Issue 4 November 2018

J A C K S O N

THE V OL. 49, ISSUE 4

P R E P A R A T O R Y

S C H O O L

S E N T RY

Preston Dubberly EntErtainmEnt Editor by

Jackson Prep students performed Shrek The Musical on October 20 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm, October 22 at 7:00 pm, and October 23 at 7:00 pm, wowing the audience every time they performed. This production was directed by Mr. Mitchell McGinnis and Ms. Temperance Jones.

The cast consisted of over eighty different roles, all getting to wear extravagant costumes, eccentric wigs, and over the top makeup. The sets were absolutely incredible. The cast of Shrek the Musical had been practicing since August 13th.

“I have loved getting to grow closer to the cast and getting to perform with such amazing people.”

- Walker Jay Patterson Senior John Louis Black played the lead role of Shrek, and junior Walker Jay Patterson played the role of Shrek’s sassy sidekick, Donkey. Sophomore Tori Johnston played Shrek’s love interest, Fiona. During the show, Tori had

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

N OVEMBER 2018

to make a very quick transformation: human to an ogre. She said, “My favorite part was definitely being painted green and having a dance party at the end of the musical in ‘I’m a Believer’.”

A crowd favorite without a doubt was Matt Gross starring as Lord Farquaad, especially with his “legs.” As most people know, Lord Farquaad has to be shorter than everyone, so Matt really embraced his character and had to walk around the stage on his knees throughout the whole musical. “The challenge was being able to maneuver enough that I could bring out the character’s emotions without focusing too much on walking. A lot of people are asking if my knees have recovered, and I assure you, I have undergone no physical harm,” Matt guaranteed.

Each show was notorious for bringing its audience to tears due to laughter. Walker Jay’s constant dancing and cheeky remarks were the talks of the intermission. Junior Sarah Gregg said, “I have loved getting to grow closer to the cast and getting to perform with such amazing people.” The tradition of having a very successful musical here at Jackson Prep has been upheld once again. All of the cast’s hard work obviously paid off.

School leaders build bridges with China On the week of October 21-27, Jackson Prep Head of School Mr. Lawrence Coco, along with Chief Operating Officer Mr. Denny Britt and International Program director Ms. Jane Zhu, embarked on a trip to China. The trip consisted of a hectic schedule that kept the trio busy during their time there.

The purpose of this trip was to connect with leaders in education and students alike in order to gain insight about what Prep can do to further grow its International Program.

The journey began with a

flight from Jackson to Dallas on Sunday. From there, the three traveled from Dallas to Shanghai, in China. The flight lasted a total of 14 hours, and from Shanghai they had to travel by train for 4 hours to Taizhou, a city on the eastern coast of China. By this time, it was Monday evening, and the three had a busy day ahead of them on Tuesday.

After a night of relatively little sleep, Mr. Coco, Mr. Britt, and Ms. Zhu presented at a conference on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), in Taizhou. Leaders from schools in the United States, as well as England and China were all present. All three

faculty members presented on Jackson Prep at the conference as well, discussing ways in which they incorporate immersive and experiential learning techniques provided by former Jackson Prep faculty at the school.

News & Features

Sports

Around Town

Entertainment

Opinion

Masterclass- p. 4

Basketball - p. 8

Mistletoe - p. 10

COD Black Ops - p. 12

Drug forums - p. 15

by tanner GouGh

nEws Editor

News/Features - 3 sports - 7

~ continued on page three

Head of School Mr. Lawrence Coco, and COO Mr. Denny Britt being welcomed at the STEAM conference in Taizhou, China on Tuesday, October 23rd. Photo courtesy of Ms. Jane Zhu

arouNd towN - 10

eNtertaiNmeNt - 12

opiNioN - 14

If you could invent a new holiday, what would it be?

“A day where everything is free” -Kitty Friday, 10th “A cheat day where everyone can eat anything they want and not feel bad about it” - Emison Geiger, 12th “A National Babe Ruth holiday where everyone wears his number all day” -Jack Dryden, 7th “Hobbit Day where you eat 7 meals”-Virden O’Brien, 11th “Half-Year Day, where you celebrate making it halfway through the year” - Brennan Joy Hight, 11th “Shopping Day, where all you do is shop and stores have good deals” - Anna Grace Morgan, 11th “Bring your pet to work/school day” -Gayle Grantham ,11th “National Heroes Day where we celebrate police, firefighters, paramedics, etc” - Hawthorne Cleveland, 10th

V I E W S & V O I C E S

What would your Ultimate “Black Friday” Deal Be? “70% off all Apple products” - Evie Farrington, 12th “99% off all sports stores” -John Woods Hollowell, 7th “70% off of a car” - Mimi McCraney, 10th “A whole book series for the price of one book” - Abigail Metcalf, 11th “An awesome coffee machine” -Carol Currie, 11th “Everything’s free!”

- Carson Butler, 10th “Shoes 90% off” - Neha Adari, 11th “A tricked out Black Range Rover, 99% off” - Ms. Lauri Byrd “A free waffle maker” - Hayley Carter, 10th “A boyfriend” - Sara Foster Dryden, 10th

The Sentry Volume 49 • Issue 4 • November 2018 Editor-in-Chief Stewart McCullough Managing Editor Fun & Games Editor Olivia Moore Sayley Crawford Copy Editors Alex Gibbs Mary Patton Murphy Graphics Editor Payne Bell Photo Editors Genevieve Hurst Henley Johnson Kennedy Marble Lead Sports Photographer Madeline Claire Hughes Around Town Editors Jane Gray Barbour Aubrey Scott Moak

Animal crackers - Steven Wyatt

Mac & cheese - Anna Stack

Avocados - Mara Liston

Mashed potatoes - Walker Poole

Bacon mac & cheese - Charles Stephenson

Mini M&Ms - Emma Dye

Bagel Bites - Jane Gray Barbour

Oreos - Olivia Moore, Bennett Carter

Ben and Jerry’s ice cream - Francie Heidelberg

Pasta - Liddy Hurst

Calcium - Camp Carter

Ramen noodles - Eliza Mazzaferro

Cheese sticks - Preston Dubberly

Raspberries - Emory Maxwell

Cheese-It Grooves - Tanner Gough

Ravioli - Lilly Noble, Aubrey Scott Moak

Chips & salsa - Alex Gibbs

Shrimp & grits - Stewart McCullough

Fried rice - Barron Liston

Steak - John Tyson

French fries - Sayley Crawford, Sarah Cory

Sushi - Rosy Ruffin, Sarah Herring

Frozen Rolos - Mr. Hughes

Sweet & salty popcorn - Victoria Chough

Goldfish - Eliza Maxwell, Mason Nichols

Tamales - Genevieve Hurst

Gummy bears - Henley Johnson, Embry Hollowell

Toasted Pop-Tarts - Will Fletcher

Honeybaked Ham - Tripp Cory

Turkey - Ford Lange

Ice cream - Mary Patton Murphy

Uncrustables - Payne Bell

Lasagna - Joseph Watts

Watermelon Sour Patch Kids - Avery Overby

Lollipops - Tori Newsome

Wings - Kennedy Marble, Hannah Carter

M&Ms - Cass Rutledge

Find us online at www.jpsentry.net

Assistant Sports Editors Sarah Cory Charles Stephenson Records Manager Anna Stack

Asst. Entertainment Editor Camp Carter

Video Editor Mara Liston

FOR ISSUE FOUR:

Assistant Graphics Editor Abbey Mangum

Assistant Social Media Editors Embry Hollowell John Henry Andress

Assistant Copy Editor Liddy Hurst Assistant Opinion Editor Cass Rutledge Assistant Photo Editor Emma Dye Assistant Video Editor Ramsay Jeffreys Assistant News Editor Joseph Watts

In-Class Staff Ann Parker Baldwin • Bennett Carter • Hannah Carter Victoria Chough • Tripp Cory • Kennady Dausman Lily Flowers • Francie Heidelberg • Sarah Herring Liddy Hurst • Ramsay Jeffreys• Kate Kellum Barron Liston • Eliza Mazzaferro • Mason Nichols Lilly Noble • Victoria Nowell • Avery Overby Rosy Ruffin • John Tyson Contributing Staff Ainsley O’Quinn • Russ Upton • Allie Wise Advisor: Mr. Lain Hughes

MEMBER

MISSISSIPPI SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION mississippischolasticpress.com

MEMBER

SOUTHERN INTERSCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION sipa.scu.edu

MEMBER

NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION studentpress.org

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.

Sports Editors Will Fletcher Steven Wyatt

Social Media Editors Ford Lange Emory Maxwell

Assistant Fun & Games Editors Walker Poole Anna Leigh Allen

Sentry Staff: If you could have an endless supply of any food, what would it be?

Opinion Editors Maclain Kennedy Caroline McIntyre Eloise Moore

Entertainment Editors Preston Dubberly Tori Newsome

Junior High Editor Eliza Maxwell

Sentry PICKS

News Editor Tanner Gough

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

MEMBER

COLUMBIA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION cspa.columbia.edu

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.

EMAIL US

ON FACEBOOK

ON INSTAGRAM

ON TWITTER

ON SNAPCHAT

sentry@jacksonprep.net

jacksonprepsentry

@jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

thejpsentry

News & Features Leadership trip to China (continued) Holocaust survivor speaks to students The Sentry

Genevieve HuRst PhotograPhy editor

by

Mr. Coco and Mr. Britt speak to tenth graders about Jackson Prep. Photo courtesy of Ms. Jane Zhu

On Tuesday evening, the three visited a public boarding school in Taizhou. Here, they presented to a group of over 400 10th graders about Jackson Prep and the International Program there. They also showed them the Prep Preview open house video, and had a Q&A session at the end about Prep and how school is handled in the United States.

At the school, the students attend class from 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday-Friday. The students stay overnight on weeknights, and then go home to their families on the weekends. The morning after, they took a tour of the school itself.

Following the school visit, the trio traveled from Taizhou to Kunming on Wednesday afternoon. They connected with Prep sophomore Brittany Jiang’s parents here and had dinner with them. On Thursday, they visited Brittany’s elementary school and visited the market in Kunming, where they met with prospective parents interested in the International Program at Prep. The following morning, they took a brief break and toured a park in Kunming and had lunch with both juniors Roaman Zhou and Felix Lyu’s parents, and also with Brit-

tany’s parents.

Finally, after several days of gaining much insight, the three flew back to Shanghai on Friday night, where they spent the night.

On Saturday, they flew back to Dallas and from there home to Jackson, arriving around 10:30 P.M. after 25 hours total of travel.

When asked about what a big takeaway was from the trip, Mr. Coco said, “It was fascinating to see the difference in the way they do school. The high school curriculum is focused almost entirely on math and sciences, but most importantly the University exam (known as the National Higher Education Entrance Examination), and there is a tremendous amount of pressure on students, teachers, and administrators. The higher you score on the exam, the better the university you get into.” He went on to say, “The school is graded on how many students they place into top universities. The classrooms aren’t that much bigger than Prep’s and consist of about 50 students, and the students don’t switch classes.

