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
V OL. XLVII, ISSUE 7
Class of 2017...
NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE Paid Jackson, MS Permit #93
MAY 2 017
...it’s your time!
ViewsandVoices
What is your favorite Prep memory from this year?
Where is your dream vacation spot?
“Reveillon winning grand champions and best set crew in New York” - Elizabeth Stephenson, 11th
“On the lake fishin” - Brady Culbertson, 12th
“Seeing Mr. Devine dance at Prom and skate on the New York trip” - Hayes Newcomb, 12th “Fiesta Day” - Matthew Cochran, 6th “Wa Za Wa Za Waffle Cone” - Spivey Gault, 11th “Walking to school to see Miss Bradford’s face staring back at me with a loving gaze” - Marley Parkman, 11th
“Somewhere with warm weather and water” - Brock Loposer, 12th “Bora Bora” - Caleb “Billy Bob” Carter 11th “Hunting wild game in Alaska” - Grady Clayton, 10th “Maui”
- Addison Galloway, 11th
“A secluded beach, maybe Greece, maybe Hawaii” - Mrs. Griffin, 11th AP English teacher
S E N T RY P I C KS
What would you name a pet? (type of pet in parentheses) Lain (orangutan) - Hays Dubberly Jack Crisler (squirrel) - Nevin Wells Casper (ghost) - Jack Young Jerry (mouse) - Ellis Abdo Groot (extraterrestrial being) - Tynes Carroll Dylan (dog) - Bennett O’Quinn Roscoe (leopard) - Stewart McCullough Shooter McGavin (turtle) - Will Fletcher Chewbarka (dog) - James Threadgill Blueberry Pancake (Dalmatian) - Sarah Riley Jicka Patrick Star (starfish) - Tori Newsome Lynn (horse) - Henley Johnson Laurence Todd Phillip III (sea turtle) - Caroline McIntyre Wilbur (pig) - Mary Patton Murphy Tilly (fox) - Sarah Avery Huffman King Julien (lemur) - Lake Wartes I wouldn’t have a pet - Chatham Kennedy Computer (otter) - Ann Clardy Byrd Scooby (dog) - Holman Buchanan Gracie (human) - RJ Green Steph (cheetah) - Michael Wilson
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Nixon (dog) - Mr. Hughes Tommy (chinchilla) - Jacob Aron Perry (platypus) - Paul Andress TreeFace (bug) - Russell Roberts Huckleberry (Tibetan Mastiff) - Madeline Claire Hughes Professor McGonagall (cat) - Genevieve Hurst Thad (tarantula) - Alex Gibbs Squishy (jellyfish) - Brittany Wilkinson Zion (dog) - Mary Dunbar Chubbs (alligator) - Emory Maxwell Abby Newton (ladybug) - Preston Dubberly Steve (goat) - Duncan Jones Macaroni (penguin)- Maclain Kennedy Big Dog (horse) - Payne Bell Albert (dog) - Avery Andress Buttmaker (opossum) - Steven Wyatt Sergei Ignashevich (mouse) - Tanner McCraney Zero (red fox) - Brendon McLeod RJ (human) - Gracie McCraney Buddy (penguin) - Blair Stockett Patrick (anteater) - Patrick Phillips
The Sentry
ONLINE AT: jpsentry.net
The Sentry Volume XLVII Issue 7 May 2017
Table of Contents
@jpsentry INSTAGRAM
News & Features...........................4-13 Entertainment.................14-15, 18-20
jacksonprepsentry
Who’s Going Where.....................16-17
Sports.............................................21-23 Sports Opinion............................24-25
jacksonprepsentry
Sentry Staff Editors-in-Chief Chatham Kennedy • Paul Andress Associate Editor Hays Dubberly Around Town Editors Blair Stockett • Gracie McCraney Copy Editors Brendon McLeod Sarah Riley Jicka Assistant Copy Editor Mary Patton Murphy Entertainment Editors Michael Wilson • Jacob Aron
Opinion..........................................26-31
Opinion Editors Jack Young • Jacob Aron
Candid & Random............................32
Assistant Opinion Editors Maclain Kennedy • Alex Gibbs
SNAPCHAT
Photography Editors Brittany Wilkinson • Ann Clardy Byrd Assistant Photography Editor Tanner McCraney
thejpsentry
(we won’t follow you)
sentry@jacksonprep.net
Cover illustration by John Nix Arledge 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
MISSISSIPPI SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION www.mississippischolasticpress.com
May 2017
Sports Editors Ellis Abdo • RJ Green • Brendon McLeod Assistant Sports Editor Russell Roberts Graphics Editor Holman Buchanan Online Editors Avery Andress • Stewart McCullough Business Manager Patrick Phillips Staff Steven Wyatt • Payne Bell Tynes Carroll • Preston Dubberly Mary Dunbar • William Fletcher Sarah Avery Huffman Madeline Claire Hughes Genevieve Hurst • Jane Hurst Henley Johnson • Duncan Jones Emory Maxwell • Caroline McIntyre Tori Newsome • Bennett O’Quinn James Threadgill • Lake Wartes Nevin Wells Contributors John Henry Andress • John Nix Arledge • Elizabeth Downing • Sloan Freeman Maddie Puckett
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News & Features
Students honored at Class Day On Friday, May 12th, parents and students in grades 9th-11th gathered to honor the graduating class of 2017. Class Day is the annual awards ceremony for Jackson Prep where the senior class is presented with various awards. In addition, each student’s future college and acceptedscholarhsips are announced. Afterwards, the students and their families take pictures outside of the theatre. Additional honors forums were held throughout the closing weeks of school for various grades. Wesley Roberson is Valedictorian and Robert Wasson is Salutatorian for the senior class.
Chatham Kennedy and Holman Buchanan received the American Legion Citizenship Award.
McKenzie Davis, Ann Clardy Byrd, and Sarah Helen Skelton received the Faculty School Service Award.
Gregor Patti, Taylor Hawks, and Easton Sheffield received the Senior Service Award.
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Paul Andress, Wesley Roberson, Lawson Marchetti, Rosemary Ferguson, Madeleine Porter, and Joseph Upton were named to the Hall of Fame.
Kacie Van Pelt and Robert Wasson received the Danforth Award.
Sarah Riley Jicka, Charlie Miller, Anne Rivers Mounger, and John Nix Arledge received the Head of School Award.
Madeleine Porter received the DAR Good Citizenship Award.
Subject area awards were received in 25 different subjects.
The Sentry
News & Features Virtual tour opens Prep campus to the world Alex Gibbs stewArt MccullouGh After weeks of buildup and promotion, Jackson Prep launched a new feature to the school’s website, jacksonprep. org, on Monday, April 10: a virtual tour of the entire campus with the multi-media technology company YouVisit. Intended to reach students who are possibly moving from out of state, lack the resources or time to come to the school in person, or want to visit the school discreetly without fear of retribution from their current school, this tour creates essentially the same experience as an actual on-site visit. According to the school’s official press release, this tour “leverages the power of virtual reality to reach students and helps familiarize them with Prep’s campus by offering unlimited by
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“Prep always wants to stay ahead of the curve in the way we reach out to potential students.” -Dr. Walton access and the opportunity to self-direct and control how they experience Prep’s campus.” Jackson Prep Head of School Dr. Jason Walton became interested in the idea of a virtual tour for Jackson Prep after meeting an executive of YouVisit at a conference he was attending and recognized
the uniqueness that a virtual tour would bring to a high school, as the only other school of any level in the state of Mississippi to have something like this is Jackson State University. With this addition, Prep joins prestigious schools to have a function such of this on their website, including Harvard, Yale, and Brown. In a statement regarding this new virtual tour, Dr. Walton said, “The way students and their families learn about schools is changing, and Prep always wants to stay ahead of the curve in the way we reach out to potential students. This website is a tool that will help promote our school to students in the metro area, families relocating to our area from other states, and to international students interested in attending Jackson Prep. This
To visit, go to the Prep website (jacksonprep.org) and click the link featured on the cover page.
site allows any prospective student the opportunity to see our beautiful campus and learn more about what Prep has to offer regardless of where they are. The goal of this site is for students to feel at home before they even arrive.” The link to this tour is featured right in the center of the website’s homepage, and as
soon as one clicks on the icon, he or she is taken immediately to the front entrance of Jackson Prep’s campus as if he or she had just walked arrived at the school in person. This is the beginning of the tour, which is a first-person experience that goes all throughout every facility on campus.
Prep publications procure prizes tynes cArroll On Friday, March 31st, Prep students involved in student publications, Précis, Earthwinds, Mindprints, and The Sentry, traveled to the University of Mississippi to attend the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association 2017 state convention. Schools statewide brought a total of 57 publication staffs to the convention, with 595 students in attendance. The day on the Ole Miss campus consisted of many breakout sessions from Competitive Yearbooking to Attack of the Drones: the advancement of aerial and drone journalism. These sessions were diverse to fit any student journalist’s interests. After the Breakout sessions and a catered pizza lunch, Students gathered in Ole Miss’ Gertrude C. Ford Center for Performing Arts, where publications and individual students were awarded for their work of the 2016-2017 year as part by
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of the MSPA’s annual “Best of Mississippi” contest. Mindprints, the junior high literary magazine, was named a finalist in the following categories: Best Literary Magazine (Publication of the Year), Theme, and Design. They were in competition with junior high and high school literary magazines from schools of all sizes statewide. Earthwinds, Prep’s senior high literary magazine was named a finalist in the following categories: Best Literary magazine (Publication of the Year), Design, and Theme. Précis, Prep’s yearbook, was named a finalist in the Colophon category. (Colophon is the publisher’s emblem or imprint, especially one on the title page or spine of a book.) The Sentry was named a finalist in the following categories: Best Newspaper (Publication of the Year), Print Layout and Design, and Sports Writing.
Macbeth lets sophomores strut and fret their hour upon the stage stewArt MccullouGh will Fletcher As the school year wound down, 10th grade English teacher Jessica Wilkinson decided to test her students knowledge on the play Macbeth in a new way. Once her classes finished reading the play, she challenged them to pick a theme or motif from Macbeth and, as a group, cut out 50 lines that symbolized their chosen theme. Students then added movements that emphasized their script and music that would add to the mood of their theme. While this is not the first time students have performed in Mrs. Wilkinson’s class, this assignment required them to perform in front of other teachers and classes in Lindsay Hall. The English class originally learned about choral performances in their previous unit, Antigone, but this was their first time to act it out. Fifth period student Chandler Usry added, “I feel that this assignment allowed everyone in our groups to interject their take on Macbeth and I learned a great deal about the book that I did not know beforehand.” -Caroline McIntyre also contributed to this story. by
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News & Features
International Day brings world to JP Campus to stay busy M C H all summer long International day was
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Will FletCHer This summer Prep is offering a large variety of summer camps and opportunities on campusa, adding twenty-one new camps to the rotation for all grades. Prep is also expanding its variety of camps and splitting them into three categories: Study, Train, and Create. In the study category Prep is offering a wide range of new range of opportunities including the new Walk Through Japan camp led by Kazuaki Shiota. This camp allows kids in grades 10-12 to explore Japanese culture in a first hand experience by learning Japanese Folk songs, greetings, food, and culture. Other camps in the Study category include Chess Camp, Kitchen Science for Big Kids, Searching for Treasures in the Old Testament, Manners and Etiquette for Middle Schoolers, Maker Camp, Babysitting Skills, and others. In the Train category, Prep is offering the yearly Baseball camp run by the coaching staff, Softball Pitching Camp, Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Camp, Football skills, Cheer and Pacer camp, Soccer, and others. Prep also offers its creative and artistic camps. This section of camps offers a recurring art camp, theater camps like Theater Tech Camp, Set Design Camp, and other camps that offer musical and dancing lessons. Prep has also introduced a lot of camps directed towards young kids in grades 1-5. Some examples of these new additions for kids include Kitchen Science for Kids, Manners and Social Graces camp, and Bricks for Kidz LEGO: Bat League Heroes and Villains S.T.E.M. camp. Other big events going on at Prep this summer are the Dance Unlimited Team coming to Prep on May 19th, the UMMC Nursing Pinning Ceremony in Fortenberry Theatre on May 25, and senior Gregor Patti’s student-led summer play: Death of a Salesman. This is the second year that Patti has led this event, after the success last year of his production Of Mice and Men. The play is being performed on Friday June 23rd @ 7pm and Saturday the 24th @ 2pm and 7pm. The thirteen person cast looks to surpass the already high standards of last year’s play. by
celebrated at Prep on April 5. Booths representing fifteen different foreign countries were set up in the gym. At each booth, students were dressed in traditional clothing that represented “their” country. Food from the country was available to sample, and students could listen to a short presentation about the country. Students watched one of three thirty-minute foreign films. Then a student led discussion was held after the film. All junior high students, and any interested senior high students, were given a special Jackson Prep “passport.” If a student visited all fourteen booths and got a stamp from each country on their passport, they were be eligible to enter their name into a drawing for prizes. Around 650 students entered completely stamped passports, and 28 students won prizes. In addition, many different types of food were be available for lunch on International Day, as the Dining Commons temporarily became a center of international dishes. Students were able sample four different
ethnic cuisines served at different location in the Dining Commons. Junior Jacob Beard says his favorite thing about the day was the “bomb” food. Cuisine from Germany, France, Mexico, and Philippines were available. Valley Food employee Ms. Gloria Jones, also known as “Boo,” was the head of the Philippines food section. Ms. Jones, who is originally from the Philippines, hand-made all her food. International Day was led by senior Taylor Hawks, who enlisted many groups to help make International Day work. Katie Hubacek, a sophomore, said, “It was inspirational to see all of the students working
Caroline MCintyre In conjunction with the release of the 46th edition of Prep’s award-winning literary magazine, Earthwinds invited the school to celebrate writing and music at their annual coffeehouse on April 27. “One of the nice things about coffee house is it is a celebration that the entire school ties into and it’s something that we have worked hard on all year that is an affirmation of my students hard work!” Dr. Paul Smith, Earthwinds sponsor, said. Earthwinds is a publication of the creative writing class taken at Prep. The staff, led by Dr. Smith and editor-in-chief Brianne Powers, held an event
during activity and homeroom filled with performances and poetry reading on Patriot Avenue. Earthwinds had a great turnout with tons of students and faculty showing up to listen to the students share their talents. This event is based on a “coffeehouse” style of performing, and includes all different types of music. It also included poetry readings from Earthwinds students themselves. Prep students from outside the Earthwinds class were able to try-out to perform at Coffeehouse. All of these artists stood up to show Prep their amazing musical and literary gifts. The lineup included: Miriam Box & Gregory Vance, Beth Ann
Students hold their umbrellas while they display their Japanese oriented table. Photo by Tynes Carroll.
