By: Wanish Tortes McGinnis

As one transitions from high school to “life after high school,” here are some recommendations that one can tweak to their own version of “Life 101”. Many high school students are used to being the “big fish in the little pond.” After graduation, and as they enter college or trade school, they find themselves the “little fish in the big ocean.” It’s important to make new acquaintances.  Don’t be afraid to get to know others; they may have the connections you need for the future. 

First, it’s probably best not to take a break after high school before attending college or a trade school. If you have been given advice from family and friends, take it with an open mind, say thank you, and consider all avenues for your success. Internships and volunteer service in the field in which you are interested can help to guide you in your decisions. When you enroll in classes, get your general education requirements done first. Go to EVERY class in your schedule, even on Fridays. Give it your best effort; strive to get an “A” in the course. If you are shy or don’t really know people in your class, ask to join a study group that meets your style of study; the best groups are the ones that meet at the library in a quiet study room. 

When you get your schedule, make sure you have enough funds to purchase your books. Most books will be anywhere from 100 dollars and up, depending on your course of study. You will also need notebooks, blue books for tests, binders, and notebook paper. Add to that list a calendar and organizer. If you are lucky, you will have received a laptop or computer somewhere in high school, or as late as graduation. 

Developing a good financial history with your bank and the people you do business with will give you financial freedom. Stay away from any junk mail that offers you credit cards. Get a debit card at the bank where you deposit any money from paychecks or gifts of money. Have a savings account, as well as a checking account. Use cash when you can, and keep to your budget that you will set up. If you have a part-time job, your paycheck needs to be divided up in the following ways: 10% of the total goes to savings. 15% of the total goes to your church or a charity of your choice. The rest will need to be budgeted for groceries for two weeks,  the laundromat (unless mom will let you use her washer/dryer!), which will cost about $20 per week, and extras (movie, occasional meal out). Don’t eat out too much; put money aside to treat yourself or yourself and a friend during the month. Buy what you need, not what you want. If you want a bigger TV, then put money aside to save up for the TV. Do not buy anything on “time”, unless it’s an appliance you need, and then pay it off early.

It’s okay to be unsure or nervous about the next steps- just keep moving forward. You may change your mind a hundred times before you land where you are meant to be, but when you get there your heart will tell you. If your choice of major is not what you had planned it to be, see if there is a similar type of job in the same area, or change your major. Many students will start out in their field of choice, and within a couple of years, change to a similar or different major. 

If you’re looking for an easy transition from school into the workforce, you likely already have a few job and career ideas in mind. However, not all careers are the same in terms of earning potential, entry-level position availability, and so on. If you’ve taken CTE (career technical education) courses or have significant work experience, you’re likely headed down a particular track already. If you have some hobbies or passions that you can make money from doing after high school, look into those options. There are several possibilities when it comes to transitioning from high school to a career, and here we look at some of the best options for students who wish to go this route. 

Some 30 percent of this year’s three million graduating seniors will not go straight to college or a trade school,  a number that is increasing as the economy becomes inflated. More graduates are finding that going to work out of high school may be financially more secure such as working retail, auto shops, restaurants, family businesses, or construction, so they can put money away since some of these graduates are on the less profitable side of the vast economic and cultural divide that is demarcated by a college degree. 

By: Wanish Tortes-McGinnis

On Wednesday March 24th, the Pleasanton Track team went to their second meet in Devine. The JV Team overall made 154 points coming in 2nd place and varsity made 199 points placing them in 2nd. The JV Boys made 157 points and placed 2nd, while the varsity boys made 222 points and placed 1st.

The Varsity girls, in the 3200m run, Fe Vielma placed 1st, and in the 400m relay the team of Emree Adamitz, Kiley Wiechring, Brandi Barnett, and Angel Tucker placed 2nd. In the 800m run Caitlyn Nieschwitz placed 1st, Kennedy Guajardo placed 2nd, and Kara Hinojosa placed 4th. Emalee David placed 1st in the 100m hurdles, and in the 100m dash, Itzel Perez placed 1st, Marissa Rothenbach placed 3rd, and Ariel Mejia placed 5th. 

Placing 2nd in the 800m relay were Brandi Barnett, Kiley Wiechring,Victoria Castillo, and Angel Tucker. Kennedy Guajardo placed 1st in the 400m dash, with Ciarha Garcia placing 4th. Jillian Barcomb placed 6th in the 300m hurdles, and in the 200m dash, Angel Tucker placed 3rd. 

In the 1600m run, Caitlyn Nieschwitz placed 2nd, and Lindsey Klein placed 3rd, with Mary Martinez placing 4th. Raegan Hollis, Ciarah Garcia, Brandi Barnet, and Kennedy Guajardo placed 2nd in the 1600m relay. 

