Kassandra Bobadilla
April 1, 2016 On April 1st, thousands of protesters from Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and other labor groups surrounded the Thompson Center in response to budget cuts by CPS and the inability of Governor Rauner to pass a state budget putting many programs in jeopardy. The one day strike took place to protest unfair labor practices in the form of cuts to school budgets, the lack of a fair contract, and the mismanaged pension fund. Other groups were there to fight for living wages . A sea of colorful posters from protesters expressing their harsh feelings towards the CEO of CPS, Forrest Claypool, Governor Bruce Rauner, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The rally was held at the Thompson Center which consisted of a few guest speakers including CTU President Karin Lewis, Reverend Jesse Jackson. The protesters made their way from Clark Street to Lake Shore Drive which caused headaches for the commuters as police officers tried to prevent the marchers from shutting down more streets. Tension grew amongst protesters because it wasn’t going to take the bravery of just one person to shut the streets down. The unity amongst the protesters was heartwarming and powerful as everyone was united for worker rights.
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Joshua Ray
March 22, 2016 Parents received letters in the mail from Chicago School Administrators warning them that they may need to fnd someone to watch their children on that day. According to the Chicago Tribune, “Chicago Public Schools offcials say the walkout would be illegal and that employees who don't report for work April 1st will not be paid. If every teacher walks out, the district said it would be withholding about $10 million in pay.” Mr. Coyle is one of the Delegates for the Teachers Union and had a vote for the walk out within Hubbard on Monday March 21st. The results for the votes came back. Teachers and staff of Hubbard voted 93 to 8 for the walk out. The Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, is supposed to give a percentage of revenue from TIF Funds to CPS schools located in neighborhoods in need. TIF funds are Tax Increment Financing, with that being stated Chicago Public Schools suffer because the Mayor of Chicago is using these funds to build hotels and buildings downtown for billionaire acquaintances. The Board of Education is not hand picked by the people like it should be but it is by the Mayor. “We do not trust the board of education, it is very hard to. It needs to be rebuilt to be able to trust them again.” Mr. Coyle said. One of the reasons is that CPS violated teachers contracts of getting higher salaries over the years of working experience just as another job would. On March 23rd, 2016, The House of Delegates voted 486 to 124 supporting the walk out. In the morning of April 1st, teachers and staff surrounded Hubbard High School protesting as well as moving it onto Pulaski Rd. The teachers of the Chicago Public Schools deserve more than this. Every single last one of them puts their hard work, time, and dedication to these students. It is their passion and they should be rewarded for what they have done and deserve everything they were promised and compensated for what was stolen from them. When you see teachers holding signs saying “Class size matters” or a student holding one stating “Hey Rahm, protect students not bankers!”, that should grabs your attention to the change needed for the Chicago Public School’s staff and teachers within and the education being taught to the next generation. By Jailene Magana
Hubbard High school has celebrated the diversity and rich culture of its students for forty years. But this year, one of the biggest highlights of International Day was removed. Food booths has been cancelled causing disappointment for faculty and students. In previous years, food booths set up in the Boys Gym was a favorite among the Hubbard family because it was a chance to sample food from around the world. It ranged from delectable fried chicken and mashed potatoes, sizzling tacos and a glacé fan, or sweet and salty pierogies accompanied with sour cream. Assistant Principal Mr. John Newman explained the reasons behind the discontinued food booths. “We submitted a proposal for approval of the food booths to the network offce and was returned as rejected,” he stated. Mr. Newman explained that HHS received a directive October or November of this year denying permission to sell food during regular school hours because it would interfere with the school lunch program. “We got a directive from the central office of CPS that no more food fundraisers would be approved during school hours. The only way that we could sell food is well after school hours.” ”We get a lot of federal dollars from the lunch program because all of our students are able to receive free or reduced lunch, and I think if we don’t have enough people taking lunch, if everyone starts buying snacks from fundraisers or international day, then we are in danger of losing the