Johnson '23, Star ghill '23 Create Podcast to Combat Racism Pages 4
Reviewing M ike Tyson Technology vs. Roy Jones Jr. Sur vey Results Page 10 Page 7
Two-Spor t Athlete Pat Casey '22 Page 15
Follow us on I nstagram and Twitter @SJPHawkeye or read our issues online at issuu.com/thehawkeye6
The Student Newspaper of St. Joseph's Prep
Vol. 46, I ssue I I I
1733 West Gir ar d Ave. Philadelphia, PA, 19130
December 18, 2020
Histor ic Fir st in Prep THREE-PEAT L eader ship Prep Football captures third-straight state title with 62-13 rout over Central York.
Mr. John Marinacci named first lay Prep President. By Daniel Sponseller '21
Marinacci currently serves as Principal at Loyola Blakefield, a Jesuit college preparatory school in Towson, Maryland. Board Chair Mark Reed '92 said Marinacci is "a veteran Jesuit educator and a believer in the power of education."
was because of Marinacci?s strong Jesuit roots. He went to Fordham Prep in The Bronx, NY, and then he attended Loyola University Maryland for a
Food Dr ive Won't Be Stopped The Prep delivered nearly 30,000 pounds of food to neighbors in the annual Thanksgiving tradition. By L uke Gallagher '23
than initially expected.
Between the Saturday morning Grocery Giveaways and the Thanksgiving Food Drive, giving back to the local Prep community is something that could not be forgotten, especially during this time of need. That being said, there was never a doubt in Mr. Leo Vaccaro ?05?s mind that the Thanksgiving Food Drive would not take place in some way, shape, or form.
?The biggest challenge,? he said, ?was not knowing how we would be returning to school in September.? Additionally, there was a large concern about whether the City of Philadelphia would even allow this event to happen.
Vaccaro, a Prep history teacher, one of the main organizers of the Thanksgiving Food Drive every year at the Prep, said that he had started thinking about the food drive back in April once he realized that the COVID- 19 pandemic would be going to last longer
Nonetheless, with the hundreds of people ready to help, the Prep made the Thanksgiving Food Drive happen, even with these extraordinary circumstances. The food drive took place over the span of three days and ended up being a very successful event in the long run. ?Based on the amount of goods donated, it was more see SERVI CE pg. 3
BA in English and Writing. He then moved on to Johns Hopkins University for an MA in see JESUI T p. 4
Malik Cooper '21 (middle) contributed to three touchdowns in the Prep's PIAA Class 6A championship victory. Cooper caught a 79-yard touchdown pass from QB Kyle McCord '21, returned a punt 55 yards for a score, and threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to WR Sahmir Hagans '21. Photo: Cooper celebrates his punt return touchdown with Julian Talley '21 (left) and Omillio Agard '24 (right). Fu ll st or y on pages 16-17.
Antonie Robinson '24 has you covered with a timeline on when you can "Step Into Christmas" and start playing the holiday hits. Full story on page 13.
(Photo: iHear tRadio)
The Show M ust Go On(line) assume that the 2020 fall show would follow suit.
(Photo: @capeandswor dsj p | I nstagr am)
A significant reason that the Board felt confident to elevate a lay person to this position
(Photo: L oyola Blakefield)
With the announcement of Father Swope?s departure from the Prep, there was a need to find someone to fill the role as President of St. Joseph?s Prep. Several candidates were interviewed by both adults and students at the Prep, similar to the process that was completed in selecting Mr. Cavacos as the Prep?s Principal a couple years ago. Once all of the candidates were evaluated, the Board of Trustees, who ultimately decides who will serve as President, made its historic decision.
(Photo: Gil M cGlynn '81)
On December 11, the Prep announced the Board of Trustees' unanimous election of Mr. John Marinacci as the incoming school President, the first lay person to ever hold this position.
Cape and Sword Director Mr. Tony Braithwaite '89 addresses cast members after callbacks in mid-October.
By M att Bae ?21 Receiving the news that the 2020 spring show, Damn Yankees, was canceled due to a national shutdown was
incredibly troubling and heartbreaking for the members of the Cape and Sword Drama Society. And in what seems like a year of never-ending misery and failure, one might
Yet, despite the global pandemic, Tony Braithwaite ?89, the Director of Cape and Sword, seems to have pulled off a miracle given the circumstances: an original curation giving ?a history of American comedy from the early 1900 until five minutes ago, focusing on live comics, stand up comics, night club comics, not film, not television, with a narrative through-line that is also comedic.? While the Prep grappled with the effects of a new schedule and a tumultuous start to the new academic year, auditions were conducted later than usual, beginning in October see COMEDY pg. 6
2 | News | Friday, December 18, 2020 | The Hawkeye Table of Contents
News: 1 - 4
Features: 4 - 8
Enter tainment: 9 - 12
Op/Deb: 13 - 14
Spor ts: 15-17
Prep Fund Repor ts Recor d Day of Giving Totals
Every year, the Prep holds a ?Day of Giving.? It is a chance for alumni to show their gratitude to the school that shaped them into the giving and generous men they are today. Parents and students are also welcome to donate. They can donate whatever amount of money they like, which the Prep will use to grant incoming students financial aid. They have 24 hours to complete their donations. This year?s ?Day of Giving? was held on November 19. The goal for this year was to raise $150,000 for The Prep Fund from 750 individual
(Photos: St. Joseph's Prep)
To put this into perspective of fiscal years, $66,000 were raised in 2018. In 2019, it was $106,000 from 450 donors and $129,000 from 610 donors in 2020. This fiscal year (2021), the $221,000 did not even include the challenge match from our Board of Trustees. A big factor of these stats is the significant increase of class representatives and volunteers within the alumni community. They help to increase awareness, engagement, and support for fundraising events, such as Day of Giving, and other needs of the Prep. Their participation and outreach is vital to the success and ability to reach and surpass the Prep?s goals each year to support the Prep Community and its young men. This year there were over 150 volunteers among alumni, parents, students, faculty and friends supporting The Prep Fund, which plays such an im-
(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep)
If there is one thing we can take from this year, it?s that this holiday season has been quite unusual. From not being able to see family and friends, to schools across the nation going virtual, it has been difficult for all of us to adjust. There has been a lack of energy, and everyone?s routine has been thrown off. However, there is one aspect of the holidays that COVID cannot take away from us: the gift of giving. This year, that has become very prominent through the donations of our alumni.
donors. With the help from our generous alumni, families, and friends, $221,000 was raised from 900 donors, crushing the goal. ?This was the most successful Day of Giving the Prep has ever had?, according to The Prep Fund committee.
Chart detailing the amount of money raised for the Prep Fund for this fiscal year and the past three fiscal years.
portant role in the students? lives at 17th & Girard. It impacts everyone during their time as a student and in their transformation into alumni; alumni donate to help students, showing young men on the path to becoming well- versed leaders to be virtuous. It sets a model for these boys to follow, which in turn causes a repeating cycle of giving. A constant mindset of virtue is what builds brotherhood within the Prep community. "I would like to personally thank our entire Prep commu-
M idter ms a No-Go By Jake Wisniewski '23 Of the myriad changes happening this year, one of the biggest is the decision to cancel midterms. This was announced in the Principal?s Newsletter sent out on November 11. It read: ?Given the unusual circumstances of this school year, midterm exams will be eliminated for this year. Barring the unforeseen, the week of December 14 will be a regular week of hybrid instruction. December 10 and 11, which were originally labeled as review days, will now be regular days.? To many, this wasn?t particularly surprising news. In the days leading up, students and teachers alike were speculating that this would happen. ?The main factor was the desire to increase instructional time in what has already been a hectic year. By canceling midterms, we gained back a
full week of instructional time. We did consider various other factors: most notably the feasibility of giving exams virtually and procedural technicalities regarding on- campus exams (before we knew that the city would make us suspend oncampus learning).? This is what Acting Principal Dan Ranalli had to say about why midterms were eliminated for this year. There was discussion of holding midterms in a modified format - ?We did discuss the possibility of having virtual exams, take- home exams, or essay and project- based assessments. However, some of these tactics lend themselves more to certain disciplines than others. Ultimately, the majority of teachers and administrators felt that it was more important to have additional instructional time,? said Ranalli. A big question is, ?will midterms be back in the future?? Well, let?s look at the
nity!? said Mr. Joe Boyle '09, Manager of The Prep Fund. ?This year marked another record Day of Giving supporting the Four Foundational Pillars of the Prep Fund (Financial Aid, Extracurriculars, Mission and infrastructure). I would like to thank our class reps and volunteers from all over the country who helped increase engagement from their homes this year. Additionally, I would like to give a big shout out and thanks to Joe Clement '12 who volunteers countless hours of his time providing all of our AV filming
and editing for the videos for Day of Giving. Lastly, I would like to thank the parents and the students of St. Joseph's Prep. I know how tough of a year this has been and I was humbled to see the call to action from our current parents to help out in any way they could for Day of Giving. We saw such an increase in parent and student awareness. We are truly a gifted community and this was truly amazing to witness how we all came together from many Parts for one Prep!
Desks From Dad
next upcoming exam ? finals. Mr. Ranalli gave some insight on the status of that, saying ?It is our intention for finals to occur in the late spring. It is still too early to determine exact procedures as these will depend on the status of the pandemic and guidelines and regulations from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education.? The way things are trending, it looks like this is a temporary change, just as how finals were. Midterms are omitted for this year but will be put back into place as soon as it?s feasible.
(Photos: St. Joseph's Prep)
By Andrew Flanagan '22
Led by the Prep's Fathers Clubs, Prep students and fathers built over 250 desks for area students in need of a comfortable workspace during virtual learning. Top: Finished desks are arranged in the plaza lot for pickup. Bottom: Father-son duo Jack '24 and Ed McKenna '88 assemble desks.
The Hawkeye | Friday, December 18, 2020 |
News | 3
Pfizer, M oder na Begin Vaccine Rollout By Joe M assaua ?21 The vaccines are coming! Recently, news has come that multiple vaccines finishing Phase 3 trials are highly effective. This news came as a surprise, as Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House Coronavirus Advisor, had said earlier in August that the chances of scientists creating a highly effective vaccine for the virus are slim. ?Scientists were hoping for a coronavirus vaccine that is at least 75% effective, but 50% or 60% effective would be acceptable, too,? Fauci said. At the time, the FDA has said it would authorize a coronavirus vaccine so long as it is safe and at least 50% effective. Now, the nation and world are excited as the news of vaccine efficacy was not 50- 60% effective but over 90%. The New York Times reported the results of Phase 3 trials to be plus or minus 95% for the candidates. Phase 3 trials entail real participants receiving the vaccine and other participants receiving a placebo (a harmless vaccine) and then data collection on each of the participants to determine the vaccine's effectiveness. Two companies are using similar technology: Pfizer, partnered with the small German company BioNTech, and the American firm Moderna. Each began its process using new mRNA tactics (messenger RNA which matches with DNA strands to prepare our cells for the virus). These first initial vaccines require cold storage temperatures, which
ting the virus on television in an effort to reassure Americans about its effectiveness.
