Photos by Matt Glodz

CPS students hold study-in at Daley Plaza
by Matt Glodz and Lyanne Alfaro

Karina Lopez, a sophomore at Phoenix Military Academy, joined hundreds of other Chicago Public Schools students at Daley Plaza on May 24 to protest the budget cuts that may affect the district next fall.

Dressed in their R.O.T.C. uniforms, Lopez and her friends spent the time studying “The Great Gatsby.” She said she came to the event to support her teachers.

“Teachers pay us individual time because we’re such a small school, and it will be harder for them to do that if we have bigger class sizes,” Lopez said. “Most of us love our teachers – no lie – we actually do. We may not seem like we do, but we do. It would be messed up to just cut them out.”

Tara Bagnola, a freshman at Northside, said that she spent most of her time cheering along the curb to grab the public’s attention and to raise awareness for the cause.

“Our teachers work so hard for us every single day and I think it’s our turn to work for them,” Bagnola said. “We have to fight for our future and I think this was a great opportunity to do so. “

Students like Amy Appel, a freshman at Jones College Prep, marched with messages on whiteboards. Appel said that her first year experience was already affected by the cuts to junior varsity sports, which eliminated her soccer team.

“[Soccer is] a good way to make new friends and experience teamwork, leadership, and courage,” Appel said. “It was sad because I had nothing to do after school [once it got cut.] Now I just go home and do homework.”

Compton Quashie, a senior at Kenwood, said he attended the study in because we is worried about how budget cuts would affect fine arts and the quality of teaching.

“Even though I’m not going to be here next year, I don’t think it’s really fair. I go to Gallery 37, [and] art programs and things like that get some of the biggest cuts. We don’t even have enough money to buy paper for our printers or money to get new supplies, so it really hits us hard. My brother and sister are about to be in high school. I don’t want them to have to be in class with about 40 people and not have the instructions and supplies they need.”

Danny Sobor and Jordan Jackson, both juniors at Northside, were the main organizers of the event. They were inspired to hold the study in when Mr. Tim Devine, Social Sciences department, proposed the idea in class. Sobor and Jackson made a Facebook group for the event that gathered over 1,900 members to help spread the word.

“We wanted to show that CPS students are intelligent and worthy of funding because a lot of times when taxpayers think CPS they think of gangs, violence, and all these problems,” Sobor said. “We’re saying that we have this vibrant population of students, and we’re worthy of taxpayer money.”

Sobor said he was satisfied with the protest.

“There wasn’t any violence,” Sobor said. “There was anger, but it was anger vented in the right way. It was vented through the symbolism of studying. Everyone knew what to do. We sat down and studied, and we got our message out that way.”