The Shield_Vol 69_Issue4

THE

SHIELD

Bishop Kenny High School | Jacksonville, Fla. | Volume 69 | Issue 4

THE SHIELD • MAY 2022

SHIELD

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The Shield is student news magazine, published quarterly by journalism students at Bishop Kenny High School 1055 Kingman Ave., Jacksonville, Fla. 32207 phone: (904) 265-9390 fax: (904) 398-5728 The policy of The Shield is to provide a forum for student expression. If you are interested in advertising in The Shield, email newspaper@ bishopkenny.org for more information. Letters to the editor are encouraged; submit to room 224.

Names can be withheld upon request.

The Shield is a member of FSPA. Editors-in-Chief Abby Milkes, Cate Dudley Copy Editor Mikaela Georgi Layout and Design Editor Haley Samaan Business Manager Ava Liuzzo Public Relations Manager Stella Shaw Staff Relations Manager Grace Hayag Web - Editor-in-Chief Noah Ferrizzi Web - Managing Editor Parker Harms Web - Copy Editor Audrey Moody Adviser Jessica Durbin Front and back cover photo by: Haley Samaan Follow The Shield on Twitter, Instagram, and online: @bk_theshield www.bktoday.org

CONTENTS NEWS

4 6 9 12 15 16

DANCE MARATHON CANVAS APP

FEATURES

MYTHS ABOUT GINGERS EUROPE TRIP

OPINION

17 18 19

SUMMER JOBS HEAR ME ROAR

A&E

KENNY KRAVINGS KENNY KUPID LIVING THE STREAM

SPORTS 21 ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE 22 SPORTS SUPERLATIVES

ISSUE 4 • NEWS 3

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THE SHIELD • MAY 2022

Abby Milkes | Editor-in-Chief

National organization raises money for local children’s healthcare

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Ladson said. “But it’s special that we have the names of the kids in Jacksonville that we are able to help support.”

Dance Marathon Committee president senior Adriana Gjergji has seen the importance of being able to help others through the influence of her older sister, who is involved with Dance Marathon at FSU. “I believe it is important to help others when we have the resources to do so,” Gjergji said.

The night was split into four separate themed hours, each consisting of unique activities set up to encourage last-minute donations.

The first hour was Competition Hour, and students battled it out in Mario Kart and Spikeball tournaments. The hour concluded with a limbo competition with a prize for the winner.

Throwback Hour followed with senior Winston Peele playing everyone’s favorite oldies. Students had the opportunity to pay $2 to choose their own karaoke songs and perform for the

crowd.

The next hour was Country Hour, which included a hat decorating table at which students decorated their western hats with accessories such as boas and jewels. Students learned the Morale Dance, choreographed by junior Lilly Smith, and to the tune of “Hoedown Throwdown.”

The night ended with Rave Hour. Students bid on the opportunity to pie members of the Dance Marathon Committee, and were given light-up wands for the dance floor.

The final amount raised

through online donations prior to and the money collected at the event was $33,038.01, exceeding the original goal of $20,000.

Students who wish to participate in next year’s event should visit Miracle Network Dance Marathon to learn more about how to get involved in Dance Marathon 2023. One of the first ways to get started is by joining Interact Club, which is the club that sponsors the event.

“Dance Marathon is an amazing way to get involved and give back to your local community,” Gjergji said. “I encourage everyone to do so.”

Photo courtesy of Charli Esposito

ore than 200 BK and Episcopal students stayed on their feet for four hours in the Carla Harris Performing Arts Center on Mar. 26 to help raise money for hospitalized children in an event known as the “Dancing on the Boulevard.”

According to the Children’s Miracle Network site, Dance Marathon is an organization that has accumulated 300,000+ student participants along 400+ campuses and has raised more than $300M for children since 1991.

The BK community has volunteered for more than five years to raise funds through Dance Marathon for the local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, which provides critical healthcare services for children and their families.

Faculty sponsor Alex Ladson also emphasizes the importance of funding services for children in the local community who need them.