Margaret Keenan, 90, after received the first Pfizer COVID vaccine in the United Kingdom.
may make it difficult for the vaccine to be administered in areas without the infrastructure needed to sustain such low temperatures. For example, the vaccine needs to either be stored in dry ice, where it can last for a week or two, or in a hospital deep freezer. AstraZeneca and Oxford University partnered to create a vaccine using ?traditional methods,? a cold- causing adenovirus, but it is uncertain whether or not this vaccine will be approved by the FDA. Vaccines could potentially be received at pharmacies, doctors offices, hospitals, or even grocery stores.There may be inequities present between urban areas, suburbs, and rural areas due to the weaknesses of logistics and transportation technology. Each shot is likely to require two doses, each dose three weeks apart. In Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration condensed a multi- year vaccine development and testing into a much faster process. Some
Americans are worried that this process was rushed, and Gallup polling has been conducted during the pandemic to assess Americans? willingness to get vaccinated. Indeed there is a partisan split between Republicans and Democrats. In polling following the election, 58% of Americans said that they would get vaccinated, but these numbers were 69% for Democrats and 49% for Republicans and Independents. Older Americans were also more likely to support being vaccinated. A main concern for Americans unwilling to get the vaccine was that the process was rushed, but many who were polled said that they would consider getting the vaccine after its effectiveness has been ?proved.? More than half of New York City firefighters (FDNY) in a recent union poll said that they would not get vaccinated. Since public support is low, former US Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama all committed to get-
Each vaccine will require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in the United States, hopefully coming in the next week or two as the UK has already approved the Pfizer vaccine across the pond. The United States has reserved 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, (enough for 50 million people) but reports have recently emerged that the Trump administration passed at the opportunity this summer to buy extra doses. It is possible due to this decision that there could be a lag in vaccinations following the initial vaccinations due to this decision. Russia and China have already begun distributing their versions of the vaccine to citizens, and the UK has already begun distributing the Pfizer vaccine, with Margaret Keenan, a 90- year- old woman in Britain, becoming the first person in the world to receive a clinically authorized, fully tested coronavirus vaccine. As vaccinations begin, there are grave concerns about developing countries and their access to this vaccine. How ethical is it that rich Western countries have priority access to the vaccine and are buying up the stock? Large quantities of the vaccine set to be produced in the coming months have been reserved by the United States, Canada, the UK, and the European Union. Central to the question about vaccines is the idea of ?herd
immunity,? when a sufficient percentage of the population has been vaccinated against the virus (or had already had the virus) and has the antibodies to prevent its spread. Experts do not yet know what the herd immunity threshold for Covid19 is. For example, it is 95% for the extremely contagious Measles and 80% for Polio. It has been estimated that 6070% of Americans need to be vaccinated, but this figure could be higher, according to ABC News. So how will this affect the Prep? The school is closed until January as cases in Philadelphia are at record highs; however, there is now a much greater chance that this entire year will not be virtual. In January, depending on case numbers, the school may be allowed to reopen. As Healthcare workers, those in essential jobs, and those who are highrisk are vaccinated, case numbers will hopefully decrease. Then, the vaccine will become available to more Americans without those restrictions. This is the news that the Prep community has been awaiting, a return to ?normalcy.? Likely, Americans will be required to wear masks through the spring and summer, but slowly society will begin to truly return to what it was. Teenagers could go to the movies with their friends, Jersey Shore beaches and boardwalks may be fully open, and family reunions could occur, not on Zoom, but in person. There are still a few months to go despite this promising news.
Thanksgiving Deliver y Power s Through SERVI CE from page 1 successful this year than it was last year and I think that, in a qualitative way, it was better as well,? said Vaccaro. The event was so successful due to the Prep community coming together in this great time of need to make ends meet for our neighbors in need. Liam Holden ?23 said, ?I think that it is fantastic that the Prep managed to successfully put the Thanksgiving Food Drive on this year despite the circumstances, especially considering the increased challenges of food insecurity this year.?
Luke Gallagher ?23 (left) and Jack Gallagher ?23 (right) deliver a Thanksgiving basket to a local family.
Although some things were different such as the Food Rally not taking place and advisories not being able to physically deliver meals to the apartments and homes in the neighborhood, the Prep still found a way to get the food drive done. With over 200 Prep families coming out to help and almost 30 thousand pounds of food being delivered, even in these uncertain times, the St. Joe?s
Over 200 Prep families assisted in the food delivery. (L-R) Conor McCabe '21, Dominic Richetti '21, Liam Swanick '21, Kirby Rich '21.
Prep Community strived to do their best in helping their neighbors during this espe-
cially important Thanksgiving season.
The food drive was cumulatively dependent on the help of all of the different people and roles within the Prep community who made this event possible. Whether it be Mr. Callaghan, Mr. Ghee, Mr. Vaccaro, the block captains, or just the St. Joe?s Prep Community in general, the entire Prep community successfully came together in making sure this great Prep tradition happened safely and successfully. ?Overall,? said Vaccaro, ?it was a matter of how we could help control the virus while still helping the people in our neighborhood and the many different food pantries throughout Philadelphia.?
All in all, the Thanksgiving Food Drive this year at the Prep was a success. As Maximus Nast ?23 said, ?I think that the Thanksgiving Food Drive was extremely important this year because there are so many people less fortunate than us guys at the Prep and I think it is important that we help our community have a good Thanksgiving as well.? Although the Thanksgiving Food Drive required some major changes this year, the Prep community tackled these challenges head on in order to get the job done and make sure that our neighbors were given the help they needed and the help they deserved.
4 | News | Friday, December 18, 2020 | The Hawkeye
President-Elect M ar inacci Sets His Sights on 17th and Gir ar d JESUI T from page 1 Liberal Arts, and he also holds a certificate for Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. Following his education, Marinacci taught English and coached at his high school alma mater, Fordham Prep. He then worked at Boys? Latin School in Baltimore, MD, then served as a teacher, coach, and Dean of Students at St. Paul?s School in Brooklandville, MD. Since 2014, he has served as the Principal of Loyola Blakefield in Towson, MD. As Marinacci transitions from his role at Loyola Blakefield to his role at The Prep, he sees many similar attributes about both schools, the most obvious being that both are Jesuit institutions. ?While both institutions are
unique, there is a common mission, instructional practice, and call to a lived faith in the vibrant charisma of the Society of Jesus,? he said. He also sees ?the continued involvement of alumni of all ages? as a similarity between the two schools. ?The passion for the Prep from every alumnus I have encountered speaks of the undeniable impact the institution has had on him. While the meaningful experiences are unique, the love for both institutions and care and pride for the community is a common factor,? Marinacci said. There are also numerous factors that make Marinacci enthusiastic about the Prep, such as its urban location. ?I know students and families come to the Prep from far and wide. Students that I met
on my visit shared with me that being at a school that is in the heart of the city and has built a relationship with its neighborhood is important to them and was a reason they were attracted to the school. The same is true for me,? he explained.
know, though, is that he intends to, in his words, ?make sure the Prep is tied to the work and vision as outlined by the Society of Jesus.?
Concerning students that he has met at the Prep so far, Marinacci elaborates, ?The young men I met with were engaging, sincere, and authentic people. Any institution that is attracting that caliber of student must be doing many things right, and I am excited to be a part of that culture.?
He expressed the importance of interacting with students and adults at the school and learning about their experiences at the Prep, so that he can understand the value of the school to them, as well as what it represents to them. He stated, ?Knowing the firm foundation in which the roots of tradition are planted is the best way to help the school grow to even greater heights.?
When asked about what are his goals to accomplish while President at the Prep, Marinacci explained, ?My goals during my time at the Prep will become more focused as my relationship with the community grows.? What he does
All of these goals are intended to ensure that the Prep can continue to thrive as a school. Naming some other ways that this can be accomplished, Marinacci explained, ?[Ensuring that the Prep can continue to thrive] means
growing the endowment to continue to attract the best teachers and provide the best resources for the students and increasing grants and awards for students to attend the Prep. It means being a good steward of the facilities, maximizing what we have, and caring for our common home. I want to provide resources to care for the individuals who have, do, and will walk the halls and to care for the institution itself, leaving no doubt that the Prep is the best school in the greater Philadelphia area for young men to thrive in mind, body, and soul.? Wanting to be a President for and with others, Marinacci also promised ?to be involved in the life of the school: at contests, events, productions, and projects. I want to share and spread the joy that is life at the Prep.?
Features Sophomores Co-Host New Podcast By L iam Holden ?23
awakening in the spring.
This summer marked the beginning of a racial justice movement in America greater than any other in recent memory. It marked the beginning of a broad coalition of people organizing, protesting, and raising awareness in an attempt to bring about change in America?s race relations. For many young people, those of Generation Z in particular, it also marked their first foray into contentious political and social issues. And contentious they were, with social media playing host to many arguments and heated debates.
Trapped at home due to the coronavirus, Starghill found himself isolated and at a low point personally. Through meditation and spiritual reflection, however, he found a whole new perspective on life.
These conversations, Johnson realized, would naturally
(Photo: BAJ Perspective)
Jahleel Johnson ?23 witnessed this first hand as the Black Lives Matter protests unrolled. There were ?people sliding up on my story with ignorance,? Johnson said. At the same time, Johnson had been spending a lot of time talking with his friend Britt Starghill ?23 and their pal Alex Ferrer, a sophomore at Camden Catholic they knew from grade school. With all of the time afforded to them by the spring shutdown, the boys had been spending time reflecting on both themselves and the world around them, which their conversations reflected.
?We want to open your mind in some ways,? Starghill said before adding, ?I do this stuff because I believe in it.?
Alex Ferrer (right), Britt Starghill '23 (left), and Jahleel Johnson '23 (center) wrestle with issues of race, religion, and politics as co-hosts on the BAJPerspective Podcast
fit into a podcast?s format and publishing them offered a way for him to combat the ignorance he was seeing on his feed. Starghill and Ferrer liked the idea, and had a few suggestions of their own. The idea was tossed around for a couple of months, until around August when the boys finally worked out the technical side. They recorded their first episode of The BAJ (Britt, Alex, and Jah) Perspective podcast, ?Are You
Racist?? and published it a week later, on August 19. The topics for their episodes often reflect current issues, covering things like the BLM protests or the 2020 election, but there are also more introspective episodes, discussing things like the nature of God and their personal spiritual lives. Starghill, in particular, was eager to lend his voice to these issues, having undergone what he described as a spiritual
The boys understand, however, that they are not the only ones with strong feelings on many of these issues. Ferrer, for his part, tries to remain conscious of the listeners' opinions saying, ?If God was real, he would never judge anybody. Because he knows us all, he would understand everyone?s perspective.? It is a mindset he tries to incorporate into his own life. The reception has been positive, with the podcast accumulating a total of nearly four hundred listens across the five episodes in season one. People, the boys said, have really enjoyed it. They have heard from friends and acquaintances, even those they have never really talked to, that their perspectives have been changed. Jack Paddock ?23 said, ?It was just cool to hear my friends?perspectives on things.
It goes in depth well, and it was enjoyable for me.? With such a reception, it is no wonder they are already making plans for the future. They wanted to make clear what was coming, with Starghill saying, ?Next season. Put that, Liam.? With the first episode scheduled to drop on December 18, they offered hints of what was to come. They promised more guests, including a number of them being brought on for what they described as a diverse panel discussion with ?very interesting philosophies.? They further stressed the diversity of this group, promising ladies and gentlemen of all different identities and backgrounds. The boys want to ?get to see: How do these people operate? How do they think about things?? Episodes of the The BAJ Perspective can be found at ?anchor.fm/baj- podcast?, as well as platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, while updates on upcoming episodes can be found at ?bajperspectivepodcast? on Instagram. An entertaining and compelling affair, it is well worth a listen. And it has a lot to offer listeners. As Johnson said, ?We want to give them opinions? different ways of thinking.?
The Hawkeye | Friday, December 18, 2020 |
Features | 5
Scout's Honor Profiling the Boy Scout population at the Prep
By I an Gomez ?23
end.
?A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent,? according to official Boy Scout Law. These traits sound remarkably similar to the values at the core of Prep life, the concept of mutual service outlined in the prayer for Generosity with, ?To give and not to count the cost.?
