V42. Issue VII

Vol. 42, I ssue VI I

The Student Newspaper of St. Joseph's Prep

December 15th, 2016

STATE CHAM PS! Prep Football caps historic, undefeated season with PIAA 6A Title

By Dan Avington '18

(Photo by Charles Fox)

This past Saturday night, in freezing cold weather in the heart of Chocolatetown, the St. Joe?s Prep Hawks took down western Pennsylvania powerhouse Pittsburgh Central Catholic by a score of 42- 7 to complete an undefeated season. Behind a stellar defensive effort and an offense that was firing on all cylinders, the Hawks took home their third State Championship in 4 years.

Pittsburgh Central Catholic, who came into the game with a 14-1 record and ranked #1

The Hawks controlled the game from the onset, winning by a score of 42-7. Swift '17. with the trophy.

Chr istmas at SJP Two Weeks Ear ly Mission & Ministry, Student Volunteers, Staff Host 250 Children For OSC Party

By Joe Scott '19 In all of your homerooms, for the last few weeks, a manilla envelope has been passed around to collect money for Operation Santa Claus. OSC was brought to the Prep by Mr. Sam Deitch when he started at the Prep, after working with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on a project of the same name throughout the city. In the beginning of the program at the Prep, students would buy toys for a certain age group, and the presents were then wrapped and sent to the OSC office in Philadelphia.

This was a great service for both those in Philadelphia being served and those at the Prep serving; however, the program soon encountered a hitch when the Archdiocese closed its OSC office. Mr.

Deitch decided to continue the tradition at the Prep, but he made small changes so it could be more compatible with the Prep community. ?This way it allows us to be good neighbors, and to meet our community members where they are, seeing how we can help them directly,?

Mr. Deitch said about the current model for OSC. In its current form, OSC begins with students shopping at Toys ?R? Us. Using the roughly $15,000 collected by homeroom donations, dress down days, and online donations, they buy toys for specific kids based on what they asked Santa for. This brings Prep students closer to those they are serving, creating opportunities to think of and pray for specific people this

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EI GHT OF EI GHTEEN SERVI CE TRI PS TO BE CUT THI S YEAR Administration Point to Budget Problems And Culture Shift As Reason For The Cut, Students Displeased.

By L iam Scott '17 New Orleans, Haiti, and Tohatchi are among the places in contention to no longer be destinations for Prep students on service trips. The news reached Mr. Deitch?s office mere weeks ago and became public last week. While the school?s administration may have good intentions, the prospects of ending longtime relationships with distant charitable organizations and that a large sum of juniors will not be able to travel for service this summer have many students outraged.

The decision is tied in closely with the doctrine of cura urbi, an up- and- coming Jesuit slogan meaning ?care for

the city.? From the perspective of administrators such as Father John Swope ?72 and Mr. Jason Zazyczny ?90, cutting many of the service trips will open opportunities for Prep students to serve in our own city of Philadelphia, thereby caring for the city in which we dwell.

However, many students are skeptical. ?Going to a new environment gives you a different and valuable sense of people and culture,? explains senior Dave Molz, visibly unsettled upon hearing the news for the first time. ?It gives you a new perspective, a perspective you could not acquire without im-

mersing yourself in that new culture.?

And Molz isn?t the only one reacting to the news in such a way. One senior that will remain anonymous admitted plainly that he ?wanted to cry? when he heard about the cutting of service trips. ?All I could think about was one woman from my trip who worked with Prep guys every single summer. She loved us.

She thought that we were the sweetest and nicest young men in the world. It kills me to think that she might not get to meet any more of us."

Kevin Ketchell, senior and member of the Prep hockey

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2 | News

Oper ation Santa Claus (Cont.)

Christmas. Deitch says, ?It helps our students become more formed in the things that we, as an institution, want to teach, as well as helping become closer to God.?

Meeting the community and building relationships with those who are served is one of

the key purposes of service.

Mr. Deitch himself noted that ?during OSC we get to see the best in people.? This stems from a combination of the service and generosity of the day as well as good oldfashioned Christmas Spirit.

Operation Santa Claus has become a staple of the Prep?s Jesuit Mission, and St. Joe?s Prep has become important to the people that OSC benefits.

Mr. Deitch said, regarding the

students, that ?their attention to making sure that we continue to be good neighbors and continue to be mindful of the reality that some people have to deal with is inspiring.

They do it with joy. It helps the community see and be hopeful that something better is to come. That?s what we hope every year, is that something better is to come, and I think there are cases where that?s been true.?

(Photo by Frank Raffa)

After the gifts were bought and wrapped two weeks ago, they then are organized into families. Then the Prep held a party on Saturday, welcoming the communities?children and parents into our doors. The children were given a won-

derful experience, making crafts, meeting Santa, and enjoying a moonbounce, along with other games. At the same time, the parents were given the gifts, so that they could hide them at home or in their car. The Prep students and the children of the community alike enjoy this interaction they have.

Alex Richey '17, with one of the 250 children at the OSC par ty on Satur day.

Ser vice Tr ips Cut (Cont.) team, illustrates his dismay with the decision: ?Service that gets you out of Philly is necessary because it shows that we care about places other than just where we live. Ignatius challenged us to ?set the world on fire,? not just our hometown.? ?Service outside of Philly is so important because we bring our Philly roots to struggling parts of the country,? affirms Johnny Procopio, a junior who traveled to Ghana last summer with the Global Leaders of

in the first place was because we felt like we wanted to match the needs of the world.

We go to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina because New Orleans was devastated.

When we got there, we were so overwhelmed with what we saw that we felt like we needed to commit to this place for a long time. The people that live on the Navajo reservation, for another example, are dealing with real rural poverty - it is one of the poorest areas in our country. So we go there to meet that need. We go to the

"...I gnatius challenged us to 'set the world on fire,' not just our hometown."

America organization. ?The Prep provides so many services for the city of Philadelphia and indeed we should continue those services, but cutting service trips would be detrimental to the St. Joseph?s Prep experience. It is through service trips that Prep brothers get to know each other and their teachers in unexpected ways while simultaneously making a difference in our world, and by extension, our city.?

Even underclassmen whose view of service is still expanding are perturbed by the news. ?Doing service outside of our city simply makes students more eager to serve,? points out Scott Hibbs ?19. This straightforward analysis is shared widely among the student body. To many, the idea of leaving home for a week service is exponentially more exciting, compelling, powerful, and beneficial.

Mr. Deitch gave a more crisp picture of the situation at large. He put forth some simple and nonpartisan facts about the shift that is occurring here. ?At the minimum this decision says that the vision on how to implement our mission, the vision put forth years ago, is changing.? He then expanded on how distant service trips began at the Prep. ?The reason we went far away

U.S- Mexico border because immigration is such an important topic that we want our students have a better sense of.

The program was started to provide a formative experience for our students. We have always looked at these service trips like retreats? a small group physically going away together and praying, reflecting, having conversations about what they were seeing, experiencing, and feeling. The idea being that you then take that experience back to the Prep to make this place better.

I think that there are a lot of advantages to going away from that what you know to have a separate and distinct experience.?

Mr. Zazyczny?s view is slightly dissimilar. When asked to elaborate on the decision to stay local, the principal responded: ?We had a review of what we are doing servicewise, and some of the focus was to consider what we are doing locally within our own neighborhood and throughout Philadelphia. This is not to undermine the fact that we do already focus on issues within the city, but this push is definitely focusing a lot of the energy on our neighborhood.?

When asked if there were any other factors contributing to the decision, Zazyczny answered, ?When you look at a school, you are looking at fi-

nances also; I don?t think that is a hidden piece of this. We started with three or so service projects and now we are up to eighteen, so that has really grown. It also has been a pretty large expense for the school, even though families do contribute.? Mr. Zazyczny did definitively confirm that money saved from service trip cuts would not be put towards the Villiger Hall renovations.

The President?s Office could not offer a quote in time for the publication The rhetoric that local service trumps distant service, or visa versa, is repudiated beyond the walls of the Prep. Just this year, the Harvard Graduate School of Education released a comprehensive report, which was accredited by the Presidents and Deans of Admission of copious elite institutions of higher education entitled ?Turning the Tide.? The purpose of the report is to take a critical look at the college admissions process and the microscopes that students are placed under in high school.

What many consider to be the most scholarly of sources quotes: ?What should matter in admissions is not whether service occurred locally or in some distant place but students? willingness to immerse themselves in an experience and the emotional and ethical awareness and commitments this generates? (10).

David McCabe ?19 said ?We have the opportunity for service in Philadelphia every day. When you take that service across the country to a different place with a different culture, different poverty, and different needs, it is guaranteed to be a different experience.?

Watching these rumors spread amongst the students, it is abundantly clear that they want answers. A majority of the students want to see this decision reverted, or at least they want to be convinced that it is the necessary move.

The decisions on which trips will be cut is at the discretion of Mr. Deitch and the Ignatian Service Office, and will be forthcoming.

The New Or leans Tr ip, a Prep favor ite, is one of many tr ips that may be cut.

The Chapar r al, NM group atop the Fr anklin M ountains in El Paso, TX

The Rur al Vir ginia Tr ip spent their time helping an elder ly couple around the house, and making tr ails for the community.

News | 3

Car s, M ar s, and T'au, Oh M y! of the island?s energy budget.

With the project ? which was also funded by the American Samoa Economic Development Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Interior ? finished, Ta?u expects to save on energy costs in the next few years.

The system installed by Tesla is a microgrid powered by by a 1.4- megawatt solar array, coupled with a six- megawatt hour energy storage system of 60 Tesla Powerpacks. Supposedly, it can continuously power the city for three days even when the sun doesn?t shine too brightly.

The island of T'au with a field of solar panels (pictured).

Tesla, Elon Musk power the island of T'au exclusively with solar power.

By M ac Riga '17 With Tesla?s recent unveiling of the Model 3, the ongoing

test flights of the Space X program, and Elon Musk?s bold declaration of a selfsustaining colony on Mars within 50-100 years, it seems Tesla has been at the forefront of the news cycle all year.