“I think a lot of finances go to things that you don’t really see any results of,”

Top: During Competition Hour, members of the Interact Club battle it out in a game of MarioKart. Bottom: The Dance Marathon Committees from BK and Episcopal reveal the final amount raised at the end of the night.

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THE SHIELD • MAY 2022

What students can expect for change from Schoology to Canvas Parker Harms | Web - Managing Editor

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n fall of 2022, students will transition from Schoology to Canvas as the learning management system.

Canvas is a learning development system launched

by Instructure, Inc. on iOS in 2011. Since then, 16 states across America have partnered with Instructure in adopting Canvas for educational institutions.

As of 2020, Canvas is used in approximately 4000 institutions around the globe.

BK is switching from Schoology to Canvas after eight years. Admin is making the switch due to the numerous technical issues and downtime, features like grade pass-back and scheduling announcements.

Canvas’ platform has easy submission ability for students, discussion answers on the platform and media interactions through Google Drive, according to elearningindustry. com. Teachers can create assignments, discussions, pages and modules; they can also incorporate external apps or links or see how the course is viewed as a student, unlike Schoology where users can only use external apps outside of the platform.

Many students are worried about the change.

Emily Montvilas, the Technology Integration Specialist at BKHS, stated that

most students will be more worried about the idea of it not being Schoology than the change to Canvas itself.

“I think [it is] just the comfort level of Schoology,” Montvilas states. “A lot of kids have come in from the grade school, using Schoology.”

Overall, the view on Canvas is quite positive, having 4.7 stars out of 5 with 2.4 million reviews on the Apple IOS App Store and 4.5 stars out of 5 with 155,310 reviews on Google Play for Android and Google users.

Many state colleges in Florida use Canvas, such as UNF, FSU and UF. Alumnus Hannah Harms, Class of 2020, personally considers Canvas to be the better platform, citing simpler navigation especially.

“You can find anything within two to three clicks,” Harms said.

She remarked that the switch from Schoology to Canvas was an easy adjustment.

“When you open the app it shows your classes and your grades for each class.” Harms says, “There are tabs to show your work, to-dos, emails, etc.

It is very easy to work with even on your phone.”

PROS VS CONS CANVAS PRO

Easy Assignment Turn-In More

than

80%

of

reviewers

mentioned that course work felt easy to download and share assignments.

PRO

Excellent Functionality In

general,

80%

of

users

who

discussed features were pleased with different tools throughout.

CON

Discussion Board More than 60% of reviewers mentioned a dislike for the discussion board feature.

PRO

Powerful Grading More than 90% of users who discussed grading said it was easy to send, receive and understand their final scores.

PRO

Easy to Use More than 70% of users who discussed the usability said the system was easy to navigate and use.

CON

Occasional Glitches More than 70% of users who mentioned the program's reliability ran into issues with bugs in the program.

ISSUE 4 • ADS

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THE SHIELD • MAY 2022

ISSUE 4 • FEATURES 9

Ava Liuzzo | Business Manager

Students react to bizarre internet myths concerning their hair color

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id you know that redheads are mutants? No, not like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - really!

A genetic mutation causes red hair, according to the University of Edinburgh. Although there is scientific evidence explaining the origins of the rare trait, there are common misconceptions surrounding those with it.

The only way to find out the truth is to ask red-haired individuals if the rumors are fact or fiction. So, which of these commonly asked questions are actually true? Let’s see what red-headed students have to say in response to a few of these myths.

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ISSUE 4 • ADS 11

12 THE SHIELD • MAY 2022

Largest international travel group travels to Italy, Spain Noah Ferrizzi | Web - Editor in Chief

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ach year, more than 700 million tourists visit Europe to see her awe-inspiring countries and sights that have stood tall for thousands of years.

During spring break 28 students and 4 teachers traveled to Italy and Spain for ten days, and I was lucky enough to be one of them.

We visited Rome, Florence, Madrid and Barcelona.

Here’s a (spring) breakdown of everything we did.