together. Taylor did a wonderful job.” Taylor said, “Overall, I was amazed at how well things went. Nothing really went wrong. I just hope everyone who came through the event learned something!” Senior high principal Dr. Luke Nealey, called International Day “a global success... that transcended time zones.” Coordinator Ms. Jane Zhu, said, “I think it was awesome. It was very successful for the school, and I think it was the first step for us to bring diversity in and out of our school, and hopefully students will have a different view of this global village.”
Poetry and music fill the air at Earthwinds Coffeehouse by
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Young & Reed Peets, Logan Gage & Nosyatina Turcal, Polly Watkins & Kelly McBride, Joseph Upton & Charlsey Rowan, The Pearl Divide, and Elated Sensations. Not only did the musical acts put on excellent performances, but students also had the option to drink Cups coffee while enjoying the music. The event also included beignets made fresh by the Prep cafeteria, and included an Instant Poetry station where students could get personal poetry written by the staff. Earthwinds members also passed out their magazine and sold t-shirts. Earthwinds staff member Wesley White said, “We worked really hard on the banners for
Earthwinds staffer Camille Grady reads from the magazine. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Stephenson
Coffeehouse and organizing this event, and I hope that everyone enjoyed it and, if not, I did, and that’s all that matters.” Wesley wasn’t the only
one who enjoyed Coffeehouse as evidenced by the crowd of people with smiles on their faces. Video of the performances is available at jpsentry.net.
The Sentry
News & Features
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe captivates Prep
Maclain KenneDy A cold breeze blew into the Jackson Prep theatre April 22nd and 24th. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was the play bringing the change in the weather. Mr. McDade and many others worked hard to prepare the show for eager audiences. Originally a book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was written by C.S. Lewis. The book is about four children who go to live with Professor Digory Kirke to escape the dangers of World War II. While at the house in the countryside, Lucy finds a wardrobe. Among entering the wardrobe, she is immersed in a land called Narnia. After showing her siblings, they all go to Narnia. The siblings have many adventures, as well as a few tasks they must overcome. Hannah Plunkett, who played the role of Lucy, was very excited about the performance. When getting into char-
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acter, Plunkett says that since her character is seven years old, she stands beside tall people. “The show definitely has some abstract designs behind it, but that only amplifies the way Narnia would seem to an imaginative seven year old.”, said Plunkett when describing the play. There were about sixty people that worked to make this play possible. The production was put together in a little over a month. Lawson Marchetti, a senior, played the role of Mr. Beaver. This being his last production at Jackson Prep, Marchetti said, “The play is wonderful. It presents many challenges. I’ve had to learn the mannerisms of a beaver as well as adopt the cockney accent. It’s a great cast and I can’t wait to perform it.” This play has a very artistic aspect to it. Recreating the world of Narnia can seem quite challenging. Mr. McDade says, “We are using a lot of ideas to
the set. Some are solid, some are light and present their own story line. The magic is in the sense of wonderment we try to portray in the show.” After the Saturday matinee, there was a character tea party for children under the age of 12. The characters came out and talked to the kids who were eating snacks and making masks. It was really sweet to see the children’s faces light up when the cast walked around, still talking in their accents and having the same mannerisms as they did when they were performing. The kids absolutely loved talking to the cast, too. This year’s play was one for the books. “I think it is a good one to learn conviction, determination and rising to be better than yourself,” said Mr. McDade when describing why he chose the play. If you had the opportunity to watch the play, you would’ve seen the dedication that these
actors and actresses showed by their performance.
Above: Peter, Susan, and Lucy, as well as Mr. amd Mrs. Beaver, encounter Father Christmas and an elf along their journey. Photo courtesy of Lisa Patti
Left: Chatham Kennedy, who played Susan, is captured by the beauty of Narnia. Photo courtesy of Lisa Patti
Marchetti takes on Poetry Out Loud for the fourth year Mary Dunbar Poetry Out Loud is a national program that encourages students to learn about poetry through memorization and recitation. The program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn more about different poets and styles of poetry. Poetry Out Loud has grown to reach more than 3 million students in every state since its beginning in 2005. Lawson Marchetti, a senior at Prep, competed in, and won, the state final Poetry Out Loud contest on March 9 to advance to the nationals. In the first round in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, April 25, Lawson competed against people from the southern region. He was accompanied by Prep Poetry Out Loud Coordinator and Prep English Department chair, Dr. Lisa Whitney. Marchetti recited the by
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poem “Sweetness” by Stephen Dunn, and “The Statesmen” by John Straley in the sec-
Marchetti with Dr. Whitney (right) and Mr. Bolinsky (left) before his first round recitation. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Buttons Marchetti.
ond round. After the first two rounds, eight students from the region were named to move on to the competition’s final round. Marchetti was not among those
chosen. Marchetti says he owes everything to Dr. Whitney and Mr. Ken Bolinsky, the Mississippi state coordinator of Poetry Out Loud, along with the entire Prep English department. “All of them have been very instrumental and nurturing me into who I have become today,” said Marchetti. Marchetti has been reciting poems competitively since the 9th grade. When asked what he has learned the most during this process, he said, “Poetry has really reflected and aided myself as a human being and as an individual. As I have competed, I have increased in depth as a person and consequently so has my way to communicate that.” Marchetti believes that reciting poems and understanding them is more about growth and human revolution as opposed to just winning. Dr. Whitney seconds this opinion,
saying, “Poetry Out Loud is a way to experience poetry by living with it, instead of just looking at it.” Looking back on his final year of Poetry Out Loud, Marchetti said, “I was surprised that I did not make it to the third round, but the judges of my region were looking for a different recitation style.” “Lawson is the hardest
worker. He will do anything to get better,” remarks Dr. Whitney. On the day of his Washington performance, numerous rooms at Prep were filled with the sound of poetry, as faculty and students watched the proceedings live, proud of their friend Lawson Marchetti.
Marchetti reciting a poem during the contest. Photo courtesy of Poetry Out Loud.
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News & Features Talent show takes audiences to “La La Land” Preston Dubberly tori newsome On April 8, Applause!, Prep’s booster program for the arts, held its annual fundraiser, a variety-talent show. This year the talent show had its theme as “A Night in La La Land.” The talent show began at 6. Laura Lee Lewis, Miss Mississippi 2016, was the master of ceremonies for the evening. Cash awards were given to winners. There was a crowd favorite award, and audience members could pay $1.00 per vote for their favorite performance. Tickets for a raffle to obtain a parking spot in front of the senior high were on sale a week prior to the talent show. The parking spots are for the remainder of the school year. The money raised is going support Applause! and the arts. The junior high portion of the competition began with Walker Jay Patterson, ninth grader, singing “It Takes Two” from the Broadway musical Hairspray. Eight students
showcased their talent in the junior high. Jimmy Underwood, also a ninth grader, closed the competition part of the talent show for the junior high with his performance of “She” by Elvis Costello. Jimmy says he dedicated this song to his mom because “she always is so encouraging to me and I would not be here without her.” Prep Tones performed as an exhibition. Because Tori Johnston, eighth grader, won the junior high portion of last year’s talent show, she could not compete but made an appearance singing “Good Thing He Can’t Read My Mind” by Christine Lavin. After intermission, Charlsey Rowan, a junior, opened the senior high portion of the competition singing “Stay” by Sugarland. Seniors Hannah Plunkett and Lawson Marchetti ended the senior high portion of the talent show by singing a duet. A total of twenty high school students performed many talents from singing to reciting monologues
by avery anDress Jackson Prep junior Aidan Creel first got interested in fencing when he was watching the 2012 Olympics because of how cool it looked. After watching the Olympics, he started fencing in July of 2013. He is part of a local fencing club that rents out the lower level of the Baptist Healthplex in Jackson. The club meets on Thursdays and Saturdays for a total of about 4 hours a week. Over the years, he has won 11 medals, including two first place medals, five second place medals, four third place medals, and a plaque for winning third place. He says, “I enjoy fencing because of the competitive spirit of it and how it’s a sport where you can really watch yourself improve.” Aidan has competed at the Junior Olympics that were held
in 2015, 2016, and 2017 which were in Richmond, Virginia; Cleveland, Ohio; and Kansas City, Kansas. He is also going to compete this summer in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Summer Nationals on July 6. His favorite fencer is Gerek Meinhardt who is a United States Olympian. His favorite fencing move is called a “flick” in which he moves his blade with a lot of force and then stops it in mid-air, causing the blade to bend and the tip of the blade to keep going and hit his opponent. He definitely wants to continue fencing in college competitively, but not necessarily for the college. He wants to find a local fencing club in the town of the college that he attends. Aidan Creel fences against an opponent at the Junior Olympics in 2016 in
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to playing extravagant instruments. Before awards, Capital, Prep’s acapella group, performed, followed by Beth Ann Young, a junior who is the former senior high division talent show winner, sang “I’ll Be Here” from the Broadway musical Ordinary Days. After Beth Ann performed, Laura Lee Lewis sang “Somebody to Love” by Queen. Finally, the raffle ticket winners were announced: Lawrence Coco, father of seventh grader Mary Robinson Coco, and Janet Porter, grandmother of junior Dakota Krauss. Ms. Porter was nice enough to give the parking spot to Dakota. The talent show this year had a great turnout. Ms. Kim Porter, president of Applause!, and her team put on an outstanding show.
AWARDS: Junior High 1st: Jimmy Underwood 2nd: Mary Robinson Coco 3rd: Hannah Grace Biggs Best Vocalist: Walker Jay Patterson Best Instrumental: Hannah Grace Biggs Best Duet: Michelle Daschbach and Olivia Wann
Senior High Overall and Best Duet: Lawson Marchetti and Claire Porter 1st: Claire Porter 2nd: Matt Gross and Graham Roberson tied 3rd: Madeleine Porter Best Variety: Matt Gross Best Monologue: Keeton Landfair
Miss Mississippi sings before awards are given out. Photo courtesy of Tynes Carroll.
Junior Aidan Creel scores fencing victories
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Cleveland, Ohio. Photo courtesy of Aidan Creel.
Aidan Creel at the Nationals Qualifier in Shreveport, Louisiana where he won first place. Photo courtesy of Aidan Creel.
The Sentry
News & Features My favorite restaurants are sure to satisfy Paul’s Palate by Paul Andress In my final edition of Paul’s Palate, I will give you my advice on the best places to eat in the Jackson metro area. These places will take more of a hit on your wallet, but trust me the price are justified by the quality of food you will enjoy. My top places to eat are Char, Shapley’s, and Amerigo’s. Whether you are looking for a solid burger and fries or are wanting a tasty filet, there is definitely something for everyone at Char. One of my favorite items on the Char menu is the seafood gumbo. You can order it in a cup as a great appetizer or make a meal out of it as it comes in a larger bowl
size.
