Steinmetz Star Volume 81, Number 3, January-February 2016 www.steinmetzstar.com
Parent, staff and student majority dislikes the change
Later bell schedule helps teens get more sleep, but limits activities By McKenzie Lacefield [Jacara Adams, Juan Ceballos, Alejandro Hernandez and Maya Robinson obtained interviews; all 1st period Journalism students contributed to the story.]
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Schedule pros and cons Students who prefer this year’s schedule commented that the 9 a.m. start allows more sleep and more time to eat breakfast, get ready and commute to school. “I love the extra sleeping time,” junior Thalia Ocasio said. “I don’t have to wake up early and I don’t feel rushed,” sophomore Alma Carmona said. Students who prefer an earlier schedule commented about the loss of time in the afternoons because of the 4:11 dismissal. Many said they were concerned with safety because it is dark when they are walking home or taking public transportation. “Now I don’t really have time to do anything at home,” sophomore Michelle Villanueva said. “Staying after school isn’t even okay. It’s so dark and dangerous.” Parents also commented about safety. “It’s too dark for the kids to walk through Riis Park,” parent
Survey Results 8 – 3:11
9 – 4:11
Freshmen 143 66 Sophomores 190 183 Juniors 133 56 Seniors 181 150 Staff 76 16 Parents 142 64 865 535
Star photo
majority of students, parents and staff members who took the Steinmetz Star Bell Schedule survey in November indicated that they prefer last year’s bell schedule to this year’s one, which is an hour later. Of parents, 68 percent said they prefer an earlier start time. Nearly 1,400 surveys were returned to the Star, with 320 people including signed comments. The surveys were distributed to freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors in their English classes and to staff members in their mailboxes. The Star surveyed parents at report card pick-up on Nov. 19, 2015. The schedule for next year has not yet been determined.
Steinmetz staff members Karena Childs and Laura Jimenez greet parents, who are holding the Star survey, at report card pick up on Nov. 19, 2015. Students, sitting at a table closest to the door, distributed the Bell Schedule Survey to the parents. More than 200 parents took the survey, which was like the student survey at top left, but didn’t ask for grade level.
62% 38%
Shirley Cisneros said. Some students said that the late dismissal has adversely affected their employment, athletics and after school activities. “Now that school starts later, I have been working fewer hours and even staying up at work till midnight,” senior Victoria Galvin said. “Athletes get home later than usual due to practices and games after school, and they don’t have enough time for homework,” junior Leinaliz Miranda said . “How are we supposed to participate in after school clubs and activities and sports and have good grades?” Continued on Page 10
Regional science fair winners advance to city
The Star ‘Later Bell Schedule’ report, continued on Pages 10-13, includes: • The option for working seniors to leave school at 3:11 (p. 12) • Reasons for the change in schedule • Comparisons with other CPS high schools • Research on teens and sleep deprivation • Interviews with Principal Stephen Ngo, CPS Network 3 Chief of Schools Randel Josserand and LSC members • Information about past bell schedules at Steinmetz • Dozens of student, staff and parent comments on the positive and negative effects of the new schedule
Principal Ngo responds to Star ‘censorship accusation’
Letter to the editor and column about guys’ clothing choices, p. 3
Valentine’s: 8-9, 14
Arts & Entertainment: 14
Photo by McKenzie Lacefield
Opinion: 2-3 Photo by Dr. Mojgan Majdzadeh
On the campaign trail, p. 4
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In this Issue
News: 1-2, 4-7, 9-13 Photo, Eyerusalem Coleman-Kitch
Rybarska, Liana Perez, Tiyun Harvey, Adrian Espino, Vincent Fernandez, Jorge Garcia, Abdulkabir Yahya and Lara Banez earned gold medals. All students who earned gold medals have been invited to compete in the City Science Fair, which will be held at the Museum of Science and Industry on March 17.
Principal Stephen Ngo answers questions from Star reporters on Jan. 4.
interviewed regarding the health benefits surrounding more sleep and research that shows most teenagers in the United States are sleep deprived. Continued on Page 4
Sports: 15-16 Photo courtesy Mr. Mendrano
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en students represented Steinmetz at the North High Schools Regional Networks Science Fair on Friday, Jan. 29. They competed with 90 other students from 14 different North Side schools. (From left to right in above): Aleksandra Czernastek earned a silver medal. Victor Hernandez, Weronika
Photo by Rikeya Hargrove
Photo by Steven Nunez
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ereetings, this is Principal Ngo. I’d like to explain my thoughts and actions pertaining to accusations that I censored the school newspaper. Having read the first draft on the story on the late start, I felt that it was rather one-sided. The story needed more balance. I halted the story from running in the December issue after explaining to the journalism students that I was postponing the story so that they could add more balance to the story. I made two specific recommendations. First, I recommended that the students interview our Local School Council regarding the late start. Secondly, I recommended that the school nurse be
Shout outs, pages 8-9
Review of RuPaul’s Drag Race, p. 14
Bowling, p. 15
Star News
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Steinmetz Star
Staff and students mourn with senior over loss of mom
Steinmetz College Prep High School
Photo courtesy Alicia Urquizo
3030 N. Mobile, Chicago IL 60641 773-534-3030, Star office (x) 25241 www.steinmetzstar.com Email: steinmetzstarnews@gmail.com
Many of Alicia Urquizo’s IB classmates, pictured in an art class photo, and other friends, attended services for Cynthia Urquizo.
By Diana Lagunas
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ith an outpouring of love and care, dozens of students and staff members attended the wake and funeral for senior Alicia Urquizo’s mother Cynthia, who died at age 50 on Jan. 26. Friends of Alicia from her senior IB class and cross
country, cardio club and track teams expressed their sorrow and admiration for her mom. “I knew Alicia’s mom from her rides to school in the morning and coming over to her house,” senior Kienna Bariso said. “She was extremely funny, using sarcasm and always being real. She was like the older version of Alicia. She had a loving personality, and I really felt she acted as a second mother. She had a very loving heart.”
College Café available for underclassmen during lunch
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Senior Seminar assists in application process By Brian Geans
S Sophomores and teacher Beth Perez at the College Café Photos by Tony Morgan-Kitch
By Monica Marroquin
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hat do you expect from college? Do you even plan on going to college? If you do, what are you going to major in? Don’t worry. Many kids have the same question as you do. Honestly, many of us have an Matais Kirk (2015) speaks to ideal life planned out, but what students about his experience at Northern Illinois are our choices to get there? University. What is your plan to succeed in your dream job? College Café is a place where freshmen and sophomores can go on Wednesdays and Fridays during third and fourth lunch periods to set up their future. Students can feel comfortable to tell others what their dreams are and find the guidance to accomplish them. Not only that, they get a chance to meet graduates who are currently in college.
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ince the fall of 2013, Senior Seminar has been a required class Ms. Serritella for most seniors. Students in IB and Photo, Brian Geans OneGoal don’t take the class. It has been taught by several different teachers, counselors and even Principal Stephen Ngo. This year, English teachers Victoria Serritella and Stephanie Walker teach the nine sections. The Star interviewed Ms. Serritella about the class. What is Senior Seminar about? It is a class designed to assist students to the college application process, including obtaining scholarships, completing the FAFSA and understanding college financial and educational obligations. Why do we have it? In the past college enrollment was really low due to students’ lack of knowledge of the college application and admission process. How does Senior Seminar help? It help the students 100 percent starting by exposing the job opportunities and the educational paths to success.Senior Seminar takes a step by step approach to guiding students to their post secondary plans.
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n addition to the information provided in the Star’s “Later Bell Schedule” story on Pages 1, 10-13 in this issue, there is more information that readers may find interesting. On the Steinmetz Star website we are sharing all the handouts that Principal Stephen Ngo and Network 3 Chief of Schools Randel Josserand distributed to Journalism students on Jan. 4, which include a fourpage “Frequently Asked Questions” document. Mr. Josserand said the unsigned, undated FAQ was created in the fall in “a collaborative effort of our building administrators and members of our Network team.”
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The Network 3 “FAQ” (above) and other document shared with the Star are available: steinmetzstar.com.
2 Steinmetz Star Jan. - Feb. 2016
The Steinmetz Star welcomes letters, corrections, comments, and articles from all members of the Steinmetz community. Co-editors-in-chief: Alejandro Hernandez and Zaneta Marcinik Section editors and copy editors: Agape Alfaro, Lesli Avila, Ashley Komperda, McKenzie Lacefield, Jailene Torres, Daria Velazquez Journalism class reporters: Jacara Adams, Natalia Aguilar, Juan Ceballos, Valery Champion, David Ciechanowski, Yesenia Deluna, Kara Dziadosz, Ronald Evans, Brian Geans, Paris Glispie, Luis Gomez, Venice Gonzalez, Rikeya Hargrove, Gerardo Jerez, Angelo Jones, Daniel Lozeau, Rosemary Mcgurn, Wiljalisha Mollfulleda, Anthony Morgan Kitch, Giselle Mendoza, Olivia Nunez, Elizabeth Patino, Camila Pina, Lisette Pravinchandra, Flor Renteria, Maya Robinson, Eduardo Vazquez, Imari Walker Newspaper Club reporters: Karen Bahena, Victoria Boccia, Eyerusalem ColemanKitch, Frederick Crittendon, Kimberly Degante, Kala Geralds, Elise Guillen, Ahmad Hamdan, Luz Herrera, Allyza Inson, Everett Jennings, Monica Laddaran, Diana Lagunas, Gerardo Martinez, Monica Marroquin, Jamara McGarry, Tyffani Quintero, Alina Afzal Qureshy, Jacquelyn Rodriguez, Emony Tate The Newspaper Club meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Room 333 during 3rd and 4th period lunch and after school. Star adviser: Ms. Sharon Schmidt Membership: Scholastic Press Association of Chicago Printing: Mr. Hugh Hefner’s November 2015 donation to the Star covers the costs of printing the paper at Topweb in Chicago.
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Star Opinion: ‘Yay’ and ‘Nay’
www.steinmetzstar.com
More information on our website
The Steinmetz Star is a student publication of Steinmetz College Prep High School. Our goal is to inform the Steinmetz community of news affecting the students of our school. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those shared by the editors or faculty and administration.
Senior Seminar is a great class that helps for college
Senior Seminar is a waste of time for some students
By Maya Robinson
By McKenzie Lacefield
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enior seminar is a really good class to have because it gives the seniors time to apply for colleges and learn more about financial support. In my senior seminar class my teacher makes it a grade to apply for schools so at least you’ll be accepted into one school. A lot of students like myself have extracurricular activities that they are involved with so they tend not to have much time to do what they need to. As for me, I work almost everyday and don’t make it home until almost 12 o’clock every night. Senior seminar takes time out of my day so I can focus more on school. Overall, I believe that senior seminar is a good class to have.
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enior Seminar really annoys me. Although the teachers are friendly, and nice, this class just doesn’t cut it.. It is not necessary for the people who already know what they’re doing. Why are we forced to apply to colleges that we’re not even going to go to? Why are we stuck writing personal statements that we don’t really need? I don’t think it’s fair that I have to take this class. Why am I wasting 50 minutes, every day, when I could be spending that time on other classes and projects where I truly need the help? Instead, students could be taking classes they actually want to take. Maybe they want a second year of art or music, Shakespeare or yearbook or Journalism, but they can’t because we have to take Senior Seminar. It should not be a requirement.
