Category Archives: Academics

Students still struggling with social anxiety stemming from COVID-19 pandemic

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By Zeinab AL Ali

Social anxiety is becoming common amongst students due to the COVID-19 outbreak which led students to be isolated from society for a long period of time.

COVID-19 started four years ago and entered the United States In January 2020. It led to quarantining where students had to stay home and take online classes. Students had to be isolated from their peers and they had to stay home for an extended period of time. In that time period, students spent their time alone and they were prevented from coming into contact with their friends and family members out of concern for their health and safety.

After quarantine ended, students had to go back to school and proceed with their education. Most students had a hard time communicating and interacting with their peers because they weren’t used to this sudden change in heir environment. Due to COVID-19, many students developed social anxiety and became anti-social. Many students at Patterson High School today are experiencing the same thing. It’s hard for students to communicate, express themselves, and interact with others after being isolated for a such long period of time.

To solve this problem, teachers should create fun activities that allow students to break out of their isolation bubble operates at a different pace. Teachers should encourage students to be more interactive but not push them, because pushing students to do something they are not used to can create fear, tension, stress and can also add to their anxiety. Sometimes students seem like they don’t want to communicate but the truth is they do; They just don’t know how to and sometimes they might be afraid to do so.

Students can be more interactive with others with the help of their teachers.

How social media affects your mental health

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By Jennifer Iraheta-Delcid

Social media has become part of our daily life, consuming most of our time. Since the 2000s, it has extended new possibilities for communication. It has its good effects and bad effects. But it brings many risks if you excessively use social media.

Many platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat have become popular among youth. People normally spend around 2-3 hours of their time on social media. Therefore, These platforms have gained popularity because they allow you to communicate with other people as well as being a way to express yourself, whether in a short video or a story.

However, it’s a source of entertainment while also allowing you to make new friends online. Meeting friends online can be very dangerous at times because you are not sure who is behind the screen and whether they’re a predator or not. Although social media has its benefits, it can cause you to isolate yourself from actually interacting with real-world people and can later result in feelings such as anxiety.

Excessive use is mainly caused by lower psychological well-being. The immoderate consumption of social media is affecting many young people. Possible effects that come with it are low self-esteem, exclusion, bullying, and poor work and/or school production. In fact, social media produces many negative feelings. Recent studies show that people between the ages of 14-24 feel as if social media brings feelings of depression, anxiety, poor body image, and loneliness. Many platforms such as YouTube and TikTok care more about engagement rather than your mental health and the negativity that comes with it. Trends can also influence many young people to do dangerous activities that can lead to death. 

Social Media affects your mental health but it doesn’t mean you can’t use it at all. You just have to be aware of how much of your time it’s consuming. There are many good effects as well as bad but it brings many risks if you excessively use it. Mindfully using it is important to social media consumption.

Coping with stress

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By Victoria Orellana

In this day and age, a lot of teens deal with and experience stress. Stress is all around us and we all deal with it in different ways. According to the website Cross River Therapy, at least 45% of students in high school admit to being stressed almost every day in school.

It’s important to pace yourself and understand that you as an individual need time for yourself. You can’t always avoid stress. It’s something most of us deal with, but there are ways to manage it.

The website Teens Health lists a bunch of ways to deal with stress. Here are a couple of them:

One strategy is to plan your day using a calendar or planning app to keep track of your daily schedule. Put in all the things you need and make sure to plan time for things you enjoy doing. Planning your day and sticking to the schedule lowers stress.

Another thing you can do to reduce stress is ask for help when you need it. School work grades and tests cause a lot of stress and it’s not always easy to deal with. Ask teachers, tutors, parents or any trusted adult for help with anything. Don’t be afraid to ask for help; When things go south, you’re going to wish you did.

These strategies might not eliminate all your problems, but give them a try–they might help you manage your stress so you can get through high school without feeling weighed down.

Back to School Night: The start of a new year 

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By Thayer Oosterman

Photo by Patterson Press

Paterson High School held its annual Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 20th from 5:00 until 7:00 PM. 

There were many organizations present including Thread, The Y, the U.S Army Recruit and Command, Home Away from Home, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development, Coppin State University, and the Baltimore Medical System.  

Patterson has many opportunities for all students, whether they are doing well or struggling academically. One group that helps students who are having a hard time in school is Thread.

 “We are Thread, a relationship building organization, and we enroll students in their 9th grade year based on grades.”, explained a representative from Thread who was at Back to School Night. “We pull the bottom 25% academically and they work with us in their first year and they get matched with a volunteer and we just basically are here to build a stronger community across the city of Baltimore.”

There were also faith-based organizations providing services to the people of Baltimore City.

“We provide services for new immigrants that are taking asylum, refugees, and others.”, explained the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service representative.

Members of the U.S. Army were also present at the Back to School Night.

“We’re just here to promote the Army, talk to the kids about the benefits, if they have any questions”, said a representative of the U.S. Army Recruit and Command.

