November 2019 Issue

A recent study by Pew Research Center
reports that 70% of teens see anxiety and
depression as a major problem. Anxiety and
depression are on the rise among teens in recent
years. School isn’t the only stresser, but it could
also be home life, too. Out of every 10 teens, 4
say poverty is a major problem among peers and
every third said that gangs are also a stresser
among their peers.
The scientific definition of stress is the
body’s reaction to any change that requires an
adjustment or response. The body reacts to these
changes with physical, mental, and emotional
responses. Mr. Handrahan, counselor for grades
9-11, Sc-Z, said that “stress is a feeling of being
overwhelmed or tense. A feeling of having too
much on your plate.” Stressors can be caused by
students having to keep up with school. Many
students have jobs to help their family. In addition,
they are grappling with being a teenager
in society. They worry about what others think,
and try to effectively manage life in school and
out of school.
If you are stressed out, then you may need
some help finding a coping skill to help you.
Different people have different things that work
for them: some people work out, play music,
talk to friends, or talk to a trusted adult (a teacher,
counselor, parent, or other relative). You can
always talk to your school counselor if any of
your coping skills aren’t working.
Ms. Callan, an algebra teacher, shared
some of her observations through her years
of teaching. “Over the past couple of years, I
have noticed a slight increase in stress levels of
students, but this might not be due to the fact
that they
are actually
higher. I
feel like
stress is
something
more talked
about in
school now
and students are more open about sharing their
stress levels.”
She recalled, “When I was in school, I’m
sure that stress levels were the same but it was
not as spoken about.” She noticed that students’
responses to stress vary. “I see my students who
are stressed sometimes work harder in order to
understand everything and practice, but I also
see some stress students just give up because
they want less stress immediately. This can
be said about students who are not stressed as
well, so I guess overall there is not a pattern.”
Ms. Callan advised, “For students who are
stressed, I would recommend to ensure taking
30 minutes or an hour each day of time for you.
Yes, there are things to do, but you will burn
out so quickly. Prioritize what MUST get done
on a certain day, manage your time wisely, and
keep yourself in mind because YOU matter.
Surround yourself with people who lift you
up and are there to support you. Stay ahead of
tasks and work and most importantly, believe in
yourself. You are capable to overcome even the
worst of stress!”
Students should not hesitate to ask for help
when they feel anxious or worried. Plenty of
people at PHS are ready and willing to help.
There is no question about
people vaping in the 21st century.
It is a newer technology
that we don’t know the long
term effects of, but seeing the 8
people that have passed away
from vaping related diseases
causes the government and
the general population to open
their eyes. Studies show that
9.3% of people who vape have
never even smoked a cigarette
before and some people may
not realize that vapes can
contain chemicals that are delivered
to your lungs and cause
things such as lung disease or
cancer.
A lot of vaping companies
are making their products
with fruity or sweet flavors
that seem to be targeted
towards children and teenagers,
not people who need help
to stop smoking cigarettes.
The amount of kids from 6th
grade to 12th grade that use
an electronic cigarette has
doubled since 2012, which is
a bewildering amount considering
they were not previously
smokers. This has caused a lot
of controversy and the US government
is getting involved.
President Trump has
been working on banning all
by Maddie Davenport
Continued on PAGE 6

Dr. Joe Dobrinic,
Building Principal
Mr. Bob Hebrank,
Activities Director
Dr. Tim Pecoraro,
Superintendent
Renaissance is a program that helps to increase academic
performance in schools. The purpose of Renaissance is to
respect, reward, and reinforce positive performance. According
to the Renaissance mission, the incentives help students achieve
higher grades and test scores, improved attendance, better behavior,
and it also increases staff morale. The Renaissance club
sponsor, Ms. Moritz, believes these help motivate students.
“I think the Pirate Renaissance shirts and Scholar Athlete
shirts are a tremendous incentive for kids to get good grades,”
explains Ms. Moritz. Many activities that are organized by Renaissance
are being planned, but Fall congratulations incentives
for students and staff have already been distributed.
The Renaissance Program at PHS recognizes students
who: have a 3.0 GPA or higher, have perfect attendance, or who
improve their performance by 0.5 of their GPA, who do not have
ISS, OSS, or any detentions.
The Renaissance Program organizes these following activities:
Fall congratulations incentives (t-shirts and locker signs),
sports teams-staff
recognition (Jersey
Days), yearbook giveaway
after each grading
period, a Scholar
Athlete Program, a
fall dessert bar (“How
Sweet Are Your
Grades?”) (GP2), a
Taste of Pattonville
Sampler Night, an Improvement
Luncheon,
an MVP (Most Valuable Pirate) special awards assembly, a
Spring Field Day, Senior Top Ten GPAs at Spring Pep Assembly,
and numerous incentives and giveaways throughout the year.
All of these events are made possible by the Renaissance
Program to help students grow and achieve their goals.
Andrea
Glenn,
President
Dr. Bryan J.
Gray,
Vice President
Mindy M.
Ridings,
Secretary
Mary Kay
Campbell,
Treasurer
Ruth
Petrov,
Director
Jeanne
Schottmueller,
Director
Dr. Amanda
Lienau Purnell,
Director

