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CyberPatriot competition teaches students cyber-security skills

Posted on January 22, 2017 by pattersonpress405 Leave a comment

Image: Franklin County AFJROTC

By Faran Nadeem & Amadou Bah,

CyberPatriot is a program in which students are given images (operating systems) that have some errors in it and we are supposed to secure them. As we secure the image we gain points each time and if we make it unsecured we will lose points.

This is an after-school program at Patterson High School although in many other schools they have a separate class about it. Our team name is the Cybernauts. The first competition of this school year took place on November 11th, 2016 and the competition was about 6 hours long, including the lunch break.

Two more competitions were held over the next two months. The competition is online and that is great so we can participate from our own school.

Patterson’s SGA represents at citywide student government meeting

Posted on January 22, 2017 by pattersonpress405 Leave a comment

By Mikal McCoy,

Patterson’s Student Government Association (SGA) attended a city-wide SGA meeting at Vivien T. Thomas Medical Academy on Thursday, November 17th, 2016 at 3:30 PM.

The meeting was for all City Schools SGA bodies, to inform members about what is going on in the State and National SGA boards. Patterson’s SGA members John Dingzon (Secretary), Amadou Bah (Vice President), and Mikal McCoy (President), attended the meeting to represent Patterson’s SGA and to learn more about Student Government Association’s program. Other schools such as Digital Harbor High School, Carver High School and Booker T. Washington Middle School attended the meeting. During the meeting , speakers such as Kevin Davis, Commissioner of Baltimore City’s Police Department, spoke to students about what’s going on in the communities of Baltimore City.

Patterson SGA officers Amadou Bah (left) and John Dingzon (middle) pose with BCPD Commissioner Kevin Davis and an unidentified woman (Photo: Patterson Press)

Police Commissioner Davis spoke to students about being safe, steps they can take to improve their communities and how many districts are in the City of Baltimore. “I learned that there are at least 10 districts in Baltimore and community meetings that mostly people older than 55 attend”,said Amadou Bah. During the meeting, one of the focal points Commissioner Davis stressed was that young people don’t attend community meetings that are held to talk about the problems in the community. “These meetings are a chance for you to give your voice and opinion”, said Davis. Commissioner Davis also told the group that if they attended a community meeting before the end of the year, he personally would take them on a tour of Baltimore City Police Department Headquarters.

Attending community meetings is important. A community meeting is an opportunity where young and older people can come together to talk, and figure out solutions to the problems in their communities. Overall, the citywide SGA meeting was very informative and Patterson’s SGA officers came back with fresh ideas about how to increase their involvement in the community.

Ravens player plays chess with Baltimore students

Posted on January 22, 2017 by pattersonpress405 Leave a comment

A screenshot from the NFL ad (photo: Youtube.com )

By John Dingzon & Amadou Bah,

A special chess event took place at Roland Park Elementary/Middle School on October 10, 2016. An NFL guest, Ravens player John Urschel, came in and played with students from multiple schools, including Patterson, Dunbar, and two other schools.

The point of this event was to show that football players have hobbies besides football. It also gave the chess team a chance to meet a professional athlete. A TV commercial was filmed at the event; the NFL has spent over $40,000 for it to be prepared.

John Urschel is a master on the field…and on the chess board. He took on 50 of Baltimore’s youngest chess whizzes. It took between 4-5 hours to make a 30 second ad. Several Patterson students and Chess Club co-advisor Mr. Baron are featured in the ad.

To watch the ad, click on this link.

Donald Trump’s beginning

Posted on January 22, 2017 by pattersonpress405 Leave a comment

By Joselin Miranda,

In the month of November 2016, the United States elected a new president: Donald Trump. To many Americans, this was a very shocking election but to other Americans, it was the best. One thing that many Americans didn’t like was Donald Trump’s racial slurs. Many things he has said were about Mexicans, Muslims, African Americans/Blacks, disabled people, women and the LGBT community. Donald Trump’s slogan is ‘Make America Great Again’ which is supposedly what he is going to do, but is there a place for everyone in Trump’s America?

