Tuesday, September 4, 2018
The Student Newspaper of Jones College Preparatory High School
Volume 4, Issue 1
CPS makes changes in wake of sexual misconduct scandal Board of Education creates new department and updates policies MAGGIE TROVATO ‘19 Lead Reporter After the Chicago Tribune published findings last June of 430 reports of abused, assaulted, or harassed students by Chicago Public School employees over the last seven years, CPS has decided to make policy updates, as well as create a new department, acting as a district authority for sexual misconduct. The release of “Betrayed,” a series of articles written about cases of sexual misconduct within CPS, sparked these changes. “It was a very powerful piece of journalism, there’s no question about that. It was very honest, brutally so,” said Principal P. Joseph Powers. “It was disheartening that there were as many cases as were identified in that article. It’s a shame that it took [the article series] to try and bring our focus back to it.” While multiple CPS policies regarding sexual misconduct were updated over the summer, one of the biggest changes was the creation of the Office of Student Protections and Title IX. “OSP is responsible for referring allegations of adult-on-student abuse to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for investigation, overseeing investigations into allegations of student-on-student abuse, ensuring students are paired with an advocate immediately following an allegation, and providing students with resources for long-term support,” according to CPS’ Protecting Chicago’s Children: Plan of Action. CPS has taken this summer and, according to the Chicago Tribune, a planned three million dollar budget to create the new office, which should be fully operational by the second week of school. Powers believes that this office will improve the handling of misconduct cases within CPS. “When you’re dealing with a lot of complex issues and a very large organization like CPS, this [office] will help us to stay focused on those issues, see them through and know who to seek our resources from,” he said. Along with the Office of Student Protections and Title IX, CPS has updated multiple policies, some of which haven’t been updated since 2003.
Most of the changes that have been made can be found in the CPS policy, “Reporting of Child Abuse, Neglect and Inappropriate Relations Between Adults and Students” that was adopted on June 27, 2018. The policy outlines the responsibility of employees, including yearly training for “recognizing and reporting child abuse” as well as steps to provide support to students who are abused or neglected. At Jones, training for teachers and administrators is already in full swing. “All the principals have gone through the training,” said Powers. “Each of us are presenting a training session [the last week of August]. It’s a combination of a webinar prepared by CPS -- by the new office, the legal department and so forth -- plus discussions among the faculty, so that when we get to the end of it, everyone can say ‘Alright, I understand what the expectations are.’” The policy also states the OIG can investigate allegations of abuse or neglect by Board employees, private vendor employees, and volunteers. Powers has fine tuned the list of volunteers and private vendors going into the
2 0 1 8 2019 school year. “I went through and took a whole lot of people off of our approved list. Not because of anything they’ve done, but because they’re not doing anything at school anymore,” he said. “You take that person off and it’s much
Into the old, out of the new
Fall ball
Jones apparel store moves to North Builiding SISLEY MARK ‘20 Lifestyles Editor
ministration’s attempt to revitalize the North building. “The South building has Moving from the third always been appealing because floor of the South building to the its architecture is newer and we first floor of the North building, the want to bring that popularity over Jones store is getting a new look. to the North building,” said As This new location will be sistant Principal Eric Mitchell. more visible and stand out as stu- Many students did not even dents travel from class to class. know the store existed on the third floor of the South building. “I think it’s a great idea moving the store to the first floor of the North building. It will make it more accessible and easier to stop by in between classes and during lunch,” said Myles Cole ‘20. C o l e Katherine Williams ‘20 CLOSING UP The old school store loalso brought up the idea of cation will be used for storage. an online store. The change is part of the ad- “An online store could be
