MIRROR De Smet Jesuit High School / 233 N. New Ballas Rd. / St. Louis, MO 63141
THE
Volume 49 / Number 3 / December 2018
Albums of the Year pg. 14
Bring back letterman jackets?
6:00 A.M. Crew
pg. 7
pg. 5
pg. 13
Have we lost the meaning of Christmas?
Last Minute Christmas Shopping Guide pg. 15
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With Christmas approaching, the staff believed it’d be most fitting to center our issue around all the things that come Albums of the with the Christmas season. Year Although the Christmas season comes with a lot of joy and Have we lost the meaning of cheer, we wanted to address Christmas? Bring some of the misconceptions back letterman that have arisen over the jackets? past few decades. Here at De Smet we are taught “to give Last and not to count the cost.” Minute Christmas We wanted to critique the 6:00 Shopping A.M. Guide materialistic attitude of greed Crew that has become prevalent over Christmas, while emphasizing what it should be all about. When they say Christmas is a season of “giving” it shouldn’t just be all about giving presents. It should be giving ourselves up to Christ and his mission. As we wrap up this issue we have our sights set to next semester. We hope to continue our theme of “telling people’s stories” within the walls of De Smet. We will also continue to post on our website daily, keeping you up to date on everything in Spartan country. We appreciate your support and we will see you in March for our next issue.
MIRROR De Smet Jesuit High School / 233 N. New Ballas Rd. / St. Louis, MO 63141
THE
Volume 49 / Number 3 / December 2018
pg. 13
pg. 5
pg. 14
pg. 7
pg. 15
- Brennan Dolnick, Editor-in-Chief
STAFF
THE
Letter from the editor’s desk
Kevin Berns / Adviser Jay Dolan / Editor-in-Chief Brennan Dolnick / Editor-in-Chief Nick Einig / Web Editor Grant Stegman / Design Editor Camden Brazile / Copy Editor Jack Windler / Multi-Media Specialist Jacob Deighton / Multi-Media Specialist Cameron Range / Staff Writer Max Conway / Staff Writer Jon Carani / Staff Writer Spencer Caldwell / Staff Writer Gave Helm / Staff Writer Chris Bateman / Staff Writer Ben Lightner / Staff Cartoonist
Our Mission
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The goals of The Mirror, as De Smet Jesuit’s official student newspaper, are to provide accurate information in the spirit of responsible journalism, to entertain and to offer a forum for the ideas of students, parents, graduates, faculty and administrators. By-lined commentaries represent the opinions of their writers; they do not necessarily express the views of the administration, faculty, student body, or The Mirror staff and its adviser. Editorials without bylines represent the opinions of the editors and the staff. At least a three-fourths majority of the staff is needed for an article to be considered an opinion of the paper. The Mirror welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be limited to 500 words and should be submitted to the publications office in Room 212 or emailed to desmetpress@gmail.com. All letters must be signed, but names will be withheld upon request.
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Table of Contents
Contents Features
Opinions 4 / AP worth the rigor The school offers many AP classes but in the long run are they worth it?
5 / The Christmas mentality has changed
Off Grid Page 10 4 / Opinion 6 / News 8 / In-Depth
10 / Feature / Feature 12 12 / Sports 14 14 / Entertainment / Sports
Most people’s favorite time of the year is a time for Jesus but it is moving away from that.
News
10 / Off Grid Teens explain why they stay away from social media.
11 / Q&A with Howard Place Theology teacher Howard Place describes why he chose De Smet over a high paying job.
Entertainment
6 / As close as possible
15 / Last minute Christmas list
Model UN club gets ready for their trip to Chiago representing Singapore to learn real world experiences and open up oppurtunities.
A Christmas list for your loved ones when time is running out.
“On the weekends it is strange waking up at 6 and feeling that you should be in the gym.” - Jack Combs, 6 a.m crew, Page 7
7 / 6:00 a.m crew These five students and two teachers push their bodies limit everday for five days a week hours before any other students wake up.
14 / Albums of the year Four albums were chosen for album of the year: The Neighbourhood, Dan and Shay, Bobby Tarantino 2, and Electric Light, and we’ll tell you why these were the greatest hits.
As close as possible
Page 6
4
AP worth the rigor
Opinion
Editorial
Art by: Ben Lightner
Taking AP classes often can save you thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars.