Asked to comment on the incredible level of dedication it takes to be an active scout member was Michael Ricci ?23, a current Scout out of Troop 119 in Merchantville, New Jersey, at the rank of Life (just below Eagle). ?It?s not just camping trips,? he said, ?it?s leadership, citizenship, teamwork. Knowing skills that will help you in life and knowing how to get the job done.?
However, one wonders how these parallels between the Prep and the Scouts look. Two such scouts, Joe Massaua ?21 and Michael Ricci ?23, shed light on the Boy Scout population in the school. Massaua is a senior here at the Prep and hails from Troop Paoli 1 out of Wayne, Pennsylvania. Even more remarkably, he is one of several Eagle Scouts at the Prep, an Eagle being a scout who has reached the highest rank. To achieve the rank of Eagle is an incredible achievement, with less than 4% of those who start down this road of service and compassion ever making it to the
Prep. For that, it's a return to Scout Law. When asked if the values recited are present in Prep life, Massaua said, ?I think it?s really prevalent. We here at the Prep are seen as brothers, which is what is reflected in a scout troop. [...] You can really draw similarities from that oath and the values taught here at the Prep?.
There is also a deeper personal identity of being a scout, a scout pride associated with the brotherhood. The values of being a Boy Scout, of responsibility, service, and dedication to others are ingrained in who they are as people. When asked if the values of being a scout influenced who they were, Ricci said, ?Definitely. [...] It?s made me a stronger leader, more active in my community, someone who understands when and how to step up for others, and a man more educated and more prepared for challenges awaiting
Michael Ricci '23 is one of a number of Prep students who are Boy Scouts. A few have even earned Eagle Scout honors.
me in my future.? When posed the same question, Massaua said, ?It?s about having that willingness to serve others, to have a quiet work ethic. [...] For me, it?s
about taking those skills learned outdoors and applying them to a different environment here at the Prep.?
The limit where one can feasibly join Boy Scouts is 18 years old, which means anyone at the Prep is eligible. When asked whether they had any advice for anyone looking to become a scout, Joe Massaua said, ?Do it. If you have the thought of doing it, go for it! There are a lot of scouts here, Eagle Scouts and others, and one core thing I?ve seen with them is that they stick with it. It?s a community, a brotherhood. [...] If it?s piquing your interest, do it.?
However, there is also the scouting relationship to the
When WWI Stopped for Chr istmas their trenches, and the Germans were even wishing them a ?Merry Christmas.? As time went on, soldiers began to work up the courage to walk across no man's land towards the opposing side. Both sides, who had unarmed themselves, met in the middle of a world war.
By Will Guckin ?21 December 25 is a day of celebration, as billions of people around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus. But people often (understandably) overlook other historically significant events to happen on this date: Washington crossing the Delaware River during the height of the American Revolution, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Ringo Starr getting his first drum kit are just some other non-Christmas events that occurred on this date. However, there is one event that stands out in the pages of history, and it came in the middle of a war. This abnormal event broke the norms of warfare, and it even fits the traditional Christmas story narrative. During the first year of the First World War, there was truce on December 25? a Christmas truce. ?The war to end all wars? was supposed to be over by the Christmas of 1914. However, it dragged on for years to come, and it would amass a total of
In 1914, soldiers from the German and English ceased their fire for a day to celebrate Christmas together. The Germans claimed to have won the above football match 3-2.
around 40 million casualties. While the casualties continued to mount in 1914, one would think that no optimistic moments would come from such a dark time in the course of human events. However, on December 25, soldiers emerged from their trenches, guns fell silent, opposing sides embraced each other, and men that were sent to kill each other decided to extend an olive branch instead. This Christmas truce was not
an order given by someone from a higher command. Rather, this event was unprecedented and spontaneous. Starting on Christmas Eve, both the English and German trenches began singing Christmas carols to each other, according to a December 2011 article in the Smithsonian Magazine. The German carol ?Silent Night? was met with the British chorus of ?The First Noel.? One British sector even noticed that the Germans had set up Christmas trees along
It is baffling to remember how just days prior, these same soldiers had their crosshairs aimed at each other. Now, they were exchanging gifts, sharing cigarettes, greeting each other in their native tongues, and forgetting about the horrors of war. Some soldiers even used the time for a more somber task? burying fallen comrades. Other soldiers decided to use their time to play games with their former foes. In an interview in the 1960s, Lieutenant Johannes Nixmann, of the 133rd Saxon regiment, recalled, ?Later a Scottish soldier appeared with a football which seemed to come from nowhere and a few minutes later a real football match got
underway.? These amateur footballers played on the frozen fields of Europe, where the Germans claim to have won 3-2. Soldiers tried to keep the peace until midnight, however, they had to return to their trenches to continue the brutal onslaught. The two sides grappling with each other in the thick of WWI, who were momentarily friends, had to return to their warring ways. For a brief 24 hours, comradeship, peace, and love were found in the last place you would expect? the bloodied, muddy fields of Europe monetarily that became a site of peace to celebrate Christmas. One Englishman, George Eade, befriended a German who spoke English. ?Today we have peace,? Eade?s new friend told him at the Christmas meeting. ?Tomorrow, you fight for your country, I fight for mine. Good luck.?
Want to take an entire countr y into your own hands?
Join M odel UN today! M eetings on Fr iday at Community Hour (12:50-1:30pm) Questions? contact anthony.hays@sj prephawks.or g
6 | Features | Friday, December 18, 2020 | The Hawkeye
C& S to Produce Make 'Em Laugh with rehearsals starting shortly after. Rehearsal, unfortunately, has been cut short due to the recent pause of in-person instruction for the remainder of the semester. The show is currently on pause, as Mr. Braithwaite deems acting through a screen an ?exercise in frustration.?
show, in particular, is incredibly dynamic and tailored to the actors on stage. Alex DiGiacomo '22, for instance, is thrilled to be starring as renowned actor, dancer, and singer, Donald O? Connor, best known for his work in the musical Singing in the Rain.
?After casting us in the show, ?[Z]oom and Mr. Braithwaite Skype and asked us to go Google Meets is out and find kind of where what material comedic timing we think can and work for us and quick-wittedness is always open go to die,? he for our said. suggestions on Mr. the script," said Braithwaite DiGiacomo. remains fully "Personally, confident that being able to the fall play will bring a legend ? Mr. Tony like Donald O' be rehearsed and filmed by the Braithwaite '89 Connor to the end of January, Prep stage is a Cape & Sword Drama joy in and of granted that Society Director itself. students return to the hybrid Specifically schedule at the return of break. singing and dancing is Filming will be done by Pro something I miss more than Cine, a professional production ever especially after Damn company based in the Yankees being cut short? .? Philadelphia area. From the Dan Sponseller ?21 is excited comfort of their own home, the to be starring as Steven audience will be able to stream Wright, a well-known the show through a link with a comedian and actor known for paywall that will be sent to the his unmistakable, unique Prep community. lethargic voice. Presenting authentic and ?I?ve watched a lot of videos historical material, Make ?Em about Steven Wright. And the Laugh will be showcasing fact that his voice is so low comedic legends such as Chris (like mine) makes it easier for Rock, John Mulaney, Lenny me to imitate him,? said Bruce, and Richard Pryor. This Sponseller. ?Also, the fact that
"There is a certain witty rise of sarcasm that pervades the place and has since I was there. [...] I t feels right to have a school like St. Joe?s Prep celebrate American comedy."
(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep | Facebook)
COMEDY from page 1
Cape and Sword returns, this time with a history of stand up comedy.
he is so meta just makes it all the funnier to me.? For Braithwaite, Make ?Em Laugh seems to be "on-brand" with the Prep. ?Prep guys are not afraid to be funny? Humor is a valuable part of the lunch table experiences, your texting threads, all of the above,? said Braithwaite. "There is a certain witty rise of sarcasm that pervades the place and has since I was there. [...] It feels right to have a school like St. Joe?s Prep celebrate American comedy.?
Dan Sponseller ?21 (Steven Wright). While this may have not been the senior experience they had hoped for, it is far from dreadful. ?Overall the process has been really great so far,? said Andah. ?All of the adults have done an incredible job at making this process as normal as it possibly can be given the circumstances, and we?re all so grateful for that? The fact that we?re even rehearsing is such a gift.?
In what will be an hour-long play celebrating some of America?s great comedic performers, the cast is grateful for this opportunity to show off their hard work.
Indeed, amongst the many challenges this fall, members of the cast have been grateful for the opportunity for a returned sense of normalcy rehearsal has brought the group.
This year, five seniors have assumed a veteran position in the play: Andrew Kallmeyer ?21 (Bud Abbott), Matthew McCarney ?21 (Mitch Hedberg), Nile Andah ?21 (Chris Rock), Jake DiMarino ?21 (Vaudeville Comic), and
?Despite wearing masks and maintaining a safe distance, the rehearsals have been a breath of fresh air and a great injection of normalcy back into our lives,? said assistant director Kevin Ryan ?08. "Being back in room 107 [the
rehearsal location] with Mr. Braithwaite and Mr. Lawlor laughing with the students, watching them perform, giving direction, and telling stories has been the first time I've felt like I was back at ?The pre-covid Prep.?? With such a turbulent start to a school year, Make ?Em Laugh is truly a gift. ?When we realized we could actually create our own content and film and stream it, that felt triumphant? it was like oxygen,? said Braithwaite. ?I can?t believe we are pulling this off? I started with a Word document and an idea, and soon that?s going to be a full video!? As for the annual Night of Scenes, Braithwaite is regretful to say that the show will not proceed. ?The mission of Night of Scenes is to have as many people as possible? that and a pandemic do not go hand and hand.? Nevertheless, the cast of Make ?Em Laugh is prepared to put on yet another stellar performance for the Prep. ?Despite not being able to perform this show for a live audience, the simple act of putting on a show is what is really important here,? said Ryan. ?During these times, we need as much normalcy, activity, and fun as we can have - and that's what we're trying to do with this show. When people watch this show, we want to...wait for it...make 'em laugh.?
Santa's Great Cookie Quest By Benicio Beatty ?21
Across the world, many countries and cultures are gearing up for December 25, each in its own unique and often tasty way. I thought I?d highlight the weird and wonderful dishes left out for the fat man in the red suit. Europe is home to a number
(Photo: NPR)
A warm snickerdoodle fresh from the oven and a tall glass of milk. Not your speed? How about a bowl of rice pudding (A Danish custom)? Still not scratching that itch? How about some Leaf Bread? Believe it or not, this seemingly outlandish food (think flatbread) is actually a holiday delicacy in Iceland. Families bake and eat it together, but its primary purpose is to feed the 13 'jólasveinar', mountain trolls who descend upon the Scandinavian country on Christmas Eve and give gifts to good lítil börn.
on their passage to the East. In addition to leaving out los zapatos, Prep Exchange students from San Ignacio El Bosque in Chile tell me that they bake a special holiday fruitcake called Pan de Pascua to leave out on Christmas Eve (Which, I might add, is in the middle of their summer). You don?t even have to look outside the Prep Community to see a wide variety of Christmas treats.
The sight of decorative sugar cookies and a cold glass of milk are a familiar sight to most Americans during the holiday season, but across the world, every culture is preparing to treat Saint Nick in its own special way!
