Tuesday, March 17, 2020
The Student Newspaper of Jones College Preparatory High School
Volume 5, Issue 5
ESCAPE THROUGH FANTASY
Staff creates Dungeons and Dragons club for creative outlet SAVANNAH CLARK ‘20 Lifestyles Editor AVA THOMPSON ‘21 School Editor
ent personalities that we project and different concepts and different classes. The campaign allows us to be ourselves and be silly people with each other.” Each teacher has their own character they have created, and role-play as this character. “It’s a role-playing game [and] we do try and get into it,” Fay said. “I use funny voices or they’ll start arguing in character.” Everyone in the party has to make their own character through writing and worksheets. Members of the party don’t use pre-existing characters as one would use in a board game. “It was pretty open-ended,” said art teacher Suzanne Makol Zamudio. “Dr. Fay gave us this general backstory, like we were all from this town. He gave
be a fun event to have once a week, but DnD can have other benefits outside the sessions. “Instead of vegging out, watching TV or something, I’ll plan the adventure instead,” Fay said. “So for me, it’s a nice creative output, cause Goblins and wizards and orcs, I’m drawing the maps, planning oh my! out the session, the adventure, While most people or the battle that they may face spend their free time relaxing on the next Monday, and it’s with a good TV show or book, a bit of a storytelling thing.” others prefer a more hands-on A strict session experience. For assistant prinschedule at first can feel cipal Eric Fay, this interactive unconventional, but ulhobby comes in the form of timately is beneficial. the role-playing game Dun “Having a scheduled geons and fun thing, D r a g o n s . the pressure of Fay’s inspiration everyone else to create a staff Dunis relying on you,” geons and Dragons (or said Makol Zamudio. DnD) club came from a “If I tell myself I’ll go larger surge of new teachto the gym every Tueser-founded clubs, such as day, [I can say] well I’m yoga, tai chi, and book club. too busy today, I’ll just not “The faculty and staff this go, but with the group, they’ll year have done a lot of differmiss out if I’m not there because ent things for wellness [and] to get then it messes with the whole camto know each other and just for fun, paign. It’s weird, you have to pressure really,” said Fay. “And so I had this yourself to do something fun, I think idea to play Dungeons and Dragons that’s why it’s so nice to have it.” because I’ve been playing my whole Even if the campaign only life. I was like, ‘This is definitely meets once a week, for some, it a wellness thing, it’s really fun.’” GETTING INTO CHARACTER Brian Coleman and Eric Fay dress up in costume garments means something to look forward to. Continuous Dungeons and while role playing their characters to further bring the game environment to life. “On Mondays, we work Dragons games are called camand work, and then as soon as we paigns, with every session adding on to the story. The us a little bit to start with. For me personally, I base it get down in the conference room and close the door group of people playing in the story is called the party. on my own personality. I’m not the type who will be we just totally nerd out,” Fay said. “We forget where “There are six total people in the teacher right in the action like fighting, I’ll be the healer in the we’re even at, we’re just immersed in this fantasy club. The six of us have been playing eleven weeks or back. That’s why I’m a Cleric and I’m a human cleric.” land with goblins and bandits and it’s just really fun.” twelve weeks already,” Fay said. “We play on Monday The role-playing involves character work but Since a few months have passed since the creation evenings at five, and we’re just having a lot of fun.” also light costuming such as elf ears and other hats. of the campaign, the members have grown closer together. The party has grown in closeness since the start of “Some of us have a lot of fun with the experience “Other colleagues will pass by and see us playing the campaign, making the weekly event more anticipated. and take the level of roleplaying strictly for entertainment during our session,” said Dominguez. “There will be kind “We’re definitely a very fun group and we purposes and to be playful with it,” said Dominguez. “We of some smirks and some laughs but I think they’re all kind get to see each other’s personalities that we don’t don’t all-out roleplay and change our physique complete- of jealous. They’re all secretly jealous because we all have see at work especially being in the classroom,” said ly. Some people like to play fun things when we play.” so much fun and so many people are missing out on and art teacher Gabriel Dominguez. “There are differ- On the surface, playing DnD can just wanna be part of that community. They won’tBlustein admit it.” Photos by Joshua ‘20
How to play DnD SAVANNAH CLARK ‘20 Lifestyles Editor
First:
Find a group of friends to build a party! About five to seven players total is ideal for a DnD group, or party. One player will be the designated Dungeon Master, or DM. The remaining players will each role play as their own character in their actions and dialogue. The DM directs the game, telling the other players what they come across and how their actions play out.
