Hello PHS,

the Quill has officially gone social. Find us on Facebook and Instagram as “PHS the Quill”.

We hope you enjoy our April Issue #45!

By: Noah Ramos 

Aries: 

This week may be a little tough to go through but keep your head up. Good things will be heading your way after you have faced the hardships head-on. 

Taurus:

Something unexpected will suddenly arrive or happen to you. You won’t know if it’s good or bad but it will definitely alter your future for this week so be alert.

Gemini:

The next couple of days will be smooth sailing which gives you time to learn something new! It would be great to try out something new and who knows you may make it a hobby.

Cancer:

You’ve been having doubts and are looking for an answer to put your mind at ease. This week will surely give you the answer you seek but there is no telling if it will be the answer you want to hear.

Leo:

This week you will not feel the best so maybe it would be good to just try to relax and watch some movies or read a book to save your energy. 

Virgo:

You don’t seem to know what you want to do for the future but don’t worry. This month will show you something that will help you find something you’ll love.

Libra:

You will be full of energy and feel as if you can finish anything that comes your way. Use this energy not only for yourself but for others as well.

Scorpio:

You feel as if you’re invisible at the moment but you will have your own chance to shine in the spotlight soon if you take a risk. 

Sagittarius:

Your positive attitude is contagious and rubs off on other people. Others will want to be around you more often because of this.

Capricorn:

You may feel like the work piled on your shoulders is too much for you to handle. But you will find the strength you need from someone unexpected.

Aquarius:

Your love for adventure will hit its peak this week with the opportunity to do things you’ve never gotten to experience before.

Pisces:

You may have hit a rough patch this week but don’t worry your luck will turn for the better soon.

9th – Courtney Cearley

10th – Maximus Sauceda

11th – Juan Lopez

12th – Mya Cashiola

9th grade – Kassidy Vickers

10th grade – Toby Bird

11th grade – Simon Karsky

12th grade – Lyssa Lee Ramirez

By: Dillon Myers

Homecoming is an important event here at PHS and so are the people involved. There are four representatives for the three lower classes: freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. However, there are eight for the seniors, who are running for king and queen. Here is what each senior class rep replied as to why they decided to run for Homecoming king and queen and what they’re most excited about being a representative for their class:

Claudia Acuff– “I decided to run for hoco rep because I ran last year and had a good time. It’s nice being able to spend time with my other friends who are also running. It’s also pretty cool being able to walk the field during halftime.”

Kimberly Arguijo– “The reason I decided to run for homecoming rep this year was because my first three years of high school weren’t the best, so I wanted to make the best of my senior year so therefore I decided to run for homecoming queen.”

Heaven Marquez– “I just thought it’d be fun. I’ve been a homecoming rep before, and it’s fun, like going on the field and getting your name announced.”

Aurianna Rich– “I wanted to put myself out there senior year. With all the restrictions of COVID, I wanted to use every opportunity to participate in school activities.”

Gabriel Bosquez– “Because I wanted to be a representative and since it is going to be my last year in high school, I thought it would be a great idea and to make memories with my classmates.”

Blake Moos– “I’ve been a rep the past three years of high school so I decided I wanted to keep that streak going to run for rep again. I had even more motivation this year though because I also had the opportunity to run for Homecoming King.”

Devyn Garza– “I thought I would just run for fun, you know? Like it’s senior year and it would be an enlightening experience to run again this year.”

Orlando Oltivero– “Well, I originally had no intention of running, but with COVID happening and my mom wanting us to stay home, I thought it would just be fun to go out and represent the class, especially since I wouldn’t be attending school in person.”

As with every year, all students were asked to choose amongst the senior reps and vote for a Homecoming King and Queen. The winners this year were Blake Moos and Heaven Marquez. Congratulations to every representative, and thank you for keeping the spirit of Homecoming alive!

Freshmen Adrian and Ciarah Garcia

Homecoming King Blake Moos and Queen Heaven Marquez

Seniors Claudia Acuff and Blake Moos

Sophomores Brylee Miller Ayden Parker

Juniors Oscar Leal and Natalie Muniz

By: Courtney Schmidt & Wanish Tortes-Mcginnis

Mrs. Higginbotham is such an important member of our high school team and has been an incredible partner for Mrs. Guajardo. She graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in San Antonio in 1989, where she was in the career prep program. She worked part time at American Federation of Government Employees as a secretary for the labor union of civil service employees at Kelly AFB. After graduation, she was hired full-time and worked there until 1996.