The team did just as well in field events, in the High Jump, Victoria Castillo placed 1st, Kiley Wiechring placed 2nd, and Kara Hinojosa placed 3rd. Kara Hinojosa placed first in the pole vault, with Mary Martinez coming in 2nd. In the long jump, Victoria Castillo placed 1st, with Ciarah Garcia placing 2nd, and Kara Hinojosa placing 3rd. The triple jump was executed well, with Ciarah Garcia placing 1st, and Jillian Barcomb placing 2nd. The shot put Sofia Aguilar in 3rd, and in the discus, Sofia Aguilar placed 5th.

The Varsity boys in the 100m dash had Ashon Thompson place 1st, with Phillip Sosa placing 4th, and Seth Harrison in 9th.  Ashon Thompson also placed 1st in the 200m dash. Rudy Franco placed 5th, and Adriano Ayala placed 8th. Following these two events, in the 400m dash, Jayden Palacios placed 1st, Aaron Alvarado placed 4th, and Ryan Moore placed 5th. Jayden Palacios ran the 800m, placing 1st, with Averee Cantu placing 2nd. The last two track events were the 1600m, with Israel Garcia coming in 5th, and Xavier Rodriguez placing 7th. The last part of the event was the 3200m run. Xavier Rodroguez placed 5th, and Jayden Ogg in 6th place. 

Next, in the 110m hurdles, was Justin Veale placing 3rd, with Reagan Moore placing 6th. The 300m hurdles was Justin Veale placing 1st, and Regan Moore in 2nd place. In the 4 x 100m relay, Estevan Jackson, Juan Lopez, Sean Ramos, and Rudy Franco, placed 2nd. Also participating in the 200m relay Ashon Thompson, Sean Ramos, Juan Lopez, Estevan Jackson placed 1st. Running the 4 x 400 were Jayden Palacios, Estevan Jackson, Juan Lopez, and Sean Ramos, and they came in first! 

The field events were held, starting with the Long jump. 1st place went to Sean Ramos. 

2nd place to Estevan Johnson, and 3rd place went to Juan Lopez. The shotput went to Alexis Yanez in 1st place. Peyton Eichman placed 3rd in the discus. The triple jump saw Sean Ramos taking 1st, Estevan Jackson placed 2nd, and Juan Lopez placing 3rd. In the high jump, Adrian

Gacia placed 2nd, and Reagan Moore, 5th. Finally, in the pole vault, Preston Pilgrim placed 2nd, Adriano Ayala placed 4th, and Seth Harrison placed 6th. Overall, the athletes did very well in representing the school. 

On March 30th, the pleasanton track team had the district meet in Cuero. Overall the Varsity Girls made 4th place. For the 3200m run Kassidy Vickers came in 2nd following Fe Vielma in 7th. Emree Adamitz, Kiley Wiechring, Brandi Barnett, and Marrisa Rothenbach came in 4th place for the 400m relay race. Caitlyn Nieschwitz came in 2nd place for the 800m run. For the 100m Hurdles Emalee David placed 5th and JIllian Barcomb 7th. Kinsley Barker, Kiley Wiechring, Victoria Castillo, and Angel Tucker placed 2nd in the 800m relay. In the 400m dash Kenndey Guajardo placed 5th. Jillian Barcomb placed 2nd in the 300m hurdles. Angel Tucker placed 6th in the 200m dash. In the 1600m run Caitlyn Nieschwitz placed 2nd following Kassidy Vickers in 3rd and Lindsey Klein in 4th. In the 1600m relay Emree Adamitz, Ciarah Garcia, Brandi Barnett, and Kennedy Guajardo placed 5th. In field events Victoria Castillo placed 2nd in high jump. In pole vault Kara Hinojosa placed 7th place and Mary Martinez in 8th. In long jump Victoria Castillo placed 6th. In Triple jump Ciarah Garcia placed 4th. 

The varsity boys placed 3rd overall at district. Ashon Thompson placed 1st for both the 100m dash and the 200m dash. Jayden Palacios placed 1st in the 400m dash. In the 800m run Jayden Palacios placed 1st, Reagan Moore placed 3rd, and Averee Cantu placed 4th. Xavier Rodriguez placed 9th in the 1600m run following Jayden Ogg in 10th and Israel Garcia in 11th. In the 3200m run Xavier Rodriguez placed 5th and Jayden Ogg in 7th. Justin Veale placed 3rd in the 110m hurdles.In the 300m hurdles Justin Veale placed 4th following Reagan Moore who placed 5th. Christopher Zapata, Estevan Jackson, Juan Lopez, and Sean Ramos placed 2nd in the 4x100m relay. Ashon Thompson, Sean Ramos, Juan Lopez, Estevan Jackson came in 1st for the 4x200m relay. In the 4×400 Jayden Palacios, Estevan Jackson, Juan Lopez, and Sean Ramos came in 1st place.