AP classes come with lots of work, but positives out-weigh negatives by Brennan Dolnick, Editor-in-Chief
A
dvanced Placement (AP) was created by the College Board to offer college level curricula and exams to high school students. In return, students who placed high on examinations receive placement and course credit to many American colleges and universities. Although the benefits are very good, AP classes come with much more rigor than most regular high school classes. But in the end the benefits definitely outweigh the rigor of the classes. A recent study by Student Loan Hero found that the average college credit cost $594.46. The average undergraduate college class is worth three credits. Therefore, taking an AP class could save you up to as much as $1,782. And that’s just one class. If a student really wants to challenge themselves, they can take multiple AP classes and save incredible amounts of money and time in college. Students who take AP can skip many of their introductory courses and get right into starting to form their future by focusing on their major. desmetmirror.com
Not only can AP help students get money off college, but it gives students an opportunity to challenge themselves beyond the regular classes they take in high school. The AP curriculum follows the same structures of what a college course looks like. This gives students the opportunity to prepare themselves for college classes by getting experience in high school. Even if a student struggles and doesn’t score well on the AP test they will at least get prepared for college classes. Sure many AP classes come with lots of studying and hard work, but if you want to prepare yourself for college, developing independent study skills is essential. Going into college unprepared can get you off to a bad start that will negatively affect your college experience. And leaving college with extraneous amounts of student loan debt isn’t fun either. AP classes may not seem so incredibly fun when your in them at high school, but they definitely will when they translate to extra money in your pocket later in life.
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Opinion
Best Christmas movie ever
by Cameron Range, Staff Writer
Photo by Brennan Dolnick
Christmas mentality has changed The meaning of Christmas should return to faith based foccus by Gave Helm, Staff Writer Christmas is supposed to be a time of year where Jesus’s life and sacrifice is celebrated. Instead, Christmas tends to be taken advantage of for big holiday sales, such as Black Friday, where most companies make their biggest profits of the year. Giving presents to others should be a symbol for when Jesus sacrificed himself for the world. From the beginning, children are conditioned to “want” during the Christmas season. Santa’s naughty list is a great mechanism to keep children from doing bad things, but they have to learn the real reason why giving is integral to Christmas. It’s embarrassing that kids get worked up because they didn’t get exactly everything on their list. Christmas would be better if we just gave presents that come from the heart. That’s the problem, people have the idea that the only way to partake in Christmas is by giving gifts. According to Pew Research Center,
70% of Americans are Christian and 20% are Catholic. It’s crazy to think that the majority of Americans classify themselves as a believer in Christ, yet most people still don’t get the meaning of Christmas. Jesus loved everyone and went above and beyond for their needs. If Christmas is a time where people celebrate what Jesus did, society should strive to do what he did. Whether you’re Catholic or not, Christmas should be a time where people set their differences aside and love one another. Christmas should be a day in which society remembers how Jesus lived his life. Jesus lived everyday helping the poor and oppressed. People can celebrate Christmas by doing more giving and less receiving when they are not in need. If anything, Christmas is a time where people are called to service. Society has wired the people to ask rather than give. This has to change, or people will actually lose the meaning of Christmas sooner or later.
Photo by Hughes Entertainment
S
itting in your living room, hot chocolate in your hand, all snuggled up in your blanket, and watching the best Christmas movie ever! Home Alone. What else is there to think, this movie is a classic. Everyone might not agree with this, but you have to agree that this movie is a must watch during the Christmas season. Kevin McCallister, a young clever child left home alone after his parents forget him because of the rush they were in to make their flight. This movie has everything, humor, lessons, and pain. Kevin McCallister gives Marv and Harry the beatings of their life and it couldn’t be more funny. This movie, along with making us laugh, gives us great lessons. This movie teaches us about love and family. Although Kevin McCallister’s family may not be ideal, his mom did everything she could to make sure her son was okay. The movie taught us that even if your family is crazy, they are awesome and would do anything for you. desmetmirror.com
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News
As close as possible Model UN gets close to the real thing on trip to Chicago by Spencer Caldwell, Staff Writer
1927
1956
The conference begins as a model assembly of the League of Nations held in New York at Syracuse University.
In 1956’s conference, Eleanor Roosevelt serves as a keynote speaker before the conference began.
1945
1964
Due to World War II, 1945’s Model UN conference was canceled. The conference was ratified on October 24, 1945.
The conference is finally named National Model United Nations. It is still named this today.
