Wednesday, April 18, 2018
The Student Newspaper of Jones College Preparatory High School
Students step up to the board
In memory of Moey
New course allows students to shadow teachers MAGGIE TROVATO ‘19 School Staff Three juniors, with the input of faculty, have created a new course giving rising seniors the opportunity to be teacher assistants, or TAs. Eryn Barnes ‘19, Samaia Hill ‘19, and Zakiya Mensah ‘19 brought the idea to teachers and administrators earlier this school year. “We mentioned it to Mr. Mitchell in November, then we started creating the proposal for it,” said Hill. “Then, we went to teachers. We talked to every department to make sure that they would all be okay with it and would actually want to be a part of it.” The three also communicated with students at Lindblom Math & Science Academy, where a teacher assistant program already exists. “Unofficially, we’re calling it JTAP, or Jones Teacher Assistant Program,” said Powers. Student involvement in the creation of the class is not the only thing that sets it apart from other classes. “Each teacher that applies for the program will have their own TA. The TA would be in one of the teacher’s classes,” said Hill. The teacher assistants will help with everything from making copies to grading multiple choice quizzes.
“At one point in the semester, the student teacher will actually be able to lead their own lesson,” said Mensah. “[It would] give them an insight into what teaching is like and go more in depth, because if you teach something, you’ll have a better understanding of it than if you just read over it.”
Social science teacher Dan Kovacs, who also helped bring this class to life, sees the benefits that JTAP would bring to teachers. “If we’re in small groups, I can’t be in every group,” said Kovacs. “Another facilitator in class is helpful.” To be in the class, students must meet certain requirements. “The prerequisites are [that the prospective teacher’s assistant
Reparations through education
must have a] B or better in the previous course, a teacher recommendation, and 12th grade [standing],” said Mitchell. Administration was pleased with the effort that the students put into cultivating their idea. “They drafted up a proposal of what they wanted this to be like. It was such a nice effort, I immediately had them sit in front of Dr. Powers, who was equally impressed with the presentation of the information,” said Mitchell. The description for the class, which the students worked on with Mitchell, is in the scheduling handbook for next year’s available courses, and it is clear that students and faculty see it as an important elective to have available right now. “I wish they had this when I was in school. It would have given me just a little bit more of a feel of what teaching was going to be like,” said Powers. Mensah sees this class as important for students who don’t plan to become teachers as well. “I feel like education is a cornerstone of America,” Mensah said. “I don’t think I would ever become a teacher, but I feel like teaching other people will be, somehow, a part of my job.” Graphic by Abby Teodori ‘19
CPS introduces new curriculum for tenth graders on Burge torture cases
SARA WEISS ‘18 Lifestyles Staff OLIVIA LANDGRAFF ‘18 Lifestyles Editor
fired in 1991, none of the victims were released until 2002. Dozens of torture survivors have been released from prison, while those with death row sentences were commuted to life in prison. Those freed became a part of
Volume 3, Issue 6
Students reflect on late sophomore KATHERINE WILLIAMS ‘20 Lifestyles Staff Moey Dworkin-Cantor ‘20, who was diagnosed with cancer in August 2016, died peacefully on Saturday, March 17 in her home. Since her diagnosis shortly before her freshman year of high school, she had been through over a year and a half of chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, and rehabilitation. “Moey was able to accept her diagnosis and treatments with bravery and grace,” said Dworkin-Cantor’s oncologist, Jennifer Reichek. Dworkin-Cantor’s friends remember her as a bright, happy person. “She had this love for everyone and she touched so many people’s’ lives,” said Zelda Zerkel-Morris ‘20. “Everyone wearing yellow was so beautiful because you could see the impact she had on our community.” Her optimistic nature was reflected during her funeral, where she, prior to her death, had requested that guests wear yellow to remember her, in addition to making a crossword puzzle for guests to complete, including words like “Frida,” “Halloween,” “Twizzlers,” “Cactus,” “Thrifting,” and “Clouds.” “Moey was such a smart and kind person. She had so much empathy for other people,” said Olivia Harris ‘20, who attended Burley Elementary School with Dworkin-Cantor before they both attended Jones. “When I talked to her about my problems, she comforted me, even though she was stuck in bed and couldn’t move. I really miss her.” Dworkin-Cantor used her experience to create art, from her illustrated journal to a zine about the side effects of chemotherapy, which she was working on publishing with a local author. During her treatment, Dworkin-Cantor also relied on support from her family, including her twin sibling, Ari Dworkin-Cantor ‘20. In an interview prior to her death, Moey said, “When I was away from my family and friends, I was really depressed. Ari was a huge part of my support system. We talked over FaceTime every day when I was at [Massachusetts General],” where she underwent surgery in Boston. Dworkin-Cantor was part of several communities of people before she died, beyond her family and friends, including spending summers at Camp Havaya from 2012 to 2016. She also played bass at Girls Rock! Chicago for a year, and was part of the synagogue at the Jewish Reconstruction Center, Future Female Leaders of America, and Poetry Club at Jones. She is also remembered by the “Moey Dworkin-Cantor Dreamer Fund,” a scholarship fund named after her, created by Chicago organization Teachers for Social Justice, whose funds will go toward two undocumented graduates within Chicago Public Schools. “Every day I saw Moey was automatically a good day. There’s so few people in the world who have the ability to radiate such joy,” said Adrienne Korey ‘20. “She was always smiling and laughing, full of this unchallenged passion for life. Anyone who knew her knows there is nothing like Moey’s smile: it’s something I will remember for the rest of my life.”
