Friday, June 7, 2019
The Student Newspaper of Jones College Preparatory High School
EXCLUSIVE: Mayor Lori Lightfoot on the future of CPS
Volume 4, Issue 6
Mayor sits down on tenth day in office with Blueprint to discuss equity and reform in schools AVA THOMPSON ‘21 Lifestyles Staff Since the start of her campaign, newly inaugurated Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been advocating for improvements in one specific star out of the four on the Chicago flag — the star that stands for schooling. Throughout Lightfoot’s campaign, she promised reform within the Chicago Public Schools system, calling for higher quality education in underfunded neighborhood schools. However, after advocating for an elected school board, Lightfoot opposed the Chicago Teachers Union school board legislation, arguing against the size of the board. “My opinion hasn’t changed; an elected school board still makes sense, but the devil is always in the details,” said Lightfoot. “The legislation that was promoted and passed by the CTU had a 21-member board. I don’t know of any other organization that has that large of a board membership where you can get anything effectively done.” Lightfoot was also skeptical of the board dynamics, worried that certain details in the board’s structure could undercut its democratic purpose. “They didn’t account for how it would surpass a pathway for parents to actually be able to sit on the board,” said Lightfoot. “What are you going to do about public funding? How are you going to [avoid turning] these schoolboard races into million dollar campaigns? I am willing to sit down and listen to any reasonable proposal, but I’m not going to listen to one that will substitute one broken system for another. That’s going to be equally problematic.” To avoid taking any steps backward, Lightfoot has criteria for school board appointments. “I want to make sure it is people who are really focused on delivering a quality, nurturing, safe experience for young people in a classroom,” said Lightfoot. “That is very, very important to me. [To have] parent representation is very important, making sure we have people who really understand and have a history with CPS because it is a unique organization.” In addition to parents, Lightfoot also wants to hear students’ opinions on matters that involve their education. However, some students cannot be on the appointed school board as there is an age requirement. “But certainly one of the things that [is] going to be important is making sure that student voices are represented,” said Lightfoot. “We’re not prepared to roll out our plans yet, but we do have some plans for a much more substantive and official way of engaging with young people.” Beyond the board, Lightfoot wants to address equity and economic problems within CPS that inhibits individual schools’ ability to thrive, even if the organization’s financial future is currently stable.
LIGHT ON THE HORIZON Lightfoot has often emphasized how her societal position will enable her to contribute to a more successful Chicago. “We have to look harder and deeper in ways that make sure member having debates with them and saying ‘If you have we are making fair investments across the board, particu- someone who is not doing their job the right way, that hurts larly in neighborhoods and schools that haven’t seen those you. I think you would want to clean that up.’ They’re kind of investments,” said Lightfoot. “Student-based bud- like, ‘No, no, no, we don’t want to be in the room’.” Intertwining education and police reform, Lightgeting is a problem because it’s literally a head count. In neighborhoods where the schools haven’t been high quali- foot aims to evaluate and rework the appropriate role of inty, people are leaving but those students who are left still deserve the [same] high quality of education as anybody else.” Since funding decreases for under-enrolled schools, Lightfoot wants to focus attention on resources for neighborhood schools so students can receive a quality education regardless of where they attend school. “We have to rethink how we allocate resources to make sure that students on the West Side, South Side, far South-east side are getting good quality education in their neighborhoods so they don’t have to travel outside for quality education,” said Lightfoot. Because of increased public pressure on education reform, much of Lightfoot’s campaign emphasized systemic change in CPS. However, her career focus has not concentrated solely on education. Throughout her career, Lightfoot has worked as a federal prosecutor and eventually on issues focused around police accountability. “When I was a prosecutor, I worked a lot with police officers who served as task forces [and] officers on missions with federal agents,” said Lightfoot. “So, I started to get to know officers then. One of the things that jumped out at me when I was a prosecutor, invariably when we were doing drug cases, there’d be somebody who wanted to ALWAYS REPPIN’ Lightfoot shows her school spirit in her talk about an alleged corrupt relation- new Jones apparel. ship they had with a police officer.” Even if Lightfoot had a good school CPD officers, otherwise known as “School Resource relationship with some of these officers, Officers,” a shift from previous emphasis on school safety. “So I pushed them to look at examples at other there were instances where she noticed problems in police accountability, large, urban districts to find out what the right model is which shifted her perspective on the and whether you have a CPD presence as the lead and reChicago Police Department’s role in sponding to incidents,” said Lightfoot. “Or someone whose CPS. She later left the U.S Attorney’s skill sets and training is focused on young people of the Office to run the Civilian’s Office of appropriate age in that particular school and understandPolice Accountability (COPA), which ing what needs to be done to address the concern, deesinvestigated allegations of police mis- calate circumstances so that we avoid arrest and injury.” With a past of police accountabiliconduct, excessive force, and shootings. “Though I worked a lot with ty, Lightfoot questions the current CPD “model.” these police officers and knew them “I had to ask Superintendent Johnson and Janice Jackwell, none of them wanted to sit in an son to really rethink that model”, said Lightfoot. “There interview room while a suspect or a is absolutely a need to have security in many of our corroborator was giving us infor- schools, but I call the question of whether or not the WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK Before becoming mayor, Lightfoot worked mation about so-called ‘dirty po- first-responder to incidents is ought to be a CPD officer.” in a private legal practice. lice officers’,” said Lightfoot. “I rePhotos by Jake Aks ‘19
PAGE 2 Last One Seniors take their finals on June 10 and 11.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT JUNE 7, 2019
Release the hounds
Senior calls for athletes to be released early on game days JOE MARGOLIS ‘19 Being an athlete is a major time and work commitment that can be looked at as 75 percent preparation and 25 percent execution. When I say that, I am not only referencing the importance of practice, but also the importance of pre-game warm ups. For any given game, players should be at the field getting ready for just about as long as they are actually playing their game. Stretching is an integral part of game time preparation that not only improves field performance, but also prevents injury and retains the safety of a limited supply of student athletes. Despite the immense importance of an adequate pre-game warm up, time and time again student athletes are failed to be given enough time to fully prepare for their competitions due to the excessive regard for the last thirty minutes of the school day. As a prestigious academic institution, Jones seemingly forgets about their athletic programs, even though we have a plethora of highly competitive sports teams who play against top notch competition who reap the benefits of a legitimate sports program, particularly early release. By halfway through the season our baseball team had already been beaten to our own home field twice: once by Kenwood, whose school does not let out until 4:15, and then again by Washington (whose school not only lets out late, but also is located at 115th Street and Avenue O). This is an embarrassment to our program, and other teams look at us like a team that does not put in the work to be able to get to our field that is already located a full thirty minutes away from Jones, and not only prepare ourselves but also prepare the mid quality field we play on for competition. Most teams, when at home, are allowed the time to get on field warm-ups. Whether that is batting prac-
tice or infield work, it’s something that greatly improves confidence and readiness for the game. This allows the team to take back morale usually lost by a road team, completely stripping us of any home field advantage. Not only is a late arrival an embarrassment to us,
but t also hinability to a full stretch and warm-up I sat i
ders
our get
throwi n g in. At the beginning of this year fought off a bad back injury that me out the start of this season. I worked to get myself back into form and on the field, but just as I thought the injury was fully behind me we were forced to travel all the way out to Washington’s home field in the East Side neighborhood for a game at 4:30, with our bus not leaving Jones until 3:30. By our 4:15 arrival we had to rush through our stretches, and to no surprise my back pain came back and with the season now in
full swing I played through it rather than sitting out. I understand that this is a college prep school and for the majority of students that points to academic prep, but we should not forget about the many athletes across many sports including myself who are also preparing to take our athletics into college. For these students a bad injury due to poor preparation could derail their entire college experience, which is not how to prepare students for college. I agree that missing a whole class is a lot and having it b e the same class every time can make performance in that fourth period class difficult, but getting released just thirty minutes earlier on A-days should not be a huge deal for our serious athletes. At most, it just puts a little bit more responsibility on the student athletes to make sure they make up the work missed in class, something that any student should expect when signing up f o r a sport. That only a p plies for A-days too, and early release during A c Lab should not even come into question. Ac Lab is designed for students to build on their academic experience at Jones to make themselves better prepared for Jones related activities, and I fully believe that Jones sports should fall into that category. Although this may seem like the obvious choice, that has not been the case, as the Kenwood game I referenced earlier fell on a B day. The safety and performance of the Jones athletic programs is more important that the last thirty minutes of a school day and needs to be treated as such. Graphic by Abby Teodori ‘19
HΘMΣCΘMING?