The teachers switch classes.” Mr. Coco also said one of his favorite parts of the trip was meeting the parents.

Along with Mr. Coco, Mr.

Britt and Ms. Zhu also came away with greater insights, and are looking forward to a visit by some of the students they visited in China. On February 9-14, 2019, a contingent of 20 students will visit Prep, and will be at the school for 4 full days. Ms. Zhu said, “We are planning for them to do many activities, such as experiences in robotics, the new drone club, Fusion and Reveillon, a basketball scrimmage, and possibly a math competition.” She also said there is a need for host families to accommodate the students while they are here, and also student ambassadors to accompany the students while they are at Prep during the school day.

Another endeavor that is in the works is a reciprocal trip to China led by Ms. Zhu and Mr. Adam Mangana. The trip is slated to take place over spring break, March 7-16, 2019. Students attending will visit the boarding school in Taizhou that the Prep faculty members visited on the trip, and will also experience the cities of Beijing and Shanghai. The deadline to register is December 1, and if you are interested in doing so, contact Ms. Zhu at jzhu@jacksonprep.net.

On October 25, Holocaust survivor Dr. Inge Auerbacher came to Prep and spoke to the entire student body. Students got out early from class to have a full hour to listen to her.

Dr. Auerbacher lived in eastern Germany until she was forced to go to Theresienstadt, a concentration camp near Therezin in Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic. She showed pictures of her life before the Holocaust as well as pictures she has found of the concentration camps. She described both her experience and those of people she knew, including her family and friends from before the war and those she met while in the concentration camp.

She began and ended her talk by admonishing intolerance, mentioning specific groups in Germany that are again beginning to blame Jews for their troubles. She many times mentioned periods in her life where she has lived side by side with people from other religions, describing the peaceful tolerance they found.

The forum was very well received by students. Senior Mary Patton Murphy sai, “I really enjoyed hearing a first hand experience of a period that we studied a lot in school.” It is one of the few forums that I have heard people be excited for beforehand. This forum was incredibly interesting and thought-provoking.

As Auerbacher said at the beginning of her talk, it was not a fun subject matter, but it made you think.

Operation Christmas Child lets Prep students play Santa Russ upton Staff Writer

by

It’s that time of year again: Christmas. When most people think of Christmas they think of presents or lights or snow, but this year I urge all of you to think of Operation Christmas Child.

OCC is a non-profit organization run by Samaritan’s Purse.

They are most well known for the shoeboxes packed with toys, toiletries, and other items that are sent all around the world. In the 25 years that OCC has been collecting shoe boxes, 157 million have been sent to over 150 countries. If you could gather all the children that have received these gifts, it would create the 8th largest country in the world.

Not only do these shoeboxes come filled with toys and other items, but local believers share the gospel with the children through a 12-lesson discipleship program called The Greatest Journey. The Greatest Journey includes Bible stories and scripture memorization that help the children learn to follow Christ in their daily life and minister to their friends and family. Upon graduation from The Greatest Journey, each child dresses up in a cap and gown and gets a certificate and a Bible of

their own. Since 2009, 14.9 million children have gone through this program. These boxes create an opportunity to reach children with the gospel that ordinarily would not have even heard of God. Now is when you can help with this amazing ministry: you can pack a shoebox online, picking what goes in the box, or pack a box yourself and bring it to a local church that collects shoeboxes during National Collection Week (November 12th-19th). You can even bring it to Prep where several teachers collect them for a service hour or extra credit. It is simple, easy, and the impact is unimaginable.

Visit www.samaritanspurse.org for more information about this ministry and for ideas about what to pack in your box.

Mr. Coco represents Jackson Prep at the STEAM conference. Photo courtesy of Ms. Jane Zhu

Mr. Britt stands in front of the Shanghai skyline. Photo courtesy of Ms. Jane Zhu

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

@jacksonprepsentry

3

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

4

News & Features

New Uniforms: From Parker to Dennis

Renowned artist inaugurates new Masterclass series in library

by Embry HollowEll

Staff Writer

& Victoria cHougH Staff Writer On Monday, October 22, Prep held its first “Masterclass.”

The idea for the class came from librarian Ms. Norma Cox. In these classes, experts in certain fields visit Prep (live or via Skype) and go into detail about their profession.

Maggie Taylor, a talented graphic design artist, Skyped in and talked to Prep students about her work, schooling, and the process she goes through to achieve a finished project.

After finishing school at Chatham Hall, Yale, and the University of Florida with an undergrad in black and white photography, Ms. Taylor decided to make the switch from photography art to graphic design. Her work primarily focuses on still lifes and animals with her own personal touch added to each piece.

Despite the modern look to all of her designs, Ms. Taylor uses pre-Civil War photographs of people mainly from Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. The creative artist also Photoshops her own body parts into her works, such as her arms and legs.

The variety of elements, such as

exotic backgrounds and unique animals, used in her work really draws people’s attention and is pleasing to the eye.

Ms. Taylor uses Adobe Photoshop and over 100 layers to create one piece of artwork, and it can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 1 year to complete. She always takes color, mood, and tone into consideration, as it can drastically change the direction of her art. A piece is never completed in a day, or even a week, as she constantly goes back and changes small details that can make or break the art. When she makes big decisions or changes in her work, she saves a before and after picture to refer back to if she wants to undo her change. She explained that

she knows a project is finished when she’s tired of it, and there’s not much more she can do.

One of Maggie Taylor’s most well-known collection of pieces is her Alice in Wonderland series. She spent three years perfecting it and released it in 2008. Taylor recently did a second collection on the sequel “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” which was also a phenomenal collection.

Ms. Taylor’s works are so excellent that she has an upcoming exhibit in Mexico and in France. She encourages learning different aspects of technologies, as it is very helpful when creating online art.

Newly licensed drivers hit the road

by Embry HollowEll

Staff Writer

Every year high school students at Jackson Prep embark on a very exciting journey: driving.

Often, the new drivers are mostly sophomores, with some juniors as exceptions.

There are several steps that students must hurdle to obtain a driver’s license. Usually students take a driver’s education course which helps in passing the written test and lowering insurance rates. Then students get a learner’s permit for a year which they must have to drive with an adult driver. After the requisite year, one obtains a driver’s license, and if they are fortunate, their parents generously get them a vehicle to drive; however, for others, they buy their own.

After completing these tasks, the new drivers must go to the front office in the Senior High and fill out a form requesting a parking space. The drivers can begin driving to and from Prep when the office grants their wishes of a parking spot.

When asked how he likes driving so far, 10th grader Ayden Kilpatrick said, “Being a new driver feels like you are very free and you can leave Prep whenever you want, which is great.”

It seems like the majority of the new sophomore drivers are really enjoying the freedom of driving. However, with that freedom comes much responsibility. Even though driving has many benefits, it also has dangers. It requires one to be very alert at all times and to use good judgment skills in determining how to navigate the roads.

Also, knowing the proper

time to back in and out of parking spaces is a crucial aspect of being a good driver. Sophomore Lauren Noe openly stated that “The hardest part of driving is trying to figure out how to get out of the parking lot,” which shows that maneuvering the Prep parking lot can be very challenging at times.

As with anything, the key to improvement as a driver is practice. You must practice a lot with parents before getting on the roads. This practice should prevent injuries to anyone or anything.

Driving is one of the many fun things that you can do in high school, and knowing how to properly do it is very important.

by

JoHn HEnry andrEss Staff Writer

Parker Uniforms, our normal uniform provider, went out of business. Due to this, we will have a new uniform provider: Dennis Uniforms. This year, we are still allowed to wear our Parker uniforms that we already have, but this will not be allowed next year. This is a transition period where both Dennis and Parker will acceptable attire, but that is only for this year. Next year, only uniforms from Dennis can be worn.

Dennis Uniforms is located near campus on Airport Road, which is the exact location of where Parker Uniforms used to be. Their hours are 10am to 5pm on Monday through Thursday, 10am to 2pm on Saturday, and they are closed on Friday and Sunday.

Not all of the students like the way the new clothing feels, however. Sophomore Carson Butler said, “The shirts are better than Parker’s, but the shorts are worse.” Sophomore Emma Dye said, “The people who work at Dennis are very nice and helpful.” Sophomore Rosy Ruffin said, “The shirts are scratchy, and so are the skirts.”

However, as some students have noted, all the Dennis clothes are still by definition relatively new, and some of the issue, and they may become comfortable the more that they are worn.

Even though there has been positive and negative feedback on the new uniform provider, some change was necessary since Parker Uniforms has gone out of business. Denny Britt said, “The pricing on Dennis Uniforms compared to Parker Uniforms generated a savings to our parents anywhere from 5% to 25%, depending on the item selected. When the uniform provider selection was made we wanted a good product but also wanted to ensure favorable pricing for our families.”

Ms. Scruggs also said that Dennis would cooperate with students who need different sizes of clothes, such as a tall student that needs a longer pair of pants. Dennis is dedicated to serving each and every stu-

dent. Ms. Scruggs said that we have a three year contract, but it is reevaluated every year so that we can make sure that we are getting our needs met. Ms. Jina Smith, Prep’s Chief of Staff, said that there was a committee formed to ensure that the correct decision was made. They evaluated nine different venders by looking at prices, return policies, merchandise, and stores.

According to their website, Dennis has earned the right to be called uniform experts.

They serve over 2,000 of the top schools in the nation. They have spent a century designing uniforms and uniform programs in Portland, Oregon. They spend so much time designing and refining their uniform designs so that they will stand the test of time and be able to be used for several years.

Dennis is not only committed to providing schools with uniforms, but they have programs that help schools.

They hold fundraisers, sponsor events, and provide uniform financial aid.

Ms. Scruggs: “The people at Dennis were very kind, they are very knowledgeable on the product, they serve many schools nationwide, and they provided us with everything that we needed.” Also, Prep asked Dennis to change one of their fabrics of their performance knit shirts, and they did, so this shows how they would be able to cooperate with our needs.

Ms. Scruggs also said that Dennis would cooperate with students who need different sizes of clothes, such as a tall student that needs a longer pair of pants.

Dennis is truly dedicated to serving each and every student.

Ms. Scruggs also said that we have a three year contract, but it is reevaluated every year so that we can make sure that we are getting our needs met.

Ms. Scruggs said, “The people at Dennis were very kind. They are very knowledgeable about the product, they serve many schools nationwide, and they provided us with everything that we needed.” When Prep asked Dennis to change one of the fabrics of their performance knit shirts, they did, showing how they would be able to cooperate with Prep’s needs.

Coding students showcase talents at C3 Hogan PriVitt Staff WriterS

by

On October 30th, the Jackson Prep Coding Team, sponsored by Mr. Mangana and Mrs. Hobbs, sent a four person team, consisting of Selby Ireland, David Crews, David Purvis, and Hogan Privitt, to the C-Spire headquarters in Ridgeland to participate in the C3 (C-Spire Coding Challenge). The competition was a 7-hour event during which the approximately 20-25 teams were presented with challenges based primarily in the

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

November 2018

@jacksonprepsentry

programming language Python but also some C#, along with one game of 2048. The seven challenges all tied into one central story: in this case, a ghost was stuck in the computer, and the team had to help it interpret data. The team did have some struggles, such as learning particular syntax and some functions, but the team enjoyed it and all of the students were pleased to attend. Team member David Crews says, “It was a lot of fun, and I really learned a lot about coding. I hope to able to go again next year.”

