Volume 48, Issue 4

The Whodunnit of the Year: Stalag17

By Max Nast '23

After the Prep?s everlasting theater renovations concluded back in October, the Cape and Sword Drama Society has recently finisheditsrunof Stalag 17 With brand new seats, lights, carpeting and much more, the Cape and Sword Drama Society is happy to finally be back on stage with an in- person audience However, thefall show thisyear still was different from previous years Instead of being avirtual show like during the pandemic or a farce like Double Trouble, this production ended up being a bit more serious?a comedic dramasotospeak

Based on the 1953 film featuring William Holden and Peter Graves, Stalag 17 is a historical fiction concerning

Callaghan and Gambone Join Campus Ministry

By Luke Gallagher '23

Mr Callaghan and Mr Gambone, two staples of the Religious Studies Department, have recently begun hybrid roles as full-time teachers and campus ministers in the MissionandMinistry Office

?Thedecision cameasa part of coming back from theIgnatian Family Teach- In last fall

and seeing how well-resourced other Jesuit schools wereto do their mission,?saidGambone

Mr Gambone and Mr Pinto first began discussing the idea of ahybridroleinorder to help create structural change to keep the Prep committed to their Jesuit mission and identity Workingclosely with

Thanksgiving Food Drive Is A Success

By Ian Gomez '23

A firm staple of any Thanksgiving well-celebrated here at the Prep is the annual food drive Encompassing every element of Jesuit service and identity, it serves asyet another way to connect the Prep to its neighbors just outsideitsdoors

Leading the food drive is a collective and collaborative effort between the school administration and the neighborhood block captains At thePrep, key organizersof this year's drive include Ms Katie Longto in Mission and Ministry, Mr Peter Callaghan

in the Religious Studies Department, Dr John Campbell in the Science Department, and History teacher and Hurtado Food Pantry leader Mr Leo Vaccaro '05

?Thanksgiving is an inspirational time to be grateful, and to reach out to your neighbors,? said Mr Vaccaro?05

Speaking to the incredible group effort behind the project, Vaccaro ?05 said, ?There?s just a lot of people who pitch in and that?s part of thefun?

Trust and Love: 7x PIAA State Champs

By Zach Reagan '23

It?s been exactly 364 days sincetheSt Joe?sPrep football team fell to the Mt Lebanon Blue Devils in the PIAA 6A State Championship, and since then they?ve been on a mission Or a revenge tour, if you prefer thewords of junior cornerback OmilioAgard

This past Saturday the revenge tour hit its final stop in Mechanicsburg, PA, where the Hawks won in commanding fashion over the Harrisburg HighSchool Cougars, 42-7

This season for the Hawks has been quite the journey indeed, with their only losscom-

ing at the hands of St Thomas Aquinas, who as of December 12th, sits at number seven on MaxPreps?high school football rankings After their encounter in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, The Hawks didn?t lose a game throughout the remainder of their season Throughout their threePIAA playoff games, the

American Airmen all desperately trying to escape a Nazi POW camp It?sawho-done-it,

CapeandSword'sfall production of Stalag17 wasa smashing successfor Prepaudiences.

The cast of Stalag17 took their final bow this past Sunday

The Church of the Gesu where the November and December

Fridays were held

St Joe's Prep gearing up for the PIAA state championship in Mechanicsburg PA

Stalag17: A Smashing Success

from STALAG pg 1

or astory of asnitch who feeds information to the Nazis The entire show focuses on unmasking the spy while highlighting all of the joy and pain that goes along with it With a senior- heavy cast Stalag 17 was able to take advantage of some of the veterans of Cape andSword

Seasoned actor (and YoungArts finalist) Jahleel Johnson '23 had theprivilegeof playing Sgt JJSefton, who isthemain protagonist of the story When asked about his thoughts regarding the show he said, ?What a way to debut this space with a dramatic comedy lifestyle like [Stalag] 17 The beauty of the show is how the comedy accents the dramatic nature?

Even though the Prep did Stalag17 back in 2000 aswell in 1957, thisparticular production has the benefit of brand new technology, as well as more comedic bits baked into itsstory Fortunately, Capeand Sword Director Tony Braithwaite '89 has had the pleasure of directing both the 2000 and now 2022 productions of Stalag 17, providing the cast with aheadstart tothisyear'sshow

?Thebig thing ismoving locales which we didn't do and I always wanted to do that So having a set change at all?let alone three different locales?is very, very exciting and fun The biggest thing is there are script changes here and there

Liam [Holden '23]'s character isan amalgam of threecharacters from 2000, so to have that character present and ominous

and, also just live, knocks [the 2000 production] out of the park,?Braithwaitesaid

Even though theStalag 17 is

officially in the rearview mirror for Cape and Sword, the program still has much to look forward to With Night of

By Lawson Miller '24

If anyone has looked at the Christmas break schedule recently, it is easy to notice that it has been shortened from the past two years Looking back to last year, winter break was 17 days long, including weeknds In 2020, winter break was still 16 dayslong, even with no midterms and asynchronous learning So after two years of winter breaks that last over 14 days, why thesudden change?

Assistant Principal Mr Dan Ranalli ?00 said that last year when the administration talked to students about midterms, they found that having four straight days of midterms was a lot for most students So this year, the administration split midterms up between the end of oneweek and thebeginning of the next so that students would be less stressed and have more timeto study Con-

sequently, those extra midterm dayswereforcedtocut intothe winter break

Another reason for theshortening of winter break was that Christmas falls on a Sunday thisyear, making it challenging to build out a full two weeks for break Studentshavemixed opinionsabout thechange

Ben Olsen ?24 said, ?I liked midterms in one week because wegot themdonefaster?

Other students like Bryce Trotsky ?24 and Luke Joseph ?24 took a different approach ?I like it but give us our days back,?saidTrotsky

Even teachershavetheir own opinions on the change Mr Miller in the Math Department believes that the Prep should return to midterms after Christmas break something that the Prep used to do a few yearsago

Scenes right around the corner as well as the spring musical, live theater will soon be back after the holiday season

( P h o t o : @ c a p e a n d s s w o r d s j p )

The cast and crew of Cape and Sword's Stalag17 in the newly transformed theater

move midterms to before Christmas break and the Prep has been going with the suggestionever since

24,158 lbs Collected in 2022 Thanksgiving Food Drive

from DRIVE pg 1

A key component of the food drive is the involvement of the neighborhood block captains, volunteers from the surrounding community who serve as the voice of their block At the start of every year, faculty and staff from the school meet the block captains to discuss their plans for the upcoming food drive, among other projects The block captains are the point of contact within the neighborhood, getting comprehensive lists and information about what is neededandwhereit shouldgo

?We can?t do the program that we do without them,? said Mr Vaccaro?05

The food drive itself spreads much farther than just the Prep's immediate neighborhood It operates in two different phases, the first being the actual collection of thefood which is organized by a site called YouGiveGoods to streamline the process of requesting, collecting, and tallyingall goods

?Then, in school,? explained Ms Longto, ?our studentspack them, and donate them to different community partners like inner city schools, Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, and also some different veterans groups"

The second phase is the packing operation which many students took part in during a designated community period before the weekend deliveries After that, thefood driverelies

on familiesand faculty coming in over the weekend to donate their own assembled basketsof food throughout the neighborhood

"Over the weekend, we take [the baskets] out into the neighborhood and deliver them directly to our North Philadelphia neighbors," said Ms Longto

Like clockwork, each moving piece of the process

works in tandem to bring together thewholecommunity

The numbers truly speak for themselves This year?s food drive saw 220 baskets of food that were delivered to local households in North Philadelphia Additionally, 229 baskets of food and 210 turkeys were sent to community partners, local schools, and other non-profit organizations Thanks to the collaborative efforts of dozens

of students in addition to Mr Vaccaro ?05, Ms Longto, Mr Callaghan, Dr Campbell, 24,158 pounds of food items were packed and distributed thisyear

This astounding success plays a pivotal role in the Prep?s Jesuit identity, as demonstrated by the Great Ignatian Challenge, an interschool Jesuit competition first started by Fordham Prep with the intention of making the Thanksgiving food drive a national competition Through the challenge, over 937,000 pounds of food have been collected and distributed across thecountry

"It?sso valuableto beableto participate in this work as a family," said Ms Longto "There?s such a value even in being ableto shop for thefood and to actually bring it to someone, to meet the person that you?re sharing it with It brings a human element to what it means to be people for andwithothers?