tory class on March 28. After voicing parts of his own story, Clementis explained how the effects of systemic racism impacted the case against Burge. “They didn’t want to listen because Under the jurisdiction of Jon none of the victims were caucasian,” Burge, Commandsaid Clementis. er of the Chicago “They didn’t want to Police Department [hear] that this highly for nearly 30 years, decorated police offiChicago Police ofcer was responsible.” ficers used various CTJC proposed the forms of verbal and Reparations Ordiphysical abuse in nance, which was order to force conpassed by the Chifessions, ultimately cago City Council. leading to the imprisPart of the ordinance onment of over 110 includes a lesson confirmed innocent in CPS schools for men, although more all eighth and tenth cases continue to grade students on the come out. Now, the torture cases. The victims’ stories are curriculum was well being told to eighth received by students, and tenth graders all DISCUSSION Mark Clementis shares his experiences with John Burge in due to its difference over the Chicagoland Ryan Maggid’s Honors U.S. History Class. and opportunities to area as part of the $5.5 engage in deep interest million reparations agreement for vic- the Chicago Torture Justice Center among other units in the curriculum. tims with credible claims of torture. (CTJC), a community center estab- “I had never heard of the whole sit Public officials refused to take lished to help survivors to heal from uation with Jon Burge before, so I action against Burge throughout his 20 trauma by sharing their individu- think doing this unit was eye openyears in power, dismissing concrete ev- al stories through public speaking. ing,” said Leni Bryan ‘20, a student idence of torture. Meanwhile, families, “I was tried and I was found guilty in the class. “I think [Clementis] comlawyers and community members of the off of a confession, without even a ing to talk to us it made it more perfalsely convicted fought to have Burge witness,” said torture survivor Mark sonal and it showed us how police LEAVING BEHIND A LEGACY Moey Dworkin-Cantor, convicted for the torture he imposed on Clementis while speaking to Ryan brutality really affects individuals.” pictured with sibling Ari, share a moment together. innocent people. Although Burge was Maggid’s tenth grade Honors U.S. HisPhoto by John Wang ‘18 Photo by Sisley Mark ‘20
PAGE 2 The Dancing Eagles JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT APRIL 18, 2018
Speak up, please
Senior makes case for speech class offering ELLIE LAWRENCE ‘18
It is a lucky few that are naturally talented public speakers. But for the rest of us, speaking to an audience, however large or small, can be incredibly daunting. The idea of giving a speech or presentation likely brings up thoughts of sweaty palms, a heart pounding so hard you can’t hear yourself think, and the panic of forgetting what you need to say. As nerve inducing as it can be, public speaking is arguably the most important skill to have throughout one’s life. So why isn’t this something that’s emphasized more in high school, to the point of its own class? Chicago Public Schools requires students to take four years of English, and for good reason. The ability to write well is important for college and beyond, but further, being able to articulate and communicate ideas in a written form is crucial across most professions. Even more essential, then, is the ability to communicate effectively through public speaking. Getting thoughts across when speaking is a lot different from communicating in the written form, and being able to do so confidently is valuable to everyone. There is no explicit public speaking requirement at Jones. Making presentations or getting up in front of the class is something many teachers integrate into their classes at some point in the year, but often without direction in regard to the actual act of speaking. Being able to speak effectively is no small task. Often overlooked are the little things; posture, body language, eye contact, vocal inflection, the balance between being informative and entertaining, and the rhetoric behind persuasion. A class that focused solely on writing and presenting speeches and presentations would give students the opportunity to work on these less-obvious components, build up confidence, and increase valuable experiences speaking in front of audiences. For our generation, it’s incredibly easy to use technology as a buffer for expressing oneself. It’s easier to send a long text or email than approach someone in person, to overload a PowerPoint when giving a presentation, or spend hours drafting a tricky email rather than speak off the cuff. A speech class at Jones would require students to step out of their comfort zones in terms of subject matter and audience, but even more importantly, ask students to think on the spot and focus on delivery. Being able to articulate and deliver ideas to an audience ties together all that we learn in high school and takes it a step further. A speech class at Jones would serve as preparation for the moments in life, scripted and unscripted, where we have to speak up.
The Jones Dance Concert will take place on May 2 and 3 in the South Audiorium from 7-9 p.m..
Senior feels stigma surrounding CTE SUSANA CHENMEI ‘18 As senior year comes to a close, I cannot help but think back to four years ago, the last time I’d experienced the anxiety of putting my life in the hands of an admissions decision. That time, though, I was waiting to hear where I’d attend high school. As someone who attended schools close to home all of my life and fell in love with becoming a lawyer, I figured Jones’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, specifically the Pre-Law program, was the best option for me. I was excited to finally go to a school with tons of resources that my elementary school could not offer, but at the same time, I also felt shame due to the process by which I got into the school. Most people haven’t even heard of the CTE program, as the selective enrollment program tends to be the selling point for prospective students, and Jones is the only selective enrollment school that offers a CTE track as well. This stigma started to become clear to me over the last few months of eighth grade. Whenever a student would say they’d be going to Jones, some of my classmates would quickly add “CTE” as if they were trying to undermine the efforts put into their acceptance and undervalue the acceptance itself. Even before I got to Jones, I was made to feel humiliated for choosing an offer different from the traditional, more competitive selec-
tive enrollment process. I had already heard complaints from students and parents about how it was unfair for some students to be admitted into the same competitive school without the same standards for evaluation. Naturally, I prepared for the worst when I started high school. The stigma surrounding CTE has followed me throughout my time at Jones. I
used to not mention that I am part of CTE when I talked to other students in my classes. However, when I do bring it up, people either don’t really care about it or react somewhat crassly. Someone once started to test me on all of the amendments in the Constitution to see if I actually learn in Pre-Law classes, suggesting that I
One size does not fit all
Graduation requirements suppress individuality, choice It seems that every incoming class must deal with one more requirement: gym for all four years, two years of art, a year of computer science, consumer education, a civics course, service projects - the list goes on and on. The key component of education, studying what you’re interested in, is neglected as graduation requirements increase. The rigid conformity of graduation requirements means that not only are students often disinterested and disengaged from their classes; they will not know where to go next. In a time when many colleges expect prospective students to come in declaring a major and classes are increasingly expensive, having some idea of what you are interested in can help save money and time. Furthermore, being able to explore in a safe environment like high school helps allows for growth, whereas later in life there can be bigger risks attached to trying new things. A looser set of graduation requirements would drastically increase the engagement and interest in both students and teachers alike. By having a free reign over their class choice, students will be more likely to enroll in classes that they are actually interested in. This will allow for a