funding from the federal government and potentially losing positions for the people that work here.” “I would love to bring the food back,” Mr. Newman said. “We have thrown around some ideas about potential ways we could bring food back in the future. I believe that this is going to be one of the frst years we are going to have evening International Day performance. I think that’s one way we can kinda expand International Day and expand the school footprint in the neighborhood and bring in more diversity without breaking any CPS rules.” Although this is a disappointing loss of a special part of International Day, we can make the most of it by celebrating our diverse cultural backgrounds and hope that the food comes back next year. Ariana Ascencio, Staff Reporter
February 4, 2016 The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) took action and protested in front of the Bank of America on LaSalle street at 4:30 p.m on Thursday, February 4, 2016. According to abc7chicago.com, there were as many as 1,000 teachers marching and 16 who were arrested for entering Bank of America trying to protest inside. That same day, CTU symbolically withdrew $726,000 and closed their account from Bank of America, one of many banks that profited from “toxic” investments made by Chicago Public Schools (CPS). On Thursday, January 28, CPS offered a contract to the CTU. According to Chicago Sun Times, CTU President Karen Lewis stated that certain things in the contract were “great.” Some of the promises included a freeze on charter schools, the promise of a raise (which teachers haven’t voluntarily received since 2012), and no layoffs due to the economy. However, the 40 member CTU bargaining team unanimously rejected the 4-year contract offer on Monday, February 1, citing “a lack of trust in the district’s promises.” For example, the “charter freeze” isn’t valid because the IL Charter Commission has the final say in opening charter schools, not CPS. According to troylaraviere.net, a blog written by a CPS principal, the contract does not address underlying financial problems caused by CPS and blames teachers, not banks which allegedly “lured [CPS] into loan agreements that cost them hundreds of millions in fees penalties and interest.” According to Catalyst Chicago, an independent education news and watchdog group, only one day after the contract was rejected, Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed CPS CEO Forrest Claypool sent a letter stating his disappointment with the rejected offer and announced $75 million in cuts to school budgets, the planned layoff of up to a thousand teachers, and a 30 day notice that would force teachers to pay 7% out of their paychecks to pay for pensions, a cost previously picked up by the city, all of which would save CPS over $100 million. During the last strike in 2012, CTU made a deal with CPS to suspend raises which has saved CPS $500 million dollars to date. The threatened massive teacher layoffs have not occurred as of print but over 200 CPS administrative positions were cut in January and an additional 1,000 staff are to be laid off within the next 30 days, according to the Chicago Sun Times. Teachers voted on a strike authorization on December 7-9, 2015 due to the lack of progress in contract negotiations. 88% of teachers, out of 24,752 eligible members, voted “Yes” for the strike. If a contract agreement is not made, this may be the second strike in 3 years. However, the earliest they can strike is in May because they have to go through “fact finding” phase which takes months. Mr. Benjamin Coyle, Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) delegate for Hubbard High School and a bargaining team member, said teachers have been working all year with no contract and are currently in the negotiation process, but they have not yet reached an agreement. Regarding the possibility of a strike, Mr. Coyle said, “The teachers will continue to refuse the unacceptable choice being offered by the mayor and his handpicked Board of Education. Teachers are being asked to accept deep cuts to their salaries and health benefits now or choose massive layoffs and larger class sizes in the weeks to come.” “Either way, it is detrimental to teachers and students,” Mr. Coyle stated. “The Board of Education has made terrible financial investments that they do not want to accept responsibility for. They would have teachers and students suffer so they can continue to pay their “bankster” buddies at the Mercantile Exchange. If and when we strike, we will be teaching the most important lesson of all: Injustice towards society’s most vulnerable people will not be tolerated.” Mrs. Sharon Quattrin-Campagna’s opinion on this strike is that “[n]o one wants a teacher’s strike because ultimately many suffer during the strike: students, teachers, administrators, families. That being said, the Board of Education is clearly not willing to fix their financial problems. We, the teachers, and the Chicago Teacher’s Union who represent us, have gone to the bargaining table NUMEROUS times to work through