Volume 47, Issue 4

Super Bowl = Holiday?

Page 17

Bur is Back Page 9

Jan 6, 2021 Recap Page 6

Prep B-Ball PCL Over view Page 19

Follow us on I nstagram and Twitter @SJPHawkeye or read our issues online at issuu.com/thehawkeye6

The Student Newspaper of St. Joseph's Prep

Vol. 47, I ssue I V

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

Febr uar y 4, 2022

Prep Enter s Year 2 of Pandemic Amid Omicron Var iant

By L uke Gallagher '23

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

?Dear Prep Students, Parents, and Guardians, As stated in a previous communication, there will be no school for students tomorrow, Friday, March 13,? wrote Principal Cavacos in a COVID- 19 Update email on March 12, 2020. ?Starting on Monday, March 23, we will follow something known as ?asynchronous instruction,?? wrote Cavacos. ?All students must take their Chromebooks home each night and ensure that they are in working order.?

The words read all too familiar. The start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 brought upon the the city of Philadelphia, the Prep, and the world a period of change, adaptation, and growth ? unsee COVI D on pg. 2

Fire in Fair mount! Get to K now the New Hawks'

Firefighters stand outside 869 N. 23rd Street in the aftermath of the tragic fire.

By Bobby Woltj en '22 The cold, but otherwise peaceful morning of January 5th was shattered for residents of Fairmount by screams. The glow of flames and plumes of smoke filled the predawn darkness. Unit B, 869 N. 23rd Street was burning, and fourteen of the eighteen residents, including three sisters and their children, were trapped inside.

Dispatchers received 36 calls to 911 between 6:36 and 6:39

AM. Firefighters arrived on the scene within 4 minutes of receiving the first call, at 6:40 AM. The closest fire stations were Engine 34 at 28th and Thompson and Engine 27 at 19th and Oxford, and both engines responded to the scene.

Flames could be seen shooting out from the second- floor windows. Crews entering the building encountered heavy smoke and intense heat on all see FI RE pg. 5

(Photo: Gil McGlynn '81)

(Photo: Gil McGlynn '81)

Photo Credit: Philadelphia Fire Dept.

(Photo: The 2020 Chronicle Yearbook)

B-Ball Roster

Jaron McKie '25 (above left) and Tristen Guillouette '24 (above right) against Archbishop Ryan.

By Stephen Cain ?22 While the legendary, former St. Joe?s Prep basketball coach, William ?Speedy? Morris?s, name is currently etched in the court of the Kelly Fieldhouse, the Hawks? basketball squad has undergone a huge revamp after Morris?s departure.

How did the Hawks try and fill the shoes of such a storied Philly hoops coaching legend?

They felt that Jason Harrigan would be the right fit. ?St. Joe?s Prep is an institution that I believe can provide the best of both worlds. The Prep provides an

elite education and an elite athletic experience,? said Harrigan.

Harrigan led Delaware Valley Charter High School to a Philadelphia Public League championship in 2016. After see B-BALL pg. 16

2 | News | Friday, February 4, 2022 | The Hawkeye Table of Contents

News: 1 -7

Features: 8- 9

Enter tainment: 10 - 16

Op/Deb: 17

Spor ts: 18 - 20

The COVI D L ong-Haul

After suspending all sports, co-curricular activities, schoolsponsored travel, and ultimately in- person learning, St. Joe?s Prep was officially on lockdown effective March 18, 2020. The Prep Community said their goodbyes to 17th and Girard on Thursday, March 12th, excited for an extra day of Spring Break. No one had anticipated what was in store.

Asynchronous learning began on Monday, March 23 and was initially set to last until ?at least Friday, March 27.? It sure did. ?Knowing that we are resilient in all things, and grounded as a community of faith ? a deep trust in the loving God of history ? we anticipate consolation, healing, and a return to dear 17th & Girard very soon,? wrote Cavacos in his final communication to the Prep community before the school?s closing on March 13, 2020. At this point, cumulative cases within the U.S. were just below 1,800. 23 months later and cumulative cases within the U.S. have reached nearly 65 million.

About two and a half months ago, the first case of the Omicron variant was cited in Botswana by the CDC and WHO on November 24, 2021.

Omicron arrived in the United States just one week later on December 1, 2021 and would soon bring the United States to an all time high of 251,232 average daily cases ? nearly 90,000 more than the peak of the Delta variant in midSeptember 2021. Experts debated whether this sharp increase could hasten herd immunity and finally put an end to the pandemic. Regardless, the pandemic proved to still be a deadly disruptor of return to normalcy 22 months after the initial nationwide shutdown.

Come January 2022, due to the increased contagiousness of the Omicron variant, schools across the nation were forced to shut down and make the switch back to virtual learning once more for the safety of their students and because of staffing shortages due to quarantines. In the Philadelphia School District alone, 92 schools went virtual during the variant?s peak. The Prep, however, was fortunate enough to be able to remain open after consulting with the Philadelphia Health Department and the City of Philadelphia. ?Omicron was a reason for concern, but I?m pleased with what we?ve done,? said Princi-

pal Cavacos. ?Since March of 2020, I think we have done an extraordinary job mitigating the risk of COVID-19? Once the vaccine was developed, that was definitely a game changer for us.?

unvaccinated, and, in the weeks before vaccines began to be widespread distributed, COVID had become the number one cause of death in the United States ? above even cancer and heart disease.

The accessibility of vaccines within the United States has undoubtedly proven to be extremely beneficial; they have allowed people across the country to regain many of the aspects of their lives which they once enjoyed more fully in a pre- pandemic era. Even more so, they have almost entirely eliminated the cancellation of events which the United States was faced with last year.

As of January 28, 2022, St. Joe?s Prep recognizes an 86.8% vaccination rate among students (defined as two or more shots, not including a booster). Assuming that the school has roughly 900 students, this would mean that around 780 have received at least two vaccines. The remaining population consists of 2.0% (roughly 18) having received one shot and 11.2% (roughly 100 students) unvaccinated entirely. As for faculty, the Prep recognizes a 95- 99% vaccination rate among employees. This data was gathered from a survey sent out to students and faculty at the end of Winter Break in January 2022. The return rate for students was ?well above 90%? and the return rate for faculty was universal. ?There is still a risk that is inherent to our community from any virus despite vaccines. However, we also know that there is much less of a chance that people will become seriously ill [with vaccination],? said Cavacos.

Last month, Pope Francis declared that getting vaccinated against the coronavirus was a ?moral obligation.? Vaccines have been proven to greatly diminish the severity of COVID- 19, resulting in a decreased likelihood of being hospitalized or dying from the virus. Due to their high effectiveness, vaccinated individuals face a decreased risk of contracting COVID-19 (known as a breakthrough infection) and spreading it. This decreased risk coupled with the milder strand Omicron is a large reason why the Prep has remained open. The risk is still not zero, however, it is one that Cavacos sees as reasonable considering the alternative of virtual learning. ?The reality is, there is a risk associated with everything ? driving, influenza, and many others,? said Cavacos. ?We have to look at the Prep community and ask ?What is the reasonable risk for our community??? Though vaccinated individuals still face a significant chance of infection, what it comes down to is mitigating risk as best as possible. Just as an influenza vaccine does not completely protect one from getting influenza, neither does a COVID- 19 vaccine completely protect one from getting COVID- 19 ? vaccines merely allow society to carry on with their lives in as ?normal? a way possible, providing the reassurance that one is doing everything they can to stay safe.

As of December 14, 2021, the CDC reports that roughly 85% of adults ages 18 and over in the United States had received at least one dose of a COVID19 vaccine, but 15% still remained unvaccinated. For those who are unvaccinated, the situation is very different.

Despite being acknowledged as a ?milder? strand, Omicron is still serious enough to cause severe illness and death for the unvaccinated. COVID has killed more than 865,000 Americans, the vast majority

Though the Prep does not mandate vaccines for students or employees out of respect of personal choice, as a Catholic and Jesuit school, the Prep supports the Church?s and Pope Francis? stance on the moral obligation to get vaccinated, encouraging vaccination for all students and faculty. In late April of 2021, the school held a COVID- 19 vaccination clinic for students, while also offering teachers the opportunity to get vaccinated at the Children?s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Since the start of the pandemic, St. Joe?s Prep has strived to find the best and most adaptable ways to protect the community amidst the

2021, this meant going maskoptional, loosening up on COVID restrictions due to lower case numbers coupled with the ability to be outside.

At present, this means encouraging vaccines and remaining masked- up in the building when not eating or drinking.

Due to the CDC?s newest guidelines, Cavacos says that the Prep is now able to be less conscious of things like spreading students out in classrooms and are on track to slowly begin progressing back to life before the pandemic.

Though, as restrictions begin to loosen with the decline of Omicron in parts of the country, the political divide that has formed out of the pandemic ? exacerbated by contentious elections and the prolonged nature of the issue ? becomes crystal clear. One of the Prep?s greatest challenges ? a challenge that everyone around the world has encountered ? is how much of a political issue COVID-19 has become. ?I find myself arguing many different positions and also lending a sympathetic ear to a variety of different perspectives,? said Cavacos. ?I hear everything from ?we need to double mask everyone? to ?masking and vaccines are ridiculous.? My focus is to communicate to the community where the sweet spot is and where we are able to find a balance between these two voices.?

Currently, the Prep is contact tracing through the implementation of seating charts in order to track exposures (defined as being within six feet for a period of 30 minutes or longer). ?In the classroom setting, the students adjacent to a particular desk with a positive COVID case are potential close contacts. If the students are vaccinated, they?re okay to remain in school unless they are symptomatic. Students who are unvaccinated will be asked to quarantine for five days,? said Cavacos. These positive

(Source: Morning Consult)

From a survey of 4,411 people from January 2022

many vagaries presented by COVID-19. In March of 2020, that meant going fully virtual for the remainder of the 20192020 school year. In September of 2020, that meant bringing students back with a hybrid schedule, plastic barriers, oneway traffic, spread out lunches, and masks. In the Summer of

cases are tracked orally over the morning announcements, but are by no means a cumulative number. ?It?s just who, at a snapshot of today, is currently in quarantine,? said Cavacos.

COVID has affected each and every individual in their own unique ways. At the Prep,

this extends anywhere from the classroom to the sports field to the debate floor to the stage.

Tracking exposures outside of the classroom in any environment (i.e. lunch, free periods, community period, athletics, extracurriculars, etc.) has been a much more difficult challenge for the Prep, however, despite this challenge, Cavacos can assure the student body that the end is in sight. ?I do envision a maskless Prep in the near future,? said Cavacos. ?We are doing the best job we can to mitigate risk at the moment, but I do see a time when the virus will likely be less severe? and we will be able to move on maskless.?

Tracking exposures has not been the only challenge that the Prep has faced over the past two years. From an athletics point of view, Mr. DiBerardinis, Athletic Director of the Prep, said, ?COVID has hindered us [the athletic department] from really being able to plan and expand because we really don?t know what the next six months are going to look like.? DiBerardinis added, ?We are constantly trying to find new and creative ways to build the best possible student experience.?

COVID has taken society on a journey through all aspects of what was once considered ?normal.? It has made clear how much in life there is to be grateful for and how the little things often spark the most joy.

(Photo: I nternetmatters.org)

OMI CRON from pg. 1 precedented, as many would begin to call it. The Prep would soon be challenged with finding a way to maintain the brotherhood between the rectangular confines of Zoom.

?Students have this notion that high school is a place to hate ? a place where they are supposed to simply punch their timecard when they get in and punch their timecard when they get out,? said Mr. Ghee, Director of Student Activities and Transportation. ?I think some of what the pandemic has done for us is showed our students that the Prep is a place for them to be among peers and friends, embracing the community and brotherhood that the school has to offer.?

COVID has shaped the way society thinks, believes, and understands; it has shed light on the value of a growth mindset ? being able to learn, to adapt, and to grow; it has underscored the importance of finding one?s footing and making the tough decision in the face of any challenge. These lessons are ones that extend far beyond the classroom; they make up a chapter of the Prep?s story which has never been uncovered before ? a chapter that will leave students of the Prep with a greater understanding of life and all of its uncertainties than any other chapter could.

The Hawkeye | Friday, February 4, 2022 |

COVI D-19 Timeline Compiled By Gar rett M cCloskey '21, Will Guckin '21, and L uke Gallagher '23

Decem ber 31, 2019

M ar ch 13, 2020 Fir st sch ool day with ou t stu den ts in th e bu il din g

Febr u ar y 6, 2020

Un k n own pn eu m on ia cases r epor ted to W H O in W u h an , Ch in a

M ar ch 23, 2020

Jan u ar y 22, 2020

Ap r i l 6, 2020

Fir st day after Spr in g Br eak .

Asyn ch r on ou s sch edu l e: Distan ce l ear n in g begin with assign m en ts posted to Googl e Cl assr oom M ar ch 21, 2020

Pr ep Com m u n ity in for m ed Dr. Nu n es is pr esu m abl y positive for COVID-19

M ar ch 11, Fir st U.S. 2020 death attr ibu ted to U.S. cr osses cor on avir u s 1,000 cases

News | 3

Gr adin g scal e ch an ges an n ou n ced.

Tr adition al in -sch ool fin al exam s can cel l ed Ap r i l 9, 2020 M ar ch 30, In com pl ian ce with 2020 Gov. W ol f?s or der s, th e Pr ep exten ds Syn ch r on ou s sch edu l e distan ce l ear n in g im pl em en ted. Cl asses th r ou gh th e r est of star t to u se Zoom an d th e sem ester Googl e H an gou ts.

M ar ch 27, Ap r i l 1, Ap r i l 10, 2020 2020 2020 M ar ch 13, 2020 Ap r i l 7, 2020 M ar ch 22, 2020 U.S. cr osses In com pl ian ce Fr. Swope U.S. cr osses Fir st case in Novel Pr ep an n ou n ces Spr in g Br eak 100,000 with state or der s, an n ou n ces 500,000 th e Un ited cor on avir u s face-to-face (star ts on e day total cases th e Pr ep exten ds Pr ep Car es total cases States official l y in str u ction wil l distan ce ear l y du e to Ch al l en ge n am ed h al t th r ou gh at l ear n in g th r ou gh COVID-19 "COVID-19" l east M ar ch 27 th e en d of Apr il con cer n s) Febr u ar y 11, 2020

M ay 20, 2020

Ju n e 4, 2020

Last day of vir tu al cl asses

PA stay-at-h om e or der l ifted

M ay 31, 2020 Cl ass of 2020 vir tu al com m en cem en t cel ebr ation

Sep t em ber 15, 2020 Sep t em ber 24, 2020

Th e Pr ep an n ou n ces Retu r n to Sch ool pl an for 2020-21 sch ool year

Th e Pr ep pivots to vir tu al -in str u ction after two stu den ts test postive for COVID-19.

Sep t em ber 8, 2020

In -per son Con fer r al of Dipl om as at th e Pr ep

Fir st day of h ybr id-l ear n in g m odel

Ap r i l 12, 2021

U.S. su r passes 500,000 COVID-19 death s

Retu r n to 5 days per week on cam pu s

Pr ep staff begin s r eceivin g COVID-19 vaccin e

Au gu st 5, 2020

Ju l y 31, 2020

Febr u ar y 22, 2021

Feb-M ar ch , 2021

M ar ch 12, 2020

Ap r i l 13, 2021

M ay 13, 2021

Ju n e 1, 2021

PA begin s Del ta var ian t becom es vaccin atin g dom in an t ch il dr en ages 12-15 var ian t in U.S.

