TAFT TODAYMake up Days or Paid Days?

Page 3Th e star of the show: Regina Meirmanova

Page 4Popeyes vs. Chik-Fil-A

Page 6Welcome back winter sports

Page 8

In this issue...

TAFT TODAY Issue 3December 19

2019Volume 30

Th e star of the show: Regina Meirmanova

By Adeline Davern After a long-awaited return to school, the CTU strike came to an end with an agreement to make up

5 of the 11 missed school days. Makeup days are Nov. 27, Jan. 2, Jan. 3, Jun. 17, and Jun. 18. “As part of the agreement to end the CTU strike, CPS committed to making up 5 of the 11 instructional days that were missed during the strike. The make up days must be scheduled on days on which teachers would not otherwise be paid, which severely limited the district’s options,” said Chica-go Public Schools in a tweet.* By only making up 5 days, CPS saved about 68 million dollars**; however, students missed out on valuable learning time. Senior Ashley Marin was unable to attend the Nov. 27 due to family thanks-giving plans that were already set in stone months before the makeup days were created which affected her academ-ics.

“On November 27, I was unable to attend school due to family obligations which caused me to miss out on valuable class time and to fall behind in a few of my classes,” said Marin. These makeup days can cause many issues with parents, vacations teachers, etc. Many families have vacations and other family activities planned for these days. As the makeup days were created less than 3 weeks before the fi rst day, it was diffi cult for not only students but teachers as well to make up these days. “Teachers who had previous travel

plans and could not change them were allowed to take a personal day. Even so, admin emailed us that if we could possibly change our plans, to do so. I had made arrangements to meet a couple of friends I hadn’t seen in a long time in Arkansas. Everything was booked and paid for before the makeup days were announced, so unfortunately I couldn’t come in that day [Nov. 27],” said Physics teacher Vishal Mody. Although the days may inter-fere with plans for some, students should attend the remaining make up days to keep with their class-es, maintain good attendance percentages and be eligible to school-sponsored events.

Sources:* https://twitter.com/ChiPubSchools?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5E-serp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor**https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2019/11/5/20950143/chicago-pub-lic-schools-cps-makeup-days-teacher-strike-calendar

Holidays Around the WorldBy Melody Resto Taft hosted its fi rst Holidays Around the World event to celebrate the diversity of the student population on Tues., Dec.

17 in the Varsity Campus cafeteria at 5:30 pm. IB Coordinator Irene Kondos organized this event to bring everyone to-gether for the holidays to celebrate Taft’s cultural and ethnic diversity by presenting holiday traditions pertaining to the season or other signifi cant holidays related to var-ious cultures, countries, or ethnic groups. Holidays Around the World encour-aged multiple service organizations to get involved. The event is open to then entire community for a charitable donation in the form of a new toy or non-perishable food item. Kondos said, “All of the proceeds made will be donated to local organiza-tions and student clubs.” She added, “At the pop up there will be activities for all ages as well as refreshments and treats. It’s going to be a blast. You won’t want to miss it!” The event will transform the cafeteria into a beautiful holiday village, taking in

all of the cultural diversity represented at Taft. “It’s the fi rst time we are incorpo-rating all clubs in honor of the holiday season here at school and I could not be more excited! It truly is the most wonder-ful time of the year, but what’s even better is that we get to show everyone else how special and unique our traditions are,” said member of Mexican club senior Ana-hi Rivera, Div. 034. Some ethnic clubs that will be in attendance are Caribbean and Central American club, Mexican Club, Chinese club, Hellenic club along with non-ethnic clubs like Drama and Christian club. “I’m actually really excited for this event to take place. I like how it’s during the holiday season and we get to show-case how each of us really celebrates during this time of the year,” said Presi-dent of the Chinese Club, senior Mandy Thai, Div. 027. Holidays Around the World will capture the diversity at Taft where many clubs and ethnic groups will represent their holiday traditions. Helping Hands and Hope for the Homeless clubs joined in the effort and worked admissions and the donations.

Students in Drama Club decorate their Christmas tree with ornaments that represent their club. Photographer Yasmine Soria.

Make up days are when? By Melody Resto

For this upcoming 2020 spring break, the Spanish and French classes con-taining upcoming juniors

and seniors have been given the opportu-nity to go to France and Spain. The trip, led by Spanish teachers Rigoberto Torres and Lila Smith, is ten days long where students will be landing in Paris then heading to northern Spain then straight to Barcelona. Some of the places these students are going to visit will allow students to view many different places of Spain and France. “The fi rst few stops will be in France: Paris, Versailles, Loire Valley, Bordeaux, and Biarritz. In Spain we’ll visit: San Se-bastian, Pamplona, Zaragoza, Montserrat and Barcelona,” said Torres.

For the last spring break trip the class-es only traveled to three different places in France which was very limiting for the students on the trip. This time around, you are getting two different experiences from two entirely different places. “I’m really looking forward to going to Paris! I’ve gone before but only for 2 days. This time around I’m more excited for the outskirts of it since I was only able to see the Louvre the fi rst time I went,” said Emma Kane (Div. A217) who will be traveling alongside her class. “Taft teachers chaperon, about six stu-dents to one teacher. The cost of the trip is around $3,650 which is why we give such advance notice to sign up,” said French teacher Katherine Kleinhample. This trip gives students the opportu-nity to walk in the culture and experience the language fi rst hand.

The trip of a lifetime

Kleinhample enthusiastically teaches her French class, excited for the event to happen next spring break.

Photographer Melody Resto.

Image by https://twitter.com/chipubschools/

NEWS 2

William Howard Taft6530 W. Bryn Mawr Ave

Chicago, IL 60631

Principal Mark Grishaber Assistant Principal Eric FloresAssistant Principal Ryan GlowaczAssistant Principal Jenny Greenblatt Assistant Principal Melissa Hess Assistant Principal Daniel KuzmaAssistant Principal Patrick Levins

Taft Today is written and published monthly by students enrolled in Journalism Newspaper I.

Adviser: Anny MartinezOffi ce: Room 196

Editorial Staff

Senior Editor in Chief:

Yasmine Soria

Senior Columns Editor:Andres

Hernandez

Important Dates

Strike makeup dates: Nov. 27 &Jan. 2-3 & Jun 18-19Winter Break: Dec. 23, 2019 - Jan.1 2020Homecoming 2.0: Feb. 15, 2020 Spring SAT: April 14, 2020Spring PSAT: April 15, 2020Report Card Pick up: April 23, 2020Senior Prom: June 5, 2020Senior Graduation: June 7, 2020AC Graduation: June 15, 2020

Senior Sports Editor:

Melissa Parra

Senior Entertainment

Editor:Alyssa Martinez

By Luae Samrah This Thanksgiving season, Taft participated in a district-wide Thanks-giving feast on Nov. 27, after school to celebrate

the holiday. At the Varsity Campus, the cafeteria served sliced turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, seasoned corn, kale salad with whole wheat dinner rolls or breadsticks. All students were able to attend and eat their choice of food. Sophomore Subhi Kittaneh (Div. 214) said, “The turkey with gravy was a 6.5 out of 10, but the meal overall was a 7 out of 10. It was something new and not boring, and it’s really nice to have a

variety of new foods to spice things up like a new turkey burger if possible.” Assistant Principal Patrick Levins coordinated this event to make students feel like there’s something new in the cafeteria rather than having the same lunch every day. “Our kitchen is outsourced, but our engineer services run the kitchen and the people who serve lunch come up with ideas like this event to serve stu-dents. Unfortunately, the teachers and I couldn’t participate in this event because of the low budget we have in the Taft community,” said AP Patrick Levins. Following Norma Reyes retirement as a lunchroom manager after 10 years of service, Patricia Baird took up the

role and started her first day on Nov. 25. “We follow the guidelines from the Aramark. Some of the stuff we serve to students are GMO (Generally Modified Foods) with no pork-based products like the ham is chicken ham. We also follow a healthy guideline like the slushie we serve is not made with sugar. It’s made with fruit juice. I mostly concerned what’s on the order guides. We never turn back on students who didn’t eat or get hungry. Right now we are trying to create a pro-gram after school called meal service for students that didn’t get a chance to eat at school or at home,” said Baird. Overall, the outcome of this charita-ble event brought a different and festive taste for students.

