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The Sweetest News in the City · Walter Payton College Preparatory High School · 1034 N. Wells St. · Chicago, IL 60610

  • How should we be managing our waste?

    How should we be managing our waste?

    By Chloe Olaizola, Staff Writer Image Credit: https://www.cps.edu/strategic-initiatives/energy-sustainability/programs/waste-recycling/  According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a single American produces 4.9 pounds of municipal solid waste (MSW) daily. America is the globe’s largest producer of MSW per capita. 75% of this waste is recyclable, but only 30% is recycled. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) mirrors this national… Read more

  • Cameron’s Corner – Need for Speed: Heat

    By Cameron Smith, Staff Writer A modified Polestar 1 car evading a 2017 Chevrolet Corvette police cruiser in the game. About Need for Speed: Heat Need for Speed: Heat is an open-world racing game developed by Ghost Games and published by Electronic Arts, serving as the twenty-fourth installment of the NFS franchise, and the last… Read more

  • #5 in academics but #34,000 in school spirit

    #5 in academics but #34,000 in school spirit

    By Vivian Kaleta, Staff Writer Take the Payton experience and put it side by side with that of the average American high school experience. It may seem like comparing total opposites, but there must be one similarity; after all, school spirit is impossible to escape. It is what should, theoretically, unite our entire student body.… Read more

  • Your back wants a break!

    Your back wants a break!

    By Ahana Gholkar, Staff Writer Image created by Ahana Gholkar Students’ backpacks can get really heavy. So heavy that the pain from our backpacks have become a normal part of our lives. We carry our backpacks everywhere, and that weight adds up exponentially. Your backpack should be, at most, ten percent of your body weight;… Read more

  • Op-Ed: Lunchtime at Payton doesn’t serve student equity

    Op-Ed: Lunchtime at Payton doesn’t serve student equity

    By Isabelle Ravanas, Editor-in-Chief Payton’s bell schedule (right) includes some lunch periods that are significantly earlier than many students are used to. Two of those four lunch blocks are earlier than Jones’s first lunch period (left). Listening to your gut? According to the Cleveland Clinic, the healthiest way to eat is to eat unprocessed foods… Read more

  • Chicago’s student discount tickets

    By Anna Calkins, Editor of Arts and Entertainment As Chicago students, we have a world of opportunities to explore at our fingertips, and these programs make it even easier to access them. I know I myself tend to forget this, but we live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world- and one… Read more

  • School or Jail: How the School Guidelines Affect the Student Body

    By Sanaa Taqvi, Staff Writer As the first semester comes to a close, many students still have questions about the new policies put in place this year. In an effort to understand these policies, I asked Ms. Kat Hindmand, the Director of Climate and Culture at Payton, about them and their implementation. Ms. Kat stated… Read more

  • The impossibility of dropping an AP class

    By Madeleine Spanbauer, Staff Writer The topic of AP classes seems to be woven into the fabric of the Payton community. These courses, and the extreme difficulty of some of them, are a commonly discussed topic. Many students complain of spending an inordinate amount of hours outside of class devoted to APs, and some still… Read more

  • Op-Ed: In Defense of Finals

    By Anna Yang, Assistant Editor Payton’s 2022 Semester 1 Finals schedule started on Monday, December 19th. The Thursday of that week was a Seminar Day, and the Friday was a No-School day for students.  Coming out of Thanksgiving Break and into the four weeks that separate students from the long-desired Winter Break was not a… Read more

  • Spotify Wrapped: Fall’s greatest music event

    By Anna Calkins, Editor of Arts and Entertainment The music streaming platform known for its user experience has released its annual breakdown of listening statistics and data. One of the greatest music events of the year has finally returned: Spotify Wrapped. Classrooms have been abuzz with comparisons and reactions to surprising top songs and shared… Read more

  • Fall sports recap

    By Daniel Garin-Vila, Staff Writer Football After a tough loss to Rochelle in the state playoffs last year, the Grizzlies made a comeback. Led by senior captains Charlie Newton, Simon Shwartz, Steveon Bynum, and Kyle Osterman, the 2022 football team put up an impressive record, with 8 wins and 3 losses. Though suffering rough losses… Read more

  • On youth and politics

    By Annya Kong, Staff Writer During the 2022 midterm elections, youth political engagement reached record high levels. (Photo Courtesy of Junior Editor-in-Chief Bridget Galibois) Going into the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, many predicted a “red wave” to sweep the nation. Yet, Republicans only managed to obtain a narrow majority in Congress, with control of the… Read more

  • “I’ll be the judge of that!” Student election judges on the 2022 midterm elections

    By Bridget Galibois, Junior Editor-in-Chief Student election judges during the 2022 midterm elections helped run their local polling places. Electronic voting cards (on the clipboard) enabled voters to vote via touchscreen computer, and the electronic poll book (right) was used to sign voters in and issue ballots. As voters across Chicago cast ballots during the… Read more

  • Review: Taylor Swift’s latest album, Midnights

    By Madeleine Spanbauer, Staff Writer On Friday, October 21, Taylor Swift released her tenth studio album titled Midnights. The album, which Swift announced at the 2022 VMAs, has been highly anticipated by both Swifties and critics alike. Midnights has already broken the record for most streamed album on the day of release, and she became… Read more

  • A fairytale ending or a devastating defeat? 2023 World Cup Final prediction

    A fairytale ending or a devastating defeat? 2023 World Cup Final prediction

    By Kieran Blake~ On Sunday, the World Cup Final between France and Lionel Messi-led Argentina will see Mbappé scoring two goals, leading France to a 2-1 victory. Read more

  • A Beginner’s Guide to Paranoia

    A Beginner’s Guide to Paranoia

    By Campbell Meszaros Paranoia, a school game, begins on Halloween. Players receive notecards with targets’ names and must find them while avoiding being found. Strategies and tips are shared for success. Read more