For me as a Latina in America, Donald Trump being elected as president is very hard to accept. Many things were said about Mexicans such as “When mexico sends its people they’re not sending their best. They’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems with them. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists…and some, I assume are good people”. For me being a girl in high school I am offended in so many ways. I may not be from Mexico but he’s basically talking about all Latinos. Here in Patterson High School we have a very diverse group of students, including Latinos, Asians, African American, Africans, Indians, and Muslims. In our Latino culture we are usually united together so we all take this as an offensive matter.

To the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) community he disrespected their identity of who they are and who they’re interested in. Donald Trump said, “I have so many fabulous friends who happen to be gay, but I am traditional”, which means he doesn’t approve of it. This means he didn’t gain the vote of their community because the President Obama had approved of gay marriage.

Donald Trump always talks about women and how they are useless and nothing to him. In many feminists’ opinion, he was not a president women wanted, unless you were a stupid women. He would say how he could do anything to a women if he wanted to.

Donald Trump wants to “make America great again” but he does not respect the majority of the American people. We will need to unite together to survive the next four years.

An anti-Trump poster made by student Angela Rivas-Benitez (Photo: Patterson Press)

Mindful Moment Interview and Update

Posted on January 22, 2017 by pattersonpress405 Leave a comment

Kirk Intlekofer is one of the Mindful Moment staff members at Patterson. (Photo: Patterson Press)

By Christian Pietrowski,

I interviewed four staff members that work for the Holistic Life Institute’s Mindful Moment program at Patterson High School and this is what they said.

Patterson Press: When did you start working for the Mindful Moment program?

Ross: I started 3 years ago.

Lloyd: This is actually my first year with the Holistic Life Foundation.

Diana: July of 2016.

Kirk: I started 5 years ago.

Patterson Press: Do you enjoy the program?

Ross: It doesn’t feel like a job and I love interacting with the kids.

Lloyd: I enjoy it and love keeping yoga alive.

Diana: I love it. It has a lot of cool and fun things that come with it.

Kirk: Yes, I love the program.

Patterson Press: What is your favorite thing about the program?

Ross: Getting to relax and also to be able to stay calm in stressful situations

Lloyd: Getting good feedback from students and getting good results

Diana: Interacting with individual students and connecting on a personal level with them

Kirk: The discussions with the kids

Patterson Press: What do you hope to change in teens and young adults?

Ross: I wish for teens to have an open mind and to foresee things.

Lloyd: Help lift inner-city people and to bring more of a positive vibe

Diana: That they incorporate these skills into their daily life

Kirk: for teens and young adults and even kids to develop a greater self awareness

Patterson Press: What would you suggest for someone stressing?

Lloyd: Take time out of your life to try the program and to try options and don’t go straight to violence.

Patterson Press: What do you wish to tell people about the program?

Diana: We open our doors to everybody, students and everyone in the Patterson community.

Kirk: Our doors are open to help anyone stressing out and that is in need.

The Patterson Press would like to thank the Mindful Moment staff for taking the time to talk to us.

An update from the Mindful Moment staff:

The Holistic Life Foundation’s Mindful Moment Room is located in classroom 103A. HLF is a Baltimore-based 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization committed to nurturing the wellness of children, teens, and adults in underserved communities. Through a comprehensive approach we help develop their inner lives through yoga, mindfulness, and self-care. HLF demonstrates a deep commitment to learning, community, and stewardship of the environment and is also committed to developing high-quality, evidence based, curriculum that focuses on helping to improve the well-being of the community as a whole.

The Mindful Moment (MM) staff hosts daily classes in the MM room (103A). The staff will also visit classrooms to enhance the daily schedule with short sessions, usually involving breathing exercises, seated movement and mindful reflection. With practice, these exercises can help to improve focus and attention, which are both keys to success.

Students having problems, including emotional issues, should be referred to the MM Room by a member of the faculty. However each student must have a referral form, signed by a teacher and an administrator and these forms are located in the Main Office.

