Compiled by Gabby Pirrie

PattonvilleBriefs

Homecoming

pg. 8

T he Pattonville Board of Education is one of eight Missouri school boards to be named !nalists for the 2011 Outstanding Boards of Education Program sponsored by the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA).

Eight students from the AP Studio Art class won !rst place in the “Walking on Art Chalk Drawing Challenge” at the St. Louis Art Fair on Sept. 14.

By Taylor Dumas

Returning 23 years after his own graduation with a composed, yet optimistic demeanor, Pattonville High School welcomes back Joe

Dobrinic. Earning a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Lindenwood, and maintaining employment within the Hazelwood School District for almost 20 years, Dobrinic has been working with adolescents his entire career.

“"at was a special time in my life,” said Dobrinic. After spending !ve years at Kirby Middle School

as a social studies teacher, Dobrinic took the oppor-tunity to become assistant principal at Hazelwood East Middle School. He chose to take the position to be able to “have a greater impact upon the school.” Dobrinic also has experience working with high school students. He was an associate principal with an emphasis on seniors at Hazelwood West High School. Later, he became the building principal in 2008. Dobrinic has spent the majority of his career in the Hazelwood District. “I don’t know what I miss. I’m so focused on Pattonville right now.”

Over the course of 20 years, a lot has changed at Pattonville. Dobrinic stresses that although Patton-ville was never disadvantageous, now there is “a lot stronger focus on providing students with resources they need.”

In regards to policy changes at Pattonville, Dobrinic assures students that his intentions are anything but tyrannous. His main focus right now is to get to know Pattonville’s sta# and students. For future reference, Dobrinic explains that he cannot make alterations all on his own accord. “Ultimately, the board decides.” He does, however, explain that he holds the position that which relays any potential policy adjustments to the board, but states, “A wise principal looks to the kids and teach-ers for changes to be made.”

As far as long-term goals go, Dobrinic is aiming e#orts at students’ lives following high school. “I think we need to improve connection between high school and college. "at transition should be smoother.” He also hopes to see a higher gradua-tion rate, more student participation in advanced courses, and an increase in the percentage of kids who pursue further education after graduating.

As far as expectations for students go, Dobrinic says, “Everything we do, we do it through hard word; we do it !rst class.” He wants to see every stu-dent take advantage of every opportunity available at Pattonville by getting involved and becoming well-rounded, competitive individuals.

In addition to hard work, Dobrinic claims that

building relationships is also a key part of becoming a young adult. “Success, for you, is contingent on how well you work with others.” Dobrinic reiterates the importance of establishing connections through high school. “Speaking in the same voice and stay-ing positive is crucial.”

He also emphasizes the importance of enjoying everything high school has to o#er as far as extra-curriculars go. “I would like to see solid, solid school spirit.”

Every student at

the high school

will be carrying ei-

ther an iPad or a MacBook

Air by next school year.

Currently, there are

5,500 students in the

district and it has 4,900

computers. Since Pat-

tonville’s 5-year contract

with Apple is approaching

and there is nearly a 1:1

ratio of computers and

students, the Board has

approved a switch from

desktops computers to

mobile devices for every

student and teacher.

"is plan will start

at the high school this

semester. A pilot program

will take place starting in

October at the high school

to decide if the district

will purchase iPads or

MacBook Airs.

Joe Dobrinic, the high

school principal, said,

“"e !rst thing that [th

e

committee] has to do

is to roll out basically a

pilot plan to see if and

how conducive it’ll be to

learning. "e goal is to use

the pilot not just to learn

about technology, but to

facilitate whatever the

course is.”

English teacher Amy

Adam and math teacher

Tammy Hasheider were

selected to conduct this

pilot in some of their

classes. Adam’s Honors

English 3 and Hasheider’s

Algebra 1.2 and Geometry

1 classes will participate.

For each class, one

section will receive an

iPad for each student

and the other MacBook

Airs. "ose students will

use them until December

when the choice of what

device the school will pur-

chase will be made based

on the feedback from the

students and teachers.

“I imagine there will b

e a

debrie!ng by the teachers

and the students in a

discussion with the

administrators

and then the

administra-

tors will

Football Outlook pg. 3

Alyssa Mars was named a semi!nalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program this September. 1.5 million juniors took the qualifying test for this program and less than one percent of the high school population is now moving on to !nalist round.