By Xzavier Aguilar

Everyone is glad to be back in school after an 11-day strike between the Chicago Teachers’ Union (CTU) and the mayor, but now if the union fails to ratify the agree-

ment, another strike could be coming. After reaching a tentative agreement on Oct. 30, the union must ratify to officially end the strike. The union’s rank and file members voted on Nov.14 and 15 on ac-cepting or rejecting the tentative contract agreement that was reached on the last week of Oct. with Chicago Public School (CPS). The agreement must be ratified by union members and adopted by the Chicago Board of Educa-tion. If the CTU accepts the deal, the strike would be offi-cially over. If they reject it, contract talks would resume between CTU and CPS, and the house would have to meet within five days of the vote to set a date and resume the strike. Students would possibly be out of the class-room once again. CTU president Jesse Sharkey stated that the ratifica-tion wouldn’t be a “slam-dunk’’* but believes the tentative agreement and its potential to improve schools by mini-mizing class sizes and staffing The bargaining team did it’s job by pushing for a new contract for mandatory class size caps, more nurses and social workers, and much more. The team felt they got as far before taking this to the delegates.

Many teachers have continued to express concerns about the tentative agreement. Union delegates who approved the deal in Oct. did so on a relatively close vote of 362 yays to 242 nays. Teachers will submit anonymous ballots to their elected union delegates inside each school. On top of in-school

voting, teachers may also cast ballots at CTU headquar-ters from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday. The union’s voting results could be announced as early as Friday evening. Teachers expressed their opinions on a possible sec-ond strike. Stating the problems would come out of it. “Students that would need to take AP exams as well as IB testing. And, even students that want to do well on the SAT, they would miss out on preparation for that. In-come for teachers would be another problem. It would be harder for teachers to pay bills, to be good consumers,” said Diverse learners educator Graham Baruch. History teacher Cornell Krieger felt the tentative agreement should be ratified. “I believe this is a good compromise between the mayor and the teachers. In my humble opinion, it would be a mistake not to stick with this contract for the next five years,” said Krieger. On Nov. 15, the CTU voted in favor of the tentative contract “with eighty percent of schools reporting mem-bers have voted 81 percent yes to ratify the new contract with CPS.”** The union walked out with powerful gains for students and the schools, officially ending the strike with a ratified five-year contract. Sources: *https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-cps-chicago-teachers-strike-union-ratify**ctulocal1.org, CTU members vote overwhelmingly to accept tentative agreement with CPS, Nov. 15 2019.

No chance for a second strike - CTU ratifies 5-year contract

A taste of something new for the holidays at Taft

A look at the meal, complete with turkey, corn, a bread roll, and milk, served for a Pre-Thanksgiving at Taft,

Photographer Luae Samrah

Let’s get techy with Computer Science WeekBy Xzavier Aguilar

Taft hosted a Computer Science (CS) tour in the Forum on Wednesday Dec.11, featuring all of the technology related class-es and clubs that are active at Taft.

The CS tour in the forum gave students an idea of what they can be a part of or start up. It was a tour of all the clubs and possibilities that the school has to offer regarding computer science. Special guest YearUp! and RedlineVR were in attendance to show what they had to offer and how to join. “Computer Science Education Week is to promote awareness of how computing is a part of everything we do! Our hope in creating this awareness is to increase computer literacy among our students and teachers,” said Computer Science teacher Alexandra Jados.Jados was a part of helping getting this tour set up. She feels very passionate about how these clubs shown at the tour can give students a great opportunity in technology. “The CS tour of Taft showcase all of the technolo-gy-related classes and clubs here at Taft to recruit more students to get involved. These classes and clubs allow students to be creative, collaborate with peers and gain valuable real-world experience,” said Jados.

“YearUp is a program students can apply to students who want to make money and gain college credit. One of my former students, Avery Leska, attended the CS Tour of Taft to inform the students about the program,” said Jados. For Computer Science week, the week of Dec. 9, each day had its special occasion. Monday was the Hour

of Code which was a global movement that introduced tens of millions of students worldwide to computer sci-ence, Tuesday was Breakout EDU which is the immersive learning games platform that brings the escape room to your classroom. Wednesday was the big CS tour. On Thursday, a guest speaker, Alex Damarjian, Damarjian Interactive, presented during periods 3-5. He is currently a professional game developer and educator at Columbia College. His portfolio is extensive and has worked for companies such as Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. On Friday, Taft hosted “Girls Who Code” during periods 3-5. Girls Who Code is an international nonprofit seeking to inspire, educate, and equip girls with the com-puting skills to pursue 21st Century opportunities. “The turnout was wonderful! The energy was and stu-dents were generally interested and open-minded about learning computer science/technology. Next time, we would like to promote more for teachers in other depart-ments to have their classes attend,’’ said Jados. CS tour of Taft was overall a successful event, many students got to explore technology-related clubs and classes. Now, students can make informed decisions on what CS option fits their interests.

The CS tour presented numerous CS-related clubs and classes in the Forum. Photos provided by Xzavier Aguilar.

Could there be a second strike or will an agreement be reached?

Image provided by https://www.usatoday.com/

COLUMNSBy Vivian Aviles On the evening of Oct. 31, the Chicago teachers strike came to an end, but not before Mayor Lori Lightfoot agreed to make

up five of the 11 missed school days. If teachers decided to go on strike which meant that they knowingly sacrificed part of their income, their improved contract should have been enough. CPS announced the makeup dates on Nov. 5 on social media platforms, having parents, teachers and students change their plans last minute if possible. Makeup days are Nov. 27, Jan. 2 and 3, and June. 17 and 18. The three 2019 dates interrupt holiday breaks, and the June dates were added to the end of the year, which does not help students prepare for any AP or SAT test. This is unfair and disappointing to students and their families. Students work hard all year and rely on these breaks to relax, catch up on sleep, and hang out with relatives or friends. Not only that, but some people have pre-planned vacations during these days that will now count as an unexcused absence if they go. “I feel bad for the kids who have

vacation plans because now they have to miss school and do all the work that was handed out during those days even though they wouldn’t have had to if there weren’t days to be made up. At the very least, the days should be excused,” said junior Aleena Banuelos, Div. 137. Some students weren’t upset that instructional time has to be made up, but that the days are being taken out of pre-planned breaks. “I support making up the days, but I don’t support when the days are. I do feel that making up the days is necessary, though. In my IB Sports class, we’re behind so those extra days that we can make up will give us more time to learn

what we missed. If we don’t finish on time, we will have to do class work as summer homework,” said Banuelos. Other students believe that school days shouldn’t have to be made up at all. “Students aren’t the ones who chose to go on strike. Teachers probably just wanted to make up days so they can get paid. One of my teachers even told me that was the reason,” said junior Madison Rodriguez, Div. 137. It’s clear that teachers want make up days so they can earn money they missed when they went on strike. In fact, CPS administration did not allow for the make up days to be made up on non-attendance where teachers were already being paid.