Junior shares insight into choosing Historically Black Colleges and Universities DIA GIBBS ‘20
Over spring break, I had the amazing opportunity to visit the prestigious Howard University, located in Washington, D.C. for five days and four nights. I visited Howard through a CPS Academic Works program called Escape to Mecca that allowed me to stay on campus in dorms and live life like an actual student at the university. After the 14-hour drive, when I first stepped onto the campus, I felt a different feeling of community surrounding me compared to what I feel at Jones. The campus was very lively and everyone was walking around smiling. I was quickly greeted by the Greek fraternities and sororities on campus, including some who make up the historical Divine Nine, an organization of nine historically African American fraternities and sororities. The culture and togetherness were immediately felt and recognized in the small auditorium I sat in, as I learned more about the university’s clubs and groups that focus on students from Chicago. Every Thursday at Howard they have soul food Thursdays where they serve southern cuisine, such as baked macaroni and cheese, yams, greens, fried chicken, cornbread, and more. I was super excited to try this meal, as it is a hot commodity on campus.
I really appreciated soul food Thursdays on campus because it made me feel more connected to my culture and reminded me of home while I was away. Through the CPS Academic Works program, I was given the opportunity to participate in Accepted Students Day (ASD), although as a junior, I’m not an accepted student. At ASD, all the accepted students to Howard University from around the U.S. and world gathered into the gym. I, again, felt a sense of community, as everyone in the gym sang along to the popular Black songs like “So Gone” by Monica. In the gym, many important figures spoke to the incoming students, including actor and Howard alum Anthony Anderson. ASD finished with a small party with all of Howard Class of 2023, vibing and bonding over music together. I began to compare my experience visiting a top historically black college/university
(HBCU), to the predominately white institutions (PWI) I have visited and thought about where I, a black girl, should go to school. I think this question also applies to black students in general. While visiting Howard, I was constantly reminded of the fight that many students face on campus concerning financial aid, and how hard you have to fight to get in and keep your financial aid money. At a PWI, I’m destined to face some racial differences, but that is also how it will be in everyday life, in the work world. So, I say that black students should go wherever they feel the most comfortable or where they will perform best. If they will perform better at a HBCU, they should 100 percent go there. HBCUs hold an atmosphere and culture that is unmatched. I just hope students remember that HBCUs aren’t an accurate reflection of the real world, and that’s okay, as long as you are prepared to react to the real world. Graphic by Sam Wojcik ‘19
PAGE 3
Flag Day Anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes on June 14.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT JUNE 7 , 2019
Stocked and loaded
Junior investigates the lack of pads and tampons in Jones CHARLOTTE MANIER‘20
Are these things ever stocked? I wondered, staring at the sad dispenser while standing in line for the restroom. Two rude buttons with the word “EMPTY” stuck out under “NAPKINS” and “TAMPONS,” as usual. I was grateful I remembered my own supply, knowing the tin centurion would’ve been no help had I forgotten. But these boxes were made for every menstruator at Jones, not just me. Students who can’t afford menstrual products are left with no option. I knew this couldn’t be ethical or legal, and a quick search showed that Illinois legislature agreed with me. According to the Learn With Dignity Act, Illinois school districts are required to make quality pads and tampons available to students in school bathrooms at no cost. The only access Jones students had to free menstrual hygiene products was in the nurse’s office, and if they wanted one from a bathroom dispenser they had to insert a quarter. This prompted me to reach out to administration. I explained to them what the Act stated and some ideas I had for making sure Jones was following it. Among the suggestions I included the idea of cost-free dispensers, which Principal P. Joseph Powers expressed an interest in installing. He also explained that
menstrual hygiene products weren’t bought by Jones; Sodexo was contracted by CPS to supply schools with custodial services. Because Sodexo’s contract was with CPS and not Jones specifically, Powers wasn’t sure if Sodexo was supplying enough products to stock t h e
my test. I began with all the bathrooms in the North Building, checking floors six, four, two, and one. I did the same in the South Building, starting with the seventh floor bathroom. About half t h e
school. Wi t h this in mind, I decided to see j u s t h o w well Jones
slots said “EMPTY.” The other half did not say empty, but took quarters without giving anything in return. This was the same in both buildings. However, this was at the end of the day, and there was a possibility that every dispenser had been emptied in the past five hours. With this in mind, I scraped together more quarters the next morning for another test, this time during second period. After 30 minutes of testing dispensers, I emerged with the same results I had received the previous day. I let Powers know what I had discovered, and he agreed that it was disturbing. In less than a month, Jones installed new dispensers in the North Building. On them, “FREE” was written in bold letters. By installing these dispensers, Jones is showing respect for their menstruating students, and providing products for stu-
was stocked. I walked around during Ac Lab asking people for spare quarters, and once I had about twenty I began
dents who may not be able to afford them. 39.5 percent of Jones students come from lower income families, and supplying free menstrual products allows these students to worry about one less expense. No one should have to pay for basic hygiene and comfort, especially when they’re trying to learn. The problem now is making costfree dispensers a norm in CPS bathrooms. While Jones has taken action on this issue individually, CPS remains stagnant. The percent of all CPS students who are lower income is nearly twice that of Jones: 78 percent. CPS is standing by idly while more than three fourths of their students worry about basic necessities. This should not be a problem today. Title IX was passed 47 years ago. I should not hear my classmates’ exclamations of surprise when they receive what they need without hassle or payment. All CPS students are entitled to basic hygiene. Until CPS and every other public school district in the United States provides free, quality pads and tampons in their bathrooms, there should be no federal funding supplied to these institutions under Title IX. It is not selfish or extravagant to demand your needs be supplied for. If you are expected to keep up with your peers, you should expect your school to give you the resources to do so.
