The Eagle Republic

Volume I, Issue 2 February 2015

THE EAGLE
REPUBLIC
STAFF
JENNIFER BALENTINE

Officer Galloway: Hero in our Halls

BY: KYLIE GRAF

CHLOE BRYANT
HARPER BRYMER
ARIN CANTU
BETHANY CURRER
CHRISTIAN DOUGLAS
NIKOLAS ESCALERA
GAVIN GARCIA
KYLIE GRAF
JACQUELYNN GRIEGO
LESLIE MARTINEZ
MADISON MCDONALD
FELICIA PATEL
NAOMI PEREZ
CLAIRE ROANE
MATTHEW WHITE

Officer Galloway is someone

we are used to seeing in the
halls, but do we really know
everything about him?
Officer Galloway was in the
military for six years. He was
in the Navy then the Army.
He was stationed in Virginia,
North Carolina, California,
and Hawaii. He was one of the
many heroes who helped assist
with search and rescue operations after the devastating and
destructive tropical cyclone
known as Hurricane Katrina.
Officer Galloway states that,
We basically just went in looking for bodies. Whether they
be the bodies from graves, or
the actual persons on rooftops
struggling to survive, trying to

swim back in to shore. When

the currents went back out to
sea, they took a lot of people
with them. Families wanted
closure. So we did what we
had to do to help them find it,
meaning we searched for days.
Officer Galloway says that
the military really impacted his
life by teaching him teamwork, brotherhood, camaraderie, and most of all trust. The
military changed my life; if I
hadnt been in the military, Id
be dead or in jail right now. I
truly believe that because I was
heading down that path The
military showed me that I had
other options other than drugs
and the life of crime.
When he finished serving
our country in the military, he
became a police officer in 2012.
When asked about how it feels
to work in a school as a police

officer he states that, the students have taught me patience,

being a police officer on the
street and being a police officer
at a school is totally different. Ive had to learn to watch
what I say and how I say it
children also dont respond the
same way, each child is different. They come with different
situations at home, at school
with friends, bullies, break ups
and every child teaches me
something new every day at
this school district.
Officer Galloways son, Hunter, was diagnosed last year
at Christmas time with stage
three cancer, and he admits,
The first thing I did was break
down crying for days actually Hunter has taught me
perseverance, hes tougher than
I was when I was going through
my treatment. He is my bless-

ing, whenever I think I just

cant take it anymore whether it
be a long day at work or whatever the case may be, I go home
and he is that light at the end
of my tunnel. He is my reason
for coming to work everyday
and doing the best that I can
I dont think I will ever be
Hunters hero as much as he
is my hero, because with him
going through this and taking
it so well, he is my inspiration
on the daily. He is my everyday
inspiration for getting up and
doing what I do.
Officer Galloway has has
faced many ups and downs
throughout his life, but it is
heroes like him that keep us
safe and should inspire us to
do our best!

MICHELLE YANEZ
JOHNNY ZAMORA

ICE SPONSOR
VALERIE HUTH

ADMINISTRATION
DR. MATTHEW MANN,

Shadows Left Behind: The facts and

consequences of Bullying
BY: CLAIRE ROANE

INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT
JENNIFER GARCIA,
PRINCIPAL
DANIEL OWEN
VICE PRINCIPAL
STEPHANIE SEELK
COUNSELOR
GILDA RANGEL
ACADEMIC LEAD

