The Sentry, Vol. 52, Issue 6 - January 2022

J A C K S O N

THE

P R E P A R A T O R Y

S C H O O L

S E N T RY

V OL.52, ISSUE 6

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

J ANUARY 2022

Basketball shoots and scores!

by Will Gibbs

Sports Editor

Both Jackson Prep basketball teams are off to a great start as conference play has begun.

The boys are playing their best basketball of the season. They have won three out of their first four conference games, with the one loss being by just one point to a very good MRA team. The girls team has also won three of their first four, with their lone loss also being by one point to MRA. The boys basketball team currently has a record of 20-4, and is playing their best ball of the season to this point. They have won six of their last seven games, four of which have been in conference play. To begin conference play, Prep played cross town rival JA. This was a tightly played game throughout, as the game remained close until the final minutes. After a pair of clutch three pointers from Haddon McLeod and Lampton Moore, the Patriots were able to pull out a huge win over JA by a score of 40-37 in the conference opener. The next big test for Prep came against MRA, who is regarded as a top ten team in the state regardless of division.

Cam Brent had an incredible game for Prep, scoring a team high 26 points. Prep found itself trailing by double digits in the fourth quarter, but they were able to fight back to get the score within one. Unfortunately, they could not score at the very end and lost to a tough MRA team on the road 52-53.

Prep’s next conference opponent was PCS. This game was tight throughout, but the Patriots were able to pull away from the Bobcats and wound up winning 46-41. The following Tuesday the Patriots played at Hartfield Academy. Hartfield led early on, but eventually Prep was too much for Hartfield to handle. They pulled away in the second half and won 45-38. The next game was at Parklane Academy, where they won yet another closely contested game by a score of 50-47.

The girls basketball team currently has a record of 25-2, 4-1 in conference. They have proven to this point in the season that

News & Features

page

3

they are one of the best teams in the MAIS, and that level of play has continued into conference play. They have won ten of their last eleven games, with the lone loss being in a game at MRA by only one point. Andie Flatgard has been fantastic for the girls so far, and has been the go to player when the Patriots need a bucket.

Josie Duncan has been another one of the top scorers for Prep, particularly from behind the three point line. Others including Olivia Smith, Julia Strandinger, and Kennedie Sanders have all played well, especially in the absence of Madeleine black over the last few games.

Overall, both Prep teams have shown that they will be right in contention for the overall MAIS championship this season. Both conference losses for the girls and boys have only come by one point against MRA teams who they will have another crack at on January 28th at home. The ending of this basketball season should be very exciting, as both teams still have a very big goal left in sight.

Note: The Sentry went to press just before Prep played at J.A. For late-breaking coverage, visit jpsentry.net by snapping the QR code:

Boys overall

20-4 conference

4-1 Girls overall

25-2 conference

4-1 Seniors Cam Brent (top) and Andie Flatgard (bottom) command the court

Entertainment

page

8

Around Town

page 10

Sports

page

12

Opinion

page

14

What’s the best restaurant in the Jackson area?

“Fine and Dandy” - Caroline Ingram, 11th “Aplos” - Elizabeth Head, 11th “Thai Time” - Anna Clinton Lee, 12th “Aplos” - Kayleigh Yung, 12th “Cazadores” - Olivia Smith, 10th “Ticos” - Reagan Dunn, 10th “Nagoya” - Hannah Polk, 10th “Char” - Maddy Caldwell, 9th “Amerigo” - Will Newman, 7th “El Charro” - Mary Hollis Madux, 7th

Graphics by Anna Cate Hays

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

What was your New Year’s resolution? how long did it last?

“To never make New Years Resolutions again” - Jake Matthews, 11th

The Sentry

Volume 52 • Issue 5 • January 2022 Editor-in-Chief Jane Hurst Managing Editor Olivia Smith News/Features Editors Anna Blaire Bryant Jake Mathews Copy Editor Maggie Boswell

“To be nice to Mary Kathryn” - Anna Cate Hays, 10th

Graphics Editor Anna Cate Hays

“To not let Anna Cate be mean to me”

Photography Editors Paige Case Mary Kathryn Mason

- Mary Kathryn Mason, 10th “Not to eat dessert every night, and it only lasted 3 days”

- Julia Stradinger, 12th

“To have all A’s, which didn’t last” - Anne Harper Mardis, 7th

Design Editor Hannah Polk

Entertainment Editors Riley Spivey Lily Teague Around Town Editors Julia Stradinger Lilly Grace Sites

EMAIL US

sentry@jacksonprep.net

Fun and Games Editors Mayrant Gonwa Ryleigh Wells Social Media Team Paige Case Eliza Scott Maxwell Walker Poole Kayleigh Yung Records Managers Blair Hurst Jack Impastato

Assistant Sports Editors Jack Dryden Blair Hurst

Assistant News & Features Editor Sophie Slade

Assistant Entertainment Editors Jack Impastato Tayla Walkson

Assistant Photography Editors Ava Moak Lucy Tyra

Assistant Around Town Editor Evans Reynolds

Advisor: Mr. Lain Hughes MEMBER

MISSISSIPPI SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION mississippischolasticpress.com

MEMBER

NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION studentpress.org

Find us online at www.jpsentry.net

Opinion Editor Megan Tomlinson

FOR ISSUE SIX

“Drink a bottle of water every day; hasn’t failed yet” - Caroline Ingram, 11th

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

The newspaper is produced by the Sentry staff, consisting of students both in and out of the senior high journalism classes.

Sports Editors Will Gibbs Haddon McLeod Gavin Mullins

EDITORIAL POLICY All opinion pieces are the views of the author(s), and the author(s) only, with the exception of staff editorials, which are unsigned and reflect the consensus view of the students in each individual Sentry class. Staff editorials are the only columns in the paper that express the majority view of either the Sentry I class or the Sentry II class. The staff editorial process is comprised of two main steps. First, each class talks about a topic and organizes a position on which all or most class members can agree. The editorial is then written, and run past the staff members for majority approval and editing.

The Sentry accepts outside editorial pieces for publication.

Not every piece will be published. To improve your chances of being chosen for publication, please avoid merely ranting in

MEMBER

SOUTHERN INTERSCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION sipa.scu.edu

MEMBER

COLUMBIA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION cspa.columbia.edu

your piece. Specific proposals and solutions are preferable to generalities. You may request anonymity, but we do not accept unsigned editorials.

The Sentry allows and encourages humorous opinion pieces.

Publication will be at the discretion of the editors.

To submit to The Sentry, simply type your opinion, doublespaced with a minimum of 250 words, and send, share, or submit it to sentry@jacksonprep.net.

Letters to the editor may be emailed to sentry@jacksonprep. net, You may request anonymity for the print edition, but we do not accept unsigned letters.

•Questions or comments? Our mailing address is P.O. Box 4940, Jackson, MS 39296. Let us hear from you!

ON FACEBOOK

ON INSTAGRAM

ON TWITTER

ON SNAPCHAT

jacksonprepsentry

@jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

thejpsentry

News & Features

The Sentry

3

Boosters for students

by Olivia Smith

Managing Editor It seems just as the vaccine was getting distributed, a booster was starting to roll out too. In November of 2021, CDC said everyone 18+ is eligible for the booster two to six months after the second vaccine, and a few months later 12+ are eligible too.

Many people were shocked by the administration of boosters six months after the second dose because they thought the vaccine would protect longer. Currently there are three shots that are being given in the US, Moderna, Pfizer, and J&J. The MPDH recommends all who are eligible to get the vaccine or receive the booster if already vaccinated.

In general, vaccines wear off after a certain amount of time, and boosters help with the effectiveness. The booster can also be tweaked to protect from the new variants that are popping up.

The side effects of the booster and vaccine are minor in most cases, the symptoms range from a low grade fever to a minor headache.

Anna Cate Hays, a tenth

grader said, “I recently received the booster which I had minor side effects like soreness at the site of injection, and I was light headed too. When I received my first and second dose of the vaccine, the only symptom I had was a sore arm. It is a big relief because I am able to travel without worrying, and I can start to bring some normalcy back into my life.”

A fully vaccinated person, who gets the virus will experience minor symptoms, while unvaccinated are at a higher risk for being hospitalized. Not only does the booster keep people from seeking urgent care, but it also lowers the risks of spreading COVID-19 to others With the new variants emerging, the CDC keeps testing the effectiveness of all of the vaccines and boosters which at this point all of the shots have been very effective.

The CDC has also found that the antibodies that a pregnant mother has will pass on to the unborn child which is important especially since the younger children can not be vaccinated, and it is not as high risk for contracting the virus.

Graphic by Anna Cate Hays, Graphic Design Editor.

Derreck Kayomgo told his story to Jackson Prep. He also talked about his charity.

Kayongo makes a difference with soap

by Anna Blaire Bryant

News & features

editor

Derreck Kayongo is a public speaker and an entrepreneur who came to Prep on Tuesday, January 25 to talk about the Global Soap Project, which he founded and to tell his life story.

He was born January 25, 1970, in Kampala, Uganda, just before General Idi Amin Dada, one of the most notorious dictators in history, took power. His mom was a dressmaker, and his dad was a soap maker. As violence spread through the country and a civil war erupted, Kayongo and his family moved to Kenya to escape the brutality, but it was not much better there. He later immigrated to Pennsylvania to attend college on a CARE scholarship. He was one of the 2011 CNN HEROES, as well as winning the Maxx Entrepreneurship award, the Refugee Services Award, Certificate of Congressional Recognition and receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities awarded to him by Oglethorpe University.

On Kayongo’s first night in America, he spent the night

at a hotel and was shocked to find the bathroom fully stocked with three different types of soap.

He didn’t know there even were three types of soap, and he definitely didn’t think that these socalled luxuries in Africa would be complementary overseas. He put them in his bag for “later use” , thinking no one at the hotel would notice, but was shocked when they had been replaced the next day. He was guilty but he was very poor and unaware how cheap soap was in the U.S. Before he went out that day, he did the same thing again but didn’t take all three types of soap, yet they were all replaced again when he returned even the ones that he had just opened but not used.

Confused, Kayongo felt as though he needed to confess for his thievery, so he told the concierge and emptied his bag on the front desk. The concierge laughed and explained that the soap was just part of the hotel bill, and the old bars were thrown away since the boxes had been opened, it didn’t matter if they were used or not.

In the US nearly two million mostly unused hotel

soaps end up in landfills around the country every day, and this inspired Derreck to make a difference in millions of people’s lives by starting the Global Soap Project where they redistribute this “waste” in countries where soap is in very short supply such as his own home country, Uganda.

Junior Madison Lee said, “I have already completed a make a difference project, but I really enjoyed this forum and found it super motivational. I recommend anyone that has not done one of the projects to talk to Col Merrell so they can make a difference like Mr. Kayongo.”

Equestrian team continues dominating competiton

by Anna Blaire Bryant

News & features

editor

Graphic by Anna Cate Hays, Graphic Design Editor.

The Jackson Prep equestrian team recently hosted an IEA show at Reunion on the weekend of January eighth through ninth.

Junior Rachel Watts won third in jumping and flat classes. Seventh grader Susannah Floyd won first place in both classes. Sixth grader Linley Thorne won fourth place in walking and trot. In order to qualify for regionals, riders need to earn 18 points over fences and 18 points in the flat.