The makeup days do count as atten-dance days, so as an incentive to come to school, Taft is hosting a Homecoming 2.0 dance, scheduled for Feb. 15. This would be an added benefit to attending school on makeup dates because a student can only have five or less unexcused absences to be eligible for the event. Homecoming 2.0 is something fun to look forward to. “Even though no one really wants to go to school during the days we were supposed to have off, it’s nice that students are getting something out of it in a way because of Homecoming 2.0,” said Rodriguez. Many people, including teachers, live paycheck to paycheck, so it’s understand-able why the Chicago Teachers’ Union added another strike day to win back worked school days. However, it seemed like the teachers were overreaching when they asked for some makeup days. It’s not much of a benefit to instructional time. Some students and even teachers will not be able to accommodate these preplanned vacation days. At least, only five are being added into the year and the extra time can help students in rigorous classes catch up on material they wouldn’t have been able to cover.

By Vivian AvilesToday’s society has

been built around ideas spread through social media, and as a result, this generation has unrealistic

expectations when it comes to the appearance of ones’ body.

The ideals and standards set by social media have caused a major negative impact on the mentality of all people ranging from children to adults. On apps such as Instagram, fitness models and influencers are constantly posting photos of themselves in which they fit society’s criteria for a “perfect” body.

Some users with thousands of followers accept brand deals where they promote various weight loss products or appetite suppressants, encouraging their audience to invest so they too can obtain a “perfect” body.

“Social media gives everyone a platform to post whatever they want, but it hides our true, authentic selves. With social media influencers, models with perfect bodies, and photo editing, it provokes a desire to want to look like them, even though their look is unattain-able,” said junior Robert Mayor, Div. 117.

Social media has led many to be

insecure about how they look like, but it has also had a hand in the culture of body shaming. Most people think body shaming is just degrading comments towards bigger people, but thinner people experience it as well.

No matter what somebody looks like, body shaming is never okay. Unfortunate-ly, social media has made body shaming an even bigger problem by showcasing what people believe bodies should look like, as well as providing an outlet that can be used to criticize the external appear-ance of others.

“Social media gives body shaming an easy platform to feed on by hiding

authenticity and allowing individuals to hide their insecurities but shame other people for theirs. It also allows people to embrace their body which some people dislike, so they try to bring down the confidence of others by placing judgment on someone’s size,” said Mayor.

Not only does social media give people everywhere a chance to share their hurtful comments and opinions towards people who don’t meet society’s stan-dards, but it also gives companies an idea of what the public likes. Then, companies use this consensus to choose who will be used to advertise their items.

Victoria’s Secret (VS), for example, chooses women like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid to model their clothing. When people began to point out the fact that there was a lack of plus-sized models within the VS Fashion Show, the company responded by saying that plus-sized models can’t “sell the fantasy.”

“I do think that diversity within our society has gotten better, but we still need a lot of improvement when it comes to social media including all body types and erasing standards that

are considered “beautiful.” Companies and brands should include people of different sizes when showcasing their products,” said Mayor.

Social media tells people what a body should be, and when someone doesn’t live up to these factors, it can cause deep damage within them.

“Social media sets the standard for what everyone is supposed to look like, and it makes people feel as if they need to look that way. Sometimes I don’t care that I don’t look like what I’m “supposed” to, but other times I begin feeling really insecure,” said junior Madison Rodriguez, Div. 137.

Because of social platforms, immense pressure is put onto many individuals, and they feel the heat in their everyday life.

“I feel pressure to look a certain way. We’re so used to showcasing ourselves as “perfect” on social media, and we feel obligated to reflect that as in real life as much as possible,” said Mayor

Social media has an extremely unhealthy effect on the way people view their bodies. It has caused many to compare themselves to the girls or guys that they see on their phones, and this leaves people chasing after a body that is impossible to achieve.

Social media’s effect on body standards

Make up days or paid days?

Photo and Artwork by Diane Gonzalez (Div. 023).

By Xzavier Aguilar Is it socially acceptable

to say “Merry Christmas” to non-Christians? While some take offense, others believe that it is a harmless

act that should not be taken too seriously.There’s no doubt that the term “

Merry Christmas” has been around for a long time, as far as 1699 when English admirals first used the term Merry Christmas in an informal letter. Since then the term has become popular and widely used throughout the United States; however, in the more recent years, a more people have found the term offensive due to the lack of inclusiveness of other holidays celebrated around this time of year or if the person does not celebrate Christmas at all. *

To be more inclusive, people have started using the phrase “ Happy Holidays “ in hopes of respecting the celebrations of others who may not celebrate Christ-mas but might be celebrating another holiday around the same time.

“ I feel people should be open to how others feel because people have different religions and celebrate different holidays

or don’t celebrate Christmas in general, so saying Happy Holidays seems more respectable”, said Senior Eli Alvarez, Div. 030.

But what do others think when it comes to the debate of both terms?

“It’s considered politically correct to say Happy Holidays, so it’s just consid-ered insensitive to say Merry Christmas to other people who aren’t from this country that don’t celebrate it,“ said senior Miguel Montano, Div. 022.

“Merry Christmas” is a traditional saying that’s been around for centuries. Most of us do not mean any disrespect by it. The saying “Merry Christmas” has evolved to mean more than just the original religious intent, “Birth of Jesus”. Nowadays people use the phrase to celebrate the simple act of spending time with family and friends, giving to others, and spreading love and joy. Christmas will always be the “Birth of Jesus”, but will continue to adapt to mean what each individual chooses to see Christmas as.

“I don’t think it really matters because terms are similar in a way; they both tell you to have a good season. Personally, I say Merry Christmas because I grew up saying it,” said Junior Leah Sarlo, Div.

135. In today’s society, many people tend

to be offended over politically incorrect statements such as “Merry Christmas”, but the point of a holiday greeting is not about guessing the correct holiday that someone is celebrating, but about sharing your own cheer for your holiday.

When someone says “Merry Christ-mas” to another, it should not be seen as assuming their religion, but them sharing a part of their belief or just tradition. Plus, if you want to wish people a happy celebration of their holiday: ask what they celebrate instead of just throwing out a generic greeting.

This is in some cases better than saying “Happy Holidays” because in such cases like Hanukkah, which in 2013 was in late November, what holiday would Jewish people be celebrating if you were to say that in mid- December.

People who don’t celebrate the holidays should realize that not everyone knows that this is a season where everyone comes together to be cheerful and joyous.

