Wednesday, March 16, 2016
The Student Newspaper of Jones College Preperatory High School
Trump rally rubs rioters the wrong way ULISSES REGALADO ‘17 Although the announcement of a rally for businessman and presidential candidate Donald Trump in Chicago was not well received by many Jones students, my first instinct was to reserve a ticket; it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. As a Latino high school student, the rally featuring the controversial candidate could not have been more interesting. I knew I was walking into the lion’s den, but the curiosity of what exactly happens at these events convinced me to go. It certainly was no disappointment, Getting to the entrance of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Pavilion was quite a spectacle. In the entrance, you could hear a lot of talk and excitement over hearing Trump speak. Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, protesters screamed and chanted about Trump. Confrontations were inevitable, and dozens of middle fingers skyrocketed up on both sides. Both sides continuously screamed at each other, previewing something that would only escalate.
Going up?
Inside the building, there was a very ominous tone. Hundreds of protesters got in and many sat in one corner of the arena while the rest were mostly Trump fans and curious observers alike. As time passed and there still was
er playing while countless fights spiralled out of control and police attempted to keep the peace. A huge roar welcomed a couple men as they stepped behind the podium, at what the audience believed was the introduction of
Photo by Ulisses Regalado ‘17
TRUMPED The Chicago Police Department claims they did not force Donald Trump to cancel his rally due to saftey concerns. no sign of Trump, the protesters began to chant and yell more often. This did not go well with the Trump fans, and they arguments arose as Elton John tunes played. It was all an odd and ironic view: a smooth song like Tiny Danc-
the man they all came to see. Unfortunately for the Trump fans, the men gave the news that the candidate would not appear due to security reasons. The rally was off. Protesters screamed and jumped in joy while others were shocked
New detention policy implemented to stop unnecessary elevator use NIA CURTIS ‘16 Deputy Editor, Lifestyles “Unfortunately, you are the first of this new policy we are implementing,” were the words of doom that Assistant Principal Eric Fay bestowed upon me Jan. 26. The policy Fay was referencing was that of the new super detention elevator rule. The previous rule said that students would receive five morning detentions for elevator use without permission or an elevator pass. “The good news is you don’t have to serve five detentions. The bad news is you have to serve a straight 90 minute detention today or tomorrow,” said Fay. The new rule, though not announced, is currently being implemented. If students do not serve the detention within two days of receiving it, they risk a six hour in-school suspension. “It’s not fair that it takes students who need the elevator 17 minutes to get to class,” said Fay. The new rule is to help students be mindful of others, and be accountable for their actions. Special education classroom assistant Geoffrey Gipson said, when students use the elevator, “It can be a pain...especially when elevators break down, and students seem to be inconsiderate.” Students used to receive large amounts of detentions from past
elevator infringes. The old rule allowed for students to serve detentions whenever they had time to or before a certain school event. Michaela Park ‘17 has a total of 41 detentions from taking the elevator and tardies. That equals about 31 hours of be-
Some students don’t understand why huge problem. Monae Griffin ‘16 said, “I don’t see the big deal. To other schools taking the elevator would never result in an in school [detention]. In the real world you don’t get punished for taking the elevator.”
Volume 1, Issue 3
and angry. The pre-announcement tensions boiled over into verbal and physical confrontations. While the police inside the arena kept the confrontations at bay and focused on getting everyone out, the outside descended into chaos. Outside, the protesters had an obvious upper hand. They outnumbered the Trump supporters, who tended to exemplify the “silent majority” moniker they’ve adopted and remained quiet and left. The protesters’ celebrations eventually got out of hand, and they began to collide with police as they continued to mock the exiting Trump fans. By the time the celebrations were over, six policemen were injured. Everything ended an hour after the rally, but the damage was done. Like everything Trump does, the media covered was all over the event, all while Chicago was painted as a city of anarchy, at least for another evening of continuous media coverage. It was a great experience to be at this historic rally, and I wanted to remain as neutral as I could. However, I will not lie, I could not disagree more with most of the policies Donald Trump is trying to bring to America and its people. However, his fans are depicted as
monsters in the media. This is not true. I am a Hispanic and I assure you that I never received one insult inside that rally. Yes, there was derogatory language tossed around, but this all came in anger as these fans felt threatened by the protesters. These people aren’t evil, but they are influenced by a bad person. I respect people uniting to protest something they find extremely threatening. The First Amendment includes the right to protest, but the First Amendment doesn’t only cover the left side of the political spectrum. The right wing conservatives also have First Amendment rights, and the fact that a presidential candidate was not allowed to talk because of security concerns is also unacceptable in this country. It is unfair that someone is shut down because a group of people do not like what he thinks; no matter who he is. The protests were supposed to be peaceful and represent the greater good, but in the end, the violent events made the protestors no better than Trump’s campaign.
ALEX BEHLE ‘16 Editor-in-Chief
Shannon, both ‘16, took home “superior” awards for the News and Opinion categories respectively. Juan Cuecha ‘16 won “superior” for Editorial column or opinion. Nia Curtis won “excellent” for Community story. Julia Gaworski ‘17 won “excellent” for Sports feature story. Genna Greblo ‘16 won “excellent” for Humorous article. And Ciara Greene ‘17 won for Original editorial cartoon.
