The Sentry, December 2016

J A C K S O N

T H E

P R E P A R A T O R Y

S C H O O L

S E N T RY

VVOL. ISSUE 34 OL. XLVII, XLIV, ISSUE

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

DDE E CE CEMBE MBERR 22016 013

“5 Golden Rings”

Inside: • Sentry’s annual Christmas wish list • Football season wrap up • The Pursuit preview • Holiday fun

By Tanner Mccraney and nevin Wells

FeelingOldYet?

Monsters Inc. Finding Nemo Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Dylan and Cole Sprouse That’s So Raven Kevin from Home Alone Saints winning the Super Bowl Dinosaurs iPhone Wii Hurricane Katrina

Came out 15 years ago...

Came out 13 years ago...

Came out 15 years ago...

Are 24 years old now...

Last episode aired in 2011...

Turned 36 this year...

Happened 7 years ago...

Died 65.5 Million years ago...

Came out 9 years ago...

Hit stores 10 years ago...

Happened 11 years ago..

S E N T RY P I C KS

Staff Members: What would be the name of your Elf on the Shelf?

Shea- Hays Dubberly Laquon- Ellis Abdo Thurman Merman- Paul Andress Billy Bob Joe Jr III- James Threadgill Odie Glen Coffee Jicka VI- Sarah Riley Jicka Howie- Mary Dunbar Chip- Chatham Kennedy Radford- Ann Clardy Byrd Howard- Brittany Wilkinson Jerrion- Alex Gibbs Lain Hughes- Emory Maxwell Christopher and Chrissy- Gracie McCraney Maclain- Mary Patton Murphy Mary Patton Murphy Jr- Maclain Kennedy Dablney- Preston Dubberly Bing- Blair Stockett Becky- Tori Newsome Valack- Sarah Avery Huffman Arnold- Avery Andress Rudolph- Duncan Jones Hingle McCringleberry IV- Stewart McCullough Andrew- Henley Johnson

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Benji- Genevieve Hurst Juan- Will Fletcher Will Ferrell- Lake Wartes Shane- Bennet O’Quinn Buddy the Elf- Tynes Carroll Certeza- Cameron Mabry Harry Styles- Caroline Mcintrye Elfish Presley- Mr. Hughes Jorge- Jacob Aron Bennet Crain- Russell Roberts Parker Woidtke- R.J. Green Jack Williams- Nevin Wells Oprah- Holman Buchanan Fred- Payne Bell Marc- Steven Wyatt Fredrick- Madeline Claire Hughes Lauren-Michael Wilson Guilermo- Jack Young Messi-Tanner McCraney L’ Dasha- Brendon McLeod

The Sentry

ONLINE AT: jpsentry.net

The Sentry Volume XLVII Issue 4 December 2016

TWITTER

Table of Contents

@jpsentry INSTAGRAM

News & Features...........................4-10 Around Town...............................11-13

jacksonprepsentry

Entertainment.............................14-17

FACEBOOK

Sports.............................................18-21 Sports Opinion............................23-24

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Sentry Staff Editors-in-Chief Paul Andress • Chatham Kennedy Associate Editor Hays Dubberly Around Town Editors Gracie McCraney • Blair Stockett Copy Editors Sarah Riley Jicka Brendon McLeod Assistant Copy Editor Mary Patton Murphy Entertainment Editors Jacob Aron • Michael Wilson

Opinion..........................................25-27

Opinion Editors Jacob Aron • Jack Young

Candid & Random............................28

Assistant Opinion Editors Alex Gibbs • Maclain Kennedy

SNAPCHAT

Photography Editors Ann Clardy Byrd • Brittany Wilkinson Assistant Photography Editor Tanner McCraney

thejpsentry

(we won’t follow you)

EMAIL

sentry@jacksonprep.net

Cover Photo

by Stewart McCullough The Sentry is a student publication updated throughout the year. As student writers, we try to reflect the thoughts of our most important readers-- the students of Jackson Prep. Because of this, we attempt to approach many issues, some more controversial than others. Nevertheless, the Sentry staff serves the school--her students, her faculty, her family, and her community. The staff hopes to inform, to educate, to entertain, and to question for the betterment of Prep and the lives of people in the Jackson community. The newspaper is produced by the Sentry staff, consisting of students both in and out of the senior high journalism classes.

EDITORIAL POLICY The Sentry accepts outside editorial pieces under the following guidelines: •Letters to the Editor are a great way to make your voice heard. We do not print unsigned letters.

•Longer concerns may be addressed via a Guest Editorial, with a minimum of 250 words. To be considered, such opinion pieces should not simply be rants, but should be about things that can be changed or alleviated, should suggest a solution to a problem. Pieces should not simply jab at things of which the writer does not approve. Humorous opinion pieces are subject to the judgement of the editorial staff.

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

•Submit letters to the editor or guest editorials to sentry@jacksonprep.net.

•Questions or comments? Our mailing address is P.O. Box 4940, Jackson, MS 39296. We would love to hear your opinions.

Affiliated with

Sports Editors RJ Green • Brendon McLeod • Ellis Abdo Assistant Sports Editor Russell Roberts Graphics Editor Holman Buchanan Online Editors Stewart McCullough • Avery Andress Business Manager Patrick Phillips Staff John Henry Andress • Payne Bell Tynes Carroll • Preston Dubberly Mary Dunbar • William Fletcher Sarah Avery Huffman Madeline Claire Hughes Genevieve Hurst • Annie Jicka Henley Johnson • Duncan Jones Cameron Mabry • Emory Maxwell Caroline McIntyre • Tori Newsome Bennett O’Quinn • James Threadgill Lake Wartes • Nevin Wells • Steven Wyatt Advisor Mr. Lain Hughes

MISSISSIPPI SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION www.mississippischolasticpress.com

December 2016

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News & Features

Cheers for The Dining Room

by Genevieve Hurst The weekend of December 2-4, Prep’s one-act troupe went to Starkville to perform their play The Dining Room on Coma Stage. They had to be at school at 4:55 am on Friday morning so they could all go in a bus. The members of set crew,

the fourteen members of the cast, Ms. Jessica Wilkinson, Mr. Nathan Devine, Ms. Lisa Patti, and Mr. Kenneth McDade all went. They stayed at a microtel, eating Lost Pizza, ice cream, Oby’s, and on the Mississippi State campus. They spent Friday and Saturday watching seventeen plays

from other schools, and they performed on Friday.

They have had three performances so far: one an JA, one at Prep, and the one in Starkville. On the way back from JA, their dining room table broke, so they had to use Chatham Kennedy’s grandmother’s kitchen table. This provided some challenges, as the table did not match the chairs, so they had to cover the table with a tablecloth to make it match.

The teams have 45 minutes to set up their entire set, act out the play, and return everything back to a 10x10 box. They have to start behind the “go line”.

Prep won many awards in Starkville. Mr. McDade won best director, Gregor Patti won best supporting actor, and Chatham Kenne-

All of the seniors of the cast and set crew with the director, Mr. McDade.

dy and Keeton Landfair won all star cast. Because Prep was in the top 4 of all the shows there, they won Outstanding Show and are going to the

MCA competition Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend in Hattiesburg.

They will perform another time at Prep in January.

Seniors Keeton Landfair, Lawson Marchetti, Chatham Kennedy, and Gregor Patti with the Distinguished Play Award. Photo courtesy of Chatham Kennedy.

Youth Legislature: May I approach the Well?

Tynes Carroll Genevieve HursT The Mississippi Youth Legislature conference took place in downtown Jackson Wednesday, November 9 through Saturday, November 12 this year. Over 400 students came from all over Mississippi, ranging from the southern coast all the way to the northern tip of the state. Prep brought 45 students and three advisors. by

and

Students are assigned into either the House of Representatives or the Senate.

Due to the influx in students attending the conference this year, there were two parallel Houses and Senates running simultaneously, labeled “Jefferson” and “Hamilton.” Meetings were held in the Jackson Marriott, where delegates also stayed, as well as in the state’s Capitol Building and the Old

Kennedi Pass makes her point in the ornate chambers of the state Capitol.

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Capitol Museum.

The conference is a simulation of the Mississippi state legislature in which students draft bills and present them to their assigned committee, chamber. The “Youth Governor” ultimately decides the fate of the bills that have passed to his desk. Many Prep students who attended the conference said that it was a fun way to public speak, debate, and possibly find out what career they are interested in. They were able to learn parliamentary procedure, fight people over bills, and meet new people from all over the state.

Prep seniors Logan Gage, William Leech, and Easton Sheffield served as Youth Legislature officials this year, and Prep ninth-grader Alex Stradinger was tapped to be part of the Governor’s staff.

There were many special guests this year at the conference. From Marshall Ramsey to U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, students were sure to be interested.

All of the guys at Youth Leg after a full day of meetings. Photo courtesy of Emison Geiger.

At the end of the conference students got to vote on candidates for Youth Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker Pro Tempore, and a host of other positions.This allowed students to feel like they were a large part of the election process. It was interesting to see people you knew from chamber running for these spots. They spoke on why they should be elected and answered a series of questions

from legislators. One of the candidates for governor was Prep junior Aidan Creel. The positions were announced on Saturday right before leaving, and they will be the officers of the 2017 conference.

Youth Legislature this year was a great success, with many impressive bills and influential legislators.

The Sentry

News & Features

The Pacers give a final salute to Lou Ann McKibben By: Avery Andress And sArAh Avery huffmAn The Pacers have been under the watchful eye of Ms. Lou Ann McKibben for the past 14 years. Her first year as sponsor was after tryouts in the spring of 2003. While she was only supposed to be the interim sponsor, she found herself as the permanent sponsor.

As sponsor, it is Ms. McKibben’s job to oversee tryouts, select the captains, order all the Pacer’s necessities, such as gloves and boots, and complete many other tasks that ensure that the Pacers have everything they might need. This year, she, along with the help of Ms. Christina Jackson who will take over as Pacer sponsor next year, have spent countless hours organizing the Pacers’ trip to New Orleans to perform at the Sugar Bowl. This will be Ms. McKibben’s 4th time to take a group of Pacers to the Sugar Bowl.

Aside from being sponsor,

Ms. McKibben with the 2016-2017 Pacers. Photo courtesy of Lisa Patti.

Ms. McKibben teaches AP U.S. Government and Economics. She is married to her husband, Doug. They have two daughters, Caroline Upchurch and Jordan Mason who are both Jackson Prep graduates, and 3 grandchildren: Ethan Upchurch who is 4, Leo Upchurch who is 2, and Cameron Mason who is 18 months old.

This year is Ms. McKibben’s 14th and final year as the

Pacer sponsor. She said it was the best year to go out as sponsor because everything was so easy and there was a fantastic group of seniors. This year was the 13th year out of Ms. McKibben’s 14 years as sponsor that the Pacers performed at the championship football game.