And last week, Tesla made headlines once again. To celebrate the merger of Tesla and SolarCity, as well as to show the sustainability and efficiency of solar power, Tesla

has announced the completion of their project to completely solar power the island of Ta?u in the American Samoa.

Ta?u originally depended on diesel generators for electricity. On average, these consumed more than 100,000 gallons of fuel every year to provide electricity to the island?s 600 residents. Diesel transport accounted for most

This project stands as a monumental step forward in the quest for clean energy. Not only does it show the fact that such massive undertakings are possible, but it goes on to show that, in the long run, clean sources of energy such as solar, long considered to be too expensive to serve as a viable replacement to fossil fuels, is economically viable and even cost effective in some cases.

Not everyone shares this op-

timistic view however. Andrew Staub ?12, current ASC member and Biology teacher, says ?It?s clearly taking a step in the right direction in regards to climate change and sustainability, but right now it?s only feasible for smaller areas and in the big picture only serves as a power move for Elon Musk.? Despite its long- term effects, the fact is this project is no small feat for Tesla. The ambitious company and its even more ambitious co- founder, Elon Musk, have been pushing the boundaries of science and technology for years. Musk has been striving for lofty goals such as sustainable clean energy, interplanetary travel, and reform for education to match student?s interests and skills. The odds have often been stacked against him, with seemingly insurmountable roadblocks.

The naysayers and critics have been plenty in the 45year- old?s race to eliminate fossil fuels and put a man on Mars, but as Musk himself says, ?When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.?

Chromebook Blocks Restored, Fr ustr ation Continues

By David M cCabe '19 The 1:1 initiative has been working this past year and a half, but the number one issue that comes up with almost every student is the blocking of non-educational or ?inappropriate? websites.

Many students are frustrated with the blocking because they cannot access any type of game on their Chromebook, some YouTube videos, or even educational websites required with their classes.

The blocking was lifted over the summer, which may have instilled in the student body the false hope that it would stay that way forever. And although it has been active on the Prep?s network ever since the beginning of the school year, it was only the week after Thanksgiving that it began to draw attention.

There is no real reason as to why many websites were so suddenly restricted; it was simply the Prep?s new blocking software doing its job. The Prep bought a newer, more efficient software for the new year that automatically blocks websites based on what the administrator tells it.

As mentioned in a previous Hawkeye issue, there are three different types of web filtering available: blacklisting, whitelisting, and keyword filtering. The most obvious filtering is the keyword filtering, which is basically when the administrator sets a list of keywords and any

website that has those words will be blocked.

One may easily discover how much is blocked by simply googling triggering words like ?game? or ?unblocked.? This restricts students from looking up football games, YouTube videos about video games, or even the word ?sunblocked.?

The software is simply given a baseline of what to block on the Prep?s network, and the administrator can add and subtract whatever they deem necessary. In an interview with Mr. Greene, he said, ?Blocking is not new, it simply evolves.?

Prep students are capable enough of maintaining an appropriate attention span in school to not have to be completely restricted.

Additionally, the amount of stress and pressure that surrounds the lives of Prep students calls for outlets of leisure and pleasure.

One debatable subtopic of blocking is the question of whether or not students should have access to ?educational? websites that provide summaries of books like

SparkNotes and Shmoop.

Many students are found not reading their books for class, and then they abuse the power of their Chromebooks to do less work for that class. The goal of blocking these types of websites was to make students do the work themselves, but it causes some to skip out on the work entirely.

Mr. Kiesel would not comment on the topic, but both Mr. Greene and Mrs. Hoffman say that these sites are fine when used responsibly for

educational purposes to reinforce past material. Mrs. Hoffman adds that ?The intent of the tool is to help students focus on their academics.?Although every student at the Prep has signed an agreement to operate their Chromebook responsibly and to not violate any school policies or regulations, these rules and the power of the administrators are only beneficial to an extent. If there is unrest between the school and its student body, the issues need to be resolved.

The way in which websites are becoming blocked is constantly changing.

As students discover some sites that aren?t blocked, the sites will eventually be found by the software or an administrator, and students no longer be able to play Run 3 during a boring class.

For example, Michael Glynn ?19 found Snake unblocked, and in less than two minutes of playing, it became blocked.

This demonstrates the efficiency and strength of the automatic blocking system.

Glynn is unsure how far these blocks will go.

Most students continue to believe that their Chromebooks should not be influenced while they are at home. Blocking during school hours is necessary to make students more attentive and productive, but taking it to their homes seems a little extreme.

An all-too-familiar sight for many Prep students; a screenshot of the aler t a chromebook receives when it visits a blocked site.

4 | News

Champs (Cont.)

This win over PCC capped off a phenomenal season for the Hawks, which opened up in Mission Viejo, California in the Honor Bowl against a very talented Oaks Christian team, with players committed to schools such as USC and Stanford. The Prep demolished the Lions, scoring early and often on their way to a 49- 17 win. In the following week, the Hawks took on New Jersey powerhouse Don Bosco Prep and cruised to their first win over the Ironmen under the leadership of Coach Gabe Infante. Next, they opened up Catholic League play on ESPNU, tak-

The Hawks pose with the PI AA 6A trophy. ing on the very talented Archbishop Wood, who ended up taking home the 5A State Championship, and took home a win by the score of 43-24.

for the Hawks, and it was against the North Penn Knights, who were ranked #3 in the state coming into the game. The Prep took home a 35- 25 win and earned the chance to take on Central Catholic in the State Championship.

The next matchup was against the Patriots of Archbishop Carroll, and the Hawks took home an easy win 42- 6.

Following that win, the next opponent was the Roman Catholic Cahillites, who gave the Prep their toughest game to date, keeping the contest to a final score of 22- 10. The Father Judge Crusaders were up next in a game which was the CBS3 High School Football Frenzy, and the Hawks took home a win after a strong second half. In week 8, archrival La Salle was the opponent, but they caused the Hawks no problems. Running back D?Andre Swift led the way with a school record of 7 touchdowns in his first game at full health, and the Hawks secured the Philadelphia Catholic League Red Division title. On senior night against Archbishop Ryan, the Hawks came out with an easy win 3514, and barely any of the starters had to see much playing time.

The next week began the playoffs, and, in a District 12 qualifier, Roman Catholic was defeated, setting up another opportunity against La Salle, which was taken down 35-14 due to an outstanding performance from the Prep defense.

In the District 12 championship vs. Northeast, the Prep dominated, winning 46- 6 to move on to the state playoffs.

Parkland was next in the state quarterfinals, a Prep win, 3817. The next game of the season was the closest contest yet

Regarding the season, D?Andre Swift claimed, ?What we did here this season, and in the last four years is something no other Prep team has done before, and to be honest, I?m really glad to be a part of that. This is something that I?ll never forget.? Head coach Gabe Infante echoed similar statements, saying, ?I have to admit that this one was definitely sweeter than the others because it?s been an amazing group of players, coaches and parents, to start all the way in

California and to end it here.

This has been an unbelievable group. But you never know until the end what you have.?

Overall, the St. Joe?s Prep Hawks had an absolutely phenomenal season. From Mission Viejo, California all the way to Hershey, Pennsyl-

vania, the team triumphed, completing the first undefeated season in ten years, and securing the third State Championship for the school in four years. The St. Joe?s Prep football program is a dynasty, and they certainly proved that this season.

" ...I have to admit that this one was definitely sweeter than the other s because it's been an amazing group of player s, coaches, and parents, to star t all the way in Califor nia and to end it here."

(Photo by Frank Raffa)

The Hawks absolutely dominated PCC on the offensive side of the ball, scoring six touchdowns. D?Andre Swift ?17, the future Georgia Bulldog, rushed for touchdowns on three different occasions, one for 34 yards, another 1 yard rush, and one for six yards to put the game away.

Wideout and captain Terrance Greene ?17 scored twice, once on a trick play pass from Richard Carr and another touchdown on a 95 yard kickoff return. The other score came on a pass from QB Marquez McCray ?18 to wide receiver Darryle Simmons ?18 for 35 yards near the end of the first half. The offensive line, anchored by center Mack Grey ?17, tackles Sal Cinaglia ?17 and Taron Hampton ?17, and guards Jackson Evans ?17 and Carter Lynch ?17, pushed the PCC defensive line around all night, despite going up against players committed to Penn State and Notre Dame and a nose guard who is listed at 370 pounds.

(Photo by Frank Raffa)

in the state of Pennsylvania, was held scoreless in the first half by the Prep defense. The defensive line, consisting of defensive ends Chris Lowndes ?17 and Rayshad Wallace ?18 and tackles Jake Ballard ?17 and Ryan Bryce ?18, overpowered the selfproclaimed ?Truk Gang? offensive line for the Vikings.

The linebacking core of James Johnson ?17, Phil O?Connor ?18 and Brad Cobaugh ?18 played outstanding once again, placing constant pressure on Troy Fisher, the PCC quarterback, and wrapping up RB JJ Younger in the backfield repeatedly. The defensive backfield, which contains CBs Richard Carr ?17 and Ricky Goodson ?17 and safeties Dejuan Dandridge ?18 and Dawson DeIuliis ?18, held Justice Evans and the rest of the Vikings receivers in check the entire time. The Vikings averaged 51 points per game coming into this matchup, and the Hawks held them to just 7, which demonstrates how there is not a single hole in the Prep defense.

The defense and special teams forced a combined 4 fumbles, which gave the offense multiple opportunities to score.

Swift '17, after walking in for a touchdown.