these problems.” She added, “The Board of Ed. does not want to budge. It is very frustrating for all and we cannot let them take so many things away from us any longer. We are already working daily in good faith without a current labor contract because we care about our students and our jobs, but the Board won’t even honor the past contract. I hope that a fair contract can be reached and we can avoid a strike.” Mr. Coyle added that Hubbard’s administrators, who are not a part of the CTU, are behind the teachers. “Ms. Wiley, Mr. Newman, and Ms. Phillips have all been very supportive of all the teachers here during this time. Not many schools have the great support system that they offer here at Hubbard.” Mayra Carlos, Staff Reporter January 25, 2016 There was a lot of confusion about which test juniors would take this year: the ACT or the New Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Why did it take so long to figure out which test CPS would administer? The ACT has been taken by juniors for free with the fees paid for by the state of Illinois. Unlike the SAT, ACT didn’t penalize students for guessing, the writing portion of the test was always optional, took less time, and that meant saving a few dollars. However, this may change very soon. According to Assistant Principal, Mr. Newman, the state of Illinois currently doesn’t have a budget. Mr. Newman explained, “When the state decided to choose between the ACT or the SAT, they went with the lower bid, which was SAT.” But things didn’t stop there. Mr.Newman said, “ACT got mad and they decided to fight back and took Ilinois to court because ACT didn’t want to lose out on their money.” While ACT and the Illinois Board of Education (ISBE) wait on the ruling, the decision was made by CPS to stick with the ACT and administer the test to juniors on May 3. Students will have to wait to retake the test if they fail to come on the testing day which means that this could delay their college applications. Meanwhile, it looks like the SAT will be the college entrance exam for future juniors beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. The new SAT format is 3 hours long, not including the optional writing portion, students will no longer be penalized for guessing, and the scoring system has changed. The new SAT may be different but some students who have taken the PSAT agree that while looks like the ACT, it’s still harder. Mr. Newman remains optimistic despite the changes. “Once somebody confirms something, we can adjust, and I think that our students will be able to adjust the same way , but we need to choose a lane and stay in that lane for a while so the students can be prepared for these tests,” he said. Jennifer Ramirez, Staff Reporter
January 15, 2016 49 students participated in the 2016 Pinata Contest on Wednesday, January 13 sponsored by the language department. Mrs. Reyes said the students only had two requirements: to bring the mold of the pinata and then to decorate it in class. They had to include either strips of paper mache cut into fringes or bunch up the paper mache to decorate the pinata. It took a week to decorate the pinatas. The students were given instructions on how to make the mold at home and the pinata in class. Participants had the option to work alone, in pairs, or in threes. The pinatas were displayed on tables in the auditorium. Students and faculty had the opportunity to vote for the best pinata. First place went to Crystal Baltazar (Div. 611) and Dianna Raigosa (Div. 606); second place went to Marisol Diaz (Div. 611), Nicole Razo (Div. 606), and Liset Liberto-Garcia (Div. 710); and third place went to Lizette Martinez (Div. 711) and Lorena Gonzalez (Div. 705). First place winner Crystal Baltazar (Div. 611) said, “We chose the design because it was different. We wanted to do something that we knew no one else would think of doing.” Teammate Dianna Raigosa (Div. 606) added, “My mom taught me how to do a pinata when I was younger and I would spend summers outside in my backyard making mini pinatas.” Mrs. Reyes hopes to continue the pinata contest since pinatas are very popular in the Latino culture. She said, “The best part of the pinata contest was when the students realize how tedious it is to make a pinata. Yes, it’s fun to break them but not as easy to make them.” Jonathan Olivares, Staff Reporter A new field has been built for the use of the Hubbard sports teams. Equipped with a high school regulated football field, soccer field, baseball field, and softball field, all made with artificial grass (turf). The field also has a tall gate for baseball and softball, a net around the gate for football, and a storage unit for athletic equipment . While the field was built, it very much affected how Hubbard’s sports teams practiced. The teams were not able to practice or play anywhere as dependable as Hubbard field. “We had to practice at Pasture, so we always had to take a bus to get there. Also, the practice hours were always so late,” said Mr. Brown, linemen coach. Football wasn't the only sport affected. The baseball team also had their troubles when the new field was being created. “When they were building, we had all our games as away games, and we also couldn't practice outside,” said Mr.O'hara, head baseball coach. When the field was done, Coach Brown said he was blown away by how good the field looked. “It felt good, and it looked clean and beautiful,” he said. The new field will make the spectators feel more comfortable because the new bleachers are closer to the field. Fans have a perfect view to cheer on their favorite team, and the Greyhounds will finally have a field on which to continue Hubbard’s tradition of creating champions. Joshua Ray, Staff Reporter