Rome: First on our tour was the Italian capital of Rome. Rome has stood the test of time just as well, if not better, than any other place in the world.

From the ancient Etruscan and Roman civilization mixed with the Greek influence and the Christian architecture, the city has preserved more than 2000 years of history.

We began by visiting the Spanish Steps, opened in 1725, which ascend and give a panoramic view of the city below. The lavish Trevi Fountain is so intricately designed that one could not imagine it is 250 years old.

Locals say that if you throw a coin into the fountain, good fortune and a return trip to Rome are in your future.

The Pantheon has the most beautiful domed roof you will ever see with a giant oculus at the top. We finished the first day at one of my favorite places, the Piazza Navona,

formerly known as the Circus Maximus - the height of ancient Roman chariot racing - which now is filled with shops and restaurants galore.

The next day, we visited the

museum holds some of the oldest pieces of art I’ve ever seen, and the Sistine Chapel was the cherry on top. It combines religion with history and marries it to art.

Last but certainly not least was the Colosseum and Roman Forum on Easter Sunday. The Colosseum was huge and dilapidated but imperfectly perfect. The view of the Forum from the Colosseum really put me back in the year 117 A.D. like a Roman. The sightseeing

Vatican. The interior and exterior of Saint Peter’s Basilica is breathtaking. There are marvelous sculptures everywhere, like the Pietá, and everything is adorned in gold. Statues of Popes Gregory and Innocent guard the walls of this holy place.

Latin inscriptions are in every nook and corner. The Vatican

in Rome topped everywhere else we went, and being there during Easter made it that much better.

Florence: The shortest stay on our tour of one day, still had much to offer. The group arrived in Florence in a rushed fashion and quickly ate dinner to make Easter Sunday mass

on time. The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella was beautiful, and the Italian words boomed through the basilica. After mass, we had a walking tour of Florence. Various statues stood in the city, lining the walls of every building with the great works of Da Vinci and Michaelangelo. The view of the sun setting on the Arno River was enough to make a million memories in my head.

We left the next morning at 5 a.m. and our flight was almost canceled due to wind. I thought that might be my only memory of Florence but I was way wrong. I hope that I get to go back and enjoy her beauty again.

Madrid: After Florence, we spent three wonderful days in Madrid. The taste of life and culture in Spain was nothing short of amazing.

It is so relaxing and refreshing. My favorite thing was the siestas.

Just taking an hour or two to rest during the day is a nice change of pace. We spent our siesta in El Retiro Park which is bigger than New York’s Central Park. We went on a boat ride and it was so much fun after being up since 5 in the morning.

Of all the places we visited, Madrid felt the most like home, but still felt unique. Madrid felt the most like home and Europe at the same time. The familiar European architecture blended seamlessly with the western culture. The Plaza Del Sol has so many shops and a place where if you place your foot on on the Origen de

ISSUE 4 • FEATURES 13

las carreteras radiales and take a picture, Barcelona: The final stop on tour was Barcelona.

When we arrived, it was cold and rainy, which hampered my enjoyment of the city. But the views and buildings were enough to make the inclement weather bearable. The city is topped off by the houses designed

by Antoni Gaudi, one of the most famous Catalan architects from Spain. Park Güell, another Gaudi creation, was a highlight of the city. It felt new and historic, culminating in a timeless experience in the large city. The best part was the ocean front resort we stayed at. Being woken up by the melody of the crashing waves was the only way to end the trip of a lifetime.

Junior Adam Shalley created a slideshow of featured images and videos from the tour.

Sophomore Sean Madigan

Junior Emily Malzahn

Teacher Matthew Case

“I spent a lot of time with that group of people, and seeing all of their faces together brings good memories.”

“I loved being able to experience new places and their history with my best friends.”

“Proud to be the most obvious American tourist in Europe ever!”