Ever wished you could live a different life? One filled with wizards, quests, and enchanted armor? If that’s the case, Dungeons and Dragons, or DnD, may be the game for you! While the preparation is lengthy, actual gameplay is fairly simple. As long as you’re equipped with the correct dice, an imaginative mindset, and some enthusiastic friends, the game—and a whole world of fantasy—is in your hands.
Third:
Second:
Create a character! One of the more intricate parts of the game, but also most vital to an interesting gameplay, is the creation of each players’ characters. Character sheets instruct party members with everything they need, including the character’s name, race, class, and statistics. Intertwining characters’ backgrounds can make for a more interesting gameplay.
Fourth:
Find a campaign!
Make the game come to life!
A campaign is the big quest or adventure that the players go on. The DM’s job is to either create a campaign from scratch or choose one from the hundreds of prewritten DnD adventures. Ensure that all party members will enjoy the campaign!
Adding a physical map and character figurines heightens the reality of the game and helps visualize combat. Figurines and maps are available for purchase online, but when playing on a budget can easily be made for free at home. Making a map is simple, any large sheet of paper will do, just draw on rows of squares like a chessboard for characters to move in. Figurines can realistically be just about any small object that will fit in the board squares— coins and assorted board game pieces generally work.
Fifth:
Have fun! Really, the game is what you make it. Role-playing as your character whether with voice, dialogue, or body language creates an energetic and fun environment. Be creative with what you make your character say and do, and remember to always work with your party members, not against. Anything is possible— go crazy!
Graphics by Emma Casillas ‘20
PAGE 2 Stop the Germs Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds using warm soap and water.
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Careful coverage
Sophomore advocates for less attention to coronavirus panic FIONA KOGAN ‘22 School Staff As poet Thomas Gray said, “ignorance is bliss”; in this case, that may ring true. The mass media has been, since the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China, reporting thoroughly on the virus’ spread to Europe and the United States. International travel has been stunted and the stock market has been plummeting wildly. However, if you take a moment to observe the actual effects of the disease on citizens, there is little reason to be alarmed. It is important to note the facts about coronavirus that have been overlooked in the mass hysteria spread by the media. The World Health Organization estimated the mortality rate of coronavirus to be 3.4 percent, meaning the measure of global deaths it has caused thus far. This death rate mainly represents a community already vulnerable, including infants, elderly citizens, and those with preexisting illness or disabilities. Though the mortality rate continues to fluctuate, it appears unlikely that it will increase drastically unless something changes. Additionally, compared to previous global pandemics such as Cholera, HIV/AIDs, and even the Bubonic Plague, which have killed into the millions, coronavirus seems a mild threat. However, appearances can be deceiving. President Donald Trump has reduced funding for the CDC’s (Center for Disease Control) budget, increasing concern that we as a nation are not prepared for this crisis. Coronavirus was recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, increasing the urgency to stock up in preparation. Objects such as hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and canned foods have been sold out in many stores, both locally and globally. Many people have gone into self-quaran-
tine in reaction to spread of the disease, staying within their homes for a duration of, typically, fourteen days. This reaction is extreme, propelled by the media. The correct reaction, in this situation, would be to go into quarantine only on the recommendation of local government or upon contact with a person contaminated. Coronavirus is a spreading pathogen, and instead of panicking and spreading dangerous false facts, one should follow the instruction of the government, avoid large gatherings, wash hands frequently, and refrain from touching their face. These are, as scientists have outlined, the clearest ways to contain the spread of coronavirus. Therein lies the issue, the fine line between staying informed and adhering to the panic. While it is important to stay informed, I can’t count the number of news notifications I’ve gotten with coronavirus in the headline of the article. With so much media coming in at once, it’s hard to take time to stop and read all the articles. In fact, many of the articles tell you not to worry, but to simply stay calm and follow the CDC’s instructions. People should continue to stay well informed, but should choose carefully what news sources they read. Coronavirus is a very real disease that has begun to spread across the United States. Nearly all of us have a good chance of becoming infected in the near future. These two facts are something we will have to face in the coming months, but once we have come to terms with them the only danger is returning to a state of alarm and playing into this pack-mentality fear. Right now, the most contagious diseases are ignorance and panic, and we should take care to prevent ourselves from contamination.