Reimagining the Prep: Future Renovations

By Luca Paone'25

In the coming years, the Prep will be unrecognizable During the end of the 20212022school year, bothstudents and faculty navigated through Villiger Hall in anticipation of the new renovations, peeking into the future of the Prep?s image Phase One of the renovation project came to a close in mid- to- late October The SJP community openly welcomed the vibrant new facilities including the McKernan Family Lobby, the Howley Learning Commons, and the renovated Cape and Sword Theater With the successful completion of Phase One, the Prep intends to begin making headway for Phase Two of the renovationssoon

As many in the Prep community have seen, there are beautiful graphic design sketches of future renovations placed at the stairs of the Howley Learning Commons These plans (shown to the right) are expected to be approved by the school board in order for a thrilling commencement of PhaseTwo

Vice President of Finance at the Prep Mr Jon Paul Aylmer said that, although the second phase may not have one hundred percent approval from the school board yet, phase two is expected to transpire much later intheyear

Phase two of the renovation project hopes to relocate and reimagine many of the current spaces and facilities at the Prep This description pertains to renovating Villiger Hall classrooms, updating the Admissions suite, relocating the President?sOffice dividing the MPR into a dual-use room for wrestling and other extracurricular activities, building a new weightlifting room, lining thetrack with additional cardio equipment, and more Pending approval, thistremendousproject isexpected to launch at the end of the 2022- 2023 school year Portions of the renovations like the classrooms are paramount in sequencing the construction The classrooms are hoped to be completed by or near theend of summer, said Mr Aylmer Although thePrep has a plan of action, creating a list of dates for other facilities isyet tocome

Speakingontheprior renovations, faculty said therewasno extremedifficulty and minimal disruption

Mr Dan Ranalli '00 said, ?No real problems, but it is inconvenient when you can not use thehallways, but thisisashort term inconvenience for a long termbenefit ?

Thelarger pictureof renovations for the Prep is to assist studentsthroughout their academicexperienceat thePrep

Feedback about the newly renovated spacehasbeen positive so far, along with students and faculty alike expressing comfort within thenew spaces Anthony Smith '25 said, ?The Howley Learning Commons is a great place where students can both study and interact with each other I enjoy the spacealot ?

Mr Ranalli '00 said, ?I am happy with the results? and I hopethat thestudentswill care

Mr Aylmer said, ?I am thrilled with the renovations, and am happy to see that the students are enjoying the space?

While the Prep?s renovations

are far from over, the Prep community cancontinuetoenjoy and take pride in the current spaces, while looking ahead to even more upgrades downtheroad

Prep students work in the Plaza Lot to unload the many trucks of donated canned food items used to make this year's Thanksgiving Food Drive among the most successful in school history

for andprotect it ?

The Prep will be undergoing its second phase of renovations in the upcoming months

Callaghan and Gambone Go Forth and Set Mission and Ministry On Fire

from MINISTRY pg 1

Mission and Ministry, the ReligiousStudiesDepartment, the Ignatian Identity Committee, and various other individuals involvedwithaJesuit sponsorship review that theschool undergoes every five years, they identified three main areas of need: faith and justice, student formation and mission, and adult faith formation Gambone and Pinto used these threeareasasthebasisfor their threeproposedhybridroles

Despiteitssupport from variousadministratorsat thePrep, the proposal was up in the air until July when Gambone and Pinto were told by the Principal?s Office that the school could accommodate only two of the three proposed hybrid roles

?At that point, it wasmeand Mr Pinto, and we were told ?Don?t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,?? said Mr Gambone ?We decided that even if we couldn?t do all three, let?sdowhat wecan?

Over thelast few years, Mission and Ministry resources at thePrep havebeen reallocated, personnel has decreased, and there has been more turnover, making many ideasmuch more difficult to achieve The addition of Gambone and

Callaghan to the Mission and Ministry Office will be instrumental in helping the Prep remain committed to their Jesuit missionandidentity

In the end, the final green light came as a result of Fr Richard McCouch, SJ being missioned to the Prep this fall His arrival allowed for Callaghan and Gambone to give up sections of their classes and have that unused time reallocated to their work inMissionandMinistry

Sincebeginning their rolesin September, Mr Callaghan and Mr Gambone have quickly found their nicheswithin campus ministry Mr Callaghan has worked most closely with Ms Longto in faith and justice initiativeslikeorganizing adiaper pantry for the community while Mr Gambone has specialized in student formation, most recently organizing the school?s first AMDG Friday Fr Surovick, SJ has largely taken over the adult faith for-

mation piece and is currently leading 12 adults in the building through the 19th Annotationof theSpiritual Exercises Callaghan and Gambone?s hybrid positions have allowed for not just a greater connection to the Prep community, but also the opportunity for more casual and spontaneous conversations in the classroom with students about the role faith and spirituality plays in their lives

?It opens up a door to talk about someof thethingsat the school that haven?t been going on before,?said Mr Callaghan ?It getsinto talking about spirituality, sacraments, and even mental health which would havebeen forced conversations if it weren?t for things like AMDG Fridaysor theIgnatian Family Teach-In?

Looking forward, Callaghan and Gambone shared plans for variousfaith and justiceinitiatives like opening up the Prep to function as a community center after school for neighborhood kids; creating a sustainable advocacy program for trained students to address issues of race, poverty, and immigration; and organizing a mini teach-in, or Justice Summit, for local high school students and northeast Jesuit schools

?I think oftentimeswecan be guilty of thinking of the Prep as distinct from the neighborhood around us when, in reality, we are a neighbor just like everyoneelse,?saidCallaghan

With so many ways to continue building bridges and helping the community, Mr Callaghan and Mr Gambone are excited for what the future holds for their roles in campus ministry

BeReal Takes The World By Storm

By Jack Finley '25

When the daily BeReal notification pops up at the top of your lock screen, accompanied by the classic, recognizable chime, people from across the globe go online to let the world know what they are doing at that very moment But when one is ?being real," how often are the events being portrayed in their post an accurate representation of what they were actually doing at the exact time the notification came upon their phonescreen?

BeReal is a French social media platform available on IOS and Android According to Market Realist, the app was launched in 2020 by former GoPro employee Alexis Barreyat along with Kevin Perreau While the app was launched in December 2019, BeReal did not see widespread popularity until early 2022

How BeReal works is that it sends a notification to each user at a different time each

day saying ?2 min left to capture a BeReal and see what your friends are up to!? When a user clicks on this notification, their phone brings them directly to the BeReal app, giving them a two-minute countdown to take their BeReal and capture what they are doing with both their front and back cameras simultaneously Although every user gets the notification at the same time, not everyone is on their phone within that two minute span So what happens if someone does not takethepicturewithin thetime allotted to ?BeReal?" Well, they can still take the picture and share it, but the app will attach a message to your post showing how late the post was from the BeReal time for that day This, by definition, would mean that you werenot ?being real "

This sparks the controversy of whether many people are actually ?real? and how many people change what they are doing in order to give their

audience a false impression of the events of their day Many people argue that BeReal has lost the authenticity that made the app so popular in the first place because people are now trying too hard to impresstheir viewers This authenticity instilled comfort to the BeReal community as it gave a glimpse into the normalities of everyday life The transparency exemplified here is seldom in the world of highly filtered and intentional social media that we live with today, and it often leaves people unsatisfied with their ownlives

In The Harvard Crimson, student Elizabeth S Ling wrote, ?All the characteristics of Real Social Media are seeping in: toxic comparison, filtering oneself, viewing people as numbers" Some peoplecall for theabolishment of the posting late policy and argue that if a user does not post something within the two minutes allotted to BeReal, they should not be able to

upload a photo at all Ultimately, the success of any platform or business is up to the decision of their audience Is the global Gen Z spotlight

on BeReal about to expire or will the app be able to save itself and keep up with the constantly changing world of social media?

Mr Callaghan and Mr Gambone pictured with students at the 2022 Ignatian Family Teach-In

Jack Finley 25 and friends being real at the Prep

Behind The Scenes: Paddy May '24

As Harry Shapiro in Stalag17

By Ryan Sullivan '26

Stalag 17, the Cape and Sword Drama Society?s fall play, tells a story of life in a Nazi prison camp during World War II The play presentsavariety of characters, including Harry Shapiro, a Jewish soldier who uses his witty humor to get back at the horrible Nazis running his camp Padriac (Paddy) May ?24, who plays Harry, has thrived in therole, putting on a special show for audiences each performance From applying a special lilt to his voice to learning of a real soldier just like Harry, he has dedicated himelf fully to the rolethat playing Harry Shapiro entails

When asked what it?s like to play Harry, Paddy said, ?It?s very interesting I really enjoy it, but it?s also difficult It?s interesting to play him, because on one hand, he?s the comic relief to a very heavy story There?s the balance with the comedy, as well as the drama I can?t always be comedic, because when scenes

Paddy said, is balancing Harry?s Jewish identity with thecomedy intheshow

?Heisthecomicrelief, but in aPOW camp run by theNazis, being Jewish American is very difficult It?s a very trying existence because there were people trying to destroy his culture, and he was fighting to keep hiscultureand hispeople alive The fact that he has to deal with thisreality every day canbevery difficult for him?