Liam Holden ?23 is somewhat of a purist when it comes to feeding Santa.
of traditions that exist outside the realm of milk and cookies. Biscuits are baked fresh in France, a cup of coffee is brewed in Sweden, and German children offer thank you letters for the presents they?ll certainly receive. Although very different, a common theme in many countries is the tall glass of beer beside the
?Chocolate milk, never plain milk,? said Holden. ?The tradition stems from my dad?s love of chocolate milk which he dutifully passed along to his children. So it?s a staple of the household and we, in turn, leave it for Mr. Claus.?
fireplace. It?s a Christmas miracle that Santa can make it home without a DUI! In predominantly Catholic South and Central America, the focus shifts away from Santa Claus and instead centers on El Día de Los Reyes, or ?Day of the Kings?. Children leave their shoes outside for the Magi to fill with goodies
Vincent Wills ?24 opts for a simpler gesture of thanks: a Sprite Cranberry. Even when
WANT YOUR CL UB TO BE ADVERTI SED I N THE HAWKEYE? CONTACT: benicio.beatty@sj prephawks.or g
The Hawkeye sampled the Prep alumni, we got a number of strangely fitting responses that somehow just seem...right. When Christmas rolls around, Aidan McGahey ?20 said he offers ?a fine smoked Gouda cheese, with some artisanal wheat thins.? With a treat like that, Santa will undoubtedly pay a visit to the McGahey household! Lastly, Luke Gallagher ?23 and his family have made it their mission to take a more holistic approach to accommodate Father Christmas. In addition to a treat, the Gallaghers put out celery and carrots for the reindeer! This Christmas, consider giving both these global and Prep family traditions a try. Even if you end up sticking to milk and cookies, consider Chef Nate?s recommendation right here in the paper on page 8!
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The Hawkeye | Friday, December 18, 2020 |
Features | 7
Hawkeye Poll Shows Screen Usage Skyrocketing Dur ing Quar antine By Joseph Tagliafer ro ?21 The American Heart Association recommends that kids get no more than two hours of screen time daily. As we find ourselves deep into virtual instruction yet again, most students exceed that daily limit in virtual classes alone. Even in hybrid instruction, it was not uncommon to spend time in Zoom breakout rooms while in a live class. So, one might wonder, how has this increase in technology usage impacted our students? The dramatic spike in school- related technology usage goes hand-in-hand with the unhealthy relationships that are developing between our students and their devices. When asked about usage during virtual instruction, over 75% of students indicated that they are more attached to technology while learning virtually. In parallel, just about 80% of students noted that they have difficulty focusing during virtual learning and more than 75% reported having less motivation to keep up with schoolwork. ?With the access to technology during classes and homework time, it?s become increasingly difficult to stay interested in school and not get distracted,? said Gavin McManus ?21. Considering the student body?s currently divided nature and their attachment to devices, the numbers about technology as a social aid should be no surprise. About 85% of students surveyed agreed that they rely on social media as a
social outlet more than they did before quarantine started? about 80% reported that their usage of social media had increased within quarantine as well. Over 65% also said that they utilize video games as a way to stay in touch as well. With these services offering a seemingly endless flow of content, it can be to break free from their grips when deadlines approach. The lines between healthy and
unhealthy usage get blurry when video games are a necessary evil to social interaction, and, often, they are turned to when feelings of loneliness come about. Among all of this extreme division, however, students were almost evenly split on the topics of sleep and stress. About 40% reported being more stressed or getting worse sleep during virtual instruction,
but the same amount reported being less stressed and sleeping better while being at home. With the absence of commutes and midterms as well as the rise of open- note assignments, it is important to keep in mind that the virtual learning environment has positive impacts on students as well. No matter where one might fall within these statistics, it is crucial to be conscious of how
and why he uses technology. It is easier now more than ever to fall into unhealthy habits that could take a toll on mental and physical health. School-related tech usage is inevitable, but consider using a critical eye on the usage that one adopts in the rest of their life.
8 | Features | Friday, December 18, 2020 | The Hawkeye
K uncken Joins Religion Depar tment By M ur phy Bonner ?22 ?I think people are stepping back and sort of saying, ?How do we make sense of this reality we?re living in that is so different from the one that we were so used to beforehand and how do we precede following this series of Mr. William events,?? said Kuncken Mr. Kuncken, a new religious studies teacher at the Prep, when describing the questions that have arisen for many throughout the pandemic. These questions of exigency were on Kuncken?s mind long before he joined the Prep faculty. As a student at Seton Hall University, he majored in philosophy and political science with minors in Catholic Studies and Medieval Studies. There, he was able to pursue his philosophical and theological interests in the university?s honors program that he said
?handled a lot of topics, questions on God and human nature.? After graduating in 2019, Kuncken grew involved in politics. ?I was in the political world for a while,? he said. ?Then I kind of gravitated towards topics more on religion and metaphysical inquiries and I got into theology.? Kuncken points to St. Augustine?s City of God as being one of the pieces of work that influenced this decision. ?I read Augustine?s City of God and then was literally changed by the work and left one trajectory and turned towards the divine and those questions. That has been what's driving me since.? This change in trajectory towards teaching also coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, giving him a very unique first year in teaching. ?It's sort of been an interesting path, an interesting journey,? he said.
He began his teaching career with a short- term appointment at Archbishop Wood High School in January of this year. After that, he taught at Archbishop Carroll, but quickly had to adapt as he began his new position just as stay- in- place orders were going into effect. He said, ?I met them [his students] for a week and then we went all virtual.? Now at the Prep, teaching World Religions and Church History, he has had to adapt to the hybrid schedule. He said, ?This [virtual teaching] has been my experience teaching so far and going to the Prep, I knew it was going to be a hybrid situation and [...] that was new to me.? Despite the challenges the schedule may have posed, Kuncken is finding ways to connect with students, specifically as co- moderator for the philosophy discussion club. ?I love both the dynamic atmosphere in the clubs here, it is something that is really cool that students have the opportu-
nity during the school day to actually come together and think about these topics.? The club has seen a recent influx in attendance, especially from freshmen and sophomore students. ?I think the pandemic has a lot to do with [the increased attendance], Kuncken said. ?It's a tumultuous time and in time of turmoil, some find the process of thinking about these wider abstract questions to be cathartic in a sense. In the classroom, Kuncken follows the Jesuit style of many of his former teachers, one that urges his students to look to the past for answers to many of the questions they are asking themselves now. Specifically, his Freshmen students have recently read Julian of Norwich?s Revelations of Divine Love. He sees book as having such strong ties to what people are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic because ?She's actually writing
during the Bubonic Plague and she's writing about the transformative qualities to human suffering so I think that's what we all, or at least believers in the Christian tradition, should be embracing right now,? he said. Nearing the half-way point of his first school year at the Prep, Kuncken is excited about the future and what he hopes to bring to the school. ?I just finished a course on Christian Environmental Ethics and one of the projects that I did at the end was to develop a course that I would like to have taught at the high-school level,? he said. ?I would love to make that a reality sooner rather than later because I think that it's desperately needed.? Despite the constant change the school environment has undergone, Kuncken remains hopeful. He said, ?The fact that things are going as well as they are now? it's encouraging.?
Chef Nat e's Holiday Recipes Since we are all stuck at home, what better time to improve your skills as a chef? Use these holiday-themed recipes from Chef Nate Murawski '22 for a tasty snack and impress your family during the holidays.
Hot Chocolat e Pancakes
Because who doesn?t love hot chocolat e in December ?
Ingredients
Directions
-
1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and then mix in the milk, egg, and butter. Whisk/mix until all lumps are removed. Mix in the hot cocoa/cocoa powder and the mini marshmallows until everything is combined.
-
1 ½ cups all purpose flour 3 ½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp sugar 1 ¼ cups milk 1 egg 3 tbsp butter, melted Either 1 packet hot cocoa mix/ ½ cup cocoa powder Mini marshmallows, however many you want
2. Oil up a frying pan over medium heat and pour batter onto the hot pan, about ¼-½ cup for each pancake. Let it cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until bubbles form and the pancake is golden brown. 3. Top with your favorite pancake toppings, and enjoy! Pro Tip: For S'mores pancakes, top the hot chocolate pancakes up with crushed graham crackers, toasted marshmallows, and chocolate syrup.
Capr ese Flat br ead
Ingredients
Dough: - 2 cups all purpose flour - 1 packet instant yeast - 1 ½ tsp sugar - 1 tsp salt - 2 tbsp olive oil - ¾ cup warm water Tomato sauce: - 1 16 oz can tomato sauce - 1 6 oz can tomato paste - 3 cloves garlic, diced - 1 tbsp dried oregano - Salt and pepper, to taste Toppings: - Shredded mozzarella cheese/ mozzarella balls - Halved cherry tomatoes - Basil, torn
Directions
A r ed whit e and gr een f lavor bomb t hat?s per fect for t he holidays!
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. 2. Combine 1 cup of the flour, the packet of yeast, the sugar and the salt in either the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl. 3. Form a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and then pour the olive oil and the water into the bowl. If using a stand mixer, turn the mixer on medium low speed. Otherwise, start stirring all the ingredients together. 4. While dough starts to form, slowly add in the other cup of flour until you have a smooth but tacky ball of dough. If the dough seems wet, add a little more flour until it can form a ball which is a little sticky but manageable by hand. 5. Get another clean bowl and drizzle it with oil to make sure your dough doesn?t stick to the bowl. Take the dough, form it into a ball, place it into the oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. 6. While the dough proofs, make your sauce. In a medium saucepan with a little olive oil, saute the garlic until fragrant and then combine the tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper in the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and cover with a lid. 7. When the dough finishes proofing, take it out and knead for 10 minutes. Once kneaded, roll the dough out into a rectangular flatbread shape with the dough being a bit thicker around the edges to form a crust. Put the flattened dough onto a greased and tin foil-lined baking sheet or a pizza stone. 8. Top the dough first with your pizza sauce (be sure to leave a little room for the crust), and then top that with the shredded mozzarella/ mozzarella balls and the halved cherry tomatoes. 9. Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes, slice, top with torn basil, and enjoy!
The Hawkeye | Friday, December 18, 2020 |
Entertainment | 9
Entertainment
You Don't Belong With M e
"Love Story"singer Taylor Swift joins Kanye West and others in battle with record labels over music ownership. By K ier an Hicks ?23 In mid-November, the master rights to six Taylor Swift albums were sold to Shamrock Capital, a private equity firm owned by Disney, for $300 million. Owning the master rights to a song gives the buyer complete control over what is done with that recording. This means that they essentially own the music made by the artists. Typically with big name musicians, the record label owns the masters and gives the artist an advance or some other form of monetary compensation. This practice has come under a lot of scrutiny recently, with Swift criticizing the 2019 sale of her masters for being done without her knowledge. It was sold to Scooter Braun, a record executive who Swift has described as toxic and ?a bully.? The Shamrock deal gives Swift more creative freedom then she had previously. Notably, she will be re- recording her first albums: Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), and
can own the rights to an artist's music, and called for unity among artists, specifically Black artists. Criticisms of record labels have been around for a long time. Prince, who fought for and eventually owned his masters, was a notable critic, at one point saying, ?If you don?t own your masters, your masters own you.? He even changed his stage name to dodge issues with record labels. In June of 2019, Scooter Braun (right) bought Big Machine Label Group, a holding company that owns most of Taylor Swift's (left) discography worth about $300 million
1989 (2014). ?This is my only way of regaining the sense of pride I once had when hearing songs from my first six albums and also allowing my fans to listen to those albums without feelings of guilt for benefiting Scooter [Braun],? Swift wrote in a letter to Shamrock Capital. But Swift hasn?t been the only big name speaking out against these practices. Just a few months ago, rapper and unsuccessful 2020 presidential
candidate Kanye West tweeted over the course of several hours about current record label practices, calling it a form of ?modern day slavery? and saying he wants to ?change the music industry for good.? He said that his children will own his masters, and pledged to give all the shares he owns back to the artists signed to G.O.O.D. Music, his record label. He also argued for new processes for ownership deals, including enforcing a maximum amount of time a label
Even the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, was not free from problems with record labels. After purchasing the ATV catalog, giving him ownership of thousands of songs, he became one of the first Black artists to own a major record label ? a move that he said he would be killed for. He then sold 50% of the catalog to Sony, forming what is now the largest music publishing company. He had a very contentious relationship with Sony's CEO, who Jackson called a ?racist who exploited Black talent.? After Jackson died, Sony
gained complete control of the 50% he owned. The Beatles also had issues with the master rights to some of their albums, which were owned by Michael Jackson after his purchase of ATV. After Sony took over his 50% share, Paul McCartney settled a private deal and was able to get the rights to his music. In recent years, young artists have been steering clear of record labels, or purchasing their own masters. Big names like 21 Savage, Chance the Rapper, and Frank Ocean all own their masters, and seem to be better off as a result. Profits of independent artists have also been rapidly growing, showing a shift in the music industry. So what does this all mean? An artist owning their masters gives them more creative freedom, allows them to use their music as they see fit, and grant others use of that music, among other things. So, if these trends continue, we will certainly be seeing more artists make more music without restrictions, and all the benefits that come with that.
