Category Archives: Departments

Patterson varsity basketball team defeats Mervo, 66-27

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(Reprinted with permission from http://pattersonbasketball.com/ )

Playing its first true road game of the season, Patterson made quick work of Mervo, forcing a running clock in the third quarter and cruising to a 66-27 victory.

The Clippers (3-0) led 24-9 after the first quarter and 43-16 at halftime. Where Patterson showed its offensive prowess in the first two games–scoring 100 and 91 points–it used a stingy defensive effort on Tuesday night for the comfortable win. It held Mervo to 25 percent shooting and forced 19 turnovers.

Aquille Carr and Devin Hebron had 15 points each. Carr added five assists while Hebron made all three of his 3-point attempts. Leonard Livingston had 11 points, six rebounds and four blocks, and through three games the 6-foot-10 center is averaging 3.7 blocks.

Shakir Brown, Kwynten Brooks and Anthony Lee chipped in six points a piece, while Nyme Manns added six rebounds. Lee has made all six shots he has attempted this season and both free throws. Brown, who also grabbed five rebounds, is averaging a double-double for the season–13 points and 10.7 rebounds.

Patterson opens up its new gym on Friday night against WEB DuBois. All fans are encouraged to bring canned goods and/or nonperishable items that the team will donate to a local shelter before the upcoming holidays.

STEM Competition showcases student talent in engineering

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By Tyler Lillard

Patterson High School held its 4th annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition on November 17th, pitting teams of students against each other in a variety of challenges.  There were approximately thirty teams of four students each, including one middle school team and two visiting high school teams.  First, the students met in the auditorium with their teams for the orientation.  Then the competition began in the breezeway and near the auditorium.  The competition was fierce, and the students had a lot of fun competing.  The judges had fun also.

During the competition, each of the six stations was an activity related to one of the four STEM areas (science, technology engineering and mathematics). While some activities were easy, others were very challenging. Stations included a zip line challenge, a double egg drop, a math page, a paper rocket, an aluminum foil boat to hold marbles, and a tower that is supposed to hold a tennis ball on top of it to withstand an earthquake.

Industry partners served as judges, including representatives from AT&T, the Baltimore City Fire Department, the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Whitman, Requardt, & Associates, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Morgan State University, and Booz Allen Hamilton.  Many Patterson teachers and staff members also served as judges. Another industry partner, Northrop Grumman, sent their video crew and recorded our whole competition including the awards ceremony.

After the students went through the six different stations, they went to the media center for lunch while the judges tallied up all the teams’ scores.  After lunch the winners were awarded trophies, and everyone received a certificate of participation. The winners are as follows:

1st Place: Sarah McLaughlin, Sonia Mbock , Stephanie Megginson

2nd Place: Indigo Newsome, Tori Jones, Parshu Nepal

3rd Place:  Salah al deen Al-Batayneh , Baha al deen  Al-Batayneh ,and Hassan Al Defaaei

This year’s STEM competition brought attention to some of the incredible talents that Patterson’s students have to offer, while also allowing participants to have some fun. Many students are already looking forward to next year’s competition in the hopes that it will be even bigger and better.

Performers bring Chinese culture to Patterson

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(Photo: Deyanna Bell, Patterson Press)

By Mengfei Chen, Patterson Press staff writer

A group of professional dancers and musicians from China celebrated China’s cultural and ethnic diversity with a dazzling performance entitled “Colorful China” at Patterson’s auditorium on November 15. The performance featured dozens of performers in richly decorated costumes representing China’s fifty-six ethnic groups. Historical and geographic themes like “the Fantastic Prairie” and “the Ancient Times” brought China’s diversity to the stage.

“We choose to have this show at Patterson High School is because we were told that this school has students from over 40 different countries” explained Mr. Wu, the Chinese government official in charge of the performance. “China is a diverse country [so this school is a good match for the theme of our performance]” Mr Wu added.