The lunch specials at Char are hard to beat as for a little over ten dollars you can get an entree such as fried catfish, chicken, or country fried steak along with two homestyle sides. This next restaurant needs no introduction. Shapley’s in Ridgeland is the standard by which all steaks in the Jackson metro area are measured by, and honestly there is not much competition. Every aspect of a steak dinner at Shapley’s is on point. Here is my perfect meal at Shapley’s, and I have never deviated from it do its perfection.
To start out you receive a side salad with peppercorn dressing. To accompany your salad, the waiters bring out rolls with honey butter. As tempting as it is to fill up on the rolls, you must save yourself for the main course. Then the steak cooked to your liking along with the second side is served as the main entree. I always get the steak cut fries to go with my steak. Finally, you have to order the lemon icebox pie for dessert. It is one of the best desserts in Jackson, and a meal at Shapley’s is not complete without it.
Pacers kick off a new season brittany Wilkinson Pacer tryouts have come and gone once again. To most girls, it is a pretty stressful and tiring week, but it is also a lot of fun and excitement. This year was definitely competitive, and a lot of talented girls tried out. The tryout week consists of five days. The girls were put into groups of two or three, and they had a senior Pacer to help them with anything they needed throughout the week. Monday through Wednesday, the girls learned the dance that the officers made up. The dance was fast, but the fun music made it enjoyable. On Thursday, the girls had a mock tryout. They did the dance in front of the senior Pacers to get a feel for what the real tryouts are like. Finally, on Friday, March 27th, the girls tried out in front by
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of the judges. All of the judges were previous Pacers, so they knew exactly what to look for when choosing the Pacers. Tryouts lasted all day, from around noon until five thirty. The competition was tough, and there were many talented girls who tried out. Thirty six girls made the team, and they met back at Prep that night to have their first gathering of the season. Overall, tryouts were successful, and the Pacers are excited to get to perform at their first football game in the fall. Ms. Christina Jackson, the new Pacer sponsor said, “Pacer tryout week is exhausting mentally, physically, and emotionally. It affects the girls in everything that they do: schoolwork, homework and their social life that week are non-existent, but I think if you ask anyone who tried out they
will say it is a great experience no matter the outcome. We had a very strong group of girls this year with 70 girls trying out for a maximum of 36 spots. I am excited about the year ahead of us and can’t wait to see what 2017-2018 holds.”
The final place on my list and probably my favorite place to eat in Jackson is Amerigo. Amerigo is an Italian restaurant with locations in Dogwood and Ridgeland. They serve pizza, pasta, and salads along with other Italian staples. I always get the same dish at Amerigo, and it is my favorite meal. It is called the chicken margarite and it comes with either red sauce, scallion cream, or garlic butter sauce on angel hair pasta. I always get the scallion cream sauce. It is comparable to chicken alfredo, but it is of the highest quality of chicken alfredo. For dessert, Amerigo offers tiramisu, pecan butter crunch cake, and chocolate fudge brownie with ice cream on top. I always get the tiramisu. In normal situations the desserts are best if split between two or more people.
If you would like to know how it feels to eat the brownie alone, ask Matthew Myers what it is like and think twice before attempting it. I hope you all have enjoyed reading Paul’s Palate this year as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Never be afraid to try new foods as there is nothing more sophisticated than a diverse palate.
by Genevieve Hurst As March 9, the day of cheerleading tryouts approached, prospective cheerleaders did their homework and school projects earlier so they would be able to focus on learning their dance and getting ready to try out. Nineteen girls were vying for the coveted spots of cheerleaders this year, and they had all worked and trained very hard all year, so the stakes were high. These senior high girls have been working and training all year in preparation for this. Many have been cheerleading their entire lives. Sophomore cheerleader Mary Parker Plunkett said, “Cheer tryout is an event that I look forward to all year. Just like other athletes, I train and practice year round to have the opportunity to represent Prep. Tryouts for me is fun but also so stressful that I can’t even describe it.” These tryouts come with great stress, as well as some fun.
The cheerleaders had a party, where they all got to know each other and hang out. They normally have one more, and they all eat dinner together before games. Sara Thomas Easley and Emme Aldridge got Captain and Co-Captain, respectively. A total of sixteen girls made it, with four rising seniors, seven rising juniors, and five rising sophomores on the team.
Cheerleader Tryouts
Sophomore Mary Parker Plunkett with senior Bailey Mangum during cheer tryouts.
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News & Features
Legendary quiz bowl season for Prep Mary Patton MurPhy Students Wesley Roberson, Robert Wasson, Lawson Marchetti and Alex Reichle are without a doubt four of the smartest Patriots at Prep, and because of their performances on this year’s senior high quiz bowl team, these students have landed the reputations of being some of the most knowledgeable students in the state. Beating the buzzer one match at a time, these four team members achieved victories at three different tournaments this year, including regional tournaments at Mississippi College and Madison Central as well as a statewide tournament at Christ United Methodist Church. At the Mississippi College tournament and the MAIS statewide tournament at Christ United, the senior high quiz bowl team walked away with a first place trophy, having defeated around thirty to forty different teams. After the most by
recent tournament at Madison Central High School, the team finished in second place after a disappointing defeat to Meridian High School. Contrary to popular belief,
quiz bowl is not simply a math or science driven tournament. Topics for questions in matches incorporate a wide variety of subjects, including pop culture, music, history, and literature.
Pictured are team members Robert Wasson, Wesley Roberson, Alex Reichle, and Lawson Marchetti.
According to senior Lawson Marchetti, each member of the team has a different area of interest in which they excel. “We each have our favorite subject matter,” he said. “The questions are everything.” For Marchetti, it’s English. For team member of three years and captain Wesley Roberson it’s math. For Robert Wasson it’s history, and for Alex Reichle, it’s theatre. Despite their differing talents on subject matter, the team members agree that they have been able to see quiz bowl at Prep grow tremendously during the 2016-2017 season. According to Roberson, the team set the bar high for themselves at tournaments, especially at Mississippi College, to not just beat the scores of other teams but to beat their own scores. Last year, the team’s personal goal for points was 600. This year, the team was able to reach 700 points in tournaments over three times. “The
more you play together, the more that kind of stuff happens,” said Roberson. While this quiz bowl season may be hard to top as three of the four members are leaving for college soon, the group has high hopes for next year. Junior Alex Reichle stated, “It’s definitely going to be weird without them. We have been working as a team for a while now, but I’m excited for what next year holds.” As of now, it appears that Roberson’s brother Graham will be the most difinite addition for next season. After graduation, Mr. Divine and students will be travelling to nationals in New Orleans. The three seniors of the group Roberson, Wasson, and Marchetti do not expect to place particularly well, but they hope that the team will have an enjoyable, final tournament together in Louisiana.
Debate team celebrates success
Payne bell Jackson Prep’s speech and debate team, guided and sponsored by Mr. Younce and Ms. Jenkins, had a very successful year competing in many different tournaments across the southeast. The team attended eleven tournaments, many in the Jackson area, but also in places such as Hattiesburg, Petal, Oxford, Starkville, and Lafayette. In the future, the team hopes to attend more events outside of the state. For the first two years of the speech and debate program, the team only participated in Lincoln-Douglas debate events, for which they earned a high level of recognition in the community. However, the team has branched out to poetry and prose performance, as well as oral oratories, which are both classified as Individual Events (IEs). Due to this branching by
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out, the team has been working hard this year to strike a good balance in prowess between Lincoln-Douglas debates and Individual Events. This year, Prep was the host to the Central and North Mississippi Qualifiers for the National Catholic Forensic League National finals. On the weekend of February 24th, student competitors from all around Mississippi gathered on campus in an attempt to qualify for the NCFL National Finals, which will take place on May 27-28 in Louisville, Kentucky. Sophomore Jack Mullen and Junior Mitchell Boulanger won alternate positions for the National Finals in Public Forum Debate. Mullen also went to the finals in Oral Interpretation. In the future, Prep hopes to be able to host one of the four qualifying tournaments for the National finals every year.
The core of the speech and debate team meets daily in the year-long speech and debate class, which is open to all senior high students to take for either a single semester or a whole school year. Mr. Younce added: “We depended heavily on the team members who were in the class, especially team captain Lauren Williams.” Mr. Younce hopes that, if a student takes the speech and debate class, they will improve clarity in their writing, become more comfortable speaking in front of groups, and be able to practice acting skills on a smaller scale. It is not required for a student to take the speech and debate class to be an active Sophomore Jack Mullen presents a case to his fellow team members. member of the team, but it is preferred in order to get the full Questions about speech and debate? Want to join the team? Contact Mr. speech and debate experience. Younce at ryounce@jacksonprep.net to sign up for next season.
The Sentry
Junior High News
Students grow to become writers by
students’ creative juices flowing. Seventh grader Anna Voynik said, “I’m involved in Growing Writers because I have always enjoyed writing. I like the creative process, and I think being part of this group will improve my writing. My favorite part of Growing Writers is that I’m with others that enjoy writing as well.” Sometimes they will meet in the library to look at photography exhibits to get inspiration from the photos. The
students work on other skills like collaborative writing with each other. In fact, the Growing Writers wrote an article together that was submitted and will be featured in this year’s edition of Mindprints, the literary magazine for junior high students. Although this is the Growing Writer’s first year, they have many high expectations for the years to come. They hope to collaborate with the Senior High’s Writer’s Block soon.
JH Youth Legislature has a successful year John henry anDress Every year, Jackson Prep sends a group of junior high students to participate in the Mississippi Youth Legislature. This year the Prep delegation was lead by Coach Alexander Romano and Coach Brandt Walker. Coach Romano started doing Youth Legislature when he was in 7th grade and continued throughout high school at St. Stanislaus. He became inby
May 2017
elizabeth Downing If you have been to the Junior High building lately, you have probably noticed the new bell sound that has replaced the traditional one, and you have probably wondered why it sounds like the fasten seat belt alert on a commercial airplane. This new bell sound is actually the initial part of an emergency campus wide communication system. This system is currently being tested in the junior high and a few classrooms in the McRae center. It has been determined that it is effective, and it will be installed in the high school building over the summer. This intercom system that alerts everyone on campus at the same time, inside and outside. This means, for example, if a faculty member sees a campus intruder he or she can immediately alert everyone on campus by the simple press of a button. Director of Technology, Ms. Laura Bishop says, “We wanted a leading edge, digital by
Preston Dubberly
Junior High Growing Writers is a new addition to Jackson Prep this year. The Growing Writers’ Club is meant to cultivate and grow students’ love for writing and to increase their understanding of the craft of writing. They work to derive inspiration from everyday life with the intent of nurturing a life of creativity from which all good writing springs. Any student who is in sixth grade through ninth grade is allowed to join. As of right now, Growing Writers has about seven regular members and would love for more people to join. Ms. Karen Flowers, a 7th grade English teacher, is the sponsor of Growing Writers. They meet once a month during activity period, and stay connected through Google Classroom in order to share their writing. At meetings they do fun writing exercises to get the
JH tests new bell system
volved in many important positions while in high school, such as assistant sergeant of arms, speaker pro tem, and youth governor, and he presented bills when he was in Junior High. This is Coach Walker’s second year to participate in Youth Legislature. His favorite part of Youth Leg is watching the delegates argue over bills, and he enjoyed getting to know the students better. In order to participate in
this convention, every participant creates a bill that they believe needs to be added to Mississippi’s laws, either by themselves or with a partner. Upon arrival, participants meet with their political parties, which is led by officers. Students get to present your bill to your party, and, if it passes, to the Senate or House. There is a process followed to present the bills, which includes open debate, pro-con debate, a presentation by the author, and a period of voting. The bill also must pass through many committees. At the end of the weekend, there is an award ceremony, which includes awards, such as outstanding senator and outstanding representative. Prepwinners were as follows: Tanner Gough won outstanding Senator, Cassidy ZumMallen won Outstanding Senator, Alex Stradinger won Outstanding Senator, and Rimes Rutledge won outstanding representative.
system that would leverage our infrastructure. Sound and Communication Company installed the existing intercom system, so, naturally, they were one of the companies we contacted to give us a proposal for a solution.” The implementation of the system was put into effect by Prep’s Chief Operating Officer Mr. Denny Britt, Assistant Head of the Junior High Mr. Gary Noble, and Ms. Bishop. So back to the most commonly asked question about the new sound: Why does it sound like the fasten seat belt alert? Since this is a digital system and not an “impact” system, the sound that notifies students that it is time to change classes must be programed. The “chime” is the sound the administration decided would be used for changing of periods, but really any sound could be used. So, what we thought was just a strange sound telling us it’s time to change classes turns out to be something that really benefits the entire student body at Prep.