Attending Model UN conference on Jan. 29 in Chicago, English teachers Nick Dressler and Sean Cavanagh will moderate 19 delegates in their attempt to resolve world issues. “Although a simulation of a United Nations proceeding, the delegates benefit from a real-world convergence of students from all over the U.S. and the world,” Cavanagh said. “It is akin to simply growing up, so the trip satisfies both an intellectual and psychological need to adapt calmly and productively to new situations.” The trip gives the student delegates a great opportunity to handle real world problems in a fun way. “It seems like a great learning experience about things that I may be interested in the future,” senior Teddy Delker said. “I’m excited about getting to spend a weekend with my friends and learning about politics and how the UN works.” Model UN attracts people from all over the world, giving delegates an opportunity to experience the United Nations on a personal level. “I would say I am most excited to meet all the new people I get to meet,” senior Troy Schneider said. “It’s not just people from around the country but around the world and you get to experience a lot of different cultures.” The trip brings a new experience that many students are greatly looking forward to. “It sounded like a good opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and try something new,” senior Max Schaeffer said. “I’m excited to meet and interact with different students from all over the United States.” desmetmirror.com
2019 Day to Day Events What do students do on the trip? What is the point of the trip?
Model UN conference information The delegates are paired up on different committees. The committees are "in session" for four days. An example includes the Committee of Human Rights.
In committee, the delegates' essential task is to hammer out resolutions which are in effect proposed to ongoing geopolitical problems.
The teachers introduce the kids to primary parliamentary procedure and protocol. Also help them understand the global context of the various issues.
The delegates benefit from a real-world convergence of students from all over the U.S. and the world. Delegates will be forced outside of their comfort zone.
7
News
6:00
5
Tips to get better sleep and wake up earlier
According to the National Sleep Foundation
�
A.M.
Reduce screen time before bed Bright screens give you body the illusion that it is still day time, which suppresses the amount of melatonin released into the blood stream
Crew
� Exercise Try to exercise during the day. Exercising wears your body which in turn makes you more exhausted by the end of the night.
Photo by: Jack Windler Photo by: Jack Windler
Senior Jack Combs squats 315 pounds while senior Troy Schneider spots him.
A select group of students and athletes arrive to school at 6 a.m, here is why by Jon Carani, Staff Writer Entering into an empty school, Seniors Jack Combs and Troy Schneider head into the silent locker room. This is an every morning occurence for the members of the 6 a.m. crew. The 6 a.m. crew is a group of students and faculty who get to school early in the morning to workout. These students and faculty include math teacher Mark DeGreeff, theology teacher Alex Hall, seniors Troy Schneider, Teddy Delker, Jack Combs, and juniors John Fotouhi and Jake Heuermann. All have very busy schedules so they have made adjustments to their sleeping and eating schedules in order to make time for themselves to fit a workout into their day. “I come to school so early to workout because it is the one time of the day that I can just focus on working out,” Hall said. “If I wait till after school usually something comes up, so the morning is
the one time I know it is workout time.” These students and faculty are all motivated by different things that help them show up to these daily workouts. During his football season, Combs wanted to better himself and his team, so he did that by weightlifting before school. “At the beginning, waking up so early was very difficult for me,” Combs said. “You just keep going and eventually it becomes natural. On the weekends it feels strange waking up at six and feeling that you should be in the gym.” Schneider believes that in the morning you know you will be surrounded by guys just as determined and motivated as you are. “It is a lot of fun lifting in the mornings, the morning lifters are very personable people making the gym a better environment,” Schneider said. “It is something I truly enjoy.”
� Avoid naps during the day Naps can be good, but if they are harming your sleep at night you may want to limit them.
� Wind down About one hour before bed try to relax your body and mind by doing something relaxing such as reading a book or meditating.
� Stick to a sleep schedule Even on the weekends, try to stay on the same waking and sleeping schedule. This will help regulate your bodies internal clock.
