Issue 4 Final - Taft High School · 4/21/2009 · Jennifer Abilmona (Div.212), Anna Gawlik (Div. 211), and Virdiana Medina (Div.229) became the recipients of the highly competitive

Issue 4Volume 22February 8, 2012

Take a look inside Take a look inside the Special Education the Special Education ProgramProgrampage 13page 13

Boys basketball claims Conference claims Conference ChampionshipChampionshippage 39page 39

Would a later start help students stay up in students stay up in class?class?page 19page 19

What’s stirring up What’s stirring up the Dubstep frenzy in the Dubstep frenzy in teenagers?teenagers?page 31page 31

Students rock the stage for Students rock the stage for SeasSeason 3 of Taft’s Got Talent!on 3 of Taft’s Got Talent!

page 2page 2

2 NEWS CONTINUED

By Patrice V. PirpirisTaft’s Got Talent,

was an event hosted by Student Govern-ment on Jan. 19.

After over 50 individuals and

groups tried out, only 16 of the most talented acts were selected. Acts included piano playing, dance performances, singing, and band performances.

“It was pretty awesome to perform for the whole school, and it was a lot of fun,” said drummer of Unofficial Cover Band, Apollon Tomacic-Niaros, Div. 323.

The talent show was hosted by Physical Education teacher Shereena Lewis and Ryan Onuszko, Div. 228. The judging panel consisted of Taft alumnus Albert Chanthaboury, Music Teacher Todd Finkel, and English Teacher Sergio Santil-lian.

Every year, Taft’s Student Government raises money for a great cause. This year, the $1,600 that was raised through tickets and donations was given to a woman named Georgia Karas. Karas is currently in a vegetative state after suffering multiple cardiac arrests on her 50th birthday. She needs hyperbaric oxygen therapy in order for her to be able to fully function again. In total, all 40 treatments cost $30,000 without assistance from insurance.* Karas’ family came on stage at the end of the talent show to congratulate the winners and thank Student Government for their

contribution to Karas’ struggle.The talent show supported a great

cause and entertained the audience. Winners of the talent show were given prize money. First place winners, Break Dancing Club, received $100; second place winners, Hip Hop Club: Elicit Motion, received $50; and third place winners, Samuel Alban (Div. 227), Jessica Hosch (Div. 212), and Diana Bandera (Div. 212), received $25.

Break Dancing Club wowed the crowd with their great individual stunts. All the students enjoyed seeing each member take

center stage and show the audience their tricks. Their performance made everyone excited.

“We prac-ticed a lot, we worked hard, and we earned the win. We were all so happy about winning,” said President of the Break Dancing Club, Allen Lai, Div. 336.

Elicit Motion per-

formed their routine dressed all in red and black. All club members performed together, and some did their own individual stunts to add more excitement to their perfor-mance. The performance was dedicated to Bryan Delia who passed away in a car accident last summer. This year he would

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have been President of Hip Hop Club. Delia’s father was in the crowd to see the performance that paid tribute to his son.

Despite some technical difficulties, Alban, Hosch, and Bandera impressed the crowd with their amazing mix of dancing and hip hop. The two routines made a combination that made their performance unique.

Student Government Treasurer Mela Moczybroda (Div. 211) said, “The talent show was an overall success. We tried being very diverse with the acts we picked to perform and I think that’s what made it so unpredictable.”

There’s speculation over hosting another one later this year. It is official, Taft is very talented!

*usa.greekreporter.com

Break Dancing Club shows off their moves.

Elicit Motion pays tribute to a late friend.

Bandera, Alban, and Hosch combine Latin and Hip Hop Dancing.

Photos by Haily Camacho and Samantha Gill

NEWS CONTINUED 3

By Kasia Zapotoczna Taft’s very own

Jennifer Abilmona (Div.212), Anna Gawlik (Div. 211), and Virdiana Medina (Div.229)

became the recipients of the highly competitive Posse Scholar-ship.

Posse awards full, four-year tuition scholarships for students with outstand-ing academic success, as well as leader-ship potential. Winners are eligible for enrollment at top-tier universities nationwide to further pursue their academics.

This fall, Abilmona will be attending University of Wisconsin Madison, Gawlik is enrolling into DePauw University, and Medina is going to Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Posse scholarship is only available to any students nominated by their high schools or communities. The foundation selects students who exhibit leadership and who might be overlooked by the traditional college selection process.*

In order to be part of Posse, students must be nominated by a teacher at the end of junior year.

As part of the application process, each of the recipients had to go through three rounds of interviews, known as the Dynamic Assessment Process (DAP).

“The first round focuses on the student’s public speaking, listening, negotiation and communication skills. The second stage is a one on one interview, and the final round is a combination of both where applicants meet with the Posse staff and university representatives,” said Posse Coordinator, Anil Menon.

Gawlik is planning on majoring in Kinesiology, and hopes to become a team doctor.

“I cried tears of joy when I got the phone call. I also felt relieved because I knew my future was set,” said Gawlik. “I was so happy because you get throug

each phase of the interview and the anticipation grows and grows, so when you finally become part of the program, it feels great.

Medina wants to major in Spanish and Psychology.

“I was overwhelmed with joy when I received the phone call,” said Medina. “Posse has helped my family tremen-dously. They are saving us thousands of dollars and also offering me a phenom-enal education. It has also provided my parents a reassurance because they know I won’t be alone and that I’ll have the support of many people.”

Abilmona will major in Biology, which will lead her to study Medicine. She hopes to specialize in rheumatol-

ogy. “It’s unbelievable that such an

astounding award has been awarded to me. I learned a lot by going through the experience and I am very grateful for everyone’s support,” said Abilmona.

Since January, these scholars have been attending their 8 month Pre-Colle-giate Program (PCT) in order to prepare for their first year of college. They meet every week with their Posse peers and trainers. The training program consists of workshops that address team building and group support, cross-cultural communication, leadership and becoming an active agent of change on campus, and academic excellence.*

Gawlik said, “If you are ever nomi-nated in Posse, make sure you have confidence in yourself because you were chosen for a reason and that particular reason may be just why they chose you to be a Posse member.”

*possefoundation.org

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College on your mind?

By Patrice V. PirpirisJuniors, are you

ready to begin the college application process?

Juniors and curious sophomores are encouraged to come

with their parents to Taft’s College Night in the auditorium on Thursday, March 1 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Taft’s College Night is an important information session about everything that has to do with the college application process.

“I want to go to college night so I can see all the opportunities there are after high school. Also I need some help with getting started on the whole application process, and I’m confident that this event will help me,” said Amanda Santucci, Div. 328.

Head Counselor, Phylis Ehret, will be discussing the application process, and giving a PowerPoint presentation about how to find the right college. This should help students understand how to start picking and applying to colleges.

“College Night is full of a lot of good information about the college search and college application process,” said Ehret.

Representatives from two-year, four-year public and private colleges will be present to talk about their respective colleges and answer any questions students have about the college. Repre-sentatives will also describe the type of student they accept.

Since a common concern amongst students is how to pay for college, counsel-ors will be handing out flyers about financial aid. Also, there will be flyers available with some basic information about how to begin filling out college applications.

“Choosing a college is an extremely important decision, and you have to decide what’s right for you. If you haven’t gone through the application process, you should come to Taft’s College Night so you know where to start,” said Ehret.

Drawing by P. Pirpiris

Medina, Abilmona, and Gawlik pose with proud Posse

smiles.

Photo by Zapotoczna

4 NEWS CONTINUED

By Joy SchramNow that classes

for the 2012-2013 school year at Taft are coming into ques-tion, 6 new classes are going to be

available for students who qualify.

AP European History, Biology 2, Honors Environmental Science, Archery, Integrated Math 4, and Arabic 2 are all new options for next year’s students.

AP European History is the newest class being offered in Taft’s history department. This class will focus on the intellectual and cultural history of Europe since 1450; along with social, political, diplomatic, and social history.* Sophomores and juniors who are recommended by their current history teacher and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible. Being an AP course, at the end of the school year students will take the AP exam to potentially place out of this class in college. This class will be taught by Jerry Katzmarek.

“I would like to take AP Euro-pean History because I am from Europe and I want to get a better

understanding of the history,” said Silviu Zbareca, Div. 342.

In the science department, two new classes are offered: Biology 2 and Honors Environmental Science. Biology 2 is going to be an extension of Biology 1 and will pick up where it left off. This class will cover botany, anatomy/physiology, ecology, and populations. It is offered at regular and honors levels to incoming sopho-mores, juniors, and seniors. There will be multiple teachers for Biology 2, but Honors Environmental Science will be taught by Michael Bakula.

Honors Environmental Science is available to incoming sophomores, juniors, and senior students. A recom-mendation will be needed for honors courses. Studying the environment, students will learn about the climate, the overall physique of the earth, biotechnology, and different ecosys-tems in the environment.

Archery, a Physical Education class, is available to incoming juniors and seniors that have a recommenda-tion. Gilberto Arroyo will be teaching

this class. “I think archery would be much

better than actual P.E class as an elective. I want to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow. It is an interesting skill to have,” said Emmet Calldwell, Div. 325.

In Taft’s Math Department, Integrated Math 4 is now being offered. This class is available to all incoming seniors.

In the World Language depart-ment, Arabic 2 will now be available to all Arabic 1 students. This class will be taught by Maysa Matariyeh. Arabic 2 will focus on more grammar, and students will improve their vocabulary levels and learn to read and write more words.

If you qualify and are interested in taking any of these classes, talk to your counselor about it when you are choosing your classes for next year.

*collegeboard.com

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By Joy Schram The first semester

of the 2011-2012 school year has come to a close, marking the time in which Taft students choose their

classes for the upcom-ing year.

During their lunch periods, students will consult with their counselors about classes they are required to take and electives that they are eligible for. Students are given three appointments in the counseling office, located on the right side of Taft’s cafeteria, scheduled during their lunch period. If they miss all three chances, their classes will be chosen for them.

“Some classes fill up fast, so students should try to come as soon as possible to schedule a class that they really want to take,” said Counselor Phyllis Ehret.

In order to graduate, students need to have a certain amount of credits for each core subject. To meet these require-ments, students must have completed

four years of English, three years of math, science and social science classes, and two years of world language, fine arts, physical education, career educa-tion and electives. *

“I feel positive about choosing my classes because next year will be my senior year. I’m trying to choose classes that will prepare me for college and my future life. I have to make the right choices with the classes I take so I graduate with the right amount of credits,” said Margaret Ostrowska, Div. 337.

There are also honors and ad-vanced placement (AP) classes that students can enroll in if they are eligible.

“When choosing classes, we look at what students have taken and were successful in. Then help them decide which classes would

help them most in their career choices, that way we can ensure that they graduate ready for work or college,” said Ehret.

Remember to check if there are any pre-requisites to an elective you wish to take. Some electives require students to be a certain grade-level, or have complet-ed a certain class preparing students for the next level.

The Taft Student Programming Handbook for the 2012-2013 school year is now available online, in the library, counseling office, and main office. If you are unaware of who your counselor is, you can find it on the Taft website.

*tafths.org

Students can obtain the handbook in the Program Offi ce.

Programming for success

Photo by Schram

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NEWS CONTINUED 5

By Kasia ZapotocznaThe Illinois Student

Assistance Commission (ISAC) announced the 2012-13 State Scholars on Nov. 21, 2011. It

has has recognized 23 Taft students who have been named 2012-13 State Scholars for their out-standing academic achievements.

The State Scholar Program publicly and personally identifies graduating high school seniors who possess superior academic potential. Students from nearly every high school in Illinois compete in the program. State Scholars can be found on the campuses of nearly 200 public and private institu-tions of higher education in Illinois. The combination of exemplary college entrance examination scores and record high school achievement indicate an especially high potential for success in college. To be honored as a State Scholar in Illinois is an outstand-ing accomplishment that will be a highlight of the recipient’s academic record.*

Each student who has been picked

as a State Scholar receives a congratu-latory letter, a Certificate of Achieve-ment and statewide recognition. The State Scholar program receives student data from high schools for those students in the top 50% of the class at the end of the sixth semester.

“It’s a privilege and great honor to be in Illinois State Scholar and to share that achievement with 22 other Taft students,” said Jennifer Abilmona, Div. 212

Taft’s winners include:

Abilmo-na, Diana Bandera (Div. 212), Ashley Bland (Div. 211), Luke Capone (Div. 211), Sophia Coyne-Kosnak (Div. 211), Ezdhar Deeb (Div. 242), Michael Dusza (Div. 234), Kamil Dziarkowski (Div. 226), Anna Gawlik (Div. 211),

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By Patrice V. PirpirisFor some, the

school day seems long enough, however it will be extended for next year.

Chicago’s mayor, Rahm Emanuel has

wanted to extend the school day for all CPS schools by 90 minutes since the beginning of his campaign. The school day will be extended in order to offer more instructional time to prepare students for college because he feels that students are not offered enough instruc-tional time for college readiness.*

Once becoming mayor, Emanuel debated with the Chicago Teacher’s Union (CTU) whether or not the day should be extended, and if extended, how long. Desipite the CTU’s disapproval of the extension, Emanuel and the CPS Board agreed to implement these changes for next year without negotia-tions.

“Extending the school day by 46 minutes would be way too long, espe-cially for kids who have sports or other extra curricular activities to do after

school,” said Taft Parent Anita Bernacchi.“Extension of the day is a good idea,

because students will be able to get more work done and more questions an-swered,” said Katherine Kozikowski, Div. 310.

Although many are debating the positives and negatives of the 46-min-ute extension of the school day, the Board intends on implementing it.

Each school is given the freedom to choose what to use the extra 46 minutes for. These 46 minutes can be used to extend each period, add another class period, or add an instructional period/study hall. Principal Arthur Tarvardian will decide what the 46 minutes will be used for.

“I am leaning towards having an advisory so students can have more time to talk to their teachers and complete their homework, but I’m not sure yet,” said Tarvardian.

The “C” bell schedule may be extinct next year. Also, two minutes of the extra time may be added to each class. The extra 30 minutes of the school day may be used for Academic

Enrichment. Although many faculty members have ideas for the extra 46 minutes, no plans have become official.

Push back your plans, everyone. Your day just became a little longer.

David Mamola (Div. 210), Viridiana Medina (Div. 229), Vasiliki Mourikes (Div. 248), Lisa Nitti (Div. 248), Jacqueline Ovalle (Div. 211), Kassandra Prusko (Div. 212), Natalia Recko (Div. 232), Kevin Siudut (Div. 212), George Vidas (Div. 229), Julia Villarreal (Div. 242), Ioana Vintila (Div.244), Grzegorz Wajda (Div. 212), Griffin White (Div. 212), and Klaudia Zajac, Div. 232.

Congratulations to all the winners for their hard work!

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What a long day

Drawing by Natalia

6 NEWS CONTINUED

By Kasia ZapotocznaOn Dec. 13, Taft

students from all grade levels participated in the annual school science fair.

The science fair projects were evaluated

in the APR room. All the science depart-ment teachers, outside volunteers, and other staff helped judge the science fair. Chemistry teacher, Brian Hayes was responsible for organizing the event.

“It was a bit better than last year. It was nice to see the different things instead of the usual,” said judge and librarian, Jay Katzman.

The winner was determined by the amount of points received on the evaluation. The total was 40 points and each category was scored from 1 to 6 points. Partici-pants were judged based on their use of the scien-tific method, the display of their project, oral presenta-tion, and their written report. The students with the highest points awarded in each category moved onto regionals.

“Science fair is like any other compe-tition. Whoever gives the most thought to

their presentation will win. It gives everyone a chance to compete,” said Katzman.

Deanna Pirpiris (Div. 310) won Best in Show while Patrice Pirpiris (Div. 310), Stefan Kunovac (Div.227), Tori Schwieger (Div. 516), Naomi Sopt (Div. 514) and Natalia Chreptow-icz (Div. 310) received First Place Honors. Regional qualifiers from the academic center were Trudy Valentino (Div. 710), Maria Kaczor (Div. 711), Alex Dermer (Div. 611), Lidia Ramotowski (Div. 711), Ruby Mustill (Div. 710), and Lucas Mitola, Div. 610.

“Participating in the science fair this year was a very insightful experi-

ence. I learned a lot about solar

panels and how we can use them in the future,” said D. Pirpiris. “I

worked really hard and I’m glad it has paid off. All of the participants had great projects so they all should be congratulated as well.”

Congratulations to all

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By Joy SchramAttention, seniors!

With all of the senior activities coming around the corner, get ready for the biggest one yet: prom!

Seniors voted on three theme choices for prom this year: A Night in Venice, Arabian Nights, and Havana Nights. A Night in Venice won the most votes and this Venetian themed dance will take place on Friday, May 25, 2012 at Cotillion Banquets located at 360 Creekside Drive in Palatine.