Blueprint is “superior” at McCormick Foundation Awards Students from Social Studies teacher John Lund’s Journalism class were awarded the highest of honors at the McCormick Foundation High School Media Awards. The Blueprint took home a “superior” award, which is the highest ranking, for Overall Newspaper and New Publication. At the Onsite Competition contest, Alicia Wala and Kevin
Photo by Kevin Shannon ‘16
NO PHONES, PLEASE Students finish homework while in detention in the main office after school. fore or after school time. Park said, “I work in retail. I have to be at work at 3:45 pm in the afternoon. I just can’t serve them.” Assistant Principal Eric Mitchell said, “By letting students rack up detentions we are teaching them that they can commit a crime and pay later. When in the real world, do you do something wrong and pay later?”
The rule is amongst the many new changes that will be in place this semester. The punishment for elevators, IDs, and tardies have all been increased and will continue to be enforced more strictly. “We want to help students be more holistic. We are preparing you for adulthood and it might take a while for everyone to get used to. Change is hard,” said Mitchell.
Photo by Meredith Kramer
NOSE FOR NEWS Students listened to a workshop by Pauley LaPointe, a late night video-journalist, who claims to be the inspiration of the movie “Night Crawler” with Jake Gyllenhall.
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ST. BALDRICKS
This Thursday, teachers will shave their heads to raise money for childhood cancer including: Dr. Powers, Mr. Zubb, Mr. Gilmer, and Mr. Myers.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 16, 2016
Oversensitivity causes accusations of cultural appropriation In an overwhelmingly liberal-minded school, we have become accustomed to social uproars in pursuit of being more progressive. From social justice to being politically correct, Jones has been at the forefront of our generation’s social movement. This heightened social awareness has sparked controversy due to claims that certain spirit themes at Jones marginalize, culturally appropriate, or otherwise discriminate against another group of people. While the majority of the school community appears to be in support of the social campaign, the Editorial Board believes that the student body is contributing to these issues through our generation’s tendency to over-sensitize social and cultural situations. The latest contentious issue originated from an anonymous Facebook page created by a “Jane Deaux,” who is believed to be a Jones student. It was initially created for students to share and address shortcomings of Jones and to provide insight on how to improve those aspects. The discussion spun out of control when students’ opinions clashed on the offensiveness of Hawaiian Day. While we completely understand and strongly support the idea that no one should be undermined or discriminated against, the Editorial Board disagrees with the notion that Hawaiian Day is an offensive theme. Many students accuse the day of culturally appropriating Hawaiians because it is believed the shirts are a part of the island’s indigenous culture. While those of Polynesian descent have woven their culture into Hawaiian shirts, they were first made by
Asian immigrants to Hawaii and were worn by surfers, tourists, and other commoners. Due to the fact that Hawaiian shirts do not directly stem from Polynesian descent, it makes the shirt design a part of the cul-
“Cultural appropriation is founded on the concepts of oppression, exploitation, and malicious intent. ” ture of the State of Hawaii, which is a part of the United States of America. Therefore, there is no difference between having a Californian Day or a Texan Day and having a Hawaiian Day. Each individual state has their own groups of people that make up and have their own unique characteristics and cultures. The misperception of Hawaiian shirts originating from tribal or indigenous cultures within Hawaii formulates many of the cries of cultural appropriation that are, as a result, false. This reinforces the stance that Hawaiian Day does not bare any inappropriate cultural exploitation. And regardless of whether the Hawaiian-themed spirit day continues to be labelled as cultural appropriation or cultural appreciation, there is no need for a social war-zone. The issue of Hawaiian Day is a minor event that students are taking
too seriously and over-dramatizing. The specially-themed day was created to illicit a feeling of camaraderie and generate spirit among the Jones student body by unifying everyone’s outfits. With obvious and detrimental school-pride concerns, the unnecessary controversy from Hawaiian Day successfully divided our school even more. Although students back the disapproval of the theme, there are students that concur with the idea that wearing a Hawaiian shirt is not of major cultural significance. For the most part, Jones does not need to be concerned with its community being socially and politically correct. What we need to acknowledge and discuss, among both staff and students, is how we push the progressive correctness to its absolute limits. By labeling the efforts of Hawaiian Day as cultural appropriation and marginalization of the Hawaiian culture, we must truly reflect upon everything else that would be classified as such. If we all take a moment to recognize the various cultures that we appreciate, and yet are not a part of, would you label
Why super detentions will help students JUAN CUECHA ‘16 You can come up with a million ways why someone shouldn’t do something, yet if they don’t accept or agree with you, there’s not much you can do to prevent them from continuing their behavior. It’s even harder to get people to stop being lazy, it’s like a lifestyle, and those are hard to change. There’s been a constant battle between the administration and the student population over taking the elevator during school hours. For many students, walking up the vast number of stairs is extremely unappealing. It’s the tiredness, sometimes the sweat that breaks out, or even just the laziness to exert some type of energy during a long day that motivates them to take the easy way out. Think about it, why waste three-four minutes (the time that the average student takes to walk up five flights of stairs) and be in pain when you can chill in a crowded, smelly elevator with people breathing on you for 30 seconds. Not only does that sound amazing, but it’s also a great representation
of the prominent disease we know as laziness that has infected my generation today. The administration can continue to throw detentions at people, but honestly, no one really cares if they get one. A student would rather spend 45 minutes of their time serving a detention after school in complete silence than walk up some flights of stairs. Talk about a perfect tradeoff. I’ll give some credit to administration for finding a solution to a problem that faces the school. Not only is this new “Super Detention” really going to strike fear in the students, it will really force them to reevaluate their decision to take the elevator. The consequences have gotten much more intense now. If you’re caught riding the elevator you will have to serve a 90 minute detention within two days. If you fail to do so, the administration will have no problem handing you an in-school suspension. It’s eye-opening to me how many other schools in the city have actual problems, such as violence between
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students that require punishments like inschool suspensions, for example, but here at Jones we can potentially receive one for riding an elevator. Imagine what students and people in general that do not go to Jones will think when they find out that the worst thing that happens at Jones is students riding the elevator when they’re not supposed to. Not only will that bring more recognition to how great of a school and the student body is here at Jones, it will really help the students recognize how lazy they are. In the end, this “Super Detention,” in my opinion, will have a positive effect on the environment here at Jones. If everything goes as planned, students who must take the elevator because of any actual reasons will not be disturbed by their lazy classmates or peers. It also has the ability to teach people that you will not always be able to take the easy way out and must be prepared to deal with something that you don’t like.