Spring fever
Coronavirus fears shouldn’t create chaos in CPS In this era of globalization characterized by the incessant diffusion of goods and people, a new pandemic is emerging only a handful of years apart. In 2009, it was the swine influenza virus (SIV), in 2014, it was the ebola virus disease (EVD)—now, it’s the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, that is putting the entire world on lockdown. With fears rising high and national preparedness at an embarrassingly low level, one question is nagging at students: How will CPS respond? With CPS being the thirdlargestschooldistrictinthe country, closing all schools seems unnessecary at this point. Closing schools should be dealt with on a case by case basis in this scenario instead of the CPS administration making decisions for the school district. Of course, it all depends on how this pandemic develops over the coming weeks. Nevertheless, canceling school would have a detrimen tal effect on students’ education and also ravage the city economy. First and foremost, CTA revenue would plummet as thousands of students no longer have a dai ly need for public buses and trains. Small businesses that rely on foot traffic and window shopping to remain viable would suffer as an increasing number of people remain in their homes. Furthermore, families with young children would be forced to either forego wages and attend to their
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child or pay out-of-pocket for an expensive childcare service. This adds unnecessary financial burdens to those families, especially those who attend schools that will most likely not be affected by the virus. On another note, CPS did cancel all international school trips. Although this is understandable given the risk of CPS students contracting the coronavirus on a school-sponsored trip, the move undoubtedly could’ve been handled better. Many students, especially those who planned to go on international trips, lost upwards of four thousand dollars due to the district’s last-minute cancellations and absurd travel company policies that disallow refunds. Rather than canceling ventures across the board, CPS should have approached this problem by analyzing each trip individually, which makes considerable sense given that some travel destinations are less affected by the coronavirus than the United States. Whatever the case, it’s vital that we remember how distorted our perspective may be Graphic by Griffin Bassett ‘20 thanks to the failings of the White House. For one thing, there has been little effort to internationally coordinate a strategy for containment. Back in 2015, one of the primary reasons that Ebola posed little risk to U.S. citizens is that there was an aggressive initiative to develop health infrastructure and stamp out the disease where it initiated—effectively preventing the spread of Ebola from West Africa to the United States. Currently, there appears to be no such robust effort, and,
Graphic by Sisley Mark ‘20
to make matters worse, many Obama-era measures to counteract situations of similar stature have been dismantled, including the White House office that dealt with global pandemics. On top of that, a disgustingly minimal amount of funds have been allocated to the development of sufficient testing resources, so, in all likelihood, the number of cases in the U.S. is considerably higher than the current level—they just haven’t been uncovered yet. Ultimately, the negative economic implications in combination with lost instructional time and the fact that the coronavirus does not appear to be alarmingly widespread within Chicago justifies the decision to have CPS schools remain in session. But taking into account our national unpreparedness and overall lackadaisical response, school closure should be a no-brainer if the virus continues to make its way around classrooms.
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PAGE 3 HAHA Comedy Club’s Faculty Follies set for AcLab on April 16 in the South Auditorium.
Creativity takes courage
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Senior shares her experience with creating art ALISON MCLEOD ‘20 School Staff Artistic talent is commonly found at Jones, but there are few people who express their talent as diversely as Zoe Gac ‘20. Classmates and friends can always see her dedication to art as she works in her journal, and Gac is beginning to show her many talents to the world. Gac has a reaction in mind when she shows her work. “I want it to give them a feeling that they can’t describe,” Gac said. “I just want people to look at it and be like ‘What is that?’ I want it to be kind of confusing and just really captivating. I kind of stopped posting pictures of myself on Instagram, and I’m trying to show who I am through my art. I’m not in the things that I draw, but it’s kind of a way to make my brain come out onto paper. I wanna give them an idea of who I am.” Gac has begun to sell her art online, first through a website called Redbubble, and now by posting on social media to sell clothes that she prints her designs on. Over the past few weeks, students at Jones have been seen frequently wearing her artwork on clothing. “It’s so fulfilling and it just brings me so much happiness,” Gac said. “I pass them in the hall and it makes me super happy. It just motivates me even more to keep making art. It’s kind of mind-blowing because in my head I think people are buying it just out of pity, but to see that people are actually wearing it and posting about it is really gratifying.” Gac said that selling clothes with her designs is helping her see that her art can be something that can support her. “I’m having to break out of that mindset that you can’t make a living as an artist, you can as long as you make it happen,” Gac said. “And I’m just really grateful that I have a style that people are into. For so long people have been telling me ‘You should do something bigger with your art.’ And I was just scared because I didn’t know what it would be.” Ari Dworkin-Cantor ‘20, one of Gac’s closest friends, was very supportive of Gac’s idea to share her art through selling items. “I think it’s awesome, people have been selling their art all around Jones and I think that supporting artists and art in general creates a really great artistic community at Jones,” Dworkin-Cantor said. A big part of Gac’s artistic talent is her journaling. She has created over ten journals filled with her thoughts expressed in drawings and words. Looking back on her journals filled with her work, Gac is able to use her art to reflect on how she got to where she is now. “It’s really cool to see the progression of not only my mental health getting better, but also my art getting better at the same time. I see it simultaneously growing,” Gac said. “It helps me practice, if you just do something everyday for years you will get better and stuff. It’s a really clear cut way to look at it.” Gac uses different forms of art to express herself, and often finds that using multiple forms of art to describe an experience is helpful. “I drew something yesterday, and then I wrote a poem about what I drew. It’s kind of cool to write something, and draw something, and then have a poem about it, because you kind of get a whole idea of something,” Gac said. “Sometimes the art can inspire the writing and the writing can inspire the art.”