LAYOUT/PUBLISHER
PLEASANTON EXPRESS
SUE BROWN

No one likes to speak of the

dark predator that lurks in the
shadows that is bullying.
This is a serious problem.
You all know what Im talking
about; Can you ever remember
a time where you saw someone
being picked on, yet you did
nothing to help? Well, youre
definitely not alone, many of
us have been there. Over 25% of
teenagers have been bullied repeatedly. Sometimes we dont
even recognize it is bullying.
Teasing is considered bullying
if the attention is unwanted,
and the bully has been told
multiple times to stop. Alot
of times we think the person

is completely fine with whatever is going on, but thats not

always the case.
I think we sometimes forget
that certain things hurt other
people. We think if I was in
that situation we would just
laugh and play along. Contrary to what we may think,
some people are sensitive, and
do not think the prodding is
funny.
Technology is progressing
very quickly and is now becoming a problem. Now a days
technology has become intertwined with our society, so
much so that 80% of teens use
cell phones regularly, states the
online campaign, Stop Bullying. This sets up the perfect
way for people to anonymously

bully others. Even though cyberbullying is not considered

a form of bullying by some, it
is still a major problem. Cyber
bullying does not arouse much
attention, though it is a major
form of bullying. Over 20%
of teens get bullied this way
regularly.
According to stopbullying.
gov, kids who are bullied are
at higher risk for depression
and anxiety. It is also linked to
a decreased academic performance.
I know it must be a hard
job, and we kids are a handful,
but, parents need to watch out
for what their kids are doing,
and who they hang out with.
Although, its not just parents
job, its kids responsibil-

ity as well. Kids need to watch

out for themselves. They need
to make sure they are keeping good company, and see
to it that they dont get into
risky situations. There are a
lot of parents out there who
do not check or talk to their
kids about their phone use.
Most bullying is done outside
of school, like on playgrounds,
parks, popular hangouts, and
of course online.
Teenagers are all amazing,
and you are so much more
than the people who hurt
you. You can do and be whatever you want. Dont let other
people decide who you are and
what you can become.

PAGE 2 THE EAGLE REPUBLIC Pleasanton Junior High, Vol. 1, Issue 2

FEBRUARY 2015

Different is Beautiful
BY: MADISON MCDONALD

Boiled down to its simplicity, self esteem simply means

appreciating yourself for who
you are - faults, imperfections,
and all. At a certain age, teens
start to gain low self-esteem,
not only because they compare themselves to others, but

because of the cruel words this

generation uses. Being a girl in
todays society is harder than
ever. I understand the weapons
of words that society throws
at us.
According to a self-esteem
campaign DoSomething, 75% of
girls and 40% of guys with low
self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities such
as cutting, bullying, smoking,

drinking, eating disorders,

etc. If you are one of the many
girls/boys going through
any of the effects previously
mentioned, it is time to make
a change. Building self-confidence is not an easy fix but is
possible.
First, make sure you are
hanging out with the right
people. What they say can and
will affect you in many ways

whether you realize it or not.

To build self-confidence and
overcome low-self esteem is to
change how you feel emotionally about yourself. According
to pathwaytohappiness.com, to
change your emotion requires
changing two different core
beliefs about self image; first,
stop thinking you arent good
enough because you are amazing. Second, change the image

of success that we feel we

should be. Just because someone is smarter than you or may
have more money etc., doesnt
make them any better than
you. You are just as important
as the person next to you. Stop
comparing yourself to others
and be proud of who YOU are.

Learning from Mistakes in History

BY: MATTHEW WHITE

A smart man makes a mistake, learns from it, and never

makes that mistake again. But
a wise man finds a smart man
and learns from him how to
avoid the mistake altogether.
-Roy H. Williams. History is
important in life. It can change

the worlds technology and

what you do in your spare time.
It even changes what you wear
or what you believe in. In history class, you may talk about
the Holocaust or how the Soviet
Union fell apart which may be
important later. You can always learn from your mistakes
or be truly wise and learn from
others mistakes and make sure

they dont happen again.