Waiting game
Seniors left in graduation purgatory At the end of each year, seniors all across Chicago wait anxiously for their graduation date to arrive. While the CPS senior class shares the same level of excitement for the end of their high school career, they don’t share the same graduation date. Walter Payton’s graduation date is June 9, Whitney Young’s is June 14, and our graduation is June 13. The way that CPS standardizes most of its operations is not reflected in the way each high school sets their own graduation date, which leads to some confusion about who graduates when. How important are the extra four days that we spend in school compared to Payton, especially considering most seniors spend a month doing busy work after AP tests and waiving most of their remaining finals? Granted, there are a lot of families that have children at multiple CPS schools, and so have to go to multiple graduations in the same year, so a difference in graduation dates isn’t the end of the world. The real issue is that the number of days each student in CPS is actually in school
isn’t standardized, so it can’t be equitable. After four years of going to school day-in and day-out, four or five extra days doesn’t seem like a lot, but it makes all the difference to a graduating senior. When you’re waiting for one of the most stressed moments of your young adult life, even one or two days seems like an eternity, especially when everyone else seems to be reaching this milestone ahead of you. Chicago Public Schools starts on the same date district-wide every year and ends on the same day for non-seniors every year. If CPS can find a way to start and end school for every non-senior, why can’t they figure out a day to end school for everyone? The extra few days that Jones students are in school don’t contribute to learning any new material, and while they might not be a large burden to bear in the long run, it means something to students when they feel like the time they are contributing to school is different from that of their peers. CPS seniors should be able to round out their high school experience the way they started it: together. Graphic by Sam Wojcik ‘19
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PAGE 4 Passing the Torch Junior Takeover Day will take place on June 14.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT JUNE 7, 2019
Blueprint Seniors Jones’ favorites and tips for those staying around
CECELIA ADAMS ‘19
College Plans? UW Madison Favorite class? Journalism Favorite Teacher(s)? Lund, Smith Favorite Jones spot? Courtyard Favorite spot around Jones? SRO Advice? Everything works itself out.
JAKE AKS ‘19
College Plans? DePaul University Favorite class? Digital Imaging Favorite Teacher(s)? Myers, Bowman Favorite Jones spot? The Eagles Nest Favorite spot around Jones? Harold’s Advice? Today is the first day of the rest of your lives.
ERYN BARNES ‘19
College Plans? Wash U St. Louis Favorite class? Consumer Chemistry Favorite Teacher(s)? So many teachers! Favorite Jones spot? Bowman’s room Favorite spot around Jones? The train (to go home) Advice? Get to know your teachers.
JACK BEDORE ‘19
College Plans? UIUC Favorite class? AP Calc Favorite Teacher(s)? Bowman, Lund Favorite Jones spot? Weight Room Favorite spot around Jones? Cafe Press Advice? Fake it ‘till you make it.
NOAH CALLOW ‘19
JAMES CONDE ‘19
BAILEY DAVIS ‘19
OSCAR ESTRADA ‘19
CARTER FRYE ‘19
ANNA HEYSE ‘19
MAXWELL KROLL‘19
JOE MARGOLIS ‘19
ERICH SAUER ‘19
ABBY TEODORI ‘19
MAGGIE TROVATO ‘19
LUCAS VOGEL ‘19
College Plans? UW Madison Favorite class? Math 4b Favorite Teacher(s)? Wray, Lowery Favorite Jones spot? Theater corner Favorite spot around Jones? Grant Park Advice? Don’t slack your freshman year.
College Plans? Michigan State University Favorite class? Journalism Favorite Teacher(s)? Waterman, Miller Favorite Jones spot? Kolody’s room Favorite spot around Jones? Urban Grocers Advice? Don’t give College Board your email.
College Plans? University of San Francisco Favorite class? AP Psych Favorite Teacher(s)? Dipman, McClory Favorite Jones spot? Lobby Favorite spot around Jones? Panera Advice? Chill out and stress less.
College Plans? Case Western Reserve University Favorite class? AP Physics Favorite Teacher(s)? Martinsek, Lund Favorite Jones spot? Courtyard Favorite spot around Jones? Cafecito Advice? Work smarter, not harder.
College Plans? UVA Favorite class? APUSH Favorite Teacher(s)? Anderson, Lund Favorite Jones spot? Pool Favorite spot around Jones? Buckingham Fountain. Advice? Choose sleep over that extra homework assignment.
College Plans? SAIC Favorite class? AP Art Favorite Teacher(s)? Hu Favorite Jones spot? Library Favorite spot around Jones? Barnes & Noble Advice? Sleep as much as you can.
College Plans? Syracuse University Favorite class? Digital Imaging Favorite Teacher(s)? Lund, Smith Favorite Jones spot? “The Back” Favorite spot around Jones? Fruve Advice? Don’t be an idiot.
College Plans? Northwestern University Favorite class? AP Psych Favorite Teacher(s)? Timkang, McClory Favorite Jones spot? Choir Room Favorite spot around Jones? Panera Advice? People care a lot less than you think they do.
College Plans? Mizzou Favorite class? Journalism Favorite Teacher(s)? Bowman Favorite Jones spot? 4th Floor Favorite spot around Jones? Goddess & the Baker Advice? Don’t try that hard.
College Plans? UIUC Favorite class? Law Favorite Teacher(s)? Blackburn, Kovacs Favorite Jones spot? Weight room Favorite spot around Jones? SRO Advice? Don’t get caught.
College Plans? Macalester College Favorite class? Team Sports Favorite Teacher(s)? Kovacs Favorite Jones spot? Batting cages Favorite spot around Jones? Athletico Advice? Be careful in the bathrooms.
College Plans? Syracuse University Favorite class? Journalism Favorite Teacher(s)? Gunnink, Smith Favorite Jones spot? Back room of the library Favorite spot around Jones? Harold’s Advice? Enjoy being inexperienced.
JACK BROOKS ‘19
College Plans? Indiana University Favorite class? APUSH Favorite Teacher(s)? Anderson, Zilmer Favorite Jones spot? Lobby Favorite spot around Jones? SRO Advice? Don’t wear your ID outside of school.
THEODORE FLUDAS ‘19
College Plans? Mizzou Favorite class? Gym Favorite Teacher(s)? Bowman, Remiasz Favorite Jones spot? Bathroom Favorite spot around Jones? Devil Dawgs Advice? If you’re gonna juul, do it in the stall.
BRENDAN MOHEN ‘19
College Plans? UIUC Favorite class? AP Bio Favorite Teacher(s)? Lund,Lowery Favorite Jones spot? Theatre Corner Favorite spot around Jones? Harold Washington brown line stop Advice? Don’t wear a jacket while walking up five flights of stairs.
SAM WOJCIK ‘19
College Plans? Sarah Lawrence College Favorite class? AP Research Favorite Teacher(s)? Smith, Miller Favorite Jones spot? Theater makeup room Favorite spot around Jones? Sandmeyer’s Bookstore Advice? Find something that makes you want to show up every day.