Joshua Johnson, a junior in the POSITIVE School, will be honored as the Maryland Heights 2011 Volunteer of the Year during the city’s annual Fall Festival on Saturday, Sept. 24 in Vago Park.

By Sierra Peerman

By Lexi Kendall and Sara Berkbiegler

See CLASSES page 5

Art Illustration by Joey Schneider

Constructionpg. 4-5

Homecomingpg. 8

make a decision and then any decision they make they’ll take to the Board of Education,” Dobrinic said.

Along with the mobile devices, the students and teachers will also be experimenting with Moodle. Moodle is like an online classroom and will be used throughout the school. It will be where students can turn things in, do online discussions, and other classroom activities online.

“I think the bene!cial part is that it’s going to be used in all the class-rooms in the school, so it will be something kids will become acclimated with and there will just be a commonality about it,” Adam stated. "e advantage will be

that students will always

have access to a com-puter.

“I can do my homework when it’s convenient for me, so I always have it,” said junior Rhiannon Beckley.

It gives the teachers a chance to be creative with their Moodle and students will be engaged in a completely di#erent way.

“I think the biggest advantage is that this is kind of the wave of the future,” Adam said.

Students will be more willing to learn on an iPad or MacBook Air than they would if they were learning from a textbook, Adam stated.

Disadvantages are that if the mobile device is left at home, it will be treated like leaving a textbook at home. A replacement will be available, but it will not have all of the student’s documents on it like their own computer would.

Every device will be equipped with a GPS tracking device so that if it gets lost or stolen, it will be able to be tracked within a 50-foot radius.

"ere is a good prob-ability that there will be some kind of an insur-ance policy on the mobile devices, but the details are still undetermined.

Also, certain websites will be blocked at the school, but there is still some debate about if they will be blocked directly on the device, which will mean they will also be blocked at home.

In January, a recom-mendation will be made to the school board where they will decide which device to purchase.

Teachers will then be given the chosen device in preparation for the transition in 2012-2013 when all students will receive the device.

l l News

By Kristen Dehner and Gabby Pirrie

After several months of MTV record-ing, seniors Mikala McGhee and Trey

Wright both had successful shows. But the question is, did they !nd success?

Both McGhee (2010) and Wright (2011) had very di#erent outcomes after their show. MADE only seems to be the !rst step into making a person what they want to be for a lifetime.

Although MADE gives its candidates a run-ning start, it is up to the participants to keep up with their newly acquired skills. "e real test begins when the cameras are gone.

“I couldn’t continue dancing because I was very busy with sports and earning scholar-ship,” McGhee said. Her dancing career seemed to come to a halt after her show aired.

Not all was lost for McGhee, however. “"e show de!nitely gave me con!dence to try new things, as well as meet new people, and gave me experience in traveling,” McGhee said. She was also able to earn $2,000 doing commercial promotions for Neutrogena.

She also learned that everyone should “be yourself, but be smart about it” especially when on TV. Although she might not have

continued with her new dancing career, she gained great experiences that will help her with her future.

For Wright, his rapping career is continu-ing after the help of MADE.

“I have a lot more likes on Facebook and I’m doing shows now too,” said Wright.

Before he auditioned for the MTV televi-sion show, Wright had recorded a couple of mix tapes, but “it would have taken me a lot longer to be as popular without the three biggest letters behind me [MTV].”

With McGhee, she enjoyed the time she spent dancing but sports seem to still main-tain the No. 1 spot on her priority list.

Before MADE, Wright was already looking for something to spark his rapping career.

So, when he had the opportunity to get it going with MADE, he took what they gave him and continued with it.

By Lexi Kendall

The school year of 2010-2011 showed an increase of Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) End-Of-Course (EOC) scores.

When compared to other high schools in the St. Louis County area, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Pattonville ranked No. 7 in biology, No. 8 in government, No. 11 in algebra and No. 18 in English II.

“I think we per-formed very well and our scores improved this year signi!cantly,” math teacher Mark Basi said.

"e improvement of the scores didn’t just hap-pen overnight, according to English teacher Odetta Fields. "e high school worked hard to make sure that the students were actually prepared to take these tests.

“"e thing we do as the English department is that we give Cold Reads once a month to gauge how well the students would do on the state test,” Fields said."e math department also found ways to prepare

students for the state tests. “In Algebra 1, we give the kids mini EOCs to prepare them for the actual test,” Basi said.

Although Pattonville has improved its test scores, Fields said there is always room for more improve-ment.

