prospectornow.com
September 8, 2017
Features
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Principal’s Advisory fosters culture of change BY CASSIDY DELAHUNTY Editor-in-Chief
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hen now-Principal Michelle Dowling first came to Prospect 11 years ago as the Associate Principal for Instruction, she noticed that the administration was having difficulty hearing the concerns of their students. “We didn’t have iPads back then, so it wasn’t as easy to push out information,” Dowling said. “Any time we wanted to get information from kids, it was a survey; it was a piece of paper you would write on.” Because of these growing concerns, the administration formed Principal’s Advisory. Dowling says the club still holds the same purpose now as it did 11 years ago: to give students an easy way to provide the administration with feedback. For senior Julia Kupperman, these reasons are exactly why she decided to join Principal’s advisory in her junior year. “Any problems I had, I wanted to make sure they were heard,” Kupperman said. “I wanted to have a voice.” One issue that Kupperman is particularly adamant about at Principal’s Advisory is the lack of paper student planners. After the school stopped providing them for students, Kupperman made sure that her opinion on the subject was clear. “[The administration] was under the impression that [since] we have the iPads now, we’re more into digital [planning],” Kupperman said. “But when we took a vote, almost everyone in my period
WRITE OFF: Students help each other with essays in the old writing center in the library. After the library became the Knights’ Learning Center, thanks in part to Principal’s Advisory, student tutoring became a larger effort and moved from individual labs out into the main area of the library. (photo courtesy of The Crest) said that we liked [the planners] and wanted to keep them.” The planners have not been reinstated, but Kupperman is confident her voice has been heard. Even though she is hopeful for the return of paper planners, Kupperman says being a part of Principal’s Advisory allowed her to understand some of the issues the administration might have with bringing back planners. For example, Kupperman says that bringing back planners would cost a lot of money that the administration might not necessarily want to spend. “Every day we have Principal’s Advisory, it is reiterated that our opinions matter,” Kupperman said. “They don’t have to hold [Principal’s] advisory, but they do because they want our feedback. They want to make sure they’re
doing the best for the students and the school.” According to Dowling, students like Kupperman are exactly the reason she believes her group is valuable for the student body. For example, before the Knights’ Learning Center (KLC) became what it is now, Dowling says that it was more of a social meeting place for students than a study area. “The overall vibe [of the library] five years ago was a place for socialization,” Instructional Assistant for Student Services Lauren Collins said. “It was loud, talkative. It was kind of chaotic. [It was] not really a place for learning.” When students in Principal’s Advisory asked for a quiet study area in the school about five years ago, the library became the KLC.
However, Dowling says the original change wasn’t helpful to students. Students in Principal’s Advisory told her that the new setup was too strict: students couldn’t sit with their friends, it was too quiet, and it took too long to get in and out due to students having to check in and out of the KLC. “We decided to go with the approach of doing that structure and the rigidity with it because it’s hard to get kids to change their routine if they know the library as a place they can go to instead of... the commons,” Collins said. “Kids did not like the first couple weeks where we were asking a lot of questions.” After the administrators discussed these issues with the students in Principal’s Advisory, the KLC became what it is today. “Principal’s Advisory gave us a
ton of tips on how to make a program that we thought was a great idea more meaningful to kids,” Dowling said. “We know what we need, but we don’t know what you need.” According to Kupperman, being a part of Principal’s Advisory gives her an efficient, formal way to present her concerns. Kupperman feels like she might not have this kind of outlet were she not a part of the group. However, according to Dowling, administration will listen to the concern of any student whether or not they present said concern at Principal’s Advisory. Dowling recalls instances of students walking into her office in the middle of the school day and presenting an idea to her. “If it’s a great idea, and I think we can do it, and it would benefit our kids and our community, we go at it. Principal’s Advisory just gives a vehicle that’s maybe a little bit easier,” Dowling said. “There are a lot of times when you are all so busy with your school work and activities that you’re not thinking, ‘Oh, I want to go see Dowling and talk about [my concerns].” Despite this, Dowling encourages any interested student to become a part of Principal’s Advisory. “We hope that the kids that come to Principal’s Advisory are leaders for the building,” Dowling said. “I want kids who are involved in all different kinds of things to be involved in it because it gives us a better perception of how school’s going for every kind of kid. … If I have 150 kids showing up to Principal’s Advisory, that’s 150 opinions I can get in a very short amount of time. It’s extremely helpful.”