Paddy?s favorite part of the role is either playing the comedic relief of the show, or doingaslapstick lilt for Harry ?The history of this comes from Yiddish into English and how people would talk, especially Jewish Americans who are very prevalent in the comedic world There?salways a music to how they talk, there?s always a music to their language, their inflection, their voices, it?s just part of how they expressthemselves?

When describing his rehearsal process, he said, ?It's very cool to do a drama

charged It can be draining but I really enjoy it, becauseI love what I?m doing I love being a part of a show, being able to take a character and kind of makeit my own, bring it to life onstage"

Paddy?s routine for getting into character for Harry is quitesimple ?I?ll listen to The Producers because I base my Harry Shapiro voice off of a coupleof things there likeMel Brooks and various other characters in film, theater, and TV I run through lines and I say it with theinflection I just get intocharacter,?hesaid

A living link to Paddy?s role comes from a family connection

?My dad played on a rec league for soccer that would meet up on Sundays, and one of the guys that played with him for yearstexted my dad on Facebook after my dad put up thelink to buy tickets Hesaid, ?My dad was in the actual Stalag 17 with the authors of the show, and he?s Jewish? He?s one of the few, if not the only Jewish guys in the camp, so at least in part or in whole my character is based on this person?

are dramatic and I?m funny when I shouldn?t be, then I can comeoff asajerk ?

Watching Stalag 17, the audience can see his intentions come to life with this incredibly important role Another key part of the role,

becauseit?svery different from what I amused todoing, which is comedies and musical comedies It is a very demanding thing, especially when you?re spending a day playing really emotional, heavy scenes that are very

The connection showed Paddy that he was playing much more than just a character, he also plays a real person Consequently, Paddy takes a great responsibility to hisrole

?I?m not Jewish, but I havea real respect and affinity for Judaism and itscultureand the wonderful things we have coming from Judaism in our lives I also realize that our

country and our world is rife with antisemitism I?m trying not to be a caricature I don?t want to play a caricature of a Jewish person because I think it would just do adisservice to Jewishpeople?

Throughout Stalag 17, these intentions and messages

Christmastime At The Prep

By Conor Flaherty '24

It?s the most wonderful time of the year for St Joe?s Prep With the holiday season right around the corner, the Prep is feeling more festive than ever The hallways are decked and the dining hall is filled with lights and garland, and that?s only the beginning With the many festivities taking place during this holiday season, the atmosphere at the Prep has become especially jolly as students and faculty anticipate their well-deserved break, hopefully freefromwork!

Many students are looking forward to taking this time off withtheir friendsandfamily

Aidan Lynch ?24 said, ?I?m going up to Vermont to seemy family I?m looking forward to

watching the Eagles beat the CowboysonChristmas?

Another student, Peter Bae ?24, said, ?I'm looking forward to some much needed sleep and going to California to spend timewith my family I'm also just excited for the Christmasvibesingeneral "

Unfortunately for the students, their break isn?t quite here yet They still have to tackle midterms before they?re let free

Daniel Canney ?24 said, ?I haven?t begun to worry too much, but I think the stress is definitely going to start to settleinsoon?

Though midterms serve as a tough obstacle, they are the only thing standing between

thestudentsand 13 daysof rest and relaxation As the days until Winter Break dwindle, thecommunity will continueto appreciate the Christmas spirit that decksthehallsof thePrep

Staple traditions continue to brighten up the Prep community like the senior caroling, Gesu Christmas, Operation Santa, and the ChristmasConcert

So to everyone in the St Joe?s Prep community and beyond, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

permeate Paddy?s performance, as well as give hope and meaning to his character and the show as a whole

Paddy May 24 as Harry Shapiro in Stalag17

Entertainment

Maguire's Top 5 Christmas Movies

By Jackson Maguire?24

Christmas moviesare an absolute staple of the holiday season Although presents often get most of the praise, Christmas movies are an essential part of theholidaysand Christmas would not be the same without them After all, what is Christmas without the memories of curling up on the couch with your family while watching Christmas movies by the fireplace? With Christmas getting closer and closer every day, here are the top 5 Christmasmoviesever created:

5: Elf

Now, what is a Christmas movie list without the comedy classic Elf? Starring Will Ferrell, Elf is a story about a human named Buddy who grew up in the North Pole living among other elves After finding out about his human identity, hedecidesto go on an adventure to New York City so he can develop a relationship with his father In New York

City, he must navigate through romantic interests, finding his family, and seemingly elf-like businessmen Elf has a lot of really funny moments but it also explores plenty of themes about finding your identity and stepping outside of your comfort zone

4: Santa Claus is Comin? to Town

Santa ClausisComin?toTown isan essential Christmasmovie classic and tells the origin story of SantaClaus Although coming out about fifty- two years ago, this timeless story evokes nostalgia for every generation since its release Being the best of all the Christmas claymation movies Santa ClausisComin?toTown tells the story of an orphan KrisKringle, and hisascension to becoming Santa Claus by spreading cheer to the children of Sombertown This movie displays the importance of being unselfish and helping those whoneed it

3: AChristmasStory

A ChristmasStory is an iconic Christmascomedy about aboy named Ralphie Parker who desperately tries to convince everyone around him that he should get a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun for Christmas However, heistoldby his parents, teacher, and Santa Clausthat hewill shoot hiseye out if he gets it A Christmas Story has so many iconic scenes, from Raphie?s father winning aleg lamp in a newspaper sweepstakes, toRalphie's friend?stonguegetting stuck to a frozen pole after being triple dog dared A Christmas Story perfectly encapsulates what it is like to be a child during Christmas time and all the problemsthat every 9-year-old hasfaced during theChristmas season

2: ACharlieBrown Christmas

There is nothing quite as intensely nostalgic as A Charlie Brown Christmas Just listening to thepiano keysof ?Linus

and Lucy?and seeing thesimpleyet flawlessanimationstyle can catapult someoneinto their childhood like nothing else A Charlie Brown Christmas tells the story of Charlie Brown, who feelsdepressed and lonely during the holiday season despite Christmas being a time that isfull of cheer In an effort to cheer himself up, he becomes the director of a play and goesout to buy atreeto be the centerpiece for the play However, his peers think the tree is pathetic and mock him After his friend, Linus, shares that Christmasisabout spreading cheer to others and not what you can get for yourself, Charlie Brown eventually cheers up and finds his peers singing around the newly decorated tree finally seeing its beauty A Charlie Brown Christmas demonstrates the importance of seeing beauty in the ordinary and rejecting the commercialist messages that many peoplebelieveChristmas isabout

1: It?sa Wonderful Life

Not only is It?s a Wonderful Lifeoneof thegreatest Christmas movies ever, but it is also oneof thegreatest moviesever created in general The movie tells the story of a banker named George Bailey who is an honest man who makes many sacrifices to take care of hisfamily and neighborsin his town However, after a string of bad luck, Bailey yells at his wife and kids and runs away from his home thinking about taking hisown life When heis standing at theedgeof abridge on thebrink of suicide, George wishes that he was never born and an angel comes to him to show him what the world would look like without his birth It?s a Wonderful Life shows the nobility of making sacrifices to help others and it shows the innate value every human has It is the perfect Christmas film and Christmas would not be thesamewithout it

Canney's Top 5 Albums of 2022

By Daniel Canney ?24

2 Hellfire - Black Midi

Hellfireisawildalbum It couldfit intotheAvant-Proggenreandhaselementsof Jazz-Rock throughout therecord Thisalbumisdefinitely unsettling andfeaturesvignettesdepictingstoriesof war andother absurdtalesusingvividimagery Theinstrumentationisextremely chaoticbut skillfully put together Hellfireisvery cinematicandmanagestodoalot initsfairly brief runtime Thebandmanagestobevery technical while still beingcreative whichiswhy listenerswill enjoy thisalbum

1

isanall aroundamazingpieceof music It isavery sonically diverserecordthat couldbedescribedaspost-rock, chamber pop, or evenart rock Theinstrumentationisbeautiful Theorchestral arrangementsacrossthisrecordareunique Songslike"ChaosSpace Marine" and"GoodWill Hunting" areimpossibletoget out of your head Thesongwritingby IsaacWood acrossthealbumisalsospectacular and hurtseven moreafter hisdeparturefromthebanddaysprior tothealbum'srelease It?savery emotional album Listenerswill bedrawninby Isaac'sironicand poignant lyricscontrastingthedenseinstrumentation Thisisawonderful albumandmost listenerswill really enjoy it

By AntoineRobinson '24

What are thetop three things on your Christmaslist this year?