PAGE 5 Testing, Testing
Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will take their final exams on June 13, 14, and 15.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT JUNE 7, 2019
Graphics by Katherine Williams ‘20 , Sam Wojcik ‘19 and James Conde ‘19
PAGE 6
The class of 2019 will graduate on Thursday, June 13 at 7 p.m. at the Auditorium Theater.
Senior prom is Saturday, June 8 at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT JUNE 7, 2019
PAGE 7
You Made It!
Dance the Night Away
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT JUNE 7, 2019
2019 Eagles leave the nest CALIFORNIA Harvey Mudd College: Zoe Kedzierski Loyola Marymount University: Henry Van Zytveld Occidental College: Andrea Salamanca Scripps College: Briana Prieto University of California - Davis: Stefanie Böttcher University of California - Santa Cruz: Olivia Hamilton University of San Francisco: Erich Sauer University of Southern California: Aidan Miltner, Isa Suarez-Sikes, Maia Cho Whittier College: Sam Smith
John (Jack) Bedore, Lili Herman, Lucas Cunningham, Margaret Olson, Maya Thomas, Michelle Huang. Nicolas Iturralde, Nicole Espinosa, Oscar Estrada, Paola Duarte, Sofia Bauer, Sophie Circenis
Iowa State University: Gabrielle Easterly, Melissa Eckert University Of Iowa: Charlie Wagner, David Parra LOUISIANA Tulane University: Natalie Rudman, Noa
Calvin College: Noah Fitch Michigan State University: Caroline Coon, Carter Frye, Ginger Martin Muskingum University: Ema Gray University Of Michigan: Caroline Cisneros, Cesar Rodriguez, Hannah Janovsky, Hannah Levin, Isabela Pencyla, Laura Davalos, Michaela Ryan, Michael Weisman, Michael Youngblood, Meredith Randall
Washington University in St Louis: Abby Jones, Erick Saucedo, Eryn Barnes NEW MEXICO University of New Mexico: Kayla Gardner
Brown University: Malique Bodie, Mario Camacho, Maya Mazumder SOUTH CAROLINA University of South Carolina: Gabriel McCausland, Sam Chierici
NEW YORK Bard College: Fiona Miller, Audrey Salgado Barnard College: Morgan Lawrence Colgate University: Marie Goodrich New York University: Brandon Don, Morgan James Pratt Institute: Cat Delapena Syracuse University: Bailey Davis, Lucas Vogel
TENNESSEE Vanderbilt University: Zakiya Mensah Vassar College: Maxwell Weiner TEXAS Texas A&M University: Michael Mutz
COLORADO
VERMONT
University of Colorado at Boulder: Evan Ernst, Sam Marco, Taiya Therriault University of Denver: Zoe Bibik Western State Colorado University: Baxter Barber Kennedy
VIRGINIA
CONNECTICUT
WISCONSIN
Wesleyan University: Kate Ellbogen
Marquette University: Wendy Capalad University of Wisconsin - Madison: Cece Adams, Alexander Andrade, Betty Zheng, Chris Johnson, Grant Nordmark, Noah Callow, Sam White
University of Vermont: Olivija Stephens, Abby Golitz
Hampton University: Charity McKenzie, Zoe Treadwall University of Virginia: Anna Heyse
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA George Washington University: Olivia Pfeiffer Howard University: Faith McKenzie ILLINOIS DePaul University: Gabriella Nielson, Grace Siegel, Jake Aks Harold Washington College: Darcy Mingelgrin Illinois Institute of Technology: Leslie Sadkowski, Nayelli Reyna, Ramiro Alarcon, Tiffany Wong Illinois State University: Margaret Filipek, Sela Moy Loyola University Chicago: Greta Tetlak, McKenzie Vertucci School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Abigail Teodori, Azaria Pickett University of Illinois at Chicago: Alma Sales, Angelica Contreras, Christine Wong, Daisaq Cyrilla, Eli Fritsch, Jacqueline Escutia, Jeremy Yakes, Jesus Gonzalez, Leo Redican North Park University: Frank Kalemba University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign: Alex Sung, Ana Pina, Ava Childers, Charles Gilligan, Charles White, Clifton Young, Daniela Morelos, Emmett Etchingham, Gabriel Kosmacher, Haley Chen, Isabella Breedveld, Jia Situ, Jalen Chang, Jamie Kim, Jasmine Ng, Julissa Sanchez,
Sarah Lawrence College: Mia Spillane, Sam Wojcik
Northern Illinois University: Natalie Huante Northwestern University: Blake Cho, Gwen Richter, Mia Thompson, Molly Jones, Wingchi Tam, Wingshan Tam Knox College: James Fukawa Lewis University: Ashley Lopez Malcolm X College: Kayla McKinny, Mia Mangia Richard J. Daley College: Monserat Leon Western Illinois University: Edwin Guallpa
Wedren, Xavier University of Louisiana: Alexandra Ferguson
INDIANA
MASSACHUSETTS
Indiana University- Bloomington: Audrey Bruce, Jack Brooks, Madeline Falk, Marisa Heise, Sidney Zhu DePauw University: Georgianna Port Purdue University: Genesis Del Real, Kelli Gujral, Maureen Davasse IOWA
Boston University: Elizabeth Nelson Emerson College: Olivia Watry Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Lambert Hu Mount Holyoke College: Karla Biery Northeastern University: Avery Kaplan Tufts University: Julia Oppenheim UMass Amherst: Devin Barry
Grinnell College: Isabelle Madorsky
MICHIGAN
Sheryl Ester Gumiran Ordonez
OHIO Case Western Reserve University: James Conde MINNESOTA Carleton College: Ava Norman Macalester College: Amelia Renner, Anika Brennan. Jessica Katzin, Joseph Margolis, Maura Haas University of Minnesota - Twin Cities: A.J. Fundator
Kenyon ColGoodrich Miami University Clare Davis, Seamus Oberlin College: Nihal The Ohio State University: son, Lily Furgeson
MISSOURI
PENNSYLVANIA
Missouri University of Science and Technology: John Raya Saint Louis University: Lucy Boemmel, Maya Clatanoff, Olivia Wroblewski University of Missouri - Columbia: Maggie Trovado, Will Coston, Hugh Johnston, Ted Fludas
Chatham University: Stefan Rosich Point Park University: Megan Hosp Temple University: Robert Taradash University of Pittsburgh: Nathaniel Dobbins RHODE ISLAND
lege: Billy of Ohio: Retzloff Kodavarti Alex John-
Remi Pinel
Belinda Davis *results from 190 senior survey respondents
Graphics by Katherine Williams ‘20
PAGE 8 Jones Blueprint
For more stories go to jonesblueprint.com JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT JUNE 7, 2019
On the ‘quest’ to college
Three seniors received full-ride scholarships to prestigious universities
DIA GIBBS ‘20 Sports Staff
responsibility with the scholarship includes a summer contribution (that varies amongst recipients), which students are expected to pay off through on campus work-study. Saucedo matched with WashU’s McKelvey School of Engineering, and plans to double major in computer science and financial engineering.
