Weekly opinion poll #7
(Based on 33 students voting)
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Wild animals belong in the wild (OPINION)
By Destiny Diggs
Have you ever thought about how we humans function? We feel strongly about protecting the right of animals, we are against animal cruelty, and we believe that animals should be allowed to be with their families and be happy and live as animals should. We say that, but then we as humans support some of the actions done by other humans; take for example, zoos. We say all animals should be treated fairly and with dignity but we go to Africa, Brazil, China, Antarctica, and the Middle East and capture animals to bring them back to the States to put them in cages for the rest of their lives. We take animals out of their natural habitat and make them live in cages were they aren’t allowed to roam free as they please and feed them dead animals from a bucket. Many humans come up to them to take picture and even get a show by watching some animal specialist do tricks. The same goes with aquariums. We take different fish and sea animals, put them in giant tanks, and feed them food out of a bucket.
It’s something to think about because we contradict ourselves. We do not allow normal citizens to own certain animals and keep them as pets becuase we say “It’s a wild animal” but we allow places like zoos and aquariums to exist? We call them wild animals, but some people who are wealthy are allowed to keep some of the most dangerous animals in their homes, like lions, tigers, and bears. But when an animal acts like in the wild and feels like they are being threatened or are irritated they may attack the owner and cause serious injuries. You would think this means that they should not be kept as pets, but instead we take that as they are a threat to society and we kill the animal instead of setting it free back into its home. These are natural instincts for some of these animals so they should not be punished for acting like what they are meant to be.
I won’t say that capturing animals or taking them out their home is always a bad thing. I think research is a good reason but I believe that they should be returned to the wild or scientists should study them in their natural habitat. I also think that taking them out and helping them get better if they are injured and returning them. I noticed that we humans try to respond as quickly as possible when an animal goes endangered; we try to find the reason why it’s endangered, make a law against it, and hope the population numbers go up. If they don’t, we take matters into our own hands and try to save them. But humans are the reasons why some animals are endangered because we kill them off so much they aren’t able to reproduce their numbers. For example, we would kill elephants for their tusk, which contain ivory. We also hunt rhinos, tigers for their fur, pandas, and many more. We talk about how Mother Nature is a beautiful thing and we should take care of it and respect it. Animals are a part of Mother Nature and deserve to be in nature not in cages. They should be able to roam free with others and we should learn to respect them and not claim them as ours. We should be honored to have these creatures in our presence because some of these animal species have been around for thousands of years; some are walking history. We should try to take care of them.
Weekly opinion poll #3
(Based on 58 students voting)
New group connects motivational speakers with latino students
By Makenzie Reyes-Schettini,
Our school has the privilege to participate in a new group called Palante for Spanish and English speaking students. The word “palante” means moving forward in Spanish and that is exactly what they do! Many students take their free education for granted and don’t really think about their education. This group brings in people who have been through many challenges and succeeded in accomplishing their goals.
During a meeting last fall, Patterson High’s students from Palante have met many extraordinary people. There was Alicia I. Arbaje, who is a geriatric medicine specialist and health services professional at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Students also met Andres Anirt Gonzales, who is the co-founder and director of marketing for the Holistic Life Foundation, Inc. He is also one of the founders of the Mindful Moment program in which our school has the privilege of taking part in. Another speaker who came to the meeting was George Julnes, who has a doctorial degree in psychology. Lastly, there was Patricia Omana, who is the regional outreach manager for the connector entity of Healthy Howard.
What do all these people have in common? They are all latinos who have started with nothing and reached extraordinary heights. As they told their stories they didn’t forget to give us advice to keep focusing on our goals. So remember, don’t give up no matter how hard it may seem!
Seniors, Get Ready!
Seniors, you are approaching the finish line! Don’t stumble now!
(Photo reposted from http://gallowaymsp.wordpress.com/ )
By Destiny Diggs,
The new year is upon us. 2013 has come and gone. Students of cohort 2014 are preparing for upcoming events such as prom, Senior Farewell , senior interviews, and last but not least, graduation. As the clock is ticking, Seniors are making sure that all failed classes are being made up, H.S.A.s and Bridge Projects are done and community services hours are complete.
For most seniors I’m sure their goal for their last year in high school is to have one or two classes and to be able to leave early. Some seniors have that opportunity; others aren’t so lucky. They are stuck at school all day finding ways to make up classes in Twilight, which makes their day at school even longer. But what has really frustrated most seniors including myself is the Bridge projects.
Bridge projects are basically packets that seniors have to complete in place of passing the H.S.A. We take Bridge projects because we could not meet the H.S.A passing score. The most Bridge projects a student can get is seven. How many projects they have to do in that subject depends on their H.S.A. score. The closer their score is to the passing requirement, the less Bridge projects they have to do.
