TAFT TODAY Issue 3December 4 , 2015

Volume 28

~Taft Today Editors~

Rozan Deeb

Marcello PiccininiMarcello Piccinini Hannah GonzalezHannah Gonzalez Gabriela KrochmalGabriela Krochmal

Entertainment Columns

Sports

Features

Adviser Patrick T. LevinsAdviser Patrick T. Levins

R D bbR D bb Samantha MuslovskiSamantha Muslovski

Are you caffeine crazy? Page 8

Italy to Chicago Page 3

In with the newPage 2

Dive into Girls SwimmingPage 13

Man VS MetalPage 10

In this issue...

Honk to support the teacher’s union! ACT on your own timeBy Hayley Christopher

The American College Test (ACT) is the biggest stress ball for juniors and possibly even seniors. You want to do everything you can to be

prepared.Your ACT score is one factor used to

determine college acceptance. Most colleges have a required score when they are looking at your high school records. Traditionally, for Taft students, the ACT’s were held at Taft itself. This school year things are different.

As of right now, Taft does not give its students the opportu-nity to take the ACT’s how they initially did. There is no set date or time that everyone takes them like they used to. Instead, you have to register for a date online and pay for the ACT’s.

“Being a junior, I’m already nervous enough to take the ACT. Paying for it and not having the opportunity to take it the way we did at Taft with everyone else makes me even more anxious,”

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By Amelia WatkinsAccording to catalyst-chicago, the Chicago Teacher

Union House of Delegates is likely to decide on Wednesday whether to ask all members to take a strike vote.

Rumor of a potential 2015-2016 strike began in early July following the expiration of the CTU’s contract with the Board.

This time around, chief among teachers’ concerns is the funding of their pensions and the looming threat of thousands of layoffs.

According to chicagotribune.com Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the only school district currently not funded by the State of Illinois; it is instead funded by the city itself. Chicago has been strapped for cash in recent years, and has considered defunding the pensions of city employees - teachers, firefighters, and police officers in particular - to make ends meet.

Chicago teacher pensions cost the city over $600 million dollars annually. CPS needs to find $486 million dollars in order to avoid massive layoffs in

the second half of the 2015-2016 school year. If unsuccessful, an estimated 5000 of the CPS’ 26,000 teachers could face unemployment. As a result, schools would be faced with reprogramming nearly 150,000 students mid-year; the chicago.suntimes.com predicts art, music, and after-school pro-grams would be cut completely.

Last spring, an attempt to funnel $200 million dollars from the state to fund Chicago teachers’ pensions failed to pass in the state legislature. At the time, the Union withheld support for the spending bill, influencing the legislature’s decision.

CPS is also negotiating for teachers to pay an extra 7% of their paychecks to their pensions. According to abc7chicago.com, CTU President Karen Lewis calls this “pay cut. 7% is huge.”

On Nov. 9, the Union announced that a practice vote indicated that 97% of union members were favorable to a strike. Though the word ‘strike’ never appears on the ballot, union representatives insist that the questions asked and the members’ responses were very similar to those preceding the 2012 strike.

At the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year, Chicago teachers followed Lewis out of their schools and into the streets to protest a school reform program that they argued attached too much importance to students’ test scores. Educators feared the program would lead to mass layoffs and overcrowding.

“I protested with my mom last time,” said Elise Delgado (Div. 627), whose mother is an Elementary School Teacher. “If they strike now, I would protest with her again.”

The protest lasted eight days. On Sept. 19, 2012, students and teachers returned to schools as the Union and the Board reached a compromise.

On Nov. 24, Union members held a rally in Grant Park. Educators and their supporters wore red and chanted “CTU-who? CTU you.” The rally was a clear signal to the Mayor that their threat to strike is real and the final vote imminent.

Currently, Chicago Public Schools are requesting that Illinois legislators pick up the bill. CPS Chief Executive Officer Forrest Claypool believes that a combination of state support, taxpayer dollars, and teacher support can prevent the layoffs.

said Lexie Ehrhart, Div. 728. According to act.org, the ACT is a national

college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in English, Mathematics, Read-ing, and Science. This it the test that shows what you have learned throughout your years in high school, and shows colleges your academic level.

Even though it is not through Taft itself, actstudent.org has a few dates that make it possible to take the ACT’s at Taft on week-ends. For each test you take, there is a fee. The ACT itself is $39.50 and the ACT with writing is $56.50. If you are unable to afford the fee, you can go to your counselor for a fee waiver.

“The waiver code is for students who qualify for fee waivers at school to take the ACT for free.

We have not heard final word from the state or Chicago Public School (CPS) as to whether CPS will offer the ACT. The counseling office encourages all juniors to sign up for the Saturday ACT in February or April, just in case,” said Counselor Karen Devine.

The nearest dates are Dec. 12, 2015, Feb. 6, 2016, April 9, 2016, and June 11, 2016.

Appreciation CornerThe Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) members would like to thank everyone for mak-

ing the Teacher/Staff Appreciation Lunch successful!

Taft teachers are very dedicated and hardworking staff, hence why we have the best in Chicago! As well as all the parents and student volunteers who made this event possible.

Thanks to all our vendors who helped with this wonderful event:Meagan from Mo Dailey’s, Kelly from Buffalo Wild Wings, Bionca from Dino’s Pizza, Frank

from Joe’s on Higgins, Carlos from Taco Burrito King, Golden Wok, Pinky & Andy from Sub-way, Jay from Jay’s Beef, Mary from Eli’s Cheesecake, Joann from Sweet Connections, and

Patty Oomans and Arleen Batorek from Bakers.

Thanks to Cathy Porto for the donation truck and all the people who donated!

Thanks to the stores that donated: Diego from Costco, Joe from Jewel, Bill from Mariano’s, Lily from Target, Chris from Shop and Save, and Erik from Norwood Park Auto.

Special thanks to Evana Younan at Lincolnwood Chiropractic for the great massages and acupuncture.

One additional Thank You from the PTSA members goes out to George Wilson for all he’s done!

Taft’s Junior Math Team-On Oct. 17, 8th grade members of the Taft Math Team competed in the Chicago Junior Math League’s fi rst

competition. -The north met at Lane Tech and the south met at Whitney Young.

-Taft’s 8th grade team placed 3rd for the North. -Michael Barz won 1st place and Paul Dylag placed 5th.

-Thanks to Noreen Harrington, Marek Michalski, and the team members for all their hard work!

Lewis speaking during the CTU rally.

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News

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Psychology revisits the MSIBy Harmony Gonzalez

On Nov. 12, Psy-chology classes went back to the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) to complete another

mission.Psychology

Teachers, Kendra Foran, Michael Klodzinski, and Daniel VanOver organized for students to visit various exhibits that spark imagination and indulge curiosity in a science- based environment.

“I was very pleased with the turnout of the field trip, we had over 25 chaperones and over 200 students participat-ing in the event thanks to Ryan Glowacz for organizing the bus schedule, and Principal Mark Grishaber for approving the trip for students,” said VanOver.

Students were asked to visit the exhibits: Genetics and the Baby Chick Hatchery, Numbers in Nature: A Mirror Maze, Whisper-ing Gallery, and You! The Experience.

“The purpose of the psychology field trip was to broaden the perspectives of students and learn the science behind psychology,” said Rebecca Byrne, Div. 637.

Many may not have discovered the correspondence Science and Psychology have with each other, which is why teachers decided to introduce their next lesson in the field trip. An important

question for students was ‘What are import-ant phases of prenatal development?’ Which leads into the next chapter of Develop-mental Psychology.

“Visiting the MSI was an opportunity for students to go on a field trip and explore the rich treasures that this world class city has to offer,” said Klodzinski.

The various exhibits gave students

an opportunity to relate their knowledge of Psychology beyond the textbook and connect their learning to the

Scientific and Social elements that exist in the real world.

“I believe the field trip was a great experience because it gives students a chance to build new perspectives on Psychology and the ideas we learn in class,” said Sarah Billyj,

Div. 627. Psychology students have had

another successful mission at the MSI and will continue using their scientific and social studies to reach new psychological understandings.

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Scxienec Storm exhibit

Mirror Maze exhibitPhotos by GonzalezPhotos by Gonzalez

By Angelica Roman The National

Honors Society (NHS) held a food drive in the main entrance of Taft on Nov. 3.

Organized with the help of NHS Treasurer Lazma Deeb (Div. 632) the food drive was created to gather food items for Syrian refugees in Jordan.

According to wfg.org there are almost 1.3 million vulnerable Syrian refugees in need of basic necessities such as food and water.

The requirements for the food drive were to donate non-perishable items that had at least a six month expiration date. This included rice, cereal and other canned foods.

“I wanted to do the food drive because everyday I hear news about new things happen-ing overseas. These people are suffering from hunger because they are forced to live in a war torn country; without much support. I believe that it is our responsibility to make sure that we can help them in any way possible,” said Deeb.

NHS also partnered up with Helping Hands, a club at school dedicated to helping those in need.

In addition to partnering with Helping Hands. NHS linked hands with the food drive

Helping those in need locations from DePaul University and the University of Illinois in Chicago.

“It is very essential to us that we help other countries because we try to show the importance of offering our services to other countries,” said NHS Secretary, Veronica Moda, Div. 637.

The goal was very well met. NHS collected many food donations from the student body, teachers, and from universi-ties around Chicago.

“The outcome was great. We had several boxes of canned food ready to be shipped and help people out,” said NHS President Zohaib Ahmed, Div. 615.

Want to have an impact on the life of someone else in need? Keep on the lookout for future food drives!

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Artwork by Brenda BarrazaArtwork by Brenda Barraza

accomplish. Prior to the recent changes, the auditorium had not been touched for about 20 years.

“We did lose 50 seats (697-647), but that was in exchange for more modern, comfortable seats. In addition to that, we have the ability to take out nine seats; three on the left, three on the right, and three in the middle to accommodate people with wheelchairs,” said Lavery.

Students are now also allowed to buy a seat, $100 each to engrave it with a quote of their liking.

“We had the whole class of 1959 buy the whole front row, this was funded by the Auditori-um Seating Sponsorship,” said Principal Mark Grish-

aber. Grishaber went on to say the repairs

cost about $220,000.As stated by fliers all around the

school, do your part by keeping the school clean, not writing on the walls, and throwing trash away in the proper bins. Even with the minor unexpected setback, the hard work of the laborers gave the student body yet another change to be proud of.

Grishaber plans on remodeling the Drama room over Christmas break. He feels that the more improvements the merrier the school looks and feels.

By Hibah HassanTaft’s new and

improved auditorium is now available to the student body. It took a month and two weeks, but

the change in comfort, availability, and overall look was worth it.

“I think it is beautiful, the whole auditorium improvements have modern-ized it and it will be an attraction to the community,” said Performing Arts Department Chair Brian Lavery.

It took 20 people to work on the instalments, carpet, and painting of the walls.

“The actual removal of the seats and afterwards the installment took two weeks. However, there were ceramic tiles under the carpet and once they removed them, they realized there was asbestos which caused major precautions to be taken; they were required to wear special suits. This pushed back the repairs a month,” said Lavery.

According to Cancer.gov, when asbestos fibers are breathed in, they may get trapped in the lungs and remain there for a long time. Over time, these fibers can accumulate and cause scarring and inflammation, which can affect breathing and lead to serious health problems.

Excluding the asbestos incident, the auditorium repairs were not hard to

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Photo by Harmony GonzalezPhoto by Harmony Gonzalez

Bringing joy to someone’s holiday seasonBy Angelica Roman

Was there a time when you were not feeling well and someone did something nice for you? Imagine receiving a

special card personalized just for you. That is exactly what some students did at Taft's Greeting Card Workshop.