Throughout her many years as sponsor, she has made many memories. One of her fa-

vorite memories from all her years as sponsor is one time when the Pacers traveled to Pillow Academy to perform.

The field was so muddy that when the Pacers kicked, the mud landed on their heads. By the end of the performance, the girls were covered entirely with mud. The girls thought that it was so much fun.

Ms. McKibben said the absolute best part of being sponsor is having relationships with all of the Pacers that she couldn’t have made by just being their teacher. She said, “It has been one of the greatest blessings of my life!” She still keeps in touch with girls who were Pacers years ago because of the relationships she built with them.

One of her favorite memories from the 2016 season was the playoff game against Jackson Academy, which was her last home game. She said, “The dance was so incredible, and about 10 of my former Pacers

came and stood with me on the track for my last time at Patriot Field as the Pacer sponsor. It was really special.”

Former Pacer Madeline Mangum had this to say about Ms. McKibben: “If I could elect anyone for President of the U.S.A., I would pick Ms. McKibben.” While she was joking, she quickly followed up by saying, “But honestly, Ms. McKibben is a woman of many talents. If I could be as witty and wise as anyone, it would be her.”

Another one of her favorite memories from this year was when all the Pacers surrounded the five Pacers on the homecoming court, one, Rosemary Ferguson, of which was named homecoming queen.

Ms. McKibben said she has thoroughly enjoyed these past 14 years as sponsor. The Pacers will all miss her, but feel know she has left them in great hands with Ms. Jackson.

The Pursuit is looking forward to “Making Marks”

Preston duBBerly tori newsome Mark your calendars for Jackson Prep’s Pursuit! The Pursuit, Jackson Prep’s schoolwide, student led spiritual enrichment week, will kick off January 4th during activity period/directed study.

This year, Jason Stoker will be speaking to the students and faculty. He lives in Starkville, Mississippi and ministers to the poorest city in our nation, Marks, Mississippi. He founded the Reclaimed Project, which presents adoption grants in addition to working with orphanages in Lesotho and Zimbabwe, Africa.

Every year, a group of students is in charge of the Pursuit. The seniors are John Nix Arledge, Chatham Kennedy, Keeton Landfair, and Joseph Upton. The juniors are Cooper By

And

December 2016

Carroll, Anne Clark Harvey, Lindsey Howard, and Isabelle McLeod. These students have been planning this event since April of 2016. Over the summer, they had a Bible study together. There are approximately 110 high school students who volunteered to be small group leaders for the junior high students.

On Thursday, January 5th, all students are invited to come back to Prep at 6:00pm for a free Chickfila dinner, games, and worship at the bonfire. Following these events, junior high students will have time in small groups, led by senior high students.

This year’s theme is “Making Marks,” teaching students how to make their mark in their Christian faith. The theme verse is I Timothy 4:12, “Don’t let anyone look down on you

because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

If you are interested in The Pursuit, follow them on Instagram @thepursuitjp.

Calendar: January 4th 7:40am- Donuts on Patriot Avenue for all students 10:55am- Speaker and worship January 5th 10:55am- Speaker and worship 6:00pm- Evening activities January 6th 10:55- Final speaker and worship

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News & Features “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan” comes to Prep On Monday, November 14, an event designed to bring two nations together occurred at Prep. Known as “Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan,” the talk was sponsored by the council of the prime minister of Japan and had a panel of five Japanese representatives. Every man and woman on the panel was unique and had their own story to tell. Each person on the panel gave a speech on a different topic.

Among the speakers, the most prominent was Ambassador Shotaro Oshima. His main purpose was to help people understand how the energy and

power industries were changing in Japan. He also spoke of Japan’s economy.

The second speaker was Mitsuko Takahashi. She works in the aviation and transportation industry and talked of her love of vehicles. To drive on the highways in Japan costs money, so many Japanese people take public transportation. She spoke of how efficient and punctual the trains always are.

Another speaker was Yasunori Nitta. Nitta is an athletic trainer for the Japanese Olympic team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Students were able to speak with him before the event about the training

Tynes cArroll On Thursday, November 17th, members of the French Club gathered at Anjou a southern French restaurant in Ridgeland to celebrate “Beaujolais Nouveau.” Beaujolais Nouveau is a celebration of the Frenchmade wine that is from Gamay grapes.

The annual event celebrates the end of a year of harvest of the Gamay grapes, which produce the very popular French wine.

However, since no French students ranging from grades eight to twelve are 21 or older, the students did not drink any of the famous wine, but instead ate the fabulous dinner special

by Anjou.

The French students had a great time speaking French to one another and some ordered in French. Given a private room and an exclusive meal, all of the students had a wonderful time and hope to continue the tradition next year.

by

Annie JickA

of the Japanese Olympic team.

He said that it was different for every sport, but that they were looking for young talent.

He said the most popular sport in Japan is baseball, but that his favorite sport was basketball. He was interested in the basketball games at Prep and wanted to go see them after the event.

The event was well attended by members of the Japanese-American community as well as Prep leaders such as Dr. Jason Walton, Dr. Luke Nealey, and Col. William Merrell.

Ambassador Shotaro Oshima with senior high principal Dr. Luke Nealey. Photo by Sarah Riley Jicka.

French Club celebrates Spanish club heading in a new direction “Beaujolais Nouveau”

by Duncan Jones November first and second. many students painted faces by

The 2016-2017 school year signifies a new direction for the Jackson Prep Spanish Club.

Under the direction of Ms. Katie Luckey, it provides opportunities for students to connect with Spanish culture in a variety of ways.

So far, the club has had several productive meetings where officers were appointed and they have celebrated El Día de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead. El Día de los Muertos takes place on

These two days are used to honor the dead, and it is celebrated through festivals.

The Day of the Dead was celebrated by Prep students on Patriot Avenue with activities and culinary delights. Specifically, Spanish Club provided desserts and a face painting area for students. On the subject, Emory Maxwell, the 10th grade Spanish Club Social Chair, said “El dia de los Muertos celebration was really fun and

and baked cakes.”

This year’s officers include president Joseph Upton, who is serving his second term as chief of staff, and other officers Avery Andress-Vice President, Jewels Tauzin-Philanthropy, and representatives from each grade.

Some of these include freshman Garrett Davis, sophomores Caitlyn Parks and Maclain Kennedy, and Juniors Kole Crotwell and Duncan Jones.

French Club enjoys a nice meal at Anjou.

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The Sentry

News & Features Poetry Out Loud sparks literary enlightment

madeline Claire hughes and henley Johnson Poetry Out Loud is a nationwide competition where students from all over compete against each other to determine who is the most skilled at reciting poetry.

This competition was created to help students learn to become public speakers with self confidence and different ways to express themselves.

The competitions start in every classroom. Each student has strict rules to follow in choosing and reciting the poem they chose. The teacher holds a recitation competition that every student participates in, and a winner is chosen from each class. The students in the class choose this winner.

These winners then compete in a grade competition that is chosen by each grade’s English teachers. The three best from each grade will then participate in a school wide compe-

tition.

The judges for this competition are brought in from outside of the school to make sure they are not biased but are still residents of the near community. The winner from the school wide competition goes onto the state competition and then onto the nationwide competition.

Each winner receives very impressive awards such as hundreds of dollars, etc. Everything relating to this competition is on its website called poetryoutloud.org.

Mississippi actually had a national champion in 2012 from Ridgeland High School named Kristen Dupard.

Lawson Marchetti, a senior at Jackson Prep, has been the school wide champion every year he has been in the competition (from freshman to senior year). He won his last one on Wednesday, November 30th.

He was also in the MS state championship in 2015.

Mary Patton Murphy, a sophomore at Prep who won second place at the school wide competition, describes the competition by saying, “Participating in Poetry Out Loud was a really great experience. There were several really great competitions, and I’m super excited to have won.”

The people in charge of hosting Poetry Out Loud at each school are the high school English teachers. Also, in order to promote it, every year a man from MS arts comes to give an introduction to this program to

James Threadgill Tenth grader Joseph Voynik, during his seventh grade year, came to Dr. Cindy Townsend, former director of Prep’s Global Leadership Institute, with an idea that would change the lives of children and adults with disabilities forever. Joseph’s idea was to build a baseball field, called the Miracle League field that would be accessible to people with all kinds of disabilities.

Joseph said, “I wanted to do it because there was not any field like it around the Jackson metro area, and that there were many kids with disabilities.”

Col. William Merrell, the current director of the Global Leadership Institute, was inspired by Joseph’s idea. “During 7th grade leadership class, Joseph presented a dream of the

An idea from 7th grade becomes a reality years later

ities alone is 8,000 in the Jackson metro area.

Recently, the nonprofit has received enough money to begin funding the building process. They have also held meetings with many different companies to discuss the idea.

The plan is to have it built in Hite-Wolcott Park in Ridgeland by spring 2017.

The Miracle League baseball park has currently raised $385,000 out of the $450,000 goal. If you or anyone you know would like to donate to the project, please visit http://www. miracleleagueofcentralms.com.

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9th graders.

Left to right: Poetry Out Loud finalists Mary Patton Murphy, Lawson Marchetti, and Claire Porter. Photo courtesy of Kelly Headley

Joseph Voynik finishes miracle field by

December 2016

Miracle League baseball park.

He showed passion and he was convicted. All leaders must have passion about what they are doing and really believe in what they are leading or want to accomplish. Joseph took that first scary step toward his goal with his first fundraiser here at Prep raising over $10,000. That was his first step, and he took it,” said Merrell.

Since it will be a baseball field, there will be several teams of kids and adults playing. The number of people per team has not been decided, but the number of kids with disabil-

Dr. Walton and Joseph Voynick take a break from the long day to smile at the camera.

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News & Features

‘Tis the season to be hungry Genevieve Hurst Every year at Christmas and Thanksgiving, people put on their loosest sweatpants and baggiest shirts to sit down and eat huge meals. These meals can be prepared for days and can be gone in minutes. Even before the actual holiday, there are lots of cookies, candy, and other great snacks.

Marketplace Mistletoe comes at the beginning of November to bring Christmas

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cheer and lots of eating. This can be seen as the gateway event of holiday eating. With countless free samples and Christmas-themed foods to buy, this sets up the season of eating.

To others, Halloween is seen as the opening into winter eating. Binge-eating candy from trick-or-treating builds an ability to eat a lot that is carried on through Christmas.

The first big event in eating is

Thanksgiving dinner. According to Wikipedia, the most popular Thanksgiving food is sweet potatoes. However, among the students of Jackson Prep, this has not quite proven to be true.

Sophomore Eleanor Baker’s favorite food is mashed potatoes, while 8th grader Liddy Hurst’s favorite food is green bean casserole. Other common favorites are stuffing, salad, macaroni and cheese, and, of course, turkey. Pies are also very loved within the Prep community. Pecan pie, apple pie, pumpkin pie, even sweet potato pie are all commonly served and adored at many students’ dinners.

