V6 I2 - January 25, 2021

Monday, January 25, 2021

The Student Newspaper of Jones College Preparatory High School

Volume 6, Issue 2

Eagle Days replaced second semester CPS says they violate daily synchronous learning guidelines SAMUEL TEDORWE ’21 Lead Reporter WHITNEY SHURTLIFF‘22 Copy Editor

VACCINE FIRST Chicago Teachers Union supporter holds up a sign during a press conference on Jan.15 at Union Park.

Some Jones teachers partake in ‘Day of Action’ CTU holds citywide car rallies, possible strike to come AVA THOMPSON ‘21 Editor-In-Chief SIMONE GARBER ‘22 Associate Editor, Online

*Indicates a name has been changed due to privacy concerns

The Chicago Teachers Union orchestrated a “Day of Action” on Friday, Jan. 15 in protest of returning to in-person learning.

The CTU asked teachers to take the day off of school and to protest all over the city. Principal Joseph Paul Powers said around 30 teachers were absent for school that day in his weekly email.

This “Day of Action” escalates the tensions between Chicago Public Schools and the CTU. CPS started reopening schools for Pre-K and cluster programs on Jan.11 after fierce pushpack from the CTU.

“Over the first few weeks of in-person learning, we’ve seen just how successful the return to in-person instruction has been,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot in a statement to the Blueprint. “Especially for some of our highest-need learners and their families. I am confident that CPS will continue working closely with school communities and union leadership to further its reopening plan and protect the health of students and staff.”

The Chicago Sun Times reported the CTU House of Delegates voted to initiate a “non-strike” vote on Thursday. The resolution passed with 84% support.

The union told the Sun Times this vote isn’t a strike rather a vote to keep working remotely. CPS is calling this vote an “illegal strike”

However, the Illinois Educational Labor Realtion Board ruled late December that the CTU can not “bargain” with CPS over the reopening of schools. Through this decision, CPS teachers who did not report to work were locked out of their Google accounts. The Illinois Board of Education also negotiates reopening plans.

“[The CTU was] looking to see what kind of action could show the Board of Education that we really wanted to negotiate: what are the conditions for a safe return and, what makes remote learning better until we have that happen,” said Jones CTU representative Anthony Cappetta.

However, Cappetta said the rally had its “intended impact,” since reopening negotiations are going “better.” Teachers will vote Thursday through Saturday. The vote will be authorized by Sunday night.

Some public health officials said it’s safe to reopen schools without a vaccine. Infectious Disease Expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told Business Insider to ‘open schools’ at the end of November. ABC7 reported Chicago teachers will be vaccinated in the Phase 1B group.

The group will be vaccinated throughout February and March.

“For several months, CPS has been diligently preparing

to welcome students and staff back into their buildings,” said Lightfoot.

“Throughout this process, the district hasn’t taken any shortcuts—making significant improvements to cleaning protocols, providing sufficient amounts of PPE, and putting contingency plans in place to ensure a safe reopening.”

However, “high-risk” teachers can teach remotely if their physisian approved their accomdation based on the American Disabilities Act (ADA).

“I am in favor of reopening schools as safely as possible,” English teacher Brady Gunnink said in an email. “However, many of my colleagues that are being asked to return to the school buildings under the current CPS plan are concerned about their safety.”

After the injunction, the CTU released a list of demands for returning safely. The demands included the city be under a 3 percent positivty rate, enforce safety protocols, test, contact trace, “bargain in good faith” and vaccinate teachers.

“There’s such a bad, distrustful relationship between the teachers [and CPS],” said Social Science teacher Jordan Roe.* Some teachers compared Friday’s “sick-in” to protests of years past.

“This [protest] was harder because teachers had to take a personal day,” said Roe. “If they couldn’t get their personal day approved, they had to take what’s called a ‘zero day,’ where they didn’t get paid.”

Math teacher John Doe* was not in attendance at the rally. He is supportive of the CTU’s endeavors to delay in-person learning.

“It is really important to go back to school in a safe way,” he said. “We want to build trust and relationships with all stakeholders, so I support the union pushing the district to do their jobs better.”

Photo by Ava Thompson ‘21

As the third remote quarter of this school year approaches, Eagle Days will be discontinued but the administration has yet to announce what the replacement model will look like.

The administration and the Student Government Association (SGA) encouraged students to express their preferences in respective surveys. The surveys include three proposed substitutions: a shortened C-Day, a morning synchronous AcLab, or rotating half A or B-Days. According to Principal Paul J. Powers, this occurred when a CPS official noticed it violated policy during the “planning stages” of the second semester.

“I had multiple meetings all the way up to our Chief of Schools and the blackline policy is that every high school will have 300 minutes of instruction every day, and then 240 minutes of that has to be synchronous instruction,” said Powers. “Hoping we would have a little flexibility, we had proceeded with the idea that we came out to that number of minutes spread out over a week.”

SGA representatives said administration pushed to keep Eagle Days in the schedule. The Local Student Council met on Jan. 19 to discuss an alternative to Eagle Days. Students also led petitions to keep Eagle Days and wrote a school-wide message to CPS.

“Dr. Powers did really fight for this. I do genuinely feel as though the admin has really tried to stand up for the students on this one,” said William Clancy ‘22, the Junior Council Vice President.

With all three replacement options, students have the afternoon without scheduled classes. Powers said students will not be given extra work due to the schedule change.

“We’re trying to set this up in such a way that students are not receiving more work, in other words new assignments or new instruction, during those synchronous minutes,” said Powers. “It doesn’t give us the same amount of flexibility we planned and the success we were having with Eagle Days, but when it comes to district policy, our Eagle Days did not meet the basic requirements.”

One concern students have regarding the replacement of Eagle Days is clubs being able to meet regularly. Carolyn Colman ‘21 said she uses Eagle Days for club meetings.

“I’m also one of the co-presidents of Best Buddies, and we’ve been using eagle days,” said Colman.

“So starting at 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. and then going into AcLab afterwards.”

Zoe Weinstein ’22, who is SGA President for the junior class, said SGA also meets on Eagle Days.

“We used to have student government meetings at 11:15 a.m. on Eagle Days and now we’re going to have to do them during lunch,” Weinstein said. “And then any other meetings would, I guess, be moved to after school, which might mean I’d have to stop doing them because I have work after school.”

Of the three replacement choices listed in the SGA survey, most students said they prefer the extended Aclab- option.

“Out of the two, I definitely would prefer the kind of logging in and just sitting in AcLab for four hours or so over a half day,” said Colman. “At least if we’re just in Aclab we can have our camera off and be working on homework rather than being forced to switch between classes and not really doing anything, which is a waste of time and eyestrain.”

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Jones students introduce Black Coalition

Black identity clubs unite to create safe space for Black students ADRIAN ZAMUDIO ‘21 Sports Staff GUIN MACLOWRY ‘22 Lifestyles Staff

Black student-led clubs such as Black Student Union, Black Leaders and Mentors, and Natural Hair Club united to create the Jones Black Coalition in support of Black students at Jones.

Coalition organizers met over the summer to discuss issues regarding racial injustice and police brutality happening in America. The Black Student Union united with other Black identity clubs in order to provide support for Black students amidst division and rising tension in the U.S.

“We thought it would be best for all the students to band together and create a larger voice that was easier to be heard within Jones,” said Black Coalition founder R’riyon Draine ‘21. “We wanted everyone else to know that all of these clubs are actually fighting for the same cause.”

Only 11.7 percent of students at Jones are African American, according to the 2020 Illinois Report Card.

“We decided that it would be best if we can join together, especially when we’re remote to kind of be a support system for each other, and work towards getting more students involved in activities. We’re making sure that there’s a space that people feel like they’re safe, especially at a predominantly white school like Jones and at a selective enrollment school,” said Black Leaders and Mentors member Cole Francis ‘22 .

The Black Coalition serves as a space for Black students to express their views in a judgment-free community.