She married her husband in 1991.  Together, they have two sons.  Her family moved to Jourdanton in 2002, seeking small-town life. She began as a substitute teacher in 2004 and worked part-time for the Education Service Center Region 20. I was hired full time by ESC Region 20 in 2008 as a secretary. In 2010, she was hired by Pleasanton ISD as the Curriculum Secretary. 

She became Mrs. Guajardo’s secretary in January 2015 when Mrs. Guajardo became the principal at Pleasanton High School.  Mrs. Higginbotham states, “she [Mrs. Guajardo] calls me the “Building Secretary” instead of the Principal’s Secretary.” 

She manages the front office staff, Mrs. Guajardo’s calendar, phone calls, hundreds of emails, and the entire high school budget with such ease. “I handle a great deal of ‘behind the scenes’ details”. She provides support to the assistant principals, office staff, teachers and paraprofessionals (including but not limited to absence requests and scheduling substitutes), custodians, and even steps in for the nurse on occasion.  She submits work orders for repairs and maintenance and is sometimes able to fix things herself, saying, “I have a toolbox under my desk.” It comes as no surprise as anyone can see that she wears many hats.

Mrs. Higginbotham coordinates facility requests outside of school hours and manages the high school activities calendar to coordinate with extracurricular activities.  She assists with prom, academic awards night and graduation by purchasing items and scheduling security, the sound system, and stage. She designs the layout and prints the programs handed out for NHS inductions, academic awards night, and graduation.  Our bell system that runs like clockwork?  We can thank Mrs. Higginbotham for that as well.  She even manages our very own Mrs. Guajardo.

Mrs. Guajardo says she is able to effectively do her job because she is reliable, trustworthy, smart, and very professional. Mrs. Guajardo states, “I don’t know what I’d do without her, and I’m honored she’s my partner.” Thank you, Mrs. Higginbotham, for all the hard work you have done for the school and Mrs. Guajardo.  It is clear that you keep PHS running with ease!

By: Courtney Schmidt

Pleasanton High School is proud to have achieved the Level 1 certification of the Dr. Robert J. Marzano High Reliability Schools™, which means that PHS has created a “Safe, Supportive, and Collaborative
Culture”.  The HRS program was developed for educators to monitor the effectiveness of their schools in order to ensure student success.  Within Level 1, the daily operations of the campus are addressed.

The High Reliability Schools™ program consists of five levels that a school has to master in order to become a High Reliability School, ensuring all students learn the content and skills they need for success in their futures. “As you move through the levels, it represents a complete transformation in how schools are run,” says CEO Robert J. Marzano.

A school working to become HRS certified collects data and validates school performance and works with analysts from Marzano Resources in order to determine certification. Indicators within the framework for each level help schools make positive and significant impacts on student achievement.

Congratulations to Pleasanton High School for this achievement that improves the effectiveness of our campus and ensures the success of our students.

By: Dillon Myers

Shopping. Whether you go to Walmart® or order your toilet paper from Amazon, you or a family member has to shop somehow. To most, buying goods is a part of life, and some even set aside a day of the week specifically for purchasing needs and wants. Of the PHS family, 165 voted on if they’d rather shop in-store or at home and here are the results:

*Decision not based on recent circumstances – i.e. the plague

By: Kori Miller

Considering everyone is currently stuck at home, the easiest accessible option to pass time is by watching movies. Fortunately, I’m a bit of an expert on the matter. Below is a list of films to keep you entertained as we all adapt to our newfound isolation, even if it is for the best.

Birds Of Prey And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (Available on Google Play, rated R): Birds Of Prey is the story of a recently dumped Harley Quinn and her journey towards self-discovery, and the realization that the Joker was probably just holding her back. A female empowerment film with lots of entertaining action and comedy, it is guaranteed to lift your spirits. It’s better than Suicide Squad, at least.

The Call of the Wild (Available on Google Play, rated PG): The Call of the Wild is the story of a big-hearted dog named Buck, and John Thorton, the man he must learn to trust. Based on the Jack London novel of the same name, it’s a heartwarming family film that teaches the importance of learning your place in the world and the friends you make along the way. It’s genuine, emotional, and satisfying. That is when you get past the awkward CGI dog.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Available on Netflix, rated PG-13): Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a stylized comedy film about Scott, a somewhat lost 22-year-old who has fallen head over heels for a distant and bright-haired girl named Ramona Flowers. However, if Scott plans on making what he has with this girl more than just a one time fling, he has to defeat her seven evil exes in video game themed combat. It’s a comedy film that has never failed to entertain, even after multiple watches. 