Thinking about your behavior over the past year, would you be on the naughty or nicelist?

For peopletorespect oneanother and endthesenselessviolenceinour communities Next isfor thePhillies towinthe2023World Series Third, I wouldlikeanewer car for safety and convenience

I believeI'monthe"NICE" list

What's thebest part of Christmas for you?

Gettingtogether withfamily and friendssharingthesamefunny stories fromyearsago

Is Santa real? I compareSantatoaloving, caring father likeGodso my answer is "YES"

'80

I would liketospendsomequality timewithmy family, withmy friends, andtoget away over theholidays

I'vealwaysbeenonthenicelist, althoughbasedonthegradesonthat last APGov test, perhapsI'vebeena littlenaughty lately

Thegenuinegoodtidingsthat people sharewithfriendsandstrangersalike

Santaisreal toevery child, or childat heart, whofindsjoy inChristmas carols, thespirit of giving, and wakinguponChristmasmorningto look under thetree

Mr. Monroe

A new gray suit fromBrooks Brothers, anew whiteshirt, anda new redtie

I'dliketobeonthenicelist because I'vebeenwell-behaved, inmy opinion

Beingabletospendthosespecial momentsandquality timewithfamily andfriends

Of course, how elsearewesupposed toget our Christmasgifts? That wouldjust maketheGrinch'sday if I didnot believeinSanta

Cruciverbalist: Miller McCloskey '26

Note: Spacesnot included

Ms Haban

Mr Conners

HawkeyeChristmasSurvey

Survey by: AJ Nicosia '24 (12/7 - 12/10)

Quick

Christmas Questions! (273 respondents - students and faculty)

When should Christ m as m usic st art ?

Before Thanksgiving - 16 5% After Thanksgiving - 83 5%

Real or fake Christ m as t ree?

Real - 67 4% Fake - 32 6%

Do you ow n an ugly Christ m as sw eat er?

Yes - 37 0% No - 63 0%

When should people st art hanging Christ m as decorat ions up?

Before Thanksgiving - 10 6% After Thanksgiving - 89 4%

Do you open gift s on Christ m as Eve?

Yes - 24 9% No - 75 1%

Which Christ m as light s do you prefer?

Classic Lights - 48 0% Rainbow Lights - 13 9% Mixed Lights (Rainbow and Classic) - 38 1%

Candy Canes???

Yes - 72 9% No - 27 91%

Christ m as Day or Christ m as Season?

Christmas Day - 16 5% Christmas Season - 83 5%

What is your favorite part of the Christmas season?(216

"The weat her and t he decor at ions " - Salvatore Rupisan ?23

"Get t ing t he Chr ist mas Tr ee " - Owen Gar wood ?23

"The at mospher e I love dr inking hot chocolat e and looking out my window at t he gr ound cover ed in snow " - Ryan Dorofy ?23

"The lazy sleep- in Post - Chr ist mas Pr e- New Year 's Day "

- Mr Zach Heisey

Do you like Christ m as?

Yes - 97 8% No - 2 2%

Do you ow n an Elf on t he Shelf? Yes - 52 7% No - 47 3%

Snow Love it or dread it ?

Love it - 91 2% Dread it - 8 8%

respondents)

"Snowboar d season " - Aidan McEntee ?24

"The NBA on Chr ist mas " - Ted Antczak '23

"Exchanging gift s wit h Howie Br own and family on Chr ist mas Eve " - Mr Tony Br aithwaite '89

"Tacos on Chr ist mas Eve and Chinese t akeout on Chr ist mas day " - Tre Henning '25

"Feast of t he 7 Fish on Chr ist mas Eve " - Salvatore Rupisan '23

Book Review: HowToKeepTime by Kearney '06

By Conor Flaherty ?24

HowtoKeepTime, thedebut novel from former Prep English teacher Kevin Kearney '06, is a witty, touching, and heartfelt story about a broken family becoming whole once again Main character Mercer Moore has his life turned upside down when his wife unexpectedly leaves him With nowhere to turn, his brother and father takehim on afamily trip out to thePine Barrens for the weekend The weekend is full of ups and downs for the Moore family, with some hilariousmoments, and someincredibly movingonestoo

One of the most enjoyable aspects of How to Keep Time

was it being all too relatable Oftentimes jobs can suck, breakups can suck, and even families can suck Furthermore, there are plenty of deeper flawsin Mercer?scharacter that many readers can still resonate with He messes up, gets in fights, holds onto thepast? along with somevery nasty grudges Though there are times within the novel where he seems crazy, in the end he?s just a scared guy trying to cope with the hand life dealt him That?swhy hischaracter feelssohuman

Kearney '06 obviously put a lot of his own experiencesinto the novel, and Prep students can relateto someof theseex-

periences Reading Mercer complain about Latin declensions and rave of mixers in flashbacksaresomethingsthat Prep students and alumni can relate to This adds a layer of relatibility that makes the novel feel alittleextraspecial

One of the things How to Keep Time did best was the dynamic between Mercer and his family While the rest of the book was great in its own right, the scenes with the three of them stood out as the strongest Scenesof their bickering and the explorations into their characters and relationships were phenomenal, and easily the highlights of the novel The emotions in this

story hit hard, and none of the moments hit harder than those withtheMooremen

Aswonderful asthenovel is, onething that left someconfusion was its ending While not necessarily bad, it felt like it came out of nowhere There are some loose ends that remain after thebook isfinished, and while the rest is amazing, this lacked a little satisfaction Despitethat, Kearney madethe right choice leaving Mercer?s character where he did, and a second read might allow the reader to explore and appreciate this ending more Though there are many questions that still linger, How to Keep Time isafantasticread

Mr. MoraleandtheBigSteppersReview

By Joe Clark ?25

2022 was one of the biggest yearsfor music in recent years Many of the most prominent names in the music industry released large-scale albums that includebut arenot limited to The Weeknd, Harry Styles, Denzel Curry, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Lizzo, and Future While many of these artists dropped projects acclaimed by criticsand fansalike, Kendrick Lamar?s5th StudioAlbum, Mr Morale and the Big Steppers, is arguably the most worthy of the Album of the Year Grammy

Released on May 13, 2022, this 19-track Hip-Hop LP touches on themes of generational trauma, addiction, fatherhood and love Kendrick began developing the album in May 2019, but the coronavirus

pandemic had a large impact on the album?s release, as well as the subject matter These themes are immediately apparent in the opening track ?United in Grief?, which also happens to be one of the highlight tracks Covid-19?s influenceon thealbum appears on the next song titled ?N95,? referencing the face mask endorsed by the FDA in 2020 ?N95? is also one of the most popular songs on the album, peaking at #3 on Billboard 100 in the U S Another highlight of the album is ?We Cry Together? featuring actress Taylour Paige Popularized on social media platforms such as TikTok, the song is an argument between Kendrick and what seems to be his romantic partner set on a beat with shades of jazz This unique track offers insight into

TheHawkeye Staff of 2022-2023

rapper Baby Keem, on the song ?Savior? There are no notable flaws in the album, aside from a rather long runtimeand an album structure that makes it a bit difficult to listen to the songs individually to get the full experience This is not an album where the listener can really enjoy without being fully invested in what they are listening to However, if alistener iswilling to commit some time and attention to this album, they'll be rewarded with the care and detail Kendrick Lamar put into the story he made As one of the most popular and introspective albums of the year, Kendrick Lamar?s Mr MoraleandtheBigSteppersis certainly a strong candidate to

of

Mr LeoVaccaro'05 Ms Sheri SanChirico

If you are interested in contributing materials to TheHawkeye, contact an editor or our email (below) to submit an article, photograph, or to write a letter to the editor Letters should not exceed 600 words