The European Union has supported the right to be forgotten. This means that anything
about you on the internet thats
searchable is deleted. This
makes learning from mistakes
difficult. It can make someone
who made a horrible mistake
happen the next day and no
one knows about and it can

DONATING TO BLUE SANTA

happen the very next day. This

is a catastrophe waiting to happen at any moment. we should
be able to learn about how mistakes happened and learn never
let them happen again.
History can be important
even if you make a mistake.
Just like the saying, One
mans junk is another mans
treasure. In the same aspect,

BY: HARPER BRYMER

The wonderful Mrs.Ellis,

our librarian, put out pairs
of fiction and nonfiction
books that are on the same
topic. One of the pairs Mrs.
Ellis chose was The Lovely
Bones for the fiction story
and for the nonfiction she
picked the Memoir -My
Story-Elizabeth Smart .
Both of these stories are
about young girls getting
kidnapped for a period of
time and their struggles
to survive. The next pair
for nonfiction is Bomb by
Steve Sheinkin. For fiction
she picked Annexed by
Sharon Dogar. Both stories
take place in World War
Two. Annexed is the retelling of Anne Frank by the
character Pete. Bomb is
about the making of the
atomic bomb. These books
that Mrs.Ellis picked are
wonderful. They show
that the worlds of reality
and fiction are not too far
apart from each other.

your mistake is another mans

fortune. If you ever find yourself in history class bored with
nothing to do, just remember,
its important. History class
might not be enjoyable now, but
later it can mean the difference
between life and death.

Book Pairs ... oh

Extraordinaire

FEBRUARY 2015

Pleasanton Junior High, Vol. 1, Issue 2 THE EAGLE REPUBLIC PAGE 3

ACADEMICS
Art

Science in Action
BY: BETHANY CURRER

This quarter, eighth grade Science was mainly focused on

studying the tectonic plates . 8th graders also made a Christmas
ornament out of crystals in their labs for Christmas. The 7th
graders were mainly focused on body systems, and they made
posters of the body system that you can see in the seventh graders grade hallway. The seventh will soon begin the process of
dissecting sheep organs in the lab.

Leading The Herd

BY: NIKO ESCALERA

BY: JENNIFER BALENTINE

The art class has been

working on their portraits
of the other students in the
class. The skill that they have
been working on is called
blind contour. It is a skill
where you are not supposed
to look at your paper and,in
their case, they have to draw
their partners.
In the month of December, these art students made
self-portraits using their
knowledge on of their facial
features. They did this while
using mirrors and pictures of
themselves.
The kids final project,
as artists, was to make the
best painting that they can
make to the best of their
ability. They have done good
in their studies and in their
art projects. We might just be
in the presence of the future
Picassos.

Agriculture has been

extremely busy with all the
leadership competitions and
events. On November 17, 2014,
FFA competited at District. The
teams that placed at District
were: 2nd Farm Skills, 3rd
Chapter Conducting, 4th FFA
Quiz, and 2nd Creed. Out of
these teams Farm Skills and
Creed advanced to Area. Area
competition took place on November 24, 2014 in Kingsville,
TX. The results were: 6th Creed,
and 12th Farm Skills. They all

Peace
and
Harmony
BY: LESLIE MARTINEZ

The choir train is going at it

once again folks. Mrs.Vaughn
and her students conquered the
stage with a FABULOUS choir
performance this December.
Mrs. Vaughn states that she,
Is very proud of her amazing
students and cant wait for the
next concert in May 19th. I personally asked all the students
who will be staying for the next
semester how the experience
was, and they proudly said they
cant wait for the upcoming
semester.

Band
BY: ARIN CANTU AND JOHN ZAMORA

The concert on December 9th

was a success. The three bands
played wonderful.
Both beginner and concert
bands had outstanding performances. They played several
Christmas classics that were
enjoyed by all. Symphonic
band did a stupendous job. I
was really proud of the performance, says Mr.Rodriguez.
The band had another amazing
performance at H.E.B on December 19, but only the concert and
symphonic band played. Here
are some important dates band
students need to know:
March 6-U.I.L Edgewood
Academy.
May 12-Spring concert

tried their very best, and we are

all very proud of them.
Ag teachers have been busy
preparing for stock show. Mrs.
Jenschke has been busy picking up turkeys and chickens
for students to show. This year,
Pleasanton has over one hundred pigs on feed, and cattle
exhibitors have been preparing
their projects for show since
June. In addition, rabbits were
validated in December.
They urge people in the community to come out to the show
to watch and support our youth
in the show.