by Shaniya Williams
Pattonville senior Bridget Mwaniki, a part of the International Club, has been
selected for the United Nations Association of St Louis Model UN Challenge.
The Model UN Challenge is a platform for giving young females opportunities
to address the UN’S Sustainable Development Goals with a community
outreach project, which will help develop leadership skills for the future.
For the Model UN Challenge, Bridget has selected Goal #3 “Ensure healthy
lives and promote well-being for all ages.” For her outreach project, Bridget sold
green (mental health awareness) ribbons during all lunches because last week was
National Mental Health Awareness Week.
During that week, her goal was to sell 500 green ribbons and make $500 dollars
for Our Little Haven, a local organization that is focused on helping families
in crisis with trauma care and mental health. On October 20, Bridget Mwaniki
will be presenting her outstanding project at United Nations Day.
by Ava Bearskin and Lauren McDaniel
by Ella Janger
Maryland Heights earned recognition as the best suburb in Missouri from the
personal-finance website, GoBankingrates.com.
Appearing in an August 7 article which ranked the top suburb in each of the fifty
states, Maryland Heights was selected after a comprehensive study that factored
in quality of schools, cost of living, and safety.
Maryland Heights technically tied for first place with Grain Valley in Kansas
City, which was ranked as “generally safer than Maryland Heights.” But the
article pointed out that Maryland Heights’ “costs for housing and other necessities
are cheaper.”
Additionally, they noted that “both school districts in Maryland Heights
received a superior grade of A+ from Niche for overall quality.”
Principal Dr. Dobrinic expressed his pride in Pattonville in relation to the recognition.
He explained, “Maryland Heights being honored as the best suburb is no surprise
to me. Not only have I seen what incredible economic progress we’ve had,
but outstanding leadership. The school district that encompasses the large part of
Maryland Heights is an outstanding district that is one of the best in the state.”
Maryland Heights was founded in 1985 and has a population of 27,246.
On Tuesday, September 17, 2019, Pattonville
High School held the 15th College Fair.
103 colleges and universities were represented
and over 500 high school students from around
the area attended, topping previous years’
attendance.
College and Career Counselor Mrs. Luraschi
has organized the fair for the last four
years. She explained that students can find out
admission requirements, majors, how to visit,
how to obtain scholarships, and the activities
and sports available.
15 more colleges came this year, and the
fair expanded from just Missouri and Midwestern
colleges to more Northern and Southern
colleges. Some of the new arrivals included
Florida Southern, University of Memphis,
University of Tennessee, and University of
Minnesota.
Senior Shaniya Williams explained that the
largest benefit of the college fair is that students
can “get more experience and find more colleges
that interest you.” She also liked finding
out more about the student body and scholarship
opportunities.
The College Fair and FAFSA Night both
help students and parents onto the next educational
step.

Presenting for the years senior class officers we have Micheal
Pirrie (President), Alex Djetto (Vice President), Hannah Rodgers
(Treasurer), and William Basta (Secretary).This year’s 2020 senior
class officers are very excited to make our senior year great and as for
our senior class president Micheal would say “Complete our senior
year with a bang.”
These four seniors all enjoy working together as a team, because
it’s a great way to combine and contribute ideas from one another.
They also have something common as for running.
Treasurer Hannah Rodgers says she would love to get our senior
class officers together to contribute “to a class wide celebration for the
seniors.As for Micheal Pirrie, Alex Dejetto and William Basta, they are
all wanting to be able to connect our class as a whole, and getting them
involved.
Each of the four ran for their spots in the senior class officers because
of advice from close friends, get more involved in participating,
better their grade, and also have a bigger voice. The seniors are excited
to accomplish big things for our 2020 senior class, and all enjoy, being
involved in something great.
The Junior Class Officers are Imani Warren, Eden Magana Lopez,
Bell Tucci, and Connor Novack
Isabella Tucci is excited to be representing her class as Secretary.
She said, “As class secretary, I would like to create an environment
where everyone feels as though they belong. I want to prevent students
from feeling left out. I also want to make sure that the junior class has
a voice. I do this by representing our class in clubs such as BSAAC or
the school improvement team. This allows our class to have a say in
what goes on at the school. Finally, I hope to have a great junior year
and make that year great for not only myself but the whole class. This
includes prom and homecoming. As a class officer, I hope to make these
events as fun as possible.”
Tucci explained, “I wanted to run for class secretary to get more
involved in my school and to gain a voice for myself. Being a class officer
has helped me accomplish these as it’s given me many opportunities
I wouldn’t have had without the role of class officer.”
She also noted, “I and very excited for prom! As junior class
officers we get to plan prom, and I’m hoping to make it a great one. I’m
excited to decorate and pick everything out to make an unforgettable
prom.”
Tucci enjoys working with her fellow officers. “It’s actually pretty
easy working with three other people. The other class officers and I
work well together and are good at accepting criticism and then building
off what the others say. I love to hear the other officers ideas, and
it’s always nice to have someone to split the work with.
After several weeks of campaigning, speeches, and wide-spread
anticipation, PHS’s election roster for all participating in class officers is
now filled out in completion. Sophomore class officers at PHS all plan to
do great things for the class of 2022, and hope to make an impact on Pat-
by Shaniya Williams, Destiny Wiser, and Matthew Jacobi
tonville High School. The Sophomore Class Officers are David Polster,
Loudin Cato, DeAndre Westbrook, and Lauren Marsala.
President David Polster expressed his goals: “First to do well in
the homecoming assembly (which we did), second to have a good time
working with people I may not have otherwise, and third to reform a
policy through BSAAC.”
He wanted to run for President because “it allowed me to give a
voice to the sophomores of Pattonville High School and because it’s a
great time and I get to meet and work with lots of people in my grade.”
Most of his work is already done since homecoming is finished but
he would like to continue to attend Pattonville games and stay after for
clubs throughout the rest of the year.
Polster claimed the best thing about the job was “getting to work
with lots of different people in my class to compete with other classes, so
while the four of us were making most of the executive decisions, it was
a large group headed toward a goal.”
Samantha Newton is this year’s Freshman Class President. She
was excited to start her role beginning with Homecoming, where she
was in the parade. Her top three goals as Class President are to make
herself an approachable person, have the Class of 2023 supportive of
each other and comfortable together, and create some fun events to
escape from a constantly busy environment. She decided to run for President
because she wanted to be involved in the high school community,
and she had a bunch of people supporting her.
Mattie Olhsen is assisting Samantha as the Vice President. She
was excited to work on Homecoming. “My top three goals were to
put the finishing touches on our lip sync for the homecoming assembly,
get the supplies prepared for the freshman float, and get all of the
participants for the assembly games,” Mattie stated. At the beginning
of the year, Mattie did not know anything about becoming a Class
Officer. “One of my close friends Samantha, who is the President,
was actually the one that introduced the idea to me.” In the end, she
decided to run because she thought it would be a great way to be able
to lead and help her class.
The Freshman Class Secretary, Tara Wang, explains her enthusiasm
for her new office: “I was excited to work on Homecoming; it
sounded like a lot of fun,” Tara stated.
She originally wanted to run for Vice President, but after some
thought, “I decided it would be better fit to my schedule to run for
Secretary since I have a habit of overbooking myself.” Tara concluded,
“My top three goals I want to accomplish are positively representing
the freshman class, helping out with activities, and getting more experience
with involvement in the school.”
Finally, the Treasurer for this year is Athena Housley. She is excited
to be able to work with all of her friends. Athena says that it is less
stressful working with people because you have friends that can help
you along the way, and can catch your mistakes if you make any. Some
of her top goals for this year included having the Homecoming festivities
run smoothly, and have any other future events to be organized,
and successful. She decided to run for Treasurer because she wanted to
be a part of something bigger than just a normal after-school club.