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In-Depth
September 8, 2017
Students Embrace Veganism BY MANDI HALL Executive Features Editor
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hen senior Colleen Crosby first thought about what it meant to be a vegan about a year ago, she heard arguments against it. She watched YouTube videos that were critical of a YouTuber, Sorsha, for being a vegan. Her interest piqued, and Crosby began to watch Sorsha’s videos, eventually deciding to go vegan herself despite her former doubts. “The more I watched [Sorsha], the more I got inspired,” Crosby said. Vegans are similar to vegetarians in that they don’t eat meat, fish or poultry. However, vegans go one step further and don’t eat or use products made using animal products such as dairy, eggs or leather. According to The Guardian, veganism has been becoming more and more popular over the past few years, particularly among teens. Sophomores Maria Neri and Ella Reckamp decided to become vegans after watching a documentary or a YouTube video about how animals are often treated on farms. Reckamp in particular likes to seek out documentaries on Netflix, her first documentary being “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret.” “[Documentaries] remind me of the cause that I’m fighting for,” Reckamp said. “It reminds me why I’m vegan, and it gives me more force and makes me want to stay vegan.” Reckamp, Neri and Crosby can’t stand the thought of animals being harmed, so they want to do their part to protect them. “Just looking at chicken or beef, I just kind of envision that that was once a living thing and that it had a life before it got killed,” Crosby said. There are many documentaries and articles that talk about how animals are mistreated on farms. For example, some farm animals have very small and unsanitary living spaces and are sometimes abused by their farmers. “I just can’t believe that humans would do such a thing to animals,” Neri said. “[Humans look at a dog and say], ‘Oh, it’s so cute; I would never eat it.’ And those same people eat a cow. It’s still an animal.”
Senior Alex Kanter, who is a vegetarian, says she stopped eating meat when she saw a YouTube video of a baby cow getting kicked by a farmer. Neri also says that calves are taken from their mothers so their mothers can be used to produce milk, which is why she chooses to be a vegan over vegetarian. “When it comes to dairy, there’s still animals being harmed,” Neri said, “and I didn’t feel like I would be content with that, so I had to go all the way.” According to Crosby and Neri, becoming a vegan is not as easy as flipping a switch. One’s entire diet has to change, which takes both time and dedication. “If you really want to become vegan, you need to ease into it,” Crosby said. “Obviously if you’re a meat-eater and you want to start becoming vegan, you’re not going to eliminate everything that you can’t eat all at once.” There are also a lot of medical aspects to consider when becoming a vegan. According to Men’s Health, 91 percent of vegans have to take supplements to ensure they’re getting necessary vitamins, and many struggle with fulfilling their necessary protein intake. “You have to research,” Neri said. “You have to know what you’re signing up for, [but] it’s not as hard as it sounds.” In particular, Crosby talks about a meat replacement called seitan, sometimes referred to as “gluten meat” that she eats on a somewhat regular basis to help her get the protein she needs. Crosby often uses seitan as a meat replacement in an orange chicken recipe. She also likes “tofurkey” sandwiches; tofurkey is a turkey replacement made from tofu. Neri likes Mexican cuisine and Pad Thai. In fact, both Crosby and Neri enjoy finding new vegan recipes to try. “It’s fun to find vegan alternatives for something you never thought could be vegan,” Crosby said. “Even finding vegan recipes on Pinterest is fun, or using vegan cookbooks.” According to Neri, certain aspects of life might become more complicated upon becoming a vegan, such as having family meals or going out to eat. Neri, Crosby and Reckamp’s families eat a lot of meat, so each had to talk
with their families about their decision to go vegan. But all say their families were generally supportive. Reckamp’s father, who grew up eating a lot of meat, was wary at first, but eventually understood his daughter’s reasoning. When it comes to watching people eat meat in front of her, Crosby is sometimes bothered by it, though she doesn’t protest. On the other hand, Neri has accepted that people grow up different ways with different traditions, and for some people it’s very hard to imagine a life without meat. Neri’s attributes her family’s heavy inclusion of meat in their diets to their Mexican heritage. While her family members haven’t turned vegan themselves, Neri noticed them eating somewhat healthier since she herself became a vegan two years ago. While she’d like to see others become vegan, Neri understands that people have different views on the matter. “At the end of the day, it’s my life,” Neri said. “And of course I would love to see other people try to not eat animals, but I can’t change their views. So
I’m fine with it.” According to Neri and Crosby, many people label vegans as people who are over the top about animal rights or that they are very devoted and disciplined people. Neri says that adults often react defensively when she tells them she’s a vegan, and Crosby says she even gets some crude comments about her lifestyle. “Sometimes [people] say, ‘Oh, I could never be vegan,’ and it kind of bothers me a little bit,” Crosby said. “But I feel like I can’t say anything because that used to be me.” Restaurants can also be an issue for vegans. Reckamp says that she can usually find something to eat, but sometimes the restaurant’s chef will come out and discuss specific options with her. But Kanter believes it’s worth the struggle. “Go for it,” Kanter said. “No matter what, I think it’s a great idea just because I love animals so much, and I think even if it’s one person, it’s changing a life. It’s changing your life.”