“This is the day that every girl dreams of when they go to high school, it’s coming so fast and I want to look as perfect as possible,” said Illiani Cartagena, Div. 248.

Prom committee Vice President Serafina Niz (Div. 210) said, “We really

want to make this night wonderful and memorable; something the Taft seniors will never forget.”

Tickets cost $100, and can only be

purchased by Taft seniors. However, the seniors are allowed to bring one guest. Guests must have a valid ID, and

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can come from any school. This year, tickets can be paid in full or in 2 installments. The first payment of $50 will be due before spring break, and

the second payment will be due during the beginning of May.

“The memories will be worth it as long as I spend it with my best friends,” said Guadaupe Lopez, Div. 231.

Rumor has it that there are some surprises in store for the seniors on prom night, thanks to prom committee.

“I can’t wait for prom, it’s a great event for seniors to really strengthen bonds and just have a great time,” said James Arnold, Div. 229.

Find the perfect dress or tuxedo, order a limo, buy your tickets, and dance the night away!

Drawing by Jasper

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the winners and the participants of the science fair!

Photo by ZapotocznaGraphic by Mela

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Taft experiments with success

NEWS CONTINUED 7

By Kasia Zapotoczna After

submitting college applica-tions, seniors need to figure

out how to cover the cost of their education. There’s one simple and effective thing that every student should do: fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Educa-tion, ensures that all eligible individuals can benefit from federally funded financial assis-tance for education beyond high school. Many states and institutions also use information from the FAFSA to determine eligibility for their different grant and loan programs. *

“The state of Illinois offers Mon-etary Award Program (MAP) grants, which do not need to be repaid, to students who demonstrate financial

need. So if students don’t apply early, they can disqualify themselves about $4,000,” said Counselor Sonia Abrego.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking filling out the FAFSA is not worth your time. The vast majority of students qualify for some form of aid and you should keep your options open. Even if you are not

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Buy YOUR book today!Buy YOUR book today!LAST CALL!LAST CALL!

Friday, February 17th will be the last day to purchase your 2011-2012 Friday, February 17th will be the last day to purchase your 2011-2012 yearbooks!yearbooks!

--->--->

Save Save $10 $10 by taking this page to the main offi ce.by taking this page to the main offi ce.75-10 = pay $65 today!75-10 = pay $65 today!

Seniors: Don’t miss this chance to document your fi nal year. YoSeniors: Don’t miss this chance to document your fi nal year. You gu get all your favorite et all your favorite memories memories in full colorin full color! So don’t procrastinate; cherish your memories!! So don’t procrastinate; cherish your memories!

eligible for certain grants, you cannot borrow federal loans if you don’t fill out the FAFSA. *

The FAFSA is available online and takes a short amount of time to complete if you have all the materials needed.

The federal deadline is June 30, and the Illinois deadline is as soon as possible after January 1, 2012; awards made until funds are depleted. To help with any confusion and questions, FAFSA workshops will be held on the following dates: Feb. 23, from 6:00 pm to7:30 pm, Feb. 29, from 12:30

to 2:00 pm, and Mar. 14, 12:30 to 2:30 pm in room 254.

So, for anyone who would like additional information or assistance filing for FAFSA, please plan to attend one of the events listed above.

When you look like this... you’ll want to remember when you looked like this!

Photo by Zapotoczna

For the LOVE of historyBy Deanna Pirpiris

Valentine’s Day has become a day filled with candy and flowers, but it has not always been that way. Even though no one is

completely sure about its origin, it is believed to have begun in the third century.

One legend about St. Valentine is that he was a martyr who refused to give up his beliefs in the Christian faith. It has been rumored that he left a note for the daughter of a jailor, whom he loved, and signed it “from your Valentine”. Since he died on Feb. 14, some believe that Valentine’s Day commemorates his death. **

Cupid, son of the Greek goddess Venus is often associated with Valentine’s Day. Cupid fell in love with a mortal named Psyche, which did not please Venus. Since Venus disapproved of Psyche, she constantly tried to tempt her to look into the “box of beauty”. The “box of beauty” was a box that supposedly held beauty, but it actually left the person who opened it into a long slumber.******

Eventually, Psyche looked into the “box of beauty” and she fell into a deep sleep. Cupid finally found her, but his love for her was so strong that

he took the sleep from her and put it back into the box. He used an arrow to pierce her heart and awaken her. ******

Today, people celebrate Valen-tine’s Day by showing their love for

special people in their lives. They show their appreciation using different methods, but the most prominent way is by sending Valentine’s Day cards.

Miss Esther Howland is credited with creating the first Valentine’s Day card. She used paper, lace, and floral decorations to create her heart-shaped cards. ***

In the U.S., we spend the day

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appreciating all our loved ones and giving them gifts such as flowers, chocolates, or even jewelry. But, Valentine’s Day is celebrated differently in other countries than in the U.S.

“Every year I make a heart shaped cake with strawberries with my

mom and my sister. It is a fun way to appreciate others more,” said Ana Ruiz, Div. 414.

In Finland, it is known as “Friend’s Day,” and it is primarily celebrates friendship rather than love. In Guatemala, Valentine’s Day is a day to appreciate those you love and your friends as well. ****

Valentine’s Day has not always been celebrated by giving gifts and cards; the holiday has evolved throughout the years. It was originally celebrated in the 14 century with loved ones during a large organized feast. Later on, couples started exchanging

gifts between each other. ***** No matter how you celebrate

Valentine’s Day, make sure you show your appreciation to all the loved ones in your life, both family and friends.

*pictureframes.co.uk** history.com*** emotionscards.com**** timeanddate.com*****stvalentinesday.org******essortment.com

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By Ashley HoustonLike many high

school students, you may want, or need, to work part time but balancing work and school

may be difficult. Working takes a lot of time and

energy, so before getting a job, make sure that you think about your ability to handle both work and your education. The biggest question that you should be asking yourself is:

Got balance?“Will I be able to prioritize my time efficiently?”

There are a number of factors to consider when deciding whether to include a part-time job into your daily activities. While making a decision like this you should consider the pros and cons.

A job can teach you about commit-ment, time management, responsibility, and handling money. On the negative side, a job can cut into the time you have for studying, adequate sleeping time, and socializing.*

Eventually, these are the factors that make it difficult for you to balance work and school.

Schoolwork, including homework and studying for tests, should always be your top priority.

“School is a full time job and any other job must come second,” said Counselor Nora Sapieka.

Make sure you don’t over commit to working more than you’re comfortable with.

Article continued on pg. 13

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Artwork by Cassandra Alvarado

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?

FEATURES

FEATURES CONTINUED 9

By Ashley Houston

Valentine’s Day shout outs

“[George Vidas] when other people call you Larry, I just say I love you and Happy Valentine’s Day”- Megan Ponti, Div. 212.

“Sabrina, Happy Valentine’s Day babie boo! I love you sooo much and we’re the best!”- Scott Gielaski, Div. 224.

“[Nereida Guiterrez] you have been the best and have made my life complete. I wake up just to see your beautiful smile. I love you princessa.”- Edgar Martinez, Div. 224.

“[Edgar Martinez] I love you and you are amazing. I couldn’t be any happier.”- Nereida Guiterrez, Div. 226.

“I love you very mucho! Happy Valentine’s Day to my girlfriend, Ingrid!”- Sabrina LaRocco, Div. 227.

“Giving a shout out to my coach, Michael Bakula. He’s always been there for me. I love this guy.”- Francisco Lozano, Div.

227.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Lexus! Love ya! This year will be one to remember with you!”- Bobby Wilczynski, Div. 227.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Tommy! I love you with all my heart!”- Cara Reidy, Div. 228.

“Bobby! I love you so much! I enjoy every second we spend together. Happy Valentine’s Day my love! And happy 2 years! With all my love, Lexus”- Lexus Karedes, Div. 247.

“You’re an amazing person and I’m happy you’re in my life. I love you!”- Vince Castellano, Div. 320.

“Happy Valentine’s Day to my boo, even though he doesn’t go here. Muah!”- Jovana Djordjevic, Div. 322.

“I love you turkey!”- Jona-than Palacios, Div. 322

“Hey Cupcake, I know it’s so cheesy but I got to let everyone know, I love you Vince!”- Daniela Martinez, Div. 325.

“Luis! I love you so much! Happy Valentine’s Day!”- Jacquelyn McDonald, Div. 328.

“Marco, You made me such a better person, and are constantly putting up with my difficult self. I love you for everything we went through and how it made us stronger. A&F MD”- Gina Vucenovic, Div. 337

“I love you Kasia!”- Patrycja Gadek, Div. 410.

“I love Trish Gadek!”- Kasia Smolecki, Div. 410.

“Happy Valentine’s Day to my love, Jessica Diaz!”- Delia Neri, Div. 427.

“I love you Alex Villalpan-do!”- Milan Novakovic, Div. 427.

“I love you my only friend Micaela Gleeson.”- Hassan Shehadeh, Div. 432.

“Even though we argue, I still love you big brother!”- Kyra Vidas, Div. 433.

“Alex baby, Happy Valentine’s Day, my love! ILY Bobby!”- Dino Pajaze-tovic, Div. 437

“Happy Valentine’s Day Matt Griffith. I love you!”- Sara Montalvo, Div. 441.

“Big ups to my wife. Flowers on the reg.”- Avid Teacher Anil Menon.

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Taft’s love birds

Jose Mata (Div. 233) & Jacqueline Ovalle, Div. 211.Anniversary: April 22, 2009 “My most memorable moments are any time we start

beating each other up. It’s a great way for both of us to relieve some sort of stress while being comfortable. Plus, I’ll never forget her kicks to my kidney, they were filled with love!” said Mata .

“It’s kind of hard to ask someone to pinpoint one memorable moment from almost three years. But one could be this one time that we went out to apply to a golf caddy job, walked there, got rejected, and then spent the next seven hours trying to find our way back home,” said Ovalle. “And the best thing I like about him is that he’s cool with me being myself, and all. I can be totally weird, but he seems to like it.”

By Ezdhar Deeb and Amanda HarbWhen the phrase “Valentine’s Day” comes to mind, people usually think of roses, flowers, Cupid, chocolate,

love, and much more. This holiday is very special to many of Taft’s couples. What makes these love birds stand out?

Piotr Gasienica (Div. 322) & Natalie Kalat, Div. 327.

Anniversary: October 8, 2010Gasienica said, “The best thing I like but my partner

is that I can always be myself around her.”Kalat said, “This Valentine’s Day we are planning on

going out to a Mexican restaurant for our favorite food, tacos! What I love bout Piotr is that we always end up finding something to do. We always enjoy ourselves when we are together.”

e Mata (Div 233) & Jacqueline Ovalle Div 211

Edgar Perez (Div. 211) & Agnes Pawlowska, Div. 212.Anniversary: October 10, 2011“My favorite thing about my partner is everything, as

cheesy as it is. If I had to choose, it would be her personality,” said Perez. “On Valentine’s Day, we are hanging out; I’m probably going to bring her flowers and chocolate, but shhh! Don’t tell her!”

“My most memorable moment is well - there are plenty. But the one that sticks out the most to me is when I [went] over to his house, for the first time, on my red bike. The thing is, we live pretty far from each other, so by the time I got there I was pretty happy and felt lame because I came on a bike. To embarrass myself further, as soon as I was in his house, I tripped over the entry-steps after trying to pull off looking all confident. Fail and a half,” said Pawlowska.

Joy Schram (Div. 332) & Taft alumnus Mike Jelesnianski.Anniversary: March 31, 2010Taft alumnus Jelesnianski, said, “Our most memorable

moment together was when we first went to the movies together and the power went out and Joy was scared and I got to hold her.”

Schram said, “Our most memorable moment was when we went to Mike’s prom together. It was fun taking pictures and dancing together.”

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FEATURES CONTINUED10

Brittany Vargas (Div. 331) &. Florant Purballari, Div. 225.Anniversary: September 14, 2010“My most memorable moment is the first kiss because it

happened out of nowhere. It was a really good kiss and it made me feel happy because I found the one,” said Purballari.

“I like everything about my partner. He always knows how to make me laugh when I’m down and always keeps me happy. He treats me like a princess and I’m really happy to be with him,” said Vargas.

Samantha Lisciandrello (Div. 223) & Jesus Gomez Jr., Div. 229.

Anniversary: July 20, 2009Gomez said, “I love her eyes and I love that I

don’t need to explain myself to her. She just understands me.”

Lisciandrello said, “The best thing I like about him is that he is honest and will always be there

for me.”

Jeremiah Lagunas (Div. 335) & Delilah Rodriguez, Div. 342.

Anniversary: July 17, 2011. Lagunas said, “The most memorable moment was

Homecoming Night. I love everything about her. This Valentine’s Day, we plan to spend time together so we could bond more.”

Rodriguez said, “The best thing I like about him is that he is sweet, adorable, and compassionate. His smile brightens my day.”

Luis Chavarria (Div. 336) & Jacquelyn Donnawell, Div. 324.

Anniversary: June 13, 2010Chavarria said, “My most memorable moment was the first

time I held her hand because our fingers fit perfectly together.”Donnawell, said, “The best thing I like about Luis is his

personality. He can be romantic, serious, and playful, but no matter what he can always put a smile on my face. “

for me.for me.”

Katia Ruiz (Div. 434) & Omar Salgado, Div. 460.Anniversary: June 14, 2011 “For Valentine’s Day, [Omar] is taking me to a Bull’s

game. I am so excited!” said Ruiz.“[Katia] is beautiful and she’s just always there for me,”

said Salgado.

h ( ) lil h d i

amantha Lisciandrello (Div 223) & Jesargas (Div. 331) &. Florant Purballari,

Teresa D’astice (Div. 326) & Sam Pederson, Div. 321.Anniversary: January 13, 2011D’astice said, “The thing I like best about him is that he

has been there for me through everything. We have built our relationship off of friendship and I think that’s why we get along so well. Love you.

Pederson said, “One of the most memorable moments was when we went to one of the first shows we saw together. It was “Pierce the Veil” and “A Day to Remember” at the Congress. The crowd for both bands were pretty nuts and we both had an awesome time it was probably the happiest I have ever seen her and I think that’s why it one of the most memorable moments.


or playing Modern Warfare 3.*If you are able to have a couple

of hours dedicated to do homework and/or study after school, and are still capable of working a part-time job, then you are managing your time proficiently. If you are not devoting your time toward school, having a job should not be a priority.

*snagajob.com**youthrules.dol.gov***collegeboard.com

By Ezdhar DeebIt’s a teacher! It’s

a coach! No, it’s Leslie Plewa!

Plewa is the Freshman/Sopho-more Boys’ Soccer

Coach and the Girls’ Junior Varsity (JV) Soccer Coach. He also teaches World Studies to IB and Honor students.

Plewa was born and raised in the Southwest side of Chicago and he attended Curie Metro High School. For college, he attended the University of Illinois at Chicago. There, he received a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in History. He then contin-ued his education and received a certification in Secondary Education for History at Northeastern Illinois Univer-sity. Plewa is planning to eventually return to school and obtain a Masters in Education.

Before teaching at Taft, Plewa served in the United States, Marine Corps. In addition, he worked for the City of Chicago and a large corporation. He decided to teach at Taft because it reminded him so much of his high school. He believes that Taft is an excellent high school because of its diversity of the student body, variety of programs, and supportive administration. He has been teaching and coaching here for three years.

“We [the girls’ soccer team] were his first team at Taft, and we all became so attached to him that first year. After our first win, he baked us cookies, and that was when I realized that he

Let’s get to know the other side is probably one of the best coaches we will come across in our lives. He truly cares about our team,” said Natalia Chreptowicz, Div. 310. “Personally, because of him, I was not only able to develop the soccer skills I have today, but also the skills I did not know of that he saw in me, including leadership skills. The team and I thank him for everything!”

Plewa is the type of teacher that is very passionate about the subject he teaches. This year he is also the coordi-nator of the Close Up program that takes students to Washington, D.C. for a week.

Additionally, Plewa has been given an AVID Teacher Appreciation award. This award recognizes him as one of the supportive teachers of AVID. He advocates the implementation of the AVID strategies in a non-AVID class

room and encourages all students to adopt them as their own.

“The hardest thing for me as a teacher is when I see some students walking in the halls, not

knowing that all the opportu-nities they have now are a

privilege, not a right, and that they are not

similarly available to students elsewhere, in the world,” said Plewa. “On the other hand, the best thing for me is when students are motivated to learn and enjoy school.”

“[Plewa] has an energy about him that inspires teachers as well as students,” said History Teacher Mayra Almarez.

“He challenges us [teachers] to be who we say we are and improve our prac-tice.”

Plewa’s hobbies are reading, camping outdoors, playing soccer, and socializing. His favorite book is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, because it gives an account to what a society might become in the future. His favorite poet is Kahlil Gibran and his preferred movie is Avatar.

