J A C K S O N
THE V OL.51, ISSUE 4
P R E P A R A T O R Y
S C H O O L
S E N T RY by Jane Hurst
Managing Editor The week of November 2, the Prep community experienced an uptick in COVID-19 cases. On Friday, November 6, Head of School Lawrence Coco announced grades 9-12 would move to remote learning from Monday, November 9 to Wednesday, November 11. Some students were sent home the week of November 2 after being identified via contact tracing. Contact tracing is a process where the school contacts a student who tested positive for
COVID-19 to find out who has been in close contact with that student. They then send those students home to wait for five days since exposure to the virus, and then they are tested for the virus. Grades 6-8 remained on campus, which fell under the “JP Hybrid� plan since some students were on campus, and
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N OVEMBER 2020
Wsome were remote. The daily schedule was the same despite the switch to the hybrid plan. Prep emphasized that the campus was not closed and that extracurricular activities and sports would continue to take place on campus. On November 9, the administration sent out another email stating that grades 9-12 would continue continued on page 4
Graphic by Alex Roberson
News/Features
News/Features - 3
Entertainment
eNtertaiNmeNt - 7
Around Town
arouNd towN - 9
Sports
sports - 10
Opinion
opiNioN - 13
What are you thankful for? “The colleges that worked hard to allow in person campus tours again. It’s pretty hard to choose a school you want to live at for four years when you haven’t set foot on their campus!” - Madeleine Conerly, 12th “My family and the beach” -Livi Mathews, 9th “Coach Nix’s open-note tests” -Belle Welch, 10th “Ms. McKeown” - Cole Rutledge, 10th “Trey Welch” -Sam Stogner, 10th “My fanpage” -Trey Welch, 10th “The opportunities my parents have been able to give me”- Kennedy Cleveland, 9th “My friends” - David Jenkins III, 12th “My dog”- Addy Katherine Allen, 9th “The Hallmark Channel” - Ms. Watts “My friends and family” - Emily Metcalff, 11th
V I E W S & V O I C E S
If you could be an animal, what would you be and why? “A panda or a koala because they are unbelievably dumb but content” - Elise Jones, 12th
The Sentry Volume 51 • Issue 4 • November 2020 Editors Lauren Anne Smith John Henry Andress Tanner Gough, Senior Editor
“A sloth, because I like to sleep” -Hannah Caloss, 10th
Managing Editor Jane Hurst
“A cat because I can hiss at people. - Eliza Hollingsworth, 9th “A dog because they live very fun lives and get lots of treats and love. -Madeline Page, 11th
News Editor Joseph Watts
“A gazelle, so I wouldn’t be lonely as an animal.” -Margaret Dye, 9th
Features Editor Lilly Noble
“A cheetah so I could eat gazelles” -Hart Maley, 9th
Copy Editor Maggie Boswell
“A fox because they are very clever. -Rachel Watts, 10th
Graphics Editor Alex Roberson
Sports Editors Mason Nichols Charles Stephenson
“A lamb because I have no common sense.” -Elizabeth Head, 10th
Photography Editor Lily Flowers
Assistant Sports Editors Will Gibbs Gavin Mullins
“Can I be a fly so someone can kill me real quick?” -Nehir Baser, 10th “A bull terrier because they are really cute” -Kayleigh Yung, 11th “A meerkat so I can have my own TV show” -Bradley Stafford, 12th “A cat because they take naps all day” -Rebecca Stafford, 11th
Social Media Editors Eliza Maxwell Walker Poole Video Editor Aubrey Scott Moak Records Managers Olivia Smith Anna Cate Hays
“A spider so I could crawl on my sister’s bed and laugh while she screamed in fear” -Isabella Bryant, 7th “A worm so I can eat dirt” -Laurie Barbour, 7th
What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? “Turkey with ketchup” - Joseph Watts “Turkey without ketchup, because the ketchup defiles the turkey”- Jake Mathews “Sweet potato casserole covered with marshmallows” - Walker Poole “My grandmother’s cheesy green bean casserole” - Maggie Boswell “My grandmother’s cheesy garlic grits” - Dax Murphy “Definitely potatoes au gratin” - Lauren Anne Smith “Dressing is undefeated” - Mason Nichols “Turkey with dressing”- Charles Stephenson “Sweet potato casserole” - Lily Flowers “Dressing, by far”- Megan Tomlinson “Green bean casserole”- Jane Hurst “Buttery rolls”-Camp Carter “Rolls” - Cass Rutledge “Gravy” - Selby Ireland
Around Town Editors Lilly Grace Sites Julia Stradinger
Opinion Editors Selby Ireland Cass Rutledge Fun and Games Editors Sarah Cory Mayrant Gonwa
FOR ISSUE FOUR Assistant Social Media Editor
Assistant Graphics Editor
Assistant News Editor
Assistant Photography Editor
Assistant Opinion Editor
Assistant Around Town Editor
Anna Blaire Bryant Megan Tomlinson
Sentry PICKS:
Entertainment Editors Camp Carter Dax Murphy
Olivia Smith
Anna Cate Hays
Mary Kathryn Mason Jake Mathews
In-Class Staff Margaret Dye • Sarah Headley • Hart Maley Percy Oliver • Hannah Polk • Colby Ray Livvy Robertson • Riley Spivey • Ryleigh Wells Contributing Staff Kalyn Giesecke • Trinity Scalia Ty Usey • Eli Venarske Advisor: Mr. Lain Hughes
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MISSISSIPPI SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION mississippischolasticpress.com
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SOUTHERN INTERSCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION sipa.scu.edu
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NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION studentpress.org The Sentry is a student publication updated throughout the year. As student writers, we try to reflect the thoughts of our most important readers-- the students of Jackson Prep. Because of this, we attempt to approach many issues, some more controversial than others. Nevertheless, the Sentry staff serves the school--her students, her faculty, her family, and her community. The staff hopes to inform, to educate, to entertain, and to question for the betterment of Prep and the lives of people in the Jackson community. The newspaper is produced by the Sentry staff, consisting of students both in and out of the senior high journalism classes.
Find us online at www.jpsentry.net EMAIL US
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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
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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!
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News & Features
The Sentry
3
One-Act crew performs Smoke on the Mountain only a month of preparation, the cast crew did well. The production won “Outstanding Play,” progressing the crew to the MTA festival. Senior Tori Johnston and freshman Will Dungey were named “All-Star Cast,” while senior Bradley Stafford won “Best Actor” for the whole festival. “I was so shocked to have received this award! It has been so much fun to be a part of our awesome cast and to be able to perform,”
by Joseph Watts
News editor The cast of the one-act Smoke on the Mountain competed virtually in the North Dramafest on November 6 and 7. The North Dramafest is one of two preliminary one-act competitions for the Mississippi Theatre Association Festival that will be held in January 2021. It consisted of 10 schools north of I-20, while the other competition, the South Dramafest, consisted of schools south of I-20. The North Dramafest, usually held at Mississippi State University, was held virtually this year. This meant that the Prep cast had to perform their show in September and film it for the online festival. The way the competition works is that the cast must set up the stage, perform the show, and strike the set, that is taking down the set, in no more than 45 minutes. This year’s play was directed by Ms. Jessica Wilkinson, assisted by student director sophomore Rachel Rutledge, and the cast
Stafford said. Ms. Wilkinson was proud of the cast and said, “They are not only talented, but they are also hard-working and dedicated.” If you want to see the show for yourself, the crew will be performing on December 1, 3, and 5 at 7:00 p.m. in Lindsay Hall. The seating will be limited, so you can reserve a ticket at boxoffice.jacksonprep.net. These shows will be recorded for the MTA festival.
Cast and crew of Smoke on the Mountain. (back row from left) Rachel Rutledge, Holly Miles, Tori Johnston, Bradley Stafford, Wells Jordan, Robbie Hight, and Scott Shive. (front row from left) Will Dungey and Anna Voynik. Photo courtesy of Ms. Wilkinson
included students Will Dungey, Robbie Hight, Tori Johnston, Wells Jordan, Holly Miles, Bradley Stafford, and Anna Voynik. Junior Scott Shive helped also with the light and sound of the performance. Smoke on the Mountain, by Connie Ray and Alan Bailey, is a short musical about the Sanders family performing bluegrass hymnals for the Mount Pleasant Baptist church’s Saturday Night Gospel Sing. The show features
many gospel songs, jokes, and funny stories. Ms. Wilkinson said, “I chose this show because it was light and made people smile. We need to laugh right now, and they certainly cause laughs for me, even though I've seen them do it so many times.” The one-act crew auditioned in early August and rehearsed 3 times a week until filming in mid-September. Despite
Cast of Smoke on the Mountain basks in the glory after their show. Photo courtesy of Ms. Wilkinson
How the 2020 elections went Students go to the polls by Megan toMlinson
by selby ireland
staff writer
& Cass rutledge opiNioN editors And just like that, another election has come and gone. Political ads are off the television and there is talk about what the next four years will mean for all of America. While counting across the nation has not finished and may not be finished for weeks yet to come, enough results are in that we are beginning to get a clear picture of what the future will hold. On the national level, the President and Vice President, the House of Representatives, and 35 Senate seats were up for election. In the presidential race, Democratic challenger Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is projected to defeat Republican incumbent Donald J. Trump to become president-elect with either 290 or 306 electoral votes (depending on the final tally in Georgia). Biden’s key to victory was not only retaking long-time Democratic rust-belt states that flipped for Donald Trump in 2016, but also making inroads in longtime GOP strongholds, winning Arizona, and likely winning Georgia. Voter turnout was historic this year, with Joe Biden and Donald Trump getting the highest and second highest amount of votes ever for any presidential candidate, respectively. In the House of Representatives, the Democratic party entered the election with 232 seats to the GOP’s 197 seats. Current projections put the Democratic party leaving with roughly 224 seats and the GOP on about 205 seats. This means that Democrats have secured the 218 required for a majority and they keep control
The electoral map according to the Associated Press, calling Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
of the house, while the GOP makes modest gains in a handful of swing seats. In Mississippi, all four representatives were duly re-elected to their seats in Congress. All Senate races have been called, but control of the chamber will not be decided for another two months. The Democratic party flipped important senate seats in Arizona and Colorado while defending a close race in Michigan. They will hold 48 seats in the new Congress. The Republican party flipped a seat in Alabama, while holding on to many close races in Iowa, North Carolina, and Maine. They will hold 50 seats in the new congress. Mississippi’s Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith was also reelected. Both of Georgia’s senate seats were up for reelection this year and both have gone to a runoff in early January. With 51 seats needed for control of the chamber, the GOP needs to win one to secure its continued control, while the Democratic party needs to win both seats, splitting the house 5050. In the case of a tie, the Vice President would cast the deciding vote. With Kamala Harris expected to be inaugurated to that role on January 20, the Democratic
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party would win control of the chamber. A handful of statewide ballot measures were also on the ballot. These resulted in the approval of Initiative 65 to allow for medical marijuana, the approval of the “In God We Trust” flag to serve as the new flag for our state, and the end of a Jim Crow-era law that created an extra barrier to winning the governorship.
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
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On Tuesday, November 3, 2020, more than 74.4 million people voted in the United States, either through mail-in ballots, voting in person, or voting early. In this year’s election, we have seen a large youth voter turnout. According to Business Insider, Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) has been tracking and analyzing young voter turnout since 2001, and, according to its latest estimates, youth voter turnout for 2020 was up by at least 5% from 2016. While this may not seem like a big rise, it has significantly impacted the amount of voters in 2020, and possibly even helped determine the future President of the United States. Young people make up at least 1 in 8 voters in Mississippi. In early March 2020, CIRCLE also stated that youth turnout for the Democratic competitive primaries in Mississippi was 7%. This was higher than in comparison to other recent elections. Mississippi is the only state of the six states that voted in this year’s primaries in which 17-year-olds could participate if they were going to turn 18 before the general election.
