By: Jayden Palacios

Sadie McAda celebrating a great hit. Photo Credits to TheFrontPage.

While discussing an outstanding athlete for this month’s Athlete Spotlight, there was no debate when selecting Sadie McAda as our first. Sadie is a division one volleyball commit to Southern Miss, she’s a four-year varsity athlete, and a senior student at PHS. Sadie has played a fundamental role in volleyball’s success this year. Her leadership, determination, and teamwork skills have catapulted the Lady Eagles into district champions. 

To start, Sadie was asked the question, “What’s the best advice you’ve received from a coach during your high school years as an athlete”, she eagerly responded stating, “The best advice I’ve gotten as a high school athlete is to work hard even when the coach isn’t looking. Hold the rope for your team, your teammate is hanging from a cliff and all you have to pull them up is a rope. You can’t let go even though your hands are tired and you’re losing hope. Holding the rope means making sacrifices for your teammates and being selfless because that’s what will make your team the strongest as a whole. You’ll be able to fight hard in any circumstances, against the toughest competition, playing hard through anything.”  

Next, Sadie was asked what her goals are for this year as an athlete, and she was prepared with a clear conception of her dreams.  She replied saying, “I wanna make All-State, make the All-Star legacy team, and make it to the state tournament.” She’s well onto getting what she wants for herself, and her team. After high school, Sadie will be playing at an elite level of volleyball going to division one is a huge accomplishment, in which only less than 2% of high school athletes get the opportunity to play any sport at the collegiate level. There’s plenty of things to be excited for when going to play at the collegiate level, but for Sadie, it’s “The competition, training required to work for opportunities, and my coaches.” 

Her values as a team player are evident in her responses, and with many members who hold the same ideals, it’s a no-brainer that her team has been so successful this season. Overall, Sadie is an athlete that can ball —enough said. 

By: Kassidy Vickers

During the month of October, we raise awareness of the impacts to those who have, or still continue to suffer from breast cancer. The goal of this month is to get as many people involved in raising awareness, and to earn funds to help support the life-saving and life-changing research and medical support. 

So, what is breast cancer? Breast cancer is a type of cancer in which the cells in the breast grow out of control. Unfortunately, breast cancer is a fairly common disease and around 12.9%  of women in the U.S. today will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives. This is about 1 in 8 women being diagnosed. Other than skin cancer, it is the most common form of cancer worldwide. This is also not a disease that only affects women. About 1 out of every 100 cases of breast cancer in the U.S. is men. On average, every 2 minutes someone is diagnosed with breast cancer. 

There are many organizations in the U.S. and all around the world that are helping advance the research for breast cancer. One of the largest breast cancer organizations is the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). Other organizations include the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the American Cancer Society. These organizations are really helping make a difference for breast cancer. 

This October, you can spread the word and get as many people involved and educated on breast cancer as possible. You can show your support for this month by wearing pink, sharing your knowledge on breast cancer, or even by donating to one of the many charities supporting the resolution to breast cancer. Every person counts and no voice goes unheard. Let’s make this month bigger than ever starting with your support!

October Poll

By: Brian Avery

This month, the popular choice was to go trick or treating with friends! We have a new addition to the poll this month, where you ask us your personal or thoughtful questions! The questions you asked are:

Best way to say goodbye to your friends when you graduate?

What came first; the color orange or an orange?

Do you ever get too old for Halloween?

If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?

Who is your Secret Crush?

Would you cheat on your s/o with Ryan Reynolds?

We would love to hear your answers to these questions! Email your answers to Mrs. Minniear at aljackson@pisd.us! 

By: Letizia Perrino

ARIES:  October is the month of your self-care and rest. Think about yourself and about how you can be a better person, have fun and don’t be sad, everything will be for the best.

TAURUS: October is a transformative month for your love life, Taurus. When strict Saturn ends its retrograde.  Life is good, you may feel a little stressed out, so think about your self-care, and remember that happiness is often a decision and not something anyone else can do for you. 

