Pirate Press Pattonville High School 2497 Creve Coeur Mill Road Maryland Heights, MO 63043 Volume 81, Issue 1
Best of both worlds, pg. 18
PattonvilleTODAY.com Twitter: @phsTODAY
Pattonville game prep, pg. 11
Isabel DiSalvo is feeling free, pg. 12
Swimmers qualify for state, pg. 19 Meet the new teachers, pgs. 6-9
Big Man on Campus, pg. 17
(W)hole in one, pg. 19
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Pirate Press
NEWS
Juniors, Seniors help conduct Freshman Orientation
PALs, student leaders assist new students during the event held on Aug. 5 By Mollie Emerick The 2016-2017 school year for Pattonville students started on Thursday, Aug. 11; however, on Aug. 5, the incoming freshmen got a glimpse of what their next four years will look like. “Freshman Orientation is meant for freshmen to learn about the school and all of its opportunities,” junior William Pirrie said. The morning was kicked off with students being put into groups and meeting a few upperclassman volunteering to help lead the day. The freshmen were then led to the auditorium where they were introduced to the principals and guidance counselors of the high school, as well as saw performances from the cheerleaders and drill team. The principals summarized the behavioral expectations of each Pattonville Pirate. Following that, the counselors introduced themselves and provided some insight as to what freshmen should keep in mind as the year goes on. Later in the day, incoming freshmen toured the school to help them get a feel of their new life change. Juniors and seniors involved in PALs, Student Council, and the National Honor Society helped conduct the orientation. These upperclassmen were some
of the first faces that freshmen were introduced to at PHS. Senior Henry Bodde helped pass out name tags and lunch tickets for the freshmen early in the morning. “They all looked so nervous and excited,” Bodde said. Later on, Bodde showed incoming students videos to help educate the freshmen on what to expect over the next four years at Pattonville. “I showed videos about involvement, GPA, and first day of school expectations versus the reality of it,” Bodde said. For some of the seniors, Aug. 5 was a throwback to when they were also freshmen feeling small in a new and larger school. “Freshman Orientation was like a huge flashback for me,” senior Erykah White said. “It was really cool to conduct Freshman Orientation because I was once in their position and I can understand how nervous they are and help them with their transition into high school. It feels awesome to be able to do that.” Senior Mady Clark, who is currently involved in varsity cheerleading, varsity track, and PALs, made it a point for the incoming freshmen that involvement throughout high school is extremely important. Clark had
CHECKING IN William Pirrie (11) assists at the table to register new students who attended Freshman Orientation.WALK ABOUT Freshman leave the main building to enter the auditorium for presentations. REPORT TO THE OFFICE Assistant principal Cara Hiripitiyage speaks to the freshman about the rules and procedures at the high school. the opportunity to perform for the freshmen at orientation with her cheerleading team as well. “Being involved has helped me make new friends around the building and have such a positive outlook on
high school,” Clark said. “It’s made school much more enjoyable. During my freshman year, having older friends who knew the building really helped me find my way.” Senior Roma Patel used Freshman Orientation to look back on the
four years she has spent at PHS. “It’s crazy to think I have been here for four years,” Patel said. “I like to help others as much as I can. I gave them advice that I was given or picked up during my years here.”
NEWS
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Stubblefield releases first music album to wide audience Songs available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Amazon, other music stores By Ross Reynolds High school students express themselves in many different ways whether it be through art or dance or anything that makes them unique. Senior Morgan Stubblefield shows it through music, and recently released an album. Stubblefield’s album “Worth the Fight” was released across music services on Aug. 26. “I wanted to release my work on a larger scale because people online, and some people in our school, wanted to buy my music,” Stubblefield said. “Putting an album out also shows producers and other people in the industry that I am serious about my work.” She said the album is a story that has different parts and the title “Worth the Fight” represents her battle with depression. “I snuck the phrase ‘Worth the Fight’ into half of the songs because those three words have so much meaning,” Stubblefield said. Stubblefield said she is most like Taylor Swift when it comes to writing her music because
Tracklist for Morgan Lynn’s Worth The Fight NAME TIME 1. Worth the Fight 3:50 2. Mama Said 5:20 3. Frozen 3:42 4. I Imagine 4:49 5. Used 4:40 6. Wrong 3:13 7. I Am Art 3:45 8. Defy Humanity 4:12 9. Rapunzel’s Letter 3:33 10. Miles Apart 4:06 “Worth the Fight” is available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Amazon and other music stores. she writes about people and what they have done to her. “My biggest influence for my album was the people in my life, whether it be good or bad,” Stubblefield said. “Music is my outlet and my feelings show through the lyrics.” Although the lyrics may come easily for Stubblefield, the process of getting the music out is a bit more complicated. “You have to pay a small fee to a music distributor. I personally used Tune Core because their prices are cheaper than most and they do a lot of the work for you,” Stubblefield said. “They
also distribute to a lot of music outlets.” Stubblefield believes that everyone should listen to her music because it is relatable, inspirational, and unique. She also plans to never stop making music. “I plan on making music for the rest of my life,” Stubblefield said. “It’s such a good outlet for me and I love the idea of sharing it with others. It’s my passion and will always be my passion.” You can listen to the album on Spotify, or buy the album on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, and other music stores. Prices vary from $8.99 to $9.90.
Customer Reviews on iTunes AMAZING by tabitha wilkerson - Aug. 26, 2016 Morgan I am so very proud of you for this album it is so incredibly amazing you have such a beautiful voice and lyrics to match. you’ve come along way from writing songs about Einstein’s theory of relativity in middle school so congrats and you have a huge career ahead of you AMAZING!!! by Christieissacupcake - Aug. 27, 2016 I’m so proud of this girl!!! She’s extremely talented and an extraordinary songwriter. This album is everything. She deserves more attention and publicity because her music is great and meaningful. My favorites are Rapunzel’s Letter and Defy Humanity
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Pirate Press
Student Council plans #phsSPIRIT Week, makes changes to parade route By Brittany Bell
With Homecoming less than a month away, the football team is focused on playing Rockwood Summit on Friday, Sept. 23, but Student Council is beginning to make plans for the parade and Spirit Week. The parade will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, and will be using a different route this year. Hoping to avoid a hill and to allow for more line-up room, it will be staged at BJC at the intersection of McKelvey Road and Old St. Charles Rock Road instead of at Bridgeway Church Assembly of God. The parade start location changed for numerous reasons, such as the safety of the participants and the mere size of the parade line-up. “It was hard for the elementary kids, and all of the participants
at that, to get up the big hill safely,” Student Council sponsor Heather Lopez-Johnston said. She said that over the years, more and more groups, clubs and activities have joined and there is simply not enough room to start at the church anymore. The route will precede right on McKelvey and head west, ending at the high school. Grades 9-12 will each have their own class float that corresponds with their part of the Homecoming theme. This year’s theme is “Pattonville’s Four Frontiers” and Seniors have selected to represent the Ocean. The Juniors have been assigned the Jungle, Sophomores will be appointed Space, and Freshmen have been given the Arctic. Teachers expressed interest in having their own frontier, so Stu-
New route takes floats on a 1.1 mile journey to school
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dent Council gave the staff the theme of the Old West. Clubs, sports team and community groups interested in participating in the 1.1 mile parade should contact Lopez-Johnston at HLopez@psdr3.org or
#phsSPIRIT Days - Sept. 19-23
by phone, (314) 2138051 ext. 8712. The Homecoming dance will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, and tickets are available for $12 during all lunch sessions until Friday, Sept. 16.
MONDAY SEPT. 19
TUESDAY SEPT. 20
WEDNESDAY SEPT. 21
THURSDAY SEPT. 22
FRIDAY SEPT. 23
PAJAMA DAY
HOLIDAY DAY
DRESS LIKE A CAREER DAY
FRONTIER DAY
CLASS COLOR DAY
SENIORS - OCEAN JUNIORS - JUNGLE SOPHOMORES - SPACE FRESHMEN - ARCTIC TEACHERS - OLD WEST
SENIORS - GREEN JUNIORS - RED SOPHOMORES - BLUE FRESHMEN - YELLOW
NEWS Students have opinions about Homecoming #phsSPIRIT By Katie Basta Homecoming week is right around the corner and there is a lot of opinion about the Spirit Days. Some students, like junior Katie HutchinsonDiBello, are excited to dress up. “I love them,” she said, adding that she already has each outfit picked out. Other students, like junior Alana Williams, are only excited for certain days. “How do you dress for a career? What if I wanted to be a teacher? You wouldn’t know the difference between my normal clothes or teacher clothes,” Williams said. “But Jungle [the junior’s frontier] Day will be fun. I’m going to be a monkey.” Regardless of feelings about the days, anyone and everyone can participate. There are ways to make each day match a student’s style. Junior Derrick Boyce III stated that the Spirit Days weren’t his favorite, but he would still participate. “For Pajama Day, I’ll wear my granddad’s shoes,” Boyce said. “For Career Day, I’m going to dress as Kobe.” Spirit Week leads up to the Homecoming football game, parade and dance. Student participation is recorded and each grade’s total percentage is used to determine the winner each day. Points earned are counted toward the week’s competitions to decide a Spirit Week champion.
NEWS
Pirate Press
Boards supplied to all teachers to block intruders from entering school classrooms
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Industrial technology teachers designed, built all boards over the summer By Emily Tobar Learning and safety for students go handand-hand as an utmost priority at Pattonville. That’s why the district requires all teachers to go through 4E Training yearly which provides educators knowledge of what to do if an intruder enters the school. “I think that whether you use a chair or the new Block, it’s all about practicing so that if worse-comes-to-worse, it can be used efficiently,” Ms. Susan Saputo said. “I think it’s a really great idea though.” The training is called 4E and teachers learn how to Educate, Escape, Evade and Engage, an options-based emergency response program. 4E was developed by Tier One Tactical Solutions and is being used by the St. Louis County Police Department. The half-day training program which was conducted on August 8 included lecture and discussion, followed by hands-on training that provided staff with effective responses to active intruder situations. Industrial Technology teachers at the high school designed the wood blockades that were given to every teacher. “Myself and the other wood shop teacher (Mr.
Darrell Langston) made them over the summer because of time restraints,” Mr. Jonathon Saettele said. “We would have liked for the kids to make them but we just didn’t have the time.” The 2×4 piece of wood has a magnet attached to it that allows the board to stick to the metal door frame and has a zip tie that can be fastened to a door handle. This tool blocks the door from being opened by any intruder trying to enter a classroom when the school is on lockdown mode even if the door is not locked. In last year’s training, it was advised that teachers use chairs, desks and other pieces of furniture to jam the door handles and block the doors. The issue with this is that if not done properly, the door could easily open. It also damaged door frames and would scratch and take off paint from the doors and walls, and if not done correctly, it was not as efficient as hoped. Maryland Heights Police Officer DeVouton who is a School Resource Officer is proud of the school for taking precautions against intruders. “I think it’s a good idea because if someone wants to come in to hurt the kids, the Block eliminates the intruder’s entrance.”
Teachers have been supplied 2x4s with magnets and a zip tie attached to them. The boards are designed to attach to the classroom door, and in a real emergency, the zip tie would be pulled and the intruder would not be able to enter the room. Two Types of Lockdown Levels Level 1 – Modified Lockdown: Building perimeter lockdown with students in current classes and doors locked. This lockdown is used when there is an offsite threat in the surrounding area. Level 2– Armed/Violent Intruder Lockdown: Used when the threat is either on school grounds or inside the building. Building is on total lockdown with students in class, hidden out of view from the door. Students remain in the classroom until the lockdown is lifted or an evacuation is issued. Armed/Violent Intruder Lockdown – Classroom Procedures • Staff: Quickly check hallways for students; Students: Follow staff instructions • Lock, secure/barricade classroom doors; staff prepare to initiate 4E training • Barricade doors with available furniture, cords, etc. After this, do not unlock doors or allow anyone inside the classrooms. • Turn off classroom lights. • Cover classroom doors and windows. • Move all persons away from windows and doors. • Keep very quiet; turn off cell phones or place on vibrate. • First responders will unlock classrooms to assist with evacuation procedures What should I do if I am in the hallway, cafeteria, gym, auditorium, or outside the building? • Run away from the threat ASAP. • Find a safe place to hide. • If the option is safe, staff and students may reunite at Grace Church.
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Pirate Press
Hunter believes in Pattonville School District motto
By Taylor Womack Although new to Pattonville, new English teacher Ms. Haley Hunter has been #VilleMade. She graduated from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. “I like the sense of community that I feel at Pattonville,” Hunter said. “That’s what stood out to me when I was applying everywhere.” Being her first teach-
FEATURES ing job ever, Hunter wants to make sure her students are successful critical readers, writers and thinkers. “I want to help students like to learn.” She is focused on helping the students. “Something that really stuck out to me was the ‘That All Will Learn’ motto that we have here,” Hunter said. “That’s something that
really aligns with my philosophy of teaching.” Hunter’s favorite thing about teaching is getting students to be engaged in what they are talking about in the classroom and wants to take something the students have never thought or heard about and make it interesting. “I want to get them hooked and want to learn about it.”
Welcome to Pattonville The high school has 23 new staff members. Students in Introduction to Journalism wrote profiles over a few of them.
Foust to serve as Freshman Academic Monitor
By Bre Schumacher
Ms. Lisa Foust isn’t new to the classroom. She’s been a substitute at the high school for years. But this year, she plays a new role at Pattonville for its students as an academic monitor for the freshman class. “I keep them on track and make sure I know where they are academic wise,” Foust said. She said she also advises students about tutoring options available at the school. She subbed for Pattonville for 6 years before becoming a permanent teacher. Her third grade teacher, Ms. Cagle, inspired her to become a teacher. “Every day we had fun in her class, and she was very nice,” she said. “You can tell she loved all of us.” Now, Foust is really happy to have her own room located in the B-wing. “I need to decorate,” she said, of the empty B103 classroom that was used by
Ms. Casey Christiansen last year. Christiansen moved upstairs to the D-wing to be in the history department. Foust, a 1998 alumna of Pattonville High School, played basketball and was a forward for the girls’ team.
In addition to her role as an academic monitor, she started coaching basketball in 2013 and coaches the girls’ freshman team and also her son’s basketball team. “It’s my favorite sport,” she said. “I spent my summer planning for this season.”
FEATURES
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Meet New Secretary Mr. Douglas By Courtney Faasen
New secretary Mr. Leon Douglas is no stranger to the St. Louis area. Though he lived in California for a short time, he graduated from Hazelwood East High School. “I transferred from the U-City area right before high school,” he said, “so I know what it’s like to be new. I think that has helped prepare me for this new role in the school.” Douglas has prepared for his new job at secretary to assistant principal Ms. Odetta Smith in more ways than one. Not only was he in a similar administrative role at an insurance company, but he was an academic coach at Jennings High School. He said he liked the
position at Jennings because “it allowed me to experience high school from a different point of view, and made me responsible in a whole new way to students.” Douglas likes this responsibility, and intends to use it to help students in any way possible. “I love to help people, and be able to interact with students every day, so if I have an opportu-
nity to help a student, I will.” Not everything about his job is easy. There are some hard parts to it. “When students are not living up to their potential … and not investing their time and energy in the right way,” Douglas said. “To see them not helping themselves and creating a good future for themselves is difficult.”
But Douglas is here to help. “I want students to know that I am approachable and I can help them,” he said. “My goal is to help people and build relationships. I know for me, staff members affected me in school, so if I could say or do something that helps a student in the longterm, I’d like that.”
Meet the other Adam: Math teacher Mr. Adam By Elise Bernthal
Double-check your schedule if you see the name Adam on it because there are now two teachers with that last name working at the high school. Ms. Amy Adam has been an English teacher at Pattonville, and her husband, Mr. Greg Adam, joins the high school staff in the math department. He has been teaching math for 14 years and has previously taught at Mehlville High School and has formerly substituted in the high school. He now joins the staff as
a full time employee. He decided to teach high school because he likes working with high
school students and “didn’t want the deodorant talk with middle school students.”
At first, Mr. Adam didn’t know he wanted to be a math teacher. He actually wanted to be a French teacher but said that it was a harder job to get. But the main goal of any teacher is to make learning enjoyable. His favorite thing about teaching is getting to know the students and “make math fun.” His wife, Ms. Amy Adam also works at Pattonville. He said he is excited to work here with her so he can “put rumors about me to rest.”
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Meet New Librarian Ms. Tran
By Em McDowell New high school librarian Ms. Amy Tran checked out of Pattonville as a student in 2009. She returned in 2016 as a new staff member. “It was an opportunity that opened up.” Tran went to Pattonville herself and graduated in 2009. Some of her teachers are still here from when she went to school. “It’s only weird because I’m on a first name basis with them now,” Tran said. “But I actually still call them by their last name.” Communication skills and social skills are important to become a librarian. A librarian has to be able to help out the students and other people who come to the library. “I like the people that I work with and I love that I get to interact with and help the students.”
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FEATURES
Markowski cheers on students in her math classes By Justin Delfort
After graduating from Maryville University, Ms. Samantha Markowski began looking for a full-time teaching position. When it came time to pick which school to teach at, it was mainly between two schools: her old high school (Parkway South) or Pattonville. When it came down to making a decision, she chose to
go with something new and different. “I’m blown away by Pattonville,” Markowski said. “Everybody here is very welcoming and helpful.” She has had a love for math all of her life. “I attended Mizzou for 2 years and then transferred to Maryville with the idea of becoming a high school math teacher the entire time.” Even in high school, she did a cadet teaching
Meet New Science Teacher: Ms. Amanda Corrado By Lauren Moton Ms. Amanda Corrado is the new science teacher at Pattonville High School and teaches four sections of Biology 1 and one class of Concepts of Biological Systems. “I actually didn’t start out as a biology major in college,” Corrado said. “I had originally wanted to do Spanish as a major, but they didn’t offer enough classes at the college I went to, so I ended up falling into biology.” Corrado loves the ecology and genetics side of biology. “When I got degree in biology, I thought about what else I enjoy,” she said. “I used to do a lot of tutoring at a community youth center in Illinois so I kind of paired together the fact that I really like biology and the youth.” So she decided to be a teacher. As a teacher, Corrado said she is upbeat, and she doesn’t like students to do all notes in the classroom, unlike some teachers. She also likes to compare everyday life events with biology. “I think you gain a sense of pride working with students,” she said. “You start off with a blank space for students and then you start to see them grow.” Being new is scary, but she is working hard to succeed. “If I had to sum it up, the scariest thing is getting it right.”
program and volunteered in her old high school during college so she is truly practiced in
teaching. “Math was just what I was always interested in.” Outside of her life at
Pattonville, she worked for her dad during the summer with construction and home improvement. But inside the walls of the high school, she wanted to become part of the community not just by showing up to her job every day and then leaving, so on top of her being a math teacher, she also coaches cheer. “I really wanted to become a part of Pattonville.”
It’s a new game with Sellers By Tanner Harris Mr. Jason Sellers might be new to Pattonville as a health teacher, but he brings a lot of experience to the soccer field as a coach. He will be the new varsity girls’ soccer coach replacing Mr. Tom Iffrig who left the position at the end of the spring season. With his 21 years of experience and 14 years as a head coach at Hazelwood West, he will take over the varsity girls’ soccer program. “I coached boys’ soccer at Hazelwood West for 21 years,” he said. “For 15 years, I was the head coach for the boys’ program and for 14 years, I was the girls’ head coach. During that time, I was lucky to be at the head of building a program that was very successful.” Coach Sellers gained a lot of experience over those 21 years and has
lead his teams to 11 district championships. However for the girls at Pattonville, he expects nothing less from them. “I expect the girls’ team here at Pattonville to compete for conference, district and state titles,” he said. “I also expect the program to represent the school and community in exemplary ways.” Coach Sellers has already touched base with some of the girls on the team to get ready for the upcoming season.
“I was already a fan of many of them just from watching them play and compete,” he said, “but meeting them and getting to know them outside of the field has been a great experience.” He also has goals for the girls this season. “My main goal for the season is to get our girls peaking during the end of our season,” he said. “If we do this, I think we have a great shot at accomplishing one of our goals which is winning a district title.”
FEATURES
Pirate Press
Handrahan joins counseling department serving Se-Z
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Student teacher earns full-time position this year By Sarah Johnson
By Jordon Dahl Mr. Patrick Handrahan is the new counselor at Pattonville High School and will be working with students with last names from Se-Z. He didn’t always want to be a counselor and he actually went back to school to get certified after working in the classroom as a teacher first. He realized he liked what it had to offer. “It’s the best job I ever had besides delivering pizza.”
Handrahan went back to school after not wanting to be a counselor right away, but once he had talked with people about being a counselor, he knew that’s what he would really enjoy doing. “I’m just being a person in the school that doesn’t tell kids that things are going to be OK but kind of just there to support students, and even teachers, while they figure things out.” Handrahan wants to help people realize they
have way more power than they really think. He said it’s all about the little things like “calling kids that are missing school just to make them sure that I was thinking about them.” Handrahan knows it can be easy to get lost in the school and he just wants to make kids feel welcomed by saying good morning to them and even just checking up with students. “There really is someone who’s rooting for them.”
Last year’s student teacher for Ms. Shelley Christian, Ms. Mariah DeLong, starts this year in a classroom of her very own, teaching Spanish 1. DeLong may be a familiar face to some of the students at Pattonville. She student taught last year in Christian’s classroom where she became familiar with many of the things around school including the bell schedule and Pirate Code. She was also able to learn hands-on with another teacher. “I learned a lot from Mrs. Christian,” DeLong said. “I do some things she did, but I also like to add some things of my own.” She attended Notre Dame High School and went on to study at UMSL, where she graduated last May. It was at Notre Dame though, where she realized Spanish was something of her interest. She took that love of Spanish and became a teacher. When teaching her students, DeLong knows it can be hard at times starting kids with a brand new language. “I told them on the first day we are going to learn our ABCs, we are starting from Kindergarten and it could be frustrating at times,” but she also let them know that she is here to help them. With the students possibly being stressed out from starting from scratch, “I want them to be in a place where they feel like they can learn,” DeLong said, who was interviewed in her welcoming, goldaccented classroom. She is putting her students first in all aspects this year. She wants and knows they all can succeed. “I just love the kids. I love the students.”
and stuff where I would have my own classroom and be the teacher, and I guess since both my parents were, I got it from them.” She is looking forward to her first year and said she’s happy to be at Pattonville and wants to teach her
students more about the French culture. “I know when students think about taking French, they only really think of France when there are so many other French speaking countries out there,” she said. “I really want my students to see that.” Gender is definitely pleased with Pattonville so far and has so many plans and ideas to bring to both her students and this school.
Gender follows life goal of becoming a teacher By Alisa Durham
In addition to all of the freshmen that are new to Pattonville High School, Ms. Margaret Gender is also a new face in the building. This is her first year teaching, although she did sub at Kirkwood for a year. “I like having my own classroom to teach in,
and not having to follow somebody else’s rules,” she said. Gender has known she wanted to be a teacher since she was 4 years old. Both of her parents were teachers and when she learned French from her aunt in the 6th grade, it all clicked. “When I was younger, I used to play games
“I love how Pattonville is flexible about what I can and can’t do, they let me do new things and bring my ideas to the table, and being a younger teacher, I’m thankful for that opportunity.” Gender loves the new job and the experience even more. “I love when students start to make connections with my material to their personal life,” she said. “It makes it more meaningful.”
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FEATURES
Returning to Home Base
Alum returns to take new role as head volleyball coach By Sarah Ponder For the first time in 13 years, there’s a new head coach sitting on the bench with the girls’ varsity volleyball team. Pattonville alum Kyle Walsh is the new coach of the varsity squad. “It’s great being back at Pattonville,” he said. “There are a lot of little changes from back when I attended, but it still feels like home every time I walk into the gym or through the Commons. Pattonville has always been famous for its overwhelming acceptance of alumni and now I’m getting to experience it first hand.” Walsh graduated from Pattonville in 2008 and was on the varsity squad for two years. “I started playing volleyball my freshman year like most boys do,” Walsh said. “I spent my junior and senior year on varsity but continued to play after I graduated. I played one year in college and I’ve spent the past 6 years playing for various USA Volleyball teams and competing at Nationals on three separate occasions.” Walsh was one of the many applicants that wanted the job. Current players got the chance to sit in on the interviews and give their opinions on each coach that applied, and senior Amanda Faust liked what Walsh had to say about the Pattonville program. “Walsh stood out to me because he was nervous, but confident,” Faust said. “He wanted the position so badly. Being a Pattonville alum, you could tell that he genuinely wanted to re-vamp the program because not only had it not changed since he had been a part of it, but because he wanted to build something of his own.” Walsh was very pleasantly surprised to learn that he had gotten the job to lead the girls’ volleyball team. “I am very excited to coach this year’s team,” Walsh said. “My expectations are for the program to succeed on and off the court and to watch the girls grow in a way that prepares them for the future. Not just in volleyball, but for being members of society.” Faust also believes that Walsh is a key
Top: Coach Kyle Walsh sits on the bench during a JV match to assist new junior varsity coach Carrie Gausling. Bottom left: Walsh poses in his Pattonville graduation gown in 2008. Bottom right: Walsh’s varsity volleyball photo. component in helping the team succeed this year. “I think that Walsh is bringing a new face to the program and is really helping us reconstruct and achieve greater heights this season,” Faust said. “I think that the program has improved and is still improving. We work hard at practice every day, and even though we have taken a couple of losses, I think that we are building a more complex way of playing volleyball and moving on to greater and better things.”
Remaining Schedule Sept. 12 Sept. 14 Sept. 15 Sept. 19 Sept. 22 Sept. 27 Oct. 1 Oct. 7 Oct. 10 Oct. 13 Oct. 14
vs Incarnate Word vs. Hazelwood West at Ritenour vs McCluer North vs Rockwood Summit vs Whitfield Pirate Classic Trn vs. Webster Groves at Fort Zumwalt East vs Kirkwood at St. Charles
5:15p 5:30p 5:15p 5:15p 5:15p 5:15p All Day 5:15p 4:15p 5:15p 8p
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Pattonville Game Prep By Emily Tobar GAME ON! Knowing the theme was “White Out” because it was advertised on posters around the school, junior Katie Basta prepared her outfit for the first game of the season. “I find anything that has to do with the color and I wear it,” Basta said.
PRE-GAME Students arrive to the game early for tailgating in the high school parking lot. “Seniors Max Spitzmiller and Jacob Reese will grill hot dogs and we play music and games and chill before the games kicks off,” junior Nadia Maddex said.”
FACE IT Before kickoff, Basta applies white paint to her cheeks. “I really get into the school spirit part of the games,” she said. Maddex will bring extra supplies to the games. “I always bring stuff to help students so they can be more spirited,” Maddex said.
Student Council Vice President Max Spitzmiller stands in the front of the student section during Game 1 of the season. Student Council organizes a theme for every football - home and away. “I like hanging out with my friends, going to support the team, and participating in the game’s theme,” Abby Schnable said. “I just really love supporting my team and my school.” Dawson Binggeli said she likes to be with her friends, and sometimes a little peer pressure is all it takes to get someone there. “I don’t actually like going,” Xan Adams said. “But my friends go so I go too.”
The theme of the game was chosen because the football team wore all white uniforms which included their helmet, jersey and pants. The Pirates lost to Vianney 30-20 in Week 1.
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DiSalvo is feeling free without her wig Diagnosed with alopecia areata, DiSalvo has an incurable form of hair loss, shares her story with others to help other people learn about the condition By Brittany Bell Junior Isabel DiSalvo started dancing at the age of 10 but that’s not why she is easily spotted when performing with the Varsity Drill Team. DiSalvo was diagnosed with alopecia areata, an incurable form of hair loss. DiSalvo first noticed the loss of her hair when she was getting ready to go to the first varsity football game her freshman year. She was doing her hair and noticed a chunk of hair missing. Immediately she freaked out but eventually covered it up and went on to the game. When DiSalvo returned, her parents told her that they believed that she had alopecia, and her world crumbled. DiSalvo was aware of the condition as a teacher at her middle school, Mr. Michael Winship, also had alopecia. “I am always very open with my students about the alopecia. I’ve had it so long that I don’t really think about it anymore to be honest, but we have had enough students come through Heights with the condition that I try to be very good about sharing why I shave my head. I’ve also had students mistakenly believe I have cancer, so I try to avoid that concern from the get-go,” Winship said.
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Anytime anyone asks about it, I tell them the truth and try to answer any questions they have to ask. It doesn’t bother me at all. I like being able to tell people about it.”
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DiSalvo has also had this happen to her. She has found out that a lot of people have no idea what alopecia is or anything about it. “People asked me all of the time if I had cancer just because that’s what a lot of people relate kids not having hair to, but I’m not sick or dying, I just have alopecia,” DiSalvo said. DiSalvo first worried about not having hair by the end of that week, but as she researched alopecia areata, she found that it doesn’t always happen that rapidly. A doctor later confirmed the suspicion that she had alopecia. DiSalvo continued to lose hair more and more often throughout freshman year. She used makeup to cover the bald spots and wore her hair in a ponytail, living in constant fear that someone would notice. Stress only increased the condition. DiSalvo would sit in class and look over and see a clump of her hair just sitting on her shoulder. Sophomore year brought lots of new changes for DiSalvo. She started wearing a wig, despite still having some hair. As more and more hair fell out, she started to get annoyed having to spend an extra 30 minutes adjusting her wig and pinning it in each morning. DiSalvo joined the JV drill team that year and practice and performances were not enjoyable to say the least. “At the Lind-
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Alopecia Areata • Affects more adults in their 20s to 60s • Treatable, but not curable • Can cause hair loss from all parts of body and not just the head • Can cause symptoms such as: itching, anxiety, and dents in nails along with the hair loss • The cause is unknown • The condition is not contagious
bergh competition, I remember doing a straddle at the beginning of the dance and I felt my wig move. The rest of the dance I was so worried that it would fall off that I couldn’t even focus on the performance,” DiSalvo said. She said that she would leave practice upset every day because the wig she was wearing made her feel sick and hot and uncomfortable. In the spring of her sophomore year, DiSalvo was asked to participate in a photo shoot along with other kids who had alopecia. DiSalvo accepted the offer and traveled to Chicago with her mom to partake in the event. “When we went to start taking pictures, I noticed that I was the only one who was wearing a wig and I didn’t like that.” DiSalvo didn’t want to be the only one wearing a wig for the shoot and so she ditched the wig for the weekend. “It was the first time I went out in public without my wig on. I wore a hat because I wasn’t ready to go completely bald,” DiSalvo said. The trip was very empowering for DiSalvo
and changed her mindset completely on the idea of going without a wig. When she got home, DiSalvo continued to wear the wig until the end of the school year. “I was afraid that it would freak people out too much if I had what they thought was my hair on Friday and then show up Monday without hair,” DiSalvo said. Once summer hit though, DiSalvo decided that she wouldn’t wear the wig anymore no matter where she was. “I was happy and comfortable without it, so why would I wear it?” DiSalvo doesn’t shy away from the chance to tell people about the condition. She will tell her story to anyone who asks or wants to know about it. “Anytime anyone asks about it, I tell them the truth and try to answer any questions they have to ask. It doesn’t bother me at all. I like being able to tell people about it,” DiSalvo said. This year, DiSalvo has had to educate 17 more girls as she is on the Varsity Drill team. DiSalvo has appeared in front of
large groups of people at many different events because of this and has chosen to not wear her wig while she performs. “I didn’t know anything about the condition when she first made the team,” teammate Emily Reyes said, “but I knew that it didn’t affect the way she acted during practice. Actually, she was super cheerful and supportive. If she hadn’t shaved her head, I wouldn’t have known anything was wrong.” DiSalvo is now just another member of the Varsity Drill Team. “It’s a complete 180 from dancing with the wig. I am so much more comfortable now and way less stressed out.” DiSalvo doesn’t let the fact she doesn’t have hair deter her from smiling big and dancing even bigger. She doesn’t care if it makes her stand out. “I hope that by sharing my story with others it can help others who have this condition and also help other people learn more about the condition.”
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Senior Mady Clark spends time being involved in two very different activities:
Cheerleading
By Nadia Maddex There might be a line dance or two at Homecoming on Sept. 24, but Clark will not be in formation with her friends. She had to make the very hard decision to skip the dance in order to attend the Missouri Junior Rodeo Circuit Finals Sept. 24-25 in Mount Vernon, Missouri. “I’m going to Finals because I have been working very hard and have been earning points at each event at rodeos during the summer.” She does barrel racing, pole bending, and goat tying which are all timed events.
Clark said barrel racing involves three barrels that you run in a cloverleaf pattern when on your horse. “Pole bending has six poles and you must weave them twice,” Clark said. “And tying is when you run down a goat and jump off your horse and tie it up.” She said she doesn’t have a favorite event. “I don’t personally have a favorite,” Clark said. “I just love running my horse.” But she also loves to cheer. Clark been a cheerleader for all 4 years of high school and is a base for the varsity team. “I am a base and can do both sides, main
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From rah rah
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to yee haw
Rodeo or secondary,” she said. “I’m also a tumbler as well.” Her favorite season to cheer is the fall because she gets to be under the Friday night lights cheering on the football team which is why she will be at the Homecoming football game on Friday night cheering on the team from the sidelines during her final Homecoming game. She said she does a good job balancing school, cheer and riding. “I balance it all through a little planner that I have, but I can definitely say I don’t get enough sleep,” Clark said. “I wish there was more hours in a day.”
Clark said she will make the drive to the Missouri Junior Rodeo Circuit Finals at the end of the game, which means she will miss the Homecoming dance. If she does well, she has the chance to qualify for Worlds. “Worlds isn’t a chance I have all the time,” Clark said. “I have had three homecomings.” The decision was made more difficult because it’s her senior year and her last opportunity to attend homecoming. “I’m bummed about not being able to attend but now I can be extra excited for Prom in the spring.”
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Girls’ 4x400 places 7th at State in May Team returns 3 out of 4 runners from medal-winning team for 2017 season By Erykah White Pattonville girls’ track and field had a very good season in Spring 2016. The girls were able to take seven athletes to the state track meet, and that included runners on two relays. The 4x400 and 4x200 contained the same runners: freshmen Jada Moore and Brooke Jenkins, junior Erykah White, and senior Tyelor Duncan. State was held in Jefferson City, Missouri, at Jefferson City High School. In past years, the meet has been held at Lincoln University, but due to construction and lack of space in the stands, it was moved to the high school. “It was an awesome opportunity to be able to run at state with such an awesome relay team,”
Moore said. The team ran the 4x200 first and placed 9th. The weekend before state, the school record had been broken. They all went in wanting to break their own record. “Although we didn’t get the results we wanted in the race, it was still pretty great to be able to say we were the 9th fastest 4x2 in the state,” Jenkins said. After a rain delay the 4x400 was ran with no prelims just finals on Saturday. Although the girls ran in the first heat out of 2, they were still able to run faster than nine other teams and place. They placed seventh in the state and broke the school 4x400 record. The girls ran a 3:59.09 in the race. Their split times were: Moore
Left to Right: Brooke Jenkins, Erykah White, Tyelor Duncan,and Jada Moore pose for a photo opportunityafter running a new school record in the 4x400. ran 57 seconds, Duncan ran 59 seconds, Jenkins ran 60 seconds, and White ran 61 seconds. “It was an amazing feeling to be able to finish our season and say we were one of the
top 8 fastest relays in the state,” Moore stated. Jenkins, while also running in the two relays, also made it to state in the long jump. She broke the school’s long jump record as well.
“I’m so proud to be able to say that I was able to medal at every track meet last year, as a freshman,” Brooke said. Three out of the four girls will be returning this season.
Other State Qualifiers and Their Results • Chris Gleghorn - 1st place long jump • Boys 4x100 (Chris Gleghorn, Lonnie Jordan, Daymond Johnson, Bradley Jenkins) - 5th place • Girls 4x200 (Erykah White, Brooke Jenkins, Jada Moore, Tyelor Duncan) - 9th place • Brooke Jenkins - 9th place long jump • Fatima Richards - 9th place pole vault • Micah Thompkins - 15th place 1,600 meter
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Pirate Press
Big Man on Campus Marquis Hayes
Left tackle Marquis Hayes has made his name known. High school opponents fear him. College coaches want him. The 6-foot-6-inch, 330 pounder was ranked No. 4 in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Top 30 and is ranked No. 1 in Missouri in his position by Rivals.com. He has committed to the University of Oklahoma, but before he joins the Sooners, learn a little about the Pattonville senior: Born: Feb. 14, 1999 College Choice: Oklahoma Favorite TV Show: Martin Favorite Movie: The Blindside Pre-Game Playlist: YFN Lucci Sparetime Activities: Spending time with family Desired Super Power: Super Strength Favorite Meal: Meatloaf Secret Talent: Can Dance Celebrity Crush: Megan Good Trade Places With For A Day: Cam Newton Football Role Model: Michael Oher Favorite Athlete To Watch In Another Sport: LeBron James
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The Best of Both Worlds Sullivan is a two-sport fall athlete playing football and field hockey for the Pirates at the varsity level By Katie Basta Senior Molly Sullivan entered high school only planning to play soccer, and now going into her final year, she not only plays three sports, but participates in two in one season. She picked up football her freshman year and field hockey her junior year. “I started playing football because I grew up with a bunch of older brothers, and I had always watched them play,” Sullivan said. “Throughout middle school, I was always a tomboy and people said I should play, but I never found the time. Then freshmen year, I thought I might as well try and have stuck with it.” Field hockey wasn’t an original interest for Sullivan, but she picked it up after being told it was similar to soccer. “[School Resource Officer Mike] Mooney harassed me because I played soccer, and the two are very similar in terms of field positions, so I decided to try it and it wasn’t awful.” Being on a team with all boys and then going to a team with all girls creates a very different atmosphere among the players and even the coaches. “It’s crazy,” she said. “But it’s also fun to see how the two sports are different. The way the coaches treat girls compared to boys shows two
completely different ends of the spectrum.” Being on a team with all boys doesn’t bother her, since she grew up a tomboy, but she said being the only girl has its oddities. “It is a little weird not having an actual locker room. I’m only allowed in before games when everybody is dressed and at halftime. Otherwise I just change in the bathroom,” Sullivan said. “A lot of times they’ll forget I’m there and say things they wouldn’t normally say around a girl.” She thoroughly enjoys both sports and says her schedule gets crazy sometimes, but that it is very possible with the cooperation of both coaches. “I haven’t seen it really effect my grades but more my social life. It’s hard to find time to do things when you have football games every Friday night and field hockey two or three times a week. I split the practice, but it is hard to manage sometimes when there are certain things you have to be there for. It is definitely possible though, and I wish more people knew that. You just have to be willing to sacrifice a lot of time.” Sullivan isn’t planning on playing either of these sports in college, but still encourages people to try new things. “I really enjoy playing both sports and I never thought I would have.”
Molly Sullivan is the kicker for the football team and also plays field hockey for Pattonville. (Photo illustration by Katie Basta, football picture is file photo, field hockey photo by Katie Basta)
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Swimmers qualify for (W)hole in One Girls’ golf team doubles in size with state championship number of players from last year Adams, Hanford reach goals in first meet of the boys’ swim and dive season By Blake Klenke Two athletes are making a return trip to the Missouri Boys’ Swimming and Diving State Championships after qualifying for the competition during the first swim meet of the year. Senior Xan Adams and junior Brady Hanford will both be attending the state championships at the St. Peters Rec Plex this fall. Both worked hard during the offseason in preparation for their first meet and are very passionate about their sport. “I enjoy swimming because on dry land, you sweat, and at least in the water, you can’t feel it,” Adams said. Hanford advanced to prelimineries in the 1-meter diving event last year as a sophomore and finished in 22nd place out of 37 divers. 2016 graduates Colin Parker (7th) and Cole
BACK-TO-BACK Xan Adams (top) and Brady Hanford (right) are making return trips to the Missouri Boys’ Swimming and Diving Championships after posting qualifying times or scores in the first meet of the season. Mansell (12) advanced to the final round in the 1-meter diving event. Adams has high hopes for state and is very confident in his ability. “I’m not really nervous for state because I cried last year, so I got all that out,” Adams said. Last year, Adams competed in the 100-meter butterfly and
100-meter freestyle. He placed 26th in the butterfly event swimming it in 50.50 seconds; he placed 41st in the freestyle with a time of 50.49 seconds at the state meet.
Event
Pattonville Record Olympic Record
World Record
100 Meter Butterfly
50.69, T. Fischer (1990)
200 Meter Freestyle
1:47.75, T. Fischer 1:42.96, Michael (1990) Phelps (USA)
400 Meter Freestyle
4:51.70, 3:40.14, Sun Yang 3:40.07, Paul D. Sullivan (1978) (China) Biedermann (Germany)
50.39, Joseph 49.82, Michael Schooling (Singa- Phelps (USA) pore) 1:42.00, Paul Biedermann (Germany)
By Ross Reynolds
Growth is usually a good thing, but sometimes it can cause situations that need to be solved. This year’s girls’ golf team is a perfect example of that, as the number of participants has more than doubled that of the past season’s team. “It’s great to see the number of members grow,” coach David Gross said. “But now that we have so many girls, it becomes almost impossible to get all of them in matches.” Gross can only pick six girls to play in each of the matches, meaning some will get left out each time. Despite this, Gross has told the girls he will still work with those who can’t play to make them better. “I told them that even though they may not get the chance to play in any match, I will still work with them to make them the best golf player they can be,” Gross said. “I am there to teach, and if they are willing to learn, then I will do that.” For some of the veteran seniors, having more girls on the team is an exciting thing. “Practice has become a lot more fun now that we have so many new faces,” senior and returner Megan Volz said. “Learning is a big part of the process and being surrounded by people who are enjoying the process is more than I could have asked for during my senior season.” Volz and other returning seniors have to work together to help motivate the girls who are not able to participate. “It’s been a mutual effort between me, Abby Dermody, and Alexis O’Neil to make sure everyone is just staying positive,” Volz said. “It’s really hard to learn how to play a new sport, especially a sport that takes years to perfect.” These seniors know that it is easy to become frustrated when playing any sport, so their goal is to make sure that it is a fun experience for everyone. Ashli Bruton is one of the girls that is particpating this year for the first time. “I decided it would be a cool opportunity because my sister played it and I wanted to try something a little different,” Bruton said. She hasn’t been able to play in any of the matches yet this season but said Gross has really helped her get better this season. “He helped me a lot the first week and I was by far the worst player on the team,” Bruton said. “He made sure that I didn’t give up and helped me to become a better player.”
The Bridgeton Parks and Recreation Department is looking for individuals to fill immediate openings for the following positions:
BMAC Concession Staff Life Guard (Certification will be provided) Both positions require evening and / or weekend availability Interested individuals need to complete a Part Time Application at the Bridgeton Recreation Center (4201 Fee Fee Road) For more information, please contact John Bell 314-209-2622 or jbell@bridgetonmo.com
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PIRATE PRESS 2016-2017 Staff Kathleen Basta Brittany Bell Blake Klenke Nadia Maddex Sarah Ponder Ross Reynolds Calvin Smith III Abby Stowers Emily Tobar Erykah White Brian Heyman, adviser
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Got Miles?
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By Abby Stowers
Ms. Margaret Gender is the new girls’ cross country coach this season. During a practice run, she encourages the athletes to finish strong.
At practices, the girls’ cross country team has a new member running with them but she is not allowed to compete in the actual races. Ms. Margaret Gender joins the girls during their workouts but serves as the team’s new coach this season. Maryah Dominick said she really likes her because she pushes them hard. Dominick is a varsity runner and has been setting her goals since the very beginning of the season. “I want to PR and work on my running strategies,” Dominick said. “I’m trying to go to college running cross country and track.” The Pattonville Cross Country team is starting its season off fresh with a new coach and new runners. Not only does the team have a new coach, but they also have new key members like sophomore Laura Harder and freshmen Hannah Hohenstein and Ally Nero. Dominick is a junior at Pattonville and has run track and cross country for the school since she was a freshman. She is very excited about the newest additions to the team. “The new runners are great and they’re actually really fun and keep me laughing, I feel like the team as a whole is growing closer”. In addition to the practices, the girl’s also hold “team bonding” dinners. Occasionally they will all meet at Buffalo Wild Wings and watch the different sports that are on, but usually the night before a meet the team will get together and carbo-load to prep for the next morning. Even though it is very early on in the season, the girls have had their fair share of blood, sweat and tears. Junior Katie Hutchinson-DiBello has been unable to run for three weeks due to tibial tendonitis, which has caused her to be in a boot. Her main goal of the season is to be able to return to running with the team.
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Karen Rosales Sophomore
Olivia Wedig Senior
Maryah Dominick Junior
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Ally Nero Freshman
Hannah Hohenstein Freshman
Girls’ Cross Country
Daesha Heard Senior
Marissa Lowenstein Senior
Sydney Bampton Abby Stowers Katie Sophomore Junior Hutchinson-Dibello Junior Laura Harder Sophomore
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