included a few 500-word essays to be written, and Bodie, Hill, and Mensah wrote about the same topic: being Black.. “I used many different organizations like Chi Malique Bodie ‘19, Samaia Hill ‘19, cago Scholars and Black is Gold to help me with my Zakiya Mensah ‘19, and Erick Saucedo ‘19 received fulle s s a y s and process of applying,” said Hill. ride scholarships to Brown University, Emory University, Black is Gold is an Vanderbilt University, and Washington University in St. organization for young African-American Louis respectively. They all applied through Questbridge, girls in the Chicago area. It helps young a non-profit program that connects students to educational woman build sisterhood, college and career and scholarship opportunities at prestigious universities. readiness and many more community build “I wasn’t going to apply,” said Mening activities. Mensah discussed how growsah. “But then I talked to Mr. Coleman and he ing up on the southside affected who she is. said the worst thing they could say is no.” “Most of my essays talked Similarly, Hill had known about the about me growing up Black, attending opportunities that Questbridge offered, and Jones, which is predominately white, was pushed to apply by family and friends. and how I grow up in a single parent “I started off junior year in the College Prep home on the southside,” said Mensah. Scholars Program, through Questbridge and in my For the letters of recomsenior year, I applied for the college match program,” mendation, Bodie, Hill, and Mensah said Hill. “From there, I was picked as a Questbridge had their former AP Language teachFinalist and I was then matched to my college.” er, Brady Gunnink, write their letters. College Prep Scholars is a program “I think Samaia, Malique and Zafor juniors where students receive a head start to BUILDING BRIDGES Saucedo, Mensah, Hill, and Bodie show kiya really took to how other writers craft lanapplying to college, complete access to the na- off their future college homes on Cupcake Day. guage with an audience in mind in AP Lang,” said Guntion’s 40 best colleges, feedback from trained nink. “This skill really showed in their college essays.” college essay coaches, rewards such as laptops and “These next four years, I can focus sole- Bodie, who wasn’t expecting to get into Brown, waived college fees and many more opportunities. ly on going to college and not having to wor- visited Gunnink after receiving news of the acceptance. The seniors found out if they were accept- ry about the financial aspect,” said Saucedo. “Malique walked into my classroom with this ed in December. Bodie waited with no anticipation. For Bodie, Brown was not his top choice, dazed look on his face, and he was like ‘Mr. Gunnink, I “When I first opened the email and it but he feels like it was actually the best place for him. got Questbridge to Brown, full ride,” said Gunnink. “I said ‘Congratulations,’ I said ‘What is this?’ be- “I originally wanted to go to Cornell, but looking shot up and gave him a big hug, I was so excited for him.” cause I was not expecting to get in,” said Bodie. back on it, I definitely feel like Brown was the place for me,” Their scholarships were packaged with- said Bodie. “Cornell was dry and country and that’s not my out student loans and parent contributions. Quest- style. I feel like it was aligned for me to go to Brown.” bridge is 100 percent need based, and the only For Questbridge, the requirements Photos courtesy of Eryn Barnes ‘19 and Erick Saucedo ‘19
Pickett takes home state
PE teacher wins Illinois High School Physical Educator of the Year MAGGIE TROVATO ‘19 Lead Reporter
While it’s a statewide achievement, many students and staff at Jones haven’t heard about PE teacher Andrew Pickett’s most recent award. Why? Because to Pickett, teaching is about more than awards. Varsity softball player Kimaya Hayes ‘19, who has learned to always “give 100 percent no matter what you do” from Pickett, said, “We were literally in a huddle and he was like, ‘Oh also, by the way [I won teacher of the year].’” Pickett wasn’t expecting to hear he had been named Illinois High School Physical Educator of the Year by the Illinois Association for [Health], Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (IAHPERD). “I was pretty surprised, sort of humbled,” he said. “I think it is a very selfless profession and teachers just get really used to ‘I do this work for the kids.’ and [that] it’s for the greater good. I think that’s the mindset of a lot of teachers. So winning accolades and being recognized for your practice and the effort that you’re putting in is exciting. It was humbling.” Being recognized as one of the best PE teachers in the state could lead to recognition on a national level. “There is [a chance]. It’s a whole process and that’s basically 8 months or 10 months down the road. I would need to write a new application addressing their questions.” said Pickett. In fact, Pickett was named the High School Physical Educator of the Year by the district first. “It’s sort of a multi-stage thing,” he said. “ I was notified about two months ago, maybe six weeks ago, that I had won Chicago district PE teacher of the year. And then I was notified about two weeks ago that I also won state teacher of the year.” In a couple of weeks Pickett will be recognized at a dinner for his district award. In November he will be recognized for his state award at a conference in St. Charles, IL. PE teacher Michael Strok ‘05, who only heard that his coworker had won the award moments before being interviewed for the article, was not surprised by the news. “If I was to pick one person in the department, I would have expected it to be Mr. Pickett,” he said. While it was no shock to Strok, Pickett himself wasn’t expecting it. IAHPERD President, Mark Foell-
mer, who Pickett has worked with in the past, nominated him, without directly telling him. “When I saw him at the PE conference for the state of Illinois [last] November, he was doing something with the 2017-18 teachers of the year. He said, ‘you know, have you ever won that accolade before?’ I said ‘No.’ Self promotion is really weird for me, it’s uncomfortable. I think it’s very normal for other people but it seems strange for me to talk about the things that [I’m] doing. He said ‘Just knowing ROW YOUR BOAT Andrew Pickett demonstrates how to paddle in a kayak during his 7th period you and knowing the Adventure PE class. work that you’ve done ment about the importance of different subjects and I and the work that you’re trying to do, I think that makes always [say], if you don’t have your health and you a lot of sense.’ That’s kind of where he left it. It felt like don’t know how to be healthy, nothing else matters.” a hint but it wasn’t a direct conversation,” said Pickett. The dedication that Pickett has put into his teaching While Pickett is a newbie to this particu- and coaching is evident in the way that students talk about him. lar award, he isn’t new to the world of education. “He is very big on leadership and team“I’ve been in education for 13 years now,” he said. work. I know a lot of PE teachers are focused on the “Of those 13 years, I’ve taught about 11 years.” gym aspect and having a good time but he is very foNot only has Pickett taught elementary and high school cused on the physical education side of it,” said Jess physical education, but he has also helped at-risk kids and Katzin ‘19 who played on the varsity softball team. worked at the district level in CPS as a supervisor of phys- While his students have learned from him, ical education. Though his specific titles have changed Pickett has learned from teaching his students. over the years, Pickett’s teaching philosophy hasn’t. “I think one of the most important things “For me it’s really about developing a love that I’ve learned over the years, especially as I’m for physical activity and the outdoors, and giving teaching older students now for the second half kids the skills and knowledge to be active and not of my career, is to be fair and honest with kids.” be afraid of PE,” he said. “There’s always an arguPhoto by Sam Wojcik ‘19
PAGE 9 Study Hard
Semester 2 finals will be on June 17, 18, 19. JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT JUNE 7, 2019
Crew side
Those behind the curtain who ensure productions run smoothly end of my sophomore year and then I became the Student Tech Director.” Tech, or Stage Crew, often stay long hours after school working on sets,
INDIA ROSE DANIELS ‘20 School Staff JACK O’LEARY ‘20 School Staff