Round up the class of 2020! MaDeline Puckett Bright and early on April 19th, the 9th grade loaded buses for the annual 9th grade retreat. After playing fun games on the bus, they arrived at Camp Garaywa in Clinton for breakfast, swing dancing, and a talent show. Wright Thompson and his beatboxing and Lydia Spivey with her ability to sing with her mouth closed were voted top talents. Then the guys reloaded the buses to Camp Down Range. The girls stayed at Camp Garaywa. There they had a senior talk session and completed a ropes course. The seniors gave the girls good advice for the upcoming high school years. The girl’s ropes course consisted of team building activities where by
they had to encourage each other and put their minds together to complete the tasks. The rest of the afternoon consisted of line dancing, karaoke, more team building exercises, and a very informative speaker. The guys had it a little rougher over at Camp Down Range. After getting some life advice from the seniors, they did many activities that put them to the test including running with weighted backpacks and climbing as 35 foot “confidence climb” ladder. They also competed in an obstacle course and a timed sandbag race. The 9th graders returned to the school tired and dirty, but ready to tackle their high school years.
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The Sentry
News & Features
And the Oscar goes to... Prom 2017 Hays Dubberly Without the help and planning of student body Vice-President Avery Andress and student council sponsor Ms. Laura Hepner, Jackson Prep’s Prom could not have been so successful. The dance was held Thursday April 14th at Duling Hall in Fondren with the theme being “Oscars.” The girls wore long dresses as if they were headed to the red carpet. Outside of the dance, students would take a quick picture with their date on the red carpet. Groove Addiction was the band that performed. They seemed to be a success for the students’ perspective because the lead singer had a wide vocal range. Christopher Russell said, “The dance was very fun since the band had great energy. Even though it was hot and everyone was packed in shoulder to shoulder, I think most people enjoyed themselves.” The dance lasted from 9pm to midnight, and people had the option to leave after Prom King and Queen were announced. by
The dance was funded from the previous year's Garage Sale and ticket sales from the junior class and a few seniors that did not complete their Garage Sale hours. At 10:30, Hayes Newcomb and Kennedi Pass were selected as Prom King and Prom Queen. Although Ellis Abdo and Madison Cole made a late push for these titles, Hayes and Kennedi squeaked past them. Caroline Pringle said, “It was a lot of fun to experience my last prom with many of my best friends and enjoy these final memories before we all go to college.” Jackson Snapbooth was off on the side taking pictures for people that were wearing an assortment of props. Many students seemed to have fun with this idea. Overall, Prom was a fun night for most people and definitely one for the books.
Nevine and Hadley enjoying the dance. Photo courtesy of Nevin Wells
McKenzie Davis, Sarah Helen Skelton, and Chatham Kennedy are excited for the night. Photo courtesy of Chatham Kennedy
Right: Sentry staff members, Gracie McCraney and Ann Clardy Byrd, are pumped for Prom. Photo courtesy of Ann Clardy Byrd Senior guys ready for Prom to begin. Photo courtesy Hudson Little
STAR students look to a bright future
Gracie Mccraney Every year, hundreds of students and teachers from across Mississippi are named This year, Jackson Prep was honored to have four STAR (Student Teacher Academic Recognition) students and their STAR teachers recognized. Mr. Steve Kincaid, Mr. Dave Ollar, Ms. Kimberly Van Uden, and Dr. Lisa Whitney were named STAR Teachers by STAR Students Isaac Clapp, Wesley Roberson, Robert Wasson, and Kennedy ZumMallen, respectively. The STAR program is sponsored by the Mississippi Economic Council and aims to recognize the academic achievements of the Mississipby
May 2017
pi’s brightest students and talented teachers. In order to be a STAR student, a student must have a 35 or 36 on the ACT or the highest ACT score at his or her school as well as a 93.5 minimum grade point average. Each nominated STAR student is given the opportunity to select a STAR teacher that they feel has had the greatest impact on their academic success. Robert Wasson, who selected Kimberly Van Uden as his teacher, says, “Being a STAR student was a huge honor, and I am so glad that I was able to recognize Ms. Van Uden as my STAR teacher. Ms. Van Uden has really invested in me, and I’ve enjoyed getting to
know her for the past 3 years. She’s been so fun to hangout with a math competitions and to just chat with.” The nominated STAR students and teachers are recognized every April at the STAR Student “Education Celebration” at the Jackson Convention Center. At the celebration, the top 20 STAR students are recognized as “All-Stars” meaning that they have the highest ACT scores and also impressive high school resumes. Three students from Prep were selected as All-Stars and received a $1,000 scholarship. Isaac Clapp placed 20th, Robert Wasson placed 4th, and Wesley Roberson placed 3rd and received a $16,000 scholarship.
Pictured are Jackson Prep’s STAR students: Isaac Clapp, Wesley Roberson Kennedy ZumMallen, and Robert Wasson, recognized at the Education Cel ebration. Photo courtesy of Robert Wasson.
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Entertainment
The Circle cuts too many corners Movie Review: Tanner McCraney When the Circle’s trailer was released, it came with a lot of excitement and hype. With movie stars Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, Ellar Coltrane, and John Boyega, there was no reason for this movie not to be a blockbuster. This proved to be false once the movie hit theaters. What many expected to an exciting movie portraying a futuristic dystopia found a subpar and predictable flick that received terrible reviews. It scored a 16% on Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer, a 5.7 on IMDb, and a 43% Metacritic for some perspective. Based on a book by Dave Eggers, the story is about a young woman named Mae Hol-
land, played by Emma Watson, who is just starting a job at The Circlethat was givin to her by her best friend Annie. This Circle is a huge tech company lead my Eamon Bailey, who is played by Tom Hanks. Imagine a Google on steroids that is trying out various new projects. The company grounds look like a college campus with drones flying about and artificial lakes. As Mae shows her ability to contribute to the company, she rises from a member of customer service to a tester of a new innovation called the SeeChange system, which is pretty much like a video live stream of everything you do and interact with that everyone who connects can see. All is
well and she buys into the idea that secrets are lies and any sort privacy is a crime. This displays the major theme of the movie: Do people behave better when they are being watched? Soon, Mae realizes the threats of having absolutely no privacy. Her participation quickly turns for the worst when it begins to affect the ones she cares most about. Mae soon realizes the that the Circle’s new programs come with terrible consequences and that she must destroy it. She then reaches out to one of the founders of the company about the problems that a world with no privacy. Thrugh a series of confusing twists and turns, the leaders of The Circle are exposed for their currupt but Mae continues to see hope for the program. On paper, the plot seems interesting. On the screen it was incomplete, and not even
Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, and Patton Oswalt aren’t enough to save The
Tom Hanks could pull it out. It is not that the acting was bad, it was just not enough. Emma Watson’s role as the protagonist seemed flat throughout the movie and lacked passion. Even Tom Hanks, one of the best actors to date, played a character that just did not work. He was the antagonist, whose intentions were quite unclear, and his role left people more confused than satisfied.
The blame can be put on director Ponsoldt, he failed at turning the famed novel into a good film. It was professionally made, came with so much hype, but was very disappointing. I advise waiting for the movie to come out on Netflix rather than wasting money on it in theaters.
Guardians of the Galaxy rocks ratings Movie Review: James Threadgill On May 5, Marvel released Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, making around $150 million on opening night. The movie has a great cast, with Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel as the Rocket/ Groot duo, Dave Bautista as Drax, and others Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Kurt Russell, and Sean Gunn. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 starts off with one of my favorite opening scenes, starring a dancing Baby Groot carelessly moving around while the others battle a monster. The Guardians are fighting the monster to protect some highly valued batteries for the Sover-
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eign, but Rocket steals them to get more money. The Sovereign chase after them, but a mysterious man saves them and claims to be the Peter Quill’s father, but Gamora doesn’t trust him. If you have seen the first Guardians of the Galaxy, you will definently appreicate this film because it is chock full of tie- ins and easter eggs from the comics as well as the first movie. Theres is even a cameo for the comic book characters the wathcers, for all of the comic fans. This is one of my favorite Marvel movies, and with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 81% and audience score of 90%, I highly recommend it to those who haven’t seen it yet.
Above: Baby groot is in his super cute uniform.
Above: The Guardians of the Galaxy team stare at something interesting
Left: Baby Groot enjoying a inflight snack of space skittles
The Sentry
Entertainment Fate of the Furious meets everyone’s expectations Movie Review: Will Fletcher The Fate of the Furious is the eighth and newest installment in the evergoing “Fast and Furious” franchise. Directed by F. Gary Gray, who directed other big name movies like Straight Outta Compton, takes on this addition to the series with the usual big-name cast of characters like Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto, Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs, Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce, Ludacris as Tej Parker, and others like Jason Statham and Michelle Rodriguez. This installment also adds new characters and with new characters comes new cast members like Helen Mirren as Shaw’s mother, Scott Eastwood as Little Nobody, and
Charlize Theron who plays the character Cipher, the main antagonist. The eighth movie carries on the series theme of insanely fast and expensive cars, massive explosions, impossible stunts, fist-fights thrown in for effect, and the theme of “family.” This theme of “family” has been the carrying proponent of most of the movies, especially the last two. The new movie has a seemingly simple plot. It basically has the main character, Dom, turn his back on his family after an unknown terrorist is introduced. This terrorist, an uber-smart hacker named Cipher, uses the technique of
blackmail to force Dom to turn his back on his team and steal a series of important devices. These devices were used to help Cipher and her team reach and takeover a remote Cold War era Russian Sub base, which was already coincidentally taken over by another armed and dangerous terrorist organization a mere-month before. This develops and leads to the physics-defying and impossibly long iced-over ocean race against guys with military grade missiles and a massive submarine with nukes that is being controlled remotely. This ending scene can only be compared to the ending of the previous Fast and Furious 6, where the crew chases a terrorist infested Boeing jet on a seemingly neverending runway, and somehow this super massive plane is not able to take off partly because of cable anchorages hooked to cars un-
der the wing. This scene, and every other ending scene to the series, ends with the death-defying stunts (like redirecting a moving torpedo) and the impossibly fast cars. The movie does not include the late actor Paul Walker, as character Brian O’Connor, because of his tragic death in 2013 during the filming of Furious 7. It does, however, include a small tribute to the late actor’s character at the end of the movie. This comes after Furious 7’s tribute to Walker at the end of the movie and the hit song “See You Again” by Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa. This was the first movie of the series to not include him. Walker was a huge loss to the franchise because his death was sudden and untimely, and because he was such an important figure, it was hard to fill his spot. This hole in the movie was filled by Jason Statham, who
plays character Deckard Shaw. Shaw was the main antagonist in Furious 7, but was forced to team up with the main guys to stop Torretto. This came with a lot of tension between the group because of the Shaw family history of fighting the group and the personal hatred between Shaw and character Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). This installment was a great move by the director and main writers. It provided an unforeseen twist to the plot and added a part to the movie’s meaning of “family”. Overall it was one of the better movies of the franchise. It has done well at maintaining the initial theme of the series and carried on the tradition of the crazy car races and the well known theme of action that has always carried the franchise.
Speech and Debate brings Prep campus to the big screen Stewart Mccullough During the summer, Prep’s campus is normally a quiet place and is only disturbed when the occaasional summer sport workout takes place. However, in the summer of 2015, Prep’s campus took center stage for the filming of Speech and Debate. Now, two years later, the movie has been released and is available to the public. “It was good how they tied in humor and life lessons into one movie,” said sophomore Robert Griffis. When producer Tom Rice first read the script his first call was to his high school alma-mater, Jackson Prep. While this was Tom Rice’s first production at his home high-school, Speech and Debate was his second movie to bring to the Jackson area in two years. Rice’s Sycamore Pictures proby
May 2017
Prep’s library doubles as an Oregon high school debate venue in the movie Speech and Debate.
duced the movie and it was directed by Dan Harris. Beginning after the last few days of school, actors, set workers, and the production team were on campus at all hours of the day working to transform our campus from Jackson Prep to the fictional Oregon school, North Salem High. This film, written by Ste-
phen Karam, follows three young characters who find a new loophole to make their voice heard. Starring Liam James, Sarah Steele, and Austin McKenzie, three friends look to expose the hypocrisy they see in their parents and raise an defunct speech and debate club from the ground up. The different types of architecture between the main
buildings gave the production team an easier job than normal. They transformed the McCrae building into the location of an actual speech and debate tournament and hospital, the senior high building into fictional North Salem High, and the Fortenberry Theatre into North Salem High’s auditorium. Having the movie filmed at Prep presented a great opportunity for students who have a passion for acting, to put their foot in the door of the movie business. This production enlisted students to act as extras in different scenes. Seniors Gregor Patty and Rosemary Ferguson along with Junior Claire Porter acted as fill ins that led to possible speaking lines. The plot springs from the fact that, at any high school, there are students who just simply do not fit in. Speech and Debate shows three kids that
have the same problems with fitting in. Solomon, played by Liam James, finds that the school is censoring his newspaper stories. Diwata, played by Sarah Steele, is involved in a discussion with the school board that is trying to nix the musical, “Once Upon a Mattress”, due to its lack of moral base. Howie, played by Austin McKnight, is a new student who is looking to find himself in his new school. All three of these kids use speech and debate tournaments to voice their opinions.