Many people think boy scouts is just taking little
boys out on camping trips and doing good deeds,
when in reality, boy scouts is a very important part
of a boy’s life. A boy scout is a member of any of
various national scouting programs (such as the Boy
Scouts of America) for boys usually 11 to 17 years
of age. There are a number of boys at PHS who are
very high levels of scouts.
For example, sophomore DeAndre Westbrook is an Eagle Scout,
the highest level of scouts. To become an Eagle Scout, a scout
has to have been a Life Scout for at least six months,earn a minimum
of 21 merit badges, demonstrate Scout Spirit, and demonstrate
leadership within their troop, crew, or ship.
In addition, Eagle Scouts must also complete a major service
project that benefits an organization in the community. They put
together a committee for approval and guidance, then design
and implement their idea. It is a time consuming, professional
endeavor.
In order to achieve Eagle Scout, boys advance through
several levels of scouting: Cub Scout--Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos,
Arrow of Light; then Boy Scout--Scout, Tenderfoot, Second
Class, First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. According to Scouting
Magazine, only 6.49% of eligible scouts achieved Eagle Scout in
2018.
Each level of scouts helps improve a boy’s responsibility
and leadership skills. Being a scout also means one gets to meet
a bunch of new people. DeAndre said he meets someone new
“every time I go camping or to an event.”DeAndre has been
involved in scouts for nine years.
by Kennedy Carver
Giving back to the elementary schools, sophomore Eagle
Scout DeAndre Westbrook built and installed picnic benches
and a lending library for Parkwood Elementary.
DeAndre built and installed picnic benches and a lending
library for Parkwood Elementary as part of his Eagle Scout
Project.
He joins senior Connor Hughes, a senior who achieved his
Eagle Scout this summer by mapping eight miles of nature trails
at Mound Ridge Retreat for a visitors’ brochure.
Both students have achieved more than most people their
age and should be commended for their accomplishments.
The speech and debate team at Pattonville High School have
recently earned membership into the 100 Club! The National
Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) only awards this to the
top 20 percent of speech and debate programs nationwide
The NSDA chooses these schools based on a points system;
this system gives points for competitive and service related activities,
these include radio speaking and extemporaneous speaking.
Radio speaking is where a student prepares a script and says it out
loud in a five minute time period to a judge, while extemporaneous
speaking is where you have 30 minutes to prepare and present
a seven minute speech on the fly. Pattonville earned their membership
by achieving 100 or more of these points last year.
The debate season this year is underway. Two debate workshops
have already been pulled off by the debate staff, like the
many different staff members at different schools that participate
in debate events, and many students from various schools that can
volunteer. This is to introduce new students to debate by showing
off the many things debate has to offer. With multiple different
by Nolan Ballard
kinds of debate, where in public forum it is
two people debating against another team
of two, and Lincoln Douglas where it is one
person debating one other person.
As well as policy debate and congress,
policy debate is where people debate
something along the lines of policy debated
in a public forum (two on two) style,
or government legislation, and congress
debate is where many pieces of legislation
are proposed and some are debated in an
open room with many ‘legislators’ there to
comment on the legislation.
Participating in the Public Form portion
of the Events Showcase, Bell Tucci and
Eden Magana Lopez (top) and Tajh Martin
and Anna Degarcia (bottom) are part of
the 100 Club team.

