Volume 47, Issue 3

Tyler Rhode '11 on Jeopardy! Page 3

Chef Nate's Holiday Cookie Rankings Page 12

M r. Boyle Depar ture Page 5

Junior /Senior Par king L ot Op-Ed Page 14

The Student Newspaper of St. Joseph's Prep

Vol. 47, I ssue I I I

1733 West Gir ar d Ave. Philadelphia, PA, 19130

December 10, 2021

Encore! Encore! Cape Chef Nate's and Swor d Retur ns! Holiday Treat

Rankings By Nathan M ur awski ?22

Homecoming dances. Basketball games. Concerts, pep rallies, masses. You name it, COVID took it away. Live Cape and Sword performances were no exception. Now, however, the Prep theater is full of audience members once again for Double Trouble, a Cape and Sword original based loosely on William Shakespeare?s Comedy of Errors. Set in ancient Greece, the play stars Alex DiGiacomo ?22 and Victor Torres ?23, who each portray two distinct characters: identical twin brothers separated at birth. These two sets of

(Photo: preppics.com)

By Daniel Deeney ?22

Stars Alex DiGiacomo '22 and Victor Torres '23 acted their hearts out in Cape and Sword's return to live theater.

twins end up in the same town and keep getting mistaken for

one another. As is the case for

Christmas is the definitive cookie season. Every bakery is kicking out the goods, your grandparents are whipping up old family recipes, and if you?re anything like me, you?re probably wreaking havoc upon your kitchen, testing new flavors and weird combinations. However, there is this age long debate: what is the best cookie to celebrate the season? As the Chancellor of Christmas (that?s right, I said it, and no, I won?t take it back), I?m here to settle the score. Here are my rankings for the best cookies to compliment the

see CAPE on pg. 2

season of giving. These are all my opinions, so take them with a grain of salt (and a dash of vanilla)! Best Cookie: Chocolate Chip Cookies (Photo: St. Joseph's Prep)

Cape and Sword's fall production of "Double Trouble" was a smashing success for Prep audiences.

Was there even a doubt in anyone?s mind? It?s the OG; the tried and true, objectively nothing is better than the classic. The perfect chocolate chip cookie should be thick, gooey, warm, and a little crispy on the edges. Everyone argues that their mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies (and my mom does), but I think we can all agree that the triple C is see HOLI DAY on pg. 12

By M ur phy Bonner ?22 ?This is my dream job,? said Mr. Anthony Bush, the Prep?s now former Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI), nearly 21 months ago as the Prep and world were at a standstill during the onset of the COVID- 19 pandemic. The same enthusiasm Bush had shown all those months ago when he spoke of building relationships with the Prep com-

munity, designing a DEI curriculum that met the Prep?s needs, and learning more about what makes a Jesuit institution unique could be seen now as he spoke about his next endeavor. In J200, with an uneaten slice of farewell- carrotcake on the desk he would sit at for the last time that day, Bush spoke of his new role as working in the city of San see BUSH pg. 4

(Photo: St. Joe'sPrep Football)

Mr. Anthony Bush (right) leaves the Prep to serve as the inaugural Chief Equity Officer for the city of San Francisco?s Department of Homeless and Supportive Housing.

(Photo: St. Joseph's (Photo:Prep) St. Joe's Prep Facebook)

(Depar t)ment of Football Gear s Up DEI for Possible 4-Peat

LInebacker Rocco Nichol

?22 (above left) sacks La Salle QB Alan Paturzo (above right) for a fumble that

would eventually turn into another touchdown in the Hawks 35-7 domination of La Salle in the PCL 6A Title Game.

By Zach Reagan ?23 Here we are again. The Hawks have given us an early Christmas gift, and are headed to Hershey for the 7th straight year after the complete decimation of the Garnet Valley Jaguars, 49-13.

Despite being 3 point underdogs, the Prep and coach Tim Roken knew what they needed to do. Shane Reynolds, the Navy commit, was the main threat of the Jaguars? triple option offense and Josiah Trotter, the junior linebacker,

was able to contain him very well. The Jaguars were forced to throw and the Prep came down with two picks, one from see FOOTBALL pg. 16

2 | News | Friday, December 10, 2021 | The Hawkeye

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep)

The Cur tain Finally Rises Again

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep)

For some members of the cast, Double Trouble was the first taste of what it is like to be involved in a Cape and Sword production.

Dr. Pinch (Liam Holden ?23) attempts to rid Antipholus (Alex DiGiacomo ?22) of his alleged possession.

CAPE from pg. 1 any Prep show, hilarity ensues.

the feeling of being backstage ready to start opening night and hearing the murmur of the audience.?

As DiGiacomo put it, ?It was absolutely electric. I still remember and will never forget

Even for those behind the scenes, this year?s production was more intense. Technical Director William Sims ?22 described his responsibilities this year as involving ?a lot more time- based stuff.

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep)

While the Cape and Sword Drama Society, under the direction of Mr. Tony Braithwaite ?89, produced two virtual hits last year- - Make ?Em Laugh in January and A Very Cape & Sword Virtual Musical Bonanza in May- - nothing can compare to a live, in- person performance, both for the audience and for the cast and crew.

Freshman Xavier Edwards ?25 commented on this, saying, ?I did feel a little bit of pressure, as it was my first show and the Prep?s first show back after a year and a half, but once we got on stage I really started to feel comfortable, and I felt like everything had really come together.?

The Duke of Ephesus (Jahleel Johnson '23) calls for silence in his court.

Egeon (Joe Murphy '22) retells his wretched life story to Fastidion (Timothy Convery '22) and Oceedeus (Sean Angelucci '23).

It?s a lot of the same things, it?s just on a deadline,? stated Sims. Mr. Braithwaite said of the adjustment, ?It was amazing, to me, the amount of stuff that we forgot. Little details, little things that we just weren?t used to because we haven?t done it in two years.? Despite these minor difficulties in coming back to the stage, Double Trouble enjoyed a great deal of success. According to Braithwaite, Cape and Sword sold at 85% of capacity over the course of the show?s two-weekend-long run, which is better than the numbers on Broadway or regional theaters at the moment

(roughly 77% respectively).

and

68%,

?The Prep community came out in support more than professional communities, which is great,? said Briathwaite. Some audience members were compelled to view the show twice, such as Ethan Ford ?22. ?I saw it once by myself? and it was so good that I went to see it with some friends the next night.? Cape and Sword got by during the pandemic, but without a live audience, a performance is not truly a performance--it?s a rehearsal. Prep theater is officially back, and the entire community is better off because of it.

One Year of Biden: A Summar y By Aiden Ander son ?22 To say it?s been a rough year for President Joe Biden is an understatement. Although he started the year off strong, things began to take a turn for the worse over the summer. His approval rating plummeted and has continued to stay relatively low despite plans to unite the country. Now that the year is coming to an end along with Biden?s first year in office, let?s take a look at all that has happened. L egislation Starting off, the current President stepped into the White House only two weeks after the attack on the Capitol building. If anything, this proved the need for greater unity throughout the country. Biden soon sought to put this plan into action, which he spoke on during his inauguration speech: ?We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural against urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this, if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts.? However, his calls for unity were not even answered by the House with the passing of the American Rescue Plan, which provided $1.9 billion in COVID relief. Not a single Republican representative

voted for the bill. Furthermore, Republicans put a stop to the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which aimed to combat misconduct, excessive force, and racial bias among police. As of November 22, the Build Back Better spending bill has narrowly made its way through the House and now faces deliberation in the Senate. The roughly $2 billion bill includes universal kindergarten, child care subsidies, expanded financial aid for college students, and billions in housing support. More importantly, the bill features plans to shift away from fossil fuels and move the economy towards renewable energy and electric cars. The legislation pairs with the $1 trillion in infrastructure spending that the President recently signed. On the contrary, Build Back Better has faced pushback from Republicans as they are worried about the bill promoting a socialist agenda and increasing inflation. Vaccines and COVI D Earlier this year in March, the Biden administration began the vaccine rollout. At first, only the elderly and those working in healthcare were able to get the jab. But soon enough, the

vaccine became available to all in May. Originally, Biden?s goal was to get 70% of the country vaccinated by July 4th. Even though this goal fell short, the CDC still lifted the federal mask mandate over the summer. As people continued to get vaccinated and masks became less popular, the President?s approval rating was at its strongest. Yet as the Delta variant took over, COVID cases spiked and masks returned. The Delta variant became a common culprit of internet memes for how much it ruined people?s plans. During this time, Biden?s administration continued to encourage people to get the shot. Currently, 82% of Pennsylvanians have received at least one shot and 61% have been fully vaxxed (both shots). Biden issued an executive order to require all companies with over 100 employees to require all employees to get vaccinated or they would have to face weekly testing. This plan came to a halt as 26 state Republican attorneys general sued on the grounds of government overreach, along with a handful of other private groups. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit agreed with the Republicans and the

case will likely go to the Supreme Court.

out if they want to come out,? said the President.

Afghanistan

L ooking For war d

In August, American troops began to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. Former President Trump got the ball rolling shortly before leaving office, as he came to an agreement with the Taliban in February 2020. Plans were finalized in April 2021 to complete the withdrawal by 9/11.

President Biden certainly has his work cut out for him as he continues his term. For one, the President has struggled to address the flood of migrants at the border. As a result, he has made plans to restart the Trump- era policy called ?Remain in Mexico?, in which asylum seekers must stay in Mexico as they await trial.

Soon enough, the Taliban seized control of the Afghan government and took over the capital. Biden continued to defend the messy withdrawal and blamed Afghan security forces for the disorder. 13 U.S. troops were killed by IS-K during the evacuation as well as over 170 Afghan civilians. The videos of Afghan refugees packed into the Kabul airport and Afghans falling off planes mid- flight sent Biden down a spiral of unpopularity. Today, the Afghanistan economy has fallen apart and IS- K is expanding to nearly all of its provinces. ?98% of Americans in Afghanistan who wanted to leave were able to leave. And for those remaining Americans, there is no deadline. We remain committed to get them

Issues like inflation and high gas prices have also haunted the administration. In an Instagram post Biden addressed the oil prices and said, ?The Department of Energy will make available 50 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to lower gas and oil prices for Americans. I have been working with countries across the world to address the lack of supply.? The President also pledged to be tougher on Russia and he made this clear when he met with Putin in Geneva over the summer. Recently, the US has been preparing for a potential Russian invasion into Ukraine by considering sending extra weaponry to the country.

The Hawkeye | Friday, December 10, 2021 |

News | 3

" Who I s Tyler Rhode?" For $1000 By Joe K r iz ?22 Earlier this fall, Tyler Rhode ?11 participated on the hit show Jeopardy!, and participated on the show from October 27th to November 3rd. While on the show, Rhode went on to win five games out of his six appearances! When Jeopardy! films for each show, they film five episodes on a specific day. Rhode's episodes were filmed on September 24th and 25th, over a month before his episodes were aired on television. Like all contestants, Mr. Rhode had to take the Anytime Test, an aptitude test, which can be taken once a year. Mr. Rhode took the Anytime Test three times, most recently in August of 2020. He then received an email almost a year later, in July 2021, notifying him that he had passed the test. He then was told to take another qualification test at the same difficulty as the Anytime Test. However, ?It required that you take the test live over Zoom, in order to make sure there weren?t any machinations or funny business associated with you taking the first test,? Rhode said. He passed the test, proving his honesty and true Jeopardy! knowledge. A few weeks later,

Mr. Rhode was called in to do a live audition for Jeopardy! over Zoom. After succeeding at his audition, he ventured out to California at the end of September to audition. From the time he got the email that he passed the Anytime test to his performances in late September, it was his ?study time.? Mr. Rhode won five times out of the six episodes he was on when they were taped in late September. He was not necessarily stressed during the runtime, and instead had a winner mentality. He went on the show assuming that he would be facing 38 game streak winner Matt Amodio, so he ?emotionally prepared myself to go in and lose to Matt.? He became committed to change his emotions the day of the round and play for the win. The round wasn?t what was the most stressful for him. It was actually getting to see himself on live television when his rounds were aired from late October to early November. Rhode said, ?Honestly, it was much more stressful watching my episodes back live than it was taping. The game itself felt very natural, as I have been a lifelong Jeopardy! fan, and I took to the buzzer timing quite naturally. I was not prepared to

Tyler Rhode '11 appeared on Jeopardy!, and won a total of 5 games

watch myself television.?

national

While in his rounds he had some memorable questions that he got right, and really demonstrated his wide range of knowledge. One of those questions was about the yachtbased reality show on Bravo, to which he answered, ?What is ?Below Deck?.? Another great question he got right was about the subject of a painting by Peter Bruegel the Elder, to which he answered, ?Who is ?Icarus??. Of course there are inspirations for why Mr. Rhode had always wanted to be a Jeopardy! contestant. One of his big inspirations were his

grandparents, who he says, ?are huge Jeopardy! fans, so a huge part of my inspiration to go on the show was so that they could see me on the show.? With inspiration comes the need for knowledge in such a mentally tough competition. Mr. Rhode said, ?Intellectual curiosity is key to being a Jeopardy! contestant. Ken Jennings has said the best preparation for Jeopardy! is to be a lifelong learner. The Prep instills that type of approach to learning in all its students.?

your sport, or landing your perfect job -- someone is going to get that spot. Why not you?? He said, ?Only about 1% of people who audition for Jeopardy! make it on the show. Less than a third of those people will win a single game. By winning 5 games, I qualified for the Tournament of Champions; fewer people have been on Jeopardy!?s Tournament of Champions than have been to outer space.?