When the teams weren’t

jacksonprepsentry

coding, they could walk around a part of the headquarters and interact with the stations set up.

One station was centered around C-Spire’s signature robot, Pepper, and another was centered around virtual reality, set up by Jackson Prep.

The top three teams were awarded scholarships, ranging from $1000 to $3000.

Jackson Prep didn’t quite make it in the top three, finishing a nottoo-shabby seventh place, and on a positive side-note, was the only private school to finish in the top 10.

@jpsentry

News & Features

The Sentry

Should you take a “gap year”?

New city, new school: Transferring in your senior year AlEx Gibbs COpy EditOr

by

by

AinslEy o’Quinn Staff WritEr

You have probably heard of people taking a gap year. To most people, it sounds like a dream: taking a year off of school to travel. Gap years are becoming more and more popular, but why?

For a lot of students, going straight from high school to college can seem like too big of a step too quickly, especially when you don’t know what you want to focus on in college. Taking a year off can give students time to find what they are passionate about, and, as many say, “find themselves.”

Many people say traveling is the best form of education. Gap years should not be looked at as time off from school so much as time off from traditional education. While taking a gap year, you are bound to learn plenty about the world, different countries and cultures, as well as about yourself.

One fear that some students have is that, after returning home

5

from traveling the world, they will have no motivation to continue schooling. According to a study done by the Year Out Group, 90 percent of students who intended to go to college upon returning from their trip did so. This time away can be a nice break from the traditional academic track, but, as long as you stay motivated, it should not be hard to jump back into the same kind of traditional schooling you have been used to for your whole life.

Taking a gap year isn’t always an option for a lot of people because of how expensive it can get. Traveling around the world can obviously get a little pricey, but there are ways to save money while traveling, such as staying in hostels and planning your trip far ahead of time.

A gap year is definitely not for everyone, but if you are passionate about traveling and are looking for a unique and unforgettable experience, you should definitely consider it. And, who knows, you just might “find yourself ” in the process.

Any time you transfer schools, it can be hard. You’re leaving behind friends and what you are comfortable with, and you’re stepping into a place with new people and a new culture.

It can be even harder transferring right before your senior year. Most of the time by senior year, students have become ingrained in their school.

Friend groups have become defined, and some people have one foot out of the door before the year even starts. The uneasiness of coming in as a new kid can be magnified transferring for only your senior year of high school.

Prep does not have many students that transfer in as seniors, but this year we have two: Campbell McCearley and Angelo Levon.

Campbell McCearley knew that he was going to be moving around Christmas last year, but he moved to Jackson only four days before school started this year from Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He and his family moved to Jackson because his mother, Dr. Sandra McCearley, who is a graduate of Jackson Prep and is originally from Jackson, changed jobs. Campbell said that he was nervous at first about changing schools but that it wasn’t hard for him.

One of the most notable differences Campbell has noticed from his old school is the class size. When he lived in Missouri, he went to public school, and many times, he would have 40 people in a class. At Prep, with most classes having around 20, it is much different.

So far, Campbell says that he loves going to school at Prep, and he has been quick to make a lot of friends in the senior class.

He is a member of the varsity soccer team, and he has already become known as one of the top Xbox players in the school.

The story of how Angelo Levon came to be at Prep is unique. Angelo is from Baltimore, Maryland, and this school year he’s living with his cousins, Isabella and Trinity Scalia, who are in the tenth and ninth grade here at Prep, respectively.

Angelo said that for a while he didn’t really care about school while going to public school in Baltimore. He considered school to be a “distraction.”

He was beginning to think about dropping out, but he credits his cousin Isabella for “saving” him.

This summer, Isabella asked Angelo where he was going to college, to which he replied, “I’m probably not even gonna go to college.” Afterwards, she asked her mom if Angelo could come to Prep and stay with them this year, and here he is.

Angelo has noted that Prep is significantly different from the school he went to in Baltimore. He said that his old school was a “public school full of kids who didn’t care about their life or education.” However, at Prep he said that “everyone wants to be great in life and pass school, and go to college, and get their dream job,” which motivates him to be better.

Angelo has also observed the kindness of people in Mississippi compared to Baltimore.

He said that people here “really show that they care about you and what you’re going through” and will “engage in conversation with you.”

Angelo has been a valuable member of the football team this season, making some great plays at running back while star back Jerrion Ealy was injured and also contributing on the defensive line. He’s been a key part to the team’s success, and his energy on the sidelines is always helpful during games.

Both Angelo and Campbell have come to Prep from different parts of the country, and already, they have made their presence known at Prep and have come to love the school. In many ways, their experiences have shown how the #Prepfamily truly is a family that comes together and doesn’t care if you’re here for one year or seven years.

Senior parties celebrate the last year together before college

Left: Seniors Mary Price Montagnet and Mary Riels Jeffreys riding a mechanical bull. Above: Seniors Ford Lange, Emory Maxwell, and Will Fletcher dress up as the “Three Banditos.”

EloisE MoorE OpiniOn EditOr

by

As senior year has fast approached the Class of 2019, they have been busy as ever. For seniors, the schedules get more crammed, and there is always somewhere to be. One of the most popular forms of senior cel-

ebration is a senior party. Senior parties can have a wide range of meaning because they are all different. Essentially, senior parties are parties held for seniors that are hosted by adults who are close to them or close to the senior’s parents.

These parties can be big or small. Lots of times, people have senior parties with other people

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

in groups of two or three.

Most people have a theme for their senior party. The themes for senior parties are often seasonal, though not always.

Some senior party themes this year have been Halloween, jersey (of the school where you are attending college), and western themed. Usually, the party has an activity that goes along

@jacksonprepsentry

with the theme.

At the Halloween senior party that was held this fall, a DJ and fortune teller were there along with a spread of Halloween treats and eats.

At the western senior party, there was a mechanical bull on an inflatable surface for people to ride and attempt to stay on.

It seems like girls are hav-

jacksonprepsentry

ing more senior parties than boys, understandably. Girls always enjoy dressing up and getting all decked out for a theme, whereas guys think of that as more of a chore.

All in all, these senior parties are a special recognition and celebration of the seniors who are soon to be off at college, and they are an option for anyone to have.

@jpsentry

News & Features

6

November 2018

Midterm Elections

Seniors vote for 1st time

Results produce divided Congress

by JOseph Watts

Staff WritEr

& Cass rutledge Staff WritEr On November 6th of this year, the midterm elections took place. For those who don’t know what the midterms are, they are elections between presidential elections when congressmen and state officials are elected.

According to analysts, these midterm elections could be the most important of our lives. So much was at stake including the Supreme Court and other federal courts, abortion, health care, tax cuts, and immigration.

Although President Trump wasn’t on the ballot himselfd, his ideals and future plans depend on these midterms. In fact, the midterms are seen as a referendum on the approval of the president. In previous midterms, the president’s party lost congressional seats, but with

the current lowest unemployment rate in a century, political pollsters came to ask a question: How much does the economy matter to the voters?

About a third of all senators were up for reelection, while every current representative ran again with new opponents.

In the end, Democrats took control of of the House, while Republicans strengthened their Senate control, something unusual for the party in power in a midterm. President Trump says this is because “the voters have also clearly rebuked the Senate Democrats for their handling of the Kavanaugh hearings.

That was a factor. I think maybe a very big factor in the way that was handled.” Since the Senate GOP control has grown, President Trump’s cabinet nominees and lifetime court appointees may face an easier road, even as the House becomes less friendly to the administration.

The Senate and the

House rarely go separate ways, but they did this time, a development some hope will force bipartisanship on key issues.

Others see conflict ahead. The new House leadership has said they will investigate President Trump’s tax returns and alleged Russian collusion, but President Trump fired back saying that the Senate would do “better” investigations on the Democrats.

With these results in, Americans can expect a wild ride. The new divided Congress comes with challenges, including keeping America civil and tolerant of each other’s beliefs despite the barriers that each legislative chamber can cause for the other. President Trump could be given the biggest challenge of his political career, a responsibility to pass and support important legislation that both parties can agree on.

by JOseph Watts

Staff WritEr On November 6th, the Latin III class held a murder mystery dinner as their nine weeks project. All AP Latin and

a mystery. The participants are ordered to dress in character and to play in character the whole night. For this particular mystery dinner, some students were given the roles of senators while others were the senators’ wives, slaves, or gladiators. However, one student was given the role of investigator, who had to solve the mystery.

When the students arrived, each was given an envelope describing their objectives to help solve the mystery, along with coins to bribe for information. Next, the students ate dinner and attempted to complete their objectives. When it was time, the lights went out and a participant’s character was murdered. It was now time to actually solve the mystery. Through pieces of evidence, bribery, and good investigating, the mystery was solved.

After the mystery was solved, some students received awards for being best dressed, best in character, or the richest in coins. Junior Hannah Grace Biggs said, “It was extremely dramatic and very entertaining.”

Some even said they wanted to do another mystery dinner.

Overall, students gave a positive review on the dinner.

Senator Alex Stratenger gives information to Investigator Selby Ireland about who he believes is the muderer. Photo by Joseph Watts

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

@jacksonprepsentry

Copy Editor In the recent midterm elections, several Prep seniors who turned eighteen before voting day hit the polls and voted for the first time. These students who were eligible to vote registered thirty days before the election and indicated on their registration that they they would be eighteen on voting day. Because of this, some seniors were seventeen at the time that they registered.

To register, many students filled out forms provided by Prep teachers and sent them to the local election office while other students registered in person at the office of the Secretary of State.

Senior Travis Hudgins was one of the seniors to register. He said, “I registered to vote a couple months ago, but I wasn’t in the system yet, so I had to write in

my ballot. Other than that, voting went smoothly.”

Other seniors who exercised their rights to vote on November 6 included Chandler Usry, Jordan Headley, Pierce Goodwin, and Annadair Blackledge.

Blackledge said, “It was very exciting to vote, but it made me feel old. We cannot take advantage of this gift of being able to vote.”

These Prep seniors will also have the option of voting in the run-off election between Republican Senator Cindy HydeSmith and Democrat Mike Espy on November 27. Senior Pierce Goodwin said, “I will be participating in the run-off because this is when voter participation really makes a difference.”

This team is im-chessive

Murder strikes the classics students Ancient Cultures students were invited to attend in order to solve the mystery of a recent murder in the house of Felix Festus, the host of the dinner.

For those who don’t know what a murder mystery dinner is, it is a dinner where people are invited to attend and solve

by Mary pattOn Murphy

by Olivia MOOre

Managing Editor Twelve students from the Jackson Prep Chess Team missed school on November 1st, but they came back with a trophy to make up for it. They took home first place in the MAIS tournament for the second year in a row. The MAIS tournament was held in the Brandon Municipal Complex and offered three different divisions for private schools: elementary, junior varsity, and varsity. Jackson Prep won the varsity category.