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clearer insight to the interest level in certain classes, which can make it easier for teachers to plan and anticipate class curriculums. In addition to this, it is mandated that we learn specific units, such as consumer education, financial lit- eracy, and service learning, within certain courses. These are, unsurprisingly,
important life skills that students should take away from their high school experience, regardless of what their interests are. These short units are slammed into core classes that become a scheduling nightmare for teachers, who already have to teach class material, and sometimes on a shortened
AP timeframe. While the current graduation requirements aim to make students as well-rounded as possible, important life skills are overlooked and underappreciated. Perhaps a solution would be to generalize the central requirements, combining social sciences, foreign languages, and English classes into humanities requirements and sciences and mathematics into STEM requirements. This allows for students to still get an understanding of the basics but with increased flexibility. To ensure that these important life skill units aren’t rushed, there should be one required class for all students to take that covers these topics. Students often ask, “When am I going to use this in real life?” but with better requirements, they would not only be able to adjust their curriculum to their futures and interests, but pick up and focus on skills that actually will be used in real life. Graphic by Abby Teodori ‘19
@JONESBLUEPRINT
may not be qualified enough to exist in the same space as them. Instances such as this have made it clear to me that CTE students are viewed as less qualified and therefore undeserving of the very same resources that initially attracted me to this school. My experience doesn’t reflect every other student’s experiences being in the CTE program, of course, but the amount of my fellow classmates who share an experience similar to mine suggest that there truly is a problem in the way Jones students qualify one another. There’s also students who probably wouldn’t experience anything like this because they chose to be in the program after being admitted to the school through selective enrollment. While being part of the CTE program, I still got to take the same classes and utilize the same resources as students who were admitted through selective enrollment, had the option to waive physical education classes for my junior and senior year, take four classes about a career that I’m considering, and had the opportunity for an internship. Students in the CTE program are just as deserving of the opportunities and resources at Jones, regardless of an application method used in middle school. Don’t let people belittle you because there’s only a small difference between selective enrollment and CTE. CTE is only one part of my high school experience. It doesn’t define who I am. Graphic by Susana Chenmei ‘18
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PAGE 3 TEDxYOUTH@JCP
The second TEDx event will showcase a variety of student speakers at the Robin Bennett Auditorium on May 31.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT APRIL 18, 2018
Spring musical pushes envelope with “Heathers” Theater department prepares for musical adaptation of cult 1989 film
LANE KIZZIAH ‘18 2017’s Fame and 2016’s Cabaret, Lyons has experiManaging Editor ence in broaching difficult subjects with the audience. This spring, the Jones Drama Department pre- “We advertise in advance [that shows are] PG-13,” pares to perform possibly its most controversial produc- said Lyons. “If the audience expects Cinderella, but then gets tion yet: the musical adaptation of the 1989 film Heathers. blood and gore, they’re upset, but if you warn them and ex “It’s pretty much the ‘80s version of Mean Girls, plain that it isn’t for all viewers, then they’re very accepting.” but with murder and suicide, much higher stakes,” said No stranger to controversy, Lyons isn’t Jake Marre ‘18, who plays the male lead, Jason “JD” Dean. afraid to spark a debate within the Jones community. Heathers, which centers around a high school killing spree, will show performances on April 18, 20, and 21. “A lot of things in this show are very shocking, but I don’t think it will be for [the students],” said the musical’s director, Brad Lyons. “It’s relevant and you can draw lessons from it. Some people complain that our shows are inappropriate for children. I just say ‘I didn’t do that show for children. I want it to be relevant for high school students. Sensitive peo“SHUT UP, HEATHER” The cast of Heathers runs through a musical number in rehearsal as Lyons watches on. ple are going to think it’s a bit harsh, but the students brought this [show] to my at- “It usually raises good conversation [when tention. I’d seen it and thought it was too harsh to do in high someone is upset by a show],” Lyons said. “I had a school, but the kids loved it so much that it made me look at student who said she really didn’t like Cabaret beit again. It’s very violent, very dark, but it’s also very funny.” cause of the way it projected women. That opened up What may be seen as shocking in the show today this great conversation. I totally respect that people had a very different tone than when it was originally written. can say what they had a problem with and come away “The movie came out ten years prior to [the a better understanding of why we did what we did.” Columbine high school shooting] when [school viWhile the plot of the musical can hardly be olence] wasn’t even thinkable,” said Lyons. “It called lighthearted, students involved in the producwas just this black comedy about high school life.” tion believe a silver lining can be found despite the gore. Having addressed topics such as drugs, “I think there’s a deeper meaning to [the musex, and antisemitism in recent productions such as sical],” said Maya Reyna ‘20, who plays Ve-
ronica Sawyer, the musical’s female lead. Reyna hopes the violent content won’t keep the Jones community from enjoying the production. “I see why people would not want to come see it,” Reyna said. “We aren’t trying to get across anything negative. Also, it’s just going to be really good to see all of the hard work we’ve put in. We have so many talented people in the cast. If anything, that should be a focus as well as the overall message.” Lyons is now confident in his choice of production. “The message behind it all is from the heart about what we can learn,” said Lyons. M a r r e doesn’t see violence as the main theme of the show and stresses that viewers will be able to see themselves in the characters. “The musical is really about all the things we deal with in high Photo by Sam Donnell ‘18 school,” said Marre. “Bullying is a big [theme] as well as mental health.” High school bullying is especially prevalent in the symbols used throughout the musical. “Croquet is a big metaphor in the show,” Lyons said. “In croquet, when you hit another player, you have a choice: you can move forward and advance yourself or you can hit the other person and knock them further away. It’s a huge metaphor for just how are we going to live our lives. Am I going to get forward by knocking the other person down or advance [or] not bother them at all?”
