Category Archives: Departments

Patterson students inducted into National Honor Society

Posted on by Leave a comment

By Moses Jeuronlon

Several students at Patterson High School were inducted into the National Honors Society on Dec. 7, 2018. Students brought their parents to watch them and celebrate.

The school had tried to start the program in the past but it was unsuccessful. This school year some students were able to achieve this very difficult feat.

According to Ms. Ericka Edwards, an English teacher at Patterson High and one of the co-advisers of the program, said, “It was long awaited and students deserve that honor.”

The students in the program were chosen based on their academic achievement. According to Ms. Edwards, “GPA, service to school and involvement in activity” are all criteria of being part of the society.

Anta Ndiaye, a student in the National Honors Society, said, “I feel honored and proud of being a member of the National Honor Society.”

Principal Vance Benton and Student Government President John Dingzon each gave a speech to thank the parents and the students and told them to keep up their hard work. Other dignitaries and special guests were also present to honor the students, including City Councilman Zeke Cohen.

The ceremony lasted for half an hour and refreshments were served at the end.

 

Boys basketball team defeats City

Posted on by Leave a comment
dsc_0221

Photo credit: Moses Jeuronlon

By Moses Jeuronlon

The Patterson High School varsity boys basketball team defeated Baltimore City College High School in a home game with a score of 62 to 48 on Dec. 20.

Marvin Price led the team with 23 points and 10 rebounds, Jaylin Wills had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Gerard Mungo contributed 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The game was very crowded and heated. More and more people arrived as the game went on. At first when the game started, both sides had a solid defense and offense. As soon as they got the ball they were running to score points. They were losing the ball and regaining the ball very fast.

This game of hide and seek ended when Patterson scored their first point. Players started to get more and more serious in the game.

Joe Jones, a senior on the team, said, “It felt really good to win and I liked the game results.”

Patterson is having a very successful season and the team is hopeful that it will continue to dominate the court in 2019.

 

Patterson High student election postponed due to internet failure

Posted on by Leave a comment

By Moses Jeuronlon

The Patterson High School Student Government Association held a election on Friday, Dec. 7, 2018 to select their new new president and officers.

Students were required to vote through Kahoot, an internet tool used for surveys quizzes and discussion. While preparing to vote, The internet connection was lost and they could not show the results. The teachers tried refreshing it but it ended in failure.

The audience was whispering, saying, “someone is trying to hack the school WiFi”. In reality, the voting was not being conducted on the official school WiFi network (which does not have a strong enough signal to work in the auditorium) but instead utilized a teacher’s private network.

They kept trying over and over and time ran out. Students got dismissed and the election got postponed to a later date. According to John Digzon, the former SGA President, “the internet connection in the auditorium is not good and too many people used Mr. Bey’s WiFi.”

Dingzon gave his opinion on the candidates, saying, “I’m proud of them and the things they have accomplished.” He suggested that perhaps the candidate can see this as a opportunity and try to encourage more people to vote for them when the true election takes place. It also gave Dingzon the chance to enjoy few more days as President. “I feel happy because I’m trying to finish what I can” said Digzon.

The election was rescheduled to take place early the following week in social studies classrooms.

 

 

Texting and driving kills

Posted on by Leave a comment

By Dasia Whitfield

Texting and driving is becoming a bigger problem everyday. Texting and driving is a
problem because people are dying every day because of this issue. Phones are becoming a big distraction.

Mr. Casey, an EMT teacher at Patterson, knows about texting and driving because he has to deal with accidents. “It’s a huge problem. People that text and drive should get the
same treatment as people that drink and drive”, says Mr.Casey.

When you are driving, you should never pick up the phone, because no matter what it is, it can wait. Distracted driving causes 15% of injury crashes. Nearly 400,000 people were injured in distracted driving incidents in 2015. These statics come from Teen Safe, a website that helps parents keep their kids safe.