Math
BY: HARPER BRYMER

The intriguing thing we

call Math that is being taught
at our school, is an important
subject. Even though some
people dislike Math, it is a
necessity to our lives and
modern culture. If we didnt
have Math we might as well
still be in the stone ages.
Weve been learning Math
all through school. This year
though we will be finishing
personal financial literacy,
and writing equations. These
are just a few of the things
our bright students willbe
learning.

PAGE 4 THE EAGLE REPUBLIC Pleasanton Junior High, Vol. 1, Issue 2

FEBRUARY 2015

SPORTS
Lady Eagles Soar For A Win
BY: CHLOE BRYANT

Pleasanton girls basketball has had a rough start this year, but
the girls have been standing strong and are eager to win. Their good
sportsmanship comes straight from their coaches. While theyre
teaching them plays and helping them get better, they are still making them practice a good dose of sportsmanship everyday. Although
they havent won every game, the girls are still striving on and off
the court .

Touchdowns and Fumbles,

All a Part of Life
BY: JOHN ZAMORA

Sports and life arent about

losing. Its about understanding how to lose, pick yourself
up, wipe off that interception,
and throw a touchdown next
series. Life is going to throw
you curveballs. Yes, some will
get you and make you miss,
but you cant get down and
throw a tantrum. All you have
to do is get out of the box,
take a deep breath, wipe your
hands in the dirt, and try
again. Sports teach us how to
deal with these tough moments.

Life lessons arent the only

thing sports teaches us or
does for us. Sports also brings
people together. For example,
my familys favorite sport
to watch is football. We put
everything aside and support
our favorite team, the Dallas
Cowboys. The team brings us
together because they give
a sense of bragging rights if
they win. Leonel Mazano is a
former UT and Olympic track
star. While growing up in
Granite Shoals, TX, he attended Marble Falls High School, a
small town about half the size
of Pleasanton, but that didnt

stop him from dreaming big.

If your town is small that
doesnt mean your dreams
have to be. Heck, it doesnt
matter about your town. All
that matters is you, and what
youre going to do to accomplish your goals. You can do
anything that you set your
mind too. Thats what sports
and life have most in common;
the sky isnt too high and the
river isnt too wide when your
mind is set at something. If
you can believe in it, you can
accomplish it.

Kicking in the
Soccer Season
BY: GAVIN GARCIA

The seventh grade boys

soccer had way more recruits
than any other seventh or
eighth grade boys teams in
the past. Every morning, the
seventh graders were outside practicing and working
hard. The eighth grade boys
were sweating through the
scorching sun everyday after

school. They practiced hard

and got better every practice.
Although the eighth graders
lost every game of the season,
they got a real taste of whats
going on in high school soccer. The seventh grade boys
had a better season than the
boys last year. Next year, the
eighth graders will be better
than ever.

8th Grade Basketball

BY: NIKO ESCALERA

The 8th grade boys basketball teams started out the

season with the hopes of having a good start. They started
out their season with a loss to
the Carrizo Springs Wild Cats
.They have a starting record
of 0-2. Both A team and the
B team have been working
their hardest to get out of this
mess. And on November 24
the 8th grade boys came out
with a win against the Jourdanton Indians making their
record 1-2.
December 1, was one of the
most important games of the
season against the Poteet Aggies. Our Eagles came out with

a win which made their record

for the season 2-2.
December 15th the basketball boys were sure ready for
that game. They went all the
way to Pearsall and beat the
Pearsall Dogies with a score
of 47-35. The boys were very
happy about this game knowing that they would go into
the Christmas holidays with a
win.
January 8th was a good
game for the B team with a
win against the Crystal City
Mustangs. The ending score
for them was 21-19, a very
close game. The A team didnt
have as good as a game as the
B team with a loss of 25-33.