Big news!
Famous advice columnist and self described big shot Dominic Too is bringing his wildly popular column, Keep It Together, to Blueprint. Send your questions to kitquestions@gmail.com to be answered personally by the man himself.
yourself as culturally appropriating? It is imperative moving on from this situation to understand a few key elements. Cultural appropriation is not simply immersing oneself within aspects of another culture in which they are not a part of. Cultural appropriation is founded on the concepts of oppression, exploitation, and malicious intent. The Editorial Board has the utmost confidence that Jones’ Student Government Association or the Jones Administration did not mean to oppress people from Hawaii by exploiting their culture for our school’s gain. And most importantly, it is critical to remember that if we over-identify or falsely identify situations as cultural appropriation, we are sacrificing the weight and significance of the argument when something truly is discriminatory and culturally appropriating a group of people.
Artwork by Ciara Greene ‘17
Editor-in-Chief Alex Behle ‘16 Associate Editor, Design Nikolas Merten ‘16 Associate Editor, Copy Alicia Wala ‘16 Associate Editor, Photo Kevin Shannon ‘16 Deputy Editor, Opinion Josh Odum ‘16 Managing Editor, School Orla Levens ‘18 Deputy Editor, School Maggie Bedore ‘17 School Staff Jessica Jamaica ‘16 School Staff Dawen Mei ‘16 School Staff Ethan Phipps ‘16 School Staff Vanessa Gonzalez ‘17 School Staff Maeve Harvey ‘17 School Staff Mia Prekop ‘17 Managing Editor, Lifestyles Colleen Mitchell ‘16 Deputy Editor, Lifestyles Nia Curtis ‘16 Lifestyles Staff Kayla Candos ‘16 Lifestyles Staff Cristian Espinoza ‘16 Lifestyles Staff Genna Greblo ‘16 Lifestyles Staff Gabby Torres ‘16 Lifestyles Staff Jacob Naszke ‘17 Ivy Rejman ‘17 Lifestyles Staff Managing Editor, Sports Mikaela Uddfolk ‘17 Julia Gaworski ‘17 Deputy Editor, Sports Juan Cuecha ‘16 Sports Staff Henry Michaels ‘16 Sports Staff Nico Moreno ‘16 Sports Staff Jonathan Nunez ‘16 Sports Staff Ulisses Regalado ‘17 Sports Staff Max Segal-Wolk ‘16 Digital Artist Ciara Greene ‘17 Cartoonist Advisor 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. Corrections In the previous issue, Orla Levens ‘18 also wrote the article “Debate team returns with new coach, attitude.”
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SPRING BREAK CPS Spring Break is Mon., Apr. 18 through Fri., Apr. 22.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 16, 2016
Sanders trounces competition in Jones primary polling
This is a randomized polling of the Jones College Prep staff and students where ballots were placed in teachers’ mailboxes and distributed during fifth period classes on Mar. 15, 2016.
Democratic Primary (916 Jones votes)
Republican Primary (121 Jones votes)
Jones 83.3%
Jones 20.6%
Jones 26.4%
Illinois 48.7%
Illinois 30.3%
Illinois 19.7%
Jones 16.7%
Jones 12.4%
Jones 40.4%
Illinois 50.5%
Illinois 8.7%
Illinois 38.8%
Jones feels the Bern
COLLEEN MITCHELL ‘16 Managing Editor, Lifestyles In a true landslide fashion, Sen. Bernie Sanders (DVT) won the Jones mock election with 83.3% of the overall democratic vote. Sanders’ contrats his state-wide loss with 48.7% of the Democratic vote. From an inner-city high school, these results are not surprising, as historically, a majority of voters from urban areas and voters between ages eighteen and twenty-nine tend to support Democratic candidates. In an election year where many presumed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
would assume President Barack Obama’s mantle of youth support, Sanders has proved spoiler to the former first lady, only helping emphasize that this, so far, is clearly the year of the outsider. “He is one of the most passionate candidates, and I agree with a lot of his stances,” said Kayla Stevenson ‘16, one of the 78.2% Jones seniors who support Sanders. “He has a focus on reforming campaign financing and putting a tax on Wall Street. He also thoroughly believes in global climate change; I think that’s really important in a candidate.” While many of her peers share this view, on the other
Primary poll demographics
*Illinois percentages as of 8:00 a.m. from AP.
Graphic by Orla Levens ‘18 and Max Segal-Wolk ‘16 side of the Democratic nominating contest are the supporters of the more centrist Clinton. “She would not only fight for Democrats, but she would allow a little leeway and compromise with Republicans as well,” said Clinton voter Esmie Alarcon ‘16. “I think that’s something a president needs to do.” Alarcon disagrees with a majority of her peers, and believes a more moderate candidate is better suited for the White House, “I think Bernie Sanders is excellent, but I don’t see him being president because he’s too much of a socialist, and too extreme. I think we need someone who can compromise.”