Although Bridge projects can be stressful, it really isn’t the work itself that stresses seniors out. It’s having to find out how many and making sure you go to work on them during the allotted times because most teachers aren’t going to come get the students to come do their Bridge projects. Also you have to make sure you keep up with the class you’re being pulled out of to do your Bridge project.
Bridge projects are one of the major academic concerns for seniors, but there are also many extracurricular and financial matters that demand students’ attention as well. Let’s not forget senior dues. The specific package you want determines how much money you have to put out. Some seniors are getting the entire package, including Prom, Farewell, and Graduation, some are only getting one to two things in their package so they will pay less money. If they’re late with their payment they will have pay a late fee.
Of course, with all this stress and hard work there are some events in a senior’s last year that make it all worth it. Prom is one of these. Even though it’s only for a few hours, people spend a couple hundred dollars on their dress or their suit. Some even spend a couple thousand on their ride there because the entrance is just a part of the prom. Then they pay to take some pictures. But being there makes the money worth it for many students.
Senior Farewell is just a chance for the school to say goodbye to the seniors and hello to the new cohort. Then the big day approaches: Graduation Day. The final step in a senior’s last year is the moment you walk out on that stage and receive your diploma.
It might not hit you then, but once you leave that building you will notice that you no longer are required by the state to go to school. You can now make your own decisions on what you want to do with your life. You can go to college, trade school, work, anything. It’s now up to you and what you want to do.
Hopefully during your high school years you have gained some of the knowledge you need to survive in the real world. Hopefully you already have an idea of what you want to do with your life and know what you need to do to accomplish your goals. Although for most seniors it may be a stressful last year because you’re making sure all your ducks are in a row, once you receive that diploma and know you never have to come back it will all be worth it.
Students participate in Chesapeake Bay Service Learning Experience
Patterson students net fish in the Chesapeake Bay (Photo: Ms. Warzer)
Patterson students participated in a Chesapeake Bay Watershed project with the Patterson Park Audubon Center during this past fall.
Chris Homeister, the Experience Educator with the Audubon Center, had this to say about working with Patterson students, “They showed great interest in the presentation and the accompanying activities.”
Two classes participated in the project: Mr. Hopp’s Environmental Science students and Mrs. Warzer’s ESOL students. First, the classes welcomed the guest speaker, Chris Homeister, into their rooms. They listened to a presentation on the Chesapeake Bay, and how humans can impact the Bay, both positively and negatively. Then, each class joined Mr. Homeister for a day on the Chesapeake Bay. There, the students used fishing rods, reels and nets to find and catch various species of fish. Students placed the fish in small aquariums and identified the species using Fish I.D. sheets. They also conducted water quality testing.
Later, each class joined Mr. Homeister in an environmental stewardship project. Mr. Hopp’s students planted trees on Patterson’s school grounds on October 23, 2013. Mrs. Warzer’s students went to Patterson Park and cleaned up trash on November 8, 2013. The students participated with great energy and were very helpful. The students made picking up trash into a “game”, where a student would earn “a point” for each piece of trash that they picked up.
“Each time someone spotted a piece of trash, all the boys and a few girls would sprint to the trash. It was fun to watch,” said Mr. Homeister.
Both Mrs. Warzer and Mr. Hopp were very pleased with the learning experience.
“The Audubon Watershed Experience was a true gift to my Environmental Science curriculum”, said Mr. Hopp. “Not only did my students learn by wading out in the waters and testing oxygen levels in the Bay, but they also made a positive impact on their own community’s environment. Ultimately, this experience has better connected our students with the gifts of the Chesapeake Bay by helping them develop advocacy leadership skills for their future.”
“ This was a terrific opportunity for our English Language learners to have a hands-on experience with the environment in their new home and learn the vocabulary and ideas related to environmental science”, explained Ms. Warzer. “We followed up by watching videos of water restoration projects in their home country regions, and having an environmental conference to discuss the projects as examples of the scientific method in action. The students’ response was truly ‘awesome’!”
The students were also very grateful for this unique experience.
“ I appreciate you for helping us to understand why the leaves are falling down and the colors are changing”, Yamen Khalil wrote in a thank you letter to the Audubon Society. “I liked learning about how we can be sure if the water is dirty or if it didn’t have enough oxygen. I am glad we helped to make Patterson Park clean.”
“ I learned to take care of the environment- not polluting the rivers, lakes, and beaches and taking care of the animals”, added Rocio Valdez. “If we take care of everything around us, it is going to be better for ourselves, our families and for the future.”