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Star Opinion
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Interviews: Lisette Pravinchandra and Eduardo Vazquez
Who is your Black History Month hero? The power of the press
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“Rosa Parks, because she made history for sitting on a bus.” Miyah Jones, junior
“Martin Luther King, Jr. He’s the reason why everything changed.” Miguel Tapia, senior
“Maya Angelou: The truth behind her story.” Ariel Garcia, junior
“Neil Tyson, because he’s really smart and doesn’t take any thing from anybody.” Lamarr Ousley, senior
nown as “The Princess of the Pen,” Ida B. Wells was a famous newspaper reporter, editor and anti-lynching crusader, born in 1862 in Holy Springs, Missouri, died in 1931 in Chicago “The people must know before they can act, and Ida B. Wells there is no educator to compare with the press,” she said. “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”
Letters from our Readers School uniforms are unnecessary
Photo by Dr. Mojgan Majdzadeh
Pet article was great
Feb. 1, 2016 The uniform policy doesn’t really bother me but I would like to be able to wear what I want every once in a while. I think Steinmetz should change the uniform policy so that people can express themselves with their style (as long as it’s appropriate). Sincerely, Felipe Orozco
Jan 23, 2016 I enjoyed the Nov.-Dec. 2015 paper as usual, but who would have thought that loving dogs as I do, I would need the Star to give me Photo of Coco by Valery Champion the idea that my eternally depressed cousin in Lithuania should get a little dog for herself. A little dog’s easy to take out, clean up after, etc., and she would have a being who’ll need her, love her, and keep her company and give structure to her day. Thanks for your article and interviews on what pets can do for you. Terry Daniels, retired teacher
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Holiday greetings from Star supporters Hugh and Crystal Hefner
More activities coming Jan. 25, 2016 Hello Steinmetz students! The senior class officers would like to inform you about the upcoming events we have planned for you guys: Canned Food Drive Juniors ACT Social Tye Dye Tuesdays Junior Town Hall Meeting If you guys have any suggestions on how to improve the schools spirit and morality go ahead and let one of us know. Sincerely, Demi Bell - Aayeman45@gmail.com Karla Solis - ksolis@cps.edu Luke Kuczynski - lkuczynski@cps.edu Melissa Gonzalez - mgonzalez126@cps.edu
Didn’t get a chance to share your opinion? Send a letter to the editor SteinmetzStarNews@gmail.com
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Star Opinion Star investigation uncovers unconvincing arguments for sagging pants By Jamara McGarry
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Photos by Jamara McGarry
hy do guys sag? It is one of the questions some are scared to ask. Well, don’t worry because it has been done for you. The Star asked 16 Steinmetz guys why they sag. Their answers, just like their sagging pants, were all over the place. Three said, “It’s comfortable.” How is it comfortable not being able to walk correctly? How is it comfortable having a belt keep your thighs together instead of keeping your pants up? Four boys who sag, and another four who
don’t, said they “don’t know why” guys sag. Three said they sag because “it looks good.” It was quite funny when one guy said this. The female who was with him told him, “It’s not cute,” and he still didn’t want to change his answer.
Another guy said some girls think “it’s cute.” Except his girlfriend, who was next to him, said that it isn’t. One said it’s due to “media,” that what young men are being shown is cool and it affects how they dress because every boy wants
to be the cool guy. There you have it. Why do you think boys sag? Is it one of these reasons? Or do you think that it’s a new year and maybe they should leave sagging in 2015 and try to make a new look for 2016?
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Jan. - Feb. 2016 Steinmetz Star 3
Star News Campaigning for presidential candidates inspires young voters 4
Eyerusalem Coleman-Kitch
Emony Tate
By Emony Tate
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ive students in teacher Jason Mink’s Civics class were given the opportunity by Mikva Challenge to go to Iowa to campaign for the presidential candidates. Seniors Eyerusalem Coleman-Kitch, Emony Tate and Sylvia Madej and juniors Piotr Szech and Alexander Paszkowski traveled to Des Moines, Iowa with other Chicago students as part of the Mikva Challenge campaign day on Jan. 15. The Iowa caucus on Feb. 1 is the first contest in the primary season and our jobs were to gain supporters for our given candidates by calling people, going door to door and ultimately trying to get them to sign a commitment card for our candidates. “Would you sign a commitment card?” was the question of the town. A commitment card is a basic contract that states that the person who signed it will caucus for Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders or another candidate on the day of the election. Although the campaign process is similar in all states, the caucuses in Iowa are different than primaries held in other states. For the democratic candidates, caucusing means the people use their bodies to cast their vote. Supporters for each democratic candidates stand in their own space and try to convince others to switch sides – the ultimate democracy. Not only did we learn about the process of gaining supporters and the process of caucusing, but we also learned about how we can draw attention to issues we care about. We went to an event at Drake University where everyone had the experience of caucusing for an issue. The people who didn’t have enough people on their team will got a chance to plead for others to join them. After we had
enough supporters, we separated and went to our own space where we figured out ways to present our issue. At the end, we voted for the best presentation, which will be the winner of the caucus. This is why youth involvement in politics is so important. We all have issues we care about, issues we see every day, but no one is doing anything about them. It is our job to bring attention to these issues. It is our job to fight for the issues we care about. “The system is not meant to work for you. You have to make it work for you,” a Mikva Challenge staff worker told us. Besides learning more about politics, we had the experience of socializing with people from different part of the country. There were people from Washington DC, Chicago and suburbs, Los Angeles and Texas. We were able to see, that despite being from different areas of the United States and different ethnicities, we are facing similar, if not the same, issues. We were able to unite and fight for things we believe in. This is why politics is so important, even if you don’t care about it, you can’t help but be a part of it. It brings people together, people who may not otherwise have met. There was a lot of learning involved, but we also had a lot of fun. For example, I met former President Bill Clinton and his daughter Chelsea Clinton at a campaign rally for Hillary Clinton. This Iowa trip was the most culturally binding, intellectually stimulating and humorous experience I ever had. I hope next election people will be proactive and get the same opportunity that I received. I’m thankful to Mr. Mink and service learning coordinator Bernie Eshoo for letting us know about this trip.
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hen you think Iowa, what do you think? I think of a very rural place with no people who look like me. What does that mean? I witnessed first hand the frigid air and country vibe of Iowa. I also learned that it is 97 percent white. I was there because I got invited to campaign for a presidential candidate. I decided that I could get past the cold and majority. Luckily I was able to campaign for Bernie Sanders; I am a Sanders supporter. This trip was the best learning experience. I met so many interesting people and gained many skills as well as gaining more knowledge about Sanders’ character. I support his campaign because he is an activist at heart. He knows what it is like to fight against the high power, to march and petition. He understands the meaning of community. More importantly, he supports women’s rights and youth voice. These are
things that I hold dear to my heart. During the trip I phone banked and went door knocking. Both of these are forms of talking to people and trying to get them to support the candidate you are campaigning for. The way you do it is target registered voters and give them quick information about your candidate. It is interesting the people you may encounter. Overall, I felt honored to be able to participate in that trip. I think it is amazing the work Mikva does. I now understand how important my voice is.
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Star editor opinion: Bernie is the best By Alejandro Hernandez
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ernie Sanders is hands down the best candidate running in this year’s election. If you are not familiar with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, here’s some basic information. He’s a senator from Vermont, and in less than a year, he’s gone from political no-name, to possibly being the strongest candidate for the presidential nomination. A big part of his meteoric rise comes from his unorthodox grassroots campaign. While most candidates traditionally rely on funding from big business and the 1%, that money is expected to help benefit the wealthy more than rest of 99%. This is where Bernie separates himself from the Super-Pac. His campaign money is strictly funded by donations from the common man. His political stance is to bring about a revolutionary social reform that will hopefully close the gap between the upper and lower classes. He opposes the major
banks, and he is appalled by the fact that the top one-tenth of the 1% has almost the same amount of money as 90% of the rest of population. If Sanders is elected he will do everything he can to put the people first and help make life easier for people without money. Among the things he hopes to change are free college education and universal healthcare. I would highly suggest anyone take the time to do some more research about what Bernie’s campaign is about. In a race in which the media coverage is largely dominated by Trump’s bigotry and senselessness, listening to Bernie speak with an open-mind and a genuine care about social reform is refreshing and promising.
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The Illinois primary is Tuesday, March 15. Register to vote online at https://ova.elections.il.gov/ See www.steinmetzstar.com for more information.
CPS announces more budget cuts
Principal Ngo responds to Star ‘censorship accusation’
hile CPS announced another round of budget cuts in the beginning of February, it is unknown at Star press time if any staff members at Steinmetz will have to be laid off. On Feb. 9, CBSlocal. com reported that “CPS Sophomore Jamara McGarry officials have told princispeaks about the need for fully funded schools at a pals to pick up paperwork Communities United Townoutlining the reduced hall at Riis Park on Jan. 29. budgets for each school. “Some schools face larger cuts than others. For now, it does not appear teacher layoffs will be part of this round of cuts, but principals will have to let go of some teachers’ assistants and school clerks.”
My intention was to have the story run in the next edition after the recommendations were followed through. Over the next couple of days (this is now the last week of school before winter vacation) the Star came back and implemented the recommendations. I was asked to allow the story to print in the December issue. I decided to stick to my original plan and have the story run in the next edition. The story is now appearing in this edition with the recommendations previously suggested. In the heat of it all, I absolutely said some things I regret. I would like to see the journalism class continue. I do not
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4 Steinmetz Star Jan. - Feb. 2016
Continued from Page 1
want to see it removed from our course selection. Regarding the newspaper, there are several factors that will determine the future of the Star including budgetary concerns. Regarding censorship I am totally within my rights to preview and “censor” the school newspaper. I would kindly ask readers to look up the 1988 Supreme Court Case Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier in which the Supreme Court held that a school principal has the right to censor school-sponsored expression such as a school newspaper (http://www.uscourts. gov/educational-resources/educationalactivities/facts-and-case-summary-hazelwood-v-kuhlmeier). In addition, the Local School Council has charged me with invoking prior
review. A few years ago there was an incident where the Star portrayed certain Steinmetz employees in a negative manner. The LSC looks to me to ensure something like this never happens again. In my four years as principal I have never used my influence or stature to influence stories. I do not use the school newspaper for my own political agenda. I want to ensure that our readers have access to stories that are well balanced, informative and fair. The readers of the Steinmetz Star deserve no less. Respectfully submitted, Stephen Ngo Principal
Team members and Coach Davoud Chitsaztehrani celebrate excellent results at the first round of the Academic Decathlon.
By Zaneta Marcinik
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inishing 11th in the first round of competition, with four Brainiacs receiving individual medals, the Decathlon Team has advanced to the Decathlon City Championships on Feb. 20 at Whitney Young High School. The competition was held on Jan. 23 at Chicago Vocational Career Academy. “Academic Decathlon is a good way to improve study habits, connect with people that have similar interests and it’s great if you’re competitive,” captain Alexander Paszkowski said.
Students worked throughout the year to prepare for the competition, which is comprised of ten events. There are multiple-choice exams in art, economics, literature, mathematics, music, science, and social science. Students also take an essay exam and will be judged in a speech events as well as an interview event when they advance to the next rounds. After all individual tests, our school competed in the Superquiz, where we worked as a group. This year’s topic was India. A Decathlon team consists of nine students from the ninth through twelfth grades of the same high school. Each team is made up of three Varsity stu-
Urban Alliance provides paid downtown job internships
Photo by Daniela Blas
Star News Academic decathlon team advances to city championship
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Coach Bechir Amdouni works with students after school to prepare for the competition.
dents who have a grade point averages (GPA) of less than 3.0, three Scholastic students with GPAs of 3 - 3.749 and three Honors students with GPAs of 3.75 to 4.0. Each team member is eligible for individual medals in all events. This year four Steinmetz students received the following recognitions: Bart Labno, varsity - 6th place in science Alexander Paszkowski, scholastic - Highest Team Score, 2nd place in Mathematics, 6th place in Social Science Piotr Szczech, scholastic - 6th place in science Zaneta Marcinik, honors - 5th place in Mathematics
“The Decathlon Team has worked very hard and our group rank shows it,” senior Jose Padilla said. We compete against schools like Lane Tech, Roosevelt, Prosser and Schurz. Many schools have Academic Decathlon classes as part of their course offerings; we do not. We work with teachers either before or after school, but we mostly have to prepare and study by ourselves. Students can join the club at any grade level. I am glad I joined Decathlon this year as a senior, but I wish I had done it my sophomore year.
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Making the adjustment to a new school and a new climate
Photo by Jamara McGarry
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Urban Alliance interns Dymetro Holyk, Jonathan Hernandez, Jessica Banderas, Perla Ramirez, Olivia Nunez, Jenny Gonzalez
By Olivia Nunez
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rban Alliance offers a great opportunity for students to get a feel for what is to have a serious job. Urban Alliance places students in paid internships. This year seven seniors from Steinmetz are participating in the program. Right away students are able to meet many people. They’re assigned to a specific Program Coordinator. This person walks with them through their working experience. Before obtaining the jobs, students also received six weeks of training. I got placed at a law firm, Katten Muchin Rosenman, located in the West Loop. The department where I work is docket. My duties there are filing, making copies of any lawsuits, scanning papers and sending them to who needs them. To many people, one of the hardest challenges with Urban Alliance is the commute. Some of my classmates question how I can keep doing this job. They say, “I would’ve quit by now if I were you,” and “I wouldn’t be able to stay committed; it’s too much.”
Commuting is the hardest part of my job. With commuting comes the challenge of how to manage your time well. With having such control also comes a lot of responsibility. In order to get the job the Urban Alliance mentors have to see that students are serious. Once they’re placed on the job not only do students have to work well they also must continue to do well in school. Since this internship is school based students have to maintain grades at nothing lower than a C average. Anything lower will put them at risk of probation and of losing their job. I just think very highly of this program because with this comes many opportunities that in any other place would be very hard to get into or you simply wouldn’t be able to find. After graduating I will continue working. My position will turn into a 9 to 5 job that will continue through late July. I am personally very proud to say that I am part of the Urban Alliance community. Juniors and seniors can talk to counselor Tania Moumji if they’re interested in applying.