While a young person’s first time voting is often seen as an important experience, this year’s election was anything but usual, and the COVID-19 pandemic made the process of voting, in some cases, more difficult than before. For Joseph Watts, a senior at Jackson Prep, the voting experience “was absolutely horrible.” Joseph said that he stood in line outside in the heat for two and a half hours to place his vote. Another senior at Jackson Prep, Madeleine Conerly, said she was particularly thankful for Ms. Lou Ann McKibben, her government teacher. Madeleine said that Ms. McKibben helped her make sense of the voting process. The Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School says that a national poll of America’s 18-year-olds to 29-year-olds found historic interest in the recent election, with a higher proportion of respondents indicating that they will ‘definitely be voting’ than has been observed in the twenty years the poll has been conducted. Mark Gearan, who is the Director at the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, states that “Young Americans recognize that the issues that impact their day-to-day lives are on the ballot, from health care and mental health to racial and social justice.”
Long lines at the polls in Brandon. Photo by Joseph Watts
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4
News & Features
November 2020
Chess team dominates in 3 local tournaments by Joseph Watts
News editor The chess club participated in its first few tournaments at the end of October starting the year off with 3 tournaments in one week. On Halloween morning, Jackson Prep held its first ever in house tournament, the “JP Halloween Chess Extrava-
Grayson Ohnmacht makes the winning move. Photo by Selby Ireland. Edited by Alex Roberson
ganza Championship of the Year.” Costumes were encouraged as Prep students took on classmates in a fight for an antique chess set that served as the first prize. With such a reward at stake, students put their mental abilities to the test. After 4 rounds, senior Eli Venarske emerged victoriously, followed by sophomore Megan Tomlinson in 2nd, and senior Joseph Watts in 3rd. The rest of the standings were as follows, Grayson Ohnmacht 4th, Cage Puckett 5th, Cass Rutledge 7th, Andrew Puckett 8th, Angel Tu 9th, Garin Ohnmacht 10th, Edward Wilson 11th, and Austin Terry 12th. Senior Austin Terry also won the best costume award and a bag of candy to boot. A day after election day, on November 4th, the chess class went head to head with other MAIS schools in the annual
MAIS Chess Championship. The class was split into two teams, a junior high team and a senior high team. While simultaneously keeping up with the election results, the senior high team mopped the floor with the other senior high teams, securing first place. The junior high team also did well, earning second place in their bracket, a phenomenal achievement since the junior high team was mostly made up of beginners. Every good team is led by a good individual. The same was true for both teams with senior Ty Usey placing 2nd out of 65 and freshman Hayes Elliott placing 1st out of 44. Both ended the day on 5 out of 5 possible points. In the senior high bracket, Barnabas Spivey won 4th place, Joseph Watts 5th, Eli Venarske 6th, Selby Ireland 7th, William
McHenry 8th, and Drew Laird 9th. In the junior high bracket, Cage Puckett won 6th place. Also competing were Angel Tu, Megan Tomlinson, Aden Powers, Brendan Berry, Austin Terry, Katie Poole, Eliza Hollingsworth, Hart Maley, and Addy Katherine Allen. While there was no football game on the night of November 6th, many members of the chess team attended the St. Augustine Fall Chess Tournament. With a much smaller bracket, the members found themselves facing off against each other for the majority of the tournament. After 5 rounds, Eli Venarske placed 2nd, Garin Ohnmacht 4th, Joseph Watts 5th, Cage Puckett 7th, Hayes Elliot 8th, and Grayson Ohnmacht 10th.
Gardening club sprouts Speech and debate goes online by LiLy FLoWers PhotograPhy editor
by anna bLaire bryant
Have you ever thought about starting a garden? If so, the gardening club would be a great place to start. The club was recently created by junior Lilly Grace Sites. Lilly said, “During lockdown last school year, my family started a garden in our backyard, and it was a fun way to spend extra time.” This was her motivation for starting the club. During the school year, Lilly hopes the club will be able to plant flowers at the front of the junior and senior high buildings, start a garden with fresh vegetables that can be used in the caf-
Speech and debate, like most things, has become a challenge while living during a global pandemic. While most competitions were canceled in the spring, they are now virtual. Prep’s debate members have excelled as usual even in these unprecedented times. This is sophomore Sam Stogner’s first year doing speech and debate, and he is loving it. He said, “My favorite part of debate is that I get to use skills that I wouldn’t normally use any other time.” On October 23-24, sopho-
staff writer
The JP Gardening Club. Graphic by Alex Roberson
eteria, and encourage students to try something new this year. The club currently has 38 members. If anyone is interested in joining the gardening club, they will be meeting once a month. You can also reach out to Lilly Grace if you have any questions, and she can add you to the Groupme.
mores Megan Tang, Sam Stogner, and Edward Wilson competed in Lincoln-Douglas Debate in the remote, online Jim Fountain Classic of McClintock High School in Tempe, Arizona. Megan and Sam each had their best tournament yet, with Sam reaching the quarterfinals in a field of 32 novices. Edward also reached quarterfinals amongst 48 varsity debaters. The online William Tennent Speech & Debate Invitational in Warminster, PA featured 332 competitors from 37 schools across 14 states on November 6-7. Sophomore Edward Wilson and Megan Tang both reached Quarterfinals in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Edward reached Quarterfinals in his first foray into
Extemporaneous Debate too. Sophomore Peter Downing was Jackson Prep’s first-ever entry into the Big Questions Debate, winning 1 of 3 rounds after only two days of preparation. The next in-person competition will likely not occur until the spring as Covid cases continue to spread not only in Mississippi but also nationwide. Until then, the debate team will likely be seen on campus debating over Zoom and crushing their opponents. They plan to remotely compete in the Canyon County Classic of Skyview High School in Nampa, Idaho on Friday, November 13th and Saturday, November 14th.
JCL learns about graffiti ‘Rona Remote: Round II by Lauren anne smith
editor The Junior Classical League kicked off their first meeting of the year on November 5th by having a guest speaker talk . The session was given by Dr. Jacqueline DiBasie-Sammons, who is a professor for the University of Mississippi in the Department of Classics. Dr. DiBasie-Sammons met with the Latin students during break via Zoom to discuss the history behind ancient graffiti. Graffiti wasn’t illegal for the Greeks and Romans, instead it was a form of art. People would make marks on wall plaster all over the city, and the most common forms of graffiti were numerals, greetings, names, storytelling, and poetry. The students jotted
down notes on the packet given and even got to test out their graffiti skills by writing phrases and drawing out on paper. Ms. Watts was excited by the turnout of students and thought the seminar was a fun experience. “I thought it was a fascinating, interesting session. She was able to bring knowledge of the classics profession to our students. My goal was to expose students to professionals in the classics world and this meeting was a good intro into that.” Sophomore, Latin II student Gracie Atkinson said, “I really liked the examples she showed where people would write their names in the shapes of pictures. I also liked having the different types of letters so you could write different variations of your name.”
Dr. DiBlasie-Sammons talks about Greek and Roman graffiti to the JCL club members. Photo by Lauren Anne Smith
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online learning for the rest of the week, and grades 6-8 would remain on campus. Due to a significant rise in positive cases throughout the week, Thursday afternoon a Head of School update informed the Prep community that the entire school would transition to online learning November 16-20, grades 6-8 included. Mr. Coco stated, “We had to sacrifice the week off for the reward of coming back...I am reasonably confident that we will be back on campus after Thanksgiving break, but this is dependent upon the Jackson Prep community making wise choices over the break and afterwards.” Senior Aubrey Scott Moak, who experienced the virus recently, said, “I was so surprised to actually get a positive test, but Prep made it so easy for me to join remotely and not get behind. I didn’t have terrible symptoms, so COVID wasn’t an awful experience for me personally, but one I will remember for sure.” Senior Hunter Yelverton voiced a similar sentiment, saying, “I never thought I would have the infamous coronavirus, but here we are today. I’ve been quar-
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Prep is closely monitoring its virus numbers. Graphic by Alex Roberson
antined at my house for several days now. My symptoms lasted for about four days, but I’m feeling healthy now. Being at home is hard, but with apps like Zoom and FaceTime, I’m making it. This virus is dangerous, but nothing we can’t handle together.” One of the teachers who recently tested positive was English instructor and yearbook advisor Mrs. Anna Griffin. When asked about her experience with corona, she said, “I didn’t expect to feel this bad for so long. Every day, I keep thinking, ‘today is the
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day that I’ll get back to feeling well,’ but so far every day brings a headache and crushing fatigue. I’m really surprised. And as much as I love food, I can’t taste anything. Do you think that I get the calories from my granddaughter’s Goldfish if I can’t taste them?” As of this point, Prep plans to have students back on campus after Thanksgiving break on Monday, November 30. Since the switch to remote learning, the COVID cases in the Prep community have decreased.
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The Sentry
5
Nehir Baser: From across the world to Prep
by Jake Mathews
Staff Writer Unlike the majority of Prep students, Nehir Baser’s story began halfway around the world. Nehir was born and spent her childhood in Istanbul, Turkey, before coming to Mississippi in 2017 because of her dad’s job as a transformers engineer. Nehir attended Northwest Rankin then came to Prep her
freshman year. She moved to Prep because of the plethora of opportunities that Jackson Prep has to offer. Nehir says that her favorite thing about the US is New York City and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, her political hero (along with Bernie Sanders). At Prep, she loves the variety of classes she can choose from. Due to Prep’s diversity of academic classes, she has been able to work on her third language which is Spanish. This year, she is taking AP European History, Honors Chemistry, Honors Algebra II, and Honors English. Nehir also enjoys being a member in the Service Club and Spanish Club. Nehir’s hobbies include music, painting, politics, and obsessing over Tom Felton and
Harry Styles. She enjoys painting landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty. Her favorite musical artist is Harry Styles, and her favorite songs are “Meet Me in the Hallway” and “Golden” by Harry Styles and “505” by Arctic Monkeys. Nehir wants to attend college in England at Oxford University. She wants to intern in the British Parliament in preparation for a career in politics. She would love to pursue equal rights for women in Turkish politics and follow in the footsteps of many great women before her who have fought for women’s rights. Nehir says, “I look forward to using the skills that I have gained at Prep to improve my life and others when I move back to Turkey.”
Nehir Baser (left) dresses up for the school pep rally with her friend Chloe Reynolds (right). Photo by Jake Mathews
Meet the sophomore cheerleaders Band receives some love by Jake Mathews
by Ryleigh wells
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Sammie Zoog and Elam Roberson are this year’s sophomore cheerleaders. When Elam and Sammie found out they made the cheer team they were very excited for the season ahead. Elam Roberson, when talking about how there are only two sophomores, said, “I wasn’t nervous when I found out there were two sophomores, I like it better being only two.” Sammie Zoog was very curious as to how the season would play out with it just being two sophomores. So far, Sammie and Elam are loving the cheer team. They both love the pep rallies and have had so much fun dressing out for them. Sammie said when talking about the pep rallies, “My favorite pep rally was the Doubles Day, it was so fun being a Pacer!” They have both loved making new friends, the pep rallies, and
Every Friday morning of football season, before school, cheerleaders and Pacers put together gift bags for the senior high players at Jackson Prep. The junior high cheerleaders are assigned three or four junior high players each fall and prepare each of them a goodie bag with candy before their big game on Thursday night too. The junior and senior high band members work very hard and practice all week long, but they are not given anything for this dedication. Band director Mr. Steve Kincaid teaches the History of Rock as a class in his fixed carrier. Mr. Kincaid said, “I have several football players in my fixed carrier, and I always see them coming in with their gift bags. They trade with each other and complain about how this person got something that the other didn’t. The kids in the band don’t get anything.”
Sophomore cheerleader Elam Roberson cheers at the Prep vs. Heritage football game. Photo by Lily Flowers
the games. They are sad that the coronavirus has led to the season being very different, one example is the students not being able to come to the games. Overall, they have loved being on the varsity cheer team and are looking forward to the rest of the year.