M ay 13, 2021

CDC issu es Al l aged r evised m ask 16+ el igibl e gu idan ce: fu l l y for vaccin e vaccin ated m ay in PA go m ask l ess, with som e exception s

Oct ober 22, 2020 N ov em ber 2, 2020 Th e Pr ep pivots to vir tu al -in str u ction after at l east fou r stu den ts test postive for COVID-19.

Decem ber 14, 2020 NY n u r se San dr a Lin dsay r eceives fir st COVID-19 vaccin e in U.S.

Oct ober 18, 2020

N ov em ber 20, 2020

Jan u ar y 4, 2021

Fir st m ajor Ph il adel ph ia spor ts gam e with fan s in stan ds as Eagl es wel com e Raven s

Last day of in -per son h ybr id in str u ction befor e vir tu al -l ear n in g th r ou gh Decem ber

Stu den ts r etu r n fr om Ch r istm as br eak

N ov em ber 26, Decem ber 29, Jan u ar y 4, 2021 2021 Au gu st 31, 2021 2022 SJP r el eases Fir st case of 1st Day of Stu den ts vaccin ation Om icr on 2021-22 Sch ool r etu r n fr om su r vey to var ian t Year (fu l l y in W in ter stu den ts per son l ear n in g) iden tified in Br eak Sou th Afr ica

Ju l y 27, 2021 CDC u pdates gu idel in es advisin g m ask s wh il e in door s in cer tain ar eas

Sep t em ber 22, 2021 FDA au th or izes Pfizer booster for sel ect popu l ation s six m on th s after secon d dose

Decem ber 1, 2021 59.4% of U.S. fu l l y vaccin ated, 70.4% at l east on e dose

Jan u ar y 4, 2022 U.S. r ecor ds 1,000,000 n ew dail y cases

4 | News | Friday, February 4, 2022 | The Hawkeye

COVI D By the Number s

Data Compiled By M r. Ronan K elly

New Confir med Cases Per Day (United States) Data Range: M arch 26, 2020 to Januar y 30, 2022 1,600,000 cases

1,400,000 cases

1,200,000 cases 1,000,000 cases

800,000 cases

600,000 cases

400,000 cases

200,000 cases

New Deaths Per Day (United States) Data Range: M arch 26, 2020 to Januar y 30, 2022 6,000 deaths

5,000 deaths

4,000 deaths

3,000 deaths

2,000 deaths

1,000 deaths

Cumulative Cases and Confir med Fatalities

M ore COVI D Facts -

As of Januar y 30, 2022 State

Total Cases

Confir med Fatalities

-

Pennsylvania

2,656,587

40,563

-

New Jersey

2,109,783

31,412

-

United States

75,092,910

885,371

-

World

374,707,722

5,657,767

-

The Current Death Rate in the U.S. as of Jan 30, 2022: 1 American dies every 35 seconds 167,000 American children have lost one or more primary caregiver U.S. total number of vaccine does administered: 538, 829, 920 Percentage of U.S. population with at least 1 vaccine dose: 75.3% Percentage of U.S. population with at least 2 vaccine doses: 63.8% Percentage of U.S. population with 3 doses: 41.5%

The Hawkeye | Friday, February 4, 2022 |

News | 5

Wor dle Takes Over the Wor ld-le

By L uke Gallagher '23 and M ur phy Bonner '22 Wordle has taken the world by storm. Wordle is an online puzzle game tasking players with guessing a five letter word in just six guesses. After each guess, the letters inputted onto the board will either turn grey (indicating that the letter is not used at all in the word), yellow (indicating that the letter is used, but is not in the correct spot), or green (indicating that the letter is in the correct spot).

ther ARISE or ADIEU to get those vowels out of the way.

CJ Weipz ?23 plays with no strategy, all skill.

Despite all of these ingenious strategies, many mathematicians have looked into the source code behind the game and found TARES to be one of the most successful words, yielding an answer in four or fewer guesses roughly 90% of the time. Another successful word yielding the highest chance of yellow and green

?love story?, as reported in The New York Times, has morphed into a world-wide phenomenon encapsulating the attention of word- smiths of all ages. What Wordle has done so uniquely is created a game with only one puzzle per day, meaning that everyone around the world is competing to solve the very same Wordle; this innate competition is part of what makes the game so fun. Wordleer Nicholas Bedrossian ?22 agrees. ?The addictive nature comes from the fact that every

To Wordle muggles, it appears to be nothing more than a 5x6 grid filled with letters and lit up like a gray, yellow, and green Christmas tree. Though to Wordle connoisseurs like Thomas Davies ?22, it is a lifestyle. So much so that he considers himself a part of the world- wide group of avid players who call themselves ?Wordleers.?

However, this diction- based phenomenon isn?t just simple guessing; those who are avid players have a specific strategy. In a nutshell: it's all about the starting word. The standard goal for the first word is to get as many vowels and commonly used consonants as possible.

While there are many to choose from (158,390, to be exact), some Wordleers have found their own signature starting points and strategies.

Owen McKenna ?23 uses SWEAT as his starting word.

Jack Gallagher ?23 has a master three word strategy: TRUNK then SOAPY then FIELD. Mr. Pinto advises ei-

Described as a simply fun word game, Wordle has quickly amassed over 2 million players worldwide, including many Prep students and staff.

letters was LATER. Nonetheless, is Wordle a strategy game at all, or does it come down to sheer luck?

day it?s something entirely new and you can?t do it multiple times. That gets me coming back.?

Before Wordle took over screens across the globe it was simply an inside joke and some lines of code. Wordle was created by Josh Wardle, a Welsh software engineer residing in Brooklyn, NY. Wardle initially created the game for his partner, a word puzzle enthusiast, and named it as a play on his last name. What began as a

?My partner and I play a lot of The New York Times word games, and they follow that one-a-day model? It?s something about the fact that it?s one puzzle, and everybody is solving it,? said Wardle in an interview with TechCrunch. ?I?m just kind of suspicious of apps and games that want your endless attention... [Wordle] is

not trying to do anything shady with your data? It?s just a game that?s fun.?

Wardle made the game public in mid- October 2021 after realizing how much fun just he, his partner, and some of his extended family had begun to have with it. Over the span of just a few weeks, the game had grown from fewer than 1,000 to 2 million players. Despite receiving various offers from large investors, Wardle initially claimed that he had no interest in trying to profit off of the game in any way, and was content with exactly where Wordle was. ?With Wordle, actually, I kind of deliberately did what you?re not meant to do if growth is your goal. And bizarrely, I think, those things have led to growth? I think people have an appetite for things that transparently don?t want anything from you,? said Wardle.

However, just this past Monday, The New York Times purchased Wordle for a price in the ?low seven figures.? While the game will initially remain free to all players, there is potential for The New York Times to move the game behind their paywall, as they progress towards their goal for 10 million digital subscriptions by 2025. ?I?d be lying if I said this hasn?t been a little overwhelming. After all, I am just one person, and it is important to me that, as Wordle grows, it continues to provide a great experience to everyone,? said Wardle in his announcement of the sale on Monday, January

31. ?I?ve long admired the NYT?s approach to their game and the respect with which they treat their players. Their values are aligned with mine on these matters and I?m thrilled that they will be stewards of the game moving forward.?

Wordle has quickly become an integral part of players around the world?s daily lives.

It is uncertain as to how much longer this trend will last, but what is for certain is that the halls of the Prep are bustling with sounds of, ?Did you get the Wordle??, or, ?I got it in 4? typically by 9am.

The motives for getting the Wordle vary. Some players like Davies do it ?to prove my superiority over the rest of my classmates.? Others, like Joe Magnota ?22, are a little more sinister. ?I?m the Wordle spoiler.? Magnotta has only played the game ?4 times? thus far but makes sure to get up early and tweet the answer to his eleven Twitter followers or announce it at school. His ?dose of serotonin? for the day comes not in the completing of the puzzle, but from the announcement of the day?s word.

The way he sees it, ?the early bird gets the Wordle.? He assures Wordle- purists that it is only for fun and meant to ?add a little spice to the game.?

Could Wordle be exactly the tool needed to bring a community back together after two years of COVID keeping them apart? Could Wordle become the new normal, or will it drop off just as fast as it appeared?

A Ter r ible Tr agedy

Despite a quick response from firefighters, 12 people died after a Christmas tree caught fire in a Fairmount apartment, leaving many pointing fingers at who is to blame.

FI RE from pg. 1 floors. Ladder 9, responding from its station on Market Street, was placed outside the home and placed firefighters on the roof to ventilate, while other firefighters raised ground ladders to the windows. Firefighters made an aggressive attack and made search and rescue efforts throughout the building. One child was rescued by firefighters but did not survive. Firefighters managed to contain the fire within 50 minutes.

Initial reports stated that seven children and six adults died. However, after recovery efforts were complete, investigators announced that twelve residents, nine of them children and all of them from Unit 2 on the second and third floors, died of smoke inhalation. Fourteen people had been in the apartment when the fire started; the father of four of the children escaped out of a window, and a five- year- old boy was found by firefighters on the second floor.

Housing Authority. However, when the home was inspected in April and May of 2021, all were marked as operational. It was also questioned how 18 people were allowed to live in the same apartment, although PHA President Kelvin Jeremiah responded to the criticism by stating that it is not PHA policy to evict families who grew in size.

869 N. 23rd St.. A short walk away from the Prep.

The traumatized young boy explained to officials that he had been playing with a lighter near a Christmas Tree. On Tuesday, Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel confirmed this, announcing that investigators from the Philadelphia Fire Marshal?s Office, along with the Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms

and Explosives (ATF), had ruled out any other possible causes.

In addition, firefighters found that all of the home?s six smoke alarms were inoperable or had been disabled. Four were found in drawers; the remaining two had been placed in the kitchen and bedroom, but without batteries. Controversy ensued, as the home was owned by the Philadelphia

Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy, standing outside Girard College, was still in disbelief several hours after the fire. ?I?ve been around for 30- 35 years now, and this is probably one of the worst fires I?ve been to,? he told reporters. ?I don?t have the words for how we?re feeling right now, as a community, and as a department.?

Later that night, a yellow tarp was placed over the aerial of Ladder 9 as the remains of those killed in the fire were carried out of the home. A somber procession of police

vans carried them away to the Medical Examiner?s Office.

The fire was followed by another just a few days afterward in the Bronx, where a fire started by a space heater killed nineteen, including another eight children. The fire in Fairmount was not the first time a Christmas tree fire has killed.

Just this past Christmas eve, a fire originating in a Christmas tree burned two Quakertown homes to the ground, killing a father and his two sons.

The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the community and the world. At the funeral for the twelve at Temple University, ten white caskets piled high with flowers stood before the crowd as relatives shared stories and reflections. But as people around the neighborhood and the region better prepare for future fires, Deputy Murphy?s words will ring true: ?We plan on making sure that this tremendous loss of life did not happen in vain.?

6 | News | Friday, February 4, 2022 | The Hawkeye

Jan 6th, 1 Year L ater Glass shatters, people scream, smoke flies in the air.

There is a sea of red and blue, of ?Q? shirts, and Trump hats.

The country watches as thousands of Trump supporters, standing beside far-right militia members and conspiracy theorists as they siege the United States Capitol Building. The day is January 6th, 2021.

For many in the Prep community, it was just an ordinary asynchronous Wednesday. That is, until they saw horrifying scenes unfold through Twitter or while sitting down and watching the news. The nation was shocked and confused.

Some people cried, some people prayed, but now a year later, the nation must all reflect on the events of that day and the year that followed and come to terms with this stain on a tradition of peaceful transitions of power.

Some in the Prep community, from diverse backgrounds and political dispositions, have offered reflections and thoughts regarding the day which will be featured throughout the article.

Mr. Michael Gambone, of the Religious Studies department, reflected, ?The Jan. 6th insurrection persists as a national trauma and tragedy. The Catholic Church throughout the United States, and the Prep locally, should have spoken up more loudly, clearly, and courageously, because by not taking a stand, our silence passively permits this awfulness.?

The events of January 6th, 2021 did not come out of nowhere. It was the culmination of months of misinforma-

tion regarding the results of the general election.

On November 7th, 2020, Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joseph Biden was named the nation?s 46th President. Donald Trump refused to concede the election, arguing that widespread voter fraud occurred. Despite these allegations, Trump?s former attorney general William Barr found no evidence of widespread election fraud and all legal claims were dismissed by both judges and state election officials. And, on December 14th, 2021, the electoral college confirmed Biden as the winner of the 2020 election.

Despite this fact, just four days later on December 18th, Trump called for his supporters to join him for his ?March To Save America,? a rally that would be held on January 6th to protest Congress?s joint session to count electoral votes and confirm the election results.

Mrs. Jennifer Mars of the Principal?s Office said, ?Americans peacefully protest all the time, just as I do in January every year at the March for Life. I think protesting is a Constitutional right but once it turns into people committing crimes, it is no longer peaceful and should be prosecuted.?

The events of January 6th began just as expected. At noon on that day, Donald Trump began speaking to the crowd of supporters near the White House. As soon as it had started, however, swarms of people began to leave the speech venue in a march towards the Capitol Building.

Trump said fiercely during his speech, ?"We fight like hell.

And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.?

An hour after he began speaking, rioters stormed the outer police barrier, and by 1:30 mobs broke through the final police barriers. By 2:00, windows were smashed as protestors breached the building. By 3:00, they had breached the Senate chamber, and it wasn?t until 8:00 that the rioters were removed and the Senate was able to reopen.

garding the legitimate result of the election, so too have there been continued efforts to downplay what actually happened on January 6th. It was a deadly insurrection, and since the attack not only have numerous rioters been charged and prosecuted, but many of the organizers such as Stewart Rhodes, the founder of a farright militia group named the ?Oath Keepers?, have been charged with ?seditious conspiracy.?

(Photo: Shay Horse via Getty Images)

By Andrew Sergovic '22

As a result of lies and misinformation, Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol building on January 6 as millions of Americans watched in shock.

Mrs. Lisann Castagno, a teacher in the Math department, offered, "I was very disturbed by the breach of the Capitol. Peaceful assembly and protest is a hallmark of our democracy guaranteed by the Constitution, no one has the right to unlawfully infiltrate any building let alone the Capitol of the United States.

Those who did so must be held accountable for their actions...The facts are still coming out and my hope is this will be investigated with the least bias possible so that the truth can emerge and our nation can heal. " The chaos that was witnessed on January 6th did not end on that day. Just as Donald Trump and his base have continued spreading misinformation re-

While the charges for those who were present on January 6th vary, over 20% of those who have been charged have plead guilty. Sentences range from Robert Palmer (who hurled a fire extinguisher at police officers) received five years while the ?Q- Anon Shaman? Jacob Chansley received 41 months behind bars.

Charges of felony obstruction have been presented to most of the rioters, a statute which has since been criticized yet upheld by federal judges.

formation to the committee.