“One, teachers continuing to improve our pedagogy,” Fields said. “Another way is for there to be more student and family commit-

ment to EOCs.” Richard Klosterman, Math teacher, said, “I

think the test scores will improve and every year we emphasize what is on the EOC so we can align the curriculum with the grade level expectations for the state.” "e Federal Education Act associated with the

No Child Left Behind Act requires all schools and school districts in the nation to be 100 percent pro!cient in English and math by 2014.

According to aboutfacts.net, nine out of every 10 time capsules buried are never found.

Don Schulte’s second hour geography class hopes that is not the case for the time capsule it is assembling.

Each student in the class was assigned a teacher or club to write a letter to asking for objects to be put into the capsule. “I wrote a letter to the counseling sta#,” senior Deric Ebersohl said.

Schulte has already received some objects to put in the capsule. One of those is a report of demographics on school performance and other statistics.

He has also received some items related to sports, which is only !tting since the capsule is likely to be placed in a new athletic facility.

Schulte believes the students will be able to !ll up the 3 feet by 4 inch PVC tube capsule, acknowledging that there is a pos-sibility they will receive more than they can !t.

Pattonville’s NEA club donated the money to purchase the PVC tube.

Schulte hopes to have the capsule full and sealed up by the end of October. Once completed, the capsule will be placed somewhere within the new construction, although the exact location is unknown.

If all goes to plan, Pattonville High School will leave its mark on history and give future students a look at how things were in 2011.

By Brendan Everson

Pattonville’s varsity volleyball team has been picking up its momentum as its sea-son moves along. At 8-9, the team keeps

working hard day after day. Along with the six seniors, the team has added

some younger players to the team.Junior Katie Mertz joins the squad this season

as a starter.Mertz said, “I was expecting our team to be

good this year. We have Sam Callahan who is returning this year and our incoming freshman [Hailey Womack].”

Womack said “you learn a lot” when playing with people who are older. “I wasn’t expecting to make the varsity team as a freshman but I was hoping.”

Coach Becky Middendorf said, “It has been

rough for some of our younger players. "ey have to adjust to the new speed of the game.”"e varsity team added junior Jessie Zehner as

its libero, a defensive specialist who wears a dif-ferent color jersey to easily be identi!ed.

“We look good this year and have good team-work,” Zehner said."is year the team aims to win its conference. Middendorf said, “We will have a good chance to

win conference this year.”Senior and team captain Christian Johnson said

winning conference is the team’s expectation this year."e team has been faced with tough competi-

tion so far this season. Johnson said, “Kirkwood was our hardest game

because they are a great team.”"e varsity team played Kirkwood on August 29

and lost.“But we get better every time we play,” Midden-

dorf said.

The main goal for Pirate Football this year: improvement.

After !nishing the 2010 season with a record of 7-4 and making district playo#s, the returning Pirates are set-ting their sights on a rebuilding season.

“My focus is solely on this team right now,” said head coach Steve Smith.

Although the team graduated most starters, including its receivers, center and quarterback, the players are up for the challenge of building the team’s unity.

“Regardless of adversity, we will stay together,” said Smith.

Smith elected to not establish any captains for this season, instead wanting to see which players step up to become leaders. One of the expected leaders is returning wide receiver and defensive back senior Matt Wilkes. Wilkes wants to see his team go above .500 for the season.

Wilkes said, “I would like to see the team continue to improve every time we step on the !eld.”

Although the Pirates were outscored 123-7 in the !rst three games, the Pirates are still coming out tenaciously going 1-1 the past two games includ-ing an overtime victory over Riverview Gardens.

Stefan Seals, Wilkes and Jeremiah Wilkins acknowledge this year will be a growing season, but they look forward to helping younger, more inexperienced players become comfortable on the !eld.

“It makes me feel good to know we are helping the underclassmen improve for the future seasons. "ey are getting valuable playing time,” Wilkes said."eir youth and inexperience would

be considered their major weakness; their strength lies in team togetherness. Wilkes’s favorite part about being on the team this year is the sense of fellowship and family.

“We know when to get serious and when we can goof o#,” said Wilkes.

Concurring with Wilkes, Stefan Seals agrees this year will be a rebuilding season. Although the team has grown closer, returning inside linebacker

Wilkins believes there could be more camaraderie within the team.

“We were much closer last year; we all had experience playing the game at the varsity level.”