Plewa likes open-minded people, and takes pleasure in educating. Plewa likes to share what he knows and believes in with other teachers. He dislikes prejudice and inequality. Plewa knows how to make you laugh, and he is caring, inspirational, intelligent, and thoughtful.

“[Plewa] is really good at bringing our department together with his ideas and outings after school,” said Almarez.

The people that most inspire him are those who come from challenging situations and are able to be successful. His favorite quote is by Aristotle, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a though without accepting it.”

Furthermore, outside of school, Plewa has his own garden that he tends to and since he is a vegetarian, he grows the vegetables and cooks for himself. During his spare time, he enjoys doing and teaching yoga. Plewa also takes pleasure in traveling. He has recently been to Czech Republic and Poland, Columbia, and spent a month camping out west. He is planning on visiting famous historical places in Europe, the Middle East, and Northern Africa.

Overall, Plewa cannot be beat for his supportive and motivational traits that Taft students admires and will remember throughout their lives.

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Even though there are no restric-tions on the work hours of youth age 16 or older, the maximum number of hours you work varies between each individual student. For the average student, 15 hours per week should be the maximum number of hours dedicated towards work. **

Students who work more than 15 to 20 hours per week often experience decreased school success, which can

lead to dropping out entirely. Working long hours can also limit opportunities to build friendships and explore interests that enhance a teenager’s intellectual and emotional development.***

If you ever feel like you are struggling to balance your job and education, you can always talk to your counselor and parents, cut back at work, find a less time-consuming job, or just quit.

Talk to your manager or supervisor about the hours that you feel will accommodate your schedule stuffed with classes, club meetings, sports practice and even a little downtime like catching up on Jersey Shore

Got balance? continued from pg. 8

Photo by Deeb


Everyone deserves an educationBy Ezdhar Deeb

At Taft, you may happen to see many students in wheel-chairs, and you wonder, why are they here? Well, under the

law, every child is entitled to a public education, despite their disabilities, it is a right.

Special education is a term used to describe an educational alternative that focuses on teaching students with needs beyond those met by traditional educational programs or techniques. ***

As of 2009-2010, there were 2,677 students enrolled at Taft and 15.5% of them were students with disabilities.* Additionally, Taft has the most students in a special education program than any other Chicago Public School. Contrary to popular belief, children with disabilities often have average or above average intelligence. According to the U.S. Department of Health, six million children have some type of learning disability and receive special education services. **

These children with all kinds of learning disorders may have trouble performing specific types of tasks and this is the role that special education plays. What it attempts to do is provide additional services, support, interven-tions, specialized placements, or environments needed to ensure that all students’ educational needs are met and that they are able to succeed in their adult life. **

“We strive to have the students become independent learners. Taft encourages and supports students to discover their own learning style and what they need to do to master each

subject indepen-dently, without any support,” said Special Ed Department Chair Christine Meduny-cia.

The federal law governing this system is called the Individuals with Disabilities Educa-tion Act (IDEA). It entitles all children with disabilities to a free appropriate education (FAPE) such as a specific program or class, access to specialists, or modifications in the curriculum and teaching methods. These services are provided by the public school system. **

Nevertheless, to qualify for these services, the child must be between the age of three and 22, found to have one of the 13 catego-ries of disabilities that adversely affects their educational performance. ***

The 13 categories include autism, blindness, deafness, traumatic brain injury, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairment, other health impairments, and multiple disabilities. **

Once a child qualifies for additional support, an Individual Education Pro-gram (IEP) is then developed for the child. *** An IEP will include, goals, objectives, activities, and any necessary accommo-

dations needed to ensure the child reaches his/her maximum educational potential. ****

Accommodations are changes that allow a person with a disability to fully participate in an activity (changes, such as, extended time, different test format, and altera-tions to a classroom). An inclusion describes a service that places these students in general education classrooms but with an appropriate support service, for instance, a Special Ed teacher. **

Furthermore, the placement of students may vary depending upon their needs and exceptionalities. A student may be placed in a regular classroom and receive program modifications or a regular classroom for a part of the day and a special education classroom for the rest of the day. Regardless of the place-ment of the student, an IEP will be in place and must follow several require-ments. ****

“The goal is to make [the students] as independent students as possible, ready to go to college,” said Special Ed Case Manager Kathleen Madden.

Meanwhile, if the child does not qualify for services under IDEA, they may qualify for modifications under Section 504 of the American Disabilities Act of 1973. A child can qualify for these services only if the disability is shown to significantly limit his/her educational performance. **

A couple of examples of modifica-tions and accommodations under Section 504 are a child who has diabetes may need medication or a snack during the day, or a child who uses a wheelchair may need help getting from one part of the school building to another or will be given extra time and will not marked tardy for being late.

Article continued on page 14.Photo by Deeb

Photo by Deeb

Grazyna Zmyslowski happily educates a young student.


Grazyna Zmyslowski. “My wish is that they have the best time ever while they are here, every day and all through their six years of school. And my number one goal is that they remain pain free, comfortable, and happy while they are at Taft. I love my job and I look forward to come back every day.”

Unfortunately, the students’ (in the Sever and Profound program) last day is the day before they become 22. However, services may continue, but they are provided by agencies and colleges rather than by the public high school.

In brief, every child has the right to learn as much as they can; therefore, Special Ed services have been developed. With the help of the staff, these students are provided with a secure and happy environment while being tended for, based on their individual needs.

*cps.edu** understandingspecialeducation.com***in.gov****specialed.about.com

disabilities and need intensive instructions and assistance in all areas of life, including daily living skills. The main disability associated with the severe and profound is mental retarda-tion, meaning their IQ is severely below average. Consequently, they are not able to speak, read, or write and often have problems with vision, mobility, and have many medical issues.

For most of the day, they remain in the classroom with the staff and internship students. Some teachers also come to class, however when they leave to another classroom, there is always a Special Ed assistant with them. The students in the program have modified activities that include English, math, science, and social studies classes. In addition, every student has a Fine Arts class and a Special Ed gym class with non-disabled peers.

“We follow the general education curriculum but with severe accommo-dations and in between we teach them daily living skills, such as dressing themselves,” said Special Education Teacher and Program Coordinator

Additionally, Taft provides students with SOAR classes. SOAR stands for Skills (reading, writing, test taking, and note taking), Organization, Achievement, and Responsibility. These classes are created to help students become more indepen-dent and responsible. It also assists students in understanding the best techniques or learning strategies that help them learn.

At Taft, seniors in the Special Ed program who have all their credits have the opportunity to leave school after a fifth period elective class called STEP, and work. The class is a job coaching class in preparation for the future.

At Taft, there is a small group of students, with IEPs, that are significantly different than the other Special Ed students. They have severe and profound cognitive impairments.

The Severe and Profound Cognitive Disability Program is a cluster program that serves students with low incidence disabilities. These students have multiple

Special Education continued from pg. 13

By Deanna PirpirisNow that Principal

Arthur Tarvardian has decided to retire, it is the Local School Council’s (LSC) responsibility to

choose his replacement.There is a special committee

composed of members of Taft’s Local School Council (LSC) that are in charge of selection process. This committee includes everyone currently on the LSC except for the student representative and the principal.

This selection process is time consum-ing because there are a lot of rules and condi-tions the committee must meet. These rules entail what measures the LSC has to take to ensure that the process is fair and the right principal is selected.

“CPS has specific qualifications for the principal; you must have a certifi-cate and be on the official CPS eligibility list. Without these qualifications, you do not fulfill the basic requirements to become principal,” said Dean Samuel Duarte.

There’s going to be a new sheriff in townThe first step was forming the

committee that is chaired by Duarte. Next, they placed an ad in the CPS Personnel Bulletin to formally announce the open position. The CPS Human Resources Department controls the CPS Personnel Bulletin. As of now, there are no candi-dates up for the position.

“The entire process for choosing the principal takes a minimum of three

months, but should be completed by the May 15 deadline,” said Homebound Coordinator Mary Kay Cobb.

There are several members on the LSC that have been through the selection process before. There is also a representa-tive from CPS that is helping the LSC to

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The Principal Selection Committee

make sure they follow all the rules.Once all the candidates have

applied, the LSC will review all the applications and determine the indi-viduals whom they are going to interview. After the interviews, the committee will vote on who they feel will be the best principal for Taft.

“There are 11 members on the committee, and seven of the members

must vote in favor of one applicant in order for them to be chosen,” said LSC President Theodore Pirpiris.

Even after the LSC decides on the principal, the official job offer has to come from CPS. Principal candidates must meet the requirements of the Board’s Policy on the Requirements for the Selection of CPS Principals. *

This is going to be a big turning point in Taft’s

history and the LSC wants to make sure whoever they pick will keep improving Taft.

Without fail, the LSC will pick the best principal for Taft’s future.

*cps.k12.il.us

Photo provided by Pirpiris



By Amanda Harb When the typical

person moves, they change schools, cities, make new friends, learn different things, and have new

interests and hobbies. Imagine switching all this, including your family!

An organization called American Field Services (AFS) selects students who want to learn more about a different country and then allows them to go there and live with a host family. The host family will show the exchange students their culture and daily rou-tines.* The exchange student stays with the host family for a year, and then they go back to their hometown.

Well, Taft has two exchange students Pierrenzo Pozzi, (Div. 230), and Serena Sanfilippo, Div. 263.

Pozzi, also known as Pierre, was born on July 11, 1994 and is currently 17 years old. He is from Milan, and a senior.

Sanfilippo was born on October 8, 1994 and is also currently 17 year’s old. She is also from Italy; however, she is from Sicily and is a senior as well.

Many people do not know Pozzi or Sanfilippo because it is their first year at Taft, but once you get to know them, you will realize they are just like any average teenage boy or girl. Pozzi loves to play sports, and Sanfilippo is a dancer. They both enjoy school, and love to listen to music.

They both chose to come to Ameri-ca because they were both fascinated with the cultures, and thought the English language was very important.

Sanfilippo says, “I learned about America in our schools, and while watching T.V. and I wanted to feel the experience of how it was here.”

School for both of them in Italy was very different than schools here in America. Did you ever have to stand up

Benvenuto to Taftto greet your teacher when they walked in? Well Pozzi and Sanfilippo had to do it every period of everyday in Italy. Here in America you are able to pick the classes you want, depend-ing on your interests. However, in Italy you are not able to choose your classes, but you are able to choose your school depending on what you want to major in whether it’s classic, scientific, linguistic, etc.

You may think that’s very differ-ent, but imagine instead of having four years of high school, having five. In both of their schools they have five years of high school. So when they both return to Italy in June, they will attend their last year of high school, and after that they would each like to go to a university. Sanfilippo plans on going to Rome to study journalism, and Pozzi has not yet decided what he will do after high school.

Pozzi and Sanfilippo might have the same experiences during school since they both have lived in Italy, but when it comes to extra-curricular activities they each have different interests.

Pozzi is currently a point guardon the varsity basketball team at Taft. He spends most of his time practicing with the basketball team.

“The basketball team makes me feel comfortable and welcomed. It reminds me of the team I had in Italy. When I am with my team here I lose my homesickness,” said Pozzi.

Not only does Pozzi excel in basketball, but his academic achieve-ments are also very important to him. He is getting excellent grades here, and plans on keeping them up and not slacking off.

“Academically, I think Pozzi came to America with a very good back-ground, and a lot of math skills. He picks up things in class really easily, and he has always been very respect-ful to me, and the students around

him. His personality is very easy going, which didn’t make it difficult for him to make friends,” said Science Teacher Jessica Lane.

Sanfilippo on the other hand loves to dance hip hop. She has been dancing for seven years now, and it is her passion. She loves listening to all kinds of music especially classic rock. Her favorite band is Journey.

“Most of the music I listen to isn’t music the teenagers here in America listen to,” said Sanfilippo.

Pozzi said, “Back in Italy I would always be out with my friends and roaming around the city. I love to spend time with my two younger brothers and my parents. Here, I spend majority of my time reading books, playing video games, and listening to music.”

In Italy, Sanfilippo loved to hang out with friends; here she mostly hangs out with her host sister. Her host sister takes her to many family parties and she also is in Italian Club at Taft.

“Dancing here is so much different than the dancing in Italy,” says Sanfilip-po.

If you see Pozzi or Sanfilippo around the school, don’t be shy to go up and welcome them to our country and school. Every “hello” counts. Try to make this experience the best they ever had!*afs.org

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Photo by Harb

Pozzi and Sanfilippo at school

STAFF BOX AdviserPatrick T. Levins.

Entertainment EditorJessica Hosch

News EditorMela Moczybroda

Editorials EditorLisa Nitti

Sports Editor Christine Trajano

News Editor Features EditorHannah Gallo

Copy EditorJoey Figueroa

Editorials Editor E t t i t Edit C EditSports EditorFeatures Editor

P-T-S-A who do we appreciate?................................

Drawn by Lisa Nitti

By Deanna PirpirisThe Taft

Parent Teacher Student Associa-tion (PTSA) has been the driving force for incorpo-rating community

members and businesses into the Taft atmosphere; therefore, making the school a better place for the students and faculty.

The PTSA was first founded six years ago by the Taft PTSA’s current Reflec-tions Chairman Sylvia Tarchala. It has grown over the years and become a huge sup-porter of the arts as well as an advocate for the students.

Many programs and events are coordinated by the PTSA that involve the community, which allows them to show their support and love for the school.

Last year, on July 16 at the Jefferson Park Fest, located in the parking lot of the Copernicus Theater, Alderman John Arena, of the 45th Ward, pro-vided a very successful dunk tank that helped fundraise and it was staffed with coordination from Taft’s PTSA. All the proceeds from that day were donated to Taft.

“Taft is one of two high schools that serves the students of the 45th Ward. Members of the PTSA and [Principal] Arthur Tarvardian came to my office and asked for my help on a range of issues. It was an answer to that request for help,” said Arena.

Many members of the community helped support the dunk tank by being the ones dunked. Matthew Colligrosi (Div. 526), Anna Gawlik (Div.211), and Paul Masnica (Div. 211), along with Taft’s Tarvardian, and Arena were all part of this dunk tank’s success. As a result, of everyone working together $300 was donated to the fine arts department.

“I was more than willing to be in the dunk tank because it was just one way that the whole community was getting together to help Taft,” said Gawlik.

One annual event that is planned is the Staff Appreciation Luncheon, which occurs on the two report-card pick up days. The staff members are given a lunch period on those days and they

can go to the Teacher’s Lounge and indulge in the meal that the community provides for them.

For the Luncheon, the PTSA receives donations from Sweet Connection Bakery as well as a generous price reduction from Dino’s Pizza.

“Hosting the luncheon is one way for the PTSA and the community to tell the teachers and staff that we really appreci-ate everything that they do,” said PTSA Treasurer George Wilson.

The PTSA also shows its appreciation

to the students as well. With a discount from Dairy Queen, the PTSA distributes Dilly Bars to all the students at school during one of the days at the end of the school year. This ice cream social is a great way for the locals to help say thanks you to all the fantastic students.

The PTSA has kick-started many new programs that require the neighbor-hood’s involvement so they can continue their success. Some examples include: recycling ink cartridges and cell phones, having a Taft uniform collection, and having a clothing-recycling program.

Anyone is welcome to donate any old cell phones or used ink cartridges to the PTSA so they can recycle them. The items donated are given to Freecycle.com and in exchange, they give the PTSA

funds for their projects. Any donation can simply be placed in the PTSA mailbox in the main office.

The Taft uniform collection is another success that the PTSA was able to start so the students can have a better high school experience. There is a box located in the main entrance that is labeled Taft Gear. If you find any old uniform items that you no longer need, just drop them off into the box and they will be washed and used by another student in need.

Another PTSA project involves those two large clothing recycling bins in the parking lot on Bryn Mawr. If you ever have any clothing used or new, drop it off in one of those bins. Nandorf Inc., supplies the bins and picks up the cloth-ing once a month and the PTSA gets paid for the amount of clothing within the bins.

“Our participation brings a sense of unity among all of us in the area on behalf of the stu-dents, teachers, and parents,” said Tarchala.

The PTSA uses the profits that it generates to give back to the children of the school. Every year, the PTSA offers two $500 scholarships to two seniors who

have participated in the Reflections Contest at some point in their high-school career. All students that qualify only need to fill out an application and write a short essay.

“The Taft PTSA has advocated on behalf of Taft with various organizations within CPS and with elected officials and has gotten changes and improvements made that everyone enjoys. We act as the connecting link between the community members and the school to become one network that channels success into Taft,” said PTSA President Cleo Pirpiris.

The PTSA and the community works together to create not only a better learning environment for students, but to also make Taft a better place.

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Artwork by Lisa Nitti

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EDITORIALS

It can be stressful and require hard work being in a relation-ship; some couples are either separated by distance or busy with school and work. Valentine’s Day is very beneficial for people to escape reality by spending an entire day with their significant other.