GEMINI: Your style will be iconic this month, and you can’t turn down a great party, so go big this Halloween and have a lot of fun by dancing, and showing off your costume. 

CANCER: this month your love life advances for the best. Remember that life is good and live it in the best way you can.

LEO: This month will be full of good energy. My advice for you is to have fun and spend an amazing Halloween with your friends but don’t overdo it. 

VIRGO: You are ready to take the word Virgo. Enjoy this month and be ready to receive a lot of compliments. Try to rest and take care of yourself.

LIBRA: Don’t be afraid of nothing Libra, this month will be great for you, honor your needs and use your energy on yourself.

SCORPIO: It’s your season, Scorpio, it’s time to celebrate, let Halloween bring joy in your life. You will find a good balance this month and that will help you rest and be ready for the next month. 

SAGITTARIUS: This month will be full of friends for you Sagittarius, spend time with them and enjoy their company, this will make you feel better.

CAPRICORN: You will have to work a lot to achieve your goal this month, Capricorn, but it will be worth it. 

AQUARIUS: This month will be important to you because you will show the world what you’re able to do. Halloween will be fantastic so enjoy it, have fun and don’t forget your beautiful costumes. 

PISCES: This could seem like a difficult month for you, but don’t give up, try to fix everything that may seem wrong. Maybe an Halloween party will help and bring some joy.

By: May Smith

~Brainstorming Ideas~

Doe – for girls:

Materials – 

• Light brown, white, pink, and black face paint 
• Deer/doe ears and tail 
• Plain white or light brown long-sleeved shirt 
• Brown fur vest 
• Black pants 
• Fur-cuffed boots or shoes

Instructions – 

1. Cover the top part of your face or if you want, the cheek and forehead with light brown face paint. 
2. Wait for it to dry, then apply white dots of paint onto your cheeks while surrounding your eyes as well. 
3. You can use pink, black, or both to do the nose. If both, apply the pink to the top of the black to add a pop of color. 
4. Wait for the face paint to dry then put on the white or brown top. 
5. Next is the fur vest. 
6. You can add the ears on, then the tail after putting on your pants. 
7. Last but not least, you add the fur-cuffed boots or shoes and your dear/doe look is complete.

Hunter – for boys

Materials – 

• Camo-outfit (cap as well) 
• Fake gun or bow (if desired) 
• Deep green and/ or black face paint 
• Fake/empty can of beer (if desired) 
• Sturdy boots

Instructions – 

1. Put on your camo outfit, if you have one, and add face paint in stripes going horizontally along your face. 
2. Next, put on the boots and pick up the gun/ bow prop if you have one. 
3. Lastly, pick up the fake/empty can of beer and you’re done.

By: Myame Lara

Each year during the month of September, Americans celebrate Hispanic culture, making September Hispanic Heritage month. Hispanic Heritage month is celebrated from September 15th through October 15th. Following its start on September 15th, is Mexico’s Independence Day on September 16th. Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in recognition of ancestors of Americans who came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Hispanic Heritage Month began as a week-long celebration under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 to recognize the diversity and historical significance of American Latino descent. This week-long event was later extended to a 30-day celebration by President Ronald Reagen in 1988. Since then, many traditions and celebrations have attached themselves to this month-long celebration

Hispanic Heritage month is celebrated in many ways. Activities such as visiting a Hispanic Heritage Museum, or learning more about the Hispanic Culture are very common around these times of the year. Things such as festivals, art shows, conferences, and community gatherings are also usually hosted during Hispanic Heritage Month. Organizations like, “Hispanicheritagemonth.org” dedicate the time and patience to educate people about why Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated. It’s great to use this time to celebrate Hispanic culture and learn more about the culture as a whole! 

