Issue 6 April 2018 by The Sentry, Jackson Preparatory School

J A C K S O N

T H E V OL. XLVIII, ISSUE 6

P R E P A R A T O R Y

S C H O O L

S E N T RY

NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE Paid Jackson, MS Permit #93

AP RI L 2 018

XR LAB OPENS ALSO INSIDE: NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL • PROM • GARAGE SALE • FORTNITE

V I E WS & VOI C E S What is your dream April Fool’s prank? Shaving Virden’s Afro. - Spencer Byrd, 10th I’d like to send my sisters to boarding school. - Anna Leigh Allen, 9th Coach Lang believing that I got seriously injured and am not able to run. - Havens Smith, 8th Put everything in jello like their phone, hairbrush, etc. - Summer Wheat, 10th grade Put Icy Hot in their soap. - Caroline Dreher, 10th The pranks that are very practical and funny but don’t do any real damage. Sarah Gregg, 10th To put someone in the lake like in the parent trap. - Eliza Mazzaferro, 9th Emulate Jim Halpert & put somebody’s stapler in Jell-O. - Polly Watkins, 12th

If you could have lunch with any famous person, who would it be, and why?

Alex Morgan, so she could tell me about soccer. - Bradley Carter, 7th Steve Carell, because he is very funny. - Maggie Mcmillan, 7th Warren Buffett, to get insight on the stock market. - Spencer Byrd, 10th Leonardo diCaprio because he’s a great actor. - Anna Kat Ireland, 12th Heath Ledger because I am in love with him. - Mimi Mccraney, 9th Lupita Nyong’o because she’s an amazing person and in Black Panther. - Brittney Wilson, 10th Jennifer Lawrence because she was in the hunger games and is awesome. - Havens Smith 8th Chris Hemsworth because I love his accent- Campbell Perkins, 10th Steve Carell so we can talk about the office- Summer Wheat, 10th Dylan O’brien because I love his movies and he is cute- Elena Zouboukos, 8th Selena Gomez because she is one of my role models- Sarah Gregg, 10th Chris Evans, to ask him why he wants to quit being Captain America. - Caroline Dreher, 10th Cardi B because she’s my boo- Dakota Jones, 12th Harry Styles because he is British. - Ridgely McIntyre, 9th Mary Oliver, because I love her poetry and she’s the most amazing person in the whole world. - Jewels Tauzin, 12th Timothee Chalamet, because it would be a good start to our engagement. - Isabelle McLeod, 12th

S E N T RTheYstaff’sP I C K S FAVORITE MUSICAL ARTISTS

One Direction - Preston Dubberly Cheap Trick - Tori Newsome The Avett Brothers - Mary Patton Murphy The Kennedy Twins - Stewart McCullough Maclain Kennedy - Steven Wyatt T-Pain - Henley Johnson Cage the Elephant - Madeline Claire Hughes Cardi B - Sarah Avery Huffman Lorde - Tynes Carroll Harry Styles - Elizabeth Downing Saint Jhn - Anna Stack Red Hot Chili Peppers - Alex Gibbs Taylor Swift- Ainsley O’Quinn Chief Keef - Bennett O’Quinn

Larry Norman - Mr. Hughes Taylor Swift - Allie Wise Ed Sheeran - Sayley Crawford Diane Bish - Tanner Gough Mumford and Sons - Russ Upton Saint Motel - Maclain Kennedy Travis Scott - Charles Stephenson Foster the People - James Threadgill Drake - Mara Liston Harry Styles - Olivia Moore Coldplay - Eloise Moore Hungry Howie - Barron Liston Red Hot Chili Peppers - Kennedy Marble Jon Bellion - Caroline McIntyre Bobby Shmurda - Will Fletcher

Hungry Howie - Barron Liston Red Hot Chili Peppers -Kennedy Marble Taylor Swift - Avery Andress T-Pain - Bonnie Burge Boobie T - Tripp Cory Taylor Swift - Jane Gray Barbour Kelsea Ballerini - Sarah Cory Jack Johnson -David Crews Ben Howard - Kate Oliver Thomas Rhett - Aubrey Scott Moak The Wizard - Ford Lange The Bloody Beetroots - Camp Carter J. Cole - Payne Bell

The Sentry

FIND US ONLINE jpsentry.net TWITTER @jpsentry INSTAGRAM

The Sentry Volume XLVIII Issue 6 April 2018

Table of Contents Views & Voices/Sentry Picks...................2

@jacksonprepsentry

FACEBOOK

News and Features.................................4-9 JH News.....................................................10

jacksonprepsentry

Around Town......................................11-12

SNAPCHAT

Entertainment.....................................13-15 Sports....................................................16-19

thejpsentry

(we won’t follow you)

Editors-in-Chief Avery Andress • Tynes Carroll Managing Editor Stewart McCullough Business Manager Patrick Phillips Copy Editors Alex Gibbs • Mary Patton Murphy Entertainment Editors Tanner McCraney • Tori Newsome Graphics Editors Payne Bell • Jake Bell Online Editor Preston Dubberly Assistant Online Editor Aubrey Scott Moak

Opinion.................................................20-22

Opinion Editors Maclain Kennedy • Caroline McIntyre

Fun and Games........................................23

Assistant Opinion Editors Eloise Moore • Tripp Cory

Candid & Random...................................24

Photography Editors Genevieve Hurst • Henley Johnson Sarah Avery Huffman • Madeline Claire Hughes

sentry@jacksonprep.net Cover illustration by Payne Bell and Jake Bell Main photo by Genevieve Hurst

Affiliated with

MISSISSIPPI SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION www.mississippischolasticpress.com

The Sentry is a student publication updated throughout the year. As student writers, we try to reflect the thoughts of our most important readers-- the students of Jackson Prep. Because of this, we attempt to approach many issues, some more controversial than others. Nevertheless, the Sentry staff serves the school--her students, her faculty, her family, and her community. The staff hopes to inform, to educate, to entertain, and to question for the betterment of Prep and the lives of people in the Jackson community. The newspaper is produced by the Sentry staff, consisting of students both in and out of the senior high journalism classes. EDITORIAL POLICY The Sentry accepts outside editorial pieces under the following guidelines: •Letters to the Editor are a great way to make your voice heard. We do not print unsigned letters. •Longer concerns may be addressed via a Guest Editorial, with a minimum of 250 words. To be considered, such opinion pieces should not simply be rants, but should be about things that can be changed or alleviated, should suggest a solution to a problem. Pieces should not simply jab at things of which the writer does not approve. Humorous opinion pieces are subject to the judgement of the editorial staff. •All opinion pieces are the views of the author, and the author only, with the exception of staff editorials, which are unsigned and and reflect the consensus view of the students in the Sentry class. Staff editorials are the only columns in the paper that express the unified view of the Sentry staff. This staff editorial process is comprised of two main steps. First, the staff talks amongst themselves about a topic and organizes a position on the issue on which all class members can agree. The editorial is then written and run past the staff members for approval. •Submit letters to the editor or guest editorials to sentry@jacksonprep.net. •Questions or comments? Our mailing address is P.O. Box 4940, Jackson, MS 39296. We would love to hear your opinions or story suggestions.

April 2018

Sentry Staff

Assistant Photography Editor Bonnie Burge Records Managers Will Fletcher • Anna Stack Social Media Editor Emory Maxwell Assistant Social Media Editors Ford Lange • Elizabeth Downing Sports Editors Bennett O’Quinn • Steven Wyatt In-Class Staff Mary Virginia Baldwin •Jane Gray Barbour Camp Carter • Sarah Cory • Katelyn Cox Sayley Crawford • David Crews Tanner Gough • Mara Liston • Barron Liston Kennedy Marble • Olivia Moore Ainsley O’Quinn • Kate Oliver Hogan Privitt •Russell Roberts Charles Stephenson • Carter Stockett James Threadgill • Russ Upton Nevin Wells • Allie Wise Advisor: Mr. Lain Hughes

News & Features Prep students juke and jive at Prom 2018 Henley JoHnson This year’s prom was held at Duling Hall in Fondren like it has been for the past few years. It took place on Friday, April 6th, which is a different week than it has been in the past but worked out smoothly, especially since there was no school that day due to a Professional Development Day. The theme of the dance was Mardi Gras, so the whole set up was based off of this theme. There were beads for everyone to wear, really cool hanging decorations, florida lees on every table, and many more decorations that embraced this theme. Everyone’s favorite part of the dance was, of course, the band. The band played a lot of really old songs that they knew everyone knew the words to such as Party in the USA, Say My Name, and Forget You. Everyone had to be at the dance at 9 and couldn’t leave by

until 10:30, but most people got there early and stayed later to dance as long as they could. It became incredibly hot around 9:45 on the dance floor, but the girls took off their shoes and the boys took off their jackets and continued having fun with the band. Many people got up on the stage; for instance, Senior Jennings Duncan freestyled his own rap with the band, happy birthday was sung to Junior Mary Parker Plunkett and Senior Isabelle Mcleod, and Senior Avery Andress and Junior Reece Davis, who came up with the theme of the dance and came up with the plans for the whole dance itself as the Student Body Vice President, announced prom king and queen, which were Ben Burnett and Macey Abraham who then gave speeches and showed the crowd their swing dance moves.

Rook no further, the chess team is here olivia Moore The Jackson Prep Chess team participated in the Mississippi Scholastic State tournament held at Mississippi State University on May 30th. They earned fourth place in this high level competition. They competed with other teams from schools around the state. The tournament was structured in a way where the lowest scores of the matches would be dropped. The chess team has a record of doing well at this competition, having won this tournament by

twelve times out of the last fifteen years. The members of the chess team competing in this tournament were Mitchell Boulanger, Jack Mullen, Selby Ireland and Payne Bell. Other schools who brought successful teams were the Mississippi School of Math and Science, Franklin County High School, and St. Andrews. The members of the chess team who competed in the tournament played against these and other schools. The tournament was structured in a way where the

lowest scores would be dropped. The Jackson Prep Chess club has a large amount of members compared to many other clubs at Prep. Each of the sixty- five members of the club compete with each other in order to gain enough points to become a member of the chess team. The Jackson Prep Chess team includes competitive students from both the junior and senior high schools and has upheld its reputation of success and comradery this year.

Senior Mitchel Boulanger squares off in tournament play. Photo courtesy of Jack Mullen.