Some people may argue that Valentine’s Day is just an excuse for guys to treat their girlfriends like princesses, which couples should be doing daily. This may be true, but isn’t this day supposed to be a reminder of what a relationship is all about? It is simply the intimacy shared between two people and how valuable and precious a relationship can be.

This day provides a chance for couples to rekindle their flame and reminisce on the personal moments they share. Who cares if Valentine’s Day is hyped? It is a great way to show your love for someone even if it means being cheesy.

Although chocolate, candy, and flowers can be a bit pricey, a person can spend however much money they want on their loved one; it is their decision. No one has the right to judge how much money people spend. Valentine’s Day is meant for people to spoil their girlfriend or boyfriend in any way they desire even if it means expensive chocolates and flowers.

If you are in a relationship here are a few ideas you can do: a classic dinner and movie, ice skating, picnicking, cooking together, or simply staying home and enjoying each other’s company.**

If you have your eye on someone special, Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to tell a lucky guy or girl that you like them. If you are too shy to approach the person you are crushing on, this day gives you an extra push to ask him/her out. Send chocolates or flowers as a secret admirer! It is a very cute idea and if you are lucky, sparks will emerge.

If you are one of those people who are not in a relation-ship, you don’t need to have a bitter or envious attitude on this holiday. Don’t let seeing cute couples remind you that you are “forever alone” because you don’t need a man or woman to make you feel loved.

Although Valentine’s Day is meant to be romantic, it can also be celebrated for you to show love to your family and friends as well. Take advantage of the day and surround yourself with those who make you feel loved.

Valentine’s Day is the best opportunity to tell the people you care about that you love them. Have fun and be safe!

* veracitystew.com ** indobase.com

Artwork by Fredy Martinez

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By Andrea ApacibleThere is one day a year where everyone

can be lovey dovey and celebrate love itself. That is Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14! Valentine’s Day gives couples the oppor-tunity to spend time and enjoy each other’s company. 74% of Americans celebrate this holiday. Valentine’s Day is essential because itallows couples to get away from their hectic lives by relaxing and spending time with their boyfriend or girlfriend. *

Love is in the air!By Samantha Gill

When you think of Valentine’s Day, you may associate the holiday with cheesy pick-up lines, flowers, candy, and romantic dinners. However, I think of it as another overrated holiday to splurge your money on

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one person. Saint Valentine was a priest in Rome during the third

century who wed couples in secrecy, and because of doing so, was sentenced to jail. While in jail he fell in love with the warden’s daughter, and before he was killed, he left her a note signed “Love, from your Valentine.”*

Valentine’s Day has lost its true meaning. People think it is all about winning someone over with a card or flowers, but whatever happened to winning someone over with your charm?

“It’s just an excuse for people to buy ridiculously cheesy gifts,” said Miriam Baherna, Div. 429.

Statistics show that chocolate and candy sales reach profits of $1.011 trillion in the United States during Valentine’s Day. ** Isn’t that a high price for “love”? Also, the average cost of a dozen roses varies from about $10 to nearly $100 depending on where and when they’re bought, what kind of roses you purchase, and how the roses are arranged. ***

What about the people who don’t have a “Valentine”? They’re left twiddling their thumbs while their friends show off their new teddy bears and roses. Approximately one in four Americans do not celebrate the holiday at all. **

“If you’re single, then Valentine’s Day could make you feel alone or bring back unpleasant memories. You might then get jealous of other couples. My advice is to treat yourself to something special,” said Simone Houston, Div. 232.

Did you know that 23% of women purchase flowers for themselves on Valentine’s Day? 57% of men purchase flowers for their spouse, and 25% of men purchase flowers for their signifi-cant other. ****

On average, people spend $67 on their spouse for Valentine’s Day.**** There are other ways to show that you care about someone without wasting all your money. You could write them a poem, a song, or make them a cute couple coupon book.

Sure it is a “romantic holiday” and you should show the ones you love that you truly do care, but the last time I checked, you should not just care for that one day. There are 365 days in a year for a reason!

*pictureframes.co.uk **allbestideas.blogspot.com***ehow.com****brokensecrets.com

By Natalie ZepedaWinter is here so

that means it’s time to get out your heavy coats and gloves, and no sun screen or bathing suit. So how are you going to get a tan now? In the

winter many people settle for tanning beds, but is it really the best choice to looking hot this winter?

Tans are caused by harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from tanning lamps, and if you have one, you’ve sustained skin cell damage. No matter what you may hear at tanning salons, the cumulative damage caused by UV radiation can lead to premature skin aging such as wrinkles, lax skin, brown spots, eye damage and even skin cancer.*

“I’m scared of going bed tanning, but I’m already a little tan so that’s fine with me,” said Daisy Cardenas, Div. 322.

Many people believe the myth that tanning beds are safer than tanning in the sun. This option comes with high risks. It doesn't take long for something to go wrong when it comes to tanning beds. Teens put themselves at risk using these beds at an early age. People who begin tanning younger than age 35 have a 75% higher risk of melanoma, one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer.******

A study published in March in the American Journal of Public Health sur-veyed 6,000 teenagers ages 14 to 17 over a one-year period about their tanning habits. Researchers found that 17.1% of girls and 3.2 % of boys used indoor tanning within that year.**

The last thing people want to hear is that their favorite way of tanning is harmful to their body, but no worries there are other ways to look darker that doesn’t involve UV rays.

Spray tanning is the next best thing.

This UV-free alternative is meant to give your skin that kissed-by-the-sun glow. You stand in a booth as your skin is coated with a mist of sunless tanning solution. When applied to your body, the DHA( dihydroxyacetone) reacts with the amino acids in the dead skin cells on the outer layers of your skin, temporarily producing a brown color that gradually fades within a few

weeks.***Spray tanning

can prove to be more beneficial for you and your body. It may not be ideal for some people that like to bed tan, but in the long run your skin will thank you.

Another substi-tution for tanning is less expensive and for some people it could be more appealing: tanning lotion. This lotion can be accessible at many beauty stores and comes in a variety of shades. Tanning member-ships are costly, ranging from $20 to $30 a month, while tanning lotions range from only $5 to $10.*****

There are tanning lotions that you apply for a one time use, that rinse off completely in the shower. Then there are lotions

that are colored when applied and left to absorb overnight. You then rinse the color guide away the following morning to reveal a less intense, more natural color. The pigments from the spray solution soaks into your skin and stays there until the skin cells are shed. These types of tans can last up to a week.****

All these other options are guaran-teed to make you look great, you just have to know how to use them properly. This winter, stop your fuss with bed tanning and look good with these other options that will have no harm to you.

*skincancer.org**abcnews.go.com*** fitsugar.com**** ezinearticles.com*****goldenbrowntanning.com*****cdc.gov

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Choosing to use tanning beds can be hazardous to your health in the

long run

By Alexandra Wietecka Until you’re 17, Chicago expects you to be in your house by 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends. But come on, who really

follows that?*If someone is caught past curfew,

there is a $500 fine or community service requirement. Three offenses within one year means that the violator would have to pay $1,500 in addition to community service.*

You can’t be scared of everything that comes your way just because it’s nighttime. Although typically more bad things do happen after dark, there are precautions that you could take to ensure your safety. Don’t walk alone in a dark, creepy alley is obviously one of them. If someone does not feel safe being out late at night, they have every right to be snuggled up in their bed, but the teens who like to go out should not be punished as early as 11 p.m. on a weekend.

This does not mean that there should not be a curfew at all, but if anything it should just be pushed back a bit, especially on weekends. During the school week, students should be preparing for their next day of classes and finishing up any assignments. On the weekends though, it is their time to let go of some worries and just relax for a short 48 hours. Midnight would be a much more reasonable time for weekends.

The current curfew is not even being enforced as sternly as it is supposed to be any-way. Why should one teen get in trou-ble for simply being outside, while another could be drinking and doing drugs, just indoors? Kids do bad things and

By Chbep.11Bu

I’m not ready to go to bed!

Article continued on Pg. 23

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EDITORIALS CONTINUED 18

By Manar IhmudThe alarm rings for

school and you immediately press “snooze”. Five minutes later, it rings again and once again you press

“snooze”. You then repeat this again and again and again.

Are those five minutes really going to make you feel more energetic and refreshed? I highly doubt that! Instead of “snoozing” our alarms, why can’t we just change the time school starts? How about from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. or even 9:00 a.m.? That would be a dream come true!

According to a recent poll, when Taft students were asked, “Do you prefer a later school start or how it is now?”, 76% preferred a later start for school.

Starting school later in the morning has many benefits. It could have a great impact on teach-ers, students, and the school. The first advantage is that students will have more time to sleep. When waking up early in the morning, students come to school sleepy and lazy and tend to doze off in their first couple classes. Since students are too sleepy, they do not pay attention to their teachers, which can lead to grades dropping.

James Sarelas (Div. 345) said, “Students are usually slow and grouchy during first period. If I had more time to sleep in the morning, I wouldn’t have the urge to sleep in class. This would result in better grades.”

According to the American Sleep Disorders Association, the average teenager needs around nine and a half hours of sleep per night. Studies show that teenagers generally get an average of only seven and a half hours a night. This is far short of the desired number for healthy teens. **

A recent survey showed that Taft students sleep approximately six and a half hours on a school night.

Physical Education Teacher Gilberto

Arroyo said, “Students don’t realize that sleeping has a great effect on them. Towards the middle of the school year, I see the students who do not sleep enough hours look very tired and burned out. When students wake up fully energized, they come to school with better attitudes and personalities. Most importantly, students will notice a consistency in grades.”

Getting an extra hour or two of sleep in the morning increases a student’s concentration level. When concentration levels increase, so do

grades. Many tests have been done

around the world, especially in Germany and America, which confirm that sleeping improves concentration and most importantly grades. ** German and American schools that switched to later start times experi-enced an improvement in exams and reduced rates of drop outs and depression.***

A later start would mean students could have time in the morning to do any homework they have left or review for a test. This will also be more productive for teachers because they will have more time to prepare for classes before the students arrive.

A second very important advan-tage is having time to eat breakfast in the morning. I wake up for school at 6:30 a.m. everyday and some people wake up even earlier than that. I barely have time to get dressed. I always reach school after the first bell and sometimes a couple minutes after the

second bell. Most im- por-tantly, I never have time for breakfast.

As the common saying goes, “Break-fast is the most important meal of the day.” People don’t just say that for fun. There is a reason behind it. Breakfast launches your energy level. **** It is hard to stay focused in class with an empty stomach.

Students’ tardiness is a big issue at Taft. According to the Main Office, on Feb. 2, 28% of Taft students came to school tardy. I

have seen students come to school during second and third period. I know several students who never even show up to first period. Later starts would help reduce tardiness.

A person coming to school late has many excuses. Either it was “I woke up late”, “There was traffic,” these excuses can be avoided with later starts. Leaving to school later can help you avoid the morning traffic, especially since Taft is located next to the busy I-90 highway.

Principal Arthur Tavardian thinks that

more sleep will not neces-sarily mean less tardiness.

“An extra fifteen or thirty minutes in the morning would not make a big difference. Students should sleep earlier so that they could be in school on time. The morning traffic will always be there,” said Tavardian.

Tavardian is right; the morning traffic will always be there, but that’s the point! I always leave for school early, but once I reach the traffic on Nagle and Avondale, that’s what makes me late.

With all these advantages that come with later school starts, why don’t all schools start later? I personally would prefer staying in school until 3-3:30 p.m. than waking up at 6:30 a.m. Until Chicago Public Schools (CPS) realizes how great later starts are, here are two important tips. Sleep early and grab any food or drink on your way to school. Even if it is a small portion, that is enough to get your brain started.

**debatewise.com*** thisislondon.co.uk****amerymedicalcenter.org

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Just five more minutes.... EDITORIALS CONTINUED 19

By Alexandra WieteckaNowadays, social

networking is embed-ded so deeply into our everyday lives that most teenagers could not imagine going more than a

couple of hours without checking their newsfeed.

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Tumblr are among the most popular social networking websites for teens. Although many people claim that social networking is a waste of time, these websites allow for constant communication through posting statuses or “tweets”, uploading photos, or instant messaging one another.

There are currently 500 million active Facebook users, which is approximately one in every 13 people on earth. Half of these people are logged in on any given day. There are 206.2 million internet users in the United States which means that 71.2% of the web audience is on Facebook.*

Andrew Wajda (Div. 310) said, “Although most status updates are mainly about the same things and most people just complain about life, it’s great if you want to show your

friend a song or funny video or share links.”

Often times you meet someone who you connect with, but once the day ends you know that you may never speak again. Through websites like Facebook, people could add each other and learn more about one another by looking at what they post and also chat or message them.

Other times, people remember relatives they have in distant countries or friends from their childhood and

wish to get back in contact with them. Social network-ing sites are perfect for rekin-dling old friendships.**

Wajda said, “With social networking sites, you can talk to people you don’t see often and Facebook chat can be an alternative for people who can’t text.”

Writing letters and sending invita-tions is now a thing of the past. You could wish someone a happy birthday by simply writing on their wall or create an event page for your holiday party where everyone could see all the details of the event and who is attending.

Many people say things online that they would never have the guts to say in person. This can obviously be good or bad, but either way, people can be brave enough to express their opinions and ideas to their followers and friends.

“You can get more confidence by talking with others online,” said Elizabeth Grozescu, Div. 333.

These sites benefit many students when it comes to completing homework and catching up on what happened in class when they miss a day.

Wajda said, “The benefits social networking sites have in terms of our school lives are mainly about being able to collaborate with your friends on certain assignments and projects quickly.”

Smartphone users can access a majority of these social networking websites through apps that they

download onto their phones. This allows them to check up on what’s going on in other people’s lives basically anywhere they are and update a status or tweet people about what they are doing as well.

Next time one of your parents or teachers complains about Facebook or Twitter, remind them of all of the benefits!

*digitalbuzzblog.com**benefitof.net

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Websites such as as facebook, twitter, and tumblr have proven to be beneficial

and useful to users worldwide

By Andrea Apacible Isn’t the day long

enough with almost seven hours of our day dedicated to school?

Apparently not. Chicago Public Schools

(CPS) has decided to extend the school day by an additional 45 mins.

Chicago Public Schools CEO, Jean-Claude Brizard, is working with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on making the school day longer. *

There are numerous disadvantages as to why a longer school day would not be beneficial towards Taft.

One of the main concerns is decid-ing whether teachers will be getting paid for the extra hours. Teachers would not be satisfied with this arrangement considering they have low salaries as it is. Another issue is the attendance of students, and if they can actually cope with the extra minutes of class. *

Taft also has the option to consider block scheduling. This is not an attrac-tive sight for most students, let alone the extra 45 minutes if this proceeds for next year.

Block scheduling is a system that schools use to divide the year into two semesters and the school days are divided into four instructional blocks. Each class is about 90 minutes long meaning longer classes and school days. **

“I think it’s a bad idea because kids are going to be careless. More people will ditch and not want to go to school,” said Vince Taibi, Div. 325.

CPS’s purpose for a longer school day is for students to spend more time on core subjects and give opportunities for teachers and students to build better relationships.*

This may be true, but if students need extra help tutoring is always available after school which also gives them the opportunity to bond with teachers.

Students are already dedicated to school for almost half their day so they shouldn’t have to be overwhelmed and stay in school for another hour or so. Many students have after school activities and jobs that are mandatory.

Longer school days? No way!

Article continued on Pg. 22


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considering making club meetings a mandatory first period of the day rather than after school, so that students have an incentive to arrive to school on time and eliminating lost instructional time when students are tardy.***

Hopefully teachers will acknowl-edge the fact that the additional 45 mins. will make managing time outside of school much more stressful. Sports, clubs, and seven or eight classes leaves little time for homework, so many students are hopeful that teachers will assign less homework so that their grades do not suffer.

Along with this major change in CPS’ system, CPS is most likely going to have all schools begin at 8 a.m. This will give Taft students an extra 15 mins. to sleep in every morning which can also lead to decreased school tardiness.

The extra 45 mins. can benefit the school In many ways, even though initially it may seem like a total buzz kill. Who knows, maybe less homework will be assigned next year!

*cps.edu**collegeboard.com***catalyst-chicago.org

Adding an eighth class may be a bit tedious and overwhelming for some students, but it would be very advanta-geous for those who wish to have extra credits. Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes allow students to gain college credit for their courses. Having enough college credits also allows students to be a year ahead in college, which means saving an average of $20,000.**

The last option is adding ten minutes to each period. Although I prefer the other two options, this one would be extremely beneficial for tests and lab days. Many students go crazy trying to finish their labs in 45 min. because they have to set up the experiment, complete it, and also find time for clean-up. The extra ten minutes would allow students to actually do their labs well and acquire more accurate results.