During the month of November, Club Sponsors Anastazja Gierzban, Grazyna Zmyslowski, and Margaret Niedziela held the workshop every Tuesday afterschool in Room 142.

"Former Math Teacher Cynthia Sleyko, began the holiday greeting card workshop many years ago to send these beautiful cards to our soldiers in Iraq during the war at the time. Now Zmys-lowski delivers them to her local church where the nuns distribute the cards to veterans, nursing homes, and hospitals," said Gierzban.

The requirements for the workshop were for students to create 40 handmade greeting cards with a personal message, their name, and the school’s address inside. At the workshop, students were provided with crafty materials to customize each card.

"No one deserves to feel alone for the holidays, and sometimes people in nursing homes are very lonely and often times forgotten. These cards are a way to brighten someone's holiday season and bring them joy," said Niedziela.

Together, the workshop made over 1,000 holiday cards. Along with putting meaningful smiles on people’s faces across the city, students received ten service learning hours for making a total of 40 holiday cards. If you would like to bring joy to someone’s holiday and complete your service learning requirement, the deadline to turn in 40 handmade cards is Dec. 10.

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Photos by RomanPhotos by Roman

Buy your Yearbook today!If you order your yearbook before Dec. 18 for

$65 you get 4 free personalizations. Order today at jostensyearbook.com

Light the Menorah

Exchanging homeland for educationBy Jamie Leos

Imagine living and learning in a different country, living with a new family, and experiencing a new way of life. This imagination is a reality for foreign exchange student

Gianmarco Zorzetto, Div. 312.

Zorzetto is one of Taft’s foreign ex-change students from Venice, Italy. He has been living with Stephanie Madl (Div.737) and her family since the beginning of this school year.

Madl said, “It was a long process to get approved to be a host family. When choos-ing an exchange student to live with us, my family read over submitted essays and chose Gianmarco because he wrote that he was talkative and energetic, which would be a perfect fit with my family. Gianmarco is going to be with us until January, but he expects to extend his stay. At first, things were awkward having a stranger living in our household, but over time we all became closer to each other.”

According to afsusa.org the American Field Service (AFS) is a non profit organization that offers international

exchange programs in over 40 countries around the world. AFS’s mission is to work toward a more just and peaceful world by providing international and intercultural learning experiences to individuals, families, schools, and communities through a global volunteer partnership.

“Some volunteers came to my school and they told me about this possibility. I wanted to learn about a new culture, learn a new language and have new experienc-es,” said Zorzetto.

Lessons were learned from both sides of this exchange, from the hostess to the visitor.

Features

Madl said,”I have learned that my expectations of what this experience would be was wrong, but in a good way. Gianmarco is adjusting very well to the customs we have in Chicago. It is interesting to see differences between the American and Italian culture. For example,

Italians seem to use more salt and cheese in their food. Also Gi-anmarco had never tried peanut butter before coming on this trip. The cultures are very different but also can be similar.”

As an exchange student, adjusting to a new country’s customs can be difficult dealing with the different food choices as well as word choices.

“Everything is very interesting, I’m learning a new language and that is sometimes not easy. However, is amazing to try all the things that are different from Italy. Being homesick is a struggle that I need to overcome, but I try to speak to my

family periodically throughout the week. Other than that, I feel that this program is an experience that all the people have to do,” said Zorzetto.

In order to encounter this life changing experience, a student can visit afsusa.org in order to find a program that is right for them!

Zorzetto and the Madl family bonding with eachother.

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By Hibah Hassan The eight day Jewish celebra-

tion commonly known as Hanukkah will soon be followed by Jewish fami-lies all around the world. This holiday symbolizes the success in gaining back their

freedom of religion after Antiochus IV Epiphanes forced upon them the belief in Greek Gods for several years.

In 186 B.C., Antiochus IV Epiphanes ordered his soldiers to march to Jerusalem which lead to a massacre and damage to the second holy temple.

According to History.com within two years the Jews had successfully driven the Syrians out, relying largely on guerilla warfare tactics. Judah, the son of Jewish priest Mattathias, called on his followers to cleanse the second temple, rebuild its altar and light it’s Menorah. A menorah is a gold candelabrum whose seven branches represented knowledge and creation and were meant to be kept burning every night.

Since then, the Jews have carried on to light a Hanukiah for eight consecutive days in order to honor those who helped bring back their faith and fought for their independence.

Also stated by History.com, on the night of lighting the Hanukkiah, there was only enough oil to keep the Menorah’s candles burning for one day. However, the candles continued to burn for eight nights. This is known as the Hanukkah Miracle because it gave them enough time to look for more oil to use.

English Teacher Michelle Prince has celebrat-ed Hanukkah her entire life. Some of the traditions she and her family practice are lighting candles, singing songs, playing games, and exchanging gifts with one another.

“In the evening we gather around the menorah, a

special candelabrum, to light candles. One candle is lit on the first night and a candle is added for each additional night, so by the end of the holiday we have lit eight candles.”

Sareena Volkman (Div. 738) has also celebrated Hanukkah her whole life.

“The whole family gathers around the menorah and the candles are lit from right to left corresponding with what day it is, then gifts are exchanged. I for some reason really enjoy actually lighting the candles,” said Volkman.

Like many other holidays, people who celebrate Hanukkah prepare special meals to indulge in.

“It is customary to eat fried foods on this holiday. Some holiday specific foods that we eat include Latkes (potato pancakes) and Sufagni-ot (jelly donuts),” said Prince.

Prince looks most forward to spending time with her family and eating good food around the glow of the candles.

“Hanukkah often coincides with Christmas. I love the overall holiday season- the snow, lights, window decorations in the stores, and overall festive mood that abounds during this period,” said Prince.

Volkman looks most forward to celebrating yet another year of cherished memories, a tradition that has been and will forever be exercised.

Volkman continued, “Hanukkah has been celebrated year after year no matter the circumstances. Even in concentration camps during the holocaust, candles were made from potatoes and oil and still lit.”

Through the hardships, the followers of Jewish beliefs have been able to come out victors, with their accomplishments celebrated and noticed year after year.

No matter what holiday you may be celebrating, consider the blessing of being able to enjoy it with your family. Happy Holidays!

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Photos provided by Madl

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By Harmony Gonzalez

Andy Roshi (Div. 636) is not your average stu-

dent, he is a photographer and will not go unrecognized in his artistic career.

Roshi received an early acceptance at Gallery 37, a prestigious Art Program where he discovered his talent and passion for photography. With more experience and recognition, Roshi found that his unplanned work was his purest and most highly recognized.

“My series, Rhythms of Transit, focuses on move-ment in the city. I am interested in taking photographs of movement in my everyday life. As I travel through the city, I have discov-ered that Chicago is a city in constant motion,” said Roshi.

Roshi took an eager chance and applied to the College Arts Access Program (CAAP) at School of the Art Institute Chi-cago (SAIC) and was one of five junior students accepted into the program. Being a high school-er taking college courses at a presti-gious school was both exciting and overwhelming for Roshi.

“I believe this experience helped

benefit me in learning about what I want to do after high school. This gave me the opportunity to explore another side of myself and really focus on what I am

capable of pursuing,” said Roshi.

Roshi has spent much time and energy on his photography, but considers it more of a hobby. He has taken photos of everyday life and creates a story behind each photograph. In the photograph featuring a highway, there is a man standing on what looks to be an expressway. He looks lost in this estranged environment, yet the pathways in the picture suggests the both coming and going of vehicles.

“It is clear that Andy has passion for his artwork which transfers to his work ethic in class. His creativity and ability to view things in multiple perspectives contrib-utes to our class discussions and analysis of texts. I am impressed and proud of the acknowledge-ment and success that he has received for his accomplish-ments,” said English Teacher, Barbara Newton.

Roshi is one of the most dedicated and creative individu-als one will meet. With the individuality

he incorporates into his work, it is almost impossible to not recognize the level of talent that his work captures.

Capturing the moment

By Harmony GonzalezYou may be familiar with talented writers in your class, but were you

aware that there are potential novelists forming their own publishable narratives in class every day?

According to the Advanced Composition Course Description, Creative Writing is a two

semester course designed for students interested in writing for publication. It will expose students to a variety of writing genres and require them to understand, analyze, imitate and then produce pieces of writing which conform to these genres. The writing process will be emphasized, as will be teacher, peer and self critique. The students will write, revise, critique, cull and publish their own creative works.

Creative Writing Teacher Adrienne Carmona said, “In Creative Writing class, students are composing their own novels based on their interest. Everyday, students are expected to reach a writing goal, specifically a word count. The expectation is that students should write a novel that has 20,000 words, given a month to do so. The objective for them isn’t to only achieve a word count, but to take pride in their writing as they do little by little everyday. I want them to see how they have progressed in their writing.”

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which encourages students from all over to create their own publishable novel step-by step. For helpful tips and information, English Teacher Sergio Santillan recom-mends visiting the website ywp.nanowrimo.org for guidance.

Samantha Farrell (Div. 723), is writing a novel about six friends that go on a road trip to New Orleans after high school graduation. The friends run into some issues on their road trip and have to work together to make things right. On their journey the six

friends learn more about each other and the importance of friendship.“I am writing this novel in third person, but shift the perspective to keep the narrative

engaging, and hold the reader’s interest,” said Farrell.Emily Condeles (Div. 628), is writing a novel in first person from her very own

perspective. Unlike many other writings, Condeles edits herself into the first two episodes of the series Lost. She writes from her point of view in present tense from the moment a plane crashes on her way to Los Angeles, where she ends up stranded on an abandoned island with people she does not know.

“I was inspired to write from a new perspective based on one of my favorite Television series. By putting the events into first person and present tense, it really changes the perspective of my novel,” said Condeles.

Writing a novel is not easy and these students have taken pride in their work to reach their goal beyond the classroom’s expectations.

“Writing is a process, and I expect my students to understand that writing takes time and that a novel isn’t produced over a day. It’s about coming back to their writing, rereading the story, revising, editing, and making sure they indulge themselves into writing something that not only interests them, but their audi-ence,” said Carmona.

With the talented writers in this elective class, it is no doubt that their novels will reach the expectation of not only the

class, but all readers that open the first page of their story.

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Raise your voice-not guns

Roshi poses with his camera.Photo by Gonzalez

Photos provided by Roshi

By Harmony Gonzalez

This year will be the 21st Annual Student Voices Contest which is about the impact of gun

violence on our community and their solution to end the gun abuse and violence.

The Student Voices Contest is sponsored by the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV) who encour-age students to speak publically about the topic of gun violence and how it has impacted their life and community. The contest awards prizes to over 200 students each year, and has the participation of more than 80 schools in the Chicagoland area.

English Teacher Maria Asvos said, “For the last six years I have had my English classes enter the Student Voices Contest, because I think it is important for students to be aware that gun violence is a major concern in our communi-ty. The contest offers an opportunity for students to express their feelings and thoughts regarding gun violence in various ways. Taft has had many winners over the years and we will continue to have more each year.”

Students can enter their work in the form of essays, poetry, art, or spoken word. The judging for the categories are divided by grades 1-4, grades 5-8, and grades 9-12. Each winning student receives a new Apple iPad, and their teacher receives a $100 gift card to a book

or art store in recognition of the student’s achievement.

“It was a great feeling to have my work recognized outside of school. I wrote about how our generation needs to become more educated on gun violence to help prevent it from becoming more present in our community,” said Morgan Zajac, Div. 010.