Between Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, and gingerbread, there is plenty for people to feast on during the Christmas season, even before the big meal. Christmas parties and other gatherings give everyone a chance to eat these to their

heart’s content. Many restaurants and other stores have special Christmas foods and deals, so it is very tempting to eat a lot.

Christmas dinner, however appears to be the main event.

There is much more variation in this meal, with ham, turkey, roast beef, and chicken as

the entrees and countless side options that depend on family traditions.

All the foods so far this season have reached everyone’s expectations, and meals in coming weeks will definitely do so too.

Art exhibit lights up Jackson Prep library Lake Wartes The art exhibit in the Jackson Prep library is a collage of father and son Elisaeus and Armine con Seutter’s work. The duo worked together in a photographic studio documenting the city and people of Jackson, Mississippi.

A majority of the photographs are taken by Elisaeus, but a few are by Armine, who joined his father in the career of photography later on. One of Elisaeus’ best photographs can actually be found in the library. It is a panoramic photo of Jackson von Seutter took after he had climbed onto the roof of what is now the Old Capitol Museum.

The photos in the library are known as stereocards. Stereocards have the same image, with slightly different angles side by side.

This may look strange at first, but when you look through a stereoscope it provides the by

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viewer with a 3D experience.

A stereoscope is holder that the stereo card can be placed into and held up to the face.

This form of photography was very new for that time period and revolutionized the way photos were taken from then on. Students and faculty alike are glad to have this exhibit at Prep.

Make sure to stop by and take a look at this wonderful display. It will be sure to have you looking at Jackson in a whole new way.

Student admires the beautiful photography set up. Photo by Lake Wartes

The Sentry

News & Features Community service spreads Christmas cheer Gracie Mccraney The best way to spread Christmas cheer is…by serving your community! As the holiday season is approaching, there are many reminders of how fortunate we are. Christmas is tough for many families, so throughout the holiday’s there are many volunteer opportunities to participate in while on a break from school. Spending time volunteering is not only beneficial to the community, but also to yourself.

There are many needs around the Jackson metro area; so get out and volunteer. The Salvation Army’s bell ringing opportunities are available at various locations such as Mcby

Dade’s and Kroger. No child should go without a gift on Christmas. You can help make Christmas extra special simply by adopting a child from an “Angel Tree.” A donated gift could be the only present he or she will receive for Christmas.

Angel Trees are located at various churches and schools. Tune in to your local radio stations for specific locations and directions.

The Mississippi Children’s Museum, Canopy Children’s Solutions, and Stewpot are some local organizations in need of volunteers throughout the holidays. Jackson Prep’s partner for this year is Canopy Children’s Solutions, previous-

ly Mississippi Children’s Home.

They have plenty of opportunities throughout the holidays.

For more information on Canopy, check out their Facebook.

Stewpot is looking for volunteers to help serve meals

and clean the kitchen. Their website has more information on how to volunteer. Mississippi Food Network’s goal is to help end hunger in our local area. They are looking for volunteers to help work in their warehouse. You can volunteer on their website.

Good Samaritan, Brookdale Assisted Living, and CARA are some other local organizations to get involved with. The Good Samaritan Center’s goal

is to help families in emergency situations. Some of their volunteer opportunities include: helping in their Clothing Closet on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons and helping out in their Warehouse. Brookdale Assisted Living always needs people to come in, especially on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The people there love singing, listening to piano and guitar players, playing games, and cooking.

There is information on the website.

The director has asked that you let her know ahead of time if you plan to come. CARA is looking for volunteers to organize a food drive or volunteer at their adoption parties.

There are endless needs in our communities. While on a break from school, get involved.

Hannah Grace Berch and Shelby Andress ring the bell for the Salvation Army at McDades Market at Maywood Shopping Center. Photo

by Kelly Headley.

Mustard Seed hosts annual Christmas open house Maclain Kennedy caroline Mcintyre Mustard Seed’s Annual Christmas Open House took place on December 3rd, 2016, and it has been going on for 35 years. The Mustard Seed is a community of adults with developmental disabilities. It offers housing to these adults or allows them to stay for the day. It also includes many fun activities that these adults can participate in, including this fun Christmas event.

The gift shop opened its doors to hundreds of shoppers looking to buy pottery painted by the seedsters. When people purchase items such as ceramics, the money provides 20 percent of their total operating budget. Raffle tickets were purchased outside the shop to win one of four prize packages made by the seedsters.

The baked goods were sold by the dozens this year. For over 25 years, parents of the seedsters have baked cakes and other sweets to sell.

Gloria Frazier, one of the parents of a seedster said that her favorite part of the event is, “being right here on the campus where they [seedsters] are.

We all have children or siblings by

and

December 2016

that live here.”

In the past, the money from the bake sale has gone to purchase things for Mustard Seed such as iPads or a flag pole. This year, the money is going to go to the seedsters trip they have planned to Atlanta.

Mustard Seed is excited about taking the seedsters to Georgia, and the seedsters are just as excited about going.

The Bells of Faith, Mus-

tard Seed’s handbell group, has been led by Debbie Burnham for the past 28 years. Although there are only 19 bell ringing positions, all of the seedsters help out in some way. “Watching them,” she said she could see, “the love they share be-

tween themselves and the acceptance.”

While speaking to Mandy Sisson, an employee at the Mustard Seed, she said, “My favorite thing about the Mustard Seed are the parents that bring their potential seedster here and see this community that’s filled with people just like their seedster, and they instantly have friends and have been given opportunities that they may not have had before.

“Here at the Mustard Seed, I am the minority, and they are the majority because everybody here is just alike.

The most rewarding part about this program is seeing parents come and find this relief and joy that their family member now has this place to be surrounded by friends just like them.”

After speaking to Sisson, we discovered the true definition of this event. “This is a day where people can meet our seedsters families, go in the gift shop, and discover the activities center.

Maybe they have received a mug with a seedsters name on it and now they get to meet that person after drinking out of that mug for five years. Open house is just a day to let people

see our entire campus because we want them to be able to see everything. We think it is just a fun day where we can open up to the community that gives us so much!”

Mustard Seed is an amazing organization that puts on events like this all year around.

The warm and giving hearts of the workers and seedsters show in what they do and how they treat each other. If given the chance, stop by the Mustard Seed gift shop Monday through Friday from 9 am- 4 pm, or the second Saturday of every Sara Michael Kennedy is happy to month. see her pen pal, Sarah Siminson .

Photo by Maclain Kennedy.

Pottery made by the seedsters. Photo by Maclain Kennedy.

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News and Features Junior High collects gifts during holiday season

By John henry Andress The Junior High has always been kind and generous with their Christmas giving, and this year’s project is about giving to children who don’t get as much on Christmas as we do. The Junior High Student Council has gone to every homeroom to announce their plan, in which these homerooms will fill a stocking for two or three children who are at Canopy’s Children Solutions.

This is the Senior High Service

Club’s community partner for the year.

Canopy Children’s Solutions was founded in 1912, but it was originally called Mississippi’s Children’s Home Society. They had to change their name because they thought it was misleading. They believe that the best place for every child is their own home, so they thought that Canopy Children’s Solutions better fit their purpose. Some programs that Canopy Children’s Solu-

Ms. Rose holds items collected by her home room for Canopy Children Solutions. Photo by John Henry Andress.

tions has are autism programs, intensive psychiatric care, intensive in-home solutions, and many more.

The Student Council gave these homerooms a letter explaining their plans and guidelines to make sure the kids got practical and fun gifts. The kids were placed there due to their conditions, so the Junior High was glad to take the responsibility of providing a wonderful Christmas for them. The Junior High is providing for

about sixty children.

Ms Carolyn Tatum and Ms Meg. Hanes, the Junior High Student Council sponsors, are in charge of this project.

They were glad to take on this project in order to give these kids a great Christmas.

The Junior High Student Council hopes to get a lot of goodies to give to these kids on Christmas, and they are collecting all of the gifts by December 8.

Vertimax workouts help athletes steven WyAtt Will Fletcher A different kind of workout has been added to several Jackson Prep sports over the last year and a half. During the summer of 2015 Prep added two new resistance training systems made by the company, VertiMax, to help with the development of their athletes.

By

And

Are you in Junior High (including 6th grade)?

Would you like to write, draw, or take photos for The Sentry?

We are currently recruiting junior high staff!

Email Mr. Hughes: lhughes@jacksonprep.net to get more information 10

Photo by Steven Wyatt.

There are several different models offered by the company. Prep chose the VertiMax V8 model, which is the second largest model available.

This model consists of a flat platform with multiple performance resistance bands that vary in strength and resistance and can be used in a variety of ways, ranging anywhere from off-platform footwork drills to on-platform vertical jumps.

The training system’s multiple resistance bands are connected to the user with different sized straps that wrap around the athlete’s ankles, waist, wrist, or thigh. The VertiMax training system can help develop an athlete’s verti-

cal jump, speed, strength, and acceleration.

Since the arrival of the new workout systems, many of the sports teams on the Prep campus have had an opportunity to use them. Because of the system’s wide range of uses, Prep’s basketball, baseball, volleyball, and soccer teams have been able to benefit from them.

The boys’ basketball team trained with the machines during most of the preseason workouts in the summer and early fall. Coach Moore of the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team said the VertiMax workouts add “a third environment” to

the team’s practices.

All of the equipment has not only been approved by trainers nationwide, but also it has been approved for athletes at all levels. The equipment is used by over 40% of all professional sports teams and 80% of all NCAA Division 1 colleges and universities nationwide.

Since Vertimax’s small start in California in 1988, it has become a nationally acclaimed and popular product around the country. It has allowed many well known and rising athletes to expand their abilities and athleticism, and it seems to be having the same effect here.

Senior David Powe demonstrates the use of a Vertimax. Photo by Stewart McCullough

The Sentry

Around Town Fantastic Christmas lights and Belhaven Christmas Tree sings for the 84th year where to find them Holman bucHanan Around the holiday season each year, a fun activity to get in the Christmas spirit is to go see great displays of Christmas lights. Some locals take decorating their house to a different level, such as the Richardson House in Madison as well as Lake Lorman lights at a home on Lake Lorman. Some small towns around Jackson such as by

(above) The Canton lights are among the most popular sights to see during Christmas time. The entire town square of Canton is coverd with lights and decorations.

Photo by Holman Buchanan.

Yazoo City and Canton, cover their downtown buildings with an array of lights. Although there are numerous light displays around the metro-area, these are a few I thought were most entertaining. (right) Lake Lorman lights is located at 121 Hanging Moss Ln in Madison. The lighted are synced with music at 102.3fm.

(above) The town of Yazoo City is hard to miss during Christmas time.

Each building is coverd with a different color of bright LED lights.

mary Dunbar On December 2nd the Belhaven Singing Christmas Tree performed for the 84th year, a tradition that started in 1933 at Belhaven University. The singers were held by a 35 foot tall wooden and metal tree. There were supposed to be two performances, but due to weather, one was cancelled.