easier to track the ones that are actively still involved.” The combination of updated policies and a new department are promising to Counseling Department Chair Brian Coleman. “I think it will help in the event that there are issues related to sexual harassment that students are facing. It creates a much clearer process by which those issues are addressed,” said Coleman. “[And with the] new department at the district level, we’ll have a direct point of contact to reach out to, if needed.” But, the new policy prohibiting communication between students and CPS workers through personal mobile devices, phone calls, text messaging, personal email addresses, and social media is not as clear. “That’s a bit of a grey area right now. We thought we had a good understanding,” said Powers. “And then the Board of Education voted on something [Aug. 22] that sounds different. So we’re still trying to get that sorted out.” This new rule, depending on what exactly it will entail in the policy handbook, could have an effect on many students and staff involved in extracurriculars. “I’m novice captain of the debate team,” said Isabelle Madorsky ‘19. “So me and Ms. Miller talk a lot on the phone, just for organizing stuff. We can’t do that anymore because we’re not allowed to contact her.” Moving into the school year, Coleman is optimistic about the changes, despite concerns over the policies’ implementation. “[The steps that CPS have taken are] movement in the right direction.” said Coleman. “[But] as this team is built, at the district level, what will that look like? And most importantly, how will students’ rights be protected, validated, and affirmed?” Artwork by Sam Wojcik ‘19
Homecoming to be in October
very effective for people who don’t have time to physically go shopping during the school day, but I think it could be a waste of resources if not done correctly,” he said. According to Mitchell, the store location transition has been a year in the making. In moving the store to the North building, administration also hopes to make the North building more attractive to Jones students, many of whom prefer the newer South building. From the store to the art gallery in the North lobby, they hope to upgrade the look of the building. Future plans to improve the North building include the construction of a panel in the art gallery in honor of Jones alumni. Most of the Jones alumni had only ever know the North building, so Mitchell believes it will help reconnect the school with its past students and boost spirit. “Revitalizing the North building is all about enhancing Jones culture and school spirit,” said Mitchell. “What we do is for the students.”
AVA THOMPSON ‘21 Lifestyles Staff At most American high schools, Homecoming is celebrated with a football game and fall weather. But at Jones, the student body usually celebrates Homecoming in the winter. This year, however, Homecoming activities will occur during the first week of October, celebrated with the Homecoming dance on Friday, October 5th, and a girl’s volleyball game against Whitney Young High School. “I think it’s good we’re settling on a time frame early,” said Principal P. Joseph Powers. “It should be pretty good timing. We just have to think about other events around that time like the Open House.” SGA hopes the new date will boost fundraising goals and allow them to focus solely on homecoming. “Later in the school year, other SGA fundraising and planning takes place, making it more difficult to plan homecoming,” said SGA co-president Sheryl Ordonez ‘19. “Homecoming [season] is the most stressful time of the year for SGA,” In moving Homecoming to an earlier date, SGA thinks that October’s warmer weather will make the homecoming dance more enjoyable for students who have complained about the unsually late winter date. “The decision was more of us picking up on what the student body was leaning towards,” said SGA co-president Mattie Musgrove ‘19. SGA also hopes that increased school spirit earlier in the year will enhance the activities leading up to the dance. “This should allow Homecoming to be an opening for our new year, because homecoming is a celebration of your school,” said Ordonez.
PAGE 2 Kickin’ It Off
Boys soccer vs Amundsen on Sept. 5th @ 5 pm
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
Sophomore argues against trauma training grant
CPS, Not CPD
Junior advocates for end of in-school police presence
SAM TEDROWE ‘21 School shootings continue to occur at an alarming rate and it’s devastating that our new reality is teaching high school students emergency safety skills. A $1.3 million grant proposed by the Department of Homeland Security will allow schools to “deliver...training to high school age students for mass casualty events,” including techniques for stopping bleeding, according to a statement posted on the Department of Homeland Security’s website. The program, while timely in the wake of devastating school shootings, attempts to resolve the effects of school shootings (the casualties) rather than the cause (gun violence). T h e SATT also burdens students affected by the shootings, while the true responsibility should lie with legislators and adults. Since 2000, more than 250 students and school staff have died due to school shootings, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In reaction to these frequent tragedies, some states have created #StopTheBleed campaigns, placing trauma kits with bandages in classrooms and taking steps to ensure protection against school shooters.
However, a better solution is to put pressure on federal and state governments to pass more restrictive gun laws, including laws against concealed carry policies. This grant, among other campaigns that have similar purposes, finds ways of skirting the actual issue, which is alarming rates of gun violence. We need to eliminate the cause of the problem, not the effect.