Overall, the debate between saying “ Merry Christmas “ and “ Happy holidays” still goes on and will probably continue. In

the end let’s be honest— Christmas has become so hopelessly commercialized that the Hallmark shelves barely reflect the original intent. Christmas is not alone; all of these holidays that started with spiritual or cultural meanings seem to eventually get corrupted. Therefore, the best thing to do is to just ask or just say “Happy Holidays”.Sources:

*https://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/os-christians-who-dont-cele-brate-christmas-20141215-post.html

Roughly 88% of women & 65% of men compare their own bodies to the bodies they see on social media. Over 1,000 people were surveyed by the Florida House Experience.

Source: https://www.today.com/today

An analysis of geotagged Twitter data, based on a 300,000 tweet sample, to determine which holiday greeting is the most popular in each

state.Photo by https://www.treetopia.com

Is it wrong to say “Merry Christmas”?

FEATURESBy Vivian Aviles Most teens get their fi rst job when they start high school, but junior Regina Meirmanova (Div. 137) started working at the age

of three in a very unexpected place: the Circus. Meirmanova offi cially began at just three years old and has worked in the cir-cus for 13 years. From a very young age, she knew that this was what she wanted to do. “I discovered the circus as soon as I saw my brother perform his acts for me. My parents opened a circus gym, so I grew up seeing my family and friends in a circus. I started doing it because I thought it was amazing and beautiful to watch,” said Meirmanova. Meirmanova is currently a part of a cir-cus called Midnight Circus, which opened in 2007. The entire event typically lasts about two hours, and the performers strive

to leave the audience with positivity. “Midnight Circus in the Parks is an eclectic ensemble of artists with a shared vision whose’ live performances have the power to engage and inspire our audience, our community, and our world. We bring world-class contemporary circus perfor-mances to communities throughout Chica-go and raise money for Chicago parks with the proceeds,” said Meirmanova. While the circus is dedicated to improv-ing the city, Meirmanova is dedicated to playing her various parts in the show. “My part in the circus changes every year when we start. For the past thirteen years, I’ve been doing multiple different acts. I currently do a skills act, which is ba-sically fabric. I also take part in acrobatics and hand to hand bits. In other words, I get thrown into the air and do crazy fl ips on to and from people, and I do handstands on them,” said Meirmanova. Though Midnight Circus only goes on for a fraction of the year. It is time-consum-ing nonetheless.

“Balancing circus and school is super hard and can get stressful at times, but school is my fi rst priority. If I get a lot of homework, I know that I need to fi nish that fi rst and then I can go to circus practice,” said Meirmanova. Regina’s AVID teacher Juan Salinas, who works hard to help Regina and the rest of his students manage their time, actually went and saw her perform. “The entire Midnight Circus production was amazing, and Regina’s opening act really got the show going! Her success, inside and outside of the classroom, is a refl ection of her overall work ethic and dedication. I am so happy that she is able to showcase her talents,” said Salinas. Meirmanova has shown that there are ways to handle school work on top of commitments outside of Taft. Not only that, but Meirmanova sets as a reminder that a job doesn’t have to be boring, and it is possible for people to make a job out of doing what they love.

The star of the show: Regina Meirmanova

Regina Meirmanova with other members of the Midnight Circus at a practice got the show.

Photo by Regina Meirmanova.

By Luae Samrah Helping Hands Club, in partnership with Hope for the Homeless, lend a hand this holiday season by having a food and toy drive for Nov. and Dec.

Helping Hands (HH) is a community service club that holds fundraisers and known for food drives and carna-tions for Valentine’s Day. The club also collaborated with Hope for the Homeless this year, participating in several anonymous projects to help the community. Member of the HH club senior Olivia Diaz (Div 032) said,” This year we have started to organize a toy drive and done a fundraiser, donating the process of those impacted by Hurricane Dorian. The food drive we did this year was also very successful, and we really appreciate everyone who donated and helped contribute. We have many more projects we want to do over the course for the upcoming year and we are very excited about the opportunity to do so.” “What inspired me to join helping hands is the oppor-tunity to help people. Ever since I was little I have always helped everyone around me. Helping Hands allowed me to do things not only in my community but internationally as well,” said Club President Juliette Chavarria, Div. 014. “HH does not focus or support just one community, but instead we seek whoever we can help at the time. We support the school community, organizations working towards a cause, or anybody that we can help. We look to help any community that we can, and do not focus on

helping one specifi c community,“ said the Vice President of the helping hands club Jon Coonley, Div. 119. Helping Hands encounters charity foundations from helping people in their community, and there are some challenges outside of Taft like fi nding food, a home and money, but the helping hands fi nd ways to overcome and solve these challenges and obstacles. “Most of the work HH does is within the Taft com-munity but we often send donations to outside groups in need on the front lines. We fi nd students and classmates in need and provide them with support. We fi nd the

hungry and feed them. We fi nd people affected by storms and disasters and send comfort. People who participate in HH eventually learn that even little things that you can do to lift up other people in need is a plus, a win-win, and contributes to our individual and social humanity,” said History Teacher and Sponsor Scott Plencner. The club does encounter some challenges, like any other charity organization, that are smaller, larger and new to discover. “In Helping Hands, we don’t face an extreme amount of challenges when it comes to doing projects. However, making sure that we have enough time for projects is an obstacle that we think about. Some projects we focus on a specifi c holiday such as Thanksgiving or Valentine’s Day, so we have to plan when we will start the projects in order to complete it by the holiday. We have to plan the time for when we will start projects or do activities in order to make sure that we do not run out of time to fi nish something,” said Coonley. “Our biggest challenge I think is organizing everything in a timely manner. This year we have a new challenge, which is establishing a Helping Hands at the Freshmen Academy. I have been a part of Helping Hands since my Freshman year and I really enjoyed it, and want to provide to the freshmen at Freshman Academy,” said Chavarria. Helping Hands meet every Wednesday in room 238 after school. For more information, contact Plencner at smplencner@cps.edu or President Chavarria at jcharvar-ria@cps.edu.

Lend a helping hand at Helping Hands Club

Regina Meirmanova with other members of

By Isabel ComacchioNew year, New play. Taft Drama took

on one of William Shakespeare’s most popular works, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” featuring Sage Kenaz-Mara (Div. 123) playing the role of Hermia, ends up

with the boy of her dreams.William Shakespeare, one of the most renowned

playwrights in history, not only created beautiful work but used language that is poetic yet challenging. Loads of time and practice were needed to perfect Shakespeare’s old English script.

“Mr. Tuggle helped us a ton with actually understand-ing what we were saying. It was extremely helpful to have someone translating the Shakespearean language because it is tricky. I had a good idea of my character just from reading the script and already knowing the story,” said Kenaz-Mara.

“I primarily worked as a text coach, helping the actors make sense of their lines. Shakespeare is kind enough to leave many clues as to how an actor should approach lines by his use of punctuation, but you have to know how to read the clues,” said English teacher Darren Tuggle.

“Our vision is not authentic Shakespeare it’s con-densed a lot and the language was made a bit easier, but it’s still Shakespeare so it just took extra repetition thankfully most of the lines rhymed,” continued Ke-naz-Mara.

That was not the only challenge Taft Drama faced,

without being able to contact their director because of the CPS strike, the students had to take matters into their own hands. With the help of former Poms/Cheer member, the process could be called a success.