I n Remembr ance: Alex Trebek
By Aiden Ander son '22
Alex Trebek will not only be remembered as the long- time host of Jeopardy!, but also as an incredibly genial and charismatic man. He was the host of the show since its return in 1984 and hosted every single episode except for one on April Fool?s Day, in 1997. Trebek hosted more than 8,200 episodes of Jeopardy! over 37 seasons? the most by a presenter of any single TV game show. Trebek was born in northern Ontario, Canada, and attended Jesuit schools there until the age of 12 when he went to a boarding Alex Trebek school run by a missionary religious congregation. Alex?s Jesuit education had a long- lasting impact on him. Upon receiving an Honorary Doctorate from Fordham University, he said, ?If there's one thing I have discovered in the past year, it is the power of prayer. I learned it from the Jesuits when I was a kid.? Alex graduated from the University of Ottawa in 1961 with a degree in philosophy. He originally pursued a career in journalism until he began to host a Canadian game show in 1966.
After moving to the United States in 1973, Trebek continued to host a variety of game shows. He subbed in as host for Wheel of Fortune, catching the attention of producer Merv Griffin. Griffin then hired Trebek to host Jeopardy!, and while the pilot episode flopped and was never aired, Griffin decided to keep trying. Jeopardy! became an immediate success once it was aired. At first, many viewed Trebek just as eye candy rather than brainpower. Alex aligned more with the show?s brainy side as he threw remarks at contestants who blanked on answers or bet too cautiously. He recognized the appeal of intelligence on the show, and asked to simply be introduced as ?the host? instead of ?star of the show,? to keep the emphasis on the questions and answers. Many Americans looked to Alex as a sign of stability and reassurance in their lives. Every weekday, one could expect Alex to be on their televisions. He was always ready to pronounce any word perfectly, be quick with a joke, and contestants could always expect his ?Oh no, sorry? in a Canadian accent whenever they answered incorrectly. In one episode, the contestants saved the ?Talkin? Football'' category for last. No one was able to come up with a re-
sponse to the first question about option plays, to which Alex joked, ?I can tell you guys are big football fans.? After the same thing happened with the next question, Alex again joked, ?Do you think we should go to commercial?? Alex playfully mocked the contestants through the rest of the questions, and after the round ended with no one answering a single question, Alex said, ?We?re gonna take a break, I have to talk to them.? Alex was able to make what would otherwise be an awkward situation into something to laugh at, and he embodied the frustration most viewers were feeling. On a more endearing note, one contestant did not know the answer to the final jeopardy, and opted to write, ?We ? you Alex!?. This came after Alex announced his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer earlier in the year. Upon reading the response aloud, Alex choked up and replied, ?That?s very kind, thank you,? and then took a moment before moving on. This started the viral Twitter hashtag #WeLoveYouAlex, where thousands of fans showed their support for the beloved host. The contestant, Dhruv Gaur, later tweeted, ?I?m really glad I got the opportunity to say what everyone else at the tourna-
ment was thinking.? Gaur also explained that Alex had just told them he would be reentering treatment for his cancer.
Alex Trebek was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Ottawa in 1997. He has stars on the walks of fame in both Hollywood and Toronto. Alex has also been awarded seven Outstanding Game Show Host Emmy Awards, one most recently in 2020. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Emmys in 2011. Trebek holds the Guinness World Record for "the most game show episodes hosted by the same presenter (same program)", with over 8,000 episodes recorded. In 2016, Alex was given a key to the city of Ottawa. Alex died in his home at the age of 80 on November 8, 2020. In March of last year, he publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. In the announcement, he stated that he would keep hosting as long as he could and that he would fight the disease with all his might. He announced his hopes of beating the low survival rate of pancreatic cancer, which is 9%. Even while making such a serious and shocking statement, Alex cracked a joke, ?Under the terms of my contract, I have to host Jeopardy! for three more years!?
This announcement came as a shock to fans of the show and the broader population. Up until his death, Alex gave updates about how his treatment was going and continued to host the show in between chemo treatments. In an interview for Good Luck America, Alex said, ?As long as I can walk out and greet the audience and the contestants, and run the game, I?m happy.? Alex will always be remembered as an important part of American pop culture. He even made an appearance on SNL, in a skit where Will Ferrell was depicting him in ?Celebrity Jeopardy?. Alex has also made acting appearances in Golden Girls, White Men Can?t Jump, The Simpsons, Family Guy, The X- Files, Groundhog Day, How I Met Your Mother, and Cheers. In 1996, Alex ran a leg of the Olympic torch?s journey to Atlanta. He became a naturalized US citizen in 1998. In a post-fact world, Americans looked to Alex as someone who always told the truth, especially considering his job was to ask questions about facts. Alex has been continually cited as one of the most trusted people in the United States.
10 | Entertainment | Friday, December 18, 2020 | The Hawkeye
Retur n of the Playlists at the Prep: Champ Chr ist mas Edit ion Often lost in the sauce is the fact that teachers are real people, too? people who listen to music. In this recurring segment, The Hawkeye features songs from a faculty or staff member's playlist. Consider adding these jams to your own playlist!
(Photo: Flickr.com)
Compiled By Benicio Beatty '21
Former undisputed world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, 54, lands a left hook on former four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr., 52, in a November 28 exhibition boxing match at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
By K ier an Dougher ty '21 June 11, 2005. Iron Mike Tyson walked away from boxing after being defeated by Kevin McBride due to TKO. Posting a 50- 6 career record with 44 knockouts, Tyson?s greatness was rivaled only by Muhammad Ali. No one thought that Kid Dynamite would ever step foot in the ring for a professional bout again. However, in 2020 fashion, Tyson shocked the world by announcing his return to boxing against Roy Jones Jr. There had been rumors of a return with Tyson posting several viral videos in the past year showing off his elite shape and boxing skills at 54 years old. With the fight being pushed back several times due to the coronavirus, November 28 was finally settled on for the fight to take place. Even though Jones Jr. was considered the best pound for pound boxer during his career, few gave him a chance to win the fight. Tyson was the overwhelming pick going into the fight opening as a - 255 favorite with Jones Jr. as a +175 under dog. When the bell finally rang and the fight started, it became obvious pretty quickly that this fight was closer to two uncles fighting at the family barbecue and reliving the glory days than two former heavyweight champions of the world duking it out. Tyson got his patented right hand in for a few blows and Jones hit Tyson with a body shot here and there, but the fight was filled with lots of clinching and a slow pace. Still, there were glimpses of prime Iron Mike at points, with some powerful body shots and a couple mean left hooks, slipping a Jones Jr. punch or two every once in a while, but it is safe to say that
Tyson?s style is no longer impetuous, his defense is pregnable, and he?s about as ferocious as a lion without any teeth. As the fight went into the last two rounds, both fighters seemed to be out of energy. Tyson did not have the power in his punches, and Jones Jr. was just circling the ring. Going into the final round, Tyson had a 2-to-1 advantage, according to the judges. Even though the fight was not ?Tyson- esque,? it was clear that he had won the fight. However, as most of these exhibition bouts typically result, the fight was declared a draw. Surprisingly, the most enjoyable part of the night was a YouTuber knocking out a washed up NBA player. Nevertheless, for two men over 50 years old, they did as well as anyone could expect, especially using the heavier 12 oz. gloves instead of the traditional 8 oz. gloves. Who knows, though, maybe the reason Tyson didn?t win the fight was because he broke his back. Spinal. Or it could have been that his pre-fight ?preparations? got the best of him. Regardless, in a year of so many bad things, it was nice to see one of the greatest to ever do it, put the gloves back on, provide a little entertainment for the night, and possibly begin a series of more exhibition bouts. Hopefully, with a ludicrous bout between Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul coming in 2021, maybe Tyson can fight Jake Paul one day, too. Tyson, after all, is the man who once said, ?I love to hit people?, and I do not think there is a person that boxing fans would love to see take a Mike Tyson uppercut more than Jake Paul.
M r. K elly 1.
Naughty Chr istmas
M s. Haban 1.
Johnny Mathis
Lacuna Coil 2. Walking in the Air
2. Silent Night Josh Groban
Nightwish 3.
Let it go
3.
4. Har k the Her ald Angels Sing Amy Gr ant
Wham! 5.
The Little Dr ummer Boy (Peace on Ear th)
5.
Bing Crosby & David Bowie
6. Away in a Manger
Or ion's Reign
Believe Josh Groban
6. Car ol of the Bells
7.
O Come All Ye Faithful Car r ie Under wood
Floor Jansen 4. Last Chr istmas
The Fir st Noel
Car r ie Under wood 7.
O Holy Night
Pipes of Peace
Clay Aiken
Paul McCar tney
8. Feliz Navidad
8. A Spaceman Came Tr avelling Chr is de Bur gh 9. Do they know it's Chr istmas Band Aid 10. Rockin' Ar ound The Chr istmas Tr ee Mel & Kim 11. Mar y's Boy Child Boney M. 12. All I Want for Chr istmas Is You Mar iah Carey 13. Mer r y Chr istmas Ever yone Shakin' Stevens 14. Feliz Navidad Jose Feliciano 15. I Want a Hippopotamus for Chr istmas Gayla Peevey
Jose Feliciano 9. Thr Chr istmas Song Nat King Cole 10. O Little Town of Bethlehem Tony Bennett 11. I'll Be Home for Chr istmas Bing Crosby 12. Have Your self a Mer r y Little Chr istmas Judy Garland 13. Jingle Bell Rock Bobby Helms 14. What Chr istmas Means to Me Stevie Wonder 15. Count Your Blessings Bar r y Manilow
The Hawkeye | Friday, December 18, 2020 |
The Hawkword
Entertainment | 11
Cr uciver balist: Rober t Woltj en '22 Note: Spaces not included
Across 5 .A song 6. Bedford Falls without George Bailey 9. Hung by the chimney 10. They watched their flocks by night 16 .Block the Polar Express? path 17. George Bailey?s angel 18. Elf dentist 21. Messenger to Mary 22. ?Frosty? narrator 23. St. Nick?s birthplace
Down 1. Buddy?s last name
12. Miss Fanny _____
2. The Magi traveled in this direction
13. ?____ Bells?
3. ___ Kringle
14. Christmas poet
4. City of David
15. Scrooge?s partner
7. German Christmas tree
19. ?Rudolph? narrator
8. Third Sunday in Advent
20. ?A tree in the _____ hotel?