Saved to savior
Once hospitalized student now dedicates free time to volunteering at hospitals ABRAHAM JIMENEZ ‘18 School Staff Within the walls of a hospital, emotions run rampant. Patients are worried about their own health, and visitors’ concerns grow for the well-being of their loved ones. We acknowledge and appreciate the people who have dedicated their lives to the medical profession, but a lot more goes on behind the scenes to bring positivity to the patients. Erica Diaz ‘18 rang in the new year of 2011 new year in shaky health. It all started with what she and her family believed was the flu, however, her parents realized the severity of her sickness and began to seek medical attention. “I was going from hospital to hospital, in emergency rooms, spending lots of time away from home, and my attendance and school work completely disappeared,” said Diaz. Diaz was on a search for a proper diagnosis, however none of the doctors were able to give her an answer with certainty. Once she finally found a hospital that could diagnose her, her family was informed that the sickness had already developed to a very dangerous point. “The doctors dated it back to November, but it wasn’t correctly diagnosed until April,” said Diaz. Diaz was then diagnosed with Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM). ADEM is a rare autoimmune disease which causes a sudden, widespread attack of inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. This disease is commonly found later in its development for its symptoms are quite common, including, fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. “I don’t even know how to describe it, I couldn’t move, talk, or communicate. I
couldn’t function at all anymore,” said Diaz. Diaz’s hospitalization affected her socially and academically, and her time away from home hurt her parents and family as well. “It was hard for my family to help me because they didn’t know how to. It was difficult for them to maintain themselves in front of me, because they were seeing me dying,” said
D i a z . Diaz was only 11 when her life was changed completely. She was terrified, not only of her illness, but of her doctors. “I was a kid when this happened, and seeing the doctors really scared me to the point where I couldn’t even talk to them,” Diaz said. “I was terrified, every time they [doctors] would walk in I would just lose it.”
In a time where everything seemed to being going down hill for Diaz, she found positivity and hope in the young volunteers at the University of Chicago’s Children’s Hospital. “I spent a lot of time with hospital volunteers, they would come in and play games with me, and talk to me,” said Diaz. “Most of the volunteers were young, like high school age, and someone I knew wouldn’t hurt me. It was really reassuring.” Once Diaz recovered and was able to go home, she took with her the connections and relationships she built with the volunteers and realized how much it meant to her. “I knew that I wanted to do something in the medical profession. But again, I was young so it was hard to know exactly what I wanted to do,” said Diaz. “But in high school I started to hear about all these different volunteering opportunities available, so I became a volunteer,” said Diaz. Diaz volunteers at UIC Children’s Hospital, currently assisting by walking patients to diagnostic appointments, interacting with inpatients one on one, assisting families in surgical services, and occasionally working the front desk. She explained that the experience is truly one of a kind. “I get to see people who are going through what I went through,” said Diaz. Diaz has her foot in the door of the medical field, however her experience in 2011 has set her for a future far beyond volunteering. “Although I haven’t specifically decided what I want to do, I know that I want to specialize in diagnostics, so that I can diagnose people on time, which evidently saved my life,” said Diaz. Graphic by Abby Teodori ‘19
Junior Prom
PAGE 4
The annual Junior Prom is being held on May 19 at Room 1520.
Senior Prom
PAGE 5
The annual Senior Prom is being held on June 2 at Morgan Manufacturing.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT APRIL 18, 2018
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT APRIL 18, 2018
Temple running across India
EZRA WEBER ‘18 In a cross country trip from the chaotic and bustling city of Delhi all the way to the peaceful town of Mcleodganj in the lap of the snow-capped Himalayas, a group of 15 students and three social science teachers traveled on trains, planes, cars, and even pedal-powered rickshaws on a spring break trip through northern India. Coming from a western nation where everything is heavily regulated, down to the smallest details of our everyday lives, I was in total shock to be herded around the videogame-like streets of India. With horns blaring, our drivers often thrust our vehicles into oncoming traffic only to swerve out of the way in a stunt driver fashion, barely avoiding collisions on the winding mountain roads of Mcleodganj. The beautiful roads, carved out of the side of the Himalayas, were perfect for a James Bond chase scene. As the largest democracy in the world and a prevailing force of political freedom in a region where most countries are controlled by tyrannical governments, a trip to India was the logical choice for students currently or previously in the AP Government and CTE law classes. Spending most of the time touring historical sites and beautiful temples, the students and teachers alike were impressed and amazed by the stark cultural differences between the United States and India. “Everyone was friends with each other and everyone was always smiling. Everyone was involved in each others’ lives.” said Leo Weldon ‘18. “I think back to my life in Chicago, and I realized that I really don’t know any local business owners, or even some people on my block. I want to bring back the sense of community to my neighborhood.” Religion plays a very crucial role in many Indian communities. In Christianity, the prevailing religion in the United States, it is common for Christian Americans to celebrate Christmas and Easter, but forgo many other religious practices. While there is still a secular community in India, a community that our guide, Neha, was a part of, we spent a lot of time learning about the role of religion in the lives of Indians, and the different forms religion can take in the subcontinent of over 1.3 billion people. The tour group spent time touring both modern and older Hindu temples in Agra, Delhi, and Haridwar, as well as the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the capital of the Sikh faith, and a Buddhist nunnery in Mcleodganj. In Delhi, the group was all marked with Bindis, symbols worn by many Hindus to mark the physical and spiritual center point, by a local clergywoman in a temple, and in Mcleodganj we sat in on a sunrise prayer session in a Buddhist nunnery in the foothills of the Himalayas. In the first temple we visited, I was thrown off by the decor which, while beautiful, was inlaid with hundreds of intricately carved white swastikas on the red stonework. Coming from a country and a household where the swastika represents hate and horror, it was hard for me to remember that in Hinduism, it is a symbol that wishes well-being and good fortune. Despite being taken aback by the symbol, it was calming and foreign to feel the cold stone floor on my bare feet, as I was following the custom of removing my shoes practiced in all religious places in India. While the many religions observed were very different, they all had one ritual in common. Every house of worship required the removal of shoes prior to entry. Even on a tour of a small church in the north, the group was required to go in barefoot, a custom not observed in many American churches. “The main [difference I noticed] was the taking off of shoes,” said Lauryn Willis ‘18. “Feet are viewed completely differently in India than in America.”
