Monday, March 20, 2017 | Spring Equinox
“What’s that smell?”
The Student Newspaper of Jones College Preparatory High School
Backed up pipes smell up south building JOSH GERENRAICH ‘17 Lifestyles Staff In the three and a half years since the opening of Jones’ south building, there have been strange smells filling its $114 million dollar hallways. In the years past, the closer one gets to the southernmost stairwell, the stench from the trash compactor would be more apparent. This school year, it seems to be more than just one stairwell and some smelly trash. Students who have had the displeasure to experience the smell do not have great things to say about it. “[The smell] is very surprising and every time I walk out onto the 4th or 5th floor hallways, it hits me. I’m not sure how the problem arose but it should be handled because it smells like a farm,” said Harry Hicks ‘17. Chief Engineer Dan Casasanto has been working on the odor, which has been occurring longer than Jones’ nostrils would detect. “That smell is a problem that has existed from the day of opening,” said Casasanto. “That is something the plumbers did not fix under the warranty through Walsh Construction, the construction management company that built the building. The issue is with the sewer sump pumps and they are in the basement next to the parking lot and elevator shafts. They never worked right from the beginning.” The $10,000 pumps in Jones are very complex and are found throughout the city because of Chicago’s marshy terrain in the past. “Sump pumps are built in many basements that are designed to act as a catch-basin for water that seeps into a building and it is very common in Chicago due to its high water levels,” said Principal P. Joseph Powers. “These sump pumps catch the water and pump it out so it does not accumulate. The pumps are not working correctly so the accumulation of sewage backing up causes the smell to arise. I have smelled it as high as the seventh floor.” Although the issue of smell has been a year-long problem, the pumps have been faulty since they were installed. “There is a pit [4 feet in diameter and 12 feet in depth] where the building’s sewage is compiled,” said Casa-
Photo bv Josh Gerenraich ‘17
HITTING THE FAN Chief engineer Dan Casasanto examines the $10,000 pumps that transfer waste out of a pit below the south building. They must be manually turned on three times a day due to automatic system failure from improper installation. santo. “There are two floats in the pit, a low and a high, that are sensors for the pumps to automatically know when to turn on and off when pumping out the waste. When the waste reaches the high float, the pumps are supposed to automatically turn on the pumps and pump out the waste until the level reaches the low float after about three minutes and stops the pumps so they do not overheat.” In short, due to mis-wiring and installation from
“Dreamers” hold workshops for students on national, CPS undocumented policies
JEIYANNI HOLLINGS ‘17 survivor of that incident--how do we sup School Staff port people in public that we don’t know?” In addition,several teachers discussed ADRIANA LOPEZ ‘17 School Staff CPS’ policies for undocumented students. Attempting to create the change “Under the Chicago Teachers’ they wish to see in the world, the Dream- Union, a bunch of teachers held a meeting ers Club is educating Jones about the is- about what the current policies were in resues facing undocumented students. gards to undocumented students in CPS,” said They plan to host workshops on Dreamers Club Founder and President Cristal March 17 and 31 to help educate people about Martinez ‘17. “They learned that CPS won’t issues regarding undocumented individuals. allow Immigration Custom Enforcement to One workshop come into the building will be focused on unless [the undocumentinforming undoced student] has an asumented individusigned criminal warrant. als about the rights A week after that, teachthey are entitled. ers went out to workshops “The first on what to do during of the trainings immigration raids.” we’re hosting is a Librarian Francis Know Your Rights Feeley and Math teacher training,” said Natasha Fast have been Science teachthe advisors to the organiPhoto bv Jeiyanni Hollings ‘17 zation since the start of the er Peter Podlipni, who works PLANNERS Dreamers Club Members finalize school year. They hope with the club. details for their workshops on March 17 and 31. to continue helping raise “There are things that people aren’t aware awareness in various ways going forward. of in terms of their rights to privacy, their “The main goal of this organization rights to being in their own home, their is to raise awareness of the many challengrights to not have to present ID when asked.” es that undocumented students face,” said The other workshop will be for by- Feeley. “We want to inform the impacted standers to learn what they can do to step in communities through this and to enroll more and help people who are being mistreated. people in this effort. The first step is to just “The other [workshop] is a By- know about it. A lot of people aren’t aware stander Intervention training,” said Pod- of this concern, or they’re just not aware of lipni. “It’s really not about the aggressor, undocumented students among them.” it’s about the person being attacked, the
Volume 2, Issue 4
Walsh construction, the floats do not detect when the levels are high or low so the pumps do not automatically turn on and off. Because of this, the engineers have had to pump the sewage manually for the past three years three times a day. When there is an overproduction of waste, like when students eat too many beans the night before or the pit is not emptied over the weekend, the pit becomes full. The drains in the basement, being next to the elevator shaft, brings the smell up with the elevator draft, causing the building to smell. “The problem is easy to fix, but the blame is what has been hard to place,” said Powers. The issue has only just been able to be fixed after three years, because of the multiple companies involved. “The school board hires this company called Public Building Commission. [It] is supposed to act for the owners and supervise the project for CPS. They were emailed and notified multiple times of the issue and came out to see that [the pumps] were not working properly,” said Casasanto. When the pumps were finally inspected and the mistake realized, the blame game started. “Public Building Commission is spread thin and has been hard to reach. When they were finally available and the inspection took place, Daugherty, the manufacturing company of the pumps, and DAM Plumbing, the company that installed the pump, both blamed each other. Public Building Commision has documented that the problem was reported before the warranty was up, and they have been trying to get the companies back to fix the problem without CPS having to spend money,” said Casasanto. A meeting took place on Feb. 17, where the engineers, CPS, and Public Building Commission all met to decide the plan of action and to finalize the blame for a clean fix through the warranty. “Walsh has ben notified that they are the chosen company to fix the issue,” said Casasanto. “They have two weeks to fix the problem or the money that was withheld from Walsh will be used to hire a different private contractor to fix the issue.”
Blueprint “sweeps” Chicago-area awards ORLA LEVENS ‘18 Associate Editor, Online Dethroning the perennial champions from Lane Technical College Prep High School, the Blueprint walked away from the Scholastic Press Association of Chicago’s McCormick Foundation High School Media Awards March 7th with the most awards out of all Chicago high schools in the competition. Jones was the Sweepstakes Winner, the highest achievement at the competition. “I felt it was a La La Land moment,” said Blueprint adviser John Lund, referring to the announcement of the incorrect Best Picture award at this year’s Academy Awards. “I was actually putting my coat on, getting ready to head back to school after the long day, when the big award was announced. I definitely had a moment of surprise.”