The performance was free and open to the public at 7:30 p.m. in the Belhaven Bowl Stadium.

The show draws more than one thousand people every year, many bringing blankets and thermoses of hot chocolate with them. A Prep eighth grader, Liddy Hurst, said, “I went with several friends and it was very fun. It really got me in the Christmas spirit.

My favorite part was getting to drink hot chocolate while listening to the music.” The singing choir was composed of very talented faculty, alumni, and staff. It was lit by lights that changed colors with the music, which was visually pleasing to the audience. The choir members were interactive, because of this the audience never got bored.

During the song “Let it Snow”, the choir members threw snow, and it looked beautiful. The first half of the show was composed of traditional by

Christmas songs like “White Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, and the second half told the story of the birth of Jesus Christ using songs like “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World”.

The Belhaven Singing Christmas Tree provides entertainment for friends and family of all ages.

There is no greater way to get in the Christmas spirit than by attending the Singing Christmas Tree.

(above) The Belhaven Christmas Tree in the daytime with no one on it. (below) The Belhaven Christmas Tree is lit up with the Christmas lights and shown with the people

(above) The Richardson Light Show is quite the sight to see during the Christmas season. Not only are there thousands of lights, but hundreds of lit inflatables and decorations across the yard. It is located at 219 Sundial Road in Madison.

December 2016

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Around Town Sombra spices things up in Flowood

By Tori Newsome aNd PresToN duBBerly Sombra Mexican Kitchen now has two locations, one at the Township in Ridgeland and a new location in Dogwood.

In Dogwood, Sombra took the place of Cheddar’s.

The reason it opened in Dogwood was because of the choice to open a new Amerigo location in Flowood too. Sombra is owned by the 4-Tops Hospitality company that is based out of Nashville and owns three other businesses: Char, Anjou, and Amerigo.

The new Sombra can seat up to 225 guests and has an area of 8,400 square feet. Sombra is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner from 11 AM - 10 PM. The lunch menu is given from 11 AM - 3 PM. Sadly, reservations are not

available, but you can contact them about their private dining room. They are known for their Taco Tuesdays, and on Fridays, they serve fried catfish.

Luci Frank, David Purvis, Spence Graves, Abby Newton, and Alex Turner, members of the sophomore class, all joined us when we went to Sombra to enjoy food, friends, and fellowship over the Thanksgiving break.

We were greeted by our waiter, Smiley. We tried a variety of things: the quesadilla burger, two enchiladas, guacamole, queso, chicken fajitas, cheese quesadilla, chicken tenders, and a chicken and cheese quesadilla.

Overall, our meal was satisfactory. David said, “Our experience at the new Sombra was enjoyable. The food did not

take long to be served despite the Sunday night crowd.”

The atmosphere in Dogwood was the same as the one in the Township and it was nice to go somewhere familiar. The Sombra in Dogwood is more convenient than Madison for people who live in the Jackson/Flowood/Brandon area and allows more Jackson Prep students to enjoy this restaurant.

Other new restaurants that have been added to the Flowood area include Sonic, Freshii, Jo’s diner, and Krystal. Flowood has seen a recent boom in restaurants and shops and is growing quickly. You are guaranteed to find the right place for you.

The most wonderful time of the year...to eat Paul’s Palate

by Paul Andress It’s the most wonderful time of the year...to eat.

Christmas is the time to gain those extra pounds that make you realize you need a New Year’s resolution. This edition will help you gain those extra pounds, but these extra pounds will be worth it as you will enjoy the experience.

I agree empty calories are not worth it. However, you can not describe the fulfillment you receive from these foods as empty calories.

My main go to over the holiday season comes from a place that is very well known.

This place is none other than Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A offers a pep-

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permint chocolate chip milkshake over the holidays that is nothing short of incredible. It is only available over the holiday season for a limited time, so you should enjoy them while you can. There is nothing quite like waffle fries with the Peppermint shake.

Check out the freezer section at the local grocery store this holiday season to find seasonal ice cream flavors. Sticking with the peppermint theme, Blue Bell ice cream offers a peppermint flavor during the holiday season.

Allegedly, Edy’s ice cream offers an Eggnog holiday flavor of ice cream. I have yet to lay my eyes upon it, but if anyone

finds this hidden treasure let me know.

Another place that really embraces the holiday spirit is Starbucks. This year Starbucks is brewing six new holiday drinks. This includes: Chestnut Praline Latte, Caramel Brulée Latte, Eggnog Latte, Gingerbread Latte, Peppermint Mocha, and Skinny Peppermint Mocha.

I am a big fan of peppermint (if you have not already noticed), so I stick to the Peppermint Mocha. However, I

have not had a beverage at Starbucks that has disappointed me.

One of the best kept holiday secrets is Ichiban in Dogwood. Now I bet you are wondering what is so special about Ichiban over the holidays. My good friend Matthew Myers and I discovered this secret as we drove into Dogwood one dreary, Christmas night only to find one source of light shining bright from Ichiban.

As far as I know, Ichiban is the only restaurant in town that has Christmas hours. For those of you who do not have Christmas family dinners, you can come join Matthew and me at Ichiban on the 25th. around 6:30.

A carton of the rare Edy’s Eggnog ice cream.

The Sentry

Around Town

Livingston is well worth the drive Mary Patton MurPhy Many Prep families enjoyed the fresh produce, delicious treats, and lively music of the Town of Livingston’s summer and fall farmers’ markets.

Although these seasonal markets came to an end not long ago, the fun off of Livingston Church Road in Flora continues.

Located on the corner of Highway 463 and Highway 22, the Town of Livingston is home to many great restaurants and shops. Restaurants include County Seat and The Gathering. Shops at the location include Livingston Mercantile, Livingston Cellars, Tulip Floral and Goods, and Livingston Sweet Shoppe. One Prep senior, Emily Claire Herring, talked about how much she enjoys the town. “I love the way that the restaurants serve local, home-style food in an upscale atmosphere. The town is really charming, and the people by

there are friendly.”

Livingston has shown its festive holiday spirits during both Thanksgiving and the start of December. On December 3rd, it held an all-day “Christmas in the Country” event. Families gathered for live entertainment, arts and crafts, kids activities, and pictures with Santa. The town plans to continue the holiday festivities throughout the rest of the month also.

On December 21st, Tulip Floral and Goods will be holding a “Holiday Centerpiece” workshop, including a demonstration for creating a holiday wreath. Livingston Mercantile is ensuring that they are stocked with just the right Christmas gifts for the holidays from several wellknown brands such as MUSEE, GUND, Corkcicle, and Mona B. Finally, Livingston’s The Gathering is providing live music every Thursday evening to ensure

an enjoyable atmosphere for dinner.

Don’t wait until the summer to visit the Town of Livingston. Rather, grab a bite to eat over the Christmas break, shop a little, and treat yourself at the Livingston Sweet Shoppe.

These won’t disappoint.

Right: Sophmore Emison Geiger smiles with authentic Livinston icecream. The Livingston candy store sells a variety of icecreams and milkshakes.

Below: Living Farmers Market stands proudly in the spring sun.

The spring market is open on Thursdays.

Fondren shows its Christmas spirit

December 2016

Mary Patton MurPhy On November 17th, the neighborhood of Fondren officially commenced the holly, jolly spirit of the holidays with its annual Christmas event, Fondren Unwrapped. The area saw the appearance of Santa and his sleigh, cast members of the soon to be performed Nutcracker, and a wise man and camel from the little town of Bethlehem.

Prep’s very own Prep Tones also made an appearance at the event, singing several Christmas songs such as Joy to the World, Silent Night, and I’ll be Home for Christmas.

Members of the group gave the impressions of thoroughly enjoying their first performance at the gathering.

Prep junior in the club, Aidan Creel, said, “I enjoyed singing because we had practiced a lot and it was cool that by

people were watching and enjoying it.”

In comparison to other Fondren events such as Fondren’s First Thursday, Fondren Unwrapped saw considerably less people than normal.

This could have been due to the absence of vendors that are usually present at these events, and a focus on the support of Fondren business.

Whatever the reason may be, the neighborhood of Fondren still enjoyed the music and atmosphere of the Christmas celebration.

Far left: Members of the group, Prep Tones, gather to sing Christmas favorites. Photo by Maclain Kennedy.

Center: Junior, Lawson Yelverton, and sophmore, Sara Michael Kennedy were happy to visit at the event.

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These lists were constructed by Hays Dubberly.

Best Christmas Songs White Christmas It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Santa Baby Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

Childhood Favorites Wii Hot Wheels Hungry Hippo Socks American Girl

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Christmas Wishlist 2016 Best Christmas Movies Elf The Grinch Who Stole Christmas Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Home Alone It’s a Wonderful Life

Best Candy from Santa Candy Cane Reese’s Ribbon Candy Hershey Kisses Gumdrops

The Sentry

Best Christmas Presents XBOX One S Hunting gear iPhone 7 Concert Tickets New Pet

Best Christmas Desinations The North Pole New York City Utah Bethlehem The Overlook

December 2016

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Entertainment Oy with the poodles already! Gilmore Girls returns TV Review: Chatham Kennedy Fast paced jabber has once again rung through the homes of Gilmore girls fans. For months, admirers stalked Youtube channels and Facebook pages in hopes to find out who the returning characters would be, or if they were lucky, a trailer. Fans were ecstatic to learn that supporting characters Melissa McCarthy (Sookie St. James), Milo Ventimiglia (Jess Mariano), Keiko Agena (Lane Kim), Yanic Truesdale (Michel Gerard), and Sean Gunn (Kirk) would be returning to the screen. Unfortunately, Edward Herrmann, who played Richard Gilmore, does not make an appearance since he passed away

in December of 2014.

After leaving the show to go work for the up-and-coming CW Network in 2006, Amy Sherman Palladino comes back to the Gilmore girls: A Year in the Life cast as the screenplay author and debuts as the show’s director. Her husband, Daniel Palladino, works alongside her as the producer and author. The twosome bring back the quick-witty banter of Lorelai and Rory and the charismatic charm of Stars Hollow that made original viewers long to be a Gilmore girl.

Season one is divided into four ninety-minute episodes, which are divided into winter,

spring, summer, and fall. Spectators are immersed in the town festivities that change with the season as well as the everyday life of the characters. Senior Marion Sapen shared her take on the seasonal episodes. While she enjoyed the show, she said that varying seasons seemed unconditional since the characters would do things that they did not normally do (i.e. laying out by the pool in the summer or walking around the town with umbrellas).

Longtime fan Mr. Richard Younce, gave his view on the show saying, “I think that what the writers did for Rory, where her life is and where her story is, is totally inappropriate for someone who is thirty-two years old...Here is the problem: Rory is not a fully rounded character..The biggest problem is the arch of Rory and the way she is written. On the other

hand, there is some other stuff that is very Gilmore girlsy. I don’t resent spending six hours on it. And I did. I watched them all in one day, I think.”

