end. This is a good time to focus on building a solid financial foundation for the future.

Leo – there may be some positive changes in your career. You may have the chance to demonstrate your skills and abilities, which could lead to fresh job offers or promotions. Be cautious with your money, but don’t be afraid to provide you some well-deserved favors or experiences.

Virgo – your career may require a little extra effort and focus. You can feel overworked or frustrated by your workload, but resist giving up. To maximize your output, be focused on your goals and assign priority to your activities. 

Libra – you might experience some positive changes in your career. You may have the chance to demonstrate your skills and abilities, which could lead to fresh job offers or promotions.

Scorpio – your career may require a little extra effort and focus. You might need to fight off certain arrest-related obstacles or battles, but do not submit. Financially speaking, now is a good time to review your spending plan and look for ways to save money. This is a good time to invest in your future, whether that means saving money for retirement or starting a new business.

Sagittarius – you might see some beneficial developments in your career. You might get the chance to demonstrate your abilities, which might result in employment offers or promotions. To accomplish your goals, trust your gut and take measured risks.

Capricorn – You might notice some good developments in your career this month. You might have the opportunity to showcase your talents and abilities, which might result in job offers from new companies or promotions. Whether you want to start a new business or save money for retirement, now is the perfect time to invest in your future.

Aquarius – This month, Aquarius, you may need to put in a little more work and focus on your career. Don’t give up despite any obstacles or setbacks you may encounter. To increase your productivity, keep an eye on your goals and order your work.

Pisces – your career may undergo a few positive changes. You may have the chance to demonstrate your skills and abilities, which could lead to fresh job offers or promotions. Trust your intuition and take calculated risks to accomplish your goals.

By: Kendall Zuniga

A doctor’s job is to help people in times of need and vulnerability, but that wasn’t the case with Harold Shipman also known as “Dr. Death ”. Between the years 1975 and 1998 Shipman is alleged to have killed over 250 people but was only convicted of 15 murders. 

Harold Shipman was born in Nottingham, England in 1946 and was known to be a promising young student and excelled in sports, rugby in particular. This all changed when at the age of 17 Shipman’s mother, Vera, was diagnosed with lung cancer. As Vera lay in her hospital bed, Shipman would closely observe how the doctor soothed his mothers pain by the use of administering morphine to her. It was later speculated that this would be the moment that inspires the sick and twisted mind of “Dr. Death ” to start his spree of killing. 

Shipman went on to study medicine at the Leeds University Medical School and graduated in the year 1970 as a junior doctor but quickly became a general practitioner at a medical center in West Yorkshire, England. Six years later he was found guilty of forging prescriptions for Demerol, an opioid used to treat severe pain, he was fined, fired from his job and was required to attend a rehabilitation clinic in York, England.

March of 1975 would be the year Harold Shipman took the life of his patient, 70-year old Eva Lyons the day before her 71st birthday, injecting a lethal dosage of Diamorphine into her bloodstream and killing her. Though Shipman was fired from his previous job that same year, he was not removed from the General Medical Council but yet instead received a warning letter. It is rumored that Shipman had killed 71 patients at his former practice and the remainder while operating his one man practice. Of his victims, 171 were female and only 44 were male.

In 1998, Harold Shipman’s killing spree would come to an end, at least that’s what you’re thinking now. When undertakers in his community became suspicious of the number of his patients who were dying, finding that his death rates were about 10x higher than the death rates of their own patients, a police investigation was ordered to be carried out but failed due to the the most basic of checks. Police hadn’t looked at shipman’s criminal records, resulting in “Dr. Death” to continue his spree of murders until later that year in 1998.

In August of 1998, Shipman’s crimes had been discovered after he made the mistake of trying to forge the will of one of his victims. His last victim happened to be Kathleen Grundy, Former mayor of Shipman’s town, Hyde. Grundy’s body was exhumed from its grave and was found with diamorphine in her muscle tissues. Shipman was arrested on September 7 of that same year.

Police verified 14 other cases where shipman had given lethal doses of diamorphine, falsely registered the patients deaths, and tampered with their medical history. Police could only charge him with 15 murders but it has been estimated that his kill count is anywhere between 250 and 450 victims.

In the year 2000, Harold Shipman was given life imprisonment with the recommendation of never being released. Harold was incarcerated in a Manchester prison before being moved to Wakefield prison where he eventually took his own life. The day before his 58th birthday, Shipman was found hanging in his cell. To this day no one really knows the true reason as to why he committed these murders, some speculate that it was a way to avenge his mother.