The committee is also requesting both a deposition and documents from Judd Deere, the former deputy White House press secretary. Deere was responsible for creating the administration?s response to the insurrection. The investigation continues to unfold, with more and more people being subpoenaed by the committee.

Mr. Kevin Hensler, a teacher in the Religious Studies department, said, ?The attack on the United States Capitol a year ago was a black mark on our country, which to that point had had a long history of a peaceful transition of power, even between bitter rivals.

What's worse is that that attack was motivated by the words and deeds of the sitting president, unwilling to acknowledge his clear loss in the election.

The attack on January 6th of 2021 was a tragedy for the United States, and unfortunately, it is a tragedy not yet fully in the past.?

The events of January 6th will remain a stain on the country?s legacy of peaceful transitions of power and fair, democratic elections. And while the disruption and division it caused is not over, the fact that there has been continued investigations and hundreds of rioters have been arrested and prosecuted, is a testament to the nation?s ability to overcome and strive for justice.

Just as those rioters are being brought to justice, so too are many of Donald Trump?s inner circle. On January 20th, Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman of the Select Committee investigating the attack, requested that Ivanka Trump provide in-

The Hawkeye Staff of 2021-2022 St. Joseph's Prepar ator y School 1733 West Gir ar d Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19130 Editor s-in-Chief

Opinion-Debate Editor

Colin Birkmire '23

Conor Flaherty '24

Murphy Bonner '22

Daniel Deeney '22

Brendan Currier '23

Max Kline '24

Jack Gallagher '23

Isaiah Littlejohn '24

Spor ts Editor

Ian Gomez '23

Aidan Lynch '24

Brendan Dougherty '23

Kieran Hicks '23

Jackson Maguire '24

Drew Kampf '23

Joseph Mancini '24

I f you are interested in contr ibuting mater ials to The Hawkeye, contact an editor or our email (below) to submit an ar ticle, photogr aph, or to wr ite a letter to the editor. L etter s should not exceed 600 wor ds. hawkeye@sj prep.or g

Stephen Cain '22 Robert Woltjen '22

Junior M anaging Editor s Luke Gallagher '23

Staff Wr iter s

Max Nast '23

Antoine Robinson '24

Liam Holden '23

Jared Alicea '22

Zach Reagan '23

Quinn Holden '25

Nicholas Bedrossian '22

Michael Robak '23

News Editor

Eamon Coffey '22

Anthony Salvato '23

M oder ator s

Aiden Anderson '22

Joseph Kriz '22

Wolfgang Wahl '23

Mr. Leo Vaccaro '05

Nate Murawski '22

CJ Weipz '23

Mr. Kevin Kearney '06

Features Editor

Andrew Sergovic '22

Andrew Wenger '23

Caleb Datto '22

Aiden Vallecillo '22

Aidan Williams '23

Sean Angelucci '23

Jake Wisniewski '23

Enter tainment Editor

Ted Antczak '23

Peter Bae '24

Daniel Law '23

James Baker '23

Matteo DeJesse '24

All mater ials pr inted by The Hawkeye are intended to both enter tain and infor m the Prep community as well as cultivate an environment that gener ates meaningful and productive discussion.

The opinions and beliefs expressed in the adver tisements and ar ticles in this publication do not necessar ily reflect the values or mission of The Hawkeye Student Newspaper or St. Joe's Prep.

The Hawkeye | Friday, February 4, 2022 |

By Aiden Ander son '22 Why does it seem like everything has been getting more expensive recently? Why does it cost so much to fill up a tank with gasoline? What?s going on? The answer to these questions isn?t simple, but it does have a name: inflation.

Inflation is an overall rising price level. Consumers have less spending power because things are more expensive. ?Imagine taking a hundred dollars, hiding it under your bed, and then comparing what that hundred dollars buys you today versus if you kept it under your bed for a year,? said Mr. Vaccaro ?05.

Of course, inflation is normal and generally occurs slowly over time. It?s no surprise that a McDonald?s burger once cost 15 cents but now costs a whopping $2.49. But lately, the term ?inflation? has been thrown and battered around like a pinball. Why? The rate of inflation over the past year has not only economists but also consumers worried. Inflation is typically measured with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which

What's I nflation?

calculates the percent change of a basket of goods and services for a household. In December 2021, the CPI jumped up to 7%, which is a record 39-year high (1982).

Across last year, hotel rates increased 23.9%, used cars and trucks 37.3%, apparel 5.8%, and groceries 6.3%.

?It?s important to know about the situation of working class people who need cars and houses, but now they can?t afford them. But that is what we are seeing now; it?s a real problem,? said Vaccaro.

In today?s day and age one of the biggest headlines to make its way around the world has been the CDC?s change in stance on quarantine guidelines. Previously, it was recommended that individuals who tested positive for COVID- 19 or came into contact with someone who had tested positive, must be quarantined for 10 days. That number has been sliced in half to 5 as of December 29th.

The reason for this change was never explicitly revealed, with the CDC stating "These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives." Later, it was revealed that human behavior was a major reason behind the change; CDC director Dr. Rochelle Wolensky said, ?It really had a lot to do with what we thought people would be able to tolerate.? The other aspect of this change is that the virus only seems to spread within a five-day window. The CDC said, ?The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARSCoV- 2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2- 3 days after.? So, based on this, after those five days pass, you aren?t really putting anyone else at risk.

This comes at a time when workers have been riddled with quarantining, leaving many places understaffed.

This change should make things

To boil it down a bit, prices have been increasing mostly due to labor shortages and other supply chain breakdowns that have affected nearly all industries. Pair that with high consumer demand, some possibly in part due to government spending bills, and we find ourselves in this pickle.

Mr. Vaccaro said, ?People are demanding a whole lot of types of goods in a whole lot of So what exactly has been different categories, and the fueling this inventory just isn't upward tick of ?It?s important to there.? prices?

For Of course, many know about the starters, there of these problems are two types situation of working are rooted in the of inflation. pandemic, class people who Cost-push especially the inflation is need cars and recent omicron when costs for variant.

Many producers rise, houses, but now they factories and and they pass can? t afford them. warehouses have their cost been plagued with increases on to But that is what we outbreaks the consumer. are seeing now; it? s COVID which contribute The other type a real problem? toward the overall is demand-pull labor shortage. inflation, in which the demand The CDC has made an effort to for goods can?t be met by lessen this effect by decreasing production capacity. Today, we

CDC Quar antine Change

By Jake Wisniewski '23

have been experiencing both of these at the same time, which is a pretty rare occasion.

easier for people to keep going to work and limit the number of people out each day. The other aspect of this change relates to vaccination status; those who are vaccinated, in some cases, may not need to quarantine at all if they show no symptoms. This is substantial, as this eliminates any need for a quarantine. Some questioned this change, thinking that it was done to cater to businesses, and that may have had a role in it. However, the CDC did back it up with science, so that doesn?t appear to be entirely the case.

Looking at this change on a local level here at St. Joe?s Prep, this switch will make quarantining less of a setback for those found in that predicament. For students, it is certainly easier to make up five days of work rather than ten; for teachers, the less time out of the classroom, the better.

To go along with this, the Prep has collected vaccination information, as well as implemented seating charts to assist with contact tracing. These changes will make it so that only people who test positive will quarantine, as opposed to having unnecessary protocols in place. Since this change occurred, things seemed to have leveled out, with cases dropping back into the single digits at the Prep. The number of people out each day, in general, has also dropped, likely thanks to the quarantine policies shifting. These small changes will make things just a bit more manageable for students and teachers.

required quarantine time down to 5 days.

The chief economist of Moody's Analytics even stated, ?Until the pandemic recedes, inflation is going to be a problem.?

But what else can be done to battle the current inflation? For the most part, President Biden?s power is rather limited in what he can do to help.

Regardless, Republicans have seized this opportunity to attack the Biden administration and the Democratic Party.

However, the responsibility falls upon the Federal Reserve, which can use a few different tactics to slow inflation.

First, the Fed can slow down the purchases of long-term bonds. They can also raise interest rates. Doing both of these things decreases the money supply, leading to less consumer spending, which in turn causes prices to eventually come down.

However, Mr. Vaccaro does not believe that the supply of money and monetary policy is having all that much of an effect this time around. Mr. Vaccaro instead stated that inflation has mostly been a

News | 7

result of supply chain issues and low inventory, especially in the automobile and housing industries.

Mr Vaccaro said, ?I think the best thing the government could do for inflation is try to figure out how to solve the supply of housing, healthcare, and the price of education.

Those three things are the only ones that have been driving inflation throughout my whole lifetime. That?s where the increase in the consumer price index is rooted.?

The Fed has already begun to phase out their bond buying program and is making plans to pave the way to raise interest rates this year.

Throughout the pandemic, the Fed has kept interest rates extremely low in order to help the economy.

While inflation is definitely a problem now, it may not last all too long. ?I don?t think this is going to happen for a very long time, because the causes are really a result of the pandemic,? said Mr. Vaccaro.

West Confronts Russia NATO is keeping its eye on Russia, believing that they will use their hundreds of thousands of Russian troops to cross the Russia-Ukraine border and invade Ukraine.

By Jackson M aguire ?24 With up to 100,000 Russian forces outside of the Ukraine border, the risk of conflict is becoming a growing concern.

Although Russia denies any plans to invade Ukraine, the United States and NATO officials claim that Russia has not provided any evidence that they will not attack or provide an explanation as to why they have their forces outside of the border.

After diplomatic talks, NATO and Russia could not come to an agreement over this situation. NATO refused Russia?s demands, which were for NATO to stop its enlargement, pull back from countries bordering Russia, and guarantee that Ukraine will never join NATO. However, Russia neither refused nor accepted NATO?s demands to deescalate the situation and withdraw troops from the border. Although there were no agreements made, NATO officials seem to be under the impression that Russia will be willing to continue diplomatic talks.

On the other hand, the United States has committed to protecting Ukraine?s sovereign territory. However, President

Ukrainian soldiers are training and preparing for a possible Russian invasion.

Biden claims that this protection will not be through military deployment but implied it would be through other means, such as supporting the Ukraine military and sanctions.

As it currently stands, the diplomatic talks between Russia and the United States are continuing to happen. Very little progress has been made toward ensuring peace and officials believe that a Ukraine invasion is a possible scenario in early 2022.

The good news is that NATO and the United States are taking this situation very seriously and doing whatever is necessary to diffuse the tensions. For example, the United States is

doing this by having the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, handle peace negotiations.

Hopefully, peace will prevail in spite of the growing conflict.

8 | Features | Friday, February 4, 2022 | The Hawkeye

Features Paging Dr. M cCor mick I met Mr. McCormick, a member of the ASC (Alumni Service Corps) program in the Mission and Ministry Office, on a Friday afternoon, while eating Chipotle.

S: M r. M cCor mick, how are you enj oying that bur r ito?

M: I prefer Panchero?s but this gets the job done.

S: What made you decide to become an ASC? M: I wanted to give back to the institution that gave so much to me.

S: So it had nothing to do with loan for giveness?

M: No, not at all. That was the last thing on my mind.

S: What depar tment was your dream to receive as an ASC? M: Mission and Ministry, obviously. I would have also

M: Correct.

but not as an ASC.

S: How is your exper ience with that?

S: So what are your plans for when the school year ends?

M: Georgetown University for International Politics and Spanish. Gracias!

M: I had a little bit of experience in the fall, and things will be picking up soon in the spring with 15s. I am excited to get into the season.

S: So are you completely bilingual then?

S: So how do you and the other ASCs get along?

M: Not quite, but with a little more practice surely.

M: We all came from very different clubs and activities from when we were students here, but I think the fact that we all were part of the same class allows us to have a bond that transcends those differences.

We have gotten along very well.

M: I am looking to get into the Homeland Security sphere by the end of this year, either in Philadelphia or in D.C. Those are my ideal locations. There are dozens of different agencies that are considered security, so whatever I get into I just want to get my foot in the door and go from there.

wanted to be in Admissions but McCloskey did not want me.

S: What college did you go to, and for what?

S: What have you lear ned from your exper ience as an ASC so far ?

M: I am trying to think of a nicer way to put this. High school kids are more, I don?t want to say loud, but more energetic than I thought. I have learned to be patient and adaptable.

S: And besides being the star M ission and M inistr y ASC, I hear you are a r ugby coach as well?

S: Do you guys hang out?

M: Yes. All the time.

S: Did you see your self becoming an ASC? M: I saw myself being involved with the Prep somehow

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep)

By Andrew Sergovic '22

S: Who was your favor ite class when you were at the Prep?

S: I f you were not on this career path, what would you be doing?

M: Traveling Sports Journalist.

S: Where is the coolest place you tr aveled to?

M: I did the Chile trip going into Senior year. I went to Antofagasta and it was completely different from anything I ever experienced here and if I could, I would go back in an instant.

S: Deepest dar kest secret?

with Ms.

M: I am actually a high school student disguised as an ASC.

S: What do you do in your free time?

S: Anything else you want to share with the Prep Community?

M: Spanish IV Baland.

M: I like to listen to music, right now a lot of Denzel Curry and Glass Animals. Those are the two big ones at the moment. I like to read a lot, especially sports journals.

M: For the non- seniors, join the Mission and Ministry Leadership Board. For the seniors, have fun and don't take anything seriously.

Building the Prep, Class by Class recommendations.

As the class of 2022 begins to say goodbye to their high school home, a new class of freshmen prepare to start their Prep careers. The main acting force in this process is the Prep?s Admissions Office. Located in the back corner of first floor Villager Hall, the Admissions Office is known by most students for shadow visits and sending a million emails.

While a prospective student?s grades play a large role in their admissions process, the admissions team also looks at their extracurricular involvement.

As every student knows, the Prep is more than just a place of learning; it is a community.

For this reason, the admissions team works hard to ensure that each class is full of students who wish to take advantage of everything the Prep has to offer. For example, if an applicant participated in their grade school plays, the admissions team would look at them as not only a future student, but also a future member of Cape and Sword. This thinking and holistic admissions that is utilized when building a class is the reason the Prep classes are filled with a diverse collection of students ready to be engaged in everything the community has to offer.

However, this highly skilled team is one of the main groups that keeps the Prep moving.

And during these strange times, they are working hard to make sure that the Prep?s incoming classes have as normal of an admissions experience as possible.

Like every year, the Prep admissions team began to contact the class of 2026 while they were in 7th grade. For most normal years, this would look like high school information nights and pancake breakfasts.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Admissions Office to change how they advertised the Prep. In an age of mass email chains and prerecorded videos, the Prep made sure that each applicant felt special. As Admissions Director Howie Brown ?99 puts it,

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep)

By Nicholas Bedrossian '22

Pictured are members of the Admissions Team (from left to right), Mr. Scannapieco '09, Mr. Brown '99, Ms. McKenna, and Mr. McCloskey '91.

?the goal of this year's plan was to have as many personal touches as possible.? This plan included Zoom information nights and personal calls from students and faculty throughout the admissions process. In addition, once students were accepted, they were greeted inperson by Prep faculty with their acceptance letters.

However, before these letters can be sent out, the admissions team goes through a long process of building a class.

This process, spearheaded by Brown and Financial Aid Director Mr. McCloskey ?91, is meant to ensure that the up-

coming class is composed of a diverse group of individuals.