Rachel, who made it to regionals alongside Susannah, has been riding horses for almost ten years. According to Rachel,

“Riding horses is one of my favorite things and hanging out with my teammates and our coaches.

The barn is my happy place.”

She also added, “The Prep equestrian team is really small so we need more people to take part. It is a fun experience and I recommended anyone interested to join next year.”

Susannah said, “​​I would say my favorite part is watching the challenges the horses and the riders overcome throughout show season and support we give to each other as well as the friendships and bonds that are made since we are such a tight knit group, despite our age differences.”

While unfortunately the equestrian team did wrap up their show season at Reunion this month, they continue to practice and spend time training their horses for next season which will begin in the fall, and they hope to have more new members on the team joining the veterans.

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

From left to right Rachel Watts, Stella Barbour, Susannah Floyd, and Linley Thorne

@jacksonprepsentry

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

4

News & Features

Duolingo flies onto the Jackson Prep campus

January 2022

Congratulations to Prep senior Lila Murphy, named Miss Dixie National 2022. Lila will also be appearing in the February 12 parade.

The Duolingo logo. Duolingo has been adopted by French teacher Coach Caton to give her students an interactive.

by Evans reynolds

Staff Writer

Throughout Prep’s Language Department, students go through many learning activities such as reading comprehension, vocabulary memorization, writing and formulating, and even speaking.

This school year, Coach Caton, who teaches French from grades seventh through twelfth, has introduced a popular translation and learning app called Duolingo.

The app uses various exercises to help students actively

learn another language. This app also uses social notifications to keep students interested, like keeping your daily learning streak with the Duolingo bird.

Another thing French students at Prep appreciate about this program is that depending on the amount of exercises, you can earn a lot of points towards your average for completing each task.

On the social side of the translating platform, Duolingo has a very active social media presence. Duolingo has an account on Instagram, a filter on Snapchat, and a popular account on TikTok.

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

The Duolingo bird often ends up in the comments section of numerous influencers and celebrities as well as singers and songwriters with the intentions of entertaining the crowd with witty translations.

With that being said, the Duolingo bird has also become a relatable sensation on its own account relating to how students might “learn” a language.

Overall this platform has gained both professional and social recognition for bringing language and laughter into perspective for many students, travelers, and consumers around the world.

@jacksonprepsentry

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

The Sentry

5

News & Features

Biden suffers worst worst week of presidency

by Jake Matthews

News and Features Editor The week of January the 10th was perhaps Joe Biden’s most difficult since he took office.

Going into the week, Biden’s poll numbers were dropping rapidly and were anywhere from the low thirties to low forties. With things already looking bad, inflation continued to rise and was becoming a serious issue that threatened some of his legislative proposals.

Biden then began pushing his Build Back Better legislation and his Voting Rights Act through the Senate. At the moment the Senate is deadlocked at 50-50 with the Democrats having the slightest control because of Vice President Kamala Harris’ vote. Biden needed to convince Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia to support Build Back Better. He met with Joe Manchin several times and the teams were in contact trying to agree on a

spending agreement. However, Manchin suddenly went on Fox News and announced that the negotiations were over and that he wouldn’t support Build Back Better.

Later in the week, Joe Biden tried to convince the Senate to support his Voting Rights Act. This act is viewed by Democrats as a huge step forward in allowing all Americans to vote while Republicans consider it to be an attempt to federalize elections. Biden gave a speech that denounced people who didn’t support the Bill as “on the side of Jefferson Davis and George Wallace.” However, this was not enough to convince Senator Kyrsten Sinema. She states that she would vote against the act, citing the bill’s proposed filibuster reform. The sudden failure of these two legislative pieces, which Biden promised during his campaign, are huge setbacks for the Biden camp.

Throughout 2021, Covid numbers were up and down. To combat this, Joe Biden’s administration mandated that employers with more than one hundred employees require either proof of vaccine or a weekly test. This mandate was taken to the Supreme Court and was heard by the court during the first weeks of January.

The court came back with a decision that upheld the mandate on businesses with over one hundred employees, but they did uphold the mandate for certain hospitals that have federal funding.

This was another blow that set the Biden administration back on their efforts to stop the pandemic.

The court also declined to place an injuction on the Texas abortion law meaning that the law can still be enforced, until they hear the case in the summer.

However, after this terrible week, Biden has had a press conference that went reasonably well and his poll numbers are gradually rising.

Biden struggles through a difficult press conference. The First weeks of 2022 were wrought with turmoil for the Biden administration.

American T.V. will never be the same

Betty White dies before 100th Birthday Bob Saget taken too soon

by Riley Spivey

Entertainment Editor Betty White was born on January 17, 1922 in Oak Park Illinois and died on December 30, 2021. She died of a stroke in her sleep seventeen days before her one-hundredth birthday. Her early career began after high school as she sang with a classmate, for The Merry Widow, an experimental television show, and her first professional gig was at Bliss Hayden Little Theater. When America entered WW2 in 1941, White volunteered for the American Women’s Voluntary Services.

She worked as a PX truck driver taking military supplies to Hollywood Hills, as well as working with troops before A f ter WW2, she began looking for work in movie studios, but was turned down because she was “not photogenic”, so she began looking for work as a radio host.

She appeared on shows such as Blondie, The Great Gildersleeve, and This Is Your FBI. Desperate to one day make it big, White worked for five dollars an hour sometimes singing on shows for no pay at all. In 1949 she appeared as the co-host for Al Jarvis on his daily live television show, Hollywood on Television. In 1952, White co-founded Bandy Productions with writer George Tibbles and Don Fedderson, a producer. they were deployed overseas.

From 1952-1954, White hosted her own sitcom, The Betty White Show; she had full creative control over the series and was able to hire a female director. Her show was also the first in American variety television to hire an African American performer, so the show faced criticism and many threatened to boycott the show unless the performer was removed. Betty responded with,

“I’m sorry, deal with it,” and gave him more airtime. The show was quietly canceled by NBC later that year.

In the 1970’s, White made several appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in season four as Sue Ann Nivens. A running joke at the time was how Sue Ann’s cynical personality clashed with White’s bright personality on The Happy Homemaker, her reality tv show at the time.

a Comedy series every year the show ran. The Golden Girls ran from 1985-1992 and became one of the most popular shows in American media.

In the 2000’s to present, White was featured in a number of shows such as The Tonight Show and more.

Betty White smiles in her later years.

White won two Emmy Awards back-to-back for her role in the hugely popular series, in 1975 and 1976. She would later become the hostess of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for ten years around the same time. She would also guest star on many popular shows including: The Carol Burnett Show, Saturday Night Live, The Best Place to Be, and more.

Her most famous role was in the 1980’s where she starred as Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls; which also starred Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, and Rue McClanahan. The show follows four widowed/divorced women in their “golden years” living together in Miami. It was a major success and White was nominated for Outstanding Actress in

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

The Golden girls main stars pose with their Emmy’s. Betty White was the last of the stars from the hit show to pass away.

Th Golden Girls defined an era in TV and will be sorely missed.

@jacksonprepsentry

by Anna Blaire Bryant

News and Features Editor

Actor, television host, and stand-up comedian Bob Saget was born in Philadelphia in 1956.

His biggest roles included Danny Tanner, one of American T.V.s most iconic dads ever, on the ABC sitcom Full House and its Netflix sequel Fuller House. He was also the voice of narrator Ted Mosby on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and he was the original host of America’s Funniest Home Videos.

65-year-old Saget was found dead in his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando on January 9th, 2022, after a standup performance at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall just the night before. Sadly, heart problems run in his family, but regardless, his death was shocking to many, considering his performance less than 24 hours before his passing. In his book, Dirty Daddy: The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian, he shared that three of his uncles all died of heart attacks before 42.

On Friday, January 14th, the Full House actor and comedian was laid to rest following his funeral in Los Angeles, which was attended by many, which showed just how beloved he was to America.

Notable funeral attendees included celebrities John Mayer, Jeff Ross, Jimmy Kimmel, Kathy Griffin, Dave Chappelle, ​​John Stamos, Candace Cameron Bure, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Jodie Sweetin, Dave Coulier, Lori Loughlin, and Mossimo Giannulli.

Before the ceremony, John Stamos, or Uncle Jesse, who played alongside Saget on Full House, tweeted, “Today will be the hardest day of my life.” On

jacksonprepsentry

Instagram, his wife, Kelly Rizzo, shared, “Bob was a force. I’m sure every one of you out there, whether you knew him or not, was in awe of the enormous outpouring of love and tribute for this special man. It was like nothing anyone has ever seen.” On Monday, January 10th, Jimmy Kimmel, the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live, struggled to film an intro saying “I’m sorry.

I taped this like 14 times, and I just…””. He later, still on the verge of tears said, “Bob was the sweetest, he was the sweetest man... I had so many wonderfully kind and supportive texts and emails, calls from Bob. He always had a compliment. He would write sometimes just to tell me he loved me.”

Days before his death and right after his last show in Orlando Saget memorialized Betty White and looked back on their time together, as well as joking about the afterlife which is quite eerie considering the timing.

Bob Saget, America’s Dad, poses for a picture during his younger years whe he was one of th stars the hit show “Fuller House.”

Saget died in Miami at the age of sixty-five

@jpsentry

News & Features

6

January 2022

Alumni Profile: Elizabeth Shackelford (’97), diplomat and author

by Jane Hurst Editor-in-Chief

What’s out there?

A former U.S diplomat and a Jackson Prep alumna, Ms. Elizabeth Shackelford, has had this question for as long as she can remember. Her curiosity about the world began with her childhood in Jackson. Growing up in 1990s, Shackelford found herself interested in current events such as the fall of apartheid—the policy of segregation in South Africa— and civil rights in the American South.

While at Prep, Shackelford developed her voice as a writer by voicing her opinions as a staff writer in The Sentry. She wrote a column — “Cults of the Famous and the Dead”— where she gave her thoughts on trends and the world around her.

In one of her final stories, she discussed her experience in high school, writing, “I have learned that I should never stop progressing...I live my life in a goal-oriented fashion. Right or

wrong, this is my personality, and it keeps me going even in the most bleak times.” Shackelford credits the newspaper with giving her confidence in her voice as a writer.

At Prep, she was also captain of the speech and debate team. In her senior year, she was a National Merit Finalist and was chosen by the other members of the Class of 1997 as Most Likely to Succeed.

After high school, Shackelford’s interests and curiosity led her to Duke University. While there, she studied African cultures. After her undergraduate work, she attended law school at the University of Pittsburgh. During her postgraduate studies, Shackelford spent time in Kosovo, where she worked with young diplomats.

At thirty, Shackelford went through the U.S diplomat training program, and transitioned to her role as a career diplomat in the US State Department.

During her time with the state department, she worked in Poland, Somalia, D.C., and South Sudan. These experiences tested her ability to think quickly in high stress situations, like when the civil war broke out as she was living in Juba, South Sudan. “You never know how you are going to react, so I’m thankful to have handled it well,” she remembers.

After leaving Juba in 2014, Shackelford became a watch officer in the operations center.