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he Philippines is an archipelago, a group of islands. It has 7,107 islands and is grouped into three major islands – Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The Philippines have two seasons: the wet season (tag-ulan) and the dry season (tag-init/tag-araw). So, how do you think it would feel coming from a tropical island to a place where it snows? The Star interviewed sophomore Vincent Fernandez, who moved to Chicago from Mindanao in the Philippines last summer. How did you react to snow? When it first snowed in November my brother and I stayed outside for like three hours playing in the snow. Do you like the snow? Yeah, but I hate it when it gets in my face. In the Philippines it’s hot or rainy. Over here it’s cold and my hands get frozen. I didn’t expect it to be so cold. How do you like Chicago so far? It’s not as dangerous as people say. I haven’t
Photo by Jamara McGarry
By Agape Alfaro
Vincent Fernandez
come across gangs or guns. It’s been pretty safe so far. How does the school here differ? I adapted to the language fast and I adapted here pretty fast, in general. There are a lot of activities here. In the Philippines it’s more of the teacher talking, similar to a lecture style. The girls over there are more quiet and behaved. Students over there value school more because parents have to pay a lot of money for it. It feels like school over here has a lot of freedom and there are positives and negatives to it.
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New teacher makes big impact By Jacara Adams
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eacher Mychal Moore joined the Steinmetz staff in November 2015. He said he’s grateful to have a job and he likes the school. He team-teaches five different subjects – biology, financial algebra, chemistry, reading, and Spanish. He coached freshmen boys basketball and now is coaching boys track in the spring. He moved to Chicago about eight years ago from Kansas. He’s 31 and doesn’t have any children. Teachers appreciate his talents. “Mr. Moore has been an awesome team teacher; he is fresh and positive-minded, which has been really refreshing for my own mindset,” teacher Tara Scolire said.
Mr. Moore poses with some of the freshmen basketball players.
“With the students, he is fair and kind. I don’t think there is a single student who does not get along with him. As freshman boys basketball coach, he has gotten to know several of our students outside of the classroom and it has made for great strides in the classroom. I look forward to our class every day and I would definitely request teaching with him again.”
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Jan. - Feb. 2016 Steinmetz Star 5
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Star Feature: Scholastic Journalism Week
Steinmetz graduate and former Star reporter Mark Farina, who has worked for several Chicago papers, in public relations and in broadcast (especially announcing CPS games), said the most successful journalists stay flexible because they often work in environments other than the ones they anticipate. He stressed approaching all jobs professionally and doing extra research. He talked about the passion of reporting. “It’s a wild ride; enjoy it,” he said.
Sabrina Marrero, Ashley de la Cruz, teacher Beth Zaluba, Mark Braboy
Mark Braboy, who reported for Vibe and was the news editor of Jackson State University newspaper, gave students a lot of great advice. He told them to read and write a lot, use smartphones to record video footage and record interviews, be versatile by learning how to write about more than one subject and to not fear mistakes. Music teacher Beth Zaluba invited Mr. Braboy to speak. He was her student when he was in elementary school.
Photo by Brian Geans
Mark Farina
Photo by Rosemary McGurn
Photo by Brian Geans
Journalism professionals inspire student reporters
Linze Rice, a reporter for DNAinfo who covered the “censorship flap” at Steinmetz in a story published in December 2015, talked to the Star staff about the wide range of experiences she has received while covering Chicago stories. She said curiosity is a great attribute to have in reporting the news. She stressed the need for reporters to be responsible in their writing and treat all sources with respect.
Linze Rice
Marcus Leshok, a WGN TV reporter (pictured on Page 7), who, like Ms. Rice, worked on the Northern Star when he was a student at Northern Illinois University, told students that while people have more access to information than ever “the world needs accuracy and context.” He said he loved his job because he is always learning something new and he gets to tell stories for a living.
Why I like journalism By Ronald Evans
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6 Steinmetz Star Jan. - Feb. 2016
Junior Ronald Evans, who wrote ‘Why I like journalism,’ is pictured sixth from the right with some of the 1st period Journalsim students.
CENSORSHIP The dirtiest word of them all.
Without The First Amendment there would be no freedom to listen to, look at, or say what you choose. Leaves you speechless, doesn’t it?
The First Amendment – Keep It Strong!
Star photo
Photo by Ms. Anna Lesniakowska
I
like to write. When I write, I like to let the pen or pencil control my thoughts and emotions. I found the best experience in school was me writing my first article in journalism class. I really admire people who are into the journalism business because I was once told that journalism is a dying out industry. I want to make a change and try to influence other people to continue and start a career in journalism. I love doing interviews around my school because I am a curious person and like to go out and seek answers. So success in college is a big motivation but journalism is my passion. When I write a draft to my article, I make sure it sounds perfect because it can always get better and I want it to be the best thing I have ever written. Journalism isn’t all about news, broadcasting, and interviewing people. It’s all about taking the knowledge you obtained and sharing it with the rest of the world. I have no shame in what I write about because there are some people who can relate to me. I like doing journalism. It keeps me going as a student and a human being with high high morals. I am taking an interest in journalism. I absolutely love journalism. Interviewing people and creating stories is hard work, but it’s very fun and interesting and it’s worth my time doing. I consider myself an inquirer because it connects to my passion of doing journalism and establishing a career in it also. I like to ask a lot of questions. In journalism, you have to ask a lot of direct and indirect questions to get the answers you need to get a story started. I try to dig beneath the standard level questions in an interview and strive for a better understanding of my subject I’m reporting about. Connecting inquirer with free spirit, I am a person who questions everything because there is so much knowledge to seek within a question. When I first started journalism, I was shy and timid when it came to interviewing people because I wasn’t as social than the other kids. But my teacher, Ms. Schmidt, gave me the skills to get my first interview complete for our school newspaper, the Steinmetz Star, and improve my speaking and social skills. Now, I’m able to start a conversation with anyone and feel comfortable to socialize with anybody about anything. I like to think that I’m really such a good thinker because I take a lot of my time to sit alone and have a inner conversation with myself about everything that has and will happen to me. For the first two years in high school, I was in the Middle Years Program of the International Baccalaureate Program I was taught how to be a serious thinker and use my brain as an advantage in life. The brain is an incredible gift. You are able to generate and compose various intellectual statements and questions that can improve your comprehension.
McKenzie Lacefield speaks with Journalism classmates Daria Velazquez and Brian Geans and Star co-editors Alejandro Hernandez and Zaneta Marcinik on Dec. 16, 2015, after Principal Ngo told McKenzie’s class that he was delaying the story on the later bell times.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of RELIGION,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of SPEECH,
Accurate information should be shared, not delayed or of the PRESS; or the right of the people peaceably to ASSEMBLE, and to PETITION the government for a redress of grievances.
This message made possible by the McCormick Tribune Foundation www.illinoisfirstamendmentcenter.com
By McKenzie Lacefield
W
hen I first heard our story on the later bell schedule – the one that our class had been working on for a month straight – was being censored, my first thought was,“This is effing bull.” In November, we surveyed students, staff and parents. We tabulated the results, transcribed survey comments, interviewed Principal Ngo,
researched the Board of Education statements and looked at other schools. We asked questions of the CPS Office of Communication and the Network 3 Chief of Schools. Then Principal Stephen Ngo told us we couldn’t publish our story at that time. [See “Star story censored” in the Nov.-Dec. 2015 Star.] I was outraged, upset, mad, discouraged, angry and disappointed in my own school. I didn’t know how to react, but
I sure knew that I wasn’t letting my words be censored. My words weren’t bad. The story wasn’t threatening or controversial. All it was was information, news that should’ve been distributed and explained when the changes happened. Being an outraged risktaker, I decided to take matters into my own hands and publish the piece on my personal blog: https://childoffire. wordpress.com. I thought this
was news that should have been handed out to the students and families when the changes were taking place. I thought it was a good story to put into the newspaper. It gave people a chance to speak their mind about how they really feel about the change. I wasn’t going to be censored, especially over basic information. To me and my class, the article wasn’t anything bad. We had the information, so why not share it?
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Star Feature: Scholastic Journalism Week
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When you wake up, ‘put two feet on ground for truth’ By Elise Guillen
Star photo
S
tar reporters attended a field trip at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism on Nov. 6, 2015. “Great journalists bring out the truth,” was one of the first things we heard Medill representatives say, a great thing to tell teens who want to be heard. “When you wake-up in the morning, as a journalist you put two feet on the ground for the truth,” said Beth Bennett, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Journalism at Northwestern University. Medill helped high schools students from all over Chicago see what true journalism is all about. There were many seminars ranging from podcasts to photography. Several of the Star reporters received photography tips from professional Robert Hart, who showed us his amazing photos and who was very laid back. It shows that he loves what he does.
Jamara McGarry, Alina Qureshy, Lesli Avila, Steven Nunez, Lissette Hernandez, Ronald Evans, Agape Alfaro, Elise Guillen and Daria Velazquez pose with WGN reporter Marcus Leshock
“Photography is a representation of what the world looks like,” he said. He had some great pictures of his children. His world also
looks like tagging along with some red necks and going Red Neck Fishing. (Look it up; it’s crazy.)
After showing us his work, he let people in the audience take pictures with his camera. Photography brought everyone in the room together. Strangers posed for someone they had never met before and everyone came together to take a few group photos. Professional journalist Karen Springen gave us tips on how to interview people. She has so much experience, interviewing people like Suzanne Collins, the author of “The Hunger Games,” Michelle Obama and many others. Reporter Marcus Leshock, who works the morning shift at WGN, showed us how difficult it is to wake up at 2 a.m. every day, but how it’s worth it because he’s doing what he loves. He reports many positive stories that otherwise would be missed. Towards the end of our field trip, Northwestern students who are majoring in journalism spoke to the audience in a panel. Not only did students get a sneak-peek to what college life is like but we could also see what young people in journalism look like. The day was packed with advice and great journalists.
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Scholastic Journalism Week showcases importance of newspapers and yearbooks
Star photo
Yearbook teacher Mike Edwards poses with his staff.
Alejandro Hernandez
Photo by Monica Marroquin
Zaneta Marcinik
Photo by Karen Bahena
Photo by Karen Bahena
As a key supporter of Chicago teachers and students, who benefit from the goal of scholastic journalism, which is to “learn and practice the ability to express and exchange ideas – essential to a democracy – by writing, editing and producing student publication,” the Chicago Teachers Union’s House of Delegates unanimously passed the above resolution at its meeting in January.
Karen Bahena, Ashley Komperda
Students do not have to take Journalism class to write for the Star. This year’s co-editors-in-chief, Zaneta Marcink and Alejandro Hernandez, as well as section editors Karen Bahena and Ashley Komperda, are IB seniors who aren’t able to take Journalism as an elective. All students of all grade levels and academic abilities are welcome to report stories for the Star.
Yearbook and newspaper experience fuels academic growth and fosters understanding
S
tudents who research relevant issues, write journalistic copy and produce news for an audience of their peers are learning incredible, lasting skills.
Students understand the importance of the press freedom, learn organization, writing, photography and design skills. They’ve learned to share their work in public, they’re famil-
iar with deadlines and teamwork, and they have been thinking. They develop as leaders. Students who work on high school newspapers and yearbooks earn better grades in high
school, achieve higher scores on the ACT and perform better than non-journalist peers as college freshmen, according to a 2008 study by the Newspaper Association of America.
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Jan. - Feb. 2016 Steinmetz Star 7
Star Valentine’s Day
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To my wonderful cheerleaders, I love you all with all my heart. Every day is like a new journey with each and every one of you and I could not be more thankful to have you girls in my life. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication this year. I only expect great things from you guys. I am so honored to have been your captain for these past two years. Letting go of you girls will probably be the hardest thing I will ever have to do once I leave high school. Continue to shine bright and become stronger. You guys have always been and always will be a part of my family. Each of you has a special place in my heart. I love you all! XOXOXO, Ashley Komperda
To Ms. Ferrarini, Mrs. Holley, Mrs. Doyle, Mrs. Mark, Ms. Chaparro, Mrs.Ochwat and Ms.Russo: I want to thank each one of you for having an impact on my life. You have each acted as a mother figure to me throughout these four years of high school and have helped guide me to be the lady I am today. I’m glad that each one of you has pushed me to be the best. I want to thank you all for being there for me when I needed to vent or when I needed guidance. I am utterly grateful to have met you all. I look up to all of you and hope one day to be as successful as you all. I don’t know what I would have done these past four years without you all. Love, Ashley Komperda
Anthony Morgan-Kitch
I want to give a shout out to my little guinea pig child Smore for always making me smile whenever I’m down by biting me for attention and cuddling me, of course! I also want to give a shout out to the one person that has stuck by my side through thick and thin ever since we met – Michelle! I’m so happy to be going into the new year with these two by my side, They both have helped me in so many ways that it would take paragraphs to explain. 2015 has been tough, mentally and physically, for us but I know we can make it to June.
Michelle, you have helped me so much with so many things that it leaves me speechless and it saddens me that you’re going to be graduating within four months. I hope after you leave here we still hang out like we do now. I wish you luck! And for Smore: You are the most cuddliest, littlest and cutest stress reliever I could ever wish for. Even though you drive me nuts with your spoiled self, I still love you! Happy Valentine’s Day to you both! Daria Velazquez
To Mateusz Gasienica (Class of 2014), You’re a wonderful friend to me and my family and still a very important part of the Steinmetz Star. Thank you so much for fixing the Star website. Your tech support is invaluable. From, Sharon Schmidt I want to give a special shout out to my beautiful fiance, Yuridia Galaviz. Baby, you’re my everything. I appreciate you being by my side through thick and thin. You’re my queen. I wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world. We an always and forever type of thing. I love you so very much, Bubba. Yesenia Deluna
I want to give a big shout out to my fiancé, Yesenia Deluna, for being my friend, best friend, but most importantly my beloved fiancé. I wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world. It’s you and me till the end of time, remember? Till the world goes boom. It’s the little things that you do for me that you think go unnoticed that I love so much; I deeply cherish them. 04Y07Y15 Baby, I love you Yuricila Galaviz
8 Steinmetz Star Jan. - Feb. 2016
I want to give a shout out to my two best friends who stayed with me when the fake ones left. Nakiya Madede
It’s been nine amazing months with you. You are an amazing guy. You mean so much to me, and I appreciate having you in my life. I love you, Mario. Happy Valentine’s Day! Thelma Gomez For Emily Mercado from Arik Rivera Every day I think about her. My girl makes life easier. I make sure she knows she’s beautiful. Love and trust she keeps my heart full. Young and bold but we set our goals.
To Michal You make me laugh like no other Leaving me smiling like crazy Telling jokes one after another The scenery becomes hazy. I have a small crush is an understatement You’re always on my mind and I can’t help it I’m walking on the sidewalk pavement Thinking about you, I fall into a pit It’s like I’m on drugs Happy and addicted I put on my earphones Silent yet conflicted I want to tell you I like you But I don’t think You feel the same way, too.
Making it this far we make a whole. Evenly we know we’re star struck lovers. Reality reminds me there is no other. Couldn’t be happier than I am now. All I want is a future with her, but how? Doing the best I can with all we carry. On that day I know I’ll cry when we marry. To my wonderful girlfriend, I know you are the most beautiful girl in the world. Baby, you complete me. When I’m down you’re there to pick me up, you’re there to accept me for who I am. Babe, you’re the best girl in my world. I see no one better to be with than you. You are as best as it gets and I’m happy to call you my girlfriend because there is no one I’d rather be with than you, my queen. I love you forever, and no matter what, you’ll be mine till death brings us apart. Daniel
Forever I’d move mountains to be by your side, bare the worst of the weather, just to look in your eyes. I’d cross the largest oceans, the stormiest seas, a smile from you, makes me weak at the knees. I’ll stay and believe in you for eternity Because forever I’d love you until the end. Love, Taylor
Star Valentine’s Day Desiree, Best friend, I love you so much, and, honestly, I don’t know what I would do without you. You are very special to me and I’m glad you’re my best friend. Remember, I’ll be here no matter what through thick and thin. I wish you the best in life, I really do. Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day, Beautiful. Love,Venice Shout out to my first love, Thank you for all your love and support. You have seen me at my best and worst and you never stopped loving me. Not only are you my boyfriend, but my best friend. Happy Valentine’s Day. Love you, Julissa Tello
I want to give a huge shout out to Julius Vazquez! Thank you for all that you have done for me. From pushing me and motivating me to do the best I can in school to believing in me always. All the positive vibes you have brought into my life. Never leaving on hard times, spending quality time with me and being the best gentleman out here. I will forever be thankful for this relationship because I got to date my crush and plus on the other hand I found me a best friend. I’ll always have it for you. I don’t know what God has planned for us, but I will forever be thankful for this! XOXO truly yours, Leslie Arias I want to give a Valentine’s Day shout out to my most amazing and very supportive friends. You guys are awesome. I love you so much. I couldn’t ask for any better friends. You’ve been there for me every moment that I’ve needed any of you. Although some of you might not even be here any more, I miss you guys everyday. And to those who are still here – thank you for your never failing support. To Carlos Hayes, Tatiana Matias, Isabella Rios, Li Nguyen, Lisette P., Soraida Caraballo, Giovanni Ariza, Brenda Barrera, Freddy Beltre, and Javier Vieyra – thank you. You guys are just amazing! I love you all so, so, so much. Don’t ever change, guys. I wish you guys the best Valentine’s Day ever. I love you little freax like crazy! Luis-Anthony Lagos Hello! Shout out to myself for being there since day one. I’m the best. Love, Yourself
Shout out to my family and friends – the IB Class of 2016! I can’t imagine my future school without you guys. There are a lot of things I would like to say, but I will only say that you are the best. Also, shout out to our great teachers who have gone through a lot with us. Love, Zaneta IB Class of 2016: To my fellow IB seniors, I am so lucky to have you guys as friends. It has been a blessing to have you all in my life and I am so grateful that we were able to share this crazy journey these past four years together. We have been a family since day one of freshman year and our friendship has only grown.
Shout out to my best friends on Valentine’s Day. I love you guys! Lovely Teoporo
Next year will be so tough not seeing you guys in every single class. I know that you all are capable of such wonderful things. I am honored to have known each and every one of you. You guys have impacted my life in such a great way. Thank you for always being there for me. I will always be here for you! Love, Ashley Komperda
I want to give a shout out to my best friend, my partner, my baby, my boyfriend. This Valentine’s Day marks a year with him. It’s been amazing, the best days. We’ve been through ups and downs, but no matter what we’ve gotten through them. I honestly can say I’m in love with him. Thank you for being there for me and putting up with me and making the best memories and many more. I love you! Happy Valentine’s, everyone. Abrianna Martinez
I love to give a special shout out to the most beautiful person that I have ever met. Not only has she helped me keep my grades up but she has also been there for me. I really appreciate everything she does for me and our child. I love this girl, and this shout out is for her. Je t’aime ana. 09/23/14 Luis Miranda
Happy Valentine’s Day to Aliyah April Torres and Flor!
This girl right here in the picture is like my best friend, even though she’s a junior and I’m a sophomore. She’s so pretty, cool and sweet even though she’s annoying sometimes. LOL! But she’s the baddest girl in Steinmetz, not only just for her looks but her personality and the way she carries herself. And that’s the honest truth. I love you, Imari! Kiante McClennon Churris, I love you! I mean we have been together since day one. We will always have that weird crazy friendship. You give me a headache, but it’s okay, though, because I got your back. Go, best friend. That’s my best friend! Love, your bug, Paloma Cambray
Happy Valentine’s Day to the love of my life. I love this girl with everything in me. She’s my everything, honestly. She’s been here for me since day one and hasn’t let me down. She’s a real rider. Not only is she my girlfriend, but she is also my best friend. She means the world to me and I want to let others know that as well. I love you, Babe. Happy Valentine’s Day! Brooke Santiago
Dear Queen of Narwhals, Never have I met an individual that makes me so excited to have a conversation with them to the point that I am left aching for more. A good friend I may be; however, in my heart, that is not what I long for. I wish for thy hand in marriage some day. One day, maybe? Until then, my love, the flame for you shall never die unless you bid that I douse it. Your Lord Of Greek Yogurt, Travis
Shout out to my best friends Desiree, Emony, Brittany and Venice, for being so beautiful and amazing. Thanks for everything you’ve all done for me. I love you guys. Jailene Torres
We haven’t known each other very long when it comes to actually talking; however, from our actual interactions I have come to love everything about your personality and I enjoy your company. I hope that we can become more someday if your situation changes. Syllogize
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I just want to say Happy Valentine’s Day to the best friend, my other half. You mean the world to me. You don’t know how much I love you. What I feel for you its indescribable. You’re the reason why I wake up and smile everyday, you motivate me to do better, you believe in me and I believe in you. Words aren’t even close to explaining or describing what you mean to me. If I could put it into words I would, but I can’t. I’m going to make
sure you get the world because you deserve the world. You’re an amazing boyfriend. To be honest you’re my blessing. You changed my life for the better; you brought out a side of me that I didn’t even know I had. That’s a good thing, though. I know that we get scared to lose one another, but like I always tell you, I’m here to stay by your side through thick and thin. I will never ever give up on you or us. I love you so much that it hurts but in a good way. I’m beyond glad that I’m going to be spending this Valentine’s Day with you. You’re the best and I wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world. All these haters we got trying to get in between us, but we’re strong. Let them hate they’re just mad cause we got a bond that’s unbreakable because we aren’t going anywhere. No one or anything can change the way I feel about you. You make me beyond happy and I’m glad that I met you Ricardo. I love you with all I got, my happiness, my world, my all. Happy Valentine’s Day! Alondra Ortiz
Jan. - Feb. 2016 Steinmetz Star 9
10
Star News: Later Bell Schedule
Photo by Rikeya Hargrove
CPS changed bell times to save money on transportation Steinmetz kept 9:00 - 4:11 schedule for health benefits
Network 3 Chief of Schools Randel Josserand speaks to Star reporters on Jan. 4.
Continued from Page 1 CPS’ reason for the change The new bell schedule was mandated at Steinmetz and 40 other schools by the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) in order to save $5 million in transportation costs, according to a CPS Office of Communication press release of Aug. 10, 2015. “Every dollar we save by staggering school bell times and streamlining transportation services next school year is one more dollar we don’t have to cut from our classrooms,” said CPS CEO Forrest Claypool, in the press release. School budgets and classrooms were cut throughout CPS this year. At Steinmetz, $1 million was cut from the school budget, causing eight classroom teaching positions to be closed. [See “CPS slashes school budget” in the Sept.-Oct. 2015 Star, available in the “Newspaper” section of the Steinmetzcp.org site.] The “$5 million” CPS said is saved by changing bell schedules is a tiny amount in its total operating budget, which is $5.7 billion, according to the CPS Stats and Facts webpage. (cps.edu/About_CPS/At-a-glance Pages/Stats_and_facts.aspx) The Steinmetz Star requested information from Traci Daniels of the CPS Office of Communication. The Star asked how changing the bus routes for high school students saves CPS money. Ms. Daniels replied in an email message on Dec. 7, 2015: “I’ve submitted your request to my colleague who handles transportation. He should follow up with you shortly.” The Star has not received a follow up. CPS backtracks on some schools where there would be a ‘negative impact’ Mr. Claypool first announced in July that 80 schools in CPS would have their schedules changed. The elementary schools were told their schedules were moving earlier; the high schools were told they were going later. Of the 80 schools in CPS’ initial announcement, 60 were high schools. Most of those high schools ended up keeping their 2014-15 schedules; eight others, including North Grand high school, moved to 7:30 or 7:45 a.m. start times. The Aug. 10, 2015, CPS press release quotes Board of Education President Frank Clark explaining why CPS and the Board allowed most high schools to revert back to their original bell schedules or choose earlier alternative schedules: “After listening to educators, students and families express their concerns about changing bell times, the Board of Education felt it was incredibly important to work with principals to determine the best options for their school communities,” Mr. Clark said, according to the press release.
10 Steinmetz Star Jan. - Feb. 2016
“By engaging principals and learning about the many unintended consequences the changing bell times caused, we decided to rescind those changes that had a negative impact on schools. These changes reflect a collaborative approach that both appreciates our fiscal challenges but still puts children first.” Steinmetz moved to later schedule for ‘health benefits’ Steinmetz and 21 high schools in CPS, including other Network 3 high schools Prosser, Douglass and the three Austin schools (Austin Polytech, Austin Business and VOISE), moved to the late start, with dismissal times after 4:00 p.m. Network 3 Austin/Belmont Cragin Chief of Schools Randell Josserand told the Star that the decision for these high schools to move to a later start was not due to saving money for the district, rather for the health benefits of a later start. Mr. Josserand said the decision was made by the principals. Mr. Ngo confirmed that. “It was my decision, made in collaboration with the other area principals,” Principal Stephen Ngo said, when he and Mr. Josserand spoke to the 1st period journalism class on Jan. 4. According to Mr. Josserand, Mr. Ngo made his decision so that students would get more sleep. “I got together with all the high school principals within our network and we talked about some of the reasons for going earlier, some of the reasons for going later and I asked them to work together as a group to come together and to come to a decision then come back to me,” Mr. Josserand said. “Then Principal Ngo and the other principals came back to me with the decision that they believed that the later start time was the right thing to do. The reason that Principal Ngo made that decision didn’t have anything to do with money. “There is really clear research that has been done regarding with sleep deprivation with students middle school and high school age. The research around sleep deprivation and the negative impact that that is having on students your age was so compelling that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (that is a major arm of the United States government) came out with a major study of all school districts that they recommend that they have a start time between 8:30 and 9:00 in high school and middle school students. “A lot of the research has to do with differences in age differences in our brains and how our brains work and how we stay up later, it’s really not done by choice. “The research was something we put out at the beginning of the school year to everyone. Some information we put out. Those are the reasons Mr. Ngo made the decision.”