The Blueprint was awarded 12 accolades before being presented with the Sweepstakes Award. In addition to this, the Blueprint was awarded “excellent” for website design and overall publication, and “superior” for print layout and overall website. Individual awards at the “superior” level were given to Seth Bartusek ‘17 for entertainment review, Daisy Conant ‘18 for general feature story, former editor Kevin Shannon ‘16 for graphic design, and Dominic Zerillo ‘17 won editorial cartoon. At the “excellent” level, Maggie Bedore ‘17 won for humorous article, Chloe Crookall ‘17 for original drawing, and Michael Brandt ‘17 for sports photo. Additionally, Ulisses Regalado ‘17 and former writer Jacob Naske ‘17 won “excellent” for news story, and Naske picked up a “superior” for his personality profile.
PAGE 2 Exclusively on jonesblueprint.com
Ulisses Regalado ‘17 profiles law teacher Laura Blackburn’s love of horses.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 20, 2017
PDA should be a privately done activity Jones couples overdo PDA at school
Walk down any hallway during Ac Lab and you’ll see Jones students using the allotted time in three different ways: working on homework, extending their nap time, or undignifying themselves with public displays of affection. Lately, there are enough people participating in public displays of affection that if we gathered them all together for a march against state budget cuts, we would block traffic on State Street. Luckily, those couples aren’t causing such a large inconvenience, instead they’re just blocking our hallways. For anyone unfamiliar with the phrase Public Displays of Affection, you have probably participated in too many of them. Maybe you’re more familiar with hearing its acronym, PDA, which when used is usually preceded by “stop” and succeeded by “get a room,” as well it should be. Affection should be kept to private rooms and the occasional empty streets in the rain; it should not be around people. Affection should be a Privately Done Activity. If you want an audience, go sit in the park; we hear the pigeons are attentive. What makes Jones PDA more than just Perfectly Distractingly Annoying is the fact that Jones couples seem to have particular confusion about the difference between a bedroom and the hallway. We aren’t saying that couples shouldn’t be affectionate towards each other, but “affection” is a vast understatement of what Jones couples do in the company of others. They think the hallway is a great place for the type of affection that could have them reaching for a stick to pee on. We never thought it’d be necessary, what with Jones stu-
dents being the “best and the brightest” in the city, but Jones clearly need to learn the boundaries of what is appropriate for a hallway. The School Code of Conduct is so full of rules and regulations as to how students act, we might as well add another one restricting certain levels of PDA. Instead of at least two inches above the knee, let’s do two inches between the bodies. PDA is much more distracting to students than a few extra finger lengths of skin. But no one wants to get to the point where administration is involved so let’s get to the root of the problem. Since no logical human being would want to romantically bond with their partners in the dusty hallways of the Jones Ac Lab, the only other motivation for PDA during that time would be need for attention. But news flash we all have something better to do during Ac Lab. No one has time to give you attention. Ac Lab is for productivity, not the fertile kind. If you really desperately want it, go to our generation’s fallback and celebrate some random anniversary with a picture of you two kissing. Solve those attention problems before administration comes and gives you far more attention than you want. We have a question for couples: why is the dusty, crowded Jones hallway the best place for you to get intimate with your crush? Get a room, preferably one not located at 700 South State in front of a million people. Another possible option is to practice that thing you learned when you were potty trained and exhibit some self-control. Let’s celebrate love somewhere besides the hallway where everyone is forced to witness it whether they like it or not. That’d be Pretty Darn Awesome.
A walk through our kitchen
Graphic by Darcy Palder ‘17
Lack of appreciation, recognition for school lunch staff is unacceptable
so nice,” said Klarevas. The way we say hello or acABRAHAM JIMENEZ ‘18 knowledge familiar teachers in the hall We see them five days a week, ways during passing periods should be every week of the school year, and they the same way we treat such a hard workare responsible for five of our weeking staff. Making such a humble group ly meals, yet it is rare that we ever take of people feel as if their hard work is nothe time to truly appreciate their work. ticed and appreciated is such a simple, yet Together, they make up the Jones lunch very rewarding task. Just take a second to staff. The reality is that since we only think to yourself, when your stomach is exchange one or two growling because your forgot words like, “chicken to eat breakfast, or because patty” or “pepperoni,” you just had P.E, or took two it is easy to take their tests, our lunch staff is always presence for granted. working to insure we have a On the other hand meal ready for every one of however, the lunch us. staff is extremely hum “They just save my day ble and grateful for the when I’m hungry after workopportunity to work at ing out,” said Hayden. Jones. The hours of work put “Positions in “behind the scenes” is reopened up three years markable. I am not asking ago, I chose Jones, and that we know all of their first now I feel blessed,” and last names, or remember said Vicky Klarevas, a Photo by Michael Brandt ‘17 to say happy birthday when school lunch staff mem- SERVING MORE THAN LUNCH The kitchen staff greet students their birthdays come around. ber. This sense of ap- like friends, starting as early as 7:15am breakfast. I simply ask and bepreciation and love for lieve that we should be more what they do can be felt if you pay atten- tive attitude displayed by the lunch staff appreciative of what they do for our tion to the way they speak to the student does not go unnoticed. “They are always school, and give back the great vibes body. They call students “friends,” since in a happy and excited mood, which can that they give off to us. A simple smile, it is obviously too difficult to remember quickly make a bad day feel better,” said or “how are you doing today?” can really over one thousand names. When having John Hayden ‘18. make someone’s hard work feel apprecia rough day at school, although often ig- Regardless of their tenure, the ated. And always remember that they do nored or unnoticed it is genuinely nice to lunch staff ’s love for Jones is uncompa- what they do for us, “it is my pleasure to hear the words, “What can I get for you, rable. Klarevas views the Jones environ- feed the school, because this school is full friend?” ment as special. “From the principal, to of wonderful people,” said Moore. When speaking to the lunch the staff, to the students, everyone is just
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staff, I was astonished. It was great to see and hear the way they spoke and thought about Jones as a school, and how fortunate they felt to be able to work for such a “wonderful” group of people. “These are some of the nicest students, and I do this [prepare and serve food] all for them,” said Rayna Moore, member of the school lunch staff at Jones since 1994. For some students this posi-
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My name is Kit and if I don’t answer your questions, I don’t get to eat tonight. Fair warning, this is not an advice column for the faint of heart. It’s a heart-stopping, butt-kicking ride through the nuanced landscape of interpersonal relationships, stress issues, and entry level martial arts. Submit questions to pleasekeepittogether@gmail.com Dear Kit, I was tired of being broke, so I applied for some summer jobs. Yesterday, I was notified that my application to the CIA internship program was accepted. The problem is that I may have embellished a little on my resume. First of all, I am not a fifth level black belt in traditional Kyokushin Karate. I have seen two Jackie Chan movies. I do not have fourteen years of Intelligence experience. I am eighteen. I am not Lt. Corporal Rick Dauw of the United States Air Force. I am [redacted] of the Oak Park Shuffleboard League. What should I do? National Treasure Dear Treasure, My gut reaction is to remind you that most working people have absolutely no idea what they’re doing, if they’re good enough, or if they’re even supposed to be there. You, however, don’t need a pep talk. You need an exit strategy. (This must be illegal, right? Oh my god, I’m freaking out. *breaks phone*) First things first, you need a new name. I think David Feloni would be appropriate. Alright, I think the most appropriate course of action would be to lie again to the federal government. Tell the CIA that Rick Dauw has died in a freak shuffleboarding accident. You are now his estranged younger brother, who wants to fulfill your brother’s dream more than anything. Submit your new, honest application. You separate yourself from incriminating lies and give yourself an edge against the competition. You should also learn how to cry on command. Dear Kit, I’m having some trouble getting my rap career off the ground here at Jones. Any suggestions? Flow Writer Dear Flow, Everyone loves a good beef. Let that emotion fuel a heavily explicit mixtape that can really get some traction. Then just write a couple verses for Kanye.