At Back to School Night, the Patterson High School Marching Band played music. Students and their families had delicious food served after the band performance. In the end, many parents and family members knew more about what was going on in the classrooms and they met their young scholars’ teachers. 

The event was a success and parents and students alike knew more about how to succeed in the coming school year.

(Photos by Patterson Press)

Student Government Association gives students a voice

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By Jayzanay Blessett

SGA members have a discussion at a citywide meeting (Photo: Mr. Frederick)

Student Government Association (SGA) helps students speak up on issues that go on in their schools. They also help plan events and make decisions regarding how the money is spent on the events. Currently, Patterson only has a few students who are interested in participating. I would highly encourage students to join or even check out some of the meetings because if you aren’t satisfied with some of the things that are going on, you can promote change and possibly even fix the issue.“SGA (Student Government Association) offers a forum for students to have a voice in their school and to also offer a as vehicle how they can voice their concerns to the school administration and look for ways to change the school to make it better for everybody–Students and staff–so that everybody can have an enjoyable time while they are in high school.”, explains Mr. Frederick, Patterson’s SGA faculty advisor.The elected positions in SGA are President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The president oversees the whole association and focuses on their primary responsibilities. The treasurer focuses on how money is spent on events and the budget we have. The secretary records documents of the SGA and helps with planning and meetings. Lastly, the vice president works with the president, helping with primary issues and solutions. We are currently collaborating with another student group called Catalyst for Change during advisory since we have a small group.

I would also like to mention that students are eligible to run for a city-wide position for the Associated Student Congress of Baltimore City (ASCBC). ASCBC is a city-wide SGA that focuses on bigger issues that impact every student in Baltimore City Public Schools. On October 3rd, Patterson SGA members attended the ASCBC General Assembly, which focused on things that could make our experience as BCPSS students better. We talked about how we could improve high school choice, school lunches, how we could add more robust class courses in our schools, and more.

I am currently running for the Diversity Committee Chair, which targets issues that minority and LGBTQ+ identifying students face in BCPSS. My goal is to ensure equity in every city school and get rid of the stereotypes Patterson and many other city schools have, while also implementing policies to make sure our schools are as inclusive as possible. As a participant, I’d highly encourage students to take this opportunity because it will help you grow as an individual, build your communication skills, give you a sense of accomplishment, and will help you make a change for you and students. If you feel as though you have no voice to speak on issues at Patterson High, think again and join our SGA!

Drama Club performs unique adaptation of Snow White

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By Deontay Blackwell

The Patterson High School Drama Club, led by Mrs. Ritter, portrayed the story of Snow White on its opening night on April 27 at 7 PM. Mrs. Ritter, the cast, and the stage crew all worked hard over the 3 months of rehearsing. In between times of rehearsing the people behind making props were people from different classes of the art teachers and outside help. Beforehand Patterson had no costume for the play and Mrs. Ritter had to make and buy costumes but with the school help and money coming out of her own pocket to make this incredible play happen. Overall, the people behind the play were mostly Freshmen and Sophomores along with some Juniors and Seniors. For many, it may have been their first time performing in or assisting with a play.

The main character in the play, Snow White, was played by Jazzy Blessett–a sophomore. This play featured a different portrayal of the story of Snow White than the Disney version most people are more familiar with, with comedic aspects ranging from sarcastic new lines to recreating a popular dance from the platform TikTok. With a different portrayal of the story, there comes a new perspective focusing on the Evil Queen from the story with the leading actor Jenny Beanszsz  giving an outstanding performance of this version of the character. A new character not seen in the original was the dancing chicken, a best friend of Snow White played by Salome Birindwa with the stunning costume and eventfully doing a popular dance on Tik Tok, usually to the music “Her Way” with Snow White. The play itself came in two acts with an intermission for selling snacks and drinks with the money from that and the ticket sales to put into future projects next year. 

All of this could not have been possible without the director Mrs. Ritter and Ms. Weygant as co-director both working hard on ensuring that the acting and the technical aspects of the play all went smoothly for the second ever play in the new building. There was an encore performance of the play the following night, which was also a big success. A special thanks to the crew members who were working backstage and the people in the sound booth keeping the lights on this play.