In terms of advice for Prep students, he said, ?Whether your dream is getting into your perfect college, or going pro in

TM F Veter ans Appreciation Week By Jack Gallagher ?23

Hawks] are especially happy about how the week went and are excited to bring more speakers in this year.?

On the week of November 811, the Travis Manion Foundation, run by English teacher Ms. Susie Cook, hosted Veterans Appreciation Week. The Hawks held a speaker series with 2 speakers on both Tuesday and Thursday. On Tuesday, Mr. Drew Duffy P ?22 spoke with the Prep community. Mr. Duffy spoke about the importance of Veterans Day and Veterans Appreciation Week, as well as his personal experiences serving in the military. Next, Mr. Sean Toolan P ?24 spoke on Thursday. Mr. Toolan told the TMF Hawks about how service through the military has made him a better person, as well as leader, today. He also talked about how special it was for him to be able to serve our country and emphasized the importance of honoring our veterans. One of the big takeaways from these two speakers is that students got to see Veterans Appreciation Week in a new light. James Sivley ?22 reflects, ?Veterans Appreciation Week to me is about honoring those who have served and do serve, and following their call to serve in

Prep students ended Veterans Appreciation Week by cleaning up Girard Avenue and the surrounding neighborhood.

and out of uniform.? After Mr. Toolan?s speech, Mr. Bill Fearn ?57 and a group of students traveled to Philadelphia?s Cathedral Cemetery to honor all of the Prep?s veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. This group honored

Sgt. Thomas J. Fearn ?16, as well as the 63 Prep graduates who have lost their lives in wars since the founding of the school.

dents showed up and worked side by side with parents, staff, and Travis Manion Veterans to pick up trash on the sidewalks around the Prep.

The TMF Hawks wrapped up the week with a Girard Avenue Clean- Up from 9AM to noon on Saturday the 13th. 50 stu-

TMF Hawk Conor Ganley ?23 led the club throughout the week in introducing all of their guest speakers. He said, ?[the

Reflecting on his experience so far, Senior TMF Hawk James Sively ?22 said, ?Anyone is able to attend a talk and learn from TMF. In their sophomore or junior year, they can attend a TMF Leadership Academy which pairs students with military veterans, first responders, and a Gold Star family member. I got involved as a junior and have been lucky enough to become a captain, which I am grateful for. The Travis Manion Foundation is unique because the goal is not just to give money or praise to veterans, but to help veterans continue to serve once they return home by inspiring the next leaders of our country. TMF is about helping students, veterans, and all of America in being able to serve themselves and others, having a sense of purpose, and sharing that purpose with others." Opportunities for students to listen to speakers will be open to all throughout the year. Check FlexTime Manager weekly for more information.

4 | Features | Friday, December 10, 2021 | The Hawkeye

Features

Bush Heads West

BUSH from pg. 1

Despite those challenges, Bush and his collaborators created the For All Advisory Series that took place monthly throughout the 2020- 2021 school year. These also coincided with a professional development series for staff and faculty that consisted of three three-hour sessions. These sessions, named as a play on the Jesuit ideal of being men for and with others, were focused on showing how the mission of the school is inherently about social justice. Those sessions and the conversations the school engaged in are one of the things Bush is most proud to have accomplished. He said, ?The For All Advisory programming and the professional development series for colleagues is definitely

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep)

Before preparing to move across the country back to his home state of California was even on his mind, Bush was battling the hurdles that came with starting his job two days before the school went fully virtually in March of 2020. Those first months Bush made connections with students, faculty, alumni, and parents via Zoom and balanced the struggles that came with creating the DEI programming for a school he had only stepped foot in a handful of times.

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep: A Year of Solidarity | I ssuu)

Francisco?s Department of Homeless and Supportive Housing as their inaugural Chief Equity Officer.

While Mr. Bush's time at the Prep has now come to a sudden end, the long lasting impact that he has had on the school in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion is only just beginning.

what I am most proud of and not only that, but in the ways I was able to center the voices of our students and our families is something that I think is incredibly impactful.? Bush is also proud of the DEI infrastructure he helped create and now leaves behind for the next person coming into the role. This includes the For All Committee, the Onyx Parent Group, the re- established African American Alumni Association, and the DEI Council. He said, ?We have now not only a clear framework for how do you engage the school in this program and what con-

tent do you center but who are your support people when you?re only an office of 1 technically trying to leverage this work.?

made this work ?lonely? at times even though he felt accepted by the school. Through building those supports and setting boundaries for himself he was able to balance the responsibilities of the job but thinks that an increase in the department?s size would mitigate those feelings for those who hold the position in the future.

This array of support was vital to Bush in a role that was intertwined with his own identity. ?As someone who is queer, black, and immersed in this work this [work is] also our lives,? he said. ?When something happens in the media [...] I kind of can?t disengage with those issues.? That, coupled with the fact that the demographics of the school left him without many others to share his experience with,

Even with a year filled with programming centered around DEI, Bush still knows that the Prep has blindspots like the fact that the demographics of the Prep, whether that be students or faculty, do not match

those of the city it?s in which can lead to those in minority groups having different experiences than others. Still, Bush is hopeful for the direction the Prep is heading in. ?You don?t fix systems in a year or the treatment of people,? he said. ?I'm glad these conversations are beginning but I think that each of those things are still growth areas for the Prep and I think you know there are clearly goals and actions that have been taken to ensure that these are things we are actively working on.? As Bush prepared to close his office door for the last time and walk down the hallway lined with pictures of people and places from Prep?s history, one juxtaposed with his own identity, he reflected on what his final words to the Prep would be. ?Just thank you,? he said. ?I know that we didn?t engage in this type of work before in this way [...] and I know that it may have been challenging [...] but the fact that Prep trusted me to lead them in that way with those programs and to be the first, from what I know, student facing gay person who was very much out about their experiences and not shunning me [...] is something I am incredibly thankful for. I?m also thankful for all of the voices who collaborated with me to give a real story as to why diversity, equity, and inclusion at a place like this is so important.

Tr avis Scott's " Astrowor ld Festival" After math Since the release of his massive 2018 album Astroworld, Houston rapper and Kanye West protege Travis Scott has been at the forefront of youth culture. For years after the initial release of Astroworld, the merchandise, slogans, and logos for the release and subsequent tour of the album was inescapable to the eye, and even to this day you may spot someone sporting an Astroworld ?Wish You Were Here? T- shirt. Between very successful marketing campaigns and partnerships with companies such as McDonald?s, and his high profile onagain off- again relationship with Kylie Jenner, Travis Scott has become a household name. The success of Astroworld has resulted in an annual festival taking place in Scott?s hometown of Houston, with some of the biggest names in music. Known for his rowdy and ruthless mosh pits, as well as being one of the most energetic performers in the world.

(Photo: Erika Goldring | WireI mage)

By Colin Bir kmire ?23

Rapper Travis Scott (pictured above) was the catalyst for the Astroworld Festival's creation. However, 10 attendees of the event were trampled to death, causing massive outrage at Scott and the event's organizers.

Travis Scott has set the standard for modern concert culture, and his concerts are more reminiscent of a punk rock show, rather than a rap show. His fans, who he affectionately refers to as ?ragers?, are some of the most dedicated concertgoers and a Travis Scott show has been practically a rite of passage for the modern youth, as well as seasoned concertgoers.

However, this image of Travis Scott has been changed forever, after 10 people were killed and hundreds more were injured during Scott?s set on the first night of this year?s Astroworld festival after a crowd surge. The 2021 Astroworld Festival boasted a wide variety of artists on its two day lineup, from Scott himself and his fre-

quent collaborators like Young Thug and 21 Savage, as well as rising stars Don Toliver and Sofaygo, and even artists of other genres like SZA, Tame Impala, and Earth, Wind, and Fire. It was reported that within the first few moments of the festival on Friday morning, many rushed the barricades and got in for free without a ticket. This and the fact that there were already 50,000 ticket- purchasing attendees in attendance on Day 1 meant that a big crowd was going to be a major factor of crowd safety early on. However, many festivals have boasted even more attendees in similar sized venues, with most resulting in a safe environment. While there were early warning signs as the crowd was rowdy all day, the trouble started when Travis Scott took the stage and started his set. The moment he started, attendees rushed towards the stage and the crowd in the front closest to the stage became

trapped and eventually sucked under the crowd. These attendees then experienced trouble breathing and passed out. Those who were underneath the crowd were stepped on, and many of them were unconscious so they had no protection from being trampled while they were unconscious. While this was happening, some attendees noticed and tried to warn festival crew to stop the show or to get help. Two videos of these instances became viral because of the way the crew and the crowd were negligent to these warnings. When the authorities were finally notified, the medical vehicles trying to reach the injured concertgoers were blocked by ?ragers? who proceeded to jump on top of the vehicles, resulting in injured attendees not getting medical attention fast enough. This ignorance caused 10 people who should be alive right now to die while they should have been having the time of their life.

The Hawkeye | Friday, December 10, 2021 |

Features | 5

Thank You and Farewell, M r. Boyle ?09 By L uke Gallagher ?23 Known to many as Mr. Boyle, and many more as Coach Boyle, Mr. Joe Boyle ?09 recently stepped down from his role as Manager of the Prep Fund. On November 22, 2021, Boyle joined the Jefferson Health Advancement Team as Associate Director of Annual Giving for their Clinical Operations Program. Boyle graduated from the Prep in 2009 and from La Salle

would spend his next three years working as Manager of the Prep Fund in the Development Office. He describes his ultimate decision to move to Jefferson Health as ?bittersweet.? ?Obviously, three years ago when I applied to come back and work at the Prep, I was excited to return as an alum who had had a great student experience both athletically and academically. I was excited to be able to do something for an in-

Prep Tennis and Prep Swim gathered for a surprise going away party for Coach Boyle on his last day.

University five years later in 2014. He then took on his first job as a Credit Analyst for NewDay Financial. He would then move on to another Credit Analyst role for Toll Brothers while simultaneously beginning graduate- level courses at St. Joseph?s University. In September 2018, Boyle returned to the Prep where he

stitution that meant so much to me,? said Boyle. ?In terms of forwarding my personal and professional career, however, the decision to move to Jefferson Health was something that I almost couldn?t say no to?. Though, this decision to move away from the Prep involves more than leaving be-

hind his alma mater. It involves moving away from not just an institution that has shaped him over the course of his life, but also two teams that Boyle, himself, has shaped and has grown close over the past three years as Assistant Coach to both: Prep Tennis and Prep Swim. ?I?m going to miss the people,? said Boyle, ?100% the people - my colleagues, teachers, and my athletes. Being able to coach and interact with these athletes and young men has been amazing. I am so impressed with the young men that build up both of these programs and how genuine these men are. I see so much of myself in many of them and will miss the students who I have had the opportunity to build relationships with on a personal level the most.? This step up in Boyle?s career is something that, for his own personal and professional growth, he is looking forward to, especially moving from educational advancement to health care advancement. ?I see it as a challenge but if you are not challenging yourself with your career, then you are not growing your career,? said Boyle. ?This, for me, allows

me to impact the city at a different level in a way that I can morally stand behind all the more.? Looking back on his three years of working at the Prep and four as a student, Boyle offers up the following advice to current students: take risks for your personal growth. ?Get as much out of your experience here as you can with the limited time that you have,? said Boyle. ?And get to know your development team and make sure to stop by their office every once in a while!? Although Boyle will be physically leaving the building at 17th and Girard, the relationships he has formed with students, athletes, teachers, and colleagues and the effects he has had on their lives will stay with them. ?Coach took the time to get to know me as a player and as a person. He helped me develop my game to be a more competitive player and helped the entire team work towards winning the PCL. I will miss his daily presence and commitment to the Prep Tennis program but wish him the best as he moves into his new role with Jefferson Health,? said Will Linquata ?23.