Not only do winners receive a prize for their winning piece, but they are also invited to attend an assembly hosted by ICHV where they are asked to present their work in front of Dignitaries such as the mayor and governor of Illinois.

Adriana Torres (Div. 816) said, “In 7th grade I originally wrote an essay, but then formed it into a poem. I was invited to the Lincoln Awards Ceremony where I recited my poem in front of the senator and other government officials. It was a

great experi-ence that has followed me through-out the past few years. Two months ago there was a reunion for all the winners from three years

ago, where all of our work was incorporat-ed into a book which in the process of being put together this year. It was truly a great experience being a part of this contest because it made me realize how my words can make a difference.”

If you are interested in expressing your thoughts on gun violence in Chicago, visit www.ichv.org, for the contest packet and more details on student eligibility. Do not stay silent, speak up about gun violence in your community and make a difference today.

Winning artwork from 2015 Student Voices Contest.

Write it out

A young novelist writing her story.

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A piece from Roshi’s collection, Rhythms of Transit.

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ResolYOUtions

“My new year’s resolution is to be a better person. I believe that I can achieve this goal by working hard to be more open-minded, less judgemental, and try my best to be understanding of all people and situations,” said Michael Sandoval, Div. 628.

By Harmony Gonzalez These students are preparing themselves for the new year with positive goals.

“This year, my resolution is to improve my organization and time management. In the past my resolutions tend to not work out because I stress my-self out and give up easily, however this year it is my goal to stay focused and on task when it comes to school and my everyday life,” said Estefania

Moreno, Div. 729.

“My new year’s resolution is to get my drivers license and take all the necessary steps to do so. I must renew my permit and take driving tests that hoped to have completed years ago, but I have made this my priority for 2016, and I know I can get it done,’ said Tyler Niedzielak, Div. 636.

“This year I have made staying a vegetarian my ultimate goal. I have been working very hard on keeping myself on a diet and focusing on my health. Being vegetarian is something that I work on everyday and plan to continue throughout the whole year,” said Anaise Carde-nas, Div. 829.

“This year my resolution is to go into the Varsity City Championship for the Taft swim team. I will keep practicing my strokes to become a better swimmer and build skills as an individual,” said Delilah Crespo, Div. 937.

“My new year’s resolu-tion is to work hard at swim-ming and participate in as many races as I can for the boy’s swim team. I know if I put in more time and dedica-tion I can achieve my goal,” said Elian Martinez, Div. 937.

“This year I plan to bal-ance my school work with get-ting a job. I need to achieve my grade goal so I can make time for starting a job. This is really important to me because I want to prove to myself and my family that I can accomplish my goal,” said Kevin Zabaleta, Div. 823.

“My new year’s resolution is to take school more seriously and improve my grades in class-es. I know I can do this with more focus and hard work everyday I spend at school,” said Grant Stiles, Div 735.

Yearbook AnnouncementAttention Seniors! Senior Hall of Fame nominations will be held during homeroom

December 4. Elections will be held by Friday, December 18. Nominate your peers for the following categories:

-Most Athletic -Most Artistic-Friendliest-Most likely to become famous-Most likely to become a comedian-Mr. & Mrs. THS

-Too Sassy-Best Smile-Best Dressed-Cutest Couple-Best Glo Up-Attached at the hip

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Artwork by Julia Zeler

Santa Claus or you know who is coming to town! By Mia Sorci

Santa Claus is comin to town this season! For many years children have fallen victim to being lied to

about Santa Claus, but is it justifiable or downright wrong?

With festive activities right around the corner, children have already begun to make their Christmas lists to send to Santa. As the children grow older they learn that mystical man that comes through their chimney eating their cookies is in fact, just their parents. Some may say it is the right thing to do while others argue that it is wrong to lie to your children.

Pbs.org shares that is does not hurt to let kids use their imagination, but can affect trust. When they range from ages four to seven they live in the “fantasy life magic years”.

They are not being harmed by hearing this story and their parents are just following a tradition. There is not just one big made up story that goes along with him, but he can be interpreted in many different ways.

“I will tell my kids about Santa Claus because I feel that it would be weird if you sent your kids to school after Christmas and all their friends want to know what they got from Santa, but they have no Santa. It is definitely a childhood tradition,” said Sarah Bilyj, Div. 627.

Businessinsider.com argues that it is morally wrong to lie to your children about Santa. It is believed to be

wrong because children should not be lied to just because they are gullible and that it indeed is no white lie, but it is an actual lie.

They say it does not fuel the imagination because they are actually blatantly feeding their kids facts about Santa. If children actually used their imagination about Santa, every kid would perceive him in a different way than the general one you can find at your local mall. It creates trust issues due to the fact that they take advantage of their beliefs.

“I found out Santa wasn't real when I was about ten

years old by putting various clues together. Christmas definitely felt different to me after because I had nothing to look forward to anymore. I didn’t get to make lists anymore, but instead I would just tell my parents what I

wanted. I felt bummed, but I got over it,” said Alexis Custodio, Div. 628.

Psychologytoday provides arguments along with their counter arguments as to why parents are wrong for lying to their children. They say it may create early trust issues and Santa should be left as just a story. There is no reason to make him into anything bigger than just a fairytale character. By pushing the Santa onto the children it acts as a bribery for

them to be good. “My wife is a huge fan of the holidays so

we will probably tell my daughter about Santa Claus. I don’t remember how I found out that

santa wasn’t real but it just happened. My experience was so unusual that it did not really affect me. The Santa myth will perpetuate because I will tell my daughter and she will tell her kids and so on and so forth,” said Physics and Robotics Teacher Richard DeThorne.

The extent to which the lying occurs expands off to Easter and even when children lose a tooth. The only real downside to the stories is the fact that one day it stops being real. Imaginations are fueled and children are encouraged to act better in hopes of getting something good in return.

Whether people like it or not, the tradition of Santa will be around for many years to come. Christmas is right around the corner, so make sure not to forget to leave out milk and cookies!

By Ozzy RamirezWe have all

dreamed of what we wanted to be when we grow up. Now, the time has come to choose what colleges

we will attend to learn about the careers we want to pursue.

However, as we grow older, reality hits us and the joy of living out our fantasies is overpowered by one sole factor-money. This all sparks the question, should we pursue a career with a good salary or try to pursue our dreams? Here at Taft, we have many talented individuals and one of them is Abdelnasir Khalifeh (Div. 629), who is pursuing his dream of being a professional singer.

“Of course money plays a role when choosing which career you want to pursue. It is what makes the world go round, but I can honestly say that my decision to pursue a career in music has nothing to do with money. I live life to inspire one person to inspire the next person and when I make music I try to get others to feel what I

By Janneth PenaIt is often disappointing when your favorite book has a movie

made, and the movie did not do the book justice. “A majority of the time I watch the movie because I’m more of a

visual person, but I think it’s definitely not the same if you read the book and watch the movie you’ll see there’s a lot of left out,” said

Elizabeth Amesquita, Div. 637.According to debate.org 63% of the voters said that movies are not better than the

books. A book lets you “live” everything. and feel all the emotions the characters are feeling.

One of the main reasons people often feel disappointed is because the movies are not the way you imagined it, whereas on the other hand you can you can imagine it the

way you want to. “Sometimes I think that the movie is better than the book, but the book usually tells

or has more detail. Original intent is what the writer wants,” said Sarah Hessart, Div. 635.

“Personally I believe movies are better, I guess I’m not a reading person everything is so digital now, it’s easier to just get a friend and go watch a movie,” said Amesquita.

“I saw the Mortal Instruments first and thought it was fantastic. But then I read the book and it was better than the movie. There was more detail, that made me want to read more. The movie left out main parts from the book that should of been said in the movie. But overall, it was still good,” said Hessart.

According to ranthollywood.com movies take a lot less time to get through then books do. Perhaps that’s why some people would rather see the movies instead.

“To read a book I need complete silence, a different kind of attention. A movie can be interpreted in different ways, but a book you need to contain a certain amount of focus to interpret the way the writer wants you to,” said Amesquita.

Perhaps reading can be mentally stimulating and an escape to some people. But watching a movie can be also as entertaining especially with good company.

Chasing dollars or chasing dreams? Books better than the movie?

Elizabeth Amesqui

Columns

feel when I am at my best,” said Khalifeh.Another student is Wiktoria Kowal-

czyk (Div. 618), who is a talented artist that is planning on getting her doctoral degree instead of pursuing her dream.

“I love art, however when people hear that they usually look down on the idea of me doing it professionally. My family thinks it is a bad idea as well

because the field is so competitive and will not get me a stable job,”

said Kowal-czyk.

It is unfortunate that

some of us let people influence what we should or

should not do based off how much our desired careers will make and not on what we are passionate about.

As many of us have heard this saying before

“Money does not buy happiness”, what makes us happy should be the thing we should pursue.

According to a Harvard Business Review

people who make progress every day toward something they care about report being satisfied and fulfilled.

At the end of the day, we must decide for ourselves what is more important, money or your dreams?

Artwork by Wiktoria Kowalczyk

Artwork by Stephanie Maier

yearbook announcement:Attention all Seniors, if you still have not submitted your baby pic-tures, the dealine has been extended until Friday, Dec. 4. You can submit your pictures on Taft ’s website or submit it to the baby picture box in the library.

COLUMNS CONTINUED 7

What do teenagers really care about?

By Ozzy Ramirez Just like two plus two and learning the alphabet, learning

what guys care about is incredibly simple. If you have not noticed, guys have the attention span of a squirrel and the maturity of a five year old meaning that it does not take too much to entertain men. What it really comes down to live in a guy’s world is three simple things: video games/sports, getting

women, and respect from the boys.

Straight up savages Materialistic DemonsBy Mia Sorci

It is pretty easy to know girls as a whole when you know about makeup, Starbucks, and good selfies. We all do the same things and have the same interests. When it comes to being a girl, there are a few things that are way more appealing than the rest. The values we hold may lie more materialistic than important, but certainly do not disappoint.

Guys have a natural tendency to be competitive. In previous generations, men would show their competitive spirit through athletics. It is entertaining and allows men to go head-to-head against their enemies and friends to see who is more superior. It also gives the winner bragging rights. Not only do guys participate in sports but we enjoy watching them as well. Watching the best athletes in the world go at it for hours and hours with something on the line is entertainment at its finest. We currently still enjoy watching and

competing against one another through athletics but if only there was an easier, lazier way to compete with one another without leaving the edge of our couch. Well, there is and this option is known as video games. Video games allow us to do the very same thing we do with sports only from the comfort of our homes. All these things are very important in a man’s life and are done often.

“I usually play video games with my friends so I can talk smack to them. They are entertaining and bring out a competitive side. When it comes to watching sports, Saturdays and Sundays are my football days. On Saturdays I will watch college football and watch Notre Dame play and on Sundays I will watch pro-football and watch the Chicago Bears play,” said Kieran King, Div.627.

Showing dominance in sports and video games is fun and all but the ultimate challenge to show a man’s true dominance is how many girls he can attract, otherwise known as being “The Ladies Man”. Being the ladies man is difficult, but for many of those who reach this title, it is like a badge of honor. The reason why is because of how challeng-ing and nerve wrecking it can be to talk to women and when you do it so often and make it look easy, other men will give you the thumbs up and show appreciation.

“Getting a lot of girls for a guy is a confidence booster. It means that you appeal to a lot of women and that you are really well liked. Not only does it build confidence, but it shows appreciation for a person’s character,” said Joseph Jastrzebski, Div.627.