The chess team has also had a strong tournament history and competes frequently throughout the year. Just a few days after the MAIS tournament, the team competed in the State Grade Level Chess Championships. The players were divided by grade and Jackson Prep succeeded in many categories. Selby Ireland won first for the tenth grade, and Eli Vernarski won third. Kaleb Boler won Third for the eleventh grade, and Andrew Griffin won fourth. For the twelfth grade, Payne Bell tied for first place, but ended up taking second in the tiebreak.

The Chess Team plays in the MAIS tournament. Photo courtesy of Dr. Smith

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

7 Sports Patriots hope for redemption versus Young Athletes to Watch MRA in championship game The Sentry

by RuSS upton

Staff WritEr

Steven Wyatt SportS Editor

by

Clinton, MS — The Jackson Prep Patriots are coming off a 10 win regular season with key wins over Jackson Academy, Parklane, and Oak Forest. Despite this, the Patriots still have some unfinished business as they will face off with Madison Ridgeland Academy Friday in the state championship game. The MRA Patriots were the only team able to defeat Prep during the season, and the game was one that MRA controlled from start to finish.

Although Prep has not only beaten, but dominated, all but one team they’ve played, they still have some serious work to do as they will have to compete at their highest level Friday if they want to get revenge over their Patriot counterparts and win their seventh straight state title.

Prep is coming off a 42-21 semi-final victory over Jackson Academy that pushed their win total to eleven, and like the first meeting versus the Raiders, Patriot running back Jerrion Ealy was the the work horse. However, in Friday’s game he received some help as junior quarterback Jake Lange had his best performance of the year thus far, completing 8 passes for 76 yards and two touchdowns.

MRA clinched their spot in the championship by defeating the Parklane Academy Pioneers in the semi-final round. The top seeded Patriots eased to a 35-7 victory, pushing their record to 12-0.

MRA will be confident of their chances going into the game, seeing that Prep really was not able to really push the game to its limits in their last meeting. For them to build on their success from the first matchup they will have to

Quarterback Jake Lange takes a snap from center Caleb Gay in Prep’s matchup loss versus MRA. Photo by Madeline Claire Hughes

replicate their defenses success.

MRA was able to hold Ealy to just over four yards a carry and 107 yards total on 25 attempts, which are statistics that not many schools have been able to hold the Ole Miss commit to.

However, Prep will have a fairly healthy roster by the time the game gets underway, which is something Patriot head coach Ricky Black hasn’t had the privilege of this season. The team will still be short senior linemen JP Guilbeau and Adam Norsworthy,

who had season-ending injuries earlier on in the year. Also, starting safety Spence Graves will be questionable as he is still nursing a hamstring injury from the regular season. If Graves is unavailable to go, senior Thomas Thornton will start the game for the second straight week.

The game will take place at Mississippi College in Clinton, MS, with the kickoff coming at 6 p.m.

Senior safety Peyton Greenwood learns how to fly on a defensive stop against Parklane. Photo by Madeline Claire Hughes

Lytle preparing to serve during one of his tennis matches. Photo courtesy of Olivia Moore

Lytle Moore: Although Lytle Moore is only a seventh grader here at Prep, his tennis athletic ability is already evident. He was the only seventh-grade boy to make the team, and he did not lose any of his matches during tryouts.

He comes from a family that is known for tennis; his two siblings, Lampton (freshman) and Olivia Moore (junior) are both on the Prep tennis team and contributed in last year’s state tournament. Lytle’s accomplishments did not start at Prep though: he won the Southerns Tennis Tournament for 10 and under, won the Mississippi qualifier tournament twice, was selected to be on the Southern Zonal Team, was chosen to represent Mississippi in the Southern Cup for the last 2 years, and is ranked number 1 in Mississippi for 12 and under. His athletic ability is obvious, and I know Prep is eager to see how he performs in the years to come.

Julia Stradinger: Julia Stradinger is one of the many students who came to Prep from Christ Covenant in the 9th grade, and although this is her first year at Prep, it is not her first year to run Cross Country. She ran for Christ Covenant School during middle school, winning almost every race and carrying her team. You could say running is in her blood because her father, Joe Stradinger, was Prep’s Cross Country star when he was in high school, and her brother, Alex, has been an asset to the boys Cross Country team since 9th grade, coming in 2nd place this year in the state meet. Once Julia got to Prep, the coaches realized the talent she has, and now she is leading the Prep girls Cross Country team. She has won multiple races and placed in the top 10 in the rest of them. In state this year, she finished 1st with a 5k (3.1 miles) time of 19:40, placing 3rd overall in the state of Mississippi. Along with these accomplishments and her incredible talent, Prep will expect great things from her in the next 3 years.

Both of these athletes have shown promising talent this year and should definitely be on your watch list.

Julia with the silver medal she won at the Columbia Academy Invitational. Photo courtesy of @prep_xc on Instagram.

SENTRY’S SATURDAY PICK ‘EM All students at Jackson Prep are eligible to participate in the Sentry’s new College Football selection contest. This contest was made in order to give each student the opportunity to show off their ability to predict the outcomes of College Football games.

The games being predicted will be for the week following the paper being released, so each participant will have until 3:10 on the Friday after the paper is passed out to submit their entries.

How to play: - Fill out your predictions (choose winner) for the games below and email them in some form to WyattSt1@jacksonprep.net Prize: - The winner of the contest will get recognized on the Sentry’s social media platforms, and they will also be featured in the next issue of the paper.

Issue 3 Winner: Carter Stockett Oklahoma (Away) West Virginia (Home)

Mississippi St. (Away) Ole Miss (Home)

Michigan (Away) Ohio State (Home)

Washington (Away) Washington St. (Home)

Auburn (Away) Alabama (Home)

LSU (Away) Texas A&M (Home)

Syracuse (Away) Boston College (Home)

Arizona (Away) Arizona St. (Home) Tiebreaker (score): Mississippi St. (Away) Ole Miss (Home)

G

O

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

O

D

L

@jacksonprepsentry

U

C

jacksonprepsentry

K

! @jpsentry

Sports

8

November 2018

Boys’ soccer seeks 9th straight title Sarah cory ASSt. SportS Editor by

Fall has come and along with it the boys soccer season.

Last year, the Varsity team won their eighth consecutive state championship. Led by Head Coach Jon Marcus Duncan and assistant TJay Busin, the goal is the same.

Junior Varsity tryouts took place October 22-24, and 20 players made it. The team has several ninth grade standouts such as Lewis Knotts, a central midfielder, and Gibson Brown, a central defender. Both are expected to help lead the JV team this season.

When asked about the upcoming season, Brown said, “I think we have a very good team, and I can’t wait to get back after it. Playing JA is always fun, so I will especially be looking forward to that game.”

The first JV game will be November 29 against Clinton.

The Varsity team has 28 players and is led by 10 seniors.

The expectations are high for another successful season. The Varsity season opener was on Thursday, November 1, against Clinton. Prep came away with a dominating 5-1 win. It was a good win over a good soccer program,

which has set the bar even higher for the rest of the year. Senior John-Mark Rose is the leading returning goal scorer with 17 goals.

He was also the leader in assists (21) while holding down the midfield. Rose has high hopes for his senior season, saying, “I want to give this last season my all and bring home the ninth consecutive State Championship. Getting to know everyone on the team and growing closer with them is always fun.”

Having lost some very good seniors from the previous season, it will give new players the opportunity to step up and play a big role in contributing to the continued success of the pro-

gram. A big time loss is Tanner McCraney, who led the team with a total of 23 goals last year. Goalie Reed Peets will also be a loss as he was a two year starter. Coach Duncan is pretty pleased with their convincing win against Clinton. When asked who some players are that they might depend on, Duncan said, “John-Mark and Mason Morgan are two of our more skilled players. Stewart McCullough playing well in goal will also be a factor for our defense.”

With a lengthy break between their first and second game, they hope to improve daily in preparation for their next game on December 1 against St. Stanislaus.

Michael Malouf (7), Preston Oden, Cam Carrol (9), John-Mark Rose, and Will Waits (3) celebrate after a goal. Photo courtesy of Beverly Oden

Senior Brice Hall drives a corner-kick across the middle looking for a Jackson Prep header. Photo courtesy of Beverly Oden

Preston Speed looks to connect a pass with one of his fellow teammates. Photo courtesy of Beverly Oden.

Sam Drennan chases after a loose ball. Photo courtesy of Beverly Oden.

played more games because they started their season early on October 29th with the MRA Girls Invitational against Lamar.

The girls are in a similar situation player-wise with the boys team. There are only 4 seniors: Lynn Redding, Tori Newsome, Anna Minich, and Hannah Arnold. The rest of the team is mainly made up of juniors, with one sophomore and one freshman. Despite this, the team is in a good place because of a strong bunch of seniors and a talented junior class that is available to help the seniors lead. The team also has the talents of sophomore Olivia Sasser to help them drive for a successful season.

Ahead of them, the girls have a big schedule to conquer, including a lot of away games and matchups against big schools like

Starkville Academy and Oxford.

They are definitely capable of having a very successful winning season with the talent they have, and they have shown it through the first four games. The seniors will have to take control of the team and lead them in the right direction, but they should have no troubles doing it. “So far in the season we are 4 - 0, and that’s the first time in a few years that’s happened, so I’m excited to see how the rest of the season goes,” said senior Lynn Redding.

It will be an exciting season for the girls with a lot of great games and hard opponents. Just like the boys, the girls need to support of the student body, so come out, be loud, and help the girls have a successful season.

Cold weather brings in boys’ & girls’ basketball season by

Will Fletcher SportS Editor

Boys: When the football season winds down, the leaves change color, and the cold weather rolls in, it can only mean one thing: basketball season. This past week, basketball season at Prep officially began for both the boys and girls varsity teams.

This year’s varsity boys team is led by second year coach Tim Wise, and seniors Thomas Thornton, Reece Davis, and Steven Wyatt. The boys kicked off their season with a 49-40 home game win against the MS School for the Blind and Deaf, starting off with a 1-0 record.

Due to a loss of players that left

only three remaining seniors, the team has had a struggle to find a starting lineup, and has raised a need for the seniors to really take lead of the team. As of right now, only two seniors are active due to the ongoing football season.

Once the season is over, all three will be available, creating a strong starting five.

This year’s team will have to see some younger kids step up as well, ranging from juniors to freshman. Especially noted in this are juniors Sam Buchanan, Devin Brown, and Alexander Payne, as well as freshman Cam Brent. These guys will have to step up to help lead the team to a successful season, despite the odds or any doubts. “We know a lot of people don’t believe that we can have a successful season this year, but we think we’re a lot bet-

ter than people give us credit for.” said senior forward Steven Wyatt.

The team starts a 4 game road schedule this Tuesday, November 13th, closing it out with the MUS Thanksgiving Classic.

I have no doubt in my mind that the boys can have a successful by all means. They have the talent to do it, and with hard work and a lot of focus on their goals, under Coach Wise they can persevere and have a great season.