“As a cast, we actually met nearly every day of the strike. We rehearsed at Norwood, in Taft’s halls, and even in the alleys of people’s houses. There was no way of getting help from our director at this time so we directed a lot of the show ourselves. I even stepped up and choreo-graphed the puppet dance. I truly believe if we hadn’t met all those days on our own the show would not be ready,” said Kenaz-Mara.

Before the strike, the MND cast practiced every day after school. These members had clear dedication towards producing their adaptation of Shakespeare that would be a dream in the audience’s eyes.

“We had rehearsal almost every day after school and we mostly broke up into our groups so lovers, fairy’s, and rustics(actors). We would warm up together and then direct specific parts and if you weren’t running a scene or dance you would run line,” said Kenaz-Mara.

“Sage was one of the first students I worked with. I was so impressed by her willingness to take chances with the language. I was so excited when I learned that she had a background as a circus performer. The first thing that I asked her was if she would be willing to do a flip during the play. She literally jumped at the chance! I feel like that is the magic of theater. Shakespeare wrote Sage’s character, Hermia. What we all had the pleasure

of seeing was Hermia, a character co-created by William Shakespeare and Sage Kenaz-Mara,” said Tuggle.

Taking initiative as well as risks, Sage Kenaz-Mara has shined through and proved that anything is possible with dedication and love for what you are doing. In the words of Shakespeare, “Though she be but little, she is fierce.” Congrats Sage and Taft Drama!

Kenaz-Mara preforms wholeheartedly on the stage of Midnight Summer’s.

Photographer Carmella Gilio.

Sage’s midnight summer dream

Members of Helping Hands organize and sort the food donated during the food drive during a meeting.

Photo by Yasmine Soria.

Kenaz-Mara preforms wholeheartedly on the stage of Midnight

FEATURES 5

By Ella Ridge High school can be a great place to find yourself and grow, but at times, the environment can be chal-lenging. At the newly begun

LGBTQ Club at the Freshman Academy, a safe haven has been built for it’s commu-nity members. The club, sponsored by Diana Powitz and Jeffrey Lucco, start-ed scheduling meetings in the beginning of Oct. this year. 8th grader and Co-president Andy Sulli-van (Div. 412) gave us the run down of everything we need to know about the club. There are a total of 12 members currently enrolled in the club. Sullivan urges for more members to join and for the varsity campus to build their own club. “We meet the first and last Tuesday of every month, except when we are working towards a presentation or making flyers, in which case we are meeting every Tuesday of that month until we reach our goal. We encourage the varsity students to start

their own club. Because they are upper-classmen, their voices could go a much longer way than ours can,” said Sullivan. Each member has their own story as to what motivated them to join this club. President of the LGBTQ Club, 8th grader Monica Ivsin (Div. 410), shares her story. “A lot of people here want a place to belong and it’s very pleasing to have such a great support system to call home.

This is my family,” said Ivsin. Fresh-man Ariel Cuatchon explains the main goal of the club. “We are constantly brainstorm-ing ideas on how we can create a more positive environ-ment at the brand new

building. Our goal is to try to come up with ideas on how to change things for the better,” said Cuatchon. Though it’s unfortunate that people must come face to face with challenges because of who they are, it’s comforting to know that there is a community to lean on and offer support for those who need a safe space.

The Posse foundation futures at TaftBy Katarina Ilic Back in 1989 a college dropout stated that “he would have never dropped out” of college if he had his posse with him. Posse, founded by Deborah Bial, provides the “group of friends” that “back each other

up,” supporting many Taft students in their transition to college.* Some people work well independently and some work better with others. For those who rely on the support and advice of others to reach their pinnacle of success, Posse is the right choice for you. The Posse Foundation recruits and trains scholars with exceptional leadership potential. This foundation offers lifelong beneficial lessons and full-tuition scholarships to Posse partner colleges. Since it’s foundation, Posse recruited over 9,000 schol-ars, bringing together students from all over Chicago and helps students build a support system for when they go off to college. Their posse is there to help them when things become tough and to push students to take risks when pursuing their career path. In order to become part of Posse you are nominated by a counselor or teacher and then attend meetings which provide you with more information on the foundation. The foundation has given many students wonderful

opportunities and continues to inspire and bring people together day by day. You have the chance to meet other students who are a part of the foundation, and according to Senior Veronica Siewierski (DIV. 016), this is the best thing about Posse.

“I love how you get to bond every week with the people in your posse and become good friends with them,” said Siewierski. This foundation doesn’t just offer full-tuition to its students but a guaranteed support group throughout their four years of college and lifelong friendships. The foundation is built strictly on kindness and support. Every person a part of the foundation, staff and students, are genuine and care for one another. This is a very im-portant aspect in ensuring success in all students. Posse teaches its students how to communicate their needs and how to make the best out of every situation. Senior Alexandra Zalecki (Div. 025) stated that “Pos-se taught me the power of communication. I don’t think I would have made it this far if I hadn’t spoken up at my first interview.” This foundation has benefited the lives of many stu-dents, including Taft’s very own. It is a wonderful opportu-nity for those who have the skills and confidence in them, but need a slight push and a support group to keep them on the right track with educational success. You always hear that blood is thicker than water, but in this case your posse has your back, always. Source: *Recruitment and Retention in College: the Posse Pro-gram, pg. 196, books.google.com/

By Ella Ridge If you ever visit an art gallery in the future, you will see featured works of art by Taft’s very own, Senior

Hope Marr (Div. 033). This Eagle has been creating masterpieces ever since she can remember and continues to explore all different mediums as she explores her options beyond high school. Over the years, Marr has touched every facet of art including sketching, drawing, painting, sculpture, and photogra-phy. She has been lucky enough to have attended Marwen, an art school located downtown that is dedicated to helping young artists, grades 6-12, from underpriv-ileged areas express and grow their art skills. I’ve gone to art school for young kids downtown known as Marwen. I took a pottery and photography class there,” said Marr. Taft provides a variety of different art classes for all grades. During her time at

Taft, Marr has taken a total of five art classes.

“Within Taft, I’ve taken studio sculpture, printmaking and studio art. Not including drawing and crafting classes, I’ve also taken guitar and drama, both Level 1,”

explained Marr. As far as her future is concerned, Marr

isn’t one hundred percent certain attending a full time art school is her next move. Marr is taking a pragmatic approach to her decision and considering all of her options.

“The main reason I’ve considered art school is because of the college course I took over the summer. I’ve realized that art can be relevant in everyday life and that I can use it in different careers,” said Marr.One thing Marr is sure about is that she wants to stay close to home, her family, and her new 6 month old brother. “Another option for college I’m consid-ering is a community college. I am considering this because it will cost less and will give me time to figure out myself and what I would like to do, in terms of a career,” said Marr. Regarding art schools, there are two colleges she is considering in the Chicago-land area. “I’ve mainly been looking at Columbia College and Flashpoint Chicago for art schools, mainly because they are both in Chicago,” mentioned Marr. It is clear that Marr’s love of art will take her far. Taft wishes Marr luck as she finds the best option for her future.

Marr depicts many different objects and people in her paintings, such as sandwiches or original characters.

Artwork by Hope Marr.

Hope for the future

AVID senior Zalecki has her hopes up for being awarded the Posse Scholarship.

Photo by Yasmine Soria.

Letters of success A safe haven for all EaglesBy Katarina Ilic Senior Michael Medina (Div. 023) received a letter from the former Governor of Illinois Patrick Joseph Quinn Jr (Pat Quinn),

acknowledging Medina’s hard work and leadership skills. The letter from Quinn specifically addresses the club that Medina started last year, called The Junior State of America Chapter, which Quinn was invited to speak at. Quinn writes that he was “impressed by his leadership skills and organizing ability in interacting with his fellow students to discuss important public policy issues in Illinois and America”. Medina has shown his better qualities through this organization but none of this would have been possible if he hadn’t come into contact with Quinn beforehand. Medina has done landscaping work at Quinn’s home over the summer, along with other jobs at his estates. During the hours of working these jobs, Medina has repeatedly come into contact with Quinn, impressing him with his several different skills each time.

Although Medina has spoken to Quinn several times in the past, and when Quinn attended one of the meetings for The Junior State of America Chapter, he told Medina he would gladly write him a letter. Medina was still extremely excited when he received the letter in the mail. Any letter from a person who holds authority and respect is appreciated and

Medina said, “I was very excited at the fact that I had a letter from a governor. Granted he is not the current gover-nor, but one no less.” Medina plans to keep the letter in his records and use it in his search for colleges. He knows that such a letter could help him stand out to colleges and universities. However, Medina knows that this letter is a part of his applications and not the majority of it. Medina states, “I be-lieve that I have worked very hard throughout high school, and I see this letter as expanding on my accomplishments

instead of overpowering them.” Medina knows himself that he has strong characteristics that make him stand out academically. This letter is only one of the accomplishments he has achieved and will continue to achieve.

Medina is excited that to have a letter from a governor.

Photographer Yasmine Soria.

The members of LGBTQ club work to make Taft a safe area to express themselves.

Photographer Ella Ridge.

ENTERTAINMENTBy Isabel Comacchio In the beginning of August, Popeyes sparked a feud between the originator of the chicken sandwich, Chick-fil-a. Composed of similar ingredients, these sandwiches consist of a breaded and fried

fillet of chicken, a bun, and pickles placed below the fillet when assembled. However, the public eye separates the sandwiches in very different ways. Using different breading and secret sauces seemed to grab people’s attention when it comes to the Popeyes chicken sandwich. Some may argue that Chick-Fil-A’s chicken sandwiches are less overwhelming and more self-customizable. “I personally prefer the Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich because I find it to be less salty than the Popeyes chicken sandwich. The Chick-fil-a sandwich also tastes amazing with their signature sauce,” said sophomore Nathan Rosales, Div. 238. Seemingly, Chick-Fil-A is in favor, but for parents in need to feed their families may be in favor of Popeyes sandwich meal options. With Chick-Fil-A being slightly more expensive, a few cents can be very useful for big families. More recently, Popeyes has run into a sanitary

scandal. Pictures have surfaced through twitter showing popeyes employee preparing the sandwiches over a trashcan in the back of the kitchen. Junior Jacob Matias (Div. 120) sided with Chick-Fil-A upon hearing about the incident. “I think that it’s pretty nasty, even though it wasn’t made in a trash can, it was made on top of a trash can near germs and bacteria

which is gross because who knows what’s been in that trash can,” said Matias. On the other hand, Taft students, Sabrina Velez (Div. 047) and Mariano Garcia (Div.125) explained the conditions of working in a Chick-Fil-A kitchen and store front. “We constantly have to keep our areas clean and we have to switch our sanitizing buckets every 20 minutes. Every time we touch our uniforms or something foreign to the kitchen and food, we have to take off our gloves, wash our hands, and put a new clean set on,” said Garcia. “For the front position we have on hand sanitizing buckets that we clean the counters with constantly. We mop and sweep even during rush hours. We have a specific way of washing our hands. Chick-Fil-a is even known for having the cleanest bathrooms. Our dedication is pretty strong when it comes to keeping clean,” said Velez. In all, very few people seemed to enjoy the popeyes experience. Some explained that both of the sandwiches taste identical; however, the deciding factor is usually location. Which one tickles your taste buds? Determine which sandwich is worth it and take a side in the Chicken sandwich feud!

By Katarina Ilic Instagram’s new feature is meant to boost creativity in its users, but it might actually be what lowers

activity for the app. Instagram is a very popular social media app that is used by many different people. When the app was fi rst created, it was meant to be a platform where people could post pictures and videos of what they’re passionate about. It was an app to show your creative and artistic side, but it quickly turned into a competition of who gets the most likes and comments on their posts, signifi cantly lowering people’s confi dence and setting the bar for beauty and social acceptance ridiculously high. The creators of instagram came to notice that people were focusing too much on how many likes they were getting in comparison to other users instead of on

what they were posting. So, they decided to test out a new feature that hides the amount of likes and profi les that liked a picture on other users posts; However, you will still be able to see how many likes you got on a post and who liked it. You just won’t be able to compare it to anyone else’s photos. It is well known that the more likes you get, the more “popular” you are consid-ered and many brands pay attention to the amount of likes to seek out possible am-bassadors. This was brought to attention by Junior Maggie Sabanagic, Div.132. “I believe this new feature will help people with self-esteem, but at the same time beauty infl uencers will lose their money,” said Sabanagic. If likes were to be removed it’ll be harder to fi nd what accounts and insta-gram users are idolized and get the most attention, leading to fewer brand deals and

collaborations. This new feature might cause a de-crease in activity for those who base their content off of what their followers enjoy seeing. Junior Harry Bahena (Div.126) believes that this feature will affect the users who use Instagram often, “This will negatively impact users by not letting them see what people like,” said Bahena. If you hope to post content that your followers enjoy seeing, yet you can’t see the posts they have liked, you won’t know what to focus on when creating or posting. This might cause people to become less interested in the app be-cause they won’t be sure of what kind of content to produce and others might stop using the app because no content they enjoy viewing will be available. Instagram’s new feature is still in the works and is only being tested to see if it

produces a positive outcome or a negative one. If the feature is made permanent, people might start looking for a new app to utilize.

Will the like button fade away or is it here to stay?Image by https://www.quora.com

The debate over which chicken sandwich is best just maybe remain unresolved

Photo by https://www.google.com/

Holiday word search

Created with http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/code/BuildWordSearch.asp

BELLS CANDYCANES

COOKIESFAMILY

HOLIDAYREINDEER

SNOWWINTER

CANDLESCHRISTMAS

DECORATIONSFRIENDS

MISTLETOE

By Alyssa Martinez

Popeyes vs. Chick-Fil-A

Instagram removing likes becomes a major dislike

Happy Holidays From the

Journalism Staff!

SANTASNOWMAN

COLDDREIDEL

HANNUKAHPRESENTSSHOPPING

TREEORNAMENTS

LIGHTSSLEIGHELVES

FROZENMENORAHCHRYSLER

ENTERTAINMENT 7

By Adeline Davern Looking for something fun to do around Chicago this winter with your friends and family? From ice skating to shopping there are plenty of fun activities to

do this winter here in Chicago. One of the most popular activities to do is ice skating at Millennium Park. On average, about 100,000 skaters from are over the world head over to Millennium to hop on the ice every year. Showing up with your own skate can get you in for free, but the only issue you might run into is the line waiting to get into the rink due to the number of visitors. Don’t know how to skate or have younger children or siblings? There are still plenty of activities in Chicago during this winter break such as Lincoln Park’s annual Zoo Lights display. Lincoln Park Zoo sets up an amazing Christmas light set up every year including a mix of both animal and Christmas themed displays. Offering free

admission as well, these the light’s display is the perfect way to spend the night as a family or even with a group of friends. If the cold is too much to bear, the annual Winter Wonderfest held at the Navy Pier is an event to check out with friends and family. Starting on Dec. 6 and ending on Jan.12 of 2020, Navy Pier fills it 170,000-acre space with indoor activities such as carnival rides, indoor ice skating, enormous slides, and holiday decorating activities for people of all ages.

Junior Valandi Kotsias (VVX) (Div. 170) spends the holiday break there with their family. “Every year my family goes to the Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier, my favorite winter family tradition,” said Kotsias (VVX). With the 112th year annual Christmas lighting at Macy’s on State St., the 45-foot tree is lit from Nov. 1 until Jan. 5. On top of the 45-foot Christmas tree in the middle of the store, there are plenty of windows to walk past and view down State Street that all go along with the “Believe

in Wonder” theme. “Walking down State Street and looking at all of the Macy’s decorated windows with my family is my favorite thing to do during the holiday season” said math teacher Justin Yesensky. With plenty of fun things to do this winter both indoors and outdoors in Chicago, it’s recommended to check out these holiday-spirited events.

By Katarina Ilic This decade was truly one for the books, and without further ado, let’s reminisce over the past ten years.

This decade has brought us some very historical events. Scandals were erupting all throughout the decade, involving a wide range of movie stars and politicians. We have lost some icons, social media apps like Snapchat were created and major movements. We started off the decade with the longest solar eclipse of the third millenni-um, in 2010, as if that wasn’t a sign this decade would be a historic one. In 2010 as well, the first IPad was invented, later following IPhones 4-11, which lead to advances in technology allowing us access to an unlimited amount of informa-tion held in the palm of our hands. In 2011 the first ever viral trend was introduced- planking. Everyone was laying face down, in the craziest places and posting pictures of themselves. This lead to several other trends, that brought people together. The Japan challenge was another viral trend that focused on dance, allowing people to show off their

dance skills and boost creativity while striving to make an iconic choreography. The following year everything seemed to be going swell, until, on December 21st, we thought the world was ending. It obviously didn’t, but everyone was going mad. Scientists studied day in and day out to prove that the world was in-fact not going to end, and research shows that there is no threat to Earth for quite a while. We all went along with our lives, carrying quite a bit of scientific information with us, and a load of relief. In 2015, a major historical event took place. Same sex marriage was legalized. Junior Diana Quezada (Div. 121) is in favor of same sex marriage and said, “I think same sex marriage is a good thing. It lets couples feel accepted into society. It also helps bring acceptance for people who are anti-LGBTQ”. Many people were discriminated against for being attracted to the same gender and were held back from marrying the person they love because it wasn’t considered normal. Now, you can marry whoever you want, because love is love, and this is one of the bigger accomplish-ments of this decade. In 2016, President Trump was

elected to office and opinions were being voiced throughout the country. Scandals and rumors spread like wildfire and people doubted his ability to govern. People have different opinions on President Trump but one thing that can be agreed on is that the way he makes statements is easily misunderstood. Junior Vlada Bulatovic (Div. 117) sees both the good and the bad side of Trump’s presidency. Bulatovic said, “Everyone is entitled to an opinion and everyone can agree that his communica-tion skills need to be worked on”. President Trump is now facing impeachment and once again, there are mixed emotions about that. This was only a few of the many things that took place in this decade. There were many ups and downs, but we were kept entertained every day. We now take with us these

experiences and lessons into the new year, and the beginning of a new decade. Let’s see what the “roaring twenties” of 2020 will bring us!Sources:https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/g29729623/things-you-forgot-happened-this-decade-2010-to-2019/https://www.buzzfeed.com/farrahpenn/things-the-2010s-will-be-known-for

Into the roaring twenties of 2020

A Plus for Disney Plus?By Andres Hernandez Disney Plus is a new streaming platform that built up anticipation upon release on Nov. 12. For only $6.99 a month, you can stream almost everything Disney has ever created or bought.

Disney for most of us has been influential to our childhoods. The release of Disney Plus created an uproar across social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. Quickly, word spread about the new streaming platform from ads and post from people of all ages appearedLong time Disney fans were eager to watch and stream their favorite Disney movies and shows from across a variety of networks including- Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and National Geographic. “I enjoy Disney Plus because it basically has my entire childhood in one place. I can go back and make connec-tions to other points in my life... I can also easily access the things I may have missed the first time it came out,” said Carmella Gillo (Div.123) Disney Plus presents itself as a fierce competitor among other popular streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and HBO now. The service is $7 a month, or $70 if you prepay for a full year. The price of Disney Plus is half the price of HBO Now and is also affordable in compari-son to Netflix’s cheapest option at $9 a month.

Although Disney Plus has had its positive feedback, some believe that it won’t last for long as viewers become tired of watching the same Disney movies and shows over and over again. Not only is there repetition but some movies and shows are not on the streaming platform and won’t be placed on there until sometime in 2020.

“ I really love being able to watch all of my favorite Disney movies and T.V. shows all in one place, especially Princess and the Frog, but I don’t know how long it will last after I’ve watched everything I want to watch,” said Eva Frank (Div.023 ). Streaming competitor Netflix has dominated the streaming industry for years by creating their own original hit shows such as Strangers Things, 13 Reasons Why, On My Block and Orange is the New Black. Since Disney Plus is fairly new to the game its has yet to release any breakout original shows, but has released some including High School Musical: The Series, and other Marvel original shows. Although Disney Plus is currently in its early stages, according to a study from IMA, which specializes in data analysis for consumer shopping, Disney Plus drew in an estimated 15 million subscribers within its first five days.* By comparison, HBO Now took nearly three years to reach only five million subscribers. Hulu not only is owned by Disney, but it’s where Disney streams more adult-oriented material. For exam-ple, Hulu is the destination for a handful of new, edgier Marvel animated series targeted to grown-ups, a collec-tion nicknamed the Offenders. Hulu will continue to stream content from three of the broadcast networks, as well as its own original series, like The Handmaid’s Tale and Castle Rock.

Tensions arise between the two popular streaming services, with Disney+ seeming to rise to the top.

Image by https://www.boldbusiness.com/communications/netflix-vs-disney/

The lights at Lincoln Zoo Light’s shine brightly at night (left) while Navy Pier’s festivities are holly and jolly this winter. Image by https://panoramanow.com/navy-piers-winter-wonderfest-is-family-fun/

https://chicago.curbed.com/2017/12/6/16742514/zoolights-holiday-magic-winter-festival-christmas-lights

Hopes are high that 2020 will be the banner year compared to 2019.Image by https://www.houstonpress.com/

What to see in Chicago this winter

By Ella Ridge Welcome back our winter sports teams as these Eagles prepare for their upcoming seasons with much anticipation.