Editor-in-Chief Associate Editor, Print Associate Editor, Online Associate Editor, Design Managing Editor School Editor School Staff School Staff School Staff School Staff School Staff School Staff School Staff School Staff School Staff School Staff Lifestyles Editor Assistant Lifestyles Editor Lifestyles Staff Lifestyles Staff Lifestyles Staff Lifestyles Staff Lifestyles Staff Lifestyles Staff Lifestyles Staff Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor Sports Staff Sports Staff Sports Staff Sports Staff Sports Staff Chief Photographer Advisor
Seth Bartusek ‘17 Dominic Zerillo ‘17 Orla Levens ‘18 Jack Quinn ‘17 Darcy Palder ‘17 Maggie Bedore ‘17 Jack Bonney ‘17 Hannah Gillespie ‘17 Jeiyanni Hollings ‘17 Adrianna Lopez ‘17 Susana Chenmei ‘18 Leslie Diaz ‘18 Semira Garrett ‘18 Abraham Jimenez ‘18 Lane Kizziah ‘18 Eryn Barnes ‘19 Ellie Lawrence ‘18 Daisy Conant ‘18 Cerrena Galvan ‘17 Josh Gerenraich ‘17 Basilisa Hernandez ‘17 Stephanie Meyer ‘17 Darnysha Mitchell ‘17 Ivy Rejman ‘17 London McGarr ‘18 Sara Weiss ‘18 Julissa Santoyo ‘17 Max Bottcher ‘17 Mike Cleland ‘17 Alfred Jackson ‘17 Ulisses Regalado ‘17 Ethan Soderna ‘17 Michael Brandt ‘17 John Lund
Letters Letters to the Editor are encouraged and will be screened for libel, irresponsiblity, and obscenity. The Editorial Board may edit or shorten letters as long as the meaning is unchanged. All letters must be signed and include your email for verification. Requests to withold the writer’s name from publication will be considered. Letters can be sent to jonesblueprint@gmail.com or dropped off in Room 201.
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To strike or not to strike?
Next month, the Chicago Teachers Union votes for a May 1 one-day strike following a threat of a shortened school year based on state budget cuts.
Lights, camera, action
Digital imaging teacher makes his own movie magic
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 20, 2017
Wigging out
Club to celebrate natural hair
SEMIRA GARRETT ‘18 work together to create shows,” said “They changed the title. They CERRENA GALVAN ‘17 School Staff Myers. “Then I thought, why don’t changed the title to ‘Conspiracy Theory,’” Lifestyles Staff In the Digital Imaging Lab, Mac we document this? Why don’t we said Myers. “The name ‘Conspiracy TheoHair: don’t touch it, but you can love it. computers are scattered throughout the actually make this into a movie?” ry’ went over well with [their] focus group.” With a new wave of feminism and realization of room. A projector lays against the front With this realization, My- Myers is currently work- intersectionality, Kai Wright ‘18 and fellow stuwall and to the right of it sits a ing on another film dents created a club to embrace their natural hair. desk belonging to digital imagcalled ‘Triumph, IL.’ “Jones doesn’t have many spaces specing teacher Jake Myers. Those “He’s this cisgendered ified for black and brown people to embrace our instruments and more help him white male who thinks uniqueness,” said Wright. “And I felt that not only teach students how to film, and he deserves everything would this club be a great space for people with all edit videos to prepare them for all the time,” said My- types of hair to come and learn about themselves a professional setting. ers. ‘He never works or about others in attempt to unify and strength “I would see him in on his craft, and he gets en the different communities inside of Jones.” the hallways [when] he had half transferred out to rural The club provides people with a of his head shaved,” said digiIllinois where he starts space to share experiences as well as edutal imaging student David Calto realize he needs to cate others on rights and wrongs. Wright loway ‘18. “But when I got to be a better person.” expresses the boundaries people cross meet him, he was really cool.” The budget for the when it comes to wearing her hair natural. Myers didn’t origifilm is $25,000. “White men and women have come up nally want to go into the arts. “It’s hard to make it and touched my hair without asking. Or they He was interested in becomwith no money. I end- say really offensive things when I tell them ing an accountant, but due ed up having to op- about my hair process, like making a face when to a change in thought, he erate the camera for I tell them I don’t wash my hair every day,” shifted his focus to teaching. Photo by Michael Brandt ‘17 most of my movies,” said Wright. “It’s obnoxious and offensive, and “When I was applying MASTER AT WORK Myers edits his newest feature film, ‘Triumph, IL’ in the Dig- said Myers. “Many of I think part of natural hair club is to let peofor a job, Jones was looking ital Imaging Lab. As the film was made on a $25,000 budget, Myers relied on the help my friends chipped in ple know that these are some of the issues that for someone with a lot of dig- of his friends and operated some of the cameras himself. when they could, peo- go on. Natural hair is a part of black culture ital experience,” said Myers. ple would act for free and should be respected and has boundaries.” “I came to Jones teaching a mix of dig- ers developed one of his first films, because they wanted the experience.” Because the goal of the Natural Hair Club ital, drawing and painting. Slowly but which he describes as a “work- Despite some difficul- is to educate, welcome, and unite, all genders surely, I carved out a digital program.” out video” called ‘Celestial Bodies.’ ties, motivation has always been are welcome to join. Landon Bryant ‘17 decided However, beyond Jones, My- “That was the thing where the driving force for Myers’ craft. to join to learn more about himself and his hair. ers dedicates his life to the craft of film. I realized I really [wanted to] pur- “[You have to tell] yourself “My goal is to learn as much as possi “As soon as I graduated from sue [filmmaking],” said Myers. ‘I can do this’ even though you don’t ble about my hair so that I can let it grow college, I saw friends of mine run- This video led to Myers creat- have any money, or you can’t hang and flourish before college. Or at least ning galleries out of their apartments, ing a movie that poked fun at conspir- out with your friends,” said Myers. know how to take care of it,” said Bryant. so I started doing that,” said My- acy theories called ‘Lake on Fire’ that “But sometimes you just gotta do it.” According to Bryant, the club has many more ers. “I ran an apartment gallery [in he filmed over five days in Las Vegas. Myers plans on making more films women than men. However, he believes the reaPilsen and Wicker Park] for 5 years.” “I knew I could only get the in the future, hopes to grow and develop son for this is a busy schedule or being unaware. Through the development of actors for five days so I [knew] whatev- his filmmaking abilities more, and extend Although the community is mostly stuthese galleries, Myers was able to get more er movie comes out of those five days is his knowledge to the students here at Jones. dents of color, it is not limited to just those opportunities to succeed such as curating [what] we [would] have,” said Myers. “I’m proud that one of my art students. Anyone who is interested in learning events at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The movie got picked up by a dis- teachers is actually successful,” said digital about or encouraging natural hair is welcome. “I would get a whole bunch tributor who released it on DVD and put it imaging student Christopher Reynoso ‘18. Olive Jenkins ‘18 joined to proof artists to do these assignments to on Walmart’s shelves - but with a catch. mote self love. With long, curly hair, she can relate to hair care issues but has a different experience as a white female. “A lot of people I don’t know go up to me and touch my hair without my permission, which SETH BARTUSEK ‘17 “I think for me, performing this tion, [I] feel proud to be a part of our team. is disrespectful to my personal space and also Editor-in-Chief Sunday [at semifinals] felt natural,” said [The] mindset of just enjoying other peocreepy,” said Jenkins. “But people are generally ORLA LEVENS ‘18 Rebirth poet Onam Lansana ‘17. “Luckily, ple’s poetry rather than [worrying] about accepting of curls on white girls so I don’t think Associate Editor, Online we had the opportunity to honor the stories winning is what LTAB is about.” I’ve ever been really disadvantaged because of it.” Performing poems about 21st that we were writing about. We had the op- Grace Adee ‘18, the Jones team No matter who you are, Rachel century issues, Jones students took to the portunity to present our poems to the best co-captain, agrees with Salgado. Nwosu ‘18 advocates for Natural Hair stage at Louder Than A Bomb “When the Club as a journey of learning more. (LTAB), the city’s most promibouts get competi“I want all people who feel like they nent youth poetry slam. Despite tive, people start to could benefit from Natural Hair Club to join all attending the same school, the forget why we’re because the sharing of different cultures is so students do not all represent the all there,” said important,” said Nwosu. “It’s something that same teams. Adee. “[We’ve all] not all girls with natural hair feel like they After participating and heard a fantastic can do in school where majority of the stucapturing first place in two prepiece and thought dent body can’t even relate to their struggles.” liminary rounds (called “bouts”), ‘oh shoot, that the official JCP team proceeded was great, now to the quarterfinals at Malcolm X our ranking is in College, where they placed secjeopardy.’ That’s a ond and qualified for the semiterrible way to see finals, held at the Metro Theater things. The points on March 12. The team did not really don’t matqualify for the finals, but are satter.” isfied with their progress thus far. However, “Although we may have Photo by Orla Levens ‘18 some teams find gotten fourth, the bout was defi- ‘LISTEN TO THE POEM’ From left to right: Ellie Sharp ‘18, Anna Klevatt ‘17, Daisy Maass value in the points nitely a close one,” said team ‘17, and Crystal Alvarez ‘18 perform the Jones group poem at the March 12 semifinals at the as well. member Jose Salgado ‘18.“I Metro. Their poem, presented in the form of a breakup, detailed frustrations with Congress. “This year, think that every piece we sent we’re competing Photo by Michael Brandt ‘17 up to perform was strong in the context of of our abilities. The numbers fell in our fa- against three other absolutely amazing its structure and performance.” vor and we’re going to finals on Saturday.” teams, and we are going to do our work UNRESTRICTED “My hair means everything to The official JCP team frequently A common theme of LTAB is its this week to do our best,” said Lansana. me, but my hair is not my power,” said club member competes against community organiza- focus on the content that the poets per- “[During the finals], the numbers are go- Yahira Tarr ‘17. “As a black woman, my hair is stigmations Rebirth Poetry Ensemble, YouMe- form, rather than the actual competition. ing to fall where they fall. The team that tized, fetishized, and demonized, but I’ve learned to appreciate my curls and the versatility of my hair that dia, and Good Eddy, which also feature “The points are not the point, the the judges like the best will win.” Jones poets. Out of those teams, Rebirth point is the poetry,” said Salgado, reciting Rebirth perform in the finals on represents the many factions of being a black girl.” qualified for the finals. a common LTAB chant. “Even in competi- March 18 at the Auditorium Theater.
