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Program trains students to become interpreters

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Photo: Jamira Ellison

by Mirian Maurizaca

Next Generation Language Access (NGLA) is a training program for students at Patterson High School who want to become professional interpreters.

Since there are many people that have limited English proficiency in Baltimore, there is a shortage in access to interpretation services. Currently NGLA is partnering with 3 different high schools: Patterson High School, Benjamin Franklin High School, and Digital Harbor High School. The program started at Patterson in 2023. They did their pilot program last year and now there are five students who are certified to work as community interpreters.

NGLA’s mission is to train high school students to become professional interpreters to reduce language barriers in Baltimore City and also provide a career opportunity after graduation for first and second generation immigrant high school students.

“The reason we focus on high school students is…there is research showing that students that are first or second generation immigrants that are 18 and older are more likely to fall into poverty than students that are not first or second generation”, shared NGLA Founding Director Omari Jeremiah.

“We want to solve two problems by providing meaningful employment opportunities for high school graduates that are first or second generation immigrants in the United States.”

Aside from providing a career path for immigrant youths, Mr. Jeremiah’s other goal is “reducing language barriers so that everyone, regardless of their language that they speak, is able to receive the services they need to thrive in Baltimore City.” 

Students join the program for a variety of reasons.

“I want to learn how to interpret”, said Jesler Caledron. “I’ve never liked any class like this class because I participate a lot.”  Calderon hopes to find work as an interpreter after he earns his certification.

“I want to have better communication in Baltimore City”, explained Raymond Alabi. While he’s looking forward to earning his certificate and getting paid to interpret, he has also made some personal connections through the program. “I feel good to have new friends”, Alabi said.

Zeinab Al-Ali is hopeful that the program is going to help her when applying for college. She also believes that her interpreter training will help her family. “ I feel this class is going to help me in the future because I have to interpret for my parents so I can know what to say and how to do it.”

Although Next Generation Language Access is currently only operating in a few schools, the program has plans to expand.

“We are always growing and evolving. There is a huge need for interpreters throughout the country, not just Baltimore City”, said Mr. Jeremiah. “We are excited to see how things continue to evolve.”

Undefeated Clippers advance to regional soccer semi-finals

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Patterson scores against the Douglass Mighty Ducks (Photo: Vema Maneno)

by Vema Maneno — with files from Yastelin Sanchez Turcios and Dasha Peraza Sandoval

The Patterson boys soccer team has been defending their City Championship from last year, and so far they have done so without a loss. The Clippers have started their season with seven wins, no losses, and one hard fought tie against City.

Last year the team had an incredible season but fell short in the Regional Final, losing in the final minutes to Poly. However, despite losing nine seniors last season, the team has picked up where they left off. 

“We have tried to build a culture of family and teamwork,” Coach Ober said. “The results usually follow once we have connected on a personal level with each other and built chemistry.”

Patterson is the most diverse school in Baltimore City Public Schools, and the soccer team is no different. The starting 11 players in the first game of the season had players representing seven different countries, including South Sudan, Honduras, El Salvador, United States, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania. 

When you have players from so many backgrounds and experiences, who speak different languages, it is a challenge to build communication and a team identity, but it is something Coach Ober loves. 

“The diversity of the team is truly beautiful,” he said. “Getting to know people from all over the world and seeing them connect and build friendships is far more valuable than anything we do on the field. Soccer is the most powerful sport to connect people and I see it year after year. It is their common language.”

The team has to put a lot of effort into preparing for the games.

“I try to build their confidence and help them learn their positioning. We work a lot with positioning drills so they can learn it easier. I also get them to operate as a team so that they can help each other.”

Photos: Vema Maneno, Mabondo Biribuza, Yastelin Sanchez Turcios, Dasha Peraza Sandoval, and Mr. Frederick

Coach Ober believes that it’s important for his players to be successful both on the field and in the classroom.

“Every day we practice and we have study hall once a week. We watch films at times as well during study hall.”

Communication is also important for the team.

“The only errors we ever have are communication errors, like communicating with the coach when you are going to miss practice. Other than that we do not have many issues or errors.”, said Coach Ober.

Coach Ober shouted out the best players that did exceptionally well so far this season.