To start off the new school year, we wanted to see how everyone felt about their break! The majority of people felt like their summer was good overall with 38.7%, with amazing summers coming in close second at 34%!  Alright had 19.8%, and kinda boring was last with 7.5%. Fortunately, no one had a bad summer! We here at the Quill are so glad to hear it, and we hope this school year is amazing as well!

September-

Again the golden month

before the smoke

after the fire

beauty on beauty cusp-

tell us

how summer’s

green dreams and desires

only sleep 

as October creeps

over the dry ground.

By: Unknown

It’s a new school year and we are welcoming the new freshman. I hope that you can achieve the things you’ve wanted to do in the four years you have because the four years will go by in a flash. You will be a senior before you realize it. So enjoy every moment in high school.

Sincerely,

Passionate Poet

By: Alexandra Garcia 

Are you looking for a soft and chewy treat? 

Then you’re in luck! This sweet treat is called Red velvet cookie bars.

A few slices of red velvet bars after being baked and sliced.

We can all agree that it’s been extremely HOT! With that being said these cookie bars also go great with ice cream placed on top. 

These cookie bars could not be more simple. This is a one-bowl recipe that could be whipped up in 30 minutes! 

Here are all 7 ingredients & utensils needed: 

• Red velvet cake mix
• Salted butter 
• Large eggs 
• White chocolate chips 
• Powdered sugar
• Milk 
• 8×8 inch pan 

Steps to make the red velvet bars: 

1. Spray an 8×8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 350F degrees. 
2. Mix together box cake, butter, and eggs with a hand mixer, then fold in chocolate chips. 
3. Mix dry cake mix with butter and eggs using an electric hand mixer, then stir in chocolate chips by hand.
4. Spread the prepared mix into a baking dish (the batter will be thick.)

Next, bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the top is firm and then let the dish cool completely before cutting and eating. This dish is completely okay to put in the freezer or refrigerator and heat up when you take it out.

And there you have it! A sweet delicious easy treat in less than an hour. 

Anonymous 9th grade, 8/25/22

Should social media companies be doing more to make social media safer for children?

The question “How young is too young for social media?” has been heavily debated by parents and children alike ever since social media’s rise. It is clear now that social media is here to stay, and kids under 13 all over the world have access to it. There is little way of preventing kids under an appropriate age from accessing social media, so should companies do more to make social media a safer place for kids?

It has been made apparent that an alarming amount of young kids are on social media. Parenting tactics are subjective, and everyone has different opinions, so what can be done about the next generation’s well-being concerning social media? I believe that because some children will find a way to social media no matter the age restrictions, the responsibility lies in social media companies’ hands to make social media safer for children. There are many things that these companies are doing to ensure their users get hooked, and a social media addiction is incredibly harmful to a child that is still developing mentally. To help limit the likelihood of social media dependence, social media companies should stop targeting children with addicting algorithms. Senator Markey of Massachusetts has proposed a bill to solve the said issue, but thus far, nothing has been passed.

This issue applies to every generation, but especially ours. We can all most likely agree that we have, at some point, felt we spent too much on social media. If you want to make a difference on a large scale, email your representatives and advocate publicly for the cause by showing support for movements such as Log Off and Reboot and Recover. To help this issue on a smaller scale, have conversations on this matter with your friends and family. Nothing will change if we do not discuss these issues with the people around us. Everyone has the power to cause change, even if it be informing others about your views on trending topics, so use your voice.

By: Myame Lara and Darla Rodriguez

CSM Nuells is well known around campus as a very motivational teacher. He is usually found with our JROTC participants, alongside Kernel Wynder With it being his second-year teaching at PHS, he was awarded the “New Teacher of the Year ”. PHS’s journalism staff is honored to have the opportunity to find out more about our beloved CSM Nuells!

CSM Nuells is a very dedicated and hardworking teacher. The relationships he gets to form with his students and being able to watch them grow and mentally develop throughout their years is one of the many things he loves about teaching at Pleasanton High School. CSM Nuells holds a bachelor’s degree from Excelsior College, and a masters degree in Business from Webster University. He is also a graduate of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, where he served 30 years before retiring in 2020. 