“I think it’s important to have those spaces where students feel safe and feel like they can voice their opinions,” said Francis.

The Black Coalition plans to ad-

dress several concerns and problems the Black student body at Jones has been facing.

“We’re doing a lot of events separately as clubs and together as the coalition during Black History Month,” said Natural Hair Club member Railey Montgomery ‘21.

They meet three times a month on Google Meet to plan upcoming informational and celebratory events related to Black History Month.

“This year we plan on having a lot of the

same workshops in a virtual format, and the showcase will be an inclusive informal event,” said Montgomery.

T h e Black Student Union will be releasing more information regarding these events in the coming weeks.

“Black History Month is always the most important month of the year for our clubs specifically,” said Draine. “So we want to make sure that we have engaging events and try to get as much attention as possible, and just make the school more aware of a lot of different things.”

Executives of the Black Coalition said to stay tuned for their events in February.

“Be on the lookout for events coming in February from the Black Coalition. We have a lot of things and exciting things planned for students to enjoy,” said Draine.

The leaders said they would like prospective members to know about their clubs before hosting independent events.

“First, I’d want the Black students to know that this is a thing and we are a powerful force at Jones,” said Montgomery. “I want people to know that we support them at the school, and that we are inclusive.”

Leaders said they aim to remedy the cultural exclusivity of a predominantly white school.

“If you look at any of the narratives of any of the Black students involved in the coalition, you could probably name a scenario where they haven’t felt like a real part of the Jones community,” said Draine. “We’re taking a step towards making Jones a better place for not only people of color, but specifically Black students who have felt like they weren’t a part of the Jones school community.”

These student leaders are not only representing their own communities, but said they hope to uplift other student groups.

“I think it’s really important that we keep that name [Black Coalition] out there, and we support other identity clubs, so that people can have that intersectional relation to their identity, better understand it, and communicate with people who share that same identity,” said Francis. “I think that’s where a lot of great things can happen.”

The Black Coalition will continue to grow and mobilize throughout the second semster. They intend to come back to Jones next year as a united front, so incoming Black students have a community to turn to.

“I want others to know that we’re unified, and that we are standing to make a difference at Jones,” said Francis.

Graphic by Guin MacLowry ‘22

Diverse learners return to in-person learning First Jones students returned after 10 months of online learning SIMONE GARBER ‘22 Associate Editor, Online NIKOLA BLAVER ‘21 Sports Staff SOFIA MOSER ‘23 School Staff

Some Special Education (Diverse Learners) students returned to in-person learning on Jan. 11 as the first part of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) reopening process.

Diverse Learners and pre-school were planned to return to in-person school around November. However, these plans were backtracked due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Since the reopening of Jones, Principal Paul Joseph Powers said in an email Jones had a positive case of COVID-19.

Diverse Learner teacher Andrew Adelmann said the first day back was relatively quiet, yet strange, largely in part due to the 10-month gap from the first COVID-19 lockdown to the day of return.

“It was pretty uneventful, obviously, and strange from the perspective of just going back to school and to my classroom,” said Adelmann,, who returned to Jones to teach.

Adelmann said the Diverse Learners students that returned were very excited for in-person learning.

“We have about 11 total students, and students that have been here have been super enthusiastic - we have some new students who are freshmen, who have been pretty excited to see the school and be able to interact,” said Adelmann.

While those who returned were excited for in-person learning, the majority of Diverse Learner students have not returned to Jones.

“We have nine students in our monitored cognitive program - nine out of about 37 or 38 students,” said Adelmann. “We have just under a third of our students back.”

In regard to health, Adelmann said there are precautions that the Jones administrative and custodial staff have made in order to keep stu-

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dents safe when they return to in-person learning.

“[The] number one [priority] is the kids are not switching classrooms,” said Adelmann.“Prior [to the pandemic], our students - just like general education students - would rotate between three classes. [Now,] instead of them rotating so we can keep pods the same, they’re staying in the same classroom.”

Due to smaller class sizes, in-person Diverse Learners get more hands-on education. “[The] second set of differences is how it feels there’s [fewer] staff and students in the building, so things are a lot quieter,” said Adelmann. “The third component is the processes [required] to come into school - the health screener, getting their temperature checked, wearing the masks.”

However, Adelmann expressed gratitude to the custodial staff in keeping the school safe, praising the efforts they have been undertaking to keep the school clean.

“The school is being cleaned thoroughly.

There are door tags that hang on each door - it’ll stay clean when you come in.” Said Adelmann. “If you enter a room, you switch it over to the other side, which is basically all black with the CPS logo, and that indicates to custodial staff that they need to clean that room. My room has never been cleaner than it is [now].”

While Adelmann has a generally positive attitude towards returning to the school building, some Diverse Learners teachers are a bit more wary.

“In general, I do not think it is a good time to go back to in-person,” said Diverse Learners teacher Melynda Kroeger. “The infection rate is too high in Chicago.”

Kroeger was not chosen to go back to in-person teaching. She highlighted how going back to in-person school may have negative effects on both Diverse Learners in virtual classrooms as well as in physical classrooms.

“Many students in our cluster program rely on facial expressions for communication,” said Kroeger. “This will make it more difficult for students at home watching on camera, and in person, to understand the teacher’s non-ver-

bal facial communication through a mask and absolutely necessary PPE (personal protection equipment).”

Going back to physical classrooms isn’t just a problem for Diverse Learners students, though. It’s a struggle for everyone involved, according to Kroeger - one that she said is unnecessary and unsafe.

“Trying to meet the needs of the students in the classroom, while simultaneously meeting the needs of kids learning remotely will dilute the education for all,” said Kroeger. “Coronavirus is temporary, and there is a vaccine around the corner. I would much rather keep everyone safe for a bit longer in order to ensure that we can all be together again in a safer environment.”

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Some students say US Capitol rioting is “not surprising” Others say the rioting is “gross and horrifying” AKIRA SINNOTT ‘22 Lifestyles Staff

Over the past few weeks, Americans, including Jones students, have voiced their opinions on the shocking insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021.

Six days into the new year, Trump supporters invaded the Capitol building in Washington D.C. in an attempt to have the certification of the electoral college overturned. The radicals used brute force to get into the Capitol with no facial coverage to hide their identities, claiming “my president invited me.” The President and his supporters’ main method of communication was social media. Americans all over the country expressed how appalling the events of Jan. 6th were.

“The failure of the Capitol police to have people actually invade one of the most protected buildings in the U.S. and the combination of the motive of the people trying to overturn the popular will of the country is shocking,” said

Aidan Cullen ‘22, co-leader of the Political Ideology club.

Cullen is not alone in his state of disbelief. Thomas Gotsch ‘22 said this should come as no shock because the country has seen this “developing” over the course of the years.

“There are 74 million people who supported this, they might not support it now, but a large amount of the population allowed this to happen,” said Gotsch. “We have a history that has led up to this moment. We have people that are powerful enough to make it into the Capitol building because of our systems.”

Molly Nelson ‘22, co-leader of the Political Ideology, said white supremacists and Neo-Nazis storming the Capitol is “gross and horrifying”.

“This is a huge reflection of the sense of entitlement a lot of Trump supporters feel,” said Nelson. “The casualty while they were sitting on Nancy Pelosi’s desk is disgusting to me.”

There have been pictures of the attackers vandaliz-

ing the Capitol offices surfacing on students’ social media with captions gloating and glamourising the tragic event. Even previous Trump supporters and Republican officials have denounced their support because of how “revolting and hostile” the take over was.

“It is really messed up that they had to have their lives in danger for them to say this isn’t right,” said CJ McKenzie ‘22. “I think that says something about the complacency of people and how they are just willing to go with the flow.”

Along with many other Americans, McKenzie wonders what action will be taken in response to these events. The U.S House of Representatives voted Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump a second time, with some bipartisan support. The vote for impeachment came quickly after Pence said he would not invoke the 25th Amendment.