Kristen Heilemann (Div. 328) said, “Although I’m not thrilled about the additional 45 minutes, I think the best option is adding ten minutes to the end of each class because a lot of our classes are really rushed.”

Other CPS high schools are weighing different options. A few of them are

By Alexandra WieteckaAre you tired of

the way that the school day has been structured for years now? Chicago Public

Schools (CPS) has finally decided to go through with the decision to add an additional 45 minutes to each school day beginning in fall of 2012. This change gives schools the opportunity to restructure their daily schedules.

CPS believes that this change will benefit students by providing them with a chance to spend more time on core subjects and broaden enrichment opportunities. They also want to give students a time during the day when they could recharge, and since we don’t have recess anymore, this would be a study hall.*

Principal Arthur Tarvardian has been speaking to his students and faculty to determine what they think will be most beneficial for the school. He met with the Principal Student Advisory Committee (PSAC) on Dec. 14 to discuss their opinions so that PSAC can speak with the rest of the student body to give input based on their ideas.

CPS is giving each school the option to communicate with its students and faculty to decide how to best use the additional time for their particular school. The main options that Taft is consid-ering are using the time for a study period, extending each class by about ten minutes, or adding an eighth class to the school day.

Having a study period would be awesome for students who take difficult classes and take part in extracurricular activities on top of classes. A study period would allow students to finish home-work, begin working on homework for the follow-ing day, or simply study.

Mike Hoang (Div. 330) said, “I think it would be really beneficial to have a study period because I usually stay more focused when I’m in school than with the countless distractions at home.”

A longer school day would be beneficial to both students and teachers

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Artwork by Bart Lewandowski

21 EDITORIALS CONTINUED

come to me with his problems, then maybe he would not resort to drugs. After seeing what he went through, I will never touch drugs, nor would I advise anyone else to,” said Elisa

Miguel, Div. 223.

When you take drugs, you put yourself at risk of harming not only yourself, but others as well. You will mess up your relationships with the ones closest to you. Doing drugs will just ruin your future.

Drug abuse at any age can cause serious health effects, but teens who abuse drugs are at particular risk for negative consequences. Teens who abuse drugs are more likely to struggle with addiction later in life and have permanent and irreversible brain damage. Other negative effects include emotional, behavioral, and learning problems, addiction and dependence, car accidents, risky sex, and diseases.*

One of my friends resorted to drugs. He and I were good friends back in the day. He grew up with the wrong crowd, and it just got worse in high school. My friend ended up dropping out of high school and has been in and out of rehab. I have not talked to him in a couple years, but I spoke to his sister recently only to find out that he still uses. It just saddens me to see such a bright kid like that end up in the wrong place.

Think twice before you do any-thing; the decisions that you make today affect your outcome for tomor-row.

* aacap.org** casapalmera.com***drugabuse.gov

Don’t huff, don’t puff, get away from that stuff!By Samantha Gill

Experimentation with alcohol and drugs during adolescence is common. Unfortu-nately, teenagers often don’t see the link between their actions

today and the consequences tomorow.*Teenagers abuse a variety of drugs,

both legal and illegal. Legally available drugs include alcohol, prescribed medications, inhalants, and cold, sleep and diet medications. The most com-monly used illegal drugs are marijuana, stimulants (cocaine, crack, and speed), LSD, PCP, opiates, heroin, and designer drugs (ecstasy). The consumption of illegal drugs is increasing, especially among young teens. The average age of first marijuana use is 14, and alcohol use can start before the age 12. The use of marijuana and alcohol in high school has become common.** In 2010, 21.4% of high school seniors used marijuana in the past 30 days, while 19.2% smoked cigarettes. ***

Most teenagers use drugs because of peer pressure; just say NO! There are other things you can do instead of drugs. You could take a walk, play video games, or just hang out with friends. If you ever feel down you can always talk to a friend, teacher, or parent. Why resort to something that can kill you? Drugs are just a big waste of time. If you really care about your life and want to be someone someday, then why go down

the wrong path? I think people who use are low lives

that give up and do not want to face reality anymore. I know when I am upset, I turn to someone and open up. I do not go out and pop a pill to take me away from reality. When you use drugs to “escape reality”, the problem is still going to be there when you get off the drug. If you are high at school that is just worse! You end up ditching classes, not doing your homework, and even worse, risk dropping out.

“I grew up with someone who was like my brother. But when eighth grade came around, he started using drugs. I would try to stop him from doing them, but it would not work. I stopped talking to him because he just chose drugs over a friendship. I know that he still uses them, and it makes me sad that he does. If he would have just

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Students arrive home late enough with staying after school or going to work; extending the school day will just exhaust teenagers. This will create no time to complete homework, family, or even resting thoroughly.

“People have jobs, sports, and after school activities. It’s hard for kids to go to school now, just imagine next year,” said Raymond Brennan, Div. 325.

Students already have a hard time trying to stay attentive during classes so a longer day may result in students not wanting to care, paying attention less, and possibly even dropping out of school. CPS high school’s graduation rate is 57% with a dropout rate of 43%. Making a longer school day can possibly increase

the dropout rate. *There is no doubt that education is

important because teenagers definitely need to be educated and are expected to go to college. Regardless of this being true, they also need time for themselves and ultimately, a break from school.

The shorter school day should remain as it is because it gives more

time and opportunities for students to build

personal growth as a teenager. Hopefully Taft will not proceed with extending the day to an extra 45 mins. because seven hours is a lengthy day.

*cps.edu** blogs.democratandchronicle.

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No way to a longer school day article continued from pg. 20

Why should we go on vacation with our families, go down- town with our friends, and feel like we have no major responsibilities? This is the time when we, as teenagers, take advantage of all of our freedoms. We definitely do not deserve this long of a break after the short and easy eight

months of the school year.

I would rather do a twenty-page, single-spaced, Times New Roman Font paper, than miss a moment I could be in school! When the

doors of Taft close behind you at the end of

each day, it is hard not to tear up a little bit. Thinking about what you could be learning in that time; counting down the days, hours, minutes, even seconds until you could return to that blessed place. I know my fellow peers, it is difficult, but we could make a difference and fight for the school to resume 24/7.

School is much too exciting to miss! All of the drama you hear in the hallways, all of the “OMG, did you hear what insert name here did in English today,” the deans and security guards making sure you are going to class on time, and see-ing fights in the lunchroom. Who says that Taft is not already its own

reality television show? There is no need to stay home; we

are on vacation year-round while at school. Come to think of it, why don’t we just get rid of the weekends too? We can just live at school together and be a big, happy family.

* insert *drooling face* here** insert *confused face* here

monkeys picking their butts in the spring? Listening to “It’s friday, friday, gotta get down on friday,” on repeat for an hour just because you want to make fun of how badly it is sung? Maybe you could write a lame newspaper article for the school newspaper, finish that research paper that is due tomorrow, or attempt to draw yourself for your final art project instead.

We should all forget about summer break too. Almost three whole months away

from the heaven we call high school. No more homework, no more teachers, no more books, no more drama, and no more stress? I think I speak for all students when I say that is pure torture!

Life without all of those things is just plain boring. How have we spent so much time without them in the past?

By Jessica DavisAlmost every

student has heard from a parent/guard-ian, “Wow, you guys have so many days off of school, I wish I could

take off that much!” But really, who needs useless days, even weeks, off of school?

I know I do not want to have longer weekends of sitting on my couch eating some popcorn and drooling over Ryan Reynolds* while watching The Proposal. I mean, what is so fun about stuffing your face all day long, not having any school work to worry about, and having the freedom to wake up at three o’clock in the afternoon? Who would want to Facebook stalk the person they have a crush on, or delete the people they hate?

I would much rather go to school and learn about the laws of physics, how to find the object of a sentence, and how to solve fun inequal-ities like, 0.7(3x + 4) ≥ 1.3 – (x+2).** Why should I be able to fall asleep on my amazingly comfort-able bed when I could be dozing off in class on my nice, hard desk?

Not only are these “No School: Staff Develop-ment Days” useless, but what is up with these breaks? Winter Break and Spring Breaks are lame excuses to have a week or two off of school. What could you possibly do for a week at home?

Wasting your precious time and money hanging out with your friends? Having a snowball fight in the winter, and going to the zoo and seeing

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Some students can’t help but miss Taft when not at school; can you blame them

though?

throw crazy parties at their houses; just because they’re not outdoors does not indicate that they are not doing anything against the law.

In 2009, the curfew was moved up half an hour from 10:30 p.m. onweeknights and 11:30 p.m. on week-ends, but in 2011 the Police Superin-tendent said that curfew enforcement was down. So realistically, what’s the point of having it if it isn’t even strictly enforced?*

“My birthday is in August so when I turn 17 next year, all my friends will have already not had curfew for a few months.I hang out with them and do the same stuff as them, so why should the date of our birthdays decide what time I have to be in my house?”said Anna Kozikowski, Div. 443.

The city government should not be responsible for telling teens when to go home. It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that their

children are doing positive things that are based off of good values. Curfews can only work when parents set them because police cannot be on the porch of every teenager’s home in Chicago making sure that they are in their house.

Teenagers deserve freedom which is not the responsibility of the government to control.

*cbslocal.com

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No curfews article continued from pg. 18

EDITORIALS CONTINUED

QuestionQuestion: : I saw my best friend’s boy-I saw my best friend’s boy-friend cheating on her at a party. What do friend cheating on her at a party. What do I do? Do I tell her the ugly truth or forget I do? Do I tell her the ugly truth or forget about it?about it?

-The Girl Who Saw it All-The Girl Who Saw it All

Dear The Girl Who Saw it AllDear The Girl Who Saw it All,, I understand that you are in a very tough position. You may lose a friend by telling I understand that you are in a very tough position. You may lose a friend by telling her the truth, or it may eat you inside to keep what you saw a secret. Honesty is always her the truth, or it may eat you inside to keep what you saw a secret. Honesty is always

the best policy. You have to tell your best friend that her boyfriend is not being faith-the best policy. You have to tell your best friend that her boyfriend is not being faith-ful. ful. Your friend may be in a very unhealthy relationship with an unfaithful boy- Your friend may be in a very unhealthy relationship with an unfaithful boy-

friend. Unhealthy relationships almost always end badly. If she does not know friend. Unhealthy relationships almost always end badly. If she does not know about her boyfriend cheating, she may find out the hard way later when she is about her boyfriend cheating, she may find out the hard way later when she is

even more emotionally invested in him. Telling her would save her from even more emotionally invested in him. Telling her would save her from spending time in a bad relationship, save her an even more painful break-spending time in a bad relationship, save her an even more painful break-up, and allow her trust you more.up, and allow her trust you more. If your friend refuses to believe it and she does not want to be your If your friend refuses to believe it and she does not want to be your friend anymore, she is not a true friend. When she finally finds out what her friend anymore, she is not a true friend. When she finally finds out what her boyfriend is up to, she will realize you were right, and boyfriend is up to, she will realize you were right, and feel sorry about not trusting you.feel sorry about not trusting you. It is always best to tell the truth, even though it It is always best to tell the truth, even though it

may be painful. Good luck in making your decision.may be painful. Good luck in making your decision.SiSincerely,ncerely,

-Zoey-ZoeyDear Girl Who Saw It All:Dear Girl Who Saw It All:

I always vote for honesty. Tell her. If your friend finds out youI always vote for honesty. Tell her. If your friend finds out you are aware of this situation and you didn’t tell her, it may ruin are aware of this situation and you didn’t tell her, it may ruin your relationship with her. She may be upset with you at first your relationship with her. She may be upset with you at first for not telling her immediately or she may not want to hear for not telling her immediately or she may not want to hear

what you have to say, but at least you will have a clear what you have to say, but at least you will have a clear conscience and feel that you have done what is in the best conscience and feel that you have done what is in the best

in-in- terest of your friend. terest of your friend. Relationships are best built on honesty and trust; I’m talking Relationships are best built on honesty and trust; I’m talking about both her relationship with her boyfriend and your friendship with her. Chances about both her relationship with her boyfriend and your friendship with her. Chances are that if he cheated on her once, he has done it before and will do it again. You may are that if he cheated on her once, he has done it before and will do it again. You may feel like you are hurting her by telling her, but if you don’t you will be setting her up to feel like you are hurting her by telling her, but if you don’t you will be setting her up to get hurt even more in the future when it happens again and she has become more in-get hurt even more in the future when it happens again and she has become more in-vested in the relationship.vested in the relationship. On a side note, I find that a lot of girls, when they find out that their boyfriend is On a side note, I find that a lot of girls, when they find out that their boyfriend is cheating, tend to only blame the girl. I would encourage your friend to realize that her cheating, tend to only blame the girl. I would encourage your friend to realize that her boyfriend played an equal part in this and should share the blame as well. boyfriend played an equal part in this and should share the blame as well. It sounds like you are a good friend and hopefully your friend will see that and thank you in the end! Good Luck!you in the end! Good Luck!

Jennifer Kirts Hernandez, MSW,LCSWJennifer Kirts Hernandez, MSW,LCSWSchool Social WorkerSchool Social Worker

Taft High SchoolTaft High School

HernandezHernandez

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Photo by Lisa NittiPhoto by Lisa Nitti

Do you have a question you would like advice on or an answer to?like advice on or an answer to?

Email the Taft Today staff at [email protected] the Taft Today staff at [email protected] well thought out advice by Taft’s Social Worker Jenny Hernandez for well thought out advice by Taft’s Social Worker Jenny Hernandez

and our very own Zoey.and our very own Zoey.

Ask ZoeyAsk Zoey - - Tafts problem solver!Tafts problem solver!?Question of the Question of the

month! month! Question of the Question of the

month! month! ??


By Jessica DavisCraving a little romance this Valentine’s Day? Well, this day is quickly arriving, and we are encouraged to open

up our hearts, and our wallets. Here are some restaurants you may want to check out!

Although Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company is a far distance from Taft, it is definitely worth the drive! Located at 2121 North Clark Street, it offers a quiet, friendly atmosphere that is well-needed after a long work/school day. No other restaurant compares to the food and service that this place has. It is family owned and operated, which makes it a unique place to eat at.

Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company is well known for their personal pizza pot pies and their Mediterranean bread. Prices for their pizzas are definitely on the higher end, ranging between $11 to $22, but if you would like to impress your partner and show how much you care about them by paying for an expensive Valentine’s Day dinner, then by

Let’s serve up some romanceall means give this place a visit.

If you are looking for a close, cheap place to eat on your fun night togeth-er, you could even go to White Castle. This may seem like a non-romantic date, but for the occasion, White Castle makes your night a special one.

You and your valentine can enjoy a romantic candle-lit dinner complete with special menus, table-side service, and themed decorations. You even need to make reservations in order to eat-in. **

The closest location of White Castle from Taft is 7550 N. Harlem Ave. in Niles.

If you and your date are seafood lovers, go to Red Lobster! Seafood is said to be a romantic meal, and their prices are cheap for what they offer. Prices range between $11 to $30 depending on what you are ordering. The location, 4401 N. Cumberland Ave.

in Norridge, is close to Taft. It is a relaxing, calm environment for a date night, and they have exquisite service.

No matter where you go to dinner on Valentine’s Day, make it a memorable one for you and your valentine. After all, it is a day to express your love!

*chicagopizzaandovengrinder.com**whitecastle.com

Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder

Will you be my sweetheart?By Edward Selep

Through the cold winter months, people tend to associ-ate February with Valentine’s Day. Along with

this, people tend to forget about the other holiday, Sweetest Day.

Sweetest Day has been around since 1922 when it was founded by Herbert Birch Kings-ton. He wanted to bring joy to those who were often forgotten, thus creating Sweetest Day. The holiday is on the third Saturday of October and is celebrated among many.*

The purpose of Sweetest Day is to bring joy to loved ones and people in need of kindness. Along with Sweetest Day, the popular holiday amongst many is Valen-tine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated Feb.14 of and has been around since ancient times. Back then, people celebrated this day to pay honor to the Roman God of Fertility. This was also known as Feast of Lupercalia. **

Valen-tine’s Day and Sweetest Day are both very similar in certain ways. They both involve the same types of gifts such as cards, chocolates, and even flowers. When celebrating Valen-tine’s Day, many usually give romantic dinners or something special to their loved one. Romantic dinners are also very common to have during this time. It is simply a day of love and compassion.

Now what if you had to choose one, Sweetest Day or Valentine’s Day? That could be a tricky decision, but if I were to choose,

then, I would have to pick Sweetest Day. This is because Sweetest Day applies to everyone whether you’re in love with someone or not. It is a day of caring for the others around you no matter what.

With Valentine’s Day, many see it as a day for couples and not people that are single. On the other hand, you have Sweetest Day which can be for your dad, grandmother, cousin, aunt, or even just a friend that you care for.