To form this group, the Admissions Office looks at many different factors. The most important factor that Admissions looks for is whether or not a student is a hardworking individual. This is done by looking at their report cards. When applying for college, this is done through a student?s GPA. However, most grade schools do their grading in a way that is incompatible with the high school GPA system. This means that the bulk of information on a student?s work ethic comes from their report card grades and teacher

In addition to the changes in the admissions process necessary due to the COVID- 19 pandemic, the admissions team also needed to adjust to changes in the Prep?s financial aid program. As reported by The Hawkeye last year, alumnus Nick Howley ?71 and the Howley Foundation donated

$5 million to the Prep. The goal of this donation was to expand the Prep?s ability to provide much-needed financial aid to students. For the Admissions Office, this donation has allowed for more scholarships to be given out than ever before. As Mr. McCloskey ?99 puts it, ?[the donation] is a complete game changer. It allows us to give more deserving guys an opportunity than we would have in previous years.?

For most guys at the Prep, the Admissions Office is something that can be forgotten once accepted. As Jack Morrow ?22 said, ?the work that they put in every day, every year, does more to make the Prep than any course or teacher.? For example, every student section at every football game was, in a way, assembled by them. The same goes for every club, class, or other co- curricular. The Admissions Office didn?t plan out each student's path while at the Prep, but they gave them a chance to join a community unlike any other. So, the next time that you walk past the Admissions Office, feel free to say thank you to Mr. Brown, Mr. McCloskey, Ms. McKenna, Mr. Hampton ?17, and Mr. Scannapieco.

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The Hawkeye | Friday, February 4, 2022 |

Bur is Back

By Joseph K r iz ?22 Many students are now aware that there is a new face in the hallways. Fr. George Bur S.J. ?59 is back after a sevenyear hiatus from the Prep. Fr. Bur was the President of the Prep from 2008 to 2015, before Fr. John Fr. Bur Swope S.J. ?72 came in 2016. He is filling in for Fr. Steve Surovick S.J. this semester while completing his Jesuit training.

Fr. Bur was a student of the Prep, showing up for his first day of freshman year in 1955.

While at the Prep, he wasn?t quite sure what he wanted to do with his future. He grew up in a particularly religious household, and wanted to preach and live out the Gospel

like his parents. But his parents? situation didn?t allow for them to really explore their faith and see the world. They deeply cared about Fr. Bur and his siblings and each other, but their commitment kept them from being ?free to preach?as a married couple.

Fr. Bur certainly liked the idea of being free to preach.

While he was at the Prep, he realized that the Jesuit teachers there at the time were ?very happy men who were conscious of a very wide world where I could do all kinds of different things I might want to do for God.?

Throughout his Jesuit career, there were many things he was asked to do that really stretched him, but nevertheless, he was happy to do them.

?One has to trust in God to a certain extent. The further you do it the better you can carry out his desires for you and the better you can fulfill your talents.?

One of the things Fr. Bur was asked to do was to be the President of the Prep in ?08, which he wasn?t sure about doing. He went to some SJP events before he decided, and he realized that there were so many generous people around this place doing so much good work. He then asked himself the big question, ?Why would I not be a part of this?? and that was how he became the President in ?08.

Fr. Bur left in 2015 to work at the Jesuit retreat center in Wernersville, PA (near Reading) where the Kairos retreats were held at the time. He liked

the Jesuit atmosphere there because it had long been a center for spiritual growth.

But now he is back, yet not in the same fashion. He is taking on the spiritual duties of our Mission and Ministry team here at the Prep. He no longer has any administrative duties, but is glad to support the work our current President does here now.

One of the things he would like to see accomplished this semester is to see more unity across racial divides. Bur thinks that Mr. Anthony Bush, former Director of Diversity, really jump started this and made some progress, but that more work needs to be done, especially at such a complicated time in our history. He is grateful for the work alumni of color are doing to help the stu-

Features | 9

dents this year, and he wants to support them.

Another big thing he wants to see accomplished is an increased stress toward maintaining the Ignatian mission.

He believes that faculty and staff should be alive to the sense of finding God, especially through the Examen. All Jesuits believe that the Examen works for them, so he believes it should work for anyone engaged in a Jesuit mission, like everyone engaged here at the Prep.

So Bur is back, and he is excited to fill in this hole in our leadership while Fr. Surovick is away, so if you see him in the hallway give him a ?hello,? because he won?t be here long!

Anthony Salvato ?23 Gr aduates K YW Newstudies Progr am

By L uke Gallagher ?23 In the initial weeks of his junior year, Anthony Salvato ?23 took part in the KYW Newstudies Program where he studied broadcast journalism with other high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors from throughout the Philadelphia area. He spent September of his junior year at the KYW Newsradio Station in Center City, Philadelphia about once a week for three hours to listen to experts speak and teach about various different fields, including the whole NBC10 Weather Team that covered Hurricane Ida. At the end of the program, after hearing from an array of different speakers across various different fields, Salvato was tasked with creating his own 30 second news report about a topic in his community which he felt was worth talking about. His news report

was that, when going out for an interview, you could be meeting some of these people on their worst days. We don?t know what is going on in that person?s life leading up to the interview so we need to be thoughtful in how we communicate with them and respectful of where they?re coming from,? said Salvato.

Anthony Salvato ?23?s news report on Upper Darby Summer Stage Budget Tensions, via Audacy

would then be aired on KYW as a part of the KYW Newsradio Newstudies Program Student Reports.

Salvato reported on the Upper Darby Summer Stage (UDSS) budget tensions with Upper Darby Township. He discussed the impact of the UDSS community on students from the area, as well as the

consequences of the program being taken over by the township. You can learn more about this issue and hear Salvato?s report at: bit.ly/salvatoKYW. After graduating from the KYW Newstudies program, Salvato shared that he learned most about how to approach his interviews. ?One of the biggest things they taught us

Looking back on the program, Salvato is most grateful for the help of one person in particular: Tim Jimenez. Tim was an instructor to Salvato, but also really helpful with his final report. At his graduation from the KYW Newsradio Newstudies program, held at Temple University, Salvato took the opportunity to invite Jimenez to speak to the WSJP Broadcasting Club at the Prep, of which he is the Vice President. ?He [Tim Jimenez] really made things easier for me and helped make the entire editing

process of my news report smoother.?

Coming out of the program, Salvato hopes to take what he has learned and improve his work in the realm of broadcasting and journalism through WSJP. ?We?re working to expand past just sports within WSJP and grow our digital platform. We?ve begun diving into video podcasting, writing, and live video.?

Salvato hopes to further cultivate his skills in the broadcasting and journalism world during the rest of his time at the Prep. He hopes in two years time he will be able to further study this passion of his at the collegiate level. Until then, Salvato will continue to enhance and grow the WSJP platform, using what he has learned from the KYW Newstudies Program to better himself and those around him.

Prep Voices Hear d At SpeakUp! Event

By Daniel L aw ?23 ?Any school. Anywhere.

Everyone deserves to SpeakUp! and be heard.?

On Thursday, January 27th, the Prep held their first SpeakUp! event since the pandemic over Zoom to provide a space to discuss various topics freely among students and parents alike. This year?s event was held in conjunction with the students, parents, and moderators of Sacred Heart Academy in Bryn Mawr, PA, who joined in conversation with Prep- affiliated participants.

The event had been planned by the Prep and Sacred Heart since December, with efforts

by College Counselor Mr. Phuong Le and various student leaders who helped organize the event. SpeakUp! is a space that fosters conversation around the issues teenagers face on a day to day basis; it gives them a space to be heard.

SpeakUp! is a nonprofit organization started by Martie Gillin to honor her son Bob Gillin Jr. who died of AIDS at the age of 30. When Bob was a senior at the Haverford School, he was the student council president, captain of the crew team, and the lead in school plays: seemingly the perfect life. Inside, however, Bob was struggling with his sexuality, drugs, and alcohol, fighting to hide his authentic self. It wasn?t until Bob was dying that he began to ?speak up? to those in his life about the reality of his identity. And so, SpeakUp! was created to give teens the space for discussion to combat these struggles.

The opening ceremony of the fairly crowded Zoom meeting had introduced the moderators of the event, as well as the two student MCs for the event, Joe Magnotta ?22 and Kiley Mullen ?22 from Sacred Heart.

Participants had spent the opening portion of the event in the Mindset Memes and Let?s Agree to Agree activities, which helped everyone ease into a solid mindset and set guidelines for an effective discussion before being into Breakout Rooms. Each Breakout Room tackled one of three possible topics for students, parents, and faculty to sign up for: Drugs & Alcohol, Mental Health, and School Pressure.

Once each Breakout Room had formed, the rest of the event delved into nearly an hour of free- form discussion with back- and- forth between students and parents alike.

What resulted was an extremely honest, insightful, and wholly cathartic conversation, flowing naturally for so long that the moderators barely needed to intervene.

The Breakout Room I joined was about school pressure.

Each student and parent in the room got the opportunity to share their full and honest experience dealing with the pressures of school, grades, college, extracurriculars, and more. With each speaker coming from a variety of schools, class years, and backgrounds, each experience shared was indisputably an honest one. The event ended in a blur, and I felt like I could go another hour talking in this arbitrary group of both people I know and don?t know. The connection was there, and it was a magical and alleviating experience. I cannot wait to attend SpeakUp! again next year as a student leader!

College Counselor Mr. Le, who had organized the event from the side of the Prep and was a conversation facilitator, said, ?Going into the planning process, I had no idea what SpeakUp! was or how it worked. After some research,

and the wonderful team over there [Sacred Heart/SpeakUp!] shared their thoughts, I was excited, but a bit apprehensive about moderating the event.

The night of, I felt like I was about to perform a solo Cape & Sword act, with the amount of butterflies I felt in my stomach. Somehow, we turned around and it was 8:30 pm and we were done. The event went by so quickly, and I'm so sad we couldn't stay on for longer.

I felt supported by the staff here and at SpeakUp! I'm very thankful for the collaboration with Sacred Heart. It's great to feel empowered and connected at every level."

Mr. Le and SpeakUp! have promised to continue the event in the future. Housing SpeakUp! at the Prep was an incredibly powerful start, but the fight to bring the unspoken taboos of the problems of teenagers to the focus is far from over.

10 | Entertainment | Friday, February 4, 2022 | The Hawkeye

Entertainment Don't Look Up Review

McKay does so by using the impending disaster of a cataclysmic asteroid with the capability of destroying the world in months? time as a metaphor for climate change.

The star- studded movie tells the story of two astronomers, played by Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio, attempting to warn others of the impending doom of Earth.

Some, in fact, criticize the movie for being so obvious in its messages. They believe that the lack of ambiguity comes off as insulting to the viewer.

Personally, I did not mind the movie?s very straightforward messages. A film does not have to be layered in nuance and obscurity to be good. If Adam McKay?s goal was to deliver a message about climate change while simultaneously making his audience laugh, it is indisputable that he succeeded in doing so.

However, these astronomers and other scientists meet many challenges, such as widespread anti-intellectual science denial, corrupt politicians, and greedy billionaires along the way.

However, the film does not come without its faults. The worst part of Don?t Look Up is the pacing as it was about thirty minutes too long and there were many unnecessary scenes in the movie.

The best part about the film is the comedy; if it did anything for me, it made me laugh.

The political satire also does a good job of voicing the frustration and anxiety many people have concerning the future

This might be because the movie was too star-studded for its own sake; there really was no need for the number of celebrity appearances that there were. Although some of them

(Photo: Don't Look Up | Netflix)

In response to a disconcertingly high rate of climate change denial still remaining heading into 2022, Adam McKay goes in a slightly different direction with his new political satire Don?t Look Up.

of our planet. The metaphor for climate change and the themes of the film are certainly not subtle.

(Photo: pitchfork.com)

By Jackson M aguire ?24

Jonah Hill, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, and Jennifer Lawrence all star in Adam McKay's Don't Look Up.

are done well, such as Chris Evans playing a centrist amid an apocalyptic event, the majority seem pointless and do not add to the plot.

Another problem I have with the film is there are a few too many poor attempts at comedy.

Whether it is attempting to

get laughs from Gen Z viewers through trite and overdone internet jokes or an unnecessary post-credit scene that seems to be taken from a bad Marvel movie, some of the comedy seemed unnecessary and forced.

to have a grandiose realization after watching it.

I would recommend Don?t Look Up for its comedy, A-list performances, especially from Jonah Hill, and its overall message, but I personally would rate the movie ? . 3.5/5

Ultimately, going into the movie, you should not expect

Playboi Car ti's Philly Concer t Review Just after midterms and the first semester came to a close here at the Prep, the critically acclaimed rapper Playboi Carti made a stop in Philadelphia as a part of his King Vamp Tour for the release of his 2020 album: Whole Lotta Red. I had booked tickets in September, so suffice it to say that I was extremely excited for this show. This was not only because I?m a huge fan of Playboi Carti and his music, but also because it was going to be the first concert I?d ever been to.

The only aspect in which the concert disappointed was the wait for Carti to come on stage, but by the end of the night, everyone in the Liacouras Center had realized that it was well worth the wait.

The first of the two openers on tour was up-and-comer Ken Car$on, who was a nice warmup and got the mosh pits jumping a little bit.

Ashton Dial ?22 made the brave decision to buy tickets in general admission, and was sure to tell me how incredible that experience was.

He said that, ?There was this 6' 5? guy dressed as SpiderMan throwing elbows and getting the pits hype. It was so weird and awesome at the same time."

Although I personally haven?t listened to much of Ken Car$on?s discography, his set was pretty good and his sound serves as a worthy precursor to the next opener and Carti himself.

The second opener on tour, Rico Nasty, provided a similar, yet unique sound from the other two performers. I haven?t listened to much of her music either, but she brought her loudest, most hype songs to get the crowd jumping.

I was very happy that she performed because in a lot of stops throughout the tour, she had gotten booed by the crowd.

She voiced on social media how unhappy she was, which was why the Philly crowd had embraced her. She certainly made sure to voice her mutual appreciation to the crowd by acknowledging how much she enjoyed performing in Philadelphia, which was a very touching gesture.

Now as I mentioned previously, Carti took forever to get on stage. I got in the building at 7:30 p.m. and Carti?s performance didn?t even start until 10 p.m.

In the near hour between Rico Nasty?s performance and Carti?s performance, the Liacouras Center was getting pumped with smoke from the fog machine.

making the experience even more surreal.

(Photo: eventworld.co)

By Zachar y Reagan ?23

Playboi Carti (above) performed at the Liacouras Center on Dec. 19th.

Although I originally thought that the crew was overdoing it, the smoke created a very mysterious and physically blinding atmosphere. As we later learned, the venue had to be filled with smoke so that the laser effects and silhouette effects could be seen as clearly as possible, and the lasers were definitely one of my favorite parts of the show.

Ashton agreed with this, saying, ?Carti?s addition of a live guitarist playing the songs along with the actual tracks made the songs feel entirely different.?

After the opening, Carti?s next songs were ?Rockstar Made? and ?Teen X?, which was Ashton?s favorite song of the night.

Carti opened the show with a fan favorite, ?Stop Breathing?, which as you might be able to tell from the title, is a super intense track. This made it the perfect opening song for this high energy show.