lights, and other tasks in the weeks leading up to opening night. “It’s definitely very satisfying to have a show that is well put together and you know that backstage there is a ton of work to be done. The actors definitely work their butts off during rehearsals, but me and my team will be at school till 11:30 at night sometimes building,” said Taradash. Putting in long hours comes with the territory of being in tech, but like a working machine, there are many different parts that contribute to getting the job done. “There’s stage crew which is responsible for building and designing sets. Lighting is always pretty small and has three different sections. It encompasses pre-coded lights, which happens before the show on the tech board; then spotlights which we just rehearse for that because they are manually operated, and projec tions,” said Spotlight Operator Brenna
As the show comes to a close, the audience jumps to their feet with a roar of applause, and a parade of actors take a bow. But behind the many layers of curtains and backdrops, are a team of students working around the clock so Jones’ theatre productions can come alive. Around 20 students from all grades make up the Stage Crew, the other half of the large production team within the Theatre Department. Currently, two students are in charge of managing the crew, Stage Manager Charlie Gilligan ’19 and Student Tech Director, RL Taradash’19 Student Tech Director. “I was looking for a class that I could do something along the lines of woodshop because I’m really good with my hands and I wanted to do carpentry,” said Taradash. “ I talked to Mr. Lyons at the
Mariachi mayhem
Paul ’21. “There’s a lot of layers of things happening.” Some of the Stage Crew even started out acting before they moved from center stage to behind the scenes. “I started out acting freshman year. Ultimately, a period of my life got really busy and hectic and I took a break from one of the shows and decided to help out doing the tech related stuff and I just completely fell in love with it,” said Assistant Stage Manager Ashton Goren ’20. The students are not the only ones doing the work behind the scenes. Jones also hires paid professionals to draft the plans for the sets and light shows. “For us, it’s more like a learning experience which I like a lot more because then you can take those skills that you have learned and apply it to your life,” said Goren. The number one job the Stage Crew has is ensuring a smooth production, meaning there is not much room for mistakes, but the crew, like everyone else, is not perfect. Earlier this year during the Friday night performance of Government Inspector, a set wall crushed a table on its way down to the stage floor during a sceneshift. “It was super humiliating, but it’s one of those things where you just have to roll with it. It’s all about improv and how quick on your feet you can be,” said Goren. “I was backstage and two of the actors came out. They saw what had happened and immediately ran out on stage. They were like, ‘Our house is falling apart!’ They made it totally hilarious. It went with
the whole vibe of the show, even though it was a freak accident.” However, tension does form between the cast and crew throughout the many weeks of preparation for a show’s debut. “I don’t think tech is as cliche as the cast, but there is a divide between cast and crew. Sometimes crew can feel a little underappreciated. We’re [the crew] all way tighter than it seems and cliques exist more so in the actors because there are so much more of them, but because Tech is such a small group it doesn’t really happen,” said Paul. Despite the tension, both groups share the same ultimate goal, putting on a great production, and to accomplish that, they have to work together. “There’s no perfect word to describe that satisfaction when you watch your whole show come together, and you’re like I did that,” said Goren. “I put this together for these people. I helped make their set come to life. That’s incredible.” The only chance that the audience gets to see the actual faces of the crew is during the multiple rounds of applause at the show finale, but they are never really in the spotlight unless they are manning the lights themselves. “I always say that the spot booth is the best view in the house,” said Paul. “I feel like the reward is knowing that you are part of something bigger than yourself and getting to see people happy, because I think if you join tech you are not one to crave that attention in the first place.”
Graphics by Sam Wojcik ‘19 Photos by Brendan Mohen ‘19
Junior hopes you can hear him loud and clear MAX KROLL ‘19 School Staff
school, I thought to myself ‘It would be to start building arrangements for entire of Mexican classics that people can sing
Mariachi bands, which he does constantly for his in school and out of school bands. riachi as more than music. For him, it’s “He’s really good at arranging family, friends, and hopefully a life-long music,” said bandmate Edgar Lisandro passion. Armas currently plays with the Perez ‘20. “You can only get so far makschool’s Mariachi band, Mariachi Águiing music, but then interpreting it in a way las de Tenochtitlan, as well as an outside where other people can perform it is really group, Mariachi Cobre de Chiincredible.” cago, and he hopes to make The school band practicMariachi a career. es at least once a week “Jonathan is really every Friday at Harold intrinsically motivated. He’s Washington Library. just very passionate about MaAlong with that, they try riachi, and that’s very special,” to meet up every Ac Lab said Choir Director Kathryn to practice in the band Colby, who has worked with room, but it can be diffiand taught Jonathan since he cult to get all eight band arrived at Jones. members together at the Those who are close same time during the to Armas know his love for school day. Mariachi runs deep. After do “There’s a lot of conflict ing it for five years, his interest in trying to be in school in the music has become nothand trying to be ing short of passion. When he first started, though, he was on PLAYING WITH PASSION Jonathon Armas ‘20 performs with his out of school band. in a band,” said Armas. a different side of the music- he “I played violin for a year, then I Conflicting schedules often get in was a dancer. picked up the guitarron, which is the acousthe way of Armas getting consistent prac “Before I did Mariachi, I danced tic base for the Mariachi. Then I picked up tice in, which is why he’s looking forward in Folklorico. The style of the dance changto pursuing Mariachi as a career after high es based on the region, and one of my fa- guitar and vihuela,” said Armas. “I had never played music before. Mariachi was school. vorite regions was Jalisco, which is where the first time I played music.” “We’re playing a few restaurants Mariachi comes from,” said Armas. “When Being able to play so many instruright now, and we’re trying to make it big,” they introduced a Mariachi program to my ments gave Armas the knowledge needed said Armas. “We play a lot
Jonathan Armas ‘20 sees Ma-
nice to play those songs that I like dancing to so much.’” While the school program offered him the opportunity to play with a Mariachi band, he had little formal training with the instruments. Because of this, he had to learn primarily through experience.
along to, but we also write our own music and we want to record some stuff in the future.” Armas is working hard to make his band outside of school, Mariachi Cobre de Chicago, very popular. Armas isn’t afraid of the commitment either, and is already planning on living with his bandmate and co-manager, Chris Hernandez, after highschool. “If we had own place it would be a lot easier for us,” said Armas. “We would be able to work at our own convenience. We could hold rehearsals. If I had an idea, I could just give it to Chris immediately. It would just make what we do now a lot easier.” For Armas, making this leap is a no-brainer. His deep love for the music motivates him to give it everything. “He doesn’t need that exterior motivator of a grade, or in his case, money, to go out and do work. He’s just passionate about the artform,” says Colby. In his own words, Armas echoes the point made by his choir teacher “It’s not about the money. It’s nice to get paid, but it’s nicer to get paid for music that I like doing,” said Armas.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Armas ‘20
PAGE 10
Burst of color
Color Wars: Hosted by the Junior SGA on June 14 at the NTA field at 6p.m.