Graphic by Leo Necheles ‘22

Students express mixed views on vaccine news

Students show excitement and worry regarding COVID-19 vaccine GUINEVERE MACLOWRY ‘22 Lifestyles Staff

Some Jones students said they were “pleased” to hear the approved COVID-19 vaccine had a high efficacy, but were “concerned” that many people will act as if the approved vaccine means that COVID is no longer a threat.

Pfzier, Moderna, and several other pharmaceutical com panies announced their vaccines had over a 90 percent effectiveness against COVID-19. Even though the vaccine has been deemed safe, The New York Times found 58 percent of people would take the vaccine in mid-November.

“I still feel very hesitant to get excited about it because so many times we have been told ‘this is the end we’ll be back in a couple months,’ and that just didn’t happen,” said Nina Hand ‘22.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 has killed over 400,000 people in America alone since January 2020. Some have said it will be “difficult” to readjust to any kind of normalcy after so many lives have been lost.

“A lot of people are going to have trouble, including myself, r e a d justing to meeting people every day,” said Trey Tucker ‘24. “It’s going to be hard not wearing masks and being in rooms with people after we’ve

been alone in our rooms for so long.”

Officials recommend everyone take the standard safety precautions until then. The country would need to reach herd immunity, meaning at least 60 percent of the population will have to have received the vaccine.

“I worry that enough p e o p l e won’t take

it,” s a i d Hand. “That means the vaccine would help, but not to the extent that it would in order for it to be fully effective.”

After being safely separated for so long, many people are eager to take the vaccine and immediately return to work and school. Despite wanting to return to “normalcy,”, some students and public officials said lockdown order should become even stricter now that a vaccine has been approved.

“I actually think we should be on a much stricter lockdown like than we are right now, especially if

the vaccine comes out,” said Amanda Fanale ‘21.“People are going to be less cautious, which is why I think we need to have restrictions in place to make sure people understand that it’s not a free for all afterwards,”

R e g a r d l e s s of concerns about the vaccine, this is still very important news for doctors and nurses who work with COVID patients every day.

“While it’s still being figured out step by step, it’s important to take the necessary precautions: to wear a mask, to not go to other people’s houses, etc.,” said Hand. “I definitely think that healthcare workers and essential workers should get it first.”

Along with healthcare workers, another group that has been disproportionately affected by COVID is students. Students, ranging from Pre-K to College, are losing the “normal” in-person education.

“I would prioritize having a shut down so that we can stop the spread of the virus, and the next thing would be to prioritize opening schools because that’s the most important thing right now to have open,” said Tucker.

Looking forward, the approved vaccine has given a lot of people a reason to be hopeful for the future. As exciting as the vaccine is for some, others are advocating that the country should stay cautious about the spread of COVID-19.

“The government should be very direct with us, tell us what’s going to happen, said Fanale. “And we have to follow along because, otherwise, we’re not going to get out of this.”

Illustration by Guin MacLowry ‘22

PAGE 4

PAGE 5 Wear a Mask Follow COVID-19 protocol to help stop the spread of the virus

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Q&A: Jones parent gets COVID-19 vaccine

Pediatrician receives second Pfizer dose in early January AVA THOMPSON ‘21 Editor-In-Chief

A v a Thompson ‘21: How were you first aware that you were to get the COVID-19 vaccine?

What was the process and paperwork to get the vaccine?

Jonathan Necheles: “It’s one of those things where it’s been offered through a couple of sources. So, the one that was available to me was through Northwestern where I’m on faculty. And so that’s how I got it.”

AT: Take me through the day you got the vaccine.

What was running

Not face-to-face

through your head?

JN: “I was excited but I was also nervous when I went in. It was pretty seamless, you know, like people check you in. You walked in, they walked into a little area. It was a big room actually full of stations socially just. And you roll up your sleeve. They asked you some questions.”

AT: What was your initial feeling while getting the vaccine?

JN: “There was a sense of relief coming. But until I got the second one I was still feeling I needed that second one that [to] really feel more comfortable.

[However,] more comfortable isn’t like I’m going to not wear a mask anymore and not socially distance.

More comfortable is- if God forbid-I got COVID, this vaccine should make it so

Final Stretch Second Semester will start onMonday, Feb. 8.

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it’s not as bad.”

AT: Did you have any concerns about being vaccinated? If so, have you overcome them?

JN: “I was excited and nervous. It was a vaccine that was just created. Literally from the time you know the virus was identified to the time the vaccine was offered was less than a year. And vaccines typically take, you know, anywhere from five to 20 years to develop.”

AT: Have your COVID-19 precautions changed since you’ve gotten the vaccine?

J N : No.

Some students say they enjoy remote learning

Others benefit from virtual classes

Teachers discuss camera usage during remote learning DONIYA BOYD ‘21 Managing Editor SOFIA MOSER ‘23 School Staff

The convenience of being in homes for online learning is a blessing for some, and a curse for others. Students are able to relax in their pajamas, often with their cameras off, while some teachers are “pining” to get the cameras on.

According to Chicago Public Schools, high school students are not required to have cameras on due to privacy concerns.

The inability to connect faceto-face can cause some disconnect between students and teachers in the remote setting.

“It’s hard for me to teach to a screen of avatars,” said social studies teacher Meghan McClory. “It makes me feel like I’m talking to myself.”

McClory said that she gets about two A day students and four B day students to turn their cameras on and that the lack of student faces on the screen affects her usual teaching style.

“It is really difficult because I can’t see students’ facial expressions,” said McClory. “I can’t see if I’m losing

them or if they are understanding the lesson.”

Some teachers are having better luck at getting students to turn their cameras.

“In my seventh period class, I say turn your cameras on and there’s no fuss about it,” said math teacher Yoni Vallecillo. “People turn their cameras on. In the other classes, we struggle.”

Vallecillo teaches several math class periods at Jones, with his seventh period class having an unusually high camera participation rate.

Nicole Zapotoczny, a student teacher from Loyola University currently working with Vallecillo, has her own theory on why participation is so high in Vallecillo’s seventh period class when compared to others.

“If your class is earlier in the day, chances of turning your camera on are very slim,” said Zapotoczny. “I wouldn’t be surprised if half the kids are sleeping. There’s a different atmosphere and strive towards participating in our seventh period class.”

Both Zapotoczny and Vallecillo said they have been trying different strategies to get their students to turn their cameras on and participate in class. Sometimes, however, their encouragement is not enough, and they are left in unfortunate situations.

“I’m reluctant to call on people with their cameras off because sometimes they don’t answer. It’s very discouraging,” said Vallecillo.

Taylor Bernard-Clark ‘23 said he is one of the

students that struggles with keeping his camera on. He said he doesn’t want to show his home on camera.

“I usually keep my camera off in all my classes,” Photos

by Josh Blustein ‘20 said Bernard-Clark. “It can be a distraction for people to see my family in the background. It can also be distracting for my family.

Though, I do think it’s important for things like class discussions.”

Both teachers and students seem to agree that having one’s camera on can be incredibly important for certain situations.

“I call on people with their cameras on because I know who they are and I can see their faces and their expressions, I can see if they’re confused,” said Vallecillo.

One thing can be said for certain: remote learning itself is difficult for both students and teachers alike.

“It’s hard for students, but it’s also very hard for us as teachers,” said Vallecillo.

Learning virtually has been an adjustment for everyone, but many students have welcomed this change.

In an unprecedented, whirlwind of a year, Jones students continue on with school completely remote. There are currently no plans for all Jones students to return.

Camilla Marden ‘22 said she is actually more successful in remote learning compared to being in-person.

She likes remote learning has given her more time to study outside of class.

“I used to get up at six in the morning and come home at eight at night,” said Marden. “I have absolutely no idea how I did that. I just can’t imagine doing that right now.”

Despite the extra time she has, Marden said remote learning has tested her time management skills and required her to be increasingly accountable for her own work.