With being in the US Army, a lot of the skills he gained are used in his teaching methods. “In the military, we take care of our soldiers. When it comes to teaching, I learned to take care of my students the way I take care of my soldiers.” CSM Nuells states. 

PHS is home to CSM Nuells, and we are so glad to have him attend our school! Congratulations on your accomplishments CSM Nuells, we hope for more years with you. Pride Pride!

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: Jaelyn Morales

A resume by definition is a formal document that provides an overview of your professional qualifications, including your relevant work experience, skills, education, and notable accomplishments. It is a document that you will use to show your future job employers all of your past job and career information in the best and most professional way possible in order for them to see you as a good fit for the job. A resume should first have your personal information like your name, contact information, and work history so that the employers you are being interviewed by know how to contact you in the future and have a background on you. When these employers look at your resume they are looking for key information such as education level, skills, and certifications. A lot of people, when making their resume tend to add as much information as they can, and this is a great way to get their attention, but you also need to make sure that you are putting reliable and relevant information that your job at that time will want and need. 

To help you better understand what employers are looking for in a resume, I interviewed an employer named Frank from Pridestaff in San Antonio, where they work to help citizens find the right job for them. I asked, What’s the most important thing you look for in a resume? ” He responded with, “Definitely the format, making sure each job is detailed and clear.” I also asked for advice for students who are starting their resumes. “ The most important advice is to look at wording.” he said. He gave an example of ways to word your resume in a better and more informational way. He said when stating that you worked at a fast food restaurant, instead of saying “making food or giving people their food”, you could instead say “I assembled food or prepared food.” It may not look like a big difference, but once you read your overall resume you will see the difference. 

Another thing you can add to your resume is a summary statement, which you might think is similar to an objective statement, but there are a lot of differences between the two including pros and cons. An objective statement tells the reader what you hope to get, while the summary statement tells them who you are and what you can do for the company. In other words, instead of stating what you hope to gain, you can instead display all your accomplishments, applicable skills, past experience, and other certifications that exhibit your value as an applicant. An example of an objective statement would be, “Seeking a position in counseling at Pleasanton High School.” A summary statement might be: “Accomplished and determined counselor with 5+ years of experience. Versatile background includes counseling students from grades 7th-12th at Jourdanton High School and Devine High School. Calm and lively attitude creates an atmosphere that encourages student innovation, motivation, and learning.” As you can see the summary statement has more information than the objective statement, but doesn’t go on forever, it has just enough to show your employer what you will bring to the table. 

There’s no right or wrong answer to the question, “Should resumes still include objective statements?” It’s really up to the employer and his preference, but remember a summary statement is your first impression to your could be new employer, so if you do decide to write one make sure to use details and express to them as many skills and experiences as possible to let them know you are the right person for the position. 

By: Courtney Henson

Sherrill Levitt was born on November 1, 1944, she later had a daughter, Suzanne Streeter on March 9, 1973. Soon after, Stacy McCall was born on April 23, 1974 who would grow up to be Suzannes best friend. Suzanne and Stacy graduated from Kickapoo High School on June 6, 1992 and attended graduation parties that whole weekend. The two girls returned to Streeter, and Levitt’s, home at about 2am on June 7.

The pair had made plans to spend the day at a water park with their friend Janelle Kirby, and her boyfriend. When they failed to show up at Janelle’s house, it was discovered that the front door of the home was unlocked and none of the girls were to be found. Despite this, the girls’ cars, clothing, jewelry, and purses remained at the home. Janelle also reported that the glass lamp shade on the porch light was shattered. Once they entered the home, Janelle and her boyfriend found Streeter and Levitt’s dog, who was very agitated. While inside the home, Janelle received two calls of a sexual nature from an unidentified male before leaving the home. After several hours, McCalls mother visited the home after many failed attempts to reach Stacy after noticing that all of the belongings had been left behind, seemingly not in a hurry, McCall called and reported the three women, Sherrill, Suzanne, and Stacy, missing. After placing the call, McCall listened to the home phone’s answering machine where she heard a “strange message” that was later accidentally deleted. The message is not believed to be connected to the calls Janelle received. When police arrived on the scene, there were no signs of a struggle and there was no available evidence to be gathered. The girls had seemingly disappeared into thin air. 