?Coach was always there for the team and me. He really cared about us all on a personal level. He built an amazing team culture within the Prep Tennis program and wanted to see that we were doing our best both on the court and in the classroom. While it is sad to see him go, I am glad he is moving on to a job that he is so passionate about,? said Aidan Williams ?23. Mr. Boyle?s presence within the building will be missed, but both teams, as well as the entire Prep community, wish him all the best as he moves forward with his personal and professional endeavors. ?I want to personally thank the students, the development team, the entire faculty and staff, the parents, and the alumni for allowing me to make an impact on an institution that means so much to me. I am truly appreciative to have had the opportunity to reengage with my alma mater, build new relationships, and once again immerse myself in our Ignatian mission. The last three years have been such a blessing and I wish nothing but the best for our current and future Prep students and their families,? said Boyle.

Fr. Steve Surovick on Jesuit For mation This fall, the Prep was delighted to welcome back Rev. Steve Surovick, SJ. Fr. Surovick served in the Office of Mission and Ministry and Religious Studies Department here from 2014- 2017 and was a major contributor to the 2Philly4Francis pilgrimage that the Prep hosted for more than 400 Jesuit high school students during Pope Francis?s visit to Philadelphia in 2015. He also helped lead many Kairos retreats. A native of Voorhees, NJ, Fr. Surovick attended Eastern Regional High School before continuing his studies at the University of Scranton, where he earned a Bachelor?s Degree in Political Science. After obtaining his undergraduate degree, Fr. Surovick received a Master?s in Public Administration from Rutgers University Camden and worked in the Cherry Hill mayor?s office until she was appointed to Jim McGreevey?s gubernatorial cabinet, at which point Fr. Surovick moved to Trenton to work in her state office. It was just before this time that Fr. Surovick began to discern if life as a Jesuit would be for him. He started conversations in spiritual direction with former St. Joseph?s Prep President, Rev. Bruce Bidinger, SJ. ?I met with him for about a year, maybe once or twice a month talking about the ups

and downs of my life and we talked about whether I wanted to pursue becoming a Jesuit or not,? said Surovick, ?After a year and a half of that, all the signs seem to be pointing me in this direction. After that I started to get in touch with the vocation office?. After discerning the possibility of entering the Society, there are five stages of formation to become a fully formed Jesuit priest: Novitiate (2 years), First Studies (3 years), Regency (2-3 years), Theology (3 years), and Tertianship (6 months). As a Jesuit novice, Fr. Surovick went to Syracuse, NY, where all Eastern Province Jesuits novices are formed. During these initial two years, novices learn about the Society and conclude by taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. ?Vows are meant to free a Jesuit up of their responsibilities so that they can be of service to others,? said Surovick. Particularly, the vow of obedience is about, ?putting yourself at the service of the Provincial. The Provincial has a better perspective than the individual about the needs of the Society and where a Jesuit?s talents can be used best,? said Surovick. From Syracuse, Fr. Suovick went to Loyola Chicago to study and earn his second Graduate Degree in Philosophy. Philosophy is intentionally studied before theology to

manifest balance and breadth of view in a Jesuit?s thinking.

During this time, Fr. Steve and the other ?tertians? will engage in the Spiritual Exercises, a 30-day silent retreat of discerning the will of God in their lives, once again. Jesuits first make this retreat as novices.

Regency is the third stage. During this time, Jesuits live in typical communities with other working Jesuits, as opposed to living in formation communities previously. For two years, Surovick taught religion at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. Subsequently, Surovick earned his third Master?s Degree: a Master?s in Divinity and a license in sacred theology from Boston College. He was then ordained a priest and worked at a parish in Georgetown called Holy Trinity for one year. In 2014, Surovick was sent to St. Joe?s Prep, where he taught a few religion classes and worked out of Mission and Ministry. In 2017, Fr. Surovick became Assistant Novice Director in Syracuse, NY. After his service in that position approached its end, the position of Campus Minister at the Prep was naturally opening up. ?I truly loved the Prep during my time here and I was very excited to return,? said Surovick. ?I have actually one more stage of formation to go through. It's called tertianship and it will start in January and will run through May,? said Surovick. Tertianship means third probation. A probation in the Society of Jesus is when the Provincial and other more

Surovick (above) during his time at Scranton.

experienced Jesuits examine the relationship between the Jesuit being tested and the Society itself. After each probation, the individual becomes more invested into the Society. The Society of Jesus will be assessing if Fr. Steve is someone who can be considered as someone who could help take care of the Society. ?I'll go to Portland, Oregon from January through May, where it's almost kind of a return to the beginning for us. I will spend time with other Jesuits in the same stage, I think eleven others and there is a director. We'll look at the Society?s founding documents again. We?ll reflect on our time as Jesuits but now with the experience as priests. We'll read all the stuff we read before as novices but now bringing to it all these years and experience of Jesuit ministry,? said Surovick. Joseph's Prep: AYear of Solidarity | I ssuu)

By Caleb Datto ?22

?I'll come back here to the Prep to work full time in Mission and Ministry in August,? said Surovick. He continued, ?at some point I will be invited to take what we call final vows.? ?At the end of tertianship you get invited to take final vows. The Society can now look to you to help take care of the Society. You've been through enough experience and time and enough testing as far as the Society is concerned that you could now be looked at as someone who could take care of the Society in leadership roles,? said Surovick. Fr. George Bur, SJ, former President of St. Joe?s Prep, will take over in Mission and Ministry during the second semester. ?They call him St. George,? said Mr. Tony Braithwaite ?89, ?He is a Prep legend and I am thrilled for him to come back?. If life as a Jesuit interests you, start by talking to a Jesuit that you know and visit beajesuit.org.

6 | Features | Friday, December 10, 2021| The Hawkeye

I gnatian Family Teach-I n Educates Students, Family About Justice student who Teach-In.

Every General Session started with music from Francisco Herrera and Billy Kavula which would give an understanding of the topic in a more inclusive way. Then, the Network Speakers spoke with varied topics from how undocumented students are treated, the journey of border crossers, saying ?yes? to God, and how we must fight against the problems and accept ourselves

Fr. Bryan Massingale (pictured above) was the first Keynote Speaker of the 2021 Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice held in Washington D.C. this past November. An estimated 1,200 attendees or more attended Massignale's talk on racism and poverty's interconnectedness in our modern world.

and fight for what is right. Every Network Speaker spoke to me on a very deep level, but the one that resonated with me the most was the talk Darius White gave. The talk from Darius was not very long but it was extremely powerful. He spoke about the challenges many people face, how Black people fear for their lives when pulled over, how faith is viewed like fiction, and how we can?t continue laying flat and let institutions like racism, exploitative companies, and homophobic groups, continue this rampage of injustice. Every night, he questioned if he was moving closer to heaven as he put himself in the shoes of the vulnerable to experience what God calls him to do. The way he described this was extremely wise: he

saw in a newborn's eyes, heard in the voice of teenage laughter, felt heaven in his own bed when his grandmother viewed him. The Three Keynote Speakers were Fr. Bryan Massingale, Keya Chatterjee, and Gregory Boyle, S.J. Each speaker spoke on a topic of expertise and/or experience. Fr. Bryan Massingale?s talk about how racism was entangled with poverty, crime, and education was a very nuanced topic that is often overlooked. He told us that a community must walk with the excluded, and how we wake up to the problems when society cannot satisfy the problem of this world. (Photo: St. Joseph's Prep)

The Teach- In had in total three General Sessions with three Keynote Speakers and eight Ignatius Network Speakers that always spoke before the keynote speakers. ?The theme of this Teach- In is imaging a path forward,? said Teresa Cariño Petersen, Theme Opener for the Teach-In. These words spoke volumes and helped every person at the Teach- In understand that they are not here to divide people with political views, but to instead unite people on one path forward.

(Photo: ignatiansolidarity.net)

From November 6-8, the Ignatius Family Teach- In for Justice took place in our nation?s capital where many Jesuit Schools, Catholic organizations, and people who wanted to join the ?Ignatius Family? went to experience, discuss, and learn about issues and topics from a new point of view. There were many topics making it impossible for our Group 11 to experience everything. The experience I am writing about is a minuscule part of the Teach-In, but I hope it gives enough interest to inspire you to speak about what you think needs change.

He mentioned a way he taught people about the problems caused by racism by

making a game of Monopoly where they had to pick a race and class as the Black family, the cards were stacked against them since both middle and rich white groups had much more property money than the Black family. The Black family would frequently have trouble paying when they landed on someone else's property. The part that stoke with me was that White people have paid the price of racism which is that they betray their own morals and that being prolife is not just anti-abortion it is fighting for life and racism is a life issue.

attended

the

"The Ignatian Family TeachIn for Justice was a great learning experience for me and I am sure for all of the students and faculty who attended the amazing conference. I was heavily impacted and inspired by the many speakers and presenters that were at the event. I can't wait to help create a more inclusive environment at The Prep and to advocate for social justice in our community and beyond. There's a lot that needs to be done and I am looking forward to putting my newly learned information to work in the community," said Matt Shields ?23. ?It was really cool to see people from all over the country come together to advocate for those who don't have a voice and are fighting injustices every day in their lives,? said Grayson King ?23. Michael McKeehen ?23 said, ?It's a very welcoming and inclusive environment. I had fun meeting students from other schools across the nation and learning from them about their experiences at Jesuit schools?. I hope that parts of my experience have piqued your interest in the Teach-In and that you are willing to fight for justice and to change the world around you for the better.

My experience at this Teachin is only a drop in the bucket of what our group and the numerous people who were there to learn and fight for justice. Here are a few quotes from the

New Sci-Fi Club I s Out of This Wor ld! By Wolfgang Wahl ?23

open to new members and hosts a meeting almost every Friday. Sci- Fi club?s current activities are watching movies and shows that have anything to do with Sci- Fi and debate over topics such as if Anakin Skywalker should have been given the rank of Jedi Master.

A club has taken FlexTime Manager by storm and it is the newly created Sci-Fi Club.

The club's main focus is Star Wars. ?It is something [club president] Luke Denn ?22 and I already are passionate about and we have bonded over it for years, so we decided to start a club around that?, said Morrow. Morrow said his main goal for the club is, ?to be a place where people that don?t normally get to enjoy stuff like

(Photo: giantfreakinrobot.com)

One of the club's creators and president, John Marrow ?22, already started the Entrepreneurship Club and is an active member in the Travis Manion Foundation Leadership Program. He realized how serious both of these clubs are and he wanted to create, as Morrow said, ?something a little more laid back?.

The popular movie franchise Star Wars (pictured above) is the main focus of the all new Sci-Fi Club here at the Prep, as a Star Wars Battlefront II Tournament led by the club is supposedly in the works and the club also likes to frequently debate about Star Wars topics.

Sci- Fi because of school and other obligations. To be able to talk about and get more immersed in the thing that they care about?. The club plans to host events with the other clubs that share

interests. ?I hope that we can find a way to make those events charitybased somehow too,? Morrow said. These plans to make charitybased events have led to rumors of the Sci-Fi club poten-

tially hosting a Star Wars Battlefront II tournament. If the event takes place, all proceeds made by the tournament will go towards a charity of the club's choice. The Sci- Fi club is always

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, sign up to join for their next meeting on Flex Time Manager.

