Volume 48, Issue 5

Valentine's Day DateTips Page 10

Simon's Heart Offers Free Heart Screenings

By Luca Paone'25

PHILADELPHIA ? Cardiac

arrest is the leading cause of death among student- athletes and takes the lives of thousands of children every year

OnSaturday, January 7, around two hundred student- athletes were screened by Simon?s Heart, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help prevent sudden cardiac arrest in children, teens, and young adults

Thehistory of student-athlete heart screenings at the Prep is rooted in thepassing of former football player Ryan Gillyard ?18 in 2015 due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease in which thickened heart muscle can make it harder for the heart to pump blood Since

his passing, the Prep has invested time and effort into making sure the hearts of student-athletesarehealthy

In preparation for the heart

12th Annual Night of Scenes Takes The Stage

By Isaiah Littlejohn '24

PHILADELPHIA ? Across the globe young people struggle to express their feelings to the adults in their lives whether it be their parents, guardians, or educators There is something universal about adolescents? inability to share their innermost thoughts and emotions with grownups, so much so that this lack of communication carries into their adulthood and affects some of their most important relationships

SpeakUp!, a nonprofit public charity dedicated to helping teens develop supportive relationships with the adults in their lives, helps teens and grownups evolve

By Sean Angelucci '23

The Hawkeye staff and I were curious to know more about Night of Scenes so we decided to ask a few questions to our very own Cape and Sword Director, Mr Braithwaite! We asked him ?How did Night of Scenes come to be??, ?What makes

Night of Scenesso essential to the Prep community??, and ?Could you shareamemorable Night of Scenes moment that you experienced?? He responded withthefollowing:

"In 2009, then-President

Father George Bur SJ told me he loved what we were doinginCapeandSword, and

By Brendan Dougherty '23

At exactly 6:08 PM on Sunday night, downtown Broad St filled with an overwhelming capacity of fans sporting midnight green and black, celebrating thePhiladelphiaEagles advancing to Super Bowl LVII with their win over the San Francisco49ers

The Eagles won in riveting fashion, defeating the 49ers 31-7, with a dominating performance, particularly on the defensive end The pass rush was ultimately too much to handle for the 49ers' offensive line, leading to injuries to both Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson at quarterback Haason Reddick led theway recording two

their relationships

On Thursday, January 12, thePrep hosted their first in-person SpeakUp! event since 2020 focusing on the topics of relationshipsandself-worth

The nonprofit was inspired by Bob Gillin Jr, who came out to his family as gay in 1988 and died of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in 1992 at age30 Bob was known for his affable personality, sense of humor, and driven spirit For peoplein his life, it was hard to believe what Bob was going through, however, his courage in sharing his story has given others the bravery to tell their own MartieGillin, Bob?smother,

seeSPEAKUP! pg 3

A Philly Thing: Eagles Advance to LVII

sacks, forcing a fumble on Brock Purdy, and a timely fumble recovery later in the game, cementing himself as oneof thebest free-agent picks inEagleshistory AvonteMaddox, Javon Hargrave, and TJ Edwards also gave great performances, recording multiple tackles

Students on the stage for the skit Get On the Bag

Environmental Club Cleans the Delaware, One Beach at a Time

By Ian Gomez '23

The rocky seaside at Palmyra Cove is one of the beacons of wildlife and natural beauty located along the riverbanks of the Delaware Aligning with our school?s Jesuit mission of cura mundi, or care for our common Earth, members of the Environmental Club headed out on one of their biweekly cleanups on Saturday, January 14 to lend a hand to ongoing effortscleaning up the beaches Pollution and litter in the Atlantic Ocean washes up on the beaches and presents a crediblethreat to thefaunaand wildlife inhabiting the seashore

The Environmental Club, moderated by Mr Ronan Kelly of the Science Department and led by President Grayson King '23, first cameup with theidea in one of their meetings a few weeks prior, in which club members present proposals for various ideas of where and what the club could do to help theenvironment Thetrash and debris crisis at Palmyra Park was one that fit precisely with what Grayson King characterizesastheclub?smission

?Aligning with the Jesuit teachings and environmental justice work of the rest of the world, the SJP Environmental Club aimsto carefor our common home,? said Grayson

King'23

This past October, the Prep celebrated Environmental JusticeWeek asaschool community and the Environmental Club spearheaded these efforts by removing invasive species and reintroducing native flora to over 100 acres of Public Land in southern New Jersey Theschool hasalso taken steps to remain more environmentally conscious, such astheinstallation of motion- sensor lights in the new Howley Learning Commons which cut down on the amount of energy used?and perhaps wasted?by theschool

Palmyra Covemarks just the beginning of the kind of work the club hopes to accomplish toimprovethenatural world

?As a club, we hope to continue our work beautifying, preserving, and creating spaces for both the environment and people to not just coexist, but thrive together,? said Environmental Club President Grayson

King'23

True to this statement, the club?s reach extends far beyond just the immediate Prep community Volunteering with the Cherry Hill Environmental Board(CHEB), theclub aidsin the stewardship of the trails and pathways at the Bowling Green Trails Many Saturday mornings were spent removing

Wisteriaand English Ivy off of hundreds of trees within the park The club?s involvement at Bowling Green even includesthefoundation of aPollinator Garden, responding to the active climactic crisis threatening the bees of North America

Though a well-spent Saturday morning at Palmyra Cove can removedozensof piecesof trash from the seashore, the task of cleaning up our shore-

lines is one that requires more attention from all of society Speaking from the club?s mission statement, ?One of the lessons wehave learned is that 8 people cannot clean up for 8 million The Club will continue its work, but we plan to do more to impact operations at school including pushing for reusable cups, plates and cutlery, reducing or removing single use plastic bottles from the campus and increasing envi-

TheHawkeye Staff of 2022-2023

St Joseph's Preparatory School 1733 West Girard Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19130

ronmental awareness among our community?

The Environmental Club hopes to continue to better the environment in 2023 and beyond

Editors-in-Chief

BrendanDougherty '23

LukeGallagher '23

LiamHolden'23

Junior Managing Editors

IsaiahLittlejohn'24

AntoineRobinson '24

News Editor

IanGomez'23

Features Editor

Conor Flaherty '24

Entertainment Editor

ColinBirkmire'23

Opinion-Debate Editor

AidanWilliams'23

Sports Editor CJWeipz'23

Digital Marketing Manager AJNicosia'24

Website Editor-in-Chief

DanLaw '23

Website Editors

RyanDorofy '23

Alex Fella'23

Jack Gallagher '23

Patrick Logan'23

Max Nast '23

Anthony Salvato'23

Peter Bae'24

Staff Writers

TedAntczak '23

Jimmy Baker ?23

Carter Blake?23

KieranHicks'23

DantePassio'23

Anthony Salvato'23

Peter Bae?24

Daniel Canney '24

JoeGriffin'24

CarmenIacuzzio'24

JacksonMaguire'24

JoeMancini '24

ChristianCorr '25

Jack Finley '25

Dan Gordon'25

LucaPaone'25

Daniel Dziadon'26

Miller McCloskey '26

RyanSullivan'26

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 theeditor Letters should not exceed 600 words

hawkeye@sjprep org

All materials printed by TheHawkeye are intended to both entertain and inform the Prep community as well as cultivate an environment that generates meaningful and productivediscussion

Moderators

Mr LeoVaccaro'05

Ms Sheri SanChirico

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 Environmental Club celebrates their hard work at Palmyra Cove (Not Pictured: Edwin Colon '23)

Healing the World Through Conversation: SpeakUp!

from SPEAKUP! pg 1 said her family founded SpeakUp! at therequest of Bob who asked his family to start an organization where ?educators and parents could come together and talk about toughtopics?

Mrs Gillin retired six years ago and Martie Gillin Jr, Mrs Gillin?s daughter took the position of Executive Director in2015

?I jumped in the water and then learned how to swim Martieknew how to swim, and then jumped in thewater,?said Mrs Gillin ?My job has been to put the science underneath the art of what my Mom created for gut and instinct what she started 22 years ago isstill on thecutting edge You are just starting to see all the research on how important relationships are between young people and adults and their lives, and how important communication and mental healthare?

When asked if she could have discussions like this with her parents during her childhood Mrs Gillin Jr said, ?No, wereally couldn?t I grew up in a big Irish Catholic family Phrases families would use back then would be ?don?t air your dirty laundry? These challenges that people have running, all of our families, it?s normal to have them, but when we?re not talking about them we don?t realize that everybody is struggling with something at some point But things change I give my parents a ton of credit Bob?s

courage gave them courage, and we've had lots of challenging conversations since that point SpeakUp! has engaged 30,000 youth and families in speaking up in a different kindof way?

Students were first greeted by Erica Talley, the Program Director of SpeakUp!, and Eunice Yoo, the Program Specialist of SpeakUp!, who worked with co-moderators Mr Phuong Le, SJP college counselor, and Ms Nailah Brown, SJP Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, along with others, toset uptheevent at thePrep

Attendeeswerefunneled into the Cape & Sword Theater for introductions and an initial icebreaker The rest of the night consisted of two 75-minute break-out sessions on the topics of relationships and self-worth Students and parents were put into separate groups and the sharing commenced

Robert Barriomond P ?26, who attended the Self-Worth breakout session and was separated from his son Amari Barrimond ?26 during the event said, ?I felt nervous because I wanted him to see me being honest about a lot of things and I wanted to hear what hehad to say Instead, the boys that I did hear, I tried to put his face on them and hear somethingshemight havesaid to me from their perspective I had to substitute a little bit, but I was happy to hear the truth I came here to hear real things, and I heard them, and I

am humbled and grateful for that ?