News | 5

The Hawkeye Staff Editor s-in-Chief

Thomas Dintino '19

Dan Morrow ?18

Jon Erdy '17

Liam Grugan '19

Pat Morrison '18

Aidan O'Connor '17

Joe Scott '19

John Thorell '18

Staff Wr iter s

David Sakowski '18

News Section Editor

Ryan Breslin '17

Simon Williams '18

Matt Phillips '18

Andrew Devany '17

Robert Calabro ?19

Features Section Editor

Joseph "Porter" Ellis '17

Zachary Carr '19

Marco Sammartino ?18

Liam Henkels '17

Jacob DeAnnuntis '19

Spor ts Section Editor

Von Hobe '17

Micha Delfmann '19

Matthew Brennan '18

Jake Howard '17

Nicholas Mattera '19

Opinion/Debate Section Editor

Chris Rathke '17

Daniel O?Connell ?19

David McCabe '19

Dan Avington ?18

Carl Whittington '19

Director of Editor ials

James Brenner '18

M oder ator

John Kromchad '17

Will Breslin '18

Mr. Leo Vaccaro '05

Enter tainment Section Editor

Nathan Coulibaly ?18

Special Thanks To:

Eamon Gallagher '17

Michael Enright '18

Mr. Frank Raffa

Ronan Egan '18

Riley Herriman '18

Head Wr iter s

John Feehery '18

Liam Scott '17

John Figge ?18

Mac Riga '17

Liam Gibbons ?18

Nick Palermo '18

Tim Harris '18

Standing Rock Reser vation Repels DAPL concluded that the Dakota Access Pipeline will not be a safety concern.

(Photo Courtesy of Dallas Goldtooth)

Protesters and contractors have battled in North and South Dakota for months over construction of oil pipeline, which crosses through sacred Sioux land.

Protestor s gather in the street on Sept. 4th.

By Ryan Breslin '17 On Sunday, November 4th, the Army Corps of Engineers released a statement from the desk of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Jo- Ellen Darcy, halting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The pipeline has been a hotbed topic since Labor Day weekend, when Native American protesters began gathering on private property to make statements against the construction of the pipeline.

For the last three months, there has been a constant stream of media pouring out of the Standing Rock Camp, capturing the scene of the protests.

Sunday?s ruling has been hailed by the self- proclaimed ?water protectors? as a victory and the result of lots of hard work and prayer. When questioned as to why Darcy went back on the Corps of Engineers original decision, her office understandably said that ?the Army decided that the totality of circumstances call for additional analysis, a more robust consideration of alternatives, and additional public information.? This makes sense, as there is no reason that the Army should not take into consideration the events of the last three months.

The one problem that stands out is the fact that the Corps had already given the goahead on the project in Sep-

tember, and the recent stoppage is causing some confusion. Paul Ryan stated his discomfort eloquently: ?This is big- government decisionmaking at its worst. I look forward to putting this antienergy presidency behind us.?

President-Elect Donald Trump supports the construction of the controversial pipeline, both personally and publicly. Trump has invested $300,000 himself into Energy Transfer Partners, the company constructing the pipe; the company also donated $100,000 to the Trump Victory Fund. Though this support and involvement may seem personal, the Trump transition team made it clear that it is not, as Trump?s view on the pipeline ?has nothing

to do with his personal investments and everything to do with promoting policies that benefit all Americans.?

According to Energy Transfer, the Dakota Access Pipeline and all pipelines built by the company are held ?to a standard that exceeds state and federal regulations.? In addition, a study done by ProPublica recently concluded that ?pipelines are roughly 70 times as safe as trucks,? which was the previous method of transporting oil in the area. Though it was also mentioned that a pipeline failure is usually more catastrophic than a trucking accident and recent weeks have shown the Prep community that pipes have the tendency to burst, it can reasonably be

The question at hand, which the Standing Rock Sioux people are trying to raise, is whether or not it is legal for Energy Transfer to build the pipeline on grounds that they used to own and still consider sacred. The land approximately one half of a mile away from the construction route is believed to contain an ancient Native American burial site, which would mark it as historic and not to be disturbed. One must tread lightly when considering the implications both for the Native Americans, whose water source and sacred land is at risk, and for Energy Transfer Partners, whose multi- billion dollar investment is on the line. Mr. Dino Pinto, the teacher of Native American Spirituality who used to live on the Lakota Reservation, offered some insight on this issue: ?"Obviously, the situation is bigger than ETP. The Federal Government took the land that is now Army Corps land, illegally. This is not in dispute. Also, the way in which the state of North Dakota and the Morton County police have handled the situation has been very problematic.?

Hopefully this long struggle comes to a peaceful conclusion that both respects the Native Americans and Energy Transfer in this tense time.

6 | Features

SJP Forensics Team Continues Quiet Dominance Princeton classic. Many notable performers used their linguistic prowess in order to secure top spots. These impressive performances included Imredy and Leonard who earned semifinalist spots in the Congress and Original Oratory categories respectively.

By Eamon Gallagher '17 Over the Prep?s long history of excellence, certain activities have shown above others for their repeated accomplishment in their field as well as their devotion to the Prep?s mission. A certain activity looks to continue its tradition of distinction and accomplishment in 2016.

As Prep students prepare for a upcoming competitions of their own such as a tournament at Penn, they also prepare to host their own event.

The Prep opens its doors to elementary school forensic programs, running a slightly less intricate version of a high school event. This allows junior orators to experience a real contest and showcase their abilities.

Forensics, noun: pertaining to, connected with, or used in courts of law or public discussion and debate. The Prep forensics club is an extracurricular that focuses on competitive speech and debate.

The members compete in a variety of events that can be purely theatrical or centered around genuine argumentation. Competitors will either have to work on their own or with a partner to present a scene or argument to an audience, pitting their own rhetoric against those of their opponents.

The two main categories of competition are speech and debate. In speech, one must present a to a group or a number of different groups that judge based on presentation.

There are many variations on this type of event including a mock congress. Mock con-

The team at last year 's awar d banquet. gress entails a room of about 20 individuals who hold a long congress session, politicking, and writing speeches on the fly in order to sway the vote in their favor. In debate, individuals must work their way through a pool or bracket of teams by winning each repeated rounds of discourse.

Winners in both categories will be rewarded with plaques based on their final place.

Prep forensics is no stranger to this kind of bout. The club has competed on many levels, from local competitions to national ones. Prep Forensics president, Andrew Imredy ?17, explained the immersive nature of the club: ?A lot of people don't realize how involved it is: we travel all over PA, the Northeast, even to California for nationals. For me it's always challenging

and interesting, even if you do have more work on top of school.?

Andrew, his vice president Nathan Master ?17, and secretary Daniel Leonard ?17 have worked with Club Moderator Doctor Giuliano in order to bolster the skill and spirit of an already talented group. The results have already shown this year at the

When I was wrapping up my conversation with Andrew Imredy ?17, he described what it was that makes forensics special: "Forensics lets you do something very inborn in Prep guys: telling other people why your opinion is the right one and getting commended for it." In conclusion, Andrew had one last thing to say to the Prep community: ?Come to room 305 any day after school. We'll be happy to introduce you to one of the only activities at Prep that has girls (mathletes doesn't count).?

1941: Hon or in g t h e Past ; In spir in g t h e Fu t u r e

By Car son Butler '18 December 7th of this year marks an important moment in history, as Americans commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941. At 7:48 a.m., the American naval base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese fighter planes, including bombers and torpedocarrying aircraft, launched from six Japanese aircraft carriers. Japan intended this surprise attack to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering with Japanese military actions planned in Southeast Asia.

Japanese losses were light, losing 64 men total.

In addition, only 29 air-

planes were destroyed and five submarines lost in the attack.

However, the United States suffered many casualties in this surprise attack. Four Navy battleships were sunk, and many other cruisers and destroyers were damaged. The U.S. also lost 188 aircraft, and over 2,400 Americans were killed in the attack; another 1,178 were wounded. The attack came as a severe shock to the American people and led to the American entry into World War II in the European and Pacific theatres.

The 75th anniversary of the battle of Pearl Harbor gives the United States a chance to honor the sacrifices of the many Americans who tragically lost their lives and were wounded due to the Japanese surprise attack on December 7, 1941. This ?date which will live in infamy,? as U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously stated, changed the United States and the world

forever. The attack on Pearl Harbor rallied the American people into World War II against Japan, and encouraged Americans to fight for the freedoms of their nation and the world.

In commemorating the 75th

anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans and Japanese alike can celebrate the 71 years of peace between both of our countries. Also, this attack is a reminder to all Americans that although we cannot be a police state to the countries of this world, we

need to defend ourselves and our allies from the evils of the world. Above all, it serves as a lesson: we need to first seek peaceful solutions to conflicts, rather than immediately declaring war on one another.

Th e U.S.S Arizona bu r n in g an d sin k in g on Decem ber 7t h , 1941.

There will be a Hawkeye meeting on Fr iday, December 16th in the Rooney Room at 2:45 pm.

All are welcome to attend!

Features | 7

The Sounds of the Prep Grow L ouder The Prep's Student Broadcasting Club, WSJP, continues to grow.

By M att Brennan '18 Joe Buck and Troy Aikman better look out as the talented broadcasters from the WSJP Broadcasting Club are busy honing their on-air skills in recent years. The club has continued to expand their outreach into Prep events as they have broadcasted all of the Prep football games this season, including the one in California.

While the WSJP Broadcasting Club has been around for a few years now, the number of telecasts has grown significantly over the past year and a half such that the Club is becoming more and more integrated into the fabric of the Prep.

Over the summer, four members of the WSJP, Dan Avington ?18, Simon Williams ?18, Greg Bradbury ?19, and John

Leuzzi ?19, traveled with the Prep football team to Southern California and broadcast the varsity game there.

Dan Avington ?18, Co-President of the club, when asked about the trip, replied, ?The trip to California was absolutely awesome. It was a great experience and really helped our research for the games having been with the team for a whole weekend.?

Other than football, the WSJP also broadcasts Prep basketball games as well as the baseball games. Also, more sports will be done in the future on their online broadcasting platform, blogtalkradio.com.

In addition to broadcasting sports games, the WSJP also has some Spotlight Shows, which involve events happening at the

Fr om Lef t t o Righ t , Dan Avin gt on '18, Joh n Leu zzi '19, Gr eg Br adbu r y '17, an d Sim on William s '18 Prep as well as political, comedy, and sports discussion radio shows.

Dan Avington ?18 was also asked why he does the WSJP Broadcasting Club, to which he answered, ?The thing that I enjoy most about WSJP is broadcasting all of the games with some of my closest friends.? Dan also responded, ?As somebody who

wants to go into sports broadcasting as a career, this club really helps me hone my skills and make me comfortable on air, which is my other favorite part about the club.? For someone who wants to go into broadcasting professionally, this is an excellent place to start.