Shackelford was part of a prestigious team that operated a twenty-four hour crisis line for diplomats. During this time, she became growingly frustrated with what she saw as the United States’s lack of accountability when it came to South Sudan.

She expressed this complaint in a dissent channel—a device used

within the State Department to voice criticisms. Shackelford’s complaint went almost unrecognized, and so she continued her work in a new assignment in Nairobi, hoping that she could improve the department internally.

In 2017, after years of frustration with the state department, Elizabeth made national news with her resignation letter from the State Department. In her letter, she expressed her disappointment in the mismanagement of the State Department over the years, culminating in Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the Trump administration’s “stinging disrespect this Administration has shown our profession.” She also expressed disappointment in the administration’s disregard of human rights.

After her resignation, Shackelford spent about a year writing her book, The Dissent Channel: American Diplomacy in a Dishonest Age. Elizabeth’s idea for her book came to her after a colleague suggested it during the civil war in South Sudan. Writing everything down as it happened, Elizabeth sent out Facebook posts and wrote journals with updates from Juba “I wanted to remember everything that was happening...

It helped later on when I was in the process of writing The Dissent Channel.”

In 2021, Shackelford announced that she would be joining the Chicago Council as a senior fellow on U.S. foreign policy.

She hopes to focus on her idea of restrained diplomacy— focusing less on the military and more on peaceful diplomacy. She looks forward to being a “diplomat to the midwest,” spreading awareness of the importance of foreign policy.

Shackelford with Prep teacher Susanna Orr. Photo courtesy of Prep

Shackelford with her Latin teacher Patsy Ricks. Photo courtesy of Prep

Former Editor looks back on her years at Prep

Mary Kathryn Mason Photography Editor

Lauren Anne Smith with her co-editors Tanner Gough and John Henry Andress during their senior year.

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

Lauren Anne Smith is a 2021 graduate from Prep. She was a major part of the Sentry.

She served as a staff writer in 10th grade, managing editor in 11th grade, and then overall editor her senior year. At Prep, she participated in cross country, track, pathfinders, and a few outside part time jobs, one of which was at Mile Split, a running website she wrote articles for. Smith still runs cross country and track at her college, Sewanee, otherwise known as the University of the South.

Her typical day in the college life consists of normal college activities: waking up early, getting her classes done before 12, studying at the library, going to running practice, eating good

@jacksonprepsentry

meals, hanging out with friends, watching movies, and other things. She currently takes a few writing classes at Sewanee and is thankful to have been in the Sentry for experience.

Smith tells us of her Sentry experience, saying, “The Sentry helped me find a place when I first transferred to prep, and I’m thankful for the people, and the memories that I was able to experience.” She reminisces about the people in Sentry, and how it was like a family to her. One of her favorite things to work on in the Sentry was to brainstorm for stories with her whole group. They would all give out ideas–some funny ones–and create fun stories for people to read. She also loved interviewing people, causing her to get to know people in the process. Her Sewanee friend group is just like the Sentry, and it makes her nostalgic. She re-

jacksonprepsentry

ally misses the atmosphere and all of the bonding with all of the people in the newspaper. It was such a great place to plug in and destress.

The Sentry greatly prepared Smith for her college experience. It helped her with writing, time management, and leadership. Nowadays, she must juggle all of her responsibilities, including her sports and academics.

The Sentry was able to teach her how to manage all of that without getting too stressed.

Smith’s advice for anyone considering the Sentry is “do it. Sentry was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It completely changed my life, and I do not regret it. I recommend it, especially if you love reading and writing. Even if you don’t, The Sentry may make you change your mind.”

@jpsentry

The Sentry

Entertainment

Southern Accents Don’t Look Up drops on Netflix depicited in films

By Jane Hurst Editor in Chief Picture this: I’ve settled in on the couch after a long day of tests, essays, and college applications. All I want is to relax and enjoy the greatest American pastime, television. However, I cannot rest. On every station and every streaming service, there is a bad southern accent taunting me.

An offender who comes to mind is Anna Paquin. I grew up hooked on the X-Men franchise, and her accent as Meridian-native Rogue was, well, disappointing. Then again, you could say the same for almost every actress who portrays Rogue. The accents range from your grandma to offensive caricature. As much as I love X-Men: The Animated Series, Rogue’s accent is just too overpowering to bear. It is almost as if the show is beating you over the head with the fact that she’s a Mississippian.

The same applies to her

other half, Gambit. Taylor Kitsch, who portrays the Cajun gambler in X-Men Origins: Wolverine commits to his accent for about .5 seconds before fading it out for the rest of the movie. I find this surprising, because Kitsch nails the Texan accent of his character Tim Riggins in Friday Night Lights.

Most accents polarize from hillbilly to Scarlet O’Hara. If people emphasize the nuance of a Cockney accent vs. the Queen’s English, why does the southern accent not receive the same treatment?

So, how does this keep happening? I believe that if Hollywood is going to continue to attempt to tell Southern stories with actors of different dialects, these actors need to spend more time around the people they are trying to imitate. Future Gambits and Rogues should spend time talking to native Louisianans and Mississippians, or maybe, they should even try living here.

by Lily Teague

Entertainment Editor

Packed with big names and directed by Adam Mckay, Don’t Look Up is an angry, comedic freak out on how today’s ignorance towards essential issues is causing the world to hurtle towards extinction.

Now, do not expect this movie to give lectures about how we need to address climate change and global warming. Instead, Mckay takes an allegorical approach. In Don’t Look Up, there’s a giant comet headed straight towards earth that, unless stopped, will cause extinction.

Throughout the movie, human narcissism is the main antagonist and as it led to humanity’s downfall in the movie, McKay is commenting that human narcissism will cause our downfall as well.

Don’t Look Up’s cast consists of some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Leonardo Di’Caprio plays a humble scientist turned selfish celebrity. Jennifer Lawrence plays Kate Dibiasky,

who first discovers the comet and is insistent that “we’re all going to die”.

In the movie, memes are made about her and friends and family disown her because they think she’s crazy. Meryl Streep plays the President of the United States, and only cares about whatever can get herself re-elected. When the comet becomes visible in the sky, she campaigns with the slogan “Don’t Look Up”.

Additionally, Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry play news reporters.

Other members of the cast consist of Timothee Chalamet, Ar-

7

iana Grande, Jonah Hill, Chris Evans, Kid Cudi, and Melanie Lynskey.

Don’t Look Up is a phenomenal take on the problems today. This biting satire is clearly aimed at politicians and the larger society who are apathetic towards the looming climate crisis.

Its amazing cast and emphasis on the consequences of human narcissism and ignorance make this a must watch movie.

Don’t Look Up preview with Jennifer Lawrence. Courtesy of Netflix

The Daily Globe: Spider-Man: No Way Home

By Hannah Polk & Mary Kathryn Mason

Welcome to the world of Marvel. Join us as we report on all things Marvel, from movies, shows, theories, previews, and more. For the ignorant who haven’t figured it out, The Daily Globe is a news station based in the Spider-Man universe. It is the rival station of The Daily Bugle, so suck it Spider-haters. However, we will be praising more than just Spider-Man…more like the entire Marvel-verse. If you ever have any feedback or theories, be sure to email us at sentry@jacksonprep.net.

Where to start…Is it too much to say that Spider-Man: No Way Home by far passed any of our wildest expectations and could have very well been the greatest movie of the year? This beautiful cinematic masterpiece took us on a jaw-dropping, action-packed, and emotional rollercoaster. For someone who has been on the journey of each and every Spider-Man era, this movie was nostalgic and heartwarming.

Follow us as we break down our favorite connections, details, and characters that we feel make this movie a tier above the rest.

Before we start, it is important to note that in order to fully appreciate this review, we suggest watching the movie first in the case of spoilers.

One of the strongest

components that contributes to the big wow factor of the movie is the immaculate casting. It was strongly rumored that the two former actors, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, would make an appearance in this installment.

And to the sheer delight of the fans, this rumor was proved true with the release. In addition to the parallel Spider-Mans, Marvel impressively recasted all of the original villains too. William Dafoe returned as Green Goblin and was by far one of the most well-acted characters in the movie. Jamie Foxx returned as a bit more buffed Electro, Alfred Molina as Dr. Otto Octavius, Thomas Church as Sandman, and Rhys Ifans as the Lizard. And of course, what would this Marvel movie be without our beloved actors: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Marisa Tomei?

The story of Spider-Man: No Way Home opens with Jonah J. Jameson, the head of The Daily Bugle, a news station dedicated to hating Spider-man, reporting on Peter Parker. Jameson’s narrative explains that before Mysterio died, he revealed the identity of Spider-man and framed him as the antagonist of the drone attack on Italy. J.K. Simmons, who plays Jameson, appeared in the Spider-Man franchise when Maguire actually worked for the Daily Bugle as a photographer. Fans of the previous movies were now able to revel in parallels such as this one.

And of course, the moment fans had been holding their breath for….the entrance of another Spider-Man. Director, Jon Watts, beautifully orchestrates the entrance with MJ calling out for Peter Parker and Andrew Garfield walking through Ned’s portal. The personality of Garfield’s Spider-Man was greatly repre-

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

sented by the four minute cameo of his acquaintance. His speech to comfort Holland’s Spider Man gave the audience a clue into what had happened in his universe after his movie cameo. The audience was made aware of the internal battles he struggled with after the death of his love,Gwen.

This was an interesting and nostalgic move as Garfield’s movies never fully gave his character closure with Gwen’s death and ended rather abruptly. We were moved to tears in the beautiful moment of Garfield catching MJ, something he couldn’t do for Gwen. Garfield’s character has always gotten criticism for his lack of character playing Peter Parker, but seeing all three of the Spider-Mans together actually made it easier to love all of them.

By putting them together, each of the personalities were amplified making all the more entertaining. Marvel seemed to actually play off the previous criticism of fans and turn into a cohesive storyline. The general consensus of the public tends to agree that Garfield’s character is a better Spider-Man with his charismatic and “cool” personality, while Tobey acted as the perfect Peter Parker with his awkward and goofy personality, and Tom being a good combination of both. However, this movie does a great job of highlighting the small differences in their characters, yet still paying homage to the parallels in their universes.

After Garfield’s entrance, it wasn’t hard to know who was going to be walking through the portal next: Tobey Maguire, the “original” Spider-Man. We were immediately reintroduced to the quirky and nerdy character as Maguire entered wearing his “youth pastor” clothes. His

@jacksonprepsentry

appearance in this movie was crucial to the storyline, considering that the main antagonist Green Goblin (Dr. Osborne) was from his universe, along with the Dr. Otto Octavius and Venom, who has a brief appearance in the end credits. Maguire experiences some major moments that parallel directly back to his universe, such as when he stops Tom Holland’s Spider-man from killing Green Goblin. This was an important scene because it parallels when Maguire almost couldn’t save himself from his darker side when he was infected with Venom. By stopping Holland from killing Green Goblin, Maguire also got the closure that was unable to obtain in his own universe. In Spider-Man 3, Maguire’s guilt for killing Harry’s father follows him until Harry eventually dies. But in No Way Home, we see Maguire save both Holland and Osborne, giving his friend a living father who is not ruled by a psychotic green goblin.