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Major league
Jones boys baseball makes its first appearence at the City Championship JAKE AKS ‘19 Sports Staff After a bit of a slow start and a demoralizing 13-1 loss to Lane Tech early in the season, it looked like this years’ varsity baseball squad wouldn’t live up to their high expectations. However, before any full shred of doubt could kick in, the Eagles started to click and went on a 10-3 run in the month of April, charging their way closer to the top of the Jackie Robinson South standings. As the season chugged on, the team needed a last second push with a five game win streak, finishing 11-3 in conference to barely edge Morgan Park for the top spot in the country. This success was due in part to the team’s tight bond with one another, dancing to every batters’ walk up song and chanting “Eagles on three, family on six,” after every game. Their solid play in the regular season continued into the playoffs, plowing down Clemente in the first round and Whitney Young in the quarterfinals. Jones was due to face Brooks in the semis, who ended the Eagles’ season last year at the same stage of the tournament. This year ended differently, however, as an easy fly out to right field sent the Eagles pouring out of the dugout in a frenzy after a 5-3 win to send them to the city championship versus Lakeview at Guaranteed Rate
Field, o n think
home of the Chicago White Sox. “Getting there and stepping the field for the first time, I you could see on everybody’s face that it was pretty much one of the best venues that anybody had played baseb a l l on,” said coach Michael Strok ‘05. “At specific moments I’d kind of zone out from the game and realize where I’m actually standing,” said Michael Weisman ‘19, emphasizing how surreal the experience was for everyone. “It was probably the most amazing experience of my life,” added Sam Marco ‘19. The Eagles were strongly supported by hundreds of fellow students and cheering them on. Some going to the level of painting their chests to spell out JONES for everyone to see. Even a few former players made the effort to show up and cheer on the team they once played for. The game started out as a slow pitchers duel leaving both team scoreless the first few innings. The Eagles were the first team on the board with a bunt by Wiesman to drive in Aidan Miltner ‘19. Lakeview quickly responded with 3 runs in the top of the fifth, which led Jones to clash back with another run in the bottom of the inning and then adding two more in the sixth. However, the quirks of a new field and pressure of the game proved to be an adjustment for the team, causing two instances of players over-sliding the base, costing the team extra runs. “It’s like playing on wet turf essentially, that’s how fast [the dirt]
ONE DOWN Sam Marco ‘19 makes the first out of the City Championship game by catching a pop fly in left field.
WILD THING Will Conley ‘20 throws the first pitch of the game. Conley would pitch into the 5th innning before being relieved by Ian Hope ‘20
YOU’RE OUTTA HERE Dennis Barber ‘20 kept the score 0-0 in the 3rd inning by making a play at the plate. is,” said Strok. Despite putting up a great effort in an exciting back a n d forth game with Lakeview, the Eagles fell 6-4 in the championship after a three-run seventh inning charge from the Wildcats. The disappointment in the championship still doesn’t take away from the fact that this was one of the strongest seasons ever for Jones baseball. This season was also the first time Jones beat their conference rival Simeon multiple times in a single season while on the road. The last time the Eagles even managed to win one game playing at Simeon was in 2012, and this year the Eagles put on a clinic, slaughter-ruling them two times by 10 runs this year. “It showed that we were progressing as a program,” says Strok. In addition to stellar team play all year long, Joe Margolis ‘19, Frank Kalemba ‘19, and Zion Baker ‘19 all earned nominations for All-State and will be continuing their baseball careers into college. While Margolis lead the team in batting average, home runs, RBI, and many more statistics, Baker proved deadly on the basepaths, leading the team with 21 stolen bases and 36 runs scored. Kalemba was extremely reliable on the mound, leading the team in wins and posting an impressive 2.51 ERA.
Following this years great season, Strok believes that next year shouldn’t be any different. “We’re no longer hunting to be the best,” he says. “We are the best and should maintain that for which should honestly be the foreseeable future.” Strok believes next year’s seniors will step up just as this year’s class did. The class is full of promising players like Will Conley ‘20 and Ian Hope ‘20 who have proved to be dominating forces on the mound, backed by Dennis Barber ‘20 behind the plate. Conley and Hope will be accompanied by Jaden Jones ‘21 in representing Chicago in an ESPN showcase i n early July versus other All-Star teams from New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. With this years’ strong season in the books, the team looks to improve next year and keep playing at the high level they’re expected of. Just like every season, the younger guys will have the turn to step up and lead a new team deep in to the playoffs.
LEADOFF Zion Baker ‘19 steps into the box and gets ready to see the first pitch
Photos Courtesy of Tony Gadomski
PAGE 11 Back to school
Students return for the 2019-2020 school year on Sept. 3
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A tale of two trophies
Varsity and JV boys volleyball both take home city championships against Hancock CARTER FRYE ‘19 Sports Editor As great as a team can be, a championship never comes easy. All of the effort put in all season long comes down to one game where that effort is on full display. Pure emotion flows through the players and spills into the stands, which culminates to a perfect moment in sports as one team wins it all and the other is sent packing. When Drew Burke’s ‘20 spike hit the gym floor at Malcolm X College to clinch the varsity city championship against Hancock on Thursday, May 16, that perfect moment was achieved. The varsity title game featured an MVP-esque performance from star Henry Van Zytveld ‘19, who is one of many players that has given the volleyball program countless hours to make it to this point. “This was the climax of four years. To achieve it was really rewarding, especially for people that have been in the program for so long,” said Van Zytveld. The junior varsity squad also captured a city against Hancock on Thursday, showing the rest of CPS that
Jones will continue to be a powerhouse for years to come. The JV Eagles played in the first game of the night and struggled right out of the gate, dropping a close first set before outlasting Hancock in the second. The third frame tested both squads’ endurance as Hancock seemed to be running on fumes. Their their mental mistakes simply began to pile up, allowing Jones to escape with the championship 25-11. “It feels great to have all of that hard work pay off, but this was expected,” said Emerson Hachinski ‘21. “We breed winners at Jones.” The varsity game began next, and it followed a much different tone than the junior varsity matchup. Jones came out dominating in the first set behind huge surges of momentum. Jack Brooks ‘19 continued to set up big men Burke, Van Zytveld, and Nic Iturralde ‘19 perfectly during the whole set, leading them to a crushing victory 25-14. Many Eagles fans expected the same type of blowout as the teams switched sides, but that type of one-sided affair was never seen again. The Eagles struggled in the second set, allowing mental mistakes to pile up en route to a six
point defecit at one point. A comeback looked to be in store, but Hancock slammed the door before it got too close, escaping 25-22. After a disappointing second set, the Eagles came out fighting to stay in the game and gain some momentum back. After keeping it close for the first half of the set, Jones powered ahead 24-16 before a late Hancock comeback made it interesting at 24-20. Coach Jake Myers called a timeout to calm the nerves, and Jones came right back out and finished the job in one play. Especially during the third set of the varsity game, the gym was in a frenzy. Constant uproar after every point scored from either side only increased the pressure and gave the game an intensity that is rarely seen at any Jones sporting event. These are the first boys volleyball city championships in Jones’s history, a feat that puts this year’s program in the history books. Varsity finished the season with a 24-3 record (including city playoffs) while the JV squad went 15-3-1. The varsity Eagles continued to compete in the state playoffs, beating Hancock again in the regional final before falling to St. Rita in sectionals.