Now for a guy you never want to be considered a chicken, wuss, or whipped by your buddies. Let’s just say guys take peer pressure to another level. For a guy, whenever they are challenged by their closest companions to do some-thing that most would not, it is almost like your man-hood is called into a check. Whether it is asking for a girl’s number, having to perform every double-dog dare your friends throw at you, or showing dominance in a relation-ship, these little challenges our

friends give us will determine whether you are a “Savage” or “Whipped”. Savage means you do not have a care in the world about the outcome of situation and do things that are unthinkable, basically you are respected the most by your peers if you claim this title. Whipped is the term people use when a male or a female is extremely obedient to one’s significant other. Bottom line, we all shoot to be “The Savage”, because we want the most respect from our peers.

“I think it is important to get respect from your buddies because they can earn your trust from how much they respect you and that they can rely on you for any given reason,” said Emmanuel Soto (Div.629).

This may seem like a lot but when it comes to men, it could not be more simpler. We love to compete, we love to show our dominance, and of course be “The Savage”.

According to theatlan-tic.com women like to wear a lot of makeup in order to be pleasing in the presence of others. Women have different features than men do which cause them to have to cover up all the problem areas, red spots or acne, instead of leaving them to be. The use of makeup helps to make faces appear much better than without makeup. It all really comes down to a head to head competition about who has the best winged eyeliner or contour palette. The longest of eyelashes and the fleekest of eye-brows help us weed out the strong from the weak. We wake up every morning and blend the 50 shades of bronze eyeshadows on our eyes to impress those around us.

“There are so many famous women in the makeup industry that everyone can have someone different to be inspired by. Kylie Jenner has emphasized her lips and also influenced many girls to contour their faces, while Marilyn Monroe influences the

redlipstick and winged eyeliner look. Sephora is definitely a great place to get makeup,” said Stefany Moya, Div. 617.

According to lipstickandapen.com women like Starbucks for various means of comfort and also many means of

materialism. The rich look of a paper cup as opposed to a Dunkin Donuts styrofoam cup

helps them display a level of class that fuels their appearance. It also tells about, more specifically, the white girl stereotype that lives on through their suburbanized loca-

tions. It is a good place to hang out with other girls who love a good frappuccino

without judgement. While they are at it, better not forget to post a good selfie with their seasonal

yet controversial red cup!“I love Starbucks! Not only is the coffee good,

but the place itself is aesthetically pleasing. I feel that it is leaned more towards girls with their Tumblr-like

feel while inside and tasty holiday drinks. My friend Heather loves Pumpkin Spice Lattes with skim milk and

no whipped cream. I personally feel that all the girls know that the best place to order off of is the secret menu,”

said Kayla Quirk, Div. 617.

Dailymail.co.uk statistics unsurprisingly show that females aged 16-25 are the most prolific selfie-takers. Young women spend up to 48 minutes a day taking selfies and 22% of females take them solely to get likes. We suffer from selfie-es-teem issues and thrive solely on the idea of getting likes on a picture. If a girl does not achieve a certain amount of likes in an allotted period of time, it will be deleted. A lot goes into a selfie that can make it a time consuming affair such as the lighting, the re-doing of makeup, just the right angle, and to top it all off the best filter out there. Selfies are actually a work of art we present for others to appreciate.

“I love taking selfies. I think the selfie stick was a dumb invention though because it takes the fun out of selfies while also ruining them with a pole in the picture,” said Melanie Hidalgo, Div. 620

With minds that only wander to these few subjects, life becomes fairly simple being a girl. Who has time for politics when there is a new liquid lipstick coming out?

1. Makeup

2. Starbucks

3. Selfi es 3. Respect from the boys

2. Getting Girls

1. Sports/Videogames

Melanie Hidalgo capturing the perfect selfi e.

Kieran King playing Call of Duty

Jastrzebski using his charm to get girls

The guys shaking up with eachother

COLUMNS CONTINUED 8

Photo provided by Vox.com

By Hannah Gonzalez “Merry Christmas” messages

are plastered everywhere this holiday season, everywhere except for the Starbuck’s holiday cup.

The controversial cup stripped all of its traditional winter themed designs for a simplistic solid red color.

According to money.cnn.com when the cups rolled out in late Oct., Starbucks Vice President Jeffrey Fields said the company "wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories."

“I think the red is enough of a statement for the holidays as it’s simple, classy, and gets straight to the

point,” said Sarah Santa, Div. 639.While some customers fail to see the issue centered

around the coffee cups, others are outraged.According to vox.com, the naked red cup, unadorned

with symbols like holly or snowflakes, is an affront against the Christian faith, and a cut against Christianity.

“I don’t like the cups due to how plain they are; I was very disappointed,” said Entrepreneurship Teacher Lauren Zucchero.

“When I go to Starbucks in the holiday season I expect a season cup to match the seasonal drink I purchase; a cup that screams Christmas,” said Zucchero.

The outrage expands past everyday citizens and to

‘Tis the season to stir up controversy

popular celebrities such as comedian Ellen Degeneres and political figure Donald Trump.

Usatoday.com reports Donald Trump held a campaign rally Monday evening in Springfield to court voters. During the Nov. 9 event, Trump addressed Starbucks' controversial decision to leave Christmas off its holiday cups.

“I have one of the most successful Starbucks in Trump Tower,” Trump told the crowd. “Maybe we should boycott Starbucks? I don’t know. Seriously, I don’t care. By the way, that’s the end of that lease but who cares. If

I become president, we’re all going to be saying

Merry Christmas again, that I can tell you. That I can tell you. Unbelievable.”

“Truthfully, I don’t understand the big deal at all,” said Santa concerning the backlash from Trump and anyone else appalled. “It’s just a cup. There are so many other things happening in the world that makes this debate so small and meaningless.”

If you agree there is no christmas to be found at starbucks this year, look to their featured menu that entails of popular holiday flavors such as their Ginger-bread Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Eggnog Latte, and six other festive beverages. Their menu may be festive, but their cups are far from it.

By Janneth Pena At some point in serious relation-

ships there are obstacles that interfere such as distance, leaving the couple to face certain decisions.

Some may question whether a teenager can actually fall in love.

According to debate.org some people claim to have met their current spouse at a very young age and have stayed together since then contributing to the fact that yes teenagers can fall in love. On the other hand the rest say, that young adults do not know meaning of true love. That they are not mature enough to understand, they “become” confused with liking him/her a lot and love.

“I do believe that teens can fall in love because of the way I feel, and the way he makes me feel, can’t be described as anything else,” said Essa Gercone, Div.624.

Gercone has been in a relationship with her boyfriend for 10 months, and considers him to be an important part of her life.

“Bozo Milisav (Div. 640) and I have been together for three years, we met the first day of our freshman year here at Taft, said Amanda Rodriguez, Div. 640.

In order for a relationship to last long there are several factors that contrib-ute to this relationship. According to psychologytoday.com there has to be chemistry, qualities that you fancy, and a connection with the person.

“Amanda and I are in love with each other. The amazing part of our relationship is

we never have problems, we have

fun. I always tell her everything, I

trust her, and we always joke around. I am lucky to have her,”

said Milisav.Perhaps young adults

can actually fall in love, but

what can these two

lovebirds do when they become older and college

draws its card. Most people agree long-term relationships do not work out in the long run.

“I’m going to be four hours away in Iowa and he will stay here. I plan to visit once a month or every month and a half or have him come down. We plan to use Grey-hound transportation, we have had serious conversations about it despite the distance,” said Gercone.

According to longdistancerelationshipstatistics.com 32.5 % of all long distance relationships are college relationships. However, there is no actual evidence that supports the idea that long-distance relationships all actually fail. It also states that, “4.5 months – the average time before a long distance relationship breaks down”.

“Since we are seniors college is right around the corner, and I have colleges in mind like Bozo. Although, I would prefer to stay in Illinois. We both have University of Chicago in mind, but if he were to get a full ride to a college of his choice I’d want him to take the opportunity,” said Rodriguez.

Couples do need to come up with a plan to try and work their relationship to keep it strong. To do that they’d have to sit down and explain what they both want and make sure they both are fully committed and aware of possibilities.

“It’s the same for me, if Amanda received an amazing scholarship I’d support her, although if she were to stay here, I would stay for her. And if not we’d both definitely work on it and try long distance,” said Milisav.

If you and your significant other have a strong connection, and are willing to keep up a relationship it will take time and effort. If it’s true love, the risk is worth taking.

Hello Heartache

By Osvaldo RamirezCoffee, candy, energy drinks,

whatever the case may be, students and teachers often use these products to get a boost of energy so

that they can work faster and more efficiently. Yes, caffeine can really make a difference in how a person works, but what about their health?

According to aarp.org low to moderate doses of caffeine are generally safe, but it can also be addictive and users can become dependent on it and find it difficult to quit or even cut back on. It can even trigger pounding headaches, rapid heartbeat, mental fuzziness and fatigue for a couple of days until the body adjusts.

Though caffeine can seriously harm your health, many students here at Taft drink multiple caffein-ated drinks a day so that they can complete their work-load.

“I will have coffee about three-four times a week and a Red Bull Energy Drink once a week. I usually only drink caffeine to maintain my energy throughout the day. Lately I have been constantly using caffeine to keep me awake. I feel that over my high school career I have increased the amount of my caffeine intake. I have most recently began drinking coffee at Starbucks where I will have a cup of coffee before my usual study sessions with my friends. But, caffeine should be taken in moderation. It is definitely not a bad thing necessarily, however, it can be if it is consumed too much,” said Zohaib Ahmed, Div. 615

Other students however simply enjoy caffeine for the taste and the other effects and it has on users.

“I have probably three to four caffeinated drinks a day, mostly coffee but sometimes a tea as well. I do not go a single day without caffeine. If I do not have caffeine, I get a killer headache. Once I have my coffee, my headache instantly goes away. Coffee does not only energize me, but I also enjoy the taste. It is really relaxing for me. In my opinion, I feel like caffeine is great, it gives me energy, it makes me happy, it is relaxing and sooth-ing, and it is delicious. But, it is also an addiction so it is probably not great for me, but I love it,” said Sarah Santa,

Div. 639

Students are not the only ones who consume such a large amount of caffeine, teachers also do too.

“I drink six cups of coffee, everyday. I live, breath, and bleed coffee. But of course, for every cup of coffee I drink two glasses of water to even out my intake of caffeine. I would never want to stop drinking coffee because I

enjoy it very much and it helps me wake up in

the morning for school. However, I have always said that too much of anything is never good,” said Math Teacher Theone Haralampopoulos.

Yes, caffeine can give you that boost of energy in the morning to be awake at school, wake you up before a game or keep you up all night as you do homework, but like Haralampopoulos said, “Too much of anything is never good”.

Are you going caffeine crazy?

Emma Van Essen keeping Josh Van Essen from his Caffeine crave

Photo by Ramirez

Artwork by Sindey Peters

Too soon for Christmas? By Mia Sorci

Many stores already have had Christmas displays set up for a few weeks, but the real question is, is it too soon?

Some people argue that any time is Christmas time and there should be spirit all year around, while others see it as something that should stay in December.

According to Theodys-seyonline.com there is no need in putting out decora-tions the day after Hallow-een due to the fact that it ruins the true meaning. It ends up leaving Thanksgiv-ing unnoticed and unrecog-nized.