Speech and Debate is currently available on iTunes.
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BY BLAIR STOCKETT
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Oh, the places we’ll go...
Ellis Abdo University of Mississippi
Lily Garretson Mississippi State University
Andrews McIntyre Mississippi State University
Macy Richardson Millsaps College
Jay Rucker Mississippi State University
John Phillip Gathings Mississippi State University
Brendon McLeod University of Mississippi
Wesley Roberson University of Virginia
Paul Andress University of Mississippi
Robert Good University of Arizona
Leland Meadows University of Mississippi
Marion Sapen Mississippi State University
John Nix Arledge Mississippi State University
Grace Gourlay University of Alabama
Emily Michael Mississippi State University
Noah Sasser Mississippi State University
Jacob Aron Mississippi State University
RJ Green Mississippi State University
Joshua Michael Mississippi State University
Easton Sheffield Mississippi State University
David Banks Mississippi State University
Lauren Groebe Mississippi State University
Charlie Miller University of Mississippi
Sarah Helen Skelton Mississippi State University
Alexiss Bentley University of Mississippi
Brent Hall Mississippi College
Sam Mills Mississippi State University
Blair Stockett Mississippi State University
Isabelle Box Lipscomb University
Nichol Hart Indiana University
London Miskelly University of Alabama
Maggie Strickland Mississippi State University
Eliza Brantley Southern Methodist University
Taylor Hawks University of Alabama
Anne Rivers Mounger Baylor University
Shelby Stump Mississippi State University
Holman Buchanan University of Mississippi
Hannah Hederman Mississippi State University
Matthew Myers University of Mississippi
Abby Tew Millsaps College
Barrett Bufkin Mississippi College
Holt Hederman University of Mississippi
Will Nall Mississippi State University
Sarah Tillery Mississippi State University
Ann Clardy Byrd University of Mississippi
Emily Jane Heidelberg University of Mississippi
Hayes Newcomb University of Mississippi
Nosyatina Turcal Mississippi State University
Kendall Causey University of Mississippi
Lauren Henderson University of Oklahoma
Jake Newsome Mississippi State University
Joseph Upton University of Mississippi
Isaac Clapp Mississippi State University
Emily Claire Herring Auburn University
Katie Newton Belmont University
Kacie Van Pelt University of Kentucky
Emily Clark Mississippi State University
Jack Reynolds Holiman University of Mississippi
Nick Nguyen Mississippi State University
Ally Walker Mississippi State University
Ian Clarke Mississippi State University
Addison Hughes Mississippi State University
Gregory Oden Hinds Community College
Will Warren Southeastern Louisiana University
Adam Cochrane Grinnell College
Rose Iacono Rice University
Ethan Oxley Mississippi State University
LaurenWarwick Mississippi College
Madison Cole Southern Methodist University
John Jeffreys Mississippi State University
Kennedi Pass University of Mississippi
Lindsay Warwick Mississippi College
Jacob Crawley University of Mississippi
Sarah Selby Jennings University of Mississippi
Olivia Patch Mississippi College
Robert Wasson University of Mississippi
Elkin Crews University of Mississippi
Sarah Riley Jicka University of Alabama
Hunter Patterson University of Mississippi
Anne Regan Watson University of Mississippi
Balie Crim University of Mississippi
Chatham Kennedy Mississippi State University
Gregor Patti University of Mississippi
Cecil Wegener University of Mississippi
Brady Culbertson University of Mississippi
Deen Knotts Mississippi State University
Julie Payne University of Mississippi
Holly Welch Mississippi State University
McKenzie Davis Mississippi State University
Keeton Landfair University of Mississippi
Tripp Perkins Mississippi State University
Sarah BethWiandt University of Southern Mississippi
Jordan Davis Mississippi State University
William Leech University of South Carolina
Jackson Phillips Mississippi State University
Brittany Wilkinson University of Mississippi
Jack Davis Mississippi State University
Hudson Little Mississippi State University
Shelby Pinnix Mississippi State University
Anna Kate Williams University of Mississippi
Jared Dodd Mississippi State University
Brock Loposer Mississippi State University
Hannah Plunkett The World Race
Wesley Williams University of Southern Mississippi
Hays Dubberly University of Mississippi
Ann Leighton Malouf University of Mississippi
Madeleine Porter University of Mississippi
Shelby Wilson Millsaps College
Mary Dunbar Auburn University
Bailey Mangum Mississippi State University
Jojo Pound University of Mississippi
Michael Wilson Mississippi State University
Rosemary Ferguson Mississippi State University
Lawson Marchetti University of Mississippi
David Powe Mississippi State University
Jack Young Mississippi State University
Tate Fowler University of Mississippi
Abigail Martin University of Mississippi
Brianne Powers University of Mississippi
Kennedy ZumMallen Mississippi College
Reese Friday Mississippi State University
Carley Martin Mississippi State University
Caroline Pringle University of Mississippi
Sam Fulton Mississippi State University
Will Massey Mississippi State University
Chris Puckett Mississippi State University
Logan Gage University of Mississippi
Gracie McCraney University of Alabama
William Purvis Mississippi State University
The Sentry
May 2017
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Entertainment
Summer Music Festivals
C Spire Day of Country
When: May 20th Where: Baptist Madison Campus Madison, MS Who’s Playing? Kenny Chesney, Thomas Rhett, Jake Owen, Jana Kramer, Russell Dickerson The only local music festival is the C Spire Day of Country. It has been growing year after year since its first concert four years ago. This year C Spire is offering multiple price levels for tickets with the cheapest being $80 for general admission and most expensive being a $250 VIP ticket. The two VIP ticket options are already sold out.
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival When: June 8-11 Where: Manchester, Tennessee Who’s Playing: U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weeknd, Chance the Rapper, Major Lazer, Lorde, The XX
Bonnaroo is one of the most iconic music festivals out there. Most people who attend Bonnaroo will choose to stay on the campgrounds in tents or trailers. For those who have been, they will tell you it is definitely an experience you won’t forget. You must be able to tough out the conditions, as this is in the middle of nowhere in Tennesee in the middle of the Summer.
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The Hangout
When: May 19-21 Where: Gulf Shores, Alabama Who’s playing? Mumford and Sons, Chance the Rapper, Twenty One Pilots, Weezer, Major Lazer, DJ Snake The Hangout is a favorite for Prep seniors and takes place on the beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama. It starts the Friday after senior exams, which makes for a great Senior trip. The excitement this year is building among students. Ticket offerings start at $309 for a three day pass and prices can run up to $1599 for VIP options.
Lollapalooza When: August 3-6 Where: Chicago, IL Who’s Playing: Chance the Rapper, The Killers, The XX, Lorde, Wiz Khalifa, Rae Sremmurd, Migos, DJ Snake If you are in the Chicago area, this city based festival is one of the best. Chicago is a fun city to visit on its own, but add a music festival with this lineup...and you have a fun weekend planned.
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Entertainment
Summer movie sneak peaks to fight the heat By Chatham Kennedy
Everything, Everything May 19, 2017
Eighteen-year-old Madeline (Amandla Stenberg) has never experienced the warmth of the sun except from behind glass. Her sickness has kept her trapped inside four walls where her only human interactions are with her mother and nurse. However, everything changes once her neighbor, Olly (Nick Robinson), visits. After weeks of talking, Madeline must decide whether she wants to stay in the security of her own home or risk everything for love.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul May 19, 2017
Greg Heffley stumbles back onto the big screen on May 19th for more mischief, mayhem, and madness. This summer, a new Diary of a Wimpy Kid cast will pack their bags for a family adventure filled with countless laughs.However, things quickly spiral out of control when Greg and his older brother Rodrick sneak away to attend a video game convention rather than hanging out with their grandmother for her 90th birthday. The film is set to occur one year after Dog Days.
Wonder Woman June 1, 2017
The Book of Henry June 16, 2017
The Glass Castle August 11, 2017
On June 1st, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) flies off of the 1970s TV screen and into the movie theatres. Wonder Woman tells the story of Princess Diana of the Amazons. After encountering an American pilot (Chris Pine) who has stumbled upon her secluded island and tells her about the horrors of World War I, Diana makes it her mission to bring peace to a world she has never seen. Now, she must discover her strength and use her training to save those she loves most.
Academy Award Nominee Naomi Watts stars as Susan, a waitress and single mother to Peter (Jacob Tremblay) and Henry (Jaeden Lieberher), a gifted student who acts as the family caretaker. When Henry witnesses his classmate Christina (Maddie Ziegler) being abused by her stepfather (Dean Norris), the town Police Commissioner, he crafts a plan to help save her. After his mother stumbles across Henry’s rescue book, she and her younger son place his ideas into action. The Book of Henry will have the audience gripping the edge of their seats as they await to see what each new page unveils.
The pages of The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls’ 2005 New York Times bestselling memoir, come to life on August 11. Academy Award winner Brie Larson portrays Walls as a young woman walking the road towards fulfillment while dealing with a dysfunctional family. Her mother, Rose Mary (Naomi Watts), a painter, and her alcoholic father, Rex (Woody Harrelson), battle starvation as Rex continuously abuses Rose Mary’s paycheck. This drama-comedy is sure to capture audiences who fell head-over-heels for The Help and Eat, Pray, Love.
D**N.: one of the best albums of the year Album Review:
Kendrick Lamar’s new album D**N. (italics for the benefit of our more innocent readers) is a look into his hectic, action-packed mind. The album hit the shelves on April 14th, and it only took a few days for it to become one of the most acclaimed albums of the year. Although it is his shortest album to date, it does not hold back on heavy topics such as depression, sexual tension, and other dark subjects. But D**N. also has a few songs that deal
May 2017
Lake Wartes Steven Wyatt
with lighter content. In the song “Element” he takes a jab at many mainstream rappers saying, “I don’t do it for the ‘Gram, I do it for Compton.” This verse is calling out many rappers that don’t act the way they preach, posting pictures flaunting their money, guns, and drugs, when in reality they do not live that lifestyle. With some lines and verses being very basic and easy to understand, there are also some verses that could easily go over a listener's head with all of the shade being thrown and all of
the Old Testament verses being quoted. In the track “DNA,” Kendrick really puts his verbal skills upfront, but he also takes the chance to call out Fox News Network for their misinterpretation of hip-hop. Lamar disagrees with one of the network’s hosts who said hip-hop has a more of negative impact on young African Americans than racism. He places an exact excerpt in the middle of the song from a Fox News anchor saying, “This is why I say that hip hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism in recent years.” Kendrick does take shots at other famous figures, but that does not seem to be the theme of this album. He also has songs in the album dedicated to other musi-
cal figures who helped give him ideas for songs in the album. One example of this occurs with R&B singer-songwriter Zacari Pacaldo. Pacaldo was asked by Kendrick to help contribute to the album, and when he showed Kendrick his song “Love”, Kendrick became hooked immediately and made a new revamped version of the song with Zacari to put in the album.
D**N. also features several prestigious singer-songwriters that add to the depth of the album, like Bono, Rihanna, James Blake, and Kid Capri. It also proved to be the return of former producer DJ Dahi, who produced one of Kendrick’s most popular songs, “Money Trees”, in 2012. Dahi came back to produce five songs for Kendrick which are all featured in the album. Dahi and Kendrick are already talking about making another album together. Dahi told reporters that he and Kendrick texted after Coachella about the album, and Kendrick finished the conversation by saying “What’s next?”
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Entertainment
The fidget frenzy takes nation’s schools by storm
Patrick PhilliPs If you have been inside of any school across the country in the past few months, then chances are you have probably seen a kid with some form of fidget toy. Fidget toys were originally intended to help students as well as adults who have some form of ADD, ADHD, or Autism focus. There might not be any real evidence that these toys actually help us focus, but there is no arguing that these toys are entertaining. The most popular of these fidget toys are the Fidget Cube and the Fidget Spinner. The Fidget Cube was created by Matthew and Mark McLachlan of Denver, Colorado. It was launched on kickstarter, which is a crowdfunding website. The Fidget Cube raised over six million dollars and quickly became the most popular kickstarter of all time. Unfortunately for the McLachlans, this popularity impacted their company in a negative way. Since they did not apply for a patent or trademark, the cube was imitated by numerous Chinese manufac-
turers, and by January 2017, thousands of fake Fidget Cubes
by Genevieve hurst When 13 Reasons Why came out on Netflix on March 31, no one expected the controversy that would arise around it. Produced by Selena Gomez from the book of the same name, many people were excited about its release. People immediately binged watched it, some completing the series in only a few days. Although it did have great reception, especially with teenagers, it received a great deal of criticism, particularly from parents and other adults. Articles preaching the dangers of the show quickly appeared on websites and newspapers all over the nation. Some schools even told parents not to let their children watch it. These
parents, schools, and organizations all feared that seeing suicide would spark suicides in real life. In fact, at a school in Oxford, students began telling stories of hard things they have been through, thanking those that helped them through these difficulties. This was set up by the school counselors, fearing an increase in suicides due to the popularity of the show. Mary Patton Murphy, a sophomore, said, “At first, I watched it and really enjoyed it without thinking about it could affect other people, and though it was probably meant to help people, I think now kids that have been watching it and have suicidal symptoms may want to act similarly to the character in the show.”
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Jackson Prep student and fidget spinner expert Piper Schroch spins away during class. photo by: Patrick Phillips were already flooding the market. The mass production of the Fidget Cube has helped build the popularity of the toy. According to Google Trends, the Fidget Cube is currently at an all time high in terms of popularity. You can buy a Fidget Cube on Amazon for just $5, but if you want the original cube created by the McLachlan’s, then it will cost you $29.99. The earliest version of the Fidget Spinner can be traced back all the way back to 1993 when
Catherine A. Hettinger created a device that consisted of four skateboard bearings and spun in your hand. Hettinger made and sold her spinners at flea markets. In 1997, she was able to successfully apply for a patent and proceeded to toy manufacturer Hasbro to distribute her invention. However later that year, Hasbro dropped Hettinger’s invention and moved on. Eight years later, Hettinger could not afford the $400 to renew her patent and was forced to forfeit it. Fast forward to 2016, the Fidget Cube has just finished its kickstarter funding; toy manufacturers took advantage
of the newly made niche of “fidget toys” and began making all sorts of fidget toys, one of which was Hettinger’s spinner toy. The modern day Fidget Spinner was officially born. Once the spinner reached American children, the popularity of the spinners took off, and soon it was not uncommon to see a fidget spinner in schools. These spinners might be intended to diverge distractions. However, oftentimes they create them. This has caused many schools across the country to ban their use in classes. Jackson Prep teacher Dr. Whitney says, “They are mesmerizing, and I find myself hypnotized by them
in class.” In Jackson, local stores have made small fortunes selling these toys. Heart of the South, Walgreens, and Learning Express have at one point or still do sell the toys. Walgreens sells their spinners for $5 Heart of the South and Learning Express sell their spinners for $20. The Fidget Spinner and Cube might be popular now, but with summer approaching, it will be hard to continue this fad because kids will no longer have school which is the main reason for buying one in the first place.
A showcase of Fidget Spinners found at Jackson Prep photo by: Patrick Phillips
Thirteen Reasons Why sparks controversy
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However, others say that 13 Reasons Why shows just how much others are affected by people’s suicide, therefore keeping people from doing it. It also could help to reduce stigma around suicide, so people would be more open to talk about it if they were having problems. As Brandon Larracuente, who plays Jeff on the show, says, “This is something that I want to be a part of because it’s such a strong and sensitive topic that I feel like many people try to sugarcoat. But this is real-life stuff that’s happening every day.” Sophomore Anna Stack said of it, “I think 13 Reasons Why is a great show for kids to watch because they realize how their actions affect others,
whether they realize it or not.” Another controversy surrounding the show is its portrayal of a rape scene. Many say it was too brutal and graphic, but others say it needs to be that way, so people can see how truly horrible it is. Netflix did put a warning before the episodes showing the sexual assault, however, so this somewhat mitigates some controversy. Oddly, the book did not cause this much of a scandal. It may be because it was not promoted as much as the show, with Selena Gomez posting about it and Netflix airing it. Some say that the book is much less graphic than the show, as Hannah kills herself by overdosing on pills, and it is
now shown, unlike the graphic scene shown in the show. The book was even an option for One School, Many Books for 9th graders. Junior Elizabeth Stephenson said, “I think it should be on TV, but I think it should be rated for people 16 and older. I think it should be on there, but it shouldn’t be as graphic as it was, but it does show how much of an effect your words has on others. I don’t think the suicide scene should have been like that, but I do think they should’ve shown it. Also, Jeff’s death shows how we take life for granted. I really liked this show, though.”
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Tennis finishes successful season Duncan Jones After a strong regular season record of 9-5, with wins in four of five conference matches, the JP tennis team, led by seniors Ellis Abdo, Kendall Causey, Holman Buchanan, Brittany Wilkinson, Hays Dubberly, Emily Claire Herring, Elkin Crews, Grace Gourlay, Wesley Robersoan, Hayes Newcomb, and Andrews McIntyre, played in the state championship in Ridgeland. Regular season opponents were JA, MRA, Madison Central, Lamar, PCS, and Parklane to name a few. The tournament was hosted by the Ridgeland Tennis Center and occurred on April 26-27. Among other MAIS opponents, Jackson Academy provided the toughest competition with a lot of talent in both the by
girls’ and boys’ divisions. In boys one singles, Ellis Abdo claimed first place, and Andrew Sweat won boys two singles. For boys doubles, Elkin Crews and Hays Dubberly won division one, and Holman Buchanan and Wesley Roberson lost in the semifinals in division one. Kendall Causey and Russell Roberts came in second in mixed play. In the girls’ bracket, Madeline Connerly lost in the girls one semifinals and Olivia Moore came in second for girls two singles. In addition, both pairs of doubles - Mackenzie Nichols and Madeline Claire Hughes (1) and Emma Dye and Brittany Wilkinson (2) also made it to the championship, but lost to Jackson Academy. Overall, Prep took home first place in the boys’ division and second place in the girls’ division. The implementation of a developmental team this year expanded student involvement and included a total of 53 Prep players. Seniors Holman Buchanan, Elkin Crews, Ellis Abdo and Hays Dubberly celebrate after winning. Photo Courtesy of Holly Buchanan.
Sports
Golf continues dynasty with state championship
emory maxwell MVP. All in all, this season for done it without some help, sayThis golf season for Jackson Prep golf will be re- ing, “What a surprise! And it Jackson Prep was nothing membered as one of the best in wouldn’t have happened without great assistant coaches and short of dominant. The team school history. won five of the seven tournaAt the season’s end, players.” For Coach Bradford, ments they were in, including Coach Bradford was named a state title to top it off. Some the Golf Coach of the Year by this award is obviously very of their victories include Heri- The Clarion-Ledger for leading well-deserved, as the team has tage-Oak Hill tournament at her team to overall dominance won almost every tournament Old Waverly, the MRA invita- throughout tournaments this they have been in this year, tional at Deerfield, the Simp- year, and leading them to a and four of the six players on son Ice-breaker tournament at state title. the team have division one colthe Refuge, the Jackson Prep Coach Bradford was very hap- lege scholarships. invitational at Patrick Farms, py to have won the award, but and the State Championship at admits that she couldn’t have Reunion. Many players on the golf team also won many individual awards throughout the season. Simms Abney and Cecil Wegener won Clarion Ledger player of the week awards. Furthermore, Abney, Wegener, Charlie Miller, and Blair Stockett also made the first team all state golf team for the Clarion Ledger. In addition to these awards, the head coach of the team, Coach Nell Bradford, was declared golf coach of the year by the Clarion Ledger. At the end of the year, the golf team held their banquet, where they handed out The team poses with its medals and the trophy after winning the champithe individual awards for the onship. players, the most notable being Cecil Wegener being named by
Track teams cap off season with victories in the state championship maclain KenneDy As Daylight Savings Time occurs and we leap forward, spring is always a refreshing new season. For track and field athletes, they’ve been working hard since the beginning of the year. Each athlete has practiced hard in hopes of making it to the state track meet. Saturday, April 29th was the qualifying track meet to advance to the 2017 state track meet. Just a short 96 miles away, students were jumping, throwing, and running for Jackson Prep. With field events on Friday and running events on Saturday, this was definitely a successful meet. by
February 2017
Although there was enough wind to knock a tree over (a tree actually did fall next to the track), the results were still exceptional. Avery Lee, a current sophomore, broke the Prep record for triple jump. The previous record was 35 feet 10.25 inches, but Avery jumped 35 feet 11 inches. Overall, the Varsity girls won the meet and took home the first place trophy. The state meet for field events was held Friday, May 5 at Jackson Academy. At the end of the day, JA was in the lead with 56 points, and Prep girls were in second with 35.5 points. The Boys were winning
with 55 points, but MRA was not far behind with 53.5 points. On Saturday, May 6, the running events were held at Jackson Prep. The weather was ideal for these athletes, and they came out and gave everything they got. Their performance had serious results, and the girls picked it back up, winning with 127.5 points. JA finished in second and had 106 points. The boys also won with a total of 159 points, and PCS received second place with 145.5 points. The boys and girls both won first place, taking home the gold for the 3 years in a row for girls and 2 years in a row for boys.
This year was a very exciting year. Saturday, Price Loposer broke the class AAAA 300 meter hurdles record with a time of 45.18 seconds. Coach Walker, the head girl’s track coach, said, “Our girls worked really hard and they were an extremely fun group to coach and I will miss all of them next year”. From left to right: Elizabeth Speed, Havens Smith, and Abby Tew proudly hold their first place trophy they received at the qualifying meet.
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Sports Baseball gearing up for the championship Ellis Abdo The Jackson Prep baseball is currently in the MAIS AAAA Championship game against Jackson Academy. The team currently has a record of 28-7 that includes a huge win over 6A public school Clinton. The pitching staff is led by Southeastern Louisiana signee Will Warren who is 7-0 and has a 1.39 earned run average. Matthew Myers and Chance Lovertich have also performed very well in the starting rotation. Hinds signee Greg Oden has continued to pitch well as the team’s closer. The catalyst for the offense is Sophomore Jerrion Ealy who has a .420 batting average, 2 home runs, 11 doubles, 26 runs batted in and 40 runs scored. Prep began its run in the playoffs on May 9th against Copiah Academy. Hudson Little, Maddox Henry, Jake Maloney and Knox Loposer have all stepped up in the big moments and delivered big hits. In the biggest series of the season headed to Raider Park to take on the rival Jackson Academy Raiders. Prep came out on top 12-4 in game one be-
the rubber match of the series Prep defeated MRA 3-1 in a pitcher’s duel behind the arm of Chance Lovertich. The first game of the playoffs was a shootout as Prep came out on top with an 11-7 victory. Christopher Russell led the Patriots with 6 runs batted in and Chance Lovertich hit his first home run of the season.
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In game two Prep would clinch its spot in the state championship with a 5-0 victory over Copiah. Ole Miss signee Matthew Myers was almost unhittable as he tossed a complete game shutout that included 10 strikeouts. As of press time, Prep was set to face Jackson Academy in a three game series to decide the state championship.
hind the pitching of Will Warren. Prep continued to swing the bats well in game two and came out with a 7-4 win. Although JA won game three of the series Prep still claimed the overall series win. Another big series for the team was against MRA. In game one, Will Warren continued to shine as the ace as he threw a complete game and led Prep to an 8-1 win. MRA showed some fight in game two as they won game two 10-3. In
Greg Oden delivers a strike to the
Chance Lovertich gets hyped after a basehit. Photo Courtesy of Beverly
plate.
Oden.
Photo Courtesy of Beverly Oden
“Thank you to our generous sponsors for making the first Prep Fest a huge success!”
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The Sentry
Sports
Young Athletes to Watch by
the next great track athletes at Prep.