VAPING,
CONT. FROM PAGE 1
flavored e-cigarettes, forcing
all companies to remove their
products from the shelves.
Experts from the National
Council on Alcohol and Drug
Abuse in St. Louis have been
urging teens to think seriously
before deciding to vape
because of its addictive properties.
They point out that the
sooner people quit the better
off they will be. In her recent
article entitled “E-Cigarette
Dangers” by Dr. Jennifer Lowry,
MD, states, “daily nicotine
exposures may be higher with
e-cigarettes than smokers anticipate.”
Experts recommend
those trying to quit should start
off with getting rid of all vape
supplies and try to have a positive
mental attitude. Each time
the urge comes along, give
yourself a drink of water or
count to 10 and distract yourself.
Try to do more things you
enjoy like writing, drawing, or
playing a sport.
While e-cigarettes may
have less tar going into the
lungs, vaping includes multiple
chemicals and unknown
agents. Experts and doctors
urge users to remember that
e-cigarettes are not better or
healthier than cigarettes; they
are just as dangerous and lead
to long term effects that we do
not clearly know about yet.
by Ava Bearskin
On October 17-19, Ms.
Lara Corvera and her troupe
of actors performed their
version of The Little Dog That
Laughed, a comedy about the
Huntington’s eldest child, Laurie (Lydia Mc-
Collough, 12), coming home for the summer
after two years away at college. She’s working
on a psychology degree and decides she needs
to help her conservative family become more
progressive.
At first, Laurie’s experiments on her family
are harmless until it costs her mother her
friends, her father his loan, and her brother his
relationship. The family is fed up with Laurie’s
antics and pulls a huge prank on her, right in
front of her boyfriend. Laurie is so mad that
she runs away.
Eventually, Laurie comes back and everyone
learns some important lessons. Mr. Huntington
(Micheal Nelson, 12) ends up getting
his loan and the rights to the building he wants
as well as a new business partner in an old
nemesis. Mrs. Huntington (Alayna Hopgood,
12) decides that she doesn’t need to uphold a
certain social status and becomes friends with
a surprising woman. Laurie’s brother, Wally
(Dominick Austin, 9) moves past the rivalry
between him and his ex-girlfriend’s families
and they get back together.
The play takes place in the summer of
1955 which adds an interesting aspect regarding
social standards and roles. Laurie is a very
interesting character because she thinks she
knows everything there is to know because
she’s partially educated. She comes home and
gets a sense of humility. She learns a critical
lesson about family when she comes back for
the summer.
The cast and crew worked for months to ensure a top-notch performance, and the audience was
not disappointed. Overall, The Little Dog That Laughed was a huge success. The spring musical
auditions are November 4, 5, and 6. Be sure to check that out.

by Matthew Jacobi
2019’s Spirit Week activities
during Homecoming eek
included Greek Day on Monday,
Meme/Dress Like a Celebrity
Day on Tuesday, Class
Cities on Wednesday, and
Class Color Day on Thursday.
During Thursday’s Spirit Week
assembly, students competed
against other classes through
various games and activities.
Two assemblies were held
during the week to promote
spirit and honor the fall sports
teams. Teachers faced off in
tug of war and performed a
dance routine to amuse the
students.
The winning class of the
spirit competition was the
seniors, who were pronounced
the victors during the homecoming
dance.
by Kennedy Carver and A’Nyah Henry
On October 5th, 2019, PHS hosted its Homecoming Dance, a semi-formal
event in which students exhibited careful consideration over their outfits, spending
lots of money to look their best.
This season, trends for males seemed to be…
Top: Vests or dress shirts that matched their date or the theme. Colors of red,
dark blue, shades of brown, or just plain black dominated the evening.
Bottoms: The pants were mostly just black jeans or black/brown dress pants.
Some were seen with fancy bow-ties or even rocking suspenders; there was
even those who wore a hat to literally top-off their outfits.
This Homecoming Season, most girls were interested in...
Colors: Burgundy, red, white, black, sequined dresses, and a lot of multi-colored
dresses.
Dress Lengths: Short and Knee length.
One of the most uniquest trends that stood out was the Pants/shorts suit.
Hair trends: Flat-Ironed, Curly, and many Sew-Ins.

Queen Tymani Jones, 12th
Senior Court: Ayiana O’Neal
Senior Court: Tymani Jones
Senior Court: Hannah Rogers
Top Right:
Ethan Gray,
Luke Vogel,
and Stanley
Momanyi take
a water break
courtesy of
Lauren Banks.
Middle Right:
Aaron Caldwell
warms
up during the
Homecoming
game against
Rockwood
Summit.
Below: The
Pirates prepare
for the
attack against
Rockwood
Summit’s
defense. This
drive resulted
in a Pirate
touchdown.
Senior Court: Elise Thompkins
Senior Court: Kinzi Boyer
Junior Court: Alyssa Hocog
Junior Court: Kaeli Benedict
Sophomore Court: Isabella Tucker Sophomore Court: Kamaori Young Freshman Court: Athena Housley Freshman Court:Peyton Gregory

Top Left: During a Pattonville
drive, Elijah Carter tracks the
pass, leaping toward the direction
of the ball.
Top Right: Representing Memphis,
Mr. Toler dons his Elvis
attire for the Homecoming
Parade.
Middle Right: The Pirate
football team rode through the
parade atop a classic Bridgeton
Firetruck.
2nd Row: Revving up the
crowd, the Varsity Cheerleaders
(left) and the Varsity Drill
Team (right) inspired Pirate
fans throughout the homecoming
game.
Bottom Row: Preparing for
the halftime show, the Pride
of Pattonville works on timing
and form for the game. Color
guard’s choreography cemented
the spectacular performance.

by Ella Janger
On October 6, students gathered in the gym/commons area
for the Homecoming Dance. Clad in their best attire, students'
expectations revolved around music, friends, decorations, and
a good time. PHS in the USA was the theme, and for some, the
decorations in each of the corners provided the best photo ops.
Each corner contained scenes from a different city: New York,
Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles.
A number of students commented about the quality of the
music. Despite the disappointment in the song selection, students
reported that they had a good time. Most talked about their
friends and the experience they shared with them.
Junior Rachel McCormick says, “I really enjoyed it, I got to
hangout with alot of my friends and the guy who I am dating. I
liked it because I got to talk to a lot of people I don’t normally get
to talk to. It’s a great way to socialize.”
According to most students, the best part about homecoming
is being able to hangout with all of their friends, and some people
who they may not usually talk to.
Junior Jonathan Cosby states, “To me Homecoming was not
worth my time and money because it’s basically a meet up where
you see you’re friends with fancy clothes for an hour or so then
you do things afterwards with them.”
Junior Isabella Koski says, “It was pretty fun but the music
sucked. The music has been bad every year so far.”
Lastly, junior Ellie Atkinson says, “I had fun with my friends
but the music wasn’t good at all.”
There seems to be a common theme from these interviews,
the music was subpar at best and the highlight of most of their
nights’ was being able to talk with friends. Many people were
not dancing, they were mostly just talking in groups with their
friends. People mostly go to homecoming to have a weekend
where they can escape from schoolwork and spend time having
fun and looking nice with their friends. All in all, homecoming
this year seemed to be a blast and most people had a good time.
1. Gabriella Turner and friends
show off their dance moves.
2.Marshall Carlton and Jacob
Silverstein entertain a dance
circle with their fancy dips. 4.
Students test their volleyball
skills during the dance. Griffin
Wick, Simon Wacker, and company
work the neon glowsticks
to the beat.