The Aug. 10, 2015, CPS press release states that the consolidation of school bus routes would save the district $5 million. The Board of Education president said that CPS rescinded later bell times at dozens of high schools after “educators, students and families expressed their concerns.” The press release, available at http://cps.edu/News/Press_releases/Pages/PR1_8_10_2015.aspx, is linked in the Star article at www.steinmetzstar.com.
2016-17 schedule to be determined In a follow up email to Star adviser Sharon Schmidt, Mr. Josserand said that the schedule for next year has not yet been determined. “From the perspective of our area Principals, the 9:00 a.m. start time has always been a pilot program for this year,” Mr. Josserand stated in his email. “How start and end times will be set for schools next year is yet to be determined by the district, but if we follow the same path as last year our HS Principals will review internal data, consult their LSC, and collaborate on a decision.” Principal Stephen Ngo told the Star in an interview in November that he thinks that CPS will put all high schools will be on the same schedules. “I think next year CPS will evaluate the situation,” he said. “My own gut feeling is that next year they will want all schools on the same start time, and so it seems like the majority of schools are on the early start time I think that it will go back. What has to happen is that all schools have the same start time. I don’t mind the later start, but you can’t have some later and some not.” Safety, work and sports issues addressed Mr. Josserand answered the Star’s request for a comment about student and parent concerns about safety in the meeting on Jan. 4. He said some people had had concerns with the early morning commutes last year. “I had talked to a few parents with safety issues because we’re going home in the dark,” Mr. Josserand said. “I had also talked to some parents last year with safety issues because we’re going to school so early and there were issues that they were worried. So I’ve heard both sides of the issue. This is one of the reasons why I was interested in the [Star] survey.” “I agree leaving school after 4:00 is problematic,” he added, later during the interview.
“That is something, if we move forward with this, that is something we have to consider.” Mr. Josserand said that he was surprised the loss of student job hours was a problem because Steinmetz was supposed to have provided an alternative schedule for working students. [See sidebar “Working seniors may be eligible for earlier dismissal on Page 12]. Mr. Josserand said that scheduling sports events with other schools with earlier schedules posed some issues. Principal Ngo said he had to talk to other school principals to move back game times. In an interview with the Star in November 2015, Mr. Ngo addressed athletes missing class due to the late dismissal time. “The biggest problem with this is sports, especially for away games,” he said. “Our students lose instructional time because they have to travel far to get to a game. There are certain sports, like football and bowling, that we don’t control the venue. So if sports administration decides to schedule a football game at 4:00 we have to pull our students out. Any time you lose instructional time there’s a chance for that impact. My main issue is different schools at different times. Competing against Prosser is fine. Competing against Schurz – we have to get the students out early.” Mr. Ngo said in the interview in November that the later bell schedule has benefits. “All the research shows that setting the time back is healthier for young people,” he said. “Many high school students are sleep deprived as it is. They go to bed at midnight. They don’t get enough sleep. Extra sleep and they’re healthier and more attentive. That translates to greater student achievement.” Mr. Ngo said there were problems. “Another challenge [besides sports issues] is students who work getting to their jobs an hour later,” he said. Continued on Page 11
Star News: Later Bell Schedule
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LSC parent reps didn’t hear objections to later time Continued from Page 10 He said there were few complaints from parents in August. “We polled the parents,” he said. “We only got 26 phone calls. Four liked it. I don’t have a leg to stand on. We put out an auto dialer in English and Spanish. We got 26 phone calls. CPS really isn’t going to listen to what I say, [students] say, teachers say. But they listen to what parents say. But when only 26 parents called in, that means 1,525 parents were like ‘we’re good with it.’ That was the interpretation. If our parents don’t have an issue with this, it’s hard to change it. I think the majority of parents are okay with this. The Star asked Mr. Ngo if there are other problems that parents call in about. “Not large scale,” he said. The Star asked Mr. Ngo about tardies. “There are still a lot of first period tardies,” he said. “At about the same amount as last year. And we’re getting double the early dismissals that we used to have. I did share that with the network. Double what they were last year. Majority doctors’ appointments.” Some LSC members see problems with change Mr. Ngo told the Star, when he spoke to reporters on Jan. 4, that no teacher, community or parent representatives objected to the later bell schedule. “At the very beginning, right, when we, when this rolled out here, when I rolled it out, the LSC, I mean I talked to the LSC, not one member, it’s never, this issue, has never once come up with our Local School Council,” he said. “When I talked to my parent reps, my teacher reps and my community reps, right, there had not been one, one, it it just never, it has never come up,” Mr. Ngo said. LSC teacher representative Lorraine Frierson told the Star that teachers had no choice this year. “I am following a mandated directive that we start at 9:00,” Dr. Frierson said. “Usually as a staff we vote on a starting time, this year we had no choice. The start time is a positive thing for some families but a negative for others. We all have to adapt our lives to certain things and this year it is the late school start and next year we might go back to the old school start time at 8:00.” Steinmetz LSC President Jose Quiles said that when Principal Ngo told the council that the schedule was changing “on a personal note, I thought of the safety issue,” but that he represents parents who didn’t complain. “I felt that with the time change it was going to get darker sooner, but if parents don’t bring it to us, there’s no issue,” Mr. Quiles said in a telephone interview on Dec. 14, 2015. He said that when the time change was mentioned in the summer no one on the LSC opposed it. “I can’t speak for the LSC if it hadn’t been brought to the table as an issue,” he said. He said parents didn’t contact the council about the time change. He said there are times when parents at Steinmetz get more involved. “When it’s something that concerns them they come out.,” he said Parent representative Maria Lourdes Hernandez said the later schedule hurts “mainly the kids with jobs.” “They don’t have much time to transition easily from school to work,” she said. “Plus, kids who are trying to get hired somewhere might not get hired since the times are so close to each other. That extra hour also makes a difference because it makes time management harder for any kid who has to do something after school, whether it is a job or sports or taking care of a sibling.” Student representative Emony Tate said that when she heard about the time change she was concerned about how the later dismissal time would affect working students. She said that Mr. Ngo and others talked with her about allowing seniors to come to school early and leave early. “They said the option would begin after the first three weeks of school,” Emony said. [See article on working seniors on Pages 1 and 11]. “Right now the schedule works for some students, but not for others,” Emony said. “It’s especially hard for students in sports.” Community representative Adlerman Gilbert Villegas (36th) said he thought “principals and administrators had a better handle on the decision” than he would have. He added that “knowing how hard it is to get my 12-year-old out of bed in the morning” that the later start made sense. Continued on bottom of Page 12
Bell schedules at Chicago public high schools • Schools are listed by name, address, type of school, # of students, % low income, CPS school rating: 1+, 1, 2+, 2 or 3 • Type of schools listed: Neighborhood, magnet, career academy, small, special education, selective enrollment, military Not listed: York, Jefferson and privately run charter and alternative schools. ‘CPS Stats and Facts’ lists a total of 176 high schools.
8:00 – 3:15
9:00 – 4:15
End times vary for 8:00 start from 2:58 to 3:30
End times vary from 4:00 to 4:23
Air Force****, 3630 S. Wells St., military, (328) 84%, 1 Alcott, 2957 N. Hoyne, small/magnet, (305) 78%, 1+ Amundsen, 5110 N. Damen, neighborhood, (1,111) 86%, 1 Back of the Yards***, 2111 W. 47th, IB/n., (784) 96%, 1+ Bogan, 3939 W. 79th, neighborhood, (818) 92%, 2 Bowen, 2710 E. 89th, small/magnet, (350) 97%, 2+ Bronzeville***, 4934 S. Wabash, small/mag, (438) 95%, 2+ Brooks, 250 E. 111th, sel. enrollment, (835) 73%, 1+ Carver Military**, 3519 S. Giles, military, (483) 88%, 1 Chicago Acad., 3400 N. Austin, small/mag., (536), 82%, 1 Chicago Agriculture**, 3857 W. 111th, mag (709) 46 %, 1+ Chicago Arts, 2714 W. Augusta, magnet, (587) 54%, 1+ Chicago Military**, 3519 S. Giles, military, (320) 88%, 1 Chicago Vocational, 2100 E. 87th, career, (934), 94%, 2 Clark****, 5101 W. Harrison, magnet, (514) 94%, 2+ Clemente, 1147 N. Western, neighborhood, (749) 96%, 2 Collins, 1313 S. Sacramento, small, (324) 99%, 2 Comm. Services, 180 N. Wabash, magnet, (107) 82%, 1+ Corliss***, 821 E. 103rd, neighborhood, (408) 95%, 2 Curie,** 4959 S. Archer, magnet, (2,983) 93%, 2+ Devry, 3300 N. Campbell, magnet, (197) 68%, 1+ Dunbar, 3000 S. Dunbar, career, (720) 98%, 2 Foreman, 3235 N. LeClaire, neighborhood, (1,016) 95%, 2 Goode**, 7651 S. Homan, magnet, (822) 83%, 2+ Hancock****, 4034 W. 56th, sel. enrollment, (897) 93%, 1 Harper, 6520 S. Wood, neighborhood, (237) 98%, 2 Hope, 5515 S. Lowe, neighborhood, (192) 100%, 2 Hubbard, 6200 Hamlin, neighborhood, (1,688) 97%, 1 Infinity, 3120 S. Kostner, small, (417) 95%, 1+ Jones, 700 S. State, selective enrollment, (1,670) 42%, 1+ Juarez****, 2150 S. Laflin, neighbood (1, 623) 95%, 2+ Julian, 10330 S. Elizabeth, neighborhood, (703) 94%, 2 Kelly**, 4136 S. California, neighborhood, (2,178) 95%, 2+ Kennedy**, 6325 W. 56th, neighborhood, (1,610) 78%, 2+ King, 4445 S. Dexel, sel. enrollment, (687) 78%, 1 Lake View****, 4015 N. Ashland, neigh., (1,275) 84%, 1 Lane, 2501 W. Addison, sel. enrollment, (4,044), 54%, 1+ Lincoln Park, 2001 N. Orchard, IB/neigh., (2,097) 54%. 1+ Lindblom, 6130 S. Walcott, sel. enroll., (1,247) 63% 1+ Marine****, 1920 N. Hamlin, military , (791) 96%, 1+ Marshall, 3250 W. Adams, magnet, (393) 99%, 2 Mather, 5835 N. Lincoln, neighborhood, (1,569) 87%, 2+ Morgan Park**, 1744 W. Pryor, IB/neigh., (1,417) 86%, 2+ Multicultural, 3120 S. Kostner, small, (265) 99%, 2+ North-Grand***, 4338 W. Wabansia, neigh., (977) 96%, 2+ NS Learn **, 3730 W. Bryn Mawr, sp e. (245) 82%, no rating Northside Col., 5501 N. Kedzie, sel. enrol., (1052) 41%, 1+ Ogden, 1250 W. Erie, neighborhood, (702) 46%, 1+ Orr*** , 730 N. Pulaski, neighborhood, (411) 94%, 3 Payton, 1034 N. Wells, sel. enroll., (865) 30%, 1+ Phillips, 244 E. Pershing, neighborhood, (587) 96%, 2 Phoenix, 145 S. Cambell, military, (511) 94%, 1+ Raby, 3545 W. Fulton, small, (454) 98%, 2 Richards**, 10601 S. Central, neighborhood, (284) 79%, 2 Rickover Naval, 5900 N. Glenwood, military, (581) 86%, 1+ Robeson, 6835 S. Normal, neighborhood, (218) 100%, 3 Roosevelt, 3436 W. Wilson, neighborhood, (1,152) 93%, 2 Schurz, 3601 N. Milwaukee, neighborhood, (1,978) 92%, 2 Senn, 5900 N. Glenwood, IB/neighborhood, (1,341) 82%, 1 Simeon, 8147 S. Vincennes, career magnet,(1,364) 89%, 1 Simpson, 1321 S. Paulina, citywide option, (68) 99%, 2+ Social Justice, 3120 S. Kostner, small, (299) 96%, 1 Solorio, 5400 S. St. Louis, neighborhood, (1,099) 93%, 2+ South Shore, 1955 E. 75th, select. enroll., (574) 82%, 2+ Sullivan, 6631 N. Bosworth, neighborhood, (573) 83%, 2 Taft, 6530 W. Bryn Mawr, IB/neighborhood, (3,189) 58%, 1 Team Englewood***, 6201 S. Stewart, small, (229) 87%, 2 Tilden, 4747 S. Union, neighborhood, (296) 96%, 3 Uplift, 900 W. Wilson, small, (308) 95%, 2+ Vaughn (7 a.m.), 355 N. Linder, sp. ed, (193) 76%, no rating Von Steuben, 5039 N. Kimball, magnet,(1,639) 78%, 1+ Westinghouse, 3223 W. Franklin, sel. enrol.,(1,175) 83%, 1+ Whitney Young, 211 S. Laflin, sel. enrol., (2,150) 45%, 1+ Williams, 4934 S. Wabash, small, (258) 96%, 1 World Language, 3120 S. Kostner, small/mag., (328) 98%, 1
Austin Bus & Entrp., 231 N. Pine, small (97) 96%, 2 Austin Poly Tech, 231 N. Pine, small(120) 99%, 2 Chicago Tech, 1301 W. 14th, magnet, (314) 98%, 2 Crane Medical, 2245 W. Jackson, magnet, (454) 86% 1+ Disney II, 3900 N. Lawndale, magnet (625) 44%, 1 Douglass, 543 N. Waller, neighborhood, (231) 97%, 2 Farragut, 2345 S. Christiana, neighborhood, (886) 99%, 2 Fenger, 11220 S. Wallace, neighborhood, (259) 99%, 2 Gage Park, 5630 S. Rockwell, neighborhood, (370) 97%, 2 Hirsch, 7740 S. Ingleside, neighborhood, (153) 97%, 3 Hyde Park, 6220 S. Stony Island, IB/neigh., (788), 99%, 2 Kelvyn Park , 4343 W. Wrightwood, neigh., (685) 96%, 2 Kenwood, 5015 S. Blackstone, neighborhd., (1724) 64%, 1+ Manley, 2935 W. Polk, neighborhood, (238) 91%, 2 Prosser, 2148 N. Long, career magnet, (1,450) 94%, 1 Spry, 2400 S. Marshall, neighborhood, (172) 98%, 2+ Southside, 7342 S. Hoyne, special ed., (205) 87%, no rating Steinmetz, 3030 N. Mobile, neighborhood, (1,483) 91%, 2 VOISE, 231 N. Pine, small, (180) 98%, 2 Washington, 3535 E. 114th, neighborhood, (1,416) 91%, 2+ Wells, 936 N. Ashland, neighborhood, (442) 94%, 2