For long jump Sean Ramos came in 2nd followed by Estevan Jackson in 3rd and Juan Lopez in 4th. In shot put Alexis Yanez placed 10th and in discuss Peyton Eichman placed 6th. In triple jump Estevan Jackson Placed 3rd along with Juan Lopez in 4th and Sean Ramos in 7th. Adrian Garcia placed 9th in high jump followed by brothers Reagan Moore in 10th and Ryan Moore in 11th place. Last but not least we have pole vaulters with Preston PIlgrim in 1st, Adriano Ayala in 4th and Seth Harrison in 9th. 

By:Wanish Tortes-McGinnis                                                    

Starting off this month we have the February Cadet of the Month and the NCO, the NCO of the month is SSG Lorenzo Samaniego and the Cadet of the month is PV2 Adam Morales. 

 Cadets are selected at the beginning of the month and they have until the last wednesday of the month to study and during the month they have to complete a PT (Physical Training) test that is considered during the grading section. During the board cadets are interviewed by1SGs on all of the things they have been learning. The cadet is graded on cadet knowledge, basically what have they been taught. The cadets PT scores are compared to other cadet PT scores. 

Next up for this month is JLab. JLab is a leadership and academic test, this month the leadership team went to round two ( round two is the qualifying round for nationals). Leadership test is designed to test knowledge on military leadership and the ROTC curriculum. Competition is very competitive which means all teams shoot for the highest score. Although JROTC did not make it this year, they are preparing for next year’s JLab.  

By: Wanish Tortes- Mcginnis

From teaching classes like Audiovideo 1 and 2, Digital Media, and Business Professionals of America Mrs. Olavarri does it all. 

Mrs Olavarri was born in Jourdanton, Texas at Mercy Hospital in the 1970s. She graduated from the University of Incarnate Word in 1998 with a Bachelor Business Administration with a concontration in Marketing. Most of her work in college was Business and Marketing. In Mrs. Olavarri’s senior year she took an internship at a non profit and got to be a marketing coordinator for an organization.

Mrs. Olavarri has been teaching for 21 years at Pleasanton High School;it would be 22, but she took a year to sell yearbooks. Business has always been a subject she had taken a liking to. In her senior year of college, she had her first child. She thought she would be a stay at home mom, but soon got bored of being at home all the time. At the same time she was looking for a job, Pleasanton High School was looking for a business teacher. Mrs. Olavarri’s favorite part about being a business and technology teacher at PHS is sponsoring BPA (Business Professionals of America). Every year, kids who want to join this club are driven and goal oriented.“It is so much fun helping these students build projects that they can compete and win with!” BPA definitely makes her job valuable and rewarding. This year was Mrs. Olavarri”s first year teaching AV (Audiovideo) Program of Study along with Digital Media, in recent years she taught career preperation and PIT classes which was a part of the Business and Industry field.  

This year, Mrs.Olavarri came up with a podcast called the Big E Broodcast to show that Pleasanton is a great school by interviewing students of PHS and those who have already graduated from PHS.  

By:Wanish Tortes-Mcginnis     

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:Wanish Tortes-Mcginnis 

The Pleasanton Girls Varsity Basketball started off this year with a win against San Antonio Memorial 42-24 on November 17th. The girls varsity had their first loss against Mcmullen County on November 20th, which ended 48-33. Even though they lost, the Lady Eagles got right back up and defeated John F Kennedy 57-33. The varsity girls lost to Lytle 55-42. The next 4 games the lady eagles did a fantastic job, the Lady Eagles beat Pearsall 41-27. The girls then beat Three Rivers 46-33, along with beating Natalia 51-43. The lady eagles beat Poteet 39-22.

There will be 7 upcoming basketball games before the year ends. A Home Game against Hondo High School on December 11th. An away game against AC Jones High School on December 12th. Another home game on December 18th against Ywla (Young Women’s Leadership Academy). Two away games one on December 19th against Calallen High School and the other on December 22nd against Fox Technical High School. The last game before the New Year begins will be a home game against Somerset High School on December 29th. 

By: Wanish Tortes-Mcginnis

 People still to this day are confused about the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance of people who fought and have fallen in wars; we honor and mourn for their courageous acts and bravery for this country. Wars that can be tied to Memorial Day are World War 1, World War 2, Vietnam, Korea, and the Afghanistan and Iraqi Wars.