11. Christmas author
25. Around the bottom of the tree
24. On top of the tree
Faculty Gr id By Benicio Beatty '21
M r s. Pinto
M r. K r avetz
M r. M cCloskey '91
M r. Br adley '16
Santa Claus : The Movie (1985 with Patch the Elf)
Not cheesy, but I cry every time I watch the scene in Christmas Vacation where Clark Griswold gets stuck in the attic
Home Alone 2
Hot Chocolate
Hot Chocolate (made with milk)
Without question, Hot Chocolate. Can't beat a classic.
Favor ite M oment of 2020?
Test Optional College Admissions for the Whole Country! (except Georgetown...)
Release of the Supercrush album SODO Pop
Root Canal
Graduating College! SJU 2020
What are you looking for war d to in 2021?
The Vaccine!
Going to a live concert
The Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling competition in England (look it up!)
Hopefully a Sixers Finals Win Parade * fingers crossed*
What's the cheesiest holiday movie you still love to watch?
Eggnog or Hot Chocolate?
Miracle on 34th Street
Hot Chocolate, hold the marshmallows and whipped cream.
12 | Entertainment | Friday, December 18, 2020 | The Hawkeye
Bir kmire's Beats: M an on the M oon I I I But this praise is a relatively new thing for Cudi. Despite being colossally influential, he only scored his first number one hit on the Billboard charts earlier this year with ?The Scotts,? a collaboration song with Travis Scott off of an upcoming collaboration album of the same name. With the release of the third installment in the Man on the Moon series, the stars were aligned for Kid Cudi to release a classic, and
(Photo: Genius) (Photo: Complex)
Kid Cudi has had a very strange career. One of Kanye West?s most talented and influential protĂŠgĂŠs, Cudi has been an alternative music staple since the release of his classic 2009 album Man on the Moon: The End of the Day, and is now recognized as one of the most influential artists of the past decade. His influence can be found in most of today?s popular music, with Travis Scott citing him as one of, if not his most important influences (he even incorporated Kid Cudi?s real first name ?Scott? into his own stage name). Outside of
music, Kid Cudi has been praised as a massive influence on two of Hollywood?s biggest young stars, Timothee Chalamet and Pete Davidson.
The vibrant, space-age art for MOTM3 was done by painter Sam Spratt, who has album covers for other rappers including Logic.
Colin's Count:
8.5/10 (Photo: CelebM ix)
By Colin Bir kmire ?23
Cudi is a frequent collaborator of other Hip-Hop greats including Kanye West, Travis Scott , and Plain Pat
he might have done just that. Man on the Moon III is by far Kid Cudi?s most complete solo album. It feels like a journey, with a sonically distinct beginning and end, the classic Cudi space concept, and consistent lyrical content of learning to love oneself and one's imperfections. The words express longing and the struggle with mental health, among other themes. The album?s production is gorgeous, and some of the best of Cudi?s career thanks to Finneas and Mike Dean, arguably two of the greatest producers working in music today. The synths on every song sound very spacey and psychedelic. It feels like the sound that Cudi has been working towards his whole career, with the otherworldly synth outro on the final track, ?Lord I Know,? being the best example
of this. Kid Cudi also delivers some of his greatest vocal performances in years on tracks like ?Lovin Me,? which features indie- rock royal Phoebe Bridgers. The features on Man on the Moon III are a mixed bag, but all come through with a welldeserved spot on the album, even Trippie Redd, who?s feature has been receiving mixed reactions. However, he works well on the song he is given. The late great Pop Smoke and UK rapper Skepta on ?Show Out? is a match made in heaven, but it feels more like a small glimpse of the potential that the two artists could have had together, making it a bit bittersweet. While there are many great things to say about this album, it isn?t perfect. The main complaint many listeners are hav-
ing is that the first half of the album is very derivative of Travis Scott, and it may be offputting how much Cudi is trying to sound like Travis. However, Cudi works well with the sound, which shouldn?t be a surprise given the fact that Cudi is a big influence on Travis. This is a peculiar factor, and could lead to some interesting music from the pair in the future. However, it is understandable for a listener to be put off by this. Overall, Man on the Moon III feels complete, maybe more complete than the other two in the trilogy. It is an experience, despite its flaws, like the original Man on the Moon album, and delivers everything one would expect when listening to a Kid Cudi album. While it is difficult to say how well the album will age, there is no denying that Kid Cudi is a very important figure in modern music and only time will tell if Man on the Moon III will continue to solidify his reputation as one of the most important artists of modern times.
Follow @SJPHawkeye on Twitter for Exclusive Content & Online I ssues! The Hawkeye Staff of 2020-2021 St. Joseph's Prepar ator y School 1733 West Gir ar d Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19130 Editor s-in-Chief
Enter tainment Editor
Joe Massaua '21
Colin Birkmire '23
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Opinion-Debate Editor
Joseph Tagliferro '22
Kieran Hicks '23
Connor Siemien '21
Aiden Anderson '22
Liam Holden '23
Seamus Blaney '22
Jake Wisniewski '23
I f you are interested in contr ibuting mater ials to The Hawkeye, contact an editor or our email (below) to submit an ar ticle, photogr aph, or to wr ite a letter to the editor. L etter s should not exceed 600 wor ds. hawkeye@sj prep.or g
Benicio Beatty '21 Garrett McCloskey '21
Junior M anaging Editor s Murphy Bonner '22
Spor ts Editor
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Matteo DeJesse '24
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News Editor
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M oder ator s
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Features Editor
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All mater ials pr inted by The Hawkeye are intended to both enter tain and infor m the Prep community as well as cultivate an environment that gener ates meaningful and productive discussion. The opinions and beliefs expressed in the adver tisements and ar ticles in this publication do not necessar ily reflect the values or mission of The Hawkeye Student Newspaper or St. Joe's Prep.
The Hawkeye | Friday, December 18, 2020 |
Opinion/Debate | 13
Opinion/Debate L aw '23 on Hallmar k Holiday Flicks and Chr istmas Classics
By Daniel L aw?23
course, but watching multiple of these consecutively, you start to notice the cracks.
It?s Christmas season, and the holiday spirit is swelling. Families across the country are preparing for a visit from Saint Nick in a multitude of ways, not the least of which being the ritual of family Christmas movies. Unless you've spent each Christmas season with coal in your stocking, you?ve seen a Christmas movie before, whether that be with your family on the couch, or even just in passing on one of the many channels this December. However, as you gulp down some delicious eggnog and turn up the warmth of the fireplace to get ready to watch a new Christmas special, you may have asked yourself, ?Didn?t I see this before?? And most of the time the answer is, ?Yes, I probably have.? The abundance of Christmas movies is no secret. Try to think of any possible premise for a Christmas film, and it probably exists. Besides some obvious exceptions known as the ?Christmas classics,? there are seriously a ton of Christmas movies out there, and they are of very mixed quality. That aspect doesn?t diminish the incredible commercial success of the Christmas
2000s. A Christmas Story and later films like Jingle All the Way and Elf revolutionized how we view Christmas today, and solidified the themes of Christmas movies to be even more so about family.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is one of a select few movies considered a "Christmas classic." Daniel Law '23 argues that, while there are some great recent Christmas movies, many of the 21st century movies are sub-par, especially on television channels such as Hallmark.
genre, though. The Hallmark Channel was the single most watched channel in the last quarter of 2018 among its target demographics. Furthermore, besides some notable exceptions, the Christmas genre is increasingly defined by one thing: quantity over quality. To understand what happened to Christmas movies, let?s look back at the history of the genre. Christmas films reached the mainstream in the aftermath of World War II with films like It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street.
The big difference in these films compared to more recent Christmas movies is the focus on the Christian elements of Christmas, like the value of life and the wonder of imagination, the former of which would continue to be present in the next generation of Christmas movies, which were defined by children?s animated films like Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer and A Charlie Brown Christmas. However, everything would change during the Christmas craze of the 80s and 90s, and continuing into the early
Then there is, of course, the Christmas movie to end all Christmas movies, Home Alone, which dominated the box office in 1990 and still dominates Christmas channels today. The overwhelming commercial success and cultural impact these Christmas classics had would only prompt copycats in the genre to leech off success, leading to the flood of Christmas movies we see each year. However, the real driving force behind abundant cheesy Christmas movies are TV channels like Hallmark. Each holiday season, Hallmark seems to pump out dozens of back- to- back Christmas flicks as part of their Countdown to Christmas, with varying quality. Typically it?s about a quirky city girl coming back to her hometown for the holidays and falls in love with a rural but somehow always attractive guy, set in the backdrop of winter suburbia. These movies may have their merits, of
They?re almost all the exact same. Though Hallmark movies rake in high millions each year, the company seemingly favors quantity over quality, because they can do so as long as the film has that ?Christmas charm? to it. That being said, it isn?t a bleak time for the Christmas genre. There have been some standout holiday hits in recent years, and movies like 2019?s Klaus and 2020?s Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey come to mind. (Both are really great, so check them out on Netflix if you can.) The future of Christmas movies holds more of the same for sure, but there is also the prospect of more future standout hits that break the old mold of the yearly Christmas tradition. If not, there are always our Christmas classics to look back on for years to come. Christmas movies, good or bad, still play an important part of our culture. Unless your first name is Ebenezer, there is no escaping Christmas. So this holiday season, sit down and enjoy Christmas your way, whether that?s with Home Alone or Die Hard.
Robinson's Definitive Chr istmas M usic Timeline
By Antoine Robinson '24
We?ve all seen it before: the one house in our neighborhood that's decked out with Christmas decorations? a four- story inflatable Santa and all. This would be fine if it was December but, in many cases, it?s November. You're a little annoyed, but you let it slide. Later on, you tune into the radio or go to the store and you hear the howling of ?Last Christmas? by Wham! or Mariah Carey?s ?All I Want for Christmas Is You.? At this point, you've had enough and unleash your wrath on the nearest object and let out a primal ?ROAR.? Does no one have standards? It's not even Thanksgiving! Christmas music has its own time and place and needs to stay within an assigned time. You may be wondering when that is. I have dubbed it November 29 to December 31. These dates are the only dates which make sense. Let me
explain.
boring and depressing month of the year. Why make it worse First, let's get rid of the obviby wishing for a holiday a year ous: there really is no reason away? The second reason is someone should be listening to that by New Year?s Eve, all the Christmas music in the sumChristmas presents are broken mer. The one exception is if and all the food is gone, the you're bored at midnight and nog has been drunk, and the everyone is asleep. Besides, non- immediate family memthere are also so many other bers have left. Christmas is holidays with over. Finally, we music to listen "Christmas music has can't forget about to. Try Flag Day its own time and place The Final Counttunes or some and needs to stay down to the new Talk- Like- Ayear. It needs its day Pirate Day within an assigned and then there's no shanties. time." point in continuing The reason I chose NovemChristmas after that. ber 29 is that the mountain of I knew that this may not leftovers after Thanksgiving convince some students so I takes at least three days to eat. asked some about their opinion You're lying to yourself if you on this. Joseph Mancini ?24 say you can breakdance to gave me a powerful quote ?Grandma Got Run Over by a when I asked him how he felt Reindeer? on a full stomach of about my dates. dry turkey. Your father also needs those three days to de?Yes,? he said. stroy his game chair because I went to a few more students the Eagles lost. and asked the same questions, I chose the other constraint, all five said, ?Who gave you December 31, for a few reamy number?? sons. First, January is the most
Crows on a continuous loop,? said Pohlig. ?On January 1st, one must return to their normal music choices. Needless to say, I find pre- Thanksgiving Christmas music to be the nadir of good taste.?