Teaching students how to prevent bleeding does not prevent school shootings from happening; neither does the addition of “trauma kits” in classrooms. The SATT grant has about the same effect on the rate of shootings as a “thoughts and prayers” hashtag on Instagram. While it seems helpful, and in some ways can be, it fails to get to the root of the problem. Instead of programs like SATT, schools should work to create a more comfortable, safe environment.
While the goal of SATT is to make students feel safer in schools, increased fear can take a toll on the mental health of the students it aims to protect. Increased conversation about gun control can increase awareness without the dystopia-like fear. Forcing high school students to learn shooting safety practices in school places an unfair amount of accountability on students. There are better ways to get students involved in current events and gun control instead of making them learn bleeding control. In light of nationwide student walkouts, teenagers around the country are demonstrating that they care about gun control and political activism. The political debate over proper ways to handle gun control affects students, including students here at Jones. We are all aware of the gravity of this situation. Unfortunately, the Department of Homeland Security’s approach to this epidemic is just a band-aid placed over the deeper problem of school shootings.
CHARLOTTE MANIER ‘20 Walking through the halls of Jones, one might not notice police officers among the students heading to class. While these officers often fly under the radar, many schools in Chicago have more aggressive police presence. Since the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School, nationwide school security measures have resulted in constant surveillance and criminalization of the students they aim to protect. Chicago’s school safety initiatives since the early 2000s have drastically increased the presence of the Chicago Police Department in Chicago Public Schools, putting students in a hostile environment. In response to the Columbine shooting, cities across the nation began assigning police officers to public schools. In 2000, CPS received $3.2 million for the employment of CPD officers in schools. No student could attend school without a grim reminder of the violence that the city feared. CPS’ school safety initiative had created a new problem: in-school arrests. According to the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, 2,418 school-related arrests were made in CPS schools from 2012-2013 alone. Zero-tolerance policies that have been encouraged
Graphic by Sam Wojcik ‘19
How many is too many?
Increased student population presents problems to school It’s a familiar situation to any Jones student: you’re stuck in the link with only minutes until your next class starts. Frustrated students try to push past each other, with no success, and you spend the majority of your passing period weaving in and out of crowds in the hallways. This year, that problem will only get worse. With 558 freshmen, the class of 2022 is the largest that Jones has ever had. The increased class size will lead only to overcrowded classrooms and congested hallways, a problem that already plagues the school. Even before a larger class entered the school, students had to deal with congestion by using the State Street sidewalk when traveling from the South building to the North building. Classes, especially required classes such as PE and many intro-level freshman classes, will become too crowded to function. Even though a large student body will allow the school to reach a greater population, the problems that arise from the change outweigh the benefits of having more students. The money that Jones receives for each student enrolled is not worth the hassle of accommodating more students and straining the resources available to students, such as the school WiFi and the library, which already restricts the grade levels allowed inside during AcLab. But before the school day even begins, students will feel the impact of the larger class sizes. When students arrive in the morning, many have to pass through metal detectors.
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As more students come to Jones, security lines will be even longer, especially on days where all students are required to walk through the metal detectors. By making the student body larger, Jones loses the appeal of small classes and personalized interaction with
Sisley Mark ‘20 CALM BEFORE THE STORM With an extra hundred students, how will security adapt? teachers. A larger student body is not worth the minor benefits it provides and will only make students’ daily life worse.
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since Columbine make it easier to involve police in violations of school rules, often blowing the issue far out of proportion. The city defends police presence in schools, hoping that police officers will foster a positive perception of the CPD. While it’s comforting to believe that all officers are stationed in schools to befriend students, the excessive number of arrests suggests otherwise. Police are trained to handle criminals, which is inappropriate for a school environment. The only way to ensure CPS students are regarded as criminals is to discontinue CPD presence in schools. Once law enforcement is brought into a situation, it is difficult to remove; students could end up arrested for a minor fight or threat. The CPD is not a necessary part of the school day, and they are not able to serve and protect students when they often just arrest them. This does not mean the CPD will never be ready. If CPD officers underwent training focusing on de-escalation and engaged with the community, they would better understand the students they are assigned to protect. However, none of this can happen until the Chicago Police Department stops arresting students and starts listening to them.