This task takes help from the students too, so come out and help your boys team get this bread.

Girls: This year’s girls’ varsity team is led by coach Michael McAnally and assistant coach Mariclaire Nix. The girls started their season on a very strong foot with 4 straight wins. They have

2018-19 SCHEDULE

Olivia Sasser carries the ball out vs. Pillow Academy. Photo by Steven Wyatt.

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

@jacksonprepsentry

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

Sports

The Sentry

9

Episode 3: Inside Jackson Prep football

by alex gibbs

copy Editor

& Ford lange Social MEdia Editor This issue of the “The Grind,” we’re going to cover a sport that the two of us are very familiar with, as we both have been on the varsity football team for three years. The Jackson Prep football team in its history has been a model of success, winning 24 state championships, including the past six. In this issue, we are going to give an inside look as to what the football team does to reach such heights of excellence year after year.

“Grind” may not be a more applicable term to describe what members of a team go through in any sport than it is for football. While you may think that preparation for the season begins at two-a-days in late July, in reality, for the Jackson Prep football team, it begins much earlier.

Following the end of the season in November, non-senior players only have around six weeks off be-

fore weight training starts at the beginning of the second semester in January. For the remainder of the semester, players lift weights four days a week: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at either 6:30 in the morning or 3:10 in the afternoon. Team members who play other sports only have to lift two mornings a week while their sport is in season.

For juniors and seniors who only play football and all rising sophomores, they must participate in spring (actually winter) training, which starts in February. They go through three

Seniors Jerrion Ealy and Ford Lange streak down the field against Parklane. Photo courtesy of Beverly Oden

weeks of practice everyday after school until around 5 o’clock to get introduced to the high school football program. Spring training ends shortly before spring break, during which players have a week off from school and football-related activities.

After spring break, the team begins back lifting weights four days a week. Beginning in May, every Tuesday skill position

players participate in 7 vs 7 while offensive and defensive linemen do position work with Coach Thompson and Coach Brewer.

Shortly before exams, the team is done for the school year and gets a couple weeks off before returning the first week of June for summer workouts.

The start of summer workouts is when the real grind for football begins. Just as it was during the school year, players are required to lift four days a week at 6:30 in the morning, only the workouts are amped up a bit.

Each day has particular lifts followed by a different run: Monday the team jumps boxes, Tuesday the team does agility drills, Thursday the team runs the dreaded 110s, and Friday the team does crossfit. Many players agree that 110s are the worst part of summer workouts. Each week the number increases by two, starting at eight and increasing to sixteen by the last week. Even if you are absent the week of sixteen, you have to make that up before the start of the season.

Before moving into the regular season, the team has ten days of two-a-day practices. The first practice of the day is at 8:30 am, and the afternoon practice is at 4:00 pm. These two weeks are the hardest two weeks of the year for the football team, and the separation of skill level begins to become evident.

Once school begins, the

Sanderson Farms sponsors annual golf tournament

by Will Fletcher

SportS Editor

& Ford lange Social MEdia Editor The Sanderson Farms Championship is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour that is held every year at the Country Club of Jackson. This year it was held October 22 - 28. It moved to the Country Club from Annandale right before the 2014 tournament. The tournament began appearing on the PGA schedule in 1968, where it was originally played in Hattiesburg, MS. From there, it moved to Annandale Golf Club in 1994 and was played there for nearly 20 years. Now, it is at the Country Club of Jackson where it will seemingly stay for a while.

On Tour, it is an alternate event, meaning that there is another tournament going on the same week, but a lot of players still come to play. This means that you will not see a lot of the big name golf players at the event. Despite this, it is always a competitive and fun Tour event to have in Jackson.

Over the years, the purse and the

motive for playing in this event have grown substantially. This year, the purse was at $4.4 million by the time the tournament came around, which is the highest that the purse has ever been for this event.

This tournament is a week long event with activities beginning on Sunday evening with a dinner to welcome the players.

Getting into the week, Monday and Wednesday are the Pro-Am playing days. This is a round of golf that pairs a pro who is on tour with three amateurs who enter the tournament. While this does not count towards the tournament, it is always a good time for everyone involved. Thursday, the real tournament begins with the player’s first round of the tournament. After that, it is a format that most golf watchers are familiar with, a round on Friday, Saturday, and the final round on Sunday.

This year’s champion was Cameron Champ. Champ turned pro and joined the tour in 2017, so he is relatively new. Since he is considered a rookie in tour standards, he has only competed in a few big events. At Sanderson he secured his first tour vic-

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

tory, which came with a prize of $792,000. Not only did he secure his first victory at Sanderson, but he also managed his career lowest score, shooting a 64 in the third round. Coming in a close second, just 4 shots behind Cameron, was Corey Conners. Conners and Champ were in a shootout for ¾ of the tournament and tied the 3rd and 4th round. If it weren’t for a slow first day for Conners, he would have beaten Champ, who he scored lower than in the second round. Despite his second place finish, Conners walked away with $475,200 in prize money.

Pictured (left to right): Prep senior Simms Abney with Prep sixth grader Felton Walker at the Sanderson Farms tournament. Photo courtesy of Simms Abney

@jacksonprepsentry

team begins its set weekly practice routine. On Monday, the team watches film of its previous game and begins to scout for its next opponent. Additionally, the team goes outside in shorts, t-shirts, and helmets to run sprints and do skill work. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the team has fullpad practices that last two hours, working on offensive plays and defensive coverages designed for that week’s opponent. On Thursday, the team is back in shorts, shirts, and helmets, and has a walk-through practice, reviewing what they went over on Tuesday and Wednesday, before eating burgers brought by the cheerleaders and watching more film.

Friday is then game day.

In addition to these practices, team members are required to lift weights two days a week during the season. One group lifts on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:00 while the other group lifts on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00.

We hope this has given you a perspective on what the football team does throughout the year to get better. As you have read, a football team does so much more than just show up and play on game days. Much hard work is put in by many individuals in order for the team to have success during the grind that is football season.

The Patriots storm the field through the blow-up tunnel and pacer tunnel before their playoff matchup against JA. Photo by MC Hughes

Banquet celebrates Junior High football season’s success by

Walker Poole Staff WritEr

The 2018 Junior High Football banquet was a success.

At the banquet, there were awards given to players, presents given to cheerleaders and managers, and speeches given about the coaches by players.

The opening prayer was given by Walker Poole, followed by cheerleaders and manager presentations. Next was the awards given by the coaches, which were voted on by the players. Best Offensive Lineman was awarded to Gavin Mullins. Best Wide Receiver and Impact Player was given to Luke Williams.

Most Valuable Offensive Player was given to Sam McMullan. Best Defensive Lineman was awarded to Eli Berch, who also won Most Valuable Defensive Player. Walker Box was given Best Defensive Back award, as well as the Patriot Award, an award given to player with the best attitude, respect, and athletic ability. The Patriot Award is voted by the coaches.

The most honorable award, Most Valuable Player, was given to William Deas, who played a key part on offense and defense. Next was the speeches about the coaches to the players. Last was the highlight video consisting of many touchdowns, catches, and tackles.

It was enjoyable for the players, coaches, and parents alike.

A scene from the junior high football banquet. Photo by Walker Poole

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

10

Around Town

November 2018

Coffee competition: Cups vs. The Prickly Hippie Allie & Ainsley’s

Appetite by allie Wise

Staff writer

& ainsley o’Quinn Staff writer Hello, and welcome back! For this issue, we decided to indulge ourselves in some sweet pastries and coffee. Our two competitors are The Prickly Hippie and Cups.

If you have been reading our column for a while, then you know we have already done a story on coffee shops, but,

after we went to The Prickly Hippie, we just knew we had to write about it.

Our first stop was The Prickly Hippie on Highway 51 in Ridgeland. It was super cute; it’s very bright and modern. Allie got a chocolate doughnut with sprinkles with an iced caramel macchiato, while Ainsley ordered a homemade “hot pocket” (puff pastry with ham and cheese) with an iced vanilla latte. Our coffee was very good. Allie was impressed with the doughnut quality, and Ainsley was pleasantly surprised at her hot pocket. While we were there, we kept commenting on the decor of the shop. Along one wall they had flowers and a sign that said “pick your own bouquet.” This was a different and cool aspect that we loved.

They have a cute little area by the windows with a couch, chairs, and a table as well as

regular tables by the counter.

In addition to having the area where you can create your own bouquet, they sell cute gifts and greeting cards.

Cups was our next stop. They have several locations all over the Jackson area, but we went to the one in Madison. This was definitely not our first time in Cups (I don’t even want to know how much money I’ve spent and how much espresso I have consumed there through the years). Our usual orders are vanilla lattes, which are to die for. We like them hot and iced. They have a deep richness, and you can tell they are made with high-quality coffee.

One really cool thing about Cups is that in their iced beverages you can get espresso ice. It tastes really good, and your drink never gets watered down. This time we ordered the maple spice latte. The latte

Buckle up for Mississippi car shows Charles stephenson Social Media editor Throughout the fall, many car shows are held in Mississippi. This popular pastime can bring many people together. Several car shows were held during October to kick off the fall season. If you are interested in classic cars or modern cars, there is a car show for you.

Starting on September 30 and lasting through October 7, “Cruisin’ the Coast” was held on the Mississippi gulf coast.

This event had many different locations along with music performances at some select stops.

Cruisin’ the Coast started in 1996 as a festival to celebrate antique classic cars. Car lovers from across the nation, and even from other countries, travel to the coast of Mississippi for the cruise. There are car auctions, cruise-ins, swap meets, music, and parades. This is the most popular car show in the state, bringing in over 8,000 registrations.

The Eurofest European auto show took place on Saturday, October 13, at the Renaissance.

This car show showed some of the old classic cars from Europe, as well as the new generation of sports cars. Many manufacturers were at the show. The largest sections were the Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, BMW, and Mercedes.

Hundreds of cars were shown off from personal collections, small businesses, and large companies.

Motorcars of Jackson, owned by Prep parents Chip and Wendy Chudy, brought several exquisite vehicles to the show. Several other dealers brought cars, such as Ferrari of Atlanta, and Mercedes-Benz of Jackson. Lots of awards were given from “Cutest Car” to “Living Life Large.”

Another show of classic

cars was the Scarecrow Cruise and Car Show. This show, held in Madison on October 20, started at the Reunion Golf and Country Club’s clubhouse, where the participants then cruised over to the corner of Main Street and Highway 51. Hundreds of classic american muscle cars were present as well as a small section of army vehicles. The cars filled a field, as well as the streets, so that all the onlookers could enjoy the classics. Hidden between the classic muscle cars, was a Lamborghini Huracan, along with several Porsche GT3RS’s. These Italian supercars, that were not intended for this show, somehow managed

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

to get in. Many fan favorites were the Ford Mustangs and Shelbys.

Daring participants who brought their cars to show off could put their car on the “Dyno”, a machine which calculates the vehicles horsepower.

More of a car meet than a car show, Cars and Coffee meets on the first Sunday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at CC’s Coffee House in Ridgeland.