Emory maxwEll alEx Gibbs
and
Kelly Crumpton
Dylan Burkhalter
While Dylan Burkhalter is a seventh grader here at Prep, she does not have seventh grade speed. In fact, she has been moved up to run with the junior high track team after school in addition to the seventh grade team that runs during 6th period. In track, Dylan runs in the sprinting events. She has been rumored to run a sub-14 second 100 meter dash, which is well below the average times for girls in her age group. She ended up participating in the MRA Invitational on March 22, the JA Invitational on March 29, the Jackson Prep Invitational on April 7, and the Junior High South AAAA meet
at PCS April 12, on the junior high team and performed quite well for a seventh grader, being a major factor in the junior high girls finishing first or second in every meet. This year she has also participated on the junior varsity soccer team and in seventh grade basketball, where her speed and athleticism has allowed her to excel as well. Outside of Prep, she plays soccer for the MS Rush Premier. Dylan looks to have a bright future and hopes to be one of
One Jackson Prep student who looks to be intriguing to watch in athletics over the next few years is 8th grader Kelly Crumpton. Crumpton was one of the quarterbacks on the junior high football team this past fall, and he also contributed at wide receiver. Where Crumpton especially excels is the baseball field. He pitches consistently in the upper 80s, topping out at 89 mph, which puts him close to one of the fastest throwers for his age group in the entire country. He also has nice control and movement on his breaking ball, which is more in the mid-70 mph range. When he was not pitching, Crumpton played shortstop for
the 9th grade team and batted toward the top of the lineup. His baseball skills have caught the attention of many, including the Ole Miss Rebels, who this season asked him to be in the dugout during a game
ESPN...or MSESPN? Sports Opinion: Brendon McLeod As technology advances more and more in our society, it is changing the way news and media is brought to us. . But the world,and journalism, continues to evolve rapidly. Media outlets such as ESPN have taken significant blows in the digital age, accelerated in recent years by social media. I remember when I was a little kid, nothing beat waking up in the morning and turning on Sportscenter. Like most kids interested in sports, this was a great start to all of our days. However, these days are long gone. Once known as “the worldwide leader in sports,” it is no secret ESPN is struggling
May 2017
immensely. The demand for strict sports coverage with facts and highlights is a part of ancient history. In today’s era, highlights can be seen almost instantly on social media platforms. Nobody wants to have to go home and flip on a TV to watch something they could easily see digitally with the same type of production quality. ESPN has lost around 10,000 satellite and cable subscribers per day. Because of these losses in revenue, hundreds of employees have been fired from ESPN. Some of ESPN’s most skilled workers were
let go. Not to mention, ESPN has overpaid for sports rights big time. According to Clay Travis of Fox News, by 2021 ESPN will be bankrupt. No matter how many employees they may fire, there is no escaping from paying the billions owed to the NCAA, NFL, and NBA. ESPN is not only losing subscribers, but they are losing some of its longtime viewers because of its leftist views and dull content. When I was younger, I do not remember ESPN being political at all. The first time I noticed ESPN’s new liberal slant was when the network decided to give an ESPY for courage to Caitlyn Jenner for making the decision to become a woman. To me, there was nothing courageous about Jenner’s decision. I believe true courage re-
quires an individual risk either life or liberty. Jenner risked neither. ESPN also praised former 49’ers QB Colin Kaepernick for kneeling during the national anthem. If ESPN wants to once again be the worldwide leader in sports, it should refocus on covering sports, which used to be a refuge from politics and the news. America is politicized enough already, and if its citizens want political news, several cable outlets do political news far better than ESPN ever could.
versus Vanderbilt. In April, Crumpton was called up to play with the varsity team in addition to the 9th grade team in baseball. He had his first varsity pitching appearance on Thursday, April 27 against PCS. Next school year, due to an eligibility rule that states one may only participate in three years of junior high sports, Crumpton will be on the varsity football team as well as remaining on the varsity baseball team. Outside of Prep, Kelly plays travel ball for the East Coast Sox. He looks to be a prime candidate to join the long list of recent great baseball players from Jackson Prep.
Instead of doing sports and politics poorly, perhaps the network could return to the thing that it used to do better than everyone else in the world: covering live sports. If ESPN is unable to do this, they will continue to fail miserable and eventually cease to exist.
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Sports Opinion NBA Playoffs Provide Excitement For Fans By Ellis ABdo The Golden State Warriors came into the playoffs as the heavy favorite to win the NBA title. They opened the first round with a sweep against Damian Lillard and the Portland Trailblazers. The Warriors had many concerns pop up as star Small Forward Kevin Durant and Head Coach Steve Kerr missed both games in the series. Durant injured his calf in game two of the series and Kerr’s chronic back injury once again flared up. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all stepped up and made the Warriors look unbeatable. The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the playoffs with many questions as their defense had been struggling. The Cavaliers did not improve the defense but still managed to sweep the Indiana Pacers behind the dominant play of LeBron James. James and Kyrie Irving both performed very well in the series and have put the Cavs as the favorite to win the East. The Houston Rockets
and the Oklahoma City Thunder faced off in what was considered one of the most exciting first round series. James Harden and Russell Westbrook were both considered to be the two front runners for the MVP award all season long. The Rockets took the series in five games behind the play of Harden and the great performance from the bench. Westbrook had a wonderful series recording four triple doubles but lacked the help needed to win the series. The Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls faced off in one of the best 1 vs. 8 matchups of all time. Isaiah Thomas played the series with a heavy heart as his sister tragically passed away 24 hours before game one. Jimmy Butler led the Bulls to a 2-0 lead in the series, but Isaiah Thomas and the Celtics would not go down without a fight and tied the series up a two. Thomas and Al Horford continued the trend and led the team to two more victories to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The San Antonio Spurs and the Memphis Grizzlies had an incredible first round series. The Spurs took games one and two behind the amazing play of MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard. As the series went back to Memphis, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley hit some big shots to tie the series up at two. Leonard, however, would refuse to lose and carried his team to a series victory. The first round series that was between two of the most even teams in the NBA featured the Clippers and the Jazz. Both teams watched their star big men suffer injuries. Blake Griffin helped the Clippers get a 2-1 lead in the series but suffered a season ending toe injury at the end of game three. The Jazz had big concerns as Rudy Gobert hurt his knee ten seconds into the series. However, Gobert returned for game four and led the team to a victory. The series wound up going seven games but Gordon Hayward was too much and led the Jazz to victory. The Washington Wiz-
ards and the Atlanta Hawks faced off in the 4 vs. 5 matchup in the Eastern Conference. The series started off with the Wizards winning the first two games and the Hawks winning the second two games. John Wall was fantastic in leading the charge for Washington. Wall and Bradley Beal played well in the clinching game and led the Wizards to a win. The Raptors and the Bucks battled in a tightly contested first round matchup. The series was back and forth as Giannis Antetokounmpo played like a star for the Bucks and DeMar DeRozan continued his all star season fro the Raptors. The series went six games but the Raptors depth was too much as Norman Powell and Serge Ibaka both performed very well in their roles.
Above: James Harden celebraes after hitting a big 3.
Below: Zaza Pachulia has been the x-factor for the Warriors.
Intramural sports should return to the Prep campus Sports Opinion: Alex Gibbs As a member of the varsity football and baseball teams this school year, I have learned how much time and effort is required in order to be on these teams. Additionally, I have been reminded that even if you are on the team and put in the same amount of practice time and effort it does not mean you receive a substantial amount of playing time. These two reasons, in addition to the simple fact that not every person is blessed with as
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much athletic ability as others, are significant factors as to why many choose not to participate in high school sports. Yet, many of these people who make this choice enjoy both watching and playing sports and want a way to be able to play them with and against friends in competitive games that are something more than just pickup or backyard games. I believe a way to accomplish this is to bring a simple addition to campus: intramural
sports for senior high students. This is something that is present on the majority of college campuses as a way for students to enjoy athletic competition. The easiest sport, and the one I abelieve would be the most popular, to start an intramural league in would be basketball. Students could come together in groups of about 7 or 8 and have a team in the league, with the number of teams being determined on the number of students interested. The league would end up being somewhat similar to both seventh grade basketball and the church league that several high school guys at Prep participate in.
In addition to basketball, other sports that could create some interest would be slowpitch softball, flag football, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, kickball, and potentially others. All of these could be structured similarly to the way the basketball league would be structured, with students coming together with teams of certain numbers depending on the sport. If this was allowed, the only thing we would need from the school would be access to the particular facility for games. I believe that there are students, including myself, that would volunteer to have a major part in running the league. There are several positive
effects that this could have on the school One of the main positives would be that it would be a way to keep students active and in good shape. It would also provide a way for students to come together and hang out with someone that they may not know very well and allow for people to connect with their peers. Furthermore, it would be something for high schoolers to just do for the fun of it with no pressure and have a way to have a break from the seemingly never-ending daily routine by enjoying the fun of sports in its purest form and for its original purpose.
The Sentry
Sports The NBA’s race for Most Valuable Player Sports Opinion: Bennett O’Quinn The 2017 NBA MVP competition has been one of the closest races in recent memory. We have seen many players this year with tremendous performances during the regular season, but only a few stand out. Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and LeBron James have all been making the case for MVP this year. The race is very close, as these players have distanced themselves from the rest of the competition. Kawhi Leonard has proved this year that he is one of the best players in the league. He has shown that he is both an elite scorer and defender. This year, he averaged 25.5 points and 5.8 rebounds. He also averaged 1.8 steals per game, as he is arguably the best two-way player in the league. Leonard has led the spurs to the 2nd seed in the playoffs, as they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets to reach the Western Conference Finals.
LeBron James has had an incredible 2017 regular season as a defending World Champion. He averaged 26.4 points per game with 8.7 assists per game and 8.6 rebounds per
May 2017
game. LeBron is the first player in NBA history to average these numbers while shooting an astounding 54% from the floor. LeBron is still considered by many as the best player
in the world, so he will be in the MVP conversation almost every year. LeBron and the second seed cavs swept both the Pacers and Raptors to face either the Celtics or Wizards in the Eastern Conference Finals. Although LeBron and Kawhi have had incredible years so far, two players have stood out all year long as they have dominated: Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Both players have led their teams to great regular season records and the playoffs. The race has narrowed down to these two players as they have done enough to distance themselves from the pack. James Harden has had a remarkable regular season this year, leading the Houston Rockets to the 3rd seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. Under first-year Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, Harden has
transitioned his game into the floor-general and point guard of the team. This transformation has proven to be beneficial to the team and D’Antoni, as he is being heavily considered for the coach of the year award. In his first season as the team’s floor leader, Harden posted a league high 11.2 assists per game while averaging 29 points per game. In one game against the knicks this season, Harden scored 53 points, dished out 17 assists, and grabbed 16 rebounds. He is the first player in NBA history to record a triple double with 50 or more points, 15 or more assists, and 15 or more rebounds. During the regular season, the Houston Rockets broke the Golden State Warriors 2016 record of three pointers made in a single regular season with 1,078. With Harden leading the new and improved Rockets, they have turned into one of the most deadly offenses in the league. The Rockets look to continue their run in the playoffs, as they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. Russell Westbrook has had one of the most memorable and amazing regular seasons in recent memory. He has averaged a triple-double with 31.6 points per game, 10.4 assists per game, and 10.7 rebounds per game. Westbrook and the legend Oscar Robertson stand alone as the only players in NBA history to average a triple double in a single season. Westbrook totaled 42 triple doubles in the regular season, breaking Oscar Robertson’s record of 41 in one season. James Harden scored 53 in a triple double, setting a record for most points in a triple double. Westbrook soon broke that short-lived record by scoring 57 points while having a triple double, and hitting a game tying three point shot sending the game into overtime in an eventual win.
He also owns the most 50 point triple doubles in a single season with 3. He has led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the 6th seed in the playoffs, where they would eventually lose to
James Harden and the Houston Rockets in the first round. This early playoff exit certainly does not take anything away from Westbrook as he has had a historic and incredible season. The series loss to the Rockets does not make an impact on the MVP conversation as the award is for regular season performance only. The race for the award is very close, but I think Russell Westbrook should win MVP this year. The degree of difficulty to achieve 42 triple doubles and average a triple double in one season is insane to even
think about. He was either 1 rebound or assist off of a triple double in many of his games this year. The crazy thing about his season: he only rested one game this year which was one of the last regular season games of the season, and the Thunder had already been a lock to make the playoffs. This means Westbrook played every game for about 6 months straight. It is incredible that he plays at such a high level and can sustain that level of play every game. He has played every game like it was his last, and his intensity never lacked throughout games. When Westbrook is taken out of the game, the Thunder played considerably worse as a team with him on the bench. The team has no identity and have no on-court leader when Westbrook is resting. I think both players are so valuable to their team, but the Thunder are a completely different team without Westbrook. Both players are more than deserving of the award, but I think Westbrook’s season is too historic and amazing to not give recognition to.