Poets slam into Louder Than A Bomb semifinals
18 Jones students of different teams perform on Metro stage
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Road to the Final Four
Sweet 16 games continue on March 24 and 25.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 20, 2017
Jones students embrace animal-free diet In a city as diverse as Chicago it’s not hard to find places and people that accommodate one’s lifestyle. As more people discover the health and environmental benefits of being vegan, there has been a rise of vegan accommodations at many restaurants as well as establishments opening that are exclusively vegan. According to Food Navigator, 26 percent of Americans ate less meat in 2016 than 2015, and 36 percent of U.S. consumers prefer a milk or dairy alternative. It is a diet largely associated with eating more cleanly as a way to improve one’s physical and emotional well being. “Going vegan not only helps the animals, but it helps your body as well,” said Klaudia Poprawska ‘17. “The food you put into your body definitely reflects in your appearance and overall health. Since I've gone vegan I have noticed that my skin appears to be more glowy and clear, I have a lot more energy than when I wasn't vegan, and overall I feel happier”. Veganism is a diet that excludes the consumption of all animals and animal products like eggs and milk. As a lifestyle, one also does not purchase products made with animal skin or furs or products that are tested on animals. “I’d always been an animal lover but for some reason I’d never made the connection between the animals that I thought I wanted to protect and the ones I was eating.” said Katie Treskow ‘17. “Seeing the violence that takes place i and made me realize what a hypocrite I was”. But why is veganism on the rise? Poprawska and Treskow attribute their transition to veganism because of documentaries that expose the cruelties in the meat and dairy industries. “I went vegan mostly because of documentaries I saw (Earthlings, Forks over Knives, etc.) that revealed the extent to which animals were exploited by humans for profit,” said Treskow. “I would cry while watching Blackfish and rooted for Wilbur in Charlotte's Web and actively denounced hurting, but would still consume unethical meat”. These documentaries have also influenced Poprawska to go vegan as well. “I stumbled upon the movie "Earthlings" on Netflix. This movie exposes the horrors that animals have to endure so that we can indulge in animal products,” said Poprawska. “After viewing the film I knew that I could never again take part in the suffering. From that day I stopped eating all an-
Jones embraces health and fitness as increasingly important
imal products and only bought from companies that were cruelty free. It has been the best choice I have ever made”. Veganism is definitely a trend and media influence is a huge part of it. In the UK alone the vegan population jumped 350 percent since 2006 according to The Guardian. A large influence is that vegan diets have become so mainstream on social media now which disproves the myth that a vegan diet isn’t as tasty as a carnivorous diet. Media platforms like Youtube and Instagram offer many recipes and tips to maintain the diet and still have a diverse set of meals everyday that is cost affordable. The amount of young people being exposed to this has made them more conscious of what they can do to help the animals and save the earth. In research according to PewResearch, about 9 percent of the U.S. population identifies as mostly vegan or vegetarian with 48 percent of people ages 18-29 believe that GMOs cause more harm to the body than those aged 65 and higher. GMOs are a laboratory process where genes from DNA of one species are extracted and forced into that of an unrelated plant or animal. Because veganism is a diet based primarily on the consumption of more whole foods like fruits and vegetables and various grains, the lifestyle change has also influenced groceries bought at home as well. “I’ve convinced my mom to buy vegan butter instead of dairy butter, and we use significantly less milk since I converted to soy,” said Treskow. “My brother is still a hardcore meat eater, but we’re generally eating fewer animal products since all the meals my mom and I prepare are vegan.” The rise of veganism is an interesting phenomenon as more than half of young people who do lead a primarily plant based lifestyle have no close family or friends that are vegan or vegetarian themselves. “ I wouldn't say that going vegan has affected the way my family eats, except for the fact that when we go grocery shopping we stock up on lots and lots of produce for the week,” said Poprawska. “I primarily cook for myself while the rest of my family eats what they choose to eat. Although this is true, I do strongly believe that me being vegan has opened them up to incorporating more fruits and veggies in their meals”.
Top form
Boys Water Polo Team Scores 1st at the Windy City Classic on March 11.
Fitting the healthy picture
Vegan lifestyle gains popularity BASILISA HERNANDEZ‘17 Lifestyles Staff
PAGE 5
Polo Team Victory
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 20, 2017
Knock-out
Senior excels as personal trainer and boxing coach
MAGGIE BEDORE ‘17 School Editor An average night for Victoria Gnat ‘17 in- As an Elite X-It coach, Gnat teaches a boxing class twice volves motivating twelve people through punching and a week, with around twelve participants in each class. kicking, an activity that she regularly performs as a box- “[Gnat’s] boxing classes are always packed. She has ing coach and personal trainer at XSport Fitness. one of the highest attendance and retention rates out of Gnat became certified in perall X-It classes offered,” said sonal training and weight loss Gnat’s coworker Kris. management late last year. Gnat’s popularity is not just She works at the XSport Fitamong management, as her ness in Norridge, where she clients like her for the intense was a member for two years workouts that she provides. prior to becoming a trainer. “I’ve taken a few classes here “I knew all the staff and [Gnat’s] are the only ones and they were always jokwhere I burn more than 700 ing ‘once you turn eighteen, calories,” said one of Gnat’s you’re going to be a trainer,’” boxing students Kayla. said Gnat. “I was thinking Gnat’s schedule is as intense about it in the back of my head as her boxing class. She and then started studying for works Monday through Satthe exams just in case. On my urday and often returns home birthday, they texted me, ‘we late at night. want you to work here’ so I “I run home from school, took the exams and passed change, go to work and come them.” home at 11. It’s hard but I love Gnat has fifteen clients, some it so it makes it easier. Usualof which she meets with mully I work out after my clients, tiple times a week. Gnat’s cliso that’s why I get home so ents range in age from 27 to 55 late,” said Gnat. “ I believe in years old, most of whom are practicing what you preach, women. Clients differ in goals: so I’m obviously not going to most want to lose weight, yet tell other people to work out if others want to increase mobiliI don’t work out, but I’m not PUNCH Victoria Gnat ‘17 teaches kickboxing to one ty and flexibility. complaining, I love it.” “When I first meet my of her clients at X-Sport Fitness in Norridge. Although Gnat is not pursuclients they are always so intimidated and so scared. I ing a career in personal training, she hopes to continue love getting to know them and becoming part of their impacting people’s lives in her future endeavors. lives. Once they see their progress, [it] makes me so “It’s honestly one of the best jobs in the world. happy,” said Gnat. You actually get to change lives,” said Gnat.
The Avengers of food Benefits of eating superfoods
Kale is a good source of Vitamins A, C, and D. It has nearly 3 grams of proteinin one cup.
Data courtesy of Pew Research, USDA, and health.
Artwork by Chloe Crookall ‘17
Pecans are a rich source of energy. They contain potassium, calcium, and iron.
Graphics by Jack Quinn ‘17
Students share ways and places to get fit ELLIE LAWRENCE ‘18 Lifestyles Editor
Sadie Heller ‘19
Christian Armstrong ‘18
Virginia Trickey ‘17
Caitriona Tobin, Math Dept
What do you do?: It’s a cycling class, but you cycle to the beat of the music. It’s really dark except for candles around the instructor, and there are mirrors, so it’s really cool to see everyone in
What do you do?: When I go to the gym, I squat, deadlift, lunges, leg press, and a whole core circuit. When I go to the lakefront trail, I run.
What do you do?: It’s just like normal yoga, but it’s in a 103-degree room with soft music playing. You’re stretching out your muscles and strengthening them through difficult positions.
What do you do?: You train for eighteen weeks, and then prove to yourself that your mind is stronger than your body. You will hit a wall, all runners do...but you have to listen to your mind over your tired feet.
Best work out song? The Kygo Remix of “Often” by the Weeknd.
Photo courtesy of Victoria Gnat ‘17
Best work out song? “I Like the Sound of That” by Rascal Flatts.
Best work out song? I like it when they have really soft music playing.
Best work out song? Anything from High School Musical.
Priya Charles ‘18 What do you do?: It’s called “Shred 415” because you do 4 increments of 15-minute super intense workouts, so it’s actually really fun. They play super fun music the whole time. Best work out song? Anything by Beyoncé.
Blueberries lower blood pressure, ward off heart disease, and improves bone quality.