Sophomore cheerleader Sammie Zoog caps off the pyramid. Photo by Lily Flowers
Sophomore Anna Blaire Bryant decided to act on this. On the Thursday night before October 8th, she made a quick trip to Walmart and came out with a buggy full of Toll House cookie dough, Gatorade, ornaments, and Christmas-themed candy, and red gift bags for the Christmas themed pep rally the next day. Anna Blaire said, “I stayed up until at least one in the morning making the bags that night, but the surprise and happiness I saw from the kids in the band made up for me being exhausted.” Now, instead of buying all of the supplies herself, she distributes the bags on Friday, but she asks for help from fellow students to supply the treats. To conclude, Anna Blaire said, “I hope to continue this tradition next year and to get even more students involved in purchasing the items and passing out the bags, especially in the junior high. It is amazing to see this much support for our band and them to be given the recognition they greatly deserve!”
Thomas Wasson is inspired by Joe Rogan
Graphic by Alex Roberson
by Maggie boswell
Copy editor Heroes don’t always wear capes or have superhuman powers. A hero is a person admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Everyone has a role model that could be compared to a hero. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from lifesaving physicians to political leaders to parents. For junior Thomas Wasson, Joe Rogan not only provides
an enjoyable pastime with his podcast, but he also is an inspiring role model. Joe Rogan’s talents are diverse and impressive. He began his career as a stand-up comedian even though that was not his initial plan. He also taught martial arts, delivered newspapers, and drove limousines amongst other things to financially support himself. In 1994, Rogan took up acting and portrayed his first major role in nine episodes of the sitcom Hardball. He continued his comedy career as well. After Hardball, he starred in the sitcom NewsRadio for four years but began to get bored with portraying the same character every week. Joe Rogan decided to further pursue his martial arts career and began working for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as an interviewer and backstage hand. Rogan continued com-
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mentating for wrestling matches until the end of 2016. He also hosted other television shows like Fear Factor and The Man Show and continued his stand-up comedy career during this time. If he wasn’t busy enough, Joe Rogan launched a free podcast in 2009 called The Joe Rogan Experience which is still running today. Thomas Wasson is a regular listener to Rogan’s podcast which he praises for being versatile. Thomas appreciates Joe Rogan’s “open-minded and humble” attitude towards people on his podcast. Rogan listens to them and takes their questions seriously. When asked why he enjoys The Joe Rogan Experience, Thomas responded, “I like the diversity of the people who come on the podcast and how Joe Rogan always seems interested in what they have to say.”
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Thomas praises Rogan’s podcast and the way Rogan treats others on the show, which makes
him Thomas’s hero. Listen to The Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify and iHeartRadio today!
The logo of Thomas Wasson’s favorite podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience.
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News & Features November 2020 State’s chief health officer Essay troubles? Writer’s Block is here to help 6
addresses Biomedical Club
by lIly FloWerS
phOtOgraphy EditOr
by Selby Ireland
OpiniOn EditOr & JoSeph WattS nEws EditOr At 7:30 on the morning of Wednesday, October 28, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi’s Chief Health Officer and State Epidemiologist, spoke at the first Biomedical club meeting of this school year. Dr. Dobbs’s topics of discussion ranged from his time in medical school to the difference between Initiative 65 and Initiative 65a to legalize medical marijuana. He began his speech by giving attendees some academic and career advice. He urged students to keep up with their classes and to “never get a C if you want to get accepted to medical school.” He also told students to not think about the salaries of any job they might consider and to “follow your values and have fun doing it.”
“Follow your values and have fun doing it.” - Dr. Thomas Dobbs Dr. Dobbs was relieved for the meeting to not be centered around the COVID-19 pandemic, something he does all too often at the frequent press conferences with the Governor.
Chief Health Officer and State Epidemiologist Dr. Thomas Dobbs chats with biology teacher Ms. Suzanne Eskrigge and Biomedical Club president Hawthorne Cleveland. Photo by Kimberly Blount
He did comment on the wide scope of responses to the coronavirus. He said that initially, people panicked about getting sick, but now many people have relaxed too much and are not taking necessary precautions. He says neither extreme is good and that everyone needs to avoid panicking, while still caring enough to abide by the suggested guidelines. Biomedical Club student president and vice president, seniors Hawthorne Cleveland and Madeleine Conerly, respectively, were excited to have Dr. Dobbs come and speak, and were excited by how many students came. Hawthorne said, “I was so excited to have Dr. Dobbs come to Prep; I thought that it was an amazing and exciting way to start
our year. There was a great turnout for the meeting -- one of the most crowded Biomedical Club meetings I have ever seen.”
“Never get a C if you want to get accepted to medical school.” - Dr. Thomas Dobbs Madeleine agreed, saying, “I was really pleased with the number of participants that we had -- the most we have ever had at a Biomedical Club Meeting.” Students who are interested in joining the biomedical club or finding out more about its activities can find out more by sending them an email at conerlyma@ jacksonprep.net or clevelandel@ jacksonprep.net.
If you haven’t swung by the Writers Block, located in Mr. Nathan Devine’s room in the Senior High, you definitely should. Writer’s Block was formed by Dr. Lisa Whitney in 2013, the previous Department Chair of English, to recognize the value of peer to peer interaction over a piece of writing. The goal of Writer’s Block is to make students feel as though writing was not something that was supposed to be finished overnight, but rather that the process of writing was communal. Mr. Devine, the current senior English teacher, is now the coordinator of the Writer’s Block. According to Mr. Devine, “The Writer’s Block provides a horizontal mentorship in the craft: students helping one another evaluate ideas, formulate sentences, and evaluate arguments.” This year the Writer’s Block leaders are Belle Grace Wilkinson and Lauren Noe. Belle Grace Wilkinson, who has been in Writer’s Block since 10th grade, said “I’d say that writing is very important to me, so I love the opportunity to help my classmates grow and mature in their own writing!” The most frequent students that come to Writer’s Block are sophomores, juniors, and seniors. But of course, anyone is welcome. Since the pandemic, nothing has changed with the
tutor’s approach, but Mr. Devine has pushed harder on the school’s Honor Code being reflected in the work done in the Writer’s Block. The Writer’s Block is composed of 19 students from 10th, 11th, and 12th. One of the most common reasons students come into Writer’s Block is because they feel like something in their paper doesn’t sound right or isn’t clear enough. Students in the Writer’s Block are genuinely interested in whether paragraphs and claims are unified, whether a case has been authentically made, and whether sources are cited meticulously in their drafts. When asked what benefits students receive when having a student suggest rather than teachers, Mr. Devine responded, “I think students are much more willing to be vulnerable in front of a peer. They can say ‘I have no idea what I’m doing and I’m so far behind. But can you help?’ We can only do what we can do in a 20-30 minute session, but sometimes just saying that out loud is beneficial. It also helps to hash out an argument or an issue with someone ‘on your level.’ I see the Block as supplementing and completing instruction in the classroom rather than being very different from it.” If you ever need help or have doubts about your paper, the Writer’s Block is open Monday through Friday. You can email Belle Grace Wilkinson, Lauren Noe, or Mr. Devine if you have any questions.
Prep yearbook, literary magazines honored by MSPA by Camp Carter EntErtainmEnt EditOr
On October 29, the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association hosted their fall awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of student run yearbook and literary magazine publications. The MSPA event was held online due to Covid-19 concerns, and the video was posted to the event’s YouTube channel. The broadcast began with various video clips from the Best of Show category (formerly the carry in category) and included some students’ TikToks for fun. MSPA Director Dr. R.J. Morgan hosted the video sitting in his office at Ole Miss. The video showed talks from the publications of Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Southern Miss, and finally a short message from keynote speaker Marshall Ramsey. Ramsey is currently the editor of Mississippi Today and is perhaps best known for his many award-winning political cartoons. Ramsey knew what he wanted to be at 8 years old. Because his parents always consumed media, he always knew what was going on in the world. His dad encouraged his career aspirations, telling him that he would be the best editorial car-
toonist if he worked for it. His talk was about how to handle adversity in pursuit of dreams by giving an anecdote about water skiing. Ramsey’s dad relentlessly encouraged him to get up over the water, even after his son crashed into a submerged log. That same paternal motivation carried over to Ramsey’s fight against cancer, with his dad telling him to think of the experience that he beat cancer, instead that he contracted cancer. The primary theme of Ramsey’s speech was resilience, acknowledging that people would be watching the event at home or social distancing at school, as opposed to gathered in an auditorium together at the USM campus, where recent MSPA fall conventions have been held. Ramsey talked about the importance of gathering information on current times, comparing
writers and reporters to “frontline workers”. At the end of the virtual conference, awards were presented in the fall Best of Mississippi contest, which includes literary magazines and yearbooks (newspapers and broadcast programs are honored at the spring convention). Prep’s own Précis, Mindprints, and Earthwinds did well, being nominated for and winning several awards in both publications and individual categories. Précis adviser Ms. Anna Griffin said she was “over the moon excited” because her students had worked so hard to make the yearbook better, and Dr. Paul Smith, the adviser for Earthwinds, was pleased with the results as well. A complete list of winners can be found at mississippischolasticpress.com.
Literary Magazine Awards: - Ms. Kimberly Reedy, advisor of year finalist
both finalists for best layout and design, and Earthwinds won
- Katherine Cole was a finalist for best flash fiction
Mindprints was a finalist for continuity of theme
- Chase Thompson, Chloe Reynolds, Megan Tang were finalists for best spread design, and Chloe Reynolds won
- Earthwinds was a finalist for best quality of writing
- Earthwinds and Mindprints were both finalists for best cover design
- Earthwinds won best quality of visuals - Earthwinds was a finalist for best literary magazine
- Earthwinds and Mindprints were
Yearbook Awards: - Mallory Reedy was a finalist for best academic photo, best sports photo Havens Smith was a finalist for best feature writing/reporting Summer Wheat and Julia Sumrall were finalists for best sports writing/reporting - Sam Legget won best student life spread
- Michelle Dashbach was a finalist twice for best feature spread - Précis was a finalist for best photography and theme development -
Précis was a finalist for best yearbook
- Kathryn Weir and Paige Case nominated for best sports spread MSPA’s logo for the fall awards ceremony.
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Précis won best cover design
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7
Tatum Henry debuts and performs first single live ing more gigs in the future possibly?
by Dax murphy
Top 10 gemstones
EntErtainEnt Editor On Halloween night, senior Tatum Henry’s debut single “Cooperate” released on all major streaming platforms. It was a huge deal for Tatum: a student at Prep most already see as musically talented. For one, she has performed with intensity and heart for four years through Revillion Show Choir, “stealing” the spot as the female lead in the Heist show last year. Through her outstanding role as a pivotal voice at Jackson Prep, she was also given the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the girls soccer team’s senior night. So while the Prep community is familiar with Tatum’s talent, this was the moment for anyone else in the surrounding area to hear what Tatum is all about. That same night, Tatum was given the opportunity to perform her single live at the District at Eastover–a place that, in the last couple of years, has boomed in attraction with places like Fine & Dandy and Cultivation Food Hall. Luckily, she was able to partner with Fine & Dandy to supply drinks to those old enough, incorporate a photobooth for those who wanted to capture the moment, and had lights and music playing to create a party-like atmosphere for everyone who attended. A week or so before, she put out a social media post giving details of that night, presenting a link for people to sign up for tickets (however, you could still show up either way). She also made sure to announce that anyone who was coming should be dressed in their Halloween costume. A group of friends and I couldn’t miss out on this experience, so we jumped in our Halloween costumes and headed over. After she finished performing her song, Tatum did a few covers of songs from her favorite artists, two of which included the likes of Harry Styles and Stevie Nicks. Accompanying her, playing bass and electric guitar, was Matt Gross, a Prep alumni. Seeming like her set was nearing its end, the crowd started chanting for an encore, and she performed her single with everything she had once more to end the night. A night exuding with
Photos by Lilly Noble
November 2020
A: It all sort of came together [when] we were looking for a spot to have the [single] party but had very little luck. My manager finally found out that we could use that area and work with Fine & Dandy and such, and he had already used that entertainment company with the dj in the past. I had always kind of wanted a stage to myself and just sort of be myself up there and do what I do [best]. It felt like a big sigh of relief. I love being on stage, it feels like home in a way. It also, in a way, solidified my passion for music for me. It’s always so easy to say it will be fun and you’ll do great, but you never actually know until you get up there, so it’s always amazing when it feels as good as you had hoped. As soon as I get some projects rolling, and some free time, I will definitely start doing some gigs locally!
and may change as they oxidize. Moss agate has been found in the waters of the Yellowstone River, and was at one point known as mocha stone after the Arabian city which formerly sourced it.
3. Tourmaline is a group of minerals with a crystal structure often combined with elements like magnesium and aluminum. by Camp Carter Tourmaline comes in a range of EntErtainmEnt Editor colors, and is divided into subgroups species called Schorl, A Gemstone or Jewel Dravite, Elbaite, with Schorl beis defined as a piece of mineral ing the most common. Tourmacrystal, rock, or organic material line crystals are well formed and used for jewelry and accessories. have three sides, a feature shared The value of gemstones come by no other common mineral, from both their rarity and beau- and have pyroelectric properties. high energy, loud music, and the ty, but some gemstones, notably Schorl comes in dark shades of urge to dance, was unfortunatediamond, are valued because of black and brown, and is susceptily over. Yet, I couldn’t help but their hardness and cutting ability. ble to being magnetic because of wonder, “when’s the next one?” Gems are classified as precious its high iron content. Since the pandemic began, live or semi-precious.The big four events like such had become a precious stones being diamond, 4. Carnelian is an orangish brown fantasy. However, Tatum had ruby, emerald, and sapphire be- mineral commonly found in Asia given a group of people the opcause of their rarity and quality, and Europe. Carnelian is simiportunity to hear live music and with their translucency, fine col- lar to Sard, another mineral of have a great night, and took adQ: What’re your main inspira- or, and hardness. All other stones chalcedony, with Carnelian bevantage of that by putting herself out there. To say the crowd en- tions, the things that motivate are considered semi precious, but ing lighter and softer of the two. you to make music/continue those strict qualifiers are not nec- Its name is an alteration of the joyed her performance would be an understatement. They loved making music? Those like Harry essarily set in stone as the mod- word cornelian, because it looks her, going crazy during and after styles and Stevie Nicks or even ern popularity of opal, amethyst, very similar to a plant called the your family: what makes them and pearl can argue their posi- cornel cherry. Ancient Egyptians, each and every song. It wasn’t just a night of Halloween celebra- inspire you to be creative in tion as “precious”. Qualifications Indians, and Assyrians all used your own right? aside, the most important factors Carnelian in jewellery, notably tion, it was a night to remember of a jewel are how much it is val- necklaces and signet rings. for Tatum–debuting her first sinA: I think the thing about music ued by a customer, and whether gle in front of around a hundred 5. Wulfenite is a mineral compeople–as well as the people who that attracts me the most is the to- or not they can afford it. Since everyone is well posed of lead molybdate with the witnessed a star being born right tal and complete freedom/lack of boundaries. That’s part of what I aware of the precious stones, I chemical formula of PbMoO4. in front of them. I had the opportunity take from both Harry and Stevie will be going over my top ten Its wide thin crystal structure and their unapologetic manner to favorite semi precious stones comes in brillant range of fall colto interview Tatum a week or so ago, and I hope what you read be themselves and be free within based on how pretty or unique ors including red, yellow, orange, themselves and allow themselves they are. Cost isn’t going to be a and brown. Wulfenite crystals below can give you a glimpse into to make music from their hearts factor in this list because I am a remind me of cedar wood chips, her talent and creative process. and not just their ears. Making highschooler working part time although the mineral’s colors are music is a type of outlet where and obviously can’t afford any much more vibrant. It is capable Q: When did the process to make the single start? Like, did you can express certain words of them. I found most of this in- of being produced synthetically you write the song first then de- that you cannot say with certain formation on Wikipedia, as it al- through a complex procedure. cide to get together with a pro- notes, lyrics, or absolutely any- ready had a helpful list of miner- Pure Wulfenite is colorless, with its range in colors coming from ducer and mix and master it, or thing that pulls you. It’s a way to als and gemstone species. impurities. what? What sparked the idea of be vulnerable and intimate with your mind so that you discover 1. Opal is a mineraloid form of doing something like this? this entire other world, which silica that has a high water con- 6. Trinitite, also known as Alis your own. This mass amount tent, with precious varieties ex- amogordo Glass, is green glass A: I’ve always wanted to do it, it was just a matter of getting the of inspiration I get from Harry hibiting iridescent properties. left after the detonation of the material and connections. I write Styles stems from him showing Opal’s opacity can range from first nuclear device Trinity in a lot, and sometimes something just how much of yourself you transparent to opaque depending 1945. The glass is composed of can pour into your music; same on forming conditions, and has sand mixed with quartz and feldin particular will stick out to me and I know I have to finish it. I with Stevie. However, one little background colors varying from spar, and was as sand driven up showed it to my manager and he string, chord, or note can rep- white to a rarer black. Fire Opal by the blast got liquefied by the had some friends with a studio resent the biggest thing for you, are transparent or translucent heat. Mineral collectors were sold while representing something and shine with a brilliant array of samples during the late 40’s and and we started from there. A large completely different for someone warm colors, and are commonly early 50’s before the AEC buried portion of the song was just stuff we came up with and thought of else. They showed me to trust my mined in Mexico. In rare cases, most of the remaining material. gut and not worry about what opal can pseudomorph with pet- Its use in jewelry is interesting bein the studio. people want to hear but, instead, rified wood, or give it an opales- cause of its historical value, and cent sheen, turning it into a wood accounting for the fact that it is Q: Do you plan on creating more what I want to make. opal. It has been used in amulets mildly radioactive. music to put out there like this since antiquity, and has been be- With four gems left to talk about, one and/or do you plan to put lieved to be a bad luck symbol in Camp has a good bit more eto say. out an album in the near future? some cultures, while a good luck If you’re enjoying the list so far, Does it depend on how well this symbol in others. scan the QR code below and consingle does commercially or tinue reading about Camp’s top not? 2. Moss Agate is a gem formed 10 gemstones! from silicon dioxide. It gets its A: Yes! I’m working on somename from the winding green thing right now, and I plan to minerals within the stone, which keep doing so. I plan on an alform patterns similar to that of bum in the near future but for growing moss. The rest of Moss now, I’m focusing on some new agate is a cream colored quartz, stuff I’ve been writing. which produces a nice contrast between the two colors. The colQ: About the district. How did oring of moss agate is from metyou get the opportunity to do als located within it as impurities, something like that? What did doing something like that mean to you in terms of your musical career? Do you hope to start do-
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8
November 2020
What’s the Hype with Luke Combs? There’s a popular new by ChaRles stephenson
SpOrtS EditOr One of the biggest stars of the country music scene has just released several more tracks for his rapidly increasing audience. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Luke Combs has been named “the most promising and influential new country star of the last five years” by The New York Times. With over 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Combs has grown in popularity in the past several years due to his quality music and personality. Originally born in Charlotte, Combs moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where he grew up and spent most of his life. He attended Appalachian State University, where he eventually dropped out to pursue his music career in Nashville, Tennessee. Years after releasing his initial single “The Way She Rides,” he signed a record deal with Sony Music Nashville. Combs is accompanied at Sony Music Nashville by Kane Brown, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, and Brad Paisley, to name a few. He was recently inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2019 by country icons Vince Gill and the late Joe Diffie. Combs joined Brooks & Dunn on their hit “Brand New Man” for the Brooks & Dunn Reboot album. He then returned the favor by inviting the historic duo to join his recent hit “1, 2 Many.” Since shortly attending Appalachian State in his home state of North Carolina, he continues to show his support for the black and gold. As an avid fisherman and outdoorsman, he is an ambassador for some of the most popular outdoor brands. Combs
is an ambassador for Columbia PFG as well as Blue Otter Polarized sunglasses. He has even collaborated with Crocs on two projects so far. Combs often spends his time playing golf and hanging out with his family while he’s not on the road. Seven consecutive No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Country chart, an ACM, CMA, CMT, Billboard award, and a Grammy nomination, all do not come easy. With long days of writing and recording songs, he keeps racking up streams as he keeps putting out new hits. During the quarantine of 2020, Combs wrote nearly 40 to 50 new songs. As with many songs in 2020, Luke’s new track “Forever After All” managed to leak on TikTok. After quickly spreading across the platform, many fans shared the song clip repeatedly, requesting that the song be released. Combs said that he had been holding this song back for nearly two years. “Forever After All” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart as well as No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking the highest entrance ever for a male country solo artist. “Forever After All” is inspired by Luke’s new wife, Nicole. Nicole was also behind Luke’s No. 1 singles “Beautiful Crazy” and “Better Together.” “Forever After All” beat out Ariana Grande’s new single “Positions” for number one on the Rolling Stone Top 100 Songs chart. Before its initial release, “Forever After All” earned nearly 25 million streams and close to 50,000 downloads. “Forever After All” marks the first time a country song has topped this specific chart since “Old Town Road” last summer. His first album, This
One’s for You, held many of his hit songs. Exactly a year later with a deluxe edition version titled This One’s for You Too (Deluxe Edition). The deluxe album featured five new songs: “Houston, We Got a Problem,” “Must’ve Never Met You,” “Beautiful Crazy,” “A Long Way,” and “She Got the Best of Me.” Combs released his second album What You See Is What You Get in November of 2019, which held hits such as “Better Together,” “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” and “Refrigerator Door.” He released his new deluxe album, What You See Ain’t Always What You Get,on October 23, 2020, which featured all 18 songs from his platinum-certified, global #1 record, What You See Is What You Get, as well as five new tracks including his astonishing new hit “Forever After All.” What You See Is What You Get was released last fall and debuted at #1 on both the all-genre Billboard 200 chart as well as Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. The album recently spent its 25th week at #1 on the Top Country Albums chart making Combs the first artist ever to have their first two studio albums spend 25 weeks or more at #1. The album also had the largest streaming week ever for a country album with 74 million streams. Want to read more on how big of a country star Luke Combs really is? Scan the QR
Former Trump Press Sec. Sanders writes book
by Cass Rutledge
OpiniOn EditOr Since her childhood, Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s life has been dominated by politics. Growing up as the daughter of the Governor of Arkansas, working on several campaigns, including her father’s presidential bids, and then becoming a key member of President Trump’s inner circle, Sanders has a lot of interesting stories to tell. Now, after years of speaking on behalf of the President, she is finally telling her story in her new book, Speaking for Myself: Faith, Freedom, and the Fight of Our Lives Inside the Trump White House. Sanders has had a unique life from the start—growing up in the same room as Chel-
sea Clinton, coming close to death in a car crash, and then serving as White House Press Secretary. Sanders discusses what went on behind the scenes in the White House, like the rise and fall of White House Communications Director Anthony Scarammucci in only eleven days, the Mueller Investigation, and the Red Hen controversy. Sanders is the first mom to serve as White House Press Secretary, and her book reflects closely on that. Sanders and her husband, Bryan, who she met when campaigning for her father in Iowa, often found themselves struggling to balance both parenthood and what is arguably one of the most demanding jobs in the world. Sanders’s motherhood also became a target against her. Members of the media and strangers became extremely hostile towards her and attacked her motherhood, which is why she also became the first White House Press Secretary in history to require Secret Service protection. President Trump, on the other hand, disregarded the fact that Sanders was a mother or a woman and treated her just like any other person. Sanders
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was given a seat at the table for historic moments, something unusual for a press secretary, such as meeting and possibly being hit on by Kim Jong-Un or sitting with and getting the autograph of Prince Charles. Sanders discusses at length how she was empowered by and listened to by the President, and how he genuinely cared about her life outside of the White House, while also paying close attention to her job performance inside the White House. That is why President Trump has repeatedly and publicly encouraged Sanders to follow her father’s footsteps by running for Governor of Arkansas. If you are someone who is interested in politics or just likes to read, I highly recommend this book. Even if you are on the left side of the political spectrum, Sanders has a lot to share and brings some clarity to some confusing events during her time serving President Trump. Sanders does not tell her story in a partisan fashion, but she tells it from her perspective, something that everyone, especially feminists, should be very proud of.