After those devastating responses I went to Gavin Orapallo ?24, who said, ?Christmas for Thanksgiving, that ain?t it, chief.? Powerful words from a wise man. I then wanted to get a teacher?s opinion, so I emailed Latin teacher Mr. Pohlig ?02. He calls himself an ?authority on the seasonal appropriateness of music.? Our opinions were similar. ?Christmas music can be played reasonably from Black Friday until Boxing Day. December 27-31 at 4:59 pm is for ?Long December? by Counting
Now I hear all you Christmas fanboys yelling, ?Oh don't listen to him he's a hater, Christmas time is all the time!? I?m going to dedicate a whole paragraph to you! Yes, Christmas music is nice to listen to, very joyful indeed. The problem is that there is a lot of music like that. Take Flag Day tunes, for example. I also hear you saying that it doesn't matter if you listen by yourself. I respond by saying it does. You look weird jamming to ?Little Drummer Boy? while soaking up the summer sun. If you still don't agree with my point, and listen to Christmas music too early, have fun. It doesn't affect me, but just know everyone else is sticking to my dates.
14 | Opinion/Debate | Friday, December 18, 2020 | The Hawkeye
Stephens: Car son Wentz " Flat Out Sucks" The Eagles needed a new quarterback. Plain and simple. Carson Wentz was not nearly showing his promise from years prior and, quite frankly, has not even proved that he can hold his own as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Luckily for the Eagles, an interesting second round draft pick currently left them with Heisman Trophy runner-up and Oklahoma standout Jalen Hurts on the second string. In his very limited playing time, Hurts has been clearly better than Wentz. With 15 interceptions and 50 sacks as of Week 13, Carson Wentz has left the Eagles faithful in a constant state of depression. Deep down inside, there is hope that Wentz will return to his MVP- like play during the 2017- 2018 Super Bowl season. That sophomore campaign, Wentz was electric. He could sit in the pocket, read the right coverage, get the ball to the
right person, and even managed to be mobile with his 6?5, 230- pound build. That year, through 13 weeks, he led the team to an 11-2 record, throwing 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. In comparison to this year, through 12 weeks, Carson Wentz has dragged the Eagles to a 3- 8- 1 record, 2nd to last in the worst division of all- time, while throwing 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. The difference is glaring. Something changed. And that could have very well been the torn ACL that he suffered in the 2017- 18 season's Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams, which resulted in him watching his team led to a Super Bowl win by another quarterback. The demoralization and physical toll of that might have an impact on his current play. Another important factor could be the management decision to draft Jalen Hurts. This could have possibly sent the message to Wentz that the Eagles management is not confi-
(Photo: Getty I mages)
By L iam Stephens '21
Dual-threat QB Jalen Hurts is the answer to Wentz's woes, says Liam Stephens '21.
dent enough in his play and ability to stay healthy. Maybe he is in his own head. No one knows but the man himself. But what everybody with able eyes can see is that Wentz flat out sucks. He has had a majority of the season to prove himself, and he has not. Eagles fans everywhere know it. Kieran
Dougherty
?21
backed this up by saying, ?The Eagles should bench Wentz for the rest of the season.? So, is it time to move on? Jalen Hurts has the potential to be the Eagles franchise quarterback. When Hurts replaced Carson in their Week 13 matchup, he led a comeback in a game that everyone thought was over, but it was too little too late. If he could have some
more exposure, he could completely transform the offense. The decision is incredibly clear. Please, Doug Pederson, Howie Roseman, Jeffrey Lurie, and the rest of the Eagles management, I beg you, for the sanity of your fanbase, to make the right decision and hand the keys of the Philadelphia Eagles to Jalen Hurts.
Gallagher : Google Classroom, We M iss You By L uke Gallagher '23 Without a doubt, one of the largest changes this year was the switch from the legendary combination of Google Classroom and Powerschool to Blackbaud. After putting together an informal poll on my Instagram, which encompassed the responses of 72 current Prep students, I found that roughly 1 out of every 4 students preferred Blackbaud. Overall, the responses of Prep students showed a 79% to 21% vote in favor of Google Classroom. Now, although there are advantages and disadvantages to both Google Classroom and Blackbaud, I agree with the majority of those surveyed that Google Classroom is superior. Firstly, Google Classroom is more user- friendly and, in these very unique times where we are constantly scanning PDFs via Google Assignments through Blackbaud, Classroom?s streamlined file submission process would have been much easier. ?Google Classroom is way faster and easier to use than Blackbaud,? said Sean Angelucci ?23. ?Now I have to go through a much longer and more difficult process to submit my schoolwork while Google Classroom made it almost instantaneous.?
Additionally, one thing that Google Classroom provided for us that we are not getting out of Blackbaud was an app, which made everything much easier. It allowed students to easily check when assignments were due, what was going on in their classes, and make sure that they were not missing any upcoming due assignments. That being said, Google Classroom would even send notifications directly to your phone in regards to missed or late assignments. For the students who do not check Assignment Center or class home pages in Blackbaud as frequently, this was a huge advantage.
have to allot for an adjustment period. As Mr. Ghee, Director of Transportation and Student Activities, said, ?Whenever there is a large change in this manner, there is an adjustment period.? However, I still believe that Google Classroom was far superior to Blackbaud and I think we can all agree that Blackbaud is outdated.
"Overall, the responses of Prep students showed a 79% Specifically in reto checking to 21% vote in gards your grades on favor of Google Blackbaud, it can get very confusing. AlClassroom [over though there is no the Prep will be Blackbaud]." way returning to Power-
Owen McKenna, in favor of Google Classroom, said, ?I think that Google Classroom is a much easier platform to use than Blackbaud because of its connection to other Google platforms and its userfriendliness being that it is available as an app on your phone.? Now, I completely agree with administrators and faculty members in saying that we
school and its Learning Management System, as confirmed by Ghee, being able to see your cumulative grades in grid view was something that I feel was important that we no longer have with Blackbaud. Additionally, since the Prep had been planning on making this switch to Blackbaud for year, we, as the students, simply have to live through this adjustment period. In allowing for a considerable adjustment period, it is often worth noting that Blackbaud is not entirely bad. The
majority of students surveyed who voted in favor of Blackbaud cite the mere fact that everything is kept in one place (assignment, grades, attendance, etc). ?It keeps everything in one place,? said Jake Wisniewski ?23. ?Before, grades and assignments and everything were on multiple sites but now it is streamlined into one spot which is a lot easier for me personally.? Additionally, the majority of those in favor of Blackbaud liked the ?Assignment Center? feature. However, Google Classroom provided a ?To Do? list which served the same function as the ?Assignment Center? in Blackbaud. Additionally, in favor of Blackbaud, Benicio Beatty ?21 comments that ?Sure the system is a bit outdated and slightly less user- friendly than classroom but, as students, we have to understand that it helps out the school as a whole, as a network.? Blackbaud merges all of the functions of PowerSchool and Google Classroom into one software which was one of the main reasons behind the administration deciding to make this switch in software. Overall, I find that although Blackbaud allows for every-
thing to be kept in one place, the functionality, userfriendliness, and design of Google Classroom make it superior to Blackbaud. As Michael Ricci ?23 said, ?Google Classroom and Powerschool were amazing. I don?t know why that combination was 'fixed' when it clearly was not broken.? I personally did not mind having to use a different system for grades and attendance, mainly because both had an app, which I think is something that will, in the long run, positively affects every high school student who can stay up to date with their grades by simply checking an app on their phone. That being said, I feel that even though Blackbaud combines all systems into one, the Google Classroom and Powerschool combination was more beneficial in the long run due to the functionality, userfriendliness, and the fact that they both had apps to enhance user experience. So, on behalf of many of us students here at the Prep, we miss you, Google Classroom.
Sports
The Hawkeye | Friday, December 18, 2020 |
Sports | 15
Sixer s Find Their I dentity
By Alfonso Procaccino ?21 After an abysmal and disappointing season that concluded in the bubble this past summer, the Sixers looked to make some huge changes to the organization. After many pundits predicted an Eastern Conference Finals appearance for the Sixers, they were swept only in the first round of the playoffs by the Celtics, which prompted significant changes to this team.
Josh Richardson (left) and Al Horford (right) are nowhere to be found on Daryl Morey's new, revamped Sixers roster.
The ?Fire Brett Brown? movement, which Sixers fans have been praising for the past two seasons, was finally put into effect. Brett Brown was fired at the end of last season, which sparked many front office changes for the Sixers.
David Joerger as their new assistant head coach. The Sixers also bolstered their coaching staff by signing former Clippers assistant coach Sam Cassell and former Pacers assistant coach and defensive specialist, Dan Burke.
For starters, the Sixers finally found their new head coach after scouting former Rockets Head Coach Mike D?Antoni and former Clippers Head Coach Doc Rivers. The Sixers ultimately decided to sign Doc Rivers to the staff and saw him fit for the job because he has championship pedigree. Rivers led the 2008 Celtics to an NBA Championship. Doc had a 356208 record when he coached the Clippers, which is one of the best records by a coach who was coaching over this tenure of games.
However, the most important move that the Sixers made to their front office this offseason was signing Daryl Morey as the new president of basketball operations. This was a key signing for the Sixers because Morey is known for his excellent trading abilities and does not hesitate to get deals done. This proved to be beneficial to the Sixers because he completely reshaped the roster and made the team a huge threat in the East.
In addition to the Sixers front office, they also signed former Sacramento Kings Head Coach
The 2020 NBA Draft was a turning point for this Sixers team because they finally made all the necessary roster changes that were needed in one day. In
the span of only a few hours on draft night, Morey brought the Sixers out of the hole that Elton Brand had dug them in. Elton Brand had signed players based on their name and status in the NBA and not based on how well they would fit with this Sixers team. Not only that, but these players were paid way too much, and the fans saw this team crumbling before their eyes this past season. Morey?s first move was trading Al Horford, who was on arguably the worst contract in the entire NBA and making far too much money for someone in their mid 30?s, and a first round pick for Danny Green and Terrence Ferguson. This was a great roster move because the Sixers finally got rid of Al Horford and his horrendous contract and in return received a former three- time NBA Champion and one of the better three- point shooters in all of the NBA.
The next move Morey made was trading Josh Richardson, a solid guard for the Sixers and its 34th pick in the draft for Seth Curry, another excellent shooter in the NBA. This was another fantastic move the Sixers made because Curry is one of those shooters where once he steps over half court, one must guard him because he is a lethal shooter from anywhere on the floor. Curry is second all- time in the NBA with a 45% three- point percentage, ranking behind only Steve Kerr. It appears that the front office is trying to surround Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, its cornerstone superstars, with shooters. This should have been the goal from the very start when deciding to build this team around Ben and Joel, but was an idea that Brett Brown didn?t quite agree with. The final big move of the offseason, as of right now, was drafting Tyrese Maxey with the 21st pick in the 2020 NBA draft. This was a great pick because Maxey is a combo guard from Kentucky, a college that breeds NBA talent, and is a solid shooter in clutch moments. Maxey is a great finisher off the bench and is an energetic defender that will be an instant help to this lineup. Maxey also has a connection with Ben Simmons because they are signed under the same
agent and have trained together while Maxey was in college. Many Sixers fans have lauded the Tyrese pick, including Prep student Michael Procaccino ?23, as he said, ?Maxey will be a great spark plug off the bench and was the best option for us to draft at the time because he can offer instant scoring. He also matches Philly?s gritty style, will give this team energy, and will be able to hype up our fanbase during games.? This team is far from a finished product, but are headed in the right direction. ?With this team's recent acquisitions, I can see them being a three- seed in the East, but they are still one piece away from being Finals contenders,? said Nick Mulvanerty ?21. In my opinion, I do not believe that one can consider ?The Process? a failure at this point in time. Morey has led us onto the right path for the next few years by giving this team a more than solid foundation. The Sixers are becoming a formidable threat in the East and are one move away from being Finals contenders, which can be achieved within the next three years. The NBA will be put on notice with the Sixers dominance next season, and this city will finally witness this team's full potential.