PAGE 6
National Spanish Exam
Jones is hosting the National Spanish Exam on March 28 during Ac Lab.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 20, 2017
Hustle ‘n’ Grind
Teachers juggle jobs outside of Jones ERYN BARNES ‘19 ever, that all changes during the summer. School Staff “Summer is a hotter time for Wearing different “hats” is real estate, and then I’m not something that many people have teaching,” Rayski said. “So, to do. Just as students have differit kind of balances out okay.” ent roles outside of school, teachers do as well. Admittedly, teaching is G.I. Joe a difficult job that requires patience, To many, Daniel Kovacs effort, and knowledge on the teacher’s is a friendly face in the Sopart. All of these teachers have cial Sciences department. something in common. They Yet few know that he also all say that teaching is their teaches on nights and main job and priority. weekends at Wilbur Though their other jobs Wright College, and is vary, they all agree that a Drilling Reservist for they have a connection the Army Reserves. and significant impact Beginning in on Jones and its com2012, Kovacs signed munity. In addition to the a contract with the difficult work that they Army Reserves where have here at Jones, some he is a Drilling Reteachers juggle teachservist, belonging to a ing among other jobs. Military Police Unit. This means that if ever Real Estate Maven called to duty, he would Math teacher be responsible for runSarah Rayski doubles as a ning a detention facility. real estate agent on the side. Some of his experiences Though she genuinely eninclude doing military exjoys both jobs, teaching conercises in the woods at besumes more of her time. low freezing temperatures. Teaching takes priority over “Running around the selling houses because of woods is not always as the impact that teaching interesting,” said Kovacs. has on student’s futures. Following grad school, “I like to think that he began teaching at I’m helping young adults Wright College. Jones is develop into better citizens his most recent endeavor of the world,” Rayski said. after being hired in 2015. Belonging to a real estate All of these commitments duo with her husband, Rayski are important, but the says that the combined manmost important is power enables her to focus teaching according h e r time on real to Kovacs. Teachestate and ing at the college teaching whenever a n d high school level helps necessary. Juggling him refine and hone in on key conthe role of being cepts for certain lessons. mom, teacher, and “Teaching at the colreal estate agent can lege is just another way for present some unique me to think about what I’m challenges. But, due teaching,” Kovacs said. “I’m to her husband’s teaching sometimes the same involvement in subjects, just at a different levthe business and el of complexity, so it gives me their family life, a chance to think about a topic things are with a different group.” able Managing time is one of Kovacs’ main concerns. Getting back and forth between jobs, and the hours are the most difficult parts of having multiple jobs. But in the end even after long hard days, it’s all worth it. “I painted houses in college and plastered walls, thoughtless work,” said Kovacs. “Here [Jones] I get to think about stuff, everybody here forces you to think about it. You have to bounce it off to run of who you’re working with, and s m o o t h l y. then bounce it off the kids. Then you “I think move on to the next thing.” a n y o n e who’s su- Whale of a Time per busy, Imagine walking into a reyou kind tailer and seeing one of your teachof feel ers greeting you. This could very well be the toll,” a possibility with social sciences teacher Rayski said. John Lund, who works at popular retailer “But, my husband and I are Vineyard Vines. able to balance it together.” Summer break can be a dull and Real estate is a slow business lengthy period of time for teachers and studuring the winter, so during the majority of dents alike. Since teachers have the same school Rayski can focus on teaching. How- amount of time off as we do, they are bound
to encounter boredom. This is what led Lund to seek employment during the summer. “It keeps me a little more occupied when most of my friends have nine to five jobs throughout the year,” said Lund. Teaching at Jones and his position at Vineyard Vines work well together. Working retail is very part time, and doesn’t consume much of his time during the school year. In addition to that, the clothes that he sells are the same ones that keep him outfitted during the school year. “The second job isn’t really for the money, the main reason is that I get a really fat discount on the clothes,” said Lund, laughing. “That really kind of outfits me for this job [at Jones].” Among other things, Lund has learned about business and the demands that come with the service industry, after learning the sector from his retail job. “I’ve also learned that I don’t really envy anyone in retail,” said Lund. “It’s the last thing you want to do after being here [Jones] for a full day.”
Tap’n It Back
Most know him as one of the freshman and sophomore counselors, but Brian Coleman doubles as a front desk attendant at SoulCycle on Southport in Lakeview. Due to the uncertainty of the CPS financial situation, Coleman was prompted to look for employment elsewhere. He has been employed at SoulCycle since last spring. “I am front desk staff, that can mean everything from passing out flyers in the community and working events, or being in the studio helping people get set up for class,” said Coleman. Similar to some of his colleagues, Coleman was worried about the possibility of a looming Chicago Teachers Union strike. “I thought it would be prudent to have another option available to make money when it became clear that the CPS strike would maybe or maybe not happen,” said Coleman. “I’m resourceful, and I’m practical, and if we were on an extended absence from Jones, and we’re not g e t - ting paid, that’s not sustainable.” Coleman, an existing member at SoulCycle, saw the opportunity for employment and took it. Though an avid cyclist, he couldn’t see himself being an instructor, which requires rigorous training in New York and the possibility of eventually being relocated across the country.
“The process to becoming an instructor is extremely involved,” Coleman said. “Since my primary role and responsibility and passion is education, is counseling , I could never commit to doing something like [being an instructor].” Though it’s difficult to maintain the responsibilities that two jobs present, Coleman sees the overwhelming benefits in the long run. “It’s not ideal, but based on the structure of public education and the reality that you can never really be sure what’s going to happen next, it seems prudent and practical to make sure that there’s another line of income available,” Coleman said. “Just in case.”
CPS Connoisseur
Resident band director of Jones, Frank L. Menzies certainly has a lot on his plate. In addition to directing all of the band programs at Jones he has many other roles in and around CPS. He is the CTU delegate for Jones, head bowling coach, Chairman of Safety and Security for the CTU, and member of the LSC. All of his jobs share one characteristic, which is that they allow him to be of some assistance to students in CPS. According to Menzies, one of the most important lessons for teachers, which he also tells his student teachers, is to find a way to connect with the child. “The responsibility of the teacher to the child is actually the most important,” Menzies said. “The relationship that is developed between the teacher, the student, and their family is probably more important than any assigned position that a school, department, or entity can confer.” Menzies professed his biggest problem as being able to say no, why he blames for having so many jobs. “If someone asks for help, well shucks, and they think of you to be a person that is trustworthy enough to ask, as far as I’m concerned they could’ve found someone better,” s a i d Menzies. “But wow, they came to me. I may not be perfect, but I will do what I can to help.” Bettering the environment of Jones and the funding situation keeps Menzies motivated to keep working. “We need in house to be able to facilitate ways to save us, and being on the LSC certainly helps with that,” said Menzies. Artwork by Chloe Crookall ‘17
PAGE 7
FAME!
The spring musical, Fame, has three perfomances with a matinee on March 23, 24, and 25.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 20, 2017
On pointe
Boris Fedorov ‘18 defies ballet’s gender stereotypes ORLA LEVENS ‘18 Associate Editor, Online JACK BONNEY ‘17 School Staff
taught a class of young boys at Joffrey on Saturdays. “I do see myself passing on my artistic knowledge as an instructor while I’m in college to help pay off my student debts. College is very expensive [so] teaching would pay well,” said Fedorov. “I just feel like I’ve done so much with dance that it would be a shame to throw it away. I definitely have an appreciation for it and would like to do something [more] with it.” Currently, Fedorov is starring in the school musical, Fame, as “Jake,” his first foray into the Jones musical theater department.
ballet experience has not been smooth due to its time-consuming nature. “Each day after [elementary and middle] school, I wanted to hang out with friends, but I had to either drive to the city immediately or run to the train,” said Fedorov. “I had no The Robin Bennett Theater is pitch black, except time to hang out and no social life.” for a singular bright white spotlight illuminating the center Another long-standing obstacle throughout Fedorof the stage. Enter Boris Fedorov ‘18, decked head to toe in ov’s dance career has been facing the stigmas about male black dance gear. Leaping through the air, Fedorov transidancers that surround him. When his elementary school tions gracefully through a variety of ballet moves, ranging principal announced that Fedorov was performing in Joffrom pirouettes to grand jetes as his castmates whoop and frey’s production of “The cheer him on from the auNutcracker,” the other kids dience seats in the back. would call him “gay” or An accomplished mem“weak.” ber of the Joffrey Ballet “In the suburbs, I was company, and currently a under a lot of pressure to fit cast member of the Jones in. Ballet wasn’t anywhere production of Fame, Fenear football or hockey. I dorov is no stranger to had to keep [ballet] a sethe world of dance. cret, even from my closest Fedorov’s cafriends, because I was worreer began at age four in a ried of getting made fun small suburban studio in of,” said Fedorov. “I wantGlenview, where he grew ed to quit, but my parents up. He then continued to wouldn’t let me.” practice with the Moscow After continuing his Ballet company, where passion through tough he was taught by retired times, he set his sights on Russian ballet dancers, breaking barriers that are and then practiced at the imposed against male dancSouthport Performing ers. Arts Conservatory (or “I’m breaking that steSPACE) ballet program reotype, diminishing what before finally making his people assume about dancway to the famed Joffrey ers,” said Fedorov. “There’s studio. this entire thing with ballet However, Feabout delicacy, and being dorov’s love of dance weak, however, dancers are actually began with his some of the strongest athparents’ careers in ice letes in the world.” skating. Vladimir Fe Lyons agrees that stigdorov, his father, was an mas often surround male Olympic figure skater at dancers. the 1994 Winter Games “I don’t think people in Lillehammer, Norway realize how hard dance and hoped that his son is, especially when men would follow his footdance,” said Lyons. “Peosteps. ple get made fun of. They “At six years don’t realize that it’s as difold, I wanted [him] to ficult as any sport.” start skating, but he pre Moving to Chicaferred to dance,” said go in the summer of 2014 Vladimir Fedorov. “I changed Fedorov’s view on wanted him to go back to dancing. He began to tell skating at first, but I grew people about ballet hoping happy for him.” for a fresh start. After trying “[In elementary and skating and various other middle school], I wouldn’t activities, Fedorov found hang out with people,” that dancing was the right said Fedorov. “I would see match for him. them at school, and they “My very Ruswouldn’t know what I did Photos by Michael Brandt ‘17 sian parents wanted me JONES’ OWN BILLY ELLIOT “I was in professional theater for 30 years, and he tops any dancer I’ve ever after school or on weekends to be cultured and noticed seen before,” said Fame director Brad Lyons. “He’s incredible. Beyond incredible. He’s that good. I don’t say because I would always be that I enjoyed dancing, so dancing. I didn’t even tell that about just [anybody].” they kept me in [dance] my closest friends until I every year,” said Fedorwas here at Jones, where I ov. “They would sign me up for [ice skating] and soccer “I definitely have a bigger role here than I have felt comfortable to tell people because they were more acand all those things. I didn’t feel like I was fit for them. I had at Joffrey, so it feels good to have it pay off. I’ve nev- cepting.” didn’t want to skate, I wanted to dance. They signed me up er been [involved in] Jones [extracurriculars] because I’ve Now, Fedorov’s peers are accepting of his abilities for dance, and I’m still doing [it] today.” always been busy at Joffrey,” said Fedorov. “I’ve always and even praise him for them. Fedorov is the longest-serving member of the liked musical theater. I wanted to do the musical last year, “I don’t think differently of him for it,” said Fedorov’s Joffrey Ballet, having participated for eight years. Next to but I couldn’t because I had missed the audition.” friend Brendan Scheib-Feeley ‘18. “It’s cool, especially bebeing in one of Joffrey’s best programs, Fedorov finished Ask drama teacher and Fame director Brad Lyons cause of his skill. If he wasn’t as amazing as he is, it might third amongst males and females in the junior division for and he’ll sum Fedorov up in one word: “incredible.” Lyons be a bit weirder.” the 2015 Youth America Grand Prix, the international larg- cast Fedorov not only for his dance ability, but also for his Fedorov’s skill has translated into a successful est student dance competition. theatrical skills. career in dance, one that Lyons believes will even change “We didn’t go to the Grand Prix expecting a win,” “A lot of dancers are dancers only, but [Fedorov perspectives. said Vladimir Fedorov. “We got a text later on saying that is] really good with the spoken word,” said Lyons. “I was “[In Fame] Boris has a dance solo, and it’s so Boris had placed third. That was a proud moment for me as really thinking that a lot of dancers don’t really act at all, beautiful,” said Lyons. “It will probably, hopefully, move a father.” [as] they’re not used to talking. I was really surprised about people to tears. I think they’ll go, ‘I get why someone Fedorov is not looking to be a professional danc- how well he did.” would do that for a career.’” er; he is, however, considering teaching dance, and has co- Regardless of where Fedorov is performing, his
PAGE 8 Cradle! Cut! Shoot!
