By Mr. Phillips

The Patterson boys lacrosse team finished the season with 2 wins and 8 losses. In spite of this disappointing record, the team did show a lot of strengths, especially conditioning at the midfield and attack positions and strength in the defensive positions. Opposing coaches noted that Patterson played hard the entire game, played physical, and have underclassmen who should improve next year.

The team’s biggest weaknesses were passing accuracy, lack of experience and eligibility. We only had 1 player with a significant amount of previous high school lacrosse experience. Lack of experience shows up in game situations when players chase the ball rather than defend their assigned player or zone. This led to a lot of open shots on the “weak side” when defenders left their zones. Good lacrosse requires a high amount of trust and teamwork, which is not built in a 2 month period, but requires a few years.

Eligibility was a big problem this season. We started with nearly 30 students attending conditioning and ended up starting our final game with just ten players healthy and eligible.

Patterson can only get better. We have not had an active lacrosse program for several seasons. We will be getting underclassmen involved in summer club lacrosse and younger players will get better at playing together.
Our MVP was Brandon Chambers (2019), team captain, who played long-stick defense and also filled in as goalie on several occasions. Brandon is an extremely hard worker and well-respected voice of reason in a huddle. His willingness to help teach freshman was outstanding.

An unsung hero for the team was Desmond Wilds, who played goalie after our starting goalie became ineligible. Desmond started in the goal against Poly, which was our strongest game in terms of hustle and effort. Playing goalie on an inexperienced team is a very difficult job because a person who doesn’t know much about lacrosse will assume that the goalie is a bigger factor than defensive lapses.

By Mr. Funk

The Patterson Varsity Baseball team has had an excellent 2019 season. Led by a strong pitching staff and deep senior leadership, the Clippers rattled off five straight wins to start the season. The team’s 10-9 win over Mervo on April 1 stood out in particular, with seniors Terrence Taylor and Jason
Núñez rallying to tie the game in the bottom of the 6th, and freshman Emmanuel Caraballo winning the game with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 7th.

A series of narrow mid-season losses to Poly and City–all by six runs or less–eliminated the Clippers from contention for the Baltimore City Championship game, but decisive bounce-back wins over Douglass and Mervo guaranteed Patterson sole possession of third place in Division I. The team heads towards the state playoffs boasting an 11-3 record and playing with a great deal of confidence, and impressive contributions from underclassmen like Josh Martinez indicate more great Clipper baseball seasons to come.

We’ll miss senior veterans like Tavon Mitchell and Mike Abreu, but over the past few seasons they’ve set a tone and example for the team that will live on here for years after they’re gone.

By Ziara Jones

Most people think that video games are bad because they affect kids and adults’ brains and health. Kids sometimes don’t want to eat or fix themselves something to eat, or if they have to go to the bathroom they would wait a couple of minutes and then they would go. They don’t have the time to do anything.

However, there are also good things about video games. Some games can even be very educational and help you learn.

According to Joanne Orlando, a writer for Curious Kids, “Children like video games because they are fun and because they can be challenging. You have to solve problems, work out the best moves for your character, and decide how to use your equipment and supplies in the best possible way. Making all these decisions can be exciting.”

People at Patterson High School have given their opinions about video games. “Children like video games because they are fun and because they can be challenging.”, said freshman Marquis Jones.

Nonetheless, many parents are concerned that their child might always choose to play a video game instead of playing outside and getting exercise.

Like most things, video games are best enjoyed in moderation. As long as you keep a good balance and don’t spend too much time looking at a screen, playing video games can be a healthy way to relax and maybe even learn something.

por Lizeth Rojas Hernandez

Decidí venir a hacer una visita porque quería conocer y saber cómo son las universidades. Creo que sería maravilloso aprender y experimentar nuevos horizontes. He aprendido que en la vida con esfuerzo uno puede lograr todo lo que se quiere. Es necesario que estudiemos para tener un futuro mejor para cuando seamos grandes. Sin embargo, la educación es cara y por eso me gustaría saber cuánto me costaría una clase en Goucher.

Conocer a Goucher College fue una experiencia incredible porque compratimos tiempo con el director y conocimos a algunos alumnos y ellos nos enseñaron sus recámaras y nos hablaron un poco sobre sus propias experiencias en la universidad. Nos explicaron las reglas universitarias y por qué es importante seguirlas. Nos dijeron que todo es posible y que luchemos por nuestras metas y sueños.