MM is looking for all students interested in joining the Mindful Moment Ambassadors program. These students should visit the MM Room during lunch hours, or free periods, for details. Ambassadors will be trained to teach techniques that are used every day, including yoga,mindful reflection and breathing exercises. We asked one of our ambassadors, Chris Bowman, “What is mindfulness to you?”. His response: “Mindfulness is my escape from the clutter of the busy world.”

We have additional roles for students as well. Anyone interested in earning community service hours by helping us with many activities should stop by and talk with a MM staff member about expectations and incentives.

Pa’Lante helps students prepare for college and more

Posted on January 21, 2017 by pattersonpress405 Leave a comment

By Natasha A. Moran,

Pa’Lante is a student organization that started in 2013. Pa’Lante is run by Ms. Kelly O’Brien and Mr. Licier, as well as Ms. Melissa from the University of Baltimore. They have formed this program in order to help students proceed in life and get to a point beyond relying on their parents. In this program, we visit colleges and universities like Towson University, the University of Baltimore, and Johns Hopkins University. They do this in order to help us prepare for our life after high school by making sure we get done now what we would most likely need in the future.

The leaders of the group don’t just like helping Hispanic and other minority students, but also love helping those in need and those who let themselves be helped. The program takes teenagers from grades 9-12 and helps them with any challenges they face, whether in or outside of school. Twelfth grader Alvaro Flores says, ” Pa’Lante is a very motivating and helpful organization; it has helped me prepare for college and motivated me more for it”. Jennifer Moran states “Pa’Lante has helped me to recognize that a degree makes a difference in your life, not just a high school degree but a college degree; it helps you find better opportunities in life as an adult”. Jennifer, who graduated from Patterson, is still a student in college and believes that the leaders of the program do an outstanding job.

One of the recent trips was to the University of Baltimore where the students attended a college fair. This helped us to prepare for college by being exposed to more colleges, especially the juniors and seniors. We attend this gathering every year. We always have more and different questions to ask and more colleges to see.

Pa’Lante also helps us with scholarships. For example, last year they had the Susana De Moya foundation come in and give us scholarships or gifts. The requirements for this scholarship were to be able to provide proof that you or your parents are from the Dominican Republic and to submit an essay about an impact on your life. The winners of this scholarship this year were Brandley De La Cuz and Alejandro Jimenez.

Clubs and Organizations

CNA students promote breast cancer awareness

Posted on January 21, 2017 by pattersonpress405 Leave a comment

CNA students sponsored a breast cancer awareness booth (Photo: Mikal McCoy, Patterson Press)

By Mikal McCoy,

Students from Patterson High School’s Certified Nursing Assistants CTE pathway promoted breast cancer awareness in October by holding a fundraiser and educating their fellow students.

Breast cancer is a nationwide problem. A large group of people, mostly women, some men, are affected by breast cancer. Every year over 200,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and people across the country, including here at Patterson, are raising awareness about breast cancer, an abnormal growth of cells in the breast area.

Students who are a part of the CNA pathway walked around the school selling items, near the cafeteria, such as hats, pencils, pens and bracelets, which cost five dollars. The proceeds of these sales went to fund breast cancer research. Students also educated the Patterson community about breast cancer awareness.

“I think everyone should take part in the awareness movement; it could prevent people from getting breast cancer”, said Marina Siebor, a student at Patterson. Students have been supporting the CNA students’ efforts to raise awareness about breast cancer by listening to them speak and purchasing and wearing items that represent breast cancer awareness.

Breast cancer is a serious issue that affects us all. Taking small steps can help prevent breast cancer. Developing and maintaining a healthy diet can help prevent breast cancer and other harmful illnesses. Water, fruit, vegetables and other nutritious foods are all ingredients that support the body by building up its defense system. Another way to help prevent breast cancer is to get regular check-ups by a doctor who specializes in that particular area. “Early detection is the best prevention”, said Ms. Wongus, a teacher at Patterson.