By: Kendall Zuniga

   During the month of May, we raise awareness for those who have suffered from the effects of having a stroke as well as how their families have suffered. What is a stroke? A stroke is an attack on the brain when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off and causes death to the living cells. Effects can vary depending on where the attack occurred in the victim’s brain, they may be permanent or can be easily recovered over time, death can also be a result in having a stroke.

   How do I know if myself or a loved one is having a stroke? Signs you can look for are: numbness or weakness in the face, arm, leg, or on one side of the body, sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech, trouble seeing in one or both of the eyes, trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance and lack of coordination, and a severe headache with no known cause.

You would never think that something like this could ever happen to you or someone you love but it’s possible for it to happen to anyone. I’ve personally have had to deal with the occurrence of my own father having three mini strokes within a span of about 3 months. We were told if he were to have a 4th stroke that causes him to collapse and hit his head, he could die. 

   I remember the night my dad’s first stroke had occurred, he said that he had felt kind of numbness on the left side of his body, had been feeling nauseous, and dizzy. I told him that what he was describing were symptoms of a stroke but he insisted that he was okay and could probably just sleep it off. The next day I found out that my mom had taken my dad to the hospital in the middle of the night because he wasn’t getting any better. C.A.T scans showed signs of cell damage in an area of his brain, that was the first of my dad’s three strokes. By the second stroke, my dad had been left visually impaired and had to re-learn how to do most things others can easily. 

   Never would I have thought that something like this could happen to someone I love and care about but, that shows that the unthinkable can happen to anyone. Use my experience as a way to inform others about the dangers and effects strokes can have on an individual and their families. We can’t predict the future but we can alter the present, here are some ways you can lessen the probability of a stroke happening to you: choose healthy food and drink options, maintain a acceptable weight, get exercise regularly, limit alcohol consumption, do not smoke, and maintaining a good lifestyle can all help prevent a stroke from happening to you or a loved one.

Ways you can help:

American Stroke Association

https://www.stroke.org/

American Stroke Foundation

https://americanstroke.org/

By: Kendall Zuniga

Every 68 seconds a person becomes a victim of sexual assault or rape in the U.S. On average 463,634 victims are ages 12 and older, 1 in every 6 women and 1 in every 33 men are victims. These numbers are continuing to go up at rapid speeds each year and victims are becoming much younger as time passes.

The effects of being sexually assaulted can really damage a persons mindset and body. Many victims of assault develop things like PTSD, depression and anxiety. When these things are triggered many effects can cause the victim to be sent into a spiral. 

 Feeling like you are losing control of your life or your mind, re-experiencing assault over and over again through flashbacks, problems concentrating and staying focused on the task at hand, guilty feelings, and developing a negative self-image; feeling “dirty” inside or out are just a few examples of how sexual assault can deeply effect a victim.

When those who go through a traumatic experience like this, they tend to not speak up about the occurrence/s with the fear of not being believed or feeling like no one will understand what they went through. When you don’t speak up about an assault, you’re at risk of having these effects occur as well as putting other potential victims in harm’s way. 

What do I do if I or someone I know has been sexually assaulted? Don’t be afraid to speak up if this has happened to you, speak to a trusted parent, guardian, or friend about the occurrence. Multiple helplines can be found all over the internet and local health offices, listed below are a few of the many help lines. 

You are not alone and you do not have to go through this alone.

RAINN.org 

RAINN helpline: 800-656-HOPE(4673)

www.nsvrc.org/states-territories/texas

NSVRC helpline: 844-303-SAFE(7233)

https://avp.org/

AVP helpline: 212-714-1141

By: Kendall Zuniga

Black History Month is celebrated every February to recognize achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, additionally devoting a month to celebrating Black history.

In the year 1915,  almost half century after the 13th amedment had abolished slavery in the United State, historian Carter G. Woodsen and Minster Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association For The Study Of African American Life and History. This association was dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by black Americans and other people of African descent. 

President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to, “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” 

But why was February chosen as the designated month for black history? February was chosen primarily because the second week of the month coincides with the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Lincoln was influential in the emancipation of slaves, and Douglass, a former slave, was a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement, which fought to end slavery. 

Forty years after President Ford formally recognized Black History Month, it was Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president, who delivered a message of his own from the White House, “Black History Month shouldn’t be treated as though it is somehow separate from our collective American history or somehow just boiled down to a compilation of greatest hits from the March on Washington or from some of our sports heroes, It’s about the lived, shared experience of all African Americans, high and low, famous and obscure, and how those experiences have shaped and challenged and ultimately strengthened America.”

Each year during Black History Month a theme is selected, this year’s theme, Black Health and Wellness, pays homage to medical scholars and health care providers. The theme is especially timely as we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately affected all communities and placed unique burdens on Black health care professionals. 

To support the cause, go to www.asalh.org to learn more about history and join the cause.