Keeping a positive approach, Wilkins believes with time the team will eventu-ally create a stronger bond.

Seniors agree there is more that can be done to improve their last season. As up-perclassmen, they expected more from their season and hope to see progress.

“I thought that the underclassmen would come out and make a better e#ort for us [seniors], but at times it seems like they are settling,” Wilkes said.

Fortunately, the team has seniors that may go on to play at the collegiate level.

Wilkins made his verbal commitment to Northern Iowa prior to the football season. Although he looks forward to playing college ball, he is focused on making the best of his senior year. Wilkins was second in the area with 59 total tackles through the !rst four games of the season.

l l

By Kristen Dehner

By Kristen Hanna

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Sports

The di$culty in facing new challenges is dependent upon how determined one is, how positive one is, and how much guid-

ance one receives. On Aug. 15, 548 new faces arrived at Pattonville

for their newest endeavor: high school. For some, this can be intimidating."erefore, Pattonville o#ers programs designed

speci!cally for acclimating freshmen in their transition to high school.

PALS, for example, is a large group of upper-classmen devoted to teaching freshmen the neces-sary tools for success in high school and more.

“"e PALS act as mentors to the freshmen and they model good behavior and academic skills,” Janet Kuhn, PALS sponsor, said.

No matter how many resources a school has, a student could still feel unprepared and lost enter-ing high school.

Freshman Breonnia Wea admits that the biggest change she has had to adapt to in her transition from middle school to high school was “learning where all my classes are.”

If there are any students still struggling with navigating campus, there are maps available in the counseling o$ce.

Freshman Zoë Blaesing also had trouble adjusting to “having to carry a lot of books and having classes all over the place.” She added that, in comparison to middle school, “there’s more homework.”

Senior Jaedyn Bonner remembers her !rst experience in the green locker-lined hallways. She recalls her most di$cult task being !nding her way around school. After about a week-and-a-half, she was able to navigate her way to classes with no trouble.

Some freshmen feel overwhelmed with the change in the amount of assignments expected of

them, but senior Dylan Hogan encourages these students to do their homework.

Students are provided with Student Handbooks

to help them stay organized. Each handbook is equipped with a calendar

planner for one to write down daily homework items.

In the face of change, one must expect the unexpected. High school is not drawn down to a science, so surprises are sure to sneak up on some students.

For example, freshman Kayla Holley was taken aback by the fact that “none of [her] classes are on the same %oor.”

Blaesing wishes she would have known that “you need to do your homework every night and you have to carry around lots of books.”

Keeping up with a larger work load poses a new kind of undertaking that some freshmen may !nd staggering. However, every freshman student is encouraged to take a Freshman Academic Lab, where the aforementioned PALS assist students in staying on track with classes.

With the !rst grading period completed, stu-dents still have time to make up for low scores before their semester grades become part of their high school accumulated grade point average.

High school is not only a challenge, but an experience.

Freshman Aleksander Mansdoerfer looks for-ward to “the mass social setting” high school has to o#er.

Blaesing is excited to “meet new people and

Pattonville Stadium was in disrepair. It was decades old and included multiple areas that were not functional.

"e consistent level of the playing !eld caused problems for drainage and created inabilities to play soccer. "e concession stands were not up-to-code and forced food to be sold from stand-alone shacks. Accessibility to the stands by the handicap was dif-!cult."ese problems will be alleviated with the new facili-

ties currently under construction. With the approval of the zero tax rate increase bond

issue by voters in November 2010, the Pattonville Board of Education was able to award bids to start the construction projects.

Funds from the bond issue can only be used for bond projects and are prohibited by law to be used for the district’s operational budget such as salaries and textbooks."e bond issue, commonly referred to as Proposi-

tion K, gave Pattonville $41 million and did not in-crease taxes. It was passed with a 75.79 percent vote and will include multiple improvements all around the school district, including the high school.

Construction has already begun on the high school campus as the old stadium and softball !eld were torn down.

A softball !eld has been built next to the soccer !eld. "e removal of the old !eld was made to create room for the addition of the new natatorium. "e new football stadium will have 2,700 seats on

the home side, increasing the capacity by 500 specta-tors."e stadium will not be completed for a while as

that is a much larger project. “Every day is an adjustment,” Athletic Director Bob

Hebrank said, explaining how there is no exact time-line for the construction, but more of an approximate one.