Gac feels that her journal is more private than the art and poems she chooses to share with others, and for that reason she would never sell her journals, despite them being filled with her talent. “Mostly it’s kinda scary to look back at them because I was in a much darker place,” Gac said. I can kind of read between the lines of what I was writing and see that I was in a lot of pain and was trying to justify it.” Gac is also the singer for the band Square One, and writes original lyrics for the songs that the band performs. She started doing this on a whim after realizing how much she enjoys singing. “I would just sing in the shower and stuff like that, but I didn’t really think that it was something I could actually do,” Gac said. “I had just been writing poetry for so long and just like writing, that it just came naturally to just write songs and melodies.” The most important advice Gac wants to give is that everybody has a creative side in them, and she wants others to feel free to explore it. “I hate when people tell me ‘I can’t even draw.’ Everybody can draw, it doesn’t matter if it looks good. You will find your style, it will start to come naturally,” Gac said. “There’s really no wrong way to do art. As long as it comes out of your head then it’s great because it wasn’t there before, and now you just created something. Don’t judge yourself too much because you’ll never know what your art looks like from someone else’s perspective.” Art teacher Suzanne Makol Zamudio agrees with Gac’s message, and stresses the importance of finding a creative outlet for people of all ages. “When you’re little, and you ask a classroom, ‘Who’s an artist?’ everyone would raise their hand. And as you get older and older less people identify that way. Which is kind of sad, I think that’s part of why we like being art teachers, to bring that out again in people,” Zamudio said. “Whether or not you consider yourself an artist, it’s just really important to have creative outlets. It could be baking a cake, it could be writing a song, anything. But it’s just part of what makes us human. Otherwise, we’re just robots, right?”
Artwork courtesy of Zoe Gac ‘20
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The halls are alive with the sound of candidates
Vote Find your local polling place at bit.ly/ illinoisvoting for the Illinois Primary.
Students voice their opinion on 2020 presidential candidates JOSHUA LAZAR’21 Sports Staff *Indicates a name has been changed Currently, the country is in the midst of a very polarizing and contentious election. At Jones there are varying opinions on each candidate as well. “I think Bernie [Sanders] is the most radical candidate in the democratic party,” said Sanders supporter Doniya Boyd ‘21. “I think that we have been stuck in the same system for so long where certain groups of people have been perpetually put down, and I feel like we need somebody who is going to change the system for the best.” 65% of Jones students support Sanders, for his progressive policies, which if implemented would reform the federal healthcare system and the economic theory of capitalism. “I really like his push against billionaires and against the rich,” said Boyd. “We have been in the same system for so long, and if we have either moderate or conservative presidents, we will keep having moderate or conservative policies, and that’s obviously not working because people are suffering.” Even though Sanders’ policies are considered radical, Boyd is optimistic that his policies can become law, citing his fellow progressives in Congress. “We have AOC [Rep. Alexandria Occasio-Cortez (D-NY-14)] in the House of Representatives and people like her pushing for the same stuff that Bernie is,” said Boyd. Although Sanders is appealing to many who are considered liberal or further left political views, another contender, former Vice President Joe Biden, appeals to more moderate democrat voters compared to Sanders. “I support Joe Biden because I believe stability that is necessary for our country right now, and I believe that he is by far the most experienced candidate, having served on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and having served as a senator that has made an incredible amount of bills,” said Biden supporter Rachel Nasatir ‘21. Several Biden support-