Whether you are a lifelong Gilmore girls fan or a novice,

Gilmore girls: A Year in the Life will be sure to have your stomach aching with laughter as you reach for a cup of coffee, getting lost in the world of Stars Hollow.

Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) Gilmore “smell snow” in the Winter (season one, episode one) poster.

Call Of Duty Infinite Warfare mainly for vets Game Review: Patrick Phillips Call of Duty has released its 12th edition to the 13 year old franchise. This year Call of Duty Infinite Warfare was developed and released on November 4, 2016. Included in the game is three separate modes: Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies. The standard edition of the game retails for 59.99 however the more popular package the Legacy Edition (79.99) comes with Infinite Warfare and Modern Warfare Remastered, which is a remastered edition of the fourth title of the Call of Duty franchise.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Campaign takes place throughout many different planets in a broad time frame. It blends ground warfare, robotic warfare, aerial warfare, as well as intergalactic warfare all into one fluid campaign your charac-

16

ter Lt Reyes who was recently promoted to captain of the Retribution which is one of the biggest spaceships in the Resistance.

Your goal is to stop the evil SDF from taking over the galaxy and to kill their fearless leader. You lead your crew through multiple planets and battles to hunt down and find the remainder of the SDF. Multiplayer has been the most popular mode of Call of Duty ever since Modern Warfare.

This year the movement system consists of boost jumping, sliding and also wall running this is the third year in a row that Call of Duty has had these elements integrated into the multiplayer.

Many players have been wanting traditional modern warfare with boots on the ground and no fake “intergalactic” weapons.

Like in previous years you will be

able to customize your character, gun, and other characteristics of your player. There are many new scorestreaks as well as maps this year.

Infinity Ward in the past never has made zombies in any of their games, however this year they released Zombie In Spaceland. On this map you are playing a survival game to see how long you can stay alive. The theme of the mode is space/80’s/ disco theme park. For zombies you will also be able to customize your weapons with different camos and attachments however you will not be able to chose a character. At the start of the match you will be assigned one of four characters. Characters include disco girl, high school jock, pimp, and the nerd. While none of these characters have real names the characters are only to serve a stereotype of the different people and styles of the 80’s.

In short terms if you have ever played Call of Duty before and enjoyed it then I would recommend buying it however if you are new to the franchise Infinite

Warfare would not be a good first Call of Duty and instead I would recommend getting the new remastered edition of Modern Warfare.

The Sentry

Entertainment

Fantastic Beasts is a fantastic watch Movie Review: Russell Roberts Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a movie directed by David Yates.

Fantastic Beasts was released on November 18th of this year and was huge hit in the film world.

Millions of people, including myself, were very excited about this movie because it is related to the wizarding world of Harry Potter and was directed by the same director as a number of the Harry Potter movies. The movie casts Eddie Redmayne who as main character Newt Scamander. Scamander is a young man who was kicked out of Hogwarts for “endangering human life.” Albus Dumbledore was quite fond of

Scamander, so he was allowed to keep his magical suitcase and leave Hogwarts in one piece.

Scamander then took his magic on a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures.

Scamander impressively completes this excursion and keeps all the magical creatures in a magical little suitcase. Scamander travels to New York City where he ends up swapping the wrong suitcase with a No-Maj/Muggle, which is a non magical human being.

A series of unfortunate events happen and a couple of creatures escape the suitcase into the wild, fast, and bustling New York City.

Long story short, Scamander captures all of the escaped creatures with some help and returns New York City back to peace and back into one piece.

Some significant others in the film include Porpentina Goldstein who is portrayed by Katherine Waterston. Goldstein is a witch who first intends to turn Scamander over to the Ministry but ends up helping him find the creatures and is a very critical part in the film.

Jacob Kowalski is a No-

Maj/Muggle who is portrayed

by Dan Fogler. Kowalski is the very lucky man who gets his suitcase swapped with Scamander’s and who finds the love of his life to be a witch named Queenie Goldstein, who is portrayed by Alison Sudol.

Kowalski is a very dynamic part of the film and is Scamander’s nuisance/sidekick. Percival Graves who plays Percival Graves is the United States Minister of the Ministry but really is Gellert Grindelwald, a thief who is highly wanted, who

is portrayed by Johnny Depp.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is not only a movie, but a book. J.K. Rowling wrote “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” in 2001 and contains lists and descriptions of magical creatures.

This movie was a huge box office hit earning 507.1 million and counting. I believe this movie is a great watch and suggest everyone go give it a watch while you still can.

Doctor Strange is one of the best yet Movie Review: Jacob Aron Doctor Strange released to theaters on November 4th and made just shy of 85 million dollars its opening weekend.

Rotten Tomatoes rated the film at a high 90% on their Tomatometer and the audience score at a 90% as well.

In Doctor Strange, Stephen Strange an arrogant, renowned surgeon is injured in a car accident, forcing him to stop practicing medicine. With western medicine failing him, he headed east with the hope he could be healed. This is where he started his great journey to become the powerful wizard he is in the movie.

I highly recommend this movie, and especially recommend this movie to anyone who isn’t already a Marvel fanboy.

In my opinion,

December 2016

I think this movie did a lot of things right, it is one of the most visually appealing superhero movies I have seen, it is as good or better than any of the Captain America movies including Civil War, and is one of the best origin movies produced by the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Second only to the first, credible, and highly successful MCU movie Iron Man. I was impresses with more than just the origin story and looks of the this movie, I was also impressed with how it seamlessly introduced us to many more things in the MCU, like any MCU movie worth anything should, and it even strayed away from the monotony of villains in the MCU. With the casting of Dormammu, the rul-

er of a dark that is only filled with pain and suffering and that promises eternal life then takes over other worlds, it is a breath of fresh air from the typical loki type villians and well loki. This film also is one of the first Marvel films that introduce otherworldly almost celestial beings as a villain instead of just angry or power hungry alien races,hydra or disillusion robots, or just somebody wanting revenge.

This film also is in my opinion actually decently comic book accurate, and it portrays most of the scenes, storylines and characters as the comics books did, and it even paid homage to some of the more famous artists and their work who worked on the original doctor strange comics. Besides some misgivings such as The ancient one being an old man but still looking old, mordo not looking comic book accurate, and Dormammu looking different in the film from his comic book origins. But all of theses

are not that important and I understand when transitioning from a comic book to a film there will have to be some sacrifices. Some of which I think were good filmmaking choices as well.

One thing I think the movie messes up on, something that I have noticed is kinda of a trend in marvel movies to date, and that is that they cast a villain that the hero has many story arcs, conflicts and material with and defeat him in the first movie which makes it harder to bring them back later on for some other films. Which

takes a lot of good film ideas off of the table for Doctor Strange and marvel movies in general, unless they can somehow find a believable way to bring Dormammu and other MCU villains back with good writing and plot changes.

To see the rest of this review plus some spoilers and explanation go to jpsentry.net

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Sports

Football completes the drive for five Duncan Jones After a strong end to a successful regular season with a 10-1 record, Jackson Prep hosted Jackson Academy in a quarterfinal game at Patriot Field to open up the postseason. The game took place on Friday November 4th.

Both teams came out strong in the first half and kept the game close at 15-7, with Prep in the lead. But in the second half, thanks to Reed Peets’ field goal, Chance Lovertich’s passing game, and JP’s electric defense, the patriots took a commanding lead. Jackson Academy failed to answer and Prep closed out the game with a final score of 32-7.

Next, on November 11, Prep traveled to play Presbyterian Christian School on the road in Hattiesburg. The Bobcats posed a strong threat with powerful running back Isaiah Woullard. The senior carried PCS’s offense throughout the regular season and broke the by

record for most high school rushing yards in Mississippi.

Obviously the toughest matchup of the postseason for Prep, Presbyterian Christian came out of the gate strong and confident. The Patriots were looking to beat the undefeated Bobcats after a regular season loss at home.

In the first quarter, Chance Lovertich connected with Jerrion Ealy for a 71 yard pass, which resulted in a touchdown. The Bobcats returned with a score of their own to tie it up at 7-7. Dynamic running backs Jerrion Ealy and PCS’s Isaiah Woullard provided touchdowns for each team heading into halftime.

Early in the second half, kicker Reed Peets executed a clutch 37 yard field goal to give Prep a 17-14 lead. A strong Patriot defense held PCS in check for all of the third quarter. Once again, Lovertich scored, this time on the ground, to put the Patriots in a confident position

to win. PCS refused to go down easy and scored a touchdown to bring it to a one possession game.

On the Bobcats final opportunity to score, Prep’s defense held their own and prevented Woullard from getting a first down to continue the drive. JP secured a hard-fought postseason victory in Hattiesburg with a final score of 24-21.

Prep traveled to Mississippi College for the championship game against Madison-Ridgeland Academy on November 18th. MRA was led by senior LSU commit Saahdiq Charles and sophomore quarterback Hunter Hulsey. JP made a statement on the first drive as Lovertich and Ealy connected on a 51 yard pass and a two yard rushing touchdown. Jackson Prep’s defense held down MRA, which allowed both Ealy and Lovertich to score rushing touchdowns, making it 21-0.

MRA opened up the second half with a touchdown

score, but Jerrion Ealy had an answer.

The Patriot running back broke off for another rushing touchdown and gave Prep a 34-7 that would last the remainder of the game. Jackson Prep successfully brought home another championship trophy to Patriot Avenue for the fifth consecutive year.

The coaches, players, and cheerleaders pose after the team won its fifth championship in a row.

Photo by Stewart McCullough

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Chance Lovertich celebrates after scoring a one yard touchdown in the championship.

Photo by Stewart Mccullough

Jerrion Ealy high steps after giving Prep an early lead in the championship game.

Photo by Stewart McCullough

The Sentry

Sports Boys’ Basketball off to a fantastic start by:

ellis abdo and rJ green The boys’ basketball team has gotten off to a great start this season.

Led by seniors John Jeffreys, Brendon McLeod, Jared Dodd, Jackson Phillips, William Purvis, and David Powe, the team is currently 5-0 with wins over Central Hinds, Starkville Academy, Pillow Academy, Lamar, and East Rankin Academy.

The starting lineup consists of Brendon McLeod, Morgan Williams, Jared Dodd, John Jeffreys and Pete Zouboukos. While Jackson Phillips, Cooper Carroll, David Purvis, Javon Magee, and Thomas Thornton have all played quality minutes coming off the bench. Junior John Ahonatu is out for the season, and team the needs younger players to step up in his absence. The team will go to Oxford to face off against Oxford High School and Olive Branch High School. Both school have Dandy Dozen players so the team should

December 2016

get some great competition. Senior forward William Purvis said, “We are looking forward to the tough competition because it will show us what we need to improve on.”

The team looks to build on their great start as games against MRA, Oxford, and Olive Branch loom ahead. These games will be a big opportunity for the team to improve against top competition.

John Jeffreys leads the team in scoring, while Pete Zouboukos leads the team in rebounds, and Brendon McLeod leads the team in assists. The team has shown great determination as they have several come from behind wins this season. Against Lamar and East Rankin, the team was able to come back from a halftime deficit to win by double digits.

Above, Brendon McLeod surveys the floor.

Top Right, Coach Moore goes over plays with the team during a timeout Bottom Right, Prep players battle for a rebound.

Photos courtesy of Denise Phillips

Girls’ basketball tips off the season by:

Madeline Claire HugHes Jackson Prep’s Girls Basketball looks to build on their win against Lamar going into a big game against Madison Ridgeland Academy Tuesday December 6th. Their season as of December 5th is a record of two wins and five loses.

Coach Ward, the assistant coach, says that the team is in a “learning process”. The team is very young having only one senior, Shelby Wilson. The rest of the team consists of six Juniors, five Sophomores, and one 8th grader which is Olivia Sasser. Olivia has really stepped up and contributed to the team coming off the bench this year.

Earlier in the season Kiarria Little tore her left ACL and lateral

meniscus in one of the first basketball games of the season against Central Hinds. Kiarria was a huge factor to the team. She brought energy to the court and enthusiasm whether it was getting to the basket or driving.

She will be missed this season, but Isabelle McLeod has stepped up as a leader and has filled Kiarria’s spot as the starting three or shooting guard.

Coach Ward expresses how not one specific girl is a game changer.

The whole team is a game changer.

As of now they are trying to learn together and work together to become a better team. The Girls and Boys Varsity basketball team will be traveling to Oxford on Friday December the 9th through Saturday December the 10th for the O-Town Showdown.

The Girls will be competing against Oxford and Southaven.

The tournament in Oxford is a great opportunity for the girls team to continue to mesh and find its identity. Not only will the competition force the team to compete outside of its comfort level, but the environment and atmosphere will help the team grow together even more.

The girls will look to build momentum in the coming weeks and propel themselves into the thick of the season by developing a stronger, more confident team.

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Sports

Young athletes to watch: Riley Maddox and Luke Williams by

Emory maxwEll alEx Gibbs

and

Riley Maddox If you’re looking for an all around athlete in the Junior High, 8th grader Riley Maddox is your guy. Riley has a combination of height, speed, and arm strength that help him excel in multiple sports.

In football, Riley started at

quarterback for the 8th grade team in their games this year and is known around the school for his running and scrambling ability. Additionally, he made a significant contribution to the Junior High football team at both receiver and defensive back positions, showing both his athleticism and versatility.

He is likely to start at quarterback for next year’s Junior High team and looks to be one of the team’s leaders next year.

In basketball, he was asked to play up on the 9th grade team this season. His athleticism is also evident in basketball, and his height, close to six feet tall, helps him contribute to the team even though he is a grade younger than most everyone on the team.

In addition to football and basketball, Riley will also play baseball for Prep on the 8th grade team this year. His arm

strength that he shows as a quarterback also is evident on the mound, where he can pitch consistently above 70 miles an hour, and on defense in baseball. Offensively, he uses his speed at bat that also allows him to excel.

Riley looks to be an exciting athlete to watch the rest of this basketball season and when baseball season comes around. He looks to have promising future next year in 9th grade and in the years to come in high school.

Luke Williams Luke Williams is a seventh-grader that has excelled in two sports so far at Prep: football and basketball.

In football, he started at wide receiver on offense and played defensive back on defense. He shined at these positions because of his hand-eye coordina-

tion and speed.

He was the team’s leading receiver and was used as a big play threat. In fact, he was the only receiver on the team to catch a touchdown.

In the final game of the year against rival Jackson Academy, Luke was the recipient of two touchdown passes, each in the excess of 65 yards. His performance in this game was a major reason the Patriots were able to win 28-6.

In basketball, he plays the one and two guard spot and really excels at shooting and dribbling the ball. The majority of the 7th grade boys consider him to be one of the top few players in their grade.

Luke is just the latest athlete to play at Prep in the Williams family. Both of his brothers, Jake and Zach, excelled in football for the Patriots, and his sister, Anna Kate, is a varsity

cheerleader.

Luke, who looks similar to his brothers in both looks and build, uses his speed in athletics just as they did.

Luke looks to be able to continue his family’s legacy and be a major contributor in Jackson Prep athletics for years to come.

Equestrian Team rides towards victory

Fire up for gun and bow

by mary Patton murPhy Horse lovers or not, the JP Equestrian Team is certainly one of the clubs that should appeal to the interests of many.

Placing in the their first competition in Canton, Mississippi and winning their second competition in Birmingham, Alabama, the 2016-2017 team has had a very successful start to its season.

Although the group began practicing in October, the first official competition of the year was hosted by Jackson Academy and Central Mississippi Equestrian Teams on November 13th. Around ten teams from various southeastern states such as Louisiana, Texas, and Alabama gathered for the event at the Canton Multipurpose Complex. Prep did not ride away with the win that it had been hoping for in Canton, but members of the group were inspired to redeem themselves the next weekend in Birmingham.

At their second and most recent competition in Alabama

by sarah rilEy Jicka Normally guns and schools do not mix, but thanks to Prep’s outdoor classroom, Providence Hill Farm, students can sharpen their shooting skills with the Gun and Bow Team.

On November 12th, the

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on November 19th, many members of the team performed with almost perfect scores, largely contributing to the overall team score. Senior, Olivia Patch, won both of her classes as well as senior, Sarah Riley Jicka.

For traveling such a long distance, the competitions are sure to be all-day events. On a typical competition day, competitors wake up as early as 5 a.m. and don’t leave the event until roughly 6:00 in the afternoon. “It takes about 3 hours to get everything ready,” said Captain of the team, Sarah Riley Jicka, “but we always have fun.”

One of the first activities to take place at the events is the drawing of horses. Competitions are strictly based on the skill of the rider, so horses that will be ridden in the competition are given a number and placed into a hat to be drawn by team coaches. Rather than riding a horse that they are accustomed to, a competitor may end up riding a horse that they have never ridden before.

“Sometimes you get lucky, and you ride your own horse, but it really is luck of the draw,” said Jicka.

While the JP Equestrian Team had good draws this last competition, that fact does not undermine the practice and preparation that went into it all. Led by Coach Mandi Powers, the team practices at Providence Hill Farm twice a week for about an hour. The dedication and hard work displayed by the group shows that they not only care about winning, but they enjoy the sport and the opportunities involved with it.

There are two competitions left in the equestrian season. Both will be held at Providence Hill Farm, and one will be a two-day event. The Jackson Prep Equestrian team is hoping to have other successful experiences at these events like they did in Birmingham. They also look forward to an end-ofthe-season party for the team.

Gun and Bow team kicked off their season with a tournament at Turcotte Shooting Range in Canton. As a result of the shoot, one of the teams qualified for a competition in South Carolina. Tenth grader Georgia Perkins said her favorite part of Gun and Bow would be that “even though it’s challenging to practice will all boys, it’s fun to compete against them and a few girls.”

The team practices at

Providence Hill Farm’s sporting club which has a fourteen stand sporting clay course and a 3-D archery range at the team’s disposal. At a competition, teams of three or four shooters shoot clay targets known as pigeons as they fly through the air. Teams fire 50-100 shots, trying to hit as many clays as possible. Teams are then ranked based on how many clays they hit.

Prep’s Gun and Bow team is part of a larger phenomenon sweeping the country. Clay pigeon shooting is one of the fastest growing high school sports.

Top gun Jack Turnage says, ”It’s a great program to get involved in if you consider yourself an outdoorsman/woman. “ The team is coached by Jimmy Grant. The faculty liaison Coach Derek Williford said,” I hope the team continues to grow and more kids become interested in joining.”

The Sentry

Sports

Boys’ soccer begins with strong performances Stewart Mccullough There is only one word that can accurately describe the Jackson Prep Boys soccer program – dominant. With an outstanding 2015 season, capped off by a victory over Madison Ridgeland Academy to claim their 6th consecutive State Title, the team begins a new campaign with high expectations to reach 7 consecutive championships.

To prepare for this challenge, the team began with preseason workouts in the early months of winter. Conditioning is a major part of any athletic sport, but with soccer it’s significance is emphasized. A normal high school soccer game lasts for approximately 80 minutes of continuous play. This requires great stamina and players being in peak physical shape. A common phrase that assistant coach Jay Lyles uses is, “Running is 80% mental.

This is only building mental strength, and because we need to be in peak physical shape, we by

will never be outworked.”

This season began with high hopes when playing their first game against a 6A Public School, which was a matchup that the team was looking forward to. Their first game was against Clinton, a team that has had a reputation for dominating in boys soccer over the past several years. The begin-

gan. Prep would take an early 1-0 lead going into halftime, but senior Hunter Patterson knew that their will to win would be tested in the second half.

“When playing a team that has the speed and skill that Clinton has, games are not won in the first 40 minutes. You have to play 80 minutes with all you have and leave nothing on the

Sophmore Mason Morgan stretches as the team prepares to practice. Photo

by Stewart McCullough.

ning whistle blew, and just like that, the 2016-17 campaign be-

field. Execution is key in any game, and we did not execute

in the second half.” Prep went on to let up 3 goals in the second and suffer their first loss of the day. In most circumstances, the team plays one game a day and may not have a chance to redeem themselves for a few days, but this day, they would face Ridgeland not even 2 hours later. At the start of the first half, the Patriots looked to senior Brent Hall to give them an early 1-0 lead. From there, it seemed like the offense was in a rhythm as they shared the ball, not always trying to press forward and relying on their defense to make great plays in hectic situations. In the end, Prep took home one loss and one win in their opening series of games.

The next week at practice, coaches Jon Marcus Duncan and Jay Lyles stressed the need to finish in all areas of the game. Whether it be shooting the ball, defending or just making sure everyone follows through with their passes.

With a game around the corner

against Starkville Academy, the team was focused on playing their best through all 80 minutes.

After a two hour bus ride, they would step of the bus, look across the field, and see a focused team who just came off a two game win streak. While the team from Starkville felt confident with their play, Tanner McCraney felt differently, along with a few others. When the final whistle blew, Tanner McCraney racked up six individual goals and two assists.

Prep dominated Starkville Academy by a score of 10-1. The Junior Varsity team also beat Starkville Academy 3-0.

After winning their sixth consecutive championship last year, the team this year has much to live up to, but with as much talent that they have and the cohesiveness shown in these three games, they are likely to have a shot at making it seven in a row.

Fall Signing Day: Six seniors commit to play college sports Stewart Mccullough On Wednesday, November 9th, six senior athletes at Jackson Prep decided to take their talents to the next level and move on to play college sports.