The combination of these two songs and the fantastic laser show going on in the Liacouras Center got the mosh pits super hyped up and left the rest of the audience ecstatic - not to mention Carti's screaming.

Carti entered with what could only be described as a primal scream, but the extended guitar intro of the song got the whole crowd on their feet. The guitarist was a crazy cool addition to the tour, and gave the whole show a very unique twist and made the songs feel really fresh.

He then delivered his verse on one of my favorite songs of 2021, ?Off The Grid? from Kanye West?s album, Donda, and due to its popularity, everyone in the arena screamed the lyrics. The guitar intro for this song was one of my favorites of the night as well,

His most popular songs became some of the highlights of the show simply because everyone knew the words and so the atmosphere became noticeably heightened. Examples of this like ?Sky?, ?Shoota? and ?Miss The Rage? fit this description the best.

Some songs that aren?t as well known, but still brought tons of energy, were ?New Tank?, ?No Sl33p?, ?Vamp Anthem?, and ?Punk Monk?.

For some songs he chilled out to a degree, and his vocal performance was on great display in songs like ?New N3on?, ?ILoveUIHateU?, ?Die4Guy? and ?F33l Like Dyin?. ?On That Time? was easily my favorite song of the night, though.

My favorite was when "Whole Lotta Red" came out, and before the show I had seen how insane the guitar intro was for that song. All of that culminated in my favorite part of the night, and the beat drop is a moment that I?ll never forget.

Aidan Williams ?23 had gone with me, and had this to say about the whole experience: ?The experience was an album.

Not only did the music have a completely different sound than the digital album, but his showmanship was phenomenal to boot.

The Hawkeye | Friday, February 4, 2022 |

Remember ing Bob Saget

By James Baker ?23 Bob Saget: a father to America, a comedian, and a Philadelphian. While he was most famously known as Danny Tanner on the sitcom Full House, Saget also hosted America's Funniest Home Videos from 1989 to 1997. He was found dead in his Orlando hotel room on January 9th, 2022.

He was 65 years old.

Robert Lane Saget was born in Philadelphia on May 17, 1956 to a middle-class, Jewish family. His family then moved to Norfolk, Virginia and later Los Angeles, California. He lived in these two places for most of his childhood until his parents decided to move back to the Philadelphia area, where he graduated from Abington Senior High School.

Entertainment | 11

Playlists at the Prep: 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!

Compiled By M ax Nast '23

Saget then attended Temple University?s film school where he studied the behind the scenes of movies, shows, and all films. When he was just 20 years old, Saget had a burst appendix, which nearly killed him. This experience taught him the lesson that life is short and that he needed to use his time to make an impact.

Saget?s professional career began in 1987 as a member of CBS?s The Morning Program, lasting only one season. Then came his breakthrough role of the loving, protective, and respected Danny Tanner on Full House. Known as ?America?s Father? for eight years, he showed what it really meant for a father to care for his children and family.

When the show ended, he transitioned more into the role of stand-up comedy, which was nothing new for him. His humor was known to be dirty, but this does not outweigh the continuous kindness that he displayed on and off the screen.

The death of Bob Saget surely came as a shock to all. His persona as a loving and caring father will live on in his legacy on and off the screen for generations to come.

The Book of Boba Fett: Tur n the Page?

By Wolfgang Wahl '23 Lucasfilm?s The Book of Boba Fett was able to be seen by millions when the first episode was released on December 29, 2021 on Disney+.

The show so far has six episodes that have been released every Wednesday with the last episode airing February 9, 2022.

The show gives insight into how Fett escaped from the Sarlacc Pit after the events of Return of the Jedi, and was rescued and saved by Tusken Raiders. The main focus of the plot is about Fett's ruling as the new ?daimyo? after taking over Jabba?s throne as a crime lord of Mos Espa, alongside his new underboss, Fennec Shand.

The Book of Boba Fett uses a dual narrative to present its story. Two plotlines are told concurrently: one focuses on the present, where Boba Fett, Fennec Shand, and the allies they recruit along the way try to maintain their hold on Tatooine. The other plotline takes place in Fett?s mind as a series of extended but connected flashbacks about his past, starting from his tenure amongst the Tusken Raiders and continuing up to where the main plotline is supposed to begin.

The Book of Boba Fett received some positive reviews from critics, with 81% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Though the show has attained good reviews from critics, it has been mixed from many fans. The Book of Boba Fett received a 61% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Many Star Wars fans seem to dislike the characterization of Boba Fett, who had been an evil cutthroat bounty hunter who seemingly lacked any morals, and develop him into a loyal boss who treats almost everyone with respect.

Some also compare the show to the preceding Star Wars live action Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, which was critically acclaimed when it aired its two current seasons. Both series focus on a similar bounty hunter from the planet Mandalore, and fans believe that The Book of Boba Fett just doesn?t stack up to the benchmark of quality that show set.

That being said, while The Book of Boba Fett might not be the story every Star Wars fan wants, it's the story we?re getting. Now we just have to see how much of this absolutely iconic character there is left for us to enjoy.

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12 | Entertainment | Friday, February 4, 2022 | The Hawkeye

Wenger 's Tasty L icks #3: Wawa v. Sheetz Wawa, a Philadelphia classic, has been up and running since the mid- 1960?s serving their specialty sandwiches, drinks, and just about anything you could imagine. Wawa?s bevy of options is a prime example as for why the people of this city and beyond enjoy it so much.

Philly is known for Wawa, but if you travel around the midwestern areas of Pennsylvania, there is another place that holds dear to many other Pennsylvanians, stirring up a war between the citizens of this state. Its name, of course, is Sheetz. Sprouting in the 1950?s in Altoona, Sheetz has been providing similar choices to Wawa, but with a wider spread of options.

I, the Conqueror of Food, have stepped up to the challenge to go into these uncharted territories in order to see which is truly better: Wawa or Sheetz.

The slight issue with this is that both places don?t exactly carry the same exact items.

That's why I will narrow it down to hoagies, breakfast sandwiches, and milkshakes. I feel like these items are at a perfect neutral ground.

The first stop on my journey was at a local Wawa. Wawa has a plethora of options to choose from for breakfast, whether it be omelets, scrambled eggs, or egg whites. The option I went with was their signature Western sandwich.

This sandwich contains an egg omelet, bacon, cheddar cheese, salsa, and creamy chipotle

sauce, which is laid in between a bagel of choice (in my case, an everything). This sandwich has an overwhelming abundance of items that can go on it, yes, but all the flavors compliment each other well. The egg itself was pretty basic, having just a slight taste, but the mix of cheese, salsa and bacon really brought this sandwich to a fairly high standard.

Wawa?s breakfast is 6/10.

Later that day, I went back for lunch to get my next items, including what is pretty much exactly what Wawa is known for: their hoagies. My hoagie was a simple turkey on a classic roll with mayo, lettuce, spinach and onions, and, of course, it was not toasted. The milkshake I ordered was just a simple chocolate shake. In all honesty, the hoagies at Wawa are not up to par with what they used to be. They just don?t really taste the same as they did years prior. With that being said, the hoagie at Wawa will be listed as a 5/10.

In contrast to the hoagie, the milkshake was a delightful recovery for the meal. It is pretty hard to mess up a milkshake, but it had the perfect consistency: rather thick, but not to the point where it would get stuck in the straw and force you to use a spoon. It had a nice chocolate flavor that you would taste in some of their other chocolate items like ice cream or their chocolate milk.

With that being said, the milkshake will receive a 7/10.

Wawa?s total: 18/30 Now, Sheetz was a peculiar case. I couldn?t exactly drive

(Photo: Sheetz | Facebook)

By Andrew Wenger ?23

In the Wawa v. Sheetz showdown, Sheetz pulls off one of the greatest upsets of all time by scoring higher than Wawa on this edition of Wenger 's Tasty Licks.

myself up to a Sheetz, because I had just gotten my license and had no car at the time. Not to mention that the last time that I went to Sheetz was a few weeks prior, when I was away in Hershey. However, I was going to Virginia to visit family and, luckily enough, they had a Sheetz no further than a 5 minute walk from where I was. Of course, I ordered a hoagie while I was down there.

With that being said, I had gotten the exact same thing I normally get at Wawa, which is the turkey hoagie. The hoagie, in contrast to what I thought, was actually surprisingly similar to Wawa. The sandwich tasted pretty much the same as Wawa?s, besides the taste of the roll. The mayo gave it a much less dry taste and partially made up for the dryness of the meat, which was peculiar. All things considered, it is a convenience store sandwich. The Sheetz hoagie is also a 5/10.

On New Year's Eve, me and the family had used UberEats to get a few Sheetz items and that's when I had myself a milkshake. I had also gotten a chocolate milkshake in addition to that and this thing SLAPPED. No cap, this was better than Wawa. I have no idea where they get their chocolate from, but I would take their entire stock. The milkshake had a fantastic consistency and an even better taste. Sheetz milkshakes are a 9/10.

Now for breakfast, I had gotten one of their signature sandwiches as I was making my departure back to Philadelphia.

Though, oddly enough, I didn?t expect to find much at all.

They ended up having chicken and waffle sandwiches, which, to me, was an absolute score. I had never tasted anything quite like it before. It was tasty and had many complimenting flavors. The maple syrup had worked symbiotically with the crisp of the chicken. However,

the waffle simply lacked any real flavor and was more dry than a day-old Popeyes biscuit.

Having said this, Sheetz?s breakfast comes down to a 5/10.

Sheetz total: 19/30 This was incredibly hard to rank. Those who know me personally understand that I?m always a homeboy for Philly.

But in this case, I had to let the bias go. Wawa has better tasting food but Sheetz has a better variety. I know the score comes down to 19- 18 Sheetz, but the main factor that came into play with this decision is how they don't have the same menu items. With that being said, even though I think Sheetz may be slightly better, it's safe to conclude that these two places are just about equal when it comes to grabbing a nice bite.

The Weeknd: Dawn FM Review

By Colin Bir kmire ?23 The Weeknd is one of the most popular, if not the most popular musicians, working today. From his elaborate hitfilled Super Bowl Dawn FM Halftime Show last year, to scoring inescapable radio hits like ?Blinding Lights? or ?Save Your Tears? from his 2020 album After Hours, it is safe to say that he has solidified his role as one of the most popular and most influential musicians in the world. And while he has remained popular to varying degrees over the past decade, it seems that the world is in a Weeknd Renaissance now more than ever. And with his latest album Dawn FM, The Weeknd proves that he is still as creative as ever.

Dawn FM is a strange album.

It has a very specific concept and narrative to it, though this isn?t necessarily uncommon for a mainstream artist, with some of the most popular albums from some of the most ac-

claimed artists of all time having clear concepts and narratives, like as Pink Floyd?s The Wall or The Who?s Tommy.

Also, there are albums with equal acclaim and a classic status with much looser concepts and narratives, like Kid Cudi?s Man on the Moon albums or David Bowie?s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. So while this isn?t a new idea, the cohesive story behind Dawn FM is very ambitious, and it works pretty well.

The album centers around a man stuck in purgatory tuning into an 80?s pop radio station, hosted by a DJ played by Jim Carrey, as he waits to get into Heaven. Besides the feature from Carrey, the album also boasts features from Tyler, The Creator and Lil Wayne, as well as spoken word features from famous music producer Quincy Jones as well as Josh Safdie, one half of actor- director duo the Safdie Brothers. The album also has production credits from Calvin Harris, Oneohtrix Point Never, Max Martin, and

Swedish House Mafia, to create that unmistakable retropop sound.

Some standouts from the album include the energetic and catchy ?Less Than Zero,? the retropop ballad ?Out of Time,? and the smooth, Lil Waynefeaturing ?I Heard You?re Married,? among others. Another notable track is ?Take My Breath,? which was the first single for the album released back in August. On the album however, the song is longer and slightly changed, with a long and drawn out feel to it, almost in the vein of New Order?s classic 1987 synthpop song ?Blue Monday.? This alternate version of the song makes for a fresh and interesting addition to an already great single.

And while The Weeknd?s vocals are on point, as always, what really stands out on this album is the immersive and rich production. Even if the listener is unable to follow the story and concept of the album, the sound is more than enough to reel them back in.

Dawn FM is not without its flaws, however. For starters, even if the concept and the story is interesting, it may alienate some listeners. Even the most revered concept albums can be guilty of this, so it isn?t necessarily The Weeknd?s fault. After all, the story is genuinely unique for the medium of music, and the framing device of Jim Carrey as the DJ/narrator works really well.

But, compared to his previous album After Hours, The Weeknd had already done much more with a much looser concept and story on that album than he did with Dawn FM. After Hours had an omnipresent theme just like this album, from the cover art showing the main character the album follows, to the overall distinct visual and lyrical themes of both albums; they are very similar. And, the two albums may possibly be connected. In a recent interview, The Weeknd alluded to the fact that fans may be experiencing a ?trilogy? of albums. Still,

Dawn FM comes across as perhaps too ambitious in its story and concept compared to After Hours which was accompanied by cinematic music videos and now iconic award show performances and a Super Bowl halftime show, despite having such a loose concept and story.

That being said, Dawn FM is already one of the best albums of 2022 so far, and one of the better albums in The Weeknd?s catalog.

He deserves a ton of credit and respect for being one of the most popular and most streamed artists in the world right now who can still manage to put out a highly ambitious album with a unique and refreshing story to go along with it. And while he always puts out quality music, it is even more admirable that he made the album that he had wanted to make, when he very well could?ve gotten away with selling out and making a bunch of singles tailored for the radio.

He is a true artist, through and through, and one that is hopefully here to stay for many more years.

The Hawkeye | Friday, February 4, 2022 |

Entertainment | 13

Aiden in the Audience: Ween

By Aiden Ander son ?22

?Freedom of ?76.??

SpongeBob SquarePants.

You (probably) love him and the show, and so do I...along with everyone else. But what if I told you the famous children?s series may never have existed were it not for the legendary band Ween?

Now, back to SpongeBob. In 1997, Ween released their oceanic record titled The Mollusk. While only a few songs make a direct reference to the ocean, the whole record has a nautical feel to it. The album inspired Stephen Hillenburg to create a kid?s show about creatures at the bottom of the sea.

Ween is originally from New Hope, Pennsylvania, about an hour north of the Prep. They started out as a duo consisting of Michael Melchiondo (Dean Ween) and Aaron Freeman (Gene Ween). With originally only ?Deaner? on guitar and ?Gener? on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, the band would later expand to include drummer Claude Coleman Jr., keyboardist Glenn McClelland, and bassist Dave Dreiwitz.

Ween?s first few records are very weird and have become cult classics among fans, which fans describe as ?brown.? Fans use the term ?brown? to talk about Ween?s strange, experimental, and immature music. The band had their first taste of commercial success with a smashing hit called ?Push Th? Little Daisies?, which made an appearance on the 90s classic show Beavis and Butt- Head.

One of the characters in the show even jokes, ?These guys got no future!?

Ween once paid tribute to their Philadelphia heritage with the song ?Freedom of ?76?, which makes reference to Boyz II Men, Fairmount Park, and South Street. Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters once stated, ?I would give my left leg to write a song as pretty as

Later on, The Mollusk?s ?Ocean Man? would make an appearance at the end of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and instantly became connected to the franchise.