 Veterans Day was not always called Veterans Day.  On November 11, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the day as Armistice Day, in honor of the anniversary of the surrender of Germany the year before. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the Germans came to an armistice with the Allied Powers, thus effectively ending the war. In 1954 the holiday changed from Armistice Day to Veterans Day because America had already been in two wars, World War 2 and Korea. Instead of just honoring veterans of World War 1, the U.S Congress decided to honor veterans of all wars.  

Here at Pleasanton High School, there are at least three veterans who have served and are now teaching in the classroom. First, Chief Danny Pitts, who teaches law, served in the United States Army for 21 years and retired as a Sergeant First Class.  Mr. Steve Wusterbarth served in the United States Army Reserves as a PFC Specialist for two years. COL(Ret) Chris Wynder Chris Wynder served 27 years in the United States Army and retired as a Colonel. Finally, COL(Ret) Elvin J. Nuells served in the Army for 30 years as a Command Sergeant Major. Thank you to you all and any others that were missed for your service and the things you sacrificed so that we could be free. 

In closing, it is hoped that by knowing a little more about Veteran’s Day, perhaps we can all act a little kinder, and smile and thank a Veteran when you see them in a store, at a game, or just enjoying the sunshine. 

By: Wanish Tortes-McGinnis 

Ending September with a win by the Pleasanton Eagles against Corpus Christi King 24-6, the first quarter started off slow but rapidly changed when Toby Garner scored 2 touchdowns in the second half. During the third quarter, Toby Garner scored another touchdown followed by a field goal by Jose Angel Perez making the eagle up 24-0. The last quarter ended with Corpus Christi scoring one touchdown and making the final score 24-6 with a win by the Pleasanton Eagles.

The Eagles started October with their first district game against Boerne. The first half started slow with Boerne scoring 2 points. The second half, Boerne got up 22 points and scored 3 touchdowns. The Pleasanton Eagles scored two touchdowns in the third quarter and both were made by Toby Garner. Borene also made two touchdowns in the third quarter making the score 38-14. Jayden Palacios made a receiving touchdown, and Boerne as well made a touchdown. Making the final score 45-20 with loss by the eagles. 

On Friday October 23rd, the Eagles had a home game against Uvalde. The eagles led the way starting with two interceptions made by Marco Quinonez. Ty Hehman, came with another interception for the eagles, and Ashon Thompson with an interception and a touchdown. Sean Ramos, threw two touchdown passes. Finally, Toby Garner made 2 touchdowns to finish the game with an amazing score of 30-7. 

By: Wanish Tortes-McGinnis 

The Pleasanton Eagles have begun the school year in Cross Country with a great start. Natalia was the first meet, and overall, the Varsity girls took First Place! The Varsity boys did great as well, coming in 4th overall. For the girls, 1st place was Caitlyn Nieschwitz, Kennedy Guajardo 3rd, Mary Martinez 4th, and Kassidy Vickers 5th. For the boys, Alberto Vielma placed 16th, with Wanish Tortes-McGinnis in 17th, Xavier Rodriguez, 18th, Zander Zamora in 25th place, and Jaydon Ogg in 29th. 

During the second meet, it had rained the night before, so there were some rather damp areas to run through. Our guys and gals did quite well, for many schools were at this invitational. 

Caitlyn Nieschwitz again came in 1st, Kennedy Guajardo coming in 2nd and Kassidy Vickers in 3rd only being a couple of seconds behind Kennedy. Kara Hinojosa came in 16th, Mary Martinez finished strong with 22nd place, and pulled up the rear where Karolyna Arguijo came in 32nd. Fe Vielma in place at 33rd, and Jillian at 44th, with Raylin Castillo 52nd. Even with as many participants as there were, the girls managed to come in 12th. The boys ran hard, and Alberto Vielma came in 63rd, Wanish Tortes-McGinnis in 64th, Xavier Rodriguez in 70th, Zander Zamora in 73rd, and Jayden Ogg in 83rd. Overall, the boys came in 12th.

The last meet which was held in Bandera, brought JV girls Jillian Barcomb in 1st place, Raylin Castillo in 4th place, Sofia Aguilar in 16th place, Savannah Clark in 24th place, and Adriana Clark in 25th place. Varsity girls included Caitlyn Nieschwitz in 3rd place, Kennedy Guajardo in 7th place. Kassidy Vickers placed 9th, and Kara Hinojosa placed 13th. Mary Martinez placed 24th, followed by Karolyna Arguijo in 27th, and Fe Vielma in 32nd place. 

The Varsity Boys included Wanish Tortes-McGinnis, 24th place, Xavier Rodriguez in 27th place, Zander Zamora in 28th place, and Jayden Ogg, at 41st place.                                                    

Dilley is our next big meet, held at the High School this Saturday, September 26. Wish us luck~

Pride, Pride. Eagle Pride