“I think that the day after Halloween is the perfect day to start listening to Christmas music and to begin selling trees and ornaments. I love the difference in everyone's mood around that time and all the lights. The spirits are heightened and it makes for a great holiday,” said

Jessica Kelly, Div. 623. Some stores have taken a stand on the subject

by refusing to put up decorations until after Thanksgiv-ing. Nordstrom has announced that they “like to focus on one holiday at a time” and will not be putting anything up until Nov. 27.

According to NBChicago.com other stores along with Staples and H&M will remain closed on Thanks-

Do you have that winter time sadness?

giving too. Customers appreciate it and it leaves people at the table to actually eat their turkey.

“I think that Christmas should stay in December. Stores should begin to sell things on December 1st and that is when the spirit should start. Thanksgiving deserves its recognition sometime between the two “major” holidays,” said Nicholas Bowman, Div. 627.

“My parents are absolutely livid about Christmas. We even have Christmas toilet covers, but we know when the right time for it all is. The right time to sell every-thing is Black Friday because Thanksgiv-ing deserves some respect,” said Madision Di Silvio, Div. 617

Overall, whether you view the 26th as a turkey trot or a race to the store someone somewhere is going crazy for Christmas. Time to go buy an ugly Santa sweater! Photos provided by Google ImagesPhotos provided by Google Images

Winter Wordsearch!

By Janneth Pena

Are the darker and shorter days making you feel sadder? The medical term for this melancholy feeling during the winter is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

According to webmd.com SAD is a type of depression that takes place during a specific season of the year. It is mostly believed that it is caused by the lack of sunlight, affecting sleep patterns due to the darker days, and can cause problems with serotonin which is a chemical in the brain. Serotonin plays a major part in mood examples such as anxiety, happiness.

“I believe that weather affects me, and since during the winter it’s mostly darker out, I feel gloomy and alone, I feel like I go through a dark facade.” said Nika Szalaj, Div. 622.

According to huffingtonpost.com SAD affects 10 million American adults and some people do experience this even during spring or even the summer. The affects of SAD is feeling tired, anxious, moody, lose of interest and more.

“I get depressed in the winter, I feel that that’s when there’s a lot of tension. Personally because it’s the time my brothers come back from college to spend the holidays with us. And we don’t always get along and when I see families happy together it kind of bugs me because my family isn’t like that,” said Diamo-nique Tillman, Div. 626.

According to nhs.uk there are ways to cope and help

yourself out of this slump, and it is to exercise. Exercising releases endorphins that make you feel happier. There is evidence

that 30 minutes of vigorous exercise, three times a week is effective against depression and that lighter exercise will have a beneficial effect too.

There are multiple reasons that may add on to this melancholy state of mind. “When I look outside, I see the trees and they have no leaves, they look dead. And it makes me feel gloomy, I mean it’s so cold outside, you barely see people outside, and the parks are empty. It’s like everything is deserted,” said Szalaj.

“Around the winter I believe it also affects people when they’re special someone isn’t around, due to special circumstanc-es. For example he/she could be in the army, different state, etc. It can make people feel really down since the holidays are well

spent with the people we love.” said Tillman.“I think most people become upset during the holidays since

holidays are very romanticized so people tend to feel lonely especially if they don’t have a bae or family to spend it with, which is why I

believe it adds on to feeling depressed during the winter, said Noe Pena, Div.930.

There are multiple ways that we can do to help ourselves feel happier during the winter even though our environment shows otherwise, staying optimistic always helps!

Photo provided by Google images

COLUMNS CONTINUED 9

Entertainment By Mia Sorci

Our prayers are being answered with the anticipated release of Captain America: Civil War. The film is set to come out sometime within 2016.

For those who may not know, Captain America is part of the Marvel Universe. His character is played by

the dashing Chris Evans who previously appeared as Captain America in the first two films, Captain America: The first Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He also makes up part of the team in The Avengers and Avengers 2: Age of Ultron. He starts out as a scrawny guy who wants to be in the army, then gets injected with a super soldier serum that gives him super speed, endurance, and strength. He soon becomes a household name and people want him to fight for the country. He faces many obstacles that shape him into person he soon becomes.

“I’ve watched all the Marvel movies, and Captain America’s are some of my favorites. He is my second favorite avenger behind, of course, Iron Man. I think the new movie will be interesting to watch due to the fact that there will be a conflict between my two favorites in this upcoming film. I think Chris Evans is a great actor and he fits the role perfectly, and I can’t wait to see how they are going to carry the plot forward,” said Rebecca Byrne, Div. 637.

From what has been released so far, via IMDB.com, viewers can expect to see familiar faces like Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, and Marvel’s latest addition Paul Rudd. The group will return to approach a battle between Iron Man and Captain America, but which side will they choose?

“I admire Captain America’s character because in the first movie he would always try. Even when people told him he couldn’t do anything he never gave up and showed them all wrong. I also love the concept of crossovers between the movies because it makes for one action pack ed series. I love how Stan Lee, Marvel’s creator, is featured in each movie in some way as well,” said Madison Disilvio, Div. 637.

Like anything in the world, some people will like some-thing while others do not care for it so much. With Captain America, some people do not care as much, while viewing super strength as a dumb power.

“Captain America is my least favorite avenger. I will probably see the third movie, but I’m going to wait until it’s out on DVD because I won’t go to theaters to see it. They aren’t bad movies, but they’re nowhere close to being my favorite. His power is weaker than the rest and he doesn’t have a cool hammer,” said Krystian Popko, Div. 634.

If you have not watched the Captain Amerca movies, now is definitely the time to catch up. Some people do not know that there is an actual timeline for all the Marvel movies, which makes them all intertwine together. You can find them on techtimes.com and start from there. Grab some popcorn and have fun!

Man versus metal

By Katherine GrealySuzanne Collin’s The Hunger

Games has become one of the biggest phenomenon of this era. With the mix of sci-fi, action, and

romance, there is truly an aspect for everyone to enjoy. Now the final installment has arrived: Mockingjay Part II.

“Since Mockingjay is the last movie in the franchise, I am expecting for it to be the best one” said Breanna Kelly, Div. 640.

According to deadline.com, Mockingjay Part I had made 121,500 million dollars in its opening week. Howev-er, Part II made only 101 million dollars in its opening week. The movie was released on Nov. 20. At Mockingjay’s Red Carpet Premiere in London on Nov. 5, all of the cast members from the movie, such as Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth, were there interact-ing with lucky fans and telling some funny behind the scenes stories.

“I expect to cry from tragic scenes of which should occur throughout the movie,” said Hayley Carmona, Div. 717.

The trailer released on Oct. 6th gave fans a glimpse

To kill a Mockingjayof District 13, which was previously believed to be wiped out, reappearing, a brainwashed Peeta Mellark, and a plan to take down the Capitol once and for all. The film staying in director Francis Lawrence’s hands is putting the fans at ease, despite harsh fan reviews given on Part I

by the hardcore fanbase.Katniss Everdeen is

shown as a heroine, a symbol of rebellion, the Mockingjay against a corrupt government, So it is not too crazy to believe that young girls would choose to look up to someone with those admirable attributes. She not only inspires young girls, but has started a trend for female characters in literature, such as Veronica Roth’s Diver-gent trilogy with a strong female main character, Tris Prior.

“I feel that Jennifer Lawrence has made Katniss a role model for young girls with how she plays her role,” said Carmona.

Katniss and the rest of the rebels are finding out that

District 13 is not exactly the escape they have been searching for after all. The fight rages on with her leading against social injustice while still stuck in a love triangle between Peeta and Gale. One thing is for certain: Mockingjay Part II surely keeps a captive audience.

Image courtesy of google imagesImage courtesy of google imagesImage courtesy of google imagesImage courtesy of google images

By Citlalli RomanBath bombs are hard-packed

mixtures of dry ingredients which expand and dissolve when wet. Typically, it is used in baths as a way to relax and enhance your mood due to the aroma and

display that comes after the bath bomb is dropped into your tub.

According to lush.co.uk, the bath bomb was invented by one of the lush co-founders, Mo Con-staine, in 1989 in an attempt to help adults and kids have a really amazing bath experience, even if they are sensitive to bubble mixtures.

They have been portrayed as the new and improved bubble bath as they make your bath water filled with various colors and aromas from essential oils. It is no wonder why they are currently trending all over social media.

Whatever the reason may be, if you cannot get your hands on a bath bomb you can make your very own with these ingredients and save cash for another beauty accessory.

The following are the materials needed in order to make a bath bomb:

Baking SodaCitric AcidWater-free Witch Hazel (in a spray bottle)Fragrance oilWater-free colorant (La Bomb colorant from

Bramble Berry)Pipettes (optional)Mini-muffin pan or any container you want to put

your bath bomb inWax paper (optional)Sticker paper + take-out boxes for packaging

(optional) Measuring cup, bowl, and whiskCitric Acid may be hard to find in stores, but a helpful

suggestion would be to go to Produce Center, located on 5820 N. Milwaukee Ave, to buy it. Once you have all of your materials, making a bath bomb should be easy. Know that the ratio will always be Citric Acid as half the amount of baking soda.

According to wayfair.co.uk, the proper steps needed to create a bath bomb are:

Mix a Cup of baking soda and half a cup of citric acid in a bowl with a whisk until the substance is thoroughly blended.

In a separate container or plastic cup, add up to three tablespoons of canola oil, 20-60 drops of colouring, and up to 40 drops of fragrance.

Next, add the water based ingredients into the dry mixture per small amounts, while whisking it all together. It may fizz, but if that happens just stir faster. This can take a bit of blending, but it is amazing how the colour develops!

Be cautious! You are aiming to get only to the point where the mixture holds together when lightly squeezed in your hand. It should not be sticky.

Press the mixture tightly into your mold and smooth it

out. If you are using a two piece you need to hold the two pieces together tightly and clip them together. You might need to give both sides a spritz of water to help them adhere.

Let the bath bomb dry in your container for about 2-3 hours. Once it is dried, remove it and enjoy!

“I would definitely recommend it because bath bombs are so relaxing and soothing from the aroma of essential oils. If you’re ever having a bad day and need a break, Bath bombs are life savers!” said Kyrsten Bilkey, Div.728.

Not only are bath bombs fun to add to your bath water, but they are also fun to make. Knowing you made it homemade and that it was way more affordable than what they are typically sold for should be comforting!

Make your own bath bomb

mmaauueem Photo provided by BilkeyPhoto provided by Bilkey

A bathbomb in action

11ENTERTAINMENT CONTINUED

Exploring Wintery Chicago By Luis Gutierrez

Although it may be freezing outside, Chicago still has a variety of seasonal activities for tourists and citizens to enjoy.

Chicago is infamous for its harsh and snowy winters, but this weather is

part of what can make Chica-go so entertaining. The cold weather allows for numerous ice skating rinks to spring out around the city during the cold months.

“Ice skating is a lot of fun. I can’t remember exactly where I went to go skating, but it was a little crowded. I still had a great time though,” said Dakotah Peterson, Div 638.

Ice skating rinks can be found at a multitude of public parks. However, the most notable one is downtown at Millennium Park: The McCormick-Tribune Ice Rink, set just in front of the Cloud Gate Statue, com-monly known as The Bean.

“I love to ice skate at Millennium Park. You get a nice view of the city’s skyscrapers and it’s art sculptures,” said Alex Rosas, Div. 645.

Should you find that ice skating does not entertain you, Chicago has plenty more to offer, including Zoo Lights, which lights up Lincoln Park Zoo for the holidays. Zoo Lights features over two million lights around the zoo and free admission, making it a fun and cost effective way to have some holiday fun.

“Zoo Lights is really pretty and looks amazing, but there aren’t a lot of animals out so that’s kind of lame,” said Peterson.