“Accountability is something that’s changed for me when it comes to remote learning

because now I need to be accountable for myself rather than just relying on my teachers,” said Marden.

Veronica Lamas ‘22 said her success in remote learning is attributed to the lightened amount of homework given to students. Even the stress of taking tests has been reduced in this online setting.

“Before, tests were timed, but now a lot of them aren’t timed, so it’s a lot easier,” said Lamas.

Marden said teachers are far more lenient with students because they understand the difficulties of staying focused during this intense year.

Although she enjoys remote learning, Lamas is concerned about how it has affected her relationships with teachers.

“I still try to have my camera on most of the time and participate, but it’s still different; I probably won’t ask [any of my teachers] for letters of recommendation, which sucks because you kind of need to have letters from junior year,” said Lamas.

Overall, Lamas said remote learning taught her to appreciate her teachers more, especially the ones who are having a hard time teaching remotely.

“It’s kind of sad when no one has their camera on; [some teachers] feel really frustrated, and I can see it, so I just feel more appreciation for them,” said Lamas.

Francis Brazas ‘23 said he has enjoyed the lack of social ex-

ANA ROWLEY ’22 School Staff XOCHI CORTEZ ’23 Lifestyles Staff

pectations that come with remote learning, such as not getting dressed for school, or getting up later.

“I think it has some advantages over real life school.

If I was going to school in person I’d have to get up probably an hour earlier. Now I can just wake up at 7:30 and eat breakfast,” said Brazas.

As opposed to last March, when students and teachers were still adjusting to school from home, Brazas feels he has become accustomed to it and sees it as the new normal.

“Both online school and freshman year for me were very foreign and kind of scary, but I’ve learned to deal with them, and I’m used to it now,” said Brazas.

This is very different from Braza’s first time with online school, where he was much more confused and overwhelmed with the new format.

“I have no idea how this is gonna play out. This is probably going to be terrible and now I’m just like alright cool, go to school,” said Brazas.

Graphics by Fiona Kogan ‘22

PAGE 6

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Day Off Students will have Feb. 6 off due to Professional Development Day

Graphic by Adrian Zamudio ‘21

PAGE 7 Next FOJ meeting The next FOJ meeting is on Feb.11 at Zoom

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‘Horse Girl’ enters Chicago’s music scene Local teen band gains media attention

AKIRA SINNOTT ‘22 Lifestyles Staff

After sending their music to the Chicago Tribune, Penelope Lowenstein ‘22 and her band, Horse Girl, gained the attention of the media over quarantine. The unique shoegaze band was also featured on Chicago’s NPR All Songs Considered.

Horse Girl released their first single, Forecast, on the streaming site Band Camp on Oct. 11, 2019. Playing along with Lowenstein are her two band mates, seniors Gigi Reece from U-High Midway and Nora Cheng from Latin. A friend of the group, Fiona Clark, occasionally plays bass for the band.

All the teens met through music. Cheng met Lowenstein at a concert and later introduced her to Reece, whom Cheng met at School of Rock.

“We sent it to the Chicago Tribune, and that was a really big moment,” said Lowenstein. “It’s just really crazy.

It’s starting to feel like this could be something very real.”

Lowenstein has always been interested in music, but said it was never something that she took seriously.

“We were just playing music,” said Lowenstein. “We never saw it as a career, but now it seems like it’s being taken more seriously.”

Horse Girl’s “distinctive” sound is attributed to their not-so-common creative process.

“We end up making something very unique because what we’re drawing from is kind of unusual,” said Reese.

The group takes their “old rock” inspiration and recreates similar songs by singing over each other, playing the guitar with orchestra bows, and using “convoluted word association” to title their songs.

“The kind of music that we play is kind of different. A lot of our influences are unique, and also our band structure is different,” s a i d

Lowenstein.

“Playing music comes from a place of joy and love for us,” she said.

The band said they spend a lot of time watching documentaries of music scenes and subcultures that don’t exist anymore or are “not cool right now.”

“I feel like our songs could be time capsules,” said Cheng.

As the members get older, they said they are beginning to value more things that “bring nostalgia”.

“Hopefully our own sound is encapsulating everything that has been important to us in high school,” said Reece.

Horse Girl wants people to remember them as a part SPOOKY TUNES Horse Girl performs on Halloween 2019. of the “Chicago 2020 experience.” they both want to leave Chicago for colThey performed by playing on a porch during Halloween lege. Lowenstein, the youngest of the group, this past year to make it memorable. With this being the will not be graduating with her bandmates. end of highschool for Reece and Cheng, the two teens

“We’re not blowing up,” said Lowenwant to get as much done as they can before graduation. stein. “But things are moving really fast right now.”

“We’re g o ing day by day,” said

The media attention is putting more pressure on Reece. “We’re trying to rethe group. It’s their first time getting this type of recognilease an album before the tion. two of us graduate.”

“We’re excited about every C h e n g thing, but it’s all still very up in a n d Reece the air,” Lowenstein explained. said The group has grown a lot since their beginnings as a cover band in 2018.

“We have no regrets about a single choice that we’ve made.

All the bad songs we made, we don’t write songs like that anymore. It needed to happen so we could get to this place,” said Lowenstein.

Photos Courtesy of Penelope Lowenstein ‘22

Jones Green Team plans tree planting event Q+A with Green Team’s Alyssa Price ‘22 GABI JOSEFSON ‘23 Lifestyles Staff Gabi Josefson ‘23: What is the event that Green Team is planning?

Alyssa Price ‘22: “Green Team is planning an event with Treeplenish. They partner with a lot of schools around the country to offset different schools’ paper usage. What Green Team is doing specifically is partnering with Treeplenish to offset Jones’ paper usage. In April we are going to plant trees around the city, but in the meantime you can either buy a tree or donate a tree to get planted in someone’s backyard. We’re really doing it as a way to show how much paper Jones uses and ways that we can reduce the negative effects it has on the environment.”

GJ: How much is a tree?

AP: “It’s 5 dollars. You can buy your own tree for 5 dollars or you can donate 5 dollars if you don’t have anywhere to plant a tree.”

GJ: Is this an event that has happened before?

AP: “It’s new to Jones but it’s not a new organization.”

GJ: What does Green Team need from its volunteers?

AP: “We want volunteers who are passionate about the environment and Jones. Specifically people who want to know how to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce the waste that we produce. Especially as

a school, we go through so much paper and a lot of it goes to waste, like extra things that are printed that don’t end up being used, so we want people who are environmentally conscious. Especially in that school and education concept we want people who actually want to be involved and want to plant trees and have that hands-on approach to fighting climate change.”

GJ: What is the end goal of your event?

AP: “We have a goal of planting 115 trees. This is the number we determined would offset the paper usage at Jones.

Our hope is that, between now and April, we can get that many trees bought or donated and end up planting them.”

GJ: How has your club adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic?

AP: “I would say that we’ve adapted for the better. I think we’ve really expanded our mission from just paper waste and recycling to being environmentally conscious and wastefully conscious as a whole. We’ve had two meetings so far, and we have meetings pretty much every month. Our last meeting we talked about fast fashion and the effects that has on the environment and the economy. We talked about water pollution and the oceans because that’s a huge issue today.

So we’ve definitely expanded our approach from being environmentally conscious within Jones to talking about waste and recycling beyond the school front.”

GJ: Have you had smaller events?

AP: “In the past, we’ve collaborated with Thrift Fashion Club, which is another school organization. This is the first major thing we’ve been involved with outside of Jones.”

GJ: Where do you hope this group will go in the future?

AP: “I really like working with organizations outside of Jones and want to do it again. I think it helps our message become more impactful for more than just our school. By planting these trees in the city, we’re helping the city that our schools reside in, so I think it takes a school club up to the next level and makes it more impactful. I think trying to find other organizations for Green Team to partner with is definitely our next step in the future and I think that will be very beneficial for society as a whole.”