desmetmirror.com
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Stimulants for Studying by Max Conway, Staff Writer *****Disclaimer: to protect the confidentiality of the subject, the name “Clark Mendoza” is used in place of the subject’s real name***** With exams approaching, hours of sleep decreasing, and missing assignments piling up, Clark Mendoza dug himself a hole he can not get out of. Mendoza abuses prescription drugs, and his situation is not unique. Feeling trapped with no way out, Mendoza turned to Adderall, a drug prescribed to teens diagnosed with ADHD. When a person not diagnosed with ADHD takes Adderall, their attention span increases. Mendoza purchased these pills from a friend who has ADHD for increased performance during studying. “I had heard around school that Adderall is like steroids for your brain,” Mendoza said. “If so many people take it, it can’t be that bad, right?” Adderall provides immediate side effects including hyperfocus, increased heart rate, restlessness, increased speech, and insomnia. “Staying up late and finishing all the missing homework and studying I needed to do in one night sounds great to me,” Mendoza said. “Deciding to take Adderall was a no-brainer.” Adderall remains very dangerous, despite the positive side effects. Taking too much Adderall can cause cardiac arrest. When taken with caffeine, the risk for cardiac arrest skyrockets. Adderall withdrawal, starting as early as the next day, results in irritability, fatigue, excessive sleep, headaches, decreased mood, suppressed appetite, and social isolation. In addition, Adderall exposes the taker to long-term side effects such as increased risk of heart disease and arrhythmia, an desmetmirror.com
irregular heartbeat. “Taking Adderall or another prescribed stimulant to save your grade is absolutely not worth it, the risk is too great because of easily occurring dependency and the negative side effects,” psychology teacher Joshua Klein said. “There are healthier options.” Selling prescription Adderall is a Class A felony, which can result in no less than ten years in federal prison. Trying to obtain a prescription drug illegally is a Class D felony, which can result in seven years in federal prison. Illegal possession of a prescription drug can result in three to ten years in federal prison. “I knew buying Adderall from my friends was somewhat wrong,” Mendoza said. “I never thought that I could go to federal prison for it though. It’s crazy.” In a recent poll, 35 DeSmet students have admitted to taking ADHD medication for non-medical purposes. Though this number is out of 244 DeSmet students that answered the poll, if the statistics are able to be generalized, that means 105 students at DeSmet take Adderall for non-medical purposes. “Maybe other students take it to help them study,” Mendoza said. “With finals coming up, I honestly would not be surprised if the percentage of students taking Adderall was higher.” The amount of college and high school students taking Adderall for non-medical reasons ranges from 5-35 percent. “I could definitely go without Adderall,” Mendoza said. “Most of the time I just need a little push to get my stuff done on time. It’s definitely not worth it. I didn’t know the extent of the negative effects.”
9
Adderall Statistics De Smet Related Stats
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HOW MUCH SLEEP DO YOU GET ON AN AVERAGE NIGHT�in hours�
of students ha�e NOT used medical stimulants for NON medical reasons
��� of students think stimulants help them study or do home�ork
4-6
10+
1-3
7-9
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Some Statistics There were 21 Doctors High School and million stimulant estimate that College prescriptions in 6.5 million 12 students are 2x 2016 for patients year old's have as likely to aged 10-19 out of a used adderall abuse adderall total population of compared to for a non29 million kids aged their peers. medical reason. from 10-19.
ň ʼn Ŋ PROS
CO9S
According to Health Research Funding (hrf.com)
�� �� ��PROS ��CONS �� �� It can im�ro�e a �erson�s o�erall �erformance.
Adderall is HIGHLY addicti�e.
�n an en�ironment �here people must be competiti�e ���� of the time to maintain their employment, those �ith attention issues can quickly benefit from the increased focus this drug can pro�ide.
It is a highl� addicti�e dr�g to ta�e �eca�se it creates good feelings thro�gh the com�ination of cortisol and adrenaline that �eo�le �ant to re�licate after the� e��erience it.
The effects are long-lasting.
Long term effects of Adderall ha�e ��T �een st�died
�t�s something that can help you stay focused for se�eral hours at a time so that the jobs that need to get done are
As �ith any stimulant, there is al�ays the risk of ha�ing an irregular heart beat and higher blood pressure than normal. Other issues, such as insomnia, muscle tremors, and a loss of appetite are also common.
able to get done.
Has the a�ilit� to relie�e chronic s�m�toms.
Adderall helps to stop the roadblocks that are in place that pre�ent dopamine being released, �hich eases the symptoms of the disorder.
�re-e�isting conditions can ma�e Adderall deadl�.
As �ith any stimulant, there is al�ays the risk of ha�ing an irregular heart beat and higher blood pressure than normal. Other issues, such as insomnia, muscle tremors, and a loss of appetite are also common.
desmetmirror.com
10 10
Feature
Off
Grid
Photo by Jack Windler
Students sit in the innovation center on social media while one reads the Gettysburg Address.