WSJP currently covers three main sports: basketball, football,

and baseball. This year, however, they are expanding even more.

The WSJP Broadcasting Club is looking to begin broadcasting other sports such as hockey, rugby, and even ultimate frisbee along with others. If you are ever unable to go to a game, be sure to go check out the WSJP broadcast online. You will almost feel like you are at the game because of their talented delivery.

Wr iting L ab Offer s Book Review: The Wor ld Until Revisions, Candy Yester day Student-run editing service now available to struggling writers.

By M arco Sammar tino '18 Writing is a messy process.

Anyone who has ever written a paper knows this to be true.

The endless typing, editing, revising, reading over, checking, aligning; it all becomes just too much.

Fortunately, there is help. The Writing Lab has recently opened up in the library with the goal to help those who need some assistance with their compositions.

Now, to be perfectly clear: you don?t have to be a ?bad? writer to visit the writing lab.

No one is perfect, and no one has mastered the art of writing completely. That?s why the Writing Lab can help with a number of things, including just reading over rough drafts or checking for spelling errors.

If you need more help than just proofreading, the Writing Lab can assist you there as well.

All writers are welcome to visit the Writing Lab and improve their skills. Even better, you can get help in any subject that you may find yourself having trouble with.

But who exactly is helping me to become a better writer? you ask. Just some of the best students at the Prep dedicated to being men for others, of course.

One of these writing masters, Matt Bevilacqua ?18, explains

that ?the writing lab is a great place to come if you need help with any piece of writing for any class?, emphasizing that all types of writing are welcome.

Another great part about the Writing Lab is that it?s voluntary. No one is required to visit, which Nick Palermo ?18 says ?can feel less forced and more comfortable?.

Commenting on the process behind making better writers, he explains that ?our group goes through all the same tedious processes and might have even had the same teachers as those seeking help with their essays?. This commonality ?establishes a connection that is unique to the student-to-student advisory process?, Palermo claims.

All of these things contribute to a great program that has a lot to offer.

And, by the way, there is free candy.

So you get a unique experience tailored to your needs, get to work with excellent writers who happen to be Prep students, learn how to become a better writer, and get free candy. Win-win for everyone involved. If you need some extra help with your writing or are just interested in visiting the Writing Lab at all, stop by anytime Monday-Thursday, between the hours of 3-4 PM.

By Jon Pohlig '02, Classics Depar tment The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn From Traditional Societies?

by Jared Diamond New on Amazon ? $13.88 plus shipping; used from $8.36 I submit to you, gentle Hawkeye readers, the following questions: How do we resolve disputes? What causes our states to go to war?

What are our fears and how do we respond to them? How do we raise our children and treat our elderly? Why is religion a universal hallmark of mankind?

These are some of the central questions of our lives, but we often answer them relying on only our own culture to provide support. In The World Until Yesterday, Jared Diamond allows us to

answer these questions with a range of perspectives at our fingertips. What can we learn from the Dani tribes of the New Guinea highlands, or the Kung nomads of the Kalahari Desert? This is not the voyeuristic gawking of an uninvested Westerner, looking to exploit the ?noble savage? for profit?s sake. Diamond, a professor at UCLA, is a respected, though not universally praised, geographer and evolutionary biologist. He has traveled frequently to New Guinea, and the respect with which he writes of the various people in the book is palpable from the outset.

Diamond?s goal is to examine the lives of people who continue to lead lifestyles that predominated for much of the human species?existence.

Diamond can be criticized for obvious conclusions ? talk to your family during dinner;

don?t deprive the elderly of social contact; don?t eat things that cause diabetes; in a dispute, attempt reconciliation rather than revenge; and so on.

But is it not fair to ask ? why do we engage in these very behaviors that we know are harmful? And herein lies the value of Diamond?s book.

Reading it may prompt you to be more inquisitive of your grandparents, or to forego the french fries and go for the vegetables, or to realize the significance of our quotidian dangers (driving with a reckless person, cycling without a helmet, atherosclerosis). Diamond can be, and is, accused of geographical determinism and oversimplification. But if we emerge from our reading with a wider worldview and greater intentionality in our actions, is this not the greatest boon of sitting down with a good book on a cold winter afternoon?

8 | Sports

College Football Predictions Ahead of Semifinal Rounds #2 Clemson

#1 Alabama

By Nick Paler mo '18 The Tide is hands down the best team in College Football, and no team even has the proper weapons to keep it close. Alabama is the fastest defense in the country. They can not be beat to the outside, and they can not be beat down the field due to their speed.

To beat the Tide, you must play sound, short game football, with heavy emphasis on the short pass.

'Bama has not given up a passing touchdown over 25 yards since they played Ole Miss. Jake Browning of Washington, who by the way played very poorly in both of Washington?s ?big games,? will not have his receivers, led

by John Ross, open down the field. Ohio State is too inexperienced to beat the reigning champs.

By James Brenner '18 The thing about having a great resume filled with tough teams is that Ohio State is mentally and physically beat down by this point. Even though Ohio State does have a decent ground game, they lack the pass game to get it done. Clemson with their athletes relies on explosive plays, which will not be an option to them against Alabama.

Although it is widely thought that Alabama have a weak offense, Jalen Hurts might not be at the level of the other three, but he surely is a great quarterback. With the addition of Calvin Ridley, one of the nation?s best receivers, and a backfield deeper than the Mariana Trench, the Tide have more than enough to get it done on offense.

#4 Washington

By M arco Sammar tino '18 ?Oh, they?re dead? is what my dad said when I asked him about Washington?s chances against Alabama in the Peach Bowl.

The #4 seed Huskies are undoubtedly the underdogs here, facing an undefeated #1 seed Crimson Tide team that has steamrolled its way to the College Football Playoff.

However, Washington has compiled a rather impressive 12-1 record this season, with the only loss coming at home to USC. Quarterback Jake Browning has thrown for 42 touchdowns, 3280 yards, and only 7 interceptions. He has also rushed for 4 touchdowns as he spearheaded his team?s electrifying offense.

And what an offense it is.

The Huskies rank 2nd in offensive efficiency, are scoring 44.5 points per game,

and have one of the best quarterbacks in college football.

The problem is that they have to face undefeated Alabama, who rank 1st in defensive efficiency and are being hailed as one of the best teams in college football history. Yet, Washington are by no means a write off. They handily beat Colorado in the Pac-12 championship and have both the momentum and tools in place to give Alabama a problem.

It will be a classic game, with a high octane offense pitted against a resolute and almost invincible defense.

Something has to give. If Washington can capitalize on turnovers (they lead the league in TO margin with +21) and hold against the not-so-strong Alabama offense, then they may just book themselves a spot in the Championship.

The Tigers have a highpowered offense, eclipsing 42 points in over half of their games this year making them the 10th highest scoring in all of football, led by Heisman runner- up quarterback Deshaun Watson, running back Wayne Gallman, and receiver Mike Williams, all Juniors.

This will make for a pair interesting matchups as Alabama and Ohio State rank first and fourth in total defense..

Clemson must get the passing game off to a good start so they can give Deshaun Watson space in the pocket to make time and scramble. Clemson?s best chance at winning is getting their best player involved in as many ways as possible so Watson can show why he is a Heisman Finalist. If Watson can play the way he has all

season, both throwing the football and running with it, Clemson will be a scary team to play for any opponent.

Moreover, Clemson?s defense is a scary bunch allowing under 19 points a game, and forcing 24 turnovers on the year. This will be crucial as the Tiger defense faces an Ohio State team that has given the ball up just 9 times all year, and will be an area to exploit against an Alabama team that has turned the ball over 17 times this year.

The Tigers must win the turnover battle and use Deshaun Watson?s talents to the fullest in order to have a chance. If they trust the process they?ve had all year, then Dabo Swinney?s Clemson Tigers will rightfully be crowned the 2016 NCAA Football Champions.

#3 Ohio State

By Will Breslin '18 Two things will carry Ohio State to a major win, on New Year?s Eve against Clemson, their quarterback play and how well their defense executes.

This is an unpopular opinion, but bear with me here, we know the Buckeyes are going to run the ball effectively, how effectively however, depends on the play of their quarterback, J.T. Barrett.

Since coming into the season with Heisman hopes, Barrett has struggles to reach the expectations placed on his shoulders. If he can get it going early in this one, Mike Weber and the run game should feast, against Clemson?s 22nd ranked defense.

This defense is tough. They

are 3rd in the nation in points allowed, 14th in rush yards per game, and 5th in pass yards per game. Clemson is going to have to run the ball with a special kind of force to put up points, and with their biggest strength coming in the form of the 6? 2? Heisman finalist quarterback, Deshaun Watson, who took a step back this year, after having a monster season a year ago.

Ohio State's biggest Pro: Their schedule, they?ve had arguably the toughest schedule to this point in all of college football, so they have been tested.

Ohio State's biggest Con: As J.T. Barrett fails, so do the Buckeyes. Their season hangs in his streaky, but capable, hands

After A 3-0 Start, The Philadelphia Eagles have lost 4 straight games, but does this season forebode a future of struggles or promise?

By Nick M atter a '19 It has been a rough season for the Philadelphia Eagles.

After an unexpected 3- 0 start with rookie QB, Carson Wentz, and rookie head coach, Doug Pederson, Eagles fans were looking toward the playoffs.

Coming off the Week Four bye, they went to Detroit, where they fought in a close battle that was ultimately decided by a Ryan Matthews fumble, leading to their first loss of the season. After the disappointing loss to the Lions they went to Washington looking to bounce back against a division rival, only to be dominated by Kirk Cousins and Matt Jones who had 135 yards rushing including a game winning run of 58 yards. We did see many flashes of hope with down field passes from Wentz.

After back to back loses the fans began to question the strength of the defense and offense. Next up, the 5- 0

Sports | 9

(Photo Courtesy of NFL Spin Zone)

How Far Can 'The Bir ds' Fly?

A L ions cor ner back wrestling the football away from Nelson Agholor.