Here, supercar owners show fellow car enthusiasts their cars and grab a bite to eat. If you know of someone with a cool car, send them to Cars and Coffee to hang out with other car lovers.

@jacksonprepsentry

tasted like fall in a cup. It was a delicious blend of spices and, of course, excellent espresso.

Their pastries are also amazing. I am a huge fan of their cream cheese danishes. We ordered blueberry scones this time, and they did not disappoint. They were just sweet enough and were the perfect pairing with our coffee.

Overall, we have to go with Cups as our winner for this issue. While The Prickly Hippie has much better decor, the quality of Cups’ food and coffee put it over the top. If you

are looking for a cute place to go sit and eat breakfast or have a dessert with a friend, The Prickly Hippie is probably your best bet. But, if you really want some quality pastries and coffee, I would highly recommend Cups.

Mistletoe Marketplace: The tradition continues aubrey sCott Moak around town editor and

Jane Gray barbour around town editor Mistletoe Marketplace is one of Jackson’s favorite Christmas traditions. It is held at the Mississippi Trade Mart at the beginning of November and kicks off winter celebrations. For 38 years now, local merchants and those from all over America travel to bring Mississippi their items for convenient Christmas shopping. The Junior League of Jackson works very hard all year planning, scheduling, and volunteering to put on this event.

There are many different things people can be involved in during Mistletoe. Everyone seems to enjoy walking around and shopping, but there are fun special events for all ages. Young girls can watch and even model in the annual fashion show, brought by University Medical Center.

Adults love dressing up for the preview gala,

jacksonprepsentry

which offers the first hours of shopping and fine cuisine from Fresh Cut Catering.

Also, children can get their picture with Santa Clause early enough to put it on the Christmas card. Even with the warm Mississippi weather, Mistletoe is sure to put you in the Christmas spirit.

Residents of the Jackson area look forward to returning Mistletoe merchants.

Some of the best and most anticipated items include the Chili from Bear Creek Smokehouse and the toy horses with petals that allow you to ride around the booth from Pony Pets. Mistletoe 2018 was one of the most successful Mistletoes yet. Thank you to the Junior League of Jackson for continuing to put on this great event!

@jpsentry

Around Town

The Sentry

11

December Calendar: the most wonderful time of the year by

MaClain Kennedy OpiniOn EditOr

It’s time for the most wonderful time of the year! In Mississippi, December is the time where the weather finally gets cold. Students get out for Christmas break, kids write wishlists to Santa, and parents spend days stressing to make sure everything for the holiday is together.

More than a time when family comes into town and takes over your room, forcing you to resort to the couch, Christmas has many perks.

The first, and most obvious, is Christmas break. Although exams are the worst, Christmas break arrives upon bubbling in the last question on your exam.

There are 1001 things to do to get one in the Christmas

spirit. For a low price of $8.97, you can purchase a gingerbread kit to make your own house. With bags of icing and loads of sprinkles, this activity would be fun to do with friends or family.

Since it gets dark at 5 o’clock in the winter, it can be easy to feel limited on what there is to do. If you don’t want to leave the house, turn to the Hallmark or Freeform channel and binge watch the cheesiest Christmas movies. However, if you want to get out of the house, there are plenty of neighborhoods that will have yards covered in Christmas lights.

At 7:30 pm on the first Friday and Saturday of December, Belhaven University has their annual Belhaven Singing Christmas Tree. This event is so much fun to go to.

Grab a cup of hot chocolate

and sit and enjoy as students from Belhaven put on an amazing show.

From December 1-18, there will be Christmas at the Governor’s mansion. A beautiful display of lights and decorations will be put up, and free guided tours will be given for groups with fewer than ten people. The hours of operation change, so be sure to check and make sure they’re open.

Christmas is a great time to give back to the community. Check out how to volunteer at the soup kitchen, We Will Go, or a non-profit organization. This is something that will take a few hours one Sunday afternoon, and it will give you an opportunity to turn your attention to helping others. It will also help you keep in mind what Christmas is all about.

Meal-replacing shakes and teas hit the Jackson area by

Caroline MCintyre OpiniOn EditOr

If you haven’t seen Nutrition Shakes posted on social media, I don’t know where you have been. Many Nutrition Shakes stores have been opening up across the Jackson metro area, causing a wave of social media posts of different shakes that look unhealthy but are supposed to be “healthy.” I went out to most of the new stores in the area to see what the craze is all about.

The first location I went to was Skinny’s in Ridgeland.The meal replacement shake, which come in 50+ flavors, have 24-27 grams of protein, 200-250 calories, low sugar, and low carbs. The loaded tea is mainly for energy and focus. They have 24 calories, no sugar, and vitamins. Overall, it is hard to believe that shakes that look so good are

this healthy.

The first time I went I got the birthday cake shake and a loaded tea. It was actually pretty good and I enjoyed them both, and they kept me full throughout the day, which was surprising. The next time I went, I tried the Samoa shake and Gummy bear loaded tea.

They were both my favorite.

The Samoa tasted just like the cookie and a milkshake. One thing I enjoyed was that if you check in on social media, you get one dollar off of your order.

The next place I tried was Fierce Nutrition in Jackson, MS. They have basically the same ingredients as Skinny’s. They have the same exact menu which is great because if you can’t make it to Ridgeland or Madison, you can stop by Fierce and get what you love but at a more convenient location. The only con for highschool students is that they close at 2pm, so students

can go on Saturdays, before school, or on days they don’t have school.

The new shake trend is very interesting. I don’t think it is something I would invest in everyday, but it is good to grab a shake or tea every once in a while. I don’t understand how these are “healthy,” but I’m interested to see if there is something more in the ingredients other than protein and vitamins.

There has to be some type of artificial sweetener in the drinks and if Splenda is mixed in, then they aren’t actually “healthy.” Splenda is basically made with aspartame, making it extremely bad for your body. If they are using Stevia, which is no sugar, it is not as bad for you because it is natural.

If you are looking for a low calorie, low sugar meal replacement drink that you would rather drink than a milkshake, this is the place to go. It is convenient, fast, and good to drink. If you are looking to lose weight and be healthy I would take a different route. Make something at home where you know exactly what ingredients you are putting into your body, and where you can use no sugar.

An assortment of meal replacing shakes from Skinny’s in Ridgeland , MS. Along with being a healthy alternative, it’s also incredibly tasty.

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

@jacksonprepsentry

Salon review: Organic Nail and Lash by

eMbry Hollowell Staff WritEr

As I walked into the Organic Nail and Lash Bar, I knew right away that it was going to be an extravagant experience, and I was right.

This new business, owned by Kelly Nguyen, is one of the best nail salons I have ever visited. Besides offering manicures and pedicures, this fabulous salon also waxes eyebrows, does eyelash extensions, and will soon start tinting brows.

The whole inside was white and did not contain a single speck of dirt. This clean interior already left quite the impression on me.

After entering, one of the nice workers greeted me and then seated me in the comfortable chairs.

Following that, the worker began to clean my feet and started my pedicure.

He was very engaging and did an excellent job at making my toes look spectacular.

While my toes were being painted, the boss offered me a water bottle, which earned the nail bar major bonus points.

Before the pedicure, I got a manicure. Before painting my nails, the worker who did my toes put some very cute and colorful flip flops on my feet so my toes wouldn’t

jacksonprepsentry

mess up while drying. Most nail salons do this, but the quality of the flip flops was something I took notice of since most nail salons offer cheap and boring ones.

During the manicure, the sweet lady made sure to get it as close to perfect as possible, and she sure did. I did not see a single error in the manicure, which is very rare considering painting nails can be a hard task.

Also, the lady made very good conversation during the nail painting, which was very nice and made the experience that much better.

Overall, the Organic Nail and Lash Bar in Madison, MS, was an amazing nail salon with a bright future ahead. From the beautiful interior to the kind staff, I would definitely recommend this nail lounge to any and everyone.

I normally have at least one or two complaints every time I get my nails and/ or toenails done, but not this time since the workers did an almost perfect job.

If you or anyone you know are needing a great nail salon, then the Organic Nail and Lash Bar is definitely the place to go.

@jpsentry

Entertainment November 2018 Black Ops 4 sets series back on track New technology this 12

holiday season

by Sayley Crawford

fun and GamEs Editor

& aubrey SCoTT Moak around toWn Editor

by Payne bell Graphics Editor

& TriPP Cory staff WritEr Black Ops 4 is shaping up to be one of the best entries in the Call of Duty series in the past six years. Already the game has been received far better than last year’s Call of Duty: WWII. Black Ops 4 has brought several changes to the franchise’s multiplayer gameplay. The health of individual players has been increased to 150 from 100, and many of the objective game modes have seen their player count reduced from 6 to 5 players per team.

Perhaps the most drastic change from past installments of Call of Duty in terms of content is the omission of a Campaign.

In the past, Call of Duty games have shipped with a story mode, called the Campaign, in which the player plays through a story shaped by the context of the game. The past installment, Call of Duty: WWII, featured a Campaign mode which began with the player fighting on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. This time around, Treyarch puts more focus on the multiplayer aspect. We see their reasons for doing so, as Call of Duty is known more for its on-

line multiplayer rather than single-player campaign modes.

Black Ops 4’s playable characters in multiplayer, called Specialists, have their own “backstories” included in the game. This is the closest thing the game has to a Campaign mode, but it still doesn’t fill the void left by the absence of a Campaign, which made the franchise so memorable for its long-time fans.

The most radical gameplay change is the removal of automatic health regeneration.

In past games, when the player took damage, they would have to disengage and wait until they were automatically healed over time. Black Ops 4 is the first game in the franchise to feature manual health regeneration. All players have 150 health by default, and that health will not regenerate unless the player uses either the default healing item or an equippable item called the Stim Shot that allows for faster healing and a lower cooldown between available heals.

Zombies is a fan-favorite game mode that returns in Black Ops 4. We are generally pleased with this iteration of Zombies, and it generally adheres to what fans expect from the game mode.

Perhaps the most innovative new mode Black Ops 4 brings

to the table is its battle royale mode known as Blackout. Blackout features the signature gunplay of the series, and expands upon this using the battle royale formula. The map in Blackout is the largest Call of Duty map ever created, and several of the locations on the map are variations of iconic maps from throughout the Black Ops series, the most iconic of which being the presence of “Nuketown Island.”

Blackout features many elements that are a staple of other battle royale games, such as armor and looting. In comparison to other battle royale games, Blackout is probably most similar to PlayerUnknown’s: Battlegrounds (known as PUBG), with its first person perspective and relatively realistic gunplay. Playing Blackout, however, is a much smoother experience than PUBG, and the mode has the potential to become one of the most popular battle royale games to date.

Black Ops 4 has much to offer players, and even after being out for a month there is still a lot of undiscovered content and experiences in the game. If you enjoy the style of gameplay Call of Duty is most loved for, then you should definitely consider trying Black Ops 4.

We are coming to the end of 2018, and this year has released some of the most anticipated technological devices.

The biggest brands in the industry are constantly leaking the newest and best technology.