Taft provides a total of 10 sports over the course of the winter season; Boys and girls basketball, boys and girls bowling, competitive cheer, competitive poms, boys swimming and diving, boys and girls track and fi eld, and wrestling. All of Taft’s winter sport teams have a history of obtaining a variety of different achievements. Last year, the wrestling team repeated as City Champions and placed Second at Regionals. “We expect to win the city championship again. We expect to compete for the regional championship. We expect to send multiple wrestlers to state. These are the yearly expectations of our program,” said TFA English teacher and head coach of the wrestling team, Brad Engel. In February, the girls varsity basketball team made it to Regionals and lost in the Semi-Final game against Oak Park River Forest.

“This year, we’re really going to push ourselves and go the extra mile to achieve more than we did last year. We all have such an amazing bond with one another and we’re going to put our best effort forward to hopefully get

an outcome of something great,” said junior varsity player Lily Natelson, Div. 135. The boys bowling 2018-2019 team advanced to the City Finals and placed Fourth overall. When it came down to competing for a spot at sectionals, captain of the bowling team senior Cristian Pagan (Div. 020) placed 11th at regionals. “This year we are setting our goals high. We started our fi rst tournament with higher averages allowing for no excuses to make it where we want to be as a team: state qualifi ers,” said senior co-captain Giuseppe Camarda, Div. 047. Last year, the boys varsity basketball team fi nished 3rd in their conference. This year, they plan on going much further. “This year, we plan on expanding our limits as a team to make it to a Regional game. What makes this new season special is we had this whole summer to work with Coach Tucker. We also have 80% of our players returning from last year

so our bond is strong and we all trust each other,” said varsity player Miles Heglar, Div. 134. With a lot at stake, our winter teams are starting the season off strong.

SPORTS

Welcome back winter sports

Dexter Stigall: Behind the lines

Cut or be cut: Insight on a wrestler’s diet

Meal balance and dieting is a key part in any athletes’ success, especially for a wrestler.

Image by The Long Island Wrestling Association website. http://longislandwrestling.com/liwa/

strengthandcondition/IronEdge/nutrition101.htm

By Isabel Comacchio Packing on pounds and cutting weight is essential for the wrestling season. How do they do it and why is it required? Talking to varsity wrestler Declan King (Div. 117) and recent All-American wrestling

champion Kaila Del Toro (Div. 226), we uncover the surprisingly short but dreaded process. “Cutting weight is generally losing weight. It all depends if you lose the weight at a healthy rate/pace and depends on what you eat. Gaining weight is easy because you gain weight no matter what you eat. You’ll either gain fat or muscle depends on how you go upon gaining weight,” said Del Toro. Wrestlers often use specifi c diets and methods to help them lose weight for the season. Wrestling requires an incredibly specifi c rule that requires you to be a little lower than the weight class you are wrestling within. Otherwise, getting even .1 over the required weight can have you sitting out for a meet. “When you compete you must weigh exactly, for example 113.0 or under the weight class. You cant even weigh 113.1. For fat testing you must weigh as close to the weight you want to wrestle at as possible. They measure the amount of fat on your body and calculate what day you have to certify for that weight class you have to weigh the weight by a certain day to be able to wrestle at that weight. This is so kids will lose weight at a “healthier” rate,” said Del Toro.

“My diet while cutting is eating 2 eggs in the morning and chicken breast at night and maybe a small snack sometimes during the day. The diffi culties of cutting is being mentally tough enough to sometimes skip meals if needed and to not break your diet,” said King. “Everyday I usually eat oatmeal with strawberry slices or 2 eggs. For lunch I’ll eat a salad or celery dipped in almond butter and carrots. For dinner I eat steamed vegetables and recently I’ve been trying to eat less meat by eating plant based foods instead, but otherwise I’ll eat chicken and steamed veggies” said Del Toro. Although eating healthier and in smaller portions can help you decrease in weight, another key factor is working out. “You defi nitely have to lift weights and run for conditioning, I do that on top of actual wrestling practice which is about 3 hours of drilling, conditioning, and live wrestling. If you want to gain weight in a good way you would defi nitely want to gain muscle mass because gaining fat isn’t going to help you,” said Del Toro “Practice helps a lot with losing weight and a lot of times we will layer up with hoodies and sweatpants to sweat out more weight during practice,” said King. A clear transformation can be seen within a month or even two weeks. Binging on Doritos and drinking pop turned into strictly a couple celery sticks with dip for lunch everyday, for months. This dedication shines a light on the diffi cult journey wrestlers take and the effort they make as athletes to compete in the sport they love.

Left: Lily Natelson (Div. 135) looking locked in and focused, ready to take a free throw. Right: Giuseppe Camarda (Div. 047) looking sharp as he swings the ball.

Photo provided by Sierra McClecllan and Sophia Lopez.

By Isabel Comacchio Senior football star and

triathlete, Dexter Stigall IV (Div 020), is currently coursing through his last

seasons at Taft. Looking back and towards the future of his career, he shares words about his passion, experiences, and aspirations. “When I started sports, I was terrible. I started playing for my dad when I was four years old and started playing with the Portage Park Cougars and it was rough. My fi rst two-three years I was garbage. I didn’t play a lot and my dad kept pushing me and telling me to work at it. He told me anything I worked at I’ll achieve and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past year,” said Stigall. Seemingly, Stigall has progressed greatly. Student athletes face many diffi culties, not only with the sport, but as students they face academic challenges as well. “The diffi culties are late starts and

late practices and how we get home late. As athletes, we have all this homework, notes, and studying and it’s a lot. If you can do all of that, that’s good. Stigall’s determination has been built with, not only with persistence, but tremendous support. Genuinely, Stigall owes his staggering success to the ones who started it all, his parents. “My biggest supporters are my parents. Through everything, they’ve been pushing me but also making sure I was okay. Giving me everything I needed, not only sports but in general, just being great parents. Also always saying everything I can do is possible,” said Stigall. As the topic of college comes up students are usually stressed over SAT scores and grades. But for four year old Dexter Stigall never predicted what the future had in hold. “Right now, I have had 5 offers. I’ve already been committed. I committed to Minnesota State Mankato,” said Stigall. “Without sports, I don’t know what I’d be doing right now. I’d probably just be like

a normal kid. Football has taught me a lot. Sports (generally) because I play a lot. I feel like sports have pushed me in a way to stay out of trouble, to be busy, because most kids don’t have the opportunity that I have,” said Stigall. With the great amount of support Stigall has received, he has also given his teammates words of wisdom before playing games. Prior to playing, Stigall encourages his teammates to give it all they got. “Everyone and all your brothers have your back no matter what, After a play is over, it’s in the past. We on the next play, keep your head in the game. I need 100% or more as much as you can give, just give your hardest,” said Stigall. Stigall stressed the importance of sports in his life. Evidently fi nding his passion pushed any other possible options for the future out of the window. Chasing what he has put immense amounts of work into, all seems worth it in the end. Congrats Dex on Minnesota State University Mankato, a Division 2 school!

As a triathlete, Stigall plays football, basketball and track. He was scouted for football and will attend Minnesota State University Mankato.

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Left: Lily Natelson (Div. 135) looking locked in and focused, ready to take a free throw. (Div. 135) looking locked in and focused, ready to take a free throw. (Div. 135) looking locked in and focused, ready to take a free throw.