Seniors Cecil Wegner and Charlie Miller put the pen to paper and officially decided to play Division-1 Golf for The University of Mississippi.

For Charlie, this decision was not tough. While having offers from Florida State, Arizona, Mississippi State and Ole Miss, he grew up a Ole Miss fan and has loved the college ever since he was born.

“I settled on Ole Miss because I love the school, it was close to home and friends, but the key factor was that the coaches were spectacular along with current team members,” said Miller.

Cecil Wegner, another Ole Miss fan, will join Charlie next by

December 2016

year at Ole Miss as they compete in the SEC and throughout the nation.

Another Patriot who will compete for an SEC school next year is Blair Stockett. Blair signed with Mississippi State University to play golf.

These three athletes

Photo courtesy of Will Crosby.

were major keys to the success that the golf program is having.

The golf team is known for it’s swagger on and off the course.

In a recent instagram post, members of the team consider themselves to be the #TRUTH. They have played important roles in order for the golf program to bring home 3 state championships in the past few years and will be greatly missed.

On the baseball diamond, last years season resulted in a winning record and a state championship visit. Pitchers Will Warren, Gregory Oden and Matthew Myers signed their letters of intent to play baseball for schools in Mississippi and Louisiana.

Will Warren decided to take his talents to Southeastern Louisiana, a Division-1 school in Hammond, LA. The right-handed pitcher has had an outstanding career at Jackson Prep and will contribute to an already strong pitching staff at Southeastern Louisiana.

Gregory Oden committed to Hinds Community College located in Raymond, Mississip-

pi. Gregory is a special pitcher in that he is a right-handed submarine style pitcher. These pitchers pitch from below their waste to deliver nasty moving pitches. Gregory will join one of the best baseball teams in Junior College sports and offer some different pitches with his submarine style.

Matthew Myers signed with The University of Mis-

sissippi to pitch for them http://jpsentry.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/StewSigningDay3-122x80.jpg this next school year. Myers is a right-handed classic pitcher that pitches fast and in the strike-zone. Myers will join the number one recruiting class in baseball at Ole Miss and will fight for his position on the diamond.

Students came to the signing to watch their friends and teammates make the step and achieve their lifelong goal of playing college ball. These six seniors have left their mark on Prep and believe they will represent the school well at the collegiate level. Whether a Rebel, Bulldog, Eagle, or Fighting Lion, their fellow Patriots will have a lot to be proud of and cheer for in the years to come with this young and talented group.

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The Sentry

Sports Opinion Who is really the best: Lebron or Jordan?

Sports Opinion: Bennett O’Quinn Lebron James’ career has been endlessly compared to Michael Jordan, ultimately known as the best NBA player of all time. How many rings will Lebron have at the end of his career? Will he have more rings than Jordan? Was Lebron the clear-cut best player of his era?

All of these questions remain unanswered, but here’s why Lebron could surpass Jordan as the best player of all time.

Lebron James was drafted out of high school with the first overall pick in 2003 at the age of 18. At that time and to this day, he is still undoubtedly known as the best high school prospect basketball has seen. He was on magazine covers, attended photoshoots, and was known as “the chosen one” while he was in high school. People knew that Lebron would be a good NBA

player, but they didn’t know how great he would be. Lebron turned doubters’ heads by nearly recording a double double with 26 points in his first career game. This game was just a preview of what Lebron would be doing for years to come.

Michael Jordan was drafted 3rd overall in the 1984 draft out of the University of Carolina.

He would go on to win 4 Most Valuable Player awards and 6 NBA titles. He would score thousands of points and win numerous awards over his illustrious career. People loved the performances he put up night in and night out combined with the titles he won over his career, which made them view Jordan as the greatest player of all time. But has Lebron done enough to surpass Jordan as the best of all time?

The first thing Lebron

Here’s why Lebron could surpass Jordan as the best player of all time.

James has to do in order to be seen as better than Jordan is win more rings. Lebron has appeared in 7 NBA finals which is the same as Jordan. However, Lebron has only won 3 out of the 6 he has been to whereas Jordan has won all 6 of the 6 he has appeared in. Aside from Lebron’s NBA finals record, his overall accomplishments at the age of 31 are seemingly better than Jordans. At the age of 31, Lebron has won 3 NBA championship titles, 4 MVP’s, 12 All-NBA selections, and 12 All-Star selections.

Whereas Jordan at the age of 31 had 3 NBA championship titles, 3 MVP’s, 8 AllNBA selections, and 9 All-Star selections. This proves that Lebron James is either close to

the same or even better than Jordan was at the age of 31.

Lebron and Jordan are also completely different types of players. Jordan was a pure scorer and a great defender.

Lebron is a 6’8” athletic monster who has the potential to record a triple double every time he steps on the court. Lebron is by far a better passer than Jordan.

Lebron’s career is far from over and he is 16th all time in assists while Jordan is 43rd all time. It is believed by some people that Lebron is the more complete overall player than Jordan. The speed, athleticism, court vision, and game knowledge of a 6’8” small-forward is something the NBA has never seen before.

Lebron also had one of the most astonishing and improbable finals wins of all time last year against the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors had the best regular season record of all time, the unanimous MVP, and a 3-1 finals lead.

The Cavaliers, led by Lebron, stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to shock the defending champs in a decisive game 7. Lebron

has also been to 6 straight finals, something that has never been done. He has become the youngest player in NBA history to reach 27,000 points, passing Kobe Bryant who is 3rd on the all-time scoring list. At this steady pace, Lebron could definitely become a top 5 scorer at the end of his career. The cavs look to repeat as champions this year as Lebron has not slowed down one bit since winning the 3rd title of his career.

At this point, it is agreeable that Michael Jordan has done more to prove himself as the best player of all time than Lebron has. However Jordan is finished with his career whereas Lebron has more time to prove himself as the better player. Jordan retired at the age of 40. Lebron is only 31 years old meaning he has, if he were to stay in the league as long as Jordan, about 9 years left until retirement. Lebron has a lot of time to prove he can be the best player to ever play the game, and we believe he can do it.

College Football playoffs should expand to eight teams Sports Opinion: Ellis Abdo Over the last few seasons the NCAA has switched from the BCS system to a four team playoff system for college football. This system has provided a new excitement for college football fans. Although this system has been much better than the BCS, it still has several problems that can be fixed.

I think the four team playoff system was a good starting point for the NCAA, but it needs to be upgraded. Personally, I think a four team playoff is not enough because

December 2016

it leaves out several deserving teams that could easily win a national championship.

Back in 2014, the debut year for the four team playoff, the committee had a tough decision to make. Ohio State, TCU, and Baylor were all one loss conference champions and each had several reasons why they would be deserving for the final spot.

When the committee decided to go with Ohio State, it left college football fans across the country upset because some thought TCU and Baylor were

I think the four team playoff system was a good starting point for the NCAA, but it needs to be upgraded.

a better option. After TCU destroyed a very good Ole Miss team in the Peach Bowl and Ohio State caught fire and won the national championship, it was very apparent to me that both Ohio State and TCU should have made the playoffs.

In 2015 three more teams, Iowa, Ohio State, and Stanford, were left out of the playoff despite having strong resumes.

Stanford and Ohio State went

on to dominate their bowl games to further show their cases for a spot in the playoff.

This year the playoffs once again left out several deserving playoff teams. Penn State won the Big 10 but was ranked fifth behind an Ohio State team, one that they beat, that got in the playoffs. Michigan, despite having two losses, was one of the best teams in the country all season and finished ranked sixth due to a controversial loss to Ohio State.

Oklahoma finished the regular season 10-2 and won the Big 12 but will not go to the playoffs in large part because they lost a tough game to Ohio State.

I think the perfect route to fixing this problem is to expand the four team playoff to

an eight team playoff. With eight teams you will account for the teams that had one bad week that would have cost them a spot in a four team playoff. Some might complain that an eight team playoff, a potential 16 game seson, is too much work for the players.

My suggestion to fix this issue is to add another bye week during the regular season. Adding another break during the regular season would allow the players to rest up and recover from injury. The college football playoff system has been a great addition to college football and should only get better as the number of teams expand.

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Sports Opinion

Sports fans don’t always know as much as we think Sports Opinion: Alex Gibbs Recently, I read Shaken, the second autobiographical novel written by Tim Tebow, former Heisman trophy winner and NFL quarterback. As many of you already know, Tebow’s NFL career only lasted 3 full seasons and parts of two more offseasons. Even though he posted a winning record as a starting quarterback, he completed less than 50% of his passes during his career.

Due to Tebow’s lack of prolonged success in the NFL, he has received the harshest of criticism from the media.

Tebow mentioned this in his book, writing, “I went from winning the Heisman trophy and a NFL playoff game to people saying I couldn’t throw.”

When I read this in Shaken, I was reminded of an article I read a few months ago in which the author belittled Tebow and other so-called “busts” in the NFL, describ-

ing them as “bad at football.”

This came from a guy who did not play in college or the NFL and may have not even played in high school or junior high.

According to a study done

by CBS News, 8 out of every 10,000 high school senior football players, or .08%, will eventually be drafted to the NFL to play football. Some of the players who get drafted into the NFL never make it onto an active roster, and many have short careers.

The NFLPA (NFL Players Association) states that the average career is a little less than three years. So basically, these guys are not “bad at football,” because just making it onto the field in a NFL game is an incredible accomplishment.

The media is not the only platform on which these athletes are scrutinized. Many times it occurs in everyday conversation and on social media.

Fantasy football is a major cause of this. We expect incredible performances from our players every week. There have been people who have sent death threats to players because they had a subpar performance that caused that person’s fantasy team to lose.

These athletes are worried about much more important things than our fantasy teams.

Another example of fans scrutinizing players happens when we watch our favorite teams and feel like we need to be “armchair quarterbacks” by saying how it is unfathomable that that quarterback couldn’t make that throw and how the coach of the team is an idiot. We dont recognize that we could do much better.

While players and coaches are never perfect and will mess up, we expect perfection from them and will say hateful things to them when they do not meet expectations. Nobody wanted them to make that kick or tackle that guy more than they did, and it is unnecessary for a person who was not out there on national TV and went through that

week with the team in practice to remind them by trolling.

Now there are a few things I would like to clarify after writing this. First of all, I am

While players and coaches are never perfect and will mess up, we expect perfection from them and will say hateful things to them when they do not meet expectations. not saying players and coaches should never be scrutinized.

When they mess up, they would be the first to tell you that they didn’t do their job and that they knew when they signed up to play college or in the NFL that there would be criticism.

What I am saying is that there is no need to belittle them as a person and say things to others about how bad we think they are. These guys strive to win games and please their fans, and they

don’t want to go on social media and read hateful comments when they don’t do their job.