Republican Jones students are in the minority, and while some voice their differing opinions freely, many feel discouraged to show support for the Republican candidates. Being a Republican at Jones is considered challenging. “I feel like in many ways this school has not held up on its promise in its drive to be politically responsible,” said Stephen Kruto ‘16. It has ailenated many of its republican students, making them feel like their opinion is wrong or that they are racists and bigots when trying to express their views.”
Poll Totals
Ethnicity of Jones Sanders Voters
Class Breakdown of Votes
Ethnicity of Jones Trump Voters Males
Females
Democrats: Sanders 84.7% Clinton 15.3%
Democrats: Sanders 81.7% Clinton 18.3%
Republicans: Trump 43.8% Kasich 24.7% Cruz 20.3% Rubio 11.2%
Republicans: Trump 28.6% Kasich 35.8% Cruz 17.8% Rubio 17.8%
*DISCLAIMER: Ballots that were not completed in their entirety or selected more than one choice per section were marked as void. There were an estimated 70 ballots that were consequently thrown out. The results of the poll are listed below, including specific breakdowns by graduating year/staff member, the difference between male and female, and the specific ethnic-voter percentages that made up the Democratic and Republican Jones College Prep Primary Poll winners.
Statistics by Nikolas Merten ‘16 Graphics by Orla Levens ‘18
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UNION PLANS SHUTDOWN
Chicago Teachers Union leaders plan a walkout on April 1, and condcuct a citywide walkout.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 16, 2016
GOOD STUDENT
Typical teenage behavior: drinking, drug
Drinking temptations in high school
Just under half of school drinks, 20.5 percent of which drink weekly JULIA GAWORSKI ‘17 Deputy Editor, Sports JACOB NASZKE ‘17 Lifestyles Staff It’s a Friday night, and you’ve had a long, stressful week. The music’s thumping, you’re kicking back with your friends, and somebody hands you the infamous red Solo cup. This is the defining moment. To drink or not to drink? For some, drinking underage is exciting, “liberating,” and mature. For others, the risk of breaking the law or becoming impaired deters them from participating. Teen drinking has made an appearance in the saloons of the late 1880s, in the clubs of the roaring twenties, in the fields at Woodstock, and in the basements and backyards of houses all across America. In American society, high school is made out to be a time full of anxiety and the desire for acceptance. According to Principal P. Joseph Powers, drinking is a type a gateway for social interaction and making teens feel like they “belong.” However, alcohol as a catalyst for social interactions poses a real threat to young teens who yearn for the appreciation of their peers. “They [students] want to be part of groups of friends and do things outside of school. For example, going to parties or going over to people’s houses, ” Powers said. “There’s way too much emphasis on some kids wanting to fit in.” In addition to peer pressure, curiosity about alcohol and its affects on one’s body is a type of unchartered territory worth exploring in the eyes of some. One Jones senior, who will be referred to as Jessica, believes the high school atmosphere and experience turns drinking into less of a big deal, thus, it’s easier to say yes to. “I didn’t expect to drink in high school, but I also wasn’t against it.” Jessica said. “I was so innocent and uncorrupted in grade school, and I think high school definite-
ly made drinking more tempting and casual.” As accustomed as students become to drinking, it’s often not until the cops “pop” a party or until someone gets alcohol poisoning that the serious consequences of drinking are evident. José Cuellar ‘17 has chosen not to drink out of fear that his actions under the influence could endanger his reputation, educational future, and lead to trouble with the law. “If you make one mistake,” José said. “it could be a burden that will scar you as you go on [in] life.” When students enter high school, they are 14 or 15. That would mean that a student who starts drinking their freshman year is drinking roughly six years before it is legal. A majority of the students interviewed agreed that 18 is the ideal age to start drinking. A Jones junior, who will be referred to as Charles, began drinking during his freshman year of high school because of peer pressures he faced. Though he continues to drink about every weekend now, he wishes he had started when he was a bit older, but doesn’t wish he hadn’t started at all. “When you’re 18, you’re more mature than freshman year. I don’t feel that freshman year was the correct year for me to start drinking.” said Charles. “I was young. It’s just not something I think kids should be doing when they’re freshmen.” High school brings about all kinds of new changes and maturity, which makes it perhaps a little more understandable why teens would begin to experiment with alcohol and partying in general. Jessica did begin drinking her freshman year; however, in contrast to Charles, she had a fairly positive experience. “I was with good friends outside of Jones. The idea of a party and being able to try new things was pretty exciting.” she said. “It’s kind of exhilarating to do something that’s not allowed.” The feeling of invincibility that goes along with drinking illegally and getting away with it instills
a sort of confidence in teens that has the potential to be dangerous. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, in 25 percent of teenage deaths in car crashes, the underage driver is inebriated. “People don’t realize just how impaired they are,” said Powers. “A lot of people will say they’re fine and that they can drive when they can barely stand up, because their perception of what they can and can’t do are completely skewed.” For some students, drinking is a way to “test the water” and discover their limits before going away to college. Getting over the initial excitement of drinking for the first time and learning what you do and don’t enjoy is key, according to another Jones junior, who we will refer to as Parker. “At first I did feel pressured to drink. They [my friends] were bugging me to start,” he said. “Now it’s more of a choice. It’s just something that I’m going to do if I feel like it.”
Jones students
Just Over 1 in 10 S A Part of The
Can I see some ID?