Before the performance, the Chinese performers worked with a number of Patterson students from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and national origins so that they could be a part of the performance. During “Colorful China”, these students dressed in Chinese clothes, held Chinese traditional instruments and participated in the show.

As students poured into the auditorium, a slide show of photos flashed across a screen above the stage, showing views of China both traditional and modern. ” Colorful China” presented a gift for Patterson High School and after Mr Benton welcomed the crew, the perform began.

The first scene was based on a Chinese festival.  It showed how various Chinese ethnic groups celebrate their new year. The Miao people, one of  the many ethnic groups in China, celebrate their New Year in November. Performers used dance to show the how jubilant the celebration is. The dancers cheered and greeted the coming new year.

The second scene was a wedding ceremony. The enthusiastic groom danced and sang to express how happy he was. The bride danced with him and responded to his love. This strange wedding really let the audience experience Chinese culture and made them feel as though they had been transported to China. At the same time, dancers invited students to join them, giving students a chance to interact with them and gain a more personal connection to the dance.

The third scene was a performance of traditional Chinese musical instruments. Four musicians played four different instruments: the gu zheng, the pipa, the Chinese flute and the urheen. They played one at a time first and then together. Those instruments reappeared in a later scene about the history of classical music traditions  in China.

The final scene was also the most intense and involved all of the dancers and musicians who had performed earlier. Patterson students wearing traditional Chinese costumes walked across the stage, as the Chinese performers joined them in one last dance. The man who played the groom in the wedding ceremony twirled with impressive speed, revealing a special cape that opened up into a huge spinning top. As the show came to an end, all the performers stood together on the stage and took a bow as the audience showered them a thunderous applause.

“Colorful China” built a bridge across international borders by allowing Patterson students to experience another country’s culture. Many students hope to see more performances of this kind from other countries in the future in order to build positive relationships with people from around the world.

(Photo: Deyanna Bell, Patterson Press)

(Photo: Patterson High School Yearbook staff)

(Photo: Patterson High School Yearbook staff)

(Photo: Patterson High School Yearbook staff)

(Photo: Patterson High School Yearbook staff)

Students create gifts for the Chinese performers (Photo: Patterson High School Yearbook staff)


Steel drum ensemble performs at Patterson

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Steel drum musician Kevin Martin brought his Rock Creek Steel Drum ensemble to Patterson on November 2 to perform for students and staff.  The performance was the start of a six week artist residency with Mr. Martin, who will teach students how to play steel drums, helping us to start our own Patterson Steel Drum Ensemble. Students who are interested in participating should sign up with Ms. Warzer in Room 251B.  Practice will be after school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and/or Thursdays (depending on the week) in Room 14 in the basement, next to Ms. Holter’s room.  Listen to the end of day announcements for reminders.

Steel drum player performing for Patterson students and staff (photo: Deyanna Bell, Patterson Press)
(photo: Deyanna Bell, Patterson PresS)

Twilight: a hard lesson with even harder consequences

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By Jakai Hunter, Patterson Press staff writer

In public high schools across the country there is a program called Twilight. It’s really like night school but on the internet. Now, normally if you’re doing Twilight, that means one of two things: Either you had a class and failed it or the class could not fit into your schedule and you are forced to take it in Twilight.

In a way, students are fortunate to have Twilight because otherwise some of them would not be graduating. The price of Twilight and the hours during which you are required to work on the program can prevent you from finishing or even starting it. Managing your time will be your number one priority when it comes to doing Twilight, but some students do not even bother to sign up for Twilight, not because they are in one of the situations I mentioned earlier but because they simply refuse to do it. Little do they know, it will soon become a decision they deeply regret.

As many students know, if seniors who fail to complete Twilight can not participate in any senior activities and cannot graduate from high school until the course or courses they are required to pass are completed. If you have been informed that you need to take Twilight, my advice is to take it seriously and get it done as soon as possible so you can move ahead with your life.