ers believe that he is a less polarizing figure than the other candidates due to centralized policies. “I also really believe that Biden has the ability to unite the country together on both sides of the political scale,” said Nasatir. “I feel very strongly about his social issues and some of his economic issues, and I really think that he can gather this country after this hard time we have had with Trump.” In this election, Biden has been criticized for his “lack of charisma”. Despite remarks of Biden’s older age prompting inability to serve, Nasatir believes Biden’s experience trumps his older age. “I think for sure that as someone ages and as he is older he might not have that young type of glow, but I also think that it shows that he is a very wise and experienced type of candidate who knows how to deal with the country,” said Nasatir. “I think that he can possibly bring a candidate for vice president that could cultivate the younger generation as well.” As a school with many students who have more liberal political views, there are not many Trump supporters. However, he is still a very prominent candidate, whom many believe is the front runner in the upcoming general election. “To start I grew up in a very republican household,” said Fred Johnson ‘21*. Originally, Johnson supported Trump because he believed he was a better candidate than Hillary Clinton. “In the last election he was the best candidate as opposed to Hillary Clinton, and I had a lot more trust towards Trump than I did towards the Clintons,” said Johnson. “There have been a lot of scandals on both sides but, especially since the past scandals with the Clintons, and stuff like the email scandal, and different stories like that, I did not trust that family.” Although in 2016
Johnson supported Trump more as a lesser of two evils, he still supports him now for a similar reason. “Bernie is far too socialist in my opinion, and his views are kind of polar to mine,” said Johnson. “I don’t mind Biden, but my only problem with Biden as a person is that I do not really think he can get stuff done: I think he is a little too passive. Although Johnson does not agree with all of Trump’s policies, he agrees with some and falls into his base. “I think Trump’s immigration policies are a little extreme,” said Johnson. “But I agree with his stress on security.” Johnson also disagrees with many of the criticisms of Trump, including the criticism that Trump has not acted to prevent climate change. “A lot of critiques of Trump are stuff like climate change, and how he is not doing a lot about it, but I am personally not incredibly worried about climate change,” said Johnson. “I believe it is something where it is going to take years and years, and I do not think that we have to shut everything down and immediately change everything we are doing, so I do not think that there is an immense amount of pressure to do everything right now.” Johnson does agree with some of the actions that Trump has taken during his first term as well. “As controversial as it was I agreed with the Iran attacks, I agree that that was a threat to the security of American soldiers and the future security of them,” said Johnson. “Another thing I like about Trump is how aggressive he can be internationally because I think it is important to have a strong face in this country.”
Grind Time Juniors take the SAT on April 14th.
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2020 Primaries: Jones decides 1%
0.7%
4.7%
Freshman
3.2%
Sophomores 21.8% 5.1%
26.2%
1.8%
5.7%
28.7%
69.2% 3%
60.8%
2.6%
0.9%
Juniors
2.3%
2.6%
65.5%
26.1%
2%
Seniors
6.3%
0.3%
24.3% 68.1% 67.1%
Fast Facts
On March 6th, Jones students and staff were polled on who they support as the future presidential candidate. In total, 1,267 people completed the poll.