By L and and By Sea: Pat Casey '22 By M ur phy Bonner ?22 ?I don?t want to be a person who just plays one sport every day. I don?t want to get tired of it,? said Pat Casey ?22, describing his motivations for being part of both the cross country and swimming teams at the Prep. Casey is no ordinary athlete. As a three-time All-Catholic runner (once Third Team and twice First Team) and two-time First Team All-Catholic swimmer, he has become a dominant threat both at Belmont Plateau and in the Prep?s Brendan J. Giblin ?02 Pool. Along with competing in States for both sports throughout his three years at the Prep, Casey has built quite the athletic rĂŠsumĂŠ. Casey began swimming competitively for his local swim club at eight years old and has done so ever since. Competing for both the Prep and his swim club has given him years of experience and forged him into the fierce racer he is today. His start in cross country came in seventh grade when he joined Our Mother of Good Counsel?s CYO cross country team. He thought the different style of training would help his
swimming stamina. He quickly fell in love with running and fostered bonds with his new teammates, giving him a new reason to continue the sport.
with both sports. Through making it to States for swimming but having the competition canceled due to the pandemic to just barely finishing this year's cross country season, there have been a lot of ups and downs.
?Right away I loved it so much, it was really fun,? he said. ?I met some incredible people. I?m still friends with all of the kids I met.? Now, as a captain of the Prep?s cross country team, he leads those same friends in competition. His success is no accident. Casey spends most of the year training for both sports, with his primary focus being on swimming. ?Swimming is my priority. It's my favorite sport,? he said, ?I mainly swim about eleven and a half months of the year, and I usually take two weeks off in August.? During that reprieve, Casey sets his sights on the upcoming cross country season, his busiest time of the year, as he balances the start of school and cross country alongside his constant swimming training. Casey reassures that the schedule is manageable. ?When cross country is not happening, it's not that busy,?
Dual Threat: Junior Pat Casey excels as an All-Catholic runner and swimmer for the Prep.
said Casey. ?September to October is our season, so I am running every day then [...], but not too much during other times of the year though.? Casey?s modesty, a hallmark of his personality, does not capture the breadth of his schedule. In the fall, he has cross country practice after school, swim practice after that, and then finally he gets home where he will spend the rest of the night doing homework. For any high schooler, this is a challenging schedule, but Casey?s status as an honor roll and A.P. student go to show he puts just as much effort in the classroom as he does outside of it.
?I care about school a lot, so I take it seriously,? said Casey. What makes those especially busy months easy to navigate is his teammates. He said they ?play an insane role in helping each other get better.? The friendships he has made are the driving force in helping him strive to do better, as well as why he returns each season. ?I just have so much fun doing these sports with the teammates,? he said. ?We have become really close friends. I think that's the number one thing that drives me.? Those teammates are who he has relied on during the turbulent seasons he has experienced
As for the upcoming swimming season, Casey said, ?I?m not really sure what is going to happen this year.? He has hope of competing in states to try and make up for the lost opportunity last season, but also knows all plans are subject to change. Despite all the uncertainty, he is focused on improving himself and making way for the next group of runners and swimmers. He said, ?I think next year, I?m just going to try to get a best time compared to what I got this year and I would also like to try to be as much of a leader [as I can] and help the freshmen? [because] it?s also important to help other kids find the same passion for it that you have.? He encourages any of those interested in either sport to join. ?They are both great teams with incredible coaches.?
16 | Sports | Friday, December, 18 2020 | The Hawkeye
A Complete Three-Peat
To read a full recap on the football season, check out this link: bit.ly/2IYsBWW
By Stephen Cain ?22
?21, and Marvin Harrison Jr. ?21.
As the clock wound down on Saturday, November 28 at Hershey Park Stadium on a chilly, moonlit night, the crowd awaited an annual year end tradition of St. Joe's Prep Football: a cold Gatorade bath.
The multi-faceted Cooper, in particular, was a big help for the Hawks' passing attack in more ways than one. While he continued burning cornerbacks and making spectacular catches with four receptions, 92 yards, and a touchdown, he was also throwing them.
The most obvious of these challenges, of course, was the COVID- 19 pandemic and dealing with its myriad of effects on high school athletics. 2020 was supposed to be the highly anticipated sequel to Prep football dipping its toes into the realm of playing a national schedule.
(Photo: Gil M cGlynn '81)
The Hawks defeated the Central York Panthers 62- 13, achieving a PIAA 6A State Championship once again, putting an exclamation point on another undefeated season overall. However, while winning a third consecutive state championship for the Hawks makes this year feel similar to all of the other state championship victories for the Prep, 2020 threw many unique twists and turns in the Hawks?way.
Marvin Harrison Jr. ?21 (above) broke the all-time receiving city touchdown record on a 7 yard TD pass, adding another accomplishment to the Ohio State commit?s already stacked resume.
But due to the pandemic, that simply couldn?t happen.
(Photo: Gil M cGlynn '81) QB Kyle McCord ?21 set a new all-time city touchdown passing record against Central York with his 85th career TD pass going to fellow Ohio State commit, WR Marvin Harrison Jr. ?21.
This game was historic for the Prep for a number of reasons. First, it was the largest blowout in a PIAA 6A State Tournament game ever. Second, a number of individual records were also broken. Harrison Jr., son of NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison, had already broken the all-time SJP, PCL, and city receiving yards records, along with the all- time PCL touchdown record. But he wasn?t done. Up 17- 0, after an interception thrown from Pribula, McCord and the Prep offense took advantage of the turnover with a 45 yard touchdown throw to the Ohio State commit, which broke the all- time city touchdown record. ?It was a great accomplishment,? said Harrison Jr. ?I couldn't have done it without the people around me, my teammates and coaches. I have worked hard over the course of the years so it is cool to be rewarded with those records.?
(Photo: Gil M cGlynn '81)
While an undefeated, dominating regular season and a solid victory over a tough Souderton Area team in the semifinal left no doubt that this team was up to the challenge, a three- peat was far from a sure thing in Chocolatetown. Their opponent was a very good Central York squad. And an injury to nationally acclaimed linebacker and Clemson commit Jeremiah Trotter Jr. ?21 in the semifinal sadly put an end
Cooper was named player of the game on the PCN Network for his incredible performance, not just for his receiving yards and 55- yard touchdown pass, but also for a 47 yard punt return TD that looked like a SportsCenter Top 10 Play, as he juked out Central York?s punter and quarterback, and future Penn Stater, Beau Pribula to the point where he nearly fell to the ground. ?It felt amazing,? said Cooper. ?To be honest I didn't even know I was the player of the game until after the game, but I still couldn?t believe it.?
Multiple out- of- state games against highly touted opponents had to be canceled, leaving a regular season consisting of just four games. With such a compact schedule, more attention would be focused on the Hawks? movement on both sides of the ball, particularly the offensive and defensive lines. In search of quality leadership on the Hawks? defense, Roken gave the honorary #10 defensive captain number to senior Hawks defensive end Nick Yagodich ?21. He later discussed what it meant for him to wear that number: ?It meant everything in the world for me to go out there and represent our team with that number on my back,? said the Harvard commit. ?The two former players who wore that number were my biggest mentors and I am still incredibly close with them to this day. It gave me the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and attempt to lead a very talented group of guys. Number 10 does not have anything to do with being the best defensive player, as I am nowhere near that on this team. It is more about the heart and soul of what Prep Football represents.?
Right before the half in a 317 ball game, McCord ran a wide receiver screen to Cooper, who launched a 55yard strike into the end zone to Hagans, another star Hawks wide receiver, making the score in Hershey 38-7 and effectively ending the contest altogether.
WR Sahmir Hagans ?21 was left wide open for a 55 yard touchdown catch after wide reciever and backup quarterback Malik Cooper ?21 surprised the Central York defense with a throw of his own.
to his Hawks career. RB Josh Barlow ?22 was also injured. Moreover, RB Blaine Bunch ?22 was again ineligible be-
cause of his transfer from Northeast High School this past off-season. It became clear that Ohio State commit QB
Kyle McCord ?21 would need to step up at Hershey. And that he did, with help from Malik Cooper ?21, Sahmir Hagans
McCord, a fellow nationally touted prospect, also felt like doing some record- breaking that evening. Up 10- 0, he led an offensive drive that cut open the Panthers? defense with surgical precision, concluding it with a lofty 7- yard touchdown pass to Harrison Jr. in the back left corner of the end zone. That was McCord?s 85th touchdown pass, which broke the all- time city touchdown pass record, previously held by
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La Salle quarterback Brett Gordon. Later that evening in the second half, a simple completion to Hagans, the future Duke Blue Devil, would make McCord the new all- time city passing yards leader as well. ?It was honestly a pretty cool feeling once I found out I broke both records,? McCord said. ?I didn't know how close I was to breaking them before the game but in the fourth quarter my coach came up and told me the news. It made the night even better. I owe a lot of my success to my teammates though. They are the reason I was able to achieve that.? Finally, kicker Antonio Chadha ?22 also set a record for the amount of extra points made by a single player in the history of the PIAA State Championship game. But, his already historic day wasn?t done there, as he drilled a 47yard field goal in the second half that caused Chadha to ebulliently gallop across the field in celebration.
Antonio Chadha ?22 (left) and Malik Cooper ?21 (right) celebrate after Chadha?s 47 yard field goal.
Zavier Atkins '21 hoists the PIAA 6A Trophy after leading the Hawks in tackles at Hershey.
Senior Defensive Captain Nick Yagodich '21 (above) brings down future Penn Stater Beau Pribula with the help of Omillio Aagard '24 (bottom right) to the ground.
PCN Network?s Player of the Game Malik Cooper
Hawks' O-linemen Julian Cervantes '23 (left), Alec Treadway '22 (left center), Brad Harris Jr. '22 (center), George Reinhard '23 (right center) and Cade Rooney '21 (right) celebrate their victory.
Head Coach Tim Roken celebrates his second straight PIAA 6A State title.
?When I saw that I broke that record, I got a really tremendous sense of pride,? Chadha later remarked. ?It's not everyday that you break a record, so obviously that is an incredible achievement. I am so grateful for my teammates and coaches for always supporting me. Without them, I wouldn't be the player I am today.? Chadha, Cooper, and the two future Buckeyes weren?t the only ones who had fairy tale endings to their Prep football tenures. As the clock wound down, leaving time for one last play, coach Roken sent all of the seniors onto the field to take a final knee to close out the season to honor them for their service both on and off the field. He later reflected on the moment: ?It was a crazy year in that any practice or game could have been our last together. So grateful the finale was in Hershey! So proud of our seniors for what they accomplished in their time here at the Prep. This is a group of young men that have shown their resilience over the years but to lead us through this pandemic season and end with a third straight state championship they will remember forever.?
?21 had a hand in three touchdowns.
Because it is the definite end to these players? high school football careers, many Prep fans can?t help but look into the future at next season. Skeptics may wonder how this team can continue succeeding without guys like McCord, Harrison Jr., Atkins, Cooper, Hagans, Fisher, Yagodich, and countless others. The answer to that question will be what it has always been: next man up.
St. Joe?s Prep celebrated their third straight PIAA 6A State Championship in late November, beating Central York High School 62-13.