Nail Tech students visit day spa

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On November 4, Ms. Bridgeforth’s Nail Technology class went on a field trip to the Maisie Dunbar Spa Lounge in Silver Spring, Maryland to learn how a professional day spa operates. What follows are reports from two of the students who participated in the trip.

The trip to Maise Dunbar Spa Lounge

By Shakeira Cooper

The trip was a beautiful and wonderful experience for me. I had fun with my teacher, Ms. Bridgeforth, Ms. Rhue and my classmates, Jazmine, Diamen and Lavern. Ms. Dunbar [the owner of the day spa] is a very nice, intelligent and caring woman. She loves what she does and so do her fellow workers, Ms. Michelle and Ms. Humaira. They are very respectful, nice and talented women also. They are very good at what they do. For example, Ms. Humaira is very good at arching people’s eyebrows with wax and thread. I had the experience of getting my eyebrows threaded by Ms. Humaira. That was an experience I had never had in my life, but it was a good one. I loved the look of the outcome.  I can definitely see myself doing that again. Yes, it hurts, but not as much as I expected, especially considering that it was my first time getting that.

After I was done, Ms. Dunbar shared some of her knowledge and wisdom to the Patterson students before she went to go service a client. Then Ms. Michelle did a makeup session with Diamond and myself that was fun and I looked so different I couldn’t believe it was me. Even my classmates and my teacher loved the look. Two of my classmates and my teacher had gotten henna on there hands and it looked very pretty and detailed. Before we all were on our way out of the door we had another demonstration from Ms. Dunbar. She showed us a pedicure with a paraffin wax demonstration.

Then we all said our “see you later”s and Ms. Dunbar was so pleased with our appearance and conduct that she invited us back to a little get-together with her on November 20th as V.I.Ps and to assist her. We are very pleased and we all nicely said yes and thank you.

The Trip To The Day Spa

By Diamen Jones

My trip to the Maisie Dunbar Spa Lounge was interesting. Once we arrived, we got to see Ms. Dunbar actually performing services (manicure). While Ms. Dunbar was doing the services, Ms. Michelle gave us a tour around the spa and showed us different areas. After the tour, Ms. Humaira gave out services. She threaded my eyebrows, and the eyebrows of my classmate Shakeira Cooper, my teacher Ms. Bridgeforth, and the work-based learning coordinator, Ms. Rhue.

Ms. Humaira also applied henna to Ms. Bridgeforth, Ms. Rhue and two of my classmates–Laverne Black and Jasmine Ward. Ms. Michelle also performed makeup services on me, Shakeira & Ms. Rhue. After our services were finished, Ms.Dunbar spoke to us about how failure was not an option. She also invited us back to a V.I.P. reception on November 20th.

Bullying is a serious problem

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By Deyanna Bell, Patterson Press staff writer

Bullying can affect anybody, whether it is in school or out in the neighborhood. School bullying is a big problem that  still goes on. It is caused by spreading rumors or physically or emotionally hurting other people. Statistics published on the website bullyingstatistics.org show that 2 in every 3 bullied victims have been bullied more than once or twice during the school year and 10% are bullied on a regular basis. Some students do not realize what bullying means or what it can cause the victim to do. Victims of bullying  often start to have poor grades, sucidical thoughts and/or low self esteem and help problems. In 2010 about 71% of students were reportedly being bullied in school.

There are a number of ways to help stop bullying in  school. If you are being bullied, standing up for yourself is a great way to  improve your self -esteem. It can also help to have a friend around that can support you in this difficult time.  According to Olweus, a bullying prevention program, students who bully others should be held accountable for their actions.  If you know someone who is being bullied tell them they should get some help from a teacher, counselor or the help hotline.