Girls lacrosse opens the season against Whitney Young on March 23.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 20, 2017
Eagle prey
Preview of JCP’s ultimate rivals JULISSA SANTOYO ‘17 Assistant Sports Editor MIKE CLELAND ‘17 Sports Staff ETHAN SODERNA ‘17 Sports Staff Regardless of the amount of trophies in the cases or plaques on the walls, Jones teams have expressed just how competitive they can get. Unlike other schools who unite against one rival, Jones’ sports teams all have their own rivals and their own reasons for wanting to beat them. “Simeon is our biggest rival,” said varsity baseball captain Will Oppenheim ‘17. “When we play them we start screwing up and they beat us by very little.” Oppenheim expresses that aside from playing very close, competitive games against Simeon, their coach is also a “jerk” which fires them up more. Boys cross country have a friendly rivalry against St. Ignatius. The winning team of the St. Ignatius vs. Jones College Prep meet takes home a wooden Sears Tower traveling trophy. “It’s for bragging rights,” said cross country coach Andrew Adelmann. “This rivalry is more of a public vs. private battle and more of a healthy rivalry.” The girls cross country team has a rivalry with Whitney Young, one that is fueled by the proximity, and similar skill level between the schools. “We pinpoint Whitney girls in races,” said Emma Wilson ‘17. “And try to pick them off and get ahead of them.” When they are racing with girls from Whitney, a competitive fire is sparked in the girls, leading them to run harder, and faster. The Varsity girls soccer team has slowly gained a reputation for being one of the better teams in the public school league’s highest division, the Premier Division. Previously, Whitney Young was known as the top team, and now the Jones girls have started to give the Dolphins a fight. “We went from losing 4-2 my freshman year to almost tying them, but lost 2-1 last year.” said goalkeeper Carly Klein ‘17. Despite not having beaten them yet, Klein feels that this could be the year. As the games have become closer and more intense, a rivalry has started to brew between the two schools. The varsity girls softball team also has a feud with Washington. The Lady Eagles are always competing against Washington for the top place in the conference. The games against Washington have been super close, but
Jones has only been able to win two games against them in the past three years. The softball team has added new players and they look to beat Washington this year. “We are expecting to play harder teams more often,” said Nicole Zapotoczny ‘17. “We are going to be prepared to fight in a game against Washington.” The team has good chemistry, so they give pep talks that mentally prepare each other for the games. “There is more of an incentive when we play Washington,” said Vanessa Gonzalez ‘17. “It builds up our morale, and it helps us bond with each other, and as a team.” Girls water polo has an intense rivalry with Whitney Young. In 2016, Young brought the girls water polo team to tears as they beat them in a nail biting city championship game. Holly Beith ‘18 said that everyone on Photo by Michael Brant ‘17 the team was crying and they SERVE Felix Hecht ‘17 and Ben Keeler ’18 react after a winning the opening were all really upset. The water polo team now works extreme- set against rival Walter Payton College Prep. They are currently preparing for ly hard to make sure they get an April 20th showdown against Payton. to the city championship this “Our coaches are close so we know how to approach year and beat Whitney Young in a rematch. “Now our en- them and how to play them best” said Patrick Mattar ‘19. tire season is centered around winning city,” said Beith. Boys volleyball is also rivals with Whitney Young. Nasim Oulhadj ‘18 also expressed that days be- Boys volleyball captain, Michael Diaz ‘17, explained that fore games against Lane Tech are different for the team. when he first started at Jones his freshman year, the pro The boys water polo team has a feud- gram was not as strong as it is now. More recently, the boys ing rivalry with Lane Tech and the teams volleyball team has been able to compete with Whitney and go head to head intensely in every match. are fueled by the idea of being able to knock a team like “The day before, we would work on Whitney out of the running for the City championships. team specific things such as better positioning “When we beat Whitney in city playoffs last if we know a team’s strengths and weaknesses.” year, we couldn’t stop talking about how we beat them de Oulhadj also said that nights before their games spite being ranked several seeds below them” said Diaz. against Lane Tech, they try to sleep well and eat right. On game Boys tennis is combating with Lincoln days, the team tries to focus and get into a serious mindset. Park, and they would consider them their rival. Whitney Young is a common rival for a lot “When we play Lincoln Park we are actualof Jones teams. The golf team has been competing with ly mentally weaker,” said Ethan Greenberg ’17. “This Whitney for the city championship for a long time. After means that we are going to have to play harder.” winning in 2015, Whitney Young won in 2016.
Marching forward
MIKE CLELAND ‘17 It’s that time again. March Madness is upon us. Defined by Cinderella stories and heartbreaking games, the NCAA tournament is the most exciting part of college basketball. You may be sitting in class staring at your phone, deciding on if you should choose Middle Tennessee over Minnesota in the first round, or if you should take Gonzaga all the way. Don’t worry. Here I will break down the four No. 1 seeds in this year’s tournament.
the country with 84.6 ppg, while the defense only allows 61.2 ppg. While the conference schedule doesn’t impress many, the strength of the non-conference schedule is very underrated. The team boasts wins over ranked teams such as Iowa State, Florida, Arizona and three wins over ranked Saint Mary’s. All of these teams were also selected in the tournament this year. All in all, the Zags are a good choice.
No. 1 seeds: Kansas (28-4): Led by senior point guard and Naismith Trophy favorite Frank Mason, the Jayhawks are going to be a tough team to beat in the Midwest Region. Kansas has arguably the best backcourt in the country with Frank Mason, averaging 20.8 ppg, and Devonte’ Graham, averaging 13.1 ppg. They also boast freshman phenom Josh Jackson who is expected to be selected in the top 5 in this years’ NBA Draft. Some might say that the lack of depth at the center position will hurt the team down the stretch, however after the injury to Udoka Azubuike, fifth year senior Landen Lucas has filled the role nicely, averaging 7.9 ppg along with 8.9 rpg. The one thing the Jayhawks have struggled with all season is their defense. Gonzaga (32-1): All season Gonzaga has been criticized for not having a tough schedule of opponents. However, any team that finishes the regular season with only one loss deserves some credit. Powered by junior guard Nigel Williams-Goss, the Zags may surprise many college basketball fans this year. Their offense ranks in the top 5 in
FINAL FOUR The Blueprint Sports Staff make their predictions for the final four teams standing in this year’s NCAA tournament.
North Carolina (27-7): In a season where the team could never quite hit full stride, the Tar Heels were still able to grab a No. 1 seed. Averaging 84.9 ppg, UNC is ranked 12th in that category. Like Kansas, the Tar Heels have also struggled with defense, allowing 70.6 ppg, ranked 130th in the country. The roster does however consist of the ACC Player of the Year in Justin Jackson. The Tar Heel roster is also loaded with veterans and experience. 10 of the 15 players returned from last season after reaching the National Championship game. Loaded with talent, this is not a team to sleep on given that they could start firing on all cylinders at any moment. Villanova (31-3): The defending National Champions have looked strong all season. Led by seniors Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins, the Wildcats look like a strong contender on paper. Nova’s schedule wasn’t a breeze, but it also wasn’t as competitive as it could have been for a defending national champion looking to repeat. Also, the team plays in a depleted Big East conference that has very little competition outside of Butler and Notre Dame. Ranked at only at 73rd for ppg, the Wildcats have missed the presence of two key players from last year in Ryan Archidiacono and Daniel Ochefu. The weakest part of the team is the lack of height at the center position. The tallest player is Daniel Painter at 6’10”, but he only averages 1.0 ppg. While the Wildcats could still very well reach the Final Four to defend their title, teams in their region such as Duke and Baylor could spoil the repeat.