“Tim has scored the most for us so far most likely. Offensively, Daniel and Joseph have been doing a great job, and Joel, Victor, Yeyson, Martin, and Vema are doing great on defense. Everyone on the team plays an important role and helps the team win.”

On October 15, the Varsity team clinched back-to-back City Championships with a 3-2 double overtime win over Poly. After being down 2-0 with 15 minutes to go, the team rallied behind goals from Tiem Kuiy and Daniel Gutierrez to send the game into overtime. 

With only 31 seconds to go in double overtime (which would have ended the game in a tie and made Poly the champions), Daniel Gutierrez hit an incredible goal to end the game and win the title.

On Friday, October 25, the Clippers will face off against Bel Air at Patterson for the Regional Semi-Final playoff.  The game starts at 3:45 PM and is free to attend.

Patterson scores the winning goal against Poly to seize the City Championship (Video: Mr. Martin)

Girls soccer team maintains positive attitude despite losses

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Patterson goalie Umutesi Belise blocks Poly from scoring another goal (Photo: Snit Kahsay)

by Snit Kahsay

The Patterson girls soccer team lost 8-0 in their game against Poly on September 12, but according to their coach, soccer is about much more than winning or losing.

“Working with kids and seeing the joy that they get for being in a team and practicing and getting to learn new things” is what inspired Coach Blum to become a coach.

In Coach Blum’s opinion, the most difficult position to play on a soccer team is goalie.

“When a goalie gets scored on they feel like they let the whole team down, so the pressure is on them”, she said.

The Patterson girls soccer team works hard by practicing every day after school for about two hours. Something they hope to achieve by the end of the season is for the girls to get together because they lost a lot of players last year. 

One of the challenges the team captain, Alison Licona, faces as the leader of the team is being positive the whole time. This is a very difficult thing to do because just like everyone else she gets frustrated mid-game when something bad happens so she has to try hard to stay positive because she is the role model for the rest of the team. Although they lost 8-0 they kept a positive attitude during the whole game. According to her, it was a great game and they had fun.

“Even though we lost really bad, we did better than the last game, and that’s what matters– we’re getting better” , said Nyagagare Kuiy, one of the players.

The Patterson Clippers girls soccer team had another game before this one and they lost 8-0 in that one too. In their game against Poly they didn’t look disappointed. In fact they looked happy because they played better than in the previous game. The team didn’t let the final score ruin their moods and they enjoyed the game.

Photos: Snit Kahsay

Clippers hold their own in two close football losses

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(Photo: Quaron Walker-Bey)

by Quaron Walker-Bey

Editor’s note: This article was written before the most recent games. The game against City mentioned in the last paragraph has already taken place. We will have an update on the latest football games soon.

The Clippers Varsity Football team has been off to a slow start with a 0-2 record in two very close games.

In the first game of the year, the very young Clippers looked to kick off the season with a good start against Lake Clifton. The Clippers had a hard time stopping runs throughout the game, yet towards the end of the game the Clippers defense was clicking on all cylinders and stopping the Lake Clifton offense. On the last drive, Clippers quarterback Telin Cabean fumbled, which was the last play of regulation. The final score was 8-6 with Lake Clifton taking the win over our Clippers.

The Clippers looked to make a comeback win against Guilford Park High School. The game got off to a slow start for both teams with a 0-0 game going into halftime. Throughout the 2nd half, both teams made plays. The Clippers struggled a bit, but on their last hope, Cabean delivered a 40 yard touchdown to Tyshawn Sneed to tie the game 14-14. Unfortunately, with 45 seconds left, Guilford Park found a way to score with a Hail Mary pass to the back of the endzone for the win.

This week, the Clippers look to get their first win of the season against the City Knights on Thursday evening at 3:45 p.m. at Patterson. The Clippers will be playing without DE/OT Machi Thompson, RB/LB Aaron Washington, and RB/LB Marquise Brown. WR/CB Matt is also out with a ankle injury.

(Photo: Quaron Walker-Bey)

Transgender people are valid (OPINION)

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By Zander Hatzigeorgalis 

Transphobia is a huge problem here at Patterson and in the world. Transphobia means that a person is prejudiced against transgender people. One example of a transphobic act is purposely calling a transgender person by a name or pronoun that they do not identify with. Instead of respecting someone’s gender identity, transphobes insist that a person is the gender that matches the biological sex of the body they were born into.