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All materials printed by TheHawkeye areintended to both entertain and inform the Prep community as well as cultivate an environment that generates meaningful and productivediscussion Theopinions and beliefs expressed in the advertisements and articles in this publication do not necessarily reflect thevalues or mission of TheHawkeye Student Newspaper or St Joe's Prep

the strife inside households during a trying time The album also hasseveral features

sprinkled throughout the 19 tracks, most notably from Kendrick?s cousin and fellow

win a Grammy for Album

the Year

Kendrick Lamar released his long awaited double album Mr Morale and theBigSteppers this past May

( P h o t o : K e v i n M . K e a r n e y

)

Godof War Ragnarok vs. Elden Ring

By Finn McNamara ?23

2022 hasproven to beayear full of studio masterpieces?for AAA and independent video game companies alike Following the lackluster releases of 2021, which saw Hazelight Studio?s It TakesTwo bringing home The Game Awards? Game of the Year, two nomineeshaveproven to beachallenge for gamers to decide which should be worthy of the title ?Game of the Year?Santa Monica Studio?s God of War Ragnarök and FromSoftware?s Elden Ring, two AAA games which feature an open- world environment, gripping exploration, and gory, god- slaying combat, are most gamers?top twocontendersfor thetitle

Santa Monica Studio?s God of War Ragnarök is a linear story taking place in an openworld environment, meaning that the player is welcome to exploreany of the game?s nine realms, which it borrows from Norse mythology along with most of its characters, while the main story- ?The Path?must be completed in a certain order God of War Ragnarök makes it no challenge for the player to follow that order, however, which has been a topic of much controversy for gamers, especially when compared to Elden Ring?s confusing, non- linear questlines Aiming to allow gamersof any mental capability to solve its palette- cleansing puzzles in between the story beats and combat, Santa Monica Studio gives excessive hints through the in-game characters, which many players found patronizing Furthermore the accessibility options for God of War Ragnarök certainly allow players of any age range and ability to enjoy the nuanced, emotional, 20+ hour story that thegameoffers Thegamefollows Kratos and his son, Atreus, as they seek survival during Fimbulwinter, the preludeto Ragnarök Thisjourney has them facing off against gods such as Thor, Odin, Freyja, Heimdall, and many otherswho seek to protect As-

gard, or find revenge for Kratos? actions from 2018?s GodofWar

Conversely, Elden Ring offers an open- world environment with a non- linear story, meaning that any of thegame?s areas and main bosses can be completed in any order desired This will give the player different endings to the story depending on how much they complete and in what order The main gripe that most critics find with FromSoftware?s 50+ hour story, written by the game?s director Hidetaka Miyazaki and fantasy writer George R R Martin, is the

way in which it is told Elden Ring utilizes environmental storytelling to depict its lore, preferring ruins of kingdoms and corpses of queens over God of War Ragnarök?s cohesive plot and characters Elden Ring also features no short supply of sidequests and difficulty Whileitscombat hasthe chosen ?Tarnished? facing off against gods and beasts with medieval armamentsforged for humans in the typical Soulsborne genre difficulty, many players found the main challengeof EldenRingtobedeciphering thecluesto itspuzzles and story? of which there are few On the path to become

WhileEldenRing?sFebruary releasedatecertainly gaveit an advantage in marinating in the culture, many believed that Godof War Ragnarök?sexpansivestory and characterswould be able to charm gamers into voting it for Gameof theYear Nonetheless, it wasEldenRing that took home thetop prize at the 2022 Game Awards last Thursday night, a welldeserved victory for Elden Ringfansaroundtheworld

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: A Look at Pinocchio in 2022

By Dan Law ?23

At the cold edge of 2022, three varying Pinocchio moviesstandoff Withinonly a year, the age- old tale of the wooden boy come to life has been brought to the screen three separate times But there?s only room in this town for one Pinocchio A lowbudget Russian animationgone viral, alive-action remakeof a Disney classic, and director Guillermo Del Toro?s stopmotion feature: only one can survive this deadly standoff But it?s almost high noon, and it?s high time to decide once and for all which movie is Good, what?s Bad, and if there?s even a question which is Ugly

The first film to arrive in town is a doozy Pinocchio: A True Story, low budget kids film from Russiawith ahilariously deceptive name to boot, released internationally through Lionsgate to infamous fanfare Its comically horrendous English voice- over garnered viral fame months back, especially a certain clip of Pinocchiospeakinginaridiculously flamboyant voice Beyond the viral The visuals and

story are likewise hilariously poor It?s a low budget foreign film for kids delayed and delayed by the pandemic, so of course it looks, sounds, and plays horribly And while it is abit moreaccurateto theoriginal Italian fairy tale than the Disney films, none of its story beats play well into the movie whatsoever, leaving behind a trainwreck of a movie that?s honestly ajoy to watch unfold

It?slikeTheRoomof animated movies: glorious in its awfulness This movie, for better or for worse, isUgly

With a trudging heel and holding ahollow black hat, the next film barges into town Since Disney decided to spend a large amount of their budget on live- action remakes, poor productsand bastardizationsof nostalgic icons have been churned out like factory scrap And not even Pinocchio is safe This lifeless husk of one of Disney?s most revered legacy films hardly captures the magic it emptily claims it does Even Tom Hanks feels underwhelming as Geppeto, a seemingly brilliant casting

choice tarnished by a tortured script and joyless direction Once legendary director Robert Zemeckis brings no passion to this familiar story Rather, this mangled corpse of astory actively feelsmorehollow and lifelessthan theoriginal, and is nothing more than an encapsulation of modern Disney?s laziness and inability to reinvent their constantly retreaded stories Disney?s 2022 Pinocchio is Bad And here it is Right as the townsfolk lost hopeunder theraid of Bad and Ugly terrorizing their cinemas,

the white hat sheriff returns to bring back all that wasgood in the world That sheriff?s name is Guillermo Del Toro The prolific director?s Pinocchio, a stop- motion animated feature film optioned by Netflix, does something that the false bandits utterly fail to: it takes risks Its daring setting within the rise of fascism, Mussolini, and control, and an introduction of compelling themesboth new to thePinocchio story sets it apart as a truly distinct, oneof- a- kind story Where Disney?s Pinocchio?s of this year poorly retreads the exact same story of an age-old classic for nothing more than nostalgia points, Del Toro?s Pinocchio succeeds with flying colors in putting a fresh, compelling spin on this fairy-tale, with a signature charm that stands in sharp contrast to the hollow Disney and Lionsgateinterpretations, which ultimately feel like nothing more than quick cash- grabs As the cold sun sets over the dusty horizon, onethingisprofoundly certain: Guillermo Del Toro?s PinocchioisGood

Elden Lord, the player must first face the descendants of Godfrey, First Elden Lord, who each hold Great Shards of the elusiveEldenRing

Elden Ringhas been one of the year's most popular games

Disney s live-action remake of Pinocchio was critically and commercially panned

God of War Ragnarok was released on November 9 2022

Opinion/Debate

Christmas Day vs. Christmas Season

By Carmen Iacuzio '24

Ah yes, the most wonderful time of the year is upon us: Christmas Whether it?s opening gifts from everyone?s favorite man, Santa Claus, or celebrating the birth of our Savior, JesusChrist, Christmas is a time of spreading joy with friends and family and sharing thegood spirit throughout your own communities However, things are not always happy and jolly during the Christmas season The stores, shopping malls, and radio stations are prepared for the Christmas season before Thanksgiving even starts From therepetitive Christmas music (mainly Mariah Carey) echoing throughout the local shopping malls to blinding Christmas lights with the power of a thousand suns, the Christmas season seems to be more of a burden on thehuman mind and wallet than it is a time to be compassionate towards one another So what do we do?

How do we find a balance between a memorable and a peaceful Christmasseason?

First we need to answer a few questions: IstheChristmas season better than Christmas Day and does Christmas Day receivemoreloveand attention

thantheChristmasseason?

Evan Boncross'25 said, ?I?m not a big fan of the Christmas season because it?s always undermining Thanksgiving Just let it haveDecember and that?s it I like Christmas Day more because it?s by itself and doesn?t interrupt other holidays It?s jolly to have the Christmasspirit throughout the winter, but once it hits Christmas, it getsannoying?

Justin Green '26 said, "I feel like the Christmas season is part of Christmas, but having it before Thanksgiving is a little bit of a stretch The season leads up to Christmas, and right after Christmas, it just stops It?s so much bigger than Christmas, though Christmas day should be bigger than the season It brings people together and fills people up with theholiday spirit ?