Vikings, led by former Eagles quarterback, Sam Bradford. I believe that this game was easily their best game of the year.

They came out of the gate slow on offense, but the defense stepped up, beating ad hoc #1 team in the NFL. Coming off a beautiful win by the Eagles, they moved onto Dallas, their biggest rival. The Eagles should have come away with a win, but bad play calling decided this one, with a six yard loss on a screen pass that put them out of field goal range and a terrible fumble by Smallwood, which led to an overtime loss. The Giants game the following week was one of the most devastating losses of the season. They went for it twice in field goal range and one of their field goals was

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blocked, leaving nine points up in on the table. Those points would?ve won them the game.

Again, the play calling on those 4th downs was very peculiar. A bounce back win against the Falcons where they somewhat shut down the most prolific offense in the NFL and got the win. After this game they were blown out by the Seahawks, Packers, and Bengals, making them 5- 7. Now, after also losing the the Redskins a second time, they are likely eliminated from playoff contention and it is time to look to the future.

The team needs three things: A wide receiver for Carson Wentz to throw to, some new offensive linemen to protect the QB, and one or more new members for the secondary, which gets burned almost every week.

After the big loss against the Bengals one reporter asked Coach Pederson, ?Could you honestly say that everybody played hard against the Bengals this week?? Pederson replied, ?Not everybody.? After talking about how the coaching staff does their best to get the players ready he says, ?But at the same time, it comes down to a mentality by each individual player. You know, this is a business where we have to be ready to go every single weekend because every team in the league, I mean, there's some teams that are better than others, obviously, but for the most part, anything can happen each weekend.? Pederson wasn?t happy with the effort of some of the players. Of the players that did not believe in Pederson?s accusation was Free Safety, Malcolm Jenkins.

Jenkins posted a picture on his Instagram with the caption,

?Quit...nah? that?s not in my spirit, Especially when I look in the eyes of the dude next to me? we put in too much work? our pride is too strong? so nah, I?m good?

I?m going to keep lining up until I can?t no more!? This was directed right back at Pederson.

Many fans, including me, want to see a wide receiver brought in during free agency this offseason and one of the many free agents is the former Eagle, DeSean Jackson. He has already expressed interest in Doug Pederson?s system and says he enjoys watching Carson Wentz. DeSean Jackson released three statements in his press conference before the Eagles played the Redskins back in October. When asked about Carson Wentz?s play in Philly so far, he responded saying, ?It?s very impressive. I definitely have [watched him].

He?s doing a great job as far as being a rookie. Just exciting to see a young guy come in and do some great things.? He then was asked another question about what he thinks about Doug Pederson being the new Head Coach of the Eagles and he said, ?I?m happy to see Doug there, man. I respect him when he was there with Coach [Andy] Reid. I congratulated him on getting the job I think he deserves. He?s done some good things when he left and went to Kansas City, and now he?s back in Philadelphia. I have a good relationship with him.? Finally, he was asked whether or not he had hard feelings when he was released

by Chip Kelly in 2014, he replied saying, ?I never really had hard feelings towards Philadelphia. As far as being released by whoever released me, that?s different. But I guess he?s not there no more. So

there?s never really been hard feelings towards the city or the team or organization. But like I said, things happen and we move on. I?m blessed to still have an opportunity to be playing at a high level and having a job.? In reading these quotes, how would you not think this man was not coming back. Now all they have to do is make a move.

When it comes to Offensive Lineman and secondary players it comes down to free agents and draft picks. In the Sam Bradford trade in the preseason, they received a first round pick from the Minnesota Vikings.

Considering the standings in the NFL, the Eagles should have their first round pick somewhere around the 17th pick. It depends on what the Vikings end up doing for the rest of the season. If the Vikings stay where they are now, I think they should draft a cornerback at pick 17. This CB should be Sidney Jones, a corner from Washington. Many mock drafts predict Jones will fall low in the first round, but he is still one of the biggest players on one of the best defenses in College Football. He has led them all the way to the College Football Playoff, and trust me, the Eagle?s scouts will be watching. So overall, this season started off strong, but ended up being what we expected. Many fans, including me, look forward to see what Doug Pederson (Head Coach), Howie Roseman (General Manager), and Jeffrey Lurie (Owner), do with the development of Carson Wentz and how they handle the offseason and NFL Draft. Philly can hope this team can turn this city into a city full with sport?s teams that contend for championships. Fly Eagles Fly!

10 | Opinion

(Photo by David Mills)

cabinet position, the Senate must pass a waiver for him.

This is likely to happen due to Senate Republicans pushing the issue in a necessary spending bill. His nickname ?Mad Dog? Mattis and his call sign ?Chaos? were earned through his aggressive battle tactics. He was the first Marine to command a Naval Task Force in combat and led the 1st Marine Division during the invasion of Iraq.

What's I n The Outsider 's Cabinet?

After one of the the most divisive elections in American History, President-Elect Trump has begun to pick his cabinet, but how will it shape his administration?

By Thomas Dintino '19 Since Donald J. Trump was elected president, America has become even greater.

Technology giant Apple is now considering moving its manufacturing from China back to the United States. The DOW is closing at all time highs, despite the mainstream media claiming markets would crash if Trump were elected.

He negotiated a deal with Carrier, resulting in hundreds of jobs remaining in the U.S. instead of moving to Mexico.

Japanese telecommunications and internet corporation SoftBank is planning to both invest $50 billion and create 50,000 jobs in the U.S.; a decision the corporation?s CEO said wouldn?t have happened without Trump?s victory.

Both Canada and Mexico announced their willingness to renegotiate President Clinton?s NAFTA. Vladimir Putin and various other world leaders are eager to repair relations between their countries and the U.S. under the Trump Administration.

The President- elect is releasing his appointees for cabinet at the same rate as his predecessors. The following are the appointees for the Executive Office, meaning that they do not need Senate approval.

General Michael Flynn has been selected to be Trump?s National Security Advisor. He is a retired Army Lt. General and the 18th Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

He was a keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention, igniting chants of ?US- A? and ?Lock her up!?.

Flynn describes himself as a ?pro-life Democrat.?

Trump?s Chief of Staff will be Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee. As Chief of Staff, Priebus will moderate

the White House staff and manage the President?s schedule. Priebus may prove beneficial in this position, as he will use his insider-status help Trump make connections in Washington.

Stephen Bannon will be the new Chief Strategist, who, according to Trump, will be ?working as equal partners? with Priebus. Bannon is a former naval officer and is currently the executive chair of Breitbart News, a right- wing alternative news source that the left is trying to defame and ultimately exterminate by labeling it as ?fake news.? As Chief Strategist, Bannon will act as an advisor to President Trump. Since Bannon is an outsider, he acts as a ?counter weight?to Priebus.

The following are some of Trump?s most interesting cabinet members. As cabinet members, these appointees require Senate approval.

Jeff Sessions, the popular senator of Alabama, will be Trump?s Attorney General.

This makes him the new head of the Department of Justice, replacing Loretta Lynch. Sessions is predicted to closely investigate Secretary Clinton?s email scandal, unlike Lynch, who had a sketchy meeting with Bill Clinton before reaching her decision about the investigation.

Over the past two decades, Senator Sessions has rejected nearly every immigration bill presented to the Senate regarding amnesty for illegal immigrants. In 2015, Sessions called for ?immigration moderation: slowing the pace of new arrivals so that wages can rise, welfare rolls can shrink and the forces of assimilation can knit us all more closely together.? Sessions has also voted against an amendment banning ?cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment? of prisoners.

Like Trump, he is a skeptical about climate change. Despite these differences, Sessions cooperates with Democrats when necessary. Senate Democratic communications aide Jim Manley claims, ?[Sessions] was always nice to [Ted] Kennedy and other Democrats as well.?

According to Stanton Coerr, a Marine officer who served with Mattis, ?Our friends and allies will be happy he is our new secretary of war; our enemies will soon wish he weren?t.? He views the Iranian regime as ?the single most enduring threat to stability and peace in the Middle East? and he is an opponent of Obama?s Iran nuclear deal. ?Mad Dog? Mattis shares Trump?s belief of classifying methods of attack to effectively destroy ISIS. It is expected that as the new Secretary of Defense, Mattis will recentralize the power to his department from the overgrown National Security staff.

Trump has announced various policies that will make America great again within his first 100 days in office. Trump?s ?Contract With the American Voter,? which contains the full list of his promises signed by himself, is on his website.

Ben Carson will be the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Carson is a renowned surgeon, receiving over 60 honorary doctorate degrees, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. After dropping out of the presidential race, Carson endorsed Trump, who he says is the ?voice of the people to be heard.?

First, Trump will ?drain the swamp? of Washington, DC. He will propose an Amendment to set term limits on members of Congress. This would end the long terms Congress has seen in the past, the longest one lasting over 59 years. He also plans to abolish two existing federal regulations for every new one admitted.

Carson?s little qualification has been drawing criticism for this selection. Carson opposes government dependency, calling the government?s fairhousing work ?a mandated social- engineering scheme?

Trump will fight against the lobbyists who control American politics. He will ban White House and Congressional officials from lobbying for 5 years after they leave their positions.

Foreign lobbyists, like the ones

?Our fr iends and allies will be happy he is our new secretar y of war ; our enemies will soon wish he weren?t.? and declaring Obamacare is ?making us all subservient to the government.? His positions on such programs may be derived from his childhood experiences outlined in his autobiography, Gifted Hands, in which he mentions needing food stamps despite his mother?s efforts for economic independence.

Marine Corps General James Mattis is Trump?s choice for Secretary of Defense. Since he has only been retired for three years and the National Security Act of 1947 requires military personnel to be retired for seven years before holding a

who supported Secretary Clinton?s failed bid for the presidency, will be banned from funding American campaigns.

Trump has various plans that will revitalize the American economy. First, he will renegotiate NAFTA and ensure the U.S. refrains from entering the TPP. China will labeled a currency manipulator, allowing the U.S. to renegotiate their currency exchange rates. All trading abuses will be identified and ended by the Secretary of Commerce to stop their negative impacts on American workers.