Hillenburg would also commission the band to create a song about tying shoelaces, and soon enough ?Loop de Loop? became part of SpongeBob?s official soundtrack. After the success of The Mollusk, Ween released White Pepper in 2000 (English teacher Mr. Kearney?s favorite!) and then my personal favorite in 2003: Quebec.

Throughout the band?s history, two things have remained constant: an immature sense of humor and a willingness to switch up styles. With lyrical subjects ranging from flushing a tick down the toilet to politely asking for a Pork Roll Egg and Cheese sandwich, Ween never fails to make me laugh. Pair that with genres covering alternative rock, metal, funk, soul, country, psychedelia, prog, and punk, and you?ve got yourself a truly unique band. ?Their genre-blending music was pretty interesting, especially the improvisational elements of their music,? said

Despite playing the longest setlist I?ve ever witnessed (34 songs!), Ween kept the performance interesting by switching up not only the genres but also the energy. They went from playing a melancholic tune about Hershey, PA, to a twenty-minute long improvised explosion of music.

Andrew Sergovic ?22 said, ?The energy was insane, they played with such force, and Dean Ween just kept on shredding!?

PA natives Ween performed at The Met in Philly on Dec. 11th.

Dan Deeney ?22.

Back in December, I, along with a few friends, watched Ween perform a few blocks away from school at The Met. This was particularly entertaining for me as I watched not only the band play but also my friends' reactions to all of the strangeness. James Agger ?22 said, ?I was really surprised by the intensity of their music and their performance. It was very loud, the crowd was crazy, and the lighting was wild.?

Ween started off the performance playing The Mollusk?s title track, which has lyrics that SpongeBob would quote himself. Throughout the night, Ween hopped all over their discography and played many of their lesser-known songs as well as their most popular.

While playing, a giant poster of the band?s logo hung in the back. The logo is a Demon God that appeared to Dean and Gene and goes by the name of The Boognish. The band has

joked that their whole purpose revolves around spreading the good word of Boognish.

For the most part, I could tell that most fans in the attendance were die-hard supporters of Ween. I overheard one woman say that she had seen the band play over 100 times!

The crowd stayed respectful and sang along to all of Ween?s catchiest tunes. Gener and Deaner ensured that the audience was having a good time, and took pauses to speak to us directly. Deaner shared a story about how he recently got a new cat, but the cat is somehow only half-neutered. (Don?t worry, it didn?t make sense to me either.)

While performing some of their classic ?brown? songs from the band?s early days, Gener used a megaphone and relayed it to his normal microphone. I thought this was supremely creative, and matched the vibe of the original recordings.

To excite the crowd even more, Ween made use of The Met?s lights as well as smoke machines. These were utilized to match particular moments in each song, and definitely contributed to the fun. My favorite moment of the night was Deaner?s solo on ?Transdermal Celebration?.

Every note seemed so perfectly selected, and every bar just exfoliated Deaner?s talent with his instrument. ?This was my first ever concert and I was genuinely surprised by the sheer power of the sound. My seat was pretty far from the stage, yet it literally felt like the sound waves were punching me in the face.

That, combined with the energy of the crowd and the torque of the songs, created an electrifying experience,? said Eamon Coffey ?22.

Personally, it was an amazing experience to hear so many of my favorite songs played live.

Seeing Dean and Gene display such heartfelt and genuine appreciation for their fans was incredible.

" Behind the Scenes" of Night of Scenes

By Sean Angelucci ?23 Cape and Sword?s annual Night of Scenes is a performance composed of unrelated scenes directed by Prep faculty and alums. These scenes are performed by Prep students along with girls from neighboring schools.

There are no cuts, so any Prep student can get involved.

You could have been on stage all your life or have never set foot in a theater; it doesn?t matter.

The scenes vary from musical numbers, sketch comedy, and some are even original scenes written by the directors.

This year, the production consists of Saturday Night Live sketches such as ?Matt Foley,? ?Career Day? and ?Sensitive Drill Sergeant?; Studio C skits including ?The Worst Extra? and ?The Ultimate Quiet Game?, and the song ?Nicest Kids in Town? from Hairspray.

The idea for Night of Scenes originated when Father Bur,

watch your Prep brothers on stage at Night of Scenes. You can bring your friends, your family, a date, anyone! All are welcome!

former president of the Prep, now temporary champlain, and rightfully known to many as ?St. George,? reached out to Mr. Braithwaite looking for an activity through Cape and Sword in which any Prep student could participate.

They went right to work, and Night of Scenes was born. Father Bur has always strived to give every student the full Prep experience through creating and suggesting inclusive activities, and Night of Scenes is a perfect example of Father Bur?s work.

According to Mr. Braithwaite, the most students ever involved in a Night of Scenes at one time was 184 back in 2014.

When asked why students should participate in Night of Scenes, Mr. Braithwite said, ?Mainly cause it's super fun.

But also because it allows kids an opportunity to be on stage without the commitment level of a full production.?

I saw Night of Scenes for the first time in eighth grade and I

Night of Scenes is already cast and performing this weekend, but fortunately for you there is always next year!

Again, I feel getting involved will be an awesome experience, and I hope you would consider it.

The dates for 11th annual Night of Scenes (pictured above) are this weekend, so make sure to buy your tickets ASAP!

can say with full confidence that not only is Night of Scenes entertaining and fun to watch, it is also an experience that every Prep student should try at least once during their Prep career.

I have made new friends and grown closer to old ones over the years through Night of Scenes, and you can too!

The feeling of an audience enjoying your performance is like no other, and I hope every Prep student gets to experience that very feeling.

While auditions are over for this year, you can start to get ready for next year by simply just preparing a joke or monologue.

Once you are cast (remember, no cuts!), it is a relatively small commitment and you need to just go to your 2- 3 times per week rehearsals, memorize your lines and blocking, and in a few weeks your scene will perform on stage.

Even if you do not want to be a performer, I suggest going to

The performance dates for the 11th Annual Night of Scenes are February 4th at 7 PM, February 5th at 3 PM and at 7 PM, and February 6th at 3 PM. Tickets are still available, hope you all can make it!

14 | Entertainment | Friday, February 4, 2022 | The Hawkeye

Five Nights at Freddy's (FNAF) is one of the most popular horror game series in the last decade, with eight official mainline games in the series.

The most recent game?developed by SteelWool Games as opposed to creator Scott Cawthon?is Five Nights at Freddy?s: Security Breach.

This is the first of the games to be a free roaming first- person game, with all of the previous entries being point and click 2D games. What?s so unfortunate about it being the first free roam FNAF game is just how bad it ended up.

There are three main reasons I believe Security Breach is the worst in the series. First, there is little to no horror in the game, even though the FNAF series is rooted in the horror genre. Second, the game is far too easy, leaving no room for expressing skill. Finally, the game is just completely broken and unpolished, with countless game-breaking glitches.

Before I get to my points, first I will explain the game?s premise.

You play as a child named Gregory who gets stuck in Freddy Fazbear?s Mega Pizzaplex.

Accompanied by Glamrock Freddy, he must find his way out of the massive building, fending off the semisentient animatronics in the Pizzaplex, who are hunting Gregory during the night. The main three to look out for are Glamrock Chica, Montgomery Gator, and Roxanne Wolf. In addition, he must hide from the human security guard Vanessa as well as her supernatural killer counterpart, Vanny.

Now my first point: Security Breach is far from a scary game, unlike its predecessors.

FNAF 4 had to be the scariest game in the series, espe-

cially in comparison to Security Breach. One of the main reasons FNAF 4 is widely considered the scariest game in the series is because of its character design, setting, and atmosphere. The classic characters have transformed into big bulky monsters, with sharp teeth, claws, and a look of death. The eerie setting is a child?s bedroom, and you have four claustrophobic areas from which the animatronics can come.

Most importantly, the atmosphere is downright terrifying, with a dog barking in the background, the subtle shuffles and breathing of the nightmare animatronics, and the darkness surrounding you everywhere.

This all adds up to make it a terrifying gaming experience.

Security Breach does everything the opposite of FNAF 4 and the rest of the series, and for the worse. These shiny, plastic characters pose no real threat to you, unlike the dark, looming, and uncanny character designs of the earlier animatronics. The pizzaplex is an open, sprawling mall building where you can see everything around you, which means no expected jumpscares and a loss of the claustrophobia that defined the horror of the earlier games.

And finally, the atmosphere is more comforting than anything; the shiny building is completely lit up with almost no dark spots, only briefly becoming dark when Gregory enters the Daycare area and must turn the lights back on.

There's none of the uncanny children's lullabies magically playing, nor the sounds of animatronics sneakily coming creeping towards you.

Another reason the game isn?t scary is because you can fight back, whereas in the earlier games, a lot of the horror is built around how little you can do to stop the animatronics

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach (pictured above) is the latest installment in the popular video game horror franchise.

from ending your run, Security Breach decides to give you a camera or laser gun to stun animatronics. This practically ends all fear in what should be a horror game.

An example to show how this game just isn't scary is through a viral clip of the proclaimed FNAF king himself, YouTuber Markiplier.

Markiplier had approached Chica eating trash in a bathroom and, when he got close to her, she attacked. You can see in Markiplier?s face that he isn't scared by this ?jumpscare?. He simply responds, ?Well, that went exactly how I thought it was gonna go.? It's just such a shame a truly scary series has a game like this with almost no horror in it. Hopefully, the next title does better.

In addition, SteelWool had done a great job at making a stupidly easy Five Nights at Freddy?s game. The player can call in Freddy basically whenever they would like and wherever. You use Freddy like a shield, and animatronics can't attack you when you're inside.

The only deterrent to abusing this is that Freddy has a battery that will cause him to attack you if the battery falls too low.

However, there are recharge stations littered all around the map where you can charge this battery, meaning you can stay inside Freddy almost the entire game.

Another thing the player can do to make the game much easier is just hop on a table when being chased by an animatronic, and it?ll magically lose sight of the player and go away. The AI of the animatronics chasing you is embarrassingly bad. As mentioned before, the player can get either a laser blaster or a camera to stun the animatronics. On top of totally ruining the fear factor of the game, it also stops the game from being challenging at all.

Finally, this game is just clearly unfinished. Security Breach was announced on August 8th, 2019. SteelWool had two years to finish the game, but if you look at the game in its current state, it is utterly broken. Security Breach, a game normally completed in upwards of 10 hours, can be speedrun in only 2 minutes and 56 seconds in Any%, a speedrunning category that uses unlimited glitches. The game is completely and utterly broken.

What's worse is that these speedrunners did not have to look hard to find these glitches: they are easily found by just playing the game. One example is jumping before entering Freddy?s stomach, causing the game to not load correctly, and allowing the player to walk anywhere they want in the map.

The game just runs terribly with very low frame rates, and you can only turn on ray tracing if you have a NASA- level computer. If I were to go through all the glitches in the game, this article would never end.

Now, it may sound like I hate this game, but there are a few things I like. First, the characters.

All the new additions to the original cast of animatronics are pretty good, and I really think replacing Bonnie with the new Montgomery Gator was a great change. DJ Music Man, the endoskeletons, and the daycare attendants are other welcome side additions.

I also absolutely love how the characters feel nuanced.

The best example, in my opinion, is Roxanne Wolf.

Throughout the game, she says little lines like, ?Your hair is beautiful?, and, ?I am the best.? Giving Roxanne this narcissistic personality and having her display it throughout the entire game is just so amazing for this series.

(Photo: Warner Bro. Pictures)

By Antoine Robinson ?24

(Photo: store.steampowered.com)

Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach Review

I also really like how it expands on the storylines of the previous games: Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted and Freddy Fazbear?s Pizzeria Simulator.

The character Vanny is from the VR version of Help Wanted, and the pizzeria found in the true ending is the same pizzeria built in Pizzeria Simulator. SteelWool did a great job in connecting these two stories together.

It's just so disappointing that this game didn't live up to what it could have been, and is overall just a real let down.

Hopefully, in the coming months SteelWool will listen to players and fix the glitches, add more content and port it to Xbox.

The Matrix: Resurrect-I ng a Fr anchise

By Conor Flaher ty ?24

To many, the film seems to be another Warner Bros. cash grab, and it is; the film itself even acknowledges this. However, the film offers a profound look at not just the franchise, but the state of the current entertainment industry. The Matrix: Resurrections is more than a cheap attempt to revive a franchise; it is a message to Hollywood that is worth listening to.

To fully understand the film, it?s important to understand the controversy that has been sur-

(Photo: imdb.com)

The Matrix series, a staple in science fiction long thought to be a dead franchise, has returned for a fourth installment, and with Lana Wachowski returning to write and direct.

Neo (played by Keanu Reeves, pictured above) is the protagonist of The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth installement in The Matrix series.

rounding it. It?s no surprise that the original trilogy made Warner Bros. a lot of money, but due to the disappointment surrounding the lackluster sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, Warner Bros. pressed the Wachowskis to make more movies. The problem is, they

declined. Despite that, Warner Bros. still planned on more The Matrix projects, with or without the original creators behind it.

It was then that Lana Wachowski stepped in to make The Matrix: Resurrections.

This is an issue that the film it-

self eludes to. Because Warner Bros. owns the rights to this franchise, they can do whatever they please with it, with or without the artist?s permission. Knowing this sheds a bit of light on the film and the message it tries to convey.

As for the film itself, it was okay. The first act feels slow, and even after the long buildup, the action doesn?t really kick in until well past the halfway point of the film. Even so, it still is fun and adds a lot to the rich world of The Matrix. The evolution in the effects is quite impressive.

Besides the action, perhaps what The Matrix is most well known for is its deep themes and philosophies. The Matrix Resurrections delivers on that, but in a different way. This in-

stallment instead focuses its attention on the film industry and how media is consumed today. I believe that the film is making a comment on how Hollywood relies too heavily on nostalgia, and would rather bring back old franchises for a cash grab instead of letting artists explore and create something new.

It?s interesting to see a message like that come from this movie; but knowing the context and history of the build-up of this film, I find it quite profound.

Despite all its praises, the film is still sloppy and not without its faults; but it?s nonetheless exactly what I wanted from a new Matrix movie. 7/10

The Hawkeye | Friday, February 4, 2022 |

The McCl oskeyword

Entertainment | 15

Cr uciver balist: M r. Br ian M cCloskey '91 Note: Spaces not included

10. Flint 13. Caddy Tournament Champion 14. Blue Chips, Penny Hardaway 15. Field of Dreams, James Earl Jones Across 2. Rudy's buddy 4. Gump's buddy 6. Linebacker in car accident 7. Hoosier's Hero 8. Player-Coach of the Chiefs 9. Spicoli's High School 11. Captain of the guards, prison in Maine 12. Wine Mixer 14. Great escape star Down 1. Male nurse 3. Bull Durham

catcher 4. Happy Girlmore, Price is Wrong

5. Old school, old man 6. Chicos Bail Bonds

Coach

16. Volleyball

7. Wedding Crashers Secretary

17. Good Fellas, shot in the foot

Faculty Gr id (ASC Edition)

By Stephen Cain '22

M r. Hampton '17

M r. Jones '17

M r. M cCor mick '17

Favor ite memor y at the Prep as a student?

Being in The Music Man or Undefeated State Title Game Senior Year.