Teens who say NO to social media by Camden Brazile, Copy Editor
D
e Smet is an environment riddled with social media. Administrators and faculty members constantly fight for student attention with popular networking sites and apps like Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. With so many De Smet students, teachers, and even clubs invested in online media, these apps have worked their way into being an integral part of student life, with some students being unable to put their phones down for even a day. However, there are a few exceptions to this obsession with modern social media. Meet Jacques Combs, a De Smet senior proud of his lack of attachment to Instagram and Snapchat. Combs believes that social media gives toxic users an opportunity to hurt others, and refuses to take part in social media because of elements like cyber bullying. “The issue with social media is that it gives everyone a platform. I am a free speech advocate,” Combs said, “but I think some people use that platform target other people, which I am not okay with.” Combs also avoids social media for how intrusive it can be, citing personally targeted advertisements desmetmirror.com
Shifts in teen social media usage Graph shows what percent of teens use Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Data by Pew research.
80 75 70
and other companies selling personal information as reasons to stay off very intimate apps like Instagram or Snapchat. There are also students who stay away from social media, deeming it a distraction and irrelevant to their lives. Senior Ethan Aronson also completely avoids all social media, and believes this allows him to connect more personally with friends and family and create closer relationships “I don’t use social media simply because I haven’t found a use for it,” Aronson said. “The people I want to talk to I just go up to and have a conversation with. I never really felt the need to connect with every aspect of everyone’s life.” These students who abstain from all social media believe it has little to no effect on their lives, and still participate in all the common activities that most teenagers their age take part in, with the lack of social media not impeding on their social lives. “I still do homework, prepare for college, watch movies, and hang out with my friends, the usual stuff, It’s a normal life, I just don’t have an Instagram or a Snapchat.”zz
65 60 55 50 45 40 35
2015
2016
2017
Snapchat
2018
How De Smet uses
social media Based on 244 student responses.
Social Media
56%
of students use Snapchat the most.
26%
4%
of students use of students use Instagram the most. Twitter the most. 24% said another form of social media.
92%
of students use social media.
Q& A
Feature
with Howard Place
Why didn’t you accept a job with FBPA when offered? “I was attracted to all the things that came with it (the money, fast cars, and big houses). But what I ended up realizing is although these people made a ton of money in reality at work they were miserable. I didn’t want to waste my life away for a paycheck.”
What first got you into economics? “In high school, my teacher told me that she thought I had a future in economics. I was really excited about the idea because not only was I good at it, but it was the third highest paying major. I decided to study it in college as well as getting internships for both World Wide Technologies and the Federal Bureau of Property Administration.”
What has kept you teaching at De Smet? “It has less to do with teaching and the material. It has more to do with being with students during such a momentous part of their lives. Whether it’s teaching, coaching, leading Kairos it’s awesome to work with the amazing students we have here.”
11 The theology teacher usually found in his art filled room, room 116, describes why he chose teaching at De Smet over a higher paying job
Which is better? Theology teacher
Discounted school lunch
VS
Level 5 Actuary
Six figure salary
Works with angsty teens
Works with angry CEOs
Loves job
Hates job Photo by Brennan Dolnick
Giving back New club helps raise money across the world by Christopher Bateman, Staff Writer
T
he Kiva Club, one of the newest clubs this year, is looking to encourage students to help donate money to help people around the world. The organization they are partnering with is called Kiva, a charity organization
that crowdsources micro loans to people throughout the world. “The basic premise of Kiva is that there might be people who won’t have access to additional loans or have a lot of equity or capital but they’re looking for
some help,” Social Studies and Theology teacher Tony Plein said. “If you have a variety of people throughout the world that are willing to contribute a small amount of money, it’s pretty easy to get loans for them.” The goal of Kiva Club is to hopefully get more people involved in the Kiva organization and possibly participating in the organization by donating. “They could just make loans on their own, and have them associated with our De Smet lending team,” Plein said. “The other thing we are looking to
do is actually do some raising of funds so that we can send loans to people through Kiva.” Kiva is a nonprofit organization that has distributed over a billion dollars through loans and the repayment rate is very high at about 97%. “This organization is very cool,” Plein said, “and what’s cool about it is that after you send a loan you can repay it to someone else, walk away with it, or donate it to Kiva. The first $25 that I’ve ever loaned to somebody through Kiva, I think I’ve loaned that $25 at least six times.” desmetmirror.com
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Sports
Dual
Threat
Photo by: Brian Grassi Senior Cameron Range cheers on the varisty basketball team after a basket.