Both these holidays should mean something special for everyone and

not just the couples out there. Both these days should be about spending time with the people that you love and are close with.

Here’s hoping to everyone had a fun-loving Sweetest Day and will have a nice, romantic Valentine’s Day!

*sweetestday.com**holidayinsights.com

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ENTERTAINMENT Spunk up this day of hearts with something savoryBy Natalie Zepeda

Valentine’s Day, it’s the day to make your significant other blush. When it comes to Valentine’s Day many couples are clueless in

making this day special. On this day you can chose to go all out or make it simple yet memorable. The main focus of the day is to spend time with each other, these are some simple recipes that need “two to tango” that are fun to make and yummy to eat.

Couples PizzaIngredients1 tablespoon sugar1 1/4-ounce packet (2 1/4

teaspoons) active dry yeast3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive

oil, plus more for brushing3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus

more for dusting1 1/2 teaspoons saltDirectionsWhisk 1 1/3 cups warm water

(105 degrees F) and the sugar in a bowl; sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside until foamy, about 10 mins. Stir in the olive oil.

Whisk the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the

flour and pour in the yeast mixture. Gradually stir with a wooden spoon to make a rough dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured sur-face. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, dusting with more flour if necessary. Form into 2 balls. Brush 2 large bowls with olive oil, add a ball of dough to each and turn to coat with the oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. If you want to be creative and stick to the theme, you can make the dough into a heart shape. Shape the dough in whatever form you want to add your favorite toppings, bake and enjoy.

If going savory for Valentine’s Day is not your thing then you can never go wrong with something sweet. Try this chocolate desert that will make you melt.

Molten Lava Cakes (For two)Ingredients4 square of Baker’s Semi –Sweet

Baking Chocolate½ cup (1 stick) melted butter1cup powdered sugar

2 eggs2 egg yolks6Tbsp. Flour½ cup thawed cool whipped toppingDirections(Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.)Add all ingredients into a large bowl

and whisk them together. Grease small ceramic bowls with butter or use a muffin tin where the mixture will be placed. Pour the mixture equally into each tin or ceramic bowl. Place it in the oven and bake for 14 to 17 min. Make these molten cakes even more sweet by adding whipped cream, icing or ice cream.

These easy to make recipes are fun, creative ways to spend more time with each other without spending money.

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By Casandra Garcia Has anyone heard about the new show Remodeled on CWTV? Well if you haven’t, I can let you know a little about it.

It stars Paul Fisher, a man looking for young people who really have the potential to become amazing models and have not become discovered yet.

Not only is this show about fi nding models, but also about helping modeling agencies become much better with their reputations but become well known as big brand names as well.

Fisher is very tough on these small agencies because they are doing some things wrong.

His goal is to make these agencies successful and their reputation over the top. Fisher believes that starting fresh will be hard work but starting small will always get you somewhere.

Runway PainFisher is a very tough man and has

a strong character when it comes to modeling and making things correct. He knows that all his changes in these agencies will make a big diff erence for their future and business. He has strong confi dence in the models that he has chosen and knows they have a future.

The show was very entertaining and it shows some of the hard positions models and industries have to face in order to become victorious and well known.

This show is much more diff erent than other modeling shows such as America’s Next Top Model. America’s Next Top Model is more about fi nding good models and making them take pictures, fi nd their weaknesses and work on them as well as facing diff erent challenges. Whereas Remolded actually books young people with the potential to become models in actual runway shows so they can be discovered as well as making modeling agencies popular and successful.

Becoming a model is not as easy as everyone may think. It does not just happen overnight and defi nitely not just in a week. It takes a lot of sacrifi ce and hard work as well.

You can watch Remodeled on Wednesdays at 9/8c on CWTV.

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26 ENTERTAINMENT CONTINUED

By Natalie ZepedaFor all you die

hard vampire lovers, Vampire Diaries continued its season Jan. 5, so if you haven’t’ already tuned in to watch the

unraveling season check it out now. This is the must see season to watch The Vampire Diaries. It has excitement, romance, thrill, and action. This series is filled with jaw dropping moments that appeals to everyone.

“I was excited for the new season because there’s going to be action and mystery, “said Ashley Hidalgo, Div. 327.

For those that are new to the series here’s a quick summary. The Vampire Diaries is an American supernatural drama television series about two brothers in love with the same beauti-ful girl, who are battling to control the fate of their entire town. The series takes place in Mystic Falls, Virginia, a fictional small town haunted by supernatural beings.

The series follows the life of Elena

Take a bite out of Vampire DiariesGilbert (Nina Dobrev) a 17-year-old girl, who falls for a 162-year-old vampire named Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley).Their relationship becomes increasingly complicated as Stefan’s malevolent older brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder) returns with a plan to wreak havoc on the town and also to plan revenge against his younger brother. Both brothers begin to show affection towards Elena, mainly because of her resemblance to their past love Katherine Pierce.*

Vampire Diaries is one of my favorite shows because it is never the same boring plot; the action shifts from character to character. No episode is the same leaving you in anticipation for the next.

“Vampire Diaries is not like your usual series. It has drama and romance that will appeal to every-one,” said Melanny Buitrón Div. 333

In the continued season, there was more shockers and twist to the original plot. In season three you learned more about Klaus and The Original Family as his motives for

wanting Stephan on his side. From the continued season, Damon received his humanity just in time to help his friends and family escape vampires like Klaus.

You can watch Vampire Diaries Thursday nights on The CW or online at cwtv.com ,this season is going to end this spring so don’t miss it.

*cwtv.com

anting Stephhan on hhis s dide From thhe

By Edward Selep Tired of going

to the same places over and over? Are you hungry for something new? Well there’s an answer for

that, Chipotle! Chipotle is a restaurant that

specializes in Mexican food. The food is very authentic and offers great prices for all the food you get. The cost is around $6 and $7 for a burrito and is packed with overall joy.

If you prefer something else, there are tacos that can fulfill your appetite. Not only are there burritos and tacos, but there are also quesadillas, taco salads, and even nachos to choose.*

The number of locations is endless and you can always find a Chipotle somewhere near-by. There are four locations that are within a few miles of Taft. There is one located in Skokie, Park Ridge, Niles, and even Rosemont.

The closest location to Taft would have to be the Park Ridge store since it is only about 1.4 miles away. The Park Ridge location is 119 South Northwest

Highway and is open Monday through Sunday from 11am to 10pm. *

The service at Chipotle is overall good. I would give it a solid B+/A-. The servers treat their customers with respect and it certainly shows by how

they handle your food. They often greet their customers, but on a few occasions they don’t which can seem as a turnoff. More times than not, this is not the case.

When looking at the total cleanliness of the place, I would give it an A. The workers keep the place

well-kept. There is never any garbage on the ground, the tables are constantly cleaned off, and the condiment station is very neatly organized.

Another great touch about Chipotle is the décor. It is somewhat old-fashioned with

the tables and chairs. The overall look is solid and creates a great scenery to eat at. I’d give this aspect of the restaurant a B+.

Usually what I order is either a steak burrito or a steak bowl with chips and salsa. Either of those are really good and really satisfying if you’re looking for something to try!

Overall, Chipotle is very satisfying and delicious to say the least. The food is amazing and service is good. The

cleanliness is great and locations among Chicago are outstanding.

Chipotle is a definite must place to go eat at for any food lover!

* chipotle.com

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ENTERTAINMENT CONTINUED 27

and had a dance battle; it felt so surreal! Hosch, Bandera, and Alban gave the best of both worlds! Bandera danced salsa with Alban, and then Hosch danced hip-hop with Alban. It was a wonderful duo! I think that this year’s performances

outdid previous years. Other years it felt like the same thing over again; a couple drummers showing off , battle of the bands, and dancing. Sure this year there was two performances that were the same, but it did not ruin the whole show. To make the next talent show even better, people should not do the same act as others. The people in charge should make sure that the audience is courteous while performers are on stage, and have the music well prepared.

I would also like to see more humorous acts! Big props to all that were in the talent show; you

guys owned the night!

By Samantha Gill The lights dim down, the acts perform, and my socks get rocked off . Talent is the word, and Taft has plenty of it!

This year’s talent show was held on Thurs, Jan. 19. It had sixteen powerful acts that revealed some sides of people that you may have not known. The show ranged from singers to dancers; the talent show had it all! This year’s MCs were gym teacher Shreena Lewis and Ryan Onuszko, Div. 228. At one point Lewis dougied, then later on Onuszko and Lewis started to fi st pump. One of Taft’s alumni, Albert Chanthaboury, came up on the stage to show off his impressive moves as well! All of the proceeds from the show went to Georgia Karas, for her hyperbaric oxygen therapy. “This was my fi rst time being a MC at a show. It was so thrilling because it was like doing theater and improv at the same time! My favorite performances were Latin Dance Crew and Margaret Grange. I really like how Margaret sang an original song that she wrote; that is real talent to me. Latin Dance Crew was just hot, spicy,

Who has talent? Taft does!and muy caliente,” said Onuszko. Some performances just blew me away. I did not know that the normal teenagers that I go to school with have so much talent. My favorite performances were Dj ST3LL4R Jose Cortez, Div. 228 and Jessica Hosch, (Div. 212), Diana

Bandera, (Div 212) and Samuel Alban, Div. 227. It just amazed me how Cortez just owned the stage with everything he had. Then the dance crews got on stage

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A collage of some of the groups that performed in the talent show

By Edward Selep Tired of going to the same restaurants over and over? Want somewhere new to go that can

fulfi ll your food craving? Dish Dine and Drink can certainly solve that problem for you! This fi ne establishment recently opened on 11/11/11 in the Norwood Park area. The restaurant is located at 6169 N. Northwest Highway and is near the 7-11. It has a very friendly and glowing feel to it. It is usually open from 11 am to 2 am except on Saturdays it is open until 3 am. It has plenty of fl at screen televisions to go around if you’re interested in

Dine at Dish!watching a sporting event or any other event. The scenery is fantastic and the pictures on the walls give it a nice touch. Techer Mary Kay Cobb said, “Dish defi nitely had a very family-oriented feel to it.” Let’s move on to what the real deal is about Dish and what makes it so great, and that’s the quality of the food. The menu items are all very delicious and really hit home with your taste buds. There is a wide range of food to choose from including the burgers, chicken, steak, grilled cheese, and pork sandwiches. The menu also has salads, appetizers,

desserts, and an assorted amount of drinks as well. Many of the sandwiches range from $5 to $8 while some of the other main entrees are around $10. The sides and appetizers range around $3.*ARTICLE CONTINUED ON PG. 30

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ENTERTAINMENT CONTINUED28

By Jessica DavisDo you enjoy

television shows that are both entertaining and drama-filled? Well, you should give The

Celebrity Apprentice an hour of your time each Sunday night!

The new season starts on Sun. Feb. 12, at 8:00 p.m. on NBC (channel 5). The show launches the season off with eighteen unique celebrities who are put into two teams. The first team consists of nine male contestants, and the other team of nine female contestants.

As the show progresses each week, the teams are assigned tasks to complete, and they are required to select a project manager for each. The project manager is the team leader who is willing to do their best in leading their team into victory for that specific week.

Opposed to The Apprentice, the business-savvy celebrity contes-tants of The Celebrity Apprentice work towards a greater goal than to win a job with Donald Trump. Instead, they raise over $1 million for various charities throughout the season. Not only will the final winner be crowned “The Celebrity Apprentice”, but he or she will

Are you fired up for season 12?also have the honor of delivering a $250,000 bonus check to their designated charity.*

When a celebrity contestant is chosen to be the project manager and their team wins, the project manager is awarded money to give to their charity. However, if their team loses, they do not win any money for that project, and they have to choose two other people to come back with them into the boardroom to move

into elimination. Each episode, the weakest contestant of the losing team is “fired”.

For this upcoming season, I am most looking forward to the drama and relationships each team makes with each other. This makes each episode more appealing to its viewers, and gives them their high

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ratings. It is so much fun to watch this show, because you get to see how certain celebrities act under loads of pressure, and you see what kind of personal relationships they have with one another.

I am not excited, however, about Clay Aiken, a previous American Idol contestant, to be competing in The Celebrity Apprentice. I do not think he has what it takes to successfully become a businessman for the show. He works well with others; however, I do not think he will be able to take all of the pressure. The only reason he is even on the show is because his music career is going downhill, and he needs more publicity.

The other seventeen celebrities that are starring on the show this season are: Teresa Gludice, Dee Snider, Tia Carrere, Debbie Gibson, Lou Ferrigno, Victoria Gotti, Penn Jillette, Arsenio Hall, Dayana Mendoza, Lisa Lampanelli, Paul Teutul, Aubrey O’Day, Adam Carolla, Cheryl Tiegs, Michael Andretti, George Takei, and Patricia Velásquez.

The new season is just around the corner, and you should see what all the buzz is about. It is a great success, being one of the highest rated shows on television, and 2012 will mark the season 12 of this remarkable series. So get off Facebook, get on your couch, turn on NBC, and enjoy the wonderful show! See who is getting fired next!

*aceshowbiz.com

By Natalie ZepedaWant to have

some fun with your friends but don’t know where to go? Try checking out Sky High Sports Center, a

unique trampoline funcenter located at 6424 Howard street, Niles, IL 60714.

Sky high is not like your usual trampoline. It’s the perfect way to have fun with friends or family in a unique place that is full,wall to walll with trampolines. There are also games like dogeball that people can play.

Unlike home trampolines, Sky high has specially desinged, sprint loaded frames. All frames and springs are covered by 2 inch thick safty pads.* Since there are 360 degrees of trampoline walls and court supervisors, there’s no falling off the

Jump sky hightrampoline.*

Sky High is open Monday through Sunday. On Mondays-10am to 11am, Tuesday and Thursday-2pm to 10pm, fi rst hour is eleven dollars any additionals are eight dollars per jumper. On Wensday-2pm to 10pm, fi rst hour is eleven dollars and any additials are three dolars per jumper.On Friday-11am to midnight,Saturday-10am to midnight and Sunday-10am to 10pm, jumpers pay 11 dollars per hour.*

Every new member that is not 18 years old has to fi ll out a liability waiver before they can be allowed to go on the trampolines. You can fi nd this waiver on their website.

Sky High is always fi lled with kids and family so I recommend to call ahead and make sure there is space. On the Sky High web site you can book up to 48 hours in advance to

make sure there is room. I haven’t been to Sky High, but because I’ve learned about how fun it is, I will defi nitely go in the future. Sky High is a really fun place to hang out at and try your acrobatic stunts, tricks and fl ips. It’s something everyone would like so don’t miss out.

*nil.jumpskyhigh.com

*nil.jumpskyhigh.com

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By Natalie Zepeda Dubstep has been the ideal music for many people because of its bass variation rhythms and its unique style.

Dubstep is diff erent from techno, house and other forms of electric music because it typically involves ‘the drop”, “bigger loops”, and “wobble bass”. Wobble bass, drops and loops refer to the changing of the bass rhythmically for extended time often resulting in distortion and other variations of the beat.*

“Dupstep is a remix of many songs matched together with beats and rhythms, that’s what makes it so appealing,” said Miguel Joseph, Div 209. It wasn’t until around 2002, that Big apple, Tempa and Amunition were the key labels who helped spread the popularity of the music by association with the term dubstep.* Around 2006, Dubstep really started to take off as dedicated websites to the genre spawned and

The Dubstep generationbegan growing the popularity and its worldwide reach. The power of the internet and being able to quickly share, comment, and listen to music online is often for granted in today’s world. It might’ve taken a bit longer for Dubstep to really take off it were to rely on local clubs and notoriety through traditional forms of coverage like news papers, word of mouth, and magazines.*

“There is no way to describe Dubstep. It starts off with simple beats and turn into something complex. Defi nitely worth listening to because it takes your mind on an adventure,” said Julia Zawislak, Div 337. This music has been customized with diff erent beats and styles over the past years. People have made it their own and started a dance revolution with it. There are multiple videos on the web in which the movements seem to actually defy physics. There are a lot of pivotal and fast upper body movement that people make up while dancing to Dubstep.

One of the more famous videos of people dancing to Dubstep was created by

Marquese Scott who also started in the video “Dubstep dance to “Pumped Up Kicks”. It’s one of the most viewed videos on the internet and has caused a lot of commotion about this type of dance music. I if you want to check out this video on line got to YouTube and see it for yourself.

Dubstep has been around for a while but throughout the years it has become a sensation that many teenagers listen to. Dubstep has revolutionized the music world and will keep doing this as it changes throughout the years when others change it up and add their own style to it.

*dubstepbeats.org

dubsteplover.com

By Edward Selep If you are

out and about and have nothing to do, then why not see a good old, action horror fi lm?

The fourth fi lm, Underworld: Awakening recently released in movie theaters on January 20, 2012. It follows the fi rst three which drew a lot of success among many critics while creating anticipation for another fi lm to be released.