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game lurking Among Us by Riley spivey
Staff WritEr The new game Among Us has gained lots of popularity over the past few months; it is available for download on the App Store. There are two roles within the game: the crewmate, whose job is to fix the ship to win, and the imposter, whose goal is to kill all the crewmates to win. The game begins when a host creates a game where up to 10 people can join with a maximum of three imposters. People can play with friends or choose to play anonymously. When the game starts, the screen changes and tells you if you are an imposter or a crewmate. Players are then given tasks to do while the imposter attempts to sabotage the game and kill the crewmates. Some of the tasks include fixing wires, destroying as-
teroids, downloading data, and scanning at medbay. While the crewmates try to finish their tasks, imposters must fake tasks and attempt to stop crewmates from completing tasks. When crewmates discover a dead body, it is reported, and everyone is taken to the chatroom to discuss who the imposter is. After everyone has decided, the server takes a vote, and whoever has the most votes is ejected into space. After being ejected from the ship, it will tell everyone if they were the imposter or not. Dead players can still finish their tasks or continue to sabotage the ship. Crewmates win by finishing their tasks or voting off all the imposters, while imposters win by killing all the crewmates. Students at Prep can be seen playing Among Us with friends during lunch and activity period.
The screen in-game that tells the player what their role is.
Paige Case talks Frank Ocean
by Jane huRst Managing EditOr
Every student at Jackson Prep is unique. Every student has an interest or a hobby. Some people devote themself to one singer or band and want to share their love of their music with other people. Talking Tunes is an opportunity for students to voice their passion for their favorite music. This month, Talking Tunes highlights Paige Case and one of her favorite artists, Frank Ocean. Frank Ocean, born Christopher Edwin Breaux, is an American singer-songwriter. He is quite an enigmatic figure known for his sporadic album drops and mysterious public persona. In the 2000s, Frank began his career as a songwriter for artists such as John Legend and Justin Bieber. In 2009, Frank joined Odd Future, a hip-hop collective. Frank met Tricky Stewart, who recognized Frank’s talent and helped Frank get a record deal with Def Jam. In 2011, Frank released his first solo mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra. He released this mixtape for free on Tumblr before its intended release date without the knowledge of Def Jam. Frank released chan-
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nel ORANGE with Def Jam the following year to acclaim from fans and critics alike. The next year, channel ORANGE won the Grammy for best urban/contemporary album. In 2016, Frank released his album Blonde. Since then, he has not released any significant projects, aside from an occasional single or collaboration. Frank collaborated with Tyler the Creator on two songs for Tyler’s 2017 release, Flower Boy, appeared uncredited on Travis Scott’s album, Astroworld, and appeared on A$AP Rocky’s album, Testing. Ocean hinted at a new album via his Tumblr account, but the singer remains elusive on when his next album will be released. Paige Case began listening to Frank Ocean when her sister, Anna, played it in the car on the way to school, but she began listening on her own during her sophomore year of high school. The first song of Frank’s that Paige really liked was “White Ferrari.” When asked what she liked most about Frank Ocean’s music Paige stated, “There’s a lot of music right now that’s upbeat with alot of action but Frank just simplifies it. A lot of music whether it is pop or rap is really fast paced, but Frank’s music is much more slowed down and puts you in the moment. He has music that is good for any mood.” Paige’s favorite album by Frank is Blonde, which includes her favorite song “Nights.” When asked why it is her favorite, Paige said, “It is really interesting. The two parts of the song are completely different, and I think it’s really unique.” Paige also recommends Joji and Trippie Redd to anyone who enjoys Frank Ocean’s music.
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Around Town
The Sentry
9
Chillin on the Rez Review cream.
by Lauren anne Smith
Editor & OLivia Smith Staff WritEr Chillin on the Rez is a new sweet treat drive thru that has opened up in the Flowood area . Opening in September, the new dessert spot has made quite the impression. They have a huge menu filled with all kinds of flavors and toppings to fit anyone’s personal preference. Although Chillin on the Rez is known for their famous chocolate snowball, they also sell homemade ice
The cost to buy snowballs are very reasonable compared to the ice cream prices. The customers can get a 12 oz snowball for only $2.75 with any toppings for an extra 50 cents. The ice cream is a little bit on the expensive side, $3.00 for a small scoop, and to get topping is 50 cents like the snowball. The employees were very nice and made our order in no time! They answered all of our questions about the snowballs, and told us to try the newest and most popular ice cream flavor. We ordered the recom-
mended s’mores ice cream and pink lemonade snowball. The s’mores ice cream was a chocolate base infused with marshmallow cream and graham cracker crumbs; besides the coldness of ice cream, this flavor brings you back to gathering around the campfire to roast marshmallows. The bright pink syrup coated on top of the shaved ice almost made it too pretty to eat, but the tart flavor made the snowball taste refreshing. Chillin on the Rez is a wonderful dessert shop for people who love affordable, delicious snowballs and ice cream.
Photos taken by Lauren Anne Smith and Olivia Smith
Cups vs. Fusion: Are the fall drinks worth the hype?
by anna cate hayS &
OLivia Smith Staff WritErS
For this issue, we are reviewing Cups and Fusion. These are very well known coffee shops to the locals in the area. Since it is Fall, many cafes are offering Pumpkin Spice Lattes, so we decided to try a PSL at each place. Cups has several locations around Jackson and Madison, while Fusion has one location in Township. Both have dine-in options, but some Cups cafes have a drive thru. Cups has a great atmosphere with local art for
Photo taken by Anna Cate Hays and Olivia Smith
customers to enjoy. Although Fusion doesn’t have local art, it does have a great environment to work, study, and enjoy your drink. It also has a great theme of jazz musicians, and the shop hosts an annual jazz festival. At Cups, we tried the Diablo, Turtle, and Capitol Street. The Diablo is infused with chocolate and their daily brewed coffee. It was very plain and creamy making this good for non - espresso drinkers. The Turtle and Capitol Street were on the specialty menu and are some of the most popular drinks at Cups. Both are lattes, the espresso was very watered down leaving a bitter aftertaste. The flavoring in the drink was not
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mixed in, causing all of it to sink to the bottom. Mostly known for their specialty drinks, we ordered Dukes Mocha, Sea Turtle, and Pink Panther at Fusion. The espresso in all drinks was very strong and blended great with the flavorings. Dukes Mocha and Sea Turtle being our favorite, it had a creamy consistency and an amazing espresso to flavoring ratio. Pink panther was infused with raspberry and white mocha, but the flavor was too sweet and the raspberry was very overpowering. To put Fusion and Cups to the ultimate test, we had to try both of their Pumpkin Spice Lattes, “PSL.” Overall Cups had a much better flavor for the PSL. Fusion’s PSL almost reminded us of a Fall candle, with way too strong flavoring, and it was way too sweet. Cups got their Pumpkin Spice Latte right, with the perfect consistency of the cinnamon and pumpkin flavoring. Cups had the best PSL, but overall Fusion had the best service, specialty drinks, and experience.
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Mayrant & Associates by LiLLy Grace SiteS
& JuLia StradinGer around toWn EditorS For this week's Small Business Spotlight, we are honored to have chosen Mayrant & Associates, owned by Wilkie Engle. The business, which opened in 1999, focuses on general commercial contracting. The foundation for Mayrant & Associates (before it existed) was Wilkie’s father’s business. Paul E. Engle, Jr. had a company called Engle Acoustic and Tile. Once her oldest brother was ready to take over the company, her father gave it to him and moved on to create Mayrant & Associates. Wilkie’s father went on to found Mayrant, named after her brother who passed away while a student at Georgia Tech. Wilkie expressed to us how the passing of her brothers and father has influenced her work both then and now. When asked what she loves most about her work, Wilkie said that she “enjoy(s) going to job sites and seeing progress whether with the company or just walking in my neighborhood. ” As a child, she absolutely loved going with her father to check his jobs as well as to visit his employees who practically raised her brothers and her. She also shared with us how much of a constant construction and real estate has been to her, from her father's business to
her first job as a real estate paralegal in Atlanta. Mayrant & Associates is different from similar businesses because they build from the ground up and have such diversity in their jobs. They build parks and playgrounds to all types of commercial renovations! Wilkie explained that “Mayrant has a specialized niche as well as in historical renovations.” She also spoke very highly of the company’s employees as well as the partners of the business. One partner, John McIlwain, has been very influential for the growth of Wilkie's business, as well as Mayrant & Associates’ new employee, Nick Kaminer. Kaminer, a Prep alumnae, serves as a chief estimator of the business. After losing her brothers and then her father in 2004, Wilkie knew she had to move back to Jackson to be a part of the family business and she has had no regrets. She says it has been rewarding and that she prays that her father is proud of her. Mayrant & Associates took over the Engle building upon the death of her brother, Paul, in 1996 and is located in downtown Jackson, close to the Coliseum. Because of Covid-19, they must follow all the guidelines set in the venues where their jobs are located, as well as the guidelines of the Associated Builders and Contractors. Despite these different times, Wilkie is still very “excited about the future” of her business.
Photo taken by Mayrant Gonwa
Online: Stuffed Asian Street Food Review Instead of traveling across the globe for Asian street food, you can now travel to Cultivation which is located in The District in Jackson, MS. Stuffed Asian Street Food offers a wide variety of sandwiches and appetizers...
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Sports
10
November 2020
Wrap it in red: Football’s memorable campaign by Mason nichols
SportS Editor Another season of Jackson Prep football is officially in the books. The Patriots compiled a final record of 7 wins and 3 losses, battling through a coronavirus-mired campaign to obtain a first-round bye in the conference playoffs. This fall was also marked by an important milestone: Coach Ricky Black’s 400th career win. Currently standing at 401 victories, Black is second to Centreville Academy’s Bill Hurst on the all-time Mississippi high school football list. Aside from personal accomplishments, Black’s senior-led team battled through a barrage of cancellations and reg-
ulations to build another winning season. In comparison to recent years, the fall of 2020 was unprecedented territory. School closures, mask mandates, and social distancing regulations have created an uncharted environment filled with an onslaught of questioning and unqualified opinions. Nevertheless, Jackson Prep and the rest of the MAIS took measures to ensure that athletes got the chance to play their beloved sports, an opportunity that was stripped away from athletes last spring. In truth, the season was rocky at points, but no one should expect a high school football season to be devoid of obstacles. Scheduled games against Lamar School and Oak Forest Academy were both cancelled due to coro-
navirus concerns, and the final matchup against Jackson Academy took place despite a partially closed campus. The presence of constant distractions along the course of the schedule speaks volumes to the team’s ability to focus on their objective of winning despite the constantly shifting surroundings. The Patriots’ regular season boasted of consistency in its truest form: the team won every game it was favored in. The most exciting of these wins, the crosstown showdown with the Jackson Academy Raiders, was set in Flowood. Red and blue balloons danced around the sky as they always do on rivalry night, only outshone in color by the paintball illustrations recklessly scrawled on the sides of countless suburbian F-150s. It was Jackson’s annual
Braedon Mabry walks out for the cointoss ahead of the Patriots final game. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Mooneyham
Young Athletes to Watch: Duncan and Craft by sarah cory
Fun and GamES Editor
Abby Duncan Abby Duncan is in the 8th grade and plays soccer and basketball. In soccer, she gets a unique experience of being the youngest daughter of head coach Jon Marcus Duncan. It really creates a special environment for the two. Her older sister Josie celebrated a championship with her father this year. When asked how it is having her dad be the one to coach and yell at her she said, “I’ve gotten used to it. It doesn’t bother me anymore like it used to
Austin Craft Austin Craft, a 9th grader at Prep, excels at football and soccer. In soccer he plays center mid, which combines both defensive and offensive responsibilities. Craft has played soccer for as long as he can remember. His favorite thing about soccer is being able to go out on the field and make plays with his teammates. As a 9th grader, he plays on the competitive varsity team. When asked what he is excited for this
because I know it’s what’s best for me.” In soccer Abby plays left back or left forward. Her favorite thing about soccer is getting to be coached by her dad: “He pushes me the most and it makes it fun”. In basketball, Abby plays the point guard position. She was moved up to the junior high team as an 8th grader, giving her another accomplishment and making her one of the youngest on the team. “Getting to play on the junior high team as an 8th grader is good because it is harder and pushes me more.” Abby is certainly someone to look out for in her athletic years to come at Prep.