Senior has a love for sports whether playing or watching. Because of this, he decided to manage both the soccer and basketball team. by Nick Einig, Web Editor
T
hree seconds left in the game, down by three points, the fans are wondering if he he can send the game into overtime. They see him pause, take a breath and shoot the ball. They get on their feet. Nothing can be heard except for the final buzzer going off. The buzzer stops and, “swish” the ball goes in, the fans erupt, rushing the court and the players join in the madness. These are the moments senior Cameron Range lives for. He didn’t make the shot nor was he in the student section. Rather he was on the bench with the team and had a completely different view from everyone else. That view is why he manages sports. “I’ve loved sports ever since I’ve been a kid,” Range said. “And I’ve always wanted to be involved with it even if it meant not playing.” Range has always had a love for sports whether playing in them or watching them. He started out playing soccer at the start of his freshman year and quickly transitioned into the manager for the team his sophomore year. In addition to managing soccer his sophomore year he also managed the basketball team. “Sports have always been a big thing in my life, and I’ve always wanted to be a part of them even if that meant desmetmirror.com
not playing,” Range said. “I always had that feeling that I needed to be a part of sports.” Range wanted to get out of his comfort zone and try it. His brother Connor, who graduated in 2017, influenced him to step out. When Connor left for college he regretted that he didn’t do as much as he could have, and this influenced Range to get involved in any way possible. “When I started everyone was very welcoming,” Range said. “I consider these guys my brothers, I’ve never had people like this where I can just open up to.” Range’s daily tasks include shagging
Managerial duties Stat recording
Ball shagging/rebounding
Handing out water
Pregame handshakes
balls for the soccer team, rebounding for basketball, recording stats, and handing out water to the players. He doesn’t get a reward for doing it, but he does get an appreciative “thank you” from the players. “It makes me feel awesome knowing that a kid really appreciates me getting water,” Range said. “I want to be remembered for someone who worked hard and was there for everyone.” Being appreciated isn’t the only reason he does it. While he is in the practice he sees the same people everyday and gets to grow as brothers. Range sees the players in practice and in games and seeing that makes him want to work hard in school. “If they can push themselves hard physically I can work hard in school,” Range said. “Also being around these guys everyday makes it worth it.” Being a manager Range gets to see every game from a different point of view. He sees when the players mess up, he sees their reaction when they do good, and he sees the fans cheer throughout the game. “Being on that bench you see how hard these guys work, and when things do go our way it’s crazy to be apart of that,” Range said. “When you’re on the side with the players everything is more crazy and emotional and it’s awesome.”
13
Sports
Lettermans on the comeback Students and faculty share what they think of the lettermans possibly returning by Jay Dolan, Editor-in-Chief
O
ver the past 20 or so years, students who wear letterman jackets have dwindled to almost zero. Back in the 80’s nearly every student on a varsity team wore a jacket. Today, they are no longer in the book store. So what happened? “The book store stopped carrying the letterman jackets is because guys stopped buying them,” Bookstore Director Matt Mohan said. “One of the reasons being they are really expensive.” Sophomore varsity swimmer Aidan King, one of the very few kids at the school who still wears the letterman, says he loves his jacket. “I like the way they look and I think they give the authentic high school feel,” King said. “It is just kind of a sign of the commitment I put into my sports.” JV soccer coach and class of ‘82 alum Pat Littleton believes there is a letterman shortage partly on how students do not wear jacket anymore. He also blames a decreased sense of pride in high school athletics. “Back then when you were out in the community, you wore your jacket and people knew you went to a certain school,” Littleton said. “You were proud of that.” Senior varsity hockey player Josh Abel said that he loves the look of the old lettermans. “I would definitely wear a letterman jacket,” Abel said. “I think the throwback looks really cool, makes it look like the 80’s. I think the girls would love it.” Senior varsity soccer player Teddy Delker sees a different side. To him, lettermans are dated. “Not my style. I am more of a quarter zip type guy,” Delker said. “I think they
Photo credit courtesy of De Smet yearbook 1971 Bill Holland, Class of ‘71, sports his letterman jacket while working the carnival at De Smet.
have gone out of style.” Senior varsity hockey player Ryan Brickhouse says he would like the lettermans back, but with a twist. “Personally I would wear a Letter jacket if they put a contemporary spin on it,” Brickhouse said. “I do not want to wear the same jacket my parents wore.” 62% of the school said they would purchase a letterman jacket. Since they are no longer available in the book store, Mohan wants to be able to sell them online. “I think they are great. When I was a student here, all the athletes wore them,” Mohan said. “So what we could do is set something up so kids who want one could order a letterman and we could facilitate that order through the bookstore.”