Illustration by Fiona Kogan ‘22

PAGE 8

JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT JANUARY 25, 2021

The attacks at the Capitol building Why this happened and what it means

JOSHUA LAZAR ‘21

It was an Eagle Day, and I had just finished eating lunch after going on my run.

As I sat down on my couch to relax, my sister told me people had breached the Capitol building. I looked at my phone and I saw a New York Times update, and read the article to fully understand what was happening. I quickly learned that these were people rioting during the count of the electoral vote.

I turned on the news on my phone, and I saw the terrifying images of people completely disregarding our most important American process to complete the election.

Immediately, I became extremely disappointed in not just the people committing the crime, but the politicians who have incited this. This happened because of the way that President Trump has handled the outcome of this election, and the messages he has been sending to his base and our country the last four years. Trump called white supremacists “fine people,” he explicitly said that we would rather have immigrants from predominantly white countries, and today Trump said that he loves the people who breached the Capitol building. Over the last four years we have seen an increase in all acts of hate. Today was a culmination of the way that he has handled leading our country. Trump has sent the message that it is okay to hate, it is okay to be violent, and it is okay to undermine the government’s most important duty, which is to carry out the voice of the people.

The next thought that came to my mind was how outraged people were at the violence during some of the Black Lives Matter protests. People at that time were calling protesters anarchists, despite the evidence that the people committing violent acts were not actual protestors. However, the President and many others have not had the same sentiment with this mob, despite them attacking the building in which the most important decisions in our country are made.

During Black Lives Matters protests, police officers would consistently use violence to break up protests. However, that same level of violence is not being used against white rioters breaching the capitol building. The rubber bullets, tear gas, and brutal attacks on peaceful protestors are polar opposites from the non-violent strategies used on thousands of people rioting at the capitol.

EDITORIAL

A violent future

Inauguration Joe Biden was sworn in as 46th President on Jan. 20

Younger generations grow up with knowledge of only violence LEO NECHELES ‘22

As this utter chaos has been breaking out across America, I’ve been witnessing all of it in the house of the kids I babysit. With an 8 and 12-year-old, it’s certainly been interesting to hear their thoughts as this news erupts. The sad part- they only seemed to be able to speak of politics in terms of violence, as if that was just the norm for America’s government. The 8-year-old marked his disbelief in the fact that Trump was still alive, finding it shocking that he hadn’t been shot yet. He then went on to predict Biden’s time in office, expecting it only to last very few days as Biden would “probably get killed too.”

In one of the largest and most influential moments in recent American Government history, these kids see nothing unusual happening. They see this as normal, something that can just be expected to happen in the world we live in. Rather than show disgust at the actions of their fellow citizens, these kids have been raised in a world where they can simply sit back and laugh: “not this again.”

When it came to politics, these kids only knew how to talk about violence. Their version of “politics” is simply what most of us know to be as destruction and war. These words completely opened my mind, as I began to realize that these were most likely the thoughts fostered by the majority of ouryounger generation. These kids grow up with the belief that their government isn’t safe, that their president will most likely be shot if some people don’t agree with their policies. With no other government to draw from, kids are setting a precedent of failure and chaos for their nation’s very own government. They believe politics are a place people go to die, a warzone in our own government. I’m still horrified and in shock from hearing these words, and I’m still not sure what exactly to do with them. However, one thing’s for sure- this isn’t the nation we want kids to believe they live in.

This is a nation slowly growing to become one of hate. Have we not learned from our history? Hate is the center of every humanitarian crime ever committed; but once again, this is just how it is these days, isn’t it? We can’t let our younger generations get accustomed to a society full of malice and politics full of danger.

This isn’t the world we want to leave them, nor the world we want them to build.

Living through history

How this unprecedented time will impact the decade

As the clock struck twelve on New Year’s Day, the country let out a sigh of relief.

After a year of our cities shut down by COVID-19, millions who have been marching for their lives, and a starkly divided nation, torn apart by a hateful “leader,” many assumed a page would be turned and the world would return to a sense of normalcy. Yet, within the first ten days of the New Year, an insurrection terrorized the Capitol. We were left to shake our heads and sigh, “2022 must be our year.” Instead of waiting for these “awful” years to pass by, we should take this moment to fix the maladies that plague our country.

The pandemic has transformed our world from the inside out. While the effectiveness of sanitizing and hand-washing should’ve been known before the pandemic, now every one of all ages grasps the effectiveness of soap to eliminate bacteria, including COVID-19. Washing our hands for 20 seconds frequently and constantly wiping off our surfaces with Clorox wipes has become ingrained in our psyche.

Social distancing has challenged our innate need to be around others. However, we’ve used technology to our advantage to stay connected with not just our entire inner circle, but people across the world.

We’ve been able to adapt and create new environments to feed our social desires by turning our usual social events into virtual extravaganzas. While social distancing is still a difficult change to our way of life, we’ve found a way to replicate the social closeness that makes us human.

Throughout 2020 and this year, we’ve seen the product of 400 years of oppression spring into action.

On one side, there are millions of brave protestors

taking the streets, appealing to government officials, and pushing for more equitable racial inclusivity in all aspects of our lives. On the other hand, there is nearly an equal amount of people wearing their hate on their shoulders, prompted by a leader that exemplifies the hatred they stand for. From the protests in the summer to

the insurrection in early January, racism has proved to be so deeply rooted into all parts of our country. The disproportionate number of deaths in the black community by COVID-19. The angering stereotypes on TV meant to portray “real black people.” Colorism. Too many black people being gunned down while fighting for their lives, while those inciting violence based on hatred get escorted out of the Capitol building. However, we are taking big strides as a nation in our fight against racism. The Black Lives Matter movement lit a fire under our country to talk about a subject we’ve swept under the rug for too long and actually make the change towards more inclusion that we need to see.

While these injustices can’t be amended in a year or even a decade, continuing to address inequities in our communities, schools, and country by protesting, signing petitions, writing letters to those in authority will bring us one step closer.

There is no doubt that these are unprecedented times. Everyone at one time or another has wished to fast forward to a better time. With a new presidency fervently advocating for public safety during the pandemic and for the advancement of marginalized communities, these tumultuous times may calm. However, we should take this time to reflect on the world around us. When we can congregate as a community again, what would we like to see? Equal representation and sanitizing stations in public areas are just the start.

This time is setting us up for a decade of change.

Illustrations by Fiona Kogan ‘22

PAGE 9 Mask Up Keep wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19

JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT January 25, 2021

Teachers didn’t sign up for remote learning either School through a screen is more bearable when students meet teachers halfway WHITNEY SHURTLIFF ‘22 It’s not uncommon for me to join a Google Meet and see only my teacher with their camera on. In these low-participation remote classes, the teacher usually starts lecturing and occasionally asks a question to the “room” at large. I’ve seen teachers wait for as long as an entire minute before a student pipes up with an answer in the chat. The teacher continues their lecture without knowing if the icons across the screen are dutifully taking notes or scrolling through their phones half-asleep.

Remote learning has taken a heavy toll on students, but students should remember that our teachers have to teach in a format well outside of their job descriptions. Teachers deserve more empathy from their students during remote learning.

My teachers regularly lament that no one turns their cameras on during a debate, Socratic seminar, or class discussion. So do I, even though I sometimes choose to leave my camera off sometimes because I don’t want to be the only moving figure on a screen full of icons. Camera participation is a touchy subject; students and teachers generally oppose mandating cameras out of respect for privacy, but I imagine that lecturing to a silent Google Meet gets monotonous very quickly. This puts teachers in a difficult position.

Teachers are used to relying on student interest and participation to make their jobs enjoyable, and a no-camera class makes teaching dull and repetitive. I have a couple of classes in which most students choose to be on camera. In these classes, the students know each other better, initiate conversation frequently, and teachers seem happier. Plain apathy toward remote learning can only increase when no one besides the teacher makes an effort to participate, on-camera or otherwise. Camera participation makes online school much less awkward and can help remedy the loss of motivation remote learning has caused for teachers and students alike.