Train to Busan (Available on Netflix, rated R): Train to Busan is a Korean thriller about a zombie virus outbreak that takes place on a speeding train with fleeting hope. I don’t want to say much about this film, it’s one that you simply have to watch to appreciate. It has well-choreographed action, memorable characters, and scenes that will make your stomach churn. It’s also easily the best zombie movie I’ve seen, at least to my memory.

Central Intelligence (Available on Google Play, rated PG-13): Central Intelligence is a comedic action film that teams up Dwayne Johnson with Kevin Hart. It’s quick, sharp, upbeat, and downright entertaining in every shot complete with shootouts and espionage. Just about every type of person can find something to appreciate. 

Her (Available on Netflix, rated R): No movie recommendation list would be complete without a romantic tragedy. Theodore Twombly is a sensitive and soulful man who loses his grip on life in the midst of a bitter divorce. Left heartbroken, he slowly becomes infatuated by an artificially intelligent operating system he calls Samantha. But can love exist between a man and a computer program, even an intelligent one? Beautifully composed and painfully dramatic, Her is one of the best-handled romances in recent history.

By: Perri Alexander 

“God Made a Wonderful Woman” by Unknown

God made a wonderful woman, 

A mother who never grows old;

He made her smile of the sunshine.

And he molded her a heart of pure gold;

In her eyes he placed bright shining stars,

In her cheeks fair roses you see; 

God made a wonderful mother, 

And he gave that dear mother to me.  

Happy Mother’s Day to all the hardworking moms out there. This poem really speaks to me because it reminds me of my own wonderful mom. The absence of words allows for one to use their imagination to explore the different definitions that come with the word, Mother. The way it paints a picture without going into too much detail is one of the reasons I picked it. You never know how much our mothers go through, so this poem can act as a reminder to remember to be careful in taking our loved ones for granted. 

Till next time, 

Sincerely, The Poem Perfectionist… 

By: Hannah Richardson

The ingredients that you will need are:

1 tablespoon of extra- virgin olive oil                                                                                                                                         

1 tablespoon of butter                                                                                                                                                                 

1 medium carrot large or two peeled and sliced                                                                                                                     

1 stalk celery and sliced                                                                                                                                                                 

1 shallot                                                                                                                                                                                           

½ small onion sliced                                                                                                                                                               

Add salt and pepper, put 2 minced cloves garlic, and add in 64 ounces of chicken broth                                         

Add chicken chopped it into bite-size pieces                                                                                                                   

Then, add 8 ounces of gluten and spaghetti noodles

That’s all that you will need, but this homemade recipe sounds really good.

The recipe has 350 calories, 15% of sodium, 17% of fat, 102% of protein 6% of carbs, and 4% of fiber. I recommend trying this.

By: Nohemi Vallejo

Senior Soccer Players with Coach Bird

With their continuous victory, PHS soccer girls keep kicking their way up to the top. On Friday, February 21st, the girls’ varsity team won against Yoakum (5-0). On Friday, February 25th, the varsity girls’ team won yet again this time against La Vernia (4-0). On Friday, February 28th, the junior varsity girls won against Gonzales High School (4-0). While the varsity girls’ team did an amazing job by scoring 6 goals against Gonzales who scored 0 goals. On Tuesday, March 3rd, the girls’ varsity won against Yoakum High School for the second time this season (7-0).

The most important part of winning is working together, Coach Bird also agrees with this statement. “… watching the girls come together and form their bond. Each team, each year seems to create a different bond and having this group of seniors. Watching them from their freshman year gain more of a leadership role.. Seeing them form that bond a uponst the five of them and realize it’s their last year has been fun to watch.” These girls have done an outstanding job. We are proud of your hard work, even if your season was cut short due to COVID-19!  Way to go, Lady Eagles!

By: Hannah Richardson

Pleasanton’s Tennis team played at the Southwest Tournament on February 7, 2020.  As stated on the Pleasanton High School Athletic page, Anai Gonzales got first place in the girls’ JV single back draw match. Lauren Dowdy got first place in the varsity girls single back draw match. Then Blake Moos and Mathew Garcia got first place in boys varsity double back draw. On the varsity boys singles, Luke Harlos won two out of three matches, and Cade Macmanus won one of two matches. Lauren Dowdy on the varsity girls singles won four out of five matches and took first place. In the varsity boys doubles, Wyatt Garcia and Luke Gonzales won two out of three matches and Blake Moos and Mathew Garica won four out of five matches. In the mixed doubles match, Devon Clark and Elly Hernandez won one out of three matches.