So, how should we be celebrating Christmas? Some studentswant abigger celebration for Christmas Day, while others want the celebration to stop With theseason often being overhyped and, for some, overrated, we need to find the true meaning of Christmas: gratitude The most important idea we need to remember is the unity between us and our

Christmas Music:

There is a" Too Early"

By CJ Weipz '23

Whenever theholiday season rolls around, the same discussion plagues dinner tables across America: when should Christmas music start being played? While some may say that Thanksgiving is a worthless holiday and should be overshadowed by the more popular Christmas season, I am of the humble opinion that starting to play Christmas musicany timebeforeThanksgiving isunnecessary and dangerousto theintegrity of theholiday season

The first issue with starting Christmas music before Thanksgiving is that early exposuretoit cancausethesongs to lose their ?special? nature before Christmas even comes around The entire point of Christmas songs is to evoke feelings of joy, happiness, and togetherness, which can belost if one has heard the song so many timesthat they areangry once ?Rocking Around the Christmas Tree? comes on for thefiftiethtimethismonth

The other issue with Christmas music starting early is the completeoverlookingof oneof the biggest and most widely celebrated holidays in America: Thanksgiving In a tweet that I posted on November 4th, I said, ?Thanksgiving is the forgotten middle child of the holiday season" Besides a personal connection to that statement, I believe it to be true Peopleareproneto looking beyond Thanksgiving because of its lack of pageantry and consumerist opportunity It isnot a ?flashy?holiday, but it is still important in the grand scale of the holiday season Not only does it signal that Christmas is only a month away, it also serves as a segway into December and the holiday season itself, seeing as thethemesof family and gratitude are shared across all major religious holidays during that time Starting the Christmas season early, including playing the music overshadowsaholiday that isastepping stone to the holiday season in both themes and timing

families and the stress the Christmasseasonrelieves

?The Christmas season gives methechanceto hang out with my family and friends,? said Erion Kotarja ?24 ?I have this nostalgic feeling from previous Christmases, such as putting up the decorations, Christmas movies, and other stuff like that I think people go too crazy for one day and people go overboard with it but with midtermsand all that work being done before the break, I understand why people love it somuch?

The feeling of Christmas sparks joy in everybody?s heart As Buddy the Elf once said, "The best way to spread Christmascheer issingingloud for all tohear"

The spirit of Christmas calls uponustogivethanksfor what wehaveand to shareour gratitude with our communities Whether it?s watching Clark Griswold struggle to decorate his family?s house in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, or simply listening to Bing Crosby?s Christmas classics on the radio, we all have

our little ways of enjoying the Christmas holiday The true meaning of Christmas, however, isto celebratethebirth of Jesus Christ Without Jesus in our lives, Christmas would be another lame holiday printed on the calendars Instead, He gives us the reminder that we should follow in His footsteps and give our compassion and gratitude to the communities welivein

Passio's Picks: Xmas Edition

By Dante Passio '23

Like everything else in this world, there is always a top five This does not exclude the most celebrated holiday in the country: Christmas So, folks, back for my third Passio's Picks, I present you with my top five list of all things Christmas Let?s jump right intoit

Starting at number five we have making Christmas cookies Christmas cookies are essential to Christmas They provideatasty snack after Christmas dinner with your family, and sometimes even leftovers for the next week Christmas cookies aren?t just about the taste They?re about the process as well Blasting Christmasmusic whiledancing and burning your cookies and laughing withyour family isan irreplaceable experience It sums up the Christmas spirit all inonebite

At number four on my list is Christmas shopping This is the hottest take on my list Don?t get me wrong, shopping isawful on any other occasion However, there is something

about Christmas shopping that just lifts my spirits Seeing all the people in the store frantically trying to find sizes for their friends or family members, security making sure no onecuts in line so thereisn?t a brawl in front of a Foot Locker, and the warm air inside the mall after walking from your car to the doors all make Christmas shopping an unforgettable holiday experience And that?s not even the best part Giving the gifts to theperson you bought themfor is the cherry on top I just started to buy Christmas gifts within thelast few years, and I amextremely happy I didso

Next up at number three is snow days Not much to say here Nothing like a nice cold snow day Being off from school and staying homeplaying video games or watching movies always makes for a warmfeeling

At the number two spot, I have quite possibly the most exciting day of the year: Christmas Eve Whether you?reafourth grader going to sleep in your Christmas pajamas or a senior in high school

wearing a tank top and some sweatpants, you will alwaysbe excited on Christmas Eve The thought of the morning just brings such a huge amount of excitement that you don?t even want tosleep

And finally, we all saw this pick coming At number oneof Passio's Picks: Xmas Edition, we have: Christmas morning Swiftly walkingdown thesteps and seeing your parents still recording your reactions to the amazing gifts they spent days and weeks preparing for you will always be a priceless experience The faces your parents make when they know you couldn?t be happier is a feeling that we will all always keepwithus

These are my top five pics for all thingsChristmas! I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday Merry Christmas to all, andtoall agoodnight!

Christmas Village is decorated for holiday celebrations in Philadelphia

Is Santa Claus Real? (Yes)

By Antoine Robinson ?24

There has been a hot debate for many years about one question: ?Is Santa real?? Personally, I don?t even understand why thisis still adebate Many other debates outrank this one, such as ?Is the Easter Bunny real?? and ?Who really caused those fire alarms?? Nonetheless, I feel obligated to answer the age-old question of ?IsSantareal??

To me, there is an easy answer and that is, of course, that Santa is real Who else would put those presents under my tree?MY PARENTS?!? I would leave it at that but people like evidence and I shall provide it I have three examples of concrete, irrefutable, undeniable evidence to singlehandedly prove that Santa Clausisindeedreal

First, the United States government has been tracking Santa ever since 1955 when theNorth American Aerospace Defense Command valiantly began protecting North American airspace Since 1958 they havetaken up theduty to track Santa when he takes flight to deliver hispresentsworldwide Their data is 100% accurate I know they can track Santa because America has the best military intheworld Ontopof that, the United States government has never lied to its people before, so why would they start lyingtousabout Santa?

Next, why would parents bakecookies for someone who doesn't exist?Not only that but why are they always gone when you wake up for Christmas? Baking cookies takes a lot of time and effort that your parents could use toward their

professional lives, so clearly, they bakethem for Santa Plus, thereisalwaysatrail of cookie crumbs leading from the plate to my parent'sroom, obviously so Santa can tell my parents that I havebeenagoodboy

Finally, beforehislifethreat-

ening journey to the North Pole, Santawasabishop in the town of Myrain Turkey in 200 AD He would give children gifts in his town, a tradition that he has maintained for nearly 2000years

To really cement my argu-

ments, I asked Prep students for their opinions on Santa

The first student I questioned was Michael Heffernan '24, who said, ?Yes! If Santa isn't real, who puts presents under my tree?? Finally, he said wisely, ?Why do the cookies get eaten if Santa isn't real?? Michael is a man who knows hisstuff

In thespirit of agood debate, I would like to bring up the stupidity of counterarguments

The first one I want to delve into is, ?How can Santa fit through a chimney?? This is probably the worst argument I'veever heard HeisSanta, he can fit through anything He also has keys to everyone's housejust in case Another argument is, ?Why have I never seen him before?? My response to this one is simple: have you ever been to a mall around Christmas before? The last argument I want to debunk is, ?Why did my parents tell me he isn't real?? I hate to be theone who breaks this to you but they simply don?t loveyou

In conclusion, Santaisreal It is an undeniable fact, especially with all the cold hard facts I have presented above When you see presents under your tree this Christmas, thank Santa, not your parents

Lacking Threads: The Worst City Jerseys

By Daniel Dziadon '26

The NBA has recently released its annual, and controversial, City Edition jerseysfor the2022-23 season For such a unique concept, special jerseys like these should capture a team and their city's history, but somefranchiseshavemade poor designchoicesthisyear

On Sunday, November 13th, our Philadelphia 76ers wore their jerseys for the first time this season and, unfortunately, they areatotal letdown and an embarrassment in comparison to the Spectrum jerseys of last season This year?s concept had alot of potential, but there is so much empty space unlike last year?s well- utilized hints of reds, oranges, greens, and blues along the sides to highlight their retro days The graphic design team had a chanceto bring back the19972009 iconic golden basketball logo but sold the opportunity for alackluster jersey