In whole, this movie was also a cliffhanger for the upcoming movie, Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness. With the multiverse now broken, Marvel’s variants seen in Loki, multiple Spider-Mans in Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, and even the topic of Doctor Strange’s participation in breaking the multiverse seen in an episode of What If...?, all portalled through No Way Home in the continuation of one webbed plot. However, we did notice a plot hole when we questioned the actions taken in the movie.

Doctor Strange conveniently has a forgetting spell, and while it is drawn up to be a difficult spell, the movie portrays it a bit nonchalant. Strange even mentions that he used it to make sorcerers forget a party, but this spell had

jacksonprepsentry

the potential of stopping any conflict in Marvel’s past phase.

Could Strange have made Wanda forget her past - no Multiverse of Madness or made Arishem forget what Eternals do - no end of the world. And even more controversial, could Strange just have erased the memory of Mysterio’s message from the world? Would this not fix the problem of letting characters like MJ and Ned remember who Peter Parker is?

All these questions could potentially be answered in the future through upcoming movies.

For the most part, the nostalgic touch of combining all of the beloved characters of the multiple universes made this movie as Mary Kathryn Mason puts it, “good.” Some other Prep students voiced their love of this movie, like senior Hudson Sushenia, saying that it was “funny, serious, and sad. The movie left me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and I want to go back again.”

There were some other students who didn’t have the same opinions. Such as Aiden Williams, a sophomore, saying that it “wasn’t as good as I thought it would be,” and that there was “not enough action.” We have to take in mind some of the other opinions, but nothing compares to our better judgment.

In our opinion, Spider-Man: No Way Home was one of the best movies that Marvel has produced. The details, action, nostalgia, and stellar production made this into an amazing movie that we would definitely watch again when we feel like binging while crying and eating ice cream.

Anyways, we hope you enjoyed our words of wisdom.

Stay tuned for the 2022 Marvel preview set to appear in the next issue.

@jpsentry

8

Entertainment

Euphoria Season Two drops on HBO

by Megan Tomlinson

Opinion Editor

The long-awaited television show Euphoria premiered its second season on January 9, 2022.

Its success was instant, accumulating over 2.4 million viewers across all its platforms on opening night. It was the strongest digital premiere performance of any HBO episode on HBO Max since the streaming service’s launch last May. Season one premiered in summer of 2019, and attracted a large audience based on its authentic appeal. The show revolves around the tumultuous lives of main character Rue Bennett and her classmates Jules Vaughn, Cassie, Nate Jacobs, Maddy Perez, Lexi Howard, Kat Hernandez, and (a particular fan-favorite) Fezco. The group of high schoolers struggle with drugs, love, social media, and money as they come of age while trying to establish their identity.

Each of the character’s journeys are unique to each of the characters and provide a glimpse into the lives and struggles of modern teenagers. Granted not all teenagers participate in the outright dangerous activities that some of Euphoria’s characters do, but it tackles some of society’s

major issues that impact teens in meaningful ways.

No other television show has tackled these issues in such a raw, morally-questionable manner the way Euphoria does, making it unique and a treasure to the world of entertainment. The characters make chronically bad choices (I’m looking at you, Rue), but somehow the viewer is still left rooting for them in the end.

Season two aims to complete the storylines proposed in season one, and has even managed to heighten the drama for viewers. Season two also brings along new characters and storylines, like introducing singer/ songwriter Dominic Fike as a character. The new season has also sparked new romantic relationships, proving that not everything in the show has to be dark in nature.

Streamable through HBO Max, and other services that carry HBO subscriptions, Euphoria consecutively releases every Sunday night. This television show is very good. However, it does contain extremely sensitive content that can be very triggering and is meant for only mature viewers. So far, Euphoria has been a substantial watch and deserves the right to be considered when you are thinking about the next television show you watch.

January 2022

Fiona Apple

by Jane Hurst

Editor

Each student at Jackson Prep is unique. Everyone has a hobby or special interest. Some people are devoted to one singer or band, and they want to share their love of their music with other people. Talkin’ Tunes provides an opportunity for students to voice their passion for their favorite music. This month, Talkin’ Tunes highlights yours truly and one of her favorite artists, Fiona Apple.

Fiona Apple is a singer-songwriter who has written five albums. These albums are: Tidal,

Euphoria preview. Photo courtesy of Hulu.

When the Pawn…, Extraordinary Machine, The Idler Wheel…, and Fetch the Bolt Cutters. Apple is known for her poignant lyricism, award-winning albums, and eccentric public persona. For instance, when Apple accepted her first MTV Music Award, she famously stated, “This world is bull*!?$. And you shouldn’t model your life—wait a second—you shouldn’t model your life about what you think that we think is

cool and what we’re wearing and what we’re saying and everything.

Go with yourself.” This was fairly early on in Apple’s career, and it surely set the tone for Apple’s outspoken nature she would continue to carry for years to come.

I was first introduced to Fiona Apple’s music through my mom. She had loved her music since her first album Tidal, and she encouraged me to listen. My favorite album by Apple is When the Pawn… , but I also love Tidal.

My favorite songs off of the album are “Limp”, “Paper Bag”, “I Know”, and “Fast as You Can.” I love her songs because they have such raw emotion, and she talks about relatable subjects. Tidal holds a special place in my heart because she was the same age as I currently am when she began writing the album. Similar artists who I recommend are Joanna Newsome, Hope Sandoval, Mitski, and PJ Harvey.

Disney’s Encanto shows a new side of family and tradition

by Riley Spivey

Entertainment Editor Encanto is one of Disney’s non-Euro-centric movies that accurately represents a specific culture. The directors of Encanto wanted the movie to specifically represent Colombian culture and history. This differs from the well known series Elaina of Avalor, which aims to blend a multitude of Latinx cultures. The depiction of Colombian history throughout Hollywood has never been stellar, stereotyping the country as nothing more than a drug infested battle ground; but many held out hope as Encanto writer-directors Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Charise Castro Smith had a very good track record of depicting Native cultures.

As the movie opens, it becomes clear that the Madrigals, like millions of Colombians, have been displaced from their home by an abstract force simply known as The Violence. The movie follows Mirabel, the only Madrigal who did not receive a gift from the miracle that saved her Abuela from The Violence. It follows her journey as she begins to see the cracks in their Casita, which Abuela denies. The story is not just set in Colombia, it is about Colombia as well, finding true home in a broken country.

The movie’s upbeat tone not only goes against nearly every portrayal of Colombia, but it also breaks

stereotypes that Colombians will be miserable forever. Encanto focused on the survivors of the violence rather than the violence itself, which is unlike any other American portrayal of Colombia.

The movie ends with the Madrigals realizing that they themselves created the miracle, and that it came from them and that they were the ones that created it. This could be taken as a lesson that it is still possible even with destruction that happiness is still attainable.

Along with the historical/cultural implications within the movie, Encanto addresses and tackles generation trauma as well. Abuela, the matriarch of the family, was the only Madrigal who remembers fleeing from the violence and watching the one she loved pass in front of her. She continues to ignore the cracks in Casita’s foundation in fear of facing what she fears and having to leave home again. It is because of this fear that she begins pressuring the family to be perfect hoping that that would heal their miracle, she admits that even she forgot who the miracle was for in fear of losing it. Pepa and Julieta are Abuela’s two daughters who watched as their mother pushed away their family, Julieta took the role of a healer, pushing her health aside to make sure the village and her family are in good health. Pepa, who controls the weather with her emotions, had to learn to push her own emotions

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

down to keep the sun shining for the village and grew up thinking her emotions were only useful when others needed them. Isabella, Mirabel’s oldest sister, became known as the golden child of the family. In order to uphold the family image she was willing to marry a man she did not love and sacrifice her own happiness for the good of her family. In Bruno’s vision she is told that she will live the life of her dreams, which seems perfect, but this vision most likely only reinforced the belief that she was perfect and held no imperfections even if it was not who she truly was. Luisa was Mirabel’s second oldest sister, who had the power of super strength. Luisa grew up thinking that if she could not carry all the burdens of her family, then she had no worth. Without any breaks in her daily routine she worked until her powers began failing, which started a spiral into a fear of being useless. Throughout the movie, signs of trauma are seen within each family member, and even if everything is not immediately fixed in the end, it is assumed that the family worked together to heal.

Encanto is an amazing family friendly movie that depicts a struggling family that learns to heal and work together. The idea of being a perfect family is quickly debunked in the movie and depicts a family that is willing to accept its flaws in the end.

@jacksonprepsentry

The magical doors within Casita open to adventure. Photo courtesy of Disney

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

9

Entertainment

The Sentry

Maguire, Garfield, or Holland: Who played Spider-Man best?

by Olivia Smith

Managing Editor In the past fifteen years, there have been three Spider-Man franchises with different plots, and each universe offers a different interpretation.

This is much different from the other marvel movies, such as Iron Man, which has been the same character/plot for almost eleven years. The first Spider-Man that came out in 2002 starring Tobey Maguire. When all three of Tobey Maguire’s movies hit the box office, the trilogy became some of the most successful superhero movies. In the 2010’s, Sony decided to reboot and recast a new Spider-Man, starring Andrew Garfield. Compared to the first Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield

did not live up to fans' expectations. Soon after Garfeilds time as Spider-Man, Tom Holland became the newest hero. In his movies, he was not only debuting in his universe, but Holland also debuted in the Avengers series.

Depending on who you are asking, everyone has a different opinion on which universe is better. Critics have rated Toby Maguire’s movies as the best. In my opinion, Maguire fit the role best as Peter Parker because he was the most similar to the comics in personality. Although Maguire nailed the acting part of Peter Parker, he did not look the age of the teenage superhero because he was twenty-seven years old.

The chemistry between Peter and MJ is also lacking because there seems to be something missing,

and this has to do with the characters' on and off relationship they have throughout the series.

Even though they dated in real life, it did not translate well on screen.

When Andrew Garfield came to the scene, fans were left disappointed with some parts of the plot. To start off with the plot, it was said by critics that everything happened too fast in the scenes, and important parts of the plot lacked elements which I think is true for the most part.

Also, Garfield’s Peter Parker was portrayed completely differently.

He was a skater boy that was not the shy Parker that we all expected. I liked the confident provado that he had produced, but it was different. This confidence allowed him to play a great role as

the Spider-Man side. The other Spiderman’s did not pull off the confidence like Garfield did. The plot and script lacked in some areas, but Parker's love interest, Gwen Stacey, was one of my favorite things about the movie. It was the most believable out of all of them because of the on screen chemistry.

Tom Holland brought certain aspects to his universe that the other ones didn’t. First of all, he looked the part of the teenage superhero. He makes fans believe that he is a high school student. He also shows the struggles of balancing being a superhero and a teenager which the other movies did not show which makes him more relatable.

Zendaya who plays MJ is the love interest in Holland’s Spider-Man.

Instead of her being the obvious love interest, she seems more of a side character until the sequel.

She differs from the other love interests because she is spunky, and she lacks more of a girly girl personality. I think that this was a good take on MJ; it changes it up. I do think it was unnecessary to make Zendaya seem more like a side character because she should have been the love interest since the beginning.

Every Spider-Man brought something different to the table. Overall, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man’s universe was the best. He was the most relatable character, and he looked the part.

He also debuted in the Avengers movies which makes me like his universe even more than the others.