On February 21, 2020, the teams competed at Uvalde High School. The Pleasanton High School Athletic page states that in the varsity boys singles, Cade Macmanus finished the tournament with fourth place and Luke Harlos finished the tournament with third place. In the varsity girls singles, Lauren Dowdy finished the tournament with thirteenth place and Makaylah Canales finished with first place. In the varsity boys doubles, Wyatt Garcia and Luke Gonzales finished the tournament with fifth place, and Blake Moos and Matthew Garcia ended with first place. In the varsity mixed doubles, Devon Clark and Elly Hernandez went home with second place.

On February 28, 2020, the Pleasanton High school Tennis team competed at Navarro High school. In the JV boys singles match, Mayson Smith finished the tournament with fourth place, and Angel Hernandez with third place. In the JV girls singles match, Anai Gonzales finished the tournament in third place. In the JV boys doubles match, Bennack Conroy and Cian Martinez finished the tournament in second place, and Wyatt Porter and Gage Pawelek finished in third place. In the JV mixed doubles, Josh Schmahl and Kamryn Salais finished in first place, and Conner George and Kaylee Titzman ended in third place. In the varsity boys singles match, Cade Macmanus finished the tournament with first place main draw, Luke Gonzales finished with second place back draw, Wyatt Garcia finished with third place, and Luke Harlos finished the tournament with fourth place. Varsity girls singles match Lauren Dowdy finished the tournament with first place back draw, Makaylah Canales finished second place back draw. In Varsity mixed doubles Blake Moos and Claire Benavidez finished the tournament in first place and Devon Clark and Elly Hernandez finished the tournament in third place.

The Eagle’s tennis season came to an end with UIL calling off all sports due to social distancing guidelines related to COVID-19.  Nonetheless, we congratulate our players on their season and wish them best in the future.

The Pleasanton Eagle golf team has been very busy these past few months competing in tournaments. The first tournament for the varsity boys was in Navarro, and they placed 4th.  They went on to be in 1st after day 1 in the Pleasanton tournament at the Pleasanton Country Club. Matt Garcia, Reed Foster, Luke Thornton, Trent Crady, and Garner Kemp shot a team score of 370. Matt Garcia and Reed Foster shot a round of 88, Luke Thornton shot a round of 90, Trent Crady shot 104 and Garner Kemp 116. The Eagle golf team took first place at the Pleasanton Eagle Invitational Golf Tournament on Friday and Saturday, February 14th and 15th. Matt Garcia, Reed Foster, Luke Thornton, Trent Crady, and Garner Kemp shot 377 for a two-day total of 747. Matt Garcia finished with 3rd place medal and an 87 on the 2nd day for a two day total of 175.

On February 27th, The Eagles golf team headed off to the NISD campus in Concan, where they finished day one of the tournament in 21st place and ended the day still in 21st. As of February 29th, the Eagle team placed 1st and played well at the SAISD tournament. Matt Garcia, Luke Thornton, Reed Foster, and Trent Crady shot a team score of 370 to lead 1st in the tournament. The team finished the SAISD Golf Tournament held at Willow Springs Golf Course in San Antonio on Friday and Saturday, February 28th and 29th as champions. Matt Garcia, Reed Foster, Luke Thornton, and Trent Crady shot a score of 356 with a 2-day total of 756. The Eagles were led by Matt Garcia, who shot a two day total of 177.

The Eagle #2 golf team finished 5th place at the Jourdanton golf tournament held at the Pleasanton Country Club on Monday, March 2nd. Carter Benavidez, Wyatt Tom, Jayden Koti, and Malaquias Gutierrez finished had a team score of 484. Carter Benavidez had a leading score of 110. Malaquias Gutierrez shot 121, Jayden Koti shot 125, and Wyatt Tom shot 128.

On Friday, March 6th, the Eagle golf team took 4th place at the Jay Mustang golf tournament at the Cedar Creek Golf Course in San Antonio. Matt Garcia, Reed Foster, Luke Thornton, and Trent Crady shot a team score of 379. Reed Foster led the Eagles with a score of 91. Matt Garcia and Luke Thornton each shot  93. Trent Crady shot a score of 102.

When asked about how he feels about his team this year, Coach Guerra stated, ¨The team is kinda in a rebuilding mode. We lost a lot of players last year, and we have a lot of inexperienced players because they didn’t have a lot of district and regional experience from last year, and the boys’ side were rebuilding because we lost a lot from last year’s team…but we’re getting better and coming along.¨ 

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, UIL has suspended the season due to social distancing guidelines. However, we are very proud of our teams for all they have accomplished. 