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(Photos: Makhia Burley)

By Makhia Burley

The Patterson track team has been making tremendous progress this year. There are over 20 students on the team that do many track and field events. For the past season the team has been expanding, going to new events and breaking old Patterson track records.

There was a track meet on May 1 at City College and Patterson runner Kuran Johnson ran the 100 meter dash, setting a record time of 10.80 seconds. He is now is the fastest in the state.

“I feel accomplished when they succeed but never satisfied. the goal is to be the best in the world.”, declared Coach Ted Smith.

This is important because he is saying he wants the runners to do better then just win. He wants them to be successful in life overall.

By Breonna Holley

School violence and efforts to prevent it have been going on for so long that it has almost become commonplace. Last year alone, there were 103 recorded school related shooting related incidents resulting in 60 deaths and 88 injuries, according to the group Everytown for Gun Safety.

The violence happens at every level, from elementary schools to colleges and universities. Violence in schools has spread widely throughout the nation. School violence is a big problem we are facing now. School violence has caused many problems among students, families, faculty/staff of schools, and residents of the community.

School violence is not limited to mass shootings. It also includes gang activity, bullying, and assault. There are also other crime and safety concerns in school, such as theft and drugs. School violence usually does not start in school. Crimes in school are often related to violence that occurs in the home or the community. Some kids could be going through something at home that leads them to do bad things at school. Violent tendencies may also be linked to the experience of children that watch violent TV shows.

Some people only go to school because they have to, and some people skip school because they think it is unnecessary. When students cut class or leave the building without permission, it often leads to unsafe situations.

The last 3 years have shown us that the threat of violence in schools and in society at large is more common today than in the past. One problem involving violence has to do with knives. The reason kids bring knives to school is because they probably do not feel safe at the school. The student who was arrested for stabbing another student at Patterson in March claimed that he was being bullied and that he carried the knife for self-defense. Whether or not this is true, it is clear that the presence of knives and other weapons in school is a serious safety concern.

School is supposed to be a safe place where young people can go learn the basics of mathematics, literature, science, and other subjects, without fearing for their safety, feeling intimidated, or being harassed. Patterson High School is taking a variety of measures to improve school safety. These measures include the use of metal detectors, the presence of security guards in the school, rules and regulations regarding student conduct and dress, profiling of potentially violent students, anti-bullying programs, restorative practices, and more.

When an incident does occur, administrators respond to it and take steps to keep everyone safe and prevent further violence. “Once a fight happens, we’ll always deal with it.”, declared Mr. Alukwu, one of the assistant principals at Patterson.

Even though school administrators and teachers are working toward making the school environment safe and secure, crime and violence still find their way onto the school grounds. Safety will continue to be a concern at schools, so educators, school administrators, parents, and students remain vigilant in striving to make their schools safe places where youth are able to learn.

By Kayla Holeman, Dante Wilds and Z-iara Jones

There is a drug problem at Patterson High School and dozens of other schools all over Baltimore. But why do people do drugs in school? What is the purpose of young people engaging in this harmful behavior? Why do they like to smoke in schools? Is there a reason why they do what they do?

Students take drugs for a variety of reasons: because they are experimenting, because of family history or genetic predisposition, because they got addicted to prescription drugs, because of loneliness, peer pressure and more. You can tell if someone is using drugs because of the way they act or look; for example, change in friends (to hang out with kids who use drugs), having red or puffy eyes, etc.

Drugs can have serious ramifications on a person’s physical health, mental health and well being. And that’s not good at all. We want students to stop taking drugs and to be more healthy because if they don’t stop, it can create changes in the way their brains work. Drug abuse changes your brain chemistry, which is not good. The longer you use drugs, the more damage is done and the harder it is to go back to normal. It is very hard to go back because you get so addicted to it that you don’t know when to stop.

There are 175 different public schools in Baltimore City, and most of them have a problem with kids smoking marijuana or using other drugs in school. Kids are smoking in bathrooms and in the hallways and on stairwells. And that’s not good. We want kids or anyone else taking drugs to stop and be healthy.

To stop drug abuse, always talk to whoever is taking it because they can be going through a lot at school or at home or anywhere. Or they can just do it because they see someone else doing it because they think it’s cool. Just by talking to them and helping them see that drug abuse is bad and that it’s not good for you at all, hopefully they will change their minds and get on the right track.

We really do need drug abuse to stop because it’s really, really bad. This is why people are taking drugs and we need to stop and help people who are taking it and change people’s lives. If you or someone you know is struggling with a drug problem, there is a free substance abuse counseling program at Patterson that can help. For more information, speak to Ms. Smith in the Guidance office or call New Beginnings substance abuse counseling at 443-310-2409.

By Paris Smith

Patterson High School has been around for many years. Patterson was built in 1959 (after relocating from an even older building) and it is now 2019. For over 5 years, Patterson has made plans to build a new school. In 2017, when I was in 9th grade, they told us the new building was already planned and was going to be built at that time, but unfortunately for us that did not happen.

However, from the information I collected to write this article, I found out why the new building was not constructed at that time. It was hard for the school to get the money and be approved by Baltimore City Public Schools to get a new building. In 2013, the Maryland state government approved a plan called the 21st Century Buildings fund. Under this plan, Baltimore City Public Schools would rebuild or renovate dozens of schools by borrowing money from the state, the city, and the Stadium Authority. A nonprofit organization called BUILD was enlisted to help execute this plan. With this new funding, the city and the state agreed to create a new building for Patterson. This information comes from Ms. Masati and Mr. Pesa.

The school was expected to cost 120 million dollars, which was approved by all of the decision-makers involved. However, last school year it was discovered that an additional 7 million dollars was required to build a protective barrier that will help ensure the area is safe for everyone. This is because the location for the new building (behind the athletic fields) is Superfund site, meaning that in the past, toxic waste buried underground there. To protect students and staff from this potential environmental health hazard, the new building had to be redesigned and the additional 7 million dollars had to be approved by all four boards involved in the 21st Century Buildings program. This caused construction for the new building to be delayed, but the new funding was eventually approved and BCPS CEO Dr. Santelises publicly confirmed that the district is moving forward with construction on a new building for Patterson.

Groundbreaking for the new building should start this June and and the new school should be finished in the summer of 2021. This year’s freshmen will be the first class to graduate from the new building. The new school will be built on the current site of our baseball/softball/soccer field.

Do you think it is weird or a bad idea to have the school change its location, even if it’s just a little bit, or to build on the field? I think it’s alright as long as Patterson gets a new school. I will be gone in 2020 and I would not know what the sports teams will do about the field, but Patterson will figure something out for their teams.

Knowing the expenses for the school, do you think they are spending too much, too little or the just right amount of money on the school? I have seen other schools that have been rebuilt and they look nice, but visiting the website baltimore21st centuryschools.org , I found the prices for the schools and Patterson is spending a lot more then some other schools. Of course, every school is different, and the new building will also be shared with another school called Claremont, which adds to the expense.

But the school will have all the new things that you would expect in a new school building. As Mr. Martin explained, “The new school will have open learning spaces, heat, air conditioning and the latest technology. Our current 2022 class should be excited about the possibility of spending their senior year in the new school.”

By John Dingzon

Patterson students participated in a citywide JROTC drill competition on March 29th. The event was took place at the 5th regiment Armory.

There were a lot of JROTC schools that participated in this event. Everyone was competing for the CEO Cup that is the trophy to win overall.
Whatever the outcome, at the end each school would still receive a trophy.

Patterson won 2nd place for the overall competition, while Poly won 1st place and took home to CEO’s cup. Patterson also won trophies in the following categories: drill – unarmed platoon, drill – armed platoon, squadron – armed drill, squadron – unarmed drill, and color guard.

There was also a competition called the knockout challenge, which the cadets participated in. The knockout challenge is when you have 4 element line leaders and the cadets stay in formation and the drill Sergeant gives them a command and they will move and execute the command. If the drill Sergeant says the command wrong and a cadet executed the command wrong, then that person is out, but if the person keeps up, then they stay until the drill Sergeant declares a winner.

During the event, there were also breaks where cadets had time to relax and socialize. During this time, some students saw familiar faces that they knew from previous events.

Patterson High School’s AFJROTC cadets did an outstanding job performing at the different levels of the event. A lot of eyes were focused on Patterson because last year Patterson won the CEO Cup and were in 1st place overall.

Technical Sergeant Smith and group commander C/Col. Batista were both proud of what the group had accomplished, and they thought that the cadets really did a great job.