Is Sing 2 worth the watch?

by Mary Katheryn Mason

Photography Editor

Book of Boba Fett drops on Disney+

by Riley Spivey

Entertainment Editor The Book of Boba Fett

is the new Disney+ series starring Boba Fett, who appeared in 1980 in The Empire Strikes Back.

It is an American space Western television series created by Jon Favreau, it exists alongside The Mandalorian and upcoming spin off series Ahsoka. Temuera Morrison stars as the title character Boba Fett, with Ming-Na Wen also starring as Fennec Shand.

Both reprise their roles from The Mandalorian and other Star Wars spin off series. The Book of Boba Fett premiered on December 29, 2021, and will run for seven episodes until February 9, 2022.

The series premise revolves around Boba Fett and Fennec Shand as they attempt to make a name for themselves as they take over the territory once controlled by Jabba the Hutt.

The first episode picks up right after Boba Fett escapes from the Sarlacc, where he is seen last in Return of the Jedi. He is captured

by Tusken Raiders and fails to escape their camp. The series time skips to around five years later, and Boba Fett and Fennec Shand as they are seen controlling Jabba’s criminal empire. Fett is ambushed by assassins and is taken to a healing ward, where he is placed in a Bacta Tank, where

he remembers his time with the Tuskens: he and a Rodian captive were forced to dig for black melons in the desert until they were attacked by a large sand creature that killed the Rodian. Fett killed the creature, saving a Tusken child. The tribe’s chieftain then offered a black melon to Fett.

In the second episode, Fett is informed that Jabba’s cousins, a pair of Hutts known as “The Twins”, want to claim Jabba’s throne for themselves. The Twins arrive with the Wookiee bounty hunter Krrsantan and try to intimidate Fett, but their tactics fail. In the bacta tank, Fett remembers the Tuskens teaching him their style of combat and desert survival skills. After the tribe was attacked by a Pyke Syndicate spice train, Fett stole speeder bikes from a nearby Nikto gang and taught the Tuskens how to ride them. Fett is accepted into the tribe after a lizard guides his head to a branch, which he turns into his own gaffi stick; the tribe then holds a ceremony to accept him.

The third episode starts with Fett being asked to punish a group of cyborgs who are stealing from Lortha Peel, a water monger on the desert planet Tatooine. As the series flashes back to the bacta tank, Fett recalls seeking the toll from the Pykes on behalf of the Tusken tribe, only to find the

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

tribe destroyed by the Nikto gang on his return. He defeats Krrsantan, the bounty hunter sent by The Twins, they accept defeat and send him a Rancor as a gift.

In the most recent episode, In the bacta tank, Fett remembers trying to reclaim his ship, Slave I, from Jabba’s palace, which was protected by too many guards. When he discovered Shand dying from a gut wound.

Fett took her to a Mos Eisley mod-parlor, where her life was saved with cybernetics. In return, Fett requested Shand’s help to break into the palace, now ruled

by Bib Fortuna. After fighting the guards and retrieving Slave I, Shand decided to stay with Fett.

In the present, Fett wakes up to a droid explaining his wounds have healed; later, Fett witnesses Krrsantan fighting Trandoshans in the Sanctuary and hires him. At a banquet Fett urges other crime lords to fight against the Pike Syndicate, but they refuse. Shand suggests they prepare for imminent war.

This series is an interesting mix of flashbacks and returning to the present, the flashbacks provide information that would otherwise be left unexplained.

Several fans await the next episode to see where the series will go and what will happen to Boba Fett.

@jacksonprepsentry

Does Sing 2 actually live up to the standard everyone is holding it up to? How good can a children’s movie really be? Is Sing 2 really all that? Many people are probably wondering these questions, and I will help answer them for you. (Warning: this story contains spoilers from Sing 2) If I’m being honest, I wouldn’t say Sing 2 is a complete 10/10. It contains the basic plot of most children's movies: the characters must overcome an antagonist that turned bad towards the middle of the movie; they get close to failing but don’t. It was very predictable. But it is a children’s movie, so it won’t be all that original. The animation was great, though, as Universal Studios always accomplishes. Most characters who were annoying at first were given redemption and were turned into some of the most loved characters, such as Porsha, Jimmy Crystal’s daughter. The only character not given redemption is the rich wolf Jimmy, the producer, who tries to take credit for Moon’s musical. He ends up losing, of course, as most antagonists do in these types of movies.

All of the good characters end up accomplishing their performance of the “Out of this World,” the space musical that they spent most of the whole movie getting ready for. It was not without trouble, though, because Jimmy and his bodyguards were trying to prevent it. There were even a few close calls, but the cunning characters managed to escape Jimmy’s claws. I’d say it was pretty clear, even from the start of the movie, that the characters wouldn’t fail.

What type of children’s movie would end badly?

There are many characters, and with that, there are many different plotlines that tie together as one. There is always something going on, causing the audience to never get bored. I do admit that this soundtrack is phenomenal, and I would definitely listen to it again. The soundtrack and performances are mostly what makes this movie so good. The choices of popular songs and the array of actors/singers who were casted, such as Halsey, Scarlett Johansson, Pharrell Williams, and Reese Witherspoon, really bring this musical together.

Some of the students here at Prep gave their opinions on this animated musical. Ashley Mason, a senior, states how “Sing 2 was a musical masterpiece, using many of my favorite songs and performing most of them even better than the originals in my opinion.” Katherine O’Brien, also a senior, expresses her awe by saying that this movie is “an utter masterpiece. I was left speechless in the theater. The songs and performances gave me so many chills I needed a jacket.” Junior Brayden Black tells us that it is the “best animated movie since Cars 1 and 2.” Clearly, this movie is adored by many, even the older teens.

You can also see on social media platforms, such as Tiktok, that they have been spreading the love and admiration for this musical. I still stand by my statement of this movie not being a complete 10/10, but it is a pretty close second to it. I totally recommend going to see Sing 2, because then you can watch it for yourself if it is worth watching.

Sing 2 preview poster. Photo courtesy of Universal

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

10

Around Town

January 2022

Ridgeland’s best Chinese and Thai Cuisine

by Lilly Grace Sites &

Julia Stradinger Around Town Editors

Recently, we visited Renaissance and decided to eat at Red 8 Kitchen. Red 8 Kitchen is located in the building where P.F. Chang’s previously was. It’s grand opening was just a few months ago and they have had great business ever since. From the friendly staff to the authentic food and atmosphere, Red 8 has brought a lot of business to the Renaissance and provides shoppers with a casual dining experience.

The inside of the restaurant has a very lively, entertaining

atmosphere. The first thing we noticed when we walked in was the so-called “lucky cat” decorations all around the restaurant.

These are gold cat-like figurines that supposedly contain elements of good fortune. In fact, there was an entire wall full of them (pictured below). The wall was a unique aspect of the restaurant and could not be missed while dining inside. The dim lighting inside was accentuated by colorful led lights which added to the ambiance.

Red 8 Kitchen has a large selection of asian/thai cuisine.

Starting with their appetizers, they serve lettuce wraps, spring rolls, fried oysters, scallion pancakes, and more. Next, they have a variety of soups and salads,

including some like the house green salad, seaweed salad, thai salad, crab meat & cucumber salad. The opposite of your typical greens and dressing, these salads are all unique, delicious, and beautifully made. For Chinese food, Red 8 Kitchen serves meat items like sesame chicken and orange beef. They also have crispy honey shrimp, ginger scallion lobster, salt pepper shrimp, and more. Their Thai food consists of different types of curry, noodles, fried rice, seafood, and tofu options. If you’re feeling sushi, they have plenty of options, from your traditional spicy tuna roll to their “spicy girl roll.” They even have desserts like their Xango, which is a Fried cheesecake chimichangas. Finally, Red 8 provides a

kids meal section on their menu, which is a nice addition, as food portions on the regular menu can be quite large.

The menu items were a bit pricier than your average thai/ asain restaurant. The shrimp tempura roll was priced at $13.00 and the pad thai was $15.00. The salads averaged at around $7.00 as well as the appetizers. While these prices may seem a little higher, they make sense once your food is brought to the table.

The portions are relatively big, leaving a good amount of food left over to take to-go.

We both decided to order things we had never had before.

We got the thai salad ($6.00), which had cucumber papaya mango and a Thai peanut dress-

ing. It was very colorful and had a unique sweet taste. We also got the crab meat & cucumber salad ($8.00), which was delicate and had a nice crunch to it. It came with the chef’s dressing, which brought out the rich flavor of the crab meat. While it looked like a small simple dish, it was full of good flavor and was definitely filling. Lastly we ordered the shrimp tempura roll, which came with six larger-than-usual sized pieces of sushi. On the side, it had traditional wasabi and ginger, as well as some cute decorations to make the dish fun and creative.

Overall, we rate our experience at Red 8 Kitchen a 10/10, so you should definitely give it a try!

Pictures of Julia Stradinger (left) and Lilly Grace Sites (right) and their Red 8 entrees. Photos by Julia and Lilly Grace

Sales and Coattails Coffee Corner at Coffee Prose

by Julia Stradinger Around Town Editor

If you’re looking for a nice dress or a new pair of jeans, Coattails is the place to visit. It’s located just off of Jackson St. in Ridgeland. Coattails business has been open for about sixteen years.

They sell jewelry, shoes, purses, dress clothes, casual outfits, skinare, and other accessories. While some items can be pricey, all of Coattails clothes and shoes are very good quality, so you’re definitely getting what you pay for.

Currently, they have a 50% off sale for several clothing items.

The Ridgeland location consists of two levels. The downstairs main area has clothes and

accessories, registers for checking out, and very nice dressing rooms. Up the staircase to the second floor, you can find countless shoes, nice dress clothes, and several more dressing rooms.

Coattails not only have nice boots/dress shoes, but they also sell On Cloud tennis shoes and more casual sweaters/outfits. It’s a great place to shop for a nice pair of jeans as well, and you may find a good sale if you’re lucky! Or if you’re in need of a dress for a dance or nice event, Coattails has several options.

After shopping at Coattails, you can visit Amy Head Cosmetics store across the street, or if you’re hungry grab a bite at Greek restaurant Krilikas. Coattails is in a great area, so make sure to stop by and check it out!

Check out the sale going on at Coattails. Photo by Mayrant Gonwa

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

by Olivia Smith &

Anna Cate Hayes Staff Writers

Coffee Corner is a recurring issue that reviews the best coffee in the Jackson Metro-Area.

This issue we reviewed Coffee Prose.

Coffee Prose in Midtown gives a verbose and welcoming atmosphere to study, chill, read, or talk with a friend. Along with the comforting atmosphere comes delicious signature coffees. Out-

side seating is available and also a comfortable study area. This coffee shop is a very ideal place to sit and relax, and have delicious and original coffees. They offer baked goods to go with the beverages. A favorite is the kolaches which is a savory roll with cheese and meat.

The only negative is that the parking is not the best. Most people will have to find parking on the street which is not the safest option.

The barista recommends all of the signature coffees. There also are other milk options that can accommodate anyone’s preference. 221B is a signature latte that has English toffee which is melted and chocolate syrup. The frothy milk went wonderfully with the chocolaty and caramel flavor.