Start times other than 8:00: *7:15, **7:30, ***7:45, ****8:15
Sources of CPS Information Bell times: • http://cps.edu/Schools/Find_a_school/Pages/findaschool.aspx • http://cps.edu/News/Documents/bell_times_sy15-16_update.pdf • Star reporters spoke to individual school contacts and checked school websites for accurate information. Several schools’ schedules in the “Find a School” website and CPS “Updated Bell Times (As of 08.17.2015)” PDF document are listed inaccurately. • Corrections and carifications welcome: If school sources find the Star reporting is in error, please contact us. See page 2 for contact information. School types, Low income students: • http://cps.edu/About_CPS/At-a-glance/Pages/Stats_and_facts.aspx
• 86% of CPS students are economically disadvantaged School Quality Rating Policy: • http://cps.edu/Performance/Documents/SQRPHandbook.pdf • “Standard High School Indicator” 10%: National school growth percentile on EXPLORE, PLAN, ACT Up to 5%: Priority group growth percentile on above 10%: National school attainment percentile on above 6.25%: Average daily attendance 12.5%: Freshman on-track 6.25%: 1-Year dropout rate 12.5%: 4-Year cohort graduation rate 6.25%: Percent of graduates earning a 3+ on AP, 4+ on IB exams, approved early college credit 6.25%: College enrollment rate 6.25%: College persistence rate 6.25%: My Voice, My School 5 Essentials Survey 6.25%: Data quality index score
Jan. - Feb. 2016 Steinmetz Star 11
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Star News: Later Bell Schedule
Working seniors may be eligible to leave school early
S
eniors who work or take care of children after school may be eligible to leave school earlier than the 4:11 p.m. dismissal time, according to Principal Stephen Ngo. “If you happen to know some students that are in a bind, I would encourage you to have them, please, come see me,” Mr. Ngo told Star reporters on Jan. 4.
You told the counselors to tell their students to come see you? To be honest, I may not have talked to all the counselors, but I’m pretty sure that I did say if there is an issue to bring it to me. It was more if the student came to see someone that had an issue to come see me. I saw every student who had an issue I fixed their schedule.
Photo by McKenzie Lacefield
The option began in September Mr. Ngo said that at the beginning of the year he helped a few seniors change their schedules. “Those students who really had some issues, I took care of,” he said. “I took care of every instance, every student who came to see me who had a conflict, and it was either before school or through a lunch period.” Network 3 Chief of Schools Randel Josserand told students he was surprised when he received questions in December from the Star, asking for a comment about the issue of the later bell schedule’s negative consequence on student employment. “Obviously, there has been confussion,” Mr. Josserand told Star reporters in the Jan. 4 meeting. “As we go into second semester we’ll want to make this clear to everyone. The process is all they have to do is bring in a letter from their employer. Mr. Ngo can take those things into consideration as he looks at those individual situations to make that determination.” A plan for working students to start school earlier and leave school earlier than other students had been made at Steinmetz and other Network 3 high schools before the school year began, Mr. Josserand stated in an email to Star adviser Sharon Schmidt on Jan. 6. “The Network schools all put a “0” period in place before school started,” Mr. Josserand said. “While supporting the later start based on research, principals didn’t want this change to stop individual students from maintaining employment. Students just need to provide documentation from their parent and employer justifying the need to leave early for work.” Mr. Josserand told the Star reporters he thought publishing this information in the
I put it out there. I talked to the counselors and students. It was out there, because students came to see me. I didn’t blast it. But I did put it out there that some seniors, only seniors, had childcare or work issues, to come see me.
Local School Council Student Representative Emony Tate (above: speaking at the Jan. 20 freshman townhall) told the Star that she had thought a plan for working seniors to come to school and leave school one hour earlier than the new bell schedule would start three weeks into the year. But no announcement to seniors was made.
Star was a good option. “I think that publishing that in the paper is an option,” he said. “I think that is a good idea. That’s one way to get the word out. It’s obvious we didn’t do as good a job as we would have liked making sure that everyone was aware of that option.” January 4 Q and A Mr. Ngo and Mr. Josserand spoke to Star reporters on Jan. 4 during 1st period Journalism class. Mr. Ngo’s answers to the Star questions are transcribed verbatim. The Star questions are in bold; Mr. Ngo’s responses in italics. I had heard that 0 period and early dismissal was going to start the third week of school. I didn’t know that it started before school started. So there were two options, right. I had a number of students come to me, and I hope you understand my reasoning. First off, I made this only for seniors and I put out that if any one has an issue with employment or child care, right, to come see me. And I took care of every instance, every stu-
dent who came to see me who had a conflict, right, and it was either before school or through a lunch period, okay. I didn’t advertise it whole school wide. Like, I didn’t put it out there, blasting it, because I didn’t want every senior to come in, but I figured the seniors, those students who really had some issues, they came and I took care of every student. Everyone of those students has been taken care of. And I can tell you it was less than seven students. So it really wasn’t a big number. And, again, if I can just reiterate, too, back in the summer we did an auto dialer out to all the parents in Spanish and in English explaining that Steinmetz was moving to a 9 o’clock start, right, and I specifically said, both in Spanish and in English, that if there were any questions, concerns or issues please call the school at 534-3030. I had the main office keep an Excel spreadsheet of the people who called. We had 26 calls, right, and four of them were for it. We have 1,500 students here at Steinmetz and only 26 parents who had an issue with that. How did anyone know if they had an issue with childcare or work that there was the option to come see you?
How were we supposed to talk to you if we didn’t know about it? Some students did know about it. You knew about it. I told my parents that I read something on a Facebook post and I was waiting. I heard about it from a post on Facebook, not from the school. Why didn’t you tell our teachers? How were we supposed to know about zero period? I was passive on getting that information out because I felt like if I just said, “Hey seniors: Want to get out early? All you have to do is this,” then I’d have every senior in the school coming up. But I feel that those students who had seious legit issues, they came. I had personal conversations with those students and I fixed the schedule for each of those students. And if you happen to know some students that are in a bind to come I would encourage you to have them please come see me. I didn’t want to, you know, I guess, you know, how some people, sort of, how can I put it? You know, some students, at Roosevelt High School, right, they had a student protest about the food. I was talking to the principal. There may have been 30 students who may have been, like, hard core, this is a big issue. The sad thing is that there were about 200 students that used the opportunity to take off. Students who have legitimate issues, I absolutely want to help you, but I also want to prevent the Jerry Springer. I don’t best know how to do that, but maybe after this conversation we’ll figure that out how to get that out.
•
Steinmetz seniors used to leave school before 2:00 Continued from Page 11 Other LSC members declined the Star’s request for interviews or were unreachable for interviews. LSC meetings In his meetings with Star reporters on Dec. 16, 2015, and Jan. 4, Mr. Ngo urged students to attend the next LSC meeting scheduled for Jan. 13, to talk to members. Star reporters were unable to meet LSC members at the meeting scheduled for Jan. 13 after LSC members cancelled that meeting when they met for a special meeting on Jan. 6. The Star and principal selection were the only two items on the posted agenda for the Jan. 6 special meeting. At that meeting, members met in an “executive session” that was closed to the public. The LSC met again on Jan. 23, voting to renew Principal Ngo’s principal contract for another four years. Mr. Josserand told the Star that the bell schedule for the 2016-17 school year would be evaluated with LSC input. “The principal will be talking to the LSC, as he did when he made
the decision,” Mr. Josserand said. “The decision will be made later in the school year, unless there is some change in policy on the district level.” The next meeting of the LSC is scheduled for Feb. 10, which is Ash Wednesday. Previous schedules ended early In the recent past, the Steinmetz school day was earlier and much shorter – beginning at 8 a.m. and ending much earlier than 3:11, as it did last year. In the 2009-10 school year, and for many years before that, the class schedule at Steinmetz was 8:00-2:30 (with teachers beginning work at 7:30 a.m.). Most seniors were programmed for 8th period lunch, of which attendance was optional, so many chose to leave school at 1:50, when 8th period began. In 2010-11, the schedule changed to 8:00 to 2:55 for students and teachers, with most seniors programmed for lunch at 2:10. In 2011-12 the schedule went back to 8:00 - 2:30, with most seniors done for the day at 1:50. That year, while running for mayor, Rahm Emanuel made a
12 Steinmetz Star Jan. - Feb. 2016
campaign promise to increase the school day and the school year, which he claimed were the shortest in the nation. After Mayor Emanuel was elected and gained control of CPS, beginning with the 2012-13 school year, Steinmetz moved to an 8:00 to 3:11 schedule. The school stopped scheduling an 8th period lunch, so seniors no longer had the option to leave earlier. In 2015, the bell schedule became 9:00 to 4:11. Other districts to start later, without ending later Many people who took the Star survey suggested that starting at 9:00, but leaving at 3:00, would be the best schedule. Another district close to Chicago has decided to move their school start time back, but without pushing the dismissal time back. In November 2015, the school board of Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, voted to push the start time for most of its school days back, from 8:05 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., with days still ending at their usual times of 3:25.
Survey opinions More than 300 people returned their Steinmetz Star Bell Schedule survey to the Star with their names and comments. The survey takers had responded to the following: “Optional: If you are willing to be quoted in the Star, please comment on this year’s bell schedule.” The following list of statements includes all the signed parent comments and a representative sample of the student and staff comments. Parent comments All of the following comments were by parents who chose 8:00 3:11 on the surveys as their preference: “Students have siblings to watch.” Flor Mujea “It’s not safe for students as later time is dark outside.” Santiago Banderas “I hate the new schedule.” Providencia Alvarez “It’s too dark outside in the winter for kids to be out.” Lorena Banderas “Mi hija camina al oscurecer.” Maria Gaitan One parent who chose the 8:00 4:11 schedule as a preference wrote
the following: “More time to take younger kids.” Rosaliz Gomez Steinmetz staff comments Nearly all the comments from teachers and other school workers were from those who prefer an earlier day. “Students should be afforded their time after school to participate in much needed extra curriculars in order to get the best out of their high school experience.” Beth Perez, teacher and NHS sponsor “There is something wrong with it being the end of 8th period and seeing the sunset!” Miguel Ochoa, teacher and coach “It really didn’t make a difference with students getting to 1st period on time or at this point school at all.” Sgt. Robert Davis, teacher “It’s very tough on studentathletes and coaches who need to homework, etc. but are at school to 6:30 or later for practice and games.” Brad Dowling, teacher and coach “A 9:00-3:00 schedule would be perfect. After 3:00 the students’ attention span is lost.” Debra Kern, teacher and club sponsor Continued on Page 13
Star News: Later Bell Schedule
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Star photos
More than 300 shared signed comments on Star survey
Star reporters Valery Champion, Anthony Morgan-Kitch, Kara Dziadosz, Liz Patino, Lisette Pranvinchandra, Jailene Torres, Brittany Barragan, Daria Velazquez and Brian Geans read and tabulate surveys. The comments quoted in this article are representative of the 320 signed comments written by signed survey takers. Additional comments are available on www.steinmetzstar.com.