Ice, ice, baby
OLIVIA LANDGRAFF ‘18
Emerging from the dark bowels of a delayed flight, groggy and cold, 34 students alongside 6 chaperones adjusted their eyes to the bright morning light, smelling salt from the nearby ocean. The effect was intoxicating. The clean and clear (albeit sometimes sulfurous) air would sustain the Jones community in Iceland throughout the 6 day trip. The first thing I noticed about Iceland was how clean everything is. There is noticeably no litter and no pollution, and everywhere we went the landscape felt untouched. With roads curving around rocks that supposedly have elves in them, to the complete darkness within lava tubes filled with icy stalagmites, Iceland felt like like a fairy tale or dream land. The trip, organized by Science teachers Nichole Lowery and Eve Reineke, doubled as both an educational science trip and seeing some natural wonders of an other-worldly place. We relaxed in the warm, light blue, water of the effervescent Blue Lagoon, and then later learned how the volcanic activity under the shifting tectonic plates creates the warm water in, as well as the geothermal energy that powers the majority of Iceland. Alongside the amazing activities and sights we saw, the unique energy of the group and chaperones added to our trip to the “Land of Fire and Ice”. After a full dinner one night, some students ventured to the local hot dog stand near our hotel, Pylsu Vagninn, for traditional Icelandic hot dogs. Another night, the majority of the group spent around an hour in an Icelandic thrift shop, looking for a break from the prices of the most expensive European city. These unplanned endeavors added to the lively nature of the trip, and rounded out our long and active days. Overall, the trip to Iceland was a resounding success, although initially many were worried about the large size of the group. Ultimately, there was more than enough of the beautiful landscape to share. “There was a sense of cordiality [in the group] that the alien landscape of Iceland played a part in forming.” Sam Donnell ‘18, another student on the trip said. “We didn’t think ‘I should get a photo of that,’ we thought ‘Everyone should get a photo of that.’”
JONES GOES GLOBAL
Spain
India
Drawn to Spain
KATHERINE WILLIAMS ‘20 School Staff BORIS FEDOROV ‘18 School Editor For students feeling lethargic and unmotivated once winter break ended, spring break was eagerly anticipated, evoking thoughts of relaxing on a beach and having a week without homework. But for roughly one hundred Jones students going on school-sponsored spring break trips, the week was one of language study, adventure, and cultural immersion. “We’ve often had two trips during spring break,” said Principal P. Joseph Powers. “[Jones] has done language trips several times in the past, but this was more than we’ve had for any one school year over spring break.” The increase in the number of spring break trips was due to increased interest and availability. “Compared to a few years ago, we’ve got a lot more students and teachers,” said Powers. “The opportunities for things like this expanded.” With the student body increasing from 849 in 2013 to over 1,800 in 2017, the growing number of students looking to travel abroad saw countries they might not have access to otherwise. “Many of our students haven’t been outside the country, so we were hoping these trips were educational and broadening for their minds,” Powers said. “Besides the language trips, most of them didn’t emphasize a specific academic element, but rather focused on learning skills they can bring back and apply to the classroom.” The twenty students that went on the trip to Spain spent time around the center and south of Spain, in the cities of Seville, Granada, and Madrid. Not all students who went could speak Spanish though, so the trip focused mainly on the history and culture rather than language study. “It was a cultural and artistic experience,” said Spanish teacher Marcos Gonzalez-Diaz. “Because it was organized by the Spanish and Art departments, it was an interdisciplinary trip.” Over the twelve day journey, students visited historic sites and popular destinations throughout Spain. Madrid’s Royal Palace and Granada’s Alhambra are just a glimpse into the places students explored while the morning-spring bike tour around Seville was one of many activities they participated in as well. “I was [excited] to see the architecture of their preserved historical landmarks, which I had only ever seen through pictures and documentaries,” said Faith Garcia ‘18. “Chicago is full of modern glass buildings, so it was nice to see the Gaudí architecture and small alleys in Seville that I’m not used to here in the city.” Gonzalez hopes that Spanish students will polish their speaking skills and that all students will walk away from the trip with life-changing memories. “I think [the students] attained an approach towards Spanish history and art, but most importantly I think they got a life experience, one they will never forget,” said Gonzalez-Diaz. “For many of them, it was the first time to be away from their families for such a long period of time.” Even though the language was unfamiliar to many of the students attending, Garcia thought the trip was a phenomenal experience before graduation. “It was my first time stepping out of my comfort zone to try something new in a country I had never been to,” said Garcia. “Making new friends and walking from one landmark
Multilingualism of Morocco
d n a l e c I
Morocco Photos courtesy of Lane Kizziah ‘18 (India), John Lund (India), Olivia Landgraff ‘18 (Iceland), Maggie Trovato ‘19 (Morocco), and Marcos Gonzalez-Diaz (Spain).