But in last place, the Minnesota Timberwolves jersey is ahorribleattempt ononeof the league?sfirst abstract uniforms Trending on Twitter and Instagram, the Timberwolves?media team tries to mention how ?vibrant?and?edgy?thejersey

is, but it is a jumble of meaningless colors slapped onto a white jersey with the team?s wordmark If someone was looking for an abstract jersey, the Brooklyn Nets? jersey is muchbetter

Some great ideas for jerseys are ruined by their odd color schemes and patterns, making downright horrible- looking

uniforms on the court The Portland Trail Blazers??PDX? jersey isahomageto thecity?s airport with theteal pattern being the airport?s vibrant teal carpet The city is less known for itsaviation and morefor its nature, so incorporating both the team's history and natural elements would have served muchbetter

The same goes for the Golden State Warriors? the roseat thebottom looks out of place and has no precise symbolism unlike the 2017 ?The Town? jerseys, with the center logo being an Oak Treeto represent Oakland An interesting concept would be to use some elements from Silicon Valley to create a futuristic techinspired jersey or by using

someelementsfrom San Francisco This jersey tried to be unique and modern, but it failedterribly

Overall, theseuniformsare a total letdown to their superior predecessors Modern designs and minimalism areruining the once vibrant, exciting NBA jerseysoncewornoncourt

Santa posing for a headshot, to show the world that he does, in fact, exist

A look at some of the NBA City Edition Jerseys for the 2022-23 season

Prep Football Defeats Harrisburg 42-7, Clinching 7th PIAA State Championship

from FOOTBALL pg 1

Prep even had a combined score differential of +108 The word ?dominant?barely begins to describe how efficiently the Prep was able to mangle their opponents, especially in Saturday'sstatechampionship

On the very first play of the game, thetonewasset by a65 yard draw from junior quarterback and PCL MVP Samaj Jones'24 Thedefensesuffered a couple hiccups in Harrisburg?s first drive of the game, but they werestill ableto force a turnover on downs?a crucial start in deflating the hopes of the Harrisburg faithful in attendance

In addition to his rushing touchdown, Jones added four more touchdowns through the air while ripping out some of thedeepest shotshe?s taken all year Junior runningback Kahseim Phillips '24 caught one and added one of his own on the ground, but unlike most of the Prep?s one-sided wins this year this dismantling wasn?t won through therunninggame All of the Hawks? runners (Phillips, Erik Sanchez '24, Isaiah West '25, Will Vokolos '25, and Seth Slater '25) recorded 17 carries for 72 yards, a surprisingly lower number compared to other playoff games this year Instead, Jones spread the wealth through the air, passinig for 256 yards on only nine completions in the (give or take) three quarters he played His touchdowns were hauled in by senior Owen Garwood '23 (16

yards), junior Brandon Rehmann '24 (46 yards), and junior Elijah Jones '24 (57 yards) David Washington '24, the junior receiver, although going without a touchdown, made his presence known as well with his four catches going for 120 yards The defense held strong for the entirety of the game, and pretty much every player deserves to get mentioned The defensive line

unit did a phenomenal job making sure the Cougars weren?t able to establish their dangerous run game at all, marked especially by senior, defensive captain, Matt Dumond '23 and sophomore Maxwell Roy '25, who registered one sack each Additionally, playersin thesecond level like senior Cole Nilles '23 and junior Nick McGlynn '24 made their home in the Harrisburg

Cup Likely

By Dan Gordon '25

Lionel Messi His name has become synonymous with words like GOAT and legendary However, Messi may no longer be playing football any morein just afew years In fact, the question is not will he retire soon, but whenwill heretire?

Lionel Messi, despite all of his achievements at the club and international level, has never won the FIFA World Cup The closest he has gotten to winning the whole tournament was in 2014, when Argentina, his home nation, made the finals Unfortunately for Messi and Argentina, they lost to Germany in extra-time off a Mario Gotze goal However, Messi has a chance

to win the 2022 World Cup, with Argentina being one of the most favored teams in the tournament Predicted to win against Saudi Arabia in the semifinals, Argentina has a good chance of taking home the trophy for the first time since 1986 However, this will be Messi?s last World Cup appearance, asheconfirmed ot Argentine Outlet TN, saying that the 2022 FIFA World Cup would most definitely be the last of his career What this means is that Messi might not last too much longer at the international level of football But doesthismean that hewill retire outright from both international andclubfootball?

There have been rumors surfacing that Inter Miami, an

MLS team here in the States, would be willing to make a transfer for the Argentine star at the end of the European season They would also be willing to give Messi the largest contract in MLS

backfield too, both registering asack and combining for eight tackleson theday JosiahTrotter '23, soon to be West Virginnia's star linebacker, totaled eleven tackles of his own, and looked like hewas all over the field at once The pace at which he set the game may have gone unnnoiced, bu he was a true leadr in this gam n and made sure to hold his teammattes accouunttable

Lastly, the defensive backs fought valiantly as desperation bombs raiined down towards the end Players like senior Andrew Bachman '23 and Omilio Agard '24 made that job especially difficult for Harrisburg

Now, wheredo theHawksgo from here? Well, they retain a ridiculously strong core of juniors next year between a star quarterback, two running backs, and three receivers, not to mention key pieces on the defense like McGlynn, Agard, or Shamir Johnson '24 Theoffensive line may need some work once seniors Julian Cervantes '23 (center) George Reinhard '23 (right guard) and Joey McMahon '23 (left tackle) head off to college, but thereturning starters JP Schrieber '24andLakeem Steele'24have the potential to bloom in the spotlight next season

On the defensive side, the second level takes a massive hit in losing two Division 1 talents in Trotter and Nilles, which means players like McGlynn and Thomas Cerruti '24 are going to have their work cut out for them come next fall

This season was a wonder to behold for this St Joe?s Prep squad Not only did their chemistry on thefield translate to big wins, there?s a genuine sense of community and of love that you?re not going to find anywhere else in this school They fight every game to stay together asagroup, and although some of that group

Messi's

done by other football legends like Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Wayne Rooney

Another possibility would be for Messi to return to his boyhood club Newell?s Old Boys in Argentina, bringing Messi closer to his hometown and giving him afinal sendoff tohisillustriouscareer

history, estimated to be north of $14 million, currently the highest guaranteed salary in the MLS Messi going to the MLS would be a signal to the football world that he is fairly closeto retirement, ashasbeen

If there was a reasonable estimate about when Messi will retire, the best guess would probably be around two to three years Despite the fact that Messi?s time is almost coming to an end, it hasbeen a wild ride of watching his career and seeing him work magic every time he steps out onthefield

St Joe's Prep holds their new hardware after becoming 7x 6A PIAA State Champions

Lionel Messi (above) hopes to add a World Cup trophy to his already esteemed collection of accolades

The Hawks Hit the Hardwood

By Brendan Dougherty '23

Winter is upon us, and the floorboards of the Kelly Fieldhouse are quaking right now Basketball season is right around the corner for the Prep offering plenty to be excited about, as last year?syoung and budding team will have an exclusive opportunity to make a large leap heading into the upcoming season Coach Jason Harrigan is heading into his third season as the Hawks? head coach, looking to make his mark following the wondrous era led by Speedy Morris, and the impressive meshing of juniors and sophomores look to be up to thetask

Despite only going 6-12 last year, and 1-10 in the Philadelphia Catholic League, the Hawks had promise with impressive scoring performances as well as plenty of flashes of great team defense

Perhaps the player bringing in the most excitement for the team is sophomore Jaron McKie '25, son of current TempleMen?sBasketball Head Coach and former 2001 NBA 6th Man of the Year Aaron McKie who played alongside Allen Iverson with the 76ers

After averaging over 11 PPG and being the leading scorer in many of the Prep?s games downthestretchasafreshman, McKielooksto haveabig leap inhisscoringandplaymaking

passer and on-ball defender, which will go a long way in a gruelingPCL

The big man in the middle will be Tristen Guillouette '24,

improve, he will be a threat to every teaminthePCL

The starting five rounds out with juniors Jalen Harper '24 and Matthew Gorman '24, with

Ellerbe '25, the likely first option off the bench, who can offer spurts of scoring when needed

After those six members, Coach Harrigan will be looking for some new faces to round out the rotation Jaiden Vargas '22 and Tommy Hart '22 were last year's key graduating players, as well as LukeBrownwho transferred to Salesianum School The majority of the ?bench squad? from the previous year consisted of purely seniors, so more than half of the roster will be new faces for the Varsity team Coach Harrigan could look to JP Hayden '23, Christian Dawley '25, and Jackson Maguire '24 as additional rotation piecesdown thestretch