Patterson teacher creates street art for the community

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Ms. Broere creating her painted crosswalk (Photo: Ms. Monica Broere)

By Mengfei Chen, Patterson Press staff writer

Patterson art teacher Ms. Monica Broere recently created public art for the Highlandtown neighborhood, by painting a scene on the crosswalk  of Eastern Ave and Conkling Steet. Ms. Broere was invited by a group of  professional artists invited her to make this fresh and amazing work of art. That is the first time that she has painted a street. She was excited to do this because she saw it as an opportunity to bring people together in the community.

“The reason I chose that particular image is because painted window screens are a traditional art-form in Baltimore and it began right in East Baltimore”, Ms Broere told the Patterson Press. Even though it is no longer common  to see this type of art in East Baltimore, it is even more rare outside of  this area. Ms. Broere’s excitement about the project is evident when she speaks about it.

The picture she painted is of a home and trees. Those natural and warm images really bring viewers back to the period before air conditioning, when  people had more connection with each other. With the rapid development of  society today, it is easy for us to lose our most important relationships. We should work harder to build a stronger sense of community with our neighbors. Ms. Broere’s artwork helps to accomplish that, encouraging strangers to talk to each other about the new artwork as they pass each other on the street.

Ms. Broere said that she would like to do something like this again in the future, possibly around Patterson High School. She may ask students for their opinions and try to create the  picture on the paper first. We hope this day is coming soon!

Before (Photo: Ms. Monica Broere)

After (Photo: Ms. Monica Broere)

Patterson goes Passionately Pink to fight breast cancer

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Patterson students wore pink to raise awareness about breast cancer (Photo: Deyanna Bell, Patterson Press)

By Deyanna Bell, Patterson Press staff writer

Staff and students at Patterson High School showed their support and raised awareness about breast cancer on Thursday, October 27th by wearing pink shirts, ribbons or buttons. These actions were part of “Passionately Pink for the Cure Day”, which was organized by Ms. Brett, Ms. Hall-Butler and Coach Kelley Bagdasarian in recognition of breast cancer awareness month.  “As a female, [breast cancer] is something to be aware of and help others to be aware”, Coach Kelley told the Patterson Press.

In addition to encouraging students, teachers and staff to wear pink, the organizers also planned a fun event called” Ladies Night Out”, featuring zumba and yoga lessons as well as performances by Patterson student dancers. Tickets were sold for five dollars per person and the event was held in the auditorium. All proceeds were donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. Students also went from class to class collecting donations for the same charity.

Whether it is for someone in your family or someone you don’t know, please support the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation to find a cure for breast cancer. The Patterson Press would like to thank Coach Kelly and all the staff and student members of Patterson High School who participated in this wonderful event .

Coach Kelley Bagdasarian, co-organizer of Passionately Pink Day (Photo: Deyanna Bell, Patterson Press)

(Photo: Deyanna Bell, Patterson Press)

(Photo: Deyanna Bell, Patterson Press)

(Photo: Deyanna Bell, Patterson Press)

(Photo: Deyanna Bell, Patterson Press)

(Photo: Deyanna Bell, Patterson Press)

Students Have a Ball at Homecoming Dance

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(Photo: Patterson H.S. Yearbook staff)

By April Ludd

Patterson High School had its first homecoming dance in years on Saturday, October 15th. This event has been the talk of the school. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors were all in attendance. The dress code was formal and students showed off their best dresses and suits as they danced to the beats of songs like “Donk” (Soulja Boy) and “1 + 1” (Beyonce’). A wonderful DJ kept the music pumping late into the night. For those who worked up an appetite with their dance moves, chips and other refreshments were available. Students and chaperons struck their best poses as Ms. King took their pictures.

Overall, Mr. Benton is doing a wonderful job listening to students’ opinions and trying to make everything possible. The homecoming dance is something that a lot of students wanted. Those who were there will always remember it.

(Photo: Patterson H.S. Yearbook staff)

Principal Benton poses with two students (Photo: Patterson H.S. Yearbook staff)

(Photo: Patterson H.S. Yearbook staff)

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