(Photo: Murphy Bonner '22)

By Jeremy Gutier rez ?24

The Hawkeye | Friday, December 10, 2021 |

Features | 7

M s. K atie L ongto, Associate Campus M inister for I gnatian Ser vice By Caleb Datto ?22 On Monday, November 8th, the Prep welcomed Mrs. Katie Iannacone Longto as our new Associate Campus Minister for Ignatian Service to manage daily, weekly, and immersion service opportunities. Mrs. Longto is no foreigner to the Prep- - she is the daughter of Prep alumnus Tony Iannacone ?70, and the sister of John ?01, Tom ?08, and Mike ?10. On top of that, she lived across the street from the Prep on 18th Street with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps while working at the Gesu School. Mrs. Longto is a native of Havertown, having attended Ss. Colman- John Neumann School, Villa Maria Academy, and then continuing her studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where she studied history and media studies. Upon graduation, Mrs. Longto joined the JVC (Jesuit Volunteer Corps). JVC is a national program where volunteers, ?are placed in small communities in areas that tend to be underserved and work full- time. They work in agen-

cies that have a great need for qualified staff but most likely do not have the funds to pay someone to do the work that they need to serve their population,? said Longto.

ability and interest in building communities. In her graduate studies, she focused on the administrative policy side of social work. She described this as figuring out, ?how we are most effective as social workers, how we can best meet the needs of the communities we?re serving, and what are some policies that have to be changed to better support the populations that are building networks.?

Jesuit Volunteers, ?JVs?, as they are referred to, live communally. Longto said, ?They live together and share their meals and their budget. Communities are anywhere from three to seven people, but part of the program is being very intentional: you're praying together, you're building community connections with your roommate and with your community. They're not just roommates who live together for a utilitarian purpose. That is one of the most supportive and amazing things of being a volunteer; it's also probably the most challenging part?. After two years as a volunteer, Longto joined the staff of the JVC and moved around a little, working in Baltimore, Portland (OR), and Seattle. ?In the Pacific Northwest, I had the chance to work with organizations such as the Ignatian Spirituality Center in Seattle doing a little bit of young adult

She implements this by being involved as a coach with FIT4MOM, where she works to build networks, ?for moms with small children who are still trying to find a way to meet other people and build a community and be connected to each other and be healthy for themselves and their families.? When reflecting on this experience, Longto said, ?I like the ability of being able to help people build communities and build networks to get support.? On Monday, November 8th, the Prep welcomed Ms. Katie Longto as Associate Campus Minister for Ignatian Service.

formation. When I got to Washington, I completed a Master's Degree in Social Work at the University of

Washington in Seattle,? said Longto. Mrs. Longto has an acute

Mrs. Longto is excited to bring her talents of community building to the Prep to enable us to engage more with our larger community of Francisville and Philadelphia, while committing ourselves to justice.

Car ter Blake ?23: Student and Budding SoundCloud Rapper By Gavin Sher idan ?23 It?s not everyday your school has the chance to be the home of a budding new musician. Carter Blake ?23 roams the hall of St. Joseph?s Prep, always wearing a smile. His curly hair is noticeable from across the building. However, there is something many of his classmates don?t know about him -he has recently started a rap career. Blake has released two EPs totaling 8 songs and is looking to release a complete mixtape in the near future. His most popular song ?10 am In Flourtown? features him talking about and reflecting on what goes on in his day to day. The track currently has 142 views on YouTube and his recent songs have done similar numbers. He decided that he wanted to start making music one day while sitting in the car. Blake said, ?If someone wanted to play something in the car, I could play my own thing.? This has led to something much bigger than Blake ever expected. However, Blake isn?t looking to make a career out of rap. He

Rick Owens Fall Collection (pictured above) was Blake's inaugural EP that dropped on SoundCloud last month. Both of his songs "Toes" and "1 pm in the Rick Owens store" are his biggest hits on SoundCloud, and his "Rick Owens Freestyle" is his most viewed YouTiube video.

stressed in our interview that it was definitely ?just for fun,? and that this would be a temporary excursion. This means Blake?s fans should try and savor the music while they can because it is bound to end at some point, according to Blake himself.

For the time being, his music career is still just beginning and is growing rapidly. Blake says he is inspired by hit rapper Megan Thee Stallion and gains a large amount of influence from southern rap. This style is clear especially in his most recent EP, which has Rick

Owens gracing the cover. Rick Owens is a symbol for extravagance and these tracks really focus on lavish ideas and the finer things in life. Blake has shown a strong dedication to his craft, as he has only been going at this for a few months and already has

an LP in the works. Originally, Blake planned the release date to be November 26th, but shortly after, he informed The Hawkeye that it was postponed to mid- December. Be sure to check him out and all his future releases at ?tereed entertainment? on YouTube and ?T.E.R.? on SoundCloud.

8 | Features | Friday, December 10, 2021| The Hawkeye

M eet @quinnsvisuals (Quinn Holden ?25) By Zach Reagan ?23

for WSJP is cool, but doing it with Quinn makes it better as a whole.?

It doesn?t matter that he?s just entered the Prep, it?s likely that you?ve heard Quinn Holden ?25?s name before reading this.

Holden agrees, saying, ?I hate being on the sideline alone because it feels like I shouldn?t be there. It?s a stressful job, but going up and down the field with Gavin and other WSJP guys makes it much more manageable.? He loves going to the WSJP meetings as well, and getting the behind the scenes on how the broadcasts happen. ?I love the real-life experience the WSJP guys and I get, and I love how they broadcast about guys they walk the halls with. I thought it was super cool even before I came here,? said Holden.

The freshman videographer capitalized on a spot he saw that was empty before he entered the threshold of 17th and Girard. Holden has made a name for himself in the Prep community by making video edits for the football team and being involved in the tech aspect of the Cape and Sword Drama Society.

?The emotions when you?re there with the team, especially in the locker room, are amazing,? said Holden. His relationship with most of the players is two-sided though. ?It?s really cool when all the football kids are saying ?Hi!?to me in the hallways and stuff, but some of them just want their pictures.? When he broke his finger, or even if he had to take an off week, ?some of them just said ?ok? after I told

(Photo: @cjdfilms)

Holden has been doing video editing on YouTube since he was in 3rd grade, primarily for art projects. Then, he decided to combine his interests in sports and video editing to make content for the football team this fall. With the help of one of the coaches, Mr. Scannapieco, Holden was on the field for the Prep football team's matchup versus nationally ranked Gonzaga High School at Franklin Field.

Quinn Holden ?25 (above) takes photos for the Prep football team in Middletown, Delaware.

them I couldn?t get pictures, because I had a full hand cast. Others made me feel appreciated by saying something like ?get well soon? or whatever. ? Holden finds himself interacting with WSJP at the games and has become a

member of the club. He uses the calls in his edits, and has made some great friends in the club, (myself included). Gavin Heinerichs ?25, one of his best friends and WSJP member, really enjoys the time spent with Holden on the sideline. ?Doing the social media stuff

Holden also met one of his biggest influences and best friends in the business, CJ, on the field as well. CJ has over 6,000 followers on Instagram (@cjdfilms) and is a Roman Catholic graduate. He makes edits for football teams around the PCL, and has become a microcelebrity in the PCL athletics sphere. Holden says he?s very grateful for having someone with experience to guide him. ?I literally knew nothing about what I was doing that first time at Franklin Field, and his camera knowledge has helped me so much. He?s been great at welcoming me to the space, and he?s able to support me in a way not many other people can.?

is also involved with Cape and Sword. He handled the lighting for the fall show, Double Trouble. ?At Cape and Sword, I definitely feel more involved than I do on the football side. In the theater, I?m a member of the team, not watching on the sideline?. For the future, he plans on working on the spring musical, Something Rotten. In addition to Holden's Cape and Sword plans, he also plans to continue producing various edits and pictures for hockey, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball giving him a very packed schedule. He made sure to talk about how hard time management can be as a freshman, and how rare a full night?s sleep can be. However, his relative fame has definitely had a positive impact on his brief experience at the Prep so far. ?I was very nervous when I first came into school, but now most people know me and approach me when walking the halls. It?s the best feeling ever, and it makes me feel a part of the brotherhood that the Prep always preaches. I?ll never take it for granted.? Despite all of Holden's newfound responsibilities, he is only a freshman, and he plans on taking his life at the Prep one step at a time. ?I?m just looking to improve my craft, meet more people, and enjoy the St. Joe?s Prep experience.?

If you can believe it, Holden

M eet The M usical M r. M cCauley You may see him roaming the halls, tapping his feet to a beat only in his head. Or, you may hear him playing from halfway across the school. The Prep was happy to welcome Mr. Gavin McCauley as the Prep?s new music teacher and band director. In only a few short months, McCauley has been able to teach multiple classes and offer numerous opportunities to all those interested in honing their musical abilities such as Instrumental Music, Music Styles and Analysis, and Music Appreciation respectively. He also directs the Prep Jazz, Concert, and Church bands. Mr. McCauley has been a drummer for most of his life. Mr. McCauley picked up a passion for music at an early age, as his dad plays guitar, his brother plays bass, and his sister plays piano. Playing drums at six years old and through the rest of his childhood, he could be found organizing motley bands of friends and family any time he could. ?I didn?t care if they could play well or who I

played with. I just wanted to play as much as I could,? said McCauley.

so interconnected and vast,? said McCauley.

Before high school, music had always been present but was more of a hobby. He started to take music seriously in his junior year of high school. Mr. McCauley went to Rowan University for Jazz Performance and Music Education. There, he performed in a plethora of college bands such as the orchestra, the Jazz band, Jazz combos and the Pep Band. In his junior year, he began gigging professionally, playing at venues such as Chris? Jazz Cafe, Time, and many others. As a senior, he worked teaching drums at Rowan Community Music School and a local music store. Before his time at the Prep, he worked at Settlement Music School and Little Flower High School as a percussion teacher. Outside of being the Prep?s new music teacher, Mr. McCauley still gigs professionally, playing public gigs and weddings with numerous bands.

(Photo: Andrew Sergovic '22)

By Andrew Ser govic ?22

Mr. McCauley (pictured above) jamming out on the drums on a Thursday afternoon.

When asked about what he likes at the Prep, Mr. McCauley said, ?I like the potential of the music program, there is a lot of room for building, I like that the Prep has a somewhat unconventional concert band in that it includes guitars and other instruments not usually found in a traditional concert band. I like that it is somewhat uncharted territory. It is more exciting to figure out how to make every piece function in the same ensemble and how to

make conventional band instruments blend with rock instruments.? He is excited to continue developing the music department. ?I am just getting started with what I envision the Prep Music Department can become,? Mr. McCauley said. ?I didn?t know anything about the Jesuits before I started here, but it seems to have a very meaningful purpose and it feels special to be part of a community that is

When he is not practicing the drums, you can find Mr. McCauley reading, which is one of his favorite pastimes. ?I really enjoy books that focus on skill-building or the way the brain works.? He also enjoys running; a hobby he shares with his wife. They ran a marathon together in 2019. He enjoys watching horror movies and playing multiplayer video games such as Mario Kart. Mr. McCauley also enjoys a wide array of music, with some of his favorite artists over the years being The Flaming Lips, The Who, Miles Davis, and many more. One of his favorite albums is 4 and More by Miles Davis.

The Hawkeye | Friday, December 10, 2021 |

Entertainment | 9

Entertainment Faculty Gr id (Dean's Office Edition) By Stephen Cain '22

M s. Haban

M r. Greene

M r. M onroe

Favor ite excuse for lateness?

One of my favorites was ?I let my dog out this morning; he ran off and I had to wait for him to come home before I could leave for school and that is why I missed Chemistry.?

Overslept on SEPTA and missed his stop.

My mom didn't wake me up this morning.

Favor ite Chr istmas song?

"O Holy Night" by Johnny Mathis

"Silent Night" by Temptations and "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole (tie)

"Every Year, Every Christmas" by Luther Vandross

Favor ite holiday gift?

As a child, I received my favorite gift ? Suzy Smart Talking Doll, dressed in a school uniform, who came with a desk and chalkboard.

First two wheel bike (it was orange)

A three speed bike

Favor ite day of the school year ?

My favorite day in the school calendar is the first day of classes when all the students return after the summer break.

Super Bowl Monday

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday

Wenger 's Tasty L icks I I : Fast Food Chicken Sandwiches Edition sandwich was not nearly as crispy as Popeyes but it was the best tasting chicken by far. It was juicy, flavorful and by far the best fast food chicken sandwich out there. Chick-fil-A is hands down a 10/10 and nothing can change my mind.