Recently, brands have strayed away from the typical cell phone releases and have released more innovative technology, such as virtual reality equipment and projectors.

The most well-known brand, Apple, already exceeded our expectations of new technology with the iPhone X in late 2017. This year, Apple has already released the new iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. On October 30th, Apple also announced a new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, a Mac mini, and the Apple Watch Series 4. With Christmas

right around the corner, make sure to keep an eye out for these new devices.

Even with smartphone screens getting larger and larger, people still want to watch TV on a big screen from time to time.

With the new Moviphone, one is able to project their data onto a wall, table, or any flat surface.

This Android device is one you might want to check out.

Samsung has also recently come out with a product they’re releasing as the first “modular TV”. This television is called “The Wall.” Samsung says users can alter the size and shape of The Wall so that it can function as a multipurpose display. The Wall TV has many enhancements including upgraded SD content, noise reduction, edge restoration function, and automatic sound adjustment for different content, such as sports events or music shows.

As 2018 draws to an end, it is clear that it has been one of the most successful in technological advances. The devices we mentioned are some of the most anticipated for Christmas time.

Five music subgenres that you’ve (probably) never heard of

by CaMP CarTer asst. EntErtainmEnt Editor

In this edition of What Is It? I will be covering five music subgenres that you may have heard of once or twice. After doing a little digging, I’ve found some of the weirdest and most obscure music genres out there.

Mallsoft. Spawned from the ironic, aesthetics-fueled music movement of the late 2010’s called Vaporwave, Mallsoft is a form of electronic music that uses indistinct looped sounds, background noise, and warped vocals to capture the consumer culture and sensory overload associated with shopping malls and other places of business. Mallsoft artists received a treasure trove of samples and inspiration when

Mark Davis, a former Kmart employee, released digital recordings of dozens of cassettes on an archive.org page titled Attention K-Mart Shoppers. These cassettes featured elevator music, instrumentals, and advertisements played in Kmart stores during the ‘80s and ‘90s. Notable albums from the Mallsoft genre include Catsystem Corp.’s Palm Mall, its follow up album Palm Mall Mars, groceries groceries’ Supermarkets Yes! We’re Open, and Hantasi’ Vacant Places.

Stoner Rock. With band names such as Weedeater, Bongzilla, Electric Wizard, and High on Fire, Stoner Rock isn’t subtle in its musical influences. Incorporating heavy metal, doom metal, psychedelic, and cannabis culture into its distorted and heavy sound, Stoner Rock, also known as Stoner Doom, is the epitome of mean and green. Metal pioneer Black Sabbath had an influence on Stoner Rock with the song “Sweet Leaf.” Another influencer is the Palm Desert Scene, a group of bands from Palm Desert California who collaborated and led to the creation of bands such as Fu Manchu and Kyuss. Bands from the Palm Desert Scene

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

didn’t always like the moniker of “stoner rock” with bands as a whole being called desert rock.

Good listening material for stoner rock are the albums Welcome to Sky Valley by Kyuss and The Action is Go by Fu Manchu, as well as various compilations located on YouTube.

Danger Music. Danger Music is an Avant-Garde theatrical performance of “music” that puts the performer and the audience in real danger. Conceived in the early 1960s by Fluxus composer Dick Higgins, Danger Music was a series of performances with simple, yet vague, occasionally humorous instructions. Popular examples include Danger Music Number Seventeen, Scream!

Scream!

Scream!

Scream!

Scream! Scream!, Danger Music Number Nine, Volunteer to have your spine removed, and Danger Music Number Twenty Four, Find it. Attack it. Japanese noise band Hanatarash is a much more infamous example of Danger Music, with leadman Yamantaka Eye cutting a dead cat in half with a machete during a performance, allegedly throwing sheets of glass into in the audience, and driving a bulldozer through a music

@jacksonprepsentry

venue, with the later having surviving footage published online.

Danger Music is designed to question what is or is not music, and will certainly leave the listener puzzled if not disturbed.

Extratone/Speedcore.

The fastest music out there, Extratone is a form of electronic music where the BPM (beats per minute) exceeds 1000 and where the sound blends into one extra long tone getting higher as the BPM gets faster. The optimal BPM for a chart-topping hit averages at 119.8, according to a study from Rutgers grad students.

Moby’s Thousand, released in 1993 and named after its BPM, is sometimes cited as the first Extratone track. Also released in 1993, Sorcerer’s My Four Seasons E.P is often credited as inspiring Speedcore, which has an average BPM of 300, although New York’s Disciples of Annihilation is also credited with the creation of speedcore with the 1997 album New York City Speedcore. Taking Speedcore a step further, Splittercore averages at around 700 BPM, and is popular on Youtube, especially with other hardcore techno music. Extratone exists to push the limits of computer and

jacksonprepsentry

what people can consider music.

A good example is a Youtube video titled Speedcore, which has a BPM of 100,000 and 2.2 million views.

Country Truck Driving Music. Combining influences from western music, country music, and American folk, Country Truck Driving Music is for truckers and other people involved in commercialized truck driving.

Subjects of these songs include radio communication, truck stops, geography, road trouble, and law enforcement. Instruments most often used in the production of Truck Driving Music are vocals, banjo, acoustic guitar, fiddle, bass guitar, electric guitar, and harmonica. “Convoy,” which inspired a 1978 action film of the same name, although the titular song was rewritten for the movie’s soundtrack, and “East Bound and Down” from the soundtrack of Smokey the Bandit, starring the late Burt Reynolds, are arguably the two most popular Truck Driving songs. Truck Driving Music was most popular between the 60’s and the 80’s and has helped the figure of the trucker cement itself as an aspect of industrialized American folklore.

@jpsentry

13

Entertainment

The Sentry

Why vinyl records should be appreciated

by Tori Newsome

EntErtainmEnt Editor

Another one bites the dust: the rise and fall of Freddie Mercury

by geNevieve hursT

PhotograPhy Editor Bohemian Rhapsody came out November 2. It focuses on Queen, and Freddie Mercury in particular, throughout the band’s run, from their creation to the famous Live Aid concert. The movie begins with Freddie getting ready for this concert, then moves back in time to show the band getting together and rising to fame.

Despite average ratings and reviews from critics, such as a 68% on Rotten Tomatoes, everyone I know that has watched it has loved it. Senior Eleanor Baker

said, “It’s a little historically inaccurate but overall I enjoyed it.”

These historical accuracies are perhaps the source of poorer reviews from critics. In movies like this, I think some of the real details get inflated and twisted to fit into a neat dramatic arc.

I thought that it was amazing. The costumes, the music, and Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury all combined to make it interesting and well worth anyone’s time.

It’s on the long side, at 2 hours and 13 minutes, but I really didn’t notice how long I had been in the theater when I left. It was fun to watch even through serious subject matter towards the end, as Freddie learns he has AIDS. I’m not going to apologize for spoiling that since it happened in real life.

Although there may be some historical inaccuracies, the movie was really fun to watch and is well worth your time. I would recommend that anyone watch this movie, especially if you love Queen.

Over the years, music has changed immensely. Although some might say these have been positive changes, the way people used to listen to music should not be forgotten. Vinyl records were one of the first ways for people to listen to music on their own, but yet this way of listening to music is barely acknowledged in present day.

Records have two sides to them with certain songs on each side. For example, AC/DC’s Back in Black album has “Hells Bells,” “Shoot To Thrill,” “What Do You Do For Money Honey,” “Given The Dog A Bone,” and “Let Me Put My Love Into You” on side one and “Back in Black,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “Have A Drink On Me,” “Shake A Leg,” and “Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” on side two. When asking Dr. Nealey his thoughts on listening to vinyl, he said “I like records because it is not so narcissistic as music these days. Instead of just choosing one song from an album, you get to listen to the whole side of the album, which the artist formulated themselves.”

Editor-in-ChiEf “New Orleans, make some noise!!” Travis Scott screamed as he ran out to his recent hit, STARGAZING. Steam cannons erupted from under the stage, and 300,000 fans jumped uncontrollably as his auto-tuned voice blared over the speakers.

This was only one set out of dozens that impressed Voodoo attendees during the 2018 festival.

Voodoo music festival, held at City Park in New Orleans, LA, has always branded itself as a music and art experience that brings all genres to center stage, and in its 20th year, the festival has increased that factor with a spooky haunted cemetery and countless aesthetic improvements.

Still, despite the im-

provements, what has made the three-day event so special is its fantastic lineup, and this year was no exception. Friday featured The Revivalists and Mumford & Sons; Saturday was anchored by EDM legends, ODESZA, and major rap icons, with Martin Garrix and Travis Scott headlining on the two main stages; and Sunday wrapped up the festival with Ty Dolla $ign and AJR, a band who has recently gained popularity.

A memorable part of the festival is its dress-up element, since it always falls on the weekend before Halloween. This element offers festival-goers an opportunity to support their favorite artists while doubling down on their costumes. Every year, Voodoo Fest embodies one feeling: love for music, for arts, and for an experience that brings people from all walks of life together.

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

looking for in music.

Records are not sold at your average store like they used to be. There are some stores in Mississippi where you can get records. Some places you can buy vinyl are Little Big Store located in Raymond, MS, Off Beat located in Jackson, MS, and Mid-MS Vinyl located in Flowood, MS. Most records that are considered “classics” usually have to be bought used. You can buy some records new but at a very high price unless it is an album from a present-day artist, like Taylor Swift.

All in all, vinyl records are a part of history that should not be forgotten.

Tori’s own vinyl turntable and favorite records. Photo by Tori Newsome

Disney’s new movie, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, cracks under poor reviews ie, I can say I’m disappointed in how it turned out. While Mackenzie Foy is gorgeous and fits the look of Clara, her acting was bland and monotonous, with the same blank expression throughout the whole movie. All of her actions seemed unsure, which is very unlike the character, and

Vodoo brings frights and fun to New Orleans by sTewarT mccullough

There are some Vinyl records that are better than others.

The records that are said to be “loud,” are not considered to be good. They are said to be “loud” because there is a kind of scratchy noise to them, which can be unpleasant to listen to. On the other hand, “quiet” records are good because there are no background noises, you can only hear the music. How well records sound also depends on the kind of shape the record is in. If the record has scratches all over it, it is probably not going to sound the best, but if the record is clean and has been well kept, it will most likely have the kind of sound most people are

by vicToria chough

Staff WritEr During its first weekend in theaters, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (starring Mackenzie Foy) grossed a total of approximately 20 million dollars, making it the #2 movie in the world during the first few days of November. However, despite its initial box office success, it only has a 35% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 5.5/10 on IMDb. The movie is a rendition of the classic two-act ballet, but with less dancing and more dialogue. In the ballet, Clara (or Marie, depending on the studio performing it) receives a nutcracker soldier from her mysterious godfather on Christmas Eve. Then, she goes to bed and wakes up in a new world, with her Nutcracker, now life-sized and moving, as a companion. Next, the movie goes in a different direction, with Clara being led by a golden string to a different realm. After she enters this universe, she meets Phillip, the Nutcracker (played by Jayden Fowora-Knight).