Additionally, we most likely could not do better ourselves, although that is very hard to admit many times. The facts I stated earlier in the article about how hard it is to play college and NFL football are important to recognize because it changes your perspective on how good these athletes really are and how challenging these high levels of sports are.

I would also like to say that I am just as much a victim of doing these things as anybody.

There is no telling how many times I have gotten mad and talked awfully about a player on my fantasy team or on a Mississippi State sports team.

However, I have been trying recently (no matter how hard it was during State’s 5-7 season that included a loss to South Alabama) to watch myself and keep myself from saying these things about people, and my hope is that if you have read this article, you will try to do the same as well and realize that we as sports fans don’t always know

National Football League or No Fun League?

Sports Opinion: RJ Green The NFL has become far too strict on disciplining players, teams, and coaches.

They are taking the fun out of the game for everyone. Penalties for celebrations have heavily increased this year, and there are still four weeks left.

So far this season, players get flagged and fined for almost any celebration dance. Steelers Wide Receiver Antonio Brown was fined for basic dances that the league defines as excessive now. Redskins Cornerback Josh Norman was penalized for

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impersonating the shooting of an arrow after an interception.

The NFL has come out and said any celebration involving the impersonation of a weapon is a penalty. This rule is way too strict, and only excessively violent celebrations should be flagged.

The NFL has also said any celebration that is choreographed and thought out beforehand is punishable by penalty. This is taking away from the excitement and emotion of the game.

Sports are meant to be fun and fan friendly, and the NFL should relax on their rules that limit that fun.

Players work hard to be able to find the endzone, and when a player scores they naturally want to celebrate. Players should be able to celebrate without worrying if one of their dance moves is excessive according to the rules. If a team or player thinks another player’s celebration is excessive or offensive then they should simply stop them from scoring.

Celebrations make the game more entertaining, and

the NFL should want their product to be as fan friendly as possible. Soccer is one sport that thrives on the raw emotion of celebrations. Fans love to see the team or individual celebrations after a goal. If FIFA made soccer players stop celebrating it would hurt the game of soccer in a big way.

The NFL also has become very strict with accessories that players wear. They now limit everything, even the color cleats you can wear.

Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams has been fined for wearing pink cleats and gloves to support breast cancer awareness and his mother whom passed away from breast cancer. It just sounds ridiculous that some-

thing so small yet meaningful should be punishable.

The NFL also even limits the tweets teams can send out during games. The grip the league office has on all teams, players, and coaches is unnecessary and excessive.

Roger Goodell needs to relax and realize that entertaining fans should be objective number one rather than limit it.

Sports are meant to be fun and fan friendly, and the NFL should relax on their rules that limit that fun.

The Sentry

Opinion

Oh yes, Belhaven beaches are the best Jicka on Jackson

by Sarah Riley Jicka I like my water. It’s clean, cold, and nutritious. Unlike the waters of Rankin and Madison counties, Jackson drinking water adds a little something extra, a little je ne sais quoi. Thy cup will sometimes overfloweth with a brown liquid resembling water only in its viscosity.

If you wish to see the origin of some of this water before it is purified, then head on down to Belhaven Beach, locat-

ed on the Pearl River. This little-known slice of sand provides a quiet getaway from the noise and pollution of the metro area.

And unlike The Rocks further north, Belhaven Beach is not littered with aluminum cans and eroded from the tracks of off-road tires.

The beach, located near the Jackson Fewell Water Plant, is a popular spot for outdoorsmen to pitch tents or for medical

school students to exercise their dogs after work. One Belhaven Beacher, Gillian Raley, said, “It’s way bigger than I thought it would be. Dogs also love it… it was big enough that the dog could sprint everywhere and get lots of exercise.” The river is also home to many forms of wildlife such as deer, raccoons, opossums, armadillos, and foxes which are frequently spotted along its banks.

The Pearl flows past at a snail’s pace, with small, faster currents streaming down the middle of the river. Some days, the water may be a clear color-just ever so slightly tinted tan- while on other days, especially after a heavy rain, the river may swell to a murky

Put a tracker under the tree When Donuts Don’t Work Out

by Maclain Kennedy

All I want for Christmas is a Fitbit watch, a Fitbit watch, see a Fitbit watch. Gee if I could only have a Fitbit watch, then I could wish you merry fitness!

Athletic trackers are a growing trend, and having the right gear is important. There are many different types and brands of fitness gear that come in all forms. You can purchase watches, trackers you can put on your foot, weight scales, and more.

If you’re looking into the Fitbit brand of activewear, the classic style that a lot of people have is the Fitbit flex. Although it doesn’t display time, it tracks steps, distance, calories burned, and more. However, if you want something more personalized, you can take a test on Fitbit.com that will tell you what watch would best suit you.

Fitbit has a unique addi-

December 2016

tion available. Certain watches are compatible with designer collections. Brands like Public School, Simply Vera Vera Wang, and soon to be Tory Burch have watches where you can insert the actual tracker square into the watch and go.

This is a great way to go from a workout to work.

Garmin is also a brand that has a diverse range of active gear. They have specially designed watches for golfers, runners, swimmers, and more.

Elizabeth Speed, an owner of a Garmin watch, says, “I love my Garmin because it is very convenient for me since it shows me my pace while I am running. This feature is extremely helpful for me when I am doing a workout that requires I go a certain pace.”

The Approach S6, a Garmin watch specifically made for golfers, has many characteristics. It works as a

touchscreen watch, and you won’t have to worry about taking your gloves off because it’s touch-screen friendly. This watch is really special because it can tell you where the pin is using the PinPointer, even if the pin isn’t visible.

The Garmin Swim tells your stroke type, distance, pace, and stroke count. This watch is great for swimmers of all levels, and is waterproof for up to 50 meters. Just tell the watch how big the pool is and replace the battery roughly once a year, and you’re ready to go for a swim.

If you’re more of a runner, the Forerunner 35 tracks distance, pace, sleep, intensity minutes, and calories. The Forerunner 35 can calculate your heart rate through the watch. Also, when paired with a smartphone, you can get notifications on your watch.

Christmas is truly the most wonderful time of the year.

It’s important to know what the best fitness device is to get based on what is you’re looking for. Make sure you eat a lot of food and exercise even more.

Dogs enjoy a day at Belhaven Beach. Photo courtesy of Joe Ellis.

brown. It stakes its claim on the beach within a few hours of rainfall. During the heavy rains of last April, the water rose so high that it covered not only the beach, but also the

trails leading to it.

As the waters drain away, the sands return to their normal white hue, ready to be marked again with deer tracks and pawprints.

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Opinion Bodybuilding Develops a New Division: Classic Physique Opinion: Micheal Wilson The self-admiring, yet noble art of bodybuilding has been around for many decades at this point in time, and it becomes more and more popular every year. A shift in the 90smainly due to British competitor Dorian Yates- that changed the goal to be the biggest and best “Mass Monster” that steps on stage.

In the last decade the Men’s Physique division has become more popular as this division emphasizes aesthetics over size. For instance when you step on stage you get to wear board shorts to compete

in, also legs are not judged in physique. In men’s physique, too much muscle mass can actually hurt the competitor’s score.

Most recently the IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness) and the NPC (National Physique Committee) introduced the new division Classic Physique in 2016. My opinion is that the new Classic Physique division will help to repopularize and hopefully put bodybuilding in a new light in the eyes of the general public. It made its first appearance in 2016’s Mr. Olympia competition (Think Superbowl

for bodybuilding and physique competitions).

The idea behind Classic Physique was to bring back the “Golden era” based off of bodybuilders like Frank Zane, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu and others from the 70s and 80s. This wasn’t done only to please fans and competitors alike, but to re-popularize the sport as a whole. This division is now the “inbetween”, that allows for the coexistence of mass and aesthetics, which means that many Physique competitors can now take their physique to a new level if they so choose.

The Classic physique division allows for athletes to combine aesthetics, mass, and conditioning to coexist in their on stage physique. In my opinion this will repopularize bodybuilding and help to bring it

into a more mainstream appreciation and acceptance.

Many great things will come from this division, but it is still in its infancy. The idea is golden “ba dum tsss” (If you don’t get the joke you weren’t paying attention), I think it has the potential to make bodybuilding an even more popular sport now that there is a division that champions a powerful and dominant, yet beautifully aesthetic (in the same way as any other art) physique.

So far even though it has only been one year, there have been many competitors bringing new and improved body conditioning to the stage. Also the IFBB set rules for weight caps. Meaning at a specific height you can only weigh “this” weight, hopefully this keeps the division clean of aspiring mass monsters, and doesn’t keep

this is a great way to do just that. M.A.D. projects, among many things, look good on a résumé. Chatham Kennedy did her project with the organization The Fountain. Located in downtown Jackson, The Fountain helps their surrounding neighbors with after schoolcare tutoring and Bible studies.

During the summer they have a camp that includes various activities throughout the whole day.

Chatham’s M.A.D. project included helping direct a drama camp for the kids to participate in. During the week long camp, the kids played theater games and Chatham did devotionals.

At the end of the week a play was put on for parents and missionaries.

Chatham has put this on two years in a row and plans on continuing it for several more years. Chathams says, “The most rewarding experience

was the relationships I made. I continue to go back during the school year and see how the kids are growing their walks with Jesus and life in general.” She recommends doing a M.A.D. project because you learn how to take charge and

people from fully developing a great looking physique.

Given time I believe this return to bodybuilding that values aesthtics to an extant that it is an art will help get people iterested in the sport and more interested in personal fitness.

Above is IFBB Pro Sadik Hadzovic. On the left he was competing in Men’s Physique 2015, and on the right is from this year, 2016, and shows his switch to Classic Physique

Go M.A.D. and make a difference Opinion: Ann Clardy Byrd Make A Difference projects are about making a difference in our world, making it a better place. There are many ways that you can get involved to help our community and one of them is doing a M.A.D project. This opportunity begins with the juniors and is available until your senior year. If you are not yet a junior, you can start to think about whether or not you would like to do one and what you would like to do.

There are many benefits from doing one. The main reason is how you can make a positive difference in your community. All of us at Prep are very fortunate to have a multitude

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of opportunities to learn and grow. You can learn a lot from getting involved. You can build qualities from the experiences including leadership. A lot of work is put into making a successful M.A.D. project. These qualities will be helpful now and in the future.

Many people work in groups to be able to get as much accomplished as they can. Having help from someone can make the experience less stressful and rewarding for the both of you. Starting a project and finishing it shows commitment.

When applying for colleges, they like to see how you helped your community, and

see the aspects of planning an event.

Doing a M.A.D. project is highly recommended and is a great experience for everyone involved.

Chatham Kennedy enjoying spending time with girls at The Fountain.

Photo courtesy of Chatham Kennedy.

The Sentry

Staff Editorials All opinion pieces are the views of the author, and the author 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.

December 2016

For a complete look at The Sentry’s opinion section, pick up a paper copy!

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Candid & Random

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The Sentry