By Andrew Wenger ?23 Fast food chicken sandwiches have been on an incline recently and I, the food connoisseur, will be trying all of these sandwiches to determine what is the best fast food chicken sandwich. The places that I have decided to determine who has the best chicken sandwich are McDonald?s, Popeyes, and Chick-fil-A. All three places have unique qualities to their respective sandwiches and those are what will determine the best sandwich in the fast food industry. To begin my rankings, I stopped over at McDonald?s to buy the first sandwich of three, McDonald's signature McChicken. The McChicken is topped with crispy lettuce, a little bit of mayo and a nice toasted bun. The chicken has a nice pepper flavor implanted inside of the breading. A lot of people hate the McChicken for some reasons but nevertheless it isn?t a bad sandwich. While the taste may not be the greatest, the sandwich is

These sandwiches all have their own attributes which contribute to their scores. My final rankings for these sandwiches are McDonald's with a 5.5, Popeyes with a 8 and Chick-fil-A with a 10. While it was an incredibly competitive battle between the McDonald's McChicken, the Popeyes Clhicken Sandwich (above right), and Chick-fil-A's Chicken Sandwich (above left), Chick-fil-A reigned supreme in this second installment of "Wenger 's Tasty Licks."

perfect for when you don?t want to spend too much money or want something to hold you off for a couple hours. For a dollar and 49 cents, this sandwich is a great deal. I am giving the McChicken a 5 out of 10. Our next stop was Popeyes to get their signature sandwich. Popeyes's chicken is very crispy, and like the

McChicken, is topped with mayo, a toasted brioche bun and, thinly sliced pickles. The first bite of this sandwich was full of the traditional Popeyes taste that is in their chicken tenders. It had a nice crisp taste and was packed with flavor. The mayo made the crispiness have an amazing flavor. If you are looking for a kick, the spicy chicken sandwich is the one for you. In terms of the

base however, I will give this sandwich an 8/10. To conclude the list, we visited our final destination, Chick-fil-A, to have their signature Chick-fil-A sandwich. Chick-fil-A's sandwich contains pickles only as and is between a buttery bun. But, if you want the deluxe it comes with American cheese, lettuce and tomato. The

Wenger 's Wor d: M cDonald's M cChicken: 5.5/10 Popeyes Chicken Sandwich: 8/10 Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich: 10/10

10 | Entertainment | Friday, December 10th, 2021 | The Hawkeye

Why Commer ical Chr istmas M usic

Playlists at the Prep:

SUCK S

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!

We all know the feeling. It?s November 1st, and because your school refused to give you off after Halloween * cough cough* , you?re listening to the radio on the way to school, just like any other regular day. Today is different, though, because as soon as you tune your radio to your favorite music station, you hear ?Last Christmas, I gave you my heart? ? and you know the rest. To some this brings bliss, but to others, like me, this is the worst thing imaginable. Every year, from November 1st to December 31st, all you hear is annoying, hook-centric, commercial songs trying to make as much money as possible from the birth of Jesus. Don?t get me wrong, there are some classic Christmas songs; however, the commercial ones from the likes of Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé, and all of the other singers who take advantage of what is meant to be a season of holiness are simply making music for money rather than art. You can?t knock the hustle, but you can certainly point out the problems with it.

(Photo: Mariah Carey)

Classic Christmas music is great. Anytime a song like ?The Little Drummer Boy? or ?Hark, the Herald Angels Sing? comes on, I?ll be the first one to sing it loud,

even if it isn?t the kind of hiphop- esque music I?d regularly listen to. But songs like the ever- controversial ?Baby it?s Cold Outside? are simply catchy money- grabs with no real meaning behind them. Money grabbing is one of the worst parts of music in general. Though it is a major problem in the industry today, from style-biting to fake streams, all people seem to care about is money instead of art. I?m not one to knock the hustle, but Christmas singers are more guilty of this than anyone else. Has anyone ever heard a Michael Bublé song that isn?t about Christmas? Most people probably haven?t, but Bublé surely doesn?t care, posing a net worth of over $80 million. Every year, without fail, Mariah Carey jumps back into the Billboard charts the week after Halloween. What ever happened to Thanksgiving? Why do people feel the need to play the same Christmas music for two months straight every year? Why can?t there at least be some new songs that peak rather than the same ones every single year? These are questions that you ought to ask yourself next time you turn on the radio and hear ?I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.?

Compiled By The Editor s

M r. K uncken 1.

In Your Eyes

2. Badlands

Invisible Touch

2. Nobody Mitski 3.

4. All My Fr iends LCD Soundsystem

Dio Con te par tir ò

6. Hear t of Gold

6. Inside Out

Neil Young

Spoon

Good Vibr ations Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch

8. When Doves Cr y Pr ince

Big Countr y 10. How Will I Know Whitney Houston (Photo: amazon.com)

Ashes to Ashes David Bowie

Andrea Bocelli

11. The Downeaster 'Alexa' Billy Joel 12. Down Under Men At Work 13. Look Out Any Window

(Photo:Gayla Peevey)

Money Won't Pay bo en, Augustus

Genesis 4. Rainbow in the Dar k

Mykonos Fleet Foxes

Br uce Spr ingsteen

9. In a Big Countr y

(Photo:genius.com)

M r. Riga '17 (ASC)

Peter Gabr iel

(Photo: Reprise Records)

By Finn M cCar thy ?23

Br uce Hor nsby 14. Ever ywher e Fleetwood Mac

Wher e'd All the Time Go Dr. Dog

8. EARFQUAKE Tyler, The Creator 9. Cher r y Wine Hozier 10. Van Occupanther Midlake 11. Bambi Hippo Campus 12. Wait for the Moment Vulfpeck 13. This Must Be The Place Talking Heads 14. Bitter Water The Oh Hellos 15. Something About Us

15. Let's Stay Together Al Green

Daft Punk

The Hawkeye | Friday, December 10, 2021 |

Entertainment | 11

Aiden in the Audience: The Flaming L ips By Aiden Ander son ?22

hugs.

What do a giant inflatable pink robot, a man in a full suit, a bubble machine, and a human sized hamster ball all have in common? Well, they are all a part of the experience that is a Flaming Lips concert.

One would think that all of these bombastic additions serve the purpose of hiding something like actual musical content. However, the opposite is true. The theatrics of it all add so much to the music and the band did an incredible job of recreating their studio sound.

Having been a band for more than 30 years, The Flaming Lips have come to realize how to truly captivate an audience. The band finds their origins all the way back in 1983 and hail from the great state of Oklahoma. Starting off, their music mostly consisted of punk, noise pop (a genre that combines distortion and feedback with pop melodies) and psychedelic rock. It wasn?t until the release of the single ?She Don?t Use Jelly? from the album Transmissions from the Satellite Heart (1993) that the group got their first taste of success. The song was a huge hit across college campuses in particular, and even gained a boost in popularity thanks to an appearance on Beavis and Butt-Head. It wouldn?t be another six years until the Lips would again find success, with the release of The Soft Bulletin (1999). Beautiful orchestral synths, introspective lyrics, and blaring drums come together to form this magnum opus. The album was released to overwhelming amounts of critical acclaim, and even garnered comparisons to The Beach Boys?Pet Sounds. Though, it was with the release of the more electronic heavy Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002) that the Lips fi-

The Flaming Lips (above) are known for some crazy theatrics.

nally stuck with mainstream audiences and became one of the most celebrated alternative artists of the 2000s. The record features hits such as ?Do You Realize???, ?Fight Test?, as well as their biggest song ?Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1?. Most recently, The Flaming Lips released their sixteenth studio album, American Head, last year. It was well received and many considered it comparable to their most successful and acclaimed works. The reason I mention these three records is because during their live performance, the Lips mostly played songs off of them. On November 7, I, alongside Andrew Sergovic ?22, were able to witness the spectacle that is a Flaming Lips concert. I do not use the word ?spectacle?here lightly. The Lips are known for wildly theatrical performances and they certainly pulled through. During only the second song of the night, a giant, pink inflated, robot was used to perform the

classic hit of similar title. Confetti was shot out of cannons and filled the room with excitement. After this song, the sole original member, frontman, and lead vocalist Wayne Coyne performed from within a human-sized hamster ball bubble. Another inflatable, this time a rainbow, was used for the melancholic, yet celebratory ?Do You Realize??? Perhaps the most surprising special effect used were the bubble machines for ?Sunship Balloons? - - does it get any more serene? ?What stood out to me the most was the way they were able to interact with the audience,? said Andrew Sergovic ?22. ?They shot stuff out into the crowd, dropped confetti, and blew bubbles which made the experience extremely interactive.? Typically, even more theatrics are employed, such as a plethora of balloons for the audience to toss around and a rideable unicorn for Coyne to traverse the crowd and give out

In particular, watching longtime member and multiinstrumentalist Steven Drozd was like watching Picasso create a masterpiece in real time. Switching between a twelve string modified double neck guitar and keyboards in addition to occasionally singing, Drozd serves as the foundation of the entire show. Having his roots as the band?s drummer, his instrumentation has only seemed to grow as the years have gone by.

Wayne swung a lantern in circles, perfectly matching the climax of the song as the audience went nuts. I think I teared up. Finally, The Flaming Lips ended the night with my favorite song of all time, ?Race for the Prize?. Even more confetti was utilized for one last hurrah and bubble letter balloons were brought out, reading ?F* * * YEAH PHILADELPHIA?. The crowd?s audience reached its peak and I?m sure every single attendee left smiling. Sergovic ?22 said, ?This experience was so explosive, it?s definitely my favorite concert I?ve ever been to. ?Do You Realize??? or ?Race for the Prize? were my favorite songs because they felt the most powerful and impactful to me,? said Sergovic ?22.

During the course of the show, Wayne spoke in between each tune and gave the following song an introduction. He also made sure that everyone in the crowd was alright and having a good time. This made sense considering that the Astrofest travesty was only a few days before, but this is something Wayne does at every show anyways.

If I have captivated your attention, don?t be afraid to give their music a try! You have probably already heard their hits, and the rest of their discography is full of amazing releases. If you?re a fan of Pink Floyd or The Beatles, you?ll certainly fall in love with all this band has to offer (including the cover albums of Dark Side and Sgt. Pepper)!

Andrew Sergovic ?22 said, ?You could tell that he truly cared about the music and his message. He checked on the crowd a lot which felt really personal.? To end the main part of the show, the Lips performed ?Feeling Yourself Disintegrate,? which features a roaring guitar solo from Drozd and beautiful lyrics from Wayne. During the solo,

Sergovic ?22 said, ?They are so different: they are not like most popular music, and I think they offer an opportunity to explore different music styles.?

J-Cole Concer t Review By Brendan Dougher ty ?23 On October 27th, a sold- out crowd piled into the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA, anxious to see the legendary rapper and performer Jermaine Cole from Fayetteville, NC, known by his stage name J. Cole. There was an extra feeling of excitement amongst the crowd, due to the incredible buildup to this concert. This show was originally meant to be on September 29th, but the production team had to push the concert back because they were not able to move the stage equipment as quickly as they originally anticipated, so this show was added on to the end of the entire tour. This tour, known as The OffSeason Tour, received great anticipation ever since J. Cole released his album called The Off- Season in May of 2021. Fellow collaborators Morray and 21 Savage were set to open for J. Cole, which caused even greater anticipation amongst

the crowd, which I was lucky enough to be a part of. Morray began the night by playing about six of his own songs, most notably the song ?Quicksand?, which is the single that caused the artist to recently blow up. 21 Savage, however, did not precede Morray, and some angst arose in the crowd up until J. Cole?s setlist began. Many doubted that the Atlanta rapper would appear because he has missed the most recent show due to losing his voice. J. Cole began his show with a song off of his new album, ?p u n c h i n ? . t h e . c l o c k?, and while the song was playing, a video was being shown of J. Cole walking out of the locker room and around the whole stadium up to the entrance of the stage. When he got to the entrance to the arena, the video blacked out, and the song transitioned into the iconic introduction audio to the 1996 Chicago Bulls starting lineup, and the video

on screen transitioned into a highlight reel of J. Cole playing basketball, the theme of the tour.

stage, J. Cole and Morray came back out for them all to perform their hit song together, ?m y . l i f e?, which is an absolute favorite of mine.