I must admit, I’m one of those nerdy people who enjoy in-person school, but during e-learning, I realized much of my enjoyment comes from interacting with my classmates and teachers. I live for side conversations, debates,

and inside jokes, but these are rarities on a screen. Teachers, who value and rely on such interactions just as much as students, have few options to replicate community online.

Though they are many students’ least favorite aspect of remote learning, functional breakout rooms can be a nice break from lecture-style classes and an opportunity to get to know our classmates, even without cameras. It’s easy for us students to wallow in despair when a teacher announces breakout sessions, but teachers plan for ample small-group time when in-person. Breakout rooms are their only option if they want to retain their usual class structure.

One of my teachers sends us to breako u t

rooms at the beginning of every class and tasks us with asking a get to know you question like “what is your favorite hot beverage?” The conversation usually begins with a timid “um, so...” but it’s a good opportunit y t o have a normal conversation. Many teachers pride themselves on their ability to foster community in their classrooms and I applaud those who remain vigilant in their community-building efforts during virtuallearning.

Breakout rooms aren’t always a positive experience. The most dreaded breakout room scenario is that

when all members refuse to communicate, via chat or otherwise. I often initiate conversation and it’s both annoying and slightly humiliating when no one responds to my attempts at discussion. I also hate seeing expressions of frustrated disappointment on a teacher’s face when they pop into an abandoned breakout room. However, it’s an avoidable event—neglecting breakout rooms doesn’t make remote learning better for anyone. It disappoints teachers and adds unnecessary awkwardness to class.

Even chat and mic participation without cameras make classes more tolerable.

These feeble imitations of in-person interaction are invaluable sparks of joy in this soul-sucking format. In turn, teachers seem happier when their students are engaged and inquisitive. One of my teachers practically jumped for joy when all 22 attendees gave a one-word response to a question in the chat. This indicated to me that teachers are craving any indication that their students are paying attention to their lessons. Another teacher makes an effort to respond verbally to comments in the chat, which usually encourages more participation. Camera participation is helpful, but it certainly isn’t the only way students can show their teachers that they’re awake, listening, and interested.

Online school is infinitely less enjoyable for students than in-person classes, but we have to remember the personal sacrifices teachers are making during this time.

Some have children at home that need assistance in their own virtual classes. Some don’t have access to the technology or reliable internet they do at Jones. Some are struggling to alter their entire curriculums to fit the online format. Most had very little time to plan for remote learning and are still experimenting with ways to make their classes more engaging. Some struggle with technology use. All, I think it is safe to say, are itching to teach in person again.

It is unfair of students to refuse to participate in class out of pure spite; out of consideration for both our teachers and our fellow students, we should meet our teachers halfway while we all try to stay afloat during remote learning.

Serious Business

Students lack engagement in bodies like the Local School Council DONIYA BOYD ‘21 When it comes to student leadership at Jones, we see plenty of students willing to lead causes and put in the effort to make their clubs and organisations run smoothly. But the truth is, these student leaders, and even adults who help these organizations, can’t do their best work without the help of the student body.

The video bombing of the November 10th Local School Council meeting was a perfect example of bodies like the LSC not being taken seriously. At the meeting, inappropriate content was flashed on screen, while users yelled curse words and crude phrases. Students bombarded the meeting with profanity and inappropriate videos, displaying them to parents, teachers and students in the meeting.

While things like this may be intended to be jokes (though it would be in poor taste), mocking bodies like the LSC and interrupting the meetings does more harm to the student body than

good. The LSC may be seen as a boring formality, and a place students are better off engaging in, but in reality the LSC has the power to change things around the school.

The council is also a way to get in direct contact with the administration, who have even more power. This video bombing was a sign of a larger issue: disinterest in school organizations, even ones designed to help students.

Before the start of the pandemic, LSC meetings rarely had more than 5 members of the public attend. When students disengage with organizations designed to help them, we miss opportunities to rally for

things that we want to see in school.

This can also be seen with the Student Government Association. Students engage with events like homecoming and spirit week, but don’t really interact with SGA in other ways. Reaching out to SGA whenever possible, and responding to efforts to communicate with the student body made by SGA, would create more events for students and help better already existing events.

As the LSC Student Representative, I know that these organizations are there to help make school life better for us. It does us good to engage with them as much as possible, and speak our minds to them. It would be incredibly beneficial for students to use bodies like the LSC and SGA to communicate with student leaders and the administration about what we want to see.

Graphics by Fiona Kogan ‘22

PAGE 10 Check out more stories Check out more stories at jonesblueprint.com

JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT JANUARY 25, 2021

WHITNEY SHURTLIFF ’22 Copy Editor Since in-person school discontinued in March, seniors started postsecondary plans without in-person assistance.

Pandemic restrictions caused SAT/ ACT cancellations and seniors have to finish college applications during remote learning.

A common concern for seniors is choosing schools without visiting their campuses. Bem Asfaw ‘21 said she is trying to compensate for in-person tours by contacting college students on social media and asking them for candid evaluations of their school.

“It’s honestly just talking to students who go there, trying to connect with them on Instagram, and just getting them to say the honest truth,” Asfaw said.

Lily Beckert ‘21, who visited one of the schools she is applying to, said the visit significantly changed how she feels about the school.

“It might not be the best place for me, and I didn’t realize that until I actually had to go there,” Beckert said.

Seniors also expressed doubts about whether COVID-19 precautions will allow them to have a normal freshman year at college.

Liza Kholodna ‘21, who is applying to European schools, said she’s grateful that she has options in places where the pandemic is under control.

“They are fully back in school, like no hybrid, no restrictions,” she said. “They’re business as usual, which is awesome.”

The pandemic also impacted students’ letters of recommendation, which are required for most uni-

versities. Asfaw said the lack of time spent in school affected the quality of her recommendation letters.

“[The pandemic] didn’t affect their answer to m y request, but I feel like it did affect the substance of their letter, like, how strong it was, and what they could write about, and how well they knew me, because so many months were cut off from our interaction,” Asfaw said.

Beckert said she wishes she could have spent more time with her current teachers to benefit her letters of recommendation.

“I would definitely be more inclined to ask one of my teachers this year for a letter of recommendation if we had been in-person,” said Beckert. “That way, I feel like they would have gotten to know me better and I would have gotten to know them better.”

Some fret that they don’t have enough activities to include on their applications after their summer plans were canceled.

Training the next generation of leaders Posse Scholarship helps Jones students into top colleges MADELINE FITZGERALD ‘22 Lifestyles Editor XOCHIMILCO CORTEZ ‘23 Lifestyles Staff

Every year, a number of Jones students are

admitted to top colleges through the Posse Scholarship program.

The program provides scholars who are “high-achieving” leaders in their high schools or communities and passionate about teamwork and diversity with mentorship programs and full-ride scholarships to top universities

R’riyon Draine ‘21 is a Posse Scholar who will be attending Cornell University this coming fall. She is the vice president of Minority Students of Impact and Black Student Union.

“I received an email from my counselor at the end of my junior year because he thought Posse could be a good option for me,” Draine said.

Once she decided she was interested in the scholarship program, Draine said she needed to be nominated for it.

“I’d been in Northwestern Academy, a program started by Northwestern University, that works with diverse and academically strong high school students since my freshman year of high school,” said Draine. “My mentor from the program agreed to nominate me for Posse.”

Then, Draine went to her first interview with the scholarship program.

“There were about 100 applicants in the room, and Posse had us write an essay in a certain amount of time, and then there was a discussion where they asked questions about the basics of who you are,” Draine said.

She found out a while later that she was invited to the second round of interviews.

“These interviews were Photos courtesy of Zora Beaty‘21 and R’riyon Draine ‘21

Beckert, who plans on pursuing architecture, said she was unable to attend a nine-day architecture program at Northwestern due to the pandemic.