Continued from Page 12 “The later school day is hard on everyone. It makes it very hard for our students to be involved with after school programs, athletics, their community and their families. We encourage and value involvement in extracurriculars and want our students to be wellrounded, but we are not giving them time to do so. Students have missed late-afternoon classes for athletics, college and scholarship interviews and to get to important personal commitments, including watching younger siblings and getting their own jobs.” Tara Scolire, teacher “This is a very bad schedule because of after school activities. But whatever the principal wants we will do.” Joan McCollum, lunchroom manager “The 9:00 - 4:11 schedule reduces class time for student athletes. It is also very difficult for students who work after school.” Maribeth Ward, teacher “Some students still come in late. Students that need to work to help family are punished by not being able to work or have to work later hours. Sports programs are affected when only one or two schools in our conference have late dismissal and all others have earlier dismissals.” Sgt. Garry Frank, student services and coach (retired Nov. 19, 2015) “I would like to go back to the early start. Students continue to come late.” Laura Jimenez, ASM coordinator Student comments: Getting more sleep “I enjoy sleeping. I’ve never been a morning person.” Tyler Graves, senior “It gives me time to sleep more in the morning. #sleep#is#life.” Steven Morales, senior “I prefer the 9:00-4:11 bell schedule for it give Steinmetz more sleep and it decreases the amount of tardies in the school.” Yesenia Martinez, junior “I prefer waking up at 9:00 and getting out at 4:11 because I get more sleep now.” Trevon Davis, junior “Just no 8:00, please, and thank you.” Charles Sherman, junior “We get more sleep.” Aryanna Dixon “This gives us the morning practice, time just to wake up, easier to do homework in the morning, I just hate how we get out later.” Peter Szczech, junior “More sleep, the better.” Jasmine Milan “Starting late is great!” Sebastian Nunez “I think it’s better to start at 9 a.m. and get out at 4 p.m. It’s better for those who live far and for those who live close to get a bit more sleep. Manuel Reynoso, sophomore “I love the time. I don’t have to get up very early.” Jade Briggs, sophomore “I like having morning practice and waking up early for sports.” Patrick Oasin, senior “The new bell schedule is actually easier for me to work with.” Alec Reyes, senior “I say start at 9:00 because I wake up late
and I go to sleep late.” Adren Torres, junior “I like the new bell time because I get more sleep at night.” Max Solorio, senior Doing more in the mornings “It gives me more time to get to school on time and drop my little brother off at school.” Jazmilette Machado, junior “You have extra time to do homework in the morning.” Alicia Urquizo, senior “It gives me more time to get ready.” Luis Estrada, senior “I can do double swim practice so it helps me and my teammates get better at swimming.” Javier Delgado, senior “The new bell schedule is amazing. It gives students more time to prepare before school and do homework (lol) because we are pretty lazy and procrastinate a lot.” Vincent Fernandez, sophomore Work conflicts “Even if we do get longer time to sleep, we spend basically the entire day in school. I don’t get home until 5-5:30 and with that schedule we get limited job options.” Esmeralda Dominguez, senior “Now that school starts later, I have been working fewer hours and even staying up at work till midnight.” Victoria Galvan, senior “This schedule really interferes with work. My five days a week turned to three days a week and that is very little income. I am a full time student, full time mother of a 8 month old and I work on the weekends.” Brenda Barrera, senior “My five days a week turned to three since we have been getting out at 4:11; we don’t have much time to work after school because the day is pretty much gone by the time school’s over.” Tridaya McGee, senior “I strongly dislike the starting time. It’s hard on students who work and have responsibilities.” Alisson Castellanos, senior “Some kids have responsibilities, whether it is to take care of a sibling or get to a job after school. We have important things we need to take care of, but the board of education does not recognize that.” Tiara Coria, sophomore “The 9:00 to 4:11 schedule messes up my work schedule. Change it back!” Randy Ardelean, senior “A lot of us have jobs. Now we go to work really late. If they change the bell schedule I think it would be better because we will get to our jobs on time.” Veronica Murillo, senior “With it ending so late it affects my work schedule. By the time we get out of school it is already dark out.” Catrina Kelley, junior Problems with sports “When volleyball was in season it was hard to get out so late. I also have tons of homework. I’d rather have the old bell schedule back.” Monica Laddaran, sophomore “Practices in the morning make us exhausted and less focused throughout the day.
ASM programs let us out at 6:30 and some of us live almost two hours away.” Delanie Preston, junior “I’m a student that plays basketball and I love the sport, but I always end up going home late and I don’t have time to do what I want.” Rahman Ukoja, sophomore “It’s really complicated now that soccer season is starting because I live really far away.” Stephanie Alonso, senior “Although it’s an hour difference, it makes appointments harder to be scheduled and sports last longer, which makes less time for homework and a bit more stressful.” Maria Medina, senior “I absolutely hate the practices before school. Now that winter is coming I can’t imagine taking a cold shower before class and having to wake up at ungodly hours and take a bus to practice. It’s just inconvenient.” Jaylene Rodriguez, junior “The new schedule isn’t as good as we thought it would be. For us athletes, it’s worse because we have practice until like 8:00 since we get out later. It’s not worth it.” Raymond Perez, junior “Kids like me that do extracurriculars have no time to do homework. Away games take so long that by the time we get home, it’s already 9:00 p.m.” Luis Fernandez, junior “Many people have jobs, a lot of homework and some people are involved in sports. People who have sports have to leave 8th period for games. It gets dark out early.” Victoria Lara, senior “It takes away from my time to workout. I used to come home everyday and go straight to the gym, but now things are a lot more complicated for me.” Freddy Beltre, senior “The earlier time is better overall for the school and the athletes.” Abner Munguia, junior Concerns about safety “With students getting out of school at 4:11 it is really dark and it is very dangerous, especially due to the spike in the crime rate.” Lushell Matthews, junior “No me gusta porque es muy tarde y cuando salgo del colegio esta oscura.” Fernando Gonzalez, sophomore “I walk out the school building and it’s like 12 a.m. How am I supposed to walk home in the city of Chicago like this? We may never know.” Kienna Bariso, senior “By the time we get home it’s already dark and all we have time for is eating, homework, showering then off to bed.” Michelle Arreda “It would be nice to go early to school and come out early because it gets really dark outside after 4:00.” Hector Perez, freshman “I really hate how we get out so late. It’s dark and I walk home.” Kinga Tarasiewicz, junior “I think 8:00 was a good time because now we get out of school it is almost dark and some people live very far and they get home when
it’s already nighttime. People could get hurt.” Everett Jennings, junior “I’m scared to walk home later in the day.” Adriana Cortes, junior “Having school start at 9:00 is convenient because I live far, so I have time to get here by 9:00. But getting out at 4:11 in the winter time is difficult because it’s dark out and I have one hour to get to work before it gets completely dark.” Sheila Morales, senior “I believe we should start school at 8:00 because at 9:00 we get out too late. And since it’s getting dark quick and that’s dangerous for children to home at that time.” Corteesha Davis, freshman “It’s really dark and kids have after school activities. Anything can happen at that time.” Briana Patton, junior “It’s too dark outside when we get out at 4:11.” Diovion Harris, junior “The bell schedule is crazy. I have to take the bus home and it’s already dark by 4:30.” Katera Goldman, sophomore Less time for activities “At first it sounded pretty cool, I mean, another hour of sleep? Sweet! However, now with After School Matters, I don’t get out till 6:30.” Anyela ‘Angie’ Jaramillo, junior “I liked the bell schedule last year because it gave you more time with friends after school.” Taeya McGee, junior “The new bell schedule is senseless because most of the students thought they could get more sleep, but they stay up even later now.” Chiya Loyd, sophomore “Steinmetz should go back to the 8 a.m. start time because it allows teachers and students an extra hour of money making, watching TV, hanging out or whatever we choose to do with the time.” Tahsheka Alexander, “The day feels like it drags with the new schedule.” Adriana Cortes, junior “This year we have a lot more activities to do and now we don’t have time for them.” Krisafer Beria, senior “I’d rather start school early and get out early because I have a life.” Ashley Caraballo “We come out too late and then we don’t have a lot of time to do other important things.” Jailyn Diaz, sophomore “Getting out of school earlier would be good for me. That way I could work an hour more and get out early to do homework.” Giselle Gonzalez, junior “I feel that this school time that we have now is crazy. I am in IB and do sports. I really don’t have time for anything anymore. I get home late then I have a lot of homework. I feel that with this schedule they really aren’t thinking about students.” Areion Smith, junior “Some of us are up very early in the morning trying to get our homework done.” Teandra Johnson, junior “People don’t get enough free time because we get out so late. It would be better if we had our old schedule.” Marcelo Roa, sophomore
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Jan. - Feb. 2016 Steinmetz Star 13
Star Arts & Entertainment About Face Theater ‘Interaction’ Improve the local music scene performs and teaches workshop 14
By Valery Champion
By Daria Velazquez
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he About Face Theater’s educational program, “Interaction,” worked with students for a Genesis Lopez, Daria Velazquez, Brian Geans and Evan Carreno week in December. go over a script for their performance on Dec. 4, 2015. The About Face Theatre states that it “creates exceptional, and Angelica Roque. Ms. Roque said that innovative, and adventurous plays to ad- they taught for Interaction because they vance the national dialogue on gender wanted to help. and sexual identity, and to challenge and She said they constantly asked thementertain audiences in Chicago, across the selves, “How can I give back?”and “How country, and around the world. can this benefit others?” “Our vision is to be Chicago’s celebrated Mr. Kredell came into About Face as an center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, actor and had little knowledge of education, queer and ally (LGBTQA) arts and amplify but after a few shows he realized he wanted the nation’s leading voices to spark social to teach others about acting. change.” The About Face Theater teaches about Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) sponsor relative issues like homosexuality, trans, Beth Zaluba invited the group to perform stories about coming out and even more. for students. Interaction returned to teach They usually perform at 30-40 places on students what the process is like to create a yearly basis. and perform their stories live.“I liked the “I think the workshop was good,” junior way we got to personalize it, it really was Jonathan Aguilar said. “It’s nice that our our own stories being told and expressed club is expanding and we are bringing a lot in ways we couldn’t express them before,” of different things to offer. I think the opjunior J.T. Grove said. portunity that we had was awesome because Eight students attended that workshop we did learn a lot of good stuff and we did that week. have a safe space.” “It was actually a really fun thing to be in, I learned a lot more about some of my Advice for future actors friends and met some really great people, “It takes time to get to where you want too,” senior Kala Geralds said. She also said to be.” “Just be patient.” – Angelica Roque that it could have been a better experience “Love your voice and embrace your voice if “more people from school were being and you will get into shows.” involved and actually coming.” “As long as you love what you’re doing The after school workshop was hosted and refuse to give up what you love, it will by two actors and educators Kieran Kredell happen.” – Kieran Kredell
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Museums are free on Feb. 15
I
mprove the local music scene by doing any of the following: Go to concerts/shows. Even if you’re the only person there, or the 300th person, you can bet the musician(s) really appreciate your support. See artists you love, or you may never even heard of. You should try to expand your music taste buds. Help promote the artist. A good way to do that is to use social media. Share their Facebook page, or even a YouTube video to show how they play. You’d be surprised how many people would be interested in clicking those links! Buy their merchandise. This can be anywhere from t-shirts, to albums; even posters. You name it. Attend local music festivals. Going to festivals give you a chance to see new kinds of musicians play. You might even start to really like how they perform. Start making music yourself. The best way you can support your local music scene is by going it yourself. Even if you think
O
n the next day off of school – Monday, Feb. 15 – why not go to one of Chicago’s top cultural spot, the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Muse-
R
uPaul’s Drag Race is a show that makes people proud to be who they are. Being a LGBT person in the world is not easy. Some people don’t accept others because of their sexual orientation or identification. So, don’t be mean to people who are different because karma can get you at anytime... RuPaul’s Drag Race allows people to show that they are powerful, that they can come out without having fear, that they can be proud for being who they are, gay male or lesbian female. People in the world are not the same. They don’t have to like what you like. It doesn’t work like that in the world. RuPaul’s Drag Race comes on Logo TV. It’s a great show. If you like, you can watch
um or the Planetarium. All will have free admission. A lot of museums offer free days. I went to the Shedd and the Field on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday in January. It’s a great way to spend the day on a holiday.