by A’Nyah Henry
The Pattonville School District holds at least six places to obtain the circular
goodness known as the donut. It was this reporter’s mission to attempt to provide
accurate information about the quality and variance in each of the options.
At my first stop, I got out the car to enter The Sweet Spot and enjoy my
sweetened small cake: the fried, warm, sugary, fresh, puffy, and crisp treat filled
my insides with excitement and jitters. It was overwhelming when I walked in. To
the left, four large glass cases were filled with a variety of shapes and colors. At
least twenty different kinds of donuts were available, in addition to a full menu.
To the right, patrons were enjoying the food.
All the handmade donuts behind the glass case
made me want to just touch, taste, and buy
every kind of donut that was being promoted.
I surely didn’t have enough money to do
that, but I did purchase 2 glazed donuts, 2
long johns, and a cinnamon roll donut. When
taking a bite out of the glazed donuts, the
sharp, and warm taste was fresh, regular, and
sweet. The long johns were also fresh but it
wouldn’t have tasted the same without the
creamy, white, caramel, smooth, and goey icing
smeared all over the donut. The cinnamon
roll donut tasted just like a cinnamon roll but
instead of the icing being goey, it was a glazed
that hardened throughout the edges and creases of the donut, kind of making it into
a snowy, slight, and glossy look when taking a bite.
Next up was Tony’s Donuts. This was the store that I was the pickiest about.
They did have limited donuts but also a lot of candied donuts, which are my least
favorite.While in Tony’s, I purchased one more glazed donut and a single long
john. I was just a little enthusiastic about the donut choices they had to offer but
overall, it was pleasant. The glazed donut didn’t taste as fresh, but any donut with
glaze on top was fine with me. It also was thick and fluffy which had to be the best
part of eating it. The long john tasted fresher than the glazed donut but had less
thickness and fluff. It was more sugary and tastier.
Next, then I had to visit Dunkin Donuts; it was a must. This shop was a very
fast-paced environment for me. I ordered a vanilla frosted donut topped off with
sprinkles. At this point, I was pleased with my purchase.
The last shop that I visited was Quick Trip. Now Quick Trip isn’t really a
donut shop, but their donuts are amazing. So once again while on my mission, I
had to order as glazed donut just one more time. While paying for my donuts, I
thought to myself that I had finally completed my mission.
I was so excited that it was overwhelming but it was too much for my mother
to handle. Just moving from store to store and looking at the donuts just made
my mouth begin to water. The little airy fried pastries shaped like a circle in the
middle, light, fluffy, and especially the glaze on top...nothing at that moment was
going to make me happier than donuts.
The best shop in the “district” would definitely be The Sweet Spot. Their
glazed donuts are the best, at least in my opinion. In closing, this was extravagant;
I finally got to go do something that I loved and enjoyed, but it was not easy. Just
remember that “the pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.”
by Lauren McDaniel
For 16 seasons, the TV show Grey’s Anatomy
has dominated screens. Since its beginning
in 2005, audiences have been captivated
by the drama and surgeries. The winner of
multiple Emmy awards and Golden Globes,
the show continues to intrigue new audiences
because of streaming services, such as Netflix.
One of the most appealing things about
the show is the surgeries, surprises, and romance.
In addition to surgeries ranging from
surgeries at gunpoint to 70 pound tumors,
the show also has a series of expected and
unexpected romances. Doctors discover new
things about themselves from their relationships.
Season 16 will soon drop on Netflix, and
hopefully this will be the best season yet.
The acting is also superior. Characters’ expressions
help to make the scenes believable.
Their humor and jokes aren’t always appreciated
but it is hilarious. I would definitely give
Grey’s Anatomy a four out of five flags on the
Pirate Ship.
by Gavin Schuessler
Pattonville’s Bowling Team is off to a
great start this year with many new members.
This year is a very big turnout for the team,
with over 25 bowlers making up the team.
They have practice every Wednesday at
3:30 and competitions almost every Sunday
at various bowling alleys in the area. Bowlers
had tournaments November 9-10 for an
opportunity at scholarship money for any
college they choose.
The team is always looking for new
members, whether beginners that want to start
bowling, or advanced bowlers that want to
have an experience on a high school team. It’s
clear that this year the bowling team is flourishing,
and we encourage anyone interested in
joining to talk to Mr. Langston in the bottom
G wing for any questions regarding the team.