“It was going to be a really big thing that I was going to put on my resume, and I was kind of banking on that,” said Beckert. “So once it got canceled I kind of had to scramble to find online programs to put in my resume. Only one of them produced tangible items or things that I can put in my portfolio.”

Many universities are test-optional for fall 2021 applicants, but the SAT is still a Chicago Public Schools graduation requirement. Koholda said her SAT was canceled five times before she was able to take it at Jones in September.

“Going into the one at Jones, I was like, this is really my only chance. And it was kind of nerve-wracking,” Kholodna said.

Seniors also have to decide whether or not to submit their SAT/ACT scores to test-optional schools.

“I’ve been hearing from admissions advisors that if we can take [tests] that we should because a lot of the times admissions counselors will see that you’re not reporting scores and immediately assume that you just didn’t do well,” said Beckert. “That kind of scared me.”

Other seniors take comfort in knowing that admissions officers consider the effects the pandemic has on their lives.

“It’s super stressful, but what’s keeping us together is just understanding that these [admissions officers] are humans,” said Asfaw. “They know that it’s out of our control, and we just have to try our best and do what’s best for you in your own situation.”

Graphics by Ava Thompson ‘21 Illustrations by Whitney Shurtliff ‘22

one-on-one, and they really got into your personal interests and what you are about,” said Draine. “Right after, you ranked the schools that Posse is partnered with depending on which ones you liked.”

Draine was then informed that she had become a finalist, and that her first choice, Cornell University, was showing interest in her.

“Committing to being a finalist is a big decision, though, because it’s an Early Decision application,” Draine said. “If you get into the college you’re a finalist for, then you have to go.”

Draine was accepted to Cornell after a final interview. She is set to begin pre-college training at the start of February.

“Posse offers weekly lessons on how to deal with race on college campuses and how to be a responsible student before they send you off to school,” said Draine. “I’m also going to college with 10 other scholars, and having that support so I don’t feel alone is invaluable to me.”

Even outside of college, the Posse Scholarship will be helping

students like Tenzin Kunsang ‘21 in the job market to ensure their success.

“They have many connections with different organizations and companies, so when you’re looking for a job, many companies have spots reserved for Posse students specifically because they know that Posse students are really bold and communicative leaders,” said Kunsang.

She said her choice of Cornell was fitting, as it was the only Posse-partnered college to have exactly the major she was looking for.

“Since I want to be a physician I have to go to med school, but thankfully Posse is there to help me along the way,” said Kunsang.

Students involved in the Posse program can succeed even if they don’t earn the scholarship. Zora Beaty ‘21 was nominated for the Posse Scholarship, but did not make it past the initial round of interviews.

She said she was immediately drawn to Posse because of its mission and the many resources offered to scholars.

“Even though I didn’t earn the Posse Scholarship, the program still connected me with many other scholarship opportunities, which was super helpful as I applied to colleges,” said Beaty.

PAGE 11 Last Eagle Day The final Eagle Day of the year will take place Jan. 27

JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT JANUARY 25, 2021

CPS changes selective enrollment process

Eighth graders apply to selective enrollment high schools amidst pandemic WHITNEY SHURTLIFF ‘22 Copy Editor

To accommodate families during the pandemic, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) made significant changes to its 2020-21 selective enrollment application process.

CPS recently extended the high school application deadline to Jan. 9, 2021, and both the high school admissions examination and the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Map test will take place in person.

For fall of 2021 high school admission, CPS will consider students’ highest Map scores from either spring 2019, fall 2019, winter 2019, fall 2020, or winter 2020.

Allison Xu, an eighth-grader at Lane Tech, said her score from spring of 2019 will not help her get into her school of choice, Whitney Young.

“We actually didn’t take [the NWEA] in seventh grade, so my highest score would be from sixth grade. They would be in the like, 85th percentile, so those wouldn’t pass,” said Xu.

Xu said she is taking the NWEA again this winter.

“I definitely feel really nervous and way less prepared than I would normally, and also, in general, I’m not really enthusiastic about it,” Xu said.

When schools switched to e-learning last spring, most middle-school students were unable to take the NWEA. CPS administered the test in October and is providing additional testing dates.

Xu said she feels less prepared to take the test now than she did last spring.

“I feel like it would have been easier if we went to school still because I’m not that good at time management and individually prepping for tests,” said Xu. “I just don’t feel like I would be able to do as well. I’m less prepared.”

An eighth-grader at Kenwood Academic Center, Taylor Hampton, said online learning has not adequately prepared her for the Map test.

“The online learning that I’ve been doing currently has not been as sufficient as in-person learning, so

I probably won’t be at a better advantage,” Hampton said.

Florencia Fabian, an eighth-grader at Alexander Graham Bell School, said she feels confident about the admissions process and in submitting her NWEA score from winter of seventh grade.

“Our school counselor talked with my class about the [admissions] process and how to view your scores for the NWEA and how it affects what school you get into and stuff,” said Fabian.

CPS will not consider attendance in the 2020-21 high school admissions as schools did not track attendance last spring. Hampton said she appreciates this change.

“That’s probably a better option because, since COVID happened and everything, a lot of the attendance rates have gone down because, maybe internet issues.

So I think

that’s a good idea,” she said.

S i n c e CPS will administer both the NWEA and the high school admissions exam this winter, they will have to adhere to state social distancing guidelines and other safety protocols.

“I’m hoping that the groups are small and that they are safely socially-distanced,” said Hampton.

Fabian said COVID-19 safety protocols might add confusion to the testing process.

“We’re usually pretty safe about [COVID-19 precautions], I guess. So it’s kind of like, concerning,” said Fabian. “The way they set up the test and stuff is probably going to be different this year than it was when I was in seventh grade. So it’s maybe a little bit confusing.”

Despite the CPS accommodations, some high school applicants said the pandemic has still added stress to their application process.

“I have to worry about being sick and taking the test. I have to worry about my scores because, in seventh grade, half of my school year was COVID,” said Hampton. “I had to do online school and that was a really big change for me, so I was really worried about my grades, my test scores, and applying to the schools.”

Graphic by Guin MacLowry ’22

Freshmen begin finals remotely Ninth graders take first midterms from home

XOCHIMILLO CORTEZ ’23 Lifestyles Staff NORAH HENDRICKSON ‘23 School Staff

Despite finals being less than a week away, some freshmen said they aren’t sure of what their finals are going to look like or how to prepare.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, freshmen started their first year at Jones remotely. Now, they prepare for their first finals on their own.

“I don’t know whether or not to be nervous because I just don’t know what to expect,” said Zola Ma ‘24.

Freshmen said they are hoping more information will be shared with them. Principal Joseph Paul Powers shared a new finals schedule for this semester through one of the school’s weekly updates. Finals are spread over four days instead of the traditional three and will start on Monday, Feb. 1 instead of on the normal Tuesday.

“It would be nice if in the next week or two, we could get more information on that, I think that’d be very beneficial to everyone.” Ma said.

With a lack of information from their teachers, freshmen have turned to older peers to understand how finals might be conducted.

“I have a sophmore friend and he has helped me a little bit to understand what finals are like,” said Étienne LaFlamme ‘24. “So, I guess that makes me feel a little more comfortable but in general I’m kind of nervous.”

Though they will be taking their first high school final online after a virtual semester, LaFlamme and Ma both agree they don’t feel negatively impacted.

“I don’t think I’m disadvantaged,” LaFlamme said.

“In fact, I’d say, in some ways it’s probably an advantage.”

Some freshmen said their classes have been easier online and are confident that they have been prepared for the content of the finals.

“Everything got to be kind of a little bit easier and I’m not afraid that there’s gonna be stuff that we don’t know on the finals. I feel like they probably already taught us everything. Again, I’m unfamiliar with the format of the finals though,” Ma said.

Being virtual has brought social challenges to freshmen along with their preparation for finals.

“I feel like if I was at school I would probably have friends and we’d be able to study together for the finals or something,” said Ma. “But I don’t know a lot of people and I’m kind of on my own.”

Math teacher Sarah Rayski, who this year is teaching a class of both freshmen and sophomores, said she understands the “social isolation” that freshmen might be dealing with. She said she is trying to “break students out

of their shells” during class time.

“For freshmen, they might not know anybody and it’s really isolating to be quarantined and be learning remotely when you’re by yourself,” Rayski said.

In Rayski’s math class, students interact with each other through fun questions to get to know their classmates.

“We try to do things that are not necessarily academically related like questions of the day about your favorite childhood movie to find some points that we have in common, that we can relate on and people can build on in their breakout rooms, just to give a little more identity to each other so that we’re not so you know some blank screen,” said Rayski.

As for finals, Rayski said the Jones administration is adding to the pressure students are already facing due to COVID-19.

“The whole thing is just crazy and to be giving a final in the middle of a pandemic is a little bit of added stress,” Rayski said.

To alleviate this anxiety, she decided to lessen the weight of finals this semester by having it count for 10 percent instead of 20 percent of students’ final grade .

“I don’t think it’s a valid form of assessment for those higher order thinking kinds of things. I just don’t think the stress level is fair in the middle of a pandemic,” Rayski said.

Graphic by Ava Thompson ’21

PAGE 12 Sports are back!

Governor Pritzker announces plan for IHSA sports to resume play.

JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT January 25, 2021

Jaden Jones to Kishwaukee College Baseball player takes his talents to the next level MAKAI SINGLETON ‘22 Sports Staff

On Nov. 18, Jaden Jones ‘21 committed to Kishwaukee College in Malta, Illinois to continue his academic and baseball career for the next two years.

Jones had interest and offers from both two and four year schools, but Kishwaukee was the school that Jones thought could help him develop.

“I chose Kishwaukee College for a lot of different reasons,” said Jones.

“This was the best two year school offer because of the division they are in.”

Kishwaukee is in Illinois and not too far from NIU. Jones gets to stay in state and develop at one of the most respected junior colleges while also having the chance to go to NIU and experience what life is like there as well.

“The location was a factor because some o f the junior colleges in Illinois are in very rural areas with not much around, Kishwaukee is down the road from NIU giving it the feel of a four year school,” said Jones.

Kishwaukee found Jones on a recruitment site called “FieldLevel” and were interested in his talents. From there, coaches reached out to him to get to know him better and the rest is history.

“Talking to their coaching staff I could tell that they were very invested into the players and the program to not only have the school win games but also to move their players in larger four year schools to play baseball,” said Jones.

Although Jones did not get a chance to play his senior season due to the COVID-19 outbreak, people in and around the sport that know him said Jones has proved himself during his previous school seasons and club seasons.

“Jaden is a very gifted and talented player who hits with power and can play multiple positions. He’s a top notch pitcher who is very competitive,” said varsity baseball coach Dave Rosene.

“Kishwaukee is getting an outstanding prospect.”

His teammates from this year and previous years also have a lot of faith in Jones and where his career could go.

“Jaden is a great hitter and an even better pitcher,” said teammate Max Marco ‘21.

“He has a great arm that allows him to have a powerful fastball and confuse the hitter with his off speed.”

Jones has been an avid lover of baseball since he was two years old, when his dad introduced him to the game. “[T]his game taught me so much about life. It’s my first love and always will be,” said Jones.

Photo courtesy of Jaden Jones ‘21

CATCH UP Team captain Caleb Sharkey ‘21 leading team to victory in Valorent match vs Plainfield North

Jones E-sports continues winning streak Jones Valorent team has another victorious weekend TOMMY CLELAND ‘21 Sports Staff MAKAI SINGLETON ‘22 Sports Staff

The Jones Valorant E-Sports team continued its winning streak after defeating Plainfield North on Jan. 9, and improved their record to 3-1.

Valorant is a team-based, tactical shooter video game.

The game consists of one attacking team and one defending team. Both teams can pick characters with different special abilities and have their choice of weapon. The object of the game is to eliminate all of the members of the other team.

Each match has three games. To win the match, one school has to win two out of three games and each game is played to 13 points.

The first match was hectic as Jones went up 127, but Plainfield came back and tied it, sending the game into overtime. Jones ended up winning the game 16-14.

“I think for the first match exclusively we played with good energy and confidence which was super helpful,” said team captain Caleb Sharky ‘21.

The second game was the polar opposite. Plainfield managed to counter Jones’ successful strategies from the first

game and come out on top. Thus, the team fell 13-11, and the match was tied one to one, forcing a winner-takes-all game three.

“In game two we kept trying the same things which weren’t working,” said team member Ben Roitman ‘21.

In the third game, Jones turned things around and beat Plainfield 13-7. Jones was doing whatever they could to finish off the match, attempting to mirror the successes of their first game.

“Going into game three we knew we needed to change up our play style for each round,” said Roitmen.

Jones was able to close things out and not give Plainfield a chance to comeback.

“When we went up 12-7 in the last game we knew we needed to close out the game and finish,” said team member Alan Zavala ‘21.

The team played with a lot of skill and had very good chemistry between teammates. Jones was able to clutch out their third victory of the year, and said they were proud of the way they played.

“Our strengths were that we listened well and were able to adapt to the other team,” said Sharky. “For the future, we can work on positioning and just master the fundamentals.”

Photo by Tommy Cleland ‘21

Senior athletes say they are unhappy with season turnout Some high school sports seasons still up in the air NIKOLA BILAVER‘21 Sports Staff NORAH HENDRICKSON‘23 School Staff

Many sports have been cancelled or delayed by Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) due to COVID-19. For some senior athletes, COVID-19 related sport cancellations came as a “big blow” as they hoped for college scholarships and one last chance to play.

CPS indefinitely postponed high school sports in December due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in Chicago. They have yet to announce a restart date for sports.

A member of the girls basketball team, Charleen Necor ‘21, said some skilled athletes may have missed important chances for future athletic careers in college.

“I know a lot of players that have possibly lost opportunities for scholarships that are for recruitment things like that because of our cancellation,” said Necor.

On top of that, seniors said they are not happy due to a lack of information over the status of their seasons, if their season hasn’t been cancelled.

“We haven’t really been told anything besides what’s been in the news, and even our coach doesn’t know much,” said boys soccer player Gianrobert Pinto ‘21.

The constantly changing state of the COVID-19 plans are stressful on these seniors, as they still don’t have a clear answer about the status of their seasons.

“I’m pretty sure like me, the rest of the team would much rather have someone just tell us like ‘oh you’re not going to have a season’, and just be upfront, instead of having to keep wondering and being led on and have new news come out and give us false hope, and it’s a little frustrating,” said Pinto.

But one of the most impactful things about this delay for senior athletes is not being able to practice with their team.

“I think that the other seniors are kinda in the same boat as me,” said boys swimmer Devin Otto ‘21. “We miss our team, all of us, and the great part about swimming was going through it together with your team.”

Many seniors were making plans for their final year as a high school athlete to enjoy their last chance to compete with their team.

“I think senior year was gonna be the year that I tried not to stress as much about swimming. I was just gonna try to have fun and be with my team,” said Otto.

This feeling of losing the team translates across all sports, especially the more team-focused sports like soccer and basketball.

“What I miss most about soccer is, I think, just like being outside and just being around my teammates. You know, like, outside of also just competing,” said Pinto. “I like to compete and I like to play, but also like to do it alongside people that, you know, I can have fun with and that I could enjoy being around.”

However, in the end, some seniors still accept these circumstances, as COVID-19 makes it impossible for these sports to be conducted safely.

“Personally, I’m okay with not having a season because I understand how scary this pandemic is,” said Necor. “I don’t want anyone to feel responsible for other people getting sick because even though people usually don’t have bad effects from COVID, there are certain things that have happened. I don’t want to put my family in here and things like that so I understand why.”