The billions of dollars that would go towards U.N. climate change programs will be redirected to rebuilding environmental infrastructure, providing jobs and humane resources to run-down areas.

America will also be safe again after Trump?s first 100 days. All of President Obama?s unconstitutional executive orders will be repealed. These include DACA, DAPA, and infringements on the Second Amendment. Federal funding will be denied to over 350 sanctuary cities if they continue not comply with ICE detainers. Over 2 million criminal illegal aliens will be deported, possible near the 2.5 million Obama has deported throughout his two terms. The 23 countries that the ICE says are ?recalcitrant and uncooperative? in accepting their citizens will be denied visas to the U.S. and immigration from dangerous areas will be banned.

Trump also plans to fight for the passage of new legislation.

The Middle Class Tax Relief and Simplification Act will simplify the tax brackets and reduce taxes for the middle class by up to 35%. This will grow the economy at 4% per year and create 25 million jobs over ten years. The U.S. corporate tax rate will be sliced from 39%, the third highest in the world, to 15%.

The School Choice and Education Opportunity Act will give parents the right to send their children to the school of their choice and abolish Common Core.

Trump also plans to repeal and replace Obama Care, which is set to spike insurance premiums by 33% on average in Pennsylvania, with Health Savings Accounts. Health insurance will be able to be bought across state lines. The FDA will also be reformed, allowing new life-saving drugs to flood the market.

During the Trump Administration, the nation?s great Veterans will be cared for under the Restoring National Security Act. They will be able to select either a public VA doctor or a private doctor. This will prevent the recurrence of the 300,000 Veteran deaths in the past caused by waiting for care. The legislation also expands military investment and initiates new screening procedures, such as ideological tests, for immigration.

Lastly, the End Illegal Immigration Act. This will authorize the construction of a large wall on the southern border that Mexico will pay for through tariffs and visa fees. Mandatory minimums in federal prisons will be introduced for reentering the U.S. after prior deportation.

This is only a brief look ahead at what the Trump Administration has in store; and America looks like it will be great, again.

Opinion | 11

Chr istmas, But Not M uch of a Break As Winter Break approaches, so too does the threat of dreaded break assignments.

By Jack Thorell '19 I love the holiday season.

Bright lights, festive decorations, listening to the seasonal songs, spending time with my family, and of course, the crippling depression of spending the whole break stressing about the higher intensity, more time consuming assignments from every class.

Although you may have heard many students strolling down the halls singing Mariah Carey?s famous words, ?All I Want For Christmas Is You,? I can assure you, faculty of the Prep, by ?you? we didn?t mean homework.

Some teachers seem to look at the break and the more free time the students have as just another opportunity to assign more schoolwork. And the

amount of time I spend doing holiday break assignments, which is much more time spent than on an average school night or weekend, leaves me wondering whether or not the break was really worth it.

Don?t confuse this with the typical complaint from a high schooler sick of homework, because I completely understand the assigning of homework for regular or long weekends. It?s only when these assignments come during a break that things should be different. The very definition of the word break, as Google so perfectly puts it, is ?to stop proceedings in order to have a pause or vacation.?

While many teachers have interpreted the ?proceedings? to be the attendance of classes, I would broaden it to include the homework that accompanies these proceedings. When we take a break from classes, we should be able take a break from all the stress, the studying, and the homework.

One Prep faculty member who understands this definition and doesn?t give homework over extended breaks is Latin teacher Mrs. Nancy Primmick. ?I believe the reason they call it a ?break? is because it comes at a time when a break is most welcome, if not necessary,? she says. Mrs. Primmick believes it is well within any teacher?s rights to give assignments, but

after her personal experience as a mother, she chooses not to. ?As a parent, I vividly recall when my own sons would sit down to complete assignments, which was the night before they returned to school.

All those warm fuzzy holiday feelings got flushed down the drain.? However, Mrs. Primmick does encourage review over break in preparation for the impending midterms.

Student David McCabe ?19 agrees, saying that if anything, he?d like to use Christmas break to study for midterms.

Many members of the student body believe that it could drastically improve their midterm performance if they could focus on solely reviewing for those tests over the break.

Unfortunately for them, many teachers will give nonmidterm oriented review, or new material homework over the break.

Teachers justify this saying students will need the practice to remember their material and get in a school mindset when the long break is over. I went to Psyblog.com and learned about the studies of memory expert Professor Robert Bjork to see just how necessary this Christmas practice is.

I gathered from his text that, while the Christmas break may send non-essential memories that aren?t being used

daily to the back of your brain, like the memories you?ve learned in school, with a little refresher they can easily be awakened and the material can be relearned much faster.

psychology teacher Dr. Berna understands that assignments over break can cause a lot of stress, and gives his students the choice of enjoying a psychology homework free Christmas break.

While some teachers give this kind of review work over break, others take an approach less stressful for the students, like that of Dr. John Berna. ?I plan to give a homework assignment that is due three or four days after break,? Berna told me. ?Students who want to work over the break can chose to work on it early, while others may opt to complete it when they return from the holidays.? Counselor and

The review and the homework we Prep students get over Christmas break may not be as necessary as you previously thought. Our brains and our recall will do just fine without it. When you get homework this Christmas break, do the stereotypical teenage thing: complain. And do it knowing that you?re backed up by reasonable, justified points. You deserve a break this Christmas break.

Flag Bur nings, Tensions On The Rise Anger over election results has churned on for weeks now, leading to more instances of flag burnings in the U.S.

By Andrew K oh '19

The most prominent instance was on the campus of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where the students gathered to burn flags.

Later, they lowered the campus? American flag, which elicited resistance from the community.

In a more recent case, protesters gathered outside Trump Tower and began burning flags in an organized demonstration.

(Courtesy of YouTube.com)

Across the country, many recent instances of US citizens burning American flags have been reported. In most cases, the acts have been in direct re-

sponse to the outcome of the presidential election. Amid rumors that an international hacker had influenced the election and Donald Trump?s Twitter shenanigans, an in-

creasing number of people have started protesting and burning American flags.

Protestor s bur n Amer ican Flags in Buenos Aires.

As the fervor and volume of these protests increased, many began to question the lawfulness of the flag-burning, wondering whether the act is regarded as a demonstration of free speech or whether it is illegal.

Although many would agree that this act is outrageous and an overreaction, it is indeed perfectly legal.

The issue has risen before in the history of the United States, and it was resolved twice by the Supreme Court.

In the 1989 case ?Texas vs.

Johnson?, the Supreme Court ruled that desecrating the American flag was protected under the First Amendment, and that it was a form of symbolic speech. Gregory Johnson had been convicted by a Texas court of ?desecrating venerated objects?, after which Johnson submitted an appeal.

In 1990, Congress passed the Flag Protection Act of 1989 in direct response to the Johnson decision. Supreme Court, however, ruled that the act was unconstitutional, again citing the First Amendment in the case ?United States vs. Eichman?.

Burning flags is a legitimate way to express one?s opinion,

and is considered legal by the highest authority in the US regarding laws and the constitution. However, Donald Trump apparently has other things in mind. In response to the continued protests, he again resorted to Twitter to voice his thoughts.

He wrote, ?Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag ? if they do, there must be consequences ? perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!? Nobody knows whether this statement was fueled by ignorance or by a blatant disregard of the Supreme Court, but his comments have again stirred further outrage and discussion among the media.

It is fairly obvious that the election of Donald Trump has not gone over well for many citizens, and everything he does seems to be amplified by the media, especially his actions on Twitter. His recent actions and quotes have elicited outrage and conflict, and although very few people in the US have the power or the motive to change the circumstances, it can be expected that many people will not be able to accept the outcome of the election for a long time.

12 | Entertainment

K anye West Seems a L ittle K anye Stressed

By L iam Gibbons '18 Kanye West aka ?Yeezy? or ?Ye? is a musician, producer, fashion designer, reality star, frequent commentator on social issues and modern culture, and possible 2020 presidential candidate. Mr. West was most recently in the public eye for his statements made during a concert on November 17th.

Three days later, the remaining shows of his St. Pablo tour, continuing through the end of the year, were canceled. The reports from sources closest to Kanye claim that he is ?exhausted? due to the stress of touring, his efforts on his newest clothing designs, and the recent robbery of his wife in which she was reportedly tied up and threatened at gunpoint.

Due to the recent media storm surrounding Mr. West, now is as good a time as any to look back at his career, in this case with a focus on how God has played a major role in his music and personal life. For the purposes of this article West?s career will be looked at like a hockey game i.e. in three periods, starting with his early career continuing through two distinct turning points, the first being the death of his mother in late 2007, and the second being the formation of his new family through his marriage and the birth of his daughter.

God has played a role in Kanye?s music for his entire

musical career, from his first album The College Dropout released in 2004 which included the hit song ?Jesus Walks.? The song contains political commentary in both its condemnation of the war on terror and its description of Kanye?s negative experiences with the police. It is also an example of two key points: first, that his mother was his emotional rock, and second that he calls on God to lead him through the world of temptations. He asks ?God [to] show [him] the way[...].?

When faced with the trappings of his newfound fame and success, Kanye turns to God and his family for support.

This whole dynamic changed after the death of his mother Donda West due to surgical complications. Yeezy started to go off the rails. He split with then fiancee Alexis Phifer and turned back to his music, releasing 808?s and Heartbreak in 2008.

This period of his career met with musical success, winning two Grammys in the same year and then producing three albums which all topped the billboard 200 chart: the solo album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Jay- Z?s Watch the Throne, as well as the later Yeezus.

He again fought for social change with the song ?New Slaves,? in which he critiques the American criminal justice system, but now the albums

contained much darker tones and themes involving violence and death.

There were also some serious personal, public failures for West during this period of his life. He drew severe criticism over his actions at the VMA?s in 2009 when he stormed the stage and took the microphone arguing that the wrong video won the award for best female video. This was a dark time emotionally for West, at one point in 2010 telling an audience ?there were times I contemplated suicide.?