Students take advantage of overseas production for access to 21+ events, alcohol MAGGIE BEDORE ‘17 Deputy Editor, School
It takes 21 years to enter a bar, but high schoolers shorten the aging process to about a month using just a picture and a relatively small amount of money. Aiden, an anonymous junior student, wanted a fake in order to purchase alcohol. “If you have friends, and you’re having a party, let’s be honest, you need to step up and [purchase alcohol],” said Aiden. Besides the ability to purchase alcohol, students use their fakes to get into concerts with age minimums, and bars, which many students claim will be helpful for college. “You can’t really do a lot of stuff when you’re 18, usually a lot of stuff you need to be 21, so why not have a fake?” said an anonymous female senior we will refer to as Emma. After deciding to obtain a fake ID, Aiden talked to his friends who had fake IDs and was referenced to a vendor. “Some guys on my team who
have them said they work really well, so they gave me the email for the guy who is like a middleman,” said Aiden. Students can also conduct a simple search online to find several vendors of fake IDS. “I did research online and found the best website. It’s pretty legit; the guy lives in China. We ordered them about a week ago and the guy said they should be here in about three weeks,” said Madison, an anonymous female junior student. After establishing contact with the vendor, Aiden was instructed to email a headshot, his information, and a picture of his signature. Headshots must be on a white or solid background and can be taken with a camera or a cell phone camera. “You want it [the picture] to look like a state ID and when you do it for a state ID, you don’t look flawless. You take a picture that’s not horrible but not flawless. Sometimes they have to Photoshop it to make it look more like an ID picture,” said Emma. Fake IDs range in cost, with larger or-
ders often being cheaper. Payments are made through a variety of methods including Bitcoin, PayPal, Reloadit, or in cash through Western Union or MoneyGram. Aiden had to save some money before starting his process of obtaining a fake. “It was $120 for two IDs, and I paid the middleman in cash [through a mutual friend],” said Aiden. Most fake IDs take about two to eight weeks to arrive in the mail depending on the vendor. Aiden has waited about four weeks so far. Students who already have their fake IDs claim they work well and have rarely been caught. When students have been caught, they were simply denied entry into a bar or told that they couldn’t purchase alcohol. “I was trying to get into a bar and he [the bouncer]knew it was fake, so he just said no,” said Jacob, an anonymous male fresh-
men student. Illinois is tough on fake IDs, if caught possessing one, a student could face up to $25,000 in fines and one to three years in prison. Most students believe that if they get caught they are just unable to purchase alcohol or their parents were notified. Aiden claims he is not at all worried about getting caught. “They just take it away and tell your parents, but my dad’s cool with it,” said Aiden.
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JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 16, 2016
TS, BAD HABITS
g culture evident within student body
s’ frequency of drinking alcohol
Two roads travelled with cigarettes MAX SEGAL-WOLK ‘16 Digital Artist The repulsive stench of smoke that clings to her clothes is the reason that Jill, an anonymous senior, decided to stop. It seems that this smell, as nauseating and distracting as many deem it to be, fails to motivate others to follow in her footsteps. T h e tranquil nicotine buzz that overcomes his body is the reason that Jack, another anonymous senior, never considered stopping. It seems that unlike Jill, he is not bothered by the smell, and unfazed by the constant reminder of his use. Even though the two have different outlooks on their usage of cigarettes, they found common ground involving the introduction to this habit. “I started smoking when I w a s i n 7th
grade,” said Jack. “My older cousin offered me a [cigarette] so I took it.” While he admittedly took his cousin up on this offer based on his understanding that smoking was to him the “cool thing to do,” he began to develop a craving for what tobacco has to offer. “To be honest,” Jill said. “I started smoking my sophomore year
because my brother did it.” Like Jack, she came about her cigarette use through her family, sharing with him what was the admiration of habits picked up by both his cousin and her sibling. Despite Jill’s young age, her older brother seemed to have no problem with her following in his footsteps. “[My brother]
would head to the convenience store around the block and buy them for me,” she said. “In hindsight, it wasn’t the right thing for him to do, regardless of how happy it made me at the time.” Jack, being only 13 when he started smoking, did not have the luxury of knowing an ofage individual who would fulfill his need to smoke. “Since my cousin is only one year older than me, we both had to stand outs i d e of stores by my house and ask people to buy squares for us,” he said. To Jill, it isn’t worth it any more. Everywhere you go you carry the unsettling scent of smoke, and for a fee. “One of the biggest reasons to stop smoking is the money,” she said. “you feel sort of guilty every time you spend 12 bucks on a health hazard.”
Students Say Peer Pressure Was eir Introduction to Alcohol
Eagles under the influence ETHAN PHIPPS‘16 School Staff Ever since President Ronald Reagan declared the war on drugs, there has been an effort around the country to stop any drug use or abuse in the youth before it starts. Whether informing kids of the dangers of drugs through programs like D.A.R.E. or teaching them about the properties and effects of them in health classes, the main goal has been to make drugs seem as unappealing as possible. Yet, young people still find reasons to try them. Drug use in teenagers has recently been on a decline, but it is still significant; according to a recent study conducted by the University of Michigan in 2014, 35.1 percent of surveyed high school seniors used marijuana in the past year. The next two closest to it were Adderall, which came in at 6.8 percent, and synthetic marijuana, which came in at 5.8 percent. In Jones, regardless of the perceived stereotype of every student being a “good
kid” that would never get involved in the drug culture, some students at Jones feel like there is still a significant number of kids who indulge in its recreational use. “It started as me just experimenting, trying out something new,” said an anon-
y m o u s male sophomore, who we will refer to as Peter. “ A few of my close friends had been doing it since last [school] year, and to be honest, it seemed cool to me.” But weed being perceived as “cool” among young people is not the only reason teenagers
try it and continuously use it - the effects the user gets from it and easily habitual use that could grow keeps some kids using it. “The high is really what appeals to you and makes you want to go back to it.” said Olivia, an anonymous senior. “Once I realized how much I enjoyed it, it just became a habit every week. I don’t think I’ve let it take over my life or anything though - I have over a 3.0 GPA and I don’t let it take priority over my other life obligations.” “ T h e good heavily outweighs the bad,” said Olivia. Just like any other school,
Jones has a zero-tolerance policy for drug use in general among students. Security guard Rudy Gonzalez said, “We have had to punish a handful of students in the past for either being caught under the influence or bringing substances into the building. We do not condone that behavior at all. Students should know this and reflect that not just in school but outside of it as well.” A student that shares Gonzalez’s sentiment and personally chooses to not indulge in drugs, Israel Reyes ‘16 said, “I just don’t see the appeal in doing it. For me personally, it’s a waste of my time and money - the high doesn’t make up for that in any way.” Although a number of students still choose to use marijuana, all other recreational drugs seem to be off the table. “Even thinking of trying drugs especially harder drugs scares me,” said Chloe Rubinowicz ‘18. “No one [at Jones] has ever offered me anything like cocaine or LSD, but I know I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near that.”
