Advice Column: How to survive your first month of high school

Posted on September 16, 2023 by kzuniga083123

By: Kendall Zuniga and Brittney Rodriguez

Are you terrified of what your freshman year is going to be like? Worried you weren’t going to have the same classes as some of your friends? How hard are your classes going to be? The seniors were in the exact same position as you were once. It’s okay to be scared of new places though, that’s all part of the journey to get to your destination. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Okay, but how did the seniors even make it through their last year? “What did they even do to get to where they are?” and the answer to that is simple. You keep going.

You keep going even when you want to give up, just keep swimming. Life isn’t meant to be easy, life throws boulders at you and sometimes you can’t dodge them. Sometimes you have to take the hits and endure the pain of it. Yes, this is all easier said than done but, we face the most gut-wrenching challenges in life in order to prepare us for the future. It’s all part of the process, you’re human. Try not to let the small things get you down, take your mistakes and learn from them.

People like Stephen King have failed many times before succeeding, Stephen King’s first book “Carrie” was rejected over 30 times because publishers weren’t interested in selling negative utopia-science fiction. He decided to give up and threw his novel into the trash, King’s wife noticed the book retrieved it, and encouraged him to resubmit his novel to publishers. Today, Stephen King has written 65 novels and has sold more than 400 million copies of “The Shining”, “IT”, and “Carrie” worldwide.

It is up to you whether or not you fail or succeed, you pave the path you walk upon. You will have people who love and support you every step of the way as you figure out and travel down the winding paths of not only high school but of life.

Athlete Spotlight: Kiley Wiechring

Posted on September 16, 2023 by ssexton083568

By: Carol

In the world of student-athletes, there are those who stand out not only for their exceptional skills on the court but also for their dedication to academics and their ability to balance the demands of both worlds. One such outstanding individual is Kiley Wiechering, a name that has become synonymous with excellence in both sports and academics at Pleasanton High School.

Kiley’s journey as an athlete began at a young age when she discovered her passion for sports, especially volleyball. Growing up in a family that valued athletics and education, Kiley was encouraged to explore her interests. She tried her hand at various sports, from softball to track and basketball, but ultimately found her main calling in the world of volleyball. Since the young age of about five Kiley could be found on a volleyball court. “ It’s my calm space” siad Kiley.

As Kiley progressed through her volleyball career, her talent continued to shine. She joined our high school’s varsity team and quickly became a standout player. Her incredible work ethic, determination, and leadership skills earned her the respect of her coaches and teammates.

Her performances on the court were nothing short of spectacular. She consistently led her team in scoring and demonstrated her versatility and ability to impact the game in multiple ways. Her dedication to the sport was unwavering, as she often spent extra hours practicing and refining her skills.

While Kiley’s love for volleyball was undeniable, she understood the importance of a well-rounded education. From an early age, she excelled in the classroom, consistently earning top grades and demonstrating a thirst for knowledge. Kiley’s dedication to academics never wavered, even as her volleyball career began to take off. She managed to strike a balance between her sports commitments and her studies, a feat that many find incredibly challenging.

Kiley is undoubtedly a standout athlete at Pleasanton High School. Kiley’s athletic career serves as a testament to the power of passion, hard work, and dedication in achieving one’s goals. As she continues to shine both on and off the court, there is no doubt that Kiley’s dedication, work ethic, and ability to persevere in the face of challenges make her a role model for upcoming athletes.

PHS is beyond lucky to have a Student athlete like Kiley. All of us here in the PHS journalism staff would like to wish Kiley and the rest of her team good luck for the rest of their 2023 volleyball season.

Student Spotlight: Stephen West

Posted on September 16, 2023 by lsilva100521

By: Leighlah Silva and Kendall Zuniga

Welcome back to PHS! A new school year means new students in our monthly student spotlight. This month, the Quill staff have chosen senior Stephen West to shed some green and white light upon. Though quiet to the school’s eye, Stephen makes noise with the varsity football team every Friday night whether it’s being in the game or on the sidelines cheering for his fellow teammates on getting a touchdown. In his free time, Stephen continues to play football from 4 to 7 p.m. after school. Participating in sports has brought many friends and opportunities into Stephen’s life over the last 4 years of his high school career, and continues to be an experience he admires greatly. He has shown a lot of “Eagle Pride” within his fellow peers over the years and he is excited to finish off his football career with the Pleasanton Eagle Varsity Football team.

After high school, Stephen plans on attending A&M Kingsville University. He is uncertain what subject he wants to major in. Nonetheless, we know that no matter what he will be successful and the timing will come when he decides what he wants to major in. Stephen is highly talented both in and out of the classroom. He has an amazing future ahead of him. The Journalism staff are filled with gratitude for the golden opportunity to become acquainted with more knowledge about Stephen West. We wish him the best of luck for the amazing future he has ahead of him! Pride, Pride!

Teacher Spotlight: Mrs. Garcia

Posted on September 16, 2023 by lrichter2026

By: Alex Richter

To begin our round of Teacher Spotlights for the 23-24 school year, I recently had the opportunity to interview Mrs. Garcia, a new teacher at PHS. She currently teaches English III with juniors and AP English III LANG.

In addition to her teaching, she also coaches high school girl’s basketball and track. She has always been accomplished in studying English since her school days, and her fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Smith, played a significant role in inspiring her. Mrs. Smith was not only a fantastic teacher but also an excellent supporter who attended Mrs. Garcia’s games, which made her look up to her even more. In high school, Mrs. Garcia enjoyed her English II class, where she read many great books. Initially, she wanted to become a coach, but her advisor suggested teaching as a more marketable career option. This is her fifth year of teaching, but she hasn’t taught at this level before. At first, teaching at a higher level was a bit challenging, but after collaborating with her colleagues, she feels confident about the upcoming year. Although she was confident in her math skills, Mrs. Garcia chose to teach English as it was her natural strength and her favorite subject. She also shared that Mr. Roberson, her math teacher, helped her develop a love for math.

As a Pleasanton High School alumn, Mrs.Garcia is a great addition to our teaching staff. Make sure to give her a friendly welcome when walking down the 400 hallway this year!

Salutatorian: Connor Lopez

Posted on May 27, 2023 by libbysanchez

By: Shyanne Sexton & Kassidy Vickers

Pleasanton High School has announced that Connor Lopez is the salutatorian for the class of 2023. As our school and community prepare to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of its seniors, Connor’s achievement serves as a beaming example of the hard work and dedication that Pleasanton High School students strive for.

Connor is truly an amazing student. According to his teachers and peers he is a joy to be around, always making his peers and teachers laugh. He is incredibly intelligent, always up to date on his current events, getting outstanding grades, and bettering those around him. Connor is someone who does not let anything bring him down and strives for perfection. He manages to find an equal balance between his academics, his extracurriculars, his family, and his friends. Since the first rankings were given freshman year, Connor worked hard and remained determined to maintain his top two ranking.

Connor will be furthering his education at Texas State, majoring in Political Science and pre law and aspires to be a lawyer. For him, law is an excellent match that fits his personality and skill set. Connor has not only the intelligence for this field but also excellent argumentation skills that will allow him to succeed. And whilst working towards his degree, Connor hopes to attain an internship at TXST.

Connor is a tremendous musician who has developed into a fantastic trumpet player throughout his high school career. He is an outstanding leader and has been an excellent example for all band students. Throughout the years Connor has received many awards in band, ranging from most improved musician to one of our outstanding musicians and marchers. He has a unique personality that has contributed to a huge change in the PHS program. And out of all his outstanding accomplishments Connor says that, “Going to state ensemble in band with Kevin Tucker, Cecar Garcia, Monque, Michael Lister was definitely one of the greatest.”

Connor’s achievements here at PHS are nothing short of remarkable, but not without giving credit to the teachers who have impacted him. Every student has that one teacher that made a difference and stood out to them among the rest, and for Connor Mrs. Solis was just that. It was an easy choice for him when being asked who had the greatest impact, “Mrs. Solis understands me more than most.” According to Mrs. Solis, Connor has been nothing short of astounding, “ With Connor, I have been lucky to have the opportunity to work with him one-on-one when preparing for auditions and with a small group of individuals. I’m going to miss him, but he’s off to bigger and better things. Connor is someone who strives for perfection and always gives 150%. He has worked extremely hard to get to where he is and I’m so proud of him. He truly is an outstanding individual who is going to do great things!” As graduation grows closer and closer Mrs. Solis hopes for him to know that, “Texas State is receiving someone with lots of energy, an infectious laugh, incredible talent, dramatic burps, strong opinions, outstanding leadership, and amazing dance skills. Texas State is not ready for your energy but go make a change. You have worked so hard to get to where you are. Go achieve your goals and reach your dreams Connor, you know where to find me if you need anything. I’m sooooooo proud of you! Good luck!”

Throughout Connors high school years, Connor’s parents have been there to encourage him and believed in him every step of the way. Connor has achieved so much and his parents are more than proud, “We are so, so proud of him for being salutatorian. It feels like it’s an acknowledgement of how dedicated he has always been to excelling at academics. It’s hard to find the right words to describe how proud we are of him!” There is an amazing future prepared for Connor and his parents are just as excited as everyone else to see him find the path that fulfills him. Going into this new chapter of his life, Connor’s family wanted to leave him with a reminder, “…no matter where he goes or what he does, we will ALWAYS love and support him. And we want him to know that we are so proud and feel so blessed that we get to be his parents.”

Connor has an amazing future ahead of him and left a great legacy behind him. PHS has been lucky to have such an amazing student. So to Connor and the rest of the class of 2023, yall have been the best role models and most influential class. We wish yall the best of luck for everything that comes after your time here at PHS!!