Finally, Chris Homeister had one more comment to add, “It was an honor to work with your staff and students this semester. I hope we can partner up again in the future. Take care and thanks for supporting our partnership with Patterson High School.”
(Photos: Ms. Warzer)
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- Patterson students net fish in the Chesapeake Bay (Photo: Ms. Warzer)
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- Patterson students test water from the Chesapeake Bay and record data about water temperature, salinity, and oxygen content. (Photo: Ms. Warzer)
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- On a cold day in November, Patterson students remove trash from Patterson Park as a service learning project connected with the Audubon Wetlands Experience program (Photo: Ms. Warzer)
Health Fair returns for second year
Nursing students taking blood pressure at the Health Fair (Photo: Tamika Addison, Patterson Press)
Patterson High School hosted its second annual health fair on December 18th from 1:00 to 3:30 PM in the gym. This year’s health fair was Olympic-themed, with the slogan “Be a Champion of your Health”. The fair was organized by Ms. Diehl and the Health Corps, with assistance from a variety of staff, students and community partners.
Entire classes of students visited the Health Fair along with their teachers during FUTURES and last period. A wide range of resources and fun activities were available to students. Booths were organized into four categories:
Eat Like a Champion – Breakfast Bingo, McCormick Veggie Burger Demonstration, Share Our Strength Salsa-making Station, Drink the Rainbow Smoothie Booth, ReThink Your Drink, AmeriGroup, Real Food Farm
Move Like a Champion – Yoga, Basketball, Relay Races, Hula Hooping
Feel Like a Champion – Self-Massage for Stress Relief, Holistic Life Foundation, Center for Integrative Medicine, Patterson For Peace, Positivi-Torch
Live Like a Champion – Skin Care, Natural Locs Salon Natural Hair Care, BCHD Teen Pregnancy Prevention, BCHD STD Prevention and Condom use, Patterson High School Garden, Nursing Students’ Blood Pressure Screenings
Ms. Diehl would like to thank the following groups for helping with the fair:
- Student Government Association and Patterson For Peace for help with planning and execution of fair
- JROTC students for escorting outside guests to fair
- Ms. Holter’s and Mr. Canty’s classes for decorations
- Mr. Gilman for building our podium
- Nursing students for taking Blood Pressure
- The Patterson Press for covering event
- Way Better Snacks, Beanfields Chips, Chobani Yogurt, Fiber One, Honest Tea, Chipotle, and the Fresh Market for donations
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- Students teaching about all of the sugar in common beverages and why you should drink water instead (Photo: Tamika Addison, Patterson Press)
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- Nursing students taking blood pressure at the Health Fair (Photo: Tamika Addison, Patterson Press)
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- Students checking out the Real Food Farm and Amerigroup booths (Photo: Tamika Addison, Patterson Press)
Nail tech pathway has more to offer than many students realize
Ms. Robin Bridgeforth, nail tech instructor (Photo: Destiny Diggs, Patterson Press)
By Destiny Diggs,
Patterson High School has many career pathways, including nursing , E.M.T., business and financing, pharmacy, law, and nail technology. Nail technology has been run by Robin Bridgeforth for the last thirteen years.
Ms. Bridgeforth has also served as the coordinator of Skills U.S.A for the last twelve years. Ms. Bridgeforth, a senior cosmetologist, has been in the cosmetology field since the eighties and has taught at Dudley College, which is named after the Dudley brothers who started a line of African American hair products. After graduating from Western High School and attending Morgan State University, Ms. Bridgeforth went into the cosmetology field and has been doing it for over twenty years. She started off doing hair in a nursing home and from then on it has come natural to her. She even has her own hair shop.
In 2000, Ms. Bridgeforth decided to spread her knowledge to Patterson High School students and since then she has help hundreds of students earn nail technology licenses and get employed in nail shops and full service salons. Unfortunately, many students incorrectly believe that when they join the nail tech program, they will only be doing hands on-work. Many people do not know that nail technology is also about knowing about the nail and what is around it, such as the skin. Nail techs have to have an understanding about the human body, including the skin, nails, bones, diseases and disorders. It is not all just hands on. It is a three-year course but some students complete it in only two years. Students who apply themselves can have their hours signed off in their junior year instead of their senior year . Like all of the career pathways at Patterson, students start the pathway as tenth graders and continue on till they become seniors.
Every year Ms. Bridgeforth throws her new tenth graders a spa opening event formally known as “Spa La La grand opening “. The salon’s grand opening normally opens around October or November. The salon’s menu includes everything from basic manicures to chocolate pedicures. The students will learn basic manicures as well as sculptured nails. They will practice each new lesson on artificial hands and feet on a regular basis. Once they have gotten the method down they are able to practice on a live person and after they finish they are able to take a picture and save it for their portfolio. They will have to complete the portfolio in their junior and senior year.