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14 Steinmetz Star Jan. - Feb. 2016
“My favorite part of Valentine’s Day is seeing people happy and being loved.” Natali Fernadez, sophomore
“It’s a chance to express your feelings.” Theodore Dickson, sophomore
By Melanie Rolon
“My favorite part about Valentine’s day is being with my girl, dressing up nicely, and taking nice pictures.” D’Ante White, junior
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By Brian Geans
What do you like about Valentine’s Day?
“To me, Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love and affection, a day to spend with someone you love, to be loved and see happiness.” Xiomora Cabraras, sophomore
you’re not good enough, do it for the fun of it. Try even playing a new instrument, or something you would of never had thought of doing. Every person joining music can make it big.
Pride and fun in ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’
Photos by Lesli Avila
By Lesli Avila
Valery Champion with Alex Koehler from Chelsea Grin
it on www.logotv.com. The show is about group of gay males dressed in drag. Someone will win $100,000 and be named America’s Next Top Drag Superstar. So it is a game show in a way. The show is really funny. They will make you guys laugh. Check it out... For my LGBTQ people out there, sissy that walk and maybe you might be on the show Remember, be proud who you are.
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Star Sports Streaks cheerleaders reach new heights in competition
15
By Ashley Komperda
D
ec. 12, 2015 will be a day that the Steinmetz cheerleaders will never forget. This was the day that the cheerleaders were able to go to competition. This year’s team was able to accomplish something that no other team was able to in over a decade. After a brutal four-day camp with Xperience Chicago, a cheerleading skills camp, the girls were prepared to face a new challenge. This was a time for the team to learn new skills which were put to use at the 2015 Chicago Public School cheerleading competition at Little Village High School. This was a crazy journey for the team. The camp took place in September and the girls were ecstatic to start. One thing that we can admire is the amount of hard work and dedication was put into the routine. The team experienced many difficulties along the way. “It took a lot of hard work, effort and determination, but the experience was well worth it,” senior Mikayla Roman said. A few weeks before competition the team had lost a few girls to perform which made it difficult after already having a routine for a certain number of girls. Coach Emily Holley opened up spots to anyone who was willing to try out for the team in hopes of still bringing her girls to competition. Two new recruits were found and had a little less than three weeks to learn the entire routine. “Although we may have lost people during this comp experience, we still pulled through, we still remained as a family and became stronger as a whole,” sophomore Emmily Bazan said.
Coach Emily Holley with Captain Ashley Komperda
Photos by Steven Nunez
The team practiced before school, after school, and on weekends in order to perfect every move for the 12th. Everything was perfect again until the week of competition. Another girl had left the team and it was announced that he cheerleaders would not go to competition. Devastation hit and tears were shed. It was a heartbreaking moment for the senior cheerleaders who would not have the chance to come back and try again next year. There were so many unfortunate events that the team lost hope. The very next day baseball coach, Renato Roldan, lifted the spirits of many by offering to stay after school or come before school in order to get the girls to change the routine
Anahi Reyes, Pamela Villareal, Jazmin Rodriguez, Michelle Razo and Sadaf Ahmed pose with Coach Juliana Mendrano.
By Camila Pina
F
inishing in third place in conference, the girls bowling team ended their season on Feb. 2. Captains Jazmin Rodriguez and Ca
“Comp was an amazing experience that took a lot of hard work but was worth it at the end,” freshman Ashley De La Cruz said. After stepping off the mat, the team gathered outside in a group hug and shed a few tears together. After everything the team has gone through, this was the moment they knew that it was all worth it. “Comp was like a dream to most of us since we’ve never gotten a chance to go,” junior Angelica Morua said. “Even though it was one of the hardest obstacles we had to overcome, we still stuck together as a team and got through and finally made it to comp. Honestly, it was the greatest experience ever.”
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Tough season for boys basketball
mila Pina led the team. Teacher Julie Mendrano coached the team for her first time. “At first I was iffy about coaching,” she said. “But at the end it was a great experience. I am very proud of all the girls.”
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Photo by Steven Nunez
Photo by Mr. Claudio Mendrano
Bowlers roll to 3rd place
and fit it to the amount they had. Crunch time had kicked in. Both Coach Emily Holley and Ms. Jaimie, our assistant coach, agreed to Coach Roldan’s offer and worked with the girls. Everyone had committed to the team and it was everyone’s goal to make this happen. It was finally Dec. 12 and the girls had all gathered at the school at 6:30 a.m., excited for the day for which they have been preparing. The Streaks were the last to perform and hearts were racing. As soon as the girls stepped on to the cheer mat, the nervousness all went away. They performed the best they could have and made both Ms. Holley and Ms. Jaimie proud.
Paris Glispie, with the ball, and Miguel Tapia (#25) are two of the Streaks’ best players.
By Kara Dziadosz
A
lthough the Streaks have had a tough season, Coach Brad Dowling can point to some positives, including his standout
players of the season – seniors Paris Glispie and Miguel Tapia,and sophomore Rahman “Rocky” Ukoja. For more information, interviews and a slide show of boys basketball action this season, go to www.steinmetzstar.com.
By Frederick Crittendon
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’m very grateful to have been coached in football by Sgt. Garry Frank. He not only taught me in a very expressive way to become a better player, he taught me life values. It wasn’t about a winning record with Coach Frank; it was about teaching us the game and showing us what we needed to do to become the best athletes we could be, even if it included taking losses.
When I joined the football team last fall, I knew the odds weren’t in my favor. I wasn’t the biggest, strongest or the fastest player on the practice field, but Coach Frank showed me that none of those things matter if you don’t have heart, and I had plenty. I wasn’t a starter once the 2014-15 season began, barely seeing any playing time, but it was the talks with Coach Frank that kept me from just giving up. Later on in the season, I was de-
Star photo
Lessons learned from football coach, Sgt. Garry Frank
Sgt. Garry Frank poses with Patrice Mikolajczak on Nov. 19, 2015, his last day before retiring to Florida. During his years at Steinmetz, Coach Frank taught JROTC classes, served as an LSC rep, worked in Student Services and coached football and bowling.
moted to the Junior Varsity team, to help the incoming freshmen learn the playbook faster. I was upset at first, although I didn’t show it, but I turned a negative into a positive and I worked my butt off with the help of Coach Frank. He noticed how hard I was working and on Sept. 24, 2015, in the Steinmetz vs. Lincoln Park game, two of our best players went down and I was thrown into the game at the half.
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I had butterflies at first, and then I started to get the flow of things, but it was a hit I made on third down that Coach Frank eventually told me, “I knew once you made that hit, I messed up bad,” referring to the fact that I eventually started the rest of the season and wasn’t able to participate in JV games. I’m very grateful for the situation that Coach Frank put me in, even if I didn’t feel like I was ready.
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Jan. - Feb. 2016 Steinmetz Star 15
Star Sports Girls varsity scores best conference record in years 16
Streaks win close game on senior night Varsity (5-5) L Streaks 27 vs. Sullivan 42 L Streaks 27 vs. Rickover 47 L Streaks 14 vs. Disney 24 W Streaks 30 vs. Kelvyn Park 22 W Streaks 34 vs. Alcott 32 W Streaks 43 vs. Sullivan 31 L Streaks 34 vs. Rickover 36 L Streaks 28 vs. Disney 43 W Streaks 44 vs. Kelvyn Park 28 W Streaks 26 vs. Alcott 24
By Paris Glispie, Luis Gomez and Jacquelyn Rodriguez
P
ushing the team to the best conference record its had in years, the varsity girls basketball team won their Senior Night game against Alcott on Jan. 21. Seniors Adriana Espinoza, Tiara Hudson, Kaandra Molina and Eryka Woods were honored at the game. It was an intense, nerve wracking game with the core close throughout the game. Everyone watching was on their feet. With one minute to go the teams were tied. Tiara passed to sophomore Abrianna Martinez, who made a lay up to put the Streaks ahead 26-24.
Photos by Steven Nunez
Adriana Espinoza, Kasandra Molina, Tiara Hudson and Erykah Woods are honored on senior night. Coaches Josh Hasken, Pam Oliver and Miguel Ochoa pose with the players.
Sophomores (4-0) W Streaks 22 vs. Sullivan 9 W Streaks 17 vs. Disney II 12 W Streaks 19 vs. Sullivan 18 W Streaks 20 vs. Disney II 17
Lluviccia Gomez
“I was so happy,” Abrianna said. “Then we played really good defence and held them.” With the Streaks only up by two, and 10 seconds on the clock, Alcott received two free throws. After their time-out, the Alcott player missed the shots, the Streaks got the rebound and won the game. Freshmen Katrina Carmichal and Dionne Beals, sophomores Marychu Vargas, Tomerra
Owaynot and Lluviccia Gomez and junior Jocelyn Garcia also played in the game. “Pulling out this tough win shows how much strength and potential our team has,” Lluviccia said. “Each of us being able to contribute was truly amazing.” Coach Josh Haskens has led the varsity to its best season in years. “He’s a great coach,” Abrianna said. “We
work on a lot of things in practice that shows up in the games.” Players also point to the strength of Coach Pam Oliver, a Steinmetz graduate who was a standout high school and college basketball player. Co-captain Tiara Hudson said she had hoped for a championship, but that “overall the season is going well.”
“I’m actually on the same page as Tiara is on,” co-captain Erykah Woods said. “I think we are having a very good season, and I am glad that we have developed to make it to the playoffs. I just want everybody to work as hard as we can so that we can get to where we want to be.”
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Seniors Aldair Murillo and Justyn Williams sign letters of intent to play football at North Park Universit, with coaches Chris Haywood and Tim McNulty, on Feb. 3.
By Alejandro Hernandez
T
he Steinmetz Varsity football team was able to end their last season on high note with a victory and a 6-3 record, a complete 180 from their previous season that ended 2-7. Their journey was not without its bumps though, as the team played handicapped for almost the whole year. “We had a great year,” says head coach Tim McNulty. “Unfortunately, we had 3 season ending injuries, the first time that’s happened in my career.” The team played well despite experiencing these injuries to key contributors. Everybody on the team is confident that the their record would be even better if those players had the opportunity to play
Photo by Brian Geans
Photo by Tyfanni Quintero
Football ends with winning Swimmers take 3rd in conference record and college bound players
Coach Suzy Sullivan and swim team members pose for photos on Feb. 4, during the Steinmetz Runway event.
By David Ciechanowski and Maya Robinson in every game. The best part about last season’s team is that the majority of the team was able to perform well despite consisting mostly of younger players. This means that many of the players are still eligible to play next year, hoping to use that experience as an advantage. “We’ll have 17 seniors next year,” says McNulty. “A lot of them got that experience and if they do what they’re supposed to do in the off season, we’ll have a great year.” The team has a lot of raw talent, but with some discipline, proper training and good coaching, next season’s team is bound to compete for a spot in the playoffs.
16 Steinmetz Star Jan. - Feb. 2016
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T
he boys swim team finished 3rd in conference, beating out Westinghouse, Prosser and Foreman and finishing behind Taft and North Grand. There are a few swimmers that stand out from the rest.Seniors Xavier Delgado – butterfly stroke, Kacper Sips – breaststroke and Carlos Sanchez – all around. Coach Suzy Sullivan was impressed with the team: “A huge surprise was all of the new swimmers whose faces I hadn’t seen before,” she said. “The swimmers are having a great time. They are very hard workers. Rather than one or two athletes supporting everyone else the whole team contributes, which shows me they are very committed to improve and be their best.” The Star interviewed teacher and GSA sponsor Beth Zaluba, who for the first time, coached
the girls and boys swim team with Ms. Sullivan this year. Do you like coaching? Now I do. At first I was very reluctant, but I’ve got a lot of inspiration online. Ms. Sullivan also encouraged me to coach JV because of past lock-in events. How is it different from before? The technologies have changed. In my high school days they allowed us to dive from shallow ends. In junior high school I was on the boys swim team. That was before Title 9 provided equal opportunities for girls and boys. Will you coach any other teams this year? Water polo. I’ve never played it, but I will learn. Will you coach swimming next year? If they ask again next year. I’m happy doing it. It’s kind of tiring, but the students make you glad you’re doing it. They are very enthusiastic when they are competing in a sport they love.
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