MAGGIE TROVATO ‘19 Sitting at the tip of Africa, only 20 miles from Spain, lies the Muslim country of Morocco. While traveling through its mountains and coastal cities, the influence of many different cultures is apparent- most obviously reflected in the diversity of languages spoken throughout the country. In touristy cities and towns, such as Marrakech and Ait Benhaddou, most shop owners have an expansive knowledge of different languages so that they can barter with customers. But even in smaller towns and less tourist-heavy areas, people are fluent in more than their native language, likely due the importance of languages in Moroccan public education. Schools teach students in standard Arabic. Once they hit third or fourth grade, students begin learning French. While this may seem similar to our language education in the United States, it is far from the same. Amazigh, or Berber, peoples make up 40 percent of the population. In Amazigh communities, most children grow up speaking an Amazigh language. So when children start school, they are immersed in a completely new language. When I visited Morocco over spring break with a group of Jones students and teachers, one of our group leaders, a Moroccan native, explained to us that being immersed in a new language at school was an adjustment. However, he said, once students could speak standard Arabic, they were able to learn Moroccan Arabic, a dialect that has influences from Amazigh, Latin, French and Spanish languages. Many educated adults in Morocco are multilingual. In the U.S., that is harder to come by. When we visited a school in the Sbiti Village, a rural village near the bottom of the Atlas Mountains, we all got the opportunity to talk to students. Some Jones kids even started a soccer game with a group of students. Speaking to some of the fourth or fifth grade children was surprising. Their French skills were extremely impressive. At their age, I was taking in Spanish, and I could barely say a sentence. After interacting with those students, it became clear that there was a lack of interest in foreign language at home, a problem which is rooted in education. If our education system made language education more important, the number of multilingual people in the U.S. would exponentially grow.
PAGE 6 College Fair
Jones will host its annual Spring College Fair on April 24 at 5:30 p.m.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM@JONESBLUEPRINT APRIL 18, 2018
Jones at 80
Alumni look back at unique Jones experiences LANE KIZZIAH ‘18 Managing Editor
While the morning schedule of a current Jones student may include a ride on the train and a quick cup of coffee before settling into their first hour and a half class, it wasn’t always this way. Among other things, the surrounding area has undergone massive transformations during Jones’ 80 year history.
A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE Jones Commercial students were required to walk in groups of four or five for safety.
“The South Loop was a horrible neighborhood when I was going to Jones,” said Marlene Granacki ‘68. “To the north of Harrison were a bunch of strip joints, so the strippers would stop us when we were leaving and tell us how important it was to stay in school. To the south, there was a mission, like a church where homeless men could go to stay the night and get a meal. But at any time, there would be drunk men passed out on State [Street] and we would have to step over them on the way to school.” Granacki attended the school in the time of Jones Commercial, a two year business-focused high school primarily made up of young women. “Starting in 1938, Jones Commercial was a two year program,” recounted principal P. Joseph Powers. “It was what was called cooperative education. Students went to school half the day and went to work the other half, not just some job they got on their own; it was a job connected to the program they were in at school, usually within the downtown area, whether it was in a bank, a business office, [or] an accounting firm.” Similar to current programs like CTE, classes at Jones Commercial were career oriented.
to and we were expected to speak with perfect grammar.” Rules were even more strict when it came to the dress code. “We all had to wear nylons and garter belts with white gloves, heels, and a matching purse,” Granacki said. “We also had to wear little pillbox hats, skirts and suit jackets. It was against the rules to wear pants. Lipstick was mandatory in certain colors. If you were seen on the train [without] your hat or shoes on the way to or from school you’d be given a detention. We had a grooming class where we learned how to do makeup and how to do our hair for work and did facials every two weeks.” Those who went through the program believe the high expectations gave them invaluable experience in the business world. “It was rough for us, but we appreciated it,” said Margie Payton ‘71. “We honestly appreciated it. When I retired from my job, I retired as management. I went through two promotions.” Because the program was well regarded throughout the city, Jones students were hired for jobs ranging from secretarial to finance work. “[Jones] was really great training for us,” Granacki said. “Everyone wanted to hire a “Jones girl.” It was incredible the things they had me doing when I was that age. I was 16, transferring millions and millions of dollars to the national reserve board and sitting in on corporate board DRESS FOR SUCCESS Jones students were held to high meetings. I was the only person in my class to go to col- standards, even given guidelines related to hairstyle. lege, but I would say even after tory. He is planning on digitizing everything from going to college and yearbooks to photographs to copies of the old school gradu a t e newspapers to share with current students and alumni. “The reason I’m giving so much back to the school is that it gave so much to me. We had to go to our neighborhood school until Junior year. After I graduated from 8th grade, I came [to Jones] for summer school to get a few credit hours. That made me a little too arrogant and then when I went to my neighborhood high school in a very bad neighborhood I [failed] a couple classes,” said Onate. “In the middle of summer, my friends had already applied and gotten accepted to Jones, so I took the bus down here and I came into the office and I said ‘Ladies, I’d like to go to school here’ and they said ‘No problem, Manny. We’ll write you in.’ And they just wrote me in, only because they knew me. The next two years were very pivotal for me. I went to UIC [after] and it was definitely a little challenging because [Jones] wasn’t preparing us to go to a university, but I caught up.”
school, Jones was some of the best business training I got.” While there were many differences, some things about Jones Commercial have persisted until today. “The girls were from all over the city,” Granacki said. “It was a really diverse school before diversity was common or expected. That was my first experience interacting with people that were different from me and I learned to work with all different people.” In between the rigorous classes, Jones provided opportunities SPREADING JOY “I outside of the classroom. Love Jones Day” was a tradition in which students bought heart “We had a lot of shaped balloons with profits benefitting a children’s hospital. social events,” Manuel Onate Jr. ‘76, who is also the father of current student Cristian Onate ‘20. “We had a Christmas dance and Junior and Senior Prom. At Christmas time, we would dress up as Santa and go to the shelter next door to pass ADVANCEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY Girls at Jones learned many home economics out presents to the little and life skills, such as vaccuming. kids. We did a lot of things like that; we had a lot “All of the classes were business focused,” Gra- of fun. When it came to the Fall fashion show, they nacki said. “We took business math and business english. went to all the department stores and they had some We didn’t have any literature or history classes. Apart from type of agreement with the school and the students our business classes, we learned stenography and typing and would model the clothes. That was very interesting.” had posture lessons where we walked up and down the stairs Onate has partnered with Friends of JUST MY TYPE Jones students learned to use all tof he technology of the day including the typewriter, calling cards, and switch with books on our heads. We couldn’t speak unless spoken Jones in an effort to preserve Jones’ unique his- boards.
Anna Nedoss ‘18 and Deklin Versace ‘18 contributed to this story.
Photos courtesy of Daily News and Chicago Sun Times Graphic by Deklin Versace ‘18
PAGE 7 A Roarin’ Night
Friends of Jones Spring Gala will take place on May 4 at The Drake Hotel
“A library success story”
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT APRIL 18, 2018
In a sea of budget cuts, Jones library is an oasis ELLIE LAWRENCE ‘18 Opinion Editor Every morning, the Jones library comes to life with students hustling to finish their homework and projects before the first bell rings. Little do they know, the advantages and benefits of this valuable resource were not always available to Jones students. “When I became principal 10 years ago, when we were just in the other building, I was surprised and dismayed that we did not have a library,” said principal Dr. P. Joseph Powers. “Part of the rationale was, ‘Well, we have the Harold Washington Library a block away,’ which is a wonderful library, but it’s not a teaching library.” As plans were drawn for the new building, advocates of a large library received pushback from several staff members, many of whom felt it would be a waste of money and cited controversial statistics that students don’t read paper books in the digital age. Powers was adamant about its inclusion, feeling strongly that it is “the heart and brain of the school.” “Over a period of 3 days, it went from an empty space to furnished and carpeted, with books on the shelves all catalogued, all done by CPS,” said Powers. The impact of the library on students has been clear since the very first day, which Powers largely attributes to the librarians. The first librarian in the new building, Katie Terry, has been described by Powers as “very energetic and very committed to the library, a lot of the same characteristics as Mr. Feeley.” “On day one, Terry said that there were about five or six girls who walked in and asked, ‘Can we check out books?’ because they hadn’t had a school library,” said Powers. “And she said, ‘That’s what we’re here for.’” The current librarian, Francis Feeley in his third year at Jones. Prior to his time at Jones, Feeley has held a number of positions around the city from elementary school librarian to school counselor. Feeley’s goals for the library include a focus on information literacy. He defines this as the ability to access information, make judgements regarding its value and authenticity, putting forth one’s own work with integrity and giving credit where it’s due, and contributing to a global flow of information. “I couldn’t have possibly come into librarianship at a more interesting time,” said Feeley. “We’re in the midst of an attack on truth, an attack on the integrity of the press, an attack really on information and the very idea of facts, so this is a really important time for peo-
ple of all ages to become aware of the resources that are available to them and develop information literacy skills, and to seek the truth that they’re looking for, between the lines of all the noise.” The impact of a school library on students and teachers goes beyond books, computers, and databases. Several studies point to the correlation between the presence of a library and student achievement,
dent, further proving the tangible impact of libraries on students from all backgrounds. Despite these findings and results, libraries and librarians have been some of the hardest hit by budget cuts, particularly over the last several years. Libraries, unlike other common core standards and requirements such as physical education, are not mandated by the state, meaning their funding and staff are often the first to be cut.
and the impact of librarians available to students. A 2005 study conducted by the Illinois School Library Media Association found that “higher library staffing levels are linked to higher reading performance for elementary, middle, and high schoolers”. Additionally, ISAT writing performance for fifth graders and ACT scores for eleventh graders saw significant increases that correlated to the presence of a school librarian. The relationship between libraries, librarians, and students was also found to transcend race/ethnicity, socioeconomic class, teacher-pupil ratios, and school spending per stu-
“When I came on board with Chicago Public Schools’ libraries in 2006, there was a library department with quite a number of professional librarians who were employed to support the vast number of libraries and librarians that were embedded in schools,” said Feeley. “Nowadays, there’s one full time person, and then another person, who supports our circulation software, and the number of librarians has been reduced substantially.” If school libraries are disappearing and librarian positions are being cut across the city, then how is Jones able to sustain its
library? The answer lies in careful budgeting. “It’s a bit of a juggling game,” said Powers. “It has to do with how you move the dollars around in the various accounts.” School budgets are based on the number of students enrolled, and each school receives the same amount of money per student, so Jones gets the same funding proportionally as every CPS high school. The population of Jones has increased over the past few years, and with those increases came more money overall, allowing a librarian position to be budgeted in addition to adding other staff and programming. “We’ve been very careful of how we’ve managed the money, and made sure that we’d earmarked the funds so we would always have a librarian,” said Powers. “But we don’t have a library assistant. For a library like ours, I wish I had a full-time library assistant, but that’s something we haven’t been able to do.” Despite a balanced budget, serval midyear rollbacks have threatened teaching positions at schools across CPS, particularly predominatly Black and Brown neighborhoods. Jones, however, has received additional money in other ways such as through weekend building rentals and from Friends of Jones. “Friends of Jones is extremely helpful because the fundraising that they do helps us to devote our budgeted money to our core mission,” said Powers. “Their donations are then able to go towards the things that are extra, and that means additional technology, for example, or funding new programming. It’s really a partnership there.” Powers’ belief in the importance of libraries, the role the library plays in students’ learning, and Feeley’s contagious enthusiasm for helping students and teachers navigate information are all reasons the library has been prioritized in Jones’ budget planning, allowing the school to support it while so many other schools are losing this resource. “Anything we can do to provide that library for the kids, that’s the most important thing,” said Powers. “It’s the same as a university. No one would ever think that a university wouldn’t need a library, for goodness sakes. Why not a high school?”