by Destiny Wiser
photo courtesy of Wagner Photography
The Varsity Girls’ Softball team won
districts this season. They headed to sectionals
after their district win with a record of
15-10-1.
According to Coach Simpson, the biggest
moments from their playoff run include
the game against Ritenour, when “Maddie
Bailey hit a double and scored two runs. I
feel like it shifted a lot of momentum.”
Coach Simpson’s advice to the players
before playoff games was “to stay focused
and to remember what they do well as a
team and as an individual, to support each
other and to have confidence in themselves.”
The team made it to sectionals for the
first time since 1998. Maddie Bailey helped
get her team there, with a .800 slugging
percentage and a .500 batting average. She
also stole 15 bases.
The team fell to Francis Howell Central
in their sectional matchup after an impressive
season.
by Bailey Shields
The Springfield Three is the unsolved missing persons case of three women.
Sherrill Levitt, a 47-year-old, the daughter of Sherrill, Suzanne Streeter, 19-yearold,
and a close childhood friend of the Suzanne, Stacy McCall, who was 18.
The disappearance happened on July 7, 1992, in a city not too far from here,
Springfield, Missouri. The three were found missing from Sherrill and Suzie’s
home by a friend when she went looking for them.
The two teenage girls had just graduated from Kickapoo High School and
were planning on heading to Branson, Missouri, to have a day of fun at Silver
Dollar CiIty. Suzie and Stacy were simply going to drive the morning after graduation,
considering it was only 30 minutes away.
They were all decided on staying at a friend’s house and then leaving from
there. Unfortunately, the house was too occupied with relatives, so they relocated
to Suzie's house.
The next morning the third person attending the day of fun went to look for
the two the next morning to continue their plans. When she and her boyfriend
arrived, the phone rang. She answered, thinking it was going to be Suzanne or
Stacy. Instead, it was a deep male voice screaming inappropriate remarks.
There were signs that they made it back home that night. Their purses and
jewelry, as well as makeup bags, were found. And, it also looked like they had
slept in the bed. The friend looking for them just assumed that the two had
already left for the busy and fun day ahead. But, they never returned.
The case is still unsolved, but the mother of Stacy gave her best efforts to
find them. She made flyers and tried to spread the word as much as possible.
They did have a few leads on who could have done it until one very suspicious
report came along. Robert Craig Cox was a known criminal. He killed a
19-year-old girl in Florida. He was known to be around Springfield at the time
of the disappearance. When police questioned him, he said “I can tell you that I
know the three women are dead, and the person who committed the crime had
experience, and they were buried close to Springfield.”
But there wasn’t enough evidence to determine the killer. He was the last
lead in the case. There has been no new evidence that has opened the case back
up, so the mystery remains.
by Maddie Davenport
We all know that cheerleaders are full of fun
and spirit, but the Pattonville Highschool Varsity
cheerleaders are absolutely on a roll right now.
Besides cheering for the football, basketball,
soccer and wrestling, they attend the Missouri
State Cheer Competition and received second
place.
This is a huge achievement, considering photo by Aleigha Hornaday
the fact that cheer is an extremely difficult sport and it is mentally and physically
draining at times.
The team is overall an amazing squad and they deserve all the recognition for
their hard work and dedication to the sport!

by Drake Ives
Three Girls’ Cross Country athletes placed in the top ten finishes of all time
in the State meet this year. Camryn Hubbard placed eighth, Keilah Wilkes second,
and Lucy Ndungu topped the list at number one. Both Ndungu and Wilkes placed
in the top ten State finishes, with Ndungu second and Wilkes eighth.
When the Cross Country season neared its finish, the varsity team shifted its
focus from the regular season and concentrated on having success throughout the
postseason. The boys and girls on the team prepared for the district meet throughout
the last 12 weeks at practice and by running throughout the summer before the
season started.
The boys’ varsity team for the district meet was headed by senior Jessel
Prabhu and junior J.P. Killian. Prabhu, being the only senior on either the boys’ or
girls’ varsity team, was both excited and nervous for the race. “I’m excited about
the race because each race is an opportunity to show how I’ve progressed and how
far my training has gotten me through this season, but I’m also sad knowing that
this will be my last season running for Pattonville and with my team,” said Prabhu.
Killian, the only returning boy state qualifier from last year’s season, aimed to
keep that streak going at the new State Course this year. “Our team has been working
very hard in our workouts and in our races throughout the season to prepare for
this meet. If we race to our potential, we have a chance to qualify for sectionals as
a team. We’re in the endgame now,” said Killian.
Individually, both Prabhu and Killian had one main goal in mind for this meet:
breaking under 17 minutes in the 3.1-mile race. Both Prabhu and Killian have gotten
close to that mark, with personal bests of 17:00.71 and 17:03.44 respectively.
On the girls’ side, the varsity team was stacked with young talent, headed by
Lucy Ndungu, Keilah Wilkes, and Camryn Hubbard. Ndungu and Wilkes have
photos courtesy of Wagner Photography
already had plenty of experience racing together in the past, finishing first and
second in last year’s district race at Parkway Central High School.
Ndungu has already boasted historical numbers this season including a personal best of 18:55.44 in the 3.1 mile race, ranking
her as the 7th fastest girl in Missouri for Class 4. Before the State Meet, she set her sights on Districts: “All the girls and I are really
excited to go out there and give it our all for the District Meet. We had a chance to run the new course on Monday and I most definitely
loved it. My goal for this meet is to go beyond and push myself to the limit. This is a process, and it is all in the hands of God,” said
Ndungu.
Although Wilkes didn’t exactly have the season that she hoped for because of a knee injury that kept her sidelined for 5 weeks,
she hasn’t let that ruin her passion for the sport and her drive to be successful. “I’m excited about the meet, especially since it was
moved to a flatter course this season. I’m honestly surprised that I’ve made it this far, especially after taking off 5 weeks at the beginning
of the season because of my injury. Running hurts and is always a mental battle between the mind and the body, but not racing
because of my injury would be holding my team back from reaching its full potential and possibly qualifying for state,” said Wilkes.
Wrapping up his first year, Boys’ Coach Matt McClellan has stressed the importance of staying focused at practice and running
for each other during races. “When runners run for each other, they decide to put their team above themselves. Each team member has
a responsibility to their teammates and is expected to sacrifice individual accomplishments for team success,” claimed McClellan.
by Bailey Shields
The PHS Drill Team is the school dance team. The JV
coach, Ms. Riggs has been leading her team for going on six
years. Discussing this year’s tryouts, Ms. Riggs said, “We get a
wide variety of talent. Every now and then we run into people
who try out and just exceed expectations.
For Ms. Riggs, the coaching staff wants “students who are
willing to put in the work it takes to compete on a competitive
dance team.” She explained, “That typically includes 4-5 practices
a week, technique class once a week, along with performances
for football, soccer, and basketball throughout the year.”
Both Varsity and JV are going to the Lindbergh Invitational
and the Fort Zumwalt North Invitational. Varsity also goes to the
National Competition every year. They will compete on December
7.

by Ava Bearskin, An’Yah Henry,
and Kendall Perine
by Matthew Jacobi and Lilly Lofland
photo by Jack Goetz
The Pattonville Pirates’ Varsity Girls Volleyball team
were 20-9-1 and won their first round of districts before falling
in the second round to Francis Howell Central.
The team broke several records this year, as well. Gabi
Chan broke an 11 year record for digs in a single season,
Keeley Peters and Samantha Schuler both joined the 500
Kill Club while Madison Rigsby reached 100 blocks for her
career. McKenzie Seagraves also set a new record for assists
in a game in a single season. In addition, Paige Rowland set a
Pirate record for most kills by a freshman.
Throughout the season, the team set their sights on
post-season play. According to Madison Rigsby, the team was
hoping to go to state. Before going to games, Madison liked
to hype up her team with “cracking jokes, staying positive,
and having lots of energy.” She says that the team’s confidence
came from growing as a team and not letting losses
drag them down and hold them back from learning.
Coach Walsh got the team ready for big games by making
a plan before games and then telling the girls to stay aggressive
and hit hard. Parkway North had been Pattonville’s
biggest rival this season. In advancement, they played against
Parkway Central and Howell Central, who are, according to
Coach Walsh, hard teams to beat.
Captains Keeley Peters and Samantha Schuler kept the
team cool and on their feet and helped to lead their team to a
victorious season. Unfortunately, Pattonville’s Varsity Girls
Volleyball team lost districts this year but are hoping that
they can take districts next year, as they should have a lot of
returning members with experience and drive.
photo courtesy of Coach Braswell
With the fall season over, the Boys’ Swimming and Diving
team has conquered several of their goals. Chaska Cox-Potter,
Philip Tso, and Wyatt Martin all qualified for state early in the
season. The three of them plus Christopher Tobar then participated
in the 200 Medley Relay on September 21, breaking a
school record that has been standing since 1983.
Along with that, Philip Tso and Chaska Cox-Potter dominated
in the 100 Backstroke, breaking a school record that was
standing since 1999. Tso also qualified for the 100-meter fly.
Cox-Potter also broke a 1990 school record for the 100m
breaststroke. “I was extremely excited to have broken the school
record and was just as thrilled as that time bettered my state and
national rankings. We all knew we could break records and there
is a sense of relief when your goal is accomplished,” Cox-Potter
stated.
The boys headed to state with seven boys: Christopher
Tobar, Philip Tso, Chaska Cox-Potter, Nathan Moser, Wyatt
Martin, Isaac Reddy, and Isaiah Loparco. The boys all competed
with their teammates at state. Wyatt Martin and Chaska
Cox-Potter competed in the 200 IM, in which Wyatt placed 24th
and Chaska placed 31st. The 200 M Freestyle Relay had Chris,
Isaac, Nathan, and Isaiah; they placed 28th. Phillip Tso swam
the 100 M Backstroke and placed 26th, and Wyatt Martin Swam
the 100 M backstroke as well and placed 17th. Phillip Tso placed
15th in state for the 100 M Fly, Chaska Cox-Potter placed 8th
in state for the 100 M breaststroke, and the 200 Medley Relay
(Chris Chaska, Phillip, Wyatt) placed 10th overall in state.
In addition to these swimmers, PHS sent one diver, Kyle Hubbs.
Hubbs placed 14th at state, breaking his long standing record
from two years previous of 19th place.
While the team’s season has been challenging, they have
broken three school records, and they are all pleased that their
hard work has paid off.