The Patterson Press asked Ms. Bridgeforth a few questions about her program.
Patterson Press: What made you want to teach at Patterson?
Ms. Bridgeforth: I wanted to teach in a public school system because I taught in a private school system for so long. I love teaching and I wanted to try teaching in a different environment.
Patterson Press: What made you want to go into the cosmetology field?
Ms. Bridgeforth: I had not planned on being a cosmetologist because I wanted to be a doctor. When I discovered that I didn’t like the sight of blood. I knew I had to consider some other things. I began braiding hair in college and designing hair on the side and I found out that I really enjoyed it and started my own business.
Patterson Press: Do you consider this your passion and life’s work?
Ms. Bridgeforth: Yes I do. I love it.
Patterson Press: Do you plan on going back to an actual cosmetology school?
Ms. Bridgeforth: No.
Patterson Press: What do you think your students will gain out of your program, other then being licensed nail techs?
Ms. Bridgeforth: What I hope they will gain is to increase their confidence and self esteem and the ability to communicate effectively in a professional environment. I hope that they have the opportunity to advance themselves in the cosmetology field and are able to become financially independent as a result of working in the cosmetology field.
Patterson Press: How do you feel when students are placed in your program and do not want to be there?
Ms. Bridgeforth: I feel it is very unfair to the students to be placed in any program that they do not want to be in, because they’re not going to show any interest and they do not have a passion for doing it. They become a disruption for the other students and occasionally they are very disrespectful because of their frustration of not wanting to be here.
Patterson Press: What type of salon environment do you think is best for your students to be working in?
Ms. Bridgeforth: I think the best environment is one that is professional and supportive and that provides continuing education and financial growth.
Students in the nail technology program will gain many things from being there. They will gain great people skills and learn to be professional. They will learn what they should expect from their job. Unfortunately, some students take this course and many of the other career pathways for granted they fail to realize that they are getting a class for free that could have cost them thousands of dollars. Ms. Bridgeforth’s program not only does nails but she also has special events such as a spring nail competition. The nail tech class is overlooked and underrated and people think the only thing that the nail techs do are nails. They are sadly mistaken. They also learn about the nails and its structure. Nail techs learn to be responsible, respectable human beings. The cosmetology field is a wonderful field and filled with many talented people, including make up artists, hair stylists and aesthetics and nail techs. I am happy and honored to be a part of this career pathway.
National Guard sponsors stunt bike show at Patterson
(Photo: Brandon Diaz, Patterson Press)
By Tanya Diaz,
Members of the National Guard came to Patterson High School’s gym on Friday, October 4th to entertain our Patterson students, making incredible jumps and tricks and other unimaginable stuff with their BMX bicycles. The event was called “Bring Your Game to School” and it featured three stunt riders: Andrew (26 years old), Corry (24 years old) and Erick (17 years old).
The Patterson Press had a chance to speak to these athletes after the show. Here are some of the questions we asked them and their responses:
Patterson Press: What is the purpose of this event?
Corry: The purpose of this event is to make people be more interested in the National Guard and this kind of sport.
Patterson Press: How many years do you have practicing this sport?
Erick: Well, I probably have like four years.
Patterson Press: Why did you start practicing it?
Erick: I think I felt attracted to and impressed by this sport, so I start practicing and getting better each day.
Patterson Press: Do you recommend this sport to others?
Andrew: If you want to challenge yourself and if you want to get skills, I will say, of course, do it.
(Photo: Brandon Diaz, Patterson Press)
Patterson defeats ACCE 75-30 in season opener
Republished with permission from http://pattersonbasketball.com
Patterson kicked off its season on December 5th with a dominating victory over visiting ACCE, 75-30, behind 25 points from guard Rysheed Corbin.
Corbin opened the game with eight straight points as the Clippers raced out to an early lead and never looked back. Corbin finished the game 9 of 15 from the field and added nine steals.
He got help from the rest of Patterson’s backcourt, which contributed to force ACCE into 34 turnovers. Kwynten Brooks had a solid all-around game, scoring four points and adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Dereck Oliver had nine points, Tyquan Pointer had seven points and five rebounds and Daquan Jones had three points and four rebounds.
The Clippers controlled the paint as well, out-rebounding ACCE 37-18. Dawan Bass had 15 points, eight rebounds and three steals and Fortune Okigweh had five points and nine rebounds. Emerson Atkins chipped in with five points and four rebounds.
pattersonpress.org 