PAGE 6 GOOD FRIDAY! NO SCHOOL
Fri. March 25 CPS orders furlough days; the first of three.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 16, 2016
How to ask someone to prom Here are some helpful ideas you can use to persuade that special someone to go with you to prom KAYLA CANDOS ‘16 Lifestyles Staff
Not long ago, asking people to prom involved flowers, balloons, and extravagant musical numbers, it consisted of simply asking one question: “Will you go to prom with me?” Today, asking a date to prom in outrageous ways is a common occurrence, and every new promposal aims to oneup the last. So, here are just a few ways that you can create your own unforgettable promposal and score yourself a date to one of the most anticipated events of high school. AT AN EVENT At sporting events, there are many opportunities to ask someone to prom: before or after the game, or in the middle of it. Planning your “promposal” at a sporting event is ideal if you are trying to draw a lot of attention, especially because there are usually a lot of people in the crowd and large, open spaces. Use these open spaces to your advantage, whether it be filling it with signs, people, props, etc. Having the players participate can be useful because you can use a lot of them, and it is a fun way to get more people involved. If your potential date is a player on the team, this can be even more beneficial because they will be surrounded by their friends and loved ones .
WATERWORKS
Steven Fitzgerald ‘16 with the help of friends on the Water Polo team helped him ask Holly Beith-Mangrum ‘18 to Senior Prom. A PERFORMANCE A more creative way to ask someone to prom is through a performance. You can create a musical number, have the choir sing them a song, or ask the cheerleaders to recite a chant. Jones has many tal ented students and artists to offer, so there are a lot of options to choose from. These types of promposals are good for drawing a lot of attention.
DeVall design dreams While girls struggle to find a prom dress, Nia Curtis ‘16 takes matters into her own hands
NIA CURTIS ‘16 Lifestyles Staff The nauseating feeling of looking for clothes returned as my mom lectured me about all the types of prom dresses I could wear. This feeling happened often when I searched for clothes in stores that did not specialize in plus size clothing. It wasn’t until I had met Jason Devall, a fashion designer who specializes in prom dress making, that I knew prom could be done at any size. It is sometimes a struggle for me, a plus size girl, to find clothes that fit nicely and also
What Peaches tries to do is Apprehensive at first, I told hide you with the high princess him the first thing that came to A-line, and it my mind: looks bad, bulky, want a “As I spoke, he sketched “I and insecure. We d r e s s don’t want that.” out my dreams word that says, My moth- for word, giving me op- ‘ w o w . ’ ” er, a high school As I English teach- tions that could make spoke, he er, has attend- my dress outstanding.” s k e t c h e d ed many of her out my students’ proms. dreams Last year, a few of her students word for word, giving me opgot their own custom dresses. It tions that could make my dress was then that my mother and I outstanding. “Do you want were given Devall’s Instagram, 3D lace? Off the shoulder, or on?” where I searched through his ar- said Devall. “Darling, as a plus size ray of selfies and created dresses. girl, you can look clean and sexy. He was stylish and chic with his The problem is, girls don’t pick out fur coat and long false eyelashes. the right waist trainers or spanks. It was then I told my mom, “I I’ll get you a thirty-six piece corset want him.” Devall was my fairy that will be comfortable but also Godmother, and I knew that take six inches off your waist.” he could create me the perI loved him. I loved the idea. fect dress. My mother was I loved my dress. His words fixed a little worried. The cons of every insecurity I had about prom. getting your dress
ONE DIRECTION TO GO Preston Fregia ‘15 asks Genna Greblo ‘16 to Senior Prom last year using lyrics to One Direction.
MAKE IT PERSONAL A good way to ensure that your potential date says “yes” is to make sure your promposal is personal. If you know that your special someone likes dinosaurs, you can dress up as a dinosaur while asking them. If you know they like Drake, consider asking them using Drake song lyrics. The more you know about your potential date, the more creative you can get. IN CLASS Believe it or not, teachers were young once too, and some of them may have had their own unforgettable promposal experience. Asking one of them for help may be the key to getting a date for prom. While some teachers may be okay with you disrupting class to pop the question, others may prefer you do it in a quieter way. One way to do this is to add your promposal to the end of a test or quiz and have your special someone read it while the class takes a test. This idea is not only different and fun, but is a great way to get the whole class involved without causing commotion. HUNGRY? WHY WAIT? If your special someone loves food, then asking them by using food is the way to go. There are GO BIG OR GO HOME Philip VanZale ‘15 promposed to Kelsey an abundance of different foods Peterson ‘16 from a top the second floor to use in a promposal, and you. both can enjoy a delicious snack. mezzanine in front of the entire lobby.
make me feel confident. After four stores and a breakdown in the dressing room, I knew that I was not going to have the, “say yes to the dress,” moment I wanted. I shared my frustrations with my friends, and they all said “Peaches” would be a nice place. All of my friends had never seen a size 14 or bigger on them. With that being said, I took their advice with a grain of salt. I had been against Peaches for three reasons. One, my biggest fear was walking into Peaches and the sales lady sighing with a forced smile saying, “I’m sorry, we don’t have that dress in your size, would you like to try this one?” Secondly, as Devall put it, “Peaches will never offer quality dresses for plus size girls.
designed is that it may not be as you pictured it, and it’s expensive. However, I didn’t care how much money I had to spend to have my dream prom dress, and neither did my mom. “Tell me your dream,” said Jason Devall as I sat on his couch filled with ribbon and color swatches. It was our first of many meetings where we would discuss the aesthetics of my dress.
The emotional high was still rolling as he added up the price. He then smiled as he wrote down our price on a piece of paper. “Your total is one thousand.” My mom’s face was in total shock. It was hard to conceive the idea that a dress I would wear one time was a thousand dollars. He then said, “But because you are getting your dress this early I’ll take one hundred dollars off.” That was a lot of money. Frankly, I wasn’t paying so I didn’t care. My mom and I knew that senior year came with financial hardships, so we accepted the price.
KLEIN, WANG, DEVALL
Jason DeVall’s sketch of Curtis’ prom dress, which resolved Curtis’ dilemma
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CHOIR WINS AT STATE
Singers recieved 6 Superior (Division I) and 3 Excellent (Division II) awards at the State solo and ensemble compition, including a perfect score from Jillian Korey ‘17
Same school, different commute
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 16, 2016
With different methods of transit, students travel from every corner of Chicago to Jones JUAN CUECHA ‘16 Sports Staff HENRY MICHAELS ‘16 Sports Staff An hour-long Metra commute. A 35-minute ride on the 146 bus down Lakeshore Drive. A 40-minute bike ride. A walk down the street. These are just a small sampling of the various commutes that the Jones community – a diverse community, spanning the entire city of Chicago – experiences to and from school and work. A fact proving the school’s commuting habits are just as diverse as their personal backgrounds.
south campus, it is unavailable to students. The reason is that “we don’t even have enough for the staff, as we are short by about 40 or 50 parking spaces,” said Principal P. Joseph Powers. With the limited space down-
luxury of their own personal car often utilize Chicago’s public transportation system to get to school. With the Harrison red line stop only steps away from the Jones building, the train is a convenient
dents working on school projects, getting to after school jobs, and performing everyday responsibilities. The Jones administration also benefits from the cost effectiveness of the CTA by using it has a mode of transportation for field trips and other school related activities. But, the CTA is not always an accessible
WALKING
If you’re lucky enough to live in the downtown area, using public transportation to get to school is pretty much useless. Being able to get to school quickly that allows these students to sleep in later than most of their peers. Dani Bletnitsky ‘17 explains how she loves the fact that she lives close to school especially “when I forget my homework in my locker or even when I leave my homework at home.” Students like Dani have the luxury of being able to make a quick trip back to school or home in the case of an emergency.
EXTRACURRICULARS
CARS
A source of envy for teenagers across the country, cars are not just a popularity symbol for Jones’ students who drive to school. As one of the top Selective Enrollment High Schools in Chicago, Jones attracts students from all over the city. Everyday, some students must travel close to an hour and a half to get to school. Although public transportation is an efficient and convenient mode of transportation for some students, it can be a difficult and arduous journey for others. For those students who do not live near a CTA or Metra station, or for those students who live in a dangerous neighborhood where public transportation can be an unsafe option, driving to school can be extremely rewarding for those who have their driver’s license. While Jones’ downtown location provides a number of unique benefits in regards to the number of things students can do after school, it does not have the privilege of a student parking lot, like many other schools. With nonexistent street parking, students who drive to school must pay “at least $12 for parking,” in any of the parking lots that surround Jones said Adan Jimenez ‘16. Jimenez, who lives on the far East Side of Chicago, bought a car earlier in the year and “planned to drive to school at least once a week” as a more “convenient, comfortable, and faster” method of transportation to school, as opposed to taking two buses. Even though he is able to cut his original commute from a little over an hour by bus to close to 30 minutes driving, “paying for parking adds up,” said Jimenez. “[A] student parking alternative or discount would be a great addition to the Jones community.” Although Jones does have a parking lot in the garage of the
regular schedule that can leave students waiting long periods of time if they miss their train.
stairs, the search for a student parking lot has been forced to be redirected towards the parking lots available to the public around the perimeter of the school. Assistant P r i n - cipal Eric
Fay said that he “talked to a couple of the garages around the school and they were not willing to budge on a student discount, as they said there was no reason for them to provide a discount at all, and that they could gather business without it.” With t h i s solution going down the drain, Fay has had to get creative to find a new solution to the parking problem. He has thought about the possibility of buying a property around Jones that could be converted into a student parking lot, but given CPS and their financial problems, the property values were “off the charts expensive.”
CTA
Students who do not have the
mode of transportation for students to get to school. Students living in neighborhoods in the outer parts of the city, like Beverly and the East Side, do not have the usefulness of the CTA at their grasp. Instead, these students are forced to use the Metra or Pace bus. While these forms of trans-
a n d cheaper transportation alternative to driving for many students. Branching out to many different neighborhoods around Chicago, the CTA allows students from all over the city to get to school as well as to areas all around the city. This is extremely helpful for stu-
portation can be more comfortable and occasionally faster than the CTA, they have their disadvantages. These include a more expensive fare and an ir-
While many students do take public transportation, there are others that are forced to drive to school because they have no other choice. Last year, the baseball team had to arrange their own transportation to their games because of a lack of sufficient buses throughout their whole season. Many upperclassmen, such as Nicolas Robledo ‘16, had to spend their own money for parking and gas in order to provide a service that “should be provided by our school,” said Robledo, who also lives on the far East Side of Chicago. With many games on the opposite side of the city from where he lives, Robledo said it’s “unfair that we not only have to pay for parking at school, but [we] also have to spend money on gas to travel to the o p p o n e n t ’s ballpark.” While not being able to use their car may be something that Jones students will have to get used to, they should be thankful for the privilege of living in a city that has such a high quality public transportation system. With this increased sense of responsibility that getting to school independently provides, students will be better able to combat future transportation obstacles, like how some universities prohibit students from keeping cars on campus. But for now at Jones, Powers and Fay insist that they are “open for students suggestions” regarding any new possible solution that is “practical and cost-effective” to solve the driving dilemma. Graphic by Max Segal-Wolk ‘16
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WINTER SPORTS ASSEMBLY
Basketball, bowling, Dance Team, Cheer Team, and Boys Swimming, will be honored at 6:30 p.m. tonight in the auditorium.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 16, 2016
“You play lax, bro?”
Ben Phalen ‘16 to continue lacrosse career at Wittenberg University JONATHAN NUNEZ ‘16 Sports Staff Playing a high school sport and representing your school on the field, court, pool, or track is something high school athletes take for granted all across the country. But the experience can be quite different if the sport you’re passionate about isn’t offered at your own school - and you’re forced to compete on behalf of a rival school. While Jones does not have a lacrosse team, athletes interested in playing can play for the Whitney Young lacrosse team. The team will make history as a program when they send three players to play division three lacrosse next year. One of those players is Jones student Ben Phalen ‘16. “It took a bit [of] getting used to at the beginning of my Whitney Young career, but as I got older I started to develop strong relationships with a lot of my teammates; we became a family. I never felt singled out but, I did feel like I personally had to prove myself,” said Phalen. For fellow teammate and Jones student Tommy Janopoulos ‘17, playing for the Whitney Young lacrosse team has been “like playing for any other team.” Phalen has been playing lacrosse since sixth grade and has played on the Whitney Young team all four years of his high school career. Aside from high school, Phalen has also played lacrosse for one of the most recognized lacrosse club
Photo Courtesy of Ben Phalen ‘16
CRADLE Ben Phalen ‘16 plays on behalf of the Whitney Young Dolphins in absence of a Jones lacrosse team. teams in Illinois, Team One. “The team is on the North Shore, [and] I was the only kid from the city. Everyone else was from the suburbs, mainly students attending Loyola Academy and New Trier,” said Phalen. Lacrosse is not the most popular sport in the Midwest. Thus, there is a sense of community for people that do play lacrosse. Many athletes like Phalen play because of their family heritage, or because they are simply looking to play a physically demanding sport, like lacrosse. “Lacrosse has always been in my family due to my strong East Coast heritage. My dad played in
high school and my older cousins played for one of the top high school teams in the country,” said Phalen. “I was a baseball player for a long time but decided that I wanted something that was more challenging with a physical aspect.” Many athletes strive to play in college; however, not many are willing to do what it takes to do so. “ Playing in college is obviously more difficult as you look at top tier programs. Competition is fierce and people in the Midwest are competing with kids from the East who begin playing in preschool.” said the Whitney Young varsity lacrosse coach, Jim Speth. “It is tough, but kids
like Ben [Phalen], who work hard and are athletic, usually find a lacrosse home, if they want.” Finding the right college for a student can be very difficult and stressful. For Phalen finding a school with a good balance between lacrosse and academics was no different. “I chose Wittenberg because they have a great communication/ marketing program. They also play in one of the most challenging conferences in the country. Overall, I liked the good balance between a competitive lacrosse team and strong academics,” said Phalen. Phalen’s four year varsity career under Whitney Young has
ENTER TO WIN! Turn in to Room 201 by 11:00 a.m., Thursday, March 17, 2016. Most accurate bracket will win a $10 Potbelly giftcard. All brackets must be legible, have a name, e-mail, and phone number, and contain predictions for every match up.
been filled with triumphs that include three city championships, three all-city team selections, being named a Brine National All-American, and two years as team captain. Phalen hopes to beat Grayslake Central, a team that has been a barrier that his team has been unable to surpass for the past two seasons. “My last two years, we have lost to Grayslake Central in the state quarterfinal game by four goals. I would love to finish up my high school season by beating them and making a run for the state title.” said Phalen. Phalen’st of his hard work and leadership in order to break barriers with a young lacrosse program. “From the first day, Ben has brought a work ethic and a leadership to our team,” said Speth. Although Phalen and Janopoulos are not directly representing Jones, there is still a strong sense of pride from the Jones students for the Whitney Young lacrosse program. “I never really think about the schools when we’re playing. We are all wearing the same colors and that’s what matters,” said Phalen. “I feel I have a lot of pride for the team, but the pride comes for the lacrosse team rather than Whitney Young as a whole. I want to win games and defend our city championship.” said Janopoulos. Whitney Young’s lacrosse team is conditioning for their spring season that kicks off on March 16 against the Oak Park-River Forest.