Playing alongside McKie in the backcourt will be fellow sophomore Olin Chamberlain '25, who will handle the point guard duties Whilehisscoring was a bit inconsistent in his freshman campaign, Chamberlain was a terrific

who has now infamously shattered the backboard during a recent team practice, showcasing his size and strength that will be a hassle for opposing teams all season long If his ability to finish at thenet and freethrow shooting

the former offering explosive plays and scoring outbursts, and the latter offering great secondary ball-handling, playmaking, and rebounding The last player that Coach Harrigan will retain from last year?s squad will be Jordan

The Prep team is still young, but there is a lot of promise in this group Each member from last year?steam could bein for a major leap in production, while we could see some additional production from new bench pieces Regardless, the Prep looks to be playing more competitive PCL basketball in the future, and maybe a run at the Palestra is in store for this group

Stocking Stuffer Sports: Xmas Day NBA/NFL Games Preview

By Luca Pascucci '23

Christmas is around the corner and theonly thing better than what Santa leaves under the tree is the massive slate of games that will fill televisions all acrossAmerica

docket is the Denver Broncos who will takeon thedefending Super Bowl Champion theLos Angeles Rams in LA at 4:30

PM Both teams have had incredibly poor performances in thelast few weeksand hope

secureaplayoff spot, whilethe Cardinals are hoping to gain some momentum to stay competitiveintheNFCWest

Moving on to the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers head up to the Big Apple to face the New

Dallas to take on the Mavericks at 2:30 PM The Mavericks, winning the last two matchups, hope to continue their streak on Christmas Day The following game has the Milwaukee Bucks taking on the Boston

the Celtics-Bucks, another rivalry began between these two teams emerged during last season?s playoffs There was lots of trash talk leading to high tension and foul play between thesetwo teams Both teams wanted to play each

Starting with the NFL the first gameon ChristmasDay is theGreen Bay Packersplaying the Miami Dolphins in Miami ThePackersarehopingtoget a win against a top team in the AFC and super bowl contender, the Miami Dolphins The game on the

to turn it around for the final push of the regular season to clinch aplayoff spot The final game on Christmas Day is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking on the Arizona Cardinals at 8:20 PM The Buccaneers are still fighting for the1st seed in their division and arehoping to

York Knicks at 12 PM The division rivals played each other earlier this season with the Knicks defeating the 76ers in a 106-104 nail-biter in Philadelphia The 76ers hope to strike back to tie the season series The second game is the Los Angeles Lakers going to

Celtics in Boston at 5 PM A new rivalry has sparked between these two teams after last year?splayoffswherethese teams went back and forth and took the series to 7 games Next, we have the Memphis Grizzlies matched up against the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors Like

other on Christmas, and they got their wish The last game on Christmas Day is the Phoenix Suns taking on the Denver Nuggets at 10:30 PM Both teams are fighting to get the first seed in the West, and this matchup will be an all-out brawl

St Joes Prep basketball looks to make some noise this year after a disappointing 2021-22 campaign

Joel Embiid (left) and Julius Randle (right) look to face-off in a heated conference rivalry on Christmas Day

Mike McDaniel (left) and Tua Tagovailoa (right) look to keep the Dolphins on the right track against the struggling Packers

A Look At The Top Athletes of 2022

By Dan Gordon '24

2022 has been another great year for sports Many athletes have risen to the occasion and some have even broken records But the question is, who were the best athletes of 2022?

Aaron Judge

AaronJudgeisagreat exampleof bettingon yourself andit paying off After rejecting a contract from the Yankees, he went on to break theAL record for homerunsin asingleregular season, hitting 62 home runs and doing so with great efficiency He also led the Yankees to the number two seed and theAL conferencefinals, where the Yankees were ultimately swept by the Houston Astros Don?t let thisaffect the season that Judge had He still won theAL MVPin an almost unanimous vote, which speaks volumes to how monumental hisseasonwas Overall, even if Aaron Judgedidn?t win the World Series, he still had a very excellent andvery historic season that will be rememberedforever

Justin Jefferson is having an excellent 2022 so far, and heis leading his team to a playoff berth for the first time in his career Heistop fivein receiving yards this season, and he has already broken the record for the most yards by a wide receiver in his first three seasons What makes this fact even more insane to think about is the fact that there are still more games for Jefferson to play in his third season He is producing at a historic rate right now, and he is already in

contention for the Offensive Player of the Year Watching Jefferson, there is no slowing him down as he keeps on producing insane stats game- bygame

Karim Benzema

The French striker Karim Benzenma had thebest year of his career in 2022, leading Real Madrid to its14th Champions League in the most improbablerun of the year, while also winning the 2022 FIFA Ballon d?or for his contributions There has been no stopping Benzema in 2022, with defenses scrambling just to stop him Whether it behishat tricks against both PSG and Chelsea, or his late game penalty against Manchester City in extra-time in the semis to send Madrid to the finals, Benzema has stepped up when the lights shined brightest on him Unfortunately, Benzema is out for the whole World Cup, but this does not take away from hisabsolutely stunning contributionsthisyear

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo has had a heck of a 2022 despite not having any accolades to show for what hehasdone He is by far the best player in the NBA and he continues to improve each new season he plays in the league For starters, he is an elite defender who can guard any position and switchon toanother player with speed Second, he is a borderline 30 points per game starter who is elite at driving

CaleMakar

On a list of best athletes of 2022, Makar definitely makes and deserves his spot The top 5 draft pick in 2017 is one of the key reasons the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup this season The defenceman broke the Avalanche?s single season record of 24 goals in a season, finding the net 28 times The playoffs are where Makar really stepped up, leading his whole team with 29 points in the postsea-

By Brendan Dougherty '23

On Friday, November 18th, the annual Prep Turkey Bowl championship was played, and for the second straight year, Team Muller was victorious The40-39 thriller against Team Falcone was a part of the eventful Pep Rally involving theroboticstournament, catchy songs from the pep band, and, of course, our beloved faculty membersgetting piesthrown at their faces

Team Muller joinedPrep history this year when they became back-to-back champions

The same exact team as last year, the six-man squad could go down asthegreatest team in Turkey Bowl history Led by Ryan Andrews ?23 at quarterback and Joe Cunningham ?23 as the primary receiver, the team cruised through thesenior bracket to the championship Team captain Justin Muller ?23 along with Jack O?Rourke ?23 played crucial roles to get to the championship and eventually being named victorious

Although he was a healthy scratch for the finale, Marshall Grandizio ?23 played a large roleoffensively to get theteam tothefinal

In the championship game, Team Muller barely edged out the junior team, Team Falcone, to take home the trophy Captain Gabe Falcone ?24 was leading the team in an offensive battle, as both teams scored six touchdowns in the game Will McCoach ?24 and Matthew Gorman ?24 made some big plays down the stretch, but it was a matter of who was able to convert the extra points, and Team Muller did just that Andrews threw dartsall gamelong, astheconnections with Cunningham and O?Rourkewerecomingat will

The student body was on the edge of their seats as the time ticked closer to zero, with neither side giving in Team Muller executed late in the game when it mattered most, both on the offensive end and the defensive end The more

experienced team, the people?s team, felt the rush of momentum from the crowd and never

the ball to the rim and finishing, and he can shoot pretty well Giannis was doing all of this in 2022, but he ultimately lost to theCeltics in seven due to the injury of Khris Middleton Despite having nothing to show for all of this in 2022, Giannis was still one of the best athletesof theyear

son, helping them secure the Stanley Cup over the back-toback champion Tampa Bay Lightning He won the Norris and Conn Smythe trophies this year aswell, which only solidifieshisspot on thislist Overall, the impact Makar had on his team was so good that he could not be left out on this list

?What did you expect? No

one stood a chance We were ready to go from the jump and took care of business?, says Will Martin ?23, akey defender as well as a coveted checkdownreceiver

Team Muller becomes the second team in Turkey Bowl history towinback-to-back and won it in a very thrilling fashion It will beinteresting to see who fills the shoes of a modern-day Turkey Bowl dynasty

?They weredoubting usfrom thestart Look at usnow?, says Justin Muller, the captain relishing in sweet, sweet victory

lookedback

Justin Jefferson

Aaron Judge's monster season landed him a $360 million contract

Karim Benzema earns his spot after a career-defining 2022 campaign

Justin Jefferson was a nightmare for opposing secondaries this year

Ryan Andrews 23 (left) and Jack O Rourke 23 (right) of Team Muller after winning the Turkey Bowl for the second year in a row