All generations are affected by texting and driving. “No age group specifically, but everybody is affected. Everybody wants to be kept up to date. People do not have patience”,  explains Mr.Casey.

This issue can be fixed if everybody stops picking up the phone when they get a message or to change the music. Everybody has to be considerate and think about others
before picking up the phone and also thinking about themselves and how many lives can be taken away by texting and driving.

Jury duty: a civic responsibility

Posted on by Leave a comment
east-slider1

Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse — Circuit Court for Baltimore City, where jurors must report for jury duty (Circuit Court for Baltimore City website)

By John Dingzon

Jury duty is part of citizenship. Every American citizen must participate in jury duty.

On March 9, 2018,  I received a jury summons from the Circuit Court of Baltimore. The court gave me all of the information that I needed to know in a letter I received in the mail. They gave me the exact date to report for jury duty and a list of requirements that are needed when attending jury duty.Included with the letter I received from the court was also my juror number and a pass to enter the court. There were also written instructions that I needed to follow.

The next day, the court called me again and said they had enough people to attend jury duty, so they didn’t need me. There is a limited amount of numbers that can attend jury duty each day (usually between 100 and 900). There’s a list of people who have to attend jury duty and they draw the line somewhere. The system randomly selects who has to serve.

When they think that they have enough people to report for jury duty they just immediately stop. The court also pays the people afterwards when they attend jury duty.  I was, of course, excused from the court so I could attend school for that day. However, the court says that they will send another letter to me again very soon and have me report for jury duty.

After my jury duty experience, I interviewed several adults here at Patterson High School who have attended jury duty, to get their point of view.

“When I was on jury duty, I watched a movie, sat, and read a book”, recounted Ms. Knowles, a secretary on the 2nd floor. “I went to Baltimore City Courthouse down at Light Street where I reported for jury duty.”

People who get called for jury duty spend a lot of time just waiting to be called to a courtroom. Many of them never get chosen to actually serve on a jury. Ms. Knowles wished she had been chosen. “I’d rather be there on trial, rather than sitting their watching movies”, she stated.

If you do not show up for jury duty after receiving a summons, there can be serious legal consequences. You may have to pay an expensive fine or even go to jail.

“I had jury duty a year ago, but I have jury duty [again] on November 7, 2018, and if they don’t come and get me then they’ll lock me up, because I have missed jury duty two times”.

 

 

 

 

 

Internet is keeping teens up (OPINION)

Posted on by Leave a comment
Using an iPhone to access the internet

Smartphones make it easy for teenagers to access the internet from anywhere. (Photo: J Haymesisvi Photography — CC)

By Moses Jeuronlon

Teenagers all over the country are using technology everyday for many different reasons, but is technology affecting how teens perform in school and at home?

In my opinion it is. Teens are mostly tired in class, falling asleep on the bus, and running late to class. It is mostly because they stayed up late at night surfing the web. Also when the teacher is teaching, they take their phones out and start to text each other and get distracted. Then, when a quiz comes based on the lesson, they fail it.

According to the computer science teacher at Patterson High School,  Mr. Nicholas Yates, “the internet provides information for students, but it also provides an easy source for distraction”.

Teenagers are a group of young adults who have taken a half a step into society. Yes, the internet gives us entertainment, but it also has its negative effects. Taking the internet or technology as the top priority of a student’s life and only giving 5% of their time to his or her education is abysmal and it will lead to that student destroying his or her future.

Teens and students need to be responsible for their lives and balance the amount of time they spend on the internet and the time they spend preparing for school.

“Sometimes the internet provides distraction because it makes us lazy and keeps us away from actual work”, said Josine Mamno, a Patterson student.

When students have homework or classwork, they can rely too much on the internet and it can make them too lazy. Then, when they really need to solve a problem and the rule says no phone is allowed, they may not understand the work and fail.

There’s no law in the country that says people should not be on their phones, but teenagers can make their own set of rules about when to be on their phones and when to put them away and get serious.

 

Building STEPS prepares students for college and careers

Posted on by Leave a comment

By Christian Pietrowski,

Building STEPS is a program that prepares students in Baltimore for college and careers with a focus on science and technology. I want to say thanks to everyone in Building STEPS and everyone that’s involved with the program. My journey through Building STEPS has been an experience of a lifetime, from climbing trees at Genesee Valley all the way to learning science, technology, and engineering and mathematics skills.

When I got the acceptance letter into Building STEPS at the end of my tenth grade year, I was so excited. I was excited because I knew I was going to get the help I needed to get into college. Believe it or not, before Building STEPS, I was shy and would not approach people for help and would not talk to people unless spoken to.  They made my confidence level go from zero to a hundred. Building STEPS has helped me overcome a lot of challenges. The main challenge I overcame was being put outside of my comfort zone. I learned how to talk to people I didn’t know, and learned how to appreciate working in groups instead of on my own.

Building STEPS has also helped me with the college process.  Without them, I probably would have pulled my hair out while I wrote my college applications.  They helped me write my college essays, which I didn’t think were good until my Building STEPS writing advisor helped me. I am extremely proud that I got accepted to more than one college. I would not have been able to do that without Building STEPS. Building STEPS has helped me get into colleges I would have never dreamed about being accepted to.

In the fall, I plan to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University. I am going to play college baseball and to study criminal justice so when I graduate college I can be in the FBI.

Building STEPS has taught me a valuable lesson in life, which is to never be afraid to leave your comfort zone and don’t be scared to ask for help if needed. Thanks to Building STEPS, I have made friendships with people that I know will last a lifetime.

African dancers celebrate Black History Month at Patterson

Posted on by Leave a comment
IMG_8376

Dancers and SGA members (Photo: Patterson Press)

By Sartre Ndebaneza

Patterson High School hosted a group of Imani dancers on February 24, 2017, to celebrate the history of African Americans as part of Black History Month. It was an exciting event that Patterson High School students enjoyed, as they have testified. “I liked the dance and music. It was fantastic.” a Patterson student, Jonas, said.

The group performed a variety of songs and dances in the auditorium. All of the songs performed had a different story to tell and dancers wore different clothes to illustrate the message of each song. Imani dancers began with African traditional songs and dances, which showed African culture before slavery. Dancers were wearing clothes made of grass. Other songs performed were to honor Black activists who fought for freedom, and other songs were to recognize the part religion played to help African Americans express their opinions and feelings through music. When they started dancing in African style, the audience screamed and turned around to look at their immigrant classmates.

It was surprising to see those young dancers perform varieties of songs that awaken the spirit of unity in young generations. In conclusion, the leader of Imani dancers left a message of hope and love to the audience. “We have come together like never before,”  said the leader of Imani dancers, Eme Funderburke. The performance wasn’t only for fun, but also recalled the history of African Americans. The Imani dancers announced their next trip will be to Ghana, in Africa.

 

Patterson joins rally at City Council for banning styrofoam

Posted on by Leave a comment
(Photo: Ms. Hope)

(Photo: Ms. Hope)

By John Dingzon

Ms. Hope took at least two Patterson students with her to a rally at a meeting of the Baltimore City Council on March 9, 2017.  City Councilor Zeke Cohen and the committee urged the citizens of  Baltimore City to work with a group called B-more Beyond Plastics (BBP) to ban Styrofoam because Styrofoam has affected the community of Baltimore City over the course of the years. Many of the City Council, committee, and the citizens of Baltimore City rallied in Annapolis to support the efforts to ban Styrofoam in Annapolis. 1st district Councilman Zeke Cohen said, “Talk to your city district representative and they will also take this fight to the Annapolis.” This led to the Baltimore City Council signing a resolution to support the bill in Annapolis.

 
B-more Beyond Plastics is a youth led organization fighting to advance public health, environmental advocacy, and legislation to change the world. They have two current missions. The missions are to ban or tax plastic bags in Baltimore and ban Styrofoam in Maryland. A bill to ban Styrofoam was introduced in both the House of Delegates and State Senate this past session. B-more Beyond Plastics testified for both committees. Unfortunately, the bill was not passed. It has been suggested that BBP should gather more information to improve the bill.  

 
City Councilman 1st district Councilman Zeke Cohen was there along with City Councils and  representatives from several other districts. They participated in the rally and they wanted to urge and pass a bill on to the  Annapolis so they can banned Styrofoam. In his speech, Councilman Cohen said, “We will get this bill passed. If successful in Annapolis, then we will also pass it to other states too.” Cohen represents the district that Patterson High School is in. Students and teachers from a lot of other City schools also came to the rally to protest the use of Styrofoam.

Many of students and teachers wanted to banned Styrofoam because of how it has impacted the environment. Styrofoam harms the environment, and is also piling up in the streets and outside the school districts. Many people would want to use different materials instead of Styrofoam, such as plate metal, and glass plates.

 
There are 3 million tons of plastic produced every year. 2.3 million tons of that plastic end up in landfills. It takes 500 years for plastic to break down. Plastic that does not reach the landfill can be found littering our neighborhoods and watersheds. Plastic is lethal to marine organisms. 50% of sea turtles have ingested plastic. Also plastic contains toxins such as benzene and polystyrene that are harmful to humans. 

So what can we do? We can use biodegradable foam or plant based products when eating, shopping, shipping, and at home. That means instead of using styrofoam, use paper plates, paper bags at the market, paper board egg cartoons, etc., or better yet, use reusable bags and dishware that don’t need to be disposed of at all.

With files from Ms. Hope.
(Photos: Ms. Hope)

International chess champion visits Patterson

Posted on by Leave a comment
Phiona Mutesi with her coach Robert Katende holding the Chess along with the patterson students and teachers. creadit Faran Nadeem.

Phiona Mutesi with her coach Robert Katende holding a chess board, along with the Patterson students and teachers (Photo: Faran Nadeem)

By Faran Nadeem,

Phiona Mutesi, the international chess master, came to Patterson on Thursday, April 20, 2017. She is also known as “The Queen of Katwe.” She came to have a little talk with the students and tell about her life and how she reached where she is now. It was a great afternoon. We all had fun. It was a pleasure to have Phiona and her coach, Robert Katende, in our school.

She was born in 1996, Kampala, Uganda. She is Uganda’s first female international chess player. Before she learned about chess, she was not interested in it. In fact she didn’t even know what chess was until she stopped by the chess room in Robert’s program. She went in the chess room just for milk, according to her.

She played and won many games in Uganda, as well as internationally. She was the best player in her class and on her team. She used to beat her coach, Robert Katende, sometimes. She belonged to a very poor family. She used to sell maize with her younger brother for living. In 2016 Disney made a movie called “The Queen of Katwe,” which tells about her amazing life, and her triumph over difficulty. It shows the challenges she faced in her life. I, myself, watched the movie. It’s actually a really great and emotional movie.

I have to say that she is one of the nicest and most polite ladies I have ever met. We all had questions that we asked. She and her coach were more then happy to answer each question. “It was nice meeting her,” said Sartre. She also played chess with 4 students at the same time, while Coach Robert gave a chess lesson to one of Patterson’s top players, Jeremiah Lemmon. Another top player, Nan Wang, played against Phiona, and said, “That was really good. I had a lot of fun and I learn a lot of moves.” Both Phiona and her coach had some really good tips and lessons that they shared with Patterson students and staff. The biggest lesson they told was  “Never give up, never surrender” both in the game and in the real life. That is what she did and we all can see where she is now.

 

REFERENCE/SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phiona_Mutesi

« Older Entries Recent Entries »