Heading to DC on a field trip with Mr. Rupertus with his African American Lit class.

The seniors' "Be Discreet" assembly.

How many JUGs did you receive as a student?

Let's just say I changed my act up after freshman year lol.

Too many, they used to JUG for not having your ID on. Probably around 45-50.

One

Favor ite SAGE delicacy?

The Warm Event Cookies.

I love the soups they put out now.

Good soup.

SAGE coffee

Who's the funniest per son at the Prep you know?

Frank Raffa.

Mr. Braithwaite, easy.

Ms. Quinter

16 | Entertainment | Friday, February 4, 2022 | The Hawkeye

West Side Story Review

By Jared Alicea ?22

Rachel Zegler gives an amazing breakout performance, and her voice is definitely one of the highlights of the film. The New Jersey native was cast as a high school student, and her performance has already earned her a Golden Globe award. Ansel Elgort also gives a captivating, passionate performance.

varez leads the ?Sharks?, an NYC street gang, in a beautiful and inspiring rendition of ?La Borinquena? that almost brought me to tears.

the whole runtime of the film, but specifically during ?America.? I would not be surprised if she wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress this year.

While the two leads both shined, the best performances actually came from the supporting characters. David Al-

Ariana DeBose outshines all of her co- stars as Anita. Her Puerto Rican pride can be felt through the screen throughout

All the wonderful performances are certainly a part of why the new West Side Story is one of my candidates for

(Photo: imdb.com)

(Photo: Clutch Points)

A couple of weeks later, I went to the theater to watch the classic musical again, and I am happy to say that my initial views were reaffirmed.

The beautiful cinematography, costumes, and set design transported me to 1950s New York just as they did when I was a child watching the original 1961 version.?

(Photo: Niko Tavernise | Twentieth Century Studios)

After my first viewing of West Side Story, I walked out of the theater amazed. I couldn?t stop singing the songs, or singing my praise of the film to anyone who would listen.

Ariana DeBose (pictured in the gold dress) played Anita in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story and according to Alicea, could be a potential frontrunner for Best Supporting Actress at this year 's Oscars for her outstanding performance.

?Movie of the Year?, but what really gave the film its spark was its three- dimensional characters. The Puerto Rican characters are now played by Latinx actors, and there is actual character development.

We get to see the characters deal with racial pressure, language barriers, and gentrifica-

tion all while still being a chaotic, forbidden love story.

For anyone who has not watched the original West Side Story or Steven Spieberg?s 2021 version, I can confidently recommend both.

Licorice Pizza Review Another controversy surrounding the film was a couple of scenes where one of the side characters is cartoonishly racist to the point of absurdity.

Licorice Pizza is the most recent work by writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson.

The film has received amazing reviews from critics, but has been subjected to both mixed reviews from regular moviegoers, and controversy on social media.

To address the amazing reviews, there is no question that this movie was beautifully directed.

While I cannot claim that I have been to Los Angeles before, or that I was alive in the 70s, the whole film has a beautiful atmosphere through a nostalgic color saturation, and all of the shots and scenes have such great visual and audio design to them that makes you feel like you are there.

One instance in particular in the directing that really stood out to me was when the two lead characters, who were not on speaking terms at the time, coincidentally ended up in the same restaurant together.

While they stared each other down, the live piano perfor-

(Photo: ucsdguardian.org)

It recounts a quirky love story of an ?on- again, offagain? friendship between a driven 15 year old and wise beyond his years actor, Gary Valentine. The story is also centered around an aimless 25 year old, Alana Kane, a flighty employee of Tiny Toes, a company that does school picture days.

Gary Valentine (played by Cooper Hoffman and pictured above left) and Alana Kane (played by Alana Haim and pictured above right) are the protagonists of the most famous work by writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson: Licorice Pizza.

mance in the background of the restaurant played several dramatic chords, organically increasing the drama. Little moments and details like this show the care that went into the directing of this movie.

On the other hand, I can see where many casual moviegoers would not enjoy the film. PTA is known for his movies not having much of a plot, but being more of a winding story following the few main characters, which applies to Licorice Pizza as well.

He is also known for his movies to be chaotic and to have a lot going on at all times, which can make this movie seem like it is being quirky just for the sake of being quirky.

This method of storytelling

definitely takes an acquired taste, so watching it can be very hit or miss.

One other complaint of mine was that there were times when the dialogue felt extremely clunky and inauthentic. There were several times in the movie where the dialogue just distracted me from all of the good things the movie does so well.

There were a couple of different controversies surrounding this movie on social media, as things tend to go through once it reaches the internet.

One of the major issues that people brought up was that the movie appears to be glorifying the grooming of a teenage boy by an adult woman, which I would agree has some merit.

I do not know what PTA?s intentions were in telling this story, because the whole movie dances around the two characters being in an involved romantic relationship, and as the movie goes on their relationship becomes more and more intimate, and not in a platonic way.

This situation is further complicated by the fact that there were appropriately aged characters that showed interest in Alana, yet she still chose to be with a 15 year old at the end of the day.

While the depiction of this relationship is not something that is inherently bad, the romanticizing of the grooming does leave a sour taste in the mouth.

I do not know if the purpose of the scene was for a couple of cheap laughs, an attempt to add authentic 70s aesthetic, or some misguided, satirical social commentary that ?racism is bad?, but it does not achieve any of these objectives effectively, and reflects poorly on the film.

(Photo: Brooklyn Nets)

By Aidan Williams ?23

Overall, Licorice Pizza is a beautiful movie that has a lot of interesting characters filled with a star-studded cast, along with some new faces to the acting world.

If you are a fan of good directing, then you will greatly appreciate how this movie looks and feels, and you will also enjoy the interesting character development.

On the flip side, if you are looking for a movie with a substantial plot or are turned off by the questionable subject material, Licorice Pizza is not the movie for you.

The Hawkeye | Friday, February 4, 2022 |

Opinion/Debate | 17

Opinion/Debate Super Bowl = U.S. HOL I DAY!

By Ted Antczak ?23 Every year, millions of people from not only America but all across the world gather around their television on the 1st (now 2nd after the added Week 18 by the NFL) Sunday in February to watch the two top teams in professional football battle it out on the brightest of stages.

The Super Bowl is a globally respected event that draws in countless viewers ever since its inception in 1967. But since that year, it has seen a steady increase in viewership, now averaging over 100 million viewers per year.

The number of people that watch the Super Bowl annually is astronomical. 100 million annual viewers seems like a number that some events could be able to surmount. But that is far from the case.

To put this number in perspective, Joe Biden?s 2020 Presidential Inauguration received just under 34 million viewers, and Donald Trump?s Inauguration received 31 mil-

Chiefs' quarterback #15 Patrick Mahomes (picture above left) and 49ers' quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo dualed it out in Super Bowl LIV in 2020 to an audience of 91 million Americans.

lion viewers. Three times more people watched two teams play football for three hours instead of a presidential inauguration.

Additionally, it is estimated that there are about 121 million homes with a TV. In the prepandemic era, 91 million Americans watched Super Bowl LIV. Assuming that every person watches the game on one TV per household, ¾ of every TV household witnessed the Chiefs playing the 49ers live.

As you can see, the Super Bowl has practically become an American tradition. However, it is seen as something that you watch before quickly preparing for the next day. For many, this is the first chance to watch their team finally make the game, and they might not see it again for a long time. Of course, some people will stay up and watch their team either win or lose, but with work or school the next day, it only makes it more challenging.

I remember the year the Eagles won the Super Bowl. I will never forget it. After they won, I knew for sure I was not going to sleep anytime soon, and neither were thousands of other Philadelphia fans. I was exhausted along with most of my fellow students and even faculty members at my middle school the next day; nobody wanted to be in the building that day. The only reason that some of them, including me, likely got up that morning was

because of the delight of the victory the night before.

The easiest way to combat this is to make Super Bowl Sunday a national holiday and make ?Super Bowl Monday? a day off from school or work.

This will eliminate fatigue in workers and students around the world that weekend, and give a chance for each team?s fans to really appreciate the moment. Hopefully, not too far into the future, this can become a reality.

Sports Sixer s' Potential Roster Shake-Ups (Simmons?)

By K ier an Hicks ?23 As the trade deadline for the 2021- 2022 NBA season approaches, the Ben Simmons situation in Philly remains at a standstill. Simmons, who hasn?t played a game since the 76ers were eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in the Conference Semifinals in June, is still ?no closer to playing this season? after a lunch meeting with President Daryl Morey.

Now, rumors are circulating that James Harden is open to leaving the Brooklyn Nets this summer, which could cause the Simmons saga to continue into the offseason. Not only did

Ben Simmons (pictured above) has been swept up in trade rumors for multiple seasons now, but Tobias Harris (above right) is now also getting looped into these rumors as well, according to Hicks.

Harden reject a contract extension a few months ago, but he also has history with Daryl Morey, as Morey played a large role in trading for Harden from Oklahoma City to the Rockets in 2013.

However, waiting until the end of the season to make a trade could mean leaving star player Joel Embiid with limited support in one of his prime

seasons. Morey doesn?t see this as an issue, saying on a radio interview, ?I do absolutely believe this team even without any changes has a chance.?

Still, Morey said that he expects a lot of movement as the trade deadline gets closer, and will make a trade ?if it makes sense,? since he doesn?t want to make a trade that could sacrifice the Sixers' success in the long term.

The Sacramento Kings are reportedly considering an offer involving Tyrese Haliburton, Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield, and two future first- round picks for Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Matisse Thybulle, but the Sixers seem to be uninterested and hesitant to trade Thybulle.

Until a trade happens, the Sixers are stuck. While making

a trade before the deadline would give Embiid the support he needs, a trade that doesn?t help us enough could do more harm than good, and stunt the Sixers? long- term growth. On the flip side, waiting until after the season for the perfect trade means going the full season without another All- Star player.

(Photo: imdb.com)

However, with that announcement, a trade still seems to be the likely option. But the question of when that will happen, and who the Sixers will get in return still remains.

Fellow Sixer Tobias Harris also seems to be in trade discussions with Simmons. Although there were some discussions of a possible trade for Damian Lillard back in December, the Portland Trail Blazers made it clear that he was off- limits, despite his abdominal surgery keeping him out until March.

18 | Sports | Friday, February 4, 2022 | The Hawkeye

A Snapshot into Hawks' Hockey How do the Prep?s hockey players deal with high-pressure moments during the season?

As goalie Rocco Bruno ?23 says, ?When I?m in a tie game, I treat it like it?s 0-0 and that I need to come up big to get the win because one mistake could lose the game.?

By Brendan Cur r ier ?23

The Prep hockey varsity team has been competitive this year. They play in the top AAA division, the highest level of high school hockey in Pennsylvania. They compete in the tournament called the Flyers Cup, playing to be the top team locally. The varsity team won the Flyers Cup last in 2018.

Last year, the Ottawa Senators of the NHL drafted Tyler Boucher, a recent Prep hockey alumnus, with the 10th overall pick in the NHL Draft, and recently signed Tyler Boucher to

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

Yet another St. Joe's Prep hockey season is ramping up in intensity. The Prep hockey team this year has been mustsee entertainment and the atmosphere in the games are intense. The fans are wild, as they?re captivated by the intense hits and the beautiful goals. The home games are usually played at Penn Rink or the Skatium, in Haverford.

Joe Samango '23 (above left) and Quinn Egan '22 (above right) celebrate the Prep's 4-2 win at Pink the Rink.

a three year contract. Andrew Centrella ?22, who also briefly played at the Prep, committed to Providence College for ice hockey.

This year?s St. Joe's Prep hockey varsity team is a very hard-hitting team, according to multiple players.

Tristan

Winata ?25, says the team?s biggest strength is their ?size and intimidation.? The varsity team is ?very physical?according to Winata. Joe Samango ?23 says, ?I feel at the moment I would say we are a hard hitting and aggressive forechecking team.?

One of the season?s bright spots so far has been the play of captain Jeff Hammond ?23.

He scored four goals in one game early in the season, and has scored the ultimate highlight reel goal called ?The Michigan.? He scooped the puck onto his stick from the ice like a lacrosse player and slammed his stick from behind the net past the goalie, earlier in the year. Joe Samango?s impact on the team cannot be understated, with his beautiful quick release shot and skating ability leading to many goals.

The team is led by their many seniors, who provide the Prep depth and physicality.

The Prep also has standout

goalies Rocco Bruno ?23, and Ajay White ?24.

A very recent game for the Prep varsity team was during the celebrated day called ?Pink the Rink?, a day to support breast cancer awareness. The Prep wore pink jerseys on the ice to commemorate the special day at the Skatium.

A roaring St. Joe's Prep crowd witnessed an eventful 42 victory against Havertown.

Joe Samango ?23 was unbelievable, scoring all four goals for the Prep in victory. The competition between the fans of both teams was just as fierce as the competition on the ice, as the fans had wild celebrations after every goal. The JV team, who played right after the varsity team, battled hard but lost 2-0.

There?s still plenty of hockey games left, so pop out to the games with our intense and passionate fans, and witness the breathtaking display of young men flying on the ice.

M L B Offseason Outlook Amid L ockdown

By Brendan Dougher ty ?23

an alarming uncertainty.

The last time a transaction has been made onto an MLB team?s 40-man roster was November 31st at 11:59 PM.

The Blue Jays could look to move 2021 MVP runner- up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. back to his original position of 3B, giving the Jays a terrific corner infield tandem, but once again, it would be shocking to see Freeman in any other jersey than the Atlanta Braves.

The lockout has been in place for about 2 months now, and the two main dilemmas are that the players want more contract security, and they want a change regarding the current arbitration rules, which would allow them to become free agents earlier in their careers.

The owners, on the other hand, want an expanded playoff, with more teams and more games. Many deal proposals have been tried at this time, and as the two sides look to meet once again on January 24th, there is a hope that they can get closer to an agreement, amid growing uncertainty.

Above all, both sides want to be able to begin Spring Training 2022 on time during late February. Assuming that can happen, let?s look at what happened in the world of the free agency market prior to the lockout, and attempt to predict future free agency moves after the lockout is over.

A lot of deals were crammed

3B/OF Kris Bryant looks to fit in a lot of places, but I think his best bet leans towards Seattle. His defensive flexibility fits right in on a young team trying to make some noise.

Carlos Correa (above left) and Kris Bryant (above right) are two of the many big names still left in free agency.

After a monstrous 2021 season, I think OF Nick Castellanos will pair up with Bryce Harper in the Phillies outfield.

(Photo: Getty I mages)

(Photo: Stephen Hopson | I con Sportswire)

In a time when baseball fans are usually on the edge of their seats, impatiently waiting for the next big- time free agent to sign for a $300 million deal, or waiting for the Yankees to make their next big trade that will get them no closer to winning a championship, instead fans have had to wait for MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to agree with the Major League Baseball Players? Association to end this lockout, a period where no transactions can be played and no games can be played. in just a couple of days before the lockout because everyone was anticipating it.

The most unexpected and exciting development to occur is the Texas Rangers spending $500 million on their middle infield, nabbing 2B Marcus Semien and SS Corey Seager within 24 hours of each other.