Ron Orr, Pattonville’s Chief Financial O$cer, said work on the construction will begin to pick up in early October. Work on the track and !eld will start, with the hope that the track will be ready for the team to practice on March 1.

When the !eld eventually begins taking shape, there will be one very noticeable di#erence. "e green grass will actually be arti!cial turf.

“We realized we had a need to provide more !eld access,” Orr said.

Most high schools that have grass !elds only allow use during games because the !eld will get very beat up. Turf will give the football team the ability to practice on the !eld without the worry that it will get worn out.

In order for all of the construction to get done as quickly as possible, multiple projects will be in prog-ress at once.

According to Orr, retaining walls will begin at the stadium along with foundations for the locker rooms, concession and utility buildings. "e foundation of the natatorium will also begin in

October. Once the natatorium is !nished, the possi-bilities are endless. "e swim team will no longer have to practice and compete away from home. "ere is also a chance that swimming classes will be

o#ered. Orr stated that there are other high schools in the area that o#er those types of classes. One class he described dealt with all kinds of water activities, such as snorkeling and rowing. "ere are no o$cial plans for a class like this but it is de!nitely an intrigu-ing possibility."ere are a lot of things to be excited about with the

construction, but there is one thing that is a bother to many of the juniors and seniors that drive. Parking for students has been made very di$cult since a large chunk of the lot has been fenced o#.

Some students have been forced to park at Grace Church and walk down to the high school, while students that have parking passes have only a limited amount of parking to share. "e fenced o# area also reduced access to the ath-

letic !elds that are still in use. In order to get to the !elds now, spectators and athletes must either walk up Creve Coeur Mill Road and enter through a gate or walk up a path behind the activities center. During games there will be golf cart shuttles to the !elds for the elderly and disabled.

According to Orr, “"e overall cost of everything…will be about $17 million.”

After all is said and done, Pattonville High School will have a new football stadium, track, !eld, natato-rium, and locker rooms that will give the campus a fresh, modern look.

By Brendan Everson

By Taylor Dumas

to help them stay organized. Each handbook is equipped with a calendar

planner for one to write down daily homework items.

In the face of change, one must expect the unexpected. High school is not drawn down to a science, so surprises are sure to sneak up on some students.

For example, freshman Kayla Holley was taken aback by the fact that “none of [her] classes are on the same %oor.”

Blaesing wishes she would have known that “you need to do your homework every night and you have to carry around lots of books.”

Keeping up with a larger work load poses a new kind of undertaking that some freshmen may !nd staggering. However, every freshman student is encouraged to take a Freshman Academic Lab, where the aforementioned PALS assist students in staying on track with classes.

With the !rst grading period completed, stu-dents still have time to make up for low scores before their semester grades become part of their high school accumulated grade point average.

High school is not only a challenge, but an experience.

Freshman Aleksander Mansdoerfer looks for-ward to “the mass social setting” high school has to o#er.

Blaesing is excited to “meet new people and

[play] sports.” Getting involved may help some students adjust

to their new school setting.

Pattonville provides students with many choices in clubs, sports and activities. From theater to Re-naissance, and from soccer to Key Club, students should have no trouble !nding their niche in high school.

In addition to extracurriculars, Pattonville gives students a wide variety of academic courses to

choose from. Holley says her favorite class is Eng-lish Fundamentals.

“I like Ms. Anderson. She’s laid back.” Mansdoerfer enjoys his Honors "emes in World

History class because of the “expanse knowledge of cultures we deal with daily.”

To be successful in high school, one must plan ahead. Blaesing has set goals for herself. She in-tends to “get good grades and not be late to class.”

Pattonville rewards these goals with functions such as the “No-Tardy Party” where students are rewarded for arriving to class on time. Wea is concerned with “getting all [her] credits.”

Meeting with a guidance counselor on a regular basis can help one stay on track with class credits and required courses. Being in a new, considerably larger setting, with hundreds of strangers does not have to be intimidating.

Having an optimistic outlook and a willingness to ask for help can ease one’s entrance to high school. Getting involved and using rescources such as counselors, teachers and upperclassmen can greatly improve one’s acclimation to Patton-ville.

Bonner o#ers words of advice to incoming Pirates: “Don’t do stupid stu# that’s going to get you in trouble just because you think it’s cool.”

In other words, students should be responsible for their actions and should enjoy high school while it lasts.

l l

The new school year started on Aug. 15, but the new year of television did not begin until

the week of Sept. 19."is fall season provides a lot of

series focused around new characters through “Glee,” “Two and a Half Men” and “"e O$ce,” as well as dramatic plots in “Gossip Girl” and “90210.”

On Sept. 20, “Glee” returned to television sets for Season 3. Season 2 did not receive as many viewers as the !rst season and lead actress Jane Lynch has previously stated in interviews that this season is more focused on the characters. "e “Glee” cast, known for their catchy col-laborations and re-makes, will have a variety of special guest stars this season. Anne Hathaway, famous for the Princess Diaries, is suspected to play Kurt Hummel’s controversial aunt. Over the summer, “"e Glee Project” aired on Oxygen. Damian McGinty and Samuel Larsen won and will be joining the cast this season. McGinty’s character is an exchange student named Rory and will be living with Brittany’s family. Larsen’s char-acter is still in the works. “Glee” airs on Fox every Tuesday at 7 p.m.

In Season 5 of “"e O$ce,” boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) departed the gang for his love Holly. "e de-parture of Carell has left the audience questioning who the lead actor will be replaced by and the answer is James Spader will replace Carell as the new CEO of Sabre-Dunder Mi&in as Rob-ert California. “"e O$ce” is on NBC

every "ursday at 8 p.m. After Charlie Sheen’s disturbing

series of interviews in early 2011, executive producers have removed Sheen’s character, Charlie Harper, from “Two and a Half Men.” In the season premiere, Harper was secretly killed o# in Paris by an oncoming train. With the primary character of “Two and A Half Men” killed o#, the audience was left questioning who the lead actor would be. Sheen’s role was replaced by “"at 70s Show” comedian, Ashton Kutcher. Kutcher will play Walden Schmidt, a wealthy Internet billionaire. “Two and a Half Men” premiered Sept. 19 on CBS.

One television station features mul-tiple drama shows. "is month CW will return two of its hit drama series: “Gossip Girl” and “90210.”

Manhattan socialites are relocat-ing to Los Angeles in this season’s “Gossip Girl.” "e series !nale will bring its audience romance, wed-ding bells and pregnancies between the intertwined groups of friends. “Gossip Girl” airs on CW at 7 p.m on Mondays.

Also returning to CW with its 4th season, “90210” will bring back similar events to the original “Beverly Hills, 90210.”

After high school graduation in Season 3, the cast will begin a new chapter in their lives as they en-ter adulthood. Suicidal thoughts, pregnancy scares and drug abuse are all elements of this hot L.A.-based drama. “90210” is aired at 7 p.m on Tuesdays.

By Jacqueline NeilBy Gabby Pirrie

Are you ready for a late night out with your friends? Well, now you will de!nitely have

something to do in the upcoming months.

Starting Oct. 21, the !rst exciting movie to come out will be “Paranor-mal Activity 3.” "is movie is a prequel horror

!lm that returns to the roots of the haunting of main characters Katie and Kristi Rey.

Following this !lm will be some-thing a little more light hearted and funny, “Jack and Jill.” "is movie will be premiering on

Nov. 11 with Adam Sandler who will be playing the roles of Jack and Jill.

“"e Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1” will be playing in theatres starting Nov. 18. "is movie, correlating with the

third book of the “Twilight” series, stars Taylor Lautner (Jacob), Kristen Stewart (Bella) and Robert Pattinson (Edward). Dakota Fanning (Jane) also stars in this !lm. "e plot summary of this !lm revolves around Bella and Edward getting married and end up having a child together. "is child brings about more prob-

lems for Bella and Edward than just deciding what to name it.

If you’re not into vampires, maybe penguins are more your thing. “Happy Feet Two” will be opening on the same day and the cute little danc-ing penguins are back, but this time in 3D.

Nov. 18 - “Happy Feet 2”: "is sequel features the same cute dancing penguins, but this time in 3D.

Dancing With !e Stars: 7 p.m., Monday, ABC: Live reality compe-tition show that pairs up celebrities with profes-sional ballroom dance partners.

Glee: 7 p.m., Tuesday, Fox: Glee is a musical comedy that depicts Will Schuester’s (Matthew Morrison) e#orts to save McKinley High’s Glee Club from cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester

Supernatural: 8 p.m., Friday, CW: Supernatural stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki as Dean and Sam Winchester, two brothers who travel the country looking for their missing father and battling evil spirits along the way.

Charlie’s Angels: 7 p.m., "ursday, ABC: "e ’70s classic is set to revive with a new series with Miami as the backdrop.

New Girl: 8 p.m., Tues-day, Fox: Zooey Descha-nel stars as a woman who moves in with three single male roommates.

Sept. 23 - “Abduction”: An action/drama star-ring Taylor Lautner who discovered the parents who raised him aren’t his real folks.

Oct. 21 - “Paranormal Activity 3”: "e prequel horror !lm that returns to the roots of the hauntings of Katie and Kristi.

Nov. 11 - “Jack and Jill”: Starring Adam Sandler and Adam Sandler. In Sandler’s newest comedy, he will be playing two di#erent roles as twins, Jack and Jill.

Sept. 23 - “Moneyball”: Catch your last baseball !x of the season in this true story starring Brad Pitt as GM of the notorious Oakland A’s.

Entertainment

By Taylor DumasArt Illustration by Kristen Dehner

l l

By: Taylor Dumas

Opinion

Pattonville English teacher and golf coach Leslie Anderson o#ered some

key advice to her students in 2008: “Everyone should work in a restaurant at least once in their lives.”

When these seemingly simple words were spoken three years ago, they meant very little to me.

Today, I could not agree more with the very statement.

“Please” and “thank you” are notorious for being the “magic words” for kids, meaning upon the usage of said words, a person receives whatever they are asking for.

As e#ective as these words are, they do not make up for what

manners Mom and Dad neglected to teach little Johnny.

Unfortunately, servers often have to deal with what Johnny lacks: customer etiquette.

Having worked in the restau-rant business for nearly two years, I have had plenty of oppor-tunities to see the “ugly side” of people (of all ages, mind you).

Now, some people are just blatantly rude, but I will give

the other half of the less than amiable customers the bene!t of the doubt in saying they’re oblivi-ous to their indecencies. "erefore, for the bene!t of

both parties, I present the “Do’s and Don’ts” of dining.

Small courtesies are de!nitely appreciated and never go un-noticed.

Months from now, Pattonville High School will have new additions to its campus: a brand new stadium with an arti!cial turf !eld and

a 12-lane swimming pool. But along with these wonder-ful additions comes less parking space. Pattonville’s sta#, students, and visitors are often seen racing through the parking lot trying to !nd a place to park."e recon!guration

of the parking lot has brought numerous prob-lems within the student body, causing students to park at Grace Church or even on streets in nearby neighborhoods.

During registration in August, parking passes were sold on a !rst-come, !rst-served basis to any juniors and seniors who met the requirements. Students who busy themselves with extracurriculars do not receive special attention nor consideration. "ere are many students who received a parking pass but do not participate in any extra-curricular activities. "ese students have the abil-ity to leave directly after school at 2:13 p.m. unlike the athletes who do not have parking passes for the school lot. A student who is involved with multiple clubs and plays a varsity sport may have to park o# Pattonville’s main cam-pus. "e problem here is quite obvious. Selective athletes, who also carry large gym bags, often rush themselves after school to get to their car and drive back to the school’s main campus.

Students who contribute to Pattonville by being involved should be rewarded by being the !rst students to receive

parking lot passes.Another portion of students who have parking passes are

enrolled in classes where they must leave campus for credit (i.e. students as mentors). Some of these students don’t have authority to park on the lot.

When they have to leave school early, they have to walk o#-campus and to their car. "e main issue with this is that walking up to Grace Church is a safety issue and takes precious time from being in their elementary classrooms.

Not only does this a#ect students, but it a#ects visitors too. "ere have also been

multiple complaints from parents that there is a lack of directions to park and signs leading to sporting events as

they navigate through Pattonville’s campus. After searching hard for a parking spot, parents are

guided through the commons and into the F-Wing where most underclassmen hang out before practices and usually at this time of the day students are acting up and show no respect, causing our visitors to become annoyed looking for the game."e walkway to the !elds is paved along the softball !eld

and continues through the outdoor science classroom then wraps around the tennis courts.

Walking up the path near the outdoor science class-room is also a safety hazard. "e slope of the walkway is extremely steep. "ere have been many students, athletes and parents who have trouble as they walk on it."e new stadium and other construction will be great ad-

ditions to the campus in the future, but for now it creates many headaches that impede everyday activities.

High school, the single most signi!cant learning experience, or at least that’s what I’m told. It is a microcosm of the real world for teenagers and

every 14-year-old worries about making the transition. At that age, there are two types of people: the outgoing

teens whom !nd it necessary to bring up the thought of high school in every single conversation because they are so excited, and then there are the really shy ones who are paranoid and scared of the upperclassmen. But no matter whom you are when you come to this place, the only thing that stands out is what you do. Welcome to the big leagues."ere is that terrifying fear of having your name spoken

of, regardless if it is for a bad or good reason. Not everyone knows everyone the way they did months ago.

Society transforms high school into a social scene where selective people stand out. Everything is a competition here. Academics, athletics and extracurricular activities. "e people who claim the names in the halls and get their

names on the announcements are all about having a col-lege resume that will get them into a university.

Being known can be %attering, but the question is “Do these people feel loved just because they have positive things said about themselves?”

Sometimes being the most academic isn’t the greatest

way to be noticed and feel welcomed. Being able to properly communicate with your peers is the most a#ected way to make friends with someone."ere are the students who are loud and obnoxious to get

the crowd rowdy at games. "en there is the core group of students who try to sit in a section strictly because it is for students.

On the exterior of the crowd lays a di#erent type of a student. Sometimes it’s the quiet one in class who wants to spend the Saturday afternoon in the sunshine, but is too afraid to approach the loud ones in the stands.

Yelling out chants to encourage our athletes comes natural. "ere is no right or wrong way to cheer for your team. "e fact that you’re yelling your lungs out is good sportsmanship as a fan."e students who get noticed are the ones who aren’t

scared of humiliation, they aren’t always the students who busy themselves with extra-curricular activities.

Being involved is a large fraction of high school’s “bigger picture” but it isn’t what makes someone an individual, it’s being yourself that does.

By Jacqueline Neil

"e Pirate Press is the open forum newspaper of the Pattonville High School. "e opinions pub-

lished are of the publication and are open to criti-cism. As the members of the 2010-2011 sta#, we dedicate ourselves to the accurate and objective dissemination of information to all readers. We will protect and exercise our First Amendment

rights. "e viewpoints of all sta# members are to be regarded as being separate from those of our

administration, faculty, peers and adviser.

It is the opinion of the Pirate Press that while the construction is bene!cial in the long run, it causes much inconvenience for students in the now.

By Taylor Dumas

By Jacqueline Neil

“To not play at home for Homecoming, or any game, is a

di#erent experience but when it’s all said and done, we just want to have a chance to play football,” Steve Smith, head football coach, said.

Due to the construction on the new stadium and !eld, this year’s Homecoming was di#erent from past ones. "e pep rallies were held in the main gym, and the football game was played at Lindenwood University.

Smith felt bad for Pattonville fans that wouldn’t have a “real” Homecoming.

“It’s bad because our fans won’t be able to be at our stadium, our fans won’t be able to have the at-mosphere that they’re accustom

to, and we won’t be able to come out of our own locker room and listen to our own music; things that get us excited.”

As upsetting as it was to not have their own !eld to play on, players still stayed positive.

Senior Zach Brown said, “It doesn’t matter. I play for the love of the sport, and I will always give my all whether I’m on my home !eld or not.”

Many students were disap-pointed that Homecoming was not really at “home,” but still had faith in their Pirates.

Junior Isaac Caverly said, “It is disappointing, but I believe that Pattonville fans will pull together and support our boys.”

Ultimately, the Pirates fell to McCluer 32-20 on Sept. 24.

Football was not the only event a#ected during Homecoming week. Pep rallies that in the past had been held at the stadium, were moved to the main gym instead.

Even so, student council spon-sor Jessica Muckerman-Presson

stated that, “We still followed the same schedule.” "e faculty and class competi-

tion games still took place, along with performances from the Var-sity Cheerleaders and Drill Team.

After points from all events in-cluding Green and White Day to a lip sync competition were tallied, the Class of 2012 placed !rst in the class competitions.

To end the week, students !lled the main gym for the Homecom-ing dance. With the theme “Wish Upon a Star” came new decora-tions.

Senior Kimberly Hulse, the dance coordinator said, “ Instead of doing the four corners, we did columns. We’re not doing the four big decorations like we had.”"e Homecoming court ap-

peared at the dance led by Home-coming Queen Sarah Marx who was crowned earlier that day.

Next year’s Homecoming will be played at Pattonville if the construction of the new stadium is completed on schedule.

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