By: Wanish Tortes-McGinnis

What can you say about a coach who has the energy of a 10 year old, constantly in motion, is always motivating and positive, but still manages to get everything done he sets out to do? This is Coach Worley. Coach Worley has been teaching 8 years here at Pleasanton High School, and has been coaching track and cross country for 7. Before that, he spent 23 years in the Air Force, as an Air Force Ranger. He has been to 20 countries during his service to the United States Air Force, he has been to both South Korea, Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Germany, Iceland, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Panama, Mexico, and Canada. He is truly a well-traveled individual. 

His beginnings started in Indianapolis, Indiana. As he grew up, his goals were to get good grades, go to college and join the Air Force. He majored in Economics, and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland. After he got married  and decided to go into teaching, he asked his son what he should teach. His son said, “Math”, so he became a math teacher. In addition to being a math teacher, he also coaches cross country, and works with the long distance runners for track. 

His enthusiasm at the track meets is well known. From the time the gun goes off to start the race, you can see Coach Worley run from one side of the field to the other, shouting words of encouragement to his runners until they cross the finish line; “Keep the pace”, and “Head up”. He encourages his runners and students by telling them to “Be Fearless”, and “Kill the Tiger”. Other motivational statements he tells his students in math and his runners, is “Don’t be afraid to fail”, “Don’t be afraid to ask.”, and “Don’t say, ‘I can’t’”. 

Coach Worley works out with the students in running, guides them in their individual specialties, but at the same time, encourages them to push themselves, constantly improving their own personal best. He is truly a motivating teacher and coach, and through his dedication to make the Pleasanton High School Cross Country and Track and Field Teams improve each week, the runners have a lot to thank Coach Worley for, including taking up Saturdays and during the school week to help train the athletes so they will be ready for the upcoming events. 

In closing, Coach Worley is a good influence to all students, due to his passion, enthusiasm, and the ability to be flexible at the last minute. We appreciate you, Coach Worley!

By Dillon Myers

Time travel is a topic that has brought about many theories. Can you go into the past or the future? Are there multiple timelines? Is the multiverse real? These questions may never be answered with certainty for a very long time. Although, science has shown that when astronauts come back to Earth very slightly younger. This could be one of the first steps towards time travel. Of the students and teachers here at Pleasanton High School, 100 were asked whether they would travel into the distant past or the distant future. The results are displayed below:

By: Kori Miller

Unfortunately for cheesy sci-fi film fans, the genre is usually plagued by remakes and reimaginations of older successes rather than original concepts. Having said that, the few original ideas that do make it to the theater flop and fade from the collective memory of its viewers altogether. In short, sci-fi has desperately needed some fresh meat. Leigh Whannell, responsible for gems like Saw and Insidious, has stepped up to the plate for audiences everywhere, and he has yet to disappoint. Inspired by the 1897 novel of the same name, this is The Invisible Man.

Cecilia is a fragile girl who fell victim to the looming dominance of a demented man with a large sum of cash. After successfully escaping her abusive ex and later discovering he killed himself the night of the altercation, she feels like she may have a real shot at safety. That is until paranoia grips her and she begins experiencing strange happenings at the expense of what she believes is her ex-boyfriend- only he’s invisible. Stuck in the confines of her peers and their disbelief, Cecilia is forced to fight a battle she can’t even see. 

The concept of an invisible man isn’t a new one, it’s been around for many years in sci-fi media and usually isn’t taken very seriously. It’s cheesy, no one can deny that. So as a concept for a blockbuster thriller, it’s intriguing. Creating a serious film out of such a done to death concept is surely no small feat. There was no better person for the job than Leigh Whannell. He has numerous credits in the film’s production and adapted the story basically single-handedly. He’s a very talented director and it shows in every frame of this thriller. The production value is phenomenal, the score is unsettling, the cinematography is suited perfectly to the theme, and the acting is stellar. There is little to complain about.

This film runs into a bit of an issue when it comes to writing. It tries too hard to one-up itself, wanting to add an unneeded twist for the sake of seeming more complex and intelligent than it is. A simple concept should be followed by a simple, consistent plot. Unfortunately, that is not Whannell’s style. He is more accustomed to the twists and turns of a true thriller, like the movies he’s infinitely more familiar with. Considering he wrote the screenplay, it’s safe to say it was a simple subjective mistake on his part and it ultimately doesn’t take away from the rest of the film.

The Invisible Man is a to-the-bone thriller, chilling in every scene. It’s dark, gritty, and psychological, and it’s practically guaranteed to please. Aside from the stylized writing, it’s an experience for all mature audiences to learn from. Visible or not, this film is a must-see.