PIRATE PRESS Pattonville High School 2497 Creve Coeur Mill Road Maryland Heights, MO 63043 Volume 81, Issue 4 PattonvilleTODAY.com Twitter: @phsTODAY
Love to learn, pg. 11
How well do student and For love of the game, teacher couples know pg. 25 each other? pgs. 14-17
SPECIAL: VALENTINE’S DAY ISSUE
Pirate Press StaffBiographies Volume 81 Issue 4 February 2017
The Pirate Press is the open forum newspaper of Pattonville High School. The opinions published are of the publication and are open to criticism. As the members of the 2016-2017 staff, we dedicate ourselves to the accurate and objective dissemination of information to all readers. We will protect and exercise our First Amendment rights. The viewpoints of all staff members are to be regarded as separate from those of our administration, faculty, peers and adviser.
Ross Reynolds
Brittany Bell
Ross Reynolds (12) is the editor-in-chief of the Pirate Press. He has been on staff of the newspaper for three years and is involved in DECA, NHS and BSAAC. He plans to attend Mizzou to study business and communications.
Brittany Bell (11) is the design editor of the Pirate Press. She has been on staff of the newspaper for two years, is the captain of the varsity drill team, and is involved in GALXC, BSAAC, Renaissance, and Stuco. She plans to attend the University of Kentucky and study Pharmacy.
Editor-in-Chief Ross Reynolds Sports Editor Erykah White
Erykah White
Design Editor Brittany Bell Adviser Mr. Brian Heyman Contributors
Kathleen Basta, Nadia Maddex, Sarah Ponder, Abby Stowers, Mollie Emerick, Henry Behlmann, Kayla Sirisongkram, Morgan Stubblefield, Audrey Baird, Jonathan Chapman, Jordon Dahl, Luke Jacobi, Natalie Johnson, Maria Madden, Caleb Riese, Victoria Rodriguez, Hailey Shelton, Alexis Smith, Samuel Stanek, Mackenzie Whitworth. For advertising information, please contact us at BHeyman@psdr3.org or Pirate Press 2497 Creve Coeur Mill Road Ph: (314) 213-8051 Fx: (314) 213-8651 www. PattonvilleTODAY.com
/PattonvilleToday
@phsTODAY
Sarah Ponder Sarah Ponder (12) has been on staff for two years and has been involved in NHS, NEHS, Rho Kappa, Volleyball, Renaissance and ATSA. She plans to attend the University of Central Missouri to study criminal justice.
Abby Stowers Abby Stowers (11) has been on staff for one year and has been involved in cross country and halfmarathon. She plans on majoring in nursing.
Erykah White (12) has been on staff for two years and has been involved in basketball, volleyball, track, Renaissance, and PALs. She plans to attend the University of Kansas and major in chemical engineering.
Nadia Maddex Nadia Maddex (11) is a first-year member of the Pirate Press and is involved in Student Council, Patttonville United, SIT Committee, Thespians, Renaissance, BSAAC, Chamber Choir and track. She plans to attend Ball State University for broadcast journalism and vocal performance.
Katie Basta Katie Basta (11) is a first-year member of the newspaper staff and has been involved in softball, basketball, Renaissance, NHS, GALXC, and Stuco. She plans to attend Auburn University to study architecture.
N TH S SSUE NEWS Stop Day is over, but students are still finalizing their schedules. Check out some of the course offerings that are available to students.
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NEWS The school musical, Curtains, hits the stage Feb. 16-19. Can you figure out who committed the murder before the end of the show?
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PROFILES Tyler Huffman has earned a place on Famous Birthdays by being a social media star on Musical.ly, and Micah Thompkins earned a full-ride scholarship to Northwestern University through Questbridge College Match program.
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FEATURES Student couples and teacher couples were interviewed and asked about their partner’s favorite things. Do these couples know each other well enough to pass the test? Find out.
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LIFESTYLE Nadia Maddex provides Valentine’s Day make-up tips with a tutorial video on how to create a halo eye look.
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OUR VIEW Abby Stowers and Erykah White write opinion article on the topic of Valentine’s Day.
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SPORTS Kyle Hanford was in the stands when the St. Louis Blues defeated the Chicago Blackhawks at the Winter Classic.
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NEWS
Course introductions for students making final registration decisions The PowerSchool portal for entering course requests closed after Homeroom on Thursday, Feb. 9, but if you need more information about available classes before meeting with your counselor, check out the course introductions students in Photojournalism created.
Watch the videos on your phone 1. Download the Aurasma App from the App Store. 2. Log in or create an account. 3. Hold your phone over a picture. 4. Enjoy!
THEATRE Students can enroll in Introduction to Theatre and earn one-half of their required Fine Art credit. After that course, students have options to register for other classes taught in the theatre department at the high school. By Audrey Baird and Jordon Dahl
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Students can enroll in Oral Communication to get their required speech component. Other courses are available to students to earn their speech component, but all students must fulfill that requirement before graduation. By Caleb Riese and Jonathan Chapman
PERSONAL FINANCE/BUSINESS Students must take Personal Finance which is another required course for graduation. They also have many other options when it comes to available classes taught in the business department. By Lexi Smith and Victoria Rodriquez
Physical Education Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors can enroll in Team Sports for a gym credit. After freshman take 9th Grade PE, they have many options for a second elective in physical education. Health is also a required course for all students to take in order to graduate. By Nick and Jessica
JOURNALISM Students have many options if they want to be a part of the journalism program at Pattonville. Students can sign up for Introduction to Journalism or Photojournalism which are semesterlong introductory courses, or can be a part of the year-long production courses: Pirate Press Newspaper, Echo Yearbook, or Pirates Sports Net, the brand-new sports journalism course.
GOVERNMENT All Pattonville students must take Government in order to graduate from high school. Students have two options: Government or AP Government. By Sam Stanek and Luke Jacobi
FOREIGN LANGUAGE Students interested in taking a foreign language at Pattonville High School can enroll in Spanish, French or German. By Maria Madden and Natalie Johnson
ART Students interested in art can take Drawing I and other courses in the department in order to earn their Fine Art credits required to graduate from Pattonville High School. By Mackenzie Whitworth and Hailey Shelton
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Students have more than one Stop Day in registration process By Henry Behlmann Every student takes classes. Every student has a schedule. Every student needs a plan for the future. Stop Day on Jan. 31 was designed to allow students time to pick their classes when creating their next year’s schedule. Seniors are exempted from this because they will be graduating in May. Junior Gregory Bahr, scheduling for his last year of school, said he considered classes that will look good on a college resume, while also trying to take courses that he will enjoy.
“I take computer science classes because I enjoy taking computer science,” Bahr said. “Additionally, I want to go to college for computer science so that’s why I take things like AP Physics and AP Calc. I need calculus to go to college and to get into a better college.” This year, the Stop Day schedule was a little different from year’s past. Before, Stop Day has only been one day. This year, it was split up into two days. On Jan. 17, teachers ‘stopped’ teaching for a few minutes to tell students about different classes offered in
Using her laptop to register for classes on PowerSchool, senior Destiny Sparks plans out her final year at Pattonville High School. (photo by Henry Behlmann) their department. This allowed extra time for students to consider what they would like to enroll in on Jan. 31. “We divided it over two days this year primarily based on teacher request,” Community Service and A+ Coordinator Ms. Rebecca
Krohn said. “Teachers would have the opportunity to discuss the classes in their department with students prior to students actually choosing their classes. It gave students and teachers a little more time to talk about the classes that are available.”
Over the next few weeks, students will be taken out of their history classes to meet with their counselors. With their counselors, students will be able to ask any questions or concerns about their new schedule. PP
AP Government learns by participating in Mock Congress activity By Kayla Sirisongkram For most classes, the main activity is normally taking notes. Incorporating different activities into the class benefits students in many ways. Students get to be more engaged and involved with the class and the lesson itself. This past week, Mr. Ryan Brueckmann’s AP Government class participated in a modified version of the parliamentary procedures as one of their class
Mr. Ryan Brueckmann’s AP Government class votes on a bill during their Mock Congress activity in B104. activities. The students were divided into two parties where they all were senators. They debated and voted on
several issues trying to pass legislative bills. One of the topics discussed was whether or not convicts should
have the rights to vote. The floor was open for questions from the opposing side after a senator proposed the legislation. Some were supportive of the bill, some weren’t. Senior Jordan Bolton ran the mock congress meeting. The majority in the class were the Democrats, senior Keturah Gadson was one of them. “I was in the majority so we got to put down some of the Republicans’ bills because there were more of us so that
was fun getting to pass what we wanted,” Gadson said. “My favorite part was when we got to question people and it kind of became a debate. Although they don’t necessarily debate like that on the congress floor, it was fun because we got to challenge each other. I think it really helped with our lesson because we learned more by actually writing our bills and then playing the role as the actual senators themselves.” PP
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Jazz artist Mr. Terrell Stafford rehearses with high school band, Jazz Ensemble By Morgan Stubblefield Famous jazz artist Mr. Terrell Stafford rehearsed with the PHS Jazz Ensemble during 4th hour on Jan. 9. After performing for Stafford, he gave the ensemble advice on how to better their performance. “He gave us some great tips on how to communicate better as a whole when we play together,” said saxophone player Leslie Azwell (10). “He emphasized that movement is important to effectively play a piece.” Stafford impressed the Jazz Ensemble with his simple, yet crucial, advice. “One of the most important things Terrell said that stuck in my brain was ‘You just need to let yourself go and enjoy what you’re creating,’” said saxophone player junior Louis Johnson. Joseph Noble (11), one of the ensemble’s trumpet players, appreciated Stafford’s logic on never giving up on music. “I learned that even if you may not sound the best on something, you should always try no matter what,” Noble said. “A wrong note is better than no notes.” Some of Stafford’s other words of encouragement also encouraged the band members. “He said no matter
how good you get, you won’t think it’s good enough and if you ever do, something is very wrong,” Abigail Twyman (10) said. Within the performance, selected students were given the chance to improvise a solo part. Azwell and Noble were two of the students who earned an improvised solo. “The less I think about my improv solo, the better. Improvisation is something that doesn’t come naturally to me yet,” Azwell said. “I’m still trying to learn and become more comfortable with my own styles.” Stafford emphasized that during improvised solos, it is imperative to let the music guide you. “He helped me prepare myself for improv by drilling in my head that you just have to feel the music and play instead of overthinking about every note and rhythm,” Noble said. The ensemble also enjoyed Stafford’s downto-earth attitude toward them. “He was humble and treated us as if we were equal to him,” Twyman said. After the rehearsal, Kayla White (10) talked to Stafford. “I loved getting to talk to him one-on-one,” White said. “The way he interacted with us was just amazing.” PP
TOP Mr. Terrell Stafford talks to members of the high school Jazz Ensemble and gives tips on how to perform. MIDDLE Mr. Terrell Stafford conducts the band as high school music director Mr. Dennis McFarland stands behind him and watches. BOTTOM Musicians play music with Mr. Terrell Stafford instructing them on proper techniques.
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Curtain almost ready to rise for
CURTAINS By Audrey Baird and Alexis Smith They all auditioned in the fall and now it’s almost time for the curtain call for the 2017 musical Curtains. Jessica Cranshaw is murdered on opening night during the curtain call of Robbin’ Hood of the Old West. Lieutenant Cioffi and Detective O’Farrell are on the case. Everyone is a suspect. Can you figure out who did it before the end of the show? Come see Curtains, a show-within-a-show murder mystery, being presented by the Pattonville Theatre Department Feb. 16-19 in the high school auditorium. The cast and crew are preparing for opening night. A lot of hard work has gone into this production since November, and Karrie Henderson is excited to be a part of it. “This was my first year auditioning for the musical,” Henderson said. “I was expecting to get a chorus role and I was fine with that, but when I looked at the cast list, I saw my name listed as the role of Jessica Cranshaw.” She said that a lot of people are afraid to
audition for the musical because they are afraid that they won’t have time to do homework or for friends. “Anyone could join the musical. You just have to be willing to pull late nights to make sure you get that English paper done,” Henderson said. “For the friend aspect of this, my close friends
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Karrie Henderson looks over the script of Curtains in order to review her lines. This is the first high school musical that she auditioned for and was surprised to find out that she landed the role of Jessica Cranshaw.
Curtains will be performed in the Pattonville High School Auditorium:
Thursday, Feb. 16 – 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17 – 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18 – 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19 – 2 p.m.
are in the musical anyway, but as far as meeting new people, I have. I wouldn’t call them friends quite yet. More like acquaintances. They know of me now, and that is the first step on the long journey of friendship.” The musical has a large cast, and another cast member who has lines in the musical for the first time is Melissa
Santana who is playing Jenny Harmon, the stage manager. “Honestly, I’m really nervous because this is my first speaking role in any of the school productions that I’ve been a part of,” Santana said. “I’m also excited to see how everything turns out.” The musical features a full orchestra in the pit and includes a lot of
songs and dancing. Sophomore Jarred McCormick is only concerned for a certain part of his performance in the musical. “I’m worried about dancing because I’m not the best dancer, but I have my lines and singing down,” said McCormick, who plays Christopher Belling, the director. “I’m really excited to perform with everyone because I know it will turn out well.” The box office crew is preparing to start decorating the lobby and publicizing the musical. “The decorations add a great feeling of suspense to the show before you enter,” junior Christie Jiang said. “We are going to hang detective themed decorations and suspect flyers all around the lobby of the
auditorium.” The group is also planning to use social media to promote the show. “To publicize the show, everyone in the box office is going to post suspect profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat throughout the two weeks leading up to show night,” freshman Elise Thompkins said. “That way we can get the word out to as many people as we can and get people hyped up to come see the show.” Tickets are available at the box office on the night of each show. Tickets for students and children are $4 each and adults are on sale for $6. The box office is open one hour prior to each show. PP
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NHS, Chamber Choir work together to host Valentine’s Day Brunch for Pattonville 55+ Club By Sarah Ponder NHS members held their annual Valentine’s Day Brunch on Saturday, Feb. 4, for community members who are a part of the Pattonville 55+ Club. NHS students brought in donations of donuts and bagels for attendees to eat. “We’ve been doing this since before I was a part of NHS, so over 10 years now,” NHS sponsor Mr. Ryan Brueckmann said. “It’s our big service project for the year for community members and members of the 55+ Club to come up and see the school and have a nice brunch.” During the brunch, Ms. Melynda Lamb and the Chamber Choir sang festive songs as entertainment. They have sung at the brunch for
more than 10 years. “The first year I taught at Pattonville, we were asked to do the brunch and the choir had done it previous to that,” Lamb said. “I just continued doing it because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do.” The choir has sung to the 55+ Club before at the St. Ann Community Center and many members also come to the Dinner Theaters held before the musical. Lamb believes that performing for the senior adults of the community is a wonderful opportunity for her students to create new relationships. “I have really enjoyed developing it into something I feel is a meaningful opportunity for the students and the members of the 55+ Club,” Lamb said.
ABOVE NHS students serve members of the 55+ Club during the Valentine’s Day Brunch in the high school cafeteria. RIGHT The Chamber Choir performs songs during the meal.
“We go and perform in December at the St. Ann Community Center and so we get a lot of the same people that come to this and the musical. It gives us a great oppor-
tunity to promote the musical as well. Pattonville is the only community that has involvement with the senior adults coming to see the musicals and the plays
JostensYearbooks.com
and that is such a special and important thing for the students and for the senior adults in the community to build those mutual relationships.” PP
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Pattonville United prepares Remington 8th grade students for success in high school By Nadia Maddex
Student leaders in Pattonville United introduced high school life to a group of students from Remington Traditional when they visited the building on Jan. 6 as part of a field trip. “I think the part the students were most infatuated with, surprisingly, was that we had three gyms,” senior Kevin Bowers said. “They were also surprised to hear that we have 6 minutes for passing period and we get to carry our backpacks around instead of keeping them in a locker” He said the students left with a new knowledge of the school. “I feel that since they come from such a small school, the tour in general was a good experience for them,” Bowers said Pattonville United is a group that started last year in the Pattonville School District. It’s goal is to unite the
Pattonville community as a whole and to help ensure that 8th grade students have something to get involved in when they get to the high school. After a survey was conducted by Pattonville United of the seniors in 2016, it was found that the biggest regret of high school students was not getting involved. The group now tries to spread awareness that there is a lot that Pattonville has to offer and to make sure that every student has something to get involved in when they get to the high school. Last year, the group traveled to Remington Traditional, Holman Middle School and Heights Middle School, but since Remington Traditional has a small 8th grade class, it was able to visit the high school to take a group tour. On the visit, students opened with an icebreaker game called
Members of Pattonville United gather for a picture in the front of the high school before giving a tour to students from Remington Traditional. Pattonville United members visited the other middle schools to provide information about Pattonville. ‘Untangling The Human Knot’ to get the students loosened up before the informational session. They then watched a video that the Pattonville United group prepared. It was about the day in the life of a high school student where it showed different classes, passing periods, lunch and after school activities. “I went around for about 2 weeks with a GoPro and filmed
activities around the school,” sophomore Will Polster said. “I then sent it to Abby Surlet to put it together.” After the video, students got to ask questions about the high school and Pattonville United students answered them and talked more about things that students don’t usually know. Some of the things they talked about was carrying around a backpack versus using
a locker, class requirements, community service hours, and what school supplies to bring on the first day. After the Q&A session the students took a building tour and they left around 10:45 a.m. On Tuesday, Jan. 10, and Friday, Jan. 20, Pattonville United took trips to Holman and Heights middle schools to continue spreading their knowledge of Pattonville. PP
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PROFILES
Huffman is a social media star on Musical.ly By Mollie Emerick Senior Tyler Huffman came to St. Louis from Alabama to move in with his mother for his last year of high school. However, his reason for making this move is a rare one. Huffman began using an app in July 2015 called “Musical. ly”, where he quickly became well-known. And now, a little over a year later, Huffman has a page dedicated to him on “Famous Birthdays.” “I was actually just bored one day so I started looking around on the App Store for a new game to play and I found Musical.ly,” he said. “I’m not sure why I decided to check out the app, but I’m glad I did.” Musical.ly is an app that is typically used to create and share short lip-syncing videos. Some videos are used to share music while others, like Huffman’s, have been used for comedy.
However, becoming recognized through social media can be a difficult task to achieve. “I had the app for a while but I didn’t really post any creative videos,” Huffman said. “Then, once I started posting better content, my videos started to get featured on their page. It went from nothing to almost getting featured every day.” Although he began using the app in July, his fame didn’t truly take off until that November. “It happened gradually until one of my videos blew up,” Huffman said. “I woke up and I had gained almost 100,000 followers overnight and was even verified on the app. It was such a cool surprise.” In December, Huffman found the page dedicated to him on “Famous Birthdays.” “I was honestly surprised. I found out because one of my friends that I had made
Senior Tyler Huffman discovered Musical.ly in July 2015 and became famous by using the app. He is verified on the site and has more than 100,000 followers. He is now recognized in public and has a page dedicated to him on a website for “Famous Birthdays.”
on Musical.ly texted me a screenshot.” In spite of that, his growing popularity is the reason why he moved to St. Louis in the first place. “I had a very active page, but my dad seemed jealous and he told me he didn’t want me to make videos anymore and banned me from the app for 2 months,” Huffman said. “I was tired of how strict he was and I felt that the situation was unfair, so I moved in with my mom.” His distance from the app, however, resulted in a bit of destruction to his usually-growing account. “He caused some damage to my page honestly by making me leave for so long. So of course when I got back
on the app, my page wasn’t as active, but I still made videos.” Despite this setback, Huffman has come to Pattonville High School where he has continued to pursue his passions. “I came here in July, so I’ve been here the entire school year and so far I love it,” he said. “My old school was way smaller and we didn’t have nearly as many options for classes such as art, photography, yearbook, etc.” Upon coming to St. Louis, however, Huffman did not go unrecognized. “At my old school, I had a lot of people that followed my account. It was kind of funny because they would always say things when I walked by in the
hallway,” Huffman said. “I’ve even had some people come up to me since I’ve moved to this school and say things like ‘One of my friends is obsessed with you.’ It’s funny sometimes.” As the rest of the school year carries on, Huffman has made the decision to give more attention toward his school work and keep his Musical.ly career on the side. “I made a post recently saying that I was going to slow down with my videos so that I could focus more on school,” Huffman said. “I plan on switching to YouTube after I graduate this year.” Huffman can be found on social media sites such as Musical.ly and Twitter using name @tylerhuffmann. PP
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Thompkins looks to future after receiving full-ride to Northwestern University Scholarship was awarded through Questbridge College Match program By Ross Reynolds Last semester, senior Micah Thompkins learned that he received a full-ride scholarship to Northwestern University through the Questbridge College Match program. The scholarship will cover the $51,000 tuition for every year he is there. Thompkins said his reasoning for accepting the scholarship was the many opportunities and benefits at Northwestern. “I really like their academic system – they’re on quarters, not semesters, which makes it easier to take more fun classes,” Thompkins said. “They’re a Big 10 school, and I really like watching college basketball.” Along with the benefits, the location and atmosphere are also pluses for Thompkins. “They’re really close to Chicago and located on Lake Michigan,” Thompkins said. “I also like the atmosphere created from combining that many highly intelligent people.” As of now. his number one degree path is Mechanical Engineering and Physical Therapy. “The plan for my major is to start in Mechanical Engineering and then go to their graduate school for a dual-doctorate in Mechanical Engineering and Physical Therapy in order to make and implement therapeutic tools,” Thompkins said. Despite these plans, he also realizes things can change. “I am fully cognizant of the fact that my plan can and probably will change at some point.” Because he knows that his plans can also become different than what he expected, he doesn’t have very many ironclad goals, but instead a number of broad things he would like to accomplish. “Whatever I end up doing, I want to be able to help people in some capacity. Between this scholarship and all the aid
Senior Micah Thompkins is introduced by principal Dr. Joe Dobrinic at a high school faculty meeting. Thompkins was being recognized for receiving the Questbridge College Match scholarship. my family has gotten for my brother, I feel the need to reciprocate that help back into society,” Thompkins said. “I want to have a family, and most of all, just be happy.” His family is extremely important to him and his goals, but he is still excited for the opportunity to experience something new. “I really enjoy exploring and having a college campus and an entire new city and state is going to be fun,” Thompkins said. “However, I believe St. Louis will always be my home and hope to be able to settle down in the Lou down the road.” PP
The characteristics are based on successful QuestBridge applicants from previous years, and are not strict requirements or cut-offs: Academic Achievement: t In the top 10% of their class. t Have received mostly A’s grades in the most rigorous classes available. t Scored >1250 (Critical Reading +Math) on SAT or >28 (Composite) on ACT. Financial Qualification: t Household income is less than $65,000 a year, and often less for a typical family of four, with minimal assets. t Often eligible for free or reduced lunch. Personal Circumstances: t Often in the first generation in their family to attend a four-year U.S. college. t Unusually high level of family responsibility (caring for siblings, part-time work to support family financially, etc.) t Extracurricular achievements, such as leadership or community activities.
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FEATURES
TOP 8 PLACES FOR A DATE Learn more about St. Louis locations to go for dates By Ross Reynolds Delmar Loop - “It’s nice to be able to walk around and see all the different stores and restaurants,” William Pirrie said. “There is a lot of variety and a lot of things that you can do for fun.”
Steinberg Ice Skating Rink - “It is the perfect setting to go ice skating with someone,” Bailey Schaefermeier said. “It’s cool being in the park and seeing the awesome lights.”
Contemporary Art Museum - “I’m hipster, so I’m obligated to go there at least once,” Molly Sullivan said. “Might as well take a boy with me while I’m going.”
Six Flags St. Louis - “You know what they say: More flags, more fun,” Josh White said.
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Dave and Busters - “I like being super competitive with my boyfriend, so it’s fun to compete in some of the games there,” Alyssa Tipler said.
Busch Stadium - “We are a baseball town so it only makes sense to go to a Cardinals game,” Henry Bodde said. “I really like wasting money on overpriced food, so it all works out.”
Creve Coeur Park - “The lake is really cool to walk around and it’s super pretty,” Jack McFarling said. “Plus, it really isn’t ever awkward because there are always a lot of people at the park.”
IKEA - “There is way more you can do than people might think. You can look at furniture in the showroom, buy candy, and eat some of the best food ever,” said Louis Johnson. “It’s one of the more underrated places to go on a date.”
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How well do
FEATURES
STUDENT COUPLES
know each other?
By Katie Basta
Meet some of Pattonville’s cutest student couples before Valentine’s Day. They were asked how long they have been together, where their first date was, and if they had any plans for Valentine’s Day. The real test was when they were asked their partner’s favorite food, color, and song/musician. The first word was their guess, and the word in parenthesis is the real answer.
JACOB REESE (12) & RENE GREENWELL (12)
KAMERON PERKINS (11) & NATALIE WILDBERGER (10)
IZZY GARCIA (12) & MICAH GIANCOLA (12)
How long? 1 year and 4 months First date? Fishing Valentine’s Day Plans? Just hanging out to watch movies
How long? 3 months First date? The movies Valentine’s Day Plans? Don’t have any yet
How long? 2 years and 10 months First date? His house to make pizza Valentine’s Day Plans? Dinner at The Melting Pot
Jacob’s Favorite: Food? Steak (Spaghetti) Color? P-ville green (Blue) Music? Die a Happy Man (Die a Happy Man)
Kameron’s Favorite: Food? Cane’s (Macaroni and Cheese) Color? Red (Blue) Music? Rap (Can’t decide)
Micah’s favorite: Food? Lasagna (Pasta) Color? Red (Red) Music? Something indie (Gravity)
Natalie’s Favorite: Food? Sour Straws (Pickles) Color? Burgundy (Blue) Music? Justin Bieber (Too many to pick)
Izzy’s favorite: Food? Carne asada (Chorizo) Color? Purple (Purple) Music? You and Me (You and Me)
Rene’s Favorite: Food? Toasted Ravioli (Toasted Ravioli) Color? Blue or Green (Blue or Green) Music? Die a Happy Man (Die a Happy Man)
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MARIA MADDEN (9) & HARRY SAUER (9)
ZACH ELMORE (9) & KEELEY PETERS (9)
How long? Almost 4 months First date? The pumpkin patch Plans? Probably dinner
How long? 1 and a half years First date? Bridgeton Pool Plans? Maybe go out for dinner
Harry’s favorite: Food? Hot Dogs (Hamburgers) Color? Blue (Blue) Music? Bruno Mars (Bruno Mars)
Zach’s Favorite: Food? Doesn’t know (Italian) Color? Green (Green) Music? Rap (Rap)
Maria’s Favorite: Food? Nachos (Chicken) Color? Maroon (Maroon) Music? The Weeknd (Too many to choose)
Keeley’s favorite: Food? Doesn’t know (Ice cream) Color? Purple (Purple) Music? Hip-hop (Pop)
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How well do
FEATURES
TEACHER COUPLES
know each other?
The Lambs
The Schwendemanns
The Wynns
“We met on the first day of the job and she sat down next to me,” Mr. Rob Lamb said. “We have been together now since 2005.”
“We met here at school in the 2002-2003 school year and we have been together since then,” Mrs. Amy Schwendemann said. “We have been married for 12 years.”
“We met here at school and we have been together for 6 years,” Mr. Aaron Wynn said.
Mrs. Lamb’s Favorite Color: Blue (Blue) Movie: Love Actually (Love Actually) Thing to Do: Play with her kids (Play music and read books) Food: Pasta (Pasta) Restaurant: Sydneys (Thai Kitchen)
Mrs. Schwendemann’s Favorite Color: Blue (Red) Movie: Steel Magnolias (Steel Magnolias) Thing to Do: Hanging out with the kids (Exercise) Food: Whatever I cook (Pizza/Italian) Restaurant: Mikes Bar & Grill (Doesn’t have one)
Mrs. Wynn’s Favorite Color: Blue (Blue) Movie: Gone with the Wind (Gone with the Wind) Thing to Do: Hangout with family (Read books) Food: Wings (Sushi) Restaurant: Stone Soup Cottage (Don’t have one)
Mr. Schwendemann’s Favorites Color: Blue (Blue) Movie: The Godfather (The Godfather) Thing to Do: Play guitar (Play music) Food: Steak/BBQ (BBQ) Restaurant: Hendricks (N/A)
Mr. Wynn’s Favorite Color: Blue (Blue) Movie: Tombstone (Tombstone) Thing to Do: Watch TV (Hangout with family) Food: Lasagna (Pasta) Restaurant: Doesn’t have one (Don’t have one)
Mr. Lamb’s Favorite Color: Orange (Orange) Movie: Clue (Clue or Goonies) Thing to Do: Watch videos on nerdy things and read the New York Times (Teach) Food: Hamburgers/BBQ (Hamburgers or chili cheese dogs) Restaurant: Sugarfire (Sugarfire)
FEATURES
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By Sarah Ponder Meet some of Pattonville’s married teacher couples before Valentine’s Day. They were asked how they met, but the real test was when they were asked about their spouse’s favorite things. The first word was their guess, and the word in parenthesis is the real answer.
The Adams
The Christians
The Heymans
“We met at the University of Iowa, and we were at his apartment to help celebrate his roommate’s 21st birthday,” Mrs. Amy Adam said. “My roommate and his roommate were dating so that’s how we met initially. We have known each other since 1997.”
“We met here at Pattonville,” Mrs. Shelly Christian said. “And we have been together for just over four years.”
“We met at summer school in 2010 teaching at Pattonville High School,” Mr. Brian Heyman said. “We have been together since and have been married for 4 and a half years now.”
Mrs. Adam’s Favorite Color: Blue (Blue) Movie: N/A (Titanic) Thing to Do: Make lists in her head (Spend time with my family) Food: Pasta (Lobster Rosoto) Restaurant: Trattoria Marcella (Trattoria Marcella)
Mrs. Christian’s Favorite Color: Teal green or purple (Purple) Movie: From Justin to Kelly (No Idea but he would say From Justin to Kelly) Thing to Do: Go on walks (Cook) Food: Brussels Sprouts (Chocolate) Restaurant: Mi Ranchito (Mi Ranchito)
Mrs. Heyman’s Favorite Color: Purple (Purple) Movie: Anything on Hallmark (Pitch Perfect) Thing to Do: Play with Daniel or read (Crafts) Food: Pizza (Pizza) Restaurant: Bandanas (Pizza Hut)
Mr. Adam’s Favorite Color: Green (Green) Movie: Braveheart or Back to the Future (Back to the Future) Thing to Do: Spend time with family (Not make lists in my head) Food: Wings (Italian) Restaurant: Buffalo Wild Wings (Buffalo Wild Wings)
Mr. Christian’s Favorite Color: Green (Blue) Movie: Saving Private Ryan (Saving Private Ryan) Thing to Do: Play video games (Play video games) Food: Mexican (Tacos) Restaurant: Annie Gunn’s (Yaya’s)
Mr. Heyman’s Favorite Color: Red (Blue) Movie: Field of Dreams (Field of Dreams) Thing to Do: Play with Daniel (Watch sports) Food: Wings (Pizza) Restaurant: Pieology (Wok Express)
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Pirate Press
ENTERTAINMENT
How to get prepared for your Valentine’s Day plans What are Pirates doing on Valentine’s Day?
By Nadia Maddex Do you need some getting-ready inspiration for your Valentine’s Day? Here is a make-up tutorial that you can watch to help you get ready for your date on February 14.
Scan the QR code to view the video or visit Pattonville TODAY.com for a direct link
Learn how to do a halo eye with burgundy shades. The make-up that is used in the demonstration is the Modern Renaissance palette that retails for $42 at Ulta Beauty or Sephora.
Rene Greenwell will be spending her Valentine’s Day with her boyfriend, Jacob Reese. Since Greenwell isn’t very interested in celebrating the holiday, she will be spending the day on the couch with Reese watching “The Office” and eating.
Liza Gusleva plans on spending her Valentine’s Day bingewatching her favorite show, eating a tub of ice cream and crying because none of her 15 boyfriends wanted to hangout with her. She hopes for better luck next year.
ENTERTAINMENT
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Which teacher are you most like? Take the quiz and find out! By Brittany Bell
START HERE: Do you enjoy being outdoors? There’s a reason they call it the GREAT outdoors!
NO, I can’t stand smelling like nature.
>>>
>>> >>
Do you workout?
Which would you rather eat?
Italian Thai
>>
Favorite Subject
YES, every day of my life
English
Math
>>> >>
Dogs
Chemistry
>>
Definitely not
Favorite Animal
Favorite type of movie
Cats
RomComs Comedy
YOU’RE MOST LIKE... Ms. Kramer
Ms. Kramer enjoys going to the gym, volunteering, and shopping. Her favorite food is ice cream and she loves RomComs.
Mr. Combs
Mr. Combs doesn’t enjoy being outdoors, and would rather spend his time watching basketball or courtroom dramas.
Ms. Shearrer
Ms. Shearrer enjoys running, gardening, and sewing. Her favorite color is green, and she loves chemistry.
Mr. Dornhoefer
Mr. Dornhoefer’s favorite pastime is running, fishing and hiking. His favorite food is a filet cooked medium.
Mr. Patrick
Mr. Patrick enjoys hunting and eating BBQ. His favorite sport is football and he enjoys watching comedy and action movies.
Ms. Hayes
Ms. Hayes loves trying new restaurants, the color pink, and Chinese food. She spends her free time cross stitching and reading.
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Pirate Press
ENTERTAINMENT
How are Pirates shooting their shot this Valentine’s Day? By Nadia Maddex
To ‘Shoot your shot’ means to let go of your pride and pursue someone you are interested in. Pirate Press went around the school asking students if they could shoot their shot, or ask anybody in the world out on a date, who would it be and how would they do it. These are their answers.
Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0
Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0
“I would shoot my shot with Zayn Malik because his singing voice is amazing. He could sing me to sleep every night and I would be content with my life,” sophomore Alonna Gibson said. “I would shoot my shot with him by meeting up with him when I get famous and going on a date. After the date, we would get married and have beautiful children.”
“I would shoot my shot with Odell Beckham Jr. because he is one of the best football players in the league and he is so cute,” sophomore Courtney Woods said. “I would shoot my shot by following him to his hotel room after a game, then show up at his door with his favorite candy and his college jersey on.”
“I would shoot my shot with Gabrielle Union because she is beautiful, intelligent, independent and makes her own money,” junior Josh Royal said. “I would shoot my shot with her by asking her out on a date and then serenading her with my mixtape that releases this Valentine’s Day.”
“I would shoot my shot with Quavo because he’s got money, he’s gorgeous and he dresses nice,” junior Taitum Willlis said. “I would shoot my shot by dropping a dime in front of him, picking it up and asking if it was his. Before he gets the chance to answer, I would say ‘It has to be because you are a DIME piece.’”
“I would shoot my shot with Mady Clark because she is the most amazing and independent woman I have ever met,” junior William Pirrie said. “I would impress her by telling her how beautiful she is and kiss her like nobody is watching.”
“I would shoot my shot with Keri Hilson because she is beautiful,” senior Destan Williams said. “I would do it by saying ‘You are beautiful, can I get the chance to know you?’ I have to come at her like a real gentleman because there is nothing childish about her.”
OPINION
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Stower’s Story PIRATE how cute they PATRONS PDA should over are together. Pirate Patrons receive a mailed subscription to the Pirate Press and get a special listing in all published newspapers and the yearbook. Donations are used for student scholarships and to offset the printing costs of all student publications. If you are interested in joining the Pirate Patrons or advertising in the Pirate Press, please visit PattonvilleTODAY.com/advertising
CAPTAIN ($100) FIRST MATE ($75) Brian and Stephanie Heyman
BUCCANEER ($50) Ricky and Gina Byrd Rick and Stephanie Reynolds
CREW ($25)
not be given a hall pass By Abby Stowers Public displays of affection are seen on TV shows and movies all of the time. We all loved Gabriella and Troy’s epic love story in High School Musical. When a couple posts a picture of them and their significant other, everyone swoons
However, when walking in the hallway, it is safe to say that nobody wants to see two people making out. Not only do students hate seeing it, but so do staff members. When too many people are standing around during passing periods it causes traffic in the busy parts of school such as staircases and the gym lobby. It is a big enough struggle to get
White’s Write It’s OK to be single on Valentine’s Day By Erykah White I’m 17 years old and I’ve never had a Valentine. That is unless you count elementary school where everybody had to be everyone’s Valentine. A lot of people look at being alone
on Valentine’s Day as a sad thing, but personally, I don’t mind it. You don’t have to worry about making sure you have reservations to the top restaurants, or having the perfect gift for your significant other. I can spoil myself with candy, clothes, and food any time of the year that I want to. I’m going to
from class to class with the amounts of people who are in the hallways at once, let alone trying to get around the couples holding hands that are walking as slow as humanly possible. With only a passing period of 6 minutes, it’s surprising that the couples have time to find each
other, and then stand around hugging, kissing, and acting like they’re in some sort of a romance movie, let alone make it to their next class on time. There’s a time and a place for all of that to happen. It’s Friday night and at the movies or a restaurant. Not on the way to 4th hour Human Anatomy. So do all of us a favor, and save the PDA for somewhere else. PP
just because you’re single. Gather some friends, go out on the town and enjoy yourself. DO NOT stay in the house and spend Valentine’s listen to love songs Day at school not and watch sappy, worrying about romantic movies flowers, balloons and cry. or teddy bears, and But if you watch then I am going to a movie, at least go to dinner with make it a comedy. some friends. That way, you can You don’t have laugh about how to be lonely on funny things can Valentine’s Day be. PP
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SPORTS
Byrne finds success with dancing after VDT By Brittany Bell Samantha Byrne graduated from Pattonville High School in 2016 having spent four years on the Varsity Drill Team. Over the years, she won state championships and placed in the Top 5 at a national competition with the high school team. She was one of the very few people who have experienced what it feels like to be on the Varsity Drill Team for a total of four years. Byrne now attends Lindenwood University and made its dance team in the spring of 2016. Since then, her success has only grown. Lindenwood attended UDA Nationals the weekend of Jan. 14-15 and took home a first place trophy in jazz and a third place trophy in hip hop, making the team national champions. Coming from a competitive high school team has prepared
Byrne well for college dance. “VDT taught me to mentally push past my physical limits and that dancing on a dance team is more than just dancing for myself, it’s dancing for the sisters around me,” Byrne said. Even though she felt prepared entering the college dance scene, she needed to adapt to the new environment. “Dancing in college is different for me because we compete at a higher level, meaning incorporating a higher difficulty of skills in jazz and hip hop.” Byrne competed in pom and hip hop with the Varsity Drill Team at Pattonvile, so she had to make adjustments there too. “Jazz is also different than Pom because you can showcase a variety of skills and acrobatic moves into the choreography.” She has been training with the team since the
summer and said the team focused on getting team quint and their seconds combination. “We also took ballet as a team which helped improve our center, working through the floor and the technique of being able to do a difficult seconds.” The preparation for Nationals now is much different for Byrne as the stakes and skills are higher. “Now, we learn the dances in the summer compared to a few months before competition in high school.” Byrne and her team also started preparing in December with an intense practice schedule, consisting of two-a-day 8-hour practices. “Preparing for nationals in high school was a lot of hard work spread out,” Byrne said. “While for college, the practices were very long but for a shorter period of time.” PP
Pattonville alumna Samantha Byrne (2016) went from dancing for the high school Varsity Drill Team to being a part of the Lindenwood University dance team. She was part of the national award-winning team in jazz and hip hop.
Boys’ golf anticipating an exciting season this spring By Sam Stanek Less than a month until spring sports start tryouts, the boys’ golf team is very optimistic for a successful season. Even after losing four seniors from the team last year, the group is excited about new golfers trying out, as well as returning athletes. Looking back at last
season, the 2016 season was considered to be the best chance to win a conference title having multiple athletes qualify through districts, and while the team did indeed win the conference tournament, it was not enough for last year’s team to claim the overall conference title. A tough district assignment and a low cut
score left many Pattonville golfers unable to advance for sectionals. Now, a month out of from the season, Pattonville golfers look to prove themselves this season especially senior Micah Giancola. “Winning conference is nothing too far out of the way,” Giancola said. “We have many good golfers returning that
are going to work hard to try and lead the team to a couple matches and hopefully go far in districts.” Senior Caleb Gardner has high expectations for this upcoming season. “With this being my last year on the golf team, I really want to come out this spring and play a vital part in
our chance to win conference,” Gardner said. “With our roster that we plan to have this season, our chance is looking pretty good.” If any high school boy is interested in trying out for the golf team this spring, stop by and talk to Coach Gross in room B201. PP
SPORTS
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Hanford attends Blues Winter Classic game over Winter Break By Sarah Ponder Over Winter Break, the St. Louis Blues played in their first ever Winter Classic. The Blues defeated the rival Chicago Blackhawks 4-1 at Busch Stadium on Jan. 2, 2017. The Winter Classic included many events held downtown at the baseball stadium including an alumni game which took place on Dec. 31 and the One Nation Classic which was held on Jan. 8. Pattonville senior Kyle Hanford was one of the few students that attended the Winter Classic. “I bought my ticket for $200,” Hanford said. “I went with two of my good friends. I also went to the alumni game with three friends. One of the most memorable moments was seeing the amount of fans that actually came down to the game and downtown. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Many festivities were held at Ballpark Village including music, food trucks, hockey skills games for fans to play, and many statues to take pictures by.
“We got to downtown at 7 in the morning and eventually went to Ballpark Village to watch Nelly perform before the game,” Hanford said. “It was neat to see him perform live and support his city.” Weather on the day of the Winter Classic wasn’t ideal causing concern that the game might have been delayed, but Hanford was still impressed with the loyalty of the Blues fans. “Even though the weather sucked, the Blues fans didn’t care,” Hanford said. “It’s the Classic and there might not be another one.” The St. Louis alumni team defeated the alumni squad from Chicago 8-7 on New Year’s Eve, and the Blues followed that performance up with their victory on Monday in the Winter Classic. The Blues now have a 1-0 record in Winter Classic games, and Hanford hopes that the Blues will play in more Classic games in the future. “We made history at the Classic, and I hope that I can experience all this again in the near future,” Hanford said. PP
Senior Kyle Hanford attended the Winter Classic at Busch Stadium on Jan. 2, 2017. He went to the game with four friends and bought his ticket for $200. His view of the ice was from what is normally right field during a Cardinals game. The Blues defeated the Blackhawks 4-1
Get behind the scenes Go beyond the scores Gain professional skills Join the BRAND-NEW Pattonville sports journalism class in 2017
Pirates Sports Net photography
livestream
publish
See Mr. Heyman (B110) for more details
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Pirate Press
SPORTS
Nine student-athletes sign to play college sports Compiled by Ross Reynolds Photos by Ross Reynolds and Nadia Maddex
Jordin McGehee (Soccer) Westminster College (Pennsylvania)
Richard Henderson (Basketball) Austin Peay State University
Josh White (Baseball) Northwest Missouri State University
Madison Utley (Soccer) Missouri Western State University
Jeremy Fechtman (Soccer) University of Indianapolis
Max Spitzmiller (Baseball) Northwest Missouri State University
Darion Clark (Football) Southwest Baptist University
Kaleb Herbert (Baseball) Fontbonne University
Marquis Hayes Jr. (Football) University of Oklahoma