However Zoo Lights is not so much about the animals as it is about the scenery and enjoying the spectacle.

“Since the animals aren’t really out, they do a nice job of setting up the lights to give it a more festive feel every year,” said Rosas.

If you’re not a fan of the cold and are looking for a warmer, indoor attraction perhaps Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier would interest you.

Winter Wonderfest is a 170,000 square foot winter themed carnival, complete with carnival rides, slides, and an ice skating rink.

“I love Winter Wonderfest. It’s a great time for kids as they have plenty of rides for them to enjoy and they have an ice skating rink of their own, which is my personal favorite,” said Rosas.

According to navypier.com, Winter Wonderfest is open from Dec. 5 to Jan. 10 and costs 23 dollars for general admission, which grants access to all of the attractions.

As a result of Chicago’s multiple public parks, there are a good amount of hills that will be covered in snow to go sledding. The winter pastime has become popular in Chicago due to the abundance of sledding locations.

“I love sledding. I go wherever I can because it’s something you don’t get to do much and the rush and memo-ries you make are always exciting,” said Peterson.

Another unique experience resides at Daley Center in downtown Chicago. The Christkindlmarket is a Christmas-themed market that takes inspiration from another with the same name in Nurem-berg, Germany.

“The Christkindlmarket sells all sorts of cool things like hand made ornaments for your Christmas tree and stars made from cool materials that light up from a light bulb on the inside. They sell food too,” said Rosas.

The Christkindlmarket opened on Nov. 20 and

closes on Dec. 24. It’s open from 11 a.m to 8 p.m from Sunday to Thursday and closes at 9 p.m on Friday and Saturday.

In a big city like Chicago, there is always something for everyone to enjoy. Winter attractions are no different as there are many for all ages to experience. Do not let the cold weather stop you from having an enjoyable winter!

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By Marcello PiccininiBlack Ops III is the latest install-

ment in Treyarch’s Call of Duty series and has brought back the trinity of what people look forward to in their lineage of games: story, zombies, and multiplayer.

On Nov. 6, Black Ops 3 released in retailers across the world. According to forbes.com, during its release weekend it raked in a total of 550 million dollars, and has been called “the biggest entertainment launch of the year” by publisher Activision. However, that statement has since been retconned with the 750 million dollar launch figures of Fallout 4.

“Since Call of Duty is an annual release, there’s only so much you can do to change things up, but the specialist system in Black Ops 3 multiplayer seems like a very cool addition,” said Conor Swenson, Div. 917.

The storyline in the original Black Ops game was set in the Cold War/Vietnam era, following Black Ops operatives Alex Mason and Frank Woods. The present day portions of the game are set in a CIA base with agent Jason Hudson attempting to crack a number code put inside Mason’s mind by Soviet scientists in a prison camp. As Mason, the player goes on a mental journey through the events leading up to the present day, while trying to figure out what the numbers mean.

Black Ops 2 takes place in 2025, following the son of Alex Mason: David Mason. The game occasionally

Battling with the mindswitches to the perspective of Alex Mason or Woods through flashback sequences of Woods’ recollection of events. The game’s ending is determined by the choices of the player at key points in the story, which include what locations to keep control over and who to kill off.

“I liked the time periods the storylines were set in. It all made for an interesting plot. I also enjoy the zombies mode because of the easter eggs that Treyarch added. They add a unique twist to zombies that the original maps

didn’t have,” said Jimmy Riess, Div. 937.

Black Ops 3 takes place in 2065 and follows the player’s character, appropri-ately named “player,” along with Jacob Hendricks, the player’s partner. The player and Hendricks must chase after a brainwashed team of cybernetically enhanced and physically augmented super-soldiers before they release a deadly virus upon a world enveloped by technology. The story mode of the game features 4 player cooperative play.

“Playing the game with friends definitely makes the game more enjoyable. The

zombies game mode is a lot more challenging, but it makes for some laughs when you’re playing with others,” said Sean Grealy, Div. 932.

With technology rapidly evolving in today’s society, Black Ops 3 may not be that far off of where we will be in the near future. Till then gamers will be playing through the eyes of their own super soldier and having a blast while doing so.

news flashstudent government will

be selling their annual

holiday candy grams dec.

7 through dec. 15 in the

lunchroom next to the coun-

selor’s office. candy grams

will be sold for $1 each and

will come with a personal-

ized message and a candy

cane!

Photo courtesy of Google ImagesPhoto courtesy of Google Images

Photos courtesy of Google Images

By Michal KobialkaOrganizing conversations with

friends from different groups like sports, school clubs, or work is an important task, but it can get pretty hectic keeping track of them all. This is where GroupMe comes to the rescue.

“Being a busy teenager occupied with school, work, and sports means you have to communicate and keep track of your contacts. Anything that simplifies those things can only be a positive addition to your life,” said Krystian Popko, Div. 632

Introduced in 2010, the app was created to serve as the best way to chat with everyone you know. According to play.google.com, it has been downloaded 5 to 10 million times onto devices running iOS, Android, or Windows.

Gizmodo, a design and technology blog, has called the app a “life changer” and “utterly indispensable.” CNN labels it as “an essential addition to your app library.”

According to groupme.com, the app is like a private chat room for your small group. You can add anybody you want, create whatever groups you want, and talk to others even if they do not use the app themselves.

GroupMe is completely free and works on any device. You can send regular messages, share photos and videos, share your location, or even like messages.

“I like the app because it comes in handy when I need to send out messages or alerts to our soccer team. Coach Medunycia and Coach Arlind introduced me and the rest of the team to it,” said Ashley Rubio, Div. 625

GroupMe, put simply, makes it quick and easy to communicate with the important groups in your life, whether it is family, friends, coworkers, or classmates.

“Being an athlete for more than one sport makes it important to keep in contact with your coach and team-mates. With GroupMe, it’s really easy to find out when or where practice is, updates on schedules, or simply anything. I’m on the lacrosse and poms team which we use GroupMe almost every day to stay connected. It’s as easy as texting on any another app and no one has to know your number. I give GroupMe a 5 star rating for it being a safe and easy app that comes mighty handy for school.’ said Emily Tekien, Div. 615.

If you are feeling like you need to bring some order to your phone communications, GroupMe might just do the trick for you.

Messaging made easy with GroupMe

Photo courtesy of Google Images

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ize

12ENTERTAINMENT CONTINUED

By Hayley Christopher Disney’s family friendly and heart

touching animated films have been filling children with imagination and laughter since 1937.

There are hundreds of animated Pixar movies that Disney is responsible

for. According to www.thetoptens.com, the world famous movie Toy Story is ranked as one of the top ten Pixar films ever made. Toy Story caught everyone’s heart with the story of the two beloved characters Woody and Buzz.

“When I was little I wasn’t one to sit inside and watch TV because I loved being outside, but once I experienced Toy Story I found myself able to stay inside and rewatch it for hours on end.” said Annie Delfosse, Div. 730.

After the original film, Disney brought happiness to fans when Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 were released. When there is a sequel to a movie it is usually not nearly as good as the original. Imdb.com says that Toy Story has some of the only sequels that are as good as the first movie.

“Toy Story 2 is my favorite one because of how unique it is from the other two. Pixar and Disney intro-

To infinity and beyondduced a new world for children and families who watched the film.” said Valerie Ortiz, Div. 721.

There are movies that are produced and put in theaters that viewers sooner or later forget about. Fans seemed to never lose the love they had for these three films. Toy Story is the film that when you grow older you still have a soft spot for.

“I am in love with every single Toy Story film to begin with, so when I found out there was going to be a fourth installment I was ecstatic. I expect to see new and adorable characters and to see Andy all grown up.” said Amy Steibing, Div. 733.

Toystory.disney.com explains how excited everyone at Disney is going to be throughout the process of making the fourth movie. High expectations are being held by people at Disney

and, most importantly, the viewers. The releasing of Toy Story 4 is going to be big to the people who grew up watching the others and for children experiencing it for the first time as well.

The love that Disney viewers have built up over three Toy Story movies will be reignited when Toy Story 4 is released to the public.

By Citlalli RomanFor those who do not know,

fruitcake is a traditional holiday dessert typically made with various dried fruits, nuts, and liquor.

This traditional cake has been referred to by many students around

Taft as bricks, nasty, disgusting, and unpleasant looking even though most of the time the people who are making these comments about fruitcake have never tried it themselves.

The recipe used to create the fruit cake that was taste tested by students did not have any nuts or liquor in it.

“Honestly, the last time I had fruitcake was when I was eight years old. It was a frozen store bought one and I didn’t like it. It gave me the impression that all fruitcakes taste like that, but I heard only the frozen ones are nasty,” said Estaban Novillo, Div. 847

According to howstuffworks.com, children who are tasting things, perhaps for the first time, are probably relying on their sensitive taste buds as well as their sense of smell and other visual cues to decide if a food tastes good or not, which could be the reason why many teenagers who have tried it at an early age may still think a food is nasty.

“After trying fruitcake again it made me realize it’s actually really good. It really changed my mind on what I think of fruitcake,” said Novillo.

Having my first piece as well, it changed my initial thoughts on it in an instant. It left me surprised because it was actually really good. There was nothing wrong with the texture, and it is something I would definitely try again.

“It was really good. It reminded me of sponge cake with fruits, and it definitely changed my mind on fruitcake. However, I’m still iffy about it,” said Patricia Murczek, Div. 745

Grocery stores keep fruitcake frozen so it does not decompose. As a result, store bought fruitcakes do not taste as good as homemade fruitcake.

According to homecooking.about.com, there are different types of fruitcake to choose from. Light fruitcake contains ingredients like granulated sugar, almonds, golden raisins, pineapple and apricots. Dark fruitcake contains molasses, brown sugar, raisins, prunes, dates, cherries, pecans and walnuts, and citron fruitcake contains candied citron and candied fruit such as cherries, pineapple and citrus rinds.

Popular opinion and stereotypes on items can definitely influence people’s perceptions, however, do not let these notions affect your holidays this year. Make some homemade fruitcake and break those taste barriers.

Tasting old traditions in a new light

Novillo reacting to home-made fruitcake

frtyn

r

Murczek tasting a new kind of fruitcake

By Luis Gutierrez As the gaming industry evolves,

the appearance of downloadable content (DLC) has become increasing-ly frequent and has been a subject of controversy among gamers.

DLC is additional content that is added on for a price after a video

game releases in hopes of keeping the game fresh with new content. However, a multitude of gamers feel as if DLC is overpriced and should be a part of the game rather than a paid add-on.

“DLC bothers me because it’s just companies milking their customers for money. It should just be included in the original product,” said Manuel Rayon, Div. 634.

According to polygon.com, Electron-ic Arts (EA), a major company in the gaming industry who has published titles like Madden NFL and Mass Effect, has made a whopping 921 million dollars off downloadable content. That number is constantly on the rise, and despite its critics, gamers clearly have no problem buying DLC.

“The idea of DLC is good: developers should try to keep the game fresh, but they charge too much for too little. For instance, Call of Duty games charge 20 dollars for a few maps. That’s a third of the price of the full game for a lot less content,” said Daniel Negron, Div. 624.

A variety of games even have DLC available on the day it releases, despite the fact that the DLC could have easily been included in the game for no extra charge. In addition to this questionable practice, companies will also offer exclusive DLC to those who pre-order, which is reserving a copy of a game prior to its release by putting a small amount of money down for it at a retailer or online.