Actors that are featured in the movie are Kate Beckinsale, Sandrine Holt, Theo James, and Michael Ealy.

The movie starts off with Selene (Kate Beckinsale) being captured by humans when they found out about their existence. Twelve years after this, she is fi nally freed. She begins to have strange visions that eventually lead her into a building where she sees David (Theo James), a fellow vampire. Selene

Awakening your movie buzzthen has another vision of a young girl named Eve, who is Selene’s daughter and a lycan. *

David’s father, Thomas, does not welcome Selene and Eve. Soon, expecting an attack from the humans,

David tries to recruit the vampires to fi ght back, while his father orders everyone to go and hide. While most of the vampires stay they then arm themselves with weapons to use.

Unexpectedly, lycans arrive and numerous vampires are injured and killed. Selene battles a huge lycan, who is later revealed to be Quint. His body was changed by injections using Eve’s blood.

Comparing this to the other fi lms, the new Underworld: Awakening is diff erent with some of the characters being newly introduced to the audience.

Out of all four movies, I would have to say that the original Underworld

was the best one. The fi rst one seemed very interesting with the plot and how it introduced all the characters into the storyline.

Overall, the plot is well-scripted, but at times can be somewhat confusing. It is far beyond interesting and enjoyable to anyone who fi nds actions fi lms as pleasant and entertaining. I would give the movie an overall grade B.

If you have some free time to spend, then I suggest going out to see Underworld:

Awakening and I guarantee it will be well worth the wait and penny spent!*entertheunderworld.com

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By Jessica Davis Have you ever gone through a McDonald’s drive-thru and thought to yourself, “Wow, this fast-food really

sucks,” or “I really need to try something new.” Well, at Sonic Drive-In, you can enjoy a delicious meal right in your vehicle, and never have to complain about the service or bad food quality.

Want to know a little about how Sonic started? It is the nation’s largest chain of drive-in restaurants, and started as a hamburger and root beer stand in 1953 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, called Top Hat Drive-In. They changed its name to Sonic in 1959.* For more than 50 years, Sonic

Corp. has built a dominant position in the drive-in restaurant business. They did it by sticking to what made drive-ins so popular in the fi rst place: made-to-order American classics, signature menu items, and speedy service from

Drive your way into Sonicworkers who are fun and full of personality.* Come by any Sonic any day of the week from 6 a.m. - 12 a.m. for fast, friendly carhop service and the unique, safe atmosphere Sonic has to off er. Park, browse, press, order, receive, pay, enjoy!* It is just that easy! You park into any stall of your choice, browse your many choices on their menu, press the red button near the menu to order, receive your food from workers as they roller blade your food to your car, pay the bill, and then enjoy your freshly made food right in the comfort of your

car! I love to order the Chicago dog, tater tots, and Ched R’ Peppers (jalapeño poppers). Those are just few of the wonderful choices you have when you drive into a Sonic. They give you a bunch of condiments for all of your food, and if your order is wrong in any way, you could call the workers by pressing the red button, and you will instantly be helped. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served all day, and you can choose

from a large selection: hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, and hot dogs.

Like any fast-food restaurant, they off er kid’s meals too such as grilled cheese sandwiches, jr. hamburgers, and a corn dog. Sonic’s prices are inexpensive, and range from $2-$8 per item. With their extensive menu, it is

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Photos by Jessica Davis

The menu you pull up to at sonic!

very easy to choose what you want to eat. Their “Frozen Zone” section of the menu is defi nitely a reason to stop by and grab a quick meal. Every Sonic participates in Happy Hour, when fountain drinks and slushes are off ered for half-price from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. You are able to choose from a wide variety of slushes, sundaes, shakes, melts, and fl oats. There are not many Sonic locations close to Taft, however, it is defi nitely worth the drive! The closest one is 4.5 miles away, and is located at 10440 Grand Ave in Franklin Park. No matter if you want to sit outside on their patio, or relax in your car, you will not be disappointed. Their service is fantastic and so is their food. Next time you are hungry or just happen to pass by a Sonic Drive-In, do not second guess yourself. Stop by to try some amazing food, and stop saying to yourself, “Hmmm, I wonder how the food is there.” For a fast-food place, I would give the food a 9 out of 10 easily. *sonicdrivein.com

Dine at Dish continued from pg. 29 Not only is Dish very reasonable among the prices, but you can also wear casual attire. When looking for a parking spot, that shouldn’t be a hassle at all seeing that all customers can park on the street. If not on the street, then customers can park in the U.S. Bank parking lot which is located just across the street.

The service at Dish is tremendous. The servers are very friendly and generous. They cater to you right away and bring your order as soon as it’s done. Overall, the service is defi nitely awesome and earns a solid A.

It truly is nice to fi nally see Norwood Park get an establishment of this sort and to try to bring a “home away from home” feel for the entire Norwood area and many others to enjoy. My overall grade for Dish is an

t h h t t t

A and defi nitely has its greatest days still ahead of it. Dish Dine and Drink is a great place to go for a night out, special occasion, or whether you’re just looking for a place to grab a bite to eat! *dishdinedrink.com

ENTERTAINMENT CONTINUED 31Cheer your way to victory By Manar Ihmud

Give me a C…O…N…G…R…A…T…S! That’s right! Congratulations to our very own varsity cheerleaders for winning the third

place trophy at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) New Year’s Invita-tional Cheerleading Competition on Jan. 8.

The cheerleaders that competed were Captain Christine Trajano (Div. 210), Joseph Niz (Div. 424), Alyssa Artuso (Div. 427), Monika Adamcyzk (Div. 325), Natalie Zepeda (Div. 327), Breannin Mahoney (Div. 427), Serafina Niz (Div. 210), Alexandra Wietecka (Div. 310), Andrea Apacible (Div. 227), Megan Ponti (Div. 212), Elizabeth Grozescu (Div. 333), Alexis Valcarcel (Div. 210), and Guadalupe Lopez, Div. 231.

This was the first time the cheerleading squad participated in this competition.

Lopez said, “I was really nervous and I didn’t know what to expect. Minutes before the competition, I felt like I was going to pass out.”

Wietecka said, “Compet-ing was a whole new experi-ence for us and it was nice to see how the other cheer teams performed.”

The cheer competition was an all-day event held at Buffalo Grove High School. The squad competed against numerous suburban schools in Illinois. Some high schools that participated were Schaumburg, Mount Pros-pect, Sandburg, Glenbrook North, East Leyden, Maine South, Naperville North, Nequa Valley, Bolingbrook, and many more.

Trajano said, “Originally, the team started out with twenty cheerleaders. Some girls couldn’t do the competition due to other sports and extra-curricular activities. With only thirteen cheerlead-

ers competing, vast changes were made such as switching girls to be a base, flyer, or a back spotter. As captain, it was very difficult to re-do some parts of the routine by switching some people in different spots, but at the end, we stuck together! The competi-tion was a fun experience and I am so proud of my team for getting us this far!”

Before competition, the squad practiced Mon. - Fri. from 2:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. Even during winter

break, the team met every

day to practice their routine. In addition, they went to practice in the Cheer Illinois Association (CIA) gym in Bensenville, IL.

“Even though there were times we couldn’t stand each other during prac-tice, I know that we pushed ourselves to strive to be the best. We basically coached ourselves to be better cheer-leaders,” said Trajano.

Mahoney said, “The best thing I liked about the team was the commitment the cheerleaders put in and the unity we all felt. Since I am a sophomore, it was very awkward in the beginning since most of the cheerleaders were juniors and seniors. We bonded with each other and formed a cheer family.”

The cheerleaders truly showed their Eagle pride and are acknowledged for their devotion and their excellent performance. Keep up the school spirit and great job cheerleaders!

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The cheerleaders posing with their 3rd place trophy

Photo by Trajano

Photo by Trajano

The cheerleaders smiling for the camera before competing on the gym fl oor

EAGLE ATHLETICS CONTINUED

NEWS FLASH!NEWS FLASH!GIRLS’ SOCCER TRYOUTS!

WHEN: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27 & TUESDAY FEBRUARY 28

TIME: 3:00 P.M.- 5:00 P.M.

WHERE: ROOM 109

WHAT TO BRING: INDOOR AND OUTDOOR GEAR (CLEATS)

CACocw

32

EAGLE ATHLETICS CONTINUED 33

By Manar IhmudAfter defeating

Mather on Jan. 24 with a final score of 49-35, the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team was crowned 2011-2012 conference champions.

Coach Kirk Vidas said, “So far, we have had a very good season. We reached our first goal, which was to win conference. Our next goal is to be recognized in city and state playoffs. This would be a tougher test, but a good indicator of how good we really are.”

The team consists of Captains Anna Gawlik (Div. 211), Kassandra Prusko (Div. 212), Elena Garcia (Div. 247), and players Alicia Gomez (Div. 442), Maysoon Nijem (Div. 345), Sarah Anderson (Div. 337), Samantha Anderson (Div. 530), Kyra Vidas (Div. 433), Magdalena Barron (Div. 230), Jasmine Correa (Div. 432), and Aman-da Bernacchi, Div. 412.

So far in the season, the Lady Eagles played against: Senn (67-28), Prosser (53-40), Amundsen (73-17), Chicago Academy (54-42), Sullivan (64-27), Payton (44-42), Senn (55-45), Prosser (59-29), Amundsen (75-30), Chicago Academy (42-38), Sullivan

Goal#1: win conference champs.... CHECK!(49-26), and Mather (49-35).

Barron said, “I was very happy because I never knew we were going to get this far, but then I saw how dedi-cated all the players were to the game. We all improved, gave it our best shot, went out, and got it [city champion-ship].”

The team practices every day after school. They always start off their practice with small talks about what’s going on with their lives, school, and friends. Thus, the girls developed a strong bond with each other.

“They are my sisters; I love them!” said Nijem.

Practices consist of stretching, dribbling, shooting, and warm-ing up.

Nijem said, “During each practice, we tried to be our best. We would help each other out and at the same time improve our skills and have fun.”

Even though the season is coming to an end, the players have had many unforgettable moments.

Player Vidas said, “My most memorable moment was when I hit the game winning three point buzzer beater against Walter Payton High School, for the first place position in conference. I remember getting the ball with

six seconds left on the clock while we were down by two points. I threw the ball up with two seconds to go from the three-point range and it went in the hoop and the buzzer went off,” said Vidas, “The crowd went crazy and everyone ran out on the court jumping around and cheering. Some of the boys had picked me up and walked around the gym after a great win. We won by one point and that put us in first place.”

Overall, the team played their best for each game. A strong rel ationship of trust and reliance was formed between the players. Because of their unity and commitment, they achieved city

The Lady Eagles are the new 2011-2012 conference champs!

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NEWS FLASH!NEWS FLASH!The 2011-2012 boys’ swim team is undefeated this season with a (10-0) record. Captain Aaron Lazalde (Div. 221) said, “I am happy with this year’s team.

We had a lot of returning senior swimmers and many new members. With the new renovation of the pool, we had a lot more practices than last year which lead to all our successes. We are all feeling great as we are one meet away from winning conference and many seniors going to city championships.”

Keep up the good work swimmers!

championship. Congratulations girls; you truly deserve it!

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News Flash!Taft’s Muslim Club hosted

a canned food drive on Jan. 11 and 12, where they collected 2,754 cans and 55 boxes of food. All donations went to an organization called Helping Hand for Relief and Develop-ment. Many students donated canned or boxed food for an out of uniform opportunity. Students benefited from the drive, and so did the less fortunate members of third world countries that received the donations.

Photos provided by yearbook

By Nicole Mooney On Jan. 28 and 29, our very own Taft wrestling team participated in the City Tournament, which took place at Chicago State University. Taft

placed third out of 68 teams.

After competing against numerous teams, special recognition goes to Melvin Kurian (Div. 242) and Gerardo Bucio (Div. 211) who each won first place individually. Outstanding recognitions goes out to wrestlers Nicola Gallo (Div. 417) placing second at 145 pounds, Ryan Fulton (Div. 328) placing fourth at 132 pounds, and Richard Perez (Div. 328) coming in sixth place at 195 pounds.

“Working so hard for four years and finally achieving my goal of being a city champion is the best feeling ever. Standing on the top podium gives you the feeling that you are on top of the world,” said Bucio.

Though wrestling takes extreme endurance and commitment, the boys would not have succeeded without the motivation and support from Head Coach Michael Bakula.

Bakula said, “Considering that I only entered ten wrestlers out of the fourteen possible into the tournament and placing third out of 68 as a team, shows how dedicated those ten wrestlers were on making an impact in the City Championship.”

Unfortunately, wrestler Jonathan Figueroa (Div. 328) broke his fibula during one of the matches and was rushed to the hospital. He is now in better condition.

Wrestlers take it to the powerhouse By

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In order to get as far as the City Tournament, the wrestlers had to focus hard, maintain endur-ance, and put in 110% of their hard work during practices and the wrestling meets.

“I run a lot during and after practice to maintain my weight. We have a fun, yet chal-lenging wrestling program. We know when we need to get down to hard work, and it really pays off in the long run,” said Figueroa.

During winter break, the team had one tournament and several meets. They participated in the Uplift Commu-nity High School Tournament in which they placed second out of 18 teams.

Bucio said, “We practiced a lot over the break. Even if we didn’t practice as a team, we worked out on our own to be sure to keep our weight down.”

On Jan. 21, the wrestlers partici-pated in the Roosevelt Tournament, in which eight out of fourteen weight classes won first place. After Taft faced ten teams, they won first place.

“The most memorable moment was when we won the Roosevelt Tournament because everyone worked hard to accomplish our goal, and our coach has worked really hard to get us to that victory. The look on Bakula’s face and the happiness he showed was worth all of the work,” said Paul Masnica, Div. 211.

Overall, the number of wins to losses for Kurian was 20 to 7. Fulton won 21 matches and lost 5. Bucio won 25 and lost 3. Gallo won 25 and lost 6. Perez won 22 and lost 9. Figueroa won 20 and lost 9, and Javier Rivera (Div. 247) won 19 and lost 6.

“We had a great year and I can’t wait to come back next year,” said Figueroa.

The state championship will take place Feb. 23-26 for the wrestlers, and freestyle season will begin on March 1.

Proving what an outstanding coach he is, Bakula was selected to coach the fourteen-man City All Star Team, in which the City will be competing against the Catholic League Champion-ship. This event will be held sometime in May.

The wrestlers proved their worthi-ness by giving their extreme fortitude in the sport. Congratulations boys, you have made Taft a city wrestling power-house!

Bucio and Kurian standing proud holding their bracket poster with their fi rst place medals

Taft wrestling team shows off their 3rd place pride

Photo provided by Lisa

Photo provided by Photo provided by

EAGLE ATHLETICS CONTINUED34

Sports Sweethearts

There are relationships developing all around Taft, each one united in its own way. Either it is the sense of humor, the looks, or even the brains that bring couples together; in this case, it’s the athleticism and sports! Even though our Taft athletes spend much of their time in practices or games, they still try to devote their time for their loved ones, especially during the season of love!

Sophia Coyne-Kosnak (Div. 211) & Adam Horszowski, Div. 211.

The cheerleading captain & the lacrosse player

Sophia Coyne-Kosnak (Div 211) &

Coyne- Kosnak said, “We have been dating since October 21, 2008. Other than being boyfriend and girlfriend, we are best friends and we can talk about anything. I really love having opposite personalities, because he reminds me to have fun and live life to the fullest, even when I am stressed out or upset. Sports unite us because we both spend tons of time at school during cheer and lacrosse season, and we make an effort to spend time together even if we are both busy. I try to attend as much games as possible during lacrosse season.”

The soccer stud & the football jock

Velazquez said, “We have been dating for four months. My girl and I talk about all kinds of sports which always brings us closer. We try really hard to attend each other’s games and we are always there for each other. The thing I like most about her is that I can always talk to her and that she is my best friend.”

Luis Velazquez (Div. 234) & Jaquelyn McDonald, Div. 328.

Luis Velazquez (Div 234) &

The cheerleader & the football/wrestling jock

“We have been together for a year and three months. He has never failed to make me smile. Because of sports, we have many things in common. We are able to help each other by working out, saying what we need to improve on, and help motivate each other. I cheered for him during football season and I try to go to as many wrestling matches as I can. The best thing I like about Luke is that he treats me with respect no matter what,” said Niz.

Serafina Niz (Div. 210), & Luke Capone, Div. 211.

The cheerleader/water polo stud & the football/track and field jock

“Megan is one of the nicest people I have ever met. We have been together for about seven months and she has become one of my best friends. The best thing I like doing with her is driving at night while singing songs. I try to be there for her whenever she needs me. She attends all my football games and I attend her water polo games. We both support each other as much as we can,” said Vidas.