Thisyear, Patti Robak P?23, who attended SpeakUp! during the 2021-2022 school year, brought her son Michael Robak ?23 for this year?s sessions

?I did it last year and I liked it so much that I went to oneof their trainings because I?m a teacher, so I convinced him [Michael] to come back with metonight,?shesaid

Last year Mrs Robak was in a session about ?Expectations? and she was surprised by the openness of the students in the exercise

Before the night's events, Michael said he was "excited to be there with his mom and waslooking forward to hearing the teacher's questions and

student-leader perspectives"

Cole O?Donnell ?26, who attended the Relationships break-out session said, ?I think it wasreally helpful It brought mecloser to my classmates? it felt very uniting?

When asked about his experience facilitating the Relationship break-out session, Mr Lesaid, ?I enjoyeddoingit last year, and this year From a counselor's perspective, it is really important to do these types of events Even though wedid not have any parents in thegroup it wasniceto get the student perspective?

SJP Principal Mr Andrew Cavacos said, ?This is really about youth advocacy, youth communication, effective communication, listening, and being there for one another?forming relationships

so students have trust in adults that they can turnto?

After the event, participants were asked to take surveys based on their SpeakUp! experience Although the specific SJP results were not released, SpeakUp! has reported stellar results from past events such as 96% of participants feeling less alone 93% being morewilling to ask for help, and 91% having new strategies to manage challengesintheir life

Despite 22 years of service, SpeakUp! isstill acutting-edge organization that will continue to foster meaningful relationships between youth and adults, one conversation at a time

The Prep Stands Up for Heart Health

from HEART pg 1 that they will attend for each of theassessments

The primary assessment measures blood pressure, weight, and height Thesecond stage of the process involves the use of a stethoscope in order to listen to thesoundsproduced by the heart, lungs, and intestinal tract After these quick measurements are taken, the most crucial portion of the analysis takes place: the electrocardiogram(ECG)

The ECG is a tool used to record theheart?selectrical activity Based on the results of theECGor familial history, the doctorsreviewingtheresultsof the tests may ask students to take an echocardiogram (echo) to take a picture of the heart Through thiscollection of data,

thecardiologistswill beableto advise whether or not one might need to consult with their pediatrician

A notableaspect of theevent istheinstructiononhow toexecute cardiopulmonary resuscitation also known as CPR

Caleb Datto ?22 said, ?You never know what might happen, so it?s very important that we know how to perform CPR?

Datto ?22 said it is important to spread awareness about heart conditions as he himself hasaheart condition, and heis proud to be helping Simon?s Heart because it is a foundationcommittedtosavinglives

As a community it is very important that the Prep promotes health among students; hopefully as Simon?s Heart continues to screen students, more recognition of the issue will arise and more students will be able to be evaluated

SpeakUp! student-leaders Gavin O'Donnell ?24, Dan Law ?23, and Antione Robinson ?24 with SpeakUp! participant Harry Kane ?24

This station, assisted by Caleb Datto ?22, helps students learn how to properly perform CPR incaseof an emergency

Simon s Heart teaches CPRskills to students after heart screenings

Welcoming Mr. Brown to the Prep

By Conor Flaherty '24

Last month, Mr Jamar Brown joined the Counseling Department at the Prep as the newest Guidance Counselor Mr Brown has experience in various alternative and charter schools in Philadelphia before arriving at the Prep The Prep is his first experience working at a Catholic school He described the difference working at the Prep by saying that ?Conversations with the students are different A lot of the students are motivated, goal-oriented, a lot of you know what youwant todo?

Mr Brown hashad 15+ years of experiencein administration prior to arrivingat thePrep He attended Shippensburg University and holdsamaster's

degree in education For much of his career, Mr Brown has helped troubled or undercredited youth through alternative education and emotional support programs Now, he?s here and is ?enjoying the nice facilities andthenicepeople?

Mr Brownisnot only agreat counselor, he?s also a great athlete Mr Brown grew up in Delaware County and attended Springfield High School

Growing up, he played football, basketball, baseball, and track After high school, he was recruited by Shippensburg University on a football scholarship where he spent the rest of his athletic career

Other than sports Mr Brown

still has a wide array of hobbies and interests

Spending time with family is a big one, but he also enjoys reading, doing his own contracting, watching videos, andfurther educatinghimself

Mr Brown has had a storied and successful career thus far, and having him at thePrep isa great privilege Whether discussing class schedules or the Philadelphia Eagles, Mr Brown?s door is always open Be sure to stop by in the Howley Learning Commons and welcome him to the wonderful Prep community!

Class of 2027 Acceptances Are Released

Welcome Home to the St. Joseph's Prep Class of 2027!

By Daniel Dziadon '26

Thispast December students and faculty worked together to hand-deliver acceptance letters to the incoming Class of 2027

Theexperiencewasacomplete success, to say the least, as people happily opened their crimson envelopes and put

their lawn signs in their gardens with their future teachersandPrepbrothers

As the Prep concludes its admissionprocessfor theClass of 2027, over half of the incoming students have since announced their commitment tothePrep with around 60% of

the applicant pool receiving merit-based scholarships and need-basedawardsthisyear

?Our goal is to have an incoming freshman classin the 230-240 range Our deadline for registration is the first Friday in February As of January 13, we're a little over 50% away from our target This is on pace? if not a little ahead of time? than prior years,? said Mr Howie Brown ?99, Director of Admissions

The year-round recruiting process does get tiring after a while, but meeting future students and families is what makesthewholeprocessworth it for theAdmissionsoffice

?The overall admissions processisagrind sinceit often feelslikeajob that is25 hours aday, 8 daysaweek, 366 days a year,? said Brown ?99 ?The Prep's strong reputation draws interest from all over the DelawareValley and it meansI get to meet awesome people almost every day of thejob

Thisup-and-coming group of committed students will bring plenty of talent and smarts as

they cement themselves into the school?s lasting brotherhood Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the Admissions team, they are bound to grow as students and

men with and for others throughout their whole Prep experience

Principal Mr Andrew Cavacos pictured with accepted student

DEI Director Ms Nailah Brown pictured with accepted student

Mr Jamar Brown joined the Counseling Department in January 2023

MLK Day of Service at the Prep

By Conor Flaherty '24

On January 15th, the Prep celebrated the life and legacy of Dr Martin Luther King Jr with a Day of Service for the school community in memory of Dr King Students and faculty alike spent the day giving back to the local community and less fortunate areassurroundingthePrep

Theday began at 8:00 am, as students gathered in the White Chapel for a morning prayer service to kick off the day After that, there were a few student speakers who gave reflections of the life and

legacy of Dr King With the servicein thechapel out of the way, it was time for the work tobegin

Students walked over to the Gesu School and were split into two groups, each tasked with adifferent serviceproject The first group helped make sandwichesand packaged them while the second group gathered some essential items? socks and toiletries, among other things?and packed them into small care packages Both these sandwiches and care packages were eventually handed out to thepeoplein the area experiencing homelessness The students wrapped up at around 11:30am andweredonefor theday

The MLK Day of Service was a great opportunity for students to not only help make an impact in the surrounding community, but also reflect on the incredible life and legacy of Dr MartinLuther KingJr

Abel Rupertus ?24 was one

of many students who took part in the Day of Service and said, ?The MLK Day of Service was a great time to reflect on Martin Luther King's legacy and to act onhisbeliefs Doing service and helping people who are less fortunate than I am is exactly what

Martin Luther King would have wanted and being able to dothat isextremely fulfilling?

Overall, thePrep?sMLK Day of Service turned out to be a great success for everyone involved Through events like this, the Prep continues to

Entertainment

Most Anticipated Releases of 2023

By Brendan Dougherty '23

At this point in the new year of 2023 the music industry was blessed with a number of hit records The Weeknd just released thesecond installment of hisapparent trilogy in Dawn FM FKA Twigs came back with another hit album for the dance world in CAPRISONGS, and Black Country, New Road was gearing up to release Ants From Up There, which is widely considered to be oneof the best releases of this past year Theearly heat isareflection of how electric music was in 2022, a year that saw

Kendrick Lamar come back from afive-year hiatus, aswell as hisTopDawgEnt counterpart, SZA, plus a number of great releases coming from artists such as Denzel Curry, Steve Lacy, Beyonce, JID, and Taylor Swift While 2022 cemented itself as an iconic year in music, and certainly thebest of the decade thus far, what is instorefor 2023?

On the hip- hop scene, a number of artists are considered to be?overdue?to release their newest records, and it looks like the first of whom will be A$APRocky, who be-

gan his album rollout with an Amazon Music Live concert during December Rocky says thealbum is?almost done?and will be titled Don? t Be Dumb He additionally claims the album could be called ?Flacko Boomin?, meaning that fans shouldexpect ahandful of collaborations with producer Metro Boomin Past A$AP, fans have long awaited new records from rappers such as Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, and Playboi Carti, who have been rumored to have new projects onthehorizon

In the world of pop and R&B, the most noteworthy news is that singer Frank Ocean is scheduled to headline Coachella in the spring, which would mark his first live performance since the summer of 2017 Ocean has gone in the dark after his critically acclaimed album Blonde from 2016, so the headline of the major festival stems the question: Isanew Frank Ocean albumcoming?