Soda Tax Controversy BY AMANDA STICKELS Online Editor-in-Chief
The Cook County sweetened beverage tax that was instituted on Aug. 2 has been under fire since before it was put into place. After a judge dismissed a lawsuit that blocked the tax for a month, Cook County citizens have paid one cent per ounce on sweetened beverages, according to the Chicago Tribune. However, the tax may be on its way out already, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture threatened to withhold about 87 million dollars from the Illinois government because the tax violates Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly food stamps, rules. It also faces a repeal vote at the Cook County Board meeting on Sept. 13. Social science teacher Christine Stanford criticizes the tax for its inconsistencies, as the tax not only affects soda but also any non-alcoholic beverages that are either sugared or artificially sweetened, which includes sports drinks, any juices that are not 100 percent fruit juice and lemonade that contains sugar.
The government claims that it is for health reasons, but Stanford says that this can be seen as inconsistent because some of the taxed beverages are not unhealthy. Stanford cited that many people drink gatorade while exercising and that the tax also includes diet sodas. According to illinoispolicy.org, 87 percent of Cook County residents disapprove of the tax and 80 percent believe that it is a cash grab created to raise money rather than to improve public health. Even Prospect has felt the effects of the sweetened beverage tax, as the prices of drinks in the vending machines and cafeteria have risen. Prospect also had to pay extra in taxes while buying drinks for concessions during the Bears’ practice in August. Stanford plans to discuss the tax with her AP Economics class during their supply and demand unit, where she will use it as an example of an excise tax, which is a tax on a specific product.
September 8, 2017
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rospect? Staf P t ed a es w o ul ll r a e y h l ual sses t t c a sc u d i o d o is f
BY MANDI HALL Executive Features Editor
Allergies According to science teacher Deb Conners, allergies are always a problem when it comes to having food in the classrooms. Certain kids can’t be in the room with specific foods, and it makes allowing food in the classrooms a more complicated issue than it appears. Even if no students in the classroom during a certain time don’t have allergies, it is impossible to know if another kid who has an allergy will be in the classroom later in the day.
“I know we can’t put [students with food allergies] in a bubble,” Conners said. “But at least I can control my classroom and know that I’m trying to give them a safe environment if everybody agrees there’s no food.”
In the classroom While the rule is technically that no food is allowed in the classroom, Dean of Students Mark Taylor sympathizes with students who like to snack during the day.
Cleanliness English teacher Elizabeth Joiner usually allows food, so long as her students respect any allergy issue and clean up. However, she is very careful to keep her room clean to avoid mice and cockroaches.
“I get the fact that the day is long,” Taylor said. “Our lunch periods start a little later and a little later. A lot of kids get up and don’t eat breakfast, so it’s a difficult [issue]. I usually don’t eat lunch during the day, but I’ll snack.”
“I think for students [eating helps] to maintain alertness and to be comfortable,” Joiner said. “Sometimes it’s healthy to have a small, clean [snack]. ... I think your brain needs to have nutrition, and our schedules are sometimes as such where you’re eating once after five hours, and you need to eat something.”
Knights’ Way
Commons According to Dean of Students Mark Taylor, after the commons were remodeled in the summer of 2015, Prospect decided to give students a “test run” to see if they could allow food in the new commons. Because of the new carpet, padded seats and a multitude of chairs and tables in the new edition of the commons, the custodians had a hard time cleaning up trash and spills left by students. However, since many students still left their trash from food, this year administration had to be firm on the rule of “no food in the commons.”
It was also announced that in this coming school year, Knights’ Way leaders have been asked to not bring food to their classrooms on Knights’ Way days. The request came from administration.
“Knights’ Way is not about food,” Assistant Principal Frank Mirandola said. “Knights’ Way is about developing a culture. Knights’ Way is about students leaders, and Knights’ Way is about building a better Prospect each year, and food doesn’t really fit any way into that.”
In-Depth
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