Would you buy a letterman jacket if they were sold in the book store? De Smet says...
38% D
62%
YES
NO
desmetmirror.com
14
Entertainment
Albums of the Year
Alternative Album of the Year The Neighbourhood
by Grant Stegman, Design Editor
Hip-Hop Album of the Year Bobby Tarantino II Logic’s Bobby Tarantino II is the sequel to 2016 album Bobby Tarantino. It is also Logic’s seventh mixtape since his debut album, Young Sinatra. The mixtape charted at #1 on the Billboard 200 during its first week of release. It became Logic’s second consecutive project to land at the top spot following Everybody. The reason it’s the album of the year is because of the balance of music. When listening, Logic gives his audience chill songs mixed with upbeat and hype songs. Every song on the album is a jam and that is why it reached the top hip-hop album of the year.
Country Album of the Year Dan + Shay Dan + Shay’s self titled album, Dan + Shay, is their third album that came out in June. The album debuted at number 6 on the Billboard’s Top 200 and number 1 in country’s top selling albums, reaching 24,000 copies in the first few days.
The Neighbourhood’s self titled album, The Neighbourhood, is the band’s third album. The album came out March 9, 2018. The band’s album reached #4 on Billboard’s Alternative albums during April and May. The Neighbourhood has the best classic rock mixed with your 80’s style alternative music. This is evident in many songs throughout this album. The Neighbourhood is the definition of an alternative rock band. Every song sounds good in its own way and if you are a fan of classic 80’s style music, this is the band and album for you.
Pop Album of the Year Electric Light
Electric Light is the second studio album written by James Bay. Bay describes his first album as a fire and his second album as a sonic and artist evolution for him. The album reached #21 on the US’s bests albums and it reached #1 in the UK. The album is full of variety. There are some songs that has a hip-hop style, there are others that are slow, others up-beat. James Bay is very vulnerable with his lyrics and puts a lot more emotion into his music than a lot more artists.
Freddie Mercury
Dan + Shay does a great job of implementing feeling and vulnerability into their music, that is why I like it the most. Their music has been described as “low-key” and “simple”. Keeping it simple is also something that makes country good. Dan+Shay does this very well, which is why it earns the top country album of the year.
If you could have any artist back, who would it be? 198 Responses
Students said: Michael Jackson
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Last Minute Christmas Gifts by Ethan Heady, Staff Writer For those Special People In Your Life Sister
Dad What do dads wear everyday to work? Ties. Even if they don’t wear ties to work, they always need them for special events, such as weddings and important meetings. At Vineyard Vines, the Kennedy Preppy Feeder Stripe Skinny Tie is a green and blue striped tie that is $85.00. Get 25% off the tie when you order online using the code HOLIDAY18.
Brother What’s the most popular thing among boys right now? Fortnite. Well why not combine it with a board game everyone can play. Fortnite Monopoly is one of the hot items this year that combines the exciting new video game with an all-time favorite board game. It can be yours for only $20 at Walmart.
Nella the Princess Knight transforms from princess to knight. The toy comes with a sword, hair brush, phrases and the theme song from the show. Now on sale at Target for $25.
Mom There is nothing worse then when you’re around the house, and you smell something bad, and can do nothing about it. Now you can and give it to your mom as a present. At Yankee Candle, a Cinnamon Stick Large Classic Jar candle is on sale for $29.50, now buy two, get two free. Your mom will love the candles and it will make your house smell better.
Girlfriend Chocolate and Flowers. You can’t go wrong with Chocolate and Flowers. At Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company, you can find their Fall Collection of chocolates for $9.95, which includes a various of different chocolates. Go to their locations at St. Charles, Kirkwood, St. Peters. Then head over to Dierbergs and buy a bouquet of flowers for $40. Girls will love flowers and chocolates, but will love the thought that you put into it.
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It’s crazy to think that the majority of Americans classify themselves as a believer in Christ, yet most people still don’t get the meaning of Christmas. - Gave Helm, Christmas mentality has changed, Page 5