One of the major reasons for the Girls’
Golf team’s success is senior Momo Kikuchi, a
four year golf participant who has punched her
ticket to state for each of those years. Kikuchi
has had a long history with golf. She recalls,
“I had my first tournament when I was seven,
my parents played and got me into it at a very
young age.”
She has been playing tournaments just like
this past sectionals as she attempts to keep her
composure, and with the pressure on and the
winter weather brewing, it was not an easy task.
Momo’s swings were pure and the ball flew
well most of the time. It was a cold morning
and most of the girls were trying to warm up,
but the cold took the life out of the ball on just
about every swing. Her putting was a little off
and her touch for beautiful finishes seemed to be fading, but any
good golfer can thrive under pressure, and that’s exactly what
Momo did.
by Kiara Wells and Lauren McDaniel
After a bit of an upset on the front 9,
Momo came out strong on the back 9 sending
her to state. A week later Momo was headed to
State on a three and a half hour drive to Bolivar,
Missouri. Kikuchi played two days of golf
and ended up placing 14th in state shooting an
80 the first round and an 83 the second round,
shooting a total of 163 for the two days.
After the tournament, Coach Gross (Girls’
Varsity Golf Coach) stated, “She played great
for the conditions. The winds were really
strong and it made it hard to have a low score.”
Momo’s career in golf is far from over and
she hopes to get a scholarship with it. She
explained, “I’ve talked about it with a few
coaches but at this point I’m not sure.”
Momo also placed 14th out of 90 in the
lowest eighteen hole score at the state competition. Overall,
Momo and her golfing career has only just begun, and we hope
to continue to hear her name in news stories.
photo courtesy of Coach Gross
by Shaniya Williams
The Girls’ Tennis team finished
the season 3-10, and while
their record may not have met
with their ideal, the the season
featured a number of accomplishments
for the players.
One such player is Imani
Warren, the Pirates’ second-highest
ranked player.
In a game on September 6,
Pattonville played Timberland
High School. During the game,
Imani was able to rally back and
forth with one of the players on
the team who happened to be
really good.
Warren called this one of
her best moments in the season
and one of her best strategies on
the tennis court.
The season ended on October
2, and a number of players
accomplished their goals.
photo by Meekie Trieu
Warren wanted to accomplish
getting better at her
strokes, and in her words “improving
herself as a player and
not necessarily just to win.”
After high school Warren
wants to go to a selective
college; she figured it would
be better playing a sport, along
with being involved in other
curricular activities.
This season the Varsity
Football team has battled with
injuries from concussions to
torn ACL’s. The season had
been a rebuilding year, as the
seniors attempted to step up to
become the leaders of the team.
It also didn’t help that
running back Charles Johnson
Jr was diagnosed with a torn
ACL and missed the rest of the
season.
Along with that, senior
offensive guard Logan Huls
was taken out during the
homecoming game against
Rockwood Summit and later
diagnosed with a torn meniscus
and his ability to play would
change from week to week as
the season progressed.
Later in the season, Logan
Williams, the starting quarterback,
sprained his thumb
by Ethan Gray
during the Kirkwood game
and missed three weeks of the
season.
A handful of players have
gone down with concussions
and other injuries, as the season
progressed. The team had to
fill in those empty slots on the
varsity team and stay together
through the tough times.
Even though it might not
look like varsity football is prepared,
no one ever sees behind
the scenes. During the summer,
they worked out at PHS in
the morning, and practicing
at night for two weeks during
school.
The team has its sights
set on next season, hoping that
this season of adversity will
make them even stronger in the
future.

The Varsity Boys’ Soccer team are District Champs. With a record
of 16-8, Coach Marcus Christian’s ultimate goal was to “compete
well at districts.” And they did.
Christian knew that for sectionals, “a lot of your ability is who
you play.” For him, “draw determines the difficulty. We got a bad
draw.”
The secret to the team’s sucess was that each player on the team
“has a role, we don’t keep a lot of guys on our roster. Each [player]
fulfils a specific need,” Christian said. Whenever the team has lost this
season, they rebound with a “film sessions and dentify were [they] fell
short.”
This method has proven to be effective for them as they have
only lost back to back games once this season. Those games were
against Westminster Christian Academy (14-7) and Lafayette (16-6-
1), both of which were by one goal.
Within their conference games, the soccer team’s record was
closest to Clayton High School’s record. Some Pattonville players
have the goal of playing beyond high school. One such soccer player
for PHS, Thomas McFarland, said that “It would be really cool to go
to college and play soccer there.”
by Drake Seabaugh and Nolan Ballard
photo courtesy of Wagner Photography
The team was strong during districts last year, and with 13 seniors
on the roster, they continued to progress.
McFarland said that he is “really proud of the team’s effort.” The
soccer players are constantly trying to see what they can improve, or
fix, on the field to play their best during the game. Hopefully, it will
pay off at the next level.
Despite every player’s best effort, the Varsity Field Hockey
team faced overwhelming adversity. With captains who were
out with injuries and a head coach on maternity leave, the team
had several adjustments to make.
Pattonville’s Girls’ Field Hockey team is coached by Officer
Mooney. who “sees improvements in his team even without
winning any games this season.” He says the team accomplished
goals, as in their willingness to compete and work hard
Mooney highlighted that there’s a lot of improvements in the
goalie position and said the defense “is more solid than ever.”He
also noted, “The players that have been with me since their freshby
Kiara Wells and Lauren McDaniel
man year have molded themselves into better athletes, and I hope
they continue the sport until they graduate.”
One of the field hockey team members, Taylor Guiot says
that she was the first of many to get injured during the season,
four team members were sat out permanently due to an injury
they had.
With twenty players from JV returning to the program, a
potential of 11 will be on varsity. The experience they will bring
and the drive they will have will contribute to a more successful
team.
by Kennedy Carver
Adding to the Pride of Pattonville Marching Band’s performance at the homecoming
football game, with their theme Crossroads, and their performance in the homecoming
parade, the marching band participated in the Bi-State Marching Invitational.
The band went to Potosi, Missouri for their competition. The students woke up early
and marched for hours, but it was all worth it. In the Parade Competition, the band earned
Outstanding Percussion Performance, Outstanding Marching Performance, and 2nd place
overall.
In the Field Show Competition Preliminary Round, they earned Outstanding Percussion
Performance, Outstanding Visual Performance, Outstanding Music Performance,
and 1st place overall.
Lastly, in the Field Show Finals Competition, the band earned Outstanding Color
Guard Performance, Outstanding Percussion Performance, Outstanding Visual Performance,
and 1st place overall Field Show Champion. On Saturday, October 19, The Pride
of Pattonville Marching Band had their final band competition at Mizzou. They performed
with energy and placed third in the competition.
Nolan Ballard
Kennedy Carver
Madalynn Davenport
Ethan Gray
A’Nyah Henry
Ava Bearskin
Matthew Jacobi
Ella Janger
Lauren McDaniel
Christian Movick
Gavin Schuessler
Bailey Shields
Shaniya Williams
Destiny Wiser
Adviser: Dr. Anne Boyd