The Rangers have put themselves in a great position to start competing soon, with Marcus Semien coming off a season where he was 3rd in MVP voting, while Corey Seager was the 2020 World Series MVP as the former core leader of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Staying in the AL West, the Seattle Mariners made some splashes following their exciting 2021 campaign, going from a team with low expectations to being a game away from being in the playoffs. They traded for All-Star starting 2B Adam Frazier from the Padres, and also signed 2021 AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray.

Moving into the NL, the Mets supposedly made the most of the early free- agency bid, signing 37-year-old and 3time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, and preceding this watershed acquisition came CF Starling Marte, INF Eduardo Escobar, and LF Mark Canha.

The Marlins also look to start competing by trading for the stud defensive catcher Jacob Stallings and also supreme utility bat Joey Wendle from the Marlins and Rays, respectively. Other deals that round out pre-lockout free agency include SS Javier Baez to the Tigers, SP Kevin Gausman to the Blue Jays, SP Marcus Stroman to the Cubs, and utility man Chris Taylor returning to the Dodgers.

Despite all of this, however, many questions remain unanswered, with many top-tier free agents still available, and many teams unexpectedly being very passive early on, such as the Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, and

Giants.

So who?s left? The biggest name left is indubitably the star SS Carlos Correa from the Astros. I originally thought he would be on his way to the Detroit Tigers, but with the Javier Baez signing, it looks to be between the Astros and the New York Yankees. I lean towards the latter of the two, specifically for a deal worth more than Corey Seager?s 10 - year, $325 million deal.

Next up, it is shocking that he is yet to resign, but 1B Freddie Freeman remains not a member of the Atlanta Braves.

It would be a terrible decision to let Freddie walk fresh off a championship, but the Yankees or Blue Jays are the only teams that would make sense if this deal doesn?t happen.

The Yankees would look to step in due to their immense cap space if they fail to land Correa along with their uncertainty at first base, though not

Trevor Story, after an underwhelming 2021 campaign, I think will look to succeed Carlos Correa as the shortstop of the Houston Astros.

Another outfielder coming off a huge season, Kyle Schwarber, has every reason in the world to return to the Red Sox. The lefty arm Carlos Rodon, following a superb season coming off Tommy John surgery, looks to fit best out west, either with the Mariners or the LA Angels.

To round out the big names, I think Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen will remain in that Dodger blue for not only next season but the rest of their careers.

Whether these predictions become true or not, as a baseball fan, above all else I am most excited for the lockout to finally end, so that we can see the MLB functioning again.

The Hawkeye | Friday, February 4, 2022 |

Sports | 19

Can the Prep M ake a PCL Push?

B-BALL from pg. 1 the title and five seasons coaching there, he then coached fellow PCL rival Cardinal O?Hara for two seasons from 2016-18, before moving to Camden High to serve as an assistant coach for two seasons. So, it?s pretty safe to say that the Hawks felt that Harrigan?s experience coaching in a variety of different situations equipped him with the mental fortitude to lead the team. ?My previous experiences have prepared me by allowing me to grow as a coach.

Understanding how to connect with young players and create a culture. Having coached at a championship level allows me to create the vision for how to build a program. I have also coached in the PCL before, which was a great experience and helps provide context for what we are up against moving forward,? said the second-year Hawks?head coach.

While Harrigan deemed himself ready to deal with the challenges of leading a historic PCL franchise, his first season as the Hawks? head coach was filled with struggle, going 3-11 overall and 3-10 in the PCL. Although, in spite of the losses, Harrigan believed that last season was a valuable learning experience for not only himself, but for the team as well. ?Last year was a very challenging year considering it was my first year and the difficulties of COVID. One thing that stood out to me was how much the Prep was invested in athletics. It seems as though everyone in the building is engaged in some sort of athletics and everyone wants to see the teams do well.

I have always known about the academics and the football team, but watching the other teams and interacting with the coaches was a great experience and I'm hoping to make Prep basketball one of the premier teams in the area similar to some of our other programs,? said Harrigan.

Despite the fact that Harrigan believed this upcoming season would be a huge turnaround, that doesn?t mean that it was

Olin Chamberlain '25 (top left), Jackson Gaffney '23 (left middle), Jordan Ellerbee '25 (right middle) and senior captain Jaiden Vargas '22 (top right), have made the Hawks extremely fun to watch this season.

going to be easy. The Hawks needed to find a way to replace one of the top scorers in the PCL last season, Jimmy King ?21, and also one of the top passers in the PCL, Richard Thomas ?21, seemingly overnight. Luckily though, some younger faces have met that challenge with willful eagerness.

One of those younger faces includes Jaron McKie ?25. Son of current Temple basketball head coach and former NBA Sixth Man of the Year for the Sixers in the 2000-01 season, Aaron McKie, it was clear that Jaron was destined to follow in his father?s footsteps. ?My father played a huge role in getting me to play basketball because we always would watch basketball and he would take me to the gym to get shots up,? said McKie. After showing off his impressive hoops skills throughout middle school at Waldron Mercy Academy, McKie has already cemented himself into Hawks?basketball history. In just his second game in a Hawks?uniform, he scored 21 points in an 88-74 loss to West Philly, which was the most points that a Hawks freshman scored in a single game since the great Steve Vasturia ?13 scored 24 points in a regular season game versus La Salle in February 2010. Vasturia would then go on to be named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Pennsylvania in 2013, lead the Hawks to a PIAA Class 4A state semifinal appearance, and have a successful career at Notre Dame. So, it?s safe to

Head Coach Jason Harrigan won the Philadelphia Public League in 2016 (above left) and hopes to win a PCL title in the future with the Hawks.

say that McKie is in great company. ?It was a cool feeling [breaking the record] but I didn?t really pay much attention to it. I?m more focused on winning games and playing as a team. My favorite part about playing basketball for the Hawks is the family that our team has built. In just my first year, I have already made great memories with my teammates.? said the freshman guard.

Another Hawks? freshman with basketball in his genes is Olin Chamberlain ?25.

Grandnephew to arguably one of the best basketball players of all time and Sixers legend, Wilt Chamberlain, Olin has burst onto the basketball scene for not just his last name, but also for his stellar basketball skills and team-first mentality. ?I see us being not only one of the best teams in the country but hopefully when it's all said and done one of the best Hawks? teams of all time. I mean the obvious goal is to win the Palestra and states but we got a lot of guys that can play and I think we can accomplish all of this,? said Chamberlain.

In Olin?s first games dawning a Hawks? uniform, he?s shown flashes of capability to be a true leader for this team within the coming years. While not always leading the Hawks in scoring, Chamberlain is an unselfish player that always looks to make the right pass in order to take advantage of a fellow teammate?s open look at the basket. He also has the defensive tenacity to frustrate opposing teams, which was highlighted by his 6 steal performance versus Bonner in the regular season. ?Ever since I was younger I have always tried to make the right basketball play, I think of myself as a pass-first point guard but still able to be a threat scoring wise. I think being able to work as a team is the best skill possible in basketball because if you can do that, you can play with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Regardless of age,? said the freshman.

?My favorite part of being a Hawk this year was the brotherhood we all made so far this season. Some people just say 'my team is my family'.

But I really mean it when I say this: these are really my guys and I'm rocking with them no matter the obstacle,? said Chamberlain.

Tristen Guillouette ?24 is yet another new and young face that has quickly made a name for himself on this Hawks basketball team, having transferred from Life Center Academy in Burlington, NJ. One of the key weaknesses for the Hawks last season was their lack of height, as many other teams would use players standing at 6?5 or taller to bully shorter Hawks defenders in pursuit of getting to the basket. ?I think that being tough and playing with physicality and ferociousness in the paint is a huge part of our play style and we have had success with this play style. The coaches have preached this everyday since the summer,? said Guillouette.

There?s no bullying Guillouette, to put it simply, as he stands at a whopping 6?9 and is already one of the most effective centers in the entire PCL. He?s second in both rebounds and blocks per game and is a force in the paint not to be messed with. Guillouette is also a double-digit scorer, meaning that he nearly averages a double-double a game as a sophomore. In sum, it becomes understandable as to why he?s already received a college offer to go play ball for St. Francis Brooklyn up in New York. ?I think that [what makes me successful is] my mom first and foremost, she pushes me and supports me through everything from day one, whether it's getting up early to take me to workouts or driving me to two workouts in a day and all the other sacrifices she makes for me. Second, my coaches at the Prep and how they have put me in positions to be successful. And then my teammates, they pick me up when I'm down and they push me in practice with intense competitive spirit,? said

Guillouette.

While these three guys have been great as Hawks varsity rookies, other players have also made key contributions to the Hawks current 7-8 record (2-7 in PCL).

Jaiden Vargas ?22, one of the bright spots on the Hawks team last season, continues to be one of the best defenders and quickest guys in transition within the PCL, and Jordan Ellerbee ?25 looks to fill Vargas?s shoes in the coming years. Jackson Gaffney ?23 and Luke Brown ?24 have both shown their prowess as talented rebounders and shooters. Thomas Hart ?22 is a potent catch-and-shoot threat from beyond the perimeter, and Jalen Harper ?24 has a seemingly innate ability to slash his way to the hoop whenever the Hawks need a bucket. ?I definitely see my fellow teammates achieving Palestra-level status in the coming years. I?ve seen immense growth in a majority of our underclassmen including Jackson [Gaffney ?23] one of the few upperclassmen on the team receiving some major minutes this season. Their work ethic is fueled by their energy and using this year to build chemistry between them will definitely give them a head start on the competition in years to come,? said Vargas. ?My favorite part about being a role model on a team full of younger guys is definitely being able to offer them guidance especially in some situations in game where they might not be sure what to do. A lot of the freshmen were assigned major roles this season and I can see a lot of that pressure being lifted off of their shoulders when they see me make mistakes, or answer any questions they might have about the game,? said the senior captain.

All of these guys and more look to highlight a Hawks basketball team that is ready to leave the nest and hopefully soar towards a PCL title in the coming years.

20 | Sports | Friday, February 4, 2022 | The Hawkeye

" Novax" Dj okovic

At this point, it seemed as if the only obstacle in the way of his quest to achieve his 10th AO and taking the lead in the grand slam race between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal would be his vaccination status.

an exemption permission.?

Almost immediately, this post gained attention like wildfire, resulting in a mixture of emotions, anger, confusion, happiness, and controversy.

Social media among the tennis world was having a field day and two sides formed very quickly: one for and one against Djokovic.

Those against him called him names like ?Novax Djokovic? while those in favor of Djokovic?s decision showered him with praise as their Serbian hero.

At this time, Djokovic?s reason for his exemption was unknown. However, he had never been known to have an acute medical condition, raising concerns. It was only when he arrived in Australia

did the chaos ensue. Upon his arrival, there were immediate reports that the tennis star had been denied entry into the country by customs and immigration officials. It was then revealed that his visa had been filled out incorrectly. In addition to this, his exemption was also being questioned. Tennis Australia CEO, Craig Tiley, explained that his medical exemption didn?t meet any of Australia?s requirements or indicate a medical condition.

While the government decided how to handle this situation, Djokovic was isolated in a hotel. Soon after, he was told that his visa was being revoked which resulted in his camp filing a lawsuit asking that Djokovic be allowed entry. However, as Djokovic?s

(Photo: @krsto_krivokapic | I nstagram)

(Photo: @DjokerNole | Twitter)

(Photo: @BenRothenberg | Twitter)

Yet, to most people's surprise, on January 4, Djokovic posted on Instagram saying that he would be, ?Heading Down Under [Australia] with

Men's world No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic (pictured above) was barred from participating in this year 's Australian Open by the Australian Government due to his unvaccinated status and his lack of an acute medical exemption.

Djokovic (pictured above) garnered lots of controversy because Djokovic supposedly contracted COVID-19 on December 14th, and just a few days after contracting the virus, Djokovic attended a panel, a ceremony for his own stamp, and a children's tennis event in Belgrade.

lawyers began to clear this up, things only got messier.

The real reason as to why believed he was clear was because supposedly (I say this because it was conveniently timed) Djokovic had contracted COVID-19 on December 14th. However, this was not allowed, as the Australian Government did not permit prior positive cases as a way for entry.

In an attempt to clear the air, Djokovic posted again, on Instagram, stating his case. After attending a basketball game on the 14th, and multiple cases being reported from that game, he took a rapid antigen test and a PCR test on the 16th. The rapid test turned out negative; however, the PCR test was still pending.

Meanwhile, Djokovic attended a tennis event in Belgrade where he presented awards to children. It was only after this event did he receive his positive test result.

Despite his positive results, Djokovic still decided to travel to a L'Equipe interview and photoshoot. Now why he decided not to reveal this information until the court case is confusing; but it is clear that as a result of his actions, he put himself in front of the lives of others.

However, on January 10th he won his case because of the mistreatment he endured while held for hours by immigration officials, not being able to make a phone call.

Despite this overturning, an important aspect to note is how this wasn?t about the visa itself, rather the actions taken towards him.

With this result, Djokovic was headed to the AO draw as the No. 1 seed. As a result, the split in opinions began to expand with the majority of the Australians condemning their own government and the group of Djokovic fans and anti- vaxxers who rallied behind his back. Many citizens thought that letting him enter

because of his status while denying others was unfair.

Had this been a normal person, this amount of consideration would not have taken place.

However, just when everything seemed to be clearing up, Alex Hawke, the administrator for immigration, canceled his visa, essentially giving Djokovic the boot. As of now, the No. 1 tennis player was deported back to Australia. Yet this wasn?t the only consequence of his actions as he could potentially face a three-year ban from Australia, which could be a massive blow to his tennis career.

Whether or not you believe that Djokovic should have been let into Australia is up to you. However, the tennis star clearly showed his selfish behavior to try to play in the AO. Not only this, but he put lives at risk even when he knew he tested positive.

(Photo: Noah Graham | Getty I mages)

About a month before the AO, the Australian Government declared that to enter the country, everyone, including the players, needed to show proof of vaccination or an acute medical exemption which would allow them to enter unvaccinated. The government clearly stated that an exemption would only be granted if that person was diagnosed with a medical condition that put them at risk from vaccination.

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep)

Leading up to the AO, Djokovic had been publicly open about his decision to not get vaccinated. However, the Australian Government had their own policies.

(Photo: Julian Finney | Getty I mages)

With the conclusion of the 2021 tennis season and the beginning of 2022, there is no better way to start the year than with the first grand slam of the season, the Australian Open (AO). However, despite all of the hype leading up to this event, the AO hasn?t been able to escape the controversy surrounding men?s world No. 1, Novak Djokovic.

(Photo: Ezra Shaw | Getty I mages)

By Peter Bae ?24

Luke Gallagher ?23, a captain on the Prep tennis team, said this about Djokovic?s situation: ?I think the Australian Government made the right decision in deporting Djokovic before the start of the AO. These are professional athletes who travel the world to make a living playing tennis. They need to be vaccinated and they especially need to be abiding by the mandates of the country which they are entering; world- class athletes aren?t above the law. Djokovic tried to game the system? [and] there is no one to blame other than himself in this situation. I am just curious as to what will happen with Roland-Garros.?

Luke is right. After France had recently passed a new vaccine law, once again, this puts Djokovic in a sticky situation. However, although the French Open isn?t until May, it will be interesting to see how the events play out.