ENDING ON A HIGH NOTE Boys varsity volleyball captures first city championship in Head Coach Jake Myers’ last year with the team.
Photo by Carter Frye ‘19
Out of your league
Jones League of Legends team takes home state championship MAX KROLL ‘19 School Staff After a 12-week, 31-team all-state tournament, the Jones League of Legends team took home the state championship title after facing off with Oak Park-River Forest in a best of three finals match on April 27 at Robert Morris University. This is the first state title win for a Jones esports team, and the esports community at Jones hopes it isn’t the last. “It was a long day,” said team sponsor Kyle Eck. “We got there at 10 a.m., and we ended up leaving around five, so it was a seven hour tournament.” The last eight teams in the tournament competed at the Robert Morris esports lab in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals matches to determine the state champion. Jones won both matches in the best out of three finals game, completing their undefeated playoff run. “One of the most memorable parts of the day was in the second match of our quarterfinals round where I got a pentakill.” said Ethan Frank ‘20. “A pentakill is basically when a single player manages to get the kill on all five opponents. I didn’t do it alone of course, but I was able to get the last hit on all of them.” For many unfamiliar with the League of Legends, terms like pentakill
can seem strange, and the game can seem inaccessible. The team holds a different view, and believes the game is just as easy to understand as any sport. “On the surface, the game is just a five versus five battle to destroy the other team’s base,” said Matthew Hong ‘19. “In depth, it’s more like a big chess game. It’s a lot of strategy, movement, and navigation.” Like chess, League of Legends is a game with unique roles, and requires a lot of critical thinking to win. Comparisons to other games don’t end with chess though, as lines can be drawn to sports like soccer and football, which also involve strategic team play and are sponsored by school organizations. This has led a hotly contested debate about whether or not esports deserve the same treatment as sports that demand physical skill when it comes to coverage and consideration. “I think esports belong with sports. I’ll sit down and watch a game, and I spent two weeks of my summer watching a tournament, which is just like March Madness!” said Eck. “There’s also a big element of strategy and thinking, which regular sports have too.” An opposing view on the subject is that esports have aspects that make them deserve their own category. “Esports and sports are fundamentally different in the way that sports
THE BIG LEAGUES The Jones League team poses triumphantly after their LAN tournament win. and chess are.” said Frank. “They’re not the same in the aspect of physical activity. Like for PE waivers, you need to be in at least two varsity sports, and I never think esports should be a thing that gets that.” Regardless of labels, the team sees esports at Jones as a fast growing phenomenon, and has high hopes for the future.
“We have a lot of open spots for next year, and since there’s going to be some flux in the team, I really do want to grow the club.” said Eck. “We can make esports happen at Jones.”
Photo courtesy of Kyle Eck
PAGE 12 Kicking Off
Boys Soccer plays Pheonix Military Academy Aug. 22 in their season opener
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College competitors
Jones senior athletes take their talents to the collegiate level Frank Kalemba ‘19 North Park University Pitcher/Third Base A captain of the Jones baseball team, Frank has been playing baseball since he was four years old. His best baseball memories come with the Jones baseball team because of “the bond between teammates,” the top memory being when he pitched a complete game victory in the city semifinals. He wants to play college baseball because he “cannot picture life without [baseball],” and “would not be satisfied,” without it.
Stefan Rosich ‘19 Chatham University Point Guard/Shooting Guard Pushed by his coaches, Rosich has progressed as a basketball player in his four years, becoming team captain his senior year and leading the team to the Consolation City Championship where they lost to Longwood, averaging 13.4 points on the season. Rosich looks to improve athleticism, leadership, and overall skill to hopefully move up to a D-II and D-I levels “and after that just see where it takes me,” through his college career.
Photo courtesy of Stefan Rosich ‘19
Photo courtesy of John Hale
Zion Baker ‘19 College of DuPage Outfield/Second Base Influenced by his former pro baseball player father, Ricky Baker, Zion started playing at a young age. His greatest experience on a baseball field was playing at Guaranteed Rate Field for the city championship, calling it an “unforgettable feeling.” He wants to be able to grow and “reach his full potential,” as both a player and a person all around through his experiences as a college athlete.
Patrick Mattar ‘19 Knox College After learning the game at 12 from his father, Mattar put together an illustrious high school golf career that included being captain junior and senior years, two Conference Player of the Year honors, two city titles, and a state qualification in 2017. In college he hopes to contend for a national championship while also “improving enough as a player to play in mini-tours, which can eventually lead to the PGA Tour.” Photo courtesy of Patrick Mattar ‘19
Photo courtesy of Tony Gadomski
Jessica Katzin ‘19 Macalester College Third Base Captain of both the softball and basketball teams her senior year, Jess has opted to continue her softball career in college. With astounding stats like a .608 career batting average and 45 RBI her senior year, Jess is ready to take the next step. She wants to challenge her ability to balance sports and academics and grow from that experience. She also wants to be on a team in college as leaving the Eagles for her is “one of the hardest parts about leaving high school”
Photo courtesy of Jessica Katzin ‘19
Joseph Margolis ‘19 Macalester College Shortstop/Ptcher Starting baseball at age 3, Margolis can’t remember a time in his life where he wasn’t playing the sport. Joe has been on Varsity at Jones all four years and a Captain for the last two. He was also nominated for All-State, has won All-City and All-conference and will play in the CPS vs Catholic all star game. His best baseball memory was the Jones playoff run his senior year, making it to the City Championship He “can’t imagine life without baseball” and wants to “play until someone stops me.”
Noah Fitsch ‘19 Ryan Sorkin ‘19 Photo courtesy of Tony Gadomski Calvin College Dartmouth College Mid-Distance Track Center After just beginning his running career the summer Skating since he could walk, hockey before freshman year, Fitsch grinded, earning himhas always been a huge part of Sorkin’s self six All-City honors over his Jones running calife. At age 16, Sorkin’s club team, reer. Even with the success, Fitch believes “the peoMission, won the AAA national ple that I run with are more important than the actual championship, helping Ryan earn a results.” His college goal is to use the mid-distance scholarship to Dartmouth College. He track competition to improve his craft enough with is using college hockey to not only help boost him to a sights on an eventual ultra-marathon being the “ultiprofessional level, but has also for the opportunity to get a mate goal.” top notch education at an ivy league school. Anika Brennan ‘19 Macalester College Photo courtesy of Noah Fitsch ‘19 800 meter dash Photo courtesy of Ryan Sorkin ‘19 Starting running just her freshman year, Anika fell in love with running. Her favorite moment was when she “collapsed across the finish line” at her state meet her sophomore year and the feeling of “giving every last bit I had.” She will also greatly miss “running every day alongside her teammates,” a big reason why she wanted to pursue running in college. “The family you get to be a part of when on a team,” is something she wants to be a big part of her college experience. Photo courtesy of Anika Brennan ‘19