Ye?s life took a turn for the better with the birth of his daughter North in June 2013, and his engagement and subsequent marriage to Kim Kardashian. His seventh studio album The Life of Pablo was released in 2016 to more critical

acclaim, and it, like its predecessors, topped the charts. But there was a shift in tone from the darker albums that preceded it.

Kanye?s line of the album?s first song, ?Ultralight Beam? is ?We on an ultralight beam, this is a God dream, this is everything.? The lyrics to the whole song read like a prayer, and the album has heavy gospel influences. Though controversy can still be found in the song ?Famous,? West?s newest album is a return to his roots: his family and his God. The Prep?s chaplain Fr. Stephen Surovick says to look at Kanye?s intentions as much as his message, that we as the audience should focus on whether we are trusting God or testing him. And he says, ?To be Christ- like is to put our-

selves at the service of others? and the lesser gods in our life, be they wealth or power, are not the true God.?

Kanye has drawn much criticism for the use of offensive language and swearing in almost all of his music, but the message shouldn?t be disregarded because of its delivery, vulgar as it may be. And the outlandish nature of his lyrics certainly don?t bring him any less attention. He obviously isn?t perfect, as no man truly can be, but where our culture strives toward materialism and a quest for authority, maybe someone like Kanye West can help us put our focus back on what really matters. In the words of Yeezy, ?God show me the way, because the Devil?s trying to break me down.?

M usical M usings chorus and rapping the verses, Awaken, My Love! is sonically the polar opposite of his early career.

Take Because the Internet, released in 2013, for example.

It was essentially a hip hop album with a few pop tracks and it was an amazing album.

Gambino had seemed to hit his stride, mastering his rapping ability.

Yet here he is in 2016, reinventing his sound and taking risks. Awaken, My Love! is not an album that everyone will enjoy, but Gambino must be respected for drastically altering his sound after he had arguably peaked, something that most modern day artists wouldn?t dare to attempt.

By Chr is Strohman '19 From starring in and producing the hit FX series Atlanta to being cast as the young Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Star Wars prequel, 2016 has been quite the eventful year for Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino. His most successful outing this year, at least artistically, is the release of his third studio album entitled Awaken, My Love!

Now, most people have probably encountered Gambino either in his prior television outings, like 30 Rock or Community, or his early hip hop discography, like Because the Internet or the mixtape Royalty. But Awaken, My Love! is something brand new and unique within Gambino?s illustrious career. Despite Gambino?s early albums and mixtapes being mostly hip hop tracks with him singing the

Awaken, My Love! should be considered a hybrid of funk, soul and rock, likening back to the Prince era. This new sound is made crystal clear on ?Me and Your Mama,? the opening track of the album. ?Me and Your Mama? opens with a dreamy sound, almost like a child?s lullaby. This childish sound continues with drums and finger snapping layered underneath until the song reaches the two minute

mark. At the two minute mark, the beat flips and transforms into the layered drums with the addition of an electric guitar.

Gambino overwhelms the song with his performance as he sings about an obsession with a girl.

The following track, ?Have Some Love,? is lighter than the intro track, taking inspiration from Funkadelic, the classic soul and funk band. ?Have Some Love? sees Gambino calling the listener to try to make the world a better place, as the chorus sings, ?Have some time for one another. Really love one another? ?

The third track, ?Boogieman,? is distinctly more funk influenced than the rest of the album. The song has a hypnotizing sound as Gambino sings from the perspective of a boogieman who is ?gonna come and get you.?

The boogieman could potentially be a metaphor for the fact that some children do not fear the boogieman as a creepy, Halloween figure, but rather as a man with a gun who is coming for them. This fear could be attributed to the fact that many deadly attacks involving

guns have occurred in the last five years, so children may fear the real world threats more due to the dangerous world they live in.

The next track, ?Zombies,? is heavily rock influenced and also one of the strangest tracks on the record. ?All I see is zombies walking all around us? they can smell your money and they want your soul,? Gambino croons over the bass drums and rock synth.

Gambino seems to be using common frightful figures as a metaphor for some injustice in the world. The titular zombies may represent those in the music industry that try to subtly steal money from Gambino, wanting him to sell out, a term which refers to artists that make their art solely for the purpose of making money rather than the artform itself.

The fifth track, ?Riot,? another rock influenced song, is the shortest track on the album.

Despite its brevity, it is still packed to the brim with metaphor. On this track, Gambino essentially says that war is pointless.

Con t in u ed on Page 12.

Entertainment | 13

M usings (Cont.)

The next track, titled ?Redbone,? is my favorite track on the album. ?Redbone? uses a bass guitar as opposed to the more oftenly used electric guitar, causing the song to have a mellow, calming sound. Gambino channels his inner Michael Jackson on this track as he sings about the love established on the intro. ?California,? the next track on Awaken, My Love! is personally my least favorite of the entire album but it does have redeeming qualities. It is the most pop influenced track of the album, with Gambino altering his voice in an effort to make it extremely high. The use of a flute on the track is a nice addition to the production of the album but not enough to make me enjoy the song. ?California? is about the girl from the intro moving to the state and Gambino dealing

with his feelings concerning her moving. ?Terrified? is the slowest track on the album, but to good effect. The track details the girl in California not enjoying it as much as she thought. ?Baby Boy,? the ninth track on Awaken, My Love!, is most likely devoted to Gambino?s newborn son. Arguably, this entire album is dedicated to Gambino?s son as a major theme is Gambino?s love for the woman referenced as ?mama.? In addition, many of the songs, like ?Boogieman,? deal with the emotions that a child will face.

Don ald Glover , (ak a " Ch ildish Gam bin o) pict u r ed in con cer t .

The penultimate track of Awaken, My Love! is titled ?The Night Me and Your Mama Met,? which feeds back into the theory of the album being a dedication to Gambino?s son. This track is entirely production based with no

vocals from Gambino. Gambino may have made this song so that the listener could take a break and absorb all the tracks prior. Also, ?The Night Me and Your Mama Met? leads into the final track, so it may also be a preparation for the lis-

tener.

The final track, ?Stand Tall,? is most definitely a tribute to Gambino?s son. Gambino speaks directly to his son, telling him to stand tall and be strong. After listening to the

entire album, two things can be said about Awaken, My Love! : Gambino experimented with a brand new sound for himself and it is his most personal body of work to date.

Released Date: October 18, 2005 ESRB Rating: T Aver age L ength: 10 Hour s M etacr itic Score: 91/100 Total Units Sold: 2.45 M illion (Combined) Pr ice: $21.00 (HD Bundle)

Video Game Review: Shadow of the Colossus

By M ac Riga '17 With The Last Guardian, the long- awaited third game from the critically acclaimed Team Ico, dropping this week for the PS4, it seems only fitting to take a look at it?s predecessor.

Shadow of the Colossus was released for the Playstation 2 on October 18, 2005 to critical acclaim.

The game?s story is highly ambiguous; a young man and his horse journey to a forbidden land with a dead woman.

He makes a deal with Dormin, a powerful being: in return for the girl?s life, he will slay sixteen ?Colossi? throughout the world. The rest of the story is told through short cutscenes and dialogue that occur following the defeat of each successive Colossus.

However, as far as story goes, that is basically the extent of it. This lack of story does not make Shadow of the Colossus any less of an engaging experience; rather it works to emphasize the game?s somber, lonely atmosphere.

It is this asset of the game, this pervasive sense of sobriety and isolation, that has accrued Shadow of the Colossus the massive cult following it now

possesses. Every element of the game, each one solid in their own right, tie into this theme and work to create a unified and memorable experience.

The gameplay of Shadow of the Colossus is highly unique.

The game is a third- person, Action-Adventure game, but it adheres to almost none of the tropes commonly associated with the genre. All the equipment you obtain over the course of the game, your sword and bow, you have right from the outset. There are no dungeons to speak of, no puzzles to solve, and the only enemies are the aforementioned sixteen Colossi. The gameplay consists of alternating segments of traveling on horseback across great distances, finding the lair of the next Colossus, and then fighting the beast itself.

These fights, though few in number, are spectacular. Defeating each Colossus is no easy task. None of them can be damaged directly outright- the player has to use the mechanics of the game they?ve become familiar with over the course of their adventure in tangent with the unique arenas in which each boss is fought to reveal their weak points.

That being done, the player must clamber up the massive creatures to the weak point, clinging desperately on to avoid being hurled to the ground while their ?grip meter? steadily depletes, and stab them repeatedly until their health is fully expended. Yet while the core concept of defeating the creatures remains the same across all sixteen, the method of doing so and the challenge involved is varied wonderfully throughout the game.

Shadow of the Colossus has drawn some criticism for its focus on atmosphere above gameplay. Many cite the game as the beginning of the ?movie game? trend; such games are faulted for being more of a cinematic experience than an interactive one.

As far as presentation goes, Shadow of the Colossus excels in every aspect. The orchestral score is hauntingly beautiful.

Calm and ominous as the player approaches their target and suddenly violent when the beasts are aroused. This frenetic track then bleeds seamlessly into a triumphant one as the Colossus nears its demise, and finally a repeated somber melody plays as the gigantic,

majestic beasts enter death throes.

their

The visuals are subdued and dark to fit the mood, while the technical graphics themselves are amazingly advanced for the time and still look great by today?s standards. The world may be devoid of life, but the scenery is designed beautifully with gorgeous natural views juxtaposed to crumbling ruins giving the game?s world a sense of realism and sanctity.

This world and the heartwrenching deaths of the Colossus make the player feel as if they are an interloper on this pristine environment, carelessly destroying it for their own gain; an idea further reinforced by the slowly visible physical degradation of the player character following the death of each Colossus. These elements all combine into a tangible sense of betrayal and guilt when, at the climax of the game, the player discovers Dormin was manipulating them from the first in order to free himself and thereby wreak havoc on the world.

The game was hailed as a towering success after its initial release and sold 1.14 million units worldwide. It received numerous awards in-

cluding "Best Character Design", "Best Game Design", "Best Visual Arts" and "Game of the Year", as well as one of three "Innovation Awards" at the 2006 Game Developers Choice Awards.

In 2011, a remastered version of the game, bundled with a remastered version of Ico, was announced. The remastered edition featured updated graphics and specifically fixed the framerate issue of the original. Additionally, it had optional 3D functionality giving the Colossi an even greater sense of scale. The re- release was criticized for an admittedly rare glitch with the climbing mechanic, as well as the 3D element inducing nausea in some players, but is by and large considered to be the definitive version of the game.

It went on to sell 1.31 million units in its own right. The game has been praised since its release for its artfulness and deep impact. It has sparked debate and speculation, and been the inspiration of fan creations from artwork to copycat games. To this day it is hailed as one of the best PS2 titles and in fact one of the best video games of all time, and its mark on the gaming world can be still felt today.

14 | Entertainment

Jacob Sar tor ius Takes Talents on the Road for Wor ld Tour Text will become available for preorder on iTunes. The tour is expected to feature popular hits such as Sweatshirt and Hit or Miss, but, as the tour?s title suggests, will focus on the stunning artist?s new EP. The EP is in response to Sartorius? growing fame as a talented performer and internet sensation. His style appeals mostly to millennials, exemplified when Prep?s own band maestro Mr. Matthew Schwartz ?05 said ?I don?t even know who that is. You can quote me on that?.

Sar tor ius, pop-culture icon and lyr ical genius, looks to share his music with the wor ld.

By Alex Richey '17 On Thursday, December 1st, pop- sensation and rising star Jacob Sartorius announced to the world via YouTube that he will be kicking off a world tour starting in early January.

The Last Text World Tour as it is being called, will cover six countries including Canada, the US, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Ireland in the first five months of 2017.

It will kick off in Toronto

and end in New York City.

Unfortunately enough for us, Jacob?s tour will not be stopping in Philadelphia, but there is hope nonetheless.

On December 23rd, 2016, Sartorius? first EP The Last

Sartorius?s fame grew out of the music lip-syncing app musical.ly, where he amassed a spectacular 8 million followers before taking his career to the next level with his first solo single, Sweatshirt on Youtube and iTunes. To the date, the hit has a accumulated 35.8 million views on Youtube, with an impressive 537,000 Like to 1.5 million dislike ratio.

Forget Christmas. Students

around the Prep are feeling the energy of Sartorius?exciting news. Von Hobe ?17 commented, ?There?s no better way for Jacob to display his incredible talent than to tour the world and please all types of audiences with his angelic tones?.

Another student, Chris Rathke ?17, said ?I?ve been anxiously awaiting this tour, and I know he is too. His snapchat story today was telling us all about it. He never responds to me though...?I think it goes without saying that there is a high amount of anticipation for both Jacob?s album and his career going forward. Will Sartorius?first album go platinum, or will he disappoint? I think it?s safe to say he clearly holds a lead over other burgeoning artists with new albums this month, including Drake, J. Cole, and Kid Cudi.

How then, will fans react to Jacob Sartorius? new heat?

Only time will tell.

Faculty Gr id

By Jon Er dy '17

What is your favor ite Chr istmas M ovie?

What is your favor ite Chr istmas Tr adition?

M r. L eo Vaccaro '05

M r. Bill Conner s '80

It?s a tie between It?s It?s A Wonderful Life The Year Without a A Wonderful Life Santa Claus and Alastair Sim?s Christmas Carol Going to the Dickens Village

Do you wear /own Yes, it looks like a Chr istmas Tie? Santa?s on fire. Very ugly tie.

Which M isfit Toy from Rudolph would you be?

M r. Andy Quir k '99

The Train with square wheels

Taking my kids to the Macy?s light show

Dean Al Greene

Without fail, It?s A Wonderful Life

Putting up the manger; it?s a family heirloom

Opening one gift before midnight on Christmas Eve

A Christmas Yes, I wear the same Tree-Shaped Tie, one every day in but I haven?t worn it December recently

I do not, and I will never own one or wear one.

The Polkadotted Elephant

Charlie-in-a-Box

The Train with square wheels

Editorials | 15

Editor ials L etter s to the Editor s M ichael L eonar d '17 The rumor of the cuts to Mission and Ministry?s budget, possibly resulting in the cuts of service trips and the defunding of Kairos retreats, is quite unsettling news. As someone who has gone on a service trip to New Orleans and attended Kairos twice, as both a retreatant and a leader, I am confused as to rationale of withholding opportunities to partake in these same experiences I have had.

My service trip provided me with three priceless things. First, it allowed me to form special friendships and bonds with peers I had barely known prior. Second, it took me outside of my suburban lifestyle and put me in the impoverished outskirts of New Orleans? broadening my scope of the world we live in. Third, and building off the second, the people I met, despite their lack of money, were happy beyond belief. They loved life. This impacted me greatly, because I realized how fortunate I really am and how life is about happiness above all.

Kairos has impacted me in a greater way than I could?ve imagined. I can say with confidence that it is something that every Prep student should have the opportunity to participate in. This news although vague, is extremely disheartening as someone who has grown so much from my experiences on service trips and from the Kairos retreat.

If these rumors are true, what does it say about our institution if we no longer uphold those things that reinforce the mission of The Prep? In my opinion the defunding of these programs could prevent future students from obtaining the full Prep experience; an experience we?re all so proud of.

Eleanor Tecosky, L ibr ar y Staff I was troubled by some of the assertions in Marco Sammartino?s recent op-ed piece, ?Have Trump Protests Gone Too Far?? in the December 1st Issue.

Mr. Trump won the presidency, yes. But if women were actually considered human, Mr. Trump would never have been able to run in the first place? he would have been disqualified by the multiple counts of sexual assault he has committed. One can only consider this man legitimate by being willing to ignore the abuse and violence women have suffered at his hands. Are you?

Asking women and minorities to be silent comes directly at the expense of our personhood and hinges on a false equivalency? that naming an act of violence is ?just as bad? or the same as committing it. It is not. It is an act of self defense. The powerful have always had the freedom to say what they like, especially to and about those of us that are oppressed.

From the Editing Staff: Discussion of FBI I nvestigation of Russian I nfluence on Presidential Election To say the least, this election season was anything but normal. Between the bickering between the major party candidates and the scandals with them respectively. With Trump winning the election, there has been some doubts in the election process, some saying the electoral college should be abolished and others saying the results were altered in Trump?s favor. Recently, the Obama administration has called for an investigation involving the potential Russian influence on the election results.

News Section Editor Matthew Phillips ?18 says, ?I think it?s extremely important to understand whether or not foreign governments are attempting to tamper with our election process. If this tampering is found to have been a reality, it is imperative that the new adminis-

tration considers what this means for their policies and how to handle it.?

Meanwhile, Entertainment Section Editor Eamon Gallagher ?17 believes, ?While I am skeptical that outside tampering has occurred I believe an investigation must be performed. It is of the utmost importance that we make it clear that we will not tolerate outside manipulation of our own government?

Interestingly, however, when co editor-in-chief Jonathan Erdy ?17 asked for his opinion on the matter, he was quite terse in his response, ?I disapprove of this investigation.? With such a concise response to such an important matter, one may be lead to believe that Editor Erdy may have been a part of the ?Russian influence.?

Let t er Fr om Th e Edit or s Dear Students, Faculty, Staff and Administration,

M r. K evin Dlugos, ASC, Histor y Depar tment I have a challenge for you. Go to https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/selectatest.html. You will see several Implicit-Association Tests (IATs). IATs measure implicit biases: attitudes and stereotypes that unconsciously affect our understanding of the world. As an example, I took the Race (?Black - White?) IAT.

The Hawkeye student newspaper would like to reach out to you all in order to encourage you to provide feedback and support for our little newspaper.

Specifically, we were all hoping that students, teachers, and staff would consider penning an occasional "Letter to the Editor" which could be published in any issue during the year.

Letters to the editor can touch on these topics and more: -Do you support a certain policy for our school community?

I consider myself a socially aware person and try to educate myself on cultural differences, but my test results ?suggest a moderate automatic preference for European Americans over African Americans.? Because I grew up surrounded by whiteness in a upper-middle class, suburban household, I learned to associate ?white? with comfort and familiarity.

-Did you particularly like an article that was published in our last issue?

Implicit biases can obfuscate your worldview in undesirably prejudiced ways. If you grew up in a predominantly white environment, America is comfortable and familiar; therefore, protests designed to shake up America?s systems of racial oppression may seem unnecessary or disruptive. For America to become ?united,? we all must accept that we hold implicit biases and challenge ourselves to overcome them. In doing so, we will promote a more equitable society.

These should not be much longer than 200 words; consider some of the recent Letters to the Editors in this issue.

By Stephen Oldham, Religious Studies Depar tment I am dismayed at the number of football players absent from school on the Monday following the state championship victory.

All activities at the Prep are suppose to be extra-curricular? something a student does outside the demands of the academic studies. This is a priority concern.

-Was there an article that you disagreed with and why?

-Did you find an error that you would like to see corrected?

You can send these letters via email to moderator Leo Vaccaro '05, the Editors-in-Chief Jon Erdy '17 and Aidan O'Connor '17, or Editorial Director John Kromchad '17.

Would you like to see an electronic color version of the last Hawkeye? All issues are posted online: https://issuu.com/thehawkeye6/docs/issue_3__1_

Thank you for your continued support of the Hawkeye, Sincerely, Jon Erdy '17 and Aidan O'Connor '17

Th is Week On Tw it t er

By Jon Er dy '17

Upcom in g Even t s at t h e Pr ep

By Dave M cCabe '19

Fr iday, December 16th

Thur sday, December 22nd

Thur sday, December 29th

Kairos 153 Ends

Christmas Break Begins

Grade School Basketball Tournament Ends

Satur day, December 17th Radnor Holiday Wrestling Tournament Prep Basketball vs. The Haverford School

Satur day, December 24th Christmas Eve

Fr iday, December 30th

Sunday, December 25th

Prep Basketball vs.

St George's

Christmas Day

Satur day, December 31st

M onday, December 20th

Tuesday, December 27th

Prep Basketball vs

Grade School Basketball Tournament Begins

South Phila H.S

New Year's Eve

Follow @SJPr ep_Spor t s on Tw it t er f or Scor e Updat es an d Gam e Resu lt s