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PAGE 3 Homecoming
The homecoming dance is on Oct. 5th
Welcome to the nest
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM@JONESBLUEPRINT September 4, 2018
Jones hires 14 new faculty members With more freshmen starting their Jones careers than the seniors who just left, new state and CPS graduation requirements, and nine staff vacancies, a new crop of faculty has stepped in to fill the void. Representing eight departments, the incoming teachers will be teaching students in several subjects, bringing experience from six states across the country. “We have a very rich mix in terms of racial and ethnic diversity, but also in terms of level of experience,” Principal P. Joseph Powers said. “Some of the new teachers coming in are pretty much new to the profession, others have quite a bit of experience at a number of points in between.” The counseling department leads in most new hires (three), followed by the math department and diverse learning department. The new faculty members will replace vacancies left by Laura Boban, Anna Barnett, LaToya Hudson, Mike Jones, Meredith Kramer, Frank Menzies, Crystal Penn, Erica White, and Christina Xu. Briefs compiled by Anna Heyse ‘19, Maggie Trovato ‘19, Jack O’Leary ‘20, Savannah Clark ‘20, Ava Thompson ‘21, and Davione Tolefree ‘21.
Elizabeth Adelmann Attended: Loyola University Teaching: Student Counselor Fun Fact: Married to Mr. Adelmann
Rhea Basa Attended: University of Michigan Teaching: Orchestra Fun Fact: Enjoys doing KenKen math puzzles
Reiko Bahlke Attended: University of Iowa Teaching: Student Counselor Fun Fact: Was a gymnast for 15 years
Michael Block Attended: University of Iowa Teaching: Band Fun Fact: Is a professional saxophonist
R. Tucker Brown Attended: University of Colorado Teaching: Diverse Learners Fun Fact: Has traveled to 48 states
Kristina Cavallaro Attended: Northwestern University Teaching: English Fun Fact: Went to law school
Marchell Goins Attended: University of Iowa Teaching: Student Counselor Fun Fact: Enjoys visiting live music venues
Jeewant Kaushal Attended: DePaul University Teaching: Math Fun Fact: Loves playing video games
Richard Kavalauskas Attended: Wabash College Teaching: Diverse Learners Fun Fact: Has a cousin that attends Jones
Mike Kolody Attended: University of Michigan Teaching: AP Computer Science Fun Fact: Worked as a programmer for a Fortune 500 database
Lance Larsen Attended: School of the Art Institute Teaching: Visual Arts Fun Fact: Grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming
Cassidy Osborne Attended: University of Arizona Teaching: Honors Civics Fun Fact: Has a new puppy named Maisie
William Reeves Attended: UIC and NEIU Teaching: Math Fun Fact: Was a former marine
Xiaoying Yang Attended: Loyola University Chicago Teaching: Mandarin Fun Fact: Grew up near tea mountains in China
PAGE 4
HOMECOURT
Girls Volleyball vs Latin HS on Sept. 7th @ 4:30pm
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
Eyes on the prize
Girls volleyball looks to make it to City again this year DONIYA BOYD ‘21 School Staff The Eagles are back after their first ever City Cham- said Bechina. pionship win last October against Whitney Young. Two The energy of the team is very high and competitive, weeks before school started, the varsity team was practic- even during their practice games. ing in the gym, getting ready for the season. “Four strong seniors graduated, but most of the team “We’re excited about the upcoming game in October. is still here and working hard,” said Coach Casey Feeney. We’ve been working very hard and are ready to defend “The biggest reason why we were successful last season is our championship,” said Co-Captain Gabby Easterly ‘19. because the girls are always focused and ready to win.” The team will be facing off again with Whitney Young The team does not feel that the loss of key senior playat this year’s homecoming game. ers will affect their ability to win city again this year. “We are all really excited that we won,” said the other Co-Captain Mara Kavalauskas ‘19. “We lost a lot of good players, but lots of sophomores and freshman are stepping up to the plate to uphold the team.” Being a 9th grader going straight to varsity can be difficult, but Lily Bechina ‘22 seems to be adjusting just fine. “I’m excited to play with a new group of players who also happen to have won a Doniya Boyd ‘21 championship PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Over the summer, the girls continued to praclast year. It is retice, wanting to defend their title. ally fun so far!”