73% of women and Out of everyone who 54% of men, along voted for Trump, with 69% of Asians 61% were white and and 79% of Hispan78% were male ics support Sanders
35% of Sanders supporters and 17% of Biden supporters are eligible to vote in the 2020 election
Faculty
2.6%
50.9%
47.3%
Graphics by Myles Cole ‘20
Two’s company, but three’s a crowd America’s two-party system leaves voices unheard JACK BURKHARDT ‘20 Since the mid-1800s, American politics have been dominated by two political parties: Democrats and Republicans. While we do have plenty of other, smaller parties — the Green party and Libertarian party often come to mind — these minor groups are often too small to win any races and therefore have very few people in office that belong to them. The modern-day Democrat party is considered to be more liberal and progressive-minded, advocating for bigger government, stronger social programs, and supporting social liberties such as gay rights and abortion. Modern Republicans on the other hand are more conservative and traditional-minded, and wish for smaller federal government, less economic restrictions, and fighting fiercely for property and gun rights. Yet within these parties lie many large factions, with four being the most prominent: hardline conservatives and moderate conservatives among Republicans, and moderate liberals and progressives among Democrats. Even among these four factions, ideologies can vary from fasicism to communism and everywhere in between. And this is where we reach the fundamental problem with only having two parties in American poliGraphic by Enzo Zerillo ‘20
tics; these two groups are trying to represent an incredibly wide range of political ideologies, creating much infighting within each party. A prominent example of this in the current 2020 presidential election are the Deocratic primaries, where the party has split with more moderate Democrats coalescing around Joe Biden and progressives fighting for Bernie Sanders, with each camp bashing the other and refusing to compromise. This issue is not unique to Democrats, though; Republicans faced the same problem in the 2016 primaries when hardline Republicans found a home with Donald Trump and moderate conservatives coalesced around people like Jeb Bush and John Kasich. This intraparty divide expands beyond ideology as well. Both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are outsiders to their respective parties, with Biden and Bush being household Democrat and Republican names. This created a rift between “establishment” party members who had lots of experience serving in politics with that party and the more outsiders who were running under the party’s name even if they often attacked that same party. This division has made voters unhappier than ever
with politics, as often their party’s nominee is someone that only half the party wants to passionately back or feel like they align with. The other half feels as though their party does not care about their voices or views, causing them to not show up at polls or even vote for the other party’s nominee in more extreme cases of protesting. It is clear that just two parties is no longer enough for all voters to pick the right candidate for them and that we need more options for those who are disaffected with their current options. Many other countries with strong democracies have multiple major political parties. The United Kingdom is one example, with a Conservative party, progressive Labour party, centrist Liberal Democrats party, and a pro-Scottish independence party. Spain, Mexico, and Canada are other prominent countries with three or more major parties. Even if the other major parties in those countries don’t win national leader roles, they are still able to represent their voters’ views in congress and local governments. This is exactly what America needs, being a representative Democracy: more options that truly represent what the people want instead of two large and vague groups.
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Diplomacy Now Model UN holds first conference on April 23. Find out more or sign up at jonescollegeprep.org
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Cadence at Carnegie
Orchestra playing Carnegie Hall for spring break CARRIGAN GARRITY ‘22 Lifestyles Staff MADELINE FITZGERALD ‘22 Lifestyles Staff
entered work from our spring concert and a bit from our winter one, just the best of the best.” The orchestra will be playing Mozart’s “Divertimento in D major”, Nelhýbel’s “Danza”, Holst’s “Finale” from St. Paul’s Suite, and the all-important “Waltz” from Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. “Tchaikovsky conducted the inaugural concert at Carnegie Hall,” Basa said. “He came all the way from Russia. We wanted to do something to honor his work and time in the space.” The venue will be open to the public, exposing the
Some orchestra students, such as first chair violinist Aria Messina ’21, are accustomed to playing at famous concert venues in places as far away as Italy, but are excited to be a part of the experience nonetheless. “Carnegie Hall is similar to other con When the lights dim over Carnegie Hall this cert halls I’ve played independently, but I think spring break, audiences will not be seeing the faces of prothis is an amazing opportunity for our orchestra to fessional musicians that they are accustomed to, but rathgain recognition in the music world,” Messina said. er the visages of Jones orchestra students. The orchestra Similarly, first chair violist Reese Scott ‘21 has has been given the opportunity to play on the hallowed played at Symphony Center in Chicago, among other venues. stage of Carnegie Hall alongside elite music students “Carnegie Hall is this prestigious place that from high schools across the you hear about when you first nation in student travel comstart playing an instrument,” pany, WorldStrides’ Instrusaid Scott. “It’s just crazy mental Music Festival, a part that our high school orchestra of their Onstage Programs. would be performing there.” Carnegie Hall has his In preparation for the contorically been reserved for only cert, the orchestra has been the most accomplished musipracticing these pieces for cians. The prestigious music hall months, and they expect the has drawn much attention due to showcase to go smoothly. its rich history and impressive Messina has high hopes for architecture, and it has caught the showcase, but she recogthe eye of composers and artnizes that the group still needs ists from the late 1800s to now, to put in a bit more work. making it one of the most famous “We have things we still need concert venues in the world. to figure out, but we’ll get there. “It’s a once in a lifetime opporWe have been playing our pieces tunity for most people. It’ll be since October or maybe even Sepreally amazing to play Carnetember, and I think they will turn gie Hall and hang out in New out amazingly,” said Messina. York with friends,” said first The orchestra members chair cellist Lara Villano ‘21. often practice at home as well. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Advanced Orchestra students rehearse their pieces for the Carne The music center “I don’t practice a lot gie Hall showcase. has invited the Intermediate of pieces, but I do work and Advanced orchestra to play in the concert during high schoolers to an audience of varying music tastes and ages. on technique as a whole and playing cello in genthe break. They will be working with famous conduc- “Tickets will be sold at the box of- eral, which helps me in orchestra,” said Villano. tors and adjudicators, such as Frank Battisti, creator fice,” Basa said. “Anyone can come watch.” Messina also practices for a large portion of her time. of the New England Conservatory’s Wind Ensemble In addition to their Carnegie Hall performance, the 51 orches“I only practice orchestra music for a litand considered one of the foremost authorities on wind tra students will be enjoying their three days in New York City tle bit of time each day, but I practice other mumusic literature in the world, and Craig Kirchhoff, Pro- by playing for fellow guests at their hotel and sightseeing. sic for four to five hours a day,” said Messina. fessor of Conducting at the University of Minnesota. “We’re going to Radio City Music Hall, Rockefel- Basa herself is especially confident in the After extensive work just to apply for the right to play, ler Center and Top of the Rock, Ellis Island to see the Statue ability of her students to impress the music world. their efforts paid off when they earned a place on the stage. of Liberty. We’re seeing Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway, “With this concert, we’ll put Jones Col “I had to submit live pieces from the Jones and we’ll wander around Central Park and Times Square,” lege Prep on the musical map,” said Basa. orchestra,” said orchestra director, Rhea Basa. “I said Basa. “We’re packing a lot of New York sites in.” Photo by Joshua Blustein ‘20
Caffeine Craze
The newest buzz at Jones AMARA ALEXANDER ‘21 Sports Staff Every day, students stream into school with their necessities for the day. Binders, writing utensils, and electronic devices are tucked tightly under students’ arms or stored in their backpacks. But caffeine is the most essential. Whether it’s Venti iced coffees from Starbucks, Monster, Red Bull, Bang, or even chocolate covered espresso beans, students are finding a way to get a caffeine buzz to head start their day. “An innumerable number of students are walking into Jones every morning with a very large coffee in one hand and a cellphone in the other and I’m concerned about both of those developments,” said librarian Francis Feeley. Caffeine is a stimulant drug, which means that it increases the activity of the central nervous system. “Even though caffeine doesn’t give me actual energy, it increases my heart rate and that’s better than feeling lethargic,” said Camille Nichols ‘21. Nichols, who dances outside of school, consumes one to two caffeinated beverages every day to stay alert. She typically consumes Bang and Monster energy drinks. According to Mayo Clinic, nationally, 83.2 percent of teenagers consume
caffeine on a regular basis, with 96 percent of teenagers consuming caffeine occasionally. The recommended amount of caffeine that should be consumed by adults is 400 mg per day, roughly four cups of coffee or two “energy shot” drinks. However, teenagers are consuming 600-800 mg per day. Out of Jones students surveyed, those that consume caffeine do so at least five days a week. All of them consume around one to two caffeinated beverages per day. “My primary c o n c e r n - librarian Francis Feeley is the volume [of coffee drinks],” said Feeley. “This cycle repeats itself after school. Five minutes after school, students are re-entering the building with new giant vessels filled with coffee.” Sarah Baker ‘23 started drinking coffee while she was on a foreign exchange trip in France, hoping that caffeine would alleviate her jet lag.
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“I was just super jet-lagged all the time and I haven’t stopped since then. I’ve tried to drink less but that hasn’t worked out either,” said Baker. Baker says that she’s dependent upon her large travel mug size of coffee daily. Baker does choir outside of school and needs all the energy she can get. “I have choir on We d n e s days and Saturdays. On Saturdays, it’s from 9:30 in the morning to 3:15 p.m. So that [coffee] keeps me awake for essentially another school day,” said Baker. While balancing school and extracurriculars, some students may not find the time to get an adequate amount of sleep. “Honestly, I don’t sleep very well so I need to be energized for the rest of the day,” said Raymundo ‘21. “Sometimes I work until nine, so I need something after school, as well, like a Red Bull.”
students are walking into Jones every morning with a very large coffee in one hand and a cellphone in the other
Some athletes are also heavy caffeine consumers, crediting it for helping them get through competitions. Alberto Franchi ‘21 is the water polo team captain and receives a boost of energy from the energy drink, Reign. “I drink these energy drinks [Reign] towards the end of the day if I have three or more games in a tournament,” said Franchi. While students are lining up for their daily dose of caffeine, some are turning to other ways to keep themselves alert throughout the day. Ethan Christo ‘21 is on the boy’s swim and dive team and keeps his caffeine consumption to a minimum. Occasionally, Christo will consume green tea, which has more caffeine than a cup of coffee. “It’s a good antioxidant. It supposedly keeps you healthy. Sometimes if I need an extra kick in the morning, I’ll have it. But, I generally just try to eat healthy,” said Christo. School nurse Tesia Milton advised that any caffeinated beverage in moderation is okay. “If you can avoid dependence on caffeine to function, that would be best,” Milton said. “You could also find natural alternatives, such as vitamins, as a natural source of energy. That is preferred.”
PAGE 7 Marco Boys and girls water polo play at 5 p.m. on March 23. at Jones.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT MARCH 17, 2020
Swim to win
Jones-Payton swimmers set records, break ground at State Championships CARRIGAN GARRITY ‘22 Lifestyles Staff
Breaking records was the Jones-Payton swim team’s main agenda this season. This year, the Jones-Payton swim team had swimmers at the state championship meet for the first time in program history. They conquered the city and sectional meets, winning every meet except one during the season. Star swimmer Jaden Olson ‘20 broke a streak of CPS swimmers not winning a state event for 49 years. “We won a lot of meets. Obviously, we won the CPS, and we won our sectionals,” said varsity coach Paul Anderson. “Everybody came together at the right time and we have the state meet soon so hopefully we can end on a really high note.” There were six events qualified for the preliminaries, with Olson swimming in the 100 yard backstroke and the 100 yard butterfly. Swimming 200 yard freestyle and the 100 yard freestyle was Matt Fernandez ‘20. They were also qualified to each swim in two relays together, along with other swimmers Zennin Miller and Matthew Thakur. Olson was seeded with an entry time of 49.88 seconds in the butterfly, and a 49.70 in the backstroke. “I really want to focus on being mentally there and in the right headspace. I hope to just perform the best that I can,” said Olson. “It is hard sometimes hard to quantify a goal with a specific time because you don’t really feel like you’re going to go this specific time. It is more like trying to just perform your absolute best.” Fernandez came into the preliminaries with a 1:42.14 in the 200 freestyle and a 46.65 in the 100 freestyle. “The goal is to get lifetime bests and drop a couple seconds. Of course, if I can place, that would be great, but it’s really about dropping time and
doing my best,” said Fernandez. Getting to this point required lots of preparation over the course of the season, with help from Anderson and teammates. “Anderson’s workouts have opened my eyes to a new world of training, and I think we are really prepared for this meet,” said Fernandez. Anderson also thinks that the team working together helped to get them to the state meet. “We had a really talented group of guys that were all pulling the rope in the same direction,” said Anderson. “They were all able to bring out the best in themselves and their teammates.” A f t e r the preliminaries, only the top twelve swimmers make it to the finals - Jaden olson the next day, and these swimmers were really hoping for a spot, along with their coach. At the preliminaries, Olson placed fourth in his butterly event and second in the backstroke. Fernandez placed thirteenth in both of his events, leaving him one spot away from the finals. It was a tough road to get to the finals, and the swimmers were able to make it to state overall, even if the finals were now out of the picture. At the finals, Olson placed sixth in the butterfly. Later that day, he placed first in the backstroke, making him the first C P S
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student to win an event at the IHSA state meet in 49 years. “I remember as a sophomore coming in twelfth place and being really motivated to try to finish my career the best I could, so it was my dream come true,” said Olson. Anderson was also ecstatic about Olson’s win. “I was pretty excited, but more than anything, I was proud of him finishing off everything he had hoped to do,” said Anderson. With this groundbreaking season coming to a close, the team is ready to take on whatever comes next year and next season. “I’m going to University of Pennsylvania and I want to continue my swimming career in college,” said Olson. “I want an Ivy League championship win.” Knowing that the season is over is good and bad in the eyes of Anderson. “This season being over is bittersweet. It has been such a fun ride. It’s kind of crazy that it is all over now,” said Anderson. As the season comes to a close, the Jones-Payton team waits for what is to come next.
I remember as a sophomore coming in twelfth place and being really motivated to try to finish my career the best I could, so it was my dream come true.
STEPPING UP Jones-Payton swimmers contributed to the team’s rise to success by holding their teammates accountable. Photos by Carrigan Garrity ‘22