Showing support, maintaining a healthy diet, and having regular check-ups are small steps to defeating breast cancer.

Patterson swimming team defeats NAF

Posted on January 21, 2017 by pattersonpress405 Leave a comment

By Sartre Ndebaneza and Christian Pietrowski,

Photo: Sartre Ndebaneza

Patterson swimming team made history by beating NAF (Nation Academy Foundation) with a score of 48 to 16 on January 10th.

It was a challenging meet for NAF’s swimmers, who had half the number of swimmers as Patterson. Patterson has a full team, well prepared to get victory. Coach Mahoney said, “The game was wonderful, [they] have been working hard to prepare for this game and I am very happy.” Patterson swimmers did a great job in each round of competition.

For the other side, things were tough. NAF coach Elaina Kriz stated, “The meet was good, but I have a small team.” NAF swimmer Steven Southerland added, “It was difficult but we had a small team.” Fatigue was the major reason NAF lost against Patterson. NAF was represented by three players.

Winning this match gave the Patterson swimming team the opportunity to participate in City Championships at Coppin State. This is a good time to show their talents, but it can be a stressful moment when competing against the best teams. This championship will require the Patterson team’s full attention and a lot energy to embrace challenges in the match to overcome them.

Coach Mahoney said, “I am going to work hard and make sure students are listening.” The Patterson swimming team coach has a lot of strategies to use during meets, but she believes that she also needs a keen communication with players.

Photo: Sartre Ndebaneza

Building over nature

Posted on January 21, 2017 by pattersonpress405 Leave a comment

By Marina Siebor,

For the longest time, we have been polluting the earth by making factories, littering and releasing toxic fumes into the air, which is harmful to humans and the earth.

Even when you think you’re doing the world some good by recycling, you still can’t escape the fact that your everyday uses are polluting the earth and nature around you. In the USA, littering is illegal. If a cop sees you in the act, you can receive a fine up to $500 and receive up to a year in jail.

All in all, we should stop littering because it’s bad for us and it’s bad for the earth.

Patterson recruits new wrestlers

Posted on January 21, 2017 by pattersonpress405 Leave a comment

Mikal McCoy wrestles his opponent to the ground (Photo: Alvaro Flores-Villegas, Patterson Press)

By Mikal McCoy,

Patterson’s wrestling team last school year (2015-2016) was successful. There were wrestlers who placed in Baltimore City Championship, including Amari Latimer, who was Maryland’s State champion in 2016. This school year, the team has had a more difficult start.

Wrestling is a winter sport; the season starts in the month of October. At Patterson High school, at the beginning of wrestling season, the team was having trouble with recruiting under the pressure of the wrestling program being shut down by Baltimore City officials.

Four wrestlers, including Ryan Carter, Kemar McBean, and Mikal McCoy, returned back to the team to continue their wrestling experience. The team needed a total of 12 players in order to be eligible to be a team in Baltimore City. “We didn’t have any wrestlers”, said Ryan Carter, captain of the wrestling team. Due to the lack of participation, the team was in danger of being shut down and not funded by Baltimore City. Fortunately, after the winter break, a total of 8 new members were recruited on the team.

After the close call of reviving Patterson’s wrestling team, practice began immediately, every day, Monday-Friday. “Going to practice has helped me become better because I have learned more defense and offence; I feel more prepared”, said wrestler Brandan Chamber. Coach Norman, who is the head coach of the team, creates workouts that are focused around cardio to improve wrestlers’ endurance.

On December 14, 2016, Patterson’s wrestling team had a home game against Fredrick Douglass High School. The match ended in a draw (30-30). During the match new wrestlers got the opportunity to practice their moves. On January 12, 2017, the wrestling team had another home game against Mervo High School. Since October, Patterson’s wrestling team hasn’t had many matches. “Incomplete matches don’t help us know where we are as wrestlers”, Ryan Carter explained.

Now that Patterson has a full team, the rest of the season should be much more successful.

Patterson High School wrestling team (Photo: Patterson Press)

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