After no progress was made on the case for many months, on December 31, 1992, an anonymous caller called the Americas Most Wanted hotline with information about the woman’s disappearance but the call was soon disconnected. Police urged the caller to contact them again, but he never did. Although their cases are still officially filed as missing, Levitt and Streeter were declared legally dead in 1997. This same year, 1997, Robert Craig Cox, a convicted kidnapper and robber, and suspect in many murders, told journalist that he knew the women had been murdered and buried and that their bodies would never be recovered. In 1992, Robert had been living in Springfield but at the time told investigators that he was with his girlfriend and she corroborated. She later recanted this statement and says that Robert paid her to say that. Police were unsure if Robert was actually involved in the case or just wanted attention. Robert stated he would disclose what happened to the women after his mom died. In 2007, investigators received a tip that the three bodies were buried in the foundations of the south parking garage at Cox Hospital. After using a GPR (ground penetrating radar), authorities found three objects “roughly the same size” as the women and in a “grave site location.” The garage began construction in September 1993. Police told the public that because there was no logical reasoning or evidence behind the tip and because it would be very expensive to dig up the area, they would not be further investigating the area. 

As of 2022, the disappearance of Suzanne Streeter, Stacy McCall, and Sherrill Levitt, is unsolved. Despite over 5,000 tips about the women’s case, no advancements have been made in any of the three cases. In June of 1997, a bench was dedicated to the three women inside the Victim’s Memorial Garden in Sprigfield’s Phelps Grove Park.

By: Autumn Webster

This special treat is an Easter flavored blast plus easy to make called an Easter Bark.

The ingredients you’ll need for these treats are:

• Chocolate 
• Food coloring 
• Chocolate mini eggs
• Sprinkles
• Half sheet baking pan
• Mixing bowls
• Cooking Pot or Microwave

Now that you have the ingredients you’ll have to follow these easy steps to make your sweet treat

1. Prepare. Line the large baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat then set aside. Gather half of your chocolate mini eggs, crush them then set aside.
2. Melt the chocolate either on the stove or microwave. (For a microwave, leave it in for thirty seconds on high to fully melt the chocolate.
3. Repeat step above but for the Melt White Chocolate.
4. Dye the white chocolate by dividing it into 2-3 separate small mixing bowls. Add pastel colored food coloring to each bowl and mix until combined. 
5. Spread chocolate out into a melted semi-sweet thin layer forming an approximate 9×12-inch rectangle, about ⅓ inch thick. Use a toothpick to swirl the sweet and white chocolate together.
6. Add toppings. Arrange the chocolate eggs (½ of them will be whole while the other ½ will be crushed) Press them lightly onto the chocolate.
7. Set the pan into the refrigerator to allow the chocolate to stay for 45 minutes.

After that you´ll be able to enjoy your sweet chocolate Easter bark treat to hop hop hop with enjoyment.

By: Courtney Henson

On March 10, the Eagle Track teams traveled to Somerset High School to partake in the 11th annual Sonny Relays. At this meet, the boys varsity team placed 2nd overall with 133 points. The highest scorers for the team include Este’van Jackson with 25 points, Jayden Palacios with 24 points, Juan Lopez with 23 points, and Sean Ramos with 19 points. The girls varsity team placed 3rd overall with 100 points. Key runners for the girls this meet included Alexandria Balderas, Lillian Krause, Raegan Hollis, Ciarah Garcia, and Jillian Barcomb. The boys JV team places 6th overall with 69 points. The girls JV team placed 3rd overall with 103 points. 