Furthermore, Lana Del Rey hasalready announced her new album will be coming in March, and Jennifer Lopez is coming back with an album titled, This is Me Now, an obvious connection to her 2002 album, This is Me? Then While the aforementioned A$AP Rocky is reportedly ready to go with new music, his familial counterpart, Ri-

hanna, has stayed quiet about new possible music, but she should not be counted out on new music considering she is headlining the Super Bowl

LVII Halftime Show this Sunday, February 12th

In theworld of contemporary rock, Metallica, Gorillaz, and The Smashing Pumpkins have all announced albums, with Gorillaz coming in February, while Metallica and The Smashing Pumpkins each arriving in April On the country music scene, Luke Combs has announced that he will have a

new album coming in March

Despite a slow start from the rest of the music scene, country music has picked up the pace early, as Hardy, Shania Twain, and Tyler Hubbard haveall brought new albumsto thenew year

While the new year has brought aslow start to new albumsand such, theartistswith anticipated albumsoffer plenty of potential, begging thequestion: Can 2023 match the success the music industry saw in 2022?Only timewill tell

Some of musics most famous artists such as Lana Del Rey Lil Uzi Vert Frank Ocean, A$APRocky, and Rihanna will be releasing new music in 2023

Portrait of Dr Martin Luther King

St Joe's Prep remembered Dr Martin Luther King Jr on January 15th with a Day of Service

commit itself to its Jesuit values of cura urbis and social justice while honoring the values of Dr King at the same time Frank Ocean

Metro Boomin is Back

By Carter Blake'23

Over four years after releasing his debut album, superproducer Metro Boomin is back with his new album HeroesandVillains For thosenot familiar with the style of a Metro Boomin album, simply put, Metro makesthebeatsand has others perform over them Despite serving as a sequel to his last album, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, the record seemingly serves a very different purpose than the last installment and, fromthevery beginning, it is clear that Metro has apoint toprove

Going into thisalbum, Metro had to makeadecision: Washe going to change his style to adapt to the new wave? Or would he stay true to his roots and keep doing what he?s been doing? Just by looking at the tracklist and its features, it became clear that Metro had chosen the latter, and had decided to create the album with those he had been with since the beginning With four featuresfrom TravisScott, Future, and 21 Savage, along with two from Young Thug, thealbum is littered with star power, but most importantly, thestars that he helped to create On the album, Metro essentially serves as the director of this impressive cast of characters Along with those aforementioned, also featured on the album are the likes of Don Toliver, Young Nudy, TheWeeknd, and many more

While not officially listed as a feature, one especially prominent voice that repeatedly appears on the album is that of Morgan Freeman, who, along with ASAP Rocky,

servesasthenarrator of thealbum Both are featured on the record?s opening song ?On Time,? along with John Legend and an audio clip of Homelander from the TV Series The Boys In the clip, the character discusses what it meansto be?thereal hero,?an idea which seems on track to be the general theme for the rest of the album With a seamless transition into the next song, ?Superhero,?Metro, assisted by Future and Chris Brown, continues to discuss thistheme

This track is followed by a long string of songs that, although absolutely incredible, go nowhere in developing the theme of the album If it weren?t for thetransitionsfrom song to song, thevastly different topics and artists featured on every song could make it

seem almost like a playlist, rather than a concise, conceptual album However there is no doubt that these songs are hit after hit after hit Metro follows the first two tracks with a stretch of Travis Scott, ASAP Rocky- esque atmospheric songs, again with four of them featuring Scott himself

Among these songs are the long awaited ?Niagara Falls,? featuring another incredible verse from 21 Savage Also, Scott goes for three minutes solo on the song ?Raindrops (Insane),? with these features almost serving as a return to the spotlight after a controversial year for therapper, toput it lightly The latter track transitions right into the song ?Umbrella,? which along with another 21 Savage feature, consists of a verse from Savage?s

cousin and fellow Atlanta rapper Young Nudy Both do what they do best on the track which more closely resembles the Metro sound of days past, similar to what might have been featured on his last album The style is similar to that of a later song on the album, ?Metro Spider,? which features a currently- detained Young Thug Whether thiswas recorded beforeor after hisarrest is unknown, but regardless, Thug goes off and provides arguably one of the best versesonthealbum

Similar to the earlier Travis Scott song, Thug handles the nearly three minute song by himself, making the track one of thebest on thealbum, if not oneof thebest of theyear Another song on the album that received considerable attention, and which ended up being

the album?s most popular song was ?Creepin?? featuring The Weeknd and yet another 21 Savage verse Although this is far from Metro and The Weeknd?s first collaboration, thisisthefirst timetheduo has teamed up with TheWeeknd as arguably themost famous musician alive, which isof course a very big deal As has been proven in the past, the two have incredible chemistry, and along with 21, create another songof theyear contender Ignoring the album?s bonus track, featuring Gunna, the record concludes with ?Feel The Fiyaaaah,? with the highlight of the song being Takeoff?s first verse since his death in early November With one of thebest versesof hiscareer, Takeoff providesaproper ending to another classic Metro Boomin record With a mix of old and new friends experimental sounds and every so often, a taste of what made Metro Boomin who he is, the album serves to prove a point, completely separate from the actual themeof thealbum Debuting at number one, with several songs still charting in the top ten even weeks later, the album goes to show that Metro Boomin and his unique style of Atlanta trap are both here to stay

Birkmire's Beats: SZA's SOS

By Colin Birkmire '23

SZA is a generational talent

Whilethismay havebeen bold to say when her last project, CTRL, dropped in 2017, it certainly isnot boldtosay now In the years since then, SZA has seen her album CTRL becertified multi-platinum, get nominated for an Oscar for her appearance on the Black Panther soundtrack song, ?All The Stars,? and has most recently won a Grammy for ?Kiss Me More,? her chart-topping duet with Doja Cat On her new project, SOS, SZA breaks free from any genreboundariesand solidifies herself as one of the most talented artists active in musictoday

SOS has been in the works since 2017, and the hour and eight minute runtime shows that SZA hasbeenhardat work over the last half decade The album opens with the triumphant title track, ?SOS?,

being amessageto all listeners that, ?This ain?t no warning shot,?and that SZA isback for good It?san SOSfor everyone that SZA is back to pour her heart out, after fiveyears since therevelationsonCTRL

Moving onto the second track, ?Kill Bill,? is arguably thealbum?smost popular song

SZA sings about killing her ex and his new girlfriend with elegance, and taps into a feeling of desperate, depraved loneliness against a lively drumbeat backdrop

SOSis full of the usual lush R&B jams that SZA makes so well, such as ?Love Language,? ?Blind,? and ?Shirt,? to name a few, but the album also explores other genres as well ?F2F'' is an angsty, Swiftian exploration with catchy crunchy guitars while ?Nobody Gets Me? is a tragically yearnful ballad set to a backdrop of Mazzy Star-esque

acousticguitar strums

Thealbum also features collaborations with some of the biggest names in music, including Travis Scott, Phoebe Bridgers, and Don Toliver each making an appearance The late Ol? Dirty Bastard also makes an appearance on the Bjork- sampling album closer, ?Forgiveless? This is unfortunately one of the album?s weakest points, as the appearancefeelsalittleawkward

Despite arriving late in the year, SOS is a defining moment in music for 2022 While SZA may not have been gone from the public consciousness for the last five years, her charming, unfiltered, and witty lyricshavebeen SOSisthealbum that 2022 needed, a project full of truthfulnessand relatability for young people and ashowcasefor atrueartist

WhileSOSmay not beaperfect album, it is a necessary

one It is more proof that SZA manages to balance introspective and honest lyrics, with a catchy sound that is largely unparalleled It stands asafeat

a

a

The album art for Metro Boomin's latest album, Heroesand Villains, pays tribute to Pink Floyd's classic album Wish You WereHere

in

developing career for

masterful songwriter, who will only continue to improve from here

SZA is going on tour with support from Omar Apollo for her latest album, SOS

Boomin is one of the most sought after producers today

Faculty Grid

By Isaiah Littlejohn '24

What isyour New Year'sResolution? Didn't makeone

Will the Eagles Win the Superbowl?

Absolutely

My New Year'sresolutionisto NOT makeNew Year's resolutions

Eatingcleaner by cuttingout processedfoods Not tosharemy resolutions

Yes! I think theEagleswill win Thewholecity and surroundingareaare supportingthem, especially the St Joe'sPrepstudentswhen they wear their Eaglesswag withpride

Is Valentine's Day a real holiday? I'vebeentoldtosay yes

If it involveschocolate, I consider it areal holiday

January or June?

June Timetoget outdoors andenjoy thisbeautiful world!

Thisistheeasiest questionof all Of course, June, doI need toexplain?

Absolutely

I wasraisedwrong I'ma Giantsfan

Yes, but definitely atier below thebigones I want tostay happily married, soyes!