Abby passes the ball to her teammate. Photo courtesy of Abby Duncan
season, Craft said, “I think that this team has what it takes to go and win an 11th championship in a row if we go out and execute each game.” In football, Austin is a kicker. One of his favorite things about football is how he gets to be around so many of his friends while having success on the field. Strangely enough, Craft said he likes how football is laid back and chill relative to the fast-paced play of soccer. With football season over, success in soccer is at the very front of Austin’s mind. Craft has a bright future ahead in both football and soccer.
Austin finishes the extra point attempt in their final game versus JA. Photo courtesy of Reed Hogan
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display of haughtiness with a side of private school football, and the unbridled, dueling bleachers could not wait to see what it entailed. The early-October Friday night greatly favored the Patriots. Jeffery Ince capped off an exciting 30-10 victory by returning a vengeful interception for a touchdown as the clock struck zero. Prep was able to retain this momentum until they were tossed out of Madison-Ridgeland Academy with a 24-50 defeat. The team battled back from their second loss of the season admirably by winning both of their final regular season games with Parklane Academy and Presbyterian Christian, boosting the Patriots into the semi-finals of the conference playoffs with a coveted bye-week. The seeding gods pitted Jackson Prep against Jackson Academy once again, setting the stage for another night of neighborly strife. Unfortunately, the Patriots were not able to subdue Sheffield’s finest for the second time, and the Raiders mounted a fourth-quarter comeback that ended Prep’s 2020 campaign. It is altogether too easy to summarize a season by its last game. Truthfully, Prep fans have been spoiled over the past decade by a stretch of gridiron dominance unparalleled across the country. Just as the previous sentence is not an over-exaggeration, the idea that fans have been spoiled by watching this team is equally justifiable. If you saw this team play, you get to see the beginnings of promising careers from players like Matt Jones and Braedon Mabry, who will get a chance to
Thaxton Berch jumps up for a catch. Photo courtesy of Beverly Oden
Coach Keavy Noblin
by lauren anne sMith
Editor
@jacksonprepsentry
play football at the collegiate level. More importantly, these beginnings took place alongside a number of tough endings. You witnessed the last charge of seniors who grew up looking at lop-sided scoreboards in Flowood, dreaming that one day their ragtag pickup games just outside the floodlights would morph into the success that was achieved by brothers and neighbors who first donned red helmets. This journey is what makes Friday Nights shine just a little bit brighter and trophies feel just a little bit heavier. More encouragingly, we will be able to see this cycle continue in Flowood for years to come. Congratulations to the 2020 football team on a very meaningful season.
Keavy Noblin is one of the new faculty members this school year; she is currently teaching Spanish 1 and coaching basketball and track. Growing up in Mississippi, Noblin went to Prep and was involved in basketball, soccer, tennis, and track. She graduated from the University of Mississippi and fell in love with coaching after her first job in Nashville. “I love sports because it’s a great way to learn from failures, bond with teammates, and learn life lessons.” Coach Noblin stayed in touch with her old coaches from Prep and was grateful when the opportunity to coach here was presented. She’s excited to be involved in both athletics and academics at Prep by teaching students in the classroom and on the court. Noblin explains that her favorite part of the Prep family is the close knit community in the
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school and always having someone to talk to. Her favorite memories as a coach is seeing a team come together and being able to mentor them throughout the season. “I love spending time with female athletes, mentoring them, and getting to know them. I love being able to pour into their lives and teach them about both sports and life. I love being there for my athletes when they need someone to talk to!”
Spanish teacher and coach of girl’s basketball and track, Keavy Noblin. Photo courtesy of Keavy Noblin
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Sports
The Sentry
11
Boys’ and Girls’ basketball jump towards season by Gavin Mullins
AssistAnt sports Editor With football season ending, it is time for some hoops here at Jackson Prep. Both the girls’ and the boys’ squads will be looking to build on great seasons last year. The boys, coached by former Millsaps Head Coach Tim Wise, are led by guards Cam Brent and Jaylen Bolden. Brent and Bolden proved to be a dynamic duo last season. With Brent’s great playmaking ability and Bolden’s extreme athleticism, they will be a very hard combination for teams to stop. Complementing Brent and Bolden will be Junior Lampton Moore, who started at center last season. Moore, having great size and footwork, dominated in the paint all of last season and will look to improve off of his very impressive Sophomore season. Another big man to keep an eye on is Junior Walker Craddock. Craddock has great height
and is very physical in the paint. He has the ability to score from anywhere on the court even as a center. Although Craddock did not start last year, he came off the bench and played a big role in the team’s success. The most impressive trait both big men have is their ability to shoot the outside jumpshot, which helps the offense run more smoothly. Without the help of Sam Buchanan and Andrew Purvis, the team will be in search of help from some of the younger players. Juniors Joshua Powe and John Camp Wise will be expected to play a key role for the team this season. After coming up just short last season in both the district and overall championship, the team will be more determined than ever to return to win both championships, leaving last season in the past. The girls team, coached by Michael McAnally, will be led by senior Olivia Sasser. Sasser, who also plays softball and soccer, is no stranger to being depended
on by Coach McAnally: she has started on the varsity squad team for three years. Looking to help Sasser on the court will be Junior Olivia Smith, who started last year and looked quite impressive, showcasing smart passes and great shot selections. Junior Andie Flatgard also played a lot last year as a sophomore. Flatgard has a great combination of speed and quickness, which makes it extremely easy for her to get to the goal and make a play. Flatgard has already been nominated for player of the week, averaging eighteen points in the teams first two games. Flatgard hopes that she is just scratching the surface when it comes to her performance this season. With the loss of Julia Zouboukos, Campbell Perkins, Mackenzie Shoemaker, and Anna Grace Morgan, it will be extremely difficult to find replacements for them. The team will look to Juniors Julia Stradinger, Madeleine Black, and Josie Duncan as players who will contribute to the
was torn up, the remaining dirt was covered with gravel that was spread across the field by bulldozers. This tedious process involves taking measurements to make sure that the field is level, and it will be the second addition to Prep’s athletic fields this year after the re-turfing of the football field. The players are looking forward to playing on the new surface, which is also compounded with the cancellation of many of last season’s games. The team is ready to play this year, especially with multiple players who have committed to taking their
skills to the collegiate level after high school. The seniors on this year’s team who have committed to playing baseball in college are Thaxton Berch, Kelly Crumpton, Jeffrey Ince, Riley Maddox, and Mason Nichols. This new field will provide a great opportunity for the team since the coaches will no longer have to worry about the tedious maintenance of a grass field. This will give the coaches much more time in the day to do other tasks, such as help with the maintenance of the soccer field and the football practice fields.
Baseball hits a home run with new turf field by John henry andress
Editor If you have driven by Prep within the last few weeks, you have seen the progression of the baseball field’s new turf. Whether it has been large mounds of dirt or the process of leveling out gravel, the project has been a large undertaking. Construction has continued for the past several weeks as large trucks have maneuvered throughout the Prep parking lot in an effort to deliver materials to the field. After the original field
team nicely. The girls will look to go back to back in District Championships and redeem themselves after losing the overall championship last year.
Both squads have very high expectations for this season, and with more than enough talent and great coaching, it seems as if he sky is the limit for these teams.
Andie Flatgard makes a move against a Columbia Academy defender. Photo courtesy of Mississippi Scoreboard
Prep cheerleaders named MAIS All-Stars by lilly noble FEAturEs Editor
This year at the MAIS cheer and dance competition, Mara Liston and Victoria Nowell, two senior cheerleaders, were named MAIS All Stars. Mara Liston has been cheering for 11 years competitively and at Prep since the 8th grade. Her favorite tumbling pass is a round-off backhand spring full, and she also really enjoys standing tucks because you can just whip them out anywhere. Her favorite jump is a pike because it is different and not many people do them. She shared, “As long as I’ve been on the team we have never competed at a competition, it was new for everyone on the team. I tried my best to take leadership as we prepared for the competition since I have a lot of experience with competing.” Victoria has been cheering since 8th grade at Prep and is this year’s varsity cheer captain. Her
favorite jump is a toe touch because she’s practiced it for so long and finally has mastered it. She loves to tumble, but her favorite thing about cheer is dancing. Her favorite memory of being on the cheer team is going to cheer beach and cheering for her twin brother, John Kennedy. Mara and Victoria both enjoyed the individual competition and transferring their knowledge of cheer into complex routines. They were told to create and perform a routine consisting of tumbling, jumps, a cheer, and a dance. They were given freedom to do whatever they felt would showcase the skills they wanted to do. However, the team aspect was not completely lost, performing their routines by themselves as their team sat on the edge cheering them on. Mara said that, “I personally made up my whole routine by myself without a coach, so when I performed well, I was proud of myself. I love making up choreography and routines so the whole experience was fun to me!”
The progression of the field from dirt to turf. Photos courtesy of Jeff Ince and Brent Heavener
SENTRY’S SATURDAY PICK ‘EM ($10 Reward) All students at Jackson Prep are eligible to participate in the Sentry’s College Football selection contest. This contest was made in order to give each student the opportunity to show off their ability to predict the outcomes of College Football games. The games being predicted will be for the week following the paper being released, so each participant will have until 3:10 on the Friday after the paper is passed out to submit their entries.