FEBRUARY 2015

Pleasanton Junior High, Vol. 1, Issue 1 THE EAGLE REPUBLIC PAGE 5

Females Rise up in
STEM Careers

New Meaning to an Old

Phrase
BY: VALERIE HUTH AND MICHELLE YANEZ

Just say No! We have

been taught this phrase
since we first stepped
into a public education
building. Yet, somewhere
along the line, this phrase
became clich, a reminder to stay away from
drugs. In actuality, this
phrase in todays society
is not enough. Our students are influenced in
every direction and they
need these three words
to make sense; they need
these words to resonate
somewhere deeper than
just their ears.
We all know someone
who has tried drugs,
and we all might know
someone whose life was
turned upside down from
drug use. It is not easy to
admit to an addiction, but
right here on our campus,

we have a strong student

who felt the need to tell
his story in hopes to sway
students to just say no!
Jesse Jenkins, an 8th
grader at Pleasanton
Junior High, said he was
12 when he first started
doing drugs. When asked
what it felt like to be addicted to drugs, he simply
stated, At the time I
wasnt thinking about
how I felt, I just wanted
more of the pills. Jesse
felt he needed to have the
drugs to escape his problems, but unfortunately
this lifestyle led him
straight to the hospital.
While he is well on his
way to recovery, Jesse
said that he has many
days when his mind goes
back to what it felt like to
be high on drugs. Teenagers are faced with peer
pressure that weighs

heavy, but it is important

to know that you dont
have to carry that burden
alone. Teachers, friends,
parents, counselors are
here to grab hold of that
weight and help you carry
yourself to your own
individual success.
The outcome of drugs
is never pretty and it
hurts all those you love.
Jesse plainly stated, Just
dont do it. This is such
simple advice from someone who took a wrong
turn, but who is on the
straight path now. Find
new meaning and truth in
those words that we were
all told from the time we
were five. Make just say
no! your new mantra
when you are weighed
down by the pressures of
society. You will find you
are a healthier and happier person when you do.

BY: KATE MCNEILL

The roots of education are bitter,

but the fruit is sweet. Aristotle was
on to something when he said these
wise words. This quote simply means
that the beginning of learning might
be tedious, but in the end, the hard
work pays off. The same is for females
in the science, technology, engineering
and math workforce. Everyone has to
work hard to accomplish something; it
is not just handed to you.

The female population should
be proud of the growing numbers in
the STEM field. According to the Economics and Statistics Administration,
Math skills are considered essential
to success in STEM fields. Historically,
boys have outperformed girls in math,
but in the past few decades the gender
gap has narrowed, and today girls are
doing as well as boys in math on average. This didnt just happen instinctively, or on its own.

To encourage women into the

STEM industry, the universities had
to change their plan of action. With
mainly men faculty at colleges, it attracts more men. If the universities
were to hire more female faculty, they
will be able to attract more female
students. In the past, there has been
a barrier between girls and the STEM
industry that was created by the
mindset in which girls acquire. Your
environment also affects the way that
you perform. Studies show that girls
scores rise when they are in a supported environment and outperform those
in negative circumstances.
There is a science behind the expansion of the female population in the
STEM industry, and it shows that you
can accomplish anything that you
set your mind to. Never stop doing
something just because youre not
the ordinary description. Do just like
Winston Churchill says: Never, never,
never give up.

Better Choices, Better Food Families Feel the Boom

BY: CHLOE BRYANT

BY: JACKY GRIEGO

The cafeteria is cooking up what

kids love. The school lunch menu
recently changed because the lunch
ladies wanted to do something different that would be better for us. The
school district had a big role to play in
changing the menu for better serve of
the students. The ladies also got chefs
that make the food themselves and is
served fresh, instead of the food just
being heated up.
All this was done in order to have
better options for us. Many junior high
students love the new snacks they
brought out to us and the new food

thats being served. The most popular

out of all the snacks available are the
slushies. The students also say that the
lunch has gotten better in many ways.
For example, there are now different
foods to choose from. Theres not just
milk to choose from, theres water,
chips, Snapples of different kinds,
Rice Krispies and many more yummy
things you can get for just one dollar.
With this change in the menu,
there are more kids actually eating.
Before any of this happened, there were
many students complaining about the
food and many were not eating, but
now students are enjoying the food.

Our small town has changed in so

many ways, but mostly by the oil field
jobs in the area. Everyone in the area is
affected by the oil industry, but not as
much as the kids with parents employed in the industry.
Being a kid of a oil field parent is
really a struggle. My dad misses birthdays and sports activities even some
holidays to work. Thad Bryant, my dad,
stated, Its hard being gone for a long
period of time, but its good money to
support my family and show them how
much they mean to me. My mother
stays at home and my dad helps out as

much as he can when hes not at work.

8th grader, Aaron Perez, feels the
same way, It affects my mom the
most because she had to drive around
everywhere. He also felt that, It didnt
feel the same spending time with his
family without his dad.
Daniel Valdez, 7th grader, has a different opinion on the subject. Daniel
stated that, My mom takes me everywhere I need to go and my sister helps
out too. In other words, not every family in the world has the same struggles,
but we all have hard working parents
that should be appreciated.

STEAM: A Monumental Learning

Experience
BY: FELICIA PATEL

The STEAM students

have been researching
various monuments
from the past. They have
been researching the
monuments symbolism and they used the
information they get as
a platform. Using their

platforms, they created

3-D models of any Noble
Prize winner having to
do with science, technology, engineering, art,
or math on a computer
program, 3D-TIN.
They are currently
making survival packs,
depending on different
scenarios. For example,

STEAM student, Mackenzie Pilgrim, explains that

she chose to create her
pack based on if the sun
were to disappear. In her
groups survival pack,
you will find: flashlights,
blankets, an oxygen tank,
some food and water,
matches, a map, and a
compass.

PAGE 6 THE EAGLE REPUBLIC Pleasanton Junior High, Vol. 1, Issue 2

Social Media Etiquette

BY: LESLIE MARTINEZ

Facebook, Instagram, twitter, and

tumblr, All the social medias you can
get and many more. Some may say that
it may do no harm, yet others say it can
be a BAD thing. Like twitter for example, you can tweet hurtful things to
someone but not realizing youre hurting the persons feeling on the other
side. Here are some top 4 rules you can
apply to yourself to stay safe on social
media:
#1 Before you post THINK! you may
be hurting other persons feeling.

#2 Compliment each other. You can

be nice to one another by saying: Hey, I
like your account or Thats cool
#3 DONT give out personal information. You would probably think the
person you follow may be a regular
boy/girl your age, but it may be a weird
old person stalking you so you should
be very careful.
#4 Please be mature and look up
things that are appropriate. The government has a record of what you look
up and download, so think before you
search!

FEBRUARY 2015

Another Step In History

BY MICHELLE YANEZ

George Washington
was a Commander - in
- Chief of the Continental Army during the
Revolutionary War. He
lead his soldiers the
way a football coach
would lead his players.
Both Commanders and
coaches have to train
and prep their men to
win the battle.
In 8th grade History,
students are learning
about George Washington and his cabinet.

George Washingtons
cabinet included Thomas Jefferson, Alexander
Hamilton, Henry Knox,
and Edmund Randolph.
Like a football coach,
George needed all his
men in order to have a
success.
In 7th grade History,
students were learning
about the colonization of
Texas, which started in
1820. The colonization
was important to Texas
because its what started
Texas. Stephen F. Austin
is the one who is most

important. Students are

learning about the Texas
Revolution that started
with the battle of Gonzales in 1835. It ended with
the battle of San Jacinto
in 1836.
If you like the freedom you have, thank
a man named George
Washington. If you
like the bluebonnets
that grow grow on the
countryside, thank a
man named Stephen F.
Austin.