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Opinion Which type of Jackson Prep student are you? Sarah avery huffman Every school is made up of a unique diversity of students. However, there are are five categories in which these students fall: the brainiac, the try-hard, the average student, the slacker, and the too cool for school. These five categories can be used to identify each and every person in the crazy and exciting world of high school. The Brainiac The brainiac is the most well known throughout the school. This student is beloved by the teachers, praised by their parents, and envied by his/her peers. Whether this student is naturally brilliant, or has just mastered the art of school, he/she is outstanding in his/her academic studies. These students are disappointed when they make below a 100, which is understandable since that is a very rare occurrence. Obviously, not doing homework is not an option. Anything below a 30 on the ACT is quite disappointing considering it’s a “very easy test”. If you are present at awards day, you will see that these students never have a chance to sit down due to the fact that they will win every award which is quite amusing to this student’s fellow classmates. These outstanding students come in few numbers but with a lot of brainpower. The Try-Hard This student is the one who craves the attention and/or by
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admiration given to the brainiac. They want to be recognized for their superb academic skills, but sadly they were not blessed with brilliance. This student must work exceptionally hard to stay at the same level as the brainiacs. They will do whatever it takes for people to think they are smart, whether that be studying for excessive amounts of time, or doing as much extra credit as humanly possible in order to have a perfect grade. This student tends to be a bit of a teacher’s pet, which could, of course, boost their grade in some way. As most people know, there are two types of “tryhard” students. One is the student who quietly does their work, never being obnoxious about their good grades. They meekly thank others when congratulated on their academic success. In contrast, the other type of student feels the need to announce his/her great success and expects to be praised for his/her “outstanding achievements.” This student’s braggy attitude and need to be the best tends to get on people’s nerves. It best to avoid being this type of student. The “My Parents Make Me Get All A’s or I Get Grounded” type of try-hard can fall under either of these categories. These students make good grades because they are forced to, not because they have a choice. They have accepted this type of life because the out-
come is better for them if they just make good grades. The way they handle this success is their own choice, however. The Average Student This student is the most common type in high school. This student is happy with an A but is also happy with a B, or even a C. They are bummed when they make an F, but because it rarely happens and will not affect their grade too much, they are not completely distraught over it like the brainiac or try-hard would be. They don’t need the constant praise but are happy to accept it when offered. These students tend to just fly under the radar. They are happy if their teacher likes them, but they aren’t too affected if they don’t. They’re okay with not always doing their homework because they know in the long run that they will be okay. Studying isn’t their main priority, but it will get done. To them, school is just something that they have to do. Overall, they tend to have no worries, aside from the occasional test that they have to study for. The Slacker The most notorious student of all is the slacker. This student is despised by teachers due to his/her lack of participation. Instead of doing their work or paying attention in class, they are usually asleep. This student has no desire to do his/her work. They are perfectly fine with failing. They seem to have absolutely no goals for
life. They tend to have loads of missing work that will never be made up. They rely on others to do their homework and write their papers, but when the test comes around, they have no hope because they definitely did not study. Overall, these students are content not succeeding at all academically. No matter how many parent teacher meetings this student must go to, they will not change their ways. How this student continues to pass and move through each grade is quite a mystery. This is the student that no one believes will make it past high school. Don’t be this student. The Too Cool for School This student is generally not liked by the teachers, but occasionally has enough charm to win them over. He/ She shows up to school, usually late, with a sarcastic attitude and no worth ethic. This student may seem similar to the slacker, but there’s something very different about these students--They could easily be the
brainiac, but their lack of motivation sinks them. These students are actually very smart, but they have no desire to do anything. They are more focused on their outside life than they are on school. Instead of listening in class, they are listening to music, playing on their phone or computer, or doing homework for another class that they didn’t do the night before because they were too busy watching Netflix. This group of students has its fair share of class clowns also. However, these students tend to be funny in a more sarcastic way, in contrast to their friends in the slacker group who just say stupid things to get a laugh. These students will do their work when it’s convenient, but if not, then it will never get done, even with the outreach from every single teacher asking them to get their makeup work done. These categories are very accurate when describing most high schools. No matter how hard a student might deny it, they fall into one of the categories. The category you fall into can be escaped, but you will just fall right into another one if you change. If you are to change, at least go up a level, not down.
IlluStratIonS by Sloan freeman
The Sentry
Opinion
Stay fit this summer with these tips When Donuts Don’t Work Out
by Maclain Kennedy Summer is so close you can almost taste it. Just make it through exams and we’re done. Roughly two months with no long nights of homework and countless hours of after-school sports practice. However, just because we’re done with school, doesn’t mean you should take two months off of workouts. As nice as that sounds, summer is the perfect time to stay in good physical shape. You want to
make sure you look good in a swimsuit, right? Since it’s summer and you’ll be doing a lot of different things, it’s important to find a routine. If you like to sleep in on summer mornings, maybe evening workouts are better for you. If you like to get up and go, you could tackle a workout in the morning. Finding routine is a key factor. If you put off a workout, chances are you’ll keep putting it off and you won’t do it.
You don’t have to go to the gym to work out, either. Take a morning walk to jumpstart your day. If you’re laying at home binge-watching 13 Reasons Why, get up and do a core workout. You can do crunches, wall sits, squats, and more all while your eyes are glued to the television screen. I know that if I have a day in the summer where I lay around and do nothing, I find myself constantly snacking. The Mississippi weather is enough to keep me inside and in close proximity to the fridge. However, there are lots of healthy snack options. If it’s really hot outside and you want something to cool you off, try eating fruit or yogurt instead
of ice cream. This will leave you feeling refreshed and not guilty about what you just ate. Speaking of heat, spending too much time in the sun can leave you feeling tired. Your body is hard at work to maintain its normal temperature and works harder to do that when you’re in the sun. This can also dehydrate you, so it’s important to drink lots of water throughout the day. Summer is the best, and you need to make sure you treat your body the best too. You want to look good and feel good. Summer is the perfect time to set a goal and get in the shape you want.
These are a few of my favorite things Jicka on Jackson by Sarah Riley Jicka As my time at Prep comes to a close, so does my time in the capital city. I look forward to exploring the ins and outs of Tuscaloosa, but right now, I would like to recognize a few places that made me fall in love with Jackson. E&L Barbeque, located on Bailey Avenue, is a self-described “no-frills barbecue joint serving down-home specialties like pulled pork, ribs & fried chicken” but to me has consistently held the title of best rib tips in Jackson. The building is unassuming, but on the walls inside are plastered pictures of their former TV commercials which included the same boy over the years, and you can see him grow up as your eyes scan the walls. The food is always
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served in a styrofoam to-go box; white bread constitutes napkins, and the sauce smothers both the meat and the fries. Monroe’s Donuts and Bakery, owned by Monroe Jackson, has four locations around the Jackson area, but my goto is their original location on Highway 49. The store is easy to spot from the road with its orange and red color and large sign with Mr. Jackson’s face in a doughnut. Legend has it that Jackson sued Krispy Kreme for allegedly copying his idea when they put faces on their doughnuts. When Jackson started his business at that location where Medgar Evers Boulevard becomes Highway 49, he lived in the apartment above the bak-
ery. He worked hard and eventually opened more bakeries, the latest located on Rice Road in Ridgeland. He also entered Jackson politics as he ran for mayor this year, further showing his love for the city. If his policies are anything like his apple fritters, I’m sure he’ll be a great politician. If you want to stop by for some doughnuts or cinnamon twists one Saturday, I recommend going in the morning because everything is gone by late afternoon. We owe a lot of the revitalization in Fondren to Mississippian, Tate Taylor, director of the movie The Help, based on the book written by Prep alum Kathryn Stockett, but what the set crews provided in aesthetic revitalization, Chane brought to life. The man Chane is a bit of an enigma; he rarely goes by his first name, Ron. He is the owner of the Swell-o-phonic and Wilai stores in Fondren, as well as one of the initiators of Fondren First Thursday.
Good old Fondren. Photo by Sarah Riley Jicka
It is rumored that he started the trend of pothole gardens within Jackson, a lighthearted approach to highlighting the problem. Wherever he goes, his squad of Australian cattle dogs follows. He has lived in Fondren for over 25 years after moving back from Brooklyn, New York. This list would not be complete without Bill’s Greek Tavern. While no longer in business, Bill’s was a Northside tradition since before I was
born. Bill Matheos opened his restaurant more than 30 years ago, serving large portions of fresh redfish, scallops, and shrimp, all while yelling “God bless America!” to anyone who walked in the door. Mr. Matheos closed his restaurant due to his poor health in March. While the Mayflower can act as a substitute, it will never top the atmosphere of Bill’s, where Willie Morris and Eudora Welty ate together regularly.
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Staff Editorials
Farewell to The Sentry Paul andress As they say, all good things must come to an end. As I write my final article for the beloved Sentry, it is hard to believe my three year journey as a Sentry staffer is coming to an end. I remember writing my first article for The Sentry as a seventh grader with my good friend Matthew Myers reporting on junior high football. As a kid in junior high, I always knew I wanted to be on the staff in high school. I looked up to older staff members such as Wirt Dunbar and Jesse Pound who wrote witty opinions and great editorials. When it came time to sign up for classes for my sophomore year, the only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to be on The Sentry staff. Thankfully Mr. Hughes allowed me along with Hays Dubberly, Brendon McLeod, and Michael Wilson to be on the staff as sophomores. My sophomore year on The Sentry was one of my best experiences at Prep as I became friends with the seniors and juniors while learning from ediby
tors Peyton Parker and Sarah Kennedy Duncan. My junior year I was given the opportunity to serve as editor along with Haynes Horsley. This year was probably the most fun year I had on the staff as our class grew really close. From creating The Sentry Ten Commandments with Sam Mosley to the cook-off at Sam’s house in order to determine who was the best chef on the staff, we always found ways to keep ourselves entertained. Even on press nights, while Haynes and I were busy putting together the pages, Sam would come entertain us by discussing the possibilities of performing a Sentry nativity scene for the school. This past year has been one for the books as Chatham Kennedy and I (along with a lot of help from Hays Dubberly) have served as editors. It has been a great final year as the staff has grown to more than double the size it was my sophomore year. I would like to give a special thanks to Mr. Hughes. Mr. Hughes truly lets The Sentry be
a student publication as he allows students to make the big decisions for the paper. He certainly helps us out and keeps us in line when work needs to get accomplished. I can not imagine a better sponsor for the newspaper, and I know my experience would not have been the same without Mr. Hughes at the helm. From writing the article on the Prep flood to videoing coffee house from the top of the Dining Commons, The Sentry was always exciting and kept me on my toes. For anyone who is interested in having their voice heard or just wants a great elective to fill out their schedule, I would for sure recommend joining The Sentry. The Sentry has given me some of my best friendships with students both older and younger than me at Prep. I have thoroughly enjoyed my three years on the staff. It was an incredible experience, and I can not imagine having gone through high school without it.
Why are only seniors exempt from exams? By the end of the school up everything they’ve acyear, everyone is ready for the fast approaching summer. After a hard year of endless amounts of school work, we’re tired. We, as a staff, feel that students should be able to be exempt from exams. Exempt from exams? “We’re preparing you for college,” is the classic response when students ask why they can’t be exempt. How0ever, you don’t go to school from 8am to 3pm in college. We don’t live by ourselves in high school or pay our own bills. So there will be many new challenges that we, as college students, will have to face. We feel that if a student has maintained a 95 and above average in each class then they may be exempt from taking that exam. Instead, teachers should offer a final project such as an essay. This would be more beneficial to allow students to wrap
cumulated in some sort of project instead of just memorizing facts. Allowing students to be exempt would be beneficial for the students throughout the year, too. Knowing that if they keep their grades up they can skip exams gives students a reason to try as hard as they can. We’re always supposed to do our best, but sometimes knowing that you have to take each chapter from the semester and combine them all into one huge test can be discouraging. We work hard, and we know the teachers work hard to teach us this information too. If we can make a 95 and above for the whole year, then it should be obvious that we know the information. If not, test our knowledge.
tion children pay to their phones and tablets allows them to enter a world that is mostly unrestricted. The curiosity of these children lead them to dark corners of the internet that forever taints their innocence. Although their innocence will never be the same, there is something deep inside of some people that can be sparked to action.
Media is a very dangerous tool that can be used beautifully in the right hands. Restrictions on media can also be dangerous, but we believe, as a body, that there is a better way to restrict the media in a way that prevents children from corrupting themselves.
Effects of violent media on today’s youth We, as a staff, agree that what is put on our phones, tablets, computers, TV’s, etc. has a definite impact on who we are as people. Media as a whole has taken a much more violent and sexual turn over the years. What used to be considered appropriate for children to watch and what is considered appropriate now are two completely different things.
Children now are thrown into a sea of information that was previously unobtainable to children in years past. This information does not necessarily change who we are as people, but we agree that it acts as a catalyst. The violence shown on screens allows children to engage in deviant behavior, and these kids think nothing of it. They believe that everything
they see is normal; the killing of anyone is okay in their minds because some media justifies it. As we age, this plays more and more of a role. Teenagers are considered more reckless and, more often than not, deviant than kids when media was more restricted. Kids are constantly on their phones; they no longer go outside and play. This non-stop atten-
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.
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The Sentry
you We work for ____.
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Go far with Max Range LTE. Only at C Spire. cspire.com/maxrangelte Maximum Range LTE requires use of a 4G device. View the full list of compatible devices at cspire.com/MaxRangeLTE ©2017 C Spire. All rights reserved.
May 2017
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Fun and Games Find the Fib BY
HAYS DUBBERLY
The game is Find the Fib. It’s extremely simple; each senior has given three facts about themselves, but one of the facts is a lie. Find the fib! Answers at the bottom upside-down. NO PEEKING!!!
Sarah Helen Skelton 1. “I almost died of hypothermia.” 2. “I cut off my toe.” 3. “I broke my nose when I was nine.”
Nos Turcal 1. “I have lived in five countries.” 2. “I am half white.” 3. “I hate cats.”
Rose Iacono 1. “I’m Chinese.” 2. “I had never eaten a nacho until the fourth grade.” 3. “I was stranded in the Idaho wilderness for five days.”
Cecil Wegener 1. “My friends think I’m a ginger.” 2. “I had a good time at the Florida Georgia line concert last year.” 3. “I eat at Sushi Village at least once a week.”
Complete the Mazes
Answers Sarah Helen Skelton: 3 Rose Iacono: 1 Nos Turcal: 1 Cecil Wegener: 2
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The Sentry
May 2017
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Candid & Random