14 THE SHIELD • MAY 2022

ISSUE 4 • OPINIONS 15

What summer jobs can teach students Stella Shaw | Public Relations Manager

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uring the summer, students get a break from the stress of school. Teenagers should work during the summer because they can earn money and gain practical, valuable life experience and not have to also juggle school responsibilities.

Last July, only four in 10 teens were in the labor force, compared with about seven in 10 in July 1978, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Could this be because high school students tend to view working during the summer as a chore?

However, the benefits of summer employment outweigh the negatives. The summer vacation period is an ideal time for high school students to get a job without the limitations of school and after school activities. Having a summer job allows teens to establish a relationship between employee to

employer, employee to consumer and employee to employee; these are skills that you can only learn on the job.

Plus, starting a new job allows for the possibility to make new friendships and creates the perfect opportunity for students to open a bank account if they have not already done so.

Although being employed can be difficult: it builds work ethic that will be useful later in life. Showing up on time, working to one’s full potential and building an internal drive to succeed makes a good employee and builds character for success later in life.

However, many high school students fill their summers instead with activities that are supposedly more impressive on college applications, such as internships and volunteering, according to an article

by Fremont University.

The higher education system seems to now punish high school students for working because the rewards in high school for college admission are not workrelated, suggests KidsHealth.

Although having an actual job rather than shadowing an employer provides experience, income and a hands-on learning experience,

internships rarely pay and are often difficult to obtain.

Summer jobs are also a great stepping stone to full-time employment in the future.

The decline of summer jobs among teens has to do with the false narrative that summer jobs are invaluable, but a job prepares students for employment later in life and rewards employees with paychecks. Summer jobs teach money skills; when earning a paycheck, you learn the difference between gross and net pay and making choices about saving and spending.

Not only those, but employers are more likely to deposit your paychecks directly into your bank account. Students can experience the satisfaction of earning their own money.

Consider submitting an application for a part-time job this summer. Your resume, future self and your bank account, will thank you.

16 THE SHIELD • MAY 2022

Embracing, not hiding, from mental illness Mikaela Georgi | Copy Editor

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top being so emotional.”

“Come on, give us a smile.” “You’re acting crazy… are you sure you aren’t PMS’ing?”

My fellow women will tell you that they have spent their entire lives being shoved into the darkness of commands like this and falling victim to stereotypes, especially those related to their emotions and feelings.

“Psychology of Women Quarterly” published an article which stated, “the belief that women are more emotional than men has been one of the most consistent gender stereotypes.”

At this point, this is not surprising. People claim that there is a scientific reason why women have emotions that fluctuate more often than men’s, and expressing such emotions through healthy means such as crying only furthers such stereotypes.

Recently, I had a conversation with someone who has not yet stepped away from these stereotypes. We

compared the capabilities of men and women in more active occupations, such as a police officer or member of the military. He explained to me his fervent belief that if a woman were to be backed against the wall and must resort to taking the life of someone else, she would respond by “[sitting] down and [crying].”

This does, of course, bring about a problem.

Because women like me are trying so hard to combat stereotypes and gain a rightful place in society, we are losing the fact that emotions are healthy and so is expressing them.

“More than 1 in 5 women in the United States experienced a mental health condition in the past year, such as depression or anxiety,” according to The

Office on Women’s Health.

That being said, however, the Mental Health Foundation discovered that only 15% of women seek treatment for mental illnesses. Any number of reasons could be the cause of this, but one of the most prominent ones is the fact that they are afraid of the response that will stem from it.

Women in what are seen as more professional careers — district managers, lawyers, etc. — are even less likely to do so.

Those people have worked so hard to get to a respectable position in a male-dominated field.

Because of this, they tend to avoid falling into another stereotype that essentially proves society correct.

Female celebrities are constantly in the public eye, so they have tried to express

that you can struggle and still be proud. You can struggle and still be brave. You can struggle, and you can still be strong.

Normalization of mental illness is more prevalent today, but it comes with an avalanche of continued stereotypes. In as many social media posts that aim to tell struggling women that they are valid, there are a plethora of nasty comments from those who believe that mental illness reinforces their claims that women are weak.

Women are not weak.

Being seen and heard in a negative way has had disastrous effects on their sense of selves. But they are not weak.

After decades of being cast into the shadows, women are rising, and with each step into the light are being bruised and scarred by the torching looks and hateful words of stereotypes.

If nothing else, all women must realize: You don’t have to be okay to be strong.

ISSUE 4 • A & E 17

Summer cool-off treats around Jax Beach Haley Samaan | Design and Layout Editor

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After spending the whole day at the beach, the only thing I could think about

was something cold and refreshing. So, I decided to sample some of the best ice

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice has been scooping frozen treats since 1996, according to their website. There are six locations throughout Jacksonville, but I went to the one located in Jax Beach, approximately 32 minutes east of BK. They serve Italian ice, gelati and soft serve with over forty flavors to choose from.

I ordered a small “p-nutty”

gelati with chocolate soft serve ice cream in between.

The ice was smooth and the soft serve offered the perfect ice-to-ice cream ratio.

It was priced at $3.15, which was the cheapest out of the three places I visited.

The atmosphere of Jeremiah’s was fun, bright and summery. I have grown up going to Jeremiah’s, and each time, there never

fails to be line out the door.

Mayday is located right up the road from Jeremiah’s on Beach Blvd. It was named to honor the Americans who served our country in World War II, according to its website. While on the frontlines, soldiers were given coffee and cigarettes, but ice cream was very difficult for them to get. Mayday’s boys would strap buckets of ice cream and sugar into the gunner pods above the

loading bays so soldiers would have ice cream upon landing.

When I arrived, there was a line out the door. Once I got to the counter, I ordered a “pilot” scoop of cookie crush ice cream. Mayday tops its handmade ice cream with complimentary sprinkles and a waffle cone cookie. The ice cream was the perfect texture and the soft, Oreo-like cookies inside were the perfect addition.

My scoop was priced at $5.25, which was the most expensive of my treats, but the atmosphere of the place, in my opinion, made it worth it.

The third place I tried was Pelican’s on Third St., across from Mellow Mushroom.

Pelican’s was founded in 2001 by a 13-year old girl named Ansley Johnson, according to its website. Johnson fell in love with snowballs as a child when visiting her grandparents in Chalmette, La. This is where the name came from — the Louisiana

state bird.

From the street, it can be easy to miss, but when I arrived around 3 p.m. on a Sunday, there was a line wrapped around the building.

They have more than 100 flavors of shaved ice to choose from, but I ordered a regular strawberry shaved ice. It was priced at $4.50, which was the second most

expensive of these places.

In my opinion, you definitely get your money’s worth. The ice overflows the cup and you never lose the flavoring of the syrup, unlike other shaved ice parlors.

Pelican’s is the perfect summer cooldown spot!

here’s a new food critic in town! What shall I sample for this issue?

cream, shaved ice and Italian ice parlors around Jax Beach.

a

Jeremiah’s Italian Ice 1500 Beach Blvd, Unit 118 Jacksonville Beach, Fla. 32250 (904)559-2902 @jeremiahsice

Mayday Ice Cream 1198 Beach Blvd Suite 7, Jacksonville Beach, Fla. 32250 (904)372-9948 @maydayicecream

Pelican’s SnoBalls 1029 Third St N, Jacksonville Beach, Fla. 32250 (904)352-1200 @pelicansjaxbeach

18 THE SHIELD • MAY 2022

Love Doctor

Relationship struggles with location sharing

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ear Concerned Girlfriend,

D

ear Kenny Kupid,

I’m so upset. I feel like my boyfriend doesn’t even care about keeping me in our relationship. I’ve expressed time and time again how much I love him and that I want to be with him forever, and he usually responds with the same sentiment, but there’s a piece of him that he refuses to share with me.

He’s on Ghost Mode.

Yep, he turned off his location. I don’t understand why he won’t just share his location with me so that I can make sure he’s not doing anything dangerous.

Yesterday, he didn’t answer my texts for, like, 15 minutes! And when I

went to check Life360 or Snapchat to see where he was, I remembered that he doesn’t trust me enough to share it with me.

What am I doing wrong? I told him that all I want with his location is to track where he is at all times without him having to tell me himself because I don’t trust that he will tell me the truth if I ask. I can’t believe he would be so shady.

I mean, my mom looks at my location all the time!

I don’t understand how this could be any different.

I don’t want to break up with him, but if he doesn’t trust me, I think I might have to.

What should I do? SOS. Help me, Kenny Kupid.

You’re my only hope.

Sincerely, Concerned Girlfriend

I’ve seen so many relationships fall apart because of location-sharing issues. Frankly, it’s the worst reason to break up because there’s a simple fix for it. Luckily enough, you came to The Kupid first, and I’m here to throw a lifeboat to your drowning relationship. All you have to do is prove to him that not sharing his location is not going to stop your perseverance. You have two options to make this work.

First, you’re going to need to get some ropes.

Tie yourself to the bottom of the car, and make absolutely certain that you’re wearing a helmet.

You may need to enlist the help of a trustworthy friend to get you secured under the car before school gets out, but from the sounds of it, you’re great in a relationship, so finding someone to help shouldn’t be a problem for you.

After you’re safely secured, don’t let him know that you’re there yet. Play

some tricks on him; grab at his ankles when he gets out of the driver’s seat. That’ll make him think he’s going crazy. You’ve got to pick him apart psychologically before you reveal yourself.

He’ll realize how unsafe the world is and that the only way that he will survive is to retreat into your controlling arms.

Then, you’ve turned the table to make it so that you’re the hero of the story.

When he inevitably starts crying from paranoia after trial #89 (no more, no less) of you grabbing his ankles, roll yourself out from under the car and give him a big hug. Don’t worry, he probably won’t notice it was you because of, well, the trauma.

He’ll cry harder and express how sorry he is.

Then, he’ll want you to have his location at all times so that you can protect him from the imaginary hand under his car.

Now, you have a boyfriend, a location and a nifty little trick.

XOXO!

ISSUE 4 • A & E 19

Doctor Strange goes to extreme lengths to stop total annihilation Audrey Moody | Web - Copy Editor

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ait, what’s that blue star floating in the sky? Is that another universe inside of it? Summoned

by America Chavez when she’s in extreme fear, it’s a portal to one of the many universes in the multiverse.

Directed by Sam Raimi (who’s known for directing “Spider-Man” and producing “The Evil Dead”), “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” grossed more than $450,000,000 globally in its opening weekend, making it the third highest grossing film of 2022, according to Box Office Mojo. With a budget of $200,000,000, it earned all its money back and then some from the opening weekend alone.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen reprise their roles as Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff, respectively, and the two traverse multiverses to find what they want: Wanda wants a life with her sons, and Doctor Strange follows to prevent her from destroying the world in the process.

While the two work together at the beginning, things turn sour when Wanda discovers that she can live in the multiverse where her kids exist if she can take Chavez’s powers of traveling the multiverse.

With Benedict Wong and Rachel McAdams reprising their roles as Wong and Christine Palmer, the two try to aid Doctor Strange in his quest to prevent Scarlet Witch, Wanda’s superhero form, from stealing Chavez’s powers.

The story combined elements of action and comedy to make a story that flowed well and felt cohesive.

Considering it was only a two hour movie, I went into it expecting it to feel rushed, but I actually enjoyed the length.

It set up multiple cliffhangers, setting up the plot for a sequel that left the theater eager for more (in a good way).

Besides the length, the storytelling was done well, and a lot of scenes were easy to grasp. However, this movie wasn’t perfect, and I had some gripes with it.

Why one particular

character had any significance in the overall plot I had no idea, so I had to ask my friends what was happening throughout the entire film. I was lost in more parts than others, but that may have been my fault due to not reading the comics.

From my experience, I highly recommend that if someone wants to see “Multiverse of Madness,” they’ll need to catch up on the original “Doctor Strange” and the Disney+ series “WandaVision” to fully understand the movie.

One final thing about the

story: as with any Marvel flick, stay past the entire credits because there are two funny post-credit scenes. You’ll thank me later.

However, there’s still an issue that irked viewers: some reviews I read from ScreenRant and LolaLambchops argue that the film was too gory for a Marvel film. I didn’t think it was that bad. In certain scenes, it’s implied that it’s bloody, but the audience barely sees the actual bloody parts.

So, don’t worry squeamish viewers: you can see the movie comfortably. I thought the battle scenes were some of the best I’ve seen from Marvel. They were nicely choreographed and executed, and I was left on the edge of my seat.

Overall, I’d rate the film a 7.5/10. I’m docking a few points because, for viewers like me who have never read the comics, the story was difficult to follow.

Some scenes were simply too confusing for me to fully grasp before the film hopped right into the next scene. However, the story and action scenes correlated well together, even if I didn’t understand part of it. The Doctor Strange series is already complicated as it is, (in fact, I’d argue it’s the most complex series out of the entirety of Marvel), but without any knowledge of the background around it, they can get confusing very quickly.

While I wouldn’t watch the film again, I do recommend it, but just a reminder that viewers might want to catch up on Marvel before they go see this one.

20 THE SHIELD • MAY 2022

ISSUE 4 • SPORTS 21

Sprinter finds success on track Cate Dudley | Editor-in-Chief

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ined up at the start, eight girls get set up in their blocks, waiting for their cue. The gun goes off and they drive out through their starts up to their top speeds, and a Bishop Kenny athlete makes a clear lead. The race is over in a matter of seconds with junior Gabby Johnson taking first.

This is how many of Johnson’s races go, and she currently holds district, regional and state champion titles.

Johnson has been a member of the varsity track team for three years. She started racing in middle school and now competes in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m and 4x400m.

In 2022, Johnson had a highly decorated State Championship Series.

During the 2022 District Championships, Johnson broke three school records in one day in the 200m, and also in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays. She qualified for Regional Championships and State Championships in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m. She placed top 5 in each event at Regionals, with both relay teams breaking their own records from Districts, the 4x400m placing first overall.

During the final State Championship meet, Johnson medaled in the 200m, and her team medaled in the 4x100.

The highlight of the night was when the 4x400m relay team broke its own record for the

fourth time in a row, taking the State Championship first place title.

Johnson has an extensive athletic background; when she was younger, she played basketball and softball, practiced ballet and ran cross country. These sports, she says, prepared her for the mental and physical aspects of intense practices and races.

When she is in training, she prioritizes breaking down the parts of a race and perfecting each section.

“I try to focus on all my weaknesses, [like] getting my start down and keeping it accurate,” Johnson said.

Johnson plans to continue her athletic career in college. While she does not have any official offers yet, she is talking to many college coaches and holds letters of recognition from universities for her success.

Despite her success on the track, Johnson faced challenges many high school students can relate to. “[Something that impacted my life was] coming to a new high school, because no one from my middle school came here, so it was like a whole different world. I had to make all my friends by myself and grow up,” Johnson said.

Track helped Johnson to have a community.

The effects of the positive relationships that Johnson has formed with coaches and teammates are evident through her take on the team.

“Everyone always wishes you the best and congratulates you on your success or new PR’s,” Johnson said. If it weren’t for all of my coaches…I wouldn’t be the athlete I am today.”

22 THE SHIELD • MAY 2022

Student athletes are chosen to represent their extraordinary qualities Grace Hayag | Staff Relations Manager

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thletic achievements are a way for students to be recognized apart from academics.

However, athletic skill is not the only cause for reward. Rather than recognizing students for basic awards

such as “MVP,” these superlatives highlight specific traits each person has. The staff wanted to know which

sophomore or junior athletes would be best fit for each superlative, so we polled the coaches.

ISSUE 4 • SPORTS 23