Then and Now

BY: CHRISTIAN DOUGLAS

Zip up your fur coats

and grab your boom
box because were
taking a flashback to
the 70s and 80s to see
how much things have
changed over the last
40 years.

Fashion

Selfie: Picture Perfect

BY: ILIANA GONZALEZ

In 2013, the word selfie became

viral! Everyone was using it before they
snapped a picture of their perfect smile.
Its used to describe a picture that you
take of yourself, which we started to
do more often. People, especially teens
our age, seem to judge themselves and
everyone around them based upon one
of the perfect models on the cover of a
magazine. And I have realized that when
people take a picture of themselves,
it builds onto their self-esteem. When
people are in control of the camera, they
realize just how beautiful they are. I
consider this to be a good thing, because
sadly this generation is filled with little
misinterpreted minds.
So, I went around the school to get
some of the other students input on the
situation to test my theory. 7th grader,
Hannah Spears, couldnt stop smiling
as she admitted her addiction to taking selfies, My parents laugh at me,
she said. I also asked how taking selfies
made her feel and she simply replied,
I like taking them outside because the

lightings better and I feel more confident. This answer was exactly what I
was looking for;The breakthrough to
finding out if selfies are good or bad for
our generation. I continued my quest,
and stopped to interview 8th grader,
Mariainez Arguijo, who was caught red
handed taking her own selfie. I asked
her about selfies and how she felt when
taking them,I feel Gucci, she replied I
take one like everyday.
Leslie Martinez also shared with me
some of her input on the situation, I
like the feeling of be glamorous, or how
theres a lot of people wholl comment
on a picture and make me feel better
about myself. Yes, some people do agree
that it is just a picture you post amongst
a social network like Instagram or
Facebook, but while interviewing a few
of the students in Pleasanton Jr. High I
have learned that taking a selfie is much
more than taking a picture. Its capturing your self confidence and sharing it
with the world to show people the beauty
in who you are.

This centurys high

tops and skinny jeans
are no match for the
funky fashion of the
80s. Aside from wearing sweat suites with
pearls, polo shirts and
jeans, as stated by Mrs.
Kusenberger, big fluffy
hair was the main centerpiece of any outfit. If
this were still the 80s
we would all be rocking mullets, wearing
parachute pants, and
dancing in our jelly

shoes.

Education
The next time youre
about to complain
when your teacher
brings up taking notes,
you should put yourself
in the shoes of students
in prior decades. We
are lucky to be born in
the 21st century with
access to technology
that makes learning
easier. Mrs. Leonhardt
remembers having no
computers, no copies,
and we had to copy off
the chalkboard.

Media
Believe it or not,
but teens actually
spent their time doing
things besides updating Facebook statuses

and liking pictures on

Instagram. Even though
there are many differences
in the present and
past generations, some
things are still going
strong . The big video
game craze of the 80s
is still hot. Pacman and
Mario Brothers are just
a few examples of timeless video games .The
70s also shine through
as Star Wars series
still remains a way of
life for some people.
While some things
will never change,
arent you glad that
we live in an evolving
world where possibilities are endless.
Just remember that it
is important o keep
values close and trends
even closer.

FEBRUARY 2015

Pleasanton Junior High, Vol. 1, Issue 1 THE EAGLE REPUBLIC PAGE 7

Drug Awareness/ Red Ribbon Week

BY: MATTHEW WHITE

Red Ribbon Week is all

about the awareness and
dangers of drugs. Using drugs once can mess
your life up even if you
haven`t done anything.
Just involvement with
drugs can get you in jail
and out of a career.
Red Ribbon Week
started because a DEA
agent , Agent Enrique

Kiki Camarena, was

kidnapped. He was then
murdered and in Mexico
,because of a drug bust.
He was honored across
the nation by everyone
wearing a red ribbon in
memory of him. This
spread awareness of how
drugs can affect your life.
You may not think its
bad now, but later it can
affect the rest of your life
by addiction or a perma-

nent mark on your record

as a drug abuser.
Drugs are the worst
things that mess up your
entire life. Dont put
yourself in situations
that can lead to drugs
even with your friends.
The best thing to do is
to stay away from it all
,say NO, and walk away.
Read more at http://redribbon.org.

SUPER HERO DAY

COLLEGE DAY

SUPER HERO DAY

CAMO DAY
GREEN DAY

SUPER HERO DAY

SUPER HERO DAY

CAMO DAY

CAMO DAY

PAGE 8 THE EAGLE REPUBLIC Pleasanton Junior High, Vol. 1, Issue 2

The World is
Your Stage
BY: FELICIA PATEL
The Advanced Theatre
class had many performances of A Modern
Day Christmas Carol on
the week of December 8,
2014. They had a community performance on
Wednesday, December 10,
2014 and they had a great
show. They also performed on Friday, December 12, 2014, for the 7th
and 8th grade classes.
Many students were
pleased with the performance, considering it did
get us into the Christmas
spirit. These names are
of the performers from
the play :

8th Grade:
Felicia J. Patel
Kathleen Valadez
Kaycie Shannon
Kyllie Avery
Aliyah Mares
Savanna Hensell
Celine Gonzales
Marshall Morris
Jerrylee Ramirez
Faith Bosquez
Elijah Savala
Adrian Sanchez
Madeleine Guajardo
7th Grade:
Javier Moreno
Isaac Garcia
Alex Cleesattel-Hicks
Eric Espinosa
Ashlynn Renner

Poetry Corner

The Flowing Life

BY: NAOMI N. PEREZ
When we think of lives, we think of heartbeats,
Breathing and thinking all sorts of things.
We only have one life, So cherish it.
For it is ours, Believe it.
Risks with random outcomes.
Outcomes of good and bad.
Who knows what could happen,
For we all know, we could be dead.
Weve all dealt with problems,
But theres always a solution.
Youre never alone,
So dont ever think so.
Each spirit holds each other, hand in hand,
Dead or alive, Its the aura deep inside.

School

BY: ILIANA GONZALES

School, to us,
Is 10 minutes of dragging ourselves out of bed in the
morning.
An hour of work in each subject that we describe as boring
A quick 35 minutes to refuel on energy and laughter
5 minutes of chatting in the hallways dreading the class
after
And a total of 8 educational hours that will be repeated
Thats 56 hours a week of work we completed
2,016 hours we spend together each year
Laughing, learning and occasionally shedding a tear
Let this be a reminder to help one another
Because we students, have grown up together
And even on our toughest days
There was always that one person
Who made it clear that they would stay.

FEBRUARY 2015

Clubs Galore interest students

BY: GENEVIE FABELA

I.C.E. students were each

assigned a club to become a
part of over the fall semester.
They were to report to their
assigned club to participate
and take pictures.
Origami is a japanese art
of folding paper and can be
difficult especially for those
who have a hard time following directions. Gavin Garcia
and Naomi Perez said, We
made cool stuff but at times it
was hard.
Broadcasting club is for
students interested in careers
that deal with news reporting
particularly those featured on
television and radio. Felicia
Patel said, we got to write
scripts with a topic that we
picked ourselves.
Chess club helps students
to strategize chess moves,
compete with their minds,
and troubleshoot in difficult
situations. Niko Escalera said,
It was a very good learning
experience for someone who
doesnt know who to play
chess.
Bible literacy club focuses
on the ways in which Christianity helped shape America.
Harper Brymer states, It
is very educational and it
refreshed my knowledge of
Jesus.
Other clubs, Kickball,
basketball, golf, were busy
getting students to be active
and take part in both team
and individual sports. Mostly,
Junior High students are having a good time and getting a
piece of learning that cant be
tested, but definitely enjoyed.