Rising up
Back to work Fall sporting briefs NOAH CALLOW ‘19 Sports Staff
WOMEN’S VARSITY TENNIS
*Stefanie Böttcher ‘19 shown. Past Records: Secured fourth place as an overall team at the CPS Championships last season. Key Players: Elleson Song ‘21, Hannah Koo ‘21, Jamie Kim ‘19, & Stefanie Botcher ‘19 Looking Ahead: The girls tennis team has their eye on placing again at the City Championships and qualifying for state.
MEN’S & WOMEN’S VARSITY GOLF
Past Records: The women’s team swept the field at the CPS Championships, and went on to finish as a runner-up in the IHSA Sectionals last season. The men’s team went on to secure the runner-up slot at the City Championships as well. Key Players: Haylee West ‘19, Mandy Zhu ‘19, Jenny Liang ‘19, & Raquel Simpson ‘20; Patrick Mattar ‘19 & Charlie Kulwin ‘21. Looking Ahead: The returning girls are set to make another run at the state trophy. The men’s team are looking strong after their win against Whitney Young and are poised to win city this year.
GIRLS VARSITY SWIMMING
Boys soccer looking to improve upon last season AMARA ALEXANDER ‘21 Sports Staff The sweltering 90 degree heat didn’t stop the boys’ varsity soccer team from practicing on Monday afternoon.
STAREDOWN Carter Shirley ‘19 takes a quick breather while his team is defending on the other end of the field. After holding a 10-12 record last season, Coach Paul Zubb has a lot of goals for this season. “ I want the team to move up in the CPS conference division. We want to go further in the CPS and IHSA
playoffs,” he said. Many senior players graduated, but Zubb has no worries. There’s another large percentage of seniors who have had experience on the team this year. With a few new additions this season, the team is looking to be even better. “I’m looking forward to training, getting better for next year, and learning from the older guys,” said Gianrobert Pinto ‘21. Pinto is one of several new players on this season’s team. Zubb also stated that the team is connecting well together. “Having the players play club makes them easier to mesh,” he said. Although the team is dealing with a few injuries, they are optimistic that it won’t slow them down from accomplishing their goals this season. As for the team’s veterans, they’re looking forward to winning, improving their game, and having fun. “We expect to win every game in the conference here on out. We want to play for each other, play our part, and stay positive,” Carter Shirley ‘19 said. So far this season, the boys have gone 1-1-1. They beat Walter Payton 4-0 with two goals, with one goal each from Mack Madorsky ’19 and Shirley. Last Wednesday, the team suffered a shutout loss, 3-0, to Marine Leadership Academy. On Saturday, the team tied Brother Rice 1-1. A highlight for the team this season is playing in the Pepsi-Co tournament, the biggest high school tournament in Illinois. “We’re looking forward to playing against high schools we typically don’t play against,” said Zubb. The boys’ varsity soccer team encourages the Jones community to come out and support them this season as they make their way to the CPS playoffs.
*Molly Jones ‘20 shown. Past Records: Last year’s team was victorious at the CPS Championships, following it up with their second win at the IHSA State Sectionals last season. Key Players: Mia Killion ‘20, Molly Shields ‘20, & Charlie Pilot ‘21 Looking Ahead: The girls swim team is looking mentally strong this season, with a lineup that has more depth than ever before. “[It] should be our most accomplished season yet,” said Coach Lauren Vrettos.
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Past Records: The team finished runner-up at the CPS Championships, heading on to sweep a top three spot at the IHSA Regional Championships, and a top 10 spot at the IHSA Sectional Championships last season. Key Players: AJ Fundator ‘19, Michael Villa ‘19, Ryan Desantis ‘20, & Ian Bacon ‘20 Looking Ahead: The young team has been looking strong and consistent going into this season and is hoping to advance to the state championships this year.
WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Past Records: The team placed second at the CPS Championships last year and went on to secure a top three finish at the IHSA Regional Championships. Key Players: Anika Brennan ‘19 & Katie Murray ‘20 Looking Ahead: The girls team has their eye on going downstate this season for the State Championships and to have individual runners qualify again for state. Photos by Noah Callow ‘19