“It doesn’t make sense to me that developers are asking you to invest in their game to get extra content when no one really knows if the game is going to be good or not. The game could be a flop, but since you already bought it for the extra content, you wasted your money,” said Negron.

Although DLC faces significant opposition, there are many instances where DLC has been done correctly and was worth the money.

“Grand Theft Auto IV had an expansion pack called The Ballad of Gay Tony, which added an entirely new single player

and multiplayer experience. I think more DLC should be like this, and not just a small update,” said William Saa, Div. 638.

A number of gamers believe that DLC should be an entirely new items for the game, while others are content with the current form of DLC. However, there are those who are entirely opposed to paid DLC.

“Anything that costs money outside of the original game is bad. Grand Theft Auto V gives you free additional in-game weapons that you can buy with in-game money and that’s probably the best way to do DLC,” said Rayon.

Despite vocal protests among gamers, DLC continued to rise in popularity, and as a result, the season pass was introduced. A season pass allows you to make a one-time payment for any future DLC that may be released. The introduction of season passes, much like DLC itself, was met with mixed reviews. However, there are ways to be a smart consumer when it comes to buying a season pass.

“I would buy a season pass if there are four guaranteed DLC packs. If not then I feel like I’d just be wasting my money,” said Saa.

Other gamers, however, have a more positive view of the season passes and know how to be smart

with additional purchases.“A season pass is only worth it if you are positive that

you’re going to buy all of the DLC for a game because it gives you a better price on all the DLC packs as a whole. Otherwise, it’s probably cheaper to just buy the DLC you want,” said Negron.

Recently, Star Wars Battlefront has caused a stir due to EA’s announcement of a season pass. For a total of 50 dollars, customers will get access to four currently unannounced DLC packs. Opting to forgo the season pass will still get you the base game, but you will have to buy the DLC packs individually for a larger fee. However, no one knows what the four DLC packs are or if they will be any good. When buying the season pass, a consumer is placing their faith in the developer that they will put out a quality product.

DLC has remained a controversial topic among gamers, and there are arguments to be made for both sides. At the end of the day, gamers will put their faith in developers that continue to release quality content and do not betray the trust of their fans.

Deciding on DLC

Drawing by Brandon Kennedy

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Photos by Roman

Diving into the girls swim season

Sports By Husain Abdeljabar

Many of the fall varsity sports have came to end with winter sports

on the way but which sport was the most success-ful? Football? No. Softball? No. What if I told you girls swimming had the most success?

The varsity swim team finished the season 9th in the city this year with an overall record of 6-3 and a 5-1 conference record.

“I am very proud and happy with how we did at city because everyone who swam left everything in the water and improved greatly,” said Varsity Swim Captain Estrella Alanis, Div. 716.

“The swim team deserves more recognition because we are putting forward a really good face for Taft in the city. I hope to see more people interested in the swim team because we really are becoming a great team in the city,” said Varsity Swim Captain Ciara McNaughton, Div. 719

Not only did the varsity team have success, but the junior varsity team excelled with the youth leading the way, placing 6th in city.

“Getting 6th and 9th in city was not easy. The team put in hard work for that. We have been practicing since August, and we come to school at 5:30 in the morning to put work in and stay after school until 6 p.m. for another two and a half hours of

practice,” said Delilah Crespo, Div. 937.

Junior varsity also had the opportunity to compete with the older, more competitive group after their city championship during sectionals.

“I qualified for sectionals where I swam against juniors and seniors with a much higher skill level than I did when I was competing at city. It really challenged me,” said Crespo.

The season does not end there for the young team.

Adriana Klemensiewicz (Div. 916) said, “This was my first year doing competitive swimming, and over the course of the season I found my favorite stroke, which is backstroke. I have improved my backstroke techniques and improved my time throughout the year. Next year I am hoping to become faster because I will be taking Sam Muslovski’s (Div. 634) place in the backstroke next year after she graduates. My goal is to become faster than her in the upcoming season. As for freestyle, I am hoping to improve my time for the 400 yard freestyle relay. After all my hard work, I am hoping to become a captain for the swim team.”

Will the success of the varsity pass down to the JV, or is the JV creating it’s own legacy?

“Our goal for next year is to continue improving as a team. Our top goal is place in the top 8 at city at the varsity level,” said Alanis.

The swim team is poised for success in the following years, and they will live up to those expectations.

Trisha Duarte swimming the 100 yard butterfl y

Ciara McNaughton swimming the 500 yard freestyle

Photos by Vashty Arcet

More than your average sportBy Teddy Schupack Everyone knows the

basic high school sports at Taft, but what about the ones that are not offered here?

A sport some may have heard of is Roller Derby.

Roller derby is a sport where, while skating, a player, called the jammer, must lap as many opponents as possible in order to score points. The other four skaters, work to aid the jammer in both offense and defense. These players must block the opposing jammer, and defend their own jammer by clearing a path.

Brenda Barazza (Div. 639) said, “I think it would be good for Taft to start a roller derby team, but I can imagine it takes a lot of work. I mean, even independent teams are struggling. I think people still see it as ‘too dangerous’ to be a mainstream sport. I think it would be good for young girls to experience even a part of it even if it isn’t a full derby team, but maybe even just learning the basics and being on skates and it could push them to pursuing derby as an adult.”

Games in roller derby are called “bouts.” However, a junior team, like the one Barazza is on can have troubles getting bouts, for the sport does not have many teams. Since the sport is not well-known, it is hard to have a very big community, but according to Barazza, the roller derby community is very supportive, caring, and open-minded.

“I definitely think derby is some-thing people, especially young girls, should know about. It’s an empowering sport and so different from typical sports that are more popularized. Its really fun and interesting to be a part of,” said Barazza.

Along with Roller derby, another unique sport is Kung Fu, which one may know, but likely misunderstands

what it truly is. According to pittsburgkungfu, Kung Fu is the martial arts of China, specifically from the Shaolin Temple. The first Shaolin Temple was built by Buddhabhadra at the foot of Shaoshi mountain. While the temple was built by Buddhabhadra, the art of Kung Fu was created by Bodhidharma. He locked himself in a room for nine years, and upon emerging, brought out the art of Kung Fu.

Kung Fu was not originally designed as a sport, it was a way for Buddhist monks to reach enlighten-ment, and Kung Fu helped their health as well as their self-defense. Kung Fu, unlike other types of martial arts, is not focused on violence and hostility, but instead focuses on maintaining a calm disposition, while still on the quest of enlightenment.

“Kung fu translates to achieving something through hard work over time. It involves many aspects of life and not only trains you externally, but internally as well. It helps you not only stay in shape but also change the way you live your life,” said Mohammad Awad, Div. 618.

However, many people who practice Kung Fu have designed it into a sport that focuses on discipline and self-awareness. There are competitions for Kung Fu where people would demonstrate forms which is a

series of movements practiced continu-ously to create a flowing set of move-ments, and people can spar, which is a practice fight.

“I do think that more people should know about Kung Fu because a lot of martial arts people know these days are modernised and not traditional,” said Awad.

There are so many other sports that exist that not many people are aware about. It is very intriguing how many there are. They are so unique and so different, that there is an unfathomable number of sports that are not like any other sport.

Barazza during her bout

Awad practing for a Kung Fu competition

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Photo provided by Harmony Gonzalez

Photo provided by Awad

14SPORTS CONTINUED

Hit the gym or the salad bar?By Teddy SchupackWho does not want to look good,

feel good, and do good all the time? By taking care of one’s body through dieting and working out, one will see wonders.

There are different types of people: people who diet exclusively, people who workout exclusively, and people who both diet and workout. The question is; which one works better?

According to The New York Times, in order to lose weight and be healthy, eating healthier is far more important than exercising more. Therefore, keeping up with a healthy bal-anced diet is more pertinent in making one healthy than working out constantly and not maintaining a healthy diet.

“Dieting is an easier alternative, and I just felt better while eating healthier,” said Anelise Alvarez, Div. 728.

Furthermore, The New York Times states that being active is not the key determinant in whether a child is at an unhealthy weight. So, someone can have a healthy diet and not workout, or they can workout all the time and not eat healthy. However, it is most important that one has a balance of both.

However there are many people who feel that working out is definitely more beneficial. Some people claim that working out builds more muscle, and they would rather gain the muscle than be lean. But, working out for some people might not be as easy as dieting.

“In the beginning you have to cut off everything you like to eat and having to change your everyday routine is hard.I’d rather work out because it’s better for building up

your body,” said Carlos Moran, Div. 734.According to Wikihow.com, the way to

make sure to keep up a healthy lasting weight loss is to find a balance

between diet and exercise. Most of all, people

believe that there should be a balance

of both working out and dieting, for working out can build up muscle better while

dieting keeps one lean and healthy.

“There should definitely be a balance between working out and dieting because they go together perfectly. The best way to get the most out of your

workout is to eat healthy,” said Sevdin Munjakovic Div 733

While there are many different ways to achieve a healthy body, there should always be a happy balance between exercise and diet.

Artwork By Rose Satola

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Fencing for goldBy Ally AbbinantiIt is very rare and impressive to

hear about the young athletes from all over the country that make it into the Junior Olympics. Have you ever been able to say one of those athletes went to your school? Well now you can.

Taft’s very own Alexandra Wasag (Div. 738) will be participating in the 2016 Junior Olympic Fencing Cham-pionship in Cleveland, Ohio that will take place on Feb. 12-15.

“I will be fencing in the cadet group, which I qualified for by placing in the top three in a Junior Olympic Qualifying tournament that took place at New Trier High School,” said Wasag.

Not every athlete has what it takes to compete in this competition. There are many difficult qualifications that one needs to meet before they are eligible to be apart of it. One of which includes being in the top 25% of the Junior Olympics Division Qualifier.

“I usually practice 3-4 times a week. I compete whenever there is a local woman’s saber tournament, which is usually once or twice a month. National tourna-ments happen once in awhile, usually in a different state,” said Wasag.

One might find this to be shocking due to the fact that fencing is not a very well known or practiced sport in the United States.

“I remember hearing about fencing and really wanting to try it since it was so different and unique. This is now my eighth year fencing,” said Wasag.

Although being an olympic athlete relies heavily on a person’s experience and skill, there are far more traits that contribute to making it big.

“It is so amazing that I can say I know a Junior Olympiad. The sport is very time consuming for her and it makes up a lot of her schedule, but she is very dedicated and passionate about it,” said Josh Meyer, Div. 724.

Another quality that is recognized in Wasag besides determination is her humbleness. When asked to do the interview, she was reluctant to be put in the spotlight.

“She will talk about her accomplishment, but she doesn’t want to make a really big deal out of it,” Tara Kashani, Div.737.

Make sure to keep up with the Junior Olympics and catch Wasag compete for gold!

Photo provided by Wasag

Wasag at a fencing competition

Don’t miss!Taft Drama presents One Flew

Over the Cuckoo’s Nest TONIGHT, Dec. 4 and

TOMORROW, Dec. 5 at 6:30 P.M. in the Black Box Th eater. Tickets will be sold in the box offi ce and at the door for 4$.

Don’t miss the last two performances of the year!

One and doneBy Husain Abdeljabar After a 2-7 record to end the

season, Varsity Football Coach Dan Paplaczyk has left the team after one season.

“I left because I needed to focus on my family. We are expecting our first

child to be born right before the next season starts, so I want to allow them my full attention,” said Paplaczyk.

The decision by Paplaczyk not only affected himself, but also the future leaders of the team and his coaching staff.

“I was very upset to only know him for one year; he was a great addition to the program. He was a great coach that tried getting involved in my life, and no coach has ever done that before,” said Josh Meyer, Div.724.