How to play: - Fill out your predictions (choose winner) for the games below and email them in some form to nicholsma@jacksonprep.net
Prize: - The winner of the contest will be recognized next week on the Sentry’s social media platforms and will recieve a reward of $10 Indiana (#9) Ohio State (#3)
Oklahoma St. (#14) Oklahoma (#18)
Tennessee Auburn (#23)
Wisconsin (#10) Northwestern (#19)
Mississippi State Georgia (#13)
Liberty (#21) North Carolina State Tiebreaker (score): Florida (#6) Vanderbilt
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12
Sports
November 2020
College Football is as strange as its surroundings by Will Gibbs
ASSiStAnt SportS Editor The 2020 college football season has been one like no other. Many games have been either postponed or cancelled due to positive COVID tests, which has greatly changed how teams handle themselves on a week to week basis. However, football fans across the nation are very grateful to have something to tune in to and look forward to on the weekends. As a surprise to none, Alabama has been the best team in America to this point. The Crimson Tide currently hold a 6-0 record and sit as the number one ranked team in the nation. Other powerhouses like Notre Dame, Clemson, and Ohio State have also been dominant and are poised to make a trip to the college football playoff if they continue on their hot pace. Although the forces at the top have remained the same this season, a big storyline has been the amount of teams from non-power conferences who have been very impressive. Currently, there are seven teams from non-power conferences ranked inside the top 25 rankings. While many think it is impossible for a non-pow-
er conference team to make the College Football Playoff, there are several teams this year who are doing everything they can to prove that they deserve a spot in the final four when all is said and done. Arguably the most impressive Group of Five team this season has been the Cincinnati Bearcats. Cincinnati has been absolutely dominant in just about every phase of football this season. The Bearcats have won all of their seven games to this point by at least fourteen points, and have not struggled at all against any team they have played. Some of these wins include a thirty-nine point blowout over Memphis, a twenty-nine point win over SMU, and a twenty-eight point victory over Houston. Cincinnati has been fantastic on both sides of the ball, averaging 41.6 points per game while only allowing 12.4. They have been led by their star quarterback Desmond Ritter, who has thrown for over 1,400 yards while also having loads of success on the ground. Head Coach Luke Fickell is primed to be a top head coaching candidate for many blue blood schools in need of a new coach. He has the Bearcats ranked 7th in America and fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Another impressive
non-power conference team has been the BYU Cougars. BYU has been dominant in every game this season, currently owning a record of 8-0. Their season has been highlighted so far by a 5117 victory over Boise State and a 43-26 win over Houston. They are currently ranked as the 8th best team in America. The main storyline for BYU thus far has been quarterback Zach Wilson. Wilson has been nearly perfect this season, throwing for over 2,500 yards and 22 touchdowns with only two interceptions. His play currently has him ranked as a top ten favorite to win the Heisman trophy and a potential first round pick in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. BYU has only two remaining games on schedule, and are hoping to do everything they can in those final contests to prove to the nation that they deserve to be in the playoff. While Cincinnati and BYU seem to be the only non-power five teams with any hope to make the playoffs, several other teams have been very impressive this year. Coastal Carolina finds themselves ranked 15th in the nation, their highest ranking in school history, after starting the season 7-0. Marshall University is also tied for 15th, taking off to a 7-0 start. Liberty University has been a very good team as well, as
they are ranked 21st in the nation with an already impressive upset win over Virginia Tech on the road. Former Ole Miss Coach Hugh Freeze is currently leading the Flames, and many think he may leave this offseason if a big job opportunity comes his way. While this season has been far from ordinary, it has been a pleasant surprise to see many teams who are not usually competitive play so well. While they ultimately might not make
tomed to national success has added another Hall of Famer, this time as a coach. Deion Sanders, Mr. Prime Time himself is in Jackson, and he is bringing the hype train with him. The first family of flashiness are not strangers to the spotlight. Deion’s confidence and style is shared by his son Shadeur, who stands as the crown jewel of his father’s first recruiting class. Shadeur is ranked as the 60th best player in the country and the 2nd best quarterback in Texas by ESPN, making him the most touted Jackson State recruit since scouting services began ranking players. The young Sanders switched his commitment from Florida Atlantic to the historically black university after his father accepted the job in Jackson, citing their shared commitment to
bringing HBCUs back on the national stage. Shadeur believes that his career in Jackson will naturally lead to a lengthy NFL tenure like his father’s. As Deion was introduced as the head coach, he said, “These kids need the playing field leveled. I cannot wait for this opportunity. If you give us the resources, if you give us the same resources that these other schools have, we’re going to prove that there is a highway that takes you from Jackson State all the way to the NFL. We’re not just raising professional football players, we’re raising professionals.” If anyone is capable of bringing resources to Jackson State, it is Sanders. His connections over his lengthy NFL career will certainly aid him in forming his coaching staff, which he claims will have 84 years of NFL coaching experience. Shadeur and Deion serve as the foremost example of a greater trend that has been sweeping across the college recruiting world. Highly touted recruits have begun to place HBCUs like Jackson State among their top college choices, hoping to bring the revenue and attention that these institutions have lacked in recent years. Such a change is noticeable at Jackson State, where new athletic and academic facilities are being built with the aid of skyrocketing season ticket demand. As Deion has said, he is a character that “puts butts in seats.” Memorial Stadium on North State Street will be a canvas for Sanders’ electric personality.
by charles stephenson
the playoffs, it will be interesting to see what the College Football Playoff Committee does and if this season will call for an expansion of the four team format. However, there is still plenty of time left in the regular season, and there are many opportunities left for teams to prove themselves. While a typical powerhouse may take home the trophy at season’s end, it has been nice to see some unfamiliar faces towards the top of the rankings.
Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder and BYU quarterback Zach Wilson are having outstanding seasons. Photos courtesy of clickondetroit. com and heraldextra.com
Shadeur joins father at JSU D.J. wins The Masters by Mason nichols
SportS Editor When you think of colleges that send players to the NFL, your mind probably flashes to Power Five programs from money-stacking conferences like the SEC. However, if you take a trip to Canton, Ohio, to browse the bronze busts of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Jackson State University will have its name scrawled throughout the prestigious building. Four Tigers are immortalized in Canton, out-pacing recognizable programs like Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Clemson, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. Their success has gone largely unnoticed throughout the college football landscape until now. The local college so accus-
Coach Deion Sanders embraces his new home football field at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson. Photo courtesy of Deion Sanders’ Instagram
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SportS Editor After a long wait, the 2020 Masters tee’d off on November 12th. Originally scheduled for April 9-12, the event was rescheduled due to the ongoing pandemic. Played in Augusta, Georgia, at the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club, some of the world’s best golfers tee’d off to showcase their skills at this invitational event. The Masters is one of the four main championships in golf, accompanied by the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open Championship. This event is also one of many on the PGA Tour. The 2020 Masters host some of the greatest current golfers. Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, and Tiger Woods are some notable names. DeChambeau appeared to be the favorite prior to the beginning of the tournament. An honorary tee shot is always hit off on the morning of the first round. Legends Jack Nichlaus and Gary Player hit off the Masters with their honorary tee shots on the morning of November 12th. Nichlaus holds the most Master wins, with six from 1963 and 1986. Player won the Masters in 1961, 1974, and 1978. The 2019 Masters runner-up, Dustin Johnson, took home the trophy. After finishing with a 4-under 68 in Round 4, Johnson set a 72-hole scoring record of 20 under, the lowest score to par in the history of the Masters at Augusta National. At 20 under, Johnson also tied the mark for lowest score to par in
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major championship history. He was a missed birdie putt away from breaking it. Johnson won the Masters by five strokes over second-place finishers Cameron Smith and Sungjae Im. That margin is the largest at Augusta National since Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters by 12 strokes. Johnson’s recent victory marks his second major win following the 2016 U.S. Open. He now has 24 career wins on the PGA Tour. Following his final put, he was awarded his very own green jacket. The green jacket is presented yearly to the winner of the tournament. Since 1949, the champion has received their own personal green jacket, though they must return it to the clubhouse one year after their victory. All others are stored with the other champions’ jackets in a specially designated cloakroom. The few players who have won the event multiple times use the same green jacket awarded upon their initial win.
Dustin Johnson holds up his new hardware in his favorite jacket. Photo courtesy of The PGA Tour
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Opinion 13 Wear a mask, wash your hands, keep your distance, be smart Words of Wisdom The Sentry
from Grandpa Sel
by Selby Ireland
OpiniOn EditOr The last few months have been some of the most divisive and stressful in recent memory. We have had a contentious election, a controversial Supreme Court nomination, and a record-breaking hurricane season. All the while, COVID-19 cases are on the rise, and leaders are struggling to find ways to control the virus’s spread. While it might be hard to change the
weather and we cannot make politics less combative, we can all do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19. When Dr. Thomas Dobbs came to speak to Jackson Prep’s Biomedical club earlier this month, he emphasized the importance of wearing a mask. Not only does a mask reduce the chance that you could spread the virus to someone else, we now know that it protects the wearer of the mask more than we previously thought. Wearing a mask is not a political statement, or a comment on the current state of affairs; it is just the right thing to do—for you and your neighbor. If you cover your mouth when you sneeze, or cough into your elbow, the mask does the same thing, only more effectively. Parts of our state (and the country) that have seen reducing levels of mask usage have also seen a sharp rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases. That is not coincidental. Mask wearing, and wearing one correctly, is one critical part on the road to less transmission, and the road back to in-person learning. There are other steps that we all can and must take in this
fight against the virus. Do everything possible to avoid large gatherings and social events, especially events that are inside. The lack of social interactions with friends has been hard on all of us. We all want to go hang out with and enjoy our friends and forget how hard this year has been. Unfortunately, big social gatherings are the places where COVID spreads the fastest. In fact, a substantial number of COVID cases Prep had in the weeks leading up to the switch to virtual learning can be traced back to several big social events around Halloween and the election. Try as we might, there are still times when we will come into contact with others. Whenever that happens, we need to remember to wash our hands, something we should be doing often anyway. Washing your hands is an important way to kill COVID-19 particles with which you have already come into contact. Over the course of Thanksgiving holiday, there will be countless opportunities to lapse on all of these safety precautions. We need to stay vigilant and stay
Mario music aids education by lauren anne SmIth
EditOr Going remote for the past two weeks has led to a lot of free time and procrastinating about homework. A recent trend on social media has been listening to music from video game series Mario Kart to increase someone’s ability to focus on studying and getting work done. People claim that the reason this music works is because it has a fast, upbeat tempo, which can increase productivity; it also brings back the memory in many
students of hastily trying to finish a race in the game. This is the perfect feeling students need when working hard to complete an assignment. Everyone has different ways to get work done, but this method was guaranteed to work according to millions of anonymous people on the internet, so I decided to test it out myself. The most popular theme song was called “Coconut Mall,” but I found a playlist on Apple Music filled with multiple Mario Kart soundtracks and listened to them all while I did some homework. I was shocked with the results, I finished three home-
work assignments in less than 30 minutes. I’ve never completed so much work that quickly; the only thing I could not focus on was studying for a quiz because I kept getting distracted by the movement of the music. I have found that, for me, Mario Kart music does help me work faster when I need to get through homework assignments as quickly as possible. I recommend you should conduct this fun experiment on yourself, and see if it works for you as well as it worked for me.
Super Mario and his lover, Princess Peach, focus on winning a friendly race against each other. Presumably, the energetic music in the background helps both racers go faster than ever before.
safe so that we can look back on this year knowing that we did our part to minimize the damage this virus does to those among us who are the most vulnerable. While we may not be as at
risk of death from the virus, the people we infect may not be as fortunate. Take care and be smart.
Reading, one of the many fun activities that students can do safely from home. Illustration by Kalyn Giesecke
POLL: What is your favorite condiment? Barbecue Sauce Comeback Cranberry sauce Hot sauce Ketchup Mayonnaise Mustard Ranch dressing Relish Salsa Worcestshire To vote on your favorite condiment, scan the QR code with your phone camera or visit jpsentry.net.
Dear Fellow Students, Our school, community, state, and country are all great, but are also in constant need of improvement. By voicing your opinion in The Sentry, you may be the first step in setting into motion much-needed change. We provide two ways for you to do this. You can write a shorter Letter to the Editor or a longer Guest Editorial. Both of these will need to be emailed to sentry@jacksonprep.net for submission. We look forward to hearing your voice. For more information, please view our editorial guidelines at jpsentry.net/about or on Page 15. Selby Ireland and Cass Rutledge Opinion Editors
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Opinion
14
No, America is not dooooomed by Cass Rutledge
November 2020
Why does big biz go left? by ty usey
OpiniOn EditOr This past election, millions of people came out and voted, which, no matter what your political leanings are, should be considered a good thing. Right now, the mainstream media has declared a winner in the presidential race, Joe Biden. For those who are not familiar with the United States Constitution, news organizations do not decide the winner of any election. There are still legal challenges to be settled, some of which President Trump has a serious shot at winning, such as the effort to overturn the Pennsylvania Secretary of State’s unconstitutional and unilateral decision to extend the deadline that mailin ballots can be accepted. Who could have ever predicted that universal mail-in voting could lead to uncertainty and court fights? It is laughable that the people who pushed the Russian collusion hoax and said that the election was rigged against Hillary Clinton in 2016 are now against transparency in our elections. Letting poll watchers fulfill their right to oversee votes being counted should not be partisan because it ensures that the American people can have confidence in the results of the election, whether it goes their way or not. Let the lawsuits, recounts, and audits take place, and no matter who wins, keep your head up high. President Trump has diversified the Republican Party base, tremendously helped down ballot candidates, and shifted how the party views issues, such as pre-existing conditions and endless wars, for the better. We cannot forget the historic achievements of the Trump administration: the USMCA, the hundreds of miles of border wall, the numerous Middle Eastern peace deals, the decimation of ISIS, the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the Space Force, the most inclusive economy ever, major criminal justice reform, three constitutionalist Supreme Court appointments, the fastest development of a vaccine in history, and the largest tax cut in our country’s history, just to name a few. President Trump has been the most successful president since Reagan, and that is why, win or lose, I will continue to support him and wear my MAGA hat with pride. President Trump has built a movement bigger than himself, and it will not stop, no matter
Staff WritEr
Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue (R-GA) are both in runoff elections, which could decide which party controls the Senate and if a potential President Biden would be able to pass leftist legislation.
who is in the White House. President Trump was different than every other person in Washington and actually got results, and now, we have learned to not tolerate those who just spew empty rhetoric. President Trump was not changed by the swamp; the swamp was changed by President Trump. Now that the Democrats view Joe Biden as the president-elect, they have begun to call for unity. Did they forget the past four years? Did the violent rioting, the creation of the so-called “resistance,” the over 90% negative news coverage of President Trump, the constant harassment of Trump supporters, the big tech censorship, and the constant accusations of racism never happen? Now, we can unite under the one who said that Republicans would put black people “back in chains?” No, thanks.