When the video ended, the stage curtain fell, and when the powerful beginning beat of the concert opener, ?9 5 . s o u t h?, began, there was a basketball hoop behind J. Cole on the back of the stage that began to light on fire. Very dope. J. Cole continued throughout the show to prove to be a fantastic performer. He began with a few songs from his new album and then proceeded to play an onslaught of songs most would call his classics. A highlight for me at this point in the concert was during his performance of his 2013 hit song ?Power Trip?, where the music cut out, and all there was to hear was the crowd singing back to the artist. J. Cole followed this by playing various songs he is featured on, highlighted by ?The Jackie? by Bas, and while Bas was on stage, the two split

J-Cole (pictured above) during his performance at the Wells Fargo.

the stadium in half to see which side could sing the loudest. To conclude his feature run, his most notable feature of them all, ?a lot?, began to play, and as a shock to all throughout the stadium, 21 Savage was introduced. After this track, 21 Savage stayed on stage, giving J. Cole a break, and he played about six of his own songs. To conclude 21 Savage?s time on

After this song, J. Cole concluded the concert with his classic songs ?No Role Modelz? and ?Middle Child.? Matthew Malone ?23 said, ?I appreciate the fact that J. Cole loves and performs everything that he?s made, but I went to the concert wanting to hear my favorite songs, and I am glad for that happening.? Throughout the show, J. Cole did a phenomenal job of connecting with his fans. He repeated numerous times how ?We saved Philly best for last?, and the energy in the stadium was absolutely electric the entire night. The production was also phenomenal, with plenty of flashy lights and, of course, the basketball hoop on fire. This concert was definitely a great experience for me and I would recommend others like it.

12 | Entertainment | Friday, December 10th, 2021 | The Hawkeye

Chef Nate's Holiday Cookie Rankings HOLI DAY from pg. 1

(Photo: 600acres.com)

the king of cookies. Dunk that jawn in your hot cocoa or a glass of cold milk, and you?ve got the perfect bite. M ost Festive: Ginger bread Cookies When Christmas comes to your mind, what are some things that pop up in your head? Santa Claus, pine trees, but most importantly for our purposes: Gingerbread houses. The gingerbread cookie is indistinguishable from the holiday season. It comes in all shapes and sizes: whether it be the simple cookie, in gingerbread man form, or the beautiful architecture of the gingerbread houses that spring up all around the world. One thing is for certain, though: nothing says Christmas like a warm gingerbread cookie. M ost Under r ated: Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies

With a wide variety of Christmas delicacies to choose from, Chef Nate says to not fear upsetting the public consensus!

I will die on this hill: Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies are the greatest cookies. This absolute beast of a baked good is composed of chocolate coffee cookie dough, which then has espresso chocolate chips mixed in. Coffee is scientifically proven to enhance the flavor of chocolate, and this pastry is the perfect example of when two things come together to make a beautiful thing. I think I could eat a few dozen of these things and still have room for some eggnog. Ulti-

ers of the pastry world, they need other things to make them really good. Sugar cookies simply lack excitement, and they need frosting or mix- ins to make them contend with the cookie champions. All in all, they?re not a bad cookie, but at the same time I wouldn?t go doing Christmas cartwheels over these things. M ost Controver sial: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

mately, the Double Chocolate Espresso cookie needs global recognition. M ost Over r ated: Sugar Cookies These bad boys simply have nothing going for them. They?re just flour, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and a couple other things. Sure, they taste fine, but I would so much rather take something with a little more body to it. These cookies are like the Ritz crack-

This was a hard decision to make. Xavier Edwards ?25 shockingly said to me ?Oatmeal Raisin is not only better than chocolate chip, they are the best cookie. Boom.? I had a very different opinion. If someone offers me a cookie and I get handed oatmeal raisin, I am going to deck you harder than the halls. Oscar Roat ?22 gave his thoughts on the matter, as he said ?Liking one kind of cookie does not undermine the consumption of other cookies. I like oatmeal

raisins as much as the next guy, but liking them shouldn?t affect the way you eat cookies as a whole.? The world is split on this cookie conundrum, and oatmeal raisin cookies remain on the hot seat. Convenience Champion: Pillsbur y Ready- to- Bake! Cookies There?s something about the Pillsbury Ready- to- Bake! cookies that scream festive to me. One of the best feelings in the world is eating one of these things straight out of the oven, while the dough is still soft and gooey. Plus, there?s so much variety available. There?s the standard Snowman, Christmas Tree, Snowflake, and Santa shapes. You also have the ones with peppermint chips in them, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and all of them are really good. They?re not homemade, but in a pinch, these cookies are hassle- free and holiday-friendly.

Opinion/Debate Jingle All The Way I s The Best Xmas M ovie Christmas movies: We love ?em. They?re nostalgic fun for the whole family, and there truly is nothing like getting into that holiday spirit by watching some of those cheesy Christmas flicks. Home Alone, I feel, is by far the most recognizable Christmas movie, but films like Elf and How the Grinch Stole Christmas are iconic in their own right. But one classic holiday movie that I feel never gets the amount of credit and recognition it deserves is Jingle All the Way. Jingle All the Way has a simple premise. A father struggling in his relationship with his family, after entirely forgetting to buy a Christmas present for his son, has to buy the single hottest selling toy in the country for his son at the last minute. Also, it?s Christmas Eve. The film

(Photo: whatsondisneyplus.com)

By Dan L aw ?23

Jingle All The Way should be praised more due to its slapstick comedy and its critique of American consumerism, Law argues.

follows Arnold Schwarzenegger?s character as he spends his Christmas on the road scouring for a sold-out Turbo Man doll, in competition with over thousands of other last-minute shoppers. Despite sounding like an interesting but overall grounded premise, Jingle All the Way defies expectations, by being an absolutely psychotic fever dream of a Christmas movie. And it?s a comedic

joyride. The exceptionally cartoonish slapstick comedy that the main character Howard goes through to get a Turbo Man doll, including his frantic, violent kerfuffles through store aisles, soaring through the air on actual jetpacks, and visiting an underground Santa sweatshop, is all enhanced by the insanity of the film?s cast of characters. Schwarzenegger, known for his ?tough badass? persona in

essentially every movie prior, is so horribly miscast as normal, middle-class dad Howard that it?s hilarious. They barely ever point out Arnold?s bodybuilder physique nor his trademark Austrian accent, making his role all the more insane. Comedian Sinbad also portrays a delightfully comic mail carrier and Arnold?s rival, who tends to be a bit too comfortable placing explosives in packages. Phil Hartman, meanwhile, steals the show in his scenes as Ted, the ridiculously campy neighbor of Howard who seeks to hit on his wife at any given moment. Beyond the exceptionally silly, though effective, comedy, Jingle All the Way is also a shockingly accurate depiction and critique of American consumerism. Though the mad stampedes for Turbo Man

figures are mostly played for comedic effect, they directly satirize the madness that consumers hold in their shopping sprees. Turbo Man is fictional, but the real Black Friday and Christmas Eve marches for Power Rangers, Transformers, and Cabbage Patch Dolls in the 80s and 90s that directly inspired this film were authentic. And even today, that jab at consumer culture holds true to modern audiences, with PlayStation 5 systems going out of stock for months in a way that wasn?t all too dissimilar from Turbo Man. So this Christmas, consider adding Jingle All the Way to your Nice List. If you don?t, you might just get a call from old Arnold asking you to put that cookie down. NOW! (If you don?t get the reference, that?s all the more reason to watch the movie!)

I s Santa Real? Obviously, Yes. By Eamon Coffey ?22 As the Christmas season approaches, and ?All I Want for Christmas? bursts our eardrums (this is not a joke, rather a genuine call for help), the age- old debate of Santa?s existence arises once again. Personally, this shouldn?t even be up for debate. CLEARLY Santa is real (why is this in the opinion section?). How do you think the gifts get there? ?Oh well maybe your parents put them under the tree?? says the athe-

ist Santa denier LOSER with no friends. NO! Everyone knows that adults are asleep when Santa swoops by. Do you think ?science? created them? Science is wrong all the time; not once have I ever heard of Santa missing the mark. The fool with no faith pleads on: ?Who bites the cookies? It must be my parents.? You are wrong. Stop talking. Obviously, Santa took those bites. Why do you think he has a big belly? Santa visits millions of households every year, feasting

on whatever baked goods that dare enter his cone of vision. Is he even a man? No, he is an unstoppable abnormality in space- time. He has ascended all rationality and any attempts by science to fathom his existence. Why do you think God reigns from Heaven and Satan cowers in Hell? They fear Santa. They tremble at the clangor of Rudolph?s reigns. They beg and plead for his mercy when they dare enter his domain. We mere mortals can only beg for his absolution. Quaking in his boots, the

dumb denier blurts out, ?What about the Elf on the Shelf? We are safe from his wandering eyes, yes?? No. You fool. You buffoon. You cretin. We are being watched at all times. Santa?s dominant grasp over our temporal domain is unrestricted. When all of Santa?s creations sing, will the Elf on the Shelf not be a part of the choir? The Elf has no morals, no attachments, no desire to do anything other than to execute Santa?s will. He is living inside your walls, insidiousness germinating within.

Defeated, the Santa denier falls to his knees and wails, ?? ?, ???? ! ? ?, ???? ! ? ?? ?? ? ! (Oh, Santa! Oh, Santa! Please have mercy!) before he is vaporized by the raw power of Old St. Nick. Santa roleplaying club will meet at 3:23 AM in the catacombs of the Gesu. No one can be Prancer. I am already playing Prancer. We need someone to be Donner. Donner must be willing to perform an exorcism and bring Christmas cookies.

The Hawkeye | Friday, December 10, 2021 |

Opinion/Debate | 13

PARK I NG PROBL EM S Junior Par king Needs Tune Up By L eo Figge ?23 The Junior parking lot situation is one that deserves serious consideration from our faculty and staff. At the beginning of this current school year, juniors were allowed to park in both of the rather spacious, newly- paved Stiles Street lots. These lots were a very nice accommodation for the juniors and many student drivers took advantage of this. I think I speak for most juniors when I say that we were content and extremely grateful for the lots. October 21, Dean Greene announced via email that the Stiles Street lots were being closed to students. He explained that the juniors would have to relocate to the larger but more inconvenient lot, because of its location on the opposite side of the school, on 1620 Cabot Street. This change would become official in two weeks as the new lot would have to be repaved. On November 6, Dean Greene sent out a second email alerting students that the lot change was effective immediately, a move that caused outrage from

juniors across the board. Although there are some pros to this lot such as its spaciousness, the cons definitely outweigh them. First of all, the major inconvenience that juniors are facing from this change in parking is the fact that we have to park on the opposite side of the school and then walk all the way back around to the front door just to enter the Prep. This problem could easily be solved by allowing students to enter through the back entrance of the school on 17th Street. On the other hand, if it is that much of a security risk, then we should have the teachers use the Cabot Street lot since they are the ones who possess key cards capable of opening those back doors. Another issue that arises from this change is the blatant overextension of the faculty lot. At the beginning of this whole crisis, it appeared that they were being given both Stiles Street lots and a more hidden one on 18th and Cabot Street, which I had never known existed up until that

total spaces, a total of 17 spots were being used by the faculty. To be clear, that is slightly less than one third of the available parking in these lots that is being used. On top of this, the smaller of the two lots only had a single car parked in it which can be seen in the picture below. Clearly, there needs to be a better solution to the problem.

During his research, Figge surveyed the occupancy of each parking lot. He found only 1 car in this faculty lot that can hold up to 19 vehicles.

point. Because of complaints to the administration, the juniors were allowed to park in the new 18th and Cabot lot. This acquisition, however, only allotted the junior class of roughly 250 students with an extra 12 or so parking spaces. Yet the faculty are still in control of the two Stiles Street lots that previously belonged to the juniors. On top of this, they have the most prestigious lot in terms of proximity to the school. Finding the whole situ-

ation to be utterly ridiculous, I wanted to further investigate whether these lots are truly used. To investigate the teachers? utilization of this extra parking, I collected information about the occupancy of the lot on November 10, a regular Wednesday afternoon, at around 1:30. I found that the larger of the two Stiles Street lots had 33 parking spots, while the smaller one had only 19. However, between these 52

My proposal would be to give the new 1620 Cabot Street lot to the teachers as well as the small one on 18th and Cabot in exchange for both of the Stiles Street lots for juniors. I feel this solution makes sense because teachers have access to the back entrance to the school and juniors overall deserve at least one of the Stiles Street lots for their use. In addition, there?s usually a considerable amount of street parking available which is always an alternative to using the lots. But in conclusion, I implore the faculty and staff of the Prep to help juniors and our push for this more fair approach to parking.