Others are very confident in the following season, no matter who is taking over the helm.

“It’s very unfortunate that we lost a very experi-enced coach like him, but at the same time, the only thing we can do is keep working hard for next year and play for the next coach,” said Abdullah Ahmad, Div.728.

Paplaczyk’s fellow coaching staff is very respectful towards his decision.

“Coach Paplaczyk practic-es what he preached. In the hierarchy of life, family comes before football, and he made the decision that is best for his family; you have to support a man that puts family first,” said Assistant Coach John Tsarouchas.

“I respect the decision. It’s like what Mark Grish-aber preaches; family is the first priority before anything else. I was always thankful to have a dad that was there

for me though everything,” said Athletic Director Ryan Glowacz.

With the disappointing final record, the team is ready to move forward.

“The season was not as successful as we would have liked, but we had some good accomplishments. It takes time to learn how to win, and getting two wins when people expected us to get zero was great. We had chances to win two other games that we will learn how to win in the coming years,” said Paplaczyk.

Nobody has more confidence in the team than the players themselves who are ready for no matter who comes through the door.

“No disrespect to Coach Pap, but his absence doesn’t really affect me at all. I’m gonna keep playing my game no matter what coach coaches the team,” said Ahmad.

The football team is looking to act quickly by finding a new head coach to start a new year at Taft. Although some players know who they have in mind, others are unsure of the future.

“We are looking for someone who can pick up where he left off. We want somebody to have high expecta-tions for himself, the players, and the program; we want somebody who can bring professionalism to the program.” said Glowacz.

Paplaczyk said, “I have no idea if I would ever come back to Taft. I really liked my time here with the coaches, players and administra-tion I was surrounded

around, however, it is someone else’s turn right now to lead this program. I wish them nothing but the best.”

The off-season this year will be vital to see what direction Taft plans on taking the football team, and whoever will be leading them, to higher levels.

sPs

o

Photo taken by Ozzy Ramirez

15SPORTS CONTINUED

Boys Basketball12/9 4:30 P.M. @ Mather High School

12/11 6:00 P.M. Northside College Prep12/16 4:30 P.M. @ Lake View High School

12/22 3:00 P.M. @ Loyola Academy12/26-30 TBA Luther North Holiday Tournament

@ Luther North High School1/6 4:30 P.M. @ Roosevelt High School

1/8 6:00 P.M. Schurz High School1/9 6:00 P.M. @ Maine South High School

1/13 6:00 P.M. Mather High School1/19 4:30 P.M. @ Northside College Prep

1/22 6:00 P.M. Roosevelt High School1/25 6:00 P.M. Lake View High School1/27 4:30 P.M. @ Schurz High School

1/30 3:30 P.M. St. Patrick High School

Boys Bowling12/5 11:00 A.M. The Big Grabowski Quad #1

@ Habetler Bowling Alley12/7 3:50 P.M. Von Steuben High School @ Habetler Bowling Alley

12/8 4:30 P.M. Fenton High School @ Wood Dale Bowl12/14 4:50 P.M. North Grand High School @ Waveland Bowl

12/22 9:00 A.M. Mather Holiday Classic Tournament @ Waveland Bowl

1/4 3:50 P.M. Lane Tech High School @ Habetler Bowling Alley1/7 4:30 P.M. Glenbrook North Quad @ Brunswick Zone- Deerfield

1/11 4:50 P.M. Walter Payton College Prep @ Waveland Bowl

Boys Swimming12/10 5:00 P.M. @ Foreman High School

12/17 5:00 P.M. @ North Grand High School1/5 5:00 P.M. @ Westinghouse College Prep

1/9 10:00 A.M. City Relays @ Julian High School1/14 5:00 P.M. Prosser High School

1/21 5:00 P.M. Steinmetz High School

Wrestling12/19 5:00 P.M. Lane Tech High School and Loyola Academy

12/12 9:00 A.M. Mickey Marchese Memorial Invitational @ Hoffman Estates High School

12/29 9:00 A.M. Evanston Holiday Tournament @ Evanston High School

1/2 9:00 A.M. Evanston High School, Grayslake Central, Lake Forest- Evanston Quad @ Evanston High School 1/7 6:00 PM

@ Niles North High School1/16 9:00 A.M. Warren Tshp, Rolling Meadows High School, Glen-

brook North- Warren Quad @ Almond Gymnasium 1/20 5:00 P.M. Lake View High School and St. Ignatious High School

1/21 5:00 PM @ St. Patrick High School1/23 8:00 AM City Championship

1/24 8:00 A.M. City Championship @ Chicago State

Girls Basketball12/7 7:00 P.M. @ Ridgewood High School12/8 6:00 P.M. Lincoln Park High School

12/12 12:30 A.M. Bulls Prep12/17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 26 TBA Charlie Brown Holiday Tournament

1/5 6:00 P.M. Lane Tech High School1/7 4:30 P.M. @ Lincoln Park

1/9 1:00 P.M. Resurrection High School1/14 6:00 P.M. Walter Payton College Prep

1/16 1:00 P.M. @ Loyola Academy1/21 4:30 P.M. @ Northside College Prep

Girls Bowling12/7 3:50 P.M. Lake View High School @ Habetler Bowling Alley

12/14 4:50 P.M. Jones College Prep @ Waveland Bowl12/22 9:00 A.M. Mather Holiday Classic Tournament

@ Waveland Bowl1/4 3:50 P.M. Lincoln Park @ Habetler Bowling Alley

1/11 4:50 P.M. Walter Payton College Prep @ Waveland Bowl1/18 9:00 A.M. MLK Invite @ Classic Bowl- Morton Grove

1/25 3:50 P.M. Lane Tech High School @ Habetler Bowling Alley

Support the eagles

By Ally AbbinantiBy definition, a sport is an activity

involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertain-ment. However, this does not stop arguments and debates on whether or

not some “sports” are actually sports. Many people have created their own version of the

definition and used it to justify that the activity they participate in is in fact a sport.

One of the most controversial of them is cheerlead-ing. According to cheerleading.lovetoknow.com, one of

the reasons cheerleading is not a sport would be that it lacks a defined strategy. In the case of high school cheerlead-ing at sports games, it can’t be considered a sport because there is no competition. However, cheerleading in clubs or outside of school can

be labeled a sport.

“I definitely think cheerlead-ing is a sport because it requires a lot of skill. The physical activity and team effort put into it by all the girls is much harder than people would think,” said Cheerleader Sam Carey, Div. 839.

Similarly to cheerleading, swimming also gets a hard time when it comes to gaining the title of a true sport. Some people don’t think it deserves to be called one because it is an action that can be apart of other activities. However, there are those who believe that

inwama

The true defintion of a “sport”

Congratulations to Madeleine Erdmann (Div.

837) for having perfect attendance the month of November and winning a BMX bike! A special thank you to Jack Arnold from Arnolo Electric Services

for donating the bike. Make sure to have

perfect attendance this month for a chance to win!

Congrats!there is more to it such as the competition aspect that makes swimming fall under the category of a sport.

“Swimming should not only be considered a sport, but one that is very challenging and requires heavy commitment. Swimming is a sport that requires all of your muscles to be used. Swimmers condition outside the pool and practice in the pool. They go through difficult training that will allow them to improve their skills and be faster in the water. Swimming is competi-tive in two manners: racing against other

schools and racing to improve your own

time. Just because it isn’t a con-tact sport it doesn’t mean it doesn’t require hard work and dedication; if anything it

requires more,” said Boys Swim Team Captain Cole

Youngerman, Div. 615.Joining those two

is track. There are arguments made that say running by itself doesn’t count as a sport because it

doesn’t involve any extra strategies, similar to swimming.

“Track is definitely a sport. We probably train

harder than most sports and it is extremely competi-

tive. It isn’t the same as cheerleading that is only meant for entertainment. Runners don’t race to look to cute, we

race to win. That’s the difference,”-said Tara Kashani, Div. 737.

No matter what your opinion on whether something is really a sport or not, it is important to remember that they all take hard work and dedication to be successful. All “athletes” deserve credit. Artwork by Abbinanti

*Full schedule can be found at il.8to18.com/WilliamHowardTaft

SPORTS CONTINUED 16

Captain’s Corner: Winter Edition

Boys Bowling

Girls Basketball

Boys Basketball

Wrestling

Girls Bowling

Swimming

Coach: Brett NishibayashiCaptains: Almir Aliloski (Div. 615) and Izaiah Sanders, Div. 724“My duty as captain is to be a vocal leader and motivate the team to do the best they can by showing how much I care about their individual success. My goal for the team is for everyone to work together rather than personal goals,” said Aliloski.

By Harmony Gonzalez Taft Winter Sports are here, and we are excited to present you our new team captains!

Coach: Kirk VidasCaptains: Laken Pullman (Div. 615), Lauren Martinez (Div. 640), and Gabriela Stiperski, Div. 625“I’m in charge of the unit so it is my job to set an example for my team-mates, I always stress the importance of working together and being there for players both on and off the court. It is important to establish friendships and be someone your teammates can physically and mentally depend on,” said Pullman.“We are like a huge family so whether I’m on the court or sitting on the bench, I make sure to acknowledge their accomplishments no matter how big or small it may be. That being said, we also make sure to point out our mistakes to better ourselves for the next game. Last year we advanced to top eight in the City, my goal this year is to go even further and possibly make it to top four,” said Stiperski.“The other captains and I lead our team with the intent of giving and receiv-ing feedback from teammates. We acknowledge our mistakes and work hard towards improving as individuals and team players. Our team comes together and pushes each other to succeed by sharing a positive attitude no matter what,” said Martinez.

Coach: Patrick LevinsCaptains: Thomas Green (Div. 734) and Matthew Moore, Div. 624“I hope to take home the City Championship which is the top priority for the team. I have high hopes that we will make it to State this year by working on both individual and team goals,” Green.“As team captain, I run practices and mentor bowlers on the Junior Varsity team. My goals for this season are winning City and making it to the State Tournament,” said Moore.

Coach: John McKinneyCaptains: Alexis Anderson Div. 627“Being team captain means taking on the responsibility of helping others and still keeping focus. When the team is having a hard time or is down, it is my job to step up and get everyone pumped to do their best no matter what,” said Anderson.

Coach: Brad EngleCaptains: Dakotah Peterson (Div. 638) and Daniel Gallo, Div. 637“As a captain it is my job during pre-season to teach our new teammates the basics of wrestling and help prepare them for the season. I have noticed from experience that the best results come from everyone as an individual putting in their full effort towards the team,” said Peterson.“It is an honor to carry on the captain tradition, as an athlete and leader I want the best for the team and wish to see us succeed this season,” said Gallo.

Coach: Jason PolenskyCaptains: Max Lazalde (Div. 620), Leandro Martinez (Div. 716), Thomas McCullough (Div. 640), and Cole Yungerman, Div. 615.“The best way to encourage teammates is to lead by example. Having fun is important, but setting an example for younger players leads them to work hard for their upcoming years as an athlete,” said McCullough.“I enjoy helping our younger teammates do their best at practice and see-ing them make new friends. I believe it is important to constantly work on improving as a team, not an individual,” said Yungerman.“Most of my responsibilities are based on team motivation. The coaches support us by getting us ready for events, but as captain I need to help mentally prepare the team with conditioning and team bonding,” said Martinez.“Being a captain means to set an example for the rest of the team to follow. Having dedication is the most important trait for a leader to have and I believe that is what I give to my team,” said Lazalde.

Photos by Gonzalez