Even if Joe Biden does win, America will still be the greatest, most free, most powerful, most compassionate, most just, and most fair country in the history of the world. Meanwhile, President Trump said “We are one movement, one people, one family, and one glorious nation under God.” He made every effort to unify, while he was relentlessly misrepresented and attacked in every direction. He gave up his luxurious lifestyle to be berated daily. He taught us to stand up for our country, not apologize for it; to defend what we believe in, not bend a knee to the mob; and to persevere when the odds are against you, not give up. Even if Joe Biden does eventually win, America will still be the greatest, most free, most powerful, most compassionate,
most just, and most fair country in the history of the world. That does not change based on which party or person is in charge. There is a difference between insincere unity and patriotism. We will not threaten to flee the country if Joe Biden is president; we will not burn down buildings. Instead, we will continue to stand for our flag and national anthem, treat the office of the presidency with respect, and push back against the government overreach that Biden and the left have promised. The best way now to preserve our freedoms is to do whatever you can to help Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler win in their runoff elections in Georgia. If they lose and Joe Biden prevails, say hello to an expanded Supreme Court, a massive tax hike, socialized healthcare, and an end to energy independence. The Senate is on the line; America is on the line. As we go through uncharted territory, I encourage you to keep President Trump’s words in mind because they are more true than ever before: “Treat the word ‘impossible’ as nothing more than motivation. Relish the opportunity to be an outsider… because it’s the outsiders who change the world and who make a real and lasting difference. The more a broken system tells you that you’re wrong, the more certain that you should be that you must keep pushing ahead, you must keep pushing forward.” Thank you, President Trump, for sacrificing your image, your wealth, and your business empire to be called names, constantly attacked and maligned, betrayed by those who were closest to you, and undermined at every turn just to fight for the forgotten men and women of America. You have done more for our country than anyone in recent memory, and nothing can change that.
President Donald J. Trump tweets that he won the election, despite the media’s projections that point otherwise
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It’s a question I hear a lot. Conservatives usually support sweeping tax cuts and lower regulations for corporations, so many people are confused as to why these businesses seem to oppose conservative politicians. Progressives often get riled at the mere thought of the question; after all, so much of left wing ideology is devoted to limiting the power of big business. And yet, corporations at least seem to be liberal. Big businesses regularly host diversity seminars, publicize their support for LGBT acceptance movements, and, as of recently, some have started openly supporting race-based affirmative action and backing left-wing social movements such as Black Lives Matter. There are no equivalent outreaches to conservative movements from big business. So, are large corporations truly “progressive”? Are the CEOs of America’s largest companies truly committed supporters of social justice and the redistribution of wealth? No, of course not. When we see big businesses in America show support for traditionally liberal causes, it is all a cost-benefit calculation. Supporting liberal social causes—particularly identity politics—is the most reliable way to attract young, urban customers with the least risk to their bottom line. This summer, McDonald’s tweeted its support for the Black Lives Matter movement and “social justice.” The McDonald’s branch in Azerbaijan has tweeted support for the suppression of ethnic Armenians in their disputed homeland. Google fired an employee for expressing conservative-leaning views on gender roles—after he was asked for his opinion on the issue. Yet Google has enthusiastically aided China, an authoritarian dictatorship, in creating a censored search engine. Examples like this show us that when practical, countless corporations will abandon liberal principles to aid their bottom line. After all, a corporation’s goal is to make money: this shouldn’t be too surprising.
But why does big business support progressive causes in the first place? Corporations want consumers. They want talented employees. But a sufficiently large corporation wants cultural relevance as well; they want the trendsetters and the well connected to buy from them and work for them. Corporate America has calculated that that cultural relevance is centered in coastal, liberal, and urban areas. They have calculated that the “cool” people live in big cities, not Mississippi. And in response, they publicize support for causes that are popular in those areas, and not in the Bible Belt. Arguably more important is to look at what big businesses are not supporting: $15 minimum wages, increased taxes on the wealthy, etc.; corporations remain silent on issues that could actually lose them money. But identity politics, increased immigration, and LGBT acceptance do scarcely any harm to their profits, so naturally those are the issues corporations promote. In a warped sense, big business is killing two birds with one stone. Not only do they ignore progressive policies that could hurt their profits, but by indulging in liberal causes that do them no harm—identity politics in particular—they could very well be distracting young liberals and
In an ironic twist, corporations acting “liberal” might end up hurting the radical left more than anyone else. leftists from opposing big business in the first place. A liberal focused on gay marriage is less likely to be a liberal focused on regulating big business. A socialist focused on “people of color” is a socialist not focused on the working class as a whole. In an ironic twist, corporations acting “liberal” might end up hurting the radical left more than anyone else. So let us not be surprised when we find out that when businesses extoll liberal views, it is still just a business decision.
Monopoly Man cuts a shady, backroom deal with the Democratic Donkey. Illustration by Kayln Giesecke
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The Sentry
Sentry I
Opinion Staff Editorials
15 Sentry II
Let us give thanks
Unblock the internet
To put it bluntly, 2020 has been a tough year. We started off with what we thought could be World War III, and it only got worse from there. The President was impeached for only the fourth time in US history. COVID-19 has changed almost every aspect of our lives, whether it is playing in sporting events, attending school, going to a movie theater, or even visiting loved ones. The so-called “murder hornets” arrived, and our country is grappling with long-ignored issues on race. With all of this uncertainty and bad luck, we think that we are better to appreciate the small, day-to-day blessings. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we thought that now would be the perfect time to focus on what we have to be thankful for. We are fortunate to have loving friends and families, even in the midst of a pandemic. At times, we have only been able to see them virtually, but it could be so much worse. If this pandemic were to occur just a few years earlier, our isolation would be a lot more isolating. With friends, we can talk over Zoom, play games online, and stay in constant communication. With all that has gone on this year, the importance of friends and family has been put in a new perspective, and they are definitely something that we all are thankful for. During all of the challenges that COVID-19 has posed, our school has done its best to ensure that our learning can continue as uninterrupted as possible. That is why we are going to do something that, we admit, does not happen often in staff editorials: praising the administration. Keeping our school open with hundreds of students for such a long time is not an easy accomplishment. And though we are now, temporarily, in the midst of remote learning, our administration and our teachers have ensured a smooth transition from the classroom to the computer screen, and we are confident that they can get us back in the classroom safely and quickly. We are all upset about the sad ending to our football season, losing a tough fight against JA in the semifinals. However, we are all thankful that the season happened in the first place. We have been able to participate in softball, cross country, volleyball, girls soccer, and football. Our other seasons are set to also happen, and no matter their outcome, that is something that both fans and athletes can appreciate. It is almost Christmas which could not come at a better time. We are grateful for the school’s determination in the midst of COVID-19 is to provide the best, and safest, learning experience. It would not have been possible without the leadership and support of every teacher and administrator. With all of the craziness in the world, what are you thankful for?
At the time of writing, we are in another period of remote learning. While this comes with a lot of downsides, being the positive, optimistic people we are, we will focus on one aspect that we find beneficial: freedom on the internet. When students are learning on campus, and a website is used frequently, the school then can decide to block it. There certainly is a need for blocked websites, so that students will pay attention to teachers or, at the very least, do something moderately productive, but the scope of this blocking at Jackson Prep is far too great. Teachers, faculty, and administrators are fooling themselves if they think that students are always trying to be productive. Study halls are often used to rest, and activity periods are not always used for finishing homework. Students need breaks throughout the day, and there is no reason why some of those breaks can be spent on harmless websites, shopping or watching movies, activities which are currently blocked. Shopping websites are only the beginning. Many sites that are often used for educational purposes have also been banned. One prominent example of this is Twitter. You might be thinking, “Twitter is a time-wasting site and has no business being on any student’s computer.” However, Twitter is different from other social media platforms, such as Instagram or Facebook. Twitter is primarily used to spread information, not just post about the latest party or meme. In fact, Twitter is oftentimes where news not only is reported, but where it happens. Yes, Twitter can be a time-waster, but so can Google or Youtube. Not all of Twitter’s articles are educational, but the overall platform is, just like Google. The censors have also blocked websites that pose no threat to education, like Spotify, Soundcloud, and Bandcamp. Many students like to listen to music while working on homework or studying. In fact, for a lot of students, listening to music increases productivity. There is no good reason that these websites should be banned. There are rarely times when students can get on their computers and go to distracting websites during class. If they are going to a website used for entertainment, it is probably during a break. Excessive website banning incentivizes students to download a VPN to get around site blockers. This leaves rule-followers facing the punishment instead of those who now have access to every website. We recommend that websites, such as Twitter, shopping websites, Soundcloud, Spotify, and Bandcamp be unblocked, and in the future, websites are not blocked as often or without taking into consideration how and when they can be used for good. The internet is a tool; let’s use it properly.
We are all thankful for a little time off of school over Thanksgiving break. Photo by Selby Ireland
Student are not allowed to go to many websites, including Netfilx and Twitter. Illustration by Kayln Giesecke
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 editors. 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 editors. You may request anonymity for the print edition, but we do not accept unsigned letters.
Democrats did not rig the election; people are just tired of Trump by TriniTy Scalia
Staff Writer As most people may know, the 2020 election has come to a conclusion in Joe Biden’s favor. This result, unsurprisingly, did not sit well with Trump’s rightwing supporters. The validity of the election results has been questioned. Accusations that Democrats have rigged the elections are a popular discussion among Trump supporters. Were mail-in ballots used to create fraud on a nationwide scale? In
short, not all the ballots were counted correctly and there is no widespread evidence to point to fraud. Something that a lot of people are forgetting is that Trump was not popular in 2016 when he was elected the first time. He lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. When you factor in his performance as president, there was not really a chance for him to be re-elected. His inability to handle the COVID-19 crisis lost him centrist and moderate right-wing supporters. Trump’s America was riddled with disease, racism, and
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political unrest. Trump also spent his presidency spewing conspiracy theories and misinformation. One of his more recent favorites was questioning the validity of mailin ballots. After spending his whole campaign telling his supporters not to use mail in ballots, Trump was surprised that these ballots went overwhelmingly in Biden’s favor. The reason so many mail in ballots went to Biden is not because of fraud, but because Trump told his supporters not to vote via mail. Many people who predicted the election called
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this “blue wave” before it even happened. Fraud is not to blame when Trump actively discouraged this type of voting. There is also no widespread evidence to point to deliberate fraud. Even with thousands of citizens on both sides watching polling places, nothing conclusive came up. Almost every single video claiming “fraud” can easily be debunked. For example, some right-wing groups claimed that Minnesota had more votes than voters. This was due to the fact that the people making these claims used data from 2018. The
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older data did not account for new voters. Faulty math can not make something real. When I say there is literally nothing, I mean it. No substantial evidence exists anywhere. Trump did a bad job as president, and the American people voted him out. The election is over, and Biden has won. There is no way for Trump to overturn the election and win. Any recounts will return in Biden’s favor. It is time to usher a new era into America, hopefully one filled with the radical changes we need.
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FUN AND GAMES by Sarah Cory and Mayrant Gonwa