George Vidas (Div. 229) & Megan Ponti, Div. 212.

The swimming/basketball/soccer stud & the football/wrestling/lacrosse

jock

“We have been together for a year and four months. Paul is my best friend and we can share anything with each other. We try as much as we can to attend each other’s games. Sports give us more opportunities to show support for each other and it is something we can share together. We go to the games, cheer for each other, and try to be there for each other in times of victory or loss. The best thing I like about Paul is his stubborn character, because even though it drives me crazy, sometimes it lets me know what he finds important and he will always stand by what he believes in,” said Gawlik.

Paul Masnica (Div. 211) & Anna Gawlik, Div. 211.

Serafina Niz (Div 210) & Luke

The soccer stud & the 16” softball/basketball jock

Martinez said, “We have been together for a year and two months. The thing I like best about Nereida is her smile and goofiness. Sports bring us together because we both like playing and watching basketball and football. We make time for each other’s games. I always tell her to keep her head up and be the best she can be everyday.”

Edgar Martinez (Div. 224) & Nereida Guiterrez, Div. 226.

Edgar Martinez (Div. 224) &

Photos by Ihmud

EAGLE ATHLETICS CONTINUED 35The volleyball/softball stud & the 16” softball/swimming/water polo jock

Riano said, “We have been together since Oct. 23, 2010. Sports bring us together because we are both talented in sports and we both play year round. We try our best to make time for each other’s games but sometimes we have games on the same day. I support her by encouraging, helping, and motivat-ing her. The best thing I like about Lety is that she is a hard worker, she never quits, and she is very athletic.”

Lety Rosalez (Div. 327) & Jaime Riano, Div. 228.

Lety Rosalez (Div 327) &

“We have been together since June 9, 2010. Sports just add another thing that we have in common, which brings us closer. We try to let each other know ahead of time, so we can make it to each other’s games. We always tell each other our mistakes in sports and we encour-age each other to do better in every-thing. When she comes to my games, she is my motivation. I like so many things about her. Words can’t describe how I feel about her. She is more than just my girlfriend; she is my best friend. Gina is someone who I am comfortable with, care about, and trust,” said Men-

eses.

The soccer player & the soccer/ volleyball jock

Marco Meneses (Div. 337) & Djurdjina Vucenovic, Div. 337.

Martin Shine (Div. 337) & Amanda Santucci, Div. 328.

The soccer stud & the football/wrestling/lacrosse jock

Santucci said, “We have been together for fifteen months. I love the times we get to spend cuddling and we try to make it to each other’s games and I support him by bringing him water and Gatorade. The thing I like best about Martin is that he makes me laugh all the time. He is one of my best friends.”

Martin Shine (Div 337) &

By Nicole MooneyFor many athletes,

their schedule consists of “Wake up, go to school, go to practice or a game, shower, eat, do homework, and then go to sleep”. Even

though it seems like this agenda would keep one busy for the whole day, many find time for friends, family, and even relationships.

Multitasking is difficult. Even a small task such as texting while talking to your friend can be challenging. People who participate in sports have it worse.

There are only 24 hours in a day, and eight of those hours are typically spent sleeping. Athletes work very hard during practice every day, and they play games a couple times a month. Not to mention that they stink afterwards, so they need a long shower to be sparkly clean.

There is also school and home-work to deal with. They also need to maintain a healthy diet. What about having time to devote to their signifi-cant other?

Many athletes have trouble making time for their significant other, which has a great effect on the

Sports or love?

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relationship. Athletes who participate in sports have a lot to deal such as maintaining grades, work, and going to games and practices.

“I don’t have a lot of time because of games and practice, but I try to get

out early so that I can spend time with my girlfriend. She’s my priority,” said Marco Meneses, Div. 337.

Managing time is not easy for athletes, especially when your life revolves around school and sports. It may sometimes seem like the scale is tipping and you are losing your balance. Being occupied all the time can put a toll on your relationship. Spending time with your companion is important because it helps build the connection.

“Multitasking can be difficult at times. You have to juggle everything at once, so you have to manage time well and get the work done,” said George Vidas, Div. 229.

One great thing about being in a relationship while being in a sport is knowing that that there is always someone there to support you. Support helps build a trusting relationship and also confidence.

“You have to make time for each other. [Your significant other] can support you at games and events, and you can spend time with each other after practices and games,” said Vidas.

Balancing a relationship when you are always busy with sports can be tough, but if both partners support each other, you can have the best of both worlds.

Photo by Mooney

A typical text conversation between an athlete and their boyfriend or girlfriend


By Nicole MooneyWhen visualizing an

athlete in your head, you imagine a strong, healthy person. There are various ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle with diet and

exercise. In order to stay in shape, many people drink protein shakes or eat protein bars. Is that cheating?

Some common misconceptions about protein shakes are that they are legal steroids, create fake muscles, and are unhealthy to consume.

We all know that steroids are not good for you. First of all, they are illegal. Secondly, there are many terrible side effects that occur if they are used incorrectly or abused. Some of the physical side effects are liver or kidney damage, development of severe acne, and a depressed immune system. Steroids not only destroy your body, but they also decrease your control of emotions; steroid-users may become paranoid or have violent outbursts.* Sometimes, these consequences are permanent.**

Lastly, the muscles that develop

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because of steroid-use deflate after a couple months if they are not used continuously. In my opinion, the enlarged muscles that are caused by

taking anabolic steroids look fake because steroids replace fat with muscles, and the person is left with only bone, muscle, and a layer of skin.***

There is an alternative way to increase muscle mass: exercising and eating healthy. Many people drink protein shakes in order to help grow muscles faster. Protein is essential to your body. Your body needs protein in order for it to function correctly. It is important for the growth and strength of your muscles, bone, immune system, skin, and many other things. Protein also helps you digest your food and transport, oxygen, vitamins, and nutrients around your body.*****

Unlike steroids, protein shakes are healthy for your body and have many benefits. Steroids are the chemically-made version of the hormone testoster-one*, while protein shakes are made of nutrients and protein.****

How exactly do protein supple-ments increase muscle growth? During a workout, your muscle tissue is being damaged.

Article Continued on pg. 38

Photo by Mooney

Melvin Sanchez fl exing with his protein

By Joceline OrtizCongratulations

to the Taft girls’ and boys’ bowling teams for an unforgettable season. The Girls’ won the 2011-2012

conference championship and are competing in the city championship today at Bluebird Lanes on the south-side.

One of the girls season highlights included a 2010 pin series. Out of five other high schools, the Girls’ bowling team was in first place being followed by Northside, Fenwick, Von Stuben, North Grand and Wells. *

The top two bowlers of the girls team are Liz Wronkowski (Div. 437) by knocking down 2348 pins and Mi-chelle Czuhajewski (Div. 231) 2342 pins. *

The team consists of Taylor Mayrens (Div. 447), Kayla Jaffe (Div. 327), Kathleen Meerman (Div. 330), Amanda Peterson (Div. 247), and Sophie Szczelaszczyk, Div. 248. With the help of coach John McKinney, the girls stirred to being number one.

Bowlers find success...Girls gear up for cityB

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The boys finished second in the conference. Their high scratch game was 903 and their high series was 2600. Competing against five other high schools: First place was Nothside, Taft, Von Stuben , North Grand, Austin and Wells.*

The top three bowlers of the team are Jesse Soto-Gutierez (Div. 432) 3296 total pins and Sean Kuppin (Div. 328) 2704 pins. Mike Baldridge finished the season with a team leading 190 average*

The team consists of Cody Peters (Div. 342), Christopher Gutierrez (Div. 324), Martin Munoz (Div. 344), and Kyle Lange, Div. 447.

“Hopefully, everyone bowls during the summer, so we [boys] can reclaim our conference champi-onship,” said Coach Patrick Levins.

“Overall I think that this was a good season. Our team got along very well and we always had each other every game. Next year will be better and we are going to win it all!,” said Martin Muñoz, Div. 344

*habetlerbowl.com


Michael Baldridge (Div 332) bowled a 247 in the city playoffs.

By Joy SchramEveryone who

pays attention to the sports at Taft knows that we have a great athletic program.

However, adding a few new sports to our list

might persuade even more students to get involved.

Other high schools in the Chicagoland area have many sports that Taft does not offer such as field hockey, hockey, badmin-ton, rowing, gymnastics, fencing, diving, and boxing.* Would you join any of these sports teams if Taft offered them?

Besides being highly entertaining to both watch and play, these sports have a ton of health benefits.

Hockey and field hockey can help reduce body fat because they are such fast paced games. They also build up leg muscles like hamstrings, calves, and hip muscles. **

Playing badminton for 30 min. reduces cholesterol and protects from heart disease and heart attacks. ***

Rowing may look like it only exercises your upper body, but that is not true. It also works out your quads, glutes, lats, and abdominals. Teamwork is a big part of rowing and can help students with communication in all areas of life. ****

“I believe that adding more extracurricular activities, such as rowing, will not only better Taft’s

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students, but the appearance as well. Rowing is associated with Ivy League schools and a lot of kids would get swole,” said James Sarelas, Div. 345.

Gymnastics improves flexibility, coordination, and strength. Gym-nasts also are taught static and dynamic balance, which aids in

learning to fall without getting hurt. *****

“I think if we had gymnastics, a lot more students would be in-volved,” said Nicole Sron, Div. 329.

Precision, power, and discipline are taught through fencing; an aerobic sport that develops muscle strength, flexibility, and coordination. ***

“I think fencing should be added in sports because it is something different than the other sports that

we have now. I think many people would like to fight someone with sword like objects, and it would get more people involved in sports that don’t enjoy physical sports as much,” said Lukasz Kolus, Div. 334.

Toning muscles, improving posture, and helping to develop the cardiovascular

system, diving is a great sport to do if you are looking for an adrenaline rush. ******

Last, but definitely not least, boxing can relieve all sorts of stress that can bother teenagers. It works with not only physical endurance, but mental discipline as well. *******

“We should have boxing because wrestling is the only other fighting sport we have and I think it would be fun,” said Michal Milewski, Div. 228.

Giving students the opportunity to play these sports can broaden their horizons. There might be some students at Taft that love one of these sports, but have to go somewhere else to play it. If we had

these sports at Taft, more students will be involved and our school spirit will in-crease.

* New Trier High School, Northside College Prep, Saint Patrick High School, Loyola

** benefitof.net*** helium.com**** fitday.com***** tcgymnastics.com****** realbuzz.com******* bodybuilding.com

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Spice up our sports

“After a workout, drinking protein shakes is the best way to promote muscle mass. Protein repairs and builds your muscles,” said Elmer Olivares, Div. 228.

Some popular protein powders are Myotein, Syntha-6, and Muscle Tech Nitro Tech Pro Series. Myotein is the most favored protein powder because it contains whey pro-tein.****** Whey is the best protein to build muscle mass, fasten recovery

time, decrease the chance of injury during workouts, and maintain healthiness.*******

The only way you can gain muscle is to workout. You can’t just be a couch potato and think that you are going to wake up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Protein supplements are not for everybody. They are directed towards people who work out. People who do not work out can still maintain their healthiness by eating well. For the people who do work out and aim towards gaining muscle, protein supplements are a great way to stay

healthy and get fit.*peelregion.ca**dwb.unl.edu***ironmanmagazine.com****straighthealth.com*****wanttoknowit.com******proteinpowder.net*******powersupplements.com

Are Proteins Shakes Legal Steriods Continued from Pg. 37


I like my beats fast and my bass down low By Lola Garcia By

Student athletes love listening to their iPods before a game or during conditioning to get pumped up. It may be surprising to know what your coaches listen to!

“The Star Spangled Banner” because it’s game time after it ends playing,” said Baseball, Football, and Basket-ball Coach Brett Nishibayashi.

“Tevin Campbell and Tupac’s “Me against the World,” said Basketball Coach Shareena Lewis.

“1812 Overture” by Tchaïkovsky is an inspiration for battle,” said Baseball Coach Richard Pildes.

“6 foot 7 foot” by Lil Wayne. There’s no need to explain, its Lil Wayne. And I enjoy the whole album of Jock Jams Vol. 1 because 90’s music is hands down the best music of all time,” said Volleyball Coach Allison Taylor.

” I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas is a great song that pumps everyone up,” said Basketball and Softball Coach Kirk Vidas.

The Rocky Theme, “Gonna Fly Now” and “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns n’ Roses because they are both very inspirational and your adrena-line starts flowing when listening to them,” said Bowling Coach Patrick Levins.

“Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osborne is a great song to listen to before a game because Ozzy’s crazy,” said Volleyball and Softball Coach Sara Polensky.

“Renegades Of Funk” by Rage Against the Machine because it puts you in the right mindset for battle,” said Lacrosse Coach Daniel Harte.

“Any songs by Metallica are motivat-ing because their songs have very cool lyrics, especially their old albums,” said Basketball Coach Natasha Dragoi.

“Shakira’s “Wakka Wakka” because it gets my adrenaline pumping,” said Soccer Coach Leslie Plewa.

“Ricky Martin’s “Cup of Life” was the best World Cup’s theme song and I always listen to it before a game,” said Soccer and Volleyball Coach William Angel.

“Yani’s whole album is amazing with the pan flutes always being played,” said Tennis Coach William McDade.

“From Whom The Bell Tolls” by Metal-lica because the beginning clock just pumps me up and gets me ready for destruction,” said Football Coach Justin Yesensky.

Wrestling Coach Michael Bakula said, “Dead and Bloated” by Stone Temple Pilot pumps me up and gets me ready to do WORK.”

The Rocky T“Living Dead Girl” by Rob Zombie

because it makes me feel violent and throw chairs around,” said Wrestling Coach Aric Hermann.

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Photos by Ihmud


and I look up to them. There’s always so much excitement during a game, especially when Captain Kevin Siudut (Div. 212) dunks,” said Eddie Torres, Div. 430.

Reamer said, “This year, our team has been doing good. It is the first time we have gone to playoffs since 2001.”

Playing basketball requires an immense range of skills which our boys succeed at showing during each game.

Christian Diaz (Div. 325) said, “In order to maintain energy during the game, always play defense and listen to Coach Brett.”

The basketball team truly succeed-ed beyond expectations. Their season is not over yet so stay tune for the next home game and don’t forget to show your support! Go Eagles!

this far without the help of Head Coach Brett Nishibayashi.

Nishibayashi said, “Everyone cooperates as if we were a real family; we want to see each other be successful. I love this group of guys and I feel very proud of them. I’ve never lost hope in any of our games because I believe in my kids.”

Taft faced the following schools this past season: Evanston (56-63), Lane (45-49), Norte Dame (32-47), Zion-Ben-ton (50-64), Payton (46-15), Nazareth Academy (61-58), Von Steuben (50-61), Schurz (63-53), Marist (62-61), Lincoln Park ( 56-50), Mather (76-46), Luther North (67-44), Guerin College Prep (78-56), Maine East (59-37), Gordon Tech (74-65), St. Patrick (52-65), Maine South (53-51), Senn (67-34), Prosser (61-48), Steinmetz (61-39), New Trier (52-81), Lane (52-47), and Foreman (41-38).

“The most unforgettable moment was when we played Nazareth and it was about to be a tie game. Then in the last seconds of the quarter, Captain Tim Reamer (Div. 230) scored a three pointer, making us win the game” said Joshua Doss, Div 337.

The basket-ball team has built their stamina and endurance during each practice.

“During winter break, we had to practice six days a week except on Sundays. It consisted of three hours every day,” said John Joyce, Div. 431.

“The basket-ball team is great

By Lola GarciaThe buzzer sounds

off, signaling the Taft Varsity Boys’ Basketball team’s 41-38 victory over Foreman. This triumph marked the

Eagles’ first Red North Division Conference Championship in ten years.

On Jan. 17, the main gym was packed with screaming fans, the Taft Eagle band, and the Poms team all there to support their Boys Basketball

team.The band peformed the Star

Spangled Banner song minutes before the game begin.

At half time, the Poms team performed their dance routine and gave free basketball t-shirts to the crowd.

Kaylie Chavarria (Div. 326) said, “The game was extremely exciting. Everyone was really into it and we had the best crowd so far.”

Additionally, the team has been supported by many of their fans, family, friends, and the Lettermen Club who attend home games by dressing up as specific themes such as Hawaiian, Pajama Day, and The Office.

The Eagles couldn’t have made it

As the clock ticks down...B

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The crowd and players going wild after the buzzer sounds

John Joyce watching out for the ball from his opponent

The players feeling ecstatic after winning the game

Photo provided by Joshua Doss

Photo by Cassie Camacho

Photo by Cassie Camacho

SPORTS

Issue 4 Final - Taft High School · 4/21/2009 · Jennifer Abilmona (Div.212), Anna Gawlik (Div. 211), and Virdiana Medina (Div.229) became the recipients of the highly competitive

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