Senior Par king L ot I s Hor r ible

tention. However, the school cannot worry about what the school day will look like or how classes will work if students cannot even park their cars.

By Nicholas Bedrossian ?22 After two months of parking chaos, the dust has settled and students are able to reap the benefits of the Prep administration?s masterful job at ensuring order in the senior lot. Unfortunately, my use of ?masterful? is entirely relative to how the administration has dealt with controlling the lots in previous years.

I implore the school administration to make meaningful advances in improving our lots. I will admit that I do not know what goes into ensuring that all of our students have a place to park.

And, since the previous years were filled with disorganization and miscommunication, the lots are still terrible. The main reasons for the issues in the senior lot can be blamed on two parties: the students and the administration. Both share the guilt, but one is at more fault than the other. The first group that I would like to address is the student body. As a community, it is our job to show concern for our lots. However, we have demonstrated time and time again that we really do not care about how our lots are kept. There are numerous instances of parking jobs that show that students care only about their car being in the lot and not how their parking affects the cars around them. This includes cases of students parking too close to the lines or simply double parking. This causes spots in the lot to be unusable and prevents students

Because of the lack of designated spaces for all of those in the senior lot, many have to park in ways that block other drivers in. This spawned an Instagram page which aims to "expose" instances of bad parking.

from finding parking.

located at the middle of the lot.

However, the worst offense committed by us students has been parking in areas that are clearly not spots. The most extreme case of this has been the numerous cars parked in the lot's aisles. These cars park behind other cars and restrict the blocked cars from leaving the lot when they need to do so.

What happens is a majority of these center spots are taken when a student enters the lot. This student, knowing that the center spots normally have an easy time leaving the lot, chooses that he wants to park in the center of the lot despite there being no more spots. So, this student simply parks next to the outside spot.

As Tim Convery ?22 recounts, ?Last week I needed to leave early for a doctor's appointment and I had to wait for everyone else to leave first.? However, even worse than these parking jobs are the students that chose to park next to other spots. This is a phenomenon that is seen in the spots

While this first student seems harmless, he actually starts a chain of events that eventually lead to the outer spots in the lot being inaccessible to students. With all of this said, it is also important to note that the students are simply working in the environment that has been

given to them. The only group that really has the power to fix our senior lot issues is the Prep?s administration. Last year, the staff was shown the chaos that could occur in the senior lot this year. The junior class was too large to be contained within the junior lot and the administration allowed for juniors to park in the senior lot. However, the school decided that no adjustments would be made to ensure that something like this would not need to happen the following year. It does not make any sense. I can understand that during these strange times, our school has a lot of issues that need at-

However, I do know how terrible the parking situation is today and I do know that it has not always been this way. If the student body is made up of more drivers, then it is the job of the Prep to ensure that we have more spots. With this in mind, I ask all Prep students to be responsible until this parking fiasco is fixed. Some ideas on how to help include carpooling, making sure that friends park responsibly, and a little bit of public shaming. If someone parks irresponsibly, send a photo to @prep.parking on Instagram. This account hopes to keep students in check by outing them as bad parkers: a pastime that can benefit us all. If you share in my concerns, think I missed something, or think I am a monkey at a typewriter, feel free to shoot me a quick email.

14 | Opinion/Debate | Friday, December 10, 2021 | The Hawkeye

The Prep's Fine Ar ts Needs M ore Funding A key part of the Jesuit education we receive at the Prep is the concept of Cura Personalis, which means ?care for the whole person.? This means nurturing all of the different aspects of the lives of students, in order to create men for and with others, including academics, athletics, service, and something that is often overlooked: fine arts (specifically, the music program). Music programs are an essential part of any high school. If you look at the Prep?s biggest competitor?s home website, La Salle College High School, you see Fine Arts in the top row of the home menu. Fine arts programs are invaluable. Given the fact that the Prep prides itself on cultivating well-rounded boys to become well- rounded men, you would think that things like fine arts would be taken more seriously. Instead, the Prep has frequently ignored the music program, seemingly for as long as I have been a student at the Prep.

Remember how I mentioned La Salle?s site earlier? The Prep hides the band behind several clicks on their website. Another way the music program is seemingly ignored is that the Prep only has one music teacher covering all of the different music jobs at once. With the resources such as another teacher/director to cover some jobs such as having multiple bands instead of just two, it would allow for a big expansion of the program as a whole.

a large number of students looking to play in high school. Deeney said, ?I was looking at the music programs at all the high schools I applied to. In fact, I auditioned for the music scholarship at the Prep. Music factored into my high school admissions process heavily.?

I asked Daniel Deeney, a senior at the Prep, a couple questions about his time in the Prep band which he has been a part of all four years. Daniel said, ?I know a lot of schools have many music teachers. If our program grows in size, that is, if more students join the band, then having multiple teachers could benefit us. As of now I like having one person at the helm; it?s easier to organize stuff that way.?

"Given the fact that the Prep prides itself on cultivating well-rounded boys to be men, you would think that things like fine arts would be taken more seriously."

A better music program would mean that the Prep would not only nurture the fine arts aspects of school for students, but would also bring more applicants to the Prep. Music programs are a draw for

One such school that takes advantage of this is the Prep's rival, La Salle, who as previously mentioned, advertises their music program on the

front page of their website. At the moment, there is a large difference between the two programs. The Prep needs to work to shorten this difference, as if the music program were to improve, it would become a major draw for students that value a strong music program. I know that when I was going through the high school process. Having a music program was a big factor during my search, as I had played all throughout grade school.

There are also numerous studies that show that students who play a musical instrument perform better in their subjects than students who do not, so in the process of nurturing the musical aspect of St. Joe?s Prep students, it would also be improving the academic performance of the students. A study done by Simon Leipold and his team found that musicians had stronger connections in the parts of the brain that con(Photo: Clutch

By Aidan Williams ?23

trolled things like memory, working memory, and executive function according to an article in Inverse by Ali Pattillo. With more funding, the music program would be able to make major improvements, like buying more amplifiers, and being able to afford more sheet music. The school would also be able to advertise the program more once these improvements are made, which

would vastly increase the number of musically inclined students coming to the Prep, and give students with no prior experience a chance to try something new. Through the act of giving the music program more money, or at least renovating the program?s current supplies, the Prep would be able to advertise a different aspect of the school to a particular demographic of students who are interested in music. Another thing that more resources in the music program would do is that it would potentially allow for more trips to play music in different places. This would not only be a point of interest for musical student prospects, but would also advertise the band at different locations. Through and through, the Prep putting an investment into its music program would not only benefit the students on many levels, but would also benefit the school overall for the prior reasons listed. Maybe with this additional funding and time, the Prep will be able to shorten the gap that currently exists between the Prep?s music program and La Salle?s.

Chr istmas Season > Chr istmas Day By Nathan M ur awski ?22

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep Facebook) (Photo: Brooklyn Nets) (Photo: macmillandictionaryblog.com)

It?s Christmastime in the City of Brotherly Love. The streets of Philadelphia are dusted with snow, there?s a slight hint of pine tree in the air, and there isn?t a surface in existence that isn?t covered with holiday string lights. There?s no better time than December in Philadelphia. As Mariah Carey?s ?All I Want for Christmas Is You? is playing for the eight hundredth time, you walk through City Hall and Dilworth Park and take in the beauty that the area has to offer. It?s no wonder this time of the season only comes once a year. However, many debate over what makes Christmas so awesome. Is it the actual holiday itself? Or is it the 24 days of anticipation that make the holiday as good as it is? Millions of people ponder this very question, yet are unable to contend with an answer. However, after 17 years of celebrating, I can affirm that the buildup is better than the actual holiday itself. Don?t get me wrong? December 25th is a day filled with joy, family, and Christmas spirit. But the real reason Christmas is such a good holiday is because we spend almost a month preparing for it in advance. If you?re anything like me, when the clock strikes midnight on Halloween and the calendar switches to November

Nathan Murawski '22 argues that the day of setting up the milk and cookies for Old St. Nick (pictured above) to chomp down on is more enthralling and enjoyable than Christmas Day.

1st, the Christmas music season officially starts. Decorations start to go up the day after Thanksgiving (because decorating for one holiday before another is sacrilegious). In other words, as soon as Thanksgiving passes, the clock starts ticking. Each passing day brings us closer and closer to a visit from the jolly fat man. But the 30 days that separate Thanksgiving and Christmas dedicated to anticipating the 25th make Christmas Day so much better. There is so much to do around Christmastime, and there is only so much time to

do it. A tree needs to be acquired, the halls need to be decked, and every family has their traditions. The Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, light shows around Center City, and making every cookie imaginable are just a fraction of mine. Plus, the gift-giving around the holidays, the Christmas ragers, and the seasonal foods (Sprite Cranberry, anyone?) make the buildup so much fun. These activities all add to the excitement of the season, and they make me believe that the 24 days prior are superior to the 25th itself.

also be more fun than the actual Christmas holiday itself. When preparing for the holiday, usually people tend to spend way more time with their friends and family, and I think we take that for granted. The celebration of the season brings us closer to the people we love, whether it be through parties, gift exchanges, or just stopping by to check out someone?s Christmas tree. Family is an essential part of the season, and December 1st24th is the prime time for celebrating with the people you are closest to.

Pre-Christmas festivities can

To wrap it all up (no pun in-

tended), the real hero of the holiday season is the time spent getting ready for the visit from Santa Claus. Christmas can also be bittersweet at times, as another holiday season passes, and it always sucks when all the fun has to come to an end. The 24 days we spend with the people we love outmatch the day which we prepare for with all that time. So, this holiday season, remember that, while Christmas is the best time of the year, live in the moment. December only comes once a year, so spend your time celebrating the season of giving wisely.

The Hawkeye | Friday, December 10, 2021 |

Opinion/Debate | 15

SNL: " Sadly Not L aughable" By Nathan M ur awski ?22 ?Live from New York, it?s Saturday Night!? Millions of people across the United States tune in to see collections of the greatest comedians every week. Chris Rock, Will Ferrell, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Kenan Thompson, Adam Sandler, Cecily Strong: all titans of the comedy world. But lately, the laughs have seemed to die off, and SNL simply isn?t as funny as it used to be. Long gone are the days of "Celebrity Jeopardy," "Mr. Robinson?s Neighborhood," "Matt Foley: Down By The River," and several other timeless classics. But why? What happened to the unmatchable humor of days past? I strongly believe that Saturday Night Live took a turn for the worse after the norm for sketches became political jokes. Come on. You can only make so much fun of America?s government system so many times. The amount of garbage Donald Trump impressions,

unfunny political debates, and the general slander of the people up on Capitol Hill gets old after a while. I would think they were funny if any of it was fresh comedy, but unfortunately half of the jokes are just recycled points they?ve made with different set-ups for the punchline. I am not exaggerating when I say I think I have seen at least 40 different SNL skits in the last year solely about the 2020 election. We get it. It was heated. Make fun of something else. Humor is supposed to be ever-changing, evolving to adapt to every situation possible. In the case of SNL, the humor gets lost in the sauce whenever they turn political. Humor is best, in my opinion, when it?s spontaneous. The funniest things are usually the most random, goofy, and unexpected things that can happen. One of my favorite SNL skits, "What?s Up with That?" starring Kenan Thompson, is simply a talk show that breaks out into song and dance while the guests are trying to talk. It?s simple humor, but it gets me in

stitches every time. Humor shouldn't be forced, like the Star Trek parody skit where two of the crewmates aboard the Starship enterprise believe they?re being gaslighted. Simply put, it is not funny.

sometimes problems can arise. In this day and age, a movement to cancel a comedian or figure of interest can be done with a few taps of a keyboard, and sometimes SNL filters themselves a little

What's Up with That?, a sketch featuring Kenan Thompson (above left), Fred Armisen (above middle), and Jason Sudeikis (above right), is a rare bright spot comedically for SNL, according to Nate.