I say this transphobic behavior has to stop! In my experience, I’ve been harassed about being FTM (female to male). The people who always said I was not a boy kept saying I was a girl no matter how many times I corrected them that I am not a girl. Transgender people have feelings too. They are valid as who they are.

I always give respect to others but in return most people do not respect me at all. Transgender people take a while to process their transitions (especially as teenagers) and it takes a few years to fully change the testosterone and estrogen hormones. For me, it took forever just to convince my dad to cut my hair shorter than it used to be. When transphobia happens, the transgender people feel very uncomfortable and unsafe.

Transgender people have gender dysphoria every day and it does not feel very good. Gender dysphoria refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity. I have the biggest gender dysphoria ever. It ain’t even funny. I experience this feeling every day, all day. There is no reason to add to the stress that transgender people already experience by being disrespectful to them.

Making fun of transgender people is not cool at all. It causes a lot of emotional damage to FTMs (female to males) and MTFs (male to females). I have been called offensive slurs before. Listen to the transgender people who say a word is offensive to them, like the “T” slur. When transgender people say it, it’s fine for them, but when others say it without knowing the real meaning of it, it is offensive.

Everyone wants to be respected for who they are. Gender identity is a very complex and personal thing, but if we just listen to what people tell us about themselves and treat everyone the way that we would want to be treated, the world will be a better place.

Patterson should get rid of its uniform policy (OPINION)

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by Ashley Sarmiento Rodriguez

Patterson High School has had a school uniform policy for years and many students, including myself, don’t agree with it.

One reason why Patterson High School made students start wearing uniforms is because there used to be a lot of students who would go into neighborhoods and mess around and do disturbing things and with the uniform you’d be able to identify where they are coming from. Another reason they added the uniforms is because there were some students wearing inappropriate clothes. The main reason why they made uniforms is to stop outsiders who don’t belong here from coming in.

However, I think that’s dumb because the school used to make us scan ID cards before coming in and if you don’t scan, you can’t come in–so why stop now? It’s so much more reasonable to do that than to require students to wear uniforms, because anybody can wear a Patterson shirt and khaki pants and pass as a student. That could be even more dangerous because as long as you are wearing anything from Patterson, teachers think you’re from here. Besides, there are many people still in the school not wearing uniforms despite the uniform policy existing, so if they really wanted to see if anybody was coming in who shouldn’t, they still can’t tell.

I disagree with the uniform policy. I think that’s not fair that because of certain students wearing things they shouldn’t, the whole school needs to basically get punished for the actions of a few. Yes, they can say it’s for identification, but there are IDs that can hang around our neck and many other ways to identify Patterson students beside uniforms.

I think they should take uniforms away or make it optional because not everyone wants to wear the same pants every day or the same two shirts all week and many students can’t afford to buy additional uniforms. If someone decides to wear something inappropriate, then let them get punished on their own because what a handful of students do should not result in the whole school is getting punished.

Another reason why I don’t agree with the uniforms is because they’re just short sleeve shirts. The building is cold and even when people are wearing hoodies under the uniform shirt, school staff members ask you to take it off. For now, they’ve run out of the uniform sizes and only have big clothes that don’t fit me. Why would I or anyone want to wear that every day?

Yet another reason why I don’t agree with the uniform policy is that this year they have been making it a much bigger priority than it was the year before and not everyone is able to go before school even starts to pick up their uniform. Then, when we’re actually in school trying to get them, it’s much harder. I didn’t have anything for the first few days of school and went around asking for the uniform but they never had right sizes. Then if I wanted to get any Patterson hoodies or sweatpants, I’d have to pay them myself. They don’t even give out the khaki pants now that school started; I have to go buy my own. There are just a lot of things that not everyone has transportation or money to get.

My friend, Yeimmi, another student who goes to Patterson High School, also does not agree with the school uniforms.

“I don’t like the uniforms because they have only given me a big shirt that doesn’t fit me and I’ve been yelled at a few times to change at school.”, she said. “It’s uncomfortable.”

“I didn’t have time to go get the uniform before school even started and since then I’ve only gotten an XXL shirt.”, Yeimmi added. “I feel like they’re useless and there’s no point in having them. It makes no difference.”

For all these reasons, I think that Patterson should get rid of its uniform policy and let students have the freedom to wear what they want, as long as it doesn’t violate the District’s dress code.

Teens face mental health challenges

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by Wilfredo Portillo

(Photo: Canva — Fair Use)

Mental health is something we all deal with every day, whether we realize it or not. Have you ever found yourself just lying in bed, struggling to get up in the morning, even when you know you have to? Or maybe you’ve questioned how you’re really feeling but can’t quite put it into words? This is something a lot of teens today go through. We don’t always understand our mental health, and it can be hard to figure out what’s really going on.

Experts have been talking about this for years, and it’s still a major issue. The American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national emergency in youth mental health a couple of years ago, and the struggle is still real for so many teens. There are warning signs, and a lot of people understand what mental health challenges look like, but for parents and friends, it’s important to really try to understand what someone might be going through. Anxiety and depression are real problems that teens deal with every day. And the only way to help is to be open to talking and really listening.

Another huge part of this problem is the impact of social media. We’re constantly online, scrolling through Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc., and it’s almost impossible not to compare ourselves to what we see. Whether it’s how we look, how successful we seem, or what kind of life we’re living, there’s always pressure to measure up to what others are putting on display. And most of the time, that’s just the highlight reel—it’s not real life. But it can make us feel like we’re not enough, which can lead to anxiety and depression. Finding a balance between online life and real life is important to protecting our mental health.

Sometimes, we reach a point where talking to friends or family isn’t enough. That’s when reaching out for professional help can really make a difference. Counselors and therapists are trained to help us make sense of what we’re going through. They offer a safe space where we can talk without feeling judged, and they can help us figure out better ways to cope. If things start to feel overwhelming, seeking out professional help could be the best step toward feeling better. Therapy is nothing to be ashamed of—it’s a tool to help us navigate life when things get tough.

If you don’t have access to a licensed therapist outside of school or you don’t know where to start, you can talk to Ms. Gaither, Patterson’s school psychologist, or to to one of the school counselors, social workers, and other mental health practitioners.

Patterson offers variety of clubs to match diverse student interests

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Students in the Esports club practice their gaming skills as they prepare to compete against other schools. (Photo: Mr. Sokolski)

by Jamira Ellison

Patterson High School has a variety of different clubs supporting the interests of students and preparing them for what they want to do as a future career. Some examples of student clubs at Patterson include Next Gen Learning Access (NGLA), the Patterson Press, E-sports, the Jonathan Ogden Club, and Chill Snowboarding.    

Mr. Sokolski (better known as “Ski”) is the advisor of the E-sports club.

“The E-sports [club members] play video games competitively, and the games we play are Super Smash Bros, FIFA, Madden 2K, Rocket League, and Brawlhalla.”, explained Mr. Sokolski.

“It’s a lot of fun, and the league is still trying to get going but they still play against other schools in Baltimore City. It’s a great social atmosphere and a great place to make friends.”, 

The club plays Super Smash Bros the most, but they are getting more players for the other games and they talk about potential future careers related to video games. Mr. Sokolski wants to focus more on that career aspect of E-sports as the next step for the club, so that students can have future careers in E-Sports.

Mr. Sokolski is looking for a co-advisor so the E-Sports club can expand.

“So far it is just me. I am the only coach for E-Sports but I could use another hand.”

All Patterson students are welcome to join the E-Sports club.

“You can find me in room 363. We meet Tuesdays or Wednesdays after school so feel free to come on down and join and have fun.”, said Mr. Sokolski.

For those who prefer more of an outdoor experience, there is Chill Snowboarding.

“The Chill Snowboarding program focuses on teaching kids how to snowboard.”, explained advisor Ms. Mahoney.

“They take weekly trips to the mountains to learn those skills.”

One goal they would like to accomplish this year is to apply for a grant to pay for the group’ s activities. Chill Snowboarding has qualified for this grant for the past 12 years and would like to receive it again this year.

Chill snowboarding isn’t necessarily a club in the traditional sense but more of a program. Students are hand picked to be invited to participate. Students can request to join but Ms. Mahoney mainly chooses 12th graders and sometimes 11th graders. Participants have to be athletic and be able to be picked up from where they meet at night.

To find out more about Chill Snowboarding, talk to Ms. Mahoney or Ms. Brooks (who also helps out with the program).

While many of Patterson’s clubs are fairly new, there are others that have been a school tradition for many generations. One such club is the Patterson Press.

“The Patterson Press is the official student newspaper and media club of Patterson High School that is written by students for students and has been around since 1943.”, explained club adviser Mr. Pesa.

“Students should join the Patterson Press because it’s a good opportunity to get their work published and make their voice heard.”, added Mr. Pesa.

“They’re also learning valuable skills that could help them in a variety of careers, and they get service learning hours.” 

The main focus is on reporting news about Patterson and the surrounding community, including sports, clubs, activities, and performances. They do that with by conducting interviews, taking photos and videos, and publishing original articles both in print and online at pattersonpress.org.

The Patterson Press also has plans to start producing news broadcasts that students and staff can watch on the TVs and Smart Boards in school, as well as on their YouTube channel. The club will collaborate with Mr. Antoine and the AV Club to to broadcast news to the whole school.

Beyond that, Mr. Pesa is trying to expand the range of articles and videos that the Patterson Press is creating. He is also bringing in a group called Wide Angle Youth Media to train his journalism students in photography skills.

The Patterson Press is looking for more students to join the club.

“I’m in Room 364, so anyone can come up and talk to me to join”, Mr. Pesa said.

Patterson has many amazing clubs that students can join to have fun, learn new skills, and prepare for the future.

New art club to raise money for charity

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Photo: Ms. Marchewka

by Zander Hatziegorgalis 

A new art club at Patterson is making art for charity.

“There are a lot of students who like art”, said Ms. Marchewka, one of the art teachers at the school.

She would like to use that interest in art to do something positive for the community. She decided to start a new club this new school year for students to create their own individual art and to sell it to raise money for charitable organizations.

Ms. Marchewka has participated in art for charity projects outside of Patterson, so she wanted to bring her experiences to our school this year. Ms. Marchewka loved leading these clubs, so she brought the concept to Patterson so other students can experience it as well.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring that experience to Patterson.”, said Ms. Marchewka.

Ms. Marchewka sent out a Google Form to staff members so they can order commissions of custom artwork. Students will receive service learning hours for their work.

“Currently we are working on a variety of posters and signs for folks.”

Any students who are not working on a commission are making paintings to sell at the Winter Concert and the Spring Arts festival. These paintings will be available for anyone to purchase.

Ms. Marchewka will let the students decide what they want to do with the money and which charities they want it to go to.

“The students will actually decide that,” she explained. 

Ms. Marchewka doesn’t know what the charities will spend the money on, because it’s their choice.

“It depends on the charity itself.”, she stated.

After students create original works of art, they will sell their artwork and Ms. Marchewka will be donating that money to any charity that the students in the club choose.

The Art for Charity club meets during Advisory. Currently Ms. Marchewka does not plan to add more students to the club.

“However, if I hear student interest in that, I would consider it for sure.”

New school year brings excitement and achievements

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The Patterson band gets ready to perform at Back to School Night (Photo: Jamira Ellison)

by Mirian Maurizaca

We’re back to school! August 26 was the first day for students at Patterson High School. There are many events being planned to make this school year fun and memorable. There have also been achievements made already. 

Our attendance has increased since last year. “I am proud of our attendance rate,” said Principal Myrick.

“Attendance rate went up to 82%. Last year we had a 69% rate of attendance. Also Patterson High School was in the top 10 of high schools for growth and achievements.” 

Principal Myrick wants to add on to Patterson’s achievements from last school year.

“This year really focuses on academic achievement,” stated Principal Myrick. 

There are also new programs at Patterson High School. There is a program for families that want to learn English or Spanish that will happen after school. For the first semester there is only one class but next semester there will be two classes. Additionally, Patterson High also has dance class and an NGLA program for students to become certified interpreters. 

Principal Myrick has many ideas for this school year.

“I’m excited for this school year,” explained Principal Myrick.

One event from last year that will be returning is 405 Day. It will be a community event to invite family and friends to. There are many other events being planned as well, from Spirit Week to cultural celebrations, concerts, plays, and much more.

This school year promises to be a memorable year for all students. This year will bring us new achievements, more goals, and fun activities.

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