At this meet, Sophomore pole vaulter Preston Pilgrim was able to break the pole vault school record. This record, previously held by Zach Wood at 14’9 set in 2004, was broken completely when Pilgrim jumped 14’10. Soon after this, Preston jumped another impressive height of 15’4. This impressive 15’4 height became both Preston’s new personal record and the new school record. This jump allowed the Sophomore to qualify for the Texas relays, the 2nd largest track meet in America. Preston has been pole vaulting since the young age of 9 and has had an intense passion for the sport since. The adrenaline and competition that pole vaulting so excitedly brings is what Preston says is his favorite part. His mom, Krystal Pilgrim, says that, “While balancing the extreme dedication to his sport, Preston has been able to maintain an all A average,” which continues to make her immensely proud. Preston hopes to make it to state for each year of high school as well as hopes to return to Nationals at AAU Junior Olympics during the summer season. As only a sophomore, Pleasanton High School is excited to see where pole vault takes Pilgrim. 

Shortly after spring break, the track teams began to get back into the groove of things. At the Ro-Hawk Relays at Randolph High School, the boys varsity team placed 4th overall with 80 points. The girls varsity placed 3rd overall with a score of 75.5, Ciarah Garcia scoring 19 of those, and the girls JV placed 5th overall with 44 points.  

On Wednesday, March 30, the track teams traveled to Devine High School to compete in the Devine Relays. The boys varsity team placed 1st with 108 points. The placers of the meet include Juan Lopez, Jayden Palacios, Sean Ramos, the 4x100m relay team, 4×200m relay team, 4×400m relay team, Evan Guardiola, and Preston Pilgrim. The girls varsity team places 4th with 51 points. The members of the team who placed include Kassidy Vickers, the 4x100m relay team, the 4x200m relay team, the 4x400m relay team, Mikayla Theis, Jillian Barcomb, Megan Mayse, Ciarah Garcia, and Victoria Urbanczyk. The boys JV team placed 1st with 105 points. The placers of the team include Joe Turley, Paul Bernal, Mason Little, 4×100m relay team, 4x200m relay team, 4×400m relay team, Joe Turley, Jordan Mendoza, Steven Minniear, Nathan Din, Stephen West, Adrian Ortiz, and Demetrius Jimenez. The girls JV team placed 2nd with 86 points. Placers of this meet include the 4x100m relay team, 4x200m relay team, Svetlana, Jauslyn Ramirez, Harmony Young, Kaylie Rodriguez, Teairra Garz, Kennedy Miller, Desire Gonzales, and Genavieve Alvarado. 

As the track season continues forward, we wish the Eagle track teams the best of luck. Congrats on a season well done so far. Pride! Pride!

By: Noah Ramos 

This month our Girls Varsity softball team battled against Somerset on April 19th and took victory with a final score of 7-4 after a hard fought game. Throughout the game our team kept their defense up for a solid match to prevent our opponents from scoring. We have a couple of players who were outstanding such as Maggie Maddox who pitched 3 strikeouts along with 1 walk throughout the game. A freshman by the name of Elizabeth Salinas helped her team get their hitters to 4-4 while Maddie Estrada and Aubry Cantu both got the chance and went 2-4 to the plate. 

Many other girls on the team advanced runners using a well timed sacrifice fly where the game finally tied in the 7th inning. However, Jaelyn Morales hit a home run that allowed the eagles to score a 3 man play leaving the score at 7-4. After this the Eagles went on the defensive making a 4-6-3 double play going from Salinas to Estrada and finally to Morales. 

By: Farah Standley

On March 8th, the Pleasanton Baseball Team took on the Lytle Pirates and took the win 10-0, the boys gained some confidence and went into a tournament with high hopes. The Eagles came home with a clean up! The boys fought hard to win all 4 games against the Natalia Mustangs (6-0), the Bandera Bulldogs (8-4), the Pearsall Mavericks (9-1), and the Carrizo Springs Wildcats(10-3). The next couple weeks the Eagles kept it going with wins against the Uvalde Coyotes(11-5), the LA Vernia Bears(11-1), and the Geronimo Navarro Bears(14-6). The boys faced a hard game losing to Cornerstone Christian(3-12), on March 26, but got back to it, with two wins against the Cuero Gobblers(6-1), and the San Antonio Alamo Heights Mules(5-4). The last game before District was a tough one. The Eagles took one last loss against San Antonio Home School(1-12).

Going into District was exciting for the team, the boys began to prepare. It’s game time. The boys started District off on their own turf with the guest being the Somerset Bulldogs on a cool Friday night on April 8th. The National Anthem played, the sound of the crowd radiated, and the boys were ready. Once our group of athletes took the field it was too late for the other team to turn around. We took the win gracefully with a score of 7-2, and that Monday, April 11th, we were on the way to Hondo to take on the Owls for the second District game. It was a sure nail biter, and the boys played hard. The Owls were really good, but not good enough. The boys scored 4 runs in the 5th inning to win the game! The final score was 9-6, and the boys went home excited. Then, right before Easter break on Thursday, April 14, the boys took on the Devine Warhorses in Devine for the 3rd District game! It was a struggle, but the boys got their head on straight and pulled through with a 2-1 win. The boys came back from the break with another game. The boys loaded the bus to go to Somerset to face the Bulldogs once again. The boys took the field with Jayce Krauskopf on the mound. The boys got loud as the score went up and up. Cheers rose from the stands, and the Eagles finished the game with a 12-1 win after 6 innings. 

By: Brian Avery

One of the reasons PHS runs so smoothly is because we have so many people working behind the scenes to make sure it runs smoothly. One of them includes Mrs. Downs, our academic dean, who assists teachers in making sure their instruction is smooth.

Mrs. Downs went to CT High School, just north of Austin. She was very active within her school, as she was a cheerleader,  and in academic clubs such as Spanish and Science. After high school, she went to Angella State University, where she got a degree in Elementary Education.  She later got her masters in Curriculum and Instruction, which brought her to PISD.

Mrs. Downs started working at the Middle School campus, back when it was known as the PIC. She worked as an Instructional Coach-which is the same as an academic dean-and assisted teachers with their instructional process and lessons. She moved up to the Central Office, where she continued the same job for five years, before she joined us at PHS. She has been working on our campus for 10 years, and 20 years overall at PISD.

Mrs. Downs stated that her favorite part of working at PHS was being around so many people, and seeing how everything is changing everyday, adding that she was remorseful that she couldn’t see the change happening faster and being able to see the end result quicker.

Our campus would not be the same without Mrs. Downs working behind the scenes to make sure we have the best education possible. Thank you Mrs. Downs!

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: Aaliyah Herrera 

Need some advice on how to be more environmentally conscious? I have some advice for you! 

• How can I be more environmentally conscious?

Think twice about the things you do to the environment before you cause harm not only to yourself but to others such as animal life and the plant life. Be more aware of what you throw out the window of your car and the trash you leave behind outside when you go out. 

• What are certain things you can do to help your environment?

You can go out with family and friends and go out on the side of the road and pick up trash and other items that were left there. You could also encourage people not to throw trash out in your community environment. Some other specific things you could do to help is sign up for a help your community group and go help your environment little by little. 

• Is joining a help the environment group good for your community and environment?

Yes I positively believe that it is good to join a help the environment group for your community. It is always good to be helpful for your community for the sake of your environment that we humans live in. 

• Why should we be more environmentally conscious?

You should be more environmentally conscious because you would be doing a big favor for the health and well being of the world around us, you would be a positive role model for your community to get involved in helping to save the environment from toxic waste,trash,oil spills, etc. it is good to want to be a positive role model for your community than not at all.