Code Red Drills to Prepare Staff, Students for Worst Lar to the Shooting Crisis Earlier This School Year in Seen
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February 2013 Lane Technical College Prep High School Volume 45/Issue 3/Page 1 Die hard Nicki Minaj Sailing to become new club fan and friend, pg. 8. sport at Lane, pg. 19. AP sculpture students help Navy Pier Snow Days shine bright a turtle!” while the children would shout “It’s a robot!” Snow Days By Almasa Pecanin Chicago attracts tourists, so the Lane teams were being judged by not only Chicago residents but also people from various places around Jesus Monroy, Div. 376, stood on top of the Lego figure's shoulders, the world. This made Reyes nervous. attacking its head with a chisel. He then took a scraper and began “There’s a pressure to make it nice and beautiful because it’s not rounding the edges. just people from Lane who will see it but people from all around the He stepped down from the ladder and backed up to admire his world,” he said. work. Monroy then joined his other teammates to help carve the Agnes Szumska, Div. 365, was the designer and team captain of the arms of the figure. "Ferris Wheel" sculpture. Szumska was surprised when she found out Monroy, along with 19 other AP Sculpture students, participated her sculpture would be one of those being carved at the event. in this year's Snow Days Chicago at Navy “I turned in a couple of designs and Pier. The students represented Lane on turned this one in as a joke because I Jan. 23 - 26 by carving blocks of man- didn’t think it would get picked,” she made snow into four different designs. said. “When Ms. Moore told me my The designs included the Chicago sky- design was picked I kinda freaked line on a turtle's back, a ferris wheel, a out.” drink with a lemon slice and ice cubes, Szumska said that she did not have and a Lego figure. as much confidence in the design be- Javier Reyes, Div. 385, was the designer cause she was not completely confi- of the sculpture titled “Chicago on the dent they could actually do it. Turtle’s Back.” Reyes didn’t have trouble “I thought since it was such a com- with his design because he’s been working plicated design that they wouldn’t on it since sophomore year. even consider picking it because “Sophomore year we read The World on we’re high school students,” she said. the Turtle’s Back and that inspired me to Moore had more freedom this year draw this design,” he said. “I wanted to Lane ice sculpture “The Ferris Wheel.” while picking designs. Lane was able honor Chicago in a way.” to carve four blocks of snow this Although he had no difficulties drawing the design, turning it into year, compared to the one or two blocks in the previous years of the a snow sculpture wasn’t as easy. He wasn’t alone, though. Reyes had event. help from his teammates, Amanda Amil, Div. 361, Nishly Lopez, Although Moore was confident in all of the sculptures turning out Div. 378, Cynthia Gonzalez, Div. 373, and Kendria Helm, Div. 372. well, she did express some concern for the ferris wheel, the same ones The team was named Spiele & Spaß, which is German for fun and that Szumska had. games. “[The ferris wheel] was almost pulled from the submissions because Reyes walked around I thought it was impossible,” Moore said. “They couldn’t possibly Lane ice sculpture “Keep Kool.” the block of snow a num- sculpt a ferris wheel.” ber of times, fixing little Moore and many of the members of Team Power Rangers were wor- petition, including the creator of the event, Fran Volz, and even the details and helping out ried that the sculpture would tip over because of how thin it was and professional teams. A couple of the comments from the professionals his teammates when they because they would be making holes in it. made the sculptors of the ferris wheel nervous, though. had a question. Reyes let This ended up not being a problem, though, because the weather “A lot of the professionals were surprised at our design,” Szumska the group take their own was on their side during the event. It was cold enough outside to keep said. “They said things like ‘Wow, you guys are actually going to make creative approach with it, the sculpture frozen and upright, which Moore said was not the case that?’ or ‘I wouldn’t have even picked that and I’ve been doing this although he did give them with a couple of the sculptures in the past years. for years’.” some pointers so the sculp- “We got lucky because it’s not negative forty, but it’s been almost The ferris wheel sculpture ended up overcoming everyone’s expec- ture turned out the way he freezing and cool enough to keep the sculptures cold,” she said. tations, taking second place in the competition, following Chicago envisioned it. Although the sculptures needed to be kept cold at all times, this was High School for the Arts. People stopped by Reyes’s not the same case with the students sculpting them. Lane students “I was so proud of my teammates and all the effort and time they sculpture and the sculp- and the other competitors had a warming station in Crystal Gardens put into it,” Szumska said. “It was an incredible feeling walking up tures of the other Lane stu- where they were able to go at any point during the competition. there to accept the medal and have everyone, even the professionals, dents constantly to watch “It was probably the number one reason why no one ended up get- applaud for us.” the groups while they were ting frostbite,” said Paulina Wojtkowski, Div. 373, who was also part Even if they did not win, Szumska said she was just thankful to have working. Parents came with of Team Power Rangers. “They also had glove warmers which are the participated in the event. Lane ice sculpture “Minifig.” their children, pointing out best invention ever, no doubt about it.” “Not everyone gets the chance to say, ‘My team got to make a snow things like “Hey look, it’s The Lane teams interacted with various people during the com- sculpture that was on display for all of Chicago to see’,” she said. Code red drills to prepare staff, students for worst lar to the shooting crisis earlier this school year in seen. Complete silence. Everyone followed the rules with the hope that it will better prepare them in case By Marissa Higgs Connecticut. exactly as planned. of an actual emergency. It is also a way for them to Mr. Jarka, Dean of Students, has been working at That was not the last Code Red of the school year see where any problems in the building may be, such The events that took place on December 14, 2012 Lane for 13 years. This is the first time he has ever though. At least two more will be done before the as a door not locking. in Newtown, Connecticut sent waves of terror and exercised this drill. end of the school year. They may be during a non- The safety plans must be altered though if the drill shock throughout the country. Since then, CPS has "Obviously with the shootings lately in schools, we lunch period again; however, it could be done dur- were to take place at a different time, like a lunch pe- ordered all city schools to better prepare themselves have to take safety very seriously, and we do here at ing any point of the day. The element of surprise riod or passing period. Jarka said that students who in the case of such a tragic incident. Lane anyway. We have to make sure people know what could play a role in the upcoming practice runs. are off campus for lunch stay off campus, but not In January, Lane practiced a Code Red drill, the they're doing, students, faculty, everybody," he said. "Some [drills] will be announced, some won't," leave to go home for attendance purposes. Jarka also first of three per school year from now on. This was During 7th period on Jan. 18, an announcement Jarka said. "[Previously] we let you know ahead of said it is essential, in such a situation, that students ordered partly as a way to better educate students was made signaling the drill had begun. Students time that there was going to be a drill. We may not are signed up for Lane's text message alerts. and staff, and partly as a way of healing with the and teachers turned off the lights, locked their doors, do that next time...we might just say 'Code Red The plan for what students should do who are in hope that practice will calm nervous Americans. huddled against the walls avoiding windows and drill' and not tell you in advance." the cafeteria during a code red is not as clear. Code Red is performed if a very serious situation doors, and within seconds the school was silent. The students and teachers have in some way been exists and students are in immediate danger. Such It was a disturbing few minutes for Jarka. 4,300 left in the dark when it comes to knowing about the Continued on pg. 4 situations can include intruders with firearms, simi- students were in the building, but no one could be drills. This is done on purpose by the administration See “Code Red” IN THE HEAR T OF THE WARRIOR National Geographic visits, pg.