GEAR UP stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, and Hubbard High School was able to partner up with them to prepare students for college. GEAR UP is a federally funded program run by Northeastern University. The purpose of the program is to offer classroom workshops, tutoring programs with parental support, and professional development for teachers benefiting more than just the students and parents. The tutors hired by GEAR UP are college students from the neighborhood. These tutors have worked with some Hubbard students since elementary school and want to be mentors to students. “I want the students to feel comfortable with asking questions and not be intimidated to say hi,” said Carlos Munoz, GEAR UP tutor. Carlos Munoz currently attends the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and commutes more than 2 hours so he that can work with Hubbard students. Another tutor, Juana Ramirez, currently attends Harold Washington College. She wants Hubbard students to know that she understands what they’re going through and is here to help. “I want them to see us as their own,” said Juana Ramirez The college readiness workshops take place monthly and tutors are available during lunch and in some classrooms. Hubbard hopes this program will benefit the school by increasing college enrollment, scholarships, and graduation rates for students. This GEAR UP cohort will continue for the next 3 years up until 2018. When the seniors graduate, the program will continue to support Hubbard graduates as they begin college. “Students should take this opportunity for guidance. We hope to be partnered with GEAR UP for years. Hubbard High School is always looking for quality education,” said Mr. Newman, assistant principal. GEAR UP is a great opportunity to form close relationships with mentors who will help shape a well educated and college ready scholar. Jennifer Ramirez, Staff Reporter
Timmy Turtle III is the unofficial mascot of Hubbard High School. He now has a fancy, new home in the school’s courtyard. Officer Cantanzara built Timmy’s home with help from some students. “The main reason Timmy joined Hubbard was for the students to go out in the spring to look at him,” said Mr. Charles Vazquez, school programer. The process took about a year as well as $5,000 dollars that came from school fundraisers and Officer Cantanzara’s own pocket. Timmy’s home is made of blocks, concrete, plywood, foam, stone, and piping. Timmy’s new home was finished at the end of September. Officer Cantanzara summed up the project as “difficult.” Timmy lll was at Hubbard for a month. Mr. Vazquez has taken Timmy home with him for the winter due to the weather. The last two turtles (Timmy, Sr. and Timmy, Jr.) passed away due to poor survival skills. One froze and the other wouldn't eat unless supervised. Timmy will come back to Hubbard in spring. In the meantime, he is spending his time in a state of the art tank where he is learning survival skills and posting updates on Facebook. Hopefully, Timmy Turtle lll will come back in spring and adjust to his new home as well as showing off what he’s learned about life skills to students. Stephanie Pantoja, Staff Reporter On November 2, 2015, Hubbard substitute teacher, Mr. Martin A. Gavin, passed away from a heart attack at the age of 65. He was happily married and had two sons, one daughter, as well as a grandson. Mr. Gavin was a Chicago detective before he started working as a substitute. He was a substitute teacher for approximately 8 years, 5 of them here in Hubbard, and taught at other schools such as Hancock and Gage Park. Mr. Steven Biegel, English teacher, got to know Mr.Gavin throughout his years working here. They often spoke while having lunch together. “He was very friendly, I met him in the lunchroom. He was very open, and he loved to talk,” he said. Administrative assistant, Ms. Marta Diaz worked closely with Mr. Gavin and spoke to him the night before he passed away. “He was the sweetest person ever,” she said. “He loved coming to sub at Hubbard. I still can’t believe it. Tell those you love that you love them, don't wait before it too late.” This had an impact on everyone who's known him. Hubbard students and staff who knew him will always remember Mr. Gavin and appreciate the time he shared with us. We offer our deepest condolences to his family. |
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