Most of the humor on the show feels forced nowadays; albeit Michael Che and Colin Jost never fail to make me laugh. Cancel culture on social media also does not help SNL. It?s hard to make a joke in these times without offending someone, and when they take it to their eight Twitter followers,

too much. In this digital age, it becomes harder for SNL to continue upholding their reputation as a place where comedy can thrive. While I do think that SNL can push boundaries at times and be really funny, most of the time the jokes feel bland and repeated.

I don?t think SNL can ever live up to the titan it once was. There will never be another skit that comes anywhere close to "More Cowbell" or "Dysfunctional Family Dinner." With comedians coming and passing, we have seen less of the likes of some of the funnier comedians as of recently. I suppose that in this changing era of comedy, we must accept the reality that comedy evolves as a result of the people in society. So, instead of ragging on SNL for what it is now, I think it?s important to appreciate the comedy of times past. While SNL may not be as funny as it once was, you?re just a simple click away from accessing all the skits they?ve ever published. So next time you?re in need of a laugh, grab your family, and go watch "Space: The Infinite Frontier" or one of the many "Weekend Updates." They?re timeless classics, and they give me hope for humor in the future.

Sports Phillies Offseason Outlook By Brendan Dougher ty ?23 Ladies and Gentlemen, it is 2021 and the Philadelphia Phillies still don?t have a bullpen! Of course, this is the most glaring of all of the issues this team has, but there are plenty of other things that need to be addressed in the off-season for this team as the winter meetings approach. To begin this off-season forecast, let?s take a look at who will be entering free agency for the team this year. The most important names to look at here are outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Odubel Herrera, relievers Archie Bradley and Hector Neris, and utility-man Brad Miller, who got plenty of time late in the season because of injuries. Archie Bradley is already one foot out the door, considering that he already gave Philly a thank you before the postseason had even ended. I also expect McCutchen to be leaving as well. At this stage in his career, he?s going to be looking to win any way he can. The remaining guys could go either way, but they are not season-altering names for them to come back.

Taking a look into those entering arbitration, I expect most of these guys to be retained. Rhys Hoskins, Zach Eflin, Jose Alvarado, Seranthony Dominguez, and Ronald Torreyes should all be back. Andrew Knapp and Roman Quinn top off the arbitration list, and where they end up is indifferent to me. With all of this in mind, the first priority for the President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski, is to fix the bullpen. He definitely gave the bullpen some addressing last off-season when he filled in for Matt Klentak, but his efforts didn?t fix the issue. The bullpen this past season had a league 25th best 4.60 ERA (per mlb.com/stats), which is unacceptable for a team attempting to contend. Sam Coonrod, Jose Alvarado, and Archie Bradley were nice additions, but two of the three were plagued with injuries and the other was just incredibly inconsistent. Another issue with the Phillies bullpen the past couple of years has been that very average relievers have been asked to go into big moments and be clutch, a skill none of which have developed.

underachieving left fielder past his prime and not having an everyday center fielder just hasn?t worked. We have been linked multiple times to former Pirates star Starling Marte, which would be an absolutely perfect addition that I think Dombrowski should pursue. Mark Canha, Chris Taylor, and Michael Conforto are other names that I think the team should be looking into.

While 2021 NL MVP Bryce Harper (pictured above) played fantastic last season, a competent bullpen and clever free agency moves are needed to put the Phillies in the playoff picture for 2022.

The goal this off-season has to be to bring in a dynamic arm from free agency that will be able to set the tone for the rest of the core. Raisel Iglesias and Kenley Jansen are the most ideal names, but even seasoned vets like Mark Melancon or Kendall Graveman would be great additions. I think, for now, the starting pitching and the infield are good enough for a potential 2022 postseason berth. The Phillies have a dynamic 5-man rotation (assuming that Ranger Suárez takes a spot in the rotation and Zach Eflin is back). The infield for the most part looks manageable,

especially if Rhys is back. Hopefully, Alec Bohm is able to bounce back, and maybe we get a glimpse of top prospect Bryson Stott at shortstop at some point next season. The second order of business that absolutely needs to be addressed is the outfield depth. It is a very strong possibility that returning Phillies veteran Roman Quinn is going to be the second-best outfielder in 2022. Not even MVP Bryce Harper can carry all of that weight in the outfield. The team should definitely look to sign a dynamic 5-tool outfielder because an

It has been ten years since the last time the Phillies were in the playoffs, and I know every fan in the city can agree it?s been long overdue. I think Dave Dombrowski understands what he must do to turn this team around. I have faith because he has done it in the past, winning two World Series. We might not see a 2022 championship, but I am hopeful we can at least get back in the right direction.

16 | Sports | Friday, December 10, 2021 | The Hawkeye

Back to Her shey The offense could not be hindered at any point, with sophomore QB Samaj Jones, the first year starter, earning 6 total touchdowns, an even split on the ground and through the air. Sophomore receiver Brandon Rehmann finally had his breakout game marked by a ridiculous toe tap catch in the back corner of the endzone. The Hawks' opponent in Hershey, the undefeated Mount Lebanon High School Blue Devils, had an impressive 49-28 win against the 8-5 State College Little Lions to advance to the state title game. The offensive charge was led by senior receiver Eli Heidenreich, who posted 9 catches, 277 yards and 5 touchdowns. One of these touchdowns was a 68 yard screen pass, and another was a 67 yard go route down the sideline. Heidenreich was pretty much senior quarterback Joey Daniels?s only target. He went 13/15 and threw for 303 yards and 6 touchdowns. Senior running back Alex Tecza also had a respectable 106 yards on the ground with one touchdown through the air and one on the ground. This offense trio could prove to be troublesome for the Hawks. On the defensive side, Beckham Dee and Will Hartung both posted turnovers in the game against State College, but I?m keeping my eyes on the senior nose guard William Harvey. This monster measures in at 6?3, 285 lbs,

In the second level, senior linebacker Charlie Pellegrino is one of the leaders of the Blue Devils? defense. He?s a patient tackler and hits hard enough to get the ball out of anyone?s hands. Pellegrino even caught a touchdown in Mount Lebanon?s state quarterfinal game against McDowell. Now that we have some background on both teams, we can get into the face-off at Hershey. First, the Prep offense definitely has some work cut out for them. To be frank, the Garnet Valley defense was weak for a final four team in the state. It could be difficult for the Hawks to establish a run game like they normally do, but if Samaj Jones plays nearly as well as he did last week, I think the Hawks offense will soar. With the three headed monster on the ground headlined by sophomore Kahseim Phillips, and senior running back tandem Blaine Bunch and Josh Barlow, we know the Prep backfield will be dangerous. In the passing game, Jones has a deadly trio of sophomore receivers: David Washington Jr., Elijah Jones and now Brandon Rehmann. On the defensive side is where I worry a bit. Unlike Garnet Valley, the Blue Devils have an established receiving threat in Eli Heidenreich in addition to an equally explosive and patient runner in Alex Tecza. Against Garnet Valley, Coach

(Photo: James Quinn)

senior cornerback Keenan Nelson Jr. and one from freshman safety Anthony Sacca.

and is an absolute force on both sides of the trenches. He?s deceivingly quick and plays with a lot of hustle.

(Photo: St. Joe's Prep Football | Twitter)

FOOTBALL from pg. 1

This season for the St. Joe's Prep Football Team has been filled with tons of memorable moments. Two that particularly stand out are James Heard '23's fumble recovery for a touchdown in the rematch against La Salle and Kahseim Phillips '24's touchdown catch in the state playoff semifinal versus Garnet Valley.

Roken could put everything he had into stopping the run, and trust that his secondary could make plays when Garnet Valley was forced to throw, which they did. It?ll be likely that Trotter will cover Tezca like he did for Reynolds but the Hawks defensive line unit will show up in a huge way. Sophomore Richard ?Wink? James Jr. stepped up in a huge way in junior edge rusher James Heard?s absence, and he?ll be joined by senior and junior edge rushers Dan Daly and Matthew Dumond. As I mentioned earlier, though, Roken won?t have the luxury of solely committing to the run. Eli Heidenreich is quick and shifty. He?s quick off of screen passes and if his quarterback Daniels can make the deep throw, Heidenreich will be there. All-conference corners Keenan Nelson and Omilio Agard will likely have the opportunity to guard

Heidenreich for most of this game, and these matchups are going to be the difference for either team. On the Mount Lebanon side, St. Joe?s Prep is going to be this team?s toughest match. On the offensive side, the only way that teams have been able to beat the Prep is to change the momentum of the game with big plays. Milton and La Salle were the only two successful teams in this regard, but the Blue Devils certainly have big play potential. Eli Heidenreich has to be able to get open for the Devils to have a chance, and the offense has to remain balanced between rush and pass plays to keep the Prep defense on their toes. Mount Lebanon?s defense is going to be intensively challenged though. The Hawks are coming off what I believe to be their most dominant offensive performance of the season, and with Samaj Jones definitively proving to

everyone that he can really throw the football, then the secondary for the Blue Devils may be in trouble. Run defense is going to matter as well, but the defensive line is much stronger than their other two levels. The bottom line for Mount Lebanon is limiting Samaj Jones in any way possible. In Mount Lebanon?s case they?ve pretty much steamrolled everyone on the road to Hershey. But the boys from Philly are much different than the teams they?re accustomed to playing in Pittsburgh. The Blue Devils haven?t been to the state championship since the PIAA implemented 6A play, while the Prep has won 5 of their last 6. All that I?m saying is that I have a strong craving of Hershey?s milk chocolate.

No Simmons, No Difference in Play for Sixer s By Ted Antczak ?23

They currently sit at a 12-11 record and in a strong Eastern Conference they sit at the 9th seed, with 10 teams in the East currently at .500 or higher. There have been several times when this team has struggled, especially more recently on Wednesday, December 1st, when they collapsed in the final seconds of the game against the Boston Celtics. In that game, the Sixers did not shoot well, and star player Tobias Harris passed out of the final shot instead of shooting it. They saw a solid rebound with a solid revenge win against the Atlanta Hawks on December 3rd, but they will need more statement wins to turn their season around. Despite these occasional miscues, here?s what Sixers fans have to

(Photo: John Bazemore | AP)

The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a promising start to the season despite what their record may show.

Tyrese Maxey (pictured above) looks to be one of many Sixers poised for a big breakout this season.

look forward to this season. Tyrese Maxey has taken the leap we all knew he would this season so far. He has been aggressive around the rim showing off his elite finishing skills and court vision, as well as hitting jumpers all over the floor, unlike the Sixers' starting point guard last year (who shall not be named). He?s averaging 17.5 PPG and 4.9 assists per game to start the season. Seth Curry has also been a

bright spot and a great veteran presence on the court. He?s averaging 16 points per game as a great shot creator and spot- up shooter. Most notably, he?s shooting 51% from the field and almost 43% from three. He?s been a big reason Joel Embiid?s assist total has seen an improvement from last season. Embiid has still been very spotty so far, but for understandable reasons. He, unfortunately, caught a very bad case

of COVID- 19, saying that he genuinely ?thought he wasn?t going to make it.? This has likely affected his play, as he is only averaging 22.5 points per game on 41% shooting from the field. Something still to admire is his shooting from beyond the arc, which is still at 40%. Look for those shooting numbers and averages to improve as the season moves along, as Embiid is still probably slightly recovering from the long absence. As for Ben Simmons, he currently has been seen around the Philadelphia area, with his present training whereabouts shrouded in mystery. He has occasionally shown up at the Sixers' practice facility, but only for mental health treatment. Simmons has already been fined for not showing up to camp and other practices, and now he sees himself being fined as well for refusing to al-

low mental health treatment from the Sixers' staff. This has basically forced Simmons to eventually return to play for Philadelphia at some point, as he is losing money rapidly. Simmons?s agent, Rich Paul, has come out and made a statement, claiming Simmons?s mental health has been worsened by the Sixers? recent treatment of him, and that the fines should stop. It?s clear with mental health issues or not, Simmons can no longer play basketball for this franchise. We?ll just have to wait and see how all of this will unfold, and if Simmons will be traded in the near future or not. But as for now, it?s how the Sixers can block out the noise with all of this drama surrounding them, and adapt to win with Embiid still in his prime.