After seeing the mov-

@jacksonprepsentry

her voice was more comfortable at just above a whisper, which made her shouting lines seem awkward. With her experience, I expected better for the main character. Jayden Fowora-Knight was also not too convincing, but this movie was his first big role.

Morgan Freeman (Drosselmeyer) and Keira Knightly (Sugar Plum Fairy) did quite well with the roles they were given, but for me, Helen Mirren (Mother

jacksonprepsentry

Ginger) stole the show. She kept the plot interesting during times where it slowed down.

At some points, the green screen that was used did a horrible job. It was very obvious that it was being used and you could see a fuzzy outline on the characters in focus. However, the set design and costumes were gorgeous and really had me in awe. Each “realm” was beautifully thought out, and each costume was unique and extravagant.

If you thought that was bad enough, there were also many plot holes and unanswered questions that left me and other viewers very confused.

The movie dragged unnecessary scenes and didn’t leave time for emotional ones that would have made the plot more clear. An exception to this, though, was Misty Copeland’s ballet scene.

While it did last around 10-15 minutes, she did a great job and her dancing scene was breathtaking to watch.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie to young children or anyone wanting to watch something festive with their family because it is very family-friendly and has that “Disney magic” feeling. However, if one is looking to watch a cinematic masterpiece, I would recommend something different.

While it does have some redeeming qualities, this movie was a 6/10 at most for me.

@jpsentry

Opinion

14

Alex Jones: real or fake?

Emory’s

Conspiracy Corner

by Emory maxwELL Social Media editor

Alex Jones is one of the most polarizing figures on the internet. His job title is a “Conspiracy Theorist,” but he is a radio talk show host for The Alex Jones Show, and he writes for his website, Infowars.com. Many describe him as the poster child for the alt-right, and his wild antics contribute to his infamous reputation.

Although many see him as a media figure that goes way too far, some people think he is just an actor playing a role to get attention and success. This is best evidenced by his biggest fiasco, his conspiracy theory about the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, CT. It is one of the most infamous shootings in America’s history, in which a 20 year-old named Adam Lanza shot and

killed 20 elementary school children, 6 staff members, his mother, and himself. It raised a lot of public attention about gun control, as the weapon Lanza used was a semiautomatic rifle with ten 30-round magazines loaded with ammunition. It was a heartbreaking tragedy, but Jones came up with a theory that it was all a government ploy for them to take away our weapons, and that it did not actually happen. His passionate rants led to many across the country believing his theory as well, and eventually many of the families whose children died in the shooting were harassed incessantly by some of Alex Jones’ followers. This eventually led to many of the families suing Jones for defamation. However, Jones’ lawyers have defended him in multiple trials by saying things like he was “playing a charac-

ter,” and that judging him by his online personality would be like judging Jack Nicholson based on his performance as “The Joker” in Batman. However, his ex-wife dismissed this defense in their custody trial by saying, “He’s not a stable person.”

Personally, I believe that Alex does believe everything he is saying, but that he is also acting some to get some more attention and grow his audience. However, regardless of if he is acting or not, Alex Jones is a dangerous, provocative figure who is leading a group of some of the country’s most dangerous people: the radical alt-right. He should realize the effect that he has on the people that follow him, or he will continue to suffer discipline and consequences like he has been from YouTube and Facebook.

November 2018

Is Prep overdosing on drug forums?

by barron Liston

Staff Writer

& Emory maxwELL Social Media editor Having gone to Jackson Prep for seven years, both of us have attended our fair share of forums about how we should not do drugs. In that process, we have learned year after year how bad drugs are and how we should not do them. We know crack cocaine is bad, but people who are going to do crack cocaine are not going

to care about a drug forum. There is nothing worse than going to school and planning on doing some homework due that day during activity period, and having it ruined by the school getting people to come and tell us how smoking marijuana will inevitably lead to us becoming crack addicts. The classic “marijuana is a gateway drug” spiel is a simple case of correlation being mixed up with causation. It’s not that smoking marijuana will make you a crack addict; it’s that crack addicts are more likely to have smoked marijuana. As students of Jackson Prep, we have better things to do than have the same hackneyed drug speech drilled into our heads for the thousandth time. We could use that free time to do our ten tons of homework or wait in line at the cafeteria or do crossword puzzles or college apps or forecast the weather. We’ve overdosed on drug forums and need to go cold turkey.

Alex Jones impersonates the “gay frogs” he says the government is creating.

A dangerous precedent PC BROS

by tripp Cory

& barron Liston Staff WriterS President Trump recently suggested that he’s planning to sign an executive order that would end birthright citizenship. No matter what your stance on birthright citizenship or immigration is, you should oppose this. Birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the 14th amendment of the constitution, and Trump thinks he can change that by simply signing a document. In an interview with Axios, Trump said, “It was always told to me that you needed a constitutional amendment (to change the citizenship requirements). Guess what? You don’t.”

Trump also made a false statement regarding birthright citizenship internationally with his claim that the U.S. is the only country that allows it. This is, however, completely false. Over

30 countries, including Canada, Mexico, and Brazil, grant U.S.style birthright citizenship. Beyond these nations, countries such as France, the UK, and Germany grant birthright citizenship if at least one parent is a citizen or permanent resident of the respective nation.

President Trump is attempting to set a dangerous precedent for the nation, making it so that the Constitution can be altered by a single man. Many prominent politicians on both sides of the aisle have spoken out against Trump’s decision, including Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.

If this executive order goes into effect, it could have serious consequences on the future of US politics, creating a nation where the Constitution can be changed by a mere individual. Our Constitution was written with the intent to prevent what Trump is attempting to do. The founding fathers set out to create a representative government with checks and balances where no man has too much power. The Constitution embodies the will of the founding fathers, and Trump’s planned executive order could end that.

Trump’s willingness to alter the Constitution by using an executive order demonstrates one of two things. Either he does not fully appreciate the seriousness of this action, or he does understand the situation and simply doesn’t care. If Trump is allowed to alter the Constitution through an executive order, it could set a dangerous precedent that the

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

Constitution can be altered based on the will of the executive. Allowing this would undermine the foundations of our Republic. A sitting president could, based on this precedent, do away with the second amendment via executive order. Or, the president could use an executive order to set a higher income tax for the rich by changing the Constitution’s 16th Amendment. Both of these are actions Mr. Trump would be very likely to oppose, so he should consider the consequences it could have for him in the future as well.

@jacksonprepsentry

A scene from Prep’s latest drug forum. Photo by Embry Hollowell

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

The Sentry

Sentry I

Opinion Staff Editorials

15

Students should study the news to stay better informed As the midterm elections have just ended, most Prep students have no clue how it will affect them.

Since we are committed to excellence, that should include knowing what is happening in the world of politics and all-around news. Being informed is essential to casting a vote that spreads your principles and values.

Some history teachers try to educate their students on current events, but combined with teaching their history curriculum, they do not have the time to stress what is happening in the real world. The news changes every day, and students need to be updated accordingly.

With all of the unsourced and “fake” news out there, it is a struggle for students to know what to believe and effectively make choices on who and what to vote for. (The Sentry, however, always strives to be factual and fair to students, faculty, other schools, and people on both sides of the aisle.)

Being informed and knowing

what is happening can affect everyone’s future. Our jobs, money, rights, safety, and courts will all be determined by politicians and the people we elect into power for the future, and as part of that future, we should all know what is going on and hopefully make an impact.

shooting to make young people have an active role in city, state, and federal politics. The next school shooting could happen here or hurt someone we care about, so we should start taking action now.

We, the Sentry I staff, recom-

mend that steps should be taken to keep students informed and, ultimately, help them make intentional choices at the voting booth. Steps could include creating a current events elective or talking about this during class or advisory period.

Since we are committed to excellence, that should include knowing what is happening in the world of politics and all-around news.

After the devastating school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that took the lives of seventeen students, their former classmates have become involved and tried to prevent what happened to them from happening to others.

It should not take a school

Sentry II

Corrections

Telemarketer calls are getting out of hand For this issue, we have chosen to discuss a daily occurrence and inconvenience for many: telemarketers.

What exactly is telemarketing? Telemarketing is the marketing of goods or services by phone call to existing or potential customers. Typically, telemarketing is used to try to sell a product, but it is also used to do surveys or gather political information before an election.

As a class, we think that telemarketers have gotten out of hand. We find that students constantly get their phones taken up during school because of telemarketers calling during class. Lots of people have gotten detentions because of the phone calls they are getting from random telemarketers. Most students at Prep are underage, yet they get calls asking them for money and student loan bills. We agree that we don’t answer actual calls from unknown numbers because we assume they are telemarketers. It’s aggravating when we miss a cool opportunity or an important phone call from a parent, friend, or college due to the fear of annoying interactions with a telemarketer.

Not only are they calling us, but telemarketers are also texting.

As a staff, we have gotten dozens of texts from telemarketers asking us to pay something off or saying we have joined their membership. How should we know if they are real or fake?

The problems associated

By doing this, Prep would become more proficient in educating its students in current events that will affect their future.

with telemarketers are getting worse. The easy fix is to tell the telemarketer to take your number off of the call list, but there’s a chance that they will continue to call. If you have gotten a referral because of a call from a telemarketer during class, consider putting your phone on airplane mode or silent (instead of vibrate) to ensure that you won’t have to spend the afternoon in detention.

Overall, telemarketer calls are out of hand and we need to put an end to them. There are other ways to publicize your

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

business or campaign for candidates besides calling people, especially teenagers. These phone calls make people want to buy the products of telemarketers less or refuse to give a candidate a vote because of the annoyance they cause. Some people even get tricked into losing money or revealing bank account numbers to people on the phone. Our solution is to listen to voicemails left on your phone in case someone important calls and to remove yourself from telemarketer call lists.

The Sentry strives for factual accuracy. When mistakes occur, we wish to correct them in a clear and timely manner. Please feel free to note any such errors by contacting us at sentry@jacksonprep.net.

In October’s Issue 3, there were factual errors in the opinion piece “Racial profiling leads to Patrick Beadle’s arrest” by Barron Liston: •The sentence for Mr. Beadle was reported as 40 years.

This was a possible sentence, but the actual sentence was 8 years.

•There is not an appeal pending in federal court.

Editorial Policy

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.

Guest editorial?

Editorial cartoon?

Letter to the Editor?

Contact us at:

sentry@jacksonprep.net @jacksonprepsentry

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

Candid & Random

FIND THE FIB

16

FUN & GAMES

Joseph Voynik - 12th

1. I had a home run robbed right in front of me at a baseball game.

2. I’ve never been hunting.

3. I have shaken Donald Trump’s hand.

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

Mills Murphy - 10th

1. I curl my hair.

2. I like to hunt.

3. I am a Harry Potter fan.

How to play: 1. Read the statements and guess which one is not true.

2. Flip the paper upside down and look at the answers at the bottom of the page!

Mackenzie Nichols - 12th -

1. I have had glasses since I was one.

2. I had braces for two years.

3. My house is pink.

@jacksonprepsentry

Answers: Joseph-3, Mackenzie-2, Mills-1

The Sentry

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry