|
|
Photograph by Capreese Lisac
|
|
By Kinley Watada Every year during football season The Pueblo County Hornets participate in The Pigskin Classic. The Pigskin game is the rivalry game between PCHS and Pueblo West High School. The Thunderbowl Stadium at Colorado State University-Pueblo hosted the game at 7 p.m. on August 30, 2024. The incoming Parkview helicopter landed in the stadium to deliver the game ball, Two helicopter pilots that work for Parkview emerged from the helicopter with the football for the game. and things went wild from there and throughout the night. . The County Rowdy student crowd went with the western theme. The fans roared while they were all decked out in cowboy boots, hats and flannels. This year at the 24th annual pigskin, PCHS won the Friday Night Blitz Spirit award at the Pigskin game.
“I've been a part of every Pigskin as a player, coach or ball boy, except for the one in 2018. I love the atmosphere of the game. Playing in front of 10,000 plus fans is something not many people get to do so it's fun for everyone involved.” said Coach Ramon Enriquez. The game ended with a score of 41-0, the winner being Pueblo West. “You are only in high school once, you should be doing high school things, you have the rest of your lives to work. Take advantage of the opportunity to play in front of 10k+ fans.” stated Coach Enriquez. The Pigskin Classic is a traditional expectation, and an enjoyable experience to look back upon. The spirit week and other activities that lead up to the Pigskin are always something to look forward to. By Imajin Woodson
When you watch a play what is the first thing that comes to mind when you see flashing lights, props, the background, and even the actor's clothes? The audience often overlooks these things. Do you ever wonder who constructed the outfits, or moved the lights? The technical theater crew at Pueblo County High School works hard to enhance your experience during plays, or band concerts. Senior Willow Stephenson said, “Technical theater members rarely interact with the audience, we serve behind the scenes. Our job is to immerse the audience in the show without them ever knowing.” “People who love theater will love this club. I was drawn to costuming because of my interest in historical fashion. Honestly, anyone with creative interests would fit in well,” adds Stephenson. Now that you know about the mysteries of plays, will you start to think more about the technical theater crew? Maybe you even got a spark of interest in joining the club! By Colt Antle
On Sept. 19, 2024, the Pueblo County High School advanced drama club held an improv murder mystery dinner fundraiser in the commons area. There guests were served a meal of pepperoni dip sticks while the cast performed an improvised story both for and with the audience. The narrative in question was a tale about a middle school science fair where the science teacher accidentally inhaled some chemicals from one of the nearby experiments and died because of it. Though it was later revealed that she just ended up passing out from the chemicals, not dying. One cast member Jackson Dilka, junior, had this to say about the event, “It was a lot of fun, although a bit nerve racking because a big portion of the show was coming up with something on the fly to try and make people laugh.” Dilka has a bit of history with the drama club, having done the spring musical just a year prior and with plans to audition for the upcoming fall play, “Peter and the Star Catcher”. “I was super excited going in. I've been an audience member for the murder mystery before and it was a blast, so I knew being one of the actors and getting to engage with the audience would be a treat.” I aksed, “Is this something you could see yourself doing again?” “One hundred percent yes. Getting to perform in front of a big audience with my friends was an incredibly fun experience and I would definitely recommend joining the advanced drama class to anyone who wants to try it.” said Dilka. The annual murder mystery fundraiser is something that is looked forward to by everyone in attendance. It is an experience that every cast member, both new and old, cherishes and views as a valuable experience. This is a view that Dilka shares as well, “I think we all did an amazing job. PCHS has by far the best drama program in all of Pueblo and that is in large part thanks to our amazing actors.” By, Aliyah Alzubaidi
Are you a student who gets good grades? Do you like leadership roles? Then the Pueblo County High Honor Society might be for you. Sponsor, Mrs. Anna Rottinghouse, oversees the students activities and responsibilities. In the bi-weekly club meetings, located in the auxiliary gym, students go over events and can sign up for their required hours and events then. WIllow Stephenson, senior, an active member of NHS said, “This club at its core is about serving the community, and supporting those who are in need.” Not only is the NHS good for just helping the community, but it's also great for your college applications. It shows you have great character. Colt Antle, junior said, “At first I really wasn’t a fan of it. It was hard to step outside of my comfort zone and do things I wasn’t used to. However, after some time I really learned to enjoy the program, especially helping out the community and school.” By Laura Segura and Colt Antle The Internet is one of the most important things to have in a school to have a positive learning experience. When it comes to daily warm up assignments, everyday computer assignments, and tests like NWEA, SAT it's very important to have a good connection with the internet. Recently Pueblo County High School's internet has been irregular, with computers crashing daily, teachers changing lesson plans, and work becoming late. It causes lots of stress on our faculty, teachers and students. In the Pueblo County area, signals can be hard to reach due to being far out. Freshman Leann Troutt quotes that “It’s a disturbance when I am very focused on my work and an internet issue comes up, making me lose track.” Given how most school districts depend so heavily on technology, to the point where most if not all classes students take are solely revolving around technology, most would assume said technology or programs in use would be more reliable. Programs such as NWEA and College Board have been failing, leaving students stuck in a monotonous loop of loading, refreshing, restarting, signing in, repeat. While some students have been successful with College Board, others have had to go out of their way to communicate with them and alert them of the issue which really shouldn’t be there to begin with. Communication is another problem with accessing the internet. Sometimes IT support systems, and customer service won’t respond to student's or teacher’s complaints, or they just take a long time to get to them Just recently Judy Fodor, teacher of AP English, Journalism and Yearbook, tried administering a NWEA test to her AP English classes, but had a mountain of trouble to deal with. Most of her students could only manage to get up to question to the first couple of questions, thanks to how the program had been working and how the internet has been running. “It feels like I am losing critical instructional time with students. It doesn't matter which app or platform we use, there are always several who ‘ ‘can't get on’ and it is frustrating for the student as well - especially when you apply the term ‘test’ to it. I'm sure that causes the students anxiety. It does for me,” said Fodor. This is all especially irritating given the genuine benefits that online work can offer to students. For example, if a student were to fall ill they have access to most of what they missed on their devices. When asked if she finds there to be any benefits to having most of school be online Fodor commented,“Yes, there are many benefits. Students need to learn to use technology responsibly and as an educational tool while at school. Our district provides a great service to our students. For every student to have access to the internet is an awesome concept. Limit cell phone usage in the classroom for starters. Almost every student has a cell phone with several apps open all day long, and on their computers while on their phones. It is a lot to expect any school staff member to monitor every individual student's account while at school. They are supposed to be working on assignments, but they are watching videos, and playing games, and chatting with friends, and listening to Spotify. etc. That might be why we can't ‘get on’ the internet.” Having an irregular connection, with teachers being frustrated with no connection, students assignments becoming late and everything in overall being a huge mess, it is clear connection is a must have in our school. Fodor encapsulates the struggles and rewards of the dependence PCHS has on favorable connection, “I enjoy online discussion and writing tools, but there is always the plagiarism issue with some. It is too easy to cheat, and it is really easy to spot.” Overall, the internet is a huge need in our school to pursue our education and how teachers conduct their classrooms. By: Imajin Woodson
When you watch a play what is the first thing that comes to mind when you see flashing lights, props, the background, and even the actor's clothes? The audience often overlooks these things. Do you ever wonder who constructed the outfits, or moved the lights? The technical theater crew at Pueblo County High School works hard to enhance your experience during plays, or band concerts. Senior Willow Stephenson said, “Technical theater members rarely interact with the audience, we serve behind the scenes. Our job is to immerse the audience in the show without them ever knowing.” “People who love theater will love this club. I was drawn to costuming because of my interest in historical fashion. Honestly, anyone with creative interests would fit in well,” adds Stephenson. Now that you know about the mysteries of plays, will you start to think more about the technical theater crew? Maybe you even got a spark of interest in joining the club! By Colt Antle and Madilynn Wilcox
Esports (electronic sports) is an after school program where students of all grade levels compete against each other and work together playing America’s favorite pastime, video games. There are two seasons overall, one starting up in fall and another taking place in the spring, the fall season is gearing up to start soon. The games available usually range from numerous different genres and play styles, with new games being added every year. Games such as “Smash Bros Ultimate”, multiplayer team games like “Overwatch 2” and “Rocket League”, to fps (first person shooters) games like “Rainbow 6 siege”, the latter of which Pueblo County won the championship last year. Some of the games offered last year round or only last for one season. Depending on the game in question students can play in the school (usually in the library/media center) or can play from their house given their internet connection is suitable and stable enough. The head honcho and coach of the program is Mr. Henry Grossen who’s been running the program ever since it started in 2022. “Coaching esports and starting a new program at PCHS has been an awesome experience. It is so rewarding to see students grow in their skill level, compete against other teams in the state, and become part of a team.” said Grossen, “Getting good at a competitive video game does not just look like practicing at home. It actually takes a lot of research to learn the stages and maps, learn the characters, learn the stats of each piece of equipment, practicing combos, etc. To become a truly competitive player takes work.” It’s thanks to coaches like Grossen and the games played that leaves a positive lasting impression on whoever joins or watches. A feeling of comradery or support for your fellow friends and teammates which has left those who have joined the program to return year after year. One such member is Gavin Cosato, he said, “The thing I enjoy most about esports is having the ability to play games with my best friends. I'm excited to get another chance at making it to the state championship. I am most nervous about being able to perform for the team. The best advice I could give is just to not get mad easily and keep your cool… ” With every new season comes a new year of fun and excitement by all who play, but Grossen puts it best. “ I'm looking forward to getting into the groove of practices / Game Days. It can be quite an adjustment- it is time consuming setting everything up but once the gears are turning it is a lot of fun.” By Brynnley Prijatel
Did you know the Air Force Association created a club? StellarXplorers is an organization designed with space in mind. Participating teams work together during contests to solve different problems and scenarios created by the staff. According to StellarXplorers website, the program was created in 2014 and still flourishes today. The club spends up to six hours on Fridays practicing. Dallas Musso, senior, explained, “My greatest experience was probably with the people in the club, we all had a different thought process, so we all had to consider each other's opinions in a timely manner.” The objective is to see who can collect the most data promptly while following the constraints of the competition ahead. The Pueblo County High School StellarXplorers team has attended national tournaments in previous years. A day at nationals is filled with excitement and creativity. Axel Enochson, senior, stated, “My greatest experience was from two years ago, in which our team scored incredibly well on a practice round. While we did not score as well on the qualifying round, the coordination and collective understanding that we experienced during the round influenced our ability to work as a team and my ability to cooperate with others in a workplace setting.” When competing, teams must remember their budget and the purpose of their space mission. The different teams are judged on various criteria, including; creativity, practicality, and presentation. After all the hard work is over awards are given after competitions, and you can also apply for, and perhaps, receive scholarships. By Addison Scott
Showcasing the team that wins by words is an insight of speech and debate. Speech and Debate meet on Monday after school from 3:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.in the drama room. Coach Kennedy Pugh emphasizes collaborations to express ideas, display acting skills, and perform monologues. Senior Willow Stephenson said, “I feel really supported by the team and they have helped me a great deal over the years.” Proving that being a member comes with the opportunity of making unforgettable memories. Whether being interested in this extracurricular for improvisation of critical thinking skills or just as an after school activity. There is a place for everyone with various events to choose from. Pugh goes over the school congress picking a topic to go in favor of or opposing the matter. Meanwhile, the group of speech emphasizes rehearsing pieces to the team. The team works together to refine these actions to perfection. Offering a beginning as to what will be performed at tournaments later on within the year in specialized locations too. Stephenson said, “My favorite part of being in speech and debate is the community.” And, not to mention the positive effect of looking great on college applications. Since it helps to prepare students for coming of age in the real world and even voting topics. According to the Golden State Academy, “Members with state or national awards have up to 30% higher chance of acceptance to private universities.” |