Graphic by Deklin Versace‘18
PAGE 8
Lax to the Max
Girls Lacrosse vs Lane Tech @Lane on April 20 5p.m.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT April 18, 2018
Catching sun and baseballs
Jones baseball players reflect on a spring break trip to Orlando ABRAHAM JIMENEZ ’18
day of travel, sleep was the last thing on our minds. we were taken to the Disney theme parks, downtown DisJet lagged and sleep deprived, we faced our first op- ney, and the boardwalk. We were dropped off and allowed JEREMIAH WILLIAMS ’18 ponent: Brooke High School to roam freefrom Wellsburg, West Virginly within the After a disappointing 2016-17 baseball season where ia. Without a scouting report confines of the our team failed to meet the high preseason expectations, we of our first opponent, we enpark. Through turned to each other and questioned why our talent on the tered the game not knowing eating togethfield did not produce a city championship. We questioned what to expect. Luckily, the er, waiting in where we went wrong, and unanimously came to the verbats came alive in the second lines for rides, dict that what we had in talent, we lacked in team unity and and third innings. We put up 15 and sleeping in trust in one another. Self interest, and the un-willingness runs on 11 hits and benefitted shared rooms, to sacrifice playing time for the benefit of the team were a from the 2 errors committed we bonded few of the contagious attitudes that brought down our team. by Brooke’s second baseman with each oth Come the end of our 2017 fall season, rumors and shortstop, respectively. er more than of a spring break trip surfaced amongst the team, which Will Conley ‘20 started we ever had caught most of us by surprise considering we had not this game and gave up 7 before. We traveled out of the city for our entire time in the hits after facing 15 batgot an inside program. The last trip that the Jones baseball ters, although his outing look on who team took during the 2014 season ended in was extended due to five our teamcontroversy, and, as a result, the program errors in the field in the first mates were has been barred from taking spring trips and second innings. Michael away from until this year. We saw this as a chance Keller ‘18 closed out the 17-8 school, and to repair the damaged team chemvictory with an impressive off the field. istry of the year prior and actuall y performance with 8 strikeOnce our fulfill our team potential. Fully outs through 4 innings. After TOO SLOW John Gadomski’20 makes the out at first base. trip reached its aware that the future of Jones this substantial victory, team end, we were baseball trips rested on our confidence reached unforseen levels; sense of invin- all heartbroken that our trip was over, but grateful that it behavior, we decidcibility permeated through our post game huddle. had happened. We realized how much we meant to each ed to step up to the On our second day of games we faced two other, and it truly opened our eyes to the idea that a team is challenge tough teams from Pennsylvania. Montour High more than teenage kids with interest in the same sport, we School was our first opponent. The game was dominated by defense and pitching early with only two runs scored by each team through in order the sixth inning. to become Starting pitcher the best Marco Calderon team possible. ’18 assisted him On March self on the mound 22, the entire baseball with one runner team arrived to school, batted in (RBI) in baseball bags and suitthe fifth inning. Grant cases in hand. The school Hale ‘19 and Dennis day dragged on as the Barber ‘20 delivered in anticipation for the trip the top of the 7th inning flooded our distracted batting in two runners CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR Ross DeGrazia’18 stretches out to attempt to make the out at brains. As soon as the securing the second third base. bell rang we rushed to victory of the trip. the lobby and made Immediately following this, we played are a family. When we landed back in Chicago at Midway our way to the airport. Shady Side Academy which was marred by Airport and waited for our luggage, we spoke to each other We arrived at our laziness due to fatigue from the high tem- about how we would remember this experience for years rooms at Disney’s peratures. Despite the loss, our teams to come. And unlike our usual quick and informal handPop Century Resort confidence was still high. We spent shake goodbye, we individually hugged our teammates, at midnight with our our evening at Epcot where we all and went our separate ways. The next day, we were back at first practice only dined at a fine French Restau- McGuane Park, practicing for the rigorous season to come. seven hours away, rant in the French Village. and even though Off the field, after games, we had had a long HOLY COW Dylan Spector’18 stares down the pitch.
Running on sunshine
Jones’ varsity squad travels to the west coast for track meet NICHOLAS RAPPE ‘18
Before the sun rose April 5, five Jones runners, myself included, boarded a United flight bound for LAX. A few weeks prior, we were able to solidify our relay spots by running qualifying times at meets closer to home. Upon landing we were greeted by sunny skies and pleasant temperatures, which we enjoyed while walking around Venice Beach on our way to “Le Rêve Pasadena”, our motel for the weekend. After settling in, we left to find running trails at the base of Mount Wilson to get in a pre-race run. We experienced scenery completely unknown to a group of urban, Chicago kids: mountains as high as the clouds, lizards jumping out of the thick cacti patches, the sound of snakes rattling beside the trails. We were disappointed to have to
go back to the motel to rest before the big meet, but excited for what Friday and Saturday’s races had in store for us. Arriving at the meet, we were greeted by hundreds of teams, running past in every color imaginable, preparing for their individual events. A DJ from Nike was set up in the middle of the chaos to provide a fun atmosphere for the athletes waiting to run, as well as a Nike tent with shoes, racing spikes, and batons for sale. The center of attention was the track where thousands of spectators cheered for their respective teams. The announcer’s echo could be heard across the Arcadia High School campus, the host of the meet. A stream of runners could be seen exiting the stadium to pick up their protein bars and drinks at the Gatorade tent. Jones participated in two relays on April 6 and 7: a four legged mile race, and a Distance Medley Relay, or DMR, made up of a mile, ¾ mile, ½ mile, and
Photos courtesy of Tony Gadomski
¼ mile. Each relay consisting of Ryan Desantis ‘20, AJ Fundator ‘19, Jeremy Brown ‘18, and myself. As the officials escorted the field of runners onto the track, the cheers and chants from the crowd were almost overwhelming. In a field of nearly 30 teams, handoffs to each other were difficult and got very physical with adjacent runners, requiring some elbows and pushes. We finished 9th in our race for the 4xMile with a total time of 18:19, including a 4:27 leg run by Brown. The DMR finished with a time of 11:17, 6th best in school history. Although the team did not come home with shiny medals or tall trophies, we did gain valuable experience in a high pressure setting which will benefit the team greatly during the postseason. Running alongside some of the nation’s fastest kids is something not many people get to do in their high school career; this trip will go down as one of my favorite high school experiences.