January - sinceI don't haveto wear sunscreen 24/7

January, but only if it snowsa lot

GlassOnion Review

By Lawson Miller '24

This movie cannot be praised enough Director Rian Johnson collected a slew of A-list actors including Daniel Craig Kate Hudson, Jessica Henwick, Edward Norton, Madelyn Cline, Kathryn Hahn, Janelle Monae, Dave Bautista, Leslie Odom Jr, and Ethan Hawke, and thencreated aperfect murder mystery movie with so many layersthat it will keep you guessing all the way through GlassOnion could be watched many times over by anyone without them getting bored, and will keep the audience guessing for the entire two hours and fifteen minute runtime

On top of the stellar plot, every single character right down to their clothesisso well thought out that anyone could instantly imagine which of these characters they know in real life Thestar of themovie, however, has to be Daniel Craig reprising his role as Benoit Blanc, detective extraordinaire, from the first Knives

Out movie The movie begins with billionaire Miles Bron inviting his old friends to his private Grecian island where he plans a murder mystery gamefor all of them From the second the characters step foot on his private island, the film startsdroppinghintsabout who the eventual culprit or culprits

will be And because this is a murder mystery movie, expect people to die However, these hints are so small and discrete, that often, the audience won?t noticethemuntil it?stoolate GlassOnionmay seem likea strange title, but it ties into the entiremovieand plot in such a way that the payoff at the end

when all is revealed is amazingly satisfying The best part of both the first Knives Out movie, aswell asGlassOnion, areBenoit Blanc?smonologues explaining thecase At theend of Glass Onion, Benoit Blanc starts explaining away everything the audience has seen in the movie so far combined with flashbacks to those little

hintsthroughout themoviethat theaudiencemay havemissed Daniel Craig?s masterful execution of a southern accent combined with Rian Johnson?s expert movie- making skills makes for the most satisfying few minutes of cinema in recent memory And even after Daniel Craig explainsaway the mystery, bucklein, becausethe movie?s just getting started

The cast of GlassOnion a spin-off of KnivesOut

Dr Nunes Mr Kelly Ms Andraka Mr. Koenig '14

Avatar: The Wayof Water Review

By Wolfgang Wahl '23

After waiting over a decade, fans of the original 2009 blockbuster film, Avatar, have been given an outstanding sequel with Avatar: TheWayof Water The movie did a sufficient job picking up where the first left off, starting with thestory of Jack Sully'sfamily and how they havebecomethe leaders of the forest The movie continues to go through the return of Colonel Quartich and how his return affects the Sully family and the ocean tribes of Pandora The movie has outstanding character development with the introduction of the deep connection between the people of the Metkayina and the Tulkun, as well as the introduction of Spider, the son of Col Quartich, who has adoptedtheway of theNa?vi

The movie also contains some of the most beautiful CGI in recent memory Every scene felt real, almost as if a viewer can reach out and touch the trees or swim in the water with the characters Every

Playlists at the Prep:

Compiled By Colin Birkmire '23

scene was laced with beauty andvibrancy makingtheplanet seem unreal and real at the same time The ending of the movie left a great opportunity for Avatar 3, set to release in 2024, withbigshoestofill

The only major criticism of the film is that if Disney choosesto release one of these movies every two years until they reach the fifth Avatar, the series will lose the thing that makes it unique, and that is its ability to shock anyonewith its strong, lifelikevisualsand epic story The consistent release of new Avatar movies will affect that awefactor and generatean increased but disinterested fanbase The key to Avatar?s future success will be leaving more time in between release dates, however only time will tell if thiswill cometofruition

Overall, Avatar: The Way of Water was worth the wait and stands as a well-deserved sequel to the highest-grossing movie of all time

Mrs.

Avatar:TheWayOf Water, the long-awaited sequel to Avatar was released in December 2022

By Colin Birkmire '23

Moviesand showsthat touch on themes of nostalgia are a very popular, but somewhat overdonetropein modern Hollywood There are hit shows like Stranger Thingsand classic movies like Dazed and Confused that use their periodsetting to conjure up feelings of nostalgia within the viewer A24?s latest movie, Aftersun, uses nostalgia as a vessel for the traumas experienced in youth that still linger on into adulthood

In Aftersun, the movie stars Paul Mescal, a talented Irish actor who has finally become favored among the Hollywood crowd, and newcomer Frankie Corio come to life as a divorced father and daughter duo who are on vacation in Turkey sometime in the 1990s The story is told through the perspectives of Frankie Corio?s Sophie, now anadult, watching thevacation on avideo camera she took with her, as well as young Sophie, through the memories she had from the trip She is a curious elevenyear- old who loves spending timewith her fun-lovingfather,

TheHawkword

Cruciverbalist: Miller McCloskey '26

Note: Spacesnot included

Across

2 Flat Fish

3 Sandy

5 Scary soundheardby peopleinthe ocean

6 Deepest part of theocean

7 Another wordfor shark

9 What percent of theoceanhasbeen discovered?

10 Famoussquid'srival Down

1 A trout

4 Surroundedby water

5 Triangle

8 Largebody of water

Aftersun Review

Paul Mescal?s Calum, who tries to ensure that Sophie enjoys her vacation However, both characters are grappling with their own individual struggles Sophie is trying to navigate her feelings of wanting to explore more adult activities, yet simultaneously still being a kid, while Calum is harboring intense feelings of depression which he tries to hidefromSophie

Over the course of the vacation, Sophie and Calum bond over their admirationand dedication for each other, even if their own struggles start to interfere, which Mescal and Coriomasterfully portray Both characters are deeply relatable, and Mescal and Corio portray these emotions with unflinching conviction and deserve all of the praise they have gotten thusfar It isin thisrelatability that Aftersun captures a zeitgeist feeling

These flashback scenes and moments on the video camera are windows into the past that highlight a profound bond that is no longer in adult Sophie?s life The cinematography by Gregory Oke manages to ex-

hibit a sunny, warm atmosphere that feels optimistic, yet foreign The sunniness of childhood hasset for adult Sophie and the contrast between the coldness of the adult Sophie scenes and the warmness of theyoung Sophiescenestap into a subconscious feeling of nostalgiain viewersthat isunparalleled

Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, and the team behind Aftersun have made a triumphant work that encapsulates the feelings of growing up, the depths of self- loathing, and the bittersweet melancholy of nostalgia in a way that is truly moving, and will only to continue to resonate with viewers as both the movie and the viewer age

Opinion/Debate

Night of Scenes XII Is A Success!

from NOS pg 1

he wanted us to, "cast our nets wider," to somehow involve even more students You don't say no to Saint George, so we got to work We put our heads together and came up with Night of Scenes (which he loved, and approved) We began in the 2010-2011 school year

"The miracle of Night of Scenes is that 153 high school kids put up their hands and said, ?Yes, put mein I want to be on stage? It happens every year And the miracle is also the mix: athletes and veteran actors seniors and freshmen dude bros and Breaking Barriers' students (plus girls from 12 different high schools)

"The joy of Night of Scenes is also seeing kids who had no sport or activity - kids who maybe sat alone doing homework in Jesuit Hall each afternoon - now accepted and flourishing - for and with others

"In terms of best memories: one year 8 seniors from the entire Varsity crew team were cast in a funny scene together alongside a young freshman (who suffered from an auto-immune disorder that left him with an affected gait, and some sudden occasional tics) The scene involved them each playing superhero-type characters and it was hilarious More importantly, the crew

Valentine's Day Date Tips

By Carmen Iacuzio '24

Valentine's Day is the hideous time of the year when boys become separated from the men Not only is it hard to find a perfect valentine, but it is also hard to decide what to get for said valentine Chocolate may be your go-to move, but what about something more extravagant like flowers or a gift card to her favorite store? This conversation will end all debates about Valentine?sDay: Thedo?sand don'ts of achieving theperfect Valentine?s Day for you and that special someone

First, don?t get her an expensive gift

There should be a maximum limit onwhat youshouldspend for your date Getting her some chocolate and flowers is one thing, but trying to get her one of those large stuffed animals that sell for $140 is too much Valentine?s Day is about romance and love, not how large of ashoppingspreeyouwill go onfor someone

Second, don?t tell her where you are going

Whether it is a fancy dinner at a5-star hotel or atrip to the local movie theater, your big day needs to have the element of surprise Without it, it just seemslikeany other date This is where you gather up all of

the places and ideas you have for Valentine?s Day and try to see what can be used for your perfect date Thepoint isto put your best effort into the day and making it a surprise type of datewill topit all off Lastly, be yourself Some people want to show off and try to be excessive If you can?t make your date all elegant, try to do it to the best of your ability Even though you have to make it special, you haveto beyourself and try to make the date as comfortable as possible for both of you A limo ride to the best restaurant in town can be just as powerful as a romantic movie night together The entirepurposeof Valentine?sDay istospend timewithyour date, and if you areboth enjoying it, that?s all that matters

guys were such amazing older brothers to the freshman throughout the entire process One night I happened to be standing offstageastheir scene finished and I watched each one of the crew guys high-five the freshman as they walked offstage It brought tearsto my eyes That kindof thing doesn't happen at most high schools but?thanks be to God?it does at thePrep"

The 12th Annual Night of Scenes was performed in the Cape and Sword Theater the weekend of Friday, February 3rd Tickets sold out in less than forty-eight hours, record time, and a wait list to get ticketsformedevery night

Scenes came from a broad array of sources There were popular SNL skits, Studio C skits, and even a Shakespeare

monologue

Directors ranged from long-time pros like the Prep's own Coach Curt Cockenberg '71 to recent alumni like Ethan Pennington '22 and Will Sims '22

Acting on thePrep stagewas a new experience for Matthew Malone '23, who decided to give it a try his senior year "It was the perfect time to do it," hesaid, adding that it was"fun for those times that we weren't performing where you didn't really know anyone people are messing around in the hallways"

Student ColinMcNally chose towatch from theaudiencethis year and said, "It's surprising how much you can laugh in suchashort time It'salsogreat because I knew so many peopleinit 10/10"

For those who missed it, a recording of the show will soon be available to purchase from Cape and Sword I look forward to next year's 13th Annual Night of Scenes

Passio's Picks: Movies

By Dante Passio '23

For this issue?s edition of Passio?s Picks, I decided to rank my top five movies Without further ado, I?m going tohopright intomy list

#5: Rounders

Starring Matt Damon, Rounders is a movie about a former poker player who gets dragged back down the rabbit hole of gambling after his nogood friend getsput in atough situation by a Russian poker player It is a great comeback story but for school purposes I do not condone the idea of gambling

#4: Invincible

Invincible is based on true events and tells the story of Vince Papale, a South Philly native who walked onto the Philadelphia Eagles during an open tryout The movie is nothing short of amazing and it is one of my all-time favorite feel-goodmovies

#3: Miracle

Talk about a feel- good movie Being a hockey player, this was my favorite movie growing up The tale of the Russian proslosing to UScollege hockey players is a great story and onethat I?d watch on repeat any day

#2: TheGodfather Part II

I don?t think I need to clear anythingupabout thispick An all around amazing movie Some people have it as the greatest of all time I have a somewhat hot takefor my first overall

#1: TheGodfather

It is such a great film It has one of the best plots in cinema and what I believe to be the best ending of all time Overall, I believe this is the best movieof all time

Director Tony Braithwaite '89 speaks to students before a performance

Best Logos in Sports

By Miller McCloskey '26

There are many things that make a sports team unique Thename, thehistory, thefanbase, and the mascot all play crucial roles, but one of the most important components to any sportsteamistheir logo

Logosareoftentimesthefirst image in your head when you think of a sports team Certain sports leagues normally have a unique style that most of the teams follow For example, many NFL teams that have an animal for a name normally have a fierce face of said animal However, it goes without saying that sportslogosvary in complexity and style Some logosarejust objectively better thanothers

I?ll betalking about my three personal favorite logos from each respective league with as little bias as possible On top of that I?ll also be stating my personal opinion on all the leagues' logos as a whole and how I feel about them With that being said, let'sget started

NFL

Starting off strong with the NFL A lot of the NFL logos are slick and fierce, and really cool overall The NFL may be my favorite league when it comestologos

3 TheMinnesotaVikings

A lot of the NFL teams with thehead of what they represent are animals, like the Panthers, or Ravens But something different about theVikings is that their logo is a human I like how the viking seems intimidating, but not yelling like all the other logos Its colors also makefor agreat combo

2 TheTampaBay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers are a common logo to see on the best NFL logos list, and for good reason It?s a cool looking flag with ripped up fabric being waved by asword with itsown take on the iconic ?Jolly Roger? logo The football on theflagisanicetouchaswell

1 ThePhiladelphiaEagles

Yes, I know I said I would keep thisasunbiased aspossible, but you have to admit that this is a cool logo! The Eagles haveto beoneof thecoolest of all the animal head logos In my humble opinion this eagle head symbolizes fierceness, strength, and bravery ? perfect for a football team Not to mention the black green white, and gray are super slick andwork nicely together

HM: The Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars MLB

Along with the NFL, the MLB is one of my favorite

sports leagues to watch Unfortunately, I feel that their logosareabit weak and bland I know they're seen as retro and iconic, but I?ve never thought these logos were fantastic However, I do appreciate them alongwiththeir history

3 TheBrooklynMets

I know I hate the Mets like any sane Phillies fan, but the Mets undeniably have one of the stronger logos in the league The logo is squished into a baseball and has the Mets written on it, New York Skyscrapersin thebackground, and even theBrooklyn Bridge! Somehow thelogo doesn?t feel cramped at all, it just seems to perfectly meshtogether

2 ThePhiladelphiaPhillies

In all honesty, as much as I love the Phillies I wouldn?t have included them in this article if it wasn?t for their newest logo Unlike the Mets logo, the Phillies logo always felt cramped to me, it was just too much ? the bell and the Phillies text crowded inside of the base However their most recent changewas for thebest This logo is much cleanerlooking and I really like the color scheme and stars I think if thePhillieschanged thecolors to the nostalgic powder blue and maroon of the 80?s, thislogowouldbeevencooler

1

2 TheNashvillePredators

The reason the Toronto Blue Jays are in my number one spot is because their logo remindsmeof awesomeheadsof the NFL and NHL logos The head helps the logo stand out, since it is very unique compared to other MLB logos I also always appreciated the maple leaf since it brings attention to the fact that it?s the only MLB Canadianteam HM: The Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, LosAngelesDodgers NHL

I haven?t watched the NHL nearly asmuch asI?vewatched theother leagues, but I personally believethat they may have some of the best logos of all 4 of the major sports leagues It may be that they are relatively fresher in my mind since I don?t see them as much as the others, however I?m willing to stand by stating they are some of thebest

3 TheMinnesotaWild

You might find it surprising that this isn?t my number one pick because of how complex it is I do love how the river is the mouth, the eye is the shooting star, and the sunset is the ear I can?t give it a higher ranking because although the design is well thought out, somethingseemsalittleodd

This logo is great Some might say it looks dumb because of how comically large the fang is, but if you ask me that?s what makes the logo great It makesit stand out and unique The colors on the logo might be the best of all time ? navy, yellow, andwhite!

1 TheColoradoAvalanche

This logo might be my favorite logo on this entire list! Some of you might be surprised, but I think it?s great The Avalanche is a hockey puck going down a mountain and the two together make a big fat A This logo is great andyoucan?t tell meit isn?t

HM: TheFloridaPanthers, San Jose Sharks, Columbus Blue Jackets

NBA

Finally, we have the NBA, and, to behonest, thisleagueis a mixed bag It has some great logosand someawful oneslike The Houston Rockets or The Detroit Pistons I think my biggest problem with NBA logos is how many have a basketball in the design Where's theoriginality?

3 TheMilwaukeeBucks

At first sight this logo might seem alittlebasic, even alittle obvious, a buck for the bucks Upon closer inspection you

will noticethat thebody of the buck is an M which surprisingly works really well The graphic is bold and to the point I can even see the subtlety of a small basketball on top of a larger basketball, within the antlers which is anythingbut basic

2 TheChicagoBulls

Arguably the most iconic logoin theNBA istheChicago Bulls logo The Bulls have a simple yet great logo which may well be the most recognizable in the league The design for the Bulls is legendary, and dare I mention it doesn?t haveabasketball init!

1 TheDallasMavericks

I love this logo I think that the horse is fierce The logo does include a basketball, but what makes the difference is that it is a great design If it was only the horse, the logo would feel empty The horse's maneisalso anicetouch, giving the illusion of a basketball combined with the hidden M ontheforehead

HM: The Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets

TheTorontoBlueJays

A compilation of sports logos from NBA and NFL teams

Students Should Have Easy Access to Learning Commons Workspace Rooms

By Quinn McGahey '24

According to a Stanford study, collaborative workspace environments are on average 50% more productive than individual work settings Since the recent multi-million dollar renovation of the former McShain Library into thenew and sleek Howley Learning Commons, the Prep now has two collaborative workspace rooms

However, for those looking to collaborate, there is no set policy for using the workspace rooms As a result, the rooms are routinely locked or in use by administrators throughout the day, making it difficult for studentsto gain accessto them for the majority of the school day I and afew friends, sought out how to use one of these rooms, and it seemed like a complicated process for some-

thing that I personally believe shouldbeeasily accessible

As it stands, if you and your friendsor classmates are looking to collaborate you have to reserve the room for a period of time This unfortunately restrictsspontaneousdecisionsto

Sports

the first floor of the learning commons has been unlocked, but there was no announcement to students to let them know of theroom being available, hence students may not always be aware of the availability of theroom

rative work rooms open to study during all building hours of operations and to have the adapters available for checkout This would prevent them from being misplaced, and makethem availableto all students, broadening the use of thesework spaces

work with friends and classmates While this process does allow students to use these rooms, I believe that there shouldbeabetter systemtoallow students instant access to these collaborative work rooms As of writing this article, the collaboration room on

One of the reasons to use thesecollaborativework rooms istheTV displaysthat areable to connect to our chromebooks The ability to share your screen with others can be invaluable to working together in a collaborative work environment However, the HDMI toUSB-Cadaptersthat will allow us to connect our chromebooks have disappeared from these rooms There is no point in the TVs being in these rooms if there is no use for them

My personal suggestion would be to have the collabo-

My hopeisthat thePrep administration can find a better way to allow studentsaccessto these valuable resources that allow for the betterment of our education

The Amazing Race: NBA Edition

By Christian Corr '26

And the 2022- 2023 NBA MVPis? no oneknows Usually, by thistimein theseason, the MVP is narrowed down to two star players, but this year, it?sdifferent Fiveplayershave all had dominant seasons, all beforetheall-star break Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Joki?, and Jason Tatum areall part of what will be an MVPrace that will go down as perhaps the greatest MVPraceinhistory

First, the reigning MVP, Nikola Joki? Joki? is averaging a near triple- double with 252 PPG, 107 RPG, and 95 APG thisseason and islooking to becomethefirst player since Larry Bird to win threestraight MVP awards What sets Joki? apart from most players, besides his incredible nickname, ?Joker?, is his unbelievable passing ability Joki?'sremarkable vision on the court has made him one of, if not the best, passing big man of all time He has made himself a generational talent by leading the Nuggets to a high seed in the West has made him a top MVPcandidate

Next up is Boston Celtics star Jason Tatum Tatum is having an outstanding year posting 307 PPG, 82 RPG, and 42 APG Coming off his 2021- 22 season where he led histeam to an NBA Finalsappearance, Tatum has shown no signs of slowing down Boston has an incredible team this year and Tatum hasbeen adri-

ving factor As many had pointed out throughout his career, Tatum has shown his ability to one-up himself every year and his current campaign is no exception So far, Tatum has shown up in big games against the league's top talent One example was against the Dallas Mavericks, led by Luka Doncic, where Tatum posted a triple-double with 29 PTS, 14 REB, and 10 AST and led Boston to a dominant 124-95 win over the Mavs Tatum is one of the best young players in the league currently and an MVP would put him in the conversation for one of the best Boston Celtic players ever

Luka Doncic is one of the most remarkable basketball playersof hisgeneration Heis the true definition of controllingthepaceof thegameand it shows through his 340 PPG,

88 RPG 87 APG stat line

Watching Lukaisthemost entertaining thing in the NBA since James Harden?s insane MVP season He controls the gamefrom thetip and histeam is never out of striking distance This ability to take over the game was on full display when the Mavs eliminated a nine- point deficit with under thirty seconds left to go in the game They would go on to win in overtime behind a historic effort from Luka where heput up 60PTS, 21 REB, and 10 AST Luka has done so much with this team with no secondary stars and has led his squadtoatopseed intheWest Luka can do it all and just when you think he has done something so incrediblehewill go ahead and top that Theway that he plays the game and the lovethat heshowsfor it makes him an easy candidate for MVP

Giannis Antetokounmpo is most likely the best player in the NBA and has been for the past few years Giannishasalready won two MVP awards and an NBA FinalsMVPin his career, establishing himself as one of the most dominant in the league Giannis has also won aDefensivePlayer-of-theYear award during his career Antetokounmpo has averaged 310 PPG, 119 RPG, and 53 APG this year and has led his team to a top seed in arguably the most competitive Eastern Conference since the late 80s and 90s Giannis has also been dominating the rest of the leaguethisyear without hisallstar teammate Kris Middleton who has missed most of the season due to an injury Giannis and Middleton are one of the best duos in the league when healthy and since they wonthechampionshipin 2021, they have not been beaten in a

playoff series when healthy Giannis is always in the MVP conversation and this year is no different due to his overall dominance on both endsof the floor

Finally, Kevin Durant The ?Slim Reaper?, as he is often referred to, led the Nets through a remarkable first half of the season despite recently being acquired by the Phoenix Suns Brooklyn started slow after an anti-climatic offseason where everyone thought that they would blow the team up Tensions were high within the organization as it seemed both Durant and Kyrie Irving both wanted out of Brooklyn, but the organization was unable to reach a trade for either of their stars The Nets were off to a terrible start and fired Head Coach SteveNash Durant then went off as the Nets went on a twelve- game winning streak and became one of the top contenders for the title this year Durant is the biggest part of this turnaround, averaging 297 PPG, 67 RPG, and 53 APGthisseason Durant isunlikely to win the award this year dueto an injury but, if not for that, hewould definitely be higher onthislist

This MVP race will be like no other, and it will beajoy to watch each star battle for their chance to win the first- ever Michael Jordan Trophy in the history of the NBA

Luka Doncic hitting the game-tying shot en route to a 60-point triple double

Seniors collaborating in one of the three new workspace room in the Howley Learing Commons

Tua Injury Sparks More Safety Concerns

By Dan Gordon '24

A few months ago, the Miami Dolphins were a team on fire with an 8-3 record They seemed unstoppable However, they then went on a 5 game losing streak that almost cost them a playoff berth One of the main catalysts for this season- altering collapse was TuaTagavailoa?shealth, which wasnot 100% for amajority of the year He suffered his third concussion in as many months against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day He was ruled out for the Wild Card round of the playoffs, effectively giving the Dolphins no chance at advancing The sad truth to this whole matter is that this situation was completely avoidable Unfortunately, both the Miami Dolphins?s medical team and the NFL failed Tua as well as every other player who has suffered a similar fate The leaguehasmadeit very apparent that they care more about money than the health of their players, especially regarding

Tua?s situation There are two big discussions to be made about this topic: Tua?s long term health and the rules regardingplayer safety

Three concussions for any person throughout their lifetime is scary to think about But usually a person who had sustained three concussions had them at sporadic times throughout their life But for Tua, he suffered three concussions in three months This discussion goes beyond foot-

ball and towards the longtime health of Tua At thevery best, he comes out of this situation with no harmful side effects for the rest of his life But, there is a larger chance that he will suffer long- term brain damage as a result of this Some even say that he might even develop CTE, a dangerous brain condition that is said to belinked with repeated head trauma These concussions may also unfortunately cut Tua?s lifespan shorter than

normally expected, as people with CTE live on average about 26 years shorter than the national average The one takeaway from all of these things mentioned above is that we should all hope that Tua, theperson, not thequarterback, feels okay At the end of the day, every player in theNFL is human, so theNFL should start treatingitsplayersassuch

The long- term implications of this situation can be very dire for the NFL They must make a great effort to improve player safety When peoplesee what happened to Tua, it makes them want to avoid them playing football altogether Injuries like this are why parentsdon?t let their kids play football And with the NFL lowballing their players regarding their safety, this makesplayingfootball lessdesirable In order for theNFL to avoid aslow decline, they need to adapt new rules so that they can make their sport more player-friendly One way to do this is to either eliminate

Thursday Night Football or to haveteamswho arecoming off their bye-week play on Thursday This helps to give players extra rest, and it also allows teams to give injured players their needed time to come back, rather than getting rushed back There are other ways the NFL can help players, such asmaking concussion protocols more thorough and finding ways to make helmets more effective at protecting players Overall, the NFL needs to start valuing player safety more, because, again, these players are human as well

There are certain things that the NFL can take away from the Tua fiasco They have to improveplayer safety, and they haveto valuethelivesof these players for the present and the future While they are a business, empathy and compassion towards players would go a long way for the NFL

Phillies Offseason Outlook

By Luca Pascucci '23

PHILADELPHIA -- Following the heartbreaking World Series loss to the Astros, the Phillies knew that they had to make a couple more moves to solidify themselves as a repeat World Series contender The Phils made the World Series when most didn?t even expect them to reach the playoffs, but fell just short of their goal after losing to the Houston Astros The loss, thought by many, wasaresult of thebullpenrunning out of steam and lack of hitting with certain players in the lineup, and they knew they couldn?t have that for their team to win a championship They neededastronger bullpen and a few more key pieces to solidify themselves as a top contender

Around a week after the World Series, on November 7, 2022, the Phillies declined Jean Segura?s option for next season, hoping to aim for an elite shortstop that was in the free agent market The big names hitting the market this year were Trea Turner Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaertss, and Dansby Swanson Pitcher Zach Eflindeclinedhisplayer option to become a free agent on the sameday, and on theother side of things, the Phillies picked up Aaron Nola?s option for him to return to the team Five days later, the Phillies extended hitting coach Kevin Long, a big part of the Phil?s offensive boom in their 2022 campaign, to atwo-year extension At this point, the Phillies were still on the hunt for an all- star shortstop, but in the

meantime, they extended Dave Dombrowski?s contract through the 2027 season Dombrowski, President of Baseball Operations, helped thePhilliesclimb back into the

cludesano-tradeclause, prying him away from another contender in the Los Angeles Dodgers Turner adds a perfect mix of power and speed to the Phillies lineup, with a pair of

cember 19th, one month after extending Dombrowski, most of the Phillies front office got extended due to their success in reaching the World Series General Manager Sam Fuld

206% strikeout rate and 1035% walk ratein 48 innings for the Giants last season On January 13th, the Phillies avoided arbitration and signed one- year deals for Rhys

postseason and hopes to do it again for therest of thetimehe is here

On November 23, 2022, BryceHarper finally underwent surgery on the damaged UCL in his right elbow that prevented him from throwing since mid-April He will likely be out for the first half of the season until the all star break, leaving a massive hole in the lineup for manager Rob Thomson to fill On December 2nd, 2022, the Phillies added outfield depth with 30 year old Jake Cave, who is a 235/ 297/ 411 solid lefthanded hitter that can play all three positions in the outfield, adding depth to an already stacked outfield The biggest bomb of the Phillies offseason happened on December 5th, however, when all- star Trea Turner agreed to an 11- year, $300 million contract that in-

20/20 seasonsin homerunsand steals He also played with Bryce Harper for 4 seasons with the Washington Nationals and reunited with hitting coach Kevin Long, who was also a part of theNationalsduring his tenure The next day, Dombrowski bolstered the rotation, signing Taijuan Walker to a 4year, $72 million contract that will put him in the starting Phillies rotation with Wheeler, Nola, and Suarez About an hour after signing Walker, the Phillies added left-handed reliever Matt Strahm on a2-year, $15 million contract Strahm has a 381 ERA over 7 seasons and can potentially swing between the bullpen and starting rotation On December 14th, Noah Syndergaard left the Phillies and signed a 1- year, $13 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers On De-

and assistant general managers Ned Rice and Jorge Velandia received extensions through the2025 season On December 23rd, thePhilliesagreed to a1year, $10 million deal with closer Craig Kimbrel Kimbrel had 394 saves in 13 seasons, and the Phillies and Dombrowski hope he can bring what they need in the bullpen About 2 weeks later, the Phillies sent Nick Maton, Matt Vierling, and Donny Sands to the Detroit Tigers for all- star pitcher Gregory Soto and infielder Kody Clemens Soto, a 27-year-old reliever with backto-back all-star seasons, boasts a 328 ERA through 60 ? last season On January 9th, the Philliessent pitcher Erik Miller to the San Francisco Giants and acquired right- handed pitcher Yunior Marte Marte posted a 544 ERA with a

Hoskins, Ranger Suarez, Gregory Soto, and Edmundo Sosa They could not come to a deal with Seranthony Domiguez or Jose Alvarado by the 1 pm deadline, but it?s still possible the two sides can agree on multi-year deals Thelatest update was on January 15th, when the Phillies signed switch- hitting shortstop Jesus Starlyn Caba Scouting Director for the Phillies, Sal Agostinelli, went to a tournament in theDominican Republic and was blown away with the15-year old kid at thetime, and he knew he could be special

With all these changes in the bullpen and key pieces in the lineup, the Phillies front office has given fans much hope coming into the new season, wanting a championship this time

After Tua Tugovaiola's third concussion of the season, the NFL was in hot water about their protocols for player safety

Craig Kimbrel (left) and Greg Soto (right) were brought in to bolster and already blossoming bullpen for the Phils in the upcoming season

AHealthyMindIn AHealthyBody:

Intersection Between Sports and Faith at the Prep

By Isaiah Littlejohn '24

Faith formation is one of the many definingfeaturesof aJesuit education at schools like the Prep But how does faith intersect with different aspects of theschool community?Last December, ninety-onestudentathletes voluntarily participated in this discussion by completingasurvey touncover the relationship between sports and faith at thePrep Thissurvey was sent out to all students, but exclusively answeredby SJPstudent-athletes

Beginning in thefall of 2020 Prep Athletic Director, Mr Dan DiBerardinis, encouraged coaches to schedule times for student- athletes to participate in pregame Examen This initial effort was stifled by COVID- 19 restrictions, however, but the new school year and sports calendar has benefitted from many of those restrictionsbeing lifted, allowing for pre- game Massand Examen to happen more frequently

?With the Mission and Ministry team we?ll haveacoaches meeting, and they?ll say ?Hey this is when we?re available, these are the types of things that we can bring to your program,??saidMr DiBerardinis

Fr Steve Surovick, SJ, Senior Director of Mission and Ministry, and others have held pregame Examen with various sports teams such as football, basketball, lacrosse, crew, and soccer

But Fr Surovick is more thanjust afacilitator

?I help them think about goal setting or the mission of the team itself The team's goal is bigger than winning matches, it's about the way they come together or not? Team building by fostering relationships and connecting with God isthe primary goal, with spirituality andfaithat itscore,?hesaid

Since the Prep is a Jesuit school, it is allowed to freely incorporate prayer, Mass, and Examen in day-to-day life at the Prep, including sports; the relationship between sports and faith in public schools, however, has always been taboo

Last year, theSupremeCourt heard the case Kennedy v Bremerton School District, which argued whether Joseph Kennedy, former coach at Bremerton High School, WA, had the right to offer a prayer on the50-yard lineafter agamein public

In June 2022, the Supreme Court decided a 6- 3 majority upholdingtheright of Kennedy topublicpost-gameprayer

While the Prep?s Catholic roots permit practices such as pregame prayer, the Prep?s Jesuit values(Grad at Grad principles) cause it to take on the responsibility of making all student- athletes feel comfortable despite their religious background

Mr Bill Avington ?90, Director of Communications at the Prep, gave his opinion about faith and sports during a student- led sports press conference, assisted by Ms Sonia Nelson, the school librarian as well as journalism teacher, in early December:

?The nice thing about Jesuit spirituality is that it does cater toall faiths Youdo not haveto be Catholic to get something out of an Examen,?Mr Avington?90said

Ms Nailah Brown, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Prep, also gave her opinion on faith and sports: ?If we?repraying asateam before we go out to play [a] game? then I think that?s fine because it is a shared experience if we all are believing in that [and] weareall in support of that ?

Ms Brown also stressed that people should not be forced into prayer for a religion they may not practice:

?Jesus doesn?t force you to be a follower? Jesus said, ?You are allowed to make the choice I?m going to put all the things in front of you, I?m going to give you all the information, [and] it is your choice whether or not you want to comebeafollower,?? said Ms Brown

Mr DiBerardinis says prayer is optional for all studentathletes despite their religious background and that the Examen is not forced upon them, but encouraged

The purpose of the survey was to measure the comfort student- athletes have during pregameprayer, Mass, or Exa-

men The survey considered student- athletes? religion and how it correlated to their feeling about this practice According to the survey which was sent out to all students of thePrep, 89%of thosewhoresponded practice Christianity, about 10% do not practice a religion and about 1% Hinduism

About 50% of participants' opinions on the intersection between sports and faith at the Prepwerepositive

This suggests that while both the majority of participants practice Christianity and appreciate sports? relationship with faith at the Prep, participants who value this practice do not exclusively practice Christianty Additionally, it indicates that not all participants who practice Christianity admirethispractice

The overall results suggest that pregameprayer, Mass, and examen have a positive impact on the majority of studentathleteswhotook thesurvey

Lakeem Steele ?24, rightguard on the Varsity football team, says, ?I see [the Examen] asaplacefor meto have a clear mind, set a clear goal ahead, get rid of the distractions from the past week, and just focusonthefuture?

Ben Bischoff ?23, head Varsity captain of the ultimate frisbee team said, ?I think [the Examen] is great and the Ultimate Frisbee team should maybe begin partaking in it I believe that even for non- Christian students a prayer or Examen can help the team feel more united?

About 48% of studentathletes either feel "mostly Comfortable? or ?somewhat comfortable? during team Examen

Joseph McGonigal ?26, a two- sport athlete who plays crew and ice hockey, said he feels ?mostly comfortable? (comfortable is defined as free

from stress, at ease in the survey) ?I never went to Mass as a kid but now that I am at a catholic school I want to try and start to pray alittlemore I haven't really figured it out 100% so that istheonly reason I am not very comfortable,?he said

Ryan Dorofy ?23, a twosport athlete who plays both bowling and tennis said, ?Honestly I think it?s a good practice but unnecessary I do not seeany reason to get rid of it nor keep it It is just a tradition of Catholicism in my eyes? Prayer for me does not relievestress If anythingit just makes me remember things that I was stressed about instead of focusing on the game that I amabout toplay?

Less than 3% of those who responded feel completely uncomfortable with the relationship between sports and religionat thePrep

Mike DiTrolio ?23, Varsity captain for both wrestling and football said he was ?very uncomfortable? ?I don?t want to think about what I?m going to do I just want to do it ? DiTrolio?23said

The remaining studentathletes who also selected ?very uncomfortable? requestednot tobequoted

It is also interesting to note that the majority of participants, who both practice Christianity and are comfortable with Examen also said they would be uncomfortable beingquotedinthisarticle

Furthermore, throughout the survey, Prep student- athletes also voiced that inclusivity is an important thing when it comes to team prayer, Mass, and Examen, and that participationshouldbeoptional

Taylor Trojan ?24, who plays Rugby said, ?I think that they could be a good optional way for a team to have even more bonding?

Gabe Terry ?24, who partici-

pated in outdoor track during his sophomore year said, ?I think implementing faith into sports can be not all-inclusive to students who don't practice thesamereligion?

Student- athletes also mentioned how sports may prevent them from practicing their faith, such as early Sunday mornings that interfere with church-goers

Students who have not participated in pregame prayer/Mass/Examen, were asked if they thought it would have a significant impact on the way they played; for example, helping them feel centered, team build, and/or improveoverall performance

About 13% of participants said pregame prayer/Mass/Examen would possibly have a positive impact on their performance, about 15% said ?Maybe?, and about 13% said it would not The remaining 58% of student- athletes were split into two groups: Athletes who said they participate in pregame prayer/Mass/Examen and it has a positive impact, and athleteswho said they participateand it hasnegativeimpact About 57% of participantssaid they actively participate in the pregame Examen and it has a positive impact and about 1% of participants saidit didnot

The majority of volunteers appreciate the intersection between sports and faith Prep athletics will continue to carry out its philosophy of mens sana in corpore sano (?a healthy mind in a healthy body") by encouraging coaches to reach out to Mission and Ministry for pregameExamen

Fr Surovick, SJsaid, ?God is not Catholic, Jewish, or Muslim; heisin all faiths TheExamen was created by Saint Ignatius, but is not exclusively Catholic, because it reflects on your own life and experiences?

(

P h o t o :

Sports and Spirituality Survey

A Healthy Mind 2023 Data (91

What 's your class year?

What religion do you pract ice?

- 89%

- 1 1%

I do not practice a religion - 9 9%

Do you part icipat e in prayer, m ass, or exam en before a gam e or m at ch?

student-athlete respondents)

How com fort able do you feel during prayer/ m ass/ Exam en (free from st ress, at ease)?

Very Comfortable - 49 5%

Mostly Comfortable - 29 7% Somewhat Comfortable - 18 7% Very Uncomfortable - 2 2%

How oft en do you find yourself not w ant ing t o go t o pract ice?

Alw ays - 5 Never)

If you do not part icipat e in prayer/ m ass/ exam en before a gam e, do you t hink it w ould have a significant im pact on t he w ay you played? (i e Help you feel cent ered, t eam build, im prove overall perform ance)?

Yes - 13 2%

- 13 2% Maybe - 15 7% N/A - 57 9%

If you do part icipat e in prayer/ m ass/ exam en before a gam e, w hich st at em ent do you agree w it h m ore?

I participate in Mass/prayer/examen and it has a positive impact - 57 1%

I participate in mass/prayer/examen and it has a negative impact - 1 1%

Do You Have Any Personal Pregame Rituals?

"Music, loud loud music " Henr y Gar tland '24

"I always wear t he same uni befor e a piece "

- Nick Julian '24

"Aft er war ming up, I like t o t ake five minut es just t o decompr ess befor e my mat ch st ar t s I t doesn't r eally mat t er what I 'm doing wit h t he t ime, I just t r y t o focus on t he pr esent and block out any t hought s about t he past or fut ur e "

- Luke Gallagher ?23

"Befor e any wor kout I 'll say a quick pr ayer asking God t o keep me safe Befor e a r ace I 'll say t he Saint Michael pr ayer I feel like t his pr ayer gives me st r engt h, willpower , and comfor t t hat God will be wit h me t he ent ir e way down t he r ace cour se "

- Nikolaos Har alambous '24

"I would say my only pr egame r it ual is visualizing a lot of possibilit ies of how t he game could go and t r ying t o see what I can do and what st r at egies I could use t o pull off one of t hose good possibilit ies I r ealized "

- Ryan Dorofy '23

"I make sur e t o do my st r et ching a cer t ain way and r ead a quot e my coach has post ed in t he boat house by FDR befor e r aces "

- Connor Williams ?23

"Hail Mary?" by Luke Chamberlain '26

"I say a Hail Mar y befor e r aces "

- Jack Milano '26

"Music- C4 Ener gy Dr ink- pr e- game solo player "

- Max Bar ton ?23

"Befor e I begin t o st ep on t he t r ack t o r un, I would find a place on t he gr ound t o medit at e I t helps calm my ner ves and pr epar es me for t he r ace "

- Rober t Maller y '25

"Not r eally I just most ly like t o st ay locked in "

- James McDer mott '25

"Slapping t he side of boat s befor e pr act ice or a r ace and scr eaming, 'Yeah Pr ep' on t he wat er "

- Anthony Smith ?25

"I always t ape my st icks befor e hockey I don't know why it s just somet hing I have done ever y t ime and in my head I t hink if I don't so it I will have a bad game "

- Joseph McGonigal ?26

"For swimming befor e and aft er a meet we always cheer as loud as possible t o get ever yone else pumped up "

- Colin Kr umenaker ?26

"I slap my knee br ace befor e ever y game "

- Ryan Kyle '24

"I always eat sunflower seeds befor e a game "

- Jacob Bischoff ?25

"Me and my t eammat es say t he Pr ayer for Gener osit y befor e we go out for a r ace We shake our coaches hands befor e we shove off dock "

- Connor Ganley ?23

Meet Davis Peterson '23: Squash Captain

By Peter Bae'24

Meet Davis Peterson ?23, Prep squash captain whosetalents extend from the classroom, to the field, and, ultimately, tothesquashcourt

When Peterson joined the squash team freshman year, he mentioned how he had hardly ever picked up aracket prior to trying out, ?I had little experience before trying out freshman year but not much? Yet, his love for the game transcended his squash career at the Prep, leading him to take on therespected roleascaptain for the22-23season

As acaptain, Peterson is expected to betherolemodel for theteam, leading them both on and off the court ?I like the honor of being captain, there?s definitely responsibility to uphold, but I enjoy it It?scool to see that the players and coachesseemeasaleader and have given me this opportunity?, he said Fellow senior

teammate, Leo Figge ?23 said, ?[Peterson] is a great squash captain because of his work

ethic and his commitment to helping others develop a love for the game He?s the first on

the court at practice and usually thelast toleave?

As for his favorite player, Peterson said he has taken a liking to Mohamed El Shorbagy, someonewho hehas drawn alot of inspiration from Whether it be his fluid movements, or his effortless striking, Shorbagy hasproven to be one of the best players in the world Peterson said, ?I like Shorbagy not only because of histechnique, but alsohisability to adapt and learn quickly to defeat other players? Being able to do this is crucial in a gamewherethetablescan turn at any given moment, which is why Peterson lovessquash, for its fast pace He said, ?One of thereasonswhy I havecontinued to play squash isbecauseit requires that you give 100% effort 100% of the time, all while maintaining focus The moment your minddriftsoff, is the moment when you realize that your opponent has come back andyou?renow losing?

Looking back on his time playing for Prep squash, he said that some of his best memories came from playing at nationals, stating, ?Playing in nationals was a great experience being able to witness a lot of good squash and to be exposed to all sorts of competition? He said another moment that he enjoyed was playing at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center down in Drexel?s campus, where the U S Open Squash Championships are played Peterson said, ?Being ableto play where all the top players in the world play wasagreat experiencefor our team?

However, with the 22- 23 season already underway, Peterson has high hopes for the team this year, ?Last year, losing to La Salle hurt, so I hope wecan catch the win and once again, I?m also looking forwardtoleadingtheteaminnationals However, my biggest goal is to help make everyone better at squash?

Eagles Advance to Super Bowl LVII

from EAGLESpg 1 each, contributing to the Eagles' victory

On the offensive end, the Eagles dominated the run game scoring all four of their touchdowns on the ground MilesSandershit paydirt twice for the Birds, Boston Scott chipped in for a touchdown of his own while Jalen Hurts snuck in for one more as he does so well Jason Kelce and Landon Dickerson displayed impressive performances blocking the run, while Lane Johnson handled 49ers end Nick Bosa with relative ease whenever Jalen Hurts dropped back Thepassing game, on the other hand, wassomewhat of a dud Jalen Hurts?passer rating stood at an unimpressive 723, only throwing for 121 yards, going15/25

The Eagles are now heading back to the Super Bowl just five years after defeating Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII in 2018 In a season where in the midst of an MVP-caliber season, Carson Wentz is injured and replaced by Nick Foles to go on a miracle run Since then, the Birds have gone through a hectic quarterback replacement, a complete retooling of the offensive skill positions, and an almost entirely new coaching staff, now led by Nick Sirianni The roster hasbeen almost completely retooled, as only 8 players remain from the Super Bowl LII team

In the four years in between

the two Super Bowl runs, the franchise has only seen one NFC East division title, along withalast-placefinishin2020, going 4-11-1, quite the turnaround now to a 14-3 season

The urgency to return to contention speaks volumes to how much effort owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman put into maintaining a winning franchise

After dominant home performances over New York and now San Franciscoin theplayoffs thus far, the Eagles now head to Glendale, AZ to face

the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII, creating a fantastic storyline for essentially all NFL fans Travis Kelce vs Jason Kelce, brothers going at it Nick Sirianni vs Andy Reid, the past and present of incredible Philadelphia Eagles coaches Jalen Hurts vs Patrick Mahomes thefirst pair of African- American starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl Likewise, Hurts and Mahomes are the younger pairing of quarterbacks to face off on themain stage, sitting at ages24and27, respectively

As dominant as the Eagles

were against the 49ers, the team faces a much different challenge in the Kansas City Chiefs Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon will need to be prepared for a much more dynamic passing game from Kansas City, along with a stronger unit of an offensive line The aforementioned Travis Kelcewill be the largest priority for the Eagles defensive secondary, strikingly similar to the Super Bowl matchup with the Patriots where Rob Gronkowski dominated the pass- game for the Patriots If the Eagles are able

to neutralize Kelce, they will be setting themselves up for victory On the offensive end, Nick Sirianni and Shane Steichen, will continue doing what they have been doing all year: taking what the defense givesthem

The stage has been set for another exciting championship game filled with highlight plays and memorable moments The Eagles have done all of thework to makeit back to the big stage, and now their sightsareset on another parade down Broad

Davis Peterson 23 (above) looks to finish out his Prep squash career on a high note

The Philadelphia Eagles advance to Super Bowl LVII with a 31-7 win over the San Francisco 49ers