Nancy Drew is a house favorite. It is a cinnamon and vanilla latte that can be served hot or cold. We tried the cold one, but the cinnamon was not dis-

The Nancy Drew, 221B, and Minn of Mississippi. Photo by Olivia Smith

@jacksonprepsentry

jacksonprepsentry

solved completely in the drink.

The flavor was really strong, but not completely overpowering. It would be better served hot.

The Minn of Mississippi had a perfect ratio of caramel, chocolate, and butter pecan. It was especially good hot, with a delicious foam on top. The espresso to milk ratio was perfect, creating a perfect taste of the blend of espresso and whole milk.

This drink is a perfect pick for someone in need of a sweet and hot coffee on a cold day.

The iced Mad Hatter had a pretty delectable taste. The taste of white chocolate was noticeable but the hazelnut was overbearing to the other flavors. The taste of coffee was not noticeable since the milk was also overpowering, creating an odd flavored iced latte. Overall, the drinks, atmosphere, and great customer service allowed us to love Coffee Prose.

@jpsentry

11

Around Town

The Sentry

Stadt Nutrition One hour: can you escape?

by Lilly Grace Sites

Around Town Editor Stadt Nutrition is a health shop that specializes in energy teas and meal replacement shakes. They have an extensive menu with lots of unique tea flavors. It is an easy, healthy option for someone on the go.

There are several different locations that sell the same teas and shakes with similar flavor options. Some of the most popular flavor options are Watermelon Jolly Rancher, Shark Bite, and

Pretty n’ Pink. Stadt Nutrition has been open for a while but has just revamped and opened a new location. With a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, anyone is sure to find something they like. The menu is filled with loaded teas, beauty and speciality teas, classic shakes, and select shakes. With so many options to choose from, anyone is almost guaranteed to find a favorite item on the menu!

Stadt Nutrition’s new location is located at 1019 Gluckstadt Road in Madison.

Prep students after their escape room experience. Photo Courtesy of Mayrant Gonwa

By Evans Reynolds & Mayrant Gonwa Staff Writers

Staff of Stadt Nutrition. Photo couresty of @stadtnutrition on Instagram.

Fondren development by

Evans Reynolds Staff Writer

The Fondren area in Jackson is known for its one of a kind shops and tasteful restaurants with the neighborhood's historic appeal. The 60’s architecture is something all metro residents have come to admire. But recently our city’s infrastructure has renovated the State Street strip downtown.

At the crossing of Duling Avenue and State Street a mural has gone down on the cross walk as well as new landscaping and several new stores with a church opening up next month.

Bike paths have also been made throughout the neighborhoods of the Fondren area and sidewalks have been widened with the amount of stores and pop ups increasing.

The new venues in the Fondren area began construction nearly a year ago. The stores include Capri Theatre, Seabrook Paint, and James Patterson Photography. Those Jackson small businesses within the business district will become Capri Theatre, returning the cinema to its former glory, Highball Lanes, and The Pearl Tiki Bar. Among other developments a new athleisure store, Fi-

tique, opened on Duling Avenue and World Of Life Church will be coming to Fondren in Duling Hall this coming February. Lastly, Fondren Fitness has increased its very popular business by taking over the floor plan next door.

Since the 60’s the Fondren district has served many local businesses in Jackson. After a decline, many natives are eager to see the business district coming back with fresh new ideas and amenities to serve its residents in more ways than one.

Part of the new devolopment coming to Fondren. Photo courtesy of the Clarion Ledger online.

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

Escape rooms have become more and more popular over the years. The first escape room was in San Francisco, America in 2012.

Since the activity’s arrival, escape rooms have been spreading across the country with our state’s most popular one being Enter/Locked in Ridgeland, MS. Although this was not our first escape room, it provides one of the best experiences and is rated number one in Mississippi. It has been open since 2016 and you can make appointments either online or over the phone.

Enter/Locked has up to six different settings, rooms within rooms, with a different range of difficulty and occupancy. Each room has a different theme and obstacle. Each room costs $140 and lasts about 60 minutes.

The object of an escape room is to work collectively as a team to solve hidden puzzles and codes throughout the room. This

helps people learn team bonding, communication, problem solving, and thinking outside of the box.

The rooms theme also determines some of the subjects used within the game. Based on the theme, you can assume that you might be dealing with ancient facts of history, mathematics, astrology, social skills, and even morse code. Specifically, Enter/Locked isn’t Mississippi’s first escape room, but it is our states most popular. Many students from Prep and around the metro area have gone to the venue for a fun game or critical challenge.

Enter/Locked is also known for having an active social media presence.

In all, Enter/Locked is a great source of entertainment for the metro area residents. It provides both a challenge and a learning experience while keeping the competition of escaping at a priority. As many kids flood escape rooms everyday, the object of the game is something that everyone can enjoy.

Sentry staff member, Mayrant Gonwa, shared her experience at Enter/Locked.

“I would say the more players who

have the more fun it is, my group has seven people in it. The room we chose to do was the Cleaners and it was so much fun, it had a difficulty of eight out of ten. The people working there were very nice and they gave us three clues, but we only used one. The backstory we were told was, “You are a G-man working undercover in a vast criminal network, trying to take down notorious mafia kingpin Jimmy “The Xyster” Nicoletti.

A lead in the case to Nicoletti’s laundering scheme is about to blow this case wide open. But be careful, Jimmy has been tipped off and is heading your way. You have 1 hour to get to his stash and get out of there or you’ll be hung out to dry.” We had one hour to get out and we got out in fifty-four minutes. One thing I’ve learned from this escape room is every little detail counts. I would say it was pretty difficult just because some of the things we had to look for were a little confusing.

I am looking forward to doing more escape rooms in the future and am hoping to go back to Enter/Locked. I would definitely go try an escape room out if you have never done one before.”

Señorita Page by day, Chef Page by night

By Hannah Polk Design Editor To the public eye, Fannin Mart has upheld a reputation of being the home of southern comfort foods. And while their fried chicken is definitely to die for, the unique history of the country restaurant makes the sweet tea just that much better.

Prep teacher, Ms. Page, and her husband act as the owners for the beloved restaurant. When asked about the history behind the restaurant, Ms. Page explained how their service began. She and her husband inherited the business from his parents who converted the restaurant from a grocery store to a common eating place. When Ms. Page’s in-laws moved to the area, the original location of Fannin Mart acted as part country gas station and part grocery store. Barbara Page, Ms. Page’s mother-in-law, started running the grocery store while her husband managed the businesses. Meanwhile, construction began around that area pulling in crowds of construction workers. When Ms. Barbara cooked

@jacksonprepsentry

lunch for her children in the back of the grocery, construction workers would ask her if she would fix them a plate. Of course, she loved cooking and soon she was feeding them daily. The Pages continued to add to the food service and before long, the business from Ms. Barbara’s cooking surpassed that of the grocery store, and it became solely a restaurant.

When Ms. Page and her husband inherited the restaurant, they decided to move the location in order to expand and leave the deteriorating building quality. However, the restaurant never lost the homey and unique charm that Ms. Barbara worked to incorporate. The antiques and collectibles followed the previous location into the new building, and the original name of the grocery, Fannin Mart, was kept for the restaurant.

The menu features the typical southern comfort food, but their signature meal consists of fried chicken, bread pudding, and homemade sweet tea.

They offer the more popularized foods such as fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, and peas daily, but also rotate meats and

jacksonprepsentry

seasonal vegetables to add variety to the menu. Ms. Page worked in the restaurant and learned Ms. Barbara’s recipes to perfection before she felt the call to become a teacher. She came to Jackson Prep and now acts as our loved Spanish teacher. She occasionally helps out on busier weekends and holidays, but remains Senora Page by day. So if you ever have a craving for some good fried chicken or Southern comfort food, be sure to try Fannin Mart.

Some of the delicious food you can order at Fannin Mart. Photo courtesy of Fannin Mart

@jpsentry

Sports

12

January 2022

Jackson Prep head football coach Tyler Turner to leave

by Gavin Mullins

Sports Editor

One year after the departure of longtime coach Ricky Black, Jackson Prep finds itself in the same place that its were in after last season, without a head coach.

“Coach Tyler Turner will not be returning for the 2022-23 football season at Jackson Prep.

We thank Coach Turner for his contributions to Jackson Prep and our student athletes last season, and we wish him well as he pursues new opportunities,” said Athletic Director Will Crosby.

After an 8-5 first year with Jackson Prep Football, Coach Tyler Turner will not be returning next season for the Patriots.

Turner was tasked with filling the shoes of Coach Black’s legendary 13-state-championship career at Prep.

“After discussions with the administration at Jackson Prep, my family and I will be leaving

Jackson Prep to pursue other football interests,” Turner said.

“During my career, I have never shied away from a challenge and I have no regrets taking on this one.

I fought for the student athletes and my family to make it work at Jackson Prep, but the obstacles were too great to overcome,” Despite the team’s underachieving record this past season, this year’s team broke 10 school records including: Most First Downs in a Game, Most First Downs in a Season, Most Pass Receptions in a Season, Most Passing Yards in a Season by a QB, Most Receiving Yards in a Season, Most Team Passing Yards in a Game, Most Team Passing Yards in a Season, Most Touchdown Passes in a Game, Most Touchdown Receptions in a Season, Most Field Goals in a Season, and was one score away from playing for a State Championship.

Knowing what was achieved this season, Turner said, “I am so proud of what this year’s team accomplished. I will

always cherish the relationships I have built with the young men I coached at Jackson Prep, and the parents that were so welcoming to my family and me. The young men at Jackson Prep are achievers, and I look forward to seeing

what all they achieve in the future.”

With around five months until summer practices start, the head coaching void will need to be filled. Coach Crosby reassures Prep fans and players that “The

Jackson Prep administration will immediately begin the search for a new head football coach.”

Only time will tell who the next leading man will be for Prep’s football program.

Tyler Turner coaching on the sideline this past season for Jackson Prep. Photo courtesy of Mississippi Gridiron.

Soccer team heating up in the midst of conference play

By Gavin Mullins Sports Editor

After a disappointing end to last season, the Jackson Prep Boys’ Soccer team has started this year very strongly, earning a 8-3-1 record on the season so far.

The team is returning a lot of star players from last season such as Nathan Werne, Will Upton, Lewis Knotts, and Jacob Davis.

With conference play just getting started, the Patriots have looked very strong having a 3-1 record, only losing against Hartfield 3-2 in a nail-biting penalty kick shootout at the end of regulation. Despite the devastating loss, the Patriots rebounded nicely, beating cross town rival Jackson Academy 4-1 in a great showing of dominant play.

Junior Nathan Werene has been playing incredibly well this season after having an outstanding Sophomore year. Ever since his days in Junior High, we all knew what Werne was capable of doing on the field. He possesses great feet with a knack for scoring in pressure situations. Not only does he prove to get better each season, but it also seems that he elevates his teammate’s level of play.

It will be very exciting to see how Werne finishes this season, and how he plays in his Senior year next season.

Another Junior to keep an eye on is Will Upton. Upton spends the fall breaking various receiver records for the Varsity

Football team, but during the Winter, he spends his time scoring goals and celebrating with backflips. Upton shows flashes of an elite player in the conference in most games and provides the team with a necessary boost that helps them win close games. Up-

Goalie Walker Poole makes a save. Photo courtesy of Walker Poole.

ton will definitely prove to be useful as the season winds down.

Senior Andrew Sweat has had a great season as a Center Back this year. With a great leg, Sweat can easily get the ball on the other side of the field in a matter of seconds. Keeping the ball out of the Keeper box was a real problem last season during the championship game. This ability really helps out Prep’s goalies. Prep has a three goalie rotation currently consisting of Walker Headley, Walker Poole, and Junior High’s Eli Adams.

Walker Poole has remarked that “This system really helps us compete for the spot and individually become better players. I think it is good to have that pressure of someone who can do the job just as well as you ready to come in if you do not play well enough.”

With very few goals being given up this season, all three goalies look very promising to help this team win.

Another Senior having a great season is Striker Lewis Knotts. Knotts has shown that he can take care of the ball and avoid turnovers while also making great plays, producing offense for the Patriots. Expect Knotts to take it upon himself to make sure

this Prep team continues scoring at will.

If having great players on the team was not enough, Prep also has an outstanding coaching staff, led by Coach Duncan. It is almost hard to keep up with how many championships Coach Duncan has won with both the boys’ and girls’ team.

This incredible experience in knowing what it takes to establish a winning culture and generate championships gives Prep a huge advantage over other conference opponents.

With great players and even better coaching, the expectations have never been higher for a team to win, and win now. Adding yet another championship to the tab would certainly wash out the taste of the second place finish last season. With the regular season coming to a close, only time will tell if the Patriots will once again reclaim their throne.

Junior high Boys basketball continues to dominate

By Blair Hurst Records Manager The Junior high basketball season just recently started before Christmas break. The team was expected to do well this season, but so far they have exceeded the expectations of even the most optimistic individuals. Not only have they won every game so far, but they have dominated the competition on all sides of the ball in their games. An example of their dominance was their game against Pillow Academy.

The final score was a mind- blow-

ing 70-6. This has caused them to have support throughout the junior high. There has even been a TikTok page created just for the Junior High Student Section.

Key players such as Konnor Griffin, Billy Puckett, Thomas Coco, and Ford Futvoye have put up impressive stats throughout the year and have demonstrated good team work in their games.

Konnor Griffin has led the team in average points per game with his impressive play above the rim and athleticism.

The team’s dominance can be attributed to the team being able to spread out the court.

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

They accomplish this with their ability to shoot from behind the arc and Thomas Coco’s ability to score baskets at will in the paint.

Another reason for their superiority to their opponents is their team chemistry. They have bonded throughout the year and are a tightly-knit group. They are there to celebrate their teammates when they do something good, and encourage them when they are down on themselves.

The Prep basketball program’s future is in good hands with this class of players. Keep an eye out for their future success.

@jacksonprepsentry

Pictured above is the Junior High basketball team, coached by Zach Allison.

Photo courtesy of Jackson Prep.

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

13

Sports

The Sentry

Football end of year banquet puts a bow on 2021 season

By Gavin Mullins Sports Editor On Monday, January, 24,the Jackson Prep football team finally had their annual banquet to celebrate the team’s season as well as their departing Seniors.

It was a night filled with deserving players receiving awards they worked very hard for, as well as great speeches made by the Senior players in honor of their coaches.

The Voice of the Jackson Prep Broadcast Russ Robinson started the award ceremony by giving out four awards: Offensive and Defensive player of the year, and Offensive and Defensive Impact players. The MAIS All Conference teams were also recognized after the Radio awards were distributed.

The assistant coaches gave out more awards such as The Lacoste Award, The Leadership Award, The Patriot Award, and last but

not least, the Buddy Crosby Team MVP Award.

In what ended up being a very successful evening for the Prep community, it was also a bittersweet night for the Seniors who most of which culminated their football careers.

The winners of the awards listed below: Leadership Award-William Deas Buddy Crosby MVP-Will Upton Offensive Player of the Year-Paxton Thompson Defensive Player of the Year- Luke Harrigill Offensive Impact Player-Gavin Mullins Defensive Impact Player-Chase Galloway Patriot Award-Ethan Williams Academic Award-Walker Headley Offensive All-Conference Team: Will Upton-WR

Paxton Thompson-QB Luke Williams-All Purpose Garner Watkins-WR Gavin Mullins-OL Allen Rebich-OL Jagger Mooneyham-OL Defensive: Ethan Williams-LB William Deas-LB Sam Watts-LB Luke Harrigill-DL George Pittman-DL Chase Galloway-DL

NFL divisional round paves way for exciting end to season

By Haddon McLeod Sports Editor The NFL arguably had their best divisional playoff weekend in the league’s history. Every game came down to the wire, and fans were not disappointed. In the first game of the weekend the number 4 seed Bengals traveled to Nashville to take on the number 1 seed Tennessee Titans. The big story heading into this game was that the Titans were getting back 2 time defending rushing champion Derrick Henry. Henry was coming back from an injury earlier in the year that put him out for the rest of the regular season. Many people questioned if the Bengals defense would be able to stop the Titans, and they firmly answered those. They held the Titans just to 16 points and contained the Titans rushing attack very well.

They also forced Ryan Tannehill into 3 interceptions including a crucial one late. Joe Burrow showed pure toughness and grit all game. Burrow was sacked 10 times as the Bengals shaky offensive line did not hold up very well. Burrow passed for 348 yards and only threw one interception. Ja’Marr Chase was his number one target per usual, as the rookie racked up 109 yards.

Tee Higgins tacked on 96 yards.

The Titans had stormed back from being down 16-6 thanks to an A.J. Brown spectacular one handed touchdown catch and a field goal. The game was tied at 16 all as the Titans had a chance to drive down and kick a game winning field goal, but Ryan Tannehill capped off his shaky performance with an interception to Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson. Tannehill threw three on the day which cost the Titans tremendously. Joe Burrow then threw a strike to Ja’Marr Chase to put the Bengals in field goal position.

Rookie kicker Evan Mcpherson answered the bell and drilled a 52 yarder to send the Bengals to the AFC championship. In just Joe Burrow’s second year the Bengals reaching the AFC championship is a remarkable accomplishment.

A lot of credit is due to Burrow and Cincinnati Head Coach, Zac Taylor. In the second game of the day, the number 6 seed 49ers traveled to Lambeau Field to take on the number 1 seed and heavily favored Green Bay Packers.

The Packers were the heavy favorites to win the NFC

and reach the super bowl. They had a fantastic regular season once again, and many seemed to believe another playoff collapse would not happen. Aaron Rodgers had another MVP caliber season and people seemed to think he would not be denied a super bowl appearance again. The 49ers were coming off a dramatic upset of the Cowboys in Dallas.

The game was played in the snow and was a defensive battle. Both offenses struggled. The Packer scored an opening drive touchdown, but that was their only one of the day. Each team added a

geles Rams traveled to Tampa Bay to take on Tom Brady and the defending super bowl champion Buccaneers. The Rams came out firing and jumped out to a fast early lead. Their defense played fantastic as Tom Brady started out an awful 3-10 to start the game.

Matthew Stafford made many big plays as did star receiver Cooper Kupp. The Rams jumped out to a 27-3 lead and had many chances to put the game away. They let the buccaneers hang around, and had crucial turnovers to let the Bucs try to mount a comeback.

Tampa Bay cut the lead to 27-13.

Rams Kicker Matt Gay drilled a 30 yard field goal to send the Rams to the NFC Championship game. Rams Head Coach Sean McVay had a terrific offensive game plan that they executed all day long. Stafford was fantastic as he threw for 366 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cooper Kupp had 9 catches for 183 yards and a touchdown as he added another incredible performance to his historic season. The Rams and Niners will face in the NFC championship in a series where the Niners have dominated recently.

They are 6-0 in their last 6 games

Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow throws a pass in big upset win over Titans. Photo courtesy of NFL.com

field goal and the game was close down to the wire. It was 10-3 when the Niners defense made another pivotal stop.

Then, the unthinkable happened as the 49ers blocked a punt deep in Packers territory and scored a touchdown to tie the game at 10. The Niners then forced the Packers to punt and got the ball back with around 3 minutes to go. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo led the Niners down the field. On a pivotal 3rd and 7, Wide Receiver Deebo Samuel took a handoff and picked up the first down to put them in Field goal position. Samuel has proved how versatile he is all season long. 49ers kicker Robbie Gould drilled the kick to send the Niners to the NFC championship game.

A tremendous amount of credit has to be given to Head Coach Kyle Shannahan. Many think this will be the last game Rodgers ever plays in Green Bay due to the problems with him and the organization. The Packers collapsed once again, but a multitude of credit is due to Shannahan and the 49ers defense and team grit.

On Sunday, the Los An-

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

Then Tom Brady threw a 55 yard touchdown strike to Mike Evans to cut the game to 7. Running back Cam Akers had his second fumble of the day on the ensuing drive which gave the Buccaneers the ball deep in Rams Territory.

Leonard Fournette strutted free on a 4th and 1 to tie the game with 42 seconds left. Then Matthew Stafford hit Cooper Kupp on a 20 yard pass to move them down the field. The next play, Stafford launched a 44 yard bomb to Kupp to put them in field goal range.

versus the rams. Kyle Shannahan and Sean McVay coached together in Washington before becoming head coaches. The two are very close, and it should be very interesting to see them coach against each other. Shannahan has dominated the matchup as of late, so it sets up a fascinating game with a trip to the super bowl on the line.

The most anticipated matchup of the weekend was the last between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills traveled to Arrowhead sta-

Star Rams WR Cooper Kupp vs the Buccaneers.. Photo courtesy of NFL. com.

@jacksonprepsentry

jacksonprepsentry

dium to take on the chiefs. Both offenses were red hot coming into this game. The Bills dismantled the Patriots as the Chiefs did the same to the Steelers. This game featured arguably the two best quarterbacks in the NFL and this game did not disappoint. It was a back and forth game that came down to the wire. Both quarterbacks were absolutely magnificent and put on arguably the greatest divisional game the league has ever seen.

The Bills were down 2621 and Josh Allen led them on a touchdown drive and a two point conversion to put the game at 2926. With 1:52 left to play the Chiefs wasted no time and as Patrick Mahomes connected to Tyreek Hill on a 64 yard pass to put the game at 33-29. The Bills drove down quickly and Josh Allen threw a laser to Gabriel Davis for a 19 yard touchdown to give the Bills a 36-33 lead with only 13 seconds left. Many thought the game was over, but Patrick Mahomes had other plans. He connected on two chunk plays with Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce to somehow put the Chiefs in field goal range.

Harrison Butker drilled the kick and sent the game into overtime.

The Chiefs won the toss and received. The chiefs scored in three plays as Patrick Mahomes hit Travis Kelce on a back shoulder fade to send them to the AFC championship game. The quarterback play was remarkable and the best in any game I have ever seen. Josh Allen threw for 329 yards and 4 touchdowns and also rushed for 68 yards. Patrick Mahomes threw for 378 yards and 3 touchdowns. Mahomes ran for 69 yards and a touchdown as well.

Many question the NFL overtime rules saying it was unfair the Bills did not get a chance. I think this is very true and the NFL overtime rules have been horrid for years, but Buffalo has no excuse not to win this game. They had 13 seconds to prevent the Chiefs from getting a field goal and could not stop them.

That is inexcusable defensive coaching and execution in the NFL. Regardless, this game lived up to the hype. Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are headed back to the AFC championship game for the 4th straight year.

They will host Joe Burrow and the Bengals and will be the favorite to go to their 3rd straight super bowl.

@jpsentry

14

Opinion

The Sentry We should not ignore stars’ pasts

by Megan Tomlinson

Opinion Editor

Recently, some of America’s beloved stars passed away.

Even though it is incredibly sad to see some of our childhood favorites die, it is important to remember that celebrity’s past and how they have negatively affected others. This is why we should not forget Bob Saget’s rocky past.

Bob Saget, American actor and television personality, recently died at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida on January 9, 2022.

He was commonly known for being the lovable Danny Tanner on the ‘90s sitcom Full House and for being the voice of narrator Ted Mosby on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

However before he was America’s favorite dad, he was a comedian. He was not just any kind of comedian, though.

Saget was known for his grotesque, “mature” jokes and his dry sense of humor before he turned the tables and became PG as Danny Tanner. Granted– celebrities do have the right to do whatever they want before and after they are directly in the public spotlight– however his jokes were notoriously raunchy.

This behavior still did not impede on his casting in the Full House reboot, Fuller House.

However, questions remained about Saget’s behavior during the filming of the original show, particularly regarding his relationship with the Olsen twins.

The 2008 Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget went well beyond just featuring the occasional politically incorrect remark.

The jokes, questions, and even allegations of Bob Saget’s alleged misconduct mounted.

When John Stamos took the stage, he insinuated that Saget’s character directly contradicted his clean image from the show.

Saget himself even admitted in his memoir that he often acted inappropriately on the Full House set with prop dolls of Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, and even chillingly admitted that these actions fit in with his general approach to comedy.

Not every actor has to have a crystal-clean reputation in order to be praised for their good work in Hollywood, but the public must recognize that actors often have questionable pasts– pasts that are not deserving of only praise. Bob Saget’s past in comedy should not be praised for its hilarity because it is, in fact, objectively not funny. Some topics are not laughing matters, and the public should actively speak out against the norms that Hollywood has created.

Bob Saget, America’s favorite dad that recently passed away.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Let’s not give kids social media

by Mary Kathryn Mason

Photography Editor

The debates about children having access to social media have been talked about for ages. Questions such as “What should the age limits be for social media?” and “How is social media affecting my child?” have been speculated upon and researched by many. There are many both positives and negatives to children having social media, but I personally feel that the negatives outweigh the positives. I think that social media shouldn’t be used by children, or should at least be limited.

Some of the problems of social media being used by people of younger ages include body image issues, mental health issues, addiction, FOMO (fear of missing out), self-esteem problems, cyber-bullying, and more along those lines. Especially with girls, body image issues are not uncommon nowadays. The amount of models with perfectly shaped faces, skinny waists with the right amount of fat/muscle in certain areas, and other features are shown almost everywhere, especially on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. This can harm one’s self-esteem greatly and can cause eating disorders

or mental health issues. Mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, can also come from seeing things that you wish you had. Like the perfect boyfriend, a large mansion, a good group of friends, money, and other items or lifestyles. It’s hard to see that and not want a better life, no matter how good your life already is.

There’s also FOMO, which may come from seeing your friends together without you. That’s one issue even I struggle with now, and I bet that many others feel the same.

We can’t forget the common dilema of becoming addicted to social media. It can consume a child’s life, causing them to slack on everything they must do. Such as schoolwork, sports, and their family-- most of their attention would be given to social media. And of course, one of the biggest problems is cyberbullying. Research shows that the teens from agews 12-15 experience the most cyberbullying. It’s also easiest on social media because no one has to share their identity.

The most bullying I’ve personally seen is on TikTok. Comment sections will be filled with the most hateful comments. Can you imagine how a younger kid would feel if that was their video?

But not everyanyone should have to deal with that.

I can’t say that there isn’t anything positive about social media; I can’t deny that I use it too. It is a pretty efficient way of communication. I’ve met my share of friends solely on social media. And it’s a great place to find inspiration for meals, outfits, houses, and more. Social media can also be used to raise awareness and funds for many different causes. Boredom can be easily cured on social media by watching videos or reading comments or whatever else you wanna do.

Though all of these are true, it’s the question of if children need this in their lives. However, there isn’t all that much we can do to prevent children of certain ages to not use social media. Even with parental control, some children will still find a way to secretly get these platforms. It’s easy to lie about your age, too. But I do still think that social media use of younger children does more harm than good. The most we can do is to create more children-friendly apps, such as YouTube Kids, for kids to use, and add more safety protocols to the already existing apps. Parents could put a few limits on their child’s device, such as what apps can be used. Overall, social media has been proven to be harmful to children, and lines should be placed to prevent it from hurting their lives.

Kids are increasingly using social media at younger and younger ages. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Expand the availability of birth control to women

by Riley Spivey

Entertainment Editor While there are many birth control options available such as Plan B and condoms for over-thecounter purchase, birth control pills are not one of them.

The only ways an adult can obtain birth control are through a doctor’s prescription or through a back door dealer, which can end up being very dangerous.

While it is arguable that birth control is not necessary, as there are many other contraceptives available, these options cannot provide a 100% protection from accidental pregnancy.

Even when contraceptives are over the counter they can end up being extremely expensive, such as Plan B which can go to around $60/ pill.

Making birth control over the counter, could not only prevent unwanted pregnancies, but also help teenagers and adults with aiding extreme menstruation side effects.

Birth control is not only used to prevent unwanted pregnancies, but can also help those who suffer from extreme men-

struation side effects. Some of these include: nausea, vomiting, back and abdominal pains, and vertigo.

While the vast majority of people take pain medication such as Advil or Ibuprofen to help ease symptoms, this is not the case for many. By making birth control available, many teens and adults would be relieved of the stress of being able to afford the pills, and trying to find a doctor willing to prescribe birth control pills.

Another issue with prescription birth control is the lack of availability to teenagers. It is virtually impossible for teenagers to get birth control without alerting their parents. While Plan B is available, it is much safer to prevent any chance of pregnancy beforehand. A study done by the World Health Organization states that contraception reduces the need for unsafe abortion and reduces HIV transmissions from mothers to newborns. This can also benefit the education of girls and create opportunities for women to participate more fully in society, including paid employment. Teenage pregnancy also dropped 36% in the US when teenagers are given access to birth

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

control, and the abortion rate fell as well. Even without access to birth control, teenagers will engage in sexual activites, and there is no proof that birth control increases the amount of sex that teenagers will or will not have.

All over the counter birth control would do is decrease the risk of an unwanted pregnancy.

By giving teenagers and young adults the option of birth control, unplanned and unwanted pregnancies would not become a major risk and many would be relieved of their menstruation side effects.

@jacksonprepsentry

Birth control looks different for every woman. For some people, birth control takes the form of pills, for other an implant. Nevertheless, access should be the same for all women.

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

Opinion

The Sentry

Sentry I

Staff Editorials

15 Sentry II

School printing needs a Should Jackson Prep turn change as soon as possible towards virtual learning?

system at Prep is not exactly It’s no secret that the printer ut the website’s and the maabo nts plai popular with students. Com chines’ reliability abound. rising that many students try Because of this, its not surp hers strongly er they can. Even some teac to avoid using them whenev than waiting er rath e hom at gs thin t prin suggest that their students to to do them at school. t it is hard to tell which printOne common complaint is tha ting webto. For many students, the prin er your paper is being sent , the mames by the school wifi. Oftenti site doesn’t work or is blocked arduous an be can one full and finding a chines are simply out of ink n too whe up the printers often get backed undertaking. On top of this, e. tim e things at the sam many students need to print blems? For starters, the web So how can we fix these pro not ents stud : ude incl it e issues with site needs to be redone. Som g things to things at a time, downloadin le ltip mu t prin to able g bein de from its (asi and , tion without explana the printers occasionally fail . old s look lf itse e pag the of technical problems) the design to give the printers more disIt also would be a good idea Many people also think that on. fusi con tinct names to fix some of the impractical, into your printer account is the system of putting money for paydraw from your food account and instead the school should

Jackson Prep has had its fair share of COVID cases in the past month.

Around 100 Prep students were either out of school due to COVID, or out due to exposure to the virus.

This raised many questions surrounding whether or not Jackson Prep should return to virtual school for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year.

However, it is widely agreed among Prep students that we should not return to virtual school.

Virtual school disconnects the students from the classroom (both literally and physically). Students are at home, connected to learning only through a screen. Students agree that in-person learning is much more effective.

For the sake of education, in-person instruction should always be the goal. There should be only two scenarios that justify going virtual: (1) if there were so many teachers out and not enough substitute teachers to fill their positions and (2) if the student voluntarily opted out of in-person instruction.

The detrimental effects of staying in in-person school are astronomical. Prep students have explained that virtual school made them very depressed and they struggled with grasping the material during online school.

Additionally, teachers have complained that it is too hard to manage having students on Zoom and in the classroom. The matter of issues surrounding communication makes virtual school incredibly difficult for both parties involved.

In conclusion, Prep should do everything in its power to remain in-person, whether that be enforcing masks or social distancing. Virtual learning has proven itself to be an inadequate form of learning, and it clearly does not help students learn.

Got a point to make?

ment.

ing about the current system Fortunately for us, not everyth isn’t somewe even have a printer system is problematic. The fact that have one. we t and, it’s definitely good tha thing required for the school ’t burnaren ents stud t leas at pretty low, so n to Also the pricing of the ink is ntio atte e ough the system is ok, som ing cash to print paper. Alth ch better. these issues could make it mu

Send us a Letter to the Editor: sentry@jacksonprep.net

Sentry Editorial Policies All opinion pieces are the views of the author(s), and the author(s) only, with the exception of staff editorials, which are unsigned and reflect the consensus view of the students in each individual Sentry class. Staff editorials are the only columns in the paper that express the majority view of either the Sentry I class or the Sentry II class. The staff editorial process is comprised of two main steps. First, each class talks about a topic and organizes a position on which all or most class members can agree. The editorial is then written, and run past the staff members for majority approval and editing.

GUEST EDITORIALS: The Sentry accepts outside editorial pieces for publication. Not every piece will be published.

To improve your chances of being chosen for publication, please avoid merely ranting in your piece. Specific proposals and solutions are preferable to generalities. You may request anonymity, but we do not accept unsigned editorials. The Sentry allows and encourages humorous opinion pieces. Publication will be at the discretion of the editor. To submit to The Sentry, simply type your opinion, double-spaced with a minimum of 250 words, and send, share, or submit it to sentry@jacksonprep.net.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: If you have a question, comment, or concern, feel free to write a short letter, emailed to sentry@jacksonprep.net, to the paper that will be published in the next print edition upon the approval of the opinion editor. You may request anonymity for the print edition, but we do not accept unsigned letters.

WWW.JPSENTRY.NET

@jacksonprepsentry

jacksonprepsentry

@jpsentry

Fun and Games

by Ryleigh Wells and Mayrant Gonwa

Sentry Winter Wordsearch

Baking Gloves January Skiing Windy

Coat Hat Mittens Snow Winter

Cold Icy MLK Sweater Wool