Shout out to the cast:

  • Salome Birindwa (ACTRESS 2/DANCING CHICKEN)
  • Jayzanay Blessett (SNOW WHITE)
  • Jenny Beanszsz (ACTRESS1/WITCH/QUEEN/OLD WOMAN/DOOFY)
  • Re’Mya Spence (ACTOR 1, TREE #1/KING/TEACH)
  • Joy Conde (NARRATOR 1/QUEENS GUARD/TIMID)
  • Maiyia Oliver (ACTOR 2, MIRROR, GROUCHY)
  • Joann Conde (NARRATOR 3/TREE 2/QUEENS GUARD/SNOOZY)
  • Myaira Jones (TREE 3/ GLEEFUL/ HANDSOME/ PRINCE)
  • Nalia Jenkins (GESUNDHEIT)

And the crew:

  • Araya Brinkley (RUNCREW)
  • Kayla Cain (STAGE MANAGER/LIGHT BOARD OPERATOR)
  • Estrella Cardenas (RUNCREW/PROPMASTER)
  • Kaleif Mumford (RUNCREW/PROPMASTER)
  • Kendall Shaw (RUNCREW/PROPS MASTER)
  • Amira Plummer (RUNCREW/CURTAIN OPENER)
  • Salem Garrett (PROPS MASTER/RUN CREW/STAGE MANAGER)
  • Kevin Allen (ASSISTANT DIRECTOR)

Patterson celebrates Culture Day

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by Thayer Oosterman

Patterson High School celebrated Culture Day on On Thursday, April 27, from 4:00 to 6:30 PM. There were many cultural expressions, with food and music from many cultures around the world. They had Latin American, African, Caribbean, and Middle Eastern food. Musicians were playing Latin and West African music. During the playing of the West African music, there was dancing, where people would be in a circle and would go and dance in the circle.

After the music, they gave out food with a lot of delicious food items, like Jamaican rice and beans, Syrian shawarmas and Tandoori food, Libyan kebabs, and many other tasty foods from a variety of cultures. They also had a thick, sweet drink and lemon tea. 

Near the end of the culture event they had a Kahoot game about the flags of the world, with many students and teachers and Principal Myrick playing. The Kahoot game went from 6:15 until around 6:30. After the Kahoot game and the end of the event, many students helped with the clean up or went to wait for the start of the play that was also taking place that night.

Culture Day was organized by a new student organization called Catalyst for Change. This was the group’s first big event and it was a huge success.

Patterson teachers sacrifice their personal time to support students

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By Ekei Obu, Editor-in-chief

Patterson High School is known to be one of the most diverse schools in Baltimore City. The school also offers a lot of after-school activities and different interests in extracurricular activities during and after school hours as well. 

I interviewed a couple of teachers to hear about their sacrifice for the school and why they are so dedicated to the school. All the teachers had one thing in common: they all sacrificed their time for the school and the students. 

Mrs. Torregoza believes that students and young people deserve a bright future. She said, “Students here can decide what they want to be and I believe that there should be people to guide them, and I want to be one of those people.” 

Mrs. T said, “I have faith in the students,” and that’s why she gives up her time after school regardless of not getting paid for the time. Mrs. T expressed her sadness about the students not taking advantage of the resources the school provides because she understands that in other places students don’t have the opportunity and resources for education.

Most teachers go as far as decorating their classrooms to provide a serene environment for their students. Some teachers even provide different options for snacks in their classes. Most teachers I’ve interviewed give up personal time to attend games, musical performances, and other activities because they want to show their support to their students.

Mr. Michael McCormick, better known to his students as “Mr. Mike”, explained that “people don’t become teachers for the salary; it’s a calling,”

Mr. Mike is one of the many teachers that provide not only a safe space for students but also emotional support and snacks. “I believe my unidentified role in Patterson is to provide a safe space. A space where students feel welcomed, safe, and empowered to be their authentic selves. I believe that when students are in a safe environment it allows them to be their greater self,” Mr. Mike said.

Teachers and school staff sometimes stay at school late into the evening, planning and preparing, and in many cases they’re not paid for it. 

Biology teacher, Mr. Antoine, believes that it is his job to build a bridge for students so they don’t have to start from scratch to achieve their goals in life. To prepare for last year’s winter holiday show, teachers spent several days planning and setting up. 

Teachers at Patterson are so passionate about their jobs despite some students’ negative attitudes toward them because they simply want the best for the students. 

Back to School Night brings families together 

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(Photo: Patterson Press)

By Nateshia Anderson

Patterson High School held its annual Back to School Night on September 22 from 5:00-7:00 PM. The purpose of this event was for the parents and families of students to meet the teachers and the community and learn about opportunities that were offered to their children.

The school provided free snowballs for everybody. A lot of people had fun. We talked to teachers at the event to find out how they help the students learn.

Ms. Jones said, “Give them extra attention, adjust my lessons so that each child is able to reach them and able to understand the material, make sure that I also pair them up with a buddy in the classroom… When they need some additional help, I can give them additional resources like…Khan Academy…”

Patterson High School is a place where students can come and talk to teachers and find out who they truly are.

“I can create an environment that feels safe and nurturing”, said Mr. Mike.

Administrators were also there, like Ms. Edler, who explained, “The first thing is I believe in holding students accountable and also supporting them in that accountability. Also, we present opportunities like college visits. However, students must be in full uniforms and they must be in school on time and be able to attend those visits.”

All in all, Back To School Night was a successful event where everybody came out and helped their children’s futures. 

(Photos: Patterson Press)

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