The Sentry

News & Features

Extended Reality Lab debuts Russ upton Jackson Prep is poised to become a leading school in preparing students for the technology-filled world they are bound to encounter. On Thursday, April 5, the school inaugurated its new Extended Reality (XR) Learning Lab in the Jesse L. Howell library. With an initial installation of 24 virtual-reality stations, the XR Lab will allow students to use state-of-theart hardware and software for a wide variety of educational purposes. This lab is one of the largest of its kind in any K-12 school in the country. To work the each station, the student puts on a headset that gives them a picture of virtual surroundings. The students are also given hand controllers that enable them to interact with the virtual surroundings. For example, you can point, make a fist, and even grab virtual objects. The current setup utilizes the Oculus Rift headset in conjunction with dedicated Alienware PCs. One of the many additions to the available electives for students in the 2018-2019 school year will be an extended reality class. This is an exciting new opportunity for students that promises to be very different from the normal high school class setup. This idea for an extended reality lab and class class came from the strategic plan that Prep has every five years. Mr. Denny Britt, the school’s longtime Chief Operating Officer and current Interim Head of School (Mr. Lawrence Coco will become Head of School on June 1) helped come up with this idea to broaden the horizons of Prep. Another product from the strategic plan is the Institute of Creativity and Innovation. This is an “umbrella” idea designed to help Prep increase creativity in everyday school life and stay current (or ahead of the curve) with new educational methods. It was instrumental in the forby

April 2018

Senior Jake Bell explores the possibilities of virtual reality during the opening day of Prep’s new XR lab. Photo by Stewart McCullough.

mation of the extended reality project. Earlier this year there were four stations up above the library in the Hederman Media Center before the full setup of the XR Lab. This allowed for a trial run of tests before library space was available. This year the stations are meant mostly for teachers to get them adjusted to incorporating XR into their everyday lesson plans. For example, geography teachers can use Google Earth VR to give students a 360 degree view of sites around the world. This app could also be used by History English teachers. So if a student were taking European History, he or she can go on Google Earth VR to look at the building or architecture they are discussing in class. English classes that are studying Shakespeare could go see the Globe theatre on the app to help the students visualize how big the building actually is and imagine themselves going to a performance there. Students can also visit other places that interest them. Senior Tanner McCraney said, “It was really fun getting to see my house.” There is also a fascinating Anatomy app where science teachers can guide students through the body’s organs and systems. “Not too long ago, when a student learned about

the heart and its functions, they looked at a simple diagram in a textbook,” noted Mr. Britt. “Now, with extended reality, a student can go inside a beating heart, see the valves opening and closing, and learn by experiencing the functions of the heart.” Within extended reality, the students can view the outside of a healthy organs and one with diseases. For example, with the brain, the student can see the outside of a brain and then view the neurons firing from the inside. It is an amazing experience that would be difficult to do any other way. This interactive extended reality anatomy picture and others like it will help the students visualize the lessons. Hundreds of other educational extended-reality apps are currently becoming available, and one of the functions of the XR Lab will be to help teachers and students find the best software experiences available for their particular educational goals. English teacher Mr. Nathan Devine said, “XR technology provides what education should: immersion. At Prep, students engage and make unique products. In the past, that might have been accomplished by handing someone a paintbrush, but XR is the next generation of learning--it’s a

paintbrush for the mind.” Next to the stations there is a dedicated laptop where teachers can observe what the students are working on. Director of Instructional Technology Ms. Laurie Van Pelt said, “The teacher laptop is really awesome because it allows teachers to interact with their students in the same virtual space.” This shared space is an app called Infinite Whiteboard. This allows students to be in a virtual classroom with the teacher. It is password protected, which ensures the class’s privacy. Using that same computer, the teacher can also monitor the student’s progress in the apps." Next year the stations will be for the extended reality class and for other courses where extended reality will improve their understanding of the lessons. In the XR class, students will learn how to operate the stations and by the end of the year, be able to make their own virtual experience. Many people believe that this technology will be a big part of this generation, and it already is. For example, UPS is using extended reality to train workers before they work on the actual conveyor belts that make UPS run. This could drastically change medical school, dental school, and other graduate schools that require a lot of expertise. Doctors performing their first surgery would not be as nervous if they had performed that surgery on a virtual patient many times before. The school hopes the extended reality class and the XR Lab wil offer an amazing opportunity to broaden Prep’s horizons. Ms. Norma Cox, Prep’s librarian and Extended Reality Learning Lab Director said, “Educators are seeing increased engagement levels and improved test scores across the board with extended reality education programs.”

What is VR?

baRRon Liston One of the best-known implementations of the “extended reality” highlighted in Prep’s new XR Lab is what is commonly called “virtual reality.” This phenomenon has become more common not only in the real world, but as plot points in television, movies, books, and games as well. Once a term only known by technology buffs and science fiction fans, virtual reality is rapidly becoming a part of 21st century life. Virtual reality, or VR, is a computer-generated three dimensional space with which one can interact. With most current VR technology, one uses a headset and a pair of controllers to become immersed in a 3D environment. In recent years, the advancement of VR technology has made it practical for everyday use -- leading to a surge in popularity in educational and recreational fields. VR’s popularity in education has come from the fact that it provides students with a hands-on approach to learning that, in some cases, would be impossible in reality. VR is a virtual lab that lacks the restrictions of the real world. VR has been used to give students virtual field trips to prehistoric locations, allowed medical students to simulate surgeries, and given future architects and engineers the ability to freely create designs. As the years go by, VR technology seems poised to continue to advance, furthering its immersive educational capabilities. by

News & Features

Lawrence Coco appointed as new Head of School Alex Gibbs On Wednesday, February 14, the Jackson Prep Board of Trustees announced their selection of Lawrence Coco to serve as the next Head of School through an official press release. Coco was chosen following a national search from the Head of School Search Committee and Faculty Advisory Committee with the assistance of CarterBaldwin Executive Search of Atlanta, Georgia. A Jackson Prep graduate of the Class of 1992, Lawrence Coco will hold the distinction of being the first Jackson Prep alumnus to return to his alma mater in the position of Head of School. During his time as a student at Prep, Mr. Coco was a consistent standout. He was awarded the American Legion Citizenship Award, was apart of the largest group in school history of National Merit semifinalists in October 1991, was the fiction editor of Earthwinds vol. XXI No. 5 in May 1991, was a participant in varsity athletby

ics, and was named a senior class favorite. After graduating high school, Coco attended the University of Mississippi and graduated Magna Cum Laude as a double major in English and History. Coco’s tenure as Head of School will not be his first experience working at Prep, as after graduating college, Coco was an American Literature and History teacher, an Assis-

tant High School Principal, and a football and track coach. He received his J.D. from the University of Mississippi in 2001, finishing 4th in his class of 123. He then practiced law in Mississippi from 2001 to present. He will be leaving his law practice McCraney, Coco & Lee, PLLC when he takes the position as Head of School. While practicing law, he has helped around the school in

Mr. Lawrence Coco. Photo courtesy of McCraney, Coco & Lee

many different capacities. He has served on the Alumni Committee, the Board of Trustees, Coco’s previous experiences at Prep and love for the school were significant factors in the Head of School Search Committee’s decision to hire Coco. Chair of the Committee, Mr. Will Walker, said, “Throughout the process, we met several very qualified candidates from around the country, but we were always drawn back to Lawrence and his passion for Jackson Prep.” “I have a passion for Jackson Prep, this is a calling, a home” said Mr. Coco during an interview with sentry staff members Avery Andress and Stewart McCullough. He then went on to say that his primary goal is to immerse himself into Prep’s dynamic culture by getting to know the faculty, students and administration. Current Interim Head of School Mr. Denny Britt looks forward to working with Mr. Coco, saying, “I am thrilled

with the Board’s selection of Lawrence as our next Head of School. I have worked with him in numerous capacities over the years, and I am looking forward to working with him on a professional level.” Sharing excitement is current Latin teacher at Jackson Prep, Ms. Beth Watts, a fellow member of the Jackson Prep class of 1992 and previous colleague of Coco’s when he worked at the school in the late 1990s. Ms. Watts said, “I think he will have a good grasp of all of the facets of Prep life because of his experiences as a student, former teacher, and Prep parent...I like that it’s going to be someone we know.” Lawrence Coco and his wife, Rebecca, also a member of the class of 1992, are lifelong members of St. Richard Catholic Church. They have been married for 19 years and have three children, including current 8th grade Prep student Mary Robinson.

Culinary Club Ainsley O’Quinn Allie Wise Culinary Club brings students together who share a love of food and cooking. They meet once a month during activity period and homeroom. Members are invited to bring a dish based on the theme that month with a copy of their recipe. Everyone gathers and enjoys the food brought by each student. Some months members go out to eat at a restaurant. Anyone in grades 9th-12th is welcome to join. Culinary Club is overseen by Coach Bradford and Mrs. Luckey. This club gives students a chance to try different recipes and broaden their palate. This month, members brought pies to share with the club. Throughout this year, we have decorated cookies and by

And

drank hot chocolate for Christmas, had a Valentine’s Day, and had a Thanksgiving feast. Culinary Club is a laid back club that anyone can get involved in. Talbot Fletcher says, “Free food is good,” so even if you are not the most talented baker or cook it can still be fun. The club was started by Ms. Emily Lynch. Ms. Katie Luckey took over after her, but it didn’t really take off until this year. She says, “I like culinary club because it’s something different than spanish and I get to know students that I normally wouldn’t otherwise.” Culinary Club is a favorite for a lot of its members because it provides students a way to be creative in a way that other clubs do not. Mckenzie Shoemaker, Campbell Perkins, Caroline Dreher, Anna Grace Morgan enjoy homecooked, fine culinary delicacies.

The Sentry

News & Features

Junior class continues tradition of profitable garage sale

by Mary Patton Murphy In mid-January, the current junior class began preparing for the annual Jackson Prep Garage Sale. The sale, which has been going on for several years now, has become a popular event among those in the Jackson area, and it has even become popular among some from as far as Gulfport, MS due to the wide variety of furniture, electronics, clothes, toys, and trinkets that it displays for sale. Traditionally, funds raised from the sale pay the prom and grad night fees of those juniors who participate in the garage sale by getting their 10 required volunteer hours for helping to collect, move in, set up, and/or price a variety of items donated by the Prep community. This

was the case for the funds raised this year as well. Because it is favored by parents as well as the community and allows the junior class to work together towards a common goal before their senior year, GLI Director Colonel Merrell described the garage sale as a “win, win, win.” Co-chairs for the event were juniors Alex Gibbs and Parker Williams. Assisting them in the management of a variety of tasks such as large item pickup, staging/security, cleanup, signs, finance, etc. were leaders Nora Beth Hetzel, Chandler Usry, Matt Mills, Reece Davis, Spence Graves, JP Guilbeau, Emory Maxwell, Will Fletcher, Robert Jordan, Katie Simmons, Amanda Roberts, Gabbi Ferreri, Jordan Headley, Tori Newsome, David Purvis, and Caro-

line McIntyre. The garage sale was open in the Manning Center on Saturday March 3 from 5 AM to 11 AM, though lines formed outside of the center hours before it opened. Any items remaining after 11 AM on Saturday were donated to Goodwill. Cleanup crews were responsible for loading items onto the two Goodwill trucks that arrived after the event. On March 26, the junior class met to celebrate their success at the sale with food from Chick- fil-A and learned that they raised over $27,000. Merrell recognized the leaders with the Jackson Prep Impact Awards for Excellence and Leadership, and students handed a sizeable check to the LeFleur East Foundation. Prep’s current GLI Assistant

John Ahanotu: On court and off

By Mara Liston and Sarah Cory If you’ve ever been to a Prep basketball game, you’ve probably seen John Ahanotu. A star basketball center, he contributes to the team, not only by scoring points, but also by being a leader. Ahanotu believes ball is life. He cannot recall a time in his life when he was not playing basketball. John Ahanotu came to Prep in the 7th grade and became a part of the basketball team. With the end of his senior year approaching, Ahanotu reflected on some of his favorite basketball memories, such as dunking in the Hartfield game this year. “It just boosted our team’s morale and propelled us to make a comeback,” he said. Speaking of comebacks, Prep almost pulled one against rivals Jackson Academy mid-season. Ahanotu made a last second-bucket to

April 2018

tie the game and go into overtime. Coming up short, it was a standout moment for his career. “One of my teammates got a steal and I took off like a bullet coming out of the chamber. He gave me a perfect pass. I took two huge steps and slammed it down sending the crowd in a huge uproar.” Known as a hard worker, John Ahanotu aspires to be the best teammate he can be both on and off the court. Senior teammate Russell Weathersby spoke fondly of Ahanotu saying, “John is a great teammate.

He’s an even better person in the locker room than on the court. John plays a big role in the teams success.” Ahanotu has a packed schedule, especially during basketball season. In his free time, he enjoys playing with his three German shepherds, Zapp being his favorite, and his poodle. He also likes working out with his friends and watching movies such as Facing The Giants. Next time you are at a basketball game, look out for #25!

Director Mrs. Sharon Box commented on the efforts of the junior class in their preparation for the sale. She said, “I think the juniors worked

very well as a class to make this a successful event this year.”

Junior class garage sale, held on March 3rd, in full swing. Photo by Stewart McCullough

Fiber Arts Club by

Tori Newsome

Started in 2014 by Ms. Louis, the Fiber Arts club consists of twelve regularly attending members. These students, along with some faculty members, meet once a month and occasionally after school. For the most part, this year’s members are from the eighth grade class. However, the president of the fiber arts club is a junior, Anna Minich. She is involved in numerous athletic extracurriculars but invites all students to join her in the fabric fun! The Fiber Arts club is welcome to all ages and faculty members. This year there have been guest faculty appearances by Ms. Hunter, Ms. Lindsey, and Ms. Wiandt. Right now the Fiber Arts club is working on weavings and hand painted fabric collages. In the

past, they have made pom pom flowers for Valentine’s Day, pillows, and hats for cancer patients at Blair E Batson Children’s Hospital. Ms. Louis said “We basically make anything with fibers.” Ms. Louis also gives community service hours to members for making hats for cancer patients and homeless people. Recently, some of the members participated in the Reservoir Recycle Runway Show to raise awareness about keeping the Reservoir clean. In the fall, members entered their quilts into the fabric art challenge, “A Fabric and Color Playground: The Textile Work of Myra Hester Cook.” Ms. Louis said that seeing a student step away from technology to create something unique with their hands and fibers is the most rewarding part of being the advisor of the Fiber Arts club.

If you are interested in joining the Fiber Arts Club, see Ms. Louis in Art A, or email Anna Minich at minichan@ jacksonprep.net. 7

News & Features

History students visit new Civil Rights Museum Mary Patton MurPhy Since its opening in December of 2017, the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum has drawn both Mississippi and non-Mississippi residents, including the president himself, to its doors. With eight diverse and interactive galleries, the museum transports its visitors to the past in order to spur a desire for social change in the present. Prep seniors from Mrs. McKibben’s AP Government classes and juniors from the AP and College Prep United States History classes visited the muby

seum on March 29. Teachers and students saw this opportunity as a way for students to appreciate the history of their own state as it relates to the social and political changes in the United States mentioned in their curricula from this year. After lunch, students drove downtown to meet their teachers in the museum lobby, soon breaking up into several smaller groups to make their ways through the galleries. The museum’s impressive lighting and design included a number of small theaters that shared the influence of various

Clay, Trap & Skeet Club

Will Fletcher One of the newer clubs at Prep is the Clay, Trap, & Skeet team. For those unfamiliar with these terms, it is a type of shooting team. Known previously as the Gun & Bow club, the name was changed this year and various different activities and events were added. The Clay, Trap, & Skeet team is a co-ed club open to anyone in grades 8-12. The team competes in various tournaments and events every Saturday. The season runs from February to April and practices every Tuesday for 2 hours. The practices take place at Providence Hill Farms in Flora, which has always been a big supporter of Prep and hosts a multitude of events. The tournaments take place at Providence Hill, Turcotte Shooting Club on the reservoir, and Capital Gun Club. The team is lead by Jimmy Grant from Providence Hill. Grant is also the coach of the Mississippi College Clay Target Shooting Team. Clay, Trap, & Skeet are three different shooting events using shotguns. Shooting clays is a golf-course-like event where the contestants travel around to different stations to shoot at moving clay targets. Each station is different in the setup and the way to target moves. Trap is another event by

where the person shoots at the same clay targets but this time they are moving up and away or are thrown right at you. Skeet is a more uptempo version of trap where the targets can be crossing in front of you or there could be more than one target. The team closes out the season with the state tournament on April 14th and April 21st. Junior Christian Webber says “It’s been a good season so far. We have won a lot and are looking to close out the season with another couple of wins in the next two weeks”. The team had a good turnout this season and is looking to increase involvement and of course win

topics such as the murder of Emmett Till, Brown v. Board of Education, and Freedom Summer on the Civil Rights Movement, specifically its influence on the movement in Mississippi. With so much information on display, the galleries hardly let the eye grow bored. Senior and AP Government student Gregory Vance agreed saying, “My favorite part was probably right before the exit where they showed quotes from many different people, past and present, about what they want to stand for and what those things mean

to them. I just thought it was incredible because the answers weren’t all that different, no matter the time period.”

Senior Reed Peets takes in the exhibit.

Prep students set sail on a new voyage SteWart Mccullough Prep added outdoors activity this past winter for students to enjoy - sailing. The Sailing Club is focused on giving students the chance to sail, something that most kids would never be able to do. Over the past three months, students have learned many skills necessary for sailing, some include: hoisting sails, judging wind direction, and maintaining control of the boat during choppy weather. The sailing club meets at the Ross Barnett Reservoir to gain knowledge and skills, while also enjoying their time out on the water. Junior Reece Davis finds by

that his favorite part consists of hanging out on the Reservoir with some of his good friends while learning how to sail. “I thoroughly enjoy learning the ins-and-outs of sailing while on the Rez, and nothing beats some time out on the water after a long day of school,” said Davis. Trey Currie and Mitchell Martin have been instrumental in the club’s development. They both have a passion for sailing, and with the help of their parents, they now have the opportunity to share this passion with their peers. Trey’s father helps with practices by giving the students a game plan for the day, and Mitchell’s

mother, alongside Mitchell and Trey, helps teach sailing basics and safety to participants in order for everyone to have a lot of safe fun. Trey Currie said, “I have always had a passion for sailing, and it’s something not many people can relate too. Now, with Prep having their very own sailing team, I can enjoy my passion with friends, and also spread it.” If sailing around the Reservoir after a long day of school sounds like fun, you may want to consider joining the sailing club. If you are interested in joining, contact Trey Currie - curriear@ jacksonprep.net - for more information.

“I thoroughly enjoy learning the ins-and-outs of sailing while on the Rez, and nothing beats some time out on the water after a long day of school.” William Bronzi aims at a clay pigeon. Photo courtesy of William Bronzi.

-- Reece Davis -The Sentry

News & Features “A Traveling Lady” stopped by to visit Jackson Prep

Preston Dubberly anD Maclain KenneDy Since January, Prep students have been hard at work to put together “The Travby

due to high demand. The small stage gave the audience an up close and personal feel. Mrs. Wilkinson, 10th grade English teacher and di-

Georgette (Claire Porter on the right) hides her feelings from Margaret Rose (Christy Rutledge on the left) Photo courtesy of Hubert Worley

eling Lady”. With a cast of ten, the play was performed February 23 and 24, and the cast added an additional time on the February 26 in Lindsay Hall

rector of Prep’s version of “The Traveling Lady”, said, “I picked this play because I really loved the story line. Second, I love Horton Foote plays, and third

I needed a small cast.” Wilkinson said that the play was challenging for the actors. They had hard roles, and they had to learn vulnerability with that. Mrs. Wilkinson enjoyed being able to incorporate some students into the play who don’t typically get involved in the theatre at Prep. One of the interesting things about drama at Prep is that the department has no problem adding younger children to the play or musical. Christy Rutledge, sister of sophomore Maggie Rutledge, was casted as Margaret Rose, Georgette’s daughter. Because of the small stage, there was one set used for the duration of the play. This added artistic value and allowed the actors to work with the space given. The play was about Georgette Thomas (senior Claire Porter) and her daughter traveling to find Henry (senior Aidan Creel), the father. Throughout the play, Georgette and Margaret Rose

encounter new people as they learn things about Henry. At the end of the play, Georgette was able to ditch her horribly drunk husband for Slim (senior Thomas McBride) who genuinely wanted the best for her and her daughter. Senior Jennings Duncan had the opportunity to compose background music for the play. Along with Jennings, Zach Richardson, Peter Downing, Graham Roberson,

and Mary Patton Murphy performed behind the scenes in the band. The Drama Department always puts on great plays because the students are so dedicated to becoming their characters. The next production that Prep students are putting on is Treasure Island. It will be April 21-23, and you won’t want to miss.

Arrrgh, Get yer tickets for Treasure Island

April 2018

Hogan Privitt On April 21 & 23, Jackson Prep will present the final play of the 2017-2018 school year, an adaption of Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure novel Treasure Island. The audition process began late February. For a couple of days, three judges with backgrounds in professional theatre listened to cold readings to determine who would perform the best in which part. The biggest parts, Jim Hawkins, Long John Silver, and Jim’s father, are played by Aiden Creel, Mary Frances Dickie, and Jennings Duncan, respectively. There by

are several other roles, primarily civilians and pirates. Regarding age, it is a diverse cast. There are several seniors and several 6th graders who Mr. Kenneth McDade is “very proud of.” Mr. McDade said that the thing he enjoyed the most is the “adventure, however, I enjoyed to showcase some of the girls as pirates because they don’t get to showcase their talents.” “There will be gunshots, explosions, and even decapitations.” Come see Treasure Island in the Fortenberry Theatre on April 21st and 23rd!

Photo courtesy of Trey Porter

Junior High News

Ms. Reedy impacts young minds through literature

by Jane barbour, Saley Crawford, and aubrey SCott Moak After falling in love with literature and the concepts of grammar, Kimberly Reedy made it her goal to teach students and have them understand as well. Here at Prep, Ms. Reedy teaches ninth grade Honors English and select College Prep classes too. She at-

tended the University of Southern Mississippi and received a major in English along with a minor in Latin. She also obtained a masters degree in Secondary Education Teaching. Reedy has been teaching students for seven years, and has taught here at Jackson Prep for four. Before teaching students, Reedy taught instructors for nine years as an education consultant. Outside of school, Reedy enjoys watching films. Her current favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice. Reedy first decided that she wanted to be an English in the tenth grade after reading the novel, Rebecca, which remains her favorite book to

this day. Reedy loves teaching both grammar and literature because, to her, teaching literature is just as exciting as teaching grammar if you understand the rules. Ms. Reedy’s favorite novel to teach is To Kill A Mockingbird. Unfortunately, this book is included in the eighth grade curriculum. For her ninth graders, Reedy’s favorite short story to teach is a mystery, Lamb To The Slaughter, mainly because she instructs her students to read it in sections which creates more suspense. Reedy loves hearing her students predictions about what they think will happen in the end. Ms. Reedy works as the

advisor for the junior high literary magazine, Mindprints. This past year, Mindprints was awarded Best Literary Art in Mississippi. Because of this,

Mrs. Reedy was nominated for literary magazine advisor of the year and was even a finalist. Prep is so thankful for Mrs. Reedy and all the work she does preparing her ninth graders for high school English. Reedy definitely brings excitement and interest to the ninth graders as they learn about literature and grammar. Current junior says that Reedy was of teaching and getting them excited about learning was very beneficial and made high school english classes easier to understand. According to Junior Tripp Cory, “Mrs. Reedy is my all time favorite English and one of my overall favorite teachers.”

8th Graders to take annual visit to Washington D.C. Mara liSton and Sarah Cory Spring Break might be over, but the eighth graders still have a trip to look forward too. Kevin Robichaux, eighth grade history teacher, is taking his annual trip to Washington D.C. with a group of students. They will leave for D.C. on April 26 and return on the 30th. A total of 47 students are going on the trip, along with chaperons Mrs. Gale Cado, Mrs. Lee Waits, and Mrs. Holly Welch, who are all Prep teachers. Those going will visit many historical monuments and museums, including Mount Vernon and the Civil War battlefield. Chosen students will participate in the wreath burying ceremony at Arlingby

ton Cemetery while the others watch. To make things a little interesting, they are going on a haunted tour of a small town in Virginia, which always proves to be a favorite among the students. One thing different from the previous trips is that this year they are going to Ford’s Theatre, the site where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. When asked why he chooses to take students to D.C., Mr. Robichaux replied, “It is very rewarding to me when I see the students get excited about some of the things we learned in class.” Eighth grader Burdee Kellum says, “I am really excited to get to hang out with my friends and see things we’ve learned about.”

The beautiful Washington Monument on a sunny spring morning. Photo by Mara Liston.

On Tuesday, March 6, 2018, 6th graders showcased their many talents at the annual talent show. < >

The Sentry

Around Town

Brandon Amphitheater set to open Aubrey Scott MoAk In the heart of Brandon, Mississippi, lies a brand new venue: the Quarry. Fully equipped with a new nature trail, dog park, baseball facility, and amphitheatre, this 250 acres is sure to draw many families to the area. The idea for by

the venue sparked as a group of like-minded individuals sought a way to draw others to Brandon and to have them consider raising a family there. The amphitheatre itself has a capacity of 8,300 people in order to host popular artists such as Chris Staple-

Brandon Amphitheater during final renovations.

ton and the Imagine Dragons throughout the year. As Community Bank serves as a huge sponsor of the theatre, Community Bank employees and other members of the “Community Bank club” are treated with great luxury. Patrons gain access to the facility 30 minutes prior to opening, dine on complimentary hors d’oeuvres, and enjoy live music in the “Community Bank Courtyard.” The first artist to perform at the Quarry will be Chris Young on his “Losing Sleep” Tour. Young will perform Wednesday, April 18th, followed by Brantley Gilbert, Dave Matthews Band, and others. For the past few years, C Spire has sponsored a concert at the end of May behind the Baptist Healthplex in Madison.

Replacing these yearly concerts with their own, C Spire has hopes that the Brandon Amphitheatre and its performing artists will be more successful and enjoyable for viewers. This fifteen million dollar project is being funded by The City of Brandon’s two

percent food and beverage tax that was put in place two years ago. The Quarry is bringing much excitement to the city and many are eager to see the new artists lined up to perform.

Why are there no sidewalks in Jackson? PAtrick PhilliPS Have you ever had to walk down the street through someone’s yard or on the curb to avoid getting hit by a car, or have you ever been driving at night and had to slam the brakes or violently yank the steering wheel to save the life of an invisible jogger wearing all black? If you answered yes to either of those questions you have probably noticed the lack of sidewalks in the city of Jackson. With the exception of a few by

big roads like Ridgewood and State Street, there really aren’t many sidewalks in Jackson, specifically residential sidewalks. In addition to reducing pedestrian caused roadway crashes, sidewalks also reduce cycling accidents as well. Roadways without sidewalks are more than twice as likely to have pedestrian crashes as sites with sidewalks on both sides of the street. And on top of that, sidewalks promote

Belhaven streets are wide, but lack sidewalks. Photo from Google Street View.

April 2018

health, since pedestrians feel safer on sidewalks, so they are more likely to go out and exercise. For those reasons the city of Madison and Ridgeland both have had laws in place since 2012 that require subdivision developers to add sidewalks to their neighborhoods. So why doesn’t Jackson follow along? The first answer that most people assume would be because of financial reasons, however, that would not be a valid reason. The city of Madison requires the house developer to build their own sidewalk and do not give them any money to do this with. On top of that, if Jackson did pay for the sidewalks, it would only cost about $1,300 for 800 square feet of sidewalk. But it is not that simple, Madison requires any subdivision built after July 3, 2012, to be built with a sidewalk that means all the subdivisions built before that

Streets like this located in Northeast Jackson not only lack sidewalks, but also are not wide enough for a pedestrian to safely pass. Photo from Google Street View.

time are not legally required to have a sidewalk. Therefore, the city of Jackson which has very little undeveloped land would be wasting their time to make a law like this because there is no new neighborhoods popping up. Along with attempts of road repair Jackson has been

fixing existing sidewalks. The money to do this has supposedly come from the extra 1% sales tax which the city enforced during the summer of 2014.

Around Town La Brioche: another one of Fondren’s perks

Maclain Kennedy If you walk inside Fondren Corner, you’ll find La Brioche. Known for their pastries, they also serve impeccable coffee. This cute, friendly shop is defiby

nitely a place you’ll want to stop. Upon entering La Brioche, you’ll approach a pastry counter. They have many different french pastries, including macaroons, croissants, and more. You can order cakes for special occasions, too. If you find yourself with nothing to do on a hot summer afternoon, swing by and pick up a cup of gelato. The shop offers a wide variety of coffee, some of which I wasn’t too sure what it was. I decided to get a Cafe Au Lait, and I do not regret this decision. The barista steamed the designated amount of milk, handing me the cup and directing me to the coffee. The coffee was al-

ready made and waiting for me. I was able to choose from medium or dark roast, which was nice. However, I didn’t like that I had to make the drink myself. It would’ve been easier if the barista had the coffee behind the counter and poured it for me instead of explaining to me what to do and letting me do it myself. The great thing about La Brioche is the location. If you want to sit inside, the open feeling that the shop gives makes it perfect to study. If the weather is nice, there are tables outside of Fondren Corner to sit and sip a macchiato. After your coffee, macaroon, or whatever you get has been en-

joyed, the fondren area is great to walk around. You can get coffee, walk around town, or even walk through the nearby neighborhoods if you want. It’s really easy to spend a whole afternoon

while you wait, you can watch the pizza being made through glass windows. Although Sal and Mookie’s is a New York style pizza joint, one can also order a variety of delicious salads and pastas. Personally, we enjoy getting a large pizza to share with our friends and their delicious fried ravioli as an appetizer. The atmosphere is family friendly and lively. You will always see little kids watching as they play with a piece of pizza

dough that is available for them along with wiki sticks. We have many memories of spending afternoons here after a long day at elementary school eating pizza with our friends. It is a good spot for birthday parties, a casual lunch or dinner with friends, a nice meal with your family, or lunch after school on a half day. Overall, we love Sal and Mookie’s for their great food and friendly atmosphere. Next, we went to Pizza Shack. They have two locations; we went to the one in Madison. They have a variety of pizzas you can order ranging anywhere from Margehrita to Chicken Curry Delight. Their menu also has various sandwich and salad choices as well as ice cream at their madison location. We ordered personal pizzas this time. They were delicious. Their pizzas are made in a deep dish style with not a lot of crust and A LOT of toppings. Customers order at the front and your food is brought to your table, so there is not a lot of interaction with the staff.

There are a few TVs around the restaurant with sports games on. A big plus is the roll of paper towels on every table. This eliminates that annoying moment at other pizza places when your hands are covered in grease and you are trying to flag down the waiter or just constantly asking for more napkins. We enjoyed our expe-

in Fondren, so I would highly recommend stopping by.

Just a little glimpse of heaven. Photo by Maclain Kennedy

Trust the crust in a pizza showdown

Allie and Ainsley’s Appetite

by Allie Wise & Ainsley O’Quinn For this issue we will review two local pizza joints. We went to Sal and Mookie’s and Pizza Shack and realized we like pizza too much to decide which one we like best. Sal and Mookie’s was our first stop. Located in Fondren, Sal and Mookie’s has been serving New York style pizza and ice cream to its customers since 2007. We love their pizza; it is made in a timely manner, and

rience at Pizza Shack, and we will definitely go back. This was a hard competition because we both love pizza, but our winner for this issue is Pizza Shack. It barely beat Sal and Mookie’s because of its amazing atmosphere and great service, but, in the end, it came down to who had the tastier pizza.

The winning pizza from Pizza Shack (left) The losing pizza from Sal and Mookies (above) Photos by Allie Wise and Ainsley O’Quinn

The Sentry

Entertainment

Fortnite builds an empire for game players to enjoy Game Review: Tanner McCraney Anyone who is anyone has at least heard of Fortnite, the cartoon game that has stormed the gaming community. The free game has risen to the top of charts in PC, Xbox, Playstation, and mobile gaming. It is a simple concept, where 100 people drop from a flying “Battle Bus” onto island and the last person, or team alive wins. The options are to play by yourself, with one other person, or in a squad up to four people. The strategies of the game include landing in a safe spot, finding weapons and medical supplies, gathering materials, and eliminating other players. A key component of Fornite is the ability to build, which enables player to summit mountains, cross rivers and lakes, make fortresses, and protect themselves from enemies. Senior Landon Wil-

banks says, “Of all the strategies possible, I tend to think hiding in bushes and trees to be the most successful in placing top ten.” To keep the game progressing, the island consists of a storm that slowly circles in on a randomly generated final circle, where the most intense of fights take place. Players caught in the storm face losses in health and even death. When it is all said and done, the game simply concludes with pop-up of the desired slogan, “#1 Victory Royale.” Although the game is free, there are plenty of opportunities to spend money, while they only provide an visual effect rather than gameplay advantages. One can buy costumes, dances, gliders, pickaxes, and emoticons for their player. As the game has risen in popularity, the most elaborate of costumes cost one ap-

proximately twenty dollars, which feels expensive for some something that is only used as a visual. Senior Spivey Gault says, “Sure it is expensive, but when another team sees my player dressed as John Wick they will think twice before engaging.” Another way to accumulate costumes and such is through unlocking them by doing challenges. These challenges are a rather new additions to the game that give the player a goal to work towards and it keep things interesting. In the Prep student community, Fortnite has been a huge hit, for players of all ages are combining and collaborating to play together. Seniors are playing with seventh graders, Freshman are playing with Juniors, and even JA and MRA students are joining up with Prep students in the chase of victory. Some of the biggest side effects with this connection include a lack of motivation to do school work, insomnia, and frustration. Senior Ryan Myers said, “Last week I stayed up well past midnight every night because my squad kept

getting back-to-back dubs. The next morning was always pretty bad though.” It is always exciting when new features come out, but recently there has been many problems. Fortnite is evolving too fast, and many times this makes its serves

album: “Like Gold” on November 3, “We’re Going Home” on January 12, “Saturday Sun” on February 12, and “Call If You Need Me” on February 11. Overall, the album is fun to listen to, if a bit monotonous. That sounds rude, but I just mean that most of the songs sound pretty similar. Most of the songs are pretty chill, which is nice. Junior Kennedy Marble says of one of these songs, “I really like the song ‘Like Gold’ because it has a really good beat.” Some fans see this album as a let down from his previous album, Dream Your Life Away. Junior Georgia Perkins says that is it “not his best,” while Elizabeth Herring says, “I don’t think it’s as good as his old one.”

Despite this possible disappointment to old fans, it is still an enjoyable album that is fun to listen to.

crash, leaving eager players unable to log on. Also, many times when these players are able to log on, they face lagging issues. Because the game is free, there is no harm in at least trying it to see what all the rage is amount.

Vance Joy releases new album “Nation of Two” Album Review: Genevieve Hurst

Vance Joy’s new album, Nation of Two came out February 23 after releasing singles since July. Joy said of the album, “Nation of Two describes a perfectly self-contained couple; their world beginning and ending at the bed they share, the car they ride in, or any other place where they’re together... the idea that their love for each other gives them their bearings; a point of reference that makes sense of life.” This is Joy’s second album, following

April 2018

Dream Your Life Away. Dream Your Life Away, which was released in September of 2014 in the United States, featured Riptide, his most famous song from either album. This album, however, is “Different than what he usually does,” according to Junior Grace Parker. His first single, released July 12, 2017, is called “Lay It On Me.” It reached number 4 on Billboard’s US Alternative Songs. Four more singles were released in anticipation of the

Entertainment

Ready Player One is another great Spielberg film Movie Review: James Threadgill On Thursday, March 29, director Steven Spielberg released Ready Player One, a film version of the bestselling book by Ernest Cline. The main attraction of Ready Player One is the nostalgia from the many pop culture references like Back to the Future (1985), Rubiks Cubes (1974), Duke Nukem (1991), and Space Invaders (1978), to name a few, and that goal was definitely achieved. James Halliday, creator of the OASIS virtual reality system, created the entire system to have as many pop culture references as possible. I got a feeling of being kind of overloaded with references, especially towards the end when they are all brought together,

but it was fun to see how many I was able to catch on-screen. It seemed that with every new setting, you saw more and more references: when the characters get to the second Easter Egg challenge, you see the two little girls from The Shining from 1980, the main character Wade Watts uses a DeLorean from Back to the Future from in the first challenge, and you had to play Adventure from 1980 in the third challenge. I thought the plot was alrl right, it was not really anything you can’t see in any other movie, but the Easter Eggs really made the movie. Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who has not seen it yet.

The Incredibles 2 will hopefully continue first movie’s legacy Movie Preview: Tynes Carroll After fourteen long years, your favorite childhood Pixar movie is set to return to the big screen in June of this year. Who didn’t grow up without seeing The Incredibles, a Disney Pixar children’s film filled with action, humor, and suspense? The Incredibles 2 is set to focus on Elastigirl, Helen Parr’s character, as she saves the day, while Mr. Incredible has the duty of taking care of his three children. In 2004, we were left with the emergence of the new villain in town, the

Underminer. This time, Mr. Incredible will now have the task of becoming a superdad instead of a superhero.

2018 seems to be the year of Disney’s animated sequels to the movies of our childhood. The Incredibles 2 is one of this year’s most highly anticipated sequels and a new trailer shows off thrilling new footage, including a further glimpse into baby Jack-Jack’s developing powers. There’s also a seedy businessman

who wants to bring superheroes back into the sunlight, and Elastigirl seems to be the one to spring back into action, while Mr. Incredible looks after the three kids. The Incredibles 2 director Brad Bird has previously said the sequel will center on Elastigirl. The humor is as you’d expect from a Pixar film that looks to be equal parts heartwarming and funny. Numerous teaser trailers have been released in the past few weeks taunting the nowteen audience who have been waiting fourteen years to know what was to come of the Underminer, the new villain introduced at the end of the first film, and did Jack-Jack ever get his powers? Did Violet and Tony start dating? Hopefully, Disney will continue its trend

of making sequels to our classic childhood favorites. such as Finding Dory hitting theaters

The Sentry

Entertainment

Which streaming apps are best and the most used? by Kennedy Marble

Netflix and Chill. That’s all anyone is saying these days. But what about Hulu and Amazon Prime? Why is it that they have been overlooked? Watching Netflix has become a big thing– no one really says, “I’m gonna go watch Hulu.” However, Hulu and other streaming apps have things to offer that Netflix does not. I asked some people which they watch and the answer was almost always Netflix. Is it really the best option though? I wanted to see whether Netflix is THE one to watch, or whether other options should be explored. I will mention the pros of each streaming app first. Hulu releases new episodes a day after a show airs which is very convenient; no one wants to wait to watch their favorite show. It also has 10,244 titles ranging from old to current shows and movies, and it ap-

peals to students because if a student has Spotify premium, they can get Hulu also and pay only $5 for both. Amazon Prime members get Prime video, containing 20,386 titles, for free which is a fairly good deal seeing as viewers get discounts on shipping and such with prime as well. It is also easy to download your favorite shows and movies on Amazon for free. Netflix is coming out with more original series every month which draws viewers in. Shows such as “Stranger Things”, “13 Reasons Why”, “House of Cards”, “Black Mirror”, and others have all been huge hits. There are no commercials on Netflix, and it offers full seasons of older shows. As with any app, however, with the pros always comes cons: Hulu costs $7.99 per month with commercials, which no one wants; a membership with no commercials

costs $11.99, which is a little pricey. It also doesn’t have as many movie options as Netflix and Amazon, so movie lovers should probably stay away. Also, Hulu sometimes does not keep all of the older seasons of TV shows, so those who like rewatching might find it hard to do. Prime Video has a vast amount of content to offer, but you cannot customize it to your liking or have more than one profile. Netflix is a bit outdated, and it does not have many classic shows and movies that watchers wish it did–it only has 7,008 titles whereas the others have more. Also, they release new seasons of current shows months after they air on TV leaving people waiting for far too long. Which streaming app viewers like the best depends on what they are looking for. One reason people watch Netflix is because everyone else is

watching it. It has also been around the longest, so people know what it is and aren’t skeptical of investing their time and money. People have their problems with Netflix, but everyone seems to be attached to it. When many think of Netflix, they think of chilling out and relaxing. Hulu and Amazon Prime don’t have the same powerful effect. Although they might have more current shows and more shows in general, people still choose Netflix. When I asked junior Mary Parker Plunkett which streaming app was her favorite, she said, “Definitely Netflix, because it’s easy to access and has no ads.” It seems that no ads has a big impact on what streaming service people choose. In terms of having no adds, Netflix wins. Most viewers’ priorities lie with being able to watch what they want easily and without interrup-

tion. They sacrifice being able to watch more current shows sooner for this. So which really should be considered the best? It honestly depends on what watchers’ priorities are, but the streaming app that covers the minimum for all of the watchers’ necessities truly is Netflix. The reason everyone watches it is because it has the best options and access for what they are paying. Would it be nice if it had more current shows and movies? Yes. However, the original shows and movies make up for it. It is also the most trusted, seeing as it has been around for 20 years and has kept up its profit. We know what it has to offer and are sure that it won’t let us down.

Death Wish brings horror to theaters Review: Katelyn Cox & Anna Stack In Death Wish, a surgeon witnesses the violence of his Chicago hometown daily in his local

April 2018

emergency room. His perspective on his work remains distant until members of his own family experience the violence

and become hospitalized. After his daughter enters a coma and his wife dies, Dr. Kersey puts matters into his own hands to bring justice to the city. During the day, Dr. Kersey cares for victims of gang-related violence. At night, he practices shooting a pistol in order to save ordinary people from criminals similar to the ones that left his family permanently damaged. As Kersey walks down an ally one night indulging in his new hobby, a car starts driving away with a woman being held hostage; Kersey shoots the tires out and kills the carjacker. Unbeknownst to Kersey, a woman in a nearby bar takes a video on her phone to show the police. She shares it on Facebook, and the clip becomes viral overnight. The following day, Kersey overhears two radio talk show hosts discussing the film from the previous night, men-

tioning that the Internet has dubbed the mysterious hero the Grim Reaper. As he gains more fame, the video becomes highly controversial, as many claim that the intervention and murder were uncalled for. Death Wish was based on Brian Garfield’s 1972 novel and the movie of the same name in 1974. Eli Roth’s remake of the Charles Bronson movie, however, attempts to appeal more to action fans than the original film, but in doing so, it loses the intriguing psychological study of a man using random violence to recover from the untimely death of his family. Instead, there are many more gory scenes and special effects with less plot. The new movie uses violence to distract from the lacking plot and underdeveloped characters. Overall, Death Wish is a pretty generic superhero movie without the actual

superpowers. If you’re searching for an interesting plot and a strong hero, Bronson’s Death Wish is a better fit.

Sports

Cinderella stories bring 2018 March Madness alive

Steven Wyatt San Antonio, TX — Whether you are talking about Sister Jean and the roaring Ramblers or UMBC and the win that changed the history books forever, you are talking about an NCAA Tournament that people will have on their minds for quite some time. As the round of 64 started its action on Thursday, March 15th, it didn’t take long for it to be known that this tournament would be like none other in the history of March Madness. In just the opening two days, the shake-ups began as the tournament saw major upsets. Of the upsets, a few got major media attention early like Buffalo toppling four-seeded Arizona, or Marshall making themselves known by defeating highly ranked Wichita State. Although, the biggest one came from the 11th seeded Loyola-Chicago Ramblers who took down the 6th seeded Miami Hurricanes in their first of several wins on the road to the schools first Final Four since 1963. However, the Ramblers have a more than unique icon

that drives them, and you will not find this type of figure with if any, the majority of teams in the entire nation. Most Cinderella type teams who make a run in the

Lives Here” because of their high-energy full-court pressure defense. However, Loyola-Chicago is not most teams. The face of the Ramblers is a 98-year-old nun named Sister Jean who

UMBC following their memorable upset over one-seeded Virginia. Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

tournament have a motto or even a slogan that they are known for on their road to the Final Four. For example, Shaka Smart’s 2011 VCU Rams won their region as an 11th seed with the motto “Havoc

now is not only a known figure in Chicago but across the entire nation. She has gone from trending on Twitter to having her own interviews done to even having her own line of signature t-shirts, socks, and bob-

bleheads. It may be safe to say that even among all of the madness that is March, Loyola’s team chaplain has been the biggest highlight of this entire tournament. The renowned Sister Jean may have taken the hearts of fans all over the nation, but she is not the only one that has been making headlines. On March 16th, the one-seeded Virginia Cavaliers went into their game day preparations with the hope that they would be able to make history in the 2018 NCAA tournament. However, what they didn’t know was that the history they would be making would establish them as the first ever one-seeded team to lose in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. The Cavaliers have the University of Maryland Baltimore County to thank for this. The UMBC Retrievers 7454 upset took the whole world by storm, and it was not only just a surprise to the sporting world but a complete and utter shock. As their game winded down, the social media world was blowing up, and right in

the middle of the eruption were many Jackson Prep students. One of whom, Thomas Thornton, a junior, took to Twitter to share his thoughts about a few of the day’s upsets, including UMBC’s miraculous victory. During the first day of games, he tweeted, “Thanks Arizona for ruining my bracket so early. #marchmadness.” He then tweeted the next afternoon after the Retrievers upset, “The NCAA basketball tournament is the best playoffs out of any sport. Don’t @ me. #marchmadness #umbc.” UMBC then did lose in the Round-of-32 to Kansas State, but at that point, the damage was already done. The Retrievers had to overcome the many doubters and non-believers in their brand to get there, but in the end, they stamped their name in the record books, and no one can ever take away from them the fact that the 2018 NCAA Tournament was their year to put the “Madness” in March Madness.

Parker Caracci emerging as the Rebel’s elite bullpen arm bennett O’Quinn A new face has emerged in the elite group of pitchers in college baseball: Jackson Prep alum Parker Caracci. The Ole Miss reliever has put together a very strong sophomore campaign, cementing himself as one of the premier closers in the SEC. Caracci’s strong performance has catapulted himself into the national spotlight, and has the potential to be selected in the upcoming MLB draft. Parker Caracci graduated from Jackson Prep in 2015 while playing both football and baseball. A standout in both sports, Caracci committed to play baseball at Ole Miss in his senior year of high school. After redshirting the first two years by

on the team, Caracci surprised many by becoming a very consistent arm in the Rebel’s bullpen. In the season thus far, Caracci boasts a 2-0 record along with a 1.11 earned run average, 41 strikeouts, and only four walks through 24.1 innings pitched. He has racked up six saves as a closer, tying him for second in the SEC. Parker has gained many accolades throughout the season including the SEC pitcher of the week, and he was named a Midseason All-American by D1Baseball.com. Caracci’s signature moments have come in series against both Texas A&M and Arkansas. In the first game of the series against Texas A&M, Parker worked out of a one out,

bases loaded jam by striking out two batters in a row. In the two at bats, Caracci nearly reached triple digits on the radar gun, touching 98 miles per hour. He went on to complete a six out save to help the rebels top the Aggies 5-4. In the second game of the series against Arkansas, Carracci slammed the door shut on the Razorbacks, striking out the side in the top of the ninth inning to earn a save and a crucial victory for the Rebels. In game three of the series against Arkansas, Carracci once again earned a save, shutting down the Razorbacks en route to a 11-10 Rebel victory. Although he has moved on to college, Parker still has very

close ties to Jackson Prep every single time he puts on his uniform: his number. Caracci wears number 65 in honor of the late Walker Wilbanks, whom Parker was very close to.

It is special to see not only one, but two Jackson Prep legacies being carried on for everyone to see. Parker Caracci will contin-

Caracci delivering a pitch. Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Sports.

The Sentry

Sports

Masters tournament finishes in dramatic fashion

steWart Mccullough The 82nd Masters tournament held at Augusta National Golf Club may have been the best golfing major in decades. The field was filled with young golfers trying to establish themselves as champions. To name a few, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, Cameron Smith and Bryson Dechambeau were just a few young players that lit the leaderboard up on Saturday and Sunday. On the other hand, you had players like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson who to fuel their jump back into competitive play. In my opinion, this Masters Tournament was one of the most anticipated weeks of golf, and all the hype surrounding Augusta, GA delivered. A drama filled week kicked off on Wednesday at the annual par-3 challenge, where current competitors and past champions faced off. It is tradition that family members caddie for the players, and in some cases, they even get to hit a shot or

two. Golf icon Jack Nicklaus, who holds the record for most Masters wins, let his grandson Gary hit a tee shot on the last hole. Incredibly, he sank the tee shot for an unlikely hole-inone. Jack Nicklaus fought back tears in the press room when he mentioned that his grandson’s hole-in-one will forever be his favorite golf memory. Sunday was a memorable finish at Augusta, with 54-hole leader Patrick Reed winning his 1st major at 15 under par. The players who came after Reed on Sunday were not the men most expected to make a run. Fowler, Spieth and Rahm all carded low numbers during the chase for a green jacket, but no one could top the poised Patrick Reed. Rickie Fowler (-14) started 5 shots back of Reed. He gave Patrick Reed (-15) a run for his money on Sunday, carding a 67 to apply some serious pressure. Fowler was in prime position to make a run at the top, but the other man on top came out of nowhere. Jordan Spieth

(-13), who won it in 2015, has a history at the Masters. He has been in contention for the green jacket since 2014, but it looked like 2018 was going to be an off year. Everyone knew someone would take a run at Reed, but Jordan Spieth was not on anyone’s radar. He started out 9 shots back, and put together one of the most impressive Sunday rounds in history. If he would have come from behind to win, he would hold the record for the biggest comeback in majors history. Before his Sunday round, he told a Golf Central reporter that he intended to play a stress-free round, since he felt like there was no chance of being in contention. Ironically enough, he played such great golf that the stress-free round he talked about ended up being the most stressful round of his 2018 season. Even though all of these great players chased him throughout the entire week, Patrick Reed remained poised and sealed his spot in history. He played fantastic golf all

week, and he deserved to win the tournament. He has been a key player for America during the 2014/16 Ryder Cup and the 2017 Presidents Cup, which he is a combined 6-1-2. Some love him, many hate him, but one thing everyone can agree on is that his fiery attitude and “can’t be beat” mentality is not only great for the game of golf, but a mentality all players should have no matter what the sport may be. The 82nd Masters was filled with excitement, and Fowler and Spieth’s charge on Sunday only made it even bet-

ter. For the first time in almost 20 years, the top of the leaderboard was filled with American flags. Also, first through sixth place consisted of golfers in their 20’s. Nick Faldo commented on young golfers as Reed made his way up the 18th fairway. He said, “Welcome to the new age, welcome to the new age of golf.” The game is growing, and there is no telling what the rest of this season holds. Not only has Reed set his career in motion, but the 2018 golf season has much to live up to with the incredible finish that occurred on Sunday.

Masters Champion, Patrick Reed, holds off a late Sunday surge to capture his first major victory.

Aim small, miss small; archery team takes their shot

NeviN Wells As of 2017, Jackson Prep started up an archery team available for students 7th12th girls and boys. The team is managed and run by Coach Jimmy Nix, who also coaches football at Prep. The team had a few practices outside of school but most of the practices take place during activity period and directed study 2-3 days a week. If you know nothing about archery, well the rules are quite simple. There are six total rounds of scoring for each individual. You shoot three rounds of five arrows from 10 meters away and then you shoot three more rounds of five arrows from fifteen meters away. The scoring system is judged on how

April 2018

close your arrow is from the middle. A perfect score for one round is a 50. If you shoot a 47 or higher on a round you are required to raise your hand so an official can officially score your round. You share a target with an individual on a different team and you also score their round, so cheating will not take place. The team was just getting the hang of the sport last year, so the 2018 season was more successful. The team was made up of roughly 40 students ranging from all grades. The team competed in several meets getting ready for the South State Meet and the State Meet. The South State meet was hosted in Hattiesburg at a local agri-

cultural center. The team combined for one of the best scores Prep has ever shot placing the team in third in Division 1 4a. The team then traveled to the Kirk Fordice Center in downtown Jackson to compete for the State title. The team competed well with senior star sharp-shooters Will Russell Ward and Dakota Jones leading the way. Again, the team shot the highest score of the whole year but still fell short and placed third in Division 1 4a. The season however was a success for Prep and ultimately contributed in points for the All Sports Award that is given to the school with the most points at the end of the year.

The archery team is looking for a even better season next year, so if you have what it takes to be an elite shooter, get

in contact with Coach Nix and help lead Prep to its first ever Archery State Title.

Members of the Jackson Prep Archery team gather after a long day of shooting.

Sports Students, teachers go M.A.D. for dodgeball Avery Andress The Student Faculty Dodgeball game was on April 9. Olivia Thigpen and Katie Walker organized this dodgeball game for their M.A.D. project. Katie and Olivia are going on a mission trip this summer to Guatemala. All of the money collected by students who came to watch the game is going toward supplies to bring to the orphanage that they are visiting this summer in Guatemala. Eagle’s Nest is the name of the orphanage that they are visiting this summer. This orphanage was established to provide help and homes for abandoned children. Eagle’s Nest has a whole staff of people who help the children in need in Guatemala. Katie and Olivia asked some students to play in the by

game. The student players included: Piper Schrock, Bailey Winscott, Ben Burnett, Jake Maloney, Jack Turnage, Dakota Jones, Sarah Avery Huffman, James Beard, Chance Lovertich, Parker Daily, Lindsey Howard, and Maddox Henry. Senior Sarah Avery Huffman said, “It’s a lot of fun to play against the teachers.” The faculty players included: Coach Caton, Mr. Devine, Coach Duncan, Coach Land, Ms. Myers, Ms. Toler, Coach Blair, Ms. Van Uden, Coach Romano, and Coach Wilson. The teams played against each other and the students won 2 out of the 3 games that they played, so the students won overall. This game is going to benefit so many children at Eagle’s Nest in Guatemala.

Seniors Parker Daily, James Beard, and Chance Lovertich get ready to play dodgeball. Photo by Avery

The beginning of a round of dodgeball. Photo by Allie Wise.

Basketball game benefits the Goodwill Art Show Avery Andress The Student/Faculty basketball game was Friday, March 2. Students paid $2 to watch the game, and all of the money raised went to the Goodwill Art Show. Neil Stewart, Sara Thomas Easley, Emme Aldridge, and Mary Rogers Merrell, who are senior cheerleaders, were in charge of making this game happen. Neil Stewart said, “It was so fun to watch and organize and I’m glad everyone came to support a good cause!” Russell Weathersby was the announcer for the game; Olivia Thigpen and Coach Cory Caton were referees. The senior cheerleaders chose the seniors who played in the game, and the faculty who played volunteered. The game was played in 12 minute halfs with people shooting half court shots for Chick-fil-a gift cards at halftime. Senior Sarah Avery Huffman said, “The student/faculty basketball game is by

always fun to watch.” The game was close the whole time, but the faculty won 34-33.

Students and teachers sprint down the court. Photo by Avery Andress.

Students and teacher huddle up before the game starts. Photo by Avery Andress.

The Sentry

Sports Norway dominates the 2018 Winter Olympics by Carter Stockett and Ford Lange The 2018 Winter Olympics were held in PyeongChang, South Korea from February 9-25. The Olympics went very smoothly, due to good weather as well as the fact that the 6 new events were a success. Norway finished the Olympics as the winner in the medal count by a long shot with 39 medals, Germany came in 2nd and Canada in 3rd. The United States finished the Olympics with a total of 23 metals putting them in fourth place in the medal count. Team USA won 9 gold medals, 7 of which were won by individuals, the other 2 were won by the men’s curling team and the women’s hockey team. Shaun White won his third Olympic gold medal of his career in the men’s halfpipe, this was also Team U.S.A.’s 100th gold medal to win in the winter Olympics. Based off of the prediction from before the games, the

top three winners were correct in the number of medals won. Norway and Germany were two heavy favorites to perform well and both of them lived up to the hype. All six of the new events that were introduced

in the 2018 Olympics went very well and will continue to be in the winter Olympics for the years to come. The next winter Olympics will be held in Beijing in the year 2022.

Above: Shaun White after winning his third Olympic gold medal. Photo courtesy of CNN.

Below: An American skier glides past the olympic monument in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Chloe Kim celebrating her gold medal victory after her perfect run. Photo courtesy of SB Nation.

Young Athletes to Watch: Eli Berch and Joseph Ciaccio Alex Gibbs Emory maxwEll For this issue of Young Athletes to Watch, we are going to highlight two 8th graders who look to play a significant part of Jackson Prep’s future baseball success. The first of these two is Eli Berch. Eli is primarily a catcher for the 8th grade baseby

And

ball team and is known for his defensive prowess behind the plate. This season, in a tournament game, a pitch hit off of the backstop, bounced back into Eli’s hands, and Eli still threw the runner attempting to steal out at second, showing off his strong arm. In addition to catching, Eli has pitched some for the 8th grade team.

Eli Berch standing behind the plate.

April 2018

Outside of Prep baseball, Eli plays for the East Coast Sox, one of the best travel baseball organizations in the country. In addition to baseball, Eli also plays on the junior high football team, playing fullback and noseguard. Eli has an older brother in the 9th grade, Thaxton, who also plays baseball and football, and a sister, Hannah Grace, who is a senior on the tennis team. In the years to come, look out for Eli Berch to be making an impact on the baseball and football fields. Joseph Ciaccio Our second Young Athlete to Watch for this issue is Joseph Ciaccio, a member of the 8th grade basketball and baseball teams. Joseph and his mother, 10th grade chemistry teacher Ms. Cori Ciaccio, came to the good side of the Prep vs JA rivalry this year.

Joseph Ciaccio crouching on the mound.

In baseball, Joseph is one of the best pitchers on the 8th grade team, throwing in the mid-70s. When he isn’t pitching, he plays in the middle infield. Not only can he do it in the field, though, as he is one of the team’s leading hitters. On the basketball court, Joseph played wing, starting for the 8th grade blue team and being one of their main scorers.

Joseph is known by his teammates for his humor and great personality. Additionally, Joseph has excelled in the classroom, having been on the Head of School’s list in the first and second nine terms, showing his well roundedness. Make sure to keep a look out for Joseph in Prep athletics and academics over the next few years.

Opinion In the debate over firearms, what is the cost of freedom? PC BROS

BY Tripp Cory and Barron Liston

In light of recent school shootings and the subsequent calls for a restriction of gun rights, we decided to discuss the clash between freedom and personal safety. Would you be willing to sacrifice your right to bear arms in order to guarantee your child’s safety from school shooters? Would you be willing to allow the government to exercise that much more control in the lives of law abiding citizens due to the actions of others? This problem is the heart of the gun debate. We will analyze both sides of the argument that is dividing America. Individual freedom was one of the principles the United States was founded on, and its tradition has been respected by generations of Americans. Our founding fathers envisioned a nation whose government’s goal was to protect the “certain inalienable Rights” of its citizens. At the end of the 18th century, this meant safeguarding citizens from tyrannical government (with the second amendment to the constitution) and promoting new Humanist rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. These rights, along with many others, came to dominate the political stage of western nations during the 19th and 20th centuries. How do these Enlightenment era ideals re-

late to U.S. politics and society today? This question is essential to have an understanding of why the gun debate in our country is so intense. Americans value their rights more than anything else. As a result, many of us harbor serious resentment to the idea of the government telling us what we can and can’t do with our lives. This resentment has been demonstrated countless times in the nation’s history. We saw it in the disregard for Prohibition in the 20s, the Bundy standoff over a cattle herders use of federal lands without paying taxes, and even in daily disregard for simple traffic laws. These incidents, as well as the many like them, do not compare to the fervor the Second Amendment inspires. Many gun-owning Americans feel that the right to bear arms is essential to protecting all the other rights granted to us by the Constitution. Many supporters argue that without an armed populace, there would be nothing to stop a government from restricting other rights that are even more important for a functioning democracy, namely freedom of speech, the press, and assembly. Many Americans also feel that the government has no right to take a person’s firearm away. A common argument is that the government should not have that level of involvement in a citizen’s life, and that our country was founded on the belief in an armed citizenry as well as limited government. Both of these are valid arguments, and bring us back to the questions posed earlier: would you be willing to sacrifice your right to bear arms in order to guarantee your child’s safety from school shooters? Would you be willing to allow the government to exercise that much more control in the lives of law

abiding citizens due to the actions of others? These questions are difficult to definitively answer. On one hand, we as freedom-loving Americans should do everything in our power to prevent government overreach and protect our rights. On the other hand, our government should be able to keep its citizens safe from harm. The unfortunate truth is, in order for the government to effectively protect citizens from domestic threats

Banning the sale of certain firearms that are almost completely unnecessary seems a fair price to pay to protect the lives of innocents. such as school shootings or terrorist attacks, the government must have access to its citizens’ personal information. The events following 9/11 provide a good example. Airports all over the country have x-ray scanners that see through bags and people, dogs meant to locate explosives, and countless security officers whose sole purpose is to monitor the people preparing to travel. Despite the intrusive nature of many of the policies, such as bag searching and a full body pat down, we have come to accept these practices as being necessary for our safety. However successful this government involvement has

been for safety, it has not been enough to convince many gun owners that similar policies towards guns could reduce the levels of gun deaths in the U.S. Many people are still adamantly opposed to measures such as increased background checks, restrictions on what types of firearms can be purchased, and a registry for gun owners so the government can track who owns what. For many Americans, freedom is far more important that personal safety. This idea has been present ever since it was most famously espoused by Patrick Henry, who prior to the Revolutionary War said, “As for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”. Whatever you think about these measures, one thing is certain: U.S. gun policy is unlikely to experience significant changes in the future, and the Second Amendment will remain a highly contentious issue. But as many innocents are slaughtered en masse in movie theaters, concerts, and schools, it is not hard to see why people are calling for the banning of firearms. It is a common misunderstanding that the anti-gun camp wants to completely rid the US of firearms, when in fact they mostly want to limit what kinds of firearms are sold. The guns called to be banned, most infamously AR15 style rifles, are semi-automatic rifles with high capacity magazines. Since 2016, Nikolas Cruz, Devin Kelley, Stephen Paddock, and Omar Mateen have all used AR-15 style rifles to commit mass shootings with fatalities ranging from 19 to 58 people. While the gun itself doesn't kill people, it sure makes it a heck of a lot easier - and that's the problem. Violent crimes will never stop no matter how much we push mental healthcare. Shooter Elliot Rodgers had visited

therapists his entire life and still decided to go on a killing spree. Banning all forms of violent media won’t help either. That's why the focus needs to be on making it as difficult as possible for shooters to kill large numbers of people. While the rate of mass shootings hasn’t significantly risen, the average death toll has. Bringing down the death tolls comes at the cost of sacrificing the rights to own certain firearms. Banning the sale of certain firearms that are almost completely unnecessary seems a fair price to pay to protect the lives of innocents. One man should by no means be able to slaughter 58 people using legally purchased firearms; however, we watched it happen less than a year ago. There is no way that Paddock could have killed 58 if he were limited to a handgun or a low capacity hunting rifle. While more thorough background checks, mental health awareness, and anti-bullying campaigns are steps in the right direction, they are band-aids on the oozing wound that is America’s gun problem. Shooters are born from issues that are engrained so deep in our society that it is completely unreasonable to believe that can be fixed. Not to mention that making shootings more difficult to commit will also serve to discourage potential shooters. This is a case where some small freedoms must be sacrificed in order to guarantee that American citizens can go to concerts, theaters, nightclubs, schools, and churches without the threat of being gunned down. By limiting the type of weapons these psychos have access to we can bring down the death tolls and discourage potential shooters.

Responses to Sentry opinion pieces are welcomed, in the form of letters to the editor or guest columns. Direct inquiries to sentry@jacksonprep.net

The Sentry

Opinion

Why don’t Prep seniors get out early? Know your Illuminati signs! Opinion: Sarah Avery Huffman Most Prep seniors have always felt that they were being cheated because they do not get out early as many of the schools around them do--Jackson Academy seniors get out at 2 and MRA seniors get out at 12:30. So why is it that Prep seniors do not get out early as well? The reason is simply because Jackson Prep is an academic school. Prep requires that students get the number of hours they need each year, which means that getting out early would not be possible for most students due to the fact that they do not have extra hours. The faculty and administrations strive to make their

students the best that they can be academically. Prep truly wants to their students to be as prepared academically as they can be for college--this means allowing students take the maximum amount of courses that they can take their senior year. Many colleges look for students who are truly prepared for college. Mississippi State said that they looked for students who did not coast through their senior year--they want students who gave it their all throughout their whole highschool career instead of taking the easy route. Colleges are more impressed by the students who

did not take their senior year as a joke. They want the students who continued to try as hard as they could until they graduated. While it might seem unfair that seniors do not get out after lunch or something, it is just Prep’s way of preparing you for your future. Many former Prep students have said that because Prep prepared them so well for the future, college was a breeze for them. Senior high counselor Ms. Anne Duncan said, “Prep wants to keep students exercising their academic muscles so that once they graduate, they can run the marathon that is college.” By pushing students to do the best that they can and to not give up, they are creating people who work as hard as they can and do not surrender to the massive workloads they may be given in college.

Letter to the Editor: Students need quiet places to study Dear Editors: In the last ACT that all the juniors had to take, there was a passage about libraries losing their reputation as areas for studying students, instead becoming areas for loud socialization. When I went into the library today during activity period to study for my math test, there were at least two dozen people spread out all over the library, and the student collaboration room (where I would usually go when the library was being too loud) was filled. It was almost impossible to concentrate in the larger room because of the nonstop murmur of people talking and

April 2018

using the VR sets. We recently got done renovating the library with a bunch of new spaces and computers for the VR headsets, but the library’s traditional place as a place for students to study has kind of just disappeared. I’m a student that relies on studying throughout the day to survive my classes, and without the library, there are almost no spaces on campus where you can avoid distraction. This is part of a larger problem on campus about the lack of spaces for students outside the library and cafeteria, but for students like me that like to use breaks to do homework and study, it’s particular-

ly egregious here. The library has become an area (a safe space, if you will) for many students to wind down, and while I think that’s a great thing, what’s not a great thing is that it’s simply too hard to study in there. I don’t know any solutions to that problem, and I’d also like to avoid a solution where Mrs. Cox has to shush everyone every time someone says something. Just please keep it down a bit if you’re in the library, especially if you’re using a VR set. Edwin Griffis 11th grade

Emory’s Conspiracy Corner

by Emory Maxwell In the growing world of conspiracy theories, and with many people believing in the existence of a secret society known as the Illuminati, some people are quite confused and scared of who might be in the Illuminati, seeking to know how to tell when one is in the Illuminati. In this article, I will be showing you, the concerned citizen, how to identify someone that could possibly be a part of the cult that is the Illuminati. 1. Triangles: The triangle is a major symbol of the Illuminati, and many of those affiliated with the Illuminati incorporate triangles into their everyday apparel and what-not as often as they can.

2. They Deny Any Knowledge or Association with the Illuminati: The Illuminati is a very secretive and hush-hush society, so members of it are very quiet about their affiliation or knowledge they may have of it. 3. They always pay in cash: People in the Illuminati try very hard to keep a low profile, and paying with cards keeps a record of where you are by how it shows where you paid for things and what you bought. Paying with cash keeps you somewhat off the grid, so this is a surefire way people in the Illuminati keep their actions in the shadows. People in the Illuminati should be considered dangerous to the peace of the world because of their plan to overthrow it, so they are a serious danger to the human race. If you know anyone that identifies with these signs or could be an affiliate of the Illuminati for any other reasons, please contact myself or the Senior High Office at maxwellho@jacksonprep.net or seniorhighoffice@jacksonprep. net.

The Sentry welcomes letters to the editor and guest editorials. Direct inquiries to sentry@jacksonprep.net. 21

Staff Editorials

Sentry I (Fifth Period)

Prep’s parking lot problems causes frustration Making it on time to events at Prep is hard enough with all the traffic lights, but leaving school is even harder. It takes skill to successfully leave the Prep parking lot under five minutes from the time you get in your car after school, and usually takes much longer than that. It seems that everyone wants to get home or to their after school activity faster than the car beside them, and this makes for stingy drivers with no guidance on when to go and when to let people go before them. Why, you ask? Some contributing factors to this traffic circus are students getting mixed up with parking spot numbers, no traffic control, and a race to get in and out on time. We think there are possible solutions or at least help that can be done about this. Getting out of Prep on a

regular school day can be a hard task. With the combination of students and parents trying to beat the traffic, there are often stubborn drivers who aren’t willing to let the car across go before them. This creates more stand still lines of traffic and makes for busier carpool lines. A crossguard at Prep in the afternoons could be a great way to help the traffic move at a more fast and even pace. Even just for fifteen minutes, a traffic guard could be an efficient solution. Even more hectic than a regular school day, however, are half days. The traffic leaving prep on a 12:30 dismissal day can sometimes take up to 30 minutes and causes frustrated drivers and impatient students. Is it more crowded because everyone is rushing to make it to their favorite lunch

spot on time? Whatever the case may be, it is a challenge to get out of the parking lot and weaving around all the traffic. A crossing guard could help this issue by created a faster exit for everyone. There is not a lot of space in the Prep parking lot for everyone to fit and people frequently have to park off campus, especially for large sporting events or the arts. For example, on a Friday night Prep home football game, there are people parking outside the parking lot in the grass, on Lakeland, or even across the street at Mcalister’s. The band field is an empty grass field on Friday nights and an expansion of the parking lot into the band field would provide more parking and less hassle for students, parents, or fans when there is limited parking available. Extra parking spaces

would be useful not only on event days, though. There are always visitors and extra people coming in and out of Prep and an expansion of the parking lot would provide more space for parking. Another issue with the parking lot is that it is hard for students to identify their spots by the number because the painting is outdated. Along with this, students don’t park in their assigned spots to begin with. On any given morning, students are parking in the wrong spot whether it is by accident because the numbers cannot be read or for their own convenience. Parking in someone else’s spot creates a bad cycle because that leaves the next person without a spot and so on. Instead of assigned parking spaces for each student, how about sectioning off the parking

lot by grades on a first come first serve basis? That way, there would be less confusion on which spot is which and people would have more freedom to choose their spot depending on where they are trying to get. And as they say, early bird gets the worm! This would give athletes a better chance for a closer parking space to the athletic facilities since they are often arriving early to Prep and leaving late. There are always improvements to be made, but the Prep parking lot madness is on the rise. Remember to be a careful driver and remember everyone is trying to get in and out on time. And for the time being, let someone go before you today so we will all get in and out as quick as possible!

Sentry II (Sixth Period)

Time to take charge of state’s opioid problem Amongst the many problems in our nation, opioid overuse is high on the list. Our drug-addicted nation has been battling an opioid crisis. The office of Attorney General Jim Hood said that our state is on its way to becoming “the most addicted state in the country.” What is our state going to do about this potential title? According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, “House Bill 1032 would require all practitioners who have active DEA numbers to register for the state’s Pre-

scription Monitoring Program.” Some doctors are restricting the amount of opioids given to patients by only giving them a six day supply. If patients need more, they can go back to the doctor and get approved for another prescription. Senate Bill 2759 is commissioning that the state should meet annually to discuss the drug issue in Mississippi and to better it. In November, the Clarion Ledger reported that 195 people were confirmed to have died of opioid overdoses. Overall, we agreed as a

class that we want to prevent as many deaths as possible and to stop opioid abuse. As a staff, we think that the opioid addiction is a serious issue. We agree with the House Bill 1032 and hope that this will stop opioid drug abuse as a whole. Some students on the staff that have gotten their wisdom teeth removed have stated that they only used their prescribed medication for a few days, but they can now see how the drugs are being misused.

All opinion pieces are the views of the author(s), and the author(s) only, with the exception of staff editorials, which are unsigned and reflect the consensus view of the students in the Sentry classes. Staff editorials are the only columns in the paper that express the unified view of the Sentry staff. This staff editorial process is comprised of two main steps. First, the staff talks amongst themselves about a topic and organizes a position on the issue on which all class members can agree. The editorial is then written and run past the staff members for approval.

The Sentry

Fun and Games

Prep word search!

Two are True!

Champions, Patriots, football, soccer, baseball, doctor, lawyer, banker, athlete, studying, winner, hard work, science, math, history, English, freshman, sophomore, junior, senior

Q E M C S H Y Y E Y R I A O V

L Y C Q H R T R A U E X N I I

A L B C O A O A M T S R K N D

D D A T O M M Y M T H N E E G

M Z S B O S C P U S M L R S V

C I T H T T J D I F A D E G G

The FIBS: April 2018

H U P S A O Y I X O N N A T Y

F O E I D I O W I N N E R L E

S E L L N R L F B S T S A R K

I N A G U T F H A R D W O R K

Y N P N B A A Q J J Y I P D A

Z D O E B P O C Q E N V I Y Z

Chloe Tew: 3 Coach Triplett: 2 Sam Leggett: 1 Trinity Scalia: 3 Foster O’Quinn: 3 ToRI JOHNSON: 2

R O T C O D G K U C F U B R R

Fun and Games page by Camp Carter

L L A B E S A B R U F B O H T

S C I E N C E O J L U R Q B Y

FIND FIB THE

One’S A Lie!

Chloe Tew, 9th 1. Can’t ride a bike 2.Has 5 cats 3. Plays the drums

Coach Triplett

1. Went to England to watch Tottenham 2. Enjoys playing Fortnite 3. Played for Coach Black in 2006

Sam Leggett, 8th 1. Is a student athlete 2. Likes dogs 3. Hates nuts

Trinity Scalia, 8th

1. Is from Las Vegas 2. Has a turtle named Squishy 3. Has a three legged dog

Foster O’Quinn, 8th

1. Has been to D.C. 2. Hates Rap music 3. Has never hunted

Tori Johnston, 9th

1. Facetimed James Franco 2. Sang at Carnegie Hall 3. Grandfather dated a former Miss America

Candid & Random