Category Archives: Health

Why do students use drugs?

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By Lithza Juarez,

Depression can be a common thing between teenagers. That may lead them to use drugs to make them feel good. Also, drugs and alcohol are the easy way out. Students are more likely to use drugs to solve their problems. They have the pressure of school work and then there may be problems at home or somewhere else.

Patterson high school is not an easy school, and there are a lot of wrong paths to take. Everyone needs an escape and most of the time, students will choose the easy way out. Teenagers always need to express their feelings and, in my opinion, anger or withdrawing and drugs offer both.  When a teenager is depressed, all they want is stop feeling whatever they are feeling. Alcohol and drugs are very dangerous, and sometimes there can be episodes in our lives that makes that behavior, though dangerous, the only solution.

Drugs may help the feeling stop but the feeling will come back, and at that point they will think that drugs are the way out. Parents, teacher, counselors, and friends can make a difference in a teenager’s life.

Para leer este artículo en español, haga clic aquí .

EMT students participate in fire department thrill show

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Patterson EMT students pose with Fire Chief Ford (left), Lt. Governor Anthony Brown (center) and EMT teacher Jason Casey (right) (Photo: Patterson High School Yearbook Committee)

By Dabreonna Waddell,

The Baltimore City Fire Department held its annual Fire Department Thrill Show at its training facility on Pulaski Highway on October 4th 2014. This thrill show has been an ongoing event put on by the department to gives the public a chance to see how and what the fire department really does.  The thrill show has been running for several years.

I along with several other Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) students in the Patterson High School EMT program were invited and given the opportunity to participate in the thrill show. This was a very exciting experience and I had lots of fun. The opportunity gave me the chance to interact with children by doing arts and craft such as face painting, and demonstrating and modeling how firefighters suited up and wore fire turn out gear (fire equipment). We were able to interact with firefighters and fire apparatus.

While at the Fire thrill show, we also had the chance to meet and interact with new people, including the new fire chief Mr. Ford and also Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown who was running for Governor of Maryland at the time.

I believe going to this event has given me and the others a better opportunity at becoming an EMT because we met two these two important people now that they know our name and faces and see that we are very interested in this career and they may help us out in the long run with getting an EMT job.

This experience was very fun and interesting. It gave me a better understanding of how things are done and it also showed me what my EMT teacher, Mr. Casey, loves to do. I am very interested in coming back and helping out again.

 

Mindful Moments program teaches students breathing techniques and more

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Students and Mindful Moments staff members practice breathing exercises in a circle (Photo: Shane Braden, Patterson Press)

By Nasheira Johnson,

Patterson High School has partnered with a group called the Holistic Life Foundation also known as the Mindful Moments Program to help students learn about their inner selves through breathing exercises, yoga and plenty of other methods.

The Holistic Life Foundation is a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization committed to nurturing the wellness of children and adults in undeserved communities. In the 2013-2014 school year members from the group contacted Mr. Benton to see if he was interested in the program. He decided that this program would be a great opportunity for not only students but staff as well.

This program is a great asset to our school. Not only are the methods from this program used at school but outside of school. In fact Mr. Benton practices these procedures from this program with him and his son every morning. He believes that these methods help better himself. The staff of the Mindful Moments Program who work at Patterson High School are very helpful. They talk to students about their problems and also give them advice.

I spoke with a few of the staff members from the program and asked them their opinions about the program. Sideaque is one of the staff members here who works at Patterson High School associated with the mindful moments program. She used to work at John Hopkins hospital and felt that she was no longer interested in the job she was doing, She then started applying to many places. Her goal was to work with younger people. One day she received a text message and was given an opportunity to work with the program. Sidaque believes that this program benefits all students. “We want students to change the world by changing themselves”, she told the explained. She encourages all students to try this program because it will help them do better and concentrate more.

Larry and Oba are two other associated with the Mindful Moments program at Patterson High School. They enjoy practicing the exercises with students in the room and sharing ideas with them. They had been practicing yoga for about thirteen years and decided that helping students better themselves would make their lives easier. Students in this program believe it is very helpful to them. This program keeps them from doing wrongful actions and leads them to be positive.

Latoya Morris is a student here at Patterson High School who believes this program is helpful.She says she comes here to get everything off her chest. Her goal is to master yoga. Before this program many students used to fight but now because of this program they are more relaxed. She recommends that all students here at Patterson should at least try to participate in the program.

For more information about the Mindful Moments Program please visit the Mindful Moments room right across from the nurses office.

Patterson hosts 4th annual community fair

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A youth percussion band performs at the Community Fair (Photo: Patterson Press)

by Xavier Williams,

Patterson High School held it’s 4th annual community fair and back to school night inside the school’s cafeteria on September 25 from 5:30 to 8:00. It was held to motivate students to help and support their school and get help from their community.

At the community fair there were different organizations sharing some services to students so they can help them be successful in the future. So many great colleges, companies and non-profit organizations came like, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center,  Morgan State University, Towson University and the University of Baltimore, New York life insurance and the Real Food Farm. One of the people that worked at the University of  Baltimore explained that they had come to the fair to “[recruit] students to come to the university and to inspire them to go to college”. There were more people from different groups that participated in the community fair, including a United States Marine who said he is looking forward to speaking with male and female students to help them become successful.

There was a belly dancer, flamenco dancer and hip hop dancers as well. The hip hop dancers were male students from Patterson who did an amazing  job performing at the fair.

I asked Mr.Benton,  “After seeing the laughter and happiness here at the community fair do you think that Patterson High School will be a top 500 school?” and he said he always believed Patterson High School would be a top 500 school and that the school strives for greatness.

I agree with that 100 hundred percent because we do strive for greatness and after seeing how great the fair turn out to be i’m just really proud of my school.this years community fair turned out to be a blast. Everyone enjoyed it, they danced they laughed and they ate. It felt like they were happy to be there and they had a great time. People who were at the fair expressed that next year’s fair will be even bigger.

CHECK BACK LATER FOR MORE PHOTOS (OR SEE THEM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE NOW)!

Secretary “Mama” Jones vows to beat breast cancer

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Mr. Benton and “Mama” Jones (photo: Patterson Press)

When Patterson Principal Vance Benton and long-time secretary Linda Jones (known affectionately as “Mama Jones”) announced that they were having a “showdown” on Friday, October 17th, most teachers and staff members had no idea what to expect.

The “showdown”, as it turns out, was a contest to see who had the best bald head. As Mr. Benton showed off his shiny dome to a crowd of spectators in the Media Center, Mama Jones pulled off her head scarf to reveal that she too had no hair. She also revealed the reason: Mama Jones is battling with breast cancer and has lost her hair as a result of chemo-therapy.

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 232,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the United States by the end of 2014. About 40,000 women in the U.S. will die from breast cancer by the end of the year. Yet there is also great cause for hope:  There are currently about 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

To raise awareness and money to combat this terrible disease, October has been declared National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. On October 16th, students, teachers and staff wore pink to school to show their support for breast cancer awareness. Mama Jones’ announcement the following day brought the issue closer to home for many Patterson staff members.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Mama Jones was upbeat and optimistic. “I’m gonna kick cancer’s a** before cancer kicks my a**!”, she declared to cheers and applause. Needless to say, Mama Jones won the contest with Mr. Benton, just as she has vowed to win her battle with cancer. After her announcement, dozens of teachers and staff members lined up to hug her and give her words of encouragement. Her daughter and grandchildren also came out to support her. Her daughter even shaved her own head in solidarity. Everyone in the Patterson “500” family admires Mama Jones for her courage and wishes her a speedy recovery.

Patterson participates in ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

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by Joshua Carr,

Patterson participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge on Sept. 5 to help raise money for ALS. ALS means amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It is also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, named after the Yankees baseball player who died of it in 1941.

Poly High School challenged our school to do the Ice Bucket Challenge and Mr. Benton, the school principal, accepted. To do the Ice Bucket Challenge you have to dump a bucket of ice water on your head and put a video of it on the internet to help raise money for ALS.  The Ice Bucket Challenge was a fun experience for the students and staff of Patterson High School.

Click to download video of Mr. Benton’s Ice Bucket Challenge

 

This Is Not A Haircut

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Mrs. Gabriel (Photo: Ty’Shawn Key, Patterson Press)

By Ty’Shawn Key

For the past week or two there has been a lot of commotion about Mrs. Gabriel and her stylish new hairdo. Many are asking “Why did she go short?”, and “Had she gotten tired of black?” The answer is amazing! Unknown to many, for the last eight years Mrs. Gabriel has been in a battle against breast cancer.

It all started eight years ago one day when Mrs. Gabriel had gone on a typical doctor’s visit and she decided that it was time for her to have a mammogram–a breast cancer screening that all women should have. Upon completing the screening, doctors discovered that Mrs. Gabriel had a microscopic tumor in her breast. She was then diagnosed with Stage 0 breast cancer. She soon had the tumor removed. Once the tumor had been successfully removed, Mrs. Gabriel was assigned estrogen prevention medicine in 2007. Estrogen causes cancer to grow.

In the December of 2012, five years after starting her medications she returned to her doctor for an annual mammogram screening. This time during the screening doctors had found that the cancerous cells had spread to the lymph nodes under her left arm. This was the same side the cancer was first spotted in. In January, she had the lymph nodes biopsied. Shortly afterward, the cancerous cells returned. Mrs. Gabriel had now been diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer.

So the following February, Mrs. Gabriel went through surgery and had twenty-one of her lymph nodes removed.  From April of 2013 all the way through September of that same year, Mrs. Gabriel went through sixteen rounds of chemotherapy, followed by thirty-five days of radiation. During this process Mrs. Gabriel lost her hair and has been wearing a wig ever since.

Since the beginning of her adult life, Mrs. Gabriel has had long black hair; however during this process she lost it all, just as many cancer patients do. To save herself from embarrassment and to keep her students from getting distracted by her condition, she decided to purchase a custom-made wig, composed of real human hair, specialized for cancer patients so that they can look as normal as possible. For the past year, Mrs. Gabriel has been wearing a wig to work every day to keep the daily flow as normal as possible. In fact, she pulled this off so nicely that no one except for a select few knew of her condition.

Recently, however, since the success of the surgery, Mrs. Gabriel’s hair has been growing back, and it is looking better than ever! So after a while of going out without her wig every other now and then, Mrs. Gabriel decided to go natural to visit her family up in New York. After receiving positive comments about her new look she decided on her return flight to Baltimore that she would wear the wig no more.

Mrs. Gabriel’s story is one that shows how faith, determination, open-mindedness, and a strong spirit can get you through any tough time; because every day, even though Mrs. Gabriel had a difficult situation, she still pushed through and carried on with her life. Every day she came to work and helped her students. Every day she went home, lived with, and got support from her family. Every day she fought for a better, brighter tomorrow, and every day she did it with a smile. So this new hair style you see now is NOT a haircut. It’s a victory.

 

Freshmen share their personal stories at emotional intervention

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(Photo: psychotherapist.org)

By Makenzie Reyes-Schettini,

The ninth grade girls spent a day in the gymnasium in February, where we participated in an emotional intervention called Point Break. (Ninth grade boys participated in the same program on a different day.) Almost all of us were in tears by the end of the day.

When we came in there were chairs that formed a circle. We each took a seat. As we munched on donuts and sipped our water, the facilitators began to introduce themselves. This session was to be an opportunity for us to get things off our chests that we had been holding inside for too long. In the beginning, there was an awkward tension in the air, but it was soon replaced with a more calm and friendly feeling. We played games and listened to stories that were beneficial to both our lives and the lives of the people who told them.

As we got deeper into the day, we also got deeper into our emotions.We opened up to tell our personal stories that we hadn’t told anyone in years.We really conected to the people around us: those who we have known our whole life and those who we had just met. Point Break was not just an excuse to get out of class all day. Rather, it was an opportunity for us to express what we were really feeling inside.

Student mentors help freshmen avoid making the same mistakes

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Illustration by Shane Braden, Patterson Press

By Ty’Shawn Key,

Individual Advancement Mentoring (I.AM) is a peer mentoring program started last year by my brother Alonzo Key. I.AM was created because too many students throw away their freshmen year. Whether it is due to chasing popularity, getting involved with the wrong crowd, focusing on other things, having too much fun, or just pure goofing off, every year a large percentage of students squander their Freshmen year. I.AM was designed so we can get that year back. Our goal is to reach the minds of our incoming freshmen classes, and influence them to get on the path of having a more proactive high school career through the acts of peer mentoring. Our mentoring uses the simple tools of motivation and enlightenment through student voices. Older students are acting as the big brother or sister figures that some of our younger peers may lack. These mentors are a select few members of this year’s senior and junior classes.

The program is supervised by Mrs. McIntosh, myself and several other upperclassmen, including Kwynten Brooks, a star player on the Patterson Clippers Boys Basketball team, Johnny Alvarez, an amateur skater and photographer sponsored by Fly Geenius, Jamahl Loney, a DECA Regional competition placer, and several other decorated individuals. Together we are actively trying to change the lives of our Patterson 500 Family’s young men and women, the future faces of our school. Our mentors sacrifice every other Tuesday and Thursday Futures period to shed some light on these young individuals, so that they can have the advice and help that we all wish we had as freshmen.

Olagoke Sanusi, one of junior leaders, described working with the freshmen as an experience that he would never forget. “Never would I imagine that me and my few life experiences could ever really help someone else with their life and situations just by talking to them about it”, he said. “It put me in a position where I was that external factor for someone else. I was the one who decided to either give them the assist, or let them get fouled…”

This has been one of the best years of my entire high school career, and it’s not because I’ve been accepted into the school of my dreams or because I have achieved some of my personal goals. It has been one of my best years because I can now leave my school saying I helped change someone’s life. As the saying goes, “a diamond in the rough shines its brightest only after someone picks it up to polish it.”

If you know of any intelligent, caring, respectable, productive and well-spoken individuals who will be juniors or seniors in the fall, please direct them to Mrs. McIntosh’s office for mentor enrollment for next school year.

 

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To Eat or not to Eat?

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Reposted from sweetremedyfilm.blogspot.com

By Destiny Diggs,

Being overweight has become a growing epidemic. You hear about all the health concerns that come with being overweight: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes,etc. But is it as easy as it sounds to be and eat healthy?

Money wise its much cheaper to eat unhealthily. It is much cheaper to go to McDonalds and get dinner for four than to go to the grocery store and buy and prepare a healthy dinner. Going to fast food restaurants is faster to get than making breakfast.

The media contradicts themselves; they tell us to eat healthy but then they play an ad about two for one deals at Burger King or Wendy’s. We are being told that processed food isn’t good for us and we should look into more organic foods (which are the most expensive) but we send our kids to school where they are fed processed foods for lunch. When the food is delivered to the schools it is already made. The only thing the lunch ladies have to do is heat the food up and serve it.

Why are we feeding our children this type of food? We do it because it’s cheaper and less time-consuming. This is not to say that being healthy isn’t a good thing but we must look at the entire picture. If there is a family of six and they only have one income coming in, the cheapest way to eat is fast food or microwave food.

This is just something to think about but free ways to help prevent